Figures of Speech

 What is a Figure of Speech?

A word or expression that is not used with  its original meaning but in an imaginative way to make a special effect is known as a figure of speech.

Importance of Figures of Speech: They enhance beauty of our written expressions.They add flavor to the writing  and make it more  enjoyable for the  readers.  

Classification of figures of speech:

1) Resemblance based: Simile, Metaphor, Apostrophe and Personification.

2)Contrast based:Antithesis and Epigram

3) Association based: Metonymy and Synecdoche

4) Construction based: Climax and Anticlimax

Similes. These are phrases that compare two different things having a common quality.They always use the words as or like. They are used to create word pictures or images and make the written content interesting.

Example: Though almost ninety years old , my grandmother is as fit as a fiddle.

Here grandmother is being compared to a fiddle because both are fit

.

Metaphor. A metaphor is a word or phrase that is used to describe something as if it was something else. A metaphor is not a comparison( simile) where we say one thing is 'like' another. It says that one thing is another thing.

Examples: Life is a journey.

                 Kalidas is the Shakespeare of India,

Here there is no comparison in the above sentences,But two things in each sentence are one.( life and journey) and( Kalidas and Shakespeare)

Personification. It is literary technique that writers use to add human qualities to non-human things . It helps the readers to create and relate a picture in their mind

Example: The wind danced in the trees.

This example uses personification to provide imagery for the wind's effect on the tree.

Apostrophe. As a literary device , an apostrophe is a poetic phrase or speech made by a character that is addressed to a subject that is not literally present in the literary work. The subject may be dead, absent, an inanimate  object or even an abstract idea.

Examples: Ice-cream ,why should you be so delicious?

                 O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree/

                 How lovely are thy branches!

              3. Milton thou should'st be living at this hour.

Hyperbole.  In Hyperbole a statement is made emphatic by over-statement.

                  Examples:   Mother cooked enough food to feed an army last night.

                                       I 'm drowning  in paperwork.

                                      He drove faster than a speeding bullet.

Euphemism.  This literary figure consists of the description of a disagreeable thing by an agreeable name. It is used to express a mild, indirect or vague term to substitute for a harsh, blunt or offensive term.

Examples: A little thin on top- refers to baldness

                 Between jobs- instead of unemployed

               Adult beverages- instead of beer or liquor.

Antithesis. This figure of speech juxtaposes two contrasting or opposing ideas ,usually within parallel grammatical structure.

Example:  To err is a human,to forgive divine.

                Man proposes,God disposes.

                Speech is silver,but silence is  divine 

.

Oxymoron. It is a special form of Antithesis,whereby two contradictory qualities are predicted at once of the same thing.

Examples: She looks awfully pretty in this saree.

                 The interior designer left the room completely unfinished.

                  She accepted it as the kind cruelty of the surgeon's knife

.

Epigram.  An Epigram is a brief but insightful statement ,often in verse form, which communicates a thought in a witty ,paradoxical or funny way.

Examples: I can resist everything but temptation.

                  Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.

                  The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws

 Irony. Irony is a type of speech in which the real meaning is exactly opposite of that which is literally conveyed.

Examples: A traffic cop gets his license suspended for not buying the parking ticket.

                 No doubt but ye are the people ,and wisdom shall die for you.

                 

Pun: It is usually described as a play on words. It's clever, witty form of figurative language that uses the words within a sentence to convey another message. It is often used in a joke.

Examples: Is life worth living? -It depends on the liver.

                 Fish are smart because they live in a school.

                What type of clothes does a cloud have? Thunder wear.

Synecdoche: It is a part that is used to designate the whole or the whole to designate  a part.

        1) A part that is used to designate the whole:

          Example: A herd of cattle was grazing there.

        2) The whole that is used to designate a part.

       Example.England won by 4 runs and six wickets.( meaning 'the English Cricket Team)

Litotes: As a figure of speech, Litotes utilizes negative words or terms to express a positive statement.

Example: She is not a little (=greatly) confused.

                 Ireland is no ordinary(=special) country.

Interrogation: It is used to ask question  without expectation of any answer but to point out more effectively.This is also known as 'Rhetorical Question'

Examples:1)  O mighty Caesar!Dost thou lie so low?

                    Are all thy conquest, glories,triumphs, spoils

                   Shrunk to this little measure?( excerpt from Julius Caesar)

               2) Who could believe that this would happen?

