Subject Object Possessive Possessive Reflexive

Pronoun Pronoun Adjectives Pronoun Pronoun

I Me My Mine Myself
You You Your Yours Yourself
He Him His His Himself
She Her Her Hers Herself
It It Its Its Itself
We Us Our Ours Ourselves
You You Your Yours Yourselves
They Them Their Theirs Themselves

I have a bag.

The bag belongs to me.

It is my bag

The bag is mine.

I carry the bag myself.

Personal Pronouns Table

Subject Object Possessive

Pronouns Pronouns Pronouns
I Me Mine

you you yours

he him his

she her hers

it it its

we us ours

they them theirs

Subject / Nominative Pronouns
I, you, he, she, it, we, they. They are used as the subject of a verb. They do the
action.

It is cold. (It is the subject of is)

She paid today. (She is the subject of paid)

Object / Objective Pronouns

Me, you, him, her, it, us, them. They are always the object of the verb, preposition, or
infinitive. To whom / what the action is being done to.

She paid him today. (him is being paid, not paying.)

I wanted her to come to the cinema with me.
(I am the subject of wanted; her is the object of wanted; him is the object of the
preposition with)

Object Pronouns

SUBJECT OBJECT
PRONOUN PRONOUN

SINGUL
I Me
AR
You You
He Him
She Her
It It

We Us
PLURA
You You
L
They Them

We use Object Pronoun as direct objects, indirect objects, and objects of prepositions.
Me Tell me the truth, please!

You Your daughter can help you in the kitchen.

Him I want to play soccer with him

Her I can take her out to dinner.

It Oh, what a nice car! Look at it.

You Your mother can take you to the park tomorrow.

Us Please show us your new game.

Them Ted can teach them English.

Quick Exercise
Rewrite the sentences using object pronouns

1. Look at those people in the street.

.
Look at them

2. My sister is writing an essay now.

.
M

3. I am listening to my favorite song.

.
I

4. Don't forget to bring your girlfriend along.

.
D

5. They are waiting for my mother and me.

.

6. Can you pass the water to your sister?

?

7. His father asked Jake a difficult question.

.
8. Jenny is helping her mother.
.

9. Can someone help my brothers with their homework?

?

10. The boys are trying to climb that tree.

.

Step By Step - Beginner

Time Phrase/ Subject Verb (kata kerja) Object (predicate)

Linkers
(penentu Who - siapa do What Where When
masa/ What apa) (buat apa) (di mana) (bila)
penanda
wacana)

Step By Step - Advanced

Time Subject Verb (kata kerja) Object (predicate)

Phrase/
Linkers Who - siapa do What How Where When Why
(penentu What apa) (buat apa) (bagaiman (di mana) (bila) (kenapa)
masa/ a)
penanda Adjective/
wacana) Adverb
 Subject Object Possessive Possessive Reflexive
Pronoun Pronoun Adjectives Pronoun Pronoun

I Me My Mine Myself

You You Your Yours Yourself

He Him His His Himself

She Her Her Hers Herself

It It Its Its Itself

We Us Our Ours Ourselves

You You Your Yours Yourselves

They Them Their Theirs Themselves

PRONOUN (kata gantinama)

 e.g : I have a bag. (saya ada beg)

The bag belongs to me ( beg in kepunyaan saya)

This is my bag. (ini beg saya)

The bag is mine. (beg ini milik saya)

I carry the bag myself. (saya bawa/pegang beg ini sendiri)

Listed below are some of the important linkers. Let us now learn them.

type of linker examples broad meaning example

cause and effect because, so, accordingly, thus, introduces a reason and We had to wait because, it
consequently, hence, therefore, shows result was raining.
as
comparison similarly, likewise, whereas, but, identifies similarities Life is difficult in extreme
on the other hand, except, by between two ideas polls; similarly, it is horrible
comparison, when compared to, near the Equatorial regions.
equally, in the same way
contrast but, however, yet, still, even identifies differences Raj did not perform well in
though, nevertheless, on the between two ideas the exam; nevertheless, he
other hand, otherwise, after all, got a distinction in English.
for all of that, on the contrary,
notwithstanding, in contrast,
unlike, whereas, instead of,
alternatively, although
time at once, immediately, indicates time and The bell rang and the
meanwhile, at length, in the frequency of events students left immediately.
meantime, at the same time, in
the end, when, then, as, before
that, after that
and, also, even, again, moreover, adds ideas in support of It is very hot
addition further, furthermore, similarly, the main idea today; moreover, there is a
in addition, as well as power outage.
for example, such as, introduces illustrations in I think he is very rich; for
for instance, in this case, in support of the main idea example, he gave a hundred
example another case, on this occasion, in rupee note to a beggar.
this situation, in this manner, to
illustrate
 first, second, third, next, then,
following, now, at this point,
sequence
after, after this, subsequently,
eventually, finally, previously
in brief, on the whole, in sum, to
summary
sum up, thus
Let us look at the linkers used in our model paragraph:
shows the importance of There is a students
the ideas by listing procession today; therefore,
according to the priority they diverted the traffic.
draws conclusion by It is a love story, the actors
summarizing the ideas performed well, the direction
is excellent, the settings are
beautiful; in brief, it is a
good film.

