English Grammar 9, 10, 11, 12
Grammar 9 – Modals and negations
Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs (hulpwerkwoorden) that express conditions such as
possibility, ability, necessity, and permission.
You know can, to be able to, could, must, to have to, and should. 2 other modal verbs:
Ought to: used to talk about things that are ideal or desired. It is used in the same situations
as should, so to give advice. However, should is informal and ought to is formal.
-> ex: You should listen to her new album. You ought to listen to her new albums.
She should pay her parking tickets. She ought to pay her parking tickets.
May / might: used when you’re unsure about something & to ask for / give permission. They
are used in the same situations as can / could, but may is more formal than these, and might
is even more formal. Might is also the past tense of may.
-> ex: We may take the train to Berlin. We might take the train to Berlin.
May I look at your diary? Might I look at your diary?
To make a modal negative, you place not or n’t after the modal verbs.
- With to be able to, you place it after the form of to be.
-> ex: I wasn’t able to come by yesterday.
- With ought to, you place it after ought. However, ought to usually isn’t used for negations.
Instead, shouldn’t is usually used.
-> ex: You ought not to ignore the rules. He shouldn’t go there by himself.
- You make a negation with to have to by adding a form of to do.
-> ex: We don’t have to do any homework today.
Grammar 10 – Quantifiers II
All the following quantifiers give information about the number of things / persons.
Each / every: mean ‘all individuals of a group’. They are followed by a singular noun. When
referring to a group of 2 things / persons, we use each. When referring to a group of 3 or
more, we can use either each or every.
-> ex: Each apple tastes good. Every dog is different.
Neither / either: neither means ‘none’, either means ‘any of the two’. They are used to talk
about groups of 2 things / persons. They are followed by a singular noun.
-> ex: I like neither option. Either picture will do.
No: means ‘note one’ and is followed by a singular noun.
-> ex: No mountain is easy to climb.
Both: used for groups of 2 things / persons. It is followed by a plural noun.
-> ex: Both my shoes are wet.
All: means ‘the whole group’ and is followed by a plural noun.
-> ex: All my friends are going there.
Grammar 11 – Prepositions
Prepositions are used to link words to each other in sentences. There are multiple categories
of prepositions. You have already learned about prepositions of time and place (at, in, on).
Prepositions of instrument: refer to methods of transportation (by), or describe the use of
tools (with), machines and other devices (with and on).
-> ex: She travelled by bus. It was created with a 3D printer. I wrote the email on the laptop.
Prepositions of connection: used for possession (of), and when 2 things / people are
related or together (with), or physically connected (to).
-> ex: The end of the day. I am friends with her. The cable is connected to the TV.
1
, Prepositions of origin: state where something / someone comes from (from), or to talk
about the material of something (made of), or when the material is changed into a different
state (made from).
-> ex: Miguel is from Spain. I have learned a lot from him. My shirt is made of cotton. Paper
is made from wood.
Prepositions of direction / movement: state how and in which direction something /
something is moving (like across, onto, along, out of, past, through, down, to, into, towards.
-> ex: She fell down a hole. The storm is passing through the town.
Common mistakes:
- “She is married with him” -> “She is married TO him”, because “to” shows a connection
between 2 people.
- “I arrived to the airport” -> “I arrived at the airport”, because arriving already implies a
movement towards a place, so “to” is unnecessary. “In” is also correct in the context of
“arriving”, but “in” is used for larger places like countries, continents, and big cities.
- “I am good in English” -> “I am good at English”, because we use “good at” when talking
about skills / abilities like languages, sports, subjects, etc.
Tips: https://youtu.be/8t4JKCvdLNE?si=fEUmejNuYxHMNASH
- at VS in: in is used with large places like countries, continents, big cities, etc. At is used with
smaller, insignificant places.
- in VS into: in is used when you mean that a person / place / thing / animal is located inside
a location. Into is used when coming toward something.
- in VS on VS at (time): at for a specific time, in for months / years, on for days.
Preposition song: https://youtu.be/byszemY8Pl8?si=1C_UJgbUiIENmQOO
Grammar 12 – Reflexive and reciprocal pronouns
A reflexive pronoun (wederkerend voornaamwoord) is a pronoun that refers back to the
subject of a sentence: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves,
themselves.
- We use a reflexive pronoun instead of an object pronoun (me, you, him, us) when the
subject and object are the same thing / person.
-> ex: He was feeling sorry for himself. We’re teaching ourselves to cook.
- We only use a reflexive pronoun after verbs such as to wash, to dress, or to shave when we
want to place emphasis on the person doing it.
-> ex: After breakfast, he took a shower and shaved. He shaved himself despite his illness.
A reciprocal pronoun (wederkerig voornaamwoord) is a pronoun used when 2 or more
things / persons are doing the same thing for or towards the other: each other, one another.
-> ex: They liked each other. We looked at one another.
Reciprocal pronouns can also be used in a possessive form by adding ‘s after it.
-> ex: They liked each other’s outfit.
