English Grammar Basics

Grammar

Parts of Speech

Nouns: words that refer to people, places, things, and ideas
- Common nouns: cat, city
- Proper nouns: John, London
- Collective nouns: family, team
Verbs: words that express action or a state of being
- Action verbs: run, jump
- Linking verbs: be, seem
- Helping verbs: will, would
Adjectives: words that describe or modify nouns or pronouns
- Quantitative adjectives: five, six
- Qualitative adjectives: happy, tall
Adverbs: words that describe or modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs
- Manner adverbs: quickly, loudly
- Time adverbs: yesterday, soon
- Place adverbs: here, there
Pronouns: words that replace nouns in a sentence
- Personal pronouns: I, you, he
- Possessive pronouns: my, your, his
- Reflexive pronouns: myself, yourself, himself
Prepositions: words that show relationships between words
- Words of location: in, on, at
- Words of direction: to, from, up
Conjunctions: words that connect words, phrases, or clauses
- Coordinating conjunctions: and, but, or
- Subordinating conjunctions: because, although, if
Interjections: words that express emotion or feeling
- Oh, wow, ouch

Sentence Structure

Simple sentences: one independent clause
- Declarative sentences: statement
- Imperative sentences: command
- Interrogative sentences: question
Compound sentences: two or more independent clauses
- Joined with coordinating conjunctions
Complex sentences: one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses
- Joined with subordinating conjunctions
Compound-complex sentences: two or more independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses

Tense and Aspect

Present tense: action happening now
Past tense: action completed in the past
Future tense: action will happen in the future
Aspect: duration or completion of action
- Simple aspect: action happens at a specific time
- Progressive aspect: action is ongoing
- Perfect aspect: action started in the past and continues up to the present

Vocabulary

Word Formation

Prefixes: letters added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning
- Un-, re-, de-
Suffixes: letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning
- -ful, -less, -ly
Compounding: combining two or more words to create a new word
- Blackboard, toothbrush
Blending: combining parts of two words to create a new word
- Smog, motel

Word Meaning

Denotation: literal or dictionary definition of a word
Connotation: emotional or cultural association of a word
Idioms: phrases or expressions with non-literal meanings
- "It's raining cats and dogs" (meaning "it's raining heavily")
Homophones: words that sound the same but have different meanings
- To, too, two

Word Choice

Synonyms: words with similar meanings
- Happy, joyful, cheerful
Antonyms: words with opposite meanings
- Happy, unhappy
Nuances: subtle differences in meaning between words
- Big, large, enormous

Grammar

Parts of Speech:
- Nouns: Represent entities like persons, places, things, or concepts (e.g., dog, city, love).
- Pronouns: Substitute for nouns to avoid repetition (e.g., he, she, it).
- Verbs: Indicate actions or states of being (e.g., run, is).
- Adjectives: Describe or modify nouns, providing additional detail (e.g., blue, tall).
- Adverbs: Modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, enhancing meaning (e.g., quickly, very).
- Prepositions: Show relationships in terms of time and space (e.g., in, on, during).
- Conjunctions: Connect words, phrases, or whole clauses (e.g., and, but, or).
- Interjections: Express strong emotions or reactions (e.g., wow, ouch).
Sentence Structure:
- Simple Sentences: Comprise one independent clause (e.g., She runs).
- Compound Sentences: Feature two or more independent clauses linked by conjunctions (e.g., She runs, and he swims).
- Complex Sentences: Include one independent clause along with at least one dependent clause (e.g., Although she runs, he swims).
- Compound-Complex Sentences: Contain at least two independent clauses and one dependent clause (e.g., Although she runs, he swims, and he enjoys it).
Tenses:
- Present Tense: Describes actions happening currently (e.g., She walks).
- Past Tense: Refers to actions that were completed in the past (e.g., She walked).
- Future Tense: Deals with actions that will occur (e.g., She will walk).
Subject-Verb Agreement:
- Subjects must correspond in number with their verbs (e.g., The cat runs vs. The cats run).

Vocabulary Development

Word Formation:
- Roots: Fundamental part of a word that carries meaning (e.g., "act" in "action").
- Prefixes: Added to the beginning of a word to alter its meaning (e.g., "un-" in "undo").
- Suffixes: Attacked to the end of a word to change its meaning (e.g., "-ing" in "running").
Context Clues: Utilize surrounding text to deduce meanings of unknown words.
Synonyms and Antonyms:
- Synonyms: Words that convey similar meanings (e.g., happy - joyful).
- Antonyms: Words that have opposite meanings (e.g., happy - sad).
Collocations: Pairings of words that frequently occur together (e.g., "make a decision," "take a break").
Idiomatic Expressions: Phrases whose meanings are not directly derived from the individual words (e.g., "kick the bucket" meaning to die).
Practice Techniques:
- Reading: Engage with various texts to discover new vocabulary.
- Flashcards: Utilize tools for memorizing definitions and examples.
- Writing: Use new vocabulary in sentences for better retention.
- Word Games: Participate in activities like crossword puzzles or word searches for vocabulary enhancement.