Book created by: Aditya,Alefiya, Ammar, Anushka, Disha, Nikhil and Prbhav.

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Grammar for life

ContentsSerial no.

Topic

Page no.

1. Nouns 3

2. Personal Pronouns 13

3. Adjectives 18

4. Active and Passive Voice 25

5. Subject Verb Agreement 31

6. Tenses 40

7. Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

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8. Assessment 54

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Examples:• Late last year our neighbours bought a goat.•Portia White was an opera singer.•The bus inspector looked at all the passengers' passes.•According to Plutarch, the library at Alexandria was destroyed in 48 B.C.•Philosophy is of little comfort to the starving.A noun can function in a sentence as a subject, a direct object and an indirect object.There are many types of nouns but we are going to learn only 3 types ; proper, common and abstract nouns.

NOUNSA noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea.

Whatever exists, we assume, can be named, and that name is a noun.

Proper NounsYou always write a proper noun with a capital letter, since the noun represents the name of a specific person, place, or thing. The names of days of the week, months, historical documents, institutions, organizations, religions, their holy texts and their adherents are proper nouns. A proper noun is the opposite of a common noun.

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In each of the following sentences, the proper nouns are highlighted:•The Marroons were transported from Jamaica and forced to build the fortifications in Halifax.•Beltane is celebrated on the first of May.•Abraham appears in the Talmud and in the Koran.

In each of the following sentences, the common nouns are highlighted:•According to the sign, the nearest town is 60 miles away.•The road crew was startled by the sight of three large moose crossing the road.•Many child-care workers are underpaid.Sometimes you will make proper nouns out of common nouns, as in the following examples:

Common NounsA common noun is a noun referring to a person, place, or thing in a general sense - usually, you should write it with a capital letter only when it begins a sentence. A common noun is the opposite of a proper noun.

•The tenants in the Garnet Apartments are appealing the large and sudden increase in their rent.•The meals in the Bouncing Bean Restaurant are less expensive than meals in ordinary restaurants.

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• Many witches refer to the Renaissance as the Burning Times.

• The Diary of Anne Frank is often a child's first introduction to the history of the Holocaust.

The highlighted words in the following sentences are all abstract nouns:•Buying the fire extinguisher was an afterthought.•Tillie is amused by people who are nostalgic about childhood.•Justice often seems to slip out of our grasp.•Some scientists believe that schizophrenia is transmitted genetically.

Abstract NounsAn abstract noun is a noun which names anything which you can not perceive through your five physical senses, and is the opposite of a concrete noun.

Collective NounsA collective noun is a noun naming a group of things, animals, or persons. You could count the individual members of the group, but you usually think of the group as a whole is generally as one unit. You need to be able to recognize collective nouns in order to maintain subject-verb agreement. A collective noun is similar to an uncountable noun.

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In each of the following sentences, the highlighted word is a collective noun.

•The flock of geese spends most of its time in the pasture.The collective noun "flock" takes the singular verb "spends."•The jury is dining on take-out chicken tonight.In this example the collective noun "jury" is the subject of the singular compound verb "is dining."•The steering committee meets every Wednesday afternoon.Here the collective noun "committee" takes a singular verb, "meets."•The class was startled by the bursting light bulb.In this sentence the word "class" refers to students in a collective form and takes the singular compound verb "was startled." 6

The major thoroughfares were already lit by the new gas, but this was not the bright and even glare of the late Victorian period: the light flared and diminished ,casting a flickering light across the streets and lending to the houses and pedestrians a faintly unreal or even theatrical quality.

A. Write down the nouns you notice.

B. Form Abstract Nouns from the following.scholar wise

king brother

know lose

sell great

think strong

beautiful long

1. A of birds flew high in the sky.2. They saw a of lions at the zoo.3. The farmer has a of cattle on his farm.4. He ate a of grapes today.

Exercises

C. Fill in the blank s with suitable collective nouns.

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5. Our friend shows us a of stamps.6. We saw a of sheep on our way home.7. Police have arrested a of thieves.8. She bought a of bananas from the market.9. The of pupils are listening attentively to their teacher.10. You can put the of tools in that box.

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an army of soldiersa bevy of beauties/girlsa band of musiciansa band of robbersa board of directorsa body of mena bunch of crooksa caravan of gypsiesa choir of singersa class of pupilsa class of studentsa company of actorsa company of soldiersa congregation of worshippersa crew of sailorsa crowd of spectatorsa crowd of peoplea dynasty of kingsa galaxy of beautiful womena galaxy of film starsa gang of crooksa gang of labourersa gang of prisonersa gang of robbers

a gang of thievesa horde of savagesa host of angelsa line of kings/rulersa mob of riotersa group of dancersa group of singersa pack of rascalsa pack of thievesa party of friendsa patrol of policemena posse of policemena regiment of soldiersa staff of employeesa staff of servantsa staff of teachersa team of playersa tribe of nativesa troop of scoutsa troupe of artistesa troupe of dancersa troupe of performersa party of friends 

