Basic English Grammar Cheat Sheet (Draft #1)

Articles -

Promise Need

Use ‘a’ and ‘an’ with not a specific object. Use ‘the’ with a specific object. The first time you speak of something use ‘a’ or ‘an’, the next time you repeat that object use ‘the’.

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DO NOT use an article with countries, states, counties or provinces, lakes and mountains except when the country is a collection of states such as "The United States".

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Use an article with bodies of water, oceans and seas.

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DO NOT use an article when you are speaking about meals, places, and transport.

DO NOT use an article when you are speaking about things in general.

Past Tense Irregular Verbs Present Be Begin Bring Buy Cost Do Eat Fly Give Have Know Make Pay Read See Send Spend Teach Think

Past Was/Were Began Brought Bought Cost Did Ate Flew Gave Had Knew Made Paid Read Saw Sent Spent Taught Thought

Present Become Break Build Come Cut Drink Find Get Go Keep Leave Meet Put Say Sell Speak Take Tell

Past Became Broke Built Came Cut Drank Found Got Went Kept Left Met Put Said Sold Spoke Took Told

Object Me You Him Her It Us Them

Possessive Mine Yours His Hers Its Ours Thiers

Possessive adjectives My Your His Her Its Our Their

Present Simple Use the present simple to talk about activities or routines which take place on a regular basis. Positive: Subject + present conjugation of verb + objects. Negative: Subject + do not + base form of verb + objects. Question: WH? + do + subject + base form of verb ? Expression time: everyday, on …, at the moment, now, always, usually, sometimes. Days of the weeks followed by 's'.

Adverbs of Frequency Adverbs of frequency include: always, usually, often, sometimes, occasionally, seldom, rarely and never. * If the sentence has one verb put the adverb in the middle of the sentence after the subject and before the verb. * If the sentence has more than one verb (e.g. auxiliary verb), put the adverb of frequency before the main verb. * When using adverbs of frequency in the question or negative form, put the adverb of frequency before the main verb.

Modal Form Positive: Subject + Modal + Base Form of Verb + Objects. Negative: Subject + Modal + Not + Base Form of Verb + Objects.

Plural These Those

Future with 'Will' Positive: Subject + will + base form of verb + object(s). Negative: Subject + will + not + base form of verb + object(s). Question: Question Word + will + subject + base form of verb?

Future with 'Going to' Positive: Subject + to be + going to + base form of verb + object(s).

Common Verbs + Gerund e.g. verb + verb + ing Quit Suggest

Future

* `Will` used for quick decisions, predictions, scheduled public events and promises.

Verbs Followed by the Gerund or the Infinitive

Enjoy Can't stand

Want

* The most common modals are: Can, Should and Must.

Demonstrative Pronouns Pronoun Singular Near This Far That

Go Mind

Refuse hope

Question: Modal + Subject + Base Form of Verb + Objects?

Pronouns Subject I You He She It We They

Plan Decide

Discuss

Negative: Subject + to be + not + going to + base form of verb + object(s). Question: Question Word + to be + subject + going to + base form of verb? Expression time: next …, tomorrow, by … and in … time.

Common Verbs + Infinitive e.g. verb + to + verb

* ‘Going to’ used for planned decisions, predicting an action that you see is about to happen and future intentions.

Countable and Uncountable * Uncountable name like water and countable name like minute. * Use “most, much, lots of, a lot of, some, a little and little” with uncountable nouns. * Use “many, lots of, a lot of, several, some, not many, only a few and few” with countable nouns. * Use a/an only with countable nouns preceded by an adjective(s).

List of some of the most common confused uncountable Accommodation Equipment Knowledge Pasta work

Advice Furniture Luggage Progress

Baggage Garbage Money Research

Bread Information News Travel

The past simple is used to express a finished past action which occurs at a specific moment in the past. Positive: Subject + past form of verb + object(s) + time. Negative: Subject + did + not + base form of verb + object(s) + time. Question: WH? + did + subject + base form of verb + object(s) + time? Expression time: when, last …, yesterday, ago.

Present Continuous Use the present continuous to speak about what is happening at the present moment in time, around the present moment, or for a future scheduled event. Positive: Subject + to be + verb + ing + objects. Negative: Subject + are not + verb + ing + objects. Question: WH? + do + subject + verb + ing + objects ?

Stative Verbs Comparative Forms * Use 'than' to compare between two objects. * Add '-er' to end of one or ending in '-y' syllable adjectives. * Place 'more' before two, three or more syllable adjectives. EXCEPTIONS: Adjective Good

Comparative Better

Adjective Bad

Comparative Worse

Stative verbs are verbs which express a state. It can’t be used in the continuous forms. Action verbs are verbs which express something a person does. Believe Understand Think Want Hope Smell Taste Feel Sound Look Seem Appear

Any or Some

Superlative Forms * Place 'the' before one syllable adjective and add '-est' to end of it. * Place 'the most' before two, three or more syllable adjectives. * Place 'the' before two syllable adjectives ending in '-y' and remove the 'y' from it and add 'iest'.

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Use “any” or “some” in positive sentences.

EXCEPTIONS: Adjective Good

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Use “any” words - anybody, anyone, anywhere and anything - in negative sentences or questions.

Superlative The best

Adjective Bad

Superlative The worst

Imperative Form Positive: Base Form of Verb + Objects. Negative: Do + Not + Base Form of Verb + Objects.

Adverb and Adjective * Adjectives are placed directly before a noun. Also it used in simple sentences with the verb 'to be' to describe the subject. * Adverbs ends in '-ly' (with a few exceptions!). It are often used at the end of a sentence to modify the verb.

Present Perfect Tense Positive: Subject + have + past participle + object(s). Negative: Subject + have + not + past participle + object(s). Question: WH? + have + subject + past participle? Expression time: Use 'for' to indicate a duration or period of time. Use 'since' to indicate a specific point in time. Use 'How long' to ask about duration.

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Others: yet, already and just. Past Simple

Use “any” in negative sentences. Use “any” or “some” in questions. Use “some” words - somebody, someone, somewhere and something - in positive sentences.

In, On, To and At for Places -

Use ‘in’ with spaces, bodies of water and lines. Use ‘at’ with places. Use ‘on’ with surfaces, directions and small islands. Use ‘to’ with movement from one place to another. But don’t use 'to' with 'home'. In, At and On for Time

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Use 'in' with months, years and periods of time. Use 'at' with precise time. Use 'on' with days of the week or specific calendar days. Use 'in' with “morning”, “afternoon” or” evening”. Use 'at' with “night”. Like

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[Preposition] What's he like? [Verb] What does he like? [Preposition] What does she look like? [Verb] What would you like to drink?