BASIC

ENGLISH
GRAMMAR

Politeknik Negeri Malang

2021

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 PREFACE

Language learning can be overwhelming for most students as it involves

learning the four language skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) and
the language components, especially sentence structure (grammar) and
vocabulary. Sentence structure can be seen as the foundation for
communication. Mastering sentence structure can help develop the habit of
thinking logically and clearly.
This Basic English Grammar book provides students with learning
materials that are essential to help them express their ideas clearly and correctly
in a formal setting. Basic topics on nouns, articles, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and
prepositions are provided. Some other topics on the most common English
tenses and passive sentences are also introduced.
Language continuously develops and some topics selected as the
reference of the examples and exercises in this book may need regular
adjustment to keep it up-to-date. However, the recommended presentation
order of the materials should remain relatively the same: starting from the most
common to the least common sentence structures.

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CONTENTS

Unit 1 : Nouns .............................................................................................. 1

Unit 2 : Pronouns ......................................................................................... 13
Unit 3 : Adjectives ........................................................................................ 22
Unit 4 : Adverbs ........................................................................................... 36
Unit 5 : Prepositions .................................................................................... 46
Unit 6 : Present Simple Tense ..................................................................... 54
Unit 7 : Past Simple Tense ............................................................................ 60
Unit 8 : Future Simple Tense ....................................................................... 72
Unit 9 : Present Continuous Tense .............................................................. 78
Unit 10: Present Perfect Tense ..................................................................... 85
Unit 11: Present Perfect Continuous Tense ................................................. 93
Unit 12: The Passive: Overview ..................................................................... 98

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 UNIT 1

NOUNS

Learning Objective: Students are able to identify and

use nouns in sentences.

Read the following passage to learn how nouns are used in sentences. Pay
attention to the bold parts.

There are two types of nouns: proper nouns and common nouns.

■ Proper nouns are the names of particular people, places, months, days,
holidays, languages, and things. Below are some categories and examples of
proper nouns. Please note that we need to capitalize the first letter of most
proper nouns. We do not usually use an article (a/an or the) with proper
nouns. However, the is used with some nouns of places.

Category Examples
People Heyerdahl, Egyptians
Places Africa, Morocco, the Atlantic Ocean
Months September, October
Days Monday, Tuesday
Holidays Easter, Passover, Ramadan
Languages Arabic, Spanish

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■ Common nouns refer to people, places, and things, but not by their
individual names. For example, explorer is a common noun, but Heyerdahl is
a proper noun.
Category Examples
People explorer, sailor, builder
Places continent, country, city
Things pots, eggs, fish, honey

Common nouns are either count or non-count. Count nouns are things that
you can count separately. They can be singular or plural. For example, you
can say a ship or three ships. You can use a/an or the before count nouns.
• a sailor, the sailor, two sailors
• an island, the island, three islands
• a ship, the ship, four ships

Form the plural of most nouns by adding -s or -es to the noun. There are
sometimes spelling changes when you form the plural. Look at some
examples below.
Singular Plural
ship ships
watch watches
potato potatoes
country countries

Spelling rules to form the plural

Most nouns: add –s

book → books
employee → employees

Nouns ending in –s, –ss, –sh, –ch, –x, –o: add –es.
bus → busses
dress → dresses
brush → brushes
church → churches
box → boxes
tomato → tomatoes

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Note: some nouns ending in –o take only –s
radio → radios
photo → photos
video → videos

Nouns ending in a consonant + y: drop the y and add –ies.

lady → ladies
strawberry → strawberries

Nouns ending in –f or –fe: drop the –f or –fe and add –ves.

knife → knives
wolf → wolves

Note: some nouns ending in –f or –fe take only –s

roof → roofs
giraffe → giraffes

Some plural nouns are formed differently, for example by changing their
suffixes, by changing their particular letters (usually vowels), by using the
same forms as their singular nouns, or, sometimes, by using totally different
words. Because they do not become plural nouns by following the regular +s
or +es rule, they are called irregular plural nouns.
Rules Singular Plural
Change certain vowels man men
woman women
foot feet
tooth teeth
Add different suffixes (not +s) child children
ox oxen
Do not change deer deer
fish fish
sheep sheep
means means
series series
species species
Use a different word person people
Nouns ending with alumnus alumni
–us, change –us to –i nucleus nuclei
stimulus stimuli
Nouns ending with –is, change analysis analyses
–is to –es crisis crises
hypothesis hypotheses

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 Rules Singular Plural
Nouns ending with –on, criterion criteria
change –on to –a phenomenon phenomena
Nouns ending with –um, curriculum curricula
change –um to –a datum data
medium media
Nouns ending with –ix, change appendix appendices
–ix to index indices
–ices matrix matrices

Some nouns are always plural.

• She usually wears casual clothes.
• She was wearing dark blue pants and a white sweater.
• Could you pass me those scissors, please?
Some nouns look plural but they are always singular.
• The news is not very good.
• Gymnastics is fun to watch.
• Mathematics is not an easy subject.

EXERCISE 1.1 Complete the following sentences with the correct plural
nouns.

1. We received two confirmation _____________ (fax) this morning.

2. Most manufacturers employ _____________ (child) to test new toys.
3. Wachovia, Inc. has three _____________ (branch) in that city.
4. The economic downturn has affected many _____________ (business).
1. Each employee receives three free _____________ (pass) for the exhibit.
2. A French carmaker has built the cleanest _____________ (vehicle) in
Europe.
3. Several famous _____________ (alumnus) have agreed to help raise
money for the school’s restoration fund.
4. For most people, the car is still their main _____________ (means) of
transport.
5. Moving lights and other _____________ (stimulus) affect the human eye.

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 Non-count nouns

Non-count nouns are things that you cannot count separately. For example,
in English you can say gold, but you cannot say a gold or two golds. Non-
count nouns usually have no plural forms. We usually do not use a/an with
non-count nouns. Below are some categories and examples of non-count
nouns.

Category Examples
Abstract words courage, education, time
Activities exploring, sailing, farming
Fields of study geography, history
Food corn, chocolate, fish
Gases air, oxygen, steam
Liquids water, milk, coffee, gasoline
Materials cotton, plastic, silk
Natural forces cold, electricity, weather
Particles dust, sand, sugar, salt, rice

BE CAREFUL! Non-count nouns take singular verbs and pronouns.

• Reed is a good material for boats.
• It floats in the heaviest storm.

EXERCISE 1.2. Read this article about Thor Heyerdahl. Circle all the proper nouns.
Underline once all the common count nouns. Underline twice the common non-
count nouns.

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 Nouns can be used with quantifiers.
Quantifiers are expressions of quantity such as a lot of and many. They are used
before a noun.
• We used a lot of water last summer.
• There were many storms.
Quantifiers can also be used alone, when it is clear what they refer to. Note that
in a lot of, of is dropped.
A: How many eggs do we have?
B: Not a lot, just a few.

Use some, enough, a lot of, and any with both count and non-count nouns.
• We have some batteries and some gasoline.
• We have enough water and eggs for a week.
• We have a lot of beans and rice left.
Use any in questions and in negative sentences.
A: Do we have any milk or teabags?
B: No, and we don’t have any coffee or paper plates either.
Use some when you make an offer.
• Would you like some coffee?

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Use a few, several, and many with plural count nouns in affirmative sentences.
• A few people got sick.
• Several children went to the hospital.
• Many rescue workers arrived.

Use a little, a great deal of, and much with non-count nouns in affirmative
sentences.
• They had a little trouble with the radio.
• They threw away a great deal of food.
• Much planning went into the rescue.
USAGE NOTE: In affirmative sentences, many is more formal than a lot of, much
is very formal.
MORE FORMAL: Many people agreed.
LESS FORMAL: A lot of people agreed.
VERY FORMAL: He showed much courage.
LESS FORMAL: He showed a lot of courage.

BE CAREFUL! Don’t confuse a few and a little with few and little. Few and little
usually mean “not enough.”
• They received a little news last night. (not a lot, but probably enough)
• They received little news last night. (probably not enough news)

Use many with count nouns and much with non-count nouns in questions and
negative sentences. In questions and negative sentences, many and much are
used in both formal and informal English.
A: How many people did you see?
B: We didn’t see many.
A: How much food did they carry?
B: Not much.

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EXERCISE 1.3. Read this article about preparing for natural disasters. Underline
the quantifiers + count nouns. Circle the quantifiers + non-count nouns.

EXERCISE 1.4. Read these conversations. Complete them with the correct words.

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 Nouns can be indefinite or definite.

A noun is indefinite (not specific) when either you or your listener do not have a
particular person, place, or thing in mind.
A: Let’s buy a video game.
B: Good idea. Which one should we buy?
(A and B are not talking about a specific game.)

A noun is definite (specific) when you and your listener both know which person,
place, or thing you mean.
A: I bought the new game from Cerebro!
B: Great! Is it fun?

Use the indefinite article a/an with singular count nouns that are indefinite. Use
a before consonant sounds (not the letter). Use an before vowel sounds.

A: I’m reading about an honest warrior (“honest” is pronounced “ahnest”).

B: Oh, really?

A: Is she a teacher?
B: No. She is an architect.

Use no article or some with plural count nouns and with non-count nouns that
are indefinite.

• There are (some) books on the shelf.

• I had to buy (some) medicine.

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 Use the definite article the with most nouns (count and non-count, singular and
plural) that are definite.

A: The magician I told you about is on TV tonight.

B: Let’s watch him!

