Low Beginning Grammar

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Adjectives

Adjectives

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Adjectives are used to describe nouns. They give more details orinformation about the nouns they are associated with.

A: Tell me about your boyfriend

B: Well, he is tall, dark, and handsome.

A: Sounds like mine.

Adjectives can be used to answer the questions "What kind (of) ?" or"Which one?"

A: Hi. I'm calling about the car you're selling?

B: It's a greatcar. (It's) in excellentcondition.A: What kind of seats does it have?

B: They're very comfortable seats, (soft,plush, just like a sofa.)

A: Uh. I think I'll sleep on it.

A: Hand me a book.

B: Which one do you want?

A: The redbook. The redone.

Adjectives come before the nouns they modify (not after).Three happy hippies lived in the Heartquake Hotel.

WRONG: Three hippies happy lived in the Heartquake Hotel.

Adjectives can also be used with linking verbs to describe the subject of asentence.

When used in this manner, the adjective(s) come afterthe linking verb.

My mother is tall and slender.

WRONG: My mother tall and slender. (No linking verb.)

Seem, become, appear, and verbs of perceptioncan also be used as linkingverbs. Note how they are used with adjectives in the following. Can youidentify the linking verbs and the adjectives?

The journey seemed long. (It appeared strenuous and boring.)

You smell nice today. What kind of cologne are you wearing?

A: What do you want to do this weekend? Bowling? Shopping? A movie?

B: Bowling sounds good.

CAUTION/BE CAREFUL:

Tom looked greedy. (He appeared to be a greedy person.)

The adjective greedyis used to describe Tom.

Tom looked greedily at the pie on the table. (He saw it and wanted it for himself.)

The adverb greedilyis used to describe Tom's action.
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Adjectives are the same for all nouns. They do not change for plurals.Example: Three tired tigers tried to tie a triangular tie.

Not: three "tireds" tigers

Adverbs

Adverbs

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Adverbs are used to describe actions. They may come before or after a

verb, but not between a verb and its object.Mrs.Jenner sang softly. (Most common word order.)

Mrs. Jenner softlysang. (Also possible.)

Mrs. Jenner softlysang a lullaby.

Mrs. Jenner sang a lullaby softly.

Mrs. Jenner sang softly a lullaby. (Not correct.)

Adverbs may come between a main verb and its auxiliaries.Mrs. Jenner is softlysinging a lullaby.

Mrs. Jenner softly is singing a lullaby. (Not correct.)

Mrs. Jenner has been softly singing that lullaby for a long time.

Some time andfrequency adverbs are ?movable.? That is, they can be placed at variouspoints in a sentence.

YesterdayI visited the dentist.

I visited the dentist yesterday.

Jack Prompt is here already.

Jack Prompt is alreadyhere.

Caution:

Even though some adverbs can be used in certain sentence positions, others can not.

I yesterday visited the dentist. (Not okay.)

I already visited the dentist. (Okay.)

Already I visited the dentist. (Not okay.)

Adverbs such as quite, very, really, extremely, and absolutelyare used to modify

adjectives and other adverbs.

They come directly before the words they describe.

Greg is quite happy with his new boss.

Sue eats very slowly.

You're absolutely right!

Many adverbs can be formed by adding "ly" to adjectives:

Carl is a quickrunner.
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Carl runs quickly.

Some adverbs are identical to adjectives in form. Others are completely different.

Carl is a fastrunner. (Adjective)

Carl runs fast. (Adverb)

Jill is a goodstudent.(Adjective)

Jill studies well. (Adverb)

Be careful with words like hardlyand lately, which have no relation to theadjectives/adverbs hard and late.

Jacob kicked the ball hard.

Jacob hardlykicked the ball.

Trudy came to class late.

Trudy hasn't come to class lately.

He kicked the ball with tremendousforce.)

(He barely touched the ball.)

(She was tardy.)

(She hasn't been to class recently.)

Adverbs and Prepositions

Adverbs and Prepositions

Adverbs are words or groups of words which tell time, place, frequencyor manner.

I ate my lunchyesterday.

I ate at that restaurant last week.

She went there.She went

downtown.

Prepositions are usually followed by objects inprepositional phrases.They can also be used to indicate time, place, frequency, duration,reason, manner, or to show contrast.

I ate my lunch at noon.I ate in the cafeteria.

She went to the store.She walked into thehouse.

*Do not use adverbs as objects of prepositions.

Incorrect:Correct:

I went to somewhere.I was busy at last night.

John works in downtown.She came to home on yesterday.

I went somewhere.I was busy last night.

John works downtown.She came homeyesterday.