PEOPLE

an album of autographsan album of photographsan album of stampsan anthology of poemsan archipelago of islandsa bale of cottona basket of fruita batch of breada battery of gunsa block of flatsa book of exercisesa book of notesa bouquet of flowersa bowl of rice

a hail of bulletsa hand of bananas (each a finger)a harvest of wheat/corna heap of rubbisha heap of ruinsa hedge of bushesa heap of stonesa layer of soil/dirta library of booksa line of carsa list of namesa mass of ruins/haira necklace of pearlsan outfit of clothes

THINGS

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a bunch of bananasa bunch of flowersa bunch of grapesa bunch of keysa bundle of rags/old clothesa bundle of firewood/sticksa bundle of haya catalogue of prices/goodsa chain of mountainsa chest of drawersa cluster of coconutsa cluster of grapesa cloud of dusta clump of bushesa clump of treesa collection of coinsa collection of curiositiesa collection of picturesa collection of relicsa collection of stampsa column of smokea comb of bananasa compendium of gamesa constellation of starsa cluster of diamondsa cluster of starsa clutch of eggsa crate of fruita crop of applesa fall of raina fall of snowa fleet of motor-cars/taxisa fleet of shipsa flight of aeroplanesa flight of stepsa forest of treesa galaxy of starsa garland of flowersa glossary of difficult words/phrasesa group of islandsa grove of trees

an orchard of fruit treesa pack of cardsa pack of liesa packet of cigarettesa packet of lettersa pair of shoesa pencil of raysa quiver of arrowsa range of hillsa range of mountainsa ream of papera reel of thread/filma roll of film/clotha rope of pearlsa row of housesa series of eventsa set of chinaa set of clubsa set of toolsa sheaf of arrowsa sheaf of corna sheaf of graina sheaf of papersa sheaf of wheata shower of blowsa shower of raina stack of armsa stack of corna stack of haya stack of timbera stack of wooda stock of wooda string of beadsa string of pearlsa suit of clothesa suite of furniturea suite of roomsa tuft of grassa tuft of haira wad of currency/notesa wreath of flowers

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an army of antsa bevy of quaila brood/flock of chickensa catch of fisha cloud of fliesa cloud of insectsa cloud of locustsa colony of gullsa drove of cattlea drove of horsesa flight of birdsa flight of dovesa flight of locustsa flight of swallowsa flock of birdsa flock of geesea flock of sheepa gaggle of geesea haul of fisha herd of buffaloesa herd of cattlea herd of deera herd of elephantsa herd of goatsa herd of swinea hive of beesa host of sparrowsa kindle of kittensa litter of cubsa litter of piglets 

a litter of kittensa litter of puppiesa menagerie of wild animalsa muster of peacocksa nest of antsa nest of micea nest of rabbitsa pack of houndsa pack of wolvesa plague of insectsa plague of locustsa pride of lionsa school of herrings/other small a afisha school of porpoisesa school of whalesa shoal of fisha skein of wild geese in flighta string of horsesa stud of horsesa swarm of antsa swarm of beesa swarm of insectsa swarm of locustsa team of horsesa team of oxena train of camelsa tribe of goatsa troop of lionsa troop of monkeysa zoo of wild animals

 ANIMALS

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abilityadorationadventureamazementangeranxietyapprehensionartistryawebeautybeliefbraverybrutalitycalmchaoscharitychildhoodclaritycoldnesscomfortcommunicationcompassionconfidencecontentmentcouragecrimecuriositycustomer servicedeathdeceitdedicationdefeatdelightdemocracydespairdeterminationdexteritydictatorshipdisappointmentdisbeliefdisquietdisturbanceeducationegoelegance

energyenhancemententhusiasmenvyevilexcitementfailurefaithfaithfulnessfaithlessnessfascinationfavouritismfearforgivenessfragilityfrailtyfreedomfriendshipgenerositygoodnessgossipgracegraciousnessgriefhappinesshatehatredhearsayhelpfulnesshelplessnesshomelessnesshonestyhonourhopehumilityhumourhurtideaidiosyncrasyimaginationimpressionimprovementinfatuationinflationinsanity

intelligencejealousyjoyjusticekindnessknowledgelaughterlawlibertylifelossloveloyaltyluckluxurymaturitymemorymercymotivationmovementmusicneedomenopinionopportunismopportunitypainpatiencepeacepeculiarityperseverancepleasurepovertypowerprideprinciplerealityredemptionrefreshmentrelaxationreliefrestorationrichesromancerumour

sacrificesadnesssanitysatisfactionself-controlsensitivityserviceshocksillinessskillslaverysleepsophisticationsorrowsparklespeculationspeedstrengthstrictnessstupiditysubmissionsuccesssurprisesympathytalentthrilltirednesstolerancetrustuncertaintyunemploymentunrealityvictorywarinesswarmthweaknesswealthwearinesswisdomwitworry

 SOME ABSTRACT NOUNS…

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The personal pronouns in the English language can have various forms according to gender, number, person, and case.Personal pronouns represent specific people or things. We use them depending on:•number: singular (eg: I) or plural (eg: we).•person: 1st person (eg: I), 2nd person (eg: you) or 3rd person (eg: he).•gender: male (eg: he), female (eg: she) or neuter (eg: it).•case: subject (eg: we) or object (eg: us).

