Parts of Speech
| Part | Function | Examples |
|---|
| Noun | Person, place, thing, idea | dog, city, happiness |
| Verb | Action or state | run, is, become |
| Adjective | Describes a noun | blue, tall, interesting |
| Adverb | Describes a verb/adjective | quickly, very, well |
| Preposition | Relationship in space/time | in, on, at, between |
| Conjunction | Connects words/clauses | and, but, because |
Common Tenses
| Tense | Form | Example |
|---|
| Present Simple | I walk | I walk to work every day |
| Present Continuous | I am walking | I am walking right now |
| Past Simple | I walked | I walked yesterday |
| Present Perfect | I have walked | I have walked three miles today |
| Future (will) | I will walk | I will walk tomorrow |
Punctuation
| Mark | Use |
|---|
| Period (.) | Ends a statement |
| Comma (,) | Separates items, clauses, and after introductory phrases |
| Semicolon (;) | Joins related independent clauses; separates complex list items |
| Colon (:) | Introduces a list, explanation, or quotation |
| Apostrophe (') | Possession (Sarah's) or contraction (don't = do not) |
Common Mistakes
| Wrong | Right |
|---|
| Your welcome | You're welcome (you are) |
| Its cold outside | It's cold outside (it is) |
| There going home | They're going home (they are) |
| I could care less | I couldn't care less |
| Between you and I | Between you and me |
Pro Tip: The 'its vs it's' rule is the most common error in English: 'its' = possession (the dog wagged its tail), 'it's' = contraction of 'it is' or 'it has'. If you can replace with 'it is', use the apostrophe.