English Grammar Tips: Comprehensive Guide to Master

English, the fourth most spoken language, is in high demand as people worldwide continually strive to learn and master. However, the learning phase can be rough as there are many rules surrounding grammar and sentence construction. It is easy to memorize the rules of English, but mastery comes with many tips for grammar and practice.

We understand that there are many confusing aspects to the language, and there is a constant need for English grammar tips and tricks to stir your learning journey in the right direction. How do you get better at grammar? Stick with us as we share some of English’s most confusing rules and elements, making it simpler to understand and use in everyday life, from reading to speaking, writing, and comprehension.

English grammar rules you need to learn

Capitalization

One of the first things to note in English is the format in which words are capitalized. Capitalization is an important part of English as it makes your writing look professional, tidy, and easy to read; without it, your work would probably look like it was done by a first-grader at first glance.

It shows how much you’ve learned of the language; you do a good job at it, and it shows you learned well and botched it up, and your readers will see that you haven’t mastered English. There are three easy-to-learn rules when it comes to capitalization, and these rules will help you remember the words to be capitalized:

The first is to capitalize the first word in a sentence. In every sentence, the first letter of the first word is to be in capital letters without mind what type of word it is. E.g.

The cranes bring babies every year.

Anne is best known for competing in the spelling bees.

Texas has many amusement centers.

The second rule is to capitalize proper nouns. A proper noun is the name of a particular person, place, organization/company, or thing, and they include names like Fischer and Andrew, places like Italy and Croatia, and companies like Nestle and Apple. Other examples are the words the months of the year, Titanic, and Mercedes. These words are capitalized wherever they appear in your sentences, whether at the beginning, middle, or end.

The third rule is to capitalize titles, honorifics, and their abbreviations. Titles like Mister (Mr.), Misses (Mrs.), Miss (Ms.), Doctor (Dr.), President, Duke, Major, Governor, etc. The words in this category are also capitalized anywhere they appear in the sentence, and the titles are mostly attached to a name that must be capitalized. E.g., Mr. Armstrong owns a tow truck company.

The difference between “I” and “me”

In learning English, “I” and “me” can often be confusing as they are both personal articles used to refer to oneself, but the mistake to avoid is thinking that these two articles can be interchanged.

“I” is a pronoun that functions as a subject in a sentence; for example, “Judith and I went to get ice cream yesterday.” In this example, Judith and I are the subjects, while went is the verb.

However, “me” is used differently, as it is a pronoun that serves as the object when someone else is acting. Take this example—Judith invited me to get ice cream yesterday. Judith is the subject, while I am the object of the sentence.

The trick to mastering this difference is to learn more about objects and subjects and how they are used in sentences using a learning platform like LiveXP. You will get the best learning experience in 1-on-1 lessons with an English tutor on LiveXP.

The difference between “their,” “they’re,” “there”

Some pronouns, contractions, and adverbs follow the rules of English grammar and usage, like the words their, they’re, and there. These words sound alike, so it is understandable when there is confusion about how to use them, especially in writing.

A possessive pronoun shows that something belongs to a group of people, usually called them. E.g.

The King told them to hunt down a tiger.

Their mom is coming to pick them up.

“They’re” is a contraction of “they are,” which is very similar to “you’re” and “you are.” For example,

They’re supposed to be here any minute now (They are supposed to be here any minute now).

They’re going for a spa treatment (they are going for a spa treatment).

“There,” on the other hand, is an adverb that points towards a location of something specific or abstract

We got there as early as 6 a.m.

Her shoes are over there, on the rack.

The tules of “your” and “you’re”

Often, people mistake verb contractions for possessive pronouns, like in the case of your and you. Your is the possessive pronoun, while you’re is a contraction of you are, and these two are used in completely different ways according to English grammar rules. E.g.

Your teachers are in the waiting room.

You’re going to ace the test (You are going to ace the test).

The best way to learn and get used to the difference between these words is by practice; you can look up more examples on LiveXP and have a one-on-one practice session with a tutor. Instead of large, rowdy classes, LiveXP offers personal classes to enhance learning and retention. Your tutor would also serve as your accountability partner and trainer.

Learn how to use “must” and “have to”

Must is an example of a modal verb, and these verbs are used to show the possibility of something happening or an obligation to fulfill. E.g.

I must go grocery shopping today.

Eden must meet Ben; it is a matter of urgency.

Must I get the water myself?

Have to can be used in place of must as they both refer to an obligation. Though subtle, the difference between the two is that one must show a suggestion or opinion. While having to is more of an expression of an objective obligation from another party. E.g.

Don’t you have to be at a seminar in Illinois?

I have to attend all of my classes tomorrow.

Using must show your opinion on the subject being spoken about; use have to, and the focus shifts from an important personal opinion to a more objective obligation. The two can be used interchangeably, but learning the difference for formal situations is good.

Using the apostrophes

An apostrophe is a punctuation mark used to show possession or create a contraction of words. Using apostrophes is pretty straightforward; the first way to use them is to show possession. E.g.

John’s ball flew over the roof.

Mary’s book has a goat printed on the cover.

The second way is to create contractions with the apostrophes replacing the missing letter. E.g., has not—hasn’t, you are—you’re, there are—there’re, etc.