PERSONAL PRONOUNS

We use personal pronouns in place of the person or people that we are talking about. My name is Josef but when I am talking about myself I almost always use "I" or "me", not "Josef". When I am talking direct to you, I almost always use "you", not your name. When I am talking about another person, say John, I may start with "John" but then use "he" or "him". And so on.

When we are talking about a single thing, we almost always use it. However, there are a few exceptions. We may sometimes refer to an animal as he/him or she/her, especially if the animal is domesticated or a pet. Ships (and some other vessels or vehicles) as well as some countries are often treated as female and referred to as she/her. 13

We often use it to introduce a remark:

•This is our dog Rusty. He's an Alsation.•The Titanic was a great ship but she sank on her first voyage.•My first car was a Mini and I treated her like my wife.

In each of the following examples the pronouns representing the object is highlighted.

We also often use it to talk about the weather, temperature, time and distance:

• It's raining.• It will probably be hot tomorrow.

• It is nice to have a holiday sometimes.• Is it normal to see them together?

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B. Rewrite the sentences replacing the underlined words by a personal pronouns. Don’t use contractions (aren't, isn't, he's, she's, etc)

1. Mary and I are students. Ans: _____________________________________________ 2. Melissa isn't an engineer. Melissa is an architect.Ans: _____________________________________________

EXERCISES :

3. Bob is my classmate. Ans:__________________________________________

A. Use the correct personal pronouns. Watch the words in brackets.Example: ___ often reads books. (Lisa)Answer: She often reads books.1) ____________ is dreaming. (George)2) ____________ is green. (the blackboard)3) ____________ are on the wall. (the posters)4) ____________ is running. (the dog)5) ____________ are watching TV. (my mother and I)6) ____________ are in the garden. (the flowers)7) ____________ is riding his bike. (Tom)8) ____________ is from Bristol. (Victoria)9) ____________ has got a brother. (Diana)10) Have ____________ got a computer, Mandy?

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6. Tommy, Bob and I are neighbors and very good friends.Ans: _____________________________________________ 7. Are you sure that Is Paul a dentist? Ans: _____________________________________________

8. You and Fred aren't from Italy.Ans: _____________________________________________

9. Louise is not my mother's friend.Ans: _____________________________________________ 10. Are you and I good friends?Ans: _____________________________________________

4. My teachers are from the USA and are very experienced. Ans:_________________________________________

5. Are Melissa and Pamela from England? Ans:_________________________________________

1. My sister Jane loves books. This novel is for _________ .2. My children like Disney films. The video is for __________ .3. My brother Matt collects picture postcards. These postcards are for __________ .4. My parents like Latin music. The CD is for __________ .

C. Fill in the correct pronouns.

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5. I like watches. This nice watch is for __________ .6. My wife and I love sweets. These sweets are for ___________ .7. My nephew likes cars. The toy truck is for ____________ .8. My neighbor wants to go to California next year. The guide book is for ____________ .9. Here is another souvenir. I don't know what to do with __________ .10. Mother nature is getting destructed! We need to save ___________ .

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ADJECTIVESWhat is an adjective? An adjective is a word that describes a noun or a pronoun. Example: Bianca’s cute monkey ate the yellow banana. Tim washed the dirty dishes. Gary plucked the beautiful flowers. The Adjective Questions? Which one tall candles

What kind scented candles

How many seven candles Whose Beth’s candles

Comparatives and SuperlativesMany adjectives can have different degrees. By this I mean that something can have more or less of an adjective's quality.For instance, you may find the weather in California to be hot, Dubai’s weather to be hotter, and the Sahara Desert's to be the hottest.See how there are different degrees of the adjective hot? We've just used the comparative and superlative forms of the word hot to show this adjective's different degrees. Here are the different degrees of some other words: 18

Positive Comparative Superlative

good better best

little less least

Positive degree of adjectiveAn adjective that describes only 1 object.Possible formats: •Keep the word as it is. (Sean is an excellent student.)•With + word (With intense concentration I’ve been able to understand this topic.)•Word + “-fully” (Sarah sang the song emotionally.)Comparative degree of adjective•An adjective used to compare 2 objects•Possible formats:•Adjective + “-er” (The suns rays seem to shine brighter today.)•More + adjective (Science is more difficult than Math.)•Less + adjective (Bianca is less attractive than her sister.)Superlative degree of adjective•An adjective used to compare 3 or more objects•Possible formats:•Adjective + “-est” (Sean is the rudest of his friends.)•Most + adjective (Mariya is the most graceful dancer of our grade.)•Least + adjective (The stand is least needy apparatus in this experiment.)

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Positive Comparative SuperlativecheaplatemuchBeautifulcruelbroadexpensivehardangrypoorfitgreatimportantbigdullhungryfewcleverobnoxiousoutrageous

A. Fill in the comparative and superlative degrees of the corresponding adjectives.

Exercises

B.Underline a and identify the Adjective.1. The two fat birds chirped.

