Grammar is a waste of time.

[Openmind]

Jeff, you've raised some very valid points here and I agree with you. Most people are struggling to 'accept' something new, they focus too much on the question why a certain grammar structure is correct. It's not important to know why something is correct. What really counts is the fact that you know what sounds good. Yes, you have to develop a feeling for the language. You need to know what sounds good and what doesn't. Don't try to learn grammar rules. We use certain phrases and expressions not because there are grammar rules. Linguists analyze the way people speak and when they detect a pattern, they 'create' a rule. So why waste your time with grammar? Listen to the way people speak, imitate and copy them until you fell comfortable using the exact same phrases they use. Try sounding like them. Do native speakers use their grammar correctly? Yes, at least most of the time. Are native speakers able to explain the grammar rules they follow? No, although they can use the rule correctly, in most cases they can't explain those rules. Why? Simply because you don't need to know a grammar rule in order to use it correctly.

[Gwynfor]

We don't need to learn English grammar to speak English. Grammar is a waste of time.

And we dn't nid to learn kemistri to chow ou gum, kemistri is a waste of time. We need time to chow ou gum.

[cuongviet]

As far as I know, many non-native English speakers are afraid of speaking english because they are worried about using wrong grammar. But in fact, to native Englosh speaker, grammar is not the most important factor to understand what other say. So if you don't know grammar well, it doesn't matter to communicate your ideas. But if you want to express clealy what you mean,you must know grammar well enough.

[kia]

Grammer is not a waste of time, but don't make yourself lost in Grammer.

[kia]

Just like new-born babis do. They listen, they look, and then they imitate without any hesitation in the grammer.Sometimes, I feel realy stupid to learn quite a few grammer rules.I can't use most of them in daily life.What appear in my communication with other people are always very simple and short praises and idioms.But many students around me care about grammer much more than how well you use them, I mean to speak. Most of them are not able to communicate with english spaeker, what is worse, it seem that they didn't realise the importance of speaking. their pronunciation is not correct, but they just ignore it, they spend a lot of time in the exercises of grammer, discussing a lot of complex questions like they are professors. But the fact is they even can't tell others how they think in a correct way, they are bookworms,for me , it's obvious that this kind of learning way is really not good for english learners.

[Lac]

We all should reread carefully the brief article of Openmind above.

[Lac]

When studying English, I'm sometimes very much interested in Grammar. I think if I cultivate it by reading and learning the rules of grammar by heart, i would know more about constructions of English in thinking and writing. And then I delve in Syntatic, Oxford Grammar, Collin Cobuild etc., not to mention suring Internet to find more updated documents.
Now I notice that search helps me more or less but not quite really remarkable. Its obviously helpful in writing and understanding the English construction. It equally helps you to work everything with care related to foreign language you've been studying.
But at the same time, it creates barricades in approaching the English language involved. Speaking becomes far slower, reading also cannot faster.. Listening non-native English speakers, I often try to figure out some grammar-related similarities and differences before putting forth comparisons in my mind.
Openmind's quite right. I dont have the feeling of English. And so I unintentionally creates by myself numerous obstacles of getting closer English language.
Most Languists now acknowledge that the interactive environments are very imnportant to expand the foreign language skills of students. And should you have a good language interaction, you would be find it not complicated in referring to Grammar so soon. Right ?

[sweethuman]

No I totally disagree with you, Grammar for those who are not the native speakers of english and they are living in such a country where the medium of conversation is English then for them it might not mean that much, however for the remaining countries where english is used and learned as a second language, Grammar is very essential since they can differenciate the tenses and formulation of the sentences and vocabulary.

[sashok]

I cannot agree with the statement. Once a person has time and desire to discuss, he is not altogether indifferent to modest science of learning languages.
1. Grammar is needed to those who is going to study another language, even to name a verb a 'verb' in order not to plunge into description of the syntax meaning and role of the word in a sentence. Without common grammar rules we'll study French for years - good French, I mean.
2. Happened to catch a mistake somewhere and joyfully rub hands that have? Be honest: educated speech and writing make us feeling fresh and active while hearing endless slang and interjections sooner or later gives you a headache.
3. Even if we accept that grammar is a prejudice, other prejudices are not better than this one, yet we follow them without further thinking.
4. Think of documents where a comma is found in incorrect place, so that the whole of the paper contents may become perverse in meaning and consequences. Grammar gives us chance to avoid disappointment in cases like that.
5. If a language is your native one, choose to know its grammar to show strangers you love it.

