v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v vAcknowledgmentsv v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v I would like to thank Barbara Gilson, the editorial director of Schaum. Barbara, you are a dear friend, and it is always a treat working with you. Thank you also to all the hard-working people at McGraw-Hill who take my manu- scripts and turn them into books. They are Andrew Littell, Maureen B. Walker, and Maureen Harper. You make me look so good! And grateful acknowledgement to the wonderful staff of the Farmingdale Public Library. From reference to circulation, youth services to technical processing, you always manage to get me the material I need. Your experience, expertise, and kindness are much appreciated. Finally, my thanks to my children, Charles and Samantha, and their friends. When “book writing” gets tough, I can always count on the kids for a much- needed break! v v v vii
x Contents Using Who, Which, That 26 It’s a Wrap 27 Test Yourself 27Chapter 3 Using Verbs Correctly 31 Overview of Verb Functions 32 The Six Verb Tenses 32 Regular and Irregular Verbs 33 How to Use Tenses 37 Active and Passive Voice 39 It’s a Wrap 40 Test Yourself 40PART 2 USAGE AND ABUSAGE 45Chapter 4 Using Adjectives and Adverbs Correctly 47 Is It an Adjective or an Adverb? 48 Positive, Comparative, and Superlative Degrees of Comparisons 49 Comparing with Adjectives and Adverbs 51 Using Predicate Adjectives after Linking Verbs 52 Double Negatives 54 It’s a Wrap 55 Test Yourself 55Chapter 5 Agreement: Matching Sentence Parts 61 Like Peas in a Pod 62 A Singular Subject Must Have a Singular Verb 63 A Plural Subject Must Have a Plural Verb 65 Collective Nouns and Indefinite Pronouns 66 Special Problems in Agreement 69 Agreement of Pronouns and Antecedents 70 It’s a Wrap 71 Test Yourself 71Chapter 6 The 25 Most Common Usage Problems 77 Top Trouble Spots in Writing 78 Most Common Grammar and Usage Errors 79 Most Common Sentence Errors 83 Most Common Spelling Errors 83 Most Common Punctuation Errors 92 Most Common Capitalization Errors 93 Most Common Proofreading Errors 93
Contents xi Improve Your Writing, One Step at a Time 94 It’s a Wrap 94 Test Yourself 94PART 3 SENTENCE SENSE 99Chapter 7 Phrases and Clauses 101 Overview of Phrases 102 Prepositional Phrases 102 Appositives and Appositive Phrases 103 Verbal Phrases 103 Infinitive Phrases 104 Overview of Clauses 105 Dependent Clauses 105 It’s a Wrap 108 Test Yourself 108Chapter 8 Writing Correct and Complete Sentences 115 What Is a Sentence? 116 The Four Different Sentence Functions 117 The Four Different Sentence Types 117 Choosing Sentence Types 120 Sentence Errors: Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices 121 Sentence Errors: Fragments 122 It’s a Wrap 124 Test Yourself 124Chapter 9 Sentence Coordination and Subordination 131 Coordinating Sentence Parts 132 Subordinating Sentence Parts 134 Coordination versus Subordination 136 Parallel Structure 137 It’s a Wrap 137 Test Yourself 137PART 4 A WRITER’S TOOLS 145Chapter 10 Punctuation 147 Apostrophes 148 Brackets 149 Colons 150
xii Contents Commas 150 Dashes 153 Ellipsis 153 Exclamation Marks 154 Hyphens 154 Parentheses 154 Periods 155 Question Marks 155 Quotation Marks 155 Semicolons 156 Slashes 156 It’s a Wrap 157 Test Yourself 157Chapter 11 Capitalization and Abbreviations 163 Avoiding Capital Offenses: The Rules of Capitalization 164 Capitalize Names and Titles 164 Capitalize Names of Places and Events 167 Capitalize Names of Languages and Religions 167 Capitalize Proper Adjectives and Product Names 168 Capitalize Names of Organizations, Institutions, Courses, and Famous Buildings 169 Capitalize Names of Days, Months, and Holidays 169 Capitalize Time and Other Proper Nouns 170 Capitalize the First Word of . . . 170 Good Things Come in Small Packages: The Rules of Abbreviations 172 It’s a Wrap 174 Test Yourself 175PART 5 STRUTTIN’ YOUR STUFF WITH STYLE 181Chapter 12 Developing Your Own Writing Style 183 What is Style in Writing? 184 The Elements of Style 185 Audience and Style 187 Purpose and Style 188 Developing Your Style 189 It’s a Wrap 190 Test Yourself 190Chapter 13 Diction and Conciseness 197 What is Diction? 198 Levels of Diction 198
Contents xiii Choosing the Appropriate Level of Diction 200 Less Is More: Be Concise 201 Three Ways to Write Concise Sentences 203 It’s a Wrap 206 Test Yourself 206Chapter 14 Words and Expressions to Avoid 211 Use Nonbiased Language 212 Replace Clichés with Fresh Expressions 214 Avoid Empty Language 215 George Orwell on Style 217 It’s a Wrap 218 Test Yourself 218Index 225
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v vPrefacev v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v I have the world’s nicest students. They are polite, earnest, and sweet. They are fun to talk to and a delight to teach. Unfortunately, many of them are ill-prepared for col- lege. They are not ready for the onslaught of work and do not know how to write. Many have not been taught grammar, usage, or mechanics. After interviewing students across the country—including many at the nation’s top schools—I have come to realize that this dilemma is not unique to my students. Far from it. Worst of all, a distressing number of students believe they cannot succeed. They have been shaken by years of low grades or grade inflation that results in artificially-raised scores. This book is designed to help all students master the basics of English grammar that they need to succeed in their studies. Best of all, when students understand the under- pinnings of our language, learning will be fun—as it should be. —LAURIE ROZAKIS, PH.D. FARMINGDALE STATE COLLEGE v v v xv
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v vOrganization of the Textv v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v T his book is arranged in five sections for a total of fourteen chapters. The chapters take you step-by-step through the process of learning English grammar and usage. Each chapter ends with a series of review exercises. These help you reinforce and extend what you learned. The exercises include true-false, completion, and multiple- choice test items. Here’s how to use this book: Option 1 G Read through the book from the beginning to the end as you would any book. G Complete all the exercises at the end of each chapter to assess your progress. This gives you even more practice with grammar. Option 2 G Pick and choose the chapters you wish to read, or read them in any order you like. G Skim the exercises to find the ones that help you learn more about the areas in which you need improvement. Option 3 G Use the book as a study guide right before and after major tests. Read and reread the chapters you need the most. G Complete the exercises that directly match the types of tests you are taking now or plan to take in the immediate future. v v v xvii
ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR THE UTTERLY CONFUSED4Get Started English is a very flexible language. A word’s meaning is derived not only from how it is spelled and pronounced but also from how it is used in a sentence. As you review the parts of speech, remember that the way a word is used in a sen- tence determines which part of speech it is. For example: Noun: I ate a fish for dinner. Verb: We fish in the lake on every Tuesday.Adjectives Adjectives are words that describe nouns and pronouns. Adjectives answer the questions: What kind? How much? Which one? How many? For example: What kind? red nose gold ring How much? more sugar little effort Which one? second chance those chocolates How many? several chances six books There are five kinds of adjectives: common adjectives, proper adjectives, compound adjec- tives, articles, and indefinite adjectives. 1. Common adjectives describe nouns or pronouns. strong man green plant beautiful view 2. Proper adjectives are formed from proper nouns. California vegetables (from the noun “California”) Mexican food (from the noun “Mexico”) 3. Compound adjectives are made up of more than one word. far-off country teenage person 4. Articles are a special type of adjective. There are three articles: a, an, the. The is called a “definite article” because it refers to a specific thing. A and an are called “indefinite articles” because they refer to general things. Use a with consonant sounds; use an before vowel sounds.