Exclamation . When ideas or words express strong emotions such as joy, surprise, anger etc., it is known as Exclamation. In this figure of speech, words or sentences end in an exclamation mark.

Examples : Oh my God! What a brilliant idea!

                   How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!

Onomatopoeia; When a word is used to imitate a sound of an object for providing a special effect, it is known as Onomatopoeia.

Examples: Ding-Dong, the bell rang

                 Boom, went the bullet.

Climax(Greek, Klimax = ladder). It is the arrangement of a series of ideas in the order of increasing importance.

Examples:" If you think that's bad, it gets worse"

                    Simple,erect, severe, austere, sublime

Anticlimax. It is just opposite of Climax. It refers to a figure of speech in which statements gradually descend in order of importance.

Examples: She is a wonderful dancer, a mother and a good humorist.

                   They missed their parents, their house and their car.

                 

    

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Non -Finite Forms

 The infinitive, the Participle & the Gerund

*A verb that is limited by the person and number of the subject is called a finite verb.

Example: He goes to school.

Here the verb goes has he as its subject and it agrees with it.So goes is a finite verb.

* A verb that is not limited by person and number is called a non- finite verb.

Example: He goes to school to study.

In the above sentence there is also another verb,to study which does not have a subject. It simply names the action denoted by the verb study.Its form does not change. So it's a non-finite verb.

There are three groups of non- finites:

1.The infinitive: to write, to eat, to play etc. ( present infinitive)

                            to have written, to have eaten, to have played. ( perfect infinitive)

2. The participle: writing, eating , playing ( present participle)

                             written , eaten ,   played ( past participle)

3. The gerund: writing, eating,   playing 

The present participle and the gerund have the same form - what we normally describe as the-ing form. But their functions are quite different. The participle is partly a verb and partly an adjective; the gerund is partly a verb and partly a noun.

The infinitive.

The infinitive is also referred to as to-verb. But it can also be used with or without to:

1.She wants to study.

2. She ought to have studied

      ( to infinitive)

3.He can run very fast.

4.My teacher made me do this exercise.

  (The infinitive without to)

The infinitive without to

1.After the verbs, shall,will ; shall, should, would,; may, might; and the verbs must and can, could, we use the infinitive without to:

a) You shall accept these conditions.(= You will be forced to accept these conditions.)

b) I will help her. (= I have decided to help her.)

c) You should consult a lawyer . (= I advise you to consult a lawyer.)

d) You must leave today.(= You are ordered to leave today)

e) She can deliver a good speech.( = She knows how to deliver a good speech)

 

2.Infinitive without to is used after these verbs: let, make , bid, dare, need , as well as after the following verbs of perception: see, hear, watch, know, feel:

a) Let her solve this problem.

b) The teacher made me stand in the class.

c) Bid him leave at once.

d) He bade him shoot.

e) You dare not touch my bag.

f) They need not wait for us.

g) I saw her take your purse away.

h) I heard her cry bitterly.

i)I felt something hard touch my legs.

Note. It should be clear that we retain to in the positive sentence but drop it in the negative sentence.:

He dared to defy his father.     He dared not defy his father.

2) He needs to go there.          He needs not go there.

3. We use the infinitive without to after these expressions: had, better, would rather, sooner than, rather than:

(a) You had better return my money in time.

(b) I would rather die  than beg.

(c) He would sooner shout than request.

(d) He would shout at his friends rather than request them.

4. To before the infinitive is omitted after than and after but when but means except:

(a) She can better draw than paint.

(b) She did no more than cry.

(c) She did nothing but cry.

The use of the infinitive with the adverb too

Look at these sentences:

1. This house is very small; it cannot accommodate our family.

2. This house is so small that it cannot accommodate our family.

We can express the same idea by using the too...to pattern:

    This house is too small to accommodate our family.

Similarly the two sentences

1. It is very dark; I cannot go out alone.

2. It is so dark that I cannot go out alone.

can be expressed as:

    It is too dark for me to go out alone.

The Participle

Look at this sentence now:

1. Nobody could enter the burning house.

The word burning is formed from the verb burn by adding _ing. It is therefore like a verb

But it is also describing the noun house. So it is performing but it is performing the work of an adjective.

Let us take one more example:

2. We found the guests waiting  for us.

The word waiting  is formed from the verb wait. So it is like a verb. But waiting  is also describing the noun guests. So it is performing the work of an adjective.

