Basic English grammar
1. Sentence Structure:
Affirmative Sentence: Subject + Verb + Object.
Example: She reads a book.
Negative Sentence: Subject + Auxiliary verb (do/does) + "not" + Main Verb.
Example: She does not read a book.
Interrogative Sentence: Auxiliary verb (do/does) + Subject + Main Verb?
Example: Does she read a book?
2. Tenses:
Present Simple: Used for habits, general truths, and repeated actions.
Example: I drink tea every morning.
Past Simple: Describes actions that happened and finished in the past.
Example: He visited London last year.
Future Simple: Expresses actions that will happen in the future.
Example: They will travel to Scotland next week.
Key British Note: British English may use shall for offers or suggestions in future tense.
Example: Shall we go to the park?
3. Pronouns:
Personal Pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, they.
Possessive Pronouns: my, your, his, her, its, our, their.
4. Articles:
Definite Article: the – used to specify a known object.
Example: The Queen of England lives in Buckingham Palace.
Indefinite Articles: a (before consonant sounds), an (before vowel sounds) – used for unspecified objects.
Example: She saw a fox in the garden.
5. Adjectives: Used to describe nouns.
Example: A beautiful city (London is a beautiful city).
6. Adverbs: Modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
Example: He drives carefully.
7. Prepositions: Show the relationship between words, indicating time, place, or direction.
Examples: at, in, on, by, under, over.
Example: She is sitting at the table.
8. British Spelling and Usage:
Spelling Differences: British English tends to use:
-our instead of -or (e.g., colour, favour).
-re instead of -er (e.g., centre, theatre).
-ise instead of -ize (e.g., realise, organise).
Collective Nouns: In British English, collective nouns (e.g., team, family) can be treated as singular or plural depending on whether the group is acting as a unit or as individuals.
Example: The team is winning (singular), The team are arguing (plural).
9. Passive Voice:
Structure: be + past participle.
Example: The letter was written by her.
10. Modal Verbs:
Common modal verbs include: can, could, will, would, shall, should, may, might, must.
Example: You must finish your homework.
11. Punctuation:
British English uses single quotation marks for direct speech, though double quotes are also acceptable.
Example: He said, ‘I’m going home.’
Full stops are placed outside closing quotation marks in British English.
Example: She called it ‘a great day’.
12. Verb Usage:
Present Perfect is often used in British English to describe past actions with relevance to the present.
Example: I have already eaten dinner.
In contrast, American English might use past simple: I already ate dinner.
Mastering these basics of British English grammar will help in forming correct sentences and understanding common language usage.