Rule 1: Have/has/had + past participle tense (V3)
After have/has/had, choose the past participle of a verb with the form -ed or the third form.
Example:
You have been approved for admission.
He had repaired his old car.
I have baked some cookies.
Rule 2: Am/is/are/was/were + past participle tense (V3)
After am/is/are/was/were, choose the past participle of a verb with the form -ed or the third form.
Example:
She was chased by animals in the forest.
Your dog is obsessed with bigger dogs.
However, the verb is sometimes the first form after is/am/are/was/were.
Example:
Jack was cutting the grass when a snake appeared.
My parents are going to a lake nearby for fishing.
Rule 3: Be/being/been+ past participle tense (V3)
After be/been/being, choose the past participle of a verb with the form -ed or the third form.
Example:
This workshop has been held in the art gallery since last week.
Rule 4: Preposition ‘to’ + first form of the verb (V1)
After the preposition “to”, choose a verb in the present or first form of the verb.
Example:
I decided to go to New York to visit my sister.
I want to order pizza
However, when we have any expectation, we must use
TO + V1 + ING
She is dedicated enough to helping the poor people.
We are committed to improving the lifestyle of our community.
Hence, these three expressions;
‘be used to,’
‘be accustomed to,’ and
‘adjust to’
are also followed by the -ING form of the verb.
Rule 5: Preposition with, of, for, about + verb-ing
After the prepositions ‘with’, ‘of’, ‘for’, and ‘about’ (except for ‘to’), use verbs ending in ‘-ing’.
Example:
Thanks for giving me a ride.
How about going to the zoo this weekend?
Rule 6: Articles a/an/the + noun
There are two types of articles:
- The definite article ‘The’
- The indefinite article ‘a’, ‘an’
‘A’ or ‘an’ usually comes before ‘the’ before the same noun in a paragraph.
Remember that nouns always come after articles. So, if the blank comes after a/an/the, you will quickly identify the noun from the filling options.
Here are the 3 Article Rules:
- “An” comes before words that begin with a vowel sound—five vowels” a, e, i, o, u.
Example: an egg, an apricot, an elephant
- “A” comes before words that begin with consonants.
Example: a student, a building, a tree
- ‘The’ comes before the noun forms of a word to indicate that the noun’s identity is known to the reader.
Example: “I will read the book“. The speaker means a specific book.
Rule 7: Article a/an/the + adjective + noun
While rule 6 states that a/an/the goes with nouns, they may go with noun phrases (adjective + noun).
If there is a blank between an article and a noun, we will specify an adjective to fill in
Example: a tall building, a unique outfit
Rule 8: Modal verb + first form of the verb
can/ could/shall/should/may/might/will/ would/must/have to + first verb form
A modal verb (or modal auxiliary verb) expresses the certainty and uncertainty of action.
Example:
You must leave the danger zone.
I can complete the report within three hours.
He should see a dentist before his teeth get worse.
Rule 9: Many + Plural nouns
After ‘many’, look for a plural noun to fill in the blank. The plural form of a noun will always have “s or es”.
Example:
Many students are waiting for the school bell.
He can speak many languages
Rule 10: It/which/that + Plural form of the verb -s/-es
After it/ which/ that, you must fill in the blank with the plural form of the verb with -s or -es.
Example:
It takes a few months to finish the project.
He cooks a dish that has a distinctive French taste.
Rule 11: Conjunction rule
The verb form must be consistent before and after a conjunction
Example:
My family will go to Melbourne and settle there.
| Furthermore | She was tired and cold, and furthermore she was hungry. |
| Hence | Schools are closed due to lockdown. Hence, teachers are taking online classes. |
| However BE + V1 ing --- In case of Expectations. | He will buy that car, however, he will have to use all his savings. |