SPS

BASICS ENGLISH GRAMMAR NOTES

EASY TO UNDERSTAND FOR ALL CLASSES

WRITTEN BY MALIK SAJJAD RAZVI

Address: Sahara Street, Near Telephone Exchange, Railway Road, Shakaragrh (NWL)

+92 300-4067490 www.spsschools.com

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THE PARTS OF SPEECH
A REVIEW FOR STUDENTS

A part of speech (also called lexical categories, grammatical categories or word classes) is a
linguistic category of words.
There are Eight Parts of Speech. We will add one more type: articles to digest the article use of A /
An and The.

A list of parts of speech in English grammar include the following:

NOUNS

PRONOUNS

ADJECTIVES

VERBS

ADVERBS

PREPOSITIONS

CONJUNCTIONS

INTERJECTIONS

ARTICLES

We will study here about Parts of speech, Article, sentence, Clauses, Phrases with types.

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NOUN
A noun is a naming word; a noun is a word used to refer to people, animals, objects, substances,
states, events, ideas and feelings.
Noun is a word which names a person, a place or a thing. Everything has a name and every name is
a NOUN.
Examples: Car, Book, Computer, House, Chair, etc.
There are many kinds of noun.
Types of Noun Forms and Functions
1. Common Noun
2. Proper Noun
3. Material Nouns
4. Abstract Noun
5. Collective Noun
6. Compound Noun
7. Count/countable Noun
8. Mass/uncountable Noun
9. Verbal Noun
Before describing noun kindly remember we have two categories of Noun (i) Animate Noun
(ii) Inanimate Noun.
Animate nouns refer to a person, animal, or other creature (man, elephant, chicken...)
An inanimate noun refers to a material object (stone, wood, table...)
Common Noun
A common noun is the word used for a common class of person, place or thing. Or Name of a
common or a non-specific thing, place, or person is called common noun.
Examples: book, pen, room, garden man, girl, road, camera, month, day, chair, school,
Proper Noun
Name of a particular or a specific thing, place or person is called proper Noun.
Examples: Quaid-e-Azam, Shakargarh, BMW Car, April, Monday, Tayyab, Asad etc.
If a common noun is specified it becomes a proper noun. Similarly car is a common noun but if it is
specified like BMW Car, it becomes proper noun.
Note: The first letter of proper noun is always written in capital letter.
Examples:
Hammad lives in Pakistan.
I study in SPS.
Author of the book (Baang-e-Jibraeel) is Allama Iqbal.
Material Noun
Material Noun is the name of a material or a substance or an ingredient of an alloy and which we
can touch. E.g. Sugar, Sand, Salt, Tea Leaves, Soil, Water, etc.
Examples:
Cotton dress is cheap. I purchased a gold ring. This is a shop for diamonds. Calcium is good for health.
Plastic is for ordinary use. Iron is very useful metal. It is made of wood.

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Abstract Noun
An abstract noun is a word which names something that you cannot see, hear, touch, smell, or taste,
it is an action or state. It is the opposite of a concrete noun.
Examples: Anger, Anxiety, Beliefs, Bravery, Brilliance, Chaos, Charity, Childhood, Comfort,
Communication, Compassion, Courage, Culture, Opportunity, Pain, Patience, Peace, Pleasure,
Pride, Relaxation, Sacrifice, Satisfaction, Skill, Strength, Success, Sympathy, Talent, Thought, Trust,
Truth, Warmth, and Wisdom.
I fear the night. (In this sentence, fear shows action so it is a verb).
We feel proud on our Pakistan Army.
Collective Noun
Collective noun is a noun which stands for a group or collection of people or things.
Examples: Army, team, crowed, audience, minority, navy, public, school, society, committee.
The government is doing a good job.
He prefers an audience that arrives without expectations.
The whole family was sitting around the table.
Compound Noun
A compound noun is a noun that is made with two or more words. A compound noun is usually two
or more nouns combined to form a single noun (Sometimes, they are hyphenated.)
Examples: Mother-in-law Court-martial Class fellow Cooking-oil Grandfather
Count / countable Noun
A count noun is something which we can count. It has a singular form and a plural form. They can be
counted. (That's why they are called "countable nouns").
Examples: one book, three books; a leg, two legs; an apple, six apples, many friends.
MASS / Uncountable Noun
The definition of a mass noun is a noun that names something that cannot be counted.
Examples: Advice, air, blood, equipment, food, garbage, grass, information, knowledge,
mathematics, milk, money, water
Verbal Noun
At the same time it is the subject of the verb and functions as a noun. Such a form of the verb ending
in ing and used as a noun is called a gerund or verbal noun. It is acting just like a noun.
Examples: This bad drawing of a house is not acceptable for your project.
Drawing is a verbal noun. It is acting just like a noun. It was a lovely building. Reading is my hobby.

PRONOUN
Pronoun is a word that is used instead of a noun, (A pronoun is used in place of a noun or nouns).
A pronoun is used in the place of a noun or phrase.
E.g. He, She, It, I, We, They, Her, Him, Its, etc.
Examples: Moeed is an intelligent student. He is my younger brother. He goes to school daily. He
studies a lot. He is making preparation for examination. He will get high marks examination.
In the above paragraph pronoun he is used instead of noun Moeed. If we do not use pronoun in

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above paragraph we will have to use the noun Moeed again and again in each sentence. So, the
purpose of pronoun is to avoid the repetition of a noun.
Examples: He, she, it, they, you, I, we, who, him, her, them, me, us, whom, his, its, their, your, mine,
our and whose, myself, himself, herself, yourself, which, this, that these, those, are the pronouns
which are mostly used.

Types of Pronoun
Pronoun can be divided into following groups.
1. Personal Pronouns:
E.g. I, you, He, she, it, they, who, me, him, her, them, whom

2. Subject Pronouns:
E.g. he, She, I, we, you, hey, it,

3. Possessive Pronouns:
E.g. yours, mine, his, hers, ours, theirs,

4. Objective Pronouns:
E.g. him, her, me, us, them, it,

5. Reflexive Pronouns/ Intensive Pronouns:

E.g. myself, himself, herself, itself, yourself, ourselves, themselves

6. Reciprocal Pronouns:
E.g. each other, one another

7. Relative Pronouns:
E.g. who, whom, whose, which, that

8. Demonstrative Pronouns:
E.g. this, these, that, those

9. Indefinite Pronouns:
E.g. all, another, any, anybody, somebody, anything, everybody, both, each one, etc.

10. Interrogative Pronouns:

E.g. who, which, what, when, how, why,

11. Numerical Pronouns:

E.g. one, two, three, second, third, many etc

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Personal Pronouns / Subjective Pronoun
Personal / Subjective pronoun describes a particular person or thing or group or Personal
pronouns replace people and things. These are: he, she, it, they, him, her, and them.
Example: He helps poor. The pronoun he in this sentence describes a person who helps poor.
Use of Personal Pronouns

