How to work on English grammar. Grammar is as complex as lunch

Grammar is, without exaggeration, one of the most controversial and painful topics for anyone who wants to learn English. It raises especially many questions among those who have decided to go free and try to learn a foreign language on their own. Which grammar book should you choose? How many exercises should you do? How to put a bunch of theoretical rules in your head, and then instantly remember them during a conversation? Why doesn't it work? Maybe I have a bad memory? Maybe I don’t have a talent for languages ​​and in general, it’s not for me? Let's try to figure out what to do with all this.

In fact, it is a pity that in these endless questions people rarely get to the bottom of things. You should also ask yourself: why is it so boring? Is this how it should be? And is grammar really that necessary? Thoughts in this direction often put us in a somewhat uncomfortable position, because they begin to directly contradict all those attitudes that were laid down and firmly cemented back in school. Thus, most people no longer doubt the fact that to learn a language it is necessary to do boring things for a long (indefinitely long) period of time. Grammar exercises rightfully occupy the royal place among them.

I can't help but agree that it's very convenient. Indeed, the process of language acquisition in this way acquires very clear and defined boundaries. You just need to gradually move from one rule to another, while simultaneously doing mountains of exercises “to consolidate.” And when you reach the end, grace will descend on you in the form of fluency in the language. Of course, if up to this point you have not forgotten everything that you learned in previous years. If you forget something, you can always go back and go through everything again, because without this there is no way to learn a foreign language. Convenient, right?

It's getting ridiculous. At the very beginning of working with students, I always give them the task of defining their own goals. Roughly speaking, why do you personally need English? What exactly do you want to improve, and what will this give you? So, I repeatedly come across an answer in which the word appears grammar: “I want to improve my English grammar.” This is followed by a lengthy dig to the core, why does a person need such an abstract thing? It often turns out that such grammar as an end in itself is based on a general increase in level. And the goal is formulated exactly like this - these processes seem very identical - language acquisition And working on grammar.

In truth, the question of grammar seems controversial not only to beginners, but also to experienced polyglots. Their attitude to the study of grammar varies from the need to scrupulously study the rules to almost complete abstraction and focus on communication.

Therefore, unfortunately, there is no ideal recipe for grammar, how much time to devote to it and at what stages. The only thing that can be done is to clearly show the essence and result of studying the rules. Guided by this and their language goals (real, not imposed!), everyone can determine their own formula for success.

What do you need to do in order to develop a certain skill or ability? Let's say you want to play the piano. Everyone understands that for this it is necessary to study musical notation (which does not take much time), and then practice. And this means starting to play, first simple etudes and songs, gradually increasing the complexity of the works. Play systematically, preferably daily. If you are very fascinated by the instrument itself, you can, of course, study thoroughly everything about its structure, history of creation, and mechanism of operation. But no matter how many books you read on this topic, and no matter how much you concentrate on looking inside, it will not help you in the game.

This is exactly how I see the process of mastering a foreign language. Undoubtedly, at the zero stage it is necessary to pay some attention to the theoretical foundations. But in the future you need to work on the skills that you need. If you want to read books in the original, start reading them (adequately assess your strengths, choose texts in accordance with your level). If you dream of free communication with friends and acquaintances in English - start talking with them now try to express your thoughts.

This is an advantage, but at the same time it is a difficulty in learning English. On the one hand, many of us already have a sufficient basis to at least somehow read, understand and speak English (thanks to school lessons). On the other hand, making this transition from habitually working through exercises to using a foreign language naturally, in real life, can be extremely difficult and uncomfortable.

But you need to clearly understand: the more time you devote to grammar, rules and exercises, the more you theorize your own knowledge, moving towards philological education. This is how you learn information about the language, rather than acquiring specific skills: speaking, writing, understanding native speech. If you want to use English rather than describe it, then you should seriously think about significant changes in what exactly you do.

Almost all people who learn English have difficulty learning grammar. And it's not just about understanding the rules of English.

The problem is that a person seems to learn the rule and understand it. But when it comes to real communication, he cannot use his knowledge: choose the right tense, construct a sentence correctly and say it in English.

In this article you will learn how to learn English grammar correctly so that you can use it in conversations in your life.

Why can't people use grammar when speaking?

Grammar are rules about how words are formed into sentences. With the help of which we express our thoughts.

To understand why we cannot apply these rules in life, let's look at how we usually learn new material.

How people used to teach:

Many people perceive the word “teach” as the ability to retell something. This goes back to my school days. For example, the question: “Have you learned the material for the lesson?” meant whether you could retell what was written in the book.