Use the when:

a. a person, place, or thing is • The moon is 250,000 miles away. (The

unique—there is only one. Earth has only one moon.)

b. the context makes it clear A; The music was great.

which person, place, or thing B: I enjoyed it too.
you mean. (A and B are coming out of a concert.)
c. the noun is mentioned for • A magician is trying to conquer the
the second time (it has Earth. The magician is very powerful.
already been identified).
d. a phrase or an adjective such • Donkey Kong was the first video game
as first, best, right, wrong, or with a story.
only identifies which one.

EXERCISE 1.5. Circle the correct articles to complete this paragraph.

Singular count nouns cannot stand alone.

You must always use either an article, a pronoun, one, or a word such as this,
that, each, or every before a singular count noun.
• This is a delicious candy bar.
NOT This is delicious candy bar.
• It’s hard to eat just one candy bar, isn’t it?
• Give me that candy bar! You’ve had enough.
• It’s my candy bar.

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Note: Do not use demonstrative pronouns “this” and “that” with plural nouns,
use “these” and “those”, instead.

We often use 0 (no article) before non-count nouns and plural count nouns
that are indefinite (not specific).

Use 0 (no article) when you:

a. have no specific person, A: What do you want to do tonight?

place, or thing in mind. B: Let’s stay home. We can listen to music
or watch videos.
b. classify (say what something A: What’s that?
or someone is). B: It’s cotton candy.
A: And what are those?
B: They’re tickets for the roller coaster. I
bought them while you were on the phone.
c. make general statements. Cotton candy is very sweet.
(cotton candy in general)
Roller coasters are popular.
(roller coasters in general)

EXERCISE 1.6. Read this announcement for a new amusement park. Underline all
the common nouns that have no articles. Circle all the nouns with the.

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EXERCISE 1.7. Circle the correct words to complete this magazine article.

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 UNIT 2

PRONOUNS
Learning Objective: Students are able to identify and
use pronouns in sentences.

A pronoun is a word that replaces anything functioning as a noun. This includes:

■ A Noun (a single-word noun).
For example:
• Playful and curious, foxes like to play with balls, and they often
steal them from backyards and golf courses.
Here, the pronouns “they” and “them” replace the single-word nouns
“foxes” and “balls.”
■ A Noun Phrase (a multi-word noun).
For example:
• The arctic fox handles the cold better than most animals on
Earth. It does not feel the cold until the temperature drops to –
70°C.
Here, the pronoun “it” replaces the noun phrase “the arctic fox.”
■ A Noun Clause (a multi-word noun with its own subject and verb).
For example:
• We understand why some people dislike foxes. It is because a fox
will decimate a chicken coop.
Here, the pronoun “it” replaces the noun clause “why people dislike
foxes.”

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 Subject and Object Pronouns

Use subject pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) for the subject of a sentence.

Use object pronouns (me, you, him, her, it, them) for the object of a verb,

Use object pronouns after prepositions (to, for, between, with, ...)
• I went to the store with him.
• I sat between him and her.
Nor between he and she.

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In a formal (sometimes old fashioned) writing, subject pronouns are used after
the verb “be”.
• Who called Jodie? It was he.
• Who told you about it? It was I.
• Who had the phone conversation? It must have been they.
• It is I she wishes to see tonight.

However, nowadays people usually use object pronouns after verb “be”,
especially in an informal style.
• With this new haircut, no one knows it is me.
• You can say anything. It is me you’re talking to.
• It is him in the picture.
• Is this Tasya? – Yes, it’s her.

EXERCISE 2.1. Read about some gift-giving customs. Circle the subject and object
pronouns. Draw on arrow from the pronouns to the nouns.

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 Possessives: Possessive Nouns, Possessive Adjectives, and Possessive
Pronouns

Use possessives to talk about ownership. Possessives answer the question

Whose? Using possessive pronouns is one of the ways to show ownership.

• To show what belongs to something or someone (a noun), use possessive

nouns.
■ Kent’s jacket is red.
■ The kitten’s favorite toy is a stuffed catnip mouse.

Study the rules to form possessive nouns below.

Rule Example
Rule 1: Singular Add an apostrophe + “s” woman’s handbag, boy’s
to the end of noun skateboard
Rule 2: Plural Add an apostrophe to the families’ car, trees’ roots,
end of plural noun cats’ fur
Rule 3: It No apostrophe is required its fur, its nails
to make its possessive
Rule 4: Hyphenated/ Add the apostrophe + “s” father-in-law’s car, Social

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 Rule Example
Compound to the end or the last word Security’s offices
Rule 5: Multiple Add apostrophe + s to the Fred and Bill’s car; Sarah,
Nouns Share last noun in the group Will and Beth’s trip
Possession
Rule 6: Multiple Add apostrophe + s to the John’s and Sarah’s cars;
Nouns Separate end of all nouns to show Jeremy’s and Turk’s
Possession separate possession lunches

Use possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her, its, our, your, their) before nouns.
• His Jacket is blue.
• Her coat is red.
• Their new house is beautiful.

Use possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs) in place of a noun.
Possessive pronouns can go at the beginning or the end of a sentence.
A: ls this her Jacket?
B: No. Hers is red.
A: Is this Tom’s jacket?
B: No. His is in the corner. That’s mine.
Note: There is no possessive pronoun for It.

EXERCISE 2.2. Read this article from a college newspaper. Underline all
possessives.

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EXERCISE 2.3 Circle the correct words to complete these conversations.

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 Reflexive Pronouns and Reciprocal pronouns

Reflexive Pronouns

• Use a reflexive pronoun when the subject and object of a sentence refer to
the same people or things.

• Use a reflexive pronoun to emphasize a noun (also called an emphatic

pronoun). In this case, the reflexive pronoun usually follows the noun directly
• Tom was upset when he lost his job. The job itself wasn’t important to
him, but he needed the money.
• By + a reflexive pronoun means alone or without any help.
• Sara lives by herself. (Sara lives alone.)
• We painted the house by ourselves. (No one helped us.)
• Be + a reflexive pronoun means act in the usual way.
• Just be yourself at your interview. (Act like you usually act.)
• He wasn’t himself after he lost his job. (He seemed different.)

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 Reciprocal pronouns

• Use a reciprocal pronoun when the subject and the object of a sentence refer
to the same people and these people have a two-way relationship. Use each
other when the subject is two people. Use either one another or each other
when the subject is more than two people.

Reciprocal pronouns have possessive forms: each other’s, one another’s.

• Tom and Sara took each other’s numbers. (Tom took Sara’s number. Sara
took Tom’s number.)

EXERCISE 2.4 Read this article about self-talk. Underline the reflexive pronouns
once and the reciprocal pronouns twice. Draw an arrow to the word that each
pronoun refers to.

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Note: There are some other types of pronouns but they will not be discussed in
this chapter.

Pronoun Type Examples

Relative pronouns which, who, that (used in adjective clauses)

Indefinite pronouns none, several, many, some, any, somebody, nobody

Interrogative pronouns which, who, what (used in asking questions)

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 UNIT 3

ADJECTIVES
Learning Objective: Students are able to identify and
use adjectives in sentences.

Use adjectives to describe or give more information about nouns (people,

places, or things). An adjective usually goes right before the noun it describes. It
can also go after a non-action verb such as be, look, seem, appear, smell, or
taste.

Adjectives gives many different kinds of information.

• SIZE: a small house

• AGE: a young man
• SHAPE: a round table
• COLOR: a black cat
• FEELINGS: a happy pet
• TEMPERATURE: a hot day
• APPEARANCE: a beautiful garden
• PERSONALITY: a friendly neighbor
• NATIONALITY: a Mexican restaurant

Adjectives do not change. They are the same for singular or plural. They are the
same for men or women.
• a small house
• two small houses.
• a nice man.
• a nice woman.

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Some adjectives end with -ing (present participle) or -ed (past participle). They
are called participial adjectives and usually describe feelings or reactions. The
two forms have different meanings.

Participial adjectives that end in -ing describe someone or something that causes
a feeling or reaction. Participial adjectives that end in -ed describe someone who
experiences a feeling or reaction.
• That actor is always amusing. (He causes amusement.)
• These directions are confusing. (They cause confusion.)
• We were amused by that actor. (We felt amusement.)
• I’m really confused by these directions. (I feel confusion.)

Here are some common participial adjective pairs.

Present Participle Past participle

annoying annoyed
boring bored
depressing depressed
embarrassing embarrassed
exciting excited
frightening frightened
relaxing relaxed
shocking shocked
surprising surprised

EXERCISE 3.1. Read this information about pets. Circle all the adjectives. Draw
arrows to the nouns they describe.

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EXERCISE 3.2. Read this conversation between Marta and Luis about their friend
Alice. Circle the correct words to complete the conversation.

Using adjectives in comparison

■ as + adjective + as

Use (not) as + adjective + as to compare people, places, or things, and show how
they are (or aren’t) similar.
A: Pizza Place is as good as Joe’s.
B: But Joe’s isn’t as expensive as Pizza Place.

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Use as+ adjective+ as to show how they are the same or equal. Use just to make
the comparison stronger.
• The new menu is just as good as the old.
(The new menu and the old menu are equally good.)

Use not as+ adjective+ as to show how they are not the same or equal.
• The new menu is not as varied as the old.
(The old menu was more varied.)
After the second as, you can use an object pronoun (me, you, him, her, it, us,
them) OR a subject pronoun (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) + verb.
• Jack is as tall as me.
• Jack is as tall as I am.

REMEMBER: It is not necessary to mention both parts of the comparison when

the meaning is clear.
You don’t need the second as+ person, place, or thing when the meaning is clear.
• Jane is a fast runner. Debby isn’t as fast.
(Debby isn’t as fast as Jane.)

