English Grammar: 5 Top Learning Tips

Contents

1. Make it fun
2. Get creative
3. Make time to play
4. Take advantage of online resources
5. Bury your head in a book

There’s no doubt that mastering grammar rules can be tricky. But the sooner you get familiar with English grammar the better because it's an important part of the UK curriculum and you’ll be tested on it too – remember, all year 6 students are now required to take a spelling, punctuation and grammar test.  

But learning grammar doesn’t have to be a drag! We’ve compiled a list of tips and tricks so you become a grammar whizz in no time. Heads up – some of these tips encourage you to make a total fool of yourself. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Where to start?

First of all, you’ll need to check what kind of grammar rules you need to learn about. This changes as you move through the school years. Your teacher should be able to guide you on this, otherwise, check out the current curriculum for a breakdown of which grammatical concepts you should be focussing on right now. 

Once you’ve got that figured out, you’re ready to get learning!

👉 #1 Make it FUN 

If the thought of learning English grammar makes you let out a huge sigh, just remember, you're not alone. It’s totally normal to feel a little underwhelmed by the prospect of learning grammar, which is why it’s all the more important to make it fun! 😆

Grammar and fun? Seems like an odd pairing, right? Although the idea of studying grammar doesn’t immediately sound like a barrel of laughs, there are plenty of ways to have a good time while learning. 📓

A great way to get grammar to stick is to combine it with some giggles. Try making up a silly song, rap, rhyme, or even a riddle, to help you memorise some rules. Ever struggled to remember the differences between nouns, verbs, and adjectives? Next time, try something like this… 🎶

There once was a noun and Norbert was his name

Adjective Andy described him as a real pain

And his verb friend Vera was always doing the same

Not bad, huh? All the important information is in there. Yes, it’s ridiculous, but it will help you to remember. We highly encourage you to compose your own grammar rhyme or riddle. The sillier, the better! 🤡

👉 #2 Get creative

If you are more of a visual learner, take advantage of flashcards, stickers, and sticky notes and never underestimate the power of a highlighter. ✍️

Try reading through a text and use a colour coding system to highlight specific parts. For example, highlight all of the conjunctions in yellow, all of the prepositions in pink, and the adverbs in green. 

Consistency is key. Make sure to use the same colour coding system throughout your learning so as not to complicate your memory. This way, you’ll be able to visualise the colour in your head when it comes to identifying parts of speech. 💬

Another great visual trick is using stickers. Have some fun using stickers for full stops or creating a colour coding system using different stickers instead of highlighters.   

👉 #3 Make time to PLAY

Our brains respond well to having fun – that's why lots of teachers and learning apps gamify lessons and content.  There are lots of games you can play to make the learning process more enjoyable. 😜

Some of our favourites include:

• Word association

• Silly sentence game

• Sentence jumble

Ask a parent to write out some jumbled sentences on a piece of paper or on flashcards, then try to put them in the correct order. This ‘rearranging’ is a good way to challenge your brain and it can lead to a lot of laughs, too! 📒

👉 #4 Take advantage of online resources

In case you need a little break from all those grammar raps you’ve been busy composing, check out some online learning resources. Experts from the BBC, British Council, and The School Run all have tons of material online to help you with your grammar learning.

These materials are created by grammar pros so you can be confident that they know what they are talking about and sometimes it's good to see how other people approach a task you might be struggling with. 💻

Look out for fun worksheets, games, and quizzes online. If you already like computer games then you are halfway there. These great online resources provide another way to have fun while you learn.

👉 #5 Bury your head in a book

If you are looking to brush up on grammar rules then who better to teach you than all those authors who have published every book in the library or your bedroom? Reading is one of the best ways you can improve your grammar skills without too much hard work. When you read with an active, engaged mind, you reinforce all the correct grammar as you go. 

It might sound strange but we highly recommend reading out loud too, the combination of seeing, saying, and hearing at the same time really helps to solidify what you have learned in lesson time. Even better, reading helps with all aspects of your writing by increasing your vocabulary and exposing you to different sentence structures and styles of writing. Good luck!