Index

Noun - (Naming word)

Pronoun - (Replaces a Noun)
Adverb - (Describes a verb)
Conjunction - (Joining word)
Interjection - (Expressive word)
Article - (Defining word)
What is an article?
A few important definitions to keep in mind:
A/An
When to use a or an
The
When to use the
No Article
Put the sentences into simple past.
Write sentences in simple past.
Choose "Was“ or "Were“:

Grammar

Prepositions "On," "At," and "In"

On
At
In

Pronunciation

Vowel Sounds

Pronunciation

R- Colored Vowel Sounds

Pronunciation

Diphthong Sounds

Pronunciation

Consonant Sounds
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TELUS International - English Study Guide

Grammar
Parts of Speech
● The parts of speech explain how a word is used in a sentence.
● There are eight main parts of speech (also known as word classes):
nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, prepositions,
conjunctions and interjections.
● It is important to know that a word can sometimes be in more than
one part of speech. For example with the word ​increase​.
Increase​ can be a verb e.g. Prices ​increased
and ​increase​ can also be a noun e.g. There was an ​increase​ in the number
of followers.
Now let’s look at the eight parts of speech.

Noun - (Naming word)

A noun is the name of a person, place, thing or idea.
Examples of nouns: Daniel, London, table, dog, teacher, pen, city,
happiness, hope
Example sentences: ​Steve​ lives in ​Sydney​. ​Mary​ uses ​pen​ and ​paper​ to
write ​letters​.

Pronoun - (Replaces a Noun)

A pronoun is used in place of a noun or noun phrase to avoid repetition.
Examples of pronouns: I, you, we, they, he, she, it, me, us, them, him, her,
this, those
Example sentences: Mary is tired. ​She​ wants to sleep. ​I​ want ​her​ to dance
with ​me​.

Adjective - (Describing word)

An adjective describes, modifies or gives more information about a noun or
pronoun.
Examples: big, happy, green, young, fun, crazy, three
Example sentences: The ​little​ girl had a p
​ ink​ hat.
Adverb - (Describes a verb)
An adverb describes/modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb. It tells
how, where, when, how often or to what extent. Many adverbs end in -LY
Examples: slowly, quietly, very, always, never, too, well, tomorrow, here
Example sentences: I am ​usually​ busy. ​Yesterday​, I ate my lunch
quickly​.

Preposition - (Shows relationship)

A preposition shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to another word.
They can indicate time, place, or relationship.
Examples: at, on, in, from, with, near, between, about, under
Example sentences: I left my keys ​on​ the table ​for​ you.

Conjunction - (Joining word)

A conjunction joins two words, ideas, phrases or clauses together in a
sentence and shows how they are connected.
Examples: and, or, but, because, so, yet, unless, since, if.
Example sentences: I was hot ​and​ exhausted ​but​ I still finished the
marathon.

Interjection - (Expressive word)

An interjection is a word or phrase that expresses a strong feeling or
emotion. It is a short exclamation.
Examples: Ouch! Wow! Great! Help! Oh! Hey! Hi!
Example sentences: ​Wow!​ I passed my English test. ​Great!​ – ​Ouch!​ That
hurt.

Sometimes teachers include Articles as a ninth part of speech so we have

included it here.
Article - (Defining word)
An article is used before a noun. These are divided into definite (the) and
indefinite (a, an). Articles help define nouns.
Examples: a, an, the
Example sentences: I need ​a​ dictionary. ​The​ dictionary needs to be in

TELUS International - English Study Guide

English.
Knowledge Check: Parts of Speech
Decide which parts of speech are the underlined words

1. You have to believe in ​yourself​ if you ever expect to be successful at

something.
2. We ​left​ for the mountain just before six in the morning.
3. We first went ​to​ the store to buy a few things.
4. We had a ​breakfast​ at a café near the rail station.
5. My friend wasn't strong enough to lift his ​heavy​ rucksack.
6. I helped him carry ​it​.
7. The weather was ​very​ cold.
8. My friend said, "​Oh!​ What a cold weather!"
9. We didn't spend the night ​there​.
10. We got back home late at night ​but​ we didn't go to sleep
immediately. We were very hungry.

