English grammar consists of a set of rules to combine words to form sentences, helping us communicate effectively in the English language. One of the common concerns and questions of English students in classes is how to improve English grammar. English grammar is an essential, yet challenging part of the English language. If you are struggling with English grammar and are sick and tired of all the tenses, rules and exceptions, this article of POC English is for you! Let me start with a question: Do you want to learn grammar or only improve your English speaking?
Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if you chose English speaking over grammar. But that’s a BIG mistake! You know why? Because:
There is no speaking without grammar!
That is a rule I want you to remember. In fact, that is not the only rule! I can confidently expand this statement and say:
There is no English without grammar!
Now, I understand; learning grammar is a pain in the neck (if you don’t know how to do so!), but it is one of the most important aspects of learning the English language. English grammar, together with English vocabulary, are basis of the English language (that is why a good online English course should focus on grammar and vocabulary). Therefore, it is crucial to learn English grammar step by step, and even more crucial to know the best way of doing so! Let me explain how to improve English grammar in 3 effective steps.
How to improve English grammar ? Don’t study alone!
Grammar cannot and should not be studied alone. This is a mistake even best students of our online IELTS course make. You should always learn English grammar step by step with English vocabulary. But why?
Let’s look at it this way: why do you learn new English grammar rules? To make sentences! But to do so, you need to know what words you can use to form a sentence. Similarly, why do you learn new words? Again, to make sentences, right? However, you need grammatical structures to form a correct sentence using the new words you have learned. Therefore, the ultimate goal of learning English vocabulary and grammar is to make sentences in order to communicate in English, whether in written or spoken form.
Now that we know the goal is to make sentences, what is the best way to learn English grammar? Don’t worry, just follow these 3 incredibly simple, yet effective steps!
Learn more: common English mistakes
Step 1: understand sentence composition
How to improve English grammar by understanding sentence composition? Focus on this part carefully!
Sentence composition?! What is that?! As mentioned earlier, we learn English grammar to make sentences. Therefore, it is necessary to know what a sentence is and what roles do different words play in a sentence. These different roles are also called “parts of speech”. What are they?
Overall, there are 8 parts of speech. The four main parts of speech are:
| Nouns | Einstein, Oxford, Italy, religion, food |
| Verbs | play, eat, sit, laugh, increase, destroy |
| Adjectives | beautiful, nice, crazy, smart, interesting |
| Adverbs | beautifully, nicely, normally, absolutely |
For example, look at how these parts of speech can form a sentence:
As I said earlier, there are 8 parts of speech in English. So, what are the other 4? The four other parts of speech are:
| Pronouns | I, me, you, he, him, she, her, it, we, us, they |
| Prepositions | In, at, from, of, by, to, with, near, above, under |
| Conjunctions | Because, although, whereas, but, so, therefore, thus |
| Interactions | Oh! Yes! Huh! Wow! Yum! Yuck! |
For instance, let’s have another look at this sentence:
Learn more: Learn about some asking for advice examples and the ways of making them.
How to improve English grammar? Learn the parts of speech
Start simple: understand how the four main parts of speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverb) work together to form a sentence.
| verbs | describe actions | The driver drives |
| adjectives | describe nouns | The angry driver drives |
| adverbs |
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That is what I mean by understanding sentence composition. By improving your vocabulary, you will learn new verbs, nouns, adjectives and adverbs to make sentences. When you learn English grammar, you can use the new words you have learnt considering their parts of speech to make correct and meaningful sentences.
Step 2: learn English grammar tenses
Tenses are basically “times of the sentences”. How to improve English grammar by learning English tenses?
In the English language, there are three main tenses: past, present and future. Each of these tenses can have 4 different forms: simple, continuous/progressive, perfect and perfect continuous. You can see an example of all English grammar tenses in the table below:
| Past |
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| Present |
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| Future |
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How to improve English grammar by learning tenses?
A few years ago, I was reading a magazine when I came across a very interesting question: How do you eat an elephant? I thought, well, an elephant is huge! It is impossible to fit an elephant in your mouth, right?! Do you know what the answer was? You eat an elephant one bite at a time! So simple, right?! The point is if you want to do something that is too difficult, you have to take small steps towards it and eventually, you will succeed! That is the same with English grammar. So, how to improve English grammar?
What you need to do is to take small steps towards learning different aspects of English grammar. But how can we learn English grammar step by step?
1- Learn the essential tenses: Start with the simple tenses- Simple present, simple past, simple future.
| Past simple | To talk about finished actions in the past |
| Present simple | To talk about habits, hobbies and things which are always true |
| Future simple | To talk about future events |
2- Try to make many different sentences with each English grammar tense, but remember: the key is to keep it simple!
| Past simple |
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| Present simple |
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| Future simple |
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The key is to make sentences which are true for you. In this way, it is easier for you to connect with the English grammar tenses, their structures, meanings and examples. One thing you can do is to have a small notebook and each night, before going to bed, write down the things you did that day and the things you will do the next day!
3- Little by little, try to make your sentences longer by using different parts of speech. Play with different parts of speech (adjectives and adverbs) in the three tenses:
| Past simple |
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| Present simple |
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| Future simple |
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4- Gradually, learn new English grammar tenses (perfect, continuous, and perfect continuous forms) and add them to your sentence-making exercise.
| Past continuous |
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| Present continuous |
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| Future continuous |
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5- Again, try to use the different parts of speech (adjectives and adverbs) to create longer, more accurate and better sentences:
| Past continuous |
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| Present continuous |
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| Future continuous |
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6- Mix the different English grammar tenses and tell simple stories:
For instance, I am going to use past simple, past perfect, present simple and future continuous tenses to write a short story:
Today, I woke up at 6. I woke up really early, because I had gone to bed early last night. I do not always wake up early. Sometimes, I wake up at around 10 in the morning. Tomorrow, I have an exam. So, I think I will be studying this evening.
