Basics on English

​English Grammar

Basic

Rules

101

​If you are reading this, then you already know some of the rules of grammar. Your brain knows that these symbols are letters and words, and you can derive meaning from them.

What is grammar?

Language is how humans communicate.

Grammar is a complex system of rules that we learn in order to inform, argue, debate, entertain, study, build, and use complex things, from recipes to spaceships.

What is grammar?

Dropdown

The definition of grammar: ​

Select answer

of a ​

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governing the sounds, ​

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, sentences, and other elements, as well as their combination and interpretation.​ ​

Making Sense

Putting words together

Combination: un- and -lock combine to form the word unlock.

Connecting words: For example: the words "key" and "lock" can be joined by using a preposition: key in lock.

Word Order: In English, word order is very important.

Compare Tom loves mac and cheese to mac and cheese loves Tom.

​(in some languages, word order can be different)

Match

Match the following

• combination

• connecting words

• word order

combining sounds or words, like un and lock, to form the word lock

"key" and "lock" can be joined using a preposition: key in lock

the order in which words appear makes a big difference in how they make sense.

• combining sounds or words, like un and lock, to form the word lock

• "key" and "lock" can be joined using a preposition: key in lock

• the order in which words appear makes a big difference in how they make sense.

How a word is said out loud or read makes a big difference.

It could be a question or a statement, past or present tense, etc.

Example: Read this paragraph.

vs

She read the whole book.

​

Accent, stress or pitch

More Examples:

Are you going to the store later?

Will you bring snacks to school tomorrow?

She got Tommy mad at me!

​

Accent, stress or pitch:

Adding emphasis

​Adding emphasis through pitch and pausing

Using a different pitch can create more attention to a certain word or phrase.

For instance, "Dan is moving to Texas next weekend."

Also, pitch and pausing can show confusion, uncertainty, and contrast....

"Dan is... moving to... Texas?... next weekend."

Multiple Choice

Which words have the emphasis on pitch?

We have to bring the baby!

• have, baby

• we

• bring, the

• we, to

Fill in the Blanks

Suzy is asking her friend for help with her math homework.

Which word did she emphasize in her question?

"So, I have to carry the 2, over... here?"

Words can describe objects, words can describe actions and between words describe qualities, or can indicate relation in number, time, space and causation.

Terms have certain meanings and there are different types.

Terms can describe objects or substances, they can describe actions, and quantify relations.

Terms

Categories & Terms

​the five building blocks

​Pay close attention!

If you're wondering...

It actually is quite simple and you already know most of the terms we are talking about here.​...

from butterfly to the mind, trees to Paris, nouns make us picture something, whether it is a physical or an abstract thing.

(Nouns = person, place, thing, idea!)

​

Noun

Labeling

Label the nouns in this picture...

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

parasol

tree

day

lake

dog

dress

A verb describes the action concerning or linking one or more nouns, such as the tree grows. Some action can be shown, like to fly a kite, and others cannot, as in, to postpone a party

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Verbs

Multiple Choice

What are the verbs in this sentence?

The girls waited thirty minutes for their turn to go skating.

• waited, skating

• waited, their

• thirty, turn

​Actions are always associated with nouns. In the sentence the man drives a car, there are two nouns; the man, and the car.

One is subject to the action; the man. He is the one doing the driving.

Verbs

The car is object to the action, since it is being controlled by the action, but it is also challenging the action since it needs to be controlled.

Drag and Drop

Find the subjects and their objects:

The ​

Placeholder

is driving his ​ ​

Placeholder

Our ​

Placeholder

is chewing a ​

Placeholder

​

Placeholder

is cooking in the oven

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

man

car

dog

bone

Dinner

oven

library

A qualifier is a word or phrase which gives a quality to another word.

When a qualifier is applied to a noun, it is called an adjective.

Example, a tall tree.

​

Qualifiers

Fill in the Blanks

Which is the best adjective to use here? Type your answer...

Ponce Inlet is a

place to visit.

options: passive, great, shabby, determined

A qualifier is a word or phrase which gives a quality to another word.

When a qualifier is applied to a verb, it is called an adverb.

Ex: running quickly.

​

Qualifiers

Multiple Choice

Which word is the adverb?

The alligators swam around menacingly.

• menacingly

• swam

• gators

• ketchup

Pronouns and determiners are also qualifiers.

Examples:

• a/an

• the

• he

• she

​

Qualifiers

Multiple Choice

Whose sweater is this?

• It's hers

• It be she's

• Iz her

• It her's

Relation Word

such as: with, before or behind

creates a relation between other words.

Examples:

He is with his dad right now.

The calm comes before the storm.

The broom is behind the door.

​Also known as... prepositions

Fill in the Blanks

The man is sitting

two ferns.