Examples: She is a painter subject form He praised her. Object form It is her best painting. Possessive form Subject Pronouns A subject pronoun takes the place of a noun as the subject of a sentence. These pronouns are: i Singular forms I, you, he, she, it ii Plural forms we, you, they Examples: Noun Subject Pronoun The housegirl takes care of the baby She takes care of the baby The dog guards the house It guards the house Mark and Francis love swimming They love swimming Subject pronouns also appear after forms of the linking verbs be. Examples: The watchman today is he. The composers were they. Exercise 1 Underline the subject pronouns in the following sentences. Example: She ate a water melon 1. They ate fish and chips. 2. We like Italian food. 3. It is delicious. 4. The biggest eater was he. 5. You helped in the cooking. 6. The cooks were Tom and I. Exercise 2 Replace the underlined words with subject pronouns. Example: Pio and Gama are friends - They www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 21 1. The glasses were under the table. 2. Emma fed the chicken. 3. The pears were juicy. 4. Uncle Ben and Lillian visited the orphans. 5. The new waitress is Jane. 6. The fastest runners were Tecla and Kirui. 7. Lisa went to the hall. 8. The chicken was slaughtered. 9. Lucky Dube and Brenda Fasie were South African Singers. 10. Samuel Wanjiru has won many athletics medals. Object pronouns Object pronouns can replace nouns used after action verbs. These pronouns are: i Singular me, you, him, her, it ii Plural us, you them Examples: The driver drove him. Direct object The parents thanked us. Direct object The reporters asked him many questions. Indirect object In the above examples, the personal pronouns are the direct or indirect objects of the verbs before them. Object pronouns can also replace nouns after prepositions such as to, for, with, in, at or by. That is, they can be objects of prepositions. Examples: Gladys waved to them. Object of a preposition The delivery is for me.


That is, they can be objects of prepositions. Examples: Gladys waved to them. Object of a preposition The delivery is for me. Ben went with them to the theatre. Exercise 3 Choose the correct pronoun in the brackets in the following sentences. Example: Irungu photographed us, we . Us 1. Lisa asked he, him for a picture. 2. Adam sketched Lisa and I, me . 3. He gave a photo to us, we . 4. Ann and she, her saw Dave and Bob. 5. Adam drew Lisa and they, them . 6. Mark helped I, me with the packing. 7. Loise praised him, he for his good work. 8. Everyone spotted they, them easily. 9. That night Mike played the guitar for us, we . 10. We, Us drove with they, them to the mountains. Possessive pronouns A possessive pronoun shows ownership. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 22 Example: My pen is black. There are two kinds of possessive pronouns: i Those used as adjectives to modify nouns. These possessive pronouns are: Singular: My, your, his, her, its Plural: Our, your, their Examples: My shirt is yellow. Your food is on the table. His bag is green. This is her dress. Its fur is soft. These are our parents. Pay your bills. They removed their bats. The above possessive pronouns always appear before nouns to modify them. Hence, they are called modifiers. Ii Those that stand alone and replace nouns in sentences. These possessive nouns are: Singular: mine yours his, hers, its Plural: ours yours, their Examples: The yellow shirt is mine. The food on the table is yours. The green bag is his. This dress is hers. Its is the soft fur. These crops are ours. These bills are yours. Those hats are theirs. Exercise 4 Complete the following sentences by choosing the correct possessive pronoun from the brackets. Example: The lazy girl completed her, hers home work. Her. 1. My, mine journey to Mombasa was enjoyable. 2. Florence said her, hers was the best. 3. Are the pictures of Fort Jesus your, yours ? 4.


3. Are the pictures of Fort Jesus your, yours ? 4. Her, Hers were taken at Jomo Kenyatta Beach. 5. Tomorrow we will make frames for our, ours pictures. 6. My, mine class is planning a trip to Mt. Kenya. 7. Our, ours trip will be taken on video. 8. Micere is excited that the idea was her, hers . 9. Koki and Toti cannot hide their, theirs excitement. 10. My, mine dream is to climb to the highest peak of the mountain. POINTS TO NOTE 1. The pronoun I is used as a subject or after forms of the linking verb be. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 23 Examples: Subject: I travel by bus After the linking verb be: Yesterday, the prefects on duty were Victor and I 2. The pronoun me is used object after action verbs or words prepositions such as to, for, with, in, or at. Examples: Object: Rose met me at the gate. After prepositions: Rose waited for me at the gate. You are coming with me. 3. When using compound subjects and objects i.e. subjects and objects comprising of a pronoun and a noun or another pronoun , always name yourself last. Examples: Diana and I visited our grandmother yesterday. Who appointed Chege and me? Rose waited for her and me at the gate. CONTRACTIONS WITH PRONOUNS A contraction is a shortened form of two words. One or more letters are omitted and an apostrophe is used in place of the letters left out. A contraction is formed by combining pronouns and the verbs am, is, are, will, would, have, has, and had. Pronoun verb Contraction Pronoun verb Contraction I am I m I have I ve He is he s he has he s It is it s it has it s You are you re you have you ve They are they re they have they ve I will I ll I had I d You will you ll you had you d We would we d we had we d Note: 1 Some contractions look the same but are formed from different words. Examples: he is, he has he s we had, we would we d 2 Some possessive pronouns sound like contractions.


A contraction is formed by combining pronouns and the verbs am, is, are, will, would, have, has, and had. Pronoun verb Contraction Pronoun verb Contraction I am I m I have I ve He is he s he has he s It is it s it has it s You are you re you have you ve They are they re they have they ve I will I ll I had I d You will you ll you had you d We would we d we had we d Note: 1 Some contractions look the same but are formed from different words. Examples: he is, he has he s we had, we would we d 2 Some possessive pronouns sound like contractions. Because the words sound alike, they are sometimes confused. Examples: Possessive pronouns Contractions its it s your you re their they re whose who s www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 24 Incorrect: The team celebrated it s victory. Correct: The team celebrated its victory. Incorrect: Your late for the preps. Correct: You re late for the preps. Incorrect: Whose the fastest runner in the world? Correct: Who s the fastest runner in the world? Rules of using possessive pronouns and contractions correctly 1. If the word you want to use stands for two words, it is a contraction and needs an apostrophe. 2. Never use an apostrophe in a possessive pronoun. Exercise 5 Write the contractions for the following word pairs. Example: It has it s 1. You will 3. He had 5. You have 2. We would 4. I am 6. They will Exercise 6 What pronoun and verb make up each of the following contractions? Example: It s it is, it has 1. I ll 3. You d 5. They re 2. We re 4. He s 6. She d Exercise 7 Choose the correct word given in brackets in the following sentences. 1. The Kenyan government has worked hard to improve its, it s educational system. 2. Whose, Who s going to decide where the guests will sleep? 3. Their, they re learning French their school. 4. Only students whose, who s scores are excellent will join national schools. 5.


4. Only students whose, who s scores are excellent will join national schools. 5. Its, It s been estimated that about 8 million Kenyans are living with HIV AIDS. INDEFINITE PRONOUNS An indefinite pronoun is a pronoun that does not refer to a specific person or thing. In English, there are singular indefinite pronouns, plural indefinite and both singular and plural indefinite pronouns. Singular Indefinite Pronouns another anything everybody neither one www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 25 anybody each everyone nobody somebody anymore either everything no one someone. An indefinite pronoun must agree with its verbs and in number with its possessive pronoun. The above indefinite pronouns are used with singular verbs. They are also used with singular possessive pronouns. Examples: Agreement with verbs Correct: Everyone has heard of Lake Turkana. Incorrect: Everyone have heard of Lake Turkana. Correct: Nobody knows what happened to Samuel Wanjiru. Incorrect: Nobody know what happened to Samuel Wanjiru. Correct: Everything about the old man remains a mystery. Incorrect: Everything about the old man remain a mystery. Agreement in number with possessive pronouns Correct: Neither believed his her eyes. Incorrect: Neither believed their eyes. Correct: Each strained his her neck to see. Incorrect: Each strained their neck to see. Plural indefinite pronouns both many few several These indefinite pronouns use plural verbs and possessive pronouns. Examples: Plural verbs Correct: Few know about Lake Olbolsat. Incorrect: Few knows about Lake Obolsat. Correct: Both stand by what they believe. Incorrect: Both stands by what they believe. Plural possessive pronouns Correct: Several reported their findings. Incorrect: Several reported his her findings. Both singular and plural indefinite pronouns all some any none These indefinite pronouns may be singular or plural, depending on their meaning in the sentence. Examples: All of my story is true singular All of the guests are here plural None of the lake is foggy singular None of the photos are spoiled plural. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 26 EXERCISE 8 Underline the indefinite pronouns in the following sentences and then write the correct form of the verb or possessive pronoun in the brackets. 1. All the photographs of the killer is, are unclear. 2. Has, Have anybody seen my camera? 3.


2. Has, Have anybody seen my camera? 3. Many believes, believe a monster lives in the lake. 4. Each of the photographs make, makes people want more. 5. All of the evidence indicates, indicate that he was killed by his wife. 6. Everyone has taken his, their payment. 7. Several eyewitnesses volunteered to give his, their accounts. 8. Anyone can lose her, their eyesight. 9. Another reported his, their case to the police. 10. Somebody left her, their handbag in the lecture hall. DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS A demonstrative pronoun is used to single or point out one or more persons or things referred to in the sentence. These pronouns are this, that, these, and those. This and these point to persons or things that are near. Examples: This is a gazelle. These are the students of Kianjege West Secondary School. That and those point to persons or things that are farther away. Examples: That is the city square. Those are the lodging rooms. This and that are used with singular nouns. These and those are used with plural nouns. Exercise 9 Pick the correct demonstrate pronouns from the choices given in the brackets in the following sentences. 1. This, That is the canteen we are entering now. 2. This, That is the dispensary across the street 3. These, Those are beautiful flowers on the counter over there. 4. Are those, these chocolate bars on the far counter? 5. I think these, those are called vuvuzelas. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 27 INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS An interrogative pronoun is used to ask a question. These pronouns are who, whose, whom, which and what. Examples: Who is the mayor of this town? Whose is the red car? Which is her blouse? What did she ask you? Whom should I trust with my secret? USING WHO, WHOM, AND WHOSE Who, whom, and whose are often used to ask questions. Hence, they are interrogative pronouns. WHO is the subject form. It is used as the subject of a verb. Examples: Who taught you how to play the guitar?