Grammar
Articles
What is an ​article​?
● Articles (​a, an, the​) are determiners or noun markers that function to
specify if the noun is general or specific in its reference. Often the
article chosen depends on if the writer and the reader understand the
reference of the noun.
● The articles ​a​ and ​an​ are indefinite articles. They are used with a
singular countable noun when the noun referred to is nonspecific or
generic.
● The article​ ​the​ is a definite article. It is used to show specific
reference and can be used with both singular and plural nouns and
with both countable and uncountable nouns.
A few important definitions to keep in mind:
● Countable noun​: ​The noun has both a singular and plural form. The
​ r an ​–es​ to the end of it.
plural is usually formed by adding an ​–s o
● one horse, two horses
● one chair, two chairs
● one match, two matches
● Countable nouns may also have irregular plural forms. Many of these
forms come from earlier forms of English.
● one child, two children
● one mouse, two mice
● Uncountable noun​:​ The noun refers to something that cannot be
counted. It does not have a plural form.
● Information
● Grammar
● Proper noun​:​ The name of a person, place, or organization and is
spelled with capital letters.
● Tim Smith
● McDonalds
A/An
When to use ​a​ or ​an
A​ and ​an​ are used with singular countable nouns when the noun is
nonspecific or generic.
● I do not own ​a​ ​car.​
● In this sentence, ​car​ ​is a singular countable noun that is not
specific. It could be any car.
● She would like to go to ​a​ ​university​ that specializes in teaching.
● University​ is a singular countable noun. Although it begins with
a vowel, the first sound of the word is /j/ or “y.” Thus,​ a​ instead
of ​an ​is used. In this sentence, it is also generic (it could be any
university with this specialization, not a specific one).
● I would like to eat ​an​ ​apple​.

TELUS International - English Study Guide

 ● In this sentence, ​apple​ is a singular countable noun that is not
specific. It could be any apple.
A​ is used when the noun that follows begins with a consonant sound.
● a​ book
● a​ pen
● a​ uniform (Note that ​uniform​ starts with a vowel, but the first sound is
/j/ or a “y” sound. Therefore ​a​ instead of ​an i​ s used here.)
An​ is used when the noun that follows begins with a vowel sound.
● an​ elephant
● an​ American
● an​ MBA (Note that ​MBA​ starts with a consonant, but the first sound is
/Ɛ/ or a short “e” sound. Therefore, ​an i​ nstead of ​a​ is used here.)
Sometimes ​a​ or ​an​ can be used for first mention (the first time the noun is
mentioned). Then, in subsequent sentences, the article ​the​ is used instead.
● He would like to live in ​a​ large ​house.​ ​The​ ​house​ should have at least
three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
● In the first sentence (first mention), ​a​ is used because it is
referring to a nonspecified house. In the second sentence, ​the
is used because now the house has been specified.

The
When to use ​the
The​ is used with both singular and plural nouns and with both countable
and uncountable nouns when the noun is specific.
● The​ ​book​ that I read last night was great.
● In this sentence, ​book​ is a singular, countable noun. It is also
specific because of the phrase “that I read last night.” The writer
and reader (or speaker and listener) know which book is being
referred to.
● The​ ​books​ assigned for this class are very useful.
 ● In this sentence, ​books​ is a plural, countable noun. It is also
specific because of the phrase “for this class.” The writer and
reader (or speaker and listener) know which books are being
referred to.
● The​ ​advice ​you gave me was very helpful.
● In this sentence, advice an uncountable noun. However, it is
specific because of the phrase “you gave me.” It is clear which
piece of advice was helpful.