The Human Body

The human body is a wonderful piece of work that nature has created. It is not beautiful like the
body of a butterfly or a peacock but it is shaped practically. It can do many types of work which
other animals cannot. It is not strong like the body of a tiger.But in place of physical strength it has
a big and sharp brain. By using this brain the human physique has been able to overcome many of
its limitations. By sitting in an aeroplane it flies faster than a kite, by riding a motorcycle it travels
faster than a leopard, and by firing a machine gun it fights much better than a tiger. In spite of
all this, the human body suffers from many diseases because it has a weakness for habits such
as smoking, drinking and overeating. Whenit is healthy the body can give great pleasure but when it
is sick it can cause great pain. The wise man would always keep his body fit because a healthy
mind can work only in a healthy body.

Some of the linkers in the paragraph are but, in spite of, such as, when, because.
But is a linker that speaks of the contrast of beauty and strength between animals and the human
body.
In spite of is also a linker that contrasts the strength of the human body with its weaknesses.

Such as is a linker that illustrates the weaknesses of human body by naming them.

When is a time linker that tells us what happens at the time the body is healthy or sick.

Because is a linker that states the reason for keeping the body fit and healthy.
 Linking words and phrases
Although some of these words have already been mentioned as sentence connectors, they can also be used
to develop coherence within a paragraph, that is linking one idea / argument to another. Print off this page
to keep as a reference of useful linking words and phrases.

Sequence Result Emphasis

First / firstly, second / So Undoubtedly

secondly, third / thirdly etc As a result Indeed
Next, last, finally As a consequence Obviously
In addition, moreover (of) Generally
Further / furthermore Therefore Admittedly
Another Thus In fact
Also Consequently Particularly / in
In conclusion Hence particular
To summarise Due to Especially
Clearly
Importantly
Addition Reason Example

And For For example

In addition / Because For instance
additionally / an additional Since That is (ie)
Furthermore As Such as
Also Because of Including
Too Namely
As well as
Contrast Comparison

However Similarly
Nevertheless Likewise
Nonetheless Also
Still Like
Although / even though Just as
Though Just like
But Similar to
Yet Same as
Despite / in spite of Compare
In contrast (to) / in compare(d) to /
comparison with
While Not only...but also
Whereas
 On the other hand
On the contrary

Time Linkers

While I was teaching one of my classes today, I realized that I had been running out of time so I couldn't talk
more about time linkers. During the class hour, I thought and decided to share the examples sentences
here on my blog. If you need help for time linkers, you can also check the sentences out. Also, have surfed
the net and tried to have a list of websites that provide exercises for time linkers. Hope they will be of use.

AS SOON AS= happens immediately after something else happened

Please let the dog out as soon as you get home.

As soon as she lost ten pounds, she bought a new dress.

As soon as he earned his diploma, he got a good job.

We're moving to Arizona as soon as we sell our house.

Could you ask her to return my call as soon as possible?

As soon as I heard that you need help, I came here to talk to you.

Ill let you know as soon as I learn the results.

WHILE = happes at the same time as another action

Someone knocked on the door while we were having dinner.

While she was doing some shopping, she met one of her friends.

Please note them donw while I am writing the sentences on the board.

DURING = happes at some point in a period of time

Use a noun phrase after DURING, not a sentence.

During my university education, I stayed at a state dormitory.

The girl kept playing with her mobile phone during the whole movie.

You should not talk during the exam.

During the holiday, I didnt read even a single book.

BY THE TIME = happened previosly / before

By the time the waiter took our order, we had waited for an hour.

My mom had done all the housework by the time I arrived home.

By the time we found a shelter, we had already got wet.

By the time the train arrives, I will have a coffee at the cafeteria.

UNTIL = continues up to that point and then stops

use either a sentence or a noun phrase after UNTIL.

I studied until midnight last night.

I will stay here until you tell me the truth.

She had looked after the babies until I came back from a three-day holiday.

Sue will be away until Tuesday.

