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Comparatives

Use:
Use the comparative form to talk about how two things are different.
I am taller than you.
This book is thicker than that one.
Form:
1) If an adjective has one syllable, add er to the end. If it ends in e already, just add r.
tall => taller nice => nicer
thick => thicker late => later
2) If an adjective ends in one vowel and one consonant, write the consonant again, then
write er. But never write a w twice.
big => bigger new => newer (NOT newwer) thin => thinner slow => slower
(NOT slowwer) slim => slimmer
My brother is thinner than me.
3) If an adjective has two syllables and ends in y, change the y to i and add er.
funny => funnier silly => sillier
Which of these books is funnier?
5) Some adjectives have irregular superlative forms. These are listed below.
good => better
bad => worse
far => further
Add than after a comparative adjective to compare one thing with another. However, this is
not always necessary.
My house is smaller than yours.

Use:
Adverbs can be used to describe verbs. They describe HOW you do something.
Examples: She walks quickly; He sings nicely.
Form:
1) You can make many adverbs by adding ly to an adjective.
slow -> slowly; loud -> loudly
If an adjective ends in y, change it to an i.

heavy -> heavily; funny -> funnily

Add ally to adjectives ending in ic.
Physical -> physically; energetic -> energetically
2) Some adverbs are irregular, and do not end in ly. These include:
good -> well She dances well.
hard -> hard He works hard.
fast -> fast He runs fast.
late -> late He arrives late.
3a) Usually, the adverb goes after the verb it describes.
She talks quietly NOT She quietly talks.
He runs fast. NOT He fast runs.
3b) If the verb has a direct object WITHOUT A PREPOSITION the adverb should go after
the object.
You sang that song nicely. NOT You sang nicely that song.
He did the job well. NOT He did well the job.
3c) If the verb is followed by a preposition and an object, you can put the adverb in
different places.
He quickly walked to the shop.
He walked quickly to the shop.
He walked to the shop quickly.
4) Adverbs are NOT used to describe the following verbs. These verbs use adjectives.
Be I am quiet. NOT I am quietly.
Seem It seems strange. NOT It seems strangely.
Look That looks nice. NOT That looks nicely.
Smell That smells good. NOT That smells well.
Sound That sounds great. NOT That sounds greatly.
Feel That feels funny. NOT That feels funnily.
5) Some words end in ly but they are not adverbs. Friendly is an example. Friendly is an
adjective. We can say She is friendly but not She talks friendly. There is no adverb for
friendly, but we can say She talks in a friendly way. Elderly and lonely are also
adjectives, not adverbs. Kindly and early are adjectives and adverbs.

Adverbial phrases of frequency, time and place

Use:
An adverbial phrase is a group of words which always go together. they describe where,
when or how often something happens.
Adverbial phrases of frequency describe how often something happens.
every morning, every afternoon
every day daily
every week weekly
every month monthly
every year annually
every Sunday on Sundays on Sunday afternoons
once a day
twice a day
three / four / five times a day
all the time
Form:
1) Adverbs of frequency often go in present simple sentences.
I have toast for breakfast every day.
We visit our grandparents twice a month.
2) Note that on Saturday refers to one day. On Saturdays means every Saturday.
Common mistakes
1)
Some students write adverbs of frequency in the wrong place.
We every day go the park.
=>
We go to the park
every day.
2)

Some students use the plural form with every.

John goes swimming every days.
=>
swimming every day.

John goes

_____________________________________________________________________
Use:
Use adverbs and adverbial phrases of time to talk about when you do something.
Adverbs of time include:
today, tomorrow, tonight, yesterday, tomorrow, nowadays
now, first of all, beforehand
soon, afterwards, later, next, then

