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Kingsland
Online
Intermedio
NUMBERS
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!
Note that forty does not have a u but four does!

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NUMBERS
100 to 999
Write how many hundreds (“one hundred”, “two hundred”, etc), then the rest
of the number as above. In UK English use “hundred and”.

Examples:

101 US UK
116 one hundred one one hundred and one
one hundred sixteen one hundred and sixteen
144
one hundred forty-four one hundred and forty-four
212
two hundred twelve two hundred and twelve
271 two hundred seventy-one two hundred and seventy-one
621 six hundred twenty-one six hundred and twenty-one
999 nine hundred ninety-nine nine hundred and ninety-nine

1,000 to 999,999
Write how many thousands (“one thousand”, “two thousand”, etc), then the
rest of the number as above.

Examples:

US UK
1,101 one thousand, one hundred one one thousand, one hundred and one

15,016 fifteen thousand, sixteen fifteen thousand, and sixteen


(No hundreds? Don’t write them!
but the and is still needed in the UK)
one hundred twelve thousand, six one hundred and twelve thousand,
112,621 hundred twenty-one six hundred and twenty-one

999,999 nine hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine


nine hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and
ninety-nine

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NUMBERS
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Millions and More
Write how many millions then the rest of the number like above.

Examples:
US UK
1,006,101 one million, six thousand, one one million, six thousand,
hundred one one hundred and one

191,232,891
one hundred ninety-one million, two one hundred and ninety-one million,
hundred thirty-two thousand, eight two hundred and thirty-two thousand,
hundred ninety-one eight hundred and ninety-one

999,999,999 nine hundred ninety-nine million, nine hundred and ninety-nine million,
nine hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand,
nine hundred ninety-nine nine hundred and ninety-nine

Use the same method for

Billion 1,000,000,000
Trillion 1,000,000,000,000
Quadrillion 1,000,000,000,000,000
Quintillion etc ...
Sextillion
Septillion
Octillion
Nonillion
Decillion
Undecillion
Duodecillion
Tredecillion
Quattuordecillion
Quindecillion
Sexdecillion
Septemdecillion
Octodecillion
Novemdecillion
Vigintillion 1 followed by 63 zeros!

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NUMBERS
Commas
When writing the number put commas every three digits like this:
1,006,101
When writing words some people use commas, some don’t.
Which do you prefer?

• one million six thousand one hundred one

• one million, six thousand, one hundred one

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FRUITS & VEGETABLES
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PROFESSIONS

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SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE FORM
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Auxiliaries: Do, Does


FOR M S
Auxiliaries Negative Form: Do not (Don´t), Does not (Doesn´t).

Verb Forms: Base Form (Ex: Play), S-Form (Ex: Plays).

Positive statement: I play. He plays.

Negative statement: I do not play (I don’t play). He does not play (He doesn’t play).

Yes/No Question form: Do you play? Does he play?

Yes/No Negative question: Do you not play? (Don’t you play?). Does he not play?
(Doesn’t he play?).

The passive voice: The game is played. The letters are written.
Note: (See more at Active and passive voice.)

Verb Spelling When Using the Simple Present Tense

We only use -s ending (plays) in the third person singular.

We add -es to the verbs that end in ss, sh, ch, x and o: misses, finishes, watches, mixes, goes.

If the verb ends in a consonant and -y, we change -y into -i and use the -es ending: carry - ca-
rries, try - tries.
But: play - plays, because this verb ends with a vowel and -y.

The auxiliary verb do is not used to make questions and negative statements with modal verbs
and the verb to be.

-Are you a student? -Can you sing?


-Is he in London? -Must I come?
-I am not at home. -I cannot swim.
-He is not happy. -He mustn’t stay.

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If the Relative pronoun [(Wh-) who, which] introducing the question is the subject of the
question, we do not use the auxiliary verb do.
Compare the following sentences.

- Who knows you? (who is the subject)


- Which cars belong to you? (which cars is the subject)

But:

-Who do you know? (who is the object, who is the person we want to identify and you is the
subject doing the interaction)

The negative question normally expresses a surprise.

-Doesn’t he work?

Use
1. We use the Simple present tense for activities that happen again and again (everyday,
sometimes, ever, never).

Examples:
-I sometimes go to school by bike.
-You don’t speak Greek.
-Do they get up early?
-He often travels.
-She doesn’t work.
-Does she ever help you?

2. We use it for facts that are always true.

Examples:
-Our planet moves round the sun.
-Lions eat meat.

3. With a future time expression (tomorrow, next week) the present simple is used for
planned future actions (Schedules, timetables).

Examples:
-The train leaves at 8.15.
-They return tonight.

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Simple Present tense exercises:
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do | does (yes and no questions)

Exercise 1: Complete this dialogue with do or does to make simple present questions.

Example:
Sue: My brother Mark goes to primary school.
Ann: (he - get up early?) Does he get up early?

Sue: My brother Mark goes to primary school.

Ann: (he - get up ealy?)...................................................................................................................

Sue: Yes, very early. His friends Jim and Kevin travel with him every day.

Ann: (they - travel by bus?) ...........................................................................................................

Sue: Sometimes. On Mondays and Fridays Jim’s father takes them by car. He is a teacher.

Ann: (he - teach at the same school?)..............................................................................................

Sue: Yes. he does. He teaches English and history.

Ann: (your brother - like English?)..................................................................................................

Sue: English is his favourite subject.

Ann: (you - help him with his homework?).....................................................................................

Sue: Never. My brother is the best student in his class.

Ann: (Jim and Kevin - go to the same class?)........................................................................................

Sue: No, they don’t. They are two years older. But they meet for lunch.

Ann: (Mark - eat at a school canteen?)...................................................................................................

Sue: Yes, because our mum and dad don’t have the time to prepare his lunch.

Ann: (your parents - go to work?)....................................................................................................

Sue: Yes, they do. My mum is a nurse and my dad is a doctor.

Ann: (they - work at a hospital?)............................................................................................................

Sue: Only my mum.

Ann: (your brother - want to be a doctor?).............................................................................................

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ARTICLES: A- AN -THE
Sue: I don’t know. But I want to be a nurse.

Exercise 2: Underline mistakes and write correct present simple forms in the brackets. Be careful, in some
questions there are one or two mistakes, but some questions are correct! So write “Correct”!

Example:
Do your sister plays tennis? (Does, play)

1. Does your parents live in a house? ( ............................... )

2. Do your brother and sister eat meat? ( ............................ )

3. Does Sam works on a computer? ( ................................. )

4. Do you think she is your best friend? ( ........................... )

5. Do she thinks you are her best friend? ( ......................... )

6. Do Jill’s cat catch mice at night? ( .................................. )

7. Does Claire and Brad help in the garden? ( .................... )

8. Do Tim’s dogs eat bones? ( ............................................. )

9. Does her classmates do their homework? ( ………......... )

10. Does your uncle and aunt watch football on TV? ( ………........... )

11. Do Mike’s friend speaks English? ( ................................. )

12. Do lions live in India? ( ...................................... )

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Simple Present tense exercises:
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(wh-) questions

Exercise 3: Liz is taking her English exam. Read the answers and complete the examiner’s wh- questions.
Use why, what, where, who, how and simple present forms.

Examiner: Your name is Elizabeth. ..............................................your friends….….............. you?


Liz: My friends call me Liz.

Examiner: All right, Liz. ................................................................................................................?


Liz: I live near here. Just round the corner.

Examiner: ........................................................................................................... in your free time?


Liz: I play a lot of sports. And I sometimes read books.

Examiner: ......................................................................................................................................?
Liz: My favourite sport is basketball.

