Parts of Speech Activity

PARTS OF SPEECH
According to their use or function in the sentence, words are divided into eight classed called parts of
speech: (1) nouns, (2) pronouns, (3) verbs, (4) adjectives, (5) adverbs, (6) prepositions, (7)
conjunctions, and (8) interjections.
I. Substantives. Nouns and Pronouns are called substantives.
a. Nouns. A noun is a substantive that denotes any or particular person, place, or thing.
Classes of Nouns
1. A common noun names anyone of a class of person, places, or things. (child, town, book)
2. A proper noun names a particular person, lace, or thing. (Emy, Cabugao, English Basics)
3. Nouns that can be counted are called count nouns. (bag, continent, dress)
4. Nouns that cannot be counted are called mass nouns. (gravel, ice, nectar)
Counters are used with mass nouns to make them mean more than one.
(truckloads of gravel, blocks of ice, bottles of nectar)
Practice Exercise 1. Common Noun or Proper Noun? Give its opposite class.
Example: Uranus proper planet
1. academy 6. author 11. Big Dipper 16. teacher
2. Negros 7. dictionary 12. Dr. Navarro 17. English
3. fruit 8. University of Cebu 13. manager 18. movie
4. Japan 9. ocean 14. philosopher 19. professor
5. queen 10. restaurant 15. scholar 20. scientist
Practice Exercise 2. Count Noun or Mass Noun?

1. bread 6. daughter 11. hair 16. paper
2. blood 7. doll 12. hay 17. smoke
3. cat 8. egg 13. ink 18. umbrella
4. cheese 9. flour 14. juice 19. zipper
5. chocolate 10. garlic 15. oil 20. wine
Special Classes of Nouns

1. A concrete noun is actual or real. It can be perceived by any of the five sense-hearing, smell,
tounch, tast, and sight. (bag, eyeglass, pencil)
concrete nouns maybe proper or common
2. An abstract noun names a concept or idea. It does not have physical existence. (happiness,
honesty, poetry)
Abstract nouns are usually common, but become proper when the quality or idea is
personified. (The wine of Love is music, His name was Patience, Time gently shakes his
wings.)
Many abstract nouns are derived from adjectives. [bravery (brave), consciousness
(conscious), depth (deep), wisdom (wise)]
3. A collective noun denotes a number of persons, place, or things as one group. It may be taken
individually or collectively. (battalion, continent, family)
Collective nouns maybe common (army, class, committee) or proper (Associated Press,
Philippine Airlines, Municipal Council). These proper nouns may also be classified as
compound nouns.
A noun maybe collective or abstract according to its use in the sentence.
Co-eds believe in sorority. (Abstract)
Many girls join a sorority. (Collective)
4. A compound noun consists of two or more related words. It may be common or proper.
(congressman, fireman, DIWA Party)
English 12 (Writing in the Discipline) 2 nd Sem. AY:2016-2017 mfnamor

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Practice Exercise 3. Concrete Noun or Abstract Noun?
1. ant 6. eel 11. intelligence 16. peace

2. beauty 7. fish 12. justice 17. pebble
3. carrot 8. food 13. kindness 18. star
4. computer 9. girl 14. mascot 19. victory
5. dignity 10. honesty 15. mouse 20. wood
Practice Exercise 4: Identify the collective noun defined.
1. a group of soldiers 10. organized company of singers

2. a group of musicians 11. a group of people living in a territory
3. a group of sheep 12. a group of players in a game
4. a group of teachers 13. flowers bundled or fasted together in
a bunch
5. a group of stars 14. a group of persons living together
under one roof
6. a group of judges 15. the total number of people or
inhabitants in a country or region
7. a group of scouts
8. a group of fish
9. a group of listeners
Quiz Pick out the nouns in the following sentences. There may be more than one noun in each sentence.
Example: Terry told his friends many secrets.
Nouns: Terry friends - secrets
1. His success made his parents happy.
2. Cows give us milk.
3. The train has just left the station.
4. Paris is the capital of France.
5. Our family spent the holiday in London.
6. Do you drink coffee with milk and sugar?
7. Lead is softer than iron.
8. Whats more important, health or wealth?
9. A swarm of rabbits ran out of the forest.
10. My brother had a toothache last week.
b. Pronouns. A pronoun is a substantive used to place a noun. The word for which a pronoun stand is
called its antecedent.
Kinds of Pronouns
1. Personal Pronouns - directly substitute for a noun.
Cases of Number of Pronouns
Pronouns Singular Plural
1st
Nominative I We
Person
Possessive my, mine our, ours
Objective me us
Nominative you you
2nd
Possessive your, yours your, yours
Person
Objective you you
Nominative he, she, it they
3rd
Possessive his, her, hers, its their, theirs
Person
Objective him, her, it them

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1.1. Compound Personal Pronouns are pronouns combined with the word self or selves:
myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, oneself (singular); ourselves, yourselves,
themselves (plural). They are used reflexively and intensively.
Hisself and theirselves are correct forms and should never be used.
Practice Exercise 1. Use a personal pronoun in place of the underlined noun or nouns.
1. The dolphin can do tricks.

2. Romeo and Rogelio are going to help us,
3. You, Renato, and Jonathan must take care of the pets.
4. Leonardo should water the plants.
5. Have Thelma and Linda left for Cagayan?
6. Judy will butcher the pig.
7. Ador has received Jessicas money.
8. Have you covered the book?
9. The children want to visit the farm.
10. Rosemarie, Marilyn, and I can sing together.
2. Adjective Pronouns classified according to their meanings: demonstrative pronouns and

indefinite pronouns.
2.1. Demonstrative pronouns - are used to point out, to designate, or to demonstrate the
antecedent to which they refer; they also function as modifiers of nouns and are called
demonstrative adjectives. The principal demonstrative pronoun are [(This and That
(Singular); These and Those (Plural)]
This is the picture I want you to buy. (demonstrate pronoun designates picture)
N LV
This picture reminds me of his loyalty. (demonstrative adjective tells which picture)
Adj.
Practice Exercise 2. Tell whether the italicized demonstrative pronoun is used as pronoun or adjective in
the sentence.
1. This is an interesting story.

2. Those flowers are fragrant.
3. The book I wanted to buy is that.
4. These girls are pretty.
5. That train is always late.
2.2. Indefinite pronouns - are pronouns that do not define or stand for particular persons or
things.
The following are the most commonly used indefinite pronouns:

Singular Plural
Each Anybody Everything Some

Either Everybody Something Both
One somebody Nothing Few
None Nobody Any Many

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Every Anyone Other Several
Everyone Someone anything Much
another No one All
others
Some indefinite pronouns can be followed by else, meaning other or in addition.
Practice Exercise 3. Give the correct indefinite pronoun inside the parentheses that agrees in number
with the underlined verb.
1. (Each, All) has his own likes and dislikes.

2. (Few, Every) people are born leaders of men.
3. (None, Many) of the girls was present.
4. (Both, Everybody) carries a seedling for tree planting.
5. (Neither, Many) of you is right.
6. (All, Anyone) who is diligent will succeed.
7. Each of the students prepared (his, their) report.
8. If anybody misbehave (he, they) will be punished.
9. If anyone disagrees let (him, them) speak at once.
10.Every person should be careful of (his, their) manners.
3. Reciprocal Pronouns - are indicators of some mutual relationship between two or more
persons or things. There are only two reciprocal pronouns, and they are compound indefinite
pronouns: each other, one another.
They respect each other. (between 2 persons only)
They trust one another.
4. Relative Pronouns - relate or refer to nouns or other pronouns (antecedents) in the

sentence. They link or relate clauses to their antecedents. The relative pronouns are: who
(whose, whom), which, that, whoever (whomever), whichever, whatever (whosoever,
whomsoever, whichsoever, whatsoever).
Who - refers to persons and follows masculine or feminine gender.

Which - refers to animals or things and usually follows neuter gender.
That - refers to persons, animals, or things; its antecedent may be
masculine, feminine or neuter.
Which vs. That
Restrictive and Non-Restrictive Elements
A restrictive element is a word, phrase or a clause that manages to limit the meaning of the sentence
element that it modifies. When a restrictive element is not included then the entire meaning of the
sentence will change.
The non-restrictive element is a word, phrase or a clause that provides excess information about the
beginning of a sentence without restricting the meaning of that part of the sentence.
The word THAT is considered to be a restrictive element of any sentence that it may be used in.
Baby foods that contain soybeans are best.
WHICH is Not Restrictive

Soybean baby foods, which are Sallys favorite, work well for her diet.

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Who vs. Whom
When youre trying to figure out whether to use who or whom, it helps to know the difference between
subjects and objects because you use:
who - when youre referring to the subject of a clause
whom - when youre referring to the object of a clause.
In other words, who is a subject pronoun and whom is an object pronoun.
subject - is doing something,

object - is having something done to it.
For example, if Sam calls Allan, then Sam is the subject because he is the one calling, and Allan is the
object because he is the one being called.
Sam is the subject because hes taking action

Allan is the object because hes the recipient of the action
Rule. Use this he or she/ him or her method to decide whether who or whom is correct:
he or she= who
him or her= whom
Examples:
1. Who/Whom wrote the letter?

He wrote the letter. Therefore, who is correct.
2. Who/Whom should I vote for?
Should I vote for him? Therefore, whom is correct.
3. We all know who/whom pulled that prank.
This sentence contains two clauses: we all know and who/whom pulled that prank. We are
interested in the second clause because it contains the who/whom. He pulled that prank.
Therefore, who is correct.
4. We wondered who/whom the book was about.
This sentence contains two clauses: we wondered and who/whom the book was about. Again, we
are interested in the second clause because it contains the who/whom. The book was about him.
Therefore, whom is correct.
Practice Exercise 4. Which is the correct relative pronoun in the parenthesis? Encircle your answer.
1. We (who, whom) are about to die, salute you.

2. The sound (that, which) I heard was the explosion.
3. I am returning to you the book (which, that) I borrowed.
4. The student (who, whom) I recommended is now employed.
5. Bohol has many interesting sights (that, which) are tourist attractions.
5. Interrogative Pronouns-are used in asking questions. They are who (nominative), whom
(objective) both referring to persons, which (referring to persons or things and tells one
object from another), and what (referring to things).
As object of a verb or preposition whom alternates with who, when a preposition
immediately precedes, the form whom to used.
What are the three main groups of rocks?

(Answer: Igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks)
Which of the three groups does granite belong?
(Answer: Igneous rocks)
Who invented and launched the first successful liquid-fuelled rocket?
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(Answer: Robert H. Goddard)
Note: As object of a verb or preposition whom alternates with who, when a preposition
immediately precedes, the form whom to used.
Who Ask about someones identity Who are your best friends?
Whom Ask about the object (person) in the sentence Whom did you meet?
Whose Ask about possession Whose pen is this?
What Ask for information about something What is her favorite color?
Which Ask for information about one of a limited number of Which day do you prefer for a
things, an option or choice meeting-today or tomorrow?
Practice Exercise 5. Underline the word in each parenthesis that makes the sentence correct.
1. From (who, whom) did you receive these flowers?

