Differences Between Vietnamese Grammar and English Grammar and Their Challenges for Writers

Grammar plays a fundamental role in any language as it sets the rules and structures for communication.
For Vietnamese writers learning English or vice versa, the differences between Vietnamese and English
grammar can present significant challenges. While both languages aim to convey meaning, their
grammatical rules are quite different, especially in areas such as sentence structure, verb tenses, articles,
and word order. Understanding these differences is key to overcoming the difficulties they present.

1. Sentence Structure: SVO vs. SVO Flexibility

English grammar follows a relatively rigid Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) sentence structure. For instance, in the
sentence "She eats an apple," "she" is the subject, "eats" is the verb, and "apple" is the object. This order is
rarely altered, and shifting it could lead to misunderstanding.

In contrast, while Vietnamese also employs an SVO structure, it allows for more flexibility in sentence
construction. In Vietnamese, words can be omitted when the meaning is clear from the context, which is
not the case in English. For example, in informal Vietnamese, you might simply say "ăn cơm chưa?"
(literally, "eat rice yet?") instead of "Have you eaten rice?" This omission of the subject would sound
incomplete in English.

Difficulty for Writers: Vietnamese writers learning English often struggle with maintaining the strict SVO
order in every sentence and ensuring that all sentence components (subject, verb, object) are always
present and correctly placed. They may inadvertently omit subjects or verbs when translating thoughts
from Vietnamese to English.

2. Tenses and Verb Conjugation

One of the most significant differences between the two languages lies in how verbs are handled. English
verbs change based on tense, which indicates the time an action occurs (past, present, or future). Each
tense requires a specific verb conjugation, such as "run" (present), "ran" (past), and "will run" (future).
Furthermore, English contains perfect tenses like present perfect ("have run"), adding layers of complexity.

Vietnamese, on the other hand, does not rely on verb conjugation to express tense. Instead, time is
indicated through context or the use of time markers such as "đã" (past), "đang" (present), or "sẽ" (future).
The base form of the verb remains the same regardless of tense.

Difficulty for Writers: Vietnamese writers may struggle with using the correct verb forms in English. Since
Vietnamese does not require verb conjugation, transitioning to a system where verbs must agree with
tense can lead to errors. Writers often struggle with remembering the different forms of irregular verbs and
when to apply perfect tenses.

3. Articles and Determiners

In English, articles ("a," "an," and "the") are essential grammatical components that define nouns as
specific or unspecific. For example, "a cat" refers to any cat, while "the cat" refers to a specific cat already
known to the speaker and listener.

Vietnamese, however, does not have articles in the same way English does. Instead, it uses classifiers and
context to indicate whether something is specific or general. For instance, "con mèo" can mean "a cat" or
"the cat," depending on context.
Difficulty for Writers: Writers transitioning from Vietnamese to English often find the use of articles
confusing. Knowing when to use "a" vs. "the," or even when to omit articles, can be challenging. The
absence of a similar grammatical feature in Vietnamese makes it hard to develop an instinct for their
proper use in English.

4. Word Order in Adjectives and Nouns

In English, adjectives typically precede the noun they describe. For instance, we say "a big house" or "a
beautiful flower."

In Vietnamese, however, the order is reversed: adjectives follow the noun. A similar phrase in Vietnamese
would be "một ngôi nhà lớn" (literally, "a house big") or "một bông hoa đẹp" (literally, "a flower beautiful").

Difficulty for Writers: Vietnamese writers often find it counterintuitive to place adjectives before nouns in
English. This difference in word order can lead to mistakes, where writers incorrectly translate from
Vietnamese to English, leading to sentences like "a house big" instead of "a big house."

5. Pronouns and Gender

English pronouns (he, she, it) vary based on gender, which means that the gender of the person or object
must be clear when constructing a sentence. English pronouns can also change based on case (subjective
"he" vs. objective "him").

In contrast, Vietnamese pronouns do not depend on gender in the same way. The language has a wide
array of pronouns that denote the social relationship between the speaker and the listener (e.g., "anh" for
older brother/male, "chị" for older sister/female), but gender is less emphasized.

Difficulty for Writers: Vietnamese speakers may struggle with choosing the correct gendered pronouns in
English. Mistakes often occur when the gender of the subject is unclear or when writers are unaccustomed
to using gendered language. This leads to confusion, especially when differentiating between "he," "she,"
and "it."

6. Pluralization

English has a distinct system for pluralizing nouns, usually by adding "-s" or "-es" to the singular form (e.g.,
"book" becomes "books," "box" becomes "boxes"). In addition, English includes irregular plural forms like
"child" (plural: "children") and "person" (plural: "people").

Vietnamese does not have the same mechanism for pluralizing nouns. Instead, the plurality is often implied
through context or indicated by the use of words like "những" or "các," which mean "some" or "many."

Difficulty for Writers: Vietnamese learners of English often omit plural markers, as they are not
accustomed to altering nouns to reflect plurality. This can lead to sentences where plural nouns are not
clearly marked, causing confusion for the reader.

Conclusion

The differences between Vietnamese and English grammar, including sentence structure, verb tense,
articles, word order, pronouns, and pluralization, present various challenges for Vietnamese writers
learning English. These challenges arise primarily from the need to adapt to grammatical features that are
either absent or used differently in their native language. Overcoming these difficulties requires practice
and a deep understanding of the rules governing both languages. As writers become more familiar with
English grammar, they can gradually internalize these structures, improving their fluency and written
communication skills.