Grammar 100
Class 1 - Parts of Speech
Click HERE and HERE and HERE for online exercises to practice
Click HERE for games to play with Parts of Speech
Click HERE for games to play with Parts of Speech
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Class 2 - Nouns
- Common Nouns - regular nouns (examples: table, book, chair)
- Proper Nouns - the names of regular nouns (examples: McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Paris); they MUST be capitalized
- Count Nouns - things you can count; have a singular and plural form (examples: tree, books, apples)
- Noncount Nouns - things you cannot count; CANNOT be plural; CANNOT use a, an, or a number before them
- Examples: love, freedom, education, luck, help, beauty, music, thunder, sugar, rice, salt, sand, flour, dirt, dust, traffic, grass, spaghetti, bread, fish, cheese, chocolate, meat, bacon, food, ham, water, milk, wine, oil, coffee, rain, soup, air, smoke, blood, juice, fog, wood, glass, paper, gold, silver, ice, iron, cotton, wood, steel, furniture, advice, work, news, information, luggage, money
- Rules for Plural Nouns
- For most nouns, add s to form the plural (example: dog -> dogs)
- For nouns that end with sh, ch, x, z, or s, add es (examples: wish/wishes, lunch/lunches, fox/foxes, waltz/waltzes, bus/buses
- For noun that end with a vowel + y, add s (example: boy/boys)
- For nouns that end with a consonant + y, change the y to i and add es (example: city/cities)
- For nouns that end with f or fe, change the f or fe to ves (example: knife/knives)
- For nouns that end with a vowel + o, add s (example: zoo/zoos)
- For nouns that end with a consonant + o, add es (example: tomato/tomatoes)
- A/An - a and an have the same meaning; they mean "one"; they are indefinite articles
- When the next word starts with a consonant sound - use a (examples: a book, a frog, a lemon)
- When the next word starts with a vowel sound - use an (examples: an apple, an egg, an umbrella)
- But be careful - it must be the sound of the letter (examples: an hour, a university)
- When the next word starts with a consonant sound - use a (examples: a book, a frog, a lemon)
- We use some in front of noncount nouns or count nouns in the plural; some means "a quantity of"
- We use the definite article the with singular count, plural count, and noncount nouns
- We use the when the person we are speaking to knows which things we are talking about
- We use a/an when the person we are speaking to does not know which thing we are talking about
- We do not use the when we walk about something general (example: Gold is expensive.)
- We use the when we are specific (example: The gold in this jewelry is very expensive.)
- Capitalization Rules
- The pronoun I (example: She and I will go to the movies)
- The first letter of the first word of each sentence (example: You need to learn the rules of grammar.)
- The first letter of names of people, organizations, and places (examples: Juan, Tokyo, Japan, General Motors)
- Initials (example: H.G. Wells)
- First letter of directions only when they are used as a place, not when they point in a direction (example: When we visited the Southwest, we actually had to drive north.)
- The first letter of names of months and days of the week (examples: June, October, Friday)
- The official title of a person, but only when you use it with the person's name (examples: Dr. Montoya, Doctor Montoya, President Obama)
- Words that are used as names or parts of names, but not when they are with a pronoun (example: Did Uncle George call my mom to tell her our grandmother is with Dad?)
- The first letter of important words in the title of a book, magazine, story, essay, or movie (examples: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Return of the Jedi)
- Historical events and documents (examples: Emancipation Proclamation, Civil War)
- Names of languages, races, nationalities, religions (examples: Spanish, Hispanics, Catholic, American)
- Acronyms (first letters of words in a long name) (examples: CIA, UN, KFC)
- The pronoun I (example: She and I will go to the movies)
Click HERE for games to play with Plural Nouns
Click HERE for games to play with Articles
Click HERE for games to play with Capitalization
Click HERE for games to play with Articles
Click HERE for games to play with Capitalization
Class 3 - Pronouns
- Subject pronouns replace the subject of the sentence.
- Object pronouns are what is affected by the action of the sentence.
- “It” is used for objects, things, animals, or ideas NOT people.
- “It” is also used for time, weather, or temperature.
- When using “it” as an object, the other person must know what you are talking about.
