{"id":148894,"date":"2023-01-31T22:57:45","date_gmt":"2023-02-01T03:57:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/basic-english-grammar\/"},"modified":"2025-02-22T05:12:18","modified_gmt":"2025-02-22T10:12:18","slug":"basic-english-grammar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/basic-english-grammar\/","title":{"rendered":"Basic English Grammar: Essential Rules"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a beginner in English, you shouldn’t stress too much about being grammatically perfect. Even native speakers slip up<\/a> on grammar, especially in conversation.<\/p>\n

However, by starting to learn basic English grammar<\/a>, you will be surprised how rapidly your English language abilities will progress. So, if you’re ready to start building, let’s go ahead and lay down that foundation.
\n[fluentu-toc]
\n<\/p>\n

Nouns<\/h2>\n

Singular vs. Plural Nouns<\/h3>\n

Nouns<\/a> are naming words. Nouns will be the first words you learn when you start learning a new language.<\/p>\n

Nouns can be both singular, referring to one person, place, thing or idea, or plural referring to multiple people, places, things or ideas.<\/p>\n

The end of the noun changes to transform it from singular to plural. This will differ depending on the end of the word. For most nouns, simply add an -s<\/em> to the end to turn it into a plural noun.<\/p>\n

Also note that for some words, the pronunciation changes when changing from singular to plural.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
doctor<\/td>doctors<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
mountain<\/td>mountains<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
cat<\/td>cats<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
thought<\/td>\u00a0thoughts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/p>\n

For nouns that end in a -ch,<\/em> -x<\/em> or -s<\/em>, add -es<\/em> to turn the word into a plural noun.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t
church<\/td>churches<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
tax<\/td>taxes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
eyeglass<\/td>eyeglasses<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/p>\n

Add an -es<\/em> to nouns that end in -f<\/em> or -fe<\/em> while also changing the -f<\/em> to a -v<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t
half<\/td>halves<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
calf<\/td>calves<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
knife<\/td>knives<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/p>\n

The spelling of some nouns changes in the plural form.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
man<\/td>men<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
child<\/td>children<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
goose<\/td>geese<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
tooth<\/td>teeth<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
person<\/td>people<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/p>\n

Words ending in -o<\/em> or -y<\/em> are tricky<\/strong> as they don’t have consistent rules you can follow to change them.<\/p>\n

Most of the time, merely adding an -s<\/em> to the end of a word that ends in -o<\/em> is sufficient. However, sometimes, the word requires an -es<\/em> at the end.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\t\n\t
hero<\/td>heroes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
burrito<\/td>burritos<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/p>\n

For words that have a consonant before the -y<\/em>,<\/strong>\u00a0you usually add a -ies<\/em> to the plural form. If there’s a vowel before the -y<\/em>,<\/strong>\u00a0then simply add an -s<\/em> to the end of the word.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t
lady<\/td>ladies<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
city<\/td>cities<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
tray<\/td>trays<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/p>\n

Some words stay the same in both singular and plural forms. Many of these are animals, but not all!<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
sheep<\/td>sheep<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
moose<\/td>moose<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
fish<\/td>fish<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
aircraft<\/td>aircraft<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/p>\n

Possessive Nouns<\/h3>\n

Add an apostrophe and an -s<\/em> to nouns to make them possessive and indicate who the owner of something is.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mary\u2019s<\/strong> dress<\/p>\n

Dad\u2019s<\/strong> car<\/p>\n

Jenny\u2019s<\/strong> shoes<\/p>\n

Add an apostrophe to the ends of names already ending in -s<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Jess\u2019<\/strong> book<\/p>\n

The teachers\u2019<\/strong>\u00a0chair<\/p>\n

The kids\u2019<\/strong>\u00a0playground<\/p>\n

When talking about two people owning a single object, only add an apostrophe and -s<\/em> to the end of the second person’s name.<\/p>\n

Mom and Dad\u2019s<\/strong> house<\/p>\n

David and Jen\u2019s<\/strong> dog<\/p>\n

Susan and Elodie\u2019s<\/strong> table<\/p>\n

To describe a situation where two people own separate things, add an apostrophe and -s<\/em> to both people’s names.<\/p>\n

