English uses few inflections when conjugating verbs. An inflection is simply a change to the ending of a word. Inflections are used to specify the subject of the sentence who/that is engaging in the action of the verb, and ensure that the subject and verb of a sentence agree in both tense and number. In English in the present tense, third-person singular (it, she or he) is the only subject that has an inflection. When using it, she or he, make sure to add the inflection “-s” at the end of the present-tense verb.

• Ex: First-person singular: I eat → Third person singular: She eats

Third person plural: They run → Third person singular: He runs 

**Note: “They” is a gender-neutral pronoun that can also be used to represent a third person singular subject. However, due to the history of the word, it still uses the third person plural conjugation. Therefore, when using “they”, no matter if the subject is singular or plural, you should not add the “-s” inflection to the end.  

• Ex: Student 1: “Did you ask Max about their ideas for the group project?”

Student 2: “Yes, they want to focus on the Renaissance.”

Verbs in English occur in three tenses: past, present or future. Simply put, the tense indicates the time at which the verb takes place. However, some verb forms, such as present continuous, may seem confusing since the action occurred in the past, but is being referred to in the present. The explanation behind this verb form, as well as the others, are found below. The verb aspects in English are simple, perfect, and continuous/progressive. The “aspects” give the reader more information about the verb.

Simple

• If the verb is simple, in the present tense this verb is something routine, consistent, or repeated.
  
  Simple present: I like pizza. I study often.
  
  
• In the past tense, simple verbs indicate an action that has a clear beginning and end.
  
  Simple past: I ate an apple. I played soccer in college.
  
  
• In the future tense, simple verbs communicate an action that will be completed in the future or occur repeatedly.         

        Simple future: I will graduate in the spring. I will go to bed at 10pm

Perfect

• Verbs with a perfect aspect use the auxiliary verb “to have.” The perfect aspect indicates verbs that have been completed, no matter the tense. The tense indicates by which time period the action was completed. Use the present perfect when speaking about an action that was completed prior to the present.
  
  Present perfect: I have eaten lunch. I have written my paper.
  
  
• Use the past perfect when writing a story or narrative in the past and describing an action that was already completed at that time in the past.
  
  Past perfect: I had thought I mailed the letter. I had already gone to the store before I realized we were out of milk.
  
  
• Use the future perfect when speaking about an action that will be completed in the future.
  
  Future perfect: I will have taken five English classes by the end of this semester. I will have already completed my driver’s course by January.

Continuous

• The continuous (or progressive) aspect is used to show an action without a definite end or completion. The continuous aspect uses the auxiliary verb “to be.” In the present, the continuous aspect is an action that is on-going in the present.
  
  Continuous present: I am reading a book for class. I am breathing.
  
  
• In the past, the continuous is an action that occurred in the past, either repeatedly or that was not complete at the time being referred to.
  
  Continuous past: I was working out at the gym. I was listening to music.
  
  
• In the future, the continuous is an action that will happen without a specific end.
  
  Continuous future: I will be running for president. I will be studying at the library later.

Perfect Continuous

• Perfect continuous: indicates something that started in the past and has no definite end or is still continuing in the tense being used.
  
  
• Present perfect continuous describes an action that started in the past and is still continuing during the present.
  
  Present perfect continuous: I have been running more often recently.
  
  
• Past perfect continuous describes an action that started in the past and also ended sometime in the past.
  
  Past perfect continuous: We had been worrying about the exam until the professor gave us a study guide.
  
  
• Future perfect continuous describes an action that will take place in the future and continue until a further point in the future.
  
  Future perfect continuous: I will have been living in this apartment for 6 months come June.

The good news is in English, like many languages, there are word families. A word family is a group of words that have the same root, but different endings. Since all the words share a common root meaning, you can learn the meaning of multiple words more quickly than you might with words with unrelated meaning or spelling.

However, sometimes word families can cause more confusion for someone learning English. It can be challenging to differentiate between all the possible endings that can be added to the root of the word. The endings often change the word’s part of speech or the meaning, so it is important to check that you are using the right one to communicate your ideas clearly. Using the wrong ending can completely change the meaning of the word, or just make your writing more difficult to read.

Below, there is a quick guide to common word endings. The link below the chart leads to where the chart is from and where you can find more information on this topic.

 Table above and more information can be found on the EC blog.

Article usage in English can be tricky and sometimes it is difficult to identify which article to use and when to use them. Below are some quick definitions and basic rules, also noting the difference between count and non-count nouns, which impact how articles are used. Butte College’s website was used to create this section and is where the chart below was found. For more information and examples, you can click the link below the chart which will take you to their website.

• Definite article: When the noun, singular or plural, is specific and known the (before a singular or plural noun)
  
  Ex: Did you buy the textbook for biology class? (the speaker is referring to the specific textbook needed for their biology class)
  
  
• Indefinite article: When the noun being referred to is general or unknown
  
  a (before a singular noun beginning with a consonant sound)
  
  an (before a singular noun beginning with a vowel sound)
  
  Ex: I have a test/an exam tomorrow. (In this sentence, the speaker does not specifically say which test/exam this is or for which class. This test or exam is general and could be about anything.)
  
  
• Count nouns: Refers to items that can be counted and are either singular or plural
  
  Ex: I have an apple. (The speaker has one apple.)
  Ex: I have the tickets. (The speaker implies they have a countable number of tickets.)
  
