English Grammar Basics

1. Subject-Verb Agreement

The verb must always agree with the subject in number (singular or plural). This is one of the most fundamental rules in English grammar.

Examples:

• Correct: "She likes coffee." (singular subject + singular verb)
• Correct: "They like coffee." (plural subject + plural verb)
• Incorrect: "She like coffee." ❌

Tip: When the subject is "he", "she", or "it", add an "s" to the verb in present tense.

2. Understanding Tenses

Tenses tell us when an action happens. English has three main time periods: past, present, and future. Each has simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous forms.

Key tenses to master first:

• Present Simple: "I work every day." (habitual actions)
• Past Simple: "I worked yesterday." (completed past actions)
• Future Simple: "I will work tomorrow." (future plans)
• Present Continuous: "I am working now." (actions happening now)

3. Articles: A, An, and The

Articles are small words that come before nouns. "A" and "an" are indefinite articles (used for non-specific things), while "the" is definite (used for specific things).

Rules:

• Use "a" before words starting with a consonant sound: "a book", "a university"
• Use "an" before words starting with a vowel sound: "an apple", "an hour"
• Use "the" for specific things: "the book on the table" (we know which book)
• Don't use articles with plural nouns when talking generally: "I like cats" (not "I like the cats")

4. Countable vs. Uncountable Nouns

Some nouns can be counted (one apple, two apples), while others cannot (water, information). This affects which words you can use with them.

Examples:

• Countable: "I have three books." / "I need a book."
• Uncountable: "I need some water." / "I have a lot of information."
• Never say: "I need a water" ❌ (water is uncountable)

5. Prepositions of Time and Place

Prepositions show relationships between words. Common ones include "in", "on", "at" for time and place.

Time prepositions:

• At: specific times ("at 3 PM", "at night")
• On: days and dates ("on Monday", "on January 1st")
• In: months, years, seasons ("in March", "in 2024", "in winter")

Place prepositions:

• At: specific locations ("at the store", "at home")
• On: surfaces ("on the table", "on the wall")
• In: enclosed spaces ("in the room", "in the box")

6. Question Formation

English questions typically use question words (who, what, where, when, why, how) or invert the subject and verb.

Types of questions:

• Yes/No questions: "Are you happy?" (invert: Are + you)
• Wh- questions: "Where do you live?" (question word + do/does + subject + verb)
• Tag questions: "You like coffee, don't you?" (statement + short question)

7. Adjectives and Adverbs

Adjectives describe nouns, while adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Most adverbs end in "-ly".

Examples:

• Adjective: "She is a quick runner." (describes "runner")
• Adverb: "She runs quickly." (describes "runs")
• Exception: Some words don't change: "fast" (He is fast / He runs fast)

8. Plural Forms

Most nouns become plural by adding "s", but there are many exceptions and irregular forms to learn.

Rules:

• Add "s": cat → cats, book → books
• Add "es" after s, x, z, ch, sh: box → boxes, church → churches
• Change "y" to "ies": city → cities, baby → babies
• Irregular: child → children, mouse → mice, person → people

9. Possessive Forms

Show ownership using apostrophes or possessive pronouns.

Examples:

• Singular: "The cat's toy" (add 's)
• Plural ending in s: "The cats' toys" (add ')
• Possessive pronouns: "This is mine." / "That is yours."

10. Word Order (SVO Pattern)

English follows a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order in most sentences. This is different from many other languages.

Structure:

• Basic: Subject + Verb + Object
• Example: "I (subject) love (verb) coffee (object)."
• With adjectives: "I love hot coffee." (adjective before noun)
• With adverbs: "I really love coffee." (adverb before verb)