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Why
As outlined here, the whole ‘raison d’être’ of this site is not to focus on rules, but rather on allowing the structure of language to develop by meaningful involvement. Again, there is evidence that emphasising rules actually slows down progress, reduces motivation and involvement, and limits people’s ability to understand and apply language in real situations.
However, it is likely that at certain points, you may need to build some basic foundations (early on), and later consolidate what you have learned.
There are also some rules which are somewhat difficult to acquire – probably because they are very different from the English ones which we already know, or which happen with a low frequency, so are unlikely to form the necessary associations.
Online sources
There are a huge number of resources on the net for learning or checking on Grammar. One of the best of these is run by Laura Lawless.
Collins also does an online Easy Grammar which covers all of the basic principles.
If you are looking for a book on French grammar, this is THE best I have been able to find. It's modern, well laid out and clear, and covers pretty well everything you are likely to need.
£28.40 and 5 stars on Amazon.
Such resources can be somewhat overwhelming. I am only suggesting them if you want to check something specific. I have reviewed some areas below, and the key principles should work for you most of the time. Some of these are more in- depth if you want to know more.
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