Be careful with words such as home, downtown, today, next/last week,etc. which are sometimes used as adverbs and sometimes used as nouns.


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As adverbsAsnouns

I will go back tomorrow.She went home last night.

Next week I will travel to Iowa.

Tomorrow is another day.They built a home inOregon.

Next week is myvacation.

Basic Sentence Structure

Basic Sentence Structure

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There are five basic patterns around which most English sentences are built.* They areas follows:

S-V Subject-Verb John sleeps.

Jill is eating.

Jack will arrive next week.

S-V-O Subject-Verb-Object I like rice.

She loves her job.

He's eating an orange.

S-V-Adj Subject-Verb-Adjective He is funny.

The workers are lazy.

Karen seems angry.

S-V-Adv Subject-Verb-Adverb Jim is here.

Flowers are everywhere.

No one was there.

S-V-N Subject-Verb-Noun She is my mom.

The men are doctors.

Mr. Jones is the teacher.

At the heart of every English sentence is the Subject-Verb relationship. Other elements canbe added to make a sentence more interesting, but they are not essential to its formation.

The following sentences are examples of the S-V pattern.

She sleeps. Core sentence
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She sleeps soundly. An adverb is added to describe how she sleeps.

She sleeps on the sofa. A prepositional phrase is added to tell where she sleeps.

She sleeps every afternoon. A time expression is added to tell when she sleeps.

She is sleeping right now. Verb tense is changed, but S-V relationship remains the same.

Mary will sleep later. Subject is named and another tense is used.

The dogs are sleeping in the garage. New subject may require a different form of the verb.

Note: Any action verb can be used with this sentence pattern.

The following sentences are examples of the S-V-O pattern.

They like rice. Core sentence

The people like rice. Specific subject

The friendly people like rice. Subject modified with an adjective

The people in the restaurant like rice. Subject modified with an adjective

The people like boiled rice. Object modified with an adjective

The people like hot, white rice. Object modified with more than one adjective

Note: Only transitive action verbs can be used with this sentence pattern.

The following sentences are examples of the S-V-Adj pattern.

He is fine. Basic sentence with "be" verb

He seems happy. Basic sentence with another linking verb

Jordan is tall, dark and handsome. Series of adjectives

He appears very comfortable. Adverb or intensifier added

George became sick last night. Different tense and linking verb

Note: Only linking verbs can be used with this sentence pattern.

The following sentences are examples of the S-V-Adv pattern.

The teacher is here. Basic sentence

The teacher is over there. Using an adverb phrase


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Teachers are everywhere. Plural noun and verb used

The teachers are in the lobby. Prepositional phrase functioning as adverb


The following sentences are examples of the S-V-N pattern.

The man is a doctor. Basic sentence

The women are doctors. Using plural noun and verb

My father is a nice guy. Modified subject and complement

My grandparents are senior citizens. Modified plural subject and complement


*Other, less common structures are dealt with in another unit.

Building Sentences

Building Sentences

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Remember, the S - V relationship is at the "heart" of every sentence. All sentences arebuilt around this core.

To give a sentence more substance, you may enhance the subject or verb:

(VERB enhancements)

1. Change the verb in tense or aspect or a combination of the two.

He eats. (simple present)

He will eat. (future/modal)

He is eating. (continuous)

He has eaten. (perfect)

He has been eating. (combination)

He should have been eating. (combination)

2. Add an adverb or adverb phrase, or prepositional phrase.He should have eaten already/ by now.He was eating in the kitchen.

3. Add an adverbial clause.He was eating when the bus arrived.

4. Add a participial phrase.Having finished his homework, he ate.
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(SUBJECT enhancements)

5. Change the noun to a pronoun or vice versa.He eats.John eats.

6. Add an article, demonstrative, or possessive.The man eats.

This man eats.His father eats.

Conjunctions and Linking Words

Conjunctions and Linking Words

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Coordinators

Coordinators connect elements of equal importance.

S + V , butS + V

(and, but, so, or, nor, for*, yet)

S + V and V

S and S + V

N and N

Adj. and Adj.

Phrase and Phrase

Can be used in a series: A, B, C, or D

SubordinatorsSubordinators connect elements of unequal importance. One clause is not asstrong as the other.

S + V although S + V (although, even though, because, since*,

when, while, before*, after*, whenever,

wherever*, if, unless, whether?[or not]

as, as [adjective] as, so that, whereas

anywhere*, anytime*)

Although S + V , S + V

Sentence ConnectorsSentence Connectorsconnect paragraphs or show relationship between verydifferent ideas.

S + V . However, S + V (however, therefore, thus, moreover,

nevertheless, first*, then*, next*, still*

S + V ; however, S + V besides, consequently, furthermore)
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PrepositionsPrepositionsshow relationship among elements of a sentence.They are followed by noun phrases only and cannot take on a S + V.

