Grammar doesn't have to feel overwhelming. Most English learners get stuck not because the rules are impossible, but because they're trying to remember everything at once. Here's the truth: you don't need perfect grammar to communicate well. You just need the essentials down solid.
This guide breaks down 40 grammar points that actually matter when you're speaking. Each tip includes examples you'll recognize from real conversations, plus simple tricks to help you remember them. Ready? Let's get straight to it.
1. Subject-Verb Agreement Matters
Your subject and verb need to match in number. Singular subjects take singular verbs, plural subjects take plural verbs.
Examples:
- She walks to school every morning.
- They walk together on weekends.
- The dog barks loudly at strangers.
Memory trick: Remove everything between the subject and verb. Does it still sound right? "The group of students are" becomes "The group are" — sounds wrong, right? It should be "The group is."
2. Use "A" Before Consonant Sounds
Pick "a" or "an" based on the sound that follows, not just the letter.
Examples:
- I need a university degree. (starts with "you" sound)
- She waited for an hour. (silent h)
- He's a European citizen. (starts with "yoo" sound)
Pattern note: Trust your ears. If it starts with a vowel sound, use "an."
3. Past Tense Doesn't Need "Did" in Statements
When making a simple past statement, just use the past tense verb. Save "did" for questions and negatives.
Examples:
- I went to the store yesterday. ✓
- I did went to the store yesterday. ✗
- Did you go to the store? ✓
Common mistake: Mixing "did" with past tense in statements sounds pretty awkward to native speakers.
4. Apostrophes Show Possession, Not Plurals
The apostrophe creates ownership. Regular plurals just add "s" or "es."
Examples:
- The dog's bowl is empty. (one dog owns the bowl)
- The dogs are playing outside. (more than one dog)
- Sarah's car broke down. (the car belongs to Sarah)
Memory trick: If you can say "belonging to," you need an apostrophe.
5. "Its" vs "It's" Is About Contraction
"It's" always means "it is" or "it has." "Its" shows possession.
Examples:
- It's raining outside. (It is raining)
- The cat licked its paw. (the paw belonging to it)
- It's been a long day. (It has been)
Quick test: Can you replace it with "it is"? Then use "it's."
6. Present Perfect Connects Past to Now
Use "have/has + past participle" when something started in the past but matters now.
Examples:
- I have lived here for five years. (still living here)
- She has finished her homework. (it's done now)
- They have never tried sushi. (up to this moment)
When to use it: The exact time doesn't matter, but the connection to now does.
7. Double Negatives Create Positives
Two negatives cancel each other out in English.
Examples:
- I don't have nothing. ✗ (means you have something)
- I don't have anything. ✓
- She can't never come. ✗
- She can never come. ✓
Pattern note: Stick with one negative per clause.
8. Adjectives Come Before Nouns
English puts descriptive words in front of what they describe.
Examples:
- The red car is mine.
- She wore a beautiful dress.
- We visited an old church.
Order matters: When stacking adjectives, go: opinion → size → age → color → origin → material.
9. Adverbs Often End in "-ly"
Most adverbs (words that describe verbs) are made by adding "-ly" to adjectives.
Examples:
- She speaks quickly.
- He answered honestly.
- The dog ran happily through the park.
Watch out: Not all "-ly" words are adverbs. "Friendly" is an adjective!
10. "Than" for Comparisons, "Then" for Time
These sound similar but have totally different jobs.
Examples:
- She's taller than her brother. (comparison)
- First we ate, then we left. (sequence)
- I'd rather walk than drive.
Memory trick: "Than" has an "a" for "compArison."
11. Use "Have" After Modal Verbs for Past
When expressing past possibility or obligation with modals, use "have + past participle."
Examples:
- You should have called me. (but you didn't)
- She must have forgotten. (probable past)
- They could have won. (past possibility)
Common error: Don't say "should of" — it's always "should have."
12. "Much" with Uncountable, "Many" with Countable
If you can count it individually, use "many." If you measure it, use "much."
Examples:
- How much water do you need?
- How many bottles do you need?
- There isn't much time left.
- There aren't many people here.
Quick check: Can you put a number in front? Then use "many."
13. Prepositions Change Meaning Completely
Small words like "in," "on," "at" shift what you're actually saying.
Examples:
- I'll see you at 3 PM. (specific time)
- I'll see you on Monday. (specific day)
- I'll see you in March. (month/year)
Time pattern: at = exact time, on = days/dates, in = longer periods.
14. "Who" for People, "Which" for Things
These relative pronouns connect clauses but choose differently.
Examples:
- The woman who lives next door is a teacher.
