Reported Speech

 

Reported Speech-command, statement, question 

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, refers to the act of reporting what someone else has said without quoting them directly. When converting a direct statement or question into reported speech, certain changes need to be made in terms of verb tense, pronouns, and word order. Let's explore reported speech for commands, statements, and questions with examples:

1. Commands:

   - Direct speech: "Come here," he said.

   - Reported speech: He told me to come there.

   - Direct speech: "Don't touch that," she said.

   - Reported speech: She told me not to touch that.

   - Direct speech: "Please, be quiet," the teacher said.

   - Reported speech: The teacher asked us to be quiet.

In reported speech for commands, the reporting verb is often changed to "tell," "ask," or "order." The reporting verb is followed by an object pronoun and the infinitive form of the verb. The word "to" is used before the verb in affirmative commands, and "not to" is used in negative commands.

2. Statements:

   - Direct speech: "I am a doctor," she said.

   - Reported speech: She said that she was a doctor.

   - Direct speech: "He likes to play basketball," they said.

   - Reported speech: They said that he liked to play basketball.

   - Direct speech: "We have been waiting for an hour," he said.

   - Reported speech: He said that they had been waiting for an hour.

In reported speech for statements, the reporting verb is often changed to "say," "tell," or "inform." The tense of the verb is also usually shifted back (e.g., from present to past) to reflect the time when the original statement was made.

3. Questions:

   - Direct speech: "What time is it?" she asked.

   - Reported speech: She asked what time it was.

   - Direct speech: "Have you seen my keys?" he asked.

   - Reported speech: He asked if I had seen his keys.

   - Direct speech: "Will you come with me?" they asked.

   - Reported speech: They asked if I would come with them.

In reported speech for questions, the reporting verb is often changed to "ask" or "inquire." The question word order is also often changed, and the verb tense might shift depending on the context and the time referred to in the original question.

I hope these examples help you understand the basics of reported speech for commands, statements, and questions. If you have any further questions or need more examples, feel free to ask!

Tenses

Tenses

English tenses are used to indicate the time of an action or event. There are three main categories of tenses: present, past, and future. Within each category, there are further subdivisions. Let's explore each tense with examples and tables:

1. Present Tenses:

   a. Present Simple: Used for general truths, habits, and routines.

      Example: I eat breakfast every morning.

   b. Present Continuous: Used for actions happening at the moment of speaking or temporary actions.

      Example: She is studying for her exam right now.

   c. Present Perfect: Used for actions that started in the past and have a connection to the present.

      Example: They have visited that museum before.

   d. Present Perfect Continuous: Used for actions that started in the past, continue in the present, and emphasize duration.

      Example: He has been working on that project for weeks.

2. Past Tenses:

   a. Past Simple: Used for actions that occurred and completed in the past.

      Example: They visited their grandparents last summer.

   b. Past Continuous: Used for actions that were in progress at a specific time in the past.

      Example: She was reading a book when the phone rang.

   c. Past Perfect: Used for actions that happened before a specific point in the past.

      Example: He had already left when I arrived.

   d. Past Perfect Continuous: Used for actions that started in the past, continued, and were completed before another point in the past.

      Example: They had been waiting for hours before the concert started.

3. Future Tenses:

   a. Future Simple: Used for actions that will happen in the future.

      Example: We will meet at the restaurant tomorrow.

   b. Future Continuous: Used for actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future.

      Example: They will be traveling to Europe next month.

   c. Future Perfect: Used for actions that will be completed before a specific point in the future.

      Example: By next year, she will have finished her degree.

   d. Future Perfect Continuous: Used for actions that will have been in progress for a duration before a specific point in the future.

      Example: He will have been working here for ten years by the end of this month.

Here is a table summarizing the tenses:

Tense                | Form                                               | Example

---------------------|----------------------------------------------------|---------------------

Present Simple       | Subject + Verb                                      | I eat an apple.

Present Continuous   | Subject + "be" verb + verb-ing                      | She is playing tennis.

Present Perfect      | Subject + "have" + past participle                  | They have seen that movie.

Present Perfect Continuous | Subject + "have been" + verb-ing               | He has been studying for hours.

Past Simple          | Subject + past tense verb                           | They visited their friends.

Past Continuous      | Subject + "was/were" + verb-ing                      | She was watching TV.

Past Perfect         | Subject + "had" + past participle                   | He had already left.

Past Perfect Continuous | Subject + "had been" + verb-ing                  | They had been waiting.

Future Simple        | Subject + "will" + base form of verb                 | We will go to the beach.

Future Continuous    | Subject + "will be" + verb-ing                       | They will be traveling

.

Future Perfect       | Subject + "will have" + past participle              | She will have finished her work.

Future Perfect Continuous | Subject + "will have been" + verb-ing          | He will have been working.

I hope this detailed explanation with examples and tables helps you understand the English tenses better. If you have any further questions or need clarification, feel free to ask!

