Word Usage

Word usage is discussed by Mika Berones. 

she defines it as: Word usage is how a word, phrase, or concept is used in a language. Lexicographers gather samples of written or spoken instances where a word is used and analyze them to determine patterns of regional or social usage as well as meaning.

She differentiate different words from one another because there are some words that has the same or almost the same spelling but differs with their meanings. 





Word usage is really important since we are constructing different sentences or literary pieces, it a must for us to know the right word to use in a certain sentence for us to be able to convey our message effectively and properly. 

Words were indeed tricky but it is the most important thing in the world, it can help us in almost everything that we do and using it properly can help us improve ourselves in different aspects of life. 

So that's it you Guys, I hope I helped you with your Grammar Stuffs

Hope to see you on my next one. Bye :)

Diacritics

Marces, The Reported define Diacritics as a sign, such as an accent or cedilla, which when written above or below a letter indicates a difference in pronunciation from the same letter when unmarked or differently marked.  I am familiar with this thing but I don't know the real thing (hope that makes sense).


*The photo above can serve as a guide for us to identify a certain diacritic.

She discussed eight diacritics:

1. Acute
2. Grave
3. Circumflex
4. Caron
5. Umlaut
6. Cedilla
7. Breve
8. Macron 

So that's it you Guys, I hope I helped you with your Grammar Stuffs

Hope to see you on my next one. Bye :)

Punctuations

Kuya Joseph reported this topic he defines Punctuation as symbols that are used to aid the clarity and comprehension of written language. Some common punctuation marks are the period, comma, question mark, exclamation point, apostrophe, quotation mark and hyphen. we discussed this topic for two meetings since there are so many things that we need  to know about punctuation but mostly he thought us how to use those common punctuation properly. 



I was not expecting mush on this topic but I was wrong. this topic is really an essential one for us English majors since punctuation is in every work that we done it is a must for us to know the proper way on how to use them. 

PS: I also learned that ''sic'' used in pertaining someone in a quotation.

So that's it you Guys, I hope I helped you with your Grammar Stuffs

Hope to see you on my next one. Bye :)

Articles and Determiners

Articles 

English sometimes uses "articles" - the (the definite article) and a/an (the indefinite articles) - before nouns. Many languages do not use equivalent words, thus causing many problems for learners of English. If you use articles incorrectly, or don't use them at all, your tutors will probably understand your writing, but many will find the misuse extremely irritating, which in some cases could affect your mark. It is important, therefore, that you make an effort to use articles correctly.

Determiners

Determiners are said to "mark" nouns. That is to say, you know a determiner will be followed by a noun. Some categories of determiners are limited (there are only three articles, a handful of possessive pronouns, etc.), but the possessive nouns are as limitless as nouns themselves.

Quantifiers are words that precede and modify nouns. They tell us how many or how much. Selecting the correct quantifier depends on your understanding the distinction between Count and Non-Count Nouns. For our purposes, we will choose the count noun trees and the non-count noun dancing:

• The following quantifiers will work with count nouns:

      many trees
      a few trees
      few trees
    

• The following quantifiers will work with non-count nouns:

      not much dancing
      a little dancing
      little dancing
    

• The following quantifiers will work with both count and non-count nouns:

      all of the trees/dancing
      some trees/dancing
      most of the trees/dancing

So that's it you Guys, I hope I helped you with your Grammar Stuffs

Hope to see you on my next one. Bye :)

     

Conjunctions

My classmates where somehow familiar with this topic since they already discussed this but sadly I failed my linguistics  class so that means I can't get the Pre-requisite subject which is Structures of English. but based on the reporter a conjunction is a part of speech that is used to connect words, phrases, clauses, or sentences. Conjunctions are considered to be invariable grammar particle, and they may or may not stand between items they conjoin.

• Subordinating conjunctions –  Also known as subordinators, these conjunctions join dependent clauses to independent clauses.
• Coordinating conjunction – Also known as coordinators, these conjunctions coordinate or join two or more sentences, main clauses, words, or other parts of speech which are of the same syntactic importance.
• Correlative conjunction – These conjunctions correlate, working in pairs to join phrases or words that carry equal importance within a sentence.
• Conjunctive adverbs – While some instructors do not teach conjunctive adverbs alongside conjunctions, these important parts of speech are worth a mention here. These adverbs always connect one clause to another, and are used to show sequence, contrast, cause and effect, and other relationships.