- The book which I borrowed was fascinating.
- People who exercise regularly feel better.
Gray area: "That" works for both people and things in many cases.
15. Gerunds (-ing) After Prepositions
When a verb follows a preposition, it takes the "-ing" form.
Examples:
- She's good at swimming.
- I'm tired of waiting.
- He left without saying goodbye.
Why it works: After prepositions, verbs function as nouns, so they need the gerund form.
16. Conditionals Follow Patterns
Different "if" sentences have different verb patterns depending on likelihood.
Examples:
- If it rains, I will stay home. (real possibility)
- If it rained, I would stay home. (unlikely/hypothetical)
- If it had rained, I would have stayed home. (past/didn't happen)
Pattern recognition: More unlikely = more past-looking verbs.
17. "Fewer" for Countable, "Less" for Uncountable
This follows the same logic as "many" and "much."
Examples:
- Fewer people showed up. (you can count people)
- Less traffic today. (traffic is a mass noun)
- We have fewer options now.
- There's less sugar in this recipe.
Grocery store error: "10 items or less" should technically be "10 items or fewer."
18. Active Voice Sounds Stronger
The subject does the action in active voice. Passive voice flips this.
Examples:
- Active: The teacher explained the lesson.
- Passive: The lesson was explained by the teacher.
- Active: Someone stole my bike.
When to use passive: When the doer is unknown or unimportant ("My bike was stolen").
19. Parallel Structure Keeps Lists Smooth
Items in a list should match grammatically.
Examples:
- I like swimming, hiking, and reading. ✓
- I like to swim, hiking, and reading. ✗
- She's smart, funny, and kind. ✓
Why it matters: Matching patterns sound natural to native ears.
20. "Used to" for Past Habits
This phrase describes something that was true before but isn't now.
Examples:
- I used to play piano. (but I don't anymore)
- She used to live in Chicago.
- We used to see each other every day.
Pronunciation tip: It sounds like "yoosta," not "yoosed too."
21. Question Tags Match the Statement
These mini-questions at the end confirm information.
Examples:
- You're coming, aren't you?
- She doesn't like coffee, does she?
- They've finished, haven't they?
Pattern: Positive statement → negative tag. Negative statement → positive tag.
22. "Already" Suggests Sooner Than Expected
This adverb emphasizes that something happened before now.
Examples:
- I've already eaten lunch.
- Has she already left?
- They've already seen that movie.
Placement: Usually goes between "have" and the past participle.
23. "Yet" in Questions and Negatives
Use "yet" to ask if something has happened or say it hasn't.
Examples:
- Have you finished yet?
- I haven't decided yet.
- She hasn't called yet.
Not for positives: Don't say "I have finished yet." Just "I've finished."
24. "Still" Shows Something Continues
This emphasizes that a situation hasn't changed.
Examples:
- He's still sleeping.
- Are you still working there?
- I still don't understand.
Placement: Goes before the main verb or after "be."
25. Reported Speech Shifts Back in Time
When reporting what someone said, verbs usually move one tense into the past.
Examples:
- Direct: "I am tired."
- Reported: She said she was tired.
- Direct: "I will call you."
- Reported: He said he would call me.
Exception: If it's still true, you can keep the original tense.
26. "Make" vs "Do" Have Different Jobs
"Make" creates something. "Do" performs an action.
Examples:
- Make: make breakfast, make a decision, make noise
- Do: do homework, do exercises, do the dishes
No clear rule: Some are just fixed expressions you need to learn.
27. "Say" vs "Tell" Need Different Structures
"Say" doesn't need an object person. "Tell" does.
Examples:
- She said (that) she was tired. ✓
- She said me she was tired. ✗
- She told me she was tired. ✓
- She told that she was tired. ✗
Quick rule: If you mention who you're talking to, use "tell."
28. Articles Matter for Specificity
"The" points to something specific. "A/an" keeps it general.
Examples:
- I need a pen. (any pen)
- I need the pen. (a specific one we both know)
- She's a doctor. (one of many)
- She's the doctor who helped me. (specific one)
Zero article: Some nouns (abstract concepts, plural generals) take no article at all.
29. Stative Verbs Rarely Use Continuous
Verbs describing states (not actions) usually stay in simple tenses.
Examples:
- I know the answer. ✓
- I am knowing the answer. ✗
- She loves chocolate. ✓
- She is loving chocolate. ✗
Common stative verbs: know, believe, understand, like, love, want, need, prefer.
30. "Since" for Starting Point, "For" for Duration
Both talk about time, but differently.
