What are the Basic English Grammar Rules?

In any language there are basic rules the speaker or would be learner needs to understand before moving on to harder skills. English itself has basic rules that people need to follow for it to make sense to hearers and readers. Here are some basic English grammar rules that are easy to understand and easy to learn.
 

• Only use capital letters for proper nouns and at the beginning of a sentence.
• For every sentence there should be one noun and one verb. A sentence with more than one noun or verb is confusing to understand.
• When a sentence is complete use appropriate punctuation. There is no need to have dual punctuation when ending a sentence.
• If an apostrophe is needed make sure to use it to show ownership. An apostrophe is also used when words are abbreviated.
• Whenever writing multiple sentences about the same subject or line of thought, use paragraphs to divide long segments of writing.
• Should a line of thought require a list make sure to separate each article by a comma.
• Make sure case and number of the subject and the verb match. It the noun is singular the verb should be singular as well.
• When connecting two lines of thought in a sentence, use a conjunction to make things make better sense.
• If you have two lines of thought that are similar feel free to use a semicolon to combine them.
• Make sure to use the correct tense when writing or speaking English.
• Try not to end a sentence with a preposition.
• A conjunction word should not be used to start a sentence.
• Sentences should be complete thoughts and not fragments.
• Try not to use double negatives. Such as no not never.
• Make sure to use words correctly.
• Avoid repeating lines of thought in sentences.
• Make sure paragraphs are complete, having three to five sentences each.

Rules of English grammar can be hard to understand, but not impossible. By following English grammar rules you will be proficient in writing and speech.

Did you find a particularly insightful article while learning and doing your research, or arrive at an interesting idea with a catchy turn of phrase? If yes, visit again, again and again www.eduwingz.com.

Is Grammar Problematic?

Sounds TRICKY but that’s better to understand what exactly the term indicates, because when we talk about spoken part, our priority is to deliver message OR communicate in the manner that we must feel comfortable as well.

Though grammar is the most effective to improve communication and writing skills, but this only pertains to those who have solid foundation in English fluency. So if you are novice at English please focus on your speaking and listening skills prior to studying grammar. After being able to speak English fluently you will realize how much easier grammar is. But it does not work the way around. Being fluent in English speaking will help you with your grammar studies, but studying grammar will not help you with your speaking.

This page will definitely help to out with different aspects of innovative Grammar in your spoken and written perspective.

Just ask a friend what is the role of prepositions within sentences, or what are the four moods of verbs, and I am sure that you will see a puzzled look on his/her face

In order to deal with this problem we decided to put together most of the basic rules on a single page, so that you can use it as a refresher, or print it out for your future reference.

To know and understand exactly what are the basic rules in grammar, essential for communicating efficiently and effectively we must know the basic concepts that most of us have forgotten years ago.

Sentences are made of two parts: the subject and the predicate.

The subject is the person or thing that acts or is described in the sentence. The predicate, on the other hand, is that action or description.

Complete sentences need both the subject and the predicate.

Sentences can be broken down into clauses.

For example: The boy is going to the school, and he is going to eat there.

This is a complete sentence composed of two clauses. There are mainly two types of clauses: independent clauses and subordinate clauses.

Independent clauses act as complete sentences, while subordinate clauses cannot stand alone and need another clause to complete their meaning. For example:

Independent clause example: The boy went to the school.
Subordinate clause example: After the boy went to the school…

A group of two or more grammatically linked words that do not have subject and predicate is a phrase.

Example of a complete sentence: 

The girl is at home, and tomorrow she is going to the amusement park.
 

Example of a clause:

The girl is at home
 

Example of a phrase: 

The girl

You can see that “the girl” is a phrase located in the first clause of the complete sentence above.

Phrases act like parts of speech inside clauses. That is, they can act as nouns, adjectives, adverbs and so on.

Did you find a particularly insightful article while learning and doing your research, or arrive at an interesting idea with a catchy turn of phrase? If yes, visit again, again and again www.eduwingz.com

Could / Would / Should

Could is used to talk about something that can happen, 

Would is used to talk about something that will happen in an imagined situation, and 

Should is used to talk about something that ought to happen or must happen.

Could is used to say that an action or event is possible. 

