http://grammar.about.com/od/mo/g/nounterm.htm Sponsored Links Canadian Education School Improve your English with Native Teachers. Contact Us Today!www.Canadian.edu.sg Polish for foreigners The Jagiellonian University offers Polish courses in Krakow,Polnischpoprzednia.uj.edu.pl/SL/en/ Learn English Faster The Secrets To Speaking English Faster. Free Email Course.LearnRealEnglish.com Sponsored Links Noun Free Dictionnary. One CIic Away from your Browser!Yourfreetranslator.com What's Up? English Language Centre North American Englishwww.whatsup.com.my Definition: The part of speech (or word class ) that is used to name or identify a person, place, thing, quality, or action. Adjective: nominal . Most nouns have both a singular and plural form, can be preceded by an article and/or one or more adjectives , and can serve as the head of a noun phrase . A noun or noun phrase can function as a subject , direct object , indirect object , complement , appositive , or object of a preposition . In addition, nouns sometimes modify other nouns to form compound nouns . See "Observations," below. Types of Nouns: Abstract Noun and Concrete Noun Animate Noun and Inanimate Noun Collective Noun Common Noun and Proper Noun Compound Noun Count Noun and Mass Noun Verbal Noun See also: Notes on Nouns The Basic Parts of Speech Case Nominal Noun Clause Noun Phrase Number Plural Forms of Nouns Pronouns Etymology: From the Greek, "name, noun"
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http://grammar.about.com/od/mo/g/nounterm.htm
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NounFree Dictionnary. One CIic Away from your Browser!Yourfreetranslator.comWhat's Up?English Language Centre North American Englishwww.whatsup.com.myDefinition:
The part of speech (or word class) that is used to name or identify a person, place, thing, quality, or action. Adjective: nominal.
Most nouns have both a singular and plural form, can be preceded by an article and/or one or more adjectives, and can serve as the head of a noun phrase.
A noun or noun phrase can function as a subject, direct object, indirect object, complement, appositive, or object of a preposition. In addition, nouns sometimes modify other nouns to form compound nouns. See "Observations," below.
Types of Nouns:
Abstract Noun and Concrete Noun Animate Noun and Inanimate Noun Collective Noun Common Noun and Proper Noun Compound Noun Count Noun and Mass Noun Verbal Noun
See also:
Notes on Nouns The Basic Parts of Speech Case Nominal Noun Clause Noun Phrase Number Plural Forms of Nouns Pronouns
"Greed, for lack of a better word, is good."(Wall Street)
"I type 101 words a minute. But it's in my own language."(Mitch Hedberg)
"I recently went to a new doctor and noticed he was located in something called the Professional Building. I felt better right away."(George Carlin)
"You must hear the bird's song without attempting to render it into nouns and verbs."(Ralph Waldo Emerson)
"One of the glories of English simplicity is the possibility of using the same word as noun and verb."(Edward Sapir)
Observations:
"[D]efining the term noun is such a problem that many grammar books do not even try to do it. Accepting the idea that the concept of noun is fairly abstract, however, can point us in the right direction, toward a reasonably acceptable definition. From this perspective, nouns are the labels we use to classify the world and our experiences in it."(James D. Williams, The Teacher's Grammar Book. Lawrence Erlbaum, 1999)
"In parsing nouns, traditional grammar insisted on noting gender as well as number and case. Modern grammars disregard this criterion, recognizing that gender has no grammatical role in English. They do however find good grammatical reasons for respecting the importance of several other traditional contrasts, especially proper vs common, and abstract vs concrete, and have developed the contrast between mass and count nouns into a major dimension of subclassification."(David Crystal, Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge Univ. Press, 2003)
Nouns are not restricted to a particular category; that is, a single noun can occupy several of these categories. For example,
three dogs can be [common, concrete & countable]American government can be [proper, concrete & collective]Christian faith can be [proper, abstract & countable]
(Bernard O'Dwyer, Modern English Structures: Form, Function, and Position. Broadview, 2000)
As for meaning, nouns are traditionally known to be names of persons, places, things, and ideas. But this meaning aspect of nouns remains rather vague--verbs, for example, may also be considered names of ideas--and the formal characteristics are often more reliable. Among the formal characteristics of English nouns are that they typically:
a. may be definite in meaning by use of preceding the (the definite article), as in the book, the guy, the answer;b. may be made possessive by suffixing -'s, as in people's, Jane's, a politicians's;c. may be made negative by prefixing non-, as in nonbeliever, nonsense, nonunion.
"Write with nouns and verbs, not with adjectives and adverbs. The adjective hasn't been built that can pull a weak or inaccurate noun out of a tight place."(William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White, The Elements of Style)
Pronunciation: nown
Grammar Basics
The Basic Parts of Speech The Basic Sentence Unit Basic Sentence Structures
Types of Nouns
Collective Noun Common Noun Proper Noun
Sentence Combining
Introduction to Sentence Combining Sentence Combining #2: "New York Is a City of Things Unnoticed" Sentence Combining : "The San Francisco Earthquake"
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A noun is a word used to name a person, animal, place, thing, and abstract idea. Nouns are usually the first words which small children learn. The highlighted words in the following sentences are all nouns:
Late last year our neighbours bought a goat.Portia White was an opera singer.The bus inspector looked at all the passengers' passes.According to Plutarch, the library at Alexandria was destroyed in 48 B.C.Philosophy is of little comfort to the starving.
A noun can function in a sentence as a subject, a direct object, an indirect object, a subject complement, an object complement, an appositive, an adjective or an adverb.
Noun Gender
Many common nouns, like "engineer" or "teacher," can refer to men or women. Once, many English nouns would change form depending on their gender -- for example, a man was called an "author" while a woman was called an "authoress" -- but this use of gender-specific nouns is very rare today. Those that are still used occasionally tend to refer to occupational categories, as in the following sentences.
David Garrick was a very prominent eighteenth-century actor.Sarah Siddons was at the height of her career as an actress in the 1780s.The manager was trying to write a want ad, but he couldn't decide whether he was advertising for a "waiter" or a "waitress"
Noun Plurals
Most nouns change their form to indicate number by adding "-s" or "-es", as illustrated in the following pairs of sentences:
When Matthew was small he rarely told the truth if he thought he was going to be punished.Many people do not believe that truths are self-evident.As they walked through the silent house, they were startled by an unexpected echo.I like to shout into the quarry and listen to the echoes that return.He tripped over a box left carelessly in the hallway.Since we are moving, we will need many boxes.
There are other nouns which form the plural by changing the last letter before adding "s". Some words ending in "f" form the plural by deleting "f" and adding "ves," and words ending in "y" form the plural by deleting the "y" and adding "ies," as in the following pairs of sentences:
The harbour at Marble Mountain has one wharf.There are several wharves in Halifax Harbour.Warsaw is their favourite city because it reminds them of their courtship.The vacation my grandparents won includes trips to twelve European cities.The children circled around the headmaster and shouted, "Are you a mouse or a man?"The audience was shocked when all five men admitted that they were afraid of mice.
Other nouns form the plural irregularly. If English is your first language, you probably know most of these already: when in doubt, consult a good dictionary.
Possessive Nouns
In the possessive case, a noun or pronoun changes its form to show that it owns or is closely related to something else. Usually, nouns become possessive by adding a combination of an apostrophe and the letter "s."
You can form the possessive case of a singular noun that does not end in "s" by adding an apostrophe and "s," as in the following sentences:
The red suitcase is Cassandra's.The only luggage that was lost was the prime minister's.The exhausted recruits were woken before dawn by the drill sergeant's screams.The miner's face was covered in coal dust.
You can form the possessive case of a singular noun that ends in "s" by adding an apostrophe alone or by adding an apostrophe and "s," as in the following examples:
The bus's seats are very uncomfortable.The bus' seats are very uncomfortable.The film crew accidentally crushed the platypus's eggs.The film crew accidentally crushed the platypus' eggs.Felicia Hemans's poetry was once more popular than Lord Byron's.Felicia Hemans' poetry was once more popular than Lord Byron's.
You can form the possessive case of a plural noun that does not end in "s" by adding an apostrophe and a "s," as in the following examples:
The children's mittens were scattered on the floor of the porch.The sheep's pen was mucked out every day.Since we have a complex appeal process, a jury's verdict is not always final.The men's hockey team will be playing as soon as the women's team is finished.The hunter followed the moose's trail all morning but lost it in the afternoon.
You can form the possessive case of a plural noun that does end in "s" by adding an apostrophe:
The concert was interrupted by the dogs' barking, the ducks' quacking, and the babies' squalling.The janitors' room is downstairs and to the left.My uncle spent many hours trying to locate the squirrels' nest.The archivist quickly finished repairing the diaries' bindings.Religion is usually the subject of the roommates' many late night debates.
Using Possessive Nouns
When you read the following sentences, you will notice that a noun in the possessive case frequently functions as an adjective modifying another noun:
The miner's face was covered in coal dust.
Here the possessive noun "miner's" is used to modify the noun "face" and together with the article "the," they make up the noun phrase that is the sentence's subject.
The concert was interrupted by the dogs' barking, the ducks' quacking, and the babies' squalling.
In this sentence, each possessive noun modifies a gerund. The possessive noun "dogs"' modifies "barking," "ducks"' modifies "quacking," and "babies"' modifies "squalling."
The film crew accidentally crushed the platypus's eggs.
In this example the possessive noun "platypus's" modifies the noun "eggs" and the noun phrase "the platypus's eggs" is the direct object of the verb "crushed."
My uncle spent many hours trying to locate the squirrels' nest.
In this sentence the possessive noun "squirrels"' is used to modify the noun "nest" and the noun phrase "the squirrels' nest" is the object of the infinitive phrase "to locate."
Types Of Nouns
There are many different types of nouns. As you know, you capitalise some nouns, such as "Canada" or "Louise," and do not capitalise others, such as "badger" or "tree" (unless they appear at the beginning of a sentence). In fact, grammarians have developed a whole series of noun types, including the proper noun, the common noun, the concrete noun, the abstract noun, the countable noun (also called the count noun), the non-countable noun (also called the mass noun), and the collective noun. You should note that a noun will belong to more than one type: it will be proper or common, abstract or concrete, and countable or non-countable or collective.
If you are interested in the details of these different types, you can read about them in the following sections.
You always write a proper noun with a capital letter, since the noun represents the name of a specific person, place, or thing. The names of days of the week, months, historical documents, institutions, organisations, religions, their holy texts and their adherents are proper nouns. A proper noun is the opposite of a common noun
In each of the following sentences, the proper nouns are highlighted:
The Marroons were transported from Jamaica and forced to build the fortifications in Halifax.Many people dread Monday mornings.Beltane is celebrated on the first of May.Abraham appears in the Talmud and in the Koran.Last year, I had a Baptist, a Buddhist, and a Gardnerian Witch as roommates.
Common Nouns
A common noun is a noun referring to a person, place, or thing in a general sense -- usually, you should write it with a capital letter only when it begins a sentence. A common noun is the opposite of a proper noun.
In each of the following sentences, the common nouns are highlighted:
According to the sign, the nearest town is 60 miles away.All the gardens in the neighbourhood were invaded by beetles this summer.I don't understand why some people insist on having six different kinds of mustard in their cupboards.The road crew was startled by the sight of three large moose crossing the road.Many child-care workers are underpaid.
Sometimes you will make proper nouns out of common nouns, as in the following examples:
The tenants in the Garnet Apartments are appealing the large and sudden increase in their rent.The meals in the Bouncing Bean Restaurant are less expensive than meals in ordinary restaurants.Many witches refer to the Renaissance as the Burning Times.The Diary of Anne Frank is often a child's first introduction to the history of the Holocaust.
Concrete Nouns
A concrete noun is a noun which names anything (or anyone) that you can perceive through your physical senses: touch, sight, taste, hearing, or smell. A concrete noun is the opposite of a abstract noun.
The highlighted words in the following sentences are all concrete nouns:
The judge handed the files to the clerk.Whenever they take the dog to the beach, it spends hours chasing waves.The real estate agent urged the couple to buy the second house because it had new shingles.As the car drove past the park, the thump of a disco tune overwhelmed the string quartet's rendition of a minuet.The book binder replaced the flimsy paper cover with a sturdy, cloth-covered board.
Abstract Nouns
An abstract noun is a noun which names anything which you can not perceive through your five physical senses, and is the opposite of a concrete noun. The highlighted words in the following sentences are all abstract nouns:
Buying the fire extinguisher was an afterthought.Tillie is amused by people who are nostalgic about childhood.Justice often seems to slip out of our grasp.Some scientists believe that schizophrenia is transmitted genetically.
Countable Nouns
A countable noun (or count noun) is a noun with both a singular and a plural form, and it names anything (or anyone) that you can count. You can make a countable noun plural and attach it to a plural verb in a sentence. Countable nouns are the opposite of non-countable nouns and collective nouns.
In each of the following sentences, the highlighted words are countable nouns:
We painted the table red and the chairs blue.
Since he inherited his aunt's library, Jerome spends every weekend indexing his books.Miriam found six silver dollars in the toe of a sock.The oak tree lost three branches in the hurricane.Over the course of twenty-seven years, Martha Ballad delivered just over eight hundred babies.
Non-Countable Nouns
A non-countable noun (or mass noun) is a noun which does not have a plural form, and which refers to something that you could (or would) not usually count. A non-countable noun always takes a singular verb in a sentence. Non-countable nouns are similar to collective nouns, and are the opposite of countable nouns.
The highlighted words in the following sentences are non-countable nouns:
Joseph Priestly discovered oxygen.
The word "oxygen" cannot normally be made plural.
Oxygen is essential to human life.
Since "oxygen" is a non-countable noun, it takes the singular verb "is" rather than the plural verb "are."
We decided to sell the furniture rather than take it with us when we moved.
You cannot make the noun "furniture" plural.
The furniture is heaped in the middle of the room.
Since "furniture" is a non-countable noun, it takes a singular verb, "is heaped."
The crew spread the gravel over the roadbed.
You cannot make the non-countable noun "gravel" plural.
Gravel is more expensive than I thought.
Since "gravel" is a non-countable noun, it takes the singular verb form "is."
Collective Nouns
A collective noun is a noun naming a group of things, animals, or persons. You could count the individual members of the group, but you usually think of the group as a whole is generally as one unit. You need to be able to recognise collective nouns in order to maintain subject-verb agreement. A collective noun is similar to a non-countable noun, and is roughly the opposite of a countable noun.
In each of the following sentences, the highlighted word is a collective noun:
The flock of geese spends most of its time in the pasture.
The collective noun "flock" takes the singular verb "spends."
The jury is dining on take-out chicken tonight.
In this example the collective noun "jury" is the subject of the singular compound verb "is dining."
The steering committee meets every Wednesday afternoon.
Here the collective noun "committee" takes a singular verb, "meets."
The class was startled by the bursting light bulb.
In this sentence the word "class" is a collective noun and takes the singular compound verb "was startled."
A pronoun can replace a noun or another pronoun. You use pronouns like "he," "which," "none," and "you" to make your sentences less cumbersome and less repetitive.
Grammarians classify pronouns into several types, including the personal pronoun, the demonstrative pronoun, the interrogative pronoun, the indefinite pronoun, the relative pronoun, the reflexive pronoun, and the intensive pronoun.
Personal Pronouns
A personal pronoun refers to a specific person or thing and changes its form to indicate person, number, gender, and case.
Subjective Personal Pronouns
A subjective personal pronoun indicates that the pronoun is acting as the subject of the sentence. The subjective personal pronouns are "I," "you," "she," "he," "it," "we," "you," "they."
In the following sentences, each of the highlighted words is a subjective personal pronoun and acts as the subject of the sentence:
I was glad to find the bus pass in the bottom of the green knapsack.You are surely the strangest child I have ever met.He stole the selkie's skin and forced her to live with him.When she was a young woman, she earned her living as a coal miner.After many years, they returned to their homeland.We will meet at the library at 3:30 p.m.It is on the counter.Are you the delegates from Malagawatch?
Objective Personal Pronouns
An objective personal pronoun indicates that the pronoun is acting as an object of a verb, compound verb, preposition, or infinitive phrase. The objective personal pronouns are: "me," "you," "her," "him," "it," "us," "you," and "them."
In the following sentences, each of the highlighted words is an objective personal pronoun:
Seamus stole the selkie's skin and forced her to live with him.
The objective personal pronoun "her" is the direct object of the verb "forced" and the objective personal pronoun "him" is the object of the preposition "with."
After reading the pamphlet, Judy threw it into the garbage can.
The pronoun "it" is the direct object of the verb "threw."
The agitated assistant stood up and faced the angry delegates and said, "Our leader will address you in five minutes."
In this sentence, the pronoun "you" is the direct object of the verb "address."
Here the objective personal pronoun "her" is the object of the infinitive phrase "to see."
Possessive Personal Pronouns
A possessive pronoun indicates that the pronoun is acting as a marker of possession and defines who owns a particular object or person. The possessive personal pronouns are "mine," "yours," "hers," "his," "its," "ours," and "theirs." Note that possessive personal pronouns are very similar to possessive adjectives like "my," "her," and "their."
In each of the following sentences, the highlighted word is a possessive personal pronoun:
The smallest gift is mine.
Here the possessive pronoun "mine" functions as a subject complement.
This is yours.
Here too the possessive pronoun "yours" functions as a subject complement.
