Learn English grammar. Grammar is as complex as lunch

Instructions

Start learning at the pace that suits you. Do not stop studying one topic for a long time, but do not chase speed, because knowing the basics is much more important than a superficial familiarity with all grammatical structures.

Use different visual tables and illustrations, because this way grammatical rules are better remembered and remain in memory. At the same time, you yourself form successful schemes for presenting new material.

Reinforce the learned rule by writing multiple . The more complex the rule, the more examples you need to come up with. Try to take it from life - this way the rule is better remembered. Do not use ready-made exercises, because they do not develop independent work skills. If it’s difficult for you to come up with your own, you can take a ready-made one from the textbook and replace a few words with invented ones.

When learning English grammar, use the “partial translation” method. The essence of this method is that you do not have to translate each entire sentence into English. You translate only the part where the grammatical rule is used. This allows you not to be distracted by unfamiliar words and focus entirely on the new material.

Use songs, poems and films when mastering grammatical rules and structures. This method will allow you to combine business with pleasure and will help you effectively learn new grammatical structures while using your favorite works.

Read as many original books as possible. At first glance, it seems that reading books does not affect the study of grammar, but this is not so. By constantly reading literature, you involuntarily remember the correct grammatical patterns.

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English grammar is easy to learn if explained consistently. Then a person will form a knowledge system that he can quickly use. Let's consider the sequence of teaching English grammar based on the textbook English Grammar In Use, Raymond Murphy, 1997.

You will need

• - a textbook on English grammar

Instructions

The next step is to learn modals. Particular attention should be paid to the differences in situations in which each of them is used. It will be useful for the student to perform special exercises to understand such differences.

The next blocks when teaching English grammar will be: studying the passive voice, direct speech and correct questioning. These sections are not large in volume. In them you will only need to learn the basic principles of constructing the corresponding structures.

After this, you can move on to the next section of grammar - verbs ending in –ing. The student will already be familiar with these verbs from the unit in which you studied tenses. However, there are many uses of such verbs in English and it is important that the learner becomes familiar with most of them.

The next blocks of grammar teaching will be: studying articles, subordinate clauses, adjectives and adverbs. These topics are quite complex and will take a lot of time to study. When studying articles, you should perform exercises to understand the situations to which one or another article is suitable. When studying subordinate clauses, it is enough for the student to learn the general principles of their construction. The topic of adjectives and adverbs is very voluminous and covers the construction of comparative adjectives, the difference between situations in which adverbs are used from those in which adjectives are used, and much more.

The final topics in teaching English grammar will be: learning the order of words in sentences, learning prepositions and phrasal verbs. When studying phrasal verbs, it is advisable for the student to memorize the meanings of the most common ones.

Learning English Grammar language should not be seen as an end in itself, but as a means of mastering speaking skills. The process of mastering knowledge and skills gives the best results with a structured approach to learning the material.

You will need

• A manual on practical English grammar, a collection of exercises on English grammar.

Instructions

Determine what sections the language consists of. To do this, just look at any manual on practical grammar. Sections should be studied “spirally”, that is, at each new stage, add and expand information, deepen the knowledge gained at the previous stage. The purpose of such study is to bring all grammatical material to a system that is understandable to you.

Master each level of studying the grammatical topic of the English language in several stages. First, conduct a theoretical familiarization with the material. Then use training exercises of the appropriate level of complexity, gradually moving from relying on examples to independent application of the grammatical scheme in various speech contexts, including in your own speech. You should also develop recognition of grammatical patterns. You should pay attention to them when reading and translating.

Conduct self-control after the end of each cycle of studying a grammatical topic, for example, through test tasks with them at the end of the manual for verification. If necessary, adjust the acquired knowledge and skills. Don’t forget to periodically return to the material you’ve covered to review it.

