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Grammar

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Why is Understanding English Grammar Important?

Understanding English grammar is important because it helps you communicate clearly. Grammar is like the rules that guide how we put words together, so others can understand what we mean. When you know grammar well, your sentences make sense and are easy to follow. This is useful in school, work, and everyday life. Good grammar also helps you become a better writer and speaker, giving you more confidence when you express your thoughts.

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Table of Content
1. Why is Understanding English Grammar Important?
2. Interesting Facts about Grammar
3. Grammar
4. English Grammar- Parts of Speech
5. Grammar Topics: Sentence
6. Types of Sentences
7. Types of Sentence Structure
8. Reported Speech
9. Direct Speech
10. English Grammar Tenses
11. Detailed Grammar Tense Explanation
    11.11. Simple Present Tense
    11.22. Present Continuous Tense
    11.33. Present Perfect Tense
    11.44. Present Perfect Continuous Tense
    11.55. Simple Past Tense
    11.66. Past Continuous Tense
    11.77. Past Perfect Tense
    11.88. Past Perfect Continuous Tense
    11.99. Simple Future Tense
    11.1010. Future Continuous Tense
    11.1111. Future Perfect Tense
    11.1212. Future Perfect Continuous Tense
12. Test your Knowledge of Grammar
13. Find Out if you Got them All Right from the AnswersBelow
14. Takeaways from This Page
FAQs


Interesting Facts about Grammar

  • The longest sentence in English literature is in the book Ulysses by James Joyce. It has over 4,000 words!

  • The Oxford comma, also known as the serial comma, is the subject of much debate among writers. Some argue it's essential for clarity, while others think it's unnecessary.

  • William Shakespeare invented over 1,700 words by changing nouns into verbs, verbs into adjectives, and adding prefixes and suffixes.

  • Words like "level," "racecar," and "madam" are palindromes, meaning they read the same forwards and backwards. These fun words add an interesting twist to grammar.

  • In standard English, two negatives make a positive. So saying "I don’t need no help" means "I need help" in strict grammar terms!


Grammar

Grammar is a part of language that constructs the words into meaningful sentences. Learning grammar is a basic step in learning a second language. If you are looking to learn the distinct patterns of grammar and improve your English language skills- spoken and written then this is the place for you. We have listed crucial topics along with grammar vocabulary, so students can learn about various English grammar topics and master every one of them.


If we divide the English grammar category into basic sections then we get two sections- Word-level grammar which will discuss the parts of speech and sentence-level grammar which will discuss the categories of sentences. This categorisation will ease your learning process, read the entire article to learn the rules of grammar and acquire standard proficiency in the English language.


English Grammar- Parts of Speech

Increase your knowledge of English grammar topics and parts of speech in the English language by reading the following:


  1. Active Voice: Active voice is the type of speech where the subject of the verb does the action. For example, the sentence “He drank the juice” is an active voice because the subject ‘he’ of the verb ‘drank’ is doing the main action in this sentence.

  2. Adjective: Words that are used for describing a place, person, living or non-living things etc are called adjectives. Words such as red, slow, heavy, bright, happy, two, and big are the words which describe the quality, quantity, number or amount of something. These words are referred to as adjectives.

  3. Adverb: The words that describe a verb are referred to as adverbs. Words such as heavily, brightly, and slowly describe an action of the subject. These words are known as adverbs. For example, in the sentence “He is running slowly”, the word ‘slowly’ describes the action verb ‘running’ which makes the word ‘slowly’ an adverb.

  4. Article: Articles are used before nouns or pronouns and are a type of adjective. There are two types of articles- definite and indefinite. The definite article is ‘the’ and the indefinite articles are ‘a’ and ‘an’.

  5. Auxiliary Verb: A verb that is used with a main verb is referred to as an auxiliary verb. For example, words such as may, can, must, have, and do are the verbs used before an action to complete a meaning. In the sentence, “She can run a 1000 Kilometres” the word ‘she’ is an auxiliary verb as it supports the main verb ‘run’.

  6. Clause: A group of words that contain a subject and its verb is called a clause. For example, “they were busy when we arrived”, is a clause as both the subject and its verb are present.

