English Module - Sachin Karve

7/28/2019 English Module - Sachin Karve

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English Grammar- Sachin Karve 1

AN EASY APPROACH

TO

ENGLISH GRAMMAR

Sachin KarveConsultant & Trainer

Transform To LeadA-401 Bldg No:5, Tilak Nagar,

Chembur, Mumbai 400089Cell: 9819858269


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Welcome to t his mo dule on English Grammar.

Mr. Verma is t he G. M Business Development in ABC Co. Ltd. and Ravi is the newly recruitedoffice assis tant. Ravi h as recently been asked to assist Mr. Verma.

Mr. Verma realized that Ravi did not have a command on English grammar. This led toMiscommunication. So, Mr. Verma called Ravi one fine day, and .. Read on..

Mr. Verma: Ravi, the letter that you have drafted to M/s XYZ has a lot of grammatical errors in it. This isthe 5 th time today that I have corrected you. I feel that you urgently need to take up a course in English.

Ravi: I am agree with you sir, but I not having time to attend classes because I am stay very far, and notime is remain for anything else.

Mr. Verma : In that case, how will you learn correct English ?

Ravi : Sir, will you helping me in this. I dont mind even if you stopping me every time I making mistakeand correct me.

Mr. Verma : OK ! I will try my best, but you must put in a lot of effort.

Early morning o n Monday 25 th November.

Ravi : I have typed letter you dictated in morning and kept in folder.

Mr. Verma : Ravi, which letter are you talking about ?

Ravi : Letter to Project site.

Mr. Verma: And in which folder have you kept it ?

Ravi : I filed it in An U-Clip Folder and have written Project Communication on it.

Mr. Verma : Ravi, You must say The letter, The Project Site . Besides this, do not say AN U Clipfolder. You should say A U Clip Folder.

Ravi: But sir, last time you said that I must use An before any word beginning with a vowel ( a,e,i,o,u ) .

Mr. Verma: Oh ! I forgot to tell you that you have to consider how the word sounds instead of what letter itbegins with . For instance, when you say the word U-Clip it sounds like yoo clip and y is not a vowel.Hence we say A U-Clip and not An U-Clip. Do you understand.

Ravi: I understand the principle now. However Sir, does this hold true in the opposite case too ?Mr. Verma: Which case ?

Ravi: I mean that if there is a word beginning with a consonant say Hour begins with H , but the wordsounds like our where O is a vowel, then will it begin with An.

Mr. Verma: Yes Indeed. Why ? In fact I have heard you wrongly say A Hour many times.

Ravi: Sir, I wont repeat the mistake again. Can you please tell me in detail the principle of using A andAn.

Mr. Verma: Yes. See. In Grammar, these are called as articles.


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Look at the followin g sentences :

1. I want apple from basket.

2. Church on the corner is progressive.3. I borrowed pencil from your pile of pencils and pens.

4. One of students said, " professor is late today."

5. I bought umbrella to go out in rain.

All the above sentences seem incomplete, there is something missing in each of them. The completesentences should be :

1. I want an apple from the basket.

2. The church on the corner is progressive.

3. I borrowed a pencil from your pile of pencils and pens.

4. One of the students said, " The professor is late today."

5. I bought an umbrella to go out in the rain.

Ravi: Sir, What are articles and are there different types of Articles?

Mr. Verma: An article is used to announce a noun. There are two types of articles:1. Indefinite article, and2. Definite article

Ravi: Sir, From their names, I guess that A and An would certainly be Indefinite articles, and The would be the definite article. Am I right sir ?

Mr. Verma: Yes Ravi. You are right. But how did you guess.

Ravi: Simple. If I say An Apple, or A Book, It does not indicate which apple or Book I am referring to.

Mr. Verma: Correct . That is why they are called as Indefinite articles.

Ravi : The is a definite article, because if I say The Book , one would clearly know which book I amreferring to. . Am I right Sir ?

Mr. Verma : Yes Ravi. You are perfectly right.

I will give you a Note on Articles. You can go through it after lunch time and later at home. Right now,Please bring me The ISO File from The Last years Records.

Ravi: Right sir.

Mr. Verma has given Ravi th e following Note on ARTICLES :

Definition : An article is used to announce a noun. There are two types of articles:

Indefinite article, andDefinite article


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Indefinite article : The articles a and an (used only when the next word begins with a vowel - a, e, i, o,u) are called indefinite articles because the noun they go with, is indefinite or general. The meaning of the article a or an is similar to the number one, but one is stronger and gives more emphasis.It is possible to say, I have a book or I have one book , but the second sentence emphasizes that I donot have two or three or some other number of books.

Examples:1. a = indefinite article (not a specif ic object, one of a nu mber of the same objects) with

consonants1. She has a dog.2. I work in a factory.

2. an = indefinite article (not a s pecific object , one of a number of the same objects) withvow els (a,e,i,o,u)1. Can I have an apple?2. She is an English teacher.

Definite article : The word the is the definite article. The definite article is used before singular andplural nouns when the noun is particular or specific. The signals that the noun is definite, that it refers to aparticular member of a group.

Examples:

1. Referring to s omething mentioned before: The is used with nouns referring to things previouslymentioned.

e.g. Here is the book I mentioned to you last week.As I was walking to work I passed a garden. The garden was full of roses.

In the first example, the is used with book , because the book has been mentioned previously. In thesecond example, the first time the garden is referred to, the indefinite article a is used, because thegarden has not been mentioned previously. The second time the garden is referred to, the definite articlethe is used, because the garden has already been mentioned.

2. Referring to so mething unique: The is used when referring to things which are unique, since insuch cases there can be no doubt about which particular thing is meant.

e.g. I have found the answer. This is the shortest route into town.

In the first example, the would be used if there is only one possible answer. In the second example, th e isused because only one route can be the shortest one.

Expressions such as middle of and top of are generally preceded by th e , since it is considered thatthere can, for example, be only one middle or one top of something.

e.g. There is a car stopped in the middle of the road.She is at the top of her class. They like to be the center of attention. The police are determined to get to the bottom of the mystery.

3. Referring to s omething when it is co nsidered obvious what is meant: The is also used when,because the thing being referred to is the most important one of its kind to the speaker or writer, it isassumed that it will be understood which particular thing is meant.

e.g. The house needs to be painted. The sun rose at six o'clock this morning.I'm going to the park.Don't slam the door.


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These sentences give examples of the use of the to refer to things which are not in fact unique, but whichare uniquely important to the speaker or writer. The expression the house is often used when referring toone's own house. The expression the sun almost always refers to the sun which is closest to the earth.

The expression the park might be used to refer to the only park in the vicinity, or to a park which onevisits often. In the sentence Don't slam the door, the expression the door might refer to the door of theroom or building which one is presently occupying.

4. Referring to s omething as a class: When preceded by the , a singular countable noun can be usedto represent something as a class.

e.g. The telephone is a modern convenience. The horse is a domesticated animal. The eagle is a bird of prey.

In the first example, the telephone refers to telephones considered as a class. Likewise, in the otherexamples, the horse refers to horses considered as a class, and the eagle refers to eagles consideredas a class.

It should be noted that the is not used when the word man represents the human race considered as aclass.e.g. Man has invented many things.

The dolphin may be as intelligent as man.

In summary, English has two types of articles: definite (the) and indefinite (a, an.) The use of thesearticles depends mainly on whether you are referring to any member of a group, or to a specific memberof a group:

Next Day :

Mr. Verma calls Ravi regarding the management c ommittee meeting.

Mr. Verma: Ravi, Do you know where Mr. Pandey is this week ?

Ravi: Sir, Mr. Pandey will not be in the Head office. He has gone to United States last week.

Mr. Verma: Ravi, you Must say The United States, and not just United States

Ravi: But sir, you told me once that I should not use The before a Countrys Name.

Mr. Verma: Yes. That is right. I had told you that. But that is because a countrys name is generallysingular. In that case dont use THE. For Example: we say I am going to Delhi. But In case of UnitedStates, we say I am going to The United States . We use THE , because of presence of Plural Statesi.e Group of states. Do you get the point.

Ravi: Yes. I am now clear about this. For example, I would say I wish to go to The Andamans in May.

Is that right. I use The because I am speaking about Andaman Islands- A grou p of Islands .Mr. Verma: Yes !

Ravi: Sir, Are there any more exceptions similar to this where we do not use the article THE ?

Mr. Verma: Yes. There are many.

CASES WHERE WE DO NOT USE THE :

There is no article:

1. with names of countries (if singular)

Germany is an important economic power.He's just returned from Zimbabwe .(But: I'm visiting th e United States next week.)


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2. with the names of languages Sindhi is written in Devnagiri script. English uses many words of Latin origin. Punjabi is a relatively new language as compared Urdu .

3. with the names of meals . Lunch is at midday. Dinner is in the evening. Breakfast is the first meal of the day.

4. with people's names (if singular): Ramya 's coming to the party. Saurabh Gupta is my uncle.

(But: we're having lunch with the Sharmas tomorrow- Due to plural-Sharmas.)

