twitter
rss

The Simple Present of the verb to be is conjugated as follows. In spoken English, contractions are often used.

Without contractions With contractions

I am

you are 

he is 

she is

it is

we are 

they are

I'm

you're

he's

she's

it's

we're

they're

In written English, an apostrophe: ' is used in a contraction, to indicate that one or more letters have been omitted.

a. Affirmative statements

An affirmative statement states that something is true. In an affirmative statement, the verb follows the subject. e.g. I am awake. They are ready.

In the first example, the verb am follows the subject I. In the second example, the verb are follows the subject they. In written English, statements are always followed by a period. Statements and questions must begin with a capital letter.

 

b. Questions

For the Simple Present of the verb to be, questions are formed by reversing the order of the subject and the verb, so that the verb precedes the subject. e.g. Am I awake? Are they ready?

In the first example, the verb am precedes the subject I. In the second example, the verb are precedes the subject they. In written English, questions are always followed by a question mark: ?

 

c. Negative statements

In the Simple Present of the verb to be, negative statements are formed by adding the word not after the verb. e.g. I am not awake. They are not ready.

In the first example, not follows the verb am. In the second example, not follows the verb are.

In spoken English, the following contractions are often used:

Without contractions With contractions
is not
are not
isn’t
aren’t

d. Negative questions

In the Simple Present of the verb to be, negative questions are formed by reversing the order of the subject and verb, and adding not after the subject. e.g. Am I not awake? Are they not ready?

In spoken English, contractions are usually used in negative questions. In the contracted form of a negative question, the contraction of not follows immediately after the verb. For example:

Without contractions With contractions

Are you not awake?

Is he not awake?

Are we not awake?

Are they not awake?

Aren't you awake?

Isn't he awake?

Aren't we awake?

Aren't they awake?

Read More ...

Masculine nouns are words for men and boys, and male animals.
Feminine nouns are words for women and girls, and female animals.
Here are some masculine and feminine nouns for people.

Masculine Feminine Masculine Feminine
grandson granddaughter actor actress
boy girl brother sister
man woman emperor empress
prince princess father mother
steward stewardess master mistress
waiter waitress nephew niece
bridegroom bride son daughter
headmaster headmistress gentlemen lady
king queen uncle aunt

Masculine nouns belong to the masculine gender.
Feminine nouns belong to the feminine gender.
Here are some masculine and feminine nouns for male and female animals.
Animal Masculine Feminine
chicken rooster hen
cattle bull cow
deer buck doe
donkey jack jenny
duck drake duck
fox fox vixen
goose gander goose
horse stallion mare
lion lion lioness
sheep ram ewe
tiger tiger tigress

Many nouns are used for both males and females. We call these nouns common-gender nouns.
dancers doctors
hairdressers scientists
accountants parents
artists managers
designers pupils
engineers singers
lawyers teachers

Words for things that are neither male nor female are called neuter nouns.
bench leaves
mirror fire
waterfall ball
forest cake
rock computer
sky wind
card floor

Read More ...

Collective nouns are words for groups of people, animals or things.
These are nouns for groups of people:
a family a crew
a gang a band
a choir a class
an orchestra a team

Here are more collective nouns that are used for groups of people, animals or things:

a band of musicians a brood of chickens
a flight of steps a school of fish
a team of players a bunch of keys
a class of people a collective of books
a deck of cards a fleet of ships
a flock of sheep a gaggle of geese
a gang of robbers a herd of cattle
a litter of cubs a pod of whales
a pack of wolves a pride of lions
a set of stamps a swarm of bees

Read More ...

