Assignments

SIMPLE PRESENT

a)   Water consists of hydrogen and oxygen b)   Most animals kill only for food c)    The world is round	The simple present says that something was true in the past, is it true in the present, and will be true in the future. It is used for general statements of fact.
d)  I study for two hours every night e)   My classes begin at nine f)    He always eats a sandwich for lunch	The simple present is used to express habitual or everyday activity
g)   I have only a dollar right now h)   I don’t recognize that man i)     He needs a pen right now	Certain verbs are not used in the progressive tense. With these verbs, the simple present may indicate a situation that exists right now, at the moment of speaking

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

a)      John is sleeping right now b)      I need an umbrella because it is raining c)       I need an umbrella because it is raining	The present continuous expresses an activity that is in progress at the moment of speaking. It began in the recent past, is continuing at present, and will probably and at some point in the future
d)        I am talking five courses this semester e)      John is trying to improve his work habits f)       She is writing another book this year	Often the activity is of a general nature: something generally in progress this week,this month,this year Note : The sentence means that writing a book general activity she is engaged in at present, but it does is not mean that at moment of speaking she is sitting at her desk with pen in hand

 

 

PAST CONTINUOUS

 

a)   I was walking down the street when it began to rain. b)   While I was walking down the street, it began to rain c)    I was standing under a tree when it began to rain d)   At eight o’clock last night, I was studying. e)   Last year at this time, I was attending school	In(g) : 1st : I was walking down the street . 2nd : it began to rain. In other words, both actions occurred at the same time, but one action began earlier and was in progresss when the other action occurred
f)    While I was studying in one room of our apartment, my roommate was having a party in the other room	sometimes the past progressive is used in both parts of a sentence when two action are in progress simultaneously
g)   It rained this morning h)   It was raining this morning	In some cases, the simple past and the past progressive give almost the same meaning,

 

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT: USING THERE + BE

SINGULAR VERB a)   There is a book on the shelf	PLURAL VERB b)   There are some books on the shelf	The subject follows be when there is used. In (a) : The subject is book. In (b) : The subject is books.
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT: SOME IRREGULARITIES SINGULAR VERB a)   The news is interesting. b)   The United States is big. c)   The Phillippines consists of more than 7000 islands d)   The United Nations has headquarters in New York City e)   Sears is a department store f)    Mathematics is easy for her. Physics is easy for her, too. Sometimes a noun that ends in –s is singular. Notice the examples: If the noun changed to a pronoun, the singular pronoun it is used (not the plural pronoun they) because the noun is singular In (a) : news : it (not they) In (b) : The United States = it (not they). Note : fields of study, as in (f), that end in –ics take singular verbs g)   Eight hours of sleep is enough h)   Ten dollars is too much to pay i)     Five thousand miles is too far to travel Expressions of time, money, and distance usually take a singular verb. PLURAL VERB j)     Those people are from Canada k)   The police have been called People and police do not end in –s but are plural nouns and take plural verbs.

 

SINGULAR VERB l)     English is spoken many countries. n)   Chinese is his native language.	PLURAL VERB m)    The English drink tea. o)      The Chinese have an interesting history	In (l) : English =language In (m) : The English = people from England. Some nouns of nationality that end in –sh, -ese, and –ch can mean either language or people ; e.g., English, Spanish, chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Portuguese, French.
	p)      The poor have many problems q)      The rich get richer	A few adjectives can be preceded by the and used as a plural noun (without final –s) to refer to people who have this quality. Other examples : the young, the old, the living, the dead, the blind, the deaf, the handicapped

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT: USING EXPRESSIONS OF QUANTITY

SINGULAR VERB a)   Some of book is good c)   A lot of the equipment is new e)   Two-thirds of the money is mine	PLURAL VERB b)      Some of books are good d)      A lot of my friends are here f)       Two-thirds of the pennies is mine	The verb is determined by the noun (or pronoun) that follows of an most espressions of quantity. Notice in (a) and (b) : Some of +singular noun+singular verb Some of +singular noun+singular verb
g)   One of my friends is here h)   Each of my friends is here i)     Every one of my friends is here		EXCEPTIONS: One of, each of, and every of take singular verbs. One of + plural noun + singular verb Each of + plural noun + singular verb Every of + plural noun + singular verb
j)     None of the boys is here	k)   None of the boys are here (informal)	Subjects with none of are considered singular in very formal English, but plural verbs are often used in informal speech and writing
l)     The number of students in the class is fifteen	m)    A number of students were late for class	COMPARE : In (l): The number is the subject. In (m): A number of is an expression of quantity meaning “a lot of.” It is followed by a plural noun and a plural verb