2. The cutest baby was abducted from the maternity ward.3. 4. The largest box of those three fell on the floor.

5. The lovely, scented candle burned.

6. Walter quickly ran home.

7. The large book was kept on the table.

8. Peter is slow than Jack in writing.

9. The brown dog was sleeping.

C. Fill in the blanks with adjectives.1. My house is _________ than yours. (big)2. This flower is __________ than the other one. (beautiful)3. This is the _____________ book I have ever read. (interesting)4. Non-smokers usually live ______ than smokers. (long)5. Which is the __________ animal in the world. (dangerous)6. A holiday in Dubai is ________ than a holiday in Afghanistan.

(good)7. A coke is often __________ than a beer. (expensive)8. Who is the _________ man on the earth. (rich)9. The weather this summer is _________ than the weather last

summer. (bad)10. He was the ________ thief of all. (clever)

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D. Frame sentences using the following adjectives:1. Obnoxious:

2. Most adventurous:

3. Cautious :

4. Impossible:

5. Enchanting:

6. Mysterious:

7. Abundant:

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Appearance adorableadventurousaggressivealertattractiveaveragebeautifulblue-eyed bloodyblushingbrightcleanclearcloudycolorfulcrowdedcutedarkdrabdistinctdullelegantexcitedfancyFilthyglamorousgleaminggorgeousgracefulgrotesquehandsomehomelylight

AppearanceContd.

longmagnificentmistymotionlessmuddyold-fashionedplainpoisedpreciousquaintshinysmoggysparklingspotlessstormystrangeuglyugliestunsightlyunusualwide-eyed

Condition aliveannoyingbadbetterbeautifulbrainybreakablebusycarefulcautiouscleverclumsyconcernedcrazycuriousdeaddifferentdifficultdoubtfuleasyexpensivefamousfragilefrailgiftedhelpfulhelplesshorribleimportant

ConditionContd.

impossibleinexpensiveinnocentinquisitivemodernmushyoddopenoutstandingpoorpowerfulpricklypuzzledrealrichshysleepystupidsupertalentedtametendertoughuninterestedvastwanderingwildwrong

Feelings (Bad)

angryannoyedanxiousarrogantashamedawfulbadbewilderedblackblueboredclumsycombativecondemnedconfusedcrazy flipped-outcreepycrueldangerousdefeateddefiantdepresseddisgusteddisturbeddizzyembarrassedenviousevilfiercefoolishfranticfrightenedgrieving

Feelings (Bad)

Contd.grumpyhelplesshomelesshungryhurtillitchyjealousjitterylazylonelymysteriousnasty naughtynervousnuttyobnoxiousoutrageouspanickyrepulsivescaryselfishsoretenseterribletestythoughtlesstiredtroubledupsetuptightwearywickedworried

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Feelings (Good)

agreeableamusedbravecalmcharmingcheerfulcomfortablecooperativecourageousdelightfuldeterminedeagerelatedenchantingencouragingenergeticenthusiasticexcitedexuberantfairfaithfulfantasticfinefriendlyfunnygentlegloriousgood

Feelings (Good)Contd.

happyhealthyhelpfulhilariousjollyjoyouskindlivelylovelyluckyniceobedientperfectpleasantproudrelievedsillysmilingsplendidsuccessfulthankfulthoughtfulvictoriousvivaciouswittywonderfulzealouszany

Shape

broadchubbycrookedcurveddeepflathighhollowlownarrowroundshallowskinnysquaresteepstraightwide

Size

bigcolossalfatgiganticgreathugeimmenselargelittlemammothmassiveminiaturepetitepunyscrawnyshortsmalltallteenyteeny-tinytiny

Sound

cooingdeafeningfaintharshhigh-pitchedhissinghushedhuskyloudmelodicmoaningmutenoisypurringquietraspyresonantscreechingshrillsilentsoftsquealingthunderingvoicelesswhispering

Time

ancientbriefEarlyfastlatelongmodernoldold-fashionedquickrapidshortslowswiftyoung

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Taste/Touch

bitterdeliciousfreshjuicyriperottensaltysourspicystalestickystrongsweettarttastelesstastythirstyflutteringfuzzygreasygrubbyhardhoticyloose

Taste/TouchContd.

meltednutritiousplasticpricklyrainyroughscatteredshaggyshakysharpshiveringsilkyslimyslipperysmoothsoftsolidsteadystickytendertightunevenweakwetwoodenyummy

Touch

boilingbreezybrokenbumpychillycoldcoolcreepycrookedcuddlycurlydamageddampdirtydrydustyfilthyflakyfluffyfreezinghotwarmwet

Quantity

abundantemptyfewheavylightmanynumeroussubstantial

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Verbs are also said to be in voices either active voice or passive voice.

Active and Passive Voice

The passive voice is less usual. In the passive voice, the subject receives the action of the verb and is at times unimportant.

subject verb object

subjectverbobject

In an active sentence, the subject is doing the action. In the active voice, the object receives the action of the verb.

