Introduction
This is a practical summary of English grammar — the core patterns and rules that underpin all English sentences. Understanding these fundamentals gives you a framework for analyzing any sentence, no matter how complex.
The Five Basic Sentence Patterns
Every English sentence follows one of five basic patterns. All complex sentences are expansions of these:
| Pattern | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Subject + Linking Verb + Complement | S + LV + C | My name is Forrest. |
| 2. Subject + Verb | S + V | Mrs. Gump leaves. |
| 3. Subject + Verb + Object | S + V + O | She closes the door. |
| 4. Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object | S + V + IO + DO | No one talked to me. |
| 5. Subject + Verb + Object + Complement | S + V + O + C | Make me a bird. |
Expanding sentences: You can expand any basic sentence by adding:
- Adjectives and adverbs (modifiers)
- Coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, so) to join clauses
- Subordinating conjunctions (because, although, when) to add dependent clauses
The Three Planes of Grammar
Grammar operates on three levels:
- Syntax (grammar): The structural rules — word order, agreement, tense
- Semantics: The meaning of words and sentences
- Pragmatics: How context affects meaning
Example: “Can you pass the salt?” is grammatically a question (syntax), but semantically it’s a request (pragmatics).
Verb Tenses: The 4×4 System
English has 4 time frames × 4 aspects = 16 possible tenses, but 8 are most commonly used:
Simple Tenses
| Tense | Form | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | V / V+s | habits, facts, general truths | “She works every day.” |
| Simple Past | V+ed / irregular | completed past action | “She worked yesterday.” |
| Simple Future | will + V | future intention/prediction | “She will work tomorrow.” |
Continuous (Progressive) Tenses
| Tense | Form | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present Continuous | am/is/are + V+ing | action happening now | “She is working now.” |
| Past Continuous | was/were + V+ing | ongoing past action | “She was working when I called.” |
| Future Continuous | will be + V+ing | ongoing future action | “She will be working at 3pm.” |
Perfect Tenses
| Tense | Form | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present Perfect | have/has + past participle | past action with present relevance | “She has worked here for 3 years.” |
| Past Perfect | had + past participle | action before another past action | “She had worked there before.” |
Key Distinctions
Simple Past vs Present Perfect:
Simple Past: "I saw that movie last week." (specific past time)
Present Perfect: "I have seen that movie." (at some point, relevant now)
Simple Past: "She lived in Paris." (no longer lives there)
Present Perfect: "She has lived in Paris." (experience, or still lives there)
Present Perfect vs Present Perfect Continuous:
Present Perfect: "I have written three emails." (completed, result)
Present Perfect Continuous: "I have been writing emails all morning." (ongoing process)
Subject-Verb Agreement
The verb must agree with its subject in number:
Singular: "She works hard."
Plural: "They work hard."
Tricky cases:
"The team is playing well." (collective noun = singular in American English)
"Everyone is here." (indefinite pronouns = singular)
"Neither of them is correct." (neither/either = singular)
"The news is good." (uncountable nouns = singular)
Articles: a, an, the
| Article | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a | indefinite, singular, consonant sound | “a book, a university” |
| an | indefinite, singular, vowel sound | “an apple, an hour” |
| the | definite, specific, already known | “the book I mentioned” |
| ∅ (no article) | plural/uncountable in general | “Books are important.” |
Common mistakes:
✗ "I need an information." ✓ "I need some information." (uncountable)
✗ "She is the best student." ✓ "She is the best student." (correct — superlative)
✗ "I go to the school." ✓ "I go to school." (institution, not building)
Conditionals
| Type | Structure | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zero | If + present, present | Always true | “If you heat water, it boils.” |
| First | If + present, will + V | Likely future | “If it rains, I will stay home.” |
| Second | If + past, would + V | Unlikely/hypothetical | “If I had money, I would travel.” |
| Third | If + past perfect, would have + PP | Past regret | “If I had studied, I would have passed.” |
Passive Voice
Form: be + past participle
Active: "The company launched the product."
Passive: "The product was launched by the company."
Active: "Scientists discovered a new species."
Passive: "A new species was discovered."
When to use passive:
- When the agent (doer) is unknown or unimportant
- In formal/academic writing
- When the focus is on the action, not the doer
Reported Speech
Tenses shift back when reporting what someone said:
Direct: "I am tired," she said.
Reported: She said (that) she was tired.
Direct: "I will help you," he promised.
Reported: He promised (that) he would help me.
Direct: "I have finished," she said.
Reported: She said (that) she had finished.
Modal Verbs
| Modal | Main Uses | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| can | ability, permission | “I can swim.” / “Can I leave?” |
| could | past ability, polite request | “I could swim as a child.” / “Could you help?” |
| will | future, willingness | “I will call you.” |
| would | conditional, polite | “I would help if I could.” |
| should | advice, obligation | “You should see a doctor.” |
| must | strong obligation, deduction | “You must wear a seatbelt.” / “She must be tired.” |
| may | permission, possibility | “You may leave.” / “It may rain.” |
| might | weak possibility | “It might rain.” |
Common Grammar Mistakes
✗ "I am agree." ✓ "I agree."
✗ "She is very beauty." ✓ "She is very beautiful."
✗ "I have been there last year." ✓ "I went there last year."
✗ "He don't know." ✓ "He doesn't know."
✗ "I am boring." ✓ "I am bored." (boring = causing boredom)
✗ "The informations." ✓ "The information." (uncountable)
✗ "I look forward to see you." ✓ "I look forward to seeing you."
✗ "Despite of the rain..." ✓ "Despite the rain..." (no "of")
✗ "According to me..." ✓ "In my opinion..." (according to = citing a source)
Resources
- Cambridge Grammar in Use — the best self-study grammar book
- Grammarly — real-time grammar checking
- BBC Learning English: Grammar
- Purdue OWL — comprehensive reference
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