5. with titles and names : Priyanka Gandhi is Sonia Gandhis daughter. Dr. Rajesh was Rams friend.

(But: the Raja of Kashmir, the Pope .- Since they are titles , Not names )

6. After the 's possessive case:His brother's car .Shama's house .

7. With professions : Engineering is a useful career.

He'll probably go into medicine .

8. With names of shops :I'll get the card at Arch ie's .Can you go to McDonalds for me?

9. With years : 1947 was a wonderful year.

Do you remember 1995 ?(But: Do you remember The 1975 War . Here we are actually referring to The War . - And1975 is just giving the year of war.)

10. With uncountable nouns: `Rice is the main food in Asia.

Milk is often added to tea in India. War is destructive.

11. with the names of individual moun tains, lakes and islands : Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the Himalayas.

She lives near Vihar Lake .Have you visited Andaman and Nic obar Is lands ?

12. with most names of towns , streets, stations and airports : Colaba is the heart of Bombay.

Can you direct me to Fashion Street ?She lives in Dombivili .They're flying from Jaipur .

13. in some fixed expressions , for example:

by car by trainby air on footon holiday on air (in broadcasting)


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at school at workat University in churchin prison in bed

Mr. Verma: Ravi, I want you to take this simple test, on use of articles. I am sure that it will help you tounderstand how well you know the subject now. Answers are given at the end , so that you can check

your score.Ravi: Yes sir. I will certainly take the test. I am sure that I will score well.

TEST

J ust complete the following exercises and see how much you have understood:

Test on Indefinite Articles ( A, An )

1. This is Bhushan. He's ________ doctor.2. Parag is ________ officer3. That's Vijay. He's ________ police

officer

4. Shahrukh Khan is ________ actor.5. Farookh is ________ electrician.6. This is Gauri. She's ________

housewife.

CHECK YOUR ANSWERS :

1. This is Bhushan. He's a doctor.2. Parag is an officer3. That's Vijay. He's a police officer

4. Shahrukh Khan is an actor.5. Farookh is an electrician.6. This is Gauri. She's a housewife.

Ravi: Sir, though I did make some mistakes, I have scored fairly well in this test. In case you have one,please give me a test on Indefinite articles as well.

Mr. Verma : Oh Sure. Heres one with questions on both Indefinite and definite articles. Good Luck !!

Mr. Verma: I hope you are clear about the concepts. If not Please read this note before you begin thetest. It is a summary on the basics of articles and their use.

NOTE:In summary the rules for the usage of articles are as given below:

1. the = definite article (a specific object that both the person speaking and the list ener know)

2. DO NOT use an article with coun tries, states, cou nties or provinces, lakes and mou ntainsexcept when the country is a c ollection of s tates suc h as "The United States ".

3. Use an article with bo dies of water, oceans and seas.

4. DO NOT use an article when yo u are speaking about thin gs in general

5. DO NOT use an article when yo u are speaking about Meals, places, and t ransport

6. " A" go es before all words that begin with consonants.* with one exception: Use an before unsound ed h.

7. " An" goes before all words that begin with vowels:* with one exception: When u makes the same sound as the y in you, or o

makes the same sound as w in w on, then a is used.

Ravi: Yes. Now I am clear. I will certainly do better in the test.


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Mr. Verma knows th at Ravi is improv ing on English grammar. However, he feels that he is v eryweak with t he use of Determiners and Quantifiers. So, Mr. Verma calls Ravi, and ..

Mr. Verma: Ravi, How busy are you today ?

Ravi: I have many work to do today. I have also got to do a few mailing.

Mr. Verma : Oh God ! Ravi, You are using wrong quantifiers. Do you realise how odd your sentencessound ?

Ravi : Sir, Please tell me what is my mistake.

Mr. Verma : You should use quantifiers based on the Noun type that you use. You should have said Ihave a lot of work to do today. I have also got to do some mailing.

Mr. Verma : Besides this, you could also have combined the two sentences using a conjunction. I will notconfuse you with conjunctions right now. Let us go ahead one thing at a time. I hope you know what aquantifier is ?

Ravi : No Sir.

Mr. Verma : Ok, Like articles, quantifiers are words that precede and modify nouns. They tell us thequantity- i.e how many or how much. Selecting the correct quantifier depends on your understanding thedistinction between Count and Non-Count Nouns .

Ravi : Sir, Can you first tell me what are count and Non count nouns.

Mr. Verma: Read this note Carefully : The main difference between count and non-count nouns is whether things they refer to can be countedor not. Count nouns refer to things that can be divided up into smaller units, which are separate anddistinct from one another. They usually refer to what can individually be seen or heard:

TableChairWordRemark

FingerBottleAwardCandidate

Non-count nouns refer to things that cannot be counted because they are regarded as wholes whichcannot be divided into parts. They often refer to abstractions and occasionally have a collective meaning:

AngerFurnitureWarmthLeisure

EducationCourageProgressWeather

The Rule :

Count nouns can be p luralized by adding a final -s to the nouns. Example :Word Plural is

Table TablesWord WordsRemark RemarksFinger Fingers

Noncount nouns cannot be not pluralized at all.

Word Plural can not beAnger AngersWarmth Warmths

Courage CouragesEducation EducationsWeather Weathers


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They do no t have Plurals. They are used just as they are.

What are MASS (NON-COUNT) NOUNS? Here is a list of MASS NOUNS for you to consider. Can you count any of these things? Do we use the pluralform of any of these words in common speech and writing?woodclothiceplasticwoolsteelaluminummetalleatherporcelainhairdustairoxygen

watermilkwinebeercakesugarricemeatcheeseflour

readingboatingsmokingdancinghockeyweatherheatsunshineelectricitybiologyhistorymathematicseconomicspoetry

luggageequipmentfurnitureexperienceapplausephotographytrafficharmpublicityhomeworkadvice

Ravi : Sir, Do you have some more examples on quantifiers.

Mr. Verma : Yes. Read these examples carefully.

The following quantifiers will work with count nouns:

many treesa few treesfew trees

several treesa couple of treesnone of the trees

The following quantifiers will work with non-count nouns :

not much dancinga little dancinglittle dancinga bit of dancing

a good deal of dancinga great deal of dancingno dancing

The following quantifiers will work with both count and non-count nouns :

all of the trees/dancingsome trees/dancingmost of the trees/dancingenough trees/dancing

a lot of trees/dancinglots of trees/dancingplenty of trees/dancinga lack of trees/dancing

Ravi: Now I know why I should have said A lot of work, and NOT Many work.

Mr. Verma: Good. However, remember that in formal writing , it is usually better to use many and much rather than phrases such as a lot of, lots of and plenty of .Ravi: Right Sir.

Mr. Verma: Now you can take the following test on use of Quantifiers.


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TEST 1

I. In the following sentences, fill in the gaps with one of the following quantifiers:( much, many )

a. It seems to me that we've had assignments in English this term.

b. How material can we be expected to read in one week?c. books are not in the library.

d. I've had headaches already because of stress.

e. depression can be attributed to being overworked.

ANSWERS TO TEST 1:

a. Manyb. Much

c. Manyd. Manye. Much

TEST 2

In the following sentences, fill in the gaps with one of the following quantifiers:( muc h, many, few, little, most. )

When you've gotten all the answers right, see if you can substitute other quantifiers from the list. (HINT: Three of the last four sentences could have two different answers.)

a. Our garden looks awful this summer. There are too weeds.

b. I didn't use fertilizer last spring, and that has made a difference.

c. Also, I've paid attention to how rain we've had.

d. I'm afraid it's rained times this summer, and the grass is turning brown and dying.

e. experts say you should fertilize your lawn in the autumn.

f. It didn't seem to do my lawn good.

g. advice you get from experts doesn't seem to help.

h. of my neighbors ignore their grass, and they have better lawns this year.

ANSWERS TO TEST 2 :

a. Manyb. Muchc. Little, Muchd. Fewe. Many / Some / Nothingf. Little / Anyg. Mosth. Most / Many


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Ravi: Yes. Sir. Can you please explain me in detail about conjunctions next week. This week I will be busy withother work.

Mr. Verma: Certainly. Ravi, Later on just try using the conjunction Because to join the above two sentences into asingle one.

Ravi: Ok. Sure.

Mr. Verma is glad with Ravis imp rovement in terms of English grammar. However, this week he h asdecided to make him aware of effective use of con junction s in speech. So, Mr. Verma calls Ravi, and ..

Mr. Verma: Please tell me the schedule of Mr. Pandey and Mr. Mehra for the coming week.

Ravi : Sir, Mr. Pandey will be going to J amnagar. Mr. Mehra is going to Delhi.

Mr. Verma : Ravi. This week, I will tell you how to improve your speech by use of conjunctions.

Ravi: What is a conjunction ?

Mr. Verma: Certainly.

Mr. Verma: A conjunction is a word which joins together sentences and words. Conjunctions join togethersentences and often make them compact.

Ravi : Can you please explain it to me in detail ?

Mr. Verma: Read this note on Conjunctions, and let me know in case you have any problem. There are two parts. the first part is on basics , whereas the second one gives you the details.

