One of the most common misconceptions in the ESL industry is that you must first learn grammar before you can begin speaking. This is a total misunderstanding. In fact, focusing too much on grammar will stifle your ability to communicate in English.
We all learn to talk before we learn grammar, which is a universal truth about language development that we cannot ignore. So, if you’re a non-native English speaker looking to acquire or enhance your language skills, start with speaking and listening. Once you’ve mastered the correct language patterns by hearing and speaking, you’ll be able to grasp the principles of grammar in a straightforward and intuitive manner.
It’s also important to note that the relationship between grammar and speech is not one-way. You may enhance your grammar by improving your English speaking skills. But focusing on improving your grammar, on the other hand, will not help you improve your English speaking skills. Consider friends who went to an English-speaking country and began speaking and writing in a more grammatically correct manner.
So, what are the fundamentals of grammar that you’ll need to get started with proper speaking? What is the bare minimum that you should be aware of? That’s what we’ll be talking about today. To get started, you only need to grasp four basic concepts in grammar. They are 1) the subject, 2) the predicate, 3) the verb, and 4) the article. Once you’ve mastered these four ideas, you can go on to more advanced grammar topics.
1) Every sentence needs a subject!
The subject of a sentence is something that is being discussed (a person or an object). A subject is required in every sentence.
Here are some examples of how to incorporate subjects in sentences:
My cat is a whirlwind of activity.
That construction is quite old.
We are going to the concert together.
2) Predicate – the action of the subject
The predicate specifies what the subject is or is doing. It’s a phrase with a verb in it.
Predicates are employed in sentences in the following ways:
My cat is a whirlwind of activity.
That structure is quite old.
We are going to the concert together.
3) Action verb
A verb is a word that describes a certain activity. Run, chat, watch, eat, sleep, laugh, wash, cry, smile, and so on are some common verbs.
Take a look at the examples below to see how verbs are employed in sentences:
Mike is riding his bicycle.
Is Ann able to stop crying?
He can swim fast.
4) Article – A, An, or The
Take a look at the examples below to see how verbs are utilized in sentences:
A chicken crossed the road, according to John.
Over the weekend, I finished an awesome novel.
I’m going to get some fish at the market.
(There are certain distinctions between a, An, and The that we will not discuss here.)
That’s all there is to it. These are the four components of any sentence you will ever construct. There are many more grammar rules, but including them all in one post will simply confuse readers. Above all, you will never need to know all of those rules in order to begin speaking English!
Disclaimer:
Of course, you’ll need to acquire advanced grammatical concepts if you’re studying for an exam like the IELTS or TOEFL (or the GRE or GMAT). This article is not designed to address such issues.