What Is Grammar?

For many students this has been a frightening word for something they thought they would never really understand. But it need not be that way.

   Try to imagine yourself everyday watching some people playing a game you do not know. At some time,  you will begin to understand the rules of the games by watching what the players do or must do. Eventually you would be able to write out the rules of the games but it would take you a long time. If somebody can tell you the rules or you can read them in a book, it will save you time.

   The formation of the grammar of a language is rather like that. Grammarians observe how people use the language, and eventually they are able to say something like thus, 'if you want to speak or write this language as other people do, then you must use this word in this ways and you may not use the words in that way.' The grammar of a language is, if you like, a description of the rules of the particular language 'game.'

  We must remember that language is continually being changed as people use it, and so on the end the rules of the language must be rewritten if they are to fit. For example, the grammar (or rules) of the English language as it was written a hundred years ago would not do to describe modern English. So  we must not imagine that the grammar we learn today will for ever be a true description of language. Nevertheless if we are to use the language correctly and understand it thoroughly we need to know the rules, the grammar , that describes the way it is used now. You will never be a good football player if you do not know the rules of the game!

    Why in particular do you need to know English grammar? There are several way practical reasons. First of all if you are to understand your own errors, you must know what the rules are and in what way your own use of the language fails to comply with those rules. If your teacher (or text book) is to explain to you clearly and quickly where the differences are, it will be necessary for you to learn the names of some of the ways words are used, and how the language fits together. 

  You will also be able to improve tour own writing if you able to examine the work of good writers, and see the differences between the way you write and the way they write. 

  And there is another worrisome reason for learning the grammar of English, your English examination papers sometimes use grammatical terms and expect you to understand them. If you can understand at  least some of the rules, you may put part of the worry of the English language paper behind you.

   There is also a bonus to be obtained from learning some of the grammar of the English language. You will them find it easier to understand how other languages work, including your own. You will find it easier to learn another language, even though the rules for that language may differ in various ways from the rules of English.

  What is put forward here is not a complete description of the whole of the English language. It is rather a 'bare bones' grammar, giving you enough information to help you understand and use the language well up to college certificate Exam. If you are interested or find it necessary, you may fill in more of the details of the grammar in life.