Grammar

PT3 MODULE 1/JANUARY 2016
TUITION MEDINA
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PT3 2016
MODULE 1:
(3-7 JAN)
Basic Grammar
Parts of Speech
Subject Verb Agreement
PARTS OF SPEECH
ouns
A noun is a word used to name something: a person/animal, a place, a

thing, or an idea. For example, all of the following are nouns.
Sarah, Johan
Japan, Malaysia, Atlanta
pencil, store, music, air
biology,
Hint: They are sometimes preceded by noun markers. Noun markers are
also called determiners and quantifiers. They are words like a, an, the,
this, that, these, those, each, some, any, every, no, numbers (1,2,3,etc.),
several, many, a lot, few, possessive pronouns (his, her, etc). See
determiners for more information.
Nouns are classified in several ways
1. Nouns can be singular or plural.

Singular nouns name only one person, place, thing or idea.
One apple, a pencil, the book
Plural nouns name two or more persons, places, things or ideas. Most
singular nouns (Not ALL) are made plural by adding s. For example,
(pencil is a singular noun. The word pencils is a plural noun.)
Exception #1: If a noun ends with the s, sh, ch, or x like the words,
kiss, church, ash or box, then they are made plural by adding es (kisses,
churches, ashes, and boxes).
Exception #2:There are also irregular nouns that do not follow any
rules. For example, the plural form of the word child is children.
2. Nouns can be Proper Nouns or Common Nouns
a) Proper nouns refer to specific people, places, things and ideas. A
person's name (Leah Graham) is a proper noun, for example. Other
examples are names of places (Atlanta, Georgia) and names of things
(the Navy). They are always capitalized!
b) Common nouns are all other nouns. For example: cat, pencil, paper,
etc. They are not capitalized unless they are the first word in the
sentence.
3. Nouns can also be collective.
Collective nouns are nouns that are grammatically considered singular,
but include more than one person, place, thing, or idea in its meaning.
Words like team, group, jury, committee, audience, crowd, class, troop,
family, team, couple, band, herd, quartet, and society.
Generally, collective nouns are treated as singular because they
emphasize the group as one unit. The committee is going to make a
decision.
4. Nouns can also be either count or non-count.
Nouns that are non-count cannot be counted. For example, you cannot go
outside to have two fresh airs. One goes outside for fresh air.
5. Nouns can be Abstract or concrete
A noun can be abstract or concrete.
Concrete nouns are nouns that you can touch. They are people,
places, and some things. Words like person, court, Georgia, pencil,
hand, paper, car, and door are all examples of concrete nouns.
Abstract nouns are nouns that cannot be physically held. For example,
things like air, justice, safety, Democracy, faith, religion, etc.
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6. Nouns can be Gerunds

A gerund is the ing form of the verb and is used as a noun. For example,
Running is good for you.
Running is the noun/gerund and. is is the verb.
My crying upset him.
Crying is the subject and upset is the verb

Note: A noun can fit into more than one of these categories. For
example, the noun Angela is a singular, concrete, count, proper noun.
ronouns
A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun. They eliminate the need for
repetition.
For Example:
Instead of Emma talked to Emma's child, you might say Emma talked to
her child.
Her is the pronoun. It renames the antecedent, Emma.
There are several types of pronouns.
Personal Pronouns refer to specific persons or things. Personal
pronouns can act as subjects, objects, or possessives.
1.
Singular: I, me, you, she, her, he, him, it
Plural: we, us, you, they, them
I, you, she, he, it, we, they are used as subjects of sentences.
For example, She knew the grammar rules very well.
The personal pronouns that can be used as objects are: Me, you, him, her, it, them
For Example:
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The teacher gave all of them good grades.

Tommy gave his poetry book to her.
Then, Azra gave it to me.
Them, her and me are personal pronouns used as objects. They are NOT the subjects of the
sentences.
2. Possessive Pronouns indicate ownership or possession.
Singular: my, mine, your, yours, hers, his, its
For Example: She returned my pencil to me because it was mine.
3. Reflexive Pronouns name a receiver of an action who is identical to the doer of the
action.
Singular: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself
Plural: ourselves, yourselves, themselves
For example: Manuela congratulated herself on her good grades.

Here, Manuela is both the doer and the receiver of the action.
Q: So, who did Manuela congratulate? A: Herself.
5. Intensive Pronouns emphasize a noun or another pronoun.
Singular: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself
Plural: ourselves, yourselves, themselves
For Example: I saw Brad Pitt himself at the mall.

Here, himself emphasizes the antecedent, Bradd Pitt.
6. Reciprocal Pronouns express shared actions or feelings.

Each other
One another
For Example:
Yan Ko and Tai help each other with their homework.
Leon and his girlfriend dance with one another when they go
clubbing.
7. Indefinite Pronouns refer to non-specific persons and things.

All, another, any, anybody, anyone, anything, both, each, either, everybody, everyone,
everything, few, many, neither, nobody, none, no one, nothing, one, several, some, somebody,
someone, something
For Example:
Many believe that UFOs exist, but nobody can prove it.
No one can be sure if aliens really exist, but only few wonder if
Elvis is still alive.
The underlined indefinite pronouns do not refer to any one person. They are referring to
people in general.
8. Demonstrative Pronouns are also considered noun markers. They
point towards nouns.
this, that, these those
For Example:
That woman attends Gainesville College.

That points out which woman.
The woman attends Gainesville College.

Q: Which woman?
A: That woman.
9. Interrogative Pronouns introduce questions.

