English at Home

Monday, 23 June 2025

Know Your Grammar Terms

Noun
Explanation: A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea.
Example: The cat is sleeping on the sofa.
Verb
Explanation: A verb is a word that shows an action or a state.
Example: She runs every morning.
Adjective
Explanation: An adjective is a word that describes a noun.
Example: He has a big house.
Adverb
Explanation: An adverb is a word that describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb.
Example: He speaks English well.
Pronoun
Explanation: A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun.
Example: She is my friend.
Preposition
Explanation: A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between two things.
Example: The book is on the table.
Conjunction
Explanation: A conjunction is a word that joins words or sentences.
Example: I like tea and coffee.
Article
Explanation: An article is a word like 'a', 'an', or 'the' used before a noun.
Example: She is reading a book.
Singular
Explanation: Singular means one person, thing, or idea.
Example: There is a cat on the roof.
Plural
Explanation: Plural means more than one person, thing, or idea.
Example: There are many cats on the roof.
Subject
Explanation: The subject is the person or thing doing the action in a sentence.
Example: Tom eats an apple.
Object
Explanation: The object is the person or thing that gets the action.
Example: She reads a book.
Sentence
Explanation: A sentence is a group of words that gives a complete idea.
Example: I go to school every day.
Clause
Explanation: A clause is part of a sentence with a subject and a verb.
Example: When it rains, we stay inside.
Phrase
Explanation: A phrase is a group of words that work together but don’t have both a subject and a verb.
Example: In the morning, I drink coffee.
Tense
Explanation: Tense shows when an action happens (past, present, or future).
Example: I walked to school yesterday.
Infinitive
Explanation: An infinitive is the base form of a verb, often with 'to'.
Example: She wants to learn English.
Auxiliary Verb
Explanation: An auxiliary verb helps the main verb in a sentence.
Example: He is running fast.
Modal Verb
Explanation: A modal verb shows ability, possibility, permission, or necessity.
Example: You should do your homework.
Gerund
Explanation: A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun.
Example: Swimming is my favorite sport.

Here are 10 multiple-choice questions designed to test understanding of the 20 grammar terms, appropriate for A2+ level learners.

Each question is followed by its correct answer and a brief explanation.

Grammar Terms Quiz

1. Which word is the noun in this sentence?
“The dog barked loudly.”

A. the
B. barked
C. dog
D. loudly

Answer: C. dog
Explanation: “Dog” is a noun — it names an animal.

2. What is the verb in this sentence?
“She reads a book every night.”

A. she
B. reads
C. book
D. every

Answer: B. reads
Explanation: “Reads” is the action — it’s the verb.

3. Which word is the adjective in this sentence?
“He wore a red jacket.”

A. wore
B. jacket
C. red
D. he

Answer: C. red
Explanation: “Red” describes the noun “jacket.”

4. Identify the adverb in this sentence:
“They played quietly in the room.”

A. played
B. they
C. room
D. quietly

Answer: D. quietly
Explanation: “Quietly” tells us how they played — it’s an adverb.

5. Which word is the pronoun in this sentence?
“We went to the park.”

A. We
B. went
C. to
D. park

Answer: A. We
Explanation: “We” replaces a group of people — it's a pronoun.

6. What is the preposition in this sentence?
“The keys are under the table.”

A. keys
B. are
C. under
D. table

Answer: C. under
Explanation: “Under” shows the position of the keys — it’s a preposition.

7. Which word is the article?
“He bought an apple.”

A. bought
B. an
C. apple
D. he

Answer: B. an
Explanation: “An” is an article used before a noun starting with a vowel sound.

8. What is the auxiliary verb in this sentence?
“She is studying English.”

A. she
B. studying
C. English
D. is

Answer: D. is
Explanation: “Is” helps the main verb “studying.”

9. Which word is the gerund in this sentence?
“Running is good for your health.”

A. good
B. for
C. running
D. your

Answer: C. running
Explanation: “Running” is a verb used as a noun — a gerund.

10. Choose the correct modal verb:
“You ___ wear a helmet when you ride a bike.”

A. are
B. should
C. will
D. was

Answer: B. should
Explanation: “Should” shows advice — it’s a modal verb.

📚 Overview

In English, the typical sentence structure is Subject + Verb + Object (S+V+O). Understanding this structure helps you create clear and grammatically correct sentences. This lesson will also explain where to place adverbs and adjectives in your sentences.

🔐 Basic Word Order: S + V + O

Examples:

She (subject) likes (verb) chocolate (object).
They (subject) watched (verb) a movie (object) last night.

The subject does the action, the verb is the action, and the object receives the action.

📈 Adjectives: Where Do They Go?

Adjectives describe nouns and usually come before the noun.

Examples:

I saw a beautiful sunset.
They have a small house in the countryside.

When used with linking verbs like "be," adjectives come after the verb.

She is happy.
The food smells delicious.

🕒 Adverbs: Where Do They Go?

Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They often describe how, when, where, or how often something happens.

Placement:

Before the main verb:
- She always drinks coffee in the morning.
After the verb (when the verb is simple):
- He runs quickly.
At the beginning or end of a sentence (especially time/frequency):
- Yesterday, I went shopping.
- I went shopping yesterday.

✍️ Practice Questions (1–24)

Instructions: Choose the correct word order or rewrite the sentence. Each question focuses on sentence structure, adjective/adverb placement, or both.

