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Explainer Video

Tutor: Kat

Summary

Using Standard English

In a nutshell

An inflection is anything which is added to, or changed about, the base form of a verb. Using Standard English verb inflections when you speak or write is as important as being grammatically correct makes your meaning clear. In this summary, you'll see some common mistakes when it comes to verb inflections and how to correct them.

Verb inflections

Verb inflections are any changes made to the base form of a verb. Letters are often changed or added at the end of verbs to show different subjects and tenses; these are inflections. Some common verb inflections are adding -s to the end of verbs in the present tense when in the third person (he, she, it), and adding -ed to the end of verbs in the past simple tense.

Examples

She lives in a small house.

Dan walked to the shops.

They are baking a loaf of bread.

In the first example the inflection -s is added to the end of the base form of the verb live because the subject is she. Without the -s the sentence would be grammatically incorrect.

Common mistakes

There are many non-standard forms of inflections. Below are some examples of slang and non-standard spoken English which should be avoided especially in written and formal work.

non-standard English	standard english inflection
We was walking.	We *were* walking.
I done my homework.	I *did* my homework.
She should of arrived by now.	She should *have* arrived by now.
She ain't sure.	She *isn't* sure.
I gotta go.	I *have got to* go.
He's gonna come over later.	He's *going to* come over later.
I don't wanna know.	I don't *want to* know.
It's cold today, innit?	It's cold today, *isn't it*?
I dunno about that.	I *don't know* about that.
That's kinda new.	That's *kind of* new.
We're sorta friends.	We're *sort of* friends.

Learn with Basics

Length:

Unit 1

Verbs

Jump Ahead

Optional

Unit 2

Using Standard English

Final Test

Create an account to complete the exercises

FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

Is wanna correct?

No. 'Wanna' is a non-standard verb inflection and is slang. Non-standard English should be avoided especially in written and formal work.

Why should I use Standard English verb inflections?

Using Standard English verb inflections when you speak or write is as important as being grammatically correct makes your meaning clear.

What is a verb inflection?

An inflection is anything which is added to, or changed about, the base form of a verb.

Home

English

Grammar

Using Standard English

Videos

Summary

Exercises

Select Lesson

Speaking

How to debate

Performing a play script

Punctuation

Punctuating sentences

Capital letters

Apostrophes

Speech marks

Sentences

Subordinate clauses

Conjunctions

Relative clauses and pronouns

Noun phrases

Grammar

Articles and determiners

Nouns

Pronouns

Verbs

Adjectives

Fronted adverbials

Using Standard English

Word endings

Words ending in -ture or -sure

Words ending in the 'shun' sound

Words ending in -gue or -que

Spelling

Using homophones

Commonly misspelled homophones

Using prefixes

Using suffixes

Using possessive apostrophes

Making words plural

Forming compound words

The 'y' rule

When to spell 's' as 'sc'

Writing skills

Features of a good story

Structuring a story

Writing fiction vs. non-fiction

Writing process

Planning a draft

Structuring a text: paragraphs, sentences, conjunctions

Hooking the reader

Using paragraphs

Editing your writing

Proofreading your writing

Reading comprehension

How to use a dictionary

Identifying themes and conventions

Reading and understanding a text

Making predictions about a text

Summarising a text

Finding information in non-fiction texts

Reading - text types

Poems, plays and stories

Types of non-fiction texts

Types of poetry

Fairy stories, myths, legends and fables

Explainer Video

Tutor: Kat

Summary

Using Standard English

In a nutshell

Verb inflections

Examples

She lives in a small house.

Dan walked to the shops.

They are baking a loaf of bread.

In the first example the inflection -s is added to the end of the base form of the verb live because the subject is she. Without the -s the sentence would be grammatically incorrect.

Common mistakes

There are many non-standard forms of inflections. Below are some examples of slang and non-standard spoken English which should be avoided especially in written and formal work.

non-standard English	standard english inflection
We was walking.	We *were* walking.
I done my homework.	I *did* my homework.
She should of arrived by now.	She should *have* arrived by now.
She ain't sure.	She *isn't* sure.
I gotta go.	I *have got to* go.
He's gonna come over later.	He's *going to* come over later.
I don't wanna know.	I don't *want to* know.
It's cold today, innit?	It's cold today, *isn't it*?
I dunno about that.	I *don't know* about that.
That's kinda new.	That's *kind of* new.
We're sorta friends.	We're *sort of* friends.

Learn with Basics

Length:

Unit 1

Verbs

Jump Ahead

Optional

Unit 2

Using Standard English

Final Test

Create an account to complete the exercises

FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

Is wanna correct?

No. 'Wanna' is a non-standard verb inflection and is slang. Non-standard English should be avoided especially in written and formal work.

Why should I use Standard English verb inflections?

Using Standard English verb inflections when you speak or write is as important as being grammatically correct makes your meaning clear.

What is a verb inflection?

An inflection is anything which is added to, or changed about, the base form of a verb.

Using Standard English

Videos

Summary

Exercises

Select Lesson

Speaking

Punctuation

Sentences

Grammar

Word endings

Spelling

Writing skills

Writing process

Reading comprehension

Reading - text types

Explainer Video

Summary

Using Standard English

​​In a nutshell

Verb inflections

Examples

Common mistakes

non-standard English

standard english inflection

Learn with Basics

Unit 1

Verbs

Jump Ahead

Unit 2

Using Standard English

Final Test

FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

Is wanna correct?

Why should I use Standard English verb inflections?

What is a verb inflection?

Using Standard English

Videos

Summary

Exercises

Select Lesson

Speaking

Punctuation

Sentences

Grammar

Word endings

Spelling

Writing skills

Writing process

Reading comprehension

Reading - text types

Explainer Video

Summary

Using Standard English

​​In a nutshell

Verb inflections

Examples

Common mistakes

non-standard English

standard english inflection

Learn with Basics

Unit 1

Verbs

Jump Ahead

Unit 2

Using Standard English

Final Test

FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

Is wanna correct?

Why should I use Standard English verb inflections?

What is a verb inflection?

In a nutshell

In a nutshell