Category Archives: Grade 3 English

Grade 3 preparation for IEO olympiad

Grade3 English (IEO) : Articles

Definite Article in English

The definite article the is used in the following cases:

Explanations Examples
With singular countable nouns,
with plural countable nouns,
and uncountable nouns		 the man
the shoes
the water
When we talk about people or things which we mentioned before I met a girl and a boy. I didn’t like the boy much, but the girl was very nice.
I have found a coin. The coin is worth 50p.
His car struck a tree; you can still see the mark on the tree.
When we say which things or people we mean Who is the man over there talking to Sue?
When it is clear from the situation which things or people we mean “Where’s Simon?” “He’s in the bathroom.”
( = the bathroom in this house)
Could you switch on the light? ( = the light in this room)
I got into a taxi. The driver asked me where I wanted to go. ( = the driver of the taxi that I got into)
When there is only one unique thing the sun
the moon
the sky
the earth
the world
When we talk about specific things or people These are the shoes which I bought last week.
(=the particular shoes which I bought last week)
Could you pass the milk, please?
(=the particular milk on the table)
I like horses. (=horses in general)
Look at the horses in that field. (=the particular horses)
He only cares about money. (=money in general)
Where is the money I gave you yesterday?
(=the particular money)
We sometimes use the with singular countable nouns when we talk about something in general. It takes place with names of animals, flowers or plants. The dolphin is an intelligent animal.
(=dolphins in general)
The orchid is a beautiful flower. (=orchids in general)
We use the when we talk in general about musical instruments and inventions. She can play the guitar and the piano.
Marconi invented the radio.
Some common expressions with the have general meaning: the town
the country/side
the sea/side
the mountains
the rain
We can use the in front of some adjectives e.g.young, old, rich, poor, blind with general meaning. The young should listen to the old.
( = young people in general; old people in general )
We use the with nationalities e.g. English, Italian, French, Swiss, Japanese when we mean ‘the people of the country’. The English drink a lot of tea.
With the nouns described by a phrase, expression or sentence: the girl in blue
the man with the banner
the boy that I met
the place where I met him
With superlative adjectives and with first, secondetc. used as adjectives or adverbs and only: the first week
the best day
the only way
When we refer to something which is unique in a specific place. Mrs Robertson heard that the church had been bombed.
He decided to put some words on the blackboard.
We use the with singular nouns when we refer to the system or service. I don’t like using the phone.
How long does it take on the train?
We use the with parts of the world, regions whose names include north, south, east, or west.
Warning: there are some exceptions e.g.: North America		 the Middle East
the Far East
the north of England
the west of Ireland
With nouns which represent only one specific thing because of its location: Could you switch on the light? ( = the light in this room )
Ann is in the garden. ( = the garden of this house )
the postman ( = the one who comes to us )
the car ( our car )
the newspaper ( = the one we read )
With the following nouns when they are used with their primary meaning connected with entertainment the cinema
the opera
the races
the pictures
the theatre
the radio
People often prefer watching TV to going to the cinema.
Yesterday, my fiancé suggested we should go to the theatre.
With musical instruments when we refer to ‘playing’: She can play the guitar and the piano.
With specific or special meal: I met him at the dinner given by the Browns.
When we talk about something in general, we use plural nouns and uncountable nouns without the.
but when we talk about something specific we use the.		 Shoes are expensive. ( = shoes in general )
Milk is good for you. ( = milk in general )
These are the shoes which I bought last week.
( = the particular shoes )
Could you pass the milk, please?
( = the particular milk on the table )
He only cares about money. ( = money in general )
Where is the money I gave you yesterday?
( = the particular money )
When a noun refers to a set as a whole and when we make generalisations about the whole set of animals or inanimate nouns: The cat drinks a lot of milk.
The lemon has vitamins in.
But the word man, when it represents the mankind, is used without article. If oil supplies run out, man may have to fall back on the horse.
With adjectives used in superlative form and show comparison: Mary Hailey in the most intelligent girl in the class. (in comparison with the other girls in the class)
This is the biggest apple I have ever seen. (in comparison with all the other apples I have ever seen)
That’s the longer of the two shirts.
That’s the more expensive of the two cars.
With ordinal numbers That’s the fourth time you’ve made such a mistake.
Sofia is not the first capital of Bulgaria
With same Mary always invites the same people.
Ann has got the same shirt as I have
When the name is used in plural: the Quirks
the Sidneys
When there is a person or place with the same name and it is necessary to determine which one we are talking about Is that the Mary Brown?
I don’t mean the Warsaw in the United States.
When we want to emphasise that the person mentioned is the one known by everybody Was this book written by the Hemingway?
Are you going to the Monte Carlo?
When we refer to a place in a specific period of time This is not the Paris I used to know.
The New York of our epoch has become a dangerous place to live in.
With last and next when we refer to the nearest days, weeks, months etc.: I met him the last week of our holiday. (not the week before the present one)
I hope to see you the next week after the end of our holiday. (not the week after the present one)
Before a small group of adjectives which denote a group of people The unemployed should be given some money. (the class of people who are unemployed ) The brave are not always rewarded. (the class of people who are brave )
With adjectives which denote nationality and refer to a group of people The French often spend their free time abroad. ( the class of French people )
The Scottish are famous for their miserliness. (the class of Scottish people )
With some adjectives which change into abstract nouns The good characterizes his behaviour.
The bad is not a feature of Tom’s character.
With fixed expressions which consist of a comparative adjective and follow the pattern: the more the better The sooner you start your work the better.
The quicker you work the better for you
With gerund denoting an activity/state which is defined by a noun She has done the cooking.
We say go to sea/be at sea (without the) when we mean: go/be on a voyage Ken is a seaman. He spends most of his life at sea.
I would love to live near the sea. (not “near sea”)
We say space (not “the space“) when we mean the space in universe There are millions of stars in space. (not “in the space”)
He tried to park his car but the space wasn’t big enough.
We use the + singular countable noun, when we talk about the kind of machine or invention etc. When was the telephone invented?
The bicycle is an excellent means of transport
oceans the Pacific (Ocean)
the Atlantic (Ocean)
seas the Baltic (Sea)
the Black Sea
rivers the Vistula
the Nile
the River Thames or
the Thames
canals the Panama Canal
the Suez Canal
deserts the Sahara
the Kalahari
groups of islands the Canaries
the West Indies
the Bahamas
mountain ranges the Alps
the Tatras
exceptions: before names of towns/cities the Hague
the Piraeus
countries if their name includes the following words:
Kingdom, Union, Republic or State		 The United Kingdom
The People’s Republic of China
The United States
exceptions: The Netherlands
the Philippines
regions the Middle East
the Far East
the north of England

