for teachers of English and their students
Practical English grammar rules
Practical English grammar rules by PhraseCat
At PhraseCat.com you learn English in small easy steps, just one grammar bit at a time. To guide you through these steps, we use brief grammar rules that are always related to some practical language pattern. Some of these rules are presented below.
Elementary level rules
- How to ask a general question in the present tense – form for he, she, it?
- How to ask a general question in the present tense – form for I?
- How to ask a general question in the present tense – form for you?
- How to ask a general question in the present tense – form for we?
- How to ask a general question in the present tense – form for they?
- How to ask a question with a question word in the present tense – form for he, she, it?
- How to ask a question with a question word in the present tense – form for I?
- How to ask a question with a question word in the present tense – form for you?
- How to ask a question with a question word in the present tense – form for we?
- How to ask a question with a question word in the present tense – form for they?
- How to make a negation in the present tense – form for he, she, it?
- How to make a negation in the present tense – form for I?
- How to make a negation in the present tense – form for you?
- How to make a negation in the present tense – form for we?
- How to make a negation in the present tense – form for they?
- What is the form of the verb to be for he, she, it?
- What is the form of the verb to be for I?
- What is the form of the verb to be for you?
- What is the form of the verb to be for we?
- What is the form of the verb to be for they?
- How to ask a general question with the verb to be in the present tense – form for he, she, it?
- How to ask a general question with the verb to be in the present tense – form for I?
- How to ask a general question with the verb to be in the present tense – form for you?
- How to ask a general question with the verb to be in the present tense – form for we?
- How to ask a general question with the verb to be in the present tense – form for they?
- How to ask a question with a question word with the verb to be in the present tense – form for he, she, it?
- How to ask a question with a question word with the verb to be in the present tense – form for I?
- How to ask a question with a question word with the verb to be in the present tense – form for you?
- How to ask a question with a question word with the verb to be in the present tense – form for they?
- How to make a negation with the verb to be in the present tense – form for he, she, it?
- How to make a negation with the verb to be in the present tense – form for I?
- How to make a negation with the verb to be in the present tense – form for you?
- How to make a negation with the verb to be in the present tense – form for we?
- How to make a negation with the verb to be in the present tense – form for they?
- How to use the verb can?
- How to ask a general question with the verb can?
- How to ask a question with a question word with the verb can?
- How to make a negation with the verb can?
- How to use the verb may?
- How to ask a general question with the verb may?
- How to ask a question with a question word with the verb may?
- How to use the negative form of the verb may – may not?
- How to use the verb must?
- How to use the negative form of the verb must – must not?
- How to use the verb have to?
- How to ask a question about the subject?
- How to use the word whose?
- What word is used to negate nouns?
- What word is used to negate adjectives?
- How to make a negation with never?
- How to make a negation with nobody?
- How to make a negation with nothing?
- How to make a negation with nowhere?
- How to use both?
- What preposition is used with morning?
- What preposition is used with afternoon?
- What preposition is used with evening?
- What preposition is used with night?
- How to use let?
- How to use let’s?
- How to use let’s not?
- How to use don’t have to not?
- How to use well?
- How to use like doing?
- When to use at home with the preposition at?
- When to use home without the preposition at?
- When to use wait until with the preposition until?
- How to use the preposition for speaking about time?
- What preposition is used with months, seasons and years?
- What preposition is used with days and dates?
- When to use welcome to with the preposition to?
- When to use are welcome to with an infinitive?
- How to say that you prefer one thing to another?
- How to use several?
- What question word is used to ask what they call something?
- When to use how much?
- When to use how many?
- How to use a lot?
- How to use a lot of?
- How to use have got?
- How to ask a question with have got?
- How to use surprised with nouns?
- How to use surprised with verbs?
- How to use next to?
- How to use another verb after to help?
- How to ask a question with a question word with the verb to be in the present tense – form for we?
- What actions require the past simple tense?
- What time periods require the past simple tense?
- What sequences of events require the past simple tense?
- How to use did you ever?
Intermediate level rules
- What actions require the present perfect tense: have/has + [past participle]?
- What experiences require the present perfect tense: have/has + [past participle]?
- What time periods require the present perfect tense: have/has + [past participle]?
- What events require the present perfect tense: have/has + [past participle]?
- How to use the first conditional: if + [present simple]?
- How to use might?
