There are hundreds of grammar rules but the basic ones refer to sentence structure and parts of speech,

which are noun, pronoun,

verb, adjective, adverb, preposition and conjunction. Lets look at the way sentences are put together and the words that form them.

Basic English Grammar Rules

Some of the most basic and important English grammar rules relate directly to sentence structure. Some of these rules specify that:
A singular subject needs a singular predicate.
A sentence needs to express a complete thought.
Another term for a sentence is an independent clause.
Clauses, like any sentence, have a subject and predicate too. If a group of words does not have a subject and predicate, it
is a phrase.
If they can stand alone and make a complete thought, then they are independent and called sentences.
If they do not express a complete thought, they are called "dependent clauses." An example of a dependent clause, which
is not a sentence, is when i finish my work.
So, what are the other basic rules for sentence structure?
Subjects and Predicates
Basic to any language is the sentence, which expresses a complete thought and consists of a subject and a predicate.
The subject is the star of the sentence; the person, animal, or thing that is the focus of it.
The predicate will tell the action that the subject is taking or tell something about the subject.

Basic Parts of Speech

Once you have a general idea of the basic grammar rules for sentence structures, it is also helpful to learn about the parts of
speech:
A noun names a person, animal, place, thing, quality, idea, activity, or feeling. A noun can be singular, plural, or show
possession.
A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun, like: I, you, or they.
A verb shows action and can be a main verb or a helping verb, like: were or has. Verbs also indicate tense and
sometimes change their form to show past, present, or future tense. Linking verbs link the subject to the rest of the sentence and
examples are: appear and seem.
An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun. It adds meaning by telling how much, which one, what kind, or describing it in
other ways.
An adverb will modify a verb and tell more about it, like how much, when, where, why, or how.
A preposition shows a relationship between nouns or pronouns. It is often used with a noun to show location, like:
beside, in, or on. It can also show time, direction, motion, manner, reason, or possession.
Conjunctions connect two words, phrases, or clauses, and common ones are: and, but, and or.
Mention needs to be made about other types of words that are considered by some, but not all, to be parts of speech.
One of them is the interjection. It shows emotion and examples are: yea, hurray, uh-oh, and alas.
Articles are very useful little words that are also sometimes considered to be parts of speech. The articles are: a, an,
and the. Indefinite articles are a and an and the is a definite article.
Punctuation
To fully understand basic grammar rules, you also need to look at punctuation rules.
All sentences must start with a capital, or upper case, letter.
Titles of people, books, magazines, movies, specific places, etc. are capitalized.
Organizations and compass points are capitalized.
Every sentence needs a punctuation mark at the end of it. These would include a period, exclamation mark, or question
mark.
Colons are used to separate a sentence from a list of items, between two sentences when the second one explains the
first, and to introduce a long direct quote.
Semicolons are used to take the place of a conjunction and are placed before introductory words like therefore or
however. They are also used to separate a list of things if there are commas within each unit.
There are a lot of rules for commas. The basic ones are commas separate things in a series and go wherever there is a
pause in the sentence. They surround the name of a person being addressed, separate the day of the month from the year in a
date, and separate a town from the state.
Parentheses enclose things that clarify and enclose numbers and letters that are part of a list. Apostrophes are used in
contractions to take the place of one or more letters and to show possession. An apostrophe and s is added if the noun is singular
and an apostrophe alone is added if the noun is plural.
So, now you know some basic grammar rules and you'll be well on your way to becoming a grammar expert.
Singular and Plural Nouns
A noun names a person, place, thing, or idea.
Usually, the first page of a grammar book tells you about nouns. Nouns give names of concrete or abstract things in our lives. As
babies learn "mom," "dad," or "milk" as their first word, nouns should be the first topic when you study a foreign language.
Example:

For the plural form of most nouns, add s.

bottle bottles
cup cups
pencil pencils
desk desks
sticker stickers
window windows

For nouns that end in ch, x, s, or s sounds, add es.

box boxes
watch watches
moss mosses
bus buses

For nouns ending in f or fe, change f to v and add es.

wolf wolves
wife wives
leaf leaves
life lives

child children
woman women
man men
mouse mice
goose geese

Some nouns have different plural forms.

