Mastering the English Language, Communication Arts and Skills, Gayo Publishing, 2006

Grammar is the study of the words, their construction, forms, and usages.

Spelling

English is said to have one of the most difficult spelling systems in the world. The written representation of
English is not phonetically exact for two main reasons:

1. The spelling of words has changed to a lesser extent than their sounds.
example: the k in knife and the gh in right were formerly pronounced.
2. Certain spelling conventions acquired from foreign sources have been perpetuated.
Example: the b was inserted in doubt
Outstanding examples of discrepancies between spelling and pronounciation are the six different
pronunciation of ough, as in bough, cough, thorough, thought, through and rough. Other obvious
discrepancies are different spellings of the sh sounds, for example, as in anxious, fission, fuchsia
and ocean.

List of commonly Misspelled Words:

Abbreviation

Acknowledgement

Aisle

Bureaucracy

Committee

Receive

Questionnaire

Righteous

Throughout

Spontaneity

Jeopardize

Separate

Punctuation and Punctuation Marks

Punctuation is the use of standard marks, signs, or symbols to clarify meaning in written language.

Correct Usage of Common Punctuation Marks

1. The Period (.)- To end declarative or imperative sentence, signals a strong pause.
- After an indirect question.
- After an initial or an abbreviation that does not contain an apostrophe.
- In writing decimals.
2. The Comma (,) - To separate parts of a series (words, phrases, or clause in a series).
 Mastering the English Language, Communication Arts and Skills, Gayo Publishing, 2006

- To separate the clauses of a compound sentence joined by a coordinating

conjunctions (and, or, but, yet, for, not) to indicate that the conjunctions
introduces a clause.
- To separate interjections and similar non-integrated sentence elements. These
elements do not modify specific words and they are not subjects or verbs or not
objects of prepositions and so on.
- To set off a long phrase or clause preceding the subject.
- To prevent misreading.
3. The Colon (:) - After a word, phrase, or sentence that enumerates a series of facts, lists, texts,
tabulations, or extracts that introduces the word, phrase or sentence.
- To divide subdivisions from major divisions.
- After a salutation of a business letter.
- Occasionally to introduce a single word or phrase in order to add dramatic
significance.
4. The Semi Colon (;)- Before the words such as for example, namely, for instance, or that is, which
introduce an example, items in a series, or enumeration.
- To separate two long independent clauses that are punctuated internally by
commas.
- To separate independent, coordinate, or equivalent clauses that are related in
meaning when no coordinate conjunction is used.
- To clarify listings where a comma is insufficient to separate the items clearly.
5. The Question Mark (?)– used after a direct question and tag question.
- If a sentence contains more than one question and the meaning is complete,
each question may use a question mark.
- If a sentence contains more than one question and the meaning is incomplete
until the final word of the sentence, a question mark is placed only at the end.
- In the body of the sentence, a question mark between parentheses suggests
doubt.
6. The Apostrophe (‘) – To form the plural of letters or symbols.
- To denote the plural or some other form of an abbreviation.
- To show contraction.
- To indicate the possessive case of nouns.
7. The Hypen (-) – To join/make a compound word out of two or more words that are intended to be
read as a single unit.
- To eliminate ambiguities or misreading which occasionally result from the
addition of a prefix.
- To indicate that the remainder of a word is to follow when the word is broken at
the end of a line.
- With compound numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine.
8. The Dash (--) – Used to indicate a sharp or sudden break in the normal or expected flow of
sentence structure.
- Used to separate parenthetical ideas or ideas inserted as an afterthought.
- Used in dialogue to describe hesitating or hating speech.
9. The Elipsis (...) - To indicate the omission of one or more words or even sentences in a quotation.
- When the omission of words occurs at the end of the sentence, the three periods
are added after the period which terminates the sentence (four periods are used
when the omission of words is at the last part of a quotation).
- If the part of the passage quoted does not start at the beginning of the sentence,
the ellipses precede it.
 Mastering the English Language, Communication Arts and Skills, Gayo Publishing, 2006

10. The Exclamation point (!) - To end the exclamatory sentences that express strong or sudden
emotion.
- After interjections.
- After commands that require immediate action.
- After an interrogative sentence that is meant to be exclamatory.
11. The Quotation Marks (“ “) – To enclose the exact words of a speaker or writer.
- To enclose slang and special-sense words and titles of poems, short stories,
film, etc.
12. The Brackets ([ ]) – To interpolate materials.
- To set off parenthetical matter within passages already enclosed by
parentheses.
13. The Parentheses (( )) – To enclose interpolated materials (like additions by theeditor to any kind of
quoted matter).
- To set off parenthetical matter within passages already enclosed by
parentheses.
14. The underscore ( _ ) – This mark is used to indicate that the item should be italicized in print.

