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http://www.smithrobertson.net/song-lyrics/wishing-well-terence-trent-darby/

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ESL Song Lyrics | Song lyrics for studying vocabulary and grammar in the ESL classroom

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Practice adverbs of manner in your ESL class with this song, Wishing Well by Terence Trent D'Arby. The adverbs of manner that appear in this song are "slowly", "sweetly", "softly", "quickly" and "loudly".

To see suggestions on how to use this song in class, click here.

Kissing like a bandit stealing time underneath a sycamore tree
Cupid by the hour sends Valentines to my sweet lover and me
Slowly, but surely your appetite is more than I knew
Sweetly, softly I'm falling in love with you

Wish me love a wishing well to kiss and tell
A wishing well of butterfly tears
Wish me love a wishing well to kiss and tell
A wishing well of crocodile tears sing

Hugging like a monkey see, monkey do right beside a riverboat gambler
Erotic images float through my head; I wanna be your midnight rambler
Quickly, but quickly the blood races through me veins
Quickly, loudly I wanna hear those sugar bells ring

Wish me love a wishing well to kiss and tell
A wishing well of butterfly tears
Wish me love a wishing well to kiss and tell

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Best song lyrics to practise Adverbs, Wishing Well - Terence Trent D'Arby

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Practice adverbs of manner in your ESL class with this song, Wishing Well by Terence Trent D'Arby. The adverbs of manner that appear in this song are "slowly", "sweetly", "softly", "quickly" and "loudly". To see suggestions on how to use this song in class, click here.

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https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/grammar/verb_tenses/verb_tense_consistency.html

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This handout explains and describes the sequence of verb tenses in English.

Throughout this document, example sentences with nonstandard or inconsistent usage have verbs in red.

Controlling shifts in verb tense

Writing often involves telling stories. Sometimes we narrate a story as our main purpose in writing; sometimes we include brief anecdotes or hypothetical scenarios as illustrations or reference points in an essay.

Even an essay that does not explicitly tell a story involves implied time frames for the actions discussed and states described. Changes in verb tense help readers understand the temporal relationships among various narrated events. But unnecessary or inconsistent shifts in tense can cause confusion.

Generally, writers maintain one tense for the main discourse and indicate changes in time frame by changing tense relative to that primary tense, which is usually either simple past or simple present. Even apparently non-narrative writing should employ verb tenses consistently and clearly.
General guideline: Do not shift from one tense to another if the time frame for each action or state is the same. Examples:

1. The instructor explains the diagram to students who asked questions during the lecture.

Explains is present tense, referring to a current state; asked is past, but should be present ( ask ) because the students are currently continuing to ask questions during the lecture period.

CORRECTED: The instructor explains the diagram to students who ask questions during the lecture.

2. About noon the sky darkened, a breeze sprang up, and a low rumble announces the approaching storm.

Darkened and sprang up are past tense verbs; announces is present but should be past ( announced) to maintain consistency within the time frame.

CORRECTED: About noon the sky darkened, a breeze sprang up, and a low rumble announced the approaching storm.

3. Yesterday we walk to school but later rode the bus home.

Walk is present tense but should be past to maintain consistency within the time frame ( yesterday); rode is past, referring to an action completed before the current time frame.

CORRECTED: Yesterday we walked to school but later rode the bus home.
General guideline: Do shift tense to indicate a change in time frame from one action or state to another. Examples:

1. The children love their new tree house, which they built themselves.

Love is present tense, referring to a current state (they still love it now;) built is past, referring to an action completed before the current time frame (they are not still building it.)

2. Before they even began deliberations, many jury members had reached a verdict.

Began is past tense, referring to an action completed before the current time frame; had reached is past perfect, referring to action from a time frame before that of another past event (the action of reaching was completed before the action of beginning.)

3. Workers are installing extra loudspeakers because the music in tonight's concert will need amplification.

Are installing is present progressive, referring to an ongoing action in the current time frame (the workers are still installing, and have not finished;) will need is future, referring to action expected to begin after the current time frame (the concert will start in the future, and that's when it will need amplification.)

Controlling shifts in a paragraph or essay
General guideline: Establish a primary tense for the main discourse, and use occasional shifts to other tenses to indicate changes in time frame. Hints:

Rely on past tense to narrate events and to refer to an author or an author's ideas as historical entities (biographical information about a historical figure or narration of developments in an author's ideas over time).

