BE 101A Module Study Guides - Complete (v2022)

FACULTY OF EDUCATION
BRIDGE ENGLISH 1 (BE 101-A)

UPOU UGNAYAN NG PAHINUNGOD
Introduction
To serve as a supplementary introduction, you may want to watch any of these video resources
and see how these clips demonstrate the significance of learning different topics concerned with
the use of English (in both the American and British varieties) and or realize how some people
may incorrectly apply the rules and principles in a variety of communication situations.
Sketch Show UK English Study Group (original version)

Running time: 1:34
This clip is a comedy sketch or skit which demonstrates how certain aspects of learning and
using English may result in potential chaotic and confusing (albeit amusing) communication
situations.
The Sketch Show English Study Group (US version)

Running time: 1:44
This clip is a variation of the video above. It uses American English and the context slightly
varies to reflect American culture.
Do You Speak English?

Running time: 1:28
This is a comedy sketch prepared by BBC Studios as part of the Big Train collection of clips. It
is demonstrated in this hypothetical scenario the possible problems or challenges which may
occur whenever we struggle to use any language, especially if we are in an unfamiliar place (in
this case, English vs. selected European languages).
Introduction to Grammar
Running time: 2:46
This is a short introduction from Khan Academy regarding the importance of understanding
English grammar rules and conventions (and related concerns).
Relate your current situation and prior experiences from the scenarios demonstrated in
the video clips and answer the following self-reflection questions:
▪ What are your weaknesses when you write and speak in English?
▪ Have these weaknesses ever caused problems to you as you communicate with other
people?
▪ How do you strive to improve?
▪ Despite recognizing and accepting the many varieties of English (World Englishes), why
should we still try to exercise careful thought and consideration in our messages using
“Standard English”—be it oral or written, especially in the academic and professional
contexts?
As you reflect your strengths and weaknesses concerning the use of English in both oral
and written forms, test yourself through the various diagnostic assessments online, one
of which is this Diagnostic Grammar Test from World-English.org. The test is composed
of three sections which check your grammar skills and/ or how well you can still remember your
previous grammar lessons. After each section is answered, you may look at the correct answers
BE 101-A: MODULE INTRODUCTION

REVISED 2021
MODULE INTRODUCTION FACULTY OF EDUCATION
PARTS OF SPEECH UPOU UGNAYAN NG PAHINUNGOD
and read the brief explanations that made each answer correct. You may choose which section/s
to answer or answer all three to find out the areas you need to focus more on.
Did you get majority of the answers correct?

What items did you find easy to answer?
Which specific topic/s did you find confusing?
Take note of the items and topics that you had difficulty answering. You may want to focus more
on reading the discussions about these in the succeeding discussions and review.
Certainly, to some extent you have been exposed to the endless lectures, practice exercises, and
drills concerning English grammar and usage during your stay in grade school and high school.
For instance, you know that a complete sentence is composed of a subject and a predicate, and
the predicate begins with a verb (or the predicate is the verb in the case of those verbs that can
stand alone, or what you may remember as the “intransitive verbs”). Before going over the
sentence structure, or the particular form of a sentence as a whole, let us recall the parts of
speech as the elements that make up a sentence and review the problem areas that should be
addressed when they are used.
If you can still recall from your home and grade school lessons, the parts of speech are:
1. Noun: is a word that names a person, place, thing, event, or idea.
2. Pronoun: is word that replaces a noun.
3. Verb: is a word that connotes/ represents an action or a state of existence/ being.

Depending on the kind, it is at times used to help complete the meaning of an action (for
the auxiliary or helping verbs) and to complete the sentence by linking the subject to the
predicate (for linking verbs).
Modifiers (words that are used to describe, qualify someone or something):
4. Adjective: is a word that describes a noun or pronoun. In sentences, this may come in the
form of a phrase or clause (not just one word).
5. Adverb: is word that describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. In sentences, this
may come in the form of a phrase or clause (not just one word)
Other parts of speech (with items 6 and 7 as “connectors”)
6. Conjunction: is a word that combines or joins words or groups of words to indicate

importance or relationship (of one word or groups of words to another).
7. Preposition: is a word that also connects and show relationships—mostly how a noun or
pronoun is related to some other word in the sentence.
8. Interjection: is a word that expresses strong emotion (often, showing excitement).
Bridge Course module originally designed by AKTMarcial

for the Faculty of Education, UP Open University (2015)
2
For this bridge course, the focus will just be reviewing the first seven parts of speech, especially in
the context of the fact that there are words that may function as two different parts of speech in
sentences. Analyze the example sentences below, especially the “roles” or functions that the
highlighted words assume:
What kind of passage?
• There is a secret passage.

• The secret is safe with me.
What is safe?
What did the aunt prepare (which we

can predict to be given to the kids)?
• My aunt prepared presents for all the kids.
• My uncle presents the travel plans to the family.
What does the uncle do (in relation to

the travel plans)?
In the first set of sentences, the word “secret” is used to describe the kind of “passage” (with
“passage” referring to a narrow way in between buildings or rooms) in the first sample sentence
while the second sentence shows that the word “secret” is the main topic or subject of the
sentence—with it being the thing that is safe.
In the second set, the word “presents” is a thing for the kids (synonym: gifts) in the first sentence
while the second sentence shows that the word “presents” is an action.
It is in this regard that familiarity with the different functions that a specific part of speech can
assume will be of significant help for English users.
Let us officially begin this bridge course!
If you have not yet done so, answer the pre-assessment tool which appears in the BE
101A course site. This tool shall serve as the first major activity for the entire course. It
may help you gauge your current familiarity with and proficiency in terms of using the
different parts of speech at the sentence level.

3
Reference
World English (n.d.). Diagnostic Grammar Test. World-English. http://www.world-

english.org/diagnostic_grammar.htm
Citation guidelines
This module is licensed under the creative commons license Attribution-NonCommercial-
ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA)
Specifically, under this term, you must “give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and
indicate if changes were made. You may not use the materials for commercial purposes.
If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the
same license as the original.”
Adopt this format when you use and cite this module:
Marcial, AKT (2021, March). Module introduction [bridge course content]. Ugnayan ng
Pahinungod, UP Open University. insert complete web address of the learning management
system where the course is found.

4
Introduction
In this first module, let us start with nouns and pronouns.
Can you recall what a noun means?

Do you remember what a noun does?
How about a pronoun?

What are the similarities between nouns and pronouns, and what are the differences?
You may want to prepare a version of this concept map below to recall your understanding of the
two concepts.
Module Objectives
After studying the resources and doing the activities for this module, you should be able to:
• distinguish noun and pronouns;
• identify the roles of nouns and pronouns in sentences; and
• follow subject and verb agreement rules as well as pronoun-antecedent agreement and
pronoun cases guidelines.
Activities and Resources
Topic 1. Nouns as subjects: subject-verb agreement
Simply put, a noun is the part of speech that represents names and labels referring to persons,
things, places, events, ideas, etc.; the pronoun, on the other hand, serves as a substitute or
alternative to these names.
BE 101-A: MODULE 1
REVISED 2021
MODULE 1 FACULTY OF EDUCATION
NAMING NAMES: NOUNS AND PRONOUNS UPOU UGNAYAN NG PAHINUNGOD
In terms of functions in a sentence, both nouns and pronouns can be the subject of a sentence,
the complement of the subject, the receiver of an action, or the object of another element in the
sentence (see examples below).
as subject of a sentence
• Rocha had already invited all the choir members before Sam mentioned that the event was
a private affair.
• She had already invited all the choir members before Sam mentioned that the event was a
private affair.
as complement of the subject

