Professional Documents
Culture Documents
This syllabus provides a general outline proposal for creating courses for intermediate level students. This syllabus can
be easily adapted for individual classes while retaining an overall structure aimed at helping students acquire the
language they need to communicate.
• 80 hours theoretical
• 30 hours practical applications
• 2 hours of final examination and evaluation
Course Objectives
Course Structure
-Offering
-Requesting
-Inviting
6 hours English numeration including: -Time, quantity, cost and numbering vocabulary
-Buying and selling structures
14 hours written skills development including: -Development of basic writing skills applying studied
grammatical structures
14 hours basic terminology based on students' needs -Identification of equipment required, intensive vocabulary
training
6 hours specific targeted vocabulary development: -Interviewing activities to enhance instruction and
explanation processes with specific focus on basic
individual vocabulary needs
The follow grammar points will provide students with a solid base to build their English speaking
and comprehension skills. Specific points are included in notes for the various grammar points.
Past Simple
Past Continuous
Note: Focus on use with the past simple to describe 'interrupted actions' in the past
Present Perfect
Note: focus on use of present perfect for unfinished time - i.e. the duration form. Focus should also
include adverbs commonly used with the present perfect: since, for, just, already, yet
Note: Contrast this form with future intentions form - i.e. future with 'going to'
Note: Contrast this form with future predictions form - i.e. future with 'will'
Note: Use for future intentions and plans, discuss similarities to future with 'going to'
Modal Verbs of Deduction Note: Use of 'must be', 'might be' and 'can't be' use in the present
Some - Any
Note: Call to attention the irregular use of some in requests and offers
Quantifiers
Note: too, enough, a lot of, a few, much, many (in question and negative forms), etc.
Prepositions of Place
Prepositions of Movement
Note: straight on, on your right, past the house, into, out of, etc.
Note: get on with, look after, fed up with, put off, make up, etc.
Verb + Gerund
Verb + Infinitive
Note: taller than, more beautiful than, as tall as, happier than, the tallest, the most difficult, etc.
The next page includes the speaking, listening and vocabulary objectives that are central to every
curriculum.
• Use "some" in positive sentences. We use some for both countable and uncountable nouns.
• Use "any" in negative sentences or questions. We use any for both countable and
uncountable nouns.
Example: Do you have any cheese? - He doesn't have any friends in Chicago.
Example: Would you like some bread? (offer) - Could I have some water? (request)
• Use "any" in negative sentences or questions. We use any for both countable and
uncountable nouns.
Example: Do you have any cheese? - He doesn't have any friends in Chicago.
• Use "any" words - anybody, anyone, anywhere and anything - in negative sentences or
questions.
Example: Do you know anything about that boy? - She doesn't have anywhere to go.
IN
• in a room / in a building
• in a garden / in a park
• in the water
• in the sea
• in a river
• in a row / in a line
• in a queue
AT
• at the bus-stop
• at the door
• at the cinema
• at the end of the street
ON
• I stayed on Maui.
• on the left
• on the right
• straight on
TO
• I went to school.
• Did you go to work?
• Let's go to the shopping mall.
3 of 25
Gallery Index
Prev Next
• a = indefinite article (not a specific object, one of a number of the same objects) with
consonants
She has a dog.
I work in a factory.
• an = indefinite article (not a specific object, one of a number of the same objects) with
vowels (a,e,i,o,u)
Can I have an apple?
She is an English teacher.
• the = definite article (a specific object that both the person speaking and the listener know)
The car over there is fast.
The teacher is very good, isn't he?
• The first time you speak of something use "a or an", the next time you repeat that object
use "the".
I live in a house. The house is quite old and has four bedrooms.
I ate in a Chinese restaurant. The restaurant was very good.
• DO NOT use an article with countries, states, counties or provinces, lakes and mountains
except when the country is a collection of states such as "The United States".
He lives in Washington near Mount Rainier.
They live in northern British Columbia.
