english grammar notes for upsr
DESCRIPTION
Grammar for UPSRTRANSCRIPT
Articles 1. There are 3 types of articles a, an and the.
2. A and an indefinite articles and only used with singular countable nouns.2.1 a is used before words that begin with consonants sounds or words which begin with the vowel u but has a consonant sound (you).a) a boyb) a flowerc) a pineappled) a zebrae) a universityf) a unitg) a unique schoolh) a one-way street
2.2 an is used before words which begin with vowels (a, e, i, o, u) or words which begin with the silent h.a) an antb) an applec) an earringd) an elephante) an insectf) an oniong) an umbrellah) an houri) an honourj) an honest girl
2.3 a and an are not use before uncountable nouns. E.g: rice, sand, oil, etc.
3 The definite article and is used with plural countable nouns and also3.1 To show something that is special and one of its kinds in the world.a) The sun is setting in the west.b) The air is fresher in the countryside.3.2 To refer to a particular person, animal, thing or place.a) The white cat is under the chair.b) That is the car which honked at me yesterday.3.3 For the superlative form of an adjective.a) She is the tallest girl in her class.b) I bought the cheapest book.3.4 With things which are already mentioned before.a) A pupil is in a library. The pupil is reading quietly.
Nouns Countable and Uncountable Nouns 1. A noun is used to refer to a person, place, animal or thing.a) teacher (person)b) market (place)c) rabbit (animal)d) car (thing)
2. Nouns can be countable or uncountable.Countable Nouns(can be counted)Uncountable Nouns(cannot be counted)
penboyhousecatcarbagkeyplateoilsanddustinkwatercurryricepaper
3. Can be used in the following ways.Countable NounsUncountable Nouns
a lot of many a few plenty of a few several somea large number ofa small number of bookspencilshousescarsbagskeysbookscowsduriansa littlea lot of plenty ofsomemuchless morea large amount of a small amount of oil water sand rice ink butter moneycurrypetrol
a lot of positive statements, negative statements, questions. some positive statements, questions. any negative statements, questions plenty of
Collective Nouns Used to refer to people, animals or things as a unit.People
1. a band of musicians 9. a patrol of policemen
2. a choir of singers 10. an army of soldiers
3. a class of pupils 11. a staff of servants
4. a caravan of gypsies 12. a team of players
5. a batch of students 13. a tribe of natives
6. a gang of prisoners 14. a troupe of artistes
7. a crew of sailors 15. a panel of judges
8. a crowd of people 16. a party of friends
Animal
1. an army of ants 11. a plague of locusts
2. a brood of chickens 12. parliament of owls
3. a cloud of flies 13. a shoal of fish
4. a nest of mice 14. a smack of jellyfish
5. a gaggle of geese 15. a team of oxen
6. a flight of swallows 16. a swarm of bees
7. a flock of birds 17. a pack of wolves
8. a troop of monkeys 18. a pride of lions
9. a litter of kittens a litter of puppies 19. a flock of birds a flock of sheep
10. a school of dolphins a school of whales 20. a herd of buffaloes a herd of elephants
Things / Plants
1. a string of pearls 11. a garland of flowers
2. a bale of cotton 12. a layer of dirt
3. a bowl of rice 13. a queue of vehicles
4. a bunch of keys 14. a pack of cards
5. a cluster of coconuts 15. a bouquet of flowers
6. a column of smoke 16. a tuft of grass
7. a bundle of sticks 17. a wad of currency
8. a suit of clothes 18. a cloud of dust
9. a clutch of eggs 19. a comb of bananas
10. a crate of fruits 20. a set of tools
Singular and Plural Nouns A singular noun 1 person, animal, place or thing. A plural noun more than 1 person, animal, place or thing.2) The letter s is usually added to form a plural noun.a) fruit fruitsb) girl girlsc) lamp lampsd) song songs3) For nouns which end with s, x, sh and ch, the plural is formed by adding es.a) class classesb) box boxesc) dish dishesd) match matches4) For a noun which ends with y preceded by a consonant, the letter y is changed into ies to form the plural. a) activity activitiesb) berry berriesc) lorry lorriesd) puppy - puppies5) For a noun which ends with y preceded by a vowel (ay, ey, oy, uy), the letter s is added to form the plural.a) boy boysb) day daysc) key keysd) guy - guys6) For a noun which ends with the letter o preceded by a vowel, the letter s is added to form the plural.a) radio radiosb) studio studiosc) bamboo bamboosd) piano pianose) zoo zoos
