Beginner's Guide : Important aspects of English grammar

Important aspects of English grammar

Welcome to the wonderful world of English grammar. Whether you're just starting out or looking to brush up on your skills, you've come to the right place. Here, we'll break down the fundamentals of English grammar in a friendly and easy-to-understand way.

Table of content

- What is Grammar?

1. Parts of Speech

2. Sentence Structure

3. Tenses

4. Subject-Verb Agreement

5. Pronouns

6. Modifiers

7. Articles

8. Conjunctions

9. Prepositions

10. Direct and Indirect Speech

11. Active and Passive Voice

12. Sentence Types

13. Parallelism

14. Punctuation

15. Capitalization

16. Sentence Fragments and Run-On Sentences

17. Word Order

18. Phrasal Verbs and Idioms

What is Grammar?

Grammar is like the blueprint of a language. It helps us understand how words are put together to form sentences and convey meaning. Think of it as the rules that govern how we communicate in English.

See also: What is Grammar? A Friendly and Systematic Description

English grammar encompasses a wide range of rules and conventions that govern the structure and usage of the English language. Some important aspects of English grammar include:

1. Parts of Speech: 

Understanding the different categories of words, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections, and their functions in sentences.

See also: Parts of speech

Let's start with the basics: the parts of speech. These are the building blocks of sentences. Here's a quick rundown:

1. Nouns: 

• These are words that name people, places, things, or ideas. For example, "dog," "city," and "love" are all nouns.

2. Verbs: 

• Verbs are action words that show what someone or something is doing. "Run," "eat," and "sleep" are all verbs.

3. Adjectives: 

• Adjectives describe nouns. They tell us more about the qualities or characteristics of a person, place, or thing. For instance, "big," "happy," and "red" are all adjectives.

4. Adverbs: 

• Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They often tell us how, when, where, or to what extent something is happening. Examples include "quickly," "often," and "very."

5. Pronouns: 

• Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns. Instead of saying someone's name over and over again, we can use pronouns like "he," "she," or "they."

6. Conjunctions: 

• Conjunctions join words, phrases, or clauses together in a sentence. Common conjunctions include "and," "but," and "or."

7. Prepositions: 

• Prepositions show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence. They often indicate location, direction, or time. Examples include "in," "on," and "before."

8. Interjections: 

• Interjections are words used to express emotions or sudden bursts of feeling. They can stand alone or be inserted into a sentence. "Wow," "ouch," and "yikes" are all interjections.

Understanding these parts of speech will help you construct clear and effective sentences.

2. Sentence Structure: 

Now that we know the parts of speech, let's talk about how to put them together to form sentences.

Knowing how to construct grammatically correct sentences, including subjects, predicates, objects, clauses, phrases, and sentence types (declarative, interrogative, imperative, exclamatory).

Subject and Predicate

• Every sentence has a subject and a predicate. The subject is what or whom the sentence is about, and the predicate tells us something about the subject.

 For example:

•  Subject: Sarah
• Predicate: loves to read.

Together, they form a complete sentence: "Sarah loves to read."

Types of Sentences

Sentences can be classified into four main types: declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory.

1. Declarative: 

• These sentences make statements or express opinions. They end with a period.

Example: "The sun is shining."

2. Interrogative: 

• These sentences ask questions. They end with a question mark.

Example: "Are you coming to the party?"

3. Imperative: 

• These sentences give commands or instructions. They can end with a period or an exclamation mark, depending on the tone.

Example: "Please pass the salt."

4. Exclamatory: 

• These sentences express strong emotions or excitement. They end with an exclamation mark.

Example: "What a beautiful sunset!"

 Understanding the different types of sentences will help you communicate effectively in writing.

3. Tenses: 

Mastery of verb tenses, including present, past, and future tense forms, as well as perfect and progressive aspects.

In English grammar, there are three main tenses, each with four forms, which gives us a total of 12 tenses. The three main tenses are: Present, Past, Future.

Each of these tenses has four forms:

1.  1. Simple tense:

• This form indicates a simple action or situation without any additional  complexity.

2. Continuous tense:

• This form indicates an ongoing action or situation at a specific point in time.

3. Perfect tense:

• This form indicates a completed action or situation with a connection to the present.

4. Perfect continuous tense:

• This form indicates an ongoing action or situation that started in the past and continues up to the present.