• Use an article with bodies of water, oceans and seas -
My country borders on the Pacific Ocean
• DO NOT use an article when you are speaking about things in general
I like Russian tea.
She likes reading books.
• DO NOT use an article when you are speaking about meals, places, and transport
He has breakfast at home.
I go to university.
He comes to work by taxi.
Test your understanding with this short quiz.
PrevNext
4 of 25
Gallery Index
Prev Next
'Like' can be used as a verb or as a preposition. There are a number of common questions with
'like' that are easy to confuse.
• What's he like? - 'What … like?' is used to ask about a person's or object's character and
is general in nature.
• What does he like? - This use of the verb 'like' is for general preferences. 'Like' as a verb
is generally followed by the 'ing' form of the verb (I like playing tennis).
• What does she look like? - 'Like' is used as a preposition to express physical appearance.
In this case, 'like' can also mean 'similar to' if you are making a comparison to other people.
• What would you like to drink? - Another common use of 'like' is in 'would like' to express
wishes. Note that 'would like' is followed by the infinite form of the verb NOT the '-ing' form.
Test your understanding with this short quiz.
The past form of regular verbs ends in 'ed'. Irregular verbs must be studied individually. Here is a
list of past forms of some of the most common irregular verbs.
be - was/were
become - became
begin - began
break - broke
bring - brought
build - built
buy - bought
come - came
cost - cost
cut - cut
do - did
drink - drank
eat - ate
find - found
fly - flew
get - got
give - gave
go - went
have - had
keep - kept
know - knew
leave - left
make - made
meet - met
pay - paid
put - put
read - read
say - said
see - saw
sell - sold
send - sent
speak - spoke
spend - spent
take - took
teach - taught
tell - told
think - thought
6 of 25
Gallery Index
Prev Next
There are four types of pronouns: Subject Pronouns, Object Pronouns, Possessive
Pronouns and Demonstrative Pronouns. Here is a list and explanation showing the
different types of pronouns:
• Subject Pronouns - I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they function as
the subject of a sentence:
• Object Pronouns - me, you, him, her, it, us, you, them serve as the
object of a verb.
This is my house.
That is our car over there.
These are my colleagues in this room.
Those are beautiful flowers in the next field.
• Possessive adjectives - my, your, his, her, its, our, your, their are often
confused with possessive pronouns. The possessive adjective modifies the noun
following it in order to show possession.
7 of 25
Gallery Index
Prev Next
IN
• in January
• in 1978
• in the twenties
• in a few weeks
• in a couple of days
AT
• at six o'clock
• at 10.30
• at two p.m.
ON
Use 'on' with days of the week:
• on Monday
• on Fridays
• on Christmas day
• on October 22nd
IMPORTANT NOTES
8 of 25
Gallery Index
Prev Next
When two verbs are used together, the second verb is often in the gerund form (-ing)
or the infinitive. There are no specific rules concerning which verbs take which form.
Like irregular verbs, you will need to learn which form a verb takes.
go
enjoy
quit
discuss
mind
can't stand
suggest
Examples:
They go jogging on Saturdays.
I don't mind helping you.
They can't stand driving in traffic jams.
promise
plan
refuse
want
need
decide
hope
Examples:
9 of 25
Gallery Index
Prev Next
Use the present simple to talk about activities or routines which take place on a
regular basis.
Negative Sentences
Question Form
Modals are verbs that modify other verbs. The most common modals are:
Can
Should
Must
Note that all subjects take the same form of the modal.
Positive
Examples
Negative
Examples
Examples
'Should' is used when asking for or giving advice. It is also used when asking for
suggestions.
Examples
Examples
Examples
NOTE: In spoken English, 'Can I ...?' is often used instead of 'May I ...?'
Positive
Negative
Question
Used for spontaneous decisions. Spontaneous decisions are decisions made AT the
moment of speaking.
Examples
Examples
Examples
Examples
The future with 'going to' is used to speak about future intentions or plans made
before the present moment. Use the following forms with 'going to'.
