English Grammar: From Basics to Brilliance ð
By: Janpha Thadphoothon
Introduction: Why Grammar Matters
Welcome to your essential guide to English grammar! As a Thai student, you already have an advantage because Thai and English share a similar Subject + Verb + Object (SVO) sentence structure for basic sentences. However, English has many elements, like verb conjugation and articles, that Thai does not. This book will help you master these key differences, making your English both fluent and accurate. Remember: making mistakes is a natural part of learning! The more you practice, the better you'll become.
Chapter 1: The Essential Building Blocks—Subjects, Verbs, and Objects ð️
The foundation of every English sentence is the Subject (āļāļĢāļ°āļāļēāļ) and the Verb (āļāļģāļāļĢิāļĒāļē).
Subjects: The person, place, or thing performing the action.
Examples: I love you. Bangkok is a big city. Making merit brings happiness.
Verbs: The action or state of being.
Verbs can be actions like to eat, to walk, to run, or to teach.
The verb to be is also a verb, as in "I want to be a doctor".
Simple Sentences (SVO): Most basic English sentences follow this pattern: Subject + Verb + Object.
Example: I (S) want (V) to drink oolong tea (O).
Chapter 2: Talking About the Past—The Past Simple (V2) ð°️
To talk about actions and events that happened at a specific time in the past, we use the Past Simple tense, which uses the second form of the verb (V2).
Affirmative Statements: Use V2.
Example: My wife went shopping at the mall. She bought a pair of new shoes.
Negative Statements: Use did not (or didn't) and the base form of the verb (V1).
Example: She did not buy any food. We didn't stop there.
Questions: Use Did and the base form of the verb (V1).
Example: What did you do yesterday? Did he pass the exam?
Chapter 3: The Power of 'Not'—Making Sentences Negative ❌
To make a sentence negative, we usually place 'not' after a helping verb (Verb āļ่āļ§āļĒ).
With the verb to be (is, am, are):
Positive: He is a student.
Negative: He is not a student.
With modal verbs (can, could, will, would, etc.):
Positive: She can swim.
Negative: She cannot swim.
In the Past Simple (for most verbs): We use the helping verb 'did'.
Positive: They walked to the company.
Negative: They did not walk (or didn't walk) to the company.
Chapter 4: Articles: 'A,' 'An,' 'The,' and Zero Article (X) ðŊ
Articles are small but important words that come before nouns.
'A' and 'An' (Indefinite Articles): Used for single, general, or non-specific countable things. Use 'an' before a word that starts with a vowel sound.
Example: Carol's father works as an electrician. Ben has a terrible headache. It is a dog.
'The' (Definite Article): Used for specific things that are known to both the speaker and listener.
Example: I like the blue T-shirt better than the red one. Where's the USB drive I lent you?
The Nile is the longest river in the world.
Zero Article (X): No article is used in several cases, such as before most proper nouns (like cities) or before meals.
Example: Do you still live in X Bristol? What do you usually have for X breakfast?
Chapter 5: Quantifiers: 'Some' and 'Any' ððĨ
'Some' and 'any' are used to talk about non-specific quantities.
'Some': Primarily used in affirmative statements and in offers/requests (questions where you expect a 'yes').
Affirmative: I bought some milk. If you're hungry there's some pizza in the fridge.
Offer: Would you like some cheese?
'Any': Primarily used in negative statements and in most questions.
Negative: Linda has not got any pets. I don't want to answer any questions.
Question: Have you got any friends? Did you see any good films?
Chapter 6: Quantifiers: 'A Few' and 'A Little' ðĪ
These quantifiers express a small, positive amount. They mean "not many" or "not much, but enough."
'A Few': Used with countable nouns (things you can count, like bananas, days, books).
Example: There are only a few bananas in the box. There are only a few days left to hand in the reports.
'A Little': Used with uncountable nouns (things you cannot count individually, like Spanish, butter, pizza).
Example: He speaks a little Spanish. We need a little butter for this cake. There's a little pizza in the fridge for you.
Chapter 7: There Is / There Are (and Questions) ðš️
We use There is and There are to say that something exists in a specific location.
There is (Singular/Uncountable): Use for one item or for uncountable nouns.
Example: There is a mirror in our hall.
There are (Plural): Use for two or more items (countable nouns).
Example: There are lots of books on the shelf. There are 12 cushions on the sofa.
Questions (Is there / Are there): We invert the order to ask if something exists.
Example: Is there a pencil on the kitchen table? Are there pullovers in the suitcase?
Chapter 8: Connecting Ideas with Conjunctions ð
Conjunctions are words like and, or, but, so, and because that are used to join two parts of a sentence, giving more information, alternatives, reasons, or results.
And (Addition): Joins two similar ideas.
Example: My wife plays tennis and football.
But (Contrast): Joins two contrasting or opposite ideas.
Example: I like coffee but I don't like tea. I enjoyed the book but it had a bad ending.
So (Result): Shows the result of the first idea.
Example: I had to work on Saturday, so I couldn't go to John's party. I was cold, so I turned on the heater.
Because (Reason): Shows the reason for the first idea.
Example: We'll have to go shopping because we have nothing for dinner. I'm studying English because I love languages.
Although (Unexpected Contrast): Introduces a surprising contrast.
Example: He's got a car, although he never drives to work.
Chapter 9: Action Details—Adverbs ð♀️ðĻ
Adverbs describe or modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They often tell how, when, where, or to what extent an action occurs.
Adverbs of Manner (How): Many end in -ly.
Example: He walked very slowly. They opened the box carefully.
Adverbs of Time (When/How long): Tell you when an event happened.
Examples: today, tonight, yesterday, finally, eventually, just, already, now.
Placement: Usually at the end of the sentence (I haven't seen her since yesterday) or at the beginning to emphasize the time (Today, I will go to the library).
Adverbs of Place (Where): Tell you where an action happens.
Examples: over there, inside, downstairs, outside, here.
Placement: Usually placed after the verb or the object.
Chapter 10: Prepositions of Place and Time (In, On, At) ð
Prepositions (āļāļģāļุāļāļāļ) are used to show relationships, often of place or time. The most common are in, on, and at.
| Preposition | Use for Time | Use for Place |
| At | Specific times, or night, or noon. | Specific addresses. |
| In | Months, years, and periods like "the morning" or "the evening". | Large areas like countries or rooms/buildings. |
| On | Specific days (Sunday) or specific dates (March 15th). | Surfaces (the fourth floor). |
Time Examples: See you on Sunday. The meeting starts at three. I was born in 1970.
Place Examples: We are in the classroom. The classroom is on the fourth floor. I live at 126/702 Pak Kred.
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