There’s no easy way to know which preposition follows a noun.  The best way to learn this grammar is to learn the noun and preposition together.  If there’s a verb after the preposition, it must of course be in the gerund form.  Here is a list of the most common noun + preposition combinations:

attention to:  His attention to detail is excellent.
cause of:  What is the cause of all this pollution?
component of:  Liquid hydrogen is one component of rocket fuel.
contribution to:  The scientist made many important contributions to his field.
cure for:  There’s no cure for the common cold.
decrease in:  There has been a decrease in crime over the last decade.
demand for:  There’s not much demand for paper bags anymore.
difficulty with:  She’s been having difficulty with her oldest daughter lately.
effect of (something) on (something / someone):  The effect of pollution on the children is severe.
example of:  Give me an example of the unfairness that you’ve experienced.
exception to:  The only exception to this rule is when you’re sick.
excuse for:  There’s no excuse for being late.
experience with: I’ve had no experience with this type of problem.
expert on [or in]:  He’s an expert on European history.
form of:  Watching TV is a form of homework in ESL classes.
group of:  A group of students is meeting after lunch to discuss the final exam.
improvement in:  There’s been no improvement in your father’s health.
increase in:  In the late 1940s there was a sharp increase in population.
influence on:  My grandfather had a big influence on my choice of career.
interest in:  She has no interest in astronomy.
origin of:  What is the origin of this word?
possibility of:  There’s absolutely no possibility of our arrival on time.
price of:  The price of gasoline has been increasing.
probability of:  There’s a 60% possibility of rain tomorrow.
quality of:  The quality of cars made in that country is quite high.
reason for:  There’s no good reason for forgetting your anniversary.
reliance on:  He’s developed a reliance on sleeping pills.
solution to:  I don’t see an easy solution to this problem.
supply of:  We have a good supply of ice for the party.
team of:  A team of doctors is on its way to the affected area.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

There’s no easy way to know which preposition follows a verb.  The best way to learn this grammar is to learn the verb and preposition together.  If there’s a verb after the preposition, it must of course be in the gerund form.  Here is a list of the most common verb + preposition combinations:

account for:  How do you account for the missing $500
accuse (someone) of:  The police accused him of murder.
adjust to:  It will take him a while to adjust to the the new culture.
agree with / to / on:  I don’t agree with you.
She won’t agree to separate bank accounts.
We don’t agree on many things, but we agree on this.
apologize for:  He apologized for forgetting to pick her up.
apply to:  She’s going to apply to at least three universities.
approve of:  I don’t approve of your new boyfriend.
argue with:  He argues with his brother all the time.
arrive at:  They arrived at school at 8:30.
ask for:  Go to the teacher and ask for help.
attach (something) to: They want you to attach a photo to your application form.
begin with:  Why don’t we begin with your personal information
believe in:  The children still believe in Santa Claus.
belong to: Those glasses don’t belong to me.
blame (someone) for:  She blames me for everything that goes wrong.
care about / for:  I don’t care about winning.
She cares for her sick mother.
compare (something/someone) with:  Compare Coke with Pepsi and you’ll find that Pepsi is sweeter.
compete with:  The shelves come in a box complete with instructions on how to assemble.
complain about:  It’s upsetting to be around people who complain about things all the time.
concentrate on:  I’ll make dinner, and you concentrate on finishing your homework.
consist of:  This recipe consists of flour, milk, eggs, honey and vanilla.
contribute to:  Cars that use gasoline contribute to global warming.
cooperate with:  We only want team members who can cooperate with each other.
count on:  You can count on me to support you for class president.  (=depend on)
cover (something/someone) with:  He covered her with a blanket after she fell asleep on the sofa.
deal with:  How do you deal with a child who won’t obey you?
decide on:  It’s time to decide on a wall color for this room.
depend on:  We know we can depend on our babysitter.
devote to:  Everyone knows she’s devoted to her family.
dream of / about:  Last night I dreamed of (about) hiking across a desert.
engage in:  The children are not allowed to engage in online chat rooms.
escape from:  Three men escaped from prison over the weekend.
excel in:  His son excels in math and science.
fight for:  The rebels are fighting for independence.
forgive (someone) for:  She’ll never forgive him for missing her birthday party.
hide (something) from (someone):  The parents hid the presents from their children.
hope for:  This is the best outcome I could ever hope for.
insist on:  I insist on seeing the manager.
interfere with:  It’s a bad idea to interfere with a police investigation.
look forward to:  We look forward to your arrival in our beautiful city.
object to:  She objects to anyone calling her by her first name.
participate in:  If you don’t want to participate in the game, you can leave now.
pay for:  He paid for his purchase with a credit card.
plan on:  I didn’t plan on anyone getting hurt.
pray for:  Let’s pray for sunshine on the day of the picnic.
prevent (someone) from:  We need to prevent him from hurting himself.
protect (someone) from:  There are many vaccines to protect you from disease.
provide (someone) with:  The school provided each student with a laptop computer.
recover from:  It took her ten days to recover from her surgery.
refer to:  He referred to a dictionary to check the spelling
rely on:  She relies on her father for financial support.
rescue (someone) from:  We rescued our cat from the SPCA.
respond to:  She wouldn’t respond to our questions.
result in:  The information we gave the police resulted in his arrest.
search for:  They searched for the perfect pizza.
shout at:  Don’t shout at the children.
stare at:  Would you please stop staring at me?
stop (someone) from:  My friend stopped me from making a big mistake.
subscribe to:  How many years have you subscribed to this magazine?
substitute for:  Sometimes there’s no substitute for hard work.
succeed in:  He succeeded in opening the locked door.
take advantage of:  We should take advantage of the 2-for-1 sale.
take care of:  She has to take care of her younger sister this weekend.
thank (someone) for:  Thank you for inviting me to your wonderful party.
vote for:  Who are you going to vote for?
wait for:  Wait for me in front of the library.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

