Grammar and Usage

Grammar is the set of rules that lets us build correct, clear and natural English sentences, and in the Grade 11 Compulsory English paper it is tested through short, controlled tasks rather than as abstract theory. A typical question asks you to put a verb in the right tense, choose the correct article or preposition, turn a statement into reported speech, change the voice, join or transform two sentences, or complete a conditional. The examiner is checking one thing: can you apply a rule accurately and write the whole corrected sentence. This chapter gathers every usage point on the syllabus and shows the method for each type of task.

The single most useful habit is to read the whole sentence before you write anything. Most grammar items contain a signal word (a time word, a linking word, a word like yet or ago) that decides the answer for you. Find the signal, apply the matching rule, and write the answer in full.

Tenses

A tense shows the time of an action (past, present or future) and its aspect (whether it is simple, continuous, perfect or perfect continuous). You do not need to name the tense in the exam; you need to pick the form that the sentence's time signal demands.

The present simple is used for habits, routines and general or universal truths. We write "The earth goes round the sun" because it is always true, and "Every day Mr. Sharma goes to college on his bike" because it is a repeated habit. Remember the third-person singular s: he, she, it or one name takes the s, so it is "goes", not "go".

The present continuous (am/is/are + verb-ing) describes an action happening at the moment of speaking, so words like now, at present, at the moment, look, listen point to it: "The students are writing their answers in the examination hall right now."

The present perfect (have/has + past participle) links a past action to the present, and is signalled by yet, already, just, ever, never, so far, recently, since and for: "They have not gone out yet" and "She has lived here since 2075."

The past simple is for a finished action at a definite past time, so yesterday, ago, last week, in 2070, then force it: "I bought this book yesterday" and "The girl got married six months ago."

The past continuous (was/were + verb-ing) sets a background action in progress, often interrupted by a shorter past action: "I was reading when the lights went out." The past perfect (had + past participle) shows the earlier of two past actions: "The train had left before we reached the station."

The future is expressed with will + base verb for predictions and instant decisions ("It will rain tomorrow") and with going to for plans and intentions ("I am going to study medicine").