A1

ELEMENTARY
 PRESENT SIMPLE FORMS OF
“TO BE”: AM /IS/ARE
The present simple of the verb be has
three forms:

‣ I am.
‣ He/She/It is.
‣ We/You/They are.

They= people and things

We use he for a man, she for a woman,

and it for a thing
.
He‘s a little boy.
She‘s beautiful.
I like this TV. It‘s very big.

We use they for people and for things.

I love Sara and Jonas. They are my

Don’t forget the subject
friends.
I love these chairs. They are very We always need a subject before the verb.
beautiful. It is cold.
Is cold.
Contractions or short forms Sally is a wonderful woman.
Is a wonderful woman
We use ‘m, ‘s and ‘re with personal
pronouns (I, you, he, etc.)
I’m sad. But we can also use ‘s with names.
You’re tired. Laura’s beautiful.
She’s from Scotland. London’s an expensive city.

Contractions in short answers

We can only use contractions in negative short answers.

Not in positive short answers.

Yes, I am.
Yes, I’m.
Yes, she is.
Yes, she’s.
Yes, they are.
Yes, they’re.
 The present simple of be – USE

We use the verb be to talk about:

Who we are: I‘m Steven, and this is Isabella. And this is my daughter, Alicia.
Age: I‘m 24 years old, and my father is 50.
Job: I‘m a teacher, and my wife is a doctor.
Nationality: Alex is from Ireland, and Sonia is from Spain.
Feelings: I‘m scared. She is very tired.
Colour: Our dog is black. His eyes are blue.
Prices: It‘s seven pounds. This T-shirt is twenty dollars.
The weather: It‘s sunny today. It is very cold this morning.
The time: What time is it? It‘s ten past four.
Descriptions in general: He is very short and thin. The cars are old and cheap.
 THIS/THESE= HERE,
THAT/THOSE= THERE
This, these (here)

We use this and these for things that are

here (near). This is singular and these is
plural.
This is my new watch.
These are my sisters Anna and Jenny.

That, those (there)

We use that and those for things that are

there (not near). That is singular and
those is plural.
That man is very strange.
I need those boxes over there.

With a noun or without a noun This is John (introductions and on the

phone)
We can use this, that, these, those with a noun
(this box, that car, etc.) or without a noun. We use this is when we introduce people
This watch is very expensive. and on the telephone.
I like that woman in the park. Hi, this is Tim. (Tim on the
Who is that? (= that person) telephone)
‘What are those?’ ‘They are old pictures.’ Laura: ‘Hi, Sara. This is my friend
Paul.’ Sara: ‘Hi, Paul. Nice to meet
you.
 POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES AND
SUBJECT PRONOUNS
I + verb / My + noun

We use subject pronoun +

verb, and we use possessive
adjective + noun.
These are Susan and
Thomas; they are from
Ohio. And that’s their
house.
I love my friend Sheila.

Possessive adjectives
are always singular

Adjectives in English have no

plural form. Possessive
adjectives are always singular.
These are their suitcases.
These are theirs suitcases.

It/its for things, they/their for people and

things

We use he/his and she/her for people, and we use it/its for things. But in the plural,
we use they/their for people and things.
The hotel has its own spa. It is a relaxing place.
I like those chairs, they are beautiful. But their legs are too long.

It’s for time and weather Is it or its?

We use it’s (=it is) to talk about the time or Its = possessive adjective. It’s = it
the weather. is (subject + verb be)
It’s very windy today, but it’s sunny. Look at that dog. It’s
‘What time is it?’ ‘It’s three o’clock.’ beautiful. I like its hair.
 A/AN, PLURALS – GRAMMAR
CHART
A/AN

We use a/an with singular

nouns.
This is a table.
It’s an orange.

We use a with nouns

beginning with a
consonant, and we use an
with nouns beginning with
a vowel (a, e, i, o, u).
Give me an apple.
There is an elephant in
the zoo.
It’s an amazing
experience.

We also use an with nouns beginning with We use a and NOT an with nouns
h if the h is not pronounced. But we use a beginning with u when it is pronounced
if the h is pronounced. /ju:/, like university.
Give me an hour. (The h is not Is there a university in this city?
pronounced in hour.) I wear a uniform.
I want to buy a hat. (The h is
pronounced in hat.)

PLURALS IN ENGLISH

Do not use a + plural Regular plurals

We do NOT use a/an with plural We add -s to make plural nouns in English.
nouns. Sometimes we need to add -es, -ies or –ves.
These are tables. Check the spelling in the grammar chart above.
These are a tables.
Irregular plurals

Some words have irregular plurals and do NOT add -s to make their plural form.
 ADJECTIVES IN ENGLISH –
GRAMMAR CHART
ADJECTIVE + NOUN
When we use adjectives with
a noun in English, the
adjectives go before the noun.
It’s an expensive guitar.
It’s a guitar expensive.
She has a new car.
She has a car new.

