Lexical Collocation

Education English | Lexical Collocation | Lexis is the basis of language. Lexis is misunderstood in language teaching because of the assumption that grammar is the basis of language and that mastery of the grammatical system is a prerequisite for effective communication.
Furthermore, Lexical collocation is a collocation of two or more co-occurring lexemes in a changing syntactic and semantic relationship (Clear J: 1993). Lexical collocations include: Verb + noun (e.g. break a code, lift a blockade, Verb + Adverb (e.g. affect deeply, appreciate sincerely), Noun + Verb (e.g. water freezes, clock ticks, Adjective + Noun (e.g. strong tea, best wishes), Adverb + Adjective (e.g. deeply absorbed, closely related).
The following are type’s lexical collocations as categorized by Benson, Benson and Ilson: 1986.

1. Verbs (usually transitive) + noun/pronoun (or prepositional phrase).
The first lexical collocations consist of a verb (usually transitive) and a noun/ a pronoun (or a prepositional phrase). Most this lexical consist of verb denoting creation and/or activation and a noun/a pronoun. It is calling such fixed lexical combination CA collocations. Here are the examples of collocations with verbs denoting creation: come to an agreement, make an impression, compose music, set a record, reach a verdict, and inflict a wound. Here are examples of collocations that express the concept of activation: set an alarm, fly a kite, launch a missile, launch a time clock, and spin a top, wind a watch.

2. Verbs (meaning eradication and / or nullification) + a noun).
The second lexical collocations consist of a verb essentially eradication and/or nullification and a noun. Such fixed lexical combinations are called EN collocations. Typical examples are: reject an appeal, lift a blockade, break a code, reverse a marriage, suspend martial law, etc.

3. Adjective + noun prepositional phrase).
Next lexical collocation consists of adjective + noun. One well known pair or example is strong tea (not mighty tea) and weak tea (not feeble tea). In many instance, more than one adjectives (or more than form of the same adjective) can collocate with the same noun: warm, warmest (not hot); kind, kindest; best (not good) regards. Other examples of this collocation are: reckless abandon, a chronic alcoholic, a pitched battle, a formidable challenge, a crushing defeat, a rough estimate, an implacable foe, a sweeping generalization, etc.

4. Noun + Verb prepositional phrase).
The fourth lexical collocations consist of a noun and verb; the verb names an action characteristic of the person or thing designated by the noun: adjectives modify, alarms go off (ring sound), and bees buzz (sting swarm, blizzard rage), blood circulate (clots, congeals, flows, runs) bomb explode (go off) etc.

5. Noun + noun prepositional phrase).
The fifth lexical collocations indicate the unit that is associated with a noun. The structure of this lexical collocation is often noun of noun. Such collocation may indicate: the large unit to which a single member belongs: a colony (swarm) of bees, a herd
of buffalo, a pack of dogs, a bouquet of flowers, a pride of lions, a school of whales, etc.

6. Adverb + adjective prepositional phrase).
The sixth lexical collocation consists of verb and adjective. Examples are: deeply absorbed, strictly accurate, closely (intimately) acquainted, hopeless addicted, sound asleep, keenly (very mush) aware, etc.

7. Verb + adverb prepositional phrase).
The seventh lexical collocation consists of verb and an adverb. Examples are: affect deeply, amuse thoroughly, actor firmly, apologize firmly, appreciate sincerely, argue heatedly, etc.
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Indefinite Article

