Institute of International Languages

Multimedia University
(ILMU)

Centre for Foundation Studies and Extension Education

(FOSEE)

PEN 0015
English 1

Foundation Level

ONLINE NOTES

Chapter 2

Grammar

FOSEE , MULTIMEDIA UNIVERSITY (436821-T)

MELAKA CAMPUS, JALAN AYER KEROH LAMA, 75450 MELAKA, MALAYSIA.
Tel 606 252 3594 Fax 606 231 8799
URL: http://fosee.mmu.edu.my/~asd/
PEN 0015 English 1 Chapter 2

GRAMMAR

1. Word Classes (Parts of Speech)

Word classes include nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions,

conjunctions and interjections.

WORD CLASSES FUNCTIONS EXAMPLES

1. NOUNS - the name of person, place, thing or idea beauty
- words used to take the place of one or
2. PRONOUNS her
more nouns
- the idea of ‘being’ or action in the
3. VERBS beautify
sentence
- words that modify verbs, adjectives or
4. ADVERBS beautifully
another verbs
- words that describe or modify another
5. ADJECTIVES beautiful
person or thing in the sentence
- words showing the relation of a noun or
6. PREPOSITIONS a noun substitute to some other word in at
the sentence
7. CONJUNCTIONS - words that connect parts of a sentence and
- words used to exclaim, protest or
8. INTERJECTIONS ouch!
command

Hurrah (interjection)! There is (verb) a wide (adjective) selection (noun) of restaurants

(noun) to choose (verb) from. They (pronoun) serve (verb) the freshest (adjective)
seafood (noun). Let us (pronoun) try (verb) the one (noun) beside (preposition) the
hotel (noun). Come (verb)! Walk (verb) quickly (adverb)! I want (verb) to try (verb)
some crabs (noun) and (conjunction) shrimps (noun).

Please peruse Unit 2 of the textbook for further reference and exercises.

2. Sentence Pattern

(i) Simple Sentences

A simple sentence contains one single independent clause.

Examples:

1. I like fried rice.

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2. Sarah bought a black dress yesterday.

(ii) Compound Sentences

A compound sentence contains two or more independent clauses.

Example:

independent clause 1 independent clause 2

1. We ate some spaghetti, and we had chocolate cheesecake for dessert.

independent clause 1 independent clause 2

2. Laura enjoys dancing; she can dance for hours.

(iii) Complex Sentences

A complex sentence contains one independent clause and at least one dependent
clause.

Example:

independent clause dependent clause

1. She is skinny although she eats a lot.

independent clause dependent clause

2. All security guards will have to undergo training if they wish to remain
employed.

(iv) Compound-complex Sentences

A compound-complex sentence contains more than one independent clause and at

least on dependent clause.

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Example:

dependent clause independent clause 1 independent clause 2

1. Although we were tired, we had to stay up till 3a.m. and study for our
Mathematics examination.

independent clause 1 independent clause 2

2. He had washed the dishes, but he had forgotten to turn off the radio
before he left this morning.

dependent clause

Please peruse Unit 2 of the textbook for further reference and exercises.

3. Subject - Verb Agreement

There are many grammatical rules in English. One of the most basic would be subject-
verb agreement.
The basic principle:

Singular subjects need singular verbs.

Plural subjects need plural verbs.

A subject is a person, animal or thing that does a particular action. It is the ‘doer’.

A verb is an action or activity that the subject or 'doer' does.

The subject and verb in a sentence would have to 'agree' and complement each other to be
grammatically correct.
Examples:

1. Everyone has completed his or her assignments.

2. Some of the buttons are missing.

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3. One of the boys is going to withdraw from this college.

Please peruse Unit 2 of the textbook for further reference and exercises

4. Verb Tenses

Verb tenses are used to express time. There are three basic tense forms in English: the
present, the past, and the future.

(a) The Present Tenses

The present tenses are divided into four categories:

i) The Simple Present Tense

This tense is used to talk about the following:

• repeated actions or habits.

Examples: I drive to work every day.

She stays at home and cooks dinner every evening.