S + V (prep. phrase) (during, after*, before*, in, on, at

despite, in spite of, for*, since*, by

(Prep. phrase), S + V like, except, but*, about, to*, from

between [A and B], among, with

(Prep. phrase) V + S (unusual) within, without, beside, near, next to)

Everyday vs. Every Day

Everyday vs. Every Day

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Explanation

Everyday is an adjective meaning "daily."

Every day is a time expression meaning "each day" or "regularly."

Examples

Note the difference in the following sentences:

1. Jane goes to class every day (each day)

2. Jane has an everyday class. (a daily class)

Common Errors

The most common error is writing "every day" as one word (everyday) as in the

following sentences:1. I used to jog three miles everyday (Incorrect)

2. I used to jog three miles every day. (Correct)

Frequency Adverbs

Frequency AdverbsClick for Audio

The most common frequency adverbs in English are:Always

Frequently

Usually

Often

100% of thetime

about 90% of thetime

about 80% of the
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Sometimes

Occasionally

Seldom

Rarely

Never

time



about 40% of the

time




Note: The percentages here are rough estimates only.

Frequency adverbs can be placed at various points in the sentence, but are mostcommonly used before the main verbs and after be verbs.

I always come to work on time.

They are seldom home when we call.He's usuallyeating breakfast at this time.

She's neverbeen to Maine.

A: Do you come here often?

B: Yes. I'm here occasionally.

A: What do you usuallydo here?

B: Sometimes I just sit and ponder the meaning of life.

Note: The adverbs seldom, rarely, neverand hardly everare considered negative.

A: Do you always carry a briefcase?

B: (Yes,) I usually do.

No, I usually don't.

No, I rarely do.

No, I hardly ever do.

Other frequency adverbs and expressions are as follows:

Every day/week/month

Every other day/week

Once a week/month/year

Twice a year/day, etc.

(Every) once in a while

Every so often

These expressions are used at the beginning and end of sentences, not before main verbs.

Every once in a while I visit my grandmother in Minnesota.I visit my grandmother in Minnesota every once in a while.

I every once in a while visit my grandmother in Minnesota. (Incorrect)

Regularly

Normally

Traditionally

(according toschedule)

(commonly nowadays)

(commonly in the past)

These words can come at various points in the sentence.


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I regularlyfloss my teeth.

I floss my teeth regularly.

Traditionally, that was considered child's play.

I normallyget up around 6 o'clock.

Normally, I get up around 6 o'clock.

Non-Action Verbs

Non-Action Verbs

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Some verbs cannotbe used in theprogressive tenses. They are called non-action verbs.Non-action verbs indicate state, sense, desire, possession, or opinion. The most common

non-action verbs are:

be* seem appear* (existence)

look* sound* smell* taste* feel* (senses)

like want prefer love* (desire)

have* own possess (possession)

think* believe consider* (opinion)

Note the usage in the following sentences:

Mr. Tactful is seeming like a nice guy. (Wrong!)

Mr. Tactful seems like a nice guy. (Correct)

This salad is tasting delicious. (Wrong!)

This salad tastes delicious. (Correct)

I am liking banana cream pie. (Wrong!)

I like banana cream pie. (Correct)

Some verbs have both action and non-action meanings. They are indicated by anasterisk* in the table above. The situation determines whether the action or non-actionform of the verb is used.

Those flowers lookbeautiful. (Non-action)

Flora is looking out the window. (Action)

I thinkthat's a great idea. (Non-action)

I am thinking about my upcoming speech. (Action)

We have a brand new car. (Non-action)
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We are having a party this weekend. (Action)

Craig is a real estate agent. (Non-action)

Billy is being naughty today. (Action)

Noun and Verb Phrases

Noun Phrases

Noun Phrases are groups of words that can function as subjects or objects in sentences.They may take on various forms:

Wateris important for survival. (Single words)

Mr. Jones spoke to Dr. James. (Proper names)

The boyate an apple. (Nouns and articles)

My friendworks with her father. (Nouns and possessives)

The young girlwore a long, white dress. (Nouns and adjectives)

Some of the kids ate all of the cake. (Nouns and quantifiers)

The man with the gun frightened the people in thebank.

(Nouns and prep. phrases)

The woman who lives there is my aunt. (Nouns and relative clauses)

The dogs sleeping on the deckshould be left alone. (Nouns and phrases)

Whoever wrote this is in trouble. (Noun clauses)

Pronouns and similar words can also function as subjects and objects:

He gave the money to us.Someone left this.Give me one ofeach.

