10 Best Grammar Resources for English Language Learners

English is already the most common second language (by number of speakers) in the world, and more people begin studying it every day. Fortunately, the availability of learning resources is growing right along with the number of English learners. The publishing industry, web entrepreneurs, respected institutions, and enthusiasts who just want to help are producing a staggering amount of materials aimed at getting people to understand, speak, and write in English. Some of the materials are good, some of them not so much, and to help you figure out which is which, we’ve compiled a list of the ten best resources you could be using to learn English grammar.

Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White

The Elements of Style, commonly known as “Strunk and White,” is a classic style guide every American student is familiar with. It helped shape how the English language is used in the United States, for better or for worse, and as such is a required read for English language learners.

Oxford Modern English Grammar by Bas Aarts

Oxford Modern English Grammar is a precious tool for any English language learner who needs a deeper understanding of how the English language works. It covers both British English and American English, and it uses examples from written and spoken English to explain the most basic grammar points as well the most complex.

Purdue Online Writing Lab

From grammar to individual resources for English language learners, professionals, and English teachers, Purdue OWL is as comprehensive as English learning resources can get.

Grammar Exercises from the University of Bristol’s Faculty of Arts

Learning and testing go hand in hand. The University of Bristol’s Faculty of Arts hosts extensive grammar learning materials on their website, which include exercises to help you practice using punctuation, discern between commonly confused words, use the subjunctive, and plenty other things.

Grammar Monster

Grammar Monster is a website that offers both quick information and detailed explanations about everything that has to do with grammar. Plus, it also has a short test for each of its sections, so you can gauge how well you understood the section’s contents.

UsingEnglish.com

UsingEnglish.com is not the place to go looking for lessons on English grammar, but as far as grammar glossaries go, it hosts a very comprehensive one. The site also offers a vast number of tests and quizzes that can keep you occupied for a long time.

Edufind.com

Edufind.com is a website with a very simple layout that allows you to navigate through it quickly. Even though the website’s materials aren’t organized in the form of lessons, they are written in simple, easy-to-understand language, so you can use them as a learning resource.

Oxford Dictionaries

OxfordDictionaries.com is a fun website where you can read the Oxford Dictionaries’ blog, watch their videos, and find a dictionary that can help you learn new words. There’s also a grammar section where you can learn everything you need to know about English grammar.

British Council

The British Council has a long tradition of helping people around the world learn English, and their website contains everything from lessons, grammar explanations, and a glossary to games and apps. It’s an excellent resource for English language learners of all proficiency levels and from all walks of life.

Cambridge Apps

Cambridge University Press’s Grammar in Use series of apps contains three apps: one for beginners, one for intermediate learners, and one for advanced English language learners, each corresponding to a book published by CUP. While the apps do not contain all the materials from the books, they are chock-full of activities that can help you practice English grammar anytime, anywhere.

Practice or Practise–Which Spelling Is Right?

Practice with a C or practise with an S—which spelling is correct? In American English, practice is always right. In British English, whether practice or practise is the correct choice depends on its role in the sentence. How can you know which form to use?

In American English, practice may function as a noun or a verb. Regardless of its role in the sentence, the correct spelling is always practice with a C. In British and other non-American versions of English, spelling may vary depending on the function of the word. For example, if you are referring to what a doctor does, you would say that he practises medicine. You spell the verb form, practise, with an S. However, if you are referring to the the doctor’s business, you can use the noun form, practice with a C. Nevertheless, language is always changing. In some forms of English, such as Canadian English, practice with a C is becoming more popular for nouns and verbs. Some examples may help you visualize the point.

Every day after school, Robert likes to practice singing his solo for the spring concert. [American]

Even though she knew she would regret it during soccer practice, Bonnie devoured a large chocolate ice cream cone.

Shelby met the lawyer to discuss the case at his practice.

Bart lost his licence to practise medicine when he was convicted of a criminal misdemeanour. [British]

I quickly learned to type, though I don’t have a computer on which to practise. [British]

Examples

Take note of these interesting instances of practice and practise from literature and the media.

The Sparkle Cheer Team held its first practice last week at Paso Robles High School with five new athletes.

Paso Robles Daily News

Practice makes perfect, but a new study shows you might need to keep practicing even when you think you are perfect already.

Daily Mail

British medical and legal professionals living in EU countries fear they may no longer have the right to practise law, medicine or other disciplines if the government does not rapidly agree a post-Brexit deal.