Nouns ending in vowels like y or o do not have definite rules.
baby babies
toy toys
kidney kidneys
potato potatoes
memo memos
stereo stereos

A few nouns have the same singular and plural forms.

sheep sheep
deer deer
series series
species species

[Quiz 1.1]
Choose the correct form of the noun in each sentence.
1)I have three (child, children).
2)There are five (man, men) and one (woman, women).
3)(Baby, Babies) play with bottles as toys.
4)I put two big (potato, potatoes) in the lunch box.
5)A few men wear (watch, watches).
6)I put a (memo, memos) on the desk.
7)I saw a (mouse, mice) running by.
8)There are few (bus, buses) on the road today.
Count Nouns vs. Mass Nouns
Count nouns
Can be counted as one or more.
Example:
pen, computer, bottle, spoon, desk, cup, television, chair, shoe, finger, flower, camera, stick, balloon, book, table, comb, etc.
Take an s to form the plural.
pens, computers, bottles, spoons, desks, cups, televisions, chairs, shoes, fingers, flowers, cameras, sticks, balloons, books, tables,
combs, etc.
Work with expressions such as (a few, few, many, some, every, each, these, and the number of).
a few pens, a few computers, many bottles, some spoons, every desk, each cup, these televisions, the number of chairs, a few
shoes, a few fingers, many flowers, some cameras, every stick, each balloon, these books, the number of tables, many combs, etc.
Work with appropriate articles (a, an, or the).
a pen, the computer, a bottle, the spoon, a desk, the cup, a television, the chair, a shoe, the finger, a flower, the camera, a stick, the
balloon, a book, the table, a comb, etc.
Do NOT work with much (for example, you would never say much pens or much computers).
Mass nouns
Cannot be counted. They usually express a group or a type.
Example:
water, wood, ice, air, oxygen, English, Spanish, traffic, furniture, milk, wine, sugar, rice, meat, flour, soccer, sunshine, etc.
Generally cannot be pluralized.
Work both with and without an article (a, an, or the),
depending on the context of the sentence.
Example:
Sugar is sweet.
The sunshine is beautiful.
I drink milk.

He eats rice.
We watch soccer together.
The wood is burning.
Work with expressions such as (some, any, enough, this,
that, and much).
Example:

We ate some rice and milk.

Do you see any traffic on the road?
I hope to see some sunshine today.
That wine is very old.
This meat is good.
She does not speak much Spanish.
Do NOT work with expressions such as (these, those, every, each, either, or neither).
[Quiz 2.1]
Choose all of the non-count nouns in the following list:
wine, student, pen, water, wind, milk, computer, furniture, cup, rice, box, watch, potato, wood
Possessive Nouns
Possessive nouns are used to indicate ownership.
Nouns can be possessive and express ownership, usually following the use of of.
Example: The life of Maria
Possessive nouns usually are formed by adding an
When a noun is plural and ends in s, just add an apostrophe
apostrophe (') and s.
(').
Example:
Example:
John's book
The kids' toys
Kerry's car
My parents' house
Grandma's mirror
The teachers' lounge
If two people own one thing, add the apostrophe and s to the
second person only.
Example:
John and Mary's new house
David and Sue's wedding
Tom and Doug's car

If two people own separate things, add the apostrophe and s

for each person.
Example:
Susan's and Beth's books
Jean's and Dan's pants
Ben's and Jim's offices

Most singular possessives are formed by adding an

apostrophe and s. If the noun is plural, the possessive form
becomes s and apostrophe.
Singular Common: Dog
Singular Possessive: Dogs
Plural Common: Dogs
Singular Possessive: Dogs
[Quiz 3.1]
Which of the following is not correct?
1)Dr. Hunts has a new computer.
2)Dr. Hunts's new computer is working well.

Exception: if the plural noun does not end with an s, the

possessive is formed by adding apostrophe and s.
Example:
Singular Common: Woman
Singular Possessive: Womans
Plural Common: Women
Plural Possessive: Womens

3)Dr. Hunts' computer is new.