Use present tense to state facts, to refer to perpetual or habitual actions, and to discuss your own ideas or those expressed by an author in a particular work. Also use present tense to describe action in a literary work, movie, or other fictional narrative. Occasionally, for dramatic effect, you may wish to narrate an event in present tense as though it were happening now. If you do, use present tense consistently throughout the narrative, making shifts only where appropriate.

Future action may be expressed in a variety of ways, including the use of will, shall, is going to, are about to, tomorrow and other adverbs of time, and a wide range of contextual cues.

Using other tenses in conjunction with simple tenses

It is not always easy (or especially helpful) to try to distinguish perfect and/or progressive tenses from simple ones in isolation, for example, the difference between simple past progressive ("She was eating an apple") and present perfect progressive ("She has been eating an apple"). Distinguishing these sentences in isolation is possible, but the differences between them make clear sense only in the context of other sentences since the time-distinctions suggested by different tenses are relative to the time frame implied by the verb tenses in surrounding sentences or clauses.

Example 1: Simple past narration with perfect and progressive elements
On the day in question...

By the time Tom noticed the doorbell, it had already rung three times. As usual, he had been listening to loud music on his stereo. He turned the stereo down and stood up to answer the door. An old man was standing on the steps. The man began to speak slowly, asking for directions.

In this example, the progressive verbs had been listening and was standing suggest action underway at the time some other action took place. The stereo-listening was underway when the doorbell rang. The standing on the steps was underway when the door was opened. The past perfect progressive verb had been listening suggests action that began in the time frame prior to the main narrative time frame and that was still underway as another action began.

If the primary narration is in the present tense, then the present progressive or present perfect progressive is used to indicate action that is or has been underway as some other action begins. This narrative style might be used to describe a scene from a novel, movie, or play, since action in fictional narratives is conventionally treated as always present. For example, we refer to the scene in Hamlet in which the prince first speaks (present) to the ghost of his dead father or the final scene in Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing, which takes place (present) the day after Mookie has smashed (present perfect) the pizzeria window. If the example narrative above were a scene in a play, movie, or novel, it might appear as follows.

Example 2: Simple present narration with perfect and progressive elements
In this scene...

By the time Tom notices the doorbell, it has already rung three times. As usual, he has been listening to loud music on his stereo. He turns the stereo down and stands up to answer the door. An old man is standing on the steps. The man begins to speak slowly, asking for directions.

In this example as in the first one, the progressive verbs has been listening and is standing indicate action underway as some other action takes place. The present perfect progressive verb has been listening suggests action that began in the time frame prior to the main narrative time frame and that is still underway as another action begins. The remaining tense relationships parallel those in the first example.

In all of these cases, the progressive or -ing part of the verb merely indicates ongoing action, that is, action underway as another action occurs. The general comments about tense relationships apply to simple and perfect tenses, regardless of whether there is a progressive element involved.

It is possible to imagine a narrative based on a future time frame as well, for example, the predictions of a psychic or futurist. If the example narrative above were spoken by a psychic, it might appear as follows.

Example 3: Simple future narration with perfect and progressive elements
Sometime in the future...

By the time Tom notices the doorbell, it will have already rung three times. As usual, he will have been listening to loud music on his stereo. He will turn the stereo down and will stand up to answer the door. An old man will be standing on the steps. The man will begin to speak slowly, asking for directions.

In this example as in the first two, the progressive verbs will have been listening and will be standing indicate ongoing action. The future perfect progressive verb will have been listening suggests action that will begin in the time frame prior to the main narrative time frame and that will still be underway when another action begins. The verb notices here is in present-tense form, but the rest of the sentence and the full context of the narrative cue us to understand that it refers to future time. The remaining tense relationships parallel those in the first two examples.

General guidelines for use of perfect tenses

In general the use of perfect tenses is determined by their relationship to the tense of the primary narration. If the primary narration is in simple past, then action initiated before the time frame of the primary narration is described in past perfect. If the primary narration is in simple present, then action initiated before the time frame of the primary narration is described in present perfect. If the primary narration is in simple future, then action initiated before the time frame of the primary narration is described in future perfect.

Past primary narration corresponds to Past Perfect ( had + past participle) for earlier time frames

Present primary narration corresponds to Present Perfect ( has or have + past participle) for earlier time frames

Future primary narration corresponds to Future Perfect ( will have + past participle) for earlier time frames

The present perfect is also used to narrate action that began in real life in the past but is not completed, that is, may continue or may be repeated in the present or future. For example: "I have run in four marathons" (implication: "so far... I may run in others"). This usage is distinct from the simple past, which is used for action that was completed in the past without possible continuation or repetition in the present or future. For example: "Before injuring my leg, I ran in four marathons" (implication: "My injury prevents me from running in any more marathons").