The active voice is the "normal" voice. This is the voice that we use most of the time. You are probably already familiar with the active voice.

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The passive is particularly useful in two situations:

Tense Subject

AuxiliaryPast Participle

Singular /

Plural

PresentThe car/cars

is / are designed.

PastThe car/cars

was / were designed.

FutureThe car/cars

will be / will be designed.

An example of passive voice in each tense :

•If the action is more important then the agent.(This draws a person’s attention.) : The unidentified victim was apparently struck during the early morning hours.•When the doer or agent in the situation is not important: The aurora borealis can be observed in the early morning hours.

In each of the following cases the Voice has been highlighted.

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 3. Place the passive sentence's object of the preposition by into the subject slot.

1.  Move  the passive sentence's subject into the active  sentence's  direct object slot.

2.  Remove  the auxiliary verb be  from the main verb and change main verb's form if needed

To change a passive voice sentence into an active voice sentence, simply reverse the steps shown above.

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As the examples below illustrate, a sentence in  active voice  flows more smoothly and is easier to understand than the same sentence in  passive voice. The examples also show you the conversion from active voice to passive voice.

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Exercises

1. They listen to music.

2. Lots of houses were destroyed by the earthquake.

3. You should open your workbooks.

4. The report must be completed by next Friday.

5. 'Red Sunset‘ was painted in 1986 by Smithers.

6. The students will finish the course by July.

A. Identify the voices.

Peter will build a house as soon as he is able to arrange for the money required. He has decided to hand over the contract to a gullible friend of his who is a renowned builder. He wants a huge mansion, with a beautiful hall coated with marble floors and 3 bedrooms designed sophistically. He wants it the way he dreams it to be.

B. Change to passive. 

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Active PassiveTom cleans the house once a week.

The car was repaired by Sam.

Someone will finish the work by 5:00 PM.

Sally is going to make a beautiful dinner tonight.

Professor Villa gave Jorge an A.

The students handed in the reports.

Someone will speak Japanese at the meeting.

Did the plan interest you?

A piece of plastic was swallowed by the child.

Bicycles must not be left in the driveway.

They built that skyscraper in 1934.

C. Change the voices.

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Subject verb agreement

Subjects and verbs must AGREE with one another in number (singular or plural). Thus, if a subject is singular, its verb must also be singular; if a subject is plural, its verb must also be plural.

In present tenses, nouns and verbs form plurals in oppositeways:

.nouns ADD an s to the singular form, BUTVerbs REMOVE an s from the singular form.

Here are nine subject-verb agreement rules:1. A phrase or clause between subject and verb does not change the number of the subject.Examples:

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2. Indefinite pronouns as subjects•Singular indefinite pronoun subjects take singular verbs.

•Plural indefinite pronoun subjects take plural verbs. Plural: several, few, both, many.

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• Some indefinite pronouns may be either singular or plural: with uncountable, use singular; with countable, use plural.

Either singular or plural: some, any, none, all, most

Sugar is uncountable; therefore, the sentence has a singular verb.

Marbles are countable; therefore, the sentence has a plural verb.3. Compound subjects joined by and are always plural.

4. With compound subjects joined by or/nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it.

In this example, the singular verb are agrees with the nearer subject director.

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In the above example, the plural verb is agrees with the nearer subject actors.

5. Inverted Subjects must agree with the verb.

6. Collective Nouns (group, jury, crowd, team, etc.) may be singular or plural, depending on meaning.

In this example, the jury is acting as one unit; therefore, the verb is singular.

In this example, the jury members are acting as twelve individuals; therefore, the verb is plural. 34

7. Titles of single entities (books, organizations, countries, etc.) are always singular.

8. Plural form subjects.

•Plural form subjects with a singular meaning take a singular verb. (e.g. news, measles, mumps, physics, etc.)

•Plural form subjects with singular or plural meaning take a singular or plural verb, depending on meaning. (e.g. politics, economics, etc.)

In this example, politics is a single topic; therefore, the sentence has a singular verb.

In this example, politics refers to the many aspects of the situation; therefore, the sentence has a plural verb.

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•Plural form subjects with a plural meaning take a plural verb. (e.g. scissors, trousers)

Note: In this example, the subject of the sentence is pair; therefore, the verb must agree with it. (Because scissors is the object of the preposition, scissors does not affect the number of the verb.)

9. With subject and subjective complement of different number, the verb always agrees with the subject.

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1. Emily and Greg (comes,  come) to my house every Friday for lunch.2. There (is,  are) time to watch the movie.3. My friends who are in the band (wants,  want) me to play a musical

instrument.4. My father or my brothers (is,  are) coming with me to the ball game.5. Everyone (needs, need) time to relax.6. That bag of oranges (looks, look) fresh.7. The lacrosse team (hopes, hope) to win the tournament next week.8. Your trousers (needs, need) to be cleaned.9. Some of the books on the shelf (is, are) dusty.10. Even though the students like the class, a few (thinks, think) that it is

too complicated.11. Mumps (is,  are) not common among adults.12. Viruses from third world countries (is,  are) a major concern.13. Most of the sand (is,  are)  wet from the high tide.14. Either the two kittens or the puppy (sits,  sit) in my lap while I watch

television.15. A subject of great interest (is,  are) rainforests.16. Hansel and Gretel (is,  are) a famous children's story.17. The team members (is,  are) arguing over the defense tactics.18. The economics of the trip (was,  were) pleasing.19. Why (is,  are) your parents going to Africa for a vacation?20. The mayor and the governor (hopes,  hope) that the bill will soon

become a law.