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note

The following sections are specific to English grammar: noun (plural, possessive, gender), article, adjective (comparative and superlative), pronoun (possessive, reflexive, demonstrative, indefinite), verb (tense, voice, mood) , modality, gerund), phrase there is / there are, sentence (word order, construction of questions, subordinate clauses of time and conditions).

English, like Russian, belongs to the group of Indo-European languages ​​and has common features with Russian and other European languages. But, like any other language, English has its own characteristics, expressed, among other things, in its grammatical structure.

Instructions

If we compare the Russian and English grammatical systems in general, it turns out that the latter is simpler. But studying it sometimes causes significant difficulties. This is explained by the discrepancy between some Russian and English grammatical categories, their specific features in

Grammatical features of verbs:

A particular difficulty in learning English grammar is the system of English verbs. Indeed, if in Russian a verb denotes only the action of an object, then in English verbs used in different tenses also describe the nature of the action. In addition, there are special rules for coordinating times.

Complicating the use of verbs in different tense forms is the fact that they are divided into regular and irregular. Irregular verbs have special ways of forming that you have to remember.
In addition, in English there are modal verbs that are absent in Russian, expressing not the action itself, but the attitude towards it (recommendation, opportunity, etc.).

Many verbs in English are multifunctional. Thus, the verb to be can be either a significant verb or serve as an auxiliary verb, a linking verb, and also act as a modal verb.

Many verbs that form stable combinations with prepositions change their original meaning.

Features of word formation. English word formation is also a fairly simple (compared to the Russian language) word formation system. There are only about a dozen word-forming suffixes that are easy to remember. At the same time, the same word can act in English as a noun, a verb, and an adjective. Accordingly, this reduces the overall lexical composition of the language, which also simplifies its learning.

Features of sentence construction. Sentences in English are built according to one, strictly defined scheme. The order of words in them is fixed: first, if necessary, the adverbs of place or time are used, then the subject, then the predicate, followed by the object and adverbials. When constructing an interrogative sentence, its structure changes in a certain way: the auxiliary verb comes first. The order of words in English cannot be changed: it would be an error.

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Learning English is always painstaking work, requiring a sincere desire to master the necessary knowledge. Without motivation, learning new information is impossible even with the best teachers and textbooks. Have you definitely decided that you want to know English? Congratulations, everything is easier with the right attitude.

What for?

Think about why you need English: for work, study, passing an exam, traveling abroad, reading books in the original, translating texts, communicating with foreigners, self-improvement... The more reasons, the greater the likelihood of success. The global goal (to learn English) must be supplemented by a number of intermediate tasks. For example, by Monday I will understand English word order and learn how to construct different types of sentences. Always try to keep the promises you make to yourself, because even a small success gives rise to enthusiasm and a great craving for a new language in your soul.

Where to begin?

Of course, the foundation of any language is grammar. Without grammatical rules, even the most extensive vocabulary in a foreign language becomes useless. Without basic knowledge of the structure of a language, no one could speak, read, or translate, since grammar focuses its attention on the patterns of constructing correct speech segments that carry a certain meaning. It is important that, once you understand English grammar, you will be able to freely construct sentences, intuitively guess the appropriate tense form, etc. According to traditional methods, at the beginning of learning the rules are memorized, a skill is gradually developed, which means that knowledge is applied in practice automatically, without thinking. The more you study, the more effective and faster the educational process goes.

How to choose a grammar textbook?

Studying grammar always involves working more with written exercises than speaking. This is why it is so important to choose the right study guide. Before purchasing a publication, make sure that it clearly outlines the rules, examples, and provides a variety of exercises to reinforce the material. For people completely unfamiliar with English, it is better to choose a textbook with rules in Russian. Ideally, at the end of the book there will be “keys” with answers; colorful illustrations, diagrams and tables are also welcome. The choice of textbook is always individual - the publication must meet your requirements and be interesting for you.

