ENGLISH GRAMMAR NOTES
For Junior College
Compiled by
Meenal Abhay Deshmukh
N. M. College, Vile Parle West, Mumbai
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List of Grammar topics
(As per the new grammar syllabus for junior college effective from June 2019)
• Tenses
• Types of sentences
• Synthesis of sentences
• Modal Auxiliaries
• Articles
• Non-finite Verbs
• Direct – Indirect speech
• Prepositions
• Active – Passive voice
• Degrees of comparison
• Frame ‘wh’ question
• Change part of speech in sentence
• Use of ‘too’ and ‘enough’
(conversions and corrections of errors)
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Tenses
*Forms of Verbs
V1- main verb in original form or ‘- s/-es’ added for the 3rd person singular
subject
V2- main verb in the 2nd form, past form or ‘– ed’ form
V3- main verb in the 3rd form, perfect form or ‘– en’ form
V4- main verb in the 4th form or ‘– ing’ form
*Structure and Uses
I. Simple Present Tense
Verb phrase - V1, no helping verb
Uses
▪ For a state of being in present time
Ex. He is very happy today.
▪ To mention regular /habitual activities
Ex. My mother helps me with my studies.
▪ For the universal truths and quotes
Ex. The sun gives us light and warmth.
▪ For a fixed future event
Ex. The match starts at 5 o’clock tomorrow.
II. Present Continuous Tense
Verb phrase – am/is/are + V4
Uses
▪ For an action in progress at the time of speaking
Ex. I am writing an essay.
▪ For any action happening temporarily in the present time
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Ex. I am learning various new skills these days.
▪ For a planned future action
Ex. I am visiting that site in the evening.
III. Present Perfect Tense
Verb phrase – have/ has + V3
Uses:
▪ For a past action which has created an impact or which is relevant in
the present as well (an experience)
Ex. I have watched that movie many times.
▪ For a recently completed activity
Ex. I have spoken to her about it today in the morning.
▪ For an action, started in the past and continued till the moment of
speaking
Ex. I have not seen him since morning.
IV. Present Perfect Continuous Tense
*Verb phrase – have/has +been +V4
*Uses:
▪ For an action which has started in the past, is going on at the moment
and may continue
Ex. I have been working on the project since January.
Ex. Someone has been stealing my money.
V. Simple Past Tense
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Verb phrase - V2, no helping verb
Uses:
▪ For a fully completed activity in the past
Ex. He danced with great enthusiasm.
▪ For the recent past action out of the two past activities
Ex. When he reached there, most of the guests had already arrived at the
venue.
VI. Past Continuous Tense
Verb phrase – was /were + V4
Uses:
▪ For the activity in progress for some time period in the past
Ex. He was helping her in her project.
VII. Past Perfect Tense
Verb phrase – had + V3
Uses:
▪ For an action which got over long ago
Ex. We had visited many places to find a particular venue for the function.
▪ For the previous past action out of the two past activities
Ex. The train had left when I entered the station.
VIII. Past Perfect Continuous Tense
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Verb phrase – had + been + V4
Uses:
▪ For the previous past action which was in progress for some time
period, in case of two past actions
Ex. I was very nervous about my first live performance even though I have
been practicing for it for the last few months.
▪ To show the middle point of action in the past
Ex. I had been working with them for a few years at that time.
IX. Simple Future Tense
Verb phrase – shall / will +V1
Uses:
▪ For an action which is to take place in future
Ex. They will join us tomorrow.
X. Future Continuous Tense
Verb phrase – shall /will + be + V4
Uses:
▪ For a future activity which will certainly happen /strongly possible
Ex. My mother will be waiting for me.
▪ For a future action which will be going on for some time period
Ex. He will be working on the project for the next couple of weeks.
XI. Future Perfect Tense
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Verb phrase – shall / will +have + V3
Uses :
▪ For an action which will get completed at a certain time in future
Ex. I shall have completed this assignment by tomorrow.
▪ For the previous action in case of two future actions happening in
connection
Ex. I shall have escaped before you catch me.
