Welcome to the basics of English grammar! Whether you are a beginner or just looking to refresh your knowledge, this guide will help you understand the fundamental rules and structures of the English language.

Nouns

Nouns are words that name people, places, things, or ideas. Here are some common examples:

  • People: teacher, student, doctor
  • Places: city, country, beach
  • Things: book, car, tree
  • Ideas: love, happiness, freedom

Types of Nouns

  • Common nouns: refer to general categories (e.g., dog, car)
  • Proper nouns: refer to specific individuals or places (e.g., Paris, Mount Everest)

Verbs

Verbs are words that express actions, occurrences, or states of being. Examples include:

  • Action verbs: run, jump, swim
  • State verbs: be, have, seem
  • Phrasal verbs: look after, get along, put off

Tenses

English has several tenses to describe when actions occur:

  • Present tense: actions happening now (e.g., I am reading)
  • Past tense: actions that have happened (e.g., I read)
  • Future tense: actions that will happen (e.g., I will read)

Adjectives

Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns. They provide additional information about the noun. For example:

  • Beautiful, big, blue (adjectives)

Order of Adjectives

When you have multiple adjectives, the order is typically: opinion, size, age, color, origin, material, purpose.

Adverbs

Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They provide additional information about the verb, adjective, or adverb they are modifying. Examples include:

  • Quickly, slowly, always, rarely, very

Types of Adverbs

  • Adverbs of manner: describe how an action is done (e.g., He sings beautifully.)
  • Adverbs of time: indicate when an action occurs (e.g., I will finish this task tomorrow.)
  • Adverbs of place: indicate where an action occurs (e.g., She lives in the city.)

Sentences

A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought. It typically contains a subject and a predicate.

Types of Sentences

  • Declarative: makes a statement (e.g., The sun rises in the east.)
  • Interrogative: asks a question (e.g., What time is it?)
  • Imperative: gives a command or makes a request (e.g., Please close the door.)
  • Exclamatory: expresses surprise, excitement, or emotion (e.g., What a beautiful day!)

For more information on English grammar, check out our Grammar Resources page.