GRAMMAR RULES

LE AR N GR AM MA R RU LE
S TO
IS H LA N GU AG E
RU LE TH E EN GL
7 SMART TIPS
TO I MPR OVE YOU R EN GLIS H

• Help correct one another’s mistakes

• Read to improve your English
• Listen to well-spoken English
• Read out loud to grow in confidence
• Check and double check your work
• Make good use of available resources
• Speak clearly to be understood
05 / C o un t a b l e a n d
Un co u n t a ble N o un s

14 / Pr o n ou n s

28 / Adj ec t i v e s

43 / Ten se s

51 / Su bj ec t - Ve r b A gr eement

59 / Pr ep o s it io n s

67 / Adv e r bs

79 / Co n ju n c t io n s

93 / G r am m ar Ga f fes

98 / Co m m o n Er r o r s in Si ng ap ore
 Countable and
Uncountable
Nouns

A noun is a word that refers to person,

place, thing, event, substance or quality;
can be either countable or uncountable.

Countable nouns have singular and

plural forms while uncountable nouns
can be used only in the singular form.
In English grammar, words that refer to people, places or
things are called nouns. There are several ways to classify
nouns. One way is whether they are countable (also known
as count) or uncountable (also known as non-count)
nouns. Countable nouns, as the term suggests, are things
that can be counted.

They have singular and plural forms.

E.g.
• table, tables; month, months; pen, pens.

A countable noun becomes plural by adding s at the end

of the word. Of course, there are nouns that form plurals
in other ways.

E.g.
• man, men; child, children; goose, geese.

6
In contrast, uncountable nouns cannot be counted.
They have a singular form and do not have a plural form
– you can’t add an s to it, e.g. dirt, rice, information and
hair. Some uncountable nouns are abstract nouns such
as advice and knowledge.

E.g.
• Her jewellery is designed by a
well-known designer.
• I needed some advice, so I went
to see the counsellor.

Some nouns can be countable or uncountable depending

on the context or situation.

E.g.
• We’ll have two coffees (countable).
• I don’t like coffee (uncountable).

7
AR T ICLE S

You cannot refer to a singular countable noun on its own.

It is usually preceded by an article, either the indefinite
article – a, an – or the definite article the.

Indefinite Article

When the countable noun is mentioned for the first time,

you use an indefinite article a for words beginning with
a consonant sound or an if the noun begins with a vowel
sound. However, when a countable noun is mentioned
for the second time, it is usually preceded by the definite
article the.

E.g.
• I saw a (indefinite article) cat yesterday.
The (definite article) cat was grey with black stripes.
• The girl was wearing a (indefinite article preceding
word with a consonant sound “you”) uniform but it
looked faded. The (definite article) uniform was old.
• I took an (indefinite article preceding word with
a vowel sound “um”) umbrella as it was beginning
to rain. It did not help because the (definite article)
umbrella was faulty.

8
Sometimes when uncountable nouns are treated as
countable nouns, you can use the indefinite article.

E.g.
• Please select a wine that you like.

Definite Article

You can use the with countable nouns when you want
to refer to a specific person or thing.

E.g.
• The baby stared at the moon in fascination.
• Please take me to the clinic near the coffee shop.
I’m not feeling well.

The indefinite article is not used with uncountable

nouns. However, the definite article the can be used with
uncountable nouns when referring to specific items.

E.g.
• I found the luggage that I had lost.
• I appreciated the honesty of the salesman.

9
Tricky Uncountable Nouns

The noun fruit is usually considered as an

uncountable noun.

E.g.
• Fruit is good for your health.

When referring to a single piece of fruit, you would say,

• She had only a piece of fruit for lunch!

However, when referring to different kinds of fruit,

you may use fruit as a countable noun.

E.g.
• I love to shop at that supermarket –
they have a wide variety of tropical fruits.

Similarly, you may use an indefinite article for uncountable

nouns when you are referring to a single item.

E.g.
• a piece of furniture, a bottle of water, a grain of rice.

10
Quantifiers

Countable and uncountable nouns may also be used with

quantifiers. These are words that express amount or quantity.
Common examples are some, any, more, few, little, several.

However, there are some quantifiers that can be used with

only countable nouns: many, few, a few, fewer, several.

E.g.
• The citizens came to the meeting with many
suggestions on how to improve their neighbourhood.
• Fewer tourists visited that area as it was known to
be unsafe.

Some other quantifiers can be used with only uncountable

nouns: much, little, a bit of.

E.g.
• Would you like a bit of pepper in your soup?
• There’s very little dessert left.

Some quantifiers may be used with both countable and

uncountable nouns: all, some, any, lots of, plenty of, enough.

E.g.
• He has enough courage to face the bullies.
• We have some plates for the party tonight.
Tracy will bring more.

11
Subject-Verb Agreement

Countable nouns may take singular or plural verbs.

E.g.
• Our neighbour is singing at the competition tonight.
• Our neighbours are singing at
the competition tonight.

However, uncountable nouns are considered singular and

may take only singular verbs.

Nouns such as luggage, furniture and jewellery are

uncountable nouns and take singular verbs.

E.g.
• The furniture in this house needs to be replaced.
• The apparatus for the next
experiment has been set up.
• My luggage has been checked in.

Uncountable nouns ending with s may pose a problem to

users of English.

12
These nouns have the plural ending s, but they take
a singular verb.

E.g.
• The news is not good.
• Mathematics is a very important subject.

All uncountable nouns associated with clothes, such as

shorts, jeans and briefs, are plural uncountables. They
cannot be used in the singular form or with numbers.
We cannot say for example a shorts or two shorts.
Instead we say:

E.g.
• Can you lend me a pair of shorts?
I didn’t bring mine.

13
 Pronouns

A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun or noun phrase

that has already been mentioned in a text or conversation.
PRONOUNS

There are several types of pronouns. Among them are

personal, possessive, demonstrative, indefinite, reflexive
and relative pronouns.

Personal pronouns stand in for nouns and noun phrases,

and usually refer back in a text or conversation to them.

E.g.
• Jane is going to watch the parade tomorrow.
She plans to leave at 4 pm.
• We are collecting old photographs for our project.
They should still be in good condition.

15
Personal pronouns may be categorised as follows:

P ERSO N S ING U L AR P LU RAL

Subject Object Subject Object

First
I me we us
(person speaking)

Second
you you you you
(person spoken to)

Third
he, she, it him, her, it they them
(person spoken of)

He refers to a male.
She refers to a female.
It refers to a thing or animal.