SINGULAR PLURAL

Possessive
Subjective Objective Subjective Possessive Objective
Pronoun /
Pronoun Pronoun Pronoun Pronoun Pronoun
Adjective

1st
I my, mine me we our, ours us
person

2nd
you your, yours you you your, yours you
person

he his him
3rd they
she her, hers her their, theirs them
person
it its it

Examples: She is an intelligent girl. They are playing chess. He sent me a letter. It is raining.
Subjective Pronouns
A subjective pronoun acts as the subject of a sentence. It performs the action of the verb. The
subjective pronouns are he, she, it, I, we, you and they
Example: He spends summer vacations with his friends.
He is working as a subject here. The pronoun who is spending his vacation is he.
I play football. After lunch, she and I went to the Park. We offer prayers five times in a day.
Possessive Pronouns
Possessive Pronoun indicates close possession or ownership or relationship of a thing/person to
another thing/person.
E.g. yours, mine, his, hers, ours, theirs, hers
Example: This book is mine.
The pronoun mine describes the relationship between book and a person (me) who possesses this
book or who is the owner of this book.
That car is hers. Your book is old. Mine is new. The pen on the table is mine. The smallest cup is
yours. The voice is hers. The car is ours not theirs. I have lost my camera. May I use yours?
Objective Pronouns
An objective pronoun acts as the object of a sentence it receives the action of the verb. The
objective pronouns are her, him, it, me, them, us, and you.
Examples: He gave me a book. Take a picture of him, not us

THE BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR (SPS) PRINCIPAL: MALIK SAJJAD

 Reflexive
Subject pronouns Possessive pronoun Object pronouns
pronouns
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I My / mine me myself

you Your / yours you yourself

he His / his him himself

she Her / hers her herself

it Its / its it itself

we Our / ours us ourselves

you Your / ours you yourselves

they Their / theirs them themselves

Reflexive Pronouns / Intensive Pronouns

Reflexive pronoun describes noun when subjects action affects the subject itself.
E.g. himself, yourself, herself, ourselves, themselves, itself are reflexive pronouns.
Reflexive pronouns always act as objects not subjects, and they require an interaction between the
subject and an object.
Note: Reflexive noun can also be used to give more emphasis on subject or object. If a reflexive
pronoun is used to give more emphasis on a subject or an object, it is called Intensive Pronoun.
Usage and function of intensive pronoun are different from that of reflexive pronoun.
For example: She herself started to think about herself.
In the above sentence the first herself is used as intensive pronoun while the second herself is
used as reflexive pronoun.
See the following examples of intensive pronouns & reflexive pronouns.

Examples of Intensive Pronouns:

I did it myself. OR. I myself did it. She herself washed the clothes.
He himself decided to go to New York. She herself told me.
Examples of Reflexive Pronouns:
I looked at myself in the mirror. You should think about yourself.
They prepared themselves for completion. He bought a car for himself.
Reciprocal pronouns
A reciprocal pronoun expresses a mutual action or relationship. In English, the reciprocal pronouns
are:
Each other
One another
Examples: Two boys were pushing each other. The car and the bus collided with each other.
The students in the class greeted one another.
Relative Pronouns
A relative pronoun is a pronoun that introduces a relative clause. Or Relative pronoun is a pronoun
which joins relative clauses and relative sentences.
For example: It is the person, who helped her.
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In this sentence the word who is a relative pronoun which refers to the noun (the person) which is
already mentioned in beginning of sentence (It is the person)
in above sentence the pronoun who joins two clauses which are it is the person and who helped
her.
Examples:
This is the girl who got first position in class. The car which I like is red.
The man whom I met yesterday is a nice person. This is the boy whose father is doctor.
Demonstrative Pronouns
Demonstrative pronoun is a pronoun that points to a thing or things.
E.g. this, that, these, those, none,
These pronouns point to thing or things in short distance/time or long distance/time.
Short distance or time: This, these.
Long distance or time: That, those.
Examples: This is black. That is heavy. Can you see these? Do you like this? Bilal brought these.
Indefinite Pronouns
An indefinite pronoun does not refer to any specific person, thing or amount from which we cannot
identify any person or thing.
Some typical indefinite pronouns are:
all, another, any, anybody/anyone, anything, each, everybody/everyone, everything, few, many,
nobody, none, one, several, some, somebody/someone
Examples: I don't like anything about music. Everything is funny. Can anyone answer this
question?
Interrogative Pronouns
Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions.
The main interrogative pronouns are: who, whom, whose, which, and what. (Whoever, whomever,
whichever, and whatever can also be interrogative pronouns).
Examples: Who won the race? Whom shall we ask? Whose did they take? Which is the greater?
What is that?
Numerical Pronouns
These are used to show the number or position occupied in a scheme of arrangement. They are of
two types:
The cardinal: one, two, three, etc
The ordinal: first; second; third, etc.
Examples:
Ten people were invited but only two interviewed. My father has two houses, the first is in Lahore
and the second, is in Islamabad.

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ADJECTIVE
Adjective is used to modifies/describe (gives more information about) a noun or pronoun.
An adjective is a word which modifies a noun or a pronoun.
For example: tall man, old house, red car. The words tall, old, red are adjectives which give more
information about nouns man, house, and car in these examples.
More than one adjective can also be used for a single noun in sentence.
Examples:
The beautiful girl entered into the room.
The tall, beautiful girl entered into the room.
The tall, thin and beautiful girl entered into the room.
The tall, thin, beautiful and intelligent girl entered into the room.
An adjective gives information about the colour, size, characteristic, quality, quantity or personal
traits of a noun or pronoun.
Some examples:
White, red, black, green, purple, yellow, orange, brown, and black are adjectives because they
mention the colour of noun or pronoun.
Beautiful, pretty, ugly, thin, slim, fat, tall, and short are adjectives and they describe physical
characteristic of a noun or pronoun.
Intelligent, brave, courageous, determined, exuberant and diligent are adjective and they describe
the personal traits of a noun or pronoun.

Degrees of Adjectives and their use

There are three degrees of adjectives.
1. Positive Adjective 2. Comparative Adjective 3. Superlative Adjective
Positive Adjective
The term positive degree relates to adjectives and adverbs. An adjective is a word which modifies a
noun or a pronoun.
In the example below:
He's got a beautiful car. Beautiful is an adjective modifying car (it gives more information about the
noun car.)
Examples: Rich, pretty, handsome, good
He is a rich man.
This is a good book.
Asma has long hair.
This class has intelligent students.

See the degrees of adjective on next page.

