English Grammar A1: "To Be", Subject Pronouns

• English grammar at the A1 level focuses on basic sentence structures and vocabulary
• A1 is the first level of English in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
• It represents beginner-level proficiency

Verbs: "to be"

• The verb "to be" (am, is, are) is fundamental
• "I am," "He/She/It is," "You/We/They are"
• Used to introduce oneself: "I am [name]"
• Used to describe: "She is a teacher"
• Used to indicate origin: "He is from Italy"
• Negative form: "I am not," "He/She/It is not (isn't)," "You/We/They are not (aren't)"
• Question form: "Am I...?", "Is he/she/it...?", "Are you/we/they...?"

Subject Pronouns

• Subject pronouns replace nouns as the subject of a sentence
• I, you, he, she, it, we, they
• "I am a student"
• "He is my brother"
• "They are friends"

Possessive Adjectives

• My, your, his, her, its, our, their
• Used before a noun to show possession
• "This is my book"
• "Is that your car?"
• "Their house is big"

Articles

• "A" and "an" are indefinite articles; "the" is the definite article
• "A" is used before consonant sounds: "a book," "a car"
• "An" is used before vowel sounds: "an apple," "an hour"
• "The" refers to something specific or already mentioned: "The book is on the table"

Plural Nouns

• Most nouns become plural by adding "-s": "book" becomes "books"
• Nouns ending in -s, -x, -ch, -sh add "-es": "bus" becomes "buses"
• Some nouns have irregular plural forms: "man" becomes "men," "child" becomes "children"

Basic Question Words

• Who, what, where, when, why, how
• "Who is that?"
• "What is this?"
• "Where are you from?"
• "When is your birthday?"
• "Why are you sad?"
• "How are you?"

Demonstrative Pronouns

• This, that, these, those
• "This" and "these" refer to things nearby
• "That" and "those" refer to things farther away
• "This is my pen" (singular, near)
• "These are my pens" (plural, near)
• "That is your book" (singular, far)
• "Those are your books" (plural, far)

Simple Present Tense

• Used for habits, routines, general truths, and facts
• I/You/We/They + base form of the verb: "I eat," "They work"
• He/She/It + base form of the verb + -s/-es: "He eats," "She works"
• Negative form: I/You/We/They + do not (don't) + base form; He/She/It + does not (doesn't) + base form
• "I don't eat meat"
• "She doesn't work here"
• Question form: Do + I/You/We/They + base form?; Does + He/She/It + base form?
• "Do you speak English?"
• "Does he like coffee?"

Imperatives

• Used to give commands or instructions
• Base form of the verb
• "Open the door"
• "Sit down"
• Negative imperative: "Don't open the door"

Object Pronouns

• Me, you, him, her, it, us, them
• Replaces a noun when it is the object of the verb
• "I see him"
• "She likes them"
• "They help us"

Present Continuous Tense

• Used for actions happening now or around now
• Subject + am/is/are + verb + -ing
• "I am eating"
• "She is working"
• "They are playing"
• Negative form: Subject + am/is/are + not + verb + -ing
• "I am not eating"
• "She is not working"
• Question form: Am/Is/Are + subject + verb + -ing?
• "Are you eating?"
• "Is she working?"

"Can" for Ability

• Expresses ability or possibility
• Subject + can + base form of the verb
• "I can swim"
• "She can speak English"
• Negative form: Subject + cannot (can't) + base form of the verb
• "I cannot swim"
• "She can't speak French"
• Question form: Can + subject + base form of the verb?
• "Can you swim?"
• "Can she drive?"

Simple Past Tense (Regular Verbs)

• Used to describe completed actions in the past
• Regular verbs: base form + -ed
• "I worked yesterday"
• "She played tennis"
• Negative form: Subject + did not (didn't) + base form of the verb
• "I didn't work yesterday"
• Question form: Did + subject + base form of the verb?
• "Did you work yesterday?"

Common Adjectives

• Words that describe nouns
• Examples: happy, sad, big, small, good, bad
• "She is a happy girl"
• "It is a big house"

Common Adverbs of Frequency

• Always, often, sometimes, rarely, never
• Placed before the main verb (but after "to be")
• "I always eat breakfast"
• "She is sometimes late"
• "They never watch TV"

Prepositions of Place

• In, on, at, under, near, behind, in front of
• "The book is on the table"
• "The cat is under the chair"
• "The school is near the park"

Prepositions of Time

• At, on, in
• "At" for specific times: "at 5 o'clock"
• "On" for days and dates: "on Monday," "on July 4th"
• "In" for months, years, seasons, and general times of the day: "in July," "in 2024," "in the morning"

Conjunction "and" and "but"

• "And" joins similar ideas
• "I like coffee and tea"
• "But" introduces a contrast
• "I like coffee, but I don't like tea"

Countable and Uncountable Nouns

• Countable nouns can be counted and have a plural form
• "Book(s)," "apple(s)," "car(s)"
• Uncountable nouns cannot be counted and do not usually have a plural form
• "Water," "sugar," "rice"

Using "some" and "any"

• "Some" is used in affirmative sentences
• "I have some apples"
• "Any" is used in negative sentences and questions
• "I don't have any apples"
• "Do you have any apples?"

A1 Level Expectations

• Understand and use familiar everyday expressions and basic phrases
• Introduce themselves and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details
• Interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help

Explore fundamental English grammar concepts at the A1 level, including the verb "to be" and subject pronouns. Learn how to use "am", "is", and "are" in sentences for introductions, descriptions, and origins. Master the use of subject and possessive pronouns.