Essential Basic English Lessons
Essential Basic English Lessons
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English as a Second Language
By
Kenneth Beare
Updated July 27, 2019
These basic English lessons provide the most important learning points for beginning level
English learners. Use these 25 short lessons to study for tests, review basic English
essentials, or check your understanding of the basics.
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Some and any are used with both countable and uncountable nouns to ask about, confirm
and respond negatively about an indefinite amount. Some and any are used with singular
and plural verb forms. Here are some examples followed by the rules: Do you have any salt?
There are some chairs in that room. She doesn't have any money.
Use "some" in positive sentences. We use some for both countable and uncountable
nouns. Example: I have some friends.
Use "any" in negative sentences or questions. We use any for both countable and
uncountable nouns. Example: Do you have any cheese? - He doesn't have any
friends in Chicago.
Use "any" in negative sentences or questions. We use any for both countable and
uncountable nouns. Example: Do you have any cheese? - He doesn't have any
friends in Chicago.
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in a room / in a building
in a garden / in a park
in the water
in the sea
in a river
in a row / in a line
in a queue
at the bus-stop
at the door
at the cinema
on the table
I stayed on Maui.
on the left
on the right
straight on
I went to school.
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a = indefinite article (not a specific object, one of a number of the same objects) with
consonants
I work in a factory.
an = indefinite article (not a specific object, one of a number of the same objects) with
vowels (a,e,i,o,u)
the = definite article (a specific object that both the person speaking and the listener
know)
The first time you speak of something use "a or an", the next time you repeat that object use
"the".
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I live in a house. The house is quite old and has four bedrooms.
DO NOT use an article with countries, states, counties or provinces, lakes and mountains
except when the country is a collection of states such as "The United States".
DO NOT use an article when you are speaking about things in general
DO NOT use an article when you are speaking about meals, places, and transport
I go to university.
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'Like' can be used as a verb or as a preposition. There are a number of common questions
with 'like' that are easy to confuse.
What's he like? - 'What … like?' is used to ask about a person's or object's character
and is general in nature.
What does he like? - This use of the verb 'like' is for general preferences. 'Like' as a
verb is generally followed by the 'ing' form of the verb (I like playing tennis).
What does she look like? - 'Like' is used as a preposition to express physical
appearance. In this case, 'like' can also mean 'similar to' if you are making a
comparison to other people.
What would you like to drink? - Another common use of 'like' is in 'would like' to
express wishes. Note that 'would like' is followed by the infinite form of the verb NOT
the '-ing' form.
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Use the present simple to talk about activities or routines which take place on a regular basis.
Teachers can find tips on how to teach present simple which includes lesson plans and
activities.
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The past form of regular verbs ends in 'ed'. Irregular verbs must be studied and learned
individually. Here is a list of past forms of some of the most common irregular verbs.
be - was/were
become - became
begin - began
break - broke
bring - brought
build - built
buy - bought
come - came
cost - cost
cut - cut
do - did
drink - drank
eat - ate
find - found
fly - flew
get - got
give - gave
go - went
have - had
keep - kept
know - knew
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leave - left
make - made
meet - met
pay - paid
put - put
read - read
say - said
see - saw
sell - sold
send - sent
speak - spoke
spend - spent
take - took
teach - taught
tell - told
think - thought
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Subject Pronouns
Function as the subject of a sentence:
It won't be easy.
Object Pronouns
Serve as the object of a verb.
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Possessive Pronouns
Show that something belongs to someone. That house is mine.
This is yours.
Demonstrative Pronouns
Refer to things. 'this' and 'these' refer to something that is near. 'that' and 'those' refer to
things that are farther away.
This is my house.
Possessive adjectives - my, your, his, her, its, our, your, their
Are often confused with possessive pronouns. The possessive adjective modifies the noun
following it in order to show possession.
