INTENSIVE ENGLISH REVIEWER FOR MIDTERMS

CHAPTER I: PARTS OF SPEECH

Parts of speech play a vital role in the use of any language. In the exercise of whatever
macro-skill you may be required of, i.e. listening, speaking, reading, writing and viewing, the use
of the different parts of speech is inevitable.

There are eight parts of speech – noun, pronoun, adjective, adverb, verb, preposition,
conjunction, interjection.

Here is a video that may supplement this discussion.

Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQkwdAxF4xA

NOUNS

Everything has a name. These names are called nouns. A noun is a naming word. A noun is
a part of speech that denotes a name of person, place, thing, animals, an event or all names that
can be thought of.

Examples of nouns are the underlined words in these sentences:

1. The chairman made sure that everything is fine.
2. Shiela and Bryan are good friends.

Nouns can be classified as proper noun, common noun, collective or abstract. Also, nouns
can be classified as countable or uncountable.

Here is a video for further discussion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCs04Z3JvAY

PRONOUNS

Pronouns make up a small subcategory of nouns. The distinguishing characteristic of

pronouns is that they can be substituted for other nouns. For instance, if you’re telling a story
about your sister Sarah, the story will begin to sound repetitive if you keep repeating “Sarah”
over and over again.

Example: Sarah has always loved fashion. Sarah announced that Sarah wants to go to fashion
school.

Instead, write: Sarah has always loved fashion. She announced that she wants to go to
fashion school.

There are different types of pronouns, namely: personal pronouns, demonstrative pronouns,
possessive pronouns, interrogative pronouns, indefinite pronouns and relative pronouns.

Here are links for further discussion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkjKPhleQ5E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VbXRddlCB8
ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS

Adjectives and adverb are 2 parts of speech that are oftentimes confusingly used. Adjectives
are used to describe a noun or a pronoun. On the other hand, adverbs are used to describe a verb,
adjective or an adverb.

Examples of adjectives are the underlined words while the italicized words are adverbs:
They attended the very much awaited program of the year. Said program is considered to be
the most prestigious one for the year. (Very much is describing the adjective awaited; most
describes the adjective prestigious; the adjective awaited describes program; prestigious
describes one (referring to the program).

Here are links for further discussion:

https:/www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/adjective-or-adverb -:~:text=Here's%20a
%20quick%20reminder%3A,%3F%20%2D%20He%20talks%20loudly.%22

https://www.infoplease.com/homework-help/writing-grammar/adjectives-versus-adverbs-
introduction

http://esl.fis.edu/grammar/rules/adadv.htm

VERBS

Verbs are words that commonly denote an action.

Examples of verbs are the underlined in these sentences:

She takes her time in making the required essay.
Candylee loves to drink coffee.

However, there are verbs which are called as be verb (or linking verbs) and helping verb (or
auxiliary verb). A linking verb is a verb that describes the subject by connecting it to a predicate
adjective or predicate noun. An auxiliary verb is a verb that adds functional or grammatical
meaning to the clause in which it appears, so as to express tense, aspect, modality, voice,
emphasis, etc. Auxiliary verbs usually accompany a main verb. The main verb provides the main
semantic content of the clause.

Example of linking verb is the underlined word in this sentence:

She is the most beautiful of them all.

Example of helping verb is the underlined word in this sentence:

They are taking care of her.

For further discussion, visit this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH5HzbObnOI

 The first five parts of speech discussed above are categorized as content (or substantive)
words. The last three parts of speech are non-content or non-substantive words. These non-
content or non-substantive words are conjunctions, prepositions and interjections.

Preposition is a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and expressing a
relation to another word or element in the clause, as in “the man on the platform,” “she arrived
after dinner”.

Conjunction is a part of speech that connects words, phrases, or clauses. An interjection is a

word or expression that occurs as an utterance on its own and expresses a spontaneous feeling or
reaction. In the sentences that follow, conjunctions are underlined and interjections are italicized.
1. Yahoo, the long wait is over!
2. Rosa and Ben are in good terms.

