1st Year Notes Update

GLOBAL ENGLISH NOTES SERIES
M.A. English, Punjab University, M.B.A. Marketing, Preston University, B.Ed. Sky Line University, Sharjah, U.A.E.
Contact # 03335136646, 03135211999
Social # abdulrehmanbinzia83@yahoo.com YouTube @ Skillz 4 Life

Prepared By: Abdul Rehman Bin Xia (M.A. English, Punjab University, M.B.A. Marketing, Preston University, B.Ed. Sky Line University, Sharjah )
First Attempts and Challenges

HIS FIRST FLIGHT
Question # 1: What is the young seagull afraid of?
The young seagull is afraid of flight. He thinks that his wings are not strong enough to support his body. He also lacks the
necessary courage of facing the sea. The sprawling sea under his ledge had once terrified him when he had attempted to
flap his wings. The seagull believes that he would fall into the sea and would die if he tried to fly.
Question # 2: Why don’t his parents his brother s and sister give him food?
The young seagull is a parasite. He depends on his family for his food. He can get food if he takes his flight which he is
unwilling to take. His parents and siblings want him to the self-reliant. Therefore, they refuse to feed him and force him
to take his flight for food.
Question # 3: What does his mother do to force him to fly?
The mother picks up a piece of fish and starts flying towards the seagull. The seagull becomes hopeful that she is bringing
him food. But when the mother reaches near the ledge, she suddenly stops. The seagull wonders why she is not delivering
the food. The sight of food tempts him. As a result, he jumps at the food, falls into the space and takes his flight.
Question # 4: What does he feel when he finally flaps his wings and find that he not falling?
The young seagull was initially falling head long but when he flapped his wings, he felt He was no longer afraid. He
developed feeling that he had always been able to fly. He also realized that his wings were strong enough to support his
body. The seagull became confident and started enjoying his flight. He also was facing the sea without any fear.
Question # 5: What is the significance about the bird’s first flight?
The important thing about the bird's first flight is that Nature is essentially good and there is nothing cruel about it. This
view can be illustrated through the character of the mother. She does appear merciless when she refuses to feed the
seagull. But she is, in fact, cruel to be kind. Her occasional sadism is for the goodness of the seagull.
Question # 6: What lesson do you learn from this simply story?
The important lesson one can derive from "His First Flight" is that self-preservation is the first law of Nature. To care for
one's own life is the top priority of every seagull. The seagull does not take his flight despite the repeated persuasion and
threats of the family members. And when he takes it, it is because he cannot resist the temptation of food due to extreme
hunger. For him, the safety of his life always comes first.
Question # 7: What lesson do you learn from this simply story?
It is quite difficult to do something for the first time because one does not know enough about it. There is the feeling of
strangeness about it. The mystery around the thing makes one afraid. Also, worry about the result makes the person
reluctant. The fear of possible loss or suffering leads to passivity.
Senior English Lecturer, Wah College of Accountancy, Wah Polytechnic College, P.O.F. Welfare Computer Center, Wah Cantt.
1 Social : abdulrehmanbinzia83@yahoo.com Contact-3335136646, 3135211999 YouTube @ Skillz 4 Life
FIRST YEAR AT HARROW

Question # 1: How old was Churchill when he entered “the inhospitable regions of examinations”?
Churchill had hardly celebrated his twelfth birthday when he started taking exams. The examinations were always great
trial to him. He did not like to take exams. Moreover, he was never tested in subjects that he liked. Also, he was asked
questions that he did not know, and was never asked those that he knew. Churchill and the examiners had different tastes
about the subjects. He liked poetry, history and writing essays. The examiners, on the other hand, favored Latin and
mathematics. In this clash, the examiners were the winners. Churchill was never tested in those subjects that he liked.
Question # 2: In what way did Mr. Weldon take a broadminded view of Churchill’s Latin?
Weldon was a man who never tested students on face value. He would focus on the general ability of the students.
Churchill, as a matter of fact, did not know the ABC of Latin prose. He could not accurately answer the questions in the
paper. Mr. Weldon did not judge him on the basis of his paper presentation, but on the basis of his competence in Latin
prose which was evident from his random and illegible writing in the paper.
Question: 3: How were the names printed in the school’s list, and at which position did Churchill’s name appear?
The names-of the students were printed in the school list in an alphabetical order. Since, Churchill's name started with an
"S", therefore, his name was placed almost at the end of the list. There were two boys after Churchill on the list. And these
two also quit the school due to unknown reasons. So Churchill was left at the end of the list. And that is the reason that
he also considered his situation as "unpretentious".
Question # 4: What was Mr. Somervell’s system of teaching English?
Somervell used to teach Churchill English parsing. He had his own method of teaching. He would take a long sentence and
would split it into its components—subject, verb, object etc.—by means of different colors. Students would then recognize
a particular component by its color. It was a kind of drill which they did almost daily.
Question # 6: How were the names printed in the school’s list, and at which positing did Churchill’s name appear?
Churchill's name had appeared almost at the bottom of the merit list. He was not among the talented students. Therefore,
he was not allowed to learn Latin or Greek languages. He was taught English which was not considered a sign of
scholarship. So because of his position on the merit list and his academic pursuits, he did not enjoy a good reputation in
the school.
Question # 7: Why were Churchill and other such students now allowed to learn Latin and Greek?
Churchill and other students were considered mediocre. They were called dunces. Such students were taught English only.
The intelligent students at Harrow were allowed to learn Latin and Greek. These languages were the signs of scholarship.
Question # 8: Why did not Churchill feel himself at any disadvantage as compared to those who learnt Latin and Greek?
Churchill was considered a mediocre at Harrow School. He learnt his own native language English. The intelligent students
learnt Latin and Greek and were awarded prizes and got distinction during school time. But they had to learn English again
in order to make progress or get jobs in practical life. Since Churchill had already learnt English, therefore he was not at
any disadvantage.
Question # 9: Why were Churchill and other such students not allowed to learn Latin and Greek?
Students should first learn their native language. They can then learn other foreign languages if they need or wish to learn.
But the native language must have instrumental, It should be marketable. If it guarantees advanced education and a decent
living, then no doubt students should learn it on priority basis.
Question # 10: Do you think Churchill is only interesting in telling his story or there is something more to it?
Churchill's basic purpose is not just to tell an entertaining story but to highlight the importance of native language. He
believes that students should first learn their native: They can then learn other foreign languages if they need-or wish to
learn. But the native/national language must have instrumental value. It should be marketable. It should guarantee
advanced education and a decent living.
“September, the First Day of School”

This poem is written from a parent’s point of view and recalls the mixed emotions of not only his child’s first day of school
but his own as well. This writing also describes the outcome of a general education. The work is divided into two parts: the
former majors on emotions and the latter on the purpose of school and education in general. Much more is woven into
“September, the First Day of School”.
The first stanza of part one describes a general turning point for parent and child. For the parent there seems to be a
double meaning of letting go of the child presently and also of his own experience of letting go at his own first grade room.
Stanza two tells of what is to come in the classroom, how each child learning experience will takes on its own perspective.
Stanza three, a Biblical reference, is key. The “it” in this stanza refers to the “stuff” of the previous stanza. Such will be
the boy’s learning that it may at times be at the mercy of what the world thinks and perceives. Those perceptions will not
likely always bring positive reactions. Joseph’s brothers were very jealous of him and acted in like manner. As we know,
God was always with Joseph and had a plan for the means to justify the end. The noticeable and incongruent break
between “That worlds invisible and visible” and “Bow down before it, as in Joseph’s dream” helps to set apart a stanza
that is the lead-in for part two. Even though the gears change in stanza one of part two, flow is uninterrupted because the
first lines feed off the Biblical allusion by continuing the “grain” relationship.
In part two, school is portrayed as hard and grueling by the implementation of the double use of the word “grind”. “Grind”
is also significant because when grain is ground, it becomes a useful product. The author indicates that the possibilities
are limitless for this end product, the molded child. Two lines, “My child has disappeared behind the schoolroom door”,
and “May the fathers he finds among his teachers have a care of him more than his father could” indicate that the author
may possibly feel that his child will no longer be under his own influence. Enter once again the idea of “But May great
kindness come of it in the end”, offering consolation, reassurance, and even perhaps the same redemptive element as its
fraternal twin in the earlier stanza.
IT'S COUNTRY FOR ME

Question # 1: How does Joel feel about getting out of bed at 11:15 P.M. to feed the lamb? How can you tell?
Joel is a thoroughgoing farmer. He never feels uneasy while carrying out his responsibilities. He is very enthusiastic about
farming. It is his universe. Hence, when his mother calls him to feed the lamb, he comes out and does it happily. His
attitude towards Lamby is very friendly.
Question # 2: Describe the Hollands farm?
The Holland farm is located in the tiny town of Scales Mound. It was bought by James Holland, Joal's great-great-grand
father, in 1860. The farm covers a total area of 245-acre. It is a self-sufficient farm. The Hollands raise livestock —cattle
and a few sheep on it. They also grow food like corn, oats and hay that their animals need. The farm is also the source of
income for the Hollands. They sell the surplus food and animals and make handsome money.
Question # 3: In what ways does Joel play the role of an adult?
Joel is a teenager but he works like an adult. His stamina is like that of a grown-up man. He carries out a number of chores
after his school. . He is very enthusiastic about farming. Joal can operate machines, can drive a tractor, walk and run
numerous miles and can lift several pounds of grain. He also never misses any opportunity to learn about farming from
his father and brothers.
Question # 4: Does Joel agree with his brother about the rewards of a farming life?
Joel's father and brothers say that farming is a good profession. The cutting edge of this profession is that one is always
independent. One does not have to work as a subordinate. One does not have to dance to the tune of a boss. Joel smiles
and says that he has many bosses and points to his dad and brothers sitting around the table. They all laugh. Joel, of
course, is kidding. He completely agrees with them about the rewards of farming.
Question # 5: What skills must a farmer have to run a farm like the Hollands?
Farmers need to have multiple skills in order to operate a big farm like the Hollands' farm. They should possess the skill to
drive heavy and powerful vehicles. They should know how to fix a fault in machines. They should know the art of raising
livestock and should also act as veterinarians. The farmers should also be agriculturists, and should know about business
tactics as they will have to sell the surplus food and animals.
Question # 6: Joel says that of all the places on earth, he would choose to live “right here” – on the farm. Do you think
his choice is a good one?
Joel is a farmer. He never feels uneasy while carrying out his He is very enthusiastic about farming. It is his universe.
Hence, his decision to stay on the farm is very sensible one. He is made for farming. He simply has no interest in the city
life and, as a matter of fact, he is not fit to live in the city.
OUR ENVIRONMENT
Question # 1: Why did man start corrupting the environment? What were the reasons?
Initially, human beings took the earth, water and air as the background setting of human these elements were taken for
granted and were considered as ordinary things. The natural resources were unlimited. The air was fresh and clean. Rivers
and oceans were unpolluted. With the passage of time, human beings became careless and they started using rivers and
oceans for producing energy. Also, they threw the trash in the water. This way the environment got polluted.
Question # 2: Why does the author say that environment is now a social problem?
Environment, according to the writer, is no more the concern of the scientists. It has become the problem of every
individual in the society. A polluted environment poses threats to the life of every individual. It can affect people directly
or indirectly. Also, environment has become so polluted that people of one particular class cannot clean it. Every person
should take care of it and should try to keep it clean.
Question # 3: What is an ecosystem? How does nature keep the eco system balanced?
The complex net of relationships that living things have to their physical environment is called ecosystem. There is natural
balance in the ecosystem. The population of the organisms is regulated according to the food supply. This balance is
achieved through natural disasters like diseases, earthquake, floods or cyclones. Also, the dependence of organisms on
other organisms for their food leads to predation and, as a result, this balance is sustained.
Question # 4: What does an alteration in one part of the ecosystem impact other parts of the ecosystem?
All organisms are tightly connected to one another and to their environment. There is inter-dependency among them.
They depend upon each other for food, shelter and any change in one part can have serious repercussions for others.
Plants, for instance, make food which is eaten by other organisms. Therefore, any damage to plants also means damage
to herbivores.
Question # 5: What is the question before the society now? How could the society respond to this question?
The question before the society is about the cleaning of the environment. What should human beings do to
compensate for the damage they have done to the environment? There can be two possible modes of compensation.
The first is to pay cash in order to Cleanse Rivers and oceans. The second is that human beings give up some of their
luxuries and machines that pollute the environment. They should reduce their consumption which is the major cause
of pollution. The second mode, according to the writer, is more productive.
Question # 6: What do you think would happen if the society does not respond to the question about environment in a
befitting manner? What kind of world we would be living in fifity years from now, a hundred years from now?
If society does not properly respond to the issue of pollution, it will simply be disastrous. Rivers and oceans would become
hazardous. Air will become highly toxic. There will be no fresh air to breathe. The polluted environment will adversely
affect human health and life. The world will become inhabitable.
Question 7: What do you think is happening in Pakistan with regard to environment? Do you think we are well aware
of the damage done to our environment?
The people of Pakistan are not aware of their environment. They have no concern for it. They are, by and large, ignorant
about environmental issues. Consequently, the environment is decaying day by day. Trash and littering are thrown
everywhere. Rivers and oceans are mostly used for the disposal of the waste. Clean air and water is simply becoming a
rarity in Pakistan.
Question# 8: What do you think is the role of government and the society at large in terms of handling the environment
crises? What duties would you assign to the government and to the society?
Both the government and society should accept responsibility for environmental the proper role of the government is to
make laws about the environment. Some courses about ecology should be introduced at every level of education. This
will create awareness about the environment. The society should support the government in the implementation of
laws. Every individual of the society should take of their trash and should try to keep the environment clean.
TEARS OF NATURE
Reference: These lines are taken from "Tears of Nature" written by Graem King. Context: In this poem, the poet personifies
the physical nature and presents her as a mother. The environmental objects are depicted as the children of nature. Any
damage to the environment makes the nature cry. But, unfortunately, human beings are indifferent to their environment
and they do not learn anything about the protection of the environment. .
The poet hears the cry of Mother Nature. Every time a tree is cut down, a coal chimney is fired, a rocket is sent up, Mother
Nature cries. Mankind, despite all the developments, still cannot stop the ozone layer from growing bigger and bigger or
the seas from getting more polluted. Species go extinct and the news is suppressed.
The poet emphasizes the fact that as pollution and degradation of Mother Nature carries on unabated, the time for earth
is just speeding by.
Changing Attitudes
The Blanket
Question # 1: What do Peter and Granddad talk about when the story begins?
When the story begins, Peter and Granddad think about the going away. Then they go outside and talk about the
harmonica. Granddad tells Peter that he will play some old tunes for him. Their discussion then gradually turns towards
the blanket. The blanket is a gift from Peter's Dad to his Granddad. Granddad is going to be sent to old age house by Dad.
Hence, the blanket has been brought as a farewell gift for him.
Question # 2: Who is giving the blanket as a gift to whom? Why the blanket is called a going away gift?
The blanket is a gift from Peter's Dad to his Granddad. Dad is going to send Granddad to old age home. The blanket is
brought as a farewell gift. Granddad is leaving the house, and is moving to old age home. The blanket, therefore, is labeled
as a going away gift. Peter is quite angry at his Dad for sending Granddad to senior citizen facility.
Question # 3: Why is Peter’s Dad sending Grand Dad away and where to?
Dad wants to marry a pretty young girl. He plans to start a new happy life with her. Once married, he will not be able to
take care of Granddad. Also, Granddad will, in a way, disturb his matrimonial life by complaining about different types of
bodily diseases. Therefore, he decides to send Granddad to old age home.
Question # 4: Why does Peter’s Dad get angry with the girl he is going to marry?
The girl visits Peter's house in order to say farewell to Granddad. When she sees the blanket that Dad has brought as a gift
for Granddad, she gets upset.- She tells Dad that he should not have bought such an expensive blanket for his father. Also,
Granddad did not actually need any double blanket. He could easily have managed with a single blanket. Her persistent
talk about the blanket makes Dad angry.
Question # 5: Why does Peter ask his father to cut the blanket in two?
The girl visits Peter's house to say farewell to Granddad. When she sees the blanket that Dad has brought as a gift for
Granddad, she tells Dad that he should not have bought such an expensive blanket. Also, Granddad did not need any
double blanket. Her persistent talk about the blanket makes Dad angry. Peter then intervenes and suggests that Dad
should cut the blanket into two. This will make it a single blanket. Granddad will take one half and Peter will give the other
half to Dad when he is sending him to old age
Question # 6: Why do all three – Peter, Dad and Granddad – cry at the end of the story?
The final scene of the story is very moving. The three characters get very emotional and start crying. Dad, perhaps, realizes
how wrong he was. So he cries. Peter has achieved his goal of undoing the plan of sending Granddad to old age home. He,
therefore, might be crying because of extreme happiness. Granddad is not sent to senior citizen facility and will enjoy the
company of Peter: Therefore, he also starts crying.
Question # 7: What sort of person is Granddad? What attitude does he display towards the entire situation?
Granddad is a quite sensitive man. He reacts very emotionally to the entire situation. He .constantly talks about his sending
away to old age home. It shows his concern about it. His way of talk is mostly ironical. Quite often, he means the opposite
of what he says. His comment about Dad's prospective marriage with the pretty girl shows that he does not approve it as
Dad will then send him.to old age home. He wants to stay at home and to listen to the cries of the babies. He loves Peter
and wants to spend most of his time with him.
Question # 8: What sort of Child is Peter? What attitude does he display toward his Granddad towards the entire
situation?
Peter is a precocious child. He is pre-Maturely developed. He undoubtedly is a very intelligent child. His suggestion to Dad
about the blanket shows that he is pretty sharp. Peter displays a very affectionate, caring, sympathetic and devoted
attitude towards his Granddad. He loves his Granddad. Therefore, he does not want him to be sent to old age home. He
is also a good son. He does not want his Dad to commit the mistake of sending Granddad to old age home as he as a son
will not like to do the same with his father.
Question # 9: What sort of person is Peter’s father? Is he a good hearted person or not?
Dad is actually-good by-heart. But, circumstantially, he becomes bad. It is because of the pretty girl that he becomes blind
in his happiness and ignores his other family members. When peter asks him to cut the blanket in two as he will be
receiving the other half once old, his eyes open. He realizes his mistake and apologizes to Granddad for being selfish.
Question # 10: What lesson about human relationship do you learn from this short story?
Human relationship needs love, care and sympathy. It demands devotion. Relationship based on these values is very
enduring as we see in the relationship between Peter and If there is any material interest, then relationship cannot last
for long time. The relationship between Dad and the pretty young girl is an example of it. The fragile relationship between
the two stands in sharp contrast to the solid and firm relationship between Peter and Granddad.
The Way It Was and Is

