The Great Grammar Quest

Master the 10 Grammar Components of the English Language for PSLE

Grammar Components Navigation

Pronouns and Possessives

What is a pronoun?
A pronoun takes the place of a noun in a sentence. It can refer to a person, an animal, a place, an object or an idea. There are different types of pronouns.

Personal pronouns

Personal pronouns take the place of the subject or object in a sentence. They are used to avoid repetition. The subject form refers to the doer of an action while the object form refers to the receiver of an action.

Examples
This is my dog. It loves playing with balls.
Look at Kelly. She is playing the piano.
Jake was last in the race but everyone cheered him on.
The boys are not here yet. Could you call them?

Reflexive pronouns

Reflexive pronouns show that the subject of a sentence is the same as the object. They are used to add emphasis.

Examples
I reminded myself to work harder for the exams.
William made himself an iced lemonade.

Possessive determiners

Possessive determiners show ownership in a sentence. They are used to show that someone owns a thing or is related to another person.

Examples
This is your breakfast.
Nellie forgot where she had placed her keys.

Possessive pronouns

Possessive pronouns show ownership in a sentence, too. The difference is they replace the entire noun (thing or person) belonging to a person.

Examples
Those are his toy trains. > Those are his.
Their bicycles were in the yard. > Theirs were in the yard.
Practice 1

Fill in the blanks with the correct pronouns or determiners.

Leon has two siblings. __________ are studying in the same school.
The pizza is for you. Please help __________ to it.
This isn’t my coat. __________ is in my bag.
Try these candies. I think you will like __________.
Did you call James? __________ is looking for you.
Be careful with the soup! __________ is hot!
Dorothy and __________ classmates were in the canteen.
We took the photographs __________.
How often do you take __________ dog for a walk?
My sister often helped __________ in my Science homework.

Indefinite pronouns

Indefinite pronouns refer to unspecific subjects or objects in a sentence. This is often used when the subjects or objects are unknown or less important.

  • Things – anything, something, everything, nothing
  • People – anybody, somebody, everybody, nobody
Examples
There is something underneath the table.
Nobody is allowed into the office without permission.
Practice 2

Fill in the blanks with the correct indefinite pronouns.

Is there __________ in the classroom?
Aunt Betty left __________ for you just now. It’s in the white plastic bag.
__________ was given a souvenir for the trip.
The bag is empty. There is __________ in it.
Jane has placed __________ neatly back on the shelf.

Quantifiers

What is a quantifier?
A quantifier is placed before a noun in a sentence. It shows the quantity of the noun. While some quantifiers are used with countable nouns only, others are used with uncountable ones. There are quantifiers which can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns, too.

Definite quantifiers

Definite quantifiers show clear, specific quantity.

  • all / no – used with countable and uncountable nouns
  • each / every / both / none – used with countable nouns only
Examples
Carl took away all the markers in the box.
Each child was given an ice-cream.
None of the sales assistants were aware of the theft.
Practice

Fill in the blanks with the correct definite quantifiers.

I wake up at 6.30am __________ morning.
They have __________ children.
We have packed __________ the things we need into the luggage.
__________ the twins are in the same class.
We wanted to start a health club but __________ of the students were interested.

Indefinite quantifiers

Indefinite quantifiers show a general, approximate quantity.

  • any / some / a lot of – used with countable and uncountable nouns
  • many / a few – used with countable nouns only
  • much / a little – used with uncountable nouns only
Examples
I do not have any camping gear.
How many countries have you been to?
Rachel put a little milk into her coffee.
Practice

Fill in the blanks with the correct indefinite quantifiers.

__________ boys are playing soccer on the field.
Larry is an only child. He does not have __________ siblings.
There are not __________ people who like horror movies.
May I have __________ pepper on my chicken chop?
Swimming is a popular sport. __________ people enjoy it.

Tenses

What are tenses?
Tenses relate to the verbs in a sentence. They are used to express the time of actions and can be in the present, past or future. Sometimes, more than one tense can be used in a complex sentence.

Present Simple

The Present Simple is used to describe facts, habits and regular actions.

Examples
People blush when they are embarrassed.
I do not play any musical instrument.
Do the children like sports?

Present Continuous

The Present Continuous is used to describe actions that are happening now.

Examples
The artist is preparing for his solo art exhibition.
Kelly is not joining us for the picnic. She is busy.
Are the workers having their lunch?

Past Simple

The Past Simple is used to describe actions that happened at a specific time in the past. It is often intended to show that the actions are finished.

