6 min - Sentence Structure: Subject + Verb + Object
- Use Capital Letters and Punctuation
- Use Articles: A/An/The
- Use the Correct Verb Tense
- Some Letters are Silent
- Use Plurals Correctly
- Use Adjectives Before Nouns
- Some Words Sound the Same but Have Different Meanings
- Use Question Word Order
- Use Irregular Past Tense Verbs Correctly
- Why Learning Basic Grammar Matters?
- Ready to Help Your Child Learn English with Confidence?
- You don’t need to learn all the grammar rules at once, starting with simple basics helps to build confidence.
- Clear sentence structure (subject + verb + object) helps learners communicate effectively.
- Understating capital letters, punctuation, and articles improves writing accuracy.
- Learning correct verb tense and irregular verbs helps learners speak about the past clearly.
- Silent letters and homophones are common in English and become easier with practice.
- Asking questions in English requires a different word order than a statement.
- Strong grammar foundations make it easier to learn more advanced English later on.
Learning English can be tricky and overwhelming at first, especially when it comes to the many, often confusing, grammar rules in the English language. The good news is that you don’t need to learn everything at once to be able to start communicating in English.
By learning a few basic English grammar rules for beginners, you can start speaking and writing English with more confidence.
Here is a guide that breaks down simple English grammar into clear rules with easy explanations. Think of it as a “grammar for dummies” guide book, with practical grammar and examples that you can start using right away.
Sentence Structure: Subject + Verb + Object
One of the most important grammatical rules in English is that every sentence must have structure to make sense. The most common structure is:
Subject (who or what) + verb (the action) + object (the person/thing doing the action)
For example:
- She (subject) reads (verb) a book (object).
- The dog (subject) chases (verb) the cat (object).
Proper sentence structure ensures that speaking and writing are clear and easy to understand.
Use Capital Letters and Punctuation
Understanding when to use capitalisation helps beginners write clear and correct English sentences. Capital letters are always used:
- At the start of a sentence
- For names of people and places
- For the pronoun “I”
- For days, months, and holidays
- For titles of books or movies
Full stops (periods), question marks, or exclamation marks, are always used at the end of the sentences.
For example:
- I went to Paris in May.
- What is your name?
- Hooray, it’s Friday!
Use Articles: A/An/The
Articles are words that we use to show whether a noun (something you can see and touch) is specific, or general.
Use “a” before nouns that start with consonants:
- a dog
- a tree
- a flower
Use “an” before nouns that start with vowel sounds (a,e,i,o,u):
- an apple
- an egg
- an elephant
Use “the” when talking about a specific person, place, or thing:
- the book
- the desk
- the sun
Understanding articles is essential for simple basic English grammar.
Use the Correct Verb Tense
Speaking in the correct tense helps the listener understand when an action happens. English has many verb tenses, but beginners should start by learning the present simple and past simple tenses, as these are the most commonly used in everyday conversation.
- The present simple is used for things that happen regularly or are always true. For example: “I eat breakfast everyday”.
- The past simple is used for actions that have already happened. For example: “I ate cereal for breakfast yesterday.”
Correct verb tense usage improves overall grammar usage in both speaking and writing.
Some Letters are Silent
One important part of English grammar rules and pronunciation is understanding silent letters. Silent letters are letters that are written but not pronounced when speaking. This can be really confusing for beginners, so learning how to pronounce some common words with silent letters can be helpful.
For example:
- ‘k’ in ‘know’
- ‘b’ in ‘thumb’
- ‘w’ in ‘write’
For a more detailed explanation, read our full guide on the silent English rules.
Use Plurals Correctly
To talk about more than one thing, add ‘-s’ or ‘-es’ ending to the noun.
For example:
- One cat – two cats
- One box – two boxes
However, it is important to memorise the plural nouns that are irregular, such as:
- Child – children
- Man – men
- Mouse – mice
Use Adjectives Before Nouns
In English, the adjective (describing word) usually comes before the noun.
For example:
- The big red ball.
- The pretty pink flower.
- The small white rabbit.
Some Words Sound the Same but Have Different Meanings
In English, some words sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. These words are called homophones, and they can be especially confusing for beginners. Understanding them helps learners improve both reading and grammar usage. Some common homophones include:
- To (I go to school) ; too (I like apples too) ; two (number 2)
- Their (It is their book) ; there (The book is over there) ; they’re (They are going to read a book)
- Hear (I can hear you) ; here (Please come here)
Learning these common homophones helps learners avoid mistakes in writing.
Use Question Word Order
Questions in English often use a different word order than statements.
For example:
- You like apples. Do you like apples?
- She is happy. Is she happy?
Understanding question structure is an important part of English grammar rules for beginners.
Use Irregular Past Tense Verbs Correctly
When talking about the past in English, the regular rule is to and ‘-ed’ ending to the verb. However some verbs are irregular and change completely when used in the simple past tense. Learning the most common irregular past tense verbs is an important part of basic English grammar rules for beginners.
Some common examples include:
- Go – went
- Have – had
- Make – made
- Eat – ate
- Drink – drank
- Take – took
- Run – ran
Understanding irregular past tense verbs helps improve grammar usage and makes speaking about past events clearer and more accurate.
Why Learning Basic Grammar Matters?
Understanding basic English grammar rules for beginners helps learners:
- Speak more clearly and fluently
- Write more confidently
- Avoid common mistakes
- Improve overall grammar usage
Once these foundations are strong, learning more advanced grammar becomes much easier. Once you have mastered these basic rules you can move onto some more challenging ones.
Ready to Help Your Child Learn English with Confidence?
Learning English grammar doesn’t have to be stressful or confusing. With the right guidance, supportive teachers, and engaging lessons, children can build strong grammar foundations step by step.
At Novakid, our experienced ESL teachers use interactive lessons, clear explanations, and age-appropriate methods to help children master basic English grammar in a fun and motivating way.
Book a FREE trial lesson today and see how Novakid can support your child’s English learning journey.
