How to Use Articles

A - AN - THE
• “A” is used in front of singular countable nouns (a person, animal
or thing) which are not specific.
• We don’t use a before uncountable or plural nouns.
A • If a noun starts with a consonant sound (b,c,d,f,g,h,j,k,l, etc.), “a”
comes before the noun.

E.g. a dog, a chicken, a boy, a teacher, a girl, a lesson, a website, etc.

• “An” is used in front of singular countable nouns which are not

specific.
• We don’t use a before uncountable or plural nouns.
An • If a noun starts with a vowel sound (a,e,i,o,u), “an” comes before
the noun.

E.g. an umbrella, an owl, an image, an hour, an enemy, an author, etc.

• We use “The” in front of all nouns (it does not matter whether
the nouns are singular, plural countable or uncountable) to
describe someone or something specific or unique.

The • “The” also used in front of superlative degrees of adjectives such as

“the tallest”, “the biggest”, “the most interesting thing”, etc.

E.g. the Moon, the world, the Sun, the atmosphere, the rain, the
South, the North

DEFINITE ARTICLE INDEFINITE ARTICLE

The A, An
 TYPE OF NOUNS

COMMON PROPER

COUNTABLE UNCOUNTABLE

CONCRETE ABSTRACT

COMPOUND COLLECTIVE

• A noun is a person, place, animal or thing.

 POSSESSIVE

NOUNS

Singular Nouns Plural Nouns

• Dog’s house • Boys’ ball

If the noun
• Book’s words ends in “s”, • Tables’ legs
add ‘
• Girl’s dolls • Girls’ hands
If it’s a
commo • Bird’s chicks
n noun, • Women’s bag
add “s” • Car’s engine
If the noun
doesn’t • Children’s
• Sister’s room
ends in “s”,
add ‘ dolls
• Jim’s pen

• My mom’s bag • Men’s shoes

APOSTROPHE S
ENGLISH PRONOUNS

I Me My Mine Myself

You You Your Yours Yourself

He Him His His Himself

She Her Her Hers Herself

(Not
It It Its Itself
Used)

We Us Our Ours Ourselves

You You Your Yours Yourselves

They Them Their Theirs Themselves

Relative
Pronouns
• The woman who called
Used for people
yesterday wants to buy
the house.

• Did you see the letter

Use for things which came today?
and animals • I love the puppy which is
jumping at the kitchen.

• He’s a man whose object

Use for possessions opinion I respect.
Of people, animals • She’s the student whose
handwritten is the best in
my class.

Use for people when • The author whom you

the person is the criticized in your review
object of the verb has written a letter in reply.

• The girl that we met in

France has sent us a card.
Use for people, things • We live in a ground floor
and animals flat that backs onto a busy
street.
• Do you like the cat that is
sleeping underneath the
table?
I. nterrogative pronouns are used to ask questions
• Ask about things or activities
WHAT • What is he doing?
• What is the time now?

• Ask about people

WHO • Who are you talking to?
• Who is your English teacher?

• Ask about places

WHERE • Where is the market?
• Where are my shoes?

• Ask about time

WHEN • When are you leaving for Dubai?
• When is your birthday party?

• Ask about people or things of

WHICH a limited number
• Which cake do you want?

• Ask about age, the way something is done,

HOW the quantity or price
• How was your trip to Thailand?

• Ask for a reason

WHY • Why did you waste your food?
Quick question. In 3 minutes, create a question
for these interrogative pronouns.

WHAT

WHO

WHERE

WHEN

WHICH

HOW

WHY
Test yourself!
 Collective noun is the name we give to a group of nouns to
refer to them as one entity.

PEOPLE ANIMALS THINGS

• A group of islands.
• A class of students. • A catch of fish.
• A shower of rain.
• An army of soldiers. • An army of ants.
• A tuft of grass.
• A choir of singers. • A flight of birds.
• A bouquet of
• A crew of sailors. • A flock of birds.
flowers.
• A band of musicians. • A haul of fish.
• A stack of wood.
• A bunch of crooks. • A flock of sheep.
• A roll of cloth.
• A crowd of people. • A herd of oxen/
• A string of pearls.
• A gang of thieves. deer/ cattle/ whales/
• An album of stamps/
• A group of dancers. elephants/ goats.
photographs.
• A team of players. • A hive of bees.
• A bunch of grapes.
• A troupe of dancers. • A litter of cubs.
• A set of tools/
• A staff of employees. • A host of sparrows.
cutlery/ clothes.
• A tribe of natives. • A team of horses.
• A bale of cotton.
• A panel of experts. • A troop of lions.
• A pile of newspapers.
• A gang of laborers. • A zoo of wild
• A block of flats.
• A flock of tourists. animals.
• A row of houses.
• A board of directors. • A pack of wolves.
• A layer of dirt.
• A regiment of • A litter of puppies/
• A suite of furniture.
soldiers. kittens.
• A chest of drawers.
• A tribe of natives. • A swarm of bees/
• A forest of trees.
ants/ rats/ flies.
Add the collective nouns into the sentences.

