English Lessons

English Grammar

Correct Usage

Vocabulary

Sentence Completion

Analogy

Speed Reading

Reading Comprehension

Grammar and Correct

Usage

Review of Parts of Speech

Subject and Verb Agreement

Grammar and Correct

Usage

GRAMMAR AND CORRECT USAGE

1. Nouns – names of people, places, and things

examples: Pnoy, Philippines, dog, love,

peace

2. Pronouns – used to replace the nouns in

sentences.

examples:

Maria is my sister. She is nine years old.

My children went home late last night.

They

attended a party.


3. Verbs – words that express actions or

existence

examples: I write short stories and novels.

I am here now.

4. Adjectives – describe nouns or pronouns.

examples:

Filipinos are really hardworking people.

She is very smart and competent.


5. Adverbs – describe adjectives, verbs, or other

adverbs

examples: They are very noisy.

I usually go to garage sales.

They were able to finish the test so

quickly.

6. Prepositions – link nouns or pronouns to another

word.

examples:

My family hears Mass on Sundays.

My pen is under the table.


7. Conjunctions – joins clauses or sentences or words

examples

I like oranges and apples.

An old man and a young child passed by.

I have seen this movie, and I liked it.

8. Interjections- short exclamation, sometimes inserted

into a sentence

examples:

Ouch! This hurts.

Wow, look at the sunrise!

Parts of

Speech

Description Examples

Verb

Noun

Pronoun

Adjective

Words showing

action

Names of persons,

place, thing, idea

Words that stands

for a noun

Word that describes

a noun or pronoun

Learn, teach, do, be,

Eyes, ears

I, him, it, this, he, she,

him

Attractive, dusty,

gentle, red

Parts of

Speech

Description Examples

Preposition

Interjection

Conjunctions

Adverb

Word that indicates a

relationship

Words that express

feeling

Connect words,

phrases and clauses

A word that modifies a

verb or adjective, or

other adverb (often

ends in ly)

For, through, to, up

Wow!

Aha!

And, or, but, yet, when

Gracefully, horribly


Try this!

Hey! Kindly tell Annie and

Jessie to go home now.

Subject -Verb Agreement

RULES IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR

1. A singular subject requires a singular verb.

A plural subject requires plural verb.

Joseph and Gerald (is/are) big artists in

their own right.


2. In phrases like along with, as well as, and in

addition to, the first noun appearing before the

said phrases determines whether the verb

should be singular or plural.

Sarah, along with her dog (eat/ eats) the ice

cream.


3. Each, either, everyone, everybody,

neither, nobody and someone

require a singular verb.

Everybody (believe/ believes) her story.

Nobody (does, do) it better.

INDEFINITE PRONOUNS

THAT ARE ALWAYS

SINGULAR

anybody everybody somebody

either one each someone

anyone everyone

neither something

anything everything

no one another

INDEFINITE PRONOUNS THAT

ARE ALWAYS PLURAL

BOTH

FEW

MANY

SEVERAL

OTHERS

a. Both of them (is/are) going to

Baguio

b. Few of our soldiers (is/are)

going to die because of Rabies

c. Several dogs (is/are) cute

Some pronouns like ALL, SOME, and

MOST can be singular OR plural…

1. Some of the beds are missing.

2. Some of the water is gone.

REMEMBER!

COUNTABLE

NON- COUNTABLE

INDEFINITE PRONOUNS THAT ARE

SOMETIMES SINGULAR AND SOMETIMES

PLURAL

ANY

SOME

ONE-

HALF

MORE NONE

ALL

EXAMPLES

Singular:

Most of the cheesecake has been eaten.

None of the cheesecake has been eaten.

Plural:

Most of the cheesecakes have been

sold.

None of the cheesecakes have been

sold.


4. When either-or or neither-nor is used,

the subject closer to the verb determines

the number of the verb determines the

number of the verb.

a. Either my father or my brothers (is/are)

going to Cebu.

b. Neither my brothers nor my father

(is/are) invited.


5. None requires a singular verb when it

means not one. It requires a plural verb

when it pertains to more than one thing

or person.

None of us (is/ are) happy about the

situation.

None (is/ are) so blind than those who

refuse change and see their reports.