■ Comparative adjectives + than

Use comparative adjectives + than to show how people, places, or things are
different.
• Russia is bigger than Singapore.
• I am faster than my friend.
• She is stronger than my brother.

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To form the comparative of most short (one syllable) adjectives, add -er to the
adjective. Add only -r if the adjective ends in e.
• long - longer
• large - larger
(Exceptions: tired-more tired, bored- more bored, fun- more fun)

To form the comparative of adjectives that end in a consonant + y, change the y

to i and add -er.
• busy - busier
• easy - easier
• heavy - heavier

To form the comparative of most adjectives of two or more syllables, add more
before the adjective.
• expensive - more expensive
• intelligent - more intelligent
(Exceptions: quiet - quieter, simple-simpler)
Use less before an adjective to mean the opposite of more.
• A car is more expensive than a bicycle. A bicycle is less expensive than a
car.
Some adjectives have irregular comparative forms.
• good - better
• bad - worse
• far - farther
• little - less
• many - more
Use much to make comparisons stronger.
• A two-bedroom apartment is much more expensive than a one-bedroom
apartment.

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In formal English, use the subject pronoun after than.
• Steve’s younger than she is.
In informal English, such as casual conversation between friends, you can use
the object pronoun after than.
• Steve’s younger than her.

BE CAREFUL! Always compare the same things.

• John’s home is larger than William’s.
• John’s home is larger than William’s home.
(Not: John’s home is larger than William.)

Do not use “more” with another comparative forms.

• John’s home is larger than William’s.
(Not: John’s home is more larger than William’s.)

Use the comparative without than when it is clear which things you are
comparing.
• The new desserts are better. (The new desserts are better than the old
desserts.)
Repeat the same comparative to talk about change – an increase or a decrease.
Use the following patterns.
Pattern Example
comparative adjective + and • It’s getting harder and harder
+ comparative adjective to find a quiet neighborhood.
• You are getting better and
better.
more/less+ and+ more/less+ • The questions are getting more
adjective and more difficult.
• She found the job less and less
attractive.

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Use “the + comparative adjective ….., the + comparative adjective ….” To show
cause and effect.
• The shorter the line, the faster the service.
• The easier the test, the happier the students.
Use which to ask about a comparison of people, places, or things.
• Which city is larger?
• Which is larger, Jakarta or Kuala Lumpur?

■ Superlative Adjectives

Use the superlative form of adjectives to compare three or more people, places,
or things.

• Robot R-01 is big.

• Robot R-02 is bigger than Robot R-01.
• Robot R-03 is the biggest.

To form the superlative of short (one-syllable) adjectives, add the before the
adjective and -est to the adjective.
• fast - the fastest
• long - the longest

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If the adjective ends in e, add -st.
• large - the largest
To form the superlative of two-syllable adjectives that end in -y, add the before
the adjective, then drop the -y and add -iest to the adjective.
• funny- the funniest
To form the superlative of long adjectives, use the most before the adjective.
• interesting-the most interesting
• dangerous-the most dangerous
Some adjectives have irregular comparative and superlative forms.
Adjective Comparative Superlative
good better best
bad worse worst
far farther farthest
little less least
many more most

After the superlative, we often use a prepositional phrase to identify the group
we are talking about. One of the often comes before a superlative adjective. The
adjective is followed by a plural noun.
• The giraffe is the tallest animal in the zoo.
• The rhinoceros beetle is the strongest of all the animals.
(Not: It is one of the largest animal.)

BE CAREFUL! Do not use “most” with another superlative form.

• It’s the biggest. (Not: It’s the most biggest.)
• It’s the most important. (Not: It’s the most importantest.)

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EXERCISE 3.2 Complete the following advertisement with the correct form of the
adjective in the brackets. Use either the comparative or the superlative
adjectives.

Friselli
COME TO FRISELLI!
FOOD FOR REAL PEOPLE!

At Friselli, we know the supermarket business. We

know that some supermarkets are ........... (big)
than Friselli; we know that some are ...........
(modern). People say that some supermarkets
claim to have the ........... (good) salespeople or
that they have the ........... (fast) service. So why do hundreds
of people come to our shop every day? Because at Friselli,
we also know that our food is always ........... (cheap).

EXERCISE 3.3 Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the
adjectives in the brackets. Add “as …… as”, “than”, or “the” to the adjectives
where necessary.

1. Which river is ______________ (long), the Nile or the Amazon?

2. You are so good to me. I am ______________ (lucky) person in the world.
3. Is the winter in Quebec City ______________ (cold) winter in Vancouver?
4. You are ______________ (wonderful) friend I’ve ever had.
5. Your laptop and my laptop seem identical. I think your laptop is
______________ (good) mine.
6. That was ______________ (bad) meal I’ve ever eaten.
7. Her book is ______________ (popular) his book.
8. I think the temperature here is getting ______________ (cold) and
______________ (cold).
9. Usually ______________ (popular) the restaurant, ______________
(slow) the service.
10. He’s ______________ (smart) one of us all.

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 Adjectives with Very, Too, and Enough

Adjectives can be used with very, too, and enough.

• New cars are very expensive.
• This car is too small for us.
• That car is big enough.

Very makes an adjective stronger.

• Our car is very big. Six people can ride in it.
• It’s raining hard. The roads are very wet.

Very and too go before the adjective. Enough goes after the adjective.
• It’s very noisy in the car.
• The radio is too loud.
• This car isn’t quiet enough.

Too and not ... enough mean that there is a problem.

1. The seats are too hard. They aren’t soft enough. (They’re not
comfortable.)

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EXERCISE 3.4. Read this ad for a new car. Find and correct nine mistakes in the
use of very, too, and enough. The first mistake is already corrected.

Adjectives: Word Order

Sometimes we use two or more adjectives together, for example:

• The software offered an interesting new feature.
• There was a beautiful large round wooden table in the meeting room.
Adjectives like new, large, round, and wooden are fact adjectives. They give us
information about something (age, size, color, etc.). Adjectives like interesting or
beautiful are opinion adjectives. They tell us what someone thinks of something.

Opinion adjectives usually go before fact adjectives:

Quantity Opinion Fact
a nice sunny day
an intelligent young man
three beautiful large round wooden tables

Sometimes there are two or more fact adjectives. Very often (but not always) we
put fact adjectives in this order: size, age, color, shape, origin, material, and
purpose (source: [Link]
order-of-adjectives-/[Link]).

32
Study some examples below:
- a small black plastic bag.
- a big rectangular screen.
- interesting antique Indian furniture.
- a small white round clock

EXERCISE 3.5. Choose the correct adjective order.

1. I bought a pair of _____ shoes. (A. black leather / B. leather black)
2. It was a ____ car. (A. red fast / B. fast red)
3. It’s a ____ building. (A. big round / B. round big)
4. I bought ____ knife. (A. a Swiss army / B. an army Swiss)
5. It’s ____ film. (A. a beautiful old / B. an old beautiful)
6. He’s ____ man. (A. an unfriendly rich / B. rich unfriendly)
7. It’s ____ phone. (A. mobile expensive / B. an expensive mobile)
8. It’s ____ village. (A. an old lovely / B. a lovely old)
9. The ____ visitors were Japanese. (A. two last / B. last two)
10. He’s got ____ eyes. (A. blue big / B. big blue).

Compound Adjective

Although visual content and design in advertising have a big impact on the
consumer, it is language that helps people to identify a product and remember it.
The following advertisement is an example.

In the previous example, the word “longer-lasting” can play an important role as
it appeals to the customers more. “Longer-lasting” is an example of a compound
adjective, an adjective which is formed by joining two or more simple words.

33
Some common compound adjectives we use in everyday situations today were
initially introduced for promotional purposes, for example top-quality, economy-
size, chocolate-flavored, feather-light and longer-lasting. The compound
adjectives may be formed from:
1. Compound Adjectives + Periods of Time
• I work eight hours every day --> I work an eight-hour day
• I’m going on vacation for three weeks --> I have a three-week vacation
• There was a delay of 5 seconds --> There was a five-second delay
2. Adverb + Past Participle
• This is a brightly-lit room.
• She is a well-known actress.
• We live in a densely-populated city.
3. Noun + Past Participle
• We should start using wind-powered generators to cut costs.
• I love eating sun-dried raisins.
4. Noun + Present Participle
• I bought some mouth-watering strawberries.
• That was a record-breaking jump.
5. Noun + Adjective
• She is a world-famous singer.
• This is a smoke-free restaurant.
6. Adjective + Noun
• It was a last-minute decision.
• We watched the full-length version of the movie.
7. Adjective + Past Participle
• That is an old-fashioned dress
• Reptiles are cold-blooded creatures.
8. Adjective + Present Participle
• She is a good-looking girl.
• It left a long-lasting taste in my mouth.

34
EXERCISE 3.5. Complete the sentences with the most appropriate compound
adjectives in the box.

a. brand-new f. two-month
b. brightly-lit g. money-saving
c. quick-drying h. eye-catching
d. good-quality i. smoke-free
e. seven-day j. sun-dried

1. ……………….. glue goes on sale this week.

2. This software helps you make ……………….. plans for your business.
3. The ……………….. training helps you become a confident speaker.
4. Only today, get a ……………….. laptop for as low as $210.
5. Try our ……………….. tomatoes and taste the difference.
6. Get a ……………….. forecast right on your homescreen.
7. Have ……………….. rooms, only with our LED lamps.
8. Enjoy our ……………….. hotel for your healthy family.
9. Buy our ……………….. frying-pan.
10. Do you need ……………….. banners to promote your products?

35
 UNIT 4

ADVERBS

Learning Objective: Students are able to identify and

use adverbs in sentences.