THE BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR (SPS) PRINCIPAL: MALIK SAJJAD

 Positive Comparative Superlative 9

Big Bigger Biggest

Great Greater Greatest
Short Shorter Shortest
Old Older Oldest
Large Larger Largest
Happy Happier Happiest
Lucky Luckier Luckiest
Heavy Heavier Heaviest
Beautiful More beautiful Most beautiful
Horrible More horrible Most horrible
Good Better Best
Bad Worse Worst
Little Less Least
Many More Most

Use of comparative adjective

We use comparatives to compare two things or two people. (e.g She is taller than her husband.)
Comparative adjectives are used to express characteristic of one thing in comparison to another
thing (one thing).
It makes comparison between two things (only two things not more than two).
Word than is mostly used after comparative adjective but sometimes other words to may be used
after comparative adjective.
Examples:
Amina is taller than Maryyam.
A cup is smaller than a glass.
Hammad is junior to me.
Chinese is more difficult than English.
Pakistan is more beautiful than New York.
Muneeba is more intelligent than me.
Use of Superlative adjective
Comparative adjectives are used to express characteristic of one thing in comparison to other things
(many things). It makes comparison among things more than two. Superlative is the highest degree
of a thing in comparison to other things.
Note: Article the is used before superlative degree. In or of etc. is used after the superlative
adjective and modifying noun in sentence.
Examples:
Brunel is the most beautiful hotel in England.
Mount Everest is the highest mountain in world.

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The Nile River is the longest river in the world. Our generation is the most modern.
His house is the biggest in the street.

VERB
Verb is a word which shows action or state of something.
Examples: Write, run, eat, drink, catch, clean, speak, laugh, weep, are some verbs
He works in a factory. (action)
I bought a computer. (action)
Tehreem seems happy. (state)
He resembles his brother. (state)
Kinds of Verb
Main Verb
Helping verb & Auxiliary verb
Modal Verbs
Transitive Verbs
Intransitive Verbs
Stative / State verbs
Prepositional Verb

Main Verb
A verb which has major meaning in terms of action are called main verb, i.e. write, buy, eat etc.
Helping verb / Auxiliary verb
A verb which supports the main verb to form the structure of sentence, according a specific tense, is
called helping verb or auxiliary verb, i.e. is, am, have, was, had, is, will etc.
Examples:
Zunaira is going to read books. (go is main verb while is is helping verb and to read is infinitive)
Sonia was eating an apple. (eat is main verb while was is helping verb)
Modal Verbs (Modal auxiliaries)
Modal verbs are used to express ideas such as ability, possibility, intention or necessity and 1st form
of verb is used with these model verbs.
Examples:
Can, could (ability)
May, might (possibility)
Will, shall, would (intention)
Should (necessity)
Ought to (moral duty)
Must (necessity)
Modal verbs can be used before main verb as helping verbs.
Examples: I can play violin. It may rain today. You must learn the test-taking strategies. I will call
you.

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Transitive and intransitive verbs
Transitive Verbs
A verb which needs to have object in sentence is called transitive verb, because without object it
does not covey complete meaning.
Example: He bought ______.
There should be some object in this sentence for verb buy. Without an object the verb bought
does not give complete meaning. To make it more meaningful we use some object for verb bought
i.e. book or computer or car.
More examples: Attia has completed her work. Fiza caught a bird in bushes. She wrote a story.
Transitive verbs can be categorized into two types:
Mono-transitive and Ditransitive
Mono-transitive Verbs are verbs that require exactly one object. A monotransitive verb is a verb that
takes two arguments: a subject and a single direct object.
For example, the verbs buy, bite, break, and eat are monotransitive in English.
Example:
Yesterday, I bought a cat.
The cat bit me!
He broke the toothpick.
I told a story.
Di-transitive Verbs are verbs that may require two objects, a direct object and an indirect
object. EG: He gave her the letter. ('The letter' is the direct object, what he gave, and 'her' is the
indirect object, the person he gave it to. This sentence can also be written 'He gave the letter to
her'.)
Example:
She offered him (first object) her car (second object).
I told the children (indirect object) a story direct object).

Intransitive Verbs
A verb which does not need to have object in sentence is called intransitive.
Intransitive verb can give complete meaning without an object in sentence.
Example: He slept. She is laughing. It has rained. He is running. They arrived.
Stative / State verbs
Some verbs are not usually used in the continuous form, even when we are talking about temporary
situations or states. These are called stative verbs.
So, we say Im sorry, I dont understand rather than Im not understanding.
Stative verbs are often verbs connected with thinking and opinions.
She doesnt know what to do NOT She isnt knowing what to do.
Do you agree with me?
I dont recognize it, do you?
'They love it' or 'They are loving it'?
When a verb describes a state and not an action we do not use the continuous tense.

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For example, 'play' is an action so we can say 'playing'.
Grammatically it is not correct to say "Im loving it".
'Love' is a state verb and we should say "I love it".
Stative verbs generally fall into 4 groups
Emotion: love, hate, want, need
Possession: have, own, want, belong
Sense: see, hear, smell, seem
Thought: know, believe, and remember
Some Stative Verbs are doubt, dislike, understand, suspect, loathe, own, belong, know, like, need,
want, seem, mean, believe, forget, remember, prefer, hate, love, see
Here are some more examples of state verbs:
Some verbs can be both state and action verbs.
The meaning of these verbs is then different. Look at these:
'I have a car.' State verb showing possession.
'I am having a bath.' Action verb which, in this case, means 'taking'.
'I think you are cool.' State verb meaning 'in my opinion'.
'I am thinking about buying a motorbike.' Action verb meaning 'considering'.
Prepositional Verb (Verb + Preposition)
A prepositional verb is a combination of a verb and a preposition. A prepositional verb is an
idiomatic expression that combines a verb and a preposition to make a new verb with a distinct
meaning.
Examples: care for, long for, apply for, approve of, add to, resort to, result in, count on, and deal
with. It is just a verb followed by a preposition.
Prepositional Phrase = Verb + Preposition
Some verbs need particular prepositions to be used after them in sentences having a direct object.
Such a verb with its required preposition is called a prepositional phrase.
For example:
He knocks at the door. In sentence knock at is prepositional phrase which contains a verb knock
and a preposition at.
Prepositional Verbs are transitive and they have a direct object in sentence. Some of the frequently
used preposition verb are, laugh at, knock at, listen to, look at, look for, look after, wait for, agree to,
agree with, talk about, talked to
Examples: Shanza is listening to music. She looked at the blackboard. Amama and Nisar were
waiting for the teacher. Someone is knocking at the door. You should not rely on her.

ADVERB
Adverb is a word which modifies (gives more information) about a verb, adjective or other adverb.
E.g. He replied quickly.
The word quickly is an adverb which gives more information about verb reply in the above
example.
Examples (adverbs modifying verbs)
He was driving carelessly.

