"basic command of" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use this phrase when you want to talk about someone having a basic understanding of something. For example, "He has a basic command of Spanish and is able to get by in conversation."
When he arrived here, at the age of twenty-eight, Hemon had what his publisher calls only a "basic command" of English.
Though senior militants in the Middle East often have a basic command of English, few have any real grasp of western culture.
Under new regulations in Britain, Muslim imams and other "ministers of religion" wishing to enter Britain to work must show a basic command of English.
"You had students who could not use a computer, whose basic command of the spoken English language is not even there, and these are home [UK] students".
Since last autumn, people from outside the EU applying for a visa to join their spouse or partner now have to prove they have a basic command of English before their application is approved.
The new measure for 11-year-olds will be designed to ensure they have the basic command of the "three Rs" that they need to be able to progress to secondary school, a department spokesman said.
Once the dog knows what its name is, you're ready to teach it the basic commands of dog dom.
Once your dog has learned the three basic commands of come, sit and down, you can teach your pet more.
Florida's basic command for the count of legally cast votes is to consider the "intent of the voter".
This is a good, basic command to start with.
Like Heartbleed, Shellshock is a vulnerability, but a much more problematic one because it exists in the basic command line of the Unix operating system rather than in the software used by some sites.