Would is used to talk about a possible or imagined situation, and is often used when that possible situation is not going to happen. 

Should is used to say that something is the proper or best thing to do, or to say that someone ought to do something or must do something.

• Sam could visit us on Monday. This tells us that it is possible Sam will visit on Monday, maybe he can visit us, but maybe he has other options, too. Visiting us is one possibility.
• Sam would visit us on Monday. This tells us that we can imagine a situation in which Sam wants to visit us on Monday, but maybe it is not actually possible. Sam is willing to visit us, under the right conditions or if he can.
• Sam should visit us on Monday. This tells us that Sam visiting on Monday is a good idea, or that it is something Sam is obligated to do.

With each of these words, more information is usually given in conversation to tell us about other possibilities or information about an event that makes it more or less likely to happen.

• Sam could visit us on Monday, but he would rather hang out with his friends. (He is able to, but he chooses not to.)
• Sam could visit us on Monday, if he is not working. (Sam is usually able to visit us but only if he is not working.)
• If we want to go to that concert on Sunday Sam could visit us on Monday instead. (We can cancel our plans with Sam on Sunday and go to the concert because Sam can visit us on Monday instead of on Sunday.)

• Sam would visit us on Monday if he had a car. (Sam wants to visit but he is not able to. We can imagine a situation where he has a car and he will visit.)
• Sam would visit us on Monday, but his friends are in town. (Sam is willing to visit, but he won't because his friends are in town. We can imagine a situation where Sam does not have anyone else to visit, and so he visits us.)
• If we were going to be home Sam would visit us on Monday. (Sam can't visit us because we will be out of town, but we can imagine a situation where we are home and Sam visits us.)
• If we invite him, Sam would visit us on Monday. (If we choose to invite him over, we predict that Sam will accept our invitation and come over.)

• Sam should visit us on Monday because we haven’t seen him in a long time. (It is best/a good idea for Sam to visit us if he can.)
• Sam should visit us on Monday if he wants to see us before we leave town. (Sam ought to/has to/must visit us on Monday if he wants to see us because he will not be able to at a later date.)
• If he wants to get his sunglasses back, Sam should visit us on Monday. (To get his sunglasses that he left at our house Sam has to/must visit us on Monday.)

How we differentiate IDIOM, PROVERB and PHRASE

An idiom is a phrase that has a meaning of its own that cannot be understood from the meanings of its individual words. 

Or

It is a group of words in a fixed order forming an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements/words, as 

Here are some examples of idioms:

• to be fed up with means to be tired and annoyed with something that has been happening for too long
• to rub someone the wrong way means to irritate someone
• by the skin of your teeth means that something was successful, but only just barely. “She passed the test by the skin of her teeth” means she almost didn’t pass.
• To "have bitten off more than you can chew" is an idiom that means you have tried to do something which is too difficult for you.
• You have added fuel to the fire. It means you say/do something that makes a difficult situation worse.

A proverb is a short popular saying that gives advice about how people should behave or that expresses a belief that is generally thought to be true.

Here are some examples:

• Don’t cry over spilled milk. 
• Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. 
• A stitch in time saves nine. 
• Slow and steady wins the race
• A bad cause requires many words.
• A broken hand works, but not a broken heart.

Like idioms, proverbs often have a meaning that is greater than the meaning of the individual words put together, but in a different way than idioms. The literal meaning of an idiom usually doesn’t make sense, and idioms can be almost impossible to understand unless you have learned or heard them before. 

The literal meaning of a proverb such as “Don’t cry over spilled milk” does makes sense on its own, but it’s not until you apply this meaning to a broader set of situations that you understand the real point of the proverb. For example, “Don’t cry over spilled milk” means “Don’t get upset over something that has already been done. It’s too late to worry about it now, just get on with your life.”   

Phrase is a short group of words which are often used together or a sequence of two or more words arranged in a grammatical construction and acting as a conceptual/single unit in a sentence as the highlighted expression in the following sentences.
We are governed by an 'elective dictatorship'. (Used as noun/object of pre-by)
The house at the end of the street belongs to a famous player. (Used as noun and subject of the sentence)

Phrasal Verbs: PULL

'to pull apart' means to separate two or more things.

