Struggling with English grammar? Then check out ABA English’s list of free resources that can help!
Do you feel like you should study more English grammar but don’t want to? Do you drag your feet and procrastinate when the time comes to open your grammar book? We understand, grammar is not the most fun topic in the world, but it is so important to keep improving your language skills. Whether it’s for personal development or because you need English for your job, grammar is a keystone when it comes to maintaining and being a part of the conversation.
If you are looking for free resources to improve your grammar, then this is the post for you! We have put together 5 ways you can improve your grammar knowledge on a daily basis, for next to nothing.
1. Blogs
Ah, the beauty of the Internet: you can find pretty much anything online nowadays, as long as you know where to look.
Here are some of our suggestions: Daily Grammar posts a grammar lesson every day of the week. And Grammarphobia is a blog that shares some really interesting articles on grammar, etymology and correct usage. You could also have a look at the grammar posts from the ABA English Teachers Blog, or visit English Grammar, a website that sends a grammar lesson straight to your inbox every day.
Use the interweb to your advantage; there are plenty of excellent free blogs and websites out there willing to help you practice your grammar.
2. Podcasts and apps
Podcasts are still a growing trend and a great place to find free English learning resources. One of our favorites is the BBC. Check out their Grammar Challenge program: each week they feature an expert commentary on a specific grammar issue. They also have interactive quizzes and little exercises for you to practice!
Another interesting podcast we found is Luke’s Phrasal Verb Podcast. Every week he makes a podcast, teaching a new phrasal verb with lots of examples.
The British Council has developed an interactive grammar practice app, which offers thousands of questions to hit your grammar knowhow out of the park.
Finally, a fun little grammar app that will allow you to play and learn at the same time is Grammar Pop.
3. Read and write. A lot!
This is our most common tip. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: reading is the best way to be exposed to a rich and wide vocabulary and grammar. As you read, you slowly absorb sentence structures. It’s like studying without realizing it!
Writing is also a fantastic way to practice. It allows you more time to think than talking, so you can play around with different structures and stop to think about synonyms and new, interesting ways of expressing the same thing in alternative ways. If you need a good spell checker, head on over to Grammarly, a website that correct tons of grammatical mistakes. When it has finished correcting, have a look at the mistakes you made most often and make a note. Next time, try to avoid them. The key to learning anything is consistency and repetition!
4. Memorize the rules
This might not be what you want to hear, but there is no shortcut. A great article to read about the importance of memorizing the most important rules in a language is Tim Ferriss’ post on How to Learn any Language in 1 Hour. OK, that seems extreme, but Tim explains how understanding the basic building blocks of a language and then learning them is an efficient way to get started. So the sooner you remember how to form each tense, the better! Then you can start learning stuff that’s more fun and put it into practice.
5. Find a conversation tutor or exchange student
Maybe you are already studying at a language school or an online course, but this doesn’t mean a little extra practice won’t come in handy! In most countries, you will find websites where people exchange services – anything from dog walking to… you got it! Language exchange. You could find a native English speaker who wants to learn your language and take it in turns to pick a conversation topic and correct each other, or you could spend a little bit of money and meet a tutor once a week to keep those chatty juices flowing.
The more you speak, the more your brain will remember grammatical structures and vocabulary, and it’s one of the best ways to lose your fear of talking! Basically, you will fall in love with the sound of your own voice.
And there you have it, 5 fun ways of incorporating a little grammar into your everyday life for free!
Author bio: This post was written by Kate, a teacher from ABA English. ABA English bases English language learning on short films about real life in Europe and the United States. Our course also contains 144 video classes on English grammar, which are available for free. Check out the ABA Teachers Blog for more tips on how to learn English every day.
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