Monday, September 5, 2016
English Grammar - Determiners
Question from Ms. Renu Nirmal:
thank you teacher .can you explain determiners for class 9.for my son.
Open School Answer:
Thank you so much for watching our channel and contacting us for help. The answer is given below for your reference.
General and specific determiners
Determiners are words which come at the beginning of the noun phrase. They tell us whether the noun phrase is specific or general. Determiners are either specific or general Specific determiners: The specific determiners are: the definite article: the possessives: my, your, his, her, its; our, their, whose demonstratives: this, that, these, those interrogatives: which We use a specific determiner when we believe the listener/reader knows exactly what we are referring to: Can you pass me the salt please? Look at those lovely flowers. Thank you very much for your letter. Whose coat is this? General determiners: The general determiners are: a; an; any; another; other; what When we are talking about things in general and the listener/reader does not know exactly what we are referring to, we can use an uncount noun or a plural noun with no determiner: Milk is very good for you. (= uncount noun) Health and education are very important. (= 2 uncount nouns) Girls normally do better in school than boys. (= plural nouns with no determiner) … or you can use a singular noun with the indefinite article a or an: A woman was lifted to safety by a helicopter. A man climbing nearby saw the accident. We use the general determiner any with a singular noun or an uncount noun when we are talking about all of those people or things: It’s very easy. Any child can do it. (= All children can do it) With a full licence you are allowed to drive any car. I like beef, lamb, pork - any meat. We use the general determiner another to talk about an additional person or thing: Would you like another glass of wine? The plural form of another is other: I spoke to John, Helen and a few other friends. Quantifiers
We use quantifiers when we want to give someone information about the number of something: how much or how many.
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Phrases and Clauses
Question from Mr. Sankar Lingam:
First of all thank you very much for taking the session.I have a doubt in the phrase and clause usage.
Please clarify my doubt. Is it correct if we start phrase sentence in present tense and clause sentence in past sentence?? Or is there any rule for that??
I am having a doubt how the sentence structure should be.Can we mix present and past tenses in a same sentence. Please make me clear
Regards,
Sankar Lingam.
Open School Answer:
Phrase and Clause
Comparison
Definitions
A clause is defined as a group of related words that contains a subject and predicate (verb).
e.g. he came.
A phrase is defined as a group of related words that does not contain a subject and a verb.
e.g. on the table.
Consider the following example.
He is laughing at a joker.
The above sentence has two parts “he is laughing” and “at a joker”.
The first part of the sentence “he is laughing” is a clause because it has a subject (he) and a predicate (is laughing).
The second part of the sentence “at a joker” is a phrase because it does not contain subject and verb.
The difference between a clause and a phrase is that a clause consists of both subject and verb, but a phrase lacks a subject and verb.
Examples.
The underlined part of each of following sentences shows a clause, while the rest part (non-underlined) of each sentence shows a phrase.
He reached school in time.
I was standing near a wall.
They are singing in a loud voice.
She made tea for the guests.
He a bought a book for his friend.
I will meet him in my office.
You look handsome in this picture.
Phrase
Phrase
“A phrase is defined as a group of related words that lacks both subject and verb.”
A phrase is a part of a sentence. It is a group of words (within a sentence) that does not contain both subject and verb, and does not express a complete idea.
Example.
He is standing near a wall.
The part of above sentence “near a wall” is a phrase because it does not contain subject and verb, and does not express a complete idea.
A phrase does not include both subject and verb at a same time and does not make a complete sense, hence a phrase cannot stand as a sentence on its own.
If a group of words include both subject and verb then it becomes a clause, so the difference in a clause and a phrase is that a clause contains subject and verb but a phrase does not contain subject and verb.
Here are some examples of phrases.
He is laughing at a joker.
She is making tea for the guests.
I saw a girl with blue eyes.
He always behaves in a strange way.
The boy in the red shirt is my cousin.
The boy, with a book in his hand, won a prize.
A sentence may consist of one or more phrases.
For example, The boy in the red shirt behaves in a strange way.
A phrase functions as a noun, adverb, or adjective in a sentence, therefore a phrase is also defined as “a group of words (lacking subject and verb), that functions as a single part of speech, in a sentence.”
Examples
He is wearing a nice read shirt. (as a noun/object)
The people at the party were dancing. (as a noun/subject)
The man in the room is our teacher. (as adjective, modifies noun man)
She gave me a glass full of water. (as adjective, modifies noun glass)
He always behaves in a strange way. (as adverb, modifies verb behave)
He returned in a short while. (as adverb, modifies verb return)
On the basis of their functions and constructions, phrases are divided into various types i.e. noun phrase, verb phrase, adverb phrase, adjective phrase, appositive phrase, infinite phrase, participle phrase and gerund phrase.
