Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

tina_du_libas · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 4

Hello!!! I'm a brazilian's student and I agree. Grammar is very, very important, but is very boring. But if we compare english's grammar with portuguese's grammar, the english's grammar ins't complicate. The english grammar is very easy comparate with the portuguese grammar.
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mudd · Joined: 27 Mar 2006 Posts: 37

The "basic" English grammar is easy, but when you go further, it is complicated especially when it comes to tenses and pluralization..

E.g. Present - Past(verbs)
Broadcast - Broadcast (not brodcasted)
Quit - Quit
hurt - hurt

Singular - Plural
Equipment - Equipment
Make up - Make up
Furniture - Furniture
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Lorikeet · Joined: 08 Oct 2005 Posts: 1877 Location: San Francisco

Hi Mudd, you are certainly right that English can get complicated! Usually we say there are two kinds of nouns, the ones you can "count" and the ones that you can't.

The "count" nouns can have plural forms, like book/books; computer/computers; or pen/pens. You can use a number with the plural form, for example, 3 books, 5 computers, or 6 pens. You can use "a" with the singular form, like a book, a computer, or a pen.

The "uncountable" or "noncount" nouns have only one form. They are words like furniture, equipment, rice, and chalk. These forms are not called singular or plural. The "noncount" nouns cannot have just a number or "a" before them. For example, you can not say "3 furniture" or "5 rice" or "2 chalk." Instead, we use another word to count, for example, 3 pieces of furniture, 5 cups of rice or a piece of chalk.

Some words can be used both ways for different meanings. I ate some cake. means "I ate a piece of cake." I ate a cake. means "I ate a whole cake."

Some words are changing. Coffee is "supposed" to be uncountable. That is, the rule says you can say "some coffee" or "a cup of coffee" but not "two coffees." However, you can hear people order coffee that way in a coffee shop these days, even though it might be "wrong" on a test.

mudd · Joined: 27 Mar 2006 Posts: 37

It even gets more complicated when you learn about the changes in English.

data used to be the plural of datum

But now it seems that data has become "singular" and its plural form would be "datas".

Another is the 'If I were you'. "Were" should be used instead of "was" (I being singular)

English has a lot of twist.
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zildux · Joined: 11 Apr 2006 Posts: 3

Somethings in grammar are very boring but we must learn.
I'm brazilian and here we learn portuguese and the grammar of portuguese is very more difficult and boring.

sissi01 · Joined: 10 Apr 2006 Posts: 12 Location: BEIJING

Peopel always find it is hard at the beginning of learning something.But I think we should learn with pleasure.Just have a thought of the grammer of you mother tongue.

With reading more materials in English,you will find it easy Smile

emile · Joined: 11 Jan 2004 Posts: 37

Felipe Soares · Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 2

Yes!
The English Language is very easy. The Portuguese language has many grammatical rules, but is wonderful. The English language is most easy. Perhaps therefore it is the universal language.

Lucas Hansen · Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 4

Grammar may be boring for some,but I personally like it, and I think so other people do.Through grammar you know a language's skeleton,how to organize and use the words to sow a comprehendible statement.However, there are some rules I consider a little unnecessary,but I think they must be followed, otherwise a language would lose its pattern and would become a real mess.

Winkydragonfly · Joined: 10 Dec 2005 Posts: 392 Location: China

It is boring!
But it is very important!
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Winky has made many mistakes in her compositions.Sorry about that.But winky has confidence in herself,she will try to write much better than before.

vinicius m · Joined: 16 Apr 2006 Posts: 4

Grammar usually is boring!
I like portuguese grammar but i don't like inglish grammar because english grammar is more difficult. Grammar is boring however is important for our studys.

That's it...

vini...

bye...

vinicius m · Joined: 16 Apr 2006 Posts: 4

RomanWallBlues · Joined: 16 Apr 2006 Posts: 4

Grammar sucks, but it's really important if you want to get a formal communication.

Caxopa · Joined: 19 Apr 2006 Posts: 4

Yes, the English Grammar is very, very boring; but I think we have to learn it one day....

rseerig · Joined: 21 Apr 2006 Posts: 3

I agree, grammar is very boring, but if you really want to speak fluently speak a language you have to study grammar. Grammar is the base of every language you want to learn