Grammar Rules

Grammar Rules

Here are 20 simple rules and tips to help you avoid mistakes in English grammar. For more comprehensive rules please look under the appropriate topic (part of speech etc) on our grammar page.

A sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a period/full stop, a question mark or an exclamation mark.

句子以大写字母开始，以句点/完整句尾，问号后感叹号结尾.

• The fat cat sat on the mat.
• Where do you live?
• My dog is very clever!

The order of a basic positive sentence is Subject-Verb-Object. (Negative and question sentences may have a different order.)

一个基本的肯定句的顺序是Subject-Verb-Object。（否定句或疑问句可能有不同的顺序）

• John loves Mary.
• They were driving their car to Bangkok.

Every sentence must have a subject and a verb. An object is optional. Note that an imperative sentence may have a verb only, but the subject is understood.

每个句子必须有主语和动词。一个对象是可选项。请注意，命令式句子可能只有一个动词，但是主体是被理解的.

• John teaches.
• John teaches English.
• Stop! (ie You stop!)

The subject and verb must agree in number, that is a singular subject needs a singular verb and a plural subject needs a plural verb.

主语和动词必须在数量上一致，就是一个单一的主体需要单数动词，复数主体需要复数动词.

• John works in London.
• That monk eats once a day.
• John and Mary work in London.
• Most people eat three meals a day.

When two singular subjects are connected by or, use a singular verb. The same is true for either/or and neither/nor.

当两个单主语用or连接，使用单数动词。

• John or Mary is coming tonight.
• Either coffee or tea is fine.
• Neither John nor Mary was late.

Adjectives usually come before a noun (except when a verb separates the adjective from the noun).

形容词通常在名词之前（除了当一个动词将形容词和名词分开）

• I have a big dog.
• She married a handsome Italian man.
• (Her husband is rich.)

When using two or more adjectives together, the usual order is opinion-adjective + fact-adjective + noun. (There are some additional rules for the order of fact adjectives.)

当一起使用两个或多个形容词时，通常的顺序是 opinion-adjective（意见形容词）+fact-adjective（事实形容词）+名词（fact adjectives的顺序还有一些额外的规则）

• I saw a nice French table.
• That was an interesting Shakespearian play.

Treat collective nouns (eg committee, company, board of directors) as singular OR plural. In BrE a collective noun is usually treated as plural, needing a plural verb and pronoun. In AmE a collective noun is often treated as singular, needing a singular verb and pronoun.

将集体名词（如委员会，公司，董事会）视作单数或复数.

在英式英语中，集体名词通常被视为复数，需要复数动词和代词.

在美式英语中，集体名称通常被视为单数，需要一个单数动词和代词.

• The committee are having sandwiches for lunch. Then they will go to London. (typically BrE)
• The BBC have changed their logo. (typically BrE)
• My family likes going to the zoo. (typically AmE)
• CNN has changed its logo. (typically AmE)

The words its and it's are two different words with different meanings.

its和it's是两个不同含义的词

• The dog has hurt its leg.
• He says it's two o'clock.

The words your and you're are two different words with different meanings.

• Here is your coffee.
• You're looking good.

The words there, their and they're are three different words with different meanings.

• There was nobody at the party.
• I saw their new car.
• Do you think they're happy?

The contraction he's can mean he is OR he has. Similarly, she's can mean she is OR she has, and it's can mean it is OR it has, and John's can mean John is OR John has.

• He is working
• He has finished.
• She is here.
• She has left.
• John is married.
• John has divorced his wife.

The contraction he'd can mean he had OR he would. Similarly, they'd can mean they had OR they would.

• He had eaten when I arrived.
• He would eat more if possible.
• They had already finished.
• They would come if they could.

Spell a proper noun with an initial capital letter. A proper noun is a "name" of something, for example Josef, Mary, Russia, China, British Broadcasting Corporation, English.

用一个大写字母拼出一个专有名词。专有名词是一个“名”的东西，例如Josef，玛丽，俄罗斯，中国，英国国家广播公司，英语.

• We have written to Mary.
• Is China in Asia?
• Do you speak English?

Spell proper adjectives with an initial capital letter. Proper adjectives are made from proper nouns, for example Germany → German, Orwell → Orwellian, Machiavelli → Machiavellian.

用大写字母拼写专有形容词。专有形容词是由专有名词形成，例如德国→德国，奥威尔→奥威尔，马基雅维利→权谋。

• London is an English town.
• Who is the Canadian prime minister?
• Which is your favourite Shakespearian play?