Here are some more specifics:

The​ is used in the following categories of proper nouns:
● Museums and art galleries​: t​ he​ ​Walker Art Center, ​the​ Minneapolis
Institute of Art
● Buildings​: ​the​ Empire State Building, ​the​ Willis Tower
● Seas and oceans​: ​the​ Mediterranean Sea, ​the​ Atlantic Ocean
● Rivers​:​ ​the ​Mississippi, ​the​ Nile
● Deserts​: ​the​ Sahara Desert, ​the​ Sonora Desert
● Periods and events in history: ​the​ Dark Ages, ​the​ ​Civil War
● Bridges:​ ​the​ London Bridge, ​the​ Mackinac Bridge
● Parts of a country​: ​the​ ​South, t​ he​ Upper Midwest
In general, use ​the​ with plural proper nouns.
● the​ Great Lakes
● the​ French
● the​ Rockies (as in the Rocky Mountains)
The​ is often used with proper nouns that include an “of” phrase.
● the​ United States of America
● the​ University of Minnesota
● the​ International Swimming Hall of Fame

TELUS International - English Study Guide

Use ​the​ when the noun being referred to is unique because of our
understanding of the world.
● The​ Earth moves around ​the ​sun.
● Wolves howl at ​the​ moon.
Use ​the​ when a noun can be made specific from a previous mention in the
text. This is also known as second or subsequent mention.
● My son bought a cat. I am looking after ​the​ cat while he is on
vacation.
● I read a good book. ​The​ book was about how to use articles correctly
in English.
The​ is used with superlative adjectives, which are necessarily unique (​the
first, the second, the biggest, the smallest, the next, the only,​ etc.).
● It was​ ​the​ ​first​ study to address the issue.
● She was ​the​ ​weakest ​participant.
● He was ​the​ only​ person to drop out of the study.

No Article
Writers sometimes struggle with the choice to include an article or to leave
it out altogether. Keep in mind that if the noun is singular, countable, and
nonspecific or generic (e.g., book, author), the articles ​a​ and ​an​ may be
used. However, if the noun is countable and plural (e.g.., research studies)
or uncountable (e.g., information) and it is being used in a nonspecific or
generic way, no article is used.

Here are some more specifics:

● No article is used when a plural countable noun is generic or
nonspecific.
● I bought new ​pens​ and ​pencils​ at the store. (general, not
specific ones)
 ● Cats​ have big eyes that can see in the dark. (cats in general, all
of them)
● Babies​ cry a lot. (babies in general, all of them)
● No article is used when a noncount noun is generic or nonspecific.
● I bought​ milk​ and ​rice​ at the store. (generic reference)
● We were assigned ​homework​ in this class. (generic reference)
● There has been previous ​research​ on the topic. (generic
reference)

Knowledge Check: Articles

Let’s test your knowledge with this quiz. Choose the answer the best fits
the question.

1. The articles a or an are used

● with singular countable nouns when the noun is nonspecific or
generic (i.e. pen or pencil).
● with singular countable and uncountable nouns when the noun
is specific (i.e. black pen and information).
● with countable plural nouns (i.e. pens and pencils).

2. The article the is used

● only with countable nouns.
● with singular and plural nouns and with countable and
uncountable nouns when the noun is specific.
● with singular countable nouns when the noun is nonspecific or
generic.

3. Choose all the apply: No article is used

● if the noun is singular, countable, and nonspecific or generic.

TELUS International - English Study Guide

 ● if the noun is plural and countable and used in a nonspecific or
generic way.
● if the noun is uncountable and used in a nonspecific or generic
way.

4. Choose the correct article usage: The Center for Education

Statistics (2013) defined adult learners as over ____ age of 24.
● the
● no article (The sentence is correct without an article.)
● an
● a

5. Choose the correct article usage: ____ adult students rely on both
resources within the institution and external resources.
● the
● a
● no article (The sentence is correct without an article.)
● an

6. Choose the correct article usage: Social learning theory is _____

commonly used theory in psychology.
● the
● an
● a
● no article (The sentence is correct without an article.)

7. Choose the correct article usage: She earned ___ MBA before
coming to Walden for her PhD.
● a
● an
● no article (The sentence is correct without an article.)
● the
 8. Choose the correct article usage: I explored the relationship
between ___ attendance and students’ scores on standardized tests.
● a
● an
● no article (The sentence is correct without an article.)
● The

9. Choose the correct article usage: Breaking a problem down into

___ manageable set of practical activities is helpful.
● no article (The sentence is correct without an article.)
● the
● a
● an

10. Choose the correct article usage: ___ article rules can be difficult
to learn, but you will be successful with patience and perseverance.
● no article (The sentence is correct without an article.)
● the
● an
● a

TELUS International - English Study Guide

Grammar
Verb to be
BE​ is the most important verb in the English language. It is used as a main verb and as
an auxiliary verb, and it is also used in the passive voice. BE is the only English verb
that has three conjugations in the simple present (​am | are | is​). All other verbs have
just two conjugations. BE is also the only verb that has two conjugations in the simple
past (​was | were​). All other verbs have only one past tense conjugation.

