5 Simple Grammar Rules To Follow If You Want Better English Today
- Blake
- May 4
- 8 min read
This lesson will explain 5 simple grammar rules that you'll need to remember in order to improve your English significantly. I have to repeatedly teach these rules to my students because they are fundamental and breaking these rules can cause confusion and poor communication.
Rule #1: You need a noun in front of the main verb in a clause
Many other languages do not always require a noun to be first before the main verb in a clause, but English is different. Whether you are using active or passive form, you need a noun first.
Look at the following examples and note that the correct examples are when a noun is placed in front of the main verb that tells us the tense:
The IT team solved the problem quickly (active form - "the IT team" performs the action of "solved")
The problem was solved quickly (passive form - "the problem" receives the action of "solved")
Was solved quickly the problem (incorrect - you can't have "was" without a noun in front of it)
The weather is changing these days (correct - "the weather" is in front of the verb "is changing")
Is changing the weather these days (incorrect)
I returned the computer to the store because it had some problems (correct - the subject "it" is before the main verb "had". In this case, "it" means the computer)
I returned the computer to the store because had some problems (incorrect - you need the pronoun "it" before the verb "had")
It's expensive to buy a house, but it's cheap to rent one (correct)
Is expensive to buy a house, but is cheap to rent one (incorrect)
We didn't get a table at the restaurant because there were too many people (correct - the pronoun "there" is in front of the main verb "were")
We didn't get a table at the restaurant because were too many people (incorrect - there is no noun in front of the main verb "were")
Rule #2: Use "there" to introduce nouns that exist and use "it" to introduce adjectives and some verbs
The pronoun "there" is used with the "be" verb to introduce a noun in order to say that it exists or doesn't exist, such as "there was a storm yesterday", or "there will be a ceremony tomorrow". You cannot use the "be" verb by itself or "have" by itself, so it's incorrect to say "was a storm" or "will be a ceremony".
You can see some examples below that are correct and incorrect because of this rule:
I like to go to the library downtown because there are good books available to borrow (correct)
I like to go to the library downtown because are good books available to borrow (incorrect)
I like to go to the library downtown because have good books available to borrow (incorrect)
There aren't any parking lots in this area (correct)
Aren't any parking lots in this area (incorrect)
Don't have any parking lots in this area (incorrect)
The pronoun "it" can start statements that involve an adjective. In this case, "it" can be the subject and will be explained later in the statement. For example, if you say "it was hard to remember everyone's names at the party", the word "it" represents the action of "remember everyone's names at the party." In this case, you cannot start with the "be" verb and say "was hard to remember....".
We also use "it" with some verbs, like "it's raining" or "it's snowing". You can see some correct and incorrect examples below based on this rule:
There is a lot of crime in the city, so it's dangerous to walk alone at night (correct)
There is a lot of crime in the city, so is dangerous to walk alone at night. (incorrect)
I want to buy the new iPhone, but it's expensive (correct)
I want to buy the new iPhone, but is expensive (incorrect)
I didn't go out last night because it was raining (correct)
I didn't go out last night because was raining (incorrect)
Rule #3: Use "no" with nouns, "not" with adjectives and verbs
The word "no" can be used to express a quantity of zero, and only nouns can have quantities. Therefore, you can put "no" with a noun to say zero of that noun, such as "we have no money" which means "we have zero money".
However, you cannot use "no" with adjectives or verbs because they don't have quantities. In this case, if you want to make them negative and say that they are not true, you must use "not", such as "the test is not difficult" (adjective = difficult) or "he will not join us tonight" (verb = join). The word "not" can be used with any type of verb and any tense as you can see below:
I do not eat junk food
I did not eat junk food
I am not eating junk food
I have not eaten junk food
I will not eat junk food
I try not to eat junk food
Not eating junk food is a good idea
The junk food was not eaten by me
In the examples below, you can see "no" being used with nouns to mean zero and "not" being used with verbs to mean negative form:
No information was given (zero information)
I was not given any information (negative form of "given")
She has no friends (zero friends)
She does not have friends (negative form of "have" - can also be "doesn't" which means "does not")
They decided to have no children (zero children)
They decided not to have children (negative form of "to have")
Rule #4: You cannot use singular countable nouns by themselves
English has countable nouns like "table" and uncountable nouns like "furniture". Uncountable nouns can be used alone, such as "I need furniture". However, singular countable nouns cannot exist by themselves, so it's incorrect to say "I need table". You can say "I need a table" or "I need tables" but you cannot say just "table" by itself.
