Verbs with prepositions and particles

Lesson-20

Most English verbs can be followed by prepositions or adverb particles. Examples are: switch off, turn down, walk down, look at, stare at, sit down etc.

• Please sit down.
• Can you switch off the light?
• Why are you staring at me?
• I saw Alan as I was driving down the street.
• She ran into the room crying.
• John fell off the ladder and broke his arm.

Some verbs and prepositions/particles are always used together. Examples are: look at, stare at, throw at, listen to, switch off etc. These combinations are often called phrasal verbs. Note that the meaning of a phrasal verb is sometimes very different from the meanings of the two parts taken separately.

• The meeting has been put off. (= The meeting has been postponed.) (The meaning of put off is not the same as the meanings of put and off.)

Verbs with prepositions and particles together

A few verbs can be used with both an adverb particle and a preposition. Examples are: put up with, get on with and look out for.

• I can’t put up with her.

Word order

When prepositions are used with verbs, they usually go before objects.

• He fell off the ladder. (NOT He fell the ladder off.)

Adverb particles can go before or after noun objects.

• She switched off the heating. OR She switched the heating off.

Note that particles always go after pronoun objects.

• She switched it off. (NOT She switched off it.)

Articles with countable and uncountable nouns

Lesson-19

Countable nouns are the names of separate people or objects which we can count. Uncountable nouns are the names of materials, liquids and other things which we do not see as separate objects.

We can use the indefinite article (a/an) with singular countable nouns. A plural countable noun cannot be used with indefinite articles. Countable nouns (both singular and plural) can also be used with numbers.

• A cat
• Two cats
• A boy
• Two boys

We cannot use the indefinite article or numbers with uncountable nouns.

• Water (NOT a water) (NOT two waters)
• Weather (NOT a weather) (NOT two weathers)

A singular countable noun usually has an article or other determiner with it. We say, the cat, my cat or this cat, but not just cat. Plural and uncountable nouns can be used with or without an article or other determiner.

Exceptions

Many nouns which are normally uncountable are treated as countable in some cases.

• Have you got a good shampoo? (Although shampoo is an uncountable noun, it is treated as countable to express the meaning of ‘a type of’.)
• Three coffees, please. (= three cups of coffees)

Some nouns that are countable in other languages are uncountable in English. Examples are: information, advice, news, scenery, accommodation etc.

Gradable adjectives and adverbs

Lesson-18

Some adjectives and adverbs refer to qualities that are gradable – for example stories can be more or less interesting, jobs can be more or less difficult. Other adjectives and adverbs refer to qualities that are not gradable. Examples are: perfect, round, impossible or dead. Nothing can be more perfect or round.

Gradable adjectives and adverbs can be used with degree modifiers like too, as, so, enough, extremely, very, rather, pretty, quite, fairly, a little, a bit etc.

• The tea is too hot.
• She looked rather unhappy.
• We are very glad to meet you.

A bit and a little are mostly used with adjectives and adverbs expressing negative ideas.

Note that enough goes after the adjective or adverb it modifies.

• She is old enough to know better. (NOT She is enough old to know better.)

Indeed can be used after very + adjective/adverb. It cannot be used without very.

• It is going to be very difficult indeed. (NOT It is going to be difficult indeed.)

Notes

Not very shows quite a low degree.

• She isn’t very tall. (= She is quite short.)
• I wasn’t very impressed. (= I wasn’t impressed at all.)

Note that the degree modifiers very, too, as, so, and how are not used with much before adjectives and adverbs.

• I am very happy. (NOT I am very much happy.)
• She is too fat. (NOT She is too much fat.)
• I don’t care how difficult it is. (NOT I don’t care how much difficult it is.)

Past verb forms with present or future meaning

Lesson-17

A past tense form does not always have a past meaning. In some kinds of sentences we use past verb forms to talk about the present or future.

 

After if, unless, supposing etc.

 

After if, unless and words with similar meanings, we often use past verb forms to talk about the present or future.

 

    * You look as if you were frightened.

