How to Learn English Grammar？

【Abstract】Grammar is an aspect of language about which learners have different opinions. Some learners are very interested in finding out or learning grammar rules and doing lots of grammar exercises. Others hate grammar and think it is the most boring part of learning a new language. Whatever opinion you have， however， you cannot escape from grammar； it is in every sentence you read or write， speak or hear. Grammar is simply the word for the rules that people follow when they use a language. We need those rules in the same way as we need the rules in a game. If there are no rules， or if everybody follows their own rules， the game would soon break down. Its the same with language； without rules we would not be able to communicate with other people. So you cannot escape from grammar， but the key question here is： what is the best way to learn grammar？ You can learn the rules of a game by simply playing the game. You will certainly make mistakes； you may even get hurt. Eventually， however， you will know how to play. Of course， the rules of a language are very much more complicated than the rules of any game， but in fact this is exactly how you learned your own language. Nobody taught you the rules of your mother tongue as you were growing up but now you never make a grammar mistake.

【Key words】grammar； rule； learn； language

Grammar is the set of rules that govern the usage of English language. A strong grasp of English grammar is therefore of the greatest importance.

Most non-native English speakers make grammatical mistakes while speaking in English. Improving grammar takes time and effort but it is well worth it. Here are some tips which will help you improve English grammar

Understand the building blocks of grammar

As a first step， it is important to know the different building blocks of grammar like nouns， pronouns， articles， adjectives， verbs， adverbs， prepositions， conjunctions and interjections.The internet is full of resources about these and it is usually a good idea to understand them well.

Pay attention to sentence structures

When you read an article or watch a movie， it is important to pay attention to how sentences are constructed. This practice helps ingrain different sentence structures and will help your spoken and written English.

Practice when you can

This tip can never be overemphasized. As an English learner， it is extremely important for you to talk in English at any given opportunity. If you do not have partners to practice with， then try to speak in front of the mirror.

Grammar exercises will help you

Try doing different grammar exercises and find out your weaknesses. These exercises are freely available on the internet. It is only after you are able to correctly assess your weaknesses that you will be able to rectify them.

Find a mentor

Many learners have improved their grammar working with a mentor. A mentor could even be a friend who has a strong command over English grammar. You must speak only in English with your mentor and ask the mentor to point out your mistakes. This real time feedback is very beneficial in improving grammar.

Join a course

Many students find that an English improvement course is the quickest way to improve English grammar. If joining a classroom program is difficult， then an online course is a great option.

References：

[1]奧马利.第二语言习得的学习策略[M].上海外语出版社，2001.

[2]陈保亚.20世纪中国语言学方法论[M].山东教育出版社， 1999.

作者简介：肖琳燃（1999-），女，汉族，河南许昌长葛人，许昌高中学生，研究方向：外国语言。