Prepositions are short words, but it can be challenging to learn how to use them.  Following is a list of the most common expressions starting with the prepositions at, by, for, in and on:

at best / worst:  At best we’ll be finished by midnight, and at worst we’ll be up all night.
at birth / death:  She had blue eyes at birth, but now they’re brown.
at first / last:  At first, we thought he was a shy, but he’s not really.
at once:  Come here at once!  (= immediately)
at present:  At present we’ve had 35,000 visitors to our website.
at random:  The computer picks a number at random.  (= by chance)
at the moment:  He’s not home at the moment.
at the peak (of):  These grapes are at the peak of ripeness.  (= at perfect)

by car / boat / bus / plane / train:  He gets to work by car.  (= in a car)
by chance:  By chance have you seen my keys?
by far:  She is by far the best player on the team.
by hand:  This hat was made by hand in Peru.

for example:  Italian food, for example pizza, is delicious.
for free:  The store is giving away key chains for free.
for good:  He stopped smoking for good.  (= forever)
for instance:  I have trouble remembering things, for instance names.
for later:  I’m going to save this piece of pie for later tonight.
for now:  I’ve had enough food for now, but I may be hungry later.

in a book / a magazine / the newspaper:  Did you read that information in a magazine?
in a car:  They traveled to Mexico in a car.
in a row:  She won three games in a row.  (= in sequence)
in charge (of):  Who’s in charge of the music for the party?  (= has responsibility)
in common (with):  I have nothing in common with him.
in danger (of):  You’re in danger of becoming addicted to the pills.
in detail:  Explain to me in detail what happened.
in existence:  The blue whale is the largest animal in existence.  (= living now)
in general:  In general, the buses in this city are on time.
in practice:  In practice this system doesn’t work very well.  (= doing it)
in style:  She shops at the best stores and is always in style.  (= well dressed)
in the front / middle / back:  We like to sit in the front of the classroom.
in the past / present / future:  In the past it took days and days to do research.
in the world:  There are over seven billion people in the world.
in theory:  In theory it looks like it would work.  (= as an idea)

on a bus / boat / plane / train:  They came to Vancouver on a bus.
on earth:  I wouldn’t marry you if you were the last man on earth.
on fire:  Get out quickly; the house is on fire.  (= burning)
on foot:  His car broke down, so he had to come home on foot.
on purpose:  She stepped on his foot on purpose.  (= knowing what she’s doing)
on television / TV:  He has the most popular talk show on television.
on the Internet:  There are many dating services on the Internet.
on the other hand:  He’s very smart, but on the other hand he’s disorganized.
on the radio:  I heard that song on the radio.
on the whole:  On the whole, people in this city are friendly.

Study these expressions, and when you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

The verb tenses you’ve learned so far have all been in the active voice.  In the active voice the subject does the verb.  We usually don’t tell you this because in the beginning it’s not important.  In the passive voice the subject does not do the verb.  This is because the subject in the passive voice is the object in the active voice.

Examples:

The dog bit the boy.  (active)
The boy was bitten by the dog.  (passive)

A thief stole his motorcycle.  (active)
His motorcycle was stolen by a thief.   (passive)

The police arrested the thieves.  (active)
The thieves were arrested by the police.   (passive)

To form the passive, put the verb be in the same tense as the main verb in the active sentence, and then add the past participle of this main verb.  The subject in the active sentence is put after the verb in a prepositional phrase starting with by. It is then called the agent.