Printer Fabulous!
T HE
P REPOSITIONAL
P HRASE
Recognize a prepositional
phrase when you see one.
At the minimum, a prepositional phrase will begin with
a preposition and end with a noun, pronoun, gerund, or clause, the
"object" of the preposition.

The object of the preposition will often have one or

more modifiers to describe it. These are the patterns for a prepositional
phrase:

P R E P O S I T I O N + N O U N , P R O N O U N , G E R U N D , O R C L AU S E
PREPOSITION + MODIFIER(S) + NOUN, PRONOUN, GERUND, OR

C L AU S E

Here are some examples of the most basic prepositional phrase:

At h o m e

At = preposition; home = noun.

In time

In = preposition; time = noun.

Fro m R i c hi e

From = preposition; Richie = noun.

W i th m e

With = preposition; me = pronoun.

B y si n g i n g

By = preposition; singing = gerund.

A b o u t w h a t we n e e d

About = preposition; what we need = noun clause.

Most prepositional phrases are longer, like these:

Fro m my g ra n d m oth e r

From = preposition; my = modifier; grandmother = noun.

U n d e r th e wa r m bl a n ket
Under = preposition; the, warm = modifiers; blanket = noun.

I n th e we e d y, ove rg row n ga r d e n

In = preposition; the, weedy, overgrown = modifiers; garden =

noun.

A l o n g th e b u s y, si x - l a n e hi g h way

Along = preposition; the, busy, six-lane = modifiers; highway =

noun.

W i th o u t exc e s s i ve l y wo r r y i n g

Without = preposition; excessively = modifier; worrying = gerund.

Understand what prepositional

phrases do in a sentence.
A prepositional phrase will function as an adjective or adverb. As an
adjective, the prepositional phrase will answer the question Which one?

Read these examples:

T h e b o o k o n th e b a th ro o m fl o o r i s s wol l e n f ro m s h owe r
s te a m .

Which book? The one on the bathroom floor!

T h e swe et p ot a to e s i n th e ve g eta b l e b i n a re g re e n w i th
mold.
Which sweet potatoes? The ones forgotten in the vegetable bin!

T h e n ote f ro m B eve rly c o n fe s s e d th a t s h e h a d e a te n th e

l e f tove r p i z z a .

Which note? The one from Beverly!

As an adverb, a prepositional phrase will answer questions such as How?

When? or Where?

Fre d d y i s s t i f f ro m ye ste rd ay ' s l o n g fo ot b a l l p r a c t i c e .

How did Freddy get stiff? From yesterday's long football practice!

B e fo r e c l a s s , J o s h b e g g e d hi s f r i e n d s fo r a p e n ci l .

When did Josh do his begging? Before class!

Fe e l i n g b rave , we t r i e d th e D ra g o n B re a th B u r r i to s a t T i to ' s
Ta c o Pa l a c e .

Where did we eat the spicy food? At Tito's Taco Palace!

Remember that a prepositional

phrase will never contain the
subject of a sentence.
Sometimes a noun within the prepositional phrase seems the
logical subject of averb. Don't fall for that trick! You will never find a
subject in a prepositional phrase. Look at this example:
N ei th e r o f th e s e c o o kb o o ks c o n t a i n s th e re c i p e fo r
M a n h a t t a n - st yl e s q u i d eye b a l l stew.

Cookbooks do indeed contain recipes. In this sentence,

however, cookbooks is part of the prepositional phrase of these
cookbooks. Neitherwhatever a neither isis the subject for the
verb contains.

Neither is singular, so you need the singular form of the verb, contains.
If you incorrectly identified cookbooks as the subject, you might
write contain, the plural form, and thus commit a subject-verb
agreement error.

Some prepositionssuch as along with and in addition toindicate

"more to come." They will make you think that you have a plural subject
when in fact you don't. Don't fall for that trick either! Read this example:

To m my, a l o n g w i th th e oth e r st u d e n t s , b re a th e d a si g h o f
re l i e f w h e n M r s . M a r k h a m a n n o u n c e d th a t s h e wa s
p o st p o n i n g th e d u e d a te fo r th e re s e a rc h e s s ay.

Logically, more than one student is happy with the news. But Tommy is
the only subject of the verb breathed. His classmates count in the real
world, but in the sentence, they don't matter, locked as they are in the
prepositional phrase.
Prepositional Phrases
Examples
7th grade8th grade9th gradeMiddle SchoolHigh SchoolCollege

image:

http://www.yourdictionary.com/index.php/image/articles/18835.einstein3.jpg

Every prepositional phrase is a series of words made up of a preposition and its

object. The object may be a noun, pronoun, gerund or clause. A prepositional
phrase functions as an adjective or adverb.

