One of the very best ways to improve your English (especially the grammar side of it) is by reading. Reading books, short stories, articles - pretty much anything that will engage you for more than fifteen minutes at any one sitting. Flicking through Facebook updates or checking out the posts on reddit is not the same!
But why is reading going to help improve my English?
* You can learn vocabulary in context.
* You can see words and phrases used naturally, instead of in a textbook.
* You can see structures and expressions that you can use when you write.
* You can go fast, slow - at any speed you wish! You can read 10 pages in ten minutes, thirty minutes, or even an hour. It's doesn't matter. Take your time. The choice is yours.
* You can choose something that you like to read. If you like soccer, then read about soccer. If you like gripping thrillers, then read them. If you're interested in historical Rome, find something about that. Read whatever you want! :)
Above all, read regularly. It's a skill, like speaking, so the more you use it the better you get at it.
So what do I read?
If you're not into novels or short stories, then surf the web for a web site that is about a subject you like. Find an article and read it. If it's boring, then find a better one. Just don't give up!
However, if you're interested in short stories or short novels (sometimes called novellas), one of the best sites to go to is http://english-e-books.net. They're numerous fictional stories on this site which you can download (for free!), and each of them (did I tell you they're free?) has been altered to match the level you're at, so there's no excuse not to check them out.
(I told you they're free, didn't I?)
For my FCE evening students, here's the entire text of Ira Levin's A Kiss Before Dying.
Happy Reading! :)
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