SIMPLE PRESENT.

The simple present expresses an action in the present taking place once, never or
several times. It is also used for actions that take place one after another and for
actions that are set by a timetable or schedule. The simple present also expresses
facts in the present.
The
present
tense
is
the base
But the third person (she/he/it) adds an -s:

form of

the
verb:
I work in
She works in London.

London.

USE.
We use the present tense to talk about:

something that is true in the present:

Im nineteen years old.
He lives in London.
Im a student.

something that happens again and again in the present:

I play football every weekend.

We use words like sometimes, often. always, and never (adverbs of frequency)

with the present tense:

I sometimes go

to

the

She never plays football.

something that is always true:

The adult human body contains 206 bones.

Light travels at almost 300,000 kilometres per second.

cinema.

something that is fixed in the future.

The school term starts next week.

The train leaves at 1945 this evening.
We fly to Paris next week.

QUESTIONS AND NEGATIVES.

Look at these questions:
Do you play the piano?
Where do you live?
Does Jack play football?
Where does he come from?
Do Rita and Angela live in Manchester?
Where do they work?

With the present tense, we use do and does to make questions. We use does for the
third person (she/he/it) and we use do for the others. We use do and does with question words
like where, what and why:
But look at these questions with who:
Who lives in London?
Who plays football at the weekend?
Who works at Liverpool City Hospital?

Look at these sentences:

I like tennis, but I dont like football. (dont = do not)

I dont live in London now.
I dont play the piano, but I play the guitar.
They dont work at the weekend.
John doesnt live in Manchester. (doesnt = does not)
Angela doesnt drive to work. She goes by bus.

With the present tense we use do and does to make negatives. We use does not
(doesnt) for the third person (she/he/it) and we use do not (dont) for the others.

TEST.

Change the verb into the correct form

1.- I usually

(go) to school.

2.- They

(visit) us often.

3.- You

(play) basketball once a week.

4.- Tom

(work) every day.

5.- He always

(tell) us funny stories.

6.- Martha and Kevin

(swim) twice a week.

7.- In this club people usually

8.- Linda

(take care) of her sister.

9.- John rarely

10.- We

11.- Lorie

12.- I

13.- You

(dance) a lot.

(leave) the country.

(live) in the city most of the year.

(travel) to Paris every Sunday.

(bake) cookies twice a month.

(need) to sleep.

14.- They

15.- She

(agree) with me.

(hear) something strange.

16.- The box

(contain) food.

17.- Emma

(appear) sad.

18.- David

(know) how to fix a car.

19.- Daniel and Liz

20.- This

(seem) happy.

(smell) bad.

21.- They

22.- Michael

23.- Michel

24.- Tim and Kate

25.- Lucas and Clara

(not buy) new products.

(not dance).

(not run) fast.

(not work) every day.

(not eat) meat.

26.- I

27.- You

(not swim) much.

(not ski) at all.

28.-

(it hurt)?

29.-

(we dance)?

30.-

(they travel)?

31.-

(Emma cook) well?

32.-

33.-

34.-

35.-

(Alexander exercise) regularly?

(I look) well?

(you rest) enough?

(William work) too hard?

SIMPLE PAST (REGULAR-IRREGULAR VERB).

The past simple is the most common way of talking about past events or states which have finished. It is often
used with past time references (e.g. yesterday, two years ago).

SIMPLE PAST REGULAR VERBS.

PAST EVENTS OR STATES.
A past event could be one thing that happened in the past, or a repeated thing.

I stopped at
a
zebra
We carried on
with
the
We played tennis every day in August.
A state is a situation without an action happening.
We stayed at my grandparents' house last summer.
How do you form the past simple?

crossing.
test.

Regular past simple forms are formed by adding -ed to the infinitive of the verb.
start started
kill killed
jump jumped
But there are some spelling rules. If a verb ends in -e, you add -d.
agree agreed
like liked
escape escaped
If a verb ends in a vowel and a consonant, the consonant is usually doubled before -ed.
stop stopped
plan planned
If a verb ends in consonant and -y, you take off the y and add -ied.
try tried
carry carried
But if the word ends in a vowel and -y, you add -ed.
play played
enjoy enjoyed
The past simple form doesn't change at all for I, you, he, she, we and they, does it?
No, the form doesn't change.
THE PRONUNCIATION OF THE -ED ENDING.
There are three kinds of pronunciation: /d/, /t/ and /d/. Look at the table below.

/d/

/t/

/d/

Arrived

asked

wanted

Failed

crossed

decided

agreed

stopped

started

QUESTIONS AND NEGATIVES.

With the verb did (do in the past) + the infinitive.
Did you
You didn't
Yes, I did. / No, I didn't.

TEST.
SIMPLE PAST REGULAR VERBS.

fail,

did

pass?
you?

Check your grammar: true or false past simple regular verbs.

Are these sentences True or False?

Check your grammar: gap fill past simple regular verbs.

Put the verb in the past simple tense to fill the gaps.

1. The cat _______________ (escape) from the garden.

2. They _______________ (agree) with me about the album.
3. He _______________ (try) to start the car.
4. We _______________ (enjoy) the funfair a lot.
5. Tell me, what _______________ (happen)?
6. She _______________ (stop) at a zebra crossing.
7. I _______________ (carry on) working until late.
8. Alfie _______________ (fail) his driving test again.

Check your grammar: error correction past simple regular verbs.

Correct the mistakes in these sentences.

1. Did he jumped a red light?

.
2. They no liked the film.
..

3. We planed to go on a trip round the US.

...
4. You didnt kill it, do you?
...
5. The door openned and we went in.
...
6. Played you tennis last year?
.

SIMPLE PAST IRREGULAR VERBS.

Some verbs are irregular. Their past forms do not end in -ed.
There aren't really so many verbs to learn and remember that English is much easier than many languages. The
past forms don't change.
I took a
taxi
to
the
airport. (take took)
That
was
when
we spoke. (speak

spoke)
One person gave me his last bar of chocolate. (give gave)
The negatives are all formed with did + not + the infinitive without to. The question forms are very similar: did
+ subject pronoun + the infinitive without to.
What did
you
do all
day
in
the
airport?
Did
you
have enough
food?
We didn't think you would get home in time for your birthday.
EXCEPTIONS: The verb to be. The past form is was for I, he, she and it, but were for you, we and they.
It was horrible
not
being
able
to
phone
you
two!
There wasn't any
food.
I was so
hungry!
We were stuck in the airport.

IRREGULAR VERBS.

IRREGULAR VERBS.
VERBO
become
begin
break
bring
build
buy
catch
choose
come
cost
cut
drink
eat
fall

PASADO
became
began
broke
brought
built
bought
caught
chose
came
cost
cut
drank
ate
fell

PARTICIPIO
become
begun
broken
brought
built
bought
caught
chosen
come
cost
cut
drunk
eaten
fallen

SIGNIFICADO
llegar a ser
Empezar
romper
traer, llevar
construir, edificar
comprar
coger
elegir
venir
costar
cortar
beber
comer
caer

find
get

found
got

give
go
know
learn

gave
went
knew
learned
learnt (UK)
left
made
meant
paid
put
read
ran
said
saw
sold
sent
set
sat
slept
spoke
took
taught
won
wrote

leave
make
mean
pay
put
read
run
say
see
sell
send
set
sit
sleep
speak
take
teach
win
write

(USA)

found
got
gotten (American)
given
gone
known
learned
learnt (UK)
left
made
meant
paid
put
read
run
said
seen
sold
sent
set
sat
slept
spoken
taken
taught
won
written

(British)

(USA)

encontrar
conseguir, obtener
dar
ir
saber, conocer
aprender
dejar, abandonar
hacer, fabricar
significar
pagar
poner, colocar
leer
correr
decir
ver
vender
enviar
poner
sentarse
dormir
hablar
coger
ensear
ganar
escribir

IRREGULAR VERBS - INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

VERBO
draw
dream
drive
feed
feel
fight
fly
forbid
forget
hear
hide
hit
let
lie
light
lose
meet
ring
rise

PASADO
drew
dreamt
drove
fed
felt
fought
flew
forbade
forgot
heard
hid
hit
let
lay
lit
lost
met
rang
rose

PARTICIPIO
drawn
dreamt
driven
fed
felt
fought
flown
forbidden
forgotten
heard
hidden
hit
let
lain
lit
lost
met
rung
risen

SIGNIFICADO
dibujar
soar
conducir
alimentar
sentir
pelear
volar
prohibir
olvidar
or
esconder
golpear
permitir
tumbarse
encender
perder
encontrar
llamar
levantarse

seek
shake
shoot
show
shut
sing
spell
spend
split
swim
swing
tell
think
throw
wake
wear

sought
shook
shot
showed
shut
sang
spelt
spelled (USA)
spent
split
swam
swung
told
thought
threw
woke
wore

(UK)

sought
shook
shot
shown
shut
sung
spelt
spelled (USA)
spent
split
swum
swung
told
thought
threw
woken
worn