Question # 1: Did Bill Cosby react honestly when his father tried to introduce him to his kind of music?
Bill Cosby had no interest in the classical music that his father liked. His father would always force him to listen to it.
However, he would pretend that he liked it. Cosby would smile with respect during the performance. He would also move
his head backwards and forwards rhythmically. In fact, he would consider the music as trash.
Question # 2: is generation gap the only factor of misunderstanding among family members?
Bill Cosby liked modern pop music. He had no stomach for old classical music. The musicians that Cosby would listen during
his youth were all rock musicians. They were Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk,
Bud Powell and Philly Joe Jones.
Question # 3: Bill Cosby said that he was “falling in to great American trap “by buying a stereo for his daughter. What
does he mean by it?
Cosby says that American society encourages consumerism. It asks the parents to spend money in order to make their
children happy. He was also falling into the same He wanted to make his daughter happy. Therefore, he went to buy the
stereo for her.
Question # 4: Why did Cosby pretend to like his daughter’s music?
Cosby refers to the generation gap that exists between the young and the old. He as a father now belongs to old
generation. He fails to appreciate the music played by his but he pretends to like it saying that, perhaps, modern music is
different from old music. There is now something more to music than melody, harmony and rhythm. What he actually
means is that modern music is just loud and unpleasant sound lacking the qualities of true music.
Question # 5: What was humorous about the way Cosby described the volume of his daughter’s music?
The heavy thumping sound of the stereo makes those things locomotive that ordinarily do not move. Things like plates,
cups, silverwares and the salt and the pepper shakers started moving. The chandelier began to swing and the chairs started
Cosby tells his wife that their house is perhaps located on a major geographical fault. He also believes that the house is
going to fall. And his end is approaching near. He, therefore, expresses his profound love for his wife.
Question # 6: Does Bill Cosby think that generation gap can be closed? Explain your answer?
Cosby contends that there is a big generation gap between the old and the young. The old have their own life styles and
the young have theirs. The existing vacuum between the two generations can be closed if there is mutual understanding
between the two. They can reach to common grounds if they change their tastes and lifestyles. Since this is a distant
possibility, therefore, Cosby says that this gap will always be there. It will keep on widening as the two are not willing to
compromise their modes of life.
Question # 7: Why is it that the old behave in their own similar ways and young behave in their own similar ways? Give
reasons?
The old and the young have different mind sets. The two generations have their own likes and dislikes. They have different
life styles. Each generation sticks to its gun. They think their way of life as correct and criticize the other way of life as
incorrect. Each generation cannot digest what the other likes. They do not show any respect to the values of other
generation. Consequently, the gap between the two is widening and there is no tangible hope of reconciliation.
Question # 8: Why is it kid don’t consider their parents hip, and when the same kids become parents, they are not
considered hip by their kids?
Children usually consider their parents as out of date. They believe that their parents or elders do not keep themselves up
to date about the modern trends. They, therefore, do not seek guidance from their elders about the modern trends and
fashions. The elders get involved in the problems of life so much that they do not have time to know about the ongoing
modern trends in music. Their children, therefore, never consider them as hip. And when the children grow up and become
parents, they receive the same treatment from their children.
The Most Beautiful Flower by Cheryl L. Costello-Forshey

Context: In this narrative poem, an old lady tells her story of disillusionment and the subsequent enlightenment. She is very
pessimistic due to failures in life. A small blind boy changes her outlook towards life. The liveliness of the boy makes her
think about her life and she becomes an optimist. She decides to see beauty in life and to ignore its ugliness.
The poet begins by describing the situation of her life which she thinks that it is very terrible for her. The very gloomy life
can be seen in the first stanza as the description of her life in her mind. The days that passed by her seems like very
disappointed by the world. Her attitude in interpreting her life in this world has changed since she met a young boy who
came enthusiastically and sat beside her with a flower that looked so plain. Surprisingly, that flower is given to the woman
specially. The flower is forced to be received by the poet since the young boy didn’t want to move from his seat beside
the poet. Then, the poet realized that the young boy was blind, because he didn’t give the flower directly to her hand. But
she was confused why the young boy could knew about her problem since she thought actually the young boy used his
heart which had been blessed by the God with the true sight. By knowing that fact, the poet aware and regret about what
she has done at the past, she realized that she had done a mistake in interpreting her life. She could know that she is the
cause of her problem so far, which was actually her own heart. Then, she was very grateful to the God and thanked to the
young boy that he had given her a very best flower that could change her perspective about her life. Next, from the young
boy, she could see the beauty of that flower, it couldn’t be seen from how it looked like concretely, but she could see it
from her heart, how she appreciated the flower positively. So, she could see the beauty of the flower as well as the pretty
smell of the flower until she called it the most beautiful flower. Finally, at the last stanza the poet told that she could tell
that the plain flower as a beautiful rose and let it close to her nose because she could feel it from her true heart sight.
Acquiring Values
The Scholarship Jacket
Question # 1: What tradition was followed by the small Texas school which Marta Salinos attended?
The small Texas school that Marta attended had a distinct tradition. It would award a beautiful gold and green jacket to a
student who would get straight A till grade eighth. The student was called the class valedictorian and he/she would deliver
a farewell speech on graduation night. The jacket had a big gold S on the left side and the awardee's name was written in
gold letters on the pocket.
Question # 2: Why did Marta expect that she would win the scholarship jacket that year?
Marta was a very intelligent and hardworking student. She had got straight A since her first grade. Since the scholarship
jacket was given to someone who had maintained the highest grades for eight years, therefore she was expecting to get
it. Her oldest sister also had won the same jacket. She somehow believed that this scholarship jacket runs in her family.
Question # 3: Why couldn’t Marta take part in sports at school?
Marta had an athletic body. She also was very active. But she could not participate in sports because of economic reasons.
Her father was a farm laborer who could not make enough money to support his family. In order to take part in sports,
the students were to pay registration fees, uniform costs and had to travel outside the town on their own Since Marta
was from a very humble background, therefore she could not afford such expenditure.
Question # 4: Who were angrily arguing when Marta reached her classroom to pick her shorts? Anmd what were they
arguing about?
When Marta went to pick her sports shorts, she heard her two teachers talking about her. One was Mr. Schmidt who was
her history teacher, and the other was Mr. Boone who was her mathematics teacher. They were discussing the scholarship
jacket. Schmidt believed that Marta deserves to get it as she is straight A since the first grade. Boone, on the other hand,
wanted to disregard merit and to give it to Joann whose father was very rich and a member of the school board.
Question # 5: Who refused to lie of falsify Marta academic record and why?
Schmidt who was Marta's history teacher believed in merit. Mr. Boone, Marta's mathematics teacher, was asking Schmidt
to falsify Marta's academic record so that Joann might get the jacket. Schmidt refused to do it and favored Marta in getting
the jacket. Mr. Boone was a greedy person who sided with Joann only because her father was the owner of the only store
in the town and was a member of the school board.
Question # 6: What was the change in policy regarding the award of the scholarship jacket?
The scholarship jacket awarded to the class valedictorian in small Texas school was free. When it was Marta's turn to get
it, the school changed the policy. It was decided that the awardee had to pay fifteen dollars in order to get if the first
candidate failed to pay the required fee, it would be given to next in line. This policy was in fact made in order to pave the
way for Joann, and to deprive Marts of the jacket.
Question # 7: What did her grandfather say when Marta told him about payment to be made for the jacket?
Marta was supposed to pay fifteen dollars in order to get the scholarship jacket. Since she did not have money, so she
asked her grandfather. The grandfather gave a very witty He said that scholarship means something that is free. If you pay
for it, it is no longer scholarship jacket. It is just like you go to a shop, pay fifteen bucks and get it.
Question # 8: What happened when Marta told the Pricnipal what her grandfather had said?
When Marta told the principal about her grandpa's view that one should not pay for scholarship jacket, there was a sea
change in the mind of the principal. He was really impressed by it, and told Marta that he would ask the board to make it
free this time. He said that Marta's position would be treated as an exception and she would get- the jacket free this year.
Question # 9: What do you think of Marta as a student?
Although Marta is a very poor girl, she is very intelligent and hardworking. She has been straight A since her first grade. It
shows that she is a great genius. She is very committed to her studies. Marta also respects her teacher and the principal.
Despite their maneuvering, she does not .become negative towards them. She rather accepts her fate and braces herself
to unhappy fact of not getting the jacket.
Question # 10: What do you think of the two teachers who were arguing about Marta?
Schmidt who is Marta's history teacher believes in merit. His refusal to falsify Marta' academic record testifies his moral
stature and his professional integrity. Mr. Boone, math teacher, is a greedy person who sides with Joann only because her
father is the owner of the only store in the town and is a member of the school board. He seems devoid of any morality
and professional ethics.
Question # 11: What is your opinion of the principal of the school?
The principal of the school is good by heart but is circumstantially bad. He initially asks Marta to pay fifteen bucks for the
jacket. When Marta tells him what grandpa had told her, he is moved. He changes his mind and decides to award the
jacket to the deserving candidate, Marta. He, perhaps, has been temporarily influenced by people.
Question # 12: How would you describe the character of Marta’s grandfather?
Marta' grandfather is a type of stolid person. He rarely shows his- When Marta informs him about winning the jacket, he
does not respond in any serious manner. He just smiles and then assumes his work. He undoubtedly is a wise person.
When Marta tells him about the jacket fee, he gives a very witty reply. He says that scholarship means something that is
free. If you pay for it, it is no longer scholarship jacket. It is just like you go to a shop, pay fifteen bucks and get it.
Question # 13: Which characters in the story, apart from Marta, would you consider noble and which ignoble and why?
Give reasons?
Schmidt who is Marta's history teacher believes in merit. His refusal to falsify Marta' academic record testifies his moral
stature and his professional integrity. He is strikingly a noble person. Mr. Boone, math teacher, is a greedy person who
sides with Joann only because her father is the owner of:the store in the town and is a member of the school board. He
seems devoid of any morality and professional ethics. He is just the antithesis of Mr. Schmidt.
Question # 14: What was the motive behind changing the policy that year?
The scholarship jacket awarded to the class valedictorian in small Texas school was free. When it was Marta's turn to get
it, the school changed the policy. It was decided that the awardee. Had to pay fifteen dollars in order to get it. If the first
candidate failed to pay the required amount, it would be given to next in line. The main reason behind this change was to
deprive Marta of the jacket and to make Joann eligible for it. They were favoring Joann because her father was the owner
of the only store in the town and was a member of the school board.
A Long Walk Home