Pronouns

A pronoun takes the place of a noun.

Example story:
Mary is one of the heads of the ToJi Corporation. Mary works with Mr. James and Mr. James' son Tom. Mr. James and Mr. James'
son Tom are experts in biochemistry. Mary, Mr. James, and Tom researched and invented a drug for cancer treatment.
If the story above is written using pronouns:
Mary is one of the heads of the ToJi Corporation. She works with Mr. James andhis son Tom. He and his son Tom are experts in
biochemistry. They researched and invented a drug for cancer treatment.

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns refer to a person:

I go to school.

You are a student.

They are Koreans.

He works here.

We gave her food.

The word it' refers to an object:

I drank it.

It is big.

They cut it into halves.

Third
First

Second
Male

Female

Neutral

Singular Subject

you

he

she

it

Singular Object

me

you

him

her

it

Singular Reflexive

myself

yourself

himself

herself

itself

Plural Subject

we

you

they

Plural Object

us

you

them

Plural Reflexive

ourselves

yourselves

themselves

Possessive Cases: My, mine, his, her, hers, its, our, ours, their, theirs, your, yours, whose

The possessive case pronoun shows possession

Example:

That is MY bag.

That bag is MINE.

HER bus was late.

The bags are all HERS.

[Quiz 4.1]
Write the correct pronoun in each blank.
1)I ate an apple.
was delicious.
2)You look tired.
should rest.
3)She is a teacher. I gave
a book.
4)They are my friends. I like
very much.
5)He saw the movie.
was fun.

Indefinite Pronouns

These have no specific antecedents. These are usually identified with general words like: all, any, some, or none.

Examples:

Singular: another, both, nobody, everything, nothing, somebody, everyone, no one, something, etc.

Plural: all, many, most, much, some

Examples:

Singular: Somebody has her bags.

Plural: Everyone knows about Marias bags.

Indefinite pronouns are only pronouns if they are used ALONE. If they are used with a noun, they become

indefinite adjectives.

Pronoun: Both knew they were Marias bags.

Adjective: Both baggers knew they were Marias bags.

If the subject performs actions TO or FOR itself, the action in the sentence passes BACK to the subject and becomes a reflexive
pronoun.

First person singular: Myself

First person plural: Ourselves

Second person singular: Yourself

Second person plural: Yourselves

Third person singular: Himself/Herself/Itself

Third person plural: Themselves

Example: We asked OURSELVES where her bags were.

We is the doer and receiver of the action ask.

Intensive Pronouns are used to point back to the noun or pronoun for emphasis

Example: I myself knew they were Marias bags.

The intensive pronoun does not always need to directly follow the noun.

Example: I prefer walking myself.

Reciprocal pronouns express mutual action.'

Examples: each other/ each others

One another/one anothers

Maria and Heather greeted each other.

Interrogative Pronouns
Which bagger has them?
These are used to ask questions and can be personal or
Whose bags are these?
non-personal
Personal subject: Who/Whoever
Demonstrative Pronouns
Personal object: Whom/Whomever
These substitute specific nouns, usually when someone is
Personal possessive: Whose
gesturing toward something.
Non-personal subject: Which
Singular: This/That
Non-personal subject: What
Plural: These/Those
Example:
Example: These are for her.
Who has the bags?
Verbs
A verb is an action part of speech. It can also express a state of being, or the relationship between two things. It is most powerful
when following a noun. Example: He HIT her. Verbs are the most complicated part of speech because they can sometimes become
nouns, depending on their use.
'Be' Verbs
A verb shows action or a state of being.
I go home. Home is my place to rest. I like the smell of my house. I feel totally relaxed. Home refreshes me. At home, I get ready for
a new day.
"Be" verbs indicate a state of being.
Verbs must match subjects.

I am a doctor.

He is sleepy.

We are here.
Negative sentences need not' after the verb.

I am not a doctor.

He is not sleepy.

We are not there.

The verb comes first in interrogative sentences.

Am I a doctor?

Is he sleepy?

Are we there?
"Are not" (is not) can be shortened to "aren't" (isn't).

He isn't sleepy.

