Hi! This is Abbe from MosaLingua. Today we'll cover another way to learn grammar on your own
using some of the best resources available: just your computer and an internet connection.
So let's get started!
Google can help you with any grammar question you may have.
Let's see how to use it the smart way.
First of all, a simple way to check if your grammar is correct or not is
to type part of your sentence into the search field. You can then use the
suggestions that pop up below to assess whether or not your sentence is correct.
If you are hesitating between two different grammatical constructions,
you can also use the keywords "or" and "vs". This will take you to the most relevant
pages where you'll find your answer. Let's say for example: I am not sure if I
should say "I put the plate in" or "into the cupboard". In this case, I can search
"put in vs. put into". The first result I get takes me to a well-known English
language forum where this question has already been asked. The answer they give
is that "in" stresses the target while "into" describes the movement.
Another great trick, if you are not sure of a sentence, is to enter it into the search field in
double quotes, and check the results of your search. If the number of search
results is very low (under 1000 let's say) it's very likely that your sentence is wrong.
If you are on the fence between two different constructions, use this
hack and compare the number of search results. Let's take this example:
"I should go now" and "I should to go now"
The first one returns about 370,000 results;
the second one: only about 10... So we can assume that the first sentence is correct.
Of course this hack works very well for simple questions.
For more complicated ones, let's look at some other tools we can use.
This is a plug-in for your Chrome browser
that will help you identify grammar mistakes.
The good news here is that it's very good at its job and totally free. You'll need to
download this plug-in and install it in your browser. Once you've done that it's
ready to start identifying the grammar mistakes you make while you type.
If you want to check whether a sentence is correct or not, simply type it in to say
a new email on a gmail page any potential errors will be underlined
right away. Click on one of them and a grammar editor will pop up.
Let's see how it works with these two very wrong examples:
I typed "I have did a mistake" and "he do not know the day".
This is a great tool because not only
will it suggest the correct form, but it will also explain what you did wrong.
Here it gives me the correction and the following explanation.
It appears that the verb "did" should be in the past participle form. Consider
revising it. And it appears that the subject pronoun "he" and the verb "do" are
not in agreement. Consider changing the verb. If you click "more", you will get an
even more in-depth explanation. Just like from a real-life English teacher.
This plug-in is extremely useful for learning English grammar while doing. You'll see
you'll make progress quickly while doing fun activities like chatting with a
language partner or communicating in forums. Trust me it's nothing like your
typical boring grammar lessons. Remember that these hacks show you how technology
can help you in most cases. Some questions may remain unanswered but
don't worry about it for now, more practice will get you on the right track
to mastery. That's it for today! If you want more of these hacks, give us a like
and subscribe to our Channel. You can also post questions or suggestions in
the comments below. We'd love to hear from you. Happy learning and see you next time!