Singular Nouns

Nouns can be singular or plural. When you are talking about one person, animal, place, or thing, use a singular noun.
For example:
an airplane a van an owl
a bicycle a key a flower
a boy a girl a woman
a map a comb a ship

Use a or an before singular nouns. Use an before words beginning with vowels (a, e, i, o,u).
For example, say:



an axe an envelope an orange
an apple an ice cream an uncle
an ant an umbrella an aunt

But some words don’t follow this rule. For example, use a (not an) before these words that begin with u: a uniform,  a university.
Use a before words beginning with the other letters of the alphabet, called consonants.
For example, say:
a basket a rainbow a bowl
a monster a car a pillow
a hill a watch a house
a zoo a table a chair
  
But some words don’t follow this rule. For example, use an (not a) before these words that begin with h: an heir, an honor, an hour.

Plural Nouns
When you are talking about two or more people, animals, places, or things, use plural nouns.
Most nouns are made plural by adding -s at the end.
Singular Plural
mug mugs
bat bats
fan fans
cap caps
star stars
bird birds
broom brooms
camel camels
desk desks
game games

Some plural nouns end in -es.
When the last letters of singular nouns are ch, sh, s, ss or x, you usually add -es to form the plural.
Singular Plural
fox foxes
brush brushes
beach beaches
branch branches
box boxes
church churches
dish dishes
dress dresses
sandwich sandwiches
witch withces

Some plural nouns end in -ies.
If the singular nouns end in y after a consonant,  change y to i, and adding -es.

Singular Plural
butterfly butterflies
canary canaries
candy candies
lily lilies
baby babies
cherry cherries
diary diaries
dictionary dictionaries
family families
fly flies

But, if there is a vowel before y, add –s to form the plural.
Singular Plural
chimney chimneys
cowboy cowboys
day days
donkey donkeys
jersey jerseys
kidney kidneys
monkey monkeys
toy toys
trolley trolleys

If a noun ends in –f or -fe, change f to v, and add -es.

Singular Plural Singular Plural
leaf leaves life lives
half halves wife wives
elf elves knife knives

If a noun ends in -o, you just add -s to form the plural.

Singular Plural
a hippo hippos
a video videos
a zoo zoos
a rhino rhinos
a kangaroo kangaroos

But with some nouns that end in -o, you add -es to form the plural.
a tomato tomatoes
a potato potatoes
a hero heroes
a flamingo flamingoes

With some nouns that end in -o, you can add either -s or -es to form the plural.
Singular Plural Plural
a mango mangos mangoes
a mosquito mosquitos mosquitoes
a zero zeros zeroes
a buffalo buffalos buffaloes
Some plural nouns don’t follow the -s rule. They don’t end in -s, -es, -ies or -ves. Instead, the word changes form.

Singular Plural
foot feet
goose geese
mouse mice
child children
man men
tooth teeth

Some plural nouns are the same as the singular noun.

Singular Plural
sheep sheep
reindeer reindeer
fish fish
bison bison
deer deer

Some nouns are always plural.

binoculars jeans
pliers goggles
shorts scissors
slippers trousers
sandals stockings

You can make these plural nouns singular by using a pair of:
- a pair of binoculars
- a pair of spectacles
- a pair of goggles
- a pair of jeans
- a pair of shorts
- a pair of pliers

Read More ...

Common Nouns
Nouns are divided into common nouns and proper nouns. Common nouns are words for people, animals, places, or things.
These are words for people. They are common nouns.
artist, clown, acrobat, astronaut, actor, lawyer, aunt, judge, baby, man, baker, nurse, cook, police officer, dentist, singer, doctor, soldier, giant, teacher, etc
These are words for animals. They are common nouns.

bird, crocodile, deer, cat, goose, cow, hen, dog, horse, dolphin, mouse, duck, parrot, fish, shark, goat, whale, zebra, eagle, bear, etc
These are words for places. They are common nouns.
shop, beach, park, library, airport, market, cave, mountain, church, playground, farm, restaurant, hill,  school, hospital, seashore, hotel, stadium, house, supermarket, island, temple, mall, zoo, etc
These are words for things. They are common nouns.
basket, bed, cake, drum, blanket, gate, bag, kite, box, ladder, bread, lamp, can, picture, chair, radio, cot, television, cup, train, desk, truck, door, watch, egg,  window, etc
Exercise:
Underline the common nouns in these sentences.
  • There’s a little bird in the garden.
  • Who is your teacher?
  • Don’t eat that rotten apple.
  • Kate has a lovely doll.
  • I like reading stories.
  • My father is a doctor.
  • Every child has a dictionary.
  • Rudy hates bananas.
  • The phone is ringing.
  • Here’s a book for you.

