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The Canadian Way
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Module 6, Unit 1
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GRAMMAR
Proper Nouns and Articles
When we talk about nouns, there are two main types that we’re interested in:
Proper – names of places and people, e.g., Ottawa, Michaëlle Jean
Common – names of common objects; these can be divided into two types


Count – nouns that we can count, e.g., book (singular), pencils (plural)
Non-count – nouns that we cannot count, e.g., education
When we talk about which article to use with a noun, there are four possibilities:
A/An
The
No article
Let’s first look at a summary of the noun types:
Noun type
Proper
Article Usage
No article/the
Common
Count – singular
A/the
Count – plural The/no article
Non-count
No article
Example
Mississauga/the Rocky Mountains
A book/the book
The books/books
Education
Proper Nouns
If the proper noun is the name of a single city, country or person, it does not take an article. For example:
Toronto and Vancouver are the biggest cities in Canada.
But if the proper noun is a group of states, a group of countries (a region) or refers to a mountain range (a group
of mountains), it takes the article the.
The Rocky Mountains run through the Western part of the United States and Canada.
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Note
1
There are also other proper nouns that take the article the. These are
names of rivers, buildings, seas or oceans and peninsulas. While they are
not exactly groups of things (as above), it is possible to think of a river, for
example, has having many parts that runs for miles from one body of
water to another. Similarly, buildings such as the City Hall are made up of
various sections that make the whole.
For the complete list, please see Appendix 1:
Common Nouns
Count nouns – Singular & Plural
These are nouns that we can count. When we look at common nouns in Unit 3, Grammar 4, you will learn about
when to use a/an, the, and no article for these nouns.
Non-count Nouns
These are considered to be nouns that we cannot count. This means that it is “whole” made up of different parts
that cannot be separated. Again, you will learn more about the article usage of these nouns in Unit 3, Grammar
4.
For now, it’s helpful to know that non-count nouns can be grouped into approximately 11 categories. To help
you remember, here is a list of the categories with a few examples.
For a complete list see Appendix 2, Non-count Nouns.
Things made up of small pieces
salt, barley, flour
Wholes composed of individual parts
Mail – letters
Fields of study/professional fields
astronomy, geology, philosophy
Abstract ideas
strength, equality, advice
Liquids
paint, cream, petroleum
Gases
air, oxygen, carbon dioxide
Solid, minerals and elements
lava, chicken, cotton, silver
Sports and recreational phenomena
jogging, swimming, bowling
Natural phenomena
snow, thunder, wind chill
Medical conditions
arthritis, hiccups, polio
Scientific processes and procedures
anesthesia, dialysis
3
Exercise 1
Proper, Count and Non-count Nouns
Directions: Read the following paragraph from the article “Canada ranks top five in education according to UNICEF.”
All the nouns are underlined. Write “P” above the proper nouns, “C-S” above the singular count nouns, “C-P” above
the plural count nouns, and “NC” above the non-count nouns.
For example:
P
C-S
C-S
South Korea has a longer school year and rigorous teacher training.
GENEVA – Canada has placed fourth in a United Nations survey, dated November 26, 2002.
Out of 24 of the most developed nations in the world, South Korea can boast
first place, while Portugal comes in last. This is good news for advocates of
educational issues here in Canada and, if the survey is to be believed, this gives
Canada a good overall picture of the effectiveness of our education system in
relation to the global marketplace of education and training.
Exercise 2
Using article “the” or no article for proper nouns
In the next two paragraphs, choose between “the” or no article (NA) for these proper nouns.
_________Canada is a large country that stretches from _________Atlantic Ocean on the
east side to _________Pacific Ocean on the west side. It is famous for _________Rocky
Mountains in _________Alberta, and _________St. Lawrence River in _________Quebec.
According to _________ UNICEF, _________Canada ranks number four in education. It
ranks higher than its neighbour to the south, _________United States, which was positioned
at 18th place. The results of the study also showed that the Canadian education system fared
better overall than two other English-speaking countries, _________United Kingdom and
_________Ireland, which were ranked 7th and 8th, respectively.
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Prepositions of and from
Of: Some of the most common uses for “of” are to indicate the following:
day and month
the tenth of September
possession or belonging
a friend of Imelda’s, the cover of my book
that something relates to or shows
something else
a picture of my school, a map of my campus
something that is measured or counted
a litre of water, a packet of paper
expressions of quantity
some of the students, a few of my classmates
indicating material
the desk is made of wood
indicating type or content
a box of pencils, a crowd of students
location
in front of the teacher, in the back of the class
directions
south of, north of, east of, west of
“Of” can also follow other parts of speech (nouns, adjectives, verbs) to form common expressions:
Adjectives – used with the verb to be:
ashamed, aware, conscious, capable/incapable, certain, critical, envious, fearful (afraid, scared, etc.), fond,
free, full, good, jealous, kind, nice, north (south, etc.), proud, tolerant…
For example: Amina’s son was capable of completing the difficult assignment.
