English Grammar Exercises for Programmers: Write Better Code

By Fitri

May 23, 2025

In Programming Education

0

As programmers, we often focus intensely on syntax, algorithms, and logic. But what about the unsung hero of clear, maintainable, and effective code: English grammar? Strong English grammar skills are essential for writing understandable code comments, creating clear documentation, and communicating effectively with team members and clients. This guide provides practical English grammar exercises for programmers to refine your writing and level up your code.

Why English Grammar Matters for Programmers

Many programmers might think, "I just need to make the code work. Grammar is for novelists!" However, consider these points:

• Readability: Well-written code and documentation are easier to read and understand. This saves time during debugging, code reviews, and maintenance.
• Collaboration: Clear communication reduces ambiguity and prevents misunderstandings within development teams.
• Professionalism: Error-free writing projects a professional image, which is crucial when interacting with clients or contributing to open-source projects.
• Documentation: Accurate and comprehensive documentation is vital for explaining how code works and how to use it. Good grammar ensures the documentation is accessible to everyone.
• Reduced Errors: While not directly related to code execution, clear instructions and explanations reduce the likelihood of misinterpretations that can lead to errors.

Basic English Grammar Refresher

Before diving into exercises specifically tailored for programmers, let's quickly review some fundamental grammar concepts.

Parts of Speech

Understanding the different parts of speech is foundational to constructing grammatically correct sentences. The main parts of speech are:

• Nouns: Words that name people, places, things, or ideas (e.g., programmer, function, bug, database).
• Pronouns: Words that replace nouns (e.g., he, she, it, they).
• Verbs: Words that describe actions or states of being (e.g., run, debug, is, compile).
• Adjectives: Words that describe nouns (e.g., complex, efficient, readable, legacy).
• Adverbs: Words that describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs (e.g., quickly, easily, thoroughly, efficiently).
• Prepositions: Words that show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in the sentence (e.g., in, on, at, to, from, with).
• Conjunctions: Words that connect words, phrases, or clauses (e.g., and, but, or, so, because).
• Interjections: Words that express strong emotion (e.g., Wow!, Ouch!). (Less relevant for technical writing, but good to know!)

Subject-Verb Agreement

The verb in a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural) with its subject. This is a common area where errors creep in, particularly with complex sentences.

• Correct: The function returns a value. (Singular subject, singular verb)
• Incorrect: The function return a value.
• Correct: The functions return values. (Plural subject, plural verb)
• Incorrect: The functions returns values.

Tense Consistency

Maintain consistent verb tenses within a paragraph or section unless there's a clear reason to change. Shifting tenses unnecessarily can confuse the reader.

• Inconsistent: *The user enters the data, and the system *will process* it.* (Present tense, future tense)
• Consistent: *The user enters the data, and the system *processes* it.* (Present tense)
• Consistent: *The user entered the data, and the system *processed* it.* (Past tense)

Common Grammatical Errors in Technical Writing

Programmers, like everyone else, are prone to certain grammatical errors. Here are some common ones to watch out for:

• Misuse of its vs. it's: Its is a possessive pronoun (e.g., The program has its own memory.). It's is a contraction of it is (e.g., It's important to test your code.).
• Confusing there, their, and they're: There indicates a place (e.g., The file is over there.). Their is a possessive pronoun (e.g., Their code needs improvement.). They're is a contraction of they are (e.g., They're working on a new feature.).
• Incorrect use of commas: Commas are often misused or omitted. Pay attention to comma rules, especially when joining independent clauses or using introductory phrases.
• Dangling modifiers: A dangling modifier is a phrase or clause that doesn't clearly modify the word it's intended to modify (e.g., Running the code, the error occurred. Who was running the code?). Rewrite to clarify: While I was running the code, the error occurred. or When the code was running, the error occurred..
• Passive voice: While passive voice isn't always wrong, overuse can make writing less direct and harder to understand. Prefer active voice when possible (e.g., instead of "The code was written by the team," write "The team wrote the code.").

English Grammar Exercises Tailored for Programmers

Now, let's put your grammar skills to the test with exercises designed for the challenges programmers face.

