Whether you’re trying to learn a new language or to sharpen your technical knowledge of English, grammar is the backbone of the language. When you’re writing an email, an essay, or simply talking with someone, grammar ensures that your message is clear. However, English is notoriously full of rules and exceptions that can make it easy to feel overwhelmed. Thankfully, you don’t have to memorize every little detail. Getting a good idea of the foundational rules can help you speak and write well.
Let’s take a look at the 12 basic grammar rules that you should know, as well as the techniques and tools you can use to learn them more effectively.
The 12 Basic Rules Of English Grammar
Here, we will break down each of the 12 rules that make up the core of standard English grammar. Mastering these helps you create clearer sentences and avoid common errors. We will look at some examples of each rule in action, as well.
- Subject-Verb Agreement
When you’re writing or speaking about a subject and a verb, they have to agree on the number. If one references a singular subject, then the verb should be singular as well. Similarly, a plural subject pairs with a plural verb.
- Correct: She writes every day.
- Correct: They write every day.
- Incorrect: They writes every day.
- Use of Articles
Articles (like a, an, and the) are there to help define nouns. When you use a word that begins with a consonant sound, the correct article is “a.” When you use a word that begins with a vowel sound, you use “an,” and “the” is used for specific nouns.
- Correct: I saw a cat. / He bought an apple. / The dog barked.
- Incorrect: I saw an cat. / He bought a apple.
- Correct Verb Tense
Verbs have a past, present, and future tense based on the time of the action. It’s important to maintain consistency in your verb tense throughout sentences and paragraphs. If you establish that you are speaking in the past tense, then the following verbs should be in the past tense.
- Correct: She studied hard and passed the exam.
- Incorrect: She studied hard and passes the exam.
- Proper Pronoun Usage
When you use a pronoun, you must choose one consistent with the number and gender of the nouns they replace. There are also different types of pronouns:
- Subject Pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they)
- Object Pronouns (me, you, him, her, it, us, them)
- Possessive Pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs)
The sentence “He gave her the book” uses “he” as the subject pronoun and “her” as the object pronoun.
- Use of Adjectives and Adverbs
Adjectives are used to describe nouns, while adverbs are used to describe verbs, adjectives, or even other adverbs. Many adverbs end in -ly (but not all.)
- Adjective: She wore a beautiful dress.
- Incorrect Adjective: She wore a beautifully dress.
- Adverb: She ran quickly.
- Incorrect Adverb: She ran quick.
6. Sentence Structure
Every sentence must contain at least one independent clause (a subject and a verb that express a complete thought.
- Correct: . He went to the store.
- Incorrect: Went to the store.
You can ask “who did what?” about a sentence to see if it includes both parts necessary for a full sentence.
7. Punctuation Rules
Punctuation helps ot clarify the meaning of sentences. It also prevents run-on sentences, which can be confusing, and structures information clearly.
- Period (.) end statements.
- Comma (,) separates ideas and items on a list.
- Question mark (?) ends questions.
- Exclamation mark (!) adds emphasis.
- Colon (:) introduces a list or explanation.
- The semicolon (;) is often used to connect clauses that are related. It can be thought of as a replacement for joining words like “and” and “then” in some cases.
Some examples:
- Correct: A bear eats shoots and leaves.
- Incorrect: A bear eats, shoots, and leaves.
- Correct: Let’s eat, Grandma.
- Incorrect: Let’s eat Grandma.
8. Capitalization
You must capitalize the first word of a sentence, as well as proper nouns, days of the week, months, and titles. Common nouns don’t have to be capitalized if they’re not at the start of a sentence.
- Correct: My family visited Paris in April.
- Incorrect: my family visited paris in april.
- Correct: This dog is called Jack.
- Incorrect: The Dog is called jack.
9. Consistent Point Of View
You should avoid switching between points of view in a sentence. First-person (I, me, my), second-person (you, your), and third-person (they, he, she) perspectives should stay consistent across the sentence of paragraph.
- Correct: I love hiking. It helps me relax.
- Incorrect: I love hiking. It helps you relax.
It’s worth noting that the sentence “I shake your hand. I introduce myself.” is correct because the first “I” in both sentences maintains a consistent subject and perspective, whereas “your hand” and “myself” refer to different objects.