People Management

Which spelling is correct—practice with a C or practise with an S? In American English, practice is always correct. However, in other varieties of English, you’ve learned that the answer isn’t as simple because you have to take into consideration whether the word is functioning as a verb or a noun. Besides spelling, have you ever wondered how American English differs from the English spoken in the United Kingdom?

How to Ask for Days Off (And Actually Get Them)

There’s a good possibility that you need a day (or two, or more) off work. NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health conducted a poll and found that about half of Americans who work fifty-plus hours a week don’t take all or most of the vacation they’ve earned. Of those who do take time off, about 30 percent say they do a significant amount of work during what’s supposed to be their hard-earned leisure time.

In a driven, competitive work culture, it can be difficult to ask for days off. And yet, taking a vacation is rejuvenating. Scheduling time to relax and leave workplace stress behind for a while means you’re more likely to return to your job with renewed creative energy and motivation, which ultimately makes you more productive. Here’s how to ask for time off the right way.

Planning Your Time Off Request

To ensure that you stay on good terms with your boss and coworkers, it’s important to put a little forethought into your vacation request.

Give advance notice

Don’t drop your request on your unsuspecting boss a week before you’d like to leave. Odds are good that even events you had no hand in planning—your friend’s wedding, for instance—will still allow you to ask for days off with plenty of lead time. (Of course, unexpected life events such as funerals or family emergencies are handled differently, and most managers will do their best to accommodate you.)

Know your employer’s vacation policies

Familiarize yourself with how your company handles time off. If you have an employee handbook or a contract that outlines vacation procedures, consult it. If your workplace is more casual, check in with your coworkers or someone in human resources to see how things are usually done.

Make sure you’re caught up

Before you start making flight reservations, make sure the projects you’re working on are in good shape. If you’re behind, or if leaving would mean dumping a lot of work on your colleagues that you should have finished yourself, asking for time off isn’t likely to win you any friends.

Making Your Time Off Request

Now that you’ve done a little planning, you’re ready to ask for vacation days. When and how you ask is important, so consider these best practices.

You’re asking for time off, not telling

There are people who’ll approach their manager on a Monday morning saying, “By the way, I just booked a trip to the Bahamas, so I’ll need next week off.” Don’t be that person. Nobody likes that person.

No matter how good that vacation deal you just spotted online seems, it’s never a good idea to book travel without clearing it with your employer first. Remember to ask your boss for time off, not simply tell him or her you’re taking it. A simple script might go like this:

“I have some vacation time coming, and I’d like to take a week to travel with my family. Would the week of July __ be a good time?”

Don’t ask during crunch time

If your workplace is engaged in an all-hands-on-deck scenario, it’s not an ideal time to ask for vacation, even if you’re planning for the future. When everyone’s focused on a major milestone, and potentially stressed as a result, it can seem tone-deaf to ask about your week in Maui. If possible, it’s best to wait until the dust of a major deadline has settled.

Similarly, make your vacation request during times when your boss is less likely to be stressed or busy. But don’t drop the vacation bomb when he or she might be thinking of things other than work. If it’s late Friday afternoon, and you’re anticipating spending some weekend down time, there’s a good chance your boss is, too.

Asking when you’re the new kid

If you’re new to your job, asking for vacation can be challenging. If you’ve applied for a job, and you already have travel planned, it’s appropriate to wait until after you’ve been extended an employment offer and you’re in the negotiation phase to discuss time off:

“I’ve got existing travel plans for mid-August, and I’d like to take time off for that between [date] and [date]. Would that be workable?”

Be prepared to take that time unpaid if you won’t have earned any vacation days before it’s scheduled.

Job experts advise against taking time off during your first three months on the job if you can help it. During that time, your boss and co-workers are still getting a sense of your work ethic. Unless you happen to work at a company that encourages time off as part of its super-laid-back workplace culture (they’re out there!), it’s best to prove yourself before you head off to Vail for a snowboarding adventure.

Consider getting it in writing

Depending on how casual your workplace is, it might be a good idea to submit your vacation request via email so you have a written record. Once you’ve sent an email (remembering to ask, not tell your manager when you’re leaving), follow up with a quick in-person chat if necessary.

Planning Your Time Away

So, you’ve scored some well-earned vacation days. Good for you! Before you set sail, it’s a good idea to get a few things in order to avoid making extra work for your colleagues or leaving clients in the lurch.

Make sure key players know you’ll be away

You’re a cog in a well-oiled machine, baby! A little forethought can help keep those gears turning smoothly while you’re away. It’s a good idea to make a written plan to help your team handle your responsibilities in your absence. To avoid piling extra work on your colleagues, ask them if they’re able and willing to help fill in the gaps.

