English Grammar — the basics, explained simply
English grammar mistakes usually cluster around a small set of rules: tense consistency, subject-verb agreement, articles (a/an/the), and preposition choice. This page covers the highest-impact rules for school exams, competitive exams, and everyday writing.
Subject-verb agreement
A singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb: 'She writes' (not 'She write'), 'They write' (not 'They writes'). Collective nouns (team, family, group) usually take a singular verb when treated as one unit: 'The team is ready.'
Tense consistency
Keep one timeframe consistent within a sentence unless there's a real reason to shift: 'He finished his homework and went to play' (both past), not 'He finished his homework and goes to play'. Perfect tenses (has/have/had + past participle) show an action's connection to another point in time.
Articles: a, an, the
Use 'a' before a consonant sound (a book, a university — 'university' starts with a 'y' sound), 'an' before a vowel sound (an apple, an hour — 'hour' starts with a silent h), and 'the' for something specific or already mentioned ('I saw a dog. The dog was brown.').
Common preposition pairs
Certain verbs/adjectives pair with fixed prepositions that don't always translate literally: 'good at' (not 'good in'), 'married to' (not 'married with'), 'depend on', 'interested in'. These are best learned as fixed pairs rather than derived from a rule.
Examples
- Each of the students has submitted the assignment. (singular 'each' → singular verb 'has')
- By the time we arrived, the movie had already started. (past perfect shows the earlier event)
- She is interested in painting, not good at swimming. (fixed preposition pairs)
Common mistakes
- Matching the verb to the noun closest to it instead of the true subject ('The list of items are' should be 'is').
- Switching tense mid-sentence without a reason.
- Using 'a' before a vowel LETTER instead of a vowel SOUND (writing 'a hour' instead of 'an hour').
Try it yourself
Choose the correct verb: 'Neither of the answers ___ correct.' (is / are)
Show answer
is — 'neither... of' takes a singular verb: 'Neither of the answers is correct.'
Frequently asked questions
Is this useful for competitive exam English sections?
Yes — subject-verb agreement, tense and preposition questions are common in SSC, banking and placement English sections. Ask Learn2Plus AI for exam-style grammar practice for extra questions.
Can Learn2Plus AI check my own sentences for grammar mistakes?
Yes — paste a sentence or paragraph and ask what's wrong; you'll get the correction and the underlying rule, not just a rewrite.
Does this replace a full English course?
No — this page covers the highest-impact rules. For a structured path, ask Learn2Plus AI to teach English grammar from basics as a guided course.
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