Grammar Guide

Inglés 3
Núcleo de Idiomas
Contenido
Present Simple .................................................................................................................................... 3
WH Questions Structure ..................................................................................................................... 7
Quantifiers......................................................................................................................................... 10
Countable/Uncountable Nouns ........................................................................................................ 12
Using Countable & Uncountable Nouns ........................................................................................... 13
How much vs How many ................................................................................................................... 14
Present Continuous ........................................................................................................................... 17
Be going to ........................................................................................................................................ 19
Comparisons...................................................................................................................................... 22
Superlative adjectives ....................................................................................................................... 24
As….as................................................................................................................................................ 26
The past simple ................................................................................................................................. 28
Past Tense of Be ................................................................................................................................ 31
English Modal Verbs .......................................................................................................................... 34
Past continuous ................................................................................................................................. 36
The Present Perfect Continuous ....................................................................................................... 38
Key/Respuestas ................................................................................................................................. 42
Referencias bibliográficas ................................................................................................................. 45

Para mayor ayuda, puedes usar el diccionario Cambridge online:

http://dictionary.cambridge.org

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Present Simple
We use simple present tense in several different situations.

Use 1. Repeated Actions:

 Use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is repeated or regular. The
action can be a daily event, a habit, a hobby, a scheduled event or something that
often happens.

e.g. I walk to work every day.

Ram speaks English very well.

Tom lives in India.

Use 2. Facts or Generalizations:

 We use the Simple Present for statements that are always true.

e.g. We come from Switzerland.

Summer follows spring.

The moon travels around the earth.

Use 3. Future reference:

 This use is often related to timetables and events in the calendar.

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 e. g. The train leaves tonight at 6 PM.

The concert begins at 7.30 and ends at 9.30.

The party starts at 8 o’clock.

Use 4. Observations and declarations:

 We commonly use the Simple Present with other verbs to make observations and
declarations in the course of conversation.

e.g. I hope/assume/suppose/promise everything will be all right.

I declare this exhibition open.

FORMING THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE: TO WORK

Affirmative Interrogative Negative

I work Do I work? I do not work
You work Do you work? You do not work
He works Does he work? He does not work
She works Does she work? She does not work
It works Does it work? It does not work
We work Do we work? We do not work
They work Do they work? They do not work

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*NOTES ON THE SIMPLE PRESENT, THIRD PERSON SINGULAR:

 In the third person singular, the verb always ends in –s.

e.g. He wants, she needs, he gives, she thinks.

 Negative and question forms use DOES (= the third person of the auxiliary 'DO') +
the infinitive of the verb.

e.g. He wants ice cream. Does he want strawberry? He does not want vanilla.

 Verbs ending in -y: the third person changes the -y to –ies.

e.g. fly --> flies, cry --> cries

*Exception: if there is a vowel before the –y.

e.g. play --> plays, pray --> prays

 Add -es to verbs ending in: -ss, -x, -sh, -ch.

e.g. he passes, she catches, he fixes, it pushes

Exercise 1.

1. Which verb forms are correct?

a. she are d. she is

b. she has e. she plaies

c. she hase f. she plays

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2. Which of these verbs conjugate with he, she, it?

a. am c. has

b. is d. read

3. Which verb forms correspond to the Simple Present?

a. have + infinitive + -ed c. infinitive + s

b. infinitive d. infinitive + -ing

4. Which question is correct?

a. Do she work in an office? c. Work she in an office?

b. Does she work in an office? d. Works she in an office?

5. Which negative sentence is correct?

a. We does not work in a bank.

b. We don't work in a bank.

c. We do'nt work in a bank.

6. In which sentence is the Simple Present used correctly?

a. Carol clean the bathroom.

b. Carol cleans the bathroom.

WH Questions Structure
WH questions in the simple present use “do” or “be”. Take a look at the structure for each
of these verbs.

Do
WH + DO/DOES + SUBJECT + VERB

Take a look at some examples:

e.g. Where do you work?

When does she wake up?

Who is your brother?

Be
WH + BE + SUBJECT

Here are the examples:

e.g. Where are you from?

Who is that man?

When is your class?