(UK)

buscar
agitar, estrechar la mano
disparar
mostrar
cerrar
cantar
deletrear
gastar
dividir, partir
nadar
balancear
decir, contar
pensar
tirar
despertar
llevar puesto

IRREGULAR VERBS - ADVANCED LEVEL

VERBO

PASADO

PARTICIPIO

SIGNIFICADO

arise
bear
beat
bend
bet
bind
bite
bleed
blow
cast
deal
fit
freeze
grow
keep
lay
lead
lean

arose
bore
beat
bent
bet
bound
bit
bled
blew
cast
dealt
fit
froze
grew
kept
laid
led
leant
leaned (USA)
leapt
slid
spread
smelt
smelled (USA)

arisen
born
beaten
bent
bet
bound
bitten
bled
blown
cast
dealt
fit
frozen
grown
kept
laid
led
leant
leaned (USA)
leapt
slid
spread
smelt
smelled (USA)

(UK)

surgir, plantearse
dar a luz
golpear, vencer
doblar, curvar
apostar
enlazar, atar
morder, picar
sangrar
soplar
lanzar
negociar, tratar
encajar, ajustar (ropa)
helar
crecer
guardar
poner
dirigir, conducir
apoyarse, recostarse

(UK)

saltar, brincar
deslizar, resbalar
difundir, extender
oler, olfatear

leap
slide
spread
smell

(UK)

(UK)

steal

stole

stolen

robar

IRREGULAR VERBS - VERY ADVANCED LEVEL.

VERBO

PASADO

PARTICIPIO

SIGNIFICADO

bid
breed
broadcast
burn

bid
bred
broadcast
burnt
burned (USA)
burst
dug
fled
hung
held
hurt
knelt
lent
mistook
rode
sewed
shone
shrank
sank
spat
spoilt
spoiled (USA)
stood
stuck
stung
struck
strove
swore
sweat
swept
trod
wept

Bid.
bred
broadcast
burnt
burned (USA)
burst
dug
fled
hung
held
hurt
knelt
lent
mistaken
ridden
sewn
shone
shrunk
sunk
spat
spoilt
spoiled (USA)
stood
stuck
stung
struck
striven
sworn
sweat
swept
trodden
wept

pujar, intentar
criar
emitir
quemar, arder

burst
dig
flee
hang
hold
hurt
kneel
lend
mistake
ride
sew
shine
shrink
sink
spit
spoil
stand
stick
sting
strike
strive
swear
sweat
sweep
tread
weep

(UK)

(UK)

(UK)

explotar, estallar
cavar
huir de, escapar
colgar
agarrar, sostener
herir
arrodillarse
prestar
equivocarse
montar, cabalgar
coser
brillar, resplandecer
encoger
hundir
escupir
estropear, deteriorar
estar de pie
pegar
pegar
golpear, atacar
esforzarse, procurar
jurar
sudar
barrer
pisar, caminar
llorar

TEST.
SIMPLE PAST IRREGULAR VERBS.
Check your grammar: true or false past simple irregular verbs.

Are these sentences True or False?

Check your grammar: multiple choice past simple irregular verbs.

Choose the correct words to complete the sentences.

Check your grammar: gap fill past simple irregular verbs.

Put the irregular verb in the past simple tense to fill the gaps.

1. I _______________ (buy) some food for lunch.

2. Who _______________ (meet) you at the airport?

3. We all _______________ (have) the same idea.
4. _______________ (do) you speak to Sophie?
5. I _______________ (see) the weather forecast earlier.
6. He _______________ (give) us a lift into town.
7. She _______________ (read) three books in one week!
8. They _______________ (take) a taxi to the hotel.

POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS.
We use possessive pronouns to refer to a specific person/people or thing/things (the
"antecedent") belonging to a person/people (and sometimes belonging to an
animal/animals or thing/things).
We use possessive pronouns depending on:

number: singular (eg: mine) or plural (eg: ours)

person: 1st person (eg: mine), 2nd person (eg: yours) or 3rd person (eg: his)

gender: male (his), female (hers)

Below are the possessive pronouns, followed by some example sentences. Notice that
each possessive pronoun can:

be subject or object.

refer to a singular or plural antecedent.

NUMBER

PERSON

GENDER
(OF "OWNER")

POSSESSIVE
PRONOUNS

singular

1st

male/ female

mine

2nd

male/ female

yours

3rd

male

his

NUMBER

plural

GENDER
(OF "OWNER")

POSSESSIVE
PRONOUNS

female

hers

1st

male/ female

ours

2nd

male/ female

yours

3rd

male/
neuter

theirs

PERSON

female/

EXAMPLES:
Look at these pictures. Mine is the big one. (subject = My picture)
I like your flowers. Do you like mine? (object = my flowers)
I looked everywhere for your key. I found John's key but I couldn't find yours.
(object = your key)
My flowers are dying. Yours are lovely. (subject = Your flowers)
All the essays were good but his was the best. (subject = his essay)
John found his passport but Mary couldn't find hers. (object = her passport)
John found his clothes but Mary couldn't find hers. (object = her clothes)
Here is your car. Ours is over there, where we left it. (subject = Our car)
Your photos are good. Ours are terrible. (subject = Our photos)
Each couple's books are colour-coded. Yours are red. (subject = Your books)
I don't like this family's garden but I like yours. (object = your garden)
These aren't John and Mary's children. Theirs have black hair. (subject = Their
children)
John and Mary don't like your car. Do you like theirs? (object = their car)

Notice that the interrogative pronoun whose can also be a possessive pronoun (an
interrogative possessive pronoun). Look at these examples:

There was $100 on the table and Tara wondered whose it was.

This car hasn't moved for two months. Whose is it?

TYPICAL ERRORS.

We dont use s after possessive pronouns:

Are those gloves hers?
Not: Are those gloves hers?

s is not used with the possessive pronoun its. Its means it is:
The team is proud of its ability to perform consistently well.
Not: proud of its ability

We dont use another determiner with a possessive determiner:

Im going to get my hair cut this afternoon.
Not: get the my hair cut

We dont use possessive determiners on their own. They are always at the
beginning of noun phrases:
Thats not my book. Its yours. (or Its your book.)
Not: Its your.

We dont use possessive pronouns before nouns:

Lots of our friends were at the party.
Not: Lots of ours friends

TEST.

Find the right possessive pronoun:

The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how

possessive pronouns work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1.

The mother cat and __________ kittens napped in the sunshine.

A.

His

B.

Your

C.

Hers

D.

Her

2.

I like cream cheese on _________ bagels.

A.

My

B.

Mine

C.

Your

D.

Our

3.

________ grandfather used to take us fishing.

A.

Mine

B.

My

C.

Our

D.

Ours

4.

Elaine bought ________ dress at the mall.

A.

Yours

B.

Mine

C.

Her

D.

D. Hers

5.

The car lost _________ rear bumper in an accident.

A.

Its

B.

Its

C.

His

D.

Her

6.

The horse swished _________ tail to keep flies away.

A.

Its

B.

Its

C.

Its

D.

The

7.

This dessert is ___________ but you can have it.

A.

My

B.

Mine

C.

Yours

D.

Delicious

8.

Please return _________ money at once.

A.

Mine

B.

Your

C.

My

D.

Its

9.

______ car is so dirty I cant even tell what color it is.

A.

Your

B.

Yours

C.

Hers

D.

Ours

10.

When the cat saw the dog, it stopped in ______ tracks.

A.

My

B.

Its

C.

His

D.

Hers

Choose the right answer (possessive adjective or possessive pronoun):

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Jane has already eaten her lunch, but I'm saving .. until later
She has broken leg.
My mobile needs to be fixed, but .. is working.
.. computer is a Mac, but .. is a PC.
We gave them .. telephone number, and they gave us .. .
. pencil is broken. Can I borrow . ?
.. car is cheap, but is expensive .
You can't have any chocolate! It's all .. !

PAST PROGRESSIVE.

FORM:
[was/were + present participle]

EXAMPLES:

You were studying when she called.

Were you studying when she called?

You were not studying when she called.

PAST CONTINUOUS FORMS:

USE 1: Interrupted Action in the Past.

Use the Past Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted.
The interruption is usually a shorter action in the Simple Past. Remember this can be
a real interruption or just an interruption in time. Examples:

I was watching TV when she called.

When the phone rang, she was writing a letter.

While we were having the picnic, it started to rain.

What were you doing when the earthquake started?

I was listening to my iPod, so I didn't hear the fire alarm.

You were not listening to me when I told you to turn the oven off.

While John was sleeping last night, someone stole his car.

Sammy was waiting for us when we got off the plane.

While I was writing the email, the computer suddenly went off.

A:

What were you doing when

you

broke

your

leg?

B: I was snowboarding.

USE 2: Specific Time as an Interruption.

In USE 1, described above, the Past Continuous is interrupted by a shorter action in

the Simple Past. However, you can also use a specific time as an interruption.
Examples:

Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.

At midnight, we were still driving through the desert.

Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my desk at work.

IMPORTANT: In the Simple Past, a specific time is used to show when an action began or
finished. In the Past Continuous, a specific time only interrupts the action. Examples:

Last

night

at

PM,

PM,

I was

I ate dinner.