Form:
1) Adverbs of time usually go at the beginning or the end of a sentence or clause.
Tomorrow, Im going to the beach.
Im going to the beach tomorrow.
First of all, we had a drink at a caf.
We had a drink at a caf first of all.
Im going to the supermarket, and afterwards Im going to the library.
Im going to the supermarket, and Im going to the library afterwards.
2) It is more common to use then at the beginning of a sentence or clause.
Then we arrived at the castle.
Im going to finish my work and then Im going to have a drink.
It is more common to use soon and now at the end of a sentence.
Were going on holiday soon.
Im going home now.
Common mistakes
1)
Dont use an adverb of time between the subject and the object of a sentence.
I went yesterday to the zoo.
=>
I went to the zoo yesterday. / Yesterday I went to
the zoo.
Im going now to the bank.
=>
Im going to the bank now.
2)
You must use a noun after After and Before. Otherwise, use afterwards or
beforehand.
Ill be late to class tomorrow. Im going to the doctors before. =>
Ill be late to
class tomorrow. Im going to the doctors beforehand.
Im going to my English class and Im going to the bar after.
=>
Im going to
my English class and Im going to the bar afterwards.
_____________________________________________________________________
Use:
Use adverbs and adverbial phrases of place to talk about where something happens.
Adverbs of place include:
outside, inside, indoors, upstairs, downstairs
(over) here, (over) there
abroad, overseas
Form:
1) Adverbs of place usually go after a verb.
She lives abroad.
Lets go indoors.

2) Adverbs of place can also go after the object of the sentence.

Rachel works in the office upstairs.
Your bag is on the table over there

Can / Could

Use:
1) Use can / cant to talk about your abilities now.
I can speak English.
I cant speak German.
Use could / couldnt to talk about abilities in the past.
I could speak French when I was a child, but I can't now.
I couldnt speak English when I was a child, but I can now.
2) Use can and could to make requests. Could is more polite.
Can you cook this evening please?
Could you pass me the salt?
Use can to reply to requests.
Can I sit here?
=>
Yes, you can.
Sorry, you cant.
Can you cook this evening please?
=>
Yes, I can.
Sorry, I cant.
DONT use could in replies.
Could you lend me some money?
Yes, I could.
=>
Yes, sure! Sorry, I cant.
Form:
1) Can and could are the same for all persons.
I
can/could
speak English
you can/could
speak English
he / she / it
can/could
speak English
we can/could
speak English
they
can/could
speak English.
2) The negative form of can is cannot, or cant. The negative form of could is couldnt.
3) There is always a verb after can and could, and the verb is always in the infinitive form
(without to).
Sally can help you. NOT Sally can helps you. / Sally can to help you.

4) Make questions by inverting can and the subject.

I can see you this afternoon.
=> Can I see you this afternoon?
You could help me. => Could you help me?
5) Use can/cant and could/couldnt in short answers.
Can your brother swim?
=> Yes, he can. No, he cant.
Could you do the test?
=> Yes, I could. No, I couldnt.
Common mistakes:
1) Some students make questions incorrectly.
You can speak English?
=> Can you speak English?
I could sit here?
=> Could I sit here?

Comparatives

Use:
Use the comparative form to talk about how two things are different.
I am taller than you.
This book is thicker than that one.
Form:
1) If an adjective has one syllable, add er to the end. If it ends in e already, just add r.
tall => taller nice => nicer
thick => thicker late => later
2) If an adjective ends in one vowel and one consonant, write the consonant again, then
write er. But never write a w twice.
big => bigger new => newer (NOT newwer) thin => thinner slow => slower
(NOT slowwer) slim => slimmer
My brother is thinner than me.
3) If an adjective has two syllables and ends in y, change the y to i and add er.
funny => funnier silly => sillier
Which of these books is funnier?
5) Some adjectives have irregular superlative forms. These are listed below.
good => better
bad => worse
far => further

Add than after a comparative adjective to compare one thing with another. However, this is
not always necessary.
My house is smaller than yours.

First Conditional
Use:
The first conditional structure is used to talk about something which will or may happen in
the future as a result of something else.
Example: If it rains tomorrow, Ill stay at home.
Form:
Make the first conditional in this way.

If
When

I
you
he
she...

present simple

I
you
he
she...

will / wont
verb
might / might not (infinitive
form)

Examples: If I see Tom, I will tell him the news.

When you visit, we might go to the park.
Or

I
will / wont
verb
you might / might not (infinitive form)
he
she...

if
when

I
you
he
she...

present simple

Examples: Shell be late if she doesnt hurry up.

You might not pass your exams if you watch television all the time.
Common Mistakes:
1) Dont use will or might directly after will or might.
If I will arrive first, Ill make lunch.
=> If I arrive first, Ill make lunch.
2) Always use an infinitive verb after will and might.
I might to go out tonight, if Im not too tired.
=> I might go out tonight if Im not too
tired.