Question # 1: Why did Jason readily agree to drive his father to Mijas?
Jason had just learned driving. He did not have enough opportunities to drive the car. When his father asked him to drive
him to Mijas, he readily accepted it. He thought that he would capitalize upon this opportunity to satiate his desire for
driving the car. As a beginner, he loved the opportunity to put his driving skill into use.
Question # 2: What excuse did Jason invent as an explanation for his being late?
Jason had actually been to the cinema for watching movies. When he got late, he decided to pacify his father with lies. He
told his father that the car had some major problems and needed repair. Also, the mechanic took longer time. He took
unexpectedly longer time in fixing the problems. He, in fact, was lying as the car had already been fixed when his Dad
called the garage.
Question # 3: Why did Jason’s father decide to walk the 18 miles back home?
Jason-told lies in order to justify his coming late. -When his father reminds him that he knows that Jason is lying, he feels
embarrassed. The father blames himself instead of putting blame on Jason for his lies. He says that he has failed as a
father. There is something seriously wrong with his t training. He has failed to properly educate his son. That's why he
cannot tell truth to his own father.
Question # 4: What was the most distressing and painful experience for Jason?
Jason's lies makes his father really upset. He blames himself instead of putting blame on Jason for his lies. But,
interestingly, the father does not punish Jason in the conventional manner. He rather decides to punish himself as he had
failed as a father to properly train his son. So he decides to walk for 18 miles as a kind of penance for his wrongs. It's a
kind of self-punishment. The father wants to pay for his wrongs that he had done in connection with his son's brought up.
Question # 5: Was Jason’s father angry with him because he came late?
When Jason lies to his father regarding his coming late, the father decides to take 18 miles walk as a kind of penance. He
wants to punish himself as he had failed as a father to properly train his son. Despite the repeated requests of Jason, his
father does not get into the car. When Jason sees his father in such physical and emotional distress, he feels extremely
guilty. For him, it is the worst day of his life.
Question # 6: What is your opinion of the way Jason’s father responded to his son lying to him?
Jason's father does not angry due to Jason's coming late. It is actually his lies about the car that makes his father angry.
For him, it is his failure as a father. He realizes that there is perhaps something missing in his training due to which his son
lied to the greatness of his father lies in the fact that he blames himself for all this. He points finger to himself for Jason's
lies and does not punish Jason. He considers himself as a failed trainer.
Question # 7:
Jason's father could punish his son in the conventional way. But he opts for psychological method. His decision to take 18
miles walk was very painful for him. This made him more conscious about his lies. Had his father penalized him in the
common manner, Jason would not have learnt his lesson. So it would not be wrong to say that his response to Jason's lies
was very sensible and very appropriate.
Question # 8: Do you think Jason would have learnt his lesson if his father had not got angry with him and punished
him?
There are different possibilities of Jason's learning from this experience. One can say that it made him aware about the
best type of punishment. One is conventional way of physical or verbal abuse. This type of punishment is not that much
painful. The other is mental or psychological punishment. This type of punishment is more effective and painful than
physical abuse as Jason himself experiences it when he sees his father taking 18 miles walk.
Be the Best of Whatever You Are by Douglas Malloch

Reference: These lines are taken from the poem "Be the Best of Whatever You Are" written by Douglas Malloch.
Context: This poem is about human achievements in this life. The poem talks about different
possibilities and encourages the human beings to do or try to do the best. It is not the outcome of
struggle that matters but the struggle itself. The poem develops these ideas through contrasting
In the poem “ Be the Best of Whatever You Are “ by Douglas Malloch, the poet continuously tells us to be the best in
whatever we can be. We must never be ashamed of what we are, as no job is less or small. In this world every job have
equal importance for the people. Wonder a world where there were only doctors! No cobbler, no barber, no electrician.
We would have never been able to survive in such case. Sometimes people are discriminated on the basis of their work.
The way of preventing it is to be the best in that job.
The poet gives examples from the nature to show how we must take pride in our job. If one cannot be a tall pine tree on
top of the hill, one can always be a scrub in the valley. But we must remember to be the scrub at the side of the rill. If one
cannot be a tree, one can be a bush. Further if one is unable to become a tree, one can be a tuft of grass, because a tuft
of grass can also make the highways look prettier and happier. If one is unable to be a Muskie, one can be a bass but the
liveliest bass of the lake. If one cannot be a highway one can be a trail or if one is unable to be a sun, one can be a star.
No matter what your size or work is, your success will only depend on the way you do your work. We all can't probably be
captains. There can only be one captain in the ship and people are required to do the other work. Therefore we all must
take pride in our work and do it with the best of our ability.
The Lighter Side

Fly Away
Question # 1: What was Helfer asked to do?
Helfer was asked to provide five thousand trained flies. The call came from the director of a movie who wanted to shoot
a scene. The scene was about a dead-looking thing. Helfer would not only make the flies sit on the dead body, but he
would also make them fly when desired by the director. The flies would crawl on the special-effect baby for a while and
then would leave it.
Question # 2: What plan did he develop?
Helfer studied the law of nature in order to be successful in this mission. He also visited his friend Professor Jonathan Ziller
who was an entomologist and a researcher. The professor gave him a batch of fly larvae which would hatch on the morning
of the shoot. He also instructed Helfer to use tranquilizer for making the flies unconscious. Their drowsy state would make
them crawl on the body. Once the effect of the tranquilizer has subsided, the flies would waken up and would be airborne
thereby leaving the dead body.
Question # 3: What happened at the shoot?
When Helfer arrived at the studio, he was received with tongue-in-cheek attitude. The director and the crew members
were skeptical about his success. When the camera rolled. to everyone's surprise he made the flies sit on the special-effect
baby. He applied the tricks suggested to him by his friend Jonathan Ziller. The flies crawled on the dead body for a while
and then left it. So Helfer very successfully achieved the task assigned to him by the director.
Question # 4: How did the director and crew react?
When Helfer arrived at the studio, he was received with tongue-in-cheek attitude. The director and the crew members
were skeptical about his success. They made different jokes about his forthcoming performance. The director even told
him that he would double his fee if he successfully achieved the assigned task. And when he actually demonstrated his
skill, the director and the crew were initially flabbergasted. Then they broke into whole-hearted appreciation and gave
him a big hand.
Question # 5: Why did Helfer keep the transquiliser hidden at the shoot?
Helfer kept the tranquilizer hidden because he wanted to give this impression that he has actually trained the flies. The
crawling and the subsequent flight of the flies were due to the effect of tranquilizer. If the director and the crew had seen
the tranquilizer, then Helfer would definitely have lost his credibility. Helfer also tricked them when he took out flies from
the box and started counting them. He tried to impresses upon them that he is actually separating the trained flies from
the untrained ones.
Question # 6: What does, the way Helfer palnned and executed the effects suggest about his skills as an animal trainer?
The way Helfer executed the plan of making the flies sit on the dad body and then leaving it shows him a very clever
person. The plan was actually suggested by one of his friends Professor Jonathan Ziller. Helfer put his ideas into practice.
But he did it so skillfully that neither the director nor the crew members suspected him of using the method. They got this
impression that Helfer is an insect trainer.
Question # 7: Why did Helfer pretend to count out the number flies?
Helfer presents himself as a skillful insect trainer on the eve of film shooting. When he arrives at the studio, he takes out
flies from the box and starts counting them. He impresses upon the director and the crew that he is actually separating
the trained flies from the untrained ones. He even calls the flies by names to suggest that he has really trained them.
Question # 8: How do you think Helfer feels about his achievement?
When Helfer successfully achieves the assigned task, the director and the crew breaks into her, however, does not display
any unusual feelings. He gives an impression that this was just one of those common tasks that he performs as a matter
of routine. Therefore, he remains straight- faced and jokingly tells the director that he has trained 432 flies that can dance
on his arm.
Question # 9: Should Helfer have revealed his secret to the director? Why or why not?
The director was shooting a scene which was featuring a special -effect baby. He wanted to create this illusion that the
dead thing is a real human baby and is swarmed by flies. He, therefor, asks Helfer to provide five thousand trained flies.
Helfer does the same He makes use of tranquilizer but camouflages his art and gives this impression that he has actually
trained the flies. Through his skillful execution of the plan proposed by his friend Jonathan Ziller, he also creates the illusion
that the flies have been trained and are swarming and leaving the dead body on his directives. Therefore, it is quite justified
that he should not have revealed his secret to the director. He did not violate any professional ethics as the director
himself was not revealing the truth about the dead-looking baby body.
The Man who was a Hospital

Question # 1: How did Jerome K. Jerome come to suspect that he had a bad liver?
Jerome became suspicious about his liver after reading a patent liver-pill circular. This circular had a detailed account of
various symptoms by which one could tell that his or her liver was out of order. Once he had read it, he came to believe
that his liver has become Jerome is a type of neurotic person. He is also hypochondriac person_ a person who is abnormally
worried about his health. Therefore, the mere reading of a circular makes him doubtful about his liver.
Question # 2: The author says, “I had walked into that reading room a happy, healthy man. I crawled out a decrepit
wreck?
Jerome visited the British Museum for reading a pharmacology book. He wanted to know the treatment of a slight ailment,
hay fever. After reading a few pages, he came to believe that he had all the disease he read about in those pages. So he
started reading it interestingly, except housemaid's knee, he had all the diseases from A to Z in the book. Since, he was
having a lot of diseases. Therefore, he says that he came out of the British Museum as a ruined person.
Question # 3: Why did the author think he had all the diseases listed in the book?
The author is a type of neurotic person. He is also hypochondriac person a person who
is abnormally worried about his health. Whenever he reads the symptoms of a disease, he becomes suspicious that he is
suffering from it. The diagnosis will also correspond exactly to his sensations about the disease. Once he reads a book
about diseases, he develops this misgiving that he has havin2, all the diseases, and is, therefore, a walking hospital.
Question # 4: Why did the author feel hurt when he discovered that he did not have the housemaid’s knee?
After reading the pharmacology book, the author developed misgiving that he was suffering from numerous diseases.
Only housemaid's knee had not inflicted his body. He took it a sort of indifference. Why had this disease ignored him?
Could the disease not condescend to inflict his body? Therefore, he felt hurt. The absence of this disease put his status of
walking hospital in doubt.
Question # 5: Why should the author be an acquisition to the medical class? Why did he think that the medical students
would have no need to “walk the hospital “?
After reading the pharmacology book, the author developed misgiving that he was suffering from numerous diseases. He
had all the diseases from A to Z he read in the book. 1-le was in fact a walking hospital. Since medical students need the
study of diseases, and he had all possible diseases, therefore he considers himself an acquisition to the medical students
need not to visit hospital for diseases. They just have to walk around him, and they will become qualified doctors.
Question # 6: Have you heard the saying, “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing? Do you think it is an apt description
of the author?
The lesson accurately justifies the saying, "little knowledge is a dangerous thing." The author lacks necessary knowledge
about diseases, and he pretends to know about them. His uneasiness about his health is actually caused by his little
knowledge about pharmacology. He should have consulted a medical expert about the diseases. A person should not try
to be the jack of all trades.
Question # 7: What is the significance of the doctor’s advice: Don’t stuff your head with things you don’t understand?
The doctor gives a very witty advice to the author. He tells him that a person should not fill his head with the things that
he or she cannot properly understand. Every field has its own whenever any help is needed, the specialist of the field
should be consulted. Only an expert's opinion should be sought. A person should not try to be the jack of all trades. Being
an author, Jerome probably does not have as much knowledge about medicine as the doctor can have. Therefore, he
should have visited his friend before passing any judgment about his health.
When I'm an Old Lady by Joanne Bailey Baxter

Reference: These lines are taken from the poem "When I'm an Old Lady" written by Joanne Bailey Baxter.
Context: The poem depicts the feelings of an old lady during her old age. The speaker of the poem imagines her to be an
old lady, and thinks about the time when grows old, and starts living with her grown-up children. She will behave like a
kid and will play different pranks with her children. The main idea of the poem is that a mother always enjoys the mischief
and wayward behavior of her children no matter how great a nuisance and naughty they are.
The poem "When I'm An Old Lady" by Joanne Bailey Baxter is a poem meant to convey to the reader, in a humorous way,
the trials and tribulations of being a parent. Joanne Bailey Baxter has written a six-stanza poem of four lines per stanza.
Sandwiched in between each stanza is a one-line refrain or chorus to drive home the point that this woman looks forward
to living with her kids when she’s aged so she can engage in some “payback” in a way.
She is not vindictive at all; she just wants her adult children to realize that raising them was not a piece of cake, and now
they can experience what she went through as they take care of her.
The poem employs rhyme in each stanza. In addition, the tone of the poem is delightfully mischievous as this woman plans
ways she’ll “get back” at her kids. She says “I'll not eat my green beans or salads congealed. I'll gag on my okra, spill milk
on the table…” Her goal is to do all the annoying things to her kids that her children did to her when they were young.
She actually sees the fun in all of this and knows that her children will ultimately see the humor in this as well. In reality,
this woman will probably not do all these things, but she may do some of them, in jest, to make her point. It’s obvious
that she’s a lively, vibrant person and is embracing forthcoming old age with exuberance and a unique sense of purpose.
What’s funny in this poem, written in clear, every day, straightforward language, is that her children will probably trumpet
the refrain that this woman no doubt did so many times at the end of each tiring day—they will ultimately say:
"She's so sweet when she's sleeping!"
In other words, their respite at the end of the day will come when this aged woman is sleeping peacefully, building energy
for the next adventurous day to come, when she can once again, with tongue-in-cheek, engage in some payback
(Finding a Job)
Question 1 Answer: He left his last job because his boss treated him very badly, and he didn’t like his chances of advancing in the
company.
Question 2 Answer: Umar gave the piece of advice to Asad to help him in his job hunt. He advised him to join some of those networking
groups of people who are also looking for work. They help each other in discovering new opportunities.
Question 3 Answer: Asad wants to buy a new shirt for himself because he wants to make the best impression possible at his job
interviews.
Question 4 Answer: When Farah hears that Asad had left his job, she is surprised. She says that quitting one’s job doesn’t sound a
very wise decision to her these days.
Question 5 Answer: When Umar tells Farah that Asad was buying new suit, She expresses her surprise and remarks that is straneg
that he has no work and he is buying new clothes.
Question 6 Answer: I don’t think Asad acted wisely by quitting his last job before he found a new one. Because there is unemployment.
it is quite difficult to find a new job in any field of life.
Question 7 Answer: Farah says that Quitting doesn’t sound like a wise decision to her these days because getting a new job is quite
difficult these days.
Question 8 Answer: Yes, Farah approved of the suggestion that Umar gave to Asad.
(A Stressful Job)
Question 1 Answer: He has been working in his new job for the last three months.
Question 2 Answer: Asad says about his new job that it is a stressful job. He does not like it.
Question 3 Answer: The difference between Asad’s previous job and the new job is this that previous job was not stressful but the
boss had treated him badly and he didn’t see his chances of advancing in the company. The new job is a stressful job. It is jsut work,
work and work. He works hard all day, every day.
Question 4 Answer: Asad complains about his new job because he has to work hard. He doesn’t have any time for enjoyment, for
going to parties and staying up late talking with friends.
Question 5 Answer: As a result of his new job, he has money, a nice apartment and a car.
Question 6 Answer: By “would you like to change places with me”, he means that Farah could work in his place and he would be
happy to become a University student in her place.
Question 7 Answer: Umar says that he must meet Asad because as his true friend, he wants to advise him not to quit hsi job. It is very
difficult to find a job these days.
Question 8 Answer: Asad found his new job very stressful.
Question 9 Answer: Farah knows that Asad is making a good salary.
Question 10 Answer: I think Asad is a sort of person who likes attending parties. He is never contented with anything. When he was
studying, he wanted to get a job. Now that he has a well-paid job, he wants to exchange it with student life.
Question 11 Answer: Umar knows Farah’s statement that Asad’s new job must be driving him crazy.
TRUE FRIENDSHIP
Author: Fan Kissen

