Grammar for IELTS

The Verb is an action or existence word that expresses what somebody or  something (SUBJECT) is and what the subject does or what is done to  somebody or something. 

Example: 

• The earth is round. 
• Vicky plays football. 
• The present government has introduced some new policies. 
• The road has been repaired. 

Verbs can be Main verbs & Helping Verbs. 

Main verbs have four forms: 

Some verbs that have different past and past participle forms are irregular  verbs, and some have ‘ed’ ending in past and past participle forms are  regular verbs. 

Present or V1 form of the verb is used with ‘s’ when we refer to a 3rd  person singular subject. 

Example: 

• I, we/ you/ they + write…… 
• He/ she/ it + writes

When we talk about somebody or something, we can have a third person  singular as well as plural subject. 

Example: 

• Ravi bullies his classmates. 
• Ravi and Hari bully their classmates. 

This is called the Subject Verb agreement in grammar and it is an  important area in speech. 

The subject and verb in a sentence must agree to make sense. In the present tenses the subject can take the verb with or without ‘s’ ending. The base form is used with ‘s’ ending for third person singular subjects.

For example:

• The dog barks. 
• The dogs bark. 

However, it’s not that simple. It can get tricky depending on the complexity of the sentence.

For example, Sometimes there are two subjects joined by words such as along with, as well as, besides, etc. In such cases the verb agrees with the first subject.

For example: 

• The chief guest, along with the bodyguards, is expected to arrive at 9:00 pm. 
• The students, along with the teacher, are here.

1. Have 

2. Be 

3. Do

Other helping verbs are Modals - can, could, shall, should, may, might,  will, would, have to, must, ought to, need to, used to. 

Modal verbs are helping verbs that are used with the main verbs to change their meaning slightly. they cannot be used independently. The most frequently used ones are: 

• can
• may
• might
• could 
• should
• would
• will
• must

https://www.yunolearning.com/english-speaking/videos/modal-verbs/

If a verb form  is used as a verb, it is called a Finite verb and if it is used as a noun/  adjective/ adverb, it is called non- Finite (gerund/ infinitive/ participle). 

Example: I write articles. [finite verb] 

I like writing articles. / I like to write articles. / I want written proof.  [non-finite verb]

A non-finite verb is a form of the verb that does not show the tense. Therefore, it can never stand alone as the main verb in a sentence.  

There are three types of non-finite verbs: gerunds, participles, and infinitives.

Gerund: When the …ing form of the verb is used as a noun, it is called a Gerund. Like a noun, it can be used as the subject, subject complement, object of the verb and object of the preposition in a sentence.

 For example: 

• I love dancing.
• Swimming is a good exercise.
• I would like to tell you about driving on highways. 

The words in bold - dancing, swimming and driving are gerunds.

Participle: When the present and past participle form of the verb is used as an adjective, it is called a Participle. 

For example: 

• She is reading an interesting novel.
• This is an amazing place.
• That’s a broken cup.
• I need a written apology.

Infinitive: The infinitive is the base form of a verb, usually preceded by to. For example: “to go” is an infinitive. Itcan be used as a noun, adjective and adverb.

For example:

• I love to cook.
• She used her glasses to see.
• I have a book to read.
• She is going there to work.

Present Tense

Present Simple: 

This tense is used to talk about present habits, daily routine, general facts and scheduled things. It is also used in if clauses while talking about future events.

I exercise daily.

Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu.

Monday comes after Sunday.

Present continuous: 

This tense is used to talk about an action momentarily in progress, temporary habit or routine. It is also used to refer to future time if it is based on present planning or situation.

We are discussing the tenses now.

These days, I'm working on a new project.

I'm leaving for Delhi tomorrow.

Present perfect: 

This tense is used to talk about a state or happening which was in the past and is present even now, or about an indefinite or recent past.

I have been in India since my birth.

He has sung in this manner since the launch of his first album.

I have seen the Taj Mahal.

Present perfect continuous: 

This tense is used to talk about an activity or state that has continued from the past till present or to suggest that the results of an activity started in the past remain in the present.

He has been working for GASCO since May 2012.

I have been teaching since 1990.

What have you been doing throughout this month?

Past Tense

Past Simple: 

This tense is used to talk about past fact/ habit/ one time or a series of completed actions in the past. It is also used in if clauses while talking about hypothetical future events.

He was always late for the classes in his college.

He was very naughty in his childhood.

India got independence on 15th Aug 1947.

Past Continuous: 

This tense is used to talk about activities in progress at a particular time in the past. 

Yesterday, at this time, I was exercising at the gym.

I got hurt when I was trying to replace the bulb.