• The officials, Mary and John, would like to hear from all active members of the standing
committee.
• The officials, Mary and he, would like to hear from all active members of the standing
committee.
as receiver of an action (direct object)

• The young learners helped Mr. Rivera decorate the classroom.
• The younger learners helped him decorate the classroom.
as object of another element in the sentence (indirect object)

• The senior high school class officers cleaned the court for Michael and the other pre-school
students to play on.
• The senior high school class officers cleaned the court for them to play on.
We will not talk about the classification of nouns nor how to form plural nouns in this study guide.
Instead, we shall focus on one of the common problem areas concerning nouns and pronouns:
subject and verb agreement.
Go over the activities and resources below to check how much of the subject-verb agreement
rules you can still remember and apply.
Take a look at the terms in the box below. Do you still remember the rules of usage concerning
each kind of noun?
Collective nouns (e.g., platoon, class, herd)

Mass (noncount) and Count nouns (e.g., sugar, dust, water vs. pen, basket)
Singular nouns ending in –s (e.g., Physics, mumps)
Plural nouns not ending in –s (e.g., media, alumni)
Zero plurals (nouns that have the same singular and plural forms such as
sheep, deer, and moose)
Compound nouns (e.g., sister-in-law, blackboard, paperclip)
Abstract and Concrete nouns (e.g., bliss, freedom, vs. bird, brush)
Go over the list of subject and verb agreement rules from Purdue’s Online Writing Lab. The
embedded resource is an online handout.
Bridge Course module originally designed by AKTMarcial for the

Faculty of Education, UP Open University (2015) 6
Try to compare the list and examples from this resource to the subject and verb agreement
guidelines stated in this page from Capital Community College Foundation’s Guide to Grammar
and Writing.
From these two resources, what are the most common rules and guidelines which you can
take note of when considering how your nouns or pronouns agree with the verb/s in a
sentence?
In addition, refer to the discussion and notes on special kinds of nouns and the implication from
the following subpages:
Plural nouns
This is a webpage which lists the common rules on subject-verb agreement considering the
various plural forms of selected noun types.
Count and noncount nouns

This webpage focuses on the rules on subject-verb agreement concerning mostly mass nouns
(noncount) and abstract nouns.
Most, if not all, of these resources feature practice exercises which you can attempt to answer to
test if you have understood the various rules on subject and verb agreement.
Before we leave the discussions (review) for this topic, take note of the following points.
✓ Stick to the general rule: singular subject (whether as nouns or pronouns)

goes with a singular verb; a plural subject, with a plural verb.
✓ The key lies in identifying what your subject is.
✓ Some cases follow “special” rules of agreement, so you must take note of
these as you write or speak.
Topic 2. Pronoun cases and pronoun-antecedent agreement
What is a pronoun? A strip from Calvin and Hobbes comics released in February 1986 turned to
humor and word play to describe the term. You may view the strip through this link. The character
of Hobbes and his definition may not be accurate, but seriously, what is a pronoun? What purpose
does it serve, especially in sentences and paragraphs? Why can’t we just use nouns all the time?
As noun substitutes, pronouns have the same roles as nouns in a sentence. Pronouns are used to
avoid unnecessary repetition of the nouns (names) in our sentences. However, writers and
speakers often encounter two problem areas:
1) making the pronouns agree with the nouns they replace or refer to, and
2) using the proper pronoun case/s in a sentence.

In terms of ensuring that the pronouns represent the nouns they refer to correctly, it really takes
practice and a conscious effort to clarify your intended message, but a few rules can guide you in
doing so.
Pronoun cases, on the other hand, refer to the nominative (or subject pronouns), objective (or
object pronoun), and possessive categories. Read the sample sentences below and note the
differences in terms of the use of the underlined pronouns.
Main sentence: Giselle and Janette brought eight big bottles of soda to the party.
Sample succeeding sentences:
Giselle and Janette, represented

by the pronoun, as the subject
of the sentence; the ones who
did the action.
a. They bought crackers and sandwiches to go with the soda as well.
– Pronoun in the nominative

Giselle and Janette were the ones who
“received” the action (thank).
b. The party host thanked them for the treats.
– Pronoun in the objective
c. Everyone at the party appreciated their gesture.

Giselle and Janette as
– Pronoun in the possessive
the “owner” of the
gesture
The sample sentences above make use of the different forms of “they” to replace “Giselle and
Janette,” depending on how they pronouns should be used.
Topic 2.1. Kinds of pronouns and pronoun-antecedent agreement
Read the self-teaching unit on pronouns made available by Towson University in their Online
Writing Support website. The discussion will give you an overview of the important guidelines
you need to remember in replacing nouns in a sentence using the correct pronouns, at least
the personal pronouns (e.g., I-me-my-mine, he-him-his, she-her-hers, we-us-our-ours, etc.).
The page also features links to three practice exercises which you can try to answer
after each major discussion about pronouns. Exercise 1 asks you to replace the
underlined words with the correct pronoun. Exercise 2 asks you to supply the correct
pronoun based on the noun it should be replacing to complete each sentence.
Exercise 3 asks you to encode the correct pronoun to agree or be consistent with the pronoun
already provided in each sentence. Follow the instructions for each exercise and read the
explanations in case you get confused with some items.

There are at least two important aspects to consider in using (personal) pronouns in
sentences:
the noun that the pronoun is
referring to or the noun that
1) Ensure that a pronoun refers clearly to a definite antecedent. it has replaced
• Avoid indefinite reference. Sometimes, the antecedent of a pronoun is not clearly

stated within the sentence (which may be acceptable if within the context of a
paragraph where the antecedent may be stated early on).
Original sentence: Revised sentence:

Our family firmly believes that they Our family firmly believes that extreme
should not show extreme violence and violence and gore should not be shown
gore on television or in shows on on television or in shows on streaming
streaming services. services.
Unless there is a noun that the “they” can The pronoun without a clear antecedent
refer to or replace with in a previous is removed.
sentence, the reader or listener may be
confused as to who are “they”
• Clarify ambiguous reference. Other times, a pronoun refers to more than one
antecedent, which may also confuse the readers.

If you put this receipt in your wallet or You can check this receipt easily later if
purse, you can check it easily later. you put it in your wallet or purse.
What does “it” refer to—the receipt or the Notice that in this revised version, the
wallet or purse? While common sense noun, “receipt,” which the “it” refers to is
may tell us that the “it” refers to the stated first.
receipt in this context, it may also be
possible to refer to the wallet or purse
2) Remember that a pronoun must agree with its antecedent in terms of number, gender,
person, and case. Take a look at the following examples and analyze the difference
between the original sentences and the revised versions.
Examples:
Neither Ivy nor Vanessa brought their Neither Ivy nor Vanessa brought her
tablet computer to the meeting. tablet computer to the meeting.
→ Assuming that “Ivy” and “Vanessa” female pronoun, singular, and showing
both are females, the pronoun to be ownership = her
used should be a “female pronoun” as
well.
→ Because they are joined by “neither-
nor” in the sentence and the second
noun is singular—Vanessa is just
one—, the rule states that a singular
pronoun should be used.

→ Because the sentence wants to

establish that the “tablet computer” is
owned by the subject in the sentence
(Ivy and Vanessa both own a tablet
computer), a pronoun showing
ownership should be used.

