What is Grammar — Rules & Usage Guide

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘grammar’? Something challenging, technical, or probably a set of strict guidelines intended to catch your mistakes. Right? Well, this mental picture might be accurate for some. However, grammar is the foundation of any effective communication, mainly textual, because it clarifies your writing.

Whether you’re trying to avoid any misunderstandings in everyday conversations or writing something, good grammar is the key. But if you don’t know a thing about grammar or are just curious about its necessary rules and usage guidelines, our Grammar Checker can help!

In this blog post, we’ll explain the concept of grammar in the simplest of terms. We’ll start with its importance, and as we move forward, we’ll discuss its different types and rules along with examples. Additionally, we’ll share some tips on how to get better at grammar. So, let’s kick things off without any further delay.

Grammar Definition 

According to the dictionary, the word ‘grammar’ means the ‘rules of language.’ So, in simplest terms, grammar is a set of guidelines that define the structure of words and sentences for clear and effective communication. It shapes the framework of all languages with the help of syntax (word arrangement in a sentence), morphology (word structure), phonology (sound patterns), and semantics (meaning).

Importance of Grammar in English

Now that you’ve learned what grammar is, you may be wondering why the world treats grammar so strictly. Well, that’s simply because it is far more important than you realize. In fact, to put this in a nutshell, when used correctly, grammar helps avoid misunderstandings, improves credibility, and guarantees effective and professional communication. Here is how:

1. Grammar Helps Avoid Misunderstanding

When you don’t use the appropriate grammar practices, it often leads people to misunderstanding. For instance, imagine writing, ‘Let’s eat Joey’ instead of ‘Let’s eat, Joey.’ As you can see, the absence of a small comma changes the meaning of the entire sentence into something inappropriate and unintentional. But you can prevent such a situation by following the rules and regulations of grammar.

2. Grammar Guarantees Professional Communication

No matter what field you write in, the only way to appear professional is to use proper grammar. If you follow this practice, your content will definitely appear more professional. For example, imagine drafting something like this in a professional environment: ‘I would of liked to meet you their for the meeting, but I don’t got the materials ready.’ This could lead to your termination from your job, right? Fortunately, using proper grammatical practices can easily help you avoid such a scenario.

3. Grammar Makes Room for Credibility

Using proper grammar can help you gain people’s confidence. When you perfectly employ all the correct grammatical rules, people get the impression that you are knowledgeable of what you’re doing. Such a situation gradually builds trust, which can even help you establish yourself as an industry expert.

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Types of Grammar

Like most language-related concepts, grammar has different classifications. The following list highlights five of the most common types of grammar:

Perspective Grammar:

Perspective grammar describes using grammatical practices in real-life scenarios by focusing on proper and incorrect grammatical forms. This type is most common at the school level.

Descriptive Grammar:

Descriptive grammar involves observing and documenting language usage in real-life situations. Therefore, it doesn’t revolve around making decisions or giving prescriptions. Rather, it outlines the grammatical conventions people follow when communicating.

Comparative Grammar:

Comparative grammar seeks to find differences and similarities between grammatical structures of various languages through comparison. This category is beneficial for understanding the historical context of a language and its family.

Generative Grammar:

Generative grammar involves using numerous rules and regulations to create grammatically valid sentences and phrases. It focuses on the basic structure of a language.

Transformational Grammar:

This type is part of generative grammar. But, as its name suggests, it focuses on the structural transformation of sentences, such as how simple sentences can be changed to form questions.

Common Grammar Rules with Examples

Until now, you may have fully grasped the theoretical perspective of grammar and its different types. But what is the use of having a theoretical perspective if you don’t know how to apply it practically? So, if you want to learn the implementation of grammar in real life, consider sticking to the following rules and regulations:

1. Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject and verb are two of the most essential elements of a sentence. So, according to the grammar rule book, they both must agree with each other in the following way:

  • If the subject is singular, the verb should likewise be singular.
  • If the subject is plural, the verb should also be plural.

But if your sentence doesn’t follow both these conventions, it will be considered grammatically incorrect. Here is an example that best explains this rule:

Incorrect Variation: The dogs is running.

Correct Variation: The dogs are running.

2. Use of Articles (Definite and Indefinite)

An article is another vital sentence component because it defines nouns or pronouns and beautifies the entire phrase. So, the grammar conventions state that:

  • A definite article (the) should be used for specific items.
  • An indefinite article (a, an) should be used for non-specific items.