* A word which is like a verb but performs the work of an adjective is called a participle.

we may say that a participle is a verbal adjective.

In the sentences below, the words printed in the bold letters are also participles:

3. The broken  door had to be replaced.

4. The wounded lady was taken to the hospital.

There are two kinds of participles:

1.  The present participle: burning, waiting

    (a) The present participle is formed by adding _ing to the root from the verb.

    (b) The present participle describes an incomplete action or state:\

            The burning house  ( the process of burning continues)

             The waiting  guests ( the process of waiting continues)

    (c) The present participle is active in form:

            The burning house (the house was burning-active)

             The waiting  guests ( the guests were waiting -active)

2. The past participle: broken, injured

    (a) The past participle usually end in -ed, -d, -t,-en, or -n

    (b) The past participle denotes an action or state which is completed:

            The broken window (The process of getting broken is complete)

             The injured man ( the process of getting injured is complete)

    (c) If the past participle is formed from a transitive verb, it is passive in form.

            The broken window (The window was broken -passive)

             The injured man ( the man was injured -passive)

In addition to these two simple participles, there is also a perfect participle:

    Having completed  her work, she went to sleep.

 This sentence actually means:

    After completing her work, she went to sleep.

The perfect participle represents an action as having been completed at some past time.

Joining sentences by using participles

We can join pairs of sentences by using participles also. Look at the following examples:

1. The man saw a bus. The bus was coming in his direction.

    The object of the first sentence is the subject of the second sentence.

    Such sentences are very easy to join:

            The boy saw a bus coming in his direction.

2. The hunter saw the tiger.  He  took to his heels.

            Seeing the tiger , the hunter took his heels.

 

In each of the examples given above, the two actions mentioned in the two sentences occur simultaneously . In example 1, the man's seeing the train and the bus coming in his direction are taking place simultaneously. So we use the continuous form of the participle. But sometimes the second action begins only after the first has been completed. In such a case we convert a verb denoting the first of the actions into the perfect participle.

3. He had spent all his money.He wrote to his father for help.

            Having spent all his money, he wrote to his father for help.

            

4. We saw all the animals in zoo We sat down for lunch

            Having seen  all the animals, in the zoo we sat down for lunch.

We have learnt that besides being a verb, the participle is an adjective also. So it must be referring to a noun or a pronoun. If we want our meaning to be conveyed correctly, we should use the participle in such a way that it refers to the correct noun. Look at this sentences:

        Working  in his office , a strange noise disturbed him.

The way the participle working is placed in this sentence, it refers to the noun noise. But it was he and not the noise that was working in the office. Obviously, the sentence needs some improvement. We should have written it as:

        Working in his office, he was disturbed by a strange noise or perhaps as:

        When he was working in his office, a strange noise disturbed her.

 The gerund

Look at this sentence now:

        Dancing is good for health.

The verb dancing is formed from the verb dance by adding -ing. It is therefore like a verb.

But it is also the subject of the verb. So it is performing the work of a noun..

Let us take one more example:

Collecting  stamps is her hobby.

The verb collecting is formed from the verb collect. It is also has an object after it (stamps). Therefore collecting is like a verb.

But collecting is also the subject of the verb is. Therefore it is doing the work of  a noun.

* A word which is like a verb but performs the work of a noun is called a gerund.

We may say that a gerund is a verbal noun .

  The gerund and the present participle

Both the gerund and the present participle are formed by adding -ing to the verb. How are they then different from each other?

Let us recall:

        A gerund is a verbal noun.

        A present participle is a verbal adjective.

  Example:

1. I am tired of your grumbling.

2. Grumbling children are not liked.

    In sentence 1, grumbling answers the question  tired of what? It has been used as the object of the preposition of. Since only a noun or a pronoun can act as an object, grumbling is a noun. So grumbling is a verbal noun or a gerund.

    

    In sentence 2, in addition to being a verb for, the word grumbling also qualifies the noun children and therefore, acts as an adjective, So grumbling is a verbal adjective or a participle (present participle).

Underline the participles and circle the gerunds in the following sentences.

1.Crying people are not liked usually.

2.Many people were attracted by her loud crying.

3.I was scared by the barking of a dog.

4.Barking dogs seldom bite.