Chris invited their cousins to stay with her Chris invited his cousins to stay with him
for the summer in your newly renovated for the summer in his newly renovated
house. house.
Intended messages: male pronoun, singular, and showing
→ Chris is male (and therefore would ownership = his;
need a “male pronoun”). Since there is a preposition “with” and
→ Chris is just one person (and Chris, in this part of the sentence is the
therefore would need a singular object of that preposition, we need a
pronoun). male pronoun, singular, and in the
→ Chris owns the house (and therefore objective case = him
would need a pronoun that represents
ownership).
→ The “cousins” are Chris’s cousins.
As a supplementary material, you may also watch Khan Academy’s quick discussion on
pronoun-antecedent agreement. The video clip reviews the basic principle of ensuring that the
pronoun matches the noun that it replaces.
Topic 2.2. Pronoun cases
As stated, pronouns assume three roles in a sentence: the nominative, objective, and
possessive cases. Read the online handout on pronoun cases made available by Towson
University to know what pronoun to use depending on its function in a sentence.
As an added review, click on the links to Exercise 1 and Exercise 2 of the online
handout titled “Cases of Nouns and Pronouns” in the Guide to Grammar and
Writing site of Capital Community College Foundation. Both exercises have
drop-down option menus, so you simply have to choose the correct pronoun to
use to complete each given sentence.
Take note:
✓ Any pronoun that you will use in a sentence should refer to a specific noun (its
antecedent).
✓ The pronoun and its antecedent should agree in terms of the following:
a. In number (singular pronoun for a singular noun)
b. In gender (feminine pronoun for a feminine noun)
c. In person (e.g., a first-person pronoun for a first-person noun)
d. In case (subject pronoun for a subject noun; object pronoun for an object noun;
possessive pronoun for a possessive noun)

If and when you are ready, kindly answer the graded quiz in the BE 101A course site.
You may try to answer the quiz five times, in which case, the highest score will be
recorded. If only as a basis for the MOOC completion, you need to reach the 60%
passing rate although it will be more important for you to know that you have understood
the guidelines concerning the common problem areas about nouns and pronouns covered in this
module.
Module References
Benner, M.L. (2002). Self-Teaching Unit: Pronoun - Antecedent Agreement Pronouns. Online
Writing Support. http://www.towson.edu/ows/modulepaa.htm
Capital Community College Foundation (n.d.). Cases of Nouns and Pronouns. Guide to
Grammar and Writing. http://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/cases.htm
Capital Community College Foundation (n.d.) Count and Non-count Nouns. Guide to Grammar
and Writing. http://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/noncount.htm
Capital Community College Foundation (n.d.) Plural Noun Forms. Guide to Grammar and
Writing. http://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/plurals.htm
Capital Community College Foundation (n.d.) Subject-Verb Agreement. Guide to Grammar

and Writing. http://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/sv_agr.htm
Khan Academy (2016, August 23). Pronoun-antecedent agreement | Syntax | Khan Academy
[Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9kIACViG60
Purdue University (n.d.). Making Subjects and Verbs Agree. Purdue Online Writing Lab.
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/grammar/subject_verb_agreement.html
Towson University (n.d.). Usage - Pronoun Case. Online Writing Support.

http://www.towson.edu/ows/procase.htm
World English (n.d.). Diagnostic Grammar Test. World-English. Retrieved February 17, 2015
from http://www.world-english.org/diagnostic_grammar.htm
Citation guidelines
Marcial, AKT (2021 March). Module 1: Naming Names: Nouns and Pronouns [Bridge Course
Content]. Ugnayan ng Pahinungod, UP Open University. insert complete web address of the
learning management system where the course is found

Introduction
In the first module, you were asked to review nouns and pronouns, as well as the rules on
agreement relevant to using them in sentences. Another common problem area is the appropriate
use of verbs in sentences. Specifically, you may have issues and concerns on consistency of the
verb tenses, use of modal auxiliaries, voices of the verb, and verb lookalikes or verbals (infinitive,
gerund, and participle). In this module, you will be presented with discussions, review points, and
practice exercises primarily on the use of verbs.
Module Objectives
• identify the forms and functions of verbs in a sentence;
• distinguish verbs based on the tense, form, and voice; and
• adopt the rules and guidelines in using verbs appropriately in a sentence.
Topic 1. Verb tenses
Sometimes when you write a sentence or make a statement, the actions or the verbs tend to shift
in tense. Verb tenses represent specific time frames or conditions. Using consistent verb tenses
within the sentence or using just one tense for as long as needed, helps clarify and smoothens the
flow of the message.
Compare these two sentences and the verbs used.

Which of the two shows a clearer meaning?
a. When Jay and Vince logged in the video conference to watch the
ceremony last night, they will be disappointed to find out that they would
have missed the awarding.
b. When Jay and Vince logged in the video conference to watch the
ceremony last night, they were disappointed to find out that they had
missed the awarding.
Did you choose sentence a? Why?
If you chose sentence b, you are correct.
The first sentence may confuse the reader because the time frames represented by all the actions
(verbs) do not support each other. Note that the ceremony happened last night, which means that
all actions should also connote the past.
Do you still remember the functions of the different kinds of verbs?
BE 101-A: MODULE 2
REVISED 2021
ACTING ACCORDINGLY: VERBS UPOU UGNAYAN NG PAHINUNGOD
Go to this webpage for a review of verb tenses based on the four categories (simple,
perfect, progressive, and perfect progressive) and their uses. Start reviewing the basic
uses of the simple tenses first (simple present, simple past, and simple future). You may
proceed to the perfect tenses and the progressive tenses if you feel that you already have
a good grasp of the simple tenses. As a summary of the discussion points from the first
resource, look at this English tenses timeline chart.
If you are having trouble accessing the resources above, use this sample comparative table of
tenses as a temporary summary reference.
(simple) Past Past Progressive Past Perfect Past Perfect

Progressive
Phoebe wrote her Phoebe was writing Phoebe had written Phoebe had been
reflective essay last her essay when she her essay when she writing her essay for
night. received the email received the email two hours when she
reminder for the reminder for the received the email
deadline of deadline of reminder for the
submission. submission. deadline of
submission.
action already action on going but action already action on going for a
completed at some sometime in the past completed at some specific period in the
point/ time in the past when another past point in the past past when another
(In this example, the action overtook it before another past past action overtook it
indicator is “last (The act of “writing” action (The act of “writing”
night.”) came in first, and she (She was already came in first for a
was still doing so finished writing before specific duration or
upon receiving the receiving the email.) period in the past, and
email.) she was still doing so
upon receiving the
email.)
(simple) Present Present Progressive Present Perfect Present Perfect

Progressive
Jessica writes essays Jessica is busy writing Jessica has just Jessica has been
well. her essay in her written her essay and writing her essay for
room. is ready to upload and four hours but is yet to
submit it. include a concluding
paragraph.

simply describing a simply describing a describing that the action begun at a

fact about the subject continuous action at action has been specific time in the
(Jessica) the present time (At completed before past and is still going
the time of speaking “now”/ action begun in on at present
Remember the or writing, it is a fact the past and was
alternative uses of the that Jessica is completed right
simple present: writing.) before the current
for present condition time
for habitual, regular
action/s Usually, there are
indicators such as
ever, never, before,
just in a sentence with
present perfect tense
(since the highlight is
to connote that the
action was completed
in the “near” past
before the “now”)
(simple) Future Future Progressive Future Perfect Future Perfect

Progressive
Matthew will write his Matthew will be Matthew will have Matthew will have
reflective essay later. writing his essay only written his essay by been writing his essay
after studying all the time Jessica for three days by the
resources provided. comes out of her time the teacher
room. opens the submission
bin.
action definitely connotes predicted action expected to be on-going action,

expected (to do) at action (assuming the completed at a expected to continue
some point after conditions will be met) specific time in the in the future (In this
“now” (In this future example, the teacher
example, the indicator has not yet opened
is the phrase “later.”) the submission bin
where the essay may
be submitted; It is
predicted that
Matthew will continue
to do the action within
a specific period in
the future before
another future action
will be done)
Assuming you are ready for a quick exercise, go to the page on Verb Tenses Review
from the University of Houston – Victoria. There are four 10-item practice exercises at
the end of each verb tense category. Try answering the exercises first before scrolling
down further to see the “self-check” answer keys.