Verb Phrases

Verb phrases are groups of words that express action or state of being. They take onvarious forms.

The men live in the dormitory. (Single verbs)

He stayedat the Hi Hat Hotel. (Past tense verbs)

I am learning many new things. (Progressive verbs)

She has been there before. (Perfect verbs)

They have been working here five years. (Perfect progressive verbs)

I could use some assistance. (Verbs and modals)

The trip was approvedby the professor. (Passive verbs)

Do you wantsome more pie? (Verbs in questions)


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Other words can be added to enhance verb phrases:

The mayor works here. (adverbs)

Neil is nota candidate. (negatives)

They livein the suburbs

. (prepositional phrases)

She'll leave whenever she wants. (adverbial clauses)

Don't talk while eating. (phrases)

Prepositions: In, On, and At

Prepositions: In, On, and At (with specific times and places)

The prepositions in, on, and atcan be used to indicate time andplace.Notice how they are used in the following situations:

Preposition Time Place

In Year, Month,In 1999, In December

Country, State, CityIn Japan, In Utah, InTaipei

On Day, DateOn Saturday, On May 1

StreetOn Main Street, On 1st Ave.

At Time

At 8:00, At 7:30

Address

At 815 East Main Street

In many languages, there is only one preposition for the above situations.In English there are three. Just remember that in usually indicates the"largest" time or place, and atusually indicates the "smallest" time orplace.

Examples:

A: Where's your office?

B: In Taipei, Taiwan.

A: Really? What part of Taipei?

B: It's on Chung Shan North Road.

A: I know that area. Where exactly is it?

B: It's at105 Chung Shan North Road, next to the bookstore.

C: When is the wedding?

D: It's in June.

C: What day?


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Prepositions of Location

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The most common prepositions of location are

inonat(See: In, On, At)

bynearnearbyabovebelowoverunderupdownaroundthroughinsideoutside (of)betweenbesidebeyondin front ofin back ofbehindnext toon top ofwithinbeneathunderneath

amongalongagainst

These prepositions are most commonly followed by "the" and a noun.Both the speaker and the listener likely know which object is being referred to.

Examples,

The keys are on the table. (We both know which table.)The post office is next to the bakery. (Not: next to bakery)

Occasionally, prepositions can be used with "a/an."This usually indicates that the speaker knows of the place, but the listener does not.

For example,

I live by a river. (You probably don't know which one.)I live by the river. (You know the river I'm talking about.)

Present Progressive Tense
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Present Progressive Tense

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Thepresent progressive tense takes the form be + V ing.

The form ofbe is determined by the subject of the sentence.He is singing.

She is listening.

They are sleeping.

I am going home.

In English, thepresent progressive is used to indicate actionshappening at the time of speaking, or right now.

Jake is speaking to his mother right now.

Please keep quiet. The baby is sleeping.

Thepresent progressive can also be used to indicate actions occurringover a period of time which includes the present.

I'm taking five classes at the university.Grace is working at a chemical factory.

What are you doing these days?

Thepresent progressive is sometimes used to indicate ongoing,developing, imminent or future actions.

Ongoing

Don't bother Mr. Grumpy while he is watching the football game.

DevelopingI'm beginning to like this place!

ImminentA: Honey, where are you?

B: I'm coming. Just let me put on my shoes.

Future (Note the presence of future time words.)A: Are you going to the concert this weekend?

B: I wish I could, but I'm meeting an important client from Oklahoma.

Somenon-action verbs do not occur in the present progressive tense. Thesimple present is sufficient.

Pronouns

Pronouns

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Pronouns are used in place of nouns. They enable speakers to refer tosomething or someone without having to repeat its name.

Example:

Mr. Jones lives in Kentucky. He frequently travels to Memphis to see his
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wife. She is a lawyer and only sees him on weekends.

The subject and object pronouns in English are as follows:

Subject

IYouHe

SheItWeThey

Object

MeYou

HimHerItUsThem

Use subject pronouns when the pronoun refers to the doerof the action or the maintopic (subject) of the sentence.

Henry hit a baseball over the fence.He didn't know where itwould land.Itwent right through Mrs. Crabby's window.She was furious. She called Henry's parents and told them whathappened.Henry had to pay for the window with his hard-earned money.

He wasn't too happy about that, but he learned a lesson.Now, he only plays baseball at the ball park.

Use object pronouns when the pronoun refers to the receiverof theaction or is the object of a prepositional phrase.

Ms. Lindon met her husband in a gold mine.The first time she saw him, she was in love.He also liked everything about her.He asked her to marry him the next day.Many friends joined them in the wedding celebration.

Reminders:Do not use subject pronouns in the object position or vice versa.

