← All courses
FREE COURSE · NO SIGN-UP

English Grammar Essentials

The grammar that actually moves your band score — explained in plain English, with the common mistakes test-takers make and how to fix them. Work through it in order, or jump to the lesson you need.

What this course covers

  1. The 12 tenses — when to use each (and the 4 that matter most)
  2. Articles: a, an, the, and the "zero article"
  3. Prepositions of time and place
  4. Subject–verb agreement
  5. Conditionals (the "if" sentences examiners love)
  6. Relative clauses — adding detail like a Band 8 writer

Lesson 1 · The tenses that matter most

English has 12 tenses, but in a test you mostly need four: present simple (facts and habits — "Water boils at 100°C"), present perfect (past action with a present result — "I have finished my essay"), past simple (a finished action at a known time — "I studied last night"), and future with 'will/going to'.

Common mistake: "I am living here since 2019." ✗ → "I have lived here since 2019." ✓ — with since and for, use the present perfect.
Exam tip: In IELTS/PTE writing, mixing tenses correctly is a Grammatical Range marker. One clean present-perfect sentence signals control to the examiner.

Lesson 2 · Articles — a, an, the

Use a/an for one non-specific thing ("a university", "an hour"), and the when both you and the reader know which one ("the government", "the environment"). Use no article for general plural or uncountable nouns ("Books are useful", "Information is power").

Quick rule: "a" before a consonant sound, "an" before a vowel sound — "a university" (yoo-), "an hour" (silent h).

Lesson 3 · Prepositions of time & place

at a point (at 6pm, at the door) · on a surface/day (on Monday, on the table) · in an enclosed space or period (in July, in the room, in 2026).

"I'll meet you at the station on Friday in the morning."

Lesson 4 · Conditionals

First (real future): If it rains, I will stay home. Second (unreal now): If I were rich, I would travel. Third (unreal past): If I had studied, I would have passed.

Examiners specifically look for the second and third conditional as evidence of range. One well-placed "If I were…" sentence lifts a speaking answer.

Keep going

Practise what you've learned: check any paragraph you write with the free Band Checker, or take the free English Level Test to see your grammar score. Ready for exam-specific prep? Explore all our courses.

Take the free level test →