How to Improve Your Grammar

Five Parts:Learning the Basics of GrammarPracticing GrammarAvoiding Common

MistakesFinding Reliable ResourcesImproving GrammarCommunity Q&A

Grammar is the system that structures a language, and every language has its own
guidelines. But grammar isnt so much about rules as it is the conventions that
determine how we speak and write, and it includes things like spelling, inflecting words
for different purposes, and the way words are arranged to form sentences. While its
good to remember that languages are living things that constantly change, its also
important to know that proper grammar is still necessary for communication. Luckily,
there are plenty of resources available to help people who want to improve their
grammar.

PART 1
Learning the Basics of Grammar

Know the parts of speech. These are the types of words that make up
the language, and they are nouns, adjectives, pronouns, verbs, adverbs,
prepositions, conjunctions, interjections, and sometimes articles. [1] To put
sentences together properly, you must understand what the parts of
speech are and how they function in sentences.

o Nouns are the elements that usually perform the action in a sentence,
such as a person, place, thing, idea, emotion, animal, or event. Nouns include
Sally, Paris, sand , philosophy , happiness, dog, and birthday.
o Adjectives modify nouns, and describe aspects or characteristics about
nouns. Adjectives include red, funny, lazy, large, and short.
o Pronouns take the place of nouns. There are personal subject pronouns
(such as I, she, and they), personal object pronouns (such as us, you, it, and
them), personal possessive pronouns (such as mine, yours, his, hers, and
theirs), and relative pronouns (such as who, which, that, and whose).
o Verbs indicate actions or states of being, and tell what the noun is doing.
Verbs include run, sing, type, be, and walk.
o Adverbs modify verbs, adjective, conjunctions, prepositions, and other
adverbs. They are words like quickly, well, , and slowly. These words often
end in ly.
o Prepositions indicate relationships in time, space, or direction.
Prepositions include to, in, on, over, of, and across.
o Conjunctions join nouns, clauses, phrases, and sentences. Coordinating
conjunctions link independent clauses, and they are for, and, nor, but, or, yet,
and so (remember FANBOYS). Subordinating conjunctions link dependent
clauses, and they include because, if, since, while, and although.
o Interjections are words that indicate emotions. These include oh, hey,
ouch, and wow. They are often followed by exclamation points.
o Articles are used to modify and define nouns. The is a definite article, and
a and an are the indefinite articles.

Recognize points of view. In terms of grammatical person, English has

three points of view, and each of those can be either singular or plural.
The points of view are: singular or plural first-person, singular or plural
second-person, and singular or plural third-person. The appropriate
pronouns are:

o First-person singular: I
o Second-person singular: you
o Third-person singular: he (masculine) / she (feminine) / it (neuter)
o First-person plural: we
o Second-person plural: you
o Third-person plural: they

Use proper word order. English sentences are structured following the
subjectverbobject order (such as Andrea ran to the door, not Run to
the door Andrea). In general, articles come before adjectives, and
adjectives come before the nouns they modify. Modifiers should always be
placed as close to their nouns as possible. For instance:
.Frank (subject) quickly (adverb) mailed (verb) the (article) long (adjective) letter
(object).

Conjugate verbs properly. English technically only conjugates the

present (I like) and past tenses (I liked), meaning that English verbs are
only inflected (have different forms or endings) for these tenses. However,
other verb tenses, such as the future (I will like), are created with the
help of mood, words that denote time (such as tomorrow), and auxiliary
(helping) words and verbs. Using the verb to go as an example, some of
the main tenses in English are:[2]

o Simple present (uninflected verb, or verb + s/es in third person): I go, you
go, he/she/it goes, we go, you go, they go.
o Present continuous (aka progressive) (am/is/are + present participle): I am
going, you are going, he/she/it is going, we/you/they are going.
o Present perfect (has/have + past participle): I have gone, you have gone,
he/she/it has gone, we/you/they have gone.
o Simple past (verb + ed for regular verbs): I/you/he/she/it/we/you/they
went (to go is an irregular verb).
o Past continuous (was/were + present participle): I was going, you were
going, he/she/it was going, we/you/they were going.
o Past Perfect (had + past participle): I/you/he/she/it/we/you/they had gone.
o Simple future (will + uninflected verb): I/you/he/she/it/we/you/they will go.
o Future continuous (will be + present participle): I/you/he/she/it/we/you/they
will be going.

o Future Perfect (will have + past participle): I/you/he/she/it/we/you/they will

have gone.

