3 Grammar Misconceptions 1

3 Common Grammar Misconceptions

GrammarGrandmaBitesQuiz

“Why is English so confusing?” That is definitely a comment which learners of English make now and then. The strange, occasionally inconsistent rules of English grammar may prove to be too overwhelming for students. Take for example, we know that a singular noun agrees with a singular verb and a plural noun agrees with a plural verb, but we exclude singular pronouns “I” and “You” from this grammar rule. You cannot get away with saying “You is confusing me!” unless you are Yoda. (Confusing, it is.)

I am a strong advocate of practice makes perfect for grammar. However, I am an even stronger advocate of understanding grammar before blindly practising. Today’s blogpost will highlight three common grammar misconceptions as well as clarify them so read on!

1. ‘a’ is used before a consonant and ‘an’ before a vowel

Honestly, this has got to be the biggest misconception. In fact, I still come across adults who are confused by this. For some reason, many students (and adults) I’ve met have told me that they are taught at a young age that they differentiate when to use ‘a’ and ‘an’ based on whether the first letter of the subsequent word is a consonant or vowel.

WRONG!

The rule is that you use ‘a’ before words that start with a consonant sound and ‘an’ before words that start with a vowel sound. Therefore, we say ‘a uniform’ instead of ‘an uniform’ because the word ‘uniform’ actually begins with a consonant sound! (We pronounce ‘uniform’ as ‘you-ni-form’, so it actually starts with a ‘y’ sound)

The ones which boggle most people would be words that start with the letters ‘h’ and ‘u’. For example, we say ‘a horse’ but ‘an hour’ or ‘a unicorn’ but ‘an umbrella’. Again, because of such inconsistencies, do remember to sound out the word each time you’re unsure of whether to use ‘a’ or ‘an’. You shouldn’t have too much of a problem this way! 🙂

2. If a sentence is in past tense, the rest of the verbs should also always follow the same tense

Well, this isn’t entirely wrong. The exception to is when situation calls for an infinitive to be used. A sentence in past tense can still have verbs that are in its infinitive form, which is the base form of a verb with no -s, -ed or -ing (e.g. see, hear, run, take).

There are six scenarios where the infinitive is used.

(i) After ‘to’

Beatrice wanted to visit her aunt yesterday.

Note: Despite the word ‘wanted’, the word ‘to’ will cause the infinitive rule to take precedence in this sentence. (HOWEVER, there are exceptions to this rule. Find out in Grammar Misconception 3 below.)

(ii) After modal verbs (can, could, shall, should, will, would, may, might, must)

Beatrice would move the furniture for her aunt.

(iii) After ‘do’ , ‘does’ , ‘did’

Beatrice did know that her aunt needed help.

Note: Despite the word ‘needed’, the word ‘did’ will cause the infinitive rule to take precedence in this sentence.

(iv) Command / Instruction

Hold the chair!” Beatrice’s aunt commanded.

(v) Verb-Noun-Verb pattern

Common Grammar Misconceptions

Note: The infinitive rule only applies to V-N-V pattern which cannot be interrupted by another word (such as a preposition).

Common Grammar Misconceptions

(vi) After ‘made’ and ‘let’

Aunt made Beatrice wash her head after what happened.

Note: Despite the word ‘made’ being in past tense, we will use the infinitive form after such a verb. This is similar to the V-N-V structure.

As you can see from my examples above, there are a number of scenarios where students cannot generalise the tense in a sentence. Do remember to look out for clues that will necessitate the use of infinitives!

3. “To” is always followed by an infinitive verb

Last but not least, we have this final misconception which students have, especially once they have learnt the ‘to + infinitive’ rule (see above point 2(i))

Consider this sentence: “The kidnappers finally admitted to committing the crime.” Sounds grammatically correct, doesn’t it? However, discerning ones will immediately pick up on the use of ‘committing’ after the word ‘to’.

Didn’t we learn that after ‘to’, we should always use an infinitive? ‘Committing’ isn’t an infinitive so shouldn’t it be ‘commit’? Yet, this sentence, “The kidnappers finally admitted to commit the crime.” doesn’t sit too well with the reader.

I sense many raised eyebrows at this point and what I’m going to say is that ‘to’ is not always followed by an infinitive. It can also be followed by a gerund too! A gerund is a verb ending in —ing (e.g. talking, running, dancing), functioning as a noun.

E.g. Dancing is my favourite activity. (Dancing is the gerund.)

I know that this contradicts what I have said about ‘to + infinitive’, but remember how I said earlier that English has its occasional, inconsistent set of rules? Well, here’s another example of it.

Greg is used to eating cookies before bed.

Greg used to eat cookies before bed.

There is a technical explanation behind when an infinitive or gerund is used after ‘to’, and it involves differentiating if ‘to’ is being used as in infinitive marker or a as a preposition (in that case it will be followed by a gerund). However, to help learners distinguish one from the other in an easier way, I will recommend using the “it” test.

How the ‘it’ test works is to see if you can put the word ‘it’ after the word ‘to’. If you can put the word ‘it’ after ‘to’ and still form a meaningful sentence, then you will use the gerund. If you put the word it’ after ‘to’ and cannot form meaningful sentence, then you will use the infinitive.

Let’s try it out on the above examples:

Common Grammar Misconceptions

So there you have it! I hope this has helped you understand a little more about the inconsistencies you have encountered in the language! Feeling confident with the new rules that you have learnt? Now, it is time for you to check if you are grammar ready for PSLE.

Try the Grammar PSLE Ready Quiz consisting of 10 questions and determine how many marks you can bag!

 

Grammar Grandma

Grammar Grandma Bites Quiz

You never wash your toilets, _________ you?