Aunty\u2019s<\/strong> and Uncle\u2019s<\/strong> books<\/p>\n

Carol\u2019s<\/strong> and Susan\u2019s<\/strong> shoes<\/p>\n

Josh\u2019s<\/strong> and Tom\u2019s<\/strong> houses<\/p>\n

Pronouns<\/h2>\n

Pronouns<\/a> replace the noun in a sentence. There are various types of pronouns such as relative pronouns<\/a>, demonstrative pronouns<\/a> and reflexive pronouns<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The most basic type of pronouns are personal pronouns, which include I, You, He, She, It, We, They, Us and Them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For example, the sentence “Jonathan<\/strong> goes to work at eight in the morning,” can be altered to, “He<\/strong> goes to work at eight in the morning” using the pronoun he<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Another example is, “Mary and Joe<\/strong> spent the day gardening,” which would change to, “They<\/strong> spent the day gardening.”<\/p>\n

And for extra practice, “The story<\/strong> was exciting,” can be changed to, “It<\/strong> was exciting.”<\/p>\n

Adjectives<\/h2>\n

Adjectives<\/a> are describing or modifying words for nouns.<\/p>\n

In English, adjectives are typically placed in front of the noun.<\/p>\n

Beautiful<\/strong> flower<\/p>\n

Blue<\/strong> ocean<\/p>\n

A sunny<\/strong> day<\/p>\n

Colorful\u00a0<\/b>feathers<\/p>\n

Adjectives with Negative Prefixes<\/h3>\n

Adding a\u00a0un-<\/em>, in-<\/em> or dis-<\/em> to the front of an adjective is often an easy way to give it the opposite meaning.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
common<\/td>uncommon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
interested<\/td>disinterested<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
definite<\/td>indefinite<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
assemble<\/td>disassemble<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/p>\n

Strings of adjectives have a specific order they should be placed in. This order is size or shape, age, color, origin then material.The small, old, yellow, English stone<\/strong> cottage.<\/p>\n

The large, red and white Dutch<\/strong> tulip.<\/p>\n

The long, new, pink silk<\/strong> skirt.<\/p>\n

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives<\/h3>\n

When comparing two things, use a comparative adjective<\/strong>. For comparisons of multiple things, use superlative adjectives<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Form comparative adjectives by adding an -er<\/em> and -est<\/em> to form superlative adjectives on the end of one-syllable words.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t
soft<\/td>softer<\/td>softest<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
old<\/td>older<\/td>oldest<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
short<\/td>shorter<\/td>shortest<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/p>\n

For words ending in a -y<\/em>, change the -y<\/em> to an -i<\/em> then add an -er<\/em> for the comparative adjective and an -est<\/em> for superlative adjectives.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t
pretty<\/td>prettier<\/td>prettiest<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
happy<\/td>happier<\/td>happiest<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
busy<\/td>busier<\/td>busiest<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/p>\n

The spelling doesn’t change for adjectives with more than one syllable. Add the word more<\/em> in front of these words to make the comparative adjective and most<\/em> for superlative adjectives.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t
beautiful<\/td>more beautiful<\/td>most beautiful <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
exciting<\/td>more<\/strong> exciting<\/td>most<\/strong> exciting<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
peaceful<\/td>more<\/strong> peaceful<\/td>most<\/strong> peaceful<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/p>\n

Some adjectives have different forms when turning them into comparatives and superlatives.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
little<\/td>less<\/td>least<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
many or much<\/td>more<\/td>most<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
good<\/td>better<\/td>best<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
bad<\/td>worse<\/td>worst<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/p>\n

Comparative adjectives typically have the word than in front of them to create comparisons.<\/p>\n

This pillow is softer than <\/strong>the other one.<\/p>\n

My dog is happier than<\/strong> my cat.<\/p>\n

Sitting in this garden is more peaceful than<\/strong> in my garden at home.<\/p>\n

There is less than<\/strong> there was yesterday.<\/p>\n

The word the<\/em> usually accompanies superlative adjectives.<\/p>\n

John is the oldest<\/strong> in the classroom.<\/p>\n

Mary is the happiest<\/strong> person I know.<\/p>\n

Simon is the most respectable<\/strong> person in the room.<\/p>\n

This is the worst<\/strong> day of the week.<\/p>\n

Verbs<\/h2>\n

Be Verbs<\/h3>\n

Verbs<\/a> are used to indicate an action, state or occurrence in a sentence.<\/p>\n