Education English | Indefinite Article | “A” is traditionally called the indefinite article. Its alternate form “an” is used before words beginning with vowel sounds – An apple, an obstruction, an ink bottle, an hour, an heir, an honest man ( words beginning with silent ). The indefinite article is just the opposite of the definite article. It is called “indefinite” because they do not refer to a particular thing as “the” does, but simply refer to an object or person in a non-specific way, that is, we do not specify exactly to which person or object we are refering to.
Frank (1972:135) states the uses of the indefinite article “a” as follows :
1. “A” meaning the numeral one
I wanted an hour.
He paid a hundred dollars to his suit
Closely related to the numerical use of a is the distributive use of “a” in the sense of each – His rent is $200 a month ; these apples cost $.25 a pound.
2. “A” signaling one specimen that represents a class
In this case, no attempt is made to distinguish one individual number of class from any other specimen in the same class. “A” occurs most often in a statement about one event.
He ate an apple.
A prize will be given to the best student.
This is the true indefinite use of “a”. Such indefinite use is far more common than any other use of a.
3. “A” with nouns ( usually considered noncountable)
“A” is used in a general statement to classify a noun. In this use, a points to any representative of a class – a lion (=any lion) is very strong. This is the generic
a that we have already looked at.
“A” often appears with a class word in the predicate after a form of the verb be.The class word after this verb may serve to :
a. Identify an individual
John is a student.
John is a good student who is not discourged by failures. ( class word with modifier)
b. Definite a smaller class
The lion is an animal.
The lion is a large, powerful mammal of the cat family, found in Africa and Southwest Asia, with a tawny coat, a tawny coat, a tufted tail, and in the adult male, a shaggy mane.
4. “A” with Nouns Usually Considered Noncountable.
Nouns that have both countable and noncountable forms are often derived from verbs, and end in such suffixes as –ment, -ion, -ance, -ary.The noncountable word refers the act itself – operation, mixture, shipment, goverment – and the countable word to the of the act – an imitation, a shipment, a goverment.
The child learns through imitation.
But Arts is an imitation of life.
This picture is a good imitation. 

Certain noncountable nouns that do not have a plural form may neverthless be used with a, especially if they have adjective modifiers.
He exhibited a courage that suprised me.
We encountered an unexpected friendliness wherever we went.
“A” may also occur with a noncountable noun that is in apposition with another noun used earlier. Often the appositive noun repeats the noun it refers to. 

He felt remorse over what he had done, a remorse that grew with the passing of time.
5. A after such, what
A is required after such or what used with a singular countable noun.
Such a pretty face
What pretty nouse
6. A after certain adverbs or adjectives – not a, many a, quite a, rather a.
There was quite a large crowd in the street.
Not a man volunteered. (=not one man volunteered)
Many a man has volunteered to flight for his country. (literary usage)
7. A before noun quantifiers – a few, a lot of, a little.
A few chairs
A little furniture
8. A with proper names, meaning a certain.
A Mr. Smith called you
9. A with most in the sense of very (often considered informal usage)
She is a most beautiful woman.
But She is the most beautiful women I know. (Most marks the superlative
degree)
10. A after so or too – an adjective+ a singular noun
She is too sensible a girl to do a thing like that.
She is so sensible a girl that she could not do a thing like that.
11. Half an hour or a half hour.
Either form may be used – she waited for half an hour (or a half hour).
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Spectrum Collocation : Restricted combination

Education English | Spectrum Collocation : Restricted combination | Restricted combination or restricted collocation whose which is the constituent are used in one their regular not idiomatic meanings. For example: (i) Adjective + noun (hardened + criminal -extenuating + circumstance) (ii) adverb + verb –readily (+ admit-totally + unaware) (iii) verb + noun (-renovate + house-shrug + shoulder)  (iv) noun + verb (-brake + screech-cloud + drift).
A restricted collocation is a sequence of words which habitually co-occur and whose meaning can be derived compositionally. Restricted collocations have a kind of semantic cohesion mainly due to use and therefore they considerably limit the substitution of their component words. Usually restricted collocations do not have a literal translation in other languages. (Assented: 1979 and Marcello: 1989), we prefer to use the term “Restricted collocation” instead of “collocation” to avoid
confusion with some uses of “collocation” in the wider sense of any co-occurrence of words.

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Countable and Uncountable Noun

