There are three basic kinds of verbs plus many subclasses. Here we cover only the three basic types. Initially, verbs are divided into main verbs and auxiliary verbs. Then auxiliary verbs are divided ...

THE following simple-sounding but actually rather complicated grammar question was posted in Jose Carillo’s English Forum recently by Education student Justine Aragones: “How does the use of auxiliary ...

Sometimes you can guess the meaning of a phrasal verb because it is related to the main verb. Look at this example again. Shall we give away all the old books in the office? The meaning is clearly ...

Writing in the active voice makes the meaning clear while keeping sentences from becoming complicated and wordy. Sentences using passive voice are not necessarily wrong, just less effective than ...

Verbs are the action words in English, and they are the heart of every sentence. Understanding how to use different verb forms correctly is essential for clear, powerful, and accurate communication, ...

To first-time learners of the English language, what could easily be its most baffling aspect is its use of the so-called causatives. English uses this strange grammatical structure to denote ...

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. A note on verbs. In the Art of Persuasion column a fortnight ago I discussed how you make the reader’s (or ...

In English, we can express sentences in two different ways: active voice and passive voice. The active voice is used when the focus is on the subject (or agent) of the main verb. This is the person or ...