1) The heavy wagon was drawn by a ………….. of oxen.

2) A ………….. of bees had nested in the tree.
3) The …………… of elephants stampeded through the forest.
4) The …………… of soldiers marched proudly on parade.
5) The lady was handed a …………………. of flowers.
6) The ……………. of fish swam in the ocean.
7) The tabby cat was proud of her ………………. of kittens.
8) We spotted a ……………… of whales swimming in the distance.
9) The ………………. of cutlery was rusty.
10) We went to the store to look for a new ………………. of furniture.
11) My house is the fourth house in ………….. of houses.
12) My mother was given a …………… of clothes for her birthday.
13) My gran has an …………… of photographs about her childhood.
14) There is a large grasshopper sitting on a ………….. of grass.
15) A collector stamps keeps his stamps in an ………….. of stamps.
16) A …………… of rain stopped the baseball match.
17) My father has a large …………. of wood ready to burn our fireplace.
18) The house was old that it was covered by a………………… of dirt.
19) The tailor ordered a ……………. of cloth to make the king’s new clothes.
20) I live in a big …………. of flats. It overlook the sea.
 ENGLISH PROVERBS
A proverb is a saying that can be one or two lines long, which is
generally known among the people.

Two wrongs don’t make right

 It is never right to wrong someone, even if they have
wronged you first.

A friend in need is a friend indeed

 If someone helps you when you have problems, or you
are in trouble, that person is a true friend.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

 Everyone has their own ideas of what is beautiful.

Practice makes perfect

 If you want to be perfect at something, you need to
practice every day.

Haste makes waste

 When you try to work too quickly, you usually
make mistakes.

Better late than never

 It’s better if you do something later, than not
do it at all.

Easy come, easy go

 When something, especially money, is easily got
and then soon spent or lost.
 FAMOUS PROVERBS
The early bird catches the worm.
 Starting the day early and getting to your work earlier is
more beneficial to a person

The pen is mightier than the sword.

 Exchange of ideas and information is a better way to settle
disputes or convince someone than using force and violence.

Two heads are better than one.

 Sometimes two people can come up with a solution to a
problem that could not be solved by one person.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

 Everyone has their own ideas of what is beautiful.

When in Rome, do as the Romans.

 It is better to follow the customs and behavior of the people
around you, when you are in an unknown area or society.

You can’t judge a book by its cover.

 Do not judge things by the way they appear, their actual nature of
function might be completely different.

Actions speak louder than words.

 Actually doing an action has more impact than simply
speaking about it again and again.

All good things must come to an end.

 No one can stay happy forever, eventually some hurdle or event
will temporarily or permanently end a good streak.
Practice Makes Perfect!
1) “He has tattoos all over his body, but you know what they say, ______________________
___________________.”

2) “Having started work straight after my diploma to make ends meet, I only fulfilled my dream
to pursue further studies after a good ten years in the workforce. But ___________________
______________, for I can now proudly say that I am a degree holder; the first in my family.”

3) Proverbs can be in the form of a phrase or a sentence, for example, “__________________

___________________.” This one is frequently used to encourage the lazy bunch of us to rise
or start early because it is believed that those who do so gain an advantage over others.

4) Julie was already shopping around for a car as a self-reward for her upcoming promotion,
but I told her ____________________________.

5) Tim was dejected; he had just failed his test. As I patted him on the shoulder I tried to
encourage him. “Look, Tim, this test is already done, so ____________________________
__________________There’s still the finals at the end of the year, and I know you can do it.”

6) “Don’t just tell me you’re going to change. Do it! ________________________________.”

7) “I wish this vacation would go on forever. It’s too bad that __________________________
_____________.”

8) “I wasn’t sure that he loved her, but then I saw them hugging at the airport. _____________
___________________.”
Prepositions are the words which are used to connect the
different nouns, pronouns, and phrases in a sentence.
TYPES OF PREPOSITIONS
These prepositions are constructed by only one word like:
Simple On, at, about, with, after, for, etc.
Prepositions E.g.: He found the book about dogs on the table, in the
bedroom.

