Category: Grammar

Every, whole and all are determiners.

Every focuses on all parts that make up the whole thing. It means each one. It is used with singular nouns.

Sentence structure:
Every + singular noun

Examples:

Whole and all express the entire amount of something. Although the same in meaning, they are used differently.

We use ‘all’ with plural countable or uncountable nouns.

Sentence structure:
All + the + noun

Examples:

We use ‘whole’ mostly with singular countable nouns and sometimes with uncountable nouns too before a possessive adjective or the article ‘the’.

Sentence structure:
The + whole + noun.

Examples:

All vs Whole

I ate all the pies. = I ate 100% of all the pies.
I ate the whole pie. = I ate 100% of one pie.

Note: We cannot use whole with plural countable nouns.

Example:
Did you pay the whole bills? – incorrect

Did you pay all the bills? – correct

Unlike countable nouns, uncountable nouns are for abstract ideas and concepts or physical objects that cannot be counted. It may be helpful to know that uncountable nouns are also known as mass nouns.

Here are some common examples of uncountable nouns:

In most cases, they do not have a plural form and a singular verb is always used with uncountable nouns.

Examples:

Note: We cannot use the indefinite articles a/an alone with uncountable nouns. We can only use them when paired with other words to indicate the quantity or measurement of this noun such as a lot of, a bottle of, a piece of, a bag of, etc.

Examples:

Other expressions of quantity includes, some, much, any, etc.

These and those are plural forms of this and that. We use them to identify the things or people we are talking about. ‘These’ is used for persons or things nearby and ‘those’ is for persons or things at a distance. They are both demonstrative pronouns and demonstrative adjectives.

Demonstrative pronoun is used as a substitute for the noun or noun phrases and they can only be used for objects and not for people.

Example:

Those people are waiting. ( NOT: Those are waiting.)

These girls are pretty. ( NOT: These are pretty.)

Proper use of ‘these’ and ‘those’ as demonstrative pronouns:

I am eating pastries now and they are delicious.
These are delicious.

The cars I saw on TV are expensive.
Those are expensive.

The stars in the sky are too bright.
Those are too bright.

Demonstrative adjectives are found before the noun. They are used to describe or modify the nouns.

Examples:

These clothes are old.

These pencils are mine.

Do you want to buy these flowers?

Those houses are on sale.

Those bags are stylish.

Are those seats taken?

When we want to say what we like or dislike, we use the verbs love, like and hate.

The verbs Like/Love/Hate is usually followed by a gerund (verb + –ing). We use a gerund after these verbs when the meaning is general or when we talk about the action or the experience.

Sentence structure:

Subject + Like/Love/Hate + gerund [verb + -ing] + the rest of the sentence

Examples:

Sometimes, we use to-infinitive after like, love, and hate if we are talking about a particular time or situation or to express habits or choices.

Example:

I like reading books. – (You like reading books in general.)

I like to read books. – (Reading books is an activity that you choose to do.)

It is more common to use the -ing form after the verbs love and hate.

The passive form is used to change the focus of an action. In this sentence, we are more concerned with or interested in the object that receives the action and not the one who did it. Therefore, the object becomes the subject. 

We use to be and the past participle to form questions in passive. 

Typically, we use wh and how question words in interrogative sentences. However, with the passive voice, some sentences need not a question word.

Examples:

Passive questions without question words in simple present:

Passive questions with question words in simple present:

Passive questions without question words in simple past:

Passive questions with question words in simple past:

Examples of passive questions in other tenses:

Progressive forms:

The passive forms of reporting verbs are commonly used in news reports or when someone else told us about it. We use this structure to deliver information when its accuracy is unverified. 

Examples of reporting verbs are: said, believed, expected, known, reported, alleged, considered, claimed, suggested, etc.

In this lesson, we will focus on the reporting verb “said“.

We can use these passive forms in two ways.

In some conditions, ‘it is supposed to…’ also means ‘it is said to…’

In other conditions, ‘it is supposed to…’ means something is planned or expected to happen but oftentimes didn’t really happen.

There are some nouns that are always in singular form. They are uncountable and do not have a plural form.

We do not use the articles – a/an before them but if they are particular we can use the article – the.

They are used with singular verbs.

Examples:

My homework was very easy.

The luggage is heavy.

Their information was helpful.

Special case: 

Some of these nouns end in -s and -ics they may be mistaken for plural nouns. They are in the singular and they are used with singular verbs. 

Examples:

Physics is my favorite subject..

His progress was slow.

Measles is a serious disease.

The adverb ‘how’ asks for the manner or the way something is done.

Sentence structure:

How + helping verb + subject + main verb + rest of the sentence?

Examples:

How does she teach English?
How did you make this pie?

When asking about the condition or quality of something.

Sentence Structure:

How + verb BE + Subject+ rest of the sentence?

Examples:

How are you?
How was your exam?

It is also used with other words to create different types of questions.

Examples:

Wh – questions start with who, what, when, where and why.

The answers to these questions are not just a simple yes or no.

When asking wh- questions in the past tense, you need to add the word “did“.

Sentence Structure:

Examples:

Who

Who did you meet?
Who did we choose?

What

What did you eat?
What did you learn in school?

When

When did you leave?
When did she study in Madrid?

Where

Where did she go?
Where did he park the car?

Why

Why did they move to Barcelona?
Why did you buy the car?

We can also use the verb “to be” when asking wh- questions in the past tense.

Sentence Structure:

Examples:

Who

Who was in the room?
Who were those people?

What

What was in the bag?
What were your hobbies?

When

When was he sad?
When were they at home?

Where

Where was she last Monday?
Where were you this morning?

Why

Why were they mad?
Why were you alone?

We use an adverb to express a significant description to a verb, an adjective or another adverb. Simply put, it tells us HOW something happens. The rule is simple for regular adverbs as we often only need to add -ly to the end of an adjective.

Irregular adverbs on the other hand, disregard standard English spelling rules. Hence, they have to be memorized.

Here are some common irregular adverbs.

Hard vs Hardly

She works hard because she’s looking forward for a promotion. – correct

She works hardly because she’s looking forward for a promotion. – incorrect (Hardly means “almost never”)

If we say, “She works hardly,” this means she hardly ever  or rarely works which is opposite from the original context.

Late vs Lately

I came home late. – correct (To arrive home later than the expected time or very late at night.)

I came home lately. – incorrect (Lately means “recently”)

Late is both an adjective and an adverb while ‘lately’ is only an adverb of time which means recently.

Good vs. Well

Good is an adjective. Well is the adverb of good which describes how something is being done.

I did good in my interview. – incorrect

I did well in my interview. – correct