English Grammar Tricks That Work (Part 1)

I get it. English can be very confusing sometimes, and the grammar rules can seem crazy and random. Sometimes they are.

But a lot of the time, there’s a system happening underneath the madness.

After teaching for 12 years, I’ve discovered some of these English grammar tricks that most English textbooks don’t mention.

They work about 80% of the time and I call them the “80 percenters”.

English Grammar Trick #1 — Make or do?

Make a exam?         OR         Do an exam?

Make a promise?         OR         Do a promise?

Here’s the rule:

● Does it feel like work? Does it take effort? Then use do.
● If not, use make.

As I said before, this works about 80% of the time.

So the answers are:

and

Got it?

OK. Let’s practise this.

Do the housework?    OR    Make the housework?

● Is it fun? No!
● Does it feel like work? Yes.

So, we say:

Do friends?    OR    Make friends?

● Is it fun? Hopefully!
● Does it feel like work? No.

So, we say:

Easy, right?

English Grammar Trick #2 — Verb + -ing or to?

She’s good at to throw cats?         OR         She’s good at throwing cats?

She apologized for to crash the tank?         OR         She apologized for crashing the tank?

Here’s the rule:

… about 80% of the time. Hey, nothing’s perfect.

Don't know what a preposition is? Click here for some examples.

So the answers are:

and

Once you know this shortcut, you won’t have to think about it at all.