English Explained Simply

I) MODAL AUXILIARIES  IN THE PRESENT TENSE A) Can:  expresses an ability an opportunity   - Exemplification n°1: Can you speak English? - Exemplification n°2: Can you drive a van? B) Can/May:  express a permission   - Exemplification n°1: You can use your telephone to call 911 - Exemplification n°2: You may use the emergency telephone number 911 C) Mustn't/Can't: express an obligation   Exemplification n°1: You mustn't be warmly clad if you want to travel to the South Pole Exemplification n°2: You can't be just the two of you call for backup D) Don't have to/Don't need to/Needn't: express an absence of obligation   - Exemplification n°1: You don't have to worry about me - Exemplification n°2: You don't need to stay up so late, finish the project tomorrow E) Shall (used with I and We): expresses a suggestion  - Exemplification n°1: Shall I go see if my car has been fixed? - Exemplification n°2: Shall we let it ...

  I) GENERAL RULES OF THE CONDITIONAL There are four ways to construct a conditional grammatical sentence in English: A) The zero conditional:  is used for an established fact  - Structure: If + simple present tense / simple present tense - Example: If you eat too much, your  stomach hurts - Example: If you drive too fast, you have an accident B) The first conditional:  is used for a situation that will happen if you meet a condition  - Structure: If + simple present tense / will + verb base  - Example: If you learn your English lessons, you will get good grades - Example: If you gave me a chance, I would prove myself in English C) The second conditional:  is used for an unreal present, the condition is possible but is not met  - Structure: If + simple past / would + verbal base   - Example: If you went abroad more often, you would master foreign languages in no time - Example: If we had more time, I would look into a new lesso...

Below, I have designed in alphabetical order, for all of you, whatever your level of English, a complete list of grammatical linking words essential for constructing sentences according to the meaning you wish to convey.  Tip: learn at least four or five new terms in each section to strengthen your skills and use them subsequently in spoken and written English.  A) STARTING A CONVERSATION At first, At the beginning, At the commencement,  At the outset, At the start, Before all else, Before anything else, Beyond everything, First and foremost, First of all, First off, First thing, First up, Firstly, Foremost, Fundamentally, In the beginning, In the first place, Incipiently, Initially, Originally, Primarily, To begin with, To start with, Upfront.                 B) DEVELOPING AN ARGUMENT Actually, As a matter of fact, As it happens, Believe it or not, Forsooth, From my perspective, From my point of view, I believe, I guess,...

  I. The future with Will: to convey a non-premeditated situation A. Use:   It expresses a spontaneous action (I will go there), a promise or an offer (We will help you), an invitation (Will you come tomorrow?), a prediction (It will rain tonight), a request (Will you help me?) B. Grammatical forms: - In a question: will + subject + verb (Will you go to Lille tomorrow?) - In a positive statement: subject + will + verb (I will go to Lille tomorrow) - In a negative statement: subject + will not (won't) + verb (I won't go to Lille tomorrow) II. The future with Be going to: to convey an intention A. Use:   It expresses: an action with plan (I'm going to buy a car next month), a prediction from the existing (It's going to be cold tonight) B. Grammatical forms: - In a question: am, is, are + subject + going to + verb (Is she going to phone you tonight?) - In a positive statement: subject + am, is, are + going to + verb (She is going to phone me tonight ) - In a negative sta...

I. FOR A) Use: For expresses a duration that is to say a length of time during which the action took place. B) Exemplification: - I have been waiting for him for two hours or I have been waiting on him for two hours - She has worked on the project for days - He has already sent the mail to the supplier C) The tenses we use 'For' with: For is used both with the present perfect tenses and the past perfect tenses. - She had travelled to the Middle East for one month prior to getting married - She had been driving a hatchback for a few weeks when a Sports Utility Vehicle hit her D) Other uses of 'For': 1. For: in a past action Can be used to express that something happened in the past and is no longer in effect at the time of speaking. For is therefore used with a time word. I worked there for three years back in the nineties It rained for two days without letting up! He taught in high schools for thirty years before retiring 2. For: conjunction or linking word Can al...

Grammar is the set of rules to follow in order to speak and write a language correctly. It is also the part of linguistics which brings together phonology, morphology and syntax. The Present tenses I. The simple present tense A) Use: - Repetitive actions or daily routine (I get up at 6am on weekdays) - Permanent condition (I live in Leffrinckoucke, near Dunkirk in -France) - General truth (Leaves fall in Autumn) B) Grammatical forms: - In a question: do, does + subject + infinitive verb (Do you want to come with me?) - In a positive statement: subject + verb + s or es (Yes, I want to come with you) - In a negative statement: subject + do, does + not + verb (No, I don't want to come with you) C) Time markers: Always, often sometimes, rarely, from time to time, usually, never (I seldom go to the flicks) II. The present continuous tense A) Use: - Things that are going on at the time of speaking (Ann is currently listening to the radio) - Something that happens over a limited period of...

Pitfalls to avoid when mastering English grammar  (N°3) - At the moment means at the time of speaking (= at the present time, here and now, forthwith)   - In the moment means engaging fully in the present, regardless of what happened in the past and not thinking about what will happen in the future  - I'm experienced (= I have long standing knowledge about something)  not: I'm experimented . But you can say I experimented something or I experimented with somebody (= you tried something in an attempt to find out what it was like) - In a moment means in a short time, very soon - In point of fact, there's a marked difference between experience and experiment: experience focuses on someone's previous activity in an area or something that happens to us (= I gained valuable experience working in a team); whereas experiment focuses on something we do in order to see the results (= I would like to experiment with a new fragrance) - What are you doing that for? =...

Pitfalls to avoid when mastering English grammar  (N°2) - To do long hours = to work long hours not: to make long hours - For example / For instance   not: by example   - On the phone   not:   at the phone - On the Internet / On the Web   not:   in the internet / in the Web - On television - On the radio not: at television - at the radio - I'm going back home  not: I'm going back to home   - I'm at home  not:   I'm at the home - She was right not: she had reason / she had right - The economic situation / The economic system not: the economical situation / The economical system - Economical = cheap / inexpensive / low-budget / low-cost; someone using no more of something than is necessary = he is economical with the truth - It's logical (= adjective) / it's judicious  - It's logic (= noun) / it's common sense - An electronic device not: an electronical device - An electric car not: an electrical car - I'm used to le...

Pitfalls to avoid when mastering English grammar (N°1) - Such a problem not: a such problem - The young love sports = young people love sports not: young love sports - I feel like a drink not: I feel like to drink - France (in its entirety) not: the France ; but we can say: the France of my childhood (a specific period) - Everybody stretched out their legs not: everybody stretched out his legs - A two-hour lesson not: a two hour's lesson - Two-hour lesson not: two hours lessons - A 25-year-old not: a 25 years old - 25-year-olds not: 25 years olds - Everybody has their coat not: everybody has his coat - To this day there is no news = at this moment in time - I give no help to others and I get none = the structure is no … none - I don't give any help to others and I don't receive any =  the structure is don't … any  - It's time we took action = it's time to make a move - It's time (for us) to take action = it's time to make a move - If he were ...