My Memory Ever

WH Words and Their Usage

Articles: a / an / the

Usage of A / An

Use of ‘A’

Words start with consonant sound take ‘a’: 

1. This is a cat.
2. It is a hut.
3. I saw a snake in the garden yesterday.
4. A number of students are absent from the class today.
5. I bought a novel last year.
6. “Hamlet” is a tragic play by William Shakespeare.
7. I have a lot of books.
8. I want to become a doctor in future.
9. A Tale of Two Cities is written by Charles Dickens. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening is a nice poem by Robert Frost.   

Use of ‘An’ (a / e / i / o / u)

Words start with vowel sound take ‘an’:

1. Papa, I want an ice-cream.
2. John Keats is an English poet.
3. Robert Frost is an American poet.
4. BUET is an engineering university in Bangladesh.
5. Sailing to Byzantium is an interesting poem by William Butler Yeats.
6. Ferdowsi is an Iranian poet.
7. He is an MA / FCPS / MBBS / LLB / LLM.
8. Asha is an SSC / HSC candidate.
9. William Butler Yeats is an Irish poet.

Exceptional: ‘u’ and ‘wa’

1. Iron is a useful metal.
2. Adiba is a university student.
3. This is a one taka note.
4. Don’t take a u-turn.

Usage of ‘The’

1. Hotel: the Sonargaon, the Sheraton,
2. Restaurants: the Xinxian, the Helvetia
3. Ship: the Titanic,
4. Rivers: the Padma, the Meghna, the Nile, the Gomati, the Pasur,
5. Newspaper: the Independent, the Daily Star, the New Age, the Observer, the Guardian, the Herald Tribune 
6. Repetition: I saw a hare in the garden. The hare was very cute.  
7. Only one in the world: the sun, the moon, the world, the 
8. Musical instrument: He is playing the piano / flute.
9. Superlative degree: Norway is the happiest place on earth. Asha is one of the best girls in the class.   
10. Things we can see now: Give me the pen. Pass me the salt.  
11. The more… the more: The more you read, the more you learn. The more he gets, the more he wants.
12. Name of some countries: the USA, the UK, the KSA, the UAE, the Maldives, the Nederlands, the Philippines, the West Indies 
13. Famous books: the Iliad, the Ramayana, the Odyssey, the Tempest, the Merchant of Venice, the Lord of the Files,    
14. Famous buildings: the Taj Mahal, the Empire State Building
15. Deserts: the Sahara, the Gobi
16. Historical event: the War of Liberation, the Sepoy Mutiny, the Language Movement
17. Oceans: the Pacific, the Atlantic,
18. Seas: the Black Sea,
19. Directions: the east , the west, the north, the south
20. Holy books: the Quran, the Bible, the Gita
21. Mountain ranges: the Alps, the Himalayas
22. ‘The’ with Abstract Noun and Material Noun: The honesty of Mr. Rahman cannot be doubted.  
23. Ordinal Number: I am reading the 1^st chapter of the novel.
24. Common Noun treated as Abstract Noun: The mother rose in her. The father rose in him.
25. Abstract Noun and Material Noun when made definite by a post modifier: The wisdom of Solomon is great. The wheat of the sack is not substandard.
26. Others: the same, the Police, the Prime Minister, the President, the King,

Zero Articles

1. Games and sports: Nobody dislikes cricket. The boys are playing football in the field.
2. Diseases: Cholera is a water borne disease. My grandfather died of cancer in 2010.
3. The Creator: Allah is Almighty. God is gracious.
4. Continents: Bangladesh is in Asia. The Sahara is in Africa.  
5. Subjects: I am weak in Mathematics. I studied in laws.
6. Some Proper Nouns: Adiba (person), Satkhira (district), Canada (country),     
7. Languages: English is an international language. Bangla is the sweetest language of all.
8. Abstract Noun: Honesty is the best policy. Wisdom is the gift of heaven. 
9. Material Noun: Gold is a precious metal. Sugar is bad for your teeth.
10. Meals: He came before breakfast. Lunch is ready.
11. Family relations: Mother is not at home. Father has gone to market.
12. Institutions: (school, college, university, mosque, temple, market, prison, church, hospital): When do you go to school? School is over at 2.00. He is still in hospital. Are you ready to go to market? We go to school at 10am. We go to mosque/church to pray.
13. Mountain: Mount Everest, Mount Abu
14. Island: Java, Ceylon, Sicily
15. Cape: Cape of Good Hope
16. Lake: Lake Baikal, Lake Sambhar, Foyos Lake, Dhanmondi Lake, Lake Baikal
17. Avenue: Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Rokey Avenue
18. Square: Rifle’s Square  
19. After possessive Case: He is my father. Why don’t you listen to your mom?
20. Days: Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
21. Months: January, February, March, April, May, June …
22. Plural Nouns: Children are happy today. There are two books on the shelf. Computers are used in many offices.   
23. Others: at home, in hand, in debt, by day, by night, at daybreak, at sunrise, at noon, at sunset, at night, at anchor, at sight, on demand, at interest, on earth, by land, by water, by river, by train, by steamer, by name, on horseback, on foot, on deck, in jest, at dinner, at ease, under ground, above ground  

Exercise – 1

1)      This is ____________ picture of ____________ elephant.

