Magazine grammar

LICEO SECRETARIAL BILINGÜE LOURDES CASTILLO 6° SECRETARIADO

MAGAZINE # 2

UNIT NO. 2 USING VERBS Verbs are words used to express action or being or state of being. The most common use of a verb is as the predicate of a sentence.

The particular word which is the subject of a sentence is called the simple subject. Often the simple subject has a modifier or modifiers.

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The sales of the Lorton Company increased.

Construction of new plants and factories dropped.

The simple subject with all its modifiers is called the complete subject. The predicate of every sentence is singular of plural depending on whether the simple subject is singular or plural.

The simple predicate of a sentence is the verb or verb phrase which expresses action or being. The simple predicate with its modifier or modifiers is called the complete predicate.

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The sales of the Lorton Company increased considerable.

Construction of new plants and factories dropped during that period.

VERBS MAY BE DIVIDED INTO THREE GROUPS (1)

TRANSITIVE VERBS: is one that requires an object to complete its meaning. The action denoted by a transitive verb takes effect on the object. The action of a transitive verb goes over to its object.

• • • •

Railroads carry freight.

Salesmen sell merchandise Mr. Higgins addressed me.

The office manager wants you and me.

The object of a transitive verb must always be in the objective case. Be sure, therefore, to write the objective forms of the personal pronouns; when those pronouns are used as the objects of transitive verbs. Be sure to write whom when this pronoun is used as the object of a transitive verb.

(2)

Intransitive Verbs: Expresses action or state of being without any object. It may, be followed by a word or a phrase which limits the action or describes the state of being but such a word is not the object of the verb.

Many verbs may be used either transitively or intransitively. It is the use to which a verb is put in a sentence that determines its nature.

• •

Business increased by leaps and bounds.

This merchandise sells readily in this territory.

TRANSITIVELY • • (3)

The new superintendent increased the output of the factory.

The Southern Lumber Company sells a variety of products.

Linking Verbs: is an intransitive verb which may never be used as a transitive verb; hence a linking verb is always intransitive-it never takes an object.

To connect or link the subject of the sentence with the word that follows the verb which is the predicate of the sentence. It denotes that its subject is the same in identity as something else.

The most commonly used linking verb is be in its various forms, such as am, are, is, was, were, shall be, will be, has been, have been, must have been.

• • • •

The The The The

speaker was I. callers were Miss Fry and she. writer of the letter is she. speakers will be Mr. Langdon and I.

The pronoun it is often used as the subject of a linking verb.

• • • •

It It It It

is I. was we. is she. could have been he.

The word which is linked to the subject of a sentence in which one of these linking verbs is the predicate must be an adjective. An adjective used in this way is called a predicate adjective.

IT describes some quality of the subject to which it is connected by the linking verb.

A linking verb, then, expresses simply condition or state of being.

• • •

The bell sound clear.

The bell sounds clearly through the night.

The alarm bell rings out wildly.

SUMMARY: A transitive verb requires an object to complete its meaning. A personal pronoun used as the object of a transitive verb must be in the objective case.

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You may address me at 701 First Avenue.

You should teach Miss Fleming and her.

A linking verb connects or links the subject of the sentence with the word that follows the predicate.

USING REGULAR VERBS-PRESENT AND PAST All verbs change their form according to the time of action or state of being which they express. There are three primary tenses-present past and future.

When the present tense is used it expresses action or state of being now. It is also used to express a general truth or an action or state of being that is continued or habitual.

The present tense forms of regular verbs are simple.

Singular

Plural

First Person

I work

We work

Second Person

You work

Your work

Thrid person

He, she, it works

They work

(1)

Most regular verbs add s to form the third person singular.

•

Compels

•

Interferes

•

Concurs

•

Occurs

(2)

(3)

A verb that ends with s, x, z, ch, or sh adds es.

•

She dresses.

•

The telephone buzzes.

•

The crowd rushes.

A verb that ends with y preceded by a vowel adds s. A verb that ends with y preceded by a consonant changes y to I and adds es.

•

Conveys

•

Tries

•

Varies

•

Surveys

•

Applies

Emphatic Present Tense Form: The present tense also has an emphatic from. The helping verb do is used in writing the emphatic form. The third person singular form is does.

•

Miss Stevens doesn’t have sufficient experience.

•

The shipment of cartons doesn’t come up to the specifications.

