The Most Valuable Grammar Tips That Will Instantly Improve Your English
Improving your English grammar can significantly enhance your communication skills, making your writing clearer and more effective. Below are some of the most valuable grammar tips that will help you achieve this goal, along with detailed, step-by-step support.
1. Parallel Structure: The Secret to Smooth Lists
Why it matters: Messy lists confuse readers. Parallel structure keeps your writing crisp.
Example:
- ✅ Good: “She loves hiking, swimming, and biking.”
- ❌ Bad: “She loves hiking, to swim, and biking.”
Pro Tip: Match verb forms (all -ing or all infinitives) for instant polish.
2. Subject-Verb Agreement: Don’t Let This Slip!
Fix it fast: Singular subject? Singular verb. Plural? Plural verb.
Examples:
- “The cat sleeps.” (Singular)
- “The cats sleep.” (Plural)
💡 Viral Hack: Screenshot this chart and tag a friend who mixes these up!
3. Apostrophes: Possession vs. Contraction
Avoid disasters:
- Its = Ownership (“The dog wagged its tail.”)
- It’s = “It is” (“It’s raining!”)
🔥 Shareable Meme: “Apostrophes: Because your dog’s tail ≠ you’re a dog.”
4. Oxford Comma: The Debate Ends Here
Why people love/hate it:
- ✅ Clarity: “I love my parents, Beyoncé, and Oprah.”
- ❌ Chaos without it: “I love my parents, Beyoncé and Oprah.” (Are they your parents?!)
🚀 Viral Hook: Team Oxford Comma or Team Chaos? Tag your squad!
5. Semicolons: For Fancy Lists
Use when: List items already have commas.
Example:
- “Our guests are from Paris, France; Tokyo, Japan; and Rio, Brazil.”
📸 Instagram-Worthy Tip: Post this example with a globe emoji 🌍.
6. “Your” vs. “You’re”: The Eternal Battle
- Your = Ownership (“Is this your phone?”)
- You’re = “You are” (“You’re amazing!”)
😂 Relatable Joke: “If you mix these up, you’re going to annoy your teacher.”
7. Hyphens: Glue for Compound Words
Example: “A five-year-old genius” (not “five year old”).
🎯 Pro Hack: Hyphenate adjectives before nouns. Drop hyphens after: “The genius is five years old.”
8. “Who” vs. “That”: People Aren’t Objects
- Who = Humans (“The artist who painted this”)
- That = Things (“The painting that sold for $1M”)
📢 Tweet This: “People are who; things are that. Got it?”
9. Comma Splices: The Silent Killer
Fix with:
- A semicolon: “She runs; he swims.”
- A conjunction: “She runs, and he swims.”
🚫 Avoid: “She runs, he swims.”
10. Quotation Marks: Punctuation on the Outside
Example:
❌ She said, “Hello”.
📌 Pin This: Save this rule to your grammar board!
✅ She said, “Hello.”
Summary Chart: Key Grammar Tips
| Grammar Tip | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Parallel Structure | Consistent grammatical form in lists | “She likes hiking, swimming, biking.” |
| Subject-Verb Agreement | Match singular/plural subjects with verbs | “The cat sleeps.” / “The cats sleep.” |
| Apostrophes for Possession | Indicate ownership | “The dog’s leash.” / “The dogs’ leashes.” |
| Commas Before Coordinating Conjunctions | Place commas before conjunctions connecting independent clauses | “She wanted to go for a walk, but it started raining.” |
| Avoiding Comma Splices | Correctly join independent clauses | “She likes to read; she enjoys writing.” |
Summary Chart: Key Grammar Tips
| Grammar Tip | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Semicolons for Lists with Commas | Separate complex list items using semicolons | “The conference attendees came from Paris, France; London, England; and Berlin, Germany.” |
| Commas for Nonrestrictive Clauses | Set off additional information with commas | “The book, which was written by my favorite author, is on sale.” |
| Commas for Series | Separate items in a series with commas | “She packed her suitcase with clothes, shoes, and toiletries.” |
| Quotation Marks Placement | Place outside periods/commas; inside colons/semicolons | She said, “Hello.” / She said, “Hello”; then she left. |
| Comma After Introductory Elements | Follow introductory words/phrases/clauses with a comma | “After finishing her homework, she went for a walk.” |
11. “Its” vs. “It’s”: The Apostrophe Trap
Why it matters: Mixing these up is a crime against grammar.