Nouns:
advantage/disadvantage, approval/disapproval, benefit, by means/way, cause, choice, cost, on behalf,
opposite, (take) notice, under the influence, with the compliments…
For example: Imelda spoke on behalf of all concerned parents.
Verbs:
accuse, suspect, approve, be aware, complain, consist, die, dream, hear, remind (someone), take care,
think, warn (someone), made …
For example: When Amina took her children to the library, she was aware of all their needs.
5
From:
Some of the most common uses for from are to indicate the following:
time in the future when something
begins
three days from now, a week from Tuesday
point of departure or origin
a kilometre from the campus, a letter from
my teacher
reason for something
The teacher was tired from standing all day.
distinction
English is different from French
from one point to another in time or
place
from September to June, from Carleton
University to Ryerson University
“From” can also be paired with other parts of speech (nouns, adjectives, verbs) to form common expressions:
Adjectives:
absent, disqualified, exempt, missing…
For example: Saria’s kids were absent from school only one day that year.
Nouns – prepositions go either before or after the noun:
Before
From (my) experience
From (my) point of view
From (my) memory
From time to time
After
Departure from
Freedom from
Quote from
For example: From Saria’s point of view, it is very important that parents be involved in the children’s education.
Verbs:
abstain, benefit, depart, expel, flee, hear, keep, protect, result, run, suffer…
For example: Amina wants to keep her kids safe from harmful web sites.
For a longer list of verb and preposition combinations, look at Appendix 3 or go to:
http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwesl/egw/verprep.htm
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Exercise 1
Prepositions “of” and “from”
Directions: Fill in the blanks in each sentence with either of or from.
1. Saria was thinking _______________ bringing her children to the library.
2. Amina is proud _______________ her children.
3. What is your desk made _______________?
4. Saria’s children will be back at the library again a week __________ Thursday.
5. Saria reads articles on parenting _______________ time to time.
6. ________________ Saria’s point of view, parents are vital to a child’s education.
7. Amina’s son reminds me _______________ a cousin of mine.
8. Amina borrowed an excellent book _______________ the library last week.
9. Saria’s children would benefit _______________ going to the library.
10. The Victoria Public Library is south _______________ the university campus.
11. It was very kind _______________ the librarian to help Amina’s children to find the books.
12. Saria and Amina think that children need to be protected _______________ harmful websites on
the Internet.
7
Stative Verbs
Many verbs in English describe a state, not an action. These verbs are called stative verbs.
Here is a list of stative verbs with a few examples of each type.
For a complete list, refer to Appendix 4.
mental state
agree, believe, consider
emotion
love, like, please
possession
belong, contain, have
sensory perception
notice, observe, see
appearance
appear, be, look like
wants and preferences
need, prefer, want, wish
inclusion
contain, exclude, include
measurement
weigh, cost, match
states of being
be, exist
other
mean, matter
Since these verbs describe a state not an action, they are usually used in a simple form, not in the progressive
form. This applies to present, past and future tenses. For example, we usually say:
I need to take a History course.
NOT
I’m needing to take a History course.
I see you’re taking a History course.
NOT
I was seeing you’re taking a History course.
This binder will contain my History materials.
NOT
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This binder will be containing History materials.
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Note
1
There are some stative verbs that can be used in a progressive form, but
the meaning changes.
With the following verbs, the meaning is different between the simple and progressive form:

see
If we say  Wan sees Professor Williams.
It means a professor passes before his eyes.
But, if we say  Wan is seeing Professor Williams.
It means that Wan is dating a professor.
And if we say  Wan is seeing Dr. Thomson tomorrow.
It means Wan has an appointment with his doctor tomorrow.

expect
If we say  Wan expects Professor Williams to arrive.
It means Wan waits for his professor, and anticipates she will come.
But, if we say  Professor Williams is expecting.
It means that Wan’s professor is pregnant and will have a baby soon.

appear
If we say  Wan appears to enjoy his courses.