6. Fractional expressions such as half

of, a part of, a percentage of, a

majority of are sometimes singular and

sometimes plural, depending on the

meaning.

EXAMPLES

1. Some of the voters are angry.

2. Two– fifths of the vineyard was destroyed by

fire.

3. A large percentage of the older population is

voting against her.

4. Forty percent of the student body is in favor of

charter change.

7. Sums and products of mathematical

processes are expressed as singular

and require singular verbs.

Two plus two is four.

Eight times seven is fifty-six.

8. Collective Nouns- team, family, group,

crew, gang, class and faculty- and the like

takes singular verb if the verb is considered

a unit, but they take a plural verb if the

group is considered as a number of

individuals.

The team is playing well tonight. (the team is

acting as a unit)

The team are getting dressed. (the team are

acting separately)

9. Title of the books, essays, short stories

and plays; a word spoken of as a word and

names of businesses take a singular verb

The Canterbury Tales (was/were) written by

Geoffrey Chaucer.

SM (has/ have) a sale this week.

10. Sums of the money, distances

and measurements are followed

by a singular verb when a unit is

meant.

Three dollars was the price (unit)

Three dollars were laying there

(individual)

11. Be careful with nouns ending in –s.

Several Nouns ending in –s takes a

singular verb.

Mumps (is/ are) an extremely unpleasant disease.

Economics (is/are) my major field of study.

12. Some nouns have only a plural form

and so take only a plural verb- for

example; clothes, fireworks, scissors

and trousers.

His trousers (is/are) badly wrinkled

Her clothes (is/ are) stylish and expensive.

SUBJECT AND VERB AGREEMENT

1. Either the videotape or the photographs

_____

needed for the exhibit.

A. are

B. is

C. was

D. were

TRY THIS!


2. Two-thirds of the students ______ able to

sign the

position paper concerning business

establishments serving liquor to minors.

A. were

B. was

TRY THIS!


3. Every man, woman, and child _______

entitled to the protection of the State.

A. are

B. is

TRY THIS!


4. The police officer, as well as his subordinates,

________ found evidence to prove the involvement of a

noted businessman in an unscrupulous business

deal.

A.was

B. were

C. has

D. have

TRY THIS!


5. Careless cutting of trees ______ increased run-off,

which carries away topsoil.

A. was

B. were

C. has

D. have

TRY THIS!

Other rules in grammar


13. Pronoun- Antecedent Agreement

- Antecedent is the word, clause or

phrase to which a pronoun refers.

Example:

Mary loves to swim. She does so every

other day.

PRONOUN

ANTECEDENT ?


a. The armies walk to the field as

(he/she/ they) rally behind their

general.

b. Martha always drinks coffee with

(he/ she/his/her/it) pretzels.


15. Dangling Modifiers

- A modifier describes something or

someone

- A modifying phrase should be

placed before the thing or person

it modifies.


Having graduated a decade

ago, the school was visited by

Karen.

DANGLING MODIFIER

Having graduated a decade ago, Karen

visited the school.


16. Parallelisms

There must be a balance in

construction of words, phrases

and clauses.

Diving and running are my hobbies.

Diving and to dive are my hobbies.

Farina feels very blessed because she

has a blossoming career and a family

that cares.

Farina feels very blessed because she has a

blossoming career and a caring family.


To run a business and (to give

alms / giving alms) are my

hobbies.

Diving, fishing and (to cook/

cooking) are the things I want to

try.


17. Adjectives

-it describes a noun or pronoun

Positive Comparative Superlative

good better best

bad worse Worst

many More most

CASES OF PRONOUNS

Nominative Case

(Subject)

Singular Plural

First Person I We

Second Person You You

Third Person He/ she/ it They

Objective Case

(Object)

First Person me Us

Second Person You you

Third Person Him, her, it them

Possesive Case

First Person My, Our

Second Person Your Your

Third Person His, her its their/theirs

EXAMPLES

1. The ballet dancers flaunted (her/ their)

shapely legs.

2. The coach expected (he/ him) to practice

daily

3. Elaine and Sarah invited (I/me) to their

rest house

COMMON MISTAKES

1. Between you and I, this test is not really very

difficult.

