ARTICLES

Articles are words that appear before nouns.

There are two types of articles that can be used with singular countable
nouns:
a) The indefinite article a and an, which can refer to anything in general.
b) The definite article the, which refers to a specific thing or person.
Note : A and the are used before consonant sounds while an is used before
vowel sounds. Examples :
A student has reportedly gone missing.
My parents are going for a holiday soon.
An alligator was seen near the river.
Marianne and Johan will be visiting an orphanage.
Is this the boy who got 8As in the examination?

Note : A and an are also used when we mention the singular countable noun
for the first time. When there is a further reference to it, we use the
article the. Examples :
I am meeting my friend at a restaurant. The restaurant is at Jalan

Tiga.
I am having a party this weekend. The party will be held in the

garden.
We took photographs of an elephant at the zoo. We did not know the
elephant has appeared on TV many times.

Plural countable nouns usually take the article the or omit the use of
articles altogether. Examples :
Please leave the test tubes on my table.
May i borrow the history books?
We can get vegetables at the market.
Cats are interesting creatures.
For singular uncountable nouns, we use the article the and some.
Examples :
The oil is in the kitchen cabinet.
There is still some oil left in the bottle.
The information is available on the Internet.
We can get some information on the Internet.

Proper nouns, such as the names of hotels, cinemas, places and buildings,
can be used with the article the. Examples :
My parents have visited the Great Wall of China twice.
The Petronas Twin Towers are the tallest towers in Southeast

Asia.
We are having dinner at the Hilton Hotel tonight.

Some nouns do not require any articles. These nouns are:

a) Names of states, towns and most countries (unless used as an
adjective). Examples :
She lives in Kelantan.
We plan to migrate to Australia.
Would you like to try these Indian herbs?
b) Names of sports and games (unless used as an adjective).
Examples :
They are playing football in the backyard.
Cricket is a well-known game in India.
Teenagers nowadays like to play skateboarding.
c) Names of meals (unless referring to a particular meal). Examples:
I am having dinner with my cousins.
Lets go and have tea.
d) Names of streets or roads. Examples :
Most restaurants are located at Cantonment Road and Pitt
Street.
Green Lane is usually congested with motorists.
e) In the expression at home, at school, at work, to/ in hospital.
Examples :
We are usually at home in the evenings.
I walk to school every day.
While my mother is at work, I help to tidy up the house.
She was taken to hospital after the accident.
Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks with a, an and the.
1. My father is working as ............................... manager.
2. Mr Lloyds brother is................................ engineer in that company.
3. Which bag in................................ cupboard is yours?
4. Akash received.....................................reward for his honesty.
5. I was late because I had to wait for.................................. hour for the bus.
6. My aunt is................................ graduate of Oxford University.
7. I enjoyed reading....................................book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
8. My sister eats................................... apple and.................................... banana every day.

9. ...................................... road next to my house was flooded after the heavy rain.
10. Shabana is planning to go to.................................. United States to further her
studies.

Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks in the following passages with a, an, the or -, where necessary.
Passage A
There

was

once.................................

(1)

cat

whose

kittens

had

died. ....................................... (2) owner of.................................... (3) cat felt sorry for her.
One day, he found..................................... (4) kitten by the roadside. It had lost its
mother. He took..................................... (5) kitten home. He took................................... (6) old
box from........................................ (7) garden shd and filled it with..................................... (8)
pieces

of

cloth.

He

put......................................

(9)

kitten

inside.

Then

he

carried................................ (10) box and put it next to................................... (11) cat.

At once.................................... (12) cat begin to lick...................................... (13) kitten.
She curled up next to him and begin to feed him. When.................................... (14) stray
dog came near........................................ (15) box, she even chased it away. The cat was
happy at last. She had found......................................... (16) baby to love.

VERBS
There are three functions of a verb:
I. It tells us what a person or thing is (the verb to-be). Examples :
I am a student.
This is a useful tree.
Those are carnivorous animals.
II. It describes a state. Examples :
She believes in superstitions.
All living creatures exist for a reason.
Grace hopes Germany will win the World Cup.
III. It describes an action. Examples :
Gloria jogs every morning.
They perform at the concert every year.

I sell nasi lemak at the stall.

