5 Sites That Will Help You Improve Your Grammar Skills

Let’s talk about grammar for a bit.

I know it is one of the most-hated subjects in all the world, but to me, grammar is the foundation for clear written communication. Grammar is the body language of the written word (Tweet this).

You may hate grammar now, but grammar doesn’t have to be boring and dry. Grammar can be fun!

Just consider the myriad of grammar jokes floating around out there. Here are some of my favorites:

The Past, the Preset, and the Future walked into a bar. It was tense.

Why did the comma break up with the apostrophe?

Because it was too possessive.

Some people enjoy cooking, their families, and their dogs.
Some people enjoy cooking their families and their dogs.

In the last example, you can see why grammar and punctuation is so vital. Although it seems like the collective whole has less understanding of grammar than ever, the fact that we communicate most often by writing means that grammar is probably the most important skill you’ve never learned.

Think about it: today’s society writes more to each other than any generation since the invention of telephone (Tweet this).

So, even though you may roll your eyes and long for the non-existent sarcasm font, know that you have the power of clear written communication at your fingertips at all times!  Even the power to express sarcasm without the nifty font.

My grammar education did not stop at the end of high school. Actually, I found my high school grammar to be confusing and not that helpful. Instead, most of my working grammar knowledge I learned myself as an adult. Today, I am sharing some of the resources that I have found most helpful with you!

Quick and Dirty Tips from Grammar Girl

 These show real-life examples of when to use various hard-to-remember forms of grammar. My favorite tips are the ones using funny graphics.

This post on when to use a semicolon from The Oatmeal

This post has been invaluable to me, considering that for whatever reason, a lot of intellectual types consider proper semicolon use to be the holy grail of good grammar.

Grammarly Editor

This is a fully functional online grammar editor which allows you to check and fix any grammar issues in a whole range of styles and formats.

Purdue Online Writing Lab

So many of my early grammar lessons came from this site! This lab was one of the first I discovered for helpful grammar and writing tips over 10 years ago.

Twitter

Twitter can be a great place to learn more about grammar! There are hundreds of grammar tip accounts, writing tip help, and hashtags to help you become a better writer!

Do you struggle with grammar? Writing exercise can be a helpful way to practice grammar skills you are unsure about.

Do you believe that grammar is a useful skill in today’s world? 

Brenda is a fellow book-lover and coffee-addict. She is a freelance writer, punctuation nerd, and grammar enthusiast. Her favorite book genres are Science Fiction, Fantasy with a Twist, and Dystopian. Brenda blogs about books, writing and more at Daily Mayo. Find her here on CaW for Writing Tips Wednesdays the first Wednesday of every month.

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