Topic 2. Modals
If you will notice from the discussions on the verb tenses, verbs are not just limited to one-word
forms, depending on the tenses and their use in a sentence.
Look at the underlined actions (verbs) in the examples below.

What are the similarities and differences between these sentences?
a. Before the guests arrived, my mother had already prepared dinner.
(Dinner was prepared first before the guests arrived.)
b. He has prepared to deal with possible scenarios ever since you made
him event manager.
(His preparations began at the start of his being event manager and is
still true up to the present time.)
c. She has been preparing our food for tonight’s gathering, so she can’t
talk to you right now.
(She began cooking and preparing the food at an unspecified time in

the past and she is still doing it now.)
All of them use had, has, and has been, along with the different forms of the main verb prepare, to
signify different time frames.
These “small” additions to the main verbs are known as auxiliaries or sometimes, the helping
verbs. Technically, the auxiliaries in these sample sentences above belong to just one kind, the
tense auxiliaries.
Another kind is the do auxiliary, which is commonly used in forming questions (do, did, does) or in
stating negative sentences with action words, as in “They don’t know what they are doing” and
“She doesn’t understand the instructions.”
The last kind is known as the modal auxiliaries or simply modals. Each modal conveys a different
meaning when used in a sentence.
Do you remember what purpose or attitude each of

these modals show?
can – could had better
may – might must
shall – should ought to
will – would have – have got to

What is the difference in meaning between the following sentences?
I can write the application letter for you.
I must write the application letter for you.
To help you answer that question, read the online handout on helping and modal auxiliaries from
Guide to Grammar and Writing to clarify what each auxiliary can do to the meaning of a sentence.
Answer this online test on the use of modals International School Tutors as a practice
exercise. There are forty items in the test and you will be asked to choose the letter
of the correct answer.
Topic 3. Voice of the verb
Do you remember your Science lesson about kinetic and potential energy?
Kinetic energy is the energy an object has when it is moving. Potential energy, on the
other hand, is the energy an object has because of its position relative to some other
object.
Usually, we have the notion that potential energy is the energy an object has before it moves.
Now, what does the concept of kinetic and potential energy have to do with the third topic?
✓ A sentence in the active voice can be likened to kinetic energy in the sense
that the sentence seems to be moving and the doer-action relationship is
clearer and more direct.
✓ A passive sentence, on the other hand, can be likened to potential
energy as the emphasis is not on the action and its doer, but on other
elements of the sentence, particularly the action relative to its receiver.
Read the online discussion on the differences between the active voice and the passive voice in
Purdue’s Online Writing Lab
Based on the discussion, reflect on the following questions:
• Why is it often recommended to use the active voice more often than the passive?
• When should we prefer to use the passive voice?
Now that we know what each voice highlights, our next concern is learning how to write a
sentence in the active voice and in the passive voice.

How do we transform an active sentence to its passive form, and the

passive sentence into active?
Can all verbs in a sentence be transformed from active to passive or vice versa?
What do you think?
My initial thoughts/ My recollection:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Read the discussions on active-passive and passive-active transformation from Towson University
and the steps in transforming sentences.
The next active-passive resource from Capital Community College provides additional guidelines
in identifying active and passive sentences and knowing which verbs can be transformed.
Assuming you are confident in your understanding of the active and passive sentences, try
revising the sentences in the exercise link below the page after all the discussions. Compare your
revisions with the recommended versions that you will find by clicking the “Grammar’s version” box
after each item.
To supplement the discussions on active and passive voice of the verbs, watch the video, study
the discussions, and answer the practice exercises on the page on Passive voice from the
University of Adelaide. The page is from their English from Uni website, which features video
stories of Ms. Parrot the grammar detective, with corresponding explanations and exercises.
Take note:
Steps to remember (Active-Passive transformation):
1) Make the receiver the new subject.

2) (Verb transformation) Add a form of the verb “be” (a linking verb or an auxiliary)
+ the past participle form of the main verb.
3) The doer is placed as the object of a by phrase, is enclosed in a parenthesis, or
is omitted.

Take note:
Steps to remember (Passive-Active transformation):
1) Identify the doer of the action and make it the new subject.
2) (Verb transformation) Remove the verb “be” (a linking verb or an auxiliary) and
change the main verb from its past participle form to the form of the removed
“be” verb.
3) The original subject is placed as the receiver of the verb in the active sentence.
Example, compare the two sentences:
The elders in the community use leaves and twigs to heal flesh wounds.
Leaves and twigs are used by the elders in the community to heal flesh wounds.
Topic 4. Subjunctive mood of the verb
Are you familiar with the song “If I were a boy” by the American artist Beyoncé? If you have not
heard it yet, try watching its official music video from the artist’s official YouTube channel
but focus on the lyrics.
Did you catch the lines that have if-clauses?
If I were a boy, even just for a day, I’d roll outta [out of] bed in the morning and throw on
what I wanted and go.
If I were a boy I would turn off my phone; tell everyone it’s broken, so they’d think that I
was sleeping alone.
Notice that these sentences beginning with “if” connote condition and are contrary to fact (the
speaker, Beyoncé, is not a boy). Moreover, the linking verb “were” was used even though the
subject is the singular “I”. Finally, the main verbs used the auxiliary “would” (as in would roll out,
would turn off) which is normally used to refer to an action that occurred in the past. The
sentences seem to follow a different pattern from what we are normally accustomed to reading,
hearing, or using.
Can you recall other song lyrics or movie lines that

express such conditional or hypothetical
statements?

These types of sentences indicate the way by which we can signal an attitude about or an
interpretation of the idea being expressed, or in short, demonstrate the “mood” of the verb.
If you can recall, English has three moods:
• Indicative – sentences that state facts or make assertions (and even ask questions)
• Imperative – sentences that show commands
• Subjunctive
Let us focus our review on the last mood as it may be the most confusing.
Sentences in the English language that express 1) a condition that is not true or that does not exist
with the use of if at the beginning; 2) a wish; or 3) a demand, request, requirement, or suggestion
follow a different mood of the verb known as the subjunctive mood.
Take a look at the following sample sentences:
• She would do it if she had the time.
(The speaker of the sentence is not talking about something in the past tense even though
the past tense "had" is used. The sentence is simply stating a hypothetical situation and
implies that the “she” here does not have the time—in the present.)
• If he had worked harder, he would have completed the task on time.
(He actually did not work harder, so he didn't complete the task on time.)
• I wish it were summer now. (Not: I wish it was summer now.)
(It is not summer; I only wish for it.)
• I suggest that Ken wait a few minutes. (Not: I suggest that Ken waits a few minutes.)
(It is not a fact. It is a suggestion.)
• Mother insisted that Jenny go to school. (Not: Mother insisted that Jenny goes to school.)
(It is not a fact that Jenny will go to school. It is her mother's intention.)
What are the principles that these sentences follow?
Try to find the answer to this question prompt as you study the succeeding resources.
Read the discussion on the different kinds of conditional, hypothetical statements and how the
verb forms change in each kind in this online handout from Capital Community College
Foundation. Towards the end of the page, there is a practice quiz on conditional verb
forms. Try answering the 8-item quiz to check your understanding of the discussions
on conditional statements.

