Correct grammar is about knowing where words and their parts belong in sentences. It can include possessing
knowledge of word categories, inflections, and how they operate and relate to other words within a sentence. Good
grammar is fundamentally important to the way we communicate. If we lack knowledge about grammar, our
communication suffers. This can produce flow-on effects into our lives and careers. Often, it doesn’t matter how
intelligent or knowledgeable you are; if you lack the necessary grammar skills, you can lose credibility.
Some Grammar Basics
There are some basic aspects of grammar. Knowing these will improve your writing. Some of the basics of grammar
include:
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Nouns. These words are "things" — such as people, places, and ideas. In the sentence, "The cat sits on the mat", the
nouns are "cat" and "mat".
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Verbs. These words are "doing words" because they convey action — "run", "catch", "sing" are all examples of verbs.
In the sentence, "The cat sits on the mat", the verb is "sits" because "sitting" is what the cat is doing.
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Adjectives. Adjectives are "describing words" because they describe things — for example, a thing might be
"exciting", "heavy", or "awkward". Adjectives add something extra to the sentence. In the sentence, "The black cat
sits on the new mat", the adjectives are "black" and "new" since "black" is describing the "cat" and "new" is describing
the "mat".
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Adverbs. Like adjectives, adverbs add something extra to a sentence. Adverbs describe verbs (and adjectives and
other adverbs). For example, you might run quickly, catch awkwardly, or sing badly. In the sentence, "The black cat
sits quietly on the new mat", the adverb is "quietly" since it is describing how the "cat" is "sitting".
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Subjects. The "subject" of a sentence is the thing that does the verb; in other words, the thing that conducts the
action. In the sentence, "The cat sits on the mat", the subject is "The cat" because the cat is doing the action of
"sitting".
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Objects. The object is the thing that has the verb or action done to it. In the sentence, "The cat sits on the mat", the
object is "the mat" because the mat is the thing that is having the verb being done to it — it is the thing being sat on.
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Active voice and passive voice. "Active voice" and "passive voice" basically refers to the order in which you have
placed the subject, verb, and object. The active voice goes: "subject, verb, object"; but the passive voice goes:
"object, verb, subject". The sentence, "The cat sits on the mat" is in the active voice because the sentence is in the
form of "subject ("the cat"), verb ("sits"), and mat ("object")." Put in the passive voice, the sentence becomes "The
mat is being sat on by the cat". Clear writing usually comes from writing in the active voice. This is because the active
voice usually conveys your point more quickly than the passive voice and prevents ambiguity by making it clear who
did what to whom.
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The difference between "that" and "which". There is a growing trend toward keeping a strict distinction between
the words "that" and "which". The distinction is best explained using an example. Compare these sentences: "I like the
cat that is sitting on the mat" versus "I like the cat, which is sitting on the mat". In the first sentence, the word "that"
explains that I am looking at several cats; but, of all these cats, the cat I like is the cat that is sitting on the mat. The
word "that" tells you that "sitting on the mat" is essential to my pointing out the cat I like. In the second sentence, the
word "which" explains that I am looking at only one cat, which, by the way, happens to be sitting on the mat. Here,
the words following "which" add an extra bit of information that is not necessary to my explaining the cat I like. If you
support this distinction between "that" and "which", you would not write "I like the cat which is sitting on the mat" or
"I like the cat, that is sitting on the mat". Keeping the distinction is important because the distinction, more often than
not, prevents ambiguity (though there are occasions where ambiguity occurs even while keeping the distinction). Here
are some more examples to think about. What is the difference between: "Buy me the milk that is high in fat" versus
"Buy me the milk, which is high in fat"; "I visited the house that Jack built" versus "I visited the house, which Jack
built"; "I like the primary school books that are easy to read" versus "I like the primary school books, which are easy
to read".
This is just a small selection of the basic "rules" of grammar.
Improve your writing style
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Writing Better English: Selected Resources
English Grammar Mistakes
Why Is Good Writing Important?
How to Write Well
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Parts of Speech
Powerful Words
When to Use the Apostrophe
Basics of Punctuation
How to Write for Different Audiences
Writing Style
When to Use a Comma
Good Writing