Gerunds and Infinitives

Use:
1) A gerund is a verb in its ing form, used as a noun.
For example: eating, going, seeing
Gerunds are used:
a) As the subject of a sentence.
Smoking is bad for you.
b) After some verbs, such as: like, hate, enjoy, quit, suggest, dislike, deny
I like cooking. I enjoy fishing.
A good learners dictionary will tell you whether a verb is followed by a gerund or not.
c) After prepositions.
Im interested in buying a computer. Im scared of walking alone in the dark.

2) The infinitive form of the verb is the original verb. It can be with or without to.
For example: (to) eat, (to) go, (to) see.
The infinitive form is used:
a) After some verbs, such as; agree, arrange, ask, promise, decide, afford
I agreed to do the work. I arranged to see the doctor, They decided to get
married.
A good learners dictionary will tell you whether a verb is followed by an infinitive or not.
b) To show the reason why you did something.
Tony went to the post office to pay a bill.
c) After adjectives.
I was surprised to see Erica. Im pleased to meet you.
3 a) Some verbs can be followed by a gerund or infinitive with NO CHANGE in meaning:
For example: start, begin, hate, like, prefer, continue
She started to cry = She started crying.
I hate watching horror films = I hate to watch horror films.
b) Some verbs can be followed by a gerund or a infinitive, but there is a change in
meaning.
For example: try, remember, stop

I tried to get into the house. (Getting into the house is your goal or objective).
I tried climbing through the window. (Climbing through the window is one thing
you tried in order to obtain your final objective.)
I stopped cleaning the windows. (I was cleaning the windows and then I stopped).
I stopped to clean the windows. (I was driving, and I stopped driving in order to
clean the windows).
I remembered to lock the door. (I remembered, and after that I locked the door).
I remember locking the door. (I remember (now) that I locked the door (in the
past)).

be going to
Use:
Use be going to to talk about your personal plans for the future.
Im going to see my sister at the weekend.
Are you going to marry Paul?
Form:
1) The form of the positive and negative sentences and questions is shown below.
Positive

am / m
going to

you

are / re

he / she / it

is / s

we

are / re

they

are / re

Negative

verb (infinitive form)

m not
going to

you

arent OR re not

he / she / it

isnt OR

we

arent OR re not

they

arent OR re not

verb (infinitive form)

s not

Questions

Am

I
going to

Are

you

Is

he / she / it

Are

we

Are

they

verb (infinitive form) ?

2) The short reply to a be going to question is Yes, I am, Yes, she is etc. You cannot
contract these short sentences.
Yes, hes. => Yes, he is.
The short negative replies are:
No, Im not.
No, youre not / No, you arent.
No, hes not / No he isnt. No, shes not / No she isnt. No, its not / no it isnt.
No, were not / No, we arent.
No, theyre not / No, they arent.

Common mistakes:
1) Some students forget to add the verb be before going to.
I going to see my friends tonight. => Im going to see my friends tonight.
2) Some students forget to invert the subject and be in questions.
What time you are going to leave? => What time are you going to leave?

Have to

Use:
Use have to to talk about something you must do.
I have to start work at eight.
Use dont have to to talk about something that is not necessary.
You dont have to work tomorrow, its Saturday.
Form:
The positive, negative and question forms are shown in the table.
Positive

I, you, we, they

have to

he / she / it

has to

verb (infinitive form)

(go, sleep, work)

Negative

I, you, we, they

dont

he / she / it

doesnt

have to

verb (infinitive form)

(go, sleep, work)

Question

Do

I, you, we, they

Does

he / she / it

have to

verb (infinitive form) ?

(go, sleep, work)

Common mistakes
1)
Some students think that dont have to means must not, but this is not correct.
You dont have to use your mobile phone in class.

You mustnt use your

mobile phone in class.
2)
Some students use havent / hasnt to make negative sentences and questions.
My sister hasnt to work today.

My sister doesnt have to work

today.
Have you to leave now?

Do you have to
leave now?

How

Use:
Use How to get information about numbers and quantities.
You can use it to find out about age, size, length, cost and much more.
Form:
1)
Dimensions
Use How big to find out about size.
How big is your car?
Use How long to find out about length, and How wide to ask about width.
How long is the River Nile? How wide is it?