Topic 5. Verbals
You may have noticed that there are elements of a sentence that look like verbs or follow verb
forms but which serve a different purpose.
Look at the examples below.
a. Restoring and painting vintage cars and other vehicles is my brother’s expertise.
Notice that the underlined words follow the form of a verb but actually serve as part of the
subject of the sentence (thereby functioning as a noun).
b. Just yesterday, a colleague asked us to restore her father’s old jeep.
In this sentence, the “direct object” of the action “asked” is “us” (Whom did the colleague
ask?), and the whole phrase that starts with “to restore” completes what exact was asked
of “us,” thereby acting as an “indirect object.” Essentially, “restore” performs a different
function in this sentence compared with how it is used in the first example.
c. The chief mechanic asked his young apprentice to paint the car blue.
The sentence shows the underlined “to paint” as the receiver of the action asked—a job
that the mechanic wants the apprentice to do (it answers the question, what did the
mechanic ask from the apprentice?).
d. Steve, our rich neighbor, recently bought the newly restored blue Volkswagen.
The underlined word does not connote an act of restoration but further describes the
Volkswagen.
e. Most people are willing to pay extra for freshly painted car parts.
The underlined word does not refer to the act of painting the car parts but describe the car
parts.
These verb lookalikes, called verbals, function as nouns (refers to names of persons, places,
things, events, etc.), adjectives (describes nouns and pronouns), and/ or adverbs (describes
verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs) in sentences.
To deepen the discussion on verbals, access the discussion Comparing gerunds, participles, and
infinitives made available by Purdue University. This resource further differentiates the three kinds
of verbals. You may also want to study the relevant links to individual discussions on each kind,
which you may find on the left side of the webpage. As a supplementary resource, you may also
take a look at the general illustration on the forms of verbals available at the Towson University
site.
Assuming that you are more confident to answer practice exercises about verbals, try answering
the following test exercises (click the embedded links to go to the sites):
Gerund and gerund phrases, Participle and participial phrases, Infinitive and infinitive
phrases

Module References
Capital Community College Foundation (n.d.). Conditional verb forms. Guide to Grammar and
Writing. http://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/conditional.htm
Capital Community College Foundation (n.d.) Helping and modal auxiliary verbs. Guide to
Grammar and Writing. https://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/auxiliary.htm
Capital Community College Foundation (n.d.) Plural noun forms. Guide to Grammar and
Writing. http://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/plurals.htm
Capital Community College Foundation (n.d.), The passive voice. Guide to Grammar and
Writing. http://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/passive.htm
Capital Community College Foundation (n.d.). Verb tenses. Guide to Grammar and Writing.
http://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/tenses/tense_frames.htm
International School Tutors (n.d.). Modal verbs: Quiz 1. A Guide to Learning English.
https://www.internationalschooltutors.de/English/activities/grammar/multi2/modal1.html
IXL Learning (n.d.). Identify gerunds and their functions: 8 th grade language arts. Retrieved
February 09, 2015, from http://www.ixl.com/ela/grade-8/identify-gerunds-and-their-
functions
IXL Learning (n.d.). Identify infinitives and infinitive phrases: 8 th grade language arts. Retrieved
February 09, 2015, from https://www.ixl.com/ela/grade-8/identify-infinitives-and-infinitive-
phrases
IXL Learning (n.d.). Identify participles and what they modify: 8 th grade language arts.
Retrieved February 09, 2015, from https://www.ixl.com/ela/grade-8/identify-participles-and-
what-they-modify
Mond, J. (2010, July). A review of verb tenses. University of Houston - Victoria

https://www.uhv.edu/university-college/student-success-center/resources/q-z/review-of-
verb-tense/
Purdue University (n.d.). Active versus passive voice. Purdue Online Writing Lab.
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/active_and_passive_voice/act
ive_versus_passive_voice.html
Purdue University (n.d.). Comparing Gerunds, Participles, and Infinitives. Purdue Online
Writing Lab.
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/mechanics/gerunds_participles_and_infinitives/c
omparing_gerunds_participles_and_infinitives.html
Towson University (n.d.). Active/Passive voice. Online Writing Support.

http://www.towson.edu/ows/activepass.htm
Towson University (n.d.). Verbals. Online Writing Support.

http://www.towson.edu/ows/verbals.html

University of Adelaide (n.d.) Passive voice. English for Uni.

https://www.adelaide.edu.au/english-for-uni/passive-voice
World English (n.d.). English tenses timeline chart. World-English. Retrieved February 04,
2015, from http://www.world-english.org/english-tenses.htm
Citation guidelines
Marcial, AKT (2021 March). Module 2: Acting Accordingly [Bridge Course Content]. Ugnayan ng
Pahinungod, UP Open University. insert complete web address of the learning management
system where the course is found

Introduction
Do you realize that with just a noun (or a pronoun) and a verb, you can actually compose a
complete sentence?
Imagine the kind of sentences that you could create with just these two parts of speech though.
Do you think you will be able to convey your intended message fully and precisely with just these
two?
If sentences were food, a diet of sentences composed of only nouns or pronouns and verbs might
seem bland.
We use adjectives and adverbs to modify certain aspects of our sentences—to make our
sentences more colorful and precise.
Watch the introductory video on adjectives and adverbs prepared by American English channel.
For 4:04 minutes, the video briefly defines adjectives and adverbs and describes their specific
functions in a sentence.
Are you done watching? What are your realizations about the definitions of these
parts of speech after watching the video?
My initial thoughts/ My recollection:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Remember that adjectives and adverbs create a more distinct image for you and your audience.
These parts of speech describe and modify the meanings of the elements in your sentences.
Now what are the problem areas you need to take note of when using these modifiers?
First, use adjectives and adverbs only when it is necessary to describe specific elements of your
sentences. Use adjectives to describe sentence elements in a precise way and refrain from using
adjectives that do not really add much meaning to the sentence like awesome, wonderful, or
exciting. At the same time, be careful where you place adverbs such as only and very. Other
common problems on using such modifiers shall be discussed in this module.
BE 101-A: MODULE 3
REVISED 2021
MODULE 3
PAINTING PICTURES: ADJECTIVES AND
ADVERBS
Module Objectives/ Learning Outcomes
• identify adjectives and adverbs in a sentence; and
• use the appropriate modifiers in a sentence
Try recalling the principles and rules concerning the following subtopics on adjectives and
adverbs.
• Basic rules in using an adjective and an adverb

• Position of adjectives and adverbs in a sentence
• Degree of (comparison of) adjectives: positive, comparative, and
superlative
• Kinds of adverbs: manner, place, frequency, time, purpose
• Order of adjectives and adverbs
In case you have forgotten, an adjective describes nouns or pronouns in a sentence. It nearly
always comes before the noun or pronoun it describes. An adverb may describe verbs, adjectives,
or adverbs in a sentence. It may occur almost anywhere in the sentence (depending on the
sentence element/s it describes). Both act as modifiers (of a specific part) in a sentence. Review
this discussion on the differences of adjectives and adverbs from Purdue University to deepen
your understanding of the two parts of speech. It summarizes the basic rules surrounding the use
of these modifiers as well.
Topic 1. Adjectives
Study this online handout for a more detailed discussion of the degree and order of adjectives from
Capital Community College Foundation. Focus more on the discussions on the three degrees of
adjectives: positive, comparative, superlative, and what each means.
In addition, note the table presenting the royal order of adjectives which group the adjectives as
determiner, observation, physical description, origin, material, and qualifier. It states the most
appropriate order of how each kind of adjectives should appear in a sentence, assuming you have
various adjectives in mind to describe a noun or pronoun. Other resources as alternatives which
you can review are the summary discussions from the Cambridge Dictionary and the British
Council.
In reality, it may be common to have just about 4 modifiers/ adjectives in succession to describe a
noun or pronoun, but for the sake of this review, let us use five adjectives—small, ceramic, green,
quaint, round—to describe a soup bowl as an example. How would you organize these adjectives
when you structure them in one sentence? Definitely, you will have to use an article—a/an, or
the—to start of your adjective phrase.