A state of being is shown using be<\/em> verbs<\/a>. As the name suggests, action verbs express action. Verbs can also indicate the past, present or future tense, so you understand when in time, the action or occurrence happened.<\/p>\n

When turning a be<\/em> verb into a negative, add the word not in front or shorten it to aren’t for are not, isn’t for is not or hasn’t for has not.<\/p>\n

Here are some examples of be<\/em> verbs:<\/p>\n

I am<\/strong> a gardener.<\/p>\n

She likes<\/strong> the smell of roses.<\/p>\n

Sunbathing on the beach is<\/b>\u00a0my favorite activity.<\/p>\n

They are<\/strong> very friendly.<\/p>\n

Action Verbs<\/h3>\n

Here are some examples of action verbs:<\/p>\n

I ate<\/strong> a salad.<\/p>\n

She walked<\/strong> the dog.<\/p>\n

He ran<\/strong> through town.<\/p>\n

John swims<\/strong> in the ocean every day.<\/p>\n

If you want to see 150 real examples of common verbs in action, have a look at this video:<\/p>\n

<\/lite-youtube><\/p>\n

Regular Verbs<\/h3>\n

When using regular verbs, simply add an -ed<\/em> to the end of the original form to indicate both simple past and past principal.<\/p>\n

Here are some regular verb examples in original, simple past and past principal form:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
walk<\/td>walked<\/td>walked<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
smile<\/td>smiled<\/td>smiled<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
cook<\/td>cooked<\/td>cooked<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
watch<\/td>watched<\/td>watched<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
listen<\/td>listened<\/td>listened<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/p>\n

Irregular Verbs<\/h3>\n

Irregular verbs<\/a> don’t follow a standard formula when using them in the past tense; however, some patterns can be seen.<\/p>\n

Below are a few common irregular verbs in original, simple past and past principal form:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
rise<\/td>rose<\/td>risen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
bite<\/td>bit<\/td>bitten<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
choose<\/td>chose<\/td>chosen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
break<\/td>broke<\/td>broken<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
grow<\/td>grew<\/td>grown<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
know<\/td>knew<\/td>known<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
fly<\/td>flew<\/td>flown<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
hit<\/td>hit<\/td>hit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
bet<\/td>bet<\/td>bet<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
cut<\/td>cut<\/td>cut<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/p>\n

If you’d like to learn more about irregular verbs and how to use them, check out this video:<\/p>\n

<\/lite-youtube><\/p>\n

Adverbs<\/h2>\n

Adverbs<\/a> give more information about the verb, adjective or another adverb in the sentence.<\/p>\n

Verb: The train is\u00a0fast<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Adjective: The sun is strikingly hot<\/strong> today.<\/p>\n

Adverb: The flower is opening very slowly<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Adjectives can often be turned into adverbs by adding a -ly<\/em> to the end.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t
complete<\/td>completely<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
quick<\/td>quickly<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
beautiful<\/td>beautifully<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/p>\n

When the adjective ends in a -y<\/em>, remove the -y<\/em> and add -ily<\/em> to the end.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t
lazy<\/td>lazily<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
happy<\/td>happily<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
crazy<\/td>crazily<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/p>\n

Tenses<\/h2>\n

Verb tense<\/a> adds time information into a sentence. A few basic ones are the simple tenses which include the present, past and future tenses.<\/p>\n

Present Tense<\/h3>\n

The tense used in the present form is the original verb form.<\/p>\n

I watch a movie every week.<\/p>\n

You swim competitively.<\/p>\n

I eat noodles for lunch.<\/p>\n

Past Tense<\/h3>\n

Verbs often alter slightly when using the past tense.<\/p>\n

I watched a movie last week.<\/p>\n

You swam competitively.<\/p>\n

I ate noodles for lunch.<\/p>\n

Future Tense<\/h3>\n

Add the word will<\/em> in front of verbs to indicate future tense.<\/p>\n

I will\u00a0watch<\/strong>\u00a0a movie this week.<\/p>\n

You will swim<\/strong> competitively.<\/p>\n

I will eat<\/strong> noodles for lunch.<\/p>\n

Coordinating Conjunctions<\/h2>\n

Conjunctions<\/a> are one of the most basic ways to join words, phrases or clauses together into one sentence.<\/p>\n