Mr Verma hands over the follow ing note to Ravi :

What are Conjunc tions?

Conjunctions are words that "join". Conjunctions join two parts of a sentence.

1. Form Conjunctions have three basic forms:

Single Word for example: and, but, because, although)

Compound (often ending with as or that )(for example: provided that, as long as, in order that)

Correlative (which surround an adverb or adjective)(for example: so...that)

2. Funct ion (Job) Conjunctions are divided into two basic types.

Coordinating Conjunctions are used to join two parts of a sentence that are grammaticallyequal. The two parts may be single words or clauses, for example:- Jack and Jill went up the hill.- The water was warm bu t I didn't go swimming .

Subordinating Conjunctions are used to join a subordinate dependent clause to a mainclause, for example:- I went swimming , although it was cold .

3. Positio n Coordinating Conjunctions always come between the words or clauses that they join. Subordinating Conjunctions usually come at the beginning of the subordinate clause.


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Coordinating Conjunctions

The short, simple conjunctions are called "coordinating conjunctions":and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so

A coordinating conjunction joins parts of a sentence (for example words or independent clauses) that aregrammatically equal or similar. A coordinating conjunction shows that the elements it joins are similar in

importance and structure:+

Look at these examples - the two elements that the coordinating conjunction joins are shown in square brackets []:

I like [tea] and [coffee].[Ram likes tea], bu t [Anthony likes coffee].

Coordinating conjunctions always come between the words or clauses that they join.When a coordinating conjunction joins independent clauses, it is always correct to place a comma before theconjunction:

I want to work as an interpreter in the future, so I am studying Russian at university.However, if the independent clauses are short and well-balanced, a comma is not really essential:

She is kind so she helps people.When "and" is used with the last word of a list, a comma is optional:

He drinks beer, whisky, wine, and rum.He drinks beer, whisky, wine and rum. (ok)

Subordinating Conjunctions

The majority of conjunctions are "subordinating conjunctions". Common subordinating conjunctions are:after, although, as, because, before, how, if, once, since, than, that, though, till, until, when, where,whether, while

A subordinating conjunction joins a subordinate (dependent) clause to a main (independent) clause:

+Look at this example:

main orindependent clause

subordinate ordependent clause

Ram went swimming although it was raining.

subordinatingconjunction

Ravi: Now I am confident of using correct conjunctions without making mistakes. My sentences will be short andalso keep the meaning intact.

Mr. Verma: Ravi, You can take this test on Conjunctions to evaluate yourself.

Ravi: Yes Sir.


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TEST 1

1. I don't know ___ you want to meet that lady. She's such a snob. that why

when2. He looks ___ he were sick.

even if even though as if, as though

3. He asked ___ he could smoke a cigarette. whether, if what that

4. He insists ___ I be there.

if that as if

5. He punished the little boy ___ put salt in his coffee. who which whenever

6. It was raining hard ___ we left the office. where when although

7. He'll have the work done ___ that you arrive. when after by the time

8. ___ I was saying, how many of you want to attend the conference? As So For

9. He must be rich, ___ he spends a lot of money. but for in order to

10. We have been having problems with the heater ___ we bought it. when while since


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ANSWERS TO TEST 1 :1. why2. as if, as though3. whether, if 4. that5. who, that

6. when7. by the time8. As9. for10. since

Earlier, we have seen h ow Ravi has learnt th e use of Articles, determiners, quantifiers, andconju nctions . This t ime let us see what Ravi gets to learn.

Monday mornin g, Mr. Verma is p reparing himself fo r a meeting.

Mr. Verma: Ravi, I need to take some prints can you please give me some sheets of paper?

Ravi: Sir, how much sheets you need? Is ten will be enough?Mr. Verma: Oh Ravi! You are using the wrong adjective, and verbs too. You must say how manysheets and not how much sheets ?. You also must know the use of verbs. In your second sentence,you should have said Will ten be enough? Ravi: I dont understand. Can you tell me in detail.

Mr. Verma: Certainly. See, you asked about the quantity of papers required isnt it.

Ravi: Yes

Mr. Verma: Always remember that adjectives are those which tell us more about the noun.

Ravi: Sir, but I dont know much about nouns.

Mr. Verma: Well, a noun is a name.Ravi: Whose name sir?

Mr. Verma: Well, a noun is the name, which you use to describe things, persons, or places with.

Ravi: So sir is my name also a noun.

Mr. Verma: Yes Ravi your name is also a noun.

Ravi: Wow! I didnt know that. Can you tell me more about nouns and also about adjectives.

Mr. Verma: Well Ravi, Now I will explain you about nouns and do remind me to explain you aboutadjectives later on when we are done with nouns. I also want to correct your use of verbs. But that we willdo only after you are clear with Nouns and Adjectives.

Ravi: That will be fine sir.

Mr. Verma: Let us begin with nouns. Now, look around yourself, and tell me all the things that you see.

Ravi: Table, chair, you, sunita (secretary), window, file, computer, pen, and many other things.

Mr. Verma: What you have mentioned just now were all nouns. Note that nouns are of two main types.Proper nouns and common nouns.

Ravi: From the names, I guess that Proper nouns are those, which have a specific identity. Say, sunitawill be a Proper noun. Am I right ?

Mr. Verma: Yes Ravi. In that case also tell me which are common nouns.

Ravi: Maybe pen, computer and file is common noun. Am I right ?

Mr. Verma : Yes. Can you give me examples of proper nouns, for the above three common nouns.

Ravi: Yes I think Parker Pen , Compaq Computer , ISO File , are now proper nouns.Mr. Verma : Right Ravi. Here is some more information on nouns


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NOUNS A nou n is a name.

Nouns can be used in different ways. They can be common or proper. They can be subjects of sentencesor direct objects, predicate nominatives, objects of prepositions, and indirect objects. There are also

nouns of address, objects of infinitives, and gerund nouns. Nouns, nouns, nouns where do we begin?First, let's start with a basic definition:

Nouns are the names of persons, places, things, or ideas or we can say that a noun gives a name topersons, places, things, or ideas..

Persons: Mr. Sahney, mother, woman, SeetaPlaces: city, home, Mumbai, IndiaThings: house, ring, shoe, table, desk, month, lightIdeas: grief, democracy, courage, obedience

Concrete nouns can be touched. Abst rac t nouns (like love, bitterness, happiness, or joking) cannot be touched but are, nonetheless, stillnouns because they name entities.

Types: There are 5 main types of nouns:1. Common noun 2. Proper noun 3. Collective noun

4. Abst rac t noun 5. Material noun

PROPER AND COMMON NOUNS

Common noun and Proper noun : Nouns can be proper or common .

Proper nouns are written beginning with a capital letter. They have a specific name or title and refer to aparticular person, place, thing, or idea.

Common nouns do not begin with capital letters because they are less specific.

Here is a comparison:Common noun s are country, language, river, city, girl, boy.

Those same nouns as Proper noun s might be India, Hindi, Ganga, Mumbai, Seema, Prashant.

Read the sentences given below:1. I am a girl.2. My name is Seema.

Both girl and Seema are nouns. When we say girl, it can be any girl. However when we say Seema, wesay about one particular girl. So girl is a Common noun . Seema is a Proper noun .

Remember: A proper noun always begins with a capital. Example: J ai, Nine, Faridabad.A common noun begins with a capital only if it is the first word of a sentence.

Mr. Verma: Ravi. You can go through the following exercises, to know how much you have understoodthe subject.


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EXERCISE 1.

List the nouns in the following sentences. Mark C for common and P for proper.

1. The mayor suggested that the boy clean up Shivajis Statue for his NSS project.2. Two friends water-skied on Lake Dal.

3. The twins, who are from the large city of Mumbai, are vacationing in Bangalore all next month.4. The teacher asked the student to report on the country of France.5. The address on the envelope clearly read Chennai.6. The witness's story was about a man fleeing from a building.7. The factory blew into a thousand pieces.8. Meena was so excited that she ran all the way home.9. The journal by Surendranath was found after his death.10. Tractors are good for farming and also for young boys and girls who want to practice their drivingskills.

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 1.

1 mayor -C boy -C Shivajis statue -P project -C2 friends -C Dal Lake -P3 twins -C city -C Mumbai -P Bangalore -P month -C4 teacher -C student -C country -C France -P5 address -C envelope -C Chenna i-P6 story -C man -C building -C7 factory -C pieces -C8 Meena -P home -C9 ournal -C Surendranath -P death -C10 tractors -C Farm(ing)- C boys -C girls -C skills -C

Friday Evening , all in Mr. Vermas of fice are about to leave office.

Mr. Verma: So, Ravi. Good that we could finish all pending issues this week. It was indeed a busy week.

Ravi: Yes Sir. I really need a break. This weekend I want to go out of Mumbai.

Mr. Verma: are you going alone ?

Ravi : No sir, my wife, my children, my mother and also my father all will be going.

Mr. Verma: Ravi, You could have said .. My Family is going out instead of that long sentence. It seemyou dont know the use of Collective nouns.

Ravi: What is that sir ? Can you explain in detail.

