This is good news for English learners because it means you don’t need to worry about writing long, complex sentences. Generally speaking, sentences in written English are not particularly long.

Kim is coming round so I’m cleaning my flat.

She wants to study more but she doesn’t have time.

He likes football and he plays in a team.

I’m studying English because it’s important. If you want to connect two ideas or short phrases, you can do so by using a conjunction. There are some chairs, a table and a sofa. There is a sofa, some chairs and a table. Remember also that when you describe something using ‘There is/are’, the verb must agree with the first item you mention. So if you can avoid it, it’ll make a big difference to how accurate you sound. This seems like a small mistake to make but unfortunately it’s a very noticeable one. The main subjects you need to be careful with are he, she and it because they often have a different form to the others.

Remember to change the verb to agree with the subject. Try to understand that meaning from the context.

And when you listen, remember that a word you think you understood may have another meaning. So when you’re writing, be careful to choose the right spelling. This can obviously create confusion and unfortunately there are many of these words in English. Homophonic words are words that are pronounced in the same way as other words but have different meanings, even if they are spelt differently. (Click here to learn more about adverbs of manner.) 2.

Most adverbs are created by adding -ly to an adjective as in the example, but a few adverbs are irregular, such as:įor example, Your English is good. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs and usually come after the verb. Adjectives describe, identify and quantify people or things and usually go in front of a noun. Make sure you use adjectives and adverbs correctly. So here’s a list of some important rules that you should keep in mind when you speak and write English. And while English grammar can seem quite easy compared to some languages, a small mistake can easily change the meaning of what you want to say. One of the most difficult things about learning a new language is learning the grammar rules.

Basic grammar in use student's book