Many modern American, British and domestic textbooks are designed specifically for beginners, and each of them has its own advantages. All of them include a fairly wide range of topics or, conversely, have a narrow specialization for specific purposes. The following publications are the most popular these days:

• Headway
• Round Up
• Face2Face
• Streamline
• Cutting Edge

Of the Russian authors, it is worth noting such as Galitsinsky, Bonk, Vereshchagina. One of the most popular among those who begin to study English grammar is Essential Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy. This is one of the best publications not only for beginners, but also for everyone who wants to have a good understanding of the basic rules of the language. However, this standard tutorial is written entirely in English and is not entirely suitable for the very first lessons.

Selecting tasks

Priorities in choosing tasks should be set depending on what goals you set for yourself (fluent, grammatically correct oral speech or error-free written grammar). If speaking is more important to you, practice your communication skills in English as much as possible. If correct writing is required, focus on writing exercises. However, do not forget that the “golden mean” gives the best effect.

Performing written exercises helps to bring knowledge to automatism, but oral practice should not be overlooked. Agree, while writing there is a second to think, calculate options, but in a conversation such a hitch will be strange. Constant application of new knowledge in speech is the key to better memorization and fluency in grammatical structures.

Reading English literature, even in an adapted version, opens up a lot of learning opportunities. And it’s not for nothing that it is recommended to read as much as possible to develop foreign language literacy! Books are an excellent example of the correct use of lexical and grammatical forms.

Listening also plays a significant role in understanding English grammar. Watching authentic films, listening to songs and audio books contributes to a correct understanding of the scope of use of a particular construction or grammatical phenomenon and expands the boundaries of “book” knowledge.

Grammar and vocabulary

Of course, grammar is inextricably linked with vocabulary, and “plunging headlong” into only one of them is inappropriate. If vocabulary is a layer of knowledge that is constantly in need of updating and expansion, then English grammar is a static concept that has a rather limited range of rules. In this regard, at the initial stage of learning, you should pay doubly careful attention to the grammatical structure of the English language.

Everything ingenious is simple!

English is considered one of the easiest languages ​​to learn as it has a clear structure and strict rules. Being an analytical language, English, unlike synthetic Russian, most often uses the initial form of the word. Grammatical relations in an English sentence are carried out precisely through syntax, that is, through word order and function words, and not through changing words through dependent morphemes.

English grammar for beginners seems like an overwhelming task, but in reality everything is simpler than it seems. Moreover, you are probably interested in gaining knowledge about the basic grammatical rules without going too deep into the “wild” of exceptions. Decide how far you need to go in the initial learning phase, and remember that learning everything is inappropriate. It is much better to study what you will really need. For example, in real life it is absolutely not necessary to know all the intricacies of using English articles - the basic rules will be enough to get started.

Study methods

Every person is faced with the choice of a suitable method of learning a foreign language. Some people prefer group lessons, others prefer individual lessons with a tutor, while others want to “overcome” the material on their own.

Be that as it may, the most common remains the traditional method, which is based on a thorough study of grammar, memorizing words, rules, and exceptions. It is mandatory to compose dialogues, carry out question-and-answer sentences, and retell the text. This method provides more fundamental knowledge, but, unfortunately, is not suitable for learning a language in a short time.

The non-traditional method, on the contrary, sets itself the task of teaching students to understand and reproduce grammatical structures in speech. Most often it involves learning in a relaxed atmosphere, role-playing games, and communication in a foreign language. Knowledge in this case is not supported by a sufficient amount of theory, and therefore remains rather superficial. Plus - thanks to the intensity of practical classes, communication skills are developed quite quickly.

The word order is not random!

You should start learning English grammar with the basics. The first is the word order in an English sentence. Since the syntactic connections between them are of paramount semantic importance, the order must be observed exactly. In any English sentence there is always a strict order of words, breaking which means making a serious mistake. That is why it is worth starting to study grammar with the basics of the structure of narrative and interrogative sentences.

Oh times...