MODULE 3
ADVERBS
Based on your understanding of the discussions in the online handout, which of the following best
reflects the most appropriate order of adjectives in a sentence?
a. My grandmother enjoys eating chicken noodle soup in a ceramic, small, round, quaint,
green bowl.
b. My grandmother enjoys eating chicken noodle soup in a quaint, small, round, green,
ceramic bowl.
c. My grandmother enjoys eating chicken noodle soup in a round, ceramic, green, quaint,
small bowl.
d. My grandmother enjoys eating chicken noodle soup in a round, small, green, ceramic,
quaint bowl.
You are correct if you answered option “b.”
A variation of the discussion on adjective order may also be found in this page on Adjective order
from the University of Victoria’s English Language Center. Continue with the 8-item practice
exercises by clicking the link on the lower part of the page.
Let us compare the two guides:
Guide 1 (Capital Community College Foundation, Cambridge Dictionary, British Council)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
determiner observation physical description origin material qualifier noun
(article and/ (physical quality) (or type)
or quantity)
size shape age color
some delicious Thai food
that dilapidated little hunting cabin
a gorgeous tall slim young black- woman
haired
Guide 2 (University of Victoria)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
determiner opinion physical description origin material purpose noun
(article and/ (physical quality) (or type)
or quantity)
size age shape color
some delicious Thai food
that dilapidated little hunting cabin
a gorgeous tall young slim black- woman
haired
For adjectives that fall under items 2-9 (observation/ opinion to qualifier/ purpose/ type), whether
the order must be strictly followed or not will depend on whether the intention is for the set of
adjectives to be cumulative—meaning they will be combined as one set of adjectives to describe
or refer to a specific noun or pronoun—or whether they will be considered of equal rank, separated
with commas or “and”, and may be viewed as individual adjectives describing the noun/ pronoun.

MODULE 3
ADVERBS
Consider the difference in how the adjectives are used in the following sentences below.
with cumulative adjectives with coordinate adjectives

Pat’s nephew bought four, energetic, small, Pat’s nephew bought three small, energetic
hairy puppies. puppies.
They were instructed to pass by a narrow, They were instructed to pass by an old, narrow
long, old road. and long road.
In the case of cumulative adjectives, we shall adopt the order of adjectives from the first guide. In
the case of coordinate adjectives, since the order will not matter that much, you just need to
ensure that the adjectives are separated by commas or joined by the conjunction “and.”
In addition, it is also important to note that sometimes, an adjective and a noun are inseparable,
and the recommended order may be disregarded, because it is commonly recognized that the
adjective and noun belong together (what we technically consider “a single semantic unit”). For
example, the terms “big shot” and “fat cat” (which both could mean “a wealthy or privileged person
and contributor/ benefactor) may already be viewed as a single unit. There will be a huge
difference in meaning if you use “a fat old black cat” and “an old fat cat” in sentences:
I saw a fat old black cat on my way to work. (You’re describing the animal.)
I saw the old fat cat on my way to work. (You’re describing a wealthy person.)
Topic 2. Adverbs
Much like adjectives, adverbs also have different kinds and positions or placements within a
sentence as presented in this adverb discussion from Capital Community College. Answer this
self-assessment questions to check your understanding of the concepts:
How is each kind of adverb used in a sentence based on the examples?

Even though adverbs can be placed generally anywhere in a sentence, there are still a few
basic guidelines for placing adverbs of manner, frequency, and time in a sentence—kindly
enumerate these guides as discussed in the resource.
In addition, the British Council summarizes how adverbs may appear in a sentence in this
summary. If you can still remember, adverbs may appear as just one word describing the verb,
adjective, or another adverb in a sentence, but they may also appear as phrases and clauses. For
this module, let us focus first on the one-word adverbs and they key concepts and rules on
grammar which should be remembered.
Kinds of adverbs
• Adverb of manner
You probably remember the adverbs that end in -ly and are used to describe how an action
is done in the sentence.
Examples:
Charlene speaks eloquently. (describing how the subject speaks)

MODULE 3
ADVERBS
She tactfully avoided the confrontation. (describing the manner in which the subject
avoided)
Study the examples and practice exercises on adverbs of manner provided on this
summary page from the British Council’s Learn English site.
• Adverb of place
These are your modifiers that connote location, direction, or distance (more often come in
phrases) to complete the intended meaning of the sentence.
Examples:
We stayed indoors to avoid the risk of spreading the virus or getting infected with the virus,
especially since we could afford to do so. (where “we” stayed)
My father usually drinks his coffee by the window. (where father does the action)
Study the examples and practice exercises on adverbs of place provided on this summary
page from the British Council’s Learn English site.
• Adverb of time (including adverb of frequency)

These are your modifiers that usually address the questions when, how long, and how
often to complete the intended meaning of the sentence.
Examples:
Let us talk soon. (when the talk will be)
We waited for your call for two hours. (how long the action was done)
My sister usually reads online news before sleeping. (how frequent the action is done)
Study the examples and practice exercises on adverbs of time provided on this summary
page from the British Council’s Learn English site.
In addition to the 3 major kinds reviewed above, the two may be added as a classification of
adverbs although adverbs of purpose typically appear as part of a phrase or a clause.
• *Adverb of probability
From the term, “probability,” these adverbs are used to connote certainty.
The teacher is definitely going to assess this performance.
Maybe you need to relax a bit.
The students were obviously surprised by the quiz announcement.
Study the examples and practice exercises on adverbs of probability provided on this
summary page from the British Council’s Learn English site.

MODULE 3
ADVERBS
• *Adverb of purpose / reason

This set of adverbs clarifies the reason or the aim (hence the term purpose) of the verb
Focus and study in order to pass the upcoming test.
Michael has read the labels and instructions carefully to cook the unfamiliar dish well.
As mentioned in the previous discussions, adverbs may also appear as a phrase or even a clause
as summarized in this online discussion on adverb phrases and adverb clauses from
University of Victoria. Continue with the practice exercises by clicking the link on the
lower part of each page to identify the types of adverb phrases and to choose the
correct conjunctions to complete the adverb clauses in the given sentences.
Module References
American English (2016, May 11). Adjectives and adverbs [Video]. Youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6KzAj7CZXQ
British Council (n.d.).Adjective order. LearnEnglish.

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/english-grammar-reference/adjective-order
British Council (n.d.). Adverbials of manner. LearnEnglish.

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/english-grammar-reference/adverbials-of-
manner
British Council (n.d.). Adverbials of place. LearnEnglish.

place
British Council (n.d.). Adverbials of probability. LearnEnglish.

probability
British Council (n.d.). Adverbials of time. LearnEnglish.

time
British Council (n.d.). How we make adverbials. LearnEnglish.

