ENGLISH COMPOSITION &

COMPREHENSION
Instructor: Abdul Aleem Yahya
Classes: BS (CS, MB, BB)
Week 1
Superior University, Lahore

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 What is Grammar?

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 THE SENTENCE
• A group of words which makes complete sense, is called a
SENTENCE. E.g. Ali sat in a corner

Sentences have for kinds:

1. Declarative or Assertive sentences: which make assertions
or statements. E.g. Ali sat in a corner
2. Interrogative sentences: which ask questions. E.g. Where
do you live?
3. Imperative sentences: which express commands and
requests. E.g. Be quite.
4. Exclamatory sentences: which express strong feelings. E.g.
What a shame!

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 SUBJECT AND PREDICATE
Subject
The part of sentence which names the person or thing is called a
SUBJECT. E.g. Ahmad walks in a street

Predicate
The part of the sentence which tells something about the subject is
called a predicate. E.g. Ahmad walks in a street

Exceptions:
• The Subject of a sentence can occasionally also come after the
Predicate. E.g. Here comes the bus OR Sweet are the uses of
adversity
• The Subject is left out in Imperative sentences. E.g. Sit down OR
Thank him

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 THE PHRASE AND THE CLAUSE
The Phrase
A group of words which makes sense but not complete sense is called
a Phrase. E.g. The sun rises in the east OR it was a sunset of great
beauty

The Clause
A group of words which forms part of a sentence, and contains a
Subject and a Predicate is called a Clause. E.g. He has a chain which is
made of gold

More Examples of Clauses:

• People who pay their debts are trusted
• We cannot start while it is raining
• I think that you have made a mistake

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 PARTS OF SPEECH
A Noun
It is a word used as the name of a person, place or thing.
{The word ‘thing’ includes all objects that we can see, hear, taste, touch or smell AND
something that we can think of, but cannot perceive by the senses} E.g. Akbar was a
great king OR The rose smells sweet OR His courage won him honor

An Adjective
It is a word used to add something to the meaning of a noun. E.g. He is a brave boy OR
There are twenty boys in this class

A Pronoun
It is a word used instead of a noun. E.g. John is absent, because he is ill

A Verb
It is a word used to express an expression or state. E.g. The boy wrote a letter OR
Karachi is a big city

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An Adverb
It is a word used to add something to the meaning of a verb, an adjective or another
adverb. E.g. He worked the sum quickly OR This flower is very beautiful OR She
pronounced the word quite correctly

A Preposition
It is a word used with a noun or a pronoun to show how the person or thing denoted
by the noun or pronoun stands in relation to something else. E.g. There is a cow in the
fields OR The girl is fond of music

A Conjunction
It is a word used to join words or sentences. E.g. Ali and Ahmad are friends OR I ran
fast, but missed the train

An Interjection
It is a word which expresses some sudden feeling. E.g. Hurrah! We have won the
match OR Alas! he is dead

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 THE NOUN: KINDS OF NOUNS
1. A Common Noun
It is a name given in common to every person or thing of the same class or
kind. E.g. Girl, boy, city, country

2. A Proper Noun
It is the name of some particular person or place. E.g. Ali, Karachi, Pakistan

3. A Collective Noun
It is the name of a number or collection of persons or things taken together
and spoken of as one whole. E.g. Crowd, mob, team, flock, herd

4. An Abstract Noun
It is usually the name of a quality, action or state considered apart from the
object to which it belongs. E.g. Quality (goodness, kindness, darkness), Action
(laughter, theft, movement), State (childhood, youth, slavery)

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5. Countable Nouns
These are the names of objects, people, etc. that we
can count. E.g. Book, pen, apple

6. Uncountable Nouns
These are the names of things which we cannot count.
E.g. Sugar, gold, honesty

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 THE NOUN: GENDER
1. Masculine Gender
A noun that denotes a male animal is called to be the Masculine Gender. E.g.
Boy, lion, hero

2. Feminine Gender
A noun that denotes a female animal is called to be the Feminine Gender. E.g.
Girl, Lioness, Heroine

3. Common Gender
A noun that denotes either a male or a female is called to be the Common
Gender. E.g. Parent, child, friend, pupil

4. Neuter Gender
A noun that denotes a thing that is neither male or female and is without life
is called to be the Neuter Gender. E.g. Book, pen, room

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 THE NOUN: CASE
1. Nominative Case
When a Noun or Pronoun is used as the Subject of a verb, it is said to be in
the Nominative Case.

2. Objective or Accusative Case

When a Noun or Pronoun is used as the Object of a verb, it is said to be in the
Objective or Accusative Case.
• A noun which comes after a preposition is also said to be in the Accusative
Case. E.g. The book is on the desk

3. Possessive or Genitive Case

When a Noun is used to show ownership or possession, it is said to be in the
Possessive or genitive Case.
Examples: Shakespeare's plays, A mother’s love, The President’s speech

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 END OF LECTURE 1 (WEEK 1)

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