Here are the conjugations for BE in the simple present.

singular plural Contraction

1st person I am we we're
2nd person you ​are you are you're
3rd person he, she, it ​is they they're

Here are conjugations for the verb BE in the simple past.

singular plural
1st person I ​was we we were
2nd person you ​were you you were
3rd person he, she, it​ was they they were

The verb BE, when followed by an adjective, is used to describe a person, place, or
thing.

person place thing

I am tired. Costa Rica is warm. The building is tall.

She is kind. The rooms are large. My ideas are bad.

We were late. Paris was beautiful. The tea was cold.

The verb BE can be followed by a noun to identify a person or a
relationship.

Examples
I am a lawyer.
He is a student.
We are friends.

BE can be followed by a preposition to identify the location of a person or

thing.

Examples
I am at work.
person
The man is in the car.

The keys are by the door.

thing
My book was on the table.

BE is used to talk about the time and the weather.

Question (Time) Answer
What time is it? It is 8:30.
When was the party? It was at noon.

Question (Weather) Answer

How is the weather? It is sunny.
How was Finland? It was cold

TELUS International - English Study Guide

Knowledge Check: Verb to be
Make full sentences from the following words. You will also need the correct form of the

verb 'to be'.

1. your name what ?

2. today I not very happy.

3. doctor my sister a.

4. big not very this car.

5. my bag in phone my?

6. short my brother very.

7. time it what?

8. with me my teachers happy very.

Grammar
Simple Present
In English, there are only two simple present conjugations for all verbs except the verb
BE, which has three conjugations, and modal verbs, which have none.

Here is an example with the verb EAT

Singular plural
first person I eat we eat
second person you eat you eat
third person he, she, it eat they eat

Note that the third person singular form has the -s added to the base form of the verb.
All the other persons are the same. There are a few irregularities regarding the third
person singular but they are very simple to understand and the same rules that apply to
making singular nouns plural. Here are the rules:
For verbs that end in -ch, -o, -s, -sh, and -x, add -es to create the third person singular.

Singular Plural

Teach Teach
1st person I teach we teach
2nd person you teach you teach
3rd person he, she, it teaches they teach
Go Go
1st person I go we go
2nd person you go you go
3rd person he, she, it goes they go
Focus Focus
1st person I focus we focus
2nd person you focus you focus
3rd person he, she, it focuses they focus
Wash Wash
1st person I wash we wash
2nd person you wash you wash
3rd person he, she, it washes they wash
Mix Mix
1st person I mix we mix
2nd person you mix you mix
3rd person he, she, it mixes they mix

TELUS International - English Study Guide

For verbs that end in a vowel + y, add -s.

singular plural
1st person I say we say
2nd person you say you say
3rd person he, she, it says they say

If the verb ends in a ​consonant​ + y, change y to i and add –es.

singular plural
1st person I study we study
2nd person you study you study
3rd person he, she, it studies they study

Note that a change only occurs with the third person singular. All other persons have
the same conjugation.

The verb ​HAVE​ is irregular. Note that -ve is replaced with -s for the third person
singular.

singular plural
1st person I have we have
2nd person you have you have
3rd person he, she, it has they have

In English, the simple present has two primary functions:

● state facts
● describe habitual actions

The simple present state facts and concepts that never change.
● Water freezes at 0° Celsius.sun rises in the east.
● Ice floats.

The simple present also describes habitual actions.

● I take the train to go to work.lish at the university.
 ● It always rains here in January.

The simple present has a basic form to follow

Positive Statements-​ ​Subject + Main Verb
● She lives in New York.
● You live in New York.
Negative Statements-​ ​(Subject + doesn’t/ don’t + Main Verb in base form)
● She doesn’t live in New York.
● I don’t live in New York.
Questions- ​(do/does + Subject + Main Verb in base form)
(WH word + do/does + subject + main verb in base form)
● Do​ you live in New York
● Where ​does​ she live in New York?

