How can I bring a C grade up to an A grade in English grammar?

Question

Some suggestions will be given in the video..

Answer 1

Hi, English Grammar questioner! This is Anthony C. with an answer to your question.

I think firstly you have to consider whether you have asked the right question: is it feasible ("achievable") for you to rise from a C to an A during this semester? Maybe the answer is "yes." Maybe it is "no."

Let's consider the "yes."

Perhaps it is possible for you to achieve an A this semester. However, maybe--I cannot see your gradebook, so I cannot know for certain--maybe the only way for you to achieve an A this semester is for you to make near-perfect grades in your Language Arts class from here on out. If English grammar is a difficult subject for you, going from C grades to A+ grades will not be a quick transition for you.

Let's ask instead, "How can I steadily improve my grades in grammar?" Or, perhaps we could even ask, "How can I build confidence in grammar?"

There are a lot of "ways" to achieve this--tutoring is one helpful way. But I sincerely believe the best way to strengthen your grammar skills is to decide to develop a love for reading and writing. Mastering grammar is about learning to identify patterns in sentence structure. The most effective way to gain this skill is going to be to read more often, to read more carefully, and to try to imitate the patterns you see in your own writing.

Lastly, we know that for school it is often not enough merely to know how to do something--you have to also know the "why"--and the labels we call things by. A math genius may perform poorly in math class if he never shows is work. A brilliant writer may fail his Language Arts quiz if he does not know what a prepositional phrase is (even if he uses them well).

For things such as that--the moments when you need to begin labelling grammar constructions--it may be necessary to purchase a manual for English writing skills--or to hire a tutor.

I will suggest some manuals in the rest of this thread.

Answer 2

Hello, Highschooler! It is my hope that you will find my reply helpful. It is difficult to know specifically in which areas of English grammar you most need help, but overall, I offer the following suggestions:

Make sure that you know the parts of speech and uses or job of each.

Know the difference between the subject and predicate and the simple and compound of each.

Make sure that the verb(s) agree(s) with the noun(s) and pronoun(s).

Know the correct spelling of the words you use. For example: your, you're, yore.

Know simple rules like when to use "a" and when to use "an".

These are just a few of the main things on which I suggest you focus initially. There are a whole lot more ahead. Best wishes to you and I am confident that you can do it, because you made the effort to submit your question. Cindy H.,

Answer 3

Hi There English Grammar Learner!

While I agree with Anthony C., and I also completely agree with his point of view, I would like add that if you believe you have a chance to raise your grade by improving your knowledge and use of good grammar, it is not difficult to find good information online, and with some diligence you can learn the rules and improve your writing.

I also recommend you work with a tutor, and someone who can teach you by correcting your writing and papers.

Even with a list of great resources, learning will be easier if you follow specific steps.

1. Have a goal. Having a goal helps you create focus. Choose a specific goal for your grammar learning, such as feeling comfortable for a job interview, or fixing your spoken mistakes in the past tense.

2. Break that goal down into smaller goals. Now that you know what you want to achieve, you can figure out how to get there. Let’s say that you want to fix your past tense mistakes. First you will need to figure out what those mistakes are. To do that, you can ask others to point out your mistakes when you speak, record yourself and listen carefully, work on the past tenses you’re less familiar with and more.

Whatever you’re working on, you should find a way to break it down into smaller chunks.

3. Focus on one topic at a time. Don’t try to learn everything at once. Instead, learn one rule at a time and practice, using and reviewing that rule until you know it so well that you could teach it to someone else.

4. Study a few minutes a day. You don’t need to study for hours to learn English. All it takes is five to 10 minutes a day, as long as you use them wisely.

Each day, you can read a grammar rule, do a few exercises and then practice it for the rest of the day. The next couple of days, use that rule while writing and speaking to make sure you didn’t forget it. Look for examples of that rule while you read, watch or listen to anything in English.

Follow these steps, and before you know it you’ll feel much more comfortable with English grammar.

Hope this helps!

Amy M.

Language Arts Tutor