List of conjunctions commonly used in American English:

• And
• As
• Because
• But
• For
• Just as
• Or
• Neither
• Nor
• Not only
• So
• Whether
• Yet

So that's it you Guys, I hope I helped you with your Grammar Stuffs

Hope to see you on my next one. Bye :)

Prepositions

Prepositions are words that is used with a noun, pronoun or noun phrase to show direction, manner, or to introduce a certain object.

• A prepositional phrase is a group of words containing a preposition, a noun or pronoun object of the preposition, and any modifiers of the object.
• A preposition sits in front of (is “pre-positioned” before) its object.

The following words are the most commonly used prepositions: (Preposition of Time, Place, Direction, manner, prepositions)

about	below	excepting	off	toward
above	beneath	for	on	under
across	beside(s)	from	onto	underneath
after	between	in	out	until
against	beyond	in front of	outside	up
along	but	inside	over	upon
among	by	in spite of	past	up to
around	concerning	instead of	regarding	with
at	despite	into	since	within
because of	down	like	through	without
before	during	near	throughout	with regard to
behind	except	of	to	with respect to

                                     

* Avoid redundancy of Preposition
* BUT is very seldom a preposition. when it is used as a preposition it has the same meaning as except.

The reporter gave us hints that we can use in prepositions:

1.  The word to is often a preposition but it is just as often part of an infinitive verb. 
2. To find the preposition ask ''what'' after the preposition. 

So that's it you Guys, I hope I helped you with your Grammar Stuffs

Hope to see you on my next one. Bye :)

Dangling Modifiers

Dangling Modifiers is presented by Pamela, she defines it as a phrase or clause that is not clearly related to the word it modifies.

Modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that add description. In clear, logical sentences, you will often find modifiers right next to—either in front of or behind—the target words they logically describe

She gave us different strategies unto how we can revise Dangling Modifiers.

1. Name the appropriate doer of the action as the subject of the main clause or simply recreate the sentence.
2. Change the phrase tat dangles into a complete introductory clause by naming the doer of the action in that clause.
3. Combine the main phrase and the clause into one.

These strategies can help us improve our writing skills and practice writing and avoid using dangling modifiers.

Dangling modifiers are errors. Their poor construction confuses readers. Look at the samples below:

• Hungry, the leftover pizza was devoured.

Hungry is a single-word adjective. Notice that there is no one in the sentence for this modifier to describe.

• Rummaging in her giant handbag, the sunglasses escaped detection.

Rummaging in her giant handbag is a participle phrase. In the current sentence, no word exists for this phrase to modify. Neither sunglasses nor detection has fingers to make rummaging possible!

• With a sigh of disappointment, the expensive dress was returned to the rack.

With a sigh of disappointment is a string of prepositional phrases. If you look carefully, you do not find anyone in the sentence capable of feeling disappointed. Neither dress nor rack has emotions! (c)

So that's it you Guys, I hope I helped you with your Grammar Stuffs

Hope to see you on my net one. Bye :)

Adverbs and Advebials

An adverb is a word that is used to change or qualify the meaning of an adjective, a verb, a clause, another adverb, or any other type of word or phrase with the exception of determiners and adjectives that directly modify nouns.

• Adverbs can always be used to modify verbs. Notice that the second of these two sentences is much more interesting simply because it contains an adverb

• Adverbs are often formed by adding the letters “-ly” to adjectives. This makes is very easy to identify adverbs in sentences. There are many exceptions to this rule; everywhere, nowhere, and upstairs are a few examples

• An adverb can be used to modify an adjective and intensify the meaning it conveys

Example of Adverbs:

1. She was walking rapidly.
2. The kids love playing together in the sandbox.
3. Please come inside now.
4. His jokes are always very funny.
5. You don’t really care, do you?

Adverbials 

a word or phrase functioning like an adverb that modifies or tells us something about the sentence or the verb. 

So that's it you Guys, I hope I helped you with your Grammar Stuffs

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Modifiers

Modifiers acts as the glitter of every sentences that adds beauty to every work.

The reporter defines Modifiers as words, phrases, or clauses that provide description in sentences. Modifiers allow writers to take the picture that they have in their heads and transfer it accurately to the heads of their readers. Essentially, modifiers breathe life into sentences. Modifiers can be adjectives, adjective clauses, adverbs, adverb clauses,absolute phrases, infinitive phrases, participle phrases, and prepositional phrases. Without modifiers, sentences would be no fun to read. Carefully chosen, well-placed modifiers allow you to depict situations with as much accuracy as words will allow. 