Positive
Negative
Question
Used for planned decisions. Planned decisions are decisions made BEFORE the
moment of speaking.
Examples
Examples
Examples
I'm going to be a policeman when I grow up.
Katherine is going to study English when she goes to University.
This chart shows first the country, then language and, finally the nationality of many
major countries from around the world.
One syllable
France
French
French
Greece
Greek
Greek
ends in '-ish'
Britain
English
British
Denmark
Danish
Danish
Finland
Finnish
Finnish
Poland
Polish
Polish
Spain
Spanish
Spanish
Sweden
Swedish
Swedish
Turkey
Turkish
Turkish
ends in '-an'
Germany
German
German
Mexico
Spanish
Mexican
Australia
English
Australian
Brazil
Portuguese
Brazilian
Egypt
Arabic
Egyptian
Italy
Italian
Italian
Hungary
Hungarian
Hungarian
Korea
Korean
Korean
Russia
Russian
Russian
ends in '-ese'
China
Chinese
Chinese
Japan
Japanese
Japanese
Portugal
Portuguese
Portuguese
13 of 25
Gallery Index
Prev Next
Uncountable
Use the singular form of the verb with uncountable nouns. Use both 'some' and any'
with uncountable nouns when speaking about specific objects.
Examples
Examples
Countable
Use the plural form of the verb with countable nouns. Use both 'some' and 'any' with
countable nouns when speaking about specific objects.
Examples
If you are speaking in general, use the plural form of the noun.
Examples
most
much, lots of, a lot of
some
a little, little
Examples
Examples
Countable nouns are individual objects, people, places, etc. which can be counted.
A countable noun can be both singular - a friend, a house, etc. - or plural - a few
apples, lots of trees, etc.
Use the singular form of the verb with a singular countable noun:
Use the plural form of the verb with a countable noun in the plural:
Uncountable nouns are materials, concepts, information, etc. which are not individual
objects and can not be counted.
Uncountable nouns are always singular. Use the singular form of the verb with
uncountable nouns:
Some uncountable nouns in English are countable in other languages. This can be
confusing! Here is a list of some of the most common, easy to confuse uncountable
nouns.
accommodation
advice
baggage
bread
equipment
furniture
garbage
information
knowledge
luggage
money
news
pasta
progress
research
travel
work
We use the comparative and superlative form to compare and contrast different
objects in English. Use the comparative form to show the difference between two
objects. Example: New York is more exciting than Seattle. Use the superlative form
when speaking about three or more objects to show which object is 'the most' of
something. Example: New York is the most exciting city in the USA.
Here is a chart showing how to construct the comparative form in English. Notice in
the example sentences that we use 'than' to compare the two objects:
add '-er' to end of the adjective (Note: double the final consonant if preceded by a
vowel) remove the 'y' from the adjective and add 'ier'
Example Sentences
Example Sentences
IMPORTANT EXCEPTIONS
There are some important exceptions to these rules. Here are two of the most
important exceptions:
good
• good - adjective
• better - comparative
Example Sentences
bad
• bad - adjective
• worse - comparative
Example Sentences
His French is worse than mine.
His singing is worse than Tom's.
Place 'the' before the adjective and add '-est' to end of the adjective (Note: double
the final consonant if preceded by a vowel).
Example: cheap - the cheapest / hot - the hottest / high - the highest
Example Sentences
Example Sentences:
Two Syllable Adjectives Ending in '-y' Place 'the' before the adjective and
remove the 'y' from the adjective and add 'iest'.
Example Sentences
IMPORTANT EXCEPTIONS
There are some important exceptions to these rules. Here are two of the most
important exceptions:
good
• good - adjective
• the best - superlative
Example Sentences
bad
• bad - adjective
• the worst - superlative
Example Sentences
Time expressions are used to indicate the time at / during which an action took place.
