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 making sounds which evolved into
words, phrases and sentences. 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." It's important to think of grammar as
something that can help you, like a friend. 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.
So
think of grammar as something good, something positive, something that
you can use to find your way - like a signpost or a map.
* Except invented languages like Esperanto. And if Esperanto were widely spoken, its rules would soon be very different.
