Grammar
Grammar rules: make clear choices in everyday English
A clear sentence often needs only a subject, a verb, and the right detail in the right place. Small checks can prevent many common mistakes.
Use a few dependable grammar checks to make short everyday English sentences clear.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
Does your brother drive to work? /dʌz jɔː ˈbrʌðə draɪv tə wɜːk/
The short answer
Build a basic sentence with a subject and verb, then check agreement, small words such as a and the, and the order of the remaining information.
My sister works in a bookshop on Saturdays.
Why it works: My sister is the subject, works agrees with one person, and the place and time details come after the verb.
5 more examples
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The train leaves at half past eight.
A singular subject uses leaves in the present simple.
Not this:The
train leaveat half past eight. What changes: Use leaves because train is singular. -
I bought a notebook after class.
Use a when you introduce one singular countable item that is not yet specific.
Not this:I
bought notebookafter class. What changes: A singular countable noun usually needs a determiner such as a, the, my, or this. -
We usually eat lunch in the kitchen.
An adverb of frequency often comes before the main verb.
Not this:We
eat usually lunchin the kitchen. What changes: This order is unusual for a neutral everyday statement. -
Does your brother drive to work?
Does comes before the subject in this present simple question, and drive stays in the base form.
Not this:
Does your brother drivesto work? What changes: After does, use the base verb drive, not drives. -
She is cooking dinner at the moment.
Use am, is, or are plus an -ing form for an action happening around now.
Not this:
She cookingdinner at the moment. What changes: The sentence needs the helping verb is before cooking.
Read the full guide
When a sentence feels wrong, do not try to remember every rule at once. Find the subject and verb first. Then check the noun phrase, the tense, and the word order. Reading your sentence aloud can help you notice a missing word.
Start with a subject and a verb
A complete everyday sentence normally needs a subject and a verb. The subject tells us who or what the sentence is about. The verb tells us the action or state.
Our neighbour walks to the station every morning.
Our neighbour is the subject. Walks is the verb. The rest of the sentence adds place and time.
The café opens at seven.
Café is the subject and opens tells you what it does.
Which two parts can you find first in My friends live near the park?
Find My friends, the subject, and live, the verb.
Match the present simple verb to the subject
In the present simple, most verbs have an extra s with he, she, or it. Do not add s with I, you, we, or they. This rule matters most with routines, facts, and regular schedules.
I catch the bus at eight, but my father catches the bus at seven.
I uses catch. My father is one person, so the verb becomes catches.
Their dog sleeps beside the door.
Dog is singular, so sleep takes s.
Choose the correct verb: My cousins play or plays football on Fridays?
Use play. My cousins is plural.
Give singular countable nouns a small word
A singular countable noun usually needs a word before it. Common choices are a, an, the, this, that, my, and your. The right choice depends on what the listener already knows.
Could I borrow a pen?
The speaker asks for any one pen, so a is suitable.
Could I borrow the pen on your desk?
The pen is specific because the speaker identifies it by its place.
Which sentence introduces one new item: I need umbrella or I need an umbrella?
Use I need an umbrella. Umbrella begins with a vowel sound, so use an.
Put common details in a clear order
A neutral statement often follows subject, verb, object, place, then time. You can change the order for emphasis, but this simple order is a useful place to begin.
Sam reads emails at his desk before breakfast.
Sam is the subject, reads is the verb, emails is the object, and the place and time follow.
They met their teacher at the library yesterday.
The object comes after met. At the library gives place and yesterday gives time.
Put the words in a natural order: on Mondays, English, we, study, online.
A clear order is We study English online on Mondays.
Ask questions with a helping word
For many present simple questions, begin with do or does. Use does with he, she, it, or one person. After do or does, use the base verb. With be, put am, is, or are before the subject instead.
Do you need any help?
Do comes before you. Need stays in the base form.
Are the shops open today?
This question uses be, so are comes first.
Choose the natural question: Where does Mia work or Where Mia does work?
Use Where does Mia work? The helping verb comes before the subject.
Choose a present tense for the meaning
Use the present simple for routines, regular facts, and repeated actions. Use the present continuous, am, is, or are plus an -ing form, for an action happening now or around now.
Nadia usually studies after dinner.
Usually shows a routine, so studies is present simple.
Nadia is studying for her exam this evening.
The action is in progress around the present time, so use is studying.
Which form fits now: They watch a film now or They are watching a film now?
Use They are watching a film now. The action is happening at this time.
Before you go
Remember this
For a clear sentence, find the subject and verb first. Check singular and plural agreement, give singular countable nouns a determiner, place frequency adverbs before the main verb, and use a helping word before the subject in questions. Use the present simple for routines and the present continuous for actions happening now.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Grammar rules: make clear choices in everyday English"
What is the most useful grammar rule for a basic English sentence?
Start by finding a subject and a verb. In Our neighbour walks to the station every morning, Our neighbour tells you who the sentence is about and walks tells you the action.
The train leaves at half past eight.
When does a present simple verb need s?
Add s or es with a singular third-person subject such as he, she, it, or one named person. Say The train leaves at half past eight, but say The trains leave at half past eight.
The train leave at half past eight.
Why do singular nouns often need a or the?
A singular countable noun normally needs a determiner. Use a or an for one non-specific item, as in I bought a notebook after class. Use the when both people can identify the item.
I bought a notebook after class.
How do I form a simple question with does?
Put does before the singular subject and use the base verb after it. Does your brother drive to work? is correct because drive does not take s after does.
I bought notebook after class.
When should I use present continuous instead of present simple?
Use present continuous for an action happening now or around now. She is cooking dinner at the moment describes an action in progress. Use present simple for a regular routine, such as She cooks dinner on Tuesdays.
We usually eat lunch in the kitchen.