Adjectives, Pronouns, Nouns, Reported Speech, and Adverbs
This grammar fiche covers five essential pillars of English grammar tested in the Moroccan 2nd-year Baccalaureate exam. Master each section — definitions, forms, uses, worked examples, and common pitfalls — and you will write and speak with precision and confidence.
1. Adjectives
Definition and Rule
Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns and pronouns, making meaning more specific. They supply information about qualities, characteristics, or states.
Form and Structure
Adjectives appear in three degrees of comparison:
- Positive (basic form): tall, beautiful, important
- Comparative (two things): taller, more beautiful, more important — always followed by than
- Superlative (three or more): the tallest, the most beautiful, the most important — always preceded by the
Spelling rules for comparatives and superlatives: One-syllable adjectives add -er / -est (big → bigger → biggest; double the final consonant when the pattern is consonant-vowel-consonant). Adjectives ending in silent -e add only -r / -st (nice → nicer → nicest). Adjectives ending in -y change y to i (happy → happier → happiest). Adjectives of three or more syllables always use more / most. Key irregular forms: good → better → best; bad → worse → worst; little → less → least; much/many → more → most.
When several adjectives precede a noun, they must follow a fixed order: Opinion → Size → Age → Shape → Color → Origin → Material → Purpose → Noun. Example: a lovely small old round red Indian wooden table.
Uses
- Attributive position: the adjective comes directly before the noun — "a happy child", "the red car".
- Predicative position: the adjective follows a linking verb (be, seem, appear, feel, look, sound, taste, smell, become) — "The child seems happy."
- Comparative use to contrast two things — "This house is larger than that one."
- Superlative use to single out one from a group — "This is the largest house on the street."
- Coordinate use with two or more adjectives separated by a comma or and — "a bright, sunny day".
Worked Examples
The tall building downtown was impressive. (attributive)
The music sounds beautiful. (predicative after linking verb)
Morocco is more beautiful than I expected. (comparative)
She is the most hardworking student in the class. (superlative)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Wrong order: "a red small ball" → correct: "a small red ball" (size before color).
- Making adjectives plural: "reds cars" → correct: "red cars" (adjectives never agree in number).
- Doubling the marker: "more taller" or "most tallest" → choose one form only.
- Using an adjective where an adverb is needed: "He ran real fast" → correct: "He ran really fast".
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Key point: Never combine -er with more, or -est with most. Always place the superlative after the definite article the, and always use than after a comparative form.
2. Pronouns
Definition and Rule
A pronoun replaces a noun or noun phrase (called the antecedent) to avoid repetition and improve sentence flow. Pronouns must agree with their antecedent in person, number, and gender.
Form and Structure
The main pronoun categories at BAC level:
- Personal pronouns — subject forms (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) and object forms (me, you, him, her, it, us, them).
- Possessive pronouns — stand alone and show ownership (mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs). They never take an apostrophe.
- Reflexive / intensive pronouns — end in -self or -selves (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves). Reflexive: the action returns to the subject. Intensive: adds emphasis and can be removed without changing the core meaning.
- Demonstrative pronouns — this, that (singular); these, those (plural). Point to specific people or things.
- Relative pronouns — who, whom, whose, which, that. Introduce adjective clauses and refer back to a previously mentioned noun.
- Indefinite pronouns — someone, everyone, no one, anything, many, few, all, each, etc. Some are singular (everyone, someone), some are plural (many, few), and some vary by context (all, some).
Uses
- Replacing repeated nouns for clarity: "Sara went to the library. She borrowed three books."
- Showing ownership: "The book is mine." (possessive pronoun, no noun after it)
- Emphasising the subject: "The director himself reviewed the report." (intensive)
- Introducing relative clauses: "The student who studied hard passed the exam."
- Referring to unspecified people or things: "Everybody is welcome. Nobody was late."
Worked Examples
Ahmed left his bag in the classroom. He forgot it completely. (personal pronouns)
This is mine; that one over there is hers. (possessive pronouns)
She prepared herself thoroughly for the oral exam. (reflexive)
The teacher who explained the lesson clearly was very helpful. (relative)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using an object pronoun as a subject: "Me and him went" → correct: "He and I went".
- Misusing reflexive pronouns: "Between you and myself" → correct: "Between you and me".
- Unclear antecedent: "Maria and Susan left. She was happy." — specify which person.