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in January
in 1978
in the twenties
in a few weeks
in a couple of days
at six o'clock
at 10.30
at two p.m.
on Monday
on Fridays
on Christmas day
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on October 22nd
Important Notes
When two verbs are used together, the second verb is often in the gerund form (-ing) or the
infinitive. There are no specific rules concerning which verbs take which form. Like irregular
verbs, you will need to learn which form a verb takes.
go
enjoy
quit
discuss
mind
can't stand
suggest
Examples:
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promise
plan
refuse
want
need
decide
hope
Examples:
Modals are verbs that modify other verbs. The most common modals are:
Can
Should
Must
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Note that all subjects take the same form of the modal.
Positive
Formed by combining Subject + Modal + Base Form of Verb + Objects
Examples:
Negative
Formed by combining Subject + Modal + Not + Base Form of Verb + Objects
Examples:
Question
Formed by combining Modal + Subject + Base Form of Verb + Objects
Examples:
Examples:
Examples:
Examples:
In English, the future can be expressed with either the word 'will' or the phrase 'going to'.
Here are examples of how and when to use each of these future forms.
Negative: Formed by combining Subject + will + not + base form of verb + object(s)
Examples:
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Examples:
Examples:
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of 25
This list shows first the country, then language and, finally the nationality of many major
countries from around the world.
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Uncountable
Use the singular form of the verb with uncountable nouns. Use both 'some' and any' with
uncountable nouns when speaking about specific objects.
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Examples
Examples
Countable
Use the plural form of the verb with countable nouns. Use both 'some' and 'any' with
countable nouns when speaking about specific objects.
Examples
If you are speaking in general, use the plural form of the noun.
Examples
most
some
a little, little
Examples
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several
some
Examples
Countable nouns are individual objects, people, places, etc. which can be counted.
A countable noun can be both singular - a friend, a house, etc.—or plural—a few apples, lots
of trees, etc.
Use the singular form of the verb with a singular countable noun:
Use the plural form of the verb with a countable noun in the plural:
Uncountable nouns are always singular. Use the singular form of the verb with uncountable
nouns:
Some uncountable nouns in English are countable in other languages. This can be confusing!
Here is a list of some of the most common, easy to confuse uncountable nouns in English.
accommodation
advice
baggage
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bread
equipment
furniture
garbage
information
knowledge
luggage
money
news
pasta
progress
research
travel
work
We use the comparative and superlative form to compare and contrast different objects in
English. Use the comparative form to show the difference between two objects. Example:
New York is more exciting than Seattle. Use the superlative form when speaking about three
or more objects to show which object is 'the most' of something. Example: New York is the
most exciting city in the USA.
Here is how to construct the comparative form in English. Notice in the example sentences
that you use 'than' to compare the two objects:
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One-Syllable Adjectives
add '-er' to end of the adjective (Note: double the final consonant if preceded by a vowel)
remove the 'y' from the adjective and add 'ier'
Important Exceptions
There are some important exceptions to these rules. Here are two of the most important
exceptions:
Good
good - adjective
better - comparative
Example:
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Bad
bad - adjective
worse - comparative
Example:
One-Syllable Adjectives
Place 'the' before the adjective and add '-est' to end of the adjective (Note: double the final
consonant if preceded by a vowel).
Example: cheap - the cheapest / hot - the hottest / high - the highest
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Two-Syllable Adjectives Ending in '-y' Place 'the' before the adjective and remove the 'y'
from the adjective and add 'iest'.
Important Exceptions
There are some important exceptions to these rules. Here are two of the most important
exceptions:
Good
good - adjective
Example:
Bad
bad - adjective
Example:
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Time expressions are used to indicate the time at/during which an action took place.
Common time expressions include:
Present forms: everyday, on Fridays, at the moment, now, as well as adverbs of frequency
such as always, usually, sometimes (for present habits and routines). Days of the weeks
followed by 's' such as Mondays, Tuesdays, etc.
Examples
Past forms: when I was ..., last week, day, year, etc., yesterday, ago (two weeks ago, three
years ago, four months ago, etc.)
Examples
Future forms: next week, year, etc., tomorrow, by (the end of the week, Thursday, next
year, etc.) in X time (in two weeks time, in four months time, etc.)
Examples
Examples
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Use adverbs of frequency to say how often you do something. Adverbs of frequency are often
used with the present simple because they indicate repeated or routine activities. For
example, They often go out for dinner.
always
usually
often
sometimes
occasionally
seldom
rarely
never
If the sentence has one verb (e.g. no auxiliary verb) put the adverb in the middle of the
sentence after the subject and before the verb.