Indefinite Article in English

The indefinite article the is used in the following cases:

Explanations Examples
With singular countable nouns: I have a book.
I can see a mountain.
When a singular countable noun is mentioned for the first time: I have bought a house.
Yesterday I met a friend.
When a singular countable noun is used as an example of an element representing all elements which belong to the group: An elephant is heavy.
(i.e. “any elephant” or “all elephants”)
In spring, a tree is green.
(i.e. In spring, all trees are green.)
When a singular countable noun is used as a complement of a verb: be or become Ernest Hemingway was a writer.
Isaac Newton became a great scientist.
In exclamatory sentences with a singular countable noun: What a nice day!
What a charming person!
With few (used with a countable noun) and little(used with an uncountable noun) which denote “small number” or “small amount” I have a few friends. (i.e. “several friends”)
I have a little fortune. (i.e. “some money” – positive meaning)
Expressions of price, speed etc: two pounds a dozen
eighty miles an hour
With Mr./Mrs./Miss + surname, when the person mentioned is unknown for the speaker: a Mr. Brown which means “a man called Brown”
With a surname when we want to say that the person we are talking about has characteristics of the owner of the surname: He was an Einstein of his time.
Tom will never be a Nelson.
With certain numerical expressions: a dozen
a thousand = one thousand
and with such expressions like:
a lot of
a great deal
With uncountable nouns preceded by an adjective: He has a strong character.
Do you know that Robert Wilson has a good knowledge of Chinese?
With superlative adjectives followed by nouns: This is a better strawberry.
This is a more interesting book.
With superlative adjectives followed by a noun. In this case the word most means ‘very’ or ‘extremely’: Tom Smith is a most intelligent boy. (i.e. ‘a very intelligent boy’)
Professor Brown gave a most interesting lecture. (i.e. a very interesting lecture)

Zero Article in English

The zero article the is used in the following cases:

Explanations Examples
With a singular countable noun when we address somebody: What is the matter, Doctor?
Don’t worry, Mother. I will be O.K.
With plural countable nouns when they represent all the elements which belong to the group: Elephants are big animals.
Oranges have vitamins in.
When a plural countable countable noun denotes the number of indefinite elements: There are people in the street.
Students often stay at colleges.
When a plural countable noun is preceded by be or become: The Browns are engineers.
Mrs. Smith’s daughters became actresses.
With abstract nouns such as: beauty, truth, etc. Beauty is truth.
With names of materials such as: wood, glass, etc. Chairs are made of wood.
This vase is made of glass
Some of the above-mentioned nouns can be used as countable nouns and then they are preceded by the indefinite article a wood (i.e. “a small forest”)
a glass (i.e. “a mirror” or “a drinking vessel”)
There is a wood not far from my cottage.
I got a glass as a birthday present.
With such uncountable nouns as money, milk, etc.: Lily needs money.
One should drink milk.
The above-mentioned nouns can be preceded by such expressions as: some, a lot of, etc. Lily needs some money.
One should drink a lot of milk.
In exclamatory sentences when uncountable or plural countable nouns are used: What dirt! 
What flowers! 
except:
What a waste! 
What a pity!
With few and little when we express small number or small amount I have few friends. (i.e. ‘almost no friends’)
I have little sugar. (i.e. ‘almost no sugar’)
When a singular countable noun is used after be and become and denotes a unique job/profession John Kennedy was President.
Karol Wojtyla became Pope.
When a noun is used after turn He turned musician and made a great career.
He turned spy and was imprisoned.
When a noun refers to an institution which is only one of its kind When will parliament begin its session?
When does school end?
With two or more nouns when they refer to a couple of people or a couple of inanimate things Father and mother went to the cinema.
She was studying day and night before her final exams.
When a noun is used in notes, signs, headlines, telegraphs etc. Private road.
Design flaw feared.
With some nouns which are only one of their kind Heaven
Hell
Paradise
With the names of seasons, months, days of the week summer
April
Sunday
With nouns preceded by a pronoun or an adjective my shirt
my white shirt
With names of meals, except when they are preceded by an adjective: We have breakfast at eight.
He gave us a good breakfast.
The indefinite article is used when we talk about a special meal prepared to celebrate something or welcome somebody: I was invited to dinner. (in the ordinary way)
I was invited to a dinner given to welcome the new ambassador.
With the following nouns when the places named are used for their primary purpose bed
goal
school
court
church
hospital
sea
prison
college
market
university
We learn at school.
When he became seriously ill, he was taken to hospital.
but:
My bus stops opposite the school.
Yesterday, I was allowed to go to the hospital to see my cousin.
With a noun sea when we talk about sailors or passengers We go to sea as sailors.
to be at sea = to be on a voyage as passengers or crew
But when we talk about sea as a seaside then we use the He was at the sea (at the seaside)
When he was young he lived by/near the sea.
When the speaker refers to his/her own town We go to town sometimes to buy clothes.
We were in town last Monday.
With surnames Professor Smith 
Adam Brown
With holidays Christmas
Easter
With the names of some magazines/newspapers Time
Newsweek
With the names of some organizations British Rail
British Airways
With the names of some buildings, bridges and streets Wetback Mansion
London Bridge
Regent Street
With man when we denote ‘mankind‘ Man constantly changes his natural environment.
continents Africa
South America
countries, counties, states Poland
Oxfordshire
Vermont
towns, cities and villages New York
Tokyo
Wilkowyje
single islands unless their name include a preposition Malta
Corsica
Crete
Long Island
The Isle of Wight
The Isle of Man
lakes Lake Baikal
Lake Victoria
single mountains unless their name include a preposition Mount Everest
Mount Blanc
The Mountain of the Seven Sights
streets Oxford Street
Broadway
expressions such as: day by day
from dawn to dusk
hand in hand
from beginning to end
face to face
from west to east
With abstract nouns which are used with general meaning Some people like risk.
With the noun home when we refer to the speaker’s or listener’s house It’s late I have to go home.
If you don’t feel well, you should stay at home.
With last and next when we refer to the nearest days, weeks, months, etc. I met him last week.
(i.e. “the week before the present one”)
I hope to see you next week.
(i.e. “the week after the present one”)
With gerund when an activity / state expressed by the gerund is not definite Mrs. Thompson likes cooking.