Here are two correct sentences that elaborate on the usage of articles in a better way:

Definite: The car I saw in the garden was blue. (a specific car)

Indefinite: I saw a car in the garden. (any car)

3. Tenses

Sentences generally revolve around an action or event. However, a sentence will be considered grammatically incorrect if it doesn’t accurately describe the timings of actions or events. For this reason, it is essential to structure sentences with the correct form of tenses. Here are three examples that best highlight the usage of appropriate tenses with different action or event timings:

Present: Monica is cooking dinner now.

Past: Monica cooked dinner yesterday.

Future: Monica will cook dinner tomorrow.

4. Pronoun Usage | Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

You may know by now that pronouns are a great way to avoid the repetition of nouns in the language. However, like subject and verb, a pronoun must agree with a noun it replaces in terms of gender and numbers. Otherwise, its usage will be deemed incorrect. The following example best elaborates on this rule:

Incorrect: Gloria loves her dog. They take him for walks. (misleading pronoun usage)

Correct: Gloria loves her dog. She takes him for walks.

5. Punctuation Marks (Comma and Apostrophe) Usage

Punctuation marks direct readers on how to interpret the language. Generally, punctuation symbols are large in numbers, but two of their most common instances are commas and apostrophes. Here is what the grammar rule book states about the usage of a comma and apostrophes in a language:

  • Use a comma after introductory parts of the phrases, before conjunctions in compound sentences, and to separate items in a list.

After Introductory Part: After dinner, we went for a walk.

Before Conjunction: I wanted to go swimming, but it started to rain.

List: I bought apples, oranges, bananas, and grapes.

  • Use an apostrophe only if you want to create contractions and represent possessions.

Creating Contractions: It’s raining outside. (Original Form: It is raining outside.)

Showing Possession: Jessica’s book is on the table. (Original Form: The book belongs to Jessica.)

6. Using Parallel Structure

There may be situations when you have to discuss different items in the same sentence. So, grammar experts recommend following a parallel structure between them. This means that just like subject-verb and noun-pronoun agreements, it is also essential that the items in a list must agree in numbers. If not, your sentence will be deemed grammatically incorrect. Here is an example that better explains this rule:

Incorrect Version: Chandler likes biking, to swim, and hike.

Correct Version: Chandler likes biking, swimming, and hiking | Chandler likes to bike, swim, and hike.

7. Using Negative

In communication (either spoken or written), sometimes, it is essential to discuss negatives. However, the grammar rule book recommends avoiding double negatives in such situations. For instance, rather than saying something like this:

I don’t have no interest in crypto. (Incorrect)

You can convey the same message with a single negative in one of the following manners:

I don’t have any interest in crypto. (Correct)

I have no interest in crypto. (Correct)

Tips for Improving Grammar Skills

Understanding and reviewing the grammar rules can undoubtedly improve your language usage. But if you quickly want to enhance your grammar skills, experts recommend considering the following suggestions as well:

1. Listen and Read Frequently

Studies show that if you want to improve your command of a language, you should focus on listening and reading. For instance, you can listen to sports commentary or news headlines. Similarly, you can also start reading some books, newspapers, or even novels. These activities will enhance your knowledge about the implementation of grammar rules in real-life scenarios.

2. Develop a Writing Habit

Like any programming language, you can’t expect to improve your grammar skills if you don’t practically apply its rules. For this reason, experts suggest developing a writing habit. You can start writing anything, either documenting your daily routine or crafting something more professional. This way, you will get hands-on experience in the practical implementation of various grammar rules. And following this practice will gradually help you become a pro-grammarian.

3. Get Feedback

Developing a writing habit is beneficial, but it will not help your cause until you receive feedback from an expert. So, get your writing reviewed by industry experts. Then, work on the provided feedback. This is a true gem of a method for quickly improving your implementation of grammar rules.

Conclusion

All in all, grammar is the study of a language’s rules and structure. It includes conventions and patterns that define how to combine words and create meaningful sentences. So, it is an essential aspect of effective communication, be it spoken or written. However, grammar can only help you write something clear and error-free if you know its rules and their implementations. So, read the above blog post to understand the various grammar rules and the tips to get better at applying them because only then will you be able to deliver your thoughts confidently and precisely.

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