Grammar

Unit 1: The Modern World

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the lessons, students should be able:

• To write a persuasive and a descriptive paragraph
• To use the auxiliary verbs correctly
• To understand and use phrasal verbs

1.1 Auxiliary Verbs

Auxiliary verbs, or help verbs, combine with base forms of verbs or with present or past participles. Together, the auxiliary verb and the main verb create verb phrases. The following is a list of auxiliary verbs:

|has               |have               |had               |am                 |is                 |are               |was               |
|were               |be                 |being             |been               |do                 |does               |did               |

For example:

• That store does sell a lot of unique stuff.
• The hospital is located near the police station.

1.2 Contracted Forms

Contraction is used when we speak. At times it is also used in informal writing. To make a contraction, we put an apostrophe (‘) in place of the first letter of   ‘am’, ‘is’, ‘are’; and in place of the first two letters of ‘has’, ‘have’. For example:

• I am hungry. ( I’m hungry.
• We will meet you there. ( We’ll meet you there.

1.3 Making Questions

To construct a question, use a WH-word and place the auxiliary verb before the subject. For example:

• She is watering the plants. ( What is she watering?

If there is no auxiliary verb, use do/does/did. For example:

• My mother likes popcorn. ( What does your mother like?
• The boys know the way. ( Do the boys know the way?

1.4 Prepositions

Verb + preposition = phrasal verb

Phrasal verbs are common expressions. Many verbs when followed by different prepositions take on different meanings. For example:

• He takes after his father. (He looks like his father.)
• We have to take down notes. (We have to write notes.)

Self-guided Exercises

1. Fill in the blanks with appropriate forms of ‘do’, ‘be’...