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PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
English I: First Quarter
GRAMMAR MODULE 1: Sentence Structure, Subject-Verb Agreement, and the Present Tense
I.
SENTENCES
a.
Purpose
In physics, simple machines are the most basic mechanisms required to change direction the direction or
magnitude of force, typically to get more work done. If you break them down any further, they would
not perform any work. A fulcrum alone cannot multiply force the way a lever does; a rope alone would
not perform the same function a pulley does.
The same is true for language. For language to do its job of communication, we need to put together its
"simple machine": the simple sentence. The sentence's purpose, above all things, is to send a message.
Messages have to be complete. A single word or phrase is typically not a sentence, because neither
delivers a complete message.
For example:
you
cutting the leaves
difficult
None of these delivers a clear and complete message. If a sign said "you," one would wonder, then,
what the sign says about oneself. Now if the sign said "You must be at least 4 feet tall to ride.", then the
reader would receive a complete message.
While spoken language sometimes carries hidden implications, the message itself is in the form of a
sentence if expanded. For example, one might ask a gardener what he is doing. The gardener would
answer "Cutting the leaves." However, "cutting the leaves" is not the entire message. The entire
message is "I am cutting the leaves." The hidden parts of the sentence are assumed because of the
context of the question.
For our purposes, complete sentences are necessary for proper communication, especially in written
English.
b. Structure
In the English language, sentences are made up of two basic elements: the subject and the predicate.
The Subject is the person, object, idea or thing being discussed in the sentence. The subject will always
contain a noun or a pronoun, although it may modify it.
Examples:
-The knight rides valiantly.
-President Barack Obama delivered an inspiring speech.
-The foolish dwarf thought he could defeat the black dragon on his own.
In the first example, the noun is a common noun and thus needs the determiner "the" to start the
subject. The second sentence, on the other hand has a proper noun and thus does not need a
determiner.
The third sentence modifies the dwarf by using the adjective "foolish."
Without a subject, a sentence will not point to anything. Merely saying "Is the ugliest thing I've ever
seen." does not send a complete message. What is the ugliest thing you've ever seen?
The Predicate completes the message by telling us what the sentence is saying about the subject. The
predicate gives information about the subject.
The predicate always has a verb---either as an action the subject performs or the linking be-verb, which
attaches an adjective or adjectival clause to the subject. For example:
-The knight wears shining armor.
-The princess is rather ghastly-looking tonight.
-The dragon was actually a wizard in disguise.
The first example uses the verb "wears" as an action that the knight performs. On the other hand, the
two examples use variations of the be-verb to attach adjectival clauses that describe the subject. Take
note that while simple sentences usually start with a subject and end with a predicate, more complex
sentences may add prepositional phrases to further modify the predicate or the subject. Just because a
noun is at the start of the sentence doesn't mean it is the subject.
EXERCISE 1.1:
Encircle the subject of the sentence and underline the predicate.
1. I have my brother's cook books with me.
2. The school's creative writing club enjoys listening to Japanese trance music while eating pizza.
3. After work, Carolyn and I enjoy a good run along Roxas Boulevard.
4. Using her magic, the beautiful wizard princess turned Procopio into a warty toad.
5. The confused wizard looked for the Lightning Bolt spell in his spellbook, but failed.
6. The cowardly ninja Onsokumaru, feeling more courageous than usual, teased the samurai
Gennosuke about his hairstyle.
7. I'm hungry.
8. As a chef, my brother has many important duties in the kitchen.
9. Cleanliness is an important consideration for anyone in the culinary business.
10. Dust can clog up your laptop's fan.
EXERCISE 1.2:
Each item below has a missing predicate or subject. Complete the sentences by adding a subject or
predicate as needed.
1.
The school's library ________________________________________________________.
2.
_______________________________thought she was being followed.
3.
The Orange Ninja, thinking himself invincible, ___________________________________.
4.
Too many swords the blacksmith made ________________________________________.
5.
The one thing that bothers me about him ______________________________________.
II. SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
Every complete sentence is made up of a subject (a noun or a pronoun) and a predicate (which should
have a verb).
The dog bit me.
S
V
Unfortunately, not all subjects are as generic as the one used in the example above. Thus,
different subjects require adjustments in terms of verb usage. However, all we have to
remember is that the verb must always agree with its subject (the noun) in terms of number.


The verb always follows the number of the subject.
Ex:
Students love cramming.
Pedro loves his pet dog.
For sentences that have dummy subjects or expletives such as there and here, the verb
takes the number of the noun that follows it.