2. You and me against the world.

3. If I was your parent, I would ground you

for a month.

4. I can go to California or Florida, I wonder

which is best.

5. We are all in search for the best

solutions.

6. Reaching for the book, the ladder slipped

out from under him.

7. In his book on winter sports, the author

discusses ice– skating, hockey, and how to

fish in an ice covered lake.

8. The affects of the storm could be seen

everywhere.

9. The management will evaluate the

effectivity of the workshop.

10. Fatfat, my friend and mentor, are

working at the University.

11.A high number of problems about the

new modem is coming out.

Identifying errors

Identifying Sentence Errors

a. Skip the hard questions and come back

to them later.

b. Carefully read the questions and look for

obvious errors.

c. Trust what you know about basic grammar.

d. Use your ear for the language in spotting

the errors.

An error will most likely be seen on an underlined word or phrases that you find a

hard time comprehending.

Example

My mommy is the better

A B C

teacher in the whole world.

D E

Ate Path, Jojo and Fatfat were the three of the

A

learning specialists that Learning Mate is proud

B C

for. No error

D E

Vocabulary

Context Clues

The context is the other words and

sentences that are around the new word.

When you figure out the meaning of a word

from context, you are making a guess

about what the word means.

To do this, you use the hints and clues of

the other words and sentences.

I love her being magnanimous;

she never hesitates to extend help

to those who need it.

A.generous

B.patient

C.dramatic

D.shrewd

E.unsympathetic

Context Clues

His ingenuous remarks made her

bosses conclude that she’s too

young for the job.

A.exemplary

B.naïve

C.warm

D.articulate

E.cool

Context Clues

VOCABULARY WORDS

If the given word is not used in a

sentence, think of the word in a

context.

Miriam Defensor is a virtuoso

speaker.

virtuoso - highly skilled

VOCABULARY WORDS

Think of the word in another, more

familiar part of the speech

sobriety (noun)

sober (adjective)

Choose the word that fits in the sentence.

18. Historical buildings in many Philippine cities,

rather than being destroyed are now

______________.

A. constructed

B. described

C. condemned

D. renovated

E. designed

Determine if the word sounds

“positive, negative or neutral”

Say the word to yourself if it connotes

something positive, negative or

neutral.

VOCABULARY WORDS

Sample Questions

Find the meaning of the italicized word

Easy:

Bimbi had to give

up his job because

he got a

debilitating

disease.

a. contagious

b. serious

c. weakening

d. heightening

e. gradual

Answer

C- weakening; only a weakening

disease can make him quit his job;

serious is vague.

Sample Questions

Find the meaning of the italicized

word

Average:

Bokbok had the

quixotic idea that he

was a reincarnation

of a Greek Soldier

a. wild

b. fantastic

c. unrealistic

d. gummy

e. shabby

Answer

C- unrealistic; because of the

presence of the word

“reincarnation”

Difficult:

Only a ruffian can

do such an

heinous act of

killing a helpless

child.