WHO is the subject form. It is used as the subject of a verb. Examples: Who taught you how to play the guitar? Who is the subject of the verb taught. WHOM is the object form. It is used as the direct object of a verb or as the object of a preposition. Examples: Whom did you meet? Whom is the object of the verb did meet . For whom is this trophy? Whom is the object of the preposition for . WHOSE is the possessive form. It can be used : i To modify a noun Example: Whose is umbrella is this? Whose modifies the noun umbrella ii Alone as the subject or object of a verb Examples: Whose are those water melons? Whose is the subject of the verb are Whose did you admire? Whose is the object of the verb did admire Exercise 10 Pick the correct interrogative pronouns from the brackets in the following sentences. 1. Who, Whom owns that shop? 2. Who, Whom can we ask the way? 3. Which, What did they ask you? 4. Which, What are the objects on the table called? 5. To who, whom does the boutique belong? Exercise 11 Complete the following sentences with who, whom, or whose. 1. Knows the origin of the Luos? Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 28 2. Did you ask about it? 3. To did you give the letter? 4. Is the most attractive painting? 5. Is likely to receive the Chaguo la Teeniez award? 6. For did you buy this doll? 7. Skill in dancing is the best? 8. Is the officer-in-charge here? 9. Are you looking at? 10. Are those healthy Merino sheep? REFLEXIVE AND INTENSIVE PRONOUNS Reflexive and intensive pronouns end in -self or -selves. These are myself, yourself, herself, himself, itself, ourselves, and themselves. There is, however, one difference between reflexive and Intensive pronouns. A reflexive pronoun refers to an action performed by the subject of the sentence. The meaning of the sentence is incomplete without the reflexive pronoun.


There is, however, one difference between reflexive and Intensive pronouns. A reflexive pronoun refers to an action performed by the subject of the sentence. The meaning of the sentence is incomplete without the reflexive pronoun. Examples: Monicah bought herself a new dress. The meaning of the sentence is incomplete without the reflexive pronoun because we do not know for whom Monicah bought the dress . An Intensive pronoun is used to emphasise a noun or a pronoun. It does not add information to a sentence, and it can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence. I myself pulled the boy out of the river. If you remove myself, the meaning of the sentence does not change Exercise 12 Identify the Reflexive and Intensive pronouns in the following sentences, labelling them accordingly. 1. I myself have never tried mountain climbing. 2. He himself was taking the cows to graze in the forest. 3. My sister Annastasia mends her clothes herself. 4. She often challenges herself by doing strenuous activities. 5. You may ask yourself about the sanity of beer drinking competition. SPECIAL PRONOUNS PROBLEMS 1. Double subjects We all know that every sentence must have a subject. Sometimes we incorrectly use a double subject a noun and a pronoun - to name the same person, place, or thing. Incorrect Correct Jane she is my cousin. Jane is my cousin. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 29 She is my cousin. Her scarf it is pretty. Her scarf is pretty. It is pretty. Jane and she should not be used as subjects together. The subject her scarf should not be used together with it. Use only a noun or a pronoun to name a subject. 2. Pronouns and their Antecedents The antecedent of a pronoun is a noun or another pronoun for which the pronoun stands. A personal pronoun, you will remember, is used in place or a noun. The noun is the word to which the pronouns refer and it is therefore its antecedent. The noun usually comes first, either in the same sentence or in the sentence before it. Examples: We met Mureithi. He is the medical doctor. He stands for Mureithi. Mureithi is the antecedent . The students had come to school with their mobile phones. Their stands for students.


Mureithi is the antecedent . The students had come to school with their mobile phones. Their stands for students. Students is the antecedent . Pronouns may be the antecedents of other pronouns. Examples: Does everybody have his booklet? Everybody, which is a singular indefinite pronoun, is the antecedent of his . All of the students have brought theirs. All, which is a plural indefinite pronoun, is the antecedent of theirs . Now, a pronoun must agree with its antecedent in number. Agree here means that the pronoun must be the same in number as its antecedent. The word number means singular or plural. If the pronoun is singular, the word that it stands for must be singular, and it must be plural if the word it stands for is plural. Examples: Correct: The scientists tested their new discovery Scientists is plural; their is plural. Incorrect: The scientists tested his new discovery. Correct: Mr. Kiama turned on his TV. Mr Kiama is singular; his is singular Correct: Nobody left her workstation Nobody is singular, her is singular NB: When the antecedent refers to both males and females, it is best to use the phrase his or her. 3. Use of we and us with nouns. Phrases such as we students and us girls are often incorrectly used. To tell which pronoun to use, drop the noun and say the sentence without it. Problem: We, Us boys study hard. Solution: We study hard We boys study hard. Problem: The DC praised us, we students. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 30 Solution: The DC praised us The DC praised us students 4. Using the pronoun Them The word them is always a pronoun. It is always used as the object of a verb or a preposition, never as a subject. Examples: Correct: The president greeted them direct object of the verb greeted Correct: She gave them a Sandwich Indirect object of the verb gave Correct: The information was useful to them object of the preposition to Incorrect: Them they arrived late. 5. Using Those Although we previously said that those is used as a demonstrative pronouns, it is sometimes used as an adjective i.e. a word that modifies a noun or a pronoun.


2. Adam sketched Lisa and me. 3. He gave a photo to us. 4. Ann and she saw Dave and Bob. 5. Adam drew Lisa and them. 6. Mark helped me with the packing. 7. Loise praised him for his good work. 8. Everyone spotted them easily. 9. That night Mike played the guitar for us. 10. We drove with them to the mountains. Exercise 4 1. My journey to Mombasa was enjoyable. 2. Florence said hers was the best. 3. Are the pictures of Fort Jesus yours? 4. Hers are about Jomo Kenyatta Beach. 5. Tomorrow we will make frames for our pictures. 6. My class is planning a trip to Mt. Kenya. 7. Our trip will be taken on video. 8. Micere is excited that the idea was hers. 9. Koki and Toti cannot hide their excitement. 10. My dream is to climb to the highest peak of the mountain. Exercise 5 1. You will You ll 2. We would we d 3. He had he d 4. I am I m 5. You have you ve 6. They will they ll Exercise 6 1. I ll I will 2. We re we are 3. You d you would, you had www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 33 4. He s he is, he has 5. They re they are 6. She d she would, she had Exercise 7 1. Its 3. They re 5 it s 2. Who s 4. Whose Exercise 8 1. All are 6. Everyone his 2. Anybody has 7. Several their 3. Many believe 8. Anyone her 4. Each makes 9. Another his 5. All indicates 10. Somebody her Exercise 9 1. This 3. Those 5. These 2. That 4. Those Exercise 10 1. Who 3. What 5. Whom 2. Whom 4. What Exercise 11 1. Who 6. Whom 2. Whom 7. Whose 3. Whom 8. Who 4. Whose 9. Who 5.


Sometimes helping verbs and main verbs are separated by words that are not verbs. Examples: I do not ride bicycle any more. Can we ever be friends again? We should definitely apologise for the mistakes. Exercise 2 Indicate H.V. under the Helping verb and M.V. under the Main verb in the following sentences. 1. The school choir is singing a new song. 2. The football season has finally begun. 3. This car just can travel very fast. 4. He had waited for this chance for years. 5. My parents will be visiting us soon. 6. Our friends have come for a visit. 7. You must buy your ticket for the game. 8. Sarah has chosen Kenyatta University for her degree course. 9. She is hitting her child with a rubber strap. 10. I will go for the game next week. VERBS TENSES The time of an action or the state of being is expressed by different forms of the verb. These forms are called the tenses of the verb. There are three main forms of a verb: the present, the past, or the future. The Present Tense A verb which is in present tense indicates what the subject of the sentence is doing right now. Example: The teacher sees the students. The verb sees tells that the teacher is seeing the students now. To show the present tense, an -s or -es is added to most verbs if the subject is singular. If the subject is plural, or I or You, the -s, or -es is not added. Example: The bird hatches in the nest. The stream flows down the hill. The boys rush for their breakfast. We talk a lot. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 38 Rules for forming the Present Tense with Singular Subjects 1. Most verbs: add s get gets play plays eat eats 2. Verbs ending in s, ch, sh, x, and z: add-es pass passes, mix mixes punch-punches, buzz buzzes push pushes 3. Verbs ending with a consonant and y: change the y to i and add -es try - tries empty empties Exercise 3 Write the correct present form of each verb in the brackets in the following sentences. 1. She carefully the map study 2. A fish in the water near me. Splash 3.


She carefully the map study 2. A fish in the water near me. Splash 3. She her hands. Wash 4. He to the classroom. Hurry 5. Bryan and I the assignment. Discuss The Past Tense A verb which is in past tense shows what has already happened. Example: Tito liked his grandmother s story. The verb liked tells that the action in the sentence happened before now. Rules for forming the Past Tense 1. Most verbs: Add -ed play played talk talked climb climbed 2. Verbs ending with e: Add -d praise praised hope hoped wipe wiped 3. Verbs ending with a consonant and -y: bury buried the y to i and add -ed carry carried study studied 4. Verbs ending with a single vowel and stop stopped a consonant: Double the final consonant man manned www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 39 and add-ed trip tripped Exercise 4 Write the past tense forms of each of the verbs in brackets in the following sentences. 1. John his house burn into ashes. Watch 2. The baby loudly. Cry 3. The teacher at the naughty student. Yell 4. The chef a delicious cake. Bake 5. We for a present for our grandmother. Shop The Future Tense A verb which is in future tense tells what is going to happen. Examples: Evans will take his car to the garage. She will probably come with us. The verbs will take and will come tell us what is going to happen. Hence, they are in future tense. To form the future tense of a verb, use the helping verb will or shall with the main verb. Exercise 5 Write the future tense forms of the verbs in the following sentences. 1. We write in exercise books. 2. The train stopped at the station. 3. He decides what he wants to do. 4. They practise in the football field. 5. Rats multiply very fast. More Tenses The above three forms of tenses can further be divided into: 1. The simple tenses - Present simple tense - Past simple tense - Future simple tense 2.


