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Showing posts with the label Basic English

Basic Sentence Concepts

Our language organizes thoughts into  sentences . As a core, these sentences have a two-part structure. For simplicity and easy reference, we can represent the two parts as follows: SUBJECT   PREDICATE The  subject , a  noun  or noun-substitute, tells who or what is doing something. The  predicate  tells what the subject is doing. SUBJECT    PREDICATE This bird     sings. Marcus     plays soccer. My old Chevy     still runs. This pen    leaks. These books    are heavy. This two part structure is so basic that a thought doesn't feel complete when one part is missing. Both are needed for a complete sentence. Of course most sentences are longer and more sophisticated than those above, but even the most complex sentences are based on this two part principle. Learning to recognize it, to listen for it, and to use it are the first steps to mastering English sentence structure. Th...

Possessive Adjectives

Possessive adjectives are used to show ownership or possession. Subject pronoun Possessive adjective Singular I my you your he his she her it its Plural you your we our they their For example: I own a laptop. = It is  my  laptop. You own this computer (I presume). = It is  your  computer. David owns a black car. = It is  his  car. Karen owns a house. = It is  her  house. We hope you all enjoy these lessons. = They are  your  lessons. The dog has a food bowl. = It is  its  food bowl. We love this website. = It is  our  website. Manchester United own a football ground. = It is  their  football ground. !Note  - You - Your = the same for singular and plural.

I would like to + (verb)

This sentence lets someone know what you would be interested in doing.  This can be a physical, mental or verbal action. Here are some examples: " I would like to answer that question. " " I would like to compete in a cooking contest. " " I would like to explain myself. " " I would like to invite you over. " " I would like to practice. " " I would like to become a doctor. " " I would like to see you more often. " " I would like to thank you. " " I would like to learn about animals. " " I would like to meet the President. "

I wanna + (verb)

The word 'wanna' is incorrect grammatically.  It is equivalent to 'want to.' When combined with the word 'I' it helps communicate something you want to do. Here are some examples: " I wanna talk. " " I wanna search for a job. " " I wanna order some food. " " I wanna marry her. " " I wanna listen to that song. " By adding the word 'don't' you can change the meaning of what you are saying to something you 'want' to do to something you 'do not' want to do. Here are some examples: " I don't wanna talk. " " I don't wanna search for a job. " " I don't wanna marry her. " " I don't wanna listen to that song. " " I don't wanna order some food. "

I used to + (verb)

Used to' expresses something that was done in the past, and is not usually done now. Here are some examples: " I used to develop websites. " " I used to jog every day. " " I used to paint. " " I used to smoke. " " I used to work from home. " " I used to live in California. " " I used to go to the beach every day. " " I used to sing in a choir. " " I used to like vegetables. " " I used to start work at 6 o'clock. "

I have + (noun)

By using the words 'I have' you are informing someone of something you have possession of or have acquired. Here are some examples: " I have a cat. " " I have a nice car. " " I have a house. " " I have a computer. " " I have a headache. " You may hear the words 'cannot' and 'won't' used with 'I have.' By adding these you can express what you will not put up with or allow. Here are some examples: " I cannot have that behavior in my house. " " I cannot have you over tonight. " " I won't have anything to do with that. " " I won't have it any other way. "

I'm in/at/on

Describes an action you are doing. Most commonly, you would use the word 'in' when entering a physical location such as a room or a building. Here are some examples: " I'm in the shower. " " I'm in the lobby. " " I'm in a car. " " I'm in a house. " " I'm in a school. " Using the word 'at' helps tell someone where you currently are. The difference between 'at' and 'in' is that the physical location is general. Here are some examples: " I'm at the grocery. " " I'm at the mall. " " I'm at the doctor's office. " " I'm at the park. " " I'm at the airport. " However, in some cases you can use 'at' and 'in' interchangeably. Here are some examples: " I'm at the mall. " " I'm in the mall. " " I'm at the park. " " I'm in the park. " " I'm at t...