  7. Conjunction: Conjunctions are the words that connect the words of a sentence. These words also link the group of words in a phrase or clause. The examples of conjunctions are ‘and, ‘but’, ‘if’.

  8. Modal Verb: An auxiliary verb that modifies the meaning of the main verb is known as a modal verb. The use of an auxiliary verb to express a possibility or probability of the main verb is referred to as a modal verb. It is called a ‘modal auxiliary verb’.

  9. Noun: The noun refers to the name of an object, concept, person or place. There are many types of nouns. A ‘concrete noun’ refers to something you can see or touch like a fruit or person. An ‘abstract noun’ is something that can only be felt or understood in concept, for example, ‘happiness’ is an abstract noun. A ‘countable noun’ is something that you count for example, books, and dollars and an ‘uncountable noun’ is an object that you cannot count such as water or music.

  10. Passive voice: Passive voice is a type of speech where the subject receives the action of the main verb. For example, in the sentence “the fish was caught”, the subject ‘fish’ is receiving the action which is being caught. This will be referred to as passive voice.

  11. Phrase: A group of words which do not contain a subject and its verb is called a phrase. For example, “the cat on a table” and “ one orange in the basket” are a group of words that do not have a subject and its verb together. This will be referred to as a phrase.

  12. Preposition: Prepositions majorly come before a noun and provide information about the time, direction and place. Prepositions are used to describe the position of a noun or an object in context to place or time. The examples are- in, at, to, under, over etc.

  13. Pronoun: Words that replace nouns in sentences or paragraphs are called pronouns. The examples are I, me, you, him, he, her, she etc. The use of pronouns is shown in the following example-

Sentence 1: “Eren is fighting for freedom and Eren believes in equality.”

Sentence 2: “Eren is fighting for freedom and he believes in equality.”

In sentence 2, the word ‘he’ has replaced the noun ‘Eren’. The word ‘he’ will be referred to as a pronoun.

  1. Verb: A word that describes an action or a state of being is known as a verb. The action words such as ‘work’, ‘eat’, ‘run’, ‘meditate’ and ‘sleep’ are examples of verbs. In the sentence- “ A cat is eating broccoli”, the word ‘eating’ will be considered a verb as it describes the action taking place between the subject and object.


Grammar Topics: Sentence

A sentence is a set of words that is complete and meaningful, it contains a subject and its verb along with a message conveyed in a statement, question, command or exclamation form. The sentence construction and the agreement between its parts are the most crucial steps to increasing proficiency in the language. Learn about the types of sentences and their structure by reading the below-mentioned points.


Types of Sentences

There are four types of sentences:


  • Declarative- the sentence that makes a statement and informs about something, for example- “Levi likes ice cream”.

  • Interrogative - this type of sentence asks a question, for example- “Does Anya like eating pie?”

  • Imperative- An imperative sentence is a command, that tells us to do something, for example- “shut the door”.

  • Exclamative- the sentence that has an expression of surprise in it, for example- “Such a hilarious story!”


Types of Sentence Structure

There are four types of sentence structure:


  • Simple- a sentence that is an independent clause with no dependent clause or conjunction.

  • Compound- a sentence that has two or more independent clauses joined by a conjunction.

  • Complex- a sentence that contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. The clauses are joined by a subordinate conjunction such as ‘who’, ‘which’, ‘since’, ‘while’.


Compound-complex- a sentence that contains multiple independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. These sentences also have conjunctions and subordinators.


Reported Speech

Reported speech or indirect speech tells you what someone said but does not tell the actual words said by the person. For example- “ He said that he didn’t like the jacket” and “students complained about the teacher” are sentences of reported speech.


Direct Speech

Direct speech is the word-to-word repetition of the speaker’s or writer’s message. It is a type of sentence that informs what the other person said in the same way the speaker enunciated. There is no addition of words in the main dialogue. For example- he said, “I didn’t like the jacket” is a form of direct speech.