About The Author:-
Fan Kissen (1893-1978), an American playwright, spend most of her writing career turning folktales and legends into plays for young people. Th e plays were first
performed on radio in Kissen’s series, Tales from the Four Winds. ‘Damon and Pythias were first published in 1964.
Works:-
1. The Bag of Fire and Other Plays.
2. The Crowded House and Other Plays.
3. The straw ox and Other Plays.
Character of Pythias:-
In Greek historiography, Damon and Pythias is a legend surrounding the Pythagorean ideal of friendship.
1. An Ideal Friend:-
Pythias is a young Sicilian and a true friend of Damon. He is known far and wide for his true friendship with Damon. He doesn’t want
to exploit the sincerity of his friend. When his friend Damon tells him that he will request the King to let him go home for a few days
and he will be in the prison in his place, he doesn’t agree. He doesn’t want him to put his life in risk.
2. Bold: -
Pythias is bold enough to revolt against laws made by king while people don’t dare to rebel against him. He boldly and fearlessly tells
the king that he doesn’t approve his laws and say;
“You rule on people with such an iron hand
That they dare not complain”
3. True Patriot:-
Pythias is a true patriot. He tells the king that the people are suffering in his rule, but they are afraid to raise voice due to King’s great
army. He is put in prison only for speaking for the cause of people.
He tells his mother that:
“My death may help in bringing better days for my country”
4. Caretaker of Family:-
Pythias cares a lot for his mother and sister. He is very anxious to meet his mother and sister even when he’s dying. As he says that:
“I’m worried about what will happen
to my mother and sister when I’m gone”
With the help of Damon, he meets his mother and sister and arrange their affairs so that they can lead a comfortable life.
5. Straightforward: -
Pythias is a true and straight forward person. He doesn’t’ feel any fear even when he hears about the harsh laws of king; he dares to
speak openly in the presence of king. On another occasion he inform robbers that:
“I have to die by the King’s orders three days from now, if I don’t return on time, my friend must die in my place”.
Character of Damon:-
1. Sincere friend:-
Damon is a sincere friend of Pythias and a young Sicilian known far and wide for his true friendship with Pythias. Their names are
often recalled for the true friendship between these two persons. Damon is the most striking figure on behalf of following qualities.
2. Honest Fellow: -
Damon is an honest and faithful friend of Pythias by virtue of his devotion and sincerity. When his best friend Pythias is behind the
bars and Damon hears that his friend has been thrown in the prison and received death sentence, he approaches the king and
requests him to let Pythias go home to bid farewell to his mother and sister. When king rejects his proposal, he offers himself
instead of his friend till he returns. Though Pythias himself is not happy with his idea, as he says;
“No, No Damon you must not do such a foolish thing.
I shall not let you do this”
3. Resourceful:-
Damon is very resourceful in playing his act. He ensures his friend Pythias not to worry about his mother and sister because he
would gladly take care of them and can manage well for their proper living. On another occasion he pleads the king for temporary
release of his friend so that he may be able to visit his mother and sister.
4. Moves the King:-
Doman is certain till end that his friend will come. He stands by his friend even in such a risky situation. If he had not helped his
friend Pythias, the King, tyrant monarch would not have changed. It is he who has played his great role to move the king. Because of
his acceptance to be imprisoned in place of his friend, the king lets Pythias go for few days.
CHARACTER OF KING:-
Dionysius, the ruler of Syracuse was a cruel tyrant. He made cruel laws and showed no mercy towards anyone.
1. Cruel Tyrant:-
Dionysius, the ruler of Syracuse is an absolute tyrant and unjust king. He makes his own cruel laws. No one dares to commit a crime
of speaking against his rules. If one does so, he shows no mercy to him. The example lies in treating Damon and Pythias who rises
against him.
2. A Sign of Terror:-
Dionysius, the king is a sign of terror and horror to the people of Sicily. No one dare to rebel or speak against him, his army or his
cruel laws. Speaking against him is a talk considered as treason when the young scholar Pythias is speaking against him, in a fit of
rage, he summoned him and shouted in these words:
“You are conspiring to overthrow me. Retract what you’ve said or face the consequences.”
3. Believes in Deal:-
It’s real that the king believes in deal. He accepts that Damon will be the pledge of Pythias. He agrees on condition that if Pythias
does not return to Syracuse, Damon will have to die in his place.
Not altogether a tyrant:-
He, the king is not cruel at all. At the end of the play it is revealed that the king has got feelings too when he hears that Pythias has
come back to receive his death sentence, his eyes and heart gets opened. It seems impossible for him to resist the power of such
constancy.
“The sentence is revoked”, he declared. “I’ve never believed that such faith and loyalty could exist in friendship. You have shown me
how wrong I was, and it is only right that you be rewarded with your freedom”
In return he demands them one great service:
“Teach me how to be part of so worthy a friendship.”
Study Questions:-
Q1. Who were Damon and Pythias? Where did they live?
Ans. Damon and Pythias were two young men who lived on the Island of Sicily. They were known far and wide for their strong
friendship.
Q2. What was the King like?
Ans. Dionysius, the ruler of Syracuse was a cruel tyrant. He made cruel laws and showed no mercy towards anyone.
Q3. Why didn’t the people rebel against the cruel king?
Ans: The people didn’t rebel against the cruel king because the king had a great and powerful army. He gave severe punishment to
persons who rebelled against him, so the people were afraid of him and didn’t dare to rebel against him.
Q4. Why is Pythias arrested?
Ans. Pythias opposed the cruel laws of king and criticized him. He shows no fear when speak against the king and laws made by him.
This really annoyed the king and he ordered to arrest him and put him into the prison.
Q5. How does the king react to Pythias disapproval of his lows?
Ans. The King’s reaction to Pythias disapproval of his laws is severe. He becomes irritated and asked Pythias that if the people have
appointed him their champion. He declares him a rebel and ordered his soldiers to put him into death and killed him after two
weeks. So that people learn a lesson from it and dare not complain against him.
Q6. What punishment does the king accord to Pythias?
Ans. The king accords death punishment to Pythias. He is put into prison for two weeks and he shall be put to death in public square
as an example for everyone else who dares to question against the law of king.
Q7. What does Damon do when he hear about his friends imprisonment?
Ans. Damon is a very devoted friend of Pythias. He is shocked to hear about his friends’ imprisonment. He instantly rushes to the
prison to meet his friend to make arrangement for them. So, that they will have no problem in future life.
Q8. What thought troubles the mind of Pythias?
Ans. The thought of his mother and sister troubles the mind of Pythias. He is much worried to think that what will happen of his
mother and sister after his death.
Q9. What is Pythias known for throughout Sicily?
Ans. Pythias is a man of words. He is known for keeping his promise throughout Sicily and also for his friendship with Damon.
Q10. What plan does Damon proposed to Pythias to help him to do what he wants to do?
Ans. Damon proposes to Pythias to help him in doing what he wants to do by requesting the king to give freedom to Pythias for few
days. He will take place in the prison and will give his words to the king that if he does not return on the appointed day, he may kill
him in his place.
Q11. How does Damon plead Pythias case before king?
Ans. Damon appealed to the king to release Pythias for a few days to enable him to meet his mother and sister and to arrange his
family affairs. In the absence of Pythias he will take his place in the prison.
Q12. Why the king does agree to Damon’s proposal?
Ans. The king agrees to the Damon’s proposal because he wants to test their true friendship.
Q13. Does Pythias like Damon’s bargain with the king? Why?
Ans. Pythias does not like Damon’s bargain with the king. He is man of principles and refuses to submit before a tyrant king. Also he
doesn’t want Damon to put his life in danger.
Q14. What do the people represented by the voices think whether Pythias will return to die or not?
Ans. The people represented by different voices have different opinions. Some people think that Pythias will keep his promise to
save his friends life. Others think that he will not come back. They are of the view that “Friendship is friendship but a man’s own life
is something stronger.
Q15. Why does not Pythias stay for another day as his mother asks him to?
Ans. Pythias wishes to reach the prison well in time to save life of his friend Damon that’s why he refuses to stay for another day as
his mother asks him to.
Q16. Do the robber believe Pythias story about Damon and Pythias (himself)?
Ans. No, the robbers do not believe Pythias story about Damon and himself. They think that such kind of friendship does not exist in
this materialistic world.
Q17. Why does the king mock Damon and what is Damon’s response?
Ans. As Pythias does not return by the end of appointed time. The king mocks Damon and makes fun of his friend and their
friendship. Damon tells the king that he has complete faith in his friend who will reach at the proper time.
Q18. What does the king say when he hears about the two robbers?
Ans. The king is greatly moved to see the sincere friendship of Damon and Pythias. The king promises to punish the two robbers and
orders their arrest as they nearly killed an innocent man.
Q19. Why does the king let Damon and Pythias go free?
Ans. The true and faithful friendship of Damon and Pythias and their devotion and loyalty impresses the king very much so the king
sets them free.
Q20. What is the theme of the play? Whose behavior Damon’s, Pythias’s, king’s most admirable and why?
Ans. The theme of play is true friendship Behavior of all characters is admirable but in my opinion the most admirable character is of
Damon. He puts his life in danger for his friend. He is not afraid of death. He is very courageous. As he helps his friend by
endangering his own life. Only a few persons can do so.
Q21. What does Pythias wish to do before he is put to death?
Ans. Pythias wishes to see his mother and sister before his death. As he is a loving son and brother. He also wishes to make
arrangements for them. So that, they will have no problem in future.
Multi Letter to the Editor

Letter to Editor
About poor street lights
 About rash driving
 Poor street lights
 About street crime
 About beggary
Multi Letter to Editor

Examination Hall,
City A.B.C.
22nd November 2014.
The Editor,
The "Daily Dawn" ,
Lahore.
Subject : The Problem of________________________
Sir,
Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to draw the attention of the concerned authorities towards
the problem of _________.It is observed commonly that this problem is on the rise these days. I am much impressed by the
clarity and boldness with which your newspaper takes a strong stance. I also know that your paper is far away from yellow
journalism. I am much impressed by the boldness with which you tackle the problem and give some feasible solutions
also.____________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________ .
I would like to give some suggestions to minimize this problem,
a) Government as well as the concerned authorities must pay attention to solve this increasing problem.
b) Media should play its role to eradicate the aforesaid problem.
c) People should also cooperate with the concerned authorities in solving this ongoing problem.
d) _____________________________________________________________ .
e) _______________________________________________________________ .
I hope that by following the above mentioned suggestions, we shall be able to grapple with the problem
Yours truly,
X.Y.Z.
Multi- Dialogues o Between teacher and student on unfair means in

exams
o Between bank manager and customer for opening
o Between two friends on book reading
a new account
o Between doctor and patient
Multi Dialogue
o Between two students on fashion in colleges
Prepared By: Abdul Rehman Bin Xia (M.A. English, Punjab University, M.B.A. Marketing, Preston University, B.Ed. Sky Line
University, Sharjah )
Akbar: Same to you, and Allah hafiz

Aslam: Aslam-u- Alikum, how are you?
Akbar: Waalikum-us-salm, I am all right. What is going on
these days?
Aslam: I am doing graduation nowadays/doing a job.
C.V. / Resume
Akbar: Ok, very nice. How is your life getting on?
Aslam: It’s going well but problems are an inevitable part
of life.
a. Name: ABC
Akbar: What kind of problems you face in
life?englishnotes4all.com b. Father s’ Name: DTF
Aslam: My problems are those which are being faced by
c. Date of Birth: 12/12/1990
every Pakistani.
Nowadays I’m facing the problem of ___________. d. CNIC No: 123
(Load shedding/inflation)
e. Address: 22 /A, New Town , Lahore
Akbar: The problem of_______ is increasing rapidly due
to the negligence f. Contact: 123
of government.
g. Experience:
Aslam: Tell me about yourself, what are you doing these
days?
Akbar: I am working at ____________.
 Have been teaching in STU College for
Aslam: ___________________________.
Akbar: ___________________________. two years
Aslam: ___________________________.
Akbar: ___________________________.
Aslam: __________________________. h. Qualifications:
Akbar: Your cell phone is ringing. It looks like that you
have an urgent call.
Aslam: Oh yes, my father is calling me. 
MA English as a regular
Akbar: Do you have an urgent work at home or is it an
student from PU
emergency?
Aslam: A little bit. Ok, nice to meet you.  PGD in English from the University of the
Akbar: Ok, take care, see you again. Punjab.
Aslam: God bless you, Allah Hafiz.
Parts of Speech
The eight main parts of speech in English are: Examples: big, happy, green, young, fun, crazy, three
NOUN - (Naming word) Example sentences: The little girl had a pink hat.
A noun is the name of a person, place, thing or idea. VERB - (Action Word)
Examples of nouns: Daniel, London, table, dog, teacher, pen, city, A verb shows an action or state of being. A verb shows what
happiness, hope someone or something is doing.
Example sentences: Steve lives Examples: go, speak, run, eat, play, live, walk, have, like, are, is
in Sydney. Mary uses pen and paper to write letters.
Example sentences: I like Woodward English. I study their charts
PRONOUN - (Replaces a Noun) and play their games.
A pronoun is used in place of a noun or noun phrase to avoid

repetition.
Examples of pronouns: I, you, we, they, he, she, it, me, us, them,
him, her, this, those ADVERB - (Describes a verb)
An adverb describes/modifies a verb, an adjective or another

