Grammar Hints

Grammar Tips for Improving Grammar 

Advice about organising your grammar learning 

Learning Grammar Step by Step

Improving your sentence structure

Choosing resources

Tips for Improving Grammar 

         Think about the mistakes you often make – which ones are serious? Now decide what you want to improve.

         Ask your friends to tell you every time you make a particular grammar mistake.

         Set some short-term goals to improve your grammar by preparing a plan that includes the following items: What? How? When? How long? Plan Achieved? (or not).

         Try to think of examples to compare the similarities and differences between the grammar of your language with the grammar of English.

         Find resources on the LEARNING SUPPORT CENTRE computers and the 'Grammar' book shelf that may be useful.

         Get a book of grammar exercises (with answers at the back), so that you can give yourself tests on the areas you find difficult.

         Choose a grammar point of the week, like 'second conditionals', then look in newspapers or magazines for examples. Cut the paragraphs out and keep them in a scrapbook and think about how those sentences are made.

         Try to discover grammar 'rules' by yourself or together with other learners. Look at two or three examples of English using the same grammar point. Then, work out the rule. When you are happy with your rule, look at some more examples to work out if you are right. If the examples do not fit your rule, you may need to change it. Continue to collect examples and check that they fit the rule.

Advice about organising your grammar learning 

Arrange a regular time to practise grammar. Locate a grammar book that is easy to use. Review the grammar covered in your course or course book regularly. Listen to and read English as much as possible. Keep a 'Grammar Pattern Bank'. Start a 'Grammar Discussion Group' to discuss grammatical problems.

Learning Grammar Step by Step

This is a good way to learn grammar step by step. Ask for help from the LEARNING SUPPORT CENTRE staff if you have problems.

Step 1 Think about what English grammar you need to improve - you can do a diagnostic test in one of the following books located on the Grammar shelf in the LEARNING SUPPORT CENTRE to find out your weaknesses.

How English Works , p3 - 11: Diagnostic tests for different levels are provided. 

English Grammar in Use (New Edition), p301-309: The Study Guide enables you to find out your weaknesses in separate grammatical categories and helps you to decide which units you need to study in the book.

Heinemann English Grammar , p294-325: Diagnostic tests are provided in context and you can choose the ones which interest you.

Language Practice (Elementary/ Intermediate/ Advanced): Choose the areas you think you are weak in and try the progress tests.

Tensebuster (on the LSC computers. Elementary /pre-intermediate /intermediate /upper-intermediate /advanced): There are tests for every grammar point.

Grammar-Rom (CD-ROM): Do the tests which follow the exercises.

Step 2 Decide the areas of grammar you want to focus on. Choose only one or two areas at one time.

Step 3 Set your learning goalsand make a learning plan by thinking about questions like:

What do I need to work on?

How and I going?

When am I going to find the time?

How long can I spend on each visit?

How will I know when I have achieved my goal?

Step 4 Choose a grammar book that meets your needs and learning styles. .

Look at the grammar rule and practice books, and the grammar CD-ROMs available in the LEARNING SUPPORT CENTRE. It is useful to look at exercises and check how the rules you have learned are used in English sentences.

Step 5 Arrange a regular time to practise, and regularly review your progress and problems.

When you find it difficult to evaluate your own progress, get help from your English course instructor or LEARNING SUPPORT CENTRE staff.

Learning tips

Grammar exercises are only one part of learning English and are not enough on their own to allow you to write without errors.

When you are reading, notice sentences with grammar patterns you are working on. This will help you to understand the usage of the rules and use them correctly in your writing.

It is very important for you to practise the grammar in your writing. 

Don't be afraid to experiment. Write as much as you can, making use of grammar points you have learned.

Notice how the grammar rules you have learnt are used in any situation where you hear or speak English (e.g. conversations, newspapers, magazines, television, etc.).

There is no one way to learn grammar. Try to find what works for you.

Improving your sentence structure

Good writing depends on sentence structures and sentence style.

Books The following books are on the shelf named 'Grammar and Writing': in the Learning Support Centre

Introduction to Academic Writing This book has advice and exercises on grammar and writing for academic purposes. Read the sections on Sentence Structure for help with clauses and sentence construction. Read the sections on Organization for help with sentence structure within the paragraph.

Words in motion Read the Grammar Clinic, pp. 96-119 for sentence construction skills.

Academic Writing Course Read Unit 1 on structure and cohesion. Read the appendices about sentence construction.

Collins Cobuild Student's Grammar Read Unit 1 and Units 90-100 on clause and sentence structure. Do extra exercises on sentence structure on pp.228-232.

Top 20: great grammar for great writing Read and do the writing and editing exercises in unit 13 - logical connectors, unit 14 - sentence matters and unit 15-  parallel structures. Look at other chapters on clauses to help you develop better sentences.

WWW Some useful materials on the web:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/index.htmlCheck 'sentence construction' and 'punctuation'.

http://english-zone.com/index.phpCheck the grammar section and the very useful links

CD-ROMS

Issues in English

Select any topic and go to teaching points. Choose level 3, Conjunctions.

Tensebuster You can use Tensebuster on the computers in the LEARNING SUPPORT CENTRE. You can use it how you would like to, or you can click the icon 'Word Lists' and then go to 'Linking Words'.

FCE Grammar rom

Ask at the LEARNING SUPPORT CENTRE desk for this CD. It has lots of exercises at intermediate level and above on combining clauses to make good sentences and other helpful grammar.

 

Choosing resources 

Before you choose any resources for practise, think the following questions:

Do the topics match my goal?

Are the content page and index easy to follow?

Is the language up-to-date?

Are the explanations simple and clear enough?

Will this interest me and motivate me to learn?

Are the grammar items explained in context?

Is the level of the material appropriate?

Do I prefer to follow through one book or pick out units from different books according to the problems I have identified?