2. (Which, what) road should we take?
3. (Who, Whom) do you suppose will win?
4. (Which, What) are the advantages of land travel?
5. (Who, Whose, Whos) going to Cebu?
Quiz. Pick out the pronouns in the following sentences and identify its corresponding kind. There may be
more than one pronoun in each sentence. Be careful with adjectives.
Example: These socks are hers.
pronoun: hers personal pronoun
1. Juan Luna is a Filipina whom we respect.
2. This cat is beautiful, but mine is more beautiful.
3. Who gave her the money?
4. He cut himself when he was shaving.
5. Which do you prefer, an apple or an orange?
6. There is nobody here.
7. The teacher can hear them talking.
8. She explained it to me yesterday.
9. I found these tickets on the floor yesterday. Are they yours?
10. You should help yourself.
11. Each of the students answered his assignment.
12. He and his wife caught themselves shouting at each other.
II. Verbs. A verb is a word or a group of words that asserts action, state, or condition concerning a
person, place or thing.
The simplest test for a verb is to ask, Can this word or phrase be put into the past, present,
and future? If it can, it is a verb; if it cant, it isnt a verb.
Kinds of Verbs
1. Action Verbs - tell what their subject does, did, is doing, will do, or can do.
a. Intransitive verb does not need an object (I see.)
b. Transitive verb has an object (I see the point.)
An object answers the question what or whom for direct and for whom or to whom for
indirect.
Practice Exercise 1. State whether the underlined verbs in the following sentences are used transitively
or intransitively.

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1. I worked all night. 7. We clean our room every day.
2. He gave the book to the teacher. 8. My brother moved to another city.
3. They laughed at the joke. 9. My brother drove his car.
4. She slept for eight hours. 10. Those people painted their house
5. We lived in Mexico for two years. blue.
6. I like her.
2. Linking Verbs - tell what their subjects is, was, or will be They link the subject to the word that
renames it (the predicate nominative) or describes it (the predicate adjective).
The most common linking verbs are the form of the verb be: am, is, are, was, were, be,
been, being. Other linking verbs include seem, appear, become and words that describe
sensory impressions, such as taste, sound, feel, smell, look.
To test whether a verb is linking verb or action verb, try to replace it with is or was or any
proper form. If the meaning is unchanged, the verb is a linking verb.
Example:
Linking Verb Test (Meaning unchanged)
The soup tasted delicious. The soup was delicious.

The roses looked lovely. The roses were lovely.
I felt sorry. I was sorry.
Action Verb Test (Meaning changed)
I tasted the soup I was the soup.

We looked around. We were around.
I felt a raindrop. I was a raindrop.
Practice Exercise 2. Determine whether the italicized verbs in the following sentences are action or
linking verbs.
LV 1. Mom's chicken and dumplings taste too salty for some reason.
AV 2. Charlotte grew green and yellow peppers in her container garden.
AV 3. We turned at the light and headed home.
LV 4. Pop grew angry when we didn't listen carefully.
AV 5. She liked to smell the flowers when she walked past the vase.
LV 6. The air smelled stale, so we opened the window.
AV 7. Christian and Louise tasted Aunt Betty's delicious peach cobbler.
AV 8. Jodi's white socks turned pink in the wash.
AV 9. Everyone looked at each other.
LV 10. She looks familiar.
3. Auxiliary Verbs- are sometimes called helping verbs, act as helpers to other verbs. They
appear in front of action verbs and linking verbs.
The Girl Scouts are meeting after school today.

We have been waiting for twenty minutes in the dentists office.
Although there are a variety of auxiliary verbs in the English language, the following words are a few that
often function as helping verbs. Note that these auxiliary verbs may function as action or linking verbs in
other cases.
can may must shall will has

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could might would should had have
Test: To distinguish between an auxiliary verb and a linking verb, simply look to see whether an action
verb immediately follows the to be verb.
For example: John was wearing his lucky sneakers at the baseball game.
the action verb wearing immediately follows the to be verb was, so we know that the to be verb
in this case is an auxiliary verb because it is helping out the action verb wearing.
However, in the sentence I was angry.

the to be verb was appears alone, so it cannot be classified as an auxiliary verb. In this case it is
a linking verb that describes how I was feeling.
Practice Exercise 3. Underline the verb in each sentence and indicate whether it is an action verb (AV),
a linking verb (LV) or an auxiliary verb (AUX V) by writing the appropriate letter next to the sentence.
1. We ate lunch around 2 p.m. yesterday.

2. I may apply for a job at Best Buy in Victoria Mall.
3. I am anxious to finish the research project.
4. The ducks were swimming in the pond during our picnic.
5. The weather has been hot and dry all summer.
6. I went to the beach on Tuesday afternoon and played volleyball.
7. I can finish that essay exam before I go to the movies.
8. I should bake the cake for Moms birthday.
9. We have been ill all weekend.
10. The dogs tore open the trash bags and messed up the house.
Practice Exercise 1. Pick out the verbs in the following sentences. There may be more than one verb in
each sentence. AV(ACTION); HV(HELPING/AUX); LV(LINKING)
Example: There are thirty students in my class.
verb: are-LV
1. After the rain had stopped, the children went out to the playground.
2. My sister enjoys listening to classical music.
3. We will visit the museum tomorrow.
4. Who has finished doing the exercise?
5. The tiger was shot by the hunter.
6. The train is leaving soon.
7. Snakes are found in Sai Kung.
8. John occupies a very important position in the company.
9. I was bathing when the telephone rang.
10. That is the woman who knows my parents.
III. Modifiers.
a. Adjectives. An adjective serves as a modifier of a noun to denote the quality or condition of a
person, place, or thing named or to indicate its quantity.
Kinds of Adjectives
1. Descriptive adjective denotes a feature, quality, or a condition of a person, a place or a

thing. (beautiful country, jagged line, California oranges)
Proper Adjective is a descriptive adjective derived from a proper noun.
(British Prime minister, Philippine Culture)
2. Limiting adjective specify which or how many.

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2.1. Demonstrative adjective points out as:
This church is more than two hundred years old.
That boy is my grandson.
2.2. Indefinite adjective does not determine the person, place, thing, time, and others
to which it refers.
I saw some children.
I dont know which book you mean.
3. Numerical adjective has to do with numbers, as:

III.1. Cardinal numbers show how many are meant.
Hillary put five apples on the tray.
Leo bought ten cows.
III.2. Ordinal numbers show order or position in a series.
This is my second cup of hot chocolate drink.
The third house on your house is ours.
4. Articles Articles include the definite article the and indefinite articles a, an.
4.1. Indefinite articles (a, an) designates an object as merely one of a general class or
kind. A and AN are used only in the singular number.
A is used before words beginning with consonant and with the sound y or u. It is not
pronounced long as in cake, but unstressed as in a-lone. Thus, a boy, a girl, a man.
An is used before words beginning with a vowel or vowel sound. (an orange, an
exceptional worker). It is also used before words beginning with silent h. (an honor, an
honest boy)
4.2. Definite article (the) points out one or more particular objects as distinct from
other objects of the same kind. (The program has begun., Here is the book.)
A/An vs. The
A and AN are called indefinite articles. "Indefinite" means "not specific". Use A(AN) when you are
talking about a thing in general, NOT a specific thing.
Examples:
I need a phone. Not a specific phone, any phone
Mark wants a bicycle. Not a particular bicycle, a bicycle in general
Do you have a driver's license? In general
Use A (AN) when talking about a thing which is new, unknown, or introduced to a listener for the
first time. Also use A(AN) when you are asking about the existence of something.
Examples:
I have a car. The car is being introduced for the first time.
Tom is a teacher. This is new information to the listener.
Is there a dictionary in your backpack? Asking about the existence of the dictionary
Similarly, use A(AN) to introduce what type of thing we are talking about.
Examples:
That is an excellent book. Describing the kind of book
Do you live in a big house? Asking about the kind of house
I ate a thick, juicy steak. Describing the kind of steak

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REMEMBER: You cannot use A(AN) with plural nouns because A(AN) means "one" or "a
single".
Examples:
I saw a bears in Yellowstone National Park. Not Correct
I saw bears in Yellowstone National Park. Correct
THE is called a definite article. "Definite" means "specific". Use THE when talking about something
which is already known to the listener or which has been previously mentioned, introduced, or
discussed.
Examples:
I have a cat. The cat is black.
There is a book in my backpack. The book is very heavy.
Do you know where I left the car keys? The listener knows which specific car keys you are
talking about.
Do you own a car? Is the car blue? You assume they do have a car after asking about it in
the first sentence.
Nobody lives on the Moon. The Moon is known to everyone.
IMPORTANT: You can use THE with both singular nouns and plural nouns.
Examples:
I saw the bear in Yellowstone National Park. Correct
I saw the bears in Yellowstone National Park. Correct
Many clauses and phrases make the noun known to the listener by telling the listener which person
or thing we are talking about. Let's look at an example sentence:
Can you give me the book on the table.
We use THE in this sentence because the phrase "on the table" tells the listener which book we are
referring to. We are not talking about other books, we are talking about a specific book that the
listener can see or already knows about. Learning to recognize such identifying clauses and
phrases will help you use THE correctly.
Examples:
Did you read the book which I gave you?
He didn't like the movie that you suggested.
He loved the dessert with chocolate and cherries.
The phone on my desk belongs to Ken.
Did you know the man who was talking to Leonie?
HOWEVER: Not all clauses and phrases make the noun known to the listener. Some are simply
descriptive. They add extra information, but they do not tell the listener which specific thing we are
talking about.
Examples:
He bought the house with a big backyard. This combination tells the listener which specific
house he bought.
He bought a house with a big backyard. This combination tells the listener what kind of house
he bought, but not the specific house he bought.
Practice Exercise 1. Fill in the blanks with the correct article (a, an or the)
1. My mother is ____ doctor and my father is ____ author.

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2. Cindy recommended ____ good dentist, but ___ dentist doesn't have any openings for two months.
3. Mt. Hood is ___volcano in Oregon. It's ___ very beautiful mountain.
4. Sam recommended ___ book to Lisa. She didn't like ___ book at all.
5. Do you have ___ vacuum? I dropped ___ piece of cake, and I need to clean it up.
6. Honey, where's ___ vacuum? I can't find it. It was in ___ closet, but now it's not there.
7. Do you have ___ dictionary? I don't have one, and I need to look up ___ word.
8. Do you have ___ passport? You need ___ passport to travel outside of ___ country.
9. There's ___ big bear in ___ backyard. I think ___ bear is looking for something to eat.
10. Do you have ___ computer? I have ___ laptop and ___ iPad.
Order of Adjectives
When more than one adjective comes before a noun, the adjectives are normally in a
particular order. Adjectives which describe opinions or attitudes (e.g. amazing) usually come
first, before more neutral, factual ones (e.g. red):
She was wearing an amazing red coat.
Not: red amazing coat
If we dont want to emphasize any one of the adjectives,
Before the adjectives you will normally have the Determiner.
Determiner: The determiner tells us if the noun is singular or plural, definite or indefinite
a, an, the, my, your, four, those, some etc.
And then we have the adjectives that refer to:
ORDER RELATING TO DESCRIPTION EXAMPLES