Examples:
- I've lived here since 2020. (starting point)
- I've lived here for four years. (length of time)
- She's been sick since Monday.
- She's been sick for three days.
Memory trick: "For" goes with a number or amount.
31. "During" vs "While" Need Different Grammar
"During" takes a noun. "While" introduces a clause with a verb.
Examples:
- I fell asleep during the movie. (noun phrase)
- I fell asleep while watching the movie. (clause)
- During summer, we travel a lot.
- While we were on vacation, it rained.
Simple check: If there's a verb right after, use "while."
32. Indirect Questions Use Statement Order
When a question becomes part of a larger sentence, the word order changes.
Examples:
- Direct: Where is the station?
- Indirect: Can you tell me where the station is?
- Direct: What time does it start?
- Indirect: Do you know what time it starts?
No inversion: The subject stays before the verb in the indirect part.
33. "Will" vs "Going to" Show Different Planning
"Will" is for spontaneous decisions. "Going to" is for plans already made.
Examples:
- I think I'll have the salad. (deciding now)
- I'm going to have dinner with Sarah. (already planned)
- Look at those clouds! It's going to rain. (evidence now)
Predictions: Both work, but "going to" suggests current evidence.
34. Plural Subjects Keep "Do/Does" Consistent
Match your auxiliary verb to the subject.
Examples:
- Does he work here? ✓
- Do he work here? ✗
- Do they like pizza? ✓
- Does they like pizza? ✗
Third person singular: Only "he/she/it" takes "does."
35. "Each" Is Singular, "Every" Is Singular Too
Even though they refer to multiple things, they're grammatically singular.
Examples:
- Each student has a book.
- Every person needs water.
- Each of them is responsible.
Common slip: Don't let the plural-sounding meaning trick you into using plural verbs.
36. Modal Verbs Don't Change Form
Can, could, should, would, might, may, must — they stay the same for all subjects.
Examples:
- I/You/He/She/We/They can swim. ✓
- He cans swim. ✗
- She shoulds call. ✗
Bonus: They never take "to" before the main verb.
37. "Wish" Takes Past Tense for Present
When you wish for something different from now, use past tense after "wish."
Examples:
- I wish I knew the answer. (but I don't know it now)
- She wishes she had more time. (but she doesn't)
- I wish it wasn't raining. (but it is)
"Were" for all: Formally, use "were" for all subjects: "I wish I were rich."
38. "Neither" Agrees Negatively
When showing shared negatives, "neither" follows specific patterns.
Examples:
- I don't like coffee. — Neither do I. (Me neither)
- She can't swim. — Neither can he.
- They haven't arrived. — Neither have we.
Structure: Neither + auxiliary + subject.
39. Possessive Goes Before Gerunds
When a verb ending in "-ing" acts as a noun, use possessive form before it.
Examples:
- I appreciate your helping. (more formal)
- I appreciate you helping. (casual, also accepted)
- His leaving early surprised everyone.
Modern usage: In casual speech, non-possessive is increasingly common.
40. Commas Prevent Misreading
Strategic comma placement changes meaning and clarity.
Examples:
- Let's eat, Grandma. (talking to Grandma)
- Let's eat Grandma. (planning to eat Grandma!)
- After eating, the dog ran outside.
- The students, who studied hard, passed.
When in doubt: Read aloud. If you pause naturally, add a comma.
Practice Section
Fill in the Blanks
- She ___ (have/has) been waiting for an hour.
- There are ___ (less/fewer) people here than yesterday.
- I wish I ___ (know/knew) how to play guitar.
- He's good ___ (at/in) solving puzzles.
- ___ (Each/Every) of the students is prepared.
- I've lived here ___ (since/for) three years.
- Can you tell me where the bathroom ___? (is/is it)
- She said she ___ (is/was) feeling sick.
- I don't like mushrooms. — ___ do I. (Neither/Either)
- The book ___ (which/who) I borrowed was great.
Correct the Mistakes
Fix the grammar errors in these sentences:
- I did went to the store yesterday.
- She don't have nothing to wear.
- There's much people in the room.
- He's living here since 2020.
- Can you tell me where is the station?
Wrapping Up
Grammar gets easier when you stop trying to memorize every rule and start noticing patterns. Most of these tips become automatic once you see them in action a few times. Pick three or four that match mistakes you make, focus on those for a week, then come back for more.
Don't worry if this feels new at first. Most learners stumble on these same points. The difference is whether you keep practicing or give up. You're already doing the work by reading this, so you're on the right track.
Keep speaking, keep making mistakes, and keep learning from them. That's honestly how everyone gets better.