Common time expressions include:
Examples
Past forms: when I was ..., last week, day, year, etc., yesterday, ago (two weeks
ago, three years ago, four months ago, etc.)
Examples
Future forms: next week, year, etc., tomorrow, by (the end of the week, Thursday,
next year, etc.) in X time (in two weeks time, in four months time, etc.)
Examples
I'm going to attend a conference next week.
It won't snow tomorrow.
They're going to visit New York in two weeks.
Examples
Use adverbs of frequency to say how often you do something. Adverbs of frequency
are often used with the present simple because they indicate repeated or routine
activities. For example,They often go out for dinner.
always
usually
often
sometimes
occasionally
seldom
rarely
never
If the sentence has one verb (e.g. no auxiliary verb) put the adverb in the middle of
the sentence after the subject and before the verb.
Examples
Examples
I am never late for work.
Peter is often at school.
If the sentence has more than one verb (e.g. auxiliary verb), put the adverb of
frequency before the main verb.
Examples
When using adverbs of frequency in the question or negative form, put the adverb of
frequency before the main verb.
Examples
Use the imperative form when giving instructions or orders. The imperative is also very common in
written instructions. Be careful when you use the imperative, as it is often considered impolite in
English. If someone asks you for instructions, use the imperative. If, on the other hand, you would
like to request that someone do something use a polite question form.
There is only one imperative form for both 'you' singular and plural.
Examples:
Hurry up!
Take the first left, go straight on and the supermarket is on the left.
Positive
Negative
Examples:
• Adjectives are also used in simple sentences with the verb 'to be'. In this case, the adjective
describes the subject of the sentence:
Examples:
Jack is happy.
Adverbs
• Adverbs are easily recognized because they end in '-ly' (with a few exceptions!):
Examples:
• Adverbs are often used at the end of a sentence to modify the verb:
Examples:
The present perfect is used to say what has happened recently and has an effect on the present
moment. We often use 'just', 'yet' and 'already' to express the relationship to the present moment.
Examples
The present perfect is also used to express something which has happened up to the present
moment of time.
Examples
Positive Form
Examples
Negative Form
Examples
Examples
When speaking about an experience that has happened at an UNSPECIFIED point in time before the
present moment use the present perfect.
Examples
NOTE: In this use of the present perfect, we are talking about things that have happened up to the
present moment. Whenever you speak about something that has happened up to now without
giving a precise point in time, use the present perfect.
Examples
Examples
Examples
Prev Next
Use the past simple to talk about activities or routines which take place at a specified time in the
past. Notice that all subjects take the same conjugation of the verb. Regular verbs end in '-ed'.
visit - visited
enjoy - enjoyed
Irregular verbs have various forms and each verb needs to be learned.
see - saw
think - thought
The past simple is used to express a finished past action which occurs at a specific moment in the
past.
Examples
last
ago
in ... (plus a year or month)
yesterday
when ... (plus a phrase)
Examples
Positive Form
Negative Form
Examples
Question Form
Examples
23 of 25
Gallery Index
Prev Next
Use the present continuous to speak about what is happening at the present moment in time.
Positive Form
Examples
He is watching TV.
They're playing tennis at the moment.
Negative Form
Examples
She isn't studying at the moment.
We aren't working now.
Question Form
Examples
NOTE: We use time expressions like 'at the moment, currently, this week - month' with this form of
the present continuous.
Present Simple
Use the present simple to talk about activities or routines which take place on a regular basis.
Examples
Present Continuous
Use the present continuous to speak about what is happening at the present moment in time,
around the present moment, or for a future scheduled event.
Examples
Stative Verbs
Stative verbs are verbs which express a state. Action verbs are verbs which express something a
person does.
Examples
I hope to see you soon. (stative verb) He is cooking dinner at the moment. (action verb)
Stative verbs cannot be used in the continuous forms. Here is a list of common stative verbs:
believe
understand
think (opinion)
want
hope
smell
taste
feel
sound
look
seem
appear