Do We Need English Grammar?
You must have heard people say that English grammar is not necessary. The argument is that you didn't learn grammar when you learnt your mother tongue. So why do we need grammar to learn English?
The fact is...
You did learn grammar implicitly when you learnt your mother tongue. Now intuitively you know what sounds right and what looks wrong...at least most of the time.
When you learn a language later in life, it is not easy to build up circumstances where implicit and intuitive learning can take place. You have to learn the language deliberately through understanding and practice.
Let me explain...
Look at super swimmer Michael Phelps. He has been compared to the dolphin...but swimming didn't come to him as effortlessly as it did for the dolphin.
Swimming is like the dolphin's mother tongue. For Phelps it is like a second language...though he is highly proficient in it. Swimming came naturally to the dolphin. Michael Phelps had to train himself according to the "grammar" of swimming.
It is in you to become the Michael Phelps of the English Language through the practice of English Grammar.
This Site Will Focus on English Grammar.
Though grammar is not the only thing I teach, this site will be on grammar and grammar issues.
I wish I could deal with the whole subject of English language teaching and learning, but the area is vast. So I must limit myself to grammar, which is the soul of the English language. Even when you say, you want to avoid grammar, you are consciously or unconsciously using it. You cannot avoid it.
On this site, you will find...
- grammar lessons—I have taken pains to keep the language deliberately simple.
(If it is still complicated in places, kindly contact me. I will be grateful to you.)
- exercises
- quizzes, and
- my own insights into how English works.
What are these insights about? They are about...
- how to learn English?
- is grammar needed?
- who needs grammar?
- what is grammar?
- is it difficult to learn it?
- why do some people fail after "trying a lot"?
and finally,
- how to teach it?
These are questions which are in the minds of people who seek my help in learning English. I have my insights into how one can understand and profit from grammar. This is based on the experience gained from…
- reflecting upon the English language (for I dearly love it) and
- my teaching it for 22 years.
You will have these thoughts of mine (especially on how to learn) coming as gentle reminders as you go about learning the lessons and doing the exercises.
I wish you all the best. Remember I am your guide. If there is any problem please let me know your difficulties at the contact me page.
For Further Reading...
You may start with any of these pages.
English Grammar Blog The Grammar Blog keeps you informed of new pages added and old content revised at english-language-grammar-guide.com. Subscribe here.
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English Grammar - What it is and How Much it Covers What English grammar means - explained in clear and easy-to-understand English.
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Know the Parts of Speech and Understand What They Do in Sentences A simplified and lucid first understanding of Parts of Speech. These words are like building material for constructing a sentence.
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Online Grammar Quiz on Parts of Speech Through this grammar quiz you can self-test your basic understanding of English parts of speech
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Verbs These dishes of verbs, you should try, but not all on one day; lest you get grammatical indigestion!
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The Different Types of Verbs and How They are Classified We get the different types of verbs according to the work they do in a sentence, or the way the verb-words are formed or their meaning.
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Verbals Consist of Infinitives, Gerunds, and Participles Verbals is another name for Non-finite Verbs. Why do we call them so and what are their forms and functions?
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Participles - Have a Comprehensive Understanding of Them Here's your guide to understanding participles, their types, forms, functions, and some common pitfalls when you deal with them.
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About Nouns - A Guide to a Comprehensive Study This page will guide you to a understanding of all the issues related to nouns.
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Types of Nouns To understand types of nouns better it is good to look at our experience of using names of different kinds in our daily life.
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Pronouns - Their Person, Number, Gender, Case, and Types Pronouns are substitutes for nouns phrases. They are affected by Person, Number, Gender, and Case.
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A List of Pronouns of Different Types with Examples This list of pronouns briefly describes each type and lists examples for each type for your convenience.
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Understanding English sentences in both traditional and modern ways. To understand English sentences, it is not a good idea to use the vague 'complete sense' criterion. There
is a better way, even in traditional grammar. We look also at how both traditional and modern grammar understand phrases, clauses and sentences.
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Parts of a Sentence Listed and Clearly Explained with Examples. Knowing the parts of a sentence, their functions and their inter-relationship makes it easier to make a correct sentence.
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Sentence Structure - How to Construct a Simple Sentence? This page on Sentence Structure illustrates how the different sentence parts, such as subject, finite verb, object, complements, and adverbials interact to form a sentence.
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CBSE Exam Preparation CBSE exam - Instead of being worried, it is more profitable to prepare smartly in the time left.
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Contact Me I am your guide for learning english grammar. Contact me if you want me to deal with some question or topic.
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Site Map of English Language Grammar Guide Site map or easy reference to english-language-grammar-guide.com
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