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Reported Speech

 Direct & Indirect Narration

We may often be required to report what we have heard somewhere. There are two ways of doing so:

1.Reproduce the actual words of the speaker.
2.Give the gist of that person speech in our own words.

Example: Ram said," I am very happy today"
                 Ram said that he was very happy that day.

See the difference between both the above sentences.

In sentence 1.the exact words used by the speaker are reproduced, so it is called Direct Speech.While in sentence 2, the meaning of the speech is conveyed in the reporter's words, it is called Indirect Speech.

The sentence can be divided into two parts.

    Ram said,          "  I  am very happy today"

( reporting verb)     ( reported speech)

Comparison between direct and indirect narration:

1.The direct narration is always within inverted commas,separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma. While no inverted commas are used in the indirect narration speech.

2.In the indirect narration , a conjunction ( that) is used to join the reported speech with the rest of the sentence:

 Ram said that he was very happy that day

.

3. Tenses , personal pronouns( I,we, you etc.) possessive adjectives( my, our, your etc.) and adverb denoting  nearness of time and place undergo certain changes when the direct speech is changed into the indirect speech:

  Ram said, " I am very happy today."

  Ram said that he was very happy that day.

Rules for the change of tenses:

1) If the reporting verb is in present tense or future tense , there will be no change in tense of reported speech. It will remain same.

Example:

         My father says, " My boss is going to Mumbai on Sunday"( direct speech)

        My father says that his boss is going to Mumbai on Sunday"(indirect speech)

  

       The teacher will say, " The children  have done the test very well"( direct speech)

       The teacher will say that the children have done the test very well. (indirect speech)

2) If the reporting verb is in past tense then the reported speech will also be changed in past tense:

        is/am/are                     was/were

        was/were                    had been

        had been                      no change

        has/have                      had

        had                              no change

        simple present            simple past

            (do)                        (did)

       simple past                   past perfect

.          (did)                        (had done)

      will/ shall                      would/should

       can/may                       could/might

       would/should/could     would have/should have/could have

        ought to/used to           no change

Examples: Mother said, " I am cooking the food"( direct)

                Mother said that she was cooking the food.(indirect)

                Rita said," I work hard"

               Rita said that she worked hard.

              I said, " My mother finished her task.

              I said that my mother had finished the task.

              He said," Amiya had eaten the food."

              He said that Amiya had eaten the food.(no change)

   

              John said ," Everything will be fine"

              John said that everything would be fine.

              My teacher said," All can do paragraph writing"

              My teacher said that all could do paragraph writing.

              Hari said, " I could do the sums"

              Hari said that he could have done the sums

.

Note. If there is also an object in the reporting verb with the speaker, said to is changed into told.

           Example:

                            Hetal said to Meera, " You taught the class very well"

                            Hetal told Meera that she had taught  the class very well.

3) Exceptions

               a)    If the reported speech expresses a universal truth or a habitual fact, its tense will not be changed into past but remains same.

     Examples:   She said, "Honesty is the best policy"

                          She said that honesty is the best policy

:

                          My uncle said," The sun rises in the east"

                          My uncle said that the sun rises in the east.

              b) If the reported speech describes a state of affairs which still exists when the speech is reported, its tense remains unchanged

.

    Examples: Rupa said ," Jack wants to be famous by writing his auto-biography."

                      ( The reported speech makes a statement which remains true when the speech is reported)

                      Rupa said that Jack wants to be famous by writing his auto-biography

            

  Expressions of time and place in indirect speech.

    While changing the direct speech into indirect , the following expressions denoting nearness of time or place are replaced by corresponding expressions denoting remoteness or distance, if the reporting verb is in past tense.

                        Direct speech                                  Indirect speech

                         this/these                                         that/those

                         here                                                  there

                         now                                                  then

                         ago                                                   before

                         today                                                that day

                         yesterday                                          the previous day/the day                                                                                                            before

                         tomorrow                                          the next day/the following  day                                next day/year,etc.                             the following week, year etc.

                   last week/year, etc.                           the previous week/year etc.

There is a different set of rules for converting each kind of sentences into the indirect speech. Let's now learn these rules.

Interrogative sentences:1. The reporting verb is changed into' ask/asked

                                      2. The question form is changed into statement.The question mark is                                       dropped

                                      3. The conjunction( that) is not used if the sentence begins with a                                                 question word like who, whose, which, when, why ,what etc..