Examples:

My friends and I finished the job in three days.  (active)
The job was finished in three days by my friends and me. (agent = my friends and me)
Note:  I changes to me because it is now an object, not a subject.

Most of the students passed the test.  (active)
The test was passed by most of the students. (agent = most of the students)

His grandfather built a tree house in the back yard.  (active)
A tree house was built in the back yard by his grandfather. (agent = his grandfather)

If there is a modal verb, then put be after the modal in the passive.

Examples:

The children must do all homework before bedtime.  (active)
All homework must be done by the children before bedtime.

I couldn’t read his handwriting.  (active)
His handwriting couldn’t be read by me.

He promised me that he would finish everything by Friday.  (active)
He promised me that everything would be finished by Friday.

If there is no object in an active sentence, then the sentence cannot be made passive.

Examples:

We all went to the movies after dinner.  (We went who / what? = no answer / no object)

After the movie, everyone was crying.  (Everyone was crying who / what? = no answer / no object)

The agent in the passive voice can go after the verb or at the end of the sentence.

Examples:

Parents teach their children to be polite.  (active)
Children are taught to be polite by their parents.
OR:  Children are taught by their parents to be polite. (agent = their parents)

Her mother named her after her grandmother.  (active)
She was named after her grandmother by her mother.
OR:  She was named by her mother after her grandmother. [agent = her mother]

His parents gave him a laptop on his graduation from high school.  (active)
He was given a laptop by his parents on his graduation from high school.
OR:  He was given a laptop on his graduation from high school by his parents.  [agent = his parents]

The agent is dropped in the passive voice for 3 reasons.

Reason 1:

When the subject is not important (it doesn’t add any real information), then you can drop it, especially when it’s they, people, someone or any other general subject.

Examples:

People call this river the Columbia River.  (active)
This river is called the Columbia River.  (passive) (by people is not important)

Someone lost this cell phone on the bus.  (active)
This cell phone was lost on the bus.  (passive) (by someone is not important)

They grow lots of rice in Asia.   (active)
Lots of rice is grown in Asia.  (passive) (by them is not important)

Reason 2:

When the subject is unknown. (no one knows)

Examples:

Someone stole my bike.
My bike was stolen. (by someone is unknown)

They broke the mirror in the move.
The mirror was broken in the move. (by them is unknown)

I know someone will buy that car today.
I know that car will be bought today. (by someone is unknown)

Reason 3:

When the subject is obvious (everyone knows who it is.)

Examples:

The teacher gave him a C on his composition.
He was given a C on his competition. (by teachers is obvious because only teachers mark compositions)

The police arrested him late yesterday afternoon.
He was arrested late yesterday afternoon. (by the police is obvious because only the police arrest people)

An artist painted a mural on the side of the building.
A mural was painted on the side of the building. (by an artist is obvious because only artists paint)

However, when the agent is important, such as a name, you must include it in the sentence.

Examples:

Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone.  (active)
The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell.

Leonardo DaVinci painted the Mona Lisa.  (active)
The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo DaVinci.

The Ford Motor Company produced the first Model T Ford in 1908.  (active)
The first Model T Ford was produced in 1908 by the Ford Motor Company.

When there is both a direct object and an indirect object, either one can be the subject of the passive voice, but it is more common to use the indirect object.

Examples:

My parents gave me a bicycle for my birthday.
I was given a bicycle for my birthday.  (commonly used)
A bicycle was given to me for my birthday.  (not often used)

After the ballet, they presented her with a bouquet of flowers.
After the ballet, she was presented with a bouquet of flowers.  (commonly used)
After the ballet, a bouquet of flowers was presented to her.  (not often used)

They told him their secret.
He was told their secret.  [commonly used]
Their secret was told to him.  [not often used]

The verb get can also be used in place of be.  Get is most often used:

When the result is negative.

Examples:

A fire destroyed the factory.  (active)
The factory got destroyed in a fire.  (destroyed is a negative result)
OR:  The factory was destroyed in a fire.

Her boss fired her for her sloppy and incomplete work.  (active)
She got fired for her sloppy and incomplete work.  (sloppy and incomplete are negative)
OR:  She was fired for her sloppy and incomplete work.

If he tells the truth, his parents won’t punish him.  (active)
If he tells the truth, he won’t get punished.  (punished is negative)
OR:  If he tells the truth, he won’t be punished.

When the result happened because of some action that was done.

