Essential Basic English

Grammar
Prepared by Tr.Pyae
Table of Contents
• Lesson 1: Basic English Grammar: Eight Parts of
Speech
• Lesson 2: The Verb Tenses
• Lesson 3: Conditional Sentences
• Lesson 4: The Summary
• Lesson 5: Additional Exercises
• Lesson 6: Reference Books
Look at this sentence!

•My name is Pyae Pyae Min Zaw. I am from

South Korea. Ohhh!!! Sorry, I am actually
from South Okkalapa Township.
 The Eight Parts of Speech
i. Noun
ii. Pro-noun
iii. Verb
iv. Adjective
v. Adverb
vi. Preposition
vii. Conjunction
viii. Interjection
1. Noun
A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea.
• man..... house... happiness
Types of Nouns
1. Common noun, A common noun is a noun that refers to people or things in general,
e.g. boy, country, bridge, city, birth, day, happiness.
2. Proper noun, A proper noun is a name that identifies a particular person, place, or
thing, e.g. Steven, Africa, London, Monday. In written English, proper nouns begin with
capital letters.
3. Concrete noun, A concrete noun is a noun which refers to people and to things that
exist physically and can be seen, touched, smelled, heard, or tasted. Examples include
dog, building, coffee, tree, rain, beach, tune.
4. Abstract noun, An abstract noun is a noun which refers to ideas, qualities, and
conditions - things that cannot be seen or touched and things which have no physical
reality, e.g. truth, danger, happiness, time, friendship, humour.
5. Collective nouns, Collective nouns refer to groups of people or things, e.g. audience,
family, government, team, jury.
•I love red cars. ...
•John and Mary went to the supermarket and
bought eggs and cheese. ...
•We had pizza for lunch. ...
2. Pronoun
A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun.
• She... we... they... it

Types

of

Pronouns
Fill in the blank with we or us.
• She cannot come with _____ today.
• After _____ eat, let's see a movie.
• Come on in and tell _____ the news!
• I know where _____ can go.
• Dad is coming with _____ to buy school supplies.
3. Verb
A verb expresses action or being.
• jump... is... write... Become
Main Types of Verbs
1. The Verb to be = am, is, are, was, were
2. The Action Verb = Verbs that describe actions such as eat,
drink, sleep, go
3. The Modal Verb = can, could, shall, should, will, would, may,
might, must
4. The Verb to do = do, does, did
5. The Verb to have = has, have, had
3. Verb (Continued)
Other Types of Verbs
• The Main Verb – I ate chocolate yesterday.
• The Helping Verb or Auxiliary Verb- I am eating
Chocolate.
• The Regular Verb- I decided to study English.
• The Irregular Verb- I drove to Mandalay.
• Transitive Verbs- Verbs that need objects. “I need you.”
• Intransitive Verbs- Verbs that doesn’t need objects. “I
cried”
• Phrasal Verbs- Ask for, Back up, Break up
1. The dog shivered.
2. An owl shrieked.
3. The moon disappeared behind the clouds.
4. We waited.
5. Nobody said a word.
6. For a moment, nobody even breathed.
7. A light rain fell on our heads.
8. The leaves trembled.
9. Our hearts beat faster.
10.Then the black sky opened up.
4. Adjective and its Types
An adjective modifies or describes a noun or pronoun.
• pretty... old... blue... smart
Exercises for Identifying Adjectives
1. Sarah has a beautiful cat.

