BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR

AND SENTENCE
CONSTRUCTION
CPT PINKY B PAROHINOG
NOUNS -
• Common Nouns
Words for people, places and things are called common nouns.
ex: ruler, church, dentist

• Proper noun- The names of particular people, places and things are
proper nouns.

Ex: Martha, Upi,

They always begin with a capital letter.
Proper Nouns

People’s Names
• Robin Hood Florence Nightingale Mom

Days of the week and the months of the year

• Monday January July

Special days and celebrations

Mother’s Day Thanksgiving
Proper Nouns

Famous places, buildings and monuments

Burnham Park, Eiffel Tower, Camp Melchor F Dela Cruz

Names of people who live in a particular country

Chinese, Korean, British
Singular Nouns
A park, an idea, a taxi, a doctor, an oven

Plural Nouns
Use a plural noun when you are talking about two or more people,
places or things. Just add s to make most nouns plural.

Ex: a computer - computers, a teacher - teachers

an insect – insects, a train - trains
Plural Nouns

• Nouns that end in s, ss, ch, sh or x, are made plural by adding es.
Ex: bus –buses, sandwich- sandwiches

• Most nouns that end in y are made plural by changing the y to i and
adding es.
Ex: baby - babies family-families

• Nouns that have a vowel before the y are made plural by simply
adding s at the end
ex: cowboy cowboys, runway runways
Plural Nouns

• Many nouns that end in f are made plural by changing the f to v and
adding es.
ex: wolf – wolves, thief- thieves, shelf- shelves

• But some nouns that end in f are made plural simply by adding s.
• ex: roof-roofs, handkerchief- handkerchiefs, cliff-cliffs

• Some nouns that end in f can be made plural in two ways.

Ex: dwarf to dwarfs or dwarves, wharf to wharfs or wharves
Plural Nouns

• Most nouns that end in fe are made plural by changing the f to v and
adding s.
Ex: life –lives, midwife-midwives, knife-knives

• Other nouns that end in o are made plural by adding es

ex: tomato-tomatoes, potato-potatoes, hero-heroes

• Some nouns change spelling from the singular form to the plural.
Ex: person-people, mouse-mice, tooth-teeth
Plural Nouns

• The plural form of some nouns is the same as the singular form.
Ex: sheep -sheep (not sheeps) deer-deer (not deers) fish-
fish (not fishes) aircraft-aircraft (not aircrafts)

• Some nouns are always plural

Ex: shorts, spectacles, jeans, goggles
Collective Nouns

Words for groups of people, animals or things are called collective

nouns.

• Here are more collective nouns you can use for groups of people. a
crowd of shoppers, a gang of thieves
a company of actors, a panel of judges
a class of schoolchildren, a platoon of soldiers
A swarm of bees, a fleet of vehicles
Collective Nouns

Some nouns name the amount or form of something.

Ex: a loaf of bread, a bar of soap
a ball of string, a bar of chocolate

The words a piece of mean a single serving or part of something.

Ex: a sheet/piece of paper, a piece of chalk
a piece of information, a piece of advice
The Possessive Form of Nouns

To make the possessive form, put an apostrophe and an s ’s after a

singular noun.
Ex:
• This is my bed and that is Peter’s bed.
• We all like Dad’s cooking

After plural nouns that don’t end in s, use an apostrophe and an s ’s

to make the possessive form.
Ex:
• The children’s room is always messy.
• Some people’s housesare bigger than ours.
The Possessive Form of Nouns

After plural nouns that end in s, just add an apostrophe s’ .

ex:

The pupils’ desks are arranged in rows.

The boys’ bedroom is bigger than the girls’ bedroom.
The strongwinds destroyed all the farmers’ crops.
Mice’s tails are shorter than rats’ tails.
Pronoun

is a word that takes the place of a noun.

Subject Pronoun
The subject of a verb does the action of the verb. The personal
pronouns I, you, he, she, it, we and they can all be used as the subject
of a verb.