    * If I got my rise, I would buy a car.

    * If you caught the early morning flight, you could be in Singapore by supper-time.

 

After it’s time, would rather and wish

 

Past verb forms can be used with a present or future meaning after these expressions.

 

    * I wish I had more money.

    * Ten o’clock – it is time you went home.

 

In questions and requests

 

We can make questions, requests and offers sound more polite by using past tenses. Common expressions are I wondered, I thought, I hoped etc. Past progressive verb forms like I was wondering are even more polite.

 

    * I was hoping you could lend me a pound.

    * I wondered if you were free this evening.

 

Modal auxiliaries

 

The modal auxiliaries could, should, might and would usually have present reference.

 

    * Could you help me with my homework?

    * Would you mind my smoking?

Irregular verbs

Lesson-16

English has many irregular verbs. Students should make sure that they know all of them. Here is a list of the more common irregular verbs. For a complete list of irregular verbs, see a good dictionary.

Infinitive	Simple past	Past participle
Arise	Arose	Arisen
Awake	Awoke	Awoken
Bet	Bet, betted	Bet, betted
Beat	Beat	Beaten
Become	Became	Become
Begin	Began	Begun
Bend	Bent	Bent
Bind	Bound	Bound
Bite	Bit	Bitten
Bleed	Bled	Bled
Blow	Blew	Blown
Break	Broke	Broken
Bring	Brought	Brought
Build	Built	Built
Burn	Burned/burnt	Burned/burnt
Buy	Bought	Bought
Catch	Caught	Caught
Choose	Chose	Chosen
Come	Came	Come
Cost	Cost	Cost
Cut	Cut	Cut
Deal	Dealt	Dealt
Dig	Dug	Dug
Do	Did	Done
Draw	Drew	Drawn
Dream	Dreamt/dreamed	Dreamt/dreamed
Drink	Drank	Drunk
Drive	Drove	Driven
Eat	Ate	Eaten
Fall	Fell	Fallen
Feed	Fed	Fed
Fight	Fought	Fought
Find	Found	Found
Fly	Flew	Flown
Forget	Forgot	Forgotten
Forgive	Forgave	Forgiven
Freeze	Froze	Frozen
Get	Got	Got/gotten
Give	Gave	Given
Go	Went	Gone/been
Grow	Grew	Grown
Hang	Hung	Hung
Have	Had	Had
Hear	Heard	Heard
Hide	Hid	Hidden
Hit	Hit	Hit
Hold	Held	Held
Hurt	Hurt	Hurt
Keep	Kept	Kept
Know	Knew	Known
Lay	Laid	Laid
Lead	Led	Led
Lean	Leant/leaned	Leant/leaned
Learn	Learnt/learned	Learnt/learned
Mean	Meant	Meant
Read	Read	Read
Ride	Rode	Ridden
Shake	Shook	Shaken
Sink	Sank	Sunk
Speed	Sped	Sped
Steal	Stole	Stolen
Spoil	Spoilt/spoiled	Spoilt/spoiled
Swing	Swung	Swung
Teach	Taught	Taught
Throw	Threw	Thrown
Wear	Wore	Worn
Write	Wrote	Written

Using perfect infinitives

Lesson-15

Perfect infinitives (to have + past participle) often have the same kind of meaning as perfect or past tenses.

 

    * I am glad to have met my soul mate. (= I am glad that I have met my soul mate.)

    * She was sorry to have lost her keys. (= She was sorry that she had lost her keys.)

    * We hope to have reached there before sunset. (= We hope that we will have reached there before sunset.)

    * You seem to have annoyed him. (= It seems that you have annoyed him.)

 

Perfect infinitives for unreal past

 

After the modal auxiliary verbs could, might, ought, should, would and needn’t, we can use perfect infinitives to talk about unreal situations.

 

    * If you had asked, he would have helped. (You didn’t ask and he didn’t help.)

    * He could have asked my permission before using my car. (He did not ask my permission.)

    * She would have become a doctor if she had studied medicine. (She did not become a doctor.)