Still confused about reflexive pronouns? Read THIS.
Click HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE for online exercises to practice
Click HERE for games to play with pronouns
Click HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE for online exercises to practice
Click HERE for games to play with pronouns
Class 4 - Verbs (Simple Present)
Need more explanation? Look HERE.
Questions about have/has/go/goes? Look HERE.
Click HERE and HERE for online exercises to practice
Questions about have/has/go/goes? Look HERE.
Click HERE and HERE for online exercises to practice
Class 5 - Adverbs of Frequency
Class 6 - Verbs (Simple Present Questions)
QUESTIONS
- WHO - is used only for people
- Who is your best friend?
- Who are your favorite bands?
- WHERE - is used only for place or location
- Where do you live?
- Where is the library?
- Where are my books?
- WHEN - is for time or an occasion
- When does class start?
- When is his birthday?
- WHY - is used for an explanation or reason (the spoken answer usually starts with “because”)
- Why is it so cold?
- Why does he complain all the time?
- WHAT - for things and specific information
- What is your name?
- What is for dinner?
- WHICH - when a choice needs to be made
- Which is better - this one or that one?
- Which day do you study - Wednesday or Saturday?
- HOW - describes the way something is done
- How do you cook your steak?
- How can I learn English quickly?
- HOW MUCH - refers to a quantity or price (noncount nouns)
- How much time is left for the test?
- How much does that jacket cost?
- HOW MANY - refers to a quantity (count nouns)
- How many days are in February?
- How many brothers and sisters do you have?
- HOW OFTEN - refers to frequency
- How often do you go to English class?
- HOW FAR - refers to distance
- How far is your house from school?
Click HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE for online exercises to practice
Does the way I say a question change its meaning? YES! Read HERE.
Does the way I say a question change its meaning? YES! Read HERE.
Class 7 - Adjectives (Comparison)
- Adjectives can appear after the verb be
- The dog is brown.
- Adjectives can appear before a noun
- I saw a blue car.
- It does not sound natural to use three or more adjectives in a sentence
- You rarely hear four or more adjectives before a noun
- The superlative form must always use “the” before the adjective
- If you can put “and” between the adjectives, a hyphen isn’t necessary.
- She has a big blue book.
- If you cannot put “and” between the adjectives, you need a hyphen.
- He is a world-famous singer.
Click HERE and HERE and HERE for online exercises to practice
LIST of ed/ing adjectives
Beautiful/pretty/handsome/ugly
LIST of ed/ing adjectives
Beautiful/pretty/handsome/ugly
Class 8 - Adverbs (Comparison)
- Adverbs describe verbs. They give more information and are usually placed after the verb
- The cat walked slowly.
- The cat walked slowly.
- If there is an object, the adverb is usually placed after the verb + object
- I put the vase carefully on the table.
- I put the vase carefully on the table.
- Adverbs usually answer the question “How?”
- Adverbs can also modify adjectives (they are put before the adjective)
- It was very hot yesterday.
- Very, extremely, really, totally, absolutely, quite, fairly, well
- It was very hot yesterday.
- Adverbs are usually formed by adding -ly to the end of an adjective
- Quick -> quickly
- Quick -> quickly
- If the adjective ends in y, remove the y and add ily
- Crazy -> crazily
- Crazy -> crazily
- If the adjective ends in consonant +le, remove the e and add ly
- Terrible -> terribly
- Terrible -> terribly
- If the adjective ends in ic, add ally
- Ironic -> ironically
- Ironic -> ironically
- Irregular
- fast->fast, good -> well
Click HERE for online exercises to practice
Click HERE for adjective or adverb practice
Click HERE and HERE for lists of basic vocabulary words
Click HERE for adjective or adverb practice
Click HERE and HERE for lists of basic vocabulary words
Class 9 - Verbs (Present Progressive)
- We use the present progressive tense:
- When somebody is doing something at this moment
- We are learning how to use the present progressive tense.
- Sarah is changing her clothes right now.
- When something is happening at this moment (the action has started but not finished)
- It is snowing.
- The children are sleeping, so please be quiet.
- To talk about something that is happening around the time of speaking but not at that exact moment
- Alfredo is studying a lot for the exam.