• situations which are permanent

Examples: We live in Cheras.

Tom works in Vancouver.

• general truths or facts.

Examples: The longest river in Malaysia is Sungai Rajang in Sarawak.

Hindus consider the cow sacred.

ii) The Present Progressive Tense / Present Continuous Tense

This tense is used to talk about the following:

• something which is in progress at the moment of speaking

Examples: Where is Charles? He is mowing the lawn.

You may turn up the radio. The children are not studying.

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iii) The Present Perfect Tense

Sentences in this tense connect the past with the present. This tense is used to talk about
the following:

• something which started in the past and continues up to the present

Examples: I have studied in Spain for eight months. (= She is still studying in Spain
now).

Rajan and Jane have been friends for twelve years. (= They are still friends now).

• things which happened during a period of time that continues up to the present

Examples: I have backpacked to Europe and Indochina. (= in my life, up to now)

What's the scariest thing that has ever happened to you? (= in your life, up to
now)

iv) The Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Sentences in this tense also connect the past with the present. They often talk about the
following:

• something which started in the past and has been in progress up to the present

Examples: She has been waiting for her parents for two hours.
How long have you been working in this company?

• an action which has been in progress up to the recent past, especially if it has results
in the present

Example: It has been raining. (It is not raining now, but there are puddles
everywhere.)

Source: Beaumont, D. & Granger, C. (1998). The Heinemann English Grammar: An

Intermediate Reference and Practice Book. Oxford: Heinemann.

Please peruse Unit 2 of the textbook for further reference and exercises.

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(b) The Past Tenses

The past tenses are divided into the following categories:

i) The Simple Past Tense

This tense is used to talk about actions and situations in the past.

Examples: I swam yesterday evening.

They didn't go to Phuket during the May holidays. They went to
Pulau Redang instead.

ii) The Past Progressive Tense / Past Continuous Tense

This tense talks about an action or situation that had started, but had not finished at a past
time.

Examples: We saw you talking to Jackie this morning.

Were you playing hockey at 6pm yesterday evening?

iii) The Past Perfect Tense

This tense is used to refer back to an earlier past when talking about the past.

Examples: They arrived at Suzie's house at 7pm, but she had already left.
He hadn't studied for the exam, so he was very nervous.

iv) The Past Perfect Progressive Tense / Past Perfect Continuous Tense

This tense is also used to refer back to an earlier past when talking about the past.

Examples: They had been practicing football when the accident happened.
Tim was very tired when he arrived at my house as he had been
working all day.

Source: Beaumont, D. & Granger, C. (1998). The Heinemann English Grammar: An

Intermediate Reference and Practice Book. Oxford: Heinemann.

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Please peruse Unit 2 of the textbook for further reference and exercises.

(c) The Future Tenses

The future tenses can be divided into the following categories:

i) The Simple Future Tense

This tense is used for the following functions:

• to make predictions about the future

Examples: That branch looks flimsy. It is going to break.

It will rain today. Look at how dark the sky is.

• to talk about what we plan to do in the future

Examples: The room looks messy. I will clean it up.

We are going to Singapore this weekend.
I shall go shopping this evening.

ii) The Future Progressive Tense / Future Continuous Tense

This tense is used to talk about something that will be in progress at a time in the future.

Examples: We'll be watching a movie tonight.

What will they be doing tomorrow morning?
Don't call him in the evenings. He will be sleeping.

iii) The Future Perfect Tense

This tense is used to talk about something that will be completed by (not later than) a
certain time in the future.

Examples: I'll have finished my homework by 3.00. We can meet then.

(iv) They will have lived in Australia for three years next July. The
Future Perfect Progressive Tense / Future Perfect Continuous Tense

This tense is used to talk about actions being in progress over a period of time that will
end in the future.

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Example: Anne and Tiong Hoon will have been working in Kuala Pilah for three
years when they come back to Melaka next June.

Source: Beaumont, D. & Granger, C. (1998). The Heinemann English Grammar: An

Intermediate Reference and Practice Book. Oxford: Heinemann.

Please peruse Unit 2 of the textbook for further reference and exercises.

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