Types of Phrases
A phrase is a group of related words (within a sentence) without both subject and verb. For example, He is laughing at the joker. A phrase functions as a noun, verb, adverb, adjective or preposition in a sentence. The function of a phrase depends on its construction (words it contains). On the basis of their functions and constructions, phrases are divided into various types i.e. noun phrase, verb phrase, adverb phrase, adjective phrase, appositive phrase, infinite phrase, participle phrase and gerund phrase.
Noun Phrase
A noun phrase consists of a noun and other related words (usually modifiers and determiners) which modify the noun. It functions like a noun in a sentence.A noun phrase consists of a noun as the head word and other words (usually modifiers and determiners) which come after or before the noun. The whole phrase works as a noun in a sentence.
Noun Phrase = noun + modifiers (the modifiers can be after or before noun)
Examples.
He is wearing a nice red shirt. (as noun/object)
She brought a glass full of water. (as noun/object)
The boy with brown hair is laughing. (as noun/subject)
A man on the roof was shouting. (as noun/subject)
A sentence can also contain more noun phrases.
For example. The girl with blue eyes bought a beautiful chair.
Prepositional phrase.
A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition, object of preposition(noun or pronoun) and may also consist of other modifiers.e.g. on a table, near a wall, in the room, at the door, under a tree A prepositional phrase starts with a preposition and mostly ends with a noun or pronoun. Whatever prepositional phrase ends with is called object of preposition. A prepositional phrase functions as an adjective or adverb in a sentence.
Examples.
A boy on the roof is singing a song. (As adjective)
The man in the room is our teacher. (As adjective)
She is shouting in a loud voice. (As adverb)
He always behaves in a good manner. (As adverb)
Adjective Phrase.
An adjective phrase is a group of words that functions like an adjective in a sentence. It consists of adjectives, modifier and any word that modifies a noun or pronoun. An adjective phrase functions like an adjective to modify (or tell about) a noun or a pronoun in a sentence.
Examples.
He is wearing a nice red shirt. (modifies shirt)
The girl with brown hair is singing a song. (modifies girl)
He gave me a glass full of water. (modifies glass)
A boy from America won the race. (modifies boy)
Prepositional phrases and participle phrases also function as adjectives so we can also call them adjective phrases when they function as adjective. In the above sentence “The girl with brown hair is singing a song”, the phrase “with brown hair” is a prepositional phrase but it functions as an adjective.
Adverb Phrase
An adverb phrase is a group of words that functions as an adverb in a sentence. It consists of adverbs or other words (preposition, noun, verb, modifiers) that make a group with works like an adverb in a sentence.
An adverb phrase functions like an adverb to modify a verb, an adjective or another adverb.
Examples
He always behaves in a good manner. (modifies verb behave)
They were shouting in a loud voice. (modifies verb shout)
She always drives with care. (modifies verb drive)
He sat in a corner of the room. (modifies verb sit)
He returned in a short while. (modifies verb return)
A prepositional phrase can also act as an adverb phrase. For example in above sentence “He always behaves in a good manner”, the phrase “in a good manner” is a prepositional phrase but it acts as adverb phrase here.
Verb Phrase
A verb phrase is a combination of main verb and its auxiliaries (helping verbs) in a sentence.
Examples.
He is eating an apple.
She has finished her work.
You should study for the exam.
She has been sleeping for two hours.
According to generative grammar, a verb phrase can consist of main verb, its auxiliaries, its complements and other modifiers. Hence it can refer to the whole predicate of a sentence.
Example. You should study for the exam.
Infinitive Phrase
An infinitive phrase consist of an infinitive(to + simple form of verb) and modifiers or other words associated to the infinitive. An infinitive phrase always functions as an adjective, adverb or a noun in a sentence.
Examples.
He likes to read books. (As noun/object)
To earn money is a desire of everyone. (As noun/subject)
He shouted to inform people about fire. (As adverb, modifies verb shout)
He made a plan to buy a car. (As adjective, modifies noun plan)
Gerund Phrase
A gerund phrase consists of a gerund(verb + ing) and modifiers or other words associated with the gerund. A gerund phrase acts as a noun in a sentence.
Examples
I like writing good essays. (As noun/object)
She started thinking about the problem. (As noun/object)
Sleeping late in night is not a good habit. (As noun/subject)
Weeping of a baby woke him up. (As noun/subject)
Participle Phrase
A participle phrase consists of a present participle (verb + ing), a past participle (verb ending in -ed or other form in case of irregular verbs) and modifiers or other associate words. A participle phrase is separated by commas. It always acts as an adjective in a sentence.
Examples
The kids, making a noise, need food. (modifies kids)
I received a letter, mentioning about my exam. (modifies letter)
The table, made of steel, is too expensive. (modifies table)
We saw a car, damaged in an accident. (modifies car)
Absolute Phrase
Absolute phrase (also called nominative phrase) is a group of words including a noun or pronoun and a participle as well as any associated modifiers. Absolute phrase modifies (give information about) the entire sentence. It resembles a clause but it lack a true finite verb. It is separated by a comma or pairs of commas from the rest sentence.