I started eating at 6 PM.

Last

night

at

eating dinner.

I started earlier; and at 6 PM, I was in the process of eating dinner.

USE 3: Parallel Actions.

When you use the Past Continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it
expresses the idea that both actions were happening at the same time. The actions
are parallel. Examples:

I was studying while he was making dinner.

While Ellen was reading, Tim was watching television.

Were you listening while he was talking?

I wasn't paying attention while I was writing the letter, so I made several mistakes.

What were you doing while you were waiting?

Thomas wasn't working, and I wasn't working either.

They were eating dinner, discussing their plans, and having a good time.

USE 4: Atmosphere.

In English, we often use a series of parallel actions to describe the atmosphere at a

particular time in the past. Example:

When I walked into the office, several people were busily typing, some were
talking on the phones, the boss was yelling directions, and customers were
waiting to be helped. One customer was yelling at a secretary and waving his
hands. Others were complainingto each other about the bad service.

USE 5: Repetition and Irritation with "Always".

The Past Continuous with words such as "always" or "constantly" expresses the idea
that something irritating or shocking often happened in the past. The concept is very
similar to the expression "used to" but with negative emotion. Remember to put the
words "always" or "constantly" between "be" and "verb+ing." Examples:

She was always coming to class late.

He was constantly talking. He annoyed everyone.

I didn't like them because they were always complaining.

WHILE VS. WHEN.

Clauses are groups of words which have meaning, but are often not complete
sentences. Some clauses begin with the word "when" such as "when she called" or
"when it bit me." Other clauses begin with "while" such as "while she was sleeping" and
"while he was surfing." When you talk about things in the past, "when" is most often
followed by the verb tense Simple Past, whereas "while" is usually followed by Past
Continuous. "While" expresses the idea of "during that time." Study the examples below.
They have similar meanings, but they emphasize different parts of the sentence.
Examples:
I was studying when she called.

 While I was studying, she called.

TEST.
Knowledge about the progressive past.

Write the ing form of the following verbs.

1.

phone

2.

fly

3.

swim

4.

chat

5.

die

Complete the table in past progressive.

Was or Were?

I .. having dinner.
You .. rushing down the street.
The birds .. sitting in the tree.

The teacher .. pointing to the board.

The water .. dripping on the floor.

Write sentences in past progressive.

We / feed / the birds
...
Jenny / ride / a horse
...
my parents / not / eating / at a restaurant
...
James and Phil / build / a tree house
...
their mother / not / cook / dinner
...

Write questions in past progressive.

Jane / tidy / her room

...
Brendan / drive / a lorry

...
Sue and Jane / sell / fruits

...
the pupils / write / a test

...
your little sister / cry

...

INFORMATION QUESTIONS ANSWERS (PAST SIMPLE).

As is the case with any verb tense in English, it is generally possible to give short answers to a
question. This is certainly the case for questions in the past tense.
If the question commences with one of the traditional question words such as WHO, WHERE,
WHEN, WHY, WHAT, WHICH or HOW, it requires a more detailed answer and it is not possible to
give a short answer.

EXAMPLES OF LONG ANSWERS.

What did you do on the weekend?

- I went to a party with my friends.
(It is not possible to give a short answer to this question like 'Yes, I did').

Why did you call him?

- Because I needed to borrow his computer.

HOWEVER, if the question is more direct, and commences with a verb or Did, then it is generally
possible to give a short or a long answer to the question. Examples:

Was Chris at the party last night?

- Yes, he was. (short answer)
- Yes, Chris was at the party last night. (long answer)

Did you see Julie on the weekend?

- No, I didn't. (short answer)
- No, I didn't see Julie on the weekend. (long answer)

Could they speak Japanese?

- Yes, they could. (short answer)
- Yes, they could speak Japanese. (long answer)

As you can see, long answers usually sound repetitive and are not commonly used.

SHORT ANSWERS WITH DID.

Remember that if the question starts with DID, you can give a short answer using DID. It is not
necessary to use the main verb in the answer. Examples:

Did you sleep well last night?

Yes, I did / No, I didn't.

Did the airplane arrive on time?

Yes, it did / No, it didn't.

Did they remember your birthday?

Yes, they did / No, they did not.

Did your parents ring you last week?

Yes, they did / No, they didn't.

Did you lose your dog?

Yes, I did / No, I did not.

In questions that use DID it is possible to give short answers as follows:

Sample Questions

Short Answer
(Affirmative)

Short Answer
(Negative)

Did I pass the test?

Yes, you did.

No, you didn't.

Did you need a dictionary?

Yes, I did.

No, I didn't.

Did you both like the movie?

Yes, we did.

No, we didn't.

Did they finish their homework?

Yes, they did.

No, they didn't.

Did he have a good time?

Yes, he did.

No, he didn't.

Did she want to leave early?

Yes, she did.

No, she didn't.

Did it have blue buttons?

Yes, it did.

No, it didn't.

SHORT ANSWERS WITH WAS / WERE.

In questions that use Was or Were it is possible to give short answers as follows:

Sample Questions

Short Answer
(Affirmative)*

Short Answer
(Negative)

Was I correct?

Yes, you were.

No, you weren't.

Were you busy yesterday?

Yes, I was.

No, I wasn't.

Were you both embarrassed?

Yes, we were.

No, we weren't.

Were they hungry?

Yes, they were.

No, they weren't.

Was he late again?

Yes, he was.

No, he wasn't.

Was she a good student?

Yes, she was.

No, she wasn't.

Was it ready?

Yes, it was.

No, it wasn't.

* There are NO contractions with Affirmative short answers.

TEST.
Write questions in simple past.
Anna / the window / open
o Did Anna open the window?......
she / home / walk
o .
you / in the garden / work
o .
you / a song / sing
o .
she / on a chair / sit
o .
you / the castle / visit
o .
Jenny / the door / lock
o .
she / happy / be
o .
Greg / the ball / kick
o .
the car / at the corner / stop
o .

USED TO.
USED TO: MEANING AND FORM.

We use used to when we refer to things in the past which are no longer true. It can
refer to repeated actions or to a state or situation:
He used to play football for the local team, but hes too old now.
That white house over there used to belong to my family. (It belonged to my family
in the past, but not any more.)

WARNING:

In statements, the form used to does not change. We do not use the verb bebefore
it. It always refers to past time:
We used to go to the seaside every summer when I was a kid.
Not: We are used to go or We use to go or We were used to go

NEGATIVE: DIDNT USE TO

The negative of used to is most commonly didnt use(d) to. Sometimes we write it
with a final -d, sometimes not. Both forms are common, but many people consider
the form with the final -d to be incorrect, and you should not use it in exams:
It didnt use to be so crowded in the shops as it is nowadays.
I didnt used to like broccoli when I was younger, but I love it now. (Dont use this
form in exams.)
In very formal styles, we can use the negative form used not to:
She used not to live as poorly as she does now.

QUESTIONS.

The most common form of question is auxiliary did + use(d) to. Many people
consider the form with a final -d to be incorrect, and you should not use it in exams:
I think we met once, a couple of years ago. Did you use to work with Kevin Harris?
Didnt she used to live in the same street as us? (Dont use this form in written
exams.)

EMPHATIC DID.

We can use the emphatic auxiliary did with used to:

We never used to mix very much with the neighbours, but we did used to say hello
to them in the street. (Dont use this form in written exams.)

TAGS

We normally make tags after used to with auxiliary did:

He used to be your boss, did he?
We used to love going to the museum, didnt we?

USED TO OR WOULD?

We can use used to or would to talk about peoples habits in the past. When we
use them both together, used to most commonly comes first, as it sets the scene
for the actions being reported:
When we were kids, we used to invent amazing games. We would imagine we
were the government and we would make crazy laws that everyone had to obey.
Used to, but not would, can describe a state or situation which is no longer true:
We used to live in Manchester.
Not: We would live in Manchester .

The Townhouse used to be a Greek restaurant. Its Italian now.

Not: The Townhouse would be a Greek restaurant

USED TO OR BE USED TO?

Used to refers to actions and situations in the past which no longer happen or are
no longer true. It always refers to the past:
She used to sing in a choir, but she gave it up. (She sang, but she doesnt sing
any more)
Be used to means be accustomed to or be familiar with. It can refer to the past,
present or future. We follow be used to with a noun phrase, a pronoun or the ing form of a verb:
I work in a hospital, so Im used to long hours. (I am accustomed to/familiar with
long hours.)
She lives in a very small village and hates traffic. Shes not used to it.
He was a salesman, so he was used to travelling up and down the country. (He
was accustomed to/was familiar with travelling.)
We can also say get used to or (more formally) become used to:
University is very different from school, but dont worry. Youll soon get used to it.
(or, more formally, Youll soon become used to it.)}

FORM :

[used to + VERB]

Example:

I used to go to the beach every day.

It is better not to use "used to" in questions or negative forms; however, this is
sometimes done in informal spoken English. It is better to ask questions and create
negative sentences using Simple Past.

