CSS NEXUS

English Fundamentals

English Fundamentals

Build a strong base in English grammar and writing, one topic at a time — from parts of speech and tenses to punctuation, common errors and précis. Every lesson explains the rules with clear examples, made for CSS, PMS and PPSC preparation.

Practice Exercises23 exercisesNotes & PDFsComing soonVideo LecturesComing soon

Grammar topics

Each topic has its lessons, practice MCQs and notes on one page.

Parts of Speech1 lesson · 1 exerciseNouns & Pronouns2 lessons · 3 exercisesVerbs & Tenses2 lessons · 2 exercisesModals1 lesson · 1 exerciseActive & Passive Voice1 lesson · 1 exerciseDirect & Indirect Speech1 lesson · 1 exerciseArticles & Determiners1 lesson · 1 exerciseQuantifiers1 lesson · 1 exercisePrepositions1 lesson · 1 exerciseGerunds & Infinitives1 lesson · 1 exercisePhrasal Verbs1 lesson · 1 exerciseQuestion Tags1 lesson · 1 exerciseSubject-Verb Agreement1 lesson · 1 exercisePunctuation1 lesson · 1 exerciseCommon Errors1 exerciseConfusing Words1 lesson · 1 exerciseGap Filling1 exerciseOdd Word Out1 exerciseVocabulary1 exerciseIdioms & Phrases1 exercise

Parts of Speech

BeginnerThe Eight Parts of SpeechEvery English word does a job in a sentence. Learn the eight parts of speech — noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction and interjection — with simple examples.Read lesson

Nouns & Pronouns

BeginnerNouns: Kinds, Number and GenderProper, common, collective, material and abstract nouns; countable and uncountable nouns; and the rules for making plurals and changing gender.Read lesson BeginnerPronouns: Kinds and the Correct CasePersonal, reflexive, relative and other pronouns, and how to choose between I/me, who/whom and its/it’s — the pronoun errors most often tested in exams.Read lesson

Verbs & Tenses

BeginnerThe Twelve Tenses at a GlancePresent, past and future, each in simple, continuous, perfect and perfect continuous forms — the structure of every tense with examples and the time words that signal it.Read lesson IntermediatePresent Perfect or Past Simple?The most common tense mistake in exams: when to use "I have done" and when to use "I did". Learn the rule of finished and unfinished time with clear examples.Read lesson

Modals

IntermediateModal Verbs: Meaning and UseCan, could, may, might, must, should, ought to, will, would and need — what each modal expresses (ability, permission, possibility, obligation, advice) and the rules for using them.Read lesson

Active & Passive Voice

IntermediateChanging Active Voice to Passive VoiceStep-by-step rules for turning active sentences into the passive in every tense, with modals, questions and imperatives, plus when the passive is the better choice.Read lesson

Direct & Indirect Speech

IntermediateDirect and Indirect Speech: The RulesHow to report statements, questions, commands and exclamations: changes in tense, pronouns, time words and reporting verbs, with worked examples.Read lesson

Articles & Determiners

BeginnerArticles: A, An and TheWhen to use a, an, the or no article at all — the sound rule for a/an, the uses of "the", and the places where no article is needed.Read lesson

Quantifiers

BeginnerQuantifiers: Much, Many, Few, Little and MoreChoosing the right quantifier for countable and uncountable nouns — much/many, few/a few, little/a little, some/any, each/every and enough.Read lesson

Prepositions

BeginnerPrepositions of Time and PlaceAt, on and in for time and place; since and for; between and among; and common fixed prepositions after verbs and adjectives that exams test.Read lesson

Gerunds & Infinitives

IntermediateGerunds and InfinitivesWhich verbs are followed by -ing and which by "to + verb", verbs that take both with a change in meaning, and the gerund after prepositions.Read lesson

Phrasal Verbs

IntermediateCommon Phrasal Verbs for ExamsForty frequently tested phrasal verbs — verb + particle combinations like "call off", "put up with" and "look into" — with meanings and example sentences.Read lesson

Question Tags

BeginnerQuestion TagsHow to form question tags like "isn’t it?" and "did you?" — the positive/negative rule, the auxiliary rule, and special cases such as "I am", "let’s" and imperatives.Read lesson

Subject-Verb Agreement

IntermediateSubject-Verb Agreement: Ten RulesA singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject a plural verb — but "either…or", "each", collective nouns and phrases like "along with" trip people up. Ten rules with examples.Read lesson

Punctuation

BeginnerPunctuation EssentialsThe full stop, comma, semicolon, colon, apostrophe, question mark and inverted commas — what each one does, with the comma and apostrophe errors examiners look for.Read lesson

Confusing Words

IntermediateCommonly Confused WordsThan/then, affect/effect, principal/principle, lose/loose and more — pairs of words that look or sound alike but mean different things, with a memory tip for each.Read lesson