Examples
They spent all their money on the house.
The cat did not eat yesterday.
Did Jane inform you of the good news?

Past Continuous

The Past Continuous is used to describe actions that were in progress at some time in the past. It is often intended to show the ongoing nature of the actions or depict the actions as background scenes in story-telling.

Examples
It was a beautiful day and the sun was shining brightly.
The boys were not listening to the teacher during the lesson.
Was Mrs Mariam marking the test papers the whole morning?
Practice

Fill in the blanks with suitable verbs in the Present Simple, Past Simple, Present Continuous or Past Continuous.

She __________ her dog every week.
________ you __________ movies regularly?
Carol is playing the piano while her sister __________.
The boy __________ across the road when a car knocked him down.
________ Ken __________ the museum last Saturday?
The children __________ because it was raining.
________ Mum __________ to the supermarket now?
We __________ a summer camp last month.
________ the girls __________ when you arrived?
It _________ but we did not have any umbrellas.

Present Perfect and Past Perfect

The Present Perfect is used to describe actions that began in the past and continue into the present, or actions that happened in the past but have relevance to the present.

Examples
I have watched this movie before.
Sally and I have not gone to the theatre yet.
Has the little girl stopped crying?

The Past Perfect is used to describe actions that happened before another action in the past. The earlier action is in the Past Perfect while the latter action is in the Past Simple.

Examples
When we arrived at the station, the train had already left.
The teacher reprimanded the students as they had not done their homework.
Had they tidied the hall when you came?
Practice

Choose the correct verb forms.

We ( haven’t watched / hadn’t watched ) the show yet. We’re going to watch it tomorrow.
I need the book back. ( Have you finished / Had you finished ) reading it yet?
Tammy ( has been / had been ) to Italy many times. She is going there again in June.
The restaurant ( has closed / had closed ) when we arrived.
Although the test is on Friday, Sam ( hasn’t revised / hadn’t revised ) for it yet.
( Has the rain stopped / Had the rain stopped ) when you reached the cinema?
Dad ( has sent / had sent ) the car for repair. It will be ready in a week’s time.
( Have you invited / Had you invited ) the Lim’s family for the Christmas party?
Oliver ( hasn’t seen / hadn’t seen ) his parents for a year and he misses them.
We ( have decorated / had decorated ) the house for Mum’s surprise birthday party tonight.

Future: will / going to

The Future tense is used to describe actions at a later time. There are some differences between “will” and “going to”.

Firstly, “will” often describes spontaneous actions while “going to” is often used for planned actions.

Examples
It’s raining! I will close the windows now. (spontaneous action)
I’m afraid it may rain tonight, so I am going to close the windows before going out. (planned action)
Yucks, there are ants on the buns! We will not eat them. (spontaneous action)
Tomorrow is Grandpa’s birthday, so we are going to eat at the restaurant. (planned action)

Secondly, “will” describes predictions in the absence of evidence while “going to” is based on evidence.

Examples
I think Linda will arrive on time.
Linda is always punctual. I think she is going to arrive on time. (evidence = punctual)
We think Matt won’t pass the driving test.
Matt is so nervous. We think he is not going to pass the driving test. (evidence = nervous)
Practice

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs in the Future tense.

It’s our excursion tomorrow. We __________ (take) a lot of photos.
The weather looks bad. I think I __________ (go out).
This looks like a nice movie. ________ you __________ (watch) it with me?
Mr Ho is migrating to Canada so he __________ (sell) his house here.
The excited puppy __________ (run) around the house whenever there are guests.
My aunt __________ (bake) a birthday cake for me next week.
The plane __________ (reach) Kuala Lumpur at midnight.
Who do you think __________ (win) the match?
Peter is still very angry. He __________ (talk) to you until he cools down.
________ the train __________ (leave) the station early?

Subject-Verb Agreement

What is subject-verb agreement?
Subject-Verb agreement means that the verb in a sentence must match the subject in number. This is defined by whether the subject is singular, plural or uncountable.

Singular subject-verb agreement (Present tense)

  • ‘be’ verb – is
  • ‘have’ verb – has
  • ‘do’ verb – does
  • Present Simple – add ‘-s’ / ‘-es’ / ‘-ies’ / ‘-ves’ to the verb
  • Present Continuous – ‘is’ + present participle
  • Present Perfect – ‘has’ + past participle
Examples
Janet is the best player in the team.
He has a new watch.
Anne does her homework diligently.
The baby cries when she is hungry.
Bill does not enjoy music.
The mechanic is repairing the car.
Frank has swum in the pool.
Has the cat eaten its food?