But no one thought about how you can use this knowledge in life.

What is teaching?

Study - assimilate any knowledge, skills, or gain experience. (Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary)

That is, when we learn something, we must not only understand the theory, but also learn how to use it (gain practical experience).

When we learn English grammar, it is not enough to simply parse some rule. Even if you know the theory perfectly, you still won’t be able to apply your knowledge without practice.

You need to learn to use this knowledge in life. Only then can you say that you have learned the rule.

An example from our life:

Many people have a car license. We all know that a car has 3 pedals: gas, brake and clutch. A person can remember what these pedals mean and in what sequence they need to be pressed. But when he starts the car, with a 99% probability it will stall. And this will be repeated until the person gains experience and feels when to release the clutch.

2 secrets for learning grammar

1. Study the material from simple to complex

When learning grammar, you need to follow the principle of gradualism. If you don’t know something simple, it will be impossible to understand more complex material. If you learn everything scattered, then your head will turn out to be a mess.

For example, if you do not know the verb to be, then you will not be able to understand how the present continuous tense is formed, since this verb is used in its formation.

I am a doctor.
I am doctor. (literally: I am a doctor)

I am watching TV.
I watch TV. (literally: I am watching TV).

Be sure to study everything sequentially!

2. Don't be afraid to make mistakes

Many people do not want to use their knowledge when speaking because they are afraid of making a mistake. “I’d better study and read some more, and then I’ll start speaking,” they think. But this is completely wrong!

When you first start using the rules in practice, you you will make mistakes. And that's okay. Remember the example about cars written above. There is nothing wrong with making mistakes, even if there are a lot of them in the beginning.

The main thing is to look at what exactly the mistake was and work with this material again.

3 steps: how to learn English grammar

To learn a rule, that is, gain knowledge and learn how to use it, you need to follow 3 simple steps.

Step 1. Let's understand the theory.

There is never a need to memorize or retell a rule. It's useless. The most important thing is understand in what situations we use it.

For example, take the future simple tense Future Simple.

It is used when we talk about an action that will take place in the future. That is, we can use in such cases:

I'll go on vacation.
They will buy a car tomorrow.
Her son will go to university.

Step 2. Let's see how the sentence is constructed according to this rule

In this step we need understand how a sentence is constructed correctly. That is, you must figure out what parts the sentence consists of and why it is constructed this way.

In this case, diagrams are very helpful. They also make it easy to create spoken and written sentences that will enable you to acquire the skill.

For example:

The future simple is formed using the auxiliary verb will and the verb in the initial form (affairs t- to do, swim t- to swim).

The scheme will be as follows:

actor+ will + verb in initial form

I will buy a new car.
I'll buy a new car.

After step 1 and step 2 you have gained knowledge: you understand when this rule is used and how a sentence is formed according to this rule.

Now we need to learn how to use this knowledge in life.

Step 3. Learn to make sentences orally and in writing

At this stage we acquire a skill, that is, the ability to use knowledge in life. To use English grammar we need to acquire 2 skills: oral and written. Therefore, the following exercise must be done both orally and in writing.

Above we talked about the Future Simple tense and its formation. Now we need to learn to speak independently (yup, right now) and write sentences using this time.

Above we had a diagram:

actor+ will + verb in initial form

The exercise is that now in our circuit:

• We put different people in the “character”(I, you, he, she, they, you, it)
• In the "initial verb" we put actions(sleep, run, study, read, etc.)

We make the following proposals:

I will sleep.
I am going to sleep.

He will study.
He will study.

She will work.
She will work

We will go to the cinema.
We'll go to the cinema.

You will do your homework.
You will do your homework.

You need to make such sentences until you feel that you can easily say the sentence in this tense. But don't be a robot! Speak your sentences calmly and deliberately. Be sure to think about what you are talking about. For example, when you say: “He will study,” immediately imagine in your mind that “He will study.”

Then this procedure must be repeated again in writing.

By the way, if you followed all the steps in the article, then now you know how to construct an affirmative sentence in the future tense in English. Not difficult, right?

But that is not all. It must be remembered that there are 3 types of offers:

1. Affirmative sentences (He is dancing.)
2. Negative sentences (He doesn't dance.)
3. Interrogative sentences (He is dancing?)

To learn to fully use any rule (English tense) in speech and writing, you need to be able to construct all 3 types of sentences.

After you go through the 3 steps of forming affirmative sentences, move on to negative ones by repeating these 3 steps with them. Then do the same with interrogative sentences.

