How to learn English Grammar Basics and enhance your speaking power in 9 minutes?

Understanding grammar basics is an essential part of learning any language. Grammar, as we are familiar with it, is the building block of a language, and the same is true for English Language.

In English, there are four basic types of sentences: declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory.

Here is an overview of each type:

1.Declarative Sentences: A declarative sentence is a type of sentence that makes a statement.

Examples: He lost his car.

James is running towards the cat.

Alice is baking cake.

2. Interrogative Sentences: Interrogative Sentences typically involve those sentences that asks questions.

Examples: Where were you?

What are you doing?

Where is the key?

3. Imperative Sentences: Imperative Sentences typically involve giving commands, instructions, advice, or making request.

Examples: Close the window. (command)

Pick up that ball. (instructions)

Be careful while driving. (Advice)

4. Exclamatory Sentences: Exclamatory Sentences are those sentences that expresses strong feelings. The feelings can be either exciting or sorrowful.

Examples: Hurrah! we won the game.

Alas! Jane lost her car.

Understanding basic sentence structures in English

English sentences are words arranged in a specific order to convey meaning. Understanding basic sentence structures is essential for building your English language skills

Grammar Basics

Here are the essential elements of an English sentence:

Subject:

The subject of a sentence is what the sentence is about. It usually comes at the beginning of the sentence and can be a noun or a pronoun.

For example: “Mary (subject) went to the store.”

Verb:

The verb of a sentence is the action word. It tells us what the subject is doing or what is happening. The verb usually follows the subject in a sentence.

For example: “Mary went(verb) to the store.”

Object:

The object of a sentence is the person or thing that the action is being done to. It comes after the verb in a sentence.

For example: “Mary bought some groceries (object).”

Adjective:

A word that describes a noun or pronoun is called an adjective. It can come before or after the noun it describes.

For example: “The red (adjective) car has high speed.”

Adverb:

Word that elaborates a verb, an adjective, or another adverb is known as an Adverb. It usually comes after the verb or the adjective it describes.

For example: “Harry jumps swiftly (adverb) from the stairs.”

Preposition:

Word that shows a relationship between a noun, pronoun, or other words in a sentence. It usually comes before a noun or pronoun. 

In simple words, a preposition is a word that shows the position of a noun or pronoun in a sentence.

For example: “The book is on (preposition) the table.”

It is good to be among (preposition) fellows.

Milan is at (preposition) home.

Notice that the words “On” tells us where the book is.

“Among” tells us with whom it is good to be with.

“At” tells us where Milan is. 

Conjunction:

Word that connects words, phrases, or clauses. It can be used to join two or more sentences together.

For example: “I went to the store, and (conjunction) I bought some groceries.”

In basic English, sentence structures are usually simple.

Lets look at an example of a introductory English sentence:

“John likes pizza.”

In this sentence, “John” is the subject, “likes” is the verb, and “pizza” is the object. There are no adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, or conjunctions.

You can construct simple sentences and communicate effectively in English by learning the essential elements of a sentence – subject, verb, object, adjective, adverb, preposition, and conjunction.

Note: If you are curious to learn more about grammar then read Breaking Down English Grammar: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners.

Learning verb tenses (present, past, and future)

Verbs are words that describe actions, events, or states of being. They can be used in different tenses to show when an activity or event occurred (past, present, or future).  

Learning verb tenses is an integral part of building your English language skills. By understanding the present, past, and future tenses, you can construct simple sentences in basic English and communicate assertively. Remember to use the appropriate verb tense for the time frame you describe, and practice using verbs in different tenses to improve your language proficiency.

Here are the three basic verb tenses in English:

Present Tense:

It is used to describe events or actions that are happening now or regularly.  

For example:

I eat breakfast every morning.

He works at the store.

In basic English, the present tense is often formed by adding “-es” or “-s” to the end of a verb for third-person singular subjects, such as he, she, or it. 

For example:

I play soccer.

She plays soccer.

Past Tense:

The past tense describes actions or events that happened in the past. For regular verbs, the past tense is usually formed by adding “-ed” to the end of a verb.

For example:

I walked to the store.

She watched a movie.

Some verbs have oft irregular past tense forms that do not follow this pattern, such as “went” (past tense of “go”) or “ate” (past tense of “eat”).

Future Tense:

It is used to describe actions or events that will be happening in the future. In basic English, the future tense is usually formed by using the auxiliary verb “will” before the base form of the verb. 

For example:

I will go to the store.

She will watch a movie.

It is also possible to use the present tense to describe future events, such as “The movie starts at 8 pm tomorrow.”

Using basic prepositions, articles, and conjunctions

Understanding and using basic prepositions, articles, and conjunctions is vital for building your English language skills. Remember to practice using different vocabulary in different contexts and pay attention to their correct usage in sentences.

Here’s an explanation on using basic prepositions, articles, and conjunctions in basic English:

Prepositions

Word, which shows a relationship between a noun, pronoun, and other words in the sentence. In basic English, several common prepositions are used frequently.

Here are some examples:

In

Used to indicate a location or position within a space.

Example: The book is in the library.

On

Used to indicate a location or position on a surface.

Example: The cup is on the table.

At

Used to indicate a specific point in time or place.

Example: We will meet at the park.

To 

Used to indicate the direction or movement towards a place or person.

Example: I am going to the store.

With

Used to indicate that something is together or in the company of something or someone.

Example: I am having dinner with my family.

Articles

Articles are words that are used to modify nouns. In basic English, there are two types of articles: “a” or “an” and “the.” “A” or “an” is used to indicate that a noun is one of many, while “the” is used to indicate that a noun is specific.

Here are some examples:

A/an

Used with singular countable nouns that are not specific.

Example: I have an apple.

The

Used with singular and plural countable nouns that are specific.

Example: The apple is green.

Conjunctions

Words that are used to connect words, phrases, or clauses in a sentence. In basic English, several common conjunctions are used frequently. Here are some examples:

And

The word “And” is used to connect two or more similar ideas or items in a sentence.

Example: I like to read books and watch movies.

But

Used to connect two ideas that are in contrast to each other.

Example: He is smart, but also lazy.

Or

Used to present a choice between two or more options.

Example: Do you want pizza or pasta for dinner?

So

Used to indicate a result or consequence.

Example: She studied hard, so she passed the test.