Mr. Verma : Ravi, the concept of collective nouns is very simple. Here, we just have to identify a set of things together, and replace it with a single word, which is the collective noun.

Ravi : From your explanation I can think of some collective nouns. Is crowd a collective noun to replace A lot of People .

Mr. Verma : You are right. I can see a good improvement in your English.

Mr. Verma : Ravi, now that you know collective nouns, let me introduce you to abstract nouns.

Ravi: Yes Sir. What are abstract nouns.

Mr. Verma : Ravi, Abstract nouns are those nouns which describe qualities, state of mind, and othersimilar things. For example Kindness, Poverty, Childhood, Laughter etc.. are abstract nouns. Please readthis note on Abstract nouns.


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ABSTRACT NOUNS

1. This beggar is a small child. His childhood is steeped in poverty.2. This is a poor beggar. Poverty makes him beg.3. The child laughs when the man gives him money. His laughter will make the man happy.

In the first sentence we can see that the beggar is a small child.What is the state of the child?Childhood .

Nouns which show the states of people like childhood, slavery etc. are called Abs tract n oun s.Here abstract noun s are formed from common noun s like child and slave.

In the second sentence, the beggar is described as poor.What makes him beg ?Poverty .

Nouns which show qualities like poverty, kindness etc. are also, Abst rac t nou n s. Abst rac t noun s are formed here from adjectives like poor and kind.

In the third sentence the child laughs when it gets the money.What action does the child show?Laughter .

Nouns, which show actions like laughter, movement etc., are Abs trac t no un s too.Here abstract noun s are formed from verbs like- laugh and move.

Mr. Verma : Ravi, Take the following exercise on Abstract nouns.

ABSTRACT NOUNS

EXERCISE 1.

Fill in the blanks forming suitable abstract nouns from the words given in thebrackets.

1. His _________________ led to his downfall. ( foolish )2. The streets of Singapore are known for their ______________ . ( clean )3. The _______________ of the jewels shocked everybody. ( thief )4. The people mourned the _________ ________ of their beloved leader. ( die )5. I want to know the ___________, said the teacher. ( true )6. The boys _____ _______ upset his mother. ( lazy )7. Switzerland is famous for its natural ____________ _. ( beautiful )8. _______________ was abolished in America long ago. ( slave )

9. The flights __________________ was delayed. ( depart )10. The minister gave a _____________________ in the parliament. ( speak )

ANSWERS TO EXERCISE 1.

1. foolishness 2. cleanliness .3. theft 4. death .5. truth .

6. laziness 7. beauty .8. Slavery 9. departure 10. speech .


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Mr. Verma: Oh Ravi! You are back. Did you deliver the cheque that I gave you? What happened you lookvery tired?

Ravi: Yes sir it is very hot outside.

Mr. Verma: Then sit down and have some water.

Ravi: I just drank two waters.Mr. Verma: Is it wrong to say two waters? Instead say two glasses of Water or else just say I drankwater.

Ravi: But then what do I say? And what is the difference?

Mr. Verma: Ravi, nouns are further divided into 2 more parts; the countables which you can count likeman, boy, book etc and the uncountables which you cannot count like water, rice, wheat etc. Go throughthis document and you will know the difference.

COUNTABL E AND UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS

Nouns like girl, pen etc can be counted. We can say two girls and four pens. However we cannot countnouns like water, sand etc. We cannot say four waters or three sands.

Nouns which can be counted are called Countable Nouns .Example: dog, horse, man, shop, idea.

They usually have a singular and plural form.Example: two dogs, ten horses, a man, six men, the shops, a few ideas.

Nouns which cannot be counted are called Uncountable Nouns .Example: tea, sugar, water, air, rice.

They are often the names for abstract ideas or qualities.Example: knowledge, beauty, anger, fear, love.

They are used with a singular verb. They usually do not have a plural form. We cannot say sugars,

angers, knowledges.

Examples of common uncountable nouns:money, furniture, happiness, sadness, research, evidence, safety, beauty, knowledge.

We cannot use a/an with these nouns. To express a quantity of one of these nouns, use a word orexpression like:some, a lot of, a piece of, a bit of, a great deal of...

Examples:1. There has been a lot of research into the causes of this disease.2. He gave me a great deal of advice before my interview.3. They've got a lot of furniture.

4. Can you give me some information about uncountable nouns?Some common uncountable nouns are:

Accommodation advice baggageBehaviour bread furnitureInformation luggage newsProgress traffic travel

Trouble weather work

BE CAREFUL with the no un 'hair' wh ich is no rmally uncoun table in English :She has long blonde hair

It can also be coun table when referring to ind ividual hairs:My father's getting a few grey hairs now .


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Mr. Verma now k nows th at Ravi has impro ved on his use of Nouns . However needs s ome moreinputs.

Monday Morning in Mr. Vermas of fice

Mr. Verma: What happened to the fish-bowl in the reception ?Ravi: Yesterday someone knocked off the bowl, and all fishes died.

Mr. Verma: Well Ravi thats definitely bad news. But you should say Fish and Not Fishes .

Mr. Verma: Dont you know anything about singular and plural.

Ravi: Yes sir. I know. Singular means one and plural means more than one. You have to add an S atthe end to make a singular into Plural. Sometimes we add s and sometimes we add es.Mr. Verma : So, tell me what is the plural of man?

Ravi: Oh! Easy. Mens.

Mr. Verma: Oh goodness!! You have made an attempt, but you are half wrong, and zero points for that. There are some rules for making the plural, Ravi.Ravi: Can you please tell me what they are, Sir?

Mr. Verma: Sure Ravi, just go through this note and you will become really good in Singular and Pluralalso.

Most nouns fo rm the plural by adding -s or -es.

Singular Plural boat boatshat hats

A no un end ing in -y preceded by a cons onant makes the plu ral w ith -ies .

Singular Plurala cry criesa nappy nappiesa baby babies

A no un end ing in f or fe makes the plu ral by c hanging f o r fe into v and add ing es

Singular Pluralthief thieves

Wife Wiveswolf Wolveslife Lives

Exceptions:

Singular PluralChief ChiefsRoof RoofsHoof HoofsGulf GulfsSafe SafesProof ProofsBrief BriefsBelief Beliefs


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A few nouns fo rm their p lu rals by changing the ins ide vowel of the singular:

Singular PluralMan MenWoman WomenFoot Feet

Tooth TeethGoose GeeseMouse Mice

There are a few nouns t hat form their plural by adding en to the sing ular:

Singular PluralO OxenChild Children

Some nouns have the same form in t he singular and the plu ral.

Singular Pluralsheep sheep

fish fishspecies speciesaircraft aircraft

Ravi has improved a lot in t erms of us ing Nouns . The difference is evident in h is speech. Mr.Verma is happy w ith the efforts that he is putti ng in learning Englis h. This week Mr. Verma hasplanned to discuss Adjectives with Ravi.

Ravi: May I come in Sir?

Mr. Verma: Yes Ravi, come in. Sit down. Ravi, I have called you to discuss adjectives. I have noticed thatalthough you have started using nouns correctly, you do not make use of proper Adjectives while writing.

Ravi: But I dont know much about Adjectives?Mr. Verma: Ok. If I say Ravi, can you please get me the green file from the top shelf . Tell me whichis the Adjective.

Ravi: Sir, in this sentence, Ravi, File and Shelf are nouns. The is an Article. In that case, I feel thatgreen should be an adjective. Am I right?

Mr. Verma: Good ! but this is guesswork. Besides, you have missed one more adjective. Can you tell mewhich one.

Ravi: Sir, first just give me a hint as to what is an Adjective.

Mr. Verma: Ok. When I said green file, did I give you some more information on the file i.e. the noun.

Ravi: Yes sir.

Mr. Verma: So that is it. An adjective gives us more information about the noun. As inthis case the adjective green gave you information about the noun file.

Ravi: Ok sir, in that case, the word Top should be an adjective, because it gives some information aboutthe shelf. Is that correct.

Mr. Verma: absolutely right. However, there are different ways in which an adjective is used in speech.For example you can say I read the book. It is interesting . We can also say I read an interesting book. So, in certain cases, you can use an adjective before the noun, else also after the verb or noun.

Mr. Verma : For more details, go through this document and you will come to know more about theadjectives, their types and how they are formed.


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ADJECTIVES

Definition : An adjective is often defined as a word which describes or gives more information about anoun or pronoun. Adjectives describe nouns in terms of such qualities as size, color, number, and kind.For example:

1. An elephant is a big animal. The word big says more (describes) about the noun animal.How is the animal? The animal is big .

2. He has one bat. The word one says more about the noun bat.How many bats are there?

There is on e bat

3. Mrs. Sen wears a red saree. In the same way, the word red says more about the saree.What colour is the saree?

The saree is red in colour. The words big, one and red are describing words or ADJECTIVES .

Position o f an adjective in a sentence :Usually an adjective comes

1. Before the noun that it describes.a. A beautiful girl.

2. After a noun and after verbs like "to be", "to seem" , "to look", "to taste":a. The girl is beautiful.b. You look tired.c. This meat tastes funny.

