OUTLINE

1. Filipinisms
2. Count and Non-Count Nouns
3. Subject-Verb Agreement
4. Pronouns
5. Comparatives and Superlatives
6. Verbs
7. Present Simple Tense
8. Past Simple Tense
9. Past Progressive Tense
10. Present Perfect Tense
11. Past Perfect Tense
12. Modal Verbs
13. Conditionals
14. Prepositions of Place/Location
15. Prepositions of Motion and Time
16. The Articles
17. Phrasal Verbs/Idioms
18. Question Formation

FILIPINISMS
Filipinism Correct
CR Comfort Room, toilet
Graduated at Graduated from
study at
USB Flash drive
Batch Class
Full-pledged Full-fledged
Avail the item Avail yourself of the item/take advantage of the
Requires direct object since avail is a verb so promo
there must be a reflexive pronoun
Belated happy birthday Happy belated birthday
Advance/d happy birthday Happy birthday for _______ (tomorrow)
Back to back Front to back
Come again? Could you please repeat that?
Canvass Price comparison shopping
Don’t shout/yell to me Don’t shout/yell at me
to-whisper to someone
Cope up with Cope with
Eat-all-you can restaurant All-you-can-eat restaurant
Equipments/furnitures Equipment/furniture
Fill up the form Fill out the form/ fill in the blanks
up-volume (fill up the bottle) out-area
For a while… Hold on a moment please
It’s so traffic There’s a lot of traffic/traffic is heavy
such a + noun
so + adjective
Routinary Routine
Appear/apir Up here
Next next week Week after next
Open/close the computer Turn on/off the computer
Pass the paper Hand in the paper/submit
Ref Fridge
The meeting didn’t push through The meeting didn’t go through/happen/take
place
Reply back tomorrow Reply tomorrow
Neurological service Funeral service
Internment Interment
 Where are you connected? Where do you work?
Go here to pick up the form Come here to pick up the form
Cellphone load Text/call credits
I have to pay yet my bill I have yet to pay my bill
I quit last June 2014 I quit in June 2014
There’s only one June 2014
Don’t mess up with me Don’t mess with me
Rubber shoes, tennis shoes Running shoes, training shoes
It’s one of the biggest mall in Asia It’s one of the biggest malls in Asia
My height is the same with his My height is the same as his
Go down ( a vehicle ) Get off/out of (a vehicle)
It’s for free It’s free
Change oil Oil change
Not describing the oil but the type of change
Exchange gifts Gift exchange
We accept TV repairs This shop repairs TVs
Tuck out Untuck
Presidentiable/senotariable Presidential aspirant/nominee/candidate
Slice bread Sliced bread
Sliced-participial adjective; past participle
Pass by the office Drop by the office
Bottomless drink Refillable drink
I’ll go ahead I have to go now
Go ahead means “do it!” “go on!”
Fall in line Stand in line/form a line
Irregardless of Irrespective of/regardless of
If in case they come In case they come
In fairness… To be fair/to his credit
Mam Ma’am
Salvaged Killed/summarily executed
Salvaged means save something
Masteral Master’s degree/master’s
Doctoral/Doctorate

Others: Bring me money, I’ll take you to the ball.

even vs. even if

COUNT AND NON-COUNT NOUNS

COUNT NOUN

A count noun, as the term easily suggests, is a noun that can be counted. It has a singular and plural form.
book/books, house/houses, file/files, child/children

Singular count nouns can be preceded by THE, A/AN, or numerals.

a book, one house, two files, the trees, etc.

NON-COUNT NOUN

A non-count noun (also called a MASS NOUN) is a noun that cannot be counted and has no plural form.
knowledge, information, homework

Certain quantifiers and the article THE can be used before non-count nouns.
the knowledge, pieces of information, a lot of homework

Non-count nouns can be abstract things (advice, education), groups with individual parts (cash, clothing,
luggage), things with no definite form (gasoline, oxygen, smoke), natural phenomena (lightning, weather, fog),
ailments (cancer, flu), academic subjects (biology, physics) or things that have tiny parts too small to count (rice,
dust, dirt)
Some quantifiers, such as A LOT OF, ALL and SOME, can be used both before count and non-count nouns.
Before count nouns: SOME phones, ALL houses, A LOT OF chairs
Before non-count nouns: SOME advice, ALL knowledge, A LOT OF cash

Others

Count Non-Count
assignment homework
paper as document paper material
buggage, wind, snow, salt, sand, sugar, rain, love,
faculty, tsunami, diabetes, math, hair, climate, coffee,
internet, light
(add quantifiers-assigning quantity to the noun)
hairs (fallen on the floor) Hair (three strands of hair)
foods (different type of food) food (amount of cheese)
fruits (different type of fruit) fruit (amount of fruit)
fishes (different type of species) fish (3 fish, 2 fish)
faculty (grp of people) faculties (mind)
sugars (body sugar) sugar
people (different ethnic groups) peoples
2 Junes ago, 2 Julys ago
typhoons, tornadoes, storms, Philippine waters,
measles
fires (many fires broke out)

Count Non-Count
A few… A little…
Many… Much…
peas, eggs, machines, songs, words, minutes, breads, corn, gold, breakfast, hardware, postage, sunshine,
jewels, markets, policies, fingernails, eyelashes, eyes, traffic, make up, jewelry, snow, skin, hair, hydrogen,
nostrils, teeth, skirts, pens, countries air, silver

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

BASIC RULE

Subjects and verbs must agree in number, which means a singular subject takes a singular verb, while a
plural subject takes a plural verb.
His phone rings louder than other phones.
Their phones ring loud because of the settings.