Who, Whom, Whose, Which, What
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For Example:
Who is going on vacation? To whom will the teacher give an A?
What are you doing?
10. Relative Pronouns introduce dependent clauses and refers to a

person or thing already mentioned in the sentence (i.e. the
antecedent).
Who, whoever, whom, whomever, whose, which, that
For Example:
The English that we learn in class will help us pass English 1101.
that we learn in class is the adjective clause that describes English. And,
that is the relative pronoun.
Q: Which English?
A: The English that we learn in classas opposed to the English we learn
around our friends.
Note: Adjectives clauses modify nouns or pronouns, and usually answer

one of the following questions: Which one? What kind of? They begin with
a relative pronoun or a relative adverb (when or where).
djectives
An adjective modifies (describes) a noun or pronoun.
Normally in English, the adjective comes before the noun. For example: The smart student
earned an "A".
They also come after linking verbs. For example:
I feel happy.
Adjectives can be used to make comparisons.
For most adjectives of one or two syllables, you can add er. For
example, greater, faster, stronger.
For adjectives longer than two syllables, you should use the word more.
For example, He was more intelligent than his sister was.
Adjectives can also be used as superlatives.
This is usually done by adding est to the end of an adjective that is

one or two syllables.
For example, the loudest, the coolest, the smartest.
If an adjective is three syllables or longer, you must use the words

the most. For example, Katsu is the most likeable person in the
world!
WARNING- Never use both an er ending and the word

more or an est ending and the word most.
For example, I am the most happiest when my students learn. Instead,
it should be: I am the happiest when my students learn.
There are some irregular adjective and adverb forms. For example:
Adjectiv
e
Adverb
Comparing two
Comparing three
or more
Bad
badly
Worse
worst
Good
Well
Better
Best
Little
Much
Many
Less
Least
More
Most
When they are used together, they are arranged in a certain order.
Determi
ner*
Opinio
n
Size
Age
Color
Origin
Materi
al
Noun
The, This
Pretty
Big
New
Blue
Tall
Thin
Old
Purple
Leathe
r
Sofa
Some
Puerto
Rican
Wood
My
Expensi
ve
Smal
l
Ancient
Black
Chines
e
Silk
Scarf
For Example:
I saw that tall, thin, old, blue silk scarf at the store and I bought
it.
Leon drives an expensive old Italian car.
dverbs
An adverb is a word that modifies an action verb, an adjective or

another adverb.
The teacher carefully graded the homework.
Carefully is an adverb that modifies the action verb to grade.
Tommy was extremely enthusiastic about doing his homework.
Extremely is an adverb that modifies the adjective enthusiastic.
Yan Ko ran out of the classroom very quickly.
Very is an adverb that modifies the adverb quickly.
Warning: You need an adjective after linking verbsNEVER an adverb!

For example,
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Tai feels bad (guilty) when he has to leave class.
Here, bad is an adjective that modifies the proper noun Tai. It is an

adjective because it follows the linking verb to feel.
HOWEVER, verbs like look, sound, smell, feel, and taste can function as
either an action verb or a linking verb.
Tai feels badly (to the touch) after swimming in a chlorinated

pool. His skin is really dry.
Here, bad is used in its adverbial form since it follows an action verb, to
feel.
Types of Adverbs:
1. Relative Adverbs introduce questions and dependent adverbial clauses.
They answer the questions When? and Where? They are: When,
Where
For Example:
When I was young, I liked to play outside.
Q: When did I like to play outside? A: When I was young.
2. Adverbs of Frequency indicate answer the question how often? They
are:
Always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never
The students in ESOL 98 always study very hard.
They rarely forget to do their homework.
onjunctions are the scotch tape of the grammatical world.
They join together words and phrases. There are three kinds of
conjunctions: coordinating conjunctions, correlative conjunctions, and
subordinating conjunctions.
1. Coordinating Conjunctions
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There are seven coordinating conjunctions in English. You can use the
mnemonic device fanboys to remember them.
For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So
They can be used with commas to create compound sentences. For
example:
Julia loves to dance, but Roco has no rhythm.
May Mee works hard, yet she still earns low grades.
Note: A compound sentence is a sentence made up of two

independent clauses. That is, a compound sentence is simply two
complete sentences joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction
(i.e. a fanboys).
2. Correlative Conjunctions also join ideas, but they work in pairs.

They are:
Bothand, neithernor, whetheror, eitheror, not onlybut
also
For Example:
Not only am I happy about the grades, but I am also excited that you are
learning!
3. Subordinating Conjunctions join an independent clause to a

subordinate clause. That is, they join a clause that can stand alone with a
clause that cannot stand alone. Some frequently used subordinating
conjunctions are:
after, although, as, as if, because, before, even if, even though, if, since, so that, though,
unless, until, when, whenever, where, wherever, whether, while.
For Example:
Although the students were tired, they still came to class.
nterjections
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Interjections are words used to express emotional states. They can

usually be found in narrative writing, interviews, and in spoken English.
They can stand alone. For example:
Oh!, wow!, Ouch! Oops! Hey!
Punctuation Note: They are punctuated with either commas or

exclamation marks. Mild interjections are followed by a comma, but
stronger interjections are punctuated with an exclamation mark (!) .
Oh, were late for the movie.
Generally, the movies is not an important destination. Therefore, the person making this
statement will sound less urgent than the next example.
Oh! Im late for work.
Work, unlike the movies, is generally considered a very important destination. If one doesnt
arrive on time, there is the possibility of being fired or of losing face. Here, the speaker will
have a greater sense of urgency.
Generally
, you do not find interjections in academic writing.
repositions
Prepositions are words that, like conjunctions, connect a noun or pronoun

to another word in a sentence. Some common prepositions:
About
Before
Down
Into
Through
Above
Behind
During
Like
To
Across
Below
Except
Of
Toward
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After
Beneath
For
Of
Under
Among
Beside
From
On
Up
Around
Between
In
Over
With
At
By
Instead of
Since
Without
A prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition

