Frequency Adverbs : Frequently Asked Questions

What are Frequency Adverbs?

Frequency Adverbs are a group mof adverbs which answer the question: How often?Examples are : never, always, often, seldom , rarely etc . They show similarity in grammatical behavor in sentences .

What is the position of Frequency Adverbs in sentences ?

Frequency Adverbs come just before main verbs in sentences . When a compound verb-form is used , they come between the auxiliary and the main verb . When there are two auxiliaries, they come after the first auxiliary . Look at these examples :

*He never comes late for work.
*He has never told a lie to anyone .
* He has always been trying to win her favor .

What is the position of the Frequency Ad verbs when the verb is the lexical verb be ?

The lexical verb be takes several forms like is, are, am etc . In English sentences Frequency Adverbs come immediately after the lexical be . Look at these examples :

*Indian women are always committed to their families>
* Mothers are sendom strict with their sons >

Do Frequency Adverbs ever come at the beginning of sentences?

Yes, they do, sometimes . When they are used at the beginning of sentences for emphasis , subject and operator exchange positions . This is called subject-operato inversion .The term operator is used in modern grammar to signify the first auxiliary , or the dummy auxiliary do or the lexical verb be . Look at these examples

* We seldom see a comet .
Seldom do we see a comet .

*He has never seen an elephant .
Never has he seen an elephant .

He was never a trusted friend of mine .
Never was he a trusted friend of mine .

Please note that always is not fronted like other frequency adverbs

What is the position of Frequency Adverbs when modal auxiliaries used to , have ti, and ought to are used ?

Strictly speaking , used to and have to are not modal auxiliaries . They may be called substitute modal auxiliaries . Frequency Adverbs come before these auxiliaries . However, ought to behaves somewhat differently . In conversational English it behaves like used to and have to . but in formal English frequency adverbs come between ought and to as in the sentence "You ought always to mix with good people ".

I will continue the discussion in my next post

Thank you

Correlative Conjunctions & Proximity Concord

There are a few conjunctions in English known as correlative conjunctions .They are : neither...nor, either...or , both...and , not only....but also etc .

While using these correlative conjunctions students of English are often faced with the problem of subject-verb agreement . Correlative conjunction connect two or sometimes more than two pronouns or nouns in subject position,and the problem confronting the student is to make the verb agree with which subject .

Look at these two examples

1. Neither you nor I am responsible for this

Here the correlative conjunction neither...nor connects two pronouns , you (second person) and I (first person singular) In such cases we apply the Principle of Proximity Concord . According to this Principle the verb agrees with the subject just preceding it . Hence, we chose am and not are

2. Neither the Principal nor the teachers were present on the occasion

The Principle of Proximity Concord can be applied here ,too . The noun-subject just preceding the verb is the plural noun teachers and hence were is used and not was .

Students may note that when two nouns (both third persons) are connected with neither...nor the plural noun always follows the singular noun . and not the other way round . Similarly, First Person Singular I always follows the Second Person pronoun you in constructions using neither...nor and either...or

Dear readers . I will discuss a few more examples of subject -verb agreement in my next post

Thank you

Subject - Verb Agreement

Dear Readers,

Subiect-Verb Agreement is yet another slippery area for ESL learners . What is subject-verb agreement? This simple rule can be stated as follows :

" The verb shall agree with the subject in number and in person"

It sounds so simple! Doesn't it ? The problem for most ESL learners is to determine which word or words constitute the subject of the senntence . then they have to determine the number of the subject , whether the subject is singular or plural . The problem is complicated by the fact that number is sometimes determined by meaning and sometimes by form! Take this sentence as an example
More than one student has been chosen for the scholarship.
\
The singular verb has is bound to confuse ESL learners . The subject is definitely a plural one as far as meaning goes . It is a case where number is determined by form rather than by meaning . Now look at this sentence

"One of the boys has been chosen for the awars"

the verb has agrees with the subject "one of the boys" , and this is a case where number is determined by meaning .

Collective Nounns like committee , jury couple ,team etc constitute another source of confusion for ESL learners . These nouns are sometimes singular and sometimes plural , depending on the way the speaker perceives them . Thus committee can be singular when the speaker perceives it as a body of persons working together in unison , and it can be plural when he perceives it as a body of persons divided . Look at these examples
The committee has submitted its report to the government
The committee are divided in their findings

It would seem that the tendency of the native speakers of English is to use a singular verb unless there is a strong case for treating the subject as plural Take for example the proverb
Time and tide waits for no man

The singular verb waits suggests that the words time and tide constitute a single subject , They have the same contextual meaning. . Tey are united in one overwhelming aspect - they do not wait for anybody . The singularity of the subject is reinforced by alliteration . Take another example

Slow and steady wins the race

The singularity of the subject is again reinforced by alliteration .
Thus the English language makes creative use of the principle of subject-verb agreement. to enrich the meaning of discourses.

