Modules
IN THIS LESSON
In this section, we’ll dive into the basic building blocks of American English grammar, covering subjects, verbs, objects, and how to put them together into simple sentences. We'll also introduce essential tenses and basic pronouns to get you started on talking about everyday actions.
Sentence Structure: Subject + Verb + Object
In American English, most sentences follow the subject + verb + object (SVO) structure. This is the basic formula for building a sentence. Let’s break it down:
Subject: The person or thing doing the action.
Verb: The action itself.
Object: The person or thing receiving the action.
Examples:
"I read books."
Subject = "I"
Verb = "read"
Object = "books""She eats pizza."
Subject = "She"
Verb = "eats"
Object = "pizza"
Common Verbs in Daily Life
Verbs are action words. Here are some of the most common verbs in American English that you will use in your daily life:
Eat: "I eat lunch at school."
Play: "He plays soccer with his friends."
Go: "They go to the park after school."
Watch: "She watches TV in the evening."
Do: "We do our homework together."
Practice:
Write 5 sentences using the verbs above. Try to include different subjects and objects.
Basic Tenses: Present, Past, and Future
In English, tense tells us when an action happens. The most important tenses to know are present tense, past tense, and future tense.
Present Tense:
We use the present tense to talk about things that are happening now or things that happen regularly.
"I walk to school every day."
"She likes ice cream."
Past Tense:
The past tense is used to describe something that has already happened.
"I walked to school yesterday."
"She liked the ice cream."
Future Tense:
We use the future tense to talk about something that will happen later or in the future.
"I will walk to school tomorrow."
"She will like the ice cream."
Key Phrases for Telling Time:
Present: "Every day," "Usually," "Always"
Past: "Yesterday," "Last week," "Earlier"
Future: "Tomorrow," "Next week," "Later"
Practice:
Write 3 sentences for each tense (present, past, future) using the verb "to play" and describe different activities you enjoy.
Pronouns: I, You, He, She, It, We, They
Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns. In English, pronouns are used to avoid repeating the same noun in a sentence. Here are the most common pronouns:
I: "I am happy."
You: "You are my friend."
He/She/It: "He is playing soccer." / "She is watching TV." / "It is raining."
We: "We are going to the park."
They: "They are doing their homework."
Practice:
Write a sentence using each pronoun from the list above. Make sure to use a different verb in each sentence.
Negative Sentences: Saying "No" or "Don’t"
To make a sentence negative in American English, you usually add "not" after the verb to be or use "do not" (or don’t) before other verbs.
"I am not tired."
"She does not like pizza."
"They are not playing soccer."
Practice:
Write 3 negative sentences. Try using different pronouns and verbs.
Yes/No Questions: Asking Simple Questions
To ask a yes/no question, we usually switch the order of the subject and the verb to be, or we add "do" or "does" before the subject in other verbs.
"Are you happy?" (Yes/No question with the verb "to be")
"Do you like pizza?" (Yes/No question with the verb "to like")
Practice:
Write 3 yes/no questions you could ask a friend. Try using different verbs like "play," "go," or "watch."
Wh- Questions: Asking for More Information
In addition to yes/no questions, you can also ask "Wh-" questions to get more information. These questions often start with:
What: "What do you do on the weekend?"
Where: "Where do you go to school?"
When: "When do you eat lunch?"
Why: "Why do you like soccer?"
How: "How do you get to school?"
Practice:
Write a short conversation between two friends using at least 3 different "Wh-" questions. Make sure each friend asks and answers.
Articles: A, An, The
In English, we use articles to refer to specific or general things. The most common articles are "a," "an," and "the."
"A" is used before words that start with a consonant sound.
Example: "I have a dog.""An" is used before words that start with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u).
Example: "He eats an apple.""The" is used when talking about something specific.
Example: "I am reading the book."
Practice:
Write 3 sentences using "a," 3 sentences using "an," and 3 sentences using "the." Make sure you use different nouns.
Additional Practice Tips:
Listening: Watch videos of native American English speakers to hear how they use grammar in everyday conversation.
Speaking: Practice speaking out loud with a partner or recording yourself to improve your pronunciation and confidence.
Writing: Write a short paragraph about your daily routine, focusing on using the correct sentence structure, tenses, and pronouns.