Use the words long and wide in your answers to make them clear.
Its a hundred miles long. Its a mile wide.
2)
Age
Use How old to find out about age.
How old is your sister?
You can reply: Shes ten or Shes ten years old NOT Shes ten years.
3)
Time
Also use How long to ask about time.
How long is the film?
Its about two hours long.
How long does it take to get there?
About three hours.
4)
Quantity
Use How much to ask about cost. Also use How much with uncountable nouns.
Remember to put any uncountable nouns directly after much.
How much is this bag?
How much money do you have? NOT How much do you have money?
Use How many to ask about countable nouns. Remember to put any countable nouns
directly after many.
How many people are coming? NOT
How many are coming people?
How many questions often use the word there.
How many people are there in your class?
NOT
class?

How many people are in your

Imperative Forms

Use:
Use the imperative form to give instructions, orders and warnings.
Must is often used in signs and notices to give instructions.
Form:
1)
Do not use a subject when giving orders.
You wash your hands. =>
Wash your hands
Always use the infinitive form of the verb, without to.
To sit down please.
=>
Sit down please.

Use Dont to make the negative form.

Dont sit there!
2)
Written instructions on signs often use Do not, not Dont.
Do not cross this line.
3)
When giving instructions to a friend, you can soften the order by using you.
However, this is usually only done in spoken English.
First you put the mixture into a bowl, and then you add two eggs. Then you whisk it.
4)
Some written signs use Must / Must not.
All visitors must wear a badge.
Passengers must not talk to the driver.
Notice how plural nouns (visitors / passengers) are generally used in signs.
Common mistakes:
1)
Some students use to after Dont / Must
Dont to go in that door.
=>
Dont go in that door.

Past continuous
Use:
1) Use the past to set the scene of a story before describing what happened.
It was raining. I was walking in the park. Some kids were playing football nearby.
Suddenly
2) Use the past continuous to talk about an action which happened for some time in the past
and was then interrupted. Use the past simple tense to talk about the interruption.
I was cooking dinner when suddenly there was a knock at the door.
3) Use the past continuous to talk about events that were in progress at a certain time.
At 5 oclock yesterday afternoon, I was driving home from work.
Note the difference in meaning:
When James got home, I cooked dinner:- I started cooking AFTER he got home.
When James got home, I was cooking dinner: - I started cooking BEFORE he got home.
Form:
Positive

was
verb+ing

You

were

He / She / It

was

We / They

were

Negative

wasnt
verb+ing

You

werent

He / She / It

wasnt

We / They

werent

Question

Was

I
verb+ing ?

Were

you

Was

he / she / it

Were

we / they

Spelling Rules:
If a verb ends in e, delete the e before you add ing.
have =>I was having lunch.
If a verb ends in one vowel and one consonant, double the consonant (except w and y).
get =>He was just getting up.
play =>We were playing.
Common mistakes
1) Some students remember the verb be but forget ing.
I was watch television. =>I was watching television.
2) Some students make spelling mistakes.
I was studing. =>I was studying.
We were eatting =>We were eating.

Past simple
Use:
Use the past simple to talk about finished events in the past. Use it to tell stories, jokes and
anecdotes.
Form:
1)
Many past tense verbs are formed by adding -ed to the end of the verb.
want =>
wanted
start
=>
started
If a verb ends in e, just add d (liked, hoped).
If a verb ends in y, delete y and add ied (studied, carried). But dont do this if the verb ends
in a vowel + y (played, NOT plaied. stayed, NOT staied)
But a lot of past tense verbs are irregular. You need to learn each one separately. Here are
some examples.
have =>
had
make =>
made
take
=>
took
sit
=>
sat
get
=>
got
feel
=>
felt
Past simple verbs are the same for all persons.
I went; you went; he went; she went; they went; we went...
2)

Form negatives this way:

I, you, he , she, we, they...

didnt

infinitive verb
know, see, go

Dont use the past verb in negative sentences.

I didnt had dinner.
=>
I didnt have dinner.
3) Form questions this way:

Did

I, you, he , she, we, they...

infinitive verb
know, see, go

Common mistakes:
Some students use the past verb in questions.
Did you saw the film? =>
Did you see the film?

nseparable phrasal verbs

Use:
Phrasal verbs consist of a verb and one or more prepositions. They are often used,
especially in informal spoken English. The meaning of phrasal verbs is often completely
different from the meaning of the verb alone.
Form:
1) Some phrasal verbs never use an object.
get up = get out of bed
I get up at seven oclock every morning.
take off = leave the ground
The plane took off on time.
look out = beware! be careful!
Look out! That car is going to hit you!
get on = be good friends
My dad and my brother dont get on.
break down = stop working (for vehicles)
Our car broke down on the way home from Scotland.

make up = become friends again after an argument

The kids often fight but they always make up afterwards.