XII. Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Verb phrase – shall /will + have + been + V4
Uses:
▪ To mention the middle point of an action in future
Ex. They will have been working on the project in 2030.
Sequence of tenses
▪ Present Perfect Continuous + Present Perfect
▪ Past Perfect + Simple Past
▪ Past Perfect Continuous + Simple Past
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Types of sentences
I. SIMPLE, COMPOUND and COMPLEX
1. Simple sentence – A sentence which has only one subject and predicate/
only one clause
Ex. He works hard on every aspect of the plan.
2. Complex sentence – A sentence which has two or more main /principal
clauses
Ex. He is new here and wants to know this place more.
3. Complex sentence – A sentence which has one main clause and one or
more subordinate clauses.
Ex. If you don’t work hard, you can not survive here.
Conversions
I. Simple –> Compound
• Convert the non finite verb into a finite verb in appropriate tense and frame
a main clause. Use a suitable coordinating conjunction.
Ex. You must work hard to create a place for yourself in the organisation.
Ans. You must work hard and create a place for yourself in the organisation.
• Expand a word or phrase into a main clause and use a suitable
coordinating conjunction
Ex. In an exciting match, they won by 3 wickets.
Ans. It was an exiting match and they won by 3 wickets.
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II. Compound –> Simple
• Frame the sentence, using a non finite form of any of the main
verbs. Remove the conjunction. Use any suitable phrase (Ex. In
spite of..., in case of..., in the event of..., along with... , besides...
etc.) or a suitable proposition (on, despite etc.) if necessary to
retain the meaning.
Ex. She completed her work and left for her home.
Ans. Completing her work, she left for her home.
Ex. She tried to help her friends but she could not.
Ans. In spite of trying to help her friends, she could not.
Ex. You need to complete the assignment today or you will fail in the
examination.
Ans. In case of not completing the assignment today, you will fail in the
examination.
Ex. He not only helped the boy to find shelter but also gave him some money.
Ans. Besides helping the boy to find shelter, he also gave him some money.
Ex. The solders arrived and the people were rescued.
Ans. The soldiers having arrived, the people were rescued.
III. Simple –> complex
• Expand any word or phrase into a subordinate clause
Ex. A dangerous looking man was staring at me.
Ans. A man who looked dangerous, was staring at me.
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• Use any suitable dummy subject and frame the sentence.
Ex. I wanted to buy this book.
Ans. This is the book I wanted to buy. /This is the book which I wanted to
buy.
IV. Complex –> Simple
• Convert the subordinate clause into a phrase or a word.
Ex. Great leaders have something in them that gives motivation to people.
Ans. Great leaders have something in them giving motivation to people.
• Remove the dummy subject and rewrite the sentence.
Ex. It is the consumer who pays for the advertisement.
Ans. The consumer pays for the advertisement.
• Convert any appropriate main verb into a non finite verb and frame
the sentence.
Ex. Birds use different sounds which indicate different emotions.
Ans. Birds use different sounds indicating different emotions.
V. Compound = Complex
• Interchange the conjunctions with similar meaning as per the type
of sentence. Use the following table for reference.
Coordinating conjunctions Subordinating conjunctions
And As, when, as soon as, if, so... that etc.
But Though, Even if, than etc.
Or If... not, unless
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II. ASSERTIVE, INTERROGATIVE, IMPERATIVE, EXCLAMATERY
1. Assertive sentence/ Statement:
Used for giving information, describing or narrating something,
conveying emotions
Ex. We watched an interesting movie.
Ex. He is interested in reading novels.
2. Interrogative sentence/ Question:
Used for asking information or creating dramatic effect
Types: There are three types of interrogative sentences
A. ‘Wh’ question
Starts with a ‘Wh’ word usually followed by the helping verb
Ex. What are you doing here?
How many students are participating in the quiz?
B. Verbal question /yes-no question
Starts with a helping verb
Ex. Are you interested in joining our team?
C. Rhetorical question
A question where answer is not expected, it is used to give
emotional or dramatic effect. It can be a verbal or ‘Wh’ question.
Ex. Shouldn’t you pay attention?
Ex. What is the use of helping these ungrateful people?
Ex. Isn’t it your responsibility to take care of your health?