WRONG:Correct:

WRONG:Correct:

Give the balloon tohe.

Give the balloon tohim.

Her is the one I want tosee.She is the one I want tosee.

Remember to use he/him when referring to males and she/herwhen referring tofemales!

WRONG:Correct:

WRONG:Correct:

Mary lived on a farm. He had a little lamb.Mary lived on a farm. She had a little lamb.

Mr. Smith has gone to Washington. I'll give her themessage.Mr. Smith has gone to Washington. I'll give him themessage.

Sentence Subjects


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Sentence Subjects

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What can be the subject of a sentence?

A noun:

Jonathan loves chocolates.Mrs. Smith lives next door to the barber shop.The yellow dog makes me nervous.Crocodiles are very dangerous.

A pronoun:It isn't time yet.They went to sleep at 9:00.Are you coming to the dance?

Words like everyone, everybody, everything, something, anybody, nothing, no oneEverything is ready.Is everyone here?Is anybody home?

Quantifiers with nouns/pronouns Without nouns/pronouns.

Some of the pie was gone. Some (count) are here. Some (non-count) is not.

Some of the pies were gone. All is well. All are watching.

Both of them are in the foyer. Both are correct. (as a group)

Neither of them is in the foyer. Neither is correct. (separately)

None of those people are nice. (all of them are not nice)

None of those people is my friend. (not any individual)

Noun clausesWhoever left the food on the table is in trouble.

What you say is not important.How you do it is up to you.

"Dummy" subjectsThere are five people in the room.There is some milk in the refrigerator.

Be carefulIn most cases, the words before the verb are the subject of the sentence.

It is just the three of us.The three of us are going to be there.

Prepositional phrases cannot be subjects, even if they come at the beginning of a sentence.On the table was a red hat.On the table were a red hat, white gloves and a blue scarf.

Some words look plural but are actually singular:Physics is my favorite subject.The news was good.

Scotch and soda is my favorite drink. (This is very uncommon usage.)My faithful friend and companion is Terry.

Mass or "group" nouns may be singular or plural, depending on focus.The family is more important than the individual.The family are going in separate directions.

With either/neither...or/nor, the subject closest to the verb determines agreement.Neither John nor Jane was the winner.Either the men or the women are going to take the cake.Neither Mr. Jones nor his sons have a car.Neither the boys nor their father has a car.

Some can sometimes be used to indicate an unidentified person.
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Some woman was here to see you.Some guy keeps calling you.

Relative clauses do notaffect the main subject-verb relationship; however, S-Vagreement within the relative clause may be different, depending on the meaning.

The people who live there are my friends.The house that the Jacksons built needs to be remodeled.

One of the men who live there is deranged.

He is the only one who lives there.

Simple Future Tense

Simple Future Tense

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In English the Future Time is expressed in a number of ways. The mostcommon are with will and be going to. See examples from the followingsentences.

I will finish my homework in an hour.

I'm going to finish my homework in an hour.

With be going to, make sure the verb be agrees with its subject.I'm going to eat a whole watermelon.

She's going to eat a whole watermelon.

Actually, we're going to eat a whole watermelon together.

In speech, the words going to are often pronounced ? gonna .?

Don't forget the be verb.

A: What are you gonna do this weekend?

B: I'm gonna stay home and clean my carpet.

NOT: I gonna stay?

NOT: I'm gonna to stay?

What's the difference between will and be going to?

Both can be used interchangeably in some cases. (Predictions andguesses)

My prints will be here tomorrow.

My prints are going to be here tomorrow.

Be going to is preferable for strong intentions or for describing theinevitable.

I'm going to give her a piece of my mind.

There's no way they can score 21 points in 2 minutes. We're going to win!

Will is the preferable form for making offers or expressing pop decisions.

A: Who will help me finish this chocolate cake?

B: I will.

A: I have two tickets left for the front row.

B: I'll take them.

Sometimes future time can be expressed with either thepresentorpresent
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progressive tense. In such cases, time words must be expressed or clearly implied.

I fly to Beijing tomorrow.

I'm flying to Beijing tomorrow.

Sorry I can't attend the picnic on Saturday. I'm flying to Beijing .

Simple Past Tense

Simple Past Tense

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Explanation

1. The simple past tense is expressed with thepast form of the verb and nothing else.

My grandfather died last year.My grandfather was died last year.My grandfather has died last year.

(Correct)(Incorrect)(Incorrect)

2. The simple past tense refers toa. action which occurred at a specific time in the pastb. completed actionc. past status

Examples

Specific past action

I ate lunch at noon today.He drove to work yesterday.