2) Some phrasal verbs need an object.

get on / off something = exit transport
Get off the bus at the next stop.
look after someone / something = take care of someone / something
Please can you look after our cats while were on holiday?
see to something = do, arrange, prepare, organise
Dont worry about dinner. Ill see to it.
look into something = investigate
There has been a burglary at the school. Police are looking into it.
get to = arrive at
When you get to the end of the street, turn right.

3) Some phrasal verbs contain three words and an object.

look up to someone = respect someone
I look up to my teachers.
look forward to something = be excited about (a future event)
Im looking forward to the party.
get on with someone = be good friends with someone
I dont get on with Karen.
get on with something = continue doing something
Please be quiet and get on with your work.
put up with something = tolerate
I cant put up with that noise any longer!

Separable phrasal verbs

Use:
Separable phrasal verbs consist of two parts. They always require an object.
They are often used, especially in informal spoken English. The meaning of phrasal verbs is
often completely different from the meaning of the verb alone.
Form:
1) The object of a phrasal verb can go either between the verb and the preposition or after
the preposition.

I handed in my homework.
I handed my homework in.
2) If the object of the sentence is a pronoun, it must go between the two parts of the phrasal
verb.
I handed it in
NOT
I handed in it.
Examples:
Some common separable phrasal verbs:
pick someone/something up = collect
Please can you pick me up from the station?
drop someone/something off = take and leave/ deposit
I dropped John off outside his school.
throw away = discard
I threw all my old school papers away.
write down = note
I wrote Sallys phone number down on a piece of paper.
make up = invent
Henry likes to make stories up about dinosaurs.
take back = return
This shirt is too small. Im going to take it back to the shop.
let down = disappoint
James studied hard because he didnt want to let his parents down.
turn down = reject
The company offered me a job, but I turned it down.
wash up = wash (dishes)
Can you wash your plates up please?
take off = remove (clothes)
Please take off your shoes before you come inside.
put on = dress in (clothes)
Youll need to put a coat on. Its cold.
turn up / down = increase / decrease volume/ temperature
Can you turn the music down please? Its very loud.
try on = wear and test (clothes)
Please can I try on these trousers?
give up = stop doing something.
She smokes a lot, but she wants to give it up.
take up = start doing something (a new hobby)
Ive decided to take up running.

Present continuous

Use:
1)

Use the present continuous to talk about actions which are happening now.
Ellen is having a bath at the moment.
Right now, Mark is talking to her manager.

Form:
Positive

am / m
verb+ing

You

are / re

He / She / It

is / s

We / They

are / re

Negative

m not
verb+ing

You

arent / re not

He / She / It

isnt / s not

We / They

arent / re not

Question

Am

I
verb+ing

Are

you

Is

he / she / it

Are

we / they

Spelling Rules:
If a verb ends in e, delete the e before you add ing.
come =>
Im coming.
have =>
Hes having lunch.
Common mistakes
1)
Some students forget the verb be.
I watching television.
=>
Im watching television.
She not coming.
=>
Shes not coming.
2)
Some students make questions incorrectly.
She is working?
=>
Is she working?
3)
Some students make spelling mistakes.
Im studing law. =>
Im studying law.

Present Continuous for Future

Use:
The present continuous tense has two uses:
1) Use it to describe what is happening at the moment.
Wheres dad?
Hes watching TV in the living room.
2) Use it to describe plans and arrangements in the future.
Tom is arriving on the three oclock train tomorrow.
Form:
Make the present continuous in this way.
Positive

am / m

you / they / we

are / re

he / she / it

is / s

verb-ing

Examples: Im going / Hes going / Were going to Spain next week.

Negative

m not

you / they / we

arent / re not

he / she / it

isnt / s not

verb-ing

Examples: Im not going / Youre not going / She isnt going to the meeting.
Questions

Are

you / they / we

Is

he / she / it

verb-ing?

Examples: Are you coming / Is James coming to the party?