Adverbs are one-word modifiers that describe verbs, adjectives, or other

adverbs. Study the following example.

You have to calculate carefully the number of hours you need to work.
verb adverb (of manner)

In that sentence, “carefully” describe “calculate”.

Adverbs can be divided into the following categories.
▪ adverbs of time, such as “yesterday” or “later” (describing when
something happens)
▪ adverbs of place, such as “everywhere” or “here” (describing where
something happens)
▪ adverbs of manner, such as “quickly” or “beautifully” (describing how
something happens)
▪ adverbs of frequency, such as “often” or “rarely” (describing how often
something happens)
▪ adverbs of degree, such as “very” or “almost” (describing the degree to
which something happens)
▪ Adverbs of probability, such as “maybe” or “certainly” (describing how
possible or certain something happens)

Note:
• Adverbs of manner are often formed by adding -ly to adjectives. However,
some adjectives also end in -ly, for example, silly, friendly, lovely, and lonely.
• In addition, some common adverbs of manner do not end in -ly.

36
• The adverb form of good is well. Some adverbs have the same form as their
related adjectives. for example, early, fast, wrong, late, and hard.
• BE CAREFUL! Lately is not the adverb form of late. Lately means
“recently.” Hardly is not the adverb form of hard. Hardly means “almost
not.”

Adverbs may modify adjectives or other adverbs, usually telling how or to what
extent:
• I think the apartment is extremely nice.
• I thought their voices were unusually loud.
• They found it very quickly.
• The quiet boy plays rather happily in the corner.

Adverbs and Adverb Phrases

Both adverbs and adverb phrases describe actions or states. Each adverb consists
of a single word, but an adverb phrase consists of two or more words. Study the
following two examples.

1. I met her yesterday.

2. I met her this morning.

In sentence 1, yesterday describes when I met her. Yesterday is an example of

an adverb. In sentence 2, this morning describes when I met her. This morning is
an example of an adverb phrase.

Both adverbs and adverb phrases belong to adverbials.

37
 Position of Adverbs

Adverbs can be used at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a sentence.
Different types of adverbs are used in different positions.
■ Adverbs of time
Adverbs of time are usually used at the end of a sentence. However, we
sometimes use them at the beginning, to make them the focus of the
sentence.
• We’re going to the zoo today.
• I washed my car yesterday.
• Tomorrow, I am flying to Greece.

1. Adverbs of place
We often use adverbs of place at the end of a sentence. In writing, we
sometimes use them at the beginning too.
• They are sitting over there.
• The dog is running around outside.
• Inside, there were wooden floors.

2. Adverbs of manner
Adverbs of manner are usually used at the end of a sentence.
• Thomas was chewing loudly.
• The girl danced beautifully.
REMEMBER, do not put an adverb of manner between the verb and the
object.
• Davis handled the ball more skillfully than Adams.
(Not: Davis handled more skillfully the ball than Adams.)

3. Adverbs of frequency
Adverbs of frequency are normally used in the middle of a sentence,
between the subject and the main verb. But we sometimes use them at the
beginning or the end too.

38
 • We usually eat out on Fridays.
• Sometimes I go cycling.
• I don’t travel very often.
Note: “Always” and “never” are not used at the beginning of a sentence.
They are usually used in the middle, between the subject and the main verb.
• I always go on holiday in July.
• I never miss the bus.
In formal styles, however, “never” (and other adverbs with negative
meaning (seldom, rarely, scarcely, hardly) can be put in front position for
emphasis by inverting the subject (s) and auxiliary (aux)/modal verb.
Compare the following two sentences.

• I never saw such an interesting program.

• Never did I see such an interesting program.

4. Adverbs of degree
Adverbs of degree are usually used in the middle of a sentence, between
the subject and the main verb. They can also be used between an auxiliary
verb and an adjective. In addition, we can put them between the main verb
and an adverb of manner too.
• I really enjoyed the show.
• He is very scared.
• Veronica can run extremely quickly.

5. Adverbs of probability
We often use adverbs of probability in the middle of a sentence, between
the auxiliary verb and the main verb or an adjective. However, sometimes
we use them at the beginning of a sentence.
• I will probably go to the party.
• I can certainly help you.
• Maybe it will rain.

39
EXERCISE 4.1. Complete the sentences with the correct adverbs.
1. I dropped my watch, but ........................ (fortunate) it didn’t break.
2. We played ........................ (good) but lost the match.
3. When we got home, my dog was ........................ (happy) eating our
dinner.
4. The vandals escaped ....................... (dramatic) by jumping through the
window.
5. I answered all the questions ........................ (easy).
6. She ........................ (slow) opened her eyes.
7. The film was ........................ (real) boring.
8. We asked her ........................ (polite) to stop singing.
9. It’s ........................ (probable) the best restaurant in town.
10. She’s been working very ....................... (hard) all year.

EXERCISE 4.2. Complete the conversation with the correct adverbials from the
list.

Director: Jason, that was (1) absolutely

marvelous, but you’ve got to get to the
center of the stage.
Jason: But I have to wait for Tanya to finish her
line and she’s doing it too (2)
____________.
Tanya: Well, I could try saying it more (3) ____________ if you want me to.
Director: Yes, could you? Now, Jason, remember, when Tanya tells you she’s
going to marry Henry, you know about it, because you heard them
talking in the garden (4) ____________ , so you aren’t at all surprised.
Jason: Well, (5) ____________ I know about it, but I thought maybe I should
pretend at first that I didn’t know.

40
Director: No, we want to see your emotion! You reacted very calmly, but (6)
____________ you’re not a calm person at all. I want you to react (7)
____________, OK? Now the next scene. Sally, you were great. But,
when you’ve finished reading Tanya’s letter, when you’re on the last
couple of lines, pause (8) ____________ and look up at the audience.
Let them feel how (9) ____________ you’ve been treated by her.
Sally: Do you want me to cry? I am (10) ____________ good at crying.
Director: Not (11) ____________, not in this scene. Look out at the audience.
Tanya: Can I just ask why you (12) ____________ ask me to play horrible
characters?
Director: Because you do it so (13) ____________, darling. It just comes (14)
____________to you. Right, everyone, take a break and come back
(15) ____________.

Using adverbs in comparison

■ as + adverb + as

Use (not) as+ adverb + as to compare actions and show how they are (or aren’t)
the same or equal.
• Riley played just as well as most players. (She and the other players
played equally well.)
• Cash did not play as aggressively as Ely. (Cash and Ely didn’t play the
same. Cash played less aggressively.)

Use just to make the comparison stronger.

• It removes stains just as effectively as Brite.

41
REMEMBER, it's not necessary to mention both parts of the comparison when
the meaning is clear.
• He played hard. She played just as hard (as he did).

■ Comparative adverbs + than

Use comparative adverbs + than to show how the actions of two people or
things are different.
• Milan United played better than London United.
• Ronaldo played more skillfully than Teddy.
• He played less aggressively than Diego.

REMEMBER, it's not necessary to mention both parts of the comparison when
the meaning is clear.
• Ronaldo shot more consistently (than Teddy).

Repeat the comparative adverb (comparative adverb + and + comparative

adverb) to show how something is increasing or decreasing.
• Ronaldo is playing better and better as the season continues. (His
performance keeps getting better.)

With long adverbs, repeat only more or less.

• He is playing more and more aggressively.
• Teddy plays less and less skillfully.

Use two comparative adverbs (the + comparative adverb, + the + comparative

adverb) to show cause and effect.
• The harder he played, the better he got. (When he played harder, he got
better.)

42
■ Superlative adverbs

Use superlative adverbs to compare one action with the actions of other people
or things in a group.
• All the players worked hard, but Robins worked the hardest.
We often use the superlative with expressions beginning with of.
• Villanueva scored the most frequently of any player on the team.

There are several ways of forming comparative and superlative adverbs.

a. For short adverbs (one syllable), use adverb + -er or the + adverb + -est.
Adverb Comparative Superlative
fast faster the fastest
hard harder the hardest

b. Some adverbs have irregular comparative and superlative forms.

Adverb Comparative Superlative
well better the best
badly worse the worst

c. For long adverbs (two or more syllables), use more/less + adverb or the
most/the least + adverb.
Adverb Comparative Superlative
skillfully more/less the most/the
skillfully least skillfully
beautifully more/less the most/the
beautifully least
beautifully

43
 d. Note that some adverbs of manner have two comparative and two
Superlative forms.
Adverb Comparative Superlative
quickly • more/less quickly • the most/the least quickly
• quicker • the quickest
slowly • more/less slowly • the most/the least slowly
• slower • the slowest

The -er and -est forms are informal. Do not use them in formal speech
and writing.

EXERCISE 4.3. Complete the conversation between sports commentator Carla

Lobo and player Elena Bard. Use the words in parentheses with as . . . as or with
the comparative or superlative forms. Add the or than, and choose between
more or less where necessary.

44
EXERCISE 4.4. Read this article in a student newspaper. There are nine mistakes
in the use of adverbs. The first mistake is already corrected. Find and correct
eight more.

45
 UNIT 5

PREPOSITIONS

Learning Objective: Students are able to identify and

use prepositions in sentences.

A preposition is a word which is used to connect nouns, pronouns, or phrases to

other words within a sentence. They act to connect the people, objects, time and
locations of a sentence. Study an example below.

• Barnacle geese nest on high cliffs.

In that example, “on” is a preposition and “on high cliffs” is a prepositional

phrase. The preposition “on” shows the relationship between the noun “cliffs”
and the subject-verb clause “Barnacle geese nest”; therefore, “cliffs” is the
object of the preposition “on”. A prepositional phrase includes the preposition
itself, the object of the preposition, and any modifiers (e.g., high).