3. After the noun: in some fixed expressions:a. The Princess Royalb. The President electc. A court martial

Note: In case of t he adjectives involved, present, concerned:

a. I want to see the people involved/concerned (=the people who have something todo with the matter)

b. Here is a list of the people present (=the people who were in the building or at themeeting)

Be careful! When these adjectives are used befo re the noun they have a different meaning :

a. An involved discussion = detailed, complexb. A concerned father = worried, anxiousc. The present situation = current, happening now

Formation of Adjectives:

Adjectives can be formed from:a. Nouns

Noun Adjective

Man ManlyFool FoolishCare CarefulPlay PlayfulHope Hopeful

Trouble TroublesomeShame Shameless


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Sense SenselessGold GoldenDirt DirtyCourage CourageousEnvy Envious

b. VerbsVerb Adjective

Tire Tireless Talk TalkativeCease CeaselessMove Moveable

c. Adjectives Adjec tive Adjective

Tragic TragicalWhole Wholesome

Three ThreefoldBlack BlackishWhite WhitishSick Sickly

Ravi: Sir, What are the types of Adjectives.

Mr. Verma: There are 5 types of Adjectives. Adjectives of Quality, Quantity, Number, DemonstrativeAdjectives and Interrogative Adjectives

Go through this note on Adjectives of Quality. Remember that these are very useful in day-to-day speech.

TYPES OF ADJECTIVES

The various types of adjectives are:1. Adjectives of Quality2. Adjectives of Quantity3. Adjectives of Number4. Demonstrative Adjectives5. Interrogative Adjectives

Adjec tiv es o f Qualit y : These are adjectives which show the quality of a person or a thing.

For example:1. The old man walked slowly.2. The kind lady gave food to the beggar.

In the above sentences, the adjectives old and kind show the qualities of the man and the ladyrespectively.Adjectives of Quality answer the question 'What kind of'?

For eg. What kind of man? Old man.What kind of lady? Kind lady.


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Examples on Adjectives Of Quality

1. The rhinoceros is a strong animal.2. The naughty child wore a pink dress.3. She has Black hair.4. The old man drove a new car.

5. The young lady lived in a luxurious house.6. Miss Kshma is a bright student.10. Teddy has a full pot of honey.

Adjec tives of Quantity : Adjectives which show the quantity of a thing are called Adjectives of Quantity.

For Example:1. I had little food.2. There was sufficient rain last year.

In the above sentences, the adjectives little and sufficient show the quantity of food and rain respectively.Adjectives of Quantity answer the question 'How much?

For eg. How much food? Little food.How much rain? Sufficient rain.

Examples on Adjectives Of Quantity

1. She did not eat Much rice.2. The thief asked for a Large share of the booty.3. You should have Some sense to do it.4. There is Sufficient sugar in the jar.5. We got a lot of sunshine on the beach.6. He showed Great patience with the child.7. All his money was spent on education.

Adjec tives of Number : Adjectives which show how many persons or things are meant or whichshow in what order a person or thing stands are Adjectives of Number.

For Example:1. The fourth boy is the monitor.2. There are ten men in the room.

In the above sentences, the adjectives fourth and some show in what order and how many boys and menwere there respectively.

Adjectives of number answer the questions:a. In w hat order?b. How many?

For example: In What Order? fourth.How many men? ten

Examples on Adjectives Of Number

Fill in the blanks with suitable adjectives of number.

1. J anuary is the First month of the year.2. Poonam stood Third in the line.3. Sharad has Five shirts in the cupboard.4. There are Seven planets around the sun.


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Mr. Verma : Ravi, in the sentence This article is excellent in its coverage on very impor tantissues . , Which is the adjective ?

Ravi: That is easy. The adjectives are excellent and Important, because they tell somethingextra about the noun.

Mr. Verma : Ravi, there is one more adjective in the sentence, which you have not noticed. Tell me,is there any word, which gives me more information on the noun- article ?

Ravi: Yes Sir. Now I realise. The word This gives the listener more information about the article. Soit should also be an adjective.

Mr. Verma : Ravi, I am really happy to see your progress in understanding the subject.. Actually,words such as This and That are called as Demonstrative Adjectives. Read this note.

Demonstrative Adjectives : Adjectives which point out which person or a thing is spoken of areDemonstrative Adjectives.

For Example:1. These toys are new. 2. That book is very interesting.

In the above sentences, the adjectives these and that point out the toys and book respectively.

Demonstrative Adjectives answer the question 'Which?'

For eg. Which toys? These toys.Which book? That book.

Remember: In the case of singu lar nouns this and that are used.In th e case of plural noun s these and those are used.

Examples of Demonstrative Adjectives

Underline the demonstrative adjectives in the following sentences.1. Have a look at these paintings.2. That girl stood first in our class.

3. This fort belonged to Shivaji.4. Those mangoes are sour.

Ravi has n ow s tarted using adjectives in his s peech regularly. One fine day in office, Mr. Vermaheard him say this to someone

Ravi: Hello Mr. Shetty, I have got news that you have been given higherest increment. Heartiestcongratulations to you !!

Mr. Verma : Ravi, Please come to my cabin.

Ravi: What happened sir ?

Mr. Verma : Ravi, do you realise how odd your sentence sounded. It was terrible. You do not know theuse of comparative degree of adjectives. You can say High Increment , or Higher Increment orHighest Increment , but certainly not Higherest. Read this note, so as to understand this subject.


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COMPARISION OF ADJECTIVES

Read these sentences:1. Priya is tall2. Preeti is taller than Priya.3. Poonam is taller than Preeti.

Comparative Degree:

From the above sentences, you can make out that Preeti is taller than Priya. Here we are comparing theheights of Priya and Preeti.We use the comparative degree of adjectives when we compare between two persons or things. Thecomparative degree of tall is taller.

We get the comparative degree of adjectives by:1. Adding 'er' to the adjective. For eg. Long - longer.2. Using more before the adjective. For eg. Beautiful - more beautiful.Usually we write than after the adjective while using the comparative degree. Preeti is taller than Priya.

Superlative degree

From the above sentences, you can make out that Poonam is the tallest among the three of them. Weuse the Superlative Degree of adjectives to show the comparison between more than two persons orthings. The superlative degree of tall is tallest.We get the superlative degree of adjectives by:1. Adding 'est' to the adjective. For eg. long - longest.2. Using most before the adjective. For eg. Beautiful - most beautiful.

We also use the definite article 'the' while using the superlative degree. For eg. Poonam is the tallestamong the three.

Change the Degree of Adjectives:Note the sentences given below:

1. The Aeroplane is a fast mode of transport. (Positive)2. The aeroplane is faster than all the other means of transport. (Comparative)3. The aeroplane is the fastest means of transport. (Superlative)

In the above sentences, you will see that the degree of adjectives (fast/faster/fastest) are different. Butthe meaning remains the same.

Examples:

Sr.No.

POSITIVE DEGREE COMPARATIVE DEGREE SUPERLATIVE DEGREE

1 Clever Cleverer Cleverest

2 Long Longer Longest

3 Pretty Prettier Prettiest4 Wise Wiser Wisest

5 Young Younger Youngest

6 Neat Neater Neatest7 Beautiful More beautiful Most beautiful8 Strong Stronger Strongest9 Cold Colder Coldest

10 Big Bigger Biggest


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Examples of Positiv e/ Comparative and Superlative sentences. (Note that meaning remains same)

1.Superlative: This is the most beautiful room in the house.Positive: No other room in the house is as beautiful as this room.Comparative: This room is more beautiful than any other room in the house

2.Positive: No other courtier in Emperor Akbars court was as witty as Birbal.Superlative: Birbal was the wittiest courtier in Emperor Akbars court.Comparative Birbal was wittier than all other courtiers in Emperor Akbars court.

3.Positive: No other student in the class is as smart as Ballu..Superlative: Ballu is the smartest amongst all the other students in the class.Comparative Ballu is smarter than all the other students in the class.

4.Positive: No other question in the paper was as easy as the first one.Superlative: The first question was the easiest question in the paper.Comparative: The first question was easier than any other question in the paper.

5.Positive: No other suitcase as heavy as Pallavis suitcase.Superlative: Pallavis suitcase was the heaviest amongst all other suitcasesComparative: Pallavis suitcase was heavier than all the other suitcases.

Adjec tives tel l us more about a noun . They can:1. Describe feelings or qualities:

a. He is a lonely manb. They are honest people

2. Give nationality or origin:a. This clock is Germanb. Our house is Victorian

3. Tell more about a thing's characteristics:a. A wooden table.b. The knife is sharp.

4. Tell us about age:a. He's a young manb. My coat is very old

5. Tell us about size and measurement:a. J ohn is a tall man.b. This is a very long film.

6. Tell us about colour:a. Paul wore a red shirt.b. The sunset was crimson and gold.

7. Tell us about material/what something is made of:a. She wore a cotton dressb. It was a wooden table

8. Tell us about shape:a. A rectangular boxb. A square envelope

9. Express a judgment or a value:a. A fantastic film.b. Grammar is boring.

Mr. Verma: Good. So how do you feel now?