16
Positions of Pronouns in Sentences

A pronoun can be the subject of a verb:

E.g.
• I can’t catch the mouse. It moves too quickly.

A pronoun can be the object of a verb:

E.g.
• The flowers look beautiful.
Sally arranged them just now.

A pronoun can be the object of a preposition:

E.g.
• I’m going to buy some snacks.
Make sure you keep a place for me.

17
R EFLEXIV E PR O NO U N S

These refer to the person or animal that is the subject

of the verb. The following are reflexive pronouns.

PERSON SINGULAR PLURAL

First myself ourselves

Second yourself yourselves

Third himself, herself, itself themselves

18
Positions of Reflexive Pronouns in Sentences

Reflexive pronouns may be used:

As the object of a verb.

E.g.
• Meera blames herself for the mistake.

As the object of a preposition.

E.g.
• Stop looking at yourself in the mirror.

As the indirect object of a verb.

E.g.
• Tara gave herself a treat.

To emphasise a noun or personal pronoun.

E.g.
• Jane herself baked this delicious cake.

19
POSS ES S I VE PR O NO UN S

Examples of possessive pronouns are mine, yours, his, hers,

ours, theirs, its.

Unlike personal pronouns, these usually stand alone and

do not have to precede a noun.

E.g.
• Karen told me that she had lost her phone.
That must be hers.
• They have found their seats. Have you spotted ours?
• The cat is looking for its master.

Note: The possessive pronoun its is different from it’s.

It’s is a contracted form of it is.

20
IN DE FI N I T E P R O N O UNS

The indefinite pronoun is used when referring to no

particular person or thing.

Some indefinite pronouns refer to people,

e.g. someone, anyone, everybody, no one, everyone, nobody.

Some indefinite pronouns refer to things,

e.g. something, anything, everything, nothing.

E.g.
• Someone is at the door.
• Where is everyone?
• Has anyone seen the television remote control?

21
DE MON S T R A T I VE P R O N O UN S

A demonstrative pronoun points to a specific thing or

things to indicate whether they are close or far, in space
and/or time. Like possessive pronouns, demonstrative
pronouns stand alone and do not have to precede a noun.

N EA R I N FAR I N
DI S TA NCE DI S T AN C E
O R TI ME OR TIME

Singular this that

Plural these those

E.g.
• Jane stopped eating rice for dinner.
This has helped her lose weight quickly.
• That was the last time I saw my colleague Matthew.

22
R E L A T I VE P RO N O U N S

Who, whom, whose, which and that function as relative

pronouns when they add further information to the things
or people mentioned in the sentence.

REL A TI VE PR ON OU N R E FE RS T O

who a person or people

whom a person or people

which a thing or things

whose a person, people, a thing or things

that animal(s) or thing(s)

The difference between who and whom is that who may

be the subject of a verb; it is also often used as an object
although this is frowned upon.

E.g.
• Isn’t that Shyla who objected to the proposal?
• These are candidates whom we interviewed last week.

23
Whom is used only as the object of a verb. Both who
and whom can be the object of a preposition but if the
preposition comes before the pronoun, you must use
whom. This is illustrated in the examples below.

E.g.
• Whom/who did you speak to about this matter?
• To whom did you speak about this matter?

The relative pronoun that can often be used instead of

who, whom and which.

E.g.
• The shirt that Matthew bought has some stains on it.

Note: American English favours the use of that over

which while British English still uses both that
and which.

24
Now test yourself!
How well do you know your pronouns?

Fill in the blanks with the correct pronouns

from the box below.

I it we herself she this you they your that

Dear Mr Eric Tan

I am writing this letter as a note of appreciation for the

good service I received at your restaurant recently. I was

at the Plum Blossom Restaurant with my family on 20th

June. 1. were fortunate to experience the great

service that 2. restaurant is well known for.

The dishes were served promptly. More importantly,

Ms Shirley Teo and her team provided excellent service.

25
3. were very attentive and Ms Teo

4. ensured that we were well taken care of.

5. was never flustered even when the

restaurant became more crowded.

The dish 6. we liked best was the Peking

Duck. 7. is the best I have ever eaten. The

duck was succulent and tender. 8. would give

it five stars!

My family will definitely dine at the Plum Blossom

Restaurant again. 9. is a promise I intend to

keep! Once again I thank 10. for the excellent

service and food.

Yours sincerely
Mrs Jamie Lee

26
ANS W ERS

1. We (personal pronoun, refers back to the noun, family)

2. your (possessive pronoun, refers to the restaurant

owned by the reader, Mr Eric Tan)

3. They (personal pronoun, refers back to the

noun phrase, Ms Shirley Teo and her team)

4. herself (reflexive pronoun, for emphasis,

draws attention to Ms Shirley Teo)

5. She (personal pronoun, refers back to Ms Shirley Teo)

6. that (relative pronoun, refers to the

noun phrase, the dish)

7. It (personal pronoun, refers back to the

noun phrase, the Peking Duck)

8. I (personal pronoun, refers to the writer

of the letter, Mrs Jamie Lee)

9. This (demonstrative pronoun, used before

a singular noun, promise. It also indicates
something that will take place soon)

10. you (personal pronoun, refers to

the reader, Mr Eric Tan)

27
 Adjectives

An adjective is a word that describes people, objects,

events, substances and ideas.
ADJECTIVES

Do you want to add colour to your speech or writing? Try

using appropriate, vivid adjectives to express your thoughts
and feelings. Adjectives describe nouns by telling us more
about them, e.g. their size, colour or shape.

Using adjectives to describe the things, people or ideas

we are talking about helps our readers and listeners form
a more vivid picture of them.

E.g.
• Please bring that beautiful leather bag to me.
(expresses a positive opinion)
• She was a timid, nondescript girl when she was
at school. (expresses a negative opinion)

29
Formation of Adjectives

Many adjectives do not have prefixes or suffixes.

E.g.
• good, tall, fat, wide, simple, gaunt.

However, adjectives may be formed by adding prefixes

(before a word) or suffixes (after a word).

E.g.
• illegal, insensitive, rusty, childish,
merciless, enjoyable.

Usually adjectives are formed by adding suffixes to nouns.

E.g.
• baggy, hairy, hairless, burdensome,
quarrelsome, beautiful.

