Knowledge of English opens many doors. That is why it is actively studied in almost all countries of the world. Currently, over a billion people worldwide use this language on an ongoing basis. This number includes those for whom English is native, as well as those who use it as a foreign language: for contacts with business partners, communication with foreign friends, various kinds of entertainment and, in fact, study. In general, the study of any of the foreign languages ​​increases mental activity, logical and abstract thinking, as well as the ability to navigate in unexpected situations.
How to master English grammar
For many students of English, a certain difficulty is represented by its grammatical structure. In fact, there is nothing complicated (especially when compared, for example, with the Russian language!), It is enough to understand important patterns once and remember the basic forms well. However, memorization comes in the process of practice: performing exercises, reading, writing letters or essays, verbal communication. The best way to master English grammar is to do it in a natural way.
It often happens that a person knows the rule, but cannot apply it in his speech. Such difficulties are eliminated by practice - and the more and more varied it is (writing, reading, speaking, listening), the faster and better the result.
Remember that each person has his own, strictly individual, pace of mastering new knowledge and the ability to apply them in the practice of his own speech. For example, if you are studying in a group where some students learn grammar rules faster and more correctly than you do, you don’t have to lose heart. No doubt you will one day begin to speak English confidently and without mistakes. The main thing is to continue training.
Verbal forms “is” / “are”: use in speech
If you have recently started to learn English, then you are familiar with this situation: I want to say something, but the fear of making a mistake interferes, causes shyness. To avoid this, try to understand the rule and, most importantly, practice more in the exercises.
One of the most common grammatical difficulties arises when the verbal connectives “is” / “are” are confused. The use of these forms of the verb to be (to be) depends solely on the person of the pronoun in each case. We are talking about a pronoun that performs the function of the subject. For instance:
I am a student. - I'm a student.
If the subject is a noun or proper name, then you need to mentally replace it with the appropriate pronoun. Then the conjugation scheme will surely pop up in your memory, including the connecting verbs "is" / "are", the use of which often causes difficulties.
Kate (?) A student -> She is a student.
To be sure which form of the verb to put, you must firmly remember the conjugation principle.
Conjugation of the verb to be (in the present tense)
Statement
Negation
Question
Cases such as the use of “is” in English usually refer to descriptive situations. When we want to characterize something that is in the singular (you can replace it with the pronoun it), or someone acting as "he" or "she" - then, without a doubt, you need to use the form "is". Examples:
It is great. - (It is perfectly.
He is old. - He is old.
She is a doctor. - She is a doctor.
The main thing that needs to be firmly grasped: "am", "is", "are", the use of which sometimes causes difficulties, are not three different verbs, but one and the same - the verb to be (to be).
Conjugation of the verb to be (in the past tense)
Now let us dwell on the following question, which causes difficulties for some English learners, namely the rules for using “was” / “were”. This is also the same verb, and not at all two different. Moreover, these two verb forms are directly related to “am”, “is”, “are”. Guess why? True, this is all the same verb to be.
And now more about these correspondences. The past tense form “was” is used only in the singular and corresponds to the pronouns: I, it, he, she. The “were” form is used with the pronouns you, we, they are and is most often used in the plural. For instance:
I was at home. - I was home.
It was hot. - It was hot.
They were happy. - They were happy.
There are only two situations where the verb-predicate “were” in a sentence can refer to the subject in the singular. The first case: when the pronoun “you” means the translation “you” or “you” (that is, one person). The second case: the so-called subordinate clauses of the condition (Conditional sentences) in which the “if I were” form is possible.
Have you been to ...
In communication between people, situations often arise when you need to ask a person about his past experience: where he was, what he did, and whether he finished the job. In such cases, they use a special construction from the forms of two verbs: to have + semantic verb.
Often the semantic verb is already well known to us to be. Depending on the used subject (and what pronoun it can be replaced with), two varieties are distinguished: “have been” and “has been”. The first is used with the pronouns you, we, they, the second - with I, it, he, she. For instance:
Have you been to Europe? “Have you been to Europe?”
She has been on the excursion. - She was on a field trip.
As a rule, the use of has been associated with such situations when you mean:
- some experience;
- completeness or result of some business;
- the importance of the fact that the action took place (while the time of its completion does not have special significance);
- the need to emphasize how long this action has been taking.
Let us dwell on the last named situation in more detail.
How long (How long) ...?
In such cases, Present Perfect Continuous time is used . It is formed according to the scheme: have (has) + been + Ving, where V is a semantic verb. For instance:
I have been studying English for 3 months. - I have been studying English for 3 months (that is, I began to study in the past and still continue for a certain period of time).
He hasn't been riding a bike for a long time. - He did not ride a bicycle for a long time (that is, he stopped riding once in the past, did not ride for a long time and still has not mounted a bicycle).
I am going to do...
In English, in addition to the usual future tense, the “to be going to” construction is actively used. The use of this grammatical construction refers to situations when you plan or know exactly what you will do. Often this design is also used to predict what (in your opinion) will happen soon: it will rain, there will be a traffic jam on the road, someone presented a gift will like it or not. “Intend”, “gather” - that’s the way the phrase “to be going to” is most often translated. Its use in the sentence is associated with the change to be to "am", "is", "are".
For instance:
I am going to learn English next month. - I intend to learn English from next month.
We are going to visit granny at the weekend. “We're going to visit grandma on the weekend.”
It's going to rain. - It's going to rain.
I'm used to...
In conclusion, we analyze the use of "be used to". This robust construction is often used in colloquial speech. Its meaning is "get used to something." For instance:
He is used to Russian winter. - He is accustomed to the Russian winter.
He is used to living in winter cold. - He is used to living in the winter cold.
However, you need to watch and listen carefully so as not to confuse "be used to" with a very similar construction of "use to" (and the corresponding form of the past tense - "used to").
What is the difference between the two expressions? Firstly, in the meaning: “be used to” - “get used to”, “use to” - “do something in the past, but now no longer” (analogous to Past Simple). This is best understood through examples.
Be used to
I'm used to my work hours. “I'm used to my work day.”
He is used to TV noise. - He got used to the noise of the TV.
Use to:
I used to live here before. - I lived here before (but no longer live).
I didn't use to have a mobile phone 10 years ago. - I did not have a mobile phone 10 years ago (but now I have).
From the examples, the second difference between the two, at first glance very similar, structures is obvious. The one that translates to "get used to" is equipped with the verb to be (am, is, are). And the other, respectively, no. Simple mindfulness, a little practice - and you can easily learn to distinguish between these two "insidious" formulations.
The same applies to any grammar rules of the English language. Understand the essence and practice more often: in exercises, reading, writing or verbal communication. As the English say: "Practice makes perfect." This can be translated into Russian as: “The cause of the master is afraid.” So let the most difficult and intricate grammar rules be afraid of your determination. Have a good time!