and ends with a noun or pronoun. They can act as adjectives or as
adverbs.
Manuela, the student from Germany, wrote an excellent paper on
the computer.
erbs
Verbs generally express action or a state of being. There are several classifications for verbsaction verbs,/linking verbs, main verbs/auxiliary verbs, transitive/intransitive and phrasal
verbs.
1. Action verbs show action.
He runs. He plays. They study.
2. Linking Verbs link the subject to an adjective.
Sarah is a beautiful girl.
The linking verb is links the adjective beautiful with the subject Sarah
1. Main verbs can stand alone.
2. Auxiliary verbs, also called helping verbs, serve as support to the
main verb.
The most common auxiliary verbs are:
Have, has, had Do, does, did, Be, am, is, are, was, were, being,
been
Should, could, will, would, might, can, may, must, shall, ought (to)
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For example:
Tai has run everyday.
Run is an action verb. The subject can actually do it.
Has is the helping verb. It helps the main verb run to be present perfect
tense.
Verbs can be transitive or intransitive.

1. Transitive Verbs require a direct object in order to make sense.
For Example:
Yolanda takes aspirin for her headaches.
Here, takes is a transitive verb since the sentence Yolanda takes has no
meaning without its direct object aspirin.
2. Intransitive Verbs do not need direct objects to make them meaningful. For
Example:
Julio swims.
The verb swim has meaning for the reader without an object.
Caution: A verb can be either transitive or intransitive depending on

its context. For Example:
The cars race. Here, race is intransitive. It does not need an object.
My father races horses. Here, races is transitive. It requires

the object horses in order to make sense.
Verbs can be phrasal.

Phrasal verbs are made up of a verb and a preposition. The preposition
gives the verb a diferent meaning than it would have by itself. For
example, the verb look has a diferent meaning from the phrasal verb
look up (in the dictionary).
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Some more examples:

call up, find out, hand in, make up, put of, turn on, write up
WARNING: The base form of a verb is called the infinitive. It is to +

verb. For example, to do, to win, to study, etc. Under no circumstance
can a verb preceded by to be considered a verb. Infinitives are not
verbs.
Q: What do articles do in a sentence?

A: Articles signal that a noun is going to follow.
Example:
Who invented the telephone? The wheel?

The refrigerator? The airplane?
A cat was chasing a mouse in my back

yard.
Modifiers (adjectives & adverbs) can appear between an article and a noun.
Examples:
A sunset.
A spectacular sunset.
An exceptionally spectacular sunset.
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The indefinite article a can only appear before nouns that begin with a consonant
sound: a hand, a book, a world, a computer

The indefinite article an can only appear before nouns that begin with a vowel
sound: an apartment, an hour, an article
General Rules for the Use of Articles:

I. Use a/an with singular count nouns whose specific identity is not known to the
reader either because it is being mentioned for the first time, or because its
specific identity is unknown even to the writer.
Examples:
Julia arrived in a limousine. (a = one among many. Not a specific one.)

Were looking for an apartment. (an = any one.)
II. Do not use a/an with non-count nouns. Only use a/an with non-count nouns if
you add a count noun in front of the non-count noun.
Example:
Anh asked her mother for an advice.

Anh asked her mother for a piece of
advice.
III. Use the with most nouns whose specific identity is known to the reader because:
1. the noun has been previously mentioned:
Yesterday I saw a group of ESL students. The students were playing

with a ball. The ball was white and blue. The ball rolled into a hole.
The hole was small.
2. the noun is made specific by a superlative:
I bought the fastest computer they had.
3. the noun describes a unique person, place, or thing:

Please give this to the manager.
The sun is bright today.
Rain is falling heavily in the North.
4. the context or situation makes the nouns identity clear:

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Please dont slam the door when you leave.

Bob warned me that the dog playing in his yard is very affectionate and
jumps on every person it meets.
IV. Do not use the with plural or non-count nouns meaning all or in general
(i.e. generic reference nouns). Do not use the with most singular proper nouns.
The fountains are an expensive element of landscape design.

In some parts of the world, the rice is preferred to all other grains.
V. Do not use articles with other noun markers or determiners, i.e. possessive nouns
(Helens) ; and some pronouns (his, her, its, ours, their, whose, this, that, these, those, all,
any, each, either, every, few, many, more, most, much, neither, several, some).
Exceptions:
All the
A few
The most
Examples:
The Helens book is on the floor.

A this book belongs to Trung.
The Parts of Speech

Exercise 1
Underline the nouns in the following sentences.
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1. The land is covered with green grass.

2. Michael has a new computer.
3. We put up a tent on the beach.
4. She comes from a poor family.
5. Her mother teaches at a university.
6. The florist sold me a bunch of flowers.
7. There are a lot of offices in this building.
8. The old man was smoking a pipe.
9. I buy some plums at the market every day.
10. They put the clothes to dry on the balcony.
Exercise 2
Write C to show countable noun. Write U to show uncountable noun.
dictionary
card
(
(
)
)
eyebrow
dirt
finger
cash
hair
(
(
)
)
traffic
sand
picture
time
toilet
chalk
bicycle
ink
paper
cutter
knife
clock
lamb
crab
steak
bean
sandwich
wine
beer
ham
horse
coconut
bear
(
(
)
)
Exercise 3
Circle the best words.
1. Would you please give me ( a / some / an ) orange juice?
2. Mike is drinking ( a / some / an ) milk.
3. Michael has ( a / some / an ) stamp.
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4. David is having ( a / some / an ) congee.