Ex:
Poor Stephen, who just wanted a quick meal to get through his three-hour biology lab, quickly dropped his fork on the cafeteria tray, gagging with disgust as a tarantula wiggled out of his cheese omelet, a sight requiring a year of therapy before Stephen could eat eggs again.

Adjective = poor.

Adjective clause = who just wanted a quick meal.

Adverb = quickly.

Adverb clause = as a tarantula wiggled out of his cheese omelet.

Absolute phrase = a sight requiring a year of therapy before Stephen could eat eggs again.

Infinitive phrase = to get through his three-hour biology lab.

Participle phrase = gagging with disgust.

Prepositional phrase = on the cafeteria tray.

(c) Grammar Bytes for the example given 

So that's it you Guys, I hope I helped you with your Grammar Stuffs

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Modals

Modals were discussed by Ms. Braga, eventhough she has a "not so loud" she still manages to explain things up.

A modal is a type of auxiliary (helping) verb that is used to express: ability, possibility, permission or obligation. Modal phrases (or semi-modals) are used to express the same things as modals, but are a combination of auxiliary verbs and the preposition to. The modals and semi-modals in English are:

1. Can/could/be able to
2. May/might
3. Shall/should
4. Must/have to
5. Will/would

We are using this kinds of helping verbs hence we don't know the real function of each verb and this report really helps us in understanding modals. 

So that's it you Guys, I hope I helped you with your Grammar Stuffs

Hope to see you on my next one. Bye :)

Auxiliary Verbs

Lorie Reported this topic she define auxiliary verb as a verb used in forming the tenses, moods, and voices of other verbs.

Auxiliary (or Helping) verbs are used together with a main verb to show the verb’s tense or to form a negative or question. The most common auxiliary verbs are have, be, and do.

1. Does Sam write all his own reports?
2. The secretaries haven’t written all the letters yet.
3. Terry is writing an e-mail to a client at the moment.

Be

“Be” or “to be” is an important verb that has a multitude of uses in English. It can be used as an action verb that stands alone in all its tenses including be, to be, been, am, are, is, was, were, wasn’t, was not aren’t, are not, weren’t and were not.

Do

“Do” can be used as an action verb that stands alone in all its tenses, including to do, do, does,done, did and didn’t, doesn’t or did not 

Have

“Have” is a very important verb that can stand alone in all its tenses, including has, have, having, had, and hadn’t or had not. It is usually used to denote ownership, and it can also be used to discuss ability or describe appearance. “Have” is also a very popular substitute for the verbs “eat” and “drink.” For example: “Let’s have dinner.”

* This are the three common auxiliary verbs used in a sentence*

So that's it you Guys, I hope I helped you with your Grammar Stuffs

Hope to see you on my next one. Bye :)

Verbals

I guess it is really my time to shine. LOL

So I will be reporting things about verbals, it was nerve-wrecking tho but I need to finish this one and do my best to explain things to my class. 

A verbal is a verb form which functions as a noun or an adjective. there are three kinds of verbals: gerund, infinitives and participle.

Gerund are verbs that functions as a noun, they are easy to spot since every gerund ends with  -ing. they can be used as subject of the sentence, after a preposition, after phrasal verb, in compound noun and as a direct object.

[verb] + -ing = Gerund

Participles are verbs used as adjective. there are two types of participles: Present (ending in -ing)and Past (ends with -ed -d -t -en - or -n)

[verb] + -ing = Present

[verb] +-ed -d -t -en - or -n = Past

* You might be confused by Gerund and Present participle, they differ in usage. Gerund were used as a noun while Present Participle functions as an adjective.

Infinitives will almost began with to- followed by a simple form verb but there are special cases wherein to- is removed when it follows this thing called special verbs like feel, help, let, make, see and watch .

to- + [verb] = Infinitives

* There is this Split infinitives wherein to is separated to its partner(verb)

to+adjective+verb= split infinitives

So that's it you Guys, I hope I helped you with your Grammar Stuffs

Hope to see you on my next one. Bye :)

Subject Verb Agreement

This topic is really a hard one to memorize because there are so many Rules to understand and all of them really differs from one another. each rule represents a certain kind of sentence.

A singular subject takes a singular verb, whereas a plural subject takes a plural verb, is the most basic rule.

Rule 1. A subject will come before a phrase beginning with of. This is a key rule for understanding subjects. The word of is the culprit in many, perhaps most, subject-verb mistakes.Rule 2. Two singular subjects connected by or, either/or, or neither/nor require a singular verb.Rule 3. The verb in an or, either/or, or neither/nor sentence agrees with the noun or pronoun closest to it.Rule 4. As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected by and.

