Basic Things to Know About English Grammar

English grammar is the set of rules that govern how we use the English language to communicate. Whether you are a native speaker or a learner, it is important to have a solid understanding of English grammar to effectively convey your thoughts and ideas. In this article, we will cover some of the basic things you need to know about English grammar.

Here are some basic things to know about English grammar:

1. Nouns: Nouns are words that refer to people, places, things, or ideas. Examples include "dog," "house," and "happiness."
2. Verbs: Verbs are words that describe actions or states of being. Examples include "run," "think," and "be."
3. Adjectives: Adjectives are words that describe nouns or pronouns. Examples include "happy," "red," and "interesting."
4. Adverbs: Adverbs are words that describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Examples include "quickly," "happily," and "very."
5. Prepositions: Prepositions are words that show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence. Examples include "in," "on," and "under."
6. Conjunctions: Conjunctions are words that connect clauses or phrases. Examples include "and," "but," and "or."
7. Pronouns: Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns. Examples include "he," "she," "it," and "they."
8. Subject-verb agreement: The verb in a sentence must agree with the subject in number (singular or plural). For example, "He runs" is correct, but "He run" is not.
9. Tense: Verb tense indicates the time frame in which an action occurs. Examples include present, past, and future tense.
10. Capitalization: Proper nouns (specific people, places, or things) and the first word of a sentence are capitalized in English.
11. Possessive nouns: To show possession, you can add an apostrophe and the letter "s" to a noun. For example, "the cat's toy" means the toy belongs to the cat.
12. Plurals: To make most nouns plural, you can add an "s" to the end. For example, "cat" becomes "cats," and "dog" becomes "dogs." There are some exceptions to this rule, such as "child" becoming "children" and "mouse" becoming "mice."
13. Comparatives and superlatives: Adjectives and adverbs can be used to compare things using comparative and superlative forms. For example, "happy" becomes "happier" and "happiest" as a comparative and superlative, respectively.
14. Fragments: A fragment is a group of words that does not form a complete sentence. A sentence must contain a subject and a verb and must express a complete thought.
15. Run-on sentences: A run-on sentence is a sentence that is too long and contains multiple independent clauses that are not properly connected. To fix a run-on sentence, you can use a period to create two separate sentences, or you can use a comma and a conjunction to connect the clauses.
16. Active and passive voice: In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action. In passive voice, the action is being done to the subject. For example, "The cat chased the mouse" is in active voice, while "The mouse was chased by the cat" is in passive voice.
17. Direct and indirect objects: A direct object is the noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb in a sentence. An indirect object is the noun or pronoun that is affected by the action of the verb. For example, in the sentence "She gave the book to me," "book" is the direct object and "me" is the indirect object.
18. Modals: Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that modify the meaning of other verbs. They indicate possibility, necessity, or obligation. Examples include "can," "could," "may," "might," "must," "shall," "should," "will," and "would."
19. Infinitives: An infinitive is the base form of a verb, usually preceded by the word "to." For example, "to swim," "to run," and "to think" are infinitives.
20. Gerunds: A gerund is a verb form that ends in "-ing" and functions as a noun. For example, "swimming," "running," and "thinking" are gerunds.
21. Participles: A participle is a verb form that can function as an adjective. There are two types of participles: present participles, which end in "-ing," and past participles, which often end in "-ed," "-d," "-t," or "-en." For example, "swimming," "running," and "thinking" are present participles, while "swum," "run," and "thought" are past participles.
22. Subject and object pronouns: Subject pronouns are used to replace the subject of a sentence. Object pronouns are used to replace the object of a verb or preposition. Examples of subject pronouns include "I," "you," "he," "she," "it," "we," and "they." Examples of object pronouns include "me," "you," "him," "her," "it," "us," and "them."
23. Possessive pronouns: Possessive pronouns show ownership or possession. Examples include "mine," "yours," "his," "hers," "its," "ours," and "theirs."
24. Coordinating conjunctions: Coordinating conjunctions are used to connect words, phrases, and clauses of equal syntactic importance. The most common coordinating conjunctions are "and," "but," "or," "nor," "for," and "so."
25. Subordinating conjunctions: Subordinating conjunctions are used to connect clauses of unequal syntactic importance, with the subordinate clause coming after the main clause. Examples of subordinating conjunctions include "although," "because," "since," "while," "as," "if," "when," "where," "why," and "how."
26. Relative pronouns: Relative pronouns are used to introduce relative clauses, which provide additional information about a noun or pronoun. Examples of relative pronouns include "who," "whom," "whose," "that," and "which."
27. Interjections: Interjections are words or phrases used to express strong emotion or to introduce a sentence. They are typically followed by an exclamation mark. Examples of interjections include "oh," "wow," "ouch," and "yuck."
28. Paragraphs: A paragraph is a group of sentences that discusses a single topic. A good paragraph should have a clear topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a conclusion.
29. Indentation: In written English, the first line of a new paragraph is typically indented. This helps to visually separate different ideas and make the text easier to read.
30. Ellipses: An ellipsis (...) is used to indicate that a word or phrase has been omitted from a quote or to show a pause or hesitation in speech.
31. Brackets: Brackets ([ ]) are used to enclose additional information or a clarification that is being added to a quote.
32. Dashes: Dashes are used to set off nonessential information or to indicate a sudden break in thought. There are two types of dashes: the en dash (–) and the em dash (—). The en dash is slightly shorter than the em dash and is typically used to indicate a range of numbers. The em dash is slightly longer and is often used to set off a clause or to indicate an abrupt change in thought.
33. Hyphens: Hyphens (-) are used to join two words or to separate syllables. They can also be used to break a word at the end of a line of text.
34. Quotation marks: Quotation marks (") are used to enclose a direct quotation or to indicate that a word or phrase is being used in a nonliteral sense.

Do You Need to Know All This List?

English grammar covers a wide range of rules and concepts, and while it’s helpful to be aware of all of them, you don’t need to master every item on this list to get by in basic English. Some topics are essential for clear communication, while others can be learned later as you advance.

Most Items You Should Know to Get Basic English

Understanding the fundamentals like nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions is key to forming sentences. Concepts like subject-verb agreement, tenses, and basic punctuation such as capitalization and periods are also necessary for effective communication. Having a solid grasp of these areas will allow you to speak and write clearly in English.

Do Not Waste Your Time on These Items

If you’re just starting with English, don’t stress over more advanced topics like relative pronouns, subordinating conjunctions, and ellipses. These are helpful but not immediately necessary for beginner or intermediate learners. You can gradually introduce yourself to concepts like gerunds, participles, and modal verbs as you get more comfortable with the basics.

The article begins by introducing some of the fundamental parts of speech in English, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. It then covers concepts like subject-verb agreement, tense, capitalization, and plurals. The article also covers more advanced topics such as modals, infinitives, gerunds, and participles, as well as various types of pronouns and conjunctions. Additionally, the article covers issues that can arise in sentences such as fragments, run-on sentences, and active and passive voice. Finally, the article covers some of the formatting and punctuation conventions used in English, such as ellipses, brackets, dashes, hyphens, and quotation marks.