Education English | Countable and Uncountable Noun | Nouns are divided into the categories of countable and uncountable nouns. Linguapress (2009) says that when writing or talking English, it is essential to know whether the noun you are going to use functioning as a count noun or uncountable noun, or functioning as one. If the noun you want to use can be either a countable noun or a uncountable noun, you must decide which value you wish to give it in a given context, since this may determine how you express your sentence. Moreover, Tourneau (1999) says that certain nouns in English belong to both classes: they have both a non-count and a count meaning. Normally, the noncount meaning is abstract and general, and the count meaning is concrete and specific.
Wren & Martin (2000:7) state that countable nouns are the names of objects, people, etc. that we can count, for example: book, pen, apple, boy, sister, doctor, horse, etc. While, uncountable nouns are the names of things which we cannot count, for example: milk, oil, sugar, gold, honesty. They mainly denote substances and abstract things. Countable nouns have plural forms while uncountable nouns do not. For example, we say “books” but we cannot say “milks”.
Based on description above, countable nouns and uncountable nouns are not used in the same way. Countable nouns are nouns that can be counted. On the other hand, uncountable nouns are nouns that cannot be counted. The basic distinction is that countable nouns can take the plural form, while uncountable nouns cannot.Countable and Uncountable Noun Nouns are divided into the categories of countable and uncountable nouns. Linguapress (2009) says that when writing or talking English, it is essential to know whether the noun you are going to use functioning as a count noun or uncountable noun, or functioning as one. If the noun you want to use can be either a countable noun or a uncountable noun, you must decide which value you wish
to give it in a given context, since this may determine how you express your sentence. Moreover, Tourneau (1999) says that certain nouns in English belong to both classes: they have both a non-count and a count meaning. Normally, the noncount meaning is abstract and general, and the count meaning is concrete and specific. Wren & Martin (2000:7) state that countable nouns are the names of objects, people, etc. that we can count, for example: book, pen, apple, boy, sister, doctor, horse, etc. While, uncountable nouns are the names of things which we cannot count, for example: milk, oil, sugar, gold, honesty. They mainly denote substances and abstract things. Countable nouns have plural forms while uncountable nouns do not. For example, we say “books” but we cannot say “milks”. Based on description above, countable nouns and uncountable nouns are used in the same way. Countable nouns are nouns that can be counted. On the other hand, uncountable nouns are nouns that cannot be counted. The basic distinction is that countable nouns can take the plural form, while uncountable nouns cannot.

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The use of All , all of and No

Education English | The use of  All , all of and No |  All or all of is used to talk about the total number of things or people in a group, or the total amount of something:
· All (of) my brothers and sisters were at the airport to see me off. (with
countable noun)
· The baby seems to cry all (of) the time. (with uncountable noun)

 

No
No is used with countable or uncountable. For example:
· She had no shoes on. (countable noun)
· No information was given about how the study was conducted. (uncountable noun)
· There’s no train until tomorrow. (countable noun)
Do not use not any in initial position in a clause or sentence:
· No force was needed to make them move. (not Not any force was
needed…)

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Grammatical Collocation

Education English | Grammatical Collocation | Grammatical collocation is the structure of word partnership or the structure of sentences (Lewis M: 2003). Grammatical collocations are combinations where a preposition is used with a noun, a verb or an adjective, (e.g. by accident, admiration for, agree with, account for, afraid of, amazed at).
Overall, there is very little deviation arising from the structural modification of standard collocations; as one would expect, native speakers appear aware of the grammatical restrictions associated with collocations. It is not always clear whether the modifications that are made are structural or the simple addition or omission of grammatical items.
In this study, the researcher describes eight major types of grammatical collocation based on Benson, Benson and Ilson (1996).

1. Noun + preposition
Not all Noun + preposition combinations can be considered as collocations due the highly predictable meaning of some prepositions, such as of and by. So, noun + of / by combinations are not regarded as the collocations. The collocations include the combination blockade against but not blockade of. The phrase the blockade of enemy ports is a regular transformation of the blockade enemy ports.

2. Noun + to infinitive
There are five syntactic patterns in which this construction is most frequently encountered; these patterns are: it was a pleasure (a problem, a struggle) to do it; they had the foresight (instructions, an obligation, permission, right) to do it; they felt a
compulsion (an impulse, a need) to do it; they made an attempt (an effort, a promise, a vow) to do it; he was a fool (a genius, an idiot) to do it.

3. Noun + that + clause
The BBI includes nouns that can be followed by that clause: we reached an agreement that we should represent us in court; he took an oath that he would do this duty. The dictionary does not include nouns followed by relative clauses introduced by that, for example: when that can be replaced by which: we reached an agreement that would go into effect in a month. Nor does it include nouns that can be followed by a clause only when they are objects of a preposition; it was by chance that we met; it was with (considerable) pride that he presented his findings.

4. Preposition + noun
Any combinations of prepositions and noun can fall into this category, however the choice of preposition with certain noun in not at random. For examples: by accident, in advance, to somebody’s, on somebody’s advice, under somebody’s aegis, in agony, on (the) alert, at anchoretic).

5. Adjective + prepositions
The next grammatical collocation is adjective + preposition combinations that occur in the predicate are or as set-off attributives (verb less clauses) they were angry at everyone. They include adjective + of constructions when the subject of the construction in animate (usual human): they are afraid (ashamed, confident, critical, demanding, envious, etc) of him.

