CITY UNIVERSITY OF PASAY

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

COR 101- Contemporary English

Activity 1
I. Noun
A. Write on the blank before the number the common to which the four proper
nouns refer.

SPORTS 1. NBA, PBA, PBL, UAAP

COUNTRIES 2. Paris, New York, Hongkong, Singapore
PROVINCES 3. Antique, Iloilo, Aklan, Capiz
CITIES IN THE PHILIPPINES 4. Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Davao, Zamboanga
FAMOUS BOOKS AND MOVIES 5. “Romeo and Juliet”, “Julius Caesar”,
“Hamlet”, “Macbeth”
CONSTELLATIONS 6. Andromeda, Pegasus, Ursa, Major, Little Dipper
GREEK GODS 7. Zeus, Aphrodite, Ares, Hermes
FESTIVALS 8. Mardi Gras, Ati-Atihan, Moro-moro, Canao
FAMOUS SINGERS 9. Regine Velasquez, Lanie Misalucha, Jaya, Pops
Fernandez
PHILIPPINE PRESIDENTS 10. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Joseph Estrada,
Benigno Simeon Aquino III, Rodrigo R. Duterte

B. Collective Nouns- Fill in the blanks below with the appropriate collective nouns.

1. A GROUP of ladies
2. A PACK of wolves
3. A NEST of eagles
4. A SHIVER of sharks
5. A TROOP of baboons
6. A BARN of bulls
7. A COMPANY of actors
8. A SWARM of bees
9. A JAR of clippings
10. A SQUAD of soldiers

C. Count and Mass Nouns. Write the appropriate count noun for the given mass
noun on the blank provided per number.

1. SACK of rice
2. CUP of sugar
3. PACK of coffee
4. BOTTLE of milk
5. A TANK of water
 6. A TRUCK of oil
7. A SACK of salt
8. SACK of sand
9. A PACK of powder milk
10. A BAG of dry ice

D. Uses of Nouns. Write on the blank before the number the use ( Subject (S),
Subjective Complement (SC), Objective Complement (OC), Direct Object (DO),
Indirect Object (IO), Object of Preposition (OP), Object of the Verbal (OV),
Nominative Address (NA), and Appositive (A)) of the underlined noun in every
sentence.

IO 1. Some parents save their extra money in the bank.

S 2. They give their children only a portion of their income.
DO 3. They feel that their money will be safe in banks.
OC 4. Due to this attitude of people, the number of banks steadily increases.
OP 5. And because of this attitude, the banks are now an institution.
OC 6. Your money are in good hands with the banks, our money-keepers.
DO 7. Besides, banks safe-keep jewelries.
OV 8. Like other financial institutions, they grant debtors loans.
DO 9. They consider obligations outstanding for many years bad debts.
S 10. Similar to other creditors, the banks conduct credit investigation of people
applying for loans.

E. Number of Nouns. Transform the singular nouns into plural nouns.

1. solid- SOLIDS
2. atom- ATOMS
3. mouse- MICE
4. moose- MOOSE
5. nose- NOSES
6. curriculum- CURRICULA
7. child- CHILDREN
8. ox- OXES
9. stoma- STOMATA
10. plateau- PLATEAUS
 II. Pronouns

Practice Using Pronouns

Rewrite the following paragraph, an unusual paragraph because it contains no

pronouns, by substituting an appropriate pronoun for each italicized word or group of
words. For example, the first sentence might be rewritten in this way:

The fortune teller moved her dry, shriveled hands over the glass ball that she had
bought at a dollar store a long time ago.

There are multiple correct options, just remember to be consistent. Read over the final
paragraph with your chosen pronouns to check for clarity and then compare your
paragraph with the revised paragraph below.

