English Grammar Guides

Clear, practical explanations of every major grammar topic — tenses, articles, modals, conditionals, passive voice, and more — with examples and free exercises.

Tenses Articles Modal Verbs Conditionals Passive Voice Adjectives Adverbs

Tenses & Verb Forms

Everything you need to master English tenses — from all 12 tense forms to the most confusing contrasts like Present Perfect vs Past Simple.

GrammarAll Levels

English Grammar Tenses: The Complete Guide with Examples

All 12 English tenses explained clearly — forms, signal words, common mistakes, and the 5 most confusing tense pairs compared side by side.

11 min readRead more →
GrammarReference

Complete English Tenses Chart: All 12 Tenses Explained

A clear, printable reference chart covering all 12 English tenses with form, use, and example sentences in one place.

11 min readRead more →
GrammarB1–B2

Present Perfect vs Past Simple: When to Use Each Tense

Clear rules, signal words, and side-by-side comparisons — master this essential tense distinction for IELTS and everyday English.

10 min readRead more →
GrammarA2–C1

The English Tense Timeline: A Visual Guide to All 12 Tenses

All 12 English tenses mapped on a timeline — forms, key uses, signal words, and a master comparison table to pick the right tense every time.

14 min readRead more →
GrammarB1–C1

English Irregular Verbs: The Complete List with Examples

All 150+ essential irregular verbs organised by pattern group — base form, past simple, past participle — with examples and memory tips.

12 min readRead more →
GrammarB1–C1

Gerunds and Infinitives: When to Use Each Form

Understand when to use gerunds (verb+ing) vs infinitives (to+verb) with clear rules and practice exercises.

10 min readRead more →

Articles, Prepositions & Determiners

Three of the trickiest areas for ESL learners — tackled with clear rules, tables, and plenty of example sentences.

GrammarA2–C1

English Articles: The Complete Guide to a, an, and the

Master definite, indefinite, and zero articles with clear rules, exceptions, and practical IELTS Writing tips for every level.

11 min readRead more →
GrammarA2–B2

English Prepositions: The Complete Guide for ESL Learners

Stop guessing at/in/on. Master prepositions of time, place, and movement plus 50+ dependent prepositions — with examples and common mistakes.

10 min readRead more →
GrammarB1–C1

Common English Prepositional Phrases: 40 Essential Examples

Learn 40 fixed prepositional phrases that native speakers use every day — grouped by meaning to help you remember them.

10 min readRead more →
GrammarA2–B2

English Determiners: The Complete Guide

Articles, quantifiers, demonstratives, possessives — every category of determiner explained with clear rules, examples, and common ESL errors to avoid.

10 min readRead more →
GrammarA2–B2

English Quantifiers: All, Both, Every, Each, Few, Much and More

A complete guide to English quantifiers — when to use all, both, every, each, few, little, much, many, and more with countable and uncountable nouns.

10 min readRead more →

Modal Verbs, Conditionals & Complex Grammar

Level up with advanced grammar structures used in formal writing, academic English, and fluent speech.

GrammarB1–C1

English Modal Verbs: can, must, should, might and More

All nine modal verbs in one guide — ability, obligation, permission, possibility, and modal perfect forms with tables and practice links.

12 min readRead more →
GrammarB1–C1

English Conditional Sentences: The Complete Guide

Zero, first, second, third, and mixed conditionals explained with clear structures, example sentences, and common mistakes to avoid.

9 min readRead more →
GrammarB1–C1

English Passive Voice: When and How to Use It

Formation tables for all tenses, when to prefer passive over active, academic writing tips, and 10 exercises to consolidate your understanding.

10 min readRead more →
GrammarB2–C1

Wish, If Only and Would Rather in English: A Complete Guide

How to use wish, if only, and would rather to express regrets, desires, and preferences — with clear tense rules, common mistakes, and practice examples.

9 min readRead more →
GrammarB2–C1

Participle Clauses in English: Making Your Writing More Concise

Present and past participle clauses explained — how to form them, when to use them, and how they make academic and formal writing more sophisticated.

10 min readRead more →
GrammarB2–C1

Hedging Language in English: Softening Statements Professionally

Master hedging language — modal verbs, adverbs, impersonal structures, and reporting verbs — to sound appropriately cautious in academic writing and professional speech.

