39 topics
The verb "to be" links a subject to information about it. Use "am" with I, "is" with he / she / it, and "are" with you / we / they.
Watch out: Never drop the verb: "She happy" is incorrect; the correct form is "She is happy."
Make a negative by adding "not" after the verb. Make a question by swapping the subject and the verb.
In English we usually answer yes/no questions with a short form that repeats the subject and the auxiliary, not just "yes" or "no".
Watch out: Do not contract a positive short answer: "Yes, I'm." is wrong - say "Yes, I am."
Use the present simple for habits, facts, and permanent situations. Negatives and questions need the auxiliary "do" (or "does" for he/she/it).
In the present simple, add -s (or -es / -ies) to the verb when the subject is he, she, or it.
Watch out: Easy slip: "She play" should be "She plays."
Use the present simple for things that happen regularly, general truths, and timetables.
Words like always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, and never tell us how often something happens. They go before the main verb but after the verb to be.
Form: subject + am/is/are + verb-ing. Use it for actions happening right now or around now.
Use the present simple for habits and permanent facts; use the present continuous for what is happening right now or temporarily around now.
"Have" and "have got" both express possession, relationships, and characteristics. "Have got" is more common in British English speech.
Use "was" with I, he, she, it. Use "were" with you, we, they. Negatives: wasn't / weren't.
Regular verbs add -ed (worked, played). Irregular verbs change form completely (go - went, see - saw, eat - ate). You have to memorize the common ones.
Use the auxiliary "did" (+ infinitive without to) for negatives and questions in the past simple.
Watch out: Do not use the past form after "did": say "Did you go?" not "Did you went?"
Use "will" for predictions, decisions made at the moment of speaking, and offers. "Shall" is mostly used in questions with I/we.
Use "be going to" for plans you already have, or predictions based on what you can see right now.
"Can" expresses ability, possibility, and informal permission. The negative is "cannot" or "can't".
"Could" is more polite than "can" for requests. Use "Could you...?" with strangers or in formal situations.
Use the base form of the verb (no subject) to give commands, instructions, or warnings. Add "do not" or "don't" for negatives.
"Would like" is the polite way to offer or request something. Always followed by a noun or "to + verb".
Use "Let's + verb" to make a suggestion that includes you and the listener. "Shall we?" is a polite alternative.
Some verbs take "to + verb" (want, need, decide, hope). Others take "-ing" (enjoy, finish, avoid). Some verbs, such as like, love, and prefer, can take either form.
Use "a" before consonant sounds and "an" before vowel sounds. Most plurals add -s; some change form (child - children).
Use "a/an" the first time you mention a thing. Use "the" when both speakers know which one. Use no article for general plural and uncountable nouns.
Watch out: Do not say "the breakfast" or "the music" when speaking generally.
Use "this/these" for things near you and "that/those" for things farther away. They can stand alone or modify a noun.
Subject pronouns (I, you, he...) do the action. Object pronouns (me, you, him...) receive it. Possessive adjectives (my, your, his...) go before nouns.
Possessive pronouns (mine, yours, hers...) stand alone. Add 's to a noun to show possession.
Countable nouns can be plural (one chair, two chairs). Uncountable nouns (water, money, advice, information) do not take "a/an" and are not pluralized.
Watch out: Do not say "an advice"; say "a piece of advice".
Use "some" in positive statements and offers; "any" in negatives and questions. Use "many/few" with countables, "much/little" with uncountables. "A lot of" works with both.
Use this structure to say that something exists. Match the verb to the noun that follows.
"There" introduces something new. "It" refers to something already known, or to weather, time, and distance.
Adjectives go before the noun ("a red car") or after the verb to be ("the car is red"). Adjectives in English do not change for number or gender.
Adverbs of manner usually end in -ly and tell us how an action is done. They describe verbs, not nouns.
Watch out: "Good" is an adjective; "well" is the adverb: "She speaks English well."
Short adjectives add -er / -est (tall - taller - tallest). Long adjectives use more / most (interesting - more interesting - most interesting). Some are irregular (good - better - best).
These small words connect ideas. "And" adds, "but" contrasts, "or" gives alternatives, "so" shows result, "because" gives reason.
Use "at" with clock times, "on" with days and dates, "in" with months, years, seasons, and parts of the day.
Use "at" for specific points, "on" for surfaces, "in" for enclosed spaces. Other prepositions show position relative to other things.
Wh- questions start with a question word (what, where, when, why, who, how) and follow the structure: Wh- + auxiliary + subject + verb.
English uses fixed word order. The subject usually comes first, then the verb, then the object. Time and place expressions go at the end.
Watch out: Avoid putting the object before the verb: "I yesterday saw a film" should be "I saw a film yesterday."
Use these to anchor verbs in time. "Ago" goes after the time expression; "last/next" goes before it.
Read bilingual short stories and notice these structures in real sentences.