Commonly Used Prepositional Phrases

According to the weather forecast
Across many deserts
After many tries
Amid the confusion
Around the world
Before we start the meeting
Between a rock and a hard place
 By the light of the moon
Like a beautiful swan
Near the ocean
Of my boss
Off the top
Out the door
Through the looking glass
Throughout the thick forest
To the amusement park

Prepositional Phrases that Function as an

Adjective
The book with the tattered cover has been read many times.
All the passengers aboard the runaway train were frightened.
The present inside the big box is mine.
Our boss put out a memo regarding the new rule.
The clues within the first few chapters will lead to the murderer.
His is only one voice among many, but it will be heard.
The extra blanket is in the box under the bed.
Saul, unlike many others, will remain there.
The car beside the red one is the one I want to buy.
The area outside the boundary is dangerous to cross.
All rooms below deck are for sleeping.
Tell me the story about the dragon slayer.

Prepositional Phrases that Function as Adverbs

Racing toward the finish line, Sarah realized she just might win.
My shopping list needs to be put into my purse.
Without a GPS, we will lose our way.
Until today, I had never heard that.
The balloon drifted up the stairs.
Put the fresh flowers upon a high shelf.
Despite warnings, she tried to ski down Devils Run.
Against all odds, our team won the tournament.
The tiger crept slowly over the grass.
We will order pizza during halftime.
I will climb up the highest mountain tomorrow.
I love to take my jeep off the road.

Prepositional Phrases in Quotes

 Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them. - Albert Einstein
We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things,
because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. -
Walt Disney
There has to be evil so that good can prove its purity above it. - Buddha
I've had tendonitis since college. - Michael Jordan
Never put off till tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow. -
Mark Twain
I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the
landscape. Something waits beneath it; the whole story doesn't show. -
Andrew Wyeth
Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may
not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend. - Albert Camus
When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the
floor. It's to enjoy each step along the way. - Wayne Dyer

A prepositional phrase is made up of a preposition and a noun phrase. We use

prepositional phrases for many purposes, for example:

- as adverbials of time and place:

We will be back in a few days.

They drove to Glasgow

.- as a postmodifier in a noun phrase:

Helen is the girl in the red dress

Weve got a new television with a thirty one inch screen.

- to show who did something:

The lion was killed by the hunter

I saw a wonderful painting by Van Gogh

- with double object verbs like give and get:

We gave five pounds to the woman on the corner.

They got a drink for me.

- after certain verbs, nouns and adjectives:

 The book belongs to me.
I had an argument with my brother.
I feel sorry for you.

SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Simple sentences:

A simple sentence has only one clause:

The children were laughing.

John wanted a new bicycle.
All the girls are learning English.

Compound sentences:

A compound sentence has two or more clauses:

(We stayed behind) and (finished the job)

(We stayed behind) and (finished the job), then (we went home)

The clauses in a compound sentence are joined by co-ordinating conjunctions:

John shouted and everybody waved.

We looked everywhere but we couldnt find him.
They are coming by car so they should be here soon.

The common coordinating conjunctions are:

and but or nor so then yet

Complex sentences:

A complex sentence has a main clause and one or more adverbial clauses.
Adverbial clauses usually come after the main clause:

Her father died when she was very young

>>>
Her father died (main clause)
when (subordinating conjunction)
she was very young (adverbial clause)

She had a difficult childhood because her father died when she was very young.
>>>
 She had a difficult childhood (main clause)
because (subordinating conjunction)
her father died (adverbial clause)
when (subordinating conjunction)
she was very young (adverbial clause).

Some subordinate clauses can come in front of the main clause:

Although a few snakes are dangerous most of them are quite harmless
>>>
Although (subordinating conjunction)
some snakes are dangerous (adverbial clause)
most of them are harmless (main clause).

A sentence can contain both subordinate and coordinate clauses:

Although she has always lived in France, she speaks fluent English because her
mother was American and her father was Nigerian
>>>
Although (subordinating conjunction)
she has always lived in France (adverbial clause),
she speaks fluent English (main clause)
because (subordinating conjunction)
her mother was American (adverbial clause)
and (coordinating conjunction)
her father was Nigerian (adverbial clause).

There are seven types of adverbial clauses:

Common conjunctions

Contrast clauses although; though; even though; while;

Reason clauses because; since; as

Place clauses where; wherever; everywhere

 Common conjunctions

Purpose clauses so that; so; because + want

Result clauses so that; so that; such that

Time clauses when; before; after; since; while; as; as soon as; by the time; until

Conditional clauses if; unless; provided (that); as long as

Pronouns are words we use in the place of a full noun.

