Showing posts with label Grammar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grammar. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Relative clauses

Relative clauses

A relative clause tells us about a noun it qualifies in a sentences.
The man who is in khakhi clothes is my friend.
'who is in khakhi clothes' describes the man. It is a relative clause.

I. Complete the sentences with who / which / that

1. English is a language which is spoken all over the world.
2. Aradhana's parents gave her the gold chain which she wore at the performance.
3. Rice is a cereal which is grown in tropical countries.
4. I like young people who read a lot.
5. Have you tasted the sweets that I made yesterday?
6. The bridge which was built last year has developed cracks.

II. Join the sentences using relative clauses. Make changes where necessary

1. I know a man. He can speak three languages.
Ans. I know a man who can speak three languages.
2. You lent me a radio. I have cleaned it.
Ans. I have cleaned the radio which you lent me.
3. They are the engineers. They repaired the bridge near Varanasi.
Ans. They are the engineers who repaired the bridge near Varanasi.
4. I was waiting for an electrician. He did not turn up.
Ans. I was waiting for an electrician who did not turn up.
5. Was it your mother ? She started a dispensary in this village.
Ans. Was it your mother who started a dispensary in this village ?

III. Complete the passage by selecting the suitable clauses.

Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose was the great Scientist who believed that plants could become tired,
depressed and happy. The other scientists who heard him laughed at him. Then he designed and
built an instrument which recorded the growth of plants. The instrument also showed that plants
have hearts and are capable of feeling.
"Your instrument is a wonderful thing", said the scientists who attended the Paris congress of
Science in 1900.

Future time,Adverbs,Non-finites,Gerunds,Present particle,Past participle

The Future Time

Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with will or shall.

1. I shall post this letter tomorrow.
2. The exams will begin next week.
3. I will see him next time.
4. Will you please stop talking ?
5. Shall I serve dinner now ?
6. You will not steal.
7. Will you change this bulb for me ?
Fill in the blanks with would or should.
1. He said his brother ................... ................... would come home on the sixth.
2. The teacher said we should work harder.
3. You should not eat so many sweets.
4. Would you pass the rice please ?
5. He said ................... but it would arrive within the next fifteen minutes.

Use of 'would' and 'used to' to refer to past actions.

A. Fill in the blanks with used to or would

1. When I was in primary school,
I used to hate going to school.
2. My brother used to bully me as a child.
Then I would call out to my sister for help.

B. Fill in the blanks with would or wouldn't or should or shouldn't

1. When we were in Delhi, we would go to the zoo every week.
2. You shouldn't read in bad light.
3. Would you mind opening the door, please ?
4. You should wear a helmet when you are riding a scooter.
5. I would like to talk to the manager.
6. Would you like to try another cutlet ?

C. Fill in the blanks with will, won't or would

Suresh : I will go to the library tomorrow.
Mohit : I know ............. but will you be able to pick me up ?
Suresh : Yes, 'of course, I will. But I will go late in the evening.
Mohit : About what time would that be ? I will be ready.
Adjectives
Adjectives describe nouns.
They describe quantities
They describe numbers
They also describe the order.

Fill in the blanks :

1. Mamta tried to learn to draw, but her progress was slow.
2. Prompt medical attention after an accident saves lives.
3. The ring of the doorbell was very loud.
4. Alka wants to go to a medical college.
5. The blind boy enjoyed the feel of the winter sun.
6. The warm weather will make us feel more cheerful.
7. There was a full moon last night.
8. Mohit fell off his cycle and hurt his right hand.
9. Mandeep was the brightest boy to join the team.
10. Ravi's superior officer was very kind.

Adverbs

Adverbs describe verbs.
Adverbs describe a complete sentence also.

Fill in the blanks with adverbs.

Rahul walked gently up ................. clothes. He thought peacefully of the ........................... he
thought painfully. Now ................. dinner. Suddenly a car stopped. It was ................. I will take you
home safely. Rahul got into the car.

Fill in the blanks using the Past Tense of the verbs.

1. Divya : Did you go anywhere last week ?
Neel : Yes, I did. I went to Bhopal.
Divya : Really? I did not know that. I thought all your relatives are in Delhi.
Neel : No ................... Bhopal
Divya : Did you have a good time ?
Neel : Yes, I did.