One should not be surprised by the huge number of tenses and some suspicious “pledges”, examples of which seem to be a meaningless set of words. When starting to study English grammar, stop at Present Simple, Past Simple and Future Simple. These rather simple temporary forms will become the basis on which the rest of English tenses will subsequently be built in neat bricks. When exploring the boundaries between similar tense forms, one should also take into account additional cues that directly or indirectly influence the choice of grammatical structure, such as tense circumstances.

One two three four five...

At the same time, it is recommended to pay attention to English numerals, personal pronouns and studying the verb to be, which has many functional meanings, so it is important to understand this diversity from the very beginning.

Differences between English and Russian grammar

1. The form of the word does not change depending on the gender. The exception is nouns with the so-called “feminine” suffix, for example, waitress - waitress, as well as words that inherently already belong to a certain gender, for example, boy - boy, mother - mother.

2. General and possessive - only these two cases are used with English nouns. As a rule, nouns are used in the general case, that is, in the form indicated in the dictionary.

3. English adjectives do not change form depending on the number and gender of nouns and are always used the same way.

Pitfalls in the sea of ​​English grammar

Very often articles become a stumbling block for Russians in learning English grammar. We don’t have them in our language, and we don’t understand their purpose. However, the correct use of the article carries an important semantic load, while the incorrectly used article distorts the sentence and instantly reveals a person’s ignorance of grammatical basics.

In addition, due to the inconsistency with Russian rules, the use of some English prepositions can cause difficulty, and the discovery of the existence of twelve tense forms instead of the simple and familiar three tenses can cause a feeling of complete hopelessness. However, any difficulties can be overcome with enough desire to learn.

Thus, the grammar of the English language at first glance seems incredibly complex, but once you start studying it, you will soon realize that the intricate constructions are not at all random, and their choice is provided for by strict rules. Mastering the grammatical base is the most important stage in learning English, and there is no way to do without this knowledge. We wish you good luck so that your learning is fast and effective, and your knowledge deep and useful!

English grammar for beginners seems overwhelming. Articles, pronouns, verbs - the English language has a huge number of rules that are not so easy to transfer to Russian. This raises doubts: is it worth starting at all? Is it worth diving into English grammar without some confidence that you can master it? No, with such an attitude, you will definitely not be able to swim far in your study. Therefore, it is important to discard all doubts and stereotypes. Believe me, English grammar can be studied independently and in the shortest possible time. All you need is consistency and perseverance, and we will help you with everything else.

First, let's figure out what the grammar of this language is. The English grammar or English grammar is a set of all rules that relate to prepositions, prefixes, parts of speech, types of English verbs and their tenses, members of sentences, and so on.

In simple words, everything that is in the English language is its grammar. Accordingly, a common question about how to learn grammar , has a very simple answer: to learn English grammar, you just need to learn the language. Of course, it will not be possible to analyze all the nuances in one article. Why, even books that promise to show you the entire grammar of the English language from scratch with exercises, in fact, will never tell you about the entire grammar. Therefore, we have collected only the most basic rules that are best suited for beginners.

How can you learn English grammar without even knowing the rules of pronunciation? Let's start with them. The rules for reading letters in English is a fairly broad topic, since with a certain combination their pronunciation can change. However, let's not go too deep and consider the standard pronunciation of letters, of which, by the way, there are 26 in English. When mastering the topic of pronunciation, special attention is paid to transcription, which, as a rule, is indicated in square brackets:

№	Letter	Transcription	Pronunciation
1	A a		Hey
2	B b		bi
3	C c		si
4	D d		di
5	E e		And
6	F f		ef
7	G g		ji
8	H h		HH
9	I i		ah
10	J j		Jay
11	K k		kay
12	L l		el
13	Mm		Em
14	Nn	[ɛn]	en
15	O o	[əʊ]	OU
16	P p		pi
17	Q q		Cue
18	R r	[ɑː]	A
19	Ss		es
20	T t		you
21	U u		Yu
22	V v		in and
23	W w	[‘dʌbljuː]	double
24	X x		the ex
25	Y y		wy
26	Z z		zed