a. insane person

b. brutal person

c. confuse person

d. lovable person

e. ignoramus person

Sample Questions

Find the meaning of the italicized

word

The

phosphorescent

sea is home to

marine life forms

a. warm

b. continuously

moving

c. immense

d. eternally

e. brilliantly

moving

The despotic

leader turned

down all the

suggestions and

made his own

decision

a. cruel

b. brave

c. wise

d. arrogant

e. generous

COMMON ROOT WORDS AND

WORD ORIGINS Roots Meaning Word

alter another Alternative

Ami, amicable love Amicable, amiable

amphi Both ends or all sides Amphibian, amphidextrous

Ann/enni year Anniversary, annual,

biennial, perennial

anthrop Human/ man Anthropology/

anthromorphic/

misanthrope

Aqua/ aque water Aquatic, aquarium,

aqueduct

arch Chief , leader, rule Monarch, archbishop

arthro joint Arthritis

aud sound Audible, audiotape

bell war Belligerent, belicose

Roots Meaning Word

biblio book Bibliography

bio Life Biology, autobiography

brev short Abbreviate

cap Take, seize, Capture, captivity, capacity

carn meat Carnivorous

ced Yield, go Recede, proceed, intercede

chrom color chromatic

chron time Chronological,

chronology

cogn know recognize

corp body Corpse, corporal

Crac, crat Rule, ruler Autocrat, democracy

cred believe Credulous, credibility

cruc cross Crucifix

crusta shell Crustacean

crypt hidden Cryptogram , cryptology

Roots Meaning Words

culp guilt Culprit

dei god Deity

demo people Democracy, demography

dent tooth Dentist, dentin

derm skin Dermatology, epidermis

dic Speak, say Dictate, predict

dox Belief, opinion Paradox

Duc, duct lead Induce, conduct

duo two Duo

dynam power Dynamo

ego self Egotist, egomania

equ equal Equality, equidistant

fac Make, do Manufacture, factory

fil threadlike Filament

frater brother fraternal

Roots Meaning Words

gam marriage Monogamy, polygamy

geo earth Geology, geothermal

glyph Vertical groove Hieroglyphics- Egyptian sky

writing

Grad, gress step Graduation, progression

graph Writing, printing Graphology, biography

gym naked Gymnasium

gyn woman Gynecologist

Hemo, herna, hem blood Hemophilia, hematology

holo Whole, entire Hologram

Hydro, hydr water Dehydrate, hydroelectric

iso Equal, identical Isoteric

ject throw Reject, projection

jud judge Judicial

Leg, lect Read, choose Lecturer, election

Roots Meaning Words

liter letter Literature, illiterate

loc place Local, locomotion

log word Monologue

luc light Elucidate, lucid

magn large Magnify, magnate

man hand Manufacture, manuscript

mar sea Marine, mariner

mater mother Maternity, maternal

mere Part, segment Mere

Meta, met Behind, between Metacognition- behind the

thinking

Metri, meter measure Geometric, thermometer

min small Miniscule

Mit, mis send Permit, submission

Mob, mot, mov move Mobile, motion, movie

mon warn Premonition, admonition

Roots Meaning Words

Mor, morth death Warn

morph Form, structure Metamorphosis

mut change Mutant, mutability

neuro change Mutant, mutability

Nomen, nomin name Nomenclature

nov new Renovate, innovate

Nym, onym Word, name Synonym, acronym

odonto tooth Orthodontist-

ortho Straight/ correct Orthodontist

pac peace Pacify, pacifist

Pater father Paternal, paternity

path Feeling, suffering Sympathy, apathy

Ped, pod foot Pedal, pedometer

Pel, puls push Pulsate, repulsive

pend Hang, weigh Pendulum, pendant

Roots Meaning Words

Phon, phono Sound, voice

Plan flat Plane

pneum lung Pneumonia

pod feet Podiatrist

pot power Potent, omnipotent

psych Mind, soul, spirit Psychology, psychic

pugna fight Pugnacious

Quer, quis ask Query, inquisition

Scent, scend climb Ascend, ascent

Schizo, schiz Division, split schizophrenic

sci To know Scientific

sciss cut Scissor

Scrib, script write manuscript- scripture

Sec, sect cut Dissect, section

Roots Meaning Words

Sed, sess sit Sedentary, session

Sequ, secu follow Sequence, sequel

serv Serve, protect Service

simil Same, similar Simile, facsimile

siphon tube Siphon

Sol sun Solar

son sound Sonar, resonate

soph Wisdom, knowledge Philosophy

Spec, spic Look, see Spectacles, spectator

spir coil Spiral

spir breathe Inspire, respiration

Spond, spons Promise, answer for Respond, responsible

spont By one’s own force Spontaneous

stat Stay in position Station

Tang, tact touch Tactile, tangible

Roots Meaning Words

Temp time Temporary

Ten, tent hold Tentative, tenable

terr earth Subterranean, terrestrial

theo God, deity Theology, polytheiism

therm heat Thermal, thermometer

trophy Nutrition, food Atrophy- without nutriition

uro urine Urologist

vac empty Vacation, vacuum, vacant

Ven, vent Come, go Intervene, convene

ver truth Veracity

vert turn Introvert, vertigo

Vit- life Vitamin, revitalize

voc call Revoke, invocation

Zoo animal Zoology, zoo

Ways to unlock meanings of difficult words:

1. Definition or synonym – a statement giving the

meaning of a word.

