Necessary basics
Here you will find some of the basic and necssary skills that you ought to have before studying the course.
Study these at your own pace when you need to:
Subject-verb agreement
Grammar tenses
Variation
Subject verb-agreement
Subject-verb agreement is fundamental to English grammar.
It helps to understand how the subject and verb in a sentence must be singular or plural.
This is one of the more common issues students face.
Basic rules
1. Singular subjects take singular verbs:
He runs every morning.
The cat is sleeping.
2. Plural subjects take plural verbs:
They run every morning.
The cats are sleeping.
3. Indefinite pronouns (everyone, someone, each, etc.) typically take singular verbs:
Everyone loves a good story.
Each of the students is responsible.
4. Compound subjects joined by "and" take plural verbs:
The dog and the cat are playing.
5. Compound subjects joined by "or" or "nor" take a verb that agrees with the subject closest to it:
Neither the teacher nor the students understand the assignment.
Either the boys or the girl is responsible.
6. Collective nouns (team, group, family, etc.) can take singular or plural verbs depending on whether the group is seen as a single unit or as individuals:
The team is winning. (seen as a single unit)
The team are arguing among themselves. (seen as individuals)
7. Titles of books, movies, and other works, even if plural, take singular verbs:
"The Lord of the Rings" is a famous book.
Exercises subject verb-agreement
Exercise 1: Choose the Correct Verb
Choose the correct verb to complete each sentence:
1. Each of the students (is/are) responsible for completing their homework.
2. The cat and the dog (plays/play) in the yard every afternoon.
3. Neither the teacher nor the students (was/were) late for class.
4. Everyone (enjoy/enjoys) the new movie.
5. The team (is/are) celebrating its victory.
6. The book, along with the pen, (was/were) on the table.
7. Either the manager or the employees (make/makes) the final decision.
Exercise 2: Correct the Errors
Find and correct the subject-verb agreement errors in the following sentences:
1. The flowers in the garden needs water.
2. Every student in the class have finished the test.
3. The group of dancers are performing on stage tonight.
4. Either John or his friends is going to pick you up.
5. The cake and the cookies is delicious.
6. One of the books were missing from the shelf.
7. The news about the event are exciting.
Exercise 3: Complete the Sentences
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in parentheses:
1. Each of the participants __________ (receive) a certificate.
2. The family __________ (travel) to Europe next summer.
3. Neither the dog nor the cats __________ (like) the new food.
4. The committee __________ (meet) every Tuesday.
5. Everybody __________ (have) a good time at the party.
6. Either the teacher or the students __________ (need) to bring the supplies.
7. The list of items __________ (be) on the table.
Answer key
Exercise 1:
1. is
2. play
3. were
4. enjoys
5. is
6. was
7. makes
Exercise 2:
1. The flowers in the garden need water.
2. Every student in the class has finished the test.
3. The group of dancers is performing on stage tonight.
4. Either John or his friends are going to pick you up.
5. The cake and the cookies are delicious.
6. One of the books was missing from the shelf.
7. The news about the event is exciting.
Exercise 3:
1. receives
2. is traveling/travels
3. like
4. meets
5. has
6. need
7. is
Grammar tenses
Verb tenses are important for showing the correct timing of actions.
Basics of verb tenses
1. Present Simple
Describes habits, actions, general truths, and fixed arrangements.
Positive: Subject + base form (e.g., "He runs.")
Negative: Subject + do/does not + base form (e.g., "He does not run.")
Question: Do/does + subject + base form? (e.g., "Does he run?")
2. Present Continuous
Describes actions happening at the moment of speaking or around the present time, and future plans.
Positive: Subject + am/is/are + verb+ing (e.g., "He is running.")
Negative: Subject + am/is/are not + verb+ing (e.g., "He is not running.")
Question: Am/Is/Are + subject + verb+ing? (e.g., "Is he running?")
3. Past Simple
Describes completed actions in the past.
Positive: Subject + past form of verb (e.g., "He ran.")
Negative: Subject + did not + base form (e.g., "He did not run.")
Question: Did + subject + base form? (e.g., "Did he run?")
4. Past Continuous
Describes actions that were in progress at a specific time in the past.
Positive: Subject + was/were + verb+ing (e.g., "He was running.")
Negative: Subject + was/were not + verb+ing (e.g., "He was not running.")
Question: Was/Were + subject + verb+ing? (e.g., "Was he running?")
5. Future Simple
Describes actions that will happen in the future.
Positive: Subject + will + base form (e.g., "He will run.")
Negative: Subject + will not (won't) + base form (e.g., "He will not run.")
Question: Will + subject + base form? (e.g., "Will he run?")
6. Present Perfect
Describes actions that happened at an unspecified time before now or started in the past and continue to the present.
Positive: Subject + has/have + past participle (e.g., "He has run.")
Negative: Subject + has/have not + past participle (e.g., "He has not run.")
Question: Has/Have + subject + past participle? (e.g., "Has he run?")
Exercises verb tenses
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.
She _______ (watch) TV every evening.
They _______ (play) soccer right now.
He _______ (finish) his project yesterday.
We _______ (visit) our grandparents next weekend.
I _______ (work) on this report for three hours.
You _______ (not, like) this movie.
While she _______ (read), her phone rang.
Exercise 2: Correct the Errors
Find and correct the errors in the following sentences.
He are playing tennis now.
I has visited the museum last month.
They will goes to the party tomorrow.
She don't like coffee.
We was watching TV when the power went out.
You will have finish your homework by 8 PM.
They is studying for their exams.
Answer key
Exercise 1:
watches
are playing
finished
will visit
have been working
do not like
was reading
Exercise 2:
He is playing tennis now.
I visited the museum last month.
They will go to the party tomorrow.
She doesn't like coffee.
We were watching TV when the power went out.
You will have finished your homework by 8 PM.
They are studying for their exams.
Variation
It is important to use varied vocabulary to make language more expressive and specific.
A common mistake is that English learners are using the same words over and over again.
Common words and their synonyms
Good:
Excellent
Fantastic
Wonderful
Superb
Great
Bad:
Terrible
Awful
Horrible
Poor
Dreadful
Happy:
Joyful
Elated
Delighted
Pleased
Cheerful
Sad:
Unhappy
Sorrowful
Miserable
Downcast
Gloomy
Big:
Large
Huge
Enormous
Gigantic
Immense
Small:
Tiny
Miniature
Little
Petite
Compact
Exercises variation
Exercise 1: Sentence Rewriting
Rewrite the sentences using synonyms for the underlined words.
The movie was good.
The weather yesterday was bad.
She felt very happy when she heard the news.
He was sad to leave his friends.
They bought a big house.
She has a small dog.
Exercise 2: Choose the Right Synonym
Choose the best synonym to complete each sentence.
The star chef's meal was __________. They lost! (excellent/poor)
It was a __________ day for the team. (fantastic/dreadful)
She was __________ after winning the competition. (miserable/elated)
He felt __________ when he lost his job. (joyful/unhappy)
The 100-storey building was __________. (tiny/enormous)
The toy is a __________. (huge/miniature)
Answer key
Example answer to Exercise 1:
The movie was excellent.
The weather yesterday was terrible.
She felt very delighted when she heard the news.
He was unhappy to leave his friends.
They bought a huge house.
She has a tiny dog.
Exercise 2:
The star chef's meal was excellent.
It was a dreadful day for the team. They lost!
She was elated after winning the competition.
He felt unhappy when he lost his job.
The 100-storey building was enormous.
The toy is a miniature.