EngQuizzitive - 15 (grammar)

Topic : Verbs - II (tenses : Present)

A verb is a word denoting action (derived from the latin word verbum : word).The concept of tenses helps us indicate the time regarding the action.

Depending on the time frame one needs to communicate tenses have to be used.Tenses are classified as :
Primary and Secondary

Primary tenses are also known as Simple tenses and are of the following three types :
Simple Present tense
Simple Past tense
Simple Future tense

Secondary tenses are also of three types :
Perfect [Present,Past,Future]
Continuous also called as the progressive [Present,Past,Future]
Perfect-Continuous/Progressive [Present,Past,Future]


This quiz was based on all the present tenses i.e. Simple Present/Present Perfect/Present Continuous/Present-Perfect Continuous

An example to illustrate the usage of these tenses:

Simple Present : I run
Simple Past : I ran.
Simple Future : I shall run.
Present Perfect : I have run.
Past Perfect : I had run.
Future Perfect : I shall have run.
Present Continuous : I am running.
Past Continuous : I was running.
Present Continuous : I shall be running.
Present Perfect Continuous : I have been running.
Past Perfect Continuous : I had been running.
Future Perfect Continuous : I shall have been running.

Present tenses

Usage of the Simple present tense: A simple present tense is used in the following instances :

• to indicate a present action
• to indicate a planned future activity
• for all sensory actions
• for all habitual actions
• used with all the verbs related to understanding,perception etc
• actions indicating universal truths

Usage of the Present Continuous tense: A present continuous tense is used to indicate any activity happening at the present moment.

Usage of the Present Perfect tense: A present perfect tense is used to indicate any activity started in the past and that has just ended.[ a present perfect tense is indicated by the usage of the primary auxillary has and have]


Usage of the Present Perfect Continuous tense: A present perfect continuous tense is used to describe any action that began in the past and which has continued even in the present.

Answers

1. She baked a fairly good cake./She has baked a fairly good cake.[ usage of a present perfect tense]
2. Harem releases next week.[planned future activity hence the usage of simple present tense] or Harem will release next week.
3. The breeze feels good in this hot weather.[sensory action hence the usage of the simple present]
4. Animals hibernate in winter. [habitual action and hence the usage of the simple present tense]
5. She plays/played the guitar very well.

Please feel free to post any queries in the comments section of this post.

EngQuizzitive - 14 (vocab) : Quiz

EngQuizzitive - 14 (vocab): Answers

Hi guys,

This week's vocab quiz was based on words derived from number prefixes.

As most of you know that a word has a structure.There are three parts of a word.These are as follows:

prefix+root+suffix

A prefix (pre - before + fixus - attach) is a part that is attached before a root.It helps one understand the connotation of a word.A prefix helps one understand whether a word has a positive or a negative connotation.

On this basis we can classify prefixes as positive,negative and neutral.As we go ahead with our quizzes we'll cover these in detail.This quiz was based on neutral prefixes:those that indicate number.

The following are all the number prefixes I could think about.

1 : uni [unity,universe,unicorn]
    mono [monolithic,monotheism,monotony]
    prima [primary,primitive,prima donna]
    proto [protozoa,proton,prototype]

2: bi [bissect,bilateral,biped]
   di [dilemma,diploma]
   du [duet,dual.duplex]

3: tri [trivial,trinity,trilateral]
4: quadri [quadrilateral,quadrangle,quadruped]
5: penta [pentagon,pentacle]
6: hexa [hexagon]
7: septa [septagon,september]
8: octa [octave.octagon,october]
9: nova [novenber,novina] /'noon' is also derived from Latin word 'novem'(nine) meaning ninth hour from sunrise (old english usage) [ contributed by Shradha Mallya]
10: deca [decmeber,decimal,decimate,decagon]
100: centum [century,centennial,centipede]
1000: milli [million,millionnaire,millennium]
1/2: semi,hemi [semester,semicolon,semi conductor,hemisphere]
all : pan,omni [pandora,panacea,pantheism,omniscient,omnipotent]

If you guys have come across any other number prefixes please post it in the comments section of this blog.

Answers

1. the first sight
2. a four legged animal
3. number of sides
4. year
5. having all knowledge

EngQuizzitive -13 (quiz)

EngQuizzitive -13 (grammar) : Answers

Kia ora friends,

This week's grammar quiz was based on helper verbs also called as Auxillaries.These verbs are called helper verbs coz they help in changing the tense and also help indicate the tense [we would begin with our tense quizzes next week onwards].

There are two types of Auxillaries:

• Primary Auxillaries
• Modal Auxillaries

Primary Auxillaries (PA) : there are three primary auxillaries :

1. to be [ am,is,are,was,were]
2. have [has,had]
3. do [does,did]

PA are tense indicators and can be used as main verbs and helper verbs.
eg She is playing in the garden.[here 'is' is a helper verb]
    She is in the garden.[here 'is' is the main verb]

Modal Auxillaries (MA) : they are used to indicate the mood of the verb in a sentence.They help identify the relationship between the speaker and the listener or writer and the reader.

The meanings that the modals convey depend on their usage.The following table would help you differentiate among the different meanings conveyed by different modals.

Modal Auxiliaries              Basic meaning                                  Derived meaning


May                                 Probability (AE)*                                 Permission, polite conversation
Might                               Past probability                                   Indicates negativity
Shall                                Future tense (BE)/used for first            Probability (BE)*

                                       person: I/We
Should                            Past of shall Advice                             past probability, if
Can                                Ability (animate)                                  Authority
Could                             Past ability                                          Request (informal)
Will                                Future tense (AE)                                Surety
Would                            Past of will                                          Request (formal)
Needs to                        Necessity
Ought to                        Obligation
Must                             Compulsion
Has to                           Present compulsion
Had to                          Past compulsion
Had better                    Threat/warning

*AE:American English BE: British English
 
Answers
 

1. One ought to help the needy. [since it is a moral obligation]
2. May I come in ? [ if you are asking for permission] / Can I come in ? [if you want to indicate authority] {answer both 1 and 2}
3. John should study tonight .[advice been given to John] / John must study tonight.[compulsion]/John had better study tonight.[threatening John] {answer all the above depending on the meaning to be conveyed}
4. Should / If you have a problem let me know.
5. Would you like to have a cup of coffee? [ formal conversation]

If you have any queries do post them in the comments section of this post.

Auf Weidersehen.