Parts of Speech 5 5. Indefinite adjectives don’t specify the specific amount of something. all another any both each either few many more most neither other several some Follow these guidelines when you use adjectives: 1. Use an adjective to describe a noun or a pronoun. Jesse was unwilling to leave the circus. noun adj. adj. noun 2. Use vivid adjectives to make your writing more specific and descriptive. Take a larger slice of the luscious cake. adj. noun adj. noun 3. Use an adjective after a linking verb. A linking verb connects a subject with a descriptive word. The most common linking verbs are be (is, am, are, was, were, and so on), seem, appear, look, feel, smell, sound, taste, become, grow, remain, stay, and turn. Chicken made this way tastes more delicious (not deliciously). Quick Tip Predicate adjectives are adjectives separated from the noun or pronoun by a link- ing verb. Predicate adjectives describe the subject of the sentence. The weather was cold all week.Adverbs Adverbs are words that describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Adverbs answer the questions: When? Where? How? or To what extent? When? left yesterday begin now Where? fell below move up How? happily sang danced badly To what extent? partly finished eat completely
ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR THE UTTERLY CONFUSED6 Most adverbs are formed by adding -ly to an adjective. For example: Adjective Adverb Quick — quickly Careful — carefully Accurate — accurately Here are some of the most common non-ly adverbs: afterward almost already also back even far fast hard here how late long low more near never next now often quick rather slow soon still then today tomorrow too when where yesterday Follow these guidelines when you use adverbs: 1. Use an adverb to describe a verb. Experiments using dynamite must be done carefully. verb adv. 2. Use an adverb to describe an adjective. Sam had an unbelievably huge appetite for chips. adv. adj. 3. Use an adverb to describe another adverb. They sang so clearly. adv. adv.Quick Tip Conjunctive adverbs are used to connect other words and to link ideas and paragraphs. accordingly again also besides consequently finally for example furthermore however indeed moreover on the other hand otherwise nevertheless then therefore
Parts of Speech 7Conjunctions Conjunctions connect words or groups of words and show how the words are related. There are three kinds of conjunctions: coordinating conjunctions, correlative conjunctions, and sub- ordinating conjunctions. 1. Coordinating conjunctions link similar words or word groups. There are seven coordinat- ing conjunctions: for and nor but or yet so Quick Tip Use this mnemonic to help you remember the seven coordinating conjunctions: FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). 2. Correlative conjunctions also link similar words or word groups, but they are always used in pairs. Here are the correlative conjunctions: both . . .and either . . . or neither . . . nor not only . . . but also whether . . . or 3. Subordinating conjunctions link an independent clause (complete sentence) to a depen- dent clause (fragment). Here are the most often used subordinating conjunctions: after although as as if as long as as soon as as though because before even though if in order that since so that though till unless until when whenever where whereverInterjections Interjections show strong emotion. Since interjections are not linked grammatically to other words in the sentence, they are set off from the rest of the sentence with a comma or an excla- mation mark. For example: G Oh! What a shock you gave me with that gorilla suit. G Wow! That’s not a gorilla suit!
ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR THE UTTERLY CONFUSED8Nouns A noun is a word that names a person, place, or thing. Nouns come in these varieties: com- mon nouns, proper nouns, compound nouns, and collective nouns. 1. Common nouns name any one of a class of person, place, or thing. girl city food 2. Proper nouns name a specific person, place, or thing. Proper nouns are always capitalized. Barbara New York City Rice-a-Roni 3. Compound nouns are two or more nouns that function as a single unit. A compound noun can be two individual words, words joined by a hyphen, or two words combined. Individual words: time capsule Hyphenated words: great-uncle Combined words: basketball 4. Collective nouns name groups of people or things. audience family herd crowd Possessive Nouns In grammar, possession shows ownership. Follow these rules to create possessive nouns. 1. With singular nouns, add an apostrophe and an s. dog → dog’s bone singer → singer’s voice 2. With plural nouns ending in s, add an apostrophe after the s. dogs → dogs’ bones singers → singers’ voices 3. With plural nouns not ending in s, add an apostrophe and an s. men → men’s books mice → mice’s tails Plural Nouns Here are the guidelines for creating plural nouns. 1. Add s to form the plural of most nouns. cat → cats computer → computers 2. Add es if the noun ends in s, sh, ch, or x. wish → wishes inch → inches box → boxes
Parts of Speech 9 3. If a noun ends in consonant -y, change the y to i and add es. city → cities lady → ladies 4. If a noun ends in vowel -y, add s. Words ending in -quy don’t follow this rule (as in solilo- quies). essay → essays monkey → monkeysPrepositions Prepositions link a noun or a pronoun following it to another word in the sentence. Use this chart to help you recognize some of the most common prepositions: about above across after against along amid around as at before behind below beneath beside between beyond but by despite down during except for from in inside into like near on onto of off opposite out outside over past since through to toward under underneath until upon with A noun or pronoun always follows a preposition. A prepositional phrase is a preposition and its object. A prepositional phrase can be two or three words long. on the wing in the door However, prepositional phrases also can be much longer, depending on the length of the preposition and the number of words that describe the object of the preposition. near the violently swaying oak trees on account of his nearly depleted bank accountPronouns A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun or another pronoun. Pronouns help you avoid unnecessary repetition in your writing and speech. A pronoun gets its meaning from the noun it stands for. The noun is called the antecedent. Although Seattle is damp, it is my favorite city. antecedent pronoun There are different kinds of pronouns. Most of them have antecedents, but a few do not.
ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR THE UTTERLY CONFUSED10Quick Tip The word antecedent comes from a Latin word meaning “to go before.” However, the noun does not have to appear before the pronoun in a sentence. It often does, though, to keep sentences clear and avoid misreadings. 1. Personal pronouns refer to a specific person, place, object, or thing. Singular PluralFirst person I, me, mine, my we, us, our, oursSecond person you, your, yours you, your, yoursThird person he, him, his, she, her, hers, it they, them, their, theirs, its 2. Possessive pronouns show ownership. The possessive pronouns are: your, yours, his, hers, its, ours, their, theirs, whose. Is this beautiful plant yours? Yes, it’s ours.Quick Tip Don’t confuse personal pronouns with contractions. Personal pronouns never have an apostrophe, while contractions always have an apostrophe. Use this chart: Pronoun Contraction yours you’re (you are) its it’s (it is) their they’re (they are) whose who’s (who is)
Parts of Speech 11 3. Reflexive pronouns add information to a sentence by pointing back to a noun or pronoun near the beginning of the sentence. Reflexive pronouns end in -self or -selves. Tricia bought herself a new car. All her friends enjoyed themselves riding in the beautiful car. 4. Intensive pronouns also end in -self or -selves but just add emphasis to the noun or pro- noun. Tricia herself picked out the car. 5. Demonstrative pronouns direct attention to a specific person, place, or thing. There are only four demonstrative pronouns: this, that, these, those. This is my favorite movie. That was a fierce rain storm. 6. Relative pronouns begin a subordinate clause. There are five relative pronouns: that, which, who, whom, those. Jasper claimed that he could run the washing machine. Louise was the repair person who fixed the machine after Jasper washed his sneakers. Singular Plural Singular or Plural another both all anyone few any each many more everyone others most everybody several none everything some much nobody nothing other someone anybody anything either little neither no one one somebody something
ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR THE UTTERLY CONFUSED12 7. Interrogative pronouns ask a question. They are: what, which, who, whom, whose. Who would like to cook dinner? Which side does the fork go on? 8. Indefinite pronouns refer to people, places, objects, or things without pointing to a specific one. The most common indefinite pronouns are listed in the chart on the previous page.Verbs Verbs name an action or describe a state of being. Every sentence must have a verb. There are three basic types of verbs: action verbs, linking verbs, and helping verbs. Action Verbs Action verbs tell what the subject does. The action can be visible (jump, kiss, laugh) or men- tal (think, learn, study). The cat broke Louise’s china. Louise considered buying a new china cabinet. An action verb can be transitive or intransitive. Transitive verbs need a direct object. The boss dropped the ball. The workers picked it up. Intransitive verbs do not need a direct object. Who called? The temperature fell over night.Quick Tip To determine if a verb is transitive, ask yourself “Who?” or “What?” after the verb. If you can find an answer in the sentence, the verb is transitive. Linking Verbs Linking verbs join the subject and the predicate. They do not show action. Instead, they help the words at the end of the sentence name or describe the subject. As you read earlier in this
Parts of Speech 13 chapter, the most common linking verbs include: be, feel, grow, seem, smell, remain, appear, sound, stay, look, taste, turn, become. Look for forms of to be, such as am, are, is, was, were, am being, can be, have been, and so on. The manager was happy about the job change. He is a good worker. Many linking verbs can also be used as action verbs. Linking: The kids looked sad. Action: I looked for the dog in the pouring rain. Quick Tip To determine whether a verb is being used as a linking verb or an action verb, substitute am, are, or is for the verb. If it makes sense, the original verb is a linking verb. Helping Verbs Helping verbs are added to another verb to make the meaning clearer. Helping verbs include any form of to be, do, does, did, have, has, had, shall, should, will, would, can, could, may, might, must. Verb phrases are made up of one main verb and one or more helping verbs. They will run before dawn. They still have not yet found a smooth track. WIt’s a rap English has eight parts of speech: ✔ Adjectives ✔ Adverbs ✔ Conjunctions ✔ Interjections ✔ Nouns ✔ Prepositions
ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR THE UTTERLY CONFUSED14 ✔ Pronouns ✔ Verbs The way a word is used in a sentence determines what part of speech it is. ȣ QUESTIONS ȣ Test True-False Questions Yourself 1. A noun names a person, place, or thing. 2. Common nouns name any one of a class of person, place, or thing. 3. Proper nouns name a specific person, place, or thing. Proper nouns are never capi- talized. 4. Plural nouns show ownership. 5. Verbs express action, condition, or state of being. 6. There are six basic types of verbs: action verbs, linking verbs, helping verbs, transi- tive verbs, intransitive verbs, and plural verbs. 7. Helping verbs are added to another verb to make the meaning clearer. Helping verbs include any form of to be. 8. Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns. 9. Never use an adjective after a linking verb. 10. Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. 11. All adverbs are formed by adding -ly to an adjective. 12. Prepositions link a verb to another word. 13. A pronoun gets its meaning from the noun it stands for. The noun is called the antecedent. 14. Conjunctions connect words or groups of words. 15. Interjections express strong emotions and are usually set off with an exclamation mark (!). Completion Questions Select the word that best completes each sentence. 1. Proper adjectives are formed from (common nouns, proper nouns). 2. The three articles are a, an, and (the, then). 3. The is called the (indefinite article, definite article). 4. (Predicate adjectives, Proper adjectives), which describe the subject of the sentence, are adjectives separated from the noun or pronoun by a linking verb.
