Grammar
There are many different ways of analyzing a language. In such an analysis, words can be given various
names, depending on the function which they perform. For instance, words which perform the function
of naming things are commonly referred to as nouns, and words which perform the function of
expressing states or actions are commonly referred to as verbs.
It should be kept in mind that many English words can perform more than one function. For instance, in
the following sentences, the underlined words can be referred to as nouns because they perform the
function of naming things.
e.g. I have lost my comb.
Water is one of the necessities of life.
However, in the following sentences, the same words can be referred to as verbs because they perform
the function of expressing actions.
e.g. I comb my hair every morning.
Do you water your plants once a week?
Verb forms
English verbs may have different forms, depending on the subject of the verb, and depending on when
the action expressed by the verb takes place.
In the following sentences, the subjects of the verbs indicate who or what is performing the actions
expressed by the verbs. The verbs in these examples are underlined.
e.g. We live in the city.
He lives on Queen Street.
These examples illustrate how the form of a verb may vary, depending on the subject of the verb. In the
first example, the subject is we, and the form of the verb is live. In the second example, the subject is
he, and the form of the verb is lives.
The different verb forms which indicate when the action expressed by a verb takes place are usually
referred to as tenses.
e.g. We always walk to work.
We walked to work yesterday.
In the first sentence, the verb walk is in the Simple Present tense. In the second sentence, the verb
walked is in the Simple Past tense. Present tenses are usually used to express actions which are taking
place in the present; whereas past tenses are usually used to express actions which took place in the
past.
The infinitive form of a verb can be used without reference to any particular subject or any particular
time. In English, the infinitive form of a verb begins with the word to. For instance, to walk is the
infinitive of the verb used in the two preceding examples.
Uses of the simple present tense
The Simple Present is one of four present tenses in English, and is used in various ways. In the examples
given below, the verbs in the Simple Present tense are underlined.
For instance, the Simple Present can be used to refer to actions which occur at regular intervals.
e.g. We visit our friends every Sunday.
They take a holiday once a year.
Birds fly south every fall.
The Simple Present is also used in stating general truths.
e.g. Gas expands when heated.
The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean in the world.
Canada lies north of the United States.
In addition, the Simple Present is used when referring to printed material, and when describing events
portrayed in a book, film, or other work of art.
e.g. The report presents the information clearly.
At the end of the film , the hero finds the hidden treasure.
Occasionally, the Simple Present is used to express actions occurring in the future or the past. e.g. Our
plane leaves at eight o'clock tomorrow night.
Burglar Steals Valuable Paintings
In the first example, the Simple Present is used to refer to something which will happen in the future. In
the second example, which is written in the style of a newspaper headline, the Simple Present is used to
refer to something which happened in the past.
The simple present of the verb To Be
When a verb is conjugated, it is usually accompanied by all of the personal pronouns which can act as
subjects of a verb. Thus, a conjugation can show the different forms a verb must take when it is used
with different subjects.
The English personal pronouns which may be used as subjects of verbs are as follows:
I
you
he
she
it
we
they
The Simple Present of the verb to be is conjugated as follows. In spoken English, contractions are often
used.
Without contractions With contractions
I am I'm
you are you're
he is he's
she is she's
it is it's
we are we're
they are they're
In written English, an apostrophe: ' is used in a contraction, to indicate that one or more letters have
been omitted.
1. Do you live in Hyderabad?
A. Yes, I live
B. Yes, I do
C. Yes, I am
D. Yes, I does
2. How old are you?
A. I have 21 years old
B. I am 21 years old
C. No, I'm not
D. I have 21 years
3. Do you have a sister?
A. No, I haven't
B. No, I don't
C. No, I doesn't
D. No, I don't have
4.
A. Where are they of?
B. Where is they from?
C. Where are they from?
D. Where are you from? - They are from Hyderabad
5.
A. What's her job?
B. What's she job?
C. What's his job?
D. What do she job? - She's a teacher
6.
A. Do you live in a house or a flat?
B. Does you live in a house or a flat?
C. Are you live in a house or a flat?
D. Live you in a house or a flat? - In a flat
Choose the correct option: A, B, C or D:
7. Many people remember being .......... to the fair as a child
A. brought
B. shown
C. visited
D. taken
8.The problem could have been .......... with a little more forethought
A. avoided
B. missed
C. lost
D. escaped
9. Did you have lunch at home yesterday?
A. No, I haven't
B. No, I hadn't
C. No, I don't
D. No, I didn't
10. I .......... it doesn't rain tomorrow I'm going for a picnic
A. expect
B. hope
C. wait
D. await
Write the question for these statement:
Example: We live in Madrid
Where do you live?
11. This is my book
Whose
12. We found it in the street
Where
13. Sarah is playing basketball
What
Rewrite these sentences for he
Example: I like playing football
He likes playing football
15. I don't like playing cricket
16. I like cheese
17. We are married
18. She has an old house
19. I am from Kurnool
20. He plays tennis on Saturdays
21 - 30. Complete these sentences with the correct preposition in, at , from, to, on
Ramesh and Sirisha are Cuddapah. They live Nandyal, an
old house. They go work by bus. They
work 09.00am. 02.00pm. They don't work the afternoons
and often stay home then. Saturdays they often visit friends or play
chess the local club.
