Four Most Basic Grammar Topics For English Speaking

In this article, the four most basic grammar topics are explained, which consists of 1) subject, 2) predicate, 3) verb, and 4) article.  This is the best minimum you should know.

  

After you become comfortable with speaking, then you can study higher grammar topics.

 For now, study the four items described below.

What is a subject?

The subject in a sentence is "who”, “which”, "what", “whose” you are talking/saying/discussing about. Every sentence needs a subject. If you don't have a subject, then the sentence is incorrect / incomplete and no one will understand what you are talking/saying/discussing about.

In other languages, the subject is not always required. Verbally, the person listening to you will understand what you are talking/saying/discussing about, so a subject is not required. In English, a subject is always required.

Here are examples of small sentences with the subject in Bold underlined.

"We are going to the Big Market.

"My brother and I will be waiting here".

"The building is very huge."

"I am happy.”

"My younger brother is very clever."

"This computer is very costly."

"When are you going to take bath?"

"Why are they waiting in line?"

"Who is going to take you to the store?"

What is a predicate?

The predicate in a sentence is the part that informs the person what the subject is or what it is doing. It is a phrase that contains a verb. The verb is always in the predicate.

Let's look at the sentences we used in the subject lesson to identify the predicates. They will be underlined.

"I am happy."

"My brother is very clever"

"That computer is very costly"

"We are going to the super market."

"The building is very huge."

In the above sentences, we have recognized the subject and predicate. In the most fundamental sentences, you need a subject and an action linked with the subject. Let's go on to verbs to understand this in more detail.

What is a verb?

A verb is an action, life, or happening. In the simple sentences we used so far, the verb is mostly in the continuation form. They are "is" "am", and "are".

Other types of verbs are action verbs such as:

Sing

Dance

Laugh

Learn

Teach

Run

Walk

Play

There are many action verbs, but a few are listed here to let you know what I am referring to. Here are several sentences to help you know.

"I need to wash my clothes"

"Sam taught John"

"kile is laughing"

A verb can also start at the beginning of the sentence.

"Toss the ball at the fielder"

"Run towards the end line"

It is significant to understand the verb, but having just a subject and a verb is not enough. For example, "John eat" is not a complete sentence. Although John can be the subject, and "eat" is the verb, this is not a complete sentence. With the predicate, we can turn the sentence into a proper sentence. Like -"John is running"

What is an Article?

Articles look so easy, but it is very difficult to educate. "A", "An", and "The" are all articles. It is easy to explain the difference between them, but it is difficult to explain when they are used.

"A" and "An" have the same meaning. They are both indefinite articles. They are only different depending on what word or sound is following. Here is a brief explanation.

You should use "A" when the following word starts with a consonant.

"A dog..."

"A boy..."

"A building..."

"A fridge"

You should use "An" when the following starts with a vowel sound.

"An eagle..."

"An umbrella..."

"An earphone..."

"An awesome movie..."

"The" is a definite article. The difference is if the noun or subject you are talking about is specific or not. Examples are the best way to understand the difference, so let's take a look.

If you say, "I am going to an auditorium to perform", then the person you are speaking with does not know which auditorium. If you say, "I am going to the KS. auditorium to perform", then the person you are speaking with knows the specific auditorium you are going to.

"I am going to a fish market" (No specific fish shop)

"I am going to the Golden coffee shop" (A specific coffee shop both the speaker and listener know)

Here is a slightly different example-:

"I am going to sit in front of one of the computers in the central lab"

"I am going to buy a computer"

Even if the computer in the lab can be one of many computers, the correct article is "the" because it is still an exact computer that exists in the lab. on the other hand, if you say you are going to buy a computer, you cannot use "the". Buying a computer can be any brand, type, or size so it is very general. Therefore, you must use "A" in this type of sentence.

Here is another type of example:

"The cold wave is intolerable"

"I heard a cold wave is coming"

The difference between these two sentences is that. In the first sentence, the cold wave is already present and both the speaker and listener know that the cold wave they are talking about is the one they are currently experiencing. The second sentence is referring to a future cold wave that is not exact.

When and When NOT to use an article

One common rule to keep in mind is that articles are not used when we refer to a name.

"Turn right at the grocery store"

"Turn right at ROW Bakery"

"The boy was running very fast"

"Mike was running very fast"

Another example of when not to use an article is when referring to general things in conversation.

"Too much alcohol is bad for everyone"

"Cigarettes can cause lung cancer"

When you are referring to sports, you do not need an article.

"I love playing chess"

"Football is a joyful sport"

In most cases, you don't need an article when referring to a country except when the name is referring to multiple countries or regions. For example, if you say "England" or "Scotland", you don't need an article.

But if you are referring to  "The United Kingdom" or "The United States", then  “THE” article is used.

Thank You.