Parts of Speech 15 5. (Interjections, Conjunctive adverbs) are used to connect other words and to link ideas and paragraphs. 6. There are (three, seven) different coordinating conjunctions. 7. Correlative conjunctions also link similar words or word groups, but they are always used (in pairs, one at a time). 8. Collective nouns (name groups, show ownership). 9. (I, Which) is a personal pronoun. 10. (Yours, Herself) is a possessive pronoun. 11. Intensive pronouns, unlike reflexive pronouns, (begin a subordinate clause, add emphasis). 12. (Interrogative pronouns, Indefinite pronouns) ask a question. They are: what, which, who, whom, whose. 13. Every sentence must have a noun and a (preposition, verb). 14. Action verbs can be visible and (mental, linking). 15. In the sentence “Luis dropped his hat,” the verb dropped is (transitive, intransi- tive). 16. In the sentence “Nita awoke early,” the verb awoke is (transitive, intransitive). 17. To determine if a verb is transitive, ask yourself (“Who?”/“What?”, “How many?”) after the verb. 18. (Helping verbs, Linking verbs) join the subject and the predicate and do not show action. 19. Helping verbs, which are added to another verb to make the meaning clearer, can include any form of (to be, to see). 20. In the sentence “I traded my sandwich for three oatmeal cookies,” the word oatmeal is a/n (noun, adjective). Multiple-Choice Questions Identify the part of speech for the underlined word in each sentence. 1. The outside of the boat needs scraping. (a) Noun (b) Adjective (c) Adverb (d) Preposition 2. You should scrape the boat without outside help. (a) Noun (b) Adjective (c) Adverb (d) Preposition
ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR THE UTTERLY CONFUSED16 3. Let’s sit outside and laugh at you as you work in the blazing sun. (a) Noun (b) Adjective (c) Adverb (d) Preposition 4. The ambulance is parked right outside the yard, next to the beehive. (a) Noun (b) Adjective (c) Adverb (d) Preposition 5. The politician repented of his past mistakes. (a) Noun (b) Adjective (c) Adverb (d) Preposition 6. Turn right past the store with the neon sign in the window. (a) Noun (b) Adjective (c) Adverb (d) Preposition 7. Did you hear that song before? (a) Conjunction (b) Adjective (c) Adverb (d) Preposition 8. Always follow through with what you start. (a) Interjection (b) Conjunction (c) Adverb (d) Preposition 9. The remark went right through one ear and out the other. (a) Noun (b) Adjective (c) Conjunction (d) Preposition 10. The gardener mowed the lawn after he reread Lady Chatterly’s Lover. (a) Conjunction (b) Adjective
Parts of Speech 17 (c) Adverb (d) PrepositionANSWER KEYTrue-False Questions 1. T 2. T 3. F 4. F 5. T 6. F 7. T 8. T 9. F 10. T 11. F 12. F 13. T 14. T 15. TCompletion Questions 1. proper nouns 2. the 3. definite article 4. Predicate adjectives 5. Conjunc- tive adverbs 6. seven 7. in pairs 8. name groups 9. I 10. Yours 11. add emphasis 12. Interrogative pronouns 13. verb 14. mental 15. transitive 16. intransitive 17. “Who?”/“What?” 18. Linking verbs 19. to be 20. adjectiveMultiple-Choice Questions 1. a 2. b 3. c 4. d 5. b 6. d 7. c 8. c 9. d 10. a
ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR THE UTTERLY CONFUSED20Overview of Pronoun Case Only two parts of speech, nouns and pronouns, have case. This means that they change form depending on how they are used in a sentence. English has three cases: nominative, objective, and possessive. G In the nominative case, the pronoun is used as a subject. I threw the ball. G In the objective case, the pronoun is used as an object. Give the ball to me. G In the possessive case, the pronoun is used to show ownership. The ball is mine. The following chart shows the three cases of personal pronouns: Nominative Objective Possessive (Pronoun as subject) (Pronoun as object) (Ownership) I me my, mine you you your, yours he him his she her her, hers it it its we us our, ours they them their, theirs who whom whose whoever whomever whoever To avoid errors in personal pronoun use, you must understand how to use each case. The rules are explained below. Relax: They’re actually not difficult at all!Using the Nominative Case 1. Use the nominative case to show the subject of a verb. Father and (I, me) like to shop at flea markets. Answer: I is the subject of the sentence. Therefore, the pronoun is in the nominative case: “Father and I like to shop at flea markets.” To help determine the correct pronoun, take away the first subject and try each choice. See which one sounds better. For example:
Using Pronouns Correctly 21 I like to shop at flea markets. Me like to shop at flea markets. The first one definitely sounds better. Quick Tip When you list two or more subjects, always put yourself last. Therefore, the sentence would read “Father and I,” never “I and Father.” (Who, Whom) do you believe is the better shopper? Answer: Who is the subject of the verb is. Therefore, the sentence would read, “Who do you believe is the better shopper?” Ignore interrupting expressions such as do you believe, you think, do you suppose (and so on). They do not affect pronoun case. 2. Use the nominative case for a predicate nominative. A predicate nominative is a noun or pronoun that follows a linking verb and identifies or renames the subject. Remember that a linking verb connects a subject to a word that renames it. Linking verbs indicate a state of being (am, is, are, etc.), relate to the senses (look, smell, taste, etc.), or indicate a condition (appear, seem, become, etc.). The salesman of the month was (I, me). Answer: Use I, since the pronoun renames the subject, the salesman of the month. “The salesman of the month was I.” Which is correct: “It is I” or “It is me”? Technically, the correct form is “It is I,” since we’re dealing with a predicate nominative. However, “It is me” (and “It is us”) has become increasingly acceptable as standard usage.Using the Objective Case 1. Use the objective case to show a direct object. A direct object is a noun or pronoun that receives the action. John’s suit no longer fits (he, him). Answer: John’s suit no longer fits him. (Who, Whom) did she finally invite to the dinner party? Answer: She is the subject, the person doing the action. Therefore, the sentence should read: “Whom did she finally invite to the dinner party?”
ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR THE UTTERLY CONFUSED22 Of course, she can invite (whoever, whomever) she wants. Answer: Of course, she can invite whomever she wants.Quick Tip When you have a pronoun combined with a noun (such as we guests, us guests), try the sentence without the noun. You can usually “hear” which pronoun sounds right. It is always a pleasure for we to attend their party. It is always a pleasure for us to attend their party. The second sentence is correct. 2. Use the objective case to show an indirect object. An indirect object tells to or for whom something is done. You can tell a word is an indi- rect object if you can insert to or for before it without changing the meaning. For example: “The book gave (to) my boss and (to) me some new strategies.” The bill gave (we, us) a shock. Answer: The bill gave us a shock. 3. Use the objective case for the object of a preposition. Remember that a preposition is a small word that links a noun or a pronoun following it to another word in the sentence. Sit by (I, me). Answer: The pronoun is the object of the preposition me, so the sentence reads: “Sit by me.”Using the Possessive Case 1. Use the possessive case to show ownership. The child refused to admit that the sweater was (her’s, hers). Answer: Hers is the correct spelling of the possessive case, which is needed here to express ownership (belonging to her). Therefore, the sentence should read: “The child refused to admit that the sweater was hers.” 2. Use the possessive case before gerunds. A gerund is a form of a verb that acts as a noun. Gerunds always end in -ing, and they always function as nouns. (You, Your) walking in the rain didn’t cause your cold.
Using Pronouns Correctly 23 Answer: The gerund walking requires the possessive pronoun your. Therefore, the sen- tence should read: “Your walking in the rain didn’t cause your cold.” Do you mind (my, me) borrowing your cell phone? Answer: Do you mind my borrowing your cell phone? 3. Use some possessive pronouns alone to show ownership. This cell phone is mine, not yours.Three Other Rules for Using Pronouns Here are three more rules that apply to pronouns and case. 1. A pronoun used in apposition with a noun is in the same case as the noun. An appositive phrase is a noun or pronoun that adds information and details. Appositives can often be removed from the sentence, so they are set off with commas. The appositive in the following sentence is underlined. Two police officers, Alice and (she, her), were commended for bravery. Answer: The pronoun must be in the nominative case (she) because it is in apposition with the noun police officers, which is in the nominative case. Therefore, the sentence should read: Two police officers, Alice and she, were commended for bravery. Exception: A pronoun used as the subject of an infinitive is in the objective case. For exam- ple: “Juan expects Luz and (I, me) to host the reception.” The correct pronoun here is me, since it is the subject of the infinitive to host. Quick Tip Pronouns that express ownership never get an apostrophe. Watch for these possessive pronouns: yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs. 2. Use -self forms correctly with reflexive and intensive situations. As you learned in Chapter 1, reflexive pronouns reflect back to the subject or object. The child embarrassed himself. Don’t use reflexive pronouns in place of subjects and objects. The boss and (myself, I) had a meeting. Answer: Use the pronoun I, not the reflexive form. Therefore, the sentence reads: “The boss and I had a meeting.” 3. Who is the nominative case; whom is the objective case. No one will argue that who and whom are the most troublesome pronouns in English. Even though who and whom were discussed earlier in this chapter, these little words cause
ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR THE UTTERLY CONFUSED24 such distress that they deserve their own subsection. Let’s start by looking back at our pronoun-use chart. Nominative Objective Possessive (Subject case) (Object case) (Ownership) Singular who whom whose whoever whomever whosoever Plural who whom whose whoever whomever whosoever Now, some guidelines: G Use who or whoever when the pronoun is the subject of a verb. Who won the Nobel Prize this year? G Use who or whoever when the pronoun is the predicate nominative. The winner was who? G Use whom or whomever when the pronoun is the direct object of a verb or the object of a preposition. Whom did he fire this week?Use Correct Pronoun Reference The meaning of a pronoun comes from its antecedent, the noun or pronoun to which it refers. Your speech and writing will be confusing if your pronoun reference is unclear. Carelessly placed pronouns can create unintentionally funny sentences as well as confus- ing ones. Consider the difference between what the writer thinks he or she said and what is really being said in the following sentences: Last week, a wart appeared on my right thumb, and I want it removed. (Are you removing the wart or the thumb?) Guilt and unkindness can be emotionally destructive to you and your friends. You must get rid of them. (Are you getting rid of the guilt or your friends?) There are three ways to prevent pronoun confusion. 1. A pronoun must clearly refer to a single antecedent. 2. Place pronouns close to their antecedents. 3. Make a pronoun refer to a definite antecedent. Let’s look at each guideline in detail.
Using Pronouns Correctly 25 1. A pronoun must clearly refer to a single antecedent. A common writing and speech prob- lem occurs when the same pronoun refers to more than one antecedent. For instance, in the last example in the previous section, them can refer to guilt, unkindness, or your friends. Remember that a pronoun replaces a noun. To make sure that your writing and speech are clear, always use the noun first before you use the pronoun. Clarify the sentence by replacing the unclear pronouns with nouns. That way, all the remaining pronouns will clearly refer to a single antecedent. Guilt and unkindness can be emotionally destructive to you and your friends. You must get rid of them. Here are two ways you could rewrite this sentence: Guilt and unkindness can be emotionally destructive to you and your friends. You must get rid of these issues. Guilt and unkindness can be emotionally destructive to you and your friends. You must get rid of these destructive emotions. 2. Place pronouns close to their antecedents. If too many phrases come between a pronoun and its antecedent, the sentence can be difficult to read and understand. This can happen even if the intervening material is logically related to the rest of the sentence. Consider the following sentence: After meeting a few guests, the President entered the reception. At that point, Sen- ator Chin and the other elected officials began to pose for pictures. Even so, he did not join them. In this sentence he is too far away from its antecedent, the President. One solution is to replace he with the President. The other solution is to rewrite the sentences to move the pronoun closer. After meeting a few guests, the President entered the reception. At that point, Sen- ator Chin and the other elected officials began to pose for pictures. Even so, the President did not join them. After meeting a few guests, the President entered the reception. He did not join Sen- ator Chin and the other elected officials, even though they began to pose for pictures. Quick Tip When you start a new paragraph, repeat the noun from the previous paragraph rather than using a pronoun in its place. Repeating the noun (usually a name) can help your reader more easily follow your logic. 3. Make a pronoun refer to a definite antecedent. Be sure all pronouns refer to only one antecedent. The pronouns it, this, that, and which are especially prone to unclear pronoun reference. Consider the following sentence: I told my friends that I was going to be a rock star, which annoyed my mother. The following form is better because it is less ambiguous: My mother was annoyed because I told my friends that I was going to be a rock star.
ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR THE UTTERLY CONFUSED26The Generic Masculine Pronoun Pronouns have number, person, and gender.Definition ExampleNumber shows amount. Lenny has changed his plans.(singular or plural) Lenny and Sam have changed their plans.Person indicates whether the pronoun refers I like to read mysteries.to the first person (I: the person speaking), You can get them in the library.second person (you: the person spoken to), Jill is studying math, which sheor third person (she: person, place, or thing needs.spoken about).Gender may be masculine, feminine, He is a butcher; she is a baker.or neuter. It is a fine car. Traditionally, a masculine pronoun was used to refer to a single antecedent whose gender is not specified. A student should turn in his assignments on time. This usage is no longer considered correct, since it is sexist language. You can use both the masculine and feminine pronouns or recast the sentence to make the pronoun plural: A student should turn in his or her assignments on time. Students should turn in their assignments on time. Which choice is best? Consider rewriting these sentences to make the pronoun plural because this results in smoother sentences.Using Who, Which, That Special rules govern the use of the relative pronouns who, which, and that. 1. Who refers to people or animals (only animals with names or special talents, like Lassie). She is not the actress who was originally cast in the role. 2. That and which refer to things, groups, and unnamed animals. The choice between which and that depends on whether the clause introduced by the pro- noun is restrictive or nonrestrictive. G A restrictive clause is essential to the sentence. G A nonrestrictive clause adds extra meaning, is set off by commas, and can be removed from the sentence.
Using Pronouns Correctly 27 Use that for restrictive clauses and which with nonrestrictive clauses. Once, at a social gathering, Gladstone said to Disraeli, “I predict, sir, that you will die either by hanging or by some vile disease.” (restrictive clause) Disraeli replied, “That all depends, sir, upon whether I embrace your principles or your mistress.” (restrictive clause) Postage meters, which are easy to use, are available at the book store. (nonrestrictive clause) Quick Tip In spoken English, who and whomever are becoming more and more uncommon. Informally, people use who and whoever in almost all situations. WIt’s a rap ✔ Case is the form of a noun or pronoun that shows how it is used in a sen- tence. ✔ English has three cases: nominative, objective, and possessive. ✔ Use the nominative case to show the subject of a verb; use the objective case to show the object of a verb; use the possessive case to show ownership. ✔ Make a pronoun clearly refer to a single, definite antecedent. ✔ Place pronouns close to their antecedents. ȣ QUESTIONS ȣ Test True-False Questions Yourself 1. Case refers to the way a noun or pronoun changes, depending on how it is used in a sentence. 2. English has three cases: nominative, objective, and possessive. 3. In the nominative case, the pronoun is used to show possession. 4. In the possessive case, the pronoun is used as an object. 5. Who is in the nominative case; whom is in the objective case. 6. A predicate nominative is a noun or pronoun that follows a linking verb and identi- fies or renames the subject.
ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR THE UTTERLY CONFUSED28 7. Use the objective case to show the object of a noun, verb, or adjective. 8. Gerunds always end in -ed, and they always function as verbs. 9. A pronoun used in apposition with a noun is in the same case as the noun. 10. A pronoun used as the subject of an infinitive is in the subjective case. 11. Pronouns that express ownership always take an apostrophe. 12. Use reflexive pronouns in place of subjects and objects. 13. A pronoun must clearly refer to a single, definite antecedent. 14. Place pronouns close to their antecedents. 15. Who refers to people or animals, while that and which refer to things, groups, and unnamed animals. Completion Questions Select the word that best completes each sentence. 1. Trish and (I, me) have decided to move to Brazil. 2. The new employees are (they, them). 3. The problem is unquestionably (she, her). 4. Human beings, (who, whom) are the most fascinating species on earth, are also the most admirable. 5. Those (whom, who) are early to bed and early to rise are healthy, wealthy, and very tired. 6. The best dressed employee has always been (him, he). 7. The winning contestants are the Griffels and (they, them). 8. The concept (which, that) intrigued (we, us) had not yet been publicized. 9. My car, (who, which) was brand new, had relatively little damage. 10. The car (which, that) hit me was speeding. 11. From (who, whom) did you buy that beautiful purse? 12. The thunderstorm frightened my cat and (I, me). 13. Please sit next to Rita and (me, I). 14. Brenda gave (he, him) a lot of unsolicited advice. 15. With (who, whom) have you agreed to carpool? Multiple-Choice Questions Select the best revision for each sentence. 1. When Harry and Chuck return home, he will call. (a) When Harry and Chuck return home, they will call. (b) When Harry and Chuck return home, Harry will call.
Using Pronouns Correctly 29 (c) When Harry and Chuck return home, him will call. (d) When Harry and Chuck return home, calling will take place. 2. When Marcia spoke to Margery that morning, she did not realize that she would win the international bodybuilding contest. (a) When Marcia spoke to Margery that morning, her did not realize that she would win the international bodybuilding contest. (b) When Marcia spoke to Margery that morning, they did not realize that she would win the international bodybuilding contest. (c) When Marcia spoke to Margery that morning, Marcia did not realize that she would win the international bodybuilding contest. (d) When Marcia spoke to Margery that morning, no one realized that she would win the international bodybuilding contest. 3. When the rain started, we pulled out an umbrella. It annoyed the people around us, but we decided to stay at the ball field. (a) When the rain started, we pulled out an umbrella. It’s annoyed the people around us, but we decided to stay at the ball field. (b) When the rain started, we pulled out an umbrella. Its annoyed the people around us, but we decided to stay at the ball field. (c) When the rain started, we pulled out an umbrella. The umbrella annoyed peo- ple around us, but we decided to stay at the ball field. (d) When the rain started, we pulled out an umbrella. They annoyed the people around us, but we decided to stay at the ball field. 4. If you asked Dick to describe Rudy, he would say that he was sly, boring, and cheap—and then he would snicker. (a) If you asked Dick to describe Rudy, Dick would say that he was sly, boring, and cheap—and then Dick would snicker. (b) If you asked Dick to describe Rudy, Dick would say that he was sly, boring, and cheap—and then he would snicker. (c) If you asked Dick to describe Rudy, he would say that he was sly, boring, and cheap—and then snickering would occur. (d) If you asked Dick to describe Rudy, Rudy would say that Rudy was sly, bor- ing, and cheap—and then Dick would snicker. 5. They awarded we losers a gag prize. (a) They awarded them losers a gag prize. (b) They awarded yours losers a gag prize. (c) They awarded they losers a gag prize. (d) They awarded us losers a gag prize. 6. My neighbor agreed to support he for the condo board. (a) My neighbor agreed to support she for the condo board. (b) My neighbor agreed to support him for the condo board. (c) My neighbor agreed to support I for the condo board. (d) My neighbor agreed to support we for the condo board.
ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR THE UTTERLY CONFUSED30 7. Naturally, you can invite whoever you want. (a) Naturally, you can invite who you want. (b) Naturally, you can invite which ever you want. (c) Naturally, you can invite whomever you want. (d) Naturally, you can invite that you want. 8. A student must understand that homework is very important to them. (a) Students must understand that homework is very important to them. (b) A student must understand that homework is very important to him. (c) A student must understand that homework is very important to her. (d) A student must understand that homework is very important to I. 9. The story was good, but they didn’t explain what happened in the end. (a) The story was good, but he didn’t explain what happened in the end. (b) The story was good, but the author didn’t explain what happened in the end. (c) The story was good, but she didn’t explain what happened in the end. (d) The story was good, but explaining what happened in the end didn’t happen. 10. Justin saw the ad on the web page yesterday, but he can’t seem to find it today. (a) Justin saw the ad in the web page yesterday, but he can’t seem to find the today. (b) Justin saw the ad in the web page yesterday, but he can’t seem to find its today. (c) Justin saw the ad in the web page yesterday, but he can’t seem to find today. (d) Justin saw the ad in the web page yesterday, but he can’t seem to find the ad today.ANSWER KEYTrue-False Questions 1. T 2. T 3. F 4. T 5. T 6. F 7. F 8. T 9. F 10. F 11. F 12. F 13. T 14. T 15. TCompletion Questions 1. I 2. they 3. she 4. who 5. who 6. he 7. they 8. that, us 9. which 10. that 11. whom 12. me 13. me 14. him 15. whomMultiple-Choice Questions 1. b 2. c 3. c 4. a 5. d 6. b 7. c 8. a 9. b 10. d
ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR THE UTTERLY CONFUSED32Overview of Verb Functions Recall from Chapter 1 that verbs are words that name an action or describe a state of being. There are four basic types of verbs: action verbs, linking verbs, helping verbs, and verb phrases. Verbs also convey information through changes in their form. Here are the five dif- ferent things we find out from a verb: G Tense (when the action takes place: past, present, or future) G Person (who or what experiences the action) G Number (how many subjects act or receive the action) G Mood (the attitude expressed toward the action) G Voice (whether the subject acts or is acted upon: the active or passive voice)The Six Verb Tenses The tense of a verb shows its time. English has six verb tenses. Each of the six tenses has two forms: basic and progressive (also known as “perfect”). The basic form shows action, occur- rence, or state of being that is taking place right here and now. The basic form also is the base for the future form (i.e., I will sleep; they will sleep). The following chart shows the six forms for the verb to walk:Tense Basic Form Progressive FormPresent walk am walkingPast walked was walkingFuture will walk will be walkingPresent perfect have walked have been walkingPast perfect had walked had been walkingFuture perfect will have walked will have been walking The tense of English verbs is formed from helping verbs and principal parts. Each English verb has four main parts, as shown in the chart on the next page.
Using Verbs Correctly 33 Principal Verb Parts Present Present Participle Past Past Participle look looking looked looked dance dancing danced danced 1. The present tense The present is used to form the present tense (“I look”) and the future (“I will look”). English uses the helping verb will to show the future tense. 2. The present participle The present participle forms all six of the progressive forms (“I am looking,” “I was look- ing,” and so on). 3. The past tense The past forms only one tense, the past. As with the present tense, the principal part stands alone. 4. The past participle The past participle forms the last three tenses: the present perfect (“I have looked”), the past perfect (“I had looked”), and the future perfect (“I will have looked”). To form the past participle, start with a helping verb such as is, are, was, has been. Then add the prin- cipal part of the verb. Quick Tip When you conjugate a verb, you list the singular and plural forms of the verb in a specific tense.Regular and Irregular Verbs English verbs are divided into two classes: regular and irregular. These classifications come from the way the verb forms its past tense and past participles. G Regular verbs: The past tense and past participle forms are created by adding -d, -ed, or -t to the present form, but the vowel doesn’t change; for example, walk, walked, walked. G Irregular verbs: No pattern is followed when the past and past participle are formed. Instead, there are many different forms. For example, with some irregular verbs the vowel changes and an -n or -e is added, as in begin, began, begun. With other verbs, the vowel changes and a -d or -t is added, as in lose, lost, lost.
ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR THE UTTERLY CONFUSED34 Of all the verbs in English, lie and lay are likely the most often confused. Lay is a regular verb; lie is an irregular verb. G Lie means “to repose.” Lie conjugates as lie, lay, lain. G Lay means “to put.” Lay conjugates as lay, laid, laid. Because lay is both the present tense of to lay and the past tense of to lie, many speakers and writers use lay when they mean lie. G Lie is an intransitive verb. That means that it never takes a direct object. When people are exhausted, they should lie down for a rest. G Lay is a transitive verb. That means that lay always takes a direct object. Lay the papers down. The following chart lists some of the most common irregular verbs that have the same present participle, past, and past participle forms.Present Tense Present Participle Past Past Participlebid bidding bid have bidburst bursting burst have burstcost costing cost have costhit hitting hit have hithurt hurting hurt have hurtkneel knelt knelt have kneltlet letting let have letput putting put have putset setting set have set The next chart lists some of the most common irregular verbs that have the same past and past participle forms.Present Tense Present Participle Past Past Participlebeat beat beaten have beatenbecome became become have becomebend bent bent have bentbind binding bound have boundbite bit bitten have bitten
Using Verbs Correctly 35 Present Tense Present Participle Past Past Participle bring bringing brought have brought build building built have built buy buying bought have bought catch caught caught have caught creep crept crept have crept dig dug dug have dug dive dived or dove dived have dived find finding found have found fight fighting fought have fought forget forgot forgotten have forgotten forgive forgave forgiven have forgiven get getting got have gotten, have got grow grew grown have grown hang hung hung have hung hang (execute) hanged hanged have hanged hide hid hidden have hidden hold holding held have held keep keeping kept have kept lay laying laid have laid lead leading led have led lose losing lost have lost pay paying paid have paid prove proved proved, proven have proved, have proven ring rang rung have rung say saying said have said send sending sent have sent show showing showed have showed, have shown sit sitting sat have sat sleep sleeping slept have slept spend spending spent have spent spin spinning spun have spun stand standing stood have stood stick sticking stuck have stuck teach teaching taught have taught
ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR THE UTTERLY CONFUSED36Quick Tip The most irregular verb in English is to be. Its principal parts are be, being, was, were, been, am, are, is. The following chart lists some of the most common irregular verbs that change in unpre- dictable ways:Present Tense Present Participle Past Past Participlearise arising arose have arisenbegin beginning began have begunblow blowing blew have blownbreak breaking broke have brokenchoose choosing chose have chosencome coming came have comedive dived, dove dived have diveddo doing did have donedraw drawing drew have drawndrink drinking drank have drunkeat eating ate have eatenfall falling fell have fallenfly flying flew have flownfreeze freezing froze have frozengive giving gave have givengo going went have goneknow knowing knew have knownlie (horizontal) lying lay have lainride riding rode have riddenrise rising rose have risenrun running ran have runsee seeing saw have seenshake shaking shook have shakenshrink shrinking shrank have shrunksing singing sang have sungsink sinking sank have sunk
Using Verbs Correctly 37 Present Tense Present Participle Past Past Participle speak speaking spoke have spoken spring springing sprang have sprung steal stealing stole have stolen strive striving strove have striven swear swearing swore have sworn swim swimming swam have swum take taking took have taken tear tearing tore have torn throw throwing threw have thrown wake waking woke, waked have woken, waked wear wearing wore have worn write writing wrote have writtenHow to Use Tenses The six tenses express time within three main categories: past, present, and future. You want to use the tenses correctly so that you can show how one event is related to another. The fol- lowing chart shows how the tenses are related. Verb Tense and Time Past Present Future Simple past Simple present Simple future Present perfect Future perfect Past perfect Past progressive Present Future progressive Present perfect progressive Future perfect progressive Past perfect progressive G Use the two present forms (simple present, present progressive) to show events that take place now. G Use the six past forms (simple past, present perfect, past perfect, past progressive, present perfect progressive, past perfect progressive) to show events that took place before the present.
ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR THE UTTERLY CONFUSED38 G Use the four future forms (simple future, future perfect, future progressive, future perfect progressive) to show events that take place in the future. 1. Use past tenses accurately. The six past tenses all indicate the past in a different way. The following chart provides examples of how to use these tenses.Tense Use ExampleSimple past Completed action (indefinite We washed the car. time) Completed condition (indefinite We were happy the time) party was over. Completed action (definite time) We washed the car yesterday. Completed condition (definite I was delighted yesterday to time) receive the news.Present perfect Completed action (indefinite We have bought the gifts. time) Completed condition (indefinite I have been very relieved. time) Action continuing into the Sarah has called for two present hours. Condition continuing into the She has been in New York present for a week.Past perfect Action completed before Greg had called all his friends another before the party started. Condition completed Greg had been a butcher before he became a guru.Past progressive Continuous completed action I was attending a spa that month.Present perfect progressive Action continuing into present Ralph has been exercising all week.Past perfect progressive Continuing action interrupted Katie had been repairing the by another fence that was damaged in the storm. 2. Use future tenses accurately. The chart on the next page explains the future tenses.
Using Verbs Correctly 39 Tense Use Example Simple future Future action The bus will arrive. Future condition I will be shocked when it does. Future perfect Future action completed before By the time you read this, the another bus will have arrived. Future condition completed before The storm will have been another raging for an hour before the phone goes out. Future progressive Continuing future action Janice will be exercising all summer. Future perfect progressive Continuing future action completed When we go on vacation next before another week, I will have been exercising for a month. 3. Don’t switch tenses in midstream. Never shift tenses in the middle of a sentence or a paragraph because it confuses readers. This guideline is especially important if your sentence contains more than one verb. Incorrect: I thought I had broken the CD player when I dropped it on the floor, but it sud- past past perfect past denly begins to play! present Correct: I thought I had broken the CD player when I dropped it on the floor, but it sud- past past perfect past denly began to play! pastActive and Passive Voice In addition to showing time through tense, action verbs also show whether the subject per- forms the action or receives the action. This is called a verb’s voice. English verbs have two voices: active and passive. (Linking verbs do not show voice.) 1. A verb is active when the subject performs the action. We took the package home. (“We” are doing the action.) I served a delicious meal. (“I” am doing the serving.) Notice that in the active voice, the sentence starts with the subject. The first sentence starts with We. The second sentence starts with I. 2. A verb is passive when its action is performed upon the subject.
ENGLISH GRAMMAR FOR THE UTTERLY CONFUSED40 A package was taken home. (The speaker is not indicated.) A delicious meal was served by me. Notice that in the passive voice, the sentence does not start with the subject. The first sen- tence starts with the object, “a package.” The second sentence starts with the object, “a delicious meal.” In general, use the active voice whenever possible because it is more direct and forceful. Using the active voice makes your writing crisp and powerful. The active verb is one word rather than two. Further, there is no need for a prepositional phrase beginning with “by” if you use the active voice. Using the passive voice is preferable over the active voice under two conditions: G You don’t want to assign blame. A mistake occurred with the filing system. Not surprisingly, the passive voice is very often found in business writing and speech. This helps the writer or speaker avoid “finger pointing.” G You don’t know who did the action. A prank phone call was made at 2:00 A.M. WIt’s a rap ✔ A verb’s tense shows when the action takes place. Use the right order of tenses to show the correct order of events. ✔ English verbs are divided into two classes: regular and irregular. These classifications come from the way the verb forms its past tense and past participles. ✔ Voice shows whether the subject acts (active voice) or is acted upon (passive voice). In general, use the active voice instead of the passive voice. ȣ QUESTIONS ȣ Test True-False Questions Yourself 1. English has six verb tenses. Each of the six tenses has two forms: basic and progres- sive (also known as “perfect”). 2. The progressive form shows action, occurrence, or state of being that is taking place right here and now. 3. The tense of English verbs is formed from helping verbs and principal parts. 4. There are eight different past tenses. Each one indicates a subtle shift in time. 5. The past tense and past participle forms of irregular verbs are created by adding -d, -ed, or -t to the present form but the vowel doesn’t change.