Grade 3 English (IEO) : Nouns

Nouns are commonly de¢ned as words that refer to a person, place, thing, or idea.

Nouns can be plural or singular and can be the subject or object of a verb. For example:

  • The flowers are in the vase.
  • Love is all you need.
  • Tim is in the garden.
  • Paris is lovely in the summer.

Sometimes, it’s difficult to know if a word is a noun or another part of speech. For example, in English, the word ‘love’ can be a noun and it can be a verb. We need to look at how the word is used in the sentence to work out what part of speech it is.

Here are some tips :

  • Nouns are often the subject or object of a verb.
  • A noun often comes after a preposition (in , on, at , of).
  • Nouns often come after an article like ‘a’ or ‘the’.
  • Nouns often come after an adjective like ‘red’ or ‘pretty’ or ‘big’.
  • Nouns are often used with a determiner like ‘this’ or ‘those’.

Singular Nouns

Plural Nouns

In general the plural of a noun is formed by adding -S to the noun.

Singular Plural
car cars
house houses
book books
bird birds
pencil pencils

However:

1. When the noun ends in S, SH, CH, X or Z*, we add -ES to the noun.

Singular Plural
kiss kisses
wish wishes
match matches
fox foxes
quiz quizzes*
  • I have a box in my bedroom.
  • I have three boxes in my bedroom.

* With words that end in Z sometimes we add an extra Z to the plural form of the word (such as with the plural of quiz).

2. When the noun ends in a VOWEL + Y, we add -S to the noun.

Singular Plural
boy boys
holiday holidays
key keys
guy guys

3. When the noun ends in a CONSONANT + Y, we remove Y and add -IES to the noun.

Singular Plural
party parties
lady ladies
story stories
nanny nannies
city cities

4. If the noun ends in F or FE, we remove the F/FE and add -VES to the noun.

Singular Plural
life lives
leaf leaves
thief thieves
wife wives

Some exceptions: roof – roofs, cliff – cliffs, chief – chiefs, belief – beliefs, chef – chefs

5. If the noun ends in a CONSONANT + O, we normally add -ES to the noun.

Singular Plural
tomato tomatoes
potato potatoes
echo echoes
hero heroes

Some exceptions: piano – pianos, halo – halos, photo – photos

NOTE: Volcano has two correct forms of plural. Both volcanos and volcanoes are accepted.

6. There are a number of nouns that don’t follow these rules. They are irregular and you need to learn them individually because they don’t normally have an S on the end.

Singular Plural
man men
woman women
child children
foot feet
tooth teeth
goose geese
mouse mice
  • There is a child in the park.
  • There are many children in the park.

7. There are some nouns in English that are the same in the singular and the plural.

Singular Plural
fish fish
sheep sheep
deer deer
moose moose
aircraft aircraft
  • I can see a sheep in the field.
  • I can see ten sheep in the field.

Sometimes you will hear the word fishes (especially in songs) though it is grammatically incorrect.

8. If the noun ends in IS, we change it to ES. Words that end in IS usually have a Greek root.

Singular Plural
analysis analyses
basis bases
crisis crises

9. If the noun ends in US, we change it to I. Words that end in US usually have a Latin root.

Singular Plural
cactus cacti
fungus fungi
stimulus stimuli
syllabus syllabi

Some exceptions: octupus – octupuses (because it is from Greek, not Latin), walrus – walruses

Countable and Uncountable nouns

A) Most nouns have singular and plural forms. They are countable nouns.

e.g. One letter, two letters

  • There is a letter on the table for you. (singular)
  • There are letters on the table for you. (plural)

B) Some nouns only have one form. They are uncountable nouns.

e.g. Money

  • There is no money in my bank account.
  • There is a lot of money in my bank account.

C) Many uncountable nouns refer to substances:

e.g. Chocolate, water, coffee, milk, sugar, salt, cheese, bread, rice, wood, glass, plastic, soap, toothpaste.

  • Do you have any chocolate?
  • The milk is sour – let’s make cheese.
  • Rice is only edible when it has been cooked.

D) Many uncountable nouns refer to abstract ideas or emotions.

e.g. love, sadness, happiness, education, knowledge, and grammar.

