English Language Fundamentals

Grammar

• Grammar is the set of rules that govern the structure of language
• It includes the study of:
  • Parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.)
  • Sentence structure (clauses, phrases, etc.)
  • Tense and aspect (present, past, future, etc.)
  • Mood and modality (indicative, imperative, etc.)

Vocabulary

• Vocabulary refers to the words and phrases used in a language
• It includes:
  • Words with different meanings and connotations
  • Idioms and phrasal verbs
  • Colloquialisms and slang
  • Formal and informal language

Subject-Verb Agreement

• Subject-verb agreement is the rule that the subject and verb in a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural)
• Rules:
  • Singular subjects take singular verbs
  • Plural subjects take plural verbs
  • Exceptions: some nouns are always plural (e.g. scissors), some verbs are always singular (e.g. is)

Punctuation Marks

• Punctuation marks are used to clarify the meaning of text
• Common punctuation marks:
  • Period (.) - ends a sentence
  • Comma (,) - separates items in a list
  • Colon (:) - introduces a list or quotation
  • Semicolon (;) - separates two independent clauses
  • Apostrophe (') - shows possession or forms contractions

Adding -ed and -ing

• Adding -ed to a verb forms the past tense (e.g. walked, jumped)
• Adding -ing to a verb forms the present participle (e.g. walking, jumping)
• Rules:
  • Regular verbs: add -ed to form the past tense
  • Irregular verbs: change the verb root to form the past tense (e.g. go -> went)

Common Nouns

• Common nouns are nouns that refer to general categories of things
• Examples:
  • Animal
  • City
  • Book

Verbs

• Verbs are words that express action or a state of being
• Types of verbs:
  • Action verbs (e.g. run, jump)
  • Linking verbs (e.g. be, seem)
  • Helping verbs (e.g. will, would)

Adjectives

• Adjectives are words that modify or describe nouns or pronouns
• Examples:
  • Happy
  • Big
  • Blue
• Types of adjectives:
  • Quantitative adjectives (e.g. five, ten)
  • Qualitative adjectives (e.g. good, bad)

Grammar

• Governs the structure of language
• Includes the study of parts of speech, sentence structure, tense and aspect, and mood and modality

Vocabulary

• Refers to the words and phrases used in a language
• Includes words with different meanings and connotations, idioms and phrasal verbs, colloquialisms and slang, and formal and informal language

Subject-Verb Agreement

• The subject and verb in a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural)
• Singular subjects take singular verbs
• Plural subjects take plural verbs
• Exceptions: some nouns are always plural (e.g. scissors), some verbs are always singular (e.g. is)

Punctuation Marks

• Used to clarify the meaning of text
• Period (.) ends a sentence
• Comma (,) separates items in a list
• Colon (:) introduces a list or quotation
• Semicolon (;) separates two independent clauses
• Apostrophe (') shows possession or forms contractions

Verb Forms

• Adding -ed to a verb forms the past tense (e.g. walked, jumped)
• Adding -ing to a verb forms the present participle (e.g. walking, jumping)
• Regular verbs: add -ed to form the past tense
• Irregular verbs: change the verb root to form the past tense (e.g. go -> went)

Nouns

• Common nouns refer to general categories of things (e.g. animal, city, book)

Verb Types

• Action verbs express action (e.g. run, jump)
• Linking verbs connect the subject to additional information (e.g. be, seem)
• Helping verbs are used to help form the tense, mood, or voice of another verb (e.g. will, would)

Adjectives

• Modify or describe nouns or pronouns
• Examples: happy, big, blue
• Quantitative adjectives describe quantity (e.g. five, ten)
• Qualitative adjectives describe quality (e.g. good, bad)