These prepositions are formed by combining two words or

Double two Simple Prepositions: into, within, upon,
Prepositions onto, etc.
E.g.: The dog jumped onto the bed and left marks upon the
sheets.

These prepositions are two-word prepositions.

Compound
According to, because of, next to, due to, etc.
Prepositions
E.g.: He was upset because of his son’s behavior.

Participles are actually verbs that end with ‘-en’ or

Participle ‘-ing’: Considering, during, given, including, etc.
Prepositions E.g.: Considering what he had to work with, he did a pretty
good job.

• A combination of the preposition + a modifier (optional)

Phrase + the object
Prepositions • Used to modify the nouns, verbs or sentences and also
complete clauses.
At home, in time, with me, from my father, under the
blanket, etc.
E.g.: The clothes left on the bed have been ironed and kept
back.
Prepositions are also categorized based on their use
in a sentence as:
Prepositions of Place/ Position Are used to indicate the position of a subject.
Prepositions Examples
In Leela is swimming in the pool.
On The dictionary is on the table.
At The students are at a meeting now.
By She lives in a bungalow by the sea.
Near There are some people standing near the bus stop.
Beside Nina stands beside her father all the time.
Under The cat is under the chair.
Behind Mrs Prema planted vegetables behind her house.
Between She sits between Leela and May Yin in class.
In front of Aina stood in front of Michelle in the queue.

Prepositions of Time Are used to indicate the time when something happens.

Prepositions Examples
In She will be here in 10 minutes’ time.
On Mr Poh will be leaving on Monday.
At We had dinner at 7 p.m.
By He will submit his assignment by tomorrow.
For She has been talking for two hours.
From Alya has been studying from 9p.m. till now.
After She will come after 2 p.m.
Since They have been living here since 2003.
Until I will stay here until my father comes.
Before Aaron went home before 11 a.m. this morning.
during We were caught in a jam during lunch hour.

Are used to indicate the direction towards something

Prepositions of Direction
which is moving.
Prepositions Examples
From The bus will leave from the station now.
Into The goat jumped into the well.
Towards The man cycled towards the field.
Across The chicken dashed across the road.
Around She drove around the building four times.
 Do it right !
Fill in the correct position (from the box of suggestions below), and afterwards
find the corresponding picture.

about, above, across, after, against, along, among, around, behind, below, beneath, beside(s),
between, by, down, for, from, in , in front of, into, inside, near, next to, off, on, onto, opposite,
out, out of, over, past, through, to, towards, under, up, upon, with

The sheep were standing _________
1 ____________ him.
Santa stood ________ the roof with
the bag ___________ his back,
2 wondering how to get
_____________ the chimney.
The women looked small, standing
3 _________________ the two big
sunflowers.
While the rain kept pouring
9 _________, she kept herself dry
sitting ___________ a big mushroom.
10
The boy happily went home
__________ school, throwing dried
leaves __________ the air.
When he woke ______, someone had
11 fried an egg ________ his stomach.

The boy was looking _____________ The man looked _________ the
4 the burger, waiting anxiously to put it 12 binoculars, searching ________
intruders.
____________ his mouth.
There were boxes _________ ,
The bear loved what he found
5 ____________ the jar. 13 _________ and _________ the
container.
The man ___________ the camera She was drying the tears ________
6 ___________ his neck was pointing
his finger __________ us. 14 her eyes, ___________ reading the e-
mail _________ her bofriend.
The man hit his fist ______________
7 the desk after writing the letter
____________ his girlfriend.
The pig messed ______ the mustard
8 and ketchup.
 Sentence Sequence
Connectors Connectors

Sentence connectors link Sequence connectors connect

ideas in one sentence with
those in the following
sentence. Sentence
connectors perform different
functions and are placed at
the beginning of a sentence .
Although the ideas are linked,
the sentences remain
separate.
sentences to show the order
or sequence of actions or
order of events in a process.
The sequence connectors are
very helpful to organize your
ideas when you want to tell
someone what happened at a
particular time in a logical
sequence

• As a result, • First,
• Therefore, • Next,
• Thus, • After that,
• Besides, • Then,
• Moreover, • Finally,
• In addition, • Later,
• Furthermore, • Second,
• However, • Third,
• On the other hand • In conclusion,
 CONJUNCTIONS
A conjunction is a word that links words, phrases or clauses
in a sentences.