Time-orienting words and phrases like before, after, by the time, and others-when used to relate two or more actions in time-can be good indicators of the need for a perfect-tense verb in a sentence.

By the time the senator finished (past) his speech, the audience had lost (past perfect) interest.

By the time the senator finishes (present: habitual action) his speech, the audience has lost (present perfect) interest.

By the time the senator finishes (present: suggesting future time) his speech, the audience will have lost (future perfect) interest.

After everyone had finished (past perfect) the main course, we offered (past) our guests dessert.

After everyone has finished (present perfect) the main course, we offer (present: habitual action) our guests dessert.

After everyone has finished (present perfect) the main course, we will offer (future: specific one-time action) our guests dessert.

Long before the sun rose (past), the birds had arrived (past perfect) at the feeder.

Long before the sun rises (present: habitual action), the birds have arrived (present perfect) at the feeder.

Long before the sun rises (present: suggesting future time), the birds will have arrived (future perfect) at the feeder.

Sample paragraphs

The main tense in this first sample is past. Tense shifts are inappropriate and are indicated in bold.

The gravel crunched and spattered beneath the wheels of the bus as it swung into the station. Outside the window, shadowy figures peered at the bus through the darkness. Somewhere in the crowd, two, maybe three, people were waiting for me: a woman, her son, and possibly her husband. I could not prevent my imagination from churning out a picture of them, the town, and the place I will soon call home. Hesitating a moment, I rise from my seat, these images flashing through my mind.

(adapted from a narrative)

Inappropriate shifts from past to present, such as those that appear in the above paragraph, are sometimes hard to resist. The writer becomes drawn into the narrative and begins to relive the event as an ongoing experience. The inconsistency should be avoided, however. In the sample, will should be would, and rise should be rose.

The main tense in this second sample is present. Tense shifts-all appropriate-are indicated in bold.

A dragonfly rests on a branch overhanging a small stream this July morning. It is newly emerged from brown nymphal skin. As a nymph, it crept over the rocks of the stream bottom, feeding first on protozoa and mites, then, as it grew larger, on the young of other aquatic insects. Now an adult, it will feed on flying insects and eventually will mate. The mature dragonfly is completely transformed from the drab creature that once blended with underwater sticks and leaves. Its head, thorax, and abdomen glitter; its wings are iridescent in the sunlight.

(adapted from an article in the magazine Wilderness)

This writer uses the present tense to describe the appearance of a dragonfly on a particular July morning. However, both past and future tenses are called for when she refers to its previous actions and to its predictable activity in the future.

Click here for exercises on verb tense.

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This handout explains and describes the sequence of verb tenses in English. Throughout this document, example sentences with nonstandard or inconsistent usage have verbs in red. Controlling shifts in verb tense Writing often involves telling stories. Sometimes we narrate a story as our main purpose in writing; sometimes we include brief anecdotes or hypothetical scenarios as illustrations or reference points in an essay.

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https://www.grammar-quizzes.com/interjections.html

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Recognize a word, phrase, or short sentences that expresses a reaction to the content in the sentence, but is structurally disconnected.

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https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/403987029072699580/

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45 Learning Songs For Homeschool Morning Time UPDATED

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Jan 30, 2019 - I wrote this song about conjunctions song as a memorable tool to help my students learn and understand conjunctions for life.  This song identifies the purpo...

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https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/blogs/sundaresh07/prepositions

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It is understood that, usually, the preposition is `placed` `before` a noun in a sentence. Since a noun comes at the beginning or end of a sentence a preposition can also come in these two positions. Prepositions help to relate the subject and the object of a sentence.

We have to remember that a group of words can also function as a noun. This group of words, or phrase, usually has a noun which is modified by an adjective which is preceded by an article. This group is called a noun phrase.

[The words in bold are prepositions and the nouns are preceded by adjectives which are preceded by articles. The preposition comes before the article].

Many prepositions are single syllable words like, at, on, up, down, in, through, over, etc. Many others have two syllables like, behind, below, above, along, across, etc. Still others are phrases like, in accordance with, with respect to, etc.