If you have clients who’ll be relying on you, make sure they know who can help them in your absence. Keep in mind that important contacts outside the workplace—particularly anyone you’re collaborating with on an ongoing basis—may need a heads-up before you’re sipping margaritas on the beach and ignoring your inbox.

Say thanks

In the U.S., employers aren’t required to provide time off (paid or unpaid) except for medical or family leave—vacation is a benefit and not mandated by law. When your boss accommodates your need for some down time by granting you days off, it’s appropriate to say thank you. And it’s always good form to thank any co-workers who helped fill in for you while you were away, too.

Asking for days off doesn’t have to be stressful. With a little planning, know-how, and tact, you’ll be on your way to some needed downtime, and you’ll ensure that your boss and colleagues miss you rather than resent you while you’re away.

Use These Four Tips to Improve Your Writing Fast

Guest post by Meryl K. Evans

The valet pulled up in my car. I thanked him, tipped him and entered my car. I noticed both turn signals were blinking. What’s up? It took me a minute to realize the valet had turned on the hazard lights. I didn’t even remember if I had ever used them in this car.

I touched every switch, button and stick searching for the toggle. Sure, I could dig for the instruction manual in the glove compartment, but I didn’t want to hold up the folks behind me. So I asked a nearby valet for help. Click. She pushed the button with the hazard icon above the touchscreen display. Color me embarrassed.

Despite this, I told my husband what happened. He said many people don’t know where to find the hazard light switch because there was no standard location for it. Well, I won’t forget next time.

If I read anything I wrote from five years ago, I flinch. I’m a better writer than I was five years ago. And I hope I’m better five years from now. Doing lots of reading and writing helped me grow as a writer.

Unlike with the hazard lights, I’ll pick up an instruction manual for writing to learn a few tricks. This would be any book on writing. The first memorable one I read was William Zinsser’s “On Writing Well.” Within 15 pages, I learned these four tips, which boosted my writing.

Why limit to four tips? Many articles provide a long list of tips. It’s so overwhelming that you don’t bother trying any. Keep it simple. Four is doable. And you can use them right now. Learn a handful of writing tricks at a time. Know them and nurture them. They’ll become a habit.

Trade Five Dollar Words for Cheap Ones

The first advice is to simplify. Zinsser covers it in one sentence: “Every word that serves no function, every long word that could be a short word, every adverb that carries the same meaning that’s already in the verb, every passive construction that leaves the reader unsure of who is doing what — these are the thousand and one adulterants that weaken the strength of a sentence.”

One sentence taught me to swap fancy words for simple ones, cut words ending in -ly and don’t be passive aggressive. Why opt for the snooty “utilize” when you can use the effortless “use?” And who needs the mind-numbing “numerous” when the four-lettered “many” works? Here, the Thesaurus is your friend.

Cut Very Unnecessary Words

Why not get to the point by cutting the underlined words? I blame the search engine optimization. People say online content needs to be more than 1,000 words for SEO’s sake. They believe long content earns more love from search engines.

Anxious to reach the word count goal, writers add a bunch of words especially qualifiers and adverbs, throw in statistics and amend sentences to plug in key phrases until it fits.

Do we need “very” to underscore how much we need to drop needless words? We’ve used “very,” “so” and “really” so often that these words have lost power.

Split Long Sentences to Create Two Shorter Ones for a Crisper Read

Granted, the quote from Zinsser runs long. But it packs a punch. If he had replaced commas with periods, how would it affect the sentence?

I’ve edited articles where an entire paragraph contained one sentence. For these, I convert the long sentence into two or three sentences. This breaks multiple thoughts into a single thought for each. It improves readability and clarity.

Omit Redundant Words

Take a look at this list and see how you can make them better.

• Add a new.
• In order to.
• Overused cliché.
• Past history.
• Period of time.
• Plan ahead.
• Straight to the point.
• Tall skyscraper.
• Thanks in advance.

I applied these tips to my writing as quickly as I learned where to find the hazard lights button. Next time I crack the car’s user manual, I’ll glean two or three tips. Those will join these three plus the many others I’ve discovered since I started driving my car. In a year or two, the new knowledge will help me improve this article.

Keep reading and keep writing. The bettering will follow. Oh, and be sure to find your hazard lights now before you need to know how.

Share your writing tip in the comments.

About the Author

Meryl K. Evans, Content Maven, writes a variety of content and helps her clients with their content marketing needs. A native Texan, Meryl lives a heartbeat north of Dallas in Plano, Texas with her husband and three kiddos. Y’all can visit her online home at www.meryl.net.