ExercisesA. Underline the answer which you think is correct.

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1. There ____________ several reasons why you should reconsider your decision. (are/is)

2. Howard and Vincent, who ____________ a copy center in town, have decided to expand their business. (run/runs)

3. Both of the statues on the shelf ____________ broken. (are/is)4. The fishing boat that has been tied up at the pier for three days

____________ finally on its way this morning.  (was/were)5. The chairman, along with his two assistants, ____________ to

attend the annual convention. (plan/plans)6. The issues of inflation and tax reform ____________ to be on

everyone's mind. (continue/continues)7. Juan or Julian ____________ the conference room each week. 

 (prepare/prepares)8. Not one of the performers ____________ at the party after the

concert. (were/was)9. The results of the election ____________ not available for two

days. (were/was)10. When there _______ thunderstorms approaching, we are always

reminded of the threat of tornadoes.  (is/are)11. Either the physicians in this hospital or the chief administrator

____ going to have to make a decision.  (is/are)12. ______ my boss or my sisters in the union going to win this

grievance?  (is/are)13. Some of the votes __________ to have been

miscounted. (seem/seems)14. The tornadoes that tear through this county every spring _____ more

than just a nuisance. (are/is)

B. Pick out the answer which you think is correct.

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15. Everyone selected to serve on this jury _____ to be willing to give up a lot of time. (have/has)

16. Kara Wolters, together with her teammates, _________ a formidable opponent on the basketball court. (presents/ present)

17. He seems to forget that there __________ things to be done before he can graduate. (are/is)

18. There _______ to be some people left in that town after yesterday's flood. (have/has)

19. Three-quarters of the student body __________ against the tuition hike.(is/are)20. A high percentage of the population _________ voting for the new

school. (is/are)

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A verb is often defined as a word which shows action or state of being. The verb is the heart of a sentence – every sentence has one. Recognizing the verb is often the most important step in understanding the meaning of a sentence. In the sentence “The dog bit the man,” bit is the verb and the word which shows the action of the sentence. Verbs present the actions of a doer or a happening.

Verbs

Habits Actions which happen regularly (for example, every day or every week)

States Things which do not often change (for example, opinions and conditions)

Simple Present TenseThe simple present tense is used for two main types of action:

Type of action Examples Explanations

Habit

Young-Mi goes to class every day.

“Every day” is a habit.

It rains a lot in Vancouver.

This means that it rains often.

State

Martin likes chocolate. When we like something, usually we will always like it.

Anna believes in God. Beliefs and opinions are states. They don't often change.

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Water boils at 100 degrees Celcius. (universal truth)It is a big house. (fact)Dogs are better than cats. (generalization)Berlin is the capital city of Germany. (fact)The Elephant doesn't fly. (fact)

Facts, Generalizations and Universal Truths.We use the simple present tense to talk about universal truths or things we believe are, or are not, true.In the following examples the verbs are highlighted.

The simple past tense is one of the most common tenses in English. It is usually formed by adding -ED to the verb. However, with some verbs, you need to add -D or change the ending a little. This page will explain the rules for forming the tense with regular verbs.

Simple Past Tense

Verb ending in... How to make the simple past Examples

e Add -D live - liveddate - dated

Consonant +y Change y to i, then add -ED try  - triedcry - cried

One vowel + one consonant(but NOT w or y)

Double the consonant, then add -EDtap - tappedcommit - committed

anything else including w Add -ED

boil  - boiledfill  - filledhand  - handedshow  - showed

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The three most important irregular verbs.The three most important irregular verbs are BE, HAVE, and DO. The simple past forms for BE are different depending on the subject.

Pronoun BE HAVE DO

I was had did

You were had did

He / she / it was had did

We were had did

They were had did

Other irregular verbsOther irregular verbs fall into three main categories:

Category Examples

Verbs which don't changecut - cuthit - hitfit - fit

Verbs which change their vowelget - gotsit - satdrink - drank

Verbs which change completelycatch - caughtbring - broughtteach - taught

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In English, there are many ways of expressing future time. One of the most common is using the modal auxiliary verb “will”. This page will explain the main meanings of “will” and show you how to form the future with “will”.

Simple Future Tense

Using “will” with verbs“Will”, like all modal verbs in English, does not change its form, and it is followed by the simple form of the main verb. “Will” is NOT usually used in first person questions. Note also that will is often shortened to ’ll. This diagram should make the situation clearer:

Subject Statement Question

I I will stop smoking.I'll stop smoking. [not usually used]

You You will stop smoking.You'll stop smoking. Will you stop smoking?