For example:

"Don't think of words as

separate, discrete items, or entities."

entities?

discrete?

separate, discrete items

separate


2. Antonym – opposite meaning

For example:

I was not exactly enamored of the travel plans

my agent made for me; my lack of enthusiasm

was triggered by the eight-hour layover

required between flights.

Enamored?

Lack of enthusiasm


3. Substitution – replacing a word with another

word

For example:

"When we stayed at the military base, each

Saturday we went to the commissary to buy the

food and supplies we would need for the next

week.“

Comissary?

store


Keep in mind the following when substituting:

Step 1: Reread and substitute a word that seems

to make sense in the context.

Step 2: Read on and try again.

Step 3: Look for synonym, definition, and

antonym clues.


4. Examples

For example:

We were advised to take a lot of succulent

food especially fruits such as oranges and

lemons to keep our bodies dehydrated.

succulent? Full of juice


4. Root words, prefixes, suffixes

ROOTWORD - base, origin

For example:

anthrop – human

as in “anthropology” – the study of human

beings

demo – people

as in “demography” and “democracy”



PREFIXES – “pre” meaning “before”

For example:

ab – away from

as in “abnormal”, “abduct”, “abstain”

mis – wrong

as in “misplace”, “misspell”



SUFFIXES – after

For example:

-cide – kill or killing

as in “suicide”, “infanticide”, “patricide”

-phobia – fear

as in “claustrophobia”, “photophobia”

REMEMBER...

Word repetition is a useful tool for building

vocabulary.

If you really want to build you vocabulary

you should repeat words several times a

day, every day, to keep the words in your

memory.

Write them down on a notepad if you need to.

Each time you read a word analyze its meaning

and use it in a sentence.

SENTENCE COMPLETION

A word or phrase in the sentence is omitted:

The by laws ___ in detail how the members of the association will follow all the duties and

responsibilities

SENTENCE COMPLETION

a. determine b. highlight c. describe d. disburse e. calculate

ANSWER

C- Describe, because of the

word “in detail”

SENTENCE COMPLETION

We should never be _________ towards other

people for we have a social responsibility

A. apathetic B. generous C. confused D. Idealistic E. cognizant

1. Choose the best answer.

Always remember the Latin roots,

prefixes, and suffixes to figure out what

some difficult words mean.

2. Try to predict the answer using context

clues. Take note of the signal words.

SENTENCE COMPLETION

The Ortigas Center is filled with _______

buildings, some having up to 50 floors.

A.crowded

B.weak and old

C.first class

D.gargantuan

E.infinitesimal

Support Signals:

and, additionally, also, furthermore,

besides, whomever, likewise

His stubbornness and ____get him into a

lot of troubles

A. arrogance

B. benevolences

C. brilliance

D. kindness

E. compassion

SENTENCE COMPLETION

Cause and Effect Signals:

accordingly, consequently, therefore, thus,

because

Because of his girlfriend’s____ ,Dave was in

a very _______mode.

a. defeat, excited

b. demise, good

c. departure- sour

d. victory, confident

e. promotion, melodically

SENTENCE COMPLETION

3. In double blank sentences, read the

entire sentence first.

Test both the first and second words

before deciding on the answer.

SENTENCE COMPLETION

I did not want to ____ the manager

but I commented that the service

was ____.

A. offend, good

B. upset, disappointing

C. commend, inadequate

D. judge, questionable

E. praise, bad

Last Shot!!!

a. Always remember the Latin roots,

prefixes, and suffixes to figure out

what some difficult words mean.

b. Always remember context clues.

c. Read the entire sentence using

your choice(s). If it makes sense,

mark your answer.

VERBAL ANALOGY

VERBAL ANALOGY

Verbal analogy – relationship of words and their being

parallel or similar to other words.

Example:

Manila: Philippines : : Tokyo: ___________

Answer: Japan

Why?

Manila is the capital of the Philippines in the same way

as Tokyo ts the capital of Japan.

VERBAL ANALOGY

Some relationship of words that are included in verbal

analogy are:

Synonyms Stout: Plump Antonyms Stout: Thin Cause/effect Sorrow: Tears Sequence Saturday: Sunday Grammatical relationship Fight: Fought Part/Whole Book: Library Difference/Similarity Smile: Laughter Function Composer: Symphony Characteristics Judge: Ever-tempered

VERBAL ANALOGY

TRY THIS!

