ENGLISH GRAMMAR REVISION

By
Kunle Awobodu

VERB
THE TENSES AND THE PASSIVE

Tense is a verb that shows time.

(i) The simple present tense

and
(ii) The present continuous tense are two divisions of the present tense

(i) THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE:

Rule: The rule here is that singular verb must be used with plural noun or pronoun
while plural verb must always go with singular noun or pronoun.

E.g: - Leakey (singular noun) sings (plural verb) well.

- Leakey and Lois (two nouns) sing (singular verb) well.

- She (singular pronoun) sings (plural verb) well.

- They (plural noun) sing (singular verb) well.

VARIOUS CATEGORIES AND USAGE:

(a) Facts:

E.g.: - The well supplies water. / The wells supply water.

- The door provides security. / The doors provide security.

(b) Repeated actions, habits and customs:

- He/She goes to mosque every Friday.

- Idris goes to mosque every Friday.

- Idris and Sherifat go to mosque every Friday.

- They go to mosque every Friday.

 - He/She comes from Obibi every morning.

- The prophet comes from Obibi every morning.

- They come from Obibi every morning.

- Leakey likes chewing gum and eating apple.

- Leakey and her friend like eating apple and chewing gum.

- Segun lives with Idiat

- Segun and Idiat live together.

- He/She leaves for school at seven O’clock everyday.

- They leave for school at seven O’clock everyday.

- The dog barks on its way back home

- The dogs bark on their way back home.

(c) Abilities:

- Ngozi reads very well.

- The goal-keeper keeps very well.

- The boys perform well in Sports than the girls.

- The boy performs well in Sports than the girl.

(d) The Future:

Used after words like when, until, before, as soon as, after, still and yet.

- No student will feel safe until the bus arrives.

- No student will feel safe until the buses arrive.

- When the old-man dies, his children will share his belongings.

- When they die, we shall sell their belongings.

- Rose still plays for the school.

- Rose and Ngozi still play for the school.

- …Yet the dog eats and drinks.

 - …Yet the dogs eat and drink.

- I shall come after he leaves.

- I shall come after they leave.

- I shall come after you leave.

- He shall come after I leave.

Note: You and I can only be used with singular verb. That is, one can’t say I or you leaves.

- I shall write you a letter as soon as I buy a pen.

- I shall make sure he writes you a letter as soon as they buy a pen.

- See that he/she jumps before the bullets hit him/her.

- Make sure I see you before I go.

- Make sure you see him before I go.

- Make sure he sees you before I go.

- Make sure he sees you before he goes.

(e) In sentences:

- The issue they are raising makes sense.

- The issues they are raising make sense.

- What they are saying makes sense.

- Everybody knows that nobody touches his wife and goes scot free.

- Builders know that latecomers only touch the hoarding and go back.

- The people know or believe that we receive little training.

- The man knows or believes that she receives little training.

Note: Never you make a grammatical error of using a present form of the past habitual:

E.g.: - He used to go to church every Sunday.

“Used to” simply indicates what you were doing in the past which you no longer do now. If
you want to show present habit, you make use of the present simple, for instance: He goes to
church every Sunday.
This shows that you are still doing the thing (i.e. - still going to church)

“Used to” can only be used in both the present and past tenses in the following forms:

- She is used to making her own tea.

- She was used to making her own tea.

“To be used to doing something” emphasises that you have adapted or accustomed
yourself to a formerly difficult thing. ‘To be used to doing something’ is more than a habit.

Note: In the examples of the simple present tense in a, b, c and d above, the present
continuous cannot be used in place of the present simple.

THE SIMPLE PRESENT AND CONTINUOUS FOR FUTURE PLANS

This is where present continuous can be used in place of the simple present and vice versa
for the future event which is certain to happen e.g.

- She travels next Monday -- Simple

- She is travelling next Monday -- Continuous

Note: the simple present here shows greater certainty than the present continuous.

THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS WITH ‘ALWAYS’

Though, simple present is used for habits when words like always or continually or
constantly is included in a sentence, the present continuous can be used. In most cases, this
shows disapproval of an action by the speaker.

E.g.: - Tunde is always looking for trouble.

- Ebi is always laughing.

- He is continually making a nuisance of himself.

- She is constantly coming to disturb us.