Knowledge Check: Simple Present

Choose the correct form.

We sometimes ​read/reads​ books.

Emily ​go/goes​ to the disco.
It often ​rain/rains​ on Sundays.
Pete and his sister ​wash/washes​ the family car.
I always ​hurry/hurries​ to the bus stop.
Form of Affirmative Sentences - Part 2

Put the verbs into the correct form.

I (to like) _____________ lemonade very much.
The girls always (to listen) _____________ to pop music.
Janet never (to wear) _____________ jeans.
Mr Smith (to teach) _____________ Spanish and French.
You (to do) _____________ your homework after school.

Simple present with 'have' and 'be'

Fill in the correct form of the verbs.
We (to have) _____________ a nice garden.
She (to be) _____________ six years old.

TELUS International - English Study Guide

Simon (to have) _____________ two rabbits and five goldfish.
I (to be) _____________ from Vienna, Austria.
They (to be) _____________ Sandy's parents.

Negative Sentences
Make negative sentences.
My father makes breakfast. → ___________________________
They are eleven. → ___________________________
She writes a letter. → ___________________________
I speak Italian. → ___________________________
Danny phones his father on Sundays. → ___________________________

Questions
Make questions.
you / to speak / English → ___________________________
when / he / to go / home → ___________________________
they / to clean / the bathroom → ___________________________
where / she / to ride / her bike → ___________________________
Billy / to work / in the supermarket → ___________________________

Grammar
Spelling Rules Simple Past
Regular Verbs
The simple past is used to describe an action that occurred and was completed in the
past. The simple past is formed by adding –ed to the base form of the verb (the infinitive
without to).

Base Form Form Simple Past

walk walked

+ =
push pushed
ED
greet greeted
watch watched
In English, the simple past of regular verbs is extremely easy. It is the same for all
persons. Here are example sentences of the simple past with the verb WORK.

Singular Plural
1st
per I worked yesterday. 1st per We worked yesterday.
2nd
per You worked yesterday. 2nd per You worked yesterday.
3rd He, She,
per It worked yesterday. 3rd per They worked yesterday.

There are several irregularities regarding orthography (spelling) for the simple past
ending of regular verbs. Similarly, there are different ways to pronounce this ending.
See the lesson on pronunciation of the Simple Past –ed ending to learn more.

For regular verbs ending in the vowel -e, add –d.

base form simple past

hate hated
seize seized
hope hoped
assume assumed
tie tied
free freed

For the very few English verbs that end in a vowel other than -e, add –ed.

base form simple past

ski skied
echo echoed

TELUS International - English Study Guide

Exceptions: The verbs DO and GO are irregular: See below.

For regular verbs that end in a vowel+y, add –ed.

Base Form Simple Past

play played
decay decayed
survey surveyed
enjoy enjoyed

Exceptions: The verbs SAY and BUY are irregular: See below.

For regular verbs that end in a consonant+y, change the –y to –i and add –ed.

Base Form Simple Past

cry cried
dirty Dirtied
magnify magnified

Exception: The verb FLY is irregular: See below.

For regular verbs ending in a consonant + vowel + consonant, double the final
consonant before adding -ed.

Base Form Simple Past

dam dammed
beg begged
plan planned
strip stripped
In American English, when the regular verb has more than one syllable and the syllable
stress is on the final syllable, the final consonant is doubled.

Base Form Simple Past Incorrect

defer deferred defered
regret regretted regreted
reship reshipped reshiped
compel compelled compeled

In these verbs, the syllable stress is not on the final syllable so the consonant is not
doubled.

Base Form Simple Past Incorrect

orbit orbited orbitted
listen listened listenned
travel traveled travelled
consider considered considerred

Here are examples with regular verbs in the simple present and the simple past.

Simple Present Simple Past

I walk to school. I walked to school.
She works downtown. She worked downtown.
They help on Tuesday. They helped on Tuesday.
He asks a lot of questions. He asked a lot of questions.

TELUS International - English Study Guide

Irregular verbs form the past tense by a change in orthography (spelling).