Examiner: ......................................................................................................................basketball? Liz: Not


very often. I usually play it once a week. At weekends.

Examiner: ..........................................................................................................play it more often?


Liz: Why? I don’t play it more often because I have a lot of exams this year.

Examiner: And ......................................................................................................basketball with?


Liz: I play it with my friends from our neighbourhood. And sometimes with my schoolmates, too.

Examiner: Now I want to ask you about your friends, Liz.


........................................................................................................................................................?
Liz: My best friend is Marjorie. Definitely.

Examiner: Marjorie, you say. .................................................................................... Marjorie do?


Liz: She finished school last year. And now she works as a nurse.

Examiner: ......................................................................................................................................?
Liz. She works at the local hospital.

Examiner: Thank you, Liz. And say hello to Marjorie. Good bye.

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Exercise 4: Complete the following wh- questions in the simple present tense.

Example: Who takes you to school ? (take-you-school)


Who do you call most ? (you-call-most)

1. Who .............................................................................................................. ? (you-stay-with)

2. Which ............................................................................................................ ? (car-start-first)

3. Why ..................................................................................................... ? (Derek-not-eat-fruit)

4. What ........................................................................................................ ? (he-think-about it)

5. Where ................................................................................................ ? (Joe and his wife-live)

6. How ...................................................................................................... ? (your grandpa-do-it)

7. Who ............................................................................................................ ? (work-with you)

8. Which ..................................................................................................... ? (colour-you-prefer)

9. Why .................................................................................. ? (Mary-not-help-with housework)

10. What .................................................................................................................. ? (annoy-you)

11. Where .......................................................................................................... ? (he-put-his bag)

12. How ......................................................................................... ? (Mimi and her friend-speak)

Simple Present tense exercises: don’t | doesn’t

Exercise 5: Use the words in brackets to correct the wrong information.


Use don’t | doesn’t in the present simple.

Example: Mel Gibson comes from Britain. (Australia)


Mel Gibson doesn’t come from Britain. He comes from Australia.

1. The Earth moves around the Sun 150 thousand kilometers away from it. (million)

.......................................................................................................................................................

2. Tourists go to Africa to see the Niagara Falls. (America)

.......................................................................................................................................................

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3. People in Switzerland speak the Swiss language. (the German, French and Italian languages)
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.......................................................................................................................................................

4. The Amazon River ends in the Pacific Ocean. (the Atlantic Ocean)

.......................................................................................................................................................

5. The Ayers Rock lies in the east of Australia. (in the middle)

.......................................................................................................................................................

6. The oldest skyscraper in the world stands in New York. (Chicago)

.......................................................................................................................................................

7. The tallest trees in the world grow in France. (California)

.......................................................................................................................................................

8. The cheetahs run up to 60 kilometers per hour. (120)

.......................................................................................................................................................

9. The ostrich lives in Australia. (Africa)

.......................................................................................................................................................

10. The Japanese people make Nokia mobile phones. (the Finnish people)

.......................................................................................................................................................

Exercise 6: Write don’t and doesn’t to complete the simple present negative sentences.

What a good student doesn’t do

1. A good student .......................... come late to school.

2. Good students .......................... forget to do homework.

3. He/she .......................... copy other students’ homework.

4. Good students .......................... talk to their neighbours during lessons.

5. They .......................... eat or drink anything between school breaks.

6. The best student .......................... make any mistakes in his or her tests.

7. He or she .......................... cheat.

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8. Even the worst students .......................... sleep at their desks.

9. Really good students .......................... mind going to school.

10. And do you know what a really good student …….................... like? Holidays!

we are kidding!! a good student deserves to rest, relax and


enjoy the holidays so that they charge their energies to keep
being a good student!

PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE


Present continuous – [verb to be (am, is and are)] + present participle (-ing)
F OR M S

Auxiliaries: am, is, and are.

Negative Form: am not (no contraction), is not (isn´t) and are not (aren´t)

Verb Form: Present Participle (Ex: Playing)

Positive statement: I am playing, You are playing, He is playing.

Negative statement: I am not playing (I’m not playing), You are not playing (You aren’t playing), He is not
playing (He isn’t playing)

Question: Are you playing? Is he playing?

Negative question: Are you not playing? (Aren’t you playing?) Is he not playing?
(Isn’t he playing?)

The negative question normally expresses a surprise: Isn’t he working?

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Use
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The present continuous tense is used:

1. If we want to say that something is happening at the time of speaking. We often use it with time ex-
pressions such as now or at the moment.

- I am doing housework at the moment.


- You aren’t listening to me now! - Look at him!
- What is he doing?

2. For temporary activities that are true now, but maybe not happening at the time of speaking. Time
expressions such as today, this week or these days are typical of this use.

- I am in London.
- I am learning English here.
- She can’t go out today.
- She is preparing for an exam.
- You can’t meet him this week.
- He is working in Pizza Hut.
3. For planned future arrangements. The time of the action must be given in the sentence (soon, tomo-
rrow, on Monday, next week), otherwise it is not clear that we talk about future.

- I am coming soon.
- We are leaving on Monday.
- She is starting next week.

4. With always to express the idea that something happens too often and it annoys the speaker.
- I am always forgetting my keys.
- He is always smoking in the living room!

We do not normally use in the Present Continuous Tense with the following groups of verbs (so called
“state verbs”):

1. Of senses: feel, hear, see, smell, taste.


On the other hand, look, watch or listen are action verbs and can be used in the continuous:
- I can hear you. - I am listening to you.
- Can you see the bird? - Are you looking at the bird?

2. Of liking and disliking: like, love, hate, fear, detest, want, wish...
- I like animals.
- I hate snakes.

3. Of mental states: agree, believe, forget, know, remember, suppose, think...


- I agree with you.
- I suppose you are right.

4. Of permanent states: be, have, belong, contain, owe, own, possess...


- This pen belongs to me.
- I have a new pet.

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5. Of appearance: seem, appear, look, sound...
- It seems that it will rain.
- Your new haircut looks really good.

If some of these verbs are used in the present continuous, they have a different meaning. In such a case they
become action verbs.

Examples:

a) I think he is my best friend. (mental state) / I’m thinking of giving him a present.
(mental activity)

b) He has a new bathroom. (possession, ownership) / He is having a bath. (take a bath)

c) I see what you mean. (know, Understanding) / I am seeing a doctor. I am ill. (to visit)

d) The flower smells beautiful. (the scent) / The dog is smelling the sausage. (sniff, the
action of perceiving odor)

e) This wine tastes sour. (It has a sour taste.) / She is tasting the soup to verify if it is warm
enough. (try, assess)

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Present Continuous Tense exercises:
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Positive Statements

Exercise 1: Choose the correct form.

1. I ...... an e-mail now. 5. My mom and dad ...... now.

a) am writing a) is cooking
b) am writting b) are cooking

2. Susan ...... in the bed at the moment. 6. Oh, no! Look!

a) lying a) What is he wearing?


b) is lying b) What does he wearing?

3. I ..... in Houston this month. 7. Don’t turn off the TV.

a) am staying a) I am watching it.


b) stay b) I’m not watching it.

4. Peter ..... this week. 8. I can hear Jane.

a) working a) She is coming.


b) is working b) She isn’t coming.

Exercise 2: Complete the sentences.

Example:
Bill is working today. (work)

1. Look. She ..................................................... us. (watch)

2. We ....................................... in Paris this week. (stay)

3. My sister is not here. She .................................. the shopping. (do)

4. Please, stop! You ............................. so loudly! (sing)

5. It’s 9 o’clock and I ................................. a book. (read)

6. Where is Sam? - He .............................. his car. (mend)

Exercise 3: Make sentences in the present continuous tense.