Rats multiply very fast. More Tenses The above three forms of tenses can further be divided into: 1. The simple tenses - Present simple tense - Past simple tense - Future simple tense 2. The perfect tenses - Present perfect tense - Present perfect progressive - Past perfect tense - Future perfect www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 40 - Future perfect progressive 3. The progressive tenses - Present progressive tense - Past progressive tense - Progressive tense - Future perfect progressive tense. The simple Tenses The most common tenses of the verb are the simple tenses. You use them most often in your speaking and writing. 1. Present simple tense. Look at the following sentences. A I know Kisumu b He goes to school everyday. C The sun rises from the east. All the above sentences contain a verb in the present simple tense. This tense is used for different purposes. I To state a personal fact Example: I know Kisumu. Ii To point out a regular habit. Example: He goes to school everyday. Iii To state known a scientific fact Example: The sun rises from the east. Exercise 6 Complete the following sentences putting the verbs in brackets in the present simple tense. 1. They their new principal. Like 2. Every morning, she her teeth. Brush 3. The earth on its own axis. Rotate 4. Twice a year, he his family. Visit 5. Air when heated. Rise 2. Past Simple Tense The past simple tense is used when an action has been completed . Examples: We cleaned our classrooms yesterday. He drove the car this morning. She planned the whole incident. Exercise 7 www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 41 Write down the past simple tense of the following words and then use each of them in sentences of your own. Start breathe add roam trap obey annoy worry pity fit 3. Future Simple Tense The future simple tense places the action or condition in the future. It is formed by using the word shall or will before the present form of the main verb. Examples: We shall need help with her load. She will eat the bananas alone The dancers will entertain them. Exercise 8 Use the following words in future simple tense in sentences of your own.


Examples: We shall need help with her load. She will eat the bananas alone The dancers will entertain them. Exercise 8 Use the following words in future simple tense in sentences of your own. See develop go begin exist consume introduce hunt bring become The Perfect Tenses The perfect tenses are used to show that an action was completed or that a condition existed before a given time. The perfect tenses are formed using has, have, or had before the past participles i.e. verb forms ending in -ed. Examples: 1. Present Perfect Tense: Ceasar has just finished his homework. Kamau and Njoroge have now agreed to meet. 2. Present Perfect Continuous Tense Kibet has been working in his shamba for two hours. We have been swimming in this pool for ten minutes. 3. Past Perfect Tense We had completed the work by the time the supervisor came. Nobody knew that she had already remarried. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 42 4. Past Perfect Continuous Tense I had been trying to contact him for two hours before he finally appeared. Mrs. Masumbuko had been feeling unwell the whole week before she decided to visit a doctor. 5. Future Perfect Tense Agege will have sold his goats by two p.m. By next term, twenty students will have dropped from this school. 6. Future Perfect Continuous The players will have been playing for twenty minutes by the time the President arrives. By the end of this term, she will have been living with her aunt for five years. Exercise 9 Rewrite the following sentences changing the verb into present perfect, present perfect progressive, past perfect, past perfect progressive, future perfect and future perfect progressive tenses. Make any necessary changes to make the sentences meaningful. John comes here every year. The Progressive Verb Forms The progressive form of the verb shows continuing action. Examples: I am singing She was dancing. The progressive form is formed using various forms of the verb be plus the present participle i.e. a verb form that ends in -ing. Examples: 1. Present Progressive Tense I am reading a book about Red Indians. Her mother is preparing dinner. 2. Present Perfect Progressive He has been cleaning his car since morning. They have been exercising for a week now. 3. Past Progressive Tense She was cooking supper when I arrived. They were fighting fiercely when the police arrived. 4.


Past Progressive Tense She was cooking supper when I arrived. They were fighting fiercely when the police arrived. 4. Past Perfect Progressive Tense Sonko had been wearing an earing for years before he removed it. Onyancha had been killing children before he was finally discovered. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 43 5. Future Progressive He will be tilling the land next week. Joyce and Joan will be washing clothes all morning. 6. Future Perfect Progressive The children will have been sleeping for two hours by the time their parents arrive. John will have grown a beard by the time he is twelve. Exercise 10 Rewrite the following sentence changing the verb into present progressive, present perfect progressive, past progressive, past perfect progressive, future progressive and future perfect progressive tenses. Make any necessary changes to make the sentences meaningful. Jane plays the guitar well. SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT Present tense A verb and its subject must agree in number. To agree means that if the subject is singular, the verb must be in singular form. If the subject is plural, the verb form must be plural. Examples: The baby cries every morning - SINGULAR The babies cry every morning - PLURAL Rules for subject-verb Agreement 1. Singular subject The man drives a bus. Add -s or -es to the verb She teaches in a primary school. He studies his map. 2. Plural subject: The men drive buses. Do not add -s or -es They teach in primary schools. To the verb We study our maps. 3. For I or You I hate books. Do not add -s or -es to the verb You like dogs. I admire actors. When a sentence has a compound subject i.e. two subjects joined by and, the plural form of the verb is used. Examples: John and James work at Naivas Supermarket. The teachers and the students respect one another a lot. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 44 Subject-verb Agreement with be and have The verbs be and have change their forms in special ways in order to agree with their subjects. Various ways in which be and have change in order to agree with their subjects. Subject Be Have 1. Singular subjects: I You He, she, it Singular Noun am, was are, were is, was is, was have, had have, had has, had has, had 2.


Examples: He saw great misery all around him past He has seen great misery all round him past participle Common irregular Verbs Verb Past tense Past participles begin choose began chose had begun had chosen www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 46 go speak ride fight throw come sing steal swim make run grow write ring drink lie do eat know went spoke rode fought threw came sang stole swam made ran grew wrote rang drank lay did ate knew had gone had spoken had ridden had fought had thrown had came had sung had stolen had swum had made had run had grown had written had rung had drunk had lain had done had eaten had known For a few irregular verbs, like hit and cut, the three principal parts are spelled the same. These ones offer no problems to learners. Most problems come from irregular verbs with three different forms. For example, the irregular verbs throw and ring. Throw threw had thrown Ring rang had rung If you are not sure about a verb form, look it up in the dictionary. Exercise 13 Write the past tense and past participles of the following irregular verbs and then use each of them in sentences of your own. 1. Arise 6. Fall 2. Tear 7. Blow 3. Wear 8. Freeze 4. Lay 9. Fly 5. See 10. Write ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VERB FORMS Active Voice A verb is in active voice when the subject of the sentence performs the action. Examples: Our teacher punished us for making noise in class. Subject action www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 47 Players arrived for their first match early in the morning. Subject action In the above sentences, the subject is who performed the action. Hence, the verbs of these sentences are in active voice. Passive voice The word passive means acted upon . When the subject of the sentence receives the action or expresses the result of the action, the verb is in passive voice. Examples: We were punished by the teacher for making noise. Subject action He was helped by a passer-by. Subject action In the above sentences the subjects we and he receive the action.


Examples: We were punished by the teacher for making noise. Subject action He was helped by a passer-by. Subject action In the above sentences the subjects we and he receive the action. When we do not know who or what did the action, or when we do not want to say who or what did it, we use the passive voice. The passive form of a verb consists of some form of be plus the past participle. Examples: Active Passive Baabu explored the sea. The sea was explored by Baabu. Be past participle The captain helped him. He was helped by the captain. Be past participle Exercise 14 Write the verbs from the following sentences and then label each one Active or Passive. 1. The guest of honour presented prizes to the best students. 2. The cattle were taken home by the herders. 3. The health officer ordered the slaughter house closed. 4. Peace and order has been restored in the area by the youth wingers. 5. The workers cleared the farm. 6. The crop was harvested by the hired workers. 7. The government stressed the importance of unity among tribes. 8. The farmers were urged to redouble their efforts in food production. 9. The KIE is developing support materials for the 8-4-4 system of education. 10. A fishing pond was started by the Wildlife Club in the school. TRANSITIVE AND INTRANSITIVE VERBS Some sentences express a complete thought with only a subject and an action verb. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 48 Example: The sun shines. Subject Active verb In other sentences, a direct object must follow the action verb for the sentence to be complete. A direct object is a noun or a pronoun that receives the action of the verb. Example: The goalkeeper caught the ball. Subject action verb direct object Transitive verbs A Transitive verb is an action verb that must take a direct object for the sentence to express a complete thought. A direct object answers the question what? Or whom? Examples: The captain steered the ship. Steered what? The ship The teacher praised the students. Praised whom? The students Transitive verbs cannot be used alone without direct objects in sentences; they would not have complete meanings. Exercise 15 What are the action verbs and the direct objects in the following sentences? 1. He carried his bag with him. 2. The two friends discussed the examination paper. 3.


2. The two friends discussed the examination paper. 3. We took a trip to Nakuru last month. 4. The water splashed me. 5. He gave interesting facts about whales. 6. We searched the house for rats. 7. They cheered the team noisily. 8. My brother bought a camera. 9. Njoroge admires Papa Shirandula. 10. We viewed the shouting star at midnight. Intransitive verbs An Intransitive verb is an action verb that does not require a direct object for the sentence to have complete meaning. Examples: The ship sailed. Subject action verb The child smiled. Subject action verb They do not answer the questions what? Or whom? Sometimes they answer the questions how? Or how often? Examples: The ship sailed smoothly. How did it sail? Smoothly The child smiled repeatedly. How often did the child smile? Repeatedly www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 49 Both transitive and intransitive verbs Some verbs can be used both transitively and intransitively. Examples: We cheered our team noisily. Transitive We cheered noisily. Intransitive He broke the window pane. Transitive The glass broke. Intransitive NB: Only transitive verbs can be changed from active to passive voice. Examples: Active Passive He kicked the ball The ball was kicked by him She bought a new dress A new dress was bought by her. She wailed loudly ?? They danced well ?? Exercise 16 Indicate at the end of each of the following sentences whether the underlined verb is Transitive or Intransitive. 1. Some whales sing songs. 2. We gave our books to the gatekeeper. 3. She cried bitterly. 4. He made a sketch of the giraffe. 5. John danced to the music. 6. The bird flew in the air. 7. They located the lost ship. 8. She pleaded with him mercifully. 9. The children heard the sound from the cave. 10. It rained heavily. TROUBLESOME PAIRS OF VERBS Some pairs of verbs confuse learners of English because their meanings are related but not the same. Others confuse them because they sound similar, but their meanings are different. Others are similar in appearance but different in meanings.


Seems - Linking verb 2. Watched Action verb 3. Cheered Action verb 4. Seems Linking verb 5. Is Linking verb 6. Aimed Action verb 7. Blew Action verb 8. Was Linking verb 9. Is Linking verb 10. Seems Linking verb Exercise 2 Helping verb Main verb 1. Is singing 2. Has begun 3. Can travel www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 51 4. Had waited 5. Will be visiting 6. Have come 7. Must buy 8. Has chosen 9. Is hitting 10 will go Exercise 3 1. Studies 2. Splashes 3. Washes 4. Hurries 5. Discuss Exercise 4 1. Watched 2. Cried 3. Yelled 4. Baked 5. Shopped Exercise 5 1. Will write 2. Will stop 3. Will decide 4. Shall practice 5. Will multiply Exercise 6 1. Like 2. Brushes 3. Rotates 4. Visits 5. Rises Exercise 7 1. Started 6. Breathed 2. Added 7. Roamed 3. Trapped 8. Obeyed 4. Annoyed 9. Worried 5. Pitied 10. Fitted www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 52 Exercise 8 1. Will shall see 6. Will shall develop 2. Will shall go 7. Will shall begin 3. Will shall exist 8. Will shall consume 4. Will shall introduce 9. Will shall hunt 5. Will shall bring 10. Will shall become Exercise 9 1. John has come here every year. -. Present perfect 2. John has been coming here every year. -. Present perfect progressive 3. John had come here every year. Past perfect 4. John had been coming here every year. Past perfect progressive 5. John will have come here every year. Future perfect 6. John will have been coming here every year. Future perfect progressive. Exercise 10 1. Jane is playing the guitar. Present progressive 2.