Explains what we think about something. This is
usually our opinion, attitude or observations. These
1 opinion unusual, lovely, beautiful
adjectives almost always come before all other
adjectives
2 size Tells us how big or small something is. big, small, tall
Tells about the shape of something or how long or round, square, circular,
Shape/Weight
3 short it is. It can also refer to the weight of someone skinny, fat, heavy, straight,
/Length
or something. long, short
broken, cold, hot, wet,
4 Condition Tells us the general condition or state of something hungry, rich, easy, difficult,
dirty
old, young, new, ancient,
5 Age Tells us how old someone or something is.
antique
green, white, blue, reddish,
6 color The color or approximate color of something.
purple
striped, spotted, checked,
7 Pattern The pattern or design of something.
flowery
American, British, Italian,
8 origin Tells us where something is from.
Dutch, Japanese
9 material What is the thing made of or constructed of? metal, wood, plastic
sleeping (bag), gardening
Purpose/ What is it for? These adjectives often end in
10 (gloves), shopping (bag),
Qualifier/Use ing.
wedding (dress)
1 6 9
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It was made of a strange, green, metallic material.
3 8 10
Its a long, narrow, plastic brush.
4 8 9
Panettone is a round, Italian, bread-like Christmas cake.
Here are some invented examples of longer adjective phrases. A noun phrase which included all these
types would be extremely rare.
1 2 3 5 6 8
She was a beautiful, tall, thin, young, black-haired, Scottish woman.
1 2 5 8
What an amazing, little, old, Chinese cup and saucer!
Adjectives joined by and
When more than one adjective occurs after a verb such as be (a linking verb), the second
last adjective is normally connected to the last adjective by and:
Home was always a warm, welcoming place. Now it is sad, dark and cold.
And is less common when more than one adjective comes before the noun (e.g. a warm,
welcoming place). However, we can use and when there are two or more adjectives of the same
type, or when the adjectives refer to different parts of the same thing:
It was a blue and green cotton shirt.
Examples of the order of adjectives before a noun

Something to have in mind is that it does not sound natural using three or more adjectives in the same
sentence and it is very rare to hear four adjectives together before a noun.
A big fat dog.
An interesting old Indian rug.
A striped silk shirt
Some comfortable black sleeping bags.
Four small round wooden tables.
Those funny little old men.
Practice Exercise 2. Put the adjectives in the correct order.
1. (round, these, brown, big) boxes of chocolate.
2. (this, pink, satin) handkerchief.
3. A box of (chewy, Belgian, red) candies
4. (young, three, those, nice) girls
5. (naughty, eight, white) kittens
6. (yards, twenty, brown, scalloped, cotton) lace
7. Christmas tree decorated with (tiny, multi-colored) balls
8. (silk, my, orange) umbrella
9. (these, two, New Zealand, delicious, green, big) apples
10. (five, little, curly-tailed, my, white, playful)
Quiz. Pick out the adjectives in the following sentences. There may be more than one adjective in each
sentence.
Examples: He is a hard-working student.
adjective: hard-working
1. These apples are sweet but expensive.
2. Whose umbrella is this?
3. There is some milk in the refrigerator.
4. Tai Mo Shan is the highest mountain in Hong Kong.
5. We have not got any mango trees in our garden.
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6. Which dress does you like, the blue one or the red one?
7. Peter is fatter than Maurice.
8. It is dangerous for children to play with matches.
9. This book is very interesting. Have you read it?
10. Alan is an honest boy.
b. Adverbs. Adverb is a word that modifies, i.e., describes, limits, or qualifies a verb, an adverb or
another adverb.
Kinds of Adverbs
1. An adverb of time answers the question when. (I went to the bank this morning.)
2. An adverb of place answers the question where. (We met in the school last week.)
3. An adverb of manner tells how. (She dances gracefully.)
4. As adverb of frequency tells how often. (Teacher always arrives in school early.)
5. An adverb of degree denotes extent. (Dr. Agnir is very intelligent)
6. A relative adverb introduces an adjective clause. (The month while you were away was
hot.
Uses of Adverbs
1. Modifying a verb. (He came quickly.)
2. Modifying an adjective. (The laborers felt entirely exhausted.)
3. Modifying an adverb. (The contestant arrived too late.)
Practice Exercise 1. Pick out the adverbs in the following sentences. There may be more than one
adverb in each sentence.
Example: The soldiers fought bravely in the war.
adverb: bravely
1. The little girl smiled sweetly at me yesterday.
2. Please hang the wet clothes here.
3. The chairman seldom arrives on time.
4. You must spend your money more wisely.
5. It is raining heavily. You must drive carefully.
6. He shouted at the dog that was barking noisily.
7. Jane spoke the least throughout the meeting.
8. You must work hard if you want to pass the examination.
9. Have you ever visited Thailand?
10. The box is too heavy for him to carry.
IV. Connectives.
a. Prepositions. A preposition stands before a substantive to show the relationship between the
noun or pronoun and another word in the sentence.
Prepositions denote
1. Direction (across, around, down, from, into, off, over, out, toward, up)
My house is just across the street.
2. Place (at, behind, beside, between, in, in front of, on, under)
My daughter sat beside me.
3. Time (after, at, before, in, on)
Leolan Emy saw a carpet on the floor.

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Prepositions most commonly used
aboard concerning into toward, towards
about despite near of under
across during on until
at except outside up
after for over upon
against from regarding with
along in to within
amid, amidst inside though without
Prepositions Time
English Usage Example
on days of the week on Monday
in months / seasons in August / in winter
time of day in the morning
year in 2006
after a certain period of time (when?) in an hour
at for night at night
for weekend at the weekend
a certain point of time (when?) at half past nine
since from a certain point of time (past till now) since 1980
for over a certain period of time (past till now) for 2 years
ago a certain time in the past 2 years ago
before earlier than a certain point of time before 2004
to telling the time ten to six (5:50)
past telling the time ten past six (6:10)
to / till / until marking the beginning and end of a period of from Monday to/till
time Friday
till / until in the sense of how long something is going to He is on holiday until
last Friday.
by in the sense of at the latest I will be back by 6
up to a certain time oclock.
By 11 o'clock, I had read
five pages.
Prepositions Place (Position and Direction)

in room, building, street, town, country in the kitchen, in London
book, paper etc. in the book
car, taxi in the car, in a taxi
picture, world in the picture, in the world
at meaning next to, by an object at the door, at the station
for table at the table
for events at a concert, at the party
place where you are to do something typical at the cinema, at school, at
(watch a film, study, work) work
on attached the picture on the wall
for a place with a river London lies on the Thames.
being on a surface on the table
for a certain side (left, right) on the left
for a floor in a house on the first floor

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for public transport on the bus, on a plane
for television, radio on TV, on the radio
by, next to, left or right of somebody or something Jane is standing by / next
beside to / beside the car.
under on the ground, lower than (or covered by) the bag is under the table
something else
below lower than something else but above ground the fish are below the
surface
over covered by something else put a jacket over your shirt
meaning more than over 16 years of age
getting to the other side (also across) walk over the bridge
overcoming an obstacle climb over the wall
above higher than something else, but not directly a path above the lake
over it
across getting to the other side (also over) walk across the bridge
getting to the other side swim across the lake
through something with limits on top, bottom and drive through the tunnel
the sides
to movement to person or building go to the cinema
movement to a place or country go to London / Ireland
for bed go to bed
into enter a room / a building go into the kitchen / the
house
towards movement in the direction of something (but
go 5 steps towards the
not directly to it) house
onto movement to the top of something jump onto the table
from in the sense of where from a flower from the garden
Other important Prepositions

from who gave it a present from Jane
of who/what does it belong to a page of the book
what does it show the picture of a palace
by who made it a book by Mark Twain
on walking or riding on horseback on foot, on horseback
entering a public transport vehicle get on the bus
in entering a car / Taxi get in the car
off leaving a public transport vehicle get off the train
out of leaving a car / Taxi get out of the taxi
by rise or fall of something prices have risen by 10
travelling (other than walking or percent
horseriding) by car, by bus
Prepositions of Time: at, on, and in

at -to designate specific times.
a. The train is due at 12:15 p.m.

15
on - to designate days and dates.
a. My brother is coming on Monday.
b. We're having a party on the Fourth of July.
in -for nonspecific times during a day, a month, a season, or a year.

a. She likes to jog in the morning.
b. It's too cold in winter to run outside.
c. He started the job in 1971.
d. He's going to quit in August.
Prepositions of Time: for and since

for -when we measure time (seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years).
a. He held his breath for seven minutes.
b. She's lived there for seven years.
c. The British and Irish have been quarreling for seven centuries.
since -with a specific date or time.

a. He's worked here since 1970.
b. She's been sitting in the waiting room since two-thirty.
Prepositions of Place: at, on, and in

at -for specific addresses.
a. Grammar English lives at 55 Boretz Road in Durham.
on -to designate names of streets, avenues, etc.

a. Her house is on Boretz Road.
in -for the names of land-areas (towns, counties, states, countries, and continents).
a. She lives in Durham.
b. Durham is in Windham County.
c. Windham County is in Connecticut.
Prepositions of Movement: to and No Preposition

to -in order to express movement toward a place.
a. They were driving to work together.
b. She's going to the dentist's office this morning.
Toward and towards are also helpful prepositions to express movement. These are simply variant
spellings of the same word; use whichever sounds better to you.
a. We're moving toward the light.
b. This is a big step towards the project's completion.
With the words home, downtown, uptown, inside, outside, downstairs, upstairs, we use no
preposition.
a. Grandma went upstairs
b. Grandpa went home.
c. They both went outside.
Prepositions between and among

between - used to refer two
among refers more than two
a. The girl could not decide between (not among) Jose and me.
b. The property was divided among (not between) the five children.

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Prepositions in and into
in - implies position or rest within a place
into implies motion or change of place.
a. The President lives in Malacaan.

b. The chalk is in the box.
c. The despondent girl jumped into the Pasig River.
d. The snatcher ran into the alley.
Exercise. Pick out the prepositions in the following sentences. There may be more than one preposition in
each sentence.
Example: My father works in a factory. .
preposition: in
1. Take off your hat before you go into the room.
2. I bought this book for fifty dollars.
3. There is a bridge over the river.
4. I like walking along the riverbank.
5. She kept her jewellery in a box under the bed.
6. The lifeguard had to swim against the currents to reach the drowning child.
7. He is afraid of snakes.
8. Homework should be finished at home.
9. My parents do not work on Sundays.
10. Rose is absent from school today.
b. Conjunctions. A conjunction joins together sentences, clauses, phrases, or words.

It shows the relationship between the words or groups of words that it connects.
Kinds of conjunctions
1. Coordinators tie together words and word-groups which have the same grammatical
construction.
a. I study English and Mathematics. (nouns)
b. We sang and danced heartily. (verbs)
c. The book is old and soiled. (adjectives)
d. He went into the water and down into the bottom. (phrases)
e. They worked rapidly, but carefully. (adverb)
f. We can go if Father permits us and if he gives us money. (dependent clause)
The principal coordinating conjunctions are and, but, or, nor, notwithstanding, for,
however, moreover, then, therefore, yet, still, nevertheless
Also classified as coordinators are the paired conjunctions called correlatives: as_so,
both_and, either_or, neither_nor, not only_but also,now_now, rather_than,
whether_or
a. As the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined.

b. Both the bowls and the plates were crashed.
c. Either Paco or Eddie will go with you.
d. Neither the President nor the Secretary can come.
e. The test was not only difficult but also long.
f. He is now excited, now-sad.
g. I would rather stay home than go out.
h. We must decide now whether to go or stay.