Completed action

She finally mailed the letter.Jan finished her report on time.

Past status

John was still single in1995.Jane was a movie star.

Note the usage of the past tense in the following story.

Yesterday Mrs. Hubbard had a very rough day. In the morning, she went to the kitchenand looked in the cupboard for some food for her dog, but the cupboard was empty. Herpoor dog stared up at her with its hungry eyes, and she knew she had to do somethingquickly. She hurried to the grocery store to buy some dog food, but unfortunately thestore was out of her dog's favorite brand, so she had to catch a bus downtown. Afterbuying the food, she waited for a half hour in the rain to get a taxi. When she finally gothome, her dog was sound asleep on the living room sofa.

Common problems with the past tense

1. Using the present tense when thepast tense is required.

Last week, Tonya fix her neighbor's car.

Last week, Tonya fixed her neighbor'scar.

(Incorrec

t)(Correct)

2. Using "was" with verbs in thepast tense.

It was happened one night inSeptember.It happened one night in September.

(Incorrect)(Correct)

Exercises

Change the verbs in the following sentence into past tense.
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Children sing on special occasions.

Some people bring gifts to parties.

Bees sting when they are disturbed.

Mr. Smith fills crates.

Grandpa washes plates.

The dog jumps gates.

1C. Exercises

1. Jerry (come/comes) to school on time.2. Jerry and Linda (come/comes) to school on time.

3. Ms. Jones (teach/teaches) geography.

4. The cat (sleep/sleeps) on the sofa every day.

5. Milk (cost/costs) two dollars a quart.

2A. Explanation

Use the simple present tense to indicate:

1. Routine actions

2. Facts

2B. Examples

Routine actions

John brushes his teeth every morning.

Carol usually drives to work.

The teacher grades homework on Fridays.

Facts

Hawaii is in the Pacific Ocean.

Some birds fly south for the winter.

Water consists of hydrogen andoxygen.

Note how thepresent tense is used in the following paragraph.

Mr. Lee is a bus driver. Every day he gets up at 7:00 a.m. and prepares for his day. Heshowers, eats his breakfast, and puts on his uniform. His wife drives him to the station wherehe checks in with his supervisor. Then, he gets on Bus #405 and starts the engine. He pulls outof the parking lot and begins his route. At his first stop, he picks up Mrs. Miller, who lives in ared house on the corner of Main Street and Seventh Avenue. She works at the post office andhas to be to work by 9:00. At the next stop, the Bartlett twins get on the bus. They attend classat Bayside Elementary. More children get on at the next three stops, and they ride until the bus

reaches their school. Mr. Lee enjoys seeing the kids every day and is happy to see them againin the afternoon when he drives them safely back home.

2C. Exercises1. To practice the present tense, reread the above paragraph, then try to repeatthe main ideas in your own words. Be sure to use the -s form of the verb whenthe subject of a sentence is singular. Have a partner listen to your speech andcheck for correct usage of verbs.

2. Tell whether thepresent tense is appropriate in the following sentences.

1. Yesterday I go to Washington D.C.

2. Every day, Mr. Johnson cleans his living room.

3. They usually take the bus to the office.

4. Right now Susan eats her breakfast.

5. Melinda and Harry work in the bank.

Correct

Correct

Correct

Correct

Correct

Incorrect

Incorrect

Incorrect

Incorrect

Incorrect

Common Mistakes with the simple present tense

1. Not using the -s form with singular subjects:

Jack likes Chinese food.

Jack like Chinese food.

(Correct)

(Incorrec


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t)

2. Using the simple present tense when another tense is required.

Last night I watched television for two hours.

Last night I watch television for two hours.

(Correct)

(Incorrec

t)

Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-Verb Agreement

Click for Audio

Third person singular -s

Use the ?s form of a verb in thepresent tense when the subject is third person singular.For all other subjects, use the base form in the present tense.

Example:

base formI live in Athens.They live in Crete.The Smiths live in Rome.

-s formHe lives in Cyprus.She lives in Malta.Tim lives in Naples.Ms. Conner lives in Milan.

The verb have

The ?s form of the verb have is has.We have a winner.

He has a trophy.

The verb be

The ?s form (present tense) for be is is. For the past tense, it is was.Was is also used with firstperson singular subjects (I) in the past tense.(Am is used in the present tense.Are is used with other subjects in the present, and wereis used inthe past.)

She is here.He is not here.I am here too.You are right.They are wrong.

She was home yesterday.Ron wasn't home yesterday.I was here yesterday.We were here too.

Auxiliary verbs

When auxiliary verbs are used, only the firstverb carries the third person singular ?s.