Prepositions are normally placed directly in front of nouns. In some cases, you’ll
find prepositions in front of gerund verbs. A preposition must have an object (a
noun or a pronoun), so it is always related to an object. This means we have to
say:
• Sit beside me. (Not: Sit beside.)
• He is playing with his brothers. (Not: He is playing with.)

In this unit, we are going to learn three types of prepositions:

1. Prepositions of Time
2. Prepositions of Place
3. Prepositions of Movement

46
 Prepositions of Time

Use prepositions of time to talk about when or how long something happens.
• His flight leaves at 9:00.
• I play football on Wednesday.
• We left before lunch.
• We traveled for a month.
• They stayed from June until May.

Study how prepositions of time are used in the table below.

Preposition How It’s Used Example
exact times at 3pm
meal times at dinner
at
parts of the day at sundown
age at age 21
a limit in time by sundown
by
in the sense of at the latest by the due date
seasons in the summer
months in November
in years in 1992
durations in the same year
after a certain period of time in an hour
days of the week on Wednesday
parts of the day where the on Friday night
on
day is named
dates on December 4th
ago a certain time in the past 2 years ago
a point in time that follows after the game
after
another point in time after the surgery
a point in time that precedes before leaving
before another point in time before breakfast
before 2004
something that during the night
during happened/will happen in a during war
specific period of time
over a certain period in the for 2 years
for
past
past telling the time ten past six (6:10)

47
 Preposition How It’s Used Example
from a certain period of since 1980; since the accident
since
time
something that throughout the year;
happened/will happen throughout the ordeal
throughout
continuously in a specific
period of time
telling time ten to six (5:50)
to from an earlier time to a 1pm to 3pm
later time
up to a certain point in time until the end; until sunrise
until how long something is going
to last
from an earlier point to a up (to) now
up (to)
later point
around explaining a period of time around 3 o’clock

EXERCISE 5.1. Read these conversations. Complete them with the correct
prepositions from the boxes.

48
 Prepositions of Place

Use prepositions of place to talk about where someone or something is. We

often use prepositions of place after verbs like be, have, and keep.
• The pen is next to the phone.
• I have ice cream in the freezer.
• I keep my money in the drawer.

Study how prepositions of place are used in the table below.

Preposition How It’s Used Example

at an object’s settled position or at the airport; at the
position after it has moved ceremony
meeting place or location at home; at the desk
point of direction turning at the intersection
a target throwing the snowball at
Jack
by close to by the school
alongside of by the window
in in an enclosed space in the garage
in an envelope
in a geographic location in San Diego
in Texas
in a print medium in a book
in a magazine
on for a certain side on the left
for a river/lake London lies on the Thames
for a floor in a house on the floor
for public transport on a bus
for television, radio on the air
on TV
about around or outside of about town
at but not exactly on about five feet tall
related to about my father’s business
above suspended higher than above the door
something else
superior to above me in rank
after pursuit chasing after the robbers
a point further from an earlier the corner after the big
point house

49
 Preposition How It’s Used Example
against leaning on against the door
opposite to or facing against the wall
among in the company of (three or among friends
more)
in a crowd among the masses
the end of a long list among other things
before in the front in terms of space before the emperor
before God
behind on the back side of a point in behind the car
space behind her smile
below lower than or underneath below the stairs
something else below expectations
under below or lower than something under the blanket
else, often so that one thing
covers the other
Less than under 20 years of age
from in the sense of where from a flower from the garden
covered by something else put a jacket over your shirt
over
more than over 16 years of age

EXERCISE 5.2. Look at the map. Complete the sentences with the correct
preposition from the box.

50
 Prepositions of Movement

Use prepositions of movement to talk about where someone or something is

going. We often use prepositions of movement after verbs like go, drive, walk,
get, and run.
• Tony is going to the hotel.
• She's driving toward the bridge.
• She goes across the bridge every day.
• She's getting out of her car.
• She's walking into her office.
Note: Do not use “to” with home. Use by for transportation, to say how someone
travels.
• He's going home. (Not: He's going to home.)
• Munir usually travels by car.

Below are pictures illustrating what some prepositions of movement mean.

51
Study how prepositions of movement are used in the table below.
Preposition How It’s Used Example
along tracing the length of, without along the hallway
emphasis on the ends along the river
across from one side to another swam across the lake
to from one place to another go to Surabaya
up from a lower point to a higher go up the main street
point of something
down from a higher point to a lower Tom fell down the hill.
point of something
on/onto movement to the top of jump on/onto the table
something
into enter a room/building go into the kitchen/house
from indication of the point where a return from a trip
movement begins
over getting to the other side walk over the bridge
across from one side to the
other, especially by going up and climb over the wall
then down
under below or at a lower level than walk under a bridge
something
past from one side to the other side We will go past several
of something beautiful buildings.
around location of something drive around the block
explaining a period of time around 3 o’clock
off down or away from a place fell off the ladder
leaving a public transport vehicle get off the train
something with limits on top,
through drive through the tunnel
bottom and the sides
movement in the direction of go 5 steps towards the
towards
something (but not directly to it) house

EXERCISE 5.3. Look at the photos. Complete the descriptions with the words
from the boxes.

52
53
 UNIT 6

PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE

Learning Objective: Students are able to use Present

Simple Tense correctly.

Present Simple Tense is mostly used to express facts, routine activities, and
present states.

• She is an honest person.

• They are very happy together.
• They work every day.
• My sister does her homework in the afternoon.

Using “be”

The following table shows examples of sentences using the verb “be” (is, am,
are) Study the sentences in the following table.

Subject Verb Complement

I ‘m (am) a student.
He/She/It
Andy ‘s (is) friendly.
The teacher
You/We/They
Andy and Tina ‘re (are) at home.
Her friends

Notice that each verb must agree with its subject. You can write “The teacher is
friendly.”, but not “The teacher are friendly.”

54
EXERCISE 6.1. Study the following sentences and find out what is wrong in each.
1. My friend are in the classroom.
2. My sister and I am diligent.
3. They’are my friends.
4. Tina and Amy is at the office.
5. His brothers is very helpful.
6. My friend are at home.
7. The teachers is punctual.
8. They is students.
9. Andy are my friend.
10. Andy and Tina is my classmates.

In the next table, you are going to learn how to write negations in English. Please
notice that “not” is added after the verb.

Subject Verb Complement

I ‘m (am) a student.
He/She/It
Andy ‘s (is) friendly.
The teacher not
You/We/They
Andy and Tina ‘re (are) at home.
Her friends

The following table shows you how to write questions in English.

Verb Subject Complement

Am I a student?
he/she/it
Is Andy friendly?
the teacher
you/we/they
Are Andy and Tina at home?
her friends

55
Notice that the position of the verb “be” is located at the beginning of the
sentence. Again, each verb must agree with its subject.

EXERCISE 6.2. Complete the sentences with the correct forms of the verb be.
1. Dr. Stephen Greene …………… not from Ghana.
2. …………… he a nice person?
3. The schools …………… new.
4. Nurses and doctors …………… heroes.
5. Nurses and doctors …………… not the same.
6. Some nurses ……… not on call 24/7.
7. Some people …………… poor. They need our help.
8. The woman …………… hungry. She needs some food.
9. The man …………… unemployed.
10. Food Bank members …………… very helpful.

Using action verbs (not “be”)

In this section you will learn more sentences to express facts and routine
activities. Read the sentences and pay attention to the underlined verbs.

A nurse helps patients.

They always study together on Sunday.

We eat breakfast before school.

He writes letters every day.

56
The verbs in the sentences are: helps, study, eat and writes. Do you notice that
“helps” is from “help+s” and “writes” is from “write+s”? Why do the other verbs
in the examples remain the same: “study, eat” not “studies, eats”? Look at the
table and find out the answers.

Subject Verb Object

They drink milk.
We go shopping.
I love you.
You read a book.
Joko and Tina stay at home.
Students clean the classroom.
The students write reports.

Subject Verb+s/es Object

She sings a song.
He watches TV.
It makes noise.
Maria brings some books.
A girl walks slowly.
The man buys food.

Now study how to make negatives sentences and questions. Pay attention to the
positions of the Subject, the Verb (underlined), and the auxiliary verb (circled).

_ They do not drink milk.

+ They drink milk.
? Do they drink milk?
_
She does not sing a song.
+ She sings a song.
? Does she sing a song?

Read more examples below.

1. We go shopping in the afternoon.
(-) They do not go shopping in the afternoon.
(?) Do they go shopping in the afternoon?

57
 2. The dog makes noise.
(-) The dog does not make noise.
(?) Does the dog make noise?
3. They come home in the afternoon.
(-) They do not come home in the afternoon.
(?) Do they come home in the afternoon?

EXERCISE 6.3. Complete the sentences. Use the picture to help you.

(1) Andrews ______ at 5:00 in the morning.

(2) First, he ______ a shower.

(3) After he ______ a shower, he ____ dressed.

(4) Then he ______ his hair.

(5) After he ______ breakfast, he _______ his teeth.

(6) Then he _______ for school.

(7) He _______ home from school in the afternoon.

Then he _______ his homework.
(8) He _______ dinner at 6:30 in the evening.

58
 (9) Before he _______ to bed, he _______ TV.
(10) He _______ to bed at 10:00 at night.

EXERCISE 6.4. Complete this conversation. Use the correct form of the verbs in
the box.

59
 UNIT 7

PAST SIMPLE TENSE

Learning Objective: Students are able to use Past Simple

Tense correctly.

We use the Past Simple Tense to describe finished events in the past. The verbs
indicating the events are in the past form (e.g., watched, began, bought, etc.).