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2. Connectors are conjunctions which join independent clauses. They may occur not only
between coordinate independent clauses but also within or at the end of the second
clause. They are used as transaction words in sentences.
He studies hard; therefore, he makes progress.
He studies hard; he, therefore, make progress.
He studies hard; he makes progress, therefore.
List of connectors are: accordingly, also, as a result, consequently, furthermore,
hence, however, indeed, in fact, moreover, nevertheless, on the other hand,
therefore, thus, yet.
3. Subordinators are function words that join dependent clauses to main clause. They
make clear exactly what the relation between the two clauses is. The chief relations they
show are cause or reason, concession, condition, contrast, exception, place, purpose, or
result, and time.
a. Cause/Reason (because, since, as if, as though, as long as, whereas)
b. Concession/Condition/Contrast/Exception (although, though, even though, unless, if,
than, provided that)
c. Place (where, wherever)
d. Purpose/Result (that, so, so that, in order that)
e. Time (before, after, when, whenever, while, until, since)
Exercise. Pick out the conjunctions in the following sentences.

Example: A fish can swim but a bird cannot. .
conjunction: but
1. Although he was late, he managed to catch the bus.
2. My father had locked the door before he went to bed last night.
3. I am dark but my sister is fair.
4. We must hurry or we will be late.
5. Do not move until the general gives the order.
6. Since she was not there, I talked to her husband.
7. They were disqualified because they cheated during the game.
8. We cant carry on for it is raining heavily.
9. My brother had a serious stomachache, so he returned home.
10.Though she was suffering much pain, she did not complain.
V. Interjections. An interjection is a word that expresses a strong or sudden feeling. It may be a cry
or any other exclamatory sound expressing: surprise, fear, anger, pleasure, alarm, or any other
feeling or emotion.
Kinds of Interjections and their uses

1. To express emotion or feeling
ah alas fie heigh-ho oh me pshaw ugh
aha bah goodbye hurrah pish tush
alack bosh ha oh pooh tut-tut
2. To attract attention
hallo ho halloo hist hello st
3. To express assent or dissent

amen bah bravo ho hurrah
4. To represent a sound
baa bowwow crack splash whiz

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bang buzz ding-dong tick-tock zip
Words used as interjection

1. Nouns Fire! Mercy! Snake!
Heavens! Police! Thief!
2. Pronouns I! Me! You!
O my! What!
3. Adjective Enough! Impossible! Good!
Great! Wonderful! Intellectually Stimulating!
4. Adverbs Away! Never! This way!
Here! There! Well!
5. Imperatives Come! Hold! Wait!
Go! Listen!
6. Prepositions Down! In! Under! Up!
7. Phrases Good performance! Pretty girl! Well done!
Exercise. Pick out the exclamations in the following sentences.

Example: Hush! Dont make any noise.
exclamation: Hush
1. Oh! I am sorry to hear that.
2. Ah! This is my dream car.
3. Hush! Be quiet. The baby is asleep.
4. How wonderful! It can fly.
5. Alas! The dog is dead.
6. Ha! Ha! I have won the first prize.
7. Good heavens! A storm is coming.
8. Dear me! What a fool he is.
9. Well done! Please play it once more.
10. Hurrah! Our team won the game.
Parts of Speech Exercises:

I. Examine the given words and identify the part of speech they belong. Write only the letter of your
answer on the space provided.
A. Noun B. Pronoun C. verb D. Adverb
E. Adjective F. Preposition G. Conjunction H. Interjection
1. and 6. beautiful 11. class 16. difficult

2. quickly 7. oh 12. an 17. but
3. by 8. speak 13. hi 18. learn
4. cat 9. the 14. she 19. alas
5. they 10. on 15. slowly 20. jury
II. You have to read the following sentences and underline the word or words that belong to the part
of speech specified in the bracket. An example is given below.
Question: She must have reached home. (verb)
Answer: She must have reached home.
1. She went to the market and bought some 3. There is a mouse underneath the piano.
eggs. (verb) (preposition)
2. I want to go now. (adverb) 4. John is my best friend. (proper noun)

19
5. She looked up but didnt see anything. 8. She was very impressed with her results.
(adverb) (adverb)
6. My family live in different parts of India. 9. Although she is poor, she is happy.
(collective noun) (conjunction)
7. That was a difficult question. (adjective) 10. Have we bought enough chairs? (adjective)
III. Many words can be more than one part of speech. The part of speech a word belongs to depends
on how the word is used in a sentence. Read each sentence, and then decide the part of speech of
the italicized word. Write only the letter of your choice on the space provided.
Example: Every four years, the public votes in the presidential election.
a. adjective
b. noun
c. verb
Explanation: The answer is b because votes describes an action. It tells what the public does
every four years. Therefore, votes is a verb.
A. Adjective B. Noun C. Verb
1. Whenever the door slams, the lamp rocks back and forth.
2. The garden wall is made of rocks.
3. Every evening my grandmother rocks in her rocking chair.
4. The college's geology department has a large rock collection.
5. Parents should limit the amount of television their children watch.
6. Her credit limit is $5,000.
7. How much cloth will it take to make the curtains?
8. When I travel, I take my cloth coat instead of my leather one.
9. Feathers are so light that they seem to float.
10. Please turn on the light.
11. Pastels are light colors.
12. Open the window and let in the light.
13. Please light the candles on the birthday cake.
14. Her daughter is the light of her life.
15. The pancakes are delicious and light.
IV. Identify & Label. Label the part of speech for each word in bold.
Example: (1) Mary Lennox = (proper) noun
If you just wrote noun for the answer, that is good, too. Whenever possible, be more descriptive.
This excerpt is taken from chapter one of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
When (1) Mary Lennox (2) was (3) sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live (4) with her uncle
everybody (5) said she was the (6) most disagreeable-looking child ever seen. It was true,
too. (7) She had a little thin face (8) and a little thin body, thin light hair and a (9) sour
expression. (10) Her hair was (11) yellow, and her face was yellow (12) because she had
been born (13) in (14) India and had always been ill in one way (15) or another.
- From The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
V. Look at the word in bold. Which part of speech is it?

1. The clown chased a dog around the ring and then fell flat on her face.
2. Yikes! I'm late for class.
3. Bruno's shabby thesaurus fell out of the book bag when the bus quickly pulled out into traffic.
4. Mr. Frederick angrily stamped out the fire that the local hooligans had started on his verandah.
5. Later that summer, she asked herself, "What was I thinking of?"
6. She thought that the twenty zucchini plants would not be enough so she planted another ten.

20
7. Although she gave hundreds of zucchini away, the enormous mound left over frightened her.
8. Everywhere she went, she talked about the prolific veggies.
9. The manager confidently made his presentation to the board of directors.
10. Frankenstein is the name of the scientist, not the monster.
REVIEW
Chief functions. In accordance with their definitions, the chief functions of the various parts of speech in
sentence are given in the following diagram:
Part of Speech Function
Noun Subject of a sentence; subject if a subordinate clause; object of a proposition;
predicate substantive; indirect object; appositive; objective complement; object of
Pronoun the verb.
Verb Predicate of a sentence; in the infinitive; verbal.
Adjective Modifier of a noun or a pronoun.
Adverb Modifier of a verb, an adjective, or another adverb
Used with a substantive to form a prepositional phrase (or with a verb to form an
Preposition
infinitive (preposition to)
Conjunction Connective joins words, phrases, clauses, and sentences, or introduces a clause.
Interjection Independent word of exclamation, usually followed by an exclamation point.
a. The old man walked along the street.
Adj. or article Adj. noun verb preposition Adj. or article noun
a. They left early but did not arriv on time
e .
Pronoun verb adverb conjunctio verb adverb verb prepositio noun
n n
ASSIGNMENMT
Look for a short story (Fable, Parable, Legend etc.) and identity each word of the story which part
of speech it belongs. Encode it in a short bond paper using VERDANA font style Font 12 with 1 inch
margin each sides. Be sure not to duplicate your chosen stories.
THE SENTENCE
I. Sentence defined. A sentence is a word or group of related words that expresses a complete
thought. It includes words grouped meaningfully to express a statement, question, exclamation,
request, command or suggestion.
1. The boy/plays.
2. Dogs/bark.
3. Rain/ is falling.
4. He/played.
5. The children/play ball.
A word may be sentence; thus Run! (The subject You is understood).
II. Subject and Predicate. Every sentence, whether short or long, must have a subject and a
predicate either or both of which may be simple or compound. The subject often denotes the person,
place, or thing spoken of. The predicate asserts something about the subject.
In each of the sentences in section 1, the subject is before the slanting line; the predicate is after
it.
a. Simple subject and simple predicate. The simple subject consists of a single noun or pronoun.
The simple predicate consists of a single verb or a single verb phrase.
1. The little girl/ sings.
2. The little girl/ is singing.

21
The simple subject is girl; the simple predicate is (1) sings and the verb phrase (2) is
singing.
b. Compound subject and compound predicate. The compound subject consists of two or more
simple subjects, usually joined by a conjunction (and, but, neither nor, either-or, and the
like). The compound predicate consists of two or more simple predicates also usually joined by
a conjunction.
The subject, or the predicate, or both, may be compound.

1. The lady and her daughter/ are in the garden.
2. The dean/ called me and told me to see Eddie.
3. My friend and I/ swam and played in the pool.
c. Complete subject and complete predicate. The complete subject consists of the simple or
compound subject together with the word or words used to modify it or complete its meaning.
The complete predicate consists of the simple or compound predicate together with the word or
words used to modify it or complete its meaning.
1. The young players/ are ready for the game.
2. The Lords Prayer/contains the sum total of religion and morals.--Wellington
In each of these sentences, the complete subject is separated from the complete predicate
by slanting line. The simple subject and predicate are italized.
Exercise: Examine the following sentences, and examine the kind of subjects and predicates they have.
Be sure to divide the subject from the predicate.
5. Molly and Mac cleaned the basement.

6. The garbage truck arrives very early in the morning.
7. The rainfall yesterday flooded many roads.
8. At home and at the office are my most convenient place.
9. Justin washed and waxed dads car.
10. Cassy and Cath feed and walk the dog at 6 o clock each day.
11. Luz would prefer sweet or Italian spaghetti.
12. Reading improves and enhances your vocabulary
13. I am afraid of heights.
14. Salad is a healthy addition to lunch and dinner.
SENTENCES ACCORDING TO STRUCTURE. According to structure, sentences are divided into four
kinds: (1) simple, (2) compound, (3) complex, and (4) compound-complex.
1. A simple sentence consists of only an independent clause.
A simple sentence may have:

a. A simple subject and a simple predicate.
Mother/ is celebrating her birthday.
b. A simple subject and a compound predicate.
The girl/ can sing and play the piano.
c. A compound subject and a simple predicate.
The little boy and his sister/ won the prize.
d. A compound subject and a compound predicate.
Young boys and girls/ must eat well and sleep early.

22
2. A compound sentence consists of two or more simple sentences or independent clauses
closely related in thought and joined by a conjunction.
a. Joe waited for the train, but the train was late.
b. Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station before noon, and they left on the bus
before I arrived.
Practice Exercise 2. Combine the following simple sentences to create a compound sentence.
1. It rained for three days. The streets in my neighborhood flooded.