Important: Learning English means a lot of repetition. When studying grammar, it is very important to constantly repeat the material over time. No matter how well you disassemble and train it, if you do not use this knowledge, you will soon forget everything. Proper learning of English is built from explanation and constant reinforcement of the material in practice.

So, if you learn English grammar this way, you will not only understand and know the rules. But you will also be able to use your knowledge in life. After all, we learn English in order to communicate in it, and not to retell theoretical rules.

Now all you have to do is apply what you have now learned through these articles:

English grammar cannot be called simple by any stretch of the imagination - rules, exceptions, exceptions to exceptions... It’s clear why many people consider the English language difficult! Grammar is fundamentally a complex structure, and before you can speak or write English, you need to understand how words are combined, how they form new forms, and so on. However, if you study hard and carefully, you can even master English grammar!

Steps

Part 1

Learn parts of speech. Every word in the English language refers to one or another part of speech that determines not what What means a word, otherwise How it is used.

Study in more detail the rules governing the use of a particular part of speech. If you want to know English really well, then you should know these rules better than your own name. Remember the following in particular:

• Nouns can be: singular or plural; proper names or common nouns; collective; countable or non-countable; abstract or concrete; verbal.
• Pronouns can be: personal, possessive, reflexive, intensive, reciprocal, indefinite, demonstrative, interrogative or relative.
• Adjectives can be used either by themselves or in comparative and superlative forms.
• Adverbs are either relative or frequency.
• Conjunctions are either connective or correlative.
• Verbs can be: action verbs and linking verbs; main or auxiliary.
• The articles "a" and "an" are indefinite, the article "the" is definite.

1. Recording numbers. Single-digit numbers (from 0 to 9) should be written in words, two-digit numbers (10 and beyond) - as numbers.

   • When writing numbers in a sentence, uniformity must be maintained; mixing types of writing is unacceptable.
     • Correct: I bought 14 apples but my sister only bought 2 apples.
     • Incorrect: I bought 14 apples but my sister only bought two apples.
   • Never start a sentence with a number written in numerals.
   • Simple fractions are written in words separated by a hyphen. Example: one-half
   • Mixed fractions can be written in numbers. Example: 5 1/2
   • Decimal fractions are written in numbers. Example: 0.92
   • When writing numbers consisting of 4 or more digits, commas are used. Example: 1,234,567
   • When indicating the days of the month, a digital recording form is used. Example: June 1

Part 2

1. Match subjects with predicates properly. Both the subject and the predicate, belonging to the same grammatical core, must have the same category of number. You cannot use singular verbs with plural subjects and vice versa. The plural of the subject is the plural form of the predicate.

   • Right: They are at school.
   • Wrong: They is at school.
   • When two singular subjects are joined by the conjunction "and" ( he and his brother), then the subject takes the plural form. When the connection occurs through the conjunctions "or" or "nor" ( he or his brother), then the subject remains singular.
   • Collective nouns, such as "family" or "team," are used as singular subjects in a sentence and therefore require a singular verb.

2. Learn to form complex sentences. Compound sentences are the simplest after simple sentences. To form such a sentence, you need to combine two simple sentences on the same topic using a conjunction.

   • Not very good: The dog ran. He was fast.
     • Much better: The dog ran and he was fast.
   • Not very good: We looked for the missing book. We couldn't find it.
     • Much better: We looked for the missing book but could not find it.

3. Learn to use conditionals. A conditional construction means that part of a statement will be true only if the other part of the statement is also true. Classic conditional constructions include “if, then” statements, although the word “then” is not always used in the finished sentence.

   • Example: If you ask your mother, then she will take you to the store.
     • However, the following form will also be considered correct: If you ask your mother, she will take you to the store.
     • Both forms are conditional.

4. Learn to work with parts of a complex sentence. These parts are simple sentences from which a complex sentence is made; these parts themselves are dependent or main

   • The main sentence has its own grammatical core (subject and predicate), which is why it is the main thing. By the way, compound sentences consist of main clauses.
     • Example: She felt sad but her friends cheered her up.
     • Both "she felt sad" and "her friends cheered her up" can be separate sentences.
   • Dependent clauses cannot be separated into separate clauses.
     • Example: While he agreed with his brother, the boy would not admit to it.
     • The part “While he agreed with his brother” cannot become an independent sentence, because it acts as a dependent sentence.