2. Fill in the blanks using Past Tense or Present Perfect Tense.

The policeman opened the cell door. He looked inside and found the cell empty. He called for
guard.
Where is the man? Who saw him last ?
The prisoner fell ill last Sunday. He has not eaten since then. The doctor visited him on Tuesday.
I have not seen him recently," he guard replied.

Non Finites

I. To - infinitives. Verb with to in front are called infinitives.
It was his duty to clear the track. We cannot use to + goes or to + went.
Ex.II

Fill in the blanks with the infinitive form of the correct verb.

1. I forgot to post your letter.
2. He wants to go to the station.
3. She pretended to sleep.
4. Would you like to accompany us ?
5. He asked her to report the progress of the project.
6. Is it safe to park the car here ?
7. To live without air is impossible.
8. To sit in the sun in winter is pleasant.
9. To waste water is foolish.
10. I shall be glad to help you.

II. Gerunds

Gerunds are derived from verbs.
swim - swimming
dance - dancing
Gerunds are used as nouns.
Ex.II.
1. Bathing is necessary for health
2. Seeing is believing.
3. We go to school for studying.
4. He dislikes wearing a green shirt.
5. Baldeo was responsible for signalling.
6. He heard the hammering of a woodpecker.
7. He stopped trembling when he saw that the tiger was dead.
8. The leopard waited at the cutting.
9. Shopping had made her tired.
10. Studying grammar is fun.

III. The Present Particle

When verb + ing functions as an adverb/ adjective we call it a present participle.
(a) I saw a limping dog. (adjective)
(b) I saw him whistling (adverb)
Ex. II

Fill in the blanks with present participles.

1. We got some exciting news yesterday.
2. We had a speaking activity in class today.
3. The black entrance to the tunnel looked menacing.
4. The train entered the yawning tunnel.
5. She was busy writing letters.
6. It was a learning experience for us.

IV. The Past Participle

When verb + ed or en functions as an adjective, it is a past participles.

B. Fill in the blanks with past participles.

a) Submit a written report.
b) The police found the stolen goods.
c) Please submit your completed assignment.
d) Don't play with broken toys.
e) It is a painted picture, not a photo.

Reported Speech

Reported Speech

Ex. I. Match the columns

1. "This is Doctor Benson", he said.
(c) He introduced himself as Dr. Benson.
2. "Are you going far ?" asked the doctor.
(e) The doctor enquired whether he was going far.
3. "I'm going all the way to Detroit," Evans said.
(f) The man declared that he was going all the way to Detroit.
4. "Could you give me a cigarette?" Evans said.
(a) Evans asked for a cigarette.
5. "Do you mind, mister, if I take another cigarette for later ?
(d) Evens wondered whether he could take another cigarette for later.
6. "Put that watch into my pocket," he said angrily.
(b) He ordered Evans to put that watch into his pocket.

Ex. III. Complete the sentences by selecting the appropriate reporting verb.

1. (a) The criminal said, " ................... "
(b) The criminal admitted that he had committed the murder.
2. (a) Asha said, "Oh " ................... "
(b) Asha regretted that she had failed in Maths
3. (a) Ravi's father said, " ................... "
(b) Ravi's father suggested that he could seek his uncle's advice.
4. (a) My brother said to me "I'll give " ................... "
(b) My brother promised that he would give me a watch if I stood first in class.
5. (a) Manik told Shruthi, " Last ................... "
(b) Manik informed Shruti that he had attended the science conference in Hyderabad last
month.

Ex. IV. Change the following into indirect speech.

(a) 1. He said to me, "Are you going home?"
Ans. He asked me whether I was going home.
2. He said, "Did you see my brother yesterday?"
Ans. He asked whether I/he had seen his brother the previous day.
3. He asked me, "Which bus stops here ?"
Ans: He asked me which bus stopped there.
4. My friend said, "What is your brother doing these days?"
Ans. My friend asked me what my brother was doing those days.
5. My brother said, " ................... "
Ans. My brother asked whether Ram.
(b) Match the columns
(i) What is you name ?
(c) He asked me what my name is/was.
(ii) Where do you live ?
(e) He asked me where I lived.
(iii) Could you tell me your date of birth ?
(d) He wondered if I could tell him my date of birth.
(iv) How long will you stay here ?
(b) He asked me how long I would stay here.
(v) Did you have a comfortable journey ?
(a) He asked me whether I had a comfortable journey.