We can also use adjectives

without a noun after the verb
be.
This guitar is expensive.
Her car is new.

In questions, the adjective

can go after be + subject.
Is your car new?
Are your classmates nice?

NO PLURAL
FEEL/LOOK/SMELL/SOUND/TASTE +
ADJECTIVE
Adjectives in English have no plural. They
We can also use adjectives without a noun
are always singular.
after the verbs of the senses: feel, look, smell,
These are my favourite shoes.
sound, taste.
These are my favourites shoes.
Your idea sounds interesting.
She has blue eyes.
I don’t like this soup. It tastes horrible.
She has blues eyes.
You look tired.
These cookies smell delicious.
I feel depressed.

VERY/QUITE

We can use very and quite before the adjectives.

It’s very expensive.
It’s quite expensive
 PRESENT SIMPLE FORM
In present simple verbs, we need to use the
SPELLING OF HE/SHE/IT
verb do/does in questions and don’t/doesn’t
in negatives.
The form is the same for all the other
persons except he/she/it. The spelling
for he/she/it is different.

PRESENT SIMPLE USE

Habits or actions that happen regularly

We use present simple for habits or actions that we repeat regularly:

I wash my hair every day.
I never go to the library.
I go to the library on Saturdays.

Permanent situations or things that are always or often true

I don’t drink coffee.

She’s very tall.
I have two brothers.
Water boils at 100 degrees.
I like soup.
 WORD ORDER IN PRESENT
SIMPLE QUESTIONS
The order of words in an English
question in present simple is QWASI:
(Question Word) + Auxiliary + Subject + Infinitive.
What do you do?
Where do they live? The order of words in an English question in present simple is
QWASI:
(Question Word) + Auxiliary + Subject + Infinitive.
What do you do?
Where do they live?
In Yes-No questions (questions that we answer saying yes or no) there is NO Question Word.
Do you speak English?
The auxiliary verb in present simple is be or do/does. Below, you
Does she live here?
can see a grammar chart on the order of words in present simple
questions with be or do/does.

QUESTIONS WITH AM/IS/ARE QUESTION WORDS – GRAMMAR CHART

When the verb in the sentence is be, we use

WHAT + NOUN
am/is/are as the auxiliary verb before the
subject. Then the word order is QWAS: We often use the question word what + noun as a
(Question Word) + Auxiliary (am/is/are) + question word: what time, what colour, what
Subject size, etc.
What colour is your jacket?
QUESTIONS WITH DO/DOES What size do you want?
What car does he have?
When we have a verb that is not be, we use
do/does as the auxiliary verb. HOW + ADJECTIVE/ADVERB
We use does with he/she/it and do with
We can also use how + adjective/adverb as a
I/you/we/they. Remember that the main verb
question word in phrases like how often, how
after the subject is in the infinitive form (NOT -s
or -es). old, how tall, etc.
How fast is your car?
What does she do? How big is her house?
What does she does? How often do you play sports?
Where does he work?
Where does he works?
 ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY
We use adverbs of frequency with the present simple to talk about how often something
happens.
POSITION

Adverbs of frequency go
before the verb but after the
verb be.
In negative sentences, the
adverb of frequency goes
after don’t/doesn’t:
We don’t often go to bed
late.
He doesn’t always agree
with me.
In questions, adverbs of
frequency go after the
subject.
Is he always late?
Do they often go to the
library?

NEVER/HARDLY EVER EXPRESSIONS OF FREQUENCY

There are other expressions that we use
The adverbs never and hardly ever (=almost
to talk about frequency: once a day,
never) have a negative meaning, but they are
twice a week, three times a month, every
used with a positive verb:
day, etc. These expressions are longer (2
words or more), and they go at the end
He is never late.
of the sentence.
He isn’t never late.
They hardly ever go to the library.
I brush my teeth three times a day.
They don’t hardly ever go to the library.
I see her every day.
 OBJECT PRONOUNS VS SUBJECT
PRONOUNS: ME OR I, SHE OR
HER?
SUBJECT PRONOUNS

Subject: Before the verb

Subject pronouns are the

subject of a verb. They go
before the verb.
I like your dress.
You are late.
He is my friend.
It often rains.
She is on holiday.
We live in England.
They come from London.

