Module 4.1: Grammar and Usage

---

1. ARRANGEMENT OF ADJECTIVES

Meaning of Adjectives

An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun. It gives more information about size, colour, age, shape, origin, material, quantity, or quality.

When more than one adjective is used to describe a noun, they must follow a correct sequence or order. This order is important in English grammar and is commonly tested in the GTLE.

---

Standard Order of Adjectives

The generally accepted order of adjectives in English is:

1. Opinion – what you think about something

2. Size – how big or small

3. Age – how old or new

4. Shape – round, square, flat

5. Colour – red, blue, black

6. Origin – Ghanaian, African, British

7. Material – wood, plastic, metal

8. Purpose – sleeping (as in sleeping bag)

📌 Mnemonic:
OSASCOMP
(Opinion, Size, Age, Shape, Colour, Origin, Material, Purpose)

---

Explanation

When adjectives are placed in the wrong order, the sentence sounds unnatural and incorrect. Native speakers may not know the rule consciously, but they follow it naturally.

---

Examples

1. Correct:

   • She bought a beautiful small new round brown Ghanaian wooden table.

2. Incorrect:

   • She bought a wooden Ghanaian brown round new small beautiful table.

3. Correct:

   • The teacher wore a smart long old white Nigerian cotton dress.

---

GTLE Tip

In exams, look out for:

• Jumbled adjectives

• Options that sound “odd”
  Choose the option that follows the OSASCOMP order.

---

2. CONCORD (AGREEMENT)

Concord refers to agreement between parts of a sentence, especially:

• Subject–verb agreement

• Pronoun–antecedent agreement

---

A. SUBJECT–VERB AGREEMENT

Meaning

Subject–verb agreement means that the verb must agree with the subject in number and person.

• Singular subject → singular verb

• Plural subject → plural verb

---

Key Rules and Explanations

Rule 1: Singular Subjects Take Singular Verbs

• He teaches English.

• The child likes reading.

Rule 2: Plural Subjects Take Plural Verbs

• They teach English.

• The children like reading.

---

Rule 3: Words like everyone, somebody, each are singular

• Everyone is present.

• Each of the pupils has a book.

---

Rule 4: Compound subjects joined by and take plural verbs

• Ama and Kofi are teachers.

But when the compound subject refers to one idea, use singular:

• Rice and beans is my favourite food.

---

Examples

1. Correct:

   • The teacher explains the lesson clearly.

2. Incorrect:

   • The teacher explain the lesson clearly.

3. Correct:

   • All the students have written the test.

---

B. PRONOUN–ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT

Meaning

A pronoun must agree with its antecedent (the noun it replaces) in:

• Number

• Gender

• Person

---

Explanation

If the antecedent is singular, the pronoun must be singular.
If the antecedent is plural, the pronoun must be plural.

---

Examples

1. Correct:

   • Every student must submit his or her assignment.

2. Incorrect:

   • Every student must submit their assignment. (formal exam context)

3. Correct:

   • The teachers finished their work early.

---

3. SEQUENCE OF TENSE

Meaning

Sequence of tense refers to the logical relationship between tenses in a sentence, especially in reported speech and complex sentences.

---

Explanation

When the main clause is in the past tense, the verb in the subordinate clause usually changes to the past as well.

---

Common Patterns

Direct Tense	Reported Tense
Present	Past
Past	Past perfect
Will	Would

---

Examples

1. Direct:

   • He says, “I am tired.”
     Reported:

   • He said that he was tired.

2. Direct:

   • The teacher said, “The test has ended.”
     Reported:

   • The teacher said that the test had ended.

3. Correct:

   • She knew that the pupils were ready.

---

GTLE Tip

Watch out for:

• Mixed tenses in one sentence

• Incorrect tense shifts

---

4. CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

Meaning

Conditional sentences express situations and their possible results. They usually contain:

• An if-clause (condition)

• A main clause (result)

---

TYPES OF CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

---

A. ZERO CONDITIONAL

Used for general truths and scientific facts.

Structure:
If + present tense, present tense

Examples:

1. If you heat ice, it melts.

2. If students study hard, they perform well.

---

B. FIRST CONDITIONAL

Used for real and possible future situations.

Structure:
If + present tense, will + base verb

Examples:

1. If you revise well, you will pass the exam.

2. If it rains, the match will be cancelled.

---

C. SECOND CONDITIONAL

Used for unreal or unlikely present situations.

Structure:
If + past tense, would + base verb

Examples:

1. If I were the headteacher, I would improve discipline.

2. If she studied harder, she would pass.

---

D. THIRD CONDITIONAL

Used for imaginary past situations.

Structure:
If + past perfect, would have + past participle

Examples:

1. If he had studied, he would have passed.

2. If they had arrived earlier, they would have met the principal.

---

5. ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE

---

A. ACTIVE VOICE

Meaning

A sentence is in the active voice when the subject performs the action.

Structure:
Subject + Verb + Object

---

Examples

1. The teacher explained the lesson.

2. The pupils cleaned the classroom.

---

B. PASSIVE VOICE

Meaning

A sentence is in the passive voice when the subject receives the action.

Structure:
Object + auxiliary verb + past participle (+ by agent)

---

Examples

1. The lesson was explained by the teacher.

2. The classroom was cleaned by the pupils.

---

Explanation

Passive voice is often used when:

• The doer of the action is unknown

• The action is more important than the doer

---

More Examples

1. Active:

   • The headteacher punished the students.
     Passive:

   • The students were punished by the headteacher.

2. Active:

   • Someone stole my book.
     Passive:

   • My book was stolen.

---

GTLE Tip

You may be asked to:

• Change active to passive

• Identify voice errors

• Choose correct auxiliary verbs (is, was, were, has been)

---

SUMMARY OF MODULE 4.1

This module equips the teacher with:

• Correct grammatical structure

• Clear sentence formation

• Accuracy in written and spoken English

• Confidence in GTLE grammar questions

---