• Yesterday I watched a great film on TV.

• It started at 8 pm and finished at 10 pm.

Using verb “be”

Study the patterns and sample sentences below to learn how sentences using
the verb “be” in Past Simple Tense are constructed.

• Last year Rachel was 22, so she is 23 now.

• When I was a child, I was afraid of dogs.

60
 • We were hungry after the journey but we weren’t tired.
• The hotel was comfortable but it wasn’t expensive.
• Was the weather good when you were on holiday?
• Those shoes are nice. Were they expensive?
• Why were you late this morning?

Using action verbs (not “be”)

Now study the patterns and sample sentences below to learn how sentences
using other verbs (not “be”) in Past Simple Tense are constructed.

• Terry worked in a bank from 1986 to 1993.

• I usually get up early but this morning I got up at 9.30.
• We did a lot of work yesterday.
• Caroline went to the cinema three times last week.
• Did she go away last week?
• We went to the cinema but we didn’t enjoy the film.
• What did Helen buy last week?

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EXERCISE 7.1. Put in am/is/are (present) or was/were (past).
1. Last year she was 22, so she is 23 now.
2. Today the weather ............ nice, but yesterday it ............ very cold.
3. I ............ hungry. Can I have something to eat?
4. I feel fine this morning but I ............ very tired last night.
5. Where ............ you at 11 o’clock last Friday morning?
6. Don’t buy those shoes. They ............ very expensive.
7. “Where ............ the children?”
“I don’t know. They ............ in the garden ten minutes ago.”

EXERCISE 7.2. Put the verb in the correct form – positive, negative or question.
1. We went to the cinema but the film wasn’t very good. We didn’t enjoy it.
(enjoy)
2. Tim ........................ ........................ some new clothes yesterday- two
shirts, a jacket and a pullover. (buy)
3. “.................. it ................. yesterday?”
“No, it was a nice day.” (rain)
4. The party wasn’t very good, so we ................................................ long.
(stay)
5. “Did you go to the bank this morning?”
“No, I ........................ ........................ time.” (have)

Habits in the past

There are two possible ways to talk about habits in the past.

1. used to + infinitive
We use used to + infinitive when we talk about things that happened regularly in
the past but do not happen now. In the negative we say didn’t use to + infinitive:
• I used to play in the snow every winter.
• I used to get up early to go to school.

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 • I didn’t use to go to bed so late.
We can use this structure with both states and actions:
• I didn’t use to have any responsibilities, but now I have a family. (STATE)
• I used to go to school every day, but now I work. (ACTION)

2. would + infinitive

When we are telling a story or recalling a situation from a long time ago, we
often prefer to use would + infinitive to describe repeated behavior in the past.
However, both would and used to are possible:
• I remember growing up in home town. My life was completely different. I
would get up early every day and go to school. In the winter, I would play
in the snow with my friends.

Note that we can only use would to describe past events and actions. It is not
usually used with states. To describe past states we can only use used to:
• I didn’t use to have any responsibilities. (NOT I wouldn’t have any
responsibilities.)

EXERCISE 7.3. Look at the text and the pictures of Brian Smith before and after
he won a million dollars on the lottery. Write sentences about his life before the
big win and now.

Now
Before the big win Now
1. Brian Smith lived in a small semi- 1. Brian Smith lives in a
detached house. mansion.
2. The garden needed some 2. His garden is large and really

63
 Before the big win Now
attention. beautiful.
3. He worked in a bank. 3. He doesn’t work at all.
4. He drove a car that was ten years 4. He drives an expensive sports
old. car.
5. He didn’t go on holiday. 5. He goes on holiday to exotic
places.
6. He didn’t go out very much in the 6. He goes out every evening
evening and he didn’t have a and he has a girlfriend.
girlfriend.
7. He collected stamps. 7. He has lots of hobbies,
including three extreme
sports.
8. He was not happy. 8. He is very happy.

EXERCISE 7.4. Complete these questions and answers. The first one has been
done for you.
1. A: Did you use to collect comic books when you were little?
B: No, I ................... collect comic books.
2. A: ................... you and your friends ................... play at the playground as
kids?
B: Yes, we ................... spend hours there on the weekends.
3. A: What video games ................... you ................... play?
B: I ................... play video games. But now I play them all the time!
4. A: What music ............ you ................... listen to?
B: I ................... listen to pop music a lot, but now I prefer rock.

Irregular Verbs

Please pay attention to the underlined verbs.

1. The company officially adopted the new brand and logo.
2. The company opened a new office in the capital city.
3. The employees met the supervisor in his office.
4. They spent three hours to finish the job.

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The underlined verbs in sentences 1 and 2 are examples of regular verbs and the
ones in sentences 3 and 4 are irregular verbs. The difference between a regular
and an irregular verb is the formation of the simple past (Verb 2) and past
participle (Verb 3). Regular verbs are consistent, i.e., their simple past and past
participle end in –ed. By contrast, the simple past and past participle of irregular
verbs do not end in –ed.

To help you master irregular verbs, study the patterns below (note: the asterisk
indicates that the verb can be used as a regular verb).

1. Irregular ending with no vowel change, V2=V3

Group 1: -d ending changes to -t, -end changes to -ent
bend bent bent
build built built
lend lent lent
send sent sent
spend spent spent

Group 2: the verbs have and make

have had had
make made made

Group 3: regular in US English, irregular in UK English

learn learned / learnt learned / learnt
burn burned / burnt burned / burnt
dwell dwelled / dwelt dwelled / dwelt
smell smelled / smelt smelled / smelt
spell spelled / spelt spelled / spelt
spill spilled / spilt spilled / spilt
spoil spoiled / spoilt spoiled / spoilt

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Group 4: -ay ending changes to -aid
lay laid laid
pay paid paid
say said said

2. Vowel change, irregular ending, V2=V3

Group 5: vowel change, -d or -t ending
bend bent bent
creep crept crept
feed fed fed
feel felt felt
keep kept kept
kneel knelt knelt*
meet met met
sleep slept slept
sweep swept swept
weep wept wept

Group 6: different pronunciation of the same vowel, -d or -t ending

deal dealt dealt
dream dreamt dreamt*
lean leant leant*
leap leapt leapt
mean meant meant
read read read
hear heard heard

Group 7: -ell turns to -old

sell sold sold
tell told told

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Group 8: vowel change with -ought or -aught ending
bring brought brought
buy bought bought
fight fought fought
seek sought sought
think thought thought
catch caught caught
teach taught taught

3. Verbs with the same form V1=V2=V3

Group 9: Verbs that do not change
bet bet bet
bid bid bid
broadcast broadcast broadcast*
burst burst burst
cost cost cost
cut cut cut
fit fit fit
hit hit hit
hurt hurt hurt
let let let
put put put
set set set
shut shut shut
spread spread spread
quit quit quit

4. Vowel change, V3 ending with -en

Group 10: V2 and V3 with long /o/ sound
break broke broken

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choose chose chosen
freeze froze frozen
speak spoke spoken
steal stole stolen
wake woke woken*
weave wove woven

Group 11: V2 with long /o/ sound, V3 with short /i/ sound
arise arose arisen
rise rose risen
ride rode ridden
drive drove driven
write wrote written

Group 12: V3 with /en/ sound

beat beat beaten
bite bit bitten
fall fell fallen
hide hid hidden
eat ate eaten
give gave given
forgive forgave forgiven
forbid forbade forbidden
forget forgot forgotten
get got gotten
shake shook shaken
take took taken
see saw seen

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Group 13: the ear-ore-orn pattern
bear bore born
swear swore sworn
tear tore torn
wear wore worn

Group 13: the -ow -ew –own/-awn pattern

blow blew blown
grow grew grown
know knew known
throw threw thrown
fly flew flown
draw drew drawn

5. Regular V2, regular or irregular V3

Group 15
show showed showed / shown
sow sowed sowed / sown
mow mowed mowed / mown
swell swelled swelled / swollen
sew sewed sewed / sewn

6. Vowel change, no ending, V2=V3

Group 16: vowel change pattern, no ending
dig dug dug
stick stuck stuck
spin spun spun
sting stung stung
strike struck struck
swing swung swung

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hang (a picture) hung hung
slide slid slid
light lit lit*
shoot shot shot

Group 17: vowel change pattern i - ou - ou

bind bound bound
find found found
grind ground ground
wind wound wound

Group 18: vowel change ee/ea - e - e

bleed bled bled
feed fed fed
flee fled fled
lead led led
speed sped sped

7. Vowel change, miscellaneous

Group 19: vowel change pattern i - a - u
begin began begun
drink drank drunk
ring rang rung
shrink shrank shrunk
sing sang sung
sink sank sunk
spin span/spun spun
spring sprang sprung
swim swam swum

70
Group 20: vowel change, V1=V3
come came come
become became become
run ran run

Group 20: miscellaneous

do did done
go went gone
hold held held
is/am/are was/were been
lose lost lost
sit sat sat
stand stood stood
understand understood understood
win won won

EXERCISE 7.5. Read this story about the Titanic. Complete it with the simple past
form of the verbs in parentheses.

71
 UNIT 8

FUTURE SIMPLE TENSE

Learning Objective: Students are able to use Future

Simple Tense correctly.

The future simple is a verb tense that’s used to talk about things that haven’t
happened yet. In other words, it is used to talk about an action or condition that
will begin and end in the future. Study some examples below.

• I will meet him later.

• They will study together
tomorrow.
• It is going to rain.

There are several ways to talk about the future. You can use:
o will: I will meet him later.
o be going to: They're going to have a meeting.
o present progressive: It's taking place next week.
o simple present: The train leaves at 09:00.