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Example:
(wait/here/I)
I am waiting here.

1. (I/in Oregon/learn English/this summer)

.......................................................................................................................................

2. (in the street/Sarah and Sue/play/at the moment)

.......................................................................................................................................

3. (decorate/she/in New York/these days/her (flat/apartment))

.......................................................................................................................................

4. (just/look/we)

.......................................................................................................................................

5. (a shower/Luke/take/now)

.......................................................................................................................................

6. (the sun/shine/and/sunbathe/we)

.......................................................................................................................................

Exercise 4: Make negative answers.

Example:
Are your friends cooking now? No, they are not cooking now

1. Is your best friend eating a chocolate?

.......................................................................................................................................

2. Are you drinking milk right now?

.......................................................................................................................................

3. Is your brother playing the piano?

.......................................................................................................................................

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4. Am I writing this test with you?
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.......................................................................................................................................

5. Are your parents singing a song at the moment?

.......................................................................................................................................

6. Are you wearing your grandma’s shoes today?

.......................................................................................................................................

7. Are you and your neighbours riding bikes just now?

.......................................................................................................................................

8. Are all your uncles and aunts sitting near you?

.......................................................................................................................................

9. Is there anyone talking to the police?

………………………………………………………………………………………...

10. Is Spiderman fighting the strongest supervillain in the galaxy?

…………………………………………………………………………………….......

Exercise 5: Make these sentences negative.

Example:
Miriam is crying. Miriam is not crying.

1. Simon is looking at you. ...............................................................................................

2. I am doing homework just now. ...................................................................................

3. We are jogging in the park. ..........................................................................................

4. My friend is selling pizzas. ..........................................................................................

5. Why are you smiling at us? ..........................................................................................

6. Is the cat eating the food? .............................................................................................

7. Why are you reading with us? ......................................................................................

8. Are you working on your computer? ...........................................................................

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Combination Exercise 1 – Choose the correct verb form.

1. I ______________ my report now.


a) write b) am writing c) am writing

2. My mother ______________ the garden at the moment.


a) is diging b) digs c) is digging

3. Jon ______________ to bed at 11 o´clock on weekdays.


a) goes b) is going c) go

4. I am in London this summer. I ______________ English.


a) learn b) am learning c) learning

5. You ______________ our friends next week.


a) are meeting b) meet c) met

6. My sisters ______________ letters every week.


a) writes b) are writing c) write

7. The bus sometimes ______________ in the morning.


a) is arriving b) arrive c) arrives

8. Kevin is a student. But he ______________ this week.


a) works b) work c) is working

9. Elephants ______________ in Africa.


a) are living b) live c) is living

10. Our plane ______________ at 11:00am.


a) leaves b) leave c) is leaving

11. Kathya ______________ to the movies tonight and Erika and Wendy ______________ to
Plaza el Vocan to eat pupusas.
a) goes b) gos c) is going d) are go e) are going

12. My parents ______________ Netflix in the living room with my siblings and me now.
a) watch b) are watching c) watching

13. My friends and classmates ______________ to work together if they want to win the prize.
a) are needing b) are need c) need d) is need

14. I ______________ my homework first because when my parents ______________ home


they will not tell me to stop playing PS4.
a) doing b) get c) am making d) am doing e) gets

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SIMPLE PAST TENSE
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Regular verbs
FO R M S
Auxiliary: Did. Negative Form: Did not (Didn´t)

Verb Forms: Base Form (Ex: watch), Past Form (Ex: watched).

Positive statement: I watched. He watched.

Negative statement: I did not watch (I didn’t watch), He did not watch (He didn’t watch)

Question: Did you watch?

Neg. question: Did you not watch? (Didn’t you watch?)

It is formed by -ed ending. It is the same for all persons, singular and plural.

Verb Spelling When Using the Simple Past Tense

We add -d (not -ed) to the verbs that end with -e:


- like - liked

If the verb ends with a consonant and -y, we change -y into -i:
- carry - carried, try - tried.
But: play - played, because this verb ends with a vowel and -y.

If the verb has only one syllable and ends with a vowel and a consonant, we double the
consonant to keep the same pronunciation:
- stop - stopped.

The same rule applies to the verbs that end with - l: travel - travelled.

Irregular verbs

All the irregular verbs have different forms, there is no rule to follow that or which will tell you how to
identify an irregular verb and its irregular form, this verbs need to simply be memorized:

- go - went
- buy - bought
- cut – cut
You may find a list of irregular verbs at the end of the book on page:……………

The question and negative form are constructed in the same way as with the regular verbs:

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- I went
- Did you go?
- No, I did not go.

Notes: We do not use the auxiliary verb did with the verb to be and modal verbs.

- Were you a student?


- Was he in London?
- I was not at home.
- He was not happy.
- Could you sing?
- Could he come?
- I could not swim.
- He could not stay.

The auxiliary verb did is not used in questions beginning with relative pronouns (wh-: who, which) because the
relative pronoun is the subject of the question.

- Who met you? (“Who” is the subject)


- Which train arrived on time? (“Which train” is the subject)

But:

When the pronoun is the object of the question, the auxiliary verb did, needs to be part of the structure.

- Who did you meet? (“Who” is the object)


- Which train did you miss? (“Which train” is the object)

The negative question normally shows a surprise.


Didn’t you know it?

Use
1. We use the simple past for activities or situations that were completed in the past at a definite time.

a) The time can be given in the sentence:

-I came home at 6 o’clock.


-When he was a child, he didn’t live in a house.

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b) When you inquire about time frame or period in which the action took place (The time is asked about):

-When did they get married?

c) The time is not given in the sentence, but it is clear from a context that the action or situation finished in the
past.

-He is 20 years old.


-He was born in Canada.

d) Probable Continuation / Simple Past

-I’ve been to Iceland. (Present perfect)


-Did you enjoy it? (Simple past)

2. We use it for repeated actions in the past.

- We walked to school every day.


- And did you ever go by bus?

3. It is used in stories to describe events that follow each other.

- Charles entered the hall and looked around.


- He took off his coat and put it on a chair.
- He was at home.
Intermedio

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Simple Past Tense Exercises: was | were

Exercise 1: Complete the answers with was or were.

A: Were you hungry?

B: Yes, I was a little bit hungry.

A: Was your sister at school?

B: No, she ........................ at school.

A: Were your parents at work?

B: Yes, my mum ........................ at work. But my dad ........................ at work. He was ill.

A: Was Peter your friend? And Bill?

B: Peter and Bill ...................... my best friends.

A: I think the first story was quite interesting and the second story was great.

B: Really? No, the stories ....................... very interesting.

A: Was I often ill when I was a child?

B: Not really. You .................... much healthier than your brother.

A: Were Susan and Marion good at sport?

B: Well, Susan ............. quite good at athletics, but Marion ......................... good at any sport.

Exercise 2: Complete the interview with was or were.

A: When were you eighteen years old?

B: I ......................... eighteen years old in 2016.

A: And when ......................... you born?

B: I ......................... born on 30 June.

A: ......................... your birthday party on the same day?

B: No, it ......................... . It ......................... a week later.

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A: Why ......................... your birthday party on the same day?

B: I have a twin brother and he......................... at home. He......................... in France.

A:......................... you and your brother born at the same time?

B: No, we ......................... . I ..............................born one hour after him.

A:......................... your parents happy to have twins?

B: Yes, they......................... . But our grandma ......................... . She......................... hocked.

Simple Past tense exercises:


Yes-No | Wh- | Questions

Exercise 3: Jumbled sentences - make simple past questions.

Example:
you | clean | room | the
Did you clean the room ?