Jean does not like spaghetti. (Correct)Jean does not likes spaghetti. (Wrong!)Jean do not likes spaghetti. (Wrong!)
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Give me that! Whose are these?

Give me that (spoon). Whose are these (socks)?

This and thatcan also be used with one. However, these and those are morecommonly used alone.

I want this one. I want these. (not these ones)

I'll take that one. I'll take those.

On the telephone, this and thatare used differently in British and American English toidentify callers.

Example:

Receiver: Hello.

Caller: I was wondering if you would be interested in buying . . .

Receiver: Who is this? (American)

Who is that? (British)

(Both expressions are used to ask the caller to identify himself/herself.)

Caller: This is Mr. Fuller from the Acme Brush Company.

(Same for both British and American English)

Caller: Hi Jack. Long time no see!

Receiver: Is this Bob? What a surprise! (American)

Is thatBob? What a surprise! (British)

If you have questions or comments about this page, please contact us.Be sure to include the title of this page in the Subject line of your e-mail.

Verb List

Verb List

Click for Audio

Regular Verbs

base -s form pastpast

participle

-ing formnote

s

call calls called called callingclean cleans cleaned cleaned cleaning

look looks looked looked looking 1talk talks talked talked talking 1

end ends ended ended ending 2wait waits waited waited waiting 2
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kiss kisses kissed kissed kissing 3wash washes washed washed washing 3

live lives lived lived living 4love loves loved loved loving 4

beg begs begged begged begging 5sin sins sinned sinned sinning 5

play plays played played playingstay stays stayed stayed staying

cry cries cried cried crying 6studies studied studied studying 6

die dies died died dyingtie ties tied tied tying

Notes:

1. Pronunciation differences in past/past participle after /p, s, k, f/ sounds

2. Pronunciation differences in past/past participle after /t, d/ sounds

3. Spelling and pronunciation differences in -s form after /s, sh, ch, z/ sounds

4. Dropping of "silent e" with -ing endings

5. Doubled consonants after "short" vowel sounds

6. Spelling differences when "y" is preceded by a consonant

Irregular Verbs

base -s form past past participle -ing form

cut cuts cut cut cuttingfit fits fit fit fittinghit hits hit hit hittinglet lets let let lettingput puts put put puttingquit quits quit quit quittingset sets set set settingshut shuts shut shut shuttingsplit splits split split splittingupset upsets upset upset upsetting

burst bursts burst burst burstingcast casts cast cast castingcost costs cost cost costing*hurt hurts hurt hurt hurting

spread spreads spread spread spreading

knit knits knit/knitted knit/knitted knitting

sit sits sat sat sittingspit spits spat/spit spat/spit spitting

begin begins began begun beginning


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swim swims swam swum swimming

ring rings rang rung ringingsing sings sang sung singingspring springs sprang sprung springing

cling clings clung clung clingingfling flings flung flung flingingsling slings slung slung slingingsting stings stung stung stingingswing swings swung swung swingingwring wrings wrung wrung wringing

hang hangs hung/hanged** hung/hanged hanging

drink drinks drank drunk sinkingshrink shrinks shrank shrunk shrinkingstink stinks stank stunk stinking

think thinks thought thought thinkingbring brings brought brought bringing

buy buys bought bought buyingseek seeks sought sought seekingfight fights fought fought fighting

catch catches caught caught catchingteach teaches taught taught teaching

creep creeps crept crept creepingkeep keeps kept kept keepingsleep sleeps slept slept sleepingsweep sweeps swept swept sweepingweep weeps wept wept weeping

bleed bleeds bled bled bleedingbreed breeds bred bred breedingfeed feeds fed fed feedingflee flees fled fled fleeinglead leads led led leadingspeed speeds sped/speeded sped/speeded speeding

meet meets met met meeting

bend bends bent bent bendinglend lends lent lent lending

send sends sent sent sendingspend spends spent spent spending

deal deals dealt dealt dealingfeel feels felt felt feelingkneel kneels knelt knelt kneeling

dream dreamsdreamt/dreamed

dreamt/dreamed

dreaming


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mean means meant meant meaning

spill spills spilt/spilled spilt/spilled spilling

build builds built built building

burn burns burnt/burned burnt/burned burning

hold holds held held holding

sell sells sold sold sellingtell tells told told telling

find finds found found findinggrind grinds ground ground grindingwind winds wound wound winding

break breaks broke broken breakingchoose chooses chose chosen choosingfreeze freezes froze frozen freezingspeak speaks spoke spoken speakingsteal steals stole stolen stealingwake wakes woke woken wakingweave weaves wove woven weaving

arise arises arose arisen arisingdrive drives drove driven drivingride rides rode ridden ridingrise rises rose risen risingwrite writes wrote written writing

bite bites bit bitten bitinghide hides hid hidden hidingslide slides slid slid sliding

get gets got gotten gettingforget forgets forgot forgotten forgetting

give gives gave given givingforgive forgives forgave forgiven forgivingforbid forbids forbade/forbad forbidden forbidding

fall falls fell fallen falling

swell swells swelled swollen swelling

dive dives dove/dived dived diving

blow blows blew blown blowingfly flies flew flown flyinggrow grows grew grown growingknow knows knew known knowingthrow throws threw thrown throwing