To find a preposition look for a name [noun] of either someone or something. Or find one of the articles [a, an & the] or identify an adjective, and look at the word before. This will probably be a preposition. [Here, in this paragraph too, the words in bold are prepositions and the nouns are preceded by adjectives and articles. The preposition comes before the article].

Imagine a table with a box on it. Then we can make the following statements to illustrate the use of some prepositions.

1] He put a ball into the box, i.e. this shows movement from outside to inside the box. 2] There is a ball in the box. This does not show movement. 3] There is a ball on the table, i.e. on the surface of the table. 4] He put a ball onto the table, i.e. from elsewhere onto the surface of the table. This preposition [ onto] also shows movement. 5] If we walk lengthwise of a road or a river bank we walk along this road, etc. 6] But, if we go breadth wise we go across it. 7] If there is a heavy object then it can go through the bottom of a cardboard box . 8] We ascend or go up the stairs, and we descend or go down them. 9] If a ball is placed close to a box but not touching it, then the ball is next to or beside [ by the side of]the box. 9] But, if we place it farther away, but not too far away, then the ball is near the box.10] Similarly, we can use synonyms to say that The ball is over/ above or under/ below a table. Will this help understand some prepositions?

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It is understood that, usually, the preposition is `placed` `before` a noun in a sentence. Since a noun comes at the beginning or end of a sentence a preposition can also come in these two positions. Prepositions help to relate the subject and the object of a sentence.

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https://www.englishclub.com/esl-games/grammar/adjectives.htm

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We will meet again 🧼

These free, MOBILE-FRIENDLY online games will help you learn more about the grammar of adjectives, how and when to use them, and what order to put them in.

Matching Adjective Games
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50 fun mobile-friendly games that test and develop your understanding of adjectives.

Adjective Noun Collocation Games
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100 fun mobile-friendly games that test and develop your knowledge of adjectives and nouns that go together.

Adjective Order Games
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150 free, fun, adjective order games that test your understanding of English adjective grammar.

These games created by Matt Errey for EnglishClub.

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We will meet again 🧼 These free, MOBILE-FRIENDLY online games will help you learn more about the grammar of adjectives, how and when to use them, and what order to put them in. Matching Adjective Games MOBILE-FRIENDLY 50 fun mobile-friendly games that test and develop your understanding of adjectives.

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http://www.smithrobertson.net/song-lyrics/what-activities-can-you-do-with-songs/

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ESL Song Lyrics | Song lyrics for studying vocabulary and grammar in the ESL classroom

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There are lots of different ways to use songs in your ESL class, most depend on whether you are using a song to present new grammar or to practice grammar that you have already studied. Here are just a few ideas...

PRE-LISTENING:

It's always a good idea to start with a conversation with your students so that they know what to expect and so that they can familiarise themselves with the topic, the grammar or the vocabulary:

Ask the students if they know the song or the band. Wikipedia usually has information about most well-known bands, but maybe someone has even seen the band live and can talk from experience.

Ask the students about their musical preferences.

Talk about different genres.

You can even talk about the song's topic (love, the environment, beauty, jealousy, politics... etc.).

For more advanced levels, give the students only the title of the song and ask them to predict words and phrases that they expect to hear.

WHILE-LISTENING:

Fill the gaps: open cloze or multiple choice... the students fill the gaps in a song while they listen.
For beginners, you can give the students a list of the words which they will have to put into each of the gaps, for intermediate level you can just give them
"Yesterday, all my _____________ seemed so far away"

Choose the right word: the students listen to the song and choose the word that they hear.

For beginners, you can give the students two different words that mean the same thing but which don't sound similar.
"Yesterday, all my problems/troubles seemed so far away"

For intermediate level, you can give the students two different words that sound similar, which is harder to distinguish:
"Yesterday, all my doubles/troubles seemed so far away"

Listen for words:
Give the students a list of words and tell them that ONE of the words is not in the lyrics. The students listen to the song, ticking off the words as they hear them. They should end up with one word.

Find the mistakes:
Give the students the lyrics of a song with mistakes in it so that the students can correct them.

For example... "Yesterday, all my problems seemed so far away"

or... "Yesterday, all of my troubles seemed so far away"

or... "Yesterday, all my troubles seemed far away"

Put the words in the right order:
Very good for practising grammar as well as improving students' listening skills:
"my away yesterday, troubles far so all seemed"

Put the lines in the right order:
Give the students the lyrics of the song, but in the wrong order:

Now it looks as though they're here to stay

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away

Oh, I believe in yesterday

Matching:
Give the students the first half of each line and ask them to match them with the second half. For intermediate level you can divide each line into three parts:

AFTER-LISTENING

Obviously a good way to finish the activity is to ask the students if they liked the song, but also...