1. I got to ball practice late. I forgot to set my alarm.
2. Kyle completed his homework. He put it in his binder.
3. Luke mowed the lawn. He earned ten dollars.
4. I stayed up late last night. I am tired today.
5. Neil doesn't like seafood. He doesn't like cabbage.
6. My pencil was broken. I borrowed one from Jake.
7. I like apples. I like pears more.
8. Eight people got into the elevator. It was crowded. Three people got off.
9. Georgia gathered the pictures. She could arrange them in a special album for her family.
ANSWERS
1. It rained for three days, so the streets in my neighborhood flooded.
2. I got to ball practice late for I forgot to set my alarm.
3. Kyle completed his homework and he put it in his binder.
4. Luke mowed the lawn and he earned ten dollars.
5. I stayed up late last night so I am tired today.
6. Neil doesn't like seafood, nor does he like cabbage.
7. My pencil was broken so I borrowed one from Jake.
8. I like apples, but I like pears more.
9. Eight people got into the elevator, but it was crowded, so three people got off.
10. Georgia gathered the pictures so she could arrange them in a special album for her family.
3. A complex sentence contains an independent clause (the simple sentence) and one or
more dependent or subordinate clauses.
a. Because Martha and Sabrina arrived at school before noon, I did not see them at the
canteen.
b. John realized that the plane was late while he waited at the airport.
4. A compound-complex sentence contains two or more independent clause (two or more

simple sentences or one compound sentence) and one or more dependent clauses.
a. During last night's game, the bases were loaded, and Bob hit a grand slam.
b. Unless you train your body, you cannot be an athlete; and unless you train your mind,
you cannot be a real student.
Practice Exercise 3. Identify the independent and subordinate clauses in the following sentences and
determine whether they are complex or compound-complex.
1. Jason decided to stay up late because he had a lot of homework to do.

2. If you hurry, we might get to school on time.
3. Although Monica had a cold, she went to school because she had a test.
4. While washing the car, Todd slipped on the soap and he fell.
5. Dad takes the train to work even though he has a car.

23
6. After Mom arrived, she put the disk in the DVD player and we watched a great movie.
7. Even though his heart pounded with dread, Ben bolted up the stairs, and he checked out
the strange noise.
8. Molly baked brownies since she had nothing else to do.
9. Karen made a list of what was needed, and she double-checked it so she wouldn't forget
anything.
10.Frank had a good sense of humor, so he laughed a lot.
ANSWERS
1. Jason decided to stay up late because he had a lot of homework to do. (complex)
2. If you hurry, we might get to school on time. (complex)
3. Although Monica had a cold, she went to school because she had a test. (complex)
4. While washing the car, Todd slipped on the soap and he fell. (compound-complex)
5. Dad takes the train to work even though he has a car. (complex)
6. After Mom arrived, she put the disk in the DVD player and we watched a great
movie. (compound-complex)
7. Even though his heart pounded with dread, Ben bolted up the stairs, and he checked out
the strange noise. (compound-complex)
8. Molly baked brownies since she had nothing else to do. (complex)
9. Karen made a list of what was needed, and she double-checked it so she wouldn't
forget anything. (compound-complex)
10. Frank had a good sense of humor, so he laughed a lot. (complex)
Practice Exercise 4. Read the following sentences. Check the box marked simple if it is a simple
sentence. Check the box marked compound if it is a compound sentence. Check the box marked
complex if it is a complex sentence.
1. We have to go to bed when the clock chimes ten oclock. Simple Compound Complex
2. Jennifer liked Williams friend, and she also liked his cousin. Simple Compound Complex
3. The big brown dog ran after the blue and red ball. Simple Compound Complex
4. James and Eve rode their bicycles after they ate lunch. Simple Compound Complex
5. The teacher and the principal met in the hall near the library. Simple Compound Complex
6. Many brave soldiers fought in the war, and they received medals. Simple Compound Complex
7. Before the queen rode in the parade, she gave a speech. Simple Compound Complex
8. After midnight the ghosts will come out of the haunted attic. Simple Compound Complex
9. She dropped the pan and the plate, but she held on to the spoon. Simple Compound Complex
10. The drummers played a long time, but the piano players stopped early. Simple Compound Complex
Practice Exercise 5. Identify the kind of the following sentences according to structure. Write only the
letter of your corresponding answer.
a) Simple b) Compound c) Complex d) Compound-Complex
Sentence Sentence Sentence Sentence
1. Pauline and Bruno have a big argument every summer over where they should spend their
summer vacation.
2. Pauline loves to go to the beach and spend her days sunbathing.
3. Bruno, on the other hand, likes the view that he gets from the log cabin up in the mountains, and
he enjoys hiking in the forest.
4. Pauline says there is nothing relaxing about chopping wood, swatting mosquitoes, and cooking

24
over a woodstove.
5. Bruno dislikes sitting on the beach; he always gets nasty sunburn.
6. Bruno tends to get bored sitting on the beach, watching the waves, getting sand in his swimsuit,
and reading detective novels.
7. This year, after a lengthy, noisy debate, they decided to take separate vacations.
8. Bruno went to the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and Pauline went to Cape Cod.
9. Although they are 250 miles apart, they keep in constant contact on the internet.
10. Bruno took the desktop computer that he uses at work, and Pauline sits on the beach with her
laptop computer, which she connects to the internet with a cellular phone.
SENTENCE PATTERNS
Every sentence has a Subject part and a Predicate (verb) part.
In the Subject part: In the Predicate part:
S = simple Subject (n) V = main Verb (v) DO = Direct Object (n)

IO = Indirect Object (n)
SC = Subject Complement (2 kinds: PN and PA)
PN = Predicate Noun (n)
PA = Predicate Adjective (adj)
OC = Object Complement (n or adj)
"Sentence patterns" is just another way talk about the way a sentence is put together; the
order of the elements in the sentence; sentence construction. Some sources say there are six
English sentence patterns; some say eight. A few sources list even more. Here are the ones we feel
are the most common, and the easiest to recognize:
1. Subject + Verb (S-V) - This is the simplest kind of sentence. It consists of a subject, a verb, and
possibly some adjectives, adverbs, or prepositional phrases. There are no direct objects, indirect
objects, or complements.
Abraham speaks fluently. (subject, verb, adverb)

Many of the class members write well in class. (subject, verb, adverbs) (The "complete" subject is
"Many of the class members"--a noun phrase.)
1.1. Verb + Subject (V-S)

Sentences in English usually have the subject come first, followed by the verb. But when a sentence
begins with there is, there was, there are, there were, the verb comes first, followed by the subject. The
word There is never a subject!
There is a strange shadow in the woods. (verb, subject--the complete subject is the noun phrase a
strange shadow, adverb)
There were no leftovers after the buffet. (verb, subject, adverb)
2. Subject + Verb + Direct Object (S-V-DO)

Andrew composes music. (subject, verb, direct object.)
Matthew helps others in several English practice rooms. (subject, verb, direct object, adverb)
Helen tells jokes to make people smile. (subject, verb, direct object, adverb)
3. Subject + Verb + Complement (S-V-SC)

A complement is a word or group of words that describe or rename the subject. Complements follow a
linking verb. There are two kinds of subject complements: 1) predicate nominative, which is a noun or

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pronoun that renames or classifies the subject of the sentence and 2) predicate adjective, which is an
adjective that describes the subject of the sentence.
Mother looks tired. (subject, verb, complement--predicate adjective)
Some students in the class are engineers. (the noun phrase Some students in the class is the
complete subject, verb, complement--predicate nominative)
The men are handsome, the women are clever, and the children are above-average. (compound
sentence of three independent clauses, so three subjects, three verbs, three complements--all
predicate adjectives)
4. Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object (S-V-IO-DO)

An indirect object tells for whom or to whom. If the indirect object comes after the direct object (in a
prepositional phrase "to ________" or "for _______"), the sentence pattern is shown as S-V-DO IO.
Pronouns are usually used as indirect objects (but not always).
I sent her a birthday present. (subject, verb, indirect object, direct object)
Jay gave his dog a bone. (subject, verb, indirect object, direct object)
Granny left Gary all of her money. (subject, verb, indirect object, direct object)
Granny gave every last asset to Gary. (subject, verb, direct object, indirect object in a
prepositional phrase)
5. Subject + Verb + Direct Object + Object Complement (S-V-DO-OC)

This pattern isn't as common as the others, but it is used. An object complement is a word or group
of words that renames, describes, or classifies the direct object. Object complements are nouns or
adjectives and follow the object.
Debbie left the window open during the rain storm. (subject, verb, direct object, object
complement, adverb)
The class picked Susie class representative. (subject, verb, direct object, object complement)
Exercise. Identify the pattern of each sentence. Write your answers after each sentence.
1. The blacksmith made the hammer very 22. I'm not famous.
durable. 23. The spectators look surprised.
2. She installed Arthur as a knight. 24. The farmer described to them the fishpond.
3. Andrew no longer went to college. 25. He is Nigerian.
4. I leave her some flowers. 26. The pope made Ambrose holy.
5. The manager passed Jenny tequila. 27. Everyone thinks the full moon a very
6. The woman in the photograph smiled. impressive sight.
7. The Governor bluffs. 28. The girl behind you grinned.
8. That librarian finds the book interesting. 29. That teacher offered her a ride home.
9. We listened to Obama. 30. The mathematician crossed the Red Sea.
10. I promised her a delicious dinner. 31. During the summer our bodies are dry.
11. She is helpful. 32. That photographer teaches them
12. You can sell him a necklace. mathematics.
13. They drank water. 33. The wall collapsed.
14. We find the meatballs delicious. 34. His cousin often showed the visitors the
15. Edison admitted the crime. painting.
16. The madams smirked. 35. The girl wants Bami as a friend.
17. The President resigned. 36. The roses look amazing.
18. Johnny wanted Lenny as his wife. 37. The clouds are heavy with rain.
19. These boys slammed the door. 38. Most writers desired self-esteem.
20. One presents the moral problem. 39. The mobsters burned the building.
21. This cake tastes better. 40. The natives considered bribery taboo.

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41. His face showed his disgust. 46. Some astronauts were women.
42. I bought her the vase. 47. The airplane departed.
43. The men and the women danced. 48. Your handwriting is not legible.
44. Space flights are not new. 49. The roses look amazing.
45. The woman wishes her a happy birthday 50. Those farmers ate some crackers.

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SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
Does this paragraph sound strange to you? If so, why? What needs to be fixed?
I really likes to play Frisbee golf. I has so much go going out into the fresh air and throwing the
Frisbee. Sometimes, my friends and I takes my dog, too. My dog, a Jack Russell Terrier, love to run
around on the course. His name are Simon. He also jump up and tries to catch the discs. Sometimes, I
throws the disc into the woods, and Simon run in after it. He usually can find it faster than I is able to. All
in all, we has a great time in the fresh air.
Subject and Verb Agreement
Basic Principle: Singular subjects need singular verbs; plural subjects need plural verbs.
A subject must agree with its verb in number.

