Week 19
Notes for grammar Week 19
1. Focus of Module 1: Functions of words
2. Nouns: name a person, place, or thing; act as subjects of verbs
o How to find the subject of a verb:
 1. find the verb
 2. ask, “Who or what is doing this action?” (the answer is
the subject)
3. Pronouns: take the place of nouns (e.g. he, their, our, who, which, that,
whose, you)
4. Verbs:
o show action
o show “state of being” (those that establish a fact or condition)
Most common: is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been
o verb phrases combine
 an action verb + state of being verb (e.g. are running)
 a helping verb may be added (e.g. shall be arriving) Most
common: has, have, had, do, does, did, can, could, may,
might, ought, shall, will
5. Adverbs: describe verbs (sometimes also adjectives & other adverbs) –
o often “-ly” words; can be placed anywhere in the sentence;
o they answer when, why, how, where
 why: therefore
 when: often, never
 how: only, slowly, briefly
 where: everywhere
6. Adjectives: describe nouns (usually come before the noun);
o answer which one, what kind, how many
o Articles are also adjectives: a, an, the
o Sometimes an adjective follows the noun: Brenda is
productive. (productive is the adjective)
o Cumulative adjectives: These adjectives do not separately
modify the noun: “exquisite custom houseboat”, so do NOT use
commas to separate them.
o Coordinate adjectives: These DO separately modify the noun:
“heavy, bulky box”, so commas are necessary.
o Not sure? Test: if you can insert the word “and” between
the adjectives, and the phrase makes sense, use commas.
If you cannot logically use “and” between adjectives, do
not use commas.
7. Degrees of comparison with adjectives
o comparing two things? Use the comparative form of the
adjective “-er” “less” or “more”
o comparing more than two things? Use the superlative form of
the adjective: “-est” “least” or “most”
o Use less/least & more/most when the adjective has three or more
syllables*
 multiple-syllable adjective: more superstitious
 single-syllable adjective: faster
*There are exceptions to this rule: two-syllable adjectives vary
8. Prepositional phrases: begin with a preposition & end with a
noun (“over the hill”)
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English Prepositions List
There are about 150 prepositions in English. Yet this is a very small number
when you think of the thousands of other words (nouns, verbs etc).
Prepositions are important words. We use individual prepositions more
frequently than other individual words. In fact, the
prepositions of, to and in are among the ten most frequent words in English.
Here is a short list of 70 of the more common one-word prepositions. Many of
these prepositions have more than one meaning. Please refer to a dictionary
for precise meaning and usage.
aboard
 besides
 into
 than
about
 between
 like
 through
above
 beyond
 minus
 to
across
 but
 near
 toward
after
 by
 of
 towards
against
 concerning
 off
 under
along
 considering
 on
 underneath
amid
 despite
 onto
 unlike
among
 down
 opposite
 until
anti
 during
 outside
 up
around
 except
 over
 upon
as
 excepting
 past
 versus
at
 excluding
 per
 via
before
 following
 plus
 with
behind
 for
 regarding
 within
below
 from
 round
 without
beneath
 in
 save
beside
 inside
 since
English 12 Week 19 Vocabulary & Grammar
TEND/TENT (to stretch, extend, spread)
PEND/PENS (to hang, weigh, or cause to hang down)
Professor Gillyputty presented a tendentious lecture that most of his
classes thought portended a contentious college semester. Rather than
expend their energy arguing with him, they simply demanded that the dean
refuse to pay his stipend. However, the dean was an appendage of Prof.
Gillyputty and had the propensity to cave to his faculty’s demands. Still, the
students plan to fight back and squeeze the line of favoritism so it distends
and bursts!
English 11 Week 19 Vocabulary & Grammar
ANIM = breath, soul
FIG = to shape or mold
Jasmyne’s face was more animated than I’d ever seen when she
breathlessly told us how the Prime Minister was burned in effigy in the town
square. The animosity of the crowd scared her. The configuration of the
buildings around the square allowed onlookers to witness the event. Then
the magnanimous general arrived, and the crowd thought he was a figment of
their collective imagination. But he was real. He used figurative language in
his speech to the crowd, which made them wonder whose side he was on.
Prior to this event, Jasmyne felt inanimate ---like she was dead--, but now
she’s been stirred to action.
English 9 Week 19 Vocabulary & Grammar
BELL = war
PAC/PEAS = peace
George was a pacifist who made an unusual unfortunate pact. He
readily agreed to appease his bellicose first wife, Sally, by granting her
greater access to his bank account than she ever had before. This would not
pacify her because her belligerence toward him was profound. George was
like Rhett Butler who, in the antebellum South, fell for the beautiful,
duplicitous Scarlett O’Hara.