He He will stop smoking.He'll stop smoking. Will he stop smoking?

She She will stop smoking.She'll stop smoking. Will she stop smoking?

It It will be hard to stop.It'll be hard to stop. Will it be hard to stop?

We We will stop smoking.We'll stop smoking. [not usually used]

They They will stop smoking.They'll stop smoking. Will they stop smoking?

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In the following examples on simple present, past and future the verbs are highlighted.•The Earth rotates around the Sun.•If we do not change now, there are no hopes for our future.•The meeting starts at 3 PM.•Shauna studied Japanese for five years.•Did you play a musical instrument when you were a kid?•She worked at the movie theater after school.•We are saying what we think will happen.•People won't go to Jupiter before the 22nd century.•Who do you think will get the job?

The meaning of “will” future forms“Will” is usually used in three situations:

Situation Example

Volunteering to do something“Will someone open the window for me?”“I'll do it!”

Deciding to do something “I've made up my mind. I'll go to Whistler for my vacation.”

Forcing someone to do something.

“Dad, I don't want to clean my room!”“You'll do it, and you'll do it NOW!”

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VERB SIMPLE PRESENT

SIMPLE PAST SIMPLE FUTURE

To see He sees He saw He will see

To do He does He did He will doTo go He goes He went He will go

To take He takes He took He will take

To give He gives He gave He will give

To eat He eats He ate He will eatTo know He knows He knew He will know

To break He breaks He broke He will break

To write He writes He wrote He will write

To steal He steals He stole He will stealTo sing He sings He sang He will sing

To fall He falls He fell He will fall

To try He tries He tried He will try

To watch He watches He watched He will watch

The Simple Tense Simplified.

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A. Write down the form of tense for each of the following sentences.

1. Which is not a past form of a verb? was had looked spoke hear________________________________________2. Which is not a present form of a verb? are saw has talk speak ________________________________________3. Which is not a plural form of a verb? are were am have do________________________________________4. Which is not a 3rd person singular form of a verb? goes has was are does_______________________________________

5. Which is in the simple past tense? look saw is speak will hear________________________________________

B. Pick out and write the correct answer.

Exercises.

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6. Which is not a future tense of a verb? will move heard will speak will talk will see________________________________________7. Which is not used as an auxiliary of a verb? was have did will sees________________________________________

8. Which verb can be both singular and plural? sees has do am is________________________________________9. Which verb can be both singular and plural? was does have comes hears

C. Complete the following sentences using the correct form of verb from the brackets.1. I my homework everyday after school. (Do)2. He how to swim. (Know)3. I a movie every Friday. (Watch)4. Jill to visit his granddad often. (Go)5. Sue very well and so is in the choir. (Sing)6. Jack to do his best at school. (Try)7. Tim down the stairs while climbing them. (Fall)8. The robber the money from a bank. (Steal)9. The doctor the child a medicine for his cold. (Give) 10. Steve the Eiffel Tower on his trip to France. (Saw)11. He to swim everyday. (Go)12. Tom harder in his next project. (Try)13. The lady little because she is on a diet. (Eat)14. The student for his test. (Study)

________________________________________

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D. Fill in the correct form of verb provided in the bracket. 1. Every Monday, Sally (drive) her kids to football practice. 2. Usually, I (work) as a secretary at ABT, but this summer

I (study) French at a language school in Paris. That is why I am in Paris.

3. Don't forget to take your umbrella. It (rain) . 4. The business cards (be) normally printed by a company in New York.

Their prices (be) inexpensive, yet the quality of their work is quite good.

5. This delicious chocolate (be) made by a small chocolatier in Zurich, Switzerland.

6. I (try) to change a light bulb that had burnt out. 7. After I (find) the wallet full of money, I (go) for

shopping.8. The doctor (say) that Tom (be) too sick to go to work and that he

(need) to stay at home for a couple of days. 9. Sebastian (arrive) at Susan's house a little before 9:00

PM, but she (be) not there. 10. I (call) you last night after dinner, but you (be)

not there. Where were you? 11. I (watch) a mystery movie on TV when the electricity

went out. Now I am never going to find out how the movie ends. 12. Sharon (be) in the room when John told me what

happened, but she didn't hear anything because she was sleeping.13. It's strange that you (call) me right now.14. I (try) to change a light bulb that had burnt out.

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15. After I (find) the wallet full of money, I (go) for shopping.16. The doctor (say) that Tom (be) too sick to go to work and that he

(need) to stay at home for a couple of days.17. Sebastian (arrive)  at Susan's house a little before

9:00 PM, but she (be) not  there. 18. I (call)  you last night after dinner, but you (be) not  there. Where were you? 19. It's strange that you (call) me right now.20. The firemen (rescue) the old woman who was trapped on the third floor of the burning building. 

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A transitive verb requires an object in the form of a noun or pronoun to complete its meaning. This object answers to the questions “who(m) or what.”

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

What is an intransitive verb ?An intransitive verb is one that does not require an object to complete its meaning. The sentence may end with the verb, an adjective, or an adverb. The questions one may ask with these forms are “when, where, how, or why.”