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draw draws drew drawn drawingwithdraw withdraws withdrew withdrawn withdrawing

show shows showed shown showing

eat eats ate eaten eating

beat beats beat beaten beating

take takes took taken takingforsake forsakes forsook forsaken forsakingmistake mistakes mistook mistaken mistakingshake shakes shook shaken shaking

makemakes

making

swear swears swore sworn swearingwear wears wore worn wearingtear tears tore torn tearing

bear bears bore born bearing

stand stands stood stood standingunderstand understands understood understood understanding

become becomes became become becomingcome comes came come comingrun runs ran run running

dig digs dug dug diggingspin spins spun spun spinningstick sticks stuck stuck sticking

strike strikes struck struck/stricken striking

do does did done doinggo goes went gone going

have has had had having

hear hears heard heard hearing

lay lays laid laid layingpay pays paid paid payingsay says said said saying

lie lies lay lain lying

light lights lit/lighted lit/lighted lighting

lose loses lost lost losing

leave leaves left left leaving

prove proves proved proven/proved proving


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read reads read read reading

see sees saw seen seeing

sew sews sewed sewn/sewed sewing

shave shaves shaved shaven/shaved shaving

shine shines shined/shone shined/shone shining

shoot shoots shot shooting

win wins won won winning

be is/are/am was/were been being

* "Cost" does not usually occur in the -ing form.

** "hang" has two different meanings and thus two usages in past/past participle

Wh - Questions

Wh- Questions

Click for Audio

Wh- Questions allow a speaker to find out more information abouttopics. They are as follows:

When?

Where?

Who?

Why?

How?

What?

Time

Place

Person

Reason

Manner

Object/Idea/Action

Other words can also be used to inquire about specific information:Which (one)?

Whose?

Whom?

How much?

How many?

How long?

How often?

Choice ofalternatives

Possession

Person (objectiveformal)

Price, amount (non-count)
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(She likes something.) ? does she like (thirdperson -s)What does she like?

Yes/No Questions

Yes/No Questions

Click for Audio

There are many types of questions in English. The easiest are questions that can beanswered "yes" or "no."

A: Are you from around here?B: Yes, I am.

A: Do you come here often?B: Yes, I do.A: Can I buy you a drink?B: No, thanks.A: Are you married?B: Yes, I am.

To form a question from a statement, first countthe number of verbs.

John is a doctor. One verb: is (be)

Jane drives a sports car. One verb: drives

Joan played basketball last night. One verb: played

Jan is eating her dinner. Two verbs: is eating

June has rented an apartment. Two verbs: has rented

Jen has been living there since 1969. Three verbs: has been living

If there is one verb in the statement and the verb is a form ofbe, simply switch thepositions of the subject and verb.

Statement Question

John is a doctor. Is John a doctor?

The Jensens are here. Are the Jensens here?

If there are two verbs, simply switch the positions of the subject and firstverb.

Statement Question

Jan is eating dinner. Is Jan eating dinner?

June has rented an apartment. Has June rented an apartment?

Jen has been living here since 1969. Has Jen been living here since 1969?

If there is one verb, and the verb is not a form ofbe, the process is more complex.

1. Add Do to the beginning of the sentence.
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The Johnsons live in that house. Do the Johnsons live in that house?

2. If the main verb "carries" a third person singular s, move the s to Do, making it Does.

Jane drives a car. Do Jane drives a car? (Not finished yet!)

Does Jane drive a car? (Good question!)

3. If the main verb "carries" past tense, move thepast tense to Do, making it Did.

Joan played basketball last night. Do Joan played basketball? (Not finished yet!)

Did Joan play basketball? (Good question!)

In conversation, most questions are asked of the second person (you) and answered inthe first(I).

A: Are you from California?B: No, I'm from Oregon. Are you?A: Yes, I'm from Hollywood.B: Do you know any movie stars?A: No, I don't go out at night.

In British English, the main verb have sometimes functions like be in questions. This is

not common in American English.

Statement Question

You have a pet ferret. Have you a pet ferret? (British)

Do you have a pet ferret? (American)

Documents

Low Beginning Grammar