English Grammar: Articles

When studying English grammar, a lot of confusion may arise with, since they have no analogues in Russian. Articles are usually used with nouns to show whether we are talking about a specific object (that bag) or an indefinite one (a person). There are 3 types of articles:

1. Zero article or its absence:

1. The indefinite article a/an is used when you are not paying attention to a specific thing, but are simply talking about the subject in general. The indefinite article is also used when you first mention something to someone:

Note that if the noun or adjective that describes it begins with a consonant, the article “a” is used, and if it begins with a vowel, “an” is used.

1. The definite article the, expressing specific objects:

They occur constantly in speech, so be sure to remember.

Nouns in English grammar

English grammar from scratch very often begins with nouns. Perhaps this is because nouns in English have a lot in common with Russian ones. For example:

• they are also divided into proper and common nouns:

• can change in number, forming the plural using the ending -s (-es):

• have cases, although their number is limited to only two:

• perform the roles of all members of the sentence, examples:

The difference is that, unlike the Russian language, English nouns do not change by gender. Only pronouns have it.

English Grammar: Pronouns

Pronouns in English are divided into 9 subgroups, but the most popular are rightfully personal pronouns. They change according to cases, tenses and numbers:

English Grammar: Verbs

The verb in English is perhaps the main part of speech. It can be personal and impersonal. Personal verbs include those verbs that are used with all persons and in all tenses. They can be used in both active and passive voices:

Impersonal ones include the gerund, infinitive and participle:

Both regular and irregular verbs have 3 forms. The correct ones are formed as follows:

Irregular ones have 3 individual forms that need to be memorized, for example:

It is necessary to know all these forms, since with their help the formation of tense verb forms occurs.

In addition, verbs have three moods:

Particular attention should be paid to modal verbs. Modal verbs are verbs that are not used on their own. They are necessary to show the speaker’s attitude towards some action. Some of the most commonly used modal verbs are:

should (should)	You should stop drinking alcohol. (You need to stop drinking.)
can (may)	Every person can achieve everything he dreams about. (Every person can achieve anything he dreams of.)
must (must)	The pupils must wear uniforms here. (Here students are required to wear a uniform.)
have to (need / have to)	I have to wake up early because of work. (I have to get up early because of work.)
need (needed)	I need you like no one else. (I need you like no one else.)
used to (formerly)	I used to watch this cartoon when I was a child. ((Previously) I watched this cartoon when I was a child.)

English Grammar: Adjectives

An adjective in English denotes an attribute of an object and answers the questions “which?” and “whose?” In simple words, it is used to describe objects and persons. According to their structure, adjectives are divided into 3 groups:

These and other adjectives can be used in 3 degrees of comparison:

English Grammar: Adverbs

The descriptive function is also characteristic of adverbs, which are responsible for expressing a characteristic of an action. It comes in several types:

They can also have degrees of comparison:

English Grammar: Numerals

Numerals, as in Russian, are quantitative and ordinal:

With the exception of the first 3 digits, the remaining ordinal numbers are formed with -th (-eth). In English ordinal numbers can be written using a number and the last two letters of the ending: second - 2nd, ninth - 9th, sixteenth - 16th and so on.

English Grammar: Interjections

It is impossible not to note the independent part of speech, the use of which helps to convey emotions and one’s feelings, namely interjections. They can be divided into 3 groups:

Functional parts of speech

Functional parts of speech in English grammar are used quite often. Let's look at some of them:

• Conjunctions connect members of a sentence, as well as simple sentences within a complex sentence. By structure they are divided into:

According to their functions, they are divided into coordinating and subordinating:

• Prepositions are used no less often than conjunctions. According to their structure, they are divided into exactly the same groups:

In addition to their main purpose, prepositions are always used with the following verbs:

• Another useful part of speech is particles. There are 5 types of particles in English:

English Grammar: Word Order in a Sentence

Sentences in English are affirmative, negative and interrogative. They are built as follows:

Based on these tables, sentences are drawn up at any time.