Progressive Present Tense Forms: There is also a progressive from of the present tense. The helping verb be in its various forms is used in writing the progressive form, and ing is added to the verb.

SINGULAR Affirmative

Negative Contracted

I am carrying

We aren’t carrying

You are carrying

You aren’t carrying

He, she, it is carrying

He, she, it isn’t carrying

PLURAL Affirmative

Negative Contracted

We are carrying

We aren’t carrying

You are carrying

You aren’t carrying

They are carrying

They aren’t carrying

The correct spelling of the verb forms that end with ing is important.

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

A one-syllable verb that ends with one consonant preceded by one vowel doubles that final consonant when ing is added.

•

Trimming

•

Planning

•

Jobbing

A two-syllable verb that ends with one consonant preceded by on vowel and that is accented on the second syllable doubles the final consonant when ing is added.

•

Forbidding

•

Occurring

•

Remitting

•

Conferring

•

Regretting

Verbs that end with e drop the e when ing is added.

•

Interfering

•

Arranging

•

Improving

•

Believing

Verbs that end with y always retain the y when ing is added.

•

Surveying

•

Wearying

•

Carrying

•

Verifying

Using the Past Tense Correctly: The ending ed is the sign of the past tense of regular verbs.

(1)

(2)

(3)

A one-syllable verb that ends with one consonant preceded by one vowel doubles the final consonant.

•

Fitted

•

Knotted

•

Wrapped

A two-syllable verb that ends with one consonant preceded by one vowel and that is accented on the second syllable doubles the final consonant.

•

Occurred

•

Referred

•

Allotted

•

Dispelled

Verbs that end with y preceded by a vowel add ed. Verbs that end with y preceded by a consonant change y to I and add ed.

•

Conveyed

•

Surveyed

•

Satisfied

Emphatic and Progressive Past Tense Forms: The past tense also has emphatic and progressive forms. It uses did I did refer

We did refer

You did refer

You did refer

He, she, it did refer

They did refer

USING REGULAR VERBS-FUTURE, PRESENT PERFECT, PAST PERFECT, FUTURE PERFECT. The third of the primary tenses is the future. The future tense is used to denote an action or a condition still to come. The helping verbs shall and will are used in forming the future tense.

USING SHALL AND WILL: Whether you should use shall or will depend on two factors: 1. The meaning of the sentence and 2. The person of the subject--first person, second person, or third person.

1. Careful writes use shall with the first person (I, we) to express that is

called simple futurity, that is, to refer to action still to come, just as the past tense refers to action finished in the past. Notice that in these sentences the speakers are simply referring to a future action.

When you write such expressions as be glad, be pleased, be happy, be delighted with a first person pronoun as the subject, use shall.

• •

I shall be happy We shall be glad

In business writing, I shall and we shall are often contracted to I’ll and we’ll. Of course, the contractions for I will and we will are also I’ll and we’ll.

2. Will is used with first person subjects (I,we) when it is the purpose of the speaker or writer to express strong determination about a future action.

We won’t cut prices under any circumstances. (This sentence means-We will not cut prices)

3. With second and third person subjects, the use of shall and will is just reversed. The distinction between shall and will with second and third person subject is less observed than with first person subjects.

SHALL use with second and third person subjects gives the sentence an air of determination of compulsion. WILL expresses simple futurity Examples: • • •

You shall not criticize just for the sake of criticizing.

When you study the plan, you will be enthusiastic about it.

Mr. Harkness shall make good on his promise.

In asking questions, use shall with first person subjects.

• •

Shall I come to your office?

Shall we make shipment by parcel post?

With second and third person subjects, the helping verb will is used in sentences that ask questions.

USING SHOULD AND WOULD. In choosing between should and would follow the practice suggested for the use of shall and will.

With first persons subjects (I, We) use should to express simple futurity; use would to express determination, resolution, or promise.

Example: • I should finish the work tomorrow.

• We should appreciate your writing us.

With second and third person subjects use would to express simple futurity and should to express determination, resolution, or promise.

Example: • You would like the new styles if you would examine them.

Use should with all three persons to express obligation. In such sentences should has the meaning of ought to.

SHOULD AND WOULD IN INDIRECT QUOTATION. An indirect quotation is generally introduced by that. When the direct quotation requires the use of shall after I or we, use should in the indirect quotation.

