In this part of our lesson on modals we’re going to explore how modals can be used to express degrees of certainty. We’ll also look at the progressive forms of modals. This part assumes that you are already familiar with the English modals and their basic grammatical functions. If you are not, I recommend checking…

Today we’re going to discuss some more ways that modals can be used in English. A modal is a special type of auxiliary verb that is used to express a speaker’s attitudes and the strength of those attitudes. This lesson will explain how English uses modals to express necessity, advisability, intentions, and suggestions.   Using…

A modal is a special type of auxiliary verb that is used to express a speaker’s attitudes and the strength of those attitudes. This includes situations where a speaker feels that something is necessary, advisable, permissible, possible, or probable. Modals are conceptually simple but have a wide variety of uses in modern English. In this…

Test your usage of personal pronouns with this short quiz. Pick the correct pronoun from those in parentheses. Check the end of the quiz for answers and explanations. Good luck!   Tom left (he, his) cell phone at the office.   Susie and (I, me) visited the museum. When I met my new neighbor, I…

This week we’ll move beyond the basics and cover additional ways that personal pronouns can be used in English.   Using Personal Pronouns with Generic Nouns, Indefinite Pronouns, and Collective Nouns Agreement with Generic Nouns A generic noun represents a whole group. It does not refer to any particular person, place, or thing:   A…

In this lesson we’re going to cover the types of personal pronouns found in English and how they are used. A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. The noun that the pronoun refers to is called the antecedent. English has four types of personal pronouns that refer to specific persons,…

English has a relatively simple set of rules for creating plural nouns out of singular nouns. Unfortunately, these rules are of only limited help to English language learners. This is because many commonly-used English nouns possess irregular plural forms. Today we’re going to look at the rules for regular plural nouns and how irregular plural…

This exercise tests your knowledge and usage of the twelve basic verb tenses. Pick the correct verb tense for each sentence from the two choices available. See if you can name the tenses as well. Check the end of the quiz for answers and explanations.   It (rains, rained) last weekend.   Stephen (is working,…

Subject-Verb Agreement Quiz   This twenty-five question quiz covers the fundamentals of subject-verb agreement. Correct answers and brief explanations for each question are provided at the end of the quiz. I recommend taking this quiz after you have finished the two-part lesson on subject-verb agreement. This will help you to understand what aspects of subject-verb…

Let’s conclude our lesson on the fundamentals of English subject-verb agreement. This part looks at how using “there” with a “to be” verb affects subject-verb agreement and several of the more common irregularities in usage that defy easy categorization.   There + Be English uses there with a to be verb to convey the idea…