6. Predicate adjective + to infinitive
The first is Adjective with dummy or empty subject ”it” such as “it was necessary for him to work”. Prepositional phrase with for can be inserted into this construction with many adjectives: it was necessary for him to work.
The second is adjective with real and usual animate subject such as “she (the girl) is ready to go; it (the machine) was designed to operate at high altitudes”.

7. Adjective + that + clause
The seventh grammatical collocation is adjective can be followed by that + clause: she was afraid that she would fail the examination; it was nice that he was able to come home for the holiday. Several adjectives are followed by the present subjunctive
in formal English; it was imperative that I’ll be there at three o’clock; it is necessary that he be replaced immediately.

8. `Verbs patterns
The last grammatical collocation consists of nineteen English patterns, designed by the capital letter A to S. description of each pattern as follows:
Pattern A. When the noun phrase is the object of the main verb. The code (Vn. Ing) and gives the dot after “n” and before the “ing clause” to show that the noun is connected closely with the main verb. For example: His comments set me thinking, I can smell something nice cooking.
Pattern B where an adverb placed after the verb, and after the direct object. If the verb is transitive in a good, right, satisfactory way. For Example: the children behaved well, she speaks English Very well.
In Pattern C, as with intransitive verbs are used to show that a particular preposition, adverb or particle is often. But not always used with a verb. The particle up or over can be used alone after the object of the verb or followed by a prepositional phrase using with. For example: he covered (up) the body (with a sheet) Vn, Vnp. The hole was quickly covered (over) 􀃎Vn, Vnp.
In pattern D, the verb forms a collocation with a specific preposition (+ object). Collocations consisting of a verb + as (+object) are included in this pattern. Next is Pattern E. in this pattern, verbs are followed by to+ infinitive. For Example: What did you take his comments to mean? Do you take this woman to be your wife?
Pattern F. This pattern includes the small number of verbs that are followed by noun and an infinitive without to. Example: she didn’t take much persuading (ie, she was easily persuaded). Then, Pattern G. in this pattern, verbs is followed by a second verb in –ing.
The eight patterns is pattern H. In this pattern, transitive verbs are followed by an object and to infinitive. Example she dedicated her life to helping the poor.
Pattern I is the ninth pattern. A small group of ordinary verbs. For Example: see and hear, can be used with a noun phrase and a bare infinitive. The code for these pattern are [ Vn. inf(no to)] and [ Verb +Noun phrase + infinitive, with a warning that the infinitive doesn’t have to before it ]. For example: Did you hear the phone ring just then? She watched him eat his lunch.
Pattern J is the tenth pattern. In this pattern, verbs are followed by an object and a verb form in-ing such as I watched him eating. The next pattern is pattern K, which the verbs are
followed by a possessive (pronoun and noun) or sentences with a possessive pronoun often sound rather formal and the object pronoun is more common. Such as: people are more likely to say: I hate him joking about serious things than I hate his joking about serious things.
Verbs are followed by a noun clause beginning with the conjunction that in pattern L. while if the verb can be followed by a direct object, the infinitive to be, and either an adjective, or a past participle, or a noun/pronoun are in pattern M. for example: she’s slowly getting better after the accident.
In pattern N where transitive verbs can be followed by a direct object and adjective or past participle or a noun/pronoun. The next pattern is about transitive verbs can take two objects, neither of which can normally be used in a prepositional phrase with to or for in pattern O. such as: I sold a car to Jim; I bought a book for Mary.
Pattern P consists of intransitive, reflexive and transitive verbs must be followed by an adverbial. Whereas, verbs can be followed by interrogative words: how, what, when, where, which, who, why; to these we add whether (which often alternates in clause with if) in pattern Q. for example: I had to ask the teacher what to do next, he teaches his students how to research properly if they do it.
The next pattern is R. in this pattern, transitive verbs (often expressing emotion) are preceded by the dummy it and are followed by to+ infinitive or by that + clause or by either. The last is pattern S. In this pattern, a small number of intransitive verbs are followed by a predicate noun or by a predicate adjective.