Ex. Why should we waste so much time on social media?
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Ex. Who can deny their contribution in our success?
3. Imperative sentence:
Starts with a main verb, the subject is, ‘you’, the subject is avoided it’s
called ‘understood you’. Used for requests, commands or suggestions
Ex. Start working on the project.
Ex. Take a left turn after 2 km.
Ex. Come in.
Ex. Come here quickly.
4. Exclamatory sentence:
Used to show excitement or emotional expression like anger, fear, joy,
surprise etc.
Ex. What a beautiful picture it is!
Ex. How impressive the work is!
Synthesis of sentences
Combination of two or more sentences into a simple, complex or compound
sentence
1. For a simple sentence
• By using a non-finite verb to frame the sentence
Ex. He jumped off the window. He ran away.
Ans. Jumping off the window, he ran away.
Ex. He completed her work. He wanted to help her.
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Ans. He completed her work in order to help her.
Ex. I have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow. I need to get my
check up done.
Ans. I have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow to get my check up
done.
Ex. The doctor reached there. He was treated in time.
Ans. The doctor having reached there, he was treated in time.
• By using a noun or noun phrase in apposition
Ex. She is my friend. Her name is Namrata.
Ans. She is my friend, Namrata.
Ex. I have seen Paris. It is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Ans. I have seen Paris, one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
• By using a prepositional phrase.
Ex. He was planning to go for a movie. He didn’t want to take his younger
sister with him.
Ans. He was planning to go for a movie without his younger sister.
• By using a word or phrase made from the key word of the other
sentence.
Ex. He achieved success. He deserved it.
Ans. He achieved success deservedly. / He achieved well deserved
success.
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2. For a compound sentence
• By using a suitable coordinating conjunction
Ex. And, not only... but also, for, so, but, still, yet, nevertheless, however, or,
either...or, neither... nor, as well as, else etc.
3. For a complex sentence
• By using a subordinate clause, made out of another sentence i.e.
Noun, adjective or adverb clause
Ex. He was worried about his job. I didn’t know about it.
Ans. I didn’t know that he was worried about his job. (noun clause)
Ex. She has a good collection of paintings at home. The paintings are very
expensive.
Ans. At her home she has a good collection of paintings which are very
expensive. (adjective clause)
Ex. He took his daughter to a garden. His daughter enjoyed a lot there.
Ans. He took his daughter to a garden where his daughter enjoyed a lot.
(adverb clause)
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Modal Auxiliaries
They are the helping verbs which are always followed by a main verb in
its original form and support the meaning of the main verb. They have
only one form and do not change the form as per the subject or tense.
Modal Auxiliary Uses
1. Can • Ability
Ex. I can easily break these sticks.
• Possibility
Ex. It can rain today as the sky is cloudy.
2. Could • Ability in the past
Ex. I could easily walk 10 kms at a stretch when I was young.
• Polite request in a question
Ex. Could you please give me some information?
3. May • Weak possibility
Ex. It may rain today even if it’s not so clouded.
• Permission
Ex. May I come in, ma’am?
Ex. You may go now.
• Wish / blessings
Ex. May all your dreams come true.
• Offer to help
Ex. May I carry your bags for you?
4. Might • Weaker possibility
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Ex. It might rain today even if it’s sunny out there because it’s
the rainy season.
5. Must • Obligation/ compulsion
Ex. You must show your I card at the entry gate.
• Certainty
Ex. He must be busy now.
6. Ought to • Moral obligation
Ex. We ought to respect the elders.
7. Shall • Future time
Ex. I shall complete the work tomorrow.
• Formal suggestion in a question
Ex. Shall we proceed to the next round of the competition?
8. Should • Advice
Ex. You should take your medicines on time.
9. Will • Future time
Ex. He will join us tomorrow.
• Certainty
Ex. It will rain today as the sky is heavily clouded.
• Determination
Ex. I will complete my work in time.
10 Would • Habitual action in the past
Ex. We would visit my grandparents every year during our
summer holidays.
• Weakest possibly
Ex. It would be possible only if all are ready to work together.