Mango: Fruit: ___________:___________

a.disco: restaurant

b.pork: meat

c.crush: love

d.wine : beer

VERBAL ANALOGY

TRY THIS!

Magician: wand:__________:__________

a.ballet : leotard

b.swimsuit : pool

c.conductor : baton

d.tuxedo : concert

VERBAL ANALOGY

TRY THIS!

archipelago : island:___________:___________

a.necklace : bead

b.flower : garden

c.tree : orchard

d.peninsula : delta

pork:pig;mutton:______:_______

A.cow

B.chicken

C.sheep

D.turkey

E.goat

school:fish as wolf:______:________

A.herd

B.pack

C.flock

D.sheperd

E.litter

soldier: fight ; scientist:___________

A. read

B.educate

C.research

D.travel

E.inform

LONELY is to DESOLATE as

ARROGANT is to_____________

A. humble

B.unhappy

C.impoverished

D.Reserved

E.proud

CONVICT is to PUNISHMENT as

ACQUIT is to _____________

A. freedom

B. guilty

C. jail

D. incarceration

E. E.acquire

HEAT is to SCALD as

COLD is to __________

A. freeze

B. chill

C. melt

D. frostbite

E. stutter

________is to FAT as

POLYDACTYL is to________

A. pig–bird

B. exercise–study

C. obese–fingersortoes

D.husband‐wife

E.gym‐hospital

______is to Japan as

Dinar is to ________

A.technology–education

B.island–plateau

C.sushi–kebab

D.yen‐Bahrain

E.poor‐rich

_________is to CEILING as

STALAGMITE is to____________

A. paint–rock

B. chandelier‐cave

C. top‐bottom

D. roof‐floor

E. house‐building

termagant: nagger :: ______: _____

A. virago: harpy

B. bubbly: miserable

C.happy: labor

D.lively: shop

quiescence: ______::frenzy: hysteria

A. dormancy

B. persistence

C. eternity

D. potency

E. calamity

Mini Examination:

trash talk: demoralize:: _____:_____

A. revelation: disclosure

B. recruitment: labor

C. equivocation: conceal

D. taxing: painful

E. avowal: confuse

atychipobia: ____:: cacophobia:____

A. failure: ugliness

B. automobiles: germs

C. marriage: laughter

D. chicken: general

E. death: night

SPEED

READING

SPEED READING

TIPS:

1.Skim the entire article before you begin reading.

Take note of the following:

Title

Introduction

Headings & Sub-headings

Italicized / Bold-faced words /

sentences

2.Use your index finger or pen as a guide while

reading.

SPEED READING

TIPS:

3. Avoid sub-vocalization / auditory reassurance.

Stop sounding out the words in your head or

mouthing the words silently.

4. Chunking – read groups of words at a time.

5. Don’t take a small pause after each paragraph.

READING

COMPREHENSION

Description of the Exam

This section tests your ability to

analyze written information and

includes passages from the

humanities, the social sciences, and

the physical and biological sciences.

a. You will be allowed to scroll through the

passages when answering the questions.

a. Many questions may be based on what

is implied in the passages rather than on

what is explicitly stated

“Your ability to draw inferences

from the material is critical to

successfully completing this

section. Furthermore, you are to

select the best answer from five

alternatives.”

READING COMPREHENSION

a. Read the passages first before proceeding

to the questions. Always establish the general focused of the

passage. If possible, note important points, names and so on your scratch paper.


b. Make a mental map of the major points of the passage and where they are found. Always get the topic of the paragraph. Determine the central thought. Is there a topic sentence that expresses main idea succinctly? What title would you give to the passage?


c. Familiar topics first, unfamiliar topics later. Skip the hard questions and come back to

them later. If there are choices, shorter passages first,

longer passages later.


d. Answer questions carefully. Always look for the context clues.

While answering the questions, you may go

back to the passage whenever that you feel that is necessary.


e. Predict an answer before looking at the answer choices. If you are having difficulties, paraphrase the question yourself so that you can understand it better.