Let's see how the 12 tenses are formed with the verb "to play":

1. Present Simple: I play.
2. Present Continuous: I am playing.
3. Present Perfect: I have played.
4. Present Perfect Continuous: I have been playing.
5. Past Simple: I played.
6. Past Continuous: I was playing.
7. Past Perfect: I had played.
8. Past Perfect Continuous: I had been playing.
9. Future Simple: I will play.
10. Future Continuous: I will be playiing.
11. Future Perfect: I will have played.
12. Future Perfect Continuous: I will have been playing.

4. Subject-Verb Agreement: 

Ensuring that the subject and verb in a sentence agree in number and person.

Subject-verb agreement refers to the grammatical match between the subject (the doer of the action) and the verb (the action or state of being). In a sentence, the verb must agree with the subject in number (singular or plural).

Example of Subject-Verb Agreement:

• Singular Subject: The cat (singular) sleeps (singular verb) peacefully.
• Plural Subject: The cats (plural) sleep (plural verb) peacefully.

Rules of Subject-Verb Agreement

1. Singular Subjects: Singular subjects require singular verbs.

• Example: The dog barks loudly.

2. Plural Subjects: Plural subjects require plural verbs.

• Example: The dogs bark loudly.

3. Compound Subjects: If the subject consists of two or more nouns connected by "and," it usually takes a plural verb.

• Example: Bread and butter are my favorite breakfast.

4. Collective Nouns: Collective nouns (e.g., team, family, group) can take either singular or plural verbs depending on whether the emphasis is on the group as a whole or the individuals within the group.

• Example: The team is celebrating its victory. (emphasis on the group)
• Example: The team are wearing their uniforms. (emphasis on individuals)

5. Indefinite Pronouns: Indefinite pronouns (e.g., everyone, somebody, nobody) are typically singular and require singular verbs.

• Example: Everybody wants to succeed.

6. Words Between Subject and Verb: Ignore words or phrases that come between the subject and verb when determining agreement.

• Example: The box of chocolates is on the table.

7. Subjects Joined by "Or" or "Nor": The verb agrees with the subject closest to it.

• Example: Neither the cat nor the dog likes the rain.

8. Subjects Joined by "Either...or" or "Neither...nor": The verb agrees with the closer subject when both subjects are singular; if one subject is singular and the other plural, the verb agrees with the nearer subject.

• Example: Either the teacher or the students are responsible. (plural verb)
• Example: Neither the students nor the teacher is responsible. (singular verb)

5. Pronouns: 

Understanding pronoun usage, including personal pronouns, possessive pronouns, reflexive pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, and relative pronouns, and ensuring agreement with their antecedents.

There are several types of pronouns, each serving a different purpose in a sentence.

1. Personal Pronouns:

• Personal pronouns replace specific people, places, or things. They can be subjective (acting as the subject of a sentence) or objective (acting as the object of a verb or preposition).

Subjective: I, you, he, she, it, we, they

Example: She is going to the store.

Objective: me, you, him, her, it, us, them

Example: He gave it to me.

2. Possessive Pronouns:

• Possessive pronouns show ownership or possession without the need for an apostrophe.
• Mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs

Example: The book is hers.

3. Reflexive Pronouns:

• Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of the sentence and are used when the subject and the object are the same.
• Myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves

Example: She bought herself a new dress.

4. Demonstrative Pronouns:

• Demonstrative pronouns point to specific nouns and indicate whether they are near or far in distance or time.
• This, that, these, those

Example: This is my favorite book.

5. Interrogative Pronouns:

• Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions.
• Who, whom, whose, which, what

Example: Who is coming to the party?

6. Indefinite Pronouns:

• Indefinite pronouns refer to non-specific people, places, or things.
• Anyone, someone, everyone, nobody, all, both, few, many, several, each, some, any, none, one, no one

Example: Somebody left their bag here.

Tips for Using Pronouns

Now that you know the types of pronouns, here are some tips to help you use them correctly:

1. Agreement: Make sure pronouns agree with their antecedents in number, gender, and person.

Example: Each student must bring his or her own supplies.

2. Clarity: Be clear about what pronouns refer to in your sentence to avoid confusion.

Example: She gave it to him.

3. Avoid Ambiguity: Watch out for ambiguous pronoun references that could refer to more than one noun.

Example: John told Tom that he was leaving. (Who is leaving?)

4. Consistency: Maintain consistency in pronoun usage throughout your writing to ensure coherence.

Example: If one starts a project, they should see it through to the end.

6. Modifiers: 

• Proper placement and usage of adjectives and adverbs to modify nouns and verbs, respectively.

Modifiers can be categorized into two main types: adjectives and adverbs.