  • Money can’t buy love.
  • We like to experience happiness.
  • This education is priceless.

E) You can use a/an with singular countable nouns.

e.g. an umbrella, a wheel, a mistake.

  • It’s raining so I need an umbrella.
  • I made a mistake.
  • This is a job for superman.

F) You can use plural countable nouns alone.

e.g. apples, bees, clouds.

  • There are clouds in the sky today.
  • There are bees making honey.
  • We eat apples for breakfast.

G) You can’t use an article with an uncountable noun.

e.g. time, sand, electricity.

  • We need electricity to use our heater.
  • I lost track of time and we stayed up very late.
  • The beaches in Brazil have very nice sand.

H) It is very common in English to use some / any with plural nouns and uncountable nouns (Refer to grammar notes on Some Any for more details).

e.g. They don’t listen to any advice.

  • We don’t have any toys for the children.
  • There are many lessons in life, this is just one more.
  • It is important to have some knowledge of grammar.

I) There are a range of nouns that are uncountable in English but are countable in other languages.

These include: accommodation, advice, baggage, behaviour, bread, chaos, damage, furniture, information, luck, luggage, news, permission, progress, scenery, traffic, weather and work.

J) For comparison purposes, look at these sentences:

Countable Uncountable
I’m looking for a job. I’m looking for work.
What a beautiful view! What beautiful scenery!
It’s a nice day today. It’s nice weather today.
We had a lot of bags and suitcases. We had a lot of luggage.
These chairs are mine. This furniture is mine.
It was a good suggestion. It was good advice.

A noun is a word that functions as the name of something. Nouns are the most common class of word in English.

Below we have a list of the different types of nouns in English with an explanation of what each one is and with examples of each type of noun.

Common Nouns

Common nouns are used to name a GENERAL type of person, place or thing.

Common nouns can be divided into smaller classes such as countable and uncountable nouns, concrete and abstract nouns and collective nouns.

Examples of common nouns: girl, city, animal, friend, house, food

Proper Nouns

Proper nouns are used to name a SPECIFIC person, place or thing. In English, proper nouns begin with a capital letter. Proper nouns do not normally have a determiner before them (e.g. the London, the Mary etc.) though there are some exceptions (e.g. Is she the Mary that we met at the conference?).

Examples of proper nouns: John, London, Pluto, Monday, France

Compound Nouns

Compound nouns are two or more words that create a noun. Compound nouns are sometimes one word (haircut), words joined by a hyphen (son-in-law) or as separate words (bus stop). The main stress is normally on the first part of the compound word (sunglasses, swimming pool)

Examples of compound nouns: toothbrush, rainfall, sailboat, mother-in-law, well-being, alarm clock, credit card

Countable Nouns

Countable nouns are nouns that CAN be counted. They have a singular and a plural form and can be used with a number. Sometimes countable nouns are called count nouns.

Examples of countable nouns: car, desk, cup, house, bike, eye, butterfly

See more information about Countable vs Uncountable Nouns.

Uncountable Nouns

Uncountable nouns are nouns that CANNOT be counted. These are sometimes called Mass Nouns. Uncountable nouns often refer to:

  • substances: paper, wood, plastic
  • liquids: milk, oil , juice
  • gases: air, oxygen
  • abstract ideas: happiness, time, information

Examples of uncountable nouns: water, coffee, cheese, sand, furniture, skin, wool, gold, fur

See more information about Countable vs Uncountable Nouns.

Collective Nouns

Collective nouns are words that refer to a set or group of people, animals or things.

Examples of collective nouns: staff, team, crew, herd, flock, bunch

See our list of Collective Nouns

Concrete Nouns

Concrete nouns are nouns which refer to people and things that exist physically and that at least one of the senses can detect (can be seen, felt, heard, smelled/smelt, or tasted).

Examples of concrete nouns: dog, tree, apple, moon, coin, sock, ball, water

Abstract Nouns

Abstract nouns are nouns that have no physical existence and are not concrete. They refer to ideas, emotions or concepts so you CANNOT see, touch, hear, smell or taste something that is an abstract noun. Many abstract nouns are uncountable.

Examples of abstract nouns: love, time, happiness, bravery, creativity, justice, freedom, speed

Gerunds

A gerund, sometimes called a verbal noun, is a noun formed from a verb. Since all gerunds end in -ing, they are sometimes confused as being a verb (present participle).

Example: Running is good for you.
Here running looks like a verb because of its -ing ending but it is a noun (gerund) because we are talking about the concept of running, we are talking about a thing.

Examples of gerunds: reading, writing, dancing, thinking, flying

Grade 3 English (IEO) : Use of Some Any, Much Many, Little Few

When do you use some and when do you use any? Is it much or many? And what’s the difference between few and little?

Some, any, much, many, few and little are all words that come before nouns to help explain them. Some and any are both “determiners” – they tell us whether the noun phrase is general or specific. Some and any are both “general determiners”, which means they refer to an indefinite or unknown quantity of something.

Much, many, few and little are all “quantifiers”. Quantifiers are used to give information about quantity (the number of something). Both much and many suggest a large quantity of something, whilst little and few mean: not as much, or not as many. However, if you use a little or a few this means: a small amount!

Some vs. any

The words some and any are used when the exact number or amount of something is not known, or when it’s not important. Some and any are both used to refer to an indefinite quantity or number.

Some and any are known as “general determiners”. They are used to modify nouns, specifically to tell us that the noun phrase is general (rather than specific).  They can be used with:

  1. Countable or uncountable nouns:
    We don’t have any time to get popcorn before the film starts.(Time is uncountable)
    We still have some apples on the tree. (Apples are countable)
  2. Singular or plural nouns:
    We don’t have any chicken left for dinner. (Chicken is singular)
    It’s such nice weather! Let’s invite some friends round for a BBQ. (Friends is plural)

When do I use someand when do I use any?

