English grammar-Beginner level
Conjunctions #1
A conjunction joins words or groups of words in a sentence. Coordinating Conjunctions Connects words, phrases, or clauses that are independent or equal using and/or/but. Use "and" when you mean to say "in addition to". Use "or" to indicate a choice between two things. Use "but" to connect two different things that are not in agreement. I bought apples and oranges at the store. We are going to the zoo and the aquarium today. I am not ready and I need more time. Would you like coffee or tea? Do you want a red one or a blue one? Do you want to stay at the party or go home? I am a night owl, but she is an early bird. I want to see a movie, but I'm very tired. I was angry, but I did not show it.
Pronouns
A pronoun takes the place of a noun. Example story: Mary is one of the heads of the ToJi Corporation. Mary works with Mr. James and Mr. James' son Tom. Mr. James and Mr. James' son Tom are experts in biochemistry. Mary, Mr. James, and Tom researched and invented a drug for cancer treatment. If the story above is written using pronouns: Mary is one of the heads of the ToJi Corporation. She works with Mr. James and his son Tom. He and his son Tom are experts in biochemistry. They researched and invented a drug for cancer treatment. Personal Pronouns Personal pronouns refer to a person: I go to school. You are a student. They are Koreans. He works here. We gave her food. The word 'it' refers to an object: I drank it. It is big. They cut it into halves. Memorize the personal pronouns: First Second Third Male Female Neutral Singular Subject I you he she it Singular Object me you him her it Singular Reflexive myself yourself himself herself itself Plural Subject we you they Plural Object us you them Plural Reflexive ourselves yourselves themselves Quiz Write the correct pronoun in each blank. 1)I ate an apple. was delicious. 2)You look tired. should rest. 3)She is a teacher. I gave a book. 4)They are my friends. I like very much. 5)He saw the movie. was fun. Answers 1) it 2) you 3) her 4) them 5) it
'Be' Verbs
A verb shows action or a state of being. I go home. Home is my place to rest. I like the smell of my house. I feel totally relaxed. Home refreshes me. At home, I get ready for a new day. "Be" verbs indicate a state of being. Verbs must match subjects. I am a doctor. He is sleepy. We are here. Negative sentences need 'not' after the verb. I am not a doctor. He is not sleepy. We are not there. The verb comes first in interrogative sentences. Am I a doctor? Is he sleepy? Are we there? "Are not" (is not) can be shortened to "aren't" (isn't). He isn't sleepy. We aren't there. Remember the variations of "be" verbs: Present Negative Interrogative I am I am not Am I? You are You are not (aren't) Are you? He is He is not (isn't) Is he? She is She is not (isn't) Is she? It is It is not (isn't) Isn't it? We are We are not (aren't) Are we? You are You are not (aren't) Are you? They are They are not (aren't) Are they? [Quiz 5.1] Which of the following sentences are written correctly? 1)I am thirsty. 2)You are kind. 3)He am not sad. 4)She are not tall. 5)It is not moving. 6)We aren't tired. 7)Is they running? 8)Are you ready? Answers 1, 2, 5, 6, and 8
Action verbs
Action verbs express action and are the most common verbs. Action verbs need s at the end with third-person, singular subjects. He eats bread. She walks to the station. It floats on the sea. Negative sentences need do not, does not, or did not. I do not eat bread. He does not eat bread. You did not walk to the station. It does not float on the sea. Interrogative sentences begin with do, does, or did. Do you eat bread? Does he eat bread? Does she walk to the station? Did they finish it? Do not can be shortened to don't, does not to doesn't, and did not to didn't. I don't eat bread. She doesn't walk to the station. It doesn't float on the sea. They didn't finish it. Remember the variations of action verbs: Affirmative Sentence Negative Sentence Interrogative Sentence I sing a song. I do not (don't) sing a song. Do I sing a song? You sing a song. You do not (don't) sing a song. Do you sing a song? He (she) sings a song. He (she) does not (doesn't) sing a song. Does he (she) sing a song? We sing a song. We do not (don't) sing a song. Do we sing a song? They sang a song. They did not (didn't) sing a song. Did they sing a song? [Quiz 6.1] Correct the verb errors in the sentences below. Some sentences may be correct as is. 1)I runs a marathon. 2)You look sleepy. 3)She do not dance. 4)Does you leave today? 5)We don't stay here. 6)It come with rice. Answers 1) runs -> run 3) do -> does 4) Does -> Do 6) come -> comes
