TEACHERS COPY

Fishing in a river, Picnicking on the beach

The boy was fishing beside the river. X

The boy was fishing in the river.

The first sentence is wrong because if the boy were fishing beside the river, he would not
catch any dish as he would be doing it some distance away from the river.
One catches fish in an area of water (a stream, river, pond, lake or sea).

They were picnicking beside the beach.

They were picnicking on the beach.

In the first sentence, if the group of people were picnicking beside the beach, they would
not be enjoying themselves at all because they would not be doing it on the soft, fine sand
of the beach. They might be doing it on some patch of secondary jungle or some stony
ground some distance away from the beach.

Exercise 1:
Indicate whether the preposition beside has been used correctly in the sentence below.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

The scouts camped beside the sea.

He caught a big fish beside the lake.
She was sitting beside her brother.
They put some meat beside the pot to cook it.
The fishermen dry their nets beside the sea.
They boys were playing football beside the football field.
field
7. The villagers planted trees beside their houses.
8. The planters grow rice beside their fields.
9. He kept his gun beside him in case he was attacked.
10.She put the idol beside the altar to worship it.

Correct
Wrong, in the lake
Correct
Wrong, in the pot
Correct
Wrong, in the football
Correct
Wrong, in their fields
Correct
Wrong, on the altar

Prepared By: Teacher P.P.KONG

Fishing in a river, Picnicking on the beach

The boy was fishing beside the river. X

The boy was fishing in the river.

The first sentence is wrong because if the boy were fishing beside the river, he would not
catch any dish as he would be doing it some distance away from the river.
One catches fish in an area of water (a stream, river, pond, lake or sea).

They were picnicking beside the beach.

They were picnicking on the beach.

In the first sentence, if the group of people were picnicking beside the beach, they would
not be enjoying themselves at all because they would not be doing it on the soft, fine sand
of the beach. They might be doing it on some patch of secondary jungle or some stony
ground some distance away from the beach.

Exercise 1:
Indicate whether the preposition beside has been used correctly in the sentence below.
1. The scouts camped beside the sea.
2. He caught a big fish beside the lake.
3. She was sitting beside her brother.
4. They put some meat beside the pot to cook it.
5. The fishermen dry their nets beside the sea.
6. They boys were playing football beside the football field.
7. The villagers planted trees beside their houses.
8. The planters grow rice beside their fields.
9. He kept his gun beside him in case he was attacked.
10.She put the idol beside the altar to worship it.

Prepared By: Teacher P.P.KONG

Is, Are

There has a book in the bag.

X
They have three pupils in the class.
X
There is a book in the bag.

There are three pupils in the class.

The two words has and have are considered correctly used in this way in their
mother tongues (Malay, Chinese and Indian). However, in English, the correct
usage should be is and are.

Exercise 1:

Fill in the blanks with is, are, has or have.

1.
There
three people in that house.
2.
There
an apple in the refrigerator.
3.
The rich man
a big, fierce dog to guard his house.
4.
I
thirty ringgit in my purse.
5.
There
no rats in this place.
6.
There
a hole in his pocket.
7.
There
two women ministers in his cabinet.
8.
Sean
no brothers or sisters.
9.
Siti
a red dress.
10. There
a hammer in the tool-box.
11. There
many cockroaches in the kitchen of the restaurant.
12. We
no one to turn to for help.
13. The cat
no home to go back to.
14. There
seventy questions in this paper.
15. There
no food for the hungry children.

Prepared By: Teacher P.P.KONG

TEACHERS COPY

Is, Are

There has a book in the bag.

X
They have three pupils in the class.
X
There is a book in the bag.

There are three pupils in the class.

The two words has and have are considered correctly used in this way in their
mother tongues (Malay, Chinese and Indian). However, in English, the correct
usage should be is and are.