10. Correct Use Of Prepositions
Prepositions show relationships in time, space, or direction. They often come before a noun or pronoun. It’s important to learn the correct pairings. Some examples include:
- The book is on the table.
- She arrived after dinner
- He went to the park.
It’s usually best to avoid unnecessary prepositions at the end of sentences, especially in formal writing.
11. Avoiding Double Negatives
Using two negatives in the same sentence can cancel out the intended meaning and create confusion.
- Correct: I don’t want any help.
- Incorrect: I don’t want no help.
12. Correct Word Order
The correct standard English word order is Subject > Verb > Object.
Correct: She eats the apple.
Incorrect: Eats she the apple.
Essential Grammar Techniques
Trying to memorize these grammar rules is important, but it’s best to try and apply them with some useful techniques too. Here are some that can improve your grammar usage.
Read Actively
Take the time to read books, articles, and other well-written content, paying attention to every word. Note their sentence structure, punctuation, and style.
Practice With Exercises
Find grammar worksheets or online quizzes that can help you hone skills like using tenses, subject-verb agreement, and punctuation correctly.
Learn In Context
Rather than simply try to remember the specific wording of the rules, learn with examples. See how they function in real communication.
Keep A Grammar Journal
If you make a mistake, then record it and learn how you can fix it. Writing mistakes down helps you recognize patterns, which allows you to improve faster.
Use Grammar Apps
Apps like Grammarly and Hemingway Editor can provide real-time feedback on grammar and clarity, helping you improve sentence structure as you write.
Mastering Common Grammar Rules
Let’s look into some of the grammar rules that can trip up even the more advanced English users on a regular basis:
Who vs. Whom
- Who is a subject: “Who is going to the party?”
- Whom is an object: “To whom should I send the email?”
Fewer vs. Less
- Use fewer for countable nouns: “fewer apples.”
- Use less for uncountable nouns: “less water.”
Its vs. It’s
- Its = possessive form of it.
- It’s = contraction of “it is.”
Affect vs. Effect
- Affect is usually a verb: “The weather will affect the game.”
- Effect is usually a noun: “The medicine had no side effects.”
Then vs. Than
- Then relates to time: “We went to dinner, then to a movie.”
- Than is used for comparisons: “She’s taller than her brother.”
Improving Your English Grammar Skills
Working on your grammar is a lifelong process, but there are some tips you can follow to ensure you’re consistently improving:
- Join Writing or Speaking Groups: English-focused communities can help you engage with others, using conversation to improve.
- Watch Grammar-Focused Videos: If you’re having trouble with a certain rule, then you can likely find videos on YouTube that can break the concept down for you in a different way that you might absorb more easily.
- Read Aloud: When you read out loud, you’re a lot less likely to skip words, which can make it easier to learn about sentence structure. Reading your own writing helps you better notice awkward phrasing, misused words, and run-on sentences.
- Imitate Good Writing: When reading, pick a paragraph you like and try to rewrite it. This helps you develop intuition for good grammar.
Key Grammar Tips For Writing
Writing is where grammar becomes even more important. In speech, sometimes informality can lead to acceptable mistakes. When you’re writing, grammar has to be correct or it becomes much harder to understand.
Keep Sentences Concise
Avoid overly long sentences with multiple clauses. The right punctuation can help improve a sentence’s readability, but starting with a new sentence is often better.
- Example: “Because the project, which was started in 2022, was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances, the team had to adjust the timeline significantly.”
- Improvement: “The project started in 2022. Due to delays, the team adjusted the timeline.”
Avoid Using Passive Voice
Using the passive voice isn’t technically incorrect, but it weakens your writing.
- Passive: The document was written by John.
- Active: John wrote the document.
Use Parallel Structure
When you’re listing items or adjectives, you should keep the structure consistent.
- Consistent: She likes to swim, to bike, and to hike.
- Inconsistent: She likes swimming, biking, and to hike.
Understanding grammar doesn’t mean that you always have to write in the most formal manner possible. However, knowing your rules and how to apply them can ensure that you’re understood. The 12 basic rules make the foundation you can always come back to when you’re not certain if a sentence is correct.