Although some and any are both used to describe an indefinite number, they are used in different ways. So how do we use them correctly?

In general, some is used in positive sentences (that don’t contain the word ‘not’):

I would love to try some of that food! It looks delicious!
I have bought some strawberries and cream to have for dessert.
Let’s invite some friends round and have a party tonight!
Some people think it’s better to eat healthily than to exercise a lot.

Any is used in negative sentences (that contain the word ‘not’):

We don’t have any space left in the car so we won’t be able to give you a lift.
I don’t need any help with my homework because I can do it on my own.
There isn’t any milk in the fridge so we’ll have to have black coffee.
I’m not hungry at the moment so I don’t want anything to eat.

And in questions:

Have you got any idea how long the film lasts?
Do you have any brothers or sisters?
It would be great to season these potatoes. Is there any salt and pepper?
Do you have any plans for the summer?

1. When do we use much and when many?

  • much: uncountable nouns (milk, marmalade, money, time etc.)
  • many: countable nouns (bottles of milk, jars of marmalade, dollars, minutes etc.)

Examples:

  • How much money have you got?
  • How many dollars have you got?

In informal English these questions are often answered with a lot of, lots of. There is no much difference between the two phrases.

2. When do we use a little/little and when a few/few?

  • a little: non countable nouns (milk, marmalade, money, time etc.)
  • a few: countable nouns (bottles of milk, jars of marmalade, dollars, minutes etc.)

Examples:

  • He has a little money left.
  • He has a few dollars left.

We use few and little without the article a to point out a more negative meaning.

Examples:

  • A few students of our school know this. (There are some student who know it.)
  • Few students know this. (It is almost unkonown.)

When do we use some and when any?

We use some and any for an amount which is not known e.g. Have you got any crisps?

Use of some and any

  • some: affirmative statements, offers, requests and in questions when you expect the answer ›yes‹
  • any: negative statements, questions

Have you got any bananas? No, we haven’t got any. But we’ve got some oranges.

Exceptions:

I would like to buy fruit at a market. I see the man has wonderful apples so I can ask him:

  • Can I have some of these apples?

If I do not see apples or if I am not sure whether there are apples at all I use any in this question.

  • Have you got any apples?

Grade 3 English (IEO) : Tenses

Tenses are one of the fundamental building blocks in the English language and  indicate the time for the particular action. We all know that verbs are action words. However, tenses help us communicate WHEN those actions took place.   When writing a passage, it is critical that students use the right tense, are consistent in their use of tense and do not jump from one tense to another.

Verb Conjugation

Person:

In English, we have six different persons: first person singular (I), second person singular (you), third person singular (he/she/it/one), first person plural (we), second person plural (you), and third person plural (they). We must conjugate a verb for each person. The verb to be is a particularly notable verb for conjugation because it’s irregular.

Conjugation of the Irregular Verb to Be:

First Person Singular Second Person Singular Third Person Singular
I am you are he/she/it is
First Person Plural Second Person Plural Third Person Plural
we are you are they are

Tense:

Verbs are also conjugated according to their tenses. Verb tense indicates when the action in a sentence is happening (e.g., in the present, future, or past). Regular verbs follow a standard pattern when conjugated according to tense. Look at the examples below: Conjugation of the Regular Verb to Live (based on tense):

Simple Present Simple Past Simple Future
live lived will live
Present Continuous Past Continuous Future Continuous
am living was living will be living
Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Perfect
have lived had lived will have lived
Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous Future Perfect Continuous
have been living had been living will have been living

Conjugation of the Regular Verb to Work (based on tense):

Simple Present Simple Past Simple Future
work worked will work
Present Continuous Past Continuous Future Continuous
am working was working will be working
Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Perfect
have worked had worked will have worked
Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous Future Perfect Continuous
have been working had been working will have been working

Irregular verbs do not follow a standard pattern when conjugated according to verb tense. The following examples illustrate this point: Conjugation of the Irregular Verb to Eat (based on tense):

Simple Present Simple Past Simple Future
eat ate will eat
Present Continuous Past Continuous Future Continuous
am eating was eating will be eating
Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Perfect
have eaten had eaten will have eaten
Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous Future Perfect Continuous
have been eating had been eating will have been eating

Conjugation of the Irregular Verb to Drink (based on tense):

Simple Present Simple Past Simple Future
drink drank will drink
Present Continuous Past Continuous Future Continuous
am drinking was drinking will be drinking
Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Perfect
have drunk had drunk will have drunk
Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous Future Perfect Continuous
have been drinking had been drinking will have been drinking

Before we launch into learning tenses, it is important that we are familiar and thorough with the usage of the three verb forms:

Verb forms

There are up to five forms for each verb: root, third-person singular, present participle, past, and past participle.

Root Form of the Verb

The root form of a verb is the base form of the word. Roots have not been conjugated and do not include prefixes or suffixes.

The root form of the verb is the same as the infinitive form with “to” removed. See the examples below: to see – see

to be – be

to wear – wear

to go – go

The root form of a verb is used to create other forms of the verb when conjugated. This is always true with regular verbs, but may not apply with irregular verbs, depending on the tense. The examples below illustrate this concept.

I am going to school.

(Root: go)

What did you do yesterday?

(Root: do)

The girl showed her mother the picture she drew in school.

(Root: show)

He had eaten three hamburgers.