Pieces of furniture are, Furniture is

Subject Verb
present, singular, 3rd person “s”

RULE 1 (INDEFINITE PRONOUN)

Singular indefinite pronouns (anyone, everyone, someone, no one, and nobody) require singular verbs.
Everyone has finished the task.
Somebody is willing to help the old lady.

Plural indefinite pronouns and adjectives require plural verbs.

Both of the buckets are full.
Many of the puzzle pieces are missing.

Some indefinite pronouns require singular or plural verbs depending on what they are referring to
(countable or uncountable nouns).
Some of the bags (countable) are lost.
Some of the water (uncountable) in the lake has dried.
 The indefinite pronoun ‘none’ can either be singular or plural depending on something in the sentence
that determines its number.
None of the witnesses (not one) is willing to come forward.

It also takes a singular verb when followed by a mass noun.

None of the corn is spoiled.

None of them (not any) are determined to take the challenge.

Each is always singular and requires a singular verb even if it’s followed by a prepositional phrase that has
a plural noun.
Each has his own gift to give.
Each of the students is willing to provide the solution to the math problem.

RULE 2 (PHRASES VS AND)

Phrases such as together with, as well as, and along with are not the same with and.
The teacher, along with her students, is waiting for the bell to ring.
The singer, together with her instrumentalist, is performing really well.
vs
The singer and her instrumentalist are performing a great song.

RULE 3 (CLAUSES/PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES)

Clauses or prepositional phrases between the subject and the verb usually do not affect the agreement.
The sounds of nature are pleasing
Views from this balcony are delightful.
The duck that laid the eggs is still weak.
The student who won in those games is an excellent athlete.

RULE 4 (THERE/IT)
When sentences begin with ‘there’ or ‘it’, the subject comes after the verb. (expletives)
It is a hot day today.
There seem to be some missing clues.

RULE 5 (COMPOUND SUBJECT-AND)

Two subjects (compound subject) joined by ‘and’ usually require a plural verb.
The moon and the sun are wonders to behold.
Paula and her friends are swimming in the lake.

This rule does not apply if the two subjects refer to the same person or thing.
Drinking and driving is dangerous.
The head trainer and incoming supervisor is holding a meeting.

RULE 6 (OR/NOR)
Singular subjects connected by or or nor require a singular verb.
Either the welder or the plumber is going to undergo training.

Plural subjects connected by or or nor require a plural verb.

Tablets or smartphones are suited for that

Exception: If a singular subject is joined with a plural subject, the subject closer to the verb determines the
agreement.
Neither the boss nor the employees are willing to face the labor issue.
Is he or his classmates taking the exams today?

RULE 7 (-S)
Titles of books, movies, TV shows, etc. that end with ‘s’ require a singular verb.
Titles of books, movies, TV shows, etc. that end with ‘s’ require singular verbs.
The War of the Worlds is one of the worst movies from Steven Spielberg.
Guilliver’s Travels is one of the greatest novels of all time.

Additionally, some words ending in –s take a singular verb.

The news was very encouraging.
 Mathematics is the subject she dislikes most.

RULE 8 (UNITS OF MEASUREMENT, SUMS OF MONEY, PERIODS OF TIME)

For units of measurement, sums of money, and periods of time, a singular verb is used.
Five gallons of gasoline is needed to travel that distance.
Two-cups of flour was used to bake the cake.
Thirty dollars is all I need to buy that gadget.
Seven years in jail is not enough for that prisoner.

RULE 9 (COLLECTIVE NOUNS)

Collective nouns usually require a singular verb.
The crowd is going wild.
The herd is beginning to stampede.

However, with words like staff, the verb form that will be used depends on whether staff is treated as a
single unit or a collection of individuals.
The staff at the restaurant are very unprofessional. (treated as group of individuals)
The staff that welcomed us was very courteous (treated as a group)

RULE 10 (FRACTIONAL EXPRESSIONS)

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.
Some of the students are lining up at the treasurer’s office.
A huge percentage of the voting population has turned up at the poll centers.
Ten percent of the student body is opposed to the new school policy.
Only one-half of the troops are back.

RULE 11 (THE/A NUMBER OF)

Use singular verbs in constructions of the form ‘the number of…’ and plural verbs in the construction of ‘a
number of…’
The number of students present today is quite surprising.
A number of teachers are walking out of the faculty room looking satisfied.

