Top 10 English Grammar Tips Every Student Should Know

In school, you learn a lot of facts, you learn a lot of concepts, and you learn a lot of new ideas. But the most important tool you have to show what you know is your writing. And to write well, you have to have good grammar. English grammar is not just a set of rules from a textbook; it is the foundation of clear and effective communication.

A student who has good grammar is a student who is able to write with confidence. They are able to express their ideas in a way that is clear, logical, and easy to understand. In this article, we will take a deep dive into 10 English grammar tips that every student should know. These tips are a set of simple rules that can help you to avoid common mistakes, to write better, and to be more confident in your communication.

Why Good Grammar is Your Secret Weapon

You might think that a small mistake in grammar is not a big deal. But it is. A mistake in grammar can change the meaning of a sentence, it can make your writing confusing, and it can make you look less professional. Good grammar is your secret weapon. It is a tool that can help you in a few key ways:

Clear Communication: Good grammar is the key to clear communication. It helps you to express your ideas in a way that is clear, logical, and easy to understand.
Professionalism: Good grammar makes you look smart and professional. It shows that you are a person who pays attention to details and that you are serious about your work.
Confidence: A student who has good grammar is a student who is more confident in their writing. They know that their writing is clear and correct, which gives them the confidence to share their ideas with others.

The tips that we will talk about are not a magic trick. They are a set of simple rules that can help you to write better.

Tip 1: Subject-Verb Agreement (The Golden Rule)

The most important rule in English grammar is subject-verb agreement. This rule says that the verb in a sentence must agree with the subject in number. A singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.

Singular: A single person or thing. For example, “The dog runs.” The subject “dog” is singular, so the verb “runs” is singular.
Plural: More than one person or thing. For example, “The dogs run.” The subject “dogs” is plural, so the verb “run” is plural.

This rule is the foundation of a correct sentence. If you can master this rule, you can avoid a lot of common mistakes.

Tip 2: The Right Use of Commas

The comma is a small but very important part of a sentence. It is used to separate ideas, to list things, and to add extra information. The misuse of a comma can make a sentence confusing and hard to read.

You should use a comma to:

Separate a list of things. For example, “I like apples, oranges, and bananas.”
Separate a sentence from an extra idea. For example, “The man, who was very tall, walked away.”
Separate two full sentences with a joining word. You can use a comma with a word like “and,” “but,” or “so” to join two complete sentences. For example, “I like to read, and I like to write.”

A comma is a tool for clear communication. When you use it correctly, you are helping your reader to understand your ideas.

Tip 3: The Difference Between “Their,” “They’re,” and “There”

This is one of the most common mistakes in English grammar. The three words sound the same, but they have completely different meanings.

Their: This is a possessive pronoun. It shows that something belongs to a group of people. For example, “They took their books.”
They’re: This is a contraction of “they are.” For example, “They’re going to the store.” A simple trick is to ask yourself if you can replace the word with “they are.” If you can, you should use “they’re.”
There: This word is used to talk about a place. For example, “The book is over there.” It is also used to start a sentence. For example, “There are many people in the room.”

If you can master this rule, you will avoid a mistake that many people make.

Tip 4: The Right Use of Semicolons

A semicolon is a punctuation mark that is used to connect two complete sentences that are related. It is a more powerful way to connect sentences than a comma and a joining word.

You should use a semicolon to:

Connect two related ideas. For example, “I like to read; my brother likes to write.”
Separate a list of things with commas. For example, “I have been to Paris, France; Rome, Italy; and London, England.”

A semicolon is a great tool for a writer who wants to show the connection between two ideas. It is a sign of a strong writer.

Tip 5: The “Who” vs. “Whom” Rule

The difference between “who” and “whom” is a tricky rule, but it is a simple one to learn.

Who: This word is used to talk about the subject of a sentence. A simple trick is to ask yourself if you can replace the word with “he” or “she.” If you can, you should use “who.” For example, “Who is going to the store?” (He is going to the store).
Whom: This word is used to talk about the object of a sentence. A simple trick is to ask yourself if you can replace the word with “him” or “her.” If you can, you should use “whom.” For example, “To whom did you give the book?” (I gave the book to him).

This is a rule that many people get wrong, but if you can master it, you will be a much better writer.

Tip 6: The Right Use of Apostrophes

An apostrophe has two main uses. It is used to show possession and to show a contraction.

Possession: An apostrophe is used to show that something belongs to someone. For example, “The dog’s toy” shows that the toy belongs to the dog. If the name is plural, like “dogs,” you should put the apostrophe after the ‘s’. For example, “The dogs’ toys.”
Contraction: An apostrophe is used to show that a letter is missing from a word. For example, “I don’t know” is a contraction of “I do not know.”

The misuse of an apostrophe can be a very common mistake.

Tip 7: The “Its” vs. “It’s” Rule

This is another very common mistake. The two words sound the same, but they have completely different meanings.

Its: This is a possessive pronoun. It shows that something belongs to a thing. For example, “The dog wagged its tail.”
It’s: This is a contraction of “it is.” A simple trick is to ask yourself if you can replace the word with “it is.” If you can, you should use “it’s.” For example, “It’s a beautiful day.”

This is a rule that many people get wrong, but if you can master it, you will be a much better writer.

Tip 8: The Power of a Strong Verb

A good writer uses strong verbs. A verb is a word that shows an action. A strong verb is a word that makes a sentence more interesting and more powerful.

For example, instead of saying, “The man walked slowly,” you can say, “The man strolled.” A strong verb, like “strolled,” gives you a much better picture of what is happening. You should use a dictionary to find new and powerful verbs to make your writing more interesting.

Tip 9: The Right Use of Adverbs

An adverb is a word that describes a verb. It tells you how, when, or where an action happened. Adverbs often end in “-ly.” For example, “The car drove quickly.” The word “quickly” is an adverb that tells you how the car drove.

While adverbs are a good tool, a good writer does not use too many of them. The use of too many adverbs can make a sentence feel weak. You should try to use a strong verb instead of an adverb and a weak verb. For example, instead of saying, “He ran very quickly,” you can say, “He sprinted.”

Tip 10: Proofread Your Work (The Final Check)

The final and most important tip for good grammar is to proofread your work. You should read your work out loud. When you read your work out loud, you can hear the mistakes that you might not have seen with your eyes.

You should also use a tool like Grammarly or a word processor’s spell check to help you find your mistakes. But you should not rely on them completely. A computer can miss a mistake, so you should always read your work out loud.

Conclusion

English grammar is the foundation of clear and effective communication. It is a set of rules that can help you to express your ideas in a way that is clear, logical, and easy to understand. In this article, we have taken a deep dive into 10 English grammar tips that every student should know. By mastering these rules, you can avoid common mistakes, you can write better, and you can be more confident in your communication.