Exercises 2: Fill in the blanks with do, does, is, or are.

1. Where ___________ she work?

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 2. When _____________ you finish school?

3. Why ___________ you like that movie?

4. When ____________ the game?

5. What _____________ your brother's name?

6. Where ____________ my jacket?

7. How old ____________ your parents?

8. When ____________ Dan eat dinner?

9. What _____________ the answer to question number 5?

10. Who _____________ those people?

Time Expressions and Adverbs of Frequency

The adverbs of frequency can be used in the Simple Present.

100% always, constantly, continuously, habitually

90% usually, normally, mostly, regularly

75% frequently, generally, repeatedly

60% often

50% sometimes

40% occasionally, sporadically

20% rarely, seldom, infrequently

0% never

These adverbs go after the verb to be and before the main verb.

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EXAMPLE

Verb to be: Carlos is always late for work.

Main verb: Carlos never has breakfast.

Other phrases of time

Every day Every week Every year On Mondays After school

Exercise 3
Put the words below in the correct order.

1. Sundays. sometimes to bed late go on I

___________________________________.

2. don't eggs usually breakfast. We for have

____________________________________.

3. morning. shower have always in the a They

___________________________________.

4. never housework at the weekend. does She

___________________________________.

5. goes usually to work Daniel bus. by

___________________________________.

6. lunch. You to never go the before gym

___________________________________.

7. on Fridays. finish sometimes I work early

___________________________________.

8. TV! sport watch You on always

___________________________________.

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Quantifiers
We use quantifiers when we want to give someone information about the number of
something: how much or how many.

e.g. Most children start school at the age of five.

We ate some bread and butter.

We saw lots of birds.

We use these quantifiers with both count and uncountable nouns:

all a lot of some

most no

Some quantifiers can be used only with count nouns:

every each many a few several

Some quantifiers can be used only with uncountable nouns:

a little much

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Exercise 4
Choose the correct option to complete the sentences.

1. _______________ city has its own town hall.

a. some b. each c. all
2. _______________ dairy farm produces milk and cheese.
a. every b. many c. any
3. ________________ of the tourists take the city tour.
a. much b. no c. many
4. ________________ of the students went to the mine.
a. some b. much c. a little
5. ________________ the classes have an exam today.
a. a lot of b. much c. no
6. ________________ of the farms produce fruit.
a. a little b. much c. a few
7. ________________ valleys receive a lot of rain.
a. much b. all of the c. a little
8. There is _______________ crime in that neighbourhood.
a. few b. no c. several
9. There isn’t __________________ snow in the Andes Mountains.
a. much b. many c. no
10. We have ________________ sugar left.
a. many b. each c. a little

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Countable/Uncountable Nouns
In English grammar, words that refer to people, places, or things are called nouns. They
can be classified in many ways.

One way to classify nouns is according to whether they can be counted or not.

 Countable (or count) nouns are words which can be counted. They have a singular
form and a plural form. They usually refer to things. Most countable nouns
become plural by adding an ‘s’ at the end of the word.

For example:

 Uncountable (or non-count) nouns are words which cannot be counted.

Therefore, they only have a singular form. They have no plural forms. These
words are thought of as wholes rather than as parts. They usually refer to
abstractions (such as confidence or advice) or collectives (such as equipment or
luggage).

For example:

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Using Countable & Uncountable Nouns
When using countable or uncountable nouns, pay attention to articles and adjectives!
Some articles and adjectives can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns.
However, others can be used with only countable or only uncountable nouns.

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How much vs How many

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Exercise 5:
Choose how much or how many to complete the sentences correctly:

1. ________________ apples have you got?

2. ________________ bread have we got?

3. ________________ chairs do you need for the party?

4. ________________ water do you drink a day.

5. ________________ sugar did you put in your coffee?

6. ________________ bottles of orange juice do we have?

7. ________________ seasons are there in a year?

8. ________________ students are there in your class?

Too much, too many, not enough

1. When there is something more than necessary, we use too much or too many.

Too much + uncountable nouns: There is too much pollution in this city.

Too many + countable nouns: There are too many car accidents on weekends.