1. Adjectives: 

• These modifiers describe or give more information about nouns or pronouns. They answer questions like "What kind?" "Which one?" or "How many?"

Examples:

1. The blue car raced down the street.
2. She bought a new dress for the party.
3. I have three cats.

In these examples, "blue," "new," and "three" are adjectives modifying the nouns "car," "dress," and "cats" respectively.

2. Adverbs: 

• Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They provide information about how, when, where, or to what extent an action is performed.

Examples: 

1. He quickly finished his homework.
2. She sings beautifully.
3. They arrived early for the meeting.

In these sentences, "quickly," "beautifully," and "early" are adverbs modifying the verbs "finished," "sings," and "arrived" respectively.

Placement of Modifiers

• Modifiers can appear before or after the words they modify, depending on the structure of the sentence.

1. Before the Word: When a modifier comes before the word it modifies, it's usually an adjective.

Example:

• The tall man waved to us.

2. After the Word: When a modifier comes after the word it modifies, it's usually an adverb.

Example:

• She speaks softly.

Comparison of Modifiers

• Some modifiers have comparative and superlative forms, just like adjectives and adverbs.

1. Comparative: Used to compare two things.

• Adjective: big → bigger
• Adverb: quickly → more quickly

2. Superlative: Used to compare three or more things.

• Adjective: big → biggest
• Adverb: quickly → most quickly

Misplaced Modifiers

• Be cautious of misplaced modifiers, which can cause confusion or ambiguity in a sentence. A misplaced modifier is incorrectly positioned in relation to the word it modifies.

Example:

• Incorrect: I found a silver ring in the garden.
• Correct: I found a ring made of silver in the garden.

In the incorrect example, "silver" seems to modify "ring," suggesting the ring itself is silver. By repositioning the modifier, the intended meaning becomes clear.

7. Articles: 

Knowing when to use definite (the) and indefinite (a/an) articles.

Articles are used to indicate whether a noun refers to a specific or non-specific item.

• "A" and "an" are indefinite articles used before singular nouns.
• "The" is the definite article used before both singular and plural nouns when referring to specific items.

Example: "A cat is an animal. The cat is sitting on the mat."

See also: Articles (A, An, The)

8. Conjunctions: 

Understanding coordinating, subordinating, and correlative conjunctions and their roles in connecting words, phrases, and clauses.

1. Coordinating Conjunctions

• Coordinating conjunctions connect words, phrases, or clauses that are grammatically equal.

Examples of Coordinating Conjunctions:

And: Adds information or combines elements.

Example: I like tea and coffee.

But: Indicates contrast or contradiction.

Example: She is smart but lazy.

Or: Presents alternatives or choices.

Example: Would you like tea or coffee?

Nor: Connects negative alternatives.

Example: He neither spoke nor smiled.

For: Provides reasons or explanations.

Example: She went to bed early, for she was tired.

Yet: Indicates contrast or unexpectedness.

Example: He was tired, yet he continued working.

So: Shows consequence or result.

Example: It was raining, so we stayed indoors.

Coordinating conjunctions are used to join elements of equal importance within a sentence, such as two independent clauses or two items in a list.

2. Subordinating Conjunctions

• Subordinating conjunctions connect independent clauses with dependent clauses, indicating the relationship between them.

Examples of Subordinating Conjunctions:

Because: Shows cause and effect.

Example: She went to bed early because she was tired.

Although: Indicates contrast or concession.

Example: Although it was raining, we went for a walk.

If: Expresses conditions or hypotheses.

Example: I'll go to the party if I finish my work.

Since: Denotes time or cause.

Example: She has been studying English since she was young.

When: Specifies time.

Example: We'll go to the beach when the weather improves.

While: Indicates simultaneous actions or conditions.

Example: He read a book while waiting for the train.

Although: Introduces a concession.

Example: Although it was late, she stayed up to finish her project.

Subordinating conjunctions introduce dependent clauses, which cannot stand alone as complete sentences and rely on the main clause for context.

3. Correlative Conjunctions

• Correlative conjunctions are pairs of words that work together to connect elements of equal importance within a sentence.

Examples of Correlative Conjunctions:

Both...and: Indicates similarity or addition.

Example: Both Jack and Jill went up the hill.

Either...or: Presents alternatives.

Example: You can have either cake or ice cream.

Neither...nor: Connects negative alternatives.

Example: Neither the cat nor the dog liked the rain.

Not only...but also: Emphasizes addition or contrast.

Example: He is not only smart, but also kind.