    * She needn’t have sent me flowers. (She sent flowers but that wasn’t necessary.)

 

Note that the structure modal verb + perfect infinitive does not always refer to unreal past situations. It can also be used to indicate ideas such as probability and certainty.

 

    * She could/ should/might / must have arrived by now

Formation of compound sentences using adversative conjunctions

Lesson-14

 Two simple sentences can be joined into one using the coordinating conjunctions but, yet, still, however, whereas and nevertheless. Note that these conjunctions are used when we have to join two contrasting statements into one.

 

Using but, yet and still

 

    * The rope was thin. It was strong.

    * The rope was thin but it was strong.

 

    * She is poor. She is happy.

    * She is poor but she is happy.

 

    * He is rich. He is miserable.

    * He is rich yet he is miserable.

 

    * I was annoyed. I kept quiet.

    * I was annoyed still I kept quiet.

 

Using whereas and nevertheless

 

    * Tom is hard working. His brother is quite lazy.

    * Tom is hard working whereas his brother is quite lazy.

 

    * There was little chance of success. He persevered.

    * There was little chance of success nevertheless he persevered.

 

    * I can’t support your plan. I will not oppose it.

    * I can’t support your plan; however, I will not oppose it.

 

    * He was all right. He was tired.

    * He was all right; only he was tired.

 

Notes

 

The conjunction but can often replace the conjunctions still, yet, however and nevertheless. Note that but is preferred in cases where the sense is not very emphatic. In other cases, we use other conjunctions

Do as a general-purpose verb

Lesson-13

As a general purpose verb, do can refer to almost any kind of activity.

    * What are you doing in the evening?

    * Don’t waste time. Do something.

    * Who will do the dishes?

    * All I did was to give him a little push.

 

Do is used in cases where it is not necessary to use more precise action words.

 

Do for indefinite activities

 

We use do when we do not say exactly what activity we are talking about. Do, for example, is commonly used with words like thing, something, nothing, anything, everything and what.

 

    * What did you do then?

    * I like doing nothing.

    * What he did was a really strange thing.

    * Why don’t you do something?

 

Do can be used to talk about work and jobs.

 

    * I have finished the phone calls; now I am going to do the letters.

    * Who will do the shopping tomorrow?

    * He hasn’t done his homework.

 

Do can be followed by an –ing form to talk about activities that are repeated.

 

    * I did a lot of swimming during the holidays.

    * He does a lot of reading.

 

Common fixed expressions with do.

 

    * Do good

    * Do harm

    * Do business

    * Do one’s best

    * Do a favor

    * Do sport

    * Do exercise

    * Do one’s hair

    * Do one’s teeth

    * Do one’s duty

The joining words or, either…or and neither…nor

Lesson-15

The conjunctions or, either…or and neither…nor can be used to combine two simple sentences into one. These are used when two alternative facts or statements have to be presented.

Using or

Two simple sentences can be combined into a compound sentence by using the conjunction or.

• You can have tea. You can have coffee.
• You can have tea or coffee.

• You can go by bus. You can go by car.
• You can go by bus or car.

Using either…or

• He is a fool. He is a madman.
• He is either a fool or a madman.

• The car dashed against a goat. The car dashed against a donkey.
• The car dashed against either a goat or a donkey.

Note that either…or is used to join two affirmative sentences.

Using neither…nor

Neither…nor is used to join two negative statements.

• He does not drink. He does not smoke.
• He neither drinks nor smokes.

• He will not spend his money. He will not invest it.
• He will neither spend his money nor invest it.

Notes

When the correlatives either..or and neither…nor are used, you must see that they are placed immediately before the words they relate to.

Using otherwise

• You must apologize. You will be punished.
• You must apologize otherwise you will be punished.

Non-assertive words

Lesson-11

There are some words which are mainly used in affirmative sentences. Examples are: some, once, already, somebody, something, sometimes, somewhere, someone etc. These words are often called assertive words.