Transitive 5. Intransitive 10. Intransitive Exercise 17 www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 54 1. Teach 6. Raises 2. Lies 7. Raises 3. Lie 8. Taught 4. Sits 9. Raises 5. Taught 10. Laid ADJECTIVES An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or a pronoun. To describe or modify means to provide additional information about nouns or pronouns. To modify further means to change something slightly. Writers and speakers modify an idea or image by choosing certain describing words, which are called adjectives. Hence, these adjectives are also called modifiers. Adjectives are like word cameras. They are words that describe colours, sizes and shapes. Adjectives help you capture how the world around you looks and feels. Adjectives tell: 1. What kind? Examples: www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 55 The powerful gorilla knocked down the hunter. The old man walked slowly. 2. How many? Examples: Three zebras were resting. He has few friends. 3. Which one s ? Examples: This painting is attractive. These farmers are clearing the field. There are 4 main kinds of adjectives, namely:- 1. Descriptive adjectives 2. Definite and indefinite adjectives 3. Demonstrative adjectives 4. Interrogative adjectives 5. Articles and possessive adjectives Descriptive adjectives Descriptive adjectives tell us the size, shape, age, colour, weight, height, make, nature and origin of the nouns they are describing. Examples of descriptive Adjectives: SizeShapeAgeColourWeightHeightMakeNatureOrigin big huge small tiny thin fat wide shallow slender oval circular triangular rectangular round square twisted pointed old young aged red green white blue brown black maroon purple pink heavy light tall short wooden plastic metal stony glass mud warm cold shy famous peaceful brave powerful gentle kind Kenya American Tanzania Italian South African Ugandan Korean Descriptive adjective are of two types. 1 Common descriptive adjectives these are adjectives that give general features of somebody or something. They are the adjectives of size, shape, age, colour, weight, height, make and nature. Refer to the examples in the diagram above. 2 Proper adjectives These ones are formed from proper nouns. They are always capitalized.


Refer to the examples in the diagram above. 2 Proper adjectives These ones are formed from proper nouns. They are always capitalized. They always appear last in a string of adjectives modifying the same noun, just before the noun itself. Examples of proper adjectives: The Japanese ambassador A Mexican carpet An Italian chef Note that when a proper adjective comprises of two words, both are capitalized. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 56 Examples: A South African farmer A North American cowboy Exercise 1 Find the adjectives in the following sentences and indicate what types they are. 1. Alaska is the largest state in the USA. 2. The Alaskan Senator is Lord John Mc Dougal. 3. Mt. Kenya is the tallest mountain in Kenya. 4. Alaska has a tiny population of one and a half million people. 5. Northern Province has small, scattered towns. 6. A trip to Northern Kenya will take you across vast wilderness. 7. American tourists are fond of wild animals. 8. There is a huge lake in the Rift Valley Province. 9. I sent a letter to my Australian pen pal. 10. I have a beautiful Egyptian robe. Demonstrative Adjectives A demonstrative adjective tells which one or which ones. They are used before nouns and other adjectives. There are 4 demonstrative adjectives in English: This, that, these and those. This and these are used to refer to nouns close to the speaker or writer. That and those refer to nouns farther away. This and that are used before singular nouns while these and those are used before plural nouns. Examples: This picture is very beautiful. Singular noun That one is not as beautiful. Singular noun These drawings are very old. Plural noun Those ones were painted in Uganda. Plural noun. Exercise 2 Choose the word in brackets that correctly completes each of the following sentences. 1. My bus left the station before that, those matatus. 2. Those, These chairs behind me were occupied. 3. My seat has a better view than this, that one over there. 4. Those, That man should fasten his seat belt. 5. This, That car is old, but that one is new. 6. These, Those clouds are far away. 7. This, That window next to me has a broken pane. 8. That, This chair near me is broken. 9.


Possessive Pronouns The words my, her, its, our and their are possessive pronouns, but they can also be used as adjectives. These modifiers tell which one, which ones or whose? Examples: My brother likes Sean Paul, but his sister does not. Of his songs, ever blazing is his favourite. Our school produces heroes, its fame is widespread. Exercise 5 Write the adjectives from the following sentences and the nouns they modify. 1. In her lifetime, Brenda Fasie composed many songs. 2. Her early songs entertained her fans all over the world. 3. Our first performance was successful. 4. Her coughing grew worse with time. 5. They agreed that it was their best goal in ten years. Position of adjectives in sentences 1. Most adjectives appear immediately before the nouns they are modifying e.g. Descriptive: The beautiful house belongs to my uncle. Demonstrative: That house belongs to my uncle. Numerals: Two houses were burned down. Articles: The house on fire belongs to her sister. Possessive pronouns: Their house was burned down. 2. Predicate Adjectives Some adjectives appear after the nouns that they are modifying. These adjectives are always used after linking verbs that separate them from the words they modify. An adjective that follows a linking verb and that modifies the subject is called a predicate adjective. Examples: Joyce seemed lonely. Her brother was upset. He became concerned. Exercise 6 Identify the predicate adjectives in the following sentences. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 60 1. Her early songs were often quiet and serious. 2. One of her songs, Vulindlela, is very popular. 3. The dark city below the sky seems calm and peaceful. 4. Her performance in K.C.S.E. was brilliant. 5. The West African singer Kofi Olominde is extraordinary. COMPARING WITH ADJECTIVES We have seen that adjectives describe nouns. One way in which they describe nouns is by comparing people, places or things. To compare two people, places or things, we use the comparative form of an adjective. To compare more than two, we use the superlative form of the adjective. Examples: ONE PERSON: Kimenju is tall. TWO PERSONS: Kimenju is taller than James. THREE OR MORE: Kimenju is the tallest of all.


Examples: ONE PERSON: Kimenju is tall. TWO PERSONS: Kimenju is taller than James. THREE OR MORE: Kimenju is the tallest of all. The comparative The comparative form of the adjective is used to compare one thing, person or place with another one. It is formed in two ways. 1. For short adjectives, add -er. Examples: great er greater sweet er sweeter big er bigger light er lighter. 2. For longer adjectives, the comparative is formed by using the word more before them. Examples: More handsome more remarkable More attractive more hardworking Most adjectives ending in -ful and -ous also form the comparative using more. Examples: More successful more curious more ferocious More beautiful more generous more prosperous The superlative The superlative form of the adjective is used to compare a person, a place or a thing with more than one other of its kind. Examples: Elephants are the largest animals in the jungle. However, they are the most emotional animals. The superlative form of an adjective is formed in two ways. 1. By adding -est to the short adjective Examples: great est greatest sweet est sweetest big est biggest light est light www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 61 2. For longer adjectives, use most before them. Examples: most mysterious most awkward most successful most attractive The ending -er in the comparative becomes -est in the superlative while more becomes most. Adjective comparative superlative strong stronger strongest quick quicker quickest adventurous more adventurous most adventurous co-operative more co-operative most co-operative Summary of rules comparing with adjectives: Rule Examples 1. For most short adjectives: Add -er or -est to the adjective bright dark smart bright darker smarter brightest darkest smartest 2. For adjectives ending with e: Drop the e and add -er or -est safe nice wide safer nicer wider safest nicest widest 3. For adjectives ending with a consonant and y: Change the y to i and add -er or -est busy crazy happy busier crazier happier busiest craziest happiest 4. For single-syllable adjectives ending with a single vowel and a consonant: Double the last consonant and add -er or -est flat slim fat flatter slimmer fatter flattest slimmest fattest 5.


For adjectives ending with e: Drop the e and add -er or -est safe nice wide safer nicer wider safest nicest widest 3. For adjectives ending with a consonant and y: Change the y to i and add -er or -est busy crazy happy busier crazier happier busiest craziest happiest 4. For single-syllable adjectives ending with a single vowel and a consonant: Double the last consonant and add -er or -est flat slim fat flatter slimmer fatter flattest slimmest fattest 5. For most adjectives with two or more syllables: Use more or most careful generous more careful more generous most careful most generous Points to note about Adjectives: 1. A comparative is used to compare two persons, or things or two groups of persons or things. Examples: A rat is smaller than a mouse. Buffaloes are larger than domestic cows 2. A superlative is used to compare a thing or a person to more than one other of its kind. Examples: Lions are the bravest of all animals. Elephants are the largest of all herbivores. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 62 3. You must use the word other when comparing something with everything else of its kind. Examples: Leopards are more ferocious than any other cat. 4. Do not use both -er and more or -est and most. Incorrect: Men die more earlier than women. Correct: Men die earlier than women. Incorrect: My father is the most oldest of the three brothers. Correct: My father is the oldest of the three brothers. Exercise 7 Write the adjectives in brackets in the following sentences correctly. 1. My next sculpture will be even beautiful . 2. That was the cartoon I have ever watched funny . 3. English is my subject of all enjoyable . 4. Job is the person in his family. Energetic 5. She is the of the three nurses. Helpful 6. That story sounds than fiction. Strange 7. He is than a cat. Curious 8. Her school grades are than mine. High 9. You are than Maria. Creative 10. My next test will be than this one.


