Introduction
Whether you’re a native speaker of English, grammar rules are an essential part of the language. There are many different rules to choose from, and it can be difficult to know where to start. In this blog post, we’ll introduce you to some of the basic English grammar rules. We’ll also give you some tips on how to remember them and use them in your own writing.
What is Grammar?
Grammar is the set of rules that govern how we use language. It includes things like how we structure our words and sentences, and which words we use in certain situations. The main thing you need to know about English grammar rules is that there are a lot of them! But don’t worry, you don’t need to learn them all at once. Just focus on mastering a few basics and you’ll be on your way to speaking and writing like a native speaker in no time. The following are some of the most important rules for English grammar:
1. The Articles
1. Use “a” before words that begin with a consonant sound and “an” before words that begin with a vowel sound.
2. Use “the” before singular and plural nouns when the noun is specific or known to the reader.
3. Use “the” before nouns when they represent a unique group or quantity.
4. Do not use articles (a, an, the) with proper nouns.
2. Subject-Verb Agreement
One of the most important aspects of writing in English is ensuring that your subjects and verbs agree. What this means is that if your subject is singular, your verb must also be singular, and if your subject is plural, your verb must also be plural. This can be a difficult rule for non-native speakers to remember, but there are a few key points to keep in mind.
To start with, remember that the vast majority of English verbs are regular, meaning they follow the same pattern regardless of whether the subject is singular or plural. So if you’re having trouble remembering whether a particular verb is singular or plural, just look it up in a dictionary.
3. Subject complement
A subject complement is a word or phrase that describes, renames or completes the subject of a sentence. It can be an adjective, noun, or pronoun. The most common type of subject complement is an adjective (e.g., “happy” in the sentence “I am happy”). However, it’s possible for a single noun to function as both subject and predicate; for example:
- The apple fell from his hand onto the floor with a thud!
- If there are two subjects in this example (the apple and its fall), then one might say:
- The apple fell from his hand onto the floor with a crash!
4. Adjectives and Adverbs
Adjectives and adverbs are two sides of the same coin. They both modify nouns and pronouns, but they also have other properties in common.
Adjectives modify nouns; this means that if you say “The red car is fast”, then the adjective “red” describes something about your car (for example, maybe it’s called “red” because it was painted). Adverbs describe verbs by adding an -ly ending to them; for example: “He ran quickly.” The word “run” becomes faster when it has an adverb attached after it like how adjectives change things when they’re mentioned after nouns!
- He’s a slow driver. (adjective)
- He drives slowly. (adverb)
5. Pay Attention to Homophones
There are a lot of homophones in the English language, and they can be really confusing! A homophone is a word that is pronounced the same as another word but has a different meaning. For example, the words “right” and “write” are homophones. Paying attention to homophones can help you to avoid making mistakes in your writing.
6. Conjunction
A conjunction is a word that joins different words, phrases, and clauses in a sentence. They connect the words or phrases which are connected by the same grammatical function.
Conjunctions can be divided into three main categories: coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions, and relative pronouns.
7. Adverb Clause and Adjective Clause.
The definitions of adverb clauses and adjective clauses are fairly straightforward. However, there is a subtle difference between them that can be confusing at first:
- Adverb clauses are subordinate clauses, which means that they have a subject but no verb. Examples include: “It was raining.” (subordinate to the main clause “It was raining.”)
- Adjective clauses are relative clauses, which means they modify nouns rather than verbs or other parts of speech. Examples include: “He found his keys.” (relating to action) or “She likes books about cats.” (relating to something someone does).
8. A comma splice occurs when you join two complete sentences with a comma.
A comma splice occurs when you join two complete sentences with a comma. It’s not an error, but you may want to consider rewriting the sentence if it sounds awkward to read.
For example:
“`A friend of mine told me that she would like to go on vacation this summer, but her parents would not allow her to leave the house without them.“`
9. Adjective clauses are also called relative clauses.
An adjective clause is a clause that modifies a noun or pronoun. They are also called relative clauses because they introduce a noun or pronoun with the words “that”, “which”, or “who”.
They can be used to modify adjectives, verbs, and other parts of speech:
- The adjective was red, which made it easier for us to see what was going on in the room.
- I like ice cream more than chocolate ice cream but I don’t like strawberry ice cream at all!
10. An infinitive is a verbal consisting of the word to plus an unconjugated verb, or simply the word too by itself.
An infinitive is a verbal consisting of the word to plus an unconjugated verb, or simply the word too by itself. It can be used as a subject or object of a sentence or clause within another sentence.
The infinitive does not need to be followed by an adverbial particle such as “to” or “so.”
11. The interrogative pronoun has several types, including which, what, etc.
English has several types of interrogative pronouns. Each type has its own set of rules and uses, so it’s important to know what each one is used for.
The first type of pronoun is the which. This word asks “which?” and can be used in both questions and statements (which car are you driving?). The second type asks what? or why? like “what” or “why.” It can also be used in both questions and statements (what did he say?). The third type asks if something happened yesterday or tomorrow; this one doesn’t have an article before it but does have an apostrophe instead: “if I see him again tomorrow,” for example! And finally, there’s the old standby: who/whom/whose…
English Grammar Rules
English grammar rules are a set of guidelines that help you to understand and correctly use the language. They apply to all people who speak or write in English, including non-native speakers. The English language is a rich and complex one, full of subtle differences in grammar. But with these tips and tricks, you can become a master of the rules!