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They live happily.
Sana is laughing loudly.
Sadia goes to school daily.
We sometimes get confused.
He met me yesterday.
Guests will come here.

Adverbs vs. Adjectives

The difference between an adverb and an adjective is the following:
An adjective modifies a noun.
Example:
"Moeed is tall." (The adjective tall modifies the noun Moeed)
An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb.
Examples:

"That idea is simply ridiculous." (The adverb simply modifies the adjective ridiculous)
"She sings nicely." (The adverb nicely modifies the verb sing)
"She did it really well." (The adverb really modifies the adverb well)

Examples (adverbs modifying adjectives)

Note: The bold words (in following examples) are adverbs and the underlined words are adjectives.

It is a very difficult problem.

He is seriously ill.
This book is really nice.
The story of crazy man was truly funny.
You are too weak to walk.

Examples (adverbs modifying other adverbs)

Note: The bold word (in following examples) is an adverb and underlined word is the other adverb.
Zunaira drives very fastly.
He was talking too much angrily.
He ran fast enough to catch the bus.
Hira lives very happily.

Formation of Adverb
Most of adverbs are formed by adding ly to adjectives.
For example, happily, easily, quickly, angrily, correctly, fluently, proudly, loudly, rapidly, immediately
etc.
Adverb modifies verb by giving us the following information.
How the action occurs
Where the action occurs
How many times action occurs
At which time the action occurs
Intensity of action

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Types / Kinds of Adverb
Adverbs are categorized on the basis of it information it gives, into the following categories.
1. Adverbs of manner
2. Adverb of place
3. Adverb of time
4. Adverb of frequency
5. Adverb of degree
Adverbs of Manner
These adverbs tell us that in which manner the action occurs or how the action occurs or occurred or
will occur.
Examples: She speaks loudly. He was driving slowly. You replied correctly. Basma runs fast.
They solved the problem easily. Listen to me carefully.
Adverb of Place
Adverb of place tells us about the place of action or where action occurs / occurred / will occur.
E.g. here, there, near, somewhere, outside, ahead, on the top, at some place.
Examples:
Aniba will come here.
The children are playing outside.
Muneeba was standing near the wall.
They were flying kites on the top of hill.
Mah-Zaib lives somewhere in New York.
Aliza went there.
Adverb of time
These adverbs tell us about the time of action.
E.g. now, then, soon, tomorrow, yesterday, today, tonight, again, early, yesterday.
Examples:
Akhyar will buy a computer tomorrow.
The guest came yesterday.
Do it now.
She is still waiting for her brother.
Sehrish got up early in the morning.
Adverb of frequency
Adverbs of frequency tell us how many times the action occurs or occurred or will occur.
E.g. daily, sometimes, often, seldom, usually, frequently, always, ever, generally, rarely, monthly,
yearly.
Examples:
Sibgha goes to school daily.
She never smokes.
They always come in time.
Barking dogs seldom bite.
The employees are paid monthly.
The employees are paid every month.

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Adverb of degree
An adverb of degree tells us the level or extent that something is done or happens.
E.g. almost, much, nearly, quite, really, so, too, very, etc.
Examples:
It was too dark for us.
Her daughter is quite fat for her age.
She is still feeling very sad about her fathers death.
Exercise:
He speaks quietly. (quietly is an adverb of manner.)
I live here. (here is an adverb of place.)
We'll leave tomorrow. (tomorrow is an adverb of time.)
She never sleeps late. (never is an adverb of frequency.)
The water was extremely cold. (extremely is an adverb of degree)

Adverb rules
1. Regular adverbs:
Adverbs in English often end in -ly.
These adverbs are formed by adding -ly to the end of an adjective:
Adjective + ly
Examples: Adjective Adverb are: slow slowly, beautiful beautifully, careful carefully, violent
violently.
Spelling rules:
true truly (the silent e is dropped and add ly)
happy happily ( y becomes i and add ly.)
possible possibly (e after a consonant is dropped and ly is added.)
full fully (after ll and add y is added.)
2. Exceptions:
However, this is not the only way to form an adverb. Many adverbs do not end in -ly.
This is a list of adverbs that don't follow the rule:
These words are Adjective and also Adverb at the same time: fast, hard, late, early, daily.
Some adjectives change their form when they become adverbs: good (adjective), well (adverb)
3. Things to remember:
Many words are not adverbs although they end in -ly. Here are examples of adjectives that end in -ly.
Examples:
a kindly teacher
a lonely girl
an elderly person
a friendly brother
To decide whether a word is an adverb ask questions with how, where and when.
How does Ammar speak Spanish? He speaks Spanish fluently.
Where do the kids play football? They play football here.
When did she write the email to her husband? She wrote the email immediately.
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PREPOSITION
Preposition is a word that shows relation between noun or pronoun and the other words in
sentence.
E.g. in, on, at, to, with, under, above, into, by, of etc.
Preposition is always used before a noun or pronoun and shows the relation of the noun or pronoun
to the other words in sentence.
The following examples will help in better understanding.
Subject + Verb Preposition Noun
Kaynat was sleeping on Cot.
He lives in Paris
She looked at Stranger.
He will come in January.
Wedding ceremony will be held on 20th December.
I was waiting for you
Someone is knocking at The door.
Maham came by Bus.

Some common prepositions which are mostly used in, at, on

In
In is used to locate something enclosed in a space.
Examples: In a box, In a car, In a building, In my pocket, In my bag, In New York, In Spain.
They found a lot of money in his pocket. I 've lived in London for two years.

At
At is used to locate something at a certain point.
Examples: at the bus station, at the entrance, at the crossroads, at the junction, at the top of the
mountain, at John's house.

We were waiting at the bus stop when it started to rain.

He was at the entrance of the theater when he heard the noise.

On
On is used to indicate position above and in contact with the surface of something
Examples: On the wall, On the floor, On the table, On the ceiling, On the carpet, On the page, On
the cover.
The picture on the wall is fantastic.
You'll find more information about the camp on this page.