OBJECT PRONOUNS

Object: After the verb After preposition

Object pronouns are the object of a verb. We use object pronouns after prepositions.
They go after the verb. She is there for me.
I’ll get it for you.
Can you help me , please? Give it to him.
I can see you. Can you listen to her?
She doesn’t like him. Don’t take it from us.
I see her every Monday. I want to speak to them.
We can see him, but he can’t see us
 WHOSE, POSSESSIVE ‘S: WHOSE
IS THIS? IT’S MIKE’S
WHOSE, POSSESSIVE ‘S: WHOSE IS THIS? IT’S MIKE’S
POSSESSIVE ‘S: USE AND FORM

POSSESSIVE ‘S: USE

We use ‘s to show that
something belongs to a
person (or a pet) or to talk
about relationships between
people.
This is Peter‘s father.
This is the father of Peter.
Peter and Mary‘s car is
red.
My cat‘s ears are white.

We also use the possessive ‘s

to talk about shops and
houses.
I am at John‘s. (= at John’s
house)
I need to go to the
chemist‘s. (= the chemist’s
shop)

POSSESSIVE ‘S: FORM

Singular noun + ‘s
Anna’s clothes, Chris’s wife, the student’s books, etc.
Plural noun ending in -s + ‘ (apostrophe)
The students’ books, the boys’ toys, the teachers’ lounge, etc.
Irregular plural noun (NOT ending in -s) + ‘s
The children’s toys, men’s clothes, etc.
When one thing belongs to two or more people, add ‘s only after the last noun.
Paul and Katherine’s house, Anna and George’s car, etc.
When we have two or more people, and each person has one thing, we add ‘s after each
person.
Anna’s and George’s cars (Anna’s car and George’s car), Sally’s and Tim’s computers
(Sally’s computer and Tim’s computer).
 POSSESSIVE OF

We use of and NOT ‘s when we talk about things (and not people or pets).
the end of the street
the street‘s end
a picture of the eclipse
the eclipse‘s picture
the man of the match
the match‘s man

COMPOUND NOUNS: THE CITY CENTRE

With nouns that are used together very often, we often use them together without of and
without ‘s
a school bus
the city centre
the car key

WHOSE

When do we use whose?

We use the question word whose to ask about possession. There are two possible forms:
whose + noun
Whose car is this?
Whose books are those?

whose without a noun

Whose is this car?
Whose are those books?

When we answer with the possessive ‘s, we can also use ‘s + noun or ‘s without a noun.
Whose is this car?
It’s John‘s car
It’s John‘s.

Whose vs who’s

Whose = possession (of who)

Who’s = who is

Whose car is this?

Who’s car is this?
Who’s that man in the lobby?
Whose that man in the lobby?
 AT, IN, ON: PREPOSITIONS OF
TIME
AT

Use at with times of day,

including mealtimes,
bedtime, etc.
at 3 o’clock, at 10.30 am, at
noon, at dinnertime, at
bedtime, at sunrise, at
sunset, at the moment

Use at in the following

common expressions:
at the weekend: I don’t
usually work at the
weekend.
at Christmas/Easter: I stay
with my family at
Christmas.
at the same time: We
finished the test at the
same time.
at present/at the moment:
IN He’s not home at present.
Try later.
Use in with months, seasons, years,
ON
decades, centuries and long periods of
time in general. Use on followed by days and dates.

in May, in the summer, in 1990, in the on Sunday, on Tuesday mornings, on 6

1990s, in the 20th century, in the Ice March, on 25 December 2010, on
Age, in the past/future Christmas Day, on Independence Day,
on my birthday, on New Year’s Eve

PARTS OF THE DAY: LAST, NEXT, EVERY AND THIS

in the morning When we say last, next, every, this, we do not use at, in, on.
in the afternoon I went to London last June.
in the evening I went to London in last June.
at night He’s coming back next Tuesday.
He’s coming back on next Tuesday.
I go home every Easter.
I go home at every Easter.
We’ll call you this evening.
We’ll call you in this evening.
 CAN, CAN’T: GRAMMAR CHART
INFINITIVE WITHOUT TO

We use can + infinitive without to.

I can swim.
I can to swim.
We can’t come.
We can’t to come.

DON’T USE -S AFTER

HE/SHE/IT

We don’t add -s after

he/she/it. We use can for all
persons.
He can swim.
He cans swim.

DON’T USE -S AFTER

HE/SHE/IT

Can is an auxiliary verb and has

a negative and interrogative
form. We don’t use do/don’t to
CAN, CAN’T: USE
make questions and negatives.
ABILITY
Can you swim?
We use can/can’t to talk about ability in the present Do you can swim?
(=things that we know how to do). He can’t swim.
Laura can sing very well. He don’t can swim
I can’t speak German.