Try to answer all the questions in a particular

reading passage before heading for the next passage.


f. Beware of the negative words like NOT and EXCEPT g. Study the common questions which appear in the reading comprehension portion of the exam.

COMMON READING

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. Main Idea

a. central thought or significance of the passage

b. key words: main point, chief theme, best title,

primary purpose

2. Details

a. explicitly stated by the author

b. supported in the passage

c. key words: states, cites, supports, according to the

passage, statements mentioned by the author

3. Inference

(the author wants you to supply ideas

based on the story)

a. Beyond author’s statements/ not explicitly stated

(wala sa story)

b. Based on what the passage implies

c. Key words: implies, infers, suggest

4. Tone/ Attitude (cynical, aloof, cautionary)

a. Emotional state of the author or a character

b. Key words: tone, attitude, feeling

5. Vocabulary word in context

a. Meaning of unfamiliar words as used in the

passage

b. Check how the word was used by the author

c. You are not required to know the meaning of

technical or foreign words.

6. Technique (Argumentative, general,

explanatory)

a. Methods of organization or development of the

passage

b. Keywords: organization, technique, development

7. Tone or Attitude of the Paragraph

a. Focused on the author’s style, attitude, or

mood. Look for key words such as adjectives

that reveal if the author is pessimistic, critical,

supportive, or objective

8. Logical Structure of the Passage

a. Focused on the overall meaning and

organization of the passage. You may be asked

about the strengths or weaknesses the author

is making to identify assumptions or, to

evaluate counter- arguments.

BASIC READING SKILLS BASIC SKILL no. 1:

Good understanding of the meaning of

individual words.

BASIC SKILL no. 2:

Ability to discover the central theme of the

passage

BASIC SKILL no. 3:

Capacity to organize mentally how the

passage is put together and determine

how each part is related to the whole.

Improving Paragraphs/

Sentences

a. Always focus on the general meaning/

subject of the paragraph

b. Expect grammatical or typographical errors

as you are read the paragraph

c. Always choose answers that totally fits within

the context of the paragraph.

PARAGRAPH

ORGANIZATION

The basic paragraph consists of the

following parts:

1. Topic Sentence

the main idea of each paragraph is stated in this

sentence. All points in the paragraph should

support the topic sentence.

2. Supporting Details

statements that elaborate upon and prove the topic

sentence.

3. Concluding Sentence

A statement that ties together all the ideas in the

paragraph and emphasizes the main idea one last

time

PARTS OF A PARAGRAPH

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle requires eating a nutritious

diet and getting regular exercise. A nutritious diet includes

eating a variety of foods from each of the four food groups:

meat, dairy, fruits and vegetables, and grains. Regular

exercise is also an essential part of keeping a healthy

lifestyle. Most experts recommend exercising at least thirty

minutes a day, six days a week. These two aspects, eating a

healthy diet and exercising on a regular basis, will maintain a

healthy lifestyle.

TOPIC SENTENCE

SUPPORTING DETAILS

CONCLUDING STATEMENT

a. Chronological order (order of Time)

-items, events or ideas are arranged in the order which

they occur.

-this pattern is marked by transition words like next,

then, a few hours later, before the sun rose, that April

-commonly used for narratives and process texts

b. Spatial order

-items are arranged according to their physical position

or relationships

-this pattern might use transitions like just to the right, a

few feet behind

Principles of Organization

c. Climactic Order (order of Importance)

-items are arranged from least important to most

important.

-organization of a paragraph based on emphasis

- Typical transition words include more important, most

difficult, by far the most expensive

d. Topical order

-organization that emerges from the nature or a topic

itself

-transitions in this pattern will be a little vague like

another factor, the second component, in addition, and so on.

Principles of Organization

- Pay attention to the signal words (contrast,

support, cause and effect, sequence or

chronology) which can aid in determining the

next sentence

- Sequence or Chronology words: first, second,

last and finally

- Try to spot the introduction and conclusion first.

The rest are supporting details.

PARAGRAPH

ORGANIZATION

A. The athletes push their bodies hard in

order to develop their muscles

B. Still, the life of an athlete is a nice one.

C. Contrary to popular idea, there are no

born athletes

D. They do have to be careful not to

overtrain, since it can lead to injuries

E. A person is turned into an athlete

through intense training and supreme

dedication.

