A1 · Principiante Capítulo 1

Starting with the Basics

5 Reglas totales
58 ejemplos
5 min
Reglas en este capítulo Práctica rápida

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the essential building blocks to start speaking English with confidence and clarity today.

  • Identify the correct forms of 'to be' and 'have'.
  • Describe existence using 'there is' and 'there are'.
  • Apply subject-verb agreement rules to build accurate sentences.
Unlock the power to speak your first English sentences.

Lo que aprenderás

Ready to take your first exciting steps in English? Here, we'll learn to confidently make sentences that feel just right, like saying 'I am' or talking about what 'there is'. Soon, you'll be building clear, basic sentences all on your own!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Construct simple sentences describing your identity, environment, and possessions.

Guía del capítulo

Overview

Imagine unlocking the very first doors to speaking English! This guide is your friendly helper, designed to get you comfortable with the absolute basics so you can start communicating right away. Mastering these fundamental building blocks is super important for anyone starting with the basics in English for beginners.
We’re talking about learning how to introduce yourself, describe simple things around you, and even talk about what's happening now. It’s like learning your ABCs before writing a story!
In this chapter, we'll dive into the magic of the verb 'to be' (that's am, is, are), which helps us describe who we are, where we are, and how we feel. We'll also explore how to say something exists using 'there is' and 'there are', and get super clear on how words like have change for different people. Plus, we’ll learn the clever ways English uses words like 'it' and 'there' for everyday talk about time and weather.
By the end, you'll feel confident as you learn English A1 grammar and build clear, simple sentences all on your own. Let's make English fun and easy!

How This Grammar Works

At the heart of simple English sentences are a few key patterns that help us describe the world. First up is the verb 'to be', which is essential for identity, location, and feelings. For example, I am happy, You are a student, She is in London.
Notice how 'to be' changes: am with I, is with he/she/it, and are with you/we/they. This is a core part of matching subjects and verbs, making sure your sentences sound correct.
Next, when we want to say that something exists, or that it's in a certain place, we use 'there is' for one thing and 'there are' for many things. So, you might say, There is a book on the table (one book), or There are two pens here (many pens). This is another example of subject-verb agreement in action, where the verb (is or are) matches the noun that follows (a book or two pens).
The verb 'have' is also crucial for possession. Like 'to be', it changes based on the subject. Most of the time, we use have (e.g., I have a car, We have a meeting).
But there's a special rule for he, she, and it: they use 'has'. For example, He has a new phone, She has a great idea. This s ending for he/she/it is a common pattern in present simple verbs in English, often called the 'S' Rule.
Finally, we use 'it' and 'there' in specific ways. 'It' is often used for general conditions like time and weather: It is sunny, It is 3 o'clock. And 'there' is used to introduce the existence of something, as we saw with 'there is/are': There are many people here.
These simple structures are your toolkit for forming countless basic English sentences.

Common Mistakes

  1. 1Mixing up 'is' and 'are' with 'there'
✗ There are a big problem.
✓ There is a big problem.
Explanation: Remember, the verb (is or are) should agree with the noun *after* 'there'. 'A big problem' is singular, so it needs is.
  1. 1Forgetting the 's' with 'have' for 'he/she/it'
✗ She have a cat.
✓ She has a cat.
Explanation: For he, she, and it, the verb 'have' changes to has in the present simple. This is a very common S rule to learn!
  1. 1Incorrectly using 'it' for existence instead of 'there'
✗ It is a nice park in the city.
✓ There is a nice park in the city.
Explanation: Use it for general statements about weather, time, or opinions (It is cold, It is good). Use there to introduce the existence or presence of something.

Real Conversations

At the Café

A

A

Hello! There is a table free by the window.
B

B

Oh, great! Is it for two people?
A

A

Yes, it is.
B

B

Perfect! Thank you.

Meeting a New Friend

A

A

Hi, I am Anna. Nice to meet you.
B

B

Hi Anna, I am Tom. You are from Spain, right?
A

A

Yes, I am. And you are from England?
B

B

That's right! I have a brother here.

In the Office

A

A

Good morning! Is it 9 o'clock already?
B

B

Almost! There are many emails today.
A

A

Oh, I see! He has a lot of work too.

Quick FAQ

Q

How do I know when to use am, is, or are in English?

