Grammar and

Composition

MS. HAZEL JOYCE M. CURAY

grammar (noun): the
structure and system of a
language, or of languages in
general, usually considered to
consist of syntax and
morphology
• Grammar is the system of a language. People
sometimes describe grammar as the "rules" of a
language; but in fact no language has rules*. If
we use the word "rules", we suggest that
somebody created the rules first and then spoke
the language, like a new game. But languages did
not start like that. Languages started by people
making sounds which evolved into words,
phrases and sentences. No commonly-spoken
language is fixed. All languages change over
time. What we call "grammar" is simply a
reflection of a language at a particular time.
• Do we need to study grammar to learn a
language? The short answer is "no". Many people
in the world speak their own, native language
without having studied its grammar. Children
start to speak before they even know the word
"grammar". But if you are serious about learning
a foreign language, the long answer is "yes,
grammar can help you to learn a language more
quickly and more efficiently." It's important to
think of grammar as something that can help you,
like a friend. When you understand the grammar
(or system) of a language, you can understand
many things yourself, without having to ask a
teacher or look in a book.
• So think of grammar as
something good, something
positive, something that you
can use to find your way - like
a signpost or a map.
Composition is another
word for writing — the
act of writing or the piece
of writing that results. It
also refers to what
something is made of.
• The word composition comes from the
Latin componere, meaning "put together" and
its meaning remains close to this. Writing
classes are often called composition classes,
and writing music is also called composition.
This can also describe things besides writing
that are "put together." You could say an
abstract painting has an interesting composition.
Any mixture of ingredients can be called a
composition. Geologists study the composition
of the earth: what it's made of and how it
formed.
Grammar and Composition
 WORD
STRUCTURE
• The study of word structure is
called morphology. Understanding word
structure helps us:
• improve spelling
• expand vocabulary
In studying word structure, we start by
looking at a few key concepts first:
• root words
• prefixes
• suffixes
• Root words are words, or parts
of words, that can usually
stand alone. The following are
all root words:
• Joy
• Take
• fast
• Astro –Star= astronaut
• Aud-hear= audio
• Graph-write=autograph
• Therm- heat= thermometer
• Struct- build= construct
unemployment
employ
happiness
happy
misuse
use
1.Unpack
2.Loveable
3.Kindness
4.Comfortable
5.Enjoyment
Activity no. 1
6.Counter
7.Careful
8.Builder
9.Appearance
10.Fearing
1.Play
2.Faith
3.Worth
4.Friend
5.Hope
Activity no. 2
6.Appear
7.Care
8.Read
9.Fear
10.Break
•Prefixes
•A prefix is placed
at the beginning of
a word to modify
or change its
meaning . 
prefix meaning examples
a- also an- not, without atheist,
anaemic
a- to, towards aside, aback

in the process a-hunting,

of, in a aglow
particular
state
a- of anew

completely abashed
ab- also abs- away, from abdicate, abstract
ad- also a-, ac-, af-, movement to, advance,
ag- al-, an-, ap-, change into, adulterate,
at- as-, at- addition or adjunct, ascend,
increase affiliate, affirm,
aggravate,
alleviate,
annotate,
apprehend,
arrive, assemble,
attend
ante- before, preceding antecedent, ante-
room
anti- also ant- opposing, anti-aircraft,
against, the antibiotic,
opposite anticlimax,
Antarctic
be- all over, all bespatter, beset
around
completely bewitch, bemuse

having, covered bejewelled

with
affect with (added befog
to nouns)

cause to be (added becalm

to adjectives)
com- also co-, with, combat,
col-, con-, jointly, codriver,
cor- completely collude,
confide,
corrode

contra- against, contracepti

opposite ve

counter- opposition, counter-

opposite attack,
direction counteract
de- down, away descend,
despair,
depend,
deduct
completely denude,
denigrate
removal, de-ice,
reversal decamp
dia- also di- through, diagonal
across
dis- also di- negation, disadvantage,
removal, dismount,
expulsion disbud, disbar
en- also em- put into or on engulf,
enmesh
bring into the enlighten,
condition of embitter

