Is Grammar Important? By Carole Jenkins (1) Do you moan and groan whenever a teacher says that you need to improve your grammar? (2) Do you take offense when someone tells you that you made a mistake in grammar? (3) Do you feel that studying and learning grammar is boring and unnecessary? (4) I hated studying grammar when I was in school.
(5) English is a very tricky language loaded with many rules and just as many exceptions to those rules. (6)By knowing these rules and exceptions, you'll be a better reader, writer, listener, and speaker. (7)Communicating with others is what it's all about.
(8) Organizing a sentence so that it gets across your intended meaning is important. (9) In order to do this, you have to know the parts of a sentence (subject, predicate, phrase, clause, etc.) and the parts of speech (noun, verb, adjective, etc.) (10) Knowing the elements of a sentence and how sentences are structured can help you to get across your intended meanings in your writing and speaking. (11) You will also understand others as you read and listen.
(12) Knowledge and understanding of English grammar can help you to see patterns of different languages and dialects as you read and study literature. (13) Learning a foreign language, such as French or Spanish, is based on your mastery of the basic rules of English grammar. (14) Understanding the tenses of verbs, subject-verb agreement, sentence structure, and parts of speech form the foundation for learning new languages.
(15) As you read and study assignments in all of your classes, knowing basic grammar can help you to comprehend the text. (16) When you come across a difficult passage, analyzing the sentence structure can often help you to figure out the meaning of difficult sentences. (17) This can lead to an analysis and understanding of an author's writing style and can, in turn, lead to comprehension of the text.
(18) You are probably wondering how all of the rules and their exceptions will be remembered by you. (19) Don't worry! (20) There are many grammar guides and style manuals available to help you. (21) These are quick references that can be consulted as the need arises. (22) Even your English teacher who has been teaching for thirty years relies on a reference book now and then!
(23) Have I convinced you that the study of grammar is important and well worth your effort? (24) I hope so!
Which sentence is the BEST thesis for the passage?
A) Sentence 2
B) Sentence 4
C) Sentence 6
D) Sentence 8