Plural subject-verb agreement (Present tense)

  • ‘be’ verb – are
  • ‘have’ verb – have
  • ‘do’ verb – do
  • Present Simple – base form of the verb
  • Present Continuous – ‘are’ + present participle
  • Present Perfect – ‘have’ + past participle
  • *Note: use ‘am’, ‘do’ and ‘have’ for first person ‘I’.
Examples
John and Mark are the best players in the team.
They have new watches.
Anne and her classmates do their homework diligently.
The babies cry when they are hungry.
We do not enjoy music.
The mechanics are repairing the cars.
The boys have swum in the pool.
Have the cats eaten their food?

Singular and Plural subject-verb agreement (Past tense)

  • ‘be’ verb – was / were
  • ‘have’ verb – had
  • ‘do’ verb – did
  • Past Simple – same verb for all subjects
  • Past Continuous – ‘was/were’ + present participle
  • Past Perfect – ‘had’ + past participle
Examples
Sam and Allen were the best players in the team.
I had a new watch.
Anne did her homework diligently.
The babies cried when they were hungry.
We did not enjoy music.
The mechanics were repairing the cars.
Frank had swum in the pool.
Had the cats eaten their food?

Uncountable subject-verb agreement

Uncountable subjects follow the singular subject-verb agreement rules in all tenses.

  • ‘be’ verb – is / was
  • ‘have’ verb – has / had
  • ‘do’ verb – does / did
  • Present Simple – add ‘-s’ / ‘-es’ / ‘-ies’ / ‘-ves’ to the verb
  • Present Continuous – ‘is’ + present participle
  • Present Perfect – ‘has’ + past participle
  • Past Simple – same verbs for all subjects
  • Past Continuous – ‘was’ + present participle
  • Past Perfect – ‘had’ + past participle
Examples
Orange juice is my favourite drink.
Was there sand in your shoes when you came home?
Music has different genres such as jazz and classical.
Water does not contain any calories.
Technology has brought us many benefits.
The traffic has not eased for two hours.
Dust covered all the furniture in the old house.
Practice

Fill in the blanks with the correct verbs.

Electricity __________ one of the best inventions.
Each player on the team __________ his best.
Both lifts __________ not working yesterday.
The worksheets __________ some errors.
The quality of these fruits __________ good.
The number of cars on the road __________ every year.
__________ the children gone to bed yet?
The porridge in the pot __________ warm.
Billy, together with his sister, __________ left for studies overseas.
Where __________ you have piano lessons in the past?

Modals

What is a modal?
A modal is placed before a base verb in a sentence. It is used mainly to express abilities, possibilities, permissions and obligations.

Abilities

Modals can be used to describe what a person is able to do in the present or in the past.

Examples
You can speak three languages.
They cannot cook Italian cuisine.
I could run a full marathon when I was younger.
Could you take a bus by yourself when you were in primary school?

Possibilities

Modals can be used to describe the possibility of an action or the uncertainty of it.

Examples
It may rain tomorrow.
I may go for a swim after school.
Bella might not buy a new house.

Permissions

Modals can be used to ask for permission to do something. They can also be used to give or deny permission.

Examples
You can play computer games after finishing your homework.
Sean cannot leave the office until 6pm.
Excuse me, could I take this seat?
May I go for my break now?

Obligations

Modals can be used to describe obligations, or actions which are necessary.

Examples
We have to wake up early for the hike.
Motorcyclists must wear helmets for safety reasons.
The candidates must not be late for the interview.
Practice

Fill in the blanks with suitable modals.

__________ Sherry play the piano?
I’m unwell, so I __________ attend school tomorrow.
Drivers __________ wear a seatbelt.
__________ the children watch TV now?
The audience __________ use flash photography during the show.
__________ we have some popcorn?
You __________ leave early today.
Applicants __________ pass the entrance test to get into the university.
The mall __________ be crowded tomorrow since it is a public holiday.
__________ the dogs play in the garden?

Active Voice and Passive Voice

What is active voice and passive voice?
Voice in a sentence shows emphasis. An active voice places emphasis on the subject doing an action while a passive voice places emphasis on the action being done. When converting from one voice to another, the subject and object change positions and the verb forms are modified.

Present tense

Examples
Active: The principal is punishing the rude student.
Passive: The rude student is being punished by the principal.
Active: The children have broken the new toy.
Passive: The new toy has been broken by the children.