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Grammar 9 – Modals and negations
Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs (hulpwerkwoorden) that express conditions such as
possibility, ability, necessity, and permission.
You know can, to be able to, could, must, to have to, and should. 2 other modal verbs:
Ought to: used to talk about things that are ideal or desired. It is used in the same situations
as should, so to give advice. However, should is informal and ought to is formal.
-> ex: You should listen to her new album. You ought to listen to her new albums.
She should pay her parking tickets. She ought to pay her parking tickets.
May / might: used when you’re unsure about something & to ask for / give permission. They
are used in the same situations as can / could, but may is more formal than these, and might
is even more formal. Might is also the past tense of may.
-> ex: We may take the train to Berlin. We might take the train to Berlin.
May I look at your diary? Might I look at your diary?
To make a modal negative, you place not or n’t after the modal verbs.
- With to be able to, you place it after the form of to be.
-> ex: I wasn’t able to come by yesterday.
- With ought to, you place it after ought. However, ought to usually isn’t used for negations.
Instead, shouldn’t is usually used.
-> ex: You ought not to ignore the rules. He shouldn’t go there by himself.
- You make a negation with to have to by adding a form of to do.
-> ex: We don’t have to do any homework today.
Grammar 10 – Quantifiers II
All the following quantifiers give information about the number of things / persons.
Each / every: mean ‘all individuals of a group’. They are followed by a singular noun. When
referring to a group of 2 things / persons, we use each. When referring to a group of 3 or
more, we can use either each or every.
-> ex: Each apple tastes good. Every dog is different.
Neither / either: neither means ‘none’, either means ‘any of the two’. They are used to talk
about groups of 2 things / persons. They are followed by a singular noun.
-> ex: I like neither option. Either picture will do.
No: means ‘note one’ and is followed by a singular noun.
-> ex: No mountain is easy to climb.
Both: used for groups of 2 things / persons. It is followed by a plural noun.
-> ex: Both my shoes are wet.
All: means ‘the whole group’ and is followed by a plural noun.
-> ex: All my friends are going there.
Grammar 11 – Prepositions
Prepositions are used to link words to each other in sentences. There are multiple categories
of prepositions. You have already learned about prepositions of time and place (at, in, on).
Prepositions of instrument: refer to methods of transportation (by), or describe the use of
tools (with), machines and other devices (with and on).
-> ex: She travelled by bus. It was created with a 3D printer. I wrote the email on the laptop.
Prepositions of connection: used for possession (of), and when 2 things / people are
related or together (with), or physically connected (to).
-> ex: The end of the day. I am friends with her. The cable is connected to the TV.
1
, Prepositions of origin: state where something / someone comes from (from), or to talk
about the material of something (made of), or when the material is changed into a different
state (made from).
-> ex: Miguel is from Spain. I have learned a lot from him. My shirt is made of cotton. Paper
is made from wood.
Prepositions of direction / movement: state how and in which direction something /
something is moving (like across, onto, along, out of, past, through, down, to, into, towards.
-> ex: She fell down a hole. The storm is passing through the town.
Common mistakes:
- “She is married with him” -> “She is married TO him”, because “to” shows a connection
between 2 people.
- “I arrived to the airport” -> “I arrived at the airport”, because arriving already implies a
movement towards a place, so “to” is unnecessary. “In” is also correct in the context of
“arriving”, but “in” is used for larger places like countries, continents, and big cities.
- “I am good in English” -> “I am good at English”, because we use “good at” when talking
about skills / abilities like languages, sports, subjects, etc.
Tips: https://youtu.be/8t4JKCvdLNE?si=fEUmejNuYxHMNASH
- at VS in: in is used with large places like countries, continents, big cities, etc. At is used with
smaller, insignificant places.
- in VS into: in is used when you mean that a person / place / thing / animal is located inside
a location. Into is used when coming toward something.
- in VS on VS at (time): at for a specific time, in for months / years, on for days.
Preposition song: https://youtu.be/byszemY8Pl8?si=1C_UJgbUiIENmQOO
Grammar 12 – Reflexive and reciprocal pronouns
A reflexive pronoun (wederkerend voornaamwoord) is a pronoun that refers back to the
subject of a sentence: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves,
themselves.
- We use a reflexive pronoun instead of an object pronoun (me, you, him, us) when the
subject and object are the same thing / person.
-> ex: He was feeling sorry for himself. We’re teaching ourselves to cook.
- We only use a reflexive pronoun after verbs such as to wash, to dress, or to shave when we
want to place emphasis on the person doing it.
-> ex: After breakfast, he took a shower and shaved. He shaved himself despite his illness.
A reciprocal pronoun (wederkerig voornaamwoord) is a pronoun used when 2 or more
things / persons are doing the same thing for or towards the other: each other, one another.
-> ex: They liked each other. We looked at one another.
Reciprocal pronouns can also be used in a possessive form by adding ‘s after it.
-> ex: They liked each other’s outfit.
2