Proper nouns
Proper nouns are names for particular people, places or things. They always begin with a capital letter.
Your own name and the names of your friends are proper nouns too.
Beethoven, Omar, Lisa, Santa Claus, Ali Baba, Florence Nightingale, Derek Jeter, Pauline, Johnny Depp, Patrick, Harry Potter, Pinocchio, Robin Hood, Megan Fox, Obama, Ariel, Luna Maya, Justin Bieber, etc
The names of countries and their people are also proper nouns.
America – Americans, Korea – Koreans, Egypt – Egyptians, Malaysia –Malaysians, India – Indians,  Pakistan – Pakistanis, Italy – Italians, France – French, Japan – Japanese,  Thailand – Thais, etc
The names of towns, cities, buildings and landmarks are proper nouns.
Hong Kong, the Great Wall of China, the Statue of Liberty, Egypt, Tokyo, Sydney, Bangkok, New Delhi, London, Denver, the Grand Canyon, New York, Central Park, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Paris, the Eiffel Tower, Brooklyn Bridge, Beijing, Big Ben, Pike’s Peak, etc
The days of the week and months of the year are proper nouns.
Months
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
Days
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
The names of mountains, seas, rivers and lakes are proper nouns.
Mount Everest, Niagara Falls, the Thames, Lake Michigan, the Alps, the Himalayas, the Dead Sea, the Pacific Ocean, Mount Fuji, the Yellow River, etc
The names of festivals, some special events and holidays are proper nouns, too.
Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day, Halloween, New Year’s Day, Christmas, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day,  April Fool’s Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Independence Day, St. Patrick’s Day, etc
Exercise:

Underline the proper nouns in the following sentences.
  • July is often the hottest month in summer.
  • One day Ali Baba saw the forty thieves hiding in a cave.
  • Shawn and Ashley are going to the beach for a swim.
  • Mr. Lee is reading a book.
  • “I am your fairy godmother,” said the old woman to Cinderella.
  • Uncle Mike is a lawyer.
  • Next Tuesday is a public holiday.
  • Many children enjoyed the movie Lion King.

Read More ...