Common Mistakes:
1) Some students use will to talk about future plans. However, present continuous is the
correct tense to use.
Ill visit my cousin in Paris this weekend. => Im visiting my cousin in Paris this
weekend.

Present Perfect Comparatives

Use:
The present perfect is used for several reasons:
1) Use it to describe events that happened in the past and are still true now because you can
see the result.
Ive broken my leg!
David has painted his house.
2) Use it to describe experiences in your life.
Ive been to New York three times in my life.
However, you cannot use the present perfect to describe experiences in someones life if
that person has died.
Michael Jackson performed in Britain many times.
NOT
Michael Jackson has performed in Britain many times.
3) Use it to describe events that started in the past and are still happening now.
Ive lived here all my life (and I live here now).
John has worked here for 10 years (and he works here now).
Never refer to a finished time with a present perfect verb.

Form:
Make the present perfect in this way.
Positive

I / you / they / we

have / ve

he / she / it

has / s

Examples:

past participle

Ive seen him; theyve gone; shes taken my bag.

Negative

I / you / they / we

havent / ve not past participle

he / she / it

hasnt / s not

Examples:

I havent seen him; they havent gone yet; shes not been here.

Questions

Have

you / they / we

Has

he / she / it

Examples:

past participle?

Have you seen him? Has she taken my bag?

Common mistakes:
1) Dont use the present perfect to refer to a finished time.
Ive hurt my arm yesterday.
=>
Ive hurt my arm.
Johns been to New York last month. =>
Johns been to New York.

Should and Ought to

Use:
Use Should and Ought to give advice.
Examples:
You should see a doctor.
You ought to find a new job.
Form:
Should
Should is a modal verb, like can and will, so it follows the same rules.
1) Do not add s to the third person singular.
He should buy a new car. NOT
He should buys a new car.
2) To form a negative, add not / nt after should.
You shouldnt do that!
3) To form questions, invert should and the subject.
What time should we arrive?
4) Should is always followed by a verb in the infinitive form.
I should to go.
=>I should go.
5) You can also use should in the continuous form. Use should + be + verb-ing.
Why are you watching TV? You should be working!

Ought
Ought is a semi-modal verb. It is similar to should in some ways:
1) Do not add s to the third person singular.
He oughts to buy a new car.
=> He ought to buy a new car.
2) To form a negative, add not / nt after ought.
You ought not to do that!
However, ought is not often used in negative sentences
3) To form questions, invert ought and the subject.
What time ought we to arrive?
However, ought is not often used in questions.
Ought is different to should because:
1) Ought is always followed by to + a verb in the infinitive form.
I ought go.

=>I ought to go.

Some / any / much / many

Some and any

Use:
Use some before plural nouns or uncountable nouns.
There are some children in the street.
There is some money in my pocket.
Use any, not some, in negative sentences and questions.
There arent any children in the street.
There isnt any money in my pocket.
Are there any children in the street?
Is there any money in your pocket?
However, Some is possible in offers and requests.
Please can I have some chocolate?
Would you like some tea?
Much and Many
Use:

Use many in negative sentences and questions. We dont often use it in positive sentences,
especially in informal situations. We use a lot of / lots of.
Use many with plural nouns.
Are there many Chinese students in your class?
I havent got many CDs.
There are many cars on the road today.

There are a lot of cars on the road today.

However, we can use Many of Not Many before the subject of the sentence.
Many people think that trains are too expensive.
Not many people know that you can get free coffee here!
We use much in negative sentences and questions with uncountable nouns. We dont often
use it in positive sentences. We say a lot of / lots of.
Have you got much money with you?
I havent got much money with me.
I have much money.

I have a lot of money.

Common mistakes
1)
Some students use many with uncountable nouns.
I dont have many money.

I dont have much money.

2)
Some students use some in negative sentences.
I havent got some brothers or sisters.
I havent got any brothers or sisters.

Subject and object questions

Use:
Some questions ask about the object of a sentence.
Who did you see? => I saw Helen.
Helen is the object of the sentence.
Some questions ask about the subject of a sentence.
Who saw you?=> Nobody saw me.
Nobody is the subject of the sentence.
Subject and Object questions have different structures.
Form:
Object Questions

1) To be
Use to be before a subject + nouns, adjective or place.

to be

Subject

Is / Was

he / she / it / Tom

a teacher / a student?
happy / cold / tired / ready?
at the party / in the classroom?
here / there?

