BASIC GRAMMAR In English Language learning, there are three basic things that we need to understand before we go deeper

into grammar, namely SUBJECT, VERBS AND TENSES. This note is aimed at giving some basic knowledge to students on the three items mentioned above. 1. Knowing The Verbs

ORDER VERBS (ACTION WORDS OR THE DOING WORDS) e.g. run, play, sing, eat, dance, sleep etc. (just any word that states your action or what you do) These types of verbs are divided into 2 categories: a) Regular verbs b) Irregular verbs Most students will have problems with the irregular verbs, as they do not have a certain pattern when they exist in different tenses. Regular Verbs Infinitive ask block claim Irregular Verbs Simple Past asked blocked claimed Past Participle asked blocked claimed Past Participle broken cut bought

Infinitive Simple Past break broke cut cut buy bought As can be seen from the examples given, the irregular verbs do not have a pattern of change when they changed from infinitive to simple past and past participle. Not like the regular verbs. Therefore, students need to make the effort to find the list of the irregular verbs, copy them and memorize them.

VERBS TO BE (be is the root word). am only used with I in present tense is used with singular subjects in present tense are- used with plural subjects in present tense was- used with singular subjects in past tense

were- used with plural subjects in past tense Diagrammatically they can be presented: Singular subjects Plural subjects (am) is Was are were present tense past tense

Note: Verbs to be are needed to form continuous tenses and passive sentences. e.g. They are playing badminton in the hall (present continuous) He was taken to the hospital (past tense passive)

VERB TO HAVE (have is the root word) has- is used with singular subjects in present tense have- is used with plural subjects in present tense had- is used with both singular and plural subjects in past tense Diagrammatically they can be presented: Singular subject Plural subject has had have present tense past tense

Note: Order verb that comes after a verb to have must be in the past participle. e.g. He has eaten all the buns. (present perfect) They have gone home (present perfect) She had done well in the examination. (past perfect) We had not eaten anything since yesterday. (past perfect) They had been told not to litter in class. (past perfectpassive)

VERB TO DO (do is the root word) does- is used with singular subjects in present tense do- is used with plural subjects in present tense did- is used with both singular and plural subjects in past tense Diagrammatically they can be presented: Singular subjects Plural subjects

does do present tense did past tense

Note: Other verbs that come after a verb to do will be in the root word form. e.g. She does not like durian.(simple present) We do not have to pay for the ticket. (simple present) They did not play well and they lost the game.(simple past)

MODAL VERBS present past can will shall may must Note : Order verb that comes after a modal verb will be in the root word form. e.g. She can sing very well. He could run a 100m in 10 seconds. We must not make noise in a library. Etc Modal verbs also have other functions to show probability, obligation, possibility and future. e.g. We can win the game by playing as a team.(probability) He must take care of his sick mother.(obligation) They could have taken the wrong turn.(possibility) I shall leave for Kuala Lumpur tomorrow morning.(future) could would should might

LIST OF TENSES

PRESENT TENSE (Everyday) I, You, We, They bend blow borrow bring build carry change choose clap cook crash cry cut do die dig dive dream drink drop cry find fly forget get give grow have He, She, It I

CONTINUOUS TENSE (Now)

PAST TENSE (Yesterday)

PERFECT TENSE(Already)

FUTURE TENSE (Tomorrow) You,They, He,She,It

I, You, We, He, I,You,We He,She I, You, He, She, It We They,We She,It They It is bent blew borrowed brought built carried changed chose clapped cooked crashed cried cut did died dug dived drank dropped cried found flew forgot got gave grew had have bent blown borrowed brought built carried changed chosen clapped cooked crashed cried cut done died dug dived drunk dropped cried found flown forgotten got given grown had has bend blow

am are bends blows borrows brings builds carries changes chooses claps cooks crashes cries cuts does dies digs dives dreams drinks drops cries finds flies forgets gets gives grows has bending blowing borrowing bringing building carrying changing choosing clapping cooking crashing crying cutting doing dying digging diving dreaming drinking dropping crying finding flying forgetting getting giving growing having

shall will

borrow bring build carry change choose Clap cook crash cry cut do die dig dived dream drink drop cry find fly forgot get give grow have

dreamt/dreamed dreamt

hear hide hit join kneel knock know lay leave lend leap lie lie lose make mean move occur obey offer need pack pat pay pour read realize rid ring rob rub see sell