USE 1: Habit in the Past

"Used to" expresses the idea that something was an old habit that stopped in the
past. It indicates that something was often repeated in the past, but it is not usually
done now. Examples:

Jerry used to study English.

Sam and Mary used to go to Mexico in the summer.

I used to start work at 9 o'clock.

Christine used to eat meat, but now she is a vegetarian.

USE 2 : Past Facts and Generalizations.

"Used to" can also be used to talk about past facts or generalizations which are no
longer true. Examples:

I used to live in Paris.

Sarah used to be fat, but now she is thin.

George used to be the best student in class, but now Lena is the best.

Oranges used to cost very little in Florida, but now they are quite expensive.

"USED TO" VS. SIMPLE PAST.

Both Simple Past and "Used to" can be used to describe past habits, past facts and
past generalizations; however, "used to" is preferred when emphasizing these forms
of past repetition in positive sentences. On the other hand, when asking questions or
making negative sentences,Simple Past is preferred. Examples:

You used to play the piano.

Did you play the piano when you were young?

You did not play the piano when you were young.
ACTIVE / PASSIVE. Examples:

Jerry used to pay the bills. Active

The bills used to be paid by Jerry. Passive

TEST.
o Make an affirmative sentence, negative sentence or question using used to +
infinitive':

1) I / live in a flat when I was a child.

.
2) We / go to the beach every summer?
..
3) She / love eating chocolate, but now she hates it
.
4) He / not / smoke
.
5) I / play tennis when I was at school
.
6) She / be able to speak French, but she has forgotten it all
.
7) He / play golf every weekend?

.
8) They both / have short hair
.
9) Julie / study Portuguese
.
10) I / not / hate school
.

Make sentences using be used to + verb-ing or be used to + noun /

pronoun. You need to choose the correct tense:

1) I .. (live) in London, so the crowds don't bother

me.
2) She ....(the Tokyo subway) so she doesn't get
lost.
3) He .....(not/deal) with animals, so he's a bit scared of the
dogs.
4) John .(drive) in heavy traffic.
.
5) I ..(wake) up in the night with my baby. I
drink lots of coffee!.
6) It was very hard to get up at five when I first started this job, because I
.(not/it).
7) She .(drink) a lot of coffee, so she
doesn't have a problem with going to sleep afterwards.
8)

I've

lived

here

in

Hokkaido

for

three

years

but

(not/the snow).
9) He (do) a lot of exercise, so a ten-mile
walk is easy for him.

10) Julie's flat is in the centre of London. When she visits a friend in the countryside, it's
difficult for her to sleep because she ....
(not/the quiet).

BE GOING TO FOR PLANNING EVENTS .

BE GOING TO: FORM
We use be going to + the base form of the verb:
Im going to take a few exams at the end of the year.
Its going to be difficult to get a job during the summer as the tourist
industry is suffering from the economic downturn.

BE GOING TO: USES.

Be going to is commonly used in informal styles.
INTENTIONS.
We use be going to to talk about future plans and intentions. Usually the decision
about the future plans has already been made:
Shes going to be a professional dancer when she grows up.
Im going to look for a new place to live next month.

PREDICTIONS.
We use be going to to predict something that we think is certain to happen or which
we have evidence for now:
Its going to snow again soon. (The speaker can probably see dark snow
clouds.)

 Look out! Hes going to break that glass.

COMMANDS.
We use be going to when we give commands or state that something is obligatory:
[parent to a child]
Youre going to pick up all of those toys right now. This room is a mess!

FORM OF GOING TO FUTURE:

positive
I

I am going to speak.

negative

question

I am not going to speak.

Am I going to speak?

you / we / they You are going to speak.

You are not going to speak.

Are you going to speak?

he / she / it

He is not going to speak.

Is he going to speak?

He is going to speak.

BE GOING TO OR WILL?
Will is often used in a similar way to be going to. Will is used when we are talking
about something with absolute certainty. Be going to is used when we want to
emphasise our decision or the evidence in the present:
[An A road is a main road. A B road is a smaller road.]
We are now very late so were going to take the B road. (the speaker
refers to the present and emphasises the decision)
I know the B road will be quicker at this time of day. (the speaker states a
fact)

TEST.
Write the verb marked in green on the form be going to in the affirmative
or negative, as appropriate.

1 . L ucy is ver y goo d at scie nce . She st udy

me dici ne .

2 . Ja ne and Tom love trave llin g. The y t a ke

a sabbat ical year

to trave l ar o und the w or ld .

3 . Y o ur so n/not go
to univer si ty?
4 . We wea r

a dr e ss for the w e dding .

5 . W hat yo u/do
6 . T he y not vis it
7 . We ho pe he ha ve
8 . Y o u/not do
9 . Do you t hink I / be
10.

th is w ee kend?
us th is sum mer.
a ne w jo b soo n .
so me thin g you do n t li ke?
goo d at that?

It s ver y su nny, we/no t need

the sun glasse s?

Write sentences in going to future.

he / phone / his girlfriend
Positive:.
Negative:.
Question: :.
they / share / a room
Positive: :.

Negative: :.
Question: :.
the boss / sign / the contract
Positive: :.
Negative: :.
Question: :.
we / plant / the tree / in the morning
Positive: :.
Negative: :.
Question: :.
Janet / miss / the bus
Positive: :.
Negative: :.
Question: :.
I / sell / the furniture
Positive: :.
Negative: :.
Question: :.

Katy / spend / a lot of money

Positive: :.
Negative: :.
Question: :.
we / build / a house
Positive: :.
Negative: :.
Question: :.
Put the verbs into the correct form (future I). Use going to.

CONJUNCTIONS: CONTRASTING.
The conjunctions but and although/though connect ideas that contrast. Whereas is
also used but it is not as common:

The new city hall is amazing but its going to cost a lot.

Hes quite short, whereas his sister is tall.

But.
But is a coordinating conjunction used to connect ideas that contrast. Coordinating
conjunctions connect items which are the same grammatical type.

main idea

contrast

The meal was good

but

expensive.

I want to lose weight

I hate diets.

Lara cooked roast beef for me

I dont eat meat.

Edinburgh is an interesting place

it takes a long time to get there.

Warning:

We cant use however as a conjunction instead of but to connect words and

phrases:
My teacher is very nice but a bit strict.
Not: My teacher is very nice however a bit strict .

Although/though.
Although/though can be used to contrast ideas. Although/though are subordinating
conjunctions used to connect a subordinate clause to a main clause, like after, as,
before, if, since, that, even though, even if.

main idea

although

contrast

Grace is an excellent athlete

though

she injured her leg recently.

Harry is a great friend

we dont see each other often.

The although/though clause can come first.

Although

contrast

main idea

Though

the car was destroyed,

no one was injured in the crash.

people say its dangerous,

I think its an amazing country.

But or although?
But cannot be used in the same way as although/though. We use but to connect
items which are the same grammatical type (coordinating conjunction).

Warning:

The order of clauses connected by coordinating conjunctions cannot be reversed:

Although it rained a lot, weve still enjoyed our holiday.

Weve still enjoyed our holiday, although it rained a lot.

It rained a lot but weve still enjoyed our holiday.

Not: But it rained a lot, weve still enjoyed our holiday .

Although can sound more formal than but. Though is much more common in
speaking than in writing. Although is much more common in writing than in
speaking.

Even though, even if.

Even though and even if are also used as subordinating conjunctions in the same
way as although/though. Even though is similar to although but it makes a stronger
contrast:

Even though I cycle to work, I dont feel very fit.

Even if means whether or not:

Even if you run, youll still be late. (Youll be late whether you run or not.)

I feel tired even if I go to bed early. (I feel tired whether I go to bed early or
not.)

CONJUNCTIONS: Typical Errors.

We use and to connect words in a list and to connect phrases and clauses in a
sentence:

He loves cycling, hiking and ball games.

Not: He loves cycling, hiking, ball games .

After conjunctions referring to time, such as when, once and as soon as, we use
the present simple when we refer to the future:

It will be summer when we see you again.

Not: when we will see you again .

Theyll leave once the lecture finishes.

Not: once the lecture will finish .

As soon as I hear any news, Ill call you.

Not: As soon as Ill hear any news

During is a preposition, not a conjunction, so it must be followed by a noun or a

pronoun:

She studies while she is on the train.

Not: She studies during she is on the train .

When we use a so-clause to connect a cause/reason to a result, the so-clause

must come second:

I bought a new computer game so I have no money left.

Not: So I have no money left I bought a new computer game .

We use although/though, not but, to connect a subordinate clause to a main

clause:

Although Im tall, Im not as tall as Bill.

Not: But Im tall, Im not as tall as Bill .

When as well as or in addition to are followed by clauses, the verb is in the ing form:

[from a brochure advertising an English course in London]

As well as living with a family, you practise your English.

Not: As well as you live with a family

In addition to being a wonderful seafood restaurant, it had an amazing view.

Not: In addition to it was a wonderful seafood restaurant

We cannot use however to connect words and phrases:

The area around Cannes has small but nice beaches.

Not: has small however nice beaches .

TEST.
Short-answer quiz on Conjunctions - Link Words of Contrast
1. I wanted to give him some money after he helped me with the car,
____________________ he absolutely refused to accept it.