10 min readRead more →

Adjectives, Adverbs & Word Classes

Descriptive language done right — from adjective order to adverb position, plus reported speech and direct speech rules.

GrammarA2–C1

English Adjectives: Types, Order & Comparatives

All about adjectives — the 8-category order rule, -ing vs -ed adjectives, comparatives, superlatives and common mistakes.

10 min readRead more →
GrammarA2–B2

English Adverbs: Types, Formation & Position

Manner, frequency, degree, time and place adverbs — how to form them, where to put them in a sentence, and 50+ examples with common mistakes.

9 min readRead more →
GrammarB1–B2

Direct and Indirect Speech: Rules & Examples

How to convert between direct and indirect speech — tense backshift, pronoun changes, reporting verbs, and common mistakes with practice exercises.

9 min readRead more →
GrammarAll Levels

English Grammar Exercises Online: Practice for Every Level

From A1 articles to C1 inversion — the best online grammar exercises matched to your CEFR level, with a daily practice routine.

7 min readRead more →
GrammarBeginner

English Grammar for Beginners: A Practical Guide

A clear, jargon-free introduction to English sentence structure, tenses, articles, and prepositions — with examples for every rule.

10 min readRead more →
GrammarA1–B2

English Sentence Structure: The Complete Guide

Subject-verb-object, simple and compound sentences, clauses and phrases — a clear guide to how English sentences are built, with examples for every level.

11 min readRead more →

FAQ: English Grammar

Frequently Asked Questions

Where should a beginner start with English grammar?
Beginners should start with the English Grammar for Beginners guide, which covers sentence structure, basic tenses, articles, and prepositions with jargon-free explanations. Once comfortable, move on to individual topic guides like English Tenses or English Articles.
What are the 12 English tenses?
The 12 English tenses are: Simple Present, Present Continuous, Present Perfect, Present Perfect Continuous, Simple Past, Past Continuous, Past Perfect, Past Perfect Continuous, Simple Future, Future Continuous, Future Perfect, and Future Perfect Continuous. Each expresses a different time relationship — see the English Grammar Tenses guide for full explanations and examples.
What is the difference between active and passive voice?
In the active voice, the subject performs the action (e.g. The chef cooked the meal). In the passive voice, the subject receives the action (e.g. The meal was cooked by the chef). The passive is formed with be + past participle and is commonly used in academic and formal writing when the agent is unknown or unimportant.
When do I use 'a' vs 'an' vs 'the' in English?
Use 'a' before singular countable nouns starting with a consonant sound, 'an' before a vowel sound, and 'the' when referring to something specific or previously mentioned. The zero article is used with plural countable nouns and uncountable nouns in general statements. The English Articles guide covers all rules with examples and common exceptions.
What are modal verbs in English?
Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs — can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would — that express ability, possibility, permission, obligation, or prediction. They are followed by the base infinitive and do not take -s in the third person singular. The Modal Verbs guide covers all nine modals with usage tables and examples.
How many conditional forms are there in English?
There are five main conditional forms: Zero (general truths), First (real future possibility), Second (unreal present/future), Third (unreal past), and Mixed (combining past condition with present result or vice versa). Each uses a specific if-clause + result clause tense combination covered fully in the English Conditionals guide.
What is the difference between direct and indirect speech?
Direct speech quotes the exact words spoken, enclosed in quotation marks (e.g. She said, 'I am tired'). Indirect (reported) speech conveys the meaning without quoting exactly, often requiring tense backshift, pronoun changes, and time/place expression changes (e.g. She said she was tired).
What is the correct order of adjectives before a noun?
English adjectives follow the order: Opinion – Size – Age – Shape – Colour – Origin – Material – Purpose. For example: a lovely small old round green French silver whittling knife. Native speakers apply this order instinctively; the English Adjectives guide provides memory aids and plenty of practice examples.
How do English adverbs differ from adjectives?
Adjectives modify nouns (a quick decision), while adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs (she spoke quickly; incredibly fast). Most adverbs are formed by adding -ly to an adjective, though some are irregular (well, fast, hard). The English Adverbs guide covers types, formation, and position in a sentence.
Can I practise grammar interactively on LexFizz?
Yes. Every grammar guide on LexFizz links to free interactive exercises including grammar quizzes, complete-the-sentence activities, and word-order games. No registration is required. Visit the Exercises section at lexfizz.com/exercises/ to browse all available practice activities by skill and level.