[Muhammad]

Teaching grammatical rules would be a real waste of time if you don't use them in your spoken sentences. If you only study them as "rules to remeber" but you don't use them in speaking, you will definitely lose them easily and get nothing but wasting your time.

[sdluk]

We don't need to learn English grammar to speak English. Grammar is a waste of time.

I am surprised , an English teacher is saying that we don't need to learn grammar to speak in English.

"You're an English teacher." And "Are you an English teacher?" Could you understand what I want to tell if I speak in either of these sentences. This is where we need grammar.

[tandvictor]

yes exactly and I recommend EffortlessEnglish method for better speaking skill!

[kminang]

We don't need to learn English grammar to speak English. Grammar is a waste of time.

Wow... I suprised. Are you sure?

[safia]

I think the writer means unnecessary learning of difficult grammar that we do not need it in our speaking and listening.otherwise we need grammar to be understood clearly

[pravejprk]

friends grammar is a not waste of time .we don't understand pure grammar, our think is not possibal . we r not know english fully

[agatawerecka]

I hate grammar like all students, cuz this is the hardest thing when someone is learning a foreign language. But Im pretty sure dat grammar int a waste of time. Grammar makes our speeches are richer or more advanced. We need to learn grammar, but u know. It isnt pice of cake.

[jamsmith]

No its not at all waste of time, if you know grammar properly you can speak better than who do not know grammar.However, while speaking you do not need to focus on grammar so much because if you focus so much,it will let you not speak fluently and fluency is the most important thing for speaking

[Madusi]

Grammar is something important in learning

[Madusi]

Hi all of you. I'm guest here. But on my side I believe that knowing grammar is goog. Grammar help to create any sentense of your own after getting new words. It much easier to read English book and being well understood. Thanks.

[rachelallan]

I am agree with all of you but we know basic of gramer to lean English.

[Keziah]

Grammar is needed for learners because it helps in forming structured sentences. While learning tenses, degrees and parts of speech one gets to know to form correct sentences and therefore there might be less chances of making mistakes.

[bighoss]

I think I agree with you in the sense that when learning English Grammar does not need to be prioritized, but I still do think it is important in making statements that make sense. If grammar is not at least loosely understood many misunderstandings can arise from using incorrect grammar. Although I think vocabulary is a little more critical because it helps with understanding and communicating with native speakers. I think when learning through conversation vocabulary could be prioritized and grammar could be less of a priority because it can be for the most part picked up when speaking to a native speaker.

[Keshav]

Grammar is an essential part of English.
I think that without grammar there is no existence of English.

[maidensedate]

You will not be a full-fledged English speaker and writer without the grammar. It might not be necessary for routine talk, but you need it for work or any other type of communication.

[Murazik]

knowing grammar shows how educated he is and you see who you're talking to.

[Puiyin]

English grammar is a must, otherwise you will be misunderstood. For example, if you say:
"A girl entered the room." And then you say: "A girl sat down." It'd be understood that you were talking about TWO girls, one entered the room and the other sat down.
On the other hand, if you say: "A girl entered the room." Then say: "THE girl sat down." Listeners would understand that ONE girl had entered the room and sat down, because the word "the" referred to the same girl who had entered the room.

This shows that knowing your grammar (i.e. the articles: a, an, the) will help you formulate your sentence correctly and avoid being misunderstood.

[Mr Greg]

For basic communication, you are better off with learning a wide range of vocabulary to expand your ability rather than focusing on grammar.

Grammar is to refine your language ability.