POSSIBILITY
We use can/can’t to ask for permission or to say if something is possible or not.
Can I sit here?
You can’t vote if you aren’t 18 years old.
I’m sorry, but I can’t come to the party.
ASK FOR SOMETHING

We use can/can’t to ask for something and to order in bars, restaurants, shops, etc.
Can you lend me some money?
Can I have some water, please?
Can I have a burger and a soda?
 PRESENT CONTINUOUS: FORM

We form the present continuous with am/is/are + the -ing form of the verb.
I am writing a book.
She is listening to the radio.
They are doing their homework.

The short forms of am/is/are are: ‘m/’s/’re.

I‘m writing a book.
She‘s listening to the radio.
They‘re doing their homework.

The negative short forms of am not/is not/are not are: ‘m not/isn’t/aren’t.

I‘m not writing a book.
She isn’t listening to the radio.
They aren’t doing their homework.

❗ Note that we can use short forms only in negative short answers, but not in
positive short answers.
‘Are you writing a book?’ ‘No, I’m not/I am not.’
‘Are you writing a book?’ ‘Yes, I am.’
‘Are you writing a book?’ ‘Yes, I’m.’
ACTIONS HAPPENING NOW

We use the present continuous for things happening now, at the moment of speaking.
‘What are you doing?’ ‘I‘m watching TV.’

ACTIONS HAPPENING AROUND NOW

We use the present continuous for temporary things that are happening around now (=not
at the moment of speaking but these days, or weeks, etc.)
I‘m reading a very good book at the moment. (=I’m not reading it at the moment I’m
speaking, but I’m reading it these days.)

NOW, THESE DAYS, AT THE MOMENT, ETC.

We use the present continuous with time expressions that mean ‘now’ or
‘around now’: now, at the moment, at present, today, these days, this week, etc.
 PRESENT SIMPLE OR
CONTINUOUS?: GRAMMAR CHART

PRESENT SIMPLE

We use the present simple

for habits or permanent
situations. You can revise
the form of the present
simple tense here.

Permanent situations or things that are

Habits or actions that happen regularly always or often true

We use the present simple for habits or

actions that we repeat regularly: I don’t drink coffee.
I wash my hair every day. She’s very tall.
I never go to the library. I have two brothers.
I go to the library on Saturdays. Water boils at 100 degrees.
I like soup.

Adverbs and expressions of frequency Stative or non-action verbs

Some verbs don’t describe actions. These verbs
We use adverbs and expressions of
are called stative or non-action verbs, and we
frequency with the present simple
can use these verbs in the present simple but
to talk about how often something
NOT in the present continuous. Some of these
happens.
verbs are be, have (=possess/own), like, love,
We usually order a pizza on
hate, prefer, need, want, know, etc.
Fridays.
They have a new car.
I go running twice a week.
They are having a new car.
I like chocolate.
I‘m liking chocolate.
 PRESENT CONTINUOUS

We use the present continuous for things that are happening now (at the moment
of speaking) or for temporary things that are happening around now (these days
or weeks, etc.). You can revise the form of the present continuous tense here.

Actions happening now

We use the present continuous for things happening now, at the moment of speaking.
‘What are you doing?’ ‘I‘m watching TV.’

Actions happening around now

We use the present continuous for temporary things that are happening around now
(=not at the moment of speaking but these days, weeks, etc.)
I‘m reading a very good book at the moment. (=I’m not reading it at the moment
I’m speaking, but I’m reading it these days.)
What TV series are you watching these days? (=You are not watching it at the
moment of speaking, but these days.)

Now, these days, at the moment, etc.

We use the present continuous with time expressions that mean now or around now.
Some of these expressions are: now, at the moment, at present, today, these days, this
week, etc.

PRESENT SIMPLE OR CONTINUOUS?

Usually or now?
We use the present simple for things that we usually do, and we use the present
continuous for things that we are doing now.
I listen to the radio. (=I usually listen to the radio; it’s a habit.)
I‘m listening to the radio. (=I’m doing it now.)
I don’t usually watch documentaries, but I’m watching a documentary now.

Temporary or permanent?
We use present simple when a situation is permanent or present continuous when a
situation is temporary.
I work in an office. (=Permanent situation.)
I‘m working in an office. (=Temporary situation.)
I live in Edinburgh. (=Permanent situation.)
I‘m living in Edinburgh. (=Temporary situation.)

What do you do? vs What are you doing?

What does Erik do? (=What is his job?)

