GRAMMAR MODULE

SPM A+ (TUTORIAL)
By Muhammad Irfan, 5SN1

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NAME:

MODULE A+ ENGLISH (GRAMMAR) SPM BY IRFAN (TUTORIAL)

1.1: Learning the basics

In this chapter, you’ll learn the usage of grammar when writing in your essays.

I, you, they and we

Usage: Am/Are / *am is only applicable for I only.

He, she, and it

Usage: Is

However, ‘it’ mostly refers to non-living things for example plants, animals and things. You can’t refer it
to humans.

Keep in your mind that he only refers to men/boys while she refers to women/girls.

To refer to the belongings of someone’s, we should use:

He – That is his bag. / She – That is her bag.

He – That’s not his. / She – That’s not hers.
He – It’s not him! / She – It’s not her!

His refers to the guy’s belongings while ‘him’ is used as the object of a verb or preposition to refer to a
male person or animal previously mentioned or easily identified.

Hers refers to the girl’s belongings while ‘her’ is the same as him except it’s used for girls/women.

RULES IN GRAMMAR

#1: Adding the ‘s’

When writing your essay, you have to be alert when it comes to singular and plural nouns. You have to
make sure when to add the letter‘s’ after the verb and when not to add the letter‘s’ after the verb.

Example 1.1.1:
Root word: Do

Singular group:-

He does not have much time left today.

She does not go to school today because it’s hazy outside.

Plural group:-

They do not go to the shopping mall because they feel sick.

We do not like to eat noodles in the school canteen.

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#2: ‘Have’ and ‘Has’

A lot of students are confused by the usage of ‘have’ and ‘has’. However, it’s easy as you can easily
differentiate the letter at the end of the word. Let’s see the word ‘have’ and ‘has’. ‘Have’ does not contain
any ‘s’ in the end of the word so it means it belongs to the plural group while ‘Has’ does contain ‘s’ in
the end of the word so it means it belongs to the singular group.

Example 1.1.2:

Plural group: (PG)

I have a doll.
You have a table.
They have some hockey balls.
We have some drinks in hands.

Example 1.1.3:

Singular group: (SG)

He has a doll.
She has a table.
It has a place to sleep.

#3: ‘-Ed’

The word ‘ed’ added in the end is telling you that the action has been done! Mostly words with ‘ed’ are in
past tense.

Example 1.1.4:

I have smacked him.

I had smacked him.

She has smacked him.

She had smacked him.

If you see the sentences above carefully, the word after ‘have/has/had’, the word ‘ed’ is placed in the end
of the word (smack; root word).

The sentence is trying to say that he/she has smacked the person and it has happened maybe a few minutes
ago. The third rule indicates that once you use the word ‘have/has/had’, you must put the word ‘ed’ in the
word after those three ‘h’.

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#4: Past Tense

The past is the past. It means it has happened and is not currently happening now. If you’re writing your
essay and you want your whole story to be in the past, rule 4 is your ideal selection to be your guide to
write better and prevent from making a lot of mistakes.

Tips in writing:

1. Make sure the question that you PICK is something that you want to write in the past.
2. Please do not mix the tenses for example past tense and present tense. That’s a MAJOR mistake!
3. If you wish to write a story in the past, just stick with PAST tense.
4. Insecure about the words sounding weird because they are all in past tense? FEAR of nothing and
keep GOING.

Let’s move on to the next step!

Example question: Memories.

This question can be in past tense or present tense but it’s up to you! You’re the writer and you can decide
which tense that you’re going to use. Sometimes students mix the tenses for example, the introduction
could be in present tense as they’re trying to introduce the examiners what memories are; more like giving
them a definition of memories. When you’re about to write the second paragraph, you can use the past
tense as the tense for the story that has happened before this.

Last Sunday, my friend and I were heading back to the campus after a long movie night that we
both spent together. While we were keeping our pace steady and slow on our way back, we saw
something disturbing that was standing before our eyes. That something was neither a human nor
an animal that normal people always saw in the day time but it was something sinister. Red eyes
were widening as if they were about to pop out from their original spots and the fangs were sharp
as knives were slowly shown by the creature as it was trying to bite us.