Exercise 1:
Fill in the blanks with is, are, has or have.
1.
There are
three people in that house.
2.
There is
an apple in the refrigerator.
3.
The rich man has
a big, fierce dog to guard his house.
4.
I
have
thirty ringgit in my purse.
5.
There are
no rats in this place.
6.
There
is
a hole in his pocket.
7.
There are
two women ministers in his cabinet.
8.
Sean
has
no brothers or sisters.
9.
Siti
has
a red dress.
10. There is
a hammer in the tool-box.
11. There are
many cockroaches in the kitchen of the restaurant.
12. We
have
no one to turn to for help.
13. The cat
has
no home to go back to.
14. There are
seventy questions in this paper.
15. There
is
no food for the hungry children.

Prepared By: Teacher P.P.KONG

TEACHERS COPY

am, in the morning; pm, in the afternoon or at night

We go to school at 7.30 am in the morning.

She has her lunch at 2.00 pm in the afternoon.
We go to school at 7.30 am.
We go to school at 7.30 in the morning.
She has her lunch at 2.00 pm.
She has her lunch at 2.00 in the afternoon.

am (ante meridiem) already means in the morning.

pm (post meridiem) already means after noon.

X
X

Exercise 1:
Indicate whether the sentences below are correct or wrong. If they are wrong, correct them.
1.

I usually revise my lesson after dinner at 8.00 in the evening.

Correct.

2.

Her father never gets up later than 6.30 am in the morning.

Wrong, 6.30 am or 6.30 in the morning.

3.

The man never goes to bed earlier than one oclock in the morning.
Correct.

4.

The traffic congestion usually occurs around 7.00 in the morning, 1.30 in the
afternoon and 6.00 in the evening.
Correct.

5.

At the hotel we were usually served tea at 4.00 pm.

Correct.

6.

5.00 am in the morning is really too early to go for a jog.

Wrong, 5.00 am or 5.00 in the morning.

7.

Nobody in his right mind would go for a swim n the sea at 11.00 pm at night!
Wrong, 11.00 pm or 11.00 at night.

8.

The games practice is from 4.30 pm in the afternoon to 6.00 pm in the evening.
Wrong, from 4.30 pm to 6.00 pm or from 4.30 in the afternoon to 6.00 in the evening.

9.

We will start at 9.00 am and reach our destination around 10.00 am.
Correct.

10.

Visiting hours are from 11.00 in the morning to 1.00 in the afternoon.
Correct.

Prepared By: Teacher P.P.KONG

am, in the morning; pm, in the afternoon or at night

We go to school at 7.30 am in the morning.

She has her lunch at 2.00 pm in the afternoon.
We go to school at 7.30 am.
We go to school at 7.30 in the morning.
She has her lunch at 2.00 pm.
She has her lunch at 2.00 in the afternoon.

am (ante meridiem) already means in the morning.

pm (post meridiem) already means after noon.

X
X

Exercise 1:
Indicate whether the sentences below are correct or wrong. If they are wrong, correct them.
1.

I usually revise my lesson after dinner at 8.00 in the evening.

2.

Her father never gets up later than 6.30 am in the morning.

3.

The man never goes to bed earlier than one oclock in the morning.

4.

The traffic congestion usually occurs around 7.00 in the morning, 1.30 in the
afternoon and 6.00 in the evening.

5.

At the hotel we were usually served tea at 4.00 pm.

6.

5.00 am in the morning is really too early to go for a jog.

7.

Nobody in his right mind would go for a swim n the sea at 11.00 pm at night!

8.

The games practice is from 4.30 pm in the afternoon to 6.00 pm in the evening.

9.

We will start at 9.00 am and reach our destination around 10.00 am.

10.

Visiting hours are from 11.00 in the morning to 1.00 in the afternoon.

Prepared By: Teacher P.P.KONG

TEACHERS COPY

Formation of the Past Tense

The policeman was arrested the thief.

The man was eaten the chicken.

X
X

The policeman arrested the thief

The man ate the chicken.

The first sentence gives us the impression that it was the chicken which ate the man.
The second sentence gives us the impression that the thief arrested the policeman.
Many students think that since was is a simple past tense verb, they can add it to any verb to make
it the simple past tense.
However they do not realise that was added to a past participle makes it the passive voice.
If one writes the man was eaten, it means that something ate the man and not the man ate
something.