We aren't there.

Present

Negative

Interrogative

I am

I am not

Am I?

You are

You are not (aren't)

Are you?

He is

He is not (isn't)

Is he?

She is

She is not (isn't)

Is she?

It is

It is not (isn't)

Isn't it?

We are

We are not (aren't)

Are we?

You are

You are not (aren't)

Are you?

They are

They are not (aren't)

Are they?

[Quiz 5.1]
Which of the following sentences are written correctly?
1)I am thirsty.
2)You are kind.
3)He am not sad.
4)She are not tall.
5)It is not moving.
6)We aren't tired.
7)Is they running?
8)Are you ready?

Action Verbs
Action verbs express action and are the most common verbs.
Action verbs need s at the end with third-person, singular subjects.

He eats bread.

She walks to the station.

It floats on the sea.

Negative sentences need do not, does not, or did not.

I do not eat bread.

He does not eat bread.

You did not walk to the station.

It does not float on the sea.

Interrogative sentences begin with do, does, or did.

Do you eat bread?

Does he eat bread?

Does she walk to the station?

Did they finish it?

Do not can be shortened to don't, does not to doesn't, and did not to didn't.

I don't eat bread.

She doesn't walk to the station.

It doesn't float on the sea.

They didn't finish it.

Remember the variations of action verbs:

Affirmative Sentence

Negative Sentence

Interrogative Sentence

I sing a song.

I do not (don't) sing a song.

Do I sing a song?

You sing a song.

You do not (don't) sing a song.

Do you sing a song?

He (she) sings a song.

He (she) does not (doesn't) sing a song.

Does he (she) sing a song?

We sing a song.

We do not (don't) sing a song.

Do we sing a song?

They sang a song.

They did not (didn't) sing a song.

Did they sing a song?

[Quiz 6.1]
Correct the verb errors in the sentences below. Some sentences may be correct as is.
1)I runs a marathon.
2)You look sleepy.

3)She do not dance.

4)Does you leave today?
5)We don't stay here.
6)It come with rice.

Other kinds of verbs.

Transitive verbs
These take objects. Transitive verbs carry the action of subject and apply it to the object.
Example: She TOOK the bags.
Intransitive verbs
These do not take an object, but express actions that do not require the agent doing something to something else.
Example: She LEFT.
Linking verbs
These link the agent with the rest of the sentence and explain the link between the subject and the rest of the sentence.
Examples: appear, grow, seem, smell, taste
Example: Maria seems tired from shopping.
The Lay/Lie and Raise/Rise Confusion
These two pairs of verbs are constantly misused. In each, there is a transitive verb (TRV) and an intransitive verb (INV).
Lie Intransitive, means recline or be situated
TRV: Lay
Lay Transitive, means to place or put something
INV: Rise
Rise Intransitive, means to get up.
TRV: Raise
Raise Transitive, means to lift something up.
Past Tense Lie (Lay)
Raise (Raised)
Infinitive INV: Lie

Adjectives
Adjectives describe or modify nouns.
I like fairy tales. A fairy tale is an imaginary story that has unrealistic characters in a fantastic background. It makes me forget about
the real world and refreshes my tired mind.
Adjectives generally appear immediately before the noun.

A pretty girl

Red flowers

A long stick

Heavy boxes

Warm weather
Commonly, adjectives of opposite meaning are formed by adding a prefix such asun, in, or dis.

clear unclear, important unimportant, predictable unpredictable, believable unbelievable, common uncommon,
aware unaware, ambiguous unambiguous, conventional unconventional, certain uncertain

definite indefinite, correct incorrect, comparable incomparable, complete incomplete, evitable inevitable,
expensive inexpensive

able disable, assemble disassemble, content discontent, similar dissimilar

When using a string of adjectives, they should appear in a set order: size/shape + age + color + origin + material.

A big brown house

A small old English desk

A beautiful black Italian leather purse

Delicious Chinese food

The + adjective describes a class or group of people and acts as a noun.

the old, the young, the poor, the rich, the oppressed, the homeless, etc.

This popular TV show is loved by the old.