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Each (of) and None (of)

Education English | Each (of) and None (of) | 

Each (of)

 Each (of) is used with singular countable nouns to mean all things or people in a group of two or more (each (of))
· The programme is on every (or each) weekday morning at 10.00.
· Each ticket costs £35

 None (of)
None (of) is used with countable nouns. Do not use not any in initial position in a clause or sentence:
· None of the children was/were awake. (not Not any of the children…)
None of is used with a plural noun the verb can be either singular or plural, although the singular form is usually more formal:
Example:
1. Both children were born in Italy.
2. He has crashed both (of) the cars.
3. Both (of) my parents have fair hair.
4. You can take both (of) these books back to the library.

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A Lot Of, Lots Of, (A) Plenty Of

Education English | A Lot Of, Lots Of, (A) Plenty Of | In affirmative sentences, the use of a lot of, lots of, or plenty of are to talk about large amounts and quantities, particularly in conversation and informal writing. They are used with both countable and uncountable nouns.
Examples:
· Lots of her students went on to become teachers. (Countable noun)
· We had a plenty of hotels to choose from. (Countable noun)
· John offered me a lot of money for the car. (Uncountable noun)
The use of plenty of is used instead of a lot of or lots of. However, plenty of means ‘enough, or more than enough’ and is therefore not likely in certain contexts.
Compare:
· We took lots of food and drink on our walk through the hills. (or…. Plenty of…) and
· Jim does not look well. He is lost a lot of weight. (‘plenty of’ is unlikely here)
Do not use plenty without of before a following noun:
· We have got plenty of time left (not We have got plenty time left.)

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Definite of Article

Education English | Definite of Article | Eugene Ehrlich (2004:33), defines that the word used is to indicate a special group of nouns and pronouns or members of special groups of nouns or pronoun. Definite article is a member of the class of particularizes a noun, it is used to restrict the meaning of a noun to make it refer to something that is known by both the speaker or writer and the listener or reader. In English articles are invariable. That is, they do not change according to the gender or number of the noun they refer to.
Frodesen and Eyring (2000:78) state that the definite article (the) can identify a noun and show that it has been sigled out in some way. Generally, the speaker or writer knows the listener or reader is aware of the noun because it was previously, has heard of it, has experienced it has read about it, such as : Special Uses of the Definite Article
1. With unique nouns
The moon is very bright
2. Before Superlatives
The most significant effect occured in June.
3. Before ordinals (first,second,third,ect)
The second component was missing.
4. Before modifiers that make the noun that follow specific (same,sole,ect)
The main operator was not on duty.
5. In phrases that refer to a specific part of a whole group
a. Each the experiments was successful
b. Half of the population suffered greatly.
6. With identifiable nouns that are followed by a modifying of phrase
a. The effect of an earthquake can be felt for miles.
b. We were uncertain about the cause of the fire.
c. The beginning of the movie was frightening.
7. Before adjectives that represent groups of people.
A major urban problem is caring for the poor (people).
8. With certain nouns, such as mechanical inventions and devices, to refer to a general example of something rather than a specific object the speaker, writer has in mind.
a. “Hearthbreak” is a song on the radio.
b. She got here fast because she took the train.
9.Before locations associated with certain typical or habitual activities. The listener / reader may have no idea of the exact location to which the speaker / writer is reffering.
a. I went to the barber after classes.
b. Have you been to the beach this summer?
c. She needs to pick up a few things at the store.

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Errors in the Use of Preposition

Education English | Errors in the Use of Preposition | Wells (2008:284) states that:
a. Preposition should not be used needlessly.
We should not say, He came at about noon. Either at or about should be used as the meaning requires, but not both words.
b. Preposition should not be omitted when needed.
We should not say, There is no use saying anything about it. The preposition in should be used before saying.
c. Appropriate preposition should be chosen.
We should not say, My ball is different to yours. From is the appropriate preposition to use after the word different.
d. The preposition in should seldom be used for into, to denote the change of relation which occurs when something passes from one place or condition to another. The sentence, Henry walked into the room implies that he was outside of the room ; while to say, Henry walked in the room implies that he was within the room, and walked about while there.

