Basic English Grammar

Cards · 52

Subject-Verb Agreement (Singular)

A singular subject takes a singular verb, usually ending in -s or -es in the present tense. Example: The dog barks loudly at night.

Subject-Verb Agreement (Plural)

A plural subject takes a plural verb without an -s ending in the present tense. Example: The dogs bark loudly at night.

Definite Article: 'The'

Used to refer to specific or previously mentioned nouns. Example: The book on the table belongs to Sarah.

Indefinite Article: 'A'

Used before singular, countable nouns starting with a consonant sound. Example: I need to buy a computer.

Indefinite Article: 'An'

Used before singular, countable nouns starting with a vowel sound. Example: She ate an apple for breakfast.

Present Simple Tense (Habits & Facts)

Used for repeated actions, general truths, and regular routines. Example: The sun rises in the east.

Present Continuous Tense

Formed with 'am/is/are + verb-ing' to describe actions happening right now. Example: He is studying for his final exam.

Past Simple Tense (Regular Verbs)

Add -ed to the base form of regular verbs to show completed past actions. Example: They walked to the park yesterday.

Past Simple Tense (Irregular Verbs)

Irregular verbs change forms completely in the past simple without using -ed. Example: She wrote a letter to her friend.

Past Continuous Tense

Formed with 'was/were + verb-ing' to show an action in progress in the past. Example: I was watching TV when you called.

Present Perfect Tense

Formed with 'have/has + past participle' for past actions connected to the present. Example: We have lived in this city for five years.

Future with 'Will'

Used for spontaneous decisions, predictions, or promises. Example: I will call you as soon as I arrive.

Future with 'Going to'

Formed with 'am/is/are going to + verb' for planned intentions or clear evidence. Example: They are going to travel to Spain next month.

Comparative Adjectives (-er)

Add -er to one-syllable adjectives to compare two things. Example: A giraffe is taller than an elephant.

Comparative Adjectives ('More')

Use 'more' before adjectives with two or more syllables to compare two things. Example: This book is more interesting than the movie.

Superlative Adjectives (-est)

Add -est to one-syllable adjectives to identify the extreme among three or more items. Example: Mount Everest is the highest mountain.

Superlative Adjectives ('Most')

Use 'most' before longer adjectives to identify the extreme. Example: She is the most talented singer in the group.

Modal Verb: 'Can'

Expresses general ability, permission, or informal possibility. Example: He can speak three foreign languages fluently.

Modal Verb: 'Must'

Expresses strong necessity, obligation, or high certainty. Example: You must wear a seatbelt while driving.

Modal Verb: 'Should'

Used to give advice, suggestions, or express expectations. Example: You should drink plenty of water every day.

Countable Nouns

Items that can be separated and counted individually, having both singular and plural forms. Example: I bought three apples.

Uncountable Nouns

Substances or concepts that cannot be counted directly and do not take plural forms. Example: She poured some milk into the bowl.

Preposition of Time: 'At'

Used for precise times of day, holidays, and specific moments. Example: The train leaves at 5:30 PM.

Preposition of Time: 'On'

Used for days of the week and specific calendar dates. Example: The party will take place on Saturday.

Preposition of Time: 'In'

Used for months, years, seasons, decades, and longer time periods. Example: It usually snows here in January.

Preposition of Place: 'In'

Indicates an enclosed space, container, or bounded geographical area. Example: My keys are in my jacket pocket.

Preposition of Place: 'On'

Indicates position on a surface or transportation like a bus or train. Example: Put the dirty plates on the kitchen counter.

Preposition of Place: 'At'

Indicates a specific point, location, or general venue. Example: Let us meet at the library entrance.

Zero Conditional

Uses 'If + present simple, present simple' to state universal scientific truths or facts. Example: If you heat ice, it melts.

First Conditional

Uses 'If + present simple, will + base verb' for real and probable future possibilities. Example: If it rains, we will stay home.

Second Conditional

Uses 'If + past simple, would + base verb' for unreal or hypothetical present/future situations. Example: If I won the lottery, I would travel.

Possessive Noun ('s)

Add an apostrophe and -s to show that something belongs to a singular noun. Example: Mary's car is parked outside.

Possessive Noun (s')

Add only an apostrophe after regular plural nouns ending in -s to show ownership. Example: The students' classroom is clean.

Subject Pronouns

Pronouns like I, you, he, she, it, we, and they perform the main action of a clause. Example: She loves playing the violin.

Object Pronouns

Pronouns like me, you, him, her, it, us, and them receive the verb's action. Example: The teacher helped them with the assignment.

Possessive Adjectives

Words like my, your, his, her, its, our, and their modify nouns to indicate possession. Example: This is our new house.

Reflexive Pronouns

Used when the subject and object of the sentence are the exact same entity. Example: He cut himself while chopping vegetables.

Adverbs of Manner (-ly)

Describe how an action occurs, typically formed by appending -ly to an adjective. Example: She sang the song beautifully.

Adverbs of Frequency

Words like always, often, or rarely usually sit directly before the main verb. Example: He often walks to school in the morning.

Coordinating Conjunctions (FANBOYS)

Connect equal words, phrases, or independent clauses using words like and, but, or so. Example: I wanted to go out, but it was raining.

Subordinating Conjunction: 'Because'

Introduces a dependent clause providing the cause or reason for an action. Example: He was late because traffic was heavy.

Subordinating Conjunction: 'Although'

Introduces an unexpected contrast between two clauses. Example: Although it was cold, they went swimming.

Yes/No Question Formation (Do/Does)

Formed by placing 'Do' or 'Does' before the subject and base verb in present simple. Example: Do you like Italian food?

Yes/No Question Formation (Did)

Formed by placing 'Did' before the subject and the base verb for past simple questions. Example: Did they finish the project yesterday?

Wh- Questions

Formed with question words like what, where, when, who, why, followed by an auxiliary verb. Example: Where do you buy your groceries?

Negative Sentences with 'Do/Does Not'

Formed using 'do not' or 'does not' followed by the base form of the verb. Example: She does not eat spicy food.

Passive Voice (Present Simple)

Formed with 'am/is/are + past participle' when the object is the focus of the action. Example: English is spoken in many countries.

Passive Voice (Past Simple)

Formed with 'was/were + past participle' to emphasize the receiver of past actions. Example: The telephone was invented by Bell.

Gerunds after Prepositions

A verb must take the -ing gerund form when placed directly after a preposition. Example: She is interested in learning French.

Infinitive of Purpose

Use 'to + base verb' to explain the reason or motivation for doing something. Example: I went to the store to buy bread.

There Is vs. There Are

Use 'there is' for singular/uncountable nouns and 'there are' for plural nouns. Example: There are three pens in my drawer.

Imperative Sentences

Uses the bare infinitive without an explicit subject to give commands or directions. Example: Please close the door behind you.