We do not usually use assertive words in questions and negatives. Instead we use other words like any, anything, anybody, ever, yet etc. These words are often called non-assertive words.

Compare:

• Somebody knocked at the door. (Assertive)
• Did anybody knock at the door? (Non-assertive)
• I have bought something. (Assertive)
• I haven’t bought anything. (Non-assertive)
• I have been to the US once. (Assertive)
• Have you ever been to the US? (Non-assertive)
• She has already arrived. (Assertive)
• She hasn’t arrived yet. (Non-assertive)

Non-assertive words are used in questions and negatives. They are also used in if-clauses and with adverbs, adjectives, verbs, prepositions and determiners that have a negative meaning.

• Let me know if you need any help.
• I wonder if there is anything wrong with her.
• She sings better than anybody else in my family.
• Few people have ever seen him laugh.
• I would rather do it without anybody’s help.

Assertive words in questions

Assertive words are sometimes used in questions and negatives. This, for example, happens when we want to give a positive feeling to the sentence.

• Did you want something? (Suggests ‘I think you want something’.)

The joining word whose

Lesson-10

Whose is a relative possessive word. It is used as a determiner before nouns. Whose can refer to both people and things. In its clause whose + noun can be the subject or object of a verb. It can also be the object of a preposition.

• I saw a girl. Her beauty stunned me.
• I saw a girl whose beauty stunned me.

• It was a decision whose importance I did not understand at the moment.
• Today I met John whose mother is an old friend of mine.

Note that whose can be used in both identifying and non-identifying relative clauses.

Of which instead of whose

Instead of whose we can use of which. The most common structure is noun + of which.

• He has acted in a film whose name I can’t remember.
• He has acted in a film the name of which I can’t remember.
• OR He has acted in a film of which I can’t remember the name.

Note that whose is very formal. In an informal style, other structures are often preferred. With, for example, is a common way of expressing possessive ideas.

• I have got a friend whose brother serves in the army. (Formal)
• I have got a friend with a brother who serves in the army. (Informal)

Possessives with of

Lesson-09

We cannot usually use a possessive word before another determiner and a noun. We can say my cat, their cat, a cat or that cat, but not a my cat or that my cat. Instead we use a structure with of + possessive.

Word order: determiner + noun + of + possessive

• He is a friend of mine. (NOT He is a my friend.)
• She is a colleague of my father’s. (NOT He is a my father’s colleague.)
• Have you heard this new idea of the boss’s?
• He got the President’s Award for a painting of his.
• A cousin of mine serves in the army.
• He is a cousin of the Minister.

Own is commonly used in a similar structure.

• I wish I had a car of my own. (= I wish I had a car of mine.)
• They have an apartment of their own in the city. (= They have an apartment of theirs in the city.)

The of + possessive structure is sometimes used to express slight contempt or indignation.

• That cat of yours has drank up all the milk.
• Those dirty fingers of yours have stained my walls.
• That boy of yours has broken my window again.

Uses of the future progressive tense

Lesson-08

The future progressive tense is used to say that something will be in progress at a particular moment in the future.

• This time tomorrow I will be playing with my kids.

The future progressive tense is also used to talk about future events which are fixed or decided. It does not suggest the idea of personal intention.

• You will be hearing from us in the coming weeks.
• I will be seeing you one of these days.

The future progressive tense can be used to predict the present.

• Don’t phone them now – they will be having dinner.

Polite enquiries

The future progressive can be used to make polite enquiries about people’s plans.

• Will you be staying till the weekend? (Much more polite than ‘Will you stay till the weekend?’)

By using the future progressive we are suggesting that we simply want to know the listener’s plans.

Compare:

• Will you be coming with me? (very polite enquiry)
• Are you coming with me? (polite but a pressing enquiry)
• Will you come with me? (instruction or order)

Progressive form with going to

A progressive form of the going to structure is sometimes used to talk about events that will be in progress in the future.

• I am going to be working all day tomorrow.

Transitive and intransitive verbs exercise

Lesson-07

State whether the verbs in the following sentences are used transitively or intransitively.