Example sentences: Mary is tired. She wants to adverb. It tells how, where, when, how often or to what extent.
sleep. I want her to dance with me. Many adverbs end in -LY
ADJECTIVE - (Describing word) Examples: slowly, quietly, very, always, never, too, well,
tomorrow, here
An adjective describes, modifies or gives more information about
a noun or pronoun.
Example sentences: I am usually busy. Yesterday, I ate my Examples: and, or, but, because, so, yet, unless, since, if.
lunch quickly.
Example sentences: I was hot and exhausted but I still finished the
PREPOSITION - (Shows relationship) marathon.
A preposition shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to INTERJECTION - (Expressive word)

another word. They can indicate time, place, or relationship.
An interjection is a word or phrase that expresses a strong feeling
Examples: at, on, in, from, with, near, between, about, under or emotion. It is a short exclamation.
Example sentences: I left my keys on the table for you. Examples: Ouch! Wow! Great! Help! Oh! Hey! Hi!
CONJUNCTION - (Joining word) Example sentences: Wow! I passed my English test. Great! –
Ouch! That hurt.
A conjunction joins two words, ideas, phrases or clauses together
in a sentence and shows how they are connected.
For each underlined word in the following sentences, identify and then write the part of speech on the line next to the numbe r. Each part of
speech is used at least once.
1. They attended the concert last weekend.
2. Several cats ran into Rob’s garage.
3. The truck driver delivered the packages quickly.
4. Fast runners won all the awards at the track meet.
5. My friends and I walked home afterschool.
6. I wanted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch yesterday.
7. She was counting the ballots during social studies class.
8. Hey! That is my seat.
9. Will they finish the test on time?
10. The diagram was pretty complicated for us.
11. He will practice his musical piece soon.
12. Reggie saw the awesome sight from the air.
13. Her sister is the oldest member of the group.
14. Check the score, Tom.
15. Will the students be able to find the answer by themselves?
16. Are you sure of yourself?
17. They slowly carried the couch down the stairs.
18. Can you see beyond the hills from the top of the tower?
19. Hurray! Our team has finally scored a touchdown.
20. The troop had been scattered throughout the woods.
NOUN
Noun is a word which is used to name something as a person,
animal, thing and place. There are six kinds of noun in English.
1) Proper Noun 4) Collective Noun

2) Common Noun 5) Compound Noun
3) Abstractive Noun 6) Material Noun
1) PROPER NOUN
DEFINITION: Proper Noun is a name of particular thing, person, animal and place. On the other hand, proper noun is always written with a capital
letter at the beginning of the word.
Example: Dara, New York, Cambodia, John
2) COMMON NOUN
DEFINITION: Common Noun is a name which is given in common to everyone (person, thing, animal…..).
Example: Man, teacher, doctor, dog, cat, house, chair
3) ABSTRACTIVE NOUN
DEFINITION: Abstractive Noun is the name of idea, quality and action that is the name of something we can’t touch, see, smell and taste.
Example:
- Idea: Advice, ambition, wish.
- Quality: Goodness, kindness, darkness...
- Action: Talking, movement, discussion.
4) COLLECTIVE NOUN
DEFINITION: Collective Noun is a name of number or collection of person, thing and animal taken together and spoken as a whole.
Example: Army, committee, family, nation, association, community
5) COMPOUND NOUN
DEFINITION: Compound Nouns are the nouns that are combined between one word with another word and can make from many kinds of noun,
adjective and verb.
6) MATERIAL NOUN
DEFINITION: Material Noun is the name of particular object.
Example: Chair, table, car, book, pen, house
Point out the nouns in the following sentences and state whether they are
Common, Proper, Collective or Abstract.
1. He was given an award for his courage.
2. The door slammed shut.
3. She thought that happiness was the most important thing in life.
4. He dropped his phone with a crash.
5. Time is a great teacher. 6. His art teacher applauded his creativity.
7. She moved the chair into place.
8. He always made his bed before leaving for school.
9. She accidentally stubbed her toe on the table.
10. He had put on too much perfume.
11. The car zoomed by the pedestrians.
12. She believed in justice above all.
13. The children spilled juice on the keyboard.
14. She looked at herself in the mirror.
15. She craved freedom.
P RONOUN
A pronoun is a word that is used instead of a noun or already been mentioned or to a noun that does not need
noun phrase. Pronouns re fer to e ither a noun that has to be named specifically.
1. Personal pr onouns, which refer to the person or peopl e speaki ng or writing (fi rst person), the person or peopl e being
spoken to (second person), or other peopl e or thi ngs ( third person). Like nouns, personal pronouns can function as
either the subject of a ver b or the object of a ver b or preposition: " She likes hi m, but he l oves her."
2. Interrogative pronouns—particularly w hat, which, who, w hom, and whose—i ntroduce questions for which a noun is
the answer , as in " Which do you pr efer?"
3. Possessive pronouns refer to things or people that bel ong to someone. The main possessive pronouns
are mine , yours , his, hers, its, ours , and theirs.
4. Demonstrative pr onouns
this, that, these, and those—distinguish the person or thi ng being referred to from other people or thi ngs; they ar e
identical to the demonstrative adjectives.
5. Relative pronouns introduce a subor dinate clause, a part of a sentence that includes a subject and verb but does not
form a sentence by itself. The main relative pr onouns are that, w hich, who, w hom, what, and whose .
6. Reflexive pr onouns r efer back to the subject of a sentence or clause and are for med by adding -self or -selves to a
personal pr onoun or possessive adjective, as i n myself, herself, ourselves, and itself.
7. Indefinite pronouns , such as everybody, either, none, and something, do not refer to a specific person or thing , and
typically r efer to an unidentified or unfamiliar person or thing.
Choose the correct answer.
This is Sam. I go to school with _____.

He
him
_____ are going into town.

Us
We
Why are you looking at _____?
Me
_____ goes to bed at nine o'clock.
Her
She
Adjective
Adjective can be defined as “Adjective is a word naming an attribute of a noun or pronoun, such as sweet, red, or technical.”
Types of Adjective
Adjective of Quality or Descriptive Adjective For Example:
Adjective of quality is also known as descriptive adjective as it describes the

 New Delhi is a large capital city of India having
nature and attribute of nouns or pronouns. They give quite better idea to
very old historical monuments.
understand the characteristics of noun or pronoun by answering the
question. Descriptive adjectives are like honest, kind, large, bulky, thin, fat,  Neha is a thin and beautiful.
beautiful, smart, ugly, etc.
Adjective of Quantity For Example:
Adjective of quantity shows the approximate amount of a noun or pronoun

 I have seen few people eating rice.
however does not provide exact numbers. It tells the amount of noun or
pronoun in relative or whole terms. Such as; few, little, enough, all, many,  Many people come every year to visit the fair.
half, no, great, etc.
Adjective of Number or Numeral Adjective
Adjective of number is also known as numeral adjective. It indicates the

number of nouns and their place in the sentence.
Distributive Numeral Adjective For example:
Either, each, neither, every, another, other, etc.
 Each leg has four fingers and one toe.

 Every child need care and love.
 Either method is wrong.
 Neither method is correct.
Demonstrative Adjective For example: That is my bag.
Demonstrative adjectives are those adjectives which indicate a particular

 I like this food very much.
noun or pronoun uses adjectives like this, these, that, and those.
Interrogative Adjective For example:
Interrogative adjectives are those adjectives which are used to ask questions
 Where did I say I was going?
and accompany nouns. It is placed before noun in the sentence. Interrogative
adjectives are like where, which, what, and whose.  What assignment did you missed out?
Fill in the correct form of the words in brackets (comparative or superlative).
1. My house is (big) than yours. 6. A holiday by the sea is (good) than a holiday
in the mountains.
2. This flower is (beautiful) than that one.
7. It is strange but often a coke
3. This is the (interesting) book I have ever read.
is (expensive) than a beer.
4. Non-smokers usually live (long) than smokers.
8. Who is the (rich) woman on earth?
5. Which is the (dangerous) animal in the
world?
VERB
DEFINITIN: Verb is the word which is used to tell about the action or movement of person, thing and animal. There are many kinds of verb as
follow:
1) Transitive Verb
2) Intransitive Verb
3) Linking Verb
4) Action Verb
TRANSITIVE VERB
Transitive Verb is the verb that needs object and usually followed These transitive verbs include arrest, avoid, do, enjoy, find, force,
by noun. get, give, grab, hit, like, pull , report, shock, take, tell, touch, want,
warn…
Formula:
Sub + T.V + Obj
Example:
- She takes a book.
- I need a chair.
- They speak English.
2) INTRANSITIVE VERB
Intransitive Verb is the verb which does not need object, but it
needs adverbial modifier. These intransitive verbs include appear,
come, fall, go, happen, matter, sleep, swim, wait…
Formula:
Sub + I.V + (Adv.)
Example:
- He cries.
- They dance well.
3) LINKING VERB Linking Verb refers to verb that needs subjective complement
rather than object and that subjective complement describes the
subject.
These Linking Verbs include:
Be, smell, feel, taste, prove, look, become, appear, stay, remain, get, sound, seem, grow, turn, go
4) Action Verb
When it comes to the most versatile part of speech in a sentence, you could say verbs rule. You can make an entire sentence out of one verb.
For example, “Stop!” See, that’s a sentence! You can’t make a sentence with any other part of speech. Nouns cannot make a one-word
sentence, nor can adjectives, adverbs, or any other part of speech.
But verbs do have something in common with nouns. Like nouns, there are different kinds of verbs. There are action verbs, linking verbs,
helping verbs, regular verbs and irregular verbs. Let’s take a look at action verbs.
 The cheetah runs faster than humans.

 Billy jumped out of his bed Friday morning.
 He sat at the breakfast table.
 She wrote a note to Billy’s parents.
 She wanted a good grade.
State whether the verbs in the following sentences are used transitively or intransitively.
1
. Heat expands metals. 7. The boy is flying the kite.
2. Metals expand on heating. 8. The birds are flying in the sky.
3. The driver stopped the car. 9. The rider fell off the horse and broke his arm.
4. The car stopped abruptly.
5. You must speak the truth.
10. The woodcutter felled a huge tree.
6. You must speak loudly.
Adverb
An adverb is a word that provides more information about a verb, or sometimes about an adjective or another adverb.
There are different kinds of adverbs expressing different meaning. The following are some of the common ones.
Adverb of time o His factory was burned down a few months ago.
An adverb of time tells us when something is done or happens. We o Last week, we were stuck in the lift for an hour.
use it at the beginning or at the end of a sentence. We use it as a
form of emphasis when we place it at the beginning. Adverbs of
Adverb of place
time include afterwards, already, always, immediately, last
month, now, soon, then, and yesterday. An adverb of place tells us where something is done or happens.
We use it after the verb, direct object or at the end of a sentence.
Examples: Adverbs of place include words such
as above, below, here, outside, over
there, there, under, upstairs.
o He collapsed and died yesterday.
Examples: o The referee had to stop the match when it began to

rain really heavily. (Before adverb)
o We can stop here for lunch. o Her daughter is quite fat for her age.
o The schoolboy was knocked over by a school bus. o The accident victim nearly died from his injuries.
o They rushed for their lives when fire broke out in the o After all these years, she is still feeling very sad about her
floor below. father’s death.
Adverb of manner Adverb of frequency

An adverb of manner tells us how something is done or happens. An adverb of frequency tells us how often something is done or
Most adverbs of manner end in –ly such happens. Words used as adverbs of frequency
as badly, happily, sadly, slowly, quickly, and others that include again, almost, always, ever, frequently, generally, hardly
include well, hard, fast.. ever, nearly, nearly
always, never, occasionally, often, rarely, seldom, sometimes, tw
Examples: ice, usually, and weekly.
Examples:
o The brothers were badly injured in the fight.
o They had to act fast to save the others floating in the water.
o They were almost fifty when they got married.
o At the advanced age of 88, she still sang very well.
o He hardly ever says something nice to his wife.
Adverb of degree o While overseas, he frequently phoned home.

o She is not nearly always right although she thinks she
An adverb of degree tells us the level or extent that something is
done or happens. Words of adverb of degree is always right.
are almost, much, nearly, quite, really, so, too, very, etc. o He complained that she never smiled back.
Examples:
o We only write to each other very occasionally.
o Peter seldom reads the Bible.
o It was too dark for us to find our way out of the cave.
o Sometimes he stays late in the office to complete his work.
(Before adjective)
o Our cat was bitten twice by the same dog.
o The man usually proposes marriage.
Read the following story. Circle every single-word adverb the author uses.
Remember that adverbs can modify a verb or adjective, or they can show comparison.
The Main Street Library closed for the day on the evening of December 8th. On that night the security guard did not check between every shelf
carefully. When he left, he switched off the lights and eagerly bolted the door behind him. He did not know that Andy Fiddel was sitting in the
science section of the library. When the library became dark, Andy slowly closed his science book. He headed downstairs, but the security guard
was completely gone by the time Andy reached the lobby. Being only a young boy of eight years old, he didn’t quite know what to do. For a few
minutes he pounded furiously on the locked door and yelled loudly. But the cars outside passed by quickly and they couldn’t h ear him. After a
moment he became very bored with this useless activity. Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind. He thought he could happi ly spend hours
here! He easily found the light switch, and then returned to his book. He finished it rapidly and moved to the next book. He read about leeches,
lizards, and other fantastically creepy creatures. He carefully read Shakespeare’s beautifully written sonnets. He read excit edly, then greedily,
then hungrily. He read faster and faster and blinked less and less frequently. His red eyes ached and his empty stomach complained loudly. He
was totally involved in a book about American history when he suddenly heard a voice ring through the library. A friend of th e library manager
had noticed the lights in the library. She phoned the manager promptly. The manager now called to Andy. Andy began explaining that he was
there accidentally. His parents arrived, running eagerly through the door. He soon explained everything, and they finally went home.
Preposition
A preposition is a word such as after, in, to, on, and with. they show the relationship between the noun or pronoun and
Prepositions are usually used in front of nouns or pronouns and other words in a sentence.
 1. Prepositions of Time  2. Prepositions of Place
 3. Prepositions of Direction 4. Prepositions of Manner/Prepositions of Cause and Effect
Prepositions are mostly small single words used before a noun There are many prepositions, most of which are single-word such
(at home), a noun phrase (across the river) or a pronoun (for you). as above, along, behind, from, near, of, on, since, to, until,
They may also consist of two or more words acting as a single and with.
preposition called compound preposition. The prepositions are
used to form relationships between the nouns and other words in A preposition is followed by a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun, each
a sentence by linking them. of which becomes the object of the preposition. Only the noun can
be the object; other parts of speech such as verb, adjective, or
adverb cannot be the object.
Examples:
o We woke up before sunrise.

(The noun sunrise is the object of the preposition before.)
o We often stroll along the beach.
(The noun phrase the beach is the object of the preposition along.)
o She waved to him.
(The pronoun him is the object of the preposition to.)
Conjunctions
Words which connect words, phrases, clauses or sentences are called conjunctions (see "to conjoin" = join, unite). The most common ones are
'and', 'or' and 'but'. These words all have different nuances and connotations but they all help to build up meaningful relat ionships within a
sentence.
Coordinating Conjunctions
The simple, little conjunctions are called coordinating
conjunctions (you can click on the words to see specific
descriptions of each one):
Coordinating Conjunctions
and but or yet for nor so
Subordinating Conjunctions
A Subordinating Conjunction (sometimes called a  Because he loved acting, he refused to give up
dependent word or subordinator) comes at the beginning of his dream of being in the movies.
 Unless we act now, all is lost.
a Subordinate (or Dependent) Clause and establishes the
relationship between the dependent clause and the rest of the
Notice that some of the subordinating conjunctions in the
sentence. It also turns the clause into something that depends on
table below — after, before, since — are also prepositions, but as
the rest of the sentence for its meaning.
subordinators they are being used to introduce a clause and to
 He took to the stage as though he had been subordinate the following clause to the independent element in
preparing for this moment all his life. the sentence.
Common Subordinating Conjunctions

after if though
although if only till
as in order that unless
as if now that until
as long as once when
as though rather than whenever
because since where
before so that whereas
even if than wherever
even though that while
 Polonius said, "Neither a borrower nor a

Correlative Conjunctions: Some conjunctions combine with lender be."
other words to form what are called correlative conjunctions.

