This page was going to be called I KNOW THE GRAMMAR, or SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW THE GRAMMAR, but that´s too long for the title bar, so I´m settling for Gray´s Grammar. The issue isn´t so much if you know the grammar as do you know how to use the grammar. The most common mistake made by English learners is to say used to when they mean usually. Another mistake is to use one to say a.
- I usually have a black coffee for breakfast
The grammar´s right, there´s a subject (I) followed by an adverb of frequency (usually) followed by a finite verb (have) followed by an indefinite article (a) followed by an adjective (black) followed by a noun (coffee) followed by a preposition (for) followed by another noun (breakfast) which also happens to be the object of the preposition for.
2. I usually have one black coffee for breakfast
The grammar of this sentence is also correct. The only difference in the structure is instead the indefinite article has been replaced by a determiner, the number one.
3. I used to have a black coffee for breakfast
Once again, there´s nothing wrong with the grammar, the adverb usually has been replaced by used plus the infinitive particle to.
So, yes, you probably do know the grammar and if you´ve reached the intermediate level you probably know all of the grammar. But do you know how to USE the grammar?
If we paraphrased the three sentences above to the following three meanings, can you match the meanings to the three sentences:
a. I no longer have a black coffee for breakfast
b. I normally have a black coffee for breakfast.
c. I don´t often have two coffees for breakfast.
So these posts are all about what to do with the grammar, how to use the grammar to reflect what you want to say.
RingRingEnglish 