Shortcut way to improve grammar

WHEN we speak, we often use shortcuts and poor grammar but this is not so noticeable as long as we are communicating well. Unfortunately, this doesn’t apply to writing.

When we write, every tiny error stands out like a sore thumb. It’s not a problem on social media but for reports and essays, good grammar is essential.

Luckily, there are some excellent websites that offer language tips. Here are some of my favourites:

English Grammar References and Exercises

This online book offers an overview of all the tenses (with examples) and chapters on prepositions, reported speech, gerunds and other grammar topics. Every section comes with exercises. Do them by yourself and then click “show correct answers” to see how well you did. There is also an iPad button here for Apple users.

Guide to Grammar and Writing

This is another huge resource that is divided into the six major areas.

I spend my time in two places: the sentence level where there is excellent advice on using colons, semicolons and other thorny issues, and the research paper level, where there are some good tips on being logical, the five-paragraph essay and other useful academic writing issues.

There are also interactive quizzes where you can test your knowledge.

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty

http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/ grammar-girl

When I ask myself: “Do I say, ‘Is it me?’ or ‘Is it I?’ or are both now correct?”, I go straight to Grammar Girl. Mignon Fogarty, the author of this site, is American but she is brilliant at pointing out what is proper English and what is acceptable in the United States.