Lesson #1

I. Getting to know each other

1. What is your name?

2. How old are you?

3. What is your grade level?

4. What are your hobbies and interests and motto in life?

5. What motivates you to study English?

6. How often do you study English?

7. How often do you use English?

7. How do you study English?

8. How good are you in English?

9. What are your expectations for your class with me?

II. Quick review of the main parts of a sentence and parts of speech. 

1. What are the 2 main parts of a sentence? 

- Subject and Predicate. Subject is the topic of the sentence whilst predicate describes the subject. 

2. What are the 8 parts of speech?

a. Noun - Countable or Uncountable, abstract, concrete, compound, collective, common, proper

b. Pronoun - Personal, indefinite, interrogative, relative, possessive, reflexive, intensive, demonstrative, reciprocal, distributive

c. Verb - Action, transitive, intransitive, finite, non-finite verb (gerund, infinitives, participle), dynamic, stative, regular, irregular, auxiliary, linking

d. Adjective - Descriptive, quantitative, proper, demonstrative, possessive, interrogative, indefinite, articles, compound, cardinal, ordinal (positive, comparative, superlative)

e. Adverb - Time, degree, place, manner, frequency, comment, conjunction, confirmation and negation

f. Preposition - Simple, double, compound, participle, phrase (time, place, direction, agent, instrument, prepositional phrase)

g. Conjunction - Coordinating, correlative, subordinating, adverbial

h. Interjection - greetings, happiness, sorrow, anger, approval, surprise, attention, shock

III. Preliminary Quiz and Make your own Sentence.

1. There were fewer/less spectators than expected.

- Fewer is Adjective

2. The results of this complicated lawsuit remain/remains to be seen.

- Remain is an intransitive verb

Example sentence: All this time he had to remain strong for his mother.

3. The city of Dresden, which/that was virtually burnt to the ground during the war, now flourishes again.

- Which is relative pronoun.

Example sentence: 

All of which was beside the point.

Speaking of which, where was Alex?

4. I don't suppose that either of them care/cares one way or another. 

- Cares is a transitive verb 

Example sentence: 

5. That is one of those setbacks that really is/are unavoidable.

Are is a linking verb

6. The chairman, together with his two young daughters, have/has accepted our invitation. 

Has is a primary auxiliary verb.

7. The Cabinet has/have all been sworn to secrecy. 

Have is a primary auxiliary verb.

8. All those/Everyone present should pay their subscriptions on the way out. 

All those is a pronoun.

9. Every man, woman, and child were/was rescued.

Was is a linking verb.

10. Neither fire nor flood is/are every likely to deter him. 

Is is linking verb.

11. They had a dreadful row, and between you and me/I, his wife has now walked out on him. 

Me is an object pronoun. 

12. The audience gave my wife and I/me a standing ovation. 

Me is an object pronoun. 

13. Pierre challenged the directors, who/whom he regarded as incompetent to run the company. 

Whom is a relative pronoun. 

-Whom should be used to refer to the object of a verb or preposition.

She saw a lady whom she presumed worked at the store, and she asked her a question.

14. Please would you allow Joe and I/me to escort you home.

Me is an object pronoun. 

15. Who/Whom do you think is going to win? 

Answer: He is going to win. 

Incorrect: Him is going to win. 

Who is an interrogative pronoun.

16. Who/Whom do you consider most likely to win?

Whom is an interrogative pronoun. 

Answer: I consider him most likely to win.

Incorrect: I consider he most likely to win. 

17. They pleaded with whomever/whoever was within hailing distance.

Whoever is a subject pronoun.  

I'll buy it from whoever owns it. 

Whoever has them will be able to take control. 

Whoever you have will be enough for my plan.

18. I hope you don't mind my/me dropping in like this. 

My is a possessive pronoun. 

19. It's unfair to expect us/we public figures to know all the answers.

Us is an object personal pronoun. 

20. Isn't that the same man as/that she was dancing with last night?

As is a conjunction. It means "like" here or "the same as".

21. Ruth Ellis was the last woman hanged/hung in Britain. 

Hanged is a verb in past tense (intransitive).

22. Workmen lay/laid the tarpaulin down on the grass.

Laid is a past tense verb.

23. She shrunk/shrank back in horror. 

Shrank is a past tense verb.

24. Nobody dare/dares stand up to her. 

Dare is a modal verb. (indignation)

25. I shall/will find an answer, if it's the last thing I do. 

will is a modal verb.

26. I would/should go pick a fight with a karate expert!

Would is a modal verb.

27. If I were/was younger, I'd be happy to take the risk. 

Were is a linking verb.

28. Glamorgan may/might have won the match had they not gone and dropped three catches. 

Might is a modal verb. 

29. They asked if  I was/were prepared to reconsider. 

Was is a linking verb. 

30. He will likely/probably call again on Thursday. 

Probably is an adverb. 

31. The water in the basin has frozen solidly/solid during the night. 

Solid is an adjective. 

32. It's one of the most unusual/unique game parks in Africa.

Unusual is an adjective. 

- unique is (not comparable) being the only one of its kind; unequaled, unparalleled or unmatched while unusual is unlike what is expected; differing in some way from the norm.

33. You can phone direct/directly to Moscow.

Direct is an adverb.

Example sentence: The trains ran direct to both Oxford and Cambridge.

34. Regrettably/Regretfully, your application has been refused.

Regrettably is an adverb.

Example sentence:  In a moment of self-reflection Andy realizes that he has regrettably neglected his two children in order to further his career.

Questions: 

1.)  How was the quiz?