The following links may supplement this discussion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bcGuc55WFo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxbhv_T0Qgw.

CHAPTER II: TENSES OF THE VERB

Tenses of the Verb may be categorized into four, namely: Simple, Perfect, Continuous (or
Progressive), Compound (or Perfect Continuous or Perfect Progressive). Furthermore, these can
be classified into three depending on the time element – Past, Present, Future. Thus, these are the
tenses of the verb:
- Simple Past
- Simple Present
- Simple Future
- Perfect Past
- Perfect Present
- Perfect Future
- Progressive Past (Continuous Past)
- Progressive Present (Continuous Present)
- Progressive Future (Continuous Future)
- Perfect Progressive Past (Perfect Continuous Past)
- Perfect Progressive Present (Perfect continuous Present)
- Perfect Progressive Future (Perfect Continuous Future)

Here are charts that would summarize the usage of the aforementioned tenses of verb.

Past Present Future

I studied English
SIMPLE yesterday. I study English. I will study English.
 CONTINU I was studying Englis I will be studying English
OUS h. I am studying English .

I have studied English I will have studied Englis
PERFECT I had studied English. . h.

PERFECT
CONTINU I had been studying  I have been studying  I will have been studying 
OUS English. English. English.

Present Simple

This expresses habits or general truth

Example: I’m nineteen years old.

It describes a future event on a designated date as part of a plan or arrangement

Example: The plane arrives at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow.
Present Continuous

This describes action going on at the time of speaking

Example: They are swimming in the pool.

This expresses temporary action which may not be happening at the time of speaking
Example: John’s driving his father’s car while his own car is in the workshop.

Present Perfect

This expresses past action which is not defined by a time of occurrence

Example: Teresa isn’t at home. I think she has gone shopping.

This expresses an action which started in the past and has continued up until now
Example: She has worked in the bank for five years.

Present Perfect Continuous

This expresses an action which started at some point in the past and may not be complete
Example: He has been living in Bangkok since he left school.

Past Simple

This describes a past habit – or an action already completed

Example: I went to Egypt in 1988.

This can be used with or without adverbs of time

Example: He drank his whiskey almost bottoms up.

Past Continuous

This expresses uncompleted action of the past (with or without time reference)
Example: Everyone was shouting.

This describes persistent habits of the past (with always, continuously, forever, etc.)
Example: They were always quarrelling.

Past Perfect

This describes a completed action of the past that happened before another event took place.
Example: After he had finished work, he went straight home.

Past Perfect Continuous

This describes an action in the past that began before a certain point in the past and continued up
until that time
Example: She had been working at that company for three years when it went out of business.

Future Simple

The simple future tense indicates that an action is in the future relative to the speaker or writer.
This expresses an action, condition, or circumstance which hasn’t taken place yet
Example: I will eat Japanese Food tomorrow.

Future Continuous

This expresses what will be going on at some time in the future

Example: You‘ll be missing the sunshine once you’re back in England.

Future Perfect

This expresses an action that will be complete before another event takes place
Example: By the time I finish this course, I will have taken ten tests.

Future Perfect Continuous

This describes an action that will have happened for some time and will not be complete yet at a
certain point in the future
Example: I will have been watching TV for 3 hours when you arrive.

Supplemental video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQG_gYFePD4

Supplemental reading material: https://7esl.com/verb-tenses/

CHAPTER III: PHRASES AND CLAUSES

Phrases and clauses are two components of a sentence. They are different from each other.

A phrase is a related group of words. The words work together as a "unit," but they do not
have a subject and a verb. ( It may either be a verb or a noun)

Examples of Phrases

1. the boy on the bus (noun phrase)

2. will be running (verb phrase)
3. in the kitchen (prepositional phrase)
4. very quickly (adverb phrase)
5. Martha and Jan (noun phrase)

A clause is a group of words that does have both a subject and a verb. Some clauses are
independent, meaning that they express a complete thought. An independent clause is the same
as a complete sentence. Some clauses are dependent, meaning that they cannot stand alone. They
do have a subject and a verb, but they do not express a complete thought. Another word for
dependent is subordinate.