Punctuate sentences properly. Punctuation is an important part of

language, because it indicates starts, stops, pauses, and relationships.
Capitalize the first letter of every sentence, and the first letter of all proper
nouns (the names of people and places). The main punctuation marks in
Englishand their basic usesare:
 o Commas separate thoughts, ideas, elements, and independent clauses.
o Periods indicate the end of a sentence.
o Semi-colons join independent clauses in a single sentence, or separate
elements in a list.
o Colons introduce items in a list, explanations, or definitions.
o Question marks indicate that a question was posed.
o Exclamation points show emphasis, imperatives, or declarations.
o Apostrophes demonstrate possession or create contractions.
o Quotation marks indicate that you are directly quoting someone elses words.
o Hyphens join separate words into compound words, modifiers, and numbers.
o Dashes create a pause, interrupt a sentence, or add parenthetical
information.
o Parenthesis add additional information, references, or citations.

PART 2

Practicing Grammar

1. Read childrens books. While childrens books may not be grammar textbooks,
they are designed to teach the basics of language, including fundamental words
and spelling, regular and irregular nouns and verbs, simple conjugation, and
sentence structure. Children arent often explicitly taught the grammar and
mechanics of their native tongues, but instead pick them up by reading and
listening to other native speakers.
2. Read a variety of material. Improve your grasp of grammar by learning how
other authors use language. Focus on reading different genres and styles of
writing, such as classic literature, textbooks, science-fiction, science books,
biographies, blogs, essays, and articles.[4] Pay attention to how sentences are
structured, word order, spelling, and creative variations the authors use.

o Try reading aloud so that you also get an idea of how the language sounds in
conversation.
o Keep a dictionary and thesaurus handy while reading.
 o Read newspapers as well, listen to news radio, and watch televised news
programs daily.

3. Pay attention to how other speakers talk. Listen to how other people construct
sentences, where they place words in sentences, how they say common
phrases, and the vocabulary they use. English has many rules and exceptions,
so dont be afraid to ask questions if you have any.

o Try parroting what other people say by repeating it in order to understand how
sentences are formed and to expand your vocabulary.
o Be warned that some English speakers, even native ones, dont have a grasp
of proper grammar.

4. Play word and grammar games. There are many online games and
applications you can download on your computer or phone that will test your
grammar skills in a fun way.[5] Since these games are educational, theyll often
provide explanations for wrong answers so you can learn from your mistakes.

. Libraries, book stores, and online resources will also offer grammar lessons, practice
exercises, and quizzes.

5. Practice writing every day. Improve your grammar by writing and practicing any
new rules or words you've learned. Keep a journal, write short stories, or even
just email back and forth with friends or family. Concentrate on improving any
problem areas you might have or mistakes you often repeat.

o Dont rely solely on grammar checkers. For one, they can be wrong. Second,
you wont learn from your mistakes if you dont correct work yourself. If you do
employ a grammar check or proofreading services, take the time to look over
what changes were made so that you can learn what you did wrong.
 PART 3

Avoiding Common Mistakes

1. Learn the difference between confusing words. English has a lot of words
that look, sound, and/or are spelled the same, even if they have very different
meanings.

These homographs (words that are spelled the same), homophones (words that are
pronounced the same), heteronyms (words that are spelled the same but pronounced
differently), and homonyms (words that are spelled and pronounced the same) cause a
great deal of confusion, and result in common errors. Remembering these common
errors will help you avoid frequently made mistakes.[6] Common mistakes include:

o Confusing its (a contraction of it is) and its (a possessive pronoun).

o Mixing up theyre (a contraction of they are), their (a possessive pronoun),
and there (an adverb indicating place).
o Using youre (a contraction of you are) and your (a possessive pronoun)
incorrectly.
o Confusing too (which means in addition), to (a preposition) and two (the
cardinal number that comes after one).
o Not using then (meaning at that time) and than (used to compare)
correctly.
o Improperly using lie (meaning to be in a horizontal position) and lay (which
means to place something in a horizontal position).
o Confusing farther (used with physical distance) and further (used with
figurative or metaphorical distance).