1. Bill | arrive | on time

.......................................................................................... ?

2. not | know | you |it

.......................................................................................... ?

3. at | be | Marion | the | party

.......................................................................................... ?

4. you | why | leave | early | so


.
......................................................................................... ?

5. they | in | be | office | their

.......................................................................................... ?

6. think | what | he | our | of | house

.......................................................................................... ?
7. trip | like | the | Mr. and Mrs. Gregson

.......................................................................................... ?

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8. you | how | do | that

.......................................................................................... ?
9. they | not | address | their |tell |you

.......................................................................................... ?

10. there | how | Joe | get

.......................................................................................... ?

Exercise 4: Choose the correct question with a check .

1. 5.
Did your students their homework? Why was Tim and Greg so unhappy?
Did your students do their homework? Why were Tim and Greg so unhappy?
Yes, they did. They always do. Because they had an argument.

2. 6.
Who went with you? Why didn’t you answer the phone?
Who did go with you? Why did not you answer the phone?
Nobody. I went there alone. The phone? I did not hear it.

3. 7.
Did you worked all day yesterday? Were they not at the hospital on Sunday?
Did you work all day yesterday? Didn’t they be at the hospital on Sunday?
Of course, I did. I was so tired! Not on Sunday. They went there on Saturday.

4. 8.
Which jeans liked you best? Had you a shower this morning?
Which jeans did you like best? Did you have a shower this morning?
I don’t know. They were awful. Sorry? I have a shower every morning.

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Simple Past tense exercises: Negatives
Intermedio
Exercise 5: Correct the following information.

Example:
Columbus discovered America in 1592.
Columbus didn’t discover America in 1592. He landed (land) on an island
in the Caribbean in 1492.

1. Princess Victoria became Queen of the United Kingdom in 1901.

Victoria...............................queen in 1901. She...............................(rule) Britain from 1837 to 1901.

2. Shakespeare was the author of the tragedy called “As You Like It”.

“As You like It”...............................a tragedy. Shakespeare...............................(write) it as a comedy.

3. Julius Caesar died in a war in 44 BC.

Caesar...............................in a war. The Roman senators...............................(kill) him in the Senate.

4.Sandro Botticelli created the portrait known as Mona Lisa.

Botticelli ...............................Mona Lisa. Leonardo da Vinci...............................(paint) it.

5. Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor in India, built Taj Mahal for his oldest daughter.

Shah Jahan............................... Taj Mahal for his daughter. It.................(be) the tomb of his third wife.

Exercise 6: Complete the story with negative forms.

Blue Monday

I .................................. (not have) a good day yesterday. I ......................... (cannot) stay in bed late, because
it was Monday and I had to go to school. Unfortunately, I ...................................(not get) up on time and I ..
.............................. (not catch) the bus. I wanted to take a taxi, but I ........................ .(not be) lucky. There
........................... (not be) any taxis in our street. I ...............................(not want) to ask my dad to take me by
car, because I thought it ........................... (not be) a very good idea.
I went to school on foot and as I ....................... (not be) used to long walks, I was pretty tired.
I.......................................... (not listen) to our English teacher and when we wrote a revision test
I ..................................... (not pass) it. Believe me, my parents ......................... (not be) very happy about it.

27
Simple Past tense exercises: Regular | Irregular

Exercise 7 - regular and irregular verbs: Complete the e-mail with the verbs in brackets.

Dear Jane,

How are you doing? I feel miserable, I must admit. And I’m going to tell you why. Yesterday I .....................
(do) my homework, ..................... (clean) my bedroom and ..................... (decide) to go out. The weather
..................... (be) perfect and so I ..................... (go) to the park. And do you know who I ..................... (see)
there? Jason, my boyfriend. I ..................... (want) to say hello to him, but then I ..................... (stop), because I
..................... (can) see a girl coming to him. Guess what ..................... (happen). They ..................... (meet) in
the middle of the road and he ..................... (kiss) her. My Jason! Jason and I ..................... (be) in the park three
times and he never ..................... (try) to kiss me!
I didn’t know what to do. I just ..................... (run) away. When I ..................... (come) back home, I .....................
(cry). Just a little bit, you know. Then I ..................... (say) to myself: Forget about Jason. There are plenty more
fish in the sea!
What do you think of him? Is he worth it? Please, write back soon.

Love,
Bea

28
PAST CONTINUES TENSE
Past continuous – [past of the verb to be (was, were)] + present participle (-ing)

Form
FOR M S
Positive statement: I was watching. You were watching

Negative statement: I was not watching (I wasn’t watching).


You were not watching (You weren’t watching)

Question: Were you watching? Was he watching?

Neg. question: Were you not watching? (Weren’t you watching?)


Was he not watching? (Wasn’t he watching?)

The past continuous tense is formed with the past tense of the verb to “be” (was and were)
as auxiliaries and the present participle (-ing form) as the main verb.
Intermedio

Use
We use the past continuous tense to express the actions or situations which show what elapsed in a
period or amount of time in the past.

- From 10am to 12pm I was washing my car. I was in the garage. (I did not finish my work. It was in
progress. I started before 10 and finished after 12.)
- The sun was setting. The beach was changing its colors. (The sun was still in the sky when I was
watching it.)

Compare this sentences which use the simple past for completed activities next to the previous ones:

- From 10 to 12 I washed my car. (I finished my work. I started at 10 and finished at 12.)


- Finally, the sun set. It was dark and we did not see the beach anymore. (The sun completely disappea-
red.)

We use it for continuous, uninterrupted activities. If the action is interrupted (something is done in more
intervals or we did more things one after another), we must use the simple past.

- Tom was watching TV on Sunday.


- Tom watched TV in the morning and in the evening.
- Yesterday I was working in the garden.
- Yesterday I worked in the garden and on my house.

29
The past continuous tense is typically used:

1. Combined with the simple past tense to describe the idea that the action in the past continuous started before
the action in the simple past and continued after it.

- When she saw me, I was looking at the trees. (These two activities happened at the same time. I was looking
at the trees for some time and she saw me in the middle of it.)

Compare with the past simple:


- When she saw me, I looked at the trees. (These two activities happened one after another. First she saw me
and then I looked at the trees.)

2. With a point in time to express an action that started before that time and continued after it.

- At 8 o’clock Jane was having a bath. (At 8 o’clock she was in the middle of the activity. She did not finish it.)

Compare with the simple past tense:


- At 8 o’clock Jane had a bath. (She started the activity at 8 o’clock and finished it.)

3. To describe a situation, while the simple past is used to tell a story.

- The sun was shining. Jack and Jill were lying on the beach. Jack was reading a book and Jill was sleeping. All
of a sudden, Jack raised his head. Jill woke up. Something happened.

4. For incomplete activities, in contrast with, the simple past which is used for completed activities.

- I was reading a book yesterday. And today I am going to continue.

- I read the book yesterday. I can lend it to you now.

5. The past continuous can be used instead of the simple past to show a more casual action:
- I was talking to my neighbor yesterday. We had a nice chat. (I did not do it on purpose. We just met in the
street.)

- I talked to my neighbor yesterday. And he promised to help me. (I did it on purpose; I needed to ask him for
help.)

30
Past continuous tense exercises:
affirmative | statement
Intermedio

Exercise 1- affirmative: Look at Jane’s diary. What was she doing at these times?