1.       Heat expands metals.

2.       Metals expand on heating.

3.       The driver stopped the car.

4.       The car stopped abruptly.

5.       You must speak the truth.

6.       You must speak loudly.

7.       The boy is flying the kite.

8.       The birds are flying in the sky.

9.       The rider fell off the horse and broke his arm.

10.   The woodcutter felled a huge tree.

11.   The explosion sank the ship.

12.   The ship sank suddenly.

Answers

1.       Transitive verb – expands ( object – metals)

2.       Intransitive verb – expand

3.       Transitive verb – stopped (object – car)

4.       Intransitive verb – stopped

5.       Transitive verb – speak (object – truth)

6.       Intransitive verb – speak

7.       Transitive verb – is flying (object – kite)

8.       Intransitive verb – are flying

9.       Intransitive verb – fell off

10.   Transitive verb – felled (object – tree)

11.   Transitive verb – sank (object – ship)

12.   Intransitive verb – sank

Notes

A transitive verb has an object. An intransitive verb does not have an object. Note that most verbs can be used both transitively and intransitively.

Sentence correction

Lesson-06

Correct the following sentences.

1. He is running seventeen.

2. He is eighteen complete.

3. According to me, it is wrong.

4. Our house is built by bricks.

5. He went to the back side of the building.

6. He was prevented to come.

7. There was a match between Team A against Team B.

8. There was a fight with John and Peter yesterday.

9. The First World War was fought during 1914 – 1918.

10. He asked a rise.

11. Everyday he walks ten miles by foot.

12. I shall inform them this.

Answers

1. He is sixteen. OR He is in his seventeenth year.

2. He is over eighteen.

3. In my opinion it is wrong. OR I think it is wrong.

4. Our house is built of bricks.

5. He went behind the building. OR He went to the back of the building.

6. He was prevented from coming.

7. There was a match between Team A and Team B.

8. There was a fight between John and Peter yesterday.

9. The First World War was fought between 1914 and 1918.

10. He asked for a rise.

11. Everyday he walks ten miles on foot.

12. I shall inform them of this.

Simple present tense exercise

Lesson-05

Fill in the blanks with appropriate forms of the verb given in the brackets.

1. I usually ……………… (get up) at 6 am.

2. She ……………. (be) from Germany.

3. She ……………. (not work) with us.

4. Where ……………. (you live)?

5. He …………….. (visit) his parents every month.

6. We ……………… (not eat) fish or meat on Saturdays.

7. He usually …………….. (drink) coffee in the morning.

8. He …………….. (go) to church every Sunday.

9. He …………….. (not smoke).

10. I ……………. (take) a shower before I go to bed.

11. How …………….. (you start) a washing machine?

12. I …………… (not like) to work on Sundays.

Answers

1. I usually get up at 6 am.

2. She is from Germany.

3. She doe not work with us.

4. Where do you live?

5. He visits his parents every month.

6. We do not eat fish or meat on Saturdays.

7. He usually drinks coffee in the morning.

8. He goes to church every Sunday.

9. He does not smoke.

10. I take a shower before I go to bed.

11. How do you start a washing machine?

12. I do not like to work on Sundays.

Inversion of subject and auxiliary verb

Lesson-04

In several different structures the auxiliary verb comes before the subject. This is usually referred to as inversion.

Questions

Written questions have the following word order: auxiliary verb + subject + main verb. Note that only the auxiliary verb goes before the subject. The main verb goes after the subject.

• Has John arrived? (NOT Has arrived John?)
• Have they agreed to come? (NOT Have agreed they to come?)

In questions beginning with a question word (e.g. where, when, why, how), the auxiliary goes after the question word and before the subject.

• What are you doing there? (NOT What you are doing there?) (NOT Are what you doing there?)

Note that the inversion of subject and auxiliary verb does not always happen in spoken questions. In spoken questions the meaning is usually conveyed through intonation.

• You’re coming with me? (Spoken question meaning ‘Are you coming with me?’)

