Grammar Review

What you’ll learn

Connect the main beginner patterns and choose them by meaning.

ភ្ជាប់ទម្រង់វេយ្យាករណ៍មូលដ្ឋាន និងជ្រើសរើសតាមន័យដែលចង់បង្ហាញ។

Meaning and use

Grammar choices work together. Choose a noun phrase for the person or thing, then choose a verb pattern that matches the subject, time, and meaning. A habit differs from an action in progress; a past event differs from a future intention. Questions, negatives, and modal verbs have their own word-order patterns. You do not need to use every rule in every sentence. Start with a short clear sentence, then add a description, a reason, or another idea.

ការជ្រើសរើសទម្រង់វេយ្យាករណ៍មានទំនាក់ទំនងគ្នា។ ជ្រើសរើសឃ្លានាម ហើយប្រើទម្រង់កិរិយាសព្ទដែលស្របនឹងប្រធាន ពេលវេលា និងន័យ។ ចាប់ផ្តើមពីប្រយោគខ្លីច្បាស់លាស់ រួចបន្ថែមការពណ៌នា មូលហេតុ ឬគំនិតផ្សេងទៀត។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Nouns and articles	a book; an apple; the book; some water
Pronouns and possession	I help her. This is my book. It is mine.
Present be	I am; she is; they are
Habit / action in progress	She reads every day. She is reading now.
Past statement / question / negative	He went. Did he go? He didn’t go.
Future patterns	I am going to study. I will help.
Descriptions and comparisons	a small bag; bigger than; the biggest
Time and quantity	at eight; on Monday; many books; much water
Modals and necessity	can speak; should read; must go; has to work
Connections	tea and coffee; tired but happy; because it rained

Examples

1. I study English every day.

   ខ្ញុំរៀនភាសាអង់គ្លេសរាល់ថ្ងៃ។

2. I am reading a lesson now.

   ខ្ញុំកំពុងអានមេរៀនមួយឥឡូវនេះ។

3. I visited my aunt yesterday.

   ខ្ញុំបានទៅលេងមីងកាលពីម្សិលមិញ។

4. I am going to practice again tomorrow.

   ខ្ញុំមានគម្រោងហាត់ម្តងទៀតថ្ងៃស្អែក។

Everyday conversation

Dara: What do you usually study?

Maly: I study English.

Dara: What did you study yesterday?

Maly: I studied past verbs. Tomorrow I’m going to review them.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
Yesterday I am visit my aunt.	Yesterday I visited my aunt.	Use the past-simple form visited for this completed event.
She will helps tomorrow.	She will help tomorrow.	Use the base form help after will, without -s.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Choose for a habit: I ___ every day. (read / am reading)
2. Choose for now: She ___ a book right now. (reads / is reading)
3. Complete: Did he ___ yesterday? (work / worked)
4. Choose for an optional action: You ___ come if you are busy. (mustn’t / don’t have to)

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. read

   The present simple fits the repeated habit.

2. is reading

   The continuous fits the action in progress.

3. work

   Did is followed by a base main verb.

4. don’t have to

   No necessity is different from prohibition.

Quick recap

• Choose patterns by time and meaning.
• Keep a base verb after helpers such as does, did, can, and will in these patterns.
• Review a short example whenever a rule is unclear.