2. This year Swissair has gone bankrupt, ______________________ in the

future the authorities hope that Crossair Plus will be a success.
3. They were happy with their marks after the test, ___________________ they
expected them to be a bit higher.
4. Stefano Casiraghi absolutely refused to give up speedboat racing,
_______________________ his wife begged him to.
5. I always have both grapefruit juice and coffee with milk for breakfast,
__________________ my husband drinks only black tea.
6. I work as a teacher, so my salary is not very big, ______________ my
neighbour is a banker and earns at least five times as much as I do.

USING WILL TO SHOW FUTURE EVENTS .

Will" is used with promises or voluntary actions that take place in the future. "Will" can also
be used to make predictions about the future. Examples:

I promise that I will write you every single day. Promise.

I will make dinner tonight. voluntary action.

He thinks it will rain tomorrow. Prediction.

FORM OF WILL FUTURE.

WILL OTHER USES.

Older textbooks often refer to 'will' as 'the future tense' and this has confused a lot of
learners.
It is important to remember that when we talk about the future we cannot always use 'will'
and that when we use 'will' we are not always talking about the future.

Here 'will' is clearly referring to the future.

If I speak to her, I'll tell her about it.
I'll probably visit Sue when I go to Oxford.
Next birthday she'll be 32. Or so she says.

In these examples, however, 'will' is referring to events happening at the present.

The car won't start.

If that's the phone, I'll get it.

Will you have another cup of coffee?

When we use 'will' referring to the present, the idea being expressed is usually one of
'showing willingness' or 'will power'.

My baby won't stop crying. I've tried everything and I'm really exhausted.
I am the boss. You will do as I say.
I need quiet to write this but he will keep on talking to me. I wish he would leave me
alone.

We use 'will' for requests, orders, invitations and offers.

Will you give me a hand?

Will you please take a seat?
Will you have some cake?
I'll help you.

We use 'will' to make promises or threats.

I'll do it at once.
I'll phone him back immediately.
I won't forget this.
I'll get my own back some day.

We use 'will' for habit.

A cat will always find a warm place to sleep.

My car won't go any faster than this.

We use 'will' for deduction.

I expect he'll want us to get on with it.

The phone's ringing. That will be Mark.

Look again at all of these examples of 'will'. They are all to do with the present or are
'timeless'.

TEST.
Put the verbs into the correct form (future I simple). Use will.

Jim asked a fortune teller about his future. Here is what she told him:

Put in the verbs in brackets into the gaps and form sentences. Use willfuture.

 Test your knowledge on the Future I Simple (will).

they / share / their sweets

Positive:
Negative:
Question:
he / pay / cash

Positive:
Negative:
Question:
I / close / the door
Positive:
Negative:
Question:
Tina / paint / a picture for us
Positive:
Negative:
Question:
John / dial / the number for you
Positive:
Negative:
Question:

USES OF "CAN/COULD" AND "MAY / MIGHT / MUST / WOULD"

CAN.
Used to express ability (to be able to do something):

I can make jewelry.

He cant speak French.

Can you open this jar?

Used to ask for permission:

Can I use your bathroom?

Can I leave now?

Can I raise the volume?

Used to make requests or suggestions:

Can I have more napkins?

Can I have the bill?

You can take this spot if you like.

You can do whatever you want.

Could (past form of can)

Describes an ability that someone had in the past:

I could swim when I was young.

You could see the boat sinking.

They could tell he was nervous.

Often used in auxiliary functions to express permission politely:

Could I take this jacket with me?

You could borrow my umbrella.

Could you please let me pass you?

Could I get you more water?

Used to express possibility:

All of them could ride in the van.

You could always stay at our house.

Could it be true?

This plan could really work out.

MAY.
Used to ask for formal permission:

May I come in?

May I say something now?

May I ask one question?

Used to suggest something that is possible:

She may agree with this plan.

They may not be happy about what happened.

It may shower tonight.

MIGHT (PAST FORM OF MAY)

Used to suggest a smaller possibility than may does (actually, might is more
common than may in American English):

He might have finished it.

I might go see a doctor.

I might not come this time.

It might be right.

You might have lost it.

The store might have been closed today.

MUST.
Used to express something formally required or necessary:

I must complete the project by this week.

The government must provide health care for everybody.

Everyone must save the natural resources of the earth.

The building must have a fire alarm.

You must answer my question right now.

Used to show that something is very likely:

He must be a genius.

You must be joking!

There must be an accident.

She must be very tired.

WOULD.
Used as a polite invitation or to offer.

Would you like to go to the movies with me tonight?

Would you like some more tea?

I would be happy to help you with preparation for your exam.

When someone asks a question to invite you or offer you something using Would, the response
can be: Yes, I would OR No, I wouldn't.

Would you like to have a coffee with me? Yes, I would.

Describe a prediction (hypothetical situations)

It would be nice to have a barbecue.

Nobody would believe me if I told them I had seen a UFO.

To not sound impolite when disagreeing with someone.

It would like to point out that you need to review those numbers.

I wouldn't agree with that.

To describe past habits.

Before internet people would send letters to each other.

When I was at school I would get up before everyone else in our house.

(This is similar to using Used to)

Future in the past
We use would when we are talking about the past but we want to talk about something
which was in the future at that time (in the past).

When I was in Paris last year I would spend hours sitting at coffee shops writing ideas
for my novel.

She promised she would send a postcard from Peru.

I told you he would help us.

Wouldn't: To describe a past unwillingness (refusal)

He said he wouldn't help us.

My son wouldn't eat his food.

TEST.
Choose
1) She

the

right

word

for

each

blank.

(can, could, may, might, must) have practiced a lot. Her

performance

was

2) I cant find my watch anywhere. I

have
3) Professor,
4)
5) You

amazing.
(can, could, may, might, must)

lost

it.

(can, could, may, might, must) I ask a question?

(can, could, may, might, must) you please lower your voice?
(can, could, may, might, must) be kidding! How is that

possible?
6) I _________ (could, must, would, may)like to buy the same television for my
house.
7) I

(can, could, may, might, must) speak both English and Chinese

fluently.
Read the sentences and decide whether the gap should be filled with
'will' or 'would'.
1. __________ you mind closing the door ?
4. Maybe I _________ speak to her.
7. We _________ see what happens tomorrow.
10. What _________ you like to eat?
13. If I see her I _________ let her know.
18. She thought she _________ be late, so she took a taxi.
21. When I was in the army, we _________ get up at 5.30 a.m.

USE OF SHOULD, MUST, HAVE TO.

SHOULD.

It is used to give advice. It indicates that something is good and therefore should be done. It is a
recommendation, not an obligation. Has less tax force "must" and "have to".

If you feel bad You should go to the Doctor

It is also used to give an order but in a very polite way.

Anyone Who wants to enter the conference Should show His credentials

(It is really a mandatory obligation-that show the credentials to enter the conference-, but is
expressed in some coercive)
Construction: this modal verb is followed by the infinitive of the main verb without the particle
"to". It is used in past, present and future.

I should have finished my report yesterday (past)

You should help me, I can not do it alone (present)

Tomorrow you llamar your parents (future)

The past is used to indicate something that should be done and not done.
The negative is: Should not.

You should not smoke

And the interrogative form: Should + subject ...?

Should I wear a dark suit for the party?

MUST / HAVE TO.

Express an obligation, something needs to be done.

Immediately You must come here (it's an order)

If you want to make a career in a company You have to speak Ingls (No alternative:
either speak English or no career possible)

See the difference with the following sentence:

Nowdays it is very Important to speak Ingls. You should do it.

Here is a tip, while the former was an obligation.

On the other hand, when "must" / "have to" issuer conviction that the obligation will be fulfilled,
whereas when "should" is used is not known whether the council will continue or not. It is used

Should we buy a new car (it is a wish, there is no assurance that we will do)

We must buy a new car (there is a good chance that we do)

TEST.
Choose "Must" / "Should" / "Have to" (at the corresponding time) to
complete these sentences:

You

speak to your brother and try to solve that problem

You

come with us to the cinema; the film we are going to see

1)

2)
is marvellous
You are very fat. You

practice sport (consejo)

3)

Please,

we

are

in

the

church;

you

stop

making

4)
unpleasant noise (A father to his son)
If you want to watch TV, first you
5)

finish your homework

that

If I want to buy a new house I

get a mortgage (A mother to

6)
her daughter)
You cannot go out with your friends. You

stay at home

7)
because you have fever
In internal flights you

check in one hour before the departure

8)

go to the bank to get some money

9)

You

visit Paris. What a beautiful city!

10)

11)

The doctor is very worried about my dad and has told him that
he
work less

fill the tank; it is almost empty

12)

Our teaches have told us that we

be quiet during the class (A

13)
father to his son)
14)

You will have exams in two weeks. You

study harder

(obligation)
(The police officer to the protesters) You

leave this place

15)
immediately
I

leave immediately; it is very late and tomorrow I have to

16)
get up early
In the petrol station we

switch off the engine before filling the

17)
tank
The weather is really nice. We

go for a walk

18)

You

to go to the dentist; you have lost a filling (consejo muy

19)
enftico)
You

go by plane; by car it is a very long journey

You

read more; it is very good for your education

20)

21)

Kevin, you
22)
mother to her son)

shave yourself; you look a little bit scruffy (A

You

get up; it is very late (orden)

23)

Jane, you

rest; you look very tired

24)

The police told us that we

get out of the car

25)

PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE AND TIME.

