English Grammar Help
Needless to say that English has become a global language. Realising its importance and influence, you might have had a long cherished desire to improve your English language proficiency.
The time has come..
Is Grammar Boring?
Some say grammar is boring, but there are a few who have made grammar their lifetime study.
For many, grammar has come to be associated with boredom and pain in the neck. It is not really so. Perhaps the fault lies in the system which has not given due importance to the presentation of grammar.
Grammar is as much an interesting study, say, as music or dance.
What, after all, is Grammar?
Is it a system of rules and regulations about the usage of the language? No.
Language experts today agree that grammar is a description of the way the language is used by the general educated public. It tell us about the accepted forms of the language.
Subscribe to this thread for grammar presented in an amusing way.
8 Functions of Words
We have thousands and thousands of words and they have a variety of functions. Do not get confused.
Words may be in thousands but their functions are limited.
Traditional grammar has listed 8 functions of words.
1. Naming (NOUNS)
2. Naming the action (VERBS)
3. Substituting the naming words (PRONOUNS)
4. Focussing the attention or giving information about nouns (ADJECTIVES)
5. Action describing words (ADVERBS)
6. Showing the relationship between participants in a sentence (PREPOSITIONS)
7. Connecting words or sentences (CONJUNCTIONS)
8. Finally, God! (That's it) words used for exclaiming (INTERJECTIONS)
SENTENCE
Whenever we have an idea and we wish to convey it to somebody through the spoken or written language, we use a sentence.
A sentence may contain just a single idea (A SIMPLE SENTENCE).
It may have two or more linked single ideas (A COMPOUND SENTENCE).
It may have many ideas presented in a logical sequence (A COMPLEX SENTENCE).
@Fristo This seems confusing to me.
If a sentence contains more than one word, how can it contain just a single idea? Each word represents an idea. Can you provide an example of a sentence that contains just a single idea?
Charlie
SUBJECT
How do we arrange words in a sentence? That is, how do we know which word occupies which place, in a meaningful order?
Let us begin with the head of the sentence. What is the head? It is the name of the thing you are speaking about, the subject.
Only a noun or a pronoun can take the place of a subject.
What is a noun? And what is a pronoun? Well, well. You are asking us to get deep into the business of English grammar at this very instant. Be it so.
@Fristo This seems confusing to me.
The word head usually means the thing at the top, like the head of a person. But in linguistics the word head is a technical term that means something different, and the head might be the last word of a sentence, or somewhere in the middle.
So the way the word head is used by the general educated public is not the same as the way linguists use it. I think it would be helpful to clarify this.
Charlie
NOUN
Let us begin this lesson with a small passage. It is about an idea that has influenced many people.
MAN ASLEEP
In the early part of the 20th century, a man called Gurdjieff brought a new line of thinking into the intellectual circles of Europe. Many great thinkers and writers were impressed by this man's magnetic personality and startling thoughts. Some even went to the extent of becoming his disciples.
What exactly were Gurdjieff's thoughts? He said man is asleep. He is not awake. He doesn't have a will. Therefore, he has no will power. The will power comes only when man knows himself. Doesn't man have the will now? 'No', says he. No will, he is a bundle of temporary and flimsy 'I's. No real and lasting 'I' does he have.
The naming words in grammar are called NOUNS.
Now, can you find such words in the passage we have given?
Can you?
Take some time. Relax and think.
Let us see how many such words we have used in our passage. We have used: century, a man, Gurdjieff, thinking, intellectual circles, thinkers, writers, magnetic personality, startling thoughts, disciples, people.
Well, look at them closely and you'll see what a range of naming words we have here.
What do you call a period of 100 years?
A century.
And what do you call the two-legged creature capable of thinking?
You don't know?
Man, it is man. You and I.
And what do you understand by circle here?
Is it a round figure like this O?
No. In this context it is not. Here it is the name of a group of people.
Do you see how we name things?
Got it?
Okay. Let's proceed.
@Fristo It is unfortunate that in this thread about English grammar, the very first sentence is not the way English is used by the general educated public. Normal usage would be:
"Needless to say, English has become a global language."
There are more examples of this expression here: needless to say
And there's a video lesson about it here (but registration is required to see the whole thing): How to Use Needless to Say
Writing about English grammar is a challenge because you have to check everything so carefully!
Charlie
@Fristo
True, grammar is my lifelong study :) I like grammar and syntax
I like grammar and syntax
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