Ravi: I really feel great. I can sum up my knowledge of adjectives by saying that previously I was GOOD in my work, now after reading so much I have become BETTER and I want to learn so much so that I canbecome the BEST. Mr. Verma: That was very well versed. Good I am impressed by your use of adjectives.


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* VERBS *

Monday Morning in Mr. Vermas of fice-

Ravi: Sir, Mr. Ghosh is called y ou just ten minutes ago. He will goin g to postpo ne todays meetingby 1 hour . What shall I tell him?

Mr. Verma: Ravi, tell him that the new schedule is fine. We will have the meeting at 11 AM. However, doyou realize what went wrong with your sentence

Ravi: Oh God !! Sir, I think I should have said Mr. Ghosh had calling you ten minutes ago. He haspostponing todays meeting by 1 hour. Am I right sir?

Mr. Verma: Ravi, you have made two mistakes. One mistake is with the use of Verb, and then with use of tense. While correcting one error, (by using had/ has) you have messed up with the other aspect.

Ravi: Then what is the correct way to say that ?

Mr. Verma: You should have said Mr. Ghosh had called you ten minutes ago. He has postponedtodays meeting by 1 hour.

Mr. Verma: Ravi, I think you need to understand the use of VERBS in English language.

Ravi: Verb s, what does that mean?

Mr. Verma: Well Ravi, VERB MEANS ACTION .

Ravi: Action in what sense Sir?

Mr. Verma: See whenever you do something, you perform an action.

Ravi: Give me an example please.

Mr. Verma: OK See, now I am talking to you and you are talking to me, right.

Ravi: Yes sir.

Mr. Verma: So you agree that we are doing some action.Ravi: Yes sir.

Mr. Verma: This action, which we are doing, is a Verb .

Ravi: OK. So whatever I do is a Verb . Does it mean Talk is a verb.

Mr. Verma: Yes. Talk is a verb. In fact, any action that is done is a Verb .

Ravi: OK Sir, please tell me if there are types of verbs

Mr. Verma: Yes there are different types of Verbs, like continuous, non-continuous and mixed verbs.

Ravi : What is their meaning Sir?

Mr. Verma: Let us understand the different types of Verbs now. Before you begin the verb lessons, it is

extremely important to understand that NOT all verbs are the same. Verbs are divided into three groups:Ravi : OK Sir.

Mr. Verma: Say for example, regarding your activity related to letter writing, I can have severalsentences- I can say

1. Ravi writes letters.2. Ravi was writing a letter3. Ravi has written a letter

4. Ravi is writing a letter5. Ravi will write a letter.

Tell me- Do all mean the same ?


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Ravi : No sir, they seem to have different meanings. let me try to differentiate

Ravi writes letters.- Means ( Ravis job is writing letters and he regularly writes letters )Ravi was writing a letter Means( Ravi was in the process of writing a letter some time back. Thecurrent status is not known)Ravi has written a letter means( Ravi has completed the process of writing a letter in the past )

Ravi is writing a letter means ( Ravi is currently in process of writing a letter. The activity is still goingon)Ravi will write a letter means (at some time in future ravi will write a letter )

Mr. Verma: You are absolutely right. Now I am sure you will easily understand the concept. However,before we get into the subject of verbs, it is essential that you know what is the meaning of Tense.

Ravi : I know sir, I will give an example. When you give me very difficult work, Then I am very Tense .Am I right sir ?

Mr. Verma : Oh God !! Ravi, You are talking about a totally different Tense. In your case, it means Tension. What I was talking about is related to Time of the action happening. For example Past tense,Present tense, Future tense.

Mr. Verma: Ravi, Tenses tell us when a certain activity is taking place. Say if you are doing somethingright now , it is Present Tense . If something has happened in the past it is in the Past Tense and if something is going to h appen in the future it will be Future Tense.

Mr. Verma: See Ravi I told you what the tenses mean, right. Now all the three of past/ present and futuretenses are further divided into groups (Simple /continuous and perfect).

Ravi: OK. Sir so if I am sitting here now, it is Present Tense . I talked to you yesterday it is in PastTense , and if I will go to my village next month that will be Future Tense .

Mr. Verma: Absolutely right. But there is more to tenses, which I will explain it to you as we move ahead.

J ust look at the table below. Note that each of Present, Past and future tense is in turn divided into foursub types, thus making 12 tenses in all.

VERB TENSE OVERVIEW WITH EXAMPLES

Present Past Future

Present Simple Past Simple Future Simple

I study English everyday. Two years ago, I studiedEnglish in England.

I am going to study English next year.If you are having problems, I will help

you study English.Present Continuo us Past Contin uous Future Continuous

I am studying English now. I was studying English whenyou called yesterday.

I will be studying English when youarrive tonight.

Present Perfect Past Perfec t Future Perfect

I have studied English in severaldifferent countries.

I had studied a little Englishbefore I moved to the U.S.

I will have studied every tense by thetime I finish this course.

Present Perfect Continuou s Past Perfect Continuous Future Perfect Continuous

I have been studying English forfive years.

I had been studying Englishfor five years before I moved

to the U.S.I will have been studying English for

over two hours by the time you arrive.

Mr. Verma: OK. We can go ahead with the types of verbs. I will explain you the tenses in detail later.


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Mr. Verma: Let us first look at Continuous Verbs

In daily life, we come across this type most commonly. These verbs are usually physical actions, whichyou can see somebody actually doing. These verbs can be used in all the tenses.

The major Continuous Verbs are:

To run, to walk, to eat, to fly, to go, to say, to touch etc.Examples:

I eat dinner every day / I ate dinner yesterday / I am eating dinner now / I will be eating dinner tonight.

Mr. Verma: Do you realize that the verb eat has been used in different tenses in the example above?

Ravi : So if some action is being done and it can be watched, then the verb is continuous.

Mr. Verma: Absolutely Right. For example Doing, speaking, writing, singing, playing, eating, sleepingetc..

Ravi: It seems that they all end with ing.

Mr. Verma: Yes Ravi. That is a good way to identify them.

Mr. Verma: OK. So now the other type is Non-continuous Verbs

The second group, called "Non-continuous Verbs", is related to those events not encounteredvery often in day-to-day Life. These verbs are usually things you cannot see somebody actuallydoing. They include:

Abst rac t Verbs To be, to want, to cost, to seem, to need, to care, to contain, to owe, to exist...

Possession Verbs To possess, to own, to belong...

Emotion Verbs To like, to love, to hate, to dislike, to fear, to envy, to mind...

Mr. Verma : These verbs are rarely used in " continuous" tenses.

For example:

He is being here now. ( Not Correct )He is here now. Correct

He is wanting a drink now. ( Not Correct )He wants a drink now. Correct

Ravi: But Sir what does Continuous Tense mean?

Mr. Verma: It means that the action is being done or was being done in the past or will be done in thefuture.

Ravi: Now I understand.

Ravi: So this group includes Verbs , which I cannot see but feel . Besides, we also have presentcontinuous tense, past continuous tense, and future continuous tense, as shown in the table of tensesthat you showed me earlier.


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Mr. Verma: Absolutely correct Ravi. Now let us see the third group of verbs.

The third group , called " Mixed Verbs " , is the least encou ntered group. These verbs h ave more thanone meaning. Some meanings behave like "Non-continuo us Verbs", while other meanings behavelike "Cont inuous Verbs." That is why they are called Mixed

Examples of Mixed Verbs To have, to appear, to see, to hear, to feel, to weigh, to look...

List of Mixed Verbs with Examples and Definitions :

To appear:Look at the 2 sentences below -1. Dinesh appears confused. Here, appears Means seems which is a Non-continuous Verb

2. My favorite singer is appearing at the club tonight. Here, appears Means giving a performance- Whichis a Continuous Verb.

Mr. Verma : Ravi, now similar to the above example, go through the following, and appreciate the way inwhich same verbs are used, with different meanings, in different situations.

To have:

I have a dollar now. Non-continuous Verb- Means (I possess a dollar.)

I am having fun now. Continuous Verb- Means (I am experiencing fun now.)

To see:

I see her. Non-continuous Verb- Means (I see her with my eyes.)

I am seeing the doctor. Continuous Verb- Means ( I am visiting or consulting a doctor, dentist, or lawyer.)

I am seeing her. Continuous Verb(I am having a relationship with her.)

To think:

He thinks the test is easy. Non-continuous Verb- Means (He considers the test to be easy.)

She is thinking about the question. Continuous Verb- Means (She is pondering the question, going over it in her mind.)

Ravi: Sir I am fine with the verbs and their types but I am still a bit confused with the tenses. Can youhelp me out with them.

Mr. Verma: Sure Ravi. I am happy to know that you have fared well in the Verbs and now for the tenseslet me explain to you in this manner.

See you agree with me that there are three main tenses. Tell me their names.

Ravi: Yes sir, the three main tenses are; present past and future.

Mr. Verma: Yes and you know about their sub-types also.


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Ravi: I know that the three of them are divided into 4 types; one is simple and the others are continuous,perfect, and perfect continuous. I hope that I am correct.