(Root: eat)

Third Person Singular Form of a Verb

The third person singular (he/she/it/one) conjugation is the verb form that tends to be different from other conjugations. For regular verbs, this verb form end in ‑s (or sometimes ‑es). Consider the examples below: he sees

she watches

it shrinks

one does

Present Participle Form of a Verb

The present participle verb form is created by adding -ing to the root word. It’s used in the past, present, and future progressive verb tenses. Look at the examples below:

We’re coming to the party tonight.

(come – coming)

They have been drawing for hours.

(draw – drawing)

We will be washing the car before vacation.

(wash – washing)

Past and Past Participle Forms of the Verb

The past and past participle verb form for regular verbs is the root word + ‑ed. It’s only used with the past tenses. Consider the examples below:

We shopped for hours on Saturday afternoon.

(shop – shopped)

The books were stacked on the shelf.

(stack – stacked)

He had played computer games for the whole weekend.

(play – played)

The past participle can be difficult to determine for some irregular verbs. It’s best to look these up in a dictionary if you’re at all unsure of the past participle. Here are a few examples of irregular verbs:

Root Simple Past Past Participle
Sing Sang Sung
See Saw Seen
Fall Fell Fallen
Give Gave Given
Go Went Gone
I had forgiven him for his unkind words.
Simon had lit candles all around the room.
Root (Verb) Simple Past Past Participle
Sing Sang Sung
See Saw Seen
Fall Fell Fallen
Give Gave Given
Go Went Gone
Verb(V1) Past(v2) Past Participle(v3)
Break Broke Broken
Begin Began Begun
Choose Chose Chosen
Bite bit Bitten

It is important that verbs are used properly in all these forms before we understand how they are used in a sentence with the proper ‘tense’ structure.

So how do you show your children the difference in the sentence structure in these three tenses? The following chart will help:

  PAST TENSE PRESENT TENSE FUTURE TENSE
Definition An action that has taken place already An action that is currently happening An action that is expected to happen in the future
Structure Subject +Verb+ ‘ed’ + Rest of sentence Subject + is/are + verb + ing + rest of sentence Subject +will +verb+ Rest of sentence
Example The dog + jump + ed + onto the bed. The dog + is + jump + ing + onto the bed The dog will jump onto the bed.
The dog jumped onto the bed The dog is jumping onto the bed The dog will jump on to the bed

There are totally 12 tenses.  It is basically the three tenses in four possible combinations.

  1st 2nd` 3rd 4th
Present Simple Continuous Perfect Perfect Continuous
Past Simple Continuous Perfect Perfect Continuous
Future Simple Continuous Perfect Perfect Continuous
 

Simple is also called as indefinite. Continuous is also called as Progressive. Perfect is also called as Simple Perfect and Perfect Continuous is also called as Perfect Progressive.

Since Math, is similar to grammar in its precision, it is best to represent the structure of grammar through a table:

PRESENT TENSE

  SIMPLE PRESENT CONTINUOUS PERFECT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
When should you use it? Action is regular or habitual, a fact or general truth like ‘The sun rises in the east’ Action is happening at the moment Action just ended Action has been going on for sometime
Verb form  V1-Present tense of verb, like walk, take, see V1 + am/is/are + ing V3 + have /has V1+ have/has+been +’ing’
Examples I take, You take, she takes, he takes.I usually wake up at 6am. I am taking
I am waiting for the bus.		 I have taken
You have takenIt has taken
I have already written the letter		 He/She/It has been taking.
She has been living here for a year

PAST TENSE

  SIMPLE PRESENT CONTINUOUS PERFECT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
When should you use it? Action has taken place in the past Action going on in the past Action took place before another action Action lasted for some time before another action.
Verb form V2- Past tense of verb. V1+ was or were + ing V3+ had V1+ had been +ing
Example I/she/he   took
They took
I watched a movie yesterday		 I/she was taking
He was walking in the park.		 I/We had takenWhen I came, he had finished his work You/she/It had been taking.
‘When I returned, he had been working for 2 hrs.’

FUTURE TENSE

  SIMPLE PRESENT CONTINUOUS PERFECT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
When should you use it? Action will take place in the future Action will be going on in the future Action will take place before another action Action will last for some time before another action
Verb form V1+ Will or shall V1+’will be’ or ‘shall be’ +ing V3+ will have or shall have V1+ will or shall+ have been+ing
Example I/We/you/They will take
I will meet him next week		 I/She will be taking
He will be reading a book when I return		 She will have taken.
She will have prepared the food before I return		 I will have been taking
By the time I return, she will have been waiting for 2 hrs.

It may seem complicated at first, but once you read a book with your child and point out the tenses as you go along, it comes more naturally and effortlessly. You can print practice work sheets on the internet. This will help your child practice the tenses so that they are internalized better and applied easily. Even grammar experts sometimes argue over the finer nuances of the English language, so if your child makes a few mistakes, don’t get ‘tensed’. As with everything, it will definitely only get better with constant exposure and practice.

References :

grammarly.com

playablo.com

Grade 3 English (IEO) : Countable / Uncountable Nouns

Countable and Uncountable nouns

Nouns are used as uncountable nouns when they refer to a substance, material or phenomenon in general but they are used as countable nouns when they refer to one particular unit which is composed of that substance or to one occurrence of the phenomenon in question.

For more questions

A) Most nouns have singular and plural forms. They are countable nouns.

e.g. One letter, two letters

  • There is a letter on the table for you. (singular)
  • There are letters on the table for you. (plural)

B) Some nouns only have one form. They are uncountable nouns.

e.g. Money

  • There is no money in my bank account.
  • There is a lot of money in my bank account.

C) Many uncountable nouns refer to substances:

e.g. Chocolate, water, coffee, milk, sugar, salt, cheese, bread, rice, wood, glass, plastic, soap, toothpaste.