Examples
He looks sad, his face expressing worry.
She was waiting for her friend, her eyes on the clock.
John is painting a wall, his shirt dirty with paint.
Clause
“A clause is a group of related words containing a subject and a predicate”
For example, he laughed. A clause refers to a group of related words (within a sentence or itself as an independent sentence) which has both subject and predicate.
Example
I will meet him in office.
The part of above sentence “I will meet him” is a clause because it has a subject(I) and a predicate(will meet him). On the other hand, the rest part of above sentence “in office” lacks both subject and predicate(verb) such group of word is called phrase.A clause may stand as a simple sentence or may join another clause to make a sentence.
Therefore, a sentence consists of one, two or more clauses.
Examples.
• He is sleeping.
(one clause)
• The kids were laughing at the joker. (one clause)
• The teacher asked a question, but no one answered. (two clauses)
• I am happy, because I won a prize. (two clauses)
• I like Mathematics, but my brother likes Biology,
because he wants to become a doctor. (three clauses)
Clauses are divided into main clause (also called independent clause) and subordinate
clause (also called dependent clauses).
Types of Clauses
There are two major types of clauses main (or independent) clause and subordinate (or
dependant) clause.
Main Clause and Subordinate Clause – Comparison
He is buying a shirt which looks very nice.
The above sentence has two clauses “He is buying a shirt” and “which looks very nice”. The clause “He is buying a shirt” expresses a complete thought and can alone stand as a sentence. Such a clause is called main or independent clause.
While the clause “which looks very nice” does not express a complete thought and can’t stand as a sentence. It depends on another clause (main clause) to express complete idea. Such a clause is called subordinate or dependent clause.
Main or Independent Clause
“Main (or independent) clause is a clause that expresses a complete thought and can stand as a sentence.
Examples
I met the boy who had helped me.
She is wearing a shirt which looks nice.
The teacher asked a question but no one answered.
He takes medicine because he suffers from fever.
He became angry and smashed the vase into peaces.
In the above sentences each underlined part shows main clause. It expresses complete
though and can stand as a sentence that is why a main or an independent clause is normally
referred as a simple sentence.
Subordinate or dependent Clause
Subordinate (or independent) clause is a clause which does not express complete thought
and depends on another clause (main clause) to express complete thought. Subordinate
clause does not express complete idea and can’t stand as a sentence. A sentence having a
subordinate clause must have a main clause.
Example
He likes Chinese rice which tastes good. The clause “which tastes good” in above sentence is a subordinate clause because it does not express complete thought and can’t stand as a sentence. It depends on main clause (he likes Chinese rise) to express complete thought.
Examples.
I met the boy who had helped me.
I bought a table that costs $ 100.
He takes medicine because he suffers from fever.
The teacher asked a question but no one answered.
Subordinate (or dependent) clauses are further divided into tree types,
1. Noun Phrase, 2. Adjective Phrase, 3. Adverb Phrase
First of all thank you very much for taking the session.I have a doubt in the phrase and clause usage.
Please clarify my doubt. Is it correct if we start phrase sentence in present tense and clause sentence in past sentence?? Or is there any rule for that??
I am having a doubt how the sentence structure should be.Can we mix present and past tenses in a same sentence. Please make me clear
Regards,
Sankar Lingam.
Open School Answer:
Phrase and Clause
Comparison
Definitions
A clause is defined as a group of related words that contains a subject and predicate (verb).
e.g. he came.
A phrase is defined as a group of related words that does not contain a subject and a verb.
e.g. on the table.
Consider the following example.
He is laughing at a joker.
The above sentence has two parts “he is laughing” and “at a joker”.
The first part of the sentence “he is laughing” is a clause because it has a subject (he) and a predicate (is laughing).
The second part of the sentence “at a joker” is a phrase because it does not contain subject and verb.
The difference between a clause and a phrase is that a clause consists of both subject and verb, but a phrase lacks a subject and verb.
Examples.
The underlined part of each of following sentences shows a clause, while the rest part (non-underlined) of each sentence shows a phrase.
He reached school in time.
I was standing near a wall.
They are singing in a loud voice.
She made tea for the guests.
He a bought a book for his friend.
I will meet him in my office.
You look handsome in this picture.
Phrase
Phrase
“A phrase is defined as a group of related words that lacks both subject and verb.”
A phrase is a part of a sentence. It is a group of words (within a sentence) that does not contain both subject and verb, and does not express a complete idea.
Example.
He is standing near a wall.
The part of above sentence “near a wall” is a phrase because it does not contain subject and verb, and does not express a complete idea.
A phrase does not include both subject and verb at a same time and does not make a complete sense, hence a phrase cannot stand as a sentence on its own.
If a group of words include both subject and verb then it becomes a clause, so the difference in a clause and a phrase is that a clause contains subject and verb but a phrase does not contain subject and verb.
