Parts of speech

1. Articles

After dealing with this chapter, the student will be able to properly use definite and indefinite articles "a, an and the" in their appropriate places. 

1. Indefinite Articles "a" and "an": the form "a" is used before a word beginning with a consonant, or a vowel sounded like consonant. the form "an" is used before words beginning with a vowel or a mute H

Before a singular countable noun when it is mentioned for the first time and represents no particular person or thing

Before a singular countable noun which is used as an exemple of a class of thing In certain numerical expressions 

In expressions of price, speed, ratio, etc

With few and little

In exclamations before singular countable nouns

Before abbreviations

with a noun complement

 2. Definite Article "the": The definite article "the" is the same for singular and plural and all genders, it is used

Before nouns of which there is only one, or which are considered as one

Before a noun which has become definite as a result of being mentioned in the second time

Before a noun made definite by the addition of a phrase or a clause

Before a noun which by reason of locality, can represent a particular thing

Before superlatives and first, second... and only, used as adjectives or pronouns

Before a singular noun used to represent a class of objects

2. Pronouns

After dealing with this chapter, the student will be able to 

-differentiate between various types of pronouns

-use the appropriate pronoun in its appropriate place

-avoid unnecessary repetition by the use of pronouns 

1. Personal Pronouns I , you, she, he, it, they, we, you and me, you, her, him, it, us, you, them

They refer to specific persons or things (that have been already mentioned) and change their form to indicate person, number, gender, and case.

We usually use "it" for an animal. we can use "she" or "he" when we think of an animal as having human qualities or a special personality, for example : when it is a pet or a character of a story

personal pronouns can work also as direct or indirect objects of a verb or after a preposition, they are me, you, her, him, it, us, you, them

2. Possessive pronouns: mine, yours, hers, his, its, ours, theirs

They are forms of personal pronouns that show ownership or relation

We use them in place of pessessive noun phrases

3. Reflexive Pronouns: myself, yourself, herself, himself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves

They are used to refer back to the subject of the sentence and stand as objects

They indicate that someone or something acts upon itself

They are formed by combining personal pronouns with "self" or "selves"

They are also used after nouns or pronouns to emphasize them, they are called "intensive pronouns".

4. Demonstrative Pronouns: this, these, that, those

They point to and identify a noun or a pronoun

Near in distance and time THIS, THESE

Far in distance or time THAT, THOSE Examples : THIS is my seat, THAT is yours

we can use THIS/THESE to introduce people and THAT/THOSE to identify people

5. Interrogative Pronouns: who, whom, which, what, whose

They are used to ask questions 

WHO ? WHOM and usually WHICH are used to refer to people 

WHICH and WHAT are used to refer to things and animals

3. Verbs

After dealing with this chapter, the student will be able to 

-differentiate between action, linking and helping verbs 

-use each type of verb in its right place 

1. Action Verbs: An action verb tells what action (physical : run, move, dance, or moral : believe, dream, recognize) a subject is performing, has performed or will perform

2. Linking Verbs: A linking verb expresses a state of being of the subject 

The most common linking verbs are the forms of "to be" (is, are, was, were, am, been, being) and APPEAR, BECOME, FEEL, GROW, PROVE, GET, LOOK, SEEM, SMELL, SOUND, TASTE, STAY, TURN, GO 

These verbs link the subject of a sentence with a predicate nominative or a predicate adjective

3. Helping Verbs: A verb often includes one or more helping verbs, called "auxiliary verbs" or "modal auxiliaries" 

A verb and its helping verb form a "verb phrase" 

The common helping verbs are : be (am, was, were, is, are, been, being), have (has, had), do (does, did), might, may, must, can, could, shall, should, will, would