'The Fortune Teller': No Pronouns

The fortune teller moved the fortune teller's dry, shriveled hands over the glass ball that
the fortune teller had bought at a dollar store a long time ago. The fortune teller could
hear the laughter and the occasional shouts of the children as the children ran outside
from ride to ride and from tent to tent. The children never came in to see the fortune
teller. Instead it was always the face of a laid-off dock worker or a romantic teenager
that peered through the entrance way of the fortune teller's tent. The unemployed dock
workers wanted to hear about winning lottery tickets and new job opportunities. The
teenagers were eager to hear stories about far away places and dark, mysterious
strangers. And so the fortune teller always told the dock workers and the teenagers
what the dock workers and the teenagers wanted to hear. The fortune teller liked giving
the dock workers and the teenagers something to dream about. The fortune teller tried
to fill the minds of the dock workers and the teenagers with great expectations. Just
then, a young man appeared in the entrance way. The young man was nervous, and
the smile of the young man was timid. The young man shuffled into the dark tent, the
young man's head full of dreams and yet, at the same time, innocently empty. The
fortune teller took the trembling hands of the young man into the fortune teller's own
hands, and peered at the revealing lines etched on the palms of the young man. Then,
slowly, in the cracked, ancient voice of the fortune teller, the fortune teller began to
speak of new job opportunities, far away places, and dark, mysterious strangers.
Answer: “The Fortune Teller”: With Pronouns

The fortune teller moved her dry, shriveled hands over to glass ball she had bought at a
dollar store a long time ago. The fortune teller could hear the laughter and the
occasional shouts of the children as they ran outside from ride to ride and from tent to
tent. The children never came in to see the her. Instead it was always the face of a laid-
off dock worker or a romantic teenager that peered through the entrance way of her
tent. The unemployed dock workers wanted to hear about winning lottery tickets and
new job opportunities. The teenagers were eager to hear stories about far away places
and dark, mysterious strangers. And so the fortune teller always told them what they
wanted to hear. She liked to giving them something to dream about. She tried to fill the
minds of them with great expectations. Just then, a young man appeared in the
entrance way. The he is nervous, and the smile of the young man is timid. The young
man shuffled into the dark tent, the young man’s head full of dreams and yet, it was
innocently empty at the same time. She took the trembling hands of the young man into
her own hands, and peered at the revealing lines etched on his palms. Then, slowly, in
the cracked, ancient voice of her, she began to speak of new job opportunities, far away
places, an dark, mysterious strangers.

III. Verbs

A. Finding Verbs

Read the following paragraph, then go back to read it again and underline the verbs.
Some sentences will have more than one verb.

Cartoon superheroes are made up of a number of common traits. They have

extraordinary powers and abilities. They vary greatly, but superhuman strength, the

ability to fly and the ability to project energy are often common. Batman and Green

Hornet Possess no superpowers but they know martial arts. Most superheroes risk

their own safety in the service of good. Many refuse to kill an opponent, even

though they threaten the safety of others. Many superheroes use a descriptive or

symbolic code name. A supporting cast of characters includes the hero’s friends and

family. Superheroes often have a secret headquarters or base. Female characters

include the Invisible Woman, Black Canary and Raven. Some examples of non-

Caucasian characters are the Black Panther, Shang Chi and Cyborg.
 B. Uses of Verbs. Write on the blank before the number the use of the underlined

verb in every sentence. Make use of initials (HV, IV, TV, LV)

TV 1. I am hurting inside.
LV 2. I have been working so hard.
TV 3. The trouble with hello is goodbye.
HV 4. I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes.
HV 5. I promise I would never leave you.
IV 6. I don’t know why you are leaving.
HV 7. I just was not brave enough.
TV 8. Take a look inside my heart.
TV 9. I will never fall in love with you again.
IV 10. And if love ends, then I promise you that I shall never breathe again.

C. Tenses of the Verbs. Write the past and past participle of the following verbs

Verb Past Past Participle

1. stick STUCK STUCK
2. seek SOUGHT SOUGHT
3. stray STRAYED STRAYED
4. string STRUNG STRUNG
5. hang (to HANGED HANGED
kill)
6. hang (to HUNG HUNG
suspend)
7. input INPUT INPUT
8. occur OCCURRED OCCURRED
9. fly FLEW FLEW
10. break BROKE BROKEN

IV. Adjectives
Instructions

The sentences in this exercise have been adapted from those in two paragraphs of E.L.
Doctorow's novel World's Fair (1985). (To read Doctorow's original sentences, go to
Ritual in Doctorow's World's Fair.)