Examples:

They finally painted the porch.  (active)
The porch finally got painted.  (action = painting)
OR:  The porch was finally painted.

The Canadian people elected Pierre Trudeau Prime Minister in 1968.  (active)
Pierre Trudeau got elected Prime Minister in 1968.  (action = running for election)
OR:  Pierre Trudeau was elected Prime Minister in 1968.

Did the company reimburse you for the meal yesterday?  (active)
Did you get reimbursed for the meal yesterday?   (action = asking the company)
OR:  Were you reimbursed for the meal yesterday?

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

Subjects, such as I, the boy, and everyone, come before verbs, but objects come after verbs. There are 2 kinds of objects:

Direct objects answer the question “who” or “what.”

Examples:
My roommate lost his keys.  My roommate lost what? – his keys.
I know the answer.  I know what? – the answer.
She loves her boyfriend.  She loves who? – her boyfriend.

Indirect objects answer the question “to whom” or “to what” (sometimes “for whom” or “for what”) and are used together with direct objects.

Examples:
I gave the dog a bone.
I gave a bone to what? – the dog.

He bought a diamond ring for his girlfriend.
He bought a diamond ring for whom? – his girlfriend.

We told the police officer the truth.
We told the truth to whom? – the police officer.

Direct and indirect object pronouns can replace the nouns:

Examples:
My roommate lost them. (his keys)
I know it. (the answer)
She loves him. (her boyfriend)
I gave it a bone. (the dog)
He introduced her to them. (his girlfriend / his parents)
We told him the truth. (the police officer)

Object pronouns are used after prepositions.

Examples:
Would you come to the dance with me this Saturday night?
I did all of this for you.
Because of them, I decided to join the team.
This is between you and me, so don’t tell anyone.
She sits across from us in class.

The list of direct and indirect object pronouns is:

Me, you, him, her, it, one, us, them

Note:  It replaces nouns beginning with the, this or that.
One replaces nouns beginning with a.

If you put the indirect object before the direct object, don’t use to (sometimes for.) However, if you put the direct object first, then use to (sometimes for) before the indirect object.

Examples:
I gave her my phone number.
I gave my phone number to her.
I gave her it.
I gave it to her.

She bought me a T-shirt.
She bought a T-shirt for me.
She bought me one.
She bought one for me.

They told us their reasons.
They told their reasons to us.
They told us them.
They told them to us.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

 

This, that, these and those are called demonstrative adjectives and also demonstrative pronouns.

Demonstrative adjectives are followed by a noun. This and that are used before singular or uncountable nouns. These and those are used before plural nouns.

Examples:
This apple tastes great.
This furniture is lovely.
That man is staring at me.
That advice you gave me proved to be good.
These flowers are beautiful.
Those animals are very strong.

Demonstrative pronouns are used alone with no noun. However, the noun is understood by both the speaker and the listener.

Examples:
This is a wonderful gift.  (This bottle of wine)
I never saw that before.  (that magic trick)
I’ve heard about these.  (these bladeless fans)
I would never eat those.  (those red berries)

Also, those can mean those people.

Examples:
Those who say it can’t be done are wrong.  (Those people …)
The only true citizens are those who vote in every election.  (… those people…)

Use this or these for things that are close in time or space. Use that or those for things that are far in space or time.

Examples:
This neighborhood is much cleaner than the one we used to live in.  (This neighborhood is the one we now live in.) (Close in space)
These opportunities don’t come around very often.  (These opportunities are now.) (Close in time)
If I lived in that country, I would learn the language as fast as I could.  (That country is far away from this country.) (Far in space)
Those days we spent at the beach were wonderful.  (Those days are past.) (Far in time)

Use this to introduce people and that to identify people.

Examples:
Jason, this is June.  June, meet Jason.
That is Paul standing by the window

Use that for things that have just happened or were just mentioned.

Examples:
That movie was quite good, don’t you think?
I know everyone thinks he’s crazy, but I don’t believe that.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

Wish and hope are similar but different.  Wish is used for impossible or improbable things.  Hope is used for possible things.  Both wish and hope are used in the present, past and future.

Wish:

In the present, wish is used for things that are not true.  It is the opposite of reality.  The verb after wish is in the simple past, past continuous, or could   Change was to were in formal English.  That can follow wish but is usually dropped, so I’ll write (that).

Examples:
I wish (that) I had an umbrella.
He wishes (that) he were not so nervous.
I wish (that) the sun were shining.  
I wish (that) I could swim.

If the truth is stated first, then just use did for most verbs, were for the verb be, or could.