Past Perfect: 

This tense is used to talk about an activity or state that got over by a certain time in the past or one event following another in the past. It is also used in if clauses while talking about hypothetical past events.

By the time I reached the office, the meeting had started.

I had finished my work by 5:00 PM.

I would have finished my work by 5:00 PM if they had helped me.

Past Perfect Continuous: 

This tense is used for an activity or state which continued for some time till something else happened.

The loud music woke up the child who had been sleeping peacefully till then.

Future Tense

Future Simple: 

This tense is used to talk about future predictions or events which are seen as absolutely certain or things that we think or suppose or things we decide at the time of speaking.

This year, Diwali will be in November.

Mahesh will be 25 next year.

I think India will win this match.

Future Continuous: 

This tense is used to talk about a future event which will take place as a matter of fact in the near future or an activity in the near future based on present planning.

I will be leaving for Delhi next week.

Future Perfect: 

This tense is used to talk about an event or state that will be over by a particular time in the future. 

I will have finished this work by tomorrow.

Drive fast otherwise by the time we reach the station, the train will have left.

Future Perfect Continuous: 

This tense is used to talk about an event that started in the past - is in progress now - and will continue even at a certain time in the future:

If he continues to work here, he will have been working here for ten years next year.

Active Voice

A sentence is in active voice when its subject performs the action. The active voice emphasizes the performer of the action which makes the sentences in active voice clear, direct and concise. 

Active voice follows a clear structure: Subject + Verb + Object 

For example: 

• Ria broke the glass. (Subject - Ria, Verb - broke, Object - glass)

The cat chased the  mouse. (Subject - Cat, Verb - chased, Object - mouse)

Passive voice

A sentence is in passive voice when the subject receives the action. The passive voice emphasizes the receiver of the action which makes the sentences impersonal, indirect and wordy.

In passive voice, the object of active voice becomes the subject. Only those sentences, which have an object, can be changed into passive voice. 

For example:

• Active: Ria broke the glass.
• Passive: The glass was broken by Ria. 
• Active: The cat chased the mouse.
• Passive: The mouse was chased by the cat.

Therefore, transforming from active to passive flips the sentence structure and also necessitates the usage of preposition “by” in some cases.

A sentence can be mainly of three types depending on the number and type of clauses it contains: Simple, Compound and Complex. 

Simple Sentences: 

A simple sentence consists of only one clause, more specifically, an independent clause.

For example: 

• Ria reads newspapers.
• Ria is a hard-working girl.
• Ria is having her dinner. 
• Ria and I are playing in the garden. 

Compound Sentences: 

A compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction, also known as the FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). A conjunctive adverb (however, therefore), or a semicolon alone. 

 For example:

• Ria loves to dance, but I love to sing.
• Ria loves to dance; I love to sing.
• She closed the window and went into her room. 
• She didn’t study well; however, she cleared the exam with good marks. 

Complex Sentences: 

A complex sentence is formed by adding one or more subordinate (dependent) clauses to the main (independent) clause using conjunctions and/or relative pronouns.

For example: 

• The old lady, who came to my office last week, died in an accident.  
• Although I don’t like her very much, I will stay with her till you come back. 
• She went to the place where they had met for the very first time.

What is a clause?

A clause is a group of words including both a subject and a predicate.

Example:

• It is raining heavily.

Subject - It

Predicate - is raining heavily.

• I look forward to hearing from you.

 Subject - I

 Predicate - look forward to hearing        from you

There are two types of clauses: Independent and Dependent clauses.

Independent clause:

 An Independent clause contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. It can stand alone as a simple sentence.

For example:

• I bought a red car.
• I like to dance in the rain.

Dependent clause: 

In contrast, a dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb but does not express a complete thought. A dependent clause cannot be a sentence. They are also called subordinate clauses.

• because I like the color red
• Although I hate getting wet

To turn a dependent clause into a full sentence, it needs to be combined with an independent clause.

• Because I like the color red, I bought a red car.
• Although I hate getting wet, I like to dance in the rain. 

Dependent Clauses can perform three main functions: They can function as adverbs, adjectives, or nouns.

Punctuation:

Punctuation refers to the system of symbols that we use to separate sentences and parts of sentences while writing. Each symbol is called a "punctuation mark".

While speaking, we make use of pauses and the tone of the voice to express the intended meaning. Punctuation plays the same role in writing. It helps us to make our writing coherent which makes it easier to read and understand. Without punctuation one’s writing wouldn’t make any sense.  

The most common punctuation marks in English are: capital letters and full stops, question marks, commas, colons and semicolons, exclamation marks and quotation marks.