Using “will”

72
In general, "will" is used to express things that we decide to do right at that very
moment, NOT things that we've already arranged or decided to do. Below you
will learn in what situations “will” are used to express future events.

■ Expressing a decision that we make spontaneously in the present moment.

• (The phone rings) I’ll get it.
• I am so sleepy. I think I'll go to bed now.
• (After looking out the window) It's nice outside. I won't (will not) drive
today. I'll ride my bike.

■ Describing future facts.

• Tomorrow, the sun will rise at 5:30 and will set at 6 PM.
• The new president will serve a five-year term.
• Who will host the next Olympic games?
• The committee will announce the result soon.

■ Making predictions.
• I think it will rain tomorrow morning.
• It will be a boring meeting as usual.
• Do you think John will come to work today?
• I will not meet him anymore.

■ Expressing future plans/decisions the main verb "be".

If the main verb is "be," we can use "will" to express a future action - even if
it is for a firm plan or decision made in advance.
• We'll be in Jakarta tomorrow for a conference.
• Will you be at home later this afternoon?
• The supervisor won't be happy about this.

73
■ Expressing willingness/unwillingness
We can use "will" to show that we are willing or not willing to do something
in the future.
• She will get the children after school.
• I'll be happy to help you.
• They won't do it for free.
• My husband won't buy me a new phone.
• I promise I will come home by midnight.

■ Making an invitation
• Will you marry me?
• My brother is getting married. Will you go to the wedding with me?
• Will you attend my daughter's birthday party?

Using “be going to”

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■ We use "be going to + infinitive" to describe an arrangement that we plan to
do in the future.
• We're going to see a movie next week.
• After the movie, we're going to have dinner at the new restaurant.
• Is your sister going to come?
• We're all going to meet in front of the cinema at 7 PM.

■ We can use “will” or “be going to” to make predictions or guesses about the
future. However, use “be going to” instead of will when something in the
present helps you make the prediction about the future.
• I’m going to finish homework as soon as I come back home.
• Look at those dark clouds! It's going to rain.
• I think he is too careless. He is going to fall soon.
• My sister is in the kitchen. She is going to cook.

Using Present Continuous Tense and Present Simple Tense

We often use the present progressive when we talk about future plans that are
already arranged.
• I’m flying to Singapore next week. I already have a ticket.
• I am taking the train to Bandung tomorrow.

To talk about scheduled future events (timetables, programs, schedules), use the
simple present. Verbs such as start, leave, end, and begin are often used this
way.
• The shuttle leaves at 9:00 A.M.
• The conference starts tomorrow morning.

75
EXERCISE 8.1. Look at this schedule. Circle T (True) or F (False) for each sentence.

1. The conference is going to begin on May 6.

2. The workshop is going to be about computers in the home.
3. The exhibits are going to close at 6:00.
4. The fashion show is going to start at 4:00.
5. In the future, computers are going to look very different.
6. People are going to wear computers.

EXERCISE 8.2. Read this e-mail message to Professor Vroom. Find and correct
nine mistakes in the use of the future with will and be going to. The first mistake
is already corrected.

76
EXERCISE 8.3. Two people are traveling to a conference. Read their conversation
and circle the most appropriate future forms.

77
 UNIT 9

PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

Learning Objective: Students are able to use Present

Continuous Tense correctly.

The Present Continuous (also called Present Progressive) Tense is a verb tense
which is used to show that an action is in progress now, either at the moment of
speech or now in a larger sense. Study some examples below.

• The boy is flying a kite now.

• They are playing football at the moment.

The sentence patterns are illustrated in the following tables.

78
 Using Present Continuous Tense

Read on for more information about using Present Continuous Tense.

■ Use the present progressive to describe something that is happening' right
now (for example, now, at the moment).

• He’s talking to Taro now.

• We are studying English at the moment.

■ The present progressive is often used to show that the action is temporary.
• I'm staying with friends at the moment, but I plan to leave soon.
• He is waiting for his friend to arrive.
• The restaurant is temporarily serving take-out orders only.

■ Use the present progressive to describe something that is happening in the

extended present time (for example, nowadays, these days, this month, this
year), even if it's not happening at the moment of speaking.

• We're studying together this semester.

• Jane is studying in Spain this year.
• Are they studying hard these days?

79
 Non-action verbs

Do NOT use progressive tenses with non-action verbs, even when the verb
describes a situation that exists at the moment of speaking. Non-action verbs
mainly describe states or situations but not actions. They are used to express
emotions (hate, like, love, want, feel, fear, trust), describe mental states (know,
remember, believe, think [ = believe], understand), show possession (have, own,
possess, belong), and describe senses and perceptions (hear, see, smell, taste,
feel, notice, seem, look [ = seem], be, appear, sound).

• I have a pen. (NOT: I am having a pen.)

• They want to swim. (NOT: They are wanting to swim.)
• I think you are right. (NOT: I am thinking you are right.)
• You story sounds really interesting. (NOT: You story is sounding really
interesting.

BE CAREFUL! Some verbs that describe senses and perceptions such as taste,
smell, feel, and, look can have both a non-action and an action meaning.
• The soup tastes good. Try some. (Non-action verb)
• She's tasting the soup to see if it needs more salt. (Action verb)

Remember that you do not use non-action verbs in progressive tenses, but it
does not mean that you cannot make non-action verbs into -ing forms (present
participle). If you add -ing to “want”, of course, you will have “wanting”.
• Some are also driven by sentimental reasons of wanting to be with
their families during the Covid-19.
In that sentence, “wanting” is grammatically correct because it is the object of
the preposition “of” and does not indicate what is happening/in progress.

80
 Present Continuous Tense with “Always”

We usually use “always”, “continually” and other similar words in Present

Continuous Tense to indicate unexpected actions that are surprising, annoying
or frustrating.
• Jack is always arriving late to class. (which is annoying because the class is
disrupted when they arrive)
• My son is always leaving his dirty shoes on the bathroom floor. (which is
annoying and frustrating)

We also use “always”, “continually” and other similar words in Present

Continuous Tense to talk about things which are unexpected or unplanned.
Compare the following two sentences.
• I always meet my friend at the station on Fridays after work. (a regular,
planned arrangement)
• We are always meeting Bob and Florence in the supermarket.
(unplanned, accidental meeting – a coincidence)

Spelling Rules

The following is a guide to the correct spelling of -ing forms of verbs.

1. Most verbs: add -ing suffix
• Work → working
• Post → posting
• Study → studying
2. Verbs ending in –ee: add –ing suffix
• See → seeing
• Flee → fleeing
• Agree → agreeing

3. Verbs ending in consonant + e: drop the e and add –ing suffix

• Dance → dancing
• Write → writing

81
4. Verbs ending in -ie: drop the ie and add –y + ing.
• Lie → lying
• Die → dying

5. Verbs ending in one stressed vowel between two consonants: double the last
consonant and add -ing suffix
• Sit → sitting
• Swim → swimming
• Confer → conferring
If the vowel is not stressed, just add the -ing suffix to the verb.
• Open → opening
• enter → entering

6. We do not double the final consonant when the verb ends in W, X or Y or

when the final syllable is not emphasized.
• Fix → fixing
• Enjoy → enjoying
• Snow → snowing

7. If the verb ends in consonant + vowel + l, there are two possible spelling. In
British English (BE), you double the final l. In American English (AE), you do
NOT double the final l unless it is stressed.
• to equal → equalling (BE) – equaling (AE)
• to travel → travelling (BE) – traveling (AE)
• to control → controlling (BE) – controlling (AE)

Notice how there is a double l in controlling in American English. That is

because the last syllable of the verb control is stressed (con-TROL)

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EXERCISE 9.1. Write five sentences using Present Continuous Tense based on
the picture below.

1. …………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………….
2. …………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………….
3. …………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………….
4. …………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………….
5. …………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………….

EXERCISE 9.2. Some students are talking outside of a classroom. Complete their
conversations. Choose between the simple present and the present progressive
forms of the verbs in parentheses.

83
EXERCISE 9.3. Read this letter. Find and correct six mistakes in the use of the
present progressive. The first mistake is already corrected.

84
 UNIT 10

PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

Learning Objective: Students are able to use Present

Perfect Tense correctly.

The Present Perfect Tense is a verb tense which refers to an action that has taken
place once or many times before now. The present perfect is most frequently
used to talk about experiences or changes that have taken place. Study an
example below.

• Someone has stolen his bike.

• He has been in hospital for three weeks.

Please notice that the time of the event is between 'before now' and 'now'. The
exact time is not important. The focus is on the result of the action, not the time
of the event.

The present perfect is formed using has/have + past participle. Make the past
participle by adding -ed to regular verbs (for example, “play” becomes “played”).
We also have some completely irregular verbs. Please see the list of common
irregular verbs in Unit 7 (pages 65-71).

85
Present Perfect Tense: Indefinite Past

■ Use the present perfect to talk about things that happened at an indefinite
time in the past. You can use the present perfect when you don't know
when something happened or when the specific time is not important.

• They've traveled to Egypt. (You don't know exactly when.)

• We've been to Rome. (The specific time isn't important.)

86
■ Use the present perfect with adverbs like twice or often to talk about
repeated actions at some indefinite time in the past.

• They've visited Rome twice.

• We've often stayed at that hotel.

■ Adverbs such as twice and expressions such as many times usually go at the
end of the sentence. Adverbs of frequency such as always, often, and never
usually go before the past participle.
• I've stayed there many times.
• I've always stayed there.

■ You can use ever with the present perfect to ask questions. It means at any
time up until the present. Use never to answer negatively.
A: Have you ever been to Rome?
B: No, I've never been there. / No, never.