Prepositions are short words (on, in, to) that usually stand in front of nouns
(sometimes also in front of gerund verbs).
Even advanced learners of English find prepositions difficult, as a 1:1 translation is
usually not possible. One preposition in your native language might have several
translations depending on the situation.
There are hardly any rules as to when to use which preposition. The only way to
learn prepositions is looking them up in a dictionary, reading a lot in English
(literature) and learning useful phrases off by heart (study tips).
The following table contains rules for some of the most frequently used prepositions
in English:

Prepositions Time

English

on

Usage
days of the week

Example

on Monday

English

in

at

Usage

Example

months / seasons

in August / in winter

time of day

in the morning

year

in 2006

after a certain period of time (when?)

in an hour

for night

at night

for weekend

at the weekend

a certain point of time (when?)

at half past nine

from a certain point of time (past till

since 1980

over a certain period of time (past till

for 2 years

a certain time in the past

2 years ago

earlier than a certain point of time

before 2004

telling the time

ten to six (5:50)

past

telling the time

ten past six (6:10)

to /

marking the beginning and end of a

since
now)

for
now)

ago

befor
e

to

till / until

period of time

till /
until

from Monday to/till Friday

in the sense of how long something

is going to last

by

He is on holiday until
Friday.

in the sense of at the latest

I will be back by 6 oclock.

up to a certain time

By 11 o'clock, I had read

five pages.

Prepositions Place (Position and Direction)

English

in

Usage

Example

room, building, street, town, country

in the kitchen, in

book, paper etc.

car, taxi

in the book

picture, world

in the car, in a taxi

in the picture, in the

London

world

at

meaning next to, by an object

for table

for events

place where you are to do something

at the door, at the

station
at the table

at a concert, at the
party

typical (watch a film, study, work)

at the cinema, at

school, at work

on

attached

the picture on the wall

for a place with a river

London lies on the

being on a surface

for a certain side (left, right)

on the table

for a floor in a house

on the left

for public transport

on the first floor

for television, radio

on the bus, on a

Thames.

plane
on TV, on the radio

by, next

left or right of somebody or something

to, beside

under

next to / beside the car.

on the ground, lower than (or covered
by) something else

below

Jane is standing by /

lower than something else but above

ground

the bag is under the

table
the fish are below the
surface

English

Usage

over

Example

covered by something else

put a jacket over your

shirt

meaning more than

getting to the other side (also across)

over 16 years of age

overcoming an obstacle

walk over the bridge

climb over the wall

a path above the lake

walk across the

above

higher than something else, but not

directly over it

across

through

getting to the other side (also over)

bridge

getting to the other side

something with limits on top, bottom

swim across the lake

drive through the

and the sides

to

into

tunnel

movement to person or building

go to the cinema

movement to a place or country

go to London / Ireland

for bed

go to bed

enter a room / a building

go into the kitchen /

the house

towards

movement in the direction of

something (but not directly to it)

go 5 steps towards
the house

onto

movement to the top of something

jump onto the table

from

in the sense of where from

a flower from the

garden

OTHER IMPORTANT PREPOSITIONS.

English

fro

Usage
who gave it

Example

a present from Jane

English

Usage

Example

of

who/what does it belong to

a page of the book

what does it show

the picture of a palace

by

who made it

a book by Mark Twain

on

walking or riding on horseback

on foot, on horseback

entering a public transport vehicle

get on the bus

in

entering a car / Taxi

get in the car

off

leaving a public transport vehicle

get off the train

ou

leaving a car / Taxi

get out of the taxi

rise or fall of something

prices have risen by 10

t of

by

travelling

(other

than

walking

or

horseriding)

percent

by car, by bus

at

for age

she learned Russian at 45

ab

for topics, meaning what about

we were talking about you

out

EXERCISES:

PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE AND TIME.

Across, along, at , beside, between , by, for, from, in , into , next to ,off ,on .
1) My friend lives

2) I'll be

Niagara Falls.

Toronto

the 17th floor of a new highrise apartment building.

business next week. I'm looking forward to seeing

3) Let's get together after class today to work on our group project. We can

meet

a coffee shop

downtown.

4) Please come to my party. I live

1439 Hardcastle Drive.

5) I know you don't want to be late. I'll be ready to leave

just a few

minutes.

6) I'll go shopping with you later. Right now, I'm watching a hockey game

television.
7) Some learners of English as a second language have difficulty understanding

the difference

"during" and "while."

8) My friend says that families are more important than jobs. Therefore, he

refuses to work overtime

weekends.

9) I don't like the way the furniture

the bookshelf

here is arranged. Why don't we move

the corner of the room?

10) Could you please get my camera? It's

a box

a shelf

the

11) My back is a little sore today. I spent a long time shovelling snow

my

bedroom closet.

driveway yesterday afternoon.

12) Before starting an exam, teachers usually ask their students to remove all

books and papers

13) The man who sat

time

the desks.

me on the plane was going abroad for the first

his life.

14) While I was waiting

umbrella, so I ran

the bus stop, it began to rain. I didn't have my

home to get it.

15) The little dog almost got hit by a car when it ran

the street to get a

ball.

16) I'm busy Thursday, but I can meet you for coffee

Friday. Let's

meet

the entrance of the Bay Centre

17) The boy's mother told him to put his toys

1:00pm.

a large box

the

couch because it was time for him to go to bed.

18) I'm looking forward to my trip to France this summer. I arrive

Paris

July 15th, and will be in the country

19) The store is easy to find. Just go

two weeks.

this street until you reach Heath

Avenue. Then turn right and go two blocks. You can't miss it.

20) The meeting starts

is

11:00. There isn't a lot to discuss, so if everyone

time, we will probably be finished very quickly.

21) Henry studies science

part-time

university

a service station.

day, but

night he works

22) Please hurry. The other members of our tour group are probably already

waiting for us

the hotel lobby.

Choose the correct prepositions.

Mother Teresa, whose real name was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, was born
August 26, 1910,

Skopje, the capital city of the Republic of Macedonia.

While growing up, she was impressed

the missionary work of the Sisters of

Loreto, who taught English to children

India and, at the age of 18, became

a student
nun

their abbey in Ireland. She took the first steps to becoming a

1928, at which time she also changed her name to Sister Teresa. The

following year, she was sent to Calcutta, India, to teach at St. Mary's High School,
a Catholic institute for girls. Although her students came from wealthy families,
St. Mary's was located close
some very poor neighbourhoods. Sister
Teresa was appalled by conditions

there, so, in 1947, she obtained the

Pope's permission to leave her convent and established a school to help the
area's underprivileged. Then, in 1950, she organized the order of the
Missionaries of Charity, which she led until her death almost fifty years later.
Under Mother Teresa's guidance, the Missionaries of Charity offered free care
services, including health care, food and education to Calcutta's needy. Soon, she
opened centres for the elderly, the blind and the physically handicapped. A truly
remarkable lady, she became known as the "Saint of the Gutters", and received
numerous awards for her humanitarian efforts. Both India and America, for
instance, awarded her their highest civilian honours. Moreover, she became the
subject of a best selling biography by Malcolm Muggeridge, "Something Beautiful
for
God"
and,
1979,
received
the
Nobel
Peace
Prize.

Like all people in the public eye, Mother Teresa was not without her critics. Her
pro-life views, for example, often put her at odds with those who favoured a
woman's right to have an abortion. However, even her critics couldn't deny the
goodness of her heart or her dedication to the less fortunate of this world. By the
time of her death
Sept. 5, 1997, her Missionaries of Charity were
operating 610 missions

123 countries.

INDEFINITE PRONOUNS.
An indefinite pronoun does not refer to any specific person, thing or amount. It is
vague and "not definite". Some typical indefinite pronouns are:

all, another, any, anybody/anyone, anything, each, everybody/everyone,

everything,
few,
many,
nobody,
none,
one,
several,
some,
somebody/someone

Note that many indefinite pronouns also function as other parts of speech. Look at
"another" in the following sentences:

He has one job in the day and another at night. (pronoun)

I'd like another drink, please. (adjective)

Most indefinite pronouns are either singular or plural. However, some of them can be
singular in one context and plural in another. The most common indefinite pronouns
are listed below, with examples, as singular, plural or singular/plural.
Notice that a singular pronoun takes a singular verb AND that any personal pronoun
should also agree(in number and gender). Look at these examples:

Each of the players has a doctor.

I met two girls. One has given me her phone number.

Similarly, plural pronouns need plural agreement:

Many have expressed their views.