GRAMMAR-TENSES

GRAMMAR

Tenses : (a)The Simple Past
A. The simple past tense if formed by adding d or ed to most of the verbs
hear + d → heard
work + ed
→
worked
A set of verbs called irregular verbs are changed in other ways. Such words are :
bear - bore - born
beat - beat - beaten
become - became - become
begin - began - begun and so on.
Mohan heard a noise and stopped.
She worked hard for two years.
Ravi became an officer last year.
The play began ten minutes ago.

We can show the simple past tense on the TIME LINE as shown below.

Past 1985 1995 2000 2008 Future
Now
1. He became a clerk in 1985.
2. He got married in 1995.
3. His wife gave birth to a child in 2000.
4. He became an officer in 2008.
B. We can use would and used to to show past actions.
5. My teacher would always tell me that I would become a great football player.
6. When I was a small child I used to play many games at school.

Complete the following paragraph with verbs in the past tense. You may use would or used to also.

When I was a small child I lived in Bombay. I studied in Bombay High School. I went to school
where I learnt many things. I used to go to Juhu Beach with my parents on Sundays. Whenever
I went to the beach I would play with my brother. We would keep playing till it was time to return
home. On our way home we would stop at Quality Ice Cream Parlour. It used to be an
enjoyable day for all of us.

The Negative

The negative in the Past Tense is formed with
did not + verb (He did not sleep last night)
A sentence like
He did not slept last night.
is not correct.

Rewrite the following sentences in the negative.

1. My aunt went to Bombay for holidays
Ans. My aunt did not go to Bombay for holidays.
2. He obeyed the rules of the camp.
Ans. He did not obey the rules of the camp.
3. He came to school on foot.
Ans. He did not come to school on foot.
4. He returned home after the show.
Ans. He did not return home after the show.
The Interrogative
The interrogative is formed by using 'did' at the beginning of the sentence.
Did Mohan go to school yesterday ?

Rewrite the following sentences in the Interrogative

1. Shekhar went for a swim in the pool.
Ans. Did Shekhar go for a swim in the pool?
2. He accepted the offer.
Ans. Did he accept the offer ?
3. India become a Republic on 26.1.1950.
Ans. Did India become a Republic on 26.1.50 ?
4. They wanted to help the poor children.
Ans. Did they want to help the poor children ?
In Interrogative sentences, some begin with
Is/Are/Do., like
Is Manohar ill ?
Are your parents well ?
Do you like tea ?

Make sentences using the word given.

1. ________ you going to the market ? (Is/Are)
Ans. Are you going to the market ?
2. ________ the teacher in the class ?
Ans. Is the teacher in the class?
3. You like mangoes ?
Ans. Do you like mangoes?
4. Your mother is cooking.
Ans. Is your mother working ?
5. Your brother eats eggs ?
Ans. Does your brother eat eggs ?
6. You know Sanskrit.
Ans. Do you know Sanskrit ?

In Interrogative sentences we use question words like :

Who/Whose/What / Which at the beginning to ask for information

Fill in the blanks with question words.

(i) Who is that man ?
(ii) Which book do you want, The Tale of Two Cities, or David Copperfield ?
(iii) What is you name ?
(iv) What time is it ?
(v) Who met him ?
(vi) Which one of them won the match, Becker or Sampras ?
There are other question words like why/when/where /how to seek information.

Fill in the blanks with the right question words.

(i) Why were you absent yesterday ?
(ii) When will you come to my house ?
(iii) Where are you going ?
(iv) Why are you so tired today ?
(v) When shall I meet you ?
(vi) How can we go shopping in the heavy rain ?
6. Make questions for the following answers.
(i) I have been to the zoo.
Ans. Where have you been ?
(ii) Amit and Amar are sitting under the tree.
Ans. Where are Amit and Amar sitting ?
(iii) My name is Mohinder.
Ans. Which is your name, Mohinder or Mahender ?
(iv) I like this book better than that one.
Ans. Which book do you like better, this book or that one ?
(v) Sulekha ate the cake.
Ans. Who at the cake ?
(vi) I will give you the brown shirt.
Ans. Which shirt will you give me, the brown one or the black one ?