2. When there is less than necessary, we use not enough.

Not enough + uncountable nouns: There isn't enough sugar to make the cake.

Not enough + countable nouns: There aren't enough students for the
presentation.

Not + adjective+ enough: She isn't tall enough to be a model.

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Exercise 6:
Complete the conversation with too many, too much or enough.

LAURA: Where are we going today?

PEDRO: I don’t know. There are (1) _________________ places to choose from.

CAROL: Why don’t we go to the Tower of London?

PEDRO: Won’t there be (2) _________________ people there?

CAROL: No, it should be okay.

LAURA: Yes, but it costs (3) _________________ money.

PEDRO: Don’t worry. I have (4) _________________ money, I can lend you some.

LAURA: Okay. Come on let’s go.

PEDRO: Can we walk down by the river?

LAURA: Well, we don’t want to take (5) _________________ time.

CAROL: It’ll be okay. We have (6) _________________ time.

PEDRO: Yes, and when we go by underground I don’t like it.

LAURA: Why not? Isn’t it fast (7) _________________?

PEDRO: It’s fast, but it isn’t interesting (8) _________________. I want to see things.

CAROL: Come on, let’s go. Otherwise we really won’t have (9) _________________
time.

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Present Continuous
Form

This tense is made by using the present tense forms of the verb be, which needs to change
according to the subject of the sentence, and the present participle (verb + ing). This tense
is sometimes called the Present Progressive by some grammars and course books.

Meanings
 We use this tense mainly to refer to temporary events and actions which have
begun but are not yet completed.

e.g. He’s washing the dishes at the moment.

I’m doing my homework.

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  We also use this tense to refer to future events and actions.

e.g. He’s taking in fifteen minutes.

I’m catching a plane tomorrow.

Exercise 7

Present (P) or future (F)? Write P or F next to each sentence.

1. Today she’s spending time with her grandmother.

2. They are going to Brazil in the summer.

3. We’re having a barbecue next Friday. Do you want to come?

4. No, she can’t answer the phone. She’s having a shower.

5. I’m having a coffee. What are you doing now?

6. They’re flying to Sweden in the morning.

7. The neighbors are having a party tomorrow night.

8. John and Mary are in the kitchen cooking dinner.

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Be going to

1. We often use 'be going to' to talk about our future intentions and plans. We have
usually made our plans before the moment of speaking.
e.g. A: We've run out of milk.

B: I know; I'm going to buy some.

2. We can also use 'be going to' to make a prediction about the future. Often it's possible
to use both 'be going to' and 'will' but it's more common to use 'be going to' if we can see
evidence in the present.

e.g. Look at those boys playing football! They're going to break the window.

The sky is getting darker and darker. It's going to rain.

Will

1. We use the future simple with 'will' to predict the future. It is the basic way we talk
about the future in English, and we often use it if there is no reason to use another future
tense. We can use it for future facts and for things that are less certain.

e.g. The sun will rise at 7am.

I think the Conservatives will win the next election.

2. Promises / requests / refusals / offers.

e.g. I'll help you with your homework.

Will you give me a hand?

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 I won't go!

In a similar way, we often use 'will' when we're talking about a decision at the moment of
speaking. We are usually making an offer or promise or talking about something that we
want to do.

e.g. A: I'm cold.

B: I'll close the window.

3. We use the simple future with 'will' in the first conditional, and in other sentences that
have a conditional feeling.

e.g. If it doesn't rain, we'll go to the park.

Let's arrive early. That will give us time to relax.

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Exercises 8

Put in ‘will’ or ‘be going to’.

1. A: We don’t have any bread.

B: I know. I __________________ get some from the shop.

2. A: We don’t have any cheese.

B: Really? I __________________ get some from the shop then.

3. A: Why do you need to borrow my suitcase?

B: I __________________ visit my mother in Scotland next month.

4. A: I’m really cold.

B: I __________________ turn the heating on.

5. A: Are you going to John’s party tonight?

B: Yes. Are you going too? I __________________ give you a lift.

6. A: What are your plans after you leave university?

B: I __________________ work in a hospital in Africa. I leave on the 28 th

7. (The phone rings)

A: I __________________ get it!

