Grammar

Short lessons on the grammar that trips up Vietnamese speakers most: the rule in plain English, examples you can listen to, the usual mistakes, then a set of questions with instant feedback. Each topic comes back for a short check a few days later, then less often as you keep getting it right.

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Present perfect vs past simple

Use the past simple for a finished time (yesterday, in 2019, when I was a child). Use the present perfect when the time is not finished or not stated and the result or experience matters now.

B115 questions

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38 topics

B122 topics

B115 questionsNewPresent perfect vs past simpleUse the past simple for a finished time (yesterday, in 2019, when I was a child). Use the present perfect when the time is not finished or not stated and the result or experience matters now.
B114 questionsNewPast continuousUse the past continuous (was/were + -ing) for an action in progress at a moment in the past, often the background to a shorter past simple action that interrupts it.
B114 questionsNewPast perfectUse the past perfect (had + past participle) when you are already talking about the past and need to show that something happened earlier than that.
B113 questionsNewFuture forms: will, going to, present continuousEnglish has no single future tense. Use going to for plans and evidence, the present continuous for fixed arrangements, and will for instant decisions, offers, promises and opinions about the future.
B113 questionsNewArticles: a, an, the and no articleUse a/an for one thing that is new or not specific, the when the listener knows which one, and no article for things in general with plural or uncountable nouns.
B114 questionsNewCountable and uncountable nouns with quantifiersCountable nouns have a plural (two chairs); uncountable nouns do not (furniture). The type of noun decides which words go with it: many and few with countable, much and little with uncountable.
B115 questionsNewComparatives and superlativesCompare two things with -er or more + than, and pick one from a group with the -est or the most. Use as … as for equal things and much or a bit to show how big the difference is.
B113 questionsNewZero and first conditionalsUse the zero conditional (if + present, present) for things that are always true. Use the first conditional (if + present, will + verb) for a real possibility in the future and its result.
B114 questionsNewSecond conditionalUse the second conditional (if + past simple, would + verb) for situations that are imaginary, unlikely or untrue now or in the future. It is about the present, even though the verb looks past.
B114 questionsNewMust, have to and shouldUse must and have to for strong obligation, mustn't for things that are not allowed, don't have to when something is not necessary, and should for advice.
B113 questionsNewDefining relative clausesA defining relative clause tells us which person or thing we mean. It comes straight after the noun, has no commas, and starts with who, which, that, where or whose.
B113 questionsNewNon-defining relative clausesA non-defining relative clause adds extra information about a noun we can already identify. It sits between commas, uses who, which, where or whose, and never uses that.
B115 questionsNewThe passive: present and past simpleUse the passive (be + past participle) when the action or the thing affected matters more than who did it, or when we don't know or don't need to say who did it.
B116 questionsNewBoth, either, neither, each and everyUse both, either and neither for two things, and each or every for three or more. Watch the noun and verb forms after each word.
B116 questionsNewPresent simple vs present continuousUse the present simple for habits, routines and facts. Use the present continuous for actions happening now or around now, and for temporary situations. State verbs (know, like, have = own) usually stay simple.
B116 questionsNewSubject–verb agreement and the -s endingIn the present simple, a singular subject (he, she, it, my friend, everyone) takes a verb with -s. Find the real subject and check whether it is singular or plural before you choose the verb.
B116 questionsNewQuestions: do-support and word orderEnglish questions put an auxiliary (do, does, did, be, have, can, will…) before the subject. If there is no other auxiliary, add do, does or did. When who or what is the subject, there is no do.
B116 questionsNewIndirect questionsUse indirect questions to ask politely: Could you tell me where the station is? After the opening phrase, use statement order: the subject comes before the verb, and there is no do, does or did.
B116 questionsNewPrepositions of time and place: at, in, onUse at for clock times and points, on for days, dates and surfaces, and in for months, years, parts of the day and enclosed spaces or cities. Use no preposition before this, next, last or every.
B116 questionsNewWord order: adverbs, adjectives, it and therePut always, usually, often and never before the main verb but after be. Put opinion adjectives before size, age and colour. Every English sentence needs a subject: use it for weather, time and distance, and there is/are for 'có'.
B116 questionsNewPast simple in storiesUse the past simple for finished events in a story: what happened, one after another. Add -ed to regular verbs, learn the common irregular forms, and keep the whole story in the past once you start.
B116 questionsNewSo, such, too and enoughUse so before an adjective and such (a) before a noun phrase to make them stronger. Too means more than is good; enough means as much as needed, after an adjective but before a noun.

B215 topics

B214 questionsNewThird conditionalUse the third conditional (if + past perfect, would have + past participle) to imagine a different past and its result, often for regrets or lucky escapes.
B214 questionsNewReported speech: statementsTo report what someone said, use say or tell with a that-clause and usually move the verb one step back in time. Change pronouns and time words so they make sense from where you are now.
B216 questionsNewPresent perfect continuousUse the present perfect continuous (have been + -ing) for an activity that started in the past and is still going on, or has just stopped and left a visible result.
B216 questionsNewUsed to, would, be used to and get used toUse used to or would for past habits that are no longer true. Use be used to or get used to + -ing for something that is normal for you, or is becoming normal.
B216 questionsNewWish and if onlyUse wish or if only for things you want to be different: now (past simple), in the past (past perfect), or someone's annoying behaviour (would).
B215 questionsNewMixed conditionalsUse a mixed conditional when the condition and the result are at different times: a past cause with a present result, or a present fact with a past result.
B216 questionsNewModals of deduction: must, might, can't (have)Use must, might/may/could and can't to say how sure you are about something, now or in the past, from the evidence you have.
B216 questionsNewGerund or infinitive after verbsSome verbs are followed by -ing, some by to + verb, and a few take both with a change in meaning. Learn each verb together with its pattern.
B215 questionsNewHave or get something doneUse have or get + object + past participle when someone else does a job for you, usually a service you pay for, or when something bad happens to you.
B215 questionsNewPassive with reporting verbsUse it is said that or someone is said to … to report what people in general say, think or believe, without naming them. Common in news, reports and academic writing.
B216 questionsNewReported questions and commandsTo report a question, use ask + if/whether or a question word, then normal statement word order. To report an order or request, use tell or ask + person + (not) to + verb.
B216 questionsNewAlthough, despite, however and whereasThese words all show contrast but take different grammar: although + clause, despite + noun or -ing, however between sentences, whereas to compare two facts.
B216 questionsNewRelative clauses with whose, where and prepositionsUse whose for possession, where and when for places and times, and put a preposition either at the end (informal) or before which/whom (formal).
B215 questionsNewFuture continuous and future perfectUse will be + -ing for an action in progress at a future time, and will have + past participle for an action that will be finished before a future time.
B216 questionsNewParticiple clausesParticiple clauses make writing shorter: an -ing or past participle clause replaces a full clause about time, reason or result when both parts have the same subject.

C11 topic

C116 questionsNewInversion after negative adverbialsIn formal writing and speech, put a negative or limiting adverbial first for emphasis, then use question word order: Never have I seen such a crowd.