I will discuss the various aspects of subject-verb agreement in my next posts

Thank you

.

Modal Auxiliaries : WILL and WOULD

Non- native learners of English are often puzzled at the way English speakers use the auxiliaries WILL and WOULD .ESL learners often think that will has the auxiliary function of indicating future tense and nothing more , and would is its past tense form used in reported speech .

The truth is that WILL and WOULD are used in present-day English mainly as Modal Auxiliaries Apart from their use as future time indicators they express a variety of moods or emotional attitudes of the speakers .

The Use of WILL as a Modal Auxiliary


1Will expresses willingness

*I will help you to carry this suit-case.
*I wii lend you some money .

2 Will used to make requests

*Will you ,please, pass the salt?*
*Will you open the window, please?

3Will used to make a command or order.

* You will never talk to her like that!
* you will never step into my house again.!

4 Will used to state a general truth.

*Children will be children.
*A burnt child will dread the fire.

5 Will used to express a guess
* " Listen! Somebody is ringing the door-bell"
"Oh, it will be John. I'm expecting him"

6 Will expresses a habit

* She will sit for hours watching TV.
*He will smoke whenever he feels lonely. .


The Use of WOULD as a Modal Auxiliary


1WOULD is used in impossible conditions to nexpress something ( an action or an event) which could not be done or could not take place because the condition was not fulfilled . Example

*I would have helped if she had asked me to.

(This sentence means that I did not help her because she did not ask me to help her)

2 WOULD is used in imaginary or hypothetical conditions

*I would be happy if he apologized to her,.

(WOULD suggests that apologizing is hypothetical or imaginary )
Please note that the past tense form of the verb does not mean that the action is past in meaning .. It is the way English language shows unreal or imaginary things This may puzzle ESL learners!

3 WOULD expresses a wish

*I wish she would make a speedy recovery>.

WOULD expresses the result of an action imagined by the speaker

*She would look better in a yellow sari!

* It would be unfair to deny her a chance

WOULD expresses a polite request

*Would you, please, vacate this seat for this lady?

WOULD is sometimes used instead of used to to indicate a habitual action in the past

*She would play tennis when she was at college.

Dear readers , I hope that you have found this lesson usrful I will discuss the remaining modal auxiliaries in my next post


Thank you

modal auxiliary : NEED

The Use of NEED


When NEED is used as an ordinary English verb with the structure : verb+ to-infinitive it behaves exactly like the verbs want , wish , desire etc. It is inflected for number and person when the subject is third person singular . Its negatives and questions are formed with the help of dummy auxiliary do Look at these examples:


*She needs to take a few days rest.

*He does not need to go to office.

*She didn't need to call a taxi. I offered her a lift.

*Does he need to show his passport every time he checks-in ?



You can see from these examples that NEED behaves like ordinary verbs want or wish .



NEED as a Modal Auxiliary

When NEED is used as a modal auxiliary , it does not inflect for number or person when the subject is third person singular Need is followed by bare infinitive, that is , base-form of the verb,.

She need not go to school today

He need not learn Chinese for studying medicine in China.

When NEED is used as a modal auxiliary do- support is not required for negatives and questions

She need not worry about getting a job .

Need he come early tomorrow?

Please note that this dual behavior of NEED has enriched the English languageWhen NEED is used with do-support it carries the idea of a permanent habit and when it is used as a modal auxiliary it carries the idea of a particular occasion


Do I need to wear a tie whenever I attend the club(permanent habit)

Need I get up so early tomorrow?(a particular occasion)

Moreover, the question using need as ordinary verb is an open question The answer can be yes or no ..On the contrary ,the question using need as a modal auxiliary anticipates a negative reply.

The negative of needed is didn't need in present-day English .(that is, need as an ordinary verb) Examples:
He needed to earn a little more money to heep family happy .

He didn't need to work so hard He has a lot of money in the bank!

Needn't have is used when an action was unnecessary , but was done nevertheless.(Amodal use of the verb) Examples:

You needn't have gone to the railway station Your train has been cancelled.

You needn't have booked the tickets .She has changed her plans!

Thus the use of NEED as both an ordinary verb and a modal auxiliary has enriched the E nglish language It would be a poor version of English if it uses need only as an ordinary verb .!