7. Fill in the questions in this dialogue

R. This shirt is good. Where did you buy it ?
A. In a shop on Mall Road.
R. Which shop was it, Modern Store or Jagannadhs ?
A. Modern Store.
R. What is its name ? MG Road is very long. Where exactly is it ?
A. Do you know Tourist Hotel ? It is next door.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

The time clauses



The time clauses in the

English language are

introduced by conjunctions

such as after, as soon as,

before, till, until, when,

whenever, while or time

expressions such as the

minute, the moment etc.

We do not use the future

tense (will) in a time clause to

describe future activities (in

this respect, it it similar to if

clauses ).

Compare:

I'll come back home and I'll

do it. x I'll do it when I come

back home. ( when I come is

the time clause)

You will push this button and

the door will open. x As soon

as you push this button the

door will open.

Don't stand up. First I'll tell

you. x Don't stand up till

(until) I tell you.

You'll need my car. Take it. x

Whenever you need my car

you can take it.

You'll tidy up the house and

I'll do the shopping. x You'll

tidy up the house while I do

the shopping.

You will drop the bomb and it

will explode. x The moment

you drop the bomb it will

explode.

Similarly, other future forms

also change to the present

simple tense.

He is going to leave. The room

will be empty. x As soon as he

leaves the room will be

empty.

We are moving next week.

Then we'll call you. x When we

move next week we'll call you.

If we describe an action that

is happening at the same time

as another future action (the

two activities are

simultaneous), we use the

present continuous tense in

time clauses.

We are going to cut the grass.

You'll pick the apples. x While

we are cutting the grass you'll

pick the apples.

The future perfect simple and

continuous become the

present perfect simple and

continuous.

I'll have finished my grammar

exercises in ten minutes. Then

I'll go out. x After I have

finished my grammar

exercises I'll go out.

They will have repaired our car

by the weekend. And we will

go for a trip. x As soon as

they have repaired our car we

will go for a trip.

Be careful!

If when introduces a noun

clause which is the object of a

verb, it is followed by a future

tense.

I don't know when she will

arrive. I can't remember when

the race will start. You must

decide when you will meet

them.

In all these sentences the

question is: What? not When?

(I don't know what, I can't

remember what, You must

decide what.)


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Monday, December 5, 2011

What are the functions of an Article in English Grammar



What Are the Functions of an

Article in English Grammar?

The

English language uses

three words as articles:

"a" for indefinite singular

nouns starting with a

consonant sound, "an" for

indefinite singular nouns

starting with a vowel

sound and "the" for

definite nouns. The

number of specific rules

and exceptions regarding

usage can frustrate

students of English as a

second language, but most

uses of articles fall under

a few fundamental rules.

A/An : Substitute for One or

Any

This is the most common

use of indefinite articles.

You should use a or an

before any singular

countable noun that is

indefinite. For example,

you say, "This morning I

saw a dog." Use a

because the dog is not

your dog nor the only dog

in town, it is just one dog

that you happened to see.

A/An : Frequency or Allotment

You say, "The show costs

$20 a person," or "I visit

my relatives twice a year."

Using a or an in this way

denotes frequency or

allotment.

A/An : One Single

Using a or an in this way is

a little old-fashioned, but

you can still see and hear

it used. A or an can be

used in negative sentences

to state emphatically "a

single". For example, you

say, "We had not a thing

to eat," or "There was not

a tree in sight."

The: Known Things

This is the most common

use of the. Use the when

talking about definite

things that your audience

already knows about or

that are obvious. For

example, you say, "I

spilled my drink on the

carpet." Use the because

you did not spill your drink

on just any carpet; it was

a specific carpet in a

specific place that your

audience knows about.

The: Things Already

Mentioned

Use the to refer to

something that you have

already mentioned. For

example, you say, "I saw a

dog this morning," when

you first mention the dog

but later you should say,

"The dog looked hungry."

Every time you refer to

the dog after this, you

should use the.

The: Something Unique

Use the to refer to things

that are unique. For

example, you say, "I saw

the Queen of England."

There is only one Queen of

England. If you say, "I saw

a Queen of England," you

are implying that there are

many Queens of England.

The: Superlatives

Use the with superlatives.

For example, you say,

"This is the most

expensive steak I have

ever eaten," or, "Russia is

the biggest country in the

world." You use the for

both of these examples

because you are talking

about single, unique and

specific things.