Exercise 1: Improving Code Comments

Clear and concise code comments are invaluable for explaining the purpose and functionality of code. Rewrite the following code comments to improve their clarity and grammar. Remember to focus on subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, and accurate word choice.

Original Comment:

// this function is for sorting the array.
public void sortArray(int[] arr) {
  // ...
}

Improved Comment:

// This function sorts the array.
public void sortArray(int[] arr) {
  // ...
}

Another Example:

Original Comment:

#the loop will iterate through the list and adding the values
for i in my_list:
    #...
    pass

Improved Comment:

# The loop iterates through the list and adds the values.
for i in my_list:
    #...
    pass

Your turn! Rewrite the following comments:

1. python #it checks if the value is null if value == None: #... pass
2. java //the program need to run fast public void runFast(){ //... }
3. c++ //this variable storing the result int result;

Exercise 2: Writing Effective Documentation

Documentation should be clear, accurate, and easy to understand. Rewrite the following documentation snippets to improve their grammar and clarity. Pay attention to sentence structure, word choice, and the use of active voice.

Original Documentation:

"The API, it allows users to access data. It is very easy to use. The user can simply call the function."

Improved Documentation:

"The API allows users to access data. It is easy to use; users can simply call the function."

Another example:

Original Documentation: "The function when called will return a error if there are no parameters passed."

Improved Documentation: "The function returns an error if no parameters are passed."

Your turn! Rewrite the following documentation snippets:

1. "The class, it is responsible for managing the database connection. A connection needs established before use."
2. "The method will be running in a separate thread, so the main thread won't get blocked."
3. "The system, it has been designed for scalability and high availability, it can handle large amounts of requests."

Exercise 3: Creating Clear Error Messages

Well-written error messages can significantly improve the user experience. Rewrite the following error messages to make them more informative and grammatically correct.

Original Error Message:

"Invalid input."

Improved Error Message:

"Invalid input: Please enter a valid integer."

Another example:

Original Error Message:

"File not found."

Improved Error Message:

"Error: The specified file was not found. Please verify the file path and name."

Your turn! Rewrite the following error messages:

1. "Something went wrong."
2. "Access denied."
3. "Incorrect password."

Exercise 4: Correcting Common Grammar Mistakes

Identify and correct the grammatical errors in the following sentences. These sentences represent common mistakes made in technical writing.

1. "Its important to validate user input."
2. "There going to deploy the new version tomorrow."
3. "The code, it needs to be refactored."
4. "The function return the value, but it doesn't handle errors."
5. "The API is easy to use, and provides many features."

Exercise 5: Practice with Commonly Confused Words

Technical writing requires precision. Test your knowledge of commonly confused words.

1. The program needs to (affect/effect) the changes immediately.
2. (Its/It's) important to document all code.
3. (Their/There/They're) are several ways to solve this problem.
4. The new feature will (ensure/insure) data integrity.
5. (Accept/Except) for the error handling, the code is complete.

Resources for Improving Your English Grammar

Fortunately, many excellent resources are available to help programmers improve their English grammar skills. Consider these options:

• Grammar Books: "The Elements of Style" by Strunk and White is a classic guide to concise and effective writing. "English Grammar in Use" by Raymond Murphy is a comprehensive grammar reference book.
• Online Grammar Checkers: Grammarly and ProWritingAid are popular online tools that can help identify and correct grammatical errors.
• Online Courses: Coursera, edX, and Udemy offer courses on English grammar and technical writing.
• Style Guides: Follow a consistent style guide, such as the Microsoft Manual of Style or the Chicago Manual of Style, to ensure consistent formatting and grammar.
• Read and Analyze: Pay attention to the writing style of technical documentation and articles that you find clear and effective. Analyze what makes them easy to understand.

Level Up Your Code with Improved Grammar

By investing in your English grammar skills, you're not just becoming a better writer; you're becoming a more effective programmer. Clear communication is essential for successful software development, and strong grammar is the foundation of clear communication. Start with these English grammar exercises for programmers, leverage the available resources, and watch your code and documentation improve.