English Grammar in Use - Reference and Practice Vocabulary

Vocabulary practice flashcards defining key grammar terms, verb structures, and syntactic concepts covered in English Grammar in Use (Fifth Edition).

Present Continuous

A verb tense formed with am/is/are + -ing; used for an action happening now (at the time of speaking) or around now that has started but is not finished, as well as for changes that have started to happen.

Present Simple

A verb tense using the base form of the verb (adding -s or -es for he/she/it); used to talk about things in general, repeated or habitual actions, and general truths.

Stative Verbs

Verbs that describe a state rather than an action (such as like, want, need, prefer, know, realise, understand, believe, mean, belong, consist, seem) and are not normally used in the continuous form.

Past Simple

A verb tense ending in -ed for regular verbs (or using irregular forms); used to describe actions, events, or situations that were completed at a definite time in the past.

Past Continuous

A verb tense formed with was/were + -ing; indicates that somebody was in the middle of doing an action at a certain time in the past that started before that time and was not finished.

Present Perfect Simple

A verb tense formed with have/has + past participle; connects a past action or event with the present, often providing new information or describing a past event with a result now.

Present Perfect Continuous

A verb tense formed with have/has been + -ing; used for an activity that has recently or just stopped (with a present result), or an activity that began in the past and is still happening.

Past Perfect Simple

A verb tense formed with had + past participle; used to describe an action that happened before another action or time in the past.

Past Perfect Continuous

A verb tense formed with had been + -ing; expresses that an action or activity had been in progress before another event occurred in the past.

Used to (do)

A past grammatical structure used to say that something was done regularly or was true in the past, but is no longer done or true in the present.

Future Continuous

A verb form using will be + -ing; indicates that someone will be in the middle of doing an action at a specific future time, or refers to complete actions that are part of a schedule.

Future Perfect

A verb form using will have + past participle; indicates that an action or situation will already be complete before a specific time in the future.

Modal Verbs

Auxiliary verbs (such as can, could, may, might, must, should, will, would) used to express ability, permission, possibility, certainty, necessity, or obligation.

Subjunctive

The base form of the verb (infinitive without to) used after verbs such as insist, recommend, demand, and suggest, or adjectives like essential and vital.

Had better

A structure followed by the base infinitive (had better do) meaning that an action is advisable in a specific situation, where not doing it creates a danger or problem.

Passive Voice

A grammatical construction formed with be (is/was etc.) + past participle, where the subject receives the action rather than performing it, used when the agent is unknown or unimportant.

Causative 'Have'

The structure have + object + past participle; used to express that you arrange for somebody else to do something for you, or that an event happens to you or your belongings.

Reported Speech

A grammatical structure used to report what someone said without using their exact words, typically shifting present tense verbs into the past (e.g., am/is to was, will to would).

Auxiliary Verb

A helping verb (such as have, do, be, can, will) used with a main verb to make questions, negatives, and compound tenses, or used alone to avoid repeating phrases.

Question Tag

A mini-question placed at the end of a sentence using an auxiliary verb and pronoun, used either to invite agreement (falling intonation) or to ask a genuine question (rising intonation).

Gerund

A verb form ending in -ing that functions as a noun or verb complement; used after prepositions and certain verbs such as enjoy, mind, suggest, admit, and avoid.

Infinitive with 'to'

The base form of a verb preceded by to; used after verbs like decide, refuse, manage, and promise, as well as to express purpose (why someone does something).

Countable Noun

A noun that has both singular and plural forms, can be counted with numbers, and takes the indefinite article a/an in the singular (e.g., banana, accident).

Uncountable Noun

A noun that has only one form without a plural, cannot be counted directly with numbers or preceded by a/an, and refers to substances, concepts, or categories (e.g., advice, furniture, luggage, news).

Compound Noun

A structure where two nouns are placed together (noun + noun) so that the first noun functions like an adjective describing the second (e.g., bus driver, car park).

Reflexive Pronoun

A pronoun ending in -self or -selves (myself, yourself, themselves) used when the subject and the object of the verb are the same person or thing, or used for emphasis.

Defining Relative Clause

A Type 1 relative clause that tells the listener or reader exactly which person or thing is meant; it is written without commas and allows the use of that instead of who/which.

Non-defining Relative Clause

A Type 2 relative clause that gives extra, non-essential information about a person or thing already identified; it must be separated by commas and cannot use that.

Participle Clause

A clause beginning with a present participle (-ing) to describe an active, continuous, or cause-and-effect action, or a past participle (-ed) to convey a passive meaning.

Phrasal Verb

A multi-word verb made of a verb combined with one or more particles (such as in, out, on, off, up, down, away, back), which often gives the verb an idiomatic meaning.