SL USE EXPLANATION ADDITIONAL

EXAMPLE
1 His idea was to After “to”, you must add a verb in I wanted to go
generate…. present form. there.
2 His idea was to After a verb, we add a noun. I need a pen.
generate a unique
identification tag…
3 There is an effective In 99% cases, when a noun precedes These are the
method to learning “to” (comes before “to”), then the best strategies
English verb after “to” comes with “ing”. to tackling this
situation.
4 ..on a short stretch of The word before “of” is usually a This is book
DNA. noun called the magic
wand of success.
5 ..it is easily After am/is/are/was/were/be, the This was initially
extracted…. verb is either PP or ing. But be launched to
careful, when a PP form (for passive) protect the
is required, you cannot use ing people.
because the meaning will change.
6 Mosquitos are With the word responsible, we use He is responsible
responsible for “for” for this.
infections….
7 The team is After for, the verb is ing. He is responsible
responsible for for boosting
monitoring sales.
production.
8 There were twenty-six After a noun (that comes as subject), The table
freshmen majoring in sometimes the verb comes in ing showing details
English… form to make the whole terms a of different
single subject/noun. sessions was
More examples: posted on the
The students studying physics… wall.
The building standing next to the **If you start
hospital… directly with the
The signboard indicating directions… subject (not
There will be 14 trams competing there
each other… is/are/were),
then you have to
complete the
sentence with a
 verb (..was
posted on the
wall).
9 I never heard him After the words, heard/saw that is Mother saw
speak. followed by a subject, the verb after James leave
I saw her go. that comes in present form even hastily.
though the sentence is in past.
10 He is tired of lying. Verb immediately after She left without
They left after eating of/after/for/about/before/by/without informing me.
breakfast. is always “ing”
11 Shakespeare remains a A noun is usually complemented by This is an
mysterious figure….. an adjective before that. amazing (adj)
book (n).
12 This is amazingly An adjective is usually complemented This is very risky.
effective. by an adverb.
Examples of adverb:
Slowly, amazingly, very, rarely etc
13 College graduates and A plural verb is followed by another The bucket of
professionals plural verb. apples and
grapes is there.
14 This is wisdom and Same forms of words This takes a lot
knowledge. (adj+adj/noun+noun/ ing form+ing of effort and
form) follow each other. integrity.
*Also, the flavor of meaning has to
match (negative to negative/ positive He is scared and
to positive). worried.

They were
revising,
monitoring, and
implementing
those plans.
15 We have explored the After have/has, the verb comes in PP He has taken up
whole planet… form. ALWAYS. the challenge.
16 The volcano starts When two verbs sit side by side, the I enjoy watching
erupting once….. second one always comes in “ing” TV.
form.
17 They must present it With single modal and semi modal You need to
carefully… verbs such as can, could, will, might, grow up.
need to, have to, must, should, would
 etc, a verb is always used, and
ALWAYS in present form. No noun or
adjective can be used, such as “They
must presentation” is a wrong
sentence.
18 The criminals taken Sometimes a PP form of verb comes It was a tough
into custody were after a noun to form adjective. moment,
being interrogated. shattered by
disappointment.
His first famous
projects were pieces *comma is used
of stylized graffiti accordingly
drawn in……
19 The continuing Use of “ing” (gerund) makes the verb Do not try to get
popularity of this an adjective. into a running
fabric… bus.
20 This equipment helps Singular or plural form of verb is These [pronoun]
improve…. decided upon the form of subject apples [noun]
(singular/plural). Pronouns, nouns, are
and verbs together are turned into [verb/auxiliary
plural or singular. verb] fresh.
*These apples
are fresh.
21 The global Since is used with present perfect or They have been
consumption of coal present perfect continuous forms. operating since
has risen more quickly 1999.
since…
22 They are deeply Type of verb/adjective decides the Some
concerned with the…. type of preposition or vice versa. With collocations with
the word “concerned”, no other prepositions:
prepositions like in, at, on etc can be Involved in
used. Interested in
Associated with
At a rate
In a way
Prefer to