English Grammar: Tenses

There are 12 tense forms in English. They are formed using 3 tenses and 4 tense forms:

Times/Species	Simple	Continuous	Perfect	Perfect Continuous
Past (past)	V2	to be (past) + V-ing	had + V3	had + been + V-ing
Present (present)	V1	to be (in the present) + V-ing	have / has + V3	have / has + been + V-ing
Future (future)	will + V1	will be + V-ing	will + have + V3	will + have + been + V-ing

Knowing these forms, you can form any sentences.

English Grammar: Types of Sentences

By the way, about proposals. As in Russian, English sentences are divided into simple and complex. Complex ones are divided into complex and complex.

It is worth noting that, despite the fact that most sentences in English are complete, it is also possible to use incomplete sentences. As a rule, this option is used in colloquial speech, so this is rather a practical grammar of the English language:

These were the basic rules of grammar. Of course, it is unfortunately impossible to fit all the material here. However, knowing at least the mentioned rules of the English language, you will already feel quite confident during a conversation. As for conversations. A collection of English exercises or another version of descriptive information is, of course, good. However, believe me, practical English grammar cannot be compared with anything in its effectiveness. Language learners can learn much more by communicating than by sitting in front of a book. Therefore, do not hesitate to communicate with native speakers.

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Imagine that you need to start something completely new to you right now. For example, driving a car, baking pies for the first time, giving a newborn a bath. Where do you start? Options:

1. I’ll take it and do it, what’s the problem.
2. First, I’ll read on the Internet or in books how to do it.
3. Call a friend who is experienced in this matter.
4. Help from the audience (I’ll ask someone else).
5. Learn from a professional.
6. I won't do it.

The option you choose characterizes you very clearly. When it comes to English grammar, depending on which method you chose above, the following is expected:

1. Bugaga (the teachers and English people who heard you speak in English are laughing).
2. Adding patience and time to this, you will learn all the rules on your own.
3. Add to this the patience of a friend and his time, under his guidance you will learn all the rules.
4. You won't learn anything, but you will listen to how others do it.
5. Add money to this and you will learn all the rules.
6. You will be able to ski, meet friends in a cafe, sleep, eat - in general, life is good.

As you can see, to understand English grammar, you need, in theory, only three things: a source of rules, time and patience. The first is offered to you in these articles, but you will have to deal with the other two components on your own.

Thus, we give you a fishing rod, and you will catch the fish yourself. What is the beauty of our fishing rod? The fact is that it is light, convenient and easy to use. We will not load you with scary grammar terms, torment you with long lists, flickering arrows, A4 diagrams and other tricks that scare some English teachers.

There is nothing particularly complex about English grammar, unlike many other European languages ​​(not to mention Eastern and African). You can simply read these articles like a fiction book. Even if you master the minimum, at the finish line you will find that you master most of the rules that previously seemed overwhelming.

As an example, let's do something already in the introductory part. What does speech consist of? From phrases. What does the phrase consist of? From the proposals. What does the proposal consist of? Stop! Let's clarify: what does an ENGLISH sentence consist of? Subject and predicate. Usually this is a noun and a verb (just don’t say that you don’t remember these words): the dog is running, the passer-by is screaming, the dog is barking, the owner is yelling. True, a noun can be successfully replaced by a pronoun: she runs, you scream, she barks, I yell.

You have just listened to a news briefing lecture on parts of speech. What do you remember? At a minimum, the words “noun” and “verb” for you are already associated with grammar, and not with cooking or construction work. And for now we don’t need more. Are you ready to continue at the same pace?

Follow me (follow me).