His is on the kitchen counter.
In this example, the possessive pronoun "his" acts as the subject of the sentence.
Theirs will be delivered tomorrow.
In this sentence, the possessive pronoun "theirs" is the subject of the sentence.
Ours is the green one on the corner.
Here too the possessive pronoun "ours" function as the subject of the sentence.
Demonstrative Pronouns
A demonstrative pronoun points to and identifies a noun or a pronoun. "This" and "these" refer to things that are nearby either in space or in time, while "that" and "those" refer to things that are farther away in space or time.
The demonstrative pronouns are "this," "that," "these," and "those." "This" and "that" are used to refer to singular nouns or noun phrases and "these" and "those" are used to refer to plural nouns and noun phrases. Note that the demonstrative pronouns are identical to demonstrative adjectives, though, obviously, you use them differently. It is also important to note that "that" can also be used as a relative pronoun.
In the following sentences, each of the highlighted words is a demonstrative pronoun:
This must not continue.
Here "this" is used as the subject of the compound verb "must not continue."
This is puny; that is the tree I want.
In this example "this" is used as subject and refers to something close to the speaker. The demonstrative pronoun "that" is also a subject but refers to something farther away from the speaker.
Three customers wanted these.
Here "these" is the direct object of the verb "wanted."
Interrogative Pronouns
An interrogative pronoun is used to ask questions. The interrogative pronouns are "who," "whom," "which," "what" and the compounds formed with the suffix "ever" ("whoever," "whomever," "whichever," and "whatever"). Note that either "which" or "what" can also be used as an interrogative adjective, and that "who," "whom," or "which" can also be used as a relative pronoun.
You will find "who," "whom," and occasionally "which" used to refer to people, and "which" and "what" used to refer to things and to animals.
"Who" acts as the subject of a verb, while "whom" acts as the object of a verb, preposition, or a verbal.
The highlighted word in each of the following sentences is an interrogative pronoun:
Which wants to see the dentist first?
"Which" is the subject of the sentence.
Who wrote the novel Rockbound?
Similarly "who" is the subject of the sentence.
Whom do you think we should invite?
In this sentence, "whom" is the object of the verb "invite."
To whom do you wish to speak?
Here the interrogative pronoun "whom " is the object of the preposition "to."
Who will meet the delegates at the train station?
In this sentence, the interrogative pronoun "who" is the subject of the compound verb "will meet."
To whom did you give the paper?
In this example the interrogative pronoun "whom" is the object of the preposition "to."
What did she say?
Here the interrogative pronoun "what" is the direct object of the verb "say."
Relative Pronouns
You can use a relative pronoun is used to link one phrase or clause to another phrase or clause. The relative pronouns are "who," "whom," "that," and "which." The compounds "whoever," "whomever," and "whichever" are also relative pronouns.
You can use the relative pronouns "who" and "whoever" to refer to the subject of a clause or sentence, and "whom" and "whomever" to refer to the objects of a verb, a verbal or a preposition.
In each of the following sentences, the highlighted word is a relative pronoun.
You may invite whomever you like to the party.
The relative pronoun "whomever" is the direct object of the compound verb "may invite."
The candidate who wins the greatest popular vote is not always elected.
In this sentence, the relative pronoun is the subject of the verb "wins" and introduces the subordinate clause "who wins the greatest popular vote." This subordinate clause acts as an adjective modifying "candidate."
In a time of crisis, the manager asks the workers whom she believes to be the most efficient to arrive an hour earlier than usual.
In this sentence "whom" is the direct object of the verb "believes" and introduces the subordinate clause "whom she believes to be the most efficient". This subordinate clause modifies the noun "workers."
Here "whoever" functions as the subject of the verb "broke."
The crate which was left in the corridor has now been moved into the storage closet.
In this example "which" acts as the subject of the compound verb "was left" and introduces the subordinate clause "which was left in the corridor." The subordinate clause acts as an adjective modifying the noun "crate."
I will read whichever manuscript arrives first.
Here "whichever" modifies the noun "manuscript" and introduces the subordinate clause "whichever manuscript arrives first." The subordinate clause functions as the direct object of the compound verb "will read."
Indefinite Pronouns
An indefinite pronoun is a pronoun referring to an identifiable but not specified person or thing. An indefinite pronoun conveys the idea of all, any, none, or some.
The most common indefinite pronouns are "all," "another," "any," "anybody," "anyone," "anything," "each," "everybody," "everyone," "everything," "few," "many," "nobody," "none," "one," "several," "some," "somebody," and "someone." Note that some indefinite pronouns can also be used as indefinite adjectives.
The highlighted words in the following sentences are indefinite pronouns:
Many were invited to the lunch but only twelve showed up.
Here "many" acts as the subject of the compound verb "were invited."
The office had been searched and everything was thrown onto the floor.
In this example, "everything" acts as a subject of the compound verb "was thrown."
We donated everything we found in the attic to the woman's shelter garage sale.
In this sentence, "everything" is the direct object of theverb "donated."
Although they looked everywhere for extra copies of the magazine, they found none.
Here too the indefinite pronoun functions as a direct object: "none" is the direct object of "found."
Make sure you give everyone a copy of the amended bylaws.
In this example, "everyone" is the indirect object of the verb "give" -- the direct object is the noun phrase "a copy of the amended bylaws."
Give a registration package to each.
Here "each" is the object of the preposition "to."
Reflexive Pronouns
You can use a reflexive pronoun to refer back to the subject of the clause or sentence.
The reflexive pronouns are "myself," "yourself," "herself," "himself," "itself," "ourselves," "yourselves," and "themselves." Note each of these can also act as an intensive pronoun.
Each of the highlighted words in the following sentences is a reflexive pronoun:
Diabetics give themselves insulin shots several times a day.The Dean often does the photocopying herself so that the secretaries can do more important work.After the party, I asked myself why I had faxed invitations to everyone in my office building.Richard usually remembered to send a copy of his e-mail to himself.Although the landlord promised to paint the apartment, we ended up doing it ourselves.
An intensive pronoun is a pronoun used to emphasise its antecedent. Intensive pronouns are identical in form to reflexive pronouns.
The highlighted words in the following sentences are intensive pronouns:
I myself believe that aliens should abduct my sister.The Prime Minister himself said that he would lower taxes.They themselves promised to come to the party even though they had a final exam at the same time.
Written by Heather MacFadyen
What is a Verb?
The verb is perhaps the most important part of the sentence. A verb or compound verb asserts something about the subject of the sentence and express actions, events, or states of being. The verb or compound verb is the critical element of the predicate of a sentence.
In each of the following sentences, the verb or compound verb is highlighted:
Dracula bites his victims on the neck.
The verb "bites" describes the action Dracula takes.
In early October, Giselle will plant twenty tulip bulbs.
Here the compound verb "will plant" describes an action that will take place in the future.
My first teacher was Miss Crawford, but I remember the janitor Mr. Weatherbee more vividly.
In this sentence, the verb "was" (the simple past tense of "is") identifies a particular person and the verb "remembered" describes a mental action.
Karl Creelman bicycled around the world in 1899, but his diaries and his bicycle were destroyed.
In this sentence, the compound verb "were destroyed" describes an action which took place in the past.
What Is An Adjective?
An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun by describing, identifying, or quantifying words. An adjective usually precedes the noun or the pronoun which it modifies.
In the following examples, the highlighted words are adjectives:
The truck-shaped balloon floated over the treetops.Mrs. Morrison papered her kitchen walls with hideous wall paper.The small boat foundered on the wine dark sea.The coal mines are dark and dank.Many stores have already begun to play irritating Christmas music.A battered music box sat on the mahogany sideboard.The back room was filled with large, yellow rain boots.
An adjective can be modified by an adverb, or by a phrase or clause functioning as an adverb. In the sentence
My husband knits intricately patterned mittens.
for example, the adverb "intricately" modifies the adjective "patterned."
Some nouns, many pronouns, and many participle phrases can also act as adjectives. In the sentence
Eleanor listened to the muffled sounds of the radio hidden under her pillow.
for example, both highlighted adjectives are past participles.
Grammarians also consider articles ("the," "a," "an") to be adjectives.
Possessive Adjectives
A possessive adjective ("my," "your," "his," "her," "its," "our," "their") is similar or identical to a possessive pronoun; however, it is used as an adjective and modifies a noun or a noun phrase, as in the following sentences:
I can't complete my assignment because I don't have the textbook.
In this sentence, the possessive adjective "my" modifies "assignment" and the noun phrase "my assignment" functions as an object. Note that the possessive pronoun form "mine" is not used to modify a noun or noun phrase.
What is your phone number.
Here the possessive adjective "your" is used to modify the noun phrase "phone number"; the entire noun phrase "your phone number" is a subject complement. Note that the possessive pronoun form "yours" is not used to modify a noun or a noun phrase.
The bakery sold his favourite type of bread.
In this example, the possessive adjective "his" modifies the noun phrase "favourite type of bread" and the entire noun phrase "his favourite type of bread" is the direct object of the verb "sold."
After many years, she returned to her homeland.
Here the possessive adjective "her" modifies the noun "homeland" and the noun phrase "her homeland" is the object of the preposition "to." Note also that the form "hers" is not used to modify nouns or noun phrases.
We have lost our way in this wood.
In this sentence, the possessive adjective "our" modifies "way" and the noun phrase "our way" is the direct object of the compound verb "have lost". Note that the possessive pronoun form "ours" is not used to modify nouns or noun phrases.
In many fairy tales, children are neglected by their parents.
Here the possessive adjective "their" modifies "parents" and the noun phrase "their parents" is the object of the preposition "by." Note that the possessive pronoun form "theirs" is not used to modify nouns or noun phrases.
The cat chased its ball down the stairs and into the backyard.
In this sentence, the possessive adjective "its" modifies "ball" and the noun phrase "its ball" is the object of the verb "chased." Note that "its" is the possessive adjective and "it's" is a contraction for "it is."
Demonstrative Adjectives
The demonstrative adjectives "this," "these," "that," "those," and "what" are identical to the demonstrative pronouns, but are used as adjectives to modify nouns or noun phrases, as in the following sentences:
When the librarian tripped over that cord, she dropped a pile of books.
In this sentence, the demonstrative adjective "that" modifies the noun "cord" and the noun phrase "that cord" is the object of the preposition "over."
This apartment needs to be fumigated.
Here "this" modifies "apartment" and the noun phrase "this apartment" is the subject of the sentence.
Even though my friend preferred those plates, I bought these.
In the subordinate clause, "those" modifies "plates" and the noun phrase "those plates" is the object of the verb "preferred." In the independent clause, "these" is the direct object of the verb "bought."
Note that the relationship between a demonstrative adjective and a demonstrative pronoun is similar to the relationship between a possessive adjective and a possessive pronoun, or to that between a interrogative adjective and an interrogative pronoun.
Interrogative Adjectives
An interrogative adjective ("which" or "what") is like an interrogative pronoun, except that it modifies a noun or noun phrase rather than standing on its own (see also demonstrative adjectives and possessive adjectives):
Which plants should be watered twice a week?
Like other adjectives, "which" can be used to modify a noun or a noun phrase. In this example, "which" modifies "plants" and the noun phrase "which plants" is the subject of the compound verb "should be watered":
What book are you reading?
In this sentence, "what" modifies "book" and the noun phrase "what book" is the direct object of the compound verb "are reading."
Indefinite Adjectives
An indefinite adjective is similar to an indefinite pronoun, except that it modifies a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase, as in the following sentences:
Many people believe that corporations are under-taxed.
The indefinite adjective "many" modifies the noun "people" and the noun phrase "many people" is the subject of the sentence.
I will send you any mail that arrives after you have moved to Sudbury.
The indefinite adjective "any" modifies the noun "mail" and the noun phrase "any mail" is the direct object of the compound verb "will send."
They found a few goldfish floating belly up in the swan pound.
In this example the indefinite adjective modifies the noun "goldfish" and the noun phrase is the direct object of the verb "found":
The title of Kelly's favourite game is "All dogs go to heaven."
Here the indefinite pronoun "all" modifies "dogs" and the full title is a subject complement.
What is an Adverb?
An adverb can modify a verb, an adjective, another adverb, a phrase, or a clause. An adverb indicates manner, time, place, cause, or degree and answers questions such as "how," "when," "where," "how much".
While some adverbs can be identified by their characteristic "ly" suffix, most of them must be identified by untangling the grammatical relationships within the sentence or clause as a whole. Unlike an adjective, an adverb can be found in various places within the sentence.
In the following examples, each of the highlighted words is an adverb:
The seamstress quickly made the mourning clothes.
In this sentence, the adverb "quickly" modifies the verb "made" and indicates in what manner (or how fast) the clothing was constructed.
The midwives waited patiently through a long labour.
Similarly in this sentence, the adverb "patiently" modifies the verb "waited" and describes the manner in which the midwives waited.
The boldly spoken words would return to haunt the rebel.
In this sentence the adverb "boldly" modifies the adjective "spoken."
We urged him to dial the number more expeditiously.
Here the adverb "more" modifies the adverb "expeditiously."
Unfortunately, the bank closed at three today.
In this example, the adverb "unfortunately" modifies the entire sentence.
Conjunctive Adverbs
You can use a conjunctive adverb to join two clauses together. Some of the most common conjunctive adverbs are "also," "consequently," "finally," "furthermore," "hence," "however," "incidentally," "indeed," "instead," "likewise," "meanwhile," "nevertheless," "next," "nonetheless," "otherwise," "still," "then," "therefore," and "thus." A conjunctive adverb is not strong enough to join two independent clauses without the aid of a semicolon.
The highlighted words in the following sentences are conjunctive adverbs:
The government has cut university budgets; consequently, class sizes have been increased.He did not have all the ingredients the recipe called for; therefore, he decided to make something else.The report recommended several changes to the ways the corporation accounted for donations; furthermore, it suggested that a new auditor be appointed immediately.The crowd waited patiently for three hours; finally, the doors to the stadium were opened.Batman and Robin fruitlessly searched the building; indeed, the Joker had escaped through a secret door in the basement.
What is a Preposition?
A preposition links nouns, pronouns and phrases to other words in a sentence. The word or phrase that the preposition introduces is called the object of the preposition.
A preposition usually indicates the temporal, spatial or logical relationship of its object to the rest of the sentence as in the following examples:
The book is on the table.The book is beneath the table.The book is leaning against the table.The book is beside the table.She held the book over the table.She read the book during class.
In each of the preceding sentences, a preposition locates the noun "book" in space or in time.
A prepositional phrase is made up of the preposition, its object and any associated adjectives or adverbs. A prepositional phrase can function as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb. The most common prepositions are "about," "above," "across," "after," "against," "along," "among," "around," "at," "before," "behind," "below," "beneath," "beside," "between," "beyond," "but," "by," "despite," "down," "during," "except," "for," "from," "in," "inside," "into," "like," "near," "of," "off," "on," "onto," "out," "outside," "over," "past," "since," "through," "throughout," "till," "to," "toward," "under," "underneath," "until," "up," "upon," "with," "within," and "without."
Each of the highlighted words in the following sentences is a preposition:
The children climbed the mountain without fear.
In this sentence, the preposition "without" introduces the noun "fear." The prepositional phrase "without fear" functions as an adverb describing how the children climbed.
There was rejoicing throughout the land when the government was defeated.
Here, the preposition "throughout" introduces the noun phrase "the land." The prepositional phrase acts as an adverb describing the location of the rejoicing.
The spider crawled slowly along the banister.
The preposition "along" introduces the noun phrase "the banister" and the prepositional phrase "along the banister" acts as an adverb, describing where the spider crawled.
The dog is hiding under the porch because it knows it will be punished for chewing up a new pair of shoes.
Here the preposition "under" introduces the prepositional phrase "under the porch," which acts as an adverb modifying the compound verb "is hiding."
The screenwriter searched for the manuscript he was certain was somewhere in his office.
Similarly in this sentence, the preposition "in" introduces a prepositional phrase "in his office," which acts as an adverb describing the location of the missing papers.
What is a Conjunction?
You can use a conjunction to link words, phrases, and clauses, as in the following example:
I ate the pizza and the pasta.Call the movers when you are ready.
Co-ordinating Conjunctions
You use a co-ordinating conjunction ("and," "but," "or," "nor," "for," "so," or "yet") to join individual words, phrases, and independent clauses. Note that you can also use the conjunctions "but" and "for" as prepositions.
In the following sentences, each of the highlighted words is a co-ordinating conjunction:
Lilacs and violets are usually purple.
In this example, the co-ordinating conjunction "and" links two nouns.
This movie is particularly interesting to feminist film theorists, for the screenplay was written by Mae West.
In this example, the co-ordinating conjunction "for" is used to link two independent clauses.
Daniel's uncle claimed that he spent most of his youth dancing on rooftops and swallowing goldfish.
Here the co-ordinating conjunction "and" links two participle phrases ("dancing on rooftops" and "swallowing goldfish") which act as adverbs describing the verb "spends."
Subordinating Conjunctions
A subordinating conjunction introduces a dependent clause and indicates the nature of the relationship among the independent clause(s) and the dependent clause(s).
The most common subordinating conjunctions are "after," "although," "as," "because," "before," "how," "if," "once," "since," "than," "that," "though," "till," "until," "when," "where," "whether," and "while."