Examples:
I don’t have an umbrella, but I wish (that) I did.
He’s very nervous, but he wishes (that) he weren’t.
The sun isn’t shining, but I wish (that) it were.
I can’t swim, but I wish (that) I could.

Wish can also be followed by an infinitive and means the same thing as want.  Don’t use that.

Examples:
Who do you wish to see?
He wishes to talk to the company president directly.
The children wish to go swimming.
What do you wish to accomplish?

If you’re wishing something for someone else, use a person and a noun after wish.

Examples:
We wish you good luck.
I wish your mother a speedy recovery.
I wish them a safe trip home.
Do you wish him harm?

In the past, wish is used for things that we’re disappointed about.  The verb after wish is in the past perfect.

Examples
I wish (that) you had told me the truth.
We wish we had been on time.
I wish (that) I had studied for the test.
They wish (that) they had been able to come.
Do you wish (that) you had graduated from high school?

If the truth is stated first, then just use had. (NOTE:  The verbs be and be able to must be repeated.)

Examples:
You didn’t wait for me, but I wish you had.
We weren’t on time, but we wish we had been.
I didn’t study for the test, but I wish I had.
They weren’t able to come, but they wish they had been able to.
You didn’t graduate from high school, but do you wish you had?

In the future, wish is used for things you want to happen.  The verb after wish is would or could (for ability) followed by a verb in the simple form.

Examples:
I wish (that) you would be quiet.
I wish (that) he could stay all summer.
I wish (that) they would remember my name.
We wish (that) you wouldn’t chew with your mouth open.
She wishes (that) she could do it again.

If the truth is stated first, then just use would or could.  (NOTE:  The verb be must be repeated.)

Examples:
You’re not quiet, but I wish (that) you would be.
He can’t stay all summer, but I wish (that) he could.
They don’t remember my name, but I wish (that) they would.
You chew with your mouth open, but we wish (that) you wouldn’t.
She can’t do it again, but she wishes (that) she could.

Hope:

In the present, hope is used when you think the result is possible.  It is followed by the simple present or the present continuous.

Examples:
I hope (that) he finds his glasses.
We hope (that) he likes his present.
He hopes (that) she is feeling better.

In the past, hope is used for things that could already be true, but you don’t know.  It is followed by the simple past or the past continuous.

Examples:
I hope (that) they had a good time at the party.
We hope (that) you enjoyed your time in Vancouver.
I hope (that) you were being truthful with me.
She hopes (that) they were just kidding.

In the future, hope is used for things that could come true.  It is followed by the future (will), the future (going to) or can.

Examples:
They hope (that) we’ll be able to help them.
We hope (that) she is going to agree with us.
I hope (that) you can help me.

Hope can also be followed by an infinitive.

Examples:
We hope to finish by Thursday afternoon.
I hope to be there before dinnertime on Friday.
She hopes to get answers to all her questions.

Hope can also be followed by so and not.

Examples:
Do you think you’ll pass this course?  I hope so.
Do you think you’ll fail this course?  I hope not.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

 

The file you specified does not exist.

The simple past is used for an action or actions that are finished in the past.  For most verbs you add –ed to the end of the basic verb.

Examples:
She arrived back home before dinnertime.
They hated the whole movie from start to finish.
He cleaned the bathroom and vacuumed the carpet.

If the verb is negative, then use didn’t (did not) with the basic verb.

Examples:
She didn’t arrive back home until midnight.
They didn’t hate the movie, but they didn’t like it either.
He didn’t clean the bathroom or vacuum the carpet.

If the verb is interrogative (question), then use did before the subject and the basic verb.

Examples:
Did she arrive back home before dinnertime?
Did they hate the whole movie from start to finish?
Did he clean the bathroom and vacuum the carpet?

There are many irregular verbs whose past tense does not add –ed.  These verbs must be memorized.  They are:

be (am, are, is)      was, were                       lose                        lost
become                   became                            make                     made
begin                        began                                mean                     meant
bite                           bit                                        meet                      met
blow                         blew                                   pay                         paid
break                       broke                                ride                         rode
bring                        brought                           ring                         rang
buy                           bought                             rise                          rose
catch                       caught                              run                          ran
choose                   chose                                 say                          said
come                       came                                 see                           saw
creep                      crept                                  seek                       sought
deal                         dealt                                  sell                          sold
dig                            dug                                     shake                     shook
do                             did                                      shoot                     shot
draw                        drew                                 shrink                   shrank
drink                       drank                                sing                        sang
drive                       drove                                 sink                        sank
eat                           ate                                       sit                           sat
fall                            fell                                      sleep                     slept
feed                         fed                                      slide                      slid
feel                           felt                                     speak                    spoke
fight                         fought                              spit                        spit / spat
find                           found                               spring                   sprang
flee                           fled                                    stand                    stood
fly                              flew                                   steal                      stole
forbid                      forbade                           stick                      stuck
forget                      forgot                               sting                     stung
forgive                    forgave                            stink                     stank
freeze                      froze                                 strike                   struck
get                            got                                      swear                  swore
give                          gave                                   sweep                  swept
go                             went                                   swim                    swam
grow                        grew                                   swing                  swung
hang                        hung                                   take                      took
have                        had                                      teach                   taught
hear                        heard                                  tear                      tore
hide                         hid                                       tell                        told
hold                         held                                    think                    thought
keep                        kept                                    throw                  threw
kneel                       knelt                                   understand      understood
know                       knew                                  wake                    woke
lay                             laid                                      wear                    wore
leave                        left                                      weep                    wept
lead                          led                                       win                        won
lie (down)              lay                                       write                    wrote
light                         lit / lighted

Verbs that have the same present and past forms:

beat                          beat                                    let                        let
bet                            bet                                       pet                       pet
broadcast             broadcast                        put                       put
burst                        burst                                  quit                     quit
cost                          cost                                     read                    read
cut                            cut                                       set                        set
fit                              fit                                         shut                     shut
hit                             hit                                       split                      split
hurt                          hurt                                   spread                spread

Verbs that end in -d that change to -t:

bend                        bent                                   send                     sent
build                        built                                   spend                   spent
lend                         lent

Use these flashcards to help you study.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

 

Conjunctions are words that are used to connect things.  They are used to connect 2 or more nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs as well as independent clauses, adjective clauses,  adverb clauses, noun clauses, prepositional phrases,  infinitive phrases, and gerund phrases.  

The most common conjunctions are and, but, or and so.  We’ll look at these four first.  The more advanced conjunctions are  for, yet and nor, which we’ll look at later.

Let’s start with and, the most common conjunction, to see how it connects things.  Sometimes both can be used with and but only with 2 single words such as nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs.

And connects:

2 independent clauses:

She likes living in her own apartment, and she enjoys the freedom.
Note:  There’s a comma between the 2 clauses when there’s a subject (she) after and.
However, if there’s no subject after and, then there’s no comma.
She likes living in her own apartment and enjoys the freedom.

2 or more nouns:

John and his sister both have red hair.
He plays basketball, soccer, hockey and tennis.
(Note:  There’s a comma ( , ) after each noun, but there’s no comma before and.)

2 or more verbs:

She eats and talks at the same time.
All he does is watch TV, play video games and sleep.

2 or more adjectives:

She is both hardworking and creative.
He’s tall, thin and fast.

2 or more adverbs:

She works quickly and efficiently.
He went into battle boldly, swiftly and forcefully.

2 or more adjective clauses:

She is a girl whose parents are rich and whose trust fund is large.
He only buys things that are unique and have value.

2 adverb clauses:

They brush their teeth after they eat breakfast and before they go to bed.
When I’m lonely and thinking about home, I phone my parents.

2 noun clauses:

What she said and what I heard were two different things.
He planned where they were going and what they would do.

2 or more prepositional phrases:

They’re giving away free samples in the mall and on the street.
He looked under the bed, in the closet and on top of the dresser.

2 infinitive phrases:

To understand the lecture and to take good notes, she had to concentrate.
To stay up all night and study for the test, he had to drink several energy drinks.

2 gerund phrases:

Two of my favorite activities are staying up late and watching old movies.
Playing in all the games and scoring the most points was the highlight of her year.

You can even connect 2 things that aren’t alike:

He did the job discretely and with finesse.
The man was strong and in a bad mood.

But connects things that are opposite or that don’t usually go together.  When the second thing is negative, put but not.

But connects:

2 independent clauses:

I’m going to Chicago, but I don’t know anybody there.
She likes acting but also wants to direct.
(Note:  no comma before but because the subject she has been dropped in the second independent clause.)

2 nouns:

They like the beach but not the water.
She knows a lot about literature but not poetry.

2 verbs:

I swim but don’t dive.
She‘s here but doesn’t want to talk to you.

2 adjectives:

He’s strong but not athletic.
The food was cold but delicious.

2 adverbs:

They did the job quickly but well.
She worked slowly but surely.

2 adjective clauses:

He’s a man who has lots of acquaintances but who has no real friends.
She’s a person whose salary is high but whose work is easy.