Sing it! Either sing along to the original version or find a karaoke version to sing along to!

Ask for the meanings of specific words; for example "from the context, what do you think the word troubles means?"

What is the song about? (in the case of "Yesterday", it is about the end of a relationship, a separation)

Ask the students to draw a picture (in the case of "Yesterday", a man crying alone)

Ask the students to write a poem based on the lyrics of the song.

Ask the students to write another verse. In the case of "Yesterday", they could give the song a happy ending:
Tomorrow, she'll come back again. That much I know.
We'll be happy and we'll watch a show.
Oh, I believe in tomorrow...

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What activities can you do with songs? | ESL Song Lyrics

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There are lots of different ways to use songs in your ESL class, most depend on whether you are using a song to present new grammar or to practice grammar that you have already studied. Here are just a few ideas...

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https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=kinds-nouns-proper-common-abstract-common-etc

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We present to you an excellent Types of nouns quiz. The objectives of this English grammar quiz are 1). To develop an understanding of nouns, including common and proper nouns. 2). To create an understanding of concrete, abstract, compound, and collective nouns. 3). To use nouns to communicate clearly and effectively in writing.

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https://www.bacttraining.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Parts-of-speech-1.jpg

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https://www.needgrammar.com/grammar/interjection-in-english-with-examples.html

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Interjection in English with examples | needgrammar

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What is an Interjection? By definition, an interjection is a part of speech in English that is an exclamatory word used to express feelings.

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https://www.englishreservoir.com/conjunctions/

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What are conjunctions in English?

Conjunctions in English are connector words such as and, because, or, but etc., which are used to connect words and phrases together.

Conjunctions are divided into three categories: coordinating (the most common), subordinating, and correlative conjunctions.

Why do we need conjunctions in English?

We need words that can connect phrases and words together to make sentences and questions shorter, less redundant, but also to add more flow to our sentences. I.e,

Instead of:

I like my job. I like my friends.

Daniel would like a trip to the beach or to the mountains.

Instead of:

Daniel would like a trip to the beach. He would also like a trip to the mountains.

Instead of:

I was late. I missed my train.

The most common conjunctions in English

Examples of conjunctions connecting phrases

Samuel and I are best buddies.

My friend is a little annoyed, but he'll be fine.

Because they told me the truth, I will not get stressed.

Henry studied hard for his final exams, so he managed to get good grades.

I think they told everyone to leave, yet they didn't tell Jack.

Philippe cleans his flat every weekend, or he pays for a cleaner.

You don't drive, nor do you ride a bicycle.

This chap is incapable of telling the truth, for he is a liar.

(Al)though you greeted our guests, I thought you were a little impolite.

Sentences can start with conjunctions

There is nothing incorrect about beginning a sentence with a conjunction.

Because of this issue, it will need to escalate to the boss.

And for this reason, he told me to leave.

But, will we see her again?

Although they misbehaved, they didn't get told off.

Yet, here I am.

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Conjunctions in English - Learn with us! English Reservoir

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Conjunctions in English are connector words such as and, because, or, but etc., which are used to connect words and phrases together. Conjunctions are divided into three categories: coordinating (the most common), subordinating, and correlative conjunctions. We need words that can connect phrases and words together to make sentences and questions shorter, less redundant, but also to add more flow to our sentences.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IutZFSXfgYs

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Prepositions: Fix 8 Common Errors with the F.U.N. method!

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https://thebogotapost.com/english-adverbs-quickly-easily-painlessly/18178/

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If you think you already know your English adverbs from your adjectives, skip straight to the quiz - otherwise learn more about this handy language construct with Phil Stoneman's guide.
F ortunately, I quite like using English adverbs and always use them as often as possible when I talk both casually and formally.
Can you identify the types of words in the sentence above? We have pronouns, verbs, nouns and connectors which are easy to recognise. But what about adverbs? In this sentence, we have fortunately, quite, always, as often as possible, casually and formally. Adverbs can be hard to identify as they do many different things, but they are an important part of English, and being able to use them well will really make a difference to your language skills.

Let's take a look at some of the types of adverbs:

Adverbs of frequency

These are usually the first adverbs you study in English, and tell you how often something is done: never, rarely, occasionally, sometimes, usually, and always. Remember that the adverb needs to go before the main verb, unless the main verb is to be, when the adverb goes after it:

We always meet at university.