Other Prepositions

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Preposition Explanation Example

used to show the origin of "Where are you from?"
something or someone "I'm from Italy."
used to show the material of which The desk is made from pine.
from something is made Things went from bad to
used to show a change in the state worse.
of someone or something

used to show possession, belonging a friend of mine

or origin a kilo of apples
used after words or phrases
of
expressing amount, number or
particular unit

used to show the person or thing I'm reading some short stories
by that does something: (written) by Chekhov.

used for showing some methods of It'd be quicker to get

travelling there on foot / on horse
on
entering a public transport vehicle get on the train

entering a car / Taxi She got in the car and drove

in fast.

leaving a public transport vehicle She got off the bus

off

leaving a car / Taxi She got out of the train

out of

used to show measurements or Their wages were increased by

amounts 12%.
by travelling (other than walking or She
horse-riding) went by car, by bus, by train

age In theory, women can still have

at children at the age of 50.

on the subject of; connected with What's that book about?

about

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Prepositions show many relations (for different nouns) in sentence.
Types of Preposition
1. Preposition for Time
2. Preposition for Place
3. Preposition for Direction
4. Preposition for Agent
5. Preposition for Instrument
6. Prepositional Phrase
Prepositions for Time (in, on, at)
Prepositions used for time of different natures are in, on, at etc.
Preposition Time Nature
In 1. Month or Year.
e.g. in January, in 1985
2. Particular time of day or month or year
e.g. in morning, in evening, in first week of January, in summer, in winter
3. Century or specific time in past etc
e.g. in 21st century, in stone age, in past, in future, in present
On 1. Day
e.g. on Monday
2. Date
e.g. on 5th of March, March 5
3. Particular day
e.g. on Independence Day, on my birthday,
At 1. Time of clock
e.g. at 5 Oclock, at 7:30 PM
2. Short and precise time
e.g. at noon, at sunset, at lunch time, at bed time, at the moment, at the same time

Examples:
I was born in 1990.
Shumaila will go to New York on 25th of March.
The concert will begin at 7 Oclock.
Qamar gets up early in the morning.

Preposition for Place (in, on, at)

Prepositions in, on or at are usually used for different places.
In is usually used for place which have some boundary (boundary may physical or virtual).
On is used for surface
At is used for specific place.

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Preposition Place Nature
In Place having some boundary (physical or virtual boundary)
Examples: In hall, In school, In a building, In a box, In a car
On Surface of something.
Examples: On a table, On blackboard, On a page, On the wall, On the
roof, On a map
At Specific Place.
Examples: At the entrance, At the bottom of glass, At front of the chair, At
bus stop
Examples:
Hira lives in New York.Students study in library.
The wedding ceremony will be held in the hall.
There are some books on the table.
The teacher wrote a sentence on blackboard.

Preposition for Direction (To, toward, through, into)

Prepositions like to, towards, through, into are used to describe the direction.
Following examples will help in better understanding.
Examples:
She went to the library.
He jumped into the river.
He ran away when he felt that someone was coming toward him.

Preposition for Agent. (By)

Preposition for agent is used for a thing which is cause of another thing in the sentence. Such
prepositions are by, with etc. Following examples will help in better understanding.
Examples:
This book is written by Shakespeare.
The work was completed by him.
The room was decorated by her.
The tub is filled with water.

Preposition for device, instrument or machine

Different preposition are used by different devices, instruments or machines.
E.g. by, with, on etc. Following examples will help in better understanding.
Examples:
She comes by bus daily.
Fiza opened the lock with key.

Prepositional Verb
A prepositional phrase is a combination of a verb and a preposition. It is just a verb followed by a
preposition.
Prepositional Phrase = Verb + Preposition
Some verbs need particular prepositions to be used after them in sentences having a direct object.
Such a verb with its required preposition is called a prepositional phrase.
For example: He knocks at the door.
In above sentence knock at is prepositional phrase which contains a verb knock and a preposition
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at.
Prepositional Verbs are transitive and they have a direct object in sentence.
Some of the frequently used preposition verb is, laugh at, knock at, listen to, look at, look for, look
after, wait for, agree to, agree with, talk about, and talked to
Examples:
Ayesha is listening to music.
Sadia looked at the blackboard.
They were waiting for the teacher.
Do Rimsha and Maha agree with me?
Does she agree to my proposal?
Someone is knocking at the door.
You should not rely on her.

The Infinitive
The infinitive is the base form of the verb, often followed by to.
Read these sentences:
I want to go. They tried to find out fault with us.
The forms to go and to find are: infinitives.
Examples: Birds love to sing. To respect our parents is our duty. He refused to obey the orders.

CONJUNCTION
A conjunction is a part of speech that joins two words, phrases or clauses together.
E.g. and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so, although, because, since, unless, when, while, where are some
conjunctions.
Examples:
She tried but did not succeed.
Fatima does not go to school because he is ill.
Hamna and Fiza went to marriage ceremony.
Farah thought for a moment and kicked the ball.
I waited for him but he didnt come.
You will be ill unless you quit smoking.
We didnt go to the market because it was raining outside.

Single word Conjunction: Conjunction having one word

E.g. and, but, yet, because etc.
Compound Conjunction: Conjunction having two or more words
E.g. as long as, as far as, as well as, in order that, even if, so that etc.
There are three types of conjunctions:
Coordinating Conjunction
Subordinate Conjunction
Correlative Conjunction

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Coordinating Correlative
Common Subordinating Conjunctions
Conjunctions Conjunctions
for after either...or in order that
and before neither...nor if
nor although not only...but also lest
but though both...and even if
or even though whether...or that
yet as much as unless
so as long as until
as soon as when
because where
since whether
so that while

Coordinating Conjunction
Coordinating conjunctions, also called coordinators, are conjunctions that connect two or more equal
items.
Coordinating conjunctions are short words i.e. and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet.
Coordination conjunction joins two equal parts of a sentence,

Word + word
Phrase + phrase
Clause + clause
Independent clause + independent clause.
Examples:
Word + word: She likes tea and coffee.
Phrase + phrase: He may be in the room or on the roof.
Clauses + clause: What do you eat and what do you drink affect your health?
Independent clause + independent clause: The cat jumped over the mouse and the
mouse ran away.
In the following examples, coordinating conjunctions join two words of same importance.
Tayyaba likes pizza and cake. (pizza and cake)
Alina bought a table and a chair. (table and chair)
He may come by bus or car. (bus or car)
In the following examples, conjunction joins two independent clauses.
Independent clause is a clause which can stand alone as a sentence and have complete thought
on its own.
I called him but he didnt pick up the phone.
I advised him to quit smoking but he didnt act upon my advice.
He became ill so he thought he should go to a doctor.

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Subordinating Conjunctions
Subordinating conjunctions (called subordinators) join subordinate clause (dependent clause) to
main clause.
E.g. although, because, if, before, how, once, since, till, until, when, where, whether, while, after, no
matter how, provided that, as soon as, even if,
MAIN CLAUSE + SUBORDINATE CLAUSE
SUBORDINATE CLAUSE + MAIN CLAUSE
Subordinate clause is combination of words (subject and verb) which cannot stand alone as a
complete sentence. Subordinate clause is also called dependent clause because it is dependent on
main clause.
Examples:
Maliha does not go to school because she is ill.
Ayesha will call you after I reach my home.
I bought some cookies while I was coming from my office.
They played football although it was raining.

