I receive many emails from readers asking me how they can improve their grammar. I always tell them there is no quick fix. The best way to improve your grammar is to read, write, listen, and speak in English. You must persevere in doing this or you will never improve your grammar. Just learning English grammar in school is not enough. You have to persevere in using the English language if you want to improve your grammar. Many Hong Kong people refrain from doing this because they are worried people will laugh at them.
The expression "quick fix" means a quick but temporary and not a very good solution to a problem. If your grammar is bad, there is no quick fix to make it better. To persevere means to continue trying to do something even if it is difficult. You must persevere in learning grammar if you want to be good at it. To refrain from doing something means to stop oneself from doing something. Do not refrain from speaking English even if people laugh at your mistakes. Persevere in reading, writing, listening and speaking in English.
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上星期我聽到行政會議及立法會議員李慧琼，犯了一個香港常見的文法錯誤。她接受英文電台訪問時說道："Every people in Hong Kong..."我不時聽到香港人犯這個錯處。李慧琼用到people這個字的時候，是作複數用。但在這個字之前的every卻是單數。李慧琼應該說："Every person in Hong Kong..."也可以說："All the people in Hong Kong..."我從前已經說過，如果英語不是你的母語，犯上簡單的文法錯誤，是沒有甚麼大不了的，但類似 "every people"這樣的嚴重錯誤，就應該避免。
我收到許多讀者的電郵問我，他們可以怎樣改善文法。我常常跟他們說，那是沒有捷徑（quick fix）的。改善文法最好的方法就是讀、寫、聽和說英語。你一定得堅持不懈（persevere），不然你永遠也無法改善你的文法。單單在學校學習英語文法是不夠的。要是你想改善文法，就得不屈不撓地（persevere）活用英語。許多香港人對此卻步（refrain），因為他們擔心會被其他人嘲笑。
習語quick fix是指快捷但治標不治本的方法。要是你的文法很爛，根本沒有應急之策（quick fix）可以令你一夜變好。To persevere就是無論有多難，仍然堅持不懈去做。你要有好的文法，就一定得堅持恆忍地（persevere）學習。To refrain from doing something解作節制、抑制着不做某事。即使被人恥笑你的錯處，也別抑壓（refrain）着不說英語啊！堅持（persevere）讀、寫、聽、說英語吧﹗
mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
Source: http://news.stheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=269905§ion_name=wtt&kw=126