English grammar explained using clear and simple explanations.
When we want something to be different than it is we can make sentences with wish or if only. Wish Present subject wish subject past simple I wish I had a million dollars. I wish I could speak Chinese. I wish she lived nearer. It is the same construction as the second conditional. As with the second conditional it […]
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When we tell someone to do something we use the base form of the verb. Examples Be quiet! Come here, please. Look after your sister while I’m out. When we tell someone not to do something we use Don’t + base form or Do not + base form Examples Don’t talk to strangers. Don’t be silly! Do not do that […]
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Of course we use will in English but not as often as you might think. Here is when we use it: To make an immediate decision What would you like to eat? I‘ll have a ham sandwich please. To make an offer You see that someone needs your help and so you offer to help him: I‘ll carry that for […]
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Look at these sentences: There is a blackbird in the garden. There’s a bottle of coke in the fridge. There are sixty people in the waiting room. There are a lot of wild animals in the forest. We use the form there is in the singular form and the form there are in the plural form. Singular Positive Negative Question […]
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Look at these sentences: Are there any anteaters in the zoo? No, there aren’t any anteaters but there are some chimpanzees. We use some in positive sentences and any in negative sentences and questions. Positive Negative Question There are some cars. There aren’t any cars. Are there any cars? You have some money. You don’t have any money. Do you […]
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The verb to be is the first verb to learn when you are learning English. It immediately allows us to give basic information about ourselves and other people. Positive Negative I am I‘m not / I aren’t You are You aren’t / you‘re not He isShe isIt is He isn’t / he‘s notShe isn’t / She‘s notIt isn’t / It‘s […]
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Look at these two questions: Question word Auxiliary Subject Verb Who do you love? Question word verb object Who loves you? The first question is a normal question and uses the form which we almost always use for a question: question word + auxiliary + subject + verb In the second question, the question word is the subject. When the […]
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In American movies and music it is very common to hear the words gonna, gotta and wanna. They are short forms of talking about the future (gonna), obligation (gotta) and desires (wanna). Gonna Gonna is the abbreviated form of going to and so is used to talk about the future. Sentence/ question with gonna Grammatically correct sentence/ question I’m gonna […]
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Basically, must, have to and have got to have the same meanings. Must is more formal, have to can be used when we write and when we speak and have got to is usually used in spoken English. Positive sentences Present Past They must sleep. They have to sleep. They‘ve got to sleep. They had to sleep. They had to sleep. They had to […]
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We use the present perfect continuous when an action started in the past and is continuing. I’ve been teaching English for 15 years. Look at the construction: Subject to have been -ing form of verb I have been living abroad for 20 years. They have been going out together for 3 years. She has been studying English since she was […]
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