Basic English Grammar For Dummies

Geraldine Woods

• Publisher: For Dummies
• Year: 2015
• ISBN:
  9781119071136
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Grammar & Punctuation
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

Get good guidance on using English well

English is a hard language to get right. It's all too easy to make simple mistakes, whether writing or speaking—which can land you in embarrassing social situations or even cost you a job. Luckily, Basic English Grammar For Dummies UK Edition is here to help you get to grips with English. Without the complexity of formal grammar and through plenty of examples and brief exercises, it gets you up and running on common spelling errors, how to structure sentences to make yourself easily understood, and find the right tone and style for any situation, whether you're talking on the phone or writing a letter, email, or text.

Is it good or well? There, their or they're? Some people don't have to think twice about using proper English grammar, but for the rest of us it can become tricky and confusing. Easy to understand and free of jargon, this friendly and accessible guide sticks to the basics and makes it easy to build your English grammar skills. In no time, you'll leave the 'me or I?' debate at the door and speak and write confidently and correctly.

• Includes quizzes and self-tests
• Provides guidance on composing letters, emails, and texts
• Uses easy vocabulary to make the content accessible to all
• Serves as a great guidebook to English grammar for overseas learners

If English is your second language or you simply missed or have forgotten the nuances that were taught in school, Basic English Grammar For Dummies UK Edition is the fast and easy way to brush up on your skills and make a good impression.

Part I

Getting Started with Basic English Grammar

For Dummies can help you get started with lots of subjects. Visit www.dummies.com to learn more and do more with For Dummies.

In this part …

Identify the elements of proper English.

Explore the proper format of everyday writing tasks.

Become familiar with common errors.

Learn when breaking the rules of Standard English is acceptable.

See how to take advantage of computer programs that check your spelling and grammar.

Chapter 1

Getting a Grip on Grammar

In This Chapter

Surveying the basic elements of grammar

Watching out for punctuation and spelling

Coping with everyday writing tasks

Lots of people groan when they hear the word grammar. They think that grammar is just a long list of picky rules. Who cares if you say had gone or went? Why worry about the choice between I and me? These issues can seem silly. Wouldn’t it be better to spend time searching for a cancer cure?

Yes, grammar is often picky. Certainly, the world needs more than grammar – much more! Yet proper language does matter. Rightly or wrongly, many people judge your intelligence and ability based on the way you speak and write. Better jobs and higher grades often go to those who follow the rules. In this chapter, you survey the key elements of Standard English – grammar, spelling and much more.

Getting to Know the Elements of Proper English

When you bake a cake, you need all the right ingredients. If you forget one, the cake is tasteless. English has a number of ingredients, too. You cannot ignore any if you wish to express yourself correctly. Here are the ingredients of proper English:

• Parts of speech: Words are like people. Both base a portion of their identity on the work they do. Words that name people or things, for example, are nouns. English teachers call the identity of a word the part of speech. Understanding how to select the appropriate part of speech is an important aspect of grammar.
• Parts of a sentence: Words seldom like to be alone. (This is another quality that words and people have in common.) When words join together, they form sentences. Complete sentences are essential in formal writing.
• Mechanics: Surprised? Usually, mechanics repair automobiles and other machines. In language, the term mechanics refers to the little things that help readers understand what you mean. Spelling and capitalisation are included in mechanics. So is punctuation, the placement of full stops, commas, question marks and other symbols. Without proper mechanics, your writing suffers.
• Word order: In English, location partly determines meaning. The dog bit John is different from John bit the dog. In the first version, the dog is in trouble. In the second, John has a problem. You should know the rules that govern the placement of words.
• Word choice: Some words sound alike (eye and I, for example). Others are nearly twins (for instance, affect and effect). Selecting the wrong word can wreck your writing.
• Word forms: Today I walk. Yesterday I walked. The form of the word walk changes to reveal the time period of the action. Knowing the correct form is essential.

These are the main ingredients that cook up proper English.

Did you go to grammar school?

In the Middle Ages, the word grammar meant education. The term applied to all sorts of learning, not just to rules of the language. This old definition lasted a long time. When I was a child, quite a few centuries after the Middle Ages ended, I attended grammar school. I did study English grammar during grades one through eight. I had lessons in maths, history, science and many other subjects. Now, children ...