We have both subject and object pronouns:

 Subject Object

I me

you you

he him

she her

it it

we us

you you

they them

We use he/him to refer to men, and she/her to refer to women. When we are not
sure if we are talking about a man or a woman we use they/them.

This is Jack. Hes my brother. I dont think you have met him.
This is Angela. Shes my sister. Have you met her before?
Talk to a friend. Ask them to help you.
You could go to a doctor. They might help you.
Subject pronouns

We use subject pronouns as subject of the verb:

I like your dress.

You are late.
He is my friend
It is raining
She is on holiday
We live in England.
They come from London.

Warning

Remember: English clauses always have a subject:

His father has just retired. Was a teacher. > He was a teacher.
Im waiting for my wife. Is late. > She is late.

If there is no other subject we use it or there. We call this a dummy subject.

Object pronouns

We use object pronouns:

as the object of the verb:

Can you help me please?

I can see you.
She doesnt like him.
I saw her in town today.
We saw them in town yesterday, but they didnt see us.

after prepositions:

She is waiting for me.

Ill get it for you.
Give it to him.
Why are you looking at her?
 Dont take it from us.
Ill speak to them.

How to Write Correct Sentences

Basic English Grammar Help

If you are unsure where to put full stops you need some basic English
grammar help. You should always keep in mind that writing is about
communication. Keeping your written work clear and simple will make
it easier for the reader to understand.
Where do full stops go?

You need to understand what a complete sentence is in order to know

where to put the full stops. For any sentence to be grammatically
correct it must have, two things, a subject and a verb.

What is a subject, and what is a verb?

The subject is the person or thing you are writing about. It can be:

You
Me
Him
Her
John
Sarah
Etc.

It can also be things like:

A house
A tree
A guitar
Therefore the subject of a sentence can be almost anything.
What is a verb?

The verb is what the subject is doing.

For example:

John is driving.

This is an example of a very short sentence. It is grammatically

correct because it includes both john (the subject) and driving (the
verb).

Therefore a verb is something you do. It could be:

Walking
Running
Sitting
Cutting
Talking
Etc.

Basically any word you can add ing to the end of.

Click here for useful dyslexia stuff on ebay.

Verbs of being:
Existing and just being alive is something we are all constantly doing.
Therefore it is a verb.

For example:

I am Brendan.

This is a grammatically correct sentence because it has both the I

(the subject) and am (the verb). The sentence is simply saying that I
exist as a person called Brendan. Ive been doing it all my life and will
continue to do it till the day I die. That is why it is called a verb of
being.

Other examples include:

You are mad.

She is tall.
The wall is thick.
Therefore whenever a person or thing exists in time and space it is
doing something, it is existing.

The point is, you must make sure a sentence always has, both, a
subject and a verb before you give it a full stop.

A good way to think about it is, if a sentence you have written seems
too long try breaking it into two pieces. If both parts have a subject
and verb youve got two sentences.

Conclusion:

I Hope you found this basic English grammar help useful. You should
now have a clearer idea of how to break your writing down into
sentences, and understand where to put full stops.
Writing simple sentences in English
MARCH 25, 2014 -

Sentences with adjectives

Subject + be + adjective

In this pattern we use an adjective to describe the subject of a sentence.

He is intelligent.

She is beautiful.

It is easy.

We are happy.

Note that we cannot use articles before an adjective. However, if the adjective is followed by a singular noun
we have to use an article or another determiner.

She is a beautiful girl. (NOT She is beautiful girl.)

It was a difficult situation. (NOT It was difficult situation.)

He is a dangerous criminal. OR He is dangerous.

If the adjective is followed by a plural noun, the article a/an cannot be used.

They are kind people. (NOT They are a kind people.)

John and Peter are close buddies. (NOT John and Peter are a close buddies.)

Add prepositional phrases to your

sentences
By adding short prepositional phrases to your sentence, you can tell when or where something happens.

A prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition. The prepositional phrase usually
goes at the end of the sentence.

He is in his office.

He sat under a tree.

 There is someone at the door.

The crocodiles snapped at the boat.

Put the books on the table.

There are many apples on the tree.

A gang stood in front of me.

The castle was heavily bombed during the war.

Writing sentences using other verbs

The simplest sentences in English take the verb be, but be is not the only verb in English. Be is actually a
primary auxiliary verb. The vast majority of verbs in English belong to a category called lexical verbs.

He works at a factory.

I tripped over the cat.

He fell off the ladder.

