COLLEGE ENGLISH
PRELIMS
WEEK 1
BASIC SENTENCE PATTERNS
★ S-V (Subject—Verb) (intransitive verb)
● Can’t answer what/who
Examples:
a. The earth trembled.
a. Maria laughed.
a. The bell rang.
Note: Intransitive verbs do not have direct
objects.
★ S-TV-DO(Subject—Transitive
Verb—Direct object)
● Can answer what/who
Examples:
a. The earthquake destroyed the city.
a. Lilia wrote that poem.
a. The students of Lawang Bato started
a donation drive.
Note: Transitive verbs are verbs that require a
direct object; the direct object is the receiver of
the action in the sentence.
★ S-LV-C(Subject—Linking
Verb—Complement)
● Be, am, are, is, was, were,
seem
Examples:
a. The result was chaos. (S-LV-PN)
(Predicate Nominative)
b. Evelyn is the team leader. (S-LV-PN)
(Predicate Nominative)
c. Aleena was elated. (S-LV-PA)
(Predicate Adjective)
Note: A subject complement is a noun, pronoun,
or adjective that appears with a linking verb.
★ S-TV-IO-DO(Subject—Transitive
Verb—Indirect Object—Direct Object)
● For who/whom (lent, give)
Examples:
a. Lily gave James a new jacket.
b. The government sent the city aid.
c. Alex gave Ethan his final advice.
Note: An “indirect object” answers the
questions “to whom or for whom,” and “to what
or for what.”
★ S-TV-DO-OC(Subject—Transitive
Verb—Direct Object—Objective
Complement)
* who (elected, considered)
Examples:
a. The citizens considered the
earthquake a disaster.
b. The committee elected Simon as
chairman.
Note: An “objective complement” is a noun or
an adjective that describes the direct object.
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LISTENING
Listening is the process of receiving,
constructing meaning from, and responding to a
spoken and/ or nonverbal message.
—International Reading Association
TYPES OF LISTENING
★ APPRECIATIVE LISTENING
- listening for pleasure and enjoyment,
as when we listen to music, to a
comedy routine, or to an entertaining
speech
★ EMPATHIC LISTENING
- listening to provide emotional
support for the speaker, as when a
psychiatrist listens to a patient or when
we lend a sympathetic ear to a friend
- focuses on understanding and
identifying with a person’s situation,
feelings, or motives
- there is an attempt to understand
what the other person is feeling
- listener does not necessarily agree or
feel the same way with the speaker
instead understand the type and
intensity of feelings the speaker is
experiencing without judgment
★ COMPREHENSIVE/ACTIVE LISTENING
- listening to understand the message
of a speaker, as when we attend a
classroom lecture or listen to directions
for finding a friend’s house
- focuses on accurately understanding
the meaning of the speaker’s words
while simultaneously interpreting
non-verbal cues such as facial
expressions, gestures, posture, and
vocal quality
➔ STEPS IN ACTIVE LISTENING
1. Listening carefully by using all
available senses
2. Paraphrasing what is heard
both mentally and verbally
3. Checking your understanding
to ensure accuracy
4. Providing feedback
★ CRITICAL/ANALYTICAL LISTENING
- listening to evaluate a message for
purposes of accepting or rejecting it, as
when we listen to the sales pitch of a
used-car dealer or the campaign
speech of a political candidate
- challenges the speaker’s message by
evaluating its accuracy and
meaningfulness, and utility
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WEEK 2
RULES FOR SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
★ A verb must agree with its subject in
number.
EX. :
● A book is on the table.
● My books are on the table.
★ The number of a verb does not change
when one or more phrases come
between a verb and its subject or when
there is an intervening phrase.
EX. :
● The box of grapes from
Saratoga Farms was delivered
today.
● The clown with the sad eyes
looks pathetic.
● Anna, together with her
friends, is going to the party.
● The coins, along with this
watch, were a gift.
★ The words here, there, and where are
NOT subjects. They introduce a
sentence in inverted order. The verb
must agree with the subject of a
sentence.
EX. :
● Here is the package of letters.
★ A singular verb must be used with the
singular indefinite pronouns each,
neither, either, anyone, everyone, no
one, someone, anybody, everybody,
nobody, somebody, anything,
everything, nothing, and something.
EX. :
● Neither of the houses is worth
much.
● Everyone is bringing his own
car.
★ Some subjects, although they appear
plural, are singular in meaning and take
a singular verb.
EX. :
● The news seems more and
more depressing every day.
● Measles is the only childhood
disease I haven’t had.
★ A singular verb is generally used after
words denoting an amount (time,
money, measurement, weight, volume).
EX. :
● Three weeks is a long
vacation.
● Two weeks was all the vacation
he got.
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★ A singular verb is generally used after a