[Quiz 7.1]
Write opposite adjectives using the appropriate prefix.
1) Clear
2) Definite
3) Correct
4) Expensive
5) Complete
[Quiz 7.2]
Underline all adjectives in the following sentences.

In the spring, red roses blossom in my cute small garden. The beautiful birds also sing in the big oak tree.

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

Comparative adjectives compare two things. Superlative adjectives compare more than two things
Commonly, adjectives that contain only one syllable or end in 'y' use 'er' to form comparatives and 'est' to form superlatives. For
adjectives ending in y, change the 'y' to 'i' before adding the 'er' or 'est'.

old older oldest

young younger youngest

pretty prettier prettiest

long longer longest

short shorter shortest

bright brighter brightest

close closer closest

happy happier - happiest

Adjectives with two or more syllables do not change but instead add more to form comparatives and most to form superlatives.

respectable more respectable most respectable

beautiful more beautiful most beautiful

preferable more preferable most preferable

hardworking more hardworking most hardworking

Some adjectives have different forms of comparatives and superlatives.

good better best

bad worse worst

little less least

much (many) more most

far further - furthest

The word than typically appears in comparative sentences.

Amy is smarter than Betty.

Chad is stronger than Dan.

Greg is more diligent than his brother.

I have more apples than he.


She likes him more than me.
Superlatives are typically accompanied by the word the.

Tom is the oldest man in town.

Paul is the tallest boy in the neighborhood.

That shade of blue is the most beautiful color.

This is the longest song that I have ever heard.

[Quiz 8.1]
Write the appropriate comparative or superlative form of the word cold in each blank.
Yesterday was a cold day. Today is

than yesterday. Tomorrow will be the

[Quiz 8.2]
Which of the following sentences is incorrect?
1)Mary is shorter than Jane.
2)The moon is more closer to the earth than the sun.
3)I have the best score on the exam.

[Quiz 8.3]
Fill in the blanks.
1)My friend has a pretty purse, but I have a
one.
2)The
weather is yet to come!
3)Today's sunshine is
beautiful than yesterday's.

Adverbs
Adverbs modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.
An adverb tells more about a verb in the sentence.

The fire engine runs fast.

Listen to his speech carefully.

I browse the web frequently.

It rained hard.
An adverb describes more about an adjective in the sentence.

The news is very surprising!

The coffee is extremely hot, so be careful.

Nature is really amazing!

An adverb modifies another adverb in the sentence.

It rains very hard.

day yet.

Computers run much faster these days.

I clean my room less frequently because I am busy.

Commonly, adjectives can be changed to adverbs by adding 'ly'.

slow slowly

quick quickly

comfortable comfortably

loud loudly

clear clearly
To change adjectives ending in 'y' into adverbs, change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'ly'.

happy happily

easy easily

[Quiz 9.1]
Choose the correct word form in the following sentences.
1)I spoke to you (careful, carefully) last time.
2)We talked about it (clear, clearly).
3)I sat on the (comfortable, comfortably) sofa.
4)My dog runs very (fast, faster).
5)Lets install the new program (quick, quickly).

Simple Tense
Verb tense tells you when the action happens. There are three main verb tenses: present, past, and future. Each main tense is
divided into simple, progressive, perfect, and perfect progressive tenses.
Present

Past

Future

Simple

finish

finished

will finish

Progressive

am/is/are finishing

was/were finishing

will be finishing

Perfect

have/has finished

had finished

will have finished

Perfect Progressive

have/has been finishing

had been finishing

will have been finishing

Things to remember about simple tense:

a. Present tense is the original verb form.
b. Past tense has a few patterns.
c. Future tense needs will (shall) + verb.
run

I run a marathon twice a year. (present)

I ran a marathon last year. (past)

I will run a marathon next year. (future)

eat

I eat lunch in my office.

I ate lunch an hour ago.

I will eat lunch in one hour.

I see a movie once a week.

I saw a movie yesterday.

see

know

I will see a movie tomorrow.

I know it.

I knew it the day before yesterday.

learn

I will know it by tomorrow.

I learn English.

I learned English the last two years.

cook

I will learn English next year.

I cook my supper every night.

