0Essential Grammar: what to learn first and how to practice it
Essential grammar means the handful of structures that let you say things clearly and be understood in everyday situations; it is not the full grammar of linguistics but the functional tools you’ll use constantly. Core items are: the basic tenses (present simple for routines, present continuous for ongoing actions, past simple for finished events, and a functional, limited use of present perfect), subject–verb agreement, basic question forms and negatives, articles (a/an/the) with common nouns, common prepositions of place/time (in, on, at), simple modals (can/could, will/would, should), and connectors (and, but, because, so) to join ideas. Also include simple conditionals (zero/first) and comparison forms (bigger/more interesting). Avoid deep dives into rare exceptions, subjunctive moods, and complex clause embedding until these essentials are comfortable. How to practise: start with controlled drills (sentence transformations, gap fills) to build accuracy, then move to guided production (answering prompts using target forms), then free production (short spoken stories using those structures). Error correction should be timely and focused — correct recurring, meaning-blocking mistakes first. For Indian learners, watch common trouble spots like article use and prepositions; create mini checklists for these. Takeaway/activity: choose one essential structure per week (e.g., past simple), do three varied 10-minute activities — controlled exercises, a 5-minute recorded story, and 5 minutes of peer/teacher feedback — then move to the next structure.