He is sometimes late for class.

Let's see how you use adverbs - put the adverbs made from the words in brackets into the correct place in the sentences below. Answers below.

1. We are hungry before 12pm. (rare)
2. Could you turn the music down? It's loud. (quite)
3. I left my wallet at home. A friend lent me some money. (fortune)
4. He talks so it's hard to understand him. (quick)
5. She'll probably get a promotion because she works. (hard)

Adverbs of manner

These are called adverbs of manner because they describe how we do something. Because of this, they always work with a verb. They usually go after the main verb or verb phrase:

I walked slowly down the hall.

He always does his work carefully.

These adverbs can usually be recognised because they end in '-ly', which is the English version of '- mente ', but be careful! Not every word ending in '-ly' is an adverb. For example, here are two common adjectives which also end in this way:

She lives in a lovely town where everyone is so friendly.

And not all adverbs have this ending! In the sentence below, the first "fast" is an adjective, which describes a noun (the car), and the second one is an adverb, which describes the action (how he drives):

He has a fast car, and always drives very fast.

Hard is another adverb which is the same as its corresponding adjective:

It's hard to beat her because she always plays so hard.

Fortunately, most adverbs do use the '-ly' ending, so they are easy to recognise. Remember as well that we use some '-ly' endings in English where you don't use the '- mente' ending in Spanish. For example, you need to say "the children were sleeping comfortably."

These adverbs are extremely useful to use, for example in descriptive writing. Don't just say what the action is, say how it is! In the last conversation you had, how were you talking?

Adverbial phrases

Just as we can use an adverb to give additional information, we can use whole phrases that also do this job. For example, to describe how someone talks, we can use an adverb:

We can also use adverbial phrases instead of the adverb to describe the action:

He talks like he owns the company.

Modifiers: to intensify and soften

Adverbs are not only used with verbs, but also with adjectives. A very useful type of adverb is the modifier. Adverbs like so, very, vastly, or massively can be used to strengthen an adjective:

Chia is such a small town. Bogotá is a vastly different place.

However, it's very important to also recognise that this type of adverb is often used by native speakers in the opposite way: to make something that sounds very strong more polite:

Could you change this fork, please? It's rather dirty.

I wanted to rest because I was quite tired.

Adjuncts, disjuncts & conjuncts, oh my!

Most adverbs are adjuncts: they are part of a sentence, and don't need any special punctuation to introduce them. However, disjuncts and conjuncts are a little different, and use commas to introduce themselves. Disjuncts often comment on the whole sentence, and are used at the beginning:

Honestly, I don't know what he was thinking!

Unfortunately, I'll have to work this weekend.

Conjuncts are more like connectors, and help us to follow the direction of ideas:

If we win the match, then we'll celebrate tonight.

Many people like cats. However, I prefer dogs.

Finally, you can see that adverbs are generally used for a variety of things. Fortunately, they're not too hard to understand, and they're rather useful, so add them carefully to your English!
Originally from Sheffield, England, Phil Stoneman has been living in Bogotá and teaching English since 2004. He both teaches at and is part of the English coordination team at Externado University.

Answers:

1. We are rarely hungry before 12pm.
2. Could you turn the music down? It's quite loud.
3. I left my wallet at home. Fortunately, a friend lent me some money.
4. He talks quickly so it's hard to understand him.
5. She'll probably get a promotion because she works hard.

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English adverbs: quickly, easily & painlessly!

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F ortunately, I quite like using English adverbs and always use them as often as possible when I talk both casually and formally. Can you identify the types of words in the sentence above? We have pronouns, verbs, nouns and connectors which are easy to recognise. But what about adverbs?

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https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/grammar/parts-of-speech-the-modifier/adjective-order-and-commas-with-adjectives/v/adjective-order

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https://www.thesaurus.com/e/grammar/whats-a-verb/

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Look at the following sentences: I speak English. My sister has been teaching dancing lessons for decades. It will rain tomorrow. My window was hit by a baseball. All of these sentences give us different information about things that happened, are happening now, or will happen later. At the same time, all of these sentences contain an important type of word that is essential to using proper grammar. This particular type of word may be familiar to you: verbs. But how much do you really know about this important part of grammar? There is more to these action-packed words than you might expect!

A verb is "any member of a class of words that function as the main element of predicates, that typically express action, state, or a relation between two things, and that may be inflected for tense, aspect, voice, mood, and to show agreement with their subject or object."