PRESENT PERFECT TENSE. The present perfect tense of a regular verb uses the helping verb have followed by the same form that is used for the past tense. The present tense, the past tense, and the perfect participle.

Present occur attack exceed proceed precede

Past occurred attacked exceeded proceeded preceded

Perfect Participle occurred attacked exceeded proceeded preceded

When the subject is third person singular, the helping verb has is used with the perfect participle to form the present perfect tense. In all other cases the helping verb have is used.

• • •

He has referred.

It has occurred They have referred.

The present perfect tense is used to express action or condition begun in the past and continued to the present.

PAST PERFECT TENSE. The helping verb had is used with the perfect participle to form the past perfect tense. The past perfect tense is used to express action that was completed at some specific time in the past.

• •

He had completed the work before I arrived.

Last week Mr. West had already exceeded his sales quota.

FUTURE PERFECT TENSE: The future perfect tense is used to express action that is to be completed at some specified future time or before some

other future action takes place. The helping verb phrases shall have and will have are used to form the future perfect.

• •

I shall have completed the work before four o’clock this afternoon.

By three o’clock Mrs. Brooks will have interviewed four applicants.

Using Adjectives

The words, the, a, and an are called articles. They are adjectives because they are used to modify nouns.

The is called the definite article because it is used to point out or refer to a definite person, object or idea. By careful thought about the sense of what you are writing, you can avoid the common error of writing the for a and vice versa.

REPEATING ARTICLES: In the interests of clearness, repeat the before the second of two nouns used in the same construction.

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The Vice-President and the Treasurer will attend the meeting.

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The Vice-President and Treasurer will attend the meeting.

Sometimes two adjectives connected by and are used to modify two nouns, one of which is not expressed. In such cases it is particularly necessary to repeat the article.

CHOOSING BETWEEN A and AN: The indefinite article has two forms-a and an, Use a before words that begin with a sounded consonant. Use an before words that begin with a sounded vowel.

•

In some words that begin with h, that h is not sounded; the first sound is therefore a vowel. The article an must be used before such words. an hour

an honest person

•

In some words that begin with u, the u is pronounced as y; the first sound is therefore a consonant. The article a must be used before such words. a magazine

An unavoidable error

A woman

An underwriter

An heirloom

An unhappy person

An honor

A university

A historical fact

An upper berth

AVOID THIS COMMON ERROR: In the interests of correct usage, avoid inserting a or an after of in such expressions as kind of person, sort of thing.

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What kind of person do you want for the position?

What kind of man is he?

We prefer this kind of floor covering.

COMPOUND ADJECTIVES: -

The store sells high-grade merchandise.

The store sells merchandise of high grade.

In the first sentence high-grade is a compound adjective modifying or qualifying the noun merchandise. In the second sentence high is an adjective that modifies the noun grade.

CONTRAST:

•

The hyphen should be used in such compound adjectives as twentyfirst. Such adjectives are called numeral adjectives.

•

Adjectives and nouns which are formed by prefixing self are written hyphens.

A self-conscious attitude

Self-respect

A self-reliant person

Self-sacrifice

A self-evident fact

Self-confidence

•

Compound adjectives are sometimes formed by joining a numeral to such words as inch, foot, mile, and story.

A twelve-inch ruler

A three-day visit

A three-mile walk

A twelve-story building

A six-foot pavement

An eight-foot pole

The 100-yard dash

A four-year course

The word well is sometimes used as the first member of a compound adjective. Here again the hyphen should be used when the compound adjective comes before a noun.

1. Mr. Harkness is a well-known citizen of Milwaukee.

2. The chapter is devoted to the subject of well-balanced meals.

USING ADJECTIVES A Word is used as an adjective when it modifies a noun or a pronoun. An adjective defines, limits, or describes the noun or the pronoun which it modifies.

The simple form of an adjective is called the positive form. The comparative form of an adjective carries the meaning of more or less; the superlative form, the meaning of most or least.

(1)

A one-Syllable adjective that ends with e adds r for the comparative and st for the superlative.

POSITIVE Fine Scarce Short (2)

A one-Syllable adjective that ends with one consonant preceded by one vowel doubles the final consonant when adding er to form the comparative and est to form the superlative.

POSITIVE Hot Thin Slim (3)

COMPARATIVE SUPERALATIVE more faithful most faithful more difficult most difficult less intelligent least intelligent

An adjective that ends with y preceded by a consonant changes y to I and adds er to form the comparative and est to form the superlative.