EXERCISES
A.
1. The price of these shoes (is/are) reasonable.
is
2. The books borrowed from the library (is/are) on my desk.
are
3. The boy who won the two medals (is/are) a friend of mine.
is
4. Bread and butter (is/are) our daily food.
is
5. The famous singer and composer (has/have) arrived.
have
6. Collecting stamps (is/are) one of his favorite pastimes.
is
7. The quality of the chocolates (is/are) poor.
is
8. Neither his brother nor his sister (play/plays) tennis.
plays
9. Neither parent (is/are) fond of playing hockey.
is
10. None of my friends (was/were) there.
was
11. Gold, as well as platinum, (has/have) recently risen in price.
has
12. The boss, was well as his colleagues, (has/have) been robbed by the criminals.
has
13. Ten tons (is/are) a heavy load.
is
14. Fifty miles (is/are) a long distance.
 is
15. Thirty years (is/are) a long time.
is

B.
I.
1. A soccer match (last) ninety minutes.
lasts
2. We (associate) the flamenco dance with Spain.
associate
3. Venus, Jupiter, and Neptune (be) planets of the Solar System.
are
4. The Red Sea (separate) Africa from Asia.
separates
5. The north wind (blow) towards the South.
blows
6. The British Prime Minister (live) at 10 Downing Street.
lives
7. You (mix) blue and yellow to get the color green.
mix
8. The main religion of Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Algeria (be) Islam.
is
9. The ghosts of Jacob Marley (appear) in the story A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
appear
10. If a tornado moves through an inhabited area, it (do) a lot of damage.
does
11. The word outgoing (mean) sociable.
means
12. Blues music (express) sad emotions.
expresses
13. Gorillas (be) apes.
are
14. Koalas (live) in Australia.
live
15. In the story, Pinocchio’s nose (grow) longer when he (tell) the truth.
grows, tells
16. A geologist (study) the history, structure, and composition of the Earth.
studies
17. The Richter scale (measure) the magnitude of an earthquake.
measures
18. The word hippopotamus (mean) river horse.
means
19. Birds (sing) because they are happy.
sing
20. Parrots (live) a very long time in captivity.
live
21. People in this bar often (order) beer.
order
22. An expert who (like) something is called connoisseur.
likes
23. The staff (expect) a bonus at Chinese New Year.
expects
24. There (be) a number of different causes for this.
are
25. This (be) because of a number of factors.
is
26. For the past 5 years, his experience (have) been valuable to our company.
has
27. Marketing information (be) important to all businesses.
is
28. He (lack) the experience necessary for promotion.
lacks
 29. One of the best staff members (leave) next Tuesday.
leaves
30. Research (is) an important job of the people in marketing.
is
31. He (know) how to satisfy demanding costumers.
knows
32. Most of our costumers (come) from mainland China.
come
33. The evidence in these statistics (be) clear.
is
34. They want someone who (handle) a full set of accounts.
handles

II.
1. Either the physicians in this hospital or the chief administrator (is/are) going to have to make
decision.
is
2. (Is/are) my boss or my sisters in the union going to win this grievance?
is
3. Some of the votes (seem/seems) to have been miscounted.
seem
4. The tornadoes that tear through this county every spring (is/are) more than must a nuisance.
are
5. He (seem/seems) to forget that there (is/are) things to be done before he can graduate.
seems, are
6. There (have/has) to be some people left in that town after yesterday’s flood.
have
7. Some of the grain (appear/appears) to be contaminated.
appears
8. Three-quarters of the students (is/are) against the tuition hike.
are
9. Three-quarters of the student body (is/are) against the tuition hike.
is
10. A high percentage of the population (is/are) voting for the new school.
is
11. A high percentage of the people (was/were) voting for the new school.
were
12. Kara Wolters, together with her teammates, (is/are) a formidable opponent on the basketball
court.
is
13. Everyone selected to serve on this jury (have/has) to be willing to give up a lot of time.
has
14. The bouquet of flowers (is/are) lovely.
is

PRONOUNS

A pronoun can replace a noun or another pronoun. You use pronouns like “he”, “which”, “none” and
“you” to make your sentence less cumbersome and less repetitive.

Pronouns are substitute for nouns. It refers to a person, place, thing or quality but does not refer to it by
its name. It is also used to avoid awkward and/or monotonous repetition of nouns.

Grammarians classify pronouns into several types, including the personal pronoun, the demonstrative
pronoun, the interrogative pronoun, the indefinite pronoun, the relative pronoun, the reflexive pronoun, and the
intensive pronoun.

PERSONAL PRONOUNS
A personal pronoun refers to a specific person or thing and changes its form to indicate person, number,
gender, and case.
 SUBJECTIVE PERSONAL PRONOUNS
A subjective personal pronoun indicates that the pronoun is acting as the subject of the sentence.
The subjective personal pronouns are “I”, “you”, “she”, “he”, “it”, “we”, “you”, “they”.

OBJECTIVE PERSONAL PRONOUNS

An objective personal pronoun indicates that the pronoun is acting as an object of a verb,
compound verb, preposition, or infinitive phrase. The objective personal pronouns are: “me”, “you”, “her”, “him”,
“it”, “us”, “you”, and “them”.

POSSESSIVE PERSONAL PRONOUNS

A possessive pronoun indicates that the pronoun is acting as a marker of possession and defines
who owns a particular object or person.

The possessive personal pronouns are “mine”, “yours”, “hers”, “his”, “its”, “ours”, and “theirs”.
Note that possessive personal pronouns are very similar to possessive adjectives like “my”, “her”, and “their”.

