7. ENGLISH GRAMMAR IS EASIER THAN YOU THINK

If you are visiting this blog for the first time, please consider starting with the very first post as it contains useful hints and links.   Working through this blog in sequence can also help you identify strengths and weaknesses in your knowledge of the English Language.

As we have already seen, IELTS Descriptors make it clear that you must understand some English Grammar to score 7 in an IELTS test – but this does not mean you need to understand everything about English Grammar.

When you are using this blog and my YouTube channel to assess your strengths and weaknesses, some of the detail in this blog might seem too simple. No doubt you already understand the basic principles of grammar from studying your own first language. However, there will be some differences between English and other languages that might affect your score, and that you ought to be aware of. 

WHY ENGLISH GRAMMAR SEEMS CONFUSING
One reason English Grammar may seem harder than it really is, is because there are so many different terms for the same thing.

Examples:

·         The Bare Infinitive of a verb is sometimes called the Plain Form of a verb, or even the Base Form of a verb, depending on which book or tutor is discussing it. The Bare Infinitive, the Plain Form and the Base Form of a verb are all the same thing.

·         Words ending in ING might be called a Present Participle; a Gerund [or a Noun-verb]; or an Adjective [or an Adjective-verb]
We need to see ING words in context to know what type of job they do.

·         The Present Participle form of a verb is used for the Continuous Verb Tense which is sometimes known as the Progressive Verb Tense.

You do not have to memorise all of the different names for parts of English Grammar: To score 7 in an IELTS exam you only need to understand some of the parts of English Grammar.

It is a good idea to try and learn about English from more than one source, because you might hear something described two or three different ways before you find an explanation that is helpful.  On the other hand, try not to use too many different sources - you don't want to become confused by different terminology.

Another reason English Grammar might seem hard is because some English Grammar really is hard.

The parts of English Grammar needed to get an IELTS score of 7 are not. For example, you do not need to know that "Adverbial Clauses Always Begin With a Subordinating Conjunction".

Your challenge is to find sources of English instruction that are designed to teach you at an appropriate level to get a score of 7 in an IELTS exam.

This blog and the improveyourenglishwithjane YouTube lessons are designed to teach you the basics of English Grammar in a simple and logical sequence. Free sound files are available to help you remember the important rules and lists discussed later in this blog.

THE MINIMUM YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ENGLISH GRAMMAR

• gender [already introduced here]
• what nouns and pronouns are, and how to use pronouns
• what verbs are, and how to use basic verb tenses
• collocations [already introduced here]

Gender

The difference between "he" and "she" is important. There are at least half a dozen [6] languages that do not use words equivalent to he, his, him, she, her or hers.

If your first language does not use equivalents of these words, you must make an effort to learn how these words are used in English, and practise using them properly.

You need to be clear about gender when we start to discuss some pronouns.

Verbs

Every English sentence has at least one verb. If you cannot use the right verb form in a sentence this will:

• count as poor grammar in an IELTS speaking or writing test; and
• it might affect your understanding of what you read or hear during an IELTS test.

You must understand simple verb tenses.

Here is a sampling of verb forms used in one IELTS Practice Academic Reading Task:

• may have
• might have
• had been
• have been
• has been

If you are confident your knowledge of verbs is already excellent, working through this blog and the YouTube lessons will help confirm this, or uncover any weaknesses.

Pronouns

There are 9 types of pronouns, each with a special grammatical job to do. Just one of those jobs is to help us learn about verb forms.

Pronouns are also extremely useful for building the "complex structures" referred to in the Band Descriptors.

Collocations

Collocations are yet another part of grammar referred to in the Band Descriptors.

This blog's post 5 already introduces collocations, prepositions, idioms and colloquialisms.

Free sound files are available to help you memorise some collocations and prepositional phrases, but I recommend you make pronouns and verbs a priority.

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I can help you improve your English to IELTS 7 standard

• Follow this blog for useful links and advice
• Watch improveyourenglishwithjane YouTube lessons
• Use my free sound files to help you study by listening

EMAIL ME

engtutormelb@gmail.com

When you email me, feel free to let me know what your first language is, how you have scored in any IELTS tests you've already taken, or what aspects of English cause you the most difficulty.

Thanks for dropping in!

Jane