English grammar explained using clear and simple explanations.
Below is a list of the most common irregular verbs in English: Base Form Past Simple Past Participle be was/were been become became become begin began begun break broke broken bring brought brought build built built buy bought bought can could been able to catch caught caught choose chose chosen come came come cost cost cost cut cut cut do […]
Read moreGenerally to make an adverb we add –ly Adjective Adverb quick slow sudden interesting willing quickly slowly suddenly interestingly willingly He was running quickly. She walks slowly. He entered the room suddenly. I went to the party willingly. There are a few irregular adverbs: Adjective Adverb daily early fast good hard late daily early fast well hard late The newspaper comes out daily. He gets up early. They […]
Read moreWhen we want to say why something is done we can use the infinitive of the verb. Examples Why are you going to Brazil? To visit the Amazon. Why did you phone her? To invite her to the party. What are you learning Chinese for? To be able to look for a job in China.
Read moreThere is no difference in meaning between these two sentences: I have a car. I‘ve got a car. The important thing is not to mix the two forms. If you use the “have” form, have is the main verb and so to make a question or negative sentence, we need an auxiliary verb: Have Tense Positive Negative Question Present simple I have a […]
Read moreHave is sometimes a main verb and sometimes an auxiliary verb. When have is a main verb, the auxiliary verb is not have (unless we are using the present perfect) so we have to use a different auxiliary verb. Look at these sentences: Have as main verb Action verb Positive Negative Question I have a shower every day I don’t […]
Read moreBasically we use to be going to when we intend to do something, we are probably going to do it but we have not confirmed it 100%. I‘m going to watch the match tonight. I‘m going to meet my friends tomorrow. I‘m going to eat pizza tonight. If I now call the pizzeria to book a table for two for 8 o’clock this evening […]
Read moreWhen someone has a problem, we can give them advice in the following ways: “I have a headache.” You should take some medicine. Subject should base form You should study more. You shouldn’t smoke so much. You ought to take some medicine. Subject ought to base form You ought to do more exercise. You oughtn’t to think so negatively. Why don’t you take some medicine? […]
Read moreThe most used future form in English is to be going to + verb. I‘m going to eat pizza tomorrow. They‘re going to play tennis next Saturday. Look at the construction: Subject to be going to base form of verb We are going to have a party next week. She is going to visit her mother tonight. They are going to listen to […]
Read moreTo understand the future perfect simple just think about the present perfect simple: I‘ve been to Spain. I was born in 1970 and at some point since my birth and now I went to Spain. It doesn’t matter when. The future perfect has a similar idea but refers to some point in the future. The keyword is “by“. By 2015 I will have learnt to speak Japanese. […]
Read moreTo understand the future perfect continuous we need to think about the present perfect continuous. I have been playing the guitar for 3 years. I started playing the guitar 3 years ago and I’m still playing the guitar. We use the future perfect continuous when we want to talk about something which will continue until a certain point in the future. As with the future […]
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