Subject Verb Agreement

Subject Verb Agreement 

Subject-verb agreement refers to the agreement in number (singular or plural) between the subject and the verb in a sentence. It is important to ensure that the subject and verb agree in both form and number. Here is a table with examples and emojis to illustrate subject-verb agreement:

Singular subject      | Singular verb                   | The dog barks.                          | 🐶🔊

Plural subject        | Plural verb                     | The dogs bark.                          | 🐶🐶🔊

Collective noun       | Singular or plural verb         | The team wins.                          | 🏆🎉

Indefinite pronoun    | Singular verb                   | Everybody likes ice cream.               | 🍦👍

Compound subject      | Plural verb                     | Apples and oranges are fruits.           | 🍎🍊🍇

Subject joined by 'or'| Verb agrees with the closer noun | The cat or the dog is here.              | 🐱🐶👀

Subject joined by 'and'| Plural verb                     | John and Sarah are going to the party.   | 👫🎉

Subject with 'each'   | Singular verb                   | Each student has a textbook.             | 📚🎒

Subject with 'every'  | Singular verb                   | Every bird sings in the morning.         | 🐦🎵

Subject with 'none'   | Singular or plural verb         | None of the books is/are mine.           | 📚🙅‍♂️

It is important to note that the verb should agree with the subject in terms of number (singular or plural). This agreement ensures the sentence is grammatically correct and conveys the intended meaning.

I hope this table with examples and emojis helps you understand subject-verb agreement in English grammar. If you have any specific questions or need further clarification, feel free to ask!

Modals

Modals 

Modals are a type of auxiliary verbs that express various attitudes such as possibility, necessity, permission, ability, etc. Here is a table with examples and emojis 

Modals          | Examples                         | Meaning               | Emoji

----------------|----------------------------------|-----------------------|------

Can             | I can swim.                      | Ability               | 🏊‍♀️

Could           | Could you help me?               | Polite request        | 🙏

May             | May I borrow your pen?           | Permission            | ✋

Might           | She might come to the party.     | Possibility           | 🤔

Must            | You must study for the exam.      | Necessity             | 📚

Should          | You should eat vegetables.        | Advice                | 🥦

Would           | Would you like some coffee?       | Offering or request   | ☕️

Shall           | Shall we go for a walk?           | Suggestion            | 🚶‍♂

1. Ability/Inability: Modals such as 'can', 'could', and 'be able to' are used to express ability or inability to do something. For example, "I can swim" means that I have the ability to swim, while "I can't swim" means that I am unable to swim.

2. Permission: Modals such as 'may', 'might', and 'could' are used to ask for or give permission. For example, "May I borrow your pen?" is a polite way of asking for permission to borrow a pen.

3. Obligation/Necessity: Modals such as 'must', 'have to', and 'need to' are used to express obligation or necessity. For example, "You must study for the exam" means that it is necessary for you to study in order to do well on the exam.

4. Advice/Suggestion: Modals such as 'should' and 'ought to' are used to give advice or make suggestions. For example, "You should eat vegetables" is a suggestion to eat vegetables for a healthy diet.

5. Possibility: Modals such as 'may', 'might', and 'could' are also used to express possibility. For example, "She might come to the party" means that there is a possibility that she will come to the party.

6. Prohibition: Modals such as 'must not' and 'cannot' are used to express prohibition. For example, "You must not smoke in here" means that smoking is not allowed in the room.

7. Deduction/Speculation: Modals such as 'may', 'might', and 'could' are also used to make deductions or speculations based on the available information. For example, "He may have missed the train" means that it is possible that he missed the train based on the information available.

In addition to the above uses, modals are also used to express politeness, make requests, and offer suggestions. It is important to note that modals do not have different forms for different subjects, and the base form of the verb is always used after a modal.

Determiners

 Determiners 

Determiners are words that come before a noun to indicate which particular person, place, or thing is being referred to. They help to identify or quantify the noun in question. 

There are several types of determiners, including articles, possessive determiners, demonstrative determiners, quantifiers, and interrogative determiners.

1. Articles:

Articles are the most common type of determiners. There are two articles in English - "a/an" and "the." "A" or "an" is used for non-specific or general nouns, while "the" is used for specific nouns. 

Examples: 

- I saw a car on the road. (non-specific)

- An apple a day keeps the doctor away. (non-specific)

- The car that I saw on the road was a red Ferrari. (specific)

2. Possessive determiners:

Possessive determiners indicate ownership or possession of the noun. They include "my," "your," "his," "her," "its," "our," and "their."

Examples: 

- My car is parked outside. 

- Your house is beautiful.

- His dog is barking loudly.

- Her dress is very pretty.

- Its color is blue.

- Our team won the game.

- Their cat is missing.

3. Demonstrative determiners:

Demonstrative determiners are used to point out or indicate a specific noun. They include "this," "that," "these," and "those."

Examples: 

- This book is mine.

- That car is fast.

- These shoes are too tight.

- Those apples are rotten.

4. Quantifiers:

Quantifiers are determiners that express the quantity or amount of a noun. They include "some," "any," "many," "much," "few," "several," and "all."

Examples: 

- Some people like coffee, while others prefer tea.

- Do you have any money?

- Many students attended the concert.

- How much time do we have left?

- Few people know the truth.

- Several books were missing from the library.

- All the children are playing in the park.

5. Interrogative determiners:

Interrogative determiners are used to ask questions about the noun. They include "which," "what," and "whose."

Examples: 

- Which book do you want to read?

- What time is the meeting?

- Whose phone is ringing?

I hope that helps clarify the concept of determiners in English grammar!

NCC Drill

Watch this video to see basic drill demo👇

https://youtube.com/shorts/vLqzJJ-SvQQ?si=Ty96qTOawhQqJ95q

In the context of the National Cadet Corps (NCC), drill refers to a set of coordinated movements and formations performed by cadets. It is a fundamental aspect of military training and helps develop discipline, teamwork, and precision among the cadets.Drill exercises typically involve marching, saluting and other synchronised movements that contribute to the overall physical and mental training of NCC cadets