intensification entangle,
enrage
ex- also e-, ef- out exit, exclude,
expand

upward exalt, extol

completely excruciate,
exasperate

previous ex-wife
extra- outside, beyond extracurricular

hemi- half hemisphere

hyper- beyond, more than, more hypersonic, hyperactive

than normal

hypo- under hypodermic, hypothermia

in- also il-, im- not, without infertile,
inappropriate,
impossible

also il-, im-, ir- in, into, towards, influence, influx,

inside imbibe

infra- below infrared,

infrastructure

inter- between, among interact,

interchange

intra- inside, within intramural,

intravenous

non- absence, negation non-smoker, non-

alcoholic
Mis/mal Lacking of, misunderstanding,
malnutrition
ob- also oc-, of-, op- blocking, against, obstruct, occult,
concealing offend, oppose
out- surpassing, outperform
exceeding
external, away outbuilding,
from outboard
over- excessively, overconfident,
completely overburdened,
overjoyed
upper, outer, over, overcoat, overcast
above
peri- round, about perimeter
post- after in time or postpone
order
pre- before in time, pre-adolescent,
place, order or prelude,
importance precondition
pro- favouring, in pro-African
support of
acting for proconsul

motion propulsion
forwards or
away

before in prologue
time, place or
order
re- again repaint, reappraise,
reawake

semi- half, partly semicircle, semi-

conscious
sub- also suc-, suf-, at a lower position submarine, subsoil
sug-, sup-, sur-,
sus-
lower in rank sub-lieutenant
nearly, sub-tropical
approximately
syn- also sym- in union, acting synchronize,
together symmetry
trans- across, beyond transnational,
transatlantic
into a different translate
state
ultra- beyond ultraviolet, ultrasonic

extreme ultramicroscopic

un- not unacceptable, unreal,

unhappy, unmanned

reversal or cancellation unplug, unmask

of action or state

under- beneath, below underarm, undercarriage

lower in rank undersecretary

not enough underdeveloped

• Mis or Mal
1. Conduct 11. construe
2. Nutrition 12. practice
3. Understanding 13.adjusted
4. Inform 14.demanor
5. Manage 15.represented
6. Calculated 16.spelled
7. Counted 17.adventure
8. Content 18. deed
9. Interpret 19.function
10. Carriage 20. evolence
•Suffixes
•Suffix is a letter or
group of letters
added at the end of a
word which makes a
new word.
words suffix new words

forgetful,
forget, use -ful
useful

statement,
state, govern -ment
government

complicate, complication,
-ion
create creation
The new word is most often a
different word class from the
original word. In the table
above, the suffix -ful has
changed verbs to adjectives,
-ment, and -ion have changed
verbs to nouns. 
suffix examples of nouns
baggage, village,
-age
postage
arrival, burial,
-al
deferral
reliance,
-ance/-ence defence(british
spelling) insistence
boredom, freedom,
-dom
kingdom
 employee, payee,
-ee
trainee

-er/-or driver, writer, director

brotherhood, childhood,
-hood
neighbourhood

capitalism, Marxism,
-ism socialism
(philosophies)
 capitalist, Marxist,
-ist socialist (followers of
philosophies)

brutality, equality,
-ity/-ty
cruelty

amazement,
-ment disappointment,
parliament

happiness, kindness,
-ness
usefulness
-ry entry, ministry, robbery

friendship,
-ship membership,
workmanship

expression, population,
-sion/-tion/-xion
complexion
suffix examples of adjectives

drinkable, portable,
-able/-ible
flexible

-al brutal, formal, postal

-en broken, golden, wooden

Chinese, Japanese,
-ese
Vietnamese
 forgetful, helpful,
-ful
useful

Iraqi, Pakistani,
-i
Yemeni

classic, Islamic,
-ic
poetic

British, childish,
-ish
Spanish
-ive active, passive, productive
Canadian, Malaysian,
-ian
Peruvian
-less homeless, hopeless, useless

-ly daily, monthly, yearly

 cautious,
-ous famous,
nervous

cloudy, rainy,
-y
windy
suffix examples of verbs

complicate, dominate,
-ate
irritate

-en harden, soften, shorten

-ify beautify, clarify, identify

economise, realise,
industrialize (-ise is most
-ise/-ize common in British English; -
izeis most common in
American English)
1. the process of (digest) of food starts from the
mouth.
2. All living things undergo the process of
(reproduce).
3. Chemical weathering is brought about by
several processes. One of which is (carbon)
4. Volcanic (erupt) may be dangerous.
5. Bees and butterflies help in the process of
(pollen)
6. (distil) is one way of purifying water.
7. There should be enough ( produce) of food
for the growing population.
8. A machine shows the (transform) of
energy from potential t kinetic energy.
9. When a substance gets cold, its moleules
move slowly and get closer together. This
process is called. (contract)
10. The magnetization of iron, steel, etc. by
its introduction to the magnetic field is called
magnetic (induct).
1.Art
2.Assist
3.Type
4.Educate
5.Music
6. Debate
7. Edit
8.Bake
9.Protect
10.Magic