That phone is hers.

Possessive adjective:
My phone (My modifying phone)

DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS
A demonstrative pronoun points to and identifies a noun or a pronoun. “This” and “there” refer to things
that are nearby either in space or in time, while “that” and “those” refer to things that are farther away in space
or time.

The demonstrative pronouns are “this”, “that”, “these”, and “those”. “This” and “that” are used to refer
to singular nouns or noun phrases and “these” and “those” are used to refer to plural nouns and noun phrases.
Note that the demonstrative pronouns are identical to demonstrative adjectives, though, obviously, you use them
differently. It is also important to note that “that” can also be used as a relative pronoun.

That phone is mine. (this standing alone)

This is mine.
Demonstrative adjective:
This watch (this followed by noun)

INTERROGATIVE PRONOUN
An interrogative pronoun is used to ask questions. The interrogative pronouns are who”, “whom”,
“which”, “what”, and the compounds formed with the suffix “ever" (whoever, whomever, whichever and
whatever). Note that either “which” or “what” can also be used as an interrogative adjective, and that “who”,
“whom” or “which” can also be used as a relative pronoun.

S Who is the leader of the team? He is the leader of the team.

O Whom did you go out with last night? I went out with her. to whom/with whom

REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS
You can use a reflexive pronoun to refer back to the subject of the clause or sentence. The reflexive
pronouns are “myself”, “yourself”, “herself”, “himself”, “itself”, “ourselves”, “yourselves”, and “themselves”. Note
each of these can also act as an intensive pronoun.

Each of the highlighted words in the following sentences is a reflexive pronoun:

Diabetics give themselves insulin shots several times a day.
After the party, I asked myself why I had faxed invitations to everyone in my office building.
Richard usually remembered to send a copy of his e-mail to himself.

INTENSIVE PRONOUNS
An intensive pronoun is a pronoun used to emphasize its antecedent. Intensive pronouns are identical in
form to reflexive pronouns.

The highlighted words in the following sentences are intensive pronouns:

I myself believe that aliens should abduct my sister.
The prime minister himself said that he would lower taxes.
 They themselves promised to come to the party even though they had a final exam at the same
time.

Pronouns should agree in:

Gender
Masculine : he/his/him
Feminine : she/her/hers
Neuter : it
Common gender : he-general public

Number
Singular or plural

Cases
Describe the relationship of the personal pronouns with the other elements/words in the
sentence.

COMPARATIVES & SUPERLATIVES

ONE-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES
Formed by adding –er for the comparative form and –est for the superlative
tall taller tallest
old older oldest
long longer longest

Note: If the one-syllable adjective ends with an e, just add –r for the comparative form and –st for the
superlative.
Brave Braver Bravest
Sane Saner sanest

ONE-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES ENDING WITH A SINGLE CONSONANT (with a single vowel before it)
big bigger biggest
thin thinner thinnest
fat fatter fattest
fit fitter fittest

TWO-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES
Mostly, you form the comparative with more and the superlative with most.
peaceful more peaceful most peaceful
pleasant more pleasant most pleasant
careful more careful most careful
thoughtful more thoughtful most thoughtful

TWO-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES ENDING WITH –Y

happy happier happiest
angry angrier angriest
sunny sunnier sunniest
busy busier busiest

TWO-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES ENDING IN –LE OR –OW

narrow narrower narrowest
gentle gentler gentlest
hollow hollower hollowest
little littler littlest

THREE OR MORE SYLLABLES ADJECTIVES

generous more generous most generous
 beautiful more beautiful most beautiful
intelligent more intelligent most intelligent
enormous more enormous most enormous

EXCEPTIONS – IRREGULAR ADJECTIVES

good better best
bad worse worst
far farther farthest
many more most

ABSOLUTE ADJECTIVES
Have a meaning that is generally not capable of being intensified or compared.
Supreme, infinite, perfect, round/square, final, unique, absolute

VERBS

VERB
A word that conveys an action (bring, read, walk, run, learn), an occurrence (happen, become), or a state
of being (be, exist, stand).

VOICES
ACTIVE (NORMAL VOICE)
The object’ receives the action of the verb.
John hit the target.
She copied the document.
PASSIVE
The subject receives the action of the verb.
The target was hit by John.
The document was copied by her.

An object is a noun (or pronoun) that is governed by a verb or a preposition.

There are 3 kinds of objects: a direct object, an indirect object, and an object of a preposition.
Depending on the type of object they take, verbs may be transitive, intransitive, or linking.

TRANSITIVE VERBS
The meaning of a transitive verb is incomplete without a direct object.
The shelf holds. (incomplete)
The shelf holds books. (complete)

A direct object answers the questions “whom” or “what”

INTRANSITIVE VERBS
An intransitive verb, on the other hand, cannot take a direct object.
The train from Montreal arrived four hours late.
The plane has departed.

The intransitive verb “arrived” takes no direct object, and the noun phrase “four hours late” acts as an adverb
describing when the train arrived.

