A Practical Guide to Concept-Checking Questions (CCQs) for CELTA and Beyond
- Connor O'Donoghue
- 51m
- 7 min read
1. What Are Concept-Checking Questions?
Concept-checking questions (CCQs) are short, targeted questions teachers use to check whether learners truly understand the meaning of new language.
They’re not grammar quizzes, translations, or comprehension tests. They’re quick meaning-checks that reveal whether your learners grasp the idea behind the form you’ve just presented.
If you're teaching present perfect and you say, I’ve lived here for five years, students might repeat it after you perfectly. But do they know the action started in the past and continues now? CCQs tell you.
They’re essential tools in any communicative classroom, especially for new teachers who are learning to gauge what they can expect students to know already.
2. Why CCQs Matter
Asking “Do you understand?” almost never works. Learners might say “Yes” because:
they don’t want to lose face,
they don’t know what they don’t understand,
or maybe they think you’ll be upset if they don't understand
CCQs bypass all that. They test understanding directly and keep lessons at the students' level of comprehension.
Used well, they:
diagnose confusion before it spreads,
reduce unnecessary re-teaching,
and build learner confidence through success.
On CELTA, effective CCQs demonstrate that you know whether you've successfully taught your target language.
3. What a Good CCQ Looks Like
Good CCQs share five qualities:
They test meaning, not terminology. Bad: “What tense is this?”Good: “Is it happening now or in the past?”
They have clear, limited answers. Learners shouldn’t need long sentences. A word, phrase, or gesture is often enough.
They use simpler language than the target. If the target is He’s going to resign, don’t ask “Does this imply futurity or intention?”
They encourage thinking, not guessing.
They’re quick. Two or three seconds per question is plenty (hopefully!).
Target item: just (with present perfect)
Sentence: She’s just left.
Question 1. Is she here now? (No.)
Question 2. Did she leave a long time ago or recently? (Recently.)
Both questions test the concept of recentness expressed by just, not the verb left, not the subject she, not the tense form in general.When planning CCQs, always decide which element you’re checking before writing a single question. Otherwise you risk testing everything and clarifying nothing!
4. The Logic Behind CCQs
CCQs follow a simple thought process. Let’s unpack it properly with worked examples for grammar, and vocabulary.
Step 1 – Identify the Target and Its Core Meaning
What exactly do you want learners to understand?
Step 2 – Predict Confusion!
What might learners mix it up with? What wrong meaning could they infer?
Step 3 – Design Questions That Distinguish Correct from Incorrect Meaning
Let’s apply that to three different language types.
Example 1 – Modal verb: must
Target item: must (obligation)
I must finish this report today.
Possible confusion:Learners often confuse must with can or think it means “probably.”
CCQs:
Is it my choice? (No.)
Is it necessary? (Yes.)
If I don’t do it, is that OK? (No.)
Each question separates obligation from possibility or prediction.
Example 2 – Tense: present perfect continuous
Target item: has been working (duration from past to present)
She’s been working here since 2018.
Possible confusion:Learners may think it refers to a finished past job or confuse it with simple present.
CCQs:
Did she start in the past? (Yes.)
Is she still working here now? (Yes.)
Is the job finished? (No.)
Example 3 – Vocabulary: jealous
Target item: jealous (feeling unhappy because someone else has something you want)
Possible confusion: Confusing jealous with angry, sad, or envious in L1 translations.
CCQs:
If my friend wins a prize, and I want it, am I jealous? (Yes.)
If I win the prize myself, am I jealous? (No.)
Is jealous usually a nice feeling? (No.)
That’s the process in miniature: 1. define; 2. predict, 3. test.
5. More Worked Examples
Target item | Example sentence | What we’re checking | Effective CCQs |
might (possibility) | He might go to the cinema. | Uncertainty / possibility | Is he sure? (No) / Is it possible? (Yes) |
used to (past habit) | I used to play football. | Habit in the past, not now | Did I play before? (Yes) / Do I play now? (No) |
allergic (adjective) | She’s allergic to nuts. | Permanent condition / reaction | Can she eat nuts? (No) / What happens if she does? (She gets sick) |
borrow (verb) | Can I borrow your pen? | Temporary taking | Do I give it back? (Yes) / Do I keep it forever? (No) |
in spite of (preposition) | We went for a walk in spite of the rain. | Contrast / unexpectedness | Was it raining? (Yes) / Did we stay inside? (No) |
Explicitly stating the target item prevents the confusion new teachers often have, which concept/word am I actually trying to check understanding of?
6. Where CCQs Fit in a Lesson
A typical sequence in a grammar or vocabulary lesson often looks like this:
Set the context. Maybe use a listening or reading from your textbook, or create a story of your own.
Elicit the target language. Guide learners to produce or notice it themselves.
Clarify meaning. Explain or illustrate what the target means through examples, visuals, or timelines.
Check meaning (CCQs). Ask short, targeted questions to confirm understanding.
Clarify form and pronunciation. Show how it’s constructed and note any irregularities. Model and drill for stress, connected speech, or intonation where relevant.
Practise. Move from controlled practice (gap-fills, substitution, matching) to freer practice (role-plays, discussions, free writing).
This sequence is typical of the kind of structure we'll look at on a CELTA course for grammar and vocabulary lessons and it keeps CCQs exactly where they belong, immediately after clarification of meaning.