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Other modal auxiliaries
Ex. Dare, need etc.
Semi-modals
The main verbs which have the features of the modals
Ex. Used to, have to, able to, wish to, want to etc.
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Articles (A, An & The)
• Use of article ‘A’
Used before a singular common noun starting with a consonant sound,
before a noun without any reference, special importance and is
introduced for the first time in a given situation
Ex.1. A man was standing at the gate.
2. A flower bloomed in the garden.
3. She visited a European country every year.
4. They saw a one eyed man staring at them.
5. The movie has a universal theme.
6. She has a unique story idea.
7. They are a united group of people.
8. She is working for a UK based company.
9. He saw a ewe grazing in the lawn.
10. She wanted to see a unicorn.
11. It was a useful article.
13. He needed a one rupee coin.
• Use of article ‘An’
Used before a singular common noun starting with a vowel sound, before
a noun without any reference, special importance and is introduced for
the first time in a given situation
Ex. 1. He has an MBA degree.
2. She is an honest woman.
3. He is an LIC agent.
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4. He is an heir to a large fortune.
• Use of article ‘The’
a. Before someone /something particular, special, important or some
earlier reference
Ex. 1. The pen you gave me is really good.
2. It was the moment, we were all waiting for.
3. She is the friend I told you about.
4. This is the book which changed my life.
b. Before a noun which is only one in the given situation
Ex. 1. The railway station in our town is always crowded.
2. The manager of our company is out of town.
3. The principal of our college has started many new activities.
4. The prime minister will bring radical changes in the country.
5. The market in our village does not have many shops.
c. Before superlative adjective
Ex. It is the best shopping website to buy electronic gadgets.
d. Before the unique things
Ex. The earth rotates around the sun.
e. Before some proper nouns e.g. The names of most of the
geographical phenomenon (mostly oceans, rivers, canals, deserts,
group of islands, mountain ranges) Before the proper nouns which
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are originally descriptive nouns (usually phrases or group of small
elements)
Ex. 1. The Ganga is considered a holy river in India.
2. The Himalayas are spread across many states.
3. The Deccan plateau was considered to be earthquake proof.
4. The United States of America (USA) has become a super power after
the fall of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR).
5. The Infosys Foundation works in the field of education for poor
children.
6. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) plays a major role in the fuel oils
supply to the world.
7. The European Union has a common currency.
f. Before the ordinal number followed by a noun.
Ex. He was the first man to initiate major changes in society .
g. Before the place where one is going for non obvious reasons. (not
the primary purpose)
Ex. 1. He is visiting the churches in Mumbai to study their architecture.
2. She is going to the school to attend a PTA meeting.
h. Before the proper noun which is used as a common noun
Ex. He is the Shakespeare of India.
i. Before a singular common noun indicating the class
Ex. 1. The dog is a loyal animal.
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2. The elephant has good memory.
j. Before the adjectives which are given the role of a noun
Ex. He helped the poor.
• No article situation
a) Before the abstract nouns, used in general sense (nouns which cannot
be understood with the help of five senses)
Ex. 1. For me, × friendship is a valuable bond.
2. We need to show × loyalty to him.
3. We should not let × hatred take over our positivity.
b) Before the proper nouns
Ex. We tried to contact × Sheetal but her phone was not reachable.
c) Before uncountable/material nouns used in general sense (use
measurements to count)
Ex. 1. We need to add × sugar for more sweetness.
2. You should avoid eating × sugar.
3. Use × oil if necessary.
2. Before the noun indicating any place serving a certain purpose is visited
for their primary purpose. (school, college, church, hospital, market,
prison etc.)