PRONOUN
another

MEANING
an additional or different
person or thing

EXAMPLE
That ice-cream was good. Can I
haveanother?

anybody/
anyone

no matter what person

Can anyone answer this question?

anything

no matter what thing

The doctor needs to know if you have

eaten anything in the last two hours.

each

every one of two or more

people or things, seen
separately

Each has his own thoughts.

either

one or the other of two

people or things

Do you want tea or coffee? / I don't

mind. Either is good for me.

enough

as much or as many as
needed

Enough is enough.

everybody/
everyone

all people

We can start the meeting

becauseeverybody has arrived.

everything

all things

They have no house or possessions.

They lost everything in the earthquake.

less

a smaller amount

"Less is more" (Mies van der Rohe)

a small amount

Little is known about his early life.

a large amount

Much has happened since we met.

not one and not the other of

two people or things

I keep telling Jack and Jill

but neitherbelieves me.

no person

I phoned many times

but nobodyanswered.

nothing

no single thing, not

anything

If you don't know the answer it's best to

say nothing.

one

an unidentified person

Can one smoke here? | All the students

arrived but now one is missing.

other

a different person or thing

One was tall and the other was short.
from one already mentioned

somebody/
someone

an unspecified or unknown
person

Clearly somebody murdered him. It

was not suicide.

something

an unspecified or unknown
thing

Listen! I just heard something! What

could it be?

you

an unidentified person

And you can see why.

S little
I
N much
G
neither
U
L
A nobody/ noR one

(informal)
both

two people or things, seen

together

John likes coffee but not tea. I

thinkboth are good.

few

a small number of people or

things

Few have ever disobeyed him and

lived.

a reduced number of people

or things

Fewer are smoking these days.

a large number of people or

things

Many have come already.

other people; not us

I'm sure that others have tried before

us.

P fewer
L
U
R many
A
L
others
several

more than two but not many They all complained and several left
the meeting.

they

people in general (informal)

They say that vegetables are good for

you.

all

the whole quantity of

something or of some
things or people

All is forgiven.
All have arrived.

S any
I
N
G more
U
L
A most
R
/

none

P
L
U some
R
A
L
such

no matter how much or how Is any left?

many
Are any coming?
a greater quantity of
something; a greater
number of people or things

There is more over there.

More are coming.

the majority; nearly all

Most is lost.
Most have refused.

not any; no person or

persons

They fixed the water so why

is nonecoming out of the tap?
I invited five friends but none have
come.*

an unspecified quantity of
something; an unspecified
number of people or things

Here is some.
Some have arrived.

of the type already

mentioned

He was a foreigner and he felt that he

was treated as such.

Some people say that "none" should always take a singular verb, even
when talking about countable nouns (eg five friends). They argue that "none"
means "no one", and "one" is obviously singular. They say that "I invited five
friends but none has come" is correct and "I invited five friends but
none havecome" is incorrect. Historically and grammatically there is little to
support this view. "None" has been used for hundreds of years with both a
singular and a plural verb, according to the context and the emphasis
required.

EXERCISES: INDEFINITE PRONOUNS.

CHOOSE THE CORRECT ANSWER.
There is _______ in the bathroom at the moment.
anybody
somebody
something
some

I am bored, there isn't _______ to do here.

everything
nothing
something
anything

I am bored, there is _______ to do here.

everything
nothing

something
anything

I can't find my keys _______!

anywhere
somewhere
nowhere
everywhere

_______ at the party had a great time.

Anybody
Somebody
Everyone
All

Complete with somebody, something, somewhere, anybody, anything,

anywhere, everybody, everything, everywhere, nobody, nothing or

nowhere, as appropriate.
1. ____ ca n spea k a ll t he la ngua ge s in t he wo r ld.
E ver ybo dy
So me thi ng
N o bo dy

2. I beli eve t her e's ___ a t t he doo r .

so me thin g
so me bo dy
a nybo dy

3. " W her e ar e m y keys? " " I 've seen t hem ____ but I ca nt
r em em ber wher e."
a nyw he r e
so me w her e
no w he re

4. W o uld yo u lik e ___ to ea t ?

no th ing
so me w her e
so me thin g

5. Do es ____ kno w wh er e I put m y iPo d?

a nybo dy
no bo dy
so me bo dy

6. Y o u c a n find mo bil e pho ne s ____ in t he wo r ld.

a nyw he r e
so me w her e
no w he re

7. I ne ed ____ to dr ink. Ha ve yo u go t so m e wa t er ?
so me thin g
a nythin g

no th ing

8. ____ need s lo ve.

N o bo dy
E ver ybo dy
So me bo dy

9. M y hu sba nd a nd I a lwa ys t ell ea c h o t her ____.

so me thin g
a nyw he r e
a nythin g

10.

" Co m e a nd ha ve dinn er wit h us." "I do n't wa nt to go

____."
no th ing
a nyw he r e
so me w her e

MONOSYLLABIC ADJECTIVES.
Form the comparative and superlative forms of a one-syllable adjective by adding er for the
comparative form and est for the superlative.
ONE-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVE

COMPARATIVE FORM

SUPERLATIVE FORM

tall

taller

tallest

old

older

oldest

long

longer

longest

EXAMPLES:

Mary is taller than Max.

Mary is the tallest of all the students.

Max is older than John.

Of the three students, Max is the oldest.

My hair is longer than your hair.

Max's story is the longest story I've ever heard.

If the one-syllable adjective ends with an e, just add r for the comparative form and st for the
superlative form.

ONE-SYLLABLE
ADJECTIVE WITH FINAL -E

COMPARATIVE FORM

SUPERLATIVE FORM

large

larger

largest

wise

wiser

wisest

EXAMPLES:

Mary's car is larger than Max's car.

Mary's house is the largest of all the houses on the block.

Max is wiser than his brother.

Max is the wisest person I know.

If the one-syllable adjective ends with a single consonant with a vowel before it, double the
consonant and add er for the comparative form; and double the consonant and add est for the
superlative form.
ONE-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVE
ENDING WITH A SINGLE

COMPARATIVE FORM

SUPERLATIVE FORM

CONSONANT WITH A SINGLE

VOWEL BEFORE IT

big

bigger

biggest

thin

thinner

thinnest

fat

fatter

fattest

EXAMPLES:

My dog is bigger than your dog.

My dog is the biggest of all the dogs in the neighborhood.

Max is thinner than John.

Of all the students in the class, Max is the thinnest.

My mother is fatter than your mother.

Mary is the fattest person I've ever seen.

POLISYLLABIC ADJECTIVES .
With most two-syllable adjectives, you form the comparative with more and the superlative with
most.
TWO-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVE

COMPARATIVE FORM

SUPERLATIVE FORM

peaceful

more peaceful

most peaceful

pleasant

more pleasant

most pleasant

careful

more careful

most careful

thoughtful

more thoughtful

most thoughtful

EXAMPLES:

This morning is more peaceful than yesterday morning.

Max's house in the mountains is the most peaceful in the world.

Max is more careful than Mike.

Of all the taxi drivers, Jack is the most careful.

Jill is more thoughtful than your sister.

Mary is the most thoughtful person I've ever met.

If the two-syllable adjectives ends with y, change the y to i and add er for the comparative
form. For the superlative form change the y to i and add est.

TWO-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVE

COMPARATIVE FORM

SUPERLATIVE FORM

ENDING WITH -Y

happy

happier

happiest

angry

angrier

angriest

busy

busier

busiest

EXAMPLES:

John is happier today than he was yesterday.

John is the happiest boy in the world.

Max is angrier than Mary.

Of all of John's victims, Max is the angriest.

Mary is busier than Max.

Mary is the busiest person I've ever met.

Two-syllable adjectives ending in er, -le, or ow take er and est to form the comparative and
superlative forms.
TWO-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVE

COMPARATIVE FORM

SUPERLATIVE FORM

ENDING WITH -ER, -LE, OR -OW

narrow

narrower

narrowest

gentle

gentler

gentlest

EXAMPLES:

The roads in this town are narrower than the roads in the city.

This road is the narrowest of all the roads in California.

Big dogs are gentler than small dogs.

Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the gentlest.

ADJECTIVES WITH THREE OR MORE SYLLABLES.

For adjectives with three syllables or more, you form the comparative with more and the
superlative with most.
ADJECTIVE WITH THREE

COMPARATIVE FORM

SUPERLATIVE FORM

OR MORE SYLLABLES
generous

more generous

most generous

important

more important

most important

intelligent

more intelligent

most intelligent

EXAMPLES:

John is more generous than Jack.

John is the most generous of all the people I know.

Health is more important than money.

Of all the people I know, Max is the most important.

Women are more intelligent than men.

Mary is the most intelligent person I've ever met.

EXCEPTIONS.
Irregular adjectives.

IRREGULAR ADJECTIVE

COMPARATIVE FORM

SUPERLATIVE FORM

good

better

best

bad

worse

worst

far

farther

farthest

little

less

least

many

more

most

EXAMPLES:

Italian food is better than American food.

My dog is the best dog in the world.

My mother's cooking is worse than your mother's cooking.

Of all the students in the class, Max is the worst.