Each of the highlighted words in the following sentences is a subordinating conjunction:
After she had learned to drive, Alice felt more independent.
The subordinating conjunction "after" introduces the dependent clause "After she had learned to drive."
If the paperwork arrives on time, your cheque will be mailed on Tuesday.
Similarly, the subordinating conjunction "if" introduces the dependent clause "If the paperwork arrives on time."
Gerald had to begin his thesis over again when his computer crashed.
The subordinating conjunction "when" introduces the dependent clause "when his computer crashed."
Midwifery advocates argue that home births are safer because the mother and baby are exposed to fewer people and fewer germs.
In this sentence, the dependent clause "because the mother and baby are exposed to fewer people and fewer germs" is introduced by the subordinating conjunction "because."
Correlative Conjunctions
Correlative conjunctions always appear in pairs -- you use them to link equivalent sentence elements. The most common correlative conjunctions are "both...and," "either...or," "neither...nor,", "not only...but also," "so...as," and "whether...or." (Technically correlative conjunctions consist simply of a co-ordinating conjunction linked to an adjective or adverb.)
The highlighted words in the following sentences are correlative conjunctions:
Both my grandfather and my father worked in the steel plant.
In this sentence, the correlative conjunction "both...and" is used to link the two noun phrases that act as the compound subject of the sentence: "my grandfather" and "my father".
Bring either a Jello salad or a potato scallop.
Here the correlative conjunction "either...or" links two noun phrases: "a Jello salad" and "a potato scallop."
Corinne is trying to decide whether to go to medical school or to go to law school.
Similarly, the correlative conjunction "whether ... or" links the two infinitive phrases "to go to medical school" and "to go to law school."
The explosion destroyed not only the school but also the neighbouring pub.
In this example the correlative conjunction "not only ... but also" links the two noun phrases ("the school" and "neighbouring pub") which act as direct objects.
Note: some words which appear as conjunctions can also appear as prepositions or as adverbs.
What is an Interjection?
An interjection is a word added to a sentence to convey emotion. It is not grammatically related to any other part of the sentence.
You usually follow an interjection with an exclamation mark. Interjections are uncommon in formal academic prose, except in direct quotations.
The highlighted words in the following sentences are interjections:
Ouch, that hurt!Oh no, I forgot that the exam was today.Hey! Put that down!I heard one guy say to another guy, "He has a new car, eh?"I don't know about you but, good lord, I think taxes are too high!
3. Sally and Tom are coming back soon. Part of speech:
4. This is a pretty vase. Part of speech:
5. Let's do it. Part of speech:
6. The cat is on the table. Part of speech:
7. Oh, I didn't know that. Part of speech:
8. Do you want to go out or stay home? Part of speech:
9. New York is a big city. Part of speech:
10. I want the blue ball. Part of speech:
11. We finished it yesterday. Part of speech:
12. What am I going to do without you? Part of speech:
13. He will come. Part of speech:
14. Wow, those are great news! Part of speech:
15. We have pens, pencil, notebooks and markers. Part of speech:
16. They went into the hall. Part of speech:
Check Hint
Review: Parts of Speech
Identify the part of speech of the highlighted word in each of the following sentences:
1. The clown chased a dog around the ring and then fell flat on her face. 1. Verb 2. Noun 3. Pronoun 4. Adjective 5. Adverb 6. Preposition 7. Conjunction 8. Interjection
2. The geese indolently waddled across the intersection. 1. Verb 2. Noun 3. Pronoun 4. Adjective 5. Adverb 6. Preposition 7. Conjunction 8. Interjection
4. Bruno's shabby thesaurus tumbled out of the book bag when the bus suddenly pulled out into traffic. 1. Verb 2. Noun 3. Pronoun 4. Adjective 5. Adverb 6. Preposition 7. Conjunction 8. Interjection
5. Mr. Frederick angrily stamped out the fire that the local hooligans had started on his verandah. 1. Verb 2. Noun 3. Pronoun 4. Adjective 5. Adverb 6. Preposition 7. Conjunction 8. Interjection
6. Later that summer, she asked herself, "What was I thinking of?" 1. Verb 2. Noun 3. Pronoun 4. Adjective 5. Adverb 6. Preposition 7. Conjunction 8. Interjection
7. She thought that the twenty zucchini plants would not be enough so she planted another ten. 1. Verb 2. Noun 3. Pronoun 4. Adjective 5. Adverb 6. Preposition 7. Conjunction 8. Interjection
8. Although she gave hundreds of zucchini away, the enormous mound left over frightened her. 1. Verb 2. Noun 3. Pronoun 4. Adjective 5. Adverb 6. Preposition 7. Conjunction 8. Interjection
9. Everywhere she went, she talked about the prolific veggies. 1. Verb 2. Noun 3. Pronoun 4. Adjective 5. Adverb 6. Preposition 7. Conjunction 8. Interjection
10. The manager confidently made his presentation to the board of directors. 1. Verb 2. Noun 3. Pronoun 4. Adjective 5. Adverb 6. Preposition 7. Conjunction 8. Interjection
11. Frankenstein is the name of the scientist, not the monster. 1. Verb 2. Noun 3. Pronoun 4. Adjective 5. Adverb 6. Preposition 7. Conjunction 8. Interjection
12. Her greatest fear is that the world will end before she finds a comfortable pair of panty-hose. 1. Verb 2. Noun 3. Pronoun 4. Adjective 5. Adverb 6. Preposition 7. Conjunction 8. Interjection
15. The sun was shining as we set out for our first winter camping trip. 1. Verb 2. Noun 3. Pronoun 4. Adjective 5. Adverb 6. Preposition 7. Conjunction 8. Interjection
16. Small children often insist that they can do it by themselves. 1. Verb 2. Noun 3. Pronoun 4. Adjective 5. Adverb 6. Preposition 7. Conjunction 8. Interjection
17. Dust covered every surface in the locked bedroom. 1. Verb 2. Noun 3. Pronoun 4. Adjective 5. Adverb 6. Preposition 7. Conjunction 8. Interjection
18. The census taker knocked loudly on all the doors but nobody was home. 1. Verb 2. Noun 3. Pronoun 4. Adjective 5. Adverb 6. Preposition 7. Conjunction 8. Interjection
19. They wondered if there truly was honour among thieves. 1. Verb 2. Noun 3. Pronoun 4. Adjective 5. Adverb 6. Preposition 7. Conjunction 8. Interjection
20. Exciting new products and effective marketing strategies will guarantee the company's success.1. Verb 2. Noun 3. Pronoun
All words are divided into grammar groups. The grammar groups are called parts of speech.
The groups are:
1. Nouns (people, places, or things) 2. Verbs (the state or action word in a sentence) 3. Adjectives (give more information about nouns) 4. Adverbs (give more information about verbs) 5. Determiners (words that come before most nouns) 6. Prepositions (give information about place and time) 7. Pronouns (replace nouns) 8. Conjunctions (join sentences)
Example (The numbers in the example below refer to the numbers in the list above.)
Explanation
Each part of speech --
has its own rules. is necessary to write grammatically correct sentences.
Related Sections
AdjectivesAdverbs: Part OneAdverbs: Part TwoConjunctionsDeterminers: ArticlesDeterminers: DemonstrativesList of Prepositions of PlaceNounsPronounsSimple SentencesVerbs
A noun is any word which names a person, place, thing, idea, animal, quality, or activity. Examples: person - Jennifer place - downtown thing - table idea - equality animal - gopher quality - height activity - navigation
Nouns can have different functions in a sentence. Some nouns function as subjects while others function as objects or complements. For example, a noun like "Jennifer" might function in the following ways:
Subject - Jennifer likes English courses. Object of a Preposition - He gave the book to Jennifer. Subject complement - The best student is Jennifer.
The term nominal refers to any word or group of words used as a noun.
Types of Nouns:
Proper nouns are the names of specific things, people, or places, such as Chicoutimi and Christine. They usually begin with a capital letter.
Common nouns are general names such as person, mansion, and book. They can be either concrete or abstract.
Concrete nouns refer to things which you can sense such as clock and telephone.
Abstract nouns refer to ideas or qualities such as liberty and truth.
Count Nouns
Count nouns refer to anything which can be counted. They have a singular form and a plural form. The plural usually ends in -s: singular car plan dollar piece apple dotplural cars plans dollars pieces apples dots
Most nouns ending in s, sh, o, or ch require an -es suffix to be plural: singular bus latch wish potato hero echoplural buses latches wishes potatoes heroes echoes
Nouns ending in a consonant followed by y become plural by changing the y to i and adding -es: singular worry story apology spy mysteryplural worries stories apologies spies mysteries
Irregular count nouns do not form their plurals using the rules stated above: singular man goose mouse crisis child ox
plural men geese mice crises children oxen
Mass Nouns
Mass nouns refer to entities which cannot be counted. They do not usually have a plural form. Examples: wine, money, justice, timeNote that when we are talking about kinds of wine, we do use a plural. Example: He certainly knows his wines!
Collective Nouns
Collective nouns refer to groups of people or things. Collective nouns can usually be counted; therefore, they have plural forms. Examples: herd gang staff bunch state herds gangs staffs bunches states
Plural Nouns
Plural nouns are nouns which have been changed into their plural form by adding an -s or -es. Remember, there are also irregular plural forms such as geese and mice. See rules for forming plurals.
Possessive Nouns
Nouns can also be possessive. The possessive expresses ownership, usually of the following noun, and often corresponds to a structure with of. Example: Khan's wrath = the wrath of Khan
Most singular possessives are formed by adding an apostrophe + s. Common Possessivesingular bird bird'splural birds birds'Most plural possessives are formed by adding an apostrophe following the s-ending of the plural.
the bird's territory = the territory of the birdthe birds' territory = the territory of the birds
If a noun is plural but does not end in s, the possessive is formed by adding apostrophe + s. Common Possessivesingular woman woman'splural women women's
(http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/eduweb/grammar/)
( 1.1) EXERCISE - COMMON NOUNS
Identify the Common Nouns in the following sentences.
11 Walk quickly _____ you will be late.Click here for the answer
12 He had to retire _____ of ill health.Click here for the answer
13 We will go swimming next Sunday _____ it's raining.Click here for the answer
14 I heard a noise _____ I turned the light on.Click here for the answer
15 Would you like a coffee _____ tea?Click here for the answer
16 Do you know _____ she will arrive?Click here for the answer
17 _____ the car is old it still runs well.Click here for the answer
18 Do you want a pen _____ a bit of paper?Click here for the answer
19 I would like to go _____ I am too busy.Click here for the answer
20 She will die _____ the doctors operate immediately.
( 10.1) EXERCISE - POSSESSIVE NOUNS
Put in the apostrophe ( ‘ ) or ( ‘s ) correctly.
1. The men cars are parked there.
Click here for the answer
2. The grocer shop is round the corner.Click here for the answer
3. The boys bicycles are over there.Click here for the answer
4. Ladies handbags are sold here.Click here for the answer
5. The soldiers helmets are of the same colour.Click here for the answer
6. The children playground is across the road.Click here for the answer
7. This girl hair is the longest in class.Click here for the answer
8. The carpenters tools are in the box.Click here for the answer
9. We have two weeks holiday in September.Click here for the answer
10. It is John last year as president of the club.Click here for the answer
( 10.2) EXERCISE - POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
Use each of the following ten possessive adjective words only once: her, his, its, my, my, our, our, their, their, your.
1. We borrowed some books for _____ homework
Click here for the answer
2. He has waited a long time for _____ turn.Click here for the answer
3. I have _____ reason for not going.Click here for the answer
4. _____ sister and mine are doing the same degree at the university.Click here for the answer
5. The cat is licking _____ paw.Click here for the answer
6. Don't they know they have to bring _____ calculators?Click here for the answer
7. She is eating _____ lunch.Click here for the answer
8. It is important that we preserve _____ natural resources.Click here for the answer
9. Everyone is entitled to _____ own opinion.Click here for the answer
10. I am sure you don't want to listen to all _____ problems.
Pronouns by Jimmy Pittman Student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke, 1998
Introduction
Pronouns are parts of speech that substitute for nouns. They refer to people, places, things, feelings, and qualities but not by name. There are several types of pronouns: personal, reflexive, intensive, reciprocal, demonstrative, relative, interrogative, and indefinite. Of all these we are most familiar with the personal pronouns.
Example: The Ghost Haven was released last year. It was an award-winning novel.
Person NumberSingular Plural
1st I we person(s) speaking
2nd you you person(s) spoken to
3rd he
she they person(s) spoken about
it
Definitions Personal pronouns: pronouns that stand for people and things; they must agree with their antecedents in number. Antecedent is a word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers. Example: People must speak Standard American English if they expect equal opportunities in the business world.
There are three pronoun cases that indicate the relationship of the personal pronoun to a verb or preposition. Standard English calls for the subjective case for pronouns in subjects and subject complements, the possessive case for pronouns that show possession, and the objective case for pronouns in all other nominal slots.
Subjective I we you he she it they
Possessive my our your his her its their
(mine) (ours) (yours) (his) (hers) (theirs)
Objective me us you him her it them
Reflexive pronouns: pronouns that mention again the identity of previously named nouns by adding -self or -selves to personal pronouns. Whenever the antecedent acts as the subject, reflexive pronouns can stand as a direct object, an indirect object, or an object of a preposition. Person Singular Plural
1st myself ourselves
2nd yourself yourselves
3rd himself
herself themselves
itselfExamples: Joey hit himself. Larry bought hats for Tupac and himself.
Tip: Never use reflexive pronouns in place of subject or object pronouns.
Intensive pronoun: a pronoun that renames a noun or pronoun for emphasis. Examples: I like plain M&M candies myself. Myself, I would rather have cherries.
Reciprocal pronouns: the pronouns one another and each other, which refer to previously named nouns. Reciprocal pronouns also function as determiners that show possession and as objects that rename nouns or pronouns. Examples: Tabby and Toni care for one another. They also give each other gifts. Ursula and Ella keep each other's children.
Demonstrative pronouns: pronouns that refer to things that are near or distant. When used in a sentence, demonstratives are usually in or near the sentence in which the antecedent appears.
Proximity NumbersSingular Plural
Near this these
Distant that those
Example: That movie we watched yesterday was better than this one. These pants are nicer than Billy's.
A singular demonstrative as an intensifier Example: Maine couldn't imagine being that famous.
Relative pronouns: pronouns that introduce relative clauses. Relative clauses are dependent, therefore establishing a relationship between the noun and the clause. The relative pronouns are who, which, and that.
Who can be inflected to show possession or objectivity. When who is used to show possession, it becomes whose.
Examples: The singer whose songs I like most is Sade. The boy who ran away was killed by a car.
Whenever that acts as the subject in a relative clause, it can't be omitted. However, when it functions as the object in the clause, it can be omitted. In the first example below, that can be omitted but not in the second example.
Example: The store that sold me the ring has closed. My English teacher taught me everything that I know about grammar.
What can also function as an indefinite relative pronoun if and only if it functions as a introductory for adjectival clauses.
Example: I gave Keva what she asked for.
Interrogative pronouns: pronouns that are used in questions (who, whom, whose, where, and what) Examples: Who was that on the phone? What did you say about Bradley?
Interrogative pronouns are also refered to as interrogative adjectives when they function as determiners or direct objects. In the first example what functions as a determiner and in the second one as the subject complement.
Examples: What color automobile do you want? What is your last name?
Indefinite pronouns: pronouns that refer to nonspecific singular and plural forms of nouns (enough, few, more, some, either, all, several, and any) Examples: Give me some of your candy. I've seen enough.
The pronouns any, every, no, and some can be expanded as shown in the chart below.
body body
some- thing every- thing
one one
body body
any- thing no- thing
one one (two words)
Examples: I would like for everybody to be present for the meeting. Nothing seems to matter anymore. Something is hiding behind the bushes.
Exercise
Fill the blanks with the appropriate pronouns.
1. If a person wants to play professional tennis, must practice. (they/he or she ) 2. When was expected to arrive at the airport? (they/she) 3. Carter and I call the "Baldies." (us/ourselves) 4. Rosa baked a chocolate cream cheese cake. (myself/herself) 5. All of the children share with . (one another/we) 6. Tomas and Marie help do yard work. (each other's/they) 7. jeans are nice but shirt is nicer. (these-those/those-this) 8. red convertible Mustang is that? (who/whose) 9. I want I deserve for the job I completed. (whenever/whatever) 10. The letter was addressed: "To it may concern." (who/whom) 11. was at the party when I arrived. (no one/they) 12. Brooke waited for in the park yesterday. (myself/him)
Kolln, Martha and Robert Funk. Understanding English Grammar. 5th ed. Needham, Mass: Allyn and Bacon, 1998.
Mead, Hayden, and Jay Stevenson. The Essentials of Grammar. New York: Berkley, 1996.
Written by Jimmy Pittman
EXERCISES for CHAPTER 18. PERSONAL PRONOUNS1. In the sentences below, fill in the blanks with the personal pronouns which agree with the underlined antecedents. For example:The man walked slowly, because __ was carrying a heavy parcel.The man walked slowly, because he was carrying a heavy parcel.
Although ___ knew it was dangerous, the girl wanted to ride the horse.Although she knew it was dangerous, the girl wanted to ride the horse.
The tree is very tall, but __ does not give much shade.The tree is very tall, but it does not give much shade.
She and I are not coming, because __ are too busy.She and I are not coming, because we are too busy.
