English grammar for beginners

What is the first thing that pops up in your mind when you talk about the English Language in India? The English Grammar...!

English Grammar? What is it?

We Indians love technicality when it comes to studying the English language. Past tense, present tense, future tense... Even though you may not be studying English, we guarantee that you must have heard these terms many times before. They are not really unfamiliar to you.

But what is Grammar, exactly? Grammar is basically a conventional set of rules to construct and use a language effectively--in a way that would make sense. While grammar is not absolute, it is necessary to understand and speak a language as fluently as a native.

So, in this article, we will cover the three basic tenses. Apart from that, you should be aware of the English pronouns to understand the language more effectively.

English Pronouns

We all are aware of what nouns are, right? Nouns are basically names for things, places, persons, and other living beings (e.g. flower, leg, John, pumpkin, table, furniture, computer). Well, when we are speaking English, if we consecutively use the same nouns in different sentences, it would sound awkward and weird. Hence, we have pronouns to make up for that.

What are pronouns? Pronouns are noun substitute that streamlines speaking and understanding a language. There are three categories of pronouns and each category is further divided into two categories.

1. First Person Pronouns

a) Singular

The first-person singular pronoun is used for referring to yourself. This pronoun is 'I/me'.

For example, I am an engineer.

Remember, the 'I' is always written in capital letters.

b) Plural

The first-person plural pronoun is used for referring to a group of yourselves. This pronoun is 'we/us'.

For example, 'We are the future!'

2. Second Person Pronouns

There is only one second-person pronoun in the English language, which is 'You' or 'Your'. It is used to refer to your direct listener. There is no singular or plural version of the second-person pronoun. However, the word 'you' may be followed by the word 'all', denoting that it is being used in a plural manner. Take a look at these two examples.

"You are a man."

"You all are sailors."

3. Third Person Pronouns

a) Singular

When it comes to third-person singular pronouns, we have to consider gender as a factor. Different genders have different pronouns. Take a look at this list below.

He - third person singular male pronoun.
He is a boy.

She - third person singular female pronoun.
She is a girl.

It - third person singular non-gendered pronoun used for other living beings apart from humans and inanimate objects.
It is a box.

b) Plural

There's only one third-person plural pronoun in English and it is 'They'. This pronoun is not affected by gender, unlike singular pronouns. Also, this pronoun is not to be mistaken as an honorary pronoun to show respect to elders. There are no honorary pronouns in English.

They are playing on the ground.

English Grammar Tenses

English Grammar is, of course, way more than just tenses. However, tenses affect how grammar functions the most. Hence, it is necessary for us to understand how the tenses work on the basic level. Let's see them in more detail.

Like most Indian languages, English also has three basic tenses, that are further subdivided into four different categories. These tenses are Past, Present, and Future. Let's see the basic six tenses everyone should know if they are planning to learn the language.

a. Simple Present Tense

The simple present tense denotes a simple statement that describes an event of the present. Simple tenses, unlike continuous tenses, are often used to deliver factual information, rather than an action that is happening in the present. The basic sentence structure follows the following formula:

S + V1 + Object/Complement

For example, Aury eats a mango. Here, 'Aury' is the subject; 'eats' is the verb; and 'mango' is the object.

>Quick lesson!<

S stands for Subject. The subject of the sentence is the one that does the action and is preceded by the verb (unless it is a passive construction—where the subject comes at the end, or does not come at all).

V stands for the Verb in a sentence. A verb is basically an action that our subject does. In this formula, the V1 is the present form of the verb.

The Object is the part of the sentence upon which the action happens. However, not all sentences have an object. Sometimes, they just bring full meaning to the sentence by providing more information about the subject. In this case, it's called a complement, or more precisely, a subject complement.

b. Simple Past Tense

Simple past tense talks about an event that has happened in the past. Like simple present tense, simple past tense, too, is used for delivering factual information rather than an event that was happening in the past. Let's see the syntax.

Subject + V2 + Object/Complement

Here, V2 stands for the past form of the verb.

For example, He was a sailor.

Can you identify the subject, verb, and complement in this sentence? (There's no object here).

c. Simple Future Tense

The simple future tense talks about things or facts that may occur in the future. That's all there is to it. Let's see the syntax.

Subject + will/shall + V1 + Object/Complement

For example, 'they will take the class.' Here, 'they' is the subject, 'will take' together makes the verb part of the sentence, and 'class' is the object.

Conclusion

In this article, we have barely scratched the surface of English grammar basics. However, it is a good start. Understanding pronouns and the nature of tenses is what you need to understand when you begin learning English. Hopefully, this article has piqued your interest in the language. English grammar is simple to understand, yet so irregular.

If you are interested in learning the language, we also invite you to take our Basic English Course for an in-depth understanding of English grammar. Please feel free to connect with us for more information!