Common vocabulary problems.

Borrow
When you borrow something, you take it.
Lend
When you lend something, you give it.
Bring
When you bring something, it comes.
Take
When you take something, it goes away.
Send
If you send something, you do not go yourself.
Take
When you take something, you go with it.
Live
Used for someone’s normal home.
Stay
Used for a place where you live for a short time only.
Country
Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and many more.
State
Perak, Selangor, Kelantan
At last
Refers to something good which you have waited for and hoped for.
Finally
Means “at the end of the story”.
Study
For academic subjects only i:e study for PMR, SPM.
Learn
For a skill, i:e learn to drive, learn to dive, learn to swim.
Marketing
If you go marketing, you are selling something.
Shopping
If you go to buy thing, even in the market, you are shopping.

Local expression NOT a standard english.

Alphabet
Local use : This words has ten alphabets.
Standard English : This words has ten letters.
In Standard English, the alphabets means all the letters from A to Z.

Chop
Local use : Please chop this paper.
Standard English : Please stamp this paper.
In Standard English, chop means cut into pieces.
Cut
Local Use : Its dangerous to cut lorries on this road.
Standard English : Its dangerous to pass/overtake lorries on this road.

Follow
Local use : I’m going to Kuala Lipis, you can follow me if you like.
Standard English : You can come with me if you like.
In Standard English, ‘follow’ means follow behind.

Horn
Local Use : The driver horned loudly.
Standard English : The driver sounded his horn loudly.
In Standard English, ‘horn’ is noun not a verb.

Last Time
Local Use : Last time, petrol was cheap.
Standard English : Before/In the past, petrol was cheap.
In Standard English, ‘last time’ refers to one particular occasion, not to the past in general.

Open
Local Use : Open the screw a little, open the light..
Standard English : Loosen/Undo the screw a little
Switch on the light
In Standard English, you can open a door, but not a switch, a light or a screw.

On, Off
Local Use : Remember to off the air-con before you leave.
Standard English : Remember to turn off the air-con before you leave.
In Standard English, ‘on’ or ‘off’ are not verbs.

Trailer
Local Use : Residents dont like trailers driving through the estate.
Standard English : Residents dont like big (lorries) driving through the estate.
In Standard English, a ‘trailers’ is pulled behind a lorry, and cannot move by itself.

English Grammar
Common Nouns
Words to identify a person, thing, place or an animal.
Example :

Person
The boy saw his mother.

Thing
There is a pen on the table.

Place
The market is in town.

Animal
An eagle is a very big bird.
Compound Nouns
Formed together by joining two words.
Example :
Bride + groom = bridegroom

The policemen is buying a watermelon.

Proper Nouns
Particular name of person, place, or thing.
Proper nouns begins with capital letter.

Person
Umar, Hashim
Umar is his son.

Place
Ipoh, Perak, Penang
Ipoh is a very wonderful place.

Thing
Proton, Perodua
Perodua Aruz is a nice car.

Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Countable Nouns
 Nouns that can be count
i) Apples
ii) Boys
iii) Girls
iv) Etc

Uncountable Nouns
 Nouns that cannot be counted
o Water
o Air
o Sand
 Can be count by using phrasal quatifiers
o Two glasses of water
o Three slices of bread
o A cup of water
Possessive Nouns
Used to show possession.
Example :
John’s dog is big.
This is the boy’s book.

 For singular nouns, apostrophes (‘s) is added to show possession.

The girl’s house

 For plural nouns that ends in S just add apostrosphe (‘)

The Boys’ house.

 Plural nouns that do not end in S, add apostrophe S (‘s)

The children’s toys.

 For plants, places and objects used the word OF.

The leg of the table are uneven.

The branches of the tree are thick and strong.

Pronouns
Words that are put in place of some nouns are called PRONOUNS.

Personal Pronouns

He I You
She They
It We
Him Me Them
Her Us

Possesive Pronouns

 Some are used to show ownership or possession.

o This is my car. This car is mine.
o This is our umbrella. This umbrella is ours.
o Your dress is pink. The pink dress is yours.
o Their house in the right. The house on the right is theirs.