■ Use the present perfect with just, lately, and recently to emphasize that
something happened in the very recent (but still indefinite) past. Note that
just goes before the past participle, lately goes at the end of the sentence,
and recently can go before the past participle or at the end of the sentence.
• I've just gotten back from China.
• They haven't been there lately.
• He's recently flown a lot. OR He's flown a lot recently.
USAGE NOTE: In American English, people often use just and recently with
the simple past.
• I just got back from China.

87
EXERCISE 10.1. Read the first sentence. Then decide if the second sentence is
True (T) or False {F).
1. Adventure vacations have become very popular.
_____ They are popular now.
2. I have never been to the Himalayas.
_____ I went to the Himalayas a long time ago.
3. I've just returned from China.
_____ I was in China a short time ago.
4. Greg asks you, "Have you ever been to Costa Rica?"
_____ Greg wants to know when you were in Costa Rica.
5. Marta asks you, "Have you read any good travel books lately?"
_____ Marta wants to know about a travel book you read last year.
6. We have visited Egypt several times.
_____ This is not our first visit to Egypt.

Present Perfect Tense with “since” and “for”

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■ Use the present perfect with since or for to talk about something that began
in the past and continues into the present (and may continue into the
future).

• She has been a professional tennis player since 1994.

• She has been a professional tennis player for years. (She began her
professional career years ago, and she is still a professional player.)

■ Use the present perfect with since + point in time (since 5:00, since
Monday, since 7 994) to show when something started.
• He has won many contests since 1995.
• He has become famous since then.
Since can also introduce a time clause.
• He has loved sports since he was a child.

■ Use for + length of time (for 10 minutes, for two weeks, for years, for a long
time) to show how long something has lasted.
• Bob has owned· a restaurant for years.

89
EXERCISE 10.2. Read Complete these sentences about Brazilian sportswriter
Mariana Andrade. Use since or for.

Present Perfect Tense with “already” and “yet”

■ Use the present perfect with already in affirmative statements to talk about
something that has happened before now. BE CAREFUL! We do not usually
use past time expressions with the present perfect and already.
• I've already mailed the invitations.
• Jenna has already met Carlos. (NOT Jenna has already met Carlos last
week.)

90
■ Already usually goes between have and the past participle. Already can also
go at the end of the clause.
• I've already baked the cake.
• I've baked the cake already.

■ Use the present perfect with yet in negative statements to talk about
something that has not happened before now. It is possible that we
expected something to have happened earlier, and it is still possible that it
will happen in the future.
• I haven't cleaned yet.
• A: Jenna hasn't called yet.
B: Oh, I'm sure we’ll hear from her later.

■ Yet usually goes at the end of the clause. Yet can also go between have not
and the past participle.
• They haven't arrived yet.
• They haven't yet arrived.
■ Use yet in questions to ask if something has happened before now. We
sometimes use already in questions to express surprise that something
happened sooner than expected.
• Have you bought the soda yet?
• Has Carlos arrived already? The party doesn't start until 8:00!

■ For negative answers to yes/no questions, you can use haven’t or not yet.
A: Has the party started yet?
B: No, it hasn't. / No, not yet. / Not yet.

91
EXERCISE 10.2. Complete these conversations. Use the present perfect form of
the verbs in parentheses with already or yet and short answers.

92
 UNIT 11

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

Learning Objective: Students are able to use Present

Perfect Continuous Tense correctly.

The Present Perfect Continuous Tense (also called Present Perfect Progressive
Tense) is a verb tense which is used to indicate that an action started in the past
and has continued up to the present moment. In general, the Present Perfect
Continuous emphasizes duration, or the amount of time that an action has been
taking place. Look at the examples below.

• We have been waiting here for twenty minutes.

• He has been holding that sign for fifteen years.

The present perfect is formed using has/have + been + present participle. Please
see the discussions about non-action verbs and spelling rules for progressive
tenses Unit 9 (pages 80-82).

93
■ Use the present perfect progressive to talk about things that started in the
past and continue up to the present. The situation is usually not finished,
and it will probably continue into the future.

• She has been collecting coins for years. (She started collecting them
four years ago, and she is still collecting them.)
• I've been reading an article about coal mining in Indonesia. (I'm still
reading it.)
• She's been writing an article. (She's still writing it.)

■ Non-action verbs are not usually used in the progressive.

• I've owned this doll for years. (NOT: I've been owning this doll for
years.)

94
■ Use the present perfect progressive to describe things that have stopped
very recently. The action is not happening right now, but you can still see
the results of the action.

• The kids have been playing here. Their toys are all over the room.
• It's been raining. The streets are still wet.

■ Remember, the Present Perfect Continuous Tense often shows that

something is unfinished., while the Present Perfect Tense while often shows
that something is finished. Compare the following two sentences.

• She is tired. She has been cooking all day.

• She has cooked the meal. The meal is ready.

95
EXERCISE 11.1. Read each numbered statement. Then circle the letter of the
sentence (a) or (b) that best describes the information in the statement.
1. Gina has been collecting stamps since high school.
a. Gina stopped collecting stamps.
b. Gina still collects stamps.
2. Enrico has been writing an article about toys.
a. The article is finished.
b. The article isn't finished yet.
3. They've been selling a lot of Pokémon toys.
a. People are still buying Pokémon toys.
b. The Pokémon fad is finished.
4. Enrico looked out the window and said, "It's been raining."
a. It's definitely still raining.
b. It's possible that it stopped raining a little while ago.
5. It's been raining since 6:00.
a. It's still raining.
b. It stopped raining a little while ago.
6. They've been playing for hours.
a. They stopped playing.
b. They're still playing.

EXERCISE 11.2. Complete these statements. Circle the correct form of the verbs.
In some cases, both forms are correct.

96
EXERCISE 11.3. Read this student's report. Find and correct six mistakes in the
use of the present perfect and present perfect progressive. The first mistake is
already corrected.

97
 UNIT 12

PASSIVE SENTENCES

Learning Objective: Students are able to use passive

sentences correctly.

A passive sentence is a sentence in which the subject does not perform the
action of the verb. In fact, in a passive sentence, the action of the verb is done to
the subject.

Active and passive sentences often have similar meanings but different focuses.
In the active sentence above, the focus is “Carol”, the person selling the house.
In the passive sentence, however, the focus is on “the house”.

A passive sentence is formed with a form of be + past participle. Make the past
participle by adding -ed to regular verbs (for example, “play” becomes “played”).
We also have some completely irregular verbs. Please see the list of common
irregular verbs in Unit 7 (pages 65-71).

■ We usually use the passive when the agent (the person or thing doing the
action) is unknown or not important, the identity of the agent is clear from
the context, or we want to avoid mentioning the agent.
• The building was built in 2000. (I don't know who built it.)
• The magazine is sold at newsstands. (We can assume that the
newsstand owners and employees sell it. We don 't need to mention
them.)
• Some mistakes were made in that article. (I know who made the
mistakes, but I don 't want to blame the person who made them.)

98
■ We use the passive with by if we mention the agent. We mention the agent
when we introduce necessary new information about the agent, we want to
give credit to someone who created something, or the agent is surprising.
• John Delgado is a famous sports writer. He has just been hired by
National Sports to write a monthly column. (The name of john's
employer is necessary new information.)
• The article was written by John Delgado. (We give credit to John
Delgado.)
• Our windows are washed by a robot. (It is surprising to learn that it is
a robot that washes the windows.)

■ BE CAREFUL! In most cases, we do not need to mention an agent in passive

sentences. Do not include an agent unnecessarily. Study an example below.

• The magazine is published once a week.

In that example, it is not necessary to write “The magazine is published by

the publisher once a week.” because we know that it must be the publisher
that publishes the magazine.

Passive Sentence Patterns

Study how to change active sentences into passive sentences in various tenses,
that we have previously discussed.

1. Past Simple Tense

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2. Present Simple Tense

3. Future Simple Tense

4. Present Continuous Tense

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5. Present Perfect Tense

Passive Causative

Use the passive causative to talk about services that you arrange for someone to
do for you.
• I used to color my own hair, but now I have it colored. (Someone colors it
for me).
• I got my laptop repaired by the new technician. (I did not repair it, the
new technician did.)

Form the passive causative with the appropriate form of have or get + object +
past participle.
• I always have my hair cut by Andre.
• Last year I got my coat cleaned once.
• Next week I'm going to have my windows washed.
• I haven't had it done since June.

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EXERCISE 12.1. Read these sentences and decide if they are Active (A) or Passive
(P).
1. Reader's Digest was founded in 1922.
2. Millions of people read it.
3. A large-type edition is also printed.
4. They also record it.
5. Reader's Digest is published once a month.
6. It has been translated into many languages.
7. Many readers subscribe to the magazine.
8. It is sold at newsstands everywhere.
9. I read an interesting article in it.
10. The article was written by a famous scientist.

EXERCISE 12.2. Read an editor's notes for a story for Modern Reader. Find and
correct eight mistakes in the use of the passive. The first mistake is already
corrected.

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EXERCISE 12.3. Read each person's statement. Write T (True) or F (False) for the
sentence that follows.

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REFERENCES
Azar, Betty Schrampfer. (2003). Fundamentals of English Grammar. New York:
Pearson Education.
Clarke, Simon. (2008). MacMillan English Grammar in Context – Essential.
Oxford: Macmillan Education
Fuchs, Marjorie; Bonner, Margaret & Westheimer, Miriam (2006). Focus on
Grammar 3. New York: Pearson Education
Murphy, Raymon. (2015). Essential grammar in use: a self-study reference and
practice book for elementary students of English. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.

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