How to Improve Your Grammar
When your sixth-grade English teacher was droning about gerunds and diagramming sentences, you probably thought, "Why does this stuff matter?" By now, you know it matters a lot. Good grammar helps you seem better educated and more intelligent, and it can be the determining factor in earning an A+ grade or snagging your dream job. With so much riding on the way you speak and write, why not ask yourself: What is a gerund, anyway?
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Instructions
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Purchase a grammar workbook from your local bookstore. These books often include a self-assessment test, which will help you identify your grammatical areas of weakness. Working through the related exercises is a good way to start improving your skills.
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Sign up for a grammar refresher course through a local college or adult education program. These programs - often geared toward business professionals - will review the grammar rules you forgot after sixth grade and point out the most common grammar mistakes.
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Read about grammar rules on your own. Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style" is the classic book on the subject, but professional writers are also fond of "Working with Words" and "When Words Collide." Other good options include "Woe is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner and Bill Walsh's two funny books, "The Elephants of Style" and "Lapsing into a Comma."
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Read. People who understand grammar can usually tell when something sounds "wrong" without thinking about the nitty-gritty rules. Reading will help you pick up that skill by exposing you to the English language used properly.
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Be vigilant. It takes a lot of practice to acquire good grammar habits, so use correct grammar in every situation, even the most casual e-mail or text message to a friend. Never send a message without proofreading it, and keep your favorite grammar book nearby to look things up when you're unsure. Sure, it sounds like a lot of work, but before long you'll be using proper grammar automatically.
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Tips & Warnings
Before you pay tuition for a grammar refresher course, check your employer's policy on continuing education. Some companies will reimburse employees for job-related course work.
If you know someone with excellent grammar skills, ask him or her for help. He or she may be willing to "grade" you periodically by reviewing a Word document or e-mail you have written.
Don't agonize about every mistake. Learning good grammar habits takes time.
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Comments
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not helpf u do I have to pay for it when all this introduction you could have tutor me about how to improve it.
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Virginia Allain
Dec 11, 2008
I like the idea of getting a grammar workbook to test yourself.