30
Sometimes, adjectives may be formed by adding
suffixes to verbs.

E.g.
• attractive, washable, expectant,
complimentary, boring, disappointed.

When a negative prefix such as un, il, dis, in, im or

ir is added to an adjective, it creates an opposite or
negative meaning.

E.g.
• unnatural, illogical, dishonest,
infamous, immoral, irreverent.

31
Positions of Adjectives in Sentences

Adjectives may be found in three positions in a sentence:

Before a noun:

E.g.
• exciting lesson, empty room.

As a complement, after a linking verb:

E.g.
• The shop is open.
• John is sick.

After a noun or an indefinite pronoun:

E.g.
• I wrote to the person concerned.
• Is there anyone important at the meeting?

32
How do you use Adjectives?

You can use adjectives in the ways suggested below.

Use two or more adjectives to describe a noun in

greater detail.

E.g.
• small grey cat,
• desperate, brazen thief

Show comparison and contrast using parallel

phrases such as ‘not only … but also’, ‘as … as’.

E.g.
• Beatrice is not only intelligent,
but also hardworking.
• Tom is as strong as his father.

Use adjectives to express opinions:

E.g.
• What a boring play! The director
was unimaginative.

33
Adjectives describe many different things, such as size,
shape, colour, quality, origin or nationality, material, and
the speaker’s or writer’s opinion.

It is common to find two or more adjectives before a noun.

However, they cannot be strung together randomly; rather,
they follow a fairly strict order, from top to bottom:

Observation/Opinion : lovely, boring,

beautiful, fascinating
Size : petite, gigantic, high, long
Shape : round, square, oval, circular
Age : old, new, young
Colour : red, blue, green, yellow
Nationality/Origin : Chinese, American,
British, Christian
Material : gold, silver, silk, linen

E.g.
• small old wooden box
• beautiful colourful Turkish rug

34
Some pointers when using Adjectives

Your opinion usually precedes any other adjective.

E.g.
Those horrible yellow chairs; a foolish young boy.

It is common to use two adjectives, but it is unusual

to use three or more adjectives.

Use commas to separate adjectives from the same

category, e.g. opinion.

• A handsome, charming man.

You do not have to use commas if the adjectives are

from different categories, e.g. opinion and nationality.

• A wealthy Japanese businessman.

35
Comparison of Adjectives

Adjectives are useful when you want to

compare things. Adjectives have three degrees:
positive, comparative, superlative.

The positive merely describes a noun, e.g. a tall child.

The comparative compares one person, animal

or object with another.

E.g.
• She is taller than her mother.

The superlative compares a person, animal

or object with more than one other.

E.g.
• She is the tallest in her class.

36
How do you use adjectives to show comparison?

Words containing one or two syllables take the suffix

-er in the comparative form and -est in the superlative.

Many adjectives containing two syllables and all

adjectives containing three or more syllables have the
word more or most before the adjective to convey the
comparative and superlative respectively.

E.g.
• more intelligent, most comfortable.

37
Here are some examples:

P o sit iv e Co m p a r a tive Su p er l a ti v e

fast faster fastest

small smaller smallest

careful more careful most careful

generous more generous most generous

Here are some examples where the comparative and

superlative do not have the -er or -est suffix:

P o sit iv e Co m p a r a tive Su p er l a ti v e

bad worse worst

good better best

many more most

much more most

38
Now test yourself!
How well do you know your adjectives?

Test 1

Correct the following sentences by changing the order

of the adjectives. Explain why the order is incorrect.

1. I want to buy that ruby oval ring.

2. Chartres is a French beautiful city near Paris.

3. I’m going to feed the small pitiful cat.

4. They have a new blue charming letter box.

5. John wore a silk blue tie to the wedding.

39
Test 2

Fill in the table with the correct comparative

and superlative adjectives.

P o sit iv e Co m p a r a tive Su p er l a ti v e

active

old

simple

far

little

40
ANS W E R S

Test 1

The sentences are incorrect as they do not follow

the accepted order of adjectives. Here are the sentences,
with the correct versions:

1. Incorrect: I want to buy that ruby oval ring.

(material, shape)
Correct: I want to buy that oval ruby
(shape, material) ring.

2. Incorrect: Chartres is a French beautiful city near Paris.

(nationality, opinion)
Correct: Chartres is a beautiful French
(opinion, nationality) city near Paris.

3. Incorrect: I’m going to feed the small pitiful cat.

(size, opinion)
Correct: I’m going to feed the pitiful small
(opinion, size) cat.

41
4. Incorrect: They have a new blue charming letter box.
(age, colour, opinion)
Correct: They have a charming new blue
(opinion, age, colour) letter box.

5. Incorrect: John wore a silk blue tie to the wedding.

(material, colour)
Correct: John wore a blue silk (colour, material)
tie to the wedding.

Test 2

P o sit iv e Co m p a r a tive Su p er l a ti v e

active more active most active

old older oldest

simple simpler simplest

far farther, further farthest, furthest

little less least

42
 Tenses

Tenses show when something happens.

Present tense - I eat.

Past tense - I ate.
Future tense - I will eat.
Verbs are one of the most important classes of words. They
tell us what is happening in terms of actions or the state of
affairs in a particular situation.

E.g.
• The children talk (verb) very loudly.
• My daughter is (verb) a talented artist.

All sentences require a verb. The tenses are parts of verbs

that tell you the time when the action referred to in the
sentence took place.

The base form is the basic verb form. It is so called as it has

no inflections (i.e., no endings such as -s, -ing or -ed).

This is the form of the verb that is listed in dictionary

entries. The base form of any verb can be changed into a
singular or plural, present or past tense.

E.g.
• smile (base form)
• smiles (third person singular, present tense)
• smiled (past tense)

44
In the English Language there are two tenses: the present
and past. As the terms imply, the present tense refers to
actions and states in the present while the past tense talks
about actions and states in the past. To refer to the future,
we often use the present tense and modal verbs.

E.g.
• We leave for London tonight.
(using the present tense)
• We will attend the dinner on Friday.
(using the modal verb will)

The present tense is the most basic tense in the English

Language. Generally we use it to refer to present activities
or to talk about routines or habits. We also use the present
tense to refer to facts and beliefs. It is also used to make
general statements about people and things.

