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Grammar is the system of a language. People sometimes
describe grammar as the "rules" of a language; but in fact no
language has rules. If we use the word "rules", we suggest
that somebody created the rules first and then spoke the
language, like a new game. But languages did not start like
that. Languages started by people saying
words, phrases and sentences. Then
somebody came and studied the language in a certain period
of time. No commonly-spoken language
is fixed. All languages change over time. What we call
"grammar" is simply a reflection of a language at a particular
time.
Do we need to study grammar to learn a language? The short
answer is "no". Very many people in the world speak their own,
native language without having studied its grammar. Children
start to speak before they even know the word "grammar". But
if you are serious about learning a foreign language, the long
answer is "yes, grammar can help you to learn a language more
quickly and more efficiently." When
you understand the grammar (or system) of a language, you can
understand many things yourself, without having to ask a
teacher or look in a book.
It's important
to think of grammar as something good, something positive,
something that you can use to find your way.
So, think of grammar as
something that can help you, like a friend.
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