Doughnuts taste best when ____ are fresh.Doughnuts taste best when they are fresh.
1. The children are happy because _______ have a holiday today.2. My father and I had planned to visit the park, but since it was raining _______ decided not to go.3. This chair is valuable because _______ is so old.4. The woman is pleased because _______ has found work.5. Until _______ retired, their father managed a business.6. After the apples have been cut up, _______ should be sprinkled with cinnamon.7. Because her husband used to study music, _______ knows how to play several musical instruments.8. My neighbor and I like to go shopping together, so that _______ can help each other choose what to buy.9. Her daughter likes to study, because _______ finds the work interesting.10. The car is in good condition, but _______ needs a new muffler.Answers
2. Paying attention to the meanings of the sentences below, fill in each blank with he, she, it, we or they, and underline the antecedent of the pronoun. For example:My grandfather does not want to retire, because __ likes his work.My grandfather does not want to retire, because he likes his work.
His wife will be there if __ can find a baby-sitter.His wife will be there if she can find a baby-sitter.
The bicycle must be repaired before __ can be ridden again.The bicycle must be repaired before it can be ridden again.
My cousin and I live in different towns, but __ write to each other often.My cousin and I live in different towns, but we write to each other often.
The bananas are quite soft, but ___ can be used in banana cake.The bananas are quite soft, but they can be used in banana cake.
1. When the moon is full, ______ rises just as the sun sets.2. Tracy and I like spending time together, because _______ share many interests.3. When my uncle was young, _______ enjoyed playing soccer.4. The students worked hard, because _______ were anxious to complete the assignment.5. When the lady entered the hotel, ______ asked to speak with the manager.6. The man was surprised when ______ heard the news.7. My friend and I had to leave early so that _____ could catch the bus.8. I liked the picture so much that I had ______ framed.9. Your grandmother is old, but ______ is still beautiful.10. The boats look picturesque when _______ are tied up in the harbor
17. They have _____ (dig) deep for buried treasure.
18. His clothes were badly _____ (tear).
19. The gang had already _____ (flee) when the police arrived.
20. She has just _____ (come) out of a coma.
VERBS
Verbs have traditionally been defined as words that show action or state of being.
Verbs can also sometimes be recognized by their position in a sentence.
In the following two sentence frames, only a verb can be put into the empty slot.
NOUN __________ THERE ________ NOUN(verb) (verb)
Often, prefixes and suffixes (affixes) will signify that a word is a verb. For example, the suffixes -ify, -ize, -ate, or -en usually signify that a word is a verb, as in typify, characterize, irrigate, and sweeten. Prefixes such as be-, de-, or en- may signify that a word is a verb, as in bestow, dethrone, and encourage.
These affixes, often inconsistent from verb to verb, are called derivational affixes. Added to a word, they either change the word's part of speech
2. -ing creates the present participle / used with be (He is talking.)
3. -ed creates the simple past (He talked.)
4. -en creates the past participle / used with have (He has talked.)
Note: The -en verb ending used with a form of to have as an auxiliary is generally written -ed, as in has talked.
Unlike the derivational affixes, these inflectional suffixes are consistently used with all verbs, even though their form may look different from verb to verb.
Because many verbs in English are irregular; as result, their –ed and/or –en endings may not follow any obvious pattern.
Smith writes short stories at home. (-s ending)Smith is writing short stories at home. (-ing ending)Smith wrote short stories at home. (-ed ending)Smith has written short stories at home. (-en ending)*
(to buy)
Jones buys a newspaper each day. (-s ending)Jones is buying a newspaper today. (-ing ending)Jones bought a newspaper yesterday. (-ed ending)Jones has bought newspapers every day. (-en ending)*
(to go)
Students go to the library often. (-s ending)Students are going to the library often. (-ing ending)Students went to the library often. (-ed ending)Students have gone to the library often. (-en ending)
The majority of verbs are regular and consistently use -ed and -en to form their simple past tense and past participles. (e.g. talked, has talked)
Many verbs are irregular, however, and follow no consistent pattern in creating their -ed and/or -en forms. A list of the major irregular verbs is shown below.
Present Past (-ed form) Past Participle (-en form)arise arose Arisenask asked Askedattack attacked Attackedawaken awakened OR awoke Awakenedbear bore borne/bornbegin began Begunblow blew Blownbreak broke Brokenbring brought Broughtburst burst Burstchoose chose Chosencling clung Clungcome came Comedive dived OR dove Diveddo did Donedrag dragged Draggeddraw drew Drawndrink drank Drunkdrive drove Drivendrown drowned Drownedeat ate Eatenfall fell Fallenfly flew Flownforgive forgave Forgivenfreeze froze Frozenget got got OR gotten
give gave Givengo went Gonegrow grew Grownhang (things) hung Hunghang (people) hanged Hangedhappen happened Happenedknow knew Knownlay laid Laidlead led Ledlie lay Lainloosen loosened Loosenedlose lost Lostpay paid Paidride rode Riddenring rang Rungrise rose Risenrun ran Runsee saw Seenset set Setshake shook Shakenshrink shrank OR shrunk shrunk OR shrunkensing sang Sungsink sank OR sunk Sunksit sat Satspeak spoke Spokenspin spun Spunspit spat Spatspring sprang OR sprung Sprungsteal stole Stolensting stung Stungstink stank OR stunk Stunkstrive strove striven study studied Studiedswear swore Swornswim swam Swumswing swung Swungtake took Takentear tore Tornthrow threw Thrownwake woke OR waked woken OR wakedwear wore Wornweave wove Wovenwring wrung Wrungwrite wrote Written
A verb phrase is defined as the main verb together with all its auxiliaries (helping verbs).
Auxiliary verbs always precede the main verb.
There are two types of auxiliary verbs:
1. Inflected auxiliary verbs:
be have do
2. Modal auxiliaries (considered more fully under (auxiliary verbs)
present past no tensewill would mustshall shouldcan couldmay might
Examples of verb phrases:
He has taken the test. (auxiliary has + main verb take.)He is taking the test. (auxiliary is + main verb take)He did take the test. (auxiliary do + main verb take)He has been taking the test.
(auxiliaries has been + main verb take)
Verbs may be divided into three types:
A. A. Action verbs - show an action -- either physical or mental
B. Verbs of being (forms of be - is, are, was, were, has/have/had been, will be) - show a state of existence:
C. C. **Linking verbs - link a subject with its complement
B. An intransitive verb is one that is NOT followed by a direct object.
Example:
Caution: An intransitive verb may be followed by adjectives, adverbs, and/or prepositional phrases. As long as the verb is not followed by a noun or pronoun functioning as the direct object, the verb is intransitive.
Example:
NOTE: Some action verbs may be either transitive or intransitive.
will have been kissingTo be: Be is the most common verb in the English language. It can be used as an auxiliary and a main verb. It is used a lot in its other forms.
Present tense form Past tense form
am/is/are was/were
Uses:
Am/Is/Are:
Question Positive Statement Negative Statement
Singular
Am I? I am (I'm) I am not (I'm not)
Are you? You are (You're) You are not (You're not/You aren't)
Is he/she/it? He/she/it is (He's/She's/It's) He/she/it is not (He/she/it isn't// He/she/it's not)
Plural
Are we? We are (We're) We are not (We aren't/We're not)
Are you? You are (You're) You are not (You aren't/You're not)
Are they? They are (They're) They are not (They aren't/They're not)
Examples:
Am/Are Is
Question - ? "Am I disturbing you?" "Is this your coat"
Positive Answer - Yes "Yes you are." "Yes it is"
Negative Answer - No "No you're not." "No it isn't"Note: The auxiliary verb 'be' can be followed either by the -ed form or by the -ing form.
To do:The verb do is one of the most common verbs in English. It can be used as an auxiliary and a main verb. It is often used in questions.
Have I? I have (I've) I have not (I haven't/I've not)
Have you? You have (You've) You have not (You haven't/You've not)
Has he/she/it? He/she/it has (He/she/it 's) He/she/it has not (He/she/it hasn't)
Plural
Have we? We have (We've) We have not (We haven't/We've not)
Have you? You have (You've) You have not (You haven't/You've not)
Have they? They have (They've) They have not (They haven't/They've not)
Have is often used to indicate possession (I have) or (I have got).
Examples: Have Have got
Question - ? "Do you have a car?" or "Have you a car?" "Have you got a car?"
Positive Answer - Yes "Yes I have a car." "Yes I've got a car."
Negative Answer - No "No I don't have a car." "No I haven't got a car."
Have is also used to indicate necessity (I have to) or (I have got to). Have to Have got to
Question - ? "Do you have to leave early?" "Have you got to leave early?"
Positive Answer - Yes "Yes I have to." or "Yes I do" "Yes I've got to."
Negative Answer - No "No I don't have to." "No I haven't got to."
Have is used to show an action. Question - ? "Have you washed your face?"
Positive Answer - Yes " Yes I have."
Negative Answer - No " No I haven't."
Note: When showing an action the auxiliary verb 'have' is always followed by the past participle form.
List of irregular verbs:
Base Form Simple Past Tense Past Participleawake awoke Awokenbe was, were Beenbear bore Bornbeat beat Beatbecome became Becomebegin began Begunbend bent Bentbeset beset Besetbet bet Betbid bid/bade bid/biddenbind bound Boundbite bit Bittenbleed bled Bledblow blew Blownbreak broke Brokenbreed bred Bred
bring brought Broughtbroadcast broadcast Broadcastbuild built Builtburn burned/burnt burned/burntburst burst Burstbuy bought Boughtcast cast Castcatch caught Caughtchoose chose Chosencling clung Clungcome came Comecost cost Costcreep crept Creptcut cut Cutdeal dealt Dealtdig dug Dugdive dived/dove Diveddo did Donedraw drew Drawndream dreamed/dreamt dreamed/dreamtdrive drove Drivendrink drank Drunkeat ate Eatenfall fell Fallenfeed fed Fedfeel felt Feltfight fought Foughtfind found Foundfit fit Fitflee fled Fledfling flung Flungfly flew Flownforbid forbade Forbiddenforget forgot Forgottenforego (forgo) forewent Foregoneforgive forgave Forgivenforsake forsook Forsakenfreeze froze Frozenget got Gottengive gave Givengo went Gonegrind ground Groundgrow grew Grownhang hung Hunghear heard Heardhide hid Hiddenhit hit Hithold held Heldhurt hurt Hurtkeep kept Keptkneel knelt Kneltknit knit Knitknow knew Knowlay laid Laidlead led Ledleap leaped/lept leaped/leptlearn learned/learnt learned/learntleave left Leftlend lent Lentlet let Letlie lay Lainlight lighted/lit Lightedlose lost Lostmake made Made
mean meant Meantmeet met Metmisspell misspelled/misspelt misspelled/misspeltmistake mistook Mistakenmow mowed mowed/mownovercome overcame Overcomeoverdo overdid Overdoneovertake overtook Overtakenoverthrow overthrew Overthrownpay paid Paidplead pled Pledprove proved proved/provenput put Putquit quit Quitread read Readrid rid Ridride rode Riddenring rang Rungrise rose Risenrun ran Runsaw sawed sawed/sawnsay said Saidsee saw Seenseek sought Soughtsell sold Soldsend sent Sentset set Setsew sewed sewed/sewnshake shook Shakenshave shaved shaved/shavenshear shore Shornshed shed Shedshine shone Shoneshoe shoed shoed/shodshoot shot Shotshow showed showed/shownshrink shrank Shrunkshut shut Shutsing sang Sungsink sank Sunksit sat Satsleep slept Sleptslay slew Slainslide slid Slidsling slung Slungslit slit Slitsmite smote Smittensow sowed sowed/sown
5. The fisherman was hailed as a new hero. He caught a small shark
6. The man was short-sighted. He saw a cheetah and thought it was a leopard.
7. Mr Tate was an unusual man. He had tattoos of snakes all over his face.
8. That was my uncle. He spent the day on the beach eating sandwiches and building sandcastles.
9. The engineer said he saw a one-eyed monster. He worked in the jungle.
10. Princess Eve wants to marry a clown. She likes funny men.
5.4.1 Possessive Pronouns Part 1 Rewrite each of these sentences by using a possessive pronoun in place of a possessive adjective (e.g. my, your, his, her, its and their) and the noun that immediately follows it.
EXAMPLE: This is his watch and this is her ring.This is his and this is hers.
1. This is my pooch. That one is your pooch, and the other one must be her pooch.
2. These old worn out shoes cannot be our shoes. They must be their shoes. Where then are our shoes?
3. These marbles are mixed up. Which are his marbles, which are your marbles and which are my marbles? .
4. Their coach is telling them what not to do, and our coach it telling us what we should do.
5. I think that is Bob's watch and this one is her watch.
6. Look at that big monkey. Its tail is the longest tail among the
7. He said your shaved head is darker than my shaved head. We both nodded our shaved heads in agreement.
8. You must do your homework first before you can help them do their homework.
9. These are all his things, not even one item that is not his thing.
10. Take this if it is your book, don't take his book, tell her to take her book, and leave my book alone. The remainder are their books. They can collect their books later.
1. Kinds of Adjectives An adjective that tells us about the quality of the noun. Known as Descriptive Adjective
or Adjective of Quality, it tells us about the colour, shape, size or condition of a noun.
Example: a white dog, the blue sky, a round table, a square box, a big house, a tall tree, a cold morning, an old lorry.
An adjective that tells us about the quantity of the noun. This adjective is called an Adjective of Quantity. An adjective of quantity tells us the quantity or amount, and that is 'how many' or 'how much'.
Example: I have eaten three apples. / I don't have much money. / The pen has not much ink left. / She has many friends. / The zoo has many animals.
An adjective that tells us about the ownership of the noun. This adjective is called a Possessive Adjective. A possessive adjective shows ownership or possession. It tells us that something belongs to a person or thing.
Example: That is your cat. / This is my dog. / Is that their house? / Those are our bicycles.
An adjective which poses questions in an 'interrogative' manner. It is called an Interrogative Adjective. Like most adjectives, an interrogative adjective comes before a noun.
Example: Which monkey bit you? / Which school do you go to? / What colour is your new car? / Whose cap is this?In the example, "which", "what" and "whose" come before the nouns "monkey", "school", "colour"
and "cap" respectively. They tell about the nouns and so "which", "what" and "whose" are adjectives.
An adjective which specifies a noun. Called a Demonstrative Adjective, it is one that points out a fact about a person or thing.
Example: This puppy is mine. / This boy is a member of the club. / That piglet is yours./ That woman is not my wife. / These spiders have long legs. / Those faces are beautiful.In the example, "this", "that", "these" and "those" come before the nouns "puppy", "boy", "piglet", "woman", "spiders" and "faces". They tell something about the nouns and so are adjectives.
Adjectives which end in '-ing', e.g. an interesting film, an amazing player, an annoying habit,
Adjectives which end in '-ed', e.g. the damaged goods, the escaped prisoners, improved version,
2. Comparison of Adjectives We use the Positive degree to compare two equal nouns.
Example: His head is as big as my head.
We use the Comparative degree to compare two unequal nouns.
Example: His head is bigger than my head.
We use the Superlative degree to compare three or more Nouns.
ancient more ancient most ancientbeautiful more beautiful most beautifulbrilliant more brilliant most brilliantcareful more careful most carefulcareless more careless most carelesscheerful more cheerful most cheerfulcomfortable more comfortable most comfortabledangerous more dangerous most dangerousdelightful more delightful most delightfuldifficult more difficult most difficultenjoyable more enjoyable most enjoyablefoolish more foolish most foolishforgetful more forgetful most forgetfulfrightening more frightening most frighteninggenerous more generous most generoushandsome more handsome most handsomehelpful more helpful most helpfulignorant more ignorant most ignorantimportant more important most importantintelligent more intelligent most intelligentinteresting more interesting most interestingpleasant more pleasant most pleasantpowerful more powerful most powerfulprosperous more prosperous most prosperoussensible more sensible most sensibleterrible more terrible most terrible
thoughtful more thoughtful most thoughtfulunusual more unusual most unusualuseful more useful most usefulvaluable more valuable most valuablewonderful more wonderful most wonderful
PositiveComparative Superlative
bad worse worstfar farther farthestfar further furthestgood better bestlittle less leastmany more mostmuch more most
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3. Forming Adjectives There are various ways to form adjectives from nouns and verbs as follow:
beauty beautiful nature naturalboy boyish noise noisycare careful/careless north northerncaution cautious parent parentalcentre central peace peacefulchild childish/childlike person personalChina Chinese pity pitifulcircle circular poison poisonouscomfort comfortable poverty poorcomic comical pride proudcoward cowardly quarrel quarrelsomecruelty cruel responsibility responsibleculture cultural science scientificdanger dangerous sense sensibleday daily silk silkydisaster disastrous skill skilfuldistance distant smoke smokyduty dutiful, dutiable sorrow sorrowfuleast eastern south southernEurope European speed speedyfact factual star starryfaith faithful stone stonyfame famous storm stormyfather fatherly strength strongfear fearful success successfulfever feverish sun sunnyfool foolish tail taillessfortune fortunate talent talentedFrance French terror terriblefriend friendly thirst thirstyfury furious thought thoughtfulgirl girlish thought thoughtlessglory glorious topic topicalgod godly/godless tropic tropicalgold golden trouble troublesomeharm harmful truth truthfulheight high value valuablehero heroic victory victorioushunger hungry war warlikeIndia Indian water wateryjoy joyful wave wavylaw lawful west westernlength long wind windylife live, lively winter wintrylove lovely wisdom wise
man manly wood woodenmercy merciful wool woollenmine my year yearlymischief mischievous youth young/youthful
VERBSADJECTIVES VERBS ADJECTIVES
break breakable imagine imaginarybreak broken instruct instructivechoose choosy love lovableclose close need needful, needycollect collective obey obedientconstruct constructive play playfulcontinue continuous please pleasantcontinue continual prevent preventivecorrect corrective prosper prosperousdescribe descriptive quarrel quarrelsomedestroy destructive run runningenjoy enjoyable speak spokenforget forgetful steal stolenharm harmful study studioushate hateful talk talkativehelp helpful think thoughtfulhope hopeful work workablehurt hurtful write written
ADJECTIVESADJECTIVES ADJECTIVES ADJECTIVES
big biggish elder elderlyclean cleanly good goodlycomic comical red reddishcorrect corrective sick sickly
Correct Usage of Adjectives - 'SOME' and 'ANY' We use some in a positive statement and any in a negative statement or a question.