LINKING VERBS
Linking verbs (copulative verbs) do not express action. Instead, they connect the subject of the verb to
additional information about the subject (acts like an equal sign).
She is an excellent teacher complement

How do you tell when verbs are action verbs and when they are linking verbs?
If you can substitute the verb with am, is, or are and the sentence still sounds logical, you have a linking
verb.
If, after the substitution, the sentence makes no sense, you are dealing with an action verb instead. Here are some
examples:
Suzie tasted the spicy squid eyeball stew.
Suzie is the stew? I don’t think so! Tasted, therefore, is an action verb in this sentence, something Suzie is
doing.
The squid eyeball stew tasted good.
The stew is good? You bet.

REGULAR VERBS
A regular verb is a verb that follows this rule:
past form of the verb = present form of the verb + ed/d
work = work + ed

IRREGULAR VERBS
An irregular verb is a verb that does not follow that rule.
take, took, taken

AUXILIARY VERBS
Verbs (such as have, do, or will) that determine the mood, tense, or aspect of another verb in a verb
phrase.
I have done something.
I did not drink it.
I shall return.

The auxiliary verbs are the following:

1. can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, must [modals]
2. be, have, do, use [non-modals]

EXERCISES
A.
1. He come to school yesterday because he was ill.
2.
B.
1. How often
2.

PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE

PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE

Used to describe habits, unchanging situations, general truths, and fixed arrangements.
The Simple Present Tense is easy to form. Just use the base form of the verb: (I speak, you speak,
we speak, they speak). The 3rd person singular takes an –s at the end. (he speaks; she speaks)

HABITS
o What is the first thing you do in the morning?
o What time do you go to bed at night?
o How often do you check your Facebook?

UNCHANGING SITUATIONS
o Where do you work?
o Where do you live?

GENERAL TRUTHS/FACTS
o What is the tallest mountain in the world?
o In which country can you find the pyramids?
o What is the boiling point of water?

FIXED ARRANGEMENTS
o What time does the train arrive?
o When does the plane leave?
o When does the first semester start?
OTHER USES

REPEATING EVENTS
o When do you celebrate your birthday?

CONDITIONS THAT ARE TRUE AT THE PRESENT TIME

o What is the color of your shirt?
o What is the weather like today in your area?

GIVING INSTRUCTIONS/DIRECTIONS
o How do you get to the library from here?

IMPORTANT NOTE
The simple present is NOT used to express actions happening now.
What are you studying now? –Present Continuous

I came from-travelling; I come from-address (permanent)

PAST SIMPLE TENSE (SIMPLE PAST)

SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED AT A SPECIFIC TIME IN THE PAST

I met my best friend in 1985.
They slept at 11pm last night.
We went on a holiday trip to Greece 2 years ago.

SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED REPEATEDLY IN THE PAST (PAST HABITS OR PAST REPEATED EVENTS)
I walked to school every day when I was in elementary.
We always enjoyed going to the beach during summers when we were kids.
My uncle brought me lunch daily when I was in the hospital last year.
In the ‘70s, they used to bake cookies during Thanksgiving.

SOMETHING THAT WAS TRUE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME IN THE PAST

He worked in London for 10 years.
Last night, I reviewed for my final exams for almost 2 hours.
They enjoyed having bacon and eggs for breakfast during their European holiday.

PAST PROGRESSIVE TENSE (PAST CONTINUOUS)

PAST PROGRESSIVE/PAST CONTINUOUS

indicates an action that was going on at the time that another past action took place or was taking place;
often used to set the scene for another action.

FORM
was/were + ‘ing’ (present participle form of the main verb)
was thinking, were playing

INTERRUPTED PAST ACTION

o We were eating snacks when the bell rang.
o She was sleeping when the alarm went off.
o I wasn’t talking when the speaker entered the hall. (negative)
o Were they using their phones when she started to speak?
o They were having dinner at 7pm last night. (time as an interruption)

PARALLEL PAST ACTIONS

o They were talking to each other while the teacher was speaking.
o I was reading while she was cooking lunch.

PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

FORM
 has/have + past participle of the main verb
has arrived, have done

USES
 An action or situation that started in the past and continues in the present (DURATION FROM THE
PAST UNTIL NOW).
 An action performed during a period that has not yet finished (ACTION IN AN UNFINISHED PERIOD).
 A repeated action in an unspecified period between the past and now (MULTIPLE PAST ACTIONS AT
DIFFERENT UNSPECIFIED TIMES)
 An action that was completed in the very recent past, expressed by “just” (RECENTLY CONCLUDED
ACTION)
 An action when the time is not important (EXPERIENCE OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS)

AN ACTION OR SITUATION THAT STARTED IN THE PAST AND CONTINUES IN THE PRESENT
o How long have you studied here at UNC? I have studied here for ______. /I have studied here
since ______.
o Since when have you lived in Manila? We have lived here for _______. /We have lived here
since ______.

Note: for + a period of time (for 2 years)

since + a point in time (since 2015)

AN ACTION PERFORMED DURING A PERIOD THAT HAS NOT YET FINISHED

o How many meals have you had today? I have had 2 meals so far today.
o How many times has she watched a movie this week? She has watched 2 movies this week.