                                      4. 'If' or 'whether is used as a conjunction if the sentence begins   w                                             with  an auxiliary verb.( if it is a yes or no question)

Examples: She said to me," Where are you going?"

                   She asked me where I was going

                 He said ," May I use your car ,father?"

               He asked his father if he might use his car.

             Raja said to the shopkeeper, " How much do you want me to pay for this shirt?"

            Raja asked the shopkeeper how much he wanted him to pay for that shirt.

            They said to me, " Are you afraid of darkness?" I said," No."

          They asked me if I was afraid of darkness. I replied in the negative.or I replied that I was not

      Exclamatory sentences.( command, request, advice etc.)

     1)   The reporting verb is changed to order, request or advise. Other words that can be found suitable are: ask, beg, command, encourage, forbid, invite, remind, tell, urge, warn, instruct etc.

2) The verb of the reported speech is changed into an infinitive.

Examples:

The master said to his servant," Bring me a glass of water quickly"

The master ordered his servant to bring him a glass of water quickly.

The teacher said to the students," Don't make a noise."

The teacher instructed the students not to make a noise.

 Note: Don't is changed into not to.

The doctor said to me ," Take enough protein to build the body."

The doctor advised me  to take enough protein to build the body.

The beggar said to me, " Please give some food to eat."

The beggar requested me to give some food to eat.

Exclamations and wishes.

1. The reporting verb is changed into exclaim, wish, pray, bless, cry etc.

2. The words showing exclamations like, hurrah, alas, oh, ah, ouch etc. are omitted . But the sentiment behind them is conveyed by using such expressions as exclaimed with joy, exclaimed with sorrow etc.

3. The exclamatory sentence is changed into a statement before it is converted into the indirect speech

4. The sign of exclamation is omitted..

Examples:

" Hurrah! I have got first prize in the race," he said. " Congratulations.,"  said I

He exclaimed with joy that he had got first prize in the race.. I congratulated him.

The old man said to me," May God bless you ,dear!"

The old man prayed that God might bless me.

She said, " How stupid I look in this dress!"

She exclaimed that she looked stupid in that dress.

Sentences that start with 'Let':

I said to my friend, " Let us go to cinema"

I proposed to my friend that we should go to cinema .

My cousin said to me, " Good morning. Let us join the yoga classes"

My cousin wished me good morning and proposed that we should join the yoga classes.

 

        

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The Power of Knowledge

 Let's read about some great inventions:

Human beings are inquisitive, observer and experimental by nature.This has made them learn more about different things.This knowledge earlier passed on orally from one generation to the next.After sparing so much time on this process, gradually man learnt the art , they were able to draw, paint and write. Thus a record of knowledge in black and white was kept.

Journey of Writing.

In the ancient time,man would draw images of animals and things he noticed around him. Cave walls in France, Spain and in India are examples of this till today.

Gradually, man started using symbols to represent words or sounds. As symbols developed, script emerged. Script is a certain system of writing and each language uses its own script in the world.

 In ancient Egypt, the script had symbols and pictures. Later on ,they were called as 'hieroglyphics.

Gradually pictorial symbols gave way to letters.It's a fact that oldest scripts ever found was from the seals of the Indus Valley Civilization-Indus Seal. Still researches are in the process to read and understand it.

Then about 2000 years ago the Bramhi script was developed in India.

Today's Indian scripts ,being used ,have their origin in the Bramhi Script. Hindi language is written in Devnagari Script.

Numbers (their beginning and use)

In the ancient time when man used to hunt animals and collect food. They drew figures, symbols and dots for counting,which proved to be a rather crude and unreliable method.

Decimal system was first developed in India.Same with the concept of zero that originated in India. It also spread into the Arab region and the people there called it as 'Hindra' that means ' of India'. Currently all of us are aware with this system as the 'Hindu Arabic System'

How paper invented:

The word paper is derived from papyrus. It is  a reed that the Egyptians used to make paper. Many countries used it as writing material . Later The Chinese made paper by using the pulp of wood bark. These days wood pulp is used worldwide  for making paper. Then the invention of the printing press also led to an increase in demand for paper.

The story of Printing.

 The art of writing developed from painting , made on the wall of the caves. Human beings first started writing on clay tablets, leaves and on animal skin. Wood and bamboo were used to make pointed pen shaped tools which were used as writing instruments. Afterwards ,writing was done on paper.

