english grammar

What’s the difference between your and you’re?

Your and you’re are homophones that are often confused by learners and native speakers of English alike. Here is a short guide to help understand the difference between them. your Your is a possessive determiner. You use your to show that something belongs or relates to the person or people that you are… Read More

The 8 parts of speech in English

VERBS A verb tells us about an action or a state of being. Ordinary verbs are called main verbs. For example: come, go, think, want, escape, believe. A main verb is sometimes called a ‘doing word’. A special group of verbs are called auxiliary verbs. These can be put together with main verbs to… Read More

Phrasal verbs: verb + adverb

Some verb + adverb phrasal verbs have no object, i.e. they are intransitive, for example, get up, go away, hold on: Mary went away. Helen sat down. The students came back. Others do require an object, i.e. they are transitive, for example, blow something up, close something down, pick someone up: We could make out a figure in the distance. Read More

Modal verbs

The most common modal verbs in English are: can, could, shall, should, will, would, may, might, and must. Modal verbs are a particular kind of auxiliary. Look, I can do it! – Oh yes! So you can. Can I use your phone? – Of course you can. Do you think she will come? – I’m sure she will. I must get… Read More

Parts of speech

A verb tells us about an action or a state of being. Ordinary verbs are called main verbs. A main verb is sometimes called a ‘doing word’. come go think want economize believe  A special group of verbs are called auxiliary verbs. These can be put together with main verbs to form different tenses. I am thinking. She has seen the film already. Read More

‘and I’ or ‘and me’?

When two pronouns or a personal noun and a personal pronoun are the joint subject of a verb, the subject form of the pronouns must be used. Avoid the common mistake of saying, for example, ‘Jerry and me are…’ or ‘Me and Jerry are…’ Jerry and I are going to paint the… Read More

Direct speech

Direct speech gives the actual words that a speaker has used. It is common in novels and other writing where the actual words of a speaker are quoted. The reporting verb may come before the words that were actually spoken, or after them, or at a natural pause inside the reported sentence. Read More

Parts of a sentence

This week's Learning English blog focuses on the different parts of a sentence - learn all about what each part of a sentence does and how they work together. Read More

Question marks

The question mark marks the end of a question. When will we be arriving? Does it really matter? He’s certain to be elected, isn’t he? Question marks are used in direct questions, i.e. when the actual words of a speaker are used. A reported question should end with a full… Read More