Here are some examples of phrases.
He is laughing at a joker.
She is making tea for the guests.
I saw a girl with blue eyes.
He always behaves in a strange way.
The boy in the red shirt is my cousin.
The boy, with a book in his hand, won a prize.
A sentence may consist of one or more phrases.
For example, The boy in the red shirt behaves in a strange way.
A phrase functions as a noun, adverb, or adjective in a sentence, therefore a phrase is also defined as “a group of words (lacking subject and verb), that functions as a single part of speech, in a sentence.”
Examples
He is wearing a nice read shirt. (as a noun/object)
The people at the party were dancing. (as a noun/subject)
The man in the room is our teacher. (as adjective, modifies noun man)
She gave me a glass full of water. (as adjective, modifies noun glass)
He always behaves in a strange way. (as adverb, modifies verb behave)
He returned in a short while. (as adverb, modifies verb return)
On the basis of their functions and constructions, phrases are divided into various types i.e. noun phrase, verb phrase, adverb phrase, adjective phrase, appositive phrase, infinite phrase, participle phrase and gerund phrase.
Types of Phrases
A phrase is a group of related words (within a sentence) without both subject and verb. For example, He is laughing at the joker. A phrase functions as a noun, verb, adverb, adjective or preposition in a sentence. The function of a phrase depends on its construction (words it contains). On the basis of their functions and constructions, phrases are divided into various types i.e. noun phrase, verb phrase, adverb phrase, adjective phrase, appositive phrase, infinite phrase, participle phrase and gerund phrase.
Noun Phrase
A noun phrase consists of a noun and other related words (usually modifiers and determiners) which modify the noun. It functions like a noun in a sentence.A noun phrase consists of a noun as the head word and other words (usually modifiers and determiners) which come after or before the noun. The whole phrase works as a noun in a sentence.
Noun Phrase = noun + modifiers (the modifiers can be after or before noun)
Examples.
He is wearing a nice red shirt. (as noun/object)
She brought a glass full of water. (as noun/object)
The boy with brown hair is laughing. (as noun/subject)
A man on the roof was shouting. (as noun/subject)
A sentence can also contain more noun phrases.
For example. The girl with blue eyes bought a beautiful chair.
Prepositional phrase.
A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition, object of preposition(noun or pronoun) and may also consist of other modifiers.e.g. on a table, near a wall, in the room, at the door, under a tree A prepositional phrase starts with a preposition and mostly ends with a noun or pronoun. Whatever prepositional phrase ends with is called object of preposition. A prepositional phrase functions as an adjective or adverb in a sentence.
Examples.
A boy on the roof is singing a song. (As adjective)
The man in the room is our teacher. (As adjective)
She is shouting in a loud voice. (As adverb)
He always behaves in a good manner. (As adverb)
Adjective Phrase.
An adjective phrase is a group of words that functions like an adjective in a sentence. It consists of adjectives, modifier and any word that modifies a noun or pronoun. An adjective phrase functions like an adjective to modify (or tell about) a noun or a pronoun in a sentence.
Examples.
He is wearing a nice red shirt. (modifies shirt)
The girl with brown hair is singing a song. (modifies girl)
He gave me a glass full of water. (modifies glass)
A boy from America won the race. (modifies boy)
Prepositional phrases and participle phrases also function as adjectives so we can also call them adjective phrases when they function as adjective. In the above sentence “The girl with brown hair is singing a song”, the phrase “with brown hair” is a prepositional phrase but it functions as an adjective.
Adverb Phrase
An adverb phrase is a group of words that functions as an adverb in a sentence. It consists of adverbs or other words (preposition, noun, verb, modifiers) that make a group with works like an adverb in a sentence.
An adverb phrase functions like an adverb to modify a verb, an adjective or another adverb.
Examples
He always behaves in a good manner. (modifies verb behave)
They were shouting in a loud voice. (modifies verb shout)
She always drives with care. (modifies verb drive)
He sat in a corner of the room. (modifies verb sit)
He returned in a short while. (modifies verb return)
A prepositional phrase can also act as an adverb phrase. For example in above sentence “He always behaves in a good manner”, the phrase “in a good manner” is a prepositional phrase but it acts as adverb phrase here.
Verb Phrase
A verb phrase is a combination of main verb and its auxiliaries (helping verbs) in a sentence.
Examples.
He is eating an apple.
She has finished her work.
You should study for the exam.
She has been sleeping for two hours.
According to generative grammar, a verb phrase can consist of main verb, its auxiliaries, its complements and other modifiers. Hence it can refer to the whole predicate of a sentence.
Example. You should study for the exam.
Infinitive Phrase
An infinitive phrase consist of an infinitive(to + simple form of verb) and modifiers or other words associated to the infinitive. An infinitive phrase always functions as an adjective, adverb or a noun in a sentence.
Examples.