5. Dont forget to buy ( a / some / an ) oil for mother.
6. That is ( a / some / an ) bag of flour.
7. There is ( a / some / an ) egg in the fridge.
8. May puts ( a / some / an ) jam on her biscuits.
9. There are ( a / some / an ) children in the park.
10. There is ( a / some / an ) desk in my room.
3. Pronouns
Exercise 1
Underline the pronouns in the following sentences.
1. I lost my purse.
2. We want someone to go.
3. My mother hits me.
4. Can anyone help us?
5. Thats mine! Give it back to me.
6. The cat is lovely. It has a long tail.
7. I knocked on the door but nobody answered.
8. I am angry with him.
9. I think she is a fool.
10. They finished the project by themselves.
Exercise 2
Fill in the each blank with either a Subject Pronoun or an Object Pronoun.
1. I dont know. The teacher didnt tell __________.
2. The principal punished __________ because he was lazy.
3. The correction fluid was here a minute ago. __________ is not here now.
4. I cant do these sums. Will you please help __________?
5. The babies are sleeping. Dont disturb __________.
6. I like Leon. __________ is my best friend.
7. Jenny has a canoe. Her father gave it to __________.
8. Who are those men? I have never seen __________ before.
9. Is he your father? Yes, __________ is.
10. I have bought a new tracksuit. Do you want to see __________?
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Exercise 3
Fill in the blanks with correct Possessive Adjectives.
1. The twins sew __________ own clothes.
2. We are washing __________ cars.
3. I threw the cloth away because __________ colour had faded.
4. __________ eyesight is not good. I need to wear a pair of glasses.
5. Peters dog has white fur and __________ tail is long.
6. Did you brush __________ teeth this morning?
7. The lady showed us __________ jewellery.
8. We ought to be proud of __________ parents.
9. John went to see __________ doctor.
10. The cat licks __________ wet fur.
Exercise 5
Underline the correct word.
1. I enjoyed ( himself , myself ) very much at the party last night.
2. You can look at ( yourself , myself ) in the mirror.
3. Tommy hurt ( himself , yourself ) yesterday.
4. We bought ( themselves , ourselves ) some bean curd.
5. Did you cut ( herself , yourself ) a slice of watermelon?
3. Adjectives
Exercise 1
Underline the adjectives in the following sentences.
1. Can you lift that heavy box?
2. Cows are useful animals.
3. She is a kind girl.
4. Your hands are dirty. Please wash them at once.
5. My grandfather is very old.
6. We should keep the classroom clean.
7. Peter is sad today.
8. We want to eat food when we are hungry.
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9. The trousers I bought yesterday were too tight.

10. My mother was angry with me because I had broken her vase.
Exercise 2
Circle the best answer.
1. Football is an ( exciting / comfortable / clever ) game.
2. We go to see a doctor when we are ( hungry / angry / ill ).
3. They feel ( comfortable / sleepy / happy ). It is very late.
4. The bus does not stop because it is ( big / quick / full ).
5. He is a ( brave / famous / cruel ) doctor.
6. We lost our dog. We felt ( interesting /sweet / sad ).
7. The mouse was ( afraid / polite / slow ) and ran away quickly.
8. It is very ( careful / dangerous / clever ) to play in the street.
9. He is looking for food. He is ( tired / thirsty / hungry ).
10. I dont want to play with the (naughty / tiring / lonely ) girl.
Exercise 3
Put the words in the correct order.
1. dress / long / silk / party / a
_________________________________________________________.
2. big / card / colourful / birthday / a
_________________________________________________________.
3. strawberry / French / two / cakes
_________________________________________________________.
4. coffee / old / Italian / shop / an
_________________________________________________________.
5. boxes / lunch / ten / large
_________________________________________________________.
6. young / American / three / students
_________________________________________________________.
4. Verbs
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Exercise 1
Underline the verbs in the following sentences.
1. Add a little salt to the soup.
2. A car appeared in the street.
3. Aunt Mary arranged the flowers in a vase.
4. Two boys died in the car accident.
5. Peters mother never drinks.
6. John always feeds his dog a bone.
7. I got a wallet for my father yesterday.
8. I heard him singing in the bathroom.
9. My brother hit me on the back.
10. I saw a boy climbing the tree.
5. Adverbs
Exercise 1
Underline the adverbs in the following sentences.
1. The rain fell heavily last night.
2. The fisherman sailed happily towards the shore.
3. Where have you been recently?
4. Maria will go to a new school soon.
5. When he last called on me, I was not at home.
6. John ate the cake greedily.
7. The apple is rather sweet.
8. My father is always busy.
9. What are you doing tomorrow?
10. He found the pen there.
Exercise 2
1. We all sat ( quiet / quietly ) and waited.
No one talked. No one moved. Everyone was ( quiet / quietly ).
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2. Keep ( calm / calmly ), please, said the inspector.

If fire breaks out, walk ( calm / calmly ) down the stairs and go out from the front door.
3. That pretty lady is very ( polite / politely ).
She always answers the questions ( polite / politely ).
4. John fought ( brave / bravely ) in the battle.
He is a ( brave / bravely ) soldier.
5. We are a ( happy / happily ) family.
We live and work ( happy / happily ) together.
Exercise 3
Fill in the blanks with the following adverbs.
soundly
carelessly
again and again
across
alone
along
unkindly
twice
neatly
aloud
1. Our teacher explains the difficult words ________________.

2. The river is too wide. We cant swim ________________.
3. You have to read _______________ so that everyone can hear you.
4. I have read this story book _______________.
5. Walk _____________ and you can see the church.
6. We must do our homework _______________.
7. Johnny hit his dog _______________.
8. My father slept _______________ in the sitting room.
9. The lazy girl did her work _______________.
10. Peter goes to school _______________ every day.
6. Prepositions
Exercise 1
Underline the prepositions in the following sentences.
1. Is this the way to Merdeka Beach?
2. Peter will go to Japan on business next month.
3. The children sat under a tree.
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4. Please keep off the grass.

