WHY GRAMMAR GETS A BAD REP?

Most people have a negative experience of learning grammar, remembering very strict English teachers who would hold regimented and often incredibly boring drills, reciting rules, and ploughing through hideously dull reading material. These experiences made them feel that grammar was not only a subject to dread, but that it was useless and detached from everyday life.

However, this kind of learning approach often fails to teach the most important thing about grammar: an appreciation that without it, we would not be able to communicate or understand each other.

Communication is made possible because we not only know the same words, but we can link them together in sentences or patterns that we can understand. It wouldn’t make sense, for example, if someone jumbled up the words of a sentence so it would be (using the last few words) “example sense words would if for jumble”.

CAUSE FOR CONCERN

Unfortunately, there is a movement in the educational system to take out the Grammar Class. This has serious consequences. Even if students will eventually pick up reading or writing skills, they will not be able to master the structures and the rules of grammar. This has been one reason why many graduates score significantly lower on English exams, or make previously “unacceptable” grammar mistakes at work. Several CEOs have lamented that it is now difficult to find someone who can speak or write English impeccably.

WHY GRAMMAR IS “USEFUL” IN REAL LIFE

• Grammar lets us communicate our thoughts with confidence. Have you ever felt that you were grappling for words, or unable to “say what I really feel”? Have you ever felt a little helpless because you couldn’t write a stirring love letter or even compose a memo to someone in your staff? People who have a mastery of grammar never feel like they’re unable to express themselves. They can speak or write without feeling insecure.
• Grammar reflects on our image and influences other people’s perception of us. Someone can be very smart and good at what he does, but if he opens his mouth and breaks all known rules of subject verb agreement in the first sentence, he looks stupid and uneducated. The fact is that the most successful people—from powerful politicians to persuasive lawyers to managers who can coolly secure a huge contract just by negotiating with other companies—are masters of the English language.

It takes more than memorizing grammar books to be able to write English fluently. In fact, many people make the mistake of thinking that as long as they can put two sentences together, they can “write”. However, even professional writers use stiff or even improper English when they make their novels or short stories. To top it all off, they often commit grammar and spelling errors that only make their work look sloppy and unprofessional.

Why Grammar and other English rules are important

Remember that the poorly edited novel (or report or letter) is the equivalent of going to a job interview sporting a green Mohawk, tattered jeans, flip flops and a wrinkled shirt. Your resume may seem ideal and you may otherwise be perfect for the job, but if you can’t even master subject verb agreement then you won’t pass scrutiny.

Simple Steps you can Take

1. Use the spelling and grammar check in your computer. This will often correct the most common mistakes, but do give your manuscript a second look. Computers will not see if you misspelled “flare” for “flair” and it may not be able to spot any mistakes in idiomatic expressions.

2. Another common mistake is accidentally interchanging “it’s” and “its”. Its is possessive, while it’s is a contraction of it is. Others confuse whose and who’s. Again, whose is possessive, and who’s is a contraction of who is. The basic rule of thumb is that if it is possessive, use an apostrophe (the cat’s bowl) while contractions don’t (its bowl).

3. Many people confuse bath and bathe. Bath is a noun (like a hot bath) while bathe is a verb (I love to bathe in hot water). This also applies to breath (like she is a breath of fresh air) and breathe (like I moved to the countryside so I could breathe fresh air)

4. Even professional writers will wonder whether or not to use the word “that” in a sentence. A simple rule is to ask yourself if you can omit the word and still be able to understand the meaning of the sentence.

5. Keep track of your tenses. You should not mix tenses in one sentence or even one paragraph. “He took out the book and gives it to the editor” is wrong since it combines past and present tense. “He took out the book and gave it to the editor” is correct.

These are just some of the most obvious mistakes made even by people who think they are fluent in English. Everyone can benefit from paying more attention to grammar.

Many people think that they can �speak English just fine� (actually, the grammatically correct phrase is �speak English well�). But here are some mistakes that even fluent English speakers make. See how well you do, and whether or not it�s time to enroll in a grammar course: scuole inglese dublino.

I, Me, He and Him

What�s correct, �John and I went on a date� or �John and me went on a date�?
You need to know whether or not your pronoun is the subject of the sentence (i.e., the doer or the action) or the object of the sentence (i.e., the receiver of the action).

If the pronoun is the subject, then the correct use is I/He. (So, yes, it�s �John and I went on a date.�

If the pronoun is the object, then the correct use is I/Him. For example, �I gave the bag to her.�

Should of, Could Of, Would Of

This is wrong, wrong, and oh so wrong. The correct is should�ve, could�ve, would�ve. Even if it sounds like �of� it�s not written that way.

To, Too, Two

These words may sound alike but they are used very differently. �To� is a preposition (e.g., I went to the market). �Too� means also (e.g., I went to the market too�). And �two� is a number (e.g., I went to two markets�). While most people know this on a logical level sheer carelessness makes them overlook it while writing. Word processors won�t always correct it so always read your letter/manuscript over again.

Lie/Lay

So is it �lie down on the table� or �lay down on the table�? When you do the action yourself, it�s lie, e.g. �I was eager to lie down in bed after a long day at work.� When you do it to another object, it�s lay, e.g. �I lay the pillow on the bed.� However, lay is the past tense of lie (e.g. �He lay in bed for hours that night, thinking about her.�)

Dangling Modifiers

This all boils down to dependent and independent clauses. The independent clause contains a complete thought in a form that can stand on its own, for example �The soldiers ran into the shelter.� But if you insert a dependent clause there (which is an additional thought that gives additional information�descriptions, etc�but can�t stand as a complete sentence) then you�re in trouble. �Running into the shelter, the exploding grenades dropped nine of the soldiers.� Uh, say what? The grenades didn�t run into the shelter, the soldiers did, but the location of the dependent clause confuses everyone.