Lisa likes cats. She has four cats.

Pronoun

is a word that takes the place of a noun.

Subject Pronoun
The subject of a verb does the action of the verb. The personal
pronouns I, you, he, she, it, we and they can all be used as the subject
of a verb.

Lisa likes cats. She has four cats.

Object Pronoun

The object of a verb receives the action of the verb. The personal
pronouns me, you, him, her, it, us and them can all be used as the
object of a verb.

Lisa likes cats. She likes to stroke them.

First Person, Second Person and Third Person

SUBJECT OBJECT
First person singular - I me
Second person singular - you you
third person singular he him
she her it it

First person plural - we us

Second person plural - you you
third person plural they them
Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns are words that refer to the noun or pronoun that is
the subject of the verb.

Ex-
Be careful not to cut yourself with that knife.
John was looking at himself in the mirror.
Kate fell and hurt herself.
Possessive Pronouns

Possessive Pronouns Possessive pronouns are used to talk about things

that belong to people.
The words mine, yours, his, hers, ours and theirs are possessive
pronouns.
Ex: This pen is mine and that one is his.
Sarah has lost her cat. Is this cat hers?
Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns are used for pointing out things

This is my desk. These are my pets

That is my friend’s house. Those are horses.

Use this and these when you are talking about things near you.

Use that and those when you are talking about things farther away.
Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions.

Who are those people? What is your brother’s name?

Whose pen is this? Which of these desks is yours?
Indefinite Pronouns

An indefinite pronoun does not refer directly to any other word.

Everybody is welcome at the meeting.

Many prefer their coffee with sugar.

All each most other another either neither several

any everybody nobody some anybody everyone none
somebody anyone few
no one someone both many one such
Adjectives

describe nouns and pronouns. They give you more information about
people, places, and things.

Ex:
a beautiful woman a young soldier a flat surface
The Comparison of Adjectives
• To compare two people or things, use the comparative form of an
adjective. The comparative form is usually made by adding er to the
adjective
Ex:Dark-darker hard-harder light-lighter warm-warmer

The Superlative Form When you compare three or more people or

things, use the superlative form of an adjective. The superlative form
is usually made by adding est to the adjective.
Ex: dark-darkest warm-warmest old-oldest
The Comparison of Adjectives
• If the adjective ends in e, add r to form the comparative and st to
form the superlative.
Ex. adjective comparative superlative
nice nicer nicest
close closer closest
Suppose the adjective is a short word that ends in a consonant and has
a single vowel in the middle. Just double the consonant and add er to
make the comparative and est to make the superlative.
Ex. slim slimmer slimmest
sad sadder saddest
The Comparison of Adjectives
• Suppose the adjective has two syllables and ends in y. Just change the
y to i and add er to make the comparative and add est to make the
superlative.
Ex. adjective comparative superlative
easy easier easiest heavy heavier
heaviest

Use more and most to compare most other two-syllable adjectives.

Ex. Famous- more famous most famous precious
more precious most precious
Irregular Comparative and Superlative Forms

Good better best

bad worse worst
little less least
Determiners
Determiners, or noun signals, are special adjectives used
before nouns.

• The Articles , The words a, an and the are called the articles.
Ex. a book, an airplane, the bodyguard, an apple, a spider

• Definite article- Use the before a noun when you are talking to
someone who already knows which person or thing you mean.
Ex. Turn the television off now.
I’ll wait for you in the car.
Demonstrative Determiners
The words this, that, these and those are also special pronouns called
determiners
Ex. Who lives in this house? , These biscuits don’t taste very good.

Quantifying Determiners
Words such as many, much and several tell about quantity without
giving an exact number
Ex. Few people have been to the moon.
We went to Europe many years ago
Interrogative Determiners
The words what, which and whose are used before nouns to ask
questions.
Ex. What time is it? Which boy is your brother?