Ex:
There were a few students in the canteen when I arrived.
Here is the empty envelop you sent me last week.
 The demonstrative pronouns this and that always refer to individual subjects while these
and those always refer to plural subjects.
Ex:
That man seems strange.
Those projects look interesting.
 Prepositional or interjectional phrases do not affect the number of the verb.
Ex:
The teacher along with the students is going to the fair.
 If a compound subject refers to the one and the same person, the verb takes the singular
form. Otherwise, it takes a plural form:
Ex:
The German monk and Protestant leader Martin Luther is best remembered as the man who
challenged the teachings of the Catholic Church in the 1500s.
Ex:
The German monk and the Protestant leader are meeting in Paris to discuss the future of the
Christian faith.
In the first case, “the German monk and Protestant leader” is one clause that refers to a
single person, Martin Luther, who is both a German monk and a Protestant leader. In the
second case, however, the addition of “the” before “Protestant leader” changes the meaning
of the sentence so that “The German monk” and “the Protestant leader” refer to two
different individuals.
 If the subject of the verb is a count noun, the verb takes the plural form.
Ex:
The continents of the world are believed to have been once part of a single land mass.
If the subject of the verb is a mass noun, the verb always takes the singular form unless there is
a counter attached to the subject.
Ex:
Water is indeed a precious resource and must be conserved.
Ex:
Bodies of water are in danger of being destroyed.
 Indefinite pronouns used as subjects can be categorized into three:
Always singular
Anyone
Always plural
None
Anything
Nobody
Both
All
Few
Some
Many
Each
Nothing
Either
May be singular or plural
Several
One
Everyone
Somebody
Neither
Something
Ex:
One of the things I value most is my freedom.
(Note that the prepositional phrase does not affect the verb.)
Many theories regarding the origins of life have been debunked.
Some of these theories were formulated by people merely trying to get the attention of
the public.
Some of the money given to these charlatans was never recovered.
(The prepositional phrase helps determine the number that the verb will take only when
the subject of your sentence is either all or some.)



A collective noun indicates a group of persons or things. A collective noun is singular when
its group acts as a single unit.
Ex:
The class is rehearsing for its play.
However, if the group acts as individual units, the collective noun takes a plural verb.
Ex:
The class are performing their roles admirably.
Titles of books, movies, films, etc. always take a singular verb.
Ex:
“Cats” is a famous Broadway play.
Nouns which end in –s but are singular in meaning always take a singular verb.
Ex:
Physics is rarely utilized by scientists who study the origins of life.

Nouns which express amounts or measurements usually take a singular subject
except when they refer to individual items.
Ex:
One third of the world’s people live in Asia.
Two thirds of the earth’s surface is water.


Amounts, measurements, weights always take a singular verb.
Ex:
Twenty pesos is all I need to buy that yoyo.
Thirteen kilometers is not that far from where I live.
Three kilos of pork is needed for this dish to be tasty.
In sentences in which compound subjects linked by nor and or, the verb follows the number
of the subject nearest to it.
Ex:
Neither Simon nor his sisters know about the surprise.
Either the vice-presidents or the president approves the release of the funds.

Gerund and infinitive phrases always take a singular noun.
Ex:
Recycling bottles is now a certified hit in our school.
To fight for something one believes in is admirable.

Generic pairs are always considered singular.
Ex:
Ham and eggs is what I want for breakfast.
Exercise 2.1: Write the correct form of the verb in the parentheses on the blanks provided.
1. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam ________ (be) religions which have played important roles in
the history of the world.
2. They ___________ (be) considered the world’s greatest monotheistic faiths.
3. There _________ (exist) similarities as well as differences between these three religions.
4. The Jews and the Christians _______________ (believe) that God would send a Messiah to save
the world from sin.
5. The Jews, however, ____________ (refuse) to accept that Jesus Christ is the Messiah while the
Christians ___________ (have) embraced him as their promised savior.
6. Islam, on the other hand, _____________ (recognize) the teachings of Jesus Christ.
7. Unlike the Christians, Muslims _______________ (consider) Jesus as a prophet.
8. Islam ___________ (teach) that Allah’s last and greatest prophet is Muhammad.
9. Islam _________ (be) the modern world’s fastest growing religion.
10. One of the best ways to reach your destination promptly _________ (be) by taking the Metro
Railway Transit (MRT).
11. Everyday, many people ___________ (take) the MRT as they go to work and school.
12. This system of trains ____________ (have) proven to be an effective mode of transportation.
13. There ________ (be) however, several problems that need to be fixed.
14. For instance, many commuters ____________ (remain) unaware of the safety rules of the MRT
system.