Mr. Verma: Correct. Let us take the Simple Present tense first.

Present Simple Past Simple Future Simple Present Continu ous Past Continuo us Future Continuous Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Perfect Present PerfectContinuous

Past PerfectContinuous

Future PerfectContinuous

Simple Present

EXAMPLE: [to run]

I runyou runhe runs

she runsit runswe runthey run

Mr. Verma: Simple present just tells you that an event is happening at the present time. It may not tellyou whether the event is in process or has been completed.

Ravi: Are there any other uses of this tense ?

Mr. Verma: Yes. They are as below.

USE 1: Repeated Actions

Use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is repeated or usual. The action can be a habit,a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens. Again, note that it may not tellyou whether the event is in process or has been completed.

EXAMPLES:

I play tennis. The train leaves every morning at 8 am.She always forgets her purse.Ravi : I get the point sir. In the earlier example, the sentence on the train tells us a general fact about thetrain departure. It does not mention anything whether the train is leaving the station now, has already left,or will be leaving shortly.

USE 2 : Facts o r Generalizations

The Simple Present can also indicate the speaker believes that a fact was true before, is true now, andwill be true in the future. It is not important if the speaker is correct about the fact. It is also used to makegeneralizations about people or things.

EXAMPLES:

Cats like milk.

Windows are made of glass.

Ravi : The above example, about windows, tells us a general fact about the material of windows beingglass. It does not mention anything whether the window is already made of glass, currently being made,or will be made in future.


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Ravi: Thank you sir. Now I think that I am ready for giving a test.

Mr. Verma: Thats good here is the exercise:

VERB TENSE EXERCISE 2PART AAll of the following sentences should be completed using the Simple Present. You must use the words inthe brackets to fill in the blanks. Hint: pay attention to word order.

EXAMPLE:A) Taariq (help, always) ____________his students when they have grammar difficulties.

Answer : always helps Now Solve this.

1. J ai (be, not)__________ Bengali, he is Oriya.2. Mandira (take, always)____________ the bus to work.3. I (speak, not)___________ Arabic. But Aziz (speak, well, English)___________, so he can help me.4. Mr. Sharma (swim, never)__________ in the sea. He (be, really)___________ afraid of sea snakes.5. Maryada (be, not)____________ a very good student because she (do, not)___________ herhomework.

ANSWERS FOR PART A1. J ai (be, not) is not Bengali, he is Oriya.2. Mandira (take, always) always takes the bus to work.3. I (speak, not) don't speak Arabic. But Aziz (speak, well, English) speaks English well , so he can

help me.4. Mr. Sharma (swim, never) never swims in the sea. He (be, really) is really afraid of sea snakes.5. Maryada (be, not) is not a very good student because she (do, not) doesn't do her homework.

PART B

All of the following sentences should be completed using the Simple Present.

EXAMPLE:a) J agruti (feed, always) always feeds the neighbors' cat while they are on vacation.b) The neighbors' cat (feed, always) is always fed by J agruti while they are on vacation.

1. The library (locate)__________________ at Colaba.2. Sushma (ride, often)__________________ the bus to work.3. The students (teach, usually) _______________ by Mrs. Bhatt, the new teacher from Nagpur.4. I (study, not)_________________ at Mumbai University.

5. The earth (circle)_______________ the sun, but it (circles, not)_______________ the moon. ANSWERS FOR PART B

1. The library (locate) is located at Colaba.2. Sushma (ride, often) often rides the bus to work.3. The students (teach, usually) are usually taught by Mrs. Bhatt, the new teacher from Nagpur.4. I (study, not) don't study at Mumbai University.5. The earth (circle) circles the sun, but it (circles, not) doesn't circle the moon.


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PART C

All of the following sentences should be completed using the Simple Present or the Present Continuous. You must use the words in the brackets to fill in the blanks.

EXAMPLE:

A) Right now, I (sit) am sitting at my desk.B) I (go, often) often go to the beach during the summer.

1. Every Monday, Sarita (drive)_____________ __ her kids to football practice.2. Don't forget to take your umbrella. It (rain)________________ .3. I love living in Orissa because it (rain, always) ____________________.4. I'm sorry I can't hear what you (say)________________ because everybody (talk)_____________ soloudly.5. This delicious chocolate (make)____ ______________ by a small chocolatier in Zurich, Switzerland.

ANSWERS FOR PART C

1. Every Monday, Sarita (drive) drives her kids to football practice.2.. Don't forget to take your umbrella. It (rain) is raining .3. I love living in Orissa because it (rain, always) always rains .4. I'm sorry I can't hear what you (say) are saying because everybody (talk) is talking so loudly.5. This delicious chocolate (make) is made by a small chocolatier in Zurich, Switzerland.

Ravi: Sir, the test was really great. I already feel as if I have mastered the tenses.

Mr. Verma: Not so soon Ravi. There is a lot more to learn. But I am happy with your progress. Nowsince you have completed the present simple and present continuous tense lets go forward with the typesof past tense.

Ravi: Yes sir.

Mr. Verma : But, before we go ahead, let me explain you what is a clause . It will be useful to understandthe remaining topics.

CLAUSE-INTRODUCTION

Clauses are groups of words which have meaning but are not complete sentences. Some clauses beginwith the word when such as "When I dropped my pen..." or "When class began..." These clauses arecalled "when clauses" and they are very important. The examples below contain "when clauses."

Mr. Verma: OK so now let us start with past tense. Lets begin with simple past tense and then we will gofurther.

Ravi : Sir, you have just explained Simple present and Present continuous. What happened to the othertwo ( Present perfect, and present perfect-continuous ) ?

Mr. Verma : You are very attentive Ravi. Good you noticed that. Dont worry, Let me finish with the basictenses first, then we will discuss the others.

Mr. Verma : If that is OK, let us discuss Simple past, and Past Continuous.


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Simple Past

USE 1: Completed Action in the Past

Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific time in the past.Sometimes the speaker may not actually mention the specific time, but they do have one specific time inmind.

EXAMPLES: I visited my friends.I noticed some flaws.I edited the text.

I played with the dog.Ravi : Sir, it seems that for this type of tense, we just add ed to the verb. Is that right.

Mr. Verma : Yes !. in most of the cases, but not always .

Ravi : Give me an example.

Mr. Verma : After coming back from a meeting, I wont say I Meet-ed the delegates but I will say I metthe delegates. Similarly, For find, I will say, I found my lost ring , instead of F ind-ed my lost ring. Is thisclear.

Ravi : Yes Sir.

Mr. Verma : Now look at another use of simple past.

USE 2: A Series of Comp leted Actions

We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed actions in the past. These actions happen 1st, 2nd,3rd, 4th...

EXAMPLES:

1. I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.2. He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel at 9:00, and met the others at 10:00.

Note that this tells us a sequence in which the events happened.

Mr. Verma : Another use of simple past is to tell about a duration which starts and stops in the past.

USE 3: Single Duration

The Simple Past can be used with a duration, which starts and stops in the past. A duration is a longaction often used with expressions like "for two years," "for five minutes," "all day" or "all year."

EXAMPLES:

1. Shauna studied J apanese for five years. ( This means that she has studied i.e completed studying inthe past. )2. They sat at the beach all day.

3. We talked on the phone for thirty minutes.


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Past Continuou s

Mr. Verma : Past continuous helps us to communicate about an event in the past which was going on atthat time.

[WAS / WERE] + [ VERB +ing]EXAMPLES:

I was studying when she called.

I was carefully picking up the snake when it bit me.

NOTE: When you are using a verb tense with more than one part such as Past Continuous (was picking),adverbs often come between the first part and the second part (was carefully picking).

Mr. Verma : Let me tell you about clauses in past continuous .

Ravi : Sir, but I dont know what are clauses.

Mr. Verma : OK, Before we proceed, let me introduce you to clauses.

Clauses are groups of words which have meaning but are not complete sentences. Some clauses beginwith the word when such as "...when she called " or "...when it bit me." Clauses with the Past Continuoususually start with while . While expresses the idea "during the time." Study the examples below. They havethe same meaning.

EXAMPLES:

1. I was studying when she called.2. While I was studying, she called.

Mr. Verma : Ravi, note that in the example, we realise that the activity of studying has been interrupted.Past continuous is often used to describe such a situation.

USE 1: Interrup ted Action in t he Past

Use the Past Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted. The interruption isusually an action in the Simple Past. Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption intime.

EXAMPLES:

I was watching TV when she called.

Ravi: Sir, here, was watching is in Past continuous, the action that interrupted (she called) is in simplepast tense. Am I correct.

Mr. Verma : Yes. You are right Ravi.

I can give you some more examples.

1. When the phone rang, she was writing a letter.2. While we were having a picnic, it started to rain.


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Ravi : Yes sir. I understand it now.

Mr. Verma : In the examples above, the Past Continuous is interrupted by an action in the Simple Past.However, you can also use a specific time as an interruption.

for example :

Last night at 8 p.m., I was eating dinner.

At midnight, we were still driving through the desert.