Examples of Clauses

1. When I get home (dependent or subordinate clause)

2. The lights are not on. (independent clause)
3. When you wake up (dependent or subordinate clause)
4. Put it on the shelf. (independent clause-understood subject "you)
5. Since it fell on the floor (dependent or subordinate clause)

These videos are supplemental to the lesson

Phrase vs. Clause https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49EsnvxVQec
Dependent Clause vs. Independent Clause
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAo6LbCUAQo

A relative pronoun is a pronoun that marks a relative clause. A relative pronoun serves the
purpose of conjoining modifying information about an antecedent referent in the main clause of a
sentence. A relative pronoun is used to connect a clause or phrase to a noun or pronoun. The
clause modifies, or describes, the noun.
The most common relative pronouns are who, whom, whose, which, and that. Sometimes
when and where can be used as relative pronouns as well.

Using Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns are placed directly after the noun or pronoun they modify. For example:
The driver who ran the stop sign was careless.
The children, whom we love dearly, need better educations.
Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died. (Erma Bombeck)
I have a friend whose cat is annoying.
The book, which is now out of print, has all the information you need.
This is the book that everyone is talking about.
In each example above, the subject of the sentence is described by a relative clause (italicized).
As these clauses describe a noun or a pronoun, they are also known as adjective clauses, because
they act like adjectives in the sentence. Each clause is introduced by a relative pronoun (in bold).
Relative pronouns connect the description to the rest of the sentence in an orderly way.
Occasionally, the relative adverbs "when" and "where" are also used as relative pronouns. For
example:
Grandma remembers a time when radio shows were popular.
I want to visit the island where my grandma was born.
In these cases, "when" and "where" introduce clauses that describe a noun the refers to a time or
place, making them work as relative pronouns in these sentences.
A Note About Who, That, and Which
One of the most common mistakes in writing is to use the wrong relative pronoun, particularly
when it comes to mixing up "who" and "that." "Who" is always used to set up a relative clause
that describes a person, while "that" is used to describe an object or another non-human being.
For example:
I like the girl who runs fast.
I like the dog that does tricks
I like the clock that chimes the hour.
Here is a video to supplement this lesson, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHzKQkX3IxI

Direct to indirect speech: General rules

When we report something using the exact words of the speaker, we use direct speech.
When we report something in our own words, we use indirect speech.

Direct speech: The boy said, ‘I’m happy with my results.’

Indirect speech: The boy said that he was happy with his results.

General rules for changing direct speech into indirect speech

Omit all inverted commas or quotation marks. End the sentence with a full stop.

If the verb inside the inverted commas/quotation marks is in the present tense, change it into the
corresponding past tense. If it is in the simple past tense, change it into the past perfect tense.

Direct speech: The girl said, ‘I like singing.’

Indirect speech: The girl said that she liked singing.

Direct speech: Rahul said, ‘I will have to reach home by 8.30.’

Indirect speech: Rahul said that he would have to reach home by 8.30.

Direct speech: Alina said, ‘I met James yesterday.’

Indirect speech: Alina said that she had met James yesterday.

When the verb inside the quotation marks expresses a universal truth, we do not normally change
it into the past tense.

He said, ‘All people have equal rights.’

 He said that all people have equal rights. (More natural than ‘He said that all people had
equal rights.’)

Use pronouns appropriately.

Study the examples given below.

Direct speech: The boy told the girl, ‘I told you that we were not going on a holiday.’
Indirect speech: The boy told the girl that he had told her that they were not going on a holiday.

Notes
When the reporting verb is in a present or future tense, we do not change the tense of the verb
inside the quotation marks.

Direct speech: She says, ‘I will come.’

Indirect speech: She says that she will come.

Here is a video to supplement this lesson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew4YHmNigRs