A REPEATED ACTION IN AN UNSPECIFIED PERIOD BETWEEN THE PAST AND NOW

o How many times have they traveled to Israel? They have traveled to Israel three times.
o How often has he visited his parents? She has visited her parents frequently.

AN ACTION THAT WAS COMPLETED IN THE VERY RECENT PAST, EXPRESSED BY “JUST”
o What have I just said? You have just told me to listen.
o Which shirt have you just bought? I have just bought the blue shirt.

AN ACTION WHEN THE TIME IS NOT IMPORTANT

o Have they ever been to Sydney? Yes, they have been to Sydney. /They have never been to
Sydney.
o Has man been to the moon? Man has walked on the moon.
o Have you tasted grilled vegetables? I have never tasted grilled veggies.
o Have you ever won in any competition? I have won in various competitions.

Note: The adverbs ever and never express the idea of an unidentified time before now.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Already refers to an action that happened at an unspecified time before now. It suggests that there is no
need for repetition.
I have already done my homework.

Yet is used in negative statements and questions to mean not in the period of time between before and
now, not up to and including the present.
Has she eaten yet? /She hasn’t eaten yet.

ACTIVITY
Differentiate!
I took a shower this morning.
vs.
I have taken a shower this morning.
Mrs. Smith has been to the bank.
vs.
Mrs. Smith has gone to the bank.
 I went to Paris last year.
vs.
I have been to Paris in the last year.

PAST PERFECT TENSE

FUNCTION
The past perfect refers to a time earlier than before now. It is used to make it clear that one event
happened before another in the past. It does not matter which event is mentioned first –the tense makes it clear
which one happened first.

FORM
had + the past participle of the main verb

Event A Event B
She had gone out when I arrived in the office.
The movie had started when we entered the cinema.
I had read book before the phone rang.

Past Period Past Event

They had owned that car for 10 years before it broke down.
They had had that car for 10 years before it broke down.
He had talked for 10 minutes when the bell rang.
We had chatted for an hour when Mom called.

REPORTED SPEECH
Mary: I went to Europe last year.
John (talking to another speaker): Mary said she had gone to Europe last year.

REGRET ABOUT THE PAST

I wish I had brought my umbrella.
If only I had not spoken harshly.

EXERCISES
A. Make the positive or negative past perfect simple.
1. When I arrived at the cinema, the film __________ (start).
Had started
2. She __________ (live) in China before she went to Thailand.
Had lived
3. After they __________ (eat) the shellfish, they began to feel sick.
Had eaten
4. If you __________ (listen) to me, you would have got the job.
Had listened
5. Julie didn’t arrive until after I __________ (leave).
Had left
6. When we __________ (finish) dinner, we went out.
Had finished
7. The garden was dead because it __________ (be) dry all summer.
Had been
8. He __________ (meet) her somewhere before.
Had met
9. We were late for the plane because we __________ (forget) our passports.

10. She told me she __________ (study) a lot before the exam.
11. The grass was yellow because it __________ (not/rain) all summer.
12. The lights went off because we __________ (not/pay) the electricity bill.
13. The children __________ (not/do) their homework, so they were in trouble.
14. They __________ (not/eat) so we went to a restaurant.
15. We couldn’t go into the concert because we __________ (no/bring) our tickets.
16. She said that she __________ (not/visit) the UK before.
17. Julie and Anne __________ (not/meet) before the party.
 18. I __________ (not/have) breakfast when he arrived.
19. He __________ (not/use) email before, so I showed him how to use it.
20. You __________ (not/study) for the test, so you were very nervous.

B. Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or past perfect simple).
MODAL VERBS
WHY DO WE USE MODAL VERBS?
o We use modal verbs to show if we believe something is certain, probable or possible (or not). We also use
modals to do things like talking about ability, asking permission, making requests and offers, and so on.
o Verbs that combine with another verb to indicate mood or tense.
o Used to express ideas such as ability, possibility, intention, obligation, and necessity.

THE MODAL (AUXILIARY) VERBS

can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must

MAY/MIGHT
 Possibility
She may be home now.
 Giving request or permission
You may leave the table when you are finished with your meal.
 Suggestion
You might want to call your colleague soon.
 Request
Might I borrow your pen?

CAN/CANNOT/CAN NOT/CAN’T
 Possibility/ ability
She can write computer programs.
 Inability/impossibility
We can’t fix the car.
 Requests/orders
Can you brew me a cup of coffee, please?
 Asking for or giving permission
Can I use my phone here?
You cannot smoke here.

COULD/COULD NOT/COULDN’T
 Past possibility or ability
I could swim faster when I was a kid.
 Requests/Suggestions
Could I please talk to the manager?
 Future possibility
I think there could be another iPhone model soon.
 Asking for or giving permission
Could I borrow your tablet?