- Pronoun-antecedent mismatch: "Every student must bring their calculator" pairs a singular noun with singular they, which is now widely accepted, but mixing "Each student must bring their calculator" with a plural verb is wrong.
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Key point: Subject pronouns (I, he, she, we, they) begin or function as the subject of a clause. Object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them) follow verbs or prepositions. Never swap them.
3. Nouns
Definition and Rule
Nouns name people, places, things, animals, ideas, or concepts. The most exam-critical distinction is between countable and uncountable (mass) nouns, because they govern article choice, determiners, and verb agreement.
Form and Structure
Countable nouns: have singular and plural forms, can follow a / an in the singular, and answer the question "How many?". Examples: book/books, student/students, idea/ideas.
Uncountable nouns: have no plural form, take a singular verb, cannot follow a / an, and answer the question "How much?". Quantity is expressed with measurement phrases (a cup of, a piece of, a lot of). Examples: water, furniture, information, advice, luggage, news, traffic, weather, happiness.
Article rules:
- Use a before consonant sounds, an before vowel sounds — a car, a university, an apple, an hour.
- Use the for specific or previously mentioned nouns, unique things, superlatives, and most geographical features (rivers, oceans, mountain ranges).
- Use no article (zero article) for plural or uncountable nouns in general statements: "Dogs are loyal." / "Water is essential."
Uses
- Countable singular with article: "A student went to the library."
- Countable plural with many/few/several: "Many students attended the lecture."
- Uncountable with some/much/a lot of: "I need some advice." / "There is a lot of furniture in the hall."
- With measurement expressions: "She bought two kilos of rice" / "He drank three cups of coffee."
Worked Examples
She has long hair but there were two white hairs on his jacket. (uncountable general vs. countable specific)
Could you give me a piece of advice? (measurement + uncountable)
How much traffic is there on the motorway today? (uncountable — not "how many")
The furniture in the new apartment is expensive. (singular verb with uncountable noun)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Pluralising uncountable nouns: "informations", "advices", "furnitures" → always: "information", "advice", "furniture".
- Using a / an with uncountable nouns: "an advice" → correct: "some advice" or "a piece of advice".
- Omitting the article with singular countable nouns: "Book on table is mine" → correct: "The book on the table is mine."
- Using a plural verb with uncountable nouns: "The furniture are new" → correct: "The furniture is new."
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Key point: Only one determiner can precede a noun phrase at a time — "the my book" is wrong. Choose either "the book" or "my book".
4. Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)
Definition and Rule
Reported speech (also called indirect speech) conveys what someone else said without repeating their exact words. It requires adjustments to tenses (backshift), pronouns, and time/place expressions so that the reported clause fits the reporter's perspective.
Form and Structure
Basic pattern: Reporting verb + (that) + reported clause. The word that is optional in modern English.
Tense backshift table:
- Present simple → Past simple: "I like coffee" → He said he liked coffee.
- Present continuous → Past continuous: "I am reading" → She said she was reading.
- Present perfect → Past perfect: "I have finished" → He said he had finished.
- Past simple → Past perfect: "She lost her keys" → He said she had lost her keys.
- Will → Would: "I will help you" → She said she would help me.
- Can → Could; May → Might; Must → Had to.
Modals that do NOT change: should, could (past ability), might, ought to, would.
Backshift is optional when reporting a general truth or a situation still true at the time of reporting: "She said the Earth orbits the Sun."
Time and place expressions also change: now → then; today → that day; tomorrow → the next day; yesterday → the day before; here → there.
Reported questions:
- Yes/No questions use if or whether + statement word order (no do/does/did): "Are you coming?" → He asked if I was coming.
- Wh-questions keep the question word but switch to statement order: "Where do you live?" → She asked where I lived.
Reported commands, requests, and suggestions:
- Commands and orders: tell/order/warn + object + to-infinitive — "Don't be late!" → She told him not to be late.
- Polite requests: ask + object + to-infinitive — "Could you help me?" → She asked me to help her.
- Suggestions: suggest/recommend/advise + that-clause or gerund — "You should apply." → He advised me to apply.
Uses
- Reporting statements in essays, narratives, and formal writing.
- Relaying questions, orders, requests, and suggestions without direct quotation.
- Avoiding repetition of the original speaker's exact words in academic or journalistic contexts.
Worked Examples
Direct: "I am tired." → Reported: She said (that) she was tired.