collective noun. If the individuals of a
group act separately, however, a plural
verb must be used.
★ Taking notes involves active listening,
EX. :
● The jury was out an hour only.
● The team have received their
letters.
★ When the conjunction “and” connects
the parts of compound subjects, the
verb is generally plural. However, if the
subject is preceded by each, any, or
every, the verb will be singular.
NOTE-TAKING
as well as connecting and relating
information to ideas you already know.
It also involves seeking answers to
questions that arise from the material.
(Shelley O'Hara, Improving Your Study
Skills: Study Smart, Study Less. Wiley,
2005)
TAKING NOTES CAN HELP YOU TO:

EX. :
● My mother and father are old.
➔ improve your understanding by making
● Each mother and father was
you convert difficult ideas into your
recognized at the meeting.
own words
➔ prepare for writing fuller, better
★ When the conjunction or, nor, either...or,
connected arguments in your essays
or neither...nor connect the parts of a
➔ be more focused and time-efficient in
compound subject, the verb will agree
your exam revision period
with the subject closer to it.
➔ assess your own progress as you study
EX. :
● Either rain or snow is falling all
over the state. TAKING NOTES CAN HELP YOU TO:
● Neither titles nor honors are
everlasting.
GENERAL TIPS:
● Neither the general nor his
men are at the fort.
➔ Have a clear purpose
● Either the apples or the large
➔ Recognize main ideas
orange is for Jack.
➔ Identify how the information is
organized
➔ Select only the relevant ideas
➔ Have a system of recording information
that works for you