2. We live in a big city.

3. Robert likes German cars.

4. Nancy has a lot of expensive clothes.

1. She sings well.
2. The coffee is very hot.
3. Kiran is an extremely good dancer.
4. It is too hot today.
5. She speaks all foreign languages fluently.
6. The child is now happy.
7. He learns his lessons very carefully.
8. I visit my friend daily.
6. PREPOSITION
A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase
modifying another word in the sentence.
• by... with.... about... Until (by the tree, with our friends, about the book, until
tomorrow)

“Preposition Examples”
7. Conjunction
A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses.
• and... but... or... while... because

8. Interjection
An interjection is a word used to express emotion.
• Oh!... Wow!... Oops!
1. I bought a beautiful dress at the mall.
• preposition
adjective
noun
2. What did she ask you to do?
• conjunction
preposition
pronoun
3. I left my shoes under the kitchen table.
• adjective
preposition
pronoun
4. If we finish our work quickly we can go to the movies.
• adverb
conjunction
verb
5. On Saturdays I work from nine to five.
• verb
preposition
adverb
6. I want to go to a university in the United States.
• adjective
preposition
noun
7. I'm sure I've met your girlfriend before.
• verb
preposition
interjection
8. Well, I don't think I'll be home before 6.
• interjection
preposition
pronoun
9. Andy knocked on the door but nobody answered.
• adverb
adjective
conjunction
10. After lunch let's go out for a coffee.
• pronoun
preposition
verb
Simple Present Tense
To describe habits, unchanging situations, general truths, and
fixed arrangements

Subject + Infinitive

I often start work at 8:30 everyday.

Example
Positive Sentence: I often eat my breakfast at 7:00.
Negative Sentence: I don’t use Facebook in the morning.
Yes/No Question: Does David like some chocolate?
Wh-Question: Where do you live?

Positive Sentence: I am beautiful.

Negative Sentence: I’m not ugly.
Yes/No Question: Is she Ugly?
Wh-Question: Where is your friend?
Present Continuous Tense
To indicate an action or condition that is happening now,
frequently, and may continue into the future

Subject + is/am/are + V-ING

I am eating pizza right now.

Example
 Positive Sentence: The students are learning English.
 Negative Sentence: I am driving a car right now.
 Yes/No Question: Are you living with your parents?
 Wh-Question: Where are you working currently?

 Positive Sentence: The teacher is being serious.

 Negative Sentence: The teacher isn’t being serious.
 Yes/No Question: Are you being serious?
Present Perfect Tense
To describe past experience, To describe work done

Subject + has/have + Past Participle (V3)

They have lived here since 2011.

 Example
 PositiveSentence: They have lived here since 2018.
 Negative Sentence: Helen has not attended the class since
Monday.
 Yes/No Question: Has he worked here since he graduated
school?
 Wh-Question: When has he finished his homework?
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
To mention an activity that started in the past but continues
up to now

Subject + has/have + been + Past Participle

I have been studying English for five years.

 Example
 Positive Sentence: I have been living here for 4 years.
 Negative Sentence: I haven’t been starting Business English
class yet.
 Yes/No Question: Have you been listening the same music for 1
hour? Yes, I have/ No, I haven’t.
 Wh-Question: How long have you been studying French?
Simple Past Tense
To describe an activity started in the past, and got over in the
past

Subject + Past Simple Form

I lived in Bago in 2008.

Example
 Positive Sentence: I developed my skills by learning new things.
 Negative Sentence: I didn’t tell you about that topic.
 Yes/No Question: Did she know what I told you?
 Wh-Question: What did you do in your weekend?
 Positive Sentence: I was a teacher.
 Negative Sentence: I wasn’t a teacher.
 Yes/No Question: Was she a teacher?
 Wh-Question: What was her job?
Past Continuous Tense
To refer to a continuing action or state that was happening at
some point in the past

Subject + was/were + ING

While I was watching TV, my friend arrived.

Example
 Positive Sentence: While I was taking a shower, you arrived.
 Negative Sentence: I wasn’t sleeping when you knocked the
door.
 Yes/No Question: Were you biking when I called you?
 Wh-Question: What were they doing when I visited to them?

 Positive Sentence: While I was being sad, you called me.

 Negative Sentence: I wasn’t being happy when you left.
 Yes/No Question: Were you being happy while I was away?
Past Perfect Tense
To indicate one event that happened before another in the
past

Subject + had + Past Participle

When we arrived, he had gone shopping.