You use am with I (I am). You use is with he, she, and it (He is, She is, It is). You use are with you, we, and they (You are, We are, They are). It's all about matching the right form of 'to be' to the person or thing you're talking about!

Q

What's the main difference between there is and it is?

There is tells you that something exists or is located somewhere (There is a coffee shop nearby). It is tells you about the condition, time, or characteristic of something already known or generally understood (It is cold today, It is my favorite color).

Q

Why does have change to has sometimes?

In English, for present simple sentences, the verb 'have' changes to 'has' only when the subject is 'he', 'she', or 'it' (or a singular noun that represents them, like 'my friend' or 'the dog'). For all other subjects (I, you, we, they), it stays have.

Cultural Context

Native English speakers use these basic patterns constantly, often shortening them in casual speech. For example, I am becomes I'm, there is becomes there's, and it is becomes it's. This informal contraction is very common and makes speech flow faster.
While grammatically simple, these structures are the foundation of almost every conversation, from formal meetings to chatting with friends.

Ejemplos clave (8)

1

I am a new student at SubLearn.

Soy un estudiante nuevo en SubLearn.

El Verbo 'Ser' o 'Estar' (am, is, are)
2

She is very tall for her age.

Ella es muy alta para su edad.

El Verbo 'Ser' o 'Estar' (am, is, are)
3

There's a notification on your phone.

Hay una notificación en tu teléfono.

Hay... (There is / There are)
4

There are five people in this Zoom meeting.

Hay cinco personas en esta reunión de Zoom.

Hay... (There is / There are)
5

I **drink** water every morning.

Yo bebo agua todas las mañanas.

Concordancia Sujeto-Verbo: La Regla de la 'S' (Concordancia Sujeto-Verbo)
6

He **plays** video games after work.

Él juega videojuegos después del trabajo.

Concordancia Sujeto-Verbo: La Regla de la 'S' (Concordancia Sujeto-Verbo)
7

I have a lot of homework tonight.

Tengo mucha tarea esta noche.

Verbo 'have': Formas del presente simple (I have / He has)
8

She has a beautiful voice for singing.

Ella tiene una voz hermosa para cantar.

Verbo 'have': Formas del presente simple (I have / He has)

Consejos y trucos (4)

💡

Practica con los pronombres

Siempre piensa primero en el pronombre sujeto (I, you, he, she, it, we, they). Así sabrás al instante si usar 'am', 'is' o 'are'. I am happy.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: El Verbo 'Ser' o 'Estar' (am, is, are)
⚠️

¡Cuidado con "It Is"!

Nunca digas
It is a cat in the garden
si quieres decir que 'hay' un gato. Usa It is solo para describir algo (It is black) o el clima (It is raining).
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Hay... (There is / There are)
💡

¡Caza sujetos con 'S'!

Cuando lees un texto o escuchas a alguien, fíjate bien si el sujeto es he, she, it o una sola persona/cosa. Si es así, ¡casi seguro que el verbo necesita una «-s»! Es como un detective de verbos.
She works in an office.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Concordancia Sujeto-Verbo: La Regla de la 'S' (Concordancia Sujeto-Verbo)
💡

¡Mira bien quién es el sujeto!

Siempre fíjate en quién hace la acción. Si es 'I', 'you', 'we', 'they' (o un nombre plural), usa 'have'. Si es 'he', 'she', 'it' (o un nombre singular), usa 'has'. ¡Es la regla de oro para 'have'! Por ejemplo:
They have a party.
pero
He has a party.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Verbo 'have': Formas del presente simple (I have / He has)

Vocabulario clave (6)

I first-person singular is singular state of being have possession there place/existence marker it impersonal subject sun celestial object/weather

Real-World Preview

message-circle

Meeting a New Friend

Review Summary

  • Subject + am/is/are + complement
  • There + is/are + noun
  • Subject (3rd person) + Verb+s
  • Subject + have/has + object
  • It + is + adjective

Errores comunes

The verb 'to be' changes based on the subject. 'I' always pairs with 'am'.

Wrong: I is a student.
Correcto: I am a student.

When the subject is 'he', 'she', or 'it', use 'has' instead of 'have'.

Wrong: She have a car.
Correcto: She has a car.

Use 'is' for single items and 'are' for multiple items.

Wrong: There are a pen.
Correcto: There is a pen.

Next Steps

You've built a solid foundation. Keep that momentum going into Chapter 2!