Importance of Punctuation Marks

Punctuation marks are device to assist the readers. It takes the place of changes in tone, inflection, and
volume, and of pauses and facial expressions, by which a speaker clarifies meaning. Punctuation marks are
also used to convey the e,phases and breathing pauses natural to speech, to indicate sentence structure,
and to enhance readability.

Usage of Articles and Prepositions

Importance of Articles and Prepositions

The Parts of a Sentence

Grammatical Classifications of Sentences

1. The Simple Sentence – A sentence consisting of a subject and predicate.

2. The Compound Sentence – The compound sentence- a sentence which contains two or more
simple sentences or independent clauses joined by a conjunction that shows their relationship
clearly.
3. The Complex Sentence – a sentence which contains an independent clause and one ore more
dependent clauses.

Grammar Points: Subject and Verb Agreement

1. Singular subject takes singular verb. Ex: The clerk answers phone calls.
2. Plural subject takes plural verb. Ex: Bookkeepers check liquidation reports.
3. Indefinite pronouns such as everyone, not one, no one, anybody, each, somebody and someone
take singular verbs. Ex: Nobody is taking the minutes of the meeting.
 Mastering the English Language, Communication Arts and Skills, Gayo Publishing, 2006

4. Nouns ending in s but singular in meaning, such as news, politics, economics and the like take
singular verb.
5. Collective nouns such as class, team, jury and the like take singular verbs (when group is regarded
as a whole) and plural verbs (when the group is regarded as individuals). Ex: The team has decided
to have the evaluation on Friday.
6. Compound subjects joined by and take a plural verb. But if it is considered as a single unit, take a
singular verb.
7. In sentences with neither nor, either or, the verb agrees with the nearer subject. Ex: Either
Inventory Custodian Slip or Consumption Report is used for supplies. Neither Inventory Custodian
Slip nor Consumption Reports are used for capital outlays.
8. The indefinite pronouns such as few, several, many, and both take plural verbs. Ex: Both original
and duplicate copies are signed by the superintendent.
9. Words or phrases intervening between subject and verb – like including, together, with, as well as,
and within used in sentences – do not affect the verb. Ex: The superintendent, with his
administrative aides, was at the school a while ago.
10. An amount of money, space or time, or a unit of measurement takes a singular verb even when the
form is plural. Ex: Two copies of documents is required.
11. Fractions are singular or plural, depending upon the “of phrase”.

Devices and Transition word used in developing the different types of paragraph construction

http://deped.gov.ph/sites/default/files/page/2017/COA_Circular_2012-001.pdf

The Cycle of Cash Advances and Liquidation Reports is one of the

interfacing cycle among the different sections or units under the Office of the SDS. The
cycle begins with the preparation, checking and approval of Annual Procurement Plan
(APP) for the whole year. From the approved APP of the schools, the school head then
prepares a Purchase Request (PR) to be approved by the superintendent. Upon approval
of the PR, Budget office prepares Obligation Request to be signed by the Budget Officer
and Administrative Officer. After which, the ORS is forwarded to the accounting office for
the preparation of Disbursement Vouchers to be given back to the Administrative Officer
for signing. When the Administrative Officer has finished signing, certification by the
accountant and Journal Entry Voucher is recorded. From the Accounting Office, the
voucher will be forwarded to the Office of the SDS. When approved, the cashier now
prepares checks, transacts to the bank and release checks for Cash Advances to the
School Heads. The School heads will then encash the checks, purchase and prepare the
liquidation report. When the Liquidation Report is completed and checked by the
bookkeepers, it signals the processing of the next’s months Cash Advance. And, this
cycle goes on and on until the end of the year and until all funds are utilized .