7. Common CCQ Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)
Mistake 1 – Checking the Wrong Thing
Trainee teachers often forget to specify what they’re checking.
Sentence: She’s just left. If the target is just, “Did she leave recently?” is excellent.If the target is left, it’s irrelevant, you’d ask “Did she go or arrive?”
Mistake 2 – Asking About Grammar, Not Meaning
“What tense is it?” checks terminology or form, not understanding. Focus on meaning: “Is it finished or still true now?”
Mistake 3 – Using Over-Complex Language
Keep CCQs simpler than the target. If you need long subordinate clauses, you’ve missed the point.
Mistake 4 – Over-Checking
Two or three focused CCQs are enough. Ten yes/no questions kill pace and confidence.
Mistake 5 – Unnecessary CCQs
Sometimes the meaning is already clear from context, demonstration, or a picture.
Example: You hold up an apple, say “apple,” and learners nod. Asking “Is it a car?” doesn’t test understanding, it just makes them doubt what they knew.
Before writing CCQs, ask yourself: Is there any genuine ambiguity here? If not, let the example speak for itself.
Mistake 6 – Opinion Questions in the Wrong Place
“Do you like coding?”This is perfectly fine for practice or conversation, but it’s not really a 'pure' CCQ to check if students know what coding is. Use it only once you've already established meaning with some more closed questions that focus directly on the concept.
Mini-Quiz: Spot the Best CCQ
Target item: have to (obligation)
Sentence: She has to wear a uniform at work.
Which question best checks understanding?
A. “Does she like her job?”
B. “Is it her choice to wear the uniform?”
C. “Is this in the past, present or future?”
D. “What’s the opposite of uniform?”
Answer: B — it tests the concept of necessity/obligation.
8. CCQs Beyond Grammar
CCQs are just as valuable for vocabulary and functional language.
Target item: generous
Are generous people happy to give money or do they prefer to keep it? (Give money)
If you share your lunch with a friend, are you generous? (Yes)
Target item: fed up with
If I’m fed up with my job, am I enjoying it? (No)
Do I want it to change? (Yes)
Target item: would you mind... (polite request)
Is this polite or direct? (Polite)
Is the speaker asking or telling? (Asking)
Target item: What’s up? (informal greeting)
Can you say this to your manager? (No)
Do friends say it to each other? (Yes)
9. When (and When Not) to Use CCQs
CCQs are one way, but not the only way, to check meaning.They’re most useful when:
the target is abstract (e.g. might, should, already),
visual or realia methods don’t clarify the difference,
or multiple meanings are possible.
They’re unnecessary when:
the word or structure is concrete (banana, chair),
meaning has already been demonstrated through action or picture,
or you’re revisiting previously taught language.
Other ways to check understanding
Eliciting examples: “Give me another sentence like that.”
Reformulation: “Say it another way.”
Gestures or mime.
Categorising: “Which group does this belong to?”
Personalisation: “Have you ever done this?”
Use whichever method best fits the moment. Don't feel you always have to ask CCQs.
10. Troubleshooting: When CCQs Don’t Work
Sometimes students still look blank. That doesn’t always mean the CCQs are bad — but it’s your signal to investigate.
Problem 1 – CCQs Don’t Target the Real Concept
Target item: used to (past habit)
Sentence: I used to play football.
Weak CCQ: “Am I a good footballer?” — irrelevant.
Better CCQs: “Did I play before? (Yes)” / “Do I play now? (No).”
Problem 2 – Weak Context
Even good CCQs fail if the situation is unclear, so you should add context: “When I was a child, I played football every weekend. Now I’m too busy and I've stopped playing.”Re-ask the CCQ.
Problem 3 – Cognitive Overload
If learners are tired or overwhelmed, even easy questions land badly. Pause, recap, simplify.
Problem 4 – Wrong Focus
Maybe meaning is fine and the problem is form or pronunciation. CCQs can’t fix that; address the right issue.
11. Building Your Own CCQs
Here’s a repeatable planning routine you can apply to any new item.
Step 1 – Write the target sentence
I’m meeting John at 7.
Step 2 – Identify the target element
Target item: present continuous for future arrangement
Step 3 – Define the core meaning
Future plan, fixed time.
Step 4 – Predict confusion
Students may confuse it with simple present or going to.
Step 5 – Write 2–3 CCQs
Is it happening now or later? (Later)
Is it a plan or a possibility? (Plan)
Do I know the time? (Yes)
Another Example – Lexis
Sentence: She was absolutely delighted with the result.
Target item: absolutely delighted (very happy)
Core meaning: strong emotion, more intense than happy
Confusion: learners may think it’s a mild feeling
CCQs:
Is she angry? (No)
Is she a little happy or very happy? (Very)
Keep a Record
Consider keeping a record of CCQs to develop the skill. Snap a photo of your lesson plan, use a notes app, or record a short voice memo after class.Patterns emerge quickly, and you’ll recycle questions across tenses and levels.
12. Final Thoughts
Concept-checking questions make comprehension visible.They turn an abstract idea, “Do they get it?” into something you can measure in seconds.
A good CCQ doesn’t teach; it confirms. It’s the moment between explanation and practice where the teacher silently asks, Have I done my job?
Remember:
Always know what you’re checking.
Keep questions short, clear, and simpler than the target.
Use CCQs when meaning could be confused, not just because the lesson plan says to.
Done well, CCQs make lessons tighter, clearer, and far less repetitive, for you and your students.