E.g.
• She leaves for work at 7.30 every morning. (routine)
• The sun rises in the east. (fact)
• Harry usually drinks a glass of wine with his meal.
(generalisation)

45
Regular verbs are made past tense by adding -ed.

E.g.
• The audience laughed (past tense) loudly
at his joke. [laugh (base form) + ed ]

Irregular verbs differ from the base form as they have a

different spelling to indicate the past tense.

E.g.
• swim (base form) - swam (past tense).

Unlike the present tense, the form of a verb in the past

tense is the same whether the subject is singular or plural.

E.g.
• The girl (singular subject) drank the water.
The girls (plural subject) drank the water.

46
Other parts of the verb are the present participle and past
participle. (See table on page 50: Different forms of the
Verb.) The present participle and the auxiliary verb be
form the continuous tenses.

The present continuous indicates ongoing or future activity.

E.g.
• The workers are repairing the burst pipe.
• I am taking my dog for a walk in an hour’s time.

The past continuous is used for an activity that

was ongoing at a certain point in the past.

E.g.
• She was working very hard last month.

It is also used to indicate an ongoing situation

that was interrupted by a single past action.

E.g.
• The audience was enjoying the concert
when the police arrived.

The present perfect tense is used when an action or

situation in the present is linked to a moment in the past.
It is often used to show actions that have happened up to
the present but aren’t completed yet.

47
The present perfect tense is formed by
have/has + past participle; the past perfect
is formed by had + past participle.

Examples of the use of the present perfect tense.

• We can go out now – my car has been repaired.
• I have worked in the city for the past five years.

Often, speakers of English make mistakes with the use of

the present perfect and simple past.

E.g.
• I have watched that movie on Friday.

The use of the simple past tense would be correct in

this instance:

E.g.
• I watched that movie on Friday.

48
Usually the present perfect should not be linked to a
specific time (in this case, Friday) but to a duration of time
such as recently, before, and since last year.

Most people have a problem with the past perfect tense.

A rule to remember is: when a sentence refers to two past
actions, you use the past perfect to indicate the action that
took place first.

E.g.
• By the time I arrived (simple past),
the train had left (past perfect).
• To my horror, I realised (simple past)
at the airport that I had forgotten
(past perfect) to bring my passport!

49
Different Forms of the Verbs

BASE SI NG U LAR PRESENT PA ST PA ST

FORM P RE SEN T P A RT IC I P LE TE NSE PA RT IC IPLE
T E NSE

begin begins beginning began begun

bite bites biting bit bitten

catch catches catching caught caught

fall falls falling fell fallen

forget forgets forgetting forgot forgotten

freeze freezes freezing froze frozen

give gives giving gave given

know knows knowing knew known

run runs running ran run

sing sings singing sang sung

write writes writing wrote written

50
 Subject-Verb
Agreement

Singular subjects go with singular verbs while plural

subjects go with plural verbs.

Match your subject with the correct verb form.

Have you ever wondered why we say She looks very pretty
and not She look very pretty? The answer lies in grammar
rules on concord, or subject-verb agreement. The basic rule
is that singular verbs must agree with singular nouns, while
plural verbs must agree with plural nouns. What is a noun?
It is a word to name people, places, events, things or ideas.

E.g.
• teacher, Orchard Road, party, basket, beauty.

How do you recognise a singular or plural verb?

A singular verb is one that has an s added to it in the

present tense, such as writes, plays, runs, and uses
forms such as is, was, has, does. A plural verb does
not have an s added to it, such as write, play, run,
and uses forms such as are, were, have and do.

E.g.
• Jack (singular noun) enjoys (singular verb)
playing golf every Sunday.
• The men (plural noun) enjoy (plural verb)
playing golf every Sunday.

In the case of pronouns, he, she and it take a singular

verb while you, we and they take a plural verb.

We (plural pronoun) think (plural verb) that she

(singular pronoun) is (singular verb) innocent.

52
However, there are exceptions to the rules
mentioned earlier.

If the two nouns are conjoined and represent a single idea,

then the verb is singular.

E.g.
• Bread and butter is available on request.
• Fish and chips is my favourite meal.
• Law and order is the new government’s priority.

Problems also arise when the speaker or writer is faced

with more than one noun or pronoun in the sentence.

E.g.
• The quality of our students’ essays has
fallen drastically.

In this case, the verb has fallen agrees with the

subject (first noun mentioned) or head noun of
the noun phrase, quality.

E.g.
• The spokes of that wheel are broken.

In this case, the subject of the sentence is spokes

(plural head noun), hence the plural verb are.

53
When a singular and a plural noun or pronoun (subjects)
are joined by or or nor, the verb should agree with the
subject nearer the verb.

E.g.
• The girls or their father collects
the newspapers every morning.

In this example, the singular verb, collects, agrees

with the noun closer to it, the singular noun, father.

People often get confused when deciding whether

a singular or plural verb should agree with some
collective nouns.

E.g.
Should we say
• The football team is (singular verb)
ready to be photographed.

Or

• The football team are (plural verb)

ready to be photographed.

54
Well, it all depends on whether we are thinking of
the team as a single collective unit or as individuals.
If it is the former, then the verb should be singular.
However, if we are considering the team as
comprising individual members who are not acting
as a single unit, then we use the plural verb.

Other examples:
• My family (considered as a collective unit)
comes from Kuala Lumpur.
• The audience (considered as individuals)
were clamouring for more songs
but the singer left the stage.
• The Committee is ready to present
its findings this afternoon.

A point to note is that American English almost always

treats collective nouns as singular, hence a singular verb
is used with it.

Nouns which have two parts such as spectacles, scissors

or pants require plural verbs.

E.g.
• My spectacles are missing.
• These scissors need sharpening.

55
However, when regarded as a pair, a singular verb is used.

E.g.
• My pair of spectacles is missing.
• This pair of scissors needs sharpening.

There are some occasions when we should use

singular verbs.

Expressions such as each of, one of, anybody, each, every

and nobody must be followed by a singular verb.

E.g.
• Each of the ladies has a designer handbag.
• Anybody is allowed to enter this hall.
• Nobody is disappointed with the results.

A singular subject with attached phrases introduced by

with or like or as well as is followed by a singular verb.

E.g.
• The boy, with several others, was late for school.
• Meiling, like Johan, is tall for her age.
• Tom, as well as Fred, is on the first shift.