[behnam]

Jeff, you've raised some very valid points here and I agree with you. Most people are struggling to 'accept' something new, they focus too much on the question why a certain grammar structure is correct. It's not important to know why something is correct. What really counts is the fact that you know what sounds good. Yes, you have to develop a feeling for the language. You need to know what sounds good and what doesn't. Don't try to learn grammar rules. We use certain phrases and expressions not because there are grammar rules. Linguists analyze the way people speak and when they detect a pattern, they 'create' a rule. So why waste your time with grammar? Listen to the way people speak, imitate and copy them until you fell comfortable using the exact same phrases they use. Try sounding like them. Do native speakers use their grammar correctly? Yes, at least most of the time. Are native speakers able to explain the grammar rules they follow? No, although they can use the rule correctly, in most cases they can't explain those rules. Why? Simply because you don't need to know a grammar rule in order to use it correctly.

Hi Openmind,

Thank you for your post! You've made some very interesting points, and I agree with some of them, but I also have a slightly different opinion on others.

I agree that it's important to develop a "feeling" for the language. Listening to native speakers and imitating how they speak is a great way to learn. You're right; native speakers often can't explain grammar rules, but they still use them correctly because they've heard and practiced them so many times. This shows that practice and exposure are key to learning a language.

However, I don't fully agree that grammar rules are useless. While it's true that linguists create rules based on how people speak, these rules can still be helpful. For beginners, grammar rules provide a clear structure to follow. They help us understand why certain sentences sound good and others don't. For example, knowing basic grammar can help avoid mistakes like "I is" instead of "I am."

I think the best approach is to balance both methods. Listening and imitating native speakers is important, but learning some grammar rules can also make the process faster and clearer. It's like building a house—you need a strong foundation (grammar) and then you can decorate it (practice speaking).

By the way, I noticed your post is from 2006—that's a long time ago! How have things been for you since then? Have you continued learning languages, or have you moved on to other interests? I'd love to hear how your life has changed over the years.

Also, I wanted to invite you and other readers to my thread called Let's Learn Together! It's a place where we share tips, resources, and experiences to help each other improve. I'd love for you to join the discussion and share your thoughts.
Here's the link: [https://www.englishclub.com/esl-forums/ ... start=3690].
Let's keep learning together!

What do you think? Do you believe grammar can be helpful in some situations, or do you think it's better to focus only on listening and speaking?

All the best,
Behnam, 24 February, 2025

[behnam]

English grammar is a must, otherwise you will be misunderstood. For example, if you say:
"A girl entered the room." And then you say: "A girl sat down." It'd be understood that you were talking about TWO girls, one entered the room and the other sat down.
On the other hand, if you say: "A girl entered the room." Then say: "THE girl sat down." Listeners would understand that ONE girl had entered the room and sat down, because the word "the" referred to the same girl who had entered the room.

This shows that knowing your grammar (i.e. the articles: a, an, the) will help you formulate your sentence correctly and avoid being misunderstood.

Hi Puiyin,

Thank you so much for your clear and insightful comment! I really enjoyed reading your explanation, and I completely agree with you—grammar is absolutely essential to avoid misunderstandings. Your example about "a girl" and "the girl" was perfect. It's amazing how such a small detail, like using the right article, can completely change the meaning of a sentence. It really shows how important grammar is for clear communication.

I also loved how you broke it down in such a simple way. It's easy to see why grammar matters when you explain it like that. For example, saying "a girl" and then "the girl" makes it clear that we're talking about the same person. Without that, listeners might get confused and think there are two different girls. This is such a great reminder that grammar isn't just about rules—it's about making sure we're understood.

By the way, I run a thread called Let's Learn Together where we share tips, resources, and experiences about learning English. It's a friendly space where learners help each other improve, and I think your expertise would be a wonderful addition to the discussions. I'd love for you to join and share more of your knowledge there. Your insights would be so helpful for everyone!
Here's the link: [https://www.englishclub.com/esl-forums/ ... start=3690].
I'm sure the community would really benefit from your teaching experience.

Thanks again for your comment—it's always great to hear from someone who understands the importance of grammar and can explain it so clearly. Looking forward to seeing you in the thread!

All the best,
Behnam, 24 February, 2025