📘 Grammar Essentials
Core rules with quick practice.
1. The 12 tenses at a glance (verb: work)
| Simple | Continuous | Perfect | Perfect Continuous | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | I work | I am working | I have worked | I have been working |
| Past | I worked | I was working | I had worked | I had been working |
| Future | I will work | I will be working | I will have worked | I will have been working |
2. Subject–verb agreement
- He goes / They go. Add -s for he/she/it in present simple.
- Everyone, each, nobody take a singular verb: “Everyone is here.”
- “One of my friends lives in Delhi.” (subject is one)
3. Articles
- a before consonant sounds: a university, a one-day trip.
- an before vowel sounds: an hour, an MBA.
- the for something specific or unique: the sun, the book I gave you.
4. Common Indian-English errors
| Avoid | Say |
|---|---|
| I am having two brothers. | I have two brothers. |
| Discuss about the plan. | Discuss the plan. |
| He is knowing English. | He knows English. |
| Revert back soon. | Reply soon. |
| I passed out in 2022. | I graduated in 2022. |
Practice
1. She ___ (live) here since 2019.
has lived2. Neither of them ___ (be) ready.
is3. I saw ___ elephant at ___ zoo.
an, the📗 Daily Vocabulary Builder
Learn 5 words a day. Say each sentence aloud.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Articulate | express clearly | She articulated her ideas well in the meeting. |
| Diligent | hard-working, careful | Diligent students revise every day. |
| Concise | short and clear | Keep your answer concise. |
| Resilient | recovers quickly from difficulty | He stayed resilient after failing once. |
| Meticulous | very careful with detail | She is meticulous about her reports. |
| Pragmatic | practical | We need a pragmatic solution. |
| Ambiguous | having more than one meaning | The question was ambiguous. |
| Eloquent | fluent and persuasive | He gave an eloquent speech. |
| Inevitable | certain to happen | Change is inevitable. |
| Proficient | skilled | She is proficient in English and Hindi. |
| Feasible | possible to do | Is this plan feasible? |
| Candid | honest and direct | Thank you for your candid feedback. |
| Endeavour | serious attempt | We will endeavour to finish on time. |
| Substantial | large in amount | There was a substantial improvement. |
| Versatile | able to do many things | A versatile speaker adapts to any audience. |
Useful phrasal verbs
- look forward to — I look forward to hearing from you.
- figure out — I figured out the answer.
- put off — Don't put off your practice.
- come up with — She came up with a great idea.
- carry on — Carry on speaking, you're doing well.
🗣️ Spoken English Practice Sheet
Speak for 1 minute on one prompt daily. Record yourself and listen back.
- Introduce yourself in 6 sentences: name, city, studies/work, hobbies, a goal, why English matters to you.
- Describe your daily routine using “first, then, after that, finally”.
- Talk about a person who inspires you and why.
- Describe your favourite place in your city.
- What did you do last weekend? (past tense)
- What will you do in the next five years? (future tense)
- Should mobile phones be allowed in schools? Give two reasons.
- Describe a festival you celebrate.
- Tell a story about a time you solved a problem.
- Order food at a restaurant — play both waiter and customer.
Useful phrases
- Giving opinion: In my opinion… / I strongly feel that…
- Buying time: That's an interesting question… / Let me think…
- Agreeing politely: I see your point, but…
- Asking to repeat: Could you say that again, please?
📝 IELTS Writing Templates
Task 1 (Academic) — report on a chart, 150+ words
- Introduction: The [chart] illustrates [what] in [place] between [year] and [year].
- Overview: Overall, it is clear that [main trend] while [second trend].
- Body 1: In [year], [figure]… This rose / fell to [figure] by [year].
- Body 2: By contrast, [category]…
Trend words: rose sharply, increased steadily, fluctuated, remained stable, declined slightly, peaked at, hit a low of.
Task 2 — essay, 250+ words, 4 paragraphs
- Introduction: Paraphrase the question + your clear position. “This essay will argue that…”
- Body 1: Main reason → explanation → example.
- Body 2: Second reason (or the other view and why you disagree) → explanation → example.
- Conclusion: “In conclusion, … ” restate your view in new words.
Linkers: Firstly, Furthermore, Moreover, However, On the other hand, For instance, As a result, Consequently.
💼 Interview Q&A Guide
Tell me about yourself.
Use Present–Past–Future: “I'm currently a … at … . Before this, I … , where I … . Now I'm looking for a role where I can … .” Keep it under 90 seconds.
What are your strengths?
Pick 2 strengths relevant to the job and prove each with one example: “I'm a quick learner — I learnt Excel dashboards in two weeks for a project.”
What is your weakness?