By Irfan

Simple and yet good! As you can see, you don’t have to put a lot of amazing words that people-don’t-
even-understand in one paragraph to impress the examiners. However, good grammar plays the important
role. Use easy and simple words instead and you don’t have to be literature when it comes to this task.

In the example essay above, you can see that everything is written in past tense:

Example 1.1.5:

Were – Are
Spent – Spend

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Saw – See
Was – Is
Shown – Show

#5: The Double U’s (W)

The double-U or read as ‘the W’ refers to the words such as which, who, whom, when, where and whose.
In this rule, we’re going to learn how to use those words in a correct way.

a. Who (refers to people)

The woman who works in the restaurant is my aunt. (/)

The woman which works in the restaurant is my aunt. (X)

b. Which (refers to things/sometimes places)

The phone which I placed on the table is my mother’s. (/)

The phone where I placed on the table is my mother’s. (X)
The hotel which I stayed for three days and two nights is expensive. (/)
The hotel where I stayed for three days and two nights is expensive (/)

c. Where (refers to places)

London was where I went during the school holidays. (/)

London was which I went during the school holidays. (X)

#6: ‘Was’ and ‘Were’ with the ‘-ing’ (Gerund)

In this rule, we’ll be able to learn how to use some words in a correct way.

Example 1.1.6:

She was bored in the class. (/)

She was boring in the class. (X)
It was boring in the class. (/)

He was eating in the class. (/)

He was ate in the class. (X)
He was eaten by a huge imaginary monster in the class. (/)

‘-ing’ is used when the action is meant to be in a continuous way while ‘-ed’ is used when the action is
being done in one shot (not in a continuous way).

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You can’t be bored in a continuous manner, right? But when someone uses the word ‘was’ and the
addition of ‘-ing’ to the verb, he tries to show that the action’s being done in a continuous way but
sometimes someone uses the word ‘ate’; the past tense of eat in a few situations to show that the action’s
being done in a quick manner and BAM! It’s just finished.

#7: ‘Every’ and ‘Each’, the ‘E’ brothers

Some people don’t know when to put the ‘s’ when the words above pop out in your writing. Here, we’re
going to learn when to put the ‘s’! It’s easy if you follow these simple steps.

Example 1.1.7:

Everyone has money.

Each student needs to send the badges to the prefects by tomorrow.
Every student likes the teacher.

#7.1: Some

Does ‘some’ require a plural verb or singular verb? It depends on the word that you’re going to
use! For example, if it’s uncountable noun, you have to use a singular verb but if it’s countable
noun, you have to use a plural verb.

Example 1.1.7.1:

Some sugar has spilled on the table.

Some ants are crawling on the table.

#8: To

In this rule, you’ll be able to learn how to use the word ‘to’ in your writing! Keep in mind that ‘to’ is like
an enemy to words (it is infinitive). It automatically turns the word after it into a root word. It has a major
power that can turn anything next to him into its original word (back to its original form).

Example 1.1.8:

I have to revise Chemistry tonight otherwise my dad will scold me.

They try to stop the man from killing himself but it never works.

However, some words are meant to be in ‘-ing’ after the word ‘to’ because it tries to indicate something
different. Most learners get confused by the infinitive “to”, thinking that after “to” the bare form of the

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verb must be followed. In fact, it's the opposite. A structure with “looking forward to” is always followed
by a direct object (noun or gerund). If you would think of a gerund as a noun, the following sentence may
make more sense to you:

Example 1.1.9:

I’m looking forward to meeting you.

I’m looking forward to spending two weeks off.

#9: The Enemies to Words

Some words are meant to be enemies in writing. There are some words that you need to acknowledge and
have to be alert.

Can / Could
Should
Shall
Will / Would

If you happened to come across those words above, please bear in your mind that you have to change the
word after those enemies into a root word (back to its original form).

Example 1.1.10:

Something could happen to you at any time.

You should know that promises are meant to be broken.
Shall I take this dance?
You will know the answer if you ask the person that stands near the door.
I can open the door although it seems hard.
Would you eat those snacks even though they smell bad?

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