Verbs that describe action can appear in different forms depending on the time
the action occurs. The different types of verbs are:
Regular verbs which end in ed in the past tense form. Examples :
Jump Jumped
Dance Danced
Park Parked
Walk Walked
Cry Cried
Cook Cooked
Wait Waited
Play Played

Irregular verbs which change their vowels, become a new word or remain
unchanged in the past tense form. Examples :
Run Ran
Sing Sang
Catch Caught
Eat Ate
Cut Cut
Seek Sought
Think Thought
Read Read
Bring Brought
Put Put
Negative verbs which contain the word not after the verbs. Examples :
Jason cannot go to the meeting.
We have not completed our homework.
I do not like this man.
She is not interested in sports.
We can use contractions for both the affirmative and negative, especially
in conversations. Examples :
Word in full
I am

Contraction
Im

He is
She is

Hes
Shes

Sentence
Im going for a swim.
Im not coming to school tomorrow.
Hes the best player in the match.
Shes a good friend of mine.

It is
You are
We are
They are
Is not

Its
Youre
Were
Theyre
Isnt

Are not

Arent

Its going to rain.

Youre going to be late.
Were wearing our new dress tonight.
Theyre my best friends.
Kwan isnt at home.
She isnt sick.
The sun isnt shining brightly.
You arent going to study.
We arent going to Korea.
They arent helping us.

Exercise 1
Underline the verbs that express action in the following sentences.
1. The boy run towards his father.
2. The girl dance on the stage.
3. The teacher teaches us a lesson.
4. This bird sings a melodious song.
5. The man drives a green car to work.
6. Fish swim in the sea.
7. The camel carries a load on its back.
8. The ship sails away from the port.
9. Mariah writes on the exercise book.
10. Nessa reads the newspaper every day.
11. They laughed out loud.
12. The man paid the shopkeeper for the goods.
Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks with the past participle of the verbs in brackets.
1. The missing watch was................................... (find) under the blankets.
2. I have.................................. (know) about his plans since last month.
3. She had................................. (sing) that song many times before.
4. We have................................. (do) a lot of work today so let us take a rest now.
5. I have not.................................... (wash) my car since my return from Singapore.
6. Derek has............................. (wear) the same shirt for a week.
7. Casey had............................. (write) the letter before Willy arrived.
8. They have................................. (take) their children to the park.
9. I have.................................... (forget) the lyrics of this song.
10. My uncle has not.................................. (cut) his lawn for three months.

MODAL VERBS
Modal verbs are used with another verb to express different functions. Modal
verbs refer to words such as can, could, must, have to, may, might, will, would,
shall and should.

We use can or could:

a) To talk about ability. Examples :
- She can run fast but she cannot play a team sport.
- Mrs Harjit can play the piano.
- They could cook well even though they are boys.
b) To make polite requests and to express permission. Examples :
- Can I go to the cinema?
- You can go out now.
- Could I borrow your pen?
- They can use the racquets provided that they return them
later.
c) To indicate possibility. Examples :
- It could be dangerous to go mountain climbing.
- How could he do that to his mother?
- She can be cunning at times.
We use must and have to:
a) To express a command. Examples :
- You must get out of that house now.
- You have to go to the shop and get me some chillies.
- We must come home before ten oclock.
b) To express strong likelihood. Examples :
- You must have read the book.
- Evon must have gone home.
- Levin and Chuan Yhet must have attended the DOTA seminar.
We use may or might:
a) To indicate the possibility that something will happen in the
future. Examples :
- Elisa will visit us tomorrow.
- Mr and Mrs Chuan Han may go bowling tonight.
- They might come home for the talk next week.
- Chuan Ze might leave early today.
b) To express a wish. Examples :
- May you achieve all your dreams.
- May many great things come your way.
Note : The difference between may and might is very slight. Might is a
little less sure than may.
We use will or would. Examples :
a) To express personal intentions. Examples :
- I will try my very best to succeed.
- I will send him a reminder soon.
- I would have gone home if I knew.

b) To express a formal command. Examples :

- Galvin will take responsibility for what he had done.
- You will clean up this mess.
- You would have to replace him if he did not turn up soon.
c) To predict future events. Examples :
- I am sure there will be a thunderstorm soon.
- I think the test will be difficult.
- The football match will be exciting to watch.
d) To express polite requests. Examples :
- Would you like to join us?
- Would you be kind enough to help us out?
- Would you care to have lunch with me?
We use shall or should. Examples :
a) To express intention or obligation. Examples :
- I shall tell the teacher that you skipped school.
- We shall have to convince the public to buy our products.
- I shall have to report this matter to the principal.
b) To express invitation. Examples :
- Shall we go fishing tomorrow?
- Shall we make a move?
- Shall we have tea at the cafe?
c) To express command or request. Examples :
- You should keep yourself busy with work.
- You should listen to us.
- He should go home right now.