POSITIVE Busy Healthy Merry

(5)

COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE hotter hottest thinner thinnest slimmer slimmest

Most adjectives of two or more syllables form the comparative by the use of more and the superlative by the most, thus: POSITIVE Faithful Difficult Intelligent

(4)

COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE finer finest scarcer scarcest shorter shortest

COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE busier busiest healthier healthiest merrier merriest

A few adjectives have irregular comparative and superlative forms.

POSITIVE Bad, evil, ill Good, well Little

COMPARATIVE worse worst better best less least

SUPERLATIVE

USING IRREGULAR FORMS: Use farther and farthest when you are thinking of literal distance. Use further, furthest in the sense figurative distance.

• •

How much farther is it to Chicago?

Please study the subject further.

Use less to modify, or to refer to, a singular noun that indicates quantity in bulk.

-

The company now has fewer stockholders thank it had a year ago.

Under this plan fewer salesmen will be required.

COMPARING WITHIN A GROUP: When you compare one person or object with the other members of the group to which belongs, exclude the person or object compared by inserting the word other.

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New York City is larger than any other city in the country.

Our Chicago office does more business than any of our other offices.

Sometimes you may also use the word else to show that you are excluding the person or objects in the same group.

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Mr. Grant is more efficient than anybody else in the office.

AVOID DOUBLE COMPARISON: No comparative form that ends with er and no superlative form that ends with est should ever be preceded by more or most.

-

The office is busier now than it was last month.

FIRST AND LAST: These two words are sometimes used with adjectives that express numbers. They should always be written before such adjectives.

-

Please study carefully the first ten pages of the report.

You will find the summary on the last three pages.

PROPER AJECTIVES: Proper adjectives are derived from proper nouns. Like proper nouns, proper adjectives should be capitalized.

American European Virginian

Spanish Bostonian Asiatic

Kentuckian Washingtonian New Yorker

USING IRREGULAR VERBS Lie: Is a transitive verb. Lie never takes an object.

Present Tense Emphatic

Progressive

I lie

I do lie

I am lying

You lie

You do lie

You are lying

He, she, it lies

He, she, it does lie

He, she, it is lying

We lie

We do lie

We are lying

You lie

You do lie

You are lying

They lie

They do lie

They are lying

Past Tense I lay

I did lie

I was lying

You lay

You did lie

You were lying

He, she it lay

He, she, it did lie

He, she, it was lying

We lay

We did lie

We were lying

You lay

You did lie

You were lying

They lay

They did lie

They were lying

Present Perfect Tense Progressive I have lain

I have been lying

You have lain

You have been lying

He, she, it has lain

He, she, it has been lying

We have lain

We have been lying

You have lain

They have been lying

Lay: Is transitive. It always takes an object.

Present Tense Emphatic

Progressive

I lay

I do lay

I am laying

You lay

You do lay

You are laying

He, she, it lays

He, she, it does lay

He, she, it is laying

We lay

We do lay

We are laying

You lay

You do lay

You are laying

They lay

They do lay

They are laying

Past Tense I laid

I did lay

I was laying

You laid

You did lay

You were laying

He, she it laid

He, she, it did lay

He, she, it was laying

We laid

We did lay

We were laying

You laid

You did lay

You were laying

They lay

They did lay

They were laying

Present Perfect Tense Progressive I have laid

I have been laying

You have laid

You have been laying

He, she, it has laid

He, she, it has been laying

We have laid

We have been laying

You have laid

They have been laying

Sit: Is an intransitive verb. It never takes an object.

Set: Is a transitive verb.

Present Tense: He sits on a chair.

He sets a time for the meeting.

Progressive: He is sitting on a chair. meeting.

He is setting a time for the

Past Tense: He sat on a chair.

He set a time for the meeting.

Progressive: He was sitting on a chair. He was setting a time for the meeting.

Perfect Tense: He has often sat there.

He has set a time for the meeting.

Rise: Is an intransitive verb. I never take an object.

Raise: Is a transitive verb. It may take an object.

The price of wheat rises. (Present tense) The price of what is rising. (Progressive) The price of what rose. (Past tense) The price of wheat was rising. (Progressive) The price of wheat has risen. (Present perfect tense) He raises his hand. (Progressive) He raised his hand. (Past tense) He has raised his hand. (Present perfect tense)