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/english-grammar-reference/how-we-make-
adverbials
Capital Community College Foundation (n.d.). Adjectives. Guide to Grammar and Writing.
https://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/adjectives.htm
Capital Community College Foundation (n.d.). Adverbs. Guide to Grammar and Writing.
https://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/adverbs.htm

MODULE 3
ADVERBS
University of Victoria English Language Center (2011). Adjective order. Study Zone.
https://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/adjord.htm
University of Victoria English Language Center (2011). Adverb clauses. Study Zone.
https://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/advcls.htm
University of Victoria English Language Center (2011). Adverb phrases. Study Zone.
https://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/advphr.htm
Purdue University (n.d.). The Difference between Adjectives and Adverbs. Purdue Online
Writing Lab.
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/grammar/adjective_or_adverb/index.html
Citation guidelines
Marcial, AKT (2021 March). Module 3: Painting pictures: Adjectives and adverbs [Bridge Course

Introduction
Analyze the pairs of sentences below.
For each set of sentences, which sentence expresses a clearer meaning?
SET A
Version 1: The officials talked about the enrolment problems. They did not
identify solutions.
Version 2: The officials talked about the enrolment problems, but they did
not identify solutions.
SET B
Version 1: Joey studied for the Math exam. Kim studied for the Math
exam. No one in the class was surprised that Joey and Kim passed.
Version 2: Joey and Kim studied for the Math exam, so no one in class
was surprised that they passed.
Note how in each set of sentences the use of connectors, known as conjunctions, clarified the
meaning of the sentences in the second versions.
Do you still remember what the most commonly used conjunctions are?
Module Objectives
• identify the conjunctions used in a sentence; and
• use the appropriate conjunctions in a sentence
Read the lyrics to the song “Conjunction Junction” written by Bob Dorough which first aired in the
United States in 1973. The animated video (3:22) may be watched in YouTube. This song aptly
summarizes the functions of a conjunction—which is basically “hooking up words and phrases and
clauses”—and gives examples which can be used in a sentence.
When conjunctions are used to connect words, phrases, or clauses in a sentence, they
also establish relationships and further clarify meanings. Are you still familiar with the
specific relationships formed by using each conjunction?
You might recall that there are two kinds of conjunctions: the coordinators (coordinating
conjunctions, correlative conjunctions, and the transitional devices, the conjunctive adverbs) and
BE 101-A: MODULE 4
REVISED 2021
CLARIFYING CONNECTIONS: CONJUNCTIONS UPOU UGNAYAN NG PAHINUNGOD
the subordinators (subordinating conjunctions). Although there are some literature which states
that there is a third kind—correlatives although their mainly function just like coordinators.
Basically, coordinators combine units that are of equal nature or role in a sentence (the words,
phrases, and ideas being combined are equally important). Subordinators make one idea
dependent on another idea, which becomes the main thought that is more important. Study the
succeeding resources to learn more about these two kinds and the function of the sub-categories
under them.
Topic 1. Coordinators
Do you remember the term FANBOYS in your encounter with conjunctions?
What does each letter of that word stand for?

What are the specific functions of each conjunction in FANBOYS?
What are the other conjunctions that you commonly use?
How different are these conjunctions from FANBOYS?
The conjunctions that make up FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) are referred to as
coordinating conjunctions. Access this page on using coordinating conjunctions in sentences from
the handbook of University of Wisconsin-Madison. Take note of the guidelines in using them in
sentences, including the punctuation rules.
Another kind of coordinators is those which always come in pairs known as correlative
conjunctions. Study this simple discussion of the conjunctions under this kind from this handout
from the Center for Writing Across the Curriculum at St. Mary’s College (California).
Lastly, there are those classified as conjunctive adverbs (Briefly, the conjunctive adverbs were
reviewed in the previous module as “adverbs of purpose.”) It is best to see these types of
conjunctions as fulfilling the general role of coordinators or connecting ideas within a sentence;
however, functioning as adverbs is also an added role. The open textbook, “Business English for
Success,” presents a summary chart of some common conjunctive adverbs with examples of how
they are used:
Function Conjunctive Adverb Example

Alicia was late for class and stuck in traffic;
also, furthermore,
Addition furthermore, her shoe heel had broken, and she had
moreover, besides
forgotten her lunch.
Recycling aluminum cans is beneficial to the
Comparison similarly, likewise environment; similarly, reusing plastic bags and
switching off lights reduces waste.
instead, however, Most people do not walk to work; instead, they drive or
Contrast
conversely take the train.
The Siberian tiger is a rare creature; indeed, there are
Emphasis namely, certainly, indeed
fewer than five hundred left in the wild.
accordingly,
Cause and I missed my train this morning; consequently, I was
consequently, hence,
Effect late for my meeting.
thus

Tim crossed the barrier, jumped over the wall, and

finally, next,
Time pushed through the hole in the fence; finally, he made
subsequently, then
it to the station.
To help you remember the discussions so far, kindly complete the table below (informally,
in your head or formally on a sheet of paper or notepad) with key concepts and sample
sentences.
Kinds of conjunction Key concepts and Example sentences

guidelines for use
Coordinating
conjunctions
• for
• and
• nor
• but
• or
• yet
• so
Correlative
conjunctions
Conjunctive adverbs

Topic 2. Subordinators
What will happen if you wish to combine ideas because of the meanings they convey while also
highlighting one’s “superiority” or relevance over the other?
This is where the subordinators may be more useful.
Read this overview of subordinators or subordinating conjunctions from Excelsior College to

understand their roles in combining ideas to complete sentences.
This page on Conjunctions from Capital Community College Foundation comprehensively

describes the different kinds of coordinators and subordinators and the meaning they add to the
sentence when they are used to combine words, phrases, or clauses. Moreover, Towson
University presents an overview of conjunctions with illustrations as to how they
may be used in sentences. You can try to answer this exercise on basic
conjunctions from the University of Victoria. Finally, this alternative page on
conjunctions from the British Council has three practice exercises embedded which
you can try answering to test your understanding of the correct way of joining (combining
sentences) and using the most appropriate conjunctions to do so.
Module References
British Council (n.d.). Conjunctions: and, or, but, so, because and although.
LearnEnglishTeens. https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/grammar/a1-a2-
grammar/conjunctions-or-so-because-although
Capital Community College Foundation (n.d.) Conjunctions. Guide to Grammar and Writing.
https://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/conjunctions.htm
Conjunction junction (n.d.). School House Rock. Retrieved May 01, 2020, from
https://www.schoolhouserock.tv/Conjunction.html
Disney Educational Productions (2012). Schoolhouse Rock: Grammar - Conjunction Junction

Music Video [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjdCFat9rjI
Saylor Foundation. (n.d.). Business English for success.

https://resources.saylor.org/wwwresources/archived/site/textbooks/Business%20English%
20for%20Success.pdf
St. Mary’s College of California. (n.d.). Correlative Conjunctions. Center for Writing across
the Curriculum. https://www.stmarys-
ca.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/files/CorrelativeConjunctionsTipSheet.pdf
Subordinating Conjunctions (n.d.). Excelsior Online Writing Lab.

https://owl.excelsior.edu/grammar-essentials/parts-of-speech/conjunctions/subordinating-
conjunctions/
Towson University (n.d.). Conjunctions. Online Writing Support.

https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/conjunctions.htm
University of Victoria (n.d). Basic Coordinating Conjunctions Exercise.

https://continuingstudies.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/coconj1

University of Wisconsin-Madison (n.d.). Using coordinating conjunctions. The Writing Center.

https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/grammarpunct/coordconj/
Citation guidelines
Marcial, AKT (2021 March). Module 4: Clarifying connections: Conjunctions [Bridge Course

