Grammar

Do you want to practise your English grammar? Watch the grammar videos, play the grammar games, print the grammar worksheets, write to us in the grammar quiz section and then test yourself with our downloadable grammar tests. Don't forget you can always print the grammar reference cards to help you

.

Adjectives

 Grammar Rule

Examples

We have a small car.
I saw a white bird.
She watched an old film.

Remember!

Adjectives don't have a plural form.
We have two small cars.
I saw five white birds.
She watched some old films.

Be careful!

Size before colour.
We have a small, blue car.
I saw a large, white bird.

We say...We don’t say...

We have a small, blue car. (NOT We have a small and blue car.)
I saw five large, white birds. (NOT I saw five large and white birds.)

Past simple - verb 'to be'

Grammar Rule

Examples

I was at my Gran's house yesterday.
You were late for school this morning.
She was with her friends last Saturday.
We were tired yesterday.

Remember!

I was
you were
She was
He was
It was
We were
They were

Be careful!

For negatives add 'n't' or ‘not’.
I wasn’t late for school this morning.
I was not late for school this morning.
She wasn’t with her friends last Saturday.
She was not with her friends last Saturday.
We weren’t tired yesterday.
We were not tired yesterday.

We say...We don’t say...

Were you late for school today? Yes, I was. 
(NOT You were late for school today? Yes I was.)
Was she with her friends last Saturday? No, she wasn’t.
(NOT She was with her friends last Saturday? No, she wasn’t.)
Was he tired yesterday? Yes, he was. 
(NOT He was tired yesterday? Yes, he was.)
(For a normal question we use was + pronoun. To show surprise you can use pronoun + was.)

Possessives

Grammar Rule

Examples

I have a pen. My pen is red.
We have a car. Our car is fast.
She has a cat. Her cat is nice.

Remember!

I = my
he = his
you = your
she = her
we = our
it = its

Be careful!

The possessive pronoun goes before the noun or before the noun and adjective.
I lost my pen.
She played football with her brother.
We met our new teacher.

We say...We don’t say...

I did my homework. (NOT I did the homework.)
She visited her grandma. (NOT She visited she grandma.)
My dog sleeps in its basket. (NOT My dog sleeps in it’s basket.)

Pronouns

Grammar Rule

Examples

I am from France. I speak French.
They aren’t here. They are on holiday. 
We are hungry. We didn’t eat lunch.

Remember!

He is from France. He speaks French.
She isn’t here. She is on holiday.
It is freezing. It is winter in England.

Be careful!

We use 'it' for:
The weather
It is cold.
Animals
It is a brown dog.
The time
It is 5 o’clock.

We say...We don’t say...

I speak French. (NOT Speak French.) 
She is on holiday. (NOT Her is on holiday.)
It is cold. (NOT Is cold.)

This, that, these, those

Grammar Rule

Examples

This is my friend Liz.
That is my friend Daniel playing in the garden.
These are my friends Liz and Sarah. 
Those are my friends Daniel and Nick playing in the garden.

Remember!

You need to add 'is' after this or that in the present. 
This is my friend Liz.
That is my friend Daniel playing in the garden.

Be careful!

For more than one person you use 'are' in the present. 
These are my friends Liz and Sarah. 
Those are my friends Daniel and Nick playing in the garden.

We say...We don’t say...

That is my best friend over there. (NOT This is my best friend over there.)
These are my friends Liz and Sarah. (NOT This are my friends Liz and Sarah.)