Use punctuation properly. Improper punctuation can mean that the

meaning youre trying to convey can be confused or lost. There are many
punctuation-related errors that can occur in English, including:

o Run-on sentences, where there is no punctuation separating independent

clauses in the same sentence.
o Comma splices, where independent clauses in a sentence are joined with a
comma but without a proper coordinating conjunction.
o Using apostrophes to create plurals (they are used to create contractions or
show possession, not create plurals).
o Improper use of quotation marks, which should only be used to indicate that
you are directly quoting something someone said.

Use the active voice. In an active construction, the subject is the thing
that performs the action; in a passive construction, the subject is acted
upon by an outside force. While theres nothing wrong with the passive
voice, its less forceful and can make sentences unclear. Therefore, you
should use the active voice more often, but its acceptable to use the
passive voice from time to time, especially to emphasize something. For
example, consider how these active and passive sentences place
emphasis on different elements of the sentence:

o The active I paid the bill places the emphasis on what the subject did.
o The passive The bill was paid by me places the emphasis on who paid
the bill.

Use reflective pronouns properly. The reflexive pronouns are myself,

yourself, himself/herself/itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves.
These pronouns can be used reflexively or intensively. Reflexive pronouns
are only used as the object in a sentence, and only when that object is the
same as the subject. Intensive pronouns are used to add emphasis to a
sentence and reinforces that the subject performed the action. To tell the
difference, remember that if the pronoun can be removed from the
sentence and it still makes sense, the pronoun is being used intensively.
However, if the pronoun cannot be removed without altering the meaning
of the sentence, its being used reflexively.

o Reflexive: I pinched myself to see if I was dreaming.

o Intensive: She individually picked each gift herself.
o Reflexive: He asked himself how hed feel in that situation.
 o Intensive: I myself dont know how Id react.

PART 4
Finding Reliable Resources

1. Take a class or see a tutor or teacher. One of the best ways to ensure you
understand the basic grammatical elements of a language is by seeking the help of
someone whos qualified to teach you. Many community colleges offer language
courses, or you can ask around at your local high school or college to see if any English
students want to make some extra money tutoring you.

2. Read style guides and grammar books. Grammar and style guides come in two
forms: descriptive guides that describe how people do speak, and prescriptive guides
that tell people how they should speak. But language changes and evolves, and the
rules of English arent always set in stone. There are many style guides that
recommend different ways of approaching grammar, and its a good idea to read several
of them. This will provide an idea of the different ways to approach spelling (such as
American versus British), syntax, and style, give you a better idea of the fundamentals
of grammar, and show you where the language is adaptable and where its inflexible.
Some of the most widely used style guides are:

o The Chicago Manual of Style, which is often used for social science and
historical journals.
o The Modern Language Association (MLA) style, which is often used in the
humanities, in language studies, and in cultural studies.
o The Associated Press (AP) style, which is used by most news and media
outlets.
o The American Psychological Association (APA) style , which is often used
for natural and life sciences, academic journals, and social sciences.

3 . Find online resources. Along with the resources available at libraries, the
Internet is full of reliable grammar games, lessons, exercises, quizzes, and tips.
Many universities will also offer resources about grammar, spelling, syntax, and
common errors.
 o Purdue OWL is an excellent resource that has lessons and different style
guide recommendations.
o You can also subscribe to daily grammar emails and blogs from people
like Grammar Girl.

Its is a contraction of it is.

Its is a possessive pronoun or Its going to rain tomorrow.
Its/Its
adjective. The dog licked its paw.

Their is used when referring to Their dog was barking so loudly, I

ownership or possession. couldnt sleep.
There/Their/TheyreTheyre is a contraction of they are. Theyre going to go the movies
There is used when referring to later.
location. There is that sock I was looking for.

Contractions
In formal writing, contracted or abbreviated words such as can't, couldn't or it's should only be
used in dialogue or directly reported speech, for example if you quote someone's work. At all
other times use the full word(s) such as can not, could not or it is.

For example:

He said "I can't swim"

is correct because you are directly quoting speech. However, if reporting this statement you
would write

He said that he could not swim.