Two-syllable adjectives that follow two rules. These adjectives can be used with -er and -est and
with more and most.
TWO-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVE

COMPARATIVE FORM

SUPERLATIVE FORM

clever

cleverer

cleverest

clever

more clever

most clever

gentle

gentler

gentlest

gentle

more gentle

most gentle

friendly

friendlier

friendliest

friendly

more friendly

most friendly

quiet

quieter

quietest

quiet

more quiet

most quiet

simple

simpler

simplest

simple

more simple

most simple

EXAMPLES:

Big dogs are gentler than small dogs.

Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the gentlest.

Big dogs are more gentle than small dogs.

Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the most gentle.

OTHER COMPARISONS.
LONGER ADJECTIVES.
Adjectives of three or more syllables form the comparative with more/less and the
superlative with most/least:

 The second lecture was more interesting than the first.

Not: The second lecture was interestinger
That way of calculating the figures seems less complicated to me.
London is the most popular tourist destination in England.
Not: London is the popularest

If you are going as a group, the least expensive option is to rent an

apartment or villa.

COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVES: USING MUCH, A LOT, FAR, ETC.

We can strengthen or emphasise a comparative adjective using words such
as much, a lot, far, even or rather, or by using than ever after the adjective:
This food is much better than the food we had yesterday.
The town is a lot more crowded these days because of the new shopping
centre.
Alex is far less intelligent than the other kids in the class.
Weve been busier than ever at work this last month or so.
We can soften a comparative adjective using a little or a bit. A bit is less formal:
She feels a little more confident now that shes given her first public
performance.
or She feels a bit more confident (less formal)

COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVES: USING THAN.

We use than when we mention the second person or thing in the comparison. If the
second person mentioned takes the form of a personal pronoun, we normally use
the object form of the pronoun (me, you, him, her, us, them):

 Could you carry this? Youre stronger than me.

Not: Youre stronger than I.
Why did you choose Robert? Marie is more experienced than him.
In more formal situations, instead of than + object pronoun, we can use than +
subject pronoun + be:
You managed to answer the ten questions correctly? Well, youre definitely
clevererthan I am!
I preferred Henrietta to Dennis. She was always more sociable than he
was.

COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVES: -ER AND -ER, MORE AND MORE.

To talk about how a person or thing is changing and gaining more of a particular
quality, we can use two -er form adjectives connected by and, or we can use more
and morebefore an adjective. We dont follow such comparisons with than:
The weather is getting hotter and hotter.
Im getting more and more interested in conservation these days.

COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVES: THE -ER, THE -ER AND THE MORE ,

THE MORE
If a person or things gains more of a particular quality and this causes a parallel
increase of another quality, we can repeat the + a comparative adjective:
The colder it is, the hungrier I get. (as the weather gets colder, I get
hungrier)
The more generous you are towards others, the more generous they are
likely to be towards you.

 REDUCED FORMS AFTER COMPARATIVES.

After than, we often dont repeat subject pronouns with impersonal subjects, or
auxiliary verbs with passive voice verbs:
The exam results were better than predicted. (preferred to better than
people predicted.)
Temperatures

that

summer

were higher

than

previously

recorded. (preferred to than were previously recorded.)

LESS AND NOT AS/NOT SO WITH COMPARATIVES.

We use less with longer adjectives (interesting, beautiful, complicated), but we
dont normally use less with short adjectives of one syllable (big, good, high, small).
Instead we use not as as , or not so as Not as is more common than not
so:
The second method was less complicated than the first one.
This new laptop is not as fast as my old one. Im sorry I bought it
now. (preferred tois less fast than my old one.)

PREPOSITIONS AFTER SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVES.

We dont normally use of before a singular name of a place or group after a
superlative adjective:
The castle is the oldest building in the city.
Not: The castle is the oldest building of the city
Shes the youngest musician in the orchestra.
However, we can use of with a plural word referring to a group:
All the sisters are pretty, but Sarahs the prettiest of them all.

 THE WITH SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVES.

When a superlative adjective is followed by a noun, we normally use the:
This is the best meal Ive had for a long time.
Not: This is best meal
In informal situations, we can often omit the after a linking verb (be, seem) or a
verb of the senses (look, taste) if there is no noun:
[talking about sweaters in a shop]
Theyve got them in red, green or grey. Which looks best?
If you want to get a message to Peter, email is quickest. He never answers
the phone.

OTHER DETERMINERS WITH SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVES.

Before a superlative adjective, we can use a possessive determiner (my, his, their),
orthe + a number (two, three, first, second), or a possessive determiner + a
number:
My worst score ever in an exam was zero. I just couldnt answer any of the
questions.
Birmingham is the second biggest city in England.
His two best friends organised a surprise party for him on his fortieth
birthday.

EMPHASISING SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVES.

We can make a superlative adjective stronger with by far, easily or of all:
The Beatles were by far the most successful rock band of the 1960s.
This method is by far the least complicated.

 Shes easily the best dancer in the group. No one is as elegant as her.
There were a number of excellent poems entered for the competition,
but the bestpoem of all was written by a ten-year-old boy.
In more formal situations, we can use quite:
This is quite the most irresponsible behaviour I have ever seen.

TO-INFINITIVES AFTER SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVES.

We can use a to-infinitive after a superlative adjective, with a meaning similar to a
relative clause with who, which or that:
Who was the oldest person to compete in the London Marathon of
2008? (Who was the oldest person who competed ?)
The Golden Swan was the largest sailing-ship ever to be used in battle.
COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVES: TYPICAL ERRORS.
1.- A comparative adjective is followed by than, not that or as:
The next hotel we tried was more expensive than the first one.
Not: more expensive that the first one or more expensive as the first
one
2.- After a superlative adjective, we dont normally use of before a singular name of
a place or group:
She was the tallest girl in the team.
Not: She was the tallest girl of the team .
3.- We use the superlative, not the comparative, when we compare more than two
people or things:
Which is the citys biggest hotel?

Not: bigger hotel

IRREGULAR FORMS.
Some adjectives have irregular forms in the comparative degree, meaning they dont
have a suffix er nor do they need the words more or less. The comparative forms of
these adjectives are totally different words.
good better

little less

bad worse

far farther

much more

Recognizing and choosing comparative adjectives really isnt difficult. Just remember
they are used to compare two objects, people, or places, they are created by adding
the suffix -er to the positive form of a one-syllable adjective or they are have the
word more or less preceding them if the positive adjective is three syllables or more.
By keeping these simple rules in mind plus memorizing a few irregular forms you
can confidently use comparative adjectives in your writing.

EXERCISES:
Put in the adjective in bold from the first sentence into the second
sentence in its correct form (comparative or superlative).
1. This is a nice cat. It's much

than my friend's cat.

2. Here is Emily. She's six years old. Her brother is nine, so he is

3. This is a difficult exercise. But the exercise with an asterisk (*) is the

exercise on the worksheet.

4. He has an interesting hobby, but my sister has the

world.

hobby in the

5. In the last holidays I read a good book, but father gave me an even

one last weekend.

6. School is boring, but homework is

than school.

7. Skateboarding is a dangerous hobby. Bungee jumping is

than

skateboarding.
8. This magazine is cheap, but that one is

9. We live in a small house, but my grandparents' house is even

than

ours.
10. Yesterday John told me a funny joke. This joke was the

heard.

COMPARISONS.
1. There is nothing (exciting)

than going on a trip.

2. Your tee-shirt looks (yellow)

with this skirt !

3. Which do you like (good)

, fish or meat ?

4. Your car is (fast)

than mine !

joke I've ever

5. Gold is (valuable)

than silver.

6. New York is (large)

than Seattle.

7. I think geography is much (easy)

8. No need to go any (far)

9. Which is (big)

10. Mike is (tender)

than science.

, a tiger or a lion ?

than John, my ex-boyfriend.

COMPARATIVES.
-

My father is

Chinese is

than English (difficult)

Jane lives

the city than you (near)

than my mother (old)

The car is

than we thought (bad)

Tigers are

than rats (dangerous)

Dogs are

than rabbits (intelligent)

My uncle is

Cars are

Cakes look

My cat is

This man is

than that one (clever)

Oranges are

than pizzas (good)

Bikes are

than cars (cheap)

January is

than June (cold)

My sister is

Sue is

Hares are

than tortoises (fast)

My shirt is

than hers (colourful)

Alan's eyes are

Mount Everest is

Football is

Paula's hair is

than my aunt (fat)

than bikes (expensive)
than bread (delicious)
than your dog (ugly)

than my brother (thin)

at English than me (good)

than Peter's (big)

than K2 (high)
than tennis (popular)
than Martha's (long)

My girlfriend is

than Rose (pretty)

Elephants are

than giraffes (heavy)

COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES IRREGULAR FORM.

1. bad - worse -worst
2. This is the
picture on the wall.
3. My test was as
4. Curries are

as yours.
than hamburgers.

5. Ben and Jake were the

6. good - better - best

7. Sues party was the
8. Im not as

t actors in the school play.

party this year.

at maths as you are.

9. The pizzas at this cafe are the

10. Football is

good
bad

in town.

than hockey.

FILL IN THE CORRECT FORM OF THE ADJECTIVES.