To put it more simply, verbs describe the subject of a sentence or clause by telling us what action a subject performs, what state the subject is in, or what relation it has to another object. Typically, the subject of the sentence or clause tells us who or what is doing something and verbs tell us what they are doing.

Verbs can also use many different verb tenses to, generally speaking, tell use when an event happens. These different tenses consist of past, present, and future tenses to describe events that happened before now, are happening right now, or will happen later.

A verb phrase is a group of words including a verb and its complements, objects, or other modifiers that functions syntactically as a verb. Putting it another way, the verb phrase includes the verb as well as other parts of the sentences that work together with the verb to explain what action happened or what state something was in. A verb phrase always includes a verb and can also include the direct object(s) and indirect object(s). (We'll define these soon.) Importantly, the verb phrase does not include the subject. In English, a subject and a verb phrase combine to create a complete sentence.

Subject of a verb

Besides a verb, a is the other essential kind of word that we need in order to make a complete sentence or build a clause. A subject functions as one of the two main parts of a simple sentence, the other being the predicate. A subject consists of a noun, noun phrase, or noun substitute which often refers to the one performing the action or being in the state expressed by the predicate.

You can see different subjects performing their jobs in the following sentences:

Learn more about using I and me as the subject and object of a sentence.

Direct object of a verb

A direct object is a word or group of words representing the person or thing upon which the action of a verb is performed or toward which it is directed. In English, we usually put the direct object after the verb without using a preposition. The following sentences all have examples of direct objects:

Indirect object of a verb

An indirect object is a word or group of words representing the person or thing with reference to which the action of a verb is performed. In English, the indirect object usually comes between the verb and direct object unless it is used as the object of a prepositional phrase.

Here are examples of indirect objects being used without prepositions:

Here are examples of indirect objects being used in prepositional phrases:

In general, we use verbs to say what actions a person or thing is doing or to give information about their state of existence. Typically, we use verbs to specifically describe physical actions, mental actions, or states of being.

Physical action verbs

Physical action verbs, in general, are verbs that describe actions that involve movement or motions that we can see with our eyes. Putting it another way, physical action verbs usually describe actions we perform using our bodies or objects.

Examples of physical action verbs

The following list contains examples of physical action verbs. As you read them, consider what each action the verb is referring to actually looks like when performed in reality.

attack, bounce, catch, dance, eat, fling, grab, hunt, instruct, jump, kick, laugh, mumble, open, play, quake, run, sing, trample, undress, walk, yell, zip

Mental action verbs

Mental action verbs, in general, refer to actions that we use only our brains to do. Typically, you can't actually see or detect when someone or something performs an action described by a mental action verb.

Examples of mental action verbs

The following words are examples of verbs that can be used as mental action verbs. As you read each one, consider why they are considered to be mental action verbs.

believe, consider, dream, envision, fear, hate, imagine, love, notice, memorize, ponder, sense, think, remember, wonder

State of being verbs

State of being verbs, generally speaking, are verbs that describe a person or thing's existence rather than describe an action it is performing. These verbs often refer to abstract concepts and are often used to express complex ideas. The verb is an incredibly commonly used verb that is an example of a state of being verb. This verb, when used alone, describes something's state rather than an action they are doing. For example, the sentence I am a firefighter gives information about a person ( I work as a firefighter) rather than describe an action a person is doing either physically or mentally.

Examples of state of being verbs

The verb be is the state of being the verb you are most likely to encounter. However, several other verbs can also be used as state of being verbs. The following verbs can be used as state of being verbs. You will probably notice that many of these verbs have other meanings that allow them to be used as other kinds of verbs, too.

appear, become, change, continue, end, exist, feel, grow, have, look, mean, own, possess, remain, seem, smell, sound, taste, turn, stand, weigh

When we put verbs in our sentences, we use 12 different verb tenses to provide more information. In general, the tense of a verb tells you when in time an action or state happens. The 12 verb tenses can be grouped into past, present, and future tenses. As their names suggest, past tense verbs usually describe a past event, present tense verbs describe an event happening in the present, and future tense verbs describe an event that will happen in the future. The following sentences contain examples of verbs used in the simple past, present, and future tenses. You'll notice that by only changing the tense of the verb, the meaning of the sentence changes:

Subject-verb agreement

When using verbs, there is an important rule of grammar that you must follow: a verb must always agree with its subject. This means that a verb must be correctly conjugated so that it matches the subject it is describing. A singular subject must use a singular verb and a plural subject must use a plural verb. For example, you would say that My cat is very fat but you wouldn't say that My cat are very fat.