hears hides hits joins kneels knows lays leaves lends leaps lies lies loses makes means moves occurs obeys offers needs packs pats pays pours reads realizes rids rings robs rub sees sells

hearing hearing hitting joining kneeling knowing laying leaving lending leaping lying lying losing making meaning moving occurring obeying offering needing packing patting paying pouring reading realizing ridding ringing robbing rubbing seeing selling

had heard hit joined knelt knocked knew laid left lent leapt lied lay lost made meant moved occurred obeyed offered needed packed patted paid poured prevented reading realized rid rang robbed rubbed saw sold

had heard hit joined knelt knocked known laid left lent leapt lied lain lost made meant moved occurred obeyed offered needed packed patted paid poured prevented read realized rid rung robbed rubbed seen sold

have hear hit join kneel knock know lay leave lend leap lie lie lose make mean move occur obey offer need pack pat Pay pour prevent read realize rid ring rob rub see sell

knocked knocking

prevent prevents preventing

send shake shut sing sink spread spoil take tear think tie try use wake wear wind win write

sends shakes shuts sings sinks spreads spoils takes tears thinks ties tries uses wakes wears winds wins writes

sending shaking shutting singing sinking spreading spoiling taking tearing thinking tying trying using waking wearing winding winning writing

sent shook shut sang sank spread spoilt took tore thought tied tried used woke wore wound won wrote

sent shaken shut sung sunk spread spoilt taken torn thought tied tried used woken worn wound won written

send shake shut sing sink spread spoil take tear think tie try use woke wear wind win write

CONTRACTIONS

Contractions are the shortened form of the English words. They are often used in speech: CONTRACTION Im Ive Ill Id Youre Youve Youll Youd Were Weve Well Wed Theyre Theyve Theyll Theyd Hes Hell Hed Shes Shell Shed Its Itd Theres Therell Thered arent Cant Couldnt Darent Didnt Doesnt Dont Hadnt Hasnt Havent Isnt Mightnt Mustnt MEANINGS I am I have I will I had, I would You are You have You will You had, You would We are We have We will We had, we would They are They have They will They had, they would He is, he has He will He had She is, she has She will She had, she would It is, it has It had, it would There is, there has there will There had, there would Are not Cannot Could nor Dare not Did not Does not do not had not Has not Have not Is not Might not Must not

Neednt Oughtnt Shant Shouldnt Wasnt Werent Wont Wouldnt

Need not Ought not Shall not Should not Was not Were not Will not Would not

IRREGULAR VERBS

NO
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43

PRESENT TENSE
be beat become begin bite bend blow break build buy catch choose cost creep cut dig do draw dream drink drive eat fall feed feel find flee fly forget forsake freeze get give go grow hang have hear hide hit hold hurt keep

PAST TENSE
was/were beat became began bit bent blew broke built bought caught chose cost crept cut dug did drew dreamed/dreamt drank drove ate fell fed felt found fled flew forgot forsook froze got gave went grew hung had heard hid hit held hurt kept

PAST PARTICIPLE
been beaten became begun bitten bent blown broken built bought caught chosen cost crept cut dug done drawn dreamed/dreamt drunk driven eaten fallen Fed felt found fled flown forgotten forsaken frozen got given gone grown hung had heard hidden Hit held hurt kept

44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95

kneel know lay lead leap lean learn leave lend let lie light make mean meet pay put read ride ring rise run see send set shake shoot shrink shut sing sink sit seep smell speak spend spoil spring stand steal stick sting swear sweep swim swing take teach tear teach tell think

knelt knew laid led leaped/leapt leant learned/learnt left lent let lay lit/lighted made meant met paid put read rode rang rose ran saw sent set shook shot shrank shut sang sank sat slept smelled/smelt spoke spent spoiled/spoilt sprang stood stole stuck stung swore swept swam swung took taught tore taught told thought

knelt known laid Led leaped/leapt leant learned/learnt left lent Let lain lit/lighted made meant met paid put read ridden rung risen run seen sent set shaken shot shrunk shut sung sunk sat slept smelled/smelt spoken spent spoiled/spoilt sprung stood stolen stuck stung sworn swept swum swung taken taught torn taught told thought

96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105

throw understand undo upset wake wear weep wet win write

threw understood undid upset woke wore wept wetted/wet won wrote

thrown understood undone upset woken worn wept wetted/wet won written