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Non-finite Verbs : infinitive, gerund and participles
The main verbs which function as noun, adjective or adverb
They don’t play their role of verbs
They do not change their form
They do not indicate any particular tense
• Infinitive
Form : V1 /original form of the main verb
Function :noun or adjective
Ex. 1. He loves to dance. (noun)
2. This is not the time to play. (part of the noun phrase)
3. Dry fruits are good to eat. (part of the adjective phrase)
4. It is necessary to discuss things openly. (part of the noun phrase)
5. It requires great strength to change the wrong habits. (part of the noun
phrase)
6. His greatest desire is to perform live. (part of the noun phrase working as
a complement)
7. The children were eager to go home. (part of the adjective phrase)
• Gerund
Form : V4 / ‘- ing’ form of the main verb
Function : noun
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Ex. 1. The beginning of the movie was promising. But the ending was
disappointing. (noun)
2. Cheating will never be tolerated here. (noun)
3. He loves dancing. (noun)
4. We were prevented from playing cricket there. (part of the noun phrase)
5. Marketing helps to increase the sale. (noun)
• Participles
*Types
I . Present participle
Form : V4 / ‘- ing’ form of the main verb
Function : adjective or adverb
Ex. 1. Working women need the skill of time management. (adjective)
2. Developing countries face many issues due to lack of sufficient resources.
(adjective)
3. Disturbing facts can not be ignored. (adjective)
4. Thinking it’s safe, he crossed the road. (adverb)
5. Playing various games, he gained health. (adverb)
6. Playing cricket he gained popularity. (adverb)
II. Past participle
Form : V3 /perfect form of the main verb
Function : adjective or adverb
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Ex. 1. Advanced information will help you to perform well. (adjective)
2. Well connected network is the need of the day.
3. Self created problems need self analysis to solve them.
4. Recycled materials will decrease the burden on the earth.
5. A drunk man was driving the car.
6. The documents should be signed by an authorised person.
7. Armed forces were sent to rescue them.
8. Fried food is not good for health. (adjective)
9. Driven by hunger, he stole a piece of bread. (adverb)
# Functions of noun: Subject, object, complement and object of the
prepositional phrase (Ex. He’s interested in collecting stamps.)
# Exercises for conversion
1.He loves to play football. = He loves playing football.
2. Working with you was an honour. = It was an honour to work with you.
3. Dealing with you is difficult. = It is difficult to deal with you.
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Direct – Indirect speech
# Tense change from direct speech to indirect speech
Direct speech Indirect speech
1 Present + Present Present + Present
2 Present + Past Present + Past
3 Past + Present Past + Past
4 Past + Past Past + Past Perfect
# Rules as per the type of sentence
I. Assertive sentences
Say to = Tell (Reporting Verb)
*Connecting word = that
Ex. He says, “I’m always happy.”
Ans. He says that he is always happy.
II. Interrogative sentences
Say = ask/ inquire / Question (Reporting Verbs)
*Connecting words = verbal questions – if /whether
No connecting word for ‘Wh’ questions
*Rule– Convert the question form to statement in indirect speech.
Ex. He said to her, “Why are you so worried today?”
Ans. He asked her why she was so worried that day.
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Ex. They said to him, “Are you hungry?”
Ans. They asked him if he was hungry.
III. Imperative sentences
Say = order/ request /command/tell/ suggest/ advise etc. (Reporting
Verbs)
*Connecting word = to
Ex. Sam said to them, “Don’t worry about me.”
Ans. Sam told them not to worry about him.
Ex. Rita said to her daughter, “Take your medicines on time.”
Ans. Rita advised her daughter to take her medicines on time.
IV. Exclamatory sentences
Say = exclaim /cry/ utter in wonder /say with sorrow etc. (Reporting
Verbs)
*Connecting word = that
*Rule – Convert the exclamation into a statement using very/ a very
Ex. Sonia said, “What a beautiful painting it is!”
Ans. Sonia exclaimed that it was a very beautiful painting.
Ex. Ronnie said, “How exciting the offer is!”
Ans. Ronnie exclaimed that the offer was very exciting.
*Note: 1. Words expressing ‘nearness’ in direct speech are converted to
words expressing ‘distance‘.
• Pronouns
This – That
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These – Those
• Adverbs
Now – Then
Here – There
Ago – Before
Thus – So
So – that
Today - That day
Tonight - That night
Tomorrow – Next day / the day after
Yesterday – Previous day / the day before
Note: 2. Points to focus in conversion
• Change in the reporting verb
• Change in the tense of the main verb
• Use of the connecting word
• Change in the structure of the sentence inside the inverted commas
• Change in the pronouns, adverbs etc.