• I didn't like the dress when I had finished, so I pulled it apart and started again.
• The teacher had to pull the two boys apart to stop them fighting.

'to pull apart' can also mean to criticize an idea or something written.

• She pulled my argument apart in about thirty seconds.
• The newspaper critics pulled his latest novel apart saying it wasn't as good as his last.

'to pull away' is when a vehicle starts moving .

• He knocked the cyclist over as he was pulling away from the junction.
• The bus pulled away just as I arrived at the stop.

'to pull back' means to move something in a backwards direction.

• He thought I was standing too close to the edge so he pulled me back.
• When I pulled back the covers, I found a little kitten hidden in the bed.

'to pull down' means to demolish a building or other structure.

• The old theatre was pulled down and replaced by a block of flats.
• They pulled down a lot of houses when they built the new ring road around the city.

'to pull down' can also mean to move something from a higher position to a lower one.

• The sun was shining in my eyes so I pulled down the blinds.
• Her T-shirt was too short. She had to keep pulling it down to cover her stomach.

'to pull in' is when a vehicle is driven to a place to stop.

• The bank's over there. Stop and pull in behind that car. I'll get out here.
• We have very little petrol left. We'll have to pull in at the next service station and get some.

'to pull in' can also mean to attract.

• He's a very popular singer at the moment. He can pull in an enormous crowd.
• The music festival pulls in huge numbers of tourists every year.

'to pull off' means to succeed in doing something.

• We'll make a lot of money if we can pull off this deal.
• I don't know how good she is. Do you think she can pull it off?

'to pull on' means to put on clothes quickly.

• Come on, get dressed. Pull on a sweater and let's go.
• When I arrived he was almost ready. He was just pulling on his hat and gloves.

Phrasal Verbs: PULL (Conti...)

Let's continue with 'to pull', here are some of the most common:

'to pull out' means to extract something.

* It was very painful. The dentist pulled out two of my teeth.
* Somebody had pulled some pages out of the book.

'to pull out of' means decide not to continue with an activity or agreement.

* We signed a contract. We can't pull out of the deal.
* They pulled out of the negotiations after only two hours.

'to pull out' is used when a vehicle driven out of a place into the road.

* I didn't see the man on the bicycle as I was pulling out of the car park.
* The car pulled out in front of the bus.

'to pull over' means to drive a car to the side of the road.

* The car was making a strange noise so I pulled over to have a look at it.
* I pulled over to ask someone the way.

'to pull through' means recover after a serious illness.

* The doctor came to tell me that John would pull through.
* Nobody thought he'd pull through after the accident.

'to pull yourself together' means to regain control of your emotions.

* Stop crying. It's time to pull yourself together.
* He took a long time to pull himself together.

'to pull together' means to cooperate and work as a group to achieve something.

* We can do this, if we all pull together.
* We have to pull together during difficult times.

'to pull up' is used when a car slows down and stops.

* It started to rain just as we pulled up in front of the restaurant.
* A taxi pulled up just as I came out of the airport.

'to pull up' a chair means you move it in order to sit down.

* Come and join us. Pull up a chair.
* He pulled up a chair and sat down.

'to pull up' also means to criticize someone when they make a mistake.

* If you make a mistake, they will pull you up on it every time.
* He's always pulling me up on my grammar.

Use of  ABOUT

ABOUT when talking about something that is ordinary and general.

The children r reading a book about peter pan. (General)

A textbook on peter pan. (Deeper or specialist information)

• Verb +ABOUT

Talk about

Read about

• For topics, meaning

We were talking about motivation.

• Care ABOUT (think that something /somebody is imp)

Sam doesn’t care about others.

• Dream ABOUT

      I dreamt about session last night (when I was asleep).

• Hear ABOUT

Did u hear about the rumor last Sunday?

• Think ABOUT

What did u think of the film?

• Remind somebody ABOUT (tell somebody not to forget)

I m glad u reminded me about the meeting

• Complain somebody ABOUT

Sam complained t the manager of the restaurant about the food.

• Warn somebody ABOUT

• ABOUT+TO

      Sam was about to come.

