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Established since 1993

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ESL/EFL GRAMMAR RULES

AT-A-GLANCE

THE CONTENTS OF THIS PAGE

1. Word Order Rules (scroll to next box)

2. Rules for Adjectival Order

3. Rules for Conditional Sentences

4. Spelling Rules

   • The Silent E

   • Vowel + Consonant + Vowel

   • Vowel + 2 Consonants + Vowel

5.  

WORD ORDER RULES

(At-a-glance)

STATEMENTS

 SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT

(Example:  Cats eat fish)

QUESTIONS

AUXILIARY VERB + SUBJECT + (INFINITIVE or PAST PARTICIPLE)....?

(Example:  Have you visited her?)

 <>()<>

MODAL VERB + SUBJECT + INFINITIVE....?

(Example:  Can you swim?)

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Subject Question:  WHO + VERB (WITH/WITHOUT AUXILIARY) ...?

(Example:  Who has eaten the cake?  Who ate the cake?)

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Object Question:  WHAT/WHY/WHEN + AUX.VERB + SUBJECT + INFINITIVE or PAST PARTICIPLE...?

GENERAL RULES

• ADJECTIVES before relevant NOUNS (Hungry, black cats eat raw and cooked fish)

• VERBS before relevant ADVERBS (Although he was eating noisily, she watched quietly )

• ARTICLE before its relevant NOUN (The Vatican chose a Polish priest to be Pope)

POETIC LICENCE + WORD ORDER

Although already aware of the existence of grammatical exceptions, your students may be new to the eccentricities of "poetic licence" and the part it plays in lyrics and literary works.

ADJECTIVAL WORD ORDER

Your sentences will include some adjectives from the following categories;  list your adjectives (before the noun) as per the order given below.

NUMBER

AMOUNT

APPEARANCE 

VALUE

SIZE

4

SHAPE

AGE

COLOUR

PATTERN

TEXTURE

CONDITION

ORIGIN

SUBSTANCE

ten

much/many

a few

several

a lot of

some

dirty/clean

cheap/dear

pretty/ugly

smelly

useful

useless

green/blue

big/small

over-sized

minute/petite

wide/narrow

over-grown

enormous

rectangular

square

circular

round

triangular

cigar-shaped

pointed

flat/raised

early-Victorian

teenage

young

aged

antique

ancient

bluish

green

greenish

red

reddish

rose-red

straw-coloured

fawn

patterned

plain

rough/smooth

tatty/smart

worn/new

embossed

dented

immaculate

continental

Australian

leather

woollen

RULES FOR CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

• Zero Conditional Sentences (Please scroll to next box)
• First Conditional Sentences
• Second Conditional Sentences
• Third Conditional Sentences
• Mixed Conditional Sentences

IMPORTANT LANGUAGE NOTES

• WOULD never  follows IF in conditional tenses;  however, it can be found in sentences for MAKING REQUESTS, e.g.  I would be grateful if you would telephone me tomorrow, etc.
• Comprehensive conditional practice can be found in Practical English Grammar Exercise Books 1 and 2

ZERO CONDITIONAL  SENTENCES FOR FACTS WHICH DO NOT VARY (e.g. scientific facts, etc.)

CONSTRUCTION ANALYSIS

FIRST CONDITIONAL SENTENCES FOR PROBABLE/LIKELY CONDITIONAL FUTURE EVENTS

CONSTRUCTION ANALYSIS

OR:

For details on how to conjugate tenses, please click here

EXAMPLES

• SIMPLE TENSES ONLY                           
  •   If it rains tomorrow, I will take an umbrella with me
  •  I will take an umbrella with me, if it rains tomorrow.
• CONTINUOUS TENSES ONLY
  • If it is raining at 6pm, I won't be going to the meeting
  • I won't be going to the meeting, if it is raining at 6pm.
• SIMPLE + CONTINUOUS TENSES or CONTINUOUS + SIMPLE TENSES
  • If it rains tomorrow morning, I won't be going for a walk until it stops
  • I won't be going for a walk until it stops, if it rains tomorrow morning.

