Tenses and verb agreement ‘Your use of verbs and tenses should be consistent. ‘While tenses can and do change in texts, there are conventions that you must follow to avoid confusion. Petes ened You must ensure that your subject agrees with the main verb. ‘A singular subject must have a singular verb form. For example: ‘The teacher [singular subject] shouts [singular verb form] loudly. ‘The teachers [plural subject] shout [plural verb form] loudly. ‘This applies even when the action is in the past. For example: Key term regular verb: a verb He was shouting loudly NOT He were shouting loudly that follows predictable 1s in forming ten ‘They were shouting loudly NOT They was shouting loudly ee easThe table below shows how the main verb tenses are formed for regular verbs, such as to walk and to jump. A a ple present I jump, he jumps The ending of the main verb changes ene pat ipinped)ihejameed according to the tense and subject. Present progressive | am jumping, he is jumping These tenses are created by an auxiliary Past progressive [as jGmpind she vee Fompina (esha. present participle of the msiry b verb (ending in -ing’). Present perfect Ihave jumped, he has jumped These tenses are created with an Past perfect Ihad jumped, she had jumped 2™Xiliary verb and a past participle of the main verb (ending in ‘~ed’). @ correct this paragraph from a discursive text: Digital technologies transforms the way we lives. Now car park themselves; you can even drove them remotely.Key term irregular verbs: verbs that Many regular verbs do nt follow tispatter. The table below Go no rgtew te standard ” patterns Simple present am,are, is eat, eats run, runs think, thinks take, takes go, goes Simple past was, were ate ran thought _took went Progressive was being waseating wasrunning was thinking wastaking was going form Perfect form hadbeen hadeaten had run hadthought hadtaken had gonepeer ced Modal verbs are a form of auxiliary verb. They provide information about the certainty, possibility or improbability of an action or situation. For example: + He should go (it would be best if he did) * He would go... if.. (he isn’t going but if © He might go (it is uncertain but possible) things change) es ncceiellage Henan thasgabsaiald * He can go (it is possible, or he is allowed to) * He will go (he has decided - he intends to do it)Sentence punctuation You have already learned how sentences always start with a capital letter and end with a full stop, exclamation mark or a question mark. However, you must use the full range of punctuation to write effectively. Explore the skills Using commas and apostrophes correctly is a basic punctuation skill, which you must get right in all your writing.Commas Use commas to separate items in a list: | bought fajitas, tomato sauce, onions and fried chicken to prepare for the party.Use commas to separate adverbs, clauses or phrases (often as a way of adding detail, prioritising information or organising your ideas): Although | was angry, | didn’t say anything. (The comma separates the subordinate clause so that it is clearly the first clause in the sentence, emphasising the writer’s anger.) First of all, I'd like to deal with the problem of traffic in the city centre. (The comma sets apart the sequence phrase - first of all, emphasising the order in which ideas will be presented.) Jose, on the other hand, believes that the biggest problem is pedestrians. (Here, the bracketing commas tell us more about Jose’s feelings.)The comma splice Acomma splice is a common error where two clauses that should have been split into separate sentences or organised using a linking word/phrase, are mistakenly separated by a comma. For example: (: went to see the film, it was fantastic. )This could be rewritten in several ways: | went to see a film, which was fantastic. | went to see a film. It was fantastic. | went to see a film: it was fantastic. | went to see a film; it was fantastic.Apostrophes Use apostrophes to indicate possession. If the owner is singular, the apostrophe goes before the 's': Japan’s government, my uncle’s bald head. Watch out for names already ending in ‘s': Dickens’s novels. If the owner is plural, then the apostrophe comes after the ‘s': managers’ problems with their teams, footballers’ wives. Get this wrong, and you can change the meaning. For example: © The boy's bikes were both stolen = one boy had two bikes stolen © The boys’ bikes were both stolen = each boy's bike was stolenThere are exceptions for special plural words, such as children’s, men’s, women’s. You should also use apostrophes to show omission. The apostrophe goes where a letter, or series of letters, has been removed: © There isn’t much you can do. (is not) © You'll be lucky! (you will)Semi-colons are useful for contrasts and comparisons, to link two clauses of equal importance. For example: ( raish likes table tennis; Irina prefers hockey. ) Semi-colons can also be used when listing items that take more than a single word. For example: | watched all my favourite Bond films again last week — Live and Let Die; Quantum of Solace; Skyfall.Accurate sentences In all your writing, you need to use a range of sentences appropriate to the situation or audience you are writing for. Pee cs The best writing uses sentences accurately so that the meaning is clear * uses a range of sentences for effect and impact. Remember that sentences begin with a capital letter and end with a full stop (.), question mark (2) or exclamation mark (!). These punctuation marks point towards the different functions of a sentence.Declarative (for statements or suggestions) © Maybe we could go for a swim later. © The crowd clapped enthusiastically. Exclamatory (for stressing a point or showing strength of feeling) * How beautiful that dress is! © What a shame!Interrogative (for questions, requests or queries) © How does this work? e Issomeone following us? © Do you honestly expect us to believe that? Imperative (for instructions, orders or commands) © Press the button now! © Turn left by the station.The subject of a sentence is the person or thing that is doing the action or feeling the emotion. The verb is the act of doing, being or feeling something. Simple sentences are usually short and contain one clause with a subject and a verb. They are useful for explanations and instructions. They can separate distinct ideas or give a sense of time slowing down or speeding up. I sat in the exam room. The clock ticked. had failed. A compound sentence is usually longer. It contains two or more clauses of equal weight linked by conjunctions such as or, and, yet, so, but, for and nor. Our team played well and the players showed all their skills. Acomplex sentence can add further information, provide contrast, or show cause and effect. It contains a main clause and one or more subordinate clauses, often marked off by a comma or connective. Although it was the middle of the night, the dog barked loudly.‘Subordinate clauses are important for expanding ideas. They are secondary to the main clause and cannot stand on their own. For example: Although our guide had given us a detailed and comprehensive map, we were utterly lost. The main clause here is ‘we were utterly lost’ ~ it can stand alone as a sentence. The subordinate clause adds supporting information. In many cases, subordinate clauses that start with a subordinating conjunction (although, even though, because, in order that) can be switched with the main clause. Key terms subject: the ‘do-er’ of the main clause: the main part of a sentence that could stand as a sentence on its own subordinate clauses: clauses that do not make sense on their own; not complete sentences