5. Learn the peculiarities of punctuation. Punctuation of the English language is a separate headache for everyone who studies it. You, of course, will also have to learn all the rules governing punctuation, but to get started you can use the following basic principles:

   • Dot(.) is placed at the end of the sentence.
   • Ellipsis(...) is placed when part of the text is removed from a paragraph.
   • Commas(,) separate words where a pause is needed, but not as long as a pause from a period.
   • Semicolon(;) is used in complex sentences that do not contain a conjunction.
   • Colon(:) is used to insert into a list clause.
   • Question mark(?) is placed at the end of an interrogative sentence.
   • Exclamation mark(!) is placed at the end of an exclamatory sentence.
   • Quotes(") separate words spoken by another person from the rest of the text.
   • Round brackets() are used to provide information that clarifies the previous statement.
   • Apostrophe(") is used in contractions and to indicate possessiveness.

Part 3

1. Learn paragraph structure. A simple paragraph has from three to seven sentences. Each paragraph should have a topic, supporting sentences and a conclusion sentence.

   • Typically, the topic is the first sentence of a paragraph, which introduces the idea that the author will discuss in the rest of the paragraph.
     • Example: English grammar is a complex topic that covers a range of information.
   • Argument sentences explain the idea presented in the first sentence with additional information.
     • Example: English grammar is a complex topic that covers a range of information. At the "word" level, one must learn about parts of speech. At the "sentence" level, topics like sentence structure, subject/verb agreement, and clauses must be explored. The rules governing punctuation use are also a part of "sentence" level grammar. Once a person starts writing a larger piece, he or she must also learn about paragraph structure and organization.
   • The conclusion sentence summarizes the information presented in the paragraph. This sentence is not always required, but it is still important for you to know how to write it.
     • Example: English grammar is a complex topic that covers a range of information. At the "word" level, one must learn about parts of speech. At the "sentence" level, topics like sentence structure, subject/verb agreement, and clauses must be explored. The rules governing punctuation use are also a part of "sentence" level grammar. Once a person starts writing a larger piece, he or she must also learn about paragraph structure and organization. All of these rules define and describe how to write English correctly.
   • Please note that the first sentence of a paragraph should be indented from the left margin.

2. Use different sentences in your paragraph. Technically speaking, you can easily write a paragraph using just simple sentences. However, it would be much better and more correct to combine different types of sentences in the text.

   • Good: I love my cat. He has soft, orange fur. On cold days, he likes to cuddle next to me for warmth. I think that my cat is the greatest cat ever, and I am really happy to have him.
   • Bad: I love my cat. He is orange. His fur is soft. He cuddles next to me on cold days. My cat is the greatest cat. I am really happy to have him.

3. Learn to write larger chunks of coherent text. Having learned to write paragraphs, it’s time to take on more serious formats for organizing text. For example, start writing an essay. Of course, writing an essay is a separate issue that should be worked out separately. However, here is what we would like to point out separately:

   • An essay should have an introductory paragraph, three or more paragraphs of argument, and a concluding paragraph with conclusions.
   • The introductory paragraph serves to introduce the topic of the essay. The following paragraphs should develop the topic, with each argument paragraph highlighting a different aspect of the topic. In the final paragraph, you should restate the findings and not introduce new information.

Part 4

1. Understand that you are at the beginning of a very long and long journey. This article will not make you a master of English grammar, it will only outline what awaits you. Studying English grammar is a much more complex, detailed question that requires considerable effort and time.

2. Compare grammar rules with each other. If you're learning English as a second language, it can be helpful to compare the rules of English with the grammar rules of your native language. Some aspects will certainly be noticeably different.

   • If the rules are the same, then use your knowledge of your native language to better understand the peculiarities of English grammar.
   • If the rules are different, then take special care in studying such rules.

Idea Hunter Method

After school, my English was at zero level: I only knew “ah like” and “hello”. Now the problem is obvious to me: we were punished for mistakes! Moreover, the class mocked me when I made a mistake, the more advanced students constantly made satirical jokes about my accent, and the teacher gave unsatisfactory grades. All these factors gave rise to the desire to speak a foreign language as little as possible. But this closeness is the main enemy of the student.

From 5th grade of secondary school to 3rd year of university my English remained at the same low level, but I really wanted to just talk to foreigners on the streets of my native St. Petersburg! Instead, I just smiled at them, and that was the end of our communication.

In my third year, I started traveling, first through student programs, then on my own. Now I’m telling you how to quickly acquire new knowledge in my video course “33 steps to become more successful in life.”

I remember the very first experience of communication. I tried to talk about myself and made a lot of mistakes: I didn’t use prepositions, I used tenses incorrectly, and all this was covered in a “Hard Russian accent.” What happened next? What happened when kids from other countries heard me speak? Instead of generating jokes, they tried to understand me! They just asked: say it differently, explain to us what you want to say! Then I realized what I was losing.