2 adverb clauses:

Robert stayed home not because he felt a little sick but because he had a test.
She came down to the kitchen before she brushed her teeth but not before she put on her makeup.

2 noun clauses:

She told him what she had planned but not how she was going to do it.
He told me why he was leaving but not where he was going.

2 prepositional phrases:

We checked in all the classrooms but not in the library.
We work from Monday to Thursday but not on Friday or the weekend.

2 infinitive phrases:

He went outside not to get some fresh air, but to have a cigarette.
I’m studying English not primarily to get into university but to be able to speak to my friends.

2 gerund phrases:

Going to bed early but not falling asleep has been his problem for years.
We like having parties but not cleaning up afterwards.

2 different things:

I write but not very well.
I swim but only in swimming pools.

Or connects choices or possibilities.  It is often used with either, whether, or if, which are put before the first choice or possibility.

Or connects:

2 independent clauses:

I want ice cream for dessert, or maybe I’ll have some pie.
She is either going to tell the truth, or she’ll continue to lie.

2 nouns:

His friend is either a teacher or a social worker.  I forget.
Roses or carnations would be an appropriate gift.

2 verbs:

Whether she passes or fails is her choice.
I couldn’t tell if he was joking or being serious.

2 adjectives:

She can’t decide whether she’s angry or amused.
They’re either stupid or naive.

2 adverbs:

He picked the numbers skillfully or, as my brother says, luckily.
She writes beautifully or terribly, depending on how she feels.

2 adjective clauses:

That’s the city either where he was born or where he went to school.  I forget.
That’s the sort of news that either makes you very hopeful or that makes you sad.

2 adverb clauses:

I lost my wallet either when I was in his office or when I was in the cab coming home.
He got the job either because he was the best qualified or because he was related to the boss.

2 noun clauses:

What he said or what he meant to say is that he’s sorry.
Where she lives or who she sees is none of your business.

2 prepositional phrases:

I left the keys either on the mantle or on the hall table.
We can drive on the road or off the road in this truck.

2 infinitive phrases:

Did you take this job to get rich or to help other people?
To be patient or to be proactive is the choice you now have.

2 gerund phrases:

Their options were doing nothing or trying to solve the problem.
Going out for dinner or making dinner at home are our choices.

2 different things:

She is lying either for a good reason or because she’s afraid.
He doesn’t read for the information or to be entertained.

So connects a reason and a result. 

So only connects:

2 independent clauses:

The weather report is for rain, so we’ll have to cancel the picnic.
Everyone arrived before 8:00, so the meeting started on time.

(The first clause is the reason and the second clause is the result.  You can also join these clauses with because.)

We’ll have to cancel the picnic because the weather report is for rain.
The meeting started on time because everyone arrived before 8:00.

Here is an exercise for these 4 conjunctions:

Now, let’s look at the last 3 conjunctions:  for, yet and nor.  They are more advanced connectors and not as often used as the first 4.

For connects results and reasons.  It is used just like ‘because’, but it always has a comma before it.  It is always used in the middle of the sentence, not at the beginning.

For only connects:

2 independent clauses:

I stayed away, for I was told that I wasn’t welcome.
He brought her flowers, for it was their anniversary that day.
[The first clause is the result; the second clause is the reason.]

You can also say:

He brought her flowers because it was their anniversary that day.
Because it was their anniversary that day, he brought her flowers.

BUT never start a sentence with for.

Yet connects things that are opposite or that don’t usually go together.  It is used just like ‘but‘, and can connect many things.  Just like but, yet is sometimes used with not (yet not, yet he didn’t…)  However, don’t confuse yet not with not yet, which means not at this time but later. 

Yet connects:

2 independent clauses:

We’ve been working all morning, yet we’re no closer to being done. 
She comes to class everyday yet doesn’t do well on the tests.
[Note:  no comma before yet because the subject she has been dropped in the second independent clause.]

2 verbs:

He studies yet continues to get poor marks.
They went to bed, yet they didn’t fall asleep for yours.

2 adjectives:

We’re tired yet anxious to finish this project.
The sofa was modern yet comfortable.

2 adverbs:

He works quickly yet carefully.
They seem excited yet afraid to get started.

2 adjective clauses:

It’s the kind of present that looks expensive yet that doesn’t cost too much.
That’s the city where I lived, yet not where I went to school.

2 adverb clauses:

He kissed her when he got home yet not when she left in the morning.
He could watch TV after he came home yet not until he had finished his homework.

2 noun clauses:

What she said yet not what she meant was the topic of conversation.
He could eat what he wanted yet not when he wanted to.