Coordinating Subordinating CORRELATIVE

Conjunctions Conjunctions Conjunctions
• Used to link or join • Used to join an • They are pairs of
two words or independent and conjunctions used
phrases that are complete clause in a sentence to join
equally important with a dependent different words or
and complete in clause that relies groups of words in a
terms of grammar on the main clause sentence together.
when compared for meaning and
with each other. relevance. • Examples:
Either…………or
• Examples: • Examples: after, Not only………..but/also
For although, as, as far Neither……nor
And as, as long as, as Both……….and
Nor though, because, Whether…………….or
But before, even if, The……………the
Or where, wherever, As……………..as
Yet even though, every As much…………….as
Soon time, if, in order No sooner……….than
that, since, so, so Rather…………….than
F-A-N-B-O-Y-S that, than, unless, Just as…………….so
until, whenever, Hardly………….when
whereas

Compound
Complex
Sentences Complex Sentences
Sentences
 ACTION VERBS
(Transitive, intransitive)
• Bend • Jump • Run • Twist • Gallop
• Blink • Kick • Scream • Walk • Grab
• Catch • Leap • Shake • Wiggle • Roar
• Clap • March • Skate • Wink • Turn
• Crawl • Poke • Skip • Yawn • Yell

Linking HELPING

VERBS VERBS (23)

(auxiliary, modal)

• Am • Is • Are • Does
• Are • Is being • Been • Has
• Be • Seem • Being • Have
• Feel • Become • Can • May
• Has • Are being • Could • Might
 REGULAR
VERB
-Add ‘-d’ or ‘-
CAUSATIVE ed’ IRREGULAR
VERB (5) VERB
-show the subject -Add other
than ‘-d’ or ‘-
causes something
ed’

LINKING
INFINITE TYPES VERB
VERB -Used to
-Term used to OF rename
describe verb
VERBS -Used to
describe

FINITE VERB TRANSITIVE

-Main verb in VERB
-Used with
sentence
INTRANSITIVE direct object
VERB
-Used without
direct object
1 The subject and verb must agree in number.
• He goes to work by bus.
• They visit us every other week.
• The boy is playing.
• They girls are singing.

2 The words and phrases ‘with’, ‘as well as’, ‘together with’, ‘along with’
are not part of the subject and the verb agrees with the subject.
• The teacher, as well as his students is going to visit the museum.
• Those toys, including the red car, are old.
• The politician, along with the newsman, is expected shortly.

3 Two subjects joined by ‘and’ are plural.

•
Exceptions:
• Mary and Joan are quite different. Bacon and eggs is my favorite dish.
• The dog and the cat are having lunch.

4 With collective nouns, the verb might be singular or plural, depending on

meaning.
• The flock is migrating to the south.
• The orchestra plays only on special days.
• The audience was clearly enchanted by her performance.

5 2 subjects joined by ‘or/not’, ‘either…..or’/neither….nor’, ‘not only…..but

also’ take the verb agrees with the subject. Two or more singular subject.

• Neither my mother nor my father goes to university.

6 In sentences beginning with ‘here’, ‘there’, the true subject follows the verb.
• There is a bush near the school playground.

7 If the subjects include both singular and plural nouns connected with ‘or’ or
‘nor’, the verb must agree with the subject that is closer to it.
• The Johnsons or Sue is coming for dinner.
• Sue or The Johnsons are coming for dinner.
8 The verb is singular if the subject is a singular indefinite pronoun such as
each, either, no one, every, etc.
• Everyone is coming to the birthday party.
• Somebody is knocking the front door.
• Nobody gets rich from writing nowadays.
The verb is plural if the subject is a plural indefinite pronoun
such as several, few, both, many.
• Several villages have been isolated by the heavy snowfall.

Some indefinite pronouns may be either singular or plural,

depending upon their use in a sentence.
• Some of the books are out of place. (BOOKS ARE COUNTABLE)
• Some of the music was weird. (MUSIC IS UNCOUNTABLE)
The verb must agree with the subject, not with the phrase
between the subject and the verb.
• One of the students is missing.
• The students who read that story are few.

9 Use singular verb for expressions of measurement, time, money, and weight
when the amount is considered one unit.
• Fifty dollars seems a reasonable price.
• Five dollars were scattered on the ground.
• A lot of money is needed for our school.
10
Plural form subjects with a singular meaning take a singular verb such as
measles, calisthenics, statistics, civics, etc.
• Gymnastics is his favorite sport.
• The news is bad for all the family members.
• Mathematics is my favorite subject.

Titles of single entities (books, organizations, countries, etc.) are always

singular.
• Harry Potter is an interesting novel.
• Malaysia has different ethnic and religious in the country.
ADVE B
What is an adverb?
An adverb is a word that describes a verb. An adverb can
tell when, where, and how.

Noun Verb Adverb

He sings well.
Modifies verb

Noun Verb Adverb Adverb

He sings very well.

Modifies verb