Parts of speech:

1. Numerals(The Numeral)
1.1 Cardinal and ordinal numbers
2. Pronouns(The Pronoun)
2.1 Personal and possessive pronouns
2.2 Demonstrative and negative pronouns
2.3 Indefinite and reflexive pronouns

5. Adjective(The Adjective)
5.1 Degrees of comparison of adjectives

7. Noun(The Noun)
7.1 Noun in English. Classification of nouns

8. Verb(The Verb)
8.1 Verbs in English. General information about verbs
8.2 Regular and irregular English verbs
8.3 Semantic and auxiliary verbs
8.4 Modal and linking verbs

Grammar is the cement that holds the bricks (the vocabulary) in place.

Ronald Green

The grammar of the English language is very different from the Russian language and therefore causes special difficulties for Russian-speaking students in learning and mastering. How to learn English grammar? Who is better to learn grammar with? Is it possible to learn it yourself? Which textbook is better? – we will answer these and many other questions in today’s article.

To write this article, we interviewed several of our Russian-speaking teachers and native speakers. We hope you find their answers useful.

What's the best way to learn grammar?

Here's what our teachers answered this question:

Faith: First of all, at an average pace, not at a gallop, but also without hanging on one topic for too long. And it’s good when there is a teacher who not only shows “formulas”, but also helps to start thinking using their structures.

Olga England: Theory fits well into practice, so I prefer practical grammar (for example, working with a text in which the rules being studied are found).

Olga Francis: It helps a lot to systematize times in a table where the names of times and their components are indicated. Building some associations is also useful. Adding little pictures to the sign makes remembering times more fun. For example, if it is Present Simple, then you can associate it with rain, symbolizing a boring routine, these are actions that happen constantly, every day (I go to work every day). Present Perfect – the crust of an eaten watermelon, showing the result of the action (My friend has eaten the water-melon). Also, constant translations from Russian into English, when tenses are compared, that is, sentences are trained in similar tenses and those that cause confusion in the head. When you have already mastered all tenses, translating the same sentence in all tenses is very useful. This helps you navigate through them and remember the nuances of using all tenses. In my opinion, it is important to understand the logic of sentence construction, build associative connections, and remember which structure corresponds to which function in speech. For example, we use Subject + will + Verb to express promises, assumptions, concerns, etc. First you need to understand in what situation the structure is used, its meaning, and then its form, its components. And, of course, as many exercises as possible in modern foreign textbooks.

Thea: I strongly believe that each student learns in a specific way that best suits that individual, so this is one of the hardest questions that teachers have to answer. One of the most important steps in your learning journey is to identify which methods work best for you and focus on those areas that do indeed lead to success on a personal level. Some students are able to absorb grammar from texts and listening exercises, while others need to focus on it specifically and devote study time to completing grammar exercises to really understand specific grammar points. By identifying your language learning strengths and weaknesses and discovering the methods which best suit you, you will be able to focus on what works on a very individual level.

Gary Jones: The best way to study grammar is with a teacher. You need someone to tell you when you are speaking correct and to correct your mistakes. It maybe possible to learn the rules for grammar, but to apply them in writing or speach you will need the help of a teacher. They can explain the rules and which ones apply to different situations.

Kate: There are many different approaches to learning English grammar: pay attention, read books, listen to yourself, work meticulously to name a few. Each approach will differ in effectiveness according to the person’s preferred way of learning. With certain grammatical rules and exceptions to the rules it is important to incorporate memorization into any approach used, and also to try learning grammar one rule at a time.

Jamie: The best way to study grammar is with a local teacher. They will be much better at the technical side of the language.

Thus, learn English grammar should :

• at the right pace
• taking into account your learning style (how you remember the material better)
• in context (using real examples from authentic books, immediately applying the learned rule in your written or oral speech, talking about yourself so that there are personal associations)
• systematically
• using tables and visual illustrations
• doing exercises from modern foreign textbooks
• with a teacher
• and try, when speaking English, to monitor the correctness of your speech

Who is better to learn grammar with: a native speaker or a Russian-speaking teacher?

