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Do you think that constantly doing English grammar can help improve English

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  1. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by flameproof:
    But even with all grammar corrected I can't get what the initial point is.
    Me neither. A communication fail.

  2. #12

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    For routine tasks most people find that communication of the actual tasks aren't at the top of the important things list. The reality is that such tasks don't require much human language communication - a grunt or gesture often will suffice because people know what to do.

    Where communication becomes important is when people don't know what to do. As the complexity of such tasks rises, grammar is needed to effectively, accurately and precisely communicate your message.

    So yes, grammar is important.


  3. #13

    Do you think that constantly doing English grammar can help improve English

    When i first came to HK i didn't know what grammar was. I had never done any grammar before. But now we have to do them at school. The problem is that every time grammar exercises at school, they seem to confuse me. I have failed in the English exams due to the grammar questions which is around 80% of exam paper. As a non-Chinese speaking person, it is actually very shameful. But if im not wrong, grammar isn't really taught in native English-speaking countries. To me, grammar is based on common sense and fluency. But it seems that the more i do, the more confusing it is. I used to have very good grammar but now it's terrible. I don't believe that grammar exercises are useful for students. I believe that the frequent usage of English is the best way to learn English. My friends who are Chinese believe that reciting grammar is the key, however i find this inflexible. I would like to ask if grammar can have multiple answers to some questions or if there is only one fixed model answer? My teachers say that if my answers aren't exactly the same as the model answer, then i am wrong. But then to me i think its correct. I also think that the HK education system in English should be changed into a more flexible method of teaching grammar rather than just constantly doing grammar exercises. Please also tell me how i can improve my grammar without confusion. Also, please share your opinions!


  4. #14

    Sorry for the confusion. I was in a rush when i posted this. I have a new post which is more detailed. Please do have a look at it and tell me what you think.


  5. #15

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    I don't understand what you being a non Chinese speaker has to do with English grammar?

    What is your native language?

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  6. #16

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    Grammar is important, but so is using paragraphs.


  7. #17

    What do you mean grammar is not taught? Of course it is!


  8. #18

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    Grammar is important, of course. There is a key difference between learning and acquiring grammar, though.

    If you're a child, fully immersed in a language, reading, watching TV, talking to native speakers etc., you'll pick up the grammar naturally. At first you'll over generalise (I goed there, I buyed it, etc) and then gradually exposure will iron it all out.

    If you're an adult, learning English in HK (A place where you're exposed to a lot of bad grammar) you'll need to explicitly focus on some grammatical rules and concepts, which is not fun and even then it is very, very difficult to become completely fluent.

    Last edited by justjoe86; 15-06-2015 at 05:15 PM.
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  9. #19

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    I totally dislike when people use 'short' English, as in B4 I made that 4 U.

    LOL, yeah, the model answer thing, so typical HK style English learning. Only the model answer is correct (even if wrong).

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  10. #20

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    This is going to come off as a bit snarky, but it's really not meant to be.

    Firstly, I am assuming that English is your first language. If it's not, you should probably correct us.

    I would agree that most native English speakers don't study English grammar comprehensively, unless they happen to be studying a foreign language or English at a university level. I never had to study it until I had to sit postgrad entrance exams, where I completely bombed out practice exams and realised that my "learn grammar by common usage" approach hadn't taught me anything besides how to sound literate to other unschooled native English speakers. I don't think that learning grammar has made mine any worse, but nor has it made it any better.

    From reading what you've written though, I think that the single biggest issue is that you don't seem to be putting all that much effort into communicating clearly. There are simple signs that others have pointed out, like not bothering to capitalise correctly (first letter in a sentence or "i"). The second is that you haven't bothered to use paragraphs in your wall of text above. The third is that you've simply jumbled a whole bunch of semi-related ideas into your block of text.

    Even now, I can't tell if you're asking whether grammar is important for communication, or whether grammar taught in schools can make your English worse. Or whether your are asking something else.

    Is it important for effective communication? The obvious answer is yes.

    Can being taught grammar make your English worse? Personally I think that's unlikely- people I know who have a good grasp of grammatical rules all have completely acceptable English. On the other hand, perhaps your teachers are so bad that they're messing up your English, but that's only likely if your language skills are already a bit ropey.

    (I think this is being asked) How can you improve your language? First of all, start caring. Realise that it's important to write clearly from the perspective of the reader, not just as a writer. Give a shit about standard rules about punctuation and capitalisation unless you don't care what the reader thinks of you.

    Lastly, and most importantly: Read a lot. The people I know with the most consistently good English skills simply love the language and read for pleasure- fiction and nonfiction. They ploughed through books when younger, and continue to read when they have time now. And by reading I do not mean stupid shit on the internets- the Internet is full of terrible writing and poorly expressed ideas. I mean real physical books or good quality magazines.

    Edit: The writing above might not be perfect- I have not bothered to proof-read it. Hopefully the ideas are clear enough regardless.

    Last edited by jgl; 15-06-2015 at 05:14 PM.
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