My diary

Monday 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. Have an appointment at the dentist’s


Tuesday 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Play tennis with Mimi
Wednesday 8:00 – 10:00 p.m. Watch the Black Widows
Thursday 8:30 – 9:30 p.m. Revise for an English test
Friday 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Do the shopping with Carol
Saturday 11:30 – 12:30 a.m. Cook lunch
Sunday 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Tidy the house with mum

1. On Monday at 5 p.m. she ...................................... an appointment at the dentist’s.


2. On Tuesday between 7 - 8 p.m. Jane and Mimi ...................................... tennis.
3. On Wednesday at 9 o’clock she ...................................... the Black Widows.
4. On Thursday from 8.30 to 9.30 she ...................................... for an English test.
5. On Friday at 6 o’clock Jane and Carrol ...................................... the shopping.
6. On Saturday between 11.30 and 12.30 she ...................................... lunch.
7. On Sunday at 9.30 Jane and her mum ...................................... the house.
8. But I don’t know what she ...................................... at 12 p.m. on Sunday. Was she sleeping?

31
Exercise 2 - affirmative: The Thompson family. What were they doing on Sunday at 7 o’clock?

1. Mr. Thompson .................................................. (cook) dinner in the kitchen.


2. Mrs. Thompson ............................................ (clean) their car in front of their house.
3. Jack and Eve ........................................... (sit) in the hall near the fireplace.
4. Jack, their 11 years old son, ........................................... (read) Shakespeare’s sonnets.
5. Eve, at the age of 16, ........................................... (play) with Barbies.
6. Their grandma and grandpa ........................................... (have) a good time.
7. Their grandma ........................................... (exercise) in the gym.
8. Their grandpa ........................................... (iron) shirts and socks in the living room.
9. They also had two pets. And do you know what they ........................................... (do)?
10. Spot, the puppy, ........................................... (catch) mice in the garden.
11. And Kitty, the little cute kitten, ........................................... (fight) with neighbour’s dog.

Past continuous tense exercises: Questions


Exercise 3 - questions: Julie saw Tim and Matt at the swimming pool. Make past
continuous questions to complete the dialogue.

Sue: ................................................................. when you saw them? (what | Tim and Matt | do)
Julie: Tim was swimming in the pool, but I didn’t see Matt first.
Sue: ................................................... in the pool, too? (you | swim)
Julie: No, I wasn’t. I was just looking. But then I saw Matt, too.
Sue: .......................................... ? (what | he | do)
Julie: He was diving in the pool.
Sue: Diving, you say. ........................................... to dive? (he | not | just | try) He can’t dive.
Julie: You’re right. He was just trying to do it. And all his friends were watching it.
Sue: ............................................ ? (they | laugh)
Julie: Of course, they were. Matt was pretty funny. He splashed the water all over the place.
Sue: ....................................... faces when he came up to the surface of the pool? (Matt | make)
Julie: Yes, he was. He was grinning and making faces at me.
Sue: At you? Vow! And what about Tim? ............................................. Matt, too? (he | watch)
Julie: Not really. He was looking at me instead.
Sue: Oh, no! You’re kidding. ......................................... your new swimsuit? (you | wear)
Julie: Yes, I was. Why?
Sue: Now I know why Tim and Matt were watching you, Julie.

32
Intermedio
Exercise 4 - questions: Simon and his girlfriend Sharon were at a restaurant during their lunch break. Make
questions in the past continuous to ask about them.

1. Where .................................................................?
At a table by the window.

2. What .................................................................. ?
Coffee with milk and a glass of apple juice.

3. What .................. Simon ................................... ?


The apple juice.

4. ............................................................ anything?
No, nothing. They were not hungry.

5. What ................... Sharon ..................................?


A white pullover and black jeans.

6. How ................ she ........................ in her outfit?


She was really pretty.

7. ................ they ........................ anything special?


Not really. They were just talking.

8. What ........................................................ about?


About their friends from school.

9. How .......... Simon .................. at the restaurant?


He was quite happy and relaxed.

Past continuous tense exercises: Negative


Exercise 5 - negatives: Complete the dialogues with negative forms of the past
continuous tense.

A: Were you talking to Bob during dinner?


B: I ............................................ to anybody. I was alone.
A: Were you watching a football match when I phoned you?
B: I ............................................ TV. I was listening to music.
A: Was I wearing the blue tie at the party?
B: You ............................................ any tie, as far as I can remember.
A: Guess what I was doing between 5 and 6 o’clock.
B: You ............................................ anything, your sister told me.

33
A: When I met them, Sam was buying some meat and Jill was buying drinks.
B: I don’t understand why they ............................................ things together.
A: I wasn’t waiting for them when they arrived.
B: Why ............................................ for them? What happened?
A: Eve was looking at me when we got out of the car.
B: It’s not true! She ............................................ at you.
A: You weren’t looking very happy at the beginning of the English lesson.
B: And why ............................................ happy? I didn’t want to write the test!

Exercise 6 - negatives: Make negative sentences - statements and questions.

1. ....................................................... a shower at 6 o’clock. (I | not take)


2. ....................................................... computer games when I came back home? (you | not play)
3. ....................................................... on the beach all day. (I | not lie)
4. ........................................................ when you saw us. (we | not argue)
5. ........................................................ between one and two o’clock? (Jane and Katy | not work)
6. ........................................................ on your seat when you wanted to sit down. (Dick | not sit)
7. ........................................................ anything at that moment. (they | not do)
8. ........................................................ to the airport at 11 o’clock? (Mr. Jones | not drive)

34
Simple Past and Past continuous tenses exercise:
Intermedio
mixed forms | combination exercises

A) Complete the story.

Every day James Lullaby travels to London. Yesterday he ............................. (drive) his car, when he
.................... (see) a dog in the middle of the road. The dog ............................. (watch) the car.
James ................................... (stop) and .................................. (get) out of his car. As he ....................... (get)
out, the dog ....................... (run) away. James ......................... (go) back to his car. While he ...............................
(get) in it, the dog ................................ (appear) again and ............................... (sit) down in the middle of the
road. James ..................... (start) the engine, but the dog ......................... (not move). James .........................
.......... (jump) out of the car and ............................... (shout) at the dog. The dog ............................ (bark) at
him and .................. (start) to run. James .............................
(follow) the dog. Suddenly, he ........................ (see) two girls lying on the grass. They ............................
(bleed).

B) Make these sentences negative.

Example:
James heard a dog on the road.
No, he didn’t hear a dog on the road.

1. James was riding a motorbike. ...................................................................................................

2. James ran over the dog. ..............................................................................................................

3. James threw a stone at the dog. ..................................................................................................

4. The dog was barking at James all the time. ................................................................................

5. The dog bit James. ......................................................................................................................

6. The girls were sitting on the grass. .............................................................................................

35
C) Make the policeman’s questions.

Policeman:
1. ......................................................................... ?
(what/do/yesterday at 8 o’clock)
James: I was driving to work.

Policeman:
2. ......................................................................... ?
(what time/meet/the dog)
James: I saw him at about 8.30.

Policeman:
3. .....................................................when you saw
the dog? (drive/fast)
James: No, I wasn’t.

Policeman:
4. ......................................................................... ?
(what/the dog/do)
James: He ran away.

Policeman:
5. ......................................................................... ?
(how/find/the two girls)
James: I followed the dog, when he came back.

Policeman:
6. ......................................................................... ?
(see/anyone else)
James: No, I didn’t.

Policeman:
7. ......................................................................... ?
(call/an ambulance)
James: No, I didn’t. I drove the girls to the hospital.

36
FUTURE, SIMPLE FUTURE AND
CONTINUOUS TENSE
Future – (will) + base form
Intermedio

Form
FO R M S
Positive statement: I will learn (I’ll learn), He will learn (He’ll learn)

Negative statement: I will not learn (I won’t learn), He will not learn (He won’t learn)

Question: Will you learn?

Neg. question: Will you not learn? (Won’t you learn?)