15. The coaches of each train, on the other hand, _________ (be) too small for the hundreds of
thousands of passengers who take the MRT.
16. Sometimes, several trains ______________ (break) down, stranding and delaying commuters.
17. The Secretary of Transportation and Communication and the National Railways Commissioner
___________ (be) responsible for keeping the train system in top condition.
18. A lot of the world’s oil __________ (come) from the Middle East.
19,20. The recent oil shortage ____________ (have) alarmed the industrialized countries because
their economies ___________ (need) oil if they are to grow.
21. But these deposits ___________ (be) quickly being consumed by a seemingly thirsty world.
22. This so-called black gold ___________ (be) fast becoming a political weapon.
23. Each year, oil companies _____________ (fund) exploration teams in search for more oil
deposits.
24. However, most of these teams _____________ (be) unsuccessful.
25. In the meantime, oil consumption ___________ (have) gone up to astronomic levels.
Bonus: Governments ________ (be) thus forced to find alternative forms of fuel.
III. THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE
I.
Presentation
The Simple Present Tense is used in the following situations:
a. Habitual actions in the present
The dog takes a bath every day.
They go to hear mass every Sunday.
b. General timeless truths (like physical laws or customs)
The earth is round.
The sun rises in the east.
Filipinos like celebrating in a lavish manner.
c. Expression of future events
I have a party to attend tomorrow.
d. Present action, event or speech act
“Here she comes,” the boy muttered to his friend.
She looks at him and smiles.
The simple present tense is usually known as the V-s form.
Special Problem (do/does + verb)
When forming questions:
Do they help those who are in need?
Does he care about what we have to say about him?
When making negative expressions:
They do not deserve any pity for their dire deeds.
She does not deserve to be treated in this manner.
When emphasizing something:
I do believe you.
He does understand your idiosyncrasies.
Exercise 3.1
Read the paragraphs below, then, write the correct present tense form of the verb.
Connectors (1) __________ (be) important for more than the number of people they (2)
___________ (know). Their importance (3) ___________ (is) also a function of the kinds of people
they know. Perhaps the best way to understand this point (4) _______ (be) through the popular
parlor game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.” The idea behind the game (5) ________ (be) to try to
link any actor or actress, through the movies they (6) __________ (have) been in, to the actor
Kevin Bacon in less than six steps. So, for example, OJ Simpson was in Naked Gun with Priscilla
Presley, who was in Ford Fairlane with Gilbert Gottfried, who was in Beverly Hills Cop II with Paul
Reiser, who was in Diner with Kevin Bacon. That (7) ______ (be) four steps.
This (8) ________ (be) what connectors (9) _______ (be) like. They (10) _________ (be) people
whom all of us can reach in only a few steps because, for one reason or another, they (11)
_____________ (manage) to occupy many different worlds and subcultures and niches. In the case
of Connectors, their ability to span many different worlds (12) ____________ (be) a function of
something intrinsic to their personality, some combination of curiosity, self-confidence, sociability,
and energy.
Excerpts from “The Tipping Point” (Malcolm Gladwell)
IV. THE PRESENT PROGRESSIVE TENSE
Presentation
The Present Progressive Tense is used in the following instances:
a. an event or action that is in progress
The students are writing their formal themes.
b. a temporary activity
He is studying at PSHS.
c. to express a future event usually with a future time adverbial
The students are leaving tomorrow for a field trip.
The present progressive form is constructed using the present participle of the verb and is usually
preceded by the present form of the Be-Verb.
Be – Verb + present participle (V-ing)
(am, are, is)
The present progressive is often confused with gerunds and participles. However, the presence of
the Be-verb should be enough to tell the difference.
-He is typing the letter. (present progressive tense)
-He feels that typing the letter would only delay his work. (gerund—a verb participle
ending in “—ing” used as a noun)
-His only talent is playing the flute. (gerund used as subjective complement)
-The clerk got some typing paper from the cabinet. (participle—an adjective that ends
with “–ing”)
Exercise 4.1
Study each statement below. On the space provided for, write V if the underlined word s
a verb, G if it is used as a gerund, and P if it is used as a participle.
used as
______ 1. He reinvented himself after hearing of the nasty rumors about his demeanor.
______ 2. He is trying hard to fit in.
______ 3. The night is young and we should go partying.
______ 4. Our teacher is going bonkers over our nasty essays.
______ 5. His speech is very convincing.
______ 6. They are writing a letter of appeal to the director.
______ 7. The only way of making her see the truth is to tell her the truth.
______ 8. A disturbing number of students have fallen ill.
______ 9. The students are avoiding a confrontation with their English teacher.
______10. She is campaigning to be the president of the “Love the Snakes” movement.
Exercise 4.2
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb. Careful, some of the verbs are in the
present tense.
simple
The Philippine government (1) _______________ (neglect) its duty to educate the Filipino youth.
