English
Parts of Speech, Subject-Verb Agreement, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary
Table of Contents
1. Parts of Speech
The 8 Parts of Speech
Every word in English belongs to one of these categories.
1. Noun
Names a person, place, thing, or idea
2. Pronoun
Replaces a noun to avoid repetition
3. Verb
Shows action or state of being
4. Adjective
Describes or modifies a noun
Examples: The tall boy has three red apples.
Answers: What kind? Which one? How many?
5. Adverb
Describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb
Examples: She runs quickly. He is very tall.
Answers: How? When? Where? To what degree?
6. Preposition
Shows relationship between noun/pronoun and other words
Common: in, on, at, to, for, with, by, from, under, over, between
Example: The book is on the table.
7. Conjunction
Connects words, phrases, or sentences
Coordinating (FANBOYS): for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
Subordinating: because, although, if, when, while
8. Interjection
Expresses strong emotion
Examples: Wow! Ouch! Hurray! Oh no!
2. Subject-Verb Agreement
Basic Rule
The verb must agree with the subject in number. Singular subject = singular verb. Plural subject = plural verb.
| Subject | Correct Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| He, She, It (singular) | is, was, has, does | She is happy. |
| I | am, was, have, do | I am a student. |
| You, We, They (plural) | are, were, have, do | They are friends. |
Special Rules
Compound subjects with "and"
Use plural verb: Maria and Jose are classmates.
Subjects joined by "or" or "nor"
Verb agrees with closer subject: Neither the boys nor the girl is ready.
Collective nouns (team, family, group)
Usually singular: The team is practicing.
Indefinite pronouns
Everyone, someone, nobody = singular: Everyone is here.
3. Verb Tenses
| Tense | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | Habits, facts | She walks to school. |
| Simple Past | Completed action | She walked yesterday. |
| Simple Future | Will happen | She will walk tomorrow. |
| Present Progressive | Happening now | She is walking now. |
| Past Progressive | Was happening | She was walking then. |
| Present Perfect | Started in past, continues | She has walked daily. |
Irregular Verb Forms
| Base | Past | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| go | went | gone |
| eat | ate | eaten |
| write | wrote | written |
| see | saw | seen |
| take | took | taken |
| give | gave | given |
4. Types of Sentences
By Purpose
Declarative (.)
Makes a statement
"The sun is shining."
Interrogative (?)
Asks a question
"Is the sun shining?"
Imperative (.)
Gives a command
"Close the door."
Exclamatory (!)
Shows strong emotion
"What a beautiful day!"
By Structure
Simple Sentence
One independent clause (subject + verb)
Example: "The dog barks."
Compound Sentence
Two independent clauses joined by conjunction
Example: "The dog barks, and the cat runs."
Complex Sentence
Independent clause + dependent clause
Example: "When the dog barks, the cat runs."
5. Vocabulary Skills
Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms (Same meaning)
- big = large, huge
- happy = glad, joyful
- fast = quick, speedy
- smart = intelligent, clever
Antonyms (Opposite meaning)
- big ↔ small
- happy ↔ sad
- fast ↔ slow
- hot ↔ cold
Homophones (Same sound, different meaning)
| their (possession) | there (place) | they're (they are) |
| to (direction) | too (also/very) | two (number 2) |
| your (possession) | you're (you are) | - |
| its (possession) | it's (it is) | - |
Prefixes and Suffixes
Common Prefixes
- un- = not (unhappy)
- re- = again (rewrite)
- pre- = before (preview)
- dis- = not (disagree)
- mis- = wrongly (misunderstand)
Common Suffixes
- -ful = full of (hopeful)
- -less = without (careless)
- -ly = adverb (quickly)
- -tion = noun (action)
- -able = can be (washable)
6. Reading Comprehension
Story Elements
Characters
People or animals in the story
Setting
Where and when the story happens
Plot
What happens in the story (beginning, middle, end)
Theme
The main message or lesson
Context Clues
Use context clues to figure out unknown words:
- Definition: The word is explained in the sentence
- Example: Examples are given to help understand
- Synonym: A similar word is used nearby
- Antonym: An opposite word is used nearby
Main Idea vs. Supporting Details
Main Idea
The most important point the author wants you to understand. Often in the first or last sentence.
Supporting Details
Facts, examples, and explanations that support the main idea.
Types of Questions
Literal Questions
Answers found directly in the text (Who? What? When? Where?)
Inferential Questions
Use clues from text + your knowledge to figure out answers
Evaluative Questions
Ask for your opinion or judgment about the text
Key Takeaways
- ✓8 parts of speech: Noun, Pronoun, Verb, Adjective, Adverb, Preposition, Conjunction, Interjection
- ✓Subject-verb agreement: Singular subject = singular verb
- ✓FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
- ✓Adjective describes noun; Adverb describes verb
- ✓4 sentence types: Declarative, Interrogative, Imperative, Exclamatory
- ✓their/there/they're and your/you're are common homophones
- ✓Main idea = most important point of the text
- ✓Use context clues to understand unknown words