Grammar +:
We can also use shall in the first person singular and plural (I, we).
But this form is quite formal in modern English and is not very common.

- I shall do it for you.


- We shall come soon.

Use
1. Will is used as a modal auxiliary verb to show a general intention.

- He will change his job.


- We’ll travel abroad. (Contraction of will with the subject pronoun)
- I will not need it.
- They won’t change the telephone number. (Contraction of will with not)
- Will you take the exam?

2. Will is used for predictions or opinions.

- It will snow in winter.


- The horse will not win.

We can use following verbs or adverbs to express that we assume something, but we are not
sure: think, be sure, hope, believe, suppose, perhaps, possibly, probably, surely.

- They’ll probably study art.


- I don’t think she’ll accept it.

37
3. Will is used to express a decision or offer made at the moment of speaking.

- Can I walk you home? - No, thank you. I’ll take a taxi.
- Please, tell Peter about it. - O.K. I’ll call him.

But:
- I am going to call Peter. Do you want me to say hello to him?
(Going to expresses our decision made before the moment of speaking.)

Simple Future – [verb to be (am, is, are)]


+ going to + base form

Form
FOR M S

Positive statement: I am going to learn (I’m going to learn),


He is going to learn (He’s going to learn)

Negative statement: I am not going t learn (I’m not going to learn),


He is not going to learn [He isn´t going to learn (He’s not going to learn)],
You are not going to learn [You aren´t going to learn (You´re not going to
learn)]

Question: Are you going to learn?

Neg. question: Are you not going to learn? (Aren’t you going to learn?

38
Future continuous – (will + be + present participle)
Form
FORMS
Intermedio

Positive statement: I will be sitting (I’ll be sitting)


Negative statement: I will not be sitting (I won’t be sitting)
Question: Will you be sitting?
Neg. question: Will you not be sitting? (Won’t you be sitting?)

Use
1. The Future Continuous Tense is used for an action that will be in progress at a point of time in the
future. It will start before that point of time and will continue after it. The point in time can be given
by a time expression or by another action in the future tense (will). This usage is very similar to the
past continuous in this aspect.

-At 8 o’clock I will be travelling to Dorset.


-This time tomorrow we’ll be lying on the beach.
(In these two sentences the point of time that we refer to is given by a time expression.)

-The shop will be closed. Will you be working?


-I’ll be sleeping when you come back.
(In these two sentences the point of time that we refer to is given by another activity.)

2. The future continuous describes the idea that something will happen in the normal course of
events. It refers to a routine activity, not an intention, decision or plan.

-I’ll be writing to you again. (I always write to you, so I’ll do it again, as usual.)
-They’ll be leaving on Friday. You can join them. (They normally leave on Fridays.)
-Everybody will be working on a computer sooner or later. (If nothing special happens.)

Future Continuous vs Present Continuous


-We are going to the cinema next weekend.
(The present continuous tense means that we have already arranged it. We know the time and place
and probably have the tickets.)

-We’ll be going to the cinema next weekend.


(The future continuous only tells us how we will spend the weekend. But we have not arranged
anything and, probably, we do not even know which film we want to see.)

-I am seeing Susan tomorrow.


(I have some reason. Susan and I have arranged the time and place.)

-I’ll be seeing Susan tomorrow.


(Susan is my classmate and because I will go to school tomorrow, I will see her as usual.)

39
Future Tense vs Present Continuous

-Bill won’t play football tomorrow.


(The fact is that Bill cannot play or does not want to play for some reason.)

-Bill won’t be playing football tomorrow.


(Bill will not play, because it will be Friday and he never plays on Fridays.)

-I’ll call Mimi tonight. I’ll ask her.


(I will do it because I need to talk to her.)

-I’ll be calling Mimi tonight. I can ask her.


(I call her every night that is why I will call her tonight too.)

In these examples the future tense shows intentions, while in the continuous there is no intention, it ex-
presses routine actions.

Notes

In some cases we can use several forms for future events. But every form will have a slightly different
meaning.

-I’ll be meeting Jim next week.


(I meet Jim every week and it will be the same next week.)

-I’ll meet Jim next week.


(I intend to meet Jim next week or I suppose that I will meet him.)

-I’m going to meet Jim next week.


(I decided to meet Jim some time ago and now I am expressing my intention.)

-I’m meeting Jim next week.


(We have arranged the time and place because we have some reason to meet.)

-It will rain, I’m afraid.


(I assume it will rain, it is my opinion. But who knows!)

-It’s going to rain.


(I am sure it will rain because I can see the dark clouds in the sky. My opinion is based on clear evidence.)

The present tense (I am meeting) is more definite than be going to (I am going to meet) and will is the
least definite (I will meet).

40
Simple Future tense exercise: affirmative | statement
Intermedio

Exercise 1 – affirmative: Complete the sentences with the future simple (will).
Keep the same meaning.

Example:
I think Jim’s birthday party is on Saturday. (have)
I think Jim will have his birthday party on Saturday.

1. You can’t take my car. I use it at weekends. (need)


You can’t take my car. I ................................... it next weekend.

2. Waiter, we would like two glasses of orange juice. (have)


Waiter, we .............................. two glasses of orange juice.

3. Do you think our English teacher is preparing a test for tomorrow? (write)
Do you think we .......................................... a test tomorrow?

4. I don’t mind going to the cinema if you help me with the housework. (go)
I ........................ to the cinema if you help me with the housework.

5. I have a lot of work to do in the evening. (work)


I ................................ a lot in the evening.

6. Dad can’t take you to the station because there is a football match on TV. (want)
Dad can’t take you to the station because he ..................................to see a football match.

7. This film is worth the money! (watch)


I .................................... this film!

8. There is a museum on our programme for tomorrow. (visit)


We .................................. a museum tomorrow.

8. What ........................................................ about?


About their friends from school.

9. How .......... Simon .................. at the restaurant?


He was quite happy and relaxed.

41
Simple Future tense exercise: Questions

Exercise 2 - questions: Jumbled sentences - make future simple questions.

Example:
you | clean | room | your
Will you clean your room?

1. Bill | arrive | when

.......................................................................................... ?

2. not | work | mum | late | your | tonight

.......................................................................................... ?

3. at | be | Marion | tomorrow | school

.......................................................................................... ?

4. you | what | leave | time

.......................................................................................... ?

5. classmates | in | be | classroom | their | your

.......................................................................................... ?

6. hairstyle | think | what | Matt | my | of | new

.......................................................................................... ?

7. concert | enjoy | the | Mr. and Mrs. Gregson

.......................................................................................... ?

8. you | till | stay | there | not | Sunday

.......................................................................................... ?

9. you | address | your | tell | me | email

.......................................................................................... ?

10. the | how | Joe | find | hotel

.......................................................................................... ?

42
Simple Future tense exercise: Negatives

Exercise 3 – negatives: Choose the correct form, circle or underline your choice.

1. Don’t leave your keys on the table. You will | won’t forget it.
2. If it doesn’t rain tomorrow, we will | won’t take our umbrellas.
3. Susan will | won’t like it if you come late.
4. Anna will | won’t be on holiday next week. But she promised to write to us.
5. I’m told you are ill. I hope you will | won’t feel better again.
6. I have no idea how to do it. I will | won’t make it.
Intermedio

7. Turn on your laptop tonight. We will | won’t chat a little bit.


8. I will | won’t be a doctor, because I didn’t finish my studies.
9. You needn’t wear your cap. It will | won’t be cold today.
10. I am really tired. I will | won’t rest.

Future Continuous tense exercise:


affirmative | statement

Exercise 1 – affirmative: It’s Sunday, 10 o’clock in the morning and the Scott family
are enjoying their free time. Use the verbs in parenthesis to write what they will be
doing this time on Monday.

