Lecture Notes 2- Grammar, Tenses, and Subject-Verb Agreement

 

 Lecture Note on Grammar, Tenses, and Subject-Verb Agreement

1. Introduction to Grammar

Grammar is the system of rules that govern the structure of a language. It includes various elements such as syntax (sentence structure), morphology (word formation), punctuation, and semantics (meaning). Understanding grammar is essential for effective communication in both written and spoken forms.

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2. Parts of Speech

The basic parts of speech in English include:

1. Noun: Names a person, place, thing, or idea (e.g., dog, city, happiness).
2. Pronoun: Replaces a noun (e.g., he, she, it, they).
3. Verb: Indicates action or a state of being (e.g., run, is, have).
4. Adjective: Describes or modifies a noun (e.g., blue, tall, interesting).
5. Adverb: Modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb (e.g., quickly, very, well).
6. Preposition: Shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and another word (e.g., in, on, at).
7. Conjunction: Connects words, phrases, or clauses (e.g., and, but, or).
8. Interjection: Expresses strong emotion (e.g., wow!, ouch!).

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3. Tenses

Tenses indicate the time of an action or state of being. They are primarily categorized into three main types: past, present, and future. Each of these types can be further divided into simple, continuous (progressive), perfect, and perfect continuous forms.

3.1 Present Tense

• Simple Present: Used for habitual actions or universal truths.

  • Example: She reads every morning.

• Present Continuous: Indicates an action currently in progress.

  • Example: She is reading a book right now.

• Present Perfect: Describes an action that occurred at an unspecified time or that started in the past and continues to the present.

  • Example: She has read five books this month.

• Present Perfect Continuous: Emphasizes the duration of an action that started in the past and continues to the present.

  • Example: She has been reading for two hours.

3.2 Past Tense

• Simple Past: Refers to an action completed in the past.

  • Example: She read the book yesterday.

• Past Continuous: Describes an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past.

  • Example: She was reading when I called.

• Past Perfect: Indicates an action that was completed before another action in the past.

  • Example: She had read the book before the meeting.

• Past Perfect Continuous: Emphasizes the duration of an action that was ongoing up to a certain point in the past.

  • Example: She had been reading for an hour before the meeting started.

3.3 Future Tense

• Simple Future: Indicates an action that will happen in the future.

  • Example: She will read the book tomorrow.

• Future Continuous: Describes an action that will be in progress at a specific time in the future.

  • Example: She will be reading at 3 PM.

• Future Perfect: Refers to an action that will be completed before a specified time in the future.

  • Example: She will have read the book by next week.

• Future Perfect Continuous: Emphasizes the duration of an action that will be ongoing until a certain point in the future.

  • Example: She will have been reading for two hours by the time you arrive.

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4. Subject-Verb Agreement (SVA)

Subject-Verb Agreement refers to the grammatical rule that the subject and verb in a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural).

4.1 Basic Rules of SVA

1. Singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs.

   • Example:
     • Singular: The cat runs fast.
     • Plural: The cats run fast.

2. When the subject is a collective noun, it can take either a singular or plural verb depending on whether the group acts as a single unit or as individuals.

   • Example:
     • Singular: The team is winning.
     • Plural: The team are arguing among themselves.

3. Indefinite pronouns (e.g., everyone, someone, each, neither) are usually singular and take singular verbs.

   • Example: Everyone is invited to the party.

4. Compound subjects joined by "and" usually take a plural verb.

   • Example: The cat and the dog are playing together.

5. When subjects are joined by "or" or "nor," the verb should agree with the nearest subject.

   • Example: Neither the teacher nor the students are present.
   • Example: Either the students or the teacher is late.

6. Titles of books, movies, and other works are treated as singular.

   • Example: The Great Gatsby is a classic novel.

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5. Common Errors in SVA

1. Ignoring the "s" in third-person singular verbs:

   • Incorrect: He go to the store.
   • Correct: He goes to the store.

2. Using a plural verb with a singular subject:

   • Incorrect: The group are meeting today.
   • Correct: The group is meeting today.

3. Confusing collective nouns with plural verbs:

   • Incorrect: The committee are making a decision.
   • Correct: The committee is making a decision.

4. Using incorrect forms with compound subjects:

   • Incorrect: The cat and the dog is playing outside.
   • Correct: The cat and the dog are playing outside.

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6. Practice Exercises

1. Identify the correct verb form:

   a) Each of the students ______ (has/have) submitted their assignment.
   
   

   b) The jury ______ (is/are) divided in their opinions.
   
   

2. Correct the errors in the following sentences:

   a) The team are winning the game.
   
   

   b) Neither the teachers nor the student were present.
   
   

3. Complete the sentences with the correct tense:

   a) By the time you arrive, I ______ (finish) the report.
   
   

   b) Last night, she ______ (watch) a movie when the power went out.
   
   

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