Introduction to the Basics of English Grammar

English grammar, an important segment in all of our English courses in London, consists of several elements that form the foundation of the language’s structure and communication. These components include nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. Understanding and utilising these core components is crucial for constructing clear and meaningful English sentences. Now, let’s unravel English grammar and look at its core components.

• Parts of Speech
  Every word in English falls into one of eight categories, also known as the parts of speech. They are:
  – Nouns: The names of people, places, things, or ideas. For example, ‘London’, ‘tea’, ‘Harry’, and ‘happiness’.
  – Pronouns: Words that replace nouns. Examples include ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘it’, ‘we’, and ‘they’.
  – Verbs: These denote action or a state of being. For example, ‘run’, ‘is’, ‘feel’, and ‘study’.
  – Adjectives: These describe or modify nouns. For example, ‘beautiful’, ‘cold’, ‘warm’, ‘blue’.
  – Adverbs: These modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. For instance, ‘quickly’, ‘very’, ‘well’, ‘often’.
  – Prepositions: These establish relationships in time, space, or direction. For example, ‘on’, ‘in’, ‘at’, and ‘from’.
  – Conjunctions: These connect words, phrases, and clauses. Examples include ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘or’, and ‘so’.
  – Interjections: These express strong emotion. Examples are ‘oh’, ‘ouch’, ‘wow’, and ‘uh-oh’.
• Tenses
  Tenses in English show when an action takes place. There are three basic tenses: past, present, and future. Each can be classified into simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous. Don’t worry if this sounds a bit overwhelming now. Just remember, the tense you choose should correctly depict when an action occurs.
• Sentence Structure
  In English, a basic sentence must have at least a subject and a verb – known as a clause. A sentence can contain:
  – One clause (simple sentence).
  – Two or more independent clauses (compound sentence).
  – A combination of independent and dependent clauses (complex or compound-complex sentences).