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Saturday, December 3, 2011

INFORMAL CONTRACTIONS



Informal Contractions

Informal contractions are

short forms of other words

that people use when

speaking casually. They are

not exactly slang, but they

are a little like slang.

For example, "gonna" is a

short form of "going to". If

you say "going to" very fast,

without carefully pronouncing

each word, it can sound like

"gonna".

Please remember that these

are informal contractions.

That means that we do not

use them in "correct" speech,

and we almost never use

them in writing. (If you see

them in writing, for example

in a comic strip, that is

because the written words

represent the spoken words

or dialogue.) We normally use

them only when speaking fast

and casually, for example

with friends. Some people

never use them, even in

informal speech.

It is probably true to say that

informal contractions are

more common in American

English.

Also note that, unlike normal

contractions, we do not

usually use apostrophes (')

with informal contractions

when written.

Listed below are some

common informal

contractions, with example

sentences. Note that the

example sentences may be a

little artificial because when

we use a contraction we may

also use other contractions in

the same sentence, or even

drop some words

completely. For example:

What are you going to

do? >>

Whatcha going to do? >>

Whatcha gonna do?

or

Do you want a beer?

Do you wanna beer?

D'you wanna beer?

D'ya wanna beer?

Ya wanna beer?

Wanna beer?

These informal contractions

are not "correct" English. Do

not use them in a written

exam, for example, except in

appropriate situations.

ain't = am not/are not/is

not

I ain't sure.

You ain't my boss.

ain't = has not/have not

I ain't done it.

She ain't finished yet.

gimme = give me

Gimme your money.

Don't gimme that

rubbish.

Can you gimme a hand?

gonna = going to

Nothing's gonna change

my love for you.

I'm not gonna tell you.

What are you gonna do?

gotta = (have) got a

I've gotta gun.

I gotta gun.

She hasn't gotta penny.

Have you gotta car?

gotta = (have) got to

I've gotta go now.

I gotta go now.

We haven't gotta do that.

Have they gotta work?

kinda = kind of

She's kinda cute.

lemme = let me

Lemme go!

wanna = want to

I wanna go home.

wanna = want a

I wanna coffee.

whatcha = what are you

Whatcha going to do?

whatcha = what have you

Whatcha got there?

ya = you

Who saw ya?


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Friday, November 25, 2011

INTERJECTIONS

Interjections:

Hi! That's an interjection. :-)

"Interjection" is a big name

for a little word. Interjections

are short exclamations like

Oh! , Um or Ah! They have no

real grammatical value but

we use them quite often,

usually more in speaking than

in writing. When interjections

are inserted into a sentence,

they have no grammatical

connection to the sentence.

An interjection is sometimes

followed by an exclamation

mark (!) when written.

Here are some interjections

with examples:

interjection

meaning

example

ah

expressing pleasure

"Ah, that feels good."

expressing realization

"Ah, now I understand."

expressing resignation

"Ah well, it can't be heped."

expressing surprise

"Ah! I've won!"

alas

expressing grief or pity

"Alas, she's dead now."

dear

expressing pity

"Oh dear! Does it hurt?"

expressing surprise

"Dear me! That's a surprise!"

eh

asking for repetition

"It's hot today." "Eh?" "I said

it's hot today."

expressing enquiry

"What do you think of that,

eh?"

expressing surprise

"Eh! Really?"

inviting agreement

"Let's go, eh?"

er

expressing hesitation

"Lima is the capital

of...er...Peru ."

hello, hullo

expressing greeting

"Hello John. How are you

today?"

expressing surprise

"Hello! My car's gone!"

hey

calling attention

"Hey! look at that!"

expressing surprise, joy etc

"Hey! What a good idea!"

hi

expressing greeting

"Hi! What's new?"

hmm

expressing hesitation, doubt

or disagreement

"Hmm. I'm not so sure."

oh, o

expressing surprise

"Oh! You're here!"

expressing pain

"Oh! I've got a toothache."

expressing pleading

"Oh, please say 'yes'!"

ouch

expressing pain

"Ouch! That hurts!"

uh

expressing hesitation

"Uh...I don't know the

answer to that."

uh-huh

expressing agreement

"Shall we go?" "Uh-huh."

um, umm

expressing hesitation

"85 divided by 5 is...um. ..17."

well

expressing surprise

"Well I never!"

introducing a remark

"Well, what did he say?"


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