2)      Borney is reading ____________ book.

3)      Mom bought me ____________ new dress today.

4)      You will need ____________ umbrella when you go out.

5)      She eats ____________ apple a day.

6)      ____________ Bangladesh Observer is ____________ English daily.

7)      ____________ President made a speech at the conference.

8)      He can play ____________ piano.

9)      Tokyo is now ____________ largest city in ____________ world.

10)  The cow is ____________ useful animal.

11)  ____________ man is mortal.

12)  ____________ Japanese are very industrious.

13)  My ____________ uncle joined ____________ army.

14)  ____________ Punjab is a land of five rivers.

15)  My sister got her degree from ____________ UK. (United Kingdom)

16)  Mr. Mehedi serves in ____________ U.A.E (United Arab Emirates).

17)  ____________ Battle of Palassey is memorable in the history of Bangladesh.

18)  ____________ Sepoy Mutiny was against the British.

19)  ____________ more you get, ____________ more you want.

20)  He is still in ____________ hospital.

21)  Are you ready to go to ____________ market?

22)  ____________ mother is busy cooking.

23)  He came before ____________ breakfast.

24)  ____________ gold is ____________ precious metal.

25)  ____________ cats like fish.

26)  ____________ kindness is ____________ noble virtue.

27)  Nobody dislikes ____________ football.

28)  ____________ Hatiya is an island

29)  ____________ cholera is a water borne disease.

30)  ____________ Allah is Almighty

31)  ____________ Rabindranath's Geetanjalee won Nobel Prize.

Md. Saiful Alam

BA Honours and MA in English

Email: suman64924@gmail.com

 

Completing Sentences

COMPLETING SENTENCES

Here, we complete the incomplete sentences.

1.      When: You phoned me when I was taking my breakfast. I fell asleep when I got tired.  I studied a lot when –––––––––––.

2.      (i) While + verb + ing: I was bitten by a poisonous snake while walking in the garden. (ii) While + subject + Past Continuous Tense: While I was walking in the garden, a    poisonous snake bit me.

3.      Whereas + contrasting idea: The color black absorbs heat, whereas white reflects it.

4.      After: After he had finished his exams, he went to New York for a month.

5.      Before: The doctor had come before the patient died.

6.      Till: I'll wait till you finish.

7.      Until: We waited until he finished his homework.  You cannot go home until –––––––––.

8.      Present Tense + since + Past Tense: Many years have passed since he came here.

9.      Past Simple Tense + since + Past Perfect Tense: Many years passed since I met him.

10.  Because: Yesterday I could not attend the classes because I was sick. I was sick because –––––––.

11.  As: As she was sick, she could not attend the classes. Never tell a lie as it is a great sin. As he is a student, ––––––––––––.

12.  Since: Since the old man killed the bird, he brought bad luck to the crew. Since she knew English, I asked her to translate it.

13.  That: Anika knew that she would get A+ in the final examination. His silence proves that he is guilty. His silence proves that ––––––––––.

14.  … so that + Subject + can + Verb Present: We eat so that we can live. He is studying properly so that –––––––––.

15.  Lest + Subject + should + Verb Present: Walk carefully lest you should fall. Study hard lest you should fail.  He was walking fast lest he should miss the train.

16.  So … that: (Present Tense + so + adjective + that + Subject + cannot): He is so happy that he cannot speak. The sum is so easy that he –––––––––––––.

17.  So … that: (Past Tense + so + adjective + that + Subject + could not): He was so sick that he could not go to work. The sun is so hot that ––––––.

18.  Such … that: He is such a fool that you cannot rely on him.

19.  1st Conditional (If + Present Tense + Future Tense): If you attend the classes, you will do better in the exam. If he learns English, –––––––––.

20.  2nd Conditional (If + Past Tense + Past Tense): If you attended the classes, you (would / could / might) do better in the exam. If I knew it, –––––––––––.

21.  3rd Conditional: (If + Past Perfect Tense+ Subject + could have / would have / might have + verb Past Participle): If you had attended the classes, you (could have / would have / might have) done better in the exam. If they had taken him to a good hospital, he would have survived. Had I been a king, I would have helped the poor.             If you studied hard, ––––––––––––––.

22.  Had + subject + … + Past Tense:  Had I the wings of a bird, I would fly in the sky.

23.  Unless: You cannot prosper in life unless you work hard. You cannot cast your vote unless you are 18 years or above. Don’t go out unless ––––––––––––.

24.  Whether: I don’t know whether she will come.

25.  Whether … or: Whether you win this race or lose. It doesn't matter.

26.  Or: Do or die. Would you like cake or biscuits with your coffee?

27.  Though / Although: Though/Although he is not tall, he can touch the ceiling.

28.  Even if: Even if I fail, I shall not give up hope.

29.  So … as / as … as: No other university in Bangladesh is so famous as Dhaka University. No other language in the world is so sweet as Bangla.