Indirect questions also don’t have the inverted word order.

• I wondered what he was going to do. (NOT I wondered what was he going to do.)
• She asked where I was going. (NOT She asked where was I going)

With may

The auxiliary may comes before the subject in wishes.

• May God bless you! (NOT God may bless you!)

After so, neither and nor

The auxiliary goes before the subject in short answers after words like so, neither and nor.

• I don’t like cricket. Neither do I. (NOT Neither I do.)
• I am hungry. So am I.

Verbs that can be followed by object + infinitive

Lesson-03

Many English verbs are followed by object + infinitive, rather than by a that-clause.

Examples are: advise, allow, ask, beg, cause, command, compel, encourage, expect, forbid, force, get, hate, help, instruct, intend, invite, leave, like, love, mean, need, oblige, order, permit, prefer, recommend, remind, request, teach, tell, tempt, trouble, want, warn, wish etc.

• I don’t want him to go. (NOT I don’t want that he goes.)
• We don’t allow people to smoke in the kitchen.
• I asked him to pay for the meal.
• I advised him to stop smoking.
• He taught us to forgive.
• I requested him to help me.
• We expect them to turn up in time.
• My parents always encouraged me to explore newer horizons.

Some verbs are followed by object + infinitive without to. Examples are: let, make, see, hear, feel, watch, notice, have etc.

• Why don’t you let me go? (NOT Why don’t you let me to go?)
• I heard her sing a lovely song. (NOT I heard her to sing a lovely song.)

Note that many of the verbs listed above can also be followed by an –ing form or a that-clause.

Some verbs cannot be followed by object + infinitive. Example: suggest.

• I suggested that she should consult a doctor. (NOT I suggested her to consult a doctor.)

Inversion after negative expressions

Lesson-02

When a negative adverb or expression is put at the beginning of a sentence, it is usually followed by auxiliary verb + subject. These structures are mostly formal.

    * Under no circumstances can we appoint him as director. (NOT Under no circumstances we can appoint him as director.)

    * Not until much later did she realize that she had made a huge mistake. (NOT Not until much later she realized that she had made a huge mistake.)

Inversion is also used after negative words like hardly, seldom, rarely, little, never and after expressions containing only.

    * Hardly had I reached the station when the train arrived. (NOT Hardly I had reached the station …)

    * Seldom have I seen such a mess. (NOT Seldom I have seen such a mess.)

    * Little did he realize the danger he faced.

    * Only then did I understand what was happening.

    * No sooner had she read the letter than she started crying.

    * Scarcely had I solved one problem when another cropped up.

Note that these structures are rather formal or literary. In a less formal style, we begin these sentences with their proper subjects.

    * I had hardly reached the station when the train arrived.

    * I have seldom seen such a mess.

Question word + infinitive as object

Lesson -01

A question word + infinitive can serve as the object of a verb. Study the following sentences.

    * I don’t know what to do. (Here the structure ‘what to do’ is the object of the verb know.)

    * We must find out what to do next.

    * I don’t know where to turn for help.

    * Let us decide when to start.

    * We will have to find out how to reach the place.

    * We must remember where to turn off the main road.

    * Do you know what to look for?

    * I will show you how to manage it.

    * Could you tell me where to find a good hotel?

    * Somebody should teach you how to behave.

Note that a question word + infinitive cannot stand alone. We cannot say ‘what to do’. Instead we must say: ‘What shall we do?’ or ‘What is to be done?’

The question word + infinitive structure can be changed into a noun clause.

    * I don’t know what to do means I don’t know what I should do.

    * I don’t know where to turn for help means I don’t know where I should turn for help.

 Exercise

Change the question word + infinitive structure in the following sentences into noun clauses.

1. A good dictionary tells you how to pronounce the words.

2. I will show you how to do it.

3. Could you tell me where to find a good hotel?

Answers

1. A good dictionary tells you how you should pronounce the words.

2. I will show you how you can do it.

3. Could you tell me where I can find a good hotel?