Engelsk minigrammatikk
Copyright © 2025 by Vigmostad & Bjørke AS
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1. utgave / 1. opplag 2025
ISBN: 978-82-11-05149-3
Grafisk produksjon: John Grieg, Bergen
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This mini-grammar introduces basic grammar topics you need in order to write texts in English.
Words you need to understand grammar
A negative sentence = a sentence with not example : I am not happy.
A positive sentence = a sentence without not. example : I am happy.
Singular = one example : one girl
Plural = two or more example : two girls
Definite = one specific person/thing example : the apple (singular + definite) example : the apples (plural + definite)
Indefinite = any people/things in this category example : an apple (singular + indefinite) example : apples (plural + indefinite)
Inflection = a word changes to show person (1st/2nd/3rd), number (singular/plural) and tense (present simple/past simple, etc.).
example : an apple – the apple – apples – the apples (inflection of the noun apple)
Concord = a verb changes form to show person, number and tense. The verb and the person have to match. example : I like – you like – he/she/it likes – we/you/they like
Tense = when an action happens (present, past, future). example : I swim - I swam - I am going to swim
Subject = the person / the thing that acts in a sentence. example : The dog eats food. (subject = the dog)
Object = the person / the thing that the action happens to.
example : I have a dog. (object = a dog)
Clause = a sentence or a part of a sentence. A clause must have a verb.
example : I have a dog. (a main clause – can stand alone.)
example : I have a dog and his name is Bruce. (Two main clauses connected by and.)
Subordinate clause = a part of a sentence. It follows a subordinating conjunction and needs a main clause to become a complete sentence.
example : His name is Bruce because I like the actor Bruce Willis. (main clause + subordinate clause)
example : Because I like the actor Bruce Willis. (This is not a complete sentence.)
The alphabet
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y/y z
Vowels = the letters a, e, i, o, u and sometimes y (as in July, family, twenty).
Consonants = all letters that are not vowels: b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, z and sometimes y (as in yellow, yoghurt).
1 Nouns
Nouns are words that name people, places or things: a boy, a school, a cup.
1.1 Proper nouns
Some nouns are proper nouns. Proper nouns are names. Names start with a capital letter.
COMMON NOUNS
PROPER NOUNS
a boy Thomas
He is a boy. His name is Thomas.
Proper nouns name specific people, places or things. Days, months and holidays are also proper nouns. All proper nouns start with a capital letter.
example : the Thames (a river in England)
example : Monday
example : April
example : Christmas
1.2 Singular and plural nouns
A singular noun names one person, place or thing. A plural noun names two or more people, places or things.
General rule
The plural noun ends with -s. This shows that we have more than one.
SINGULAR
PLURAL
a boy boys
a school schools a cup cups
Exceptions
Nouns that end with -o, -s, -ss, -ch, -sh, -z, -x get -es in the plural.
SINGULAR PLURAL
a tomato tomatoes a class classes a beach beaches a box boxes
Nouns that end with a consonant before a -y get -ies in the plural.
SINGULAR PLURAL
a family (l is a consonant) families a baby (b is a consonant) babies
Nouns that end with an -f or -fe sometimes get -ves in the plural.
SINGULAR PLURAL
wife wives knife knives wolf wolves
1.3 Irregular nouns
Some plural nouns do not end with -s. They are irregular. The plural form of these nouns changes in the middle or at the end, or sometimes both. Sometimes irregular verbs stay the same.
SINGULAR PLURAL
a child children a man men a woman women a moose moose
1.4 Countable nouns
Countable nouns are singular or plural.
SINGULAR
PLURAL
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
a boy the boy boys the boys a class the class classes the classes a family the family families the families a woman the woman women the women a foot the foot feet the feet
1.5 Uncountable nouns
Some nouns are uncountable. We think of them as one. They can only be used in one form.
You cannot say:
• a/an + an uncountable noun
• one/two/three + an uncountable noun
COUNTABLE
UNCOUNTABLE
a boy a water one boy one water
Quantifiers help you make uncountable nouns countable.
SINGULAR
a bottle of milk
PLURAL
two bottles of milk
a piece of cake three pieces of cake
a bowl of cereal four bowls of cereal a cup of coffee
five cups of coffee
Some nouns are usually plural. Quantifiers help you make plural nouns singular.
SINGULAR
PLURAL
a piece of news news
a piece of advice advice
NOTE
Uncountable nouns stay the same. example : milk, cakes, cereal, coffee
Uncountable nouns are often:
• food: water, cake, bread, milk, wine, cereal, flour, salt
• feelings: anger, happiness, sadness
• activities: sleep, help, homework
• ideas: advice, information, news
• weather: rain, snow