Possessive Determiners
The words my, your, his, her, its, our and there are used before nouns
to show ownership.

Ex. There’s a snake in our garden.

Susan and Peter have invited me to their party.
Verbs and Tenses
• action verbs
drink look jump swim falleat

• Subject and Verb Agreement

Use a singular verb if the subject is a singular noun

Ex. Mom walks to work every day.
My sister dances like a professional dancer.

• Verbs in third person singular form. (adding es )

Ex. She always brushes her teeth at bedtime.
Dad polishes his shoes until they shine.
 Verbs and Tenses
• Some verbs that end in y have a vowel before the y. Just add an s at the
end of these words to make the third person singular form.
Ex.
My friend says he has a salt-water aquarium.
She annoys me with her silly jokes.

• If the subject of a verb is a plural noun, such as “Mom and Dad” or “our
teachers”, use a plural verb. Do not add s, es or ies to plural verbs
Ex. The stars shine brightly on a clear night.
Some people drink tea.
 Verbs and Tenses
• Suppose the subject of a noun refers to a group of people, Depending on
the meaning of the sentence, you may use either a singular or a plural verb

Ex. The band is performing until midnight.

The band were arguing among themselves.
 Verbs and Tenses
The Simple Present Tens

• Verbs have forms called tenses that tell you when the action happens. If
the action happens regularly, sometimes or never, use the simple present
tense.

Ex. We always wash our hands before meals.

Joe sometimes lends me his bike

• The simple present tense is also used to state facts.

Ex. The sun rises every morning.
Penguins live in the Antarctica.
 Verbs and Tenses
• Use the simple present tense to tell the events of a story that is happening
now.
Ex. I arrive at school. I see another girl crying. I ask her why she is sad.

• Use the simple present tense to talk about things that will happen in the
future.
ex. My little sister starts school tomorrow.
The new supermarket opens this Friday.
 The Present Progressive Tense
• The present progressive tense is used to talk about things that are
continuing to happen.

• Make the present progressive tense by using am, is or are with a verb that
ends in ing.
EX.I am learning how to swim.
I am eating mylunch.

The present progressive tense is also used to talk about things that are
planned for the future.
EX. I am going to the library tomorrow.
We are having a barbecue on Sunday
 The Simple Past Tense
• The simple past tense is usually made by adding ed tothe verb.
EX. I opened the door and looked inside.
The plane landed ten minutes ago.

• If a verbends in e, just add d to make the simple past tense.

EX.
Who closed all the windows? We lived in that house when I was a baby.

• If a verbends in y, change the y to i before adding ed.

EX.I carried my mom’s shopping bag.
My brother cried when he fell off his bike.
 Was and Were

Was is the simple past form of am and is

Were is the simple past form of are

EX. It was six o’clock when we got home.

We were away on vacation last month.
John and I were in the garden.
 The Past Progressive Tense
Use the past progressive tense to talkabout things that were happening in
the past and had not stopped happening. They were continuing.
EX.
Jenny and I were tidying the classroom.
We were all dancing at the party.

You can also use the past progressive tense to say what was happening
when something else happened.

EX.Sam was doing his math homework when the phone rang.
Dad was cooking our dinner when I got home.
 Have, Has And Had
Use have with the pronouns I, we, you and they, and with plural
nouns such as ‘my parents’ and ‘Tom and Susan’.

Use has with the pronouns he,she and it, and with singular
nouns such as ‘my dad’ and ‘the teacher’.

Use have to talk about things that people do or get.

EX.We have art lessons on Mondays.

You also use have to talk about things that people eat.
EX. We usually have lunch at school.
 Have, Has And Had
The simple past tense form of have and has is had
EX. They had a wonderful holiday in Europe.
Sally and I had chicken for dinner.

Use had when you're talking about wishes.

EX. I wish I had a new bike.
Kathleen wishes she had a big sister.

