English grammar exercises: Best apps, websites and books to build your skills
Published on March 16, 2022 / Updated on January 9, 2024
“How can I practice English grammar?”
This is a pretty common question among English learners.
Yes, real-life practice—like having conversations with native speakers, watching movies and writing—is an essential part of language learning. But you might notice that you’re missing the grammar foundation that can help you get your English accuracy where you want it to be.
Whether you’re a more traditional learner who prefers using a grammar textbook or you’re someone who wants to do exercises online, we’ve got you covered. Below, we discuss our top choices to practice English grammar exercises, no matter what your learning style is.
Are you ready to practice your English grammar and start improving your language skills? Then read on!
Using an app for English grammar exercises can be both fun and convenient. Apps let you practice via games and interactive activities anytime, anywhere. Here are a few of our favorites!
LearnEnglish Grammar is a super useful app, whether you’re looking for beginner, intermediate or advanced English grammar exercises (CEFR levels A1 to C2). The app offers thousands of practice questions, timed activities, quizzes to check your progress and a variety of interactive exercises.
LearnEnglish Grammar has been ranked among the top 10 grammar apps in more than 100 countries.
The premium version of this app is available to download for free.
If you’re looking for some gamified English grammar exercises, try Johnny Grammar Word Challenge. It covers grammar, spelling and vocabulary. This enjoyable app lets you compete with more than 100,000 learners worldwide and win badges by successfully completing a variety of quizzes.
This free app has three levels (easy, medium and hard) and covers topics like idioms, travel and food. If you answer incorrectly, you’ll receive feedback so you know exactly what your error was.
English Grammar in Use is adapted from a book by Raymond Murphy. It’s perfect for intermediate English learners. With interactive grammar exercises, explanations, audio examples, a study guide and a glossary, English Grammar in Use is ideal for self-study.
However, the app’s free starter pack only comes with six grammar units focused on present and past tenses. If you’re interested in other activities like future tense English grammar exercises, you’ll need to purchase those within the app. In total, you have the choice of buying up to 145 grammar units.
What is the best site for English grammar? There isn’t necessarily one best website—it just depends on what you like. Here are four fantastic websites for you to choose from!
The grammar section of the Khan Academy website breaks grammar down into components like parts of speech (e.g., nouns, verbs), punctuation (commas, colons, apostrophes, etc.) and syntax (sentences and clauses).
Each grammar topic is presented in a short video, followed by practice activities. The platform also allows you to make comments, ask questions and participate in discussions. Every video also comes with a transcript in case you missed something or want to double-check your listening comprehension.
The Punctuation Guide is all about—that’s right—punctuation! While it’s not purely a grammar website, the Punctuation Guide is a fantastic complement to your grammar practice.
This is a straightforward, easy-to-use website: Just click on a link to read clear explanations and examples of different types of punctuation. From semicolons to question marks to dashes, you’ll find it all here!
The Grammar Bytes website is nothing fancy, but it offers great exercises on various English grammar topics. The activities focus on comma splices, irregular verbs, pronoun agreement, word choice and more.
Every topic includes a complete explanation of the grammatical rules, an interactive exercise and a downloadable handout.
Perfect English Grammar is a straightforward and very useful grammar website. You can start by taking a free quiz to find out your grammar level. Next, simply click on the links to access clear, detailed explanations and English grammar exercises. You can also sign up for paid courses if you need extra guidance.
This site covers all English grammar tenses and offers handy downloadable PDFs for you to review.
Not everyone is interested in apps and websites. Some people prefer seeing words on a page and using a pencil to fill in answers and take notes. If that sounds like you, check out these two popular grammar resources for book lovers!
Above, we discussed the English Grammar in Use app, which was adapted from this book. If you’re more of a book learner than an app user, check out this best-selling grammar guide for intermediate learners.
The text is great because all 145 grammar units are included—no extra purchases are required. It also comes with an interactive eBook with detailed audio explanations and examples. You can use it online or download it to your smart device. Just like the app, it’s great for self-study.
Fundamentals of English Grammar is one of the best-known grammar books out there, used by teachers and students alike. This is a pretty serious grammar textbook, so it wouldn’t be well-suited for beginners. You should be at least at an intermediate (B1) level before attempting this one.
This text offers detailed, clear and relevant explanations of all grammar points combined with practice questions. For extra practice, try pairing it with the accompanying workbook (complete with an answer key).
There are tons of opportunities to improve your skills with English grammar exercises; these suggestions are just a start. Try using a variety of apps, websites or books to gain more knowledge and confidence in English. Building a solid English grammar foundation is a great step toward getting all of your English skills to the next level!