Are / Were

we / you / they / your parents

teachers / students?
happy / cold / tired / ready?
at the party / in the classroom?
here / there?

Is Tom a teacher? Is it cold? Was he at the party? Is she here?

Are you students? Were you tired? Are they in the classroom? Were your parents there?
2) Use Question word + to be before nouns, pronouns, places and this / that.

Question word

be

Where
Who
What
When

is / was

he / she / it / my bag?
this / that?
at the party / in the
classroom?

are / were

we / you / they / my keys?

these / those?
at the party / in the
classroom?

Who is it? When was it? Where was my bag? Who was at the party?
Where are my keys? What are those?

3) Use (Question word) + auxiliary verb before a subject + verb

Question word

auxiliary verb

Subject

is / are
was / were
Where
Who
What
When
Why

do / does
did

doing
going
you
he
she
it
we
they

do
go

see
eat

can / could
will / would
should

do
go

see
eat

have / has
had

done
gone

seeing
eating

saw
eaten

Where are you going? Who did you see? What did you do? When will we go? Why have
they gone?
Subject Questions
1) Subject questions have no subject in the question. Any present / past simple verbs should
go in the past / present simple tense, not the infinitive form.
Only What and Who can be used in this kind of question.

Question word

verb

object

Who

likes / needs / wants

is following / calling
saw / called

me / you / him / her / us / them?

the film?

What

happened (to

me / you / him / her / us / them?)

is happening (to

Who likes me? What happened to you?

In the present tense, always use the third person singular form of the verb.
What happens next?
NOT
What happen next?
Common mistakes:
1)
Some students use an auxiliary verb in an subject question.
What did happen?
=> What happened?
Who did meet you at the station?=> Who met you at the station?

Superlatives

Use:
Use the superlative form to describe something that is greater than any other thing.
The Amazon is the longest river in the world.
Helen is the most intelligent student in the class.
Form:
1)

Write the before all superlatives.

2)
If an adjective is short and has one syllable, add est to the end. If it ends in e
already, just add st.
tall
=>
the tallest
nice
=>
the nicest
thick
=>
the thickest
late
=>
the latest
2)
If an adjective ends in one vowel and one consonant, write the consonant again,
then write est. But never write a w twice.
big
=>
the biggest
new
=>
the newest
(NOT newwest)
thin
=>
the thinnest
slow
=>
the slowest
(NOT slowwest)
slim
=>
the slimmest
The biggest cat in the world is the lion.
3)

If an adjective has two syllables and ends in y, change the y to i and add est.
funny =>
the funniest
silly
=>
the silliest

Its the silliest film Ive ever seen!

4)
For other adjectives with two or more syllables, DONT add est. Write most
before the adjective.

interesting
most surprising

=>

the most interesting

surprising

=>

the

Its the most interesting book Ive ever read.

5)

Some adjectives have irregular superlative forms. These are listed below.
good
=>
the best
bad
=>
the worst
far
=>
the furthest

6)
a) In is often (but not always) used after a superlative adjective to describe where
this statement is true.
London is the biggest city in England.
Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
My brother is the tallest person in my family.

Uncountable Nouns

Use:
Some nouns are countable you can count them. These include:
apples, books, cars, trees
Some nouns are uncountable you cannot count them. These include:
water, oil, rice, fruit, bread, information, money
Uncountable nouns have different grammar rules from countable nouns.

countable singular nouns

e.g. apple

countable plural nouns

e.g. apples

Singular countable nouns

always need a determiner:
a, this, that, my, the etc.

Plural countable nouns do not Uncountable nouns do not need

need a determiner.
a determiner.

Look at that cat!

Can I have an apple?
Is this your bag?

I like apples.
Dogs are friendly.
But they can be used with
determiners:

uncountable nouns
e.g. fruit

I like fruit.
But they can use singular
determiners:

Where are my shoes?

Are those pens yours?

This fruit is nice.

You can count countable

You cannot count uncountable
nouns.
nouns.
Can I have five apples please? Can I have five breads please?

Use singular verbs and

determiners.
This apple is nice.

Use plural verbs and

determiners.
These apples are nice.

Use singular verbs and

determiners.
This bread is nice.