Introduction
Have you ever experienced having to pause for a split second in the middle of a conversation
because you became confused about which short word—in, at, or on— to use in completing your
message?
Analyze the sentences below. Focus on the underlined words in bold.
I can’t talk right now because I am on / in a crowded bus.
The props you need are on / in in the van.
They will wait for us on / at the airport.
These short words are called prepositions.
Which preposition should you use for each sentence?
What are prepositions for? Can you still recall?
Module Objectives/ Learning Outcomes
• identify the prepositions used in a sentence; and
• use the appropriate prepositions in a sentence.
Based on its etymology, preposition came from the Latin praepositio(n-), from the
verb praeponere, where prae means “before” and ponere means “to place.” Prepositions as those
short words that may complete sentences can really be confusing, especially since using some of
them does not necessarily follow a strict grammar rule (unlike subject and verb agreement rules,
for example), but you cannot deny its role in completing the intended message of sentences.
In an online article by Simpson (2014), he mentioned the importance of prepositions in a sentence

such that they “…act as vital markers to the structure of a sentence; they mark special
relationships between persons, objects, and locations.” In short, even though prepositions may be
shorter words than conjunctions, they also complete the ideas conveyed when we are to connect
words together in a sentence.
Read the lyrics to the song “Busy Prepositions” written by Bob Dorough which first aired in the
United States in 1993. The animated video (3:01) may be watched in YouTube. This song aptly
gives an orientation on the basic function of these ‘troublesome little words’ in the English
language. Study Purdue University’s primer on preposition and its standard uses. The
discussions in its subpages focus on the common prepositions of place (location, direction, and
spatial relationship), of time (including period), and prepositions that are used to introduce objects.
BE 101-A: MODULE 5
REVISED 2021
CONNECTING PARTS: PREPOSITIONS UPOU UGNAYAN NG PAHINUNGOD
For an additional discussion and examples, read the handout on Prepositions: Locators in Time
and Place from Capital Community College Foundation. The handout is divided into four sections:
• Kinds of prepositions (to use with nouns, adjectives, adverbs)

• Idiomatic (use of) expressions with prepositions
• Unnecessary prepositions
• Prepositions in parallel form
Lastly, University of Houston-Victoria also has pages on phrasal prepositions and idiomatic
prepositions, which you may need to review to avoid misuse of prepositions. These errors may
further assist you in your understanding of prepositions.
After all the discussions, what insights do you have about the use of prepositions in
sentences? What common rules should you remember? What list should you just
memorize? Take time to answer these self-reflection questions before you do the
practice exercises.
with preposition or without preposition?

One last guideline which you must remember despite the exhaustive list of prepositions
presented in all the resources above:
Transitive verbs do not need prepositions (to show how it us related to the word that
follows it). What they need are the object/s that directly “receives” the action (hence,
direct object). Some examples are the verbs discuss, request, demand, order.
The speaker discussed the topic well. (not “The speaker discussed about the topic well.”)
The students request an extension. (not “The students request for an extension.”)
To check how well you have grasped the important points in using prepositions, try
answering the following practice exercises:
Exercise: Prepositions of Direction: To, On (to), In (to) – this is a 20-item exercise that acts you to
choose the correct preposition of direction to complete the sentences. Click the link to the answer
key at the end of the items to check how well you did.
Quiz on Prepositions- this is a multiple choice quiz consisted of 20 items lifted from the Capital
Community College. You have to choose the best preposition that fits the sentence.
Prepositions at the crossword – this is a 12-item exercise that asks you to encode the most
suitable preposition to complete the phrases within the context of completing a crossword puzzle.
Finally, as an optional activity, go to this link from English page which provides a list of exercises
to check your understanding of how to use the different kinds of prepositions to complete
sentences.

Module References
Busy Prepositions (n.d.). School House Rock. Retrieved May 01, 2020, from
https://www.schoolhouserock.tv/Busy.html
Capital Community College Foundation (n.d.) Prepositions at the Crossword. Guide to

Grammar and Writing. http://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/quizzes/cross/cross_prep.htm
Capital Community College Foundation (n.d.) Prepositions: Locators in Time and Space.
Guide to Grammar and Writing. http://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/prepositions.htm
Capital Community College Foundation (n.d.). Quiz on Prepositions.

Guide to Grammar and Writing.
http://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/quizzes/preposition_quiz1.htm
Dawemmy (2010). Schoolhouse rock, Busy Prepositions [Video]. Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bmz8mM-nPtM
Prepositions (n.d.). English page. Retrieved March 01, 2015 from

https://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/prepositions.html
Purdue University (n.d.). Prepositions for Time, Place, and Introducing Objects. Purdue Online
Writing Lab. https://tinyurl.com/w4zd4my8
Purdue University (n.d.). Exercise: Prepositions of Direction: To, On (to), In (to). Purdue Online
Writing Lab.
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl_exercises/grammar_exercises/prepositions/prepositions_of_dir
ection_exercise.html
Simpson, A.J. (2014, August 26). How to help learners of English understand prepositions.
British Council. https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/how-help-learners-english-
understand-prepositions
University of Houston-Victoria (n.d). Idiomatic Prepositions.

https://www.uhv.edu/curriculum-and-student-achievement/student-
success/tutoring/student-resources/e-p/idiomatic-prepositions/
University of Houston-Victoria (n.d). Phrasal Prepositions.

https://www.uhv.edu/curriculum-and-student-achievement/student-
success/tutoring/student-resources/e-p/phrasal-prepositions/
Citation guidelines

Marcial, AKT (2021 March). Module 5: Connecting parts: Prespositions [Bridge Course Content].
Ugnayan ng Pahinungod, UP Open University. insert complete web address of the learning
management system where the course is found


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FACULTY OF EDUCATION

BRIDGE ENGLISH 1 (BE 101-A)

Sketch Show UK English Study Group (original version)

The Sketch Show English Study Group (US version)

Do You Speak English?

BE 101-A: MODULE INTRODUCTION

Did you get majority of the answers correct?

1. Noun: is a word that names a person, place, thing, event, or idea.

2. Pronoun: is word that replaces a noun.

3. Verb: is a word that connotes/ represents an action or a state of existence/ being.

Modifiers (words that are used to describe, qualify someone or something):

Other parts of speech (with items 6 and 7 as “connectors”)

6. Conjunction: is a word that combines or joins words or groups of words to indicate

8. Interjection: is a word that expresses strong emotion (often, showing excitement).

Bridge Course module originally designed by AKTMarcial

What kind of passage?

• There is a secret passage.

What did the aunt prepare (which we

What does the uncle do (in relation to

Let us officially begin this bridge course!

Bridge Course module originally designed by AKTMarcial

World English (n.d.). Diagnostic Grammar Test. World-English. http://www.world-

Bridge Course module originally designed by AKTMarcial

In this first module, let us start with nouns and pronouns.

Can you recall what a noun means?

How about a pronoun?

Activities and Resources

Topic 1. Nouns as subjects: subject-verb agreement

as complement of the subject

as receiver of an action (direct object)

as object of another element in the sentence (indirect object)

Collective nouns (e.g., platoon, class, herd)

Bridge Course module originally designed by AKTMarcial for the

Count and noncount nouns

✓ Stick to the general rule: singular subject (whether as nouns or pronouns)

Topic 2. Pronoun cases and pronoun-antecedent agreement

Bridge Course module originally designed by AKTMarcial for the

Sample succeeding sentences:

Giselle and Janette, represented

a. They bought crackers and sandwiches to go with the soda as well.

– Pronoun in the nominative

– Pronoun in the objective

c. Everyone at the party appreciated their gesture.

Topic 2.1. Kinds of pronouns and pronoun-antecedent agreement

Bridge Course module originally designed by AKTMarcial for the

• Avoid indefinite reference. Sometimes, the antecedent of a pronoun is not clearly

Original sentence: Revised sentence:

Original sentence: Revised sentence:

Bridge Course module originally designed by AKTMarcial for the

→ Because the sentence wants to

Original sentence: Revised sentence:

Topic 2.2. Pronoun cases

Bridge Course module originally designed by AKTMarcial for the

Capital Community College Foundation (n.d.) Subject-Verb Agreement. Guide to Grammar

Towson University (n.d.). Usage - Pronoun Case. Online Writing Support.

Bridge Course module originally designed by AKTMarcial for the

Activities and Resources

Topic 1. Verb tenses

Compare these two sentences and the verbs used.

Did you choose sentence a? Why?

If you chose sentence b, you are correct.

Do you still remember the functions of the different kinds of verbs?