He likes to read books. (As noun/object)
To earn money is a desire of everyone. (As noun/subject)
He shouted to inform people about fire. (As adverb, modifies verb shout)
He made a plan to buy a car. (As adjective, modifies noun plan)
Gerund Phrase
A gerund phrase consists of a gerund(verb + ing) and modifiers or other words associated with the gerund. A gerund phrase acts as a noun in a sentence.
Examples
I like writing good essays. (As noun/object)
She started thinking about the problem. (As noun/object)
Sleeping late in night is not a good habit. (As noun/subject)
Weeping of a baby woke him up. (As noun/subject)
Participle Phrase
A participle phrase consists of a present participle (verb + ing), a past participle (verb ending in -ed or other form in case of irregular verbs) and modifiers or other associate words. A participle phrase is separated by commas. It always acts as an adjective in a sentence.
Examples
The kids, making a noise, need food. (modifies kids)
I received a letter, mentioning about my exam. (modifies letter)
The table, made of steel, is too expensive. (modifies table)
We saw a car, damaged in an accident. (modifies car)
Absolute Phrase
Absolute phrase (also called nominative phrase) is a group of words including a noun or pronoun and a participle as well as any associated modifiers. Absolute phrase modifies (give information about) the entire sentence. It resembles a clause but it lack a true finite verb. It is separated by a comma or pairs of commas from the rest sentence.
Examples
He looks sad, his face expressing worry.
She was waiting for her friend, her eyes on the clock.
John is painting a wall, his shirt dirty with paint.
Clause
“A clause is a group of related words containing a subject and a predicate”
For example, he laughed. A clause refers to a group of related words (within a sentence or itself as an independent sentence) which has both subject and predicate.
Example
I will meet him in office.
The part of above sentence “I will meet him” is a clause because it has a subject(I) and a predicate(will meet him). On the other hand, the rest part of above sentence “in office” lacks both subject and predicate(verb) such group of word is called phrase.A clause may stand as a simple sentence or may join another clause to make a sentence.
Therefore, a sentence consists of one, two or more clauses.
Examples.
• He is sleeping.
(one clause)
• The kids were laughing at the joker. (one clause)
• The teacher asked a question, but no one answered. (two clauses)
• I am happy, because I won a prize. (two clauses)
• I like Mathematics, but my brother likes Biology,
because he wants to become a doctor. (three clauses)
Clauses are divided into main clause (also called independent clause) and subordinate
clause (also called dependent clauses).
Types of Clauses
There are two major types of clauses main (or independent) clause and subordinate (or
dependant) clause.
Main Clause and Subordinate Clause – Comparison
He is buying a shirt which looks very nice.
The above sentence has two clauses “He is buying a shirt” and “which looks very nice”. The clause “He is buying a shirt” expresses a complete thought and can alone stand as a sentence. Such a clause is called main or independent clause.
While the clause “which looks very nice” does not express a complete thought and can’t stand as a sentence. It depends on another clause (main clause) to express complete idea. Such a clause is called subordinate or dependent clause.
Main or Independent Clause
“Main (or independent) clause is a clause that expresses a complete thought and can stand as a sentence.
Examples
I met the boy who had helped me.
She is wearing a shirt which looks nice.
The teacher asked a question but no one answered.
He takes medicine because he suffers from fever.
He became angry and smashed the vase into peaces.
In the above sentences each underlined part shows main clause. It expresses complete
though and can stand as a sentence that is why a main or an independent clause is normally
referred as a simple sentence.
Subordinate or dependent Clause
Subordinate (or independent) clause is a clause which does not express complete thought
and depends on another clause (main clause) to express complete thought. Subordinate
clause does not express complete idea and can’t stand as a sentence. A sentence having a
subordinate clause must have a main clause.
Example
He likes Chinese rice which tastes good. The clause “which tastes good” in above sentence is a subordinate clause because it does not express complete thought and can’t stand as a sentence. It depends on main clause (he likes Chinese rise) to express complete thought.
Examples.
I met the boy who had helped me.
I bought a table that costs $ 100.
He takes medicine because he suffers from fever.
The teacher asked a question but no one answered.
Subordinate (or dependent) clauses are further divided into tree types,
1. Noun Phrase, 2. Adjective Phrase, 3. Adverb Phrase
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
Question from Jia Awan
hi mam
i regularly follow you on youtube mam i hav read transitive and intransitive's but i can,t understand ur way of teaching is awesome can u plz help me to understand this.
Open School Answer:
i regularly follow you on youtube mam i hav read transitive and intransitive's but i can,t understand ur way of teaching is awesome can u plz help me to understand this.
Open School Answer:
Transitive verbs
Examples:
- She cut the cake.
- They climbed the mountain.
- He gave her a flower.
