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How to Place Clauses and Phrases Properly

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Sometimes, we do not place clauses and phrases properly. So, in this post, I will explain you all about How-to Place Clauses and Phrases correctly. We can place Phrases and clauses in such a way that they relate to the words they modify.
I will give you some a task. Please move a phrase or clause in each of these sentences so that they will make sense.
1. They saw many kinds of birds flying in the blue sky.
2. They gave all the left-over food to a cat that was ready to throw away.
3. Diana took the meatball back to the seller that was too small to cook.
4. I bought a watch from a dealer with crooked hands.
5. We shall meet again God willing.
6. I read that the terrorist had been killed in the paper.
7. I could see the mountain clearly flying at a thousand feet.

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Common Mistakes in the Use of Articles

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One of the most difficult points in English Grammar is using the articles correctly. But now, I will explain some rules regarding the correct usage of the definite and indefinite articles.
When we talk about a person or thing for the first time, use the indefinite articles (a and an) with them. Study the following examples:
  • I saw a tall man. (NOT I saw the tall man.)
Use the in subsequent references to that person or thing.
  • The girl was very beautiful. (NOT A girl was very beautiful.)
Use the indefinite article to talk about a person or thing not known to the speaker or the listener.
  • She is going out with a French guy. (NOT She is going out with the French guy.)
We can use the in subsequent references to that person or thing.
  • The French guy she is going out with is an architect. (NOT A French guy she is going out with is an architect.)
Plural countable nouns can be used without articles, especially when we are talking about things in general.
  • Spiders have eight legs.
  • Computers are useful machines.
  • Apples are red.
A singular uncountable noun is used without an article.
  • Milk is nutritious. (NOT The milk is nutritious.)
  • Gold is precious. (NOT The gold is precious.)

Changing Imperative Sentences into Interrogative Sentences

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An interrogative form is a more polite form of the imperative. However, the addition of ‘or not’ adds a touch of threat to the command.
Look at the following example:
  • Imperative: Stop talking.
The sentence above can be changed into an interrogative like the sentence below:
·         Interrogative: Will you stop talking?
Even, we can make it more polite by adding ‘please’. Study the following sentence:
  • Will you stop talking, please?
Here are some examples of “changing imperative into interrogative”:
1. Open the door - Will you, please, open the door?
2. Get me a glass of coffee. - Will you get me a glass of coffee, please?
3. Get out of here. - Will you get out of here?
4. Sit down. - Will you sit down, please?
5. Ask John to come here. - Will you ask John to come here?
6. Wait here. - Will you come here, please?
So, we can conclude that “although the interrogative is more polite than the imperative, the addition of ‘or not’ will add a touch of threat to the question”.

Now, you can compare these sentences:
Get out of here. (Imperative)
Will you get out of here? (Polite question)
Will you get out of here or not? (Threat – the addition of ‘or not’ adds a touch of threat to the question.)

Using " A Lot of, Lots of and a Lot " Correctly

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A Lot of, Lots of and a Lot

A Lot of, Lots of and a Lot are used in informal English. A Lot of, Lots of and a Lot mean ‘a great quantity of’. Beside that, A Lot of, Lots of and a Lot also have meaning ‘large number of’. I will describe it one each one.

A lot of / lots of
A lot of / lots of can be used before a countable or an uncountable noun. Example:
• A lot of people want to buy cars.
• A lot of money was wasted on the project.
• I have a lot of work to do.
• There is a lot of meat left.

Verbs are a lot of / lots of
There is a condition when the verb is plural. This will happened if a lot of / lots of is used before a plural subject. But, the verb becomes singular if these expressions are used before a singular noun. Example:
• A lot of patience is needed to learn a new language. (NOT A lot of patience are needed to learn a new language.)
• A lot of my friends live abroad. (NOT A lot of my friends lives abroad.)

A Lot
A lot means ‘a great deal’. It can be categorized into an adverb. You should note that a lot is not followed by a noun. I will give you example:
• I like him a lot. (NOT I like him a lot of.)
• She reads a lot.
• James travels a lot.