ADVERBS
Adverbs are words that describe or explain more about verbs or adjectives.
There are various types of adverbs:
Adverbs of Manner
Adverbs of manner explain how an action is done. It usually uses the
suffix ly. Examples :
She plays the violin beautifully.
The kitten drank the milk noisily.
Tania carefully checks her answers before submitting the test
papers.
She sings softly as she works.
Adverbs of Time
Adverbs of time indicate the time an action occurs. Examples :
I will see you tonight.
Ariff went home immediately after he heard the bad news.
We should watch the movie soon.

 Bella and Anne are graduating today.

Adverbs of Place
Adverbs of place explain more about when an action occurs. It is placed
after the verb or the object. Examples :
Leave the dishes there, please.
The fishes are swimming upstream.
The competition is held nationwide.
She is flying the helicopter dangerously low.
Adverbs of Frequency
Adverbs of frequency indicate the frequency of an action. Examples :
I visit my grandmother occasionally.
I once had a big fight with my sister.
The glamorous event is held annually.
We have never been to that shopping complex.
Adverbs of Degree
Adverbs of degree explain the degree to which something happens or is
done. It may also tell us more about another adverb. Examples :
I was completely taken aback about what had happened.
Mum was totally shocked when I told her I wanted to be a
stuntwoman.
We are almost there.
It is a very good book.
Adverbs of Certainty
Adverbs of certainty are used to express the certainty of ones feelings,
opinion or viewpoint. Examples :
I will definitely attend your wedding.
Mrs Tan will surely ask this question in the test.
I am actually going to go camping this summer.
We will certainly wear our traditional costumes tomorrow.
Comparison of Adverbs
Adverbs, just like adjectives, have three degrees of comparison.
Positive
Slowly
Creatively
Silently
Graciously
Patiently
Softly

ADJECTIVES

Comparative
More slowly
More creatively
More silently
More graciously
More patiently
More softly

Superlative
Most slowly
Most creatively
More silently
More graciously
Most patiently
Most softly

Adjectives are words that describe nouns. They never take the plural form.
There are many types of adjectives.
Descriptive adjectives describe colour, size and shape.
Examples :
a pink car
an orange curtain
a turquoise uniform
a small cottage
a short man
a tall lady
a square cake
a round table
Descriptive adjectives describe qualities.
Examples :
a cold weather
an enjoyable holiday
a funny story
a handsome actor
a happy person
a healthy diet
a strict teacher
a sharp knife
Quantitative adjectives describe the quantity, amount or number of
things.
Examples :

Only a few of us were invited for the talk.

Some students are involved in the campaign.
Many people watched the movie on Sunday.
There is plenty of food left.
Much of the information we found was useful.

Distributive adjectives are used to refer to each one of a number.

Examples :
Each one of us was supposed to help with the housework.
Every student is attending the motivational talk.
Compound adjectives consist of two or more words.
Examples :
We are advised to wear waterproof jackets for the trip.
There are many high-rise building in the city.
Adam wore a pinstriped suit on his first day to the office.
The negative of adjectives can be formed by adding the prefixes un-,
dis-, im- and non-.
Examples :
an unkind person
an unavailable room
a dissatisfied customer
an impossible task

an untidy room
a dishonest mechanic
an impatient child
a non-smoking section

Adjectives which can be formed by adding the prefixes inter- and pre-.
Examples :
interschool debate
international event
interactive game
prehistoric animals
prepaid card
preschool children

Comparison adjectives are words that compare the different features

of the nouns. There are three degrees of comparison:
a) Positive - used to describe a person or thing
b) Comparative - used when comparing two persons or things
c) Superlative - used when comparing three or more persons or things
Note : For comparison, adjectives in regular form, add the suffix er in
the comparative and the article + suffix est in the superlative.
Examples :
Positive
Big
Smart
Happy
Sweet
Dark
Smooth
Friendly

Comparative
Bigger
Smarter
Happier
Sweeter
Darker
Smoother
Friendlier

Superlative
The biggest
The smartest
The happiest
The sweetest
The darkest
The smoothest
The friendliest

Note : For irregular comparison adjectives, we must change the words

altogether in the comparative and superlative forms.
Positive
Good
Bad
Many
Far
Little
Much