2.) Which of the sentences do you find difficult to understand?

IV. Homework

1.) Keep a notebook that records the unfamiliar words that you encounter daily. Write their definitions and make your own sentence using those words. 

2.) Study about nouns and be ready for a quiz about nouns. Write 3 example words of countable, uncountable, abstract, concrete, compound, collective, common, proper nouns (recommended: those that you are unfamiliar of) and write a sentence for each 3 words. 

Preliminary Grammar Quiz

 Which is the preferable form in each sentence below?

1. There were fewer/less spectators than expected.

2. The results of this complicated lawsuit remain/remains to be seen.

3. The city of Dresden, which/that was virtually burnt to the ground during the war, now flourishes again. 

4. I don't suppose that either of them care/cares one way or another. 

5. That is one of those setbacks that really is/are unavoidable.

6. The chairman, together with his two young daughters, have/has accepted our invitation. 

7. The Cabinet has/have all been sworn to secrecy. 

8. All those/Everyone present should pay their subscriptions on the way out. 

9. Every man, woman, and child were/was rescued.

10. Neither fire nor flood is/are every likely to deter him. 

11. They had a dreadful row, and between you and me/I, his wife has now walked out on him. 

12. The audience gave my wife and I/me a standing ovation. 

13. Pierre challenged the directors, who/whom he regarded as incompetent to run the company. 

14. Please would you allow Joe and I/me to escort you home.

15. Who/Whom do you think is going to win?

16. Who/Whom do you consider most likely to win?

17. They pleaded with whomever/whoever was within hailing distance. 

18. I hope you don't mind my/me dropping in like this. 

19. It's unfair to expect us/we public figures to know all the answers. 

20. Isn't that the same man as/ that she was dancing with last night?

21. Ruth Ellis was the last woman hanged/hung in Britain. 

22. Workmen lay/laid the tarpaulin down on the grass.

23. She shrunk/shrank back in horror. 

24. Nobody dare/dares stand up to her. 

25. I shall/will find an answer, if it's the last thing I do. 

26. I would/should go pick a fight with a karate expert!

27. If I were/was younger, I'd be happy to take the risk. 

28. Glamorgan may/might have won the match had they not gone and dropped three catches. 

29. They asked if  I was/were prepared to reconsider. 

30. He will likely/probably call again on Thursday. 

31. The water in the basin has frozen solidly/solid during the night. 

32. It's one of the most unusual/unique game parks in Africa.

 

33. You can phone direct/directly to Moscow.

34. Regrettably/Regretfully, your application has been refused. 

Lesson 1 for Mr. Y.N. - Answers to 1-20 English Grammar Quiz

My Japanese friend sent his answers to me at 3:02 AM on May 2, 2017.

He only answered items 1-20. I wonder why he did not complete all. 

Grammar Quiz

Instructions: 

Test your grammar. All of the sentences below are incorrect or dubious in one way or another. Try to identify the fault each time, and rewrite the sentence (in more than one way, if necessary) into a fully acceptable form.

1.)    A knight’s armour could weigh as much or more than the knight himself.

2.)    I’d hurry up if I was you.

3.)    The smell of lemons and limes waft me back to childhood.

4.)    She is one of those women who never lets bureaucracy stand in her way.

5.)    That book contains less anecdotes than its companion volume.

6.)    The minister as well as his advisors are shown emerging from the meeting.

7.)    Everybody should provide their own transport.

8.)    There’s so many things I have to remember.

9.)    I find these sort of comments most unhelpful.

10.)  Congress has reassembled after their break for the public holiday.

11.) If anyone phones, tell them I’ll be back at six o’clock.

12.) Neither of them were prepared to help the old woman cross the street.

13.) The media was unsparing in its criticism.

14.) Either Sam or his wife are going to babysit for us.

15.) All the available data suggests that acid rain is the culprit.

16.) The standard criteria is a high IQ.

17.) That book has two indices- an author index and a general index.

18.) My younger son, just between you and I, has been shortlisted for a scholarship to Cambridge.

19.) Whom do you think is most likely to succeed?

20.) The onlookers suddenly vanished like they had evaporated.

The following are Mr. Y.N.'s answers:

These are the answers to the 1-20 item quiz: 

1.)    A knight’s armour could weigh as much as or more than the knight himself.

2.)    I’d hurry up if I were you

3.)    The smell of lemons and limes wafts me back to childhood.

4.)    She is one of those women who never let bureaucracy stand in their way.

5.)    That book contains fewer anecdotes than its companion volume.

6.)    The minister as well as his advisors is shown emerging from the meeting.

7.)    Everybody should provide his or her own transport/All participants should provide their own transport/ All of you should provide your own transport.

8.)    There are so many things I have to remember.

9.)    I find these sorts of comment most unhelpful.

10.) Congress have reassembled after their break for the public holiday/ Congress has reassembled after its break for the public holiday.

11.) If anyone phones, tell him or her I’ll be back at six o’clock/If anyone phones, say I’ll be back at six o’clock.

12.) Neither of them was prepared to help the old woman cross the street

13.) The media were unsparing in their criticism.

14.) Either Sam or his wife is going to babysit for us.

15.) All the available data suggest that acid rain is the culprit.

16.) The standard criterion is a high IQ.

17.) That book has two indexes- an author index and a general index.

18.) My younger son, just between you and me, has been shortlisted for a scholarship to Cambridge.

19.) Who do you think is most likely to succeed?

20.) The onlookers suddenly vanished as if they had evaporated. 

Source: The Grammar Quiz is taken from the Reader's Digest How to Write and Speak Better (1991).