 Whether you win this race or lose it doesn't
matter as long as you do your best.
They always travel in pairs, joining various sentence elements
that should be treated as grammatically equal.
 She led the team not only in statistics but

also by virtue of her enthusiasm.
PUNCTUATION
Punctuation Symbol Definition Examples
Mark
Apostrophe ' An apostrophe is used as a substitute for a missing letter or letters in a I can't see the cat's tail.
word (as in the contraction cannot = can't), to show the possessive case Dot your i's and cross your t's.
(Jane's room), and in the plural of letters, some numbers and 100's of years.
abbreviations. Note: groups of years no longer require an apostrophe
(for example, the 1950s or the 90s).
Colon : A colon is used before a list or quote. There are many punctuation
marks: period, comma, colon,
A colon is used to separate hours and minutes. and others.
A colon is used to separate elements of a mathematical ratio. The time is 2:15.
The ratio of girls to boys is 3:2.

Comma , A comma is used to separate phrases or items in a list. She bought milk, eggs, and
bread.
Dash — A dash is used to separate parts of a sentence. The dash is also known as an
"em dash" because it is the
length of a printed letter m —
it is longer than a hyphen.
Ellipsis ... An ellipsis (three dots) indicates that part of the text has been 0, 2, 4, ... , 100
intentionally been left out.
Exclamation ! An exclamation point is used to show excitement or emphasis. It is cold!
point
Hyphen - A hyphen is used between parts of a compound word or name. It is also The sixteen-year-old girl is a
used to split a word by syllables to fit on a line of text. full-time student.
Parentheses () Parentheses are curved lines used to separate explanations or qualifying This sentence (like others on
statements within a sentence (each one of the curved lines is called a this page) contains a
parenthesis). The part in the parentheses is called a parenthetical parenthetical remark.
remark.
Period . A period is used to note the end of a declarative sentence. I see the house.
Question ? A question mark is used at the end of a question. When are we going?
mark
Quotation " Quotation marks are used at the beginning and end of a phrase to show She said, "Let's eat."
mark that it is being written exactly as it was originally said or written.
Semicolon ; A semicolon separates two independent clauses in a compound Class was canceled today; Mr.
sentence. Smith was home sick.
A semicolon is also used to separate items in a series (where commas Relatives at the reunion
are already in use). included my older brother,
Bob; my cousin, Art; and my
great-aunt, Mattie.
Determiners:
Determiners are words placed in front of a noun to make it clear what the noun refers to. Use the pages in this section to help you use English
determiners correctly.
DETERMINERS IN ENGLISH
 Definite article : the

 Indefinite articles : a, an
 Demonstratives: this, that, these, those
 Pronouns and possessive determiners : my, your, his, her, its, our, their
 Quantifiers : a few, a little, much, many, a lot of, most, some, any, enough
 Numbers : one, ten, thirty
 Distributives : all, both, half, either, neither, each, every
 Difference words : other, another
 Pre-determiners : such, what, rather, quite
Direct and indirect speech can be a source of confusion for English learners. Let's first define the terms, then look at how to talk about what
someone said, and how to convert speech from direct to indirect or vice-versa.
You can answer the question What did he say? in two ways:
 by repeating the words spoken (direct speech)

 by reporting the words spoken (indirect or reported speech).
DIRECT SPEECH
Direct speech repeats, or quotes, the exact words spoken. When we use direct speech in writing, we place the words spoken between quotation
marks (" ") and there is no change in these words. We may be reporting something that's being said NOW (for example a telephone conversation),
or telling someone later about a previous conversation.
EXAMPLES
 She says, "What time will you be home?"

 She said, "What time will you be home?" and I said, "I don't know! "
 "There's a fly in my soup!" screamed Simone.
 John said, "There's an elephant outside the window."
INDIRECT SPEECH
Reported or indirect speech is usually used to talk about the past, so we normally change the tense of the words spoken. We use reporting
verbs like 'say', 'tell', 'ask', and we may use the word 'that' to introduce the reported words. Inverted commas are not used.
She said, "I saw him." (direct speech) = She said that she had seen him. (indirect speech)
'That' may be omitted:

She told him that she was happy. = She told him she was happy.
'SAY' AND 'TELL'
Use 'say' when there is no indirect object:

He said that he was tired.
Always use 'tell' when you say who was being spoken to (i.e. with an indirect object):
He told me that he was tired.
'TALK' AND 'SPEAK'
Use these verbs to describe the action of communicating:

He talked to us.
She was speaking on the telephone.
Use these verbs with 'about' to refer to what was said:

He talked (to us) about his parents.
Normally, the tense in reported speech is one tense back in time from the tense in direct speech:
She said, "I am tired." = She said that she was tired.
You do not need to change the tense if the reporting verb is in the  We explained, "It could be difficult to find our house."
present, or if the original statement was about something that is = We explained that it could be difficult to find our
still true, e.g. house.
 She said, "I might bring a friend to the party." = She
said that she might bring a friend to the party.
 He says he has missed the train but he'll catch the next
one.
Time and place must often change when going from direct to
 We explained that it is very difficult to find our house.
reported speech.
These modal verbs do not change in reported speech: might,

could, would, should, ought to:
Conditional tenses are used to speculate about what could happen, actually referring to something that happened in the past. There
what might have happened, and what we wish would happen. In are five main ways of constructing conditional sentences in English.
English, most sentences using the conditional contain the word if. In all cases, these sentences are made up of an if clause and a main
Many conditional forms in English are used in sentences that clause. In many negative conditional sentences, there is an
include verbs in one of the past tenses. This usage is referred to equivalent sentence construction using "unless" instead of "if".
as "the unreal past" because we use a past tense but we are not
PRESENT PARTICIPLES AFTER VERBS OF PERCEPTION

PRESENT PARTICIPLES Present participles can be used after verbs of perception in the
A present participle is most commonly used as part of the pattern verb + object + present participle to indicate the action
continuous form of a verb, after verbs of perception, after verbs being perceived.
of movement, or as an adjective.
EXAMPLES
PRESENT PARTICIPLES AS PART OF THE CONTINUOUS FORM OF A
VERB  We saw him swimming across the pond.
 I watched her painting Sarah's portrait.
Present participles are an element in all continuous verb forms  I couldn't hear her singing because of the noise.
(past, present, future, conditional, etc.). The helping verb will
indicate the tense, while the present participle remains
 I would like to see you knitting sometime.
unchanging.
PRESENT PARTICIPLES AFTER VERBS OF MOVEMENT, ACTION, OR
POSITION, TO INDICATE PARALLEL ACTIVITY.
EXAMPLES
 He is painting. EXAMPLES
 She was waiting.
 They will be coming.  She sat looking at the sea.
 We would be staying.  He walks reading his newspaper.
 I would have been leaving.  I cook listening to the radio.
 Sally lay listening to the bugs in the grass.  This movie is so exciting!
 His economics class is boring.
PRESENT PARTICIPLES AS ADJECTIVES
EXAMPLES
 Did you read that amazing book?
GERUNDS
The gerund always has the same function as a noun, although it The gerund looks exactly the same as a present participle, but it is
looks like a verb. It can be used in the same way as a noun. useful to understand the difference between the two. The gerund
always has the same function as a noun (although it looks like a
verb). Some uses of the gerund are covered on this page. A
A GERUND AS THE SUBJECT OF THE SENTENCE separate page deals with verbs that are followed by the gerund.
EXAMPLES THE GERUND AS THE SUBJECT OF THE SENTENCE
 Eating people is wrong.

EXAMPLES
 Driving too fast is dangerous.
 Walking is good for you.
 Your knitting is beautiful.
 Eating people is wrong.
 Hunting tigers is dangerous.
 Flying makes me nervous.
A GERUND AFTER PREPOSITIONS  Brushing your teeth is important.
 Smoking causes lung cancer.
EXAMPLES
THE GERUND AS THE COMPLEMENT OF THE VERB 'TO BE'
 Can you sneeze without opening your mouth?

 She is good at painting.
EXAMPLES
 I was the fastest at climbing the rope.
 He learns music by listening to the chords.
 One of his duties is attending meetings.
 The hardest thing about learning English is
A GERUND AFTER CERTAIN SPECIFIC VERBS understanding the gerund.
 One of life's pleasures is having breakfast in bed.
EXAMPLES
THE GERUND AFTER PREPOSITIONS
 I like cooking. The gerund must be used when a verb comes after a preposition.
 He enjoys walking. This is also true of certain expressions ending in a preposition, for
 They hate milking cows. example the expressions in spite of & there's no point in.
 I can imagine drifting away in a balloon.
EXAMPLES
A GERUND IN COMPOUND NOUNS
 Can you sneeze without opening your mouth?

EXAMPLES  She is good at painting.
 She avoided him by walking on the opposite side of
the road.
 I took her to her driving lessons.  We arrived in Madrid after driving all night.
 We are going to the swimming pool.  My father decided against postponing his trip to
 My uncle does a lot of bird-watching. Hungary.
 I found this pie by dumpster-diving.  There's no point in waiting.
 In spite of missing the train, we arrived on time.  They have a swimming pool in their back yard.
 I bought some new running shoes.
THE GERUND AFTER PHRASAL VERBS

THE GERUND AFTER SOME EXPRESSIONS
Phrasal verbs are composed of a verb + preposition or adverb.
The gerund is necessary after the expressions can't help, can't
stand, to be worth, & it's no use.
EXAMPLES
 When will you give up smoking? EXAMPLES

 She always puts off going to the dentist.
 He kept on asking for money.  She couldn't help falling in love with him.
 Jim ended up buying a new TV after his old one broke.  I can't stand being stuck in traffic jams.
 It's no use trying to escape.
There are some phrasal verbs that include the word "to" as a  It might be worth phoning the station to check the
preposition for example to look forward to, to take to, to be time of the train.
accustomed to, to get around to, & to be used to. It is important
to recognise that the word "to" is a preposition in these cases The present participle of most verbs has the form base+ing. It is
because it must be followed by a gerund. It is not part of the used in many different ways.
infinitive form of the verb. You can check whether "to" is a
preposition or part of the infinitive. If you can put the pronoun
"it" after the word "to" and form a meaningful sentence, then the
THE PRESENT PARTICIPLE AS PART OF THE CONTINUOUS FORM
word "to" is a preposition and must be followed by a gerund.
OF A VERB
EXAMPLES
EXAMPLES
 I look forward to hearing from you soon.

 I am working.
 I look forward to it.
 He was singing.
 I am used to waiting for buses.
 I am used to it.
 They have been walking.
 We will be staying.
 She didn't really take to studying English.
 She didn't really take to it.
 She would have been expecting me.
 When will you get around to mowing the grass?

 When will you get around to it? THE PRESENT PARTICIPLE AFTER VERBS OF MOVEMENT &
POSITION
THE GERUND IN COMPOUND NOUNS
This construction is particularly useful with the verb to go.
In compound nouns using the gerund, it is clear that the meaning
is that of a noun, not of a continuous verb. For example, with the
word "swimming pool" it is a pool for swimming in, it is not a pool EXAMPLES
that is swimming.
 She went shopping.

 I go running every morning.
EXAMPLES
 He lay looking up at the clouds.
 She came running towards me.
 I am giving Sally a driving lesson.
THE PRESENT PARTICIPLE AFTER VERBS OF PERCEPTION

The pattern for this usage is verb + object + present participle. There is a difference in meaning when such a sentence contains a zero infinitive
rather than a participle. The infinitive refers to a complete action while the present participle refers to an ongoing action.
EXAMPLES
EXAMPLES
 Whistling to himself, he walked down the road. = He

 I heard someone singing. whistled to himself as he walked down the road.
 He saw his friend walking along the road.  They went laughing out into the snow. = They laughed
 I can smell something burning! as they went out into the snow.
 I watched the birds flying away.  Dropping the gun, she put her hands in the air. = She
dropped the gun and put her hands in the air.
 Putting on his coat, he left the house. = He put on his
THE PRESENT PARTICIPLE AS AN ADJECTIVE coat and left the house.
EXAMPLES THE PRESENT PARTICIPLE TO EXPLAIN A REASON
The present participle can be used instead of a phrase starting

 It was an amazing film. with as, since, or because. In this usage the participial phrase
 Dark billowing clouds often precede a storm. explains the cause or reason for an action.
 He was trapped inside the burning house.
 Many of his paintings show the setting sun.
EXAMPLES
THE PRESENT PARTICIPLE WITH THE VERBS SPEND AND WASTE
 Feeling hungry, he went into the kitchen and opened
The pattern with these verbs is verb + time/money expression + the fridge.
present participle.  Being poor, he didn't spend much on clothes.
 Knowing that his mother was coming, he cleaned the
flat.
EXAMPLES  He whispered, thinking his brother was still asleep.
 My boss spends two hours a day travelling to work.