7) For a noun which ends with the letter o preceded by a consonant, s or es is added to form the plural.a) photo photosb) potato potatoesc) hero heroes 8) For a noun which ends with the letter f or fe, the plural form is made by either adding the letter s or by changing f/ fe to ves.a) leaf leavesb) knife knivesc) half halvesd) thief - thievese) roof - roofsf) safe safesg) chef - chefs9) Some nouns are called irregular as their plural form is spelt very differently from the singular form. a) ox oxenb) child childrenc) foot feetd) tooth teeth e) goose geesef) mouse miceg) man men h) woman women
10) A few irregular nouns maintain the same spelling and pronunciation for both singular and plural forms.a) deer deerb) sheep sheepc) salmon salmon d) furniture furniture11) Some nouns occur only in the plural form: binoculars, glasses, scissors, spectacles, pants, pyjamas, shorts, tights, trousers, clothes, stairs, goods12) Some nouns have no plural:news, work, homework, rubbish
Pronouns SingularPlural
FirstSecondThirdIYouHe / She / ItWeYouThey
Subject of the verbObject of the verb
SingularI like to play badminton.You are late.He is an engineer.She is an only child.It is a Persian cat.My parents took me out.I called you last night.The teacher scolded him.They found her in the room.The car knocked it down.
PluralWe visited the museum.They won the singing competition.They are waiting for us.The teacher praised them.
Personal PronounsPossessive AdjectivesPossessive PronounsReflexive Pronouns
IYouHeSheItWeTheymyyourhisheritsourtheirmineyourshishersitsourstheirsmyselfyourselfhimselfherselfitselfourselvesthemselves
This is my bag.This is your book.This is his pen.This is her pencil.This is its kennel.That is our house.These are their chairs.The bag is mine.The book is yours.The pen is his.The pencil is hers.The kennel is its.The house is ours.The chairs are theirs.I paint the picture myself.You have to do it yourself.He writes the poem himself.She cut the fruit herself.The dog scratched itself.We saw it ourselves.They helped themselves.
Adjectives Comparison of Adjectives (Regular)Positive Comparative Superlative
1big bigger thanthe biggest
2brave braver thanthe bravest
3brightbrighter thanthe brightest
4busybusier thanthe busiest
5cheapcheaper thanthe cheapest
6cleancleaner thanthe cleanest
7clearclearer thanthe clearest
8clevercleverer thanthe cleverest
9coldcolder thanthe coldest
10coolcooler thanthe coolest
11cruelcrueler thanthe cruelest
12darkdarker thanthe darkest
13deepdeeper thanthe deepest
14dirtydirtier thanthe dirtiest
15fatfatter thanthe fattest
16friendfriendlier thanthe friendliest
17greatgreater thanthe greatest
18happyhappier thanthe happiest
19hardharder thanthe hardest
20healthyhealthier thanthe healthiest
21heavyheavier thanthe heaviest
22highhigher thanthe highest
23hothotter thanthe hottest
24largelarger thanthe largest
25lazylazier thanthe laziest
26lightlighter thanthe lightest
27longlonger thanthe longest
28lowlower thanthe lowest
29nearnearer thanthe nearest
30neatneater thanthe neatest
31nicenicer thanthe nicest
32noisynoisier thanthe noisiest
33prettyprettier thanthe prettiest
34poorpoorer thanthe poorest
35quietquieter thanthe quietest
36richricher thanthe richest
37strong stronger thanthe strongest
38talltaller thanthe tallest
39thickthicker thanthe thickest
40thin/thinner thanthe thinnest
41weakweaker thanthe weakest
42warmwarmer thanthe warmest
43wisewiser thanthe wisest
44young younger thanthe youngest
Comparison of Adjectives (By adding more and most)Positive Comparative Superlative
1beautifulmore beautifulmost beautiful
2carefulmore carefulmost careful
3comfortablemore comfortablemost comfortable
4dangerous more dangerousmost dangerous
5difficultmore difficultmost difficult
6excitingmore excitingmost exciting
7expensivemore expensivemost expensive
8famousmore famousmost famous
9helpfulmore helpfulmost helpful
10intelligentmore intelligentmost intelligent
11joyfulmore joyfulmost joyful
12obedientmore obedientmost obedient
13peacefulmore peacefulmost peaceful
Comparison of Adjective (Irregular)Positive Comparative Superlative
badworseworst
goodbetterbest
littlelessleast
manymoremost
much/moremost
farfurther/fartherfurthest/farthest
There is no comparison for positive The comparative is used to compare two things The superlative is used to compare three or more things The suffixes -er and -est are added to the positive adjectives to form most comparatives and superlatives. However, -ier and -iest are needed when a two-syllable adjective ends in y. When an adjective of one syllable ends in a single consonant, double the consonant for the comparative and superlatives forms. However, letters -w and -x are not doubled.Conjunctions ConjunctionUsageExample
andTo join two sentences with the same or similar ideas- Sandy likes singing. - Sandy likes dancing.Sandy likes singing and dancing.