Direct: "Did you finish the exercise?" → Reported: The teacher asked if we had finished the exercise.
Direct: "Stop talking!" → Reported: The professor told the students to stop talking.
Direct: "Why did you leave early?" → Reported: He wanted to know why I had left early.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Forgetting to backshift: "He said he is tired" → correct: "He said he was tired."
- Using say with an indirect object: "He said me to go" → correct: "He told me to go."
- Keeping question word order: "She asked where do I live" → correct: "She asked where I lived."
- Forgetting to change pronouns: "She said I am happy" (meaning she) → correct: "She said she was happy."
- Keeping time/place words unchanged: "He said he would come here today" → correct: "He said he would come there that day."
- Omitting to-infinitive with commands: "He told me go home" → correct: "He told me to go home."
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Key point: Use tell (not say) when you name the listener. Tell requires an indirect object — "He told me..." not "He said me...". In reported questions, always switch to statement word order and drop do/does/did.
5. Adverbs
Definition and Rule
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, or entire sentences/clauses. They add context by telling us how, where, when, how often, and to what extent an action occurs.
Form and Structure
Formation:
- Most adverbs: add -ly to the adjective (quick → quickly, careful → carefully).
- Adjectives ending in -y: change y to i then add -ly (happy → happily, easy → easily).
- Adjectives ending in -le: drop the e, add -y (gentle → gently, simple → simply).
- Adjectives ending in -ic: add -ally (dramatic → dramatically, basic → basically). Exception: public → publicly.
- Some adverbs share the same form as the adjective: hard, fast, late, early. Do NOT add -ly to these.
- The irregular form of good is well (not goodly).
Tricky -ly pairs that change meaning: hard (with effort) vs. hardly (almost not); late (tardy) vs. lately (recently); near (close) vs. nearly (almost); high (elevated) vs. highly (very much).
Comparison of adverbs:
- One-syllable adverbs: add -er / -est (fast → faster → fastest).
- Two or more syllables: more / most (carefully → more carefully → most carefully).
- Irregular: well → better → best; badly → worse → worst; much → more → most.
Uses
- Adverbs of manner — describe how an action is performed; usually placed after the verb or object: "She sang beautifully."
- Adverbs of place — indicate where; usually at the end of the clause: "The children played outside."
- Adverbs of time — indicate when; definite time at the end, indefinite time often between subject and main verb: "I have recently finished the project."
- Adverbs of frequency — placed before the main verb but after an auxiliary or be: "She always helps others." / "I am often tired."
- Adverbs of degree — modify adjectives or other adverbs, placed before the word they modify: "The weather is extremely cold." / "He spoke very clearly."
- Sentence adverbs — modify the whole sentence; placed at the beginning with a comma: "Fortunately, everyone arrived safely."
- Conjunctive adverbs — connect independent clauses (however, therefore, nevertheless, furthermore): "She was tired; however, she continued working."
When several adverbs modify the same verb, use the order: Manner — Place — Time. Example: She sang beautifully at the theatre last night.
Critical rule — adverbs vs. adjectives after linking verbs: After linking verbs (be, seem, look, feel, taste, smell, sound, appear, become), use an adjective, never an adverb. Test: if you can replace the verb with be and the sentence still makes sense, it is a linking verb.
Worked Examples
He solved the problem wisely. (manner)
She almost always arrives on time. (frequency — before main verb)
The soup tastes bad, not badly. (adjective required after linking verb)
She runs faster than her brother. (comparative adverb)
He speaks the most clearly of all the students. (superlative adverb)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using an adjective where an adverb is needed: "He ran real fast" → correct: "He ran really fast."
- Misplacing frequency adverbs: "I drink usually coffee" → correct: "I usually drink coffee."
- Using an adverb after a linking verb: "She looks happily" → correct: "She looks happy."
- Doubling the comparative marker: "She worked more faster" → correct: "She worked faster" (one-syllable) or "more carefully" (multi-syllable).
- Incorrect -ic spelling: "dramaticly" → correct: "dramatically".
- Confusing hard and hardly: "He worked hardly" (meaning with effort) is wrong. Use "He worked hard." "Hardly" means almost not at all.
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Key point: Frequency adverbs (always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never) go before the main verb in positive sentences and after the verb be or any auxiliary. The position of only dramatically changes the meaning of a sentence — place it immediately before the word it limits.