Correlative Conjunction
Correlative conjunctions are used in pairs. They work in pairs to coordinate two items.
Examples of correlative conjunctions include, both...and..., either...or, not only... but also...
(These are paired conjunctions which join words, phrases or clauses which have reciprocal or
complementary relationship.)
The most commonly used correlative conjunctions are as follows
Either or
Neither nor
Whether or
Both and
Not only but also
Examples:
Neither Asima nor Tehreem told a lie.
Give me either a cup or a glass.
Both red and yellow are attractive colures.
I like neither tea nor coffee.
He will be either in the room or in the hall.
Farah can speak not only English but also Urdu.

INTERJECTION
Interjections are short words which show strong feeling or emotion, which is used to show a short
sudden expression of emotion. Interjections are used to show surprise or emotion.
E.g. oh! Ah! Wow! Hurrah! Alas! Ouch! Oops! Aha! Hey! Etc.
Interjections are short exclamations which express strong or sudden feeling of
Joy
Sorrow
Wonder

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Exclamation sign is used after interjections.
Sign of interjection is !
Examples:
Hurrah! We won the competition. (Joy)
Ouch! It hurts. (Sorrow)
Wow! What a nice shirt. (Wonder)
Alas! My parents are dead. (Sorrow)
Oh! I forgot to bring my purse. (Sorrow)
Besides these specific interjections, a normal word can also be used as interjection if it is used to
express feeling or emotion.
No! Dont touch it, its hot.
What! I am selected for the job?
Help! I am about to fall.
Well! I will try my level best.

ARTICLES
English language has two articles, A / AN / THE. An article is used for a noun. An article like an
adjective modifies a noun.
For example, a book, the book, a cup, the cup, an umbrella, the umbrella. The article the is called
definite article and the article a/an is called indefinite article.

What is an article?
Basically, articles are either definite or indefinite. They combine to a noun to indicate the type of
reference being made by the noun.
The definite article is the.
The indefinite article is a / an.
An article is used before a noun or an adjective modifying a noun.
Indefinite Article (A / An)
The article a / an is used when we don't specify the things or people we are talking about or
The definite article a / an is used for indefinite, non-specific or non-particular (common) noun
Example: He bought a shirt.
The article a before shirt in above sentence means that the shirt he bought is any shirt and not a
specific shirt.

I met a friend.
I work in a company in Dubai.
I borrowed a pencil from a passenger sitting next to me.
The indefinite article a is used before a consonant sound or before single noun:
a dog, a pilot, a teacher, a university
NOTE: Although 'university' starts with the vowel 'u', it is not pronounced as such.
The indefinite article an is used before a vowel sound:

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an engineer
an elephant
an athlete
Article a / an is not used before uncountable nouns
E.g. water, milk, sand etc.
Article a / an is used for certain expressions of quantity
E.g. a lot of, a few, a couple, a dozen
Article a / an is used before a singular, countable noun in exclamation.
E.g. What a beautiful flower! What a nice shirt!

Definite Article (the)

The definite article "the" is used for a definite, specific or particular noun. It's used when the
speaker talks about a specific object that both the person speaking and the listener know.
Example: He bought the shirt.
The article the before the noun shirt in above sentence means that the shirt, he bought, is a
specific or particular shirt and not any shirt.
"He drank the water" (some specific water- for example, the water his wife brought him from
the kitchen) or "He drank water." (any water)
The car over there is fast.
The president of the Pakistan is giving a speech tonight.
Rules for using definite Article (the)
Note: When we speak of something or someone for the first time we use a or an, the next time we
repeat that object we use the definite article the.
I live in a house. The house is quite old and has four bedrooms.
I ate in a Chinese restaurant. The restaurant was very good.
The teacher helped a student and the student became happy.
The old lady. The girl with blue eyes. The Boy that I saw. The nice red shirt.
The best day. The only method The second month
The New York City, The River Nile, The library of Congress
Before the names of organizations
E.g. The Association of Chartered Accountants. The World Health Organization
Before names of scientific principles, theories, laws etc.
E.g. The Pythagorean Theorem, The laws of Newton, The Fahrenheit Scale. But no article will be
used for these names if written in forms like, Newtons Law, Daltons Law of Partial Pressures,
Article The is not used for names of universities if written in forms like Oxford University, Yale
University and Columbia University.
But article The is used if names of university are written in forms like The Sahara Public School,
The University of Yale, The University of Punjab.
Article The is not used for names of countries.
E.g. Pakistan, New York, America, Japan, London. Egypt.

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But article The is used for a name, if it expresses a group of place, states, or land.
E.g. The Pakistanis, The United States, The Philippines, The Netherlands
No article:
1. Do not use an article with countries, states, counties or provinces, lakes and mountains except
when the country is a collection of states such as "The United States".
He lives in Washington near Mount Rainier.
They live in Northern British Columbia.
They climbed Mount Everest.
2. We do not normally use an article with plurals and uncountable nouns to talk about things in
general.
He writes books. She likes sweets. Do you like jazz music? She ate bread with butter in the morning.

SENTENCE
Sentence
A group of words which expresses a complete idea or thought is called a sentence.
Example: He bought a car.
The above group of words expresses a complete idea. Such combination of words is called a
sentence.
Now, look at another group of words book a read him. This group of words does not make a
complete sense so it cannot be called a sentence.
A sentence is a combination of words including a subject and a verb which express a complete idea.
A sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a period, question mark or exclamation mark.
Note: A sentence consists of two parts i.e. subject and predicate.
Sentence = Subject + Predicate
For example in the sentence "Maidah writes good poems" Maidah is the subject of the sentence
and writes good poems is the predicate. We will discuss about predicate in next page
Examples:
Zunaira got 519 marks in 9th class.
Tehreem has gone to Lahore.
What are you doing?
What a beautiful flower!
We study in Sahara Public School.

Simple and complex sentences

Simple sentences contain one clause:
The girl is learning how to drive
Complex sentences contain more than one clause.
The girl who is learning how to drive is still twelve years old.
She faced the whole trouble with courage and managed to solve the problem all by herself.

Kinds of sentences:
There are four kinds of sentences.

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Assertive or Declarative Sentence
It makes a statement and ends with a period.
E.g. He goes to school. He likes to play chess. They are singing a song. Applicants will be answered
in due time.
Interrogative Sentence
Asks a question and ends with question mark. ?
E.g. Where are you going? Do you use your laptop? Does Sir Sajjad teach you English?

Imperative Sentence
Gives a command or makes a request.
E.g. Show me your photo album, please. (a request)
Open the door. (an order)
Please help me. (a request)
Exclamatory Sentence:
Expresses strong feelings or emotions.
These sentences express surprise, joy, sorrow, appreciation, love excitement, frustration, anger etc.
An exclamatory sentence ends with exclamation mark. !
E.g. What a beautiful flower it is!
How nicely she is talking!
Hurrah! We won the match!
Maryam got 518 marks in 9th class!
What a beautiful dress she is wearing!