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STRATEGIES TO INCREASE
COMPREHENSION AND IMPROVE
NOTE-TAKING
★ USE SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIATIONS
When taking notes, you can reduce the amount
of language by shortening words and sentences.
Some ways of abbreviating are:
● leaving out most articles and
conjunctions (the, a, and, but)
● shorten words by leaving out vowels or
other letters (also known as “word
truncation”)
● using abbreviations and symbols for
commonly used words and phrases
★ USE CONCEPT MAPS AND DIAGRAMS
NOTE-TAKING SYSTEMS
★ THE CORNELL METHOD
★ THE OUTLINING METHOD
★ THE MAPPING METHOD
★ THE CHARTING METHOD
★ THE SENTENCE METHOD
WEEK 3
MOODS OF THE VERB
The mood of a verb indicates your attitude
toward a statement as you make it. e.g. stating a
fact, telling a command/request, expressing
one’s wish, giving recommendations, etc.
★ INDICATIVE MOOD
The indicative mood is for statements of fact,
opinion, or strong probability:
Examples:
● Variety shows were popular in the early
days of television.
● The spine-tailed swift flies faster than
any other bird in the world.
● The people will remember the flooding
for many years to come.
★ IMPERATIVE MOOD
The imperative mood is for commands and
requests made directly.
Examples:
● Vote for change.
● Fight pollution.
● Be yourself.
● Acknowledge and embrace individual
differences.
★ SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD
The subjunctive mood is used to talk about
actions or states that are in doubt or not factual.
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PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE FORM
ask, beg, prefer, request, wish
- The present subjunctive is formed with
the base form of a verb.
- It occurs only in noun clauses
beginning with that.
- These clauses follow verbs, nouns, or
adjectives that express suggestions,
demands, or requests.
- The term “present” refers to the form of
the subjunctive verb (base form)
- In subjunctive sentences, the word that
is sometimes omitted after certain
verbs (propose, suggest, insist). It is not
usually omitted in other contexts.
★ Words of Suggestion
propose, recommend, recommendation, suggest,
suggestion, advise, advisable, critical, desirable,
important, vital, urge
● It is important that he sleep more.
● The doctor’s suggestion is that they
sleep more.
● It is advisable that she sleep more.
● The doctor suggested I sleep more.
★ Words of Demand
demand, imperative, insist, necessary, order,
require, required
● My parents have demanded that I be
quiet at night.
● Your parents require that you be quiet
at night.
● It will be imperative that she be quiet at
night.
★ Words of Request
● I ask that you have more patience with
the other students.
● The teacher requested that Nick have
his project finished earlier.
PAST SUBJUNCTIVE FORM
- The past subjunctive is formed with the
past form of a verb that describes a
state, condition, or habit.
- It is used to talk about hypothetical or
imaginary situations.
- With the verb be, the form were (not
was) is usually used for all subjects.
- The term “past” refers to the form of
the subjunctive verb (past simple)
★ After the verb wish to express an
unfulfilled desire
● I wish Sally were here to help us.
● He wishes he could run faster.
★ After if (only) in second conditional
sentences (followed by a clause with
would, could, or might)
● If people drove smaller cars, we would
all breathe cleaner air.
● If I were taller, I could reach the top
shelf.
● You might like her if you knew her
better
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★ After the verbs suppose and imagine,
expressing unreal conditions (usually
followed by a sentence with would or
could)
● Suppose you met the president. What
would you say?
● Imagine you were rich. What could you
do?
★ After as though or as if to make a
comparison to an imaginary condition
● She acts as though she were very rich,
but she’s not.
● He drives as if he were in a Formula 1
race.
IMPLICATION vs INFERENCE
The words imply and infer are often confused
and misused. However, their meanings are
nearly opposite. Here's what you need to know
to use them correctly:
★ Imply means to express indirectly, to
hint, to indicate.
Examples:
● "What is that supposed to mean?"
asked Logan.
● "Are you implying that I cheated?"
● The puzzled look on Lisa's face implied
that she wasn't expecting me.
★ Infer means to come to a conclusion
based on the evidence presented, to
guess, to surmise.
Examples:
● "I infer from that remark that you think
I cheated," said Logan.
● I inferred from the puzzled look on
Lisa's face that she wasn't expecting
me.
SIMPLE TENSES
★ SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE
The simple present is just the base form of the
verb.
● He speaks English. Third person
singular
USE OF SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE
★ REPEATED ACTION
The action can be a habit, a hobby, a daily event,
a scheduled event or something that often
happens.
● I play badminton.
● She always forgets her bag.
● Anna leaves the house every morning
at 5AM.
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★ STATEMENT OF FACTS
The simple present can also indicate the speaker
believes that a fact was true before, is true now,
and will be true in the future.
It is not important if the speaker is correct about
the fact. It is also used to make generalizations
about people or things.
● Philippines offers the best customer
service in the world.
● Cats are amazing animals.
● Many people love coffee more than tea.
★ SCHEDULED EVENTS IN THE FUTURE
● The train leaves tonight at
6PM.
● The prom starts at 9PM.
★ THE ‘NOW’ (Noncontinuous Verbs)
Speakers sometimes use the simple present to
express the idea that an action is happening or is
not happening now.
● He needs help right now.
● She is not here right now.
● He has his passport in his hand.
SIMPLE PAST TENSE
The simple past tense of regular verbs is formed
by adding -d or -ed at the end of the verb;
irregular verbs may vary in construction.
USE OF SIMPLE PAST TENSE
★ COMPLETED ACTION IN THE PAST
● Joanna went to the mall yesterday to
buy a new set of furnitures.
● I didn’t see him in the inauguration.
● Last year, I traveled to Japan with my
family.
★ DURATION IN THE PAST
A duration is a longer action often indicated by
expressions such as: for two years, for five
minutes, all day, all year, etc.
● I lived in Puerto Rico for three years.
● Eric studied different techniques of
pottery for a year.
● We waited at the bus station all day.
★ HABITS IN THE PAST
To make it clear that we are talking about a
habit, we often add expressions such as: always,
often, usually, never, when I was a child, when I
was younger, etc.
● I played violin when I was younger.
● They always skipped class during our
freshman year.
● He stopped writing poetry.
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★ EXPRESS A PREDICTION (will/be going

SIMPLE PAST TENSE
to)

Simple future has two different forms in English: ● The year 2021 will be a better
"will" and "be going to." year for all of us.
● Janna is going to be the next
● You will help your Aunt prepare for the president of the student
party later. government body.
● Allen is going to meet his newborn
sister tonight.
PROGRESSIVE/CONTINUOUS TENSES

USE OF SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE

★ PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

★ EXPRESS VOLUNTARY ACTION (will)
● I will sort out the documents
so that Mrs. Tala won’t have
any difficulty in the upcoming
accreditation.
● I will send you the needed
drafts of the plan when I get
my hands on them.
★ EXPRESS A PROMISE (will)
● I will attend the meeting
tomorrow.
● Don’t worry, I will do better
next time.
The present continuous (also called present
progressive) is a verb tense which is used to
show that an ongoing action is happening now,
either at the moment of speech or now in a
larger sense.
The present continuous can also be used to
show that an action is going to take place in the
near future.
FORM:
am/is/are + present participle
For example
● I am listening to the radio.

★ EXPRESS A PLAN (be going to)

● I am going to spend my
vacation in Isabela.
● I am going to continue on
writing my thesis this month.