Usage of let

In today's lesson, we're going to look at the use of 'let' in some common phrasal verbs. In the second part, we'll look at the common grammar patterns using 'let'.

This lesson is all about using the verb 'to let' combined with particles. Here are some more of the most common expressions:

'to let down' means to disappoint someone.

• I promised to do it, I can't let her down.
• They let us down badly by not completing the work on time.

'to let in' means to allow someone to enter.

• I have a front door key. I can let myself in.
• They're at the door. Can you let them in?

'to let in' can also mean to allow water, light or air into something which is normally sealed.

• I opened the curtains to let in the sunshine.
• I need some new boots for winter. These let water in.

'to let in for' means to be involved in something difficult or unpleasant.

• This job is very hard. I didn't realise what I was letting myself in for.
• She didn't realise how much work she was letting herself in for doing this course.

'to let in on' means to tell someone about something which is secret.

• I don't know what they're doing. They wouldn't let me in on their plans.
• She let me in on her secret. She's getting married!

'to let off' means to not punish someone when they have done something wrong.

• He was caught smoking in the office but they let him off because it was the first time.
• I'll let you off this time but if you do it again, you'll be severely punished.

'to let off' can also mean to allow someone to not do something they should do.

• I owed him some money but he let me off. I didn't have to pay him back.
• I was supposed to work until 10 pm but my boss let me off at 9.

'to let out' means to allow someone to leave a place, usually by opening a door.

• He stopped at the traffic lights to let me out.
• Let me out at the end of the road. I can walk the rest of the way.

'to let out' means to make a particular sound.

• When she heard the news, she let out a huge sigh of relief.
• They all let out a groan when they heard the bad news.

'to let up' means to cease or to decrease in intensity.

• We'll go out for a walk if the rain lets up.
• The pressure at work is non-stop. It never lets up.

Usage of Would

1. Request

How to recognize it is a request

After would: U/Any person

Would u / Would Sam

Would u have a cup of tea?

2. Probability (Would + be (pre assumption) sambhawana)

He would be in the office now.

3. Preference (Would + rather)

I would rather drink tea.

I would rather watch movie.

I would rather shop.

I would rather sleep.

4. Hyperthetical Imaginationary Situation (If + would)

If I were a king I would

5. Strong deserve ‘n’ willingness (Hope ___ would)

I hope u would pass…..

I hope I pass….. (Very fearful)

6. Events which did not happen ((Would + have) Action + dint happen)

If u had come to me I would have given u a job.

7. Indirect narration

He said he would go there.

PREPOSITION

Preposition is a word that joins a noun to a noun, a noun to an adjective and a noun to a verb.

1) In: It is used with the names of countries and big cities.

2) At: It is used for small towns and villages.

3) To: Indicates motion towards anything.

4) Of: Means pertaining to.

5) For: Denotes some thing or some person.

6) By: Denotes nearness of some kind.

7) From: Denotes motion or rest away from anything.

8) Off: Means separation at a near distance.

9) On: Denotes rest on the upper surface of a thing.

10) Into: Denotes things which are in motion, or motion towards interior of an thing.

11) Till: Denotes time, not earlier than.

12) With: Denotes person or thing having relation.

13) Within: Denotes before the end of.

14) Without: Denotes absence, omission or avoidance.

15) Since: Denotes from then - till now.

16) Than: Denotes comparisons.

17) Through: Denotes in at one end, out from the other.

18) Under: Denotes rest or motion in a lower place.

19) Towards: Denotes descending direction.

20) But: Denotes excepts.

21) Beyond: Denotes far from said of.

22) Between: Denotes in the middle of two.

23) Beside: Denotes by the side of.

24) Besides: In addition to.

25) Beneath: Denotes below, in or to a lower place.

26) Below: Denotes at a lower point or degree.

27) Behind: Denotes in back of.

28) Before: Denotes contrary to behind.

29) Around or round: Denotes a circle or ring.

30) Among: Denotes in the midst of many.

31) Amidst: Denotes surrounded by.

32) Along: Denotes through, beside, over.

33) Against: Some kind of opposition.

34) After: Denotes sequence.

35) Across: Denotes from one side to the opposite.

36) Above: Denotes higher position.

37) About: Denotes nearness of some kind.