Adjectives
Adjectives describe or modify nouns. I like fairy tales. A fairy tale is an imaginary story that has unrealistic characters in a fantastic background. It makes me forget about the real world and refreshes my tired mind. Adjectives generally appear immediately before the noun. A pretty girl Red flowers A long stick Heavy boxes Warm weather Commonly, adjectives of opposite meaning are formed by adding a prefix such as un, in, or dis. clear - unclear, important - unimportant, predictable - unpredictable, believable - unbelievable, common - uncommon, aware - unaware, ambiguous - unambiguous, conventional - unconventional, certain - uncertain definite - indefinite, correct - incorrect, comparable - incomparable, complete - incomplete, evitable - inevitable, expensive - inexpensive able - disable, assemble - disassemble, content - discontent, similar - dissimilar When using a string of adjectives, they should appear in a set order: size/shape + age + color + origin + material. A big brown house A small old English desk A beautiful black Italian leather purse Delicious Chinese food The + adjective describes a class or group of people and acts as a noun. the old, the young, the poor, the rich, the oppressed, the homeless, etc. This popular TV show is loved by the old. [Quiz 7.1] Write opposite adjectives using the appropriate prefix. 1) Clear - 2) Definite - 3) Correct - 4) Expensive - 5) Complete - [Quiz 7.2] Underline all adjectives in the following sentences. In the spring, red roses blossom in my cute small garden. The beautiful birds also sing in the big oak tree. Answers [7.1] 1) unclear 2) indefinite 3) incorrect 4) inexpensive 5) incomplete [7.2] red, cute, small, beautiful, big, oak
Adverbs
Adverbs modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. An adverb tells more about a verb in the sentence. The fire engine runs fast. Listen to his speech carefully. I browse the web frequently. It rained hard. An adverb describes more about an adjective in the sentence. The news is very surprising! The coffee is extremely hot, so be careful. Nature is really amazing! An adverb modifies another adverb in the sentence. It rains very hard. Computers run much faster these days. I clean my room less frequently because I am busy. Commonly, adjectives can be changed to adverbs by adding 'ly'. slow - slowly quick - quickly comfortable - comfortably loud - loudly clear - clearly To change adjectives ending in 'y' into adverbs, change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'ly'. happy - happily easy - easily [Quiz 9.1] Choose the correct word form in the following sentences. 1)I spoke to you (careful, carefully) last time. 2)We talked about it (clear, clearly). 3)I sat on the (comfortable, comfortably) sofa. 4)My dog runs very (fast, faster). 5)Let's install the new program (quick, quickly). Answers
Punctuation-capitalisation
Capitalization means using a capital letter (for example, A instead of a). Capitalization Rules Always capitalize the following: The first word in a sentence and the first word after a period It is the first day of school. He is my husband. His name is Phil. He is an engineer. The first word in a quotation She said, "They don't know what to do." He asked, "When are we leaving?" The pronoun I This is where I was born. Can I have a slice of cake? The first letter of a proper noun (specific name) My name is John Smith. I was born in Brazil. I went to Harvard University. I drink Starbucks coffee. The first letter of months, days, and holidays (but not seasons) Today is December 5, 2014. My dentist appointment is on Monday. My favorite holiday is Christmas. My favorite season is winter. The first letter of nationalities, religions, races of people, and languages I love to eat Chinese food. I speak Spanish and German. I believe in Christianity. There are many Russian students at my school. The first letter in a person's title My doctor is Dr. Lopez. Have you met Mrs. Lee? Geographic areas: cities, states, countries, mountains, oceans, rivers, etc. My favorite city is Boston. I live in New York. I was born in London, England. We live near the Mississippi River. The first letter of each major word in the title of a book, movie, article, etc. Have you seen the movie Harry Potter? Tolstoy's War and Peace is my favorite novel. General Rule: Do not capitalize the word "the" before proper nouns unless "the" is part of an official title We visited the Grand Canyon. We have to fly over the Pacific Ocean. The report came from The Associated Press. My favorite book is The Great Gatsby,.