**See the table below for some common verb-preposition collocations. Source: www.ebuzz.com [you
get more from the same site]
SL USE EXPLANATION ADDITIONAL
EXAMPLE
23 One can find one’s own Subject starting with “one” One needs to
mistake by… connects with the same object practice a lot to
(one). reach one’s goal.
24 ..these are in danger of Noun preceded by a preposition I am in need of
becoming extinct (usually in/at) is following by money.
of+verb in ing form or another
noun.
25 Things would change if 1. Conditional sentences I could have
they wanted to. (if+ verb) have verb in bought a house If
the past form when they I had won the
This would not have come with lottery.
happened if they had would/could/might.
done this the right way. 2. Verbs come in PP form
along with “had” when
they come with would
have, could have, might
have etc.
26 This will be immediately Whenever there is “be”, the This project
solved. verb is ALWAYS PP. might be turned
 town.
27 For those who live in…. Wit the phrase “for Those who need
those/those”, the relative help are urged to
pronoun “who” comes, not talk to the
which or that. counselor.
28 Professor Warrick Couch When there is a time reference, I saw a move last
received the degree in the verb comes in the past night.
1999. simple form, not present
perfect form.
29 For his excellent work, For a single action (not for a I have seen an
Mr. Ali has received many series of past incident) that interesting
awards. doesn’t have any time movie.
reference, the verbs is used in
present perfect form.
30 Who has played a role.. Sometimes some verbs are They have made
fixed for some specific noun a balance.
(they come as collocations), like
with the noun “role”, the verb She made/did a
“play” must come. mistake.

Collocations may be between

noun and noun, noun and
adjective etc too.

**Study the list of academic

collocations provided by
Pearson:
search “list of academic
collocations by Pearson” on
google to get the pdf file.
31 While somewhat When a subject previously used Some strategies
controversial among is referred with some of, one of were used, one
street artists, some of etc, the relative pronoun of which was
whom accused…. “whom/which” is used quite effective.
according to subject. *”Which”
is used for things and whom for
humans.
32 The university has A verb on many occasions in can This is a broken
introduced an integrated turned into an adjective by chair.
process of learning. using its PP form before a noun.
33 They have been known to When a particular action is still He has always
replicate the sounds of… in effect from a past time, then maintained a
present perfect form is used. good personality.
34 Every new story is If any verb comes after the They were
influenced by the… following auxiliary verbs, then it concerned about
must be in PP or ing form the outcome.
(according to meaning and
context). Note that present or *”concern” will
past form is not allowed: be wrong here.
Am/is/are
Was/were
“be” after any auxiliary or
modal verb, such as will be/shall
be/might be…
35 Having considered all the A sentence starting with Having decided
alternative methods, “having” immediately connects not to go, I
they… a verb in PP form (no other emailed them.
form is allowed).
36 The only purpose of If the word “make” comes I will make them
advertising is to make before a noun or pronoun do that.
people buy something. (usually a person), then the
verb must be in present form. In She made him
this case, even if the word make pay for it.
becomes past, the verb form
remains present.
37 The house dates from the When the word “date” comes This tradition
9th century as verb referring to a specific dates from the
time in the past, then it goes medieval age.
with “from”.
This tradition
*When the word ‘back’ is added dates back to the
with date, then it goes with medieval age.
“to”.
38 What is particularly A sentence may start with What is
remarkable is that…. “what” to refer to a specific concerning is
important statement. Please that they don’t
not that “What is” comes as a know what they
phrase, so another auxiliary are doing.
verb is required after the
 subject.

**No other WH words can be

used this way at the start.
39 They finished the task With a comparative form of It was faster than
within a much earlier adjective or adverb, “than” is I thought.
time than assumed. used for comparison with
another entity.
40 They were looking at the A noun may be followed by a PP I was shocked to
photo posted online. form of verb to make it an see the broken
adjective. chair reserved
with the tag of
my name.
41 Although they were We don’t use “but” after the Although he is
aware of the imminent first clause in a sentence smart, he is lazy.
danger, they did not take starting with Although.
any preventive actions. Wrong: Although
he is smart, but
he is lazy.
42 The article will examine “in which” refers to “ways”. The was the
the ways in which… Other appropriate prepositions route through
may be used with which in this which we came.
format.
43 Are students read more After “more”, an adverb may They are working
widely… come. more attentively.