56
Two singular nouns or pronouns separated by either ... or
or neither ... nor take a singular verb.

E.g.
• Either he or she has eaten the cake.
• Neither Meera nor Gopal knows
anything about the accident.

Amounts, even if plural, have a singular verb.

E.g.
• Sixty dollars is too much to pay for that dress.
• Ten kilometres is too long a distance for me to walk.
• Five kilogrammes of flour is all that I need for
my baking.

There are some occasions when we should use plural

verbs. When two or more plural subjects are connected
by and, the verb is plural.

E.g.
• The officers and their men were patrolling the area.
• Domestic cats and dogs need adequate care
and attention.

57
Plural subjects separated by either ... or or neither ... nor,
both ... and, and all but take a plural verb.

E.g.
• Either the boys or the girls are to blame.
• Neither the contestants nor the
audience were aware of the fire.
• All but Sam are going to the cinema.
• Both the twins and their parents are
attending their graduation ceremony.

Another problem that users of English face is this: does

the verb in a sentence agree with the noun (subject) before
it or the noun or adjective after it (subject complement)?

The answer is that it should agree with the subject –

the noun before it.

E.g.
• The thing (subject) we need at this
moment is (verb) more eggs.
• The greatest benefit (subject) is (verb)
the opportunities presented to our staff.

58
 Prepositions

A preposition is a word that shows the

relationship between an object – a noun or
pronoun – and other words in a sentence.

Memorise how prepositions are to be used. There

is no easy way out. Our notes here may help too!
The preposition is placed before a noun or pronoun. It
shows the relationship between nouns and pronouns in
the same sentence. It may be used to indicate position,
place, direction or time.

Prepositions of Position

With regard to place, in tends to be used with larger

or enclosed areas such as cities, countries and tunnels,
whereas at tends to be used for smaller places, points on a
journey, or for activities typically associated with a place.

E.g.
• The couple will spend their money in London.
(large area)
• Their train stops at London Paddington.
(point on a journey)
• The boys are running around in the library.
(enclosed area)
• They boys are at the library, reading.
(reading is associated with libraries)

When talking about heights or levels, you use below,

over or under.

E.g.
• The dog is sleeping under the bed.
• The plane flew over the hills.

60
Prepositions of Direction

These prepositions indicate a movement towards a goal.

E.g.
• Let’s go to the market.
• The swimmers walked into the sea.
• The students eagerly ran towards the campsite.

Prepositions of Time

On is used for days and dates.

E.g.
• The wedding will be on Saturday.

At is used to indicate a specific time.

E.g.
• I’ll see you at six o’clock.

61
From ... to and during are used to indicate a period of time.

E.g.
• The tulip festival is from March to May.
• During the school holidays, students
engage in community projects.

Other prepositions indicating time are before, until, after,

since and by.

E.g.
• My wife exercises before breakfast.
• You can visit her after office hours.
• You must submit the forms by 1st July.
• Until now, I’ve always thought that
she was a meticulous officer.
• She has been making a lot of progress since
she started her exercise programme.

62
Troublesome Prepositions

There are times when we are unsure which preposition we

should use. These are some troublesome prepositions.

Beside and Besides

Beside means “next to”.

E.g.
• She sits beside me in the office.

Besides means “other than” or “apart from”.

E.g.
• Besides enjoying cooking, I like
reading a book when I’m free.

63
Between and Among

Between is used when referring to two people, places

or things.

Among is used for three or more people, places or things.

E.g.
• Divide the cake among the five of you.
• The twins shared the sweets between themselves.

‘Differ with’ and ‘Differ from’

When you differ with someone, you disagree with that

person’s opinion or idea.

When you differ from someone, it means that you are

unlike that person.

E.g.
• The form teacher differed with the
English teacher on the boy’s abilities.
• Mr Chan differed from his predecessor
in terms of management style.

64
Sometimes you may find it hard to decide which
preposition you should use with a word.

This is a list to help you.

• according to
• angry with
• ashamed of
• bored with (something)
• comment on
• disagree with
• disappointed in (something)
• disappointed with (somebody)
• disgusted at (something)
• disgusted with (somebody)
• pride oneself on (something)
• protest against
• rely on
• similar to
• write about (something)
• write to (somebody)

65
Phrasal verbs – verbs used with a preposition or adverb.
Phrasal verbs are never hyphenated.

• back away – to retreat

• back down – retract or withdraw
(from a position or argument)
• back out – fail to keep an agreement
• back up – make a copy of computer data
• back (someone) up – to support someone
• fall apart – break into pieces (literally) or become
emotionally disturbed (figuratively)
• fall behind – make little progress
• fall out – have a bad relationship with someone
• (something) fall through – be unsuccessful
• get across – communicate successfully
• get ahead – make progress
• get along – have a good relationship with someone
• get around to – finally manage to do something
• get back at – take revenge
• put across – communicate
• put (someone) down – insult someone
• put forward – suggest or nominate
• put up – allow someone to stay at your
house for a few days
• put up with – tolerate

66
 Adverbs

An adverb is a word that modifies verbs,

adjectives, adverbs and prepositions.
While adjectives tell you more about a noun or pronoun,
adverbs do the same for verbs. Adverbs tell you, among
other things, how (manner), when (time) or where (place)
an action took place.

E.g.
• She sang beautifully. (manner)
• She came early for the interview. (time)
• I stayed here when I visited Hanoi. (place)

Some adverbs also moderate or intensify adjectives

or adverbs.

E.g.
• That was an extremely entertaining performance.
• I wouldn’t recommend it. It was a very bad show.
• I went to the market rather early on Saturday.
• She danced remarkably well.

68
Possible Positions of Adverbs in a Sentence

At the beginning of a sentence

(usually to emphasise a point).

• Finally, we found our way back to the camp.

In the middle of a sentence.

• The philanthropist rarely reveals his

identity when he makes his donations.

At the end of a sentence, after a verb.

• She screamed loudly.

Adverbs may be categorised into the following classes:

Manner : gracefully, sadly, slowly, well

Time : before, now, since, eventually
Place : here, there, everywhere, nowhere
Degree : almost, quite, very, rather
Number : once, twice
Interrogative : where, when, how

69
Adverbs of Manner

Adverbs of manner tell you the way an action

is performed. They answer the question how?
Usually, the adverb follows the verb.

E.g.
• The students cheered enthusiastically when
they were told that they were getting a holiday.

