Introduction to English Sentences

Every English sentence has two essential parts:

1. A subject (who or what performs the action)
2. A verb (what the subject does)

For example: “Birds fly”

• “Birds” is the subject
• “fly” is the verb

The Verb “To Be”

The most important verb in English is “to be.” Here’s how to use it:

Present Form:

• I am
• You are
• He/She/It is
• We are
• They are

Examples:

• I am a student.
• She is happy.
• They are at school.

Present Simple Tense

We use the present simple for:

1. Daily Habits

• I drink coffee every morning.
• She takes the bus to work.
• They play basketball on weekends.

2. General Facts

• The sun rises in the east.
• Dogs bark.
• Water boils at 100°C.

How to Form Present Simple

For I/you/we/they:

• Just use the base verb
  • I work
  • You study
  • We live
  • They play

For he/she/it:

• Add -s or -es to the verb
  • He works
  • She studies
  • It plays

Special Spelling Rules:

1. After -s, -sh, -ch, -x, -o: Add -es
   • wash → washes
   • teach → teaches
   • go → goes
2. After consonant + y: Change y to i and add -es
   • study → studies
   • fly → flies
3. After vowel + y: Just add -s
   • play → plays
   • buy → buys

Articles: a, an, the

Using ‘a’ and ‘an’

• Use ‘a’ before consonant sounds
  • a book
  • a dog
  • a student
• Use ‘an’ before vowel sounds
  • an apple
  • an egg
  • an hour

Using ‘the’

Use ‘the’ when talking about:

• Specific things: “The car is red”
• Things mentioned before: “I saw a cat. The cat was black”

Personal Pronouns

Subject Pronouns (doing the action):

• I
• You
• He
• She
• It
• We
• They

Object Pronouns (receiving the action):

• Me
• You
• Him
• Her
• It
• Us
• Them

Basic Questions

Yes/No Questions

Start with:

• Is/Are
• Do/Does

Examples:

• “Are you happy?”
• “Do you like coffee?”
• “Does she work here?”

Wh- Questions

Start with:

• What: “What is your name?”
• Where: “Where do you live?”
• When: “When do you wake up?”
• Who: “Who is your teacher?”

Showing Possession

Using ‘s

Add ‘s to show something belongs to someone:

• John’s book
• Mary’s car
• The cat’s food

Possessive Pronouns

• My
• Your
• His
• Her
• Its
• Our
• Their

Example: “This is my book”

Common Prepositions

Place Prepositions

• in (inside something)
• on (on top of)
• at (specific location)
• under (below)
• next to (beside)

Examples:

• “The book is on the table”
• “I live in London”
• “Meet me at the station”

Time Prepositions

at night

in (months, years)

in June

in 2024

on (days)

on Monday

on weekends

at (specific time)

at 3 o’clock