CONVERSATION = PERCAKAPAN

A. Good morning, John. How are you? Selamat pagi, John. Bagaimana kabar anda ?
B. I’m fine, thanks, Bill. Please come in. Saya baik-baik, Bill. Silahkan masuk
A. Thank you. How is Mrs. Smith today? Terima kasih. Bagaimana kabar Nyonya Smith hari ini ?
B. She’s very well, thanks. Dia sangat baik
A. Please sit down, John. Silahkan duduk, John
B. Thank you. Terima kasih
A. Let’s read lesson three. Marilah kita baca pelajaran ke tiga !
B. Fine. Baiklah
A. Do you understand lesson two? Apakah kamu mengerti pelajaran ke dua ?
B. Yes, I understand lesson two. Ya, saya mengerti pelajaran ke dua
A. Is it time to begin? Apakah sudah waktunya untuk mulai ?
B. Yes, let’s begin now. Ya, marilah kita mulai sekarang
C. Hello, Betty. Halo, Betty
D. Good afternoon, Helen. Selamat siang, Helen
C. It’s time to study now. Sudah waktunya belajar sekarang
D. Fine, let’s begin the lesson. Baiklah, marilah kita mulai pelajaran !
C. Please open your book, Betty. Silahkan buka buku anda, Betty
D. Yes, let’s read lesson five. Ya, marilah kita baca pelajaran ke lima
C. Do you understand lesson five? Apakah anda mengerti pelajaran ke lima ?
D. Yes, I understand lesson five. Ya, saya mengerti pelajaran ke lima
C. Do you understand lesson six? Apakah kamu mengerti pelajaran ke enam ?
D. No, I don’t understand lesson six. Tidak, saya tidak mengerti pelajaran ke enam
C. Let’s study lesson six later. Marilah kita belajar pelajaran ke enam nanti !
D. Yes, let’s stop now. Ya, marilah kita berhenti sekarang !
C. Good night, Betty. See you tomorrow morning. Selamat tidur, Betty. Sampai ketemu besok pagi
D. Good night, Helen. See you tomorrow. Selamat tidur, Helen. Sampai jumpa besok
E. Good evening, Mr Brown. Selamat malam, Tuan Brown
F. Good evening. Are you well this evening, Mr Green? Selamat malam. Apakah anda sehat malam ini, Tuan Green ?
E. Yes, I am. I’m very well. And how are you? Ya, saya sehat. Saya sangat sehat. Bagaimana kabar anda ?
F. I’m fine, thanks. Saya baik-baik
E. Please come in and sit down, Mr Brown. Silahkan masuk dan duduklah, Tuan Brown
F. Thanks. How is Mrs Green this evening? Terima kasih. Bagaimana kabar Nyonya Green malam ini ?
E. She’s just fine, thanks. How is Mrs Brown? Dia baik-baik saja. Bagaimana keadaan Nyonya Brown ?
F. She’s very well, thanks. Dia baik-baik saja
E. It’s time to begin. Sudah waktunya mulai
F. That’s fine. Let’s begin. Baiklah. Mari kita mulai !
E. Do you understand the program? Apakah anda mengerti suatu program (acara) ?
F. Yes, I understand the program. Ya, saya mengerti acara itu
G. Hi, Ed. How are you? Hai, Ed. Bagaimana keadaan kamu ?
H. Hello, Jack. I’m fine, thanks. Halo, Jack. Saya sehat
G. Please come in and sit down. Silahkan masuk dan duduklah
H. Thank you. Terima kasih
G. Open the briefcase, Ed. Bukalah map itu, Ed !
H. Yes, Jack. Ya, Jack
G. Is it time to begin the meeting now? Apakah sekarang wantunya mulai pertemuan ?
H. That’s right, it’s time to begin. Itu betul, sudah waktunya mulai
G. Open the notebook and read, please. Bukalah buku agenda itu dan bacalah !
H. Yes. Please listen. Ya, silahkan dengarkan !
G. That’s just fine. Now close your notebook, please. Itu cukup baik. Sekarang tutuplah buku agenda (catatan) anda !
H. Good. Let’s stop now. Baik. Marilah kita berhenti sekarang
I. Let’s begin the meeting now. Marilah kita mulai rapat sekarang !
J. Fine. Is it time to begin? Baiklah. Apakah sudah waktunya mulai ?
I. Yes, please sit down. Ya, silahkan duduk
J. Thank you. Terima kasih
I. It’s time to stop now. Waktunya berhenti sekarang
J. That’s good. Baguslah
I. Is it time to go now? Apakah waktunya pergi sekarang ?
J. Yes. Let’s go. Ya. Marilah kita pergi
I. See you tomorrow evening. Sampai ketemu besok malam
J. Fine. See you tomorrow. Baik. Sampai jumpa besok
K. Do you understand lesson two? Apakah kamu mengerti pelajaran ke dua ?
L. Yes. I understand lesson two very well. Ya. Saya mengerti pelajaran ke dua dengan sangat baik
K. Do you understand lesson three? Apakah kamu mengerti pelajaran ke tiga ?
L. No. I don’t understand lesson three very well. Tidak. Saya tidak mengerti pelajaran ke tiga dengan sangat baik
K. Let’s study lesson three. Please listen now. Mari kita belajar pelajaran ke tiga. Silahkan dengarkan sekarang
L. I don’t understand the lesson. Saya tidak mengerti pelajaran itu
K. Listen now, don’t repeat. Dengarkanlah sekarang, jangan menirukan !
L. I understand. Saya mengerti
K. That’s very good. Now open your book. Itu sangat bagus. Sekarang bukalah buku kamu !
L. Fine. Is it time to read now? Baik. Apakah waktunya membaca sekarang ?