Whether...or: Introduces a choice between alternatives.

Example: I'm not sure whether to go out or stay home.

Correlative conjunctions work in pairs to join similar elements within a sentence, such as two nouns, two verbs, or two phrases.

9. Prepositions: 

Correct usage of prepositions to show relationships between words in a sentence.

Prepositions are words that typically come before nouns or pronouns and establish relationships in time, space, or direction.

Examples of Prepositions:

In: Indicates location or position within a place.

Example: The book is in the bag.

On: Specifies position on a surface.

Example: The pen is on the table.

At: Denotes a specific point in time or place.

Example: We'll meet at the park at noon.

Under: Indicates position beneath or below something.

Example: The cat is sleeping under the bed.

Over: Specifies position above or covering something.

Example: The blanket is over the chair.

Between: Indicates the relationship of two or more items in relation to each other.

Example: The ball is between the two trees.

Among: Specifies the relationship of more than two items in a group.

Example: She shared the chocolates among her friends.

Behind: Denotes position at the back or rear of something.

Example: The car is parked behind the house.

With: Indicates association or accompaniment.

Example: I'm going to the party with my friends.

By: Specifies the agent performing an action.

Example: The letter was written by John.

Correct Usage of Prepositions

1. Choose the Right Preposition: Selecting the appropriate preposition depends on the context and the relationship you want to convey. Consider the specific meaning you intend to express.

Example: She walked to the store (direction) vs. She walked into the store (movement inside).

2. Be Mindful of Idiomatic Usage: Prepositions can have idiomatic meanings that may not always be predictable based on literal translations. Learn common idiomatic expressions to use prepositions accurately.

Example: He's in trouble (facing difficulties) vs. He's on time (punctual).

3. Consider Prepositional Phrases: Prepositions often form prepositional phrases when combined with other words. Pay attention to the entire phrase to ensure correct usage. 

Example: She sat by the river (preposition) vs. She sat by the riverbank (prepositional phrase).

4. Practice with Contextual Examples: Practice using prepositions in various contexts to become familiar with their correct usage. Reading and writing regularly can help reinforce proper usage patterns.

Example: The keys are on the table (position) vs. We'll meet at the restaurant (location).

5. Consult Reliable Resources: Refer to grammar books, dictionaries, or online resources for guidance on correct preposition usage. Pay attention to examples and explanations provided to deepen your understanding.

10. Direct and Indirect Speech: 

Understanding how to report speech accurately and appropriately using direct and indirect speech forms.

Direct speech involves quoting the exact words spoken by someone, while indirect speech reports what someone said without quoting directly.

• Direct Speech: She said, "I love you."
• Indirect Speech: She said that she loved him.

11. Active and Passive Voice: 

Knowing how to construct sentences in active or passive voice and understanding the implications of each.

In active voice, the subject performs the action expressed by the verb, while in passive voice, the subject receives the action.

• Active Voice: "The dog chased the cat."
• Passive Voice: "The cat was chased by the dog."

See also: Active and Passive Voice

12. Sentence Types: 

Recognizing and constructing different types of sentences, such as simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences.

1. Simple Sentences

• Simple sentences consist of a single independent clause, which contains a subject and a predicate and expresses a complete thought. They are straightforward and easy to understand.

Example:

• The cat (subject) chased the mouse (predicate).

2. Compound Sentences

• Compound sentences contain two or more independent clauses joined together by coordinating conjunctions (such as "and," "but," "or," "for," "nor," "so," or "yet") or semicolons. Each independent clause could stand alone as a complete sentence.

Example:

• The sun was shining (independent clause), but the wind was cold (independent clause).

3. Complex Sentences

• Complex sentences contain one independent clause and at least one dependent clause, which cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. Dependent clauses are introduced by subordinating conjunctions (such as "because," "although," "since," "while," "when," "if," "unless," etc.).

Example:

• Although she studied hard (dependent clause), she didn't pass the exam (independent clause).

4. Compound-Complex Sentences

• Compound-complex sentences combine elements of both compound and complex sentences. They contain two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.

Example:

• She went to the store (independent clause), but she forgot her wallet (independent clause), because she was in a hurry (dependent clause).

See also: 4 Types of Sentences

13. Parallelism: 

Maintaining parallel structure within sentences and lists to improve clarity and readability.

Parallel structure involves using the same grammatical form for elements within a sentence, such as lists or comparisons.

• Incorrect: "She likes hiking, swimming, and to ride bikes."
• Correct: "She likes hiking, swimming, and riding bikes."