Usage of some punctuation marks

Full stops, Question marks, and Exclamation points are used to end  sentences.

• Ria is a beautiful girl.
• Is Ria beautiful?
• You are beautiful!

Comma

Commas are one of the most common punctuation marks. A comma indicates a pause in a sentence, either between phrases, clauses, or items in a list.

• Tom, Jim and Harry are best friends.
• The woman, who was badly injured, was taken to the hospital.
• We were out of sugar, so I went to the market. 

Colons and semicolon

A colon helps us to introduce information and give it context in a sentence. A colon can also separate a sentence into two independent clauses. 

• I am fond of three things: dance, music, and art.
• It’s raining cats and dogs: it’s not safe to drive.

A semicolon is also an appropriate choice if you want to separate a sentence into two independent clauses.

• It’s raining cats and dogs; it’s not safe to drive.

Conjunctions: 

Conjunctions are parts of speech that link words, phrases or clauses together such as words “and”, “but”, “although”, “because” etc. Conjunctions allow you to form complex and elegant sentences. Without them you’d have to express every idea in a series of simple sentences. 

There are three kinds of conjunctions: coordinating, subordinating and correlative.

Coordinating conjunctions:

They help you to connect words, phrases and clauses that are grammatically equal or similar. There are seven main coordinating conjunctions in English, which form the acronym FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so.

• My sister and I like pizza.
• My sister likes pizza but I like ice-cream. 

Subordinating conjunctions:

They are used to join independent and dependent clauses. Common subordinating conjunctions are because, since, as, although, though, while, and whereas. 

• I went to play football although it was cold.
• I ate your chocolate because I was hungry.

Correlative conjunctions:

They are pairs of conjunctions that work together. Some examples are either/or, neither/nor, and not only/but also. These pairs of conjunctions require equal (parallel) structures after each one.

• You can either come with me or go with her. 
• Neither she likes to dance nor she likes to sing. 
• Seema desires not only money but also fame. 

Articles are words that modify nouns and show whether that noun is specific or unspecific. 

In the English language, there are two types of articles: Definite & Indefinite.

Indefinite Article:

There are two indefinite articles - ‘a’ and ‘an’.  They are used to modify non-specific or non-particular nouns. They refer to any member of a group. ‘A’ is used before the words starting with a consonant sound, and ‘An’ is used before the words starting with a vowel sound.

For example:

• Ria is wearing a dress. 
• My son wants a dog as his birthday present.
• Jay wants an orange.

Definite Article:

The is used to refer to specific or particular nouns.

For example:

• Ria is wearing the dress that her mother got her. 
• My son wants the dog we saw in the street yesterday. 

Comparative adjectives are used to make or show comparisons between two objects. They help us to describe the differences.

For example:

• Our car is bigger than their car. (bigger is the comparative form of big)
• Sam is taller than her sister. (taller is the comparative form of tall)

There are two ways to form a comparative adjective. 

1. Short adjectives: add “-er” 
2. Long adjectives: use “more”

For example:

• My cat runs faster than your dog. (here, we have added “er” to the adjective “fast”)
• She is more popular than he is in the school.  (here, we have used “more” along with the adjective to make comparison)
• This dress is prettier than that one. (here, we have added “er” to the adjective “pretty”)

Parallelism refers to the repetition of the same grammatical form in two or more similar words, phrases or clauses of a sentence. It is also known as parallel structure or parallel construction. Sentences with parallel structure are easier to read and add a sense of balance to writing.

For instance: 

• I like to sing and dancing. (the sentence is incorrect, since it lacks a parallel structure.)

To avoid faulty parallelism, the above sentence can be corrected as:

• I like to sing and dance.
• I like singing and dancing. 

Some common rules of parallelism

Words, phrases, and clauses in a series should be parallel in grammatical construction.

• Mike is intelligent, hard working, and has a great sense of humor. (Incorrect)
• Mike is intelligent, hard working, and funny. (correct)

Words, phrases, and clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet) need to have parallel grammatical construction.

• We all need healthy food and to exercise regularly. (Incorrect)
• We all need healthy food and regular exercise. (correct)

Words, phrases, and clauses joined by a correlative conjunction (not only... but also, both... and, either... or, neither... nor) need to have parallel grammatical construction.

• She not only dances but also loves to sing. (Incorrect)
• She not only dances but also sings. (correct)

Words, phrases, and clauses joined by a comparative expression (as much as, more than, less than) need to have parallel grammatical construction.

• I love to watch movies more than reading books. (Incorrect)
• I love watching movies more than reading books. (correct)