2 prepositional phrases:

There was fire damage on the ceiling yet not on the walls.
He put the date on the calendar yet not in his smart phone where he usually puts such things.

2 infinitive phrases:

To work all day yet to accomplish very little was frustrating.
They were allowed to speak to him yet not to look directly at him.

2 gerund phrases: 

Studying for hours yet not passing the mid-term made him frustrated.
She prefers going to bed late yet getting up early the next day.

2 different things:

He likes drinking his coffee black yet with plenty of sugar.
She was in a good mood yet not ready to listen to him.

Nor connects things that are negative.  It is often used with neither.  With two independent clauses nor requires the following verb to be inverted, just like a question.  Also, nor is not followed by other negative words like not or never.  With single words, nouns, verbs, etc., nor must be used with neither, which goes before the first of the two things connected.

Nor connects:

2 independent clauses:

I don’t like spaghetti, nor do I like lasagna.
[I don’t like spaghetti, and I don’t like lasagna.]
Note: do I like is the inverted and positive form of I (don’t) like.

She doesn’t waste her money, nor does she waste her time.
[She doesn’t waste money, and she doesn’t waste time.]
Note: does she waste is the inverted and positive form of she (doesn’t) wait.

2 nouns:

Neither John nor his brother knew about the wedding.
He chose neither the Toyota nor the Nissan.

2 verbs:

She neither smokes nor drinks alcohol.
We neither need nor want your assistance.

2 adjectives:

They’re neither rich nor poor.
I’m neither angry nor disappointed that you dropped out of school.

2  adverbs:

He fixed the sink neither quickly nor correctly.
She studied neither hard nor long for the final exam.

Note:  2 adjective clauses cannot be connected with nor.

2 adverb clauses:

She doesn’t hug him when he leaves nor when he gets home.
He doesn’t brush his teeth after he eats nor before he goes to bed.

2 noun clauses:

He wouldn’t tell us what she said nor where she went.
She didn’t know where she was nor what time it was.

2 prepositional phrases:

His backpack wasn’t by the front door nor on the front porch.
She didn’t play sports in the fall nor in the winter.

2 infinitive phrases:

We didn’t want to get you too excited nor to frighten you.
Management didn’t want a gym for their own use nor for the use of the staff.

2 gerund phrases: 

She doesn’t like writing letters nor sending emails.
Neither apologizing to her nor sending her flowers had any effect.

2 different things:

She wouldn’t tell me her phone number nor where she lived.
His essay was neither well written nor in the correct format.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

 

The present perfect continuous is used for an action that started in the past and continues to the present.  In other words, the action is still ongoing.  The present perfect can also be used, but can sometimes be confusing because it is also used in 2 other situations.  Therefore, it’s a good idea if you have a choice between the present perfect and the present perfect continuous that you choose the present perfect continuous.

This tense is formed with 3 verbs: the auxiliary have or has, the past participle been, and the present participle (verb + ing)

The words for and since are often used with this tense

Examples:
They have been living in that house for twenty years. (and they still do (ongoing))
She’s been taking piano lessons since she was five years old.  (and she still does (ongoing))

Watch out for the word for, and use the simple past if the action is finished.

Examples:
She lived in California for ten years.  (She doesn’t live there anymore (not ongoing))
I babysat the neighbor’s daughter for two weeks last summer.  (This happened last summer (not ongoing))

Also, use the present perfect continuous with all day, all week, and any other time periods that are not yet finished. If the time period is finished, however, then use the simple past.

Examples:
We’ve been waiting all day to hear the results.  (It’s still the same day.)
We waited all day to hear the results.  (It’s now the following day.)
I have been trying to call her all week, but she isn’t answering her phone.  (It’s still that same week.)
I tried to call her all last week, but she didn’t answer her phone.  (It’s now the following week.)
Have you been sleeping all morning?  (It’s still morning.)
Did you sleep all morning?  (It’s now the afternoon.)

Also, use the present perfect continuous with the question how long.

Examples:
How long have you been playing the piano?
How long has she been modeling?

When you use these verbs, do not use the present perfect continuous but use the present perfect only:

be                believe           belong          exist             forget            hate

have*          hear                know             like                love             need

own            possess           prefer           remember     see           understand        want

* when “have” means “possess,” not when “have” means “experience.”

If you have these words: so far, to date, and up to now, use only the present perfect even though the verbs seem ongoing.

Examples:
So far we’ve made $160 washing cars.  (and we’re still washing cars (ongoing))
To date I’ve seen six of his films.  (and I will continue to watch more (ongoing))
The dogs have been very quiet up to now.  (and they are still quiet (ongoing))

© 2013 Ambien Malecot