Example: I have some money to buy a couple of lollipops. (Positive statement)Example: I haven't any money to buy her a birthday card. (Negative statement)Example: Do you need any help? (A question)
We can use 'some' with countable nouns and uncountable nouns.
Example: I have bought some apples for you. (Countable noun)Example: There is some tea in the pot. (Uncountable noun)
We can use 'some' in a question if it is an invitation or a request.
Example: Would you like to have some coffee? (invitation)
Example: Will you please give me some medicine for my cough? (request)
We can join 'some' and 'any' with 'one', 'body' or 'thing' to form compound words.
Example: There is someone asking for you.Example: The police are looking for somebody.Example: He is hiding something under his bed.Example: There wasn't anyone around when I arrived.Example: Has anybody seen a ghost?Example: It hasn't anything to do with you, so please stop asking.
3.1.1 Kinds of Adjectives Adjectives of Quantity. Choose the correct words.
1. She has only (a few, a little) nuts to feed the monkeys.
2. I don't like answering so (much, many) stupid questions.
3. The stray dog has (little, few) food to eat.
4. (Few, Some) of the students had any knowledge of classical music.
5. We need (many, much) ice cubes for these drinks.
6. Anybody would be happy to get (a few, some) money.
7. Which of the (some, two) roads lead to the station?
8. There are (several, little) big cows on the small farm.
9. He bought (much, many) meat from the butcher.
10. We didn't buy (any, many) vegetables from the market.
Comparison of Adjectives Pick the correct words in the brackets.
1. My mother is as (strong, stronger, strongest) as her mother.
2. Not everyone agrees she is (pretty, prettier, prettiest) than her
8. She has really learnt very fast. She has made (astonishing/astonished) progress.
9. I didn't find the situation funny. I was not (amusing/amused).
10. It was a really (terrifying/terrified) experience. Afterwards everybody was very (shocking/shocked).
11. Why do you always look so (boring/bored)? Is your life really so (boring/bored)?
12. He's one of the most (boring/bored) people I've ever met. He never stops talking and he never says anything (interesting/interested).
Complete the sentences using one of the following words:amusing/amused; annoying/annoyed; boring/bored; confusing/confused; disgusting/disgusted; exciting/excited; exhausting/exhausted; interesting/interested; surprising/surprised.
13. He works very hard. It's not _____ that he's always tired.
14. I've got nothing to do. I'm _____.
15. The teacher's explanation was _____. Most of the students didn't understand it.
16. The kitchen hadn't been cleaned for ages. It was really _____.
17. I seldom visit art galleries. I'm not particularly _____ in art.
18. There's no need to get _____ just because I'm a few minutes late.
19. The lecture was _____. I fell asleep.
20. I asked Emily if she wanted to come out with us but she wasn't _____.
21. I've been working very hard all day and now I'm _____.
22. I'm starting a new job next week. I'm quite _____ about it.
23. Tom is very good at telling funny stories. He can be very _____.
24. Liz is a very _____ person. She knows a lot, she's traveled a lot and she's done lots of different things
3.4.1 Correct Usage of Adjectives Part 1 Fill in the blanks with the following adjectives, each of which is to be used only once: little; wild; dark; angry; eight; muddy; honest; heavy; clumsy; much; proud; skinny; brave; narrow; blind.
1. My mother is _____ as a peacock of our new house.
2. I cannot lift this _____ metal box.
3. That _____ boy knocked down the vase again.
4. The thin beggar raised his _____ hand.
5. The _____ soldier was awarded a medal.
6. Cars are too big to use this _____ path.
7. Tigers are _____ animals.
8. He is poor. He hasn't _____ money.
9. He is an _____ man. You can trust him.
10. They helped the _____ man cross the road.
11. Look at the _____ sky. It is going to rain.
12. They have broken the window. Their father is very _____ with
14. We have to take off our shoes. This path is _____.
15. There is only a_____ water left in the bottle
1. Prepositions of Time Prepositions can be used to convey time.
EXAMPLES:He said he will be sleeping before five o'clock.Tommy will not be here for an hour yet.Their father will return within a year.Jane has been ill since last Sunday.She promises not to talk to me from tomorrow.Did Julia call you at lunchtime?The boss is always sleepy on Monday mornings.He often builds a snowman in the winter.
2. Prepositions of Place Prepositions of place tell us where someone or something is.
EXAMPLES:I sat beside a snoring lady in the cinema.I think someone is hiding behind the door.The two thieves divided the loot between them.We have been living under one roof.We divided the pizza among us.How come my car keys are in your shirt pocket?The cow jumped over the moon.Don't go near her. She's got a bad cold.
3. Prepositions of Direction Prepositions can be used to show movement, that is where someone or something is going.
EXAMPLES:May is looking afterMary came into my room when I was about to sleep.Shall we walk along the beach?The bird flew in through the window.
I think she's gone to the loo.His uncle fell into the river.The baby is crawling towards me.All my marbles roll down the hill.
4. Compound Prepositions Some prepositions are composed of more than one word and are called compound prepositions.
EXAMPLES: according to, because of, in front of, instead of, in spite of, and next to.According to him, his wife is the most beautiful woman in town.He had to retire because of ill health.She parked her car right in front of mine.You should do something instead of talking about it all the time.They did not postpone the match in spite of the rain.The circus clown is sitting next to her.
5. Proper Usage of Prepositions Prepositions are simple words but they are not as easy to use as they appear to be. Care should therefore be exercised in using them. If used wrongly, they become adverbs and conjunctions and convey different meanings as the following examples show:
EXAMPLES: It was a kite that we looked above us. (adverb) I noticed an air plane above the cloud. (preposition) They waited outside the cinema for him. (adverb) The sheep are outside the fence. (preposition) We entered after her. (adverb) He arrived after we had left. (conjunction) I go jogging every day after work. (preposition
6.1.1 Prepositions of time Part 1 Use one of the following – at, in, on, before, until – to fill each blank.
1. We had to wait _____ Friday to see the horror movie.
2. We visited the haunted castle _____ dawn last week.
3. We are moving house _____ about a month's time.
4. _____ that night there will be a torch-light procession.
5. He passed away _____ four o'clock _____ the afternoon _____
6. _____ three days' time the derelict building will be demolished.
7. She was up _____ dawn and _____ leaving she said goodbye to each of them.
8. He continued coughing _____ his death.
9. We arrived _____ the railway station _____ time to meet him.
10. Once he starts to sing a song he won't stop _____ it's finished.
11. They live _____ mulberry Drive _____ that village _____ the Austrian border.
12. I got a terrible stomach ache _____ my birthday.
13. Our uncle is getting married _____ six weeks' time _____ the age of eighty.
14. The year _____ last he won a gold medal, and the year _____ that he won a silver.
15. I am going to watch the programme _____ owls _____ it finishes.
16. _____ Tuesday I must watch that comedy programme _____ six o'clock _____ the evening.
17. She always eats and sleeps more _____ winter especially _____ Christmas Day. 17. She always eats and sleeps more in winter especially on Christmas Day.
18. You should stay _____ the train _____ Manchester.
19. We have the whole weekend _____ us and our parents are
13. My granny was _____ the zoo when the tiger escaped _____ its enclosure.
14. He got completely drunk _____ his sister's wedding.
15. This is the third time you stepped _____ my toes.
16. The unclaimed body is still _____ the mortuary.
17. We were bitten by all sorts _____ insects _____ the park.
18. Cheese is made _____ the pressed curds of milk.
19. They live _____ that old farmhouse _____ the hill.
20. We could hang this picture _____ a marble _____ the wall next to the door.
6.3.1 Prepositions of position/movement Part 1 Use each of the following to fill in each blank: after, at, by, during, in, of, off, on, past, round, through, under,
1. As it was getting dark, he ran _____ the cemetery _____ his way home.
2. _____ six years, the hospital is still _____ construction.
3. The police were chasing _____ a man who had driven _____ a red light.
4. The lorry was moving _____ full speed when the load of ducks' eggs fell _____.
5. My friend goes to school _____ his bicycle but _____ rainy season he goes _____ taxi.
6. We sat _____ the fire and sang songs _____ the top _____ our
20. The wife has the face _____ an angel but the husband has got the brain _____ a donkey.
6.4.1 Prepositions – combination Part 1 Put in the missing words from the following: along; at; by; for; from; in; into; near; of; off; on; onto; out; to; towards; with; without.
1. He was the happiest man _____ his village _____ the start _____ the day. He was married two days previously _____ a Sunday.
2. He was proud _____ his wife and pleased _____ the smile _____ his father's face.
3. None of them knew _____ the sadness which was to happen _____ them.
4. She was walking _____ the path _____ her mother's house when she was attacked _____ a tiger _____ night.
5. Someone told him that his wife had been carried _____ _____ the jungle.
6. He found his wife _____ the foot _____ a tree _____ the jungle.
7. _____ a few moments the men who were _____ him left him alone; then they moved _____ his wife's body.
8. He stood up and they saw the anger _____ his face.
9. He turned _____ them and held _____ his hand.
10. "Go back _____ the village. I'll wait here _____ the tiger. Leave me here _____ my wife _____ the dark."
11. He blew _____ the lamp and lay down _____ the ground.
12. He drew _____ his daggers and prepared _____ wait _____ his
1. Coordinating Conjunctions Coordinating conjunctions join words, phrases, or clauses, and are words such as: and, but, for, nor, or, so, and yet.
Joining words, phrases and clauses.
Conjunctions join words:
EXAMPLE: Five and five is ten.
Conjunctions join phrases:
EXAMPLE:The fisherman is happy walking along the beach and carrying a bucket full of fish.They went up to receive the awards, full of smile and happy together.
Conjunctions join clauses:
EXAMPLE:He walked to his car. He got into it.He walked to his car and got into it.
Tom is 1.6 metres tall. Tom weighs 70 kilograms.Tom is 1.6 metres tall and weighs 70 kilograms.
She is tired. She cannot sleep.She is tired but she cannot sleep.
Using some coordinating conjunctions
EXAMPLE:I missed the ending part and I'm guessing who the murderer is.I'd like to go but I'm too busy.He finds it difficult to see clearly, for he is born partially blind.The audience wasn't very impressed by his performance, nor his jokes.He doesn't have a sister or a wife.The rain got heavier, so the match had to be abandoned.He's only a little boy and yet he is able to carry such a heavy load
2. Correlative Conjunctions Correlative conjunctions come in the form of pairs of words: either ... or; neither ... nor; both ... and; not only ... but also, and whether ... or.
EXAMPLE:You can have either this one or that one.They are neither our friend nor our ally.Pepe can both juggle and perform magic tricks.He has not only been reprimanded but also faces possible expulsion.
I couldn't decide whether to marry her or her sister.
3. Subordinating Conjunctions Subordinating conjunctions are used to join a dependent clause - that is a clause that cannot stand alone - to one that can, an independent clause.
EXAMPLE:a) The whole project will fail unless we put in more money.b) The tiger must be captured before it killed more villagers.c) We still feel a bit hungry though we have eaten a lot.
In (a), unless we put in more money is a dependent clause; it cannot stand alone. It depends on the independent clause: The whole project will fail. Here, the subordinating conjunction unless is used to join the clauses.In (b), the dependent clause is before it killed more villagers.In (c), though we have eaten a lot is the dependent clause.
4. Using Conjunctions to Join Words and Phrases In using conjunctions to join words and phrases, some of the words are left out.
EXAMPLE: Will you have brandy? Will you have whiskey?Will you have brandy or whiskey?'Or' joins the words 'brandy' and 'whiskey'.
EXAMPLE: I have a car. I have a house.I have a car and a house.'And' joins the phrases 'a car' and 'a house'.In both sentences some of the words are left out
5. What to Remember when Using Conjunctions When using conjunctions, remember the following:
Choosing the right conjunction is important to make the meaning clear.
EXAMPLE:I have always been weak in mathematics, and I have never failed a test.I have always been weak in mathematics, but I have never failed a test.(Because the two sentences have opposite ideas, 'but' is more appropriately used.)
When and is used to connect two words or phrases within a sentence, no comma is used. Commas are used only when and connects three or more items within a sentence.
EXAMPLE:I ate a pizza and a toast. (No comma)I ate a pizza, a toast, and an apple. (Commas)
Some conjunctions with accompanying words can be placed at the beginning or the end of a sentence.
EXAMPLE:I have a glass of milk before I go to bed. / Before I go to bed, I have a glass of milk.
When we use the conjunctions, we avoid repeating unnecessary words.
EXAMPLE:You need to know what rights you have. You also need to know how to use them.You need to know what rights you have, and how to use them.This is an expensive machine. It is an immensely useful machine.This is an expensive but immensely useful machine.The store has branches in Birmingham. It has branches in Manchester.The store has branches in Birmingham and Manchester.We didn't believe a word he said. We didn't believe his excuses.We didn't believe a word he said, nor his excuses.I have been to London. I have also been to Paris.I have been to London and ParisYou can choose the white one. You can choose the black one.You can choose the white one or the black one.
We can start a sentence with a conjunction or place it in the middle of a sentence.
EXAMPLE:If he is not here soon, we shall leave without him.We shall leave without him if he is not here soon.When you see him, please talk to him about it.Please talk to him about it when you see him.Although she is my colleague, we hardly talk to each other.We hardly talk to each other although she is my colleague.Because the weather is bad, we decide not to go out.We decide not to go out because the weather is bad.Before I left, I cooked for them.I cooked for them before I left.After the accident, he decided to give up his job.He decided to give up his job after the accident.
(We often use commas in sentences with conjunctions, especially in longer sentences and when we start the sentence with the conjunction.)
It is important to remember that the verb must agree with the subject.
If both the subjects are singular, the verb which follows either ... or, neither ... nor must be in the singular.
EXAMPLE: Either his daughter or his son is going out with him.('Son' is a singular subject; so the singular verb 'is' is used.)
EXAMPLE: Neither the boy nor his brother plays football.('brother' is a singular subject; 'plays' is singular verb)
If both subjects are plural, then the conjunctions either ... or and neither ... nor must be followed by a plural verb.
EXAMPLE: Either the boys or the girls have to do it first.('girls' is plural subject; 'have' is plural verb)
EXAMPLE: Neither you nor your parents are interested.('parents' is plural subject; 'are' is plural verb)
If one subject is singular and the other is plural, the verb has to agree with the noun that immediately precedes it.
EXAMPLE: Either she or they have borrowed the book.('they' is plural subject; 'have' is plural verb)
EXAMPLE:Neither she nor her sisters are reading the newspaper.('sisters' is plural subject; 'are' is plural verb)
EXAMPLE:Either the camels or the giraffe is the main attraction.('giraffe' is singular subject; 'is' is singular verb)
EXAMPLE: Neither the dogs nor the cat has an owner.('cat' is singular subject, 'has' is singular verb
6. Using Conjunctions to Join Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives and Adverbs We can use conjunctions to join nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs:
EXAMPLE:I have a pen and a book. (joining two nouns: pen, book)We joked and laughed. (joining two verbs: joked, laughed)She is tall and beautiful. (joining two adjectives: tall, beautifull)He eats quickly and noisily. (joining two adverbs: quickly, noisily
7.1.1 Coordinating conjunctions Part 1 Join these sentences using and or but and remove any unnecessary words.
1. My aunty has four sons. My aunty has four daughters
2. The naughty boy took a stone. It hit his father.
3. The fisherman is poor. The fisherman is generous with his fish.
4. We hailed a taxi. The sleepy driver did not see us.
_____ the American English paper __ the British English paper.
12. Each class is to present _____ a historical drama __ a modern drama for the concert.
13. "Why is the baby crying?" "_____ she is hungry __ her nappy needs changing."
14. You can colour the design with _____ black crayons __ black paints.
15. Our Yellow House was _____ first __ last in this year's crawling event.
7.3.1 Subordinating conjunctions Part 1 Choose one word from the following to fill each blank: after, although, as, because, before, how, if, once, since, so, than, till, unless, until, when, whenever, where, wherever, while, yet. Each word is to be used only once.
1. _____ grandpa is old, he plays tennis like a young man.
2. _____ you leave the house, be sure that you let the dogs out.
3. _____ I went to bed, I remembered I had not said my daily prayer.
