Grammar · A1

Present simple forms of to be: am/is/are

Includes Be: am, is and are

Present simple forms of to be: am/is/are. Use am with I, is with he/she/it and singular nouns, and are with you/we/they and plurals.

Present Simple: I do, I don't, Do I?

Includes Present simple

Present Simple: I do, I don't, Do I?. Use the present simple for habits and facts.

Present Continuous: I'm doing, I'm not doing, Are you doing?

Present Continuous: I'm doing, I'm not doing, Are you doing?. Form the present continuous with am/is/are + -ing.

Present Simple or Present Continuous?

Present Simple or Present Continuous?. Use the present simple for routines and the present continuous for actions happening now or temporary situations.

Have got

Have got. Have got expresses possession: I/you/we/they have got; he/she/it has got.

Was/were — Past Simple of be

Was/were — Past Simple of be. Was is the past of am/is; were is the past of are.

Past Simple — regular/irregular verbs

Past Simple — regular/irregular verbs. Use the past simple for completed events in finished past time.

Past Simple — negatives and questions

Past Simple — negatives and questions. Use did + subject + base verb for past-simple questions and did not + base verb for negatives.

Will and shall — Future

Will and shall — Future. Use will + base verb for predictions, promises and decisions made now.

Be going to — plans and predictions

Be going to — plans and predictions. Use am/is/are going to + base verb for an existing plan or a prediction based on present evidence.

Can / can't — ability, possibility, permission

Includes Can and cannot

Can / can't — ability, possibility, permission. Can + base verb expresses ability, possibility or informal permission.

The imperative — Sit down! Don't talk!

The imperative — Sit down! Don't talk!. An imperative starts with the base verb and usually has no subject.

Would you like…? / I'd like…

Would you like…? / I'd like…. Would like is a polite way to express a wish or offer something.

Verbs + to + infinitive / verbs + -ing

Verbs + to + infinitive / verbs + -ing. Learn the pattern after each verb: want, hope and decide take to + base verb; enjoy and finish take -ing.

A/an + singular/plural forms

Includes Articles: a and an

A/an + singular/plural forms. Use a before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound with singular countable nouns.

A/an, the, no article

A/an, the, no article. Use a/an to introduce one unspecified singular countable thing.

This, that, these, those

This, that, these, those. This and these refer to things near the speaker; that and those usually indicate greater distance.

Possessive adjectives & subject pronouns — I/my, you/your...

Possessive adjectives & subject pronouns — I/my, you/your.... Subject pronouns perform the action: I, you, he, she, it, we, they.

Object vs subject pronouns — me/I, she/her...

Object vs subject pronouns — me/I, she/her.... Use subject pronouns before a verb as its subject and object pronouns after a verb or preposition: I/me, he/him, she/her, we/us, they/them.

A, some, any — countable/uncountable nouns

A, some, any — countable/uncountable nouns. Use a/an with one countable noun, some with plural or uncountable amounts, and any in most negatives and questions.

Much, many, a lot of, a little, a few

Much, many, a lot of, a little, a few. Use many/a few with plural countable nouns and much/a little with uncountable nouns.

Whose / possessive 's

Whose / possessive 's. Whose asks about possession.

There is/are / There was/were

Includes There is and there are

There is/are / There was/were. There is/are introduces something that exists in a place.

There or it

There or it. Use there + be to introduce existence; use it to refer to one thing already identified.

This vs it

This vs it. Use this to identify or introduce someone or something near you.

Adjectives

Adjectives. Adjectives describe nouns.

Adverbs of manner vs adjectives

Adverbs of manner vs adjectives. Adjectives describe people or things; adverbs describe actions.

Comparative adjectives

Comparative adjectives. Compare two things using adjective + -er or more + longer adjective, followed by than.

Superlative adjectives

Superlative adjectives. Use the superlative to compare one member with a whole group: the -est or the most + adjective.

And, but, or, so, because

And, but, or, so, because. And adds information, but contrasts ideas, or presents alternatives, so introduces a result and because gives a reason.

At/in/on — time

At/in/on — time. Use at for clock times and certain fixed expressions, on for days and dates, and in for months, years and parts of the day.

At/in/on — place

At/in/on — place. Use in for being inside an area or container, on for a surface, and at for a point or activity location.

Next to, under, between, in front of, behind, over...

Next to, under, between, in front of, behind, over.... Place prepositions express position: under is lower than, over is above, between separates two reference points, next to means beside, and behind is at the back.

Questions — word order & question words

Questions — word order & question words. Most questions use question word + auxiliary + subject + main verb.

Adverbs of frequency with Present Simple

Adverbs of frequency with Present Simple. Frequency adverbs usually go before a main verb but after be: often walks, is often late.

Basic English word order

Basic English word order. A basic statement normally has subject + verb + object, followed by place and time.

A1: Write the missing words

Produce the grammar yourself: ten focused questions with a clear cue and no answer choices.

A1: Find and fix grammar errors

Find a grammar error and rewrite the sentence. Ten corrections with explanations and targeted review.