BASIC GRAMMAR RULE
1. If the subjects (doers of the action) are plural (many), 10. Some can be used as one or many. Take the ‘of
do not add “s” to the verb (action word); or the verb phrase’ that follows ‘some’ to know whether it is used
does not have an “s” if the sentence is in the present as one or many.
tense. 11. All can be used as one or many. Take the next word
2. If the subject is singular (one), add “s” to the verb; or that follows.
the verb has an “s” if the sentence is in the present 12. “a number” in English grammar is plural.
tense. 13. “the number” in English grammar is singular.
3. Mathematics (like, Civics, Economics, Physics, 14. Use “am” (present) or “was” (past) after the
Aeronautics, etc) even with an “s” is only one. Use is pronoun I.
(present) or was (past) after Mathematics. 15. If the sentence is introduced by “neither” the real
4. The noun crowd is composed of many people but it is subject is the second mentioned, like officers. (plural)
counted as one, which is called a “collective noun”. 16. If the sentence is introduced by “either” the real
Collective noun can be one or many depending on the subject is the second mentioned, like chief engineer.
use. 17. If the sentence is not introduced by “either” or
5. Group is like a crowd, it can be use as one or many. “neither”, the real subject is the first cited , service
6. The word “every” is always one. Use ‘is’ (present) or department. The pronoun referring to service
‘was’ (past) , or ‘has’ (present, or ‘does’ (past)4 department should be “that” or “which”, not “who”
7. Take “a salesman” as the subject, not ‘many’. “Many (which is used for one or many.) use relative pronouns
a salesman” means one salesman from the many “that” or “which” for place/places; things; animals;
8. Each like every is always singular abstract.
(one). 18. ‘together with…, in cooperation with…, under the
9. A Few, or few is always plural. Use ‘have’ (for many), auspices of…’ added to the subject is not the real
not ‘has’ (which is only for one). subject. It is called ‘intervening words’ or ‘intervening
phrase’
19. ‘one of the’ is always followed by plural noun like but to the direct object or indirect object (like 'typhoon
‘one of the theaters’ but means ‘one theatre’ but if you survivor").
add any like ‘it’ or ‘aliw theatre’ is ‘one of the theaters’ 27. 'has' 'have' 'had' are used as 'past participle' if they
it is used as plural (many) because of the relative are followed by a verb (like has, have, had written). If
pronoun “which” (or that, who, whose) that follow after 'has' and 'have' are followed by a noun (like moral) or
‘one of the’. adjective (like loose), they are used in the present tense.
20. A sum of money is singular. 28. Use apostrophe (") to show possession, ownership,
21. A fraction can be used as one or many with the use not to pluralize (like the game of the boy - the boy's
of the ‘of phrase’ that follows. game; the game of the boys- the boys' game). Pluralize:
22. This is the case of phantom subject (hidden at the boy-boys; girl-girls; man-men
middle of the sentence). Locate what is the real subject 29. when you use mature, immature, secure, insecure as
like ‘problems’ or ‘concerns’. adjectives, don't add 'd'.
23. The ‘children’ is the real subject and it can really do 30. You form the adjective by describing a noun like
the action. After the verbs to be is, are, was, were, am, clean room (direct adjective); a ten-year old boy
add “ing” to the verb. This is the sentence in active (hyphenated), angered dog (from the noun anger),
voice. displayed item (from the verb display), one book, ten
24. ‘dishonest tricks’ is not the real subject and it cannot books (from numerals one, ten, etc.) a student, an
do the action. After the verbs to be is, are, was, were, outstanding students (from articles a, an, the added to
am, add verb in the past participle tense (like done). nouns).
This is the sentence in passive voice.
25. In ‘we spectators’, spectators is appositive like in
‘He, the president’ ‘She, the secretary’, ‘You students’.
president, secretary, students are appositive, which are
added for clarity and identification.
26. Use 'who' if it referring to the subject (like
Hippocrates), 'whom' if it is not referring to the subject