What is Erik doing? (=What is he doing now, at the moment of speaking?)
A/AN, PLURALS – GRAMMAR
CHART
A/AN, PLURALS – GRAMMAR
CHART
A/AN, PLURALS – GRAMMAR
CHART
A/AN, PLURALS – GRAMMAR
CHART
A/AN, PLURALS – GRAMMAR
CHART
A/AN, PLURALS – GRAMMAR
CHART
A/AN, PLURALS – GRAMMAR
CHART
A/AN, PLURALS – GRAMMAR
CHART
A/AN, PLURALS – GRAMMAR
CHART
A/AN, PLURALS – GRAMMAR
CHART
A/AN, PLURALS – GRAMMAR
CHART
A/AN, PLURALS – GRAMMAR
CHART
A/AN, PLURALS – GRAMMAR
CHART
A/AN, PLURALS – GRAMMAR
CHART
A2
PRE-INTEREDIATE
B1
INTERMEDIATE
B1+
UPPER-INTERMEDIATE
B2
PRE-ADVANCED
 HAVE: AUXILIARY OR
MAIN VERB

HAVE as a main verb

When we use have as a main verb, it

works as any other verb. We need an
auxiliary verb, e.g. do, to make
questions and negatives, and we don’t
normally use its contracted form.

HAVE meaning ‘possess’ or ‘suffer’ (from

pain, illness, etc.)

We use have to talk about possession.

We need the verb do to make
questions and negatives. The past
form is had, and it’s a stative verb, so
it CANNOT be used in progressive
forms
Do you have time?
I’ve had this watch since I
was a child.
I have a terrible headache.

HAVE TO for obligation

Have to is used to express obligation,

usually to talk about obligation coming
from others: rules, regulations, etc. In
this case, have is also a stative verb.

We have to wear a uniform at

school.
Remember you have to return
We need do or another auxiliary verb to the book before next month.
make questions and negatives.

You won’t have to show me your The negative form of have to is used to
credentials; it won’t be necessary. talk about lack of necessity (NOT about
I didn’t have to say anything prohibition)
because they already knew.
I don’t have to get up too
early tomorrow. (=I don’t
need to)
 TENSE EXPLAIN EG

Present and We use have in the present perfect I’ve been writing all
past perfect simple and continuous. These are morning.
simple and verb tenses that we often use to We’ve been married for
continuous express the idea of duration. ten years.

She told me she hadn’t

We also use have in the past perfect been there before.
simple and continuous. I could see in her eyes that
she had been crying.

Future perfect We use have in the future perfect

In 2050, we will have
simple and simple for actions that will be
found the cure for
continuous completed at a certain time in the
cancer.
future

We also use have in the future

In 2030, we will have
perfect simple to express the
been married for 25
duration of a situation until a
years.
certain time in the future.

We use the present perfect By the end of January, I

continuous with dynamic verbs to will have been working
express the duration of a situation on this project for two
until a certain time in the future. years.

I’m glad to have met

you. (=to meet you in
Perfect or past We use the verb have in the perfect the past)
infinitive: to infinitive to talk about things that He pretended to have lost
have done happened in the past. my phone number. (=to
lose my phone number
earlier in the past)

Perfect modal
verbs: must You can’t have seen
We use the verb have to form the
have done, Tom. He is in Chicago.
past modal verbs of deduction.
can’t have I may have made a
done, etc. mistake.
 CLAUSES OF CONTRAST,
ALTHOUGH, EVEN THOUGH
We can use although/even though at the
beginning or middle of a sentence
followed by a clause (subject + verb). We
NEVER use a comma after although or
even though.
Although/Even though we had a
bad game, we won.
We won, although/even though
we had a bad game.

HOWEVER

We use however to connect two

different sentences. We normally use
however at the beginning of the
second sentence after a full stop (.) or
We didn’t like the hotel. However, we had a semi-colon (;). However is
a fantastic time. ALWAYS followed by a comma.
We went to the beach; however, the
weather wasn’t perfect.

We can also use however at the end of the

sentence.
We didn’t like the hotel. We had a
fantastic time, however.

YET
 CLAUSES OF PURPOSE,
ALTHOUGH, EVEN THOUGH
We can use although/even though at the
beginning or middle of a sentence
followed by a clause (subject + verb). We
NEVER use a comma after although or
even though.
Although/Even though we had a
bad game, we won.
We won, although/even though
we had a bad game.

HOWEVER

We use however to connect two

different sentences. We normally use
however at the beginning of the
second sentence after a full stop (.) or
We didn’t like the hotel. However, we had a semi-colon (;). However is
a fantastic time. ALWAYS followed by a comma.
We went to the beach; however, the
weather wasn’t perfect.

We can also use however at the end of the

sentence.

We didn’t like the hotel. We had a

fantastic time, however.