SUBJECT AND PREDICATE

Subject
The part of sentence which performs some action in a sentence is called Subject. A subject has a
close relationship to what is being discussed in sentence.
A subject can be a noun, pronoun, and noun clause or noun phrase.
Examples: Hamid likes to play cricket.
Hamid is the subject and likes to play cricket acts as a predicate.
I wrote him a letter. I is the Subject and wrote him a letter acts as a predicate.
Predicate
The part of sentence which tells about the subject is called predicate.
In traditional grammar, a sentence consists of two parts:
a subject,
a predicate which modifies the subject.
Example: Bilal likes hockey.
Bilal is the subject and likes hockey acts as the predicate (a subsequent description of the
subject which is headed with the verb likes.)
Predicates provide information about the subject, such as what the subject is doing or what the
subject is like. It must contain a verb but may also contain other sentence elements. These elements
may be objects (direct and indirect objects), adverbials...

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Example:

In the above example, she is a subject because it performs an action of washing clothes. While the
rest part of the sentence is washing her clothes is predicate of sentence because it tells something
(washing her clothes) about the subject.

He laughs. (Predicate containing only a verb)

She writes poems.
They gave me a gift.
He saw her in the hospital.
When the subject and the predicate are connected with a linking verb, the predicate is either nominal,
adjectival or adverbial complement:
Nominal predicates: He is the president. These are the candidates.
Adjectival predicates: She is beautiful. They are careless.
Adverbial complement: He is in the kitchen. We are in the house.

CLAUSE AND PHRASE

A clause is defined as a group of related words that contains a subject and predicate (verb).
E.g. He came.
A phrase is defined as a group of related words that does not contain a subject and a verb. It is a
group of words (in a sentence) that does not contain both subject and verb, and does not express a
complete idea.
E.g. on the table.
Example: He is laughing at a joker.
The above sentence has two parts he is laughing and at a joker.
The first part of the sentence he is laughing is a clause because it has a subject (he) and a
predicate (is laughing).
The second part of the sentence at a joker is a phrase because it does not contain subject and
verb. The difference between a clause and a phrase is that a clause consists of both subject and
verb, but a phrase lacks a subject and verb.
Examples:
The underlined part of each of following sentences shows a clause, while the rest part (non-
underlined) of each sentence shows a phrase.
Faiza reached school in time. I was standing near a wall. They are reciting in a loud voice. Saeed
made tea for the guests. Aniba bought a book for his friend.

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Clause
A clause is a group of related words containing a subject and a predicate.
Example: He will meet me in office.
A sentence consists of one, two or more clauses.
Examples:
He is sleeping. (One clause)
The kids were laughing at the joker. (One clause)
The teacher asked a question but no one answered. (Two clauses)
I like Mathematics but my brother likes Biology, because he wants to become a doctor.
(Three clauses)

Types of Clause
There are two major types of clauses.

Independent / Main clauses

Dependent / Subordinate clauses
Independent clause
An independent clause, also called a main clause, is like a sentence. It consists of a subject and a
predicate and can stand alone like a sentence.
Examples:
She died last week.
He likes her.
I met the boy who had helped me.
The teacher asked a question but no one answered.
In the above sentences each underlined part shows main clause. It expresses complete thought and
can stand as a sentence that is why a main or an independent clause is normally referred as a
simple sentence.
Subordinate or dependent Clause
Which does not express complete thoughts and depends on another clause (main clause) to
express complete thought.
Subordinate clause does not express complete idea and cant stand as a sentence. A sentence
having a subordinate clause must have a main clause.
Example: He likes Chinese rice which tastes good.
The clause which tastes good in above sentence is a subordinate clause because it does not
express complete thought and cant stand as a sentence. It depends on main clause (he likes
Chinese rise) to express complete thought.
Examples:
I met the boy who had helped me. He takes medicine because he suffers from fever.
Subordinate / dependent clauses are further divided into three types.

Types of Subordinate Clause

A subordinate (dependent) clause may function as a noun, an adjective or an adverb in sentence.
On the basis of their function in a sentence, subordinate clauses can be divided into following types.
1. Noun Clause
2. Adjective Clause 3. Adverb Clause
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Noun Clause: A dependent clause that functions as a noun in a sentence is called noun clause.
A noun clause can function as:

a subject
an object

Example: What he did made a problem for his family.

In above sentence the clause what he did functions as a noun, hence it is a noun clause. A noun
clause works as a noun that acts as a subject, object, or predicate in a sentence. A noun clause
often starts with words that, what, whatever, who, whom, whoever, whomever

What you have done pleased so many fans. (What you have done subject)
Whoever comes first will score a point. (Whoever comes first subject)
I think that he is the best match for her. (that he is the best match. object)
You know what you have done. (what you have done object)
Whatever you learn will help you in future. (Noun clause as a subject)
What you said made me laugh. (Noun clause as a subject)
He knows that he will pass the test. (Noun clause as an object)
Now I realize what he would have thought. (Noun clause as an object)
Adjective Clauses
A dependent clause that functions as an adjective in a sentence is called adjective clause.
An adjective clause works like adjective in a sentence. The function of an adjective is to modify
(describe) a noun or pronoun. Similarly a noun clause modifies a noun or a pronoun.
Example: He wears a shirt which looks nice.
The clause which looks nice in above sentence is an adjective clause because it modifies noun
shirt in the sentence. An adjective clause always precedes the noun it modifies.
I met the boy who had helped me.
An apple that smells bad is rotten.
The book which I like is helpful in preparation for test.
The house where I live consists of four rooms.
The person who was shouting needed help.
Adjective clause begins with relative pronoun (that, who, whom, whose, which, or whose) and is also
relative clause.
There are two types of adjective clauses:
Restrictive or defining clauses
Non-restrictive or non-defining clauses
Restrictive / Defining Clauses
Restrictive (also called defining) clauses give essential information about the noun. These clauses
don't require commas.
Examples:
The man who is standing there is a secret agent.
The writer who won the Nobel Prize is from Pakistan.

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Non-restrictive / non-defining clauses
Non-restrictive (also called non-defining) clauses give extra or non-essential information about the
noun. These clauses require commas.
Examples:
Fast food, which most people love, is not very healthy at all.
My uncle, who is a farmer, lives in the countryside.
Adverb Clause
1. A dependent clause that functions as an adverb in a sentence is called adverb clause
2. An adverb clause (also called adverbial clause) is a dependent clause (or subordinate
clause) which functions as an adverb.
Types of adverb clauses
There are many types of adverb clauses:

Type Example
Place He thinks he will be happy where he has recently moved.