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Active – Passive Voice
▪ Passive voice is used when...
We don’t know who is the doer of the action
It’s not important to know who is the doer of the action
The action happened is more important than the doer of the action
When the focus is on the outcome or the result
When the object is more important than the subject
▪ Active voice is used when...
The subject / doer of the action is important
▪ Sentence structures
Active voice: Subject + verb phrase + object /complement +....
Passive voice: Object + helping verb + form of ‘to be’ if any + main verb in
the 3rd form/ ‘- en’ form/ perfect form + by + subject +...
Rules of conversion
• If there are two objects in the given active voice sentence, it is
preferable to use the indirect object (living) as a subject in the passive
voice sentence.
• Change the form of the pronoun interchanging the subject and object
during the conversion. Ex. I = me, he = him etc.
• Main verb in passive voice is always in perfect form/ - en form
• Use the following table for verb phrase conversion into passive voice
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Tense in active voice Helping verb (passive voice) Form of ‘to be’
(passive voice)
Simple Present Tense am/is / are ---
Simple Past Tense Was/ were ---
Present Continuous Tense Am /is /are Being
Past Continuous Tense Was/ were Being
Present Perfect Tense Have/ has Been
Past Perfect Tense Had Been
Modal Auxiliary Will/ shall/ can/ could/ Be
may/ might/ must/... etc.
Exercises for practice
(Change the voice.)
1. Roma helped the children by funding their education.
2. Rajan gave them a lot of work to complete.
3. They helped each other to overcome the problems.
4. Rakesh did not invite Suresh for the party.
5. They decided it on their own.
6. Manali supported Arjun during the bad phase of his life.
7. Leena trained the kids to solve difficulties on their own.
8. Many activities were planned for the children.
9. Many solutions were rejected due to the limitations in
implementing them.
10. Well calculated risks reduce the possible damage.
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Degrees of comparison
There are three degrees of comparison in English
Positive, Comparative and Superlative
They indicate the level of the adjective in comparison to others
Meaning and tense should be retained in the conversions.
Exercises for practice
(Change the degree)
1. No other city in the world is as vibrant as Mumbai.
2. Mona is the most popular girl in college.
3. Milind is the fittest among the men of his age.
4. Roshani is not as intelligent as her elder sister.
5. They are better than their competitors.
6. Many youngsters are as matured as the grown-up people.
7. Most of the kids are not as disciplined as Raju.
8. This is the most attractive offer of the year.
9. This year the prices are not as low as last year.
10. My school days were one of the best days of my life.
11. My parents are the most liberal parents in the world.
12. This place is not as amazing as the places I have seen so far.
13. Ronak is better than any other employees in the office.
14. Tanaji was one of the best soldiers Shivaji Maharaj had.
15. No other characters in movie were as well portrayed as Padmavati.
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Grammar
Rules for correction of sentences
• Collocation – Some pairs of words are always used together in
English. The pairing is not replicable. It can be a noun +noun,
adjective + noun, noun +verb, verb + preposition or any such
combination
Ex. If weather permits, we can go for a picnic. (not allows)
Ex. Strong coffee, commit a crime, make a mistake, handsome
payment, kith and kin, power nap, congratulate - on etc.
• Verbs of perception – The main verbs associated with the five
senses and the natural functions of brain are called as verbs of
perception. They are normally not used in ‘-ing’ form or any type
of continuous tense. ‘Can’ is used to show that it’s current
activity. (Ex. See, hear, smell, feel, taste, know, believe,
understand etc.)
Ex. I can hear some noise from outside. (not, ‘am hearing’)
Ex. I can smell something burning. (not, ‘am smelling’)
Ex. I know her from her childhood. (not, ‘am knowing’)
• Verbs of possession – The main verbs showing possession are
generally not used in ‘– ing’ form or continuous tense of any
type.
Ex. I have an excellent collection of books. (not, ‘am having’)
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• If clause – The ‘if clause’ cannot be in future tense of any type.
It can be in simple or perfect tense.
Ex. If I am free, I will join you for the movie. (not, ‘if I will be free...’)
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