  • Do you have any chocolate?
  • The milk is sour – let’s make cheese.
  • Rice is only edible when it has been cooked.

D) Many uncountable nouns refer to abstract ideas or emotions.

e.g. love, sadness, happiness, education, knowledge, and grammar.

  • Money can’t buy love.
  • We like to experience happiness.
  • This education is priceless.

E) You can use a/an with singular countable nouns.

e.g. an umbrella, a wheel, a mistake.

  • It’s raining so I need an umbrella.
  • I made a mistake.
  • This is a job for superman.

F) You can use plural countable nouns alone.

e.g. apples, bees, clouds.

  • There are clouds in the sky today.
  • There are bees making honey.
  • We eat apples for breakfast.

G) You can’t use an article with an uncountable noun.

e.g. time, sand, electricity.

  • We need electricity to use our heater.
  • I lost track of time and we stayed up very late.
  • The beaches in Brazil have very nice sand.

H) It is very common in English to use some / any with plural nouns and uncountable nouns (Refer to grammar notes on Some Any for more details).

e.g. They don’t listen to any advice.

  • We don’t have any toys for the children.
  • There are many lessons in life, this is just one more.
  • It is important to have some knowledge of grammar.

I) There are a range of nouns that are uncountable in English but are countable in other languages.

These include: accommodation, advice, baggage, behaviour, bread, chaos, damage, furniture, information, luck, luggage, news, permission, progress, scenery, traffic, weather and work.

J) For comparison purposes, look at these sentences:

Countable Uncountable
I’m looking for a job. I’m looking for work.
What a beautiful view! What beautiful scenery!
It’s a nice day today. It’s nice weather today.
We had a lot of bags and suitcases. We had a lot of luggage.
These chairs are mine. This furniture is mine.
It was a good suggestion. It was good advice.

Some and Any

We use SOME and ANY with plural nouns and uncountable nouns.

Some is generally used in positive sentences.

Any is generally used in negative sentences.

  • I have some information for you about flights to Paris.
    (Positive – Uncountable)
  • I don’t have any information for you about flights to Paris.
    (Negative – Uncountable)
  • We met some friends for drinks after work yesterday.
    (Positive – Plural Countable)
  • I didn’t see any friends there on Thursday.
    (Negative – Plural Countable)
  • I think he will have some time to speak to you today.
    (Positive – Uncountable)
  • I don’t think he will have any time to speak to you today.
    (Negative – Uncountable)

You can also use SOME and ANY in a sentence without a noun if the meaning of the sentence is clear.

  • I didn’t eat any salad but Peter ate some. (salad)
  • Sean took lots of photos of the mountains but Emma didn’t take any. (photos)

Examples of countable nouns

In English most of nouns belong to the category of countable nouns. These nouns form plural forms by adding the ending -s or -es.

Grade 3 English (IEO) : Analogy

An analogy compares two things that are mostly different from each other but have some traits in common. By showing a connection between two different things, writers help to explain something important about one thing by using a second thing you already know about.

  • moon : night :: sun : day
  • good : bad :: black : white
  • feather : bird :: fur : dog
  • gray : black :: pink : red
  • hot : oven :: cold : refrigerator
  • sing : sang :: sleep : slept
  • one : penny :: five : nickel
  • gas : car :: electricity : toaster
  • ski: snow :: raft : river
  • smile: frown :: pretty : ugly
  • cow : mammal :: snake : reptile
  • pencil : write :: scissors : cut
  • sound : ear :: aroma : nose
  • kitchen : cooking : bedroom : sleeping
  • apple : fruit :: carrot : vegetable
  • football : field :: tennis : court
  • near : far :: open : closed
  • umpire : baseball :: referee : soccer
  • turtle : crawl :: frog : hop
  • aunt : woman :: husband : man
  • wolf : pack :: fish : school
  • car : road :: boat : ocean
  • hungry : eat :: tired : sleep
  • artist : draw :: movie star : act
  • bow : arrow :: bat : ball

Making a Literary Analogy

  • GREEN : COLOR :: ORCHID : FLOWER
  • SCIENTIST : EINSTEIN :: MUSICIAN : MOZART
  • HUMAN : FINGERNAIL :: TIGER : CLAW
  • Open is to closed as near is to…far
  • Soft is to loud as slow is to…fastLittle is to small as large is to…bigSmart is to intelligent as sly is to…trickyHonest is to dishonest as always is to…never

    Good is to bad as happy is to…sad

    Dark is to light as little is to…big

    Teacher is to school as doctor is to…hospital

    Mouth is to eat as feet are to…walk

    Book is to read as television is to…watch

    Fire is to hot as ice is to…cold

    Awful is to bad as fantastic is to…excellent

    Dirt is to brown as leaves are to…green

    Thirsty is to drink as hungry is to…eat

    Flower is to plant as dog is to…animal

    Rose is to flower as hammer is to…tool

    Up is to down as left is to…right

    Eyes are to see as fingers are to…touch

    Summer is to hot as winter is to…cold

    Banana is to yellow as carrot is to…orange

    Nurse is to hospital as waiter is to…restaurant

    Pencil is to write as knife is to…cut

    Good is to wonderful as tasty is to…scrumptious

    Hungry is to eat as tired is to…sleep

    Pork is to meat as French is to…language

    Bed is to bedroom as toilet is to…bathroom

    Finger is to hand as leaf is to…tree

  • Fascinating is to interesting as crucial is to…importantMountain is to high as valley is to…lowGold is to expensive as velvet is to…softMother is to female as rock is to…hardInfuriating is to annoying as devastated is to…sad