Rule 5a. Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by such words as along with, as well as, besides, not, etc. These words and phrases are not part of the subject. Ignore them and use a singular verb when the subject is singular.

Rule 5b. Parentheses are not part of the subject.

Rule 6. In sentences beginning with here or there, the true subject follows the verb.

Rule 7. Use a singular verb with distances, periods of time, sums of money, etc., when considered as a unit.

Rule 8. With words that indicate portions—e.g., a lot, a majority, some, all—Rule 1 given earlier in this section is reversed, and we are guided by the noun after of. If the noun after of is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb.

Rule 9. With collective nouns such as group, jury, family, audience, population, the verb might be singular or plural, depending on the writer's intent.

There are many more rules that can supply the explanation that you need in a certain sentence and can help you create a sentence that is grammatically correct. 

Yes it is indeed hard to memorize but this set of rules can really make a huge difference in your sentence writing.

So that's it you Guys, I hope I helped you with your Grammar Stuffs

Hope to see you on my next one. Bye :)

Phrasal Verbs

Patricia discussed Phrasal Verbs as a type of verb that is created when a main verb is combined with either: a verb, a preposition, or an adverb+ preposition. She gave us different hand-outs that we can use for us to be familiar with all the phrasal verbs that we can use when we are creating sentences.

1. Adverb

• take off
• give in
• blow up

2. Preposition

• get at (someone)
• pick on (weaker children)

3. Adverb + Preposition 

• get out of
• put up with

So that's it you Guys, I hope I helped you with your Grammar Stuffs

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Mood and Voice

Mood for Grammar

A mood shows the writer’s attitude toward what he/she is saying. This really helps a lot in conveying a certain message effectively. the reporter really differentiate it well. 1. Indicative Mood- states an actuality or fact. We will go to see a movie this Saturday. I’ll follow you. I saw something today that really annoyed me. 2. Imperative Mood- makes a request. Let’s go to see a play this weekend! Please stop bugging me! 3. Subjunctive Mood-expresses a doubtful condition (contrary to fact) and is often used with an "if" clause. If I were you, I wouldn’t buy a phone. I wish I were more organized. Voice for Grammar  Active voice describes a sentence where the subject performs the action stated by the verb.  In passive voice sentences, the subject is acted upon by the verb. It is really easy to identify this two voices. ex:  1. Beautiful giraffes roam the savannah. (active)     The savannah is roamed by beautiful giraffes. (passive) 2. Leo changed the flat tire. (active)     The flat tire was changed by Leo. (passive) 3. We are going to watch a movie tonight. (active)     A movie is going to be watched by us tonight. (passive) So that's it you Guys, I hope I helped you with your Grammar Stuffs Hope to see you on my next one. Bye :)

Aspect

The simple aspect or indefinite is the verb form used to express a fact.The simple aspect does not make it clear whether the action is a complete action or a habitual action.

Here are some examples of verbs in the simple aspect.

In the Past Tense

• I cleaned the car.
(simple past tense)
• They cleaned the car.
(simple past tense)

In the Present Tense

• I clean the car.
(simple present tense)
• They clean the car.
(simple present tense)

In the Future Tense

• I will clean the car.
(simple future tense)
• They will clean the car.
(simple future tense)

Perfect Progressive is an aspect that is used for verbs that began in the past and continue into the present. 

In the Past: She had been eating

In the Present : She has been eating

In the Future: She will Have been eating

So that's it you Guys, I hope I helped you with your Grammar Stuffs

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Tense

Tense is a form of Verb that is used to show when an action happened.

Present Tense-  A tense expressing an action that is currently going on or a state that currently or generally exists.

Past Tense- A tense expressing an action or situation in past time

Future Tense- A tense expressing an action that is not yet happening or will happen in the future.

All of this three is known as the Perfect tenses.

There is also this tense that is called Progressive tenses which involves action that is, was, or will be in progress at a certain time. In the progressive tense, verbs are formed with a "be" verb + ing.

This is an example of a Progressive tense,

Present Progressive	I am singing.
Past Progressive	I was singing.
Future Progressive	I will be singing
Present Perfect Progressive	I have been singing.
Past Perfect Progressive	I had been singing.
Future Perfect Progressive	I will have been singing.

So that's it you Guys, I hope I helped you with your Grammar Stuffs

Hope to see you on my next one. Bye :)