You can make the negative with didn’t have

Ex. Jack wishes he didn’t have a broken leg.
Dad wishes he didn’t have to work on weekends
 The Present Perfect Tense
• The present perfect tense shows action in the indefinite past.
• The present perfect tense is also used to show action begun in the past
and continuing into the present.
Ex.
1. We have lived in this house for five years. (= and we still live there)
2. Your plane has already landed. (= and it’s still on the ground)
3. She has dirtied her new shoes. (= she made them dirty and they’re still
dirty)
4. The teacher has pinned a notice on the board. (= and the notice is still
there)
5. You don’t need your key. I’ve already opened the door. (= and it’s still
open)
The Future Tense
• To showfuture action usethe verbs shall and will with another verb
that describes the action.

Ex. John and I shall be glad when the exams are over.
Bill and Kim will be late for school if they don’t hurry.

To talk about facts in the future or plans that will not change, use the simple
present tense.
Ex. Tomorrow is Sunday.
Summer vacation ends on Friday.
The Future Tense
You can also talk about plans for the future and other future
happenings by using be, going to, and another verb. Remember to:

• Use am and was with the pronoun I.

• Use is and was with the pronouns he,she and it, andwith
singular nouns like ‘my mom’ and ‘the teacher’.
• Use are and were with the pronouns we, you and they,
and with plural nouns like ‘my friends’ and ‘John and
Sally’.
The Future Tense
The Infinitive - The infinitive is the base form of a verb. It is often preceded by
the word to.

Infinitives often appear after other verbs.

Ex. The rain began to fall. Sally and I agreed to meet this afternoon.

The Imperative Form of Verb – When you give an order or command, use the base
form of a verb, such as give, read or come. This base form is called the
imperative.

Ex. Stop and look before you cross the road. Come to the front of the class.
Show me your homework
The Future Tense
Imperatives are very direct. To be more polite, you can use please before the
imperative.
Ex. Please show me your homework.
Please read the first sentence out loud.
Please come to the front of the class.

To make negative imperatives, use do not or don’t before the base form of the
verb.
Ex. Do not bring calculators into the exam room.
Please don’t change anything on my computer.
Gerunds
A gerund is the ing form of a verb used as a noun. Sometimes a gerund is called
a verbal noun because it comes from a verb
Ex.
Running is a good way to keep fit.
Susan is very good at drawing

Some gerunds can be used in front of other nouns, like adjectives.

Ex.
a washing machine = a machine that does washing
a shopping bag = a bag for carrying your purchases
Auxiliary Verbs
Auxiliary, or helping verbs, are used before infinitives to add a different meaning.
For example, you use auxiliary verbs to say:

Auxiliary, or helping verbs, are used before infinitives to add a different meaning.
For example, you use auxiliary verbs to say:
• that someone is able to do something,
• that someone is allowed to do something,
• that someone has to do something.

The hellping verbs are can, could, would, should, ought to, will, shall, may, might
and must.
Can And Could
• Use can and could to say that someone is able to do something.
• She can draw really good pictures.
• Philip can run faster than Matt.
• Can you ride a bike?
• Can you help me with my homework?
• She could already read before she started school.
Will And Would
• Use will and would when you are asking someone to do something. Will you
please stop making that noise?
Ex. Would you pass me that book, please?
Please, will you close the door?

• You can also use will and would to offer something or to suggest something.
Ex. Will I hold this end of the rope?
Will I carry the bag for you?
Would you like another drink?
Which cake would you like?
Shall And Should
• You can use shall and should to ask for advice, offer something and
suggest something.
Ex. Should I bring waterproof clothes?
Shall I go by car, or will it be better to walk?
Should I phone the police?
Shall I help you with that heavy bag?
Shall we go home now?
You should try that new French restaurant.
Ought To
• You use ought to, to make strong suggestions and talk about
someone’s duty.
Ex.
You look tired. You ought to go to bed early tonight.
I ought to get more physical exercise.
We ought to lock the door when we leave home.
You ought to turn off the computer when you’re not using it
You ought to know how to spell your own name.
The teacher ought to make his classes more interesting
must
• Use must to talk about things that you have to do.
ex. I must mail this letter today.
You must speak louder. I can’t hear you.
Children must not play with matches.
Why must I do my homework tonight?
may and might
• Use may to ask if you are allowed to do something and to tell
someone that they are allowed to do something.
Ex.
“May I go out to play now?” “Yes, you may.”
May I borrow your pen?
Please may I see your ticket?
John may leave now, but Sally may not.
May Kenny come with us to the movies?
may and might
• Use may and might to talk about things that are possible or likely.