 Don't waste time playing computer games! FORMING THE INFINITIVE
 They've spent the whole day shopping.
The infinitive is the base form of a verb. In English, when we talk
 I wasted money buying this game.
about the infinitive we are usually referring to the present
infinitive, which is the most common. There are, however, four
other forms of the infinititive: the perfect infinitive, the perfect
THE PRESENT PARTICIPLE WITH THE VERBS CATCH AND FIND
continuous infinitive, the continuous infinitive, & the passive
The pattern with these verbs is verb + object + present participle. infinitive.
With catch, the participle always refers to an action which causes
annoyance or anger. This is not the case with find, which is
unemotional. The present infinitive has two forms:
 the to-infinitive = to + base

EXAMPLES  the zero infinitive = base
 If I catch you stealing my apples again, there'll be The present infinitive base is the verb form you will find in a
trouble! dictionary.
 Don't let him catch you reading his letters.
 I caught him going through my bag.
 We found some money lying on the ground. The negative infinitive is formed by putting not in front of any
form of the infinitive.
 They found their mother sitting in the garden.
THE PRESENT PARTICIPLE FOR TWO ACTIONS AT THE SAME TIME EXAMPLES
When two actions occur at the same time, and are done by the
same person or thing, we can use a present participle to describe  I decided not to go to London.
one of them. When one action follows very quickly after another  He asked me not to be late.
done by the same person or thing, we can express the first action  I'd like you not to sing so loudly.
with a present participle.  I'd rather not eat meat.
 I might not come. subject + to be + adjective + (for/of someone) + to-infinitive +

(rest of sentence)
FUNCTIONS OF THE TO-INFINITIVE

EXAMPLES
The to-infinitive is used in many sentence constructions, often
expressing the purpose of something or someone's opinion about
something. The to-infinitive is used following a large collection of
 There's too much sugar to put in this bowl.
different verbs as well. See this page about verbs followed by  I had too many books to carry.
infinitives.  This soup is too hot to eat.
 She was too tired to work.
 He arrived too late to see the actors.
THE TO-INFINITIVE TO INDICATE THE PURPOSE OR INTENTION OF  I've had enough food to eat.
 She's old enough to make up her own mind.
AN ACTION
 There isn't enough snow to ski on.
In this case to has the same meaning as in order to or so as to.  You're not old enough to have grand-children!
THE TO-INFINITIVE WITH QUESTION WORDS

EXAMPLES
The verbs ask, decide, explain, forget, know, show, tell, &
 She came to collect her pay cheque. understand can be followed by a question word such as where,
how, what, who, & when + the to-infinitive.
 The three bears went to find firewood.
 I am calling to ask you about dad.
 You sister has gone to finish her homework.
EXAMPLES
THE TO-INFINITIVE AS THE SUBJECT OF THE SENTENCE  She asked me how to use the washing machine.
This is a formal usage and is far more common in written English  Do you understand what to do?
than spoken  Tell me when to press the button.
 I've forgotten where to put this little screw.
 I'm not sure I know who to call.
EXAMPLES
 To be or not to be, that is the question. FUNCTIONS OF THE ZERO INFINITIVE

 To know her is to love her.
 To visit the Grand Canyon is my life-long dream.
THE ZERO INFINITIVE AFTER AUXILIARIES
 To understand statistics, that is our aim.
EXAMPLES
THE TO-INFINITIVE TO INDICATE WHAT SOMETHING CAN OR
WILL BE USED FOR
 She can't speak to you.
In this pattern, the to-infinitive follows a noun or pronoun.  He should give her some money.
 Shall I talk to him?
 Would you like a cup of coffee?
EXAMPLES  I might stay another night in the hotel.
 They must leave before 10.00 a.m.
 The children need a garden to play in.
 I would like a sandwich to eat. THE ZERO INFINITIVE AFTER VERBS OF PERCEPTION
 I don't have anything to wear.
 Would you like something to drink? With verbs of perception, the pattern is verb + object + zero
infinitive.
THE TO-INFINITIVE AFTER ADJECTIVES

EXAMPLES
There is a common pattern using the to-infinitive with an
adjective. These phrases are formed:
 He saw her fall from the cliff.
 We heard them close the door.  Why not ask him now?
 They saw us walk toward the lake.  Why leave before the end of the game?
 She felt the spider crawl up her leg.  Why walk when we can go in the car?
 Why not buy a new bed?
THE ZERO INFINITIVE AFTER THE VERBS 'MAKE' AND 'LET'
FUNCTIONS OF THE PASSIVE VOICE

EXAMPLES
The passive voice is used to show interest in the person or object
that experiences an action rather than the person or object that
 Her parents let her stay out late. performs the action. In other words, the most important thing or
 Let's go to the cinema tonight. person becomes the subject of the sentence.
 You made me come with you.
 Don't make me study that boring grammar book!
EXAMPLES
THE ZERO INFINITIVE AFTER THE EXPRESSION 'HAD BETTER'

 The passive voice is used frequently. (= we are
interested in the passive voice, not in who uses it.)
EXAMPLES
 The house was built in 1654. (= we are interested in
the house, not in who built it.)
 The road is being repaired. (= we are interested in the
 We had better take some warm clothing. road, not in the people who are doing the repairs.)
 She had better ask him not to come.
 We had better reserve a room in the hotel. Sometimes we use the passive voice because we don't know or do
 You'd better give me your address. not want to express who performed the action.
 They had better work harder on their homework.
EXAMPLES
THE ZERO INFINITIVE WITH "WHY"
The question word why is followed by the zero infinitive when  I noticed that a window had been left open.
making suggestions.
 Every year thousands of people are killed on our roads.
 All the cookies have been eaten.
 My car has been stolen!
EXAMPLES
The passive voice is often used in formal texts. Switching to the

 Why wait until tomorrow? active voice will make your writing clearer and easier to read.
PASSIVE VOICE WITH INFINITIVES

The infinitive passive voice is used after modal verbs and other  The children are excited to be taken to the zoo.
most verbs normally followed by an infinitive.  Most film stars hate being interviewed.
 Most film stars hate to be interviewed.
 Poodles like to be pampered.
EXAMPLES  Poodles like being pampered.
 You have to be tested on your English grammar.

USING "TO BE BORN"
 John might be promoted next year.
 She wants to be invited to the party. "To be born" is a passive form and is most commonly used in the
 I expect to be surprised on my birthday. past tense. However, in some cases, the present or future tense is
 You may be disappointed. appropriate.
PASSIVE VOICE WITH GERUNDS EXAMPLES

Gerunds are used after prepositions and verbs normally followed
by a gerund.  I was born in 1976.
 Where were you born?
 Around 100 babies are born in this hospital every
EXAMPLES week.
 We don't know on exactly which day the baby will be
born.
 I remember being taught to drive.
 The children are excited about being taken to the zoo.
Phrases
A phrase is a group of words that acts as a "unit," but it does not phrases, verb phrases, adjective phrases, adverb phrases,
have a subject and a verb and it does not express a complete prepositional phrases, appositives, and verbal phrases.
thought. You have learned about several types of phrases: noun
Must wash
Must = auxiliary verb; wash = main verb.

Noun Phrases
A noun phrase includes a noun—a person, place, or thing—and the

modifiers—either before or after—which distinguish it. The pattern Infinitive Phr ases
looks like this:
An infinitive phrase will begin with an infinitive [to + simple form
OPTIONA L MODIFIER(S) + NOUN + OPTIONA L of the verb]. It will often include objects and/or modifiers that
complete the thought. The pattern looks like this:
MODIFIER(S)
INFINITIVE + OBJECT(S) AND/ OR MODIFIER(S)

Here are some examples:

The shopli fted pair of jeans
To sl ur p spaghetti
Pair = noun; the, shoplifted, of jeans = modifiers.
To send the document befor e the deadli ne

A cat that refused to meow
To g ulp the glass of water with such thirst that

Cat = noun; a, that refused to meow = modifiers. streams of liqui d ran dow n his chi n and wet
the fr ont of his already sw eat -soaked shirt
A gr eat English teacher
Teacher = noun; a, great, English = modifiers.

Gerund Phrases
A gerund phrase will begin with a gerund, an ing word, and will
Verb Phrases often include other modifiers and/or objects. The pattern looks
like this:
Sometimes a sentence can communicate its meaning with a one-

word verb. Other times, however, a sentence will use a verb GERUND + OBJECT(S) A ND/OR MODIFIER (S)
phrase, a multi-word verb, to express more nuanced action or
condition. A verb phrase can have up to four parts. The pattern
looks like this: Gerund phrases look exactly like present participle phrases. How
do you tell the difference? You must determine the function of the
phrase.
AUXILIAR Y VERB(S) + MAIN VERB + VERB
ENDING WHEN NECESSARY Gerund phrases always function as nouns, so they will
be subjects,subject complements, or objects in the sentence. Read
these examples:
Washing our dog Gizm o requir es str ong ar ms
Had cl eaned to keep the squir mi ng, unhappy puppy i n the
tub.
Had = auxiliary verb; clean = main verb; ed = verb ending.
Washing our dog Gizmo = subject of the verb requires.
Shoul d have been writi ng
A good strategy for avoi di ng dir ty dishes
Should, have, been = auxiliary verbs; write = main verb; ing= verb is eating every m eal off of paper towels .
ending.
Eating every meal off of paper towels = subject complement of the Susie tri ed holding the slippery tr out, but the
verb is. fish flipped out of her hands and splashed
back i nto the stream.
Holding the slippery trout = direct object of the verb tried
CLAUSE
Dependent and Independent Clauses Instructions:
Circle dependent clauses and underline independent clauses in the paragraphs below. Independent clause: It expresses a complete thought.
It could stand on its own as a separate sentence. Dependent clause: It does not express a complete thought. It could not stand alone as a
complete sentence.
The Bookstore Kaitlin went to the bookstore to buy a book with her mom. Kaitlin wanted to buy a book about horses, but her mo m
thought that she should buy a book about castles. Kaitlin said that horses could run fast and that they used to be wild before people
tamed them. Her mom said that castles were big and old and had lots of stories about the people that used to live there. They agreed to
buy a book that was about both horses and castles. The book was about a princess who rode horses around and lived in a castle. Both
Kaitlin and her mom were happy because they both got what they wanted.
Dependent and Independent Clauses Instructions:
Circle dependent clauses and underline independent clauses in the paragraphs below. Independent clause: It expresses a complete thought.
It could stand on its own as a separate sentence. Dependent clause: It does not express a complete thought. It could not stan d alone as a
complete sentence.
The Bookstore Kaitlin went to the bookstore to buy a book with her mom. Kaitlin wanted to buy a book about horses, but her mo m
thought that she should buy a book about castles. Kaitlin said that horses could run fast and that they used to be wild before people
tamed them. Her mom said that castles were big and old and had lots of stories about the people that used to live there. They agreed to
buy a book that was about both horses and castles. The book was about a princess who rode horses around and lived in a castle. Both
Kaitlin and her mom were happy because they both got what they wanted.
Relative clauses are non-essential parts of a sentence. They may add meaning, but if they are removed,
the sentence will still function grammatically. There are two broad types of relative clauses in English. It is
important to distinguish between them because it affects the choice of pronoun used to introduce the
clause.
DEFINING CLAUSES
A defining or identifying clause tells us which specific person or
thing we are talking about in a larger group of people or things. If EXAMPLES
a defining relative clause is removed, the meaning of the sentence
changes significantly. A defining relative clause is not separated  The woman who visited me in the hospital was very
from the rest of the sentence by commas or parentheses. kind.
 The umbrella that I bought last week is already
broken.
 The man who stole my backpack has been arrested.
 The weather that we had this summer was beautiful.
Learn more about using defining relative clauses correctly.

EXAMPLES
 The farmer, whose name was Fred, sold us 10 pounds

NON-DEFINING CLAUSES of potatoes.
A non-defining or non-essential clause gives us more information

 Elephants, which are the largest land mammals, live in
herds of 10 or more adults.
about the person or thing we are talking about. If a non-defining
relative clause is removed from a sentence, we lose some detail,  The author, who graduated from the same university I
but the overall meaning of the sentence remains the same. Non- did, gave a wonderful presentation.
defining relative clauses are always set off from the rest of the  My mother, who is 86, lives in Paris.
sentence with commas or parentheses.
Tenses: A Complete Over View

The simple present tense is one of several forms of present tense I smoke (habit); I work in London (unchanging
in English. It is used to describe habits, unchanging situations, situation); London is a large city (general truth)
general truths, and fixed arrangements. The simple present tense  To give instructions or directions:
is simple to form. Just use the base form of the verb: (I take, you You walk for two hundred meters, then you turn left.
take, we take, they take) The 3rd person singular takes an -s at the  To express fixed arrangements, present or future:
end. (he takes, she takes) Your exam starts at 09.00
 To express future time, after some conjunctions: after,
when, before, as soon as, until:
He'll give it to you when you come next Saturday.
THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE IS USED:
 To express habits, general truths, repeated actions or

EXAMPLES
unchanging situations, emotions and wishes:
 For habits  For instructions or directions
He drinks tea at breakfast. Open the packet and pour the contents into hot water.
She only eats fish. You take the No.6 bus to Watney and then the No.10 to
They watch television regularly. Bedford.
 For repeated actions or events  For fixed arrangements
We catch the bus every morning. His mother arrives tomorrow.
It rains every afternoon in the hot season. Our holiday starts on the 26th March
They drive to Monaco every summer.  With future constructions
 For general truths She'll see you before she leaves.
Water freezes at zero degrees. We'll give it to her when she arrives.
The Earth revolves around the Sun.
Her mother is Peruvian.
(The form of the present participle is: base+ing, e.g. talking,

playing, moving, smiling)
FORMING THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS
The present continuous of any verb is composed of two parts - the

present tense of the verb to be + the present participle of the main
verb.
EXAMPLES: TO GO, PRESENT CONTINUOUS
 to describe an action or event in the future, which has

already been planned or prepared: We're going on
FUNCTIONS OF THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS holiday tomorrow. I'm meeting my boyfriend
tonight. Are they visiting you next winter?
As with all tenses in English, the speaker's attitude is as important
as the time of the action or event. When someone uses the
 to describe a temporary event or situation: He usually
plays the drums, but he's playing bass guitar
present continuous, they are thinking about something that
tonight. The weather forecast was good, but it's
is unfinished or incomplete
raining at the moment.
 with "always, forever, constantly", to describe and
emphasise a continuing series of repeated
THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS IS USED: actions: Harry and Sally are always arguing! You're
constantly complaining about your mother-in-law!
 to describe an action that is going on at this
moment: You are using the Internet. You
are studying English grammar. VERBS THAT ARE NOT USUALLY USED IN THE CONTINUOUS FORM
 to describe an action that is going on during this period The verbs in the list below are normally used in the simple form
of time or a trend: Are you still working for the same because they refer to states, rather than actions or processes.
company? More and more people are
becoming vegetarian.
SENSES / PERCEPTION
 to feel*
MENTAL STATES
 to hear
 to see*
 to smell
 to forget
 to taste
 to imagine
 to know
 to mean
OPINION  to notice
 to recognize
 to assume  to remember
 to believe  to understand
 to consider
 to doubt
EMOTIONS / DESIRES
 to feel (= to think)
 to find (= to consider)
 to suppose  to envy
 to think*
 to fear
 to dislike
 to hate
 to hope
 to like  to cost
 to love  to hold
 to mind  to measure
 to prefer  to weigh
 to regret
 to want
OTHERS
 to wish
 to look (=resemble)
MEASUREMENT  to seem
 to be (in most cases)
 to contain  to have (when it means "to possess")*
ACTIONS STARTED IN THE PAST AND CONTINUING IN THE

EXCEPTIONS
PRESENT
Perception verbs (see, hear, feel, taste, smell) are often used
with can: I can see... These verbs may be used in the continuous  They haven't lived here for years.
form but with a different meaning
 She has worked in the bank for five years.
 We have had the same car for ten years.
 This coat feels nice and warm. (your perception of the  Have you played the piano since you were a child?
coat's qualities)
 John's feeling much better now (his health is
improving) WHEN THE TIME PERIOD REFERRED TO HAS NOT FINISHED
 She has three dogs and a cat. (possession)
 She's having supper. (She's eating)  I have worked hard this week.
 I can see Anthony in the garden (perception)  It has rained a lot this year.
 I'm seeing Anthony later (We are planning to meet)  We haven't seen her today.
ACTIONS REPEATED IN AN UNSPECIFIED PERIOD BETWEEN THE

DEFINITION OF THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
PAST AND NOW.
The present perfect is used to indicate a link between the present
and the past. The time of the action is before now but not
specified, and we are often more interested in the result than in  They have seen that film six times
the action itself.  It has happened several times already.
 She has visited them frequently.
 We have eaten at that restaurant many times.
THE PRESENT PERFECT IS USED TO DESCRIBE
ACTIONS COMPLETED IN THE VERY RECENT PAST (+JUST)

 An action or situation that started in the past and
continues in the present. I have lived in Bristol since
1984 (= and I still do.)  Have you just finished work?
 An action performed during a period that has not yet  I have just eaten.
finished. She has been to the cinema twice this week (=  We have just seen her.
and the week isn't over yet.)  Has he just left?
 A repeated action in an unspecified period between
the past and now. We have visited Portugal several
times. WHEN THE PRECISE TIME OF THE ACTION IS NOT IMPORTANT OR
 An action that was completed in the very recent past, NOT KNOWN
expressed by 'just'. I have just finished my work.
 An action when the time is not important. He has
read 'War and Peace'. (= the result of his reading is  Someone has eaten my soup!
important)  Have you seen 'Gone with the Wind'?
 She's studied Japanese, Russian, and English.
Note: When we want to give or ask details about when, where,
who, we use the simple past. Read more about choosing between
the present perfect and the simple past tenses.
The present perfect continuous is used to refer to an unspecified action can be in the recent past or the distant past and action
time between 'before now' and 'now'. The speaker is thinking duration is not important.
about something that started but perhaps did not finish in that
period of time. He/she is interested in the process as well as the
result, and this process may still be going on, or may have just
EXAMPLES
finished.
 John Cabot sailed to America in 1498.

