Elementary Grammar (A2 · 80 lessons)
Elementary grammar covers building blocks for everyday conversation, short messages and simple past tenses. Open any lesson below for the explanation, examples and practice points.
Past Simple: Regular Verbs
Add -ed to finish actions in the past.
Past Simple: Irregular Verbs
Many common verbs have special past forms.
Past Simple: Negatives and Questions
Use did/didn't + base verb.
Was and Were
Past forms of be.
Past Continuous
was/were + -ing for actions in progress in the past.
Past Simple vs Past Continuous
Use continuous for background; simple for interrupting events.
Future with Going To
be going to + verb for plans and evidence-based predictions.
Future with Will
will + verb for decisions, promises, predictions.
Will vs Going To
Will = spontaneous decision; going to = prior plan.
Present Continuous for Future
Use for fixed arrangements.
Comparatives
Add -er or use more to compare two things.
Superlatives
Add -est or use most for the highest degree.
As ... As Comparisons
Show equality or inequality.
Irregular Comparatives
good/better/best; bad/worse/worst; far/further/furthest.
Adverbs of Manner
Many adverbs add -ly to adjectives.
Adjective or Adverb?
Adjectives describe nouns; adverbs describe verbs.
Much, Many, A Lot Of
many with countable; much with uncountable; a lot of with both.
A Few, A Little, Few, Little
a few/a little = some; few/little = hardly any.
Modal: Must and Mustn't
must shows strong obligation; mustn't shows prohibition.
Have To and Don't Have To
have to = external obligation; don't have to = no need.
Should and Shouldn't
Give advice or opinion.
Could and Would You (Requests)
Polite requests.
May and Might (Possibility)
Show uncertain possibility.
Possessive 's
Add 's to show ownership.
Whose
Ask who owns something.
Reflexive Pronouns
myself, yourself, himself... show the subject acts on itself.
Indefinite Pronouns
someone, anything, nobody, everything refer to unspecific people/things.
Relative Pronouns: Who, Which, That
Link extra information to a noun.
First Conditional
if + present simple, will + verb for real future possibilities.
Zero Conditional
if + present, present for general truths.
Object Questions and Subject Questions
Subject questions have no do/did.
Question Tags (Basic)
Add a short question to confirm information.
Short Answers
Reuse the auxiliary in replies.
Present Perfect: Experience
have/has + past participle for life experience.
Present Perfect: For and Since
for + duration; since + starting point.
Present Perfect vs Past Simple
Present perfect = no finished time; past simple = finished time.
Just, Already, Yet
just = recently; already = earlier than expected; yet = until now.
Used To
used to + verb for past habits and states.
Gerunds as Subjects
-ing forms can act as nouns.
Infinitive of Purpose
to + verb explains why.
Too and Either
too in positive; either in negative agreement.
So and Neither
Short agreement forms.
Quantifiers: All, Both, Neither, Each
Describe how many in a group.
Direct Object and Indirect Object
Some verbs take two objects.
Phrasal Verb Basics
A verb plus particle forms a new meaning.
Capital Letters and Punctuation Basics
Start sentences with capitals; end with . ? !
Contractions
Shortened forms join words with an apostrophe.
Linking Words: Because, So, Although
Show reasons, results and contrast.
Wh- Questions with Prepositions
Prepositions often end the question in speech.
Comparatives with Long Adjectives
Use more + adjective for long adjectives.
Superlatives with Long Adjectives
Use the most + adjective.
Less and Least
Use less/least for the opposite of more/most.
Much and Far with Comparatives
Add much or far to make a bigger difference.
Verb + Preposition Combinations (Basic)
Some verbs always take a certain preposition.
Have Got
In British English have got = have for possession.
Possessives with Names Ending in -s
Add 's or just an apostrophe.
Expressing Preferences
Use prefer, like better, would rather.
Making Suggestions
Use why don't we, how about, let's.
Giving Advice with Should and Ought To
Both give advice; ought to is slightly stronger.
Asking for and Giving Directions
Use imperatives and prepositions of place.
Past Simple Time Expressions
yesterday, last week, ago, in 2010 signal the past simple.
Used To: Questions and Negatives
Use did + use to in questions and negatives.
When and While with Past Tenses
While + continuous; when + simple action.
Present Perfect with Ever and Never
Ask about life experience with ever; answer with never.
Present Perfect: Been vs Gone
been = visited and returned; gone = still away.
Present Perfect with Recent Events
Use it for recent actions with a present result.
So and Such
so + adjective; such + (a) + noun.
Adjectives Ending in -ed and -ing
-ed describes feelings; -ing describes the cause.
Enough with Adjectives and Nouns
adjective + enough; enough + noun.
Too Much, Too Many
Use too much with uncountable and too many with countable nouns.
Both, Either, Neither (Basic)
Talk about two things with both, either, neither.
Whose and Possessive Pronouns Review
Use whose to ask who owns something.
Look, Sound, Feel + Adjective
Sense verbs take adjectives, not adverbs.
Like vs As
like = similar to; as = in the role of.
Reflexive vs Reciprocal
Reflexive = same person; each other = two-way action.
Question Tags with Be and Do
Use opposite polarity in tags.
Both... And and Not Only... But Also (Intro)
Join two similar ideas.
Zero and First Conditional Review
Compare facts with real future possibilities.
Time Conjunctions: Before, After, When
Join clauses to show order of events.
Present Tense After Time Words
Use present simple, not will, after when / as soon as for the future.
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