8. A: Are you ready to order?

B: I can’t decide … Okay, I __________________ have the steak, please.

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Comparisons

Comparative adjectives

Comparative adjectives are used when we want to compare two or more nouns. This
means that an adjective changes its form to be used in comparisons. These are the:

Examples:

 This restaurant is nicer than the Pizza House.

 I had a bigger meal than you.
 The steak is more expensive than the fish.

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Exercise 9
Complete each sentence with the correct comparative form of the adjective in
parentheses. Add than when necessary.

Example: New cars are much quieter than (quiet) old cars.

1. I think my sister is _____________________________ (friendly) my brother.

2. Do you think money is ____________________________ (important) good

health?

3. This coat is_____________________________ (nice) that one.

4. My old laptop was a lot ___________________________ (big) my new one.

5. A Fiat Punto is __________________________ (efficient) a Ford F-150.

6. Many people think modern life is ____________________ (good) life in the past.

7. Communication is ________________________ (easy) it was 50 years ago.

8. The pollution in my city is __________________________ (bad) it used to be.

9. I prefer _____________________ (hot) temperatures. That’s why I love summer.

10. My new school is _________________________ (far) my old one.

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Superlative adjectives

Superlative adjectives are used when we want to compare three or more nouns. Using
the superlative form takes a comparison to the highest degree possible. These are the:

Examples:

 Usain bolt is the fastest runner in the world.

 Water is the most important element on earth.

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Exercise 10

Complete the sentences with the superlative form of the adjective or adverb in
parentheses.

Example: The biggest (big) piles of trash on Mount Everest are on the lower areas.

1. My friend Alex is ____________________ (happy) person I know.

2. Trash is one of ________________ (bad) problems on Mount Everest now.

3. Many climbers consider K2, a mountain between Pakistan and China, to be

________________ (difficult) mountain to climb, not Mount Everest.

4. Ted was ________________ (experienced) climber on the expedition.

5. Which climber is ________________ (far) from the top?

You can find a list of comparative and superlative adjectives at this website.
http://www.curso-ingles.com/gramatica-inglesa/compar-lista.php

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As….as

Another way to compare is to use as ... as. Here are some more examples:

Examples:

• Our house is as big as yours.

• It isn't as cold as yesterday.

• The chair is not as expensive as the table.

• We aren’t as quick as you.

There are also idiomatic expressions with as…as:

Examples:

• As sick as a dog

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 • As quiet as a mouse
• As hungry as a bear
• As happy as a clam as clean as a whistle

http://esl.about.com/od/vocabularyreference/a/as_expressions.htm

Exercise 11

Use the words to make comparisons with as . . . as.

Example: Desktop computers / be / popular / laptops

Desktop computers are as popular as laptops (are).

1. Her house / be / big / mine.

________________________________________.

2. Microwave ovens / work / well / regular ovens.

________________________________________.

3. Motorbikes / go / fast / cars

________________________________________.

4. This hotel room / be / big / my apartment

________________________________________.

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The past simple

Positive forms
A regular past form ends in –ed.

 It happened very quickly.

 The van crashed into the cat.
 I posted the letter yesterday. We once owned a caravan.

Some verbs have an irregular past form.

 The car came out of a side road. Vicky rang earlier.

 I won the game.
 I had breakfast at six. The train left on time. We took some photos.

The past simple is the same in all persons except in the past tense of be.

I/he/she/it was e.g. I was ill last week,

You/we/they were e.g. Those cakes were nice.

Negative and questions

We use did in negatives and questions.

NEGATIVE QUESTION

I/you/he/she/it/we/they did not stop. Did I/you/he/she/it/we/they stop?

Or didn't stop.

e.g. The car did not stop. The driver didn't look to his right.

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 What did you tell the police? - Nothing. Did you ring home? - Yes, I did.

We do not use a past form such as stopped or rang in negatives and questions.

e.g. The car didn't stopped and NOT Did you rang?

We also use was and were in negatives and questions.

NEGATIVE QUESTION

I/he/she/it was not OR wasn't Was I/he/she/it?

You/we/they were OR weren't Were you/we/they?