Describe your room out loud using 'There is' and 'I have'.

Continue to: Present Tenses

Práctica rápida (10)

Elige la forma correcta de 'have'.

My best friend ___ a fantastic sense of humor.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: has
'My best friend' es un sujeto singular (él/ella), por lo que usa la forma 'has'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Verbo 'have': Formas del presente simple (I have / He has)

Encuentra y corrige el error.

Find and fix the mistake:

There is two students in the classroom.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: There are two students in the classroom.
El verbo 'are' debe concordar con el nombre plural 'students'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Uso de 'It' y 'There' (Tiempo, Clima y Existencia)

Elige la forma correcta de 'it' o 'there'.

___ is raining outside.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: It
'It' se usa para hablar del clima, como 'raining'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Uso de 'It' y 'There' (Tiempo, Clima y Existencia)

Estás revisando la reseña de un restaurante

There ___ only two vegetarian options on the menu.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: are
'Two vegetarian options' (dos opciones vegetarianas) es plural, así que necesitamos 'there are'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Hay... (There is / There are)

Encuentra y corrige el error.

Find and fix the mistake:

You is very kind.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: You are very kind.
El sujeto 'You' (tú/ustedes) siempre usa 'are', sin importar si es singular o plural.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: El Verbo 'Ser' o 'Estar' (am, is, are)

Corrige este mensaje para tu casero

Find and fix the mistake:

Hi, there is some problems with the heating in my apartment.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: There are some problems with the heating.
'Some problems' (algunos problemas) es plural → usa 'there are'. ¡Común en correos y quejas!

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Hay... (There is / There are)

Elige la frase correcta.

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She likes to watch movies.
Para 'She' (tercera persona del singular), el verbo 'like' se convierte correctamente en 'likes'. 'They' es plural, así que debería ser 'like'. 'He' es singular, así que debería ser 'likes'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Concordancia Sujeto-Verbo: La Regla de la 'S' (Concordancia Sujeto-Verbo)

Estás describiendo tu nuevo apartamento a un amigo

There ___ a huge balcony with a city view!

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: is
'A huge balcony' (un balcón enorme) es singular, así que usamos 'there is'. ¡Perfecto para describir lugares!

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Hay... (There is / There are)

¿Cuál suena bien al preguntar sobre un hotel?

You call a hotel and ask:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Are there any rooms available?
'Rooms' (habitaciones) es plural → 'are there'. Cambia el orden para hacer una pregunta. ¡Súper útil para viajar!

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Hay... (There is / There are)

Encuentra y corrige el error.

Find and fix the mistake:

My cat sleep all day.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: My cat sleeps all day.
El sujeto 'My cat' es singular (it), por lo tanto, el verbo 'sleep' debe llevar una '-s' para convertirse en 'sleeps'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Concordancia Sujeto-Verbo: La Regla de la 'S' (Concordancia Sujeto-Verbo)

Score: /10

Preguntas frecuentes (6)

El verbo 'to be' principalmente identifica, describe características, expresa sentimientos o indica la ubicación de un sujeto. Conecta el sujeto con más información sobre él, como en I am happy o
She is a doctor
.
'To be' es un verbo irregular, lo que significa que no sigue un patrón simple de conjugación. Sus diferentes formas (am, is, are) son necesarias para concordar con los distintos sujetos (I, he/she/it, you/we/they).
La diferencia es la cantidad. Usa 'There is' para una persona o cosa (singular) y 'There are' para dos o más (plural). Por ejemplo:
There is a cookie
vs
There are three cookies
.
Técnicamente, no. En un examen de inglés, estaría mal. Sin embargo, en conversaciones casuales, muchos nativos usan 'There's' para plurales porque es más fácil de decir.
Es simplemente asegurarte de que el verbo en una frase concuerde con su sujeto. Es como si fueran compañeros de baile, siempre en sincronía. Si tienes un sujeto, el verbo tiene una forma; si tienes muchos, otra. Por ejemplo:
I read a book
(Yo leo un libro) vs
He reads a book
(Él lee un libro).
Porque el cambio más fácil de ver para los principiantes en presente simple es añadir una «-s» al verbo cuando el sujeto es he, she, it o cualquier sustantivo singular. Es un nombre fácil de recordar para esta regla clave. ¡Piensa en la «-s»!
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Present Tenses
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