Comparative and Superlative adjectives
Comparative adjectives compare two things. Superlative adjectives compare more than two things Commonly, adjectives that contain only one syllable or end in 'y' use 'er' to form comparatives and 'est' to form superlatives. For adjectives ending in y, change the 'y' to 'i' before adding the 'er' or 'est'. old - older - oldest young - younger - youngest pretty - prettier - prettiest long - longer - longest short - shorter - shortest bright - brighter - brightest close - closer - closest happy - happier - happiest Adjectives with two or more syllables do not change but instead add more to form comparatives and most to form superlatives. respectable - more respectable - most respectable beautiful - more beautiful - most beautiful preferable - more preferable - most preferable hardworking - more hardworking - most hardworking Some adjectives have different forms of comparatives and superlatives. good - better - best bad - worse - worst little - less - least much (many) - more - most far - further - furthest The word than typically appears in comparative sentences. Amy is smarter than Betty. Chad is stronger than Dan. Greg is more diligent than his brother. I have more apples than he. She likes him more than me. Superlatives are typically accompanied by the word the. Tom is the oldest man in town. Paul is the tallest boy in the neighborhood. That shade of blue is the most beautiful color. This is the longest song that I have ever heard. [Quiz 8.1] Write the appropriate comparative or superlative form of the word cold in each blank. Yesterday was a cold day. Today is than yesterday. Tomorrow will be the day yet. [Quiz 8.2] Which of the following sentences is incorrect? 1)Mary is shorter than Jane. 2)The moon is more closer to the earth than the sun. 3)I have the best score on the exam. [Quiz 8.3] Fill in the blanks. 1)My friend has a pretty purse, but I have a one. 2)The weather is yet to come! 3)Today's sunshine is beautiful than yesterday's. Answers [8.1] colder, coldest [8.2] 2 [8.3] prettier, best, more
Count Nouns vs. Non-Count Nouns
Count nouns Can be counted as one or more. pen, computer, bottle, spoon, desk, cup, television, chair, shoe, finger, flower, camera, stick, balloon, book, table, comb, etc. Take an s to form the plural. pens, computers, bottles, spoons, desks, cups, televisions, chairs, shoes, fingers, flowers, cameras, sticks, balloons, books, tables, combs, etc. Work with expressions such as (a few, few, many, some, every, each, these, and the number of). a few pens, a few computers, many bottles, some spoons, every desk, each cup, these televisions, the number of chairs, a few shoes, a few fingers, many flowers, some cameras, every stick, each balloon, these books, the number of tables, many combs, etc. Work with appropriate articles (a, an, or the). a pen, the computer, a bottle, the spoon, a desk, the cup, a television, the chair, a shoe, the finger, a flower, the camera, a stick, the balloon, a book, the table, a comb, etc. Do NOT work with much (for example, you would never say much pens or much computers). Non-count nouns Cannot be counted. They usually express a group or a type. water, wood, ice, air, oxygen, English, Spanish, traffic, furniture, milk, wine, sugar, rice, meat, flour, soccer, sunshine, etc. Generally cannot be pluralized. Work both with and without an article (a, an, or the), depending on the context of the sentence. Sugar is sweet. The sunshine is beautiful. I drink milk. He eats rice. We watch soccer together. The wood is burning. Work with expressions such as (some, any, enough, this, that, and much). We ate some rice and milk. I hope to see some sunshine today. This meat is good. She does not speak much Spanish. Do you see any traffic on the road? That wine is very old. Do NOT work with expressions such as (these, those, every, each, either, or neither). Quiz Choose all of the non-count nouns in the following list: wine, student, pen, water, wind, milk, computer, furniture, cup, rice, box, watch, potato, wood wine, water, wind, milk, furniture, rice, Wood Answers wine, water, wind, milk, furniture, rice, wood
Determiners: Demonstrative:
Determiners are used to modify nouns. They are used to identify nouns in more detail. There are four demonstratives: this, these, that, those. Demonstratives are used to state the distance of what the speaker is referring to. "This", "That", "These", "Those" are used when referring to something specific. Demonstrative determiners are always followed by a noun. "This" and "That" are followed by a singular noun. "These" and "Those" are followed by plural nouns. Demonstrative Determiners: This or These "This" and "These" are used when referring to something close to the speaker. "This" is followed by a singular noun. "These" is followed by a plural noun. This car is very expensive. This dress is too big for me. This book is very good. This house is old. These cars were stolen. These shoes are very uncomfortable. These dogs are friendly. These apples are tasty. Demonstrative Determiners: That or Those "That" and "Those" are used when referring to something far from the speaker. "That" is followed by a singular noun. "Those" is followed by a plural noun. That house was built forty years ago. That woman is my neighbor. That animal is dangerous. That jacket is not mine. Those people are blocking traffic. Those flowers are beautiful. Those parking spaces are reserved. Those stores are expensive.
Possessive Nouns
Possessive nouns are used to indicate ownership. Possessive nouns usually are formed by adding an apostrophe (') and s. John's book Kerry's car Grandma's mirror When a noun is plural and ends in s, just add an apostrophe ('). The kids' toys My parents' house The teachers' lounge If two people own one thing, add the apostrophe and s to the second person only. John and Mary's new house David and Sue's wedding Tom and Doug's car If two people own separate things, add the apostrophe and s for each person. Susan's and Beth's books Jean's and Dan's pants Ben's and Jim's offices Quiz Which of the following is not correct? 1)Dr. Hunts has a new computer. 2)Dr. Hunts's new computer is working well. 3)Dr. Hunts' computer is new. Answers Both 2 and 3 are the correct answers. In your writing, you should be consistent. If you choose to leave the final 's' out, then leave it out throughout your writing.
Progressive and Perfect Tense
Progressive Tense The progressive tense involves action that is, was, or will be in progress at a certain time. In the progressive tense, verbs are formed with a "be" verb + ing. run I am running a marathon right now. (present progressive) I was running a marathon at this time last year. (past progressive) I will be running a marathon next Sunday. (future progressive) eat I am eating lunch now. I was eating lunch when you saw me. I will be eating lunch in the meeting. learn I am learning English at my desk. I was learning English the last two years. I will be learning English then. cook I am cooking my supper now. I was cooking our dinner when you called me. I will be cooking breakfast by the time you come home. Perfect Tense The present perfect tense describes an action that started in the past and continues to the present time. Use has/have + the past participle form of the verb. The past perfect tense describes an action that started and ended in the past. Use had + the past participle form of the verb. The future perfect tense describes future actions that will occur before some other action. Use will have + the past participle form of the verb. run I have run several marathons this year. (present perfect) I had run many marathons in the past. (past perfect) I will have run a marathon by the time I turn 30. (future perfect) learn I have learned a lot about English grammar this semester. I had learned the basics of English grammar in elementary school. I will have learned a lot about English grammar when I finish college. know I have known her since I was young. I had known her until she passed away. I will have known her for 20 years next month. cook I have cooked supper every night this week. I had cooked supper every night until the stove broke. I will have cooked supper every night by the time this diet ends. [Quiz 11.1] Using the following sentence and create three more sentences using the present, past, and future progressive tenses. I sing a song on the big stage. [Quiz 11.2] Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb given. 1)He (exercise) hard since last year. 2)I (study) math as my major since high school. Answers I am singing a song on the big stage. I was singing a song on the big stage. I will be singing a song on the big stage. [11.2] 1) has exercised 2) have studied
Punctuation - Commas