- ✅ Its = Ownership (“The cat licked its paw.”)
- ✅ It’s = “It is” or “It has” (“It’s time to go!”)
🔥 Viral Meme: Post a cat pic with the caption: “It’s obvious its tail is fabulous.”
12. Apostrophes: Contractions vs. Possession
Don’t be this person:
- Contraction: “You’re” (= you are)
- Possession: “Your dog’s toy”
😂 Relatable Joke: “If you write ‘your awesome,’ you’re not awesome.”
13. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: Matchmaker Mode
Fix this:
- ❌ “Someone left their phone.” (Singular “someone” clashes with plural “their.”)
- ✅ “Someone left his or her phone.” (Or rewrite: “People left their phones.”)
📢 Tweet This: “Pronouns are clingy—they need to match their antecedents. Period.”
14. “There,” “Their,” “They’re”: The Trio of Terror
Crush the confusion:
- There = Place (“The keys are over there.”)
- Their = Ownership (“Their car broke down.”)
- They’re = “They are” (“They’re coming tonight!”)
🎯 Pro Tip: Screenshot this and set it as your phone wallpaper.
15. “Your” vs. “You’re”: The Social Media Test
How to not look silly online:
- ❌ “Your amazing!” (This hurts.)
- ✅ “You’re amazing!” (= You are)
📸 Instagram Story Idea: Post a selfie with “You’re killing it today!”
16. “A” vs. “An”: Sound Matters, Not Spelling
The rule:
- A before consonant sounds: “a unicorn” (starts with a “y” sound)
- An before vowel sounds: “an hour” (silent “h”)
💡 Genius Hack: Say the word out loud. If it starts with a vowel sound, use “an.”
17. Hyphens: The Glue for Compound Adjectives
Example:
- ✅ “A five-star review” (Hyphenated before the noun)
- ✅ “The review was five stars.” (No hyphen after the noun)
🚀 Viral Hook: “Hyphens: Because ‘small business owner’ ≠ ‘small-business owner.’”
18. Oxford Comma: Clarity’s Best Friend
Why it’s iconic:
- ✅ “I love my cat, pizza, and wine.” (Three distinct things.)
- ❌ “I love my cat, pizza and wine.” (Is your cat eating pizza and wine?!)
📌 Pinterest Quote: “Team Oxford Comma: Saving relationships since 1893.”
19. “Who” vs. “That”: People Aren’t Objects
Respect humanity:
- Who = Humans (“The doctor who saved me”)
- That = Things (“The scalpel that he used”)
😂 Relatable Joke: “Use ‘who’ for people—unless you’re talking about your ex.”
20. Punctuation & Capitalization: The Vibe Check
Non-negotiables:
End sentences with periods. Not 15 exclamation marks!!!
Capitalize names, places, and sentence starters.
Summary Chart: Key Grammar Tips
| Grammar Tip | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Hyphens for Compound Modifiers | Join words that modify a noun | “The well-known author.” / “The five-year-old child.” |
| Use of Oxford Comma | Place a comma before the conjunction in lists | “She bought apples, bananas, and oranges.” |
| Differentiate Between “Who” and “That” | Use “who” for people; “that” for objects/animals | “The woman who lives next door.” / “The car that is parked outside.” |
| Proper Punctuation and Capitalization | Use correct punctuation and capitalize appropriately | “She loves reading.” / “Paris is beautiful.” |