- How to use the negative form of the verb might (might not)?
- What future events require present simple tense?
- How to use used to?
- How to ask a question about the subject in the past tense?
- What article is used with ordinal numbers?
- When not to use an article with ordinal numbers?
- What article is used before next?
- When not to use an article before next?
- What article is used before last?
- When not to use an article before last?
- How to report a general question?
- How to use whether or not?
- How to use whether with an infinitive?
- How to construct a compound sentence that expresses doubt?
- How to use at all?
- How to use at all in questions?
- What does shortly mean when it stands at the end of the sentence?
- What does shortly mean when it stands before another word?
- What does over mean when used with locations?
- What does around mean when used with locations?
- How to use to lack?
- What preposition is used with the verb to confuse?
- How to use beside?
- What is the difference between between and among?
- What kind of movement requires the preposition into?
- What verbs require the preposition into?
- How to use turned out?
- What kind of movement requires the preposition onto?
- How to use be into?
- How to use have nothing to do but?
- How to use have nothing to do with?
- How to use as soon as?
- How to use while?
- How to use no more?
- How to use have just?
- How to use can’t stand?
- What preposition is used with the verb to insist?
- How to use at least with a quantity?
- How to use at least to describe a situation?
- How to use out of with quantities?
- How to use would rather?
- How to use had better?
- How to use why don’t we?
- How to use be about to?
- How to emphasize that the action that you noticed was continuing?
- How to use a lot with a comparative adjective or adverb?
Advanced level rules
- What actions require the past perfect tense: had + [past participle]?
- When to use simple past instead of past perfect: had + [past participle]?
- How to talk about hypothetical situations in the present?
- How to talk about hypothetical situations in the future?
- How to talk about unfavourable possibilities in the present?
- How to talk about hypothetical situations in the past?
- How to express a realistic exception to a situation in the present?
- How to construct a sentence with wish?
- How to use I wish I could?
- How to to regret about a situation in the past?
- How to use the subjunctive mood to express suggestion?
- How to use the subjunctive mood to express importance?
- What mood is used after hope?
- When to use the before next?
- When to use the before last?
- When to use the before previous?
- When to use next without the?
- When to use last without the?
- In what case to use the next (with the definite article) with time periods that follow the current time period?
- In what case to use the last (with the definite article) with time periods that precede the current time period?
- What article is used before nouns followed by a number or a letter?
- What article is used before a title followed by the person’s name?
- When to use the present tense after what if?
- When to use the past tense after what if?
- When to use the past perfect after what if?
- Is it correct to use will after if when offering something?
- Is it correct to use will after if when making a request?
- Is it correct to use will after if when talking about a future result?
- Is it correct to use will after if to express that you are annoyed with the other person?
- Is it correct to use will after if when speaking about unwillingness?
- What does surely mean when it stands at the beginning of the sentence?
- What is the adverb for hard?
- How to use be short on?
- How to use be short of?
- When to use having + [past participle]?
- What preposition is used after to convert when speaking about conversion of measurement units?
- What preposition is used after to convert when speaking about turning to another use or purpose?
- What preposition is used after to convert when speaking about adopting a different belief or lifestyle?
- What form of the verb is used after do nothing but?
- When to write any more as two words?
- When to write anymore as one word?
- What form of the verb is used after all I did was?
- When to use and I vs and me?
- When to use and me vs and I?
- What article is used with nationalities in plural?
- When not to use the with superlatives?
- When to use to consist of with the preposition of?
- When to use to consist in with the preposition in?
- What does though mean when it stands at the end of the sentence?
- What is the correct use of both… and with infinitives?
- How to use next to nothing?
- Is the verb to refuse used with some‑ or any‑?
- Is the adverb hardly used with some‑ or any‑?
- Is the adverb hardly used with ever or never?
- What is the meaning of know of?
- What is the meaning of hear of?
- When to place the preposition at the end of the sentence?
- When to place the preposition at the end of the secondary clause?
- Is it correct to place the preposition at the end of a passive sentence?
- How to introduce a secondary clause after a preposition?
- When to use welcome into with the preposition into?
- What are the past forms of the verb to broadcast?
If you know that PhraseCat has a total of 4 difficulty levels, you might ask: and where are the rules for the Beginner level? The truth is that you do not need to know any rules to practise at the Beginner level. Sounds incredible? Give it a try!