SECOND CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

Use for:- 

• not impossible, but unlikely future events

• not impossible, but extremely unlikely current events

• giving advice and/or sympathising:  If I were you (you = in your shoes, in your position) I would ...........

CONSTRUCTION ANALYSIS:

OR:

LANGUAGE NOTES

• SUBJUNCTIVE TENSE

  • The conjugation of the simple and continuous forms of the SUBJUNCTIVE tense, resemble the SIMPLE PAST TENSE and THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE almost exactly

  • IMPORTANT EXCEPTION: for the verb BE, which is as follows: I, he, she, it, we, you, they were.  This rule also applies when BE is used as an auxiliary for the continuous form of the subjunctive.  (Many native speakers make grammar mistakes and often use the simple past form for BE in conditional sentences.  e.g:  This error can be heard in the lyrics of the song YESTERDAY, sung by Paul McCartney.)  

  • Many books do not even refer to 'the subjunctive form' , but instruct readers to use  'The Simple Past Tense' for second conditional sentences.

  • For details on how to conjugate past tenses, please click here

•  CONDITIONAL TENSE:  

  • SIMPLE FORM:              WOULD + INFINITIVE (without TO)

  • CONTINUOUS FORM:      WOULD + INFINITIVE OF BE + GERUND OF THE VERB (See Grammar Overview Section 4 for an explanation of the verb forms (infinitive/gerund, etc.)

EXAMPLES:

• possible, but unlikely future events

  • SIMPLE TENSES ONLY:                         

    • If I were ever invited to Buckingham Palace, I would speak to the queen  (but I haven't been invited so far, so I doubt I ever will be able to speak to her) 

  • CONTINUOUS TENSES ONLY:                 

    • If I weren't working tomorrow, I would be sunning myself on the beach (= If I didn't have to work tomorrow, ....) (but I am working tomorrow, so I can't sun myself on the beach)

  • SIMPLE + CONTINUOUS TENSES or CONTINUOUS + SIMPLE TENSES

    • If I didn't have to work tomorrow, I would be sunning myself on the beach (but I do have to work tomorrow, so I can't sun myself on the beach)

    • If I weren't working next week, I would come with you to Spain for a holiday. (but I am working next week, so I can't come to Spain with you.)

• extremely unlikely current events

  • SIMPLE TENSES ONLY

    • If Peter were here now, he would tell us what to do. (but he isn't here now, so he can't tell us what to do.)

  • CONTINUOUS TENSES ONLY

  • If you were cooking a meal, James would be supervising you. (but you aren't cooking a meal, so he isn't supervising you.)

  • SIMPLE + CONTINUOUS TENSES or CONTINUOUS + SIMPLE TENSES

    • If Jennifer were here, she would be cleaning the flat. (but she isn't here, so she isn't cleaning the flat)

    • If he were sleeping with his mouth open, the children would pop a chocolate in it.  (but he isn't sleeping with his mouth open, so the children can't put anything in it.)

• giving advice and/or sympathising:  If I were you (you = in your shoes, in your position) I would ...........

  • SIMPLE TENSES ONLY:                            

    • If I were you, I would take a tablet for that headache. (but I'm not you, so I don't have a headache) 

    • If I had your headache, I would take a tablet.(but I don't have your headache, so I don't need a tablet)

  • CONTINUOUS TENSES ONLY

    • If my head were hurting, I would be trying to sleep (but my head is not sleeping, so I am not)

  • SIMPLE + CONTINUOUS TENSES or CONTINUOUS + SIMPLE TENSES

  • If I were you, I would be doing as much as possible to solve the problem. (but I'm not you, so I can't solve your problem)

  • If I had your problem, I would be doing as much as possible to solve it.  (but I don't have your problem, so I don't need to solve it)

THIRD CONDITIONAL SENTENCES FOR FINISHED PAST WHICH IS IMPOSSIBLE TO CHANGE

Often used for:

• Expressing regret

• Bewailing one's fate

• Expressing bitterness about a past event

• Speaking retrospectively

•   If John had stopped at the garage (but he didn't), he would not have run out of petrol.(but he did)