3 Dating Tips You Can Steal From “Quiet”

Dating is tough for a lot of people. For introverts living in an extroversion-dominant society, the dating pool can be even more difficult to navigate. However, some of the powerful lessons from the landmark book Quiet:The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking can be helpful not only for coping with western culture generally but also for getting more value from dating.

What Is Quiet?

In Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, Susan Cain explains how western society has come to favor an ideal of one spectrum of personality: extroversion. This “extroverted ideal,” which Cain argues permeates our culture, emphasizes that a person’s highest form of self should be outgoing, risk-friendly, highly collaborative, action-oriented, and effervescently social, among other things. In contrast, Cain argues that introverts’ strengths and contributions have been overlooked or even denied because they embody traits like caution, reticence, contemplativeness, focus, and preference to work solo, which have historically been devalued by society.

How Can It Help You in Dating?

1 Understand Your Needs

The most important step in finding greater fulfillment as an introvert is to take time to truly understand your own needs. In environments that have been traditionally dominated by extroverted values (most education systems and business spaces), introverts often act as what Cain calls “psuedo-extroverts.” Basically, this means introverts learn to adopt extroverted tendencies to cope and succeed in life. Sometimes they are so successful that they convince others—or even themselves—that they are extroverts.

This doesn’t help you at all when it comes to finding a partner, however. In that arena it pays off more to be true to yourself. So, it’s important to take some time to remove your “psuedo-extrovert” mask and get in touch with your introverted heart. Understand how much social interaction you can handle, what kinds of activities leave you feeling recharged, and how often you need them.

2 Set Appropriate Expectations When Dating Other Temperaments

Once you know what you need and under which circumstances, you can begin to fit those pieces into the needs of prospective partners. This is sometimes easier said than done. If you, for example, find yourself attracted to someone with a different temperament, your particular need for isolation and quiet in the evenings can clash with their need for activity and stimulation. So, what do you do? Essentially, it comes down to communication. Letting prospective partners know up front and in real-time what you are comfortable with will help you get more satisfaction out of dating in general and will help you filter out partners that aren’t an ideal fit in the long run.

3 Practice Communicating Your Preferences

However, it can be difficult to tell someone you like that this trendy (read busy) bar that they are crazy about makes you want to crawl into a (quiet) hole for an entire Saturday. Rather than toughing it out but secretly feeling uncomfortable and therefore not representing your best self, try communicating what it is that is particularly difficult for you, e.g., “This place has a lot going on and it’s hard to talk.” This is when a bit of practice comes in handy.

Asserting introverted needs in an extroverted space is uncomfortable—at least at first—but by identifying what you need to be fulfilled, you can begin asking for or making these needs known in less high-stakes situations than your next date. That is, practice asking the waiter to turn off the television or turn down the music. Practice asking your friends to go someplace calmer. Practice telling your co-worker who jumps from task to task that you need some time to get organized and plan. Practice telling your family that they should go out without you and that you’ll be fine at home alone for the night. The more you voice your needs in everyday scenarios, the easier it will be for you to find the necessary words when you need to communicate with a date.

What experiences have you had with dating as in introvert? What communication tips would you add?

Stay Away From These 5 Cliché Endings

Writing a book is difficult, but trying to pick an ending that is both impactful and wraps the plot up beautifully is even more difficult. Beginning your book is important, but ending it can be equally so. Relying on clichés won’t get the job done. As an author, you’ll only leave your readers feeling disappointed and dissatisfied.

Make sure to stay away from these five cliché endings:

The Happily Ever After

What It Is: All of the characters in your book live happily ever, with no hardships to bear. You’ll find the hero in this ending has defeated everyone and all of the plot twists you’ve worked so hard to write have been tied up nicely — but they’re also usually tied up very unrealistically.

Why to Avoid It: Life doesn’t necessarily end happily ever after, which makes this type of ending feel disingenuous. You want your readers to feel enthralled with your book so that they’ll want to buy more from your library or even read the same book again. Real people always have troubles, so make sure that your book stays in realm of realism.

The Drawn-out Dream

What It Is: The drawn-out dream ending is a cliché that usually has the main character waking up safe and sound in their bed, having realized that the entire plot up until that point has just been a dream.

Why to Avoid It: This type of ending typically annoys readers, who feel that the author has copped out. A book should be emotional to everyone involved, and an author who uses this ending seems to betray readers’ trust and cheapen the deep emotions that person has felt throughout the book.