Sometimes, the adverb is placed before the verb to

emphasise the manner of the action.

E.g.
• He deliberately tripped the rude boy.
• She suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Although many adverbs of manner end in -ly, not all do.

E.g.
• She’s trying hard to impress the judges.

70
Adverbs of Time

Adverbs of time answer the questions when? how long?

and how often?

E.g.
• Lunch will be ready soon.
• Jenny visited us twice last year but
we haven’t seen her since.
• Harold rarely visits his grandparents.

71
Possible Positions of Adverbs
of Time in a Sentence

At the beginning of the sentence, usually for emphasis.

E.g.
• Frankly, the job is not worth
doing for the money alone.

After the verb or at the end of a sentence.

E.g.
• The school looked very different then.

Before the verb.

E.g.
• The neighbours now realise what had happened.

72
Adverbs of Degree

Adverbs of degree answer the question how much? or to

what extent? They increase or reduce the force of the word
they describe.

They are usually used with adjectives and are placed before
the adjective that they describe.

E.g.
• The students put up a totally
entertaining performance.

They are used with other adverbs and are placed before the
adverb they describe.

E.g.
• The young man walked incredibly slowly.

When used with verbs, they come before the verb.

E.g.
• The audience absolutely hated the show.

73
Adverbs are used to indicate comparison in the same way
as adjectives. They generally form the comparative or
superlative by adding more and most to the positive adverb.

Po si t ive C o mp a r a tiv e Su pe r la t iv e

early earlier earliest

long longer longest

bravely more bravely most bravely

carefully more carefully most carefully

greedily more greedily most greedily

Exceptions:

Po si t ive C o mp a r a tiv e Su pe r la t iv e

badly worse worst

well better best

74
Confusion between Adjectives and Adverbs

Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns.

Using adjectives to modify verbs, adverbs or
other adjectives is not Standard English.

E.g.
• He behaves strange. (not Standard English)
• He behaves strangely. (Standard English)
• After a few lessons Tom sang real well.
(not Standard English)
• After a few lessons Tom sang really well.
(Standard English)

75
Now test yourself!
How well do you know your adverbs?

Re-write the following sentences so that they are

grammatically correct.

1. The team played good.

2. The tiger stalked its prey slow and quiet.

3. It’s rude to talk so loud on the bus.

76
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate adverb.
Use the words in the box to fill in the blanks.

shabbily rarely slightly firmly

surprisingly recently frantically when

4. , when I was in Bangkok on a business trip,

I had a strange experience. A frail-looking Thai girl,

dressed 5. in a torn dress, came up to me.

Thinking that she was just another beggar, I took a coin

from my pocket and gave it to her. However, she took no

interest in it. She placed her grubby hands 6.

on my briefcase. When I tried to remove her hand, she said

something 7. in Thai. I was 8.

annoyed by her. She then pointed to a street food vendor

and urged me to buy her some food. I 9. pay

attention to street children but 10. I found

myself getting her some food.

77
ANS W ERS

1. The team played good. (good is an adjective)

Amended: The team played well.
(The adverb well modifies the verb played.)

2. The tiger stalked its prey slow and quiet.

(slow and quiet are adjectives)
Amended: The tiger stalked its prey
slowly and quietly. (The adverbs slowly
and quietly modify the verb stalked.)

3. It’s rude to talk so loud on the bus.

(loud is an adjective)
Amended: It’s rude to talk so loudly on the bus.
(The adverb loudly modifies the verb talk.)

4. Recently

5. shabbily

6. firmly

7. frantically

8. slightly

9. rarely

10. surprisingly

78
 Conjunctions

A conjunction is a word that connects similar words or

group of words such as phrases, clauses and sentences.
C ONJ U NC T I O NS

Conjunctions are connectors that link words,

phrases, clauses or sentences. There are two
main types of conjunctions: coordinating and
subordinating conjunctions.

Coordinating conjunctions join equivalent word

classes, phrases or clauses. Joined words and
phrases should be of the same class or type, and
joined clauses should be main clauses.

Coordination can take place between two or more

main clauses.

E.g.
• Emily went to see a doctor and was given two
days’ medical leave but went to work anyway.

80
The main coordinating conjunctions are and, but and or.

Conjunctions are useful as they help avoid unnecessary

repetition of words or phrases.

E.g.
• It is a small kitchen. It is a practical kitchen.
→ It is a small but practical kitchen.
• John will inform you of the results. John’s
assistant will inform you of the results.
→ John or his assistant will inform you of the results.
• They gave their opinions. I gave my opinions.
→ They gave their opinions and I gave mine.

Coordinating conjunctions may be used in several ways.

81
Addition

The conjunction and connects words and phrases

that are linked in some way.

E.g.
• Sam and I will not be attending the meeting.

The conjunctions both … and are used as a pair

for emphasis.

E.g.
• Both the girls and I were eager to
participate in the competition.

82
Contrast

The conjunctions but, though and so link words,

phrases or clauses that have contrasting meanings.
In the case of clauses containing a contrasting idea,
whereas and while are used.

E.g.
• Slowly but surely the ancient temple was
painstakingly rebuilt.
• Jane, though looking better, is still feeling
weak after the operation.
• Alex ate too much at the buffet lunch, so he
skipped dinner.
• Mrs Gopal is firm with her students whereas
Mrs Chan tends to be more lenient.
• While Stanley tended the garden, his wife
baked a cake.

83
A Choice or Alternative

You use the conjunction or to link words, phrases or

clauses that present a choice or alternative.

E.g.
• Would you like to have dinner now or later?
• I’ll contact you by phone or email.

The pairs either … or and neither … nor are used

to lend greater emphasis to the alternatives.

E.g.
• Neither the boys nor Sally believes her story.
• Either Meiling or Sharon is going to the
airport today.

84
Cause and Effect

The coordinating conjunctions so and therefore link a

cause to its effect.

E.g.
• He had worked hard, so his success was
not unexpected.
• They heard the announcement on the radio and
therefore took another route to avoid the traffic jam.

Unlike coordinating conjunctions, subordinating

conjunctions join an independent clause to a
dependent clause.

The dependent clause cannot stand on its own and

often does not make sense without the main clause.

Most subordinating conjunctions are single words,

e.g. although, as, because, since, when.

• Although the journey to the disaster site was

difficult, the volunteers want to continue to
support the project.
• Since they refused to obey the school rules, the
boys were suspended from school for a week.
• Sarah was waiting for the bus to arrive when
she fell.