Examples
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Examples
If the sentence has more than one verb (e.g. auxiliary verb), put the adverb of frequency
before the main verb.
Examples
When using adverbs of frequency in the question or negative form, put the adverb of
frequency before the main verb.
Examples
19 Imperative Form
of 25
Use the imperative form when giving instructions or orders. The imperative is also very
common in written instructions. Be careful when you use the imperative, as it is often
considered impolite in English. If someone asks you for instructions, use the imperative. If,
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on the other hand, you would like to request that someone do something use a polite
question form.
There is only one imperative form for both 'you' singular and plural.
Examples:
Hurry up!
Take the first left, go straight on and the supermarket is on the left.
Adjectives are also used in simple sentences with the verb 'to be'. In this case, the adjective
describes the subject of the sentence:
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Jack is happy.
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. They are easily recognized because they
end in '-ly' (with a few exceptions!):
Adverbs are often used at the end of a sentence to describe (modify) the verb:
The present perfect is used to say what has happened recently and has an effect on the
present moment. We often use 'just', 'yet' and 'already' to express the relationship to the
present moment.
The present perfect is also used to express something which has happened up to the present
moment of time.
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Positive Form
Subject + have + past participle + object(s)
Negative Form
Subject + have + not + past participle + object(s)
Question Form
(Wh?) + have + subject + past participle?
NOTE: In this use of the present perfect, we are talking about things that have happened up
to the present moment. Whenever you speak about something that has happened up to
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now without giving a precise point in time, use the present perfect.
Use the past simple to talk about activities or routines which take place at a specified time in
the past. Notice that all subjects take the same conjugation of the verb. Regular verbs end in
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'-ed'.
visit - visited
enjoy - enjoyed
Irregular verbs have various forms and each verb needs to be learned.
see - saw
think - thought
The past simple is used to express a finished past action which occurs at a specific moment
in the past.
The following time signifiers often indicate a specific point in time and indicate that the past
tense should be used.
last
ago
yesterday
Examples
Positive Form
Subject + past form of verb + object(s) + time
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Negative Form
Subject + did + not + base form of verb + object(s) + (time)
Question Form
(Wh?) + did + subject + base form of verb + (object(s))+ (time)?
Use the present continuous to speak about what is happening at the present moment in time.
Positive Form
Subject + to be + verb + ing + objects
He is watching TV.
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Negative Form
Subject + are not + verb + ing + objects
Question Form
Wh? + do + subject + verb + ing + objects ?
NOTE: We use time expressions like 'at the moment, currently, this week - month' with this
form of the present continuous.
Use the present simple to talk about activities or routines which take place on a regular basis.
Use the present continuous to speak about what is happening at the present moment in
time, around the present moment, or for a future scheduled event.
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Stative verbs are verbs which express a state. Action verbs are verbs which express
something a person does.
Stative verbs cannot be used in the continuous forms. Here is a list of common stative verbs:
believe
understand
think (opinion)
want
hope
smell
taste
feel
sound
look
seem
appear
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Sometimes the past simple and the present perfect are confused. It is important to
remember that the past simple is used to express a finished past action which occurs at a
specific moment in the past. The present perfect is used to express something that
happened at an unspecified moment in the past. For example, if I visited Paris in 2004, I
could express this in two ways:
Past Simple
Note that the moment in time is specific - in 2004, a few years ago.
Present Perfect
In this case, the moment of my visit is not specific. I am speaking about an experience that I
have had in my life up to this moment in time.
This is the key to understanding the difference between the past simple and the present
perfect. The past simple expresses something which happened at a specific time in the
past. The present perfect expresses something that I have experienced in my life without
giving the exact time.
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Grammar
Grammar Grammar
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Grammar
Questions
Smiling woman text messaging on
patio
Grammar
woman with day planner in her lap woman teaching adult learner
Grammar
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Grammar Grammar
Intermediate Level English Practice: The Right Way to Use 'Already' and
Tenses and Vocabulary 'Yet' in English
Grammar
L S thi N E D
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