English Grammar

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Quick review of the English grammar.

Verbs

There are four verb categories:

Action

Typical verbs when something is done.

  • walk
  • study
  • laugh

Linking

Link or connect subject to an adjective.

Mood

There are a few moods:

  1. indicative (fact of reality)
  2. imperative (command)
  3. interrogative (question)
  4. conditional (causes something to happen)
  5. subjunctive (statement contrary to reality)

Tense

A verb tense shows time and there are six possible times:

Tense Definition Example
Simple present he talks
Simple past past action that has completed he talked

He worked for this company for 30 years.

Present perfect past action that extends to the present, or result is ongoing. Present perfect uses a past participle, a helper 'have' or 'has' with the main verb. he have talked

He has worked for this company for 30 years.

Past perfect past action completed before another action. Make it clear that one event happened before another in the past. Formed with verb have (had) + the past participle of the main verb. they had talked

He gave blankets he had made to charity.

Future - they will talk
Future perfect action that will have been completed in the future by some future time. they will have talked

By the end of next week, I will have completed the report.

There are also progressive and continuous tenses. English does not distinguish the two and is generally used interchangeably but there can be a slight shade of difference in meaning which can be hinted at. In general, progressive implies the action is in progress at the moment whereas continuous is the action that has started previously and is currently ongoing.

Tense Definition Example
Present progressive often implies a process, or something in progress at a particular time She is driving too fast around that corner.
past progressive action from a specific time in the past that is continuing, or that something took place while something else was happening, or something did not complete, or criticize something that happens periodically. she was rewriting the report all day yesterday

while I was reading a book, the cat was scratching the sofa.

I was painting the fence when I had to go

He was always arriving late to work on Mondays.

future progressive shows action will be in progress at some time in the future at 9AM tomorrow, I will be attending a meeting
present continuous something that his happening at this precise moment, or something that has already been planned you are reading this sentence.

you are going to dinner this evening.

past continuous something that happened in the past and is still happening, action is not completed I was going to complete the report but i decided to leave
future continuous continued or an ongoing future in the future. Eg. project our self in the future this time tomorrow, I will be working.

In general, most grammar books will not distinguish progressive and continuous tenses.

Irregular

Irregular verbs are those that do not conjugate normally. Examples are ring/rang, think/thought.


Conjunctions

coordinating

Coordinating conjunctions connect words, phrases, dependent clauses, or independent clauses as equals

The FANBOYS acronym.

  1. For - a reason (because)
  2. And - sequence, cause & effect (but), contrast, unexpected result (yet)
  3. Nor - negative connection, part of correlative neither...nor...
  4. But - contrast, except
  5. Or - link, stress, counter previous statement
  6. Yet - addition, stronger form of but, combined with and
  7. So - connect independent clauses, cause & effect (therefore), as well / in addition

subordinating

a white bus

  1. after
  2. when
  3. how
  4. if
  5. though
  6. even
  7. before
  8. until
  9. since

offer a transition and show relationships. time , place, cause effect

Eg:

  1. as if - how something is done
  2. even though
  3. even if
  4. whereas
  5. whenever
  6. because

Creates a dependent clause


correlative

Correlative deals with pairs. Unlike coordinating, correlative is used to emphasize something.

both ... and not only ... but also not ... but either ... or neither ... nor

Keep in mind plurality on the verb. The word closest to the verb determines singular or plural. neither the dog nor the cats were in the yard. neither the cats nor the dog was in the yard.

When using correlative conjunctions, the two items should be parallel. Eg. Either wait or call: 'We can either wait for Jon to arrive or call a cab.' Not 'Either wait or call: We can either wait for Jon to arrive or we can call a cab.'

conjunctive adverb (adverbial conjunction)

use as a transition and shows relationships between clauses.

ice cars

  • illustrate - example
  • cause & effect - therefore
  • emphasize - certainly
  • contrast - however
  • add to - furthermore
  • result - accordingly
  • sequence - finally