English Course for Native Czech Speakers, Common English Grammar Problems
Free Online Grammar Lessons: Concentrate on your common mistakes here.
Study, practise and produce your own examples. You will need one of these books:
Essential Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy for Elementary/Pre-Intermediate Levels -Red Book Cambridge University Press, or
Essential Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy for Intermediate/Upper-Intermediate Levels-Blue Book Cambridge University Press
Click on the "Study Book" link in the table, to know what units to study very well.
| Grammar Topic | Grammar Problem | Correct Examples | Study Material |
| ArticlesVery important! | Use and non-use of articles | I have a dog.The computer isn't working.I like chocolate. | Exercise |
| Time, tense and aspect: | |||
| 1. Past | Present PerfectVery important!Past Continuous Past Perfect | She still hasn't come. I've seen that film.I was watching TV when you rang.Ihad never seenher before. | Exercise |
| 2. Present | Present Cont.Present Simple | They are working now. Shelives here. | Exercise |
| 3. Future | "Going to" or "Will" Present Cont. with future meaning Future time clauses
Future Perfect |
The film will end in ten minutes.I'm meeting her tomorrow. When I getthere, I will phone you.He will have come back by Monday. |
|
| Word Order: Very important! | Verbs Adverbs |
This is the house where my friends live.The question that the teacher asked was easy.I speak Czech well.I don't often go to the cinema. | Exercise |
| Adjectives | I live in an old, green, detached house. | Exercise | |
| Final Prepositions | What are you looking at? Where are you from? | ||
| Indirect Questions | Tell me how he is.He asked how you do it. | ||
| Questions and Negatives | Auxiliary Verbs | Does she live here? He doesn't know him. | Very important! |
| Question Tags, Short Answers | Positive or Negative? | You speak French, don't you? Yes, I do. | |
| "It" , "There" as subjects | There or it? | It is cold today.It's already getting dark. There is a table in my room. | Very important! |
| Modal Verbs | Modal Auxiliaries, must, need to, needn't etc. | I have to go.He needn't come. | Very important! |
| Conditionals | The 1st conditional, Mixed conditionals | If I pass, I will celebrate.If I had listened, I would be rich today. | Exercise 1 Exercise 2 |
| The Passive Voice | The continuous passive,Adjectives. | It is being done now.I was born in 1980.I am interested in music. | |
| Reported Speech | Said or Told? Reporting Verbs |
He told me that you are busy.He said that you are busy. He realised she didn't know about it. | |
| Singular/Plural | Nouns, a half are, a lot are……. | He has sixty sheep.I love that woman. | Very important! |
| Countable or Uncountable | Nouns like money, news, advice, furniture, door…… | I would like some more rice.Where are my pencils? | |
| Adjectives and Adverbs | Which will I use? | It looks beautiful.She sings beautifully.Give me the red one, please. | Exercise |
| Adjectives with Prepositions | What preposition is correct? | I am aware of that.She is related to them. | Exercise |
| Comparatives and Superlatives | Which one will I use? | This is better than that.That is the worst film I've seen. | |
| Pronouns: | Personal Pronouns Possessive Pronouns Reflexive Pronouns | I can't see him.I have to do my homework. I looked at myself in the mirror. | Very important! |
| Quantifiers | Many, much, few, a few, a lot, lots, any, some…………. | Did you buy much food? Have you many friends?He has lots of friends. | Exercise Very important! |
| Relative Pronouns/ Clauses | Which, who, that or none of these. | The man who lives there is a policeman.This is all that I need. | |
| Infinitive or Gerund | "to do something" or "doing something"? | I enjoy dancing.He should stop smoking.He denied stealing the car. | Exercise Very important! |
| Irregular Verbs and Past Participles | Forget, forgot, forgotten, Bite, bit, bitten, Drive, drove, driven | I held her hand all evening.I have hidden the photos.I was chosen by the teacher. | Learn 3-5 verbs everyday! |
| Prepositions | On, in, at, since, for, no preposition…………... | With a Preposition:at work/school/universityat the party/concert
at Christmas/Easter at the bottom/top Sit at the table. On TV/radio I was there for ten days See you in ten days. That is typical of him. I am better/bigger than you. He is angry at her. He married to her. I arrived in Dublin today. in front of the museum. an exam in mathematics. good/bad at mathematics. It is made of wood. It was discussed among the students. I listen to music everyday. Explain to me why you . . . Repeat to me why you . No Preposition: I have to go home He is at home Let's discuss this later I can't believe this I can't ride a bicycle I've never climbed a tree I left school last year. I am doing it next week. |
Very important!Learn 3 everyday! |
| Verbs with Prepositions | Listen to, speak to, think of, wait for, look at…… | I forget to thank him for the gift. It belongs to her. | Learn 3-5 verbs every day! |
| Phrasal Verbs Very important! | Eat out, go out, fall off, fall out, make up, chill out, get round……… | I got on the bus. I got off the train. I got into the car. | Exercise |