ACTIONS THAT STARTED IN THE PAST AND CONTINUE IN THE  My father died last year.
PRESENT
 He lived in Fiji in 1976.
 We crossed the Channel yesterday.
She has been waiting for you all day (= and she's still waiting
now). You always use the simple past when you say when something
I've been working on this report since eight o'clock this morning happened, so it is associated with certain past time expressions
(= and I still haven't finished it).
They have been travelling since last October (= and they're not
home yet).
 frequency: often, sometimes, always
I sometimes walked home at lunchtime.
I often brought my lunch to school.
ACTIONS THAT HAVE JUST FINISHED, BUT WE ARE  a definite point in time: last week, when I was a child,
INTERESTED IN THE RESULTS yesterday, six weeks ago
We saw a good film last week.
She has been cooking since last night (= and the Yesterday, I arrived in Geneva.
She finished her work atseven o'clock
food on the table looks delicious). I went to the theatre last night
It's been raining (= and the streets are still wet).  an indefinite point in time: the other day, ages ago, a
Someone's been eating my chips (= half of them long time ago
have gone). People lived in caves a long time ago.
She played the piano when she was a child.
Note: the word ago is a useful way of expressing the distance into
VERBS WITHOUT CONTINUOUS FORMS the past. It is placed after the period of time: a week ago, three
years ago, a minute ago.
With verbs not normally used in the continuous form, use the
simple present perfect instead (verbs such as: know, hate, hear,
understand, want).
I've wanted to visit China for years.
NOTES ON AFFIRMATIVE, NEGATIVE, & INTERROGATIVE FORMS
She's known Robert since she was a child.
I've hated that music since I first heard it.
I've heard a lot about you recently.
AFFIRMATIVE
We've understood everything.
The affirmative of the simple past tense is simple.
DEFINITION OF THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE  I was in Japan last year

The simple past tense, sometimes called the preterite, is used to
 She had a headache yesterday.
talk about a completed action in a time before now. The simple  We did our homework last night.
past is the basic form of past tense in English. The time of the
NEGATIVE AND INTERROGATIVE TO COME
For the negative and interrogative simple past form of "to do" as
an ordinary verb, use the auxiliary "did", e.g. We didn't do our  My parents came to visit me last July.
homework last night.  We didn't come because it was raining.
The negative of "have" in the simple past is usually formed using  Did he come to your party last week?
the auxiliary "did", but sometimes by simply adding not or the
contraction "n't".
FUNCTIONS OF THE PAST CONTINUOUS

The interrogative form of "have" in the simple past normally uses
the auxiliary "did". The past continuous describes actions or events in a time before
now, which began in the past and is still going on at the time of
speaking. In other words, it expresses an unfinished or
incomplete action in the past.
EXAMPLES
It is used:
 They weren't in Rio last summer.
 We didn't have any money.
 We didn't have time to visit the Eiffel Tower.  Often, to describe the background in a story written in
 We didn't do our exercises this morning. the past tense, e.g. "The sun was shining and the
 Were they in Iceland last January? birds were singing as the elephant came out of the
 Did you have a bicycle when you were young? jungle. The other animals were relaxing in the shade of
 Did you do much climbing in Switzerland? the trees, but the elephant moved very quickly.
She was looking for her baby, and she didn't notice the
hunter who was watching her through his binoculars.
Note: For the negative and interrogative form of all verbs in the When the shot rang out, she was running towards the
simple past, always use the auxiliary 'did''. river..."
 to describe an unfinished action that was interrupted
by another event or action, e.g. "I was having a
beautiful dream when the alarm clock rang."
SIMPLE PAST, IRREGULAR VERBS  to express a change of mind: e.g. "I was going to spend
Some verbs are irregular in the simple past. Here are the most the day at the beach but I've decided to get my
common ones. homework done instead."
 with 'wonder', to make a very polite request: e.g.
"I was wondering if you could baby-sit for me tonight."
TO GO
EXAMPLES
 He went to a club last night.
 Did he go to the cinema last night?  They were waiting for the bus when the accident
 He didn't go to bed early last night. happened.
 Caroline was skiing when she broke her leg.
TO GIVE
 When we arrived he was having a bath.
 When the fire started I was watching television.
 We gave her a doll for her birthday.

Note: with verbs not normally used in the continuous form, the
 They didn't give John their new address.
simple past is used.
 Did Barry give you my passport?
FUNCTIONS OF THE PAST PERFECT
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.
EXAMPLES
PAST PERFECT + JUST
'Just' is used with the past perfect to refer to an event that was only
 Had you been waiting long before the taxi arrived?
a short time earlier than before now, e.g.  We had been trying to open the door for five minutes
when Jane found her key.
 It had been raining hard for several hours and the
 The train had just left when I arrived at the station. streets were very wet.
 She had just left the room when the police arrived.  Her friends had been thinking of calling the police when
she walked in.
 I had just put the washing out when it started to rain.
This form is also used in reported speech. It is the equivalent of the

past continuous and the present perfect continuous in direct
FUNCTIONS OF THE PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS speech:
The past perfect continuous corresponds to the present perfect
continuous, but with reference to a time earlier than 'before now'.
As with the present perfect continuous, we are more interested in
 Jane said, "I have been gardening all afternoon." = Jane
said she had been gardening all afternoon.
the process.
 When the police questioned him, John said, "I was
working late in the office that night." = When the police
questioned him, John told them he had been
working late in the office that night.
There are a number of different ways of referring to the future in  An action in progress in the future: This time next
English. It is important to remember that we are expressing more week I'll be sun-bathing.
than simply the time of the action or event. Obviously, any  An action or event that is a matter of routine: You'll be
'future' tense will always refer to a time 'later than now', but it seeing John in the office tomorrow, won't you?
may also express our attitude to the future event.
 Obligation: You are to travel directly to London.
 An action or event that will take place immediately or
All of the following ideas can be expressed using different tenses: very soon: The train is about to leave.
 Projecting ourselves into the future and looking back at
a completed action: A month from now he will have
 Simple prediction: There will be snow in many areas finished all his exams.
tomorrow.
 Arrangements: I'm meeting Jim at the airport. It is clear from these examples that several tenses are used to
 Plans and intentions: We're going to spend the express the future. The future tense section shows the form and
summer abroad. function of each of these uses of future tenses.
 Time-tabled events: The plane takes off at 3 a.m.
 Prediction based on present evidence: I think it's going
There are four future verb tenses in English.
to rain!
 Willingness: We'll give you a lift to the cinema.
 Simple future tense

 Future continuous tense
 Future perfect tense
 Future perfect continuous tense
There are also several other ways to talk about the  To predict a future event:
future without using a future verb tense. It will rain tomorrow.
 With I or We, to express a spontaneous decision:
I'll pay for the tickets by credit card.
 Using the present continuous to talk about  To express willingness:
I'll do the washing-up.
future arrangements
He'll carry your bag for you.
 Using the simple present to talk about  In the negative form, to express unwillingness:
scheduled events The baby won't eat his soup.
 Using "going" to talk about the future I won't leave until I've seen the manager!
 Future obligations  With I in the interrogative form using "shall", to make
an offer:
 The immediate future
Shall I open the window?
 With we in the interrogative form using "shall", to
make a suggestion:
FUNCTIONS OF THE SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE Shall we go to the cinema tonight?
 With I in the interrogative form using "shall", to ask for
The simple future refers to a time later than now, and expresses advice or instructions:
facts or certainty. In this case there is no 'attitude'. What shall I tell the boss about this money?
 With you, to give orders:
You will do exactly as I say.
The simple future is used:
 With you in the interrogative form, to give an  I guess you'll be feeling thirsty after working in the
invitation: sun.
Will you come to the dance with me?  You'll be missing the sunshine once you're back in
Will you marry me? England.
Note: In modern English will is preferred to shall. Shall is mainly In the interrogative form, the future continuous can be used to
used with I and we to make an offer or suggestion, or to ask for ask politely for information about the future.
advice (see examples above). With the other persons (you, he,
she, they) shall is only used in literary or poetic situations,
e.g. "With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, She shall
have music wherever she goes." EXAMPLES
 Will you be bringing your friend to the pub tonight?

CONTRACTIONS  Will Jim be coming with us?
 Will she be going to the party tonight?
I will = I'll
We will = we'll
 Will I be sleeping in this room?
You will = you'll
He will = he'll The future continuous can be used to refer to continuous events
She will = she'll that we expect to happen in the future.
They will = they'll
Will not = won't
EXAMPLES
The form "it will" is not normally shortened.
 I'll be seeing Jim at the conference next week.
 When he is in Australia he will be staying with friends.
 I'll be eating with Jane this evening so I can tell her.
FORM
The future continuous is made up of two elements: When combined with still, the future continuous refers to events
the simple future of the verb 'to be' + the present participle that are already happening now and that we expect to continue
(base+ing) some time into the future.
EXAMPLES
FUNCTIONS
The future continuous refers to an unfinished action or event that  In an hour I'll still be ironing my clothes.
will be in progress at a time later than now. The future continuous
 Tomorrow he'll still be suffering from his cold.
is used for quite a few different purposes.
 Next year will she still be wearing a size six?
 Won't stock prices still be falling in the morning?
The future continuous can be used to project ourselves into the  Unfortunately, sea levels will still be rising in 20 years.
future.
FORM
EXAMPLES
The future perfect is composed of two elements
the simple future of the verb "to have" (will have) + the past
 This time next week I will be sun-bathing in Bali. participle of the main verb
 By Christmas I will be skiing like a pro.
 Just think, next Monday you will be working in your
new job.
FUNCTION
The future continuous can be used for predicting or guessing
The future perfect tense refers to a completed action in the
about future events.
future. When we use this tense we are projecting ourselves
forward into the future and looking back at an action that will be
completed some time later than now. It is most often used with a
EXAMPLES time expression.
 He'll be coming to the meeting, I expect.
actions that are currently unfinished but will be finished at some

EXAMPLES future time. It is most often used with a time expression.
 I will have been here for six months on June 23rd.

 By the time you read this I will have left. EXAMPLES
 You will have finished your report by this time next
week.
 Won't they have arrived by 5:00?
 I will have been waiting here for three hours by six
o'clock.
 Will you have eaten when I pick you up?
 By 2001 I will have been living in London for sixteen
years.
 When I finish this course, I will have been
FORM learning English for twenty years.
 Next year I will have been working here for four years.
The future perfect continuous is composed of two elements  When I come at 6:00, will you have been
the future perfect of the verb "to be" (will have been) + the
practicing long?
present participle of the main verb (base + ing)
FUNCTION
Like the future perfect simple, this form is used to project

ourselves forward in time and to look back. It refers to events or

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GLOBAL ENGLISH NOTES SERIES

Social # abdulrehmanbinzia83@yahoo.com YouTube @ Skillz 4 Life

First Attempts and Challenges

Question # 3: What does his mother do to force him to fly?

Question # 5: What is the significance about the bird’s first flight?

Question # 6: What lesson do you learn from this simply story?

Question # 7: What lesson do you learn from this simply story?

FIRST YEAR AT HARROW

Question # 4: What was Mr. Somervell’s system of teaching English?

“September, the First Day of School”

IT'S COUNTRY FOR ME

Question # 2: Describe the Hollands farm?

Question # 3: In what ways does Joel play the role of an adult?

The Way It Was and Is

Question # 4: Why did Cosby pretend to like his daughter’s music?

The Most Beautiful Flower by Cheryl L. Costello-Forshey

Question # 3: Why couldn’t Marta take part in sports at school?

Question # 9: What do you think of Marta as a student?

Question # 11: What is your opinion of the principal of the school?

A Long Walk Home

Be the Best of Whatever You Are by Douglas Malloch

The Lighter Side

Question # 2: What plan did he develop?

Question # 3: What happened at the shoot?

Question # 4: How did the director and crew react?

Question # 8: How do you think Helfer feels about his achievement?

The Man who was a Hospital

When I'm an Old Lady by Joanne Bailey Baxter

"She's so sweet when she's sleeping!"

Author: Fan Kissen

Multi Letter to the Editor

Multi Letter to Editor

Multi- Dialogues o Between teacher and student on unfair means in

Akbar: Same to you, and Allah hafiz

A pronoun is used in place of a noun or noun phrase to avoid

An adverb describes/modifies a verb, an adjective or another

A preposition shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to INTERJECTION - (Expressive word)

1. They attended the concert last weekend.

2. Several cats ran into Rob’s garage.

3. The truck driver delivered the packages quickly.

4. Fast runners won all the awards at the track meet.

5. My friends and I walked home afterschool.

6. I wanted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch yesterday.

7. She was counting the ballots during social studies class.

8. Hey! That is my seat.

9. Will they finish the test on time?

10. The diagram was pretty complicated for us.

11. He will practice his musical piece soon.

12. Reggie saw the awesome sight from the air.

13. Her sister is the oldest member of the group.

14. Check the score, Tom.

15. Will the students be able to find the answer by themselves?

16. Are you sure of yourself?

17. They slowly carried the couch down the stairs.

19. Hurray! Our team has finally scored a touchdown.

20. The troop had been scattered throughout the woods.

1) Proper Noun 4) Collective Noun

1. He was given an award for his courage.

2. The door slammed shut.

4. He dropped his phone with a crash.

5. Time is a great teacher. 6. His art teacher applauded his creativity.

7. She moved the chair into place.

8. He always made his bed before leaving for school.