Comparative
Better
Worse
More
Further
Less
More

Superlative
The best
The worst
The most
The furthest
The least
The most

Note : For adjectives that contain three syllables or more, add the word
more in the comparative and the most in the superlative.
Examples :
Positive
Beautiful
Courageous
Popular
Brilliant
Talkative

Comparative
More beautiful
More courageous
More popular
More brilliant
More talkative

Superlative
Most beautiful
Most courageous
Most popular
Most brilliant
Most talkative

Talented

More talented

Most talented

Note : When comparing people or things that are of the same quality use
as ... as. In this instance we use the positive form.
Examples :
Fiona is as pretty as Marina.
Hassan is as talkative as his sister.
This muffin is as tasty as that one.
I am as busy as you are.
This room is as spacious as the one we saw earlier.
Note : When comparing people and things that are not equal use not
as ... as. In this instance we also use the positive form.
Examples :
My dress is not as new as Melissas.
Fauzi is not as popular as Nordin.
This building is not as tall as that one.
My kitten is not as playful as yours.
Mrs Liew is not as nice as Mrs Jacob.

Exercise 1

Fill in the blanks with the most suitable adjectives given below.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

beautiful
new
interesting
naughty
Thelarge
campers looked up atbrave
the .......................................
sky.

entertaining
dark

She bought a ..................................... necklace.

Allison ordered a ...................................... burger.
Spiderman is a ..........................................., comic book hero.
Herman picked up an .......................................... book.
Father is wearing a .......................................... shirt.
My sister is a ....................................... girl.
They are watching an .......................................... show.

Exercise 2

Read the passage below and underline the adjectives. There are eleven adjectives.
The Sahara Desert is an open expanse of sand. One creature walks effortlessly - the
camel. The camel is a very odd animal. It has a small head and a long neck. Its legs
seem too long and thin for its body. The camel has rough hair and a huge hump on its
back. Some camels even have two humps! It is said that camels have bad tempers.
They will kick and bite for no reason at all. The camel can only be taught a few simple
things. This animal can walk for days in the hot desert without food and water.
Exercise 3

 Fill in the blanks with the most suitable adjectives given below.
much vs many
Decide whether you have to use much or many:
1. We saw _____ animals at the zoo.
2. How _____ oranges did you put in the box?
3. There isnt _____ sugar in my coffee.
4. I dont have ______ friends.
5. The old man hasnt got _____ hair on his head.
6. Ive packed _____ bottles of water.
7. I didnt get _____ sleep last night.
8. How _____ fruit do you eat in an average day?
a little vs a few
Decide whether you have to use a little or a few:
1. Can you please buy _______ apples.
2. We need _______ water.
3. I have _______ money left.
4. I take _______ sugar with my coffee.
5. We had _______ pints of beer there.
6. You have _______ time left.
7. There are _______ chairs in the room.
8. He only spent _______ dollars there.
Answers:
1. a few
2. a little
3. a little

4. a little
5. a few
6. a little
7. a few
8. a few
some vs any
Decide whether you have to use some or any:
1. Is there _______ milk left?
2. There is _______ juice in the bottle.
3. Do you have _______ coffee?
4. I dont have _______ money left.
5. She has _______ money.
6. Do you know _______ of these singers?
7. I dont know _______ of them.
8. I know _______ of them.
Answers:
1. any
2. some
3. any
4. any
5. some
6. any
7. any
8. some
some vs many

Decide whether you have to use some or many:

1. The child put _______ sand into the bucket.
2. I can lend you _______ money if you need it.
3. There arent _______ pears left. Only two.
4. We had _______ cake with the tea.
5. Dont eat so _______ sweets or youll get fat.
6. I had _______ beer last night at the bar.
7. I dont have _______ friends.
8. He brought _______ food with him.
Answers:
1. some
2. some
3. many
4. some
5. many
6. some
7. many
8. some
little vs less
Decide whether you have to use little or less:
1. I have _______ interest in classical music.
2. I have _______ faith in him.
3. We need _______ furniture in this dance hall than in the big one.
4. You have to drink _______ coffee.
5. He has _______ money than I thought.