The verbs cut, climbed, and gave have objects
Transitive verbs
|
Objects
|
cut
|
the cake
|
climbed
|
the mountain
|
gave
|
her and a flower
|
Transitive verbs can be categorized into two types: monotransitive and ditransitive:
- Monotransitive verbs are verbs that require exactly one object.
Example:
He wrote a poem - Ditransitive verbs are verbs that may require two objects, a direct object and an indirect object.
Example:
She offered him (first object) her car (second object).
Intransitive verbs
By contrast, intransitive verbs do not require an object.
Examples:
- They run.
- He died.
- She slept.
- It snows.
The verbs run, died, slept and snows have no objects. They are intransitive.
Saturday, July 30, 2016
Difference between A lot of / Lots of and A lot
a lot of /lots of and a lot
Here you can find out the difference in meaning between them and how they should be used.
a lot of / lots of
a lot of and lots of have the same meaning: they both mean a large amount or number of people or things.
They are both used before countable nouns and uncountable nouns:
with countable nouns:
A lot of people went to the game.
Lots of people went to the game.
with uncountable nouns:
A lot of snow falls in winter.
Lots of snow falls in winter.
a lot
a lot means very often or very much. It is used as an adverb. It often comes at the end of a sentence and never before a noun.
I like basketball a lot.
She's a lot happier now than she was.
I don't go there a lot anymore.
Here you can find out the difference in meaning between them and how they should be used.
a lot of / lots of
a lot of and lots of have the same meaning: they both mean a large amount or number of people or things.
They are both used before countable nouns and uncountable nouns:
with countable nouns:
A lot of people went to the game.
Lots of people went to the game.
with uncountable nouns:
A lot of snow falls in winter.
Lots of snow falls in winter.
a lot
a lot means very often or very much. It is used as an adverb. It often comes at the end of a sentence and never before a noun.
I like basketball a lot.
She's a lot happier now than she was.
I don't go there a lot anymore.
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Use of Would, Should Could
Question from Mr. Vinod Kumar:
I recently started watching your lessons those are very informative but I have problem in using" would and could".very confuse to me pls clarify mam
Thank you
Answer from Open School:
WOULD, SHOULD, COULD
Would, should and could are three auxiliary verbs that can be defined as past tenses of will, shall, and can; however, you may learn more from seeing sentences using these auxiliaries than from definitions. Examples of usage follow.
Would
Technically, would is the past tense of will, but it is an auxiliary verb that has many uses, some of which even express the present tense. It can be used in the following ways:
- To ask questions:
Would you like some coleslaw? = Do you want some coleslaw?
Would you turn in your assignment now? = Please turn in your assignment now.
Would you turn in your assignment now? = Please turn in your assignment now.
- With who, what, when, where, why, how:
How would the neighbors react?
What would you do if I sang out of tune?
In the two sentences above, would means about the same thing aswill.
What would you do if I sang out of tune?
In the two sentences above, would means about the same thing aswill.
- To make polite requests:
I would like more coleslaw, please. = I want more coleslaw, please.
I would like you to sit down now. = I want you to sit down now.
I would like you to sit down now. = I want you to sit down now.
- To show a different response if the past had been different:
I would have helped you if I had known you were stranded.
(I didn't know that you were stranded. This "not knowing" occurred before my not helping you.)
(I didn't know that you were stranded. This "not knowing" occurred before my not helping you.)
John would've missed the trail if Mary hadn't waited for him at the stream.
(First Mary waited for him. If her response had been to not wait, then next John would have been on the wrong trail.)
(First Mary waited for him. If her response had been to not wait, then next John would have been on the wrong trail.)
- To tone down strong, controversial statements-not recommended in formal essays:
I would have to say that you're acting a bit immature.
Here would has a similar meaning to do but less emphatic.
Here would has a similar meaning to do but less emphatic.
- To explain an outcome to a hypothetical situation:
Should I win a million dollars, I would fix up my house.
Think of should as if, and would as will.
Think of should as if, and would as will.
- To show habitual past action:
Helen would sob whenever John would leave home.
Think of would as did.
Think of would as did.
- To show repetitive past action:
For a moment the plane would be airborne, then it would bump back down along the hard earth.
(The plane was in the air and then back on the ground several times.)
(The plane was in the air and then back on the ground several times.)
- To show preference between two choices, used with rather or sooner:
I would sooner die than face them. = I prefer death in place of facing them.
I would rather handwrite than type. = I prefer handwriting instead in typing.
I would rather handwrite than type. = I prefer handwriting instead in typing.
However, the second choice may by implied but not stated:
I would rather die.
Implied is that I would rather die than...do whatever it is that the context has provided as an alternative to dying.
Implied is that I would rather die than...do whatever it is that the context has provided as an alternative to dying.
- To show wish or desire:
Those people would allow gambling. = Those people want to allow gambling.
Would it were so. = I wish it were so. (Infrequently used)
We wish that he would go. = We want him to go.
Would it were so. = I wish it were so. (Infrequently used)
We wish that he would go. = We want him to go.