Commonly used coordinating conjunctions include the words for, and, not\/nor, but, or, yet and so.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Include for<\/em> in a sentence as a replacement to the word because<\/em> to show purpose or reason.<\/p>\n

We went on holiday, for<\/strong> we love to travel.<\/p>\n

I bought a new dress, for<\/strong> tonight is the Christmas party.<\/p>\n

When using and<\/em> in a sentence, it means in addition to<\/em> and is used to connect ideas.<\/p>\n

I want to eat ice cream and<\/strong> candy.<\/p>\n

Mary will give you her old baby clothes and<\/strong> cot.<\/p>\n

Add negativity into a sentence with the words not\/nor<\/em>.<\/p>\n

I want pizza,\u00a0not<\/strong> pasta.<\/p>\n

She didn’t reply to my phone message nor<\/strong> email.<\/p>\n

Using but<\/em> adds tension to a sentence and creates contrast or a contradiction.<\/p>\n

John went to the supermarket but<\/strong> couldn’t find celery.<\/p>\n

I wanted the purple dress, but<\/strong> they didn’t have my size.<\/p>\n

To add choice into a sentence, use or<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Do you want a yellow bag or<\/strong> a purple bag?<\/p>\n

I either want the flowers or<\/strong> the tie-dye fabric.<\/p>\n

Like but<\/em>, using yet<\/em> in a sentence adds contrast. The difference is that yet<\/em> means nevertheless<\/em> or at the same time<\/em>.<\/p>\n

He is nice, yet<\/strong> he has a big ego.<\/p>\n

She swam very fast, yet<\/strong> didn’t make it to the finals.<\/p>\n

The word so<\/em> adds cause-and-effect information to a sentence.<\/p>\n

I heard fantastic reviews about the movie, so<\/strong> I bought tickets to see it.<\/p>\n

Mary loves the color yellow, so<\/strong> I bought these yellow flowers for her.<\/p>\n

Why Learning Basic English Grammar Is Important<\/h2>\n

Improves Your Communication Skills<\/strong><\/p>\n

Learning proper sentence structure through basic English grammar is important<\/a>\u00a0to improving your communication abilities.<\/p>\n

As you talk and write to people using these commonly understood sets of grammar rules, people will find it easier to understand you.<\/p>\n

Instead of simply having a list of jumbled words, grammar organizes and glues your words together in a way that native English speakers understand.<\/p>\n

Enhances Your Reading Comprehension Abilities<\/strong><\/p>\n

Learning English grammar isn’t all about people simply understanding you; it’s also about you understanding the spoken and written words around you.<\/p>\n

Comprehending basic English grammar helps you to better interpret books, street signs, menu’s in restaurants, email correspondences, and so much more.<\/p>\n

The written language is all around us, and learning a new written language opens up to new worlds of ideas and culture.<\/p>\n

Imagine how much more you will learn and enjoy when traveling in an English-speaking country when you can read what’s going on around you.<\/p>\n

Prepares You for Intermediate English Grammar Rules<\/strong><\/p>\n

We all have to start somewhere. Advanced English grammar can be very complicated, so as a beginner English learner, a valuable\u00a0grammar learning tip<\/a>\u00a0is not to get overwhelmed at the start.<\/p>\n

Begin with mastering basic English grammar rules before you dive into learning intermediate and advanced rules to give yourself a solid base to build on.<\/p>\n

Methods for Learning Basic English Grammar<\/h2>\n

Start with Basic English Lessons<\/strong><\/p>\n

An easy way to get overwhelmed when learning a new language is to jump ahead too quickly. Save yourself from getting overwhelmed by starting with the basics.<\/p>\n

Start by practicing basic English lessons either online, at home or in a classroom setting.<\/p>\n

A highly recommended English grammar book for those who wish to learn at their own pace is\u00a0“Basic Grammar in Use”<\/a>\u00a0by Raymond Murphy.<\/p>\n

Utilize Real-Life Examples<\/strong><\/p>\n

It’s one thing to understand perfect classroom English and a very different thing to apply it to real-life scenarios.<\/p>\n

With such a vast number of English speakers around the world, you will find an enormous amount of different accents and slang. This can make real-life English challenging if you haven’t been exposed to it.<\/p>\n

One way you can do this is by using a language learning program such as FluentU<\/a>.

FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n

<\/p> \r\n

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app<\/a> or Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \"FluentU\r\n

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