Past tense

Examples
Active: Tom stole the money in the drawer last night.
Passive: The money in the drawer was stolen by Tom last night.
Active: We had painted the wall.
Passive: The wall had been painted by us.

Future tense

Examples
Active: The workers will mend the fence soon.
Passive: The fence will be mended by the workers soon.
Active: You are going to write the report tomorrow.
Passive: The report is going to be written by you tomorrow.

Modals

Examples
Active: The students can use the music room now.
Passive: The music room can be used by the students now.
Active: The applicants must complete the forms.
Passive: The forms must be completed by the applicants.
Practice

Change these sentences into the Passive Voice.

Mum makes breakfast every morning.
The couple will not sell the house this year.
The postman was delivering the letters.
I had warmed up the muffins in the microwave oven.
The students must follow school rules.
Practice

Change these sentences into the Active Voice.

The course is being taught by a new trainer.
The truck was not repaired by the mechanics.
The cats had been fed by Jeanne.
The suspect has been arrested by the police.
The show is going to be cancelled by the organizer.

Conjunctions

What is a conjunction?
A conjunction is a “linker” in a sentence. It is used to connect words, phrases or clauses so that ideas flow together.

Coordinating conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions connect words, phrases or clauses which are of equal importance.

Examples
Dolly bought two dresses and a pair of shoes.
Ken lives and works in New York.
Do you want to go to the movies today or tomorrow?
Billy enjoys basketball but his brother does not.
It is a warm day, yet they are wearing coats.
I was hungry, so I ate three buns.

Subordinating conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions connect words, phrases or clauses which are of unequal importance. The dependent clause helps to explain why, where or when an action happens.

Examples
We stayed indoors because it was cold outside.
Since it was early, she made herself breakfast.
When they reached the airport, the plane had already left.
The robber escaped before the police arrived.
Although Ronny tried hard, he still failed the test.
Dad will not take us to the beach unless we have cleaned up our rooms.

Correlative conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions are pairs of words which connect words, phrases or clauses.

Examples
Both Bob and Jane are working in this company.
Not only did they organize a party, but they also bought gifts for the birthday boy.
You can have either the ice cream or the cake.
Neither the principal nor the vice-principal will attend the ceremony.
Practice

Fill in the blanks with suitable conjunctions.

The twins are intelligent __________ lazy.
__________ she started gardening, she wore her gloves.
Can you prepare some paper, glue __________ scissors for the art lesson?
__________ the fire alarm rang, the students were still eating in the canteen.
__________ my father __________ uncle are engineers.
Don’t be late, __________ you will be denied entry into the performance hall.
__________ it rains, the match will not be cancelled.
This old castle is famous, __________ it attracts a lot of tourists.
We are __________ flying to Spain, __________ to France.
The dogs are __________ playing in the garden __________ sleeping in the living room.

Relative Clauses

What is a relative clause?
A relative clause gives more information about the subject in a sentence. It is usually used with a relative pronoun such as who / whom / whose / which / that.

Defining relative clauses

Defining relative clauses refer to extra information which gives essential meanings to a sentence.

Examples
The girl who is wearing a yellow dress is my sister.
The company is looking for salespersons who are hardworking.
Is there anyone whom I can talk to about the poor service?
The alley which they took to go home last night was dark and quiet.
This is the camera that I bought last week.
Practice

With the use of a relative pronoun, fill in the blanks with your own ideas.

The stranger ______________________________ was arrested by the police.
That is the building ______________________________.
The school is looking for volunteers ______________________________.
The old friend ______________________________ is working in a bank now.
Where is the book ______________________________?

Non-defining relative clauses

Non-defining relative clauses refer to extra information which does not change the meaning of a sentence. They are usually used with commas.

Examples
This restaurant, which opened last month, serves delicious Korean food.
He owns a lot of antiques, some of which are worth millions.
My neighbour, who lives two doors away, is very friendly.
Mr Lee, whose wife is a nurse, is a pilot.
Sentosa, where many attractions are located, is often crowded on weekends.
Practice

With the use of a relative pronoun, fill in the blanks with your own ideas.

The party, ______________________________, was really fun!
Pauline, ______________________________, is looking for a new job.
I had coffee with Sam, ______________________________.
The injured kitten, ______________________________, has been taken to the vet.
Here are some of my treasured souvenirs, ___________________________.

Conditionals

What is a conditional sentence?
A conditional sentence describes a real or hypothetical situation and its result. It contains two clauses – the condition (cause) and the result (effect).