4. I have married again _____ I last wrote to you.
5. _____ the boss entered, a sudden silence fell over the whole office.
6. _____ we are having dinner, let's talk about who should wash the dishes.
7. _____ the princess appeared on the balcony, a thousand cameras clicked.
Interjection is a big name for a little word. Interjections are short exclamations like Oh!, Um or Ah! They have no real grammatical value but we use them quite often, usually more in speaking than in writing. When interjections are inserted into a sentence, they have no grammatical connection to the sentence. An interjection is sometimes followed by an exclamation mark (!) when written.
Interjections like er and um are also known as "hesitation devices". They are extremely common in English. People use them when they don't know what to say, or to indicate that they are thinking about what to say. You should learn to recognize them when you hear them and realize that they have no real meaning.
The table below shows some interjections with examples.
interjection meaning example
ah
expressing pleasure "Ah, that feels good."
expressing realization "Ah, now I understand."
expressing resignation "Ah well, it can't be heped."
expressing surprise "Ah! I've won!"
alas expressing grief or pity "Alas, she's dead now."
dearexpressing pity "Oh dear! Does it hurt?"
expressing surprise "Dear me! That's a surprise!"
eh
asking for repetition"It's hot today." "Eh?" "I said it's hot today."
expressing enquiry "What do you think of that, eh?"
expressing surprise "Eh! Really?"
inviting agreement "Let's go, eh?"
er expressing hesitation "Lima is the capital of...er...Peru."
hello, hulloexpressing greeting "Hello John. How are you today?"
expressing surprise "Hello! My car's gone!"
heycalling attention "Hey! look at that!"
expressing surprise, joy etc "Hey! What a good idea!"
hi expressing greeting "Hi! What's new?"
hmmexpressing hesitation, doubt or disagreement
"Hmm. I'm not so sure."
oh, o
expressing surprise "Oh! You're here!"
expressing pain "Oh! I've got a toothache."
expressing pleading "Oh, please say 'yes'!"
ouch expressing pain "Ouch! That hurts!"
uh expressing hesitation "Uh...I don't know the answer to that."
uh-huh expressing agreement "Shall we go?" "Uh-huh."
um, umm expressing hesitation "85 divided by 5 is...um...17."
wellexpressing surprise "Well I never!"
introducing a remark "Well, what did he say?"
Introduction to Tenses Tenses are forms of a verb that show the time, continuance or completion of an action or a state that is expressed in connection with the moment at which a statement is made about it. The following tenses are commonly used:
Simple Present Tense We use the simple present tense:
to show a fact or something that is always true.
Examples: The heart pumps blood through the body. A dentist treats people's teeth.He does not speak a word of English. Dogs bark.Some birds sleep by day and hunt by night.
for daily routines or something done regularly or habitually.
Examples:I never work on weekends. We brush our teeth in the morning.He smokes two packets of cigarettes a day. She goes to church on Sundays.
for an action that is planned to happen in the future.
Examples: The train for Birmingham departs at seven o'clock.The meeting begins in an hour's time.The new supermarket opens next week.The match starts in exactly ten minutes.
to express thoughts, feelings and states.
Examples: It matters a great deal to him to win the championship.They feel a lot of loyalty to the company.Jill doubts the truth of his statement.She deeply regrets saying those nasty things about him
for timetable, schedule, plan, and programmes.
Examples: The zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.The first flight for London leaves at 6.30 a.m.There is a television programme at six o'clock about cooking.The weekly meeting is held in the conference room on Monday at 2.00 p.m.
for sports commentaries, reviews (book, film, play, etc.) and narration.
Examples: John passes the ball to Johnny. But Johnny misses it.She plays her role marvellously.The witch suddenly appears out of nowhere and whacks him with the broom.
in newspaper headlines.
Examples: PRESIDENT DUNNO RESIGNS.POLICE DISCOVER MORE DEAD BODIES.
for instructions, directions.
Examples: Mix the flour and water together, then add sugar.Go straight on and when you come to the first traffic lights, turn left.
in "I declare, I promise, I assure, etc.
Examples: I declare this pet show open.I promise you, I won't do anything stupid.I assure you everything will be all right.
with the following time expressions: all the time, at night/the weekend, every day/week/month/year, in the morning/afternoon/evening, on Mondays/Tuesday, etc., once/twice a day/week, etc.
Examples: He picks his nose all the time.Tom often goes to the library in the evening.My father never works at weekends.The flight to Timbuktu goes twice a week..
To make the simple present tense, we combine the subject, which is a personal pronoun (e.g. She), noun (e.g. uncle) or a proper noun or name (e.g. Mary), with the main verb.
In the simple present tense, if the main verb comes after the third person singular (he, she, it, John, the boy, her sister, his cat, the car, etc.), we end the verb with s or es.
Example: Mary goes to the gymnasium every weekend.
Examples:His office shuts at five o'clock.
She drinks coffee in the morning.
Examples: My uncle smokes a pipe. He sleeps late on Sundays.Where the subject is in plural form (I, you, they, the boys, his sisters, their cats, the cars, etc.), no change is made to the verb following the subject.
Examples: We go to the gymnasium every weekend.
They drink coffee for breakfast.
Examples: Our parents do not smoke.You drink plenty of water.
To make simple present tense negative statements, we place the verb do not/does not between the subject and the main verb (= Subject + do not/does not + verb). Do not is used with plural subject which is first person (I, we), second person (you), and third person plural (they). We use does not with singular subject which is the third person singular (he, she, it). No 's' or 'es' is added to the verb in simple present tense negative statements.
Examples:I/We/You/They don't talk a lot.
He/She does not talk a lot.
(NOT: They do not/don't talks a lot. / He does not/doesn't talks a lot.)
Note: you is the same in singular and plural.To make simple present tense questions, we put the verb Do for the first person, second person, and third person plural (I, you, we, they), or Does for the third person singular (he, she, it) before the subject (= Do/Does + subject + verb) No 's' or 'es' is added to the verb in simple present tense
negative questions.
Examples: Do you believe in God? Does she like apple pie?(NOT: Do you believes in God? / Does she likes apple pie?)
Examples:Does he always sing in the shower?
What do they like to drink?
Emphatic response with 'do/does'Do/does may be used to give emphasis to a response, especially in reply to an unwelcome remark. It is put between the subject and the main verb. As an example:
Example: "You don't pay much attention to them."
"I do pay much attention to them."
Example: "She doesn't take an interest in learning."
"She does take an interest in learning."
Past tense: "Why didn't you tell me? "I did tell you."In short answers, we do not repeat the main verb used in the questions.Example: Do you like panda bear? Yes, I do. Or – No, I don't. (NOT: No, i do/don't like panda bear.)Example: Does he/she like panda bear? Yes, he/she does.
am, is, areThe words am, is, are are verbs, but not action words. They are the simple present tense of the verb to be.Am, is, and are are not contracted when they are used in affirmative short answers.CORRECT: Yes, I am. / Yes, he is. / Yes, they are.INCORRECT: Yes, I'm / Yes, he's / Yes, they're.We use contractions only for negative short answers.CORRECT: No, she isn't. / No, we aren't.
The simple present tense and adverbs of frequencyWe often use the simple present tense with adverbs of frequency to make clear how often an action takes place. Adverbs of frequency include the following: always, frequently, generally, normally, never, often, rarely, regularly, seldom, sometimes, and usually.An adverb of frequency:
is placed before the main verb, but after the verb 'to be' (am, is, are) and modal verbs (can, must, etc.)
Example: She always forgets my name. (before the main verb forgets)Example: The rainbow is rarely seen in this part of the country. (after 'is')Example: He is so strong he can really lift a cow. (after 'can')Example: They must never forget the danger they are in. (after 'must')
is used to begin a sentence.
Example: Normally, I arrive at the office before seven o'clock.
is used before or after 'not', isn't, aren't, doesn't, don't, etc.
Example: Some clowns sometimes aren't funny.
is usually placed after 'not'.
Example: The whale is not generally regarded as a fish.
comes immediately after the subject.
Example: I seldom read magazines.
Non-action verbs
As the followings verbs refer to states or conditions and not actions, they are used only in simple present tense:
agree assume be believe belong consider contain cost depend dislike doubt envy exist fear find forget hate hear hold hope imagine know like love matter mean measure mind need notice own possess prefer recognize regret remember seem smell sound suppose taste understand want weigh wish
Examples:My sister dislikes cockroach. (NOT: My sister is disliking cockroach.)His dog wants a bone. (NOT: His dog is wanting a bone.)Her aunt owns a little house. (NOT: Her aunt is owning a little house.)The pizza tastes sour. (NOT: The pizza is tasting sour.)Everyone knows he has got a foul temper. (NOT: Everyone is knowing he has got a foul temper.)
More examples:Simple present tenseThe manager feels he has made the right decision. (have an opinion - NOT: is feeling)The office has a new fax machine. (own/have possession - NOT: is having)She sees a great future for herself in music. (have an imagination - NOT: is seeing)I think it is a lousy idea. (have an opinion/belief - NOT: am thinking)
The simple present tense and the present continuous tense
We do not use the simple present tense for actions taking place now.
INCORRECT: He eats his lunchCORRECT: He is eating his lunch
We have to decide if the action is habitual or happening now.
Simple Present: He usually drinks coffee. (habitual)Present continuous: This morning he is drinking tea. (happening only now)
We use simple present tense, not present continuous tense, to express states and feelings.
Example: I believe in ghosts. (NOT: I am believing in ghosts.)Example: I remember the rainbow has seven colours. (NOT: I am remembering the rainbow has
seven colours.)
We can use always with both simple present and present continuous tenses.
Example: She always complains about the weather.Example: She is always complaining about the weather.Both have the same meaning.
We can use both tenses to express future events that have been planned.
Example: They arrive tomorrow.Example: They are arriving tomorrow.Both have the same meaning.
Present Continuous Tense We use the present continuous tense to show we are in the middle of an activity that is in progress at this moment. The activity started in the past and will go on in the future.
Examples: I am reading / I'm writing.So when we use the present continuous tense we are talking about something that is still not yet finished or complete at the time of speaking.
The present continuous tense of any verb is formed with the simple present tense of the verb to be (=am, is, are) and the present participle of the main verb (verb + ing)
Example: I am eating a pie for lunch.
Example: Mike is walking out after a row with his girlfriend.
Example: Police are looking through a pile of papers and still haven't found what they want.
We use the present continuous tense:
for an action that is still happening at the time of speaking.
Example: She is cooking a meal now.
for an action that is still going on about this time but not necessary at the time of speaking.
Example: Jack is teaching at a secondary boys' school. (He is not actually teaching now. He may be watching television or playing with his cat at the moment of speaking.)
to talk about an action that has been planned or arranged to take place at a particular time in the immediate or distant future.
Example: We are performing magic tricks on stage in two weeks.
to describe a situation that is temporary and does not happen as usual.
Example: He is usually the hero of the film, but he is playing the role of a villain.
for a changing or evolving situation.
Example: Pollution is causing global warming.'
to describe a repeated action that the speaker finds irritating.
Example: He is forever making unfavourable comments about his mother-in-law.
with 'always', 'very often', 'forever', 'constantly' to describe an action that happens many times or frequently.
Example: My old car is always breaking down.
Example: I very often go to my mum's for tea or coffee.
Example: He told her that their love would last forever.
Example: She is constantly reminding me to pay back the money I owe her.
with time expressions such as now, at this moment, at present, in a minute, just now, today, tonight, tomorrow, nowadays, this week, next week, these days, this year.
With present continuous tense questions, we use: am/are/is + subject + ...ingAm I angry? What are your cats doing in my garden? Is your dog barking at the postman?
We use the present continuous tense in the following ways:• Statement: I am shaving – we place the verb to be (am/is/are) after the subject (I).• Negative: He is not sleeping – we place not after the verb to be (am/is/are).• Question: Are they coming here? – we place the verb to be (am/is/are) before the subject (they)
Non-action verbsThere are verbs which are known as non-action verbs. These verbs do not describe actions in progress, and so are not used in the present continuous tense. They are expressed in simple present tense as they refer to states or conditions rather than actions. Non-action verbs include the followings:
agree appear assume be believe belong consider consist contain cost depend deserve dislike doubt envy exist fear feel find fit forget hate have hear hold hope imagine include know like look love matter mean measure mind need notice owe own possess prefer realize recognize regret remember resemble see seem smell sound suppose taste think understand want weigh wish
Some of the above non-action verbs (in bold), however, may be used in the simple present tense and the present continuous tenses because they have different meanings.
Verbs not used in continuous tense
We use the simple present tense for some verbs which are not normally used in the present continuous tense.
The parrot belongs to my grandmother. (NOT: The parrot is belonging to my grandmother.)She hates homework and housework. (NOT: She is hating homework and housework.)Sue knows the secret to making good bread. (NOT: Sue is knowing the secret to making good bread.)We understand how computers work. (NOT: We are understanding how computers work.)I always want to participate in a bullfight. (NOT: I'm always wanting to participate in a bullfight.)
More examples:Present continuous tenseI am feeling a little better today. (experience emotion)We are having a lot of difficulties with our new computer system. (experience something)Mr. Oldegg is seeing a client at 2.30. (have a meeting)They are thinking about buying a flat in the city. (consider doing something)
Using present continuous for short answers
We do not use contractions for positive short answers.
Yes, I am / Yes, we are. (NOT: Yes, I'm / Yes, we're)
We use contractions for negative short answers.
Is he your big brother? No, he isn't.
We use pronouns in answers to replace nouns.
Are those dogs yours? Yes, they are.
We do not repeat the main verb in short answers.
Are you coming in? Yes, we are / No, we are not.
Present Perfect Tense The Present Perfect Tense connects the present to the past. It describes an action that happened in the past and goes right to the present moment. The time of occurrence of the action is not mentioned. Usually, the time is not important or is not necessary to know. It is the result of the action that matters. It tells us the outcome to date of the action. E.g., "Frank has gone" tell us that Frank is no longer with us.
To express something in the present perfect tense, join the present simple tense of have/has with the past participle of the main verb (which can be a regular verb or irregular verb).have/has + past participle
Statement: subject + have/has + past participleHe has broken a glass.
Question form: have/has + subject + past participleHas he broken a glass?
The Present Perfect tense is used:
for an action that happened in the past and the time of occurrence is not stated or implied.
Example: I have written a book about spider webs.
for an action or situation that began in the past and continues to the present.
Example: He has been in prison since 2000.
to express repetition of an action at unspecified time in the past.
Example: She has already had a few quarrels with her neighbour.Example: I have been to the circus a few times.
for an action occurring within a specific time period that is not over
Example: I have had three cups of tea this morning. (It is still morning and I may have another oneor more cups of tea before the morning is over.)
in news reports
Example: Negotiations with the insurgent forces have broken down.
with phrases beginning with "This is the first/second/third ....time"
Example: This is the first time I have won the jackpot.Example: This is the fifth time I have lost my job.
to answer questions that are asked in the present perfect tense.
Example: "Where have you been?" "I have been to London to see the Queen."Example: "What have they bought?" "They have bought a couple of rifles."
with ever and never. Ever is used to ask if any things have or have not happened at any time up to now. It is also used in negative statements and together with the phrase "The first time ..." Never is used mainly in negative statements. Their position is just before the past participle verb.
Example: Have you ever lost your temper in a public place?Example: That's the biggest lie I have ever heard in my whole life.Example: This is the first time we have ever listened to such a dirty joke.Example: We have never been to a circus.
with other time expressions such as:
always: He has always believed everything he reads.how long: How long have you waited for the bus?recently: I have only recently started learning English.lately: I have met her a lot lately.so far: We haven't had any trouble with the new tenant so far.Up to now: Up to now we have not come up with a solution to the problem.
'For' and 'since'When an activity began in the past and is still going on, we use the present perfect tense + for/since.We often use for and since with the present perfect tense. Since can only be used with perfect tenses (present perfect and past perfect tenses); for can also be used with the past simple tense.
We use for + a period of time as an indication of how long an activity has lasted up to the present moment.
Example: We have been tennis partners for three years. (NOT: We are tennis partners for three years.)
We use since + a point in time in the past to show when in the past the activity began.
Example: I have become her tennis partner since early May this year. (NOT: I am her tennis partner since early May this year.)Examples:He has lived here for five years. (he is still living here)He has lived here since 2000. (he is still living here)INCORRECT: He lived here since 2000./He lives here since 2000./He is living here since 2000.
Just, already and yetWe often use some words with the present perfect tense. These words include:
Just: if something has just happened, it happened only a short time ago. Just is usually placed after have/has and before the main verb in a sentence.
Example: Sister Jane has just been out shopping.Example: I have just finished painting the ceiling.Example: He has just drawn a picture of an owl's eye.
Already: if something has already been done, it's done by or before now or a particular time. It is usually positioned in the middle (after have/has and before the main verb) or at the end
of a sentence. It can also appear in questions.
Example: They have already built the tallest sandcastle on the beach.Example: What did he say? I've forgotten already.Example: Have you already made a police report of the accident?Notice no mention of when an action took place.
Yet: if something is not done yet, it is not done until now or until a particular time. We usually use yet at the end of a negative sentence or a question.
Example: They have not yet come.Example: Has the train arrived yet?It is possible for yet to appear in the middle of a sentence.Example: As yet, we've had no word from them. (OR: We've had no word from them as yet.)
have/has gone ; have/has beenSee the difference of meaning:They have gone to Timbuktu. (They are still there or on the way there.)They have been to Timbuktu. (They are not there now. They have come back or are somewhere else.)