English Grammar Tenses

Tenses are the grammatical constructions of a sentence that indicate the details of occurred events. Tenses are a crucial element of sentence construction as tenses are the basis or subject-verb agreement that takes place in the sentence. The list of English grammar tenses is listed below for your knowledge.


  1. Simple present tense

  2. Present continuous tense

  3. Present perfect tense

  4. Present perfect continuous tense

  5. Simple past tense

  6. Past continuous tense

  7. Past perfect tense

  8. Past perfect continuous tense

  9. Simple future tense

  10. Future continuous tense

  11. Future perfect tense

  12. Future perfect continuous tense


Detailed Grammar Tense Explanation

1. Simple Present Tense

  • Definition: Used to describe habitual actions, general truths, and facts that are always true.

  • Example: "She reads every morning."


2. Present Continuous Tense

  • Definition: Used to describe actions that are happening right now or ongoing actions.

  • Example: "She is reading a book right now."


3. Present Perfect Tense

  • Definition: Used to describe actions that have been completed at some point in the past but have relevance to the present.

  • Example: "She has read that book."


4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense

  • Definition: Used to describe actions that started in the past and are continuing.

  • Example: "She has been reading for two hours."


5. Simple Past Tense

  • Definition: Used to describe actions that were completed in the past.

  • Example: "She read the book yesterday."


6. Past Continuous Tense

  • Definition: Used to describe actions that were happening at a specific time in the past.

  • Example: "She was reading when I called her."


7. Past Perfect Tense

  • Definition: Used to describe actions that were completed before another action in the past.

  • Example: "She had read the book before the exam."


8. Past Perfect Continuous Tense

  • Definition: Used to describe actions that were ongoing up until another action in the past.

  • Example: "She had been reading for an hour when I arrived."


9. Simple Future Tense

  • Definition: Used to describe actions that will happen in the future.

  • Example: "She will read the book tomorrow."


10. Future Continuous Tense

  • Definition: Used to describe actions that will be happening at a specific time in the future.

  • Example: "She will be reading at 8 PM tomorrow."


11. Future Perfect Tense

  • Definition: Used to describe actions that will be completed before a specific time in the future.

  • Example: "She will have read the book by the time you arrive."


12. Future Perfect Continuous Tense

  • Definition: Used to describe actions that will be ongoing up until a specific time in the future.

  • Example: "She will have been reading for two hours by the time you come."


Test your Knowledge of Grammar

1. Identify the Parts of Speech

  • Example Sentence: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

  • Task: Identify the parts of speech for each word in the sentence (e.g., noun, verb, adjective, adverb).


2. Correct the Sentence

  • Example Sentence: She don't like apples because they is too sour.

  • Task: Correct the grammatical errors in the sentence.


3. Choose the Right Tense

  • Example Sentence: By the time you arrive, I (finish) my homework.

  • Options:

    • a) finished

    • b) will finish

    • c) am finishing


  • Task: Choose the correct tense to complete the sentence.


4. Correct the Punctuation

  • Example Sentence: Its raining outside I forgot my umbrella.

  • Task: Add the necessary punctuation to make the sentence correct.


5. Subject-Verb Agreement

  • Example Sentence: The team of scientists (was/were) excited about the results.

  • Task: Choose the correct form of the verb to agree with the subject.


6. Form Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

  • Example Sentence: This book is (interesting) than the last one.

  • Task: Write the comparative and superlative forms of the adjective provided.


7. Rewrite the Sentence in Passive Voice

  • Example Sentence: The chef prepares the meal every day.

  • Task: Rewrite the sentence in passive voice.


8. Fill in the Blanks with Correct Prepositions

  • Example Sentence: She is good ___ mathematics and science.

  • Options:

    • a) at

    • b) in

    • c) on



9. Identify and Correct the Error

  • Example Sentence: Neither the teacher nor the students was aware of the change.

  • Task: Identify and correct the error in the sentence.


10. Use the Correct Pronoun

  • Example Sentence: James and I went to the store, and (he/him) bought a new book.

  • Task: Choose the correct pronoun to complete the sentence.