Some determiners can be used with both countable and

uncountable nouns.
some, a lot of, lots of, loads of, plenty of, any
Weve got some potatoes. We need some bread.
We dont have any potatoes. We dont have any bread.

Some determiners can only be Some determiners can only be

used with countable nouns:
used with uncountable nouns:
several, various, a few, many much, a bit of, a little

will / wont

Use:
Will and wont are used to talk about the future. Will is positive and wont is negative.
I will be late tomorrow.
John wont be at the party next Saturday.

Use will and wont to:

a) Make predictions.
In the year 2050, people will live under the sea.
b) Make an offer or promise.
Ill buy you a drink.
John will help you with that box.
c) Make a decision about the future at the same time as you speak.
Sorry, we dont have any tea.
Thats OK, Ill have coffee.
Form:
1) Will is the same for all persons.
I will go, you will go, he / she will go, we will go, they will go.
2) Always write a verb in the infinitive form after will.
You will happy when you hear the news. => You will be happy when you hear the news.
3) You can contract will to ll for pronouns.
Ill buy it. Well be late.
Hell be late home today. Theyll be delighted.
But dont contract will with names.
Markll be late. => Mark will be late.
4) To write questions, write will before the subject.
Will you buy me a drink?
Will Tom get the job?
5) The short answer for Will questions is: Yes, I/you/he/she/he/they/we will
No, I/you/he/she/he/they/we wont.
Do not contract will in short answers.
Will John be late?
Yes, hell.=> Yes, he will.
Common mistakes:
1) Some students forget to write will before the subject in questions.
You will be late? => Will you be late?
2) Many students use will to talk about their plans. But you should use going to or the
present continuous.
I will meet my friends on Friday. => Im meeting my friends on Saturday.
Im going to meet my friends on Saturday

Zero Conditional

Use:
The first conditional structure is used to talk about something which is always true. It
always happens, on the condition that something else happens.
Example: If it rains a lot, our garden floods.
Form:
1.

Make the first conditional in this way.

If
When
Unless

I
you
he
she...

Examples:

present simple

I
you
he
she...

present simple

If you fly on a budget airline, you have to buy your own drinks.
When we visit Geoff, he always cooks us a roast dinner.

Or

I
present simple
you
he
she...

Examples:

if
when
unless

I
you
he
she...

present simple

You have to buy your own drinks if you fly on a budget airline.
Geoff always cooks us a roast dinner when we visit him.

2.

You can also form the zero conditional with the imperative form.
If you have a membership card, enter through the door on the left.
Enter through the door on the left if you have a membership card.

3.

You can also form the zero conditional using a modal verb.
If the alarm goes off, we should leave the building.
If its rainy and sunny at the same time, you can often see a

rainbow.
4.
Different tenses can be used in the If / When (condition) clause. However, only

the present simple, a modal or imperative form can be used in the result clause.
If weve finished all our work, we can leave early.
If people are getting enough exercise, they usually feel better
emotionally as well as physically.

Would like/ like

Use:
1)
Would like means want, but it is more polite.
You can use it in sentences and questions.
Id like a biscuit.
Would you like some tea?
2)
You can also use it to talk about your dreams and ambitions.
Id like to go to Japan.
I wouldnt like to live here!
You can also use Id love and Id hate to talk about dreams.
Id hate to live in the countryside.
Id love to work with Simon.
Form:
1)
Would like is the same for all persons.
I would like some tea.
You would like some tea.
He / she / James would like some tea.
We would like some tea.
They / our clients would like some tea.
2)
To make questions, invert the subject and would.
Would you / James / your clients like some tea?
3)
Use wouldnt to make the negative form.
I wouldnt like to work there.
4)
Would like can be followed by a noun or to + verb.
noun: Would you like a biscuit?
verb: Would you like to go to Malaysia?
5)
In positive sentences, you can contract would to d.
I would like to go to the USA.
=>
Id like to go to the USA.
But NOT in negative sentences:

Idnt like to work in a factory. =>

And NOT in short answers:
Would you like to have a horse?
Yes, Id. =>
Yes, I would.

I wouldnt like to work in a factory.

6)
Be careful not to confuse would like and like.
Use like to talk about things you like all the time.
I like chocolate cake. Its my favourite food.
Use would like to talk about things you want now, or at some time in the future.
Id like a cup of coffee please.
Id like to work in a chocolate factory.