Faith: At the initial stage, “from scratch,” studying with a native speaker, in my opinion, means looking for unnecessary difficulties, and later everything depends on the professionalism of the teacher.

Olga England: I have met many foreigners who teach Russian much more clearly than Russian speakers. I believe that foreigners who have mastered a non-native language can explain grammar better than native speakers.

Jamie: A local teacher learns the rules and can communicate the technical subject well in the students language but even a good local teacher does not ‘hear’ the mistakes as well as a native speaker or really understand the idiosyncrasies or exceptions of the English language. Emmersion is essential to move on to the higher levels but native speakers are not normally as good at grammar as a ‘good’ local teacher. To me, English is an art. To the local teacher it is a technical subject. Very different.

So, it is better to learn grammar with a Russian-speaking teacher, and practice using structures with a native speaker.

Is it possible to learn grammar on your own without a teacher?

Olga Francis: It will be very difficult to learn it yourself; you need to be a person with great willpower, excellent logical thinking and preferably know other languages. In this case, you can compare language structures and teach yourself. Usually language teachers and translators are able to learn the language themselves. However, this is usually ineffective and a person does not have enough time to talk to himself for a long time. Language is needed to communicate with another person, and it should be learned by communicating not only with a book. With a teacher, this process will be faster, more enjoyable and more effective.

Faith: It’s possible, but it’s more difficult, and there’s a greater chance of developing self-doubt and the notorious language barrier

Olga England: Of course you can. I’m learning Spanish this way myself;

Kate: Certainly it is possible to learn grammar without the aid of a teacher, however this involves being very self motivated and disciplined. Many learners of a new language would find it more beneficial to have first hand information from a native speaker who could guide them in their learning process.

Gary Jones: It maybe possible to learn the rules for grammar, but to apply them in writing or speach you will need the help of a teacher. They can explain the rules and which ones apply to different situations.

Conclusion: the answer to this question largely depends on you: perseverance, availability of materials and time. With a professional teacher, the process of mastering grammar will be faster and more productive.

How many exercises do you need to do to master the rule?

Olga England: This depends on the student's ability and/or time available.

Faith: The process of assimilation is individual for all people, but usually 10-20 exercises, and then it is better to weave the practiced structures into speech practice.

Olga Francis: It all depends on the complexity of the rule, the size of the exercise, there is no single recipe, but it’s at least two or three exercises to start with. On average about five. Then, with the emergence of new rules, the previous ones need to be refreshed by doing new exercises.

Gary Jones: Every person is different. this is a very difficult question to answer. It depends on the student of how hard they are going to study and how quickly they will understand the material that is being taught.

Kate: It depends on a person’s memory skills. Do the grammatical rule and practice it as many times as it takes for you to remember it. Using it on a daily basis will help.

How long does it take to learn all English grammar?

Faith: I never set myself such a goal! We don’t even know all the grammar in our native language. But in a year or a year and a half it is quite possible to prepare, for example, for admission to a university.

Olga England: Depends on the student's motivation levels and abilities. English belongs to the simplest language group: you only need six months of intensive lessons to learn to read, write and speak at a decent level. But with Arabic or Chinese everything is much more complicated.

Olga Francis: It all depends on the purpose of studying grammar and how intensively a person studies. With intensive studies (at least 4 astronomical hours a week) – 2 years (when studying not only grammar, of course) This will be enough for more or less free communication and competent use of the language. Mastering grammar for professional purposes will take much longer.

Kate: Again this depends on the person and how much time they dedicate to memorizing and practicing the rules. There is no set time for learning a language- any language – or it’s grammar, it is dependant on your self motivation and how often you get to practice using it. The more you use a language the quicker you will acquire the rules for speaking it when actively studying them.

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