Exercise 1:
Indicate whether the simple past tense verbs in the sentences below have been written correctly. If not,
correct it.
1.
He was beaten the boy.
Wrong, beat
2.
3.

The snake was killed the man.

The mother was beaten her misbehaving son.

Wrong, killed
Wrong, beat

4.

The teacher scolded the lazy student.

Correct

5.

My mother was cooked dinner.

Wrong, cooked

6.

The boy was done his homework.

Wrong, did

7.

The girl was played the guitar.

8.

The boy threw the stone into the river.

9.

The father was advised his daughter.

10.

The man was cut down the tree.

Wrong, cut

11.

The boy was ridden his bicycle.

Wrong, rode

12.

The man was repaired the roof of the house.

Wrong, repaired

13.

The firemen put out the fire.

Correct

14.

Thieves were stolen the wheels of his car.

Wrong, stole

15.

He was typed the letter.

Wrong, typed

16.
17.

The mosquito was bitten the woman.

The man was turned on the radio.

Wrong, bit
Wrong, turned

18.

Workmen cleaned the drains.

Correct

19.

The maid washed the windows.

Wrong, washed

20.

He was posted the letter.

Wrong, posted

Wrong, played
Correct
Wrong, advised

Prepared By: Teacher P.P.KONG

Formation of the Past Tense

The
The
The
The

The first sentence gives us the impression that it was the chicken which ate the man.
The second sentence gives us the impression that the thief arrested the policeman.
Many students think that since was is a simple past tense verb, they can add it to any verb to make
it the simple past tense.
However they do not realise that was added to a past participle makes it the passive voice.
If one writes the man was eaten, it means that something ate the man and not the man ate
something.

policeman was arrested the thief.

man was eaten the chicken.
policeman arrested the thief
man ate the chicken.

X
X

Exercise 1:
Indicate whether the simple past tense verbs in the sentences below have been written correctly. If not,
correct it.
1.

He was beaten the boy.

2.
3.

The snake was killed the man.

The mother was beaten her misbehaving son.

4.

The teacher scolded the lazy student.

5.

My mother was cooked dinner.

6.

The boy was done his homework.

7.
8.

The girl was played the guitar.

The boy threw the stone into the river.

9.
10.

The father was advised his daughter.

The man was cut down the tree.

11.

The boy was ridden his bicycle.

12.
13.
14.

The man was repaired the roof of the house.

The firemen put out the fire.
Thieves were stolen the wheels of his car.

15.

He was typed the letter.

16.
17.

The mosquito was bitten the woman.

The man was turned on the radio.

18.
19.

Workmen cleaned the drains.

The maid washed the windows.

20.

He was posted the letter.

Prepared By: Teacher P.P.KONG

Here, There
Exercise 1:

Indicate whether the sentences below are correct or not. If they are not, make the necessary corrections.
1.

When our plane arrived at there, it was already dark.

2.

)
When our train stopped there, we bought some packets of nasi lemak from a vendor.

3.

)
The team from the other school came to our school to play at here.

4.
5.

)
The man came here to ask for work.
The grass at here was too long, so some town council workers came to cut it.

6.

)
We saw some children at there teasing a handicapped boy.

7.

)
The headmaster warned us not to destroy the young trees planted there.

8.

(
)
At here, you can buy electrical items at very low prices.

9.

)
We are not supposed to wash our hands here.

10.

)
If we are not at here, by 4.00 pm to begin our sports practise, the teacher will punish us.

11.

(
)
We have to eat our food here. We cannot take it to our classrooms.

12.

)
If you usually buy your things at there, you can apply for a discount card.

13.

(
)
You cannot make any noise in the library. At there, the students are either studying,

14.

)
doing revision or doing reference.
You cannot talk there for you will be disturbing the other students.

15.

(
)
The Art Room is unoccupied most of the time, so they can do their project peacefully at there.
(

)
(
(

Prepared By: Teacher P.P.KONG