Read More ...

The words myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves and themselves are called reflexive pronouns.
They refer to the person or animal that is the subject of the verb.
  • I made this cake myself.
  • Be careful with the knife. You’ll cut yourself.
  • Michael is looking at himself in the mirror.
  • Susan has hurt herself.
  • Our cat washes itself after each meal.
  • We organized the party all by ourselves.
  • Come in, children, and find yourselves a seat.
  • Baby birds are too young to look after themselves.

      Read More ...

      CONVERSATION = PERCAKAPAN

      A. Good morning, John. How are you? Selamat pagi, John. Bagaimana kabar anda ?
      B. I’m fine, thanks, Bill. Please come in. Saya baik-baik, Bill. Silahkan masuk
      A. Thank you. How is Mrs. Smith today? Terima kasih. Bagaimana kabar Nyonya Smith hari ini ?
      B. She’s very well, thanks. Dia sangat baik
      A. Please sit down, John. Silahkan duduk, John
      B. Thank you. Terima kasih
      A. Let’s read lesson three. Marilah kita baca pelajaran ke tiga !
      B. Fine. Baiklah
      A. Do you understand lesson two? Apakah kamu mengerti pelajaran ke dua ?
      B. Yes, I understand lesson two. Ya, saya mengerti pelajaran ke dua
      A. Is it time to begin? Apakah sudah waktunya untuk mulai ?
      B. Yes, let’s begin now. Ya, marilah kita mulai sekarang
      C. Hello, Betty. Halo, Betty
      D. Good afternoon, Helen. Selamat siang, Helen
      C. It’s time to study now. Sudah waktunya belajar sekarang
      D. Fine, let’s begin the lesson. Baiklah, marilah kita mulai pelajaran !
      C. Please open your book, Betty. Silahkan buka buku anda, Betty
      D. Yes, let’s read lesson five. Ya, marilah kita baca pelajaran ke lima
      C. Do you understand lesson five? Apakah anda mengerti pelajaran ke lima ?
      D. Yes, I understand lesson five. Ya, saya mengerti pelajaran ke lima
      C. Do you understand lesson six? Apakah kamu mengerti pelajaran ke enam ?
      D. No, I don’t understand lesson six. Tidak, saya tidak mengerti pelajaran ke enam
      C. Let’s study lesson six later. Marilah kita belajar pelajaran ke enam nanti !
      D. Yes, let’s stop now. Ya, marilah kita berhenti sekarang !
      C. Good night, Betty. See you tomorrow morning. Selamat tidur, Betty. Sampai ketemu besok pagi
      D. Good night, Helen. See you tomorrow. Selamat tidur, Helen. Sampai jumpa besok
      E. Good evening, Mr Brown. Selamat malam, Tuan Brown
      F. Good evening. Are you well this evening, Mr Green? Selamat malam. Apakah anda sehat malam ini, Tuan Green ?
      E. Yes, I am. I’m very well. And how are you? Ya, saya sehat. Saya sangat sehat. Bagaimana kabar anda ?
      F. I’m fine, thanks. Saya baik-baik
      E. Please come in and sit down, Mr Brown. Silahkan masuk dan duduklah, Tuan Brown
      F. Thanks. How is Mrs Green this evening? Terima kasih. Bagaimana kabar Nyonya Green malam ini ?
      E. She’s just fine, thanks. How is Mrs Brown? Dia baik-baik saja. Bagaimana keadaan Nyonya Brown ?
      F. She’s very well, thanks. Dia baik-baik saja
      E. It’s time to begin. Sudah waktunya mulai
      F. That’s fine. Let’s begin. Baiklah. Mari kita mulai !
      E. Do you understand the program? Apakah anda mengerti suatu program (acara) ?
      F. Yes, I understand the program. Ya, saya mengerti acara itu
      G. Hi, Ed. How are you? Hai, Ed. Bagaimana keadaan kamu ?
      H. Hello, Jack. I’m fine, thanks. Halo, Jack. Saya sehat
      G. Please come in and sit down. Silahkan masuk dan duduklah
      H. Thank you. Terima kasih
      G. Open the briefcase, Ed. Bukalah map itu, Ed !
      H. Yes, Jack. Ya, Jack
      G. Is it time to begin the meeting now? Apakah sekarang wantunya mulai pertemuan ?
      H. That’s right, it’s time to begin. Itu betul, sudah waktunya mulai
      G. Open the notebook and read, please. Bukalah buku agenda itu dan bacalah !
      H. Yes. Please listen. Ya, silahkan dengarkan !
      G. That’s just fine. Now close your notebook, please. Itu cukup baik. Sekarang tutuplah buku agenda (catatan) anda !
      H. Good. Let’s stop now. Baik. Marilah kita berhenti sekarang
      I. Let’s begin the meeting now. Marilah kita mulai rapat sekarang !
      J. Fine. Is it time to begin? Baiklah. Apakah sudah waktunya mulai ?
      I. Yes, please sit down. Ya, silahkan duduk
      J. Thank you. Terima kasih
      I. It’s time to stop now. Waktunya berhenti sekarang
      J. That’s good. Baguslah
      I. Is it time to go now? Apakah waktunya pergi sekarang ?
      J. Yes. Let’s go. Ya. Marilah kita pergi
      I. See you tomorrow evening. Sampai ketemu besok malam
      J. Fine. See you tomorrow. Baik. Sampai jumpa besok
      K. Do you understand lesson two? Apakah kamu mengerti pelajaran ke dua ?
      L. Yes. I understand lesson two very well. Ya. Saya mengerti pelajaran ke dua dengan sangat baik
      K. Do you understand lesson three? Apakah kamu mengerti pelajaran ke tiga ?
      L. No. I don’t understand lesson three very well. Tidak. Saya tidak mengerti pelajaran ke tiga dengan sangat baik
      K. Let’s study lesson three. Please listen now. Mari kita belajar pelajaran ke tiga. Silahkan dengarkan sekarang
      L. I don’t understand the lesson. Saya tidak mengerti pelajaran itu
      K. Listen now, don’t repeat. Dengarkanlah sekarang, jangan menirukan !
      L. I understand. Saya mengerti
      K. That’s very good. Now open your book. Itu sangat bagus. Sekarang bukalah buku kamu !
      L. Fine. Is it time to read now? Baik. Apakah waktunya membaca sekarang ?...

