Love it or hate it, when learning a language you need a basic understanding of how words and sentences fit together correctly. The more you practice, the more the grammar rules will come naturally to you, and you won’t be struggling to find the right tense, preposition or pronoun.

If you’re a language learner, then the chances are you already have a love of words and a desire to speak correctly. Good grammar can only enhance this desire. If you speak correctly in your native language then you should strive to do so in your new language.

Don’t be scared

Yes, it can be boring, and yes, it can be difficult sometimes. But grasping grammar isn’t always as difficult as you think. You will be picking up correct grammar rules all the time as you learn your new language. Without even realising it you’ll be using superlatives, participles and adverbs. The challenge comes in understanding the formation of grammar, and how it makes the difference between using correct or incorrect language.

Grammar books

Grammar books are organised into categories. If you find you are studying your grammar book methodically from beginning to end you’re likely to have a problem. A grammar book is not intended to be read from A-Z, but used selectively as appropriate.

As with your dictionary, you should never be far from a good grammar book. Buying the best you can afford will be worth it. Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced student your grammar book will enhance your language skills.

Be careful

Be careful with idioms and clichés. They often just don’t translate well into another language. The expression ‘lost in translation’ means a lot when using this type of expression. A good quality dictionary will show you the equivalent meaning of an idiom or cliché, if there is one. For the more serious learner a monolingual dictionary can be helpful in giving alternative phrases and expressions.

So although you may be thinking about skipping the grammar lessons and moving on to the ‘nice’ parts of language learning, stop and think. Having the knowledge and understanding of when to use certain grammatical rules is paramount to achieving good language skills. You’re more likely to sound like a native speaker if you present your words in the correct order and tense.

Speak it

We can really improve our grammar if we continue to speak the language. Your speech will reflect patterns you hear and the rest will fall in place. Find a friend who can speak the language and move on. Whenever you feel stuck, ask!

Read and practice

The more you read, the better you get with your vocabulary. It improves grammar too. If possible, read aloud. Functional grammar deals with the way in which words and word order are used in social perspectives to get the message across.

However, if you have a sudden dislike towards heavy grammar books, try the ‘parrot

method.’ This refers to listening and repeating things as

many times as possible, so it

becomes natural for you to say it that way.

Reading aloud is simpler, because you eventually are listening to correct grammar as you read it. Watching television also helps. — Agencies