WOULD
 Asking for permission
Would you mind if I took another sip?
 Requests
Would you please give me a minute?
 Making arrangements
Would 5pm suit you for that meeting?
 Invitation
Would you like to have dinner in our home this weekend?
 Preferences
I would prefer coffee over tea.
 Talking about the past
o as a kind of past tense of will or going to
As a kid, he said he would one day succeed in life.
o as a kind of past tense of will or going to in reported speech
 She told me she would buy a new car soon.
o past refusals
He had always wanted to apply for a job as a police officer, but he would not be
given it.
o habitual past
They would go to the fairground every summer when they were young.
 Talking about the future in the past
Last year, she met the man that she would one day marry.
 Desire or inclination
I would love to live in that village.
 Opinions or hopes
I would imagine that they’re not willing to accept the proposal.
 Wishes
She wishes he would stay longer.
 Presumptions or expectations
That would be my supervisor calling.
SHOULD
 Giving advice/opinions
You should try to lose weight.
They should make smoking in public spaces illegal.
 Probability/expectation
The train should be here any time now.
 Indicating obligation, duty or correctness
o Obligation
You should not stand while the plane is taking off.
o Duty
I should be at work now.
o Correctness
You shouldn’t have told her that.

MUST (SUBJECTIVE OBLIGATION)

 Express personal obligation
I must quit smoking.
 Real obligation (a rule or law)
Passengers must put on their seatbelts.
We must have a driving license.

MUST NOT/MUSTN’T (PROHIBITION)

 Something is not permitted or allowed.
We must not talk to the pilot.
I mustn’t eat a lot of sugar.

WILL
 certain prediction
Profits will increase in next quarter.
 promise
I will call you tomorrow.
 offer
I will help you with the lesson.
 instant decisions
I don’t see any cab so I will walk.

WON’T
 used to indicate a future non-occurring action.
There won’t be a second time for the test-takers.

SHALL
 Same as will to form the future tense, although shall is more traditionally used with first
person pronouns
I shall return.
We shall not fail.
 However, if it conveys a sense of importance or duty, it is used with 2 nd and 3rd pronouns
 You shall attend that meeting.
They shall finish the committee report soon.

QUASI-MODAL VERBS
would rather, had better, ought to, used to
CONDITIONALS
CONDITIONALS
Used to talk about possible or imaginary situations
Conditional clauses or IF clauses

ZERO ‘0’ CONDITIONAL

If you heat ice, it melts.

Present
Simple
 Certainty, absolute certainty, high possibility
 The result of the condition is always true
 Laws of physics, general truths, facts

1ST CONDITIONAL
If it rains tonight, I will stay home.

Present Simple Future Simple

 Real possibility
 Situations that are possible and quite probable

2ND CONDITIONAL
If I won the lottery, I might/would buy a big house.

Past would/could/might/may + base

Simple form of the main verb

If I were an excellent swimmer, I would join the Olympics.

 Unreal possibility, dreams, wishes

 Situations that are possible but not very probable

3RD CONDITIONAL
If I had studied well, I would have passed the exams.

past would/could/might/may +
perfect have + past participle of the main verb

If I had not studied well, I would have failed the exams.

 No possibility
 Situations that are impossible because we cannot go back to the past and change events
 Counterfactual

MIXED CONDITIONAL
If we had Googled the location, we wouldn’t be lost.

past perfect would + present simple of the main verb

If she weren’t scared of bees, I could have given her the hive.
 past simple would/could/might/may
+have + past participle of the main verb

 A mixture of the 2nd and 3rd conditionals

 Used to refer to a time that is in the past, and a situation that is ongoing into the present.

PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE

PREPOSITION OF PLACE
A preposition of place is a preposition which is used to refer to a place where something or someone is
located. There are only three prepositions of place (at, on, in). However, they can be used to discuss an almost
endless number of places.

AT
used to discuss a certain point.
at the table, at the intersection, at home

IN
used to discuss an enclosed space
in the room, in a box, in the corner, in the chair, in the house

ON
used to discuss a surface
on the table, on the wall, on her cheek, on the roof

AT vs IN vs ON
He lives at #32 Orange Street, Jackson Village, Windy City. (specific address)
His house is on Orange Street.
He lives in Windy City.

Some speakers of English make a further distinction for public modes of transportation, using in when the carrier
is stationary and on when it is in motion.

TIP: in is used with the idea of being inside a volume, on when there is an idea of surface, and at when we just
mean a point or being near something.

PREPOSITION OF LOCATION
We usually use at for specific locations, in for bigger locations, and on for certain locations (ex. at the
museum, at the airport, in the Philippines, in Naga City, on the campus, on the property).

HOME/HOUSE
 In our home/house (referring to the space inside)
 At our home/house (referring to ‘home/house’ as a place where something happened or where someone
is)
 At home (we cannot say ‘at house’)

PREPOSITIONS OF MOTION AND TIME

PREPOSITIONS OF MOTION (MOVEMENT) OR DIRECTION

To, Into, Get out of, Onto, Get off, Toward, Through

TO
I’m going to the gym tomorrow.
They’re travelling to Paris next year.
Are they coming to the wedding?
She is flying to Berlin soon.

IN/INTO
You may step into the elevator.
Get in/into the car now.
 The burglar broke into their house last night.
Come into the house before the downpour gets heavier.

GET OUT OF
Get out of the car now.
They got out of the building when the fire broke out.
Can you get out of the lab for a minute?

ONTO
We stepped onto the plane without being inspected.
The truck got onto the bridge to avoid the flooding.
The book fell onto the floor.