Twenty 6. What 2. Few, our 7. Whose 3. All 8. Which 4. Much 9. What 5. Numerous, this 10. Which Exercise 4 www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 65 1. A 6. The 2. A 7. An 3. The 8. The 4. The 9. The 5. An 10. A Exercise 5 1. Many songs 2. Her, early songs, her fans 3. Our, first performance 4. Her coughing 5. Their, best goal, ten years Exercise 6 1. Quiet, serious 2. Popular 3. Calm, peaceful 4. Brilliant 5. Extraordinary Exercise 7 1. More beautiful 6. Stranger 2. Funniest 7. More curious 3. Most enjoyable 8. Higher 4. Most energetic 9. More creative 5. Most helpful 10. Simpler Exercise 8 1. Best 6. Farther 2. Bad 7. Less or lesser 3. Best 8. Good 4. Worse 9. Better 5. Least 10. Most Exercise 9 1. Those 6. These 2. These 7. Those 3. This 8. This 4. Those 9. That 5. Those 10. This www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 66 ADVERBS An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Adverb tell how, when, or where, or to what extent an action happens. Examples: HOW: The man walked quickly. WHEN: It will rain soon. WHERE: We shall meet here at 2 p.m. TO WHAT EXTENT: He is extremely rude. Other examples: HOW WHEN WHERE TO WHAT EXTENT happily sometimes underground fully secretly later here extremely together tomorrow there quite carefully now inside very sorrowfully finally far rarely painfully again upstairs fast often downstairs hard once somewhere slowly first forward www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 67 hurriedly next behind quietly then above Adverbs used to describe verbs Adverbs that describe verbs tell how, when, where and to what extent an action happened. Examples: HOW: John waited patiently for his turn.


TO WHAT EXTENT: He is extremely rude. Other examples: HOW WHEN WHERE TO WHAT EXTENT happily sometimes underground fully secretly later here extremely together tomorrow there quite carefully now inside very sorrowfully finally far rarely painfully again upstairs fast often downstairs hard once somewhere slowly first forward www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 67 hurriedly next behind quietly then above Adverbs used to describe verbs Adverbs that describe verbs tell how, when, where and to what extent an action happened. Examples: HOW: John waited patiently for his turn. WHEN: He is now walking into the office. WHERE: He will eat his lunch there. TO WHAT EXTENT: He is very pleased with himself. Adverbs make the meaning of the verb clearer. Example: He will eat his lunch. Without adverb He will eat his lunch there. The adverb makes it clear where the action of eating will take place. Exercise 1 Write the adverbs in the following sentences and then indicate whether the adverb tells how, when, where, or to what extent. 1. The tourist travelled far. 2. They cheerfully greeted their grandmother. 3. Tina hurried downstairs when she heard the knock. 4. He worked carefully and skilfully. 5. She was extremely agitated. 6. The scientist looked curiously at the creature. 7. Soon the bell was rung. 8. The hall was fully occupied. 9. They hugged their grandmother adorably. 10. He brought the cake down. Adverbs used to describe adjectives Adverbs that tell to what extent can be used to describe adjectives. Examples: The cave was very dark. Adv adj The tea was extremely hot. Adv adj Other adverbs used with adjectives just nearly somewhat most These adverbs make the adjectives they are describing more understandable and precise. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 68 Example: The tomb was dark. Without adverb The tomb was fully dark. The adverb fully describes the extent of the darkness . Exercise 2 Identify the adverb in each of the following sentences and then indicate the adjective it describes. 1. He is a highly successful businessman. 2. The extremely cold weather made me shiver. 3. They are quite difficult to deal with. 4. The house is barely visible from here. 5. He is a very old man by now. 6. She is mysteriously secretive about her activities. 7. Jackline is horribly mean with her money. 8.


Sometimes the verbs in the sentences above are used as action verbs. In this case, they are followed by adverbs, not adjectives. They modify the verbs and tell how, when, where, or to what extent. Examples: www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 71 The singer looked up. V adv We tasted the chocolate eagerly. V adv The principal appeared suddenly. V adv 5. Good and well Good and well have similar meanings, but differ in their use in a sentence. Example: Incorrect: He narrates the story good. Correct: He narrates the story well. Good is always an adjective and modifies nouns or pronouns. It is never used to modify a verb. Example: He is a good narrator. Adjective modifying the noun narrator Well can be used as either an adjective or an adverb. Examples: I feel well. As an adjective He drives well. As an adverb Exercise 4 Choose the correct form of the words in brackets in the following sentences. 1. Luos tell you quick, quickly that they are not Bantus. 2. Over the months, the snow gradual, gradually melted. 3. Rice tastes especially good, well with avocado. 4. The popularity of video games has grown. Rapid, rapidly 5. The name of the town may sound strange, strangely to some people. 6. These puppies look a little odd, oddly . 7. The idea of breaking the door does not sound reasonable, reasonably . 8. Visitors eat Nyama Choma very rapid, rapidly . 9. If Nyama Choma has been prepared good, well , it tastes even better than chicken. 10. Since fish is high in proten and low in fat, it is bound to keep you good, well . COMPARING WITH ADVERBS We have seen that we can use adjectives to compare people, things or places. Adverbs can also be used to compare actions. And like adjectives, we use the comparative form of an adverb to compare two actions and the superlative form of an adverb to compare more than two actions. Examples: ONE ACTION: Maree swims fast. TWO ACTIONS: Maree swims faster than Ciku. THREE OR MORE: Maree swims fastest of all. Just like adjectives, adverbs have special forms or spelling for making comparisons.


TWO ACTIONS: Maree swims faster than Ciku. THREE OR MORE: Maree swims fastest of all. Just like adjectives, adverbs have special forms or spelling for making comparisons. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 72 The comparative form The comparative form of the adverb is used to compare one action with another. It is formed in two ways: 1. For short adverbs, add -er. Examples: The bird flew higher than the helicopter. The president arrived sooner than we expected. 2. For most adverbs ending in -ly, use more to make the comparative. Examples: She visited him more frequently than Martin. The tractor towed the lorry more powerfully than the bull-cart. The superlative form The superlative form is used to compare one action with two or more others of the same kind. Examples: Of the three athletes, Kipruto runs the fastest. The lion roars the loudest of all the big cats. Adverbs that form the comparative with -er form their superlative with -est. Those that use more to form comparative use most to form superlative. Examples: Adverbs Comparative Superlative long longer longest fast faster fastest softly more softly most softly politely more politely most polite Points to Remember 1. Use the comparative to compare two actions and the superlative to compare more than two. Examples: Comparative: He sat nearer to the window than him Superlatives: He sat nearest to the window than all the others. 2. Do not leave out the word other when comparing one action with every other action of the same kind. Examples: Incorrect: The lion roared louder than any lion. Correct: The lion roared louder than any other lion. 3. Do not use both -er and more or -est and most. Incorrect: The dancer moved more faster than before. Correct: The dancer moved faster than before. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 73 Summary of rules for comparing with Adverbs 1.For most adverbs Add -er or -est to the adverb hard late deep harder later deeper hardest latest deepest 2.For most adverbs comprising of two or more syllables: Use more or most with the adverb skilfully firmly rudely more skilfully more firmly most rudely most skilfully most firmly most rudely Exercise 5 Write each of the following sentences using the correct form of the adverb. 1.


Odd 2. Gradually 7. Reasonable 3. Good 8. Rapidly 4. Rapidly 9. Well 5. Strange 10. Well www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 75 Exercise 5 1. More often 6. More swiftly 2. More slowly 7. Most accurately 3. Quickly 8. The longest 4. More skilfully 9. Gracefully 5. The fastest 10. The most sweetly www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 76 PREPOSITIONS A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between other words in a sentence. Examples: The cat lay under the table. The preposition under connects the verb lay with table. Under points out the relationship between lay and table. Hence a preposition is a word that links another word or word group to the rest of the sentence. The noun or pronoun after the preposition is called the object of the preposition. The table is the object of the preposition under in the above sentence. The preposition under relates the verb lay to the noun table. More examples: She gave it to me. The preposition to relates the pronoun me with the action gave . I liked the bike with the metal handles. The preposition with relates the noun handles with the noun bike. Common prepositions about before except on toward above behind for onto under aboard below from out underneath across beneath in outside until after beside inside over up against between into past upon along beyond like since with among by near through within around down of throughout without at during off to From the above list of prepositions, you will note that some of them tell where, others indicate time, others show special relationships like reference or separation. Changing one preposition with another in a sentence changes the meaning of the sentence. Example: The cat lay under the table. The cat lay on the table. Lying under the table means below the surface of the table but on means above the surface. Exercise 1 www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 77 Write the preposition in each of the following sentences and say what relationship it indicates. 1. Sometimes they lie on the ground. 2. They have grown maize for food. 3. The children played with the dolls. 4. A man found some treasure in the cave. 5. They make clothes from cotton. Exercise 2 Use the most appropriate preposition to complete the sentences below.


5. They make clothes from cotton. Exercise 2 Use the most appropriate preposition to complete the sentences below. 1. Driving had been my dream years. 2. 1990, I bought a second-hand car. 3. That year, I learned how to drive. 4. I rolled the car the road more than two kilometres. 5. I was really thrilled the experience. Preposition Phrases A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition, its object and any words that modify the object. Examples: The school children waited for the green light. In this sentence, the preposition is for, its object is light, and the modifier, or adjective, is green. The entire preposition phrase modifies the verb waited. Sometimes two or more nouns or pronouns are used as objects in a prepositional phrase. Example: He needs a worker with diligence and a good character. The preposition with has two objects: diligence and character. Exercise 3 Identify the prepositional phrase in each of the following sentences. Underline the preposition once and its objects twice. 1. Donkeys help people in many ways. 2. They bring happiness to the people around them. 3. In large cities, they help to carry water. 4. On farms, they carry heavy loads. 5. How could you travel across a river? 6. You might swim to the other side. 7. You might cross at a shallow place. 8. You can cross by boat. 9. Bridges are a better solution to the problem. 10. Most bridges are built over water. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 78 Types of prepositional phrases Prepositional phrases can either be: i Adjective prepositional phrases - these prepositional phrases, just like adjectives, modify nouns and pronouns. Example: A scout leader wears a uniform with many badges. In this sentence, with many badges is an adjective prepositional phrase modifying the noun uniform. Ii Adverb prepositional phrases these ones, just like adverbs, modify verbs, adjectives or other adverbs. Examples: Scouts rain for many hours. The adverb prepositional phrase for many hours modifies the verb train. They are active in all public functions. The adverb prepositional phrase in all public functions modifies the adjective active. The scout leader commands forcefully with a loud voice.