Every year, the Department of Education (2) ________________ (lobby) hard for more funding and
yet the government (3) _____________ (continue) to turn a deaf ear. One look at the situation of a
real public school is enough to send shivers up one’s spine. Public schools sorely (4) ____________
(lack) the facilities, teachers, books, and school supplies needed to better educate the students. And
every year the number of students in public schools continually (5) ________________ (increase).
The government (6) _____________ (keep) on giving excuses such as the lack of funds and soaring
inflation levels. Its officials, however, (7) ______________ (spend) money as if there was no
tomorrow. Frequent trips abroad, extended unproductive working sessions, debt servicing (8)
________________ (strain) the national budget. The government (9) ________________ (run) out
of excuses. It must make education its priority or one day, the citizens of this country might wake up
and (10) _________________ (see) that only idiots are left to run the country. Then, again, it already
is.
V. THE PRESENT PERFECT AND PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE TENSES
The Present Perfect Tense
Why is this tense called “perfect”? “Perfect” here implies the completeness of an action.
Now, let us take a look at the present perfect tense.
The present perfect tense is generally used when the event has occurred in the past, but without
any specific time:
I have seen Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen.
Important: You cannot use the present perfect tense with adverbs of time.
INCORRECT: “I have seen Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen yesterday.”
Use the simple past tense instead if you want to mention a specific time.
You can, however, use adjuncts of duration to show events that have happened in the past and
continue until the present.:
Metro Manila has experienced flooding since the 1930s.
Note, however, that flooding is not a truly continuous event, or else Metro Manila would be
constantly underwater.
The Present Perfect Tense is formed in this manner:
has or have
+
Past participle of the verb
Adjuncts of duration are often useful is determining the use of this tense. These markers include:
since _______, for a long time, sometime, for ____, now, never
The Present Perfect Progressive Tense
The Present Perfect Progressive Tense is used to indicate:
a. a habit or situation that began in the past (recent or distant) and that continues until the
present, where duration is important
I have been working on my homework since 4:30 pm.
Use this when you want to emphasize how long you’ve been working on your homework, and
that you still aren’t finished.
b. the incompleteness of an action in progress
I have been reading “Love in the Time of Cholera”.
No adjunct of duration is in this sentence, but the duration of the action is implied.
The Present Perfect Progressive Tense is formed in this manner.
has or have
+
been
+
present participle of the verb
Exercise 5.1
Complete the passage below by writing the correct form of the present perfect or present
progressive tense of the verb inside the parenthesis.
perfect
The Expanded Value Added Tax (EVAT) Law (1) __________________ (bolster) the value of the
Philippine currency against the US dollar. It (2) __________________ (lead) to the rollback of oil
prices as the country gets much of its oil from outside sources using the hard-earned dollars sent by
the hordes of Overseas Contract Workers (OCWS). The President (3) ___________________ (gloat)
since last week about how her detractors were wrong in criticizing her decision to push for the EVAT.
She even added that she would use the provision in the law that allows her to raise the current 10
percent to 12 come the New Year. Her cabinet members (4) _______________ (assail) members of
the opposition right after the president’s speech. These officials dared the president’s opponents to
now eat their words. They even pointed out that the stock market (5) _________________ (rise)
steadily since November 1 and might even surpass its highest levels since the Ramos administration.
But some critics (6) _________________ (caution) the president from her early celebration. They
maintain that it is still too early to celebrate the success of the EVAT as it came into force during
November when OFWs send the bulk of their money to their families. Others (7) _______________
(congratulate) the president for her doggedness. These include institutions like the World Bank and
the International Monetary Fund – the same institutions which pushed for the EVAT. Some senators
on the other hand (8) _______________ (advise) the president to use the money carefully and
properly otherwise she might face a second wave of unrest next year when prices are expected to
go up. The collections from the EVAT (9) _______________ (pledge) to the education and social
work sectors and to the several anti-poverty programs. Indeed, there (10) _____________ (be)
good signs since the EVAT was implemented. But as the cynics would say, it is always best to wait
and see.