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What is Grammar?
English Grammar Terms
The 8 English Parts of
Speech
These are the words that you use to make a sentence.
There are only
8 types of word - and the most
important is the Verb!
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Verbs |
be, have, do, work |
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Nouns |
man, town, music |
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Adjectives |
a, the, 69, big |
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Adverbs |
loudly, well, often |
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Pronouns |
you, ours, some |
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Prepositions |
at, in, on, from |
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Conjunctions |
and, but, though |
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Interjections |
ah, dear, er, um |
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Hot Links
Verbs
Passive voice
Modal verbs
Conditionals
Questions
Irregular
verbs
Going to
Gerunds
Phrasal Verbs
Tenses
Nouns
(Un) Countable nouns
Adjectives
Articles
Pronouns
Preposition List
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| Grammar Quizzes
Parts of Speech Quiz
Verb Classification Quiz
Main Verb Forms Quiz
Active or Passive Quiz
Subjunctive Quiz
Future Time Quiz
Continuous Tense Verb
Quiz
Used to do or Be used to
Quiz
Have to,
Must, Must not Quiz
Can, Could, Be able
to Quiz
Questions Quiz
Tag Questions
Quiz
Infinitive or
-ing Quiz
Gerunds Quiz
Phrasal Verbs
Quiz
Conditionals Quiz
For or Since Quiz
Present Simple
Present Continuous
Present Perfect
Simple
Present Perfect
Continuous
Past Simple
Questions
Comparative
Adjectives
Superlative
Adjectives
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Verbs with Two Meanings
Some verbs have two different meanings or senses. For one sense we
must use a simple tense. For the other sense we can use a continuous or
simple tense.
For example, the verb to think has two different
senses:
- to believe, to have an opinion (example: I think Ricky
Martin is sexy.)
- to reflect, to use your brain to solve a problem
(example: I am thinking about my homework.)
In sense 1. there is no real action, no activity. This sense is
called "stative". In sense 2. there is a kind of action, a kind of activity.
This sense is called "dynamic".
When we use the stative sense, we use a simple tense. When we use
the dynamic sense, we can use a simple or continuous tense, depending on
the situation.
Look at these examples:
Stative sense
(no real action) |
Dynamic sense
(a kind of action) |
| Simple only |
Continuous |
Simple |
| I think she is beautiful. |
Be quiet. I'm thinking. |
I will think about this problem tomorrow. |
| I don't consider that he is the right man for the
job. |
We are considering your job application and will give
you our answer in a few days. |
We consider every job application very carefully. |
| This table measures 4 x 6 feet. |
She is measuring the room for a new carpet. |
A good carpenter measures his wood carefully. |
| Does the wine taste good? |
I was tasting the wine when I dropped the glass. |
I always taste wine before I drink it. |
| Mary has three children. |
Please phone later. We are having dinner now. |
We have dinner at 8pm every day. |
| EnglishClub.com Tip |
| If you have a doubt about a
particular verb, ask yourself the question: "Is there any real action or
activity?" |
Be and Continuous Tenses
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