- To show intention or plan:
She said she would come. = She said she was planning to come.
- To show choice:
I would put off the test if I could.
This means my choice is to delay taking the test, but I do not have the ability to delay taking it.
This means my choice is to delay taking the test, but I do not have the ability to delay taking it.
- To express doubt:
The answer would seem to be correct. = The answer is probably correct.
- To show future likelihoods relative to past action:
He calculated that he would get to the camp around 6 p.m. The men would have dinner ready for him.
The first sentence means he believed his camp arrival time was going to be about 6:00 p.m. The "calculating" (or believing) happened in the past, yet the arrival is going to occur later. The second sentence predicts that, at that future time, dinner will be ready for him.
The first sentence means he believed his camp arrival time was going to be about 6:00 p.m. The "calculating" (or believing) happened in the past, yet the arrival is going to occur later. The second sentence predicts that, at that future time, dinner will be ready for him.
- Strange but true: Notice how changing have to had can change the waywould works:
Would you had changed your mind. = I wish you had changed your mind.
Would you have changed your mind. = If circumstances had been different, is it possible that you might have changed your mind?
Would you have changed your mind. = If circumstances had been different, is it possible that you might have changed your mind?
Should
Technically, should is the past tense of shall, but it is an auxiliary verb with a few uses, not all of which are in the past tense, namely, the following:
Technically, should is the past tense of shall, but it is an auxiliary verb with a few uses, not all of which are in the past tense, namely, the following:
- To ask questions:
Should you have erased the disk? = Were you supposed to have erased it?
Should I turn in my assignment now? = Am I supposed to turn in my assignment now?
Here, should means about the same thing as ought.
Should I turn in my assignment now? = Am I supposed to turn in my assignment now?
Here, should means about the same thing as ought.
- To show obligation:
You should floss and brush your teeth after every meal.
Think of should as supposed to, as in the previous example, but here to make a persuasive statement.
Think of should as supposed to, as in the previous example, but here to make a persuasive statement.
- To show a possible future event:
If I should find your coat, I will be sure to call you.
Think of should as do; furthermore, should could be left out of the above sentence, leaving, "If I find your coat, I will be sure to call you." Alternately, if could be left out of the sentence: "Should I find your coat, I will be sure to call you."
Think of should as do; furthermore, should could be left out of the above sentence, leaving, "If I find your coat, I will be sure to call you." Alternately, if could be left out of the sentence: "Should I find your coat, I will be sure to call you."
- To express a hypothetical situation:
Should you wish to do so, you may have hot tea and biscuits. = If you wish to do so, you may have hot tea and biscuits.
- To express what is likely:
With an early start, they should be here by noon.
Think of should as ought to or probably will.
Think of should as ought to or probably will.
- To politely express a request or direct statement:
I should like to go home now. = I want to go home now.
I should think that a healthy forest program is essential to any presidential victory.= I think that a healthy forest program is essential to any presidential victory.
I should think that a healthy forest program is essential to any presidential victory.= I think that a healthy forest program is essential to any presidential victory.
Could
Technically, could is the past tense of can, but it is an auxiliary verb with a few uses, not all of which are in the past tense, namely the following:
Technically, could is the past tense of can, but it is an auxiliary verb with a few uses, not all of which are in the past tense, namely the following:
- As the past tense of can:
In those days, all the people could build houses. = In those days, all the people had the ability to build houses.
- To ask questions:
Could you have erased the disk? = Is it possible that you erased the disk?
Could I leave now? = May I leave now; am I allowed to leave now?
Could I leave now? = May I leave now; am I allowed to leave now?
- To show possibility:
You could study harder than you do. = You have the potential to study harder than you do.
He knew the sunset could be spectacular. = He knew that the sunset was sometimes spectacular.
He knew the sunset could be spectacular. = He knew that the sunset was sometimes spectacular.
- To express tentativeness or politeness:
I could be wrong. = I may be wrong.
Could you come over here, please? = Please come here.
Could you come over here, please? = Please come here.
In conclusion, you could use these three auxiliaries if you would, and you should! Write a sample sentence for each possible usage of could, would, and should; then ask any Reading/Writing or English tutor for further assistance.
Monday, July 25, 2016
Direct and Indirect Speech - More Examples
Table for change in tense of reported speech for all TENSES.
TENSE CHANGE - IN - INDIRECT SPEECH
Present simple tense into Past simple
Present Continuous tense into Past continuous
Present Perfect tense into Pas perfect
Present Perfect Continuous into Past perfect continuous
Past simple into Past Perfect
Past Continuous into Past Perfect Continuous
Past Perfect into Past Perfect
Future simple, will into would
Future Continuous, will be into would be
Future Perfect, will have into would have
Present simple tense into Past simple
Present Continuous tense into Past continuous
Present Perfect tense into Pas perfect
Present Perfect Continuous into Past perfect continuous
Past simple into Past Perfect
Past Continuous into Past Perfect Continuous
Past Perfect into Past Perfect
Future simple, will into would
Future Continuous, will be into would be
Future Perfect, will have into would have
Examples.