Example:
Peter is playing games on his new laptop.
This time on Monday he will be writing an English test.

1. Mr. Scott is cleaning his car in the garage.


This time on Monday he ............................................ to the airport. (drive)
2. Mrs. Scott is reading a fashion magazine.
This time on Monday she .......................................... meals at the restaurant. (cook)
3. Marion, their daughter, is playing with a ball in the garden. And her grandma is watching her.
This time on Monday Marion ......................................... a geography lesson. (have) And her grandma ...........
............................. a doctor. (see)
4. Ben, the oldest son, is still sleeping. And his grandpa is trying to wake him up.
This time on Monday Ben ......................................... football in his club. (practise) And his grandpa ................
........................ for grandma at the doctor’s. (wait)

43
5. Samuel, the youngest son, is chasing their dog Spot around the house.
This time on Monday Samuel .................................... in a physical education class. (exercise)
But we have no idea what Spot ............................... tomorrow. (do)

Future Continuous tense exercise: questions

Exercise 2 - questions: Jumbled sentences - make future continuous questions.

Example:
you | TV | tonight | watch
Will you be watching TV tonight?

1. Jack | work | time | what | it | on

.......................................................................................... ?

2. at | have | you | lunch break | your | still | one o’clock

.......................................................................................... ?

3. Leeds | in | live | time | in a few years’ | I

.......................................................................................... ?

4. in | tide | come | at nine | the | tonight

.......................................................................................... ?

5. where | the match | sit | you | during

.......................................................................................... ?

6. weeks | again | in a few | he | of | walk

.......................................................................................... ?

7. at the party | you | wear | what

.......................................................................................... ?

8. interview | tomorrow morning | you | who

.......................................................................................... ?

44
Future Continuous tense exercise: negatives

Exercise 3 – negative: Choose the correct form, circle or underline your choice.

1. On my holiday I will be getting up | I won’t be getting up at 6 o’clock as usual. I want to relax a lot.
2. You are so late! Everybody will be working | won’t be working when you arrive at the office.
3. You think that Derek will be playing | won’t be playing tennis at seven? Why not?
4. Computers will be translating | won’t be translating all texts in a couple of years. It’s impossible.
5. Mary will be waiting | won’t be waiting in the arrivals hall this time. She is ill.
6. Can I take your camera? You will be using | won’t be using it this morning, will you?
Intermedio

7. The cinema will be showing | won’t be showing any films next week.
8. They will be delivering | won’t be delivering parcels even on 24 December.
9. He can find her easily in her red coat. - But she will be wearing | won’t be wearing the red coat.
10. I won’t be here this time tomorrow. I will be travelling | I won’t be travelling to Rome.

Simple Future and Future Continuous exercises:


affirmative

Exercise 1 – affirmative: Rewrite the underlined forms with the future simple or
continuous.

1. Don’t call me at 10 o’clock. I am going to fly to Spain.


.........................................................................................................................................................
2. I suppose we’re going to stay at a hotel next summer.
.........................................................................................................................................................
3. Come to see me in the afternoon. I work in the garden.
.........................................................................................................................................................
4. Do you think it is snowing at the weekend?
.........................................................................................................................................................
5. Is the coat OK.? - Yes, I am taking it.
.........................................................................................................................................................
6. This time on Sunday we are going to ski in France.
.........................................................................................................................................................
7. I don’t know if I will stay here. Perhaps I move to a big city one day.

45
.........................................................................................................................................................
8. Every student is using a computer in the near future.
.........................................................................................................................................................

PRESENT PERFECT TENSE


There are two present perfect tenses in the English language.
FORM S

Present perfect (have, has) + past participle

Form

Positive statement: I have cooked, I have written, He has cooked,


He has written (I’ve cooked, He’s cooked)

Negative statement: I have not worked (I haven’t worked), He has not worked (He hasn’t worked)

Question: Have you worked?

Neg. question: Have you not worked? (Haven’t you worked?)

Use
The present perfect combines the past and present.

1. We use the present perfect for simple actions or states that started in the past and still continue.

-We have lived here since 2001.


-She has known me for more than two years.
-I haven’t seen her since Christmas.
-How long have they been here?

It is often used with expressions indicating that the activity began in the past and comes up to now, such as: for
10 years, since 1995, all week, all the time, always, lately, recently ...

-We have always worked in York. (We still work in York.)


-It has been quite cold lately. (It is still cold.)
If the activity started in the past and ended in the past we cannot use the present perfect.

-I have smoked for 5 years. (present perfect - I still smoke.)


-I smoked for 5 years. (simple past - I smoked from 2000 to 2005, then I stopped.)

46
2. We use it to describe an experience that happened in the past (the time is not given), but the effects are im-
Intermedio
portant now.

-She has been to London. (And so she knows London.)

Compare:

-I have already been to Greece. (experience - And I want to go somewhere else now.)
-I have been in Greece for two weeks. (state - I am stlill in Greece.)
When we use this tense to express some experience, we can use following adverbs - ever, never, already, often,
occassionaly, yet, before ......

-Have you ever tried it?


-She has never read this book.
-We haven’t seen it yet.
-Have you fallen off a bike yet?
-I haven’t met her before.

3. The present perfect simple is used for past activities that have a present result.

-The bus hasn’t arrived. (It did not arrived on time and we are still waiting now.)
-I have bought a new house. (I did it last month and it means that now I have a new address.)

For such activities we often use these adverbs - yet, already, just.

-They haven’t finished their homework yet. (They can’t go out now.)
-Has she signed it yet? (Can I take the document?)
-I’ve already sent the letter. (There is no need to go to the post-office.)
-We have just heard the news. (We know about it.)

Present perfect vs past simple

With the present perfect we do not specify when the action happened. If we give the time or it is clear from the
context that we mention a certain time in the past, we must use the past simple.

-Have you had breakfast? But: Did you have breakfast at the hotel?
-I’ve read your letter. But: I read your letter last night.
-They have told me. But: They told me when we met.
-Have you had the operation? But: When did you have the operation?

In the present perfect we express that something happened in the past which is important now.
The time is not relevant.
In the past tense the time of the action is relevant.

47
Present perfect + simple past exercises:
Combination Exercises

Combination Exercise 1: Choose one of the tenses in each pair to complete the conversation; the
pairs are in no particular order.

Have you seen - Did you see was in - have been to


didn’t - haven’ have spent - spent
have talked - talked was never in - have never been to
didn’t see - haven’t seen has Greg come - did Greg come
did he travel - has he travelled called - have called
flew - has flown was - has been

A: ................................................. Greg lately?


B: No, I ............................. I ................................. to him at the airport two weeks ago.
But I ...................................... him since then.
A: Where ..................................................?
B: He .................................... to Greece for a holiday.
A: I .................................... Greece three times. I love Greece.
B: Really? My wife and I ................................. a week to Turkey last year, but I ................................................
........ Greece. By the way, ..................................... back yet?
A: I don’t know. I ................................. him yesterday, but there .......................... no reply.

Combination Exercise 2: Choose the correct response.

1. Your house is finished.

A How long you worked on it? 3. Can I borrow your car?


B How long did you work on it?
C How long have you worked on it? A Did you ever drive a car?
B Did you drive a car yet?
2. We live in a village now. C Have you ever driven a car?

A But we lived in a big city for 5 years. 4. Where is Elizabeth?


B But we have lived in a big city for 5 years.
C But we lived in a big city lately. A She went to school already.
B She has already gone to school.
C She already went to school.

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5. I have had good lunch today. 9. Have you seen the headmaster?