14. Punctuation: 

Proper usage of punctuation marks, including commas, periods, semicolons, colons, apostrophes, quotation marks, question marks, and exclamation points.

Punctuation marks are like road signs in a sentence. They help guide the reader and clarify meaning. Let's take a look at some common punctuation marks and how to use them.

Period (.)

• The period is used to end a sentence that makes a statement or expresses a thought. It's like putting a full stop at the end of a sentence.

Example: "I love to dance."

Comma (,)

• Commas are used to separate items in a list, set off introductory phrases or clauses, and separate independent clauses when joined by a conjunction.

Example: "I like apples, bananas, and oranges."

Question Mark (?)

• The question mark is used at the end of a sentence that asks a direct question.

Example: "Where are you going?"

Exclamation Mark (!)

• The exclamation mark is used to express strong emotions or emphasis.

Example: "Congratulations on your promotion!"

Apostrophe (')

• The apostrophe is used to show possession or to indicate missing letters in contractions.

Example: "That is Sarah's book." / "I can't wait to see you!"

Quotation Marks (" ")

• Quotation marks are used to indicate direct speech or to enclose titles of short works.

Example: She said, "Hello, how are you?"

Colon (:)

• The colon is used to introduce a list or to separate independent clauses when the second clause explains or illustrates the first.

Example: "There are three things I love: reading, writing, and hiking."

Semicolon (;)

• The semicolon is used to join two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction.

Example: "She likes to swim; he prefers to surf."

Mastering punctuation will make your writing clearer and easier to understand.

15. Capitalization: 

Knowing when and how to capitalize words, including proper nouns, the first word of a sentence, and titles.

• Capital letters are used for proper nouns (names of specific people, places, or things), the first word of a sentence, and titles.

Example: "Mary went to New York City to visit the Statue of Liberty."

16. Sentence Fragments and Run-On Sentences: 

Recognizing and correcting incomplete sentences and sentences that lack appropriate punctuation.

A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence, while a run-on sentence consists of two or more independent clauses improperly joined.

• Example of a fragment: "Running through the park."
• Example of a run-on: "I like coffee I drink it every morning."

17. Word Order: 

Understanding the standard word order in English sentences and how deviations can affect meaning.

In English, the most common word order is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO). This means that sentences typically follow a pattern where the subject performs the action on the object.

Example of SVO Word Order: The cat chased the mouse.

• Subject: The cat
• Verb: chased
• Object: the mouse

18. Phrasal Verbs and Idioms: 

Familiarity with common phrasal verbs and idiomatic expressions and their usage in context.

Phrasal Verbs

• Phrasal verbs are combinations of a verb and one or more particles (usually prepositions or adverbs) that together form a single semantic unit with a unique meaning. They often have idiomatic or figurative meanings that may not be deducible from the individual words.

Example of Phrasal Verb:

• Look up: To search for information in a reference source or online.
• Example: I need to look up the definition of this word.

See also: What Are Phrasal Verbs?, List of common phrasal verbs

Types of Phrasal Verbs:

1. Intransitive Phrasal Verbs: 

• These verbs do not require a direct object.

Example: She woke up early.

2. Transitive Phrasal Verbs: 

• These verbs require a direct object.

Example: He turned off the lights.

3. Separable Phrasal Verbs: 

• The object can come between the verb and particle or after the particle.

Example: She turned the lights off. (Object between)

Example: She turned off the lights. (Object after)

4. Inseparable Phrasal Verbs: 

• The object must come after the particle.

Example: She put on her coat.

Idioms

• Idioms are expressions with meanings that cannot be understood from the literal definitions of their individual words. They often convey cultural or contextual nuances and are widely used in both spoken and written English.

Example of Idiom:

• Break the ice: To initiate conversation or establish rapport in a social situation.
• Example: Let's play a game to break the ice at the party.

Types of Idioms:

1. Literal Idioms: 

• These idioms have a clear connection between their literal and figurative meanings.

Example: Under the weather (literally means feeling unwell).

2. Non-literal Idioms: 

• These idioms have meanings that cannot be inferred from their individual words.

Example: Hit the books (figuratively means to study).

3. Cultural Idioms: 

• These idioms are unique to specific cultures or regions.

Example: Kick the bucket (meaning to die).

Mastering these aspects of English grammar can greatly enhance communication skills and writing proficiency. However, it's essential to remember that language is dynamic, and usage may vary in different contexts and over time. Regular practice, exposure to diverse forms of English, and ongoing learning are key to improving grammar proficiency.