butTo join two sentences with different ideas- I want to go Singapore by bus. - He insists on taking the plane.I want to go Singapore by bus but he insists on taking the plane.
becauseTo give reason- Danny was punished. - He did not do his homework.Danny was punished because he did not do his homework.
soTo show cause and effect- The children are tired. - They go to bed early.The children are tired so they go to bed early.
orTo show a choice or possibility can be made- Would you prefer tea? - Would you prefer coffee?Would you prefer tea or coffee?
ifTo show a condition- You work harder. - You will pass your examination.If you work harder, you will pass your examination.
althoughTo show contrast (beginning / middle)- It is raining heavily. - They continue with the climb.Although it is raining heavily, they continue with the climb.
- Nobody wants to live in that mansion. - It is beautiful.Nobody wants to live in that mansion although it is beautiful.
Wh-question Words Wh-question WordUsageExample
WhoTo ask about people Who are you? Who is the man?Who is your mother?Who is your best friend?
WhatTo ask about things or something general. What is this? What is in your bag?What are they doing?What does he want?What did you do yesterday?
WhichChoices between a few possibilities (people, things / places) Which is your pen?Which is the capital? Which book is better?Which shirt should I wear?
WhyTo ask the reason for something Why are you here? Why is the bag wet?Why is he going out?Why do you want to be a singer?
WhoseTo ask about who the owner of something is / belong to (possessives) Whose pencil is this? Whose ruler is this?Whose car is that? Whose books are these?
WhereTo ask about places Where are you? Where is the ruler?Where do you live? Where is the car key?
WhenTo ask about the time something happens When is your brothers birthday?When are we going home? When did you come? When will you leave?
HowTo ask about the way how something is done / quality, quantity How are you?How was your trip? How do you cook the fish?How do you get to London?
* 7 W, 1 H used to ask questions.Verbs to be, to have and to do VerbPresent TensePast TenseExample
to beisamwasHe is the head prefect.I am a boy.She was in Langkawi yesterday.
arewereThese boys are my nephews.We were there last month.
to havehashavehadShe has a yellow raincoat.You have a dictionary.He had a football practice yesterday.
to dodoesdodidShe does the housework every day.We do our work quietly.They did their homework just now.
Subject-Verb Agreement The verb must agree with its subject. If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural as well.SingularPlural
The pupil sings during the music class.The pupils sing during the music class.
He / She prepares some food for supper.They prepare some food for supper.
The child runs around in the field.The children run around in the field.
The dog does not like its new owner.The dogs do not like their new owner.
The backpacker has no place to sleep tonight.The backpackers have no place to sleep tonight.
He is a friend of mineThey are friends of mine.