- Ann always tells the truth.
- The twins always tell the truth.
A phrase or clause that comes between a subject and the verb does not affect subject-verb agreement.
- The captain of the guards stands at attention.
- The troopers whom the captain put in charge of the roadblock stand on either side.
1. The indefinite pronouns anyone, everyone, someone, no one, nobody are always singular and,
therefore, require singular verbs.
Everyone has done his or her homework.
Somebody has left her purse.
Some indefinite pronouns such as all, some are singular or plural depending on what they're
referring to. (Is the thing referred to countable or not?) Be careful choosing a verb to accompany such
pronouns.
Some of the beads are missing.
Some of the water is gone.
On the other hand, there is one indefinite pronoun, none, that can be either singular or plural; it often
doesn't matter whether you use a singular or a plural verb unless something else in the sentence
determines its number. (Writers generally think of none as meaning not any and will choose a plural verb,
as in "None of the engines are working," but when something else makes us regard none as meaning not
one, we want a singular verb, as in "None of the food is fresh.")
None of you claims responsibility for this incident?
None of you claim responsibility for this incident?
None of the students have done their homework. (In this last example, the
word their precludes the use of the singular verb.
2. Some indefinite pronouns are particularly troublesome everyone and everybody (listed above, also)
certainly feel like more than one person and, therefore, students are sometimes tempted to use a
plural verb with them. They are always singular, though. Each is often followed by a prepositional
phrase ending in a plural word (Each of the cars), thus confusing the verb choice. Each, too, is always
singular and requires a singular verb.
Everyone has finished his or her homework.
You would always say, "Everybody is here." This means that the word is singular and nothing will change
that.
Each of the students is responsible for doing his or her work in the library.
Don't let the word "students" confuse you; the subject is each and each is always singular Each
is responsible.
Singular Plural
anyone, everyone, someone both
anybody, everybody, somebody few
anything, everything, something many
others
several
each + singular noun
every + singular noun
any of, none of, the majority of, a lot of plenty of, a/the majority of, a number of, a lot of, plenty of,
all (of), some (of) + an uncountable noun all (of), some (of ) + a plural noun
the number of
any of, each of, either of, neither of, none of +

plural noun (although the plural is often used in
spoken or informal English)
3. Phrases such as together with, as well as, and along with are not the same as and. The phrase
introduced by as well as or along with will modify the earlier word (mayor in this case), but it does
not compound the subjects (as the word and would do).
The mayor as well as his brothers is going to prison.
The mayor and his brothers are going to jail.
4. The pronouns neither and either are singular and require singular verbs even though they seem to
be referring, in a sense, to two things.
Neither of the two traffic lights is working.
Which shirt do you want for Christmas? Either is fine with me.
In informal writing, neither and either sometimes take a plural verb when these pronouns are followed by
a prepositional phrase beginning with of. This is particularly true of interrogative constructions:
"Have either of you two clowns read the assignment?" "Are either of you taking this seriously?" Burchfield
calls this "a clash between notional and actual agreement."
5. The conjunction or does not conjoin (as and does): when nor or or is used the subject closer to the
verb determines the number of the verb. Whether the subject comes before or after the verb doesn't
matter; the proximity determines the number.
Either my father or my brothers are going to sell the house.
Neither my brothers nor my father is going to sell the house.
Are either my brothers or my father responsible?
Is either my father or my brothers responsible?

Because a sentence like "Neither my brothers nor my father is going to sell the house" sounds peculiar, it
is probably a good idea to put the plural subject closer to the verb whenever that is possible.
6. The words there and here are never subjects.

There are two reasons [plural subject] for this.
There is no reason for this.
Here are two apples.

With these constructions (called expletive constructions), the subject follows the verb but still determines
the number of the verb.
7. Verbs in the present tense for third-person, singular subjects (he, she, it and anything those words can
stand for) have s-endings. Other verbs do not add s-endings.
He loves and she loves and they love_ and . . . .
8. Sometimes modifiers will get between a subject and its verb, but these modifiers must not confuse the
agreement between the subject and its verb.
The mayor, who has been convicted along with his four brothers on four counts of various
crimes but who also seems, like a cat, to have several political lives, is finally going to jail.
9. Sometimes nouns take weird forms and can fool us into thinking they're plural when they're really
singular and vice-versa. Words such as glasses, pants, pliers, and scissors are regarded as plural (and
require plural verbs) unless they're preceded the phrase pair of (in which case the word pair becomes
the subject).
My glasses were on the bed.
My pants were torn.
A pair of plaid trousers is in the closet.
10. Plural-looking Subjects that take Singular Verbs: Nouns that are plural in form but singular in meaning
agree with singular verbs. Such nouns include civics, economics, physics, mathematics, social studies,
molasses, mumps, news (and others).
The news from the front is bad.
Measles is a dangerous disease for pregnant women.
On the other hand, some words ending in -s refer to a single thing but are nonetheless plural and require
a plural verb.
My assets were wiped out in the depression.
The average worker's earnings have gone up dramatically.

Our thanks go to the workers who supported the union.
The names of sports teams that do not end in "s" will take a plural verb: the Miami Heat have been
looking , The Connecticut Sun are hoping that new talent
11. Plural-looking Subjects that take Plural Verbs: To make things trickier for foreign learners of English,
there are also those nouns that end in s and do take plural verbs, unlike the category above. These
include belongings, clothes, congratulations, earnings, good, outskirts, particulars, premises, riches,
savings, stairs, surroundings, thanks. Police and people are also always plural.
12. 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. (The same is true, of course, when all, any, more,
most and some act as subjects.) Sums and products of mathematical processes are expressed as
singular and require singular verbs. The expression "more than one" (oddly enough) takes a singular
verb: "More than one student has tried this."
Some of the voters are still angry.
A large percentage of the older population is voting against her.
Two-fifths of the troops were lost in the battle.
Two-fifths of the vineyard was destroyed by fire.
Forty percent of the students are in favor of changing the policy.
Forty percent of the student body is in favor of changing the policy.
Two and two is four.
Four times four divided by two is eight.
13. Titles as Subjects: No matter how long it is and whether it sounds plural, a title is always singular.
Divine Comedies by James Merrill is a Pulitzer Prize-winning collection of poems.
14. Compound subjects consist of two or more subjects usually connected by or or and. Specific rules
apply to compound subjects.
- Two or more singular subjects joined by or or nor must have a singular verb.
Beth or Sally is going to represent us.
- Two or more plural subjects joined by or or nor must have a plural verb.
The class presidents or the student council members are going to represent us.
- If one or more subjects are singular and the others are plural and they are joined by or or nor, the
subject closest to the verb determines agreement.
Beth, Sally, or the twins are going to represent us.
Either the twins or Sally is going to represent us.
- A compound subject joined by and is generally plural and must have a plural verb. The conjunction
and generally acts as a plus sign. Whether the parts of a compound subject joined by and are all
singular, all plural, or a combination of singular and plural, they add up to a plural compound
subject.
Sally and Joe are going to represent us.
The boys and girls are going to represent us.
The girls and Joe are going to represent us.
- Exceptions to the above rule regarding and:

If the parts of the compound subject are thought of as one item, then the compound subject is
considered to be singular.
Spaghetti and meatballs is my favorite Italian dish.
If the word every or each comes before a compound subject, it takes a singular verb.
Every boy and girl in the class does volunteer work at the community center.
15. Titles as Subjects: No matter how long it is and whether it sounds plural, a title is always singular.
Divine Comedies by James Merrill is a Pulitzer Prize-winning collection of poems.
Compound Subjects Exercise: Decide which form of the given verb is correct.
1. The door and the window (is, are) both stuck.
2. Neither Mother nor Father (has phoned, have phoned).
3. The dog or the cats (is, are) always howling.
4. Apples and bananas (has been, have been) my favorite fruits for years.
5. Mary or Louise (belongs, belong) to the backgammon club.
6. Each morning Tom or the children (buys, buy) fresh rolls at the bakery.
7. Both the man with the appliances and the plumber (has, have) arrived.
8. My son and daughter (has, have) never been so cooperative.
9. Mark and David (isnt, arent) in the office yet.
10. Two large packages and a letter (was, were) put on her desk.
11. Either the children or I (walks, walk) into town for the mail.
12. My car or Teds (is, are) always available.
13. His messiness and my incessant chattering (annoys, annoy) Mother.
14. Every cup and saucer (was, were) broken in the move.
15. Rain and snow always (falls, fall) this time of year.
16. The principal or the assistant principal (wants, want) to speak with you.
17. After dinner either Bruce or Debbie (cleans, clean) the table.
18. Sausage and peppers in tomato sauce (was, were) served with a green salad.
19. Heavy rains and high winds (has, have) hit the coast.
Subjects-Verb Agreement Exercise: Decide which form of the given verb is correct.
1. Near the top of the closet (is, are) an old electric fan.
2. After hours of discussion, the committee (has, have) been unable to reach an agreement.
3. Rich foods (is, are) one cause of oily skin.
4. Economics (was, were) my sisters major in college.
5. (Do, Does) exotic plants thrive in this climate?
6. The group of tourists (has, have) left on the bus.
7. The jury (has, have) forwarded a complaint about the heat in the deliberation room.
8. (Is, Are) some of the soup still left?
9. (Heres Here are) more volunteers for the clean-up brigade.
10. The problem at the picnic (was, were) bees.
11. There (is, are) two excellent reasons and a few silly excuses for his choice.
12. Politics (was, were) one of his major interests for a long time.
13. The entire faculty (has, have) accepted the proposal.
14. (Theres, There are) the captains of both teams.
15. Another example of the areas underdevelopment (is, are) the narrow dirt roads.
16. There (is, are) only one possibly explanation.
17. Mumps (is, are) a dangerous disease for adults.
18. The team (has, have) been squabbling with each other all morning.
19. At the top of the stairs (is, are) the two lights.
20. (Is, Are) mathematics on your program this term?
21. Here (is, are) two records I particularly like.
22. The news from the Middle East (has, have) been unsettling.
23. The assembly (has, have) voted themselves a pay increase.
24. One of the girls (was, were) hurt on the soccer field.
25. Ten feet of cement (is, are) what we want for the patio.
26. Most of the reports (was, were) of poor quality.
27. Civics (has, have) not been taught as a subject in many schools for some time now.
28. At the top of the hill (stands, stand) two majestic oaks.
29. The Brothers Karamazov (ranks, rank) as an outstanding Russian novel.
30. There (was, were) several weaknesses in that survey.
31. Now the audience (rises, rise) as one in appreciation.
32. Each of the turntables (has, have) a drawback.
33. Dirty streets (is, are) just one of our complaints.
34. The couple (disagrees, disagree) with each other about where they should spend their vacation.
35. Where (is, are) my new pliers?
36. Others in the council (joins, join) in criticism.
37. The jury (is, are) arguing over the details of the case.
38. One fifth of our income (go, goes) to taxes.
39. Bartletts Familiar Quotations (has, have) always been a fine resource for speakers.
40. In back of the house (is, are) planted beans and cucumbers.
41. Half of the new cars (has, have) significant defects.
42. The Best of the Beatles (was, were) bound to be a classic from the beginning.
43. (Theres, There are) only one person I can recommend.
44. Four inches of growth in a year (is, are) outstanding.
Subject-Verb Agreement Exercise: Decide which form of the given verb is correct.
1. My brother or my mother (wants, want) to meet the train.
2. Both sailors (was, were) attempting to grasp the lifeline.
3. Most of the roast (seems, seem) too dry.
4. Fine artists often (collaborates, collaborate) in a performance.
5. Everyone (knows, know) what to expect from her.
6. Fruits or assorted nuts (is, are) excellent to serve.
7. Many a political cause (dies, die) soon after birth.
8. Trips to Europe (has, have) become more expensive.
9. The new series of recitals (appears, appear) to be successful.
10. That couple (has, have) been living there for years.
11. The Sense of the 60s (depicts, depict) a particularly turbulent era.
12. Examples of his poor judgment (has, have) been documented.
13. At the other end of town (is, are) a fine French restaurant.
14. More of our teammates now (agrees, agree) with me.
15. The Marx Brothers films still (delights, delight) audiences.
16. Either two friends or my teacher (is, are) planning to visit Bill in the hospital.
17. Hockey and football (has, have) always been particularly aggressive sports.
18. The strings in the orchestra (is, are) outstanding.
19. Either (has, have) been acceptable to us for some time.
20. Three fifths of the population (supports, support) the new law.
Verb Tenses
Verb tenses are an attribute of verbs that tell us about time. Remember that verbs are words that show
actions or states of being.
SIMPLE TENSES
There are three basic times when verbs can take place: past, present, and future. These are the
easy ones to remember. In fact, they are called simple tenses.
1. Simple present tense verbs show actions that happen regularly or that are permanently happening.
We play football in the backyard.
My niece skips down the road.
2. Simple past tense verbs are verbs that show actions that took place in the past.
We played football in the backyard.
My niece skipped down the road
3. Simple future tense verbs are verbs that show actions that have not taken place yet, but that will
take place in the future.
We will play football in the backyard.
My niece will skip down the road.
PROGRESSIVE/CONTINUOUS FORMS
Both simple and perfect verb tenses can also be made into progressive verb forms. Sometimes
they are also called continuous. That just means that they show an action that is in progress or that is
continuing. To form this type of verb, you add one of the forms of the verb be with the present participle
of the verb. (The present participle ends in -ing.)
We are playing. (Present progressive)
We were playing. (Past progressive)
We will be playing. (Future progressive)
We have been playing. (Present perfect progressive)
We had been playing. (Past perfect progressive)
We will have been playing. (Future perfect progressive)
PERFECT TENSES
English verbs also have three perfect verb tenses: present perfect tense, past perfect tense, and
future perfect tense. At any rate, all of these perfect tenses are formed with the helping verbs have, has,
had, will and shall and the past participles of the verb.
1. Present perfect tense verbs show actions that were finished recently or ones that were completed
at an indefinite time in the past. This use has or have.
We have played football.
My niece has skipped down the road.
2. Past perfect tense verbs show actions that came directly before another action in the past. These
use had.
We had played football.
My niece had skipped down the road before I came.
3. Future perfect tense verbs show actions that will happen before other future actions happens.
These use will have and shall have.
By tomorrow, we will have played football.
By noon, my niece will have skipped down the road.
VERB
SIMPLE PROGRESSIVE/CONTINUOUS PERFECT
TENSES
FACTS/ HABITS/ ROUTINES NOW/ TEMPORARY ACTIVITIES EXPERIENCES/ PAST ACTION WITH
PRESENT RESULTS
SUBJECT + INFINITIVE (+S) SUBJECT + BE + _____ING SUBJECT + HAVE + PARTICIPLE
PRESENT
I live she live they live I am living she is living I have lived she has lived
I dont live he doesnt live I am not living he is not living I have not lived he has not lived
Do you live? Does she live? Are you living? Is she living? Have you lived? Has she lived?
PAST ACTION AT A GIVEN TIME THINGS HAPPENING AT A GIVEN TIME PAST ACTION IN RELATION TO THE PAST
SUBJECT + VERB IN PAST SUBJECT + WAS/WERE + ____ING SUBJECT + HAD + PARTICIPLE