Use the indefinite article a/an for countable nouns in general. Use the definite article the for specific countable nouns and all uncountable nouns.

用不定冠词a表示可数名词。用定冠词表示特定的可数名词和所有不可数名词。

• I saw a bird and a balloon in the sky. The bird was blue and the balloon was yellow.
• He always saves some of the money that he earns.

Use the indefinite article a with words beginning with a consonant sound. Use the indefinite article an with words beginning with a vowel sound.

辅音开头的单词用不定冠词a。用元音开头的单词用不定冠词an。

• a cat, a game of golf, a human endeavour, a Frenchman, a university (you-ni-ver-si-ty)
• an apple, an easy job, an interesting story, an old man, an umbella, an honorable man (on-o-ra-ble)

Use many or few with countable nouns. Use much/a lot or little for uncountable nouns.

可数名词用many或few，对不可数名词使用much或a lot或little。

• How many dollars do you have?
• How much money do you have?
• There are a few cars outside.
• There is little traffic on the roads.

To show possession (who is the owner of something) use an apostrophe + s for singular owners, and s + apostrophe for plural owners.

显示所有格（谁是事情的owner），单数使用使用撇号+s，复数使用s+撇号

• The boy's dog. (one boy)
• The boys' dog. (two or more boys)

In general, use the active voice (Cats eat fish) in preference to the passive voice (Fish are eaten by cats).

一般来说，用主动语态（猫吃鱼），而不是被动语态（鱼是猫吃的）

• We use active in preference to passive.
• Active is used in preference to passive.

Exclamation [ˌɛkskləˈmeʃən] [ˌekskləˈmeɪʃn]	n.感叹；感叹词；呼喊；感叹语 He added an exclamation mark at the end of the sentence. She added a big exclamation mark at the end of the sentence. Have to exclamation this is a brave of young.
period [ˈpɪriəd] [ˈpɪəriəd]	n.时期，时间，学时，句号 adj.具有某个时代特征的，某一时代的 This crisis might last for a long period of time. I don't want to do it, period. 我不想做，这事到此为止吧. There were many important events in this period.
Capital [ˈkæpɪtl] [ˈkæpɪtl]	n.资本；首都；资源；大写字母 adj.资本的，首都的，极好的 The name and address are written in capitals.
Comprehensive [ˌkɑ:mprɪˈhensɪv] [ˌkɒmprɪˈhensɪv]	adj.综合的，广泛的，有理解力的，悟性好的 n.专业综合考试 The students were doing a comprehensive review of the term's work. 学生正在进行全学期功课的总和复习
Appropriate [əˈproʊpriət] [əˈprəʊpriət]	adj.适当的；合适的；恰当的 v.盗用；侵吞 Several other newspapers have appropriate the idea. 另外几家报社已经盗用这个创意. The teacher can then take appropriate action. 老师到时候可以采取适当的行动. Dress neatly and attractively in an outfit appropriate to the job. 着装要整洁美观，适合于这份工作.
Plural [ˈplʊrəl] [ˈplʊərəl]	1、Adjective 复数的 more than one in number 2、noun 复数；复数形式 A plural word of form.
singular [ˈsɪŋɡjəlɚ] [ˈsɪŋgjələ(r)]	Adj.奇特的，非凡的，单数的，突出的 n.单数形式
countable nouns	可数名词
collective noun [kəˈlɛktɪv naʊn] [kəˈlektiv naun]	n.集体名词，集合名词
proper noun [ˈprɑpɚ naʊn] [ˈprɔpə naun]	n. 专有名词
indefinite article [ɪnˈdɛfənɪt ˈɑrtɪkəl] [inˈdefinit ˈɑ:tikl]	n. 不定冠词
contraction [kənˈtrækʃən] [kənˈtrækʃn]	n.收缩，缩减，缩写
Consonant [ˈkɑ:nsənənt] [ˈkɒnsənənt]	n.辅音字母;辅音，子音 adj.一致的;符合的;协和音的;和音的
Vowel [ˈvaʊəl] [ˈvaʊəl]	n.元音;母音 adj.元音的;母音的
Possession [pəˈzɛʃən] [pəˈzeʃn]	n. 有，所有，拥有;领地;财产，所有权，占有物，所有物;持有违禁物
apostrophe [əˈpɑ:strəfi [əˈpɒstrəfi]	撇号;省略符号;所有格符号;<语>呼语
Preference [ˈprɛfərəns, ˈprɛfrəns] [ˈprefrəns]	n. 偏爱;优先权;偏爱的事物;（债权人）受优先偿还的权利

From <https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/rules.htm>