Base Form Simple Past

buy bought
do did
fly flew
forget forgot
light lit
go went
say said

Knowledge Check: Spelling Rules Simple Past

Put the verbs into the simple past:
1. The kids (play) _______ in the garden last Saturday.
2. She (visit) _______ her friends last weekend.
3. Yesterday, I (show) _______ my little brother the new computer game.
4. Last Friday, we (decide) _______ to visit Cairo.
5. Who (invent) _______ the the bulb?
6. The shop assistant (open) the door to customers.
7. What (happen) _______​ ​yesterday?
8. The students (work) _______ on the project together yesterday.
9. They (want) _______ to watch TV last night.
10. We (walk) _______ home last night.
Write the right form of the verbs:

Infinitive Simple Past

1 kiss
2 wait
3 live
4 stopped
5 cried
6 hurry
7 watch
8 sail
9 swap
10 cook

Grammar
Simple Past
The Simple Past tense is sometimes called the "preterite tense". We can use several
tenses and forms to talk about the past, but the Simple Past tense is the one we use
most often.

How do we make the Past Simple tense?

There are two basic structures for the Simple Past tense:

1. Positive sentences

Subject Main Verb (past) Complement

I worked yesterday.

TELUS International - English Study Guide

2. Negative and question sentences

Subject Auxiliary Verb (Past Verb in Base Complement

DO) Form
I didn't work yesterday.
 
Look at these examples with the main verbs go (irregular) and work (regular):

TYPE subject auxiliary verb main verb Complement

+ I went to school.
You worked very hard.
- She did not go with me.
We did not work yesterday.
? Did you go to London?
Did they work at home?

From the above table, notice the following points...

For positive sentences:

There is no auxiliary verb.
The main verb is conjugated in the Simple Past, invariable: -ed (or irregular)
For negative and question sentences:

The auxiliary is conjugated in the Simple Past, invariable: did

The main verb is invariable in base form: base
For negative sentences, we insert not between the auxiliary verb and main verb.
For question sentences, we exchange the subject and the auxiliary verb.

Emphatic did
Normally, for positive sentences we do not use the auxiliary did. But if we want to
emphasize (stress) something, or contradict something, we may use it. For example: "I
didn't use a spellchecker but I did use a dictionary." Here are some more examples:
"Why didn't you go to the party?" / "I did go."
It did seem a bit strange.
After drinking it I did in fact feel better.
Simple Past with main verb be
The structure of the Simple Past with the main verb be is:

Subject Main verb 'be' Complement

She was in London?

Look at these examples with the main verb be:

Type Subject Verb 'be' Complement

I, he/she/it was here.
You, we,
+ they were in London.
I, he/she/it was not there.
You, we,
- they were not happy.
Was I, he/she/it right?
you, we,
? Were they late?

From the above table, notice the following points:

There is no auxiliary verb, even for questions and negatives.

The main verb (be) is conjugated in the Simple Past: was, were
For negative sentences, we insert not after the main verb.
For question sentences, we exchange the subject and the main verb.

How do we use the Simple Past tense?

We use the Simple Past tense to talk about an action or a situation - an event - in the
past. The event can be short or long.

Here are some short events with the Simple Past:

The car ​exploded​ at 9.30am yesterday.

She ​went​ to the door.
We ​did​ not ​hear​ the telephone.

TELUS International - English Study Guide

Did​ you ​see​ that car?

Here are some long events with the Past Simple tense:
I ​lived​ in Bangkok for 10 years.
The Jurassic period ​lasted​ about 62 million years.
We ​did​ not ​sing​ at the concert.
Did​ you ​watch​ TV last night?

Notice that it does not matter how long ago the event is: it can be a few minutes or
seconds in the past, or millions of years in the past. Also it does not matter how long the
event is. It can be a few milliseconds (car explosion) or millions of years (Jurassic
period). We use the Past Simple tense when:
● the event is ​in the past
● the event is ​completely finished
● we say (or understand) the ​time​ and/or ​place​ of the event

Here are some more examples:

I ​lived​ in that house when I was young.
He ​did​n't ​like​ the movie.
What ​did​ you ​eat​ for dinner?
John ​drove​ to London on Monday.
Mary ​did​ not ​go​ to work yesterday.
Did​ you ​play​ tennis last week?
I ​was​ at work yesterday.
We ​were​ not late (for the train).
Were​ you angry?