PAST
I lived she lived they lived I was living she was living I had lived she had lived
I didnt live he didnt live I was not living he was not living I had not lived he had not lived
Did you live? Did she live? Were you living? Were she living? Had you lived? Had she lived?
FUTURE ACTIONS THINGS HAPPENING AT A FUTURE GIVEN WHAT WILL HAVE HAPPENED IN THE
TIME FUTURE
SUBJECT + WILL + INFINITIVE SUBJECT + WILL BE + INFINITIVE SUBJECT + WILL HAVE + PARTICIPLE
FUTURE
I will live she will live I will be living she will be living I will have lived she will have lived
I will not live he will not live I will not be living he will not be living I will not have lived he will not have lived
Will you live? Will she live? Will you be living? Will she be living? Will you have lived? Will she have lived?
THE SENTENCE UNITY, COHERENCE AND EMPHASIS
UNITY IN SENTENCE
Unity demands that related ideas in the sentence/s should be joined and unrelated ideas should be
separated. It has also to do with the choice of materials with a view to completion. Thus, a sentence has
unity when it expresses a single complete thought containing only those details necessary to enrich that
thought.
The following sentences violate this principle of unity:
1. Choppy sentences. These are two or more related sentences which must be joined to form one
and unified thought or idea. By structure, it will appear, thus:
Sentence 1 Sentence 2 Sentence 3
Here, the sentences are divided or shopped. If the ideas in the three sentences are related and
they could be joined into one sentence, then unity is achieved. Again, by structure, the correction
will appear:
One Sentence
(Joining sentence 1, 2, 3)
Example:
Choppy : My friend was reading a book.
Sentence 1
It was an interesting book.

Sentence 2
I asked my friend to lend it to me.

Sentence 3
Better : I asked my friend to lend me the interesting book he was reading.
Choppy : Maria is intelligent. She is also dishonest. Moreover, she is industrious.
Better : I like Maria as a friend because she is intelligent, honest and industrious.
or
I like Maria as a friend because of her intelligence, honesty, and industry.
2. Run-on sentences. These are two or more sentences which must be separated by the correct use
of conjunctions or punctuation marks.
Example:
Run-on : Cause of traffic accidents are many ways of prevention are numerous,
too.
Better : Causes of traffic accidents are many: ways of prevention are numerous,
too.
3. Cat and Dog sentences. These are two or more sentences with completely unrelated idea/s that
they should be separated or the related idea/s should be used to what is asserted.
Example:
Cat and : Lita is scholar because she bakes delicious cakes.

Dog
Sentence
Better : Lita is a scholar because she is intelligent and diligent.
4. Redundant sentences. These are sentences which contain synonymous words or ideas resulting
to the repetition of the same.
Example:
Redundant : He was confined in the hospital for a period of two weeks.

Better : He was confined in the hospital for two weeks.
Redundant : We enjoyed our trip happily.
Better : We enjoyed our trip.
5. Circumlocutory or Wordy sentences. These are sentences characterized by a surplus or

profusion of words when they can be reduced to a minimum number and arrived at or achieved the
same idea.
The writer must bear in mind that sentence economy means the proper relation between
the number of words used and the amount of meaning conveyed. It does not mean however that a
sentence is economical just because it is short or not economical because it is long.
Example:
Wordy/circumlocutory : It is rarely the case that Jose takes his books home except during
formal examinations.
Better : Jose rarely takes his books hone except during formal
examinations.
Wordiness or circumlocution can be achieved by observing the following sentences:

a. Cut-out useless words:
Example:
Wordy : My brother who is a student of law loves to bring up controversial topics that
everyone has a different opinion about.
Better : My brother, a law student, loves to bring up controversial topics.
b. Replace a wordy expression by an economic one

a word for a phrase
a phrase for a clause
a simple sentence for a compound complex sentence
Example:
Wordy : Owning to the fact that industrial fumes are injurious from the health point
of view, many cities pass ordinances for the explicit purpose of regulating
the amount of smoke in the air.
Better : Because industrial fumes are injurious to health, many cities pass ordinances
to regulate the amount of smoke in the air.
Notice how the original sentences of 32 words can be reduced to 20 words without impairing the idea/s
you want to convey.
c. Use direct statements

Example:
Wordy : I find myself not exactly in complete agreement with Atty. Soriano.
Better : I do not completely agree with Atyy. Soriano.
6. Loose sentences. These are sentences where the major elements or ideas of the sentences are
placed at the beginning and the major elements or ideas placed at the end.
A loose sentence is not grammatically wrong but quality-wise it is structurally erroneous and
can be corrected by using a periodic sentence. The purpose is to achieve an effect of suspense or
surprise.
The minor elements of the sentence are phrases and dependent clauses while the major
elements include independent clauses.
Example:
Loose : The police investigation discovered that the jewels were missing
after they noticed a light in an upstair window and went into the house to
investigate.
Periodic : After they noticed a light in an upstair window and went into the house to
investigate, the discovered that jewels were missing.
7. Straggling sentences. These are sentences that contain several ideas piled one after another.
The following suggestions are the best ways to correct and improve straggling sentences.
a. Cut the sentences into shorter and more concise sentences.

b. Coordinate clauses of equal rank.
c. Subordinate the minor ideas.
Example:
Stragglin :Letty knew that she would have a lovely time in the party tonight, and she
g wanted to go for she knew there would be dancing and Letty loved to dance
but she could not go because he mother refused to allow her to do so.
The sentence above can be broken into three main ideas:
1. Letty loved to dance.
2. Letty wanted to go to the party.
3. But her mother refused to allow her.
Joining these three ideas, you came up with the sentences:
Because she loved to dance, Letty wanted to go to the party but her mother did not
allow her.
Practice Exercises:
1. Re-write the following sentences to observe unity.

a. He was lazy. He was dishonest. He became a failure.
b. The river was deep. It was wide. There was a bridge over it.
c. Last week we attended a seminar. The seminar was an interesting one. It was given by
Jose P. Aquino. Mr. Aquino is a U.S. based scholar.
d. The students sat down. The professor entered the room. She spoke. She said they
would have a test.
e. The Accounting problems were difficult. I tried very hard. I was able to solve them.
2. Cross out or recast the sentence below to avoid redundancy or wordiness.

a. The school aims to offer and provide the best instruction.
b. The data will be of valuable help and use to researches.
c. Furthermore, we also need honest officials.
d. Smoking is an expensive, injurious and harmful habit.
e. The San Miguel Corporation contributed a P50,000 donation as its gift to the Red Cross.
COHERANCE IN SENTENCE
Coherence demands that related ideas in the sentences are made clear and show logical
relationship to each other.
The following sentences violate coherence:
1. Shift in pronoun preference.
Wrong : The management of the shipping company decided to add two luxury
liners to their fleet.
Correct : The management of the shipping company decided to add two luxury
liners to its fleet.
Use its instead of their because the antecedent of the pronoun its is management which is a collective
noun given a singular meaning.
2. Vague or ambiguous pronoun preference.

Vague : Before Lolit could talk to Zeby, she left the room.
(Who left the room---Lolit or Zeny?)
Better : Lolit left the room before she could talk to Zeny. or
Zeny left the room before she could talk to Lolit.
Ambiguous : If fresh milk does not agree with your baby, boil it.
(Which will you boilthe baby or the Fresh milk?)
Better : If your baby does not agree with fresh milk, boil it. or
Boil the fresh milk of it does not agree with your baby.
3. Misplaced Phrase modifiers
Wrong : The bird was shot by the boy with the features of an eagle.
(Who has the feature of an eaglethe bird of the boy?)
Better : The boy shot the bird with the features of an eagle.
Wrong : Orange and crimson, the painter captured the magnificence of the
sunset on his canvass. (Does the orange and crimson refer to the
painter or the sunset?
Better : The painter captured the magnificence of the sunset on his canvass.
4. Dangling modifiers. These refer to verbal phrases (infinitive and participle) which modify the wrong
word or the word modified is elliptical.
Wrong : To be successful, a timetable is needed.

(Who will be successfulthe timetable?)
Better : To be successful, a student needs a timetable.
Wrong : The boy chased the dog wearing blue jeans.

