How to Learn English Grammar

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Can you speak English comfortably, but still have some problems with English grammar? Maybe you "picked up" English from movies and songs or while living abroad and never had time to focus on correct grammar. The good news is that if you want to learn English grammar, there's a lot you can do to teach yourself.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

English (ESL) text book
Grammar exercises
English language reading material

Step1

Make a plan. Try to get an overview of English grammar from a text book or online resource. Note the grammar points you need to work on and plan to work on each for at least a few day.

Step2

Identify common mistakes. People who speak the same language often make the same mistakes in English grammar. For example, many Russian speakers have trouble using "a" and "the" in English. Find out what grammar points are often difficult for speakers of your native language. Pay extra attention to learning those grammar points.

Step3

Find some grammar exercises. To learn English grammar well, you'll need to practice each grammar point until you can use it easily. Look for a book of grammar exercises that also has answers. Online activities and quizzes can also help. Focus on just one grammar point each time you study.

Step4

Pay close attention to grammar when you read English. When you're trying to learn correct English grammar, it's not enough to understand general idea of what you read. You'll need to understand exactly why each sentence is written that way. When you read a sentence, ask yourself if can make similar sentences. If you can't or you're not sure, find text book exercises for those grammar points and practice.

Step5

Translate from your native language into English. When you write or speak your own thoughts, it's easy to avoid complicated grammar. When you translate, you have to work with whatever is on the page, even if the grammar is difficult. Start translating simple things like advertisments and then move to newpapers and magazine articles. Translating dialog in plays is another good way to practice.

Step6

Ask native speakers for advice. If you know any native English speakers, ask if they could check some of your writing now and then. If there are no native English speakers near you, look online for language learning forums or language exchange sites. Just remember if the native speaker is not a teacher, he or she may not be able to explain grammar rules.

Tips & Warnings

Learn English grammar in small steps and give yourself time to practice. Learn the basics of one grammar point, then move on to another. When you're comfortable with the basics, you can go back and study the details.
There are some grammar differences between U.K., U.S. and other variants of English. There may be two or more correct ways to say something. Remember this when you ask native speakers for help.