YET
A1
ELEMENTARY
 Do you know how to use adjectives ADJECTIVES AND
with prepositions like interested in
or similar to? Test what you know PREPOSITION
with interactive exercises and read
the explanation to help you. Some adjectives go with certain
prepositions. There are no
I'm interested in the idea. grammatical rules for which
My jacket is similar to yours. preposition is used with which
She's brilliant at maths. adjective, so it's a good idea to try to
My neighbour is angry about the learn them together. To help you do
party. this, write new vocabulary in your
Look at these examples to see how adjectives notebook in a sentence or phrase.
are used with prepositions. However, there are some patterns that
can help you. Let's look at them first.
Remember that a preposition is
We often use about with adjectives of feelings
like followed by a noun or a gerund (-ing
angry/excited/happy/nervous/sad/stressed/w form).
orried, etc. to explain what is causing that
feeling. We can use to to show the connection between people
or things.
I'm angry about the decision.
He's nervous about the presentation. He's married to the director.
She's excited about the new job. I'm addicted to my phone.

TO
They were worried about the exam I'm allergic to nuts.

ABOUT
It's similar to the old one.
Elizabeth Cruz
We can also use to to talk about someone's behaviour
towards someone else.
We use at with adjectives like They were really friendly to me.
good/bad/amazing/brilliant/terrible, etc. to Was he nice to you?
talk about skills and abilities. He is always polite to everyone.
She was very rude to the waitress.
He's really good at English.
She's amazing at the piano. Here are some other useful adjectives with
They're terrible at organising anything. prepositions.
I'm not very good at drawing

AT
Elizabeth Cruz
Elizabeth Cruz

Exercise is good for you.

However, sometimes we use of with feelings.
Stress is bad for you.
The town is famous for its cheese. FOR
I'm responsible for the financial side of the
She was afraid of telling her mum.
business.
I'm frightened of having an accident.
He's scared of flying.
Elizabeth Cruz
You should be proud of your progress.

OF
She's interested in the project.
They want someone who's experienced in
Elizabeth Cruz
design.
I didn't want to get involved in the argument.

Elizabeth Cruz
IN
 ADJECTIVES ENDING
1. Do you know the difference between bored and
boring? Test what you know with interactive
-ED AND -ING
exercises and read the explanation to help you.
2. Look at these examples to see how adjectives I was really bored in that presentation.
ending in -ed and -ing are used. That was a really boring presentation.

Adjectives that end in -ed (e.g. bored, interested) and adjectives that end in -
ing (e.g. boring, interesting) are often confused

-ing adjecti
-ed adjectives

Adjectives that end in -ed generally Adjectives that end in -ing generally describe
describe emotions – they tell us how the thing that causes the emotion – a boring
people feel. lesson makes you feel bored.

I was so bored in that lesson, I almost

fell asleep. Have you seen that film? It's really frightening.
He was surprised to see Helen after all I could listen to her for hours. She's so
those years. interesting.
She was really tired and went to bed I can't sleep! That noise is really annoying!
early.

annoyed annoying

bored boring

confused confusing

disappointed disappointing

excited exciting

frightened frightening

interested interesting

surprised surprising

tired tiring

worried worrying
 ARTICLES: 'A', 'AN', 'THE'
Do you know how to use a, an and the? Test what you know with interactive exercises and
read the explanation to help you.
Look at these examples to see how articles are used.
She's a doctor.
I need an umbrella.
JOBS
Have you heard the news?
I don't like spider When we say what people's jobs are, we usually use a/an.
He's an architect.
She's a scientist.
SINGULAR NOUNS My grandmother was a teacher.

Singular, countable nouns always have an article – a/an or the (or another determiner – my,
your, this, that, etc.).
We use a/an – the indefinite article – when we talk about something for the first time, or
something that is part of a group or type.
I saw a good film yesterday.
Do you want a drink?

We use a when the word that follows it begins with a consonant sound. We use an when it's
followed by a vowel sound. This makes pronunciation easier.
She has a university degree.
It took me an hour to get home.

We use the – the definite article – when the listener already knows which thing we are
talking about because it was mentioned before or because there's only one of them.
I'm going to take the dog for a walk.
Have you seen the car key?
They go to the school next to the bridge.

THINGS IN GENERAL

When we talk about things in general, we normally use a plural or uncountable noun
with no article.
Birds eat worms.
Water freezes at 0°C.
Children need a lot of sleep

PARTICULAR GROUPS OF THINGS

When we talk about a particular group of things, we use the.

We went to the zoo and saw the kangaroos. (These are the particular
kangaroos in that zoo – not kangaroos in general.)
 ARTICLES: 'THE' OR NO
Do you know when you need to use the in common phrases ARTICLE
and place names? Test what you know with interactive
exercises and read the explanation to help you.
Look at these examples to see when the is and isn't used.
I'm going to bed.
I walk to work.
My children are going to start school.
I visited the school yesterday.
Mount Everest is in the Himalayas.