*Reference Book: Revision English by Ronald Forrest.

DO & DOES

These fall under present tense.

‘Do’ is a singular verb while ‘Does’ is a plural verb.

‘Do’ is used for first and second person while ‘Does’ is used for first person.

1. with positive sentences:

- They do know me

- He/She does know me

- Ogechi does know me

- Ogechi and her friends do know me

- You do know me

- I do know you

- He does see me

2. with negative sentences:

- They do not (don’t) know me

- He/She does not (doesn’t) know me

- Ogechi does not (doesn’t) know me

- Ogechi and her friends do not (don’t) know me

- You do not (don’t) know me

- I do not (don’t) know him

- The people do not (don’t) know the rules

Note: The people does not (doesn’t) know the rules is a common grammatical error.

3. In question phrases:

- What do you want? - Why does Joyce have to go?

- What does he want? - Does he need it?

- Which way do we go? - She comes to Lagos doesn’t she?

- Which way does he go? - So you want to go home, don’t you?

- How much do we pay? - When do we pay?

- Why do we have to go? - Which way do they go?

 Additional note:

- Does he have a secretary? - Do they have a secretary?

- He does have a secretary - They do have a secretary

*Note: with ‘do’ or ‘does’ use have not has

4. Uses with adverbial particles and prepositions to make or to perform or carry out an
action:

- What does he do for a living?

- What do we do next?

- What do I do next?

- What does he do next?

- What do they do next?

- What do you do next?

HAS, HAVE & HAD

HAS: This is singular present perfect tense. It is used for third persons singular. Negative
form is has not (hasn’t).

HAVE: This is plural present perfect tense. It is used for first and second persons and third
persons plural. Negative form is have not (haven’t)

HAD: This is the past perfect tense for both has and have. Negative is had not (hadn’t)

USAGE:

HAS HAVE HAD

- He has come - They have come - He/They had come

- Musa has come - Musa and Titi have gone - Musa/ Musa &
Titi had gone
- Has he gone? - Have they gone? - He hadn’t a penny

- Why hasn’t he? - Why haven’t they? - They hadn’t a penny

- She has a car - They have a car etc.

- He hasn’t got the time - They will have gone by tomorrow

- Rose hasn’t got the time - He will have gone by tomorrow

- She hasn’t got the time - I haven’t got the time

- They haven’t got the time

- You haven’t got the time

- I have no time

- You have no money

Note: Has is not used with you or I.

E.g.: I has no money (Wrong)

You has no money (Wrong)

I/you have no money (Right)

Has is not used after ‘to’

E.g.:

You ought to has been there (Wrong)

You ought to have been there (Right)

REMEMBER AND REMIND

- Remember means to put in the memory or bring back into the mind.

- Remind means to cause somebody to remember something.

USAGE:

- I’ve remembered the dreadful incident. /Please, don’t remind me that dreadful
incident again.

- Shehu never remembers to do his duty.

- Leakey, I’ve forgotten that message. Please, remind me.

SHALL AND WILL

Shall is normally used with I and We.

E.g.:

- I shall be coming.

- We shall do it.

Its past tense is Should.

Will is normally used with you, he. she, they, and it.

E.g.:

- You will soon leave.

- He/She will be here tomorrow.

- They will do the job.

- The men will do the job.

- It will turn back.

- Photocopy of my report will be sent to you.

Would is the past tense of will.

BORROW AND LEND

- Borrow means to collect or receive something from somebody with the hope of
returning it later. Borrowed is the past tense.
- Lend means to give out something to somebody with the hope of collecting it back
later. Lent is the past tense.

E.g.:
- Borrow me your calculator.

- He borrowed calculator from you

- I will lend you my calculator.

- He lent you his calculator.

Noon and Midnight

Twelve o’clock can either be noon or midnight (12 noon or 12 midnight)

12 am (Wrong)

12 pm (Wrong)

Other common mistakes

-Knowing fully well. (Wrong)

-Knowing full well. (Right)

-Assume duty means when you are starting a duty newly.

-Resume duty means when you went on a break from your duty and now returns to the duty.

-He made me to write letters. (Wrong)

-He made me write letters. (Right)

-He makes me to write letters. (Right)

Note: Here, to can only be used with present tense not past tense.