DIRECT SPEECH | INDIRECT SPEECH |
PRESENT TENSE | |
PRESENT SIMPLE changes into PAST SIMPLE | |
He said, “I write a letter”
She said, “he goes to school daily” They said, “we love our country” He said, “he does not like computer” |
He said that he wrote a letter.
He said that he did not like computer.He said that she went to school daily. They said that they loved their country |
PRESENT CONTINUOUS changes into PAST CONTINUOUS | |
He said, “he is listening to the music”
She said, “I am washing my clothes” They said, “we are enjoying the weather” I said, “it is raining” She said, “I am not laughing” |
He said that he was listening to the music.
She said that she was washing her clothes. They said that they were not enjoying the weather. She said that she was not laughing. |
PRESENT PERFECT changes into PAST PERFECT | |
She said, “he has finished his work”
He said, “I have started a job” I said, “she have eaten the meal” They said, “we have not gone to New York. |
She said that he had finished his work.
They said that they had not gone to New York.He said that he had started a job. I said that she had eaten the meal. |
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS changes into PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
He said, “I have been studying since 3 O’clock”
She said, “It has been raining for three days.” I said, “She has been working in this office since 2007” |
He said that he had been studying since 3 O’clock.
She said that it been raining for three days. I said that she had been working in this office since 2007. |
PAST TENSE | |
PAST SIMPLE changes into PAST PERFECT | |
He said to me, “you answered correctly”
John said, “they went to cinema” He said, “I made a table” She said, “I didn’t buy a car” |
He said to me that I had answeredcorrectly.
She said that she had not bought a car.John said that they had gone to cinema. He said that he had made a table. |
PAST CONTINUOUS changes into PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
They said, “we were enjoying the weather”
He said to me, “ I was waiting for you” I said, “It was raining” She said, “I was not laughing” |
They said that they had been enjoying.
He said to me that he had been waiting for me. I said that it had been raining. She said that she not been laughing. |
PAST PERFECT changes into PAST PERFECT (tense does not change) | |
She said, “She had visited a doctor”
He said, “I had started a business” I said, “she had eaten the meal” They said, “we had not gone to New York. |
She said that she had visited a doctor.
He said that he had started a business. I said that she had eaten the meal. They said they had not gone to New York. |
FUTURE TENSE | |
FUTURE SIMPLE TENSE
| |
He said, “I will study the book”
She said, “I will buy a computer” They said to me, “we will send you gifts” I said, “I will not take the exam” |
He said that he would study the book.
I said that I would not take the exam.She said that she would buy a computer. They said to me that they would sendyou gifts. |
FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE
| |
I said to him, “ I will be waiting for him”
She said,” I will be shifting to new home” He said, “I will be working hard” He said, “he will not be flying kite” |
I said to him that I would be waiting for him.
She said that she would be shifting to a new home. He said that he would be working hard. She said that he would not be flying kites. |
FUTURE PERFECT TENSE
| |
He said, “I will have finished the work”
She said, “they will have passed the examination” He said, “I will have gone” |
He said that he would have finished the work.
She said that they would have passed the examination. He said that he would have gone. |
Note: The tense of reported speech may not change if reported speech is auniversal truth though its reporting verb belongs to past tense.
Examples.
Direct speech: He said, “Mathematics is a science”
Indirect Speech: He said that mathematics is a science.
Direct speech: He said, “Sun rises in east”
Indirect Speech: He said that sun rises in east. (Tense didn’t change because reported speech is a universal truth thought its reporting verb belongs to past tense)
You can try the below-mentioned 'Direct to Indirect Speech Online Converter to check the sentences instantly.
http://www.linguo.org/reported-speech-converter/
Examples.
Direct speech: He said, “Mathematics is a science”
Indirect Speech: He said that mathematics is a science.
Direct speech: He said, “Sun rises in east”
Indirect Speech: He said that sun rises in east. (Tense didn’t change because reported speech is a universal truth thought its reporting verb belongs to past tense)
You can try the below-mentioned 'Direct to Indirect Speech Online Converter to check the sentences instantly.
http://www.linguo.org/reported-speech-converter/
Saturday, July 23, 2016
Adjective & Adverb Confusion...
Question from Mr. Chandran, Andhra
Sir,
Here I've doubt about adjective and adverb.
Here I've doubt about adjective and adverb.
This book is very interesting (very is adjective)
She is very clever (here very is adverb)
How to identify above 2 sentence pos difference?
Kindly let's know.
Thanking you.
Open School Answer:
Some words will act like this. Only by practising the language more and more you can identify the differences.
You can also look at the difference between Adjective and Adverb in the below-mentioned 'grammarbook' website link...
Difference between Adjective and Adverb
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)