6. Tonight I drank _______ wine than last night.

7. She dedicates _______ time to her homework than to her hobbies.
8. This will take _______ time to finish than the last time we tried.
Answers:
1. little
2. little
3. less
4. less
5. less
6. less
7. less
8. less
a little vs a lot
Decide whether you have to use a little or a lot:
1. That may cost you _______ of money.
2. I added _______ sugar to the mix.
3. Youll have to spend _______ of cash on this car. (a lot)
4. I can do it with _______ help from my friends.
5. _______ change can really make a difference.
6. I dont have _______ of free time today.
7. He left _______ of laundry for me to do.
8. She gave him _______ attention.
Answers:
1. a lot
2. a little

3. a lot
4. a little
5. a little
6. a lot
7. a lot
8. a little
few vs little
Decide whether you have to use few or little:
1. Theres _______ point in calling.
2. _______ people understood what he said.
3. There is _______ use in trying to do this.
4. Theres _______ space here as it is.
5. Theres _______ I can do about this.
6. Dan is a great student. He has _______ problems with history.
7. There was _______ traffic on the road.
8. I think Coventry will win the match but _______ people agree with me.
Answers:
1. little
2. few
3. little
4. little
5. little
6. few
7. little
8. few

fewer vs less
Decide whether you have to use fewer or less:
1. There were _______ days below freezing last winter.
2. I drank _______ water than she did.
3. I have _______ than an hour to do this work.
4. People these days are buying _______ newspapers.
5. I have _______ time to do this work.
6. _______ than thirty children each year develop the disease.
7. I wear _______ makeup on weekdays.
8. He worked _______ hours than I did.
Answers:
1. fewer
2. less
3. less
4. fewer
5. less
6. fewer
7. less
8. fewer
farther vs further
Decide whether you have to use farther or further:
1. How much _______ do you plan to drive tonight?
2. I just cant go any _______.
3. Do you have any _______ plans for adding on to the building?
4. Thats a lot _______ than I want to carry this heavy suitcase!

5. The _______ that I travel down this road, the _______ behind schedule I get.
6. How much _______ do you intend to take this legal matter?
7. Its not that much _______ to the gas station.
8. How much _______ do I have to run, coach?
Answers:
1. farther
2. further
3. further
4. farther
5. farther, further
6. further
7. farther
8. farther
later vs latter
Decide whether you have to use later or latter:
1. My neighbours have a son and a daughter : the former is a teacher, the
_______ is a nurse.
2. I will address that at a _______ time.
3. Of the first two Harry Potter books, I prefer the _______.
4. John arrived at the party _______ than Mary did.
5. I prefer the _______ offer to the former one.
6. I will be back _______.
7. I was given the choice between a hamburger or a hotdog, I chose the _______
of the two; the hotdog.
8. When it comes to soy burgers or a juicy cow burger, I prefer the _______.
Answers:

1. latter
2. later
3. latter
4. later
5. latter
6. later
7. latter
8. latter
last vs latter
Decide whether you have to use last or latter:
1. Jack, Jill and Bob went up the hill; the _______ watched the other two fall
down.
2. The former half of the film is more interesting than the _______ half.
3. Out of chapters 1, 2, and 3, the _______ one is the most difficult to learn.
4. Dan is now friends with Ruth, Maya and Ben. The _______ is his cousin.
5. Jane speaks Italian and English : the former language fairly well and the
_______ fluently.
6. There are two versions, A and B, but the _______ is more popular.
7. Tom and Dick were both heroes but only the _______ is remembered today.
8. I study math, English and history. I enjoy the _______ one most.
Answers:
1. last
2. latter
3. last
4. last
5. latter

6. latter
7. latter
8. last

WH Question Words
9. We use question words to ask certain types of questions (question word
questions). We often refer to them as WH words because they include the
letters WH (for example WHy, HoW).
question word

function

example sentence

asking for information about something What is your name?

what

asking for repetition or confirmation

What? I can't hear you.

You did what?

what...for

asking for a reason, asking why

What did you do that for?

when

asking about time

When did he leave?

where

asking in or at what place or position

Where do they live?

which

asking about choice

Which colour do you want?

who

asking what or which person or people

(subject)

Who opened the door?

whom

asking what or which person or people

(object)

Whom did you see?

whose

asking about ownership

Whose are these keys?

Whose turn is it?

why

asking for reason, asking what...for

Why do you say that?

why don't

making a suggestion

Why don't I help you?

asking about manner

How does this work?

asking about condition or quality

How was your exam?

asking about extent or degree

see examples below

how
how + adj/adv

how far distance

how long length (time or space)

How far is Pattaya from

Bangkok?
How long will it take?

how many quantity (countable)

How many cars are there?

how much quantity (uncountable)

How much money do you

have?

how old age

how come
(informal)

asking for reason, asking why

How old are you?

How come I can't see her?