85
However, some subordinating conjunctions consist more
than one word, e.g. except that, as long as, even if.

E.g.
• Even if he gives me a lift, I am not going to
the funfair.
• Except for Jane, all are expected at the lunch.
• She will be allowed to keep her pet as long as
she looks after it well.
• Even if he gives me a lift, I am not going to
the funfair.

These are some subordinating conjunctions that convey

the following ideas:

Cause : since, because, so that

Concession and Comparison : although, as though,
even though
Condition : even if, unless
Place : where, wherever
Time : after, as soon as, whenever

86
Correlative Conjunctions

Some conjunctions combine with other words to form

correlative conjunctions. They appear together, joining
various sentence elements that should be treated as
grammatically equal.

Some examples are both…and; not only, but also; either

… or/neither … nor; whether … or.

• Whether you win or lose this competition is not

the issue; it’s how hard you’ve tried.

Using “like” as a Conjunction.

Although like is often used as a conjunction, this is

regarded as rather informal and should be avoided in
formal writing.

E.g.
• He doesn’t go out like he used to. (informal)
• He doesn’t go out the way he used to. (formal)

Instead of “Like I told you yesterday, we aren’t going to

the zoo today”, say “As I told you yesterday, we aren’t
going to the zoo today”.

Instead of “It looks like it’s going to rain”, say “It looks as
if it’s going to rain”.

87
Misuse of “either … or”

This construction presents a choice between two

alternatives. However, the two alternatives should
belong to the same word class.

E.g.
• We can go to either Bangkok or Bali for
our vacation this year. (Both are nouns.)
• They can eat either now or after the show.
(Both are adverbs.)

Sometimes either is placed in an incorrect position.

E.g.
• She can take either the exam or ask to
be interviewed. (One is a noun – exam
– and the other is a verb – ask.)

The correct phrasing should be: She can either take

the exam or ask to be interviewed. (Both are verbs.)

88
Misuse of “due to”

Due to is often used in place of because of or as a result

of. However, the correct way to use it is when it follows
a noun or pronoun, i.e., in a sentence structure such as
“something is due to...”.

Therefore, the sentence below is incorrect:

• Our departure was delayed due to bad weather.

It should be recast as:

• The delay in our departure was due to bad weather.

89
Now test yourself!
How well do you know your conjunctions?

Incorrect conjunctions have been used in the sentences

below. Choose the correct conjunction from the box to
correct each sentence.

but so as or although until if unless and whereas

1. Vast forests of trees used to cover the mountain slopes,

and much of them have been cleared for roads.

2. The old lady spoke to them in a soft but gentle voice.

3. Are we going to walk and take the bus to town?

4. It was getting late, while I decided to take a taxi.

5. Joyce enjoys listening to pop songs, and

her husband prefers classical music.

6. While it was raining, we decided to

cancel our plans to visit the zoo.

7. Unless you do not try, you will not succeed.

8. Unless James knows he’s wrong, he won’t admit it.

90
9. Wait when your mother comes back.

10. She won’t go to the party before

she gets a lift from a friend.

ANS W E R S

1. Vast forests of trees used to cover the mountain slopes,

but much of them have been cleared for roads.
– but introduces a contrary idea. The trees used to
cover the mountain slopes but no longer do so.

2. The old lady spoke to them in a soft and gentle voice.

– and provides a similar positive aspect of the old
lady’s voice.

3. Are we going to walk or take the bus to town?

– or indicates the choices available to the speaker
and his friend/s.

4. It was getting late, so I decided to take a taxi.

– so indicates a consequence of the preceding clause.

5. Joyce enjoys listening to pop songs, whereas

her husband prefers classical music.
– whereas introduces a clause that has a
contrasting idea.

91
6. As it was raining, we decided to cancel
our plans to visit the zoo.
– As suggests that the clause provides a reason.

7. If you do not try, you will not succeed.

– If indicates a likely possibility or condition.

8. Although James knows he’s wrong, he won’t admit it.

– Although expresses a concession,
that there is something positive and
negative in the same sentence.

9. Wait until your mother comes back.

– until indicates a specific time.

10. She won’t go to the party unless

she gets a lift from a friend.
– unless indicates a condition.

92
 Grammar
Gaffes

A gaffe is an embarrassing mistake people make in public.

This compilation of corrections to common grammar

gaffes may save you from unintended awkward moments.
Gaffe: When I will arrive, I will call you.
Correct: When I arrive, I will call you.

Gaffe: He don’t care about me anymore.

Correct: He doesn’t care about me anymore.

Gaffe: I am not speaking to nobody here.

Correct: I am not speaking to anybody here.

Gaffe: To gain insights on the matter.

Correct: To gain insights into the matter.

Gaffe: Irregardless of what she said, he

should not have punched her.
Correct: Regardless of what she said, he
should not have punched her.

Gaffe: Can you borrow/loan me $2?

Correct: Can you lend me $2? May I borrow $2?

Gaffe: I am staying in Jurong.

Correct: I live in Jurong.

Gaffe: He plays computer games everyday.

Correct: He plays computer games every day.

Gaffe: I prefer green tea more than English tea.

Correct: I prefer green tea to English tea.

94
Gaffe: On hindsight, I should have attended that meeting.
Correct: In hindsight, I should have attended that meeting.

Gaffe: He stayed at Indonesia for a week.

Correct: He stayed in Indonesia for a week.

Gaffe: The fire alarm has gone on again.

Correct: The fire alarm has gone off again.

Gaffe: He emphasised on the importance of

being punctual for meetings.
Correct: He emphasised the importance of
being punctual for meetings.

Gaffe: The commander stressed on the

importance of being fit.
Correct: The commander stressed the
importance of being fit.

Gaffe: He travelled between 1 January to 10 January.

Correct: He travelled between 1 January and 10 January.

Gaffe: Divide the chocolates among the two of you.

Correct: Divide the chocolates between the two of you.

Gaffe: He smoked despite the continuous

warnings of his Principal.
Correct: He smoked despite the continual
warnings of his Principal.

95
Gaffe: Help arrived just on time.
Correct: Help arrived just in time.

Gaffe: Do you have sometime to check this?

Correct: Do you have some time to check this?

Gaffe: This phone costs a hundred over dollars.