What is a transitive verb ?

Example: •The students write composition.What do the students write? Compositions.•Peter loves Mary.Who does Peter love? Mary.

Formula: Subject + Verb + Object

Example: The children sat.•The children sat at 7:30 pm.•The children sat at the table.•The children sat quietly.•The children sat because their mother told them to. 50

A. Let’s see if you can identify the verbs in the following examples. Draw a line under the verb and in the blank space, write transitive or intransitive.1. The math professor explains the lesson. verb.

2. I drive my car to work everyday. verb.

3. Many students sleep late on the weekends. verb.

4. Louise finally got her license. verb.

5. Does your family live in Minnesota? verb.

B. Underline the verb in each sentence and indicate whether it is being used as a transitive verb or an intransitive verb.1. Many contemporary television programs expose children to violence and vulgar language.

2. My exam grade will exclude me from the soccer game.

3. Alice imagined a world full of fascinating creatures.

4. James ran in the park every afternoon.

5. The tornado destroyed entire buildings when it struck.6. I raked the yard on Saturday.7. The boiling water scalded my hand.8. We talked about the news all evening.9. My mother washes clothes every Saturday.10. I opened the door for the lady with the stroller

Exercises

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1. Anne loves her mother.

2. The golden gate opened.

3. The moon silvers the distant hills.

4. Mary found her ring.

5. James writes poetry.

6. The snow melts.

7. The icy chains break.

8. The innocent lamb died.

9. The children played.

10. The children played a game.

11. Doris was elected president of the class.

12. Dan is the first baseman.

For the verb to ring, write: rings the church bell (object).1. to learn2. to find3. to hide4. to fear5. to remember6. to inflict7. to receive8.to lift9.to hear10. to renew

C. Tell which of the following verbs are transitive and which are intransitive.

D. Write an appropriate subject and object for each of the following verbs using the following model:

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1. The dog barks.

2. He raised his hands.

3. The information proved false.

4. The child has fallen asleep.

5. The donkey kept braying.

6. The tea is hot.

7. The results are out.

8. She called again and again.

9. We are human beings.

10. They arrived here via metro.

E. State whether the verbs in the following sentences are transitive or intransitive. Name the object of each transitive verb.

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x k n z u e l c h a i r t a

y l e w s y p n v d u l l m

d n p t b l v r d o n m a u

z q k a e g s b a f p y m c

t r t q r u b q n a o s e k

b y a s c k a h c t o z b y

m d l p m z p f e m r h i s

a o l p o o r z s q l a t p

w b t x e g s t r s n q i n

Find 5 adjectives and 5 nouns .

Assessment

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Learning something new can be a scary experience. One of the hardest things I've ever had to do was learn how to swim. I was always afraid of the water, but I decided that swimming was an important skill that I should learn. I also thought it would be good exercise and help me to become physically stronger. What I didn't realize was that learning to swim would also make me a more confident person.New situations always make me a bit nervous, and my first swimming lesson was no exception. After I changed into my bathing suit in the locker room, I stood timidly by the side of the pool waiting for the teacher and other students to show up. After a couple of minutes the teacher came over. She smiled and introduced herself, and two more students joined us. Although they were both older than me, they didn't seem to be embarrassed about not knowing how to swim. I began to feel more at ease.We got into the pool, and the teacher had us put on brightly colored water wings to help us stay afloat. One of the other students, May, had already taken the beginning class once before, so she took a kickboard and went splashing off by herself. The other student, Jerry, and I were told to hold on to the side of the pool and shown how to kick for the breaststroke. One by one, the teacher had us hold on to a kickboard while she pulled it through the water and we kicked. Pretty soon Jerry was off doing this by himself, travelling at a fast clip across the short end of the pool.

Comprehension

Learning something new; swimming.

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Things not quite that easy for me, but the teacher was very patient. After a few more weeks, when I seemed to have caught on with my legs, she taught me the arm strokes. Now I had two things to concentrate on, my arms and my legs. I felt hopelessly uncoordinated. Sooner than I imagined, however, things began to feel "right" and I able to swim! It was a wonderful free feeling - like flying, maybe - to be able to shoot across the water.

Learning to swim not easy for me, but in the end my persistence paid off. Not only did I learn how to swim and to conquer my fear of the water, but I also learned something about learning. Now when I faced with a new situation I am not so nervous. I may feel uncomfortable to begin with, but I know that as I practice being in that situation and as my skills get better, I feel more and more comfortable. It a wonderful, free feeling when you achieve a goal you have set for yourself.

A. Investigate the meanings of the following words :•Experience-•Timidly-•Embarrassed-•Uncoordinated-•Persistence-•Conquer-•Achieve-•Confident-•Situation-•Concentrate-

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B. Pick out any five pronouns from the passage.1.2.3.4.5.

C. Write down 2 sentences that are passive and two sentences that are active.

D. In the last 2 paragraphs fill in the correct forms of verbs keeping in mind the rules of subject verb agreement.

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