I cooked our dinner already.

I will cook breakfast tomorrow.

[Quiz 10.1]
Fill in the blanks with appropriate verb forms.
1)I
2)He
3)I

a song at the concert yesterday.

a letter to his girlfriend tomorrow.
to the library to borrow some books this weekend.

Progressive and Perfect Tense

Progressive Tense
The progressive tense involves action that is, was, or will be in progress at a certain time. In the progressive tense, verbs are
formed with a "be" verb + ing.
run

I am running a marathon right now. (present progressive)

I was running a marathon at this time last year. (past progressive)

I will be running a marathon next Sunday. (future progressive)

I am eating lunch now.

I was eating lunch when you saw me.

eat

learn

I will be eating lunch in the meeting.

I am learning English at my desk.

I was learning English the last two years.

cook

I will be learning English then.

I am cooking my supper now.

I was cooking our dinner when you called me.

I will be cooking breakfast by the time you come home.

Perfect Tense
The present perfect tense describes an action that started in the past and continues to the present time. Use has/have + the past
participle form of the verb.
The past perfect tense describes an action that started and ended in the past. Usehad + the past participle form of the verb.
The future perfect tense describes future actions that will occur before some other action. Use will have + the past participle form of
the verb.
run

I have run several marathons this year. (present perfect)

I had run many marathons in the past. (past perfect)

learn

I will have run a marathon by the time I turn 30. (future perfect)

I have learned a lot about English grammar this semester.

I had learned the basics of English grammar in elementary school.

know

I will have learned a lot about English grammar when I finish college.

I have known her since I was young.

I had known her until she passed away.

cook

I will have known her for 20 years next month.

I have cooked supper every night this week.

I had cooked supper every night until the stove broke.

I will have cooked supper every night by the time this diet ends.

[Quiz 11.1]
Using the following sentence and create three more sentences using the present, past, and future progressive tenses.
I sing a song on the big stage.
[Quiz 11.2]
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb given.
1)He
2)I

(exercise) hard since last year.

(study) math as my major since high school.

Perfect Progressive Tense

The perfect progressive tense describes actions that repeated over a period of time in the past, are continuing in the present, and/or
will continue in the future.
The present perfect progressive tense tells you about a continuous action that was initiated in the past and finished at some point in
the past; however, the action has some relation to the present time. Use have/has + been + ing.

It has been raining, and the street is still wet.

I have been running, and I am still tired.

She has been practicing the piano, and she is much better now.
The past perfect progressive tense illustrates a continuous action in the past that was completed before another past action.
Use had + been + ing.

It had been raining, and the street was still wet.

I had been running, and I was still tired.

She had been practicing the piano, and she had gotten much better.
The future perfect progressive tense indicates a continuous action that will be completed in the future. Use will + have + been + ing.

By tonight, it will have been raining several hours, and the street will be very wet.

By next summer, I will have been running for almost a year, and I will be fit and healthy.

By the time of the concert, she will have been practicing the piano for several months, and she will be much better.

[Quiz 12.1]
Choose the incorrect sentence from the following.
1)I have been sleeping all day today.
2)They will have been walking for almost an hour by the time they arrive at their destination.
3)She have been eating a lot recently.

Irregular Verbs
Regular verbs form their past and past participle by adding ed (d).
Base Verb

Past

Past Participle

learn

learned

learned

study

studied

studied

cook

cooked

cooked

solve

solved

solved

ask

asked

asked

watch

watched

watched

listen

listened

listened

Irregular verbs do not have definite rules, but there are a few patterns.
Base Verb

Past

Past Participle

grow

grew

grown

know

knew

known

begin

began

begun

draw

drew

drawn

drive

drove

driven

fly

flew

flown

give

gave

given

speak

spoke

spoken

swim

swam

swum

go

went

gone

take

took

taken

find

found

found

spend

spent

spent

teach

taught

taught

pay

paid

paid

feel

felt

felt

buy

bought

bought

meet

met

met

have

had

had

feed

fed

fed

keep

kept

kept

cut

cut

cut

hit

hit

hit

set

set

set

shut

shut

shut

fit

fit

fit

[Quiz 13.1]
Find the past and past participle forms of the following verbs using your dictionary:
bring
drink
think
tell
eat
make
beat

Gerunds
A gerund (verb + ing) acts like a noun in a sentence.