      Read More ...

      A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a common noun or a proper noun. There are different kinds of pronouns.
      The words I, you, he, she, it, we and they are called personal pronouns. They are used as the subject of the verb in a sentence. The subject of a sentence is the person, animal, place or thing that does the action shown by the verb.

      • My name is David. I am the youngest in the family.
      • This is my father. He is a teacher.
      • This is my mother. She is a lawyer.
      • I have a brother and two sisters.
      • They are Peter, Sharon and Jenny.
      • I have a dog. It is called Lucky.
      • Lucky, you are a good dog.
      • Good morning, children! You may sit down now.
      • My family and I live in a big city. We have an apartment

      Read More ...

      The words me, you, him, her, it, us and them are used as the object of the verb in a sentence. They are called object pronouns. The object of a sentence is the person, animal, place or thing that receives the action shown by the verb.
      • I am standing on my head. Look at me.
      • My mother is kind. Everybody likes her.
      • Lisa, I told you to tidy your bed!
      • Sharon and Jenny! Dad is waiting for you!
      • Lucky and I are playing in the park. Dad is watching us.
      • You must not play with the knife. Give it to me.
      • Pick up your toys and put them away.
      • Baby birds cannot fly. Mother bird has to feed them.
      • Tom likes riding my bicycle. I sometimes lend it to him.

      Read More ...