Try this one!!!

PARAGRAPH ORGANIZATIONS

a. The first procedure is that bill passes through

three readings on separate days.

b. Otherwise, the bill will go back to the House from

where it originated, and it will be deliberated upon

again.

c. If the president approves the bill, then it shall be

deemed a law.

d. A bill, before becoming a law, undergoes several

procedures.

e. On the third reading, the votes of the lawmakers

shall be recorded and if the bill is approved, it goes

to the President for approval or veto.

A.a

B.b

C.c

D.d

E.e

What should be the first sentence?

a. The first procedure is that bill

passes through three readings on

separate days.

b. Otherwise, the bill will go back to

the House from where it

originated, and it will be

deliberated upon again.

c. If the president approves the bill,

then it shall be deemed a law.

d. A bill, before becoming a law,

undergoes several procedures.

e. On the third reading, the votes of

the lawmakers shall be recorded

and if the bill is approved, it goes

to the President for approval or

veto.

A.a

B.b

C.c

D.d

E.e

What should be the fourth sentence?

a. The first procedure is that bill

passes through three readings on

separate days.

b. Otherwise, the bill will go back to

the House from where it

originated, and it will be

deliberated upon again.

c. If the president approves the bill,

then it shall be deemed a law.

d. A bill, before becoming a law,

undergoes several procedures.

e. On the third reading, the votes of

the lawmakers shall be recorded

and if the bill is approved, it goes

to the President for approval or

veto.

a. Not only that, paying taxes also means that the

government will no longer need to acquire loans to

fill the budget deficit.

b. Every citizen should lend a hand in pursuing

economic progress.

c. One way to do it is to pay one’s taxes correctly.

d. Paying correct taxes results in increased revenues

that the government uses for infrastructures and

other projects

e. So be a good citizen and pay your taxes correctly.

PARAGRAPH ORGANIZATIONS

What should be the second sentence?

A. a

B. b

C. c

D. d

E. e

a. Not only that, paying taxes also

means that the government will

no longer need to acquire loans

to fill the budget deficit.

b. Every citizen should lend a hand

in pursuing economic progress.

c. One way to do it is to pay one’s

taxes correctly.

d. Paying correct taxes results in

increased revenues that the

government uses for

infrastructures and other projects

e. So be a good citizen and pay your

taxes correctly.

What should be the fourth sentence?

a. Not only that, paying taxes also

means that the government will

no longer need to acquire loans

to fill the budget deficit.

b. Every citizen should lend a hand

in pursuing economic progress.

c. One way to do it is to pay one’s

taxes correctly.

d. Paying correct taxes results in

increased revenues that the

government uses for

infrastructures and other projects

e. So be a good citizen and pay your

taxes correctly.

A. a

B. b

C. c

D. d

E. e

What should be an appropriate title of

the paragraph?

A. Economics Progress

B. A Citizen’s Duty

C. Taxing the Economy

D. Taxes and Economic Progress

E. Lend a Hand for Progress


TIPS:

1.Look for the main idea of the reading passage

which is usually expressed by the first or last

sentence.

2.Skim through the reading passage. Do not waste

time reading examples, illustrations, and other details

very carefully. You can go back to them and reread

later to answer questions on details.


The elevation of the position of women in society

has created a strong temptation to women to feel self-

sufficient without the support of men. Lest our modern

mothers be caught in the web of this seemingly

attractive position, maybe they be reminded that the

true happiness of a woman is after all, in the simple

joys of home and contentment of every member of her

family. Whether in the primitive or in the moon age, a

mother to a child, still is love.


1. Based on the selection, what will give the modern

mother a true happiness?

A. living freely and independently by developing her

fullest potential

B. loving God above all and educating her children

C. being a career woman despite some problems

D. building a home and looking after the welfare of

every family member

E. living with her loved ones.


2. Which of the following is true, according to the

selection?

A. In the modern age, mothers love their children less.

B. Modern mothers have to work with his husband.

C. Women cannot live happily without men.

D. Being accorded a higher status in society has

tempted women to live without men.

E. Women can only be happy with her material wealth.

Documents

English Lessons