Punctuation is a mark that makes a meaning of a sentence clear. One of the most common punctuation marks is the comma. A comma (,) is used within a sentence. It is used to separate parts of a sentence. It is also used when listing words. Comma Used to Separate Clauses A comma is used to separate clauses. Commas are often used in sentences that have coordinating conjunctions. My friend is moving, so I'm going to help him pack. I want to see a movie, but I'm very tired. Unless you have a valid driver's license, you cannot rent a car. After I leave the house, my dog jumps on the bed. Comma Used to List Series of Words A comma is used when listing a series of words adjectives, nouns, and verbs. He is young, smart, and handsome. I need to buy bread, potatoes, cheese, and carrots at the store. The ballerina leaped, twirled, and landed on the ground perfectly. Comma Used to Separate Clauses Commas are used to separate nonrestrictive appositive nouns. A nonrestrictive appositive noun is separated by a comma or placed in between two commas. My mom, Linda, is a chef. I am meeting with the school principal, Mr. James. Buddy, the Scottish terrier, is scared of cats.
Punctuation- Period ( Lesson 11.1)
Punctuation is a mark that makes a meaning of a sentence clear. The most common punctuation mark is the period. A period is used to indicate the end of a sentence. It is used to make a statement. Period at the End of a Sentence A period is used at the end of a sentence. It is used to make a statement. My name is Bill. I am 24 years old. I live in Seattle. I am a teacher. Period after a Single Word Sometimes a single word can be a complete sentence. Hello. Good-bye. Stop. Go. Period in Abbreviated Words A period is used in abbreviated words or shortened words. Many words can be abbreviated. These are a few common examples. Mister Misses Doctor Sergeant Mr. Mrs. Dr. Sgt. Street Road Avenue Boulevard St. Rd. Ave. Blvd. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat. Sun. January February March April May June July August September October November December Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Period in Numbers Periods used in numbers are called decimal points. Decimal points separate a whole number and a fraction of a whole number. It is used when referring to temperature and money.
Singular and plural nouns
Singular and Plural Nouns A noun names a person, place, thing, or idea. Usually, the first page of a grammar book tells you about nouns. Nouns give names of concrete or abstract things in our lives. As babies learn "mom," "dad," or "milk" as their first word, nouns should be the first topic when you study a foreign language. For the plural form of most nouns, add s. bottle - bottles cup - cups pencil - pencils desk - desks sticker - stickers window - windows For nouns that end in ch, x, s, or s sounds, add es. box - boxes watch - watches moss - mosses bus - buses For nouns ending in f or fe, change f to v and add es. wolf - wolves wife - wives leaf - leaves life - lives Some nouns have different plural forms. child - children woman - women man - men mouse - mice goose - geese Nouns ending in vowels like y or o do not have definite rules. baby - babies toy - toys kidney - kidneys potato - potatoes memo - memos stereo - stereos A few nouns have the same singular and plural forms. sheep - sheep deer - deer series - series species - species [Quiz 1.1] Choose the correct form of the noun in each sentence. 1)I have three (child, children). 2)There are five (man, men) and one (woman, women). 3)(Baby, Babies) play with bottles as toys. 4)I put two big (potato, potatoes) in the lunch box. 5)A few men wear (watch, watches). 6)I put a (memo, memos) on the desk. 7)I saw a (mouse, mice) running by. 8)There are few (bus, buses) on the road today. Answers 1) children 2) men, woman 3) Babies 4) potatoes 5) watches 6) memo 7) mouse 8) buses
perfect progressive tense