1)    do
2)    did
3)    don’t
4)    aren’t

Think you know the answer?

 


 

Grammar Grandma

Grammar Grandma Bites
Course Features:

1. Over 30 bite-size video lessons!

2. Unique strategies to tackle a wide range of grammar topics e.g. subject-verb agreement, neither/either type questions, collective nouns etc.

3. Targeted at P5 to P6 pupils (Or just anyone who wishes to have a good grasp of grammar rules!)

 

Group 48 1
Ms. Siow

Ms Delia Siow is a dedicated teacher who is committed to providing an environment where a child can grow and thrive. She enjoys developing strategies to help students learn in a fun and meaningful way. Through her lessons, she hopes to help students lay a sound foundation in grammar and gain independence in their work. She strongly believes that good grammar is essential in students to gain proficiency in the language and finds joy in watching the bricks of their strong grammar foundation take form.

Have something to share? Drop us a comment below!

Leave a Reply

Share

Other related posts

Creative Writing | 3 Easy Steps to Write Your Own Haiku!
Verbs: More than Just Action Words! | Part 3: Changes in Verb Forms
Ketchup on English! – is, are, was and were!
Audience In Visual Text | Visual Text Comprehension
Exploring Points of View (POV) in Composition Writing
Metaphors For? | Part II – Implied Metaphors
10 Beautiful Vivid Verbs to Boost Your Writing and Oral! | Primary School English
Metaphors For? | Part I – An Introduction to Metaphors
3 Family-Friendly Shows on Netflix (Educational & Entertaining)!
Verbs: More than Just Action Words! | Part 2: Tenses
2021 Father’s Day Contest Winners
Verbs: More than Just Action Words! | Part 1: Subject-Verb Agreement
10 Beautiful Words You Can Use in Narrative / Descriptive Writing | Secondary School
Ways To Create A Well-Rounded Character | Creative Writing
Understanding Purpose-Related Questions in Visual Text Comprehension
How Playing Video Games Can Improve Our English (With Practical Tips for Parents!)
Primary School Composition | Onomatopoeia – What’s That?
2021 Mother’s Day Contest Winners + Our Founder’s Journey (Mother’s Day Special)!
Composition Revision: Using Your 5 Senses in Your Writing
How to Create A Dynamic Piece of Writing Using Idioms
Ketchup on English! – Subject-Verb Agreement
Punctuation Marks: Colon Vs. Semicolon
4 steps to Create Suspense
That Simile Though 2 | Using Stronger Similes
Primary School P1 English Syllabus: Laying the Foundation for Lifelong Learning
PSLE ORAL | Compiled Prelim 2021 Oral Topics + Questions!
If you’re looking at getting recent PSLE Prelim Oral topics and practice questions, this will be an excellent resource for you!
5 Steps to Convert a Newspaper Article into a Cloze Passage
I would like to share with you 5 steps on how authentic articles can be transformed into cloze passages easily. Read on here!
PSLE English | Oral Conversation: Free SG50 Sample Practice + Model Answers
In this blogpost we will be touching on the oral stimulus-based conversation topic of National Day and SG50! Read on here!
PSLE English | Oral Conversation: Filling your Story with Details Easily + Free Revision Cards
By simply using the 5W1H, your children will be able to lengthen their stories (hence, the conversation!). Read on here!
PSLE English | Situational Writing: Q&A + Formal vs Informal Writing Comparison Chart
To aid you in your situational writing revision, here is a comparison chart that shows the differences between formal and informal writing!
PSLE English Tips | Oral: Stimulus-Based Conversation Checklist
To help my children handle the Stimulus-Based Conversation examination, here are some instructions again about using the checklist!
A Little Encouragement | DIY Motivational Bookmark (Easy to personalise too!)
A bookmark with a quote to motivate is also a chance for them to see the power of words and how words can mean more than what they seem.
Situational Writing: Step-by-Step Guide + Free Revision Card
I believe a walkthrough on the process of doing situational writing is in order. Here are the requirements for content and language!
I Love Reading | 5 Ways to Motivate Reluctant Readers
One of the most important ingredients necessary for a child or anyone learning English is the habit of reading. Get motivated to read now!
PSLE English | Printable Ultimate Grammar & Synthesis Summary
Today, we are sharing two lists of essentials in our Ultimate Grammar and Synthesis Summary Printable. Download them free here!
How Well Do You Know Your Past Participles?
While we are familiar with the past, present and future tenses, the little less known but equally important tense is the past participles.
Primary Composition Writing | Starting Sentences with Introductory Clauses
Today, we'll be revising the use of sentence starters to help you create variety in your sentence structures. Read on here!
The Sentence Train | Lower Primary English
Today, we are going to learn what makes up a sentence. It will come in handy when you do the word order activity in school! Read on here!
PSLE English Tips | Oral: Reading Checklist
This Oral Reading Checklist can be used by children when they practise reading on their own. Download it now!
Language of COVID | 10 Words Added to the Dictionary
Using Personification to Show, Not Tell!
Expressing Character Feelings Too! | Using Show-Not-Tell (Part 2)
How to Choose a Book to Read: 8 Ways
How to Dress Up A Boring Paragraph | Creative Writing
Ketchup on English! – Halloween Special: Prepositions of Time!
Ketchup on English! – Verbs Are Not Just Action Words!
Expressing Character Feelings | Using Show-Not-Tell
Which Picture Should I Use? | Choosing the Best Picture to Use for Composition!
Oral: Reading Passage | Long Vowels – Have You Been Reading Your Vowels Correctly?
Previous
Next

Like what you are reading?

Subscribe now to receive news and tips hot off the press!

shape icon 06
shape icon 05