- I’m reading a great book.
- When somebody is doing something at this moment
- Verbs that cannot be used in the present progressive tense:
- Emotions
- Admire, adore, appreciate, care, detest, dislike, doubt, envy, fear, hate, hope, like, love, regret, respect, trust
- Admire, adore, appreciate, care, detest, dislike, doubt, envy, fear, hate, hope, like, love, regret, respect, trust
- Mental States
- Agree, assume, believe, consider, disagree, expect, feel (believe), see (understand), think (believe)
- Agree, assume, believe, consider, disagree, expect, feel (believe), see (understand), think (believe)
- Wants and preferences
- Desire, need, prefer, want, wish
- Desire, need, prefer, want, wish
- Perception and senses
- Feel, hear, notice, observe, perceive, see, smell, taste
- Feel, hear, notice, observe, perceive, see, smell, taste
- Appearance
- Appear, be, feel, look, represent, resemble, seem, signify, smell, sound, taste
- Appear, be, feel, look, represent, resemble, seem, signify, smell, sound, taste
- Possession
- Belong, have, own, possess
- Emotions
Class 10 - Verbs (Simple Future)
Using "will" in the future tense:
- For things we decide to do now (when you make a decision at that moment in a spontaneous way)
- I will call a taxi for you.
- When we think or believe something about the future (a prediction based on personal opinion)
- I think the president will not be re-elected.
- To make an offer, a promise or a threat
- I will do my best to help you.
- For a habit that is a predictable behavior
- My daughter will fall asleep as soon as she is put into bed.
- Use “won't” when someone refuses to do something
- He won’t listen to anything I say.
- When we have already decided or we intend to do something in the future (the decision has been made before speaking)
- I’m going to accept the job offer.
- Where there are definite signs that something is going to happen (based on evidence or experience)
- I think it is going to rain - I just felt a drop.
- When something is about to happen
- Get back! The bomb is going to explode!
- When BE GOING TO is used in the past tense, it refers to something that was going to happen but in the end it didn't happen.
- I was going to call you, but I lost your phone number.
- When we speak quickly, GOING TO sounds like GONNA - this is very informal English
- I’m gonna go to the beach tomorrow
- I’m going to go to the beach tomorrow.
Click HERE for online exercises to practice
Class 11 - Prepositions
Prepositions LIST
Click HERE and HERE for online exercises to practice.
Click HERE and HERE for games to play with Prepositions
More explanation for Prepositions of Place HERE
Click HERE and HERE for online exercises to practice.
Click HERE and HERE for games to play with Prepositions
More explanation for Prepositions of Place HERE
Class 12 - Verbs (Simple Past)
Spelling Rules for Changing Verbs to Past Tense
- With most verbs, you simply add “ed” to the end of the word.
- Play -> played
- Play -> played
- If the verb ends with an “e”, just add a “d"
- Live -> lived
- Live -> lived
- If the verb ends with a consonant + vowel + consonant, double the consonant then add “ed”
- Stop -> stopped
- Stop -> stopped
- If a two-syllable verb ends with consonant + vowel + consonant, we do NOT double the consonant when the stress is on the first syllable
- Happen -> happened
- Happen -> happened
- We do NOT double the consonant when the word ends with “w”, “x”, or “y” or when the final syllable is not stressed
- Snow -> snowed
Click HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE for online exercises to practice
Pronunciation practice games HERE and HERE
Pronunciation practice games HERE and HERE
Class 13 - Verbs (Simple Past)
Click HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE for online exercises to practice
Click HERE for games to play with Verb Tenses
Irregular Verb LIST
Click HERE for games to play with Verb Tenses
Irregular Verb LIST
Class 14 - Verbs (Past Progressive)
Click HERE for online exercises to practice
Class 15 - Conjunctions
Click HERE for games to play with Conjunctions
More Resources
Grammar Bytes |
This website has a list of common grammar terms, practice questions, and videos to help explain difficult grammar ideas.
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Grammar Ninja |
Grammar games
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Confused about what verb tense to use?
Phonetics |
This website shows you how to pronounce the different sounds in English.
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Make or Do? |
This website explains when to use "make" and when to use "do", a common mistake for Spanish speakers.
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