(Who is wearing blue jeans----the boy or the dog?)
Better : The boy wearing blue jeans chased the dog.
5. Wrong subordination. This occurs when the subordinate or clause functioning as an adjective or
adverb modifies the wrong word in the sentence.
Wrong : Angela is the sister of Jose who became a nun.

(Who became a nun---Jose or Angela?)
Better : Angela who became a nun is the sister of Jose.
Practice Exercises: Re-write or recast the following sentence to achieve coherence.
1. Wrong subordination and faulty vague pronoun antecedent

a. The salesman took an order from his pocket which he gave to the secretary.
b. He took out his handkerchief, blew his nose and put it back in his pocket.
c. Neither the President nor the Chairman was in their room.

d. One must consult a doctor if they feel sick.
e. He examined the bacteria with a microscope that was in a glass slide.
2. Dangling modifiers
a. Mother carried on a large dish, entered the room with roasted chicken.
b. To graduate in March, fifteen units of English should be completed.
c. The President has his picture in the newspaper shaking hands with farmers in his
expensive suit.
d. Entering the room, a huge statue of Rizal met my eyes.
e. The Campus Administrator was welcomed by the employees after returning from her
vacation.
EMPHASIS IN SENTENCES
Emphasis demands that related words or ideas should be made prominent or should stand-out. The
use of emphasis produces a certain style of writinglike the use of parallel construction, balanced
sentences and figurative speechall aimed to give ornament to written diction.
The following are the ways to achieve emphasis:

1. By repetition
Examples:
a. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory, victory at all costvictory
in spite of all terrorsvictory; however hard and log the road may be, for without victory,
there is no survival.
b. Like love, we dont know where or why
Like love, we cant compel or fly
Like love, we often weep
Like love, we seldom keep
2. By parallelism
a. A series of infinitives:
O live is to grow, to love, to dare, to build, to hope, to singeven to suffer and later die
only to live again.
b. A series of adverbs:
If you wish to pass your course, you should study attentively, persistently and intensely.
c. A series of adjectives:
A person may be rich, but if he is rude, and proud and wicked, he is worthless and a curse to
his family.
3. By balanced sentence
a. What is obvious is not always known and what is known is not always present.
b. Winter is on my head but Spring is in my heart.
c. Learn to live and live to learn.
4. By orderly arrangement of ideas, usually from the least important to the most important.
a. No other arms, no other lips no other love.
b. I love you, I love my parents and most of all I love God.
5. By epigrammatic expressions
a. Taxes are lifeblood of the nation
b. Scandal is gossip made tedious by morality.
Practice exercise
1. Re-write or recast the sentences below for faulty parallelism.
a. Eddie is brilliant, honest and can be depended upon completely.
b. Ilocanos earn their living either by farming or they weave.
c. The old house is dilapidated and which is said to be haunted.
d. Many people prefer to swim in the beach than swimming in a pool.
e. It has been my desire to be a lawyer or to take up Accounting.

THE PARAGRAPH
Generally speaking, a paragraph is a set of related sentences that expresses or develops a topic. A
paragraph is usually part of an extended piece of writing although in some situations, you may need
only one paragraph to fulfill your purpose (Abelos, et al., 2006)
Purposes of paragraph for Writers
i. Divide a subject into manageable unit of information.

ii. Control emphasis
iii. Establish Rhythm
iv. Increase writing control
Purposes of paragraph for Readers
1. Give them access.

2. Aid them grasp key points.
3. Provide visual cue.
4. Allow them to refocus.
Paragraph length
Most paragraphs are between 100 and 300 words long and between 7 and 15 sentences,
depending on the length of the sentence. The paragraph length will also depend on the complexity of the
main idea.
A computer-encoded page with one-inch margin, double spaced, using Times New Roman 12-point
font will contain an average of 250 words. A paragraph will take up between 1/3 to of the page at a
minimum and up to 1 and 1/3 page at a maximum. Take note that different font sizes will create different
paragraphs at different lengths.
TOPIC SENTENCE
The topic sentence is the most important sentence of a paragraph. It states the main idea and
introduces the reader to the topic.
The topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraphs, summarizing the paragraphs contents.
It is usually the first sentence of a paragraph, summarizes the content of the paragraph, telling the
readers what to expect. For example, a reader would know exactly what the paragraph is all about if the
topic sentence were Writing a journal offers a beginning writer several benefits. The topic sentence states
the topic of the paragraph (writing a journal) and states the main idea about the topic (several benefits to
a beginning writer).
Characteristics of a topic sentence

o It must be the summary of the main idea of the paragraph.
o Must cover only one main idea.
o It must be a general statement that is provable with explanations and examples
o It must be about your own ideas, written in your own words, not a quotation or a
paraphrase of someone elses ideas.
Example: Choose the right topic sentence of the given paragraph.

1.___________b_________________. I usually go skiing every weekend in the winter even though it
is expensive. I love the feeling of flying down a mountain. The views are beautiful from the top of a
mountain and along the trails. Even the danger of falling and getting hurt cant keep me away from the
slopes on a winter day.
a) Skiing is expensive.
b) Skiing is my favorite sport.
c) Skiing is dangerous.
2.__________a_____________. North Americans send cards for many occasions. They send cards to
family and friends on birthdays and holidays. They also send thank-you cards; get well cards, graduation
cards, and congratulation cards. It is very common to buy cards in stores and send them through the
mail, but turning on the computer and sending cards over the Internet is also popular.
a) Sending cards is very popular in North America.
b) Birthday cards are the most popular kind of card.
c) It is important to send thank-you cards.
Example: Write a topic sentence for the paragraph.
Miami is the perfect place to take a vacation. It is always sunny and warm. The beaches are
gorgeous, with soft white sand and beautiful water. There are many fine restaurants in the Miami area,
and most of the hotels offer terrific entertainment nightly. Its no wonder that Miami is my first choice for
a vacation destination.
Paul has many hobbies. .He has collected stamps and coins ever since he was a child. He is very proud
of his valuable collections. Paul also enjoys painting and drawing. Recently he has become interested in
gardening. Out of all his hobbies, Pauls favorite one is reading. He usually reads at least one book every
week. Paul keeps busy with all of his hobbies.
SUPPORTING SENTENCES
The supporting sentences develop the main idea in the topic sentence. They add details to the
topic. Details are given through facts, examples, specific events or explanations.
Example: Read the following paragraphs and underline the supporting sentences.
Use of the internet has grown very quickly. In 1983, there were 562 computers connected to the Internet.
By the turn of the century, there were 72.3 million computers in 247 countries on-line. Experts say that
the Internet is now growing at a rate of approximately 40 percent a year. As time goes on, the Internet is
becoming more and more popular.
IRRELEVANT SENTENCES
Every supporting sentence in a paragraph must relate to the main idea stated in the topic
sentence. A sentence that does not support the main idea does not belong in the paragraph, thus such a
sentence should be omitted. When a sentence does not belong in a paragraph, it is called an irrelevant
sentence.
Example: Underline the irrelevant sentence of the given text.
The students in the class come from many different party of the world. Some are from European
countries, such as France, Spain, and Italy. Others are from Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia
and Israel. Still other students were born in Asian countries, including Japan and Korea. Korean food is
delicious. The largest number of students is from Latin American countries like Mexico, Venezuela and
Peru. The class is an interesting mix of people from many different countries.
CONCLUDING SENTENCES
Some paragraphs end with a concluding sentence. This sentence states the main idea of the
paragraph again using different words. It summarizes the main points of the paragraph, or makes a final
comment on the topic. Concluding sentences are not always necessary. In fact, short paragraphs that are
part of longer pieces of writing often do not have concluding sentences.
Example: Write a concluding sentence for the given paragraph.
There are many reasons why I like wearing a uniform to school. First of all, it saves time. I dont have to
spend time picking out my clothes every morning. Wearing a uniform also saves money. Its cheaper to
purchase a new uniform than to go out and buy lots of school clothes. In addition, I dont have the
pressure of keeping up with the latest styles. Most importantly, wearing a school uniform gives me a
sense that I belong. I really think that it adds to the feeling of school spirit and community . I am happy
that we have to wear a uniform to school.

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PARTS OF SPEECH

I. Substantives. Nouns and Pronouns are called substantives.

Practice Exercise 2. Count Noun or Mass Noun?

Special Classes of Nouns

English 12 (Writing in the Discipline) 2 nd Sem. AY:2016-2017 mfnamor

1. ant 6. eel 11. intelligence 16. peace

Practice Exercise 4: Identify the collective noun defined.

1. a group of soldiers 10. organized company of singers

English 12 (Writing in the Discipline) 2 nd Sem. AY:2016-2017 mfnamor

1. The dolphin can do tricks.

2. Adjective Pronouns classified according to their meanings: demonstrative pronouns and

1. This is an interesting story.

The following are the most commonly used indefinite pronouns:

Each Anybody Everything Some

English 12 (Writing in the Discipline) 2 nd Sem. AY:2016-2017 mfnamor

1. (Each, All) has his own likes and dislikes.

4. Relative Pronouns - relate or refer to nouns or other pronouns (antecedents) in the

Who - refers to persons and follows masculine or feminine gender.

Which vs. That

Restrictive and Non-Restrictive Elements

WHICH is Not Restrictive

English 12 (Writing in the Discipline) 2 nd Sem. AY:2016-2017 mfnamor

subject - is doing something,

Sam is the subject because hes taking action

1. Who/Whom wrote the letter?

1. We (who, whom) are about to die, salute you.

What are the three main groups of rocks?

1. From (who, whom) did you receive these flowers?

12. He and his wife caught themselves shouting at each other.

English 12 (Writing in the Discipline) 2 nd Sem. AY:2016-2017 mfnamor

The soup tasted delicious. The soup was delicious.

Action Verb Test (Meaning changed)

I tasted the soup I was the soup.

The Girl Scouts are meeting after school today.

English 12 (Writing in the Discipline) 2 nd Sem. AY:2016-2017 mfnamor

However, in the sentence I was angry.

1. We ate lunch around 2 p.m. yesterday.

1. Descriptive adjective denotes a feature, quality, or a condition of a person, a place or a

2. Limiting adjective specify which or how many.

English 12 (Writing in the Discipline) 2 nd Sem. AY:2016-2017 mfnamor

3. Numerical adjective has to do with numbers, as:

A/An vs. The

English 12 (Writing in the Discipline) 2 nd Sem. AY:2016-2017 mfnamor

Can you give me the book on the table.

English 12 (Writing in the Discipline) 2 nd Sem. AY:2016-2017 mfnamor

If we dont want to emphasize any one of the adjectives,

Before the adjectives you will normally have the Determiner.

ORDER RELATING TO DESCRIPTION EXAMPLES

Adjectives joined by and

Examples of the order of adjectives before a noun

English 12 (Writing in the Discipline) 2 nd Sem. AY:2016-2017 mfnamor

Prepositions Place (Position and Direction)

English 12 (Writing in the Discipline) 2 nd Sem. AY:2016-2017 mfnamor

Other important Prepositions

Prepositions of Time: at, on, and in

English 12 (Writing in the Discipline) 2 nd Sem. AY:2016-2017 mfnamor

in -for nonspecific times during a day, a month, a season, or a year.

Prepositions of Time: for and since

since -with a specific date or time.

Prepositions of Place: at, on, and in

on -to designate names of streets, avenues, etc.

Prepositions of Movement: to and No Preposition

Prepositions between and among

English 12 (Writing in the Discipline) 2 nd Sem. AY:2016-2017 mfnamor