It means that Wan seems to like his courses.
But, if we say  Wan is appearing in the Campus Talent Show.
It means that Wan is acting in the Campus Talent Show.

feel
If we say  Wan feels that university tuition fees are too high.
It means Wan believes that university tuition fees are too high.
But, if we say  Wan is feeling sick today.
It means Wan is unwell today.

think
If we say  Wan thinks that university tuition fees are too high.
It means Wan believes that university tuition fees are too high.
But, if we say  Wan is thinking about his examination on Friday.
It means that, at that moment, Wan’s thoughts are focused on his exam that he will have on Friday.
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Exercise 1
Directions: Fill in the correct form of the present tense. You may wish to refer to the complete list of stative verbs in
Appendix 4.
1. When Wan looks out his window, he _______________ (see) the University ofToronto.
2. Right now, Saria _______________ (look) out of the window.
3. I _______________ (think) Ryerson University looks interesting, so I _______________ (think) of
applying to the Radio and Television program there.
4. Imelda usually _______________ (take) care of her four children, but right now she
_______________ (talk) to her Instructor in the LINC Home Study program.
5. It _______________ (matter) to Amina if her children_______________ (look) at harmful
websites on the Internet.
6. Now I_______________ (understand) what you_______________ (mean).
7. When Jamie____________ (go) to work, he always____________ (take) the GO Tain.
8. Right now, Wan_______________ (carry) a backpack that_______________ (contain) a lot of
textbooks; consequently, the backpack_______________ (weigh) a lot.
9. Jamie and Ann _______________ (be) a couple. They _______________ (see) each other
these days.
10. Right now, Jamie_______________ (be) happy because he_______________ (feel) his show
was a success today.
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Exercise 2
Directions: Read the following pairs or groups of sentences. Think about the difference in meaning between the
underlined verbs of each group, and make some notes about the meaning of each verb in the lines provided.
Discuss the differences in meaning of the verbs with your instructor during your weekly telephone call.
1.
(a) Saria thinks Amina is a kind person._________________________________
(b) Amina is thinking about her children who are home._____________________
2.
(a) Right now, Jamie sees a butterfly out of the window of the recording studio.
_________________________________________________________________
(b) Jamie is seeing a doctor tomorrow to talk about his headaches.
_________________________________________________________________
(c) Jamie and Ann are seeing each other. They go out every weekend.
_________________________________________________________________
3.
(a) One of the Saria’s children appears to be asleep._______________________
(b) Saria’s favourite actor is currently appearing in a Broadway musical.
_________________________________________________________________
4.
(a) Imelda is not feeling well today._____________________________________
(b) Imelda feels that higher education should be paid for by the government.
_________________________________________________________________
5.
(a) Wan expects to get a job after he graduates.___________________________
(b) His doctor, Dr. Thomson, is expecting.________________________________
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Simple Past & Progressive
Simple Past
The simple past is used in the following ways:
Completed actions  Wan finished his project weeks ago.
Past habit  Imelda always arrived on time.
Two completed actions – one before the other  Before the radio show, Jamie drank a coffee.
To express two actions that happen one before the other, we use the following time clauses:
 as soon as  As soon as the alarm rang, Jamie woke up.
Action 1 – alarm rang
Action 2 – woke up immediately
 before  Before Jamie did the radio show, he drank a coffee.
Action 1 – drank a coffee
Action 2 – did the radio show
 after  After Jamie did the radio show, he went home.
Action 1 – did the radio show
Action 2 – went home
 when  When Jamie arrived home, he made himself dinner.
Action 1 – arrived home
Action 2 – made dinner
With the simple past, when can mean after (as in the example above). It can also mean
Note at the same time as. For example, Jamie’s audience listened carefully when he spoke.
For a list of irregular forms of past tense verbs, look at Appendix 5, or go to:
http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwesl/egw/verbs.htm
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Past Progressive (Continuous)
The past progressive is used in the following ways:
Past action in progress at a particular moment
At 8 p.m. last night, Wan was studying.
Past action interrupted by another past action
Saria was getting her children ready for school when the phone rang.
With the past progressive, when does not mean after. It means at the same time as.
Note
Two past actions in progress at the same time
While Imelda was speaking on Talk Radio, her husband was listening.