Find Out if you Got them All Right from the AnswersBelow

  1. Identify the Parts of Speech

  • The (article), quick (adjective), brown (adjective), fox (noun), jumps (verb), over (preposition), the (article), lazy(adjective), dog (noun).


2. Correct the Sentence

  • She doesn't like apples because they are too sour.


3. Choose the Right Tense

  • b) will finish


4. Correct the Punctuation

  • It's raining outside. I forgot my umbrella.


5. Subject-Verb Agreement

  • was


6. Form Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

  • Comparative: more interesting

  • Superlative: most interesting


7. Rewrite the Sentence in Passive Voice

  • The meal is prepared by the chef every day.


8. Fill in the Blanks with Correct Prepositions

  • at


9. Identify and Correct the Error

  • Neither the teacher nor the students were aware of the change.


10. Use the Correct Pronoun

  • he


Conclusion

Grammar can be made easy with simple explanations and plenty of practice. You can learn about the various English grammar topics and increase your grammar vocabulary by reading the discussion provided here. Vedantu makes it easier for students to learn English grammar through proper categorisation of topics and an easy-to-learn approach to assist students in enhancing their grammar skills.


Takeaways from This Page

  • Understanding grammar helps you express your ideas clearly and accurately, avoiding misunderstandings.

  • Good grammar improves the quality of your writing, making your texts more professional and easier to read.

  • Knowing grammar rules boosts your confidence when writing or speaking, as you are less likely to make mistakes.

  • A solid grasp of grammar improves your ability to understand and analyse texts, making reading more enjoyable and insightful.

FAQs on Grammar

1. What is the difference between simple present and present continuous tense?

The simple present tense describes habitual actions or general truths, while the present continuous tense describes actions happening right now or ongoing actions.

2. When should I use the present perfect tense?

Use the present perfect tense to describe actions that have been completed at some point in the past but have relevance to the present.

3.  What is the difference between "affect" and "effect"?

"Affect" is usually a verb meaning to influence something (e.g., The weather can affect your mood). "Effect" is a noun meaning the result of a change (e.g., The new policy had a positive effect on the team).

4. When should I use "who" versus "whom"?

Use "who" as the subject of a sentence or clause (e.g., Who is coming to the party?). Use "whom" as the object of a verb or preposition (e.g., To whom should I address the letter?).

5. How do I know when to use "its" versus "it's"?

"Its" is a possessive pronoun indicating something belonging to it (e.g., The dog wagged its tail). "It's" is a contraction for "it is" or "it has" (e.g., It's raining outside).

6. What is the rule for using commas in a list?

In a list, commas are used to separate items (e.g., We bought apples, oranges, bananas, and grapes). The comma before the final item (the Oxford comma) is optional, depending on style preference.

7. How do I correctly use apostrophes?

Use apostrophes to show possession (e.g., Sarah’s book, the cat’s toy). For plural nouns, add an apostrophe after the “s” (e.g., The dogs’ park). Apostrophes are also used in contractions to show missing letters (e.g., don’t for do not).

8. What is the simple definition of grammar?

Grammar in simple words is the basic set of standardised rules of language that governs the use of words, sounds, sentences and elements along with their combinations. 

9. What are the 5 parts of grammar?

The major 5 parts of grammar are: 

  • Word Order- the relationship between the words in a sentence.

  • Tenses- the set of construction which describes the event’s occurrence.

  • Punctuation- indicates the pause, stress or emotion in a sentence.

  • Determiners- informs about the object in the context of its position, value or place.

  • Connectors- words that link the phrase or clauses together.

10. Who is the father of grammar?

Lindley Muray is best known as the father of grammar.

11. Why is grammar important?

Grammar is important for clearly understanding the writer or a speaker and for communicating the thoughts easily as with the use of correct grammar rules, we can avoid speaking in broken sentences.

12. How can I improve my grammar?

Grammar is considered as the grounds of language’s structure to produce organised ideas.

  • You can improve your grammar by adopting a habit of reading. Reading improves the overall language skills inclusive of grammar. 

  • Use a grammar manual and online study resources to learn grammar rules and patterns.

  • Consult others to determine your grammatical skills by reading out loud to them or showing them your piece of writing.