  When a noun is a count noun, the article should be able to be replaced with a number.
  
  Ex: I have one apple. I have two tickets.
  
  
• Non-count nouns: Refers to items that are not counted and are always singular
  
  Ex: The plants need water.
  Ex: I am looking for information on this landmark.

Table and information from Butte College.

Pronouns are words that represent another noun. They are used to avoid repetition.

• Example 1: Do you like mint chocolate chip ice cream? Yes, I like it.
  
  In this example, “it” represents mint chocolate chip ice cream.
  
  
• Example 2: Have you seen Bailey today? Yes, I saw them this morning.
  
  **Here, “them” represents Bailey. Notice that “they” and “them” pronouns can be used as neutral third person singular pronouns or third person plural pronouns. The APA citation format encourages you to use the neutral pronouns “they” and “them” in papers rather than gendered pronouns unless the gender is specifically known and attributed to a person.

Below, there is a list of pronouns and when to use them. For more information on pronouns, check out the website pasted below the chart.

Table from Ginseng English.

Generally speaking, in English the most common sentence structure is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO). Other parts of speech can be added on to this structure to add meaning and description. Adverbs (Adv.), words used to describe a verb, can be placed before or after the verb. Adjectives (Adj.), words used to describe a noun, can be placed before the noun.

• Ex 1: I ate lunch. (S-V-O) or I quickly ate a light lunch. (S-Adv-V-Adj-O).
  
  When using more than one adjective, simply add a comma between each adjective.
  
  
• Ex 2: I have a big, soft, blue blanket.

Order of Adjectives

Note that there is also a commonly understood order of adjectives in English. Putting adjectives in a different order is not necessarily wrong, but may sound odd and be distracting to a reader. Generally, the adjective order in English is:

1. Quantity or number (ex: many, five, one)
2. Quality or opinion (ex: soft, difficult, bright)
3. Size (ex: big, short, smaller)
4. Age (ex: 6 years old, ancient, young)
5. Shape (ex: round, square, curly)
6. Color (ex: purple, hazel, clear)
7. Proper adjective (often nationality, other place of origin, or material) (ex: American, wood, a brand name like Pfizer)
8. Purpose or qualifier (ex: academic, recreational, reading (glasses))

List from Ginger.

Prepositions are often used to indicate direction, location or time and are used in a sentence before a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase. Some commonly known prepositions are “on”, “to” , “in”, “of”, or “at”.  In English, using prepositions properly often requires memorization.

Contractions are used to put two words together into a single word, often for ease when speaking. Common examples of contractions are “can’t” (can + not) and “shouldn’t” (should +not). Contractions are commonly used in conversational and casual writing in English, and many are colloquial in nature. For this reason, it is best to avoid using contractions when writing for formal or academic purposes. Instead, it is suggested to write out the full words.

• Ex: We will conduct a study. (Rather than, “We’ll conduct a study.”)

Punctuation refers to the marks used to clarify meaning in writing such as periods, commas and exclamation marks. Punctuation can be complex, and  is often challenging for those learning English. Below are some general rules you look at when you are trying to decide what type of punctuation to use and where. If you are still unsure about punctuation usage, making an appointment with the Writing Center or conducting further research online could help support your writing.

• Period
  
  Periods (.): are the most commonly used punctuation. They should be used after each complete sentence if no other form of punctuation is used; a complete sentence is one that uses a subject and verb.
  
  Ex: He woke up. Then, he stretched.
  
  
• Comma
  
  Commas (,): are frequently misused. Commas are used when listing items, interrupting a sentence, using a transition phrase, or using a dependent clause. Commas should not be used in place of a period. Commas should not be used to connect two independent clauses or complete sentences.
  
  Listing: I need to get apples, rice and beans from the store.
  
  Interrupting a sentence: She decided, rather than waiting until Saturday, she would go to the grocery store today.
  
  Transition phrase: Thankfully, the rainfall did not begin until the afternoon.
  
  Dependent clause: If the storm had started earlier, he would have had to walk home in the rain. (A dependent clause is one that is not complete and cannot stand on its own and, consequently, relies on the independent clause, a sentence that could stand alone or support a dependent clause. In the example above, the dependent clause is indicated by the beginning term “if.”)
  
  
• Semicolon
  
  Semicolons (;): connect two complete, independent sentences. As a general rule, a semicolon should be able to be replaced by a period. You would use a semicolon instead of a period if the sentences you are connecting are related in some way and you would like to show their relationship stylistically.
  
  Ex: The peanuts grown in Virginia are distinct from peanuts grown in the rest of the world; they are larger and taste different than standard peanuts.
  
  
• Colon
  
  Colons (:): are used to connect a complete sentence to an incomplete clause or phrase.
  
  Ex: When her kitten got stuck at the top of the giant maple tree in the backyard, the protagonist knew she would have to overcome her biggest fear: heights.
  
  
• Exclamation mark
  
  Exclamation marks (!): indicate excitement or emphasize importance. They are often used in announcements, warnings or when writing dialogue. The use of exclamation marks should be limited when writing formal or academic papers as overuse of exclamation marks can seem exaggerated.
  
  
• Question mark
  
  Question marks (?): simply indicate when the writer, or narrator, is proposing a question. When writing in academic and formal settings, questions and question marks should be limited. Asking too many questions in an academic paper may show uncertainty or indecisiveness. If you do ask a question, it should be important and necessary.