Ex. Take an umbrella. It might rain.

I may not have time to go swimming tonight.
We might go to the party later.
If you’re not careful, you may hurt yourself.
“Are you going to the concert?” “I don’t know. I might or I might
not.”
Verb Phrases
A verb phrase consists of a verb and a preposition such as after, into and
over.

Who looks after (= takes care of) the baby when your parents are at
work?
Dad bumped into (= met by chance) an old friend at the station.
My sister is getting into (= is starting to be interested in) pop music.
We hoped that the thieves wouldn’t get away with (= escape
punishment for) their crime.
I’m going to the store because we’ve run out of rice (= used all our rice).
Adverbs and Adverb Phrase
Adverbs are wordsthat tell you more about verbs, adjectives and
other adverbs. Many adverbs end in ly. You make these adverbs by
adding ly to adjectives.

ex. She writes neatly. The traffic was moving slowly.

Adverb phrases are groups of words that functions as single adverbs to

describe the actionof the verb.
Ex. Are you sitting in a comfortable chair?
Mr. Dickson always dresses in fashionable clothes.
Adverbs of Manner
Some adverbs and adverb phrases describe the way people do things.
They answer the question “How?”

Ex. The girls answered all the questions correctly.

He was driving carelessly.
The plane landed safely.
Katy plays the piano skillfully.
Adverbs of Time
Some adverbs and adverb phrases answer the question “when?” They
are called adverbs of time.
Ex.
I’m going to my new school tomorrow.
We moved into our new house last week.
My big brother goes to college in the autumn.
Our favorite TV program starts at 6 o’clock.
Adverbs of Place
Some adverbs and adverb phrases answer the question “where?” They
are called adverbs of place.
Ex.
It’s very sunny but cold outside.
The boys are playing upstairs.
That’s our ball there.
I couldn’t find my book anywhere.
The dog is in the garden.
Flowers like these grow in the park.
We’re going to New York City on our school trip.
Adverbs of Duration
Some adverbs and adverb phrases answer the question “how long?”
They are called adverbs of duration.
Ex. The library is temporarily closed.
We’re staying in a hotel overnight.
The teacher left the classroom briefly.
The snow lasted for three days.
Mom was away a very long time.
Adverbs of Emphasis
Anna can run really fast.
That’s a very good drawing.
My rice is too hot.
The film was just terrible.
Your excuses are completely unbelievable.
These old tools are totally useless.
She sings quite beautifully.
 Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases
Prepositions are words that show a connection between other words.
Most prepositions are little words like at, in and on.
Prepositional phrases are groups of words, such as out of and on top
of.
 Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases
Some prepositions show where something happens. They are called
prepositions of place.

Sally was sitting under a tree.

There’s a wooden floor underneath the carpet.
Some geese flew over their house.
John and Sarah were hiding inside the wardrobe.
There was a tree beside the river.
Prepositions of Time
Some prepositions show when something happens.
They are called prepositions of time.

School starts at nine o’clock.

