How to improve your grammar?

Some grammar rules (and embarrassing mistakes!) transcend the uniqueness of different regions and style guides. This new International Grammar section by OnlineBookClub.org ultimately identifies those rules thus providing a simple, flexible rule-set, respecting the differences between regions and style guides. You can feel free to ask general questions about spelling and grammar. You can also provide example sentences for other members to proofread and inform you of any grammar mistakes.

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pjswink
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Re: How to improve your grammar?

Post by pjswink »

Study and practice....English is difficult because it has so many exceptions to the exceptions. Read books that use good grammar. Listen and speak with people who use good grammar.

Don't text - just kidding, but oh my, texting is likely to be the ruination of our language.
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CzechTigg
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Post by CzechTigg »

I'm not sure I agree with that. A bit of a generalisation.

My grammar was flawless until leaving school and getting into bad habits.
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lirique6
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Post by lirique6 »

best way to improve grammar is by making mistakes! write and get someone to check your writing! doing grammar exersises is sometimes helpful too, schaum's grammar series is great!!
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Leigh M Lane
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Post by Leigh M Lane »

I took grammar in college, which taught me a lot, but my grammar improved most dramatically when I studied Italian. When you're forced to learn all the moods/tenses, types of pronouns, and basic syntax structures in a different language, you're forced to think about how they all apply in your native tongue. It was a game-changer for me, anyway.
kimi_mahajan
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Post by kimi_mahajan »

Hi,
I think the best way to improve your grammar is to engage yourself into reading on an everyday basis. You can include newspapers, magazines, articles and you'll get to know how to frame your sentences in a proper way.
To get even better, try and write a small article daily.
Practising daily would make you perfect!
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Clifora
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Post by Clifora »

You should probably find out more about your common grammar mistakes. Reading up and researching about grammar rules would certainly help you out. If you have any doubts, you should clarify them immediately (with the amazing Internet!). Don't give up and continue trying till you've managed to nearly perfect your grammar!
“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”

— T.S. Eliot
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Leigh M Lane
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Post by Leigh M Lane »

Sadly, too many people rely on and emulate comma use from the novels they read in high school or college English courses, when punctuation (at least when it comes to fiction in the US--Chicago style) has evolved much over the decades. For example, American writers even a couple decades ago might forego the comma when introducing a sentence with an adverbial clause. This is incorrect in contemporary Chicago style--but still the norm in UK writing. How is the average writer going to know the difference? That's why, at least in my humble opinion, formal education on grammar and punctuation is important.
Utpal K Khot
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Post by Utpal K Khot »

Nice topic. I am sure we all will learn something from each other.. :)
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Diane Rinella
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Post by Diane Rinella »

I love Grammar Girl and strongly recommend her website, podcast, and books.
ameliahulse
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Post by ameliahulse »

I agree with the suggestions provided above, reading more and more books will be helpful to improve your grammar.
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dore me
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Post by dore me »

Just be positive of learning the grammar and not to be lazy to study it at all.
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jessejaiden94
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Post by jessejaiden94 »

Nur, I would recommend reading pieces that you consider to be outside of your current grammatical level. Go find a dissertation or essay that looks complex, take notes on what you don't understand, try to form educated guesses as to what your notes might mean, and then search the internet and compare results. Good luck, friend.
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Leigh M Lane
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Post by Leigh M Lane »

jessejaiden94 wrote:Nur, I would recommend reading pieces that you consider to be outside of your current grammatical level. Go find a dissertation or essay that looks complex, take notes on what you don't understand, try to form educated guesses as to what your notes might mean, and then search the internet and compare results. Good luck, friend.
If using an essay or dissertation for your examples, make sure they're fiction; nonfiction tends to follow different style guides--which does affect some punctuation.

Also, if using other works at all as examples, keep in mind that books written by Brits, Aussies, or Canadians (for example) will be punctuated differently than those published in the US. When the books were published will make a difference too. Many classics follow older grammatical rules.

Best way to learn the right rules is to take a class or two. If your grammar is impeccable, your editor will have less reason to mess with your prose.
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LivreAmour217
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Post by LivreAmour217 »

book_fiend wrote:Native speakers of English tend to have atrocious grammar because we learned to speak English in primary school without ever learning the grammar rules that accompany the language. It is only those who learned English as a second language that tend to strive to be grammatically accurate. Kind of ironic, isn't it?
Yes, I've noticed this! I'm a native speaker who is also a stickler for grammar, but I think that I am in the minority!
"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." - Albert Einstein
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mrssettlemyer
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Post by mrssettlemyer »

The best way to improve your grammar is to buy a beginner's grammar course that has tests for each chapter and an Answer Key in the back. Many of these books have websites that include additional free resources. Good Luck! :D
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