So, let's start with the English grammar tips:

1. Capitalization
Capitalization is the act of making specific letters capital.

These are the capital letters in English:

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z
In which cases should you capitalize (use capital letters)?
Here are three common cases where you should capitalize:

A) Capitalize the first letter of the first word of a complete sentence.

Correct: He plays football.

Incorrect: he plays football.

B) Capitalize the first letter of a proper noun.

Correct: Let's call Jane.

Incorrect: Let's call jane.

C) Capitalize titles.

There are several rules on how to do it correctly.

Briefly speaking, you should always capitalize the first letter of the first and last words of the
title.

Capitalize also the first letter of verbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives and adverbs.

All the other words (such as a, an, the, and, or, but, in, on, of, to) should not be capitalized.

Here are some examples:

Correct: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Incorrect: Little women by Louisa May Alcott

Correct: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Incorrect: Alice's Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Correct: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Incorrect: the Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

2. Writing two or three periods, instead of just one
In English, there are several ways to end a sentence.

These are:

A) Period ( . )

It indicates the end of the statement.

Correct: They went home.

Incorrect: They went home

Incorrect: They went home .

Incorrect: They went home..

There should be only ONE period. There should be no spaces BEFORE it and a single space
after it.

B) Question mark ( ? )

It indicates a question.

Correct: Are you hungry?

Incorrect: Are you hungry ?

Incorrect: Are you hungry.?

Incorrect: Are you hungry????????????????

C) An exclamation point ( ! )

It indicates strong feelings or high volume (shouting).

Correct: Wow! We won!

Incorrect: Wow ! We won !

Incorrect: Wow!. We won!.

Incorrect: Wow!!!!!! We won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

D) Ellipsis ( ... )
It indicates an intentional omission of words, a pause in speech, an unfinished thought, or
that the end of the sentence leads to silence.

Examples:

The email says, "... and you must return the documents signed by the end of the
month."
(Words were omitted before the beginning of the quote)

Hmm... That's a good question.

(A pause in speech)

I can't believe he could have...

(An unfinished thought)

I guess it's too late now...

(The end of the sentence leads to silence)

The ellipsis is probably one of the most overused punctuation marks. Take a look at the
following sentence. It is definitively an incorrect example:

She entered the room... The room was big... Everybody was working........

3. Misusing the verb BE

The verb BE is one of the most important and common verbs in the English language.
However, it does not need to be in every single sentence.

You can visit the link just above for the full, illustrated explanation, but here is the quick
summary:

A) The verb BE is used to show different states of being.

Existence:
There is a cow in the room.

Occurrence:
The party is on Friday night.

Location:
He is home.

Identity:
I am Bob.

Quality:
They are clever.
B) The verb BE is used as an auxiliary verb (helping verb) in the progressive tenses:
We are having lunch.

C) It is used to express the passive voice:

They were hit by a car.

Where shouldn't you use the verb BE?

A) Don't use the verb BE if you already have a main verb in the sentence, unless it's a
progressive/passive sentence (where BE is an auxiliary verb).

Correct: I am a girl.

Correct: I met a girl.

Incorrect: I am met a girl.

Correct: I am reading a book.

Incorrect: I am read books.

Correct: I was given an apple.

Correct: I gave her an apple.

Incorrect: I was gave an apple.

These were some of the main things I personally encounter. I hope you find these English
grammar tips useful.
English Verb Tenses
Simple tenses, progressive (continuous) tenses, perfect tenses, perfect progressive
(continuous) tenses.

Examples of English Tenses

Example sentences.

Active and Passive Voice

Active: "The ball hit Janet."
Passive: "Janet was hit" / "Janet was hit by the ball."

English Grammar Articles (a, an, the)

"I need a chair."
"I want an apple."
"I want the red apple."

English Conditionals: First Conditional, Second Conditional, Third Conditional and Zero
Conditional
"If he catches a fish, he will be very happy."
"If I met a genie, I would ask for infinite wealth..."
"If I had any money, I would give you some."
"If I had paid more attention, I wouldn't have hit myself..."
"If the sun sets, it becomes night."

English Moods: Indicative Mood, Imperative Mood and Subjunctive Mood

"We finished the project on time."
"Get plenty of rest!"
"I wish I had some cheese..."

Commands in English
"Clean your room, boys."
"Angela, answer the phone, please."
"Don't forget to call me after work."
"Let's not watch television tonight."

Subject-Verb Agreement
Correct: "Bob, not his wife, is doing the cooking."
Incorrect: "Bob, not his wife, are doing the cooking."