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Definition of Article

Education English | Definition of Article | Normally an object of general public in the singular shall have the article placed in front of him. According to Browne. (A. 2007. http://en.wikipedia.
org/wiki/Article, accessed on 10th June 2010), an article is a word that combines with a noun to indicate the types of reference being made by the noun, and to specify the volume or numerical scope of that reference. In other word, an article is a word that is put next to noun to indicate the type of reference being made to
the noun. Things that we can count may take “a”or “an” in the singular. We call this Indefinite Article. Meanwhile, the Definite Article “the” is used before a noun that is already known to us, either because it has already been mentioned, or because our commonsense tells us which particular one (or ones) the writer or
speaker has in mind. In other word, we can say that articles are used to indicate the noun. Frank (in Monika;2009:6) states that the chief structural function of articles is a determiners that precede nouns. However, they differ from other determiners in one important respect they do not have additional power of serving alone as pronouns.
Furthermore, He says that actually a number of factors, both semantic and structural, determine the use or non-use of articles. These factors are related to (1) whether the noun head is singular, plural or countable; (2) whether the refrent is familiar or unfimiliar to the speaker ; (3) whether the statement which contains the
noun head has general or specific application ; (4) whether or not the noun head has classifying function; (5) whether or not the noun head has a post-modifier.

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The use of Little, A Little (of)

Education English | The use of Little, A Little (of) | Little, a little are used with uncountable nouns (always in the singular). The difference between the two expressions in each phrase is purely one of meaning, not of usage. Without the article, little has the meaning of "not much and possibly less than one might hope for or expect". This expression has a negative value to them. With the article, a little has the meaning of "at least some, perhaps more than one might expect". This expression has a positive value.
Examples:
· Hurry up; there's little time left !
· We have a little time to spare, so let's stop and have a cup of coffee.

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Conjunctive adverbs (Transition words)

Education English | Conjunctive adverbs (Transition words) | Although conjunctive adverbs can be used simply as adverbs, they can also be used as connectives to link two or more independent clauses and establish certain relationships between those clauses. The following is a list of the most common subordinating conjunctions. There are so many words that used as connect between items in a sentence.
accordingly - likewise
again -  moreover
also - nevertheless
besides - nonetheless
consequently - otherwise
finally - subsequently
for example - then
furthermore - therefore
hence-- thus
however
indeed
a. Time: then, subsequently
For examples:
1) After watching Sue storm from the room, Tom glanced furtively at the television; then he picked up the remote and pressed Play.
2) John refused to apply for the job. Subsequently, he regretted his decision.
b. Contrast: however, nevertheless, nonetheless, otherwise.
For examples:
1) It rained heavily during the afternoon; however, we managed to have our picnic anyway.
2) They are proud. Nevertheless, I like them.
3) The ascent was dangerous. Nonetheless, he decided to attempt it.
4) Sue put her hands on her hips and said, “You’d better mean it this time; otherwise, I’m going to leave and take your precious wide-screen TV with me.”
c. Results: as a result, consequently, hence, therefore, thus.
For examples:
1) John refused to apply for the job; As a result, his financial situation worsened.
2) She had a fever; consequently, she stayed at home.
3) He is a good friend. Hence, I was not embarrassed to ask him for help.
4) Tom decided to save his marriage; therefore, he promised Sue he would watch football only on the weekends.
5) He traveled as quickly as possible. Thus, he reached Boston the next day.
d. Addition: accordingly, also, besides, finally, furthermore, likewise, moreover.
For examples:
1) He was very persuasive; accordingly, I did what he asked.
2) She is my neighbor; she is also my best friend.
3) I like the job. Besides, I need the money.
4) The crowd waited patiently for three hours; finally, the doors to the stadium were open.
5) You should stop smoking. Furthermore, you should do it at once!
6) The region is beautiful. Likewise, the climate is excellent.
7) I am going home; moreover, I intend to stay there.
e. Giving examples or illustration: for example and indeed.
For examples:
1) Many of New Jersey’s highways are very crowded. For example, Route 80 has bumper-to-bumper traffic every day.
2) Batman and Robin fruitlessly searched the building; indeed, the joker hade scaped through a secret door in the basement.

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Grammar: spelling verb endings: the –s form

Education English | Grammar: spelling verb endings: the –s form |
1. With most verbs, add –s to the base form.
ex:
perform - performs
use - uses

2. When the base form ends in s, x, z, ch, or th,
add –es.
ex :
process - processes
fix - fixes

3. When the base form ends in y preceded by a
vowel, add –s.
ex : display -displays

4. When the base form ends in y preceded by a
consonant, change the y into ie and then add –s.
ex :
carry - carries

5. Three other verbs have irregular –s forms:
ex :
do - does
go - goes
have - has
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Correlative conjunctions

Education English | Correlative conjunctions | Correlative conjunctions are pairs of conjunctions that work together to coordinate two items. Correlative conjunctions work together in pairs, and there are some kinds of correlative conjunctions. They are :

either . . . or, 

neither . . . nor, 

not only . . . but also,

 and whether…or. 