In the previous time, books were copied by hand. It was a slow and tiring process .This also made the copied books very expensive. So only rich people were able to buy and read books.

Again China took initiative by developing the art of printing.about 1500 years ago.But this method was not so popular being very strenuous. However about 1000 years later, in 1443 , a German fellow ,Johannes Gutenberg created the first printing press. He made use of moulds of letters of the alphabet which made words, lines and pages. Ink was applied on the moulds in a frame. Then the frame was pressed against a smooth surface. He would then reset and reuse the moulds. The Bible was the first book printed in Gutenberg's printing press.

It was made possible by this printing press to make many copies of a book in lesser time than before. It became little cheaper so the common people could afford to buy and read books.

Gradually, there was advancement in printing process . Things became less complicated and publishing books was no more a tedious job. So book lovers got relieved and were able to enjoy reading different types of books at affordable price.

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Practice Work sheet 2

 Action Words 

Ex.1  Underline verbs in the following sentences. Also write whether action, being or possession                     

1. Ruma is an introvert .  _________

2.We love reading books._______

3.They have a big house. _______

4.Jeet and Jimmy are friends.______

5.He deals in timber.______

6.Neema has two brothers.______

7. I have had my food.________

8. She had a severe stomachache last week.______

9. They had finished the task before I arrived._____

10. You seem to be very happy._____

 Ex.2   See the following picture and fill in the blanks by using appropriate verb.                                                                         

. 

     1.The whole family ____ by car.

    2.Father_____ at the driving seat.

    3.Mother _____ golden hair

.

    4. Children ____ looking happy.

    5.The girl _____ a teddy.

    6.The boy is _______.

Ex.3   Tick the correct option( verb) to complete the following statements

      1.Bread and butter ( are, is) a good snack.

     2. One of the students (is, are) absent today.

    3.That pair of glasses ( costs, cost) too much.

    4.She( attend, attends) the class regularly.

    5.We (are, were) very busy now

.

    6.They ( visited, visit) my place yesterday.

    7.Her hair ( are, is) brown.

    8.She along with her mother (goes ,go) for morning walk.

    9. I ( like, likes) watching movies

.

   1o. None of them ( was,were) present at her party.

   

Ex.4    Read the passage given below and circle the verbs.

 I have a German Shepherd pet. I like him very much, He is so lovely and cuddly. His name is Bruno .We are the best of friends. He has golden hair. He never fails to make me happy especially. in the mor-ning. He loves to go for a walk  with me.and wants to accompany me wherever I go. I just sit and talk things out with him. He just sits and listens to me carefully. I really appreciate him for his gestures.I guess that is the best part of having a pet- someone who can sit and listen to you and not make judgement . Even if I hit him or scold him ,he still loves me. That's unconditional love!

                                                                                                       

Ex.5 Rewrite the following passage using the correct tense, present simple or present continuous, of the verbs given in the bracket below:

Soma (sit) in the waiting hall of her doctor's clinic. Usually she( keep)good health. But yesterday she got drenched in rain while coming from the office.It( appear) that she ( now suffer) from cold and cough. Many people(think) that a cold is a minor disease. So they (not care) for it. But Soma's experience (tell)her that a bad cold can be very troublesome. So she(not want)to neglect it.The doctor (examine) some other patient that's why Soma( wait) for her turn

Ex.5 .Match the following( Make sure that subject and verb match)

             Subject                              Predicate

       1.Salil                                      Performs very well

                                      

       2 Reeta and Neena                  have won the match

       3.This coir group                   teaches Science

       4.We                                      is running a detective agency

       5 Mrs. John                             spend their time watching television

Ex.6 Rewrite these sentences in the plural form:

         1.He is very attentive in office.

         2.She speaks English very well.

         3.Reena paints beautifully.

         4.The lawn is very big

.

         5. I do my work myself.

   

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Practice Worksheet-1 ( grammar)

 Present Simple( Indefinite Tense)

Q.1 Fill in the blanks with the simple present tense of the verb given in the bracket.

1. It _____ heavily in our state.( rain).

2.Meena and Viram_______ badminton together.( play)\

3.My watch ______ thirty seconds a day.( lose)

 4.Anu _____ her work sincerely.( do)

 5.These girls _____music everyday.( play)

6. He ____ to play cricket. (like)

7. Everyone ____ to be healthy.(want)

8.My uncle and aunt_____ to temple every Thursday.( go)

9.Friday_____ before Saturday.( come)

10.Our teachers_____ us very well.(teach)

Q.2 Rewrite these sentences by using the subject given in brackets, and change the form of verbs accordingly. Make other changes also, if required.