See if you can identify all the adjectives in these 12 sentences by underlining the
adjectives.
 1. Grandma's room I regarded as a dark den of primitive rites and practices.

2. She had two wobbly old candlesticks.

3. Grandma lit the white candles and waved her hands over the flames.

4. Grandma kept her room clean and tidy.

5. She had a very impressive hope chest covered with a shawl and on her
dresser a hairbrush and comb.

6. There was a plain rocking chair under a lamp so she could read her prayer
book.

7. And on an end table beside the chair was a flat box packed with a medicinal
leaf that was shredded like tobacco.

8. This was the centerpiece of her most consistent and mysterious ritual.

9. She removed the lid from this blue box and turned it on its back and used it to
burn a pinch of the leaf.

10. It made tiny pops and hisses as it burned.

11. She turned her chair toward it and sat inhaling the thin wisps of smoke.

12. The smell was pungent, as if from the underworld.

V. Adverbs

Underline each adverb in the following sentences. Then, circle the word or words the
adverb modifies. On the line provided, write whether the adverb tells how, when, where,
or to what extent.

MODIFIED WORD

ADVERB

TELLING WHEN 1. Carlo arrived early.

TELLING HOW 2. I can run faster than you.
TELLING WHAT 3. Bea Ang seems very sure of herself.
TELLING WHEN 4. Later I believed him.
TELLING HOW 5. Our soccer team was too slow.
TELLING HOW 6. Is he always early?
TELLING WHERE 7. Did you know that your new books are here?
TELLING WHAT 8. Did you work hard?
TELLING WHERE 9. Trhoy has been there.
TELLING WHAT 10. This math problem is especially hard.
TELLING HOW 11. The boys work slowly.
TELLING WHEN 12. Well, what shall we do now?
TELLING WHAT 13. This Incan pottery was expertly made.
TELLING WHAT 14. She will never believe you.
TELLING HOW 15. If you need any help, I will be there.
TELLING HOW 16. Ella danced gracefully.
TELLING WHEN 17. After saying goodbye to his mother, Joshua left yesterday for
school.
TELLING HOW 18. She learned to make tamales easily.
TELLING WHEN 19. Carla often goes to jazz concerts.
TELLING HOW 20. The fandango dance troupe rehearsed diligently.
TELLING HOW 21. The rain pounded heavily on the skylights and ran over the
tops of the gutters.
TELLING WHEN 22. Carol had soon finished washing the windows, so she polished
the mirrors.
TELLING WHAT 23. Will you please get the dog, which is digging in the back yard,
and bring it here?
TELLING HOW 24. Karl next diced onions and green peppers and put them into
the pot to simmer.
TELLING WHAT 25. The bowl and the beaters used for beating egg whites must
be completely free of grease.

VI. Conjunction

A. Complete each sentence using the subordinating conjunction from the

parenthesis:
1. I visit the Grand Canyon WHENEVER I go to Arizona. (once, whenever,
wherever)
2. This is the place WHERE we stayed last time we visited. (where, when,
how)
 3. IF you win first place, you will receive a prize. (wherever, if, unless)
4. You won’t pass the test UNLESS you study. (when, if, unless)
5. I could not get a seat, THOUGH I came early. (as, though, when)
6. We are leaving Wednesday WHETHER or not it rains. (if, whether,
though)
7. Pay attention to your work SO THAT you will not make mistakes. (so
that, unless, or)
8. The musicians delivered a rousing performance AS they had rehearsed
often. (though, as, once)
9. She’s honest SO everyone trusts her. (if, so, when)
10. Write this down OR you forget. (or, when, lest)

B.. Complete each sentence using the correct correlative conjunction pair from
the parenthesis:

1. I plan to take my vacation WHETHER in June OR in July. (whether / or, either / or, as /
if)

2. WHETHER I’m feeling happy OR sad, I try to keep a positive attitude. (either / or,
whether / or, when / I’m)

3. NO SOONER had I taken my shoes off THAN I found out we had to leave again. (no
sooner / than, rather / than, whether / or)

4. NOT only is dark chocolate delicious, BUT it can be healthy. (whether / or, not / but, just
as / so)

5. WHETHER I have salad for dinner, OR I can have ice cream for dessert. (if /then, when
/ than, whether / or)
6. BOTH flowers AND trees grow _________ during warm weather. (not only / or, both /
and, not / but)

7. WHETHER do we enjoy summer vacation, OR we _________ enjoy winter break.

(whether / or, not only / but also, either / or)

8. Calculus is BOTH easy AND difficult _________ (not / but, both / and, either / or)

9. It’s EITHER going to rain OR snow tonight. (as / if, either / or, as / as)

10. Savory flavors are NEITHER sweet NOR sour. (often / and, neither / nor, both / and)

C.. Complete each sentence using the correct coordinating conjunctive adverb
from the parenthesis:

1. Bianca wore her rain boots; ON THE OTHER HAND, her feet stayed dry during the
storm. (however, therefore, on the other hand)

2. I love the color red; THEREFORE, this shade seems a little too bright. (therefore,
nonetheless, in fact)

3. You have to be on time; OTHERWISE, you’ll miss the train. (nonetheless, however,
otherwise)

4. Teresa likes to read; HOWEVER,her sister Julia prefers to watch TV. (however, in
contrast, again)

5. She really wanted to eat ice cream; INSTEAD,she had a salad. (however, likewise,
instead)

6. We were working hard; MEANWHILE, Jill and Jerry were lounging by the pool.
(meanwhile, instead, therefore)
7. He is a weak leader; MOREOVER, he has plenty of supporters. (otherwise, moreover,
nevertheless)

8. She has an incredible voice; UNDOUBTEDLY, she will go far in her music career.
(otherwise, undoubtedly, similarly)

9. Natalie wanted to make pie but didn’t have apples; IN CONTRAST, she decided to bake
a cake. (therefore, namely, in contrast)

10. We had hoped to go to Spain; INSTEAD, we ended up in France. (otherwise, instead,

again

VII. Prepositions

Please choose the correct preposition (in/of/on) for the sentences in this
exercise.
Here is a reminder of some uses of these prepositions:

in – completely or partly enclosed by something

of – belonging to something or someone; contained in something
on – the basis for something

1. All the students will work ON a collaborative environment.

2. They need to concentrate IN their studies.
3. They will be placed IN a range of community settings.
4. We examined the scientific basis OF dental practice.
5. This degree appeals to students who are interested ON working in the new fields and
occupations created by digitization
6. The essay will be IN a topic you have studied recently.
7. These are the cultural processes OF globalization.
8. Here is a simple analysis OF algorithms.
9. The researchers are reliant ON external funding.
10. This course provides the opportunity to focus IN your major area of interest.
11. You will study this IN a social context.
12. You will study the important causes OF environmental change.
13. The course is IN the boundary of advanced engineering and science.
14. This program offers a broad education in areas relevant to the study OF human
health.
15. Evolutionary Biology involves the study OF information contained in living plants and
animals.
 VIII. Interjections

Directions: In the following sentences, identify the interjection and circle it.

INTERJECTIONS

1. Hi, I'm glad that you could make it to my party.

2. Wow! You look great tonight.

3. That was the best performance that I have ever seen, bravo!

4. I can't believe you broke my favorite toy, bah.

5. Hmm, I wonder where I put my keys and wallet?

6. Eureka, I've struck gold!

7. "Shoo, go away!" shouted the woman when she saw the cat licking milk from her

cereal bowl.

8. I guess that's the end of the movie, darn.

9. Stop! You should always wear a helmet when riding a bike.

10. Yippee, I made this picture all by myself