5. Mary sits behind me.
6. The weather is hot in summer.
7. Birds cannot fly without wings.
8. I go to school by bus every day.
9. I am hot. Please turn on the air-conditioner.
10. Ivy likes staying at home on Sundays.
Exercise 2
1. They will fly to the State ( on / in / for ) a few months.
2. My grandfather has been ill ( for / from / since ) last Sunday.
3. That stamp is similar ( to / about / in ) this one.
4. He is not interested ( in / at / of ) swimming.
5. The students put all the books ( down / into / from ) their bags.
6. John is good ( up / in / at ) drawing.
7. I put ( with / on / to ) my coat before going out.
8. Thank you so much ( in / to / for ) your help.
9. We pray ( to / at / for ) God in the church.
10. It is dark. Please turn ( on / off / at ) the light.
7. Conjunctions
Exercise 1
Underline the conjunctions in the following sentences.
1. I have a cake and some sweets.
2. Do you like coffee or tea?
3. We did not play tennis because it was raining.
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4. The lady is rich but the man is poor.

5. Sally does her homework although she is very ill.
6. Dont go out until the bell rings.
7. You will get wet if you dont take your raincoat.
8. I felt sleepy, so I went to bed.
9. If he studies hard, he will pass the test.
10. Fish can swim but cannot fly.
Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks with one of the following conjunctions.
and
but
because
since
although
before
after
until
1. I have not seen her _______________ she left Hong Kong.

2. I shall wait _______________ your mother comes.
3. She did not go to school yesterday _______________ she was ill.
4. They are generous _______________ they are poor.
5. The baby felt asleep _______________ it had cried for a long time.
6. Mary is poor _______________ happy.
7. Betty is clever _______________ kind.
8. I brush my teeth _______________ I go to bed.
Revision
Identify the underlined words in the following sentences and write the part of speech in the
spaces provided.
1. My sister is studying at Hong Kong University now.
______________
2. Sallys birthday is in February.
______________
3. The Tokyo Tower is 333 metres tall.
______________
25
4. Lily works hard every day.
______________
5. You must water the pot plants or they will die.
______________
6. He walked farther than the rest.
______________
7. I am fat but my sister is thin.
______________
8. Ah! You have forgotten what I told you yesterday.
______________
9. The roads are muddy after the rain.
______________
10. My sister was born on the fifth of July.
______________
11. Did you brush your teeth this morning?
______________
12. Rice is one of the chief crops in China.
______________
13. The weather was good yesterday.
______________
14. Peter is having his breakfast now.
______________
15. If you invite Peter, I think he will come.
______________
16. The naughty boy climbed over the fence.
______________
17. The journey is rather long.
______________
18. I have a friend who lives in Aberdeen.
______________
19. They enjoyed themselves very much at the party.
______________
20. I am going to Hawaii in the summer holiday.
______________
SUBJECTS VERBS AGREEMENT
Basic Rule. The basic rule states that a singular subject takes a singular verb
while a plural subject takes a plural verb. The trick is knowing whether the
26
subject is singular or plural. The next trick is recognizing a singular or plural

verb.
Hint: Verbs do not form their plurals by adding an s as nouns do. In order to
determine which verb is singular and which one is plural, think of which verb you
would use with he or she and which verb you would use with they.
Example talks, talk

Which one is the singular form? Which word would you use with he? We say,
"He talks." Therefore, talks is singular. We say, "They talk." Therefore, talk is
plural.
Rule 1. Two singular subjects connected by or or nor require a singular verb.
Example My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.

Rule 2. Two singular subjects connected by either/or or neither/nor require a
singular verb as in Rule 1.
Examples Neither John nor Susan is available.

Neither she nor I am going to the festival.
NOTE: Am is singular and agrees with the subject closest to it.
Rule 3. When a singular subject is connected by or or nor to a plural subject,
put the plural subject last and use a plural verb.
Example The book or the magazines are on the shelf.

Rule 4. When either/or or neither/nor connect a singular and plural subject,
put the plural subject last and use a plural verb as in Rule 3.
Example Neither John nor the others are available.

Rule 5. As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they
are connected by and.
Example A car and a bike are my means of transportation.
27
Rule 6. Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by words such as
along with, as well as, besides, not, etc. Ignore these expressions when
determining whether to use a singular or plural verb.
Examples The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly.

Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause of her shaking.
Rule 7. The pronouns each, everyone, everybody, anyone, anybody, someone, and
somebody are singular. Do not be misled by what follows of.

Examples Each of the girls sings well.
Every one of the cakes is gone.
NOTE: Everyone is one word when it means everybody.
Rule 8. With words that indicate portionspercent, fraction, part, majority,
some, all, none, remainder, etc.you must look at the object of the preposition
to determine whether to use a singular or plural verb. If the object of the
preposition is singular, use a singular verb. If the object of the preposition is
plural, use a plural verb.
Examples Fifty percent of the pie has disappeared.

Pie is the object of the preposition of.
Fifty percent of the pies have disappeared.
Pies is the object of the preposition.
One third of the city is unemployed.
One third of the people are unemployed.
All of the pie is gone.
All of the pies are gone.
Some of the pie is missing.
Some of the pies are missing.
Rule 9. When either and neither are subjects, they take singular verbs.
Example Neither of them is available to speak right now.
28
Rule 10. The words here and there are never subjects because they are not
nouns. In sentences beginning with here or there, the true subject follows the
verb.
Examples There are four hurdles to jump.

There is a high hurdle to jump.
Rule 11. Use a singular verb with sums of money or periods of time.
Examples Ten dollars is a high price to pay.

Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.
Rule 12. If the pronoun who, that, or which appears as the subject in the
middle of the sentence, you must decide whether to follow it with a singular or
plural verb. In order to decide, look at the noun directly in front of the who,
that, or which. If it is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural

verb.
Examples She is the secretary who write/writes the letters.

The word in front of who is secretary, which is singular. Therefore, use the
singular verb writes.
He is one of the men who does/do the work.

The word in front of who is men, which is plural. Therefore, use the plural verb
do.
Rule 13. Collective nouns such as team and staff may be either singular or
plural depending on their use in the sentence.
Examples
i.
The staff is in a meeting. (Staff is acting as a unit here.)
ii.
The staff are in disagreement about the findings. (The staff are
acting as separate individuals in this example)
29
TENSES
SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE
Introduction
We use the simple present (also: present simple, present tense) to express actions in the
present that take place once or repeatedly, happen one after the other, have general
validity, or are determined by a time table or schedule.
Colin likes football. He is a forward. A forwardtries to score goals for his team.
Colin plays football every Tuesday. His trainingstarts at five oclock. After school
Colin goeshome, packs his bag, puts on his football shirt and then he goes to football training.
He has to take the bus. The bus leaves at half past four.
Usage
events that take place regularly or habitually (always, never, rarely, often)
Example:
He plays football every Tuesday.
events that take place one after the other

Example:
30
After school Colin goes home, packs his bag, puts on his football shirt and then
he goes to football training.
something is generally valid

Example:
A forward tries to score goals for his team.
future actions that are planned and predetermined (e.g. by a time table or
programme)
Example:
The bus leaves at half past four.
His training starts at five oclock.
static verbs (condition) and verbs of thought/memory

Example:
Colin likes football.
He is a forward.
Construction
In positive sentences, we use the verb in its basic form. We only need to add an s in the
third person singular. In negative sentences and questions, we generally need the auxiliary
verb do (or does in the third person singular). The verb itself then remains in its basic form.
positive
negative
question
I/you/we/they
I speak
I do not speak
Do I speak?
he/she/it
he speaks
he does not speak
Does he speak?
Exceptions in the Construction of the 3rd Person Singular
If the verb ends with an o or a sibilant (ch, sh), we add es.

Example:
do he does
wash she washes
If the verb ends with a consonant + y, we change the y to ie before we add the s.
(but the y does not change after a vowel)
Example:
31
worry he worries
(but: play he plays)
We do not add an s to the verbs can, may, might, and must. They remain the same
in all forms.
Example:
he can swim
she must go
THE VERBS BE/HAVE
be
The verb be is irregular in all its forms. In negative sentences and questions, we do not use
it with an auxiliary verb.
positive
negative
question
I am
I am not
Am I?
he/she/it
he is
he is not
Is he?
you/we/they
you are
you are not
Are you?
have
For have, we have two possible constructions: have and have got.
positive
negative
question
I/you/we/they
I have/I have got
I do not have/I have not got
Do I have?/Have I got?
he/she/it
he has/he has got
he does not have/he has not got
Does he have?/Has he got?
Usage of have got

Have got expresses possession/belonging in British English. This form is uncommon in
American English.
Contractions
Especially in spoken English, we like to combine pronouns with certain verbs in order to
sound more natural. These combinations are called contractions.
long form
contraction
example
am (not)
m (not)
Im (not) (not: I amnt)
are
re
youre
are not
re not/ arent
were not/we arent
is
hes
32
long form
contraction
example
is not
s not/ isnt
shes not/she isnt
have
ve
theyve
have not
ve not/ havent
Ive not/I havent
has
shes
has not
s not/ hasnt
hes not/he hasnt
do not
dont
you dont
does not
doesnt
it doesnt
To Note
In writing, the contraction of are can only be used after pronouns, not after any other
words.
Example:
Theyre not interested in football.
(but not: The girlsre not interested in football.)
Signal Words
always, normally, usually
often, sometimes, seldom
never
every day/week/month/
33
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
The present progressive (also: present continuous) is the continuous form of the present
tense. We use it in English mostly to express actions that are taking place at the present
moment or that are only happening temporarily.
James is travelling around Australia. He is staying at a youth hostel in a little Australian town.
The town is becoming more and more popular because of its beautiful beaches.
James is meeting his friend Brad in town tonight. Brad is working there as a tour guide over the
summer.
James is in the town centre now. Look! James is taking a picture of another tourist.
Construction
We use the auxiliary verb be and the verb in its ing-form.
positive
negative
question
I am speaking
I am not speaking
Am I speaking?
he, she, it
he is speaking
he is not speaking
Is he speaking?
34
positive
you, we, they
negative
you are speaking
question
you are not speaking
Are you speaking?
Exceptions when adding ing
An e at the end of the word is removed (but: ee, oe and ye remain

unchanged).Example:
come coming
(but: agree agreeing)
For words that have a short stressed vowel before the final consonant, we double
the final consonant. (but w, x and y are not doubled)Example:
sit sitting
(but: fix fixing)
An l as the final consonant after a vowel is always doubled in British English (but not
in American English).Example:
o
travel travelling (British), traveling (American)
An ie at the end of the word is replaced by a y.

Example:
o
lie lying
Contractions
long form
contraction
example
am (not)
m (not)
Im (not) (not: I amnt)
are
re
youre
are not
re not/ arent
were not/we arent
is
hes
35
long form
contraction
example
is not
s not/ isnt
shes not/she isnt
To Note
In writing, the contraction of are can only be used after pronouns, not after any other
words.
Example:
o
Theyre travelling around Australia.
(but not: The touristsre travelling around Australia.)
SIMPLE PAST TENSE

Introduction
With the simple past (also: past simple, past tense) we express past actions that took place
once or repeatedly, happened one after the other, or interrupted an action that was already
taking place.
Last month a girl from China joined our class. She came in, introduced herself, and began to
talk about her country. She showed us where she was from on a map. While she was talking
about her home town, the school bell suddenly rang.
If I spoke Chinese, I would love to go on a holiday to China.
Usage
action that happened once or repeatedly in the past

Example:
36
Last month a girl from China joined our class.