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USE OF PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE
★ The NOW
● I am eating breakfast with my
family here at the hotel.
● Sheena is watching the new
season of her favorite
American series.
● We are negotiating with the
other team for the event.
★ LONGER ACTIONS IN PROGRESS NOW
In English, "now" can mean: this second, today,
this month, this year, this century, and so on.
● I am studying to become a teacher.
● I am reading Animal Farm by George
Orwell.
★ NEAR FUTURE
Sometimes, speakers use the present
continuous to indicate that something will or will
not happen in the near future.
● I am meeting my friends after work.
● We are eating Samgyeopsal tonight.
★ REPETITION
Remember to put the words "always" or
"constantly" between "be" and “verb+ing."
● She is constantly speaking while the
teacher is discussing.
● They are always complaining about
work, so I don’t like them.
PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE
The past continuous (also called past
progressive) is a verb tense which is used to
show that an ongoing past action was happening
at a specific moment of interruption, or that two
ongoing actions were happening at the same
time.
FORM: was/were+ present participle
For example:
● We were studying when her mom
called.
USE OF PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE
★ INTERRUPTED ACTION IN THE PAST
● I was reviewing when she texted me.
● When the phone rang, Anna was writing
a letter to Tommy.
★ PARALLEL ACTIONS
● I was cooking dinner while he
was cleaning the house.
● Ali and Jake were listening to
the webinar while writing the
request letter.
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★ REPETITION
Remember to put the words "always" or
"constantly" between "be" and “verb+ing."
● She was constantly speaking while the
teacher was discussing.
● They were always complaining about
work, so I didn’t like them.
FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE
Future continuous has two different forms: "will
be + present participle" and “be going to be +
present participle"
USE OF FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE
★ INTERRUPTED ACTION IN THE
FUTURE
Use the future continuous to indicate
that a longer action in the future will be
interrupted by a shorter action in the
future
● I will be watching The Witcher
in Netflix when she comes
home tonight.
● I am going to be staying at my
Airbnb, so I will not see them
when they arrive.
★ PREDICTING OR GUESSING ABOUT
FUTURE EVENTS
● He will be coming to the
meeting, I expect.
● I guess you are going to be
feeling thirsty after working in
the sun.
PERFECT TENSES
★ PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
The present perfect is a verb tense which is used
to show that an action has taken place once or
many times before now.
has/have + past participle has eaten/have eaten
has delivered/have delivered has written/have
written
USE OF PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
★ UNSPECIFIED TIME BEFORE NOW
You CANNOT use the present perfect with
specific time expressions such as: yesterday, one
year ago, last week.
You CAN use the present perfect with unspecific
expressions such as: ever, never, once, many
times, several times, before, so far, already, yet,
etc.
● I have watched Spirited Away
many times.
● People have traveled to the
moon.
● I think I have seen him before.
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★ DURATION FROM THE PAST UNTIL
NOW (Noncontinuous verbs)
● I have had cold for two weeks.
● She has been in California for eight
months.
● Ken has loved kare-kare since he was a
child.
USE OF PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
★ PAST PERFECT TENSE
The past perfect is a verb tense which is used to
show that an action took place once or many
times before another point in the past.
had + past participle had eaten had delivered
had written
USE OF PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
★ COMPLETED ACTION BEFORE
SOMETHING IN THE PAST
The past perfect expresses the idea that
something occurred before another action in the
past. It can also show that something happened
before a specific time in the past.
● I had cooked dinner before he came
home.
● Susan had studied Nihongo before she
moved to Japan.
★ DURATION BEFORE SOMETHING IN
THE PAST
We use the past perfect to show that something
started in the past and continued up until
another action in the past.
● We had had that car for ten years
before it broke down.
● By the time Bobbie finished her
studies, she had been in London for
over seven years.
FUTURE PERFECT TENSE
★ Future perfect has two different forms:
"will have + past participle" and "be
going to have + past participle "
USE OF FUTURE PERFECT TENSE
★ COMPLETED ACTION BEFORE
SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE
The future perfect expresses the idea that
something will occur before another action in
the future.
It can also show that something will happen
before a specific time in the future.
● By next December, I will have received
my promotion.
● By the time my mother gets home, I
am going to have cleaned the house.
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● Sam is going to have finished his paper

by the time he leaves the coffee shop.

★ DURATION BEFORE SOMETHING IN

THE FUTURE (Noncontinuous verbs)

We use the future perfect to show that

something will continue up until another action
in the future.

● I will have been in France for six months

by the time I leave.
● By Tuesday, Anna is going to have had
my book for two weeks.

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