In the first year, my English improved tenfold! I began to understand! Understand most of what is said to me. There were so many emotions. It's a new world!

to talk easily and not be embarrassed:

1) Stop taking English courses! They are useless!
2) Learn meaningful words, especially verbs
3) Stop being ashamed of your mistakes. Based on the set of words, they will definitely understand you, but with competent sentences, but with a meager vocabulary, you will feel defenseless.
4) Watch your favorite TV series and movies in English! Try to understand first with subtitles, and then without. Don't try to translate every word - understand the general meaning
5) Practice! Surround yourself with interesting people who do not speak Russian (international organizations, communities on the Internet, for example, online chat with foreigners Verbling).
6) And, of course, travel!

What are the advantages of knowing English?

You can understand not only 300 million people from the CIS, but more than 5 billion interesting people from all over the planet!
+ You will travel and explore world without borders and fears of getting lost
+ You can watch films in the original language (and the original intonation is the main thing in the film)
+ You will be able to lead international Business
+ You can make friends all over the world!

Moreover: learning a language forces the brain to work hard, but the brain, like the whole body, needs constant charging.

You will also be interested in the bright moments of my life, which I publish in juicy videos on your YouTube channel.

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To understand what grammar is, imagine a closet. When you buy a new cabinet, it is delivered to you empty. Inside there are only shelves, drawers, and sometimes hangers. Then you fill your closet with your clothes and other things. Grammar is a closet, and clothes are everything else. To prevent your things from lying in a chaotic heap on the floor, you put each item in its own compartment of the closet: a dress on a hanger, underwear in a drawer.

Want a more scientific definition? Grammar is the study of how words fit together to convey meaning. Grammar is needed to understand the language system. This is the map you use to guide you when you want to formulate a thought. Can you travel without a map? Can! You will just walk at random and you will definitely end up somewhere. It's the same with grammar. You can speak a foreign language without it. But in this case, there is no guarantee that you will express exactly the thought you wanted and that you will be understood correctly.

If I've convinced you that grammar is useful, let's move on. Let's look at a few examples of how NOT to learn grammar.

Mistakes when learning grammar

Most often, these mistakes are made by those who learn English on their own. As a rule, a foreign language needs to be learned “urgently” and there is no time to figure out how to do it more efficiently. Hence the hasty conclusions and disappointment. So, typical mistakes:

Strive to learn everything at once. Many English learners mistakenly believe that if they learn “all the grammar,” they will be able to speak English fluently. Therefore, they buy “proven” tutorials or download “cool” applications for learning grammar rules. Sooner or later, unfamiliar topics arise that have not been encountered before. The difficulty level increases, the process slows down. Disappointment sets in.

Learn only the rules without reference to the situation. If you learn grammar only from book rules and exercises, without putting it into practice, the effect will be minimal. Learning one rule on how to buy a train ticket is the very beginning of the journey. Each new rule must be practiced in spoken and written speech, heard from someone and read it. In other words, get on the train and get to your destination.

Ignoring other aspects of the language. This point follows from the previous two. Learning a foreign language is a smooth and gradual and simultaneous development of all basic language skills: communication, writing, reading, listening. This is called Integrated Skills. That is, having learned a certain rule, you will better understand the text or someone else’s statement. Conversely, a text, audio recording or someone’s statement will more fully reveal the essence of the grammatical rule. Everything is interconnected.

How should you learn grammar?

Now we come to the main thing. In this article I will not delve into methods and approaches to studying grammar. There are a lot of them and this is a topic for a separate article. You just need to choose the method that is suitable for a particular student and work. And I'll tell you how:

Without fanaticism, in small portions. The most important thing in learning grammar is to bring each rule to automaticity. It is better to spend two weeks memorizing the Present Simple, but memorize it in such a way that you formulate sentences at the speed of a flying bullet. Only after this proceed to the next rule.

Lots of examples. For each case of using the same Present Simple, it is necessary to study at least 5-6 examples. Not for the entire Present Simple tense, but for each individual case of its use, there can be 10 or even more.

Consolidate in practice. Each learned grammatical structure must be practiced: spoken, listened to, read, written down. It is necessary to cover all the contexts in which this construction is used in order to understand and “learn” it fully. A few fill-in-the-blank exercises will not be enough.

Develop all aspects. This was already discussed above when we talked about mistakes in learning grammar. Don’t ignore other aspects of speech, so the grammatical structure will be remembered faster, and immediately in the right context.