When you are talking about a countable noun in a general way, you can use "a" to talk about one, or you can use plural (with an "s") to talk about more than one, but it's incorrect to use the noun by itself:
A rabbit can be a pet. (correct - both singular using "a")
Rabbits can be pets. (correct - both plural using "s")
Rabbit can be pet. (incorrect)
A company needs to have a good product to attract customers (correct - "a", "a", plural)
A company needs to have good products to attract customers (correct - "a", plural, plural)
Companies need to have good products to attract customers (correct - plural, plural, plural)
Company needs to have good product to attract customer (incorrect - 3 times, there is no "a" or plural here)
It's important to note that instead of "a", you can use "the", "this", "that", or possessive like "my", "his', her", etc. So, for example, you can say "I want a book", "I want the book", "I want that book", or "I want his book" but the main point is you cannot say "I want book".
Rule #5: Use "be" with "ing" whenever the "ing" verb is part of the main verb of a clause
Every clause has a subject and then a main verb, which has a tense (ex present continuous tense). If you are using "ing" as part of your main verb after your subject noun, it needs to have the "be" verb with it:
They are waiting
They were waiting
They will be waiting
They are going to be waiting
They have been waiting
They had been waiting
They should be waiting
They might be waiting
You can use "ing" by itself as a noun in a clause (ex. "swimming is my favorite activity") but not when it's being used as part of your main verb phrase, which comes after your subject noun.
On the other hand, we don't put "be" with present simple verbs like "do", "make", "go", etc.
I work at a factory (correct - more focused on long-term facts)
I am working at a factory these days (correct - more focused on the current temporary situation)
I am work at a factory (incorrect)
She takes the bus to school (correct)
She is taking the bus to school (correct - current temporary situation)
She is take the bus to school this week (incorrect)
If you found this lesson useful, you'll love my e-book Grammar Essentials. Learn the 50 most important grammar rules for effective communication in English, including tenses, adjective and noun clauses, conditionals, modals, prepositions, and many others!
Practice
Identify which of the following sentences are correct based on the 5 rules in this lesson. (Hint - there are only 8 correct sentences)
Small towns usually don't have much pollution compared to big cities.
Small town usually doesn't have much pollution compared to big city.
Have no restaurants in this neighborhood.
There are no restaurants in this neighborhood.
Are no restaurants in this neighborhood.
It's no easy to remember everything.
It's not easy to remember everything.
It's not easy for remember everything.
It's common to Japanese people for be on time.
It's common for Japanese people be on time.
It's common for Japanese people to be on time.
She should be arriving soon.
She should be arrive soon.
She should arriving soon.
We planning to go outside but is raining.
We were planning to go outside but it's raining.
We were planning for go outside but it's raining.
I no eat with my hands because is not polite to do.
I didn't eat with my hands because is not polite to do.
I didn't eat with my hands because it's no polite to do.
I didn't eat with my hands because it's not polite for do.
Students are preparing because there will be an exam next week
Students are preparing because will be exam next week.
Students preparing because there will be an exam next week.
Students are preparing because there will be exam next week.
Answers
Correct sentences below are in bold. Incorrect sentences have the mistake underlined:
Small towns usually don't have much pollution compared to big cities.
Small town usually doesn't have much pollution compared to big city.
Have no restaurants in this neighborhood.
There are no restaurants in this neighborhood.
Are no restaurants in this neighborhood.
It's no easy to remember everything.
It's not easy to remember everything.
It's not easy for remember everything.
It's common to Japanese people for be on time.
It's common for Japanese people be on time.
It's common for Japanese people to be on time.
She should be arriving soon.
She should be arrive soon.
She should arriving soon.
We planning to go outside but is raining.
We were planning to go outside but it's raining.
We were planning for go outside but it's raining.
I no eat with my hands because is not polite to do.
I didn't eat with my hands because is not polite to do.
I didn't eat with my hands because it's no polite to do.
I didn't eat with my hands because it's not polite for do.
Students are preparing because there will be an exam next week
Students are preparing because will be exam next week.
Students preparing because there will be an exam next week.
Students are preparing because there will be exam next week.
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