Asking Questions in English

Direct questions, indirect questions, yes/no questions, WH questions, alternative questions,
tag questions.

Tag questions
"You like kittens, don't you?"
"Brenda is sad, isn't she?"
Direct Speech and Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)
"I am sorry." => "He said he was sorry."

Capitalization Rules in English

Which words should you capitalize and when, and how do you capitalize titles?

English parts of speech

English verbs
English Parts of Speech Overview
Nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions and interjections.

Learn English Verbs

Examples: sing, drive, write, love, know, have.

Regular Verbs and Irregular Verbs

Regular: open, opened, opened
Irregular: take, took, taken

Main Verbs, Auxiliary Verbs (Helping Verbs) and Compound Verbs

be + eat => We are eating

Stative Verbs and Dynamic Verbs (Action Verbs)

Stative verbs: be, seem, love, own, want, sound, have, know, understand.
Dynamic (active) verbs: jump, catch, write, call, sleep, hit, open, speak.

Dynamic Verbs and Stative Verbs Further Examples and Exercises

English Transitive Verbs and Intransitive Verbs

Transitive: "She is drinking a glass of water."
Intransitive: "She is standing."

English Linking Verbs

"I am a singer."
"He became angry."
"Amy turned red."

English Phrasal Verbs

Run into, make up, put up with.

English Modal Verbs

Can, could, may, might, must, ought to, shall, should, would.

The Verb To Be: forms, examples and exercises

Be, am, are, is, was, were, will be, being, been.

Learning English Verb Conjugation

Take, took, will take, is taking, have taken, had been taking

Other parts of speech

English Nouns
Sarah, lady, cat, New York, Canada, room, school, football, reading.

English Pronouns
I, you, he, she, it, we, they, what, who, me, him, her, it, us, you, them, whom, each
other, one another, this, that, these, those, which, what, whose, whoever, whatever,
whichever, whomever, mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs, its, myself, yourself, himself,
herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves, anything, everybody, another, each, few,
many, none, some, all, any, anybody, anyone, everyone, everything, no one, nobody, nothing,
none, other, others, several, somebody, someone, something, most, enough, little, more,
both, either, one, neither, much, such

English Adjectives, Determiners and Order of Adjectives in a Sentence

Big, pretty, expensive, green, round, French, loud, quick, fat.

English Adverbs
Home, yesterday, slowly, sometimes, temporarily, surely, very.

English Prepositions
In, on, under, above, beside, behind, before, by, against, through, into, to, up, for, between,
at.

Prepositions in English
More on using prepositions in English.

English parts of a sentence

Understanding the English Parts of a Sentence
Subject, predicate, direct object, indirect object, object of the preposition, transitive verbs
and intransitive verbs, linking verbs, complements

English Subject
Ronnie finished his homework.
She was hit by a ball.
Spain is in Europe.
Pigs and cows can't fly.
Traveling is fun.

English Predicate
Ronnie finished his homework.
She was hit by a ball.
Spain is in Europe.
Pigs and cows can't fly.
Traveling is fun.

English Direct Object, Indirect Object and Object of the Preposition

He broke the window.
Jack is telling them the news.
The cat is looking at the fish.

English Complements
He is a great singer.
New York and London are big cities.
John used to be the manager.
Her dress is blue.
You are not hungry.
David has become very wise.

Predicate Nouns and Predicate Adjectives

He is a great singer.
New York and London are big cities.
John used to be the manager.
Her dress is blue.
You are not hungry.
David has become very wise.

Gerunds and Infinitives

Going, doing, swimming, reading, buying, running, watching, telling, fighting.
To go, to do, to swim, to read, to buy, to run, to watch, to tell, to fight.

English Participles
They are dancing together right now.
John was painting the wall all morning.
I will be sleeping by the time you come back.
They have danced together in the past.
John had painted the wall before he sold the house.
I will have slept two hours by 8 o'clock tomorrow.

Dangling Participle
After winning the war, the British army left the American colonies.
Growing stronger every day, the doctor observed his healing patients.

Types of Sentences in English

Making statements (declarative sentences).
Asking questions (interrogative sentences).
Giving commands, suggestions, warnings (imperative sentences).
Expressing strong emotions with statements (exclamatory sentences).
English grammar phrases
English Grammar Phrases
A big room, the blue jacket, finding a job, having fun, to help others,
behind the curtain, next week, being excited.

English Nouns Phrases

All the kids were sleeping.
The boy in the blue jeans says he'll do it.
He bought her a beautiful red dress.

English Verb Phrases

They are waiting for the rain to stop.
Shannon will meet us there.
Why is she staying at home?