Now to summarize

NEED as ordinary verb:
*takes -s ending in present tense when subject is third person singular

*do-support required for questions and negatives.

*it is followed by to-infinitive

NEED as modal auxiliary
*does not take -s ending when subject is third person singular

*no do-support for questions and negatives

*it is followed by bare infinitive


I will continue the discussion in my next post

Thank you

Modal Auxiliaries : Must & Have to.

Dear Readers!

A knowledge of the correct use of Modal Auxiliaries is indispensable for anyone who wishes to communicate in English ,.

In this lesson I will be discussing the correct use of the auxiliaries must and have to.

Strictly speaking, have to is not a modal auxiliary and it may be better called a substitute modal auxiliary .

The Use of Must

Must is used to indicate obligation, duty orcompulsion . Look at these examples:

* You must learn your lessons regularly.

*We must look after our aged parents.

*You must be properly dressed while attending job interviews.

*Children must brush their teeth twice every day.

*A teacher must prepare his lessons well before going to classes.

*A good manager must treat the employees with respect.

Please note that all these sentences carry the idea of duty, obligation or compulsion..


Another common use of must is to indicate necessity Look at these examples:

*I must leave now: I have to attend a meeting.

I must hurry: I have to catch a train to Cochin.

* I have a nagging cough : I must see a doctor this evening .



The distinction between Must and Have to


Have to and must are often confused by ESL learners. Please remember that must indicates duty , obligation or compulsion from the speaker's point of view .It can be substituted for 'I want you to ". Examples:


*You must respect your elders( I want you to respect your elders)

*You must practise good table manners (I want you to practise good table manners)

*You must keep your word ( I want you to keep your word )

Have to indicates a compulsion from outside and it does not in any way indicate the speaker's point of view


Negatives and Questions


NECESSITY

\
When must indicates necessity, the negative is "needn't ".Look at this dialogue

"I must rush to the station . I have to catch The Alleppey Express"

' You needn't rush . The train has been cancelled "


OBLIGATION/DUTY/COMPULSION


The negative of must is mustn't when must indicates duty,. E:xamples

*You mustn't travel without tickets

*We mustn't insult the poor>In these sentences mustn't is a negative command or prohibition)



Questions with must/have to

Must begins open questions whose answers may be yes or no. On the contrary, if the modal auxiliary" need" begins a question ,the expected answer is No


Must I come every morning?( the speaker expects the reply yes or no)

'do (subject) have to " is used to express permanent compulsion Example

Do I have to show my passport every time I check-in?

To express compulsion on particular occasions do can be dropped and have to or have got to is enough Example

Have I got to come early tomorrow? (A particular occasion)

Has she got to receive him at the airport tomorrow?(A particular occasion)


I will continue the discussion in my next post

Thank you

Modal auxiliaries : CAN and MAY

In this lesson we are introducing Modal Auxiliaries+

Auxiliaries are divided into Primary Auxiliaries and Modal Auxiliaries Primary auxiliaries are three in number--Have, Do and Be
They change their form according to the number and person of tje subject Examples;

*I am going to the school.

*She is going to the school.

*They are going to the school.


Modal Auxiliaries express the mood of the speaker They convey possibility, doubt,supposition , uncertainty. determination . surety and so on They do not change their form according to the subject of the sentence .


The use of CAN


*Can expresses ability, and this auxiliary is equivalent to "is able to "

I can play the violin.

I am able to play the violin.


Please note that when can denotes ability its future tense is "will be able to"
Example :

You will be able to drive a car when you are older.

*Can sometimes expresses permission .and it is equivalent to "is permitted to" Example:

You can leave now.

You are permitted to leave now.

Please note that when can is used in this sense the future tense is can itself . Example:

You can do it tomorrow .


* Another use of can is to show a latent possibility or a possibility that is conceded. Example:

Dogs can be dangerous>.


The past tense of CAN


CAN has two past forms : could and "was able to "Could is used when we refer to the ability or capacity. Example:


She could sing when she was young.

"Was able to " is used when we refer to the performance or achievement of something through the ability or capacity . Examples:

She was able to reach the finish line in time .

He was able to save her from drowning .

The modal auxiliary MAY

May is used to express Permission or possibility

You may go (permission)

Please note that when permission is denied we say "can't"In other words the opposite of may is can't ! Example

May I use your car?

No, you can't!(we don't say mayn't!)

When may shows possibility it is stressed in spoken English Example

The train may be late by a few minutes.

We will discuss the remaining modal auxiliaries in the next posts .

Thank you