 Example
 PositiveSentence: When I arrived, you had gone.
 Negative Sentence: She had cooked when her friends went shopping.

 Yes/No Question: Had you done your project when the officer asked
about that?
 Wh-Question: Where had you travelled when you were in Bangkok?
 Past Perfect Continuous Tense
To indicate an action in the past that began before a
certain point in the past and continued up until that
time

Subject + had + been + ING

I had been waiting for 20 minutes before the bus

come.
 Example
 Positive Sentence: Joseph had been waiting for 30minutes before his
friend came.
 Negative Sentence: I hadn’t been starting my lesson.

 Yes/No Question: Had you been leaving the class before the class
was finished?
 Wh-Question: Where had you been walking all day?
Simple Future Tense
To indicate an action, condition, or circumstance which
hasn’t taken place yet

Subject + will + Infinitive

I think I will go shopping this afternoon.

Example
 Positive Sentence: I think she will keep this secret.
 Negative Sentence: He will not tell the truth.

 Yes/No Question: Will you go to Bago next month?

 Wh-Question: Where will you visit in this coming holiday?

Future Continuous Tense
To describe what will be going on at some time in the future

Subject + will + be + ING

I will be travelling to Bagan tomorrow evening.

Example
 Positive Sentence: I will be going to office tomorrow morning.
 Negative SentenceShe will not be playing tennis on that time.

 Yes/NoQuestion: Will you be travelling to somewhere in

Christmas holidays?

 Wh-Question: What will you be doing on Monday?

Future Perfect Tense
To convey an action that will be completed sometime in the
future

Subject + will +have + V3

By June, I will have been here for two months.
Example
 PositiveSentence: Sue will have finished her PhD Degree by
the time we come back to Myanmar.
 NegativeSentence: The class will not have started by the
time we arrive at school.
 Yes/NoQuestion: Will she have moved to another place
when I arrive?
 Wh-Question: What will he have eaten?
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
To describe an action that will have happened for some time
and will not be complete yet at a certain point in the future

Subject + will + have + been + ING

In April, I will have been living here for five years.
 Example
 Positive Sentence: I will have been studying this diploma for
a year.
 Negative
Sentence: Josephine will not have been waiting for
you anymore.
 Yes/No Question: Will you have been playing games for 3
hours?
 Wh-Question: What will you have been doing on Friday?
CONDITIONALS
Zero conditional

First conditional

Second conditional

Third conditional
Zero Conditional
Facts which are generally true or scientific facts
The condition always has the same result

If + V1 , Subj + V1

If you stand in the rain, you get wet.

First Conditional
A possible situation in the future
Predicting a likely result in the future (if the condition
happens)

If + V1 , Will/Won’t + V1

If you study regularly, you will pass the exam.

First Conditional
 If you take medicine regularly, you will feel better.
 If he doesn’t go, I won’t go either.
 Will you go outside if it doesn’t rain.
 What will you do if you can’t sleep tonight?
Second Conditional
Hypothetical or unlikely situations
Unreal or improbable situation now or in the future

If + V2 , Would + V1

If I won the lottery, I would travel a lot.

Second Conditional
 If
I could travel into the future, I would manage everything as
I wish.
 If I didn’t have homework, I could go to the party.
 Would you shout if a robber asked for all of your money?
 What would you do if you saw a ghost?
Third Conditional
The person is imagining a different past
Imaginary situation that did not happen

If + had + V3 , Would Have + V3

If you had studied, you would have passed the exam.
Third Conditional
 If I had got a gold medal, I would have been happy.
 If we hadn’t missed the bus, we wouldn’t have been late.
 Would you have been blissful if your teacher had praised
you?
Grammar Self-study Books

•Collins English Grammar

•Essential Grammar in Use
•Oxford English Grammar