They are active in all public functions. The adverb prepositional phrase in all public functions modifies the adjective active. The scout leader commands forcefully with a loud voice. The adverb prepositional phrase with a loud voice modifies the adverb forcefully. We have seen that the object of a preposition is the noun or pronoun that follows the preposition. When the object of the preposition is a pronoun, we use an object pronoun like me, you, him, her, it, us, and them. And not a subject pronoun like I, he, she, we, and they . Examples: Correct: I gave a present to her. Incorrect: I gave a present to she. Correct: I gave a present to Jane and her. Incorrect: I gave a present to Jane and she. Exercise 4 Choose the pronoun in brackets that correctly completes each of the following sentences. 1. The dog chased after Travis and her, she . 2. Cleaning the house was a tasking job for Evans and I, me . 3. We planned a family picture of our parents and us, we . 4. The victory belonged to he, him . 5. Michael and Bernard stood behind Mom and she, her . 6. The crowd around we, us started cheering. 7. My little sister ran behind Sammy and I, me . 8. The toys belong to Karen and him, he . 9. Johnny sat between James and me, I . 10. I went to the cat race with Jim and she, her . Sometimes one prepositional phrase immediately follows another. Examples: The thief entered the house through the door on the right. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 79 through the door modifies the verb entered and tells where. On the left modifies the noun door and tells which one. A prepositional phrase can be at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a sentence. Examples: BEGINNING: At dusk we closed the shop. MIDDLE: The chief of the area was helpful. END: The path went through the village. Preposition or Adverb? Sometimes the same word can be used as either a preposition or an adverb. How can you tell the difference between the two? Examples: PREPOSITION: He has a box inside the house. ADVERB: They ran inside.


Her 9. Me 5. Us 10. Her Exercise 5 1. Outside preposition 6. Up adverb 2. Inside adverb 7. Down adverb 3. In preposition 8. Outside adverb 4. Over preposition 9. By adverb 5. Above preposition 10. Out adverb www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 83 Exercise 6 1. Have 4. Anybody 7. Anybody 10. Ever 2. Anyone 5. Anywhere 8. Anyone 3. Ever 6. Had 9. Has www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 84 CONJUNCTIONS A conjunction is a word that connects words or groups of words. Like prepositions, conjunctions show a relationship between the words they connect. But, unlike prepositions, conjunctions do not have objects. There are 3 main categories of conjunctions; 1 Coordinating conjunctions 2 Subordinating conjunctions 3 Correlative conjunctions Coordinating Conjunctions Coordinating conjunctions connect related words, groups of words, or sentences. There are three coordinating conjunctions: and, but and or. And is used to join words, groups of words, or sentences together. But shows contrast while or shows choice. Examples: The bull and the cart are inseparable. Connects two subjects . The cart carries the farmer and his tools. Connects two direct objects . The food was hard and tasteless. Connects two predicate adjectives . Each night, the dancers danced in a circle or in several other patterns. Connects two prepositional phrases . Some people died in the fracas, but most managed to escape, alive. Connects two sentences . Exercise 1 Complete each of the following sentences using the most appropriate coordinating conjunction 1. Bats and insects fly, only birds have feathers. 2. Eagles build nests on cliffs in tall trees. 3. Parrots live in wild places in zoos. 4. Swallows sparrows often build nests in buildings. 5. Hummingbirds are tiny very brave. 6. Many birds fly south in winter, others do not. 7. Their feathers keep them warm dry. 8.


7. Their feathers keep them warm dry. 8. A bird can fly forward backward. 9. Many birds shed old feathers grow new ones. 10. Their legs are weak their wings are strong. Subordinating conjunctions Subordinating conjunctions connect two or more clauses to form complex sentences. Refer to Part Two of this handbook . Subordinating conjunctions introduce subordinate clauses. They include because, since, if, as, whether, and for. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 85 Examples: If I go home, my dog will follow me. The subordinating conjunction if connects the subordinate clause I go home with the main clause my dog will follow me. The stayed inside the church because it was raining. He was always rude since he was a child. The rain fell as they entered the building. The pastor asked the congregation whether they were happy. The man rejoiced for he had won a prize. Exercise 2 Join the following pairs of sentences using the most appropriate subordinating conjunctions. 1. They arrived late. It was raining heavily. 2. John worked hard. He wanted to buy a house. 3. I won t carry the umbrella. You need it. 4. I drove the car madly. I was later for the meeting. 5. He will come. The meeting ends. Correlative conjunctions Correlative conjunctions are conjunctions that are used in pairs to connect sentence parts. These include either .. or, neither .. nor, not only . But also, whether . Or and both and. Examples: Both boys and girls attended the conference. People brought not only food but also clothes for the victims of the floods. The students ride either on bicycles or motorbikes. The sailor had to decide whether to sail on or head back when the weather changed. Neither John nor James was moved by the shocking news. Exercise 3 Join the following pairs of sentences using the correlative conjunctions in brackets. 1. The vehicles stopped for repairs. The vehicles stopped for fuel. Either ..or 2. The drivers knew they had to travel more than fifty kilometres. If they did not travel more than fifty kilometres, they would have to endure harsh storms. Either .or . 3. Many people build their own homes. Many people grow their own food. Not only but also 4. Men wanted to buy the pictures.


Many people grow their own food. Not only but also 4. Men wanted to buy the pictures. Women also wanted to buy the pictures. Both . And 5. Maize is an important part of a Kenyan s diet. Meat is important too. Both and ANSWERS ON CONJUNCTIONS Exercise 1 www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 86 1. But 6. But 2. Or 7. And 3. Or 8. Or 4. And 9. And 5. But 10. But Exercise 2 1. They arrived late because it was raining heavily. 2. John worked hard as he wanted to buy a house. 3. I won t carry the umbrella for you need it. 4. I drove the car madly since I was late for the meeting. 5. He will come before the meeting ends. Exercise 3 1. The vehicles either stopped for repairs or for fuel. 2. The drivers knew they had either to travel more than fifty kilometres or endure harsh storms. 3. Many people not only build their own homes but also grow their own food. 4. Both men and women wanted to buy the pictures. 5. Both maize and meat are important parts of a Kenyan s diet. INTERJECTIONS www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 87 An interjection is either a single word or short groups of words that is used to express a feeling or emotion. Interjections can express such feelings as urgency, surprise, relief, joy, or pain. An interjection that expresses strong emotion is often followed by an exclamation mark. An interjection that expresses mild emotion is usually followed by a comma. Examples: Let s go! We can t sleep before we find the missing boy urgency . Phew! I was afraid we would never find him. Relief Oh, you have grown so big. Surprise Well, I have never been so happy. Joy Exercise 1 Identify the interjection in the following sentences and indicate what feeling or emotion it expresses. 1. Say, have you heard about Nameless and Jua Kali, the famous Kenyan musicians. 2. Wow! Seeing the calf being born was exciting. 3. All right! I yelled to him. This is not right thing to do. 4. Boy! Some people felt wonderful being in the air balloon, but I felt nervous. 5.


John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, who liked eating meat between slices of bread. Maverick A person who breaks from conventional actions Samuel Maverick, a Texas cattle owner who refused to brand the calves of one of his herds as per the requirements. Saxophone A musical wind instrument Adolphe Sax, the Belgian inventor of the musical instrument. Madras A cotton cloth with a design Madras, a city in India, where it was www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 89 or pattern on plain background invented. Rugby A game Rugby school. England, where rugby was invented. Tarantula A large, hairy spider Taranto, a town in Italy where Tarantulas are found. Shylock A greedy money-lender The relentless and vengeful money- lender in Shakespeare s play, The Merchant of Venice. Sousaphone A musical instrument John Phillip Sousa, an American composer who invented the Sousaphone. There are many more words in the English language which originated from names of people or places. Exercise 2 Find out from your dictionary the origins and meanings of the following English words. 1. Lima bean 6. Guppy 11. Guillotine 2. Cardigan 7. Cheddar 12. Macadam 3. Bloomer 8. Quisling 13. Pasteurisation 4. Canary birds 9. Silhouette 14. Watt 5. Ferris wheel 10. Marxism 15. Ohm iii Words formed from blending two or more words portmanteau words Some words in the English language are a blend of two or more words or morphemes. Examples: Word Combination of Meaning Smog Smoke fog A combination of smoke and fog in the air. Fantabulous Fantastic fabulous Incredible, astonishing, unbelievable, wonderful Brunch Breakfast lunch A late breakfast taken some hours before lunch Wikipedia Wiki encyclopaedia A website Comcast Communication broadcast Verizori Veritas horizon Accenture Accent future Spork Spoon fork An eating utensil that is a combination of a spoon and a fork. Skort Skirt shorts An item of clothing that is part skirt and short.


Examples: Word Combination of Meaning Smog Smoke fog A combination of smoke and fog in the air. Fantabulous Fantastic fabulous Incredible, astonishing, unbelievable, wonderful Brunch Breakfast lunch A late breakfast taken some hours before lunch Wikipedia Wiki encyclopaedia A website Comcast Communication broadcast Verizori Veritas horizon Accenture Accent future Spork Spoon fork An eating utensil that is a combination of a spoon and a fork. Skort Skirt shorts An item of clothing that is part skirt and short. Simulcast Simultaneous broadcast To broadcast a programme on television and radio at the same time Cyborg Cybernetic organism Motel Motor hotel A roadside hotel www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 90 Exercise 3 Identify the words that are blended to form the following words. Find out their meanings from your dictionary. 1. Slithy 6. Breathalyser 2. Chortle 7. Cable gram 3. Galumph 8. Camcorder 4. Bash 9. Edutainment 5. Blog 10. Email iv Words formed by use of prefixes and suffixes Some words are formed addition of prefixes and suffixes to other words. Prefixes A prefix is a word part that is added to the beginning of a word to form another word or to change its meaning. The word to which the prefix is added is called the base word. Examples: Prefix Base word New word un friendly unfriendly pre pay prepay A prefix changes the meaning of the base word. For example, the prefix un-above means not . Hence, unfriendly means not friendly . Each prefix has its own meaning.


For example, the prefix un-above means not . Hence, unfriendly means not friendly . Each prefix has its own meaning. More examples of common English prefixes Prefix Meaning Examples misre- pre- ante- anti- contra- counter- en- extra- inter- intra- non- over- post- pre- pro- re- semi- trans- un- under- wrong, incorrectly again before, in advance before, preceding opposing, against, the opposite against opposition, opposite direction put into or on outside, beyond between, among inside, within absence, negation excessively, completely after in time, or order before in time, place order or importance favouring, in support of again half, partly across, beyond not beneath, below misspell to spell incorrectlyrevisit visit again preschool before school antecedent, ante-room anti-aircraft, antibiotic, anticlimax contraceptive, contraband counter-attack, counteract engulf, enmesh extraordinary, extracurricular interact, interchange intramural, intravenous non-smoker, non-alcoholic overconfident, overjoyed postpone, post-mortem precondition, preadolescent Pro-African repaint, reawaken semicircle, semi-conscious transnational, transatlantic unacceptable, unreal, unhappy, unmarried underarm, undercarriage Exercise 4 www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 91 Give the meaning of the following prefixes and write two examples each of words in which they are used. Use your dictionary. 1. Ultra- 6. Infra- 2. Hypo- 7. Hypo- 3. Hemi- 8. Hemi 4. Ex- 9. Ex- 5. Dia 10. Dia- Suffixes A suffix is a word part that is added to the end of a base word to form a new word or to change its meaning. Example: Enjoy able enjoyable Each suffix has its own meaning. The suffix able means capable of . Hence enjoyable means capable of being enjoyed .