Knowledge Check: Spelling Rules Simple Past

Put the sentences into simple past.
1. We move to a new house. →
2. They bring a sandwich. →
3. He doesn't do the homework. →
4. They sell cars. →
5. Does he visit his friends? →
Write sentences in simple past.
1. Janet / miss / the bus →
2. she / tidy / her room →
3. Nancy / watch / not / television→
4. she / read / a book →

Choose "Was“ or "Were“:

1. The teacher _________ nice.
2. The students _________ very clever.
3. But one student _________ in trouble.
4. We _________ sorry for him.
5. He was were nice though.

Grammar
Coordinating Conjunctions 
Coordinating conjunctions connect two equal words, phrases, or clauses.

There are seven coordinating conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. A useful
strategy to remember them is to memorize the acronym ​FANBOYS​:

F A N B O Y S
For And Nor But Or Yet So

Joining Independent Clauses An independent clause can stand by itself as a complete

sentence. To join two independent clauses, writers often use a comma followed by a
coordinating conjunction. The basic structure of a sentence that uses a coordinating
conjunction is as follows:

Subject + verb + object, [coordinating conjunction] subject + verb + object.

Joining two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction creates a compound

sentence.

TELUS International - English Study Guide

Examples:
I like football, ​and​ I like hockey.
The directions are complicated, ​but​ I am starting to understand them.

In the first example, the coordinating conjunction is and. It separates the two
independent clauses: “I like football” and “I like hockey.”In the second example, the
coordinating conjunction is but. It separates the two independent clauses: “The
directions are complicated” and “I am starting to understand them.”

In both examples, there is an independent clause on both sides of the coordinating

conjunction, and a comma is required before the coordinating conjunction.

Joining Words and Phrases

Coordinating conjunctions can connect two words. When just two words are connected
using a coordinating conjunction, no comma is needed.

Examples:
My favorite foods are burritos ​and​ sushi.
I will eat either a hamburger ​or​ a hotdog.

Coordinating conjunctions can also join more than two items. In a series that lists more
than two items, the coordinating conjunction precedes the final item. A comma should
be placed before the coordinating conjunction.

Examples:
I recently bought new straps, pedals, ​and​ toe clips for my bike.
Jaime wants a tablet, a sword, ​or​ a cell phone for his birthday.

Coordinating conjunctions can also join phrases. When two phrases are connected
using a coordinating conjunction, no comma is needed.

Examples:
I want to study at my university library ​or​ at the local coffee shop.
Phil was entranced by the dancer’s stage presence ​and​ graceful movements.
Knowledge Check: Coordinating Conjunctions
Activity Insert commas and coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)
when appropriate to complete the sentences.

1. My favorite desserts include cookies, cheesecake ____ tiramisu.

2. I wanted to spend my entire summer reading books _____ I had to get a job.
3. I finished my homework _____ my mom let me go outside.
4. I could not play outside _____ I had to study for a test.
5. I want to eat at the new Chicago pizza joint _____ at a steakhouse.
6. I have no money _____ I keep shopping.
7. I have neither done the dishes _____ the laundry.
8. We should bring either pizza _____ cake to the party.

Grammar
Prepositions "On," "At," and "In"
A preposition is a word that links a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to some other part of
the sentence.

Prepositions can be tricky for English learners. There is no definite rule or formula for
choosing a preposition. In the beginning stage of learning the language, you should try
to identify a preposition when reading or listening in English and recognize its usage.

● to the office
● at the desk
● on the table
● in an hour
● about myself

A preposition is used to show direction, location, or time, or to introduce an object.

Here are a few common prepositions and examples.

On
Used to express a surface of something:

● I put an egg ​on​ the kitchen table.

● The paper is ​on​ my desk.

Used to specify days and dates:

● The garbage truck comes ​on​ Wednesdays.

● I was born ​on​ the 14th day of June in 1988.

