Grammatically correct

If you say a sentence is grammatically correct, you mean there's no grammar mistake in it, but it may not be natural or impossible for native English speakers to make a sentence like that.

It's not so easy for a learner of English to make a sentence which is natural, even though they have learned English for such a long time/so long and have learned all the grammar rules. But, with more practice, you could possibly make a sentence which is grammatically correct. So you should try to learn some grammar. If you can make a sentence, then you may be able to write a paragraph.

Some people may say, though, that taking so much time to learn grammar is no use or just a waste of time. They argue that a native English child who may not have learned any grammar could make a grammatically correct sentence. They may not have learned grammar, but they live in an English speaking country and they know how to express their thoughts in a natural way. You are not a native English speaker, so it's impossible for you to make a grammatically correct sentence if you haven't learned any grammar. So, do you find grammar important?

If you can't make a sentence which is natural, why not try to make one which is grammatically correct? Keep in mind, only too often, it's the grammar mistakes in your sentence that give you away.

I don't think adults can learn the way children do. For one adults already have one language in their head and it will constantly be getting in the way. For second, children take a very long time to learn to speak, like we're talking two years on average, sometimes more, before a child starts speaking in phrases and sentences that make sense. The vast majority of adults simply don't have that much time to devote to learning a new language.

But unlike children adults can 'learn' and that includes learning grammar.

Ajay Aggarwal is right that language acquisition happens when you read and hear the language but the 'authentic' input you get must be 'comprehensible'. It's a very important nuance that many people tend to forget: if you don't understand what you hear/read, no language acquisition will occur, you'll be wasting your time.

And that is why grammar needs to be learned, especially at the beginning, you learn grammar not for grammar's own sake, you learn it so you can learn to comprehend/understand the language, because it's only when you understand the language will you be able to 'acquire' it.

You need to be a member of MyEnglishClub to add comments!

Join MyEnglishClub

Comments

Igor Fazlyev September 29, 2014 21:07

I don't think adults can learn the way children do. For one adults already have one language in their head and it will constantly be getting in the way. For second, children take a very long time to learn to speak, like we're talking two years on average, sometimes more, before a child starts speaking in phrases and sentences that make sense. The vast majority of adults simply don't have that much time to devote to learning a new language.

But unlike children adults can 'learn' and that includes learning grammar.

Ajay Aggarwal is right that language acquisition happens when you read and hear the language but the 'authentic' input you get must be 'comprehensible'. It's a very important nuance that many people tend to forget: if you don't understand what you hear/read, no language acquisition will occur, you'll be wasting your time.

And that is why grammar needs to be learned, especially at the beginning, you learn grammar not for grammar's own sake, you learn it so you can learn to comprehend/understand the language, because it's only when you understand the language will you be able to 'acquire' it.
Ajay Aggarwal September 29, 2014 16:16

I think it's very important to be grammatically correct but at the same time it's not necessary to waste a lot of time learning grammar. One could simply learn the rules of grammar by mere reading and listening to genuine english. That's the way a child learn its native language.
Igor Fazlyev September 29, 2014 10:43

Don't you think that grammatically correct and 'like a native'/natural are essentially one and the same thing?

Can you possibly think of a grammatically correct sentence that would sound 'unnatural'?

If it's unnatural there is something wrong with it.
Expector Smith September 22, 2014 23:45

@Tara

Thanks for the link. "So long a time" sounds strange to me, too. So it's safe to say "such a long time" or "so long".
Tara Benwell September 22, 2014 16:37

@Expector

I don't think it's grammatically correct, but I'll check with a grammar guru! This thread might be of interest to you. http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=2565783
Expector Smith September 20, 2014 0:15

@Tara

Thanks for the comment. In fact, I've tried to make sure if I can use "so long a time" instead of "such a long time" - I know "a so long time" isn't correct, though. I wonder if "so long a time" is possible or "grammatically correct"? Thanks again.
Tara Benwell September 19, 2014 18:54

Excellent post! Thanks for teaching this important expression!

Re correction: Can you improve this sentence?

"It's not so easy for a learner of English to make a sentence which is natural, even though they have learned English for so long a time and have learned all the grammar rules."
Expector Smith September 18, 2014 23:48

@subbulakshmi

I assume you mean grammar is a boring topic. That may be true, but you really need to learn some grammar if you're trying to learn the foreign language.
subbulakshmi September 18, 2014 10:42

I agree with Decisive. I have never seen such big comments like this. Your blog is so serious.
Expector Smith September 18, 2014 7:39

@Seeker

Thanks for the nice comment. Yes, first you need to be able to make a grammatically correct sentence, then you should try to make one which is natural or sounds like a sentence written by a native English speaker. you could try to consult a good dictionary which will show you how to use a word if you really want to make sure you've used every word correctly. You could also consult a grammar book.

@Luci

English is such a tricky language that you may need to learn it in an English speaking country. Yes, it's safe if you have heard someone saying or speaking like that. Thanks again.

of 3

This reply was deleted.