1.Suhana helps the poor.    (I)

2. Mika reaches the office on time. (We)

3.Tara and Tanu play in class. ( She)

4.We read stories everyday. (Sheela and Vini)

5.They sing very well. ( Soha)

6.Stars shine at night.( Moon)

7.Mother goes shopping every month. ( Parents)

8..All super fast trains move very fast. ( Rajdhani Express)

9.She goes foe morning walk regularly.( They)

10.He drives the car safely.(I)

Q.3 Using the question words given in the brackets and taking help from the words printed in bold letters, frame  questions to which the following may be suitable answers.

Example:

             .He needs some food to eat.(what) 

               What does he need?

1. Rubber trees grow in Malaysia. (where)

2.Anik respects truthful people. ( whom)

3.This bag weighs three kilograms. (how much)

4.The student needs four new pens. (how many)

5.The noon show begins at 2.20 p.m. (when)

6.Mrs. John treats her guests very cordially.(how)

7.We go the cinema twice a month.( how often)

8.My uncle goes to bed late as he keeps working till late hours.(why)

9.The customer requires two pairs of scissors.(what)

10.He usually drives his mother's car.( whose)

Q.4 Rewrite  the following passage using the correct form of the verbs given in the bracket in the simple present tense:

 Preet (have) a new hobby. She (like) catching butterflies. But she ( practise) her hobby in different way.Many naughty children ( put) the butterflies they (catch) in closed jars.The butterflies (feel) miserable in the jars. When they(flutter) their wings or (knock) against the walls of the jars, these children (feel) happy.But Preet (not take) butterflies home. She (not put) them in jars or bottles..Then what she (do) Why (she not take) the butterflies home?She (not do) so because she(like) them. She (want) them to be free to fly wherever they (want) to go.

Ex 5 Change the following sentences into present simple tense:

    1, She is singing a song.

     2 I have done my work.

     3.We will go to school .

     4. The sun was shining in the sky.

     5.You looked sad.

     6. I ate my meal.

     7. A car has hit him badly

     8 She wrote a beautiful poem.

     9.The doctor had arrived the clinic.

     10 He was playing chess 

 

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Active and Passive Voice

A transitive verb has two voices:

1.Active Voice

2.Passive Voice

* When the subject of a verb also performs the action named in the verb, the verb is said to be in the active voice.

Example: Lata obeys the teacher.

In the above sentence, the subject of the verb ( Lata) also performs the action named in the verb( obeys). So this sentence is said to be in an active voice

* When the subject of the verb receives the action named in the verb, the verb is said to be in the passive voice.

Example: The teacher is obeyed by Lata

Let's compare the two forms to understand what changes take place.

   Lata obeys the teacher.  ( Active voice)

   The teacher is obeyed by Lata.( Passive voice)

1. The active object the teacher has become the passive subject.

2. The active subject Lata has become the passive object. And we have used the preposition by before it. However, if this subject is not important, we may omit it:

 Somebody wants Amit on the mobile phone. ( Active)

Amit is wanted on the mobile phone. (Passive)

( Here we have omitted the words by somebody as this subject is not important)

3. An appropriate form of the verb be ( is) has been  followed by the past participle form of the verb ( obeyed)

* We need to be careful about using personal pronouns while changing sentences from active to passive voice or passive to active.

 Active              Passive

I                         me

We                     us

He                      him

They                  them

She                     her

You                     you ( remains same)

Example: I help her. ( Active)

                She is helped by me. (Passive)

* When the verb in the active voice takes two objects, there are two forms in the passive voice:

 His aunt teaches us( indirect object)  French ( direct object). (Active)

We are taught French by his aunt.

                   Or

French is taught to us by his aunt. ( Passive voice)

How to change sentences from Active voice to Passive voice?

1. Present Simple Tense.

   

Rule: Object+ is, are ,am + IIIrd form of the verb( past participle)+by+ object

Examples:  They teach me. ( active)

                    I am taught by them. ( passive)

                

                    No one likes terrorism. ( active)

                    Terrorism is not liked. (passive)

                   ( Here subject is not important so avoid using 'by no one) 

                     

                    Do you obey your parents? ( active)

                    Are your parents obeyed by you? ( passive)

                    How does he do all this? ( active)

                    How is all this done by him? ( passive)

                   Who keeps the accounts?