Used to indicate a device or machine, such as a phone or computer:

● He is ​on​ the phone right now.

TELUS International - English Study Guide

 ● She has been ​on​ the computer since this morning.
● My favorite movie will be ​on​ TV tonight.

Used to indicate a part of the body:

● The stick hit me ​on​ my shoulder.

● He kissed me ​on​ my cheek.
● I wear a ring ​on​ my finger.

Used to indicate the state of something:

● Everything in this store is ​on​ sale.

● The building is ​on​ fire.

At
Used to point out specific time:

● I will meet you ​at​ 12 p.m.

● The bus will stop here ​at​ 5:45 p.m.

Used to indicate a place:

● There is a party ​at​ the club house.

● There were hundreds of people ​at​ the park.
● We saw a baseball game ​at​ the stadium.

Used to indicate an email address:

● Please email me ​at​ abc@defg.com.

Used to indicate an activity:

● He laughed ​at​ my acting.

● I am good ​at​ drawing a portrait.

In
Used for unspecific times during a day, month, season, year:

● She always reads newspapers ​in​ the morning.

● In​ the summer, we have a rainy season for three weeks.
● The new semester will start in March.
Used to indicate a location or place:

● She looked me directly ​in​ the eyes.

● I am currently staying ​in​ a hotel.
● My hometown is Los Angeles, which is ​in​ California.

Used to indicate a shape, color, or size:

● This painting is mostly ​in​ blue.

● The students stood ​in​ a circle.
● This jacket comes ​in​ four different sizes.

Used to express while doing something:

● In​ preparing for the final report, we revised the tone three times.
● A catch phrase needs to be impressive ​in​ marketing a product.

Used to indicate a belief, opinion, interest, or feeling:

● I believe ​in​ the next life.

● We are not interested ​in​ gambling.

Knowledge Check: ​Prepositions "On," "At," and

"In"
Identify all prepositions in the following sentences.

After flying for many hours, we finally got off the airplane. We walked out the exit and
went to the baggage claim area. There were hundreds of different bags on the conveyer
belt. I almost picked up the wrong one because it looked like mine.

Choose a correct preposition in the sentence.

1)I want to lose 5 kilogram ​ ​ (on, at, in) one month.

2)Could you get me this pants ​ ​ (on, at, in) a larger size?
3)She seems to be interested ​ ​ (on, at, in) Psychology.
4)I will come to pick you up ​ ​ (on, at, in) 2 pm tomorrow.
5)This class will be held ​ ​ (on, at, in) Mondays.

TELUS International - English Study Guide

Pronunciation
Vowel Sounds
In order to better your pronunciation review this video so that you can learn the vowel sounds
based on North American English:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EdRAfOMfnU

Pronunciation
R- Colored Vowel Sounds
In order to better your pronunciation review this video so that you can learn the R-colored vowel
sounds based on North American English:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJnrTGH3aXo&list=PLYJV5Moz9cfymC5YbeHTY7fNcarXY
c7z-

Pronunciation
Diphthong Sounds
In order to better your pronunciation review this video so that you can learn the diphthong
sounds based on North American English:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbP4wcNyv3o&list=PLrqHrGoMJdTRiJ2fYobkRhJk-ccZNUG
r2

Pronunciation
Consonant Sounds
In order to better your pronunciation review this video so that you can learn the consonant
sounds based on North American English:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFPbLcUCraQ&list=PLYJV5Moz9cfwiandFbIM8-zX9WjSnfL
cv
Parts of Speech​ ​https://www.grammar.cl/english/parts-of-speech.htm
Articles
https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/grammar/articles
Verb to be
https://www.lawlessenglish.com/learn-english/grammar/verb-be/
Simple Present
https://www.lawlessenglish.com/learn-english/grammar/simple-present/
Spelling rules for Simple Past
https://www.lawlessenglish.com/learn-english/grammar/simple-past-regular-verbs/
Simple Past ​ ​https://www.lawlessenglish.com/learn-english/grammar/simple-past/
Conjunctions
http://www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter/handouts/Coordinating%20Conjunctions.pdf
Prepositions
https://www.talkenglish.com/grammar/prepositions-on-at-in.aspx

TELUS International - English Study Guide

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