GET OFF
We got off the plane at dawn.
Please get off the train carefully.
Is she getting off the bus soon?

TOWARD/S
(in the direction of)
They walked towards the exit during the emergency drill.
She was running towards the house when the alarm went off.

TO vs TOWARDS
 I’m going to the office for a meeting. (to here introduces a specific destination)
 I’m heading towards the conference room now. (the direction of movement is a more
important part of the meaning than the idea of a particular destination)

THROUGH
(movement within a space which can be thought of as three-dimensional)
We couldn’t get the fridge through the door.
They drove through the beautiful countryside.
She looked through the telescope to have a better view of the alignment of Saturn and Jupiter.

PREPOSITIONS OF TIME
In, On, At

IN
Longer periods of time (months, decades, centuries, millennia, seasons)

ON
Days, specific dates

AT
Specific clock time, holidays, festivals

ON IN AT
On Monday, Tuesday, etc. In the morning, in the At night, at sunset
afternoon, in the evening (but
on Monday morning)
On weekdays In January, February, etc. At 7:30 pm, at noon, at
midnight
On December 25 (on Christmas In 2001 At Christmas
Day)
On Tuesday afternoon In the 21st century At the weekend (but on
weekends for American
English)
On Friday night In the summer At dinnertime

OTHER USES
 On TV, but on the radio
  In the picture/photograph
 In the mirror (I saw my reflection in the mirror.) vs on the mirror (There was a smudge on the mirror.)
 On holiday/on vacation
 At sea (at the ocean or sea, typically of a ship or person aboard a ship)
 In the __________ (referring to the space inside)/at the __________ (referring to an event)
 On foot, but by car/train/plane
 On the phone
 In the newspaper (in the Sports section, on page 4, at the top/bottom)
 On the list/on the menu

THE ARTICLES (A/AN, THE)

WHAT ARE ARTICLES?

An article is a kind of adjective that precedes and modifies a noun. It is used to differentiate between
things or ideas.

There are only three articles: THE, A, and AN.

THE INDEFINITE ARTICLES (A/AN)

 Used when we are referring to an unspecified thing or quantity.
They signal that the noun they modify refers to any member of a class (group).
They are used before singular Count Nouns (a mouse, a squirrel, an accomplishment, an airplane)
 A dog makes a good pet. (Here, the speaker is referring to any dog.)
 An apple a day keeps the doctor away. (The speaker is referring to any apple, not one particular
apple.)

THE DEFINITE ARTICLE (THE)

 Used when referring to a specific thing or quantity.
It signals that the noun it modifies is a specific member of a class.
It can be used both before singular and plural Count and Non-Count Nouns (the tent, the phones,
the knowledge, the water).
 The professor is in a good mood today. (The speaker here is referring to one particular professor.)
 The house is on fire. (Not any house, but one particular house.)

OTHER USES OF ‘THE’

 Unique things (the sun, the moon, the White House)
 Superlatives (the best, the brightest, the most wonderful)
 Ordinal numbers (the first, the third, the last)
 Groups of people (the youth, the elderly, the protesters)
 Decades (the ‘60s, the ‘70s, the 1990s)
 Historic periods and events (the Renaissance, the Ice Age, the Holocaust)

GEOGRAPHICAL USES OF ‘THE’

 Before names of rivers (the Nile River, the Bicol River, the Yangtze)
 Before names of oceans (the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic, the Indian Ocean)
 Before names of seas (the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea)
 Before names of deserts (the Sahara, the Mojave)
 Before names of forests (the Amazon Rainforest, the Congo Rainforest)
 Before names of mountain ranges (the Himalayas, the Alps, the Andes)
 Before names of peninsula (the Korean peninsula, the Arabian Peninsula)
 Before names of regions and points on the globe (the North Pole, the Arctic, the Bicol region)

OMISSION OF ‘THE’
 You cannot use the before languages (Greek, Chinese), but you can use it before nationalities
(the Greek, the Chinese)
 Cannot be used before sports names (basketball, volleyball), but can be used before sports
equipment (the basketball, the volleyball)
 Cannot be used before academic subjects (Mathematics, Social Studies)
 Not usually used before names of countries, cities, states and other geographical locations,
except for some (the Netherlands, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines)
 Not commonly used before streets, lakes, bays, mountains, continents, and islands).
  When mentioning common nouns in a narrative or a story, a and an are used for nouns mentioned for the
first time. For the succeeding mentions of that noun, the is used.
 I saw a cat (first mention) last night. The cat (second mention) was walking with its owner on our street.

WH QUESTIONS (OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS)

Question word/phrase Function Examples
What Usually used for asking What is the title of that
information about movie?
something
What…for Asking for reason (same as What did you do that for?
asking why)
When Asking about time When did they arrive?
Which Asking about choice (for Which of the three books
fewer choices) do you want to buy?
Who Asking what or which Who turned off the TV?
person or people (subject)
Whom Asking what or which Whom did you want to talk
person or people (object) to?
Whose Asking about ownership Whose phone is that?
How Asking about manner, How did you solve the
condition or quality problem?
How was the operation?

Which vs that on demand vs in demand