The Killing Hero

What It Is: This is the cliché ending where the hero gets incredibly strong or lucky and kills off everything that ever stood in his or her way. He either accomplishes this task himself, or he is instrumental in orchestrating a plan that saves the world.

Why to Avoid It: This ending is just overdone, making it one of the top clichés no one wants to see when they finish a book. Authors need to avoid this ending because it’s just not realistic. It’s pretty anti-climactic and leaves the reader feeling excited for a little while, but that the book sizzled out overall. This ending just doesn’t engage the reader.

The Guilty Hero’s Monologue

What It Is: This cliché ending is where the hero finally defeats the bad guy or force, but you get to hear his internal thoughts of regret or remorse. This monologue is supposed to show the character’s guilt at what he’s had to do, and how this is eating away at him (or her). Even though the ending is happy, our hero must now live with all the blood and sins on his hands.

Why to Avoid It: In general, writers should strive to show, not tell, readers what is happening in the book. By strongarming readers into feeling specific, manufactured emotions, you are taking away their freedom to experience the novel in a way that is reflective of their background and experiences. Readers feel like they are being led to specific conclusions, and not many enjoy the feeling of an author holding their hand throughout a book — especially the ending.

The Lover’s Life

What It Is: In the lover’s life cliché ending, you’ll find that the end of your novel involves the main character falling in love, for an unexplained and often random reason, and then living happily ever after. It’s a twist that shows that true love makes the world go ‘round and that all that happened throughout the course of the book was worth it.

Why to Avoid It: Again, unrealistic endings tend to annoy readers. If a love interest is too sudden, it isn’t all that real. If it is unexplained, it leaves your characters lacking depth. The truth is that not everyone falls in love and lives happily ever after. The best endings are unique, seemingly realistic, and really make your readers think.

So the next time you are tempted to end your book with an easy, clichéd ending, don’t. Set the text aside, brainstorm some unique possibilities, and pick up your manuscript again when you have a more interesting picture of what could be.

Watch Your Language in Corporate Emails

We are “devolving” into lackadaisical proofreaders.

Even senior management and professionals with advanced degrees and experience no longer show the stamina or desire to ensure that their written words convey exactly what they are meant to–and our carelessness is coming to a head.

This is compounded by the fact that, more than ever, human beings are being judged on word choice. In large part, this is a result of our increasing reliance on written communication to conduct both business and personal relationships.

When writing for a specific purpose–whether it’s personal or professional–think about these three tips before you hit “send.”

Watch Your Tone

In written communication, it is especially important to watch your tone. For example, short replies to emails (sure, fine, ok, etc.) may come across as abrupt or angry. Excessive use of punctuation or CAPS LOCK could also suggest excitement–with both positive and negative connotations.

Ensure that every email you send in a professional environment is purposeful and that it includes relevant and actionable information. CAPS LOCK is rarely appropriate, and multiple exclamation points or question marks may send readers the wrong message. Wasn’t it Mark Twain who tried to explain that exclamation points should be used ever so sparingly (as in shouting “Fire!” in a crowded theater), or omitted from one’s work entirely?

Proofread!

Aside from watching your tone, here are some proofreading tips that can help you to avoid potentially damaging emails:

• Read your email out loud. Even middle school students are taught this strategy. It’s an easy way to catch your mistakes, i.e., typos, and tone down or polish your language.
• Check for clarity. Is your meaning clear? Does your word choice accurately reflect your feelings or point of view? Don’t write “Call me at once,” if you mean “Please contact me at your earliest convenience. This deal’s important, Joe. Thanks.”
• Check for fluency. Newspapers are typically written at a fifth- or sixth-grade level. Writing at a sixth-grade level doesn’t necessarily mean you write like a sixth-grader; it just means that a sixth-grader would be able to comprehend what you’ve written. It also means that adult readers will be able to quickly and easily absorb what you’re trying to tell them.
• Organize your thoughts. Does your argument unfold intelligently? Is your word choice persuasive? If you are drafting several paragraphs, do you use a topic sentence for each one and include evidence to support it?
• Elaborate. Have you explained your position fully? Or will the reader have lingering questions?
• Proof for mechanics. Check your capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and syntax (the order of the words in your sentence). For gosh sakes, get yourself a grammar book if you don’t have one already, and keep it at your elbow. Writing crisp emails makes you shine. Lean on the latest edition of Strunk & White or the AP Stylebook for support. Either will do.

Strain Your Brain: Conclude with a Powerful Thought

As any great author will advise, your last line should sing. Before writing it, ask yourself, “What do I want to leave the reader thinking?” The answer to that question is the last line itself.