When you're just starting out, you don't need every grammar rule at once. These are the essential building blocks — learn these first, and everything else becomes easier.
1. Subject + Verb + Object (the basic sentence shape)
Most English sentences follow this order: who does the action (subject) + the action (verb) + what receives the action (object).
2. "To be" (am / is / are)
| Subject | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I | am | I am happy. |
| He / She / It | is | She is a teacher. |
| You / We / They | are | They are students. |
3. Making sentences negative
Add "not" after the verb "to be," or use "don't/doesn't" with other verbs.
4. Asking questions
For "to be," swap the order: "You are ready" → "Are you ready?" For other verbs, add "do/does" at the start.
5. Articles: a, an, the
- a / an — one, non-specific thing ("a" before consonant sounds, "an" before vowel sounds): a dog, an apple.
- the — a specific thing both people already know about: "the dog next door."
6. Plurals
Add "-s" for most nouns (book → books). Add "-es" after s, x, ch, sh (box → boxes). Some are irregular (child → children, man → men).
7. Possessives
Add 's to show ownership: "Maria's book," "the dog's toy." For plural nouns already ending in s, just add an apostrophe: "the students' books."