• If they had seen the killer (but they hadn't), they would have said so (but they didn't)

MIXED CONDITIONAL CONSTRUCTIONS FOR SENTENCES WHICH COVER TWO TIMESCALES

CONSTRUCTION ANALYSIS:

For details on how to conjugate tenses, please click here

EXAMPLES

• SIMPLE TENSES ONLY:                                 
  •   If he loves me, he would say so. (but he doesn't say so)
• CONTINUOUS TENSES ONLY:
  • If they are playing tennis at 6pm, they wouldn't be eating now; it's 5.30pm.
• SIMPLE + CONTINUOUS or CONTINUOUS + SIMPLE 
  • If they make up today, they would probably be arguing by tomorrow.
  • I would be insisting on compensation, if he attacks me as well.

CONSTRUCTION ANALYSIS:

For details on how to conjugate tenses, please click here

EXAMPLES

• SIMPLE TENSES:
  •   If the match is cancelled, I would be surprised
• CONTINUOUS TENSES: (CHECK)
  • If she's not decorating the living room until next week, I would have been willing to help her, but I'm away.
• SIMPLE + CONTINUOUS or CONTINUOUS + SIMPLE  (CHECK)
  • If you still love your children, you wouldn't have been spending the child benefit on yourself. (as you have been doing)
  • If you are staying in this house after all, I wouldn't have bothered to carry all the furniture downstairs. (so all the furniture is now in the wrong place and must be moved back upstairs)
  • I wouldn't have bothered to carry all the furniture downstairs, if you are planning to stay in this house after all.

CONSTRUCTION ANALYSIS:

For details on how to conjugate tenses, please click here

EXAMPLES

• SIMPLE TENSES:                             
  •   If John had eaten Bettina's dinner, he would confess.
• CONTINUOUS TENSES:
  • If he had been driving long hours without sleep, before we met him, he would be feeling very tired now
• SIMPLE + CONTINUOUS TENSES or CONTINUOUS + SIMPLE TENSES
  • If I hadn't offended him, he would be speaking to me now. (but I did offend him and he isn't speaking to me)
  • His hair would be wet, if he had just come from the swimming pool.
  •  

SPELLING & PRONUNCIATION RULES-1

The Silent E

A silent 'E' (known to many English children as the "Magic E") at the end of a word often alters the sound of the preceding vowel from its weak phonetic sound  (aeiou) to its strong alphabet-sound (AEIOU) as taught to children when they first start school in England.

WEAK PHONETIC SOUNDS

fat (/æ/)

met (/e/)

spit(/I/)

cut (/^/)

not (/D/)

STRONG ALPHABET SOUNDS

fAte  (/eI/)

mEte  (/¡:/)

spIte (/aI/)

mUte  (/u:/)

nOte  (/W/)

This is a useful rule to learn, but in common with every grammar rule where the English language is concerned, there are many exceptions; the best way to learn these is to make a note of them as you come across them.

SPELLING & PRONUNCIATION RULES-2

The sound of the vowel in the preceding syllable can either change or stay the same, according to whether it is followed by one or two consonants, as per the rules and examples below.

VOWEL + CONSONANT + VOWEL

• The vowel in the preceding syllable is often altered from its weak phonetic sound (aeiou)  to its strong alphabet-sound (AEIOU)

• There are many exceptions, (eg: merit/geriatric)

VOWEL + 2 CONSONANTS + VOWEL

• The vowel sound in the preceding syllable often remains unaltered. (aeiou) 

• There are many exceptions, (eg: dAnger)

•   BOTH rules can often be found in the same word, (eg:  rUdimentary)

COMBINED CONSONANT SOUNDS

Combination consonant sounds should also be treated on their own merits, as they are not consistent with these rules,  although some sort of pattern can usually be found – as shown below,ie: st/ph/th are treated as single consonants in the examples below:-

•   st            (wAsted/ghOsting/listing)

•  ch            (Aching) 

• tch           (hatching/itching)

• ph            (gOpher)

• sph           (phosphAte)

• th             (bAthing/clOthing)

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