A1 Movers Grammar: 11 New Structures

    Cambridge YLE grammar is cumulative: an A1 Movers candidate still uses every key structure from Pre-A1 Starters, and adds the 11 new Movers structures explained below — 22 key structures in total. The new material gets full detail on this page; the inherited Starters structures are listed in brief at the end, with a link to the full Starters grammar page.

    Based on the “Grammar and structures list” in the official Cambridge English YLE Handbook for Teachers: YLE Handbook for Teachers (PDF)

    New at A1 Movers: 11 structures

    Past simple

    Talks about finished actions in the past with was/were, went, had and other common past forms.

    Examples

    • Yesterday we went to the park.
    • She was happy at the party.

    Comparatives and superlatives

    Compares people and things — bigger, smaller, the best — a favourite in picture-comparison tasks.

    Examples

    • An elephant is bigger than a horse.
    • Lily is the youngest in her class.

    Adverbs of frequency

    Words like always, usually, sometimes and never that say how often something happens.

    Examples

    • I always brush my teeth before bed.
    • We sometimes play badminton after school.

    Have to — obligation

    Says that something is necessary — rules at school, jobs at home.

    Examples

    • We have to do our homework before dinner.
    • You have to wear a coat when it's cold.

    Prepositions of time — in, on, at

    In, on and at used with days, months and clock times.

    Examples

    • My swimming lesson is on Monday.
    • We have breakfast at seven o'clock.

    Present continuous for future arrangements

    Uses the -ing form to talk about plans that are already arranged.

    Examples

    • We are going to the cinema on Saturday.
    • Grandpa is coming to our house tomorrow.

    Must — obligation

    A strong way to say something is a rule or is necessary.

    Examples

    • You must be quiet in the library.
    • You must wash your hands before lunch.

    Would like

    The polite way to say what you want or to offer something.

    Examples

    • I'd like some noodles, please.
    • Would you like an ice cream?

    Object pronouns

    Me, him, her, us and them — the words that receive the action.

    Examples

    • That's my little brother — I love him!
    • Our teacher is kind. We like her.

    Possessive pronouns

    Mine, yours, his and hers — saying who owns something without repeating the noun.

    Examples

    • That kite is mine, and this one is yours.
    • The red scarf is hers.

    Why…? Because…

    Asking for a reason with why and answering with because — a key Movers speaking skill.

    Examples

    • Why is he laughing? Because the clown is funny.

    Already expected from earlier levels

    The A1 Movers exam also assumes everything below. If any of these feel shaky, start with the earlier level's page — each name links straight to its explanation.

    From Pre-A1 Starters: 11 structures

    See the full Pre-A1 Starters grammar guide

    Frequently asked questions

    Does my child need to know grammar terms like "present perfect"?

    No. The Cambridge YLE exams never ask children to name a tense or explain a rule — they test whether a child can understand and use these structures in real sentences, pictures and stories. The terms on this page are for you, the parent; your child just needs plenty of practice hearing and building sentences.

    Which parts of the A1 Movers exam test grammar?

    Grammar is tested indirectly everywhere, but it is most visible in the Reading & Writing paper — the gap-fill and sentence-copying parts require children to choose or copy grammatically correct words. In Listening and Speaking, children mainly need to understand the structures when they hear them. There is no separate grammar paper and no pass or fail: children earn up to five shields per skill.

    How should a child aged 6–12 practice these structures?

    Not with drills or worksheets. At this age grammar sticks through use: reading simple stories, listening, and building sentences in games. Ten minutes a day of playful sentence-building beats an hour of exercises — that is exactly what FlyersEnglish games like Sentence Builder are designed for.

    This page is a parent-friendly summary of the “Grammar and structures list” in the official Cambridge English YLE Handbook for Teachers. FlyersEnglish is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cambridge; the official handbook is available from Cambridge English at cambridgeenglish.org.

    Practice grammar the fun way

    Kids don't learn grammar from rule tables — they learn it by building sentences. FlyersEnglish turns the A1 Movers structures into mini-games: in Sentence Builder your child drags words into exam-style sentences with instant feedback, XP and badges.