Notes
The expressions a lot of and lots of are rather informal. We prefer expressions like ‘a great deal of’, ‘a large number of’, much or many in formal use. Here is an example:
• A great deal of time is needed to learn a new language.
A lot of and lots of are not normally used in questions or negative sentences.

A Lot of, Lots of and a Lot

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A Lot of, Lots of and a Lot are used in informal English. A Lot of, Lots of and a Lot mean ‘a great quantity of’. Beside that, A Lot of, Lots of and a Lot also have meaning ‘large number of’. I will describe it one each one.
A lot of / lots of
A lot of / lots of can be used before a countable or an uncountable noun. Example:
• A lot of people want to buy cars.
• A lot of money was wasted on the project.
• I have a lot of work to do.
• There is a lot of meat left.

Verbs are a lot of / lots of
There is a condition when the verb is plural. This will happened if a lot of / lots of is used before a plural subject. But, the verb becomes singular if these expressions are used before a singular noun. Example:
• A lot of patience is needed to learn a new language. (NOT A lot of patience are needed to learn a new language.)
• A lot of my friends live abroad. (NOT A lot of my friends lives abroad.)
A Lot
A lot means ‘a great deal’. It can be categorized into an adverb. You should note that a lot is not followed by a noun. I will give you example:
• I like him a lot. (NOT I like him a lot of.)
• She reads a lot.
• James travels a lot.
Notes
The expressions a lot of and lots of are rather informal. We prefer expressions like ‘a great deal of’, ‘a large number of’, much or many in formal use. Here is an example:
• A great deal of time is needed to learn a new language.
A lot of and lots of are not normally used in questions or negative sentences.

Possessive Determiners

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Possessive determiners are a part of speech that used in front of a noun to express possession or belonging (as in "my phone").


The possessive determiners in English are my, your, his, her, its, our, and their.


Possessive adjectives/determiners can eliminate repetition in a sentence by replacing a determiner phrase. They allow us, for example, to say the girl took off her glasses instead of the girl took off the girl's glasses.
Possessive determiners are sometimes called possessive adjectives, weak possessive pronouns, or simply possessives.

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Prepositional Phrases

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Ways for Identifying Phrases

Many students are still confused with ways for identifying Phrases. Here, I will give you some explanation about ways for identifying phrases. There are several ways to identify a phrase.

·         Adjective Phrase (AP)

ADJECTIVE PHRASE (AP) can be identified by some ways. One of the characteristic is the Head word is an adjective.

Here are some examples:

Diana is [AP clever]
The nurse is [AP very late]
My niece is [AP fond of animals]

There also another way to identify phrases, especially adjective phrases. The pre-Head string in an AP is most commonly an adverb phrase such as very or extremely. Adjective Heads may be followed by a post-Head string:

[AP happy to meet you]          
[AP ready to go]
[AP afraid of the dark]

A small number of adjective Heads must be followed by a post-Head string. The adjective Head fond is one of these. Compare:

My sister is [AP fond of animals]
*My sister is [fond]

·         Adverb Phrase (AdvP)

Adverb phrase can also be identified by two ways. In an ADVERB PHRASE, the Head word is an adverb. Most commonly, the pre-Head string is another adverb phrase:

Shinta graduated [AdvP very recently]
Ashley left [AdvP quite suddenly]

In AdvPs, there is usually no post-Head string, but here's a rare example:

[AdvP Unfortunately for him], his wife came home early

·         Prepositional Phrase (PP)

There also some ways for identifying prepositional phrases.

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES usually consist of a Head -- a preposition -- and a post-Head string only. Here are some examples:

[PP through the window]
[PP over the bar]
[PP across the line]
[PP after midnight]

This makes PPs easy to recognize -- they nearly always begin with a preposition (the Head). A pre-Head string is rarely present, but here are some examples:

[PP straight through the window]
[PP right over the bar]
[PP just after midnight]

I think those is some ways for identify phrases in English. For more information, please feel free to contact me or visit here again at www.enjoy2learn-english.blogspot.com


Adjective

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Description of Adjective

“An adjective is a word that describes a noun.”

Adjective tells you something about the noun.

Examples: yellow, tall, amazing, bad, green, high, quick, important.

Adjective also can be described as word or combination of words that modifies a noun (blue-green, central, half-baked, temporary).

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