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| ^ top Feminine
|
English has three genders for
nouns and pronouns: masculine, feminine, and
neuter. The associated singular pronouns are "he", "she"
and "it". Unless obviously male (e.g. man, boy, bull) or
female (e.g. lady, vixen, sow), nouns tend to be neuter by default. An
animal can be referred to as "it", or "he" or
"she" when the sex is known. Large machines, such as ships and
trains, which - by default - are neuter, are sometimes affectionally called
"she". For ease, "he" is sometimes used in
writing to represent "he" and "her".
Likewise, "his" is used for "his" and "her".
|
He / She
/ It / Them / Rooster / Dog / Bitch
/ Vixen [feminine] |
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| ^ top Figurative
|
Figurative language is the use of words in an unusual or imaginative
manner. It embellishes reality for emphasis and often involves the use
of a metaphor, simile or personification:
 He is a fast
swimmer. (non-figurative version)
He is like a
torpedo in the water. (figurative version)
I
think she is a monster, figuratively speaking of course.
|
He throws the javelin like an Olympic
champion. It flies like a missile.
[figurative] |
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| ^ top Figure of Speech
|
A figure of speech is an expression (like a metaphor,
simile, personification, etc.) in which words are not used in their
literal sense.
He is a
rock.
Carl is
motoring along with the those invoices.
|
I haven't eaten for a day. I
could eat a horse. [figure
of speech] |
|
| ^ top First Person
|
Personal pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they) are
grouped into one of 3 categories: "first person", "second
person" and "third person".
The category "first person" refers to the speaker himself
or a group that includes the speaker. (i.e. I, Me, We and Us).
"Second person" refers to the speaker's audience (i.e. you).
"Third person" refers to everybody else (e.g. he, him, she, her,
it, they, them), including all other nouns (e.g. Craig, Germans, ant, mice).
|
I am not local. We
are staying with the caretaker. [first person] |
Related lesson: "Verbs".
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| ^ top Full
Stop
|
A full stop is a punctuation mark (.) which signifies the end of a
sentence. Full stops are also used in abbreviations.
The
hammerhead sharks circled the boat for more than a week.
B.B.C.
/ Prof. Munro
Related lesson: "Abbreviations".
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| ^ top Future Perfect Tense
|
Verbs describing actions that will take place in the future are said
to be in the future tense. The future perfect tense is
used for an action that will be completed sometime in the future before another action.
By the time
you arrive, we will have finished the meal and the speeches.
I will
have read every magazine in the waiting room before I see the dentist.
The future perfect tense is one for four future tenses. They
are:
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| ^ top Future Perfect Progressive
Tense
|
Verbs describing actions that will take place in the future are said
to be in the future tense. The future perfect progressive tense is
used for an on-going action that will be completed at some specified time in the future.
In July next
year, I will have been studying for 3 years.
I will
have been playing poker for 30 years by then.
The future perfect progressive tense is one for four future tenses. They
are:
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| ^ top Future Progressive Tense
|
Verbs describing actions that will take place in the future are said
to be in the future tense. The future progressive tense is
used for an on-going action that will occur in the future.
The Moscow
State Circus will be performing in Cheltenham for the next 3 weeks.
We will be
celebrating like Kings if it works.
The future progressive tense is one for four future tenses. They
are:
|
| ^ top Future
Tense
|
Verbs describing actions that will happen in the future are said
to be in the future tense. The four future tenses
are:
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