Grammar Tips

Grammar Table of Contents

Helpful Resources

Understanding and Using English Grammar by Betty Azar

Many of the topics in this unit have been taken from Understanding and Using English, and a thorough read of it will help any English learner improve their grammar.

Living English Structure by W. Stannard Allen

A great resource for specific grammar questions, Living English Structure will undoubtedly aid English learners on their journey with utilizing grammar on a day to day basis.

The link above is provided as a goodwill to enhance education in a non-profit setting. If you believe this link is copyrighted and should not be made available publicly, please let us know by contacting info@svym.org.in so that we can remove this link.

Tenses

Future Tenses Simplified

Examples

Select the valid response to the following question: When did you come home?

  1. I come home at 7 PM

  2. I will come home at 7 PM

  3. I have come home at 7 PM

  4. I came home at 7 PM

Answer: 4

For more explanation and examples, reference Sections 21-30 in Living English Structure and Chapters 1-5 of Understanding and Using English Grammar.

Subject-Verb Agreement

Examples

Fill in the blank: English ____ a difficult language to learn quickly.

  1. is

  2. are

Answer: 1

For more explanation and examples, do the quiz in the video above called "Quiz: Subject-Verb Agreement". You may also reference Chapter 6 of Understanding and Using English Grammar.

Modals

Examples

Select the modal(s) that can appropriately be used in the following ability sentence: I ___ use a computer.

  1. can

  2. am able to

  3. should

  4. could

Answer: 1 (am able to is not a modal verb, should is a modal demonstrating obligation, and could refers to a period in the past when the action or state of being occurred.

For more explanation and examples, reference Sections 16-17 in Living English Structure as well as Chapters 9 and 10 in Understanding and Using English Grammar.

Active and Passive Voice

Examples

Determine whether the following sentence is passive or active: During gym class, the boy was hit by a ball

  1. Active

  2. Passive

Answer: 2

How about this one: Books written by Charles Dickens are very interesting.

  1. Active

  2. Passive

Answer: 2

How would you make the above sentence into the opposite voice form?

Possible Answer: Charles Dickens' books are very interesting.

For more explanation and examples, reference Chapter 11 in Understanding and Using English Grammar and Section 52 of Living English Structure.

Gerunds and Infinitives

Examples

Complete the sentence using a gerund or infinitive form of the verb in parentheses: I am still ___. (eat)

Answer: Gerund - eating

Here's another example: What have you done ___ for the test? (study)

Answer: Infinitive - to study

For more explanation and examples, reference Section 36, 38-41 in Living English Structure or Chapters 14 and 15 in Understanding and Using English Grammar. Also make sure to do the examples in the videos above.

Direct and Indirect Speech (Reported Speech)

Examples

Turn the following sentence into indirect (reported) speech: "Did you get a haircut?" he asked me.

Possible Answer: He asked me if I had gotten a haircut.

For more explanation and examples, do the exercises in the video above called "Direct, Indirect Speech (Narration)" and reference Section 51 in Living English Structure.

Practice with Others

Use games such as the ones explained in this video to practice speaking English conversationally with other classmates and friends. Correct each other's grammar mistakes and ask questions as you go on.