English Adjective Phrases

Tom is a man with good instincts.
She brought a cake made of nuts and fruit.
His friends are sailors living on the sea.

English Adverb Phrases

We hurried down the street to catch the bus.
George fell asleep holding his book.
Every now and then they meet and chat.
For now, I would like to ask you to leave.

English Prepositional Phrases

They sat in the old green car.
The men are working for the money.
Every morning we take a walk in the park.

English Appositives
My best friend, Sarah, is moving in with me.
Her first teacher, Mrs. Jones, was a strict person.
The CEO, a very smart man, decided to sell the company.
I was watching my favorite movie, Gone with the Wind.

Syntax
Causes and Effects in English (Vocabulary and Grammar): In this lesson, you will learn the
meanings of cause, effect, and affect. You will also learn how to express cause and effect in
English.
 Positive Sentences

Who? Form of verb Examples

I worked in Italy last year.

I
I drank some juice yesterday.

He worked in Italy last year.

He drank some juice yesterday.

She worked in Italy last year.

He/She/It
regular verb: She drank some juice yesterday.
verb + ed
It worked in Italy last year.
irregular verb: It drank some juice yesterday.
past form of the verb
You worked in Italy last year.
You
You drank some juice yesterday.

We worked in Italy last year.

We
We drank some juice yesterday.

They worked in Italy last year.

They
They drank some juice yesterday.

Click here to find out about regular verbs and irregular verbs

Click here to find out how to add ed to a verb

Negative Sentences
Who? Form of verb Examples
 I did not work in Italy last year.
I
I didn't work in Italy last year.

He did not work in Italy last year.

He didn't work in Italy last year.

She did not work in Italy last year.

He/She/It
She didn't work in Italy last year.

did not + verb It did not work in Italy last year.

It didn't work in Italy last year.

You did not work in Italy last year.

You
You didn't work in Italy last year.

We did not work in Italy last year.

We
We didn't work in Italy last year.

They did not work in Italy last year.

They
They didn't work in Italy last year.

Question Sentences
Who? Form of verb Examples

I Did I work in Italy last year?

he/she/it Did he work in Italy last year?

Did you verb Did she work in Italy last year?

we Did we work in Italy last year?

they Did they work in Italy last year?

So these are the Simple Past Rules.

 Regular Verbs
A regular verb is a verb that follows this rule:

Past form of the verb = Present form of the verb + ed / d

For example, work is a regular verb because:

Past form of work = work + ed = worked

Dance is a regular verb too. That is because:

Past form of dance = dance + d = danced

We call the present form a base form, or V1 (Verb 1).

We call the past form V2 (Verb 2).

There is another form called V3 (Verb 3). That is the form that we use in the Perfect Tenses.

These are examples of Regular Verbs:

V1 V2 V3
help helped helped
open opened opened
stop stopped stopped
change changed changed

Irregular Verbs
An irregular verb is a verb that does not follow that rule.

For example, drink is an irregular verb because the past form of drink is drank, and not
"drinked".

Go is an irregular verb too. That is because the past form of go is went, and not "goed".
These are examples of Irregular Verbs:

V1 V2 V3
take took taken
buy bought bought
eat ate eaten
give gave given
leave left left
am was been

The English language has a great number of irregular verbs!

Some verbs change their spelling when "ed" is added to them.

Verbs ending with

"consonant-vowel-consonant"
When a verb ends with a consonant-vowel-consonant and we put STRESS on this sound in speech, we double the
last consonant. Then we add ed.

In the following examples the consonant is in blue, the vowel is in green, and ed is in red. The STRESS is underlined.

stop => stopp + ed => stopped

plan => plann + ed => planned

But if we don't put STRESS on this sound in speech, then we simply add ed.

open => open + ed => opened

visit => visit + ed => visited
listen => listen + ed => listened
happen => happen + ed => happened

Verbs ending with "e"

When a verb ends with the letter e, we add only the letter d.

In the following examples the letter e is in purple, and the letter d is in red.

dance => dance + d => danced

smile => smile + d => smiled

Verbs ending with "y"

When a verb ends with the letter y and there is a consonant before it, the y changes into i. Then we add ed.

In the following examples the consonant is in blue, the part before ed is in green, and ed is in red.

try => tri + ed => tried

cry => cri + ed => cried
study => studi + ed => studied
When a verb ends with y and there is a vowel before it, we simply add edto the verb.

In the following examples the vowel is in orange, the part before ed is in green, and ed is in red.

stay => stay + ed => stayed

play => play + ed => plays
enjoy => enjoy + ed => enjoys

So these were the spelling rules for adding "ed".