Reviewer – Prelims
Purposive Communication
For review purposes only.
I. FUNCTIONS OF NOUNS AND PRONOUNS
Nouns and pronouns serve different roles in a sentence. Below are their primary
functions:
1. Subject
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The noun or pronoun that performs the action in a sentence.
Answers the question "Who?" or "What?" before the verb.
Example: John runs every morning. (John is the subject.)
2. Predicate Nominative (Subject Complement)
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A noun or pronoun that follows a linking verb and renames the subject.
Example: She is a doctor. (Doctor renames "she".)
3. Direct Object
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Receives the action of the verb.
Answers "Whom?" or "What?" after an action verb.
Example: He bought a book. (Book is the direct object.)
4. Indirect Object
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Tells to whom or for whom the action is done.
Appears between the verb and the direct object.
Example: She gave Mark a gift. (Mark is the indirect object.)
5. Object of the Preposition
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A noun or pronoun that follows a preposition.
Example: The cat is on the table. (Table is the object of the preposition "on".)
6. Object Complement
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Renames or describes the direct object.
Example: They elected her president. (President complements "her".)
7. Possessive (Genitive)
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Shows ownership or possession.
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Example: Maria’s bag is missing. (Maria’s indicates possession.)
8. Appositive
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A noun or pronoun that renames another noun next to it.
Example: My friend, Sarah, loves painting. (Sarah renames "friend".)
9. Vocative (Direct Address)
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Used when directly addressing someone.
Example: John, please close the door. (John is being directly spoken to.)
II. CASES OF NOUNS AND PRONOUNS
Nouns and pronouns have different cases, which determine their function in a
sentence.
1. Nominative (Subjective) Case
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Used for subjects and predicate nominatives.
Example: She is my best friend. (She is the subject.)
Pronouns in the nominative case: I, you, he, she, it, we, they
2. Objective Case
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Used for direct objects, indirect objects, and objects of prepositions.
Example: The teacher praised him. (Him is the direct object.)
Pronouns in the objective case: me, you, him, her, it, us, them
3. Possessive (Genitive) Case
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Shows ownership.
Example: This is his book. (His is a possessive pronoun.)
Pronouns in the possessive case: my/mine, your/yours, his, her/hers, its,
our/ours, their/theirs
4. Vocative Case
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Used for direct address.
Example: Mom, can you help me? (Mom is in the vocative case.)
Introduction to Verb Tenses
Verb tenses indicate the time of an action or state of being. They help convey
whether an action happens in the past, present, or future.
There are three primary tenses, each with four aspects:
1. Simple
2. Perfect
3. Progressive (Continuous)
4. Perfect Progressive
II. The 12 Verb Tenses
1. Simple Tenses
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Describe general actions, habits, or facts.
Tense
Simple
Present
Simple Past
Structure
Subject + base verb (+s/es for
he/she/it)
Subject + past tense verb
Simple
Future
Subject + will + base verb
Example
She writes stories.
She wrote a story
yesterday.
She will write a story
tomorrow.
2. Perfect Tenses
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Describe completed actions in relation to another time.
Tense
Present
Perfect
Past Perfect
Future
Perfect
Structure
Subject + has/have + past
participle
Subject + had + past
participle
Subject + will have + past
participle
Example
She has written many stories.
She had written the story before
I arrived.
By tomorrow, she will have
written five stories.
3. Progressive (Continuous) Tenses
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Describe ongoing actions at a specific time.
Tense
Present
Progressive
Past Progressive
Future
Progressive
Structure
Subject + is/am/are +
verb(-ing)
Subject + was/were +
verb(-ing)
Subject + will be + verb(ing)
Example
She is writing a story now.
She was writing a story
when I called.
She will be writing a story at
5 PM.
4. Perfect Progressive Tenses
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Describe actions that started in the past and continue into another time.
Tense
Present Perfect
Progressive
Past Perfect
Progressive
Future Perfect
Progressive
Structure
Subject + has/have
been + verb(-ing)
Subject + had been +
verb(-ing)
Subject + will have
been + verb(-ing)
Example
She has been writing stories
all day.
She had been writing for
hours before she stopped.
By next week, she will have
been writing for a year.
III. Common Uses of Verb Tenses
1. Simple Present – facts, routines, general truths (The sun rises in the
east.)
2. Simple Past – completed actions (She visited Paris last year.)
3. Simple Future – future plans and predictions (She will travel next
month.)
4. Present Perfect – past actions with present relevance (I have finished my
homework.)
5. Past Perfect – past action completed before another past action (She had
left before I arrived.)
6. Future Perfect – action completed before a future event (By noon, he will
have left.)
7. Progressive Tenses – ongoing actions (I am studying now.)
8. Perfect Progressive – long-lasting actions (She has been studying for
three hours.)
IV. Practice Questions
1. Choose the correct form of the verb: "By the time we arrive, he ____
(leave)."
2. Identify the tense: "She had completed the project before the deadline."
3. Rewrite in future perfect: "She finishes her homework."
4. Complete the sentence: "They ____ (study) when the power went out."
V. Summary
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Simple tenses describe general actions.
Perfect tenses focus on completion.
Progressive tenses show ongoing actions.
Perfect progressive tenses highlight duration.
Introduction to Active and Passive Voice
In English grammar, verbs can be used in two different voices: active voice
and passive voice.
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Active voice: The subject performs the action.
Passive voice: The subject receives the action.
II. Structure of Active and Passive Voice
1. Active Voice
Structure: Subject + Verb + Object
Example: The teacher (subject) explained (verb) the lesson (object).
2. Passive Voice
Structure: Object + Form of "be" + Past Participle + "by" + Subject
Example: The lesson (object) was explained (verb) by the teacher (subject).
Prepared:
GENESIS T. ROMAN PhD
Professor