She was from China.
She showed us where she was from on a map.
actions that happened one after the other in the past

Example:
She came in, introduced herself, and began to talk about her country.
a new action interrupting an action that was already taking place

Example:
While she was talking about her home town, the school bell suddenly rang.
if-clause type II (If I talked, )

Example:
If I spoke Chinese, I would like to go on holiday to China.
Construction
The construction of the simple past is the same for all forms. We only differentiate between
regular and irregular verbs. In negative sentences and questions, the verb remains in the
infinitive, and only the auxiliary verb do is put in the past tense (= did).
positive
negative
question
regular verb
I played
I did not play
Did I play?
irregular verb
I spoke
I did not speak
Did I speak?
Exceptions in the construction with regular verbs
If a verb ends with an e , we simply add a d.

Example:
love loved (not: loveed)
After a short stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled.

Example:
admit admitted
The final consonant l is always doubled after a vowel in British English (but not in
American English).
Example:
travel travelled (British), traveled (American)
37
A y at the end of the word is replaced by an i.
Example:
hurry hurried
The verb be
positive
negative
question
I/he/she/it
I was
I was not
Was I?
you/we/they
you were
you were not
Were you?
Signal Words
yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the other day, last Friday
if-clause type II (If I talked, )
PAST CONTINUOUS
Introduction
We use the past progressive (also: past continuous) to emphasise the process or
progression of an action in the past.
Lucy was sitting on the beach at six oclock yesterday.
Her friend Laurence doesnt like being lazy. So while Lucy was relaxing on the beach, he was
sailing.
Lucy was watching the sunset when Laurence passed by on his boat.
Usage
a progressive action that took place in the past
38
Example:
Lucy was sitting on the beach at six oclock yesterday.
actions that took place at the same time

Example:
While Lucy was relaxing on the beach, Laurence was sailing.
a progressive action that was interrupted by a new action

Example:
Lucy was watching the sunset when Laurence passed by on his boat.
Construction
We need the past-tense form of be and the main verb in its ing-form.
positive
negative
question
I / he / she / it
I was speaking
I was not speaking
Was I speaking?
you / we / they
you were speaking
you were not speaking
Were you speaking?
An e at the end of the word is removed (but: ee, oe and ye remain unchanged).
Example:
come coming
For words that have a short stressed vowel before the final consonant, we double
the final consonant.(but: w, x and y and not doubled)
Example:
sit sitting
(but: mix mixing)
in American English).
39
Example:
travel travelling (British)
traveling (American)
An ie at the end of the word is replaced with a y.
Example:
lie lying
Signal Words
while, as long as
FUTURE TENSE
Introduction
The future I with will in English expresses a spontaneous decision, a supposition or a future
event that cannot be altered.
Oh, what a mess in here! Come on, Ill help you sort the files.
Its okay, Ill do it tomorrow. Itll rain tomorrow anyway.
You wont finish it in just one day.
If I need help, I will tell you.
Usage
spontaneous decision
Example:
Come on, I will help you sort the files.
opinion, hope, uncertainty, or assumption regarding the future

40
Example:
You wont finish it in just one day.
It will rain tomorrow anyway.
promise
Example:
I will do it tomorrow.
if-clause type I (situation that could potentially arise)
Example:
If I need help, I will tell you.
Construction
We need the auxiliary verb will and the main verb in its basic form.
positive
all forms are the same
I will speak
negative
I will not speak
question
Will I speak?
Contractions
long form
contraction
example
will
ll
theyll
will not
ll not/ wont
Ill not/I wont
To Note
The negated contractions, in which the verb and not are combined, can always be used
(no matter what kind of word comes before them).
Example:
He wont finish it in just one day.
My colleague/Phil wont finish it in just one day.
In writing, all the other contractions can only be used after pronouns, not after other
words.
Example:
41
Hell not finish it in just one day.

(but not: My colleaguell/Philll not finish it in just one day.)
Signal Words
I think
probably
perhaps
FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE

Introduction
With the future I progressive we emphasise the progression or length of time of a future
action.
Mrs Nelson is getting ready for her bingo night. She goes there every Wednesday.
In an hour she will be sitting at her table with her friends. They will be talking. They will be
playingbingo. And she will be seeing Charles, a good-looking pensioner she met there last
week.
Usage
emphasises the progression of an action in the future

Example:
In an hour she will be sitting at her table with her friends. They will be talking.
They will be playing bingo.
action that one assumes will certainly happen

42
Example:
And she will be seeing Charles, a good-looking pensioner she met there last week.
Construction
We need the basic form of the auxiliary verbs will + be and the main verb in its ing-form.
positive
all forms are the same
negative
I will be speaking
I will not be speaking
question
Will I be speaking?
An e at the end of the word is removed (but: ee, oe and ye remains unchanged).
Example:
come coming
For words with a short stressed vowel before the final consonant, we double the final
consonant.(but: w,x and y are not doubled.)
Example:
sit sitting
(but: fix fixing)
in American English).
Example:
travel travelling (British)
traveling (American)
An ie at the end of the word is replaced by a y
Example:
lie lying
Contractions
43
long form
contraction
example
will
ll
theyll
will not
ll not/ wont
Ill not/I wont
To Note
The negated contractions, in which the verb and not are combined, can always be used
(no matter what kind of word comes before them).
Example:
Unfortunately, she wont be sitting next to Charles.
Unfortunately, the woman/Mrs Nelson wont be sitting next to Charles.
In writing, all the other contractions can only be used after pronouns, not after other
words.
Example:
Unfortunately, shell not be sitting next to Charles.
(but not: Unfortunately, the womanll/Mrs Nelsonll not be sitting next to Charles.)
Signal Words
at 4 oclock tomorrow
this time next week
44
Exercise 1:
Subject-Verb Agreement
A. Directions: Underline the correct verb in these sentences.
1.
Sally (run, runs) to the park every day.
2.
The dogs (bark, barks,) at strangers.
3.
Ted and Mary (is, are) going to the movies.
4.
The game (was, were) exciting.
5.
They (worry, worries) too much.
6.
She (study, studies) every night.
7.
Black or white (is, are) your choice.
8.
That (was, were) incredible.
9.
Those (is, are) pretty shoes.
10.
The cat or dog (is, are) in the yard.
B. Directions: Put a C if the sentence is correct, an X if it is not correct.