    Helicopter is to sky as submarine is to…water

    Unknown is to fame as ignorant is to…brilliant

    Nice is to unkind as hideous is to…beautiful

    Television is to watched as novel is to…read

    Pie is to dessert as bacon is to…meat

    Athlete is to fit as priest is to…spiritual

    Microwave is to heat as refrigerator is to…cold

    Comedy is to funny as tragedy is to…sad

    Brother is to sibling as father is to…parent

    Humiliated is to embarrassed as enraged is to…angry

    Train is to railroad as truck is to…street

    Optimism is to pessimism as success is to…failure

    Sunscreen is to skin as armor is to…body

    Spaghetti is to pasta as ketchup is to…condiment

Grade 3 English (IEO) : Adjectives comparison

 Comparative & Superlative with -er/-est

We use -er / -est with the following adjectives:

One-syllable adjectives

Adjective Compariative Superlative
cold colder coldest
cool cooler coolest
great greater greatest
hard harder hardest
high higher highest
low lower lowest
neat neater neatest
new newer newest
short shorter shortest
small smaller smallest
thick thicker thickest
weak weaker weakest

Two-syllable adjectives with the following endings:

Continue reading →

Grade 3 English(IEO) : Adjectives

Adjectives

Listing some commonly used adjectives.

Adjectives of color :

  • Azure
  • Gray
  • Pinkish
  • Black
  • Green
  • Purple
  • Blue
  • Indigo
  • Red
  • Teal
  • Bright
  • Mauve
  • Lavender
  • Lilac
  • Cream
  • Beige
  • Rosy
  • Brown
  • Light
  • Scarlet
  • Crimson
  • Magenta
  • Silver
  • Dark
  • Multicolored
  • Turquoise
  • Drab
  • Mustard
  • Violet
  • Dull
  • Orange
  • White
  • Gold
  • Pink
  • Yellow
  • Ivory

Adjectives of Feelings:

Continue reading →

Grade 3 English(IEO): One word for many words

Common one word substitutions :

    1. Depreciate
      decline in value
    2. Deteriorate
      become worse or disintegrate
    3. Eccentric
      conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual
    4. Ecology
      the environment as it relates to living organisms
    5. Fastidious
      giving careful attention to detail
    6. Incredible
      beyond belief or understanding
    7. Indispensable
      essential
    8. Abolish
      do away with
    9. Accelerate
      move faster
    10. Accountable
      responsible for one’s actions
    11. Amateur
      someone who pursues a study or sport as a pastime
    12. Ambivalent
      uncertain or unable to decide about what course to follow
    13. Amnesia
      partial or total loss of memory
    14. Anonymous
      having no known name or identity or known source
    15. Appreciate
      be fully aware of; realize fully
    16. Atheist
      someone who denies the existence of god
    17. Audience
      a gathering of spectators or listeners at a performance
    18. Auditor
      a qualified accountant who inspects accounting records
    19. Autobiography
      a book or account of your own life
    20. Bilingual
      using or knowing two languages
    21. Biography
      an account of the series of events making up a person’s life

    22. Colleague

      an associate that one works with
    23. Congenital
      present at birth but not necessarily hereditary
    24. Contemporaries
      all the people living at the same time or of the same age
    25. Contemporary
      occurring in the same period of time
    26. Cosmopolitan
      composed of people from many parts of the world
    27. Delegate
      a person appointed or elected to represent others
    28. Democracy
      the orientation of those who favor government by the people
    29. Tie
      fasten or secure with a rope, string, or cord
      Drawn
    30. Edible
      suitable for use as food
    31. Eligible
      qualified for or allowed or worthy of being chosen
    32. Emphasize
      stress or single out as important
    33. Epidemic
      a widespread outbreak of an infectious disease
    34. Equilibrium
      a stable situation in which forces cancel one another
    35. Eradicate
      destroy completely, as if down to the roots
    36. Etiquette
      rules governing socially acceptable behavior
    37. Glutton
      a person who is devoted to eating and drinking to excess
    38. Gregarious
      temperamentally seeking and enjoying the company of others
    39. Gullible
      naive and easily deceived or tricked
    40. Illegal
      prohibited by law or by official or accepted rules
    41. Illegible
      unable to be read
    42. Illicit
      contrary to accepted morality or convention
    43. Illiterate
      not able to read or write
    44. Immigrant
      a person who comes to a country in order to settle there
    45. Inaudible
      impossible to hear; imperceptible by the ear
    46. Inevitable
      incapable of being avoided or prevented
    47. Inflammable
      easily ignited
    48. Insatiable
      impossible to satisfy
    49. Insoluble
      incapable of being dissolved
    50. Invincible
      incapable of being overcome or subdued
    51. Invisible
      impossible or nearly impossible to see
    52. Invulnerable
      immune to attack; impregnable
    53. Invincible
      incapable of being overcome or subdued
    54. Invisible
      impossible or nearly impossible to see
    55. Invulnerable
      immune to attack; impregnable
    56. Irrelevant
      having no bearing on or connection with the subject at issue
    57. Irritable
      easily annoyed
    58. Legal
      established by or founded upon law or official rules
    59. Manuscript
      the form of a literary work submitted for publication
    60. Medieval
      relating to or belonging to the Middle Ages

Continue reading →

Grade 3 English : Jumbled words

Tips and Tricks

1.Hunt for the common English prefixes and suffixes – sets of letters that commonly occur at the beginning or end of a word.

Common Prefix – ‘a’,’de’,’di’,’per’,’un’,’in’,’up’ etc

Common Suffix – ‘ s’,’en’,’ed’,’ing etc

2. Once you identify a potential suffix you can make with your letters, remove those letters from the pile and see what you can construct with the remaining letters. Eliminating even a few of the letters by grouping them into a prefix or suffix makes it a lot easier to unscramble the word by reducing the number of possible solutions.

Continue reading →