                   By whom are the accounts kept?

2. Present Continuous Tense.

 

Rule: Object+ is, are, am + being+ past participle+ by+ object

Examples: She is washing the clothes. ( active)

                   The clothes are being washed by her. ( passive)

                   We are eating the food. ( active)

                   The food is being eaten by us. ( passive)

   

                   Are you leaving the doors unlocked? ( active)    

                   Are the doors being unlocked? ( passive)

3. Present Perfect Tense.

   Rule: Object+ has, have + been+past participle+ by+ object

  Examples: He has bought some clothes from the mall. ( active)

                    Some clothes have been bought from the mall by him. ( passive)

                    They have shut the door. ( active)

                    The door has been shut by them. ( passive) 

      

                    Who has used my pen? (active)

                    By whom has my pen been used? ( passive)

 

Note. Helping verbs are changed according to the subject. So be careful while changing object to subject. 

* When interrogative sentences are changed into passive voice, they retain their interrogative form.

 

Simple Past Tense.

Rule: Object+ was, were +past participle+ by+ object

Examples:    They hit the ball. ( active

                      The ball was hit by them. ( passive)

                      Did you receive my letter in time? ( active)

                      Was my letter received by you in time? ( passive)

                      Who organized the function? ( active)

                      By whom was the function organized? ( passive)

                      Who was the function organized by? ( passive)

                      ( Both are right)

Past Continuous Tense.

Rule: Object. +was, were +being+past participle+by+ object

Examples:   They were discussing a big matter. ( active)

                     A big matter was being discussed by them. ( passive)

                     She was washing the utensils. ( active)

                     The utensils were being washed by her. ( passive)

                     Were the artists rehearsing the play? ( active)

                     Was the play being rehearsed? (passive)

Past Perfect Tense.

Rule: Object.+had+ been+past participle+by+object

Examples:  We had already purchased the tickets. (active)

                    The tickets had already been purchased by us. ( passive)

                    Had you taken all the precautions? (active)

                    Had all the precautions been taken? (passive)

How to change voice( Active to passive)

Future Simple.

Rule: Object+ will be , shall be+root form( 1st form) of the verb

Example:

                 We shall post the letters tomorrow.( active)

                 The letters will be posted tomorrow. ( passive)

                When will they hold the examinations?( active)

                When will the examinations be held? ( passive)

Future Perfect.

Rule: Object+ will have been, shall have been + past participle form of the verb.

Example: They will have finished the task before night. ( active)

                 The task will have been finished before night. ( passive)

                 Will they have selected the cricket team by next month? ( active)

                  Will the cricket team have been selected by the next month? ( passive)

Note. Verbs in the future continuous and future perfect cannot be expressed in the passive voice

Modal auxiliaries ( can, could, may, might, should, would, must, ought to)

Rule:  ( Active Voice) the auxiliary+root form of verb.

           ( Passive Voice) the auxiliary+ be+past participle

Examples:

1.They should punish the guilty. ( active)

   The guilty should be punished. ( passive)

2. We ought to preserve our heritage.( active)

    Our heritage ought to be preserved. ( passive)

3. May God bless you with health!( active)

    May you be blessed with health! ( passive)

4.Can you prove this law experimentally? (active)

   Can this law be proved experimentally? ( passive)

5.How can you ignore such a serious matter? ( active)

   How can such a serious matter be ignored? ( passive)

Commands.

Rule:( active)  The sentence begins with the root form of the verb.

         ( passive)  Let+object+ be+ past participle form of the verb

                                    or

                           object+ should be+ past participle form of the verb.

       Examples: 

                        1. Open the door.( active)

                         Let the door be opened.

                        Sell this old bicycle off.( active)

                         Let this old bicycle be sold off.  ( passive)

                                           or

                         This old bicycle should be sold off.( passive)

     Sentences beginning with let

Rule: ( Active voice) Let +the infinitive without 'to'

           ( Passive voice) Let+ be+ past participle for,m of the verb

      Examples:

                         1.Let her take the food.( active)

                            Let the food be taken by her. ( passive)

                          2. Let us forget the past.( active)

                              Let the past be forgotten.( passive)

  

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