The perfect progressive tense describes actions that repeated over a period of time in the past, are continuing in the present, and/or will continue in the future. The present perfect progressive tense tells you about a continuous action that was initiated in the past and finished at some point in the past; however, the action has some relation to the present time. Use have/has + been + ing. It has been raining, and the street is still wet. I have been running, and I am still tired. She has been practicing the piano, and she is much better now. The past perfect progressive tense illustrates a continuous action in the past that was completed before another past action. Use had + been + ing. It had been raining, and the street was still wet. I had been running, and I was still tired. She had been practicing the piano, and she had gotten much better. The future perfect progressive tense indicates a continuous action that will be completed in the future. Use will + have + been + ing. By tonight, it will have been raining several hours, and the street will be very wet. By next summer, I will have been running for almost a year, and I will be fit and healthy. By the time of the concert, she will have been practicing the piano for several months, and she will be much better. [Quiz 12.1] Choose the incorrect sentence from the following. 1)I have been sleeping all day today. 2)They will have been walking for almost an hour by the time they arrive at their destination. 3)She have been eating a lot recently. Answers [12.1] 3) have -> has
Indefinite articles
The words "a", "an", and "the" are special adjectives called articles. Articles define nouns as either specific or unspecific. "A" and "an" are indefinite articles. Indefinite articles are used before singular nouns and countable nouns that are not specified. You cannot use "a" or "an" before plural nouns or uncountable nouns. "A" is used before nouns starting with consonants letters (letters other than a, e, i, o, u). "A" is also used with words that sound like they start with a consonant even if they start with a vowel (university, unit, one). "An" is used before nouns starting with vowels (a, e, i, o, u) or with a silent h (hour, honor). Indefinite Articles - singular nouns Consonants letters (letters other than a, e, i, o, u. Vowels (a, e, i, o, u) A banana. A car A helicopter A lamp A woman A man A dog A tree A sandwich A robot A university A unit An apple An animal An egg An elephant An igloo An ice cream cone An ostrich An onion An umbrella An ugly sweater An hour An honor
definite articles (the)
The words "a", "an", and "the" are special adjectives called articles. Articles define nouns as either specific or unspecific. "The" is a definite article. Definite articles are used to refer to a specific noun or a noun that has been previously specified. They can be used before singular, plural, countable, and uncountable nouns. "The" is used before words that start with consonants or vowels. It does not matter what letter the word starts with. Definite Articles - singular and plural nouns Singular Nouns Plural Nouns Please close the door. I am going to the store today. The bird landed on the roof. Dinner is on the table. The apples are sweet. The customers are getting impatient. Who ate all of the donuts? The flowers are beautiful. Definite Articles - countable and uncountable nouns Countable Nouns Uncountable Nouns Who moved the chairs? The computer is broken. The bottle is empty. The balloon is deflating. The water is cold. The meat is tough. Smoke filled the air. The wood is burning.
simple tense
Verb tense tells you when the action happens. There are three main verb tenses: present, past, and future. Each main tense is divided into simple, progressive, perfect, and perfect progressive tenses. Present Past Future Simple finish finished will finish Progressive. am/is/are finishing was/were finishing will be finishing Perfect have/has finished had finishing. will have finished Perfect Progressive have/has been finishing,had been finishing,will have been finishing Things to remember about simple tense: a. Present tense is the original verb form. b. Past tense has a few patterns. c. Future tense needs will (shall) + verb. run I run a marathon twice a year. (present) I ran a marathon last year. (past) I will run a marathon next year. (future) eat I eat lunch in my office. I ate lunch an hour ago. I will eat lunch in one hour. see I see a movie once a week. I saw a movie yesterday. I will see a movie tomorrow. know I know it. I knew it the day before yesterday. I will know it by tomorrow. learn I learn English. I learned English the last two years. I will learn English next year. cook I cook my supper every night. I cooked our dinner already. I will cook breakfast tomorrow. [Quiz 10.1] Fill in the blanks with appropriate verb forms. 1)I a song at the concert yesterday. 2)He a letter to his girlfriend tomorrow. 3)I to the library to borrow some books this weekend. Answers [10.1] 1) sang 2) will write 3) will go