Zero Conditional

The zero conditional is used for general truths and facts. Both the condition and the result are in the Present Simple.

Examples
If you touch a flame, you get burned.
If you mix red and blue, you get purple.
Plants die if they are not watered.

First Conditional

The first conditional is used for situations that are likely to happen. The condition is in the Present Simple while the result is in the Present Future.

Examples
If you work harder, you will pass the test.
If I have enough time, I will go to the supermarket.
We will be healthy if we exercise regularly.

Second Conditional

The second conditional is used for situations that are unlikely to happen. It can also be used for unreal, imaginary situations. The condition is in the Past Simple while the result is in the Past Future.

Examples
If he had the money, he would buy a new car.
If I became the principal, I would shorten school hours.
I would fly to different places every day if I were a bird.
Practice

Fill in the blanks with your own ideas using the correct tense.

If we are early, we __________ a bus there.
The teacher ________ the students if they did not pay attention.
If I __________ too much coffee, I will not be able to sleep at night.
If you heat ice, it __________.
The baby will cry if she __________ hungry.
If Billy __________ the train, he would take a taxi.
If they eat too much, they __________ a stomach upset.
If the team practises hard, it __________ the match.
Linda would learn a new hobby if she __________ more time.
If you __________ the President, what would you do for the country?

Third Conditional

The third conditional is used for hypothetical situations in the past. It is used to express regret or how things could be different. The condition is in the Past Perfect while the result is in the Past Perfect Future.

Examples
If Lisa had left earlier, she would have caught the bus.
If it had rained, the organizer would have cancelled the match.
I wouldn’t have gone to the party if I had known it was boring.
Practice

Fill in the blanks with your own ideas using the correct tense.

Rita ________ the driving test if she had been less nervous.
If you ________ more careful, you wouldn’t have broken the vase.
They ________ the flight if they had left later.
If we had known about his birthday, we ________ a present.
If I ________ all my money, I would have saved enough for a new jacket.

Direct Speech and Indirect Speech

What is direct speech and indirect speech?
Direct speech quotes the exact words spoken by someone and quotation marks (“ ”) are used. Indirect speech reports what someone said earlier and quotation marks are unnecessary.
Compare
Direct: Mum said, “I am taking Reggie to the vet tomorrow.”
Indirect: Mum said that she was taking Reggie to the vet the following day.

*Common changes from direct speech to indirect speech:

  • Pronouns (I > she)
  • Tenses (am taking > was taking)
  • Time expressions (tomorrow > the following day)

Statements

In changing statements from direct to indirect speech, the order of the words remains mostly the same.

Examples
Direct: The chef cautioned his assistant, “The knife is sharp.”
Indirect: The chef cautioned his assistant that the knife was sharp.
Direct: She said, “I did not attend the fair last week.”
Indirect: She said that she had not attended the fair the week before.
Direct: Emily told me, “My cat has not eaten for two days.”
Indirect: Emily told me that her cat had not eaten for two days.

Questions

In changing questions from direct to indirect speech, the order of the words often shifts. For closed questions, “if” or “whether” is added.

Examples
Direct: Tina asked me, “What show are you watching?”
Indirect: Tina asked me what show I was watching.
Direct: The passenger asked, “When will the flight arrive?”
Indirect: The passenger asked when the flight would arrive.
Direct: James asked, “Is the workshop starting next Monday?”
Indirect: James asked if the workshop was starting the following Monday.

Imperatives

In changing imperatives from direct to indirect speech, the order of the words remains mostly the same but “to” or “not to” is added.

Examples
Direct: He shouted to us, “Look out for the traffic!”
Indirect: He shouted to us to look out for the traffic.
Direct: The teacher told the class, “Tidy up the room before you leave.”
Indirect: The teacher told the class to tidy up the room before they left.
Direct: The sergeant ordered the soldiers, “Do not talk!”
Indirect: The sergeant ordered the soldiers not to talk.
Practice

Change these sentences from direct to indirect speech.

Mum said, “I am leaving for work now.”
My brother asked, “Where are my socks?”
He told me, “Put the posters up on the wall by tomorrow.”
The children said, “We do not want to play tennis.”
The boss asked John, “Have you finished writing the report?”
I lamented to Stephanie, “I was very busy with projects last month.”
The instructor asked the girl, “Can you play the violin?”
Mum told us, “Don’t forget to wear your raincoats if it rains.”
She said, “I like the flowers in this shop.”
Jack asked Mary , “What car do you drive?”

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