Example:
 I wasn't very well last week. The gates weren't open.
 Where was your friend last night? Was your steak nice?

Use
We use the past simple for something in the past which is finished.

Example:

 Emma passed her exam last year. We went to the theatre on Friday. Elvis Presley
died in 1977.
 I knew what the problem was. When did you buy this car? - About three years ago.

Exercise 12
Fill in the blanks with the past tense of the verb in parentheses ( ).

Example: The Wright brothers’ father gave them a flying toy. (give)

1. They ________________ a dream of flying. (have)

2. They _______________ interested in flying after seeing a flying toy. (become)

3. They ________________ many books on flight. (read)

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 4. They _______________ bicycles. (sell)

5. They ________________ the first airplane. (build)

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Past Tense of Be
The verb be has two forms in the past: was and were:

Exercise 13
Fill in the blanks with was or were.

EXAMPLE: Lindbergh and Earhart were very famous.

1. The Wright brothers _______________ the inventors of the airplane.

2. The first airplane ________________ in the air for 12 seconds.

3. Lindbergh and Earhart ________________ aviators.

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4. There _______________ thousands of people in New York to welcome Lindbergh home.

5. Earhart _________________ the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean.

Have to/has to (objective obligation)

We often use ‘have to’ to say that something is obligatory, for example:

 Children have to go to school.

subject + have + infinitive (to)

Look at these examples:

Use of Have to

In general, have to expresses impersonal obligation. The subject of have to is obliged or

forced to act by a separate, external power (for example, the Law or school rules). Have to
is objective. Look at these examples:

 In France, you have to drive on the right.

 In England, most schoolchildren have to wear a uniform.
 John has to wear a tie at work.

In each of the above cases, the obligation is not the subject's opinion or idea. The
obligation is imposed from outside.

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We can use have to in all tenses, and also with modal auxiliaries. We conjugate it just like
any other main verb. Here are some examples:

For the past, we use had to or didn’t have to.

Example: Last night I had to work until very late.

Last week I didn’t have to work until very late.

Exercise 14
Fill in the blanks with have to, has to or had to.

1. We all __________________ pay taxes.

2. Miriam _________________ to leave early today.

3. The groom ____________________ buy a new suit yesterday.

4. The guests __________________ wear formal clothes to the wedding.

5. You ___________________ (not) take food to the party.

6. He ___________________ (not) speak in the ceremony.

7. Bill __________________ (not) work tomorrow.

8. We __________________ (not) pay the entrance last night.

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 English Modal Verbs
In English we use modal verbs to express different meanings, like requests, rules,
and possibility. Here is a list of modal verbs:

Exercise 15
Fill in the blanks with one of the modal verbs in the above table.

1. Be careful! You ___________ slip on the wet floor.

2. Read the sign. You ______________ eat in this room.
3. I really think you _______________ go over there and talk to her.
4. This is a dangerous area. You ____________ wear a hard hat.
5. it’s so hot in here. _______________ open the window, please
6. In my opinion, they _______________ study medicine.

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 7. I have to hurry up. I ________________ arrive late to work again.
8. There is a possibility that I _____________ finish work early today.

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Past continuous

USE
We use the past continuous to talk about an action which was in progress at a particular
time in the past.

e.g. Yesterday at 8.20 I was driving to work.

At 8.30 last night my sister was watching TV.

A: What were you doing at 7 o´clock yesterday?

B: I was doing my homework

Compare:

e.g. When I walked into the room, Mary was writing an email.

We use the Past Simple (walked) for a completed action in the past.

We use the Past Continuous (was writing) for an action in progress in the past.

While / When
We can use while or when before the Past Continuous.

e.g. I met Peter while I was running in the park.

I met Peter when I was running in the park. (when = during the time)

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We can only use when before the Past Simple.

e.g. When I met Peter we were running in the park.

Exercise 16
Choose the correct options.