Time He wrote the book when he was 25.

Manner The kids cleaned the room as we wanted.

Reason I forgave him because I liked him.

Purpose They bought a piece of land so that they can build a bigger house.
Concession Although he is very old, he runs fast.

Condition If I had a lot of money, I would travel around the world.

Comparison He can run as fast as a world champion.

Dont go before he comes.

He takes medicine because he is ill.
Although he tried a lot, he couldnt climb up the tree.
Unless you study for the test, you cant pass it.
I will go to the school unless it rains.
You are safe as long as you drive carefully.

PHRASE
A phrase is defined as a group of related words that does not contain a subject and a verb. It is a
group of words (in a sentence) that does not contain both subject and verb, and does not express a
complete idea.
Examples:
He is laughing at a joker.
She is making tea for the guests.
I saw a girl with blue eyes.
He always behaves in a strange way.

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The boy in the red shirt is my cousin.
The boy, with a book in his hand, won a prize.
He is standing near a wall.
A sentence may consist of one or more phrases.
The boy in the red shirt behaves in a strange way.
Types of Phrases:
Phrases are divided into various types:
Noun Phrase, Verb Phrase, Prepositional phrase, Adjective Phrase, Adverb Phrase,
Infinitive Phrase, Gerund Phrase, Participle Phrase, and Absolute Phrase
Noun Phrase
A noun phrase consists of a noun and other related words (usually modifiers and determiners) which
modify the noun. It functions like a noun in a sentence.
Noun Phrase = noun + modifiers (the modifiers can be after or before noun)
Examples:
Love is a beautiful feeling. (Love is a noun phrase without modifiers. However, a beautiful
feeling is a noun phrase that includes a noun, feeling, and the determiner a and the
adjective beautiful)
My house is over there. (My house is a noun phrase which consists of the noun house and a
modifier - the possessive adjective my)
A cat that refused to meow
Cat = noun; a, that refused to meow = modifiers
Verb Phrase
A verb phrase is a combination of main verb and its auxiliaries (helping verbs) in a sentence.
A verb phrase can have up to four parts. The pattern looks like this:
Auxiliary Verb + Main Verb + Verb Ending When Necessary
Examples:
Had cleaned
Had = auxiliary verb; clean = main verb; ed = verb ending.
Has been sleeping
Has been = auxiliary verbs; sleep = main verb; ing = verb ending.
Must wash
Must = auxiliary verb; wash = main verb.
Here are the verb phrases in action:
Mom had just cleaned the refrigerator shelves when I take my juice.
Sarah has been sleeping for four hours.
If guests are coming for dinner, we must wash our cars & floor!
Prepositional Phrase
A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition, objects of preposition (noun or pronoun) and may
also consist of other modifiers.
A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and end with a noun, pronoun, gerund, or clause,

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the "object" of the preposition.
The object of the preposition often have one or more modifiers to describe it.
These are the patterns for a prepositional phrase:
Preposition + Noun, Pronoun, Gerund, or Clause
Preposition + Modifier + Noun, Pronoun, Gerund, or Clause
Examples:
On time
On = preposition; time = noun.
Underneath the sagging yellow couch
Underneath = preposition; the, sagging, yellow = modifiers; couch = noun.
A prepositional phrase will function as an adjective or adverb.
A boy on the roof is singing a song. (As adjective)
The man in the room is our teacher. (As adjective)
She is shouting in a loud voice. (As adverb)
Fiza always behaves in a good manner. (As adverb)
Adjective Phrase
An adjective phrase is a group of words that functions like an adjective in a sentence. It consists of
adjectives.
An adjective phrase functions like an adjective to modify (or tell about) a noun or a pronoun in a
sentence.
Examples:
He is wearing a nice red shirt. (Modifies shirt)
The girl with brown hair was talking to me. (Modifies girl)
Sana gave me a glass full of water. (Modifies glass)
Prepositional phrases and participle phrases also function as adjectives so we can also call them
adjective phrases when they function as adjective.
In the above sentence The girl with brown hair is singing a song, the phrase with brown hair is a
prepositional phrase but it functions as an adjective.
Adverb Phrase
An adverb phrase is a group of words that functions as an adverb in a sentence. It consists of
adverbs or other words (preposition, noun, verb, modifiers) that make a group with works like an
adverb in a sentence.
An adverb phrase functions like an adverb to modify a verb, an adjective or another adverb.
Examples:
Aqeel always behaves in a good manner. (Modifies verb behave)
She always drives with care. (Modifies verb drive)
He sat in a corner of the room. (Modifies verb sit)
A prepositional phrase can also act as an adverb phrase. For example in above sentence He
always behaves in a good manner, the phrase in a good manner is a prepositional phrase but it
acts as adverb phrase here.
Infinitive Phrase
An infinitive phrase begins with an infinitive [to + simple form of the verb]. It will often include objects

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and/or modifiers that complete the thought. An infinitive phrase always functions as an adjective,
adverb or a noun in a sentence.
Examples:
Bilal likes to read books. (As noun/object)
To earn money is a desire of everyone. (As noun/subject)
He shouted to inform people about fire. (As adverb, modifies verb shout)
Gerund Phrases
A gerund phrase consists of a gerund (verb + ing) and modifiers or other words associated with the
gerund. A gerund phrase acts as a noun in a sentence.
Examples:
Zunaira and Maryyam like reading good Novels. (As noun/object)
She started thinking about the problem. (As noun/object)
Sleeping late in night is not a good habit. (As noun/subject)
Weeping of a baby woke him up. (As noun/subject)
Participle Phrase
A participle phrase consists of a present participle (verb + ing), a past participle (verb ending in -ed
or other form in case of irregular verbs) and modifiers or other associate words. A participle phrase
is separated by commas. It always acts as an adjective in a sentence.
Examples:
The kids, making a noise, need food. (modifies kids)
I received a letter, mentioning about my exam. (modifies letter)
The table, made of steel, is too expensive. (modifies table)
We saw a car, damaged in an accident. (modifies car)
Absolute Phrase
Absolute phrase (also called nominative phrase) is a group of words including a noun or pronoun
and a participle as well as any associated modifiers. Absolute phrase modifies (give information
about) the entire sentence. It is separated by a comma or pairs of commas from the rest sentence.
An absolute phrase combines a noun and a participle with any accompanying modifiers or objects.
The pattern looks like this:
Noun + Participle + Optional Modifier(s) and/or Object(s)
Her fingers flying over the mobile.
Fingers = noun; flying = participle; her, over the mobile = modifiers.
Examples:
Hamid looks sad, his face expressing worry.
She was waiting for her friend, her eyes on the clock.
Ammar is painting on a wall, his shirt dirty with paint.

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THE BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR (SPS) PRINCIPAL: MALIK SAJJAD