This rule sounds simple enough, but our sentences can often get very complex. Certain nouns, such as collective nouns, can cause confusion.

Build up your skills on subject-verb agreement with this article that goes into more depth.

The following complex sentence shows how difficult it can be to adhere to subject-verb agreement. Take a look at this (ridiculous) sentence, and see if you can identify which word is the subject of the verb gives:

Whenever I visit my extended family members who live in an abandoned schoolhouse in the Florida Everglades, an odd, adventurous person named Alfredo, who once worked as an assistant to a world famous stage magician, gives me good advice about the world and everything that happens in it.

Choose the best verb with Grammar Coach

We aren't your average spell check. Improve your writing with Thesaurus.com's Grammar Coach™, which catches grammar and spelling errors and provides Thesaurus-powered synonym suggestions. Its Synonym Swap will find the best nouns, adjectives, and-of course, verbs-to help say what you really mean, guiding you toward clearer, stronger, writing. Start writing smarter today!

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Look at the following sentences: I speak English. My sister has been teaching dancing lessons for decades. It will rain tomorrow. My window was hit by a baseball. All of these sentences give us different information about things that happened, are happening now, or will happen later.

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https://examplanning.com/personal-pronoun/

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A noun that is used for the names of persons instead of their names, is called personal pronoun. For example, I, we, you, he, she, they, it etc.

Personal Pronoun Chart and Examples

Personal Pronoun Cases

Subjective Case

A personal pronoun should be in the subjective case if the pronoun functions as a subject or subject complement.

A subject pronoun usually comes before the verb; a subject complement pronoun follows a linking verb.

We are successful. (Subject)

You like pizza. (Subject)

The winners were Majid and I. (Subject complement)

Objective Case

If a pronoun stands for any other noun than a subject or subject complement, use the objective case.

Object pronouns can be direct objects, indirect objects or objects of prepositions. You may have noticed that you and it are on both lists.

The secretary notified us today. (direct object)

My uncle sent you an e-mail.

For her, I would do anything.

Possessive Case

In possessive case, the pronouns show possession or belonging. It has two types:

Possessive Determiners:

These are used before a noun such as my, your, his, her, its, ours, theirs etc.

Example: This is your table.

Possessive Pronoun:

The possessive pronouns are used instead of personal pronoun such as mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs.

Example: This is your table. It is similar to mine.

Reflexive Case

In reflexive cases, the pronoun is used before the noun, pronoun, adjective or adverb in the same clause. Reflexive pronouns are myself, ourselves, yourself, himself, herself etc.

Examples:

Chart of Personal Pronoun

Following table shows the different cases of personal pronouns. In the possessive case, the first word is possessive determiner (my, our, your...) and the second word is possessive pronoun (mine, ours, yours....)

Usage

Use of object or subject pronoun after comparatives "as" and "than". Object pronouns are commonly used when "as" and "than" work as prepositions.

For example,

She is as beautiful as her thoughts.

He is smarter than them both.

Subject pronouns are used if "as" and "than" function as conjunction.

When a clause can be completed after the pronoun. For example,

Object pronouns are used in the following case exclamation. For example, He has been promoted - lucky him.

"One" is used as an indefinite pronoun meaning such as anyone or everyone.

Example,

"So" and "it" are replaceable after certain verbs like do, guess, know, remember. For example,

Do you know he got admission to a college? Yes, I know it.

"It" is used as an empty subject in the following situations.

With time: It is 4 'O' clock.

Weather: It is pleasant today.

Temperature: It is 23 Fahrenheit today.

Distance: It is 10 kilometers away from this town.

Environment: It is a noisy place.

Takes: It takes one hour to reach there.

Unknown Person: Did something ring? ...It was Jami.

Things, Action or Idea: It is difficult. It is night.

With such structures with a "to-infinitive" or a "that - clause" for example,

We use "its" before a noun to express the possession. For example, I have forgotten its number.

"It's" shows the short form of "it is" or "it has". For example, I think it's (it is) time to sleep now.

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A noun that is used for the names of persons instead of their names, is called personal pronoun. For example, I, we, you, he, she, they, it etc. A personal pronoun should be in the subjective case if the pronoun functions as a subject or subject complement.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QcIp_zvGi0

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What are Nouns? English Grammar for Beginners | Basic English | ESL