COMMON PHRASES PLACE NAMES

We don't usually use an article in We don't normally use an article for continents,
expressions with bed, work and home. most countries, cities, towns, lakes, mountains or
go to bed / be in bed universities. So, we say:
go to work / be at work / start work Africa, Asia, Europe
/ finish work India, Ghana, Peru, Denmark
go home / be at home / get home / Addis Ababa, Hanoi, New York, Moscow
stay at home Lake Victoria, Lake Superior, Lake
Tanganyika
We also don't normally use an article Mount Everest, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount
in expressions with school, university, Elbrus
prison and hospital. Cardiff University, Harvard University,
start school / go to school / be at Manchester University
school
go to university / be at university Some countries are different. Country names
be sent to prison / go to prison / be with United have the. There are other countries
in prison which are exceptions too. So, we say:
go to hospital / be in hospital the United Arab Emirates, the United
Kingdom, the United States of America
But we usually use the if someone is the Bahamas, the Gambia
just visiting the place, and not there as
a student/prisoner/patient, etc. Seas and oceans, mountain ranges and rivers
My son has started school now. I have the:
went to the school to meet his the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Mediterranean
teacher. the Andes, the Himalayas, the Alps
I went to the prison a lot when I the Nile, the Amazon, the Yangtze
was a social worker.
I'm at the hospital. My sister has Universities with of in the title also have the:
just had a baby. the University of Cape Town, the University
of Delhi, the University of Tokyo
 COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVES
Do you know how to use comparative adjectives like older, better and more interesting?
Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.
Look at these examples to see how we use comparative adjectives.
The city is more interesting than the countryside.
This house is older than my house.
She's better at cooking now than before.

GRAMMAR EXPLANATION
We use comparative adjectives to compare two things or show change. The
comparative form depends on the number of syllables in the adjective.

ADJECTIVES WITH ONE SYLLABLE If an adjective ends in -e, we add -r:

safe→ safer
To make comparative forms with one- nice→ nicer
syllable adjectives, we usually add -er: If an adjective ends in a vowel and a
old→ older consonant, we usually double the
clean→ cleaner consonant:
slow→ slower big→ bigger
hot→ hotter

ADJECTIVES WITH ONE SYLLABLE

If a two-syllable adjective ends in a consonant and -y, we change -y to -i and add -er:
noisy→ noisier
happy → happier
easy→ easier
We use more to make comparative forms for most other two-syllable adjectives and for all
adjectives with three or more syllables:
crowded → more crowded
stressful → more stressful
dangerous → more dangerous
Exception: You can either add -er/-r or use more with some two-syllable adjectives, such as
common, cruel, gentle, handsome, likely, narrow, pleasant, polite, simple and stupid.
I think life in the countryside is simpler than in the city.
It's more simple to live in the city because everything you need is there.

IRREGULAR ADJECTIVES IRREGULAR ADJECTIVES

The adjectives good, bad and When we want to say which person or thing
far have irregular comparative we are comparing with, we can use than:
forms: Their house is cleaner than ours.
good→ better Traffic is slower in the city than in the
→
bad worse countryside.
→
far further/farther After the race I was more tired than Anne
 INFINITIVE OF PURPOSE
Do you know how and when to use an infinitive to talk about purpose? Test what
you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.
Look at these examples to see how we use infinitives of purpose.
He went to the shops to buy some shoes.
I'm writing to ask for your help.
My father runs every day to keep healthy

GRAMMAR EXPLANATION

When we want to answer the question why?, we can use an infinitive of purpose. Most of
the time, we use the to-infinitive.
Why do you have the LearnEnglish Grammar app?
To improve my grammar.
Why do we always eat at home?
We eat at home to save money.
Why do you have a bicycle?
I use it to go to work.
Why does she run every morning?
She runs to keep fit
 NOUNS: COUNTABLE AND
UNCOUNTABLE
Do you know how to use a, some, any, much and many? Test what you know with
interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.
Look at these examples to see how to use countable and uncountable nouns in a sentence.
I'm making a cup of tea.
There's some money on the table.
Have we got any bread?
How many chairs do we need?
GRAMMAR EXPLANATION
How much milk have we got?

Nouns can be countable or uncountable. Countable nouns can be counted, e.g. an

apple, two apples, three apples, etc. Uncountable nouns cannot be counted, e.g.
air, rice, water, etc. When you learn a new noun, you should check if it is
countable or uncountable and note how it is used in a sentence.
COUNTABLE NOUNS
For positive sentences we can use a/an for singular nouns or some for plurals.
There's a man at the door.
I have some friends in New York.
For negatives we can use a/an for singular nouns or any for plurals.
I don't have a dog.
There aren't any seats.

UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS
Here are some examples of bread rice coffee information
uncountable nouns:

money advice luggage furniture

We use some with uncountable nouns in positive sentences and any with negatives.
There's some milk in the fridge.
There isn't any coffee.
QUESTIONS
In questions we use a/an, any or how many with countable nouns.
Is there an email address to write to?
Are there any chairs?
How many chairs are there?
And we use any or how much with uncountable nouns.
Is there any sugar?
How much orange juice is there?
But when we are offering something or asking for something, we normally use some.
Do you want some chocolate?
Can we have some more chairs, please?
We also use some in a question when we think the answer will be 'yes'.
Have you got some new glasses?
GRAMMAR EXPLANATION

PAST CONTINUOUS AND

Do you know how to use the past continuous and
past simple? Test what you know with interactive
PAST SIMPLE
exercises and read the explanation to help you.
Look at these examples to see how the past
continuous and past simple are used.
When I woke up this morning, it was snowing.
I was sleeping when you called me.

PAST SIMPLE PAST CONTINUOUS

The past simple shows us that an

action was in the past, not in the The past continuous shows us that the action was
present. Regular past simple verbs already in progress at a certain time in the past.
have -ed at the end (e.g. called, What were you doing at 8 p.m. last night? I was
played, arrived). Irregular verbs have studying.
a different form, usually with a This means that I started studying before 8 p.m.
different vowel sound (e.g. wake → and I continued after 8 p.m.
woke, break → →
broke, feel felt). The past continuous can also show that an activity
was in progress for some time, not just for a
My parents called me yesterday.
I woke up early this morning. moment.
Sam played basketball when he was at We were cleaning the house all morning.
university. We make the past continuous with was or were
We make the negative with didn't and and the -ing form of the verb.
the infinitive verb. She couldn't come to the party. She was working.
My parents didn't call me yesterday. Three years ago, we were living in my home town.
I didn't wake up early this morning. I tried to give him some advice, but he wasn't
We make the question form with did listening.
and then the subject and infinitive What were you doing this time last year?
verb.
Did you wake up early this morning?
Did Sam play basketball when he was PAST CONTINUOUS
at university?

When we use these two tenses together, it Can you see a difference in the meaning of
shows us that the past simple action these two sentences?
happened in the middle of the past When the guests arrived, Jane was cooking
continuous action, while it was in progress. dinner.
While I was studying, I suddenly felt When the guests arrived, Jane cooked dinner.
sleepy. In the first one, Jane started cooking dinner
We often use these tenses to show an before the guests arrived. We know that
action interrupting another action. because it uses the past continuous. In the
I broke my leg when I was skiing. second sentence, the guests arrived first and
As I was going to work, I saw an old friend. then Jane started cooking.
We were watching television when the
power went off.
A1
ELEMENTARY
PRESENT SIMPLE PRESENT SIMPLE AND
I check my emails every morning. CONTINUOUS;ACTION AND
I need to access the internet. STATE VERBS
My sister has a new job.
I'm replying to your message right now.
Are you enjoying your holiday? PRESENT CONTINUOUS
My parents are having breakfast.

ACTION AND STATE VERBS

B1+
INTERMEDIATE
 PRESENT SIMPLE AND
I check my emails every morning. CONTINUOUS;ACTION AND
I need to access the internet. STATE VERBS
My sister has a new job.
I'm replying to your message right now.
Are you enjoying your holiday?
My parents are having breakfast.

PRESENT SIMPLE PRESENT CONTINUOUS

We use the present simple to talk

We use the present continuous to talk
about things that are always true.
about actions that are happening now.
They speak Portuguese in Brazil.
He's speaking to his sister on Skype
The sun sets in the west.
right now.
We also use the present simple to talk
I'm waiting for you at the bus stop.
about regular routines.
We also use the present continuous to
I start work at 8:45.
talk about actions that are temporary.
My brother gets up at 6:30 every day.
She's living with her parents at the
We often use the present simple with
moment.
frequency adverbs and expressions.
I'm studying Economics this year
We never go shopping on Saturdays.
They often go to the beach at the
weekend

ACTION AND STATE VERBS

We can use the present simple and the present continuous with verbs that
describe an action.
I play football on Wednesday evenings.
I'm playing a football game on my computer at the moment.
We usually use the present simple, not the present continuous, with verbs
that describe a state.
She doesn't like her new haircut. NOT She ​isn't liking her new haircut.
I don't understand. What do you mean? NOT I'm not understanding.
What do you mean?
I own a car. NOT I'm owning a car1

STATE VERBS