Give a real but non-critical weakness plus your improvement: “I used to hesitate in public speaking, so I joined English classes and now present weekly.”
Why should we hire you?
Match your skills to their needs: “You need someone who … . I have … and I've already … .”
Where do you see yourself in five years?
“I see myself growing into a … role, having built strong skills in … , and contributing to bigger projects here.”
Why do you want to leave your current job?
Stay positive: “I've learnt a lot, and I'm now looking for more responsibility and growth.” Never criticise your employer.
Do you have any questions for us?
Always ask one: “What does success look like in this role in the first six months?”
🎧 Pronunciation Guide
Sounds Indian speakers often mix
| Pair | Practise |
|---|---|
| /v/ vs /w/ | vine – wine, very – wary, vest – west |
| /ʃ/ vs /s/ | ship – sip, shell – sell |
| /θ/ (th) | think, three, thank — tongue between teeth |
| /ð/ (th) | this, that, mother |
| /z/ | zoo, zero, busy (not “jero”) |
Word stress
- PHOtograph – phoTOgrapher – photoGRAPHic
- Nouns often stress the first syllable, verbs the second: a REcord / to reCORD, a PREsent / to preSENT.
- Words ending in -tion stress the syllable before it: inforMAtion, eduCAtion.
Commonly mispronounced
Hotel (ho-TEL), Comfortable (KUMF-ta-bl), Vegetable (VEJ-ta-bl), Wednesday (WENZ-day), Determine (de-TER-min), Suite (sweet).
📙 Grammar Booster: Modals, Conditionals & Prepositions
Modal verbs
| Modal | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| can / could | ability, polite request | Could you help me, please? |
| may / might | permission, possibility | It might rain today. |
| must / have to | strong obligation | You must carry your ID. |
| should / ought to | advice | You should speak English daily. |
| would | polite offer, imagined result | Would you like some tea? |
Conditionals
- Zero: If you heat ice, it melts. (facts)
- First: If it rains, I will stay home. (real future)
- Second: If I were rich, I would travel. (unreal present)
- Third: If I had studied, I would have passed. (unreal past)
- Mixed: If I had taken that job, I would be in Mumbai now.
Prepositions of time and place
| at | on | in |
|---|---|---|
| at 5 pm, at night, at the station | on Monday, on 15 November, on the table | in May, in 2026, in the morning, in Delhi |
Active and passive voice
- Active: The teacher explains the lesson. → Passive: The lesson is explained by the teacher.
- Active: They built this school in 1990. → Passive: This school was built in 1990.
Practice
1. If I ___ (know) earlier, I would have come.
had known2. We met ___ Sunday ___ the evening.
on, in3. You ___ wear a helmet. It's the law.
must4. The letter ___ (write) yesterday.
was written💬 Idioms & Everyday Expressions
Use one new idiom in conversation every day.
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Break the ice | start a conversation | He told a joke to break the ice. |
| Hit the books | study hard | Exams are near, time to hit the books. |
| Piece of cake | very easy | The test was a piece of cake. |
| Under the weather | feeling ill | I'm a bit under the weather today. |
| Once in a blue moon | very rarely | He calls once in a blue moon. |
| Cost an arm and a leg | very expensive | That phone cost an arm and a leg. |
| On the same page | in agreement | Let's make sure we're on the same page. |
| Call it a day | stop working | We've done enough, let's call it a day. |
| Bite the bullet | do something difficult bravely | I bit the bullet and gave the speech. |
| The ball is in your court | it's your decision now | I've made my offer; the ball is in your court. |
| Get the hang of | learn how to do | You'll get the hang of it soon. |
| Keep your fingers crossed | hope for good luck | Keep your fingers crossed for my interview. |
Daily conversation dialogue
A: Hey, long time no see! How have you been?
B: Pretty good, thanks. I've been busy with my English classes.
A: That's great. How's it going?
B: I'm getting the hang of it. Speaking feels much easier now.
✉️ Emails, Letters & Formal Writing
Formal email template
Subject: Request for leave on 20 November
Dear Mr Sharma,
I am writing to request leave on 20 November due to a family function. I have completed my pending tasks and Ms Gupta has agreed to cover any urgent work.
I would be grateful if you could approve my request.
Kind regards,
Rahul Verma
Useful openings
- I am writing to enquire about / to inform you that…
- With reference to your email dated…
- Thank you for your prompt reply.
Useful closings
- I look forward to hearing from you.
- Please let me know if you need any further information.
- Thank you for your time and consideration.
Formal vs informal
| Informal | Formal |
|---|---|
| Sorry for… | I apologise for… |
| I want to… | I would like to… |
| Get back to me | Kindly respond at your earliest convenience |
| Tell me | Please inform me |
| Thanks a lot | I sincerely appreciate… |
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