IMPORTANT In the Simple Past a specific time is used to show when an action began or finished. In the PastContinuous a specific time only interrupts the action.

EXAMPLES:

Last night at 8 p.m., I ate dinner. ( Here I ate dinner is in simple past ) the sentence means(I started eating at 8 p.m.)

Last night at 8 p.m., I was eating dinner. ( here, was eating dinner is in past continuous ) The sentencemeans (I started earlier and at 8 p.m. I was in the process of eating dinner.)

USE 2: Parallel Actions

Mr. Verma : Ravi, many times past continuous is used to describe two actions happening simultaneously.

When you use the Past Continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it expresses the idea that bothactions were happening at the same time. The actions are parallel.

EXAMPLES:

I was studying while she was making dinner.

They were eating dinner, discussing their plans and having a good time.

When I walked into the office, several people were busily typing, some were talking on the phones, theboss was yelling directions, and customers were waiting to be helped. One customer was yelling at asecretary and waving his hands. Others were complaining to each other about the bad service.

Ravi: Sir, Here too , I realise that all the verbs end with ing.

Mr. Verma : Yes. You are right. That was a good observation.


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Present Simple Past Simple Future Simple Present Continu ous Past Continuo us Future Continuous Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Perfect Present Perfect

Continuous

Past Perfect

Continuous

Future Perfect

Continuous

Present Perfect

[HAS / HAVE] + [past partic iple]

Mr. Verma: We use the Present Perfect to say that an action happened at an unspecified time beforenow. The exact time is not important. Many times this can be confused with past tense. So be careful.

EXAMPLES:

I have seen that movie twenty times.

I think I have met him once before.

People have traveled to the moon.

Mr. Verma : You CANNOT use the Present Perfect ending with time expressions such as "yesterday,""one year ago," "last week," "when I was a child," "when I lived in J apan," "at that moment," "that day" or"one day."

Ravi: Sir, then can we end it with phrases that indicate the number of times- as in example above.

Mr. Verma : We CAN use the Present Perfect with expressions like "ever," "never," "once," "many times,""several times," "before," "so far," "already" and "yet."

The most Important part is u nderstanding how to actually use the Present Perfect?

As I told yo u, th e c onc ept of " unspeci fied time" can be very co nfus ing to English learners . Man ytimes it appears similar to the Simple past tense. It is best to associate Present Perfect with thefollowing topics :

USE 1: Experience

You can use the Present Perfect to describe your experience. It is like saying, "I have the experience of..."

The Present Perfect is NOT used to describe a specific event.

EXAMPLES :

I have been to France.(This sentence means that you have the experience of being to France. Maybe you have been once, orseveral times.)

I have been to France three times.(You can also add the number of times at the end of the sentence.)

I have seen that movie.He has traveled by train.

Ravi: Sir, Here I notice that I Have been, He has seen, They have been etc.. are used.Mr. Verma : Good observation. That is peculiar to the present perfect tense.


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USE 2: Change Over Time

Besides the above use, we often use the Present Perfect to talk about change that has happened over aperiod of time.

EXAMPLES:

You have grown since the last time I saw you. The government has become more interested in arts education. J apanese has become one of the most popular courses at the university since the Asian studies programwas established.My English has really improved since I moved to Australia.

USE 3: Accomp lishments

We often use the Present Perfect to list the accomplishments of individuals and humanity. Youcannot mention a specific time.

EXAMPLES:

Man has walked on the moon.Our son has learned how to read.Doctors have cured many deadly diseases.

Ravi: Now I understand. When we use the Present Perfect it means that something happened at somepoint in our lives before now. The exact time the action happened is not important.

Mr. Verma : There is another type of situation where we use present perfect. We use it to communicate a

situation where we want to tell others that something started in the past and has continued up until now.It could be -"For five minutes," "for two weeks" and "since Tuesday" These are all durations, which can beused with the Present Perfect.

USE 4: Duration From Past Until Now (Non-continuo us Verbs)

EXAMPLES:

I have had a cold for two weeks.( This means that I am still suffering from cold, and it started 2weeks ago.( Had I said- I had a co ld for 2 weeks, it would mean that I dont have the cold no w.)

Similarly ..

She has been in England for six months.( she still is in England )Mary has loved chocolate since she was a little girl. ( She still loves chocolates)

Ravi : I have noticed that here, words such as for or since are used.

Mr. Verma : Thats right. But note that here the meaning of since is not because but instead it meansfrom a specific time

Take the following exercise before we proceed.


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VERB TENSE EXERCISE 4

All of the following sentences should be completed using the Simple Past or the Present Perfect. Youmust use the words in the brackets to fill in the blanks. Hint: remember Non-continuous Verb s cannot be

used in any continuous form.EXAMPLE

A) I (visit) visited my grandmother yesterday.B) Sandhya (travel) has traveled abroad several times.

1. A: Did you like the movie "Star Wars"?B: I don't know. I (see, never)__________that movie.

2. Sameer (arrive)_______ in India a week ago.

3. My best friend and I (know)_____________ each other for over fifteen years.

4. Satish is a fantastic writer. He (write)_______ten very creative short stories in the last year. One day,he'll be as famous as Sharatchandra.

5. I (have, not)___________ this much fun since I (be)_________ a kid.

VERB TENSE EXERCISE 4 ANSWERS

1. A: Did you like the movie "Star Wars"?B: I don't know. I (see, never) have never seen that movie.

2. Sameer (arrive) arrived in India a week ago.

3. My best friend and I (know) have known each other for over fifteen years.

4. Satish is a fantastic writer. He (write) has written ten very creative short stories in the last year. Oneday, he'll be as famous as Sharatchandra.

5. I (have, not) have not had this much fun since I (be) was a kid.


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Mr. Verma : Now let us move on to P resent perfect continuous. You have just learnt present perfect. Nowhere, the only difference is that the activity is continuing.

Present Perfect Contin uous

[HAS / HAVE] +[BEEN] +[ VERB +ing]

EXAMPLES:

I have been waiting here for two hours.

She has only been studying English for two years.

USE 1: Duration fro m the Past Until Now

We use the Present Perfect Continuous to show that something started in the past and has continued upuntil now. "For five minutes", "for two weeks", and "since Tuesday" are all durations which can be usedwith the Present Perfect Continuous.

EXAMPLES:

They have been talking for the last hour.She has been working at that company for three years.J ameel has been teaching at the University since J une.

USE 2: Recently , Lately

You can use the Present Perfect Continuous WITHOUT a duration such as "for five minutes", "for twoweeks", and "since Tuesday". Without the durations, the this tense gives a more general meaning of "lately". We often use the words "lately" or "recently" in the sentence to strengthen this meaning.

EXAMPLES:

Recently, I have been feeling really tired.She has been watching too much television lately.Maria has been feeling a little depressed.

VERB TENSE EXERCISE 5

PART A

All of the following sentences should be completed using the Present Continuous or the PresentPerfect Continu ous . You must use the words in the brackets to fill in the blanks.

EXAMPLEA) I cannot sleep because the baby (cry) is crying .B) I'm getting a little worried because the baby (cry) has been c rying for over half an hour.

1. It (rain)_______________ all week. I hope it stops by Saturday because I want to go to the beach.

2. A: Where is Girish?B: He (study, at the library)______________________ for his German test on Wednesday. In fact, he

(review)__________________________ for the test every day for the last week.


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3. You look really great! (You, exercise)_______________________ at the fitness center?

4. Farooq, where have you been? We (wait)______________________ for you since 1 P.M..

5. A: What is that sound?B: A car alarm (ring)_________ somewhere down the street. It (drive)____________ me crazy - I wish

it would stop! It (ring)___________ for more than twenty minutes. ANSWERS TO PART A

1. It (rain) has been raining all week. I hope it stops by Saturday because I want to go to the beach.2. A: Where is Girish?

B: He (study, at the library) is at the library studying for his German test on Wednesday. In fact, he(review) has been reviewing for the test every day for the last week.3. You look really great! (You, exercise) Have you been exercising at the fitness center?4. Farooq, where have you been? We (wait) have been waiting for you since 1 P.M..5. A: What is that sound?

B: A car alarm (ring) is ringing somewhere down the street. It (drive) is driving me crazy - I wish itwould stop! It (ring) has been ringin g for more than twenty minutes.

PART B

All of the fo llo wing sen tenc es shou ld be comp leted using the Present Perfect or the PresentPerfect Continuous . You mus t use the words in the brackets to f ill in the blanks . Hint: remember Non-cont inuous Verbs cannot be used in continuou s tenses.

EXAMPLEA) I (work) have worked with that man somewhere before.B) I (work) have been working on that project for more than a year.

1. A: How long (be)_______________________ in Mumbai?B: I (study)________________________ here for more than three years.

2. I (have)______________________ the same car for more than ten years. I'm thinking about buying anew one.

3. I (love)________________________ chocolate since I was a child. You might even call me a"chocoholic."

4. Lately, I (think)______________________ about changing my career because I(become)____________________ dissatisfied with the conditions at my company.

5. I (see)__________________ _____ Maya for more than five years and during that time I have(see)____________________

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English Module - Sachin Karve