Simple Present : This Tense is used to express the habits, daily
routine and universal truths. In this tense the first form of the verb
is used.
I eat an apple everyday.
Present Continuous (Progressive) : This Tense is used to express an
action which is continuing or taking place now. In this tense the
‘ing’ form of the verb is used.
I am eating an apple now.
She is eating
Present Perfect : This Tense is used to express an action which is
over just now or completed today. In this tense the third form of
the verb is used. (past participle)
I have eaten an apple today.
She has eaten
Present Perfect Continuous(Progressive) : This Tense is used to
express an action which began at some point of time in the past and
is still continuing. In this tense the ‘ing’ form of the verb is used.
I have been eating apples for the last six months.
She has been eating
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Simple Past : This Tense is used to express an action which is over
or completed at some point of time in the past. In this tense the
second form of the verb is used.
I ate an apple yesterday.
She ate
Past Continuous : This Tense is used to express an action which was
continuing at some point of time in the past. In this tense the ‘ing’
form of the verb is used.
I was eating an apple yesterday.
You were eating
Past Perfect : This Tense is used to express an action which was
over long ago. In this tense the third form of the verb is used.
I had eaten an apple six years ago.
You had eaten
Past Perfect Continuous (Progressive) : This Tense is used to
express an action which began at some point of time in the past,
continued for some time and was subsequently discontinued. In this
tense the ‘ing’ form of the verb is used.
I had been eating apples until last year.
Simple Future : This Tense is used to express intention. In this
tense the first form of the verb is used.
I will eat an apple tomorrow.
You will eat
Future Continuous : This Tense is used to express an action which is
imagined to be continuing at some point of time in future. In this
tense the ‘ing’ form of the verb is used.
I will be eating an apple tomorrow in the evening.
*Future Perfect : This Tense is used to express an action which is
imagined to have been completed at some point of time in future. It
may be noted that this tense is basically theoretical and rarely
used.
I will have eaten an apple by this time tomorrow.
*Future Perfect Continuous (Progressive) : This Tense is used to
express an action which is imagined to began at some point of time
in future and continue for sometime. It may be noted that this tense
is basically theoretical and rarely used. In this tense the ‘ing’ form
of the verb is used.
I will have been eating apples from next year.
Present Tenses
 I clean up my room.
 I am cleaning up my room.
 I have cleaned up my room.
 I have been cleaning up my room.
Past Tenses
I cleaned up my room.



I was cleaning up my room.
I had cleaned up my room.
I had been cleaning up my room.
Future Tenses





I will clean up my room.
I will be cleaning up my room.
I will have cleaned up my room.
I will have been cleaning up my room.
able . . .
2. capable . . .
3. comply . . .
4. conscious . . .
5. equivalent . . .
6. identical . . .
7. method . . .
8. opposed . . .
9. preoccupied . . .
10. relevant . . .
1.
You live in America but on the land.
You live on the farm but in the city.
You live on earth but in the world.
You may be secretary to the Dean or of the Dean.
You may go uptown or downtown.
You may go out on the town but never out on the city.
You may be in bed or on the couch but seldom in the bed and never in the couch.
You may be interested in music without an aptitude for music.
Non-native speakers might ask, “why don’t couples break apart, rather than break
up?” or “why don’t we try to get into somebody’s mind, rather than trying to get
through to them?”
While native speakers may find themselves using idioms in their speech, they
probably couldn’t answer these questions of non-native speakers. The fact is, there
is often no grammatical reason why certain prepositions are used with specific
idiomatic expressions.
However, the SAT often tests students on their ability to understand idioms because
these questions incite inferential thinking. After all, one of the goals of the SAT is
to test students’ critical thinking skills.
Subject Pronouns
I
you
we
he
she
they
who
Object Pronouns
me
you
us
him
her
them
whom
Adjective Clauses


Nonrestrictive: An adjective clause that can be omitted from a sentence without affecting
the basic meaning of the sentence should be set off by commas.
Restrictive: An adjective clause that cannot be omitted from a sentence without affecting
the basic meaning of the sentence should not be set off by commas.
1. Students who have young children are invited to use the free daycare center.
2. I left my son at the campus daycare center, which is free to all full-time students.
3. John Wayne, who appeared in over 200 movies, was the biggest box-office attraction of
his time.
4. I refuse to live in any house that Jack built.
5. Merdine, who was born in a boxcar somewhere in Arkansas, grows homesick every
time she hears the wail of a train whistle.
6. Every journalist has a novel in him, which is an excellent place for it.
7. I like to keep a bottle of stimulant handy in case I see a snake, which I fear greatly.
8. The thing that impresses me the most about America is the way parents obey their
children.
9. A physician who smokes and overeats has no right to criticize the personal habits of his
patients.
10.The beer that made Milwaukee famous has made a loser out of me.
Two or more singular (or plural) subjects joined by and act as a plural compound subject and take
a plural verb (singular + singular = plural).
You can check the verb by substituting the pronoun they for the compound subject.
Or and nor as joiners word somewhat differently from and. While the word and seems to ADD
things together, or and nor do not. They suggest a CHOICE.
If the individual parts of the compound subject are joined by or or nor, use the verb form (singular or
plural) which will agree with the subject closer to the verb.