Am / Is / Are
I + amhe/she/it + isyou/we/they + areisn't / aren'tAm/Is/Are + subject?State, identity, description (not an action)
English Hint Cards
Quick, visual grammar and vocabulary cards — browse by type, category, or tag to find the rule you need.
- Present tense9
- Past tense6
- Future tense3
- Articles2
- Nouns3
- Pronouns5
- Verbs2
- Verb patterns2
- Modal verbs7
- Adverbs3
- Quantity5
- Questions2
- Conditionals2
- Prepositions4
- Adjective comparisons1
- Linking words1
- Phrasal verbs1
- Confusable verbs1
- Idioms2
There is / There are
there is + singular / uncountablethere are + pluralthere isn't / aren'tIs/Are there ...?something exists somewhere
Present Simple
I/you/we/they + V1he/she/it + verb + -s/-esdon't / doesn't + V1Do/Does + subject + V1?
alwaysusuallyoftensometimesneverevery day/week
Do / Does
I/you/we/they -> dohe/she/it -> doeswith do/does -> verb without -snot used in normal positives
Have / Has
I/you/we/they + havehe/she/it + hasdon't / doesn't + haveDo/Does + subject + have?
Present Continuous
Subject + am/is/are + V-ingisn't / aren't + V-ingAm/Is/Are + subject + V-ing?
nowat the momentcurrentlytodaythis weekstill
Present Simple vs Continuous
habit / fact -> Present Simplehappening now -> Present Continuousalways, usually vs now, at the moment
Present Perfect
I/you/we/they + have + V3he/she/it + has + V3regular verbs: V3 = verb-edHave/Has + subject + V3?
alreadyjustyeteverneversinceforrecently
Already / Just / Yet
have/has + just + V3have/has + already + V3haven't/hasn't + V3 ... yetyet -> negatives and questions only
Was / Were
I/he/she/it + wasyou/we/they + werewasn't / weren'tWas/Were + subject?
Past Simple
subject + V2 / verb-edsubject + didn't + V1Did + subject + V1?with did/didn't -> verb is base form (V1)
yesterdaylast month/yeartwo days agoin 1995when I was a child
Did
did is the same for all subjectswith did/didn't -> verb is V1 (no -ed, not V2)not used in normal positives
Had
subject + hadsubject + didn't haveDid + subject + have?in questions/negatives: did + have, not had
Past Continuous
I/he/she/it + was + V-ingyou/we/they + were + V-ingwasn't / weren't + V-ingWas/Were + subject + V-ing?
whenwhileat 5 o'clockat that momentall day
Past Simple vs Present Perfect
finished time -> Past Simpleresult / experience now -> Present Perfectyesterday vs just, already, ever
Future Simple
subject + will + V1subject + won't / will not + V1Will + subject + V1?promise / prediction / decision now
tomorrownext weeksoonlaterin 2030
Be going to
Subject + am/is/are + going to + V1Subject + am/is/are + not + going to + V1Am/Is/Are + subject + going to + V1?
tomorrowtonightnext weekin a minutesoon
Will vs Be going to
decision now -> willplan / intention -> be going tovisible evidence -> be going to
A / An
first mention or any one itema -> before a consonant soundan -> before a vowel sound
The
specific, already knownunique in its contextsuperlatives: the bestnames of water, ranges, plural countries
Plural nouns
+ -s / -esconsonant + -y -> -iesirregular: man -> men
Countable & Uncountable
countable: a book, two booksuncountable: water, money - no pluralquantity words depend on this
Possessive 's
singular + 'splural in -s + 'irregular plural + 's
Subject pronouns
I / you / he / she / it / we / theydo the action (subject)stand before the verb
Object pronouns
me / you / him / her / it / us / themreceive the action (object)stand after a verb or preposition
Possessive adjectives
my / your / his / her / its / our / their + nounalways before a nounshow possession
Possessive pronouns
mine / yours / his / hers / ours / theirsindependent - without a nounreplace "possessive + noun"
This / That / These / Those
this / these -> nearthat / those -> farsingular / plural
Irregular verbs
V1 base, V2 past, V3 participlego - went - goneno -ed - just memory
Imperatives
V1 to command: Sit down.Don't + V1 to forbidLet's + V1 to suggest
Like / Love / Hate + -ing
like/love/enjoy/hate + V-ingI like swimming.don't like + V-ing
Verb + to-infinitive
want / need / hope / decide + to V1I want to go.planning-type verbs
Can / Can't
subject + can + V1subject + can't / cannot + V1Can + subject + V1?ability / permission / request
Could
past of can: I could swim at fivecouldn't = was not ableCould you...? = polite request
May / Might
maybe: It may/might rainmight = a bit less sureMay I...? = formal permission
Would like
I'd like + noun / to V1polite wantWould you like...? = offer
Should / Shouldn't
subject + should + V1subject + shouldn't + V1Should + subject + V1?advice / recommendation
Have to
I/you/we/they + have to + V1he/she/it + has to + V1don't / doesn't have to + V1Do/Does + subject + have to + V1?don't have to does not mean mustn't
Must / Mustn't
subject + must + V1subject + mustn't + V1 = FORBIDDENMust + subject + V1?present form only
Adverbs of frequency
always -> never scalebefore the main verbafter to be
Adverbs of manner
adjective + -ly = howslow -> slowlyirregular: well, fast, hard
Too / Enough
too + adjective = more than neededadjective + enoughenough + noun
Some / Any
some -> positives and offersany -> questions and negativesnot with singular countable nouns
A few / A little
a few -> countable plural nounsa little -> uncountable nounsPositive nuance: there is at least some
A lot of / Lots of
A large amount - works with everythingCountable and uncountable nounsThe form stays the same
None / Not any
none -> short answernot any -> inside a sentence with a verbWith plurals and uncountable nouns
How much / How many
how many -> countable plural nounshow much -> uncountable nounsOnly questions
Question words
what / where / when / who / howat the beginning of a questionthen the normal question word order
Question tags
positive -> negative tag: ..., isn't it?negative -> positive tag: ..., do you?repeat the auxiliary
Zero Conditional
If + Present, Presentfacts and rulesif means almost the same as when
First Conditional
If + Present, will + V1real future possibilityno will after if
In / On / At (Time)
in -> large periodson -> days / datesat -> exact point
In / On / At (Place)
in -> inside a spaceon -> on a surfaceat -> at a specific point
Place Relations
where one object is relative to anothernear / next to / betweenunder / behind / in front of
Prepositions of Movement
to -> destinationinto / out ofacross / through / along
Comparison of adjectives
short: -er / the -estlong: more / the mostgood -> better -> the bestcomparative + than
Linking words
and — add informationbut — contrastbecause — reasonso — resultor — choice
Phrasal verbs: basics
verb + particle = new meaningget up, turn on, look forlearn as whole phrases
Say / Tell & Do / Make
say somethingtell somebodydo a task, make a thing
Everyday idioms
a piece of cake — very easyhit the sack — go to sleepbreak the ice — start talkingunder the weather — feeling illonce in a blue moon — very rarely
Feelings & opinions idioms
cost an arm and a leg — very expensiveget cold feet — become nervouson the same page — to agreepull someone's leg — to jokethe last straw — the final problem