How to improve your English grammar
Good English grammar is not just for those writing essays or studying for degrees. If you take the trouble to actually learn English grammar, you’ll increase your chances of applying for most jobs, courses, or indeed many goals you’ve set for yourself. Some people think that they just don’t have a head for grammar, but in fact it’s something anyone can learn. Once you’ve taken the time to master the basics, you’ll find that it becomes much easier and really pays off in the long run. So what simple steps can you take to improve your grammar?
Learn the basics: There are certain fundamental rules of grammar that, once learned, will make things much easier for you. Things like parts of speech, clause types, sentences, and basic elements of sentences will all fall into this. It may take a bit of time and patience to memorize and really understand them, but once you have them, you’ll have them for life. It may be helpful to purchase a style manual for reference, such as The Oxford Manual of Style.
Use the Internet: There is a whole online community dedicated to encouraging people to learn English grammar, so use it! On forums or discussion sites you will find many people willing to give you some advice or tell you where you are going wrong. Check out some of the grammar blogs and forums available.
Set yourself homework: You need to apply what you’ve learned all the time by practicing writing emails, blogs, essays, short stories, whatever you want, and then reviewing them against a style guide for proofreading. It helps if you set yourself a certain number of goals or tasks each week, and also do a lot of reading. The more you read and write, the better your understanding of grammar will be.
Take a course: While some people will be able to learn English grammar on their own, many find that they need a little more structure behind their study. Taking a short course can be a good way to get expert guidance from experienced tutors and give you the boost you need. Many courses can be tailored to your own specific needs or skills so you don’t realize you’re revisiting old ground.
Learn another language: Studying another language makes you think a lot more about grammar and forces you to consider how another language might differ from English. It will make you think about English grammar in a different way and ultimately improve your understanding of it.