30.  Than: He is taller than I am. You can play better than he [can play].

31.  No sooner had + verb Past Participle … than + Past Tense: No sooner had the teacher entered the class the students stood up. No sooner had I entered the class than ––––.

32.  Scarcely had + sub + verb Past Participle … when + Past Tense: Scarcely had I reached the station when the train left. Scarcely had we got in the bus when –––––––.

33.  Hardly had + sub + verb Past Participle … when + Past Tense: Hardly had I done my exercise when Nila came to see me.

34.  Too … to: She is too young to participate in the competition.

35.  Relative Pronouns (who, which, what, that): This is the girl who won the first prize. It is education that enlightens our minds. Sylhet is the place where tea grows well.

36.  Subordinate Clause: Mr. Rahman, who is the professor of English, is an honest man. It is education which –––––––––––. I know that ––––––––––––––.

37.  And: I take milk and sugar in my tea. My father knocked at the door and I opened it.

38.  But: I like coffee but I do not like tea. I eat cake, but I never eat biscuits. He is good at Mathematics but –––––––––––.

39.  Not only … but also: I bought not only a book but also a pen.  The book is not only interesting but also educative.

40.  Either … or: You can either go by bus or by taxi. They are both efficient.

41.  Neither … nor: He is neither sane nor brilliant. Sarah liked neither Rome nor Paris. She prefers the countryside.

42.  Infinitive (to + verb present): I want to help you. He decided to visit Cox’ Bazar. They need to –––––––––––––.

43.  Gerund: (verb + ing): I am fond of studying English literature. Without taking food, you will not live. He prevents me from –––––––––––––.

44.  Had better: You had better go home now.

45.  Would rather: I would rather read a book than watch television. She’d rather leave than stay here. I would rather die than beg.

46.  It is time / high time + Subject + Past Tense: It is high time we loved our country. It is time we left the place.  It is high time we ––––––––––.

47.  It is time + infinitive (to + verb present): It is time to change your bad habits.          It is time to ––––––––––––.

48. Present Tense + (as if / as though) + Past Tense (‘be’ = ‘were’ but other verb Past Simple): He acts as if he were mad. He acts as though he knew everything. He talks as if he ––––––––.

49.      Past Tense + (as if / as though) + Past Perfect Tense: He talked as though he had been mad.

50.            Both … and: I liked both the movie and the play. Mahabub both likes and recommends the movie.

51.            Yet: He’s seventy-two, yet he still swims, runs and plays football regularly.

52.            Let alone: The child cannot walk let alone run.

53.            Love, like, dislike, hate, mind, cannot help, look forward to, with a view to, verb + ing: I love traveling. He cannot help laughing. I went to market with a view to buying some vegetables. He finished reading ‘Hamlet’ yesterday. I hate –––––––––––. I like ––––––.

54.            Cannot but + verb Present: We cannot but die one day. He cannot but –––––––––.

55.            Cannot help + verb + ing = He cannot / couldn’t help laughing. Sumy could not help ––––.

56.            Preposition + verb + ing: He prevented me from speaking in public. She keeps on talking.

57.            I wish I + ‘be’ verb = ‘were’ / other verb Past Simple: I wish I were a bird. I wish I could fly in the sky.

58.            As/so long as: We will travel as long as the weather is good. You can do whatever you like as long as you do not neglect your studies.

59.            The + comparative . . . the + comparative: The more you read, the more you learn. The earlier, the better. The sooner, the better. The more he gets, the more –––––––––.

60.            In spite of / despite: In spite of memorising three words, he cannot use any of them. In spite of ––––––––––––, I could not board the plane.

61.            In order to: I went to India in order to visit the Taj Mahel. I met him  in order to –––––––.

61. In order that: It is the duty of the educated people to teach people in order that they can be educated.

Exercise

1. a. If you studied hard, ––––––––––.

b. He left the job because ––––––––––.

c. He went to Chittagong to ––––––––––.

d. Those, who waste time, ––––––––––.

e. ––––––––––, you will shine in life.

2. a. We must work hard in order that ––––.

b. A man, who ––––––––, cannot shine in life.

c. It is hard labour that ––––––––.

d. The idle cannot reach their targets because ––––––––.

e. ––––––––, unless you work hard.

3. a. There goes a proverb that –––––––––.

b. Though lost wealth can be regained by hard work, lost time –––––––––.

c. Time is so valuable that ––––––––––.

d. Those who, –––––, cannot shine in life.

e. ––––––––––, you must be successful.

4. a. Asha Pervin is so happy that ––––––––.

b. It is high time we ––––––––.

c. We should learn English because ––––––––.

d. If I study English at Dhaka University, –––––.

e. Unless you work hard, ––––––––.

  

Dear readers,

Please, never hesitate to comment because your comment inspires me much. Moreover, any correction or suggestion regarding the writings will be largely appreciated and valued and you can ask me any grammatical questions regarding English. I promise I would try my best to assist you, all. Thank you very much.