13
Exercise 1
Wan’s Education and Career Timeline
2000
Begins Bachelor of Engineering at the University of Toronto
Works nights and weekends as a janitor
Works summers as a landscaper
2004
Graduates with Bachelor of Engineering degree
2004
Starts first job as a Junior Engineer
2005
Travels to South America for two weeks
2006
Gets married
2007
Promoted to Senior Engineering position
2007
Bought a house
Directions: Look at Wan’s education timeline, and write five sentences using the simple past and the past
progressive. Use the time clauses as soon as, before, after, when and while. Use the prompts to help you.
For example:
Before/work in the summers/graduate
Before he graduated, Wan worked in the summers as a landscaper.
1. As soon as/promote/buy a house
__________________________________________________________________
2. Before/get married/travel to South America
__________________________________________________________________
3. After/get married/promote in his job
__________________________________________________________________
4. When/graduate/start his first job
__________________________________________________________________
5. When/is a student/work as a landscaper in the summers
__________________________________________________________________
6. While/work as a junior Engineer/get married
__________________________________________________________________
7. work as a janitor on the weekends/while/do his Engineering degree
__________________________________________________________________
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Exercise 2
Directions: Write three sentences of your own about when you first started school. Use the past and past
progressive using any of the time clauses.
1. _________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________
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Short-term action verbs with past progressive
Short-term actions
There are some verbs in English that are considered short-term actions. These are actions that happen quickly.
Here is a list of some of them compared with a list of a few long-term action verbs. Of course there are many
more long-term action verbs.
Short-term action verbs
Long-term action verbs
drop/pick up
turn around/off/on
arrive/depart
enter/exit
open/close
begin, start/stop, finish
fall, slip/get up
choose
find
break
kick
jump, hop
cough
sneeze
sleep
study
sing
live
dance
decide
In the present and future tenses, short-term action verbs can be used in either the simple or progressive tenses,
and the meaning is not affected.
However, when short-term action verbs are used in past progressive forms, the meaning is affected; it means
that the action is repeated in the past. For example, if we say:
I coughed in the lecture hall.
It means that the action was performed once. But, if we say:
I was coughing in the lecture hall.
It means that the action was performed again and again.
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The only time it does not mean the action is repeated is when:
Note
 the speaker wants to show that a short-term action is interrupted with another action. In this case, it
does not mean the short-term action is repeated. For example, if we say:
I was opening the door to the lecture hall when the alarm rang.
It means that the action was performed once and was interrupted by a second action.
Some short-term actions in the progressive form are not possible. For example, if we
Note say:
The student was entering the classroom.
It means that the student was entering again and again, which is not possible. One person can only enter a
room once. However, if we say:
The students were entering the classroom.
It means that many different students (plural) were entering one after the other, which is possible.
Sometimes short-term actions in the progressive form are possible, but not likely. For
Note example, if we say:
The student was opening the door to the lecture hall.
It means the action of opening was repeated again and again, which is possible, but not likely. It is
possible because the student could keep opening the door for other students to come into the
classroom, but it is not likely that you will ever see that. But if we say:
The student opened the door to the lecture hall.
It means the action was performed once, which is what normally happens, and is very likely.
17
Exercise 1
Identifying types of actions.
Directions: Read the following pairs of sentences. In the line below each sentence, write down whether the
underlined action is:
single (not repeated) (S)
repeated (R)
interrupted (I)
not possible (NP)
not likely (NL)
1a.
1b.
The students were dropping the pencils on the floor when the teacher entered the room.
___________________________________________________________
The students dropped the pencils on the floor when the teacher entered the
room.____________________________________________________________
2a.
2b.
The teacher was entering the room. ____________________________________
The teacher entered the room. ________________________________________
3a.
3b.
The teacher was opening and closing the door for the students. ______________
The teacher opened and closed the door. ________________________________
4a.
4b.
The plane was arriving at Pearson International Airport._____________________
The plane arrived at Pearson International Airport. ________________________
5a.
5b.
The planes were arriving at Vancouver International Airport._________________
The planes arrived at Vancouver International Airport. _____________________
6a.
6b.
I was finishing reading the textbook when the phone rang. __________________
I finished reading the textbook before the exam. __________________________
7a.
7b.
He fell off his bike on the way to school. _________________________________
He was falling off his bike on the way to school.___________________________
8a.
8b.
The students were discussing the test when the professor walked in.__________
The students discussed the test when the professor walked in._______________
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Exercise 2
Directions: Write two sentences of your own. In one sentence, use a short-term action verb to a single action that
you did. In the second sentence, use a short-term action verb to express a repeated action that you did. Give the
context to help your instructor understand the meaning.
1.___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
2.___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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