Correct: This phone costs over a hundred dollars.

Gaffe: This chocolate bar comprises of nuts.

Correct: This chocolate bar comprises nuts.

Gaffe: Here is the details of the meeting.

Correct: Here are the details of the meeting.

Gaffe: What does it comes with?

Correct: What does it come with?

Gaffe: It doesn’t makes sense.

Correct: It doesn’t make sense.

Gaffe: He look very serious.

Correct: He looks very serious.

Gaffe: She always say I very lazy.

Correct: She always says that I am very lazy.

Gaffe: The place I’ve been to are all in Asia.

Correct: The places I’ve been to are all in Asia.

96
Gaffe: My three weeks experience in catering ...
Correct: My three-week experience in catering ...

Gaffe: I eat fish yesterday.

Correct: I ate fish yesterday.

Gaffe: What happen yesterday?

Correct: What happened yesterday?

Gaffe: I see you last week.

Correct: I saw you last week.

Gaffe: How much you willing to let go?

Correct: How much are you willing to sell it for?

Gaffe: I want to talk on this problem.

Correct: I want to talk about this problem.

Gaffe: In my personal opinion

Correct: In my opinion

Gaffe: My fellow colleague will attend to you.

Correct: My colleague will attend to you.

Gaffe: I am concern about his health.

Correct: I am concerned about his health.

97
Common Errors
in Singapore
HEA R D I N S I NG A PO R E

At Home

Singaporean Blunder: Please on/off it.

Standard English: Please turn it on/off.

Singaporean Blunder: Please off the tap.

Standard English: Please turn off the tap.

Singaporean Blunder: Please off/close the light.

Standard English: Please turn off the light.

Singaporean Blunder: Please on/open the light.

Standard English: Please switch on the light.

Singaporean Blunder: He likes to play cheat when

we play card games.
Standard English: He likes to cheat when
we play cards.

Singaporean Blunder: With regards to the matter,

I think ...
Standard English: With regard to the matter,
I think ...

99
Singaporean Blunder: Why you never do
your homework?
Standard English: Why didn’t you do
your homework?

Singaporean Blunder: You got eat already?

Standard English: Have you eaten?

Singaporean Blunder: I lazy to go out.

Standard English: I am too lazy to go out.

Singaporean Blunder: He scored 8 upon 10

for the Math test.
Standard English: He scored 8 out of 10
for the Math test.

In the Office

Singaporean Blunder: Lisa is taking writing classes

to upgrade her skills.
Standard English: Lisa is taking writing classes
to improve her skills.

Singaporean Blunder: Eric wants to apply

leave next week.
Standard English: Eric wants to apply for
leave next week.

100
Singaporean Blunder: I feedback to her.
Standard English: I gave her feedback.

Singaporean Blunder: Please revert to me

as soon as possible.
Standard English: Please reply as soon as possible.

However, using revert to mean “reply to” is common

in some varieties of English, e.g. Indian English.

Singaporean Blunder: Today is my off day.

[An off day is a day when
things don’t go well for you]
Standard English: Today is my day off.

Singaporean Blunder: Don’t worry, sure can one.

Standard English: Don’t worry. It will surely work.

Singaporean Blunder: So late already.

Why never go back?
Standard English: It’s late now. Why haven’t
you left for home?

101
At the Shopping Mall

Singaporean Blunder: Where is the in-charge

of this shop?
Standard English: Where is the person in
charge of this shop?

Singaporean Blunder: Please give me lesser salt.

Standard English: Please give me less salt.

Less is used with uncountable nouns; few is used with

countable nouns. Lesser is an adjective meaning “not as
great in size, amount or importance” (Oxford) and is a
synonym for words such as “inferior” and “poorer”.

Singaporean Blunder: The shop is opened from

10 am to 8 pm.
Standard English: The shop is open from
10 am to 8 pm.

Singaporean Blunder: You have key in invalid password.

Standard English: You have keyed in an
invalid password.

Singaporean Blunder: You are entitle to discount.

Standard English: You are entitled to a discount.

Singaporean Blunder: You go where?

Standard English: Where are you going?

102
Here, There and Everywhere

Singaporean Blunder: The driver behind just

horned at you.
Standard English: The driver behind just honked/
sounded his horn at you.

Singaporean Blunder: He is one kind.

Standard English: He is strange /
He behaves strangely.

Singaporean Blunder: I will fetch the kids to school.

Standard English: I will take the kids to school.

Singaporean Blunder: From the SLE, you exit

out at Yishun.
Standard English: From the SLE, you exit at Yishun.

Singaporean Blunder: I need to draw money

from the ATM.
Standard English: I need to withdraw money
from the ATM.

Singaporean Blunder: Got so many car here!

Standard English: There are so many cars here!

Singaporean Blunder: I cannot ownself do.

Standard English: I can’t do this myself.

Singaporean Blunder: The house sell already.

Standard English: The house has been sold.

103
Redundancies

Singaporean Blunder: To make it more clearer, I will

rewrite the proposal.
[More is redundant]
Standard English: To make it clearer, I will
rewrite the proposal.

Singaporean Blunder: I will reprint the document again.

[Again is redundant]
Standard English: I will reprint the document.

Singaporean Blunder: Please repeat your question again.

[Again is redundant]
Standard English: Please repeat your question.

Singaporean Blunder: I like blue colour bags.

[Colour is redundant]
Standard English: I like blue bags.

Singaporean Blunder: He is big in size.

[In size is redundant]
Standard English: He’s big.

Singaporean Blunder: I will return back the files to

you later. [Back is redundant]
Standard English: I will return the files to you later.

104
Singaporean Blunder: We discussed about this
during the meeting.
[About is redundant]
Standard English: We discussed this
during the meeting.

Singaporean Blunder: I didn’t include it in.

[In is redundant]
Standard English: I didn’t include it.

Singaporean Blunder: Let me separate them out.

[Out is redundant]
Standard English: Let me separate them.

Singaporean Blunder: The manager emphasised on

the importance of exercising
regularly. (On is not necessary)
Standard English: The manager emphasised the
importance of exercising regularly.

105
The Speak Good English Movement
recommends these resources:

www.goodenglish.org.sg
www.theoatmeal.com
www.grammaropolis.com
www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl
 GRAMMAR RULES

www.goodenglish.org.sg
www.facebook.com/speakgoodenglishmovement
www.youtube.com/goodenglishsg