1.
___ They have been waiting a long time.
2.
___ The pen or the pencil are lost.
3.
___ Someone dont understand.

45
4.
___ Those has been cheaper in the past.
5.
___ Randy and Juan like sports.
6.
___ These are really special.
7.
___ You rides with me.
8.
___ All of them goes to school.
9.
___ Tony likes Mary.
10.
___ That movie was awesome.

Read more at http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/parts-of-speech/verbs/quiz-in-subjectverb-agreement.html#uFirJTEWh8SpDCuH.99
Exercise 2:
Subject-Verb Agreement
A. Directions: Underline the correct verb in these sentences.
1.
The girl or her sisters (watch, watches) television every day.
2.
Rob (doesnt, dont) like sports.
3.
His classmates (study, studies) before a test.
4.
One of the cookies (is,are) missing.
5.
A lady with 10 cats (live, lives) in that big house.
6.
Mumps (is, are) very serious.
7.
The committee (decide, decides) when to adjourn.
8.
Our team (is, are) the best.
9.
Everybody (enjoy, enjoys) a good song.
10.
Either (is, are) suitable.
B. Directions: Put a C if the sentence is correct, an X if it is not correct.

1.
___ Cats and dogs love to run.
2.
___ He dont like chocolate.
3.
___ Her friends or Sarah excel at volleyball.

46
4.
___ Each of these have been ruined.
5.
___ Trousers are baggy now.
6.
___ The students, as well as the teacher, are nervous about the test.
7.
___ The news are on at 10.
8.
___ My family are a lot of fun.
9.
___ Mathematics is hard for many.
10.
___ The director, with all the cast members, works very hard.
Read more at http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/parts-of-speech/verbs/quiz-in-subjectverb-agreement.html#uFirJTEWh8SpDCuH.99
47

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PT3 MODULE 1/JANUARY 2016

PT3 MODULE 1/JANUARY 2016

A noun is a word used to name something: a person/animal, a place, a

Nouns are classified in several ways

1. Nouns can be singular or plural.

PT3 MODULE 1/JANUARY 2016

PT3 MODULE 1/JANUARY 2016

6. Nouns can be Gerunds

Crying is the subject and upset is the verb

PT3 MODULE 1/JANUARY 2016

The teacher gave all of them good grades.

For example: Manuela congratulated herself on her good grades.

For Example: I saw Brad Pitt himself at the mall.

6. Reciprocal Pronouns express shared actions or feelings.

PT3 MODULE 1/JANUARY 2016

7. Indefinite Pronouns refer to non-specific persons and things.

That woman attends Gainesville College.

The woman attends Gainesville College.

9. Interrogative Pronouns introduce questions.

PT3 MODULE 1/JANUARY 2016

10. Relative Pronouns introduce dependent clauses and refers to a

Note: Adjectives clauses modify nouns or pronouns, and usually answer

An adjective modifies (describes) a noun or pronoun.

PT3 MODULE 1/JANUARY 2016

Adjectives can also be used as superlatives.

This is usually done by adding est to the end of an adjective that is

If an adjective is three syllables or longer, you must use the words

WARNING- Never use both an er ending and the word

PT3 MODULE 1/JANUARY 2016

An adverb is a word that modifies an action verb, an adjective or

Warning: You need an adjective after linking verbsNEVER an adverb!

PT3 MODULE 1/JANUARY 2016

Tai feels bad (guilty) when he has to leave class.

Here, bad is an adjective that modifies the proper noun Tai. It is an

Tai feels badly (to the touch) after swimming in a chlorinated

onjunctions are the scotch tape of the grammatical world.

PT3 MODULE 1/JANUARY 2016

Note: A compound sentence is a sentence made up of two

2. Correlative Conjunctions also join ideas, but they work in pairs.

3. Subordinating Conjunctions join an independent clause to a

PT3 MODULE 1/JANUARY 2016

Interjections are words used to express emotional states. They can

Punctuation Note: They are punctuated with either commas or

Oh, were late for the movie.

Oh! Im late for work.

, you do not find interjections in academic writing.

Prepositions are words that, like conjunctions, connect a noun or pronoun

PT3 MODULE 1/JANUARY 2016

A prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition

Sarah is a beautiful girl.

PT3 MODULE 1/JANUARY 2016

Verbs can be transitive or intransitive.

Yolanda takes aspirin for her headaches.

Caution: A verb can be either transitive or intransitive depending on

My father races horses. Here, races is transitive. It requires

Verbs can be phrasal.

PT3 MODULE 1/JANUARY 2016

Some more examples:

WARNING: The base form of a verb is called the infinitive. It is to +

Q: What do articles do in a sentence?

Who invented the telephone? The wheel?

A cat was chasing a mouse in my back

PT3 MODULE 1/JANUARY 2016

sound: a hand, a book, a world, a computer