SingularPlural
ishasdoesarehavedo
Simple Present Tense 1) Facts, things that are always or generally true. The sky is blue. The moon is round. A hen lays eggs. A dog has four legs. The sun rises in the east. Tropical fish are beautiful. Water boils at 100 degrees. Plants die without water. My birthday is in September.2) For situations that are (more / less) permanent. I live in Malaysia. She likes drawing. They love coffee. My father works in a bank. She has three children. The boy studies in SJK(C) Kundang.3) Things that we do regularly / often routines, habits. (every day, once a week, twice a month, every Sunday, four times a year)(always, often, usually, sometimes, rarely, never) I go to school by car. He always wakes up at 6 a.m. Mei Ling often listens to music. Carol brushes her teeth twice a day. I drink a cup of coffee every morning.4) Short actions. He looks at his watch. She opens the door. I switch on the computer.5) Imperatives statements / order Do not litter! Keep off the grass! Do not feed the animals. Go to your bedroom now. 6) We also use it to talk about the future after words like when, until, after, before, as soon as in a future sentence. I will call you when I have time. I won't go out until it stops raining. She'll come as soon as her babysitter arrives. I'm going to make dinner after I watch the news. I'll give you the book before you go.
***Spelling: In general, for single subject we add s in the verb. However...a) For verbs that end in -o, -ch, -sh, -ss, -x, or -z we add -es. go goes catch catches wash washes kiss kisses fix fixes buzz buzzes b) For verbs that end in a consonant + y, we remove the y and add -ies. marry marries study studies carry carries worry worriesc) For verbs that end in a vowel + y, we just add -s. play plays enjoy enjoys say says Present Continuous Tense 1) Used to show something which is happening now.a. I am cutting the grass now.b. The waiter is serving the customers now.c. We are waiting for him at the bus stop.2) Used to express the future.a. I am going camping next week.b. She is going for a holiday soon.c. We are going to China tomorrow.3) Used to express developing and changing situations.a. The wind is getting stronger and the temperature is dropping faster.b. More people are buying organic products nowadays.
***Spelling: Verbs when adding -ing.a) Consonant after a short, stressed vowel at the end of the word. Double the consonant:sit he is sittingput he is puttingtravel they are travelling If the consonant is not stressed, we do not double it:benefit - benefiting (we stress the first 'e', not the 'i'.)b) One -e at the end of the word Leave out the e:write he is writingtake he is taking BUT double e add ing:see he is seeing c) Verbs ending in ie Change 'ie' to 'y':lie - he is lying d) Verbs ending in c Change 'c' to 'ck':picnic - he is picnicking Simple Past Tense 1) Something has happened in the past (specific time) and has finished. I took her home just now. They were at his birthday party last night. The cleaned the house last weekend. He knew the answer yesterday.
2) Telling stories or past events. Once upon a time, a lord lived in the castle. There was an ugly witch living in the middle of the forest. In the past, the knights travelled on strong horses.
3) Indicate a time in the past. I lived in Johor in 1994.
4) Express habit in the pass. I collected stamps when I was a child.
*** Spelling: Verbs in the Past Simple TenseRegular Verb-d, -ed, -iedIrregular VerbVerbremaining same
live livedwant wantedcarry carriedstop stoppedplan plannedpanic panicked sell sold drink drank buy boughtcut cutput putlet let
Positive and Negative Statements Positive statement in the Present Tense
IYouWeTheygoto the towns library on weekends.
HeSheItgoes
Negative statement in the Present Tense
IYouWeTheydo not goto the towns library on weekends.
HeSheItdoes not go
Positive statement in the Past Tense
IYouWeTheyHeSheItwentto the zoo last Saturday.
Negative statement in the Past Tense
IYouWeTheyHeSheItdid not goto the zoo last Saturday.
Prepositions of TimePrepositionsUse
in month year season part of the day (morning, afternoon, evening) duration
at specific time of day (noon, midnight) part of the day (night) celebrations
on days of the week dates special days
after something will happen later
by a deadline in the future
during through the whole of a period of time
PrepositionsExamples
in My birthday is in December. Jenny was born in 1990. Tom wakes up early in the morning. Mr Siew will be here in three minutes. The van will be here in ten minutes.
at Lunch is at noon. Dinner is at 6 oclock. Tuition is at 2.30 p.m.
on Ali is going to Ipoh on Friday. I am going to visit my grandmother on Saturday. My birthday is on the 25th of June. We are going to the party on my birthday.
after I will see you after school. After the holidays, I will start studying French.
by I expect rain by noon. I want to have those papers by Friday.
during during the holidays
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