The present perfect tense and the simple present tenseWe use the present perfect tense, not the simple present tense, to show an activity that began in the past and has continued up to the present.Example: They have just finished their weekly poker session. (finished the session not long ago)Example: We have stayed at the hotel for four nights. (NOT: We stay at the hotel for four nights.)Example: I've known him for a long time. (NOT: I know him for a long time.)Example: I've written nine letters this morning. (NOT: I write nine letters this morning.)Example: Selena and I have become friends since we met at the bus stop. (NOT: Selena and I become friends since we met at the bus stop.)
The present perfect tense and the present perfect continuous tense
I have looked for the car keys for the last half-hour.I have been looking for the car keys for the last half-hour.
Jack has dated Jill since last month.Jack has been dating Jill since last month.
He has taken photos of panda bears in the zoo.
He has been taking photos of panda bears in the zoo.
Notice that either of the two tenses can be used for each of the sentences. Each pair of sentences conveys the same meaning.
The present perfect tense and the simple past tense
We do not mention the time of an action when we use the present perfect simple. We usually do it when we use the past simple tense.
Present perfect tense: I have eaten two pizzas. (NOT: I have eaten two pizzas yesterday.)Simple past tense: I ate two pizzas yesterday.
Since, for
We use since only with present perfect tense, not with past simple.
Example: She has grown fatter since last year. (NOT: She grew fatter since last year.)
For can be used with both present perfect and simple past tenses.
Present perfect tense: He has stayed with us for nine months. (= he's still staying with us – an activity or event that began in the past and continues to the present.)Simple past tense: He stayed with us for nine months. (= he's not staying with us now – an activity or event that began in the past and ended in the past.)
We use the present perfect tense in the main clause, and past simple tense in the 'since clause' of a sentence as follow:
MAIN CLAUSE SINCE-CLAUSEWe have become friends since we became neighbours.
We use the present perfect tense when the period of time is not over and the simple past tense when it is over.
I haven't finished writing the article. (It is still afternoon.)I finished writing the article this afternoon. (It is evening.)
The present perfect tense and the past perfect tenseWe are busy. We haven't had our lunch. (present perfect)We were busy. We hadn't had our lunch. (past perfect)
The house is on fire. Someone has already called the fire brigade. (present perfect)The house was on fire. Someone had already called the fire brigade. (past perfect)
He is in hospital. A snake has bitten him. (present perfect)He was in hospital. A snake had bitten him. (past perfect)
The floor looks clean. I have just swept it. (present perfect)The floor looked clean. I had just swept it. (past perfect)
The passive formThe passive form of the present perfect tense is used when the action is not done by the subject but rather to the subject. Often, it is not known who has done the action.
Example: The politician has been accused of lying again.Example: A woman has been chosen as leader of the party.Example: His missing car has been found.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense The Present Perfect Continuous Tense is made up of the present perfect tense of the verb to be (have/has been), and the present participle of the main verb (verb + ing)
Statement: subject + have/has + been + (verb + -ing)He has been running.
Question form: have/has + subject + been + (verb + -ing)Has he been running?
The Present Perfect Continuous is:
used for an action that began in the past and has been continuing up to now (and may still be going on)
Example: Cecilia and I have been talking about getting married.
used for an action that began and just finished in the past.
Example: "Look how dirty your hands are. " "Yes, I have been repairing the car."
often used with since, for, ever since, etc.
Example: Grandpa has been playing with his grandchildren for hours.Example: I have been looking for the missing piece of the jigsaw since ten o'clock.Example: He has been working there ever since he went there for a holiday.
also used with all (all day, all evening, all week) to indicate duration of an activity, lately, etc.
Example: He has been suffering from toothache all day.Example: I've been feeling ill lately.
used with how long to form questions.
Example: How long have you been studying English?
without mention of time
Example: We've been having a lot of difficulties with our new computer system. (describes a difficult situation that is not over.)
Verbs not used in continuous tenseWe use the present perfect tense for some verbs (stative verbs) which are not normally used in the continuous tense.I'm sorry, I have forgotten your name. (NOT: I'm sorry, I've been forgetting your name.)I have found a solution to this problem. (NOT: I have been finding a solution to this problem.)She has hated him since the day he offended her. (NOT: She has been hating him since the day he offended her.)We have known each other since we first met. (NOT: We have been knowing each other since we first met.)They have just tasted the chicken soup and want more. (NOT: They have just been tasting the
chicken soup and want more.)
The present perfect continuous tense and the present perfect tenseWith verbs such as feel (have a particular emotion), live, work and teach we can use the present perfect continuous tense or present perfect tense and show no difference in meaning.Grandma has not been feeling very well lately.Grandma has not felt very well recently.We have been living in this town since 1999.We have lived in this town since 1999.My father has been working all day in the garden.My father has worked all day in the garden.His uncle has been teaching in London for five years now.His uncle has taught in London for five years now.
The present perfect continuous and the present continuous tenses
The present perfect continuous tense describes the duration of an activity that began in the past and is still in progress.
Example: He has been reading in the library since it opened this morning. (NOT: He is reading in the library since it opened this morning.)Example: I have been playing badminton with him for one year. (NOT: I am playing badminton with him for one year.)
The present continuous tense shows an action is going on right now with no mention of length of time.
Example: He is reading in the library right now. (NOT: He has been reading in the library right now.)
Simple Past Tense We use the simple past tense for events that happened or started and completed in the past and that have no relation with the present.
We use the simple past tense:
to describe an action that occurred in the past or at a specified time or the time is easily understood or already implied.
Example: We finished our final exam an hour ago. (NOT: We have/had finished our final exam an hour ago.)Example: My grandfather played for the Yellow Hornless Bull football team.Example: I ate a big spicy piece of pizza for my breakfast.
for an action that began and ended in the past.
Example: The dangerous criminal was recaptured after three months on the run.
to refer to an action completed regardless of how recent or distant in the past.
Example: Alexander Bell invented the telephone in 1876.Example: My brother joined the circus as a clown last week.
for an action done repeatedly, habitually or at regular times in the past.
Example: We saw the movie 'Titanic' several times at the cinema.Example: Brian was always a heavy drinker in the old days.Example: He phoned his mother every Sunday until her death.
for a state in the past.
Example: I felt very tired after a couple of games of tennis.
for a short event or action that comes or follows one after the other.
Example: We looked left and we looked right. Then we crossed the road.
to place emphasis on what we say, especially in response to some remark.
Example: "You didn't seem to help much." "I did help to clear the room of all the unwanted things."
to talk about someone who has died.
Example: Arthur was a highly respected science-fiction writer.Example: He left all his money to charity.
in providing details or information about events that happened subsequent to news reports which, when first reported, are usually expressed in present perfect tense.
Example: Negotiations with the insurgent forces have broken down. The leader of the insurgent forces blamed the government for the break down. A government spokesman said the insurgent forces made unreasonable demands.
Regular and irregular verbs
We form the simple past tense of most verbs by adding –ed to the verb. These verbs are called regular verbs. Most verbs are regular verbs.
The simple past tense of some verbs does not end in –ed. These verbs are the irregular verbs.
The simple past tense irregular verbs can only be used in the positive, not negative.
For example: He kept all his money in the bank. (NOT: He did not kept all his money in the bank.)
The simple past tense of some irregular verbs does not change at all.
Past simplebeat beatcut cuthurt hurtput putshut shutRegular verbs and irregular verbs as expressed in the affirmative and negative.
Regular verbs:Affirmative – He cycled to work.Negative – He did not cycle to work. (NOT: He did not cycled to work.)
Irregular verbsAffirmative – He stole her purse.Negative – He did not steal her purse. (NOT: He did not stole her purse.)
Note that was and were are forms of the verb be. Was is the simple past tense of am and is and is used with the pronouns I, he, she and it, and with singular nouns. Were is the simple past tense of are and is used with the pronouns you, we and they, and with plural nouns.
Regular verbs in simple past tense forms:Most verbs when expressed in the simple past tense are formed by adding –ed to the end of the verbs. These verbs are called regular verbs. Examples: kiss – kissed; touch – touched.
If a verb ends with –e, only –d is added to change its tense to past simple. Example: live – lived
If a verb ends in –ie, add –d. Examples: lie – lied; belie - belied If a verb ends in:
a vowel + –y, just add –ed. Examples: employ – employed; buoy – buoyeda consonant + –y, change the y to i and then add –ed. Examples: cry – cried; pry – pried.one vowel + one consonant and is a one-syllable verb, double the consonant and add –ed.
Example: step - stepped; chop - chopped; can - canned
one vowel + one consonant, double the consonant only if the second syllable of a two-syllable verb is stressed (e.g.,preFER - preferred) but not if the first syllable of a two-syllable verb is stressed (e.g., WONder - wondered)
two consonants, just add –ed. Examples: pull – pulled; scold - scoldedtwo vowels + one consonant, don't double the consonant, add –ed. Examples: peep – peeped; leak - leaked; raid - raided
"Used to"We use the expression used to to refer to a past habit or situation that no longer exists. We use the infinitive without to after 'used to.'
Example:I used to chase butterflies, but now I don't see any butterfly around.(NOT: I used to to chase butterflies, .....)She used to be scared of spiders, but now she keeps a pet spider.Did you used/use to live in a houseboat?Professor Crabby is never used to people arguing with him.
The passive formWe use the passive form of the simple past tense when the action is done to the subject. It is formed by using was/were + past participle.
Often the doer of the action is not mentioned or known.
Example: Last night the police station was broken into.
Sometimes we use the preposition 'by' to mention the person or thing that did the action.
Example: That old mighty tree was once struck by lightning.
When the same subject is used with two passive verbs, we leave out the pronoun and the verb in the second part of the sentence.
Example: The pickpocket was beaten up and then handed over to the police. (We leave out 'he was' between 'then' and 'handed'.)
The simple past tense and the past continuous tense
We use the simple past tense to show a complete action and the past continuous tense to show an action in progress.
Example: Last night I stepped on a snake and it bit my leg. (simple past - complete actions)Example: At eleven o'clock last night, I was looking for my car key. (past continuous – action in progress)
We use the simple past and past continuous tenses together to indicate an action happened while another was in progress.
Example: I was running away from a dog when I knocked an old lady to the ground. (past continuous and simple past tenses – knocked an old lady in the middle of running away.)
The simple past tense and the past perfect tense
When the simple past and past perfect tenses are used together in a sentence, the past perfect tense is used for something that happened earlier.
Example: He filled the case with cartons of orange juice. (Only one action; a simple past tense is used.) After he had filled the case with cartons of orange juice, he loaded it into the van.(Both past perfect and simple past tenses are used. The action that happened earlier is expressed in the past perfect tense – had filled.)
Note the usage:
a) When I arrived, the pet show started.b) When I arrived, the pet show had started.c) I arrived before he delivered the opening address.d) I arrived before he had delivered the opening address.e) Nobody asked any question until he explained the procedure.f) Nobody asked any question until he had explained the procedure.In (a), the meaning is the same as: I arrived just in time for the show.In (b), the meaning is the same as: I missed the initial part of the show.(c) and (d): there is no difference in meaning.(e) and (f): there is no difference in meaning.
When one action followed another, the past perfect tense is not used. The simple past tense is used for both events.
Example: When Jack saw Jill, he waved to her. (NOT: When Jack had seen Jill, he waved to her.)
Past Continuous Tense The past continuous tense is formed with the past tense of the verb to be (was/were) + present participle (verbs ending in ...ing).
Example: I/he/she/it was eating spaghetti at 8 o'clock last night.You/we/they were eating spaghetti at 8 o'clock last night
The past continuous tense questions are formed with was/were + subject + ... ing.Example: What were you doing exactly twenty-four hours ago? (NOT: What did you do exactly twenty-four hours ago?)
The past continuous tense is used:
for an action that was taking place in the past when a shorter action (expressed in the simple past tense) happened.
Example: I was camping when I got stung by a bee.Example: When I visited him in the hospital, he was snoring loudly.Example: While he was reading the newspaper, he fell asleep.Example: While I was talking to him, his eyes looked somewhere else.Note: The past continuous tense and the simple past tense are used together
with while to describe two actions that were going on at the same time in the past.
Example: While my brother was laughing, my sister was crying.Example: My father was drinking while my mother was eating.
for an action that was happening and not yet finished at a particular time or throughout a period of time in the past. We do not state when the action started or ended.
Example: Grandma was knitting a sock at 11 o'clock last night.Example: They were hunting wild boars all evening.
to show that we were in the middle of an action.
Example: I was collecting old newspapers. (I was in the middle of doing the collecting.)Example: The police sirens were wailing.
in Reported or Indirect Speech.
Example: "Are you catching a train to Timbuktu, Jack?" asked Jill.Jill asked Jack if he was catching a train to Timbuktu.
to describe the introductory scene for a story written in the past tense.
Example: The sun was shining after weeks of rain. The flowers were waving in the breeze.
Verbs not normally used in the continuous formWe use the continuous tenses, both past and present, with actions but not with verbs that refer to states and feelings. The simple past tense and simple present tense are used for such stative verbs. Some of the stative verbs include: feel, hear, see, smell, taste, believe, doubt, forget, know, understand, wish, like, love, desire, notice, remember, and want..
Example: I forget your name. (NOT I am forgetting your name.)Example: I forgot your name. (NOT I was forgetting your name.)Example: He believes what I say. (NOT He is believing what I say.)Example: We understood the instructions. (NOT We were understanding the instructions.)Example: Do you hear that noise? (NOT: Are you hearing that noise?)Example: Did you hear that noise? (NOT: Were you hearing that noise?)Example: I understand the instructions. (NOT: I am understanding the instructions.)
The passive form of the past continuous tenseThe passive form consists of was or were + being + the past participle of the verb.
We use the passive form of the past continuous tense to express an action done to the subject. The action must be in the past and must be unfinished at the time concerned.
Example: My house was being renovated so I stayed in a nearby hotel.Example: They arrived while dinner was being prepared.
We use when with the past continuous and simple past tenses:
to show that an action or event described in the past continuous tense started before the event expressed in the simple past tense.
Example: Two women were fighting in the street when the police arrived. (The fighting started before the police arrived.)
to show that an action or event described in the past continuous tense was going on when the event expressed in the simple past tense took place.
Example: They were having a barbecue when the rain started falling. (The rain fell when the barbecue was in progress.)
to show time order of events.
Example: When I woke up, my brother was brushing his teeth. (I woke up during his brushing his teeth.)Example: When I woke up, my brother brushed his teeth. (I woke up, then my brother brushed his teeth.)Example: He was bathing his pet puppy when I visited him. (He started the bathing before my visit and the bathing was in progress at the time of my visit.)Example: He bathed his pet puppy when I visited him. (Two complete events: I visited him and then he bathed his pet.)
Difference in time order between past continuous tense and simple past tense.
1. When we reached there, it rained.2. When we reached there, it was raining.In (1), reaching there then raining started.In (2), reaching there when it was raining.
Note the differences between these sentences:Example: He was writing a letter yesterday. (Letter was not finished yesterday.)Example: He wrote a letter yesterday. (Completed the letter.)Example: While Jill was reading a book, her mother was sleeping. (Two actions in progress simultaneously.)Example: While I read a book, my mother slept. (Two complete events happened simultaneously.)Example: My father was having a shave at 7 o'clock. (The shave started before 7 o'clock and was still in progress at 7 o'clock.)Example: My father had a shave at 7 o'clock. (The shave started at 7 o'clock until completion.)
Having the same meaning.
a) They were watching television all night. (Watching television went on throughout the night.)b) They watched television all night. (Watching television from the beginning to the end of the night.)(a) and (b) have the same meaning.c) When she came in, I was dreaming. (She came in at the time of my dreaming.)d) She came in while I was dreaming. (She came in during my dreaming.)(c) and (d) have the same meaning.The past continuous tense and the past perfect tense
a) I was eating when Bob came.b) I had eaten when Bob came.In (a): The past continuous tense expresses an activity that was in progress when another event took place.In (b): The past perfect tense expresses an activity that was completed before another event took place.
Past Perfect Tense The past perfect tense is formed with the past tense of the verb to have (had) and the past participle of the verb (e.g. eaten, stolen, taken).
The past perfect tense describes an event that happened in the past before another event was completed in the past. It tells us which event happened first regardless of which event is mentioned first or second in a sentence or conversation.
The Past Perfect Tense is used:1. to show an action happened in the past before another event took place.
Words usually used with the Past Perfect tense are when and after.
Example: They had already finished their dinner when I arrived to join them.Example: When he had done his homework, he went for a smoke in the park.Example: After I had eaten five apples, I felt ill.Example: I arrived at the cinema after the film had started.
In each of the above examples there are two past actions. The past perfect tense is combined with a past simple tense to show which of the two actions happened earlier.The event in the past perfect tense occurred before the event in the simple past tense.
Words such as already, just and as soon as are also used with the Past Perfect tense.
Example: It had already stopped raining when I bought an umbrella.Example: The whole house had just burnt down when the firemen got there.Example: As soon as she had got married, she regretted it.
2. for an action which happened before a definite time in the past.
Example: They had finished their prayers by ten o'clock.