He stood outside in the rain completely bare. Base bass N the bottom support of something N the lowest pitches in music We need a new base for that lamp. I sang bass in the church choir. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 94 More examples of homophones lead, ledleast, leased loan, lone male, mail meet, meat mind, mined morning, mourning naval, navel new, knew no, know one, won pear, pair pie, pi piece, peace pier, peer poor, pour rain, reign raw, roar read, reed road, rode sale, sail saw, sore see, sea sun, son tail, tale tea, tee their, they re they re, there tide, tied too, to two, too wail, whale warn, worn weal, wheel wear, whereweather, whether week, weak weight, wait while, wile wood, would write, right yew, you your, you re acetic, ascetic axle, axial formerly, formally ion, iron loch, lock holy, wholly heal, heel ad, add ail, ale all, awl alms, arms altar, alter arc, ark aren t, aunt anger, augur aural, oral away, aweigh awe, oar, or, ore bale, bail band, banned bean, been blew, blue brake, break cell, sell cent, scent, sent cereal, serialcheck, cheque chord, cord cite, site, sight coo, coup cue, queue dam, damn dew, due die, dye doh, doe, dough earn, urn ewe, yew, you faint, feint fair, fare feat, feet few, phew find, fined fir, fur flaw, floor flea, flee flew, flue flour, flower for, fore, four foreword, forward fort, fought gait, gate genes, jeans gnaw, nor, gorilla, guerrilla grate, great groan, grown guessed, guest hale, hail hair, hare Exercise 7 Give the homophones and the meanings of the following words. 1. In 6. Knight 2. Heard 7. Knows 3. Horse 8. Tick 4. Hey 9. Rung 5. Need 10.


Daniel felt happy Daniel felt light-hearted. She was happy with her grade She was pleased with her grade. They sang a happy song They sang a cheerful song. Examples of common synonyms in English about, approximatelyaccomplish, achieve administer, manage admit, confess almost, nearly annoy, irritate answer, reply arise, occur arrive, reach begin, start belly, stomach bizarre, weird brave, courageous chop, cut clerk, receptionist close, shut contrary, opposite correct, right daybreak, dawn demonstrate, protest denims, jeans desert, abandon devil, Satan disappear, vanish eager, keen emphasize, stress enormous, huge, immense enquire, investigate evaluate, assess fanatic, enthusiast fool, idiot sincere, honest skull, cranium soiled, dirty formerly, previouslyfragrance, perfume function, operate garbage, rubbish gay, homosexual grab, seize gut, intestine hard, tough hashish, cannabis hawk, peddle hint, trace, tip homicide, murder hunger, starvation hurry, rush idler, loafer if, whether illustrate, demonstrate imitate, mimic immediate, instant immobile, motionless impartial, neutral impasse, deadlock impolite, rude inconsiderate, thoughtless infamous, notorious informal, casual inheritor, heir instructions, directions jealous, envious joy, delight lacking, missing lethal, deadly ultimate, final uncommon, unusual lousy, awfulmadness, insanity magnify, exaggerate manmade, artificial material, fabric merciless, cruel midway, halfway mind, intellect mirror, reflect mistrust, distrust modern, contemporary movie, film murderer, assassin naked, bare nameless, anonymous nightfall, dusk noon, midday numerous, many object, thing outside, external overlook, miss peaceable, peaceful poisonous, toxic post-mortem, autopsy praise, compliment reasonable, fair refrain, chorus religious, devout respond, reply scarcity, shortage signal, sign silly, foolish vain, useless vary, differ www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 96 suggest, proposesunrise, dawn temper, mood trustworthy, reliable uncooked, rawunforeseen, unexpected unfortunate, unlucky unmarried, single untimely, premature vast, hugewinery, vineyard withstand, resist zenith, peak Exercise 8 Give the synonyms of the following words: 1. Start 6. Collect 2. Come 7. Assist 3. Lengthy 8. Build 4. Shattered 9. Reply 5. Fix 10.


Precious 5. Dangerous 10. Naked v Idioms and Sayings An idiom is a phrase that has a special meaning as a whole. The meaning of an idiom is different from the meanings of its separate words. Examples: It was raining cats and dogs. The idiom raining cats and dogs does not mean that cats and dogs were falling out of the sky! It means raining heavily . I put my foot in my mouth today. The idiom put my foot in my mouth means to say the wrong thing . Sometimes the context in which an idiom is used can give a hint of its meaning. Example: Jeff is talking through his hat when he says that he can spell every word in the English language. This idiom clearly means that Jeff cannot possibly spell every word in the English language. Hence, the idiom talking through his hat means talking nonsense More examples of idioms in the English language Idiom Meaning 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. It was a blessing in disguise. He is a doubling Thomas. That scandal was a drop in the bucket. The exam was a piece of cake. The punishment was a slap in the wrist. The thief received a taste of his own medicine. Something good that is not recognised at first. A sceptic who needs physical or personal evidence in order to believe something. A very small part of something big or whole. A task that can be accomplished very easily. A very mild punishment. He was mistreated the same way he mistreats others. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 98 6. 7. 8. 9. 10 11 12 13 Don t add fuel to the fire! The principal is just all bark but no bite. The theory is all Greek to me. We are all in the same boat. The house cost him an arm and a leg. The teacher has an axe to grind with the bursar. Joyce is the apple of my eye. When something is done to make a bad situation even worse than it is. When someone is threatening and or aggressive but not willing to engage in a fight. Meaningless and incomprehensible. When everyone is facing the same challenges. Very expensive. A large amount of money. To have a dispute with someone. Someone who is cherished above all others.


A large amount of money. To have a dispute with someone. Someone who is cherished above all others. 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 IdiomThe boy did the work at the drop of a hat. The politician is a back seat driver. They were back to square one in their search for the treasure. The government has to go back to the drawing board on the issue of the New Constitution. The investigator realised he was barking the wrong tree. You are beating a dead horse. Stop beating around the bush. I will bend over backwards to see you through school. She was caught between a rock and a hard place. You are biting off more than you can chew. John decided to bite his tongue. MeaningWilling to do something immediately. People who criticize from the sidelines. Having to start all over again. When an attempt fails and its time to start all over again. A mistake made in something you are trying to achieve. To force an issue that has already ended. Avoiding the main topic, not speaking directly about an issue. Do whatever it takes to help. Willing to do anything. Stuck between two very bad options. To take on a task that is way too big. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 99 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 Tom has a cast iron stomach. That is a cock and bull story. I will have to win, come hell or high water. Don t cry over spilt milk. He likes crying wolf. Tim is a dark horse. Kinyua is a devil s advocate. My father drinks like a fish. This problem is driving me up the wall. The students had a field day with the visiting guests. The food was finger licking good. He changed from rags to riches. I need to get over it. She got up on the wrong side of the bed. You must go the extra mile to achieve your goal. To avoid talking. Someone who has no problems, complications, or ill effects with eating or drinking anything. An unbelievable tale. Any difficult situation or obstacle. When you complain about a loss from the past. Intentionally raise a false alarm. One who was previously unknown and now is prominent. Someone who takes a position for the sake of argument without believing in that particular side of the argument. To drink very heavily.


Overwhelmed by what is happening at the moment. Carefully watch somebody. To remain joyful in a tough situation. Die To politely ask for someone s full attention. To share a secret that wasn t supposed to be shared. A fair competition where no side has an advantage. To act in a frenzied manner. Someone who is unpredictable and can cause damage if not kept in check. Nonsense or meaningless speech. Someone new to the group or area. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 101 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 I said that off the record! I was on pins and needles. The prefects sit on the fence when there is a strike. The dog appeared out of the blue. You will get the job over my dead body. Mark is fond of passing the buck to his brother. Dennis is a peeping Tom. Pipe down! We have heard you! You are pulling my leg. Rise and shine! It s time to go to school. The businessman has run out of steam nowadays. The convict was saved by a bell. He was a scapegoat for amorous politician. The naughty boy got away scot-free. She was sick as a dog. He has a sixth sense. The judge smelt a rat when the witness started trembling. The prosecutor smelt something fishy when the accused winked at the witness. We have to start from scratch. The ball is in your court. They tied the knot in December. Getting a bad start on a relationship or task. No longer have to deal with a tough situation. Something said in confidence that the speaker doesn t want attributed to him or her. Anxious or nervous especially in anticipation of something. Undecided. Something that suddenly and unexpectedly occurs or appears. When you absolutely will not allow something to happen. Avoid responsibility by giving it to someone else. Someone who observes people in the nude or sexually active people, mainly for his own gratification. To shut up or be quiet. Tricking someone as a joke. Time to get out of bed and get ready for work or school. To be completely out of energy. Saved at the last possible moment. Someone else who takes the blame. To escape and not have to pay. To be very sick with flu or a cold A paranormal sense that allows you to communicate with the dead.


Someone else who takes the blame. To escape and not have to pay. To be very sick with flu or a cold A paranormal sense that allows you to communicate with the dead. To be suspicious or detect someone in the group is betraying the others. Detecting that something isn t right and there might be a reason for it. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 102 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 I will wait till the cows come home. To make a long story short, you are not coming with us. The government turned a blind eye to the plight of IDPs. I am under the weather today. Forget the water under the bridge. He will pay you the money when pigs fly. She wines and dines with stars. It is without a doubt the best programme. Your guess is as good as mine. To do it all over again from the beginning. It is your decision this time. To get married. A long time. Said by someone during a long boring story. Refuse to acknowledge something you know is real or legitimate. Feeling ill or sick. Anything from the past that isn t significant or important any more. Something that will never ever happen. When someone is treated to an expensive meal. For certain. I have no idea. Common idiomatic expressions and sayings 1. A bird in the hand is worth to in the bush. Having something that is certain is much better than taking a risk for more, because chances are you might lose everything. 2. A fool and his money are easily parted. It s easy for a foolish person to lose his her money. 3. A house divided against itself cannot stand. Everyone involved must unify and function together or it will not work out. 4. A leopard can t change his spots. You cannot change who you are. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 103 5. A penny save is a penny earned. By not spending money you are saving money little by little . 6. A picture paints a thousand words. A visual presentation is far more descriptive than words. 7. Actions speak louder than words. It s better to actually do something than just talk about it. 8. Curiosity killed the cat. Being inquisitive can lead you into a dangerous situation. 9. Don t count your chickens before they hatch.