Part A: Choose the correct sentence

a) She eats always breakfast.
b) She always eats breakfast.
a) The movie was boring.
b) Was boring the movie.
a) He quickly runs.
b) He runs quickly.
a) They have a car red.
b) They have a red car.
a) The children are happy.
b) Are happy the children.
a) She sings beautifully.
b) Beautifully she sings.
a) John bought a new phone.
b) A phone new John bought.
a) They never are late.
b) They are never late.

Part B: Rewrite the sentence correctly

He every day studies.
The cat black is sleeping.
Was very the performance good.
They live in a house big.
My sister has hair long.
We at the weekend go shopping.
Often she arrives late.
He plays football well very.

Part C: Fill in the blank with the correct word order

I __________ (usually / get up / at 7 a.m.).
They __________ (are / friendly / very).
She __________ (drives / carefully / always).
We __________ (to the beach / went / yesterday).
The students __________ (hard / studied / for the test).
He __________ (never / speaks / politely).
__________ (delicious / looks / dinner / the).
The baby __________ (is / cute / really).

✅ Answer Key with Explanations

Part A:

b – Adverb "always" goes before the main verb.
a – Standard S+V+O structure.
b – "Quickly" usually goes after the verb when simple.
b – Adjective comes before the noun.
a – Correct word order for state of being.
a – Adverb modifying the verb correctly.
a – Adjective before the noun.
b – Adverb between verb "are" and adjective.

Part B:

He studies every day. (Time adverb goes after verb)
The black cat is sleeping. (Adjective before noun)
The performance was very good. (Correct word order)
They live in a big house. (Adjective before noun)
My sister has long hair. (Adjective before noun)
We go shopping at the weekend. (Time phrase at end)
She often arrives late. (Frequency adverb before main verb)
He plays football very well. *("Very" modifies "well")

Part C:

I usually get up at 7 a.m.
They are very friendly.
She always drives carefully.
We went to the beach yesterday.
The students studied hard for the test.
He never speaks politely.
The dinner looks delicious.
The baby is really cute.

Keep Practicing! Understanding word order makes your English sound more natural and clear. Practice often, and don’t be afraid to write your own examples!

Sunday, 22 June 2025

✦ IELTS Topic: Work – 10 Useful Phrases

Climb the career ladder
e.g., Most people work hard in order to climb the career ladder.
Work-life balance
e.g., Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is essential for mental health.
A dead-end job
e.g., He left because he felt stuck in a dead-end job with no opportunities.
Burnout
e.g., Long hours and pressure can lead to employee burnout.
Job satisfaction
e.g., Job satisfaction is more important to me than a high salary.
Freelance work
e.g., Freelance work gives people more flexibility but less job security.
Be stuck in a rut
e.g., After ten years in the same office, I felt stuck in a rut.
To land a job
e.g., She finally landed a job at a top law firm after months of interviews.
Flexible working hours
e.g., Many companies now offer flexible working hours to improve staff morale.
A demanding job
e.g., Being a surgeon is a very demanding job with a lot of stress.

✦ IELTS Speaking Practice Test – Work

Part 1: Introduction & Interview

What kind of job do you have (or want)?
What do you enjoy about your work or studies?
Would you like to do the same job in the future?
Do you prefer working alone or in a team?
What is your idea of a perfect job?

Part 2: Cue Card

Describe a job you would like to do in the future.
You should say:

what the job is
what skills it requires
why you are interested in it
and explain whether you think it would be a good fit for you.

✦ Sample Answers Using the Work Phrases

Part 1 Answers

1. I’d love to land a job in marketing because it combines creativity and communication skills.
2. I really enjoy working on projects where I feel a sense of job satisfaction.
3. Yes, I think I could build a good career and eventually climb the career ladder.
4. I enjoy team projects – they break the routine and keep me from getting stuck in a rut.
5. My perfect job would offer flexible working hours and a healthy work-life balance.

Part 2 Answer

One job I would love to have in the future is being a content strategist for a global company. It’s a creative but demanding job that requires strong writing and digital marketing skills.

I’ve always enjoyed producing content, and the idea of helping shape a company’s voice online really appeals to me. I also value freelance work, so I hope to find a role that offers some flexibility or remote options.

What attracts me most is the chance to develop professionally and eventually climb the career ladder in the field. At the same time, I want to avoid burnout, so a company that promotes a strong work-life balance is very important to me.

All in all, I think this job would be a good fit for my personality and goals.

✦ Comprehension Test: Work Phrases

1. "Most people work hard in order to climb the career ladder."
Q: What does this phrase suggest about people's goals?

2. "Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is essential for mental health."
Q: What is the person trying to manage in this sentence?

3. "He left because he felt stuck in a dead-end job with no opportunities."
Q: Why did the person leave their job?

4. "Long hours and pressure can lead to employee burnout."
Q: What is the danger of working too much?

5. "Job satisfaction is more important to me than a high salary."
Q: What does the speaker value most in a job?

6. "Freelance work gives people more flexibility but less job security."
Q: What are the pros and cons of freelance work?

7. "After ten years in the same office, I felt stuck in a rut."
Q: How does the speaker feel about their work?

8. "She finally landed a job at a top law firm after months of interviews."
Q: What happened after the speaker kept trying?

9. "Many companies now offer flexible working hours to improve staff morale."
Q: Why are flexible hours becoming more popular?

10. "Being a surgeon is a very demanding job with a lot of stress."
Q: What is the nature of the surgeon’s job?

✅ Answer Key

To advance or get promoted
The balance between work and personal life
It didn’t offer progress or growth
Exhaustion or mental collapse
Enjoyment and fulfillment
Flexibility vs. insecurity
Bored and unmotivated
She succeeded in getting the job
To make employees happier
It's stressful and challenging