How to Use Correct English Grammar

Learn English grammar at any age

English grammar is a boring subject to many students, and somewhere between boring and class are the students who got left behind. They may be old or young, but for some reason, they did not get the learning out of the way so they could speak and write proper English. If you are one of those students, there are still ways to learn grammar. Here are a few suggestions that may help.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• an interest in English grammar
• a computer
• a grammar handbook

1. Find interactive tutorials online. These websites have "fill in the blank" sentences. Once you submit the answers, the page shows the percentage of correct responses and gives you an opportunity to make corrections to the incorrect responses. See Resources below for an interactive tutorial site so you know what to look for.

2. Purchase an English grammar handbook. Harbrace College Handbook is a good one. Keep it handy and look up any grammar questions you may have. Once you understand the construction of English grammar, you will make steady progress.

3. Learn to parse a sentence in your mind. You may have called this diagramming, and your mind skipped over such a boring subject. All is not lost, since you can learn to do this as you write, use it every day, and make fewer errors.

   Here is an example: He went to the store with Carla and me. "He" is the subject, "went" is the verb, "to the store" is a prepositional phrase. "With Carla and me" is where most writers get stuck. Here is the easy solution. Take out CARLA AND and read the sentence. "He went to the store with me." "Carla and me" is the object of the preposition "with," and takes the objective form. The objective form is "me". "He went to the store with Carla and I" would not sound right and would not be correct. "He went to the store with I?" Removing the compound object (Carla and) resolves the grammar issue.

   You can learn to do this as you write.

4. Use the style guide requested when writing for a specific company or project. An English grammar handbook is a great way to learn the basics, but many companies request that you use the MLA or APA Style Guide when writing for them. The style guide covers formatting and citations. These guides may be found online if you do not have a current copy.

   The MLA Style Guide is now calling for a single space after a period. The old school was two spaces after a period. Even old dogs can learn something from reviewing handbooks and style sheets.

5. Make the decision to be a better writer and learn more about English grammar. Once the decision is made and the determination is set in place, you can make progress in a short period of time. Using correct grammar in writing and in speaking will reinforce your new learning adventure.

Tips & Warnings

• Keeping an English grammar book handy is a great way to learn grammar, but only if you use it. There is no osmosis just by having the book close or closed.

• copyright 2009 Linda Richard

• Feel free to link to this article or send it to a friend.

Resources

• Interactive Tutorials
• MLA Style Guide
• Contact Us