3. for an action which took place and completed in the past.Example: He had hurt his back in an accident at work and he had to stay at home for three months.(The action happened and he suffered the consequences all in the past)
4. for states.Example: They had become good friends for many years after meeting on holiday.
When two actions were completed in the past, use a past perfect tense to clarify which event happened earlier.a) INCORRECT: The museum occupied the building where the art gallery was.b) CORRECT: The museum occupied the building where the art gallery had been.c) INCORRECT: The list of movies you showed me, I saw before.d) CORRECT: The list of movies you showed me, I had seen before.
In (a), the use of two simple past tenses (occupied; was) imply the museum and the art gallery occupied the same building at the same time, which was not the case. In (b), the use of the perfect tense (had been) sorts out the order of occupation of the building.In (c), 'I saw before' clearly indicates it happened before the list was showed to me, and so should be in the past perfect tense as in (d).
Sometimes the past perfect tense and the past simple tense are used separately in different sentences.
Example: This morning we visited John in the hospital. He had just been admitted with stomach pains.
The past simple tense precedes the past perfect tense. Notice the action in the past perfect tense happened first.
Before and afterAs mentioned above, the event expressed in the past perfect tense occurred earlier than the event in the past simple tense. However, when before or after is used in a sentence, the past perfect tense becomes unnecessary as the two words - before or after – already clarify which action takes place first. We can use the simple past tense instead. Look at these examples.
a) After she had read the letter, she tore it into pieces.b) After she read the letter, she tore it into pieces.c) We had left the stadium before the match ended.d) We left the stadium before the match ended.Changing the past perfect tense to past simple tense does not affect the meaning of the sentences as (a) and (b) have the same meaning, and (c) and (d) have the same meaning.
The past perfect tense and the present perfect tenseThe salad bowl was empty. I had eaten the salad.The salad bowl is empty. I have eaten the salad.
We were tired. We had just had a long walk.We are tired. We have just had a long walk.Grandma was limping. She had fallen down a drain.Grandma is limping. She has fallen down a drain.
The past perfect tense and the simple past tense - how they are used
George is the captain of his football team. He started playing football when he was 9 years old. He became the best striker in the country when he was only seventeen.
George was the captain of his football team. He had started playing football when he was 9 years old. He had become the best striker in the country when he was only seventeen.
Indirect speechThe Past Perfect Tense is often used in Reported or Indirect Speech. It is used in place of the verb in the:
1. present perfect tense in the direct speech:Direct speech: He said, "I have lost my puppy."Indirect speech: He said he had lost his puppy.
2. simple past tense in the direct speech:Direct speech: She said, "I made the biggest birthday cake in town."Indirect speech: She said she had made the biggest birthday cake in town
Past perfect tense used after 'if' , 'if only' and 'wish'The past perfect tense is used to express an impossible condition as it refers to something which did or did not happen in the past.
Example: I would have bought two if I had brought enough money.Example: If only he had shut up at the meeting.Example: I wish you had bought one for me.Example: They wish they had not seen that scary movie.
Past perfect tense used after certain expressionsPast perfect tense is often used after the following expressions in bold:I knew (that) his brother had gone to work overseas.I didn't know (that) he had stopped smoking.I thought (that) we had got on the wrong train.I was sure (that) their birds had eaten my bananas.I wasn't sure (that) the snake had bitten him.
Passive form of past perfect tenseWe put been in front of the past participle in the active form to make the passive form.The passive form is used to show that something was done to the subject and not by the subject.
Example: He said he had been chased by a rhinoceros.Example: I did not know that I had been invited to her wedding.
Past Perfect Continuous Tense The past perfect continuous tense is formed with the past perfect tense of the verb to be (= had been) + the present participle (–ing).
Example: I had been praying.
The past perfect continuous is used:
for an action that occurred over a period of time in the past.
Example: He had been playing saxophone in a jazz band.
for an action which started and finished in the past before another past action. Here, since or for is usually used.
Example: Jack got a job at last. He had been looking for a job since last year.Example: He and his brother had been playing badminton together for ten years before one of them got married.
in reported speech, the present perfect continuous tense becomes past perfect continuous tense.
Example: John said, "We have been traveling by train across Europe."Example: John said they had been traveling by train across Europe.
Past perfect continuous tense not used for states or feelingsThe past perfect continuous is not normally used for states.NOT: He had been seeming pretty angry at me.The past simple is used instead:Example: He seemed pretty angry at me.
The past perfect continuous tense and the present perfect continuous tenseHe was my tennis partner. We had been playing together for seven years.He is my tennis partner. We have been playing together for seven years.It was midnight and you had been watching television for four hours.It is midnight and you have been watching television for four hours.Why was he so angry? What had they been doing to him?Why is he so angry? What have they been doing to him?She had been shopping for eight hours for a new dress, but couldn't find one she liked.She has been shopping for eight hours for a new dress, but can't find one she likes.
The past perfect continuous tense and the past perfect tensea) I had been looking everywhere for you.b) I had looked everywhere for you.c) Sandy was very confident because she had been rehearsing hard for the play.d) Sandy was very confident because she had rehearsed hard for the play.The past continuous and past perfect tenses as used above convey the same meaning as in (a) and (b), (c) and (d).
The past perfect continuous tense and the past continuous tense
When I phoned, they all had been saying their prayers. (I phoned after the prayers.)When I phoned, they all were saying their prayers. (I phoned during the prayers.)We had been having our dinner when he arrived. (He arrived after dinner.)We were having our dinner when he arrived. (He arrived during dinner.)Simple Future Tense We use the simple future tense for actions that will happen in the future. How we use it depends on how we view the events are going to happen. The followings show the different tenses used to express the completion of an activity in the future:
The police will conclude their investigation of the computer fraud next week. (simple future)The police conclude their investigation of the computer fraud next week. (simple present)The police are concluding their investigation of the computer fraud next week.(present continuous)The police will be concluding their investigation of the computer fraud next week. (future continuous)
There are ways we can use to express the future in English:
1. Will2. Be going to3. Be to4. Be about to5. Simple Present6. Present continuous
1. WillWe use will to:
say something that we are certain will occur in the future.
Example: A meeting will be held next Monday at 2 p.m.
say something that we are not so certain will happen.
Example: I think he will phone me later.
make a prediction.
Example: The rain will stop soon.
state a fact.
Example: Oil will float on water.
express willingness to do something in the future.
Example: I will help you clear the rat-infested storeroom in a moment.
make a sudden decision at the moment of speaking.
Example: There's a noise outside. I will just go and check.
give a command.
Example: You will report to me at eight o'clock tomorrow.
give an invitation, make an order or a threat.
Example: They will invite Professor Dunce to speak at the scientific conference.Example: I will have a double brandy.Example: Give me your wallet or I will slit your throat with this.
ask questions or make a suggestion or promise.
Example: Will you phone your mother-in-law to apologize, please?Example: Shall we sneak a couple of bottles of brandy through Customs?Example: I will try not to be late again.
2.lt;strong> Be going toBe going to is used to refer to future actions as follow:
Intention or decision already made to do or not to do something.
Example: We are going to move to a new neighbourhood next month.
Plans or arrangements for the near future that are made prior to the time of speaking
Example: We are going to visit the zoo on Sunday.
Prediction of an outcome based on current situation.
Example: Look at the overcast sky. It is going to rain hard.
Be going to and will
When be going to and will are used to make predictions about the future, they mean the same.
Example: He thinks his son's team will win the match.Example: He thinks his son's team is going to win the match.
Be going to and will are used to indicate future situations or actions, and they often convey the same meaning.
Example: My son is going to be ten next month.My son will be ten next month.
Example: We are going to leave as soon as he arrives.We will leave as soon as he arrives.
Example: We are going to the shop when it stops raining.
We will go to the shop when it stops raining. When the speaker is absolutely sure about something, he can use will or be going to.
Example: I will be at the meeting tomorrow.I am going to be at the meeting tomorrow.(When absolute sureness is not present, probably, might, could, or similar words may be used.Example:I will probably be at the meeting tomorrow.I am probably going to be at the meeting tomorrow.)
Sometimes be going to and will express different meanings.
We use be going to to indicate a plan made before the time of speaking while will expresses a decision made at the time of speaking.
Example: We are going to visit Jill in the hospital tomorrow.(When we came to know that Jill was admitted to the hospital, we arranged to visit her the next day (tomorrow) – a prior plan.)
Example: It is getting late. We will leave now.(The speaker decides to leave the moment he realizes it is getting late – a sudden decision.)
When a decision or plan is made for the distant future, will is usually used.
Example: She will get married in two years.
Going to is usually used when a plan is made for the near future.Example: We are going to visit them again early next month.
We use be going to when there is an intention to do something and will for additional information.
Example: It's their twentieth wedding anniversary. They are going to have a celebratory party.(NOT: They will have a celebratory party.)They will invite about a dozen close friends. The friends will include two politicians.
3. Be toBe to (is/are + infinitive) refers to an action that is to take place in the future. It is used for instructions, obligation and something that is arranged. However, other forms of usage are possible.
Example: You are not to answer any question from any one of the reporters. (instruction)
Example:You are to hand this packet over to him before noon. (obligation)
Example: The Prime Minister is to meet his successor tomorrow. (arrangement)
Example: The museum is to be closed while it is being renovated. (information)
Example: The General Manager is to present the report to the board on Monday. (duty)
4. Be about to (+ infinitive)We use be about to for an action or event that will happen very soon.
Example: Everyone sits down when the film is about to start.Example: I have never drunk alcohol in my life and I am not
about to start now.Example: We walked quickly home when it was about to rain.
Example:The audience fell silent when the President was about to appear.
Example: When a plane is moved to the end of a runway, it usually means it is about to take off.
When be about to is used with just, it emphasizes that something is about to happen when it is interrupted by something else.Example: I was just about to eat my dinner when the phone rang.
5. Simple present tenseWe use simple present tense for the future when we refer to something that has been scheduled or arranged to happen at a particular time such as a timetable.
Example: The first flight to Rome leaves at 6 a.m.Example: The train for Birmingham departs from platform 3.Example: The special sales offer closes August 31.Example: The new airport opens on Christmas Eve.Example: The public exhibition of a collection of his paintings ends in a week.
The simple present tense and the present continuous tenseWe can use the simple present and the present continuous tenses for the future.
They have a drinking session next Sunday.(= the drinking session occurs every Sunday.)
They are having a drinking session next Sunday.(= perhaps, not every Sunday.)
6. Present continuous tenseThe present continuous tense is used for future arrangements.
Example: I am having dinner with him at seven o'clock.Example: She is flying to London tomorrow morning.Example: John is leaving the company next week after 25 years' service.Example: We are visiting the Niagara Falls in three weeks.Example: My brother is writing another book next month.
Present continuous and 'be going to'Present continuous and be going to can have same meaning.
a) I am going to watch my favourite TV programme this evening.
b) I am watching my favourite TV programme this evening.c) He is going to attend a seminar tomorrow.d) He is attending a seminar tomorrow.
Sentences (a) and (b); (c) and (d) have same meaning. The present continuous tense and be going to describe actions that are planned or arranged for the future prior to the time of speaking. We do not use will here.
It is not incorrect to construct a sentence with 'be going to' with the verb 'go'. For example: They are going to go fishing this weekend. However the present continuous tense is more commonly used: They are going fishing this weekend.
Will / ShallWill and shall are auxiliary verbs used mainly in the future tense.
Example: I shall arrive before noon.They will arrive before noon.Shall has always been used in the first-person singular (I) and plural (we) but will is becoming more common.
Example: I shall be away tomorrow.We shall be away tomorrow.
We use will to ask a favour of somebody.
Example: Will you look after my things for a while, please?
We use won't (will not) to show unwillingness or refusal to do something.
Example: I have asked the noisy children to keep quiet, but they won't listen.
We use shall when we:
Ask a first-person question.Example: Shall I open the window?
make a suggestion.Example: Shall we go together in one car?
make an offer.Example: Shall I give you a lift to the airport?
ask for instructions.Example: Shall I make all these payments by the end of the month?
Will and shall are also used to make predictions in the simple future tense.
Example: I think the weather will get colder around the middle of this month.Example: I shall be judged only by God.
Future Continuous Tense The t;strong>future continuous tense is made up of the simple future tense of the verb to be (shall/will be) + a present participle (verb + -ing), as follow:
Subject simple future of 'to be' present participle (base + ing)We shall/will be jogging
We use the future continuous tense:
for an action that lasts a period of time in the future.
Example: His father will be working the whole day tomorrow.
for an action that has been planned.
Example: They will be going on vacation this summer.
to express an action that will be in progress at a certain or specified time in the future.
Example: We will/shall be sleeping by the time you return.Example: At this time next week, I shall/will be playing poker.Example: Will they be coming at 6 p.m. tomorrow?
for an action which will happen as a matter of routine or as scheduled (without intention)
Example: You will be working with Miss Cool again when you turn up for work tomorrow.Example: The first train will be departing at 5.30 a.m.
to seek a favour of someone by asking about their plans
Example: Will you be passing the post office on your way home?
to ask for information
Example: Will you be joining the drinking session tonight?
To make a prediction about something in the future.
Example: She will be feeling very sad after learning the truth.(When in doubt, we can use may instead of shall/will. Example: She may be feeling very sad after learning the truth.)
The continuous tenses:In the evening, she was at home. She was doing her homework. (past continuous)
In the evening, she is at home. She is doing her homework. (present continuous)In the evening, she will be at home. She will be doing her homework. (future continuous)
The future continuous tense and the simple future tense:
Will you be coming to the party tonight? (future continuous tense)Will you come to the party tonight? (simple future tense)
The choir will be singing when the bride and bridegroom enter the church. (future continuous tense - The choir will sing before the bride and bridegroom enter the church.)The choir will sing when the bride and bridegroom enter the church. (simple future tense - The bride and bridegroom will enter the church and then the choir will sing.)
Sometimes there is little or no difference between the future continuous tense and the simple future tense:
He will be having lunch with us.He will have lunch with us.
More than one way is possible to express a future action, and often they have similar meaning.
Some guests will be arriving late.Some guests will arrive late.Some guests are arriving late.
Future Perfect Tense The future perfect tense is formed by using the simple future tense of the verb to have (will have) + the past participle of the main verb. It is used for an action which will have finished by some future time or date as mentioned:
Statement: She will have sewn the patch on her jeans by nine o'clockQuestion: Will the people have put out the fire by the time the firemen arrive?
The future perfect tense is used:
to show that an activity will be completed by a specified time in the future.
Example: I will have saved about one million dollars by the year 2090.
to show that an action will be completed before another takes place in the future.
Example: The fire will have burnt the building to the ground by the time the firemen arrive.
to show a situation will be over in the future.
Example: The special offer – buy two, get one free – will have finished by midday tomorrow.
with conditional 'if'.
Example: If you don't hurry up, we will have eaten all the food when you get to the table.
with time clause. The future perfect tense may come either before or after the time clause.
a) On April 1st, she will have been here for six months.b) She will have been here for six months on April 1st.c) We will have waited for more than thirty minutes by the time the bus arrives,Time clauses: On April 1st/by the time the bus arrivesMain clauses: She will have been here for six months/We will have waited for more than thirty minutesA comma is placed at the end of a time clause when the time clause comes before the main clause as in (a).
with time expressions such as by seven o'clock, by this evening, by next Thursday, by then, until noon tomorrow, before closing date.
Example: He will have prepared the documents by next Friday.
The future perfect tense and the future perfect continuous tense
a) When Joan competes in the marathon next week, she will have trained for nine months.b) When Joan competes in the marathon next week, she will have been training for nine months.Both (a) and (b) have the same meaning.
Future Perfect Continuous Tense The future perfect continuous tense is formed with the future perfect tense of the verb to be (shall/will have been) + a present participle (verb + -ing), as follow:
Example: My uncle will have been working in Antarctica for exactly ten years next Sunday.
The future perfect continuous tense is used:
to indicate the length of time that an action continues in the future.
Example: At noon tomorrow, my aunt will have been driving a hearse for fifteen years.
to show an action in progress until an event happens in the future. Here, we usually make use of the time clause. The future perfect continuous tense may come either before or after the time clause.
a) By the time the bus arrives, we will have been waiting for more than thirty minutes.b) We will have been waiting for more than thirty minutes by the time the bus arrives,Time clause: by the time the bus arrivesMain clause: we will have been waiting for more than thirty minutesA comma is placed at the end of a time clause when the time clause comes before the main clause as in (a).
Simple Present Tense
Simple Present gap-fill exercise
4:36
Fill in all the gaps, with the words in the box.Press "Check" to check your answers. Use the "Hint" button to get a free letter if an answer is giving you trouble. You can also click on the "[?]" button to get a clue. Note that you will lose points if you ask for hints or clues!
brush comb dry eat get dressed get up go have make pick up put on rings wake up wear
Every weekday morning I [?] as soon as my alarm [?]. After 10 minutes I
[?] and go to the bathroom. I [?] a shower, [?] my teeth and [?]
my hair. After my shower I [?] myself with a big towel and go back to the bedroom.
In the bedroom I [?] my makeup and [?], I sometimes [?] trousers
and a blouse or top with sandals or shoes. Next I usually go to the kitchen and [?]
myself a cup of tea, although I sometimes drink coffee instead of tea. For breakfast I often
[?] cornflakes, toast and marmalade and a piece of fruit. After breakfast I [?]