They also establish certain relationship:

a. Condition: either . . . or and whether…or
For example:
1) Either you should study harder, or you should take a different course.
2) I don’t know whether she would come or not.
b. Contrast: neither . . . nor
For example:
This job requires ability possessed neither by Jack nor by John.
c. Additional: not only . . . but also
For example:
The explosion destroyed not only the school but also the neighboring pub

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Quantifiers

Education English | Quantifiers | Hairston and Ruszkiewicz (1996) say that 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
Countable and Uncountable Nouns. Moreover, Badalamenti et.al (2000:175) say that quantifiers are words or phrases that show how many things or how much of something we have. Furthermore, Cowan (2008:194) says that quantifiers are a set of determiners that indicate an amount or number of something. Based on description above, quantifiers are words that used to indicate the quantity of something with the correct form between countable nouns and uncountable nouns.

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The Function of Preposition

Education English | The Function of Preposition | Frank (1972: 171) states that the preposition has the function of connecting a noun or a pronoun to another word, usually a noun, verb or adjective. Meanwhile, Stebbins (2008: 183) states that the preposition serves as a link word to connect a noun or its equivalent with some other word in the sentence. In addition, prepositions indicate the relation between the substantive and the word to which the preposition links it.
For examples: - The girl with the red hair is beautiful.
(with connects hair with the noun girl)

- They arrived in the morning.
(in connects morning with the verb arrived)
- She is fond of roses.
(of connects roses with the adjective fond)
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Type of Preposition

Education English | Type of Preposition |  According to Loberger and Shoup (2009: 111) there are three types of prepositions such as, simple preposition, participial preposition, and phrasal preposition.
1. Simple preposition
A simple preposition is made up of either a simple or compound word, as in the following: up, down, in, into, from, to, with, inside, around, before, upon, along, without. Sometimes preposition formed from two words, such as inside, and before are we called complex preposition because they have the form of complex words.
2. Participial preposition
Participial preposition is look like verbs (the ing form) but function as preposition. They include as followings:
- assuming - following
- barring - including
- beginning - involving
- considering - regarding
3. Phrasal preposition
A phrasal preposition is, as its name suggests, a unit of two or more words serving as a single preposition (these types of prepositions are also called compound preposition).

The following are a few of these word groups:
- by way of - in front of
- in place of - by means of
- in spite of - in contrast to
- in case of - with regard to
- on behalf of - in comparison with
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A Great Deal of, A Large Amount of

Education English | A Great Deal of, A Large Amount of | Usually "a great deal of" would refer to a singular item, often abstract nouns. It will usually take the singular verb. The formula is a great deal of + uncountable. Moreover, the term 'a large amount of' is used for things you cannot measure (uncountable nouns). It usually precedes a singular word.
For example:
· A great deal of the exhibition was devoted to his recent work. (or Much
of….)
· A large amount of the food was inedible. (or Much of….)

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English Grammar : Adjective Phrase

Education English | English Grammar : Adjective Phrase | Adjective phrase is a reduction of an adjective clause. It modifies a noun .

A : Do you know the firl sitting there ?
B : yeah, she is sandra anew student here. 

In the dialog, the adjective phrase “the girl sitting there “ is a reduction of the adjective clause “ the girl whos is sitting there”. Only adjective vlauses that a subject pronoun who, which or that are reduced to modifying adjective phrases.

An adjective clause can be chanfed to an adjective phrase in two ways.
1.The subject pronoun is omitted and the be form of the verb is omitted .
Example :
-the woman who us speaking in the seminar is my mother (adjective clause)
The woman speaking in the seminar is my mother (adjective phrase)
-the mobiles that are on the desk are Mr. Tom’s (adjective clause)
The mobiles on the desk are Mr.toms (adjective phrase)

2.If there is no ‘be’ form of a verb in the adjective clause, omit the subject pronoun and change the verb into its -ing form
Examples :
-The boy who plays badminton every Sunday is my brother (adjective clause)
The boy playing badminton every Sunday is my brother ( adjective phrase).
-The pail that contains water is new (adjective clause)
The pail containing water is new ( adjective phrase)

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