7- Now, it is time to add some adjectives and adverbs to this text:
Today, I woke up at 6. I woke up really early, because I had gone to bed early last night. I do not always wake up really early. Sometimes, I wake up late at around 10 in the morning. Tomorrow, I have an important exam. So, I think I will be studying hard this evening.
Well done! If you keep repeating these steps, I promise you will master the English grammar in no time! So, what’s next?
Step 3: Other grammatical structures
How to improve English grammar by learning various grammatical structures?
English grammar is not only about the tenses. You should also learn different grammatical structures, and there are many!
The book “Practical English Usage” by Michael Swan contains 635 Entries, each of which full of notes and rules and exception, reaching to more than 10,000 rules easily! So, it will take many years to learn them all! But listen: as I said earlier, learn the essentials first.
Essential grammatical structures in English
- Relative clauses
- Passive voice
- Quantifiers
- Conditional sentences
- Infinitives, gerunds and bare infinitives
These are the alphabet of English grammar. Little by little, learn these grammatical structures and at the same time, keep improving your vocabulary. That is how you should study grammar!
Learn more: How to improve English vocabulary ?
how to improve grammar when speaking
To improve English grammar when speaking can be done in a simple and effective way. First, try to listen to and read English as much as possible. By hearing correct grammar patterns and seeing them in written form, you can develop a better sense of how sentences should be structured. Pay attention to the way native speakers talk and try to mimic their speech patterns. You can listen to English songs, watch movies or TV shows, and read books or articles to expose yourself to the language.
Practice speaking English with others as often as you can. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – it’s a natural part of learning! Engage in conversations with friends, family, or language partners who can provide feedback and help you improve. Start with simple sentences and gradually challenge yourself with more complex ones. Focus on using the English grammar rules you’ve learned correctly. You can even record yourself speaking and listen back to identify areas where you can make improvements.
Another way to enhance and improve English grammar while speaking is to expand your vocabulary. When you learn new words, pay attention to how they are used in sentences. This will help you understand proper word order and sentence structure. Additionally, practice using different verb tenses to express past, present, and future events. Regularly review grammar rules and make a conscious effort to apply them in your everyday conversations. With time and practice, you’ll gain confidence and see noticeable improvements in your grammar when speaking English.
how long does it take to learn grammar
It is an exciting journey to learn English grammar! Just like learning how to ride a bike or play a new game, it takes time and practice to get really good at it. Some parts of grammar are easy to understand and learn quickly, while others might take a bit longer. But don’t worry, every step you take brings you closer to becoming a grammar expert!
When you start to study English grammar, you will begin with the basics. You’ll learn about things like nouns (names of people, places, and things), verbs (action words like run, jump, or eat), and how to put words together to make sentences. Then, you will learn more about tenses (past, present, and future), adjectives (words that describe things), and adverbs (words that describe actions). Little by little, you’ll understand how to use these rules and create sentences that make sense to everyone.
Remember, to improve English grammar is a lifelong adventure! Even adults continue to study English grammar and improve its skills. So, be patient with yourself and don’t worry if it takes time to fully grasp all the rules. The more you practice and use grammar in your everyday life—when you speak, read, or write—the better you’ll become. Just keep exploring, asking questions, and enjoying the process. Before you know it, you’ll be a grammar superstar!
How to teach English grammar step by step
Teaching English grammar step by step can be done in a simple and fun way! Start by introducing one grammar concept at a time. For example, you can begin with nouns, which are names of people, places, and things. Show pictures or objects to help your students understand what nouns are. Then, move on to verbs, which are action words. Give examples of verbs like run, jump, or eat, and encourage your students to act them out.
After introducing the basic parts of speech, move on to sentence structure. Teach your students about subjects and predicates. Explain that the subject is who or what the sentence is about, and the predicate tells us what the subject is doing. Use simple examples, like “The cat runs” or “I eat apples.” Encourage students to create their own sentences and identify the subjects and predicates within them. This hands-on approach helps them understand how sentences are formed and improve English grammar.
As children become comfortable with sentence structure, introduce additional grammar concepts gradually. For instance, teach them about adjectives, which describe nouns, and adverbs, which describe verbs. Show examples of descriptive words like “big” or “quickly.” You can also introduce basic verb tenses like past, present, and future, using sentences like “Yesterday, I played. Today, I play. Tomorrow, I will play.” Provide plenty of examples and practice opportunities to reinforce their understanding.
Conclusion of the lesson: study English grammar
✅English grammar cannot and should not be studied alone. Always together with English vocabulary.
✅The ultimate goal of learning English grammar is to make sentences to communicate, so start by learning about sentence composition and parts of speech
✅Next, study English grammar by learning the tenses. Overall, there are 12 tenses, so start by learning the simple tenses
✅Make many sentences and add adjectives and adverbs to enrich your sentences
✅Learn new tenses, make sentences and keep playing with adjectives and adverbs to improve English grammar
✅Mix different tenses and write short and simple texts, and add adjectives and adverbs where possible
✅Learn other essential grammatical structures, including relative clauses, passive and active voice, quantifiers, conditional sentences, infinitives, gerunds and bare infinitives
✅Repeat this process until you have reached the confidence you need and, in this way, you can study English grammar easily and effectively!
The following diagram shows the entire process to learn English grammar :