Seeing is believing.

Running a marathon is not an easy thing to do.

Watching TV is sometimes harmful.

Eating is always fun.

My hobby is painting.

She loves babysitting her sister.

I like listening to music.

I wasted all my afternoon by taking a nap.

I am afraid of singing a song on a stage.

Often, a possessive noun or pronoun comes before a gerund.

I hope that you dont mind my using your pen.

Dont be mad about my leaving early.

I dont want you misunderstanding.

You will be amazed by my writing.

[Quiz 14.1]
Fill in the blanks.
1)I enjoy
(draw) as a hobby.
2)She likes
(buy) clothes.
3)Children are fond of
(play) with water.
4)
(dance) is my favorite thing to do.
5)I am upset at his
(break) the rule.
Infinitives Part 1
An infinitive is a verb combined with the word to. Most often, an infinitive acts as a noun in the sentence. Less frequently, it acts as

an adjective or an adverb.

I want to go home early today.

I hope to be chosen as a member.

I prefer to go there earlier.

You need to consider various rules in writing sentences.

You have to explain your reasoning in detail.

You might wish to act as a teacher.

To leave for a vacation is my only wish at this time.

A common mistake in a relationship is not to trust the other person.

Help me to save the trees!

To be mentally healthy, you must read books.

Do you want me to fill out this form?

Here is our to-do list.

It was nice to meet you.

It is time to move on.

I am young enough to change my habits.

Dont forget not to make grammar mistakes.

You are required to leave all your belongings here.

I came to see a doctor today.

You have to work harder to succeed.

I need to take three more classes to finish my graduate study.

I got closer to the speaker to listen clearly.

Be sure to check if you have tickets.

I am going to buy the new computer.

Generally, it is not common to split to and the verb except for when you want to emphasize the verb.

I want you to immediately stop doing that.

You have to seriously work hard to succeed.


You need to definitely explain your reasoning in detail.
[Quiz 15.1]
Fill in the blanks.
1)I am going
2)It is common
3)Did you come

(learn) English.
(make) a grammar mistake.
(clean) my house?

Infinitives Part 2
Commonly, an infinitive is used with the subject it. The sentence structure is "It is
This expression is used in many ways.

It is time to do math.

It is common to think that way.

It is appropriate to keep a low profile.

It was nice to see you.

It was my pleasure to meet you.

It was my honor to have dinner with you.

It is good to see you.

+ infinitive." It refers to the infinitive.

It was great to go on a trip with them.

Both gerunds and infinitive phrases can function as nouns, in a variety of ways. Gerunds and infinitives can follow certain verbs but
not others. You need to remember which verbs can be followed by only a gerund or only an infinitive.
Verbs that can precede only gerunds:
consider, suggest, enjoy, deny, avoid, miss, mind, practice, postpone, resist, finish, quit, give up, put off
Verbs that can precede only infinitives:
offer, decide, hope, attempt, promise, agree, afford, deserve, refuse, undertake, learn, fail, seem, appear, tend, pretend, choose,
demand, desire, guarantee, claim, manage, determine, expect, want, wish
Verbs that can precede either gerunds or infinitives without changing meanings:
continue, like, love, begin, start, propose, neglect, stand, hate
Verbs that can precede either gerunds or infinitives but change meanings:
forget, remember, stop, try

I stopped watching the movie. (I no longer watched the movie.)

I stopped to watch the movie. (I stopped what I was doing to watch the movie.)
[Quiz 16.1]
Fill in the blanks.
1)I decided
(leave) the job.
2)She pretended
(know) me.
3)He desires
(be) a professor.
4)The company considered
(sell) its main building.
5)I expect
(win) at this game.

6)Do you enjoy

7)She hopes
8)Did you fail
9)They want me
10)It is great

(take) care of your pet?

(go) on a vacation.
(pass) the exam?
(take) this position.
(hear) that they agreed

(share) the land.