1. I listened / was listening to the radio when I heard / was hearing this fantastic song.

2. When the teacher said / was saying ‘Stop!’, I still tried / was still trying to finish the last
question.

3. I feel really silly! While I danced / was dancing, I fell / was falling and broke / was
breaking my elbow.

4. Tim played / was playing a computer game when his mum called / was calling him for
lunch.

5. I looked / was looking for a file on my memory stick when I noticed / was noticing there
was a virus.

6. Ron found / was finding a really interesting website about dance music while he surfed /
was surfing the internet.

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The Present Perfect Continuous
We use the present perfect continuous for a continuous action that started in the past
and continues to the present.

Forms

Compare affirmative statements and questions.

Compare negative statements and questions.

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Use

We use the present perfect continuous tense to show that an action or state

started in the past and continues to the present.

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Exercise 17
Fill in the blanks with the present perfect continuous form of the verb in parentheses ().
EXAMPLE: I _____________________ (live) here for 6 six years.
I have been living here for six years.

1. Interest in genealogy __________________. (grow)

2. They ____________________________ on their family history since 1992. (work)

3. Cyndi _________________________ all over the U.S. to genealogy groups. (lecture)

4. The number of genealogy Web sites _____________________________. (increase)

5. How long____________ we______________________ (wait) in this office?

6. _____________ you_____________________ (work) on a family tree for your family?

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Key/Respuestas
Exercise 1
1. B, D, F 4. B.
2. B, C 5. B.
3. B, C 6. B.

Ex. 2
1. does 6. is
2. do 7. are
3. do 8. does
4. is 9. is
5. is 10. are

Exercise 3
1. I sometimes go to bed late on Sundays. 5. Daniel usually goes to work by bus.
2. We don’t usually have eggs for breakfast. 6. You never go to the gym before lunch.
3. They always have a shower in the morning. 7. I sometimes finish work early on Fridays.
4. She never does housework at the week. 8. You always watch sports on TV.

Exercise 4
1. each 2. Every 3. Many 4. Some 5. A lot of 6. A few

7. all of the 8. No 9. Much 10. A little

Exercise 5
1. How many…? 5. How much…?
2. How much…? 6. How many…?
3. How many…? 7. How many…?
4. How much…? 8. How many…?

Exercise 6
1. too many 6. enough
2. too many 7. enough
3. too much 8. enough
4. enough 9. Too much
5. too much

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Exercise 7
1. P 2. F 3. F 4. P 5. P 6. F 7. F 8. P

Exercise 8
1. am going to 5. will
2. will 6. am going to
3. am going to 7. will
4. will 8. will

Exercise 9
1. friendlier than 6. better
2. more important than 7. easier than
3. nicer than 8. worse than
4. bigger 9. hotter
5. more efficient 10. further than

Exercise 10

1. the happiest 4. the most experienced

2. the worst 5. the furthest

3. the most difficult

Exercise 11

1. Her house is as big as mine.

2. Microwaves work as well as regular ovens.
3. Motorbikes go as fast as cars.
4. This hotel room is as big as my apartment.
Exercise 12
1. HAD 2. BECAME 3. READ 4. SOLD 5. BUILT
Exercise 13
1. were 2. Was 3. Were 4. Were 5. was
Exercise 14
1. have to 2. Has to 3. Had to 4. Have to 5. Don’t have to
6. doesn’t have to 7. Doesn’t have to 8. Didn’t have to

Exercise 15
1. may/might 2. Can’t/must not 3. should 4. Must 5. Could/would
6. should 7. Can’t/must not 8. May/might

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Exercise 16
1. was listening/heard 4. was playing/called
2. said/was still trying 5. was looking/noticed
3. was dancing/feel/broke 6. found/was surfing

Exercise 17
1. has been growing 4. have been increasing
2. have been working 5. have we been waiting
3. has been lecturing 6. have you been working

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Referencias bibliográficas

Adaptado de Education First. Recuperado de http://www.ef.com/english-

resources/english-grammar/simple-present-tense en abril de 2017.

Adaptado de ejercicio de ingles.com Recuperado de

http://www.ejerciciodeingles.com/expresiones-cantidad-ingles-some-any en abril
de 2017.

Adaptado de Learn English Language. Recuperado de

http://www.englishlanguage.com/blog/aprenda-ingles/gramatica/preguntas-
informativas en abril de 2017.

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