Being inquisitive can lead you into a dangerous situation. 9. Don t count your chickens before they hatch. Don t rely on it until you are sure of it. 10. Don t look a gift horse in the mouth. When someone gives you a gift, don t be ungrateful. 11. Don t put all your eggs in one basket. Do not put all your resources in one possibility. 12. Drastic times call for drastic measures. When you are extremely desperate you need to take extremely desperate actions. 13. Elvis has left the building. The show has come to an end. It s all over. 14. Every cloud has a silver lining. Be optimistic, even difficult times will lead to better days. 15. Great minds think alike. Intelligent people think like each other. 16. Haste makes waste. Doing things quickly may result in a poor ending. 17. Idle hands are the devils tools. You are more likely to get it trouble if you have nothing to do. 18. If it s not one thing, it s another. When one thing goes wrong, then another, and another . 19. It takes two to tango. A conflict involves two people and both must cooperate to have it resolved. 20. It s a small world. You cannot hide from your evil deeds in this world. 21. Let bygones be bygones. To forget about a disagreement or argument. 22. Let sleeping dogs lie. To avoid restarting a conflict. 23. Never bite the hand that feeds you. Don t hurt anyone that helps you. 24. Practice makes perfect. By constantly practising, you will become better. 25. Rome was not built in one day. -. If you want something to be completed properly, then it s going to take time. 26. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. The bigger and stronger opponent may be more difficult to beat, but when he does, he suffers a much bigger loss. 27. Variety is the spice of life. The more experiences you try the more exciting life can be. 28. When it rains, it pours. Since it rarely rains, when it does it will be a huge, storm. 29. You are what you eat. In order to stay healthy, you must eat healthy foods. 30. You can t judge a book by its cover.


In order to stay healthy, you must eat healthy foods. 30. You can t judge a book by its cover. Decisions shouldn t be made primarily on appearance. Exercise 10 Give the meaning of the italicized idioms in the following sentences. 1. I was completely at sea when the Prime Minister visited my house. 2. Jane has her hands full. She can t take on more work. 3. Do you have a bone to pick with me? 4. I can t make heads or tails of this story. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 104 5. The test was as easy as pie. 6. I am sick and tired of doing nothing at work. 7. I am broke! I have to borrow some money. 8. She dropped me a line yesterday. 9. He filled in for her when she fell sick. 10. My business is in the red. ANSWERS FROM CHAPTER TWO Exercise 1 www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 105 1. Crack 6. Quack 2. Roar 7. Pop 3. Tick 8. Lap 4. Growl 9. Boom 5. Chime 10. Hiss Exercise 2 1. Lima bean a broad, flat, pale-green or white bean used as a vegetable named after Lima, the capital of Peru where it was grown first. 2. Cardigan a kind of a pullover or sweater that buttons down the front named after J.T. Brudwell, the 7th Earl of Cardigan. 3. Bloomer a woman s baggy and long garment for the lower body named after Amelia Bloomer, an American women rights and temperance advocate. 4. Canary birds yellow songbirds named after Canary Islands, Spain, where they are found in large numbers. 5. Ferris wheel a special wheel for an amusement park named after the inventor G.W. Ferris. 6. Guppy the most popular freshwater tropical fish named after R.J.L. Guppy, the man who introduced it in England. 7. Cheddar A firm Cheese named after the English village of Cheddar, where it was first made. 8. Quisling a person who treacherously helps to prepare for enemy occupation of his own county, a traitor named after Vidkum Quisling, a Norwegian politician.


Cheddar A firm Cheese named after the English village of Cheddar, where it was first made. 8. Quisling a person who treacherously helps to prepare for enemy occupation of his own county, a traitor named after Vidkum Quisling, a Norwegian politician. 9. Silhouette an outline portrait or profile named after a French minister of finance, Etienne de Silhouette. 10. Marxism the political and economic theories of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels named after Karl Marx. 11. Guillotine a device used for carrying out executions named after Dr. Joseph Guillotine, the designer. 12. Macadam small, broken stones that are used for making roads named after John L. McAdam, a Scottish engineer who invented this kind of a road. 13. Pasteurisation the process of heating milk, wine, beer, or other liquids hot enough to kill harmful bacteria and to prevent or stop fermentation named after Louis Pasteur, a French chemist, who invented the process. 14. Watt Unit of measuring electric power named after James Watt, a Scottish engineer, who pioneered in the development of the steam engine. 15. Ohm a measure of electrical resistance named after George S. Ohm, a German physicist. Exercise 3 1. Slithy lithe slimy 6. Breathalyser breath analyser 2. Chortle chuckle short 7. Cablegram cable telegram 3. Galumph gallop triumph 8. Camcorder camera recorder 4. Bash bang smash 9. Edutainment education entertainment 5. Blog web log 10. Email electronic mail www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 106 Exercise 4 1. Utra beyond ultraviolet, ultrasonic 2. Syn in union synchronize, symmetry 3. Sub at a lower position submarine, subsoil 4. Peri round, about perimeter 5. Out surpassing, exceeding outperform 6. Infra below infrared, infrastructure 7. Hypo under hypodermic, hypothermia 8. Hemi half hemisphere 9. Ex previous ex-wife, ex-policeman 10.


Hypo under hypodermic, hypothermia 8. Hemi half hemisphere 9. Ex previous ex-wife, ex-policeman 10. Dia across, through diagonal Exercise 5 1. Hopeful full of hope 6. Greenish having green colour 2. Reader a person who reads 7. Weary tired 3. Childish having manners of a child 8. Fearless lacking fear 4. Greyish having grey colour 9. Kindness the quality of being kind 5. Playful fond of playing 10. Washable can be washed Exercise 6 1. Pen a device for writing an enclosure for sheep 2. Tire to make weary the rubber material on the wheel of an automobile or bicycle. 3. Dove past tense of dive a bird 4. Wound past tense of wind an injury. 5. Mean stingy average 6. Act a dramatic performance doing something 7. Arms upper limbs weapons 8. Block a building obstruct 9. Box a carton fight with gloves 10. Bank edge of a river a money depository Exercise 7 1. In inn 6. Knight night 2. Heard herd 7. Knows nose 3. Horse hoarse 8. Tick tic www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 107 4. Key quay 9. Rung wrung 5. Need knead 10. Sees seize Exercise 8 1. Start begin 6. Collect gather 2. Come arrive 7. Assist help 3. Lengthy long 8. Build construct 4. Shattered broken 9. Reply answer 5. Fix repair 10. Purchase buy Exercise 9 1. Easy hard 6. Sweet sour 2. Whisper yell 7. Stationary mobile 3. Triumph fail 8. Strength weaken 4. Dull interesting 9. Precious worthless 5. Dangerous safe 10. Naked clothed Exercise 10 1. At sea confused 2.


Dangerous safe 10. Naked clothed Exercise 10 1. At sea confused 2. Has his hands full is busy 3. Have a bone to pick with me have a quarrel 4. Make heads or tails make sense 5. As easy as pie very easy 6. Sick and tired can t stand, hate 7. Broke to have no money 8. Dropped me a line yesterday sent me a letter or email 9. Filled in for her did her work while she was away 10. In the red losing money, not profitable CHAPTER THREE PHRASES AND SENTENCES PHRASES www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 108 A phrase is a group of words without a subject or a predicate or both and does not express a complete thought. Therefore, a phrase can never stand on its own as a complete sentence. Using different kinds of phrases enables a writer or a speaker to create informative and descriptive sentences that vary in structure. Phrases combine words into a larger unit that can function as a sentence element. The most common kinds of phrases in English are: Noun phrases, verb phrases, prepositional phrases, gerund phrases and participial phrases. I Noun Phrases A noun phrase consists of a noun and all its modifiers. It can function as a subject, object, or complement in the sentence. The modifiers may include articles, prepositions and adjectives. Examples: a Noun phrases as subjects The lazy old man sleeps all day long. Some school boards reward teachers who produce good results. B Noun phrases as objects Teachers rejected the proposed performance contracts. Critics opposed the controversial marriage bill. C Noun phrases as complements Teaching is a valuable profession. Sheila is a hardworking no-nonsense lady. Exercise 1 Identify the noun phrases in each of the following sentences and indicate whether it functions as a subject, object or complement. 1. I saw a TV show yesterday. 2. Playful animals really fascinate me. 3. Yesterday, I had a thrilling adventure. 4. Swimming is an exciting activity. 5. Twenty university students were expelled last month. 6. She is a certified public health officer. 7. Many of the soldiers were killed in the battle. 8. The old woman carried a heavy load of firewood on her back. 9. Peter seems a very complicated man to understand 10.


The old woman carried a heavy load of firewood on her back. 9. Peter seems a very complicated man to understand 10. A devastating earthquake hit China yesterday. Ii Verb phrases A verb phrase consists of a main verb and its helping verbs. It can function as the predicate of a sentence. The predicate tells what the subject does or is. It tells something about the subject . Examples: John was born in Malindi. Www.arena.co.ke 0713779527 109 This problem may have contributed to the collapse of the economy. Without highly trained workers, many Kenyan companies would be forced to close down. Sometimes the parts of a verb phrase are separated from each other by words that are not verbs. Examples: He is finally buying a new house. Salesmen must occasionally travel long distances. Some words are joined with other words to make contractions. Examples: He hasn t turned up for the meeting has not We couldn t tell what had killed the cow. Could not I ve ordered them to leave the house. I have . NB: The word not and the contraction n t are adverbs. They are never part of a verb or verb phrase. Exercise 2 Write the verb phrase in each of the following sentences. 1. We should have taken pictures of the wild animals. 2. You must have seen the posters of the event. 3. They should have been told to come with flowers to plant in the school compound. 4. Mr. Muchira would have told some interesting stories. 5. Scientists must ve visited the Menengai Crater. 6. He must have seen some wonderful places. 7. Many advocates do fear the new Chief Justice. 8. The scouts have often made camp here. 9. The bull fighters would sometimes stampede noisily. 10. I could have read the book if he had allowed me. Iii Prepositional phrases A prepositional phrase is made up of a preposition, the object of the preposition, and all the words between them. It often functions as an adjective or adverb, but it can function as a noun as well. Examples: We carried the fruits in our school bags. Adverb telling where The plane flew through the cloud. Adverb telling where Almost half of Africa s population suffers from water related diseases. Adverb modifying suffers . The water supply in the United States is expected to decline dramatically. Adjective modifying water supply .