I brush my teeth in the morning and at night.
We’re going to the zoo on Saturday.
No, you can’t watch a video. It’s past your bedtime already.
I visited my grandparents during the summer.
You must finish the work by Friday.
I’ll do my homework before dinner
Prepositions of Direction
Some prepositions show where something is going. They are called
prepositions of direction.
Ex.
The boys chased after each other.
The football rolled down the hill.
A man was walking his dog along the riverbank.
The freeway goes right through the city.
We were travelling towards Miami.
A girl went past them on a bike.
This road leads away from the stadium.
Prepositions with Special Uses
of
I bought a bag of rice and a quart of milk

for
I made this bookmark for Mom.

with
He pounds nails in with a hammer.
Prepositions with Special Uses
• except and instead of
I like all kinds of food except pasta.
You should eat fruit instead of candy.

• like, as and than

Kathleen looks like her dad.
Sue is nearly as tall as the teacher
My backpack is bigger than John’s
Conjunctions
and, but and or
• Use and to link words that are similar.
We buy fruit and vegetables at the grocery store.

• Use but to link words that are different and do not normally go together.
He works quickly but neatly.

• Some animals are big but gentle.

Use or to talk about choices. You can have a soda or lemonade
Conjunctions Linking Phrases
• Use the conjunctions and, but and or to link phrases. The phrases in
these examples are printed in color.
We like going shopping and visiting museums

Conjunctions with Lists - Use the conjunctions and and or with lists of
words

We bought milk, eggs, cheese and butter.

My favorite teachers are Mr. Lee, Mrs. Carter and Mr. Park.
Conjunctions Linking Phrases
Conjunctions That Join Sentences
Conjunctions are also used to join two sentences to make them one.
Here are some examples with and, but and or.

Mom is working in the garden. Dad is busy in the kitchen.

Mom is working in the garden and Dad is busy in the kitchen.
Conjunctions Linking Phrases
Other Words for and
There are other words for and that also join two sentences.
Ex. Dad washed the car. He polished it.
Dad not only washed the car, but he also polished it.

Other Words Used for but (although, eventhough, though, while)

Grandpa is old but very fit.
Although Grandpa is old, he’s very fit.
Conjunctions Linking Phrases
Other Words for or
There are other words for or that name choices or join two sentences.

1. The movie wasn’t funny. It wasn’t interesting.

The movie was neither funny nor interesting.

2. can do your homework now. You can do your homework after dinner.
You can do your homework either now or after dinner.

3. We could walk. We could take a taxi.

We could walk, or else take a taxi.
Conjunctions Linking Phrases
Conjunctions of Time
The conjunctions before, after, since, until, when, while, as and as soon
as are used to say when something happens. They are called
conjunctions of time
Ex.
Take the toy out of the box before you throw the box away.
I usually do my homework after I have my dinner.
We’ve moved to a new house since I last wrote to you
Until the rice is cooked, we can’t eat dinner.
I’ll call you when I get home.
Conjunctions Linking Phrases
Conjunctions of Place

The conjunctions where and wherever are used to talk about places.
They are called conjunctions of place.
Ex.
Does anybody know where Mr. Carter lives?
Where the road is narrow, big trucks can’t get through.
The dog follows Andrew wherever he goes.
Wherever there are mountains, you will also find streams.
Conjunctions Linking Phrases
Conjunctions of Reason
The conjunctions because, since, as and in case tell why someone does
something. They are called conjunctions of reason.
Ex.
• I sat down because I was feeling tired.
• Since you have finished your homework, you can help me make
dinner As you’re my best friend, I’ll lend you my new bike.
• Take an umbrella in case it rains.
Conjunctions Linking Phrases
Conjunctions of Reason
The conjunctions because, since, as and in case tell why someone does
something. They are called conjunctions of reason.
Ex.
• I sat down because I was feeling tired.
• Since you have finished your homework, you can help me make
dinner As you’re my best friend, I’ll lend you my new bike.
• Take an umbrella in case it rains.
Conjunctions Linking Phrases
Conjunctions of Purpose

The conjunctions so, so that and in order to tell what the purpose of
something is.

Ex.
Let’s write down the address so we don’t forget it.
We left early so that we wouldn’t be late.
She goes jogging every morning in order to keep fit.