The third is using it at the end of words that end with s, but there is a catch. This involves noting if adding an apostrophe “s” to the word would create a double or triple “s,” as in the case of a word like bosses’s. What to do instead is to erase the “s'' after the apostrophe and leave the apostrophe, e.g., bosses’.

Use passive and active voice

Active voice is a sentence format used in English that allows the verb to describe the action performed by the subject. It offers a direct connection and emphasizes the subject, making the sentences clear and engaging to read. For example;

Diana has completed the online trading course in record time!

Austin’s new company has launched a new line of products.

On the other hand, the passive voice is different, emphasizing the action performed, and the doer is mentioned after receiving the action. It is often used when the doer of the action is unknown, when the subject carries more importance, or when there is a need to shift focus from the doer to the object of the action. E.g.

The online trading course was completed in record time by Diana.

Austin’s new company launched a new line of products.

Learning how these two sentence forms work and when to use them is important. They may serve different purposes in English, but they come in handy to place emphasis and create an engaging read for your intended audience.

How to use grammar correctly

Differentiating subject and verb agreements

One of the key things to master in English to improve fluency is your subject-verb agreement. This involves the subject of a sentence being either singular or plural, which determines the sentence’s verb form.

The first case scenario is simple sentences with one clause (subject plus verb.) E.g.

Adriana likes spaghetti.

They like meatballs.

The second scenario is where the conjunction connects one or multiple subjects. The sentence then becomes a compound sentence and requires a plural. E.g.

Maggie and Frank started a company together (They started a company together).

Kim and I are going cycling around the park (We are going cycling).

The third scenario is where things can start to get confusing. Here, the subject comes with an additional piece of information that comes along with, such as, therefore, together with, as well as, etc. These additional pieces don’t require a plural verb and don’t change the subject. E.g.

Eve, just like Maggie, decided to start her own company (Maggie started her company. So did Eve).

Kim asked if she could tag along with Henry on the ride to town (she wants to tag along with Henry on the ride to town).

The thing about the subject-verb agreement is that although they provide the sentence with additional information, they can safely be removed. This will not alter the sentence's message; it would be less informative but grammatically correct. To check if your subject and verb correlate, replace them with an appropriate pronoun. E.g.

Maggie and Frank started a company together (They started a company together).

The power of punctuations

Punctuations are a major pillar in English, and learning to use them correctly makes all the difference in your written grammar. Punctuation allows your audience to comprehend your written text; without it, there is a large chance of misinterpretation. These punctuations include periods (.), hyphens (-), commas (,), question marks (?), semicolons (;), exclamation points (!), quotation marks (“), etc.

• Commas are used to separate items in a list or identify a pause.
• Periods end a sentence.
• Exclamation points show a surprise.
• The question mark identifies a question.

Learning each punctuation's function, where they can be used, and how to use them gives you a strong command of English.

Ensure to use conjunctions properly

The English conjunctions (and, and but) are words used to connect thoughts, ideas, and actions in your writing. They also join nouns and clauses to make the sentence understandable. In a situation where you have plenty to say, instead of making them into short sentences, you can use a conjunction to join them.

They also come in handy when making a list; here are a few examples of conjunctions used in sentences.

I’m a student and an entrepreneur.

Chris has a car, but he doesn’t drive it.

Kat is a fast and efficient worker.

Avoid using double negatives

Negative concepts are expressed in two ways in the English language, and under no circumstance can these two forms cannot be used in the same sentence. Take, for example, you wish to tell a colleague someone hasn’t traveled to Dubai; you can either say

Salem’s never been to Dubai.

Salem hasn’t ever been to Dubai.

Another example is saying that a milk can is empty

There is nothing left in the milk can.

There isn’t anything left in the milk can.

The negatives of nothing and anything have the same meaning, but the difference is that nothing is used with the affirmative verb in the sentence. In comparison, anything is used with the negative verb in the sentence.

Using “most” and “most of the” correctly

Using most and most of them is pretty straightforward; all you need to do is pay attention to the context in which it is being used. Most is used to talk about the object's degree, amounts, and quantities in the sentence. It is used with a noun to serve as a determiner, or without a pronoun is used instead.

Most are used with nouns to show a majority of something (an activity or object)

She spends most of her time at the gym.

Most people prefer to have their cars than use public transport.

In the case of a majority of a specific set of items, what to use is most of the + noun. E.g.

Most of the students have access to the e-library.

Cassandra had done most of the project herself.

How to learn proper grammar: learning tools

The popular saying “no man is an island” comes into play here as one of the best ways to help speed up your learning is by using proper learning tools. These tools range from books to podcasts, movies, language coaches like LiveXP, and music.

Have you been looking for learning tools to show you how to use grammar correctly? LiveXP is an online platform where you can learn English with seasoned tutors worldwide who share your enthusiasm for the language and all it offers. LiveXP has been helping English students improve their speech, reading, and writing since 2019 using extensive materials, such as ebooks, movies, and one-on-one classes with your tutor.

The platform also lets you choose your tutor, giving you full control of your learning experience as you can make sure they will be a good fit to teach you. Choose LiveXP today and select your course from a wide range of plans.

How to get better at grammar

Effectively communicating your thoughts and ideas in English through speech or writing is a big achievement, but it doesn’t happen overnight. Want to learn how to learn proper grammar? Commit yourself to consistent study and practice using the right tools, and you’ll see improvements sooner rather than later.