A Where had you the lunch? A Yes, I’ve seen him in his office.
B Where did you have the lunch? B Yes, I saw him in his office.
C Where have you had the lunch? C Yes, I have seen.

6. Do you think you can do it for me? 10. Your sister speaks English very well.

A I’m sorry, I didn’t understand. A She studied English since she was seven.
B I’m sorry, I haven’t understood. B She has studied English since she was seven.
C I’m sorry, I didn’t understood. C She has studied English from the age of seven.

7. Do you know James Stuart? 11. Could I speak to Mr. Daly?

A Yes, I have known him since 1997. A Hold on. He has just come.
B Yes, I knew him since 1997. B Hold on. He just came.
C Yes, I have known him from 1997. C Hold on. He came just now.

8. Peter is back from London. 12. Nice to meet you!

A Did he bring me any postcards? A How long have you been here?
B Did he bring any postcards for me? B How long you were here?
C Has he brought me any postcards? C How long were you here?
Intermedio

Present Perfect vs Simple Present

The present perfect is used for actions that began in the past and continue at present. It expresses how long the
action has been.

The simple present is used for actions that are repeated at present. It expresses how often the action happens.

-She has worked here for a long time.


But:
-She works here every day.

-How long have you worked here?


But:
-How often do you work here?

49
Present Perfect + Simple Past + Simple
Present exercises: Combination Exercises

Combination Exercise 1:

Look. Your house is finished. a How long do you work on it?


Correct: b How long did you work on it?
c How long have you worked on it?

We live in a village now. a But we lived in a big city for 5 years.


Correct: b But we have lived in a big city for 5 years.
c But we lived in a big city lately.

You can drive my car. a Did you ever drive a car before?
Correct: b Did you drive a car yet?
c Have you ever driven a car before?

Where is Elizabeth? a She went to school already.


Correct: b She has already gone to school.
c She already went to school.

I have had good lunch today. a Where had you the lunch?
Correct: b Where did you have the lunch?
c Where have you had the lunch?

Do you think you can do it for me? a I’m sorry, I didn’t understand.
Correct: b I’m sorry, I haven’t understood.
c I’m sorry, I wasn’t understanding.

Do you know James Stuart? a Yes, I have known him since 1997.
Correct: b Yes, I know him since 1997.
c Yes, I have known him from 1997.

Peter is back from London. a Did he bring me any postcards?


Correct: b Did he bring any postcards for me?
c Has he brought me any postcards?

Have you seen the headmaster? a Yes, I’ve seen him in his office.
Correct: b Yes, I saw him in his office.
c Yes, I have seen.

Your sister speaks English very well. a She studied English since she was seven.
Correct: b She has studied English since she was seven.
c She studies English since she was seven.

Could I speak to Mr. Daly? a Hold on. He has just come.


Correct: b Hold on. He just came.

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Exercise 1: Rewrite these sentences using the present perfect.

Example:
I went to different shops on Saturday.
I have already gone to different shops.

1. I didn’t do it yesterday.

I .................................................................. it yet.

2. We bought the tickets on Monday.


Intermedio

We ................... already ....................... the tickets.

3. My girlfriend wasn’t there. She didn’t arrive.

My girlfriend isn’t here. She ........................................................... .

4. The team wasn’t successful. They lost.

The team isn’t successful. They .................. just ................... .

5. I didn’t find my keys. I couldn’t open the door.

I ................................ my keys. I can’t open the door.

6. Did the postman deliver the parcel in the morning?

............... the postman ................................... the parcel yet?

7. I cut my finger. It hurt.

I .............................. my finger. It hurts.

8. They worked in Wales for a week in May.

They ....................................... in Wales since last week.

9. She was on her holiday for a month. She came back yesterday.

She ............................. on her holiday for a month. She ............... just ...................... back.

51
Exercise 2: Complete these sentences using the verbs in parenthesis and one of the different types of adverbs
in the box below.

Never ever for since already just yet so far recently up to now

Example:
I have already done it. (do)

1. I ....................................................... a ghost. (see) But I would like to.


2. .............. Peter .................................. his studies ............? (finish) - No, not yet.
3. ............... you ................................ anyone famous? (meet) - No, never.
4. What ........... Greg .................. since the morning .........................? (do) - Quite a lot of things.
5. I feel so relaxed. I ................................................ back from my holiday. (get)
6. You should send him an email. - But I ................................................................to him. (write)
7. My grandma .................................. in the same place ..................... she was born. (live) - Really?
8. This is Fiona. She .............................. my best friend .............. a long time. (be)
9. I have a plaster on my leg. I ....................................................... it. (break)
10. How many jobs ................. you ....................................? (have) - Not very many.

Exercise 3: Use the words in parenthesis to complete the conversation.

A How long ......................................... unemployed? (you | be)


B ............................................ any job since May. (I | not have)
But ...................................................... a job as a waiter. (I | just | apply for)
A .............................................................. as a waiter. (you | never | work)
B ................................................ at a wedding reception twice or three times. (I | help)
A .............................................................. you about their choice yet? (they | contact)
B No, they haven’t. ....................................... in touch with me since the interview.(nobody | get)
A And ................................................... to them? (you | write)
B Should I? ............................................... the courage to do that. (I | not find)
A If ..................................................... it yet, you should do it as soon as possible. (you | not do)

52
Exercise 4 Present Perfect – Affirmative statements | Negative statements:
Intermedio
What has Matt done since he got back from his trip round the world?

Example
+ give presents to everyone
- go to work
He has given presents to everyone. He hasn’t gone to work.

Matt

1. + see his family


2. + meet his friends - unpacked his luggage

3. + go out with his girlfriend - exchange foreign money

4. + check his emails - print any photos

5. + rent a flat - find a job


- buy a car

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

Exercise 5: Complete the questions and answers in the present perfect tense.

A ............................................. Kim yet? (see)


B Not yet. But I am going to see her on Friday.
A Has Karl ever been to England?
B No, never. But he .................................. to Scotland twice. (already go)
A How many foreign languages have you learned?
B Unfortunately, I .................................................. any foreign languages so far. (not study)
A ....................................... the email from me? (get)

53
B I’m afraid I haven’t received any email from you since last week.
A Why is Mary crying? What ............................................. to her? (happen)
B Poor Mary. Her mum has been ill for a long time.
A Where .............................................. so long? (be)
B I’m sorry, I missed the bus.
A Look. The sun ............................................... (disappear)
B It’s fascinating. It has been covered by the moon.
A Have you called your grandma?
B Oh, no! I ........................................................... her yet. (not telephone)
A It’s quite cold in here, isn’t it?
B Is it? I ........................................................ the window. (just open)

Present Perfect Continuous

Future – (will) + base form


F ORMS

Form

Positive statement: I have been cooking, He has been cooking

Negative statement: I have not been cooking (I haven’t been cooking),


He has not been cooking .

Question: Have you been cooking?

Neg. question: Have you not been cooking? (Haven’t you been cooking?)

Grammar +:
We can also use shall in the first person singular and plural (I, we).
But this form is quite formal in modern English and is not very common.

- I shall do it for you.


- We shall come soon.

54
Use
Intermedio
1. We use the present perfect continuous for events that began in the past, are continuing now and will probably
continue in the future.

-I have been playing tennis since I was 6 years old.


-She has been working here for 15 years.

2. We use it for actions that began in the past and have only just finished.

-I’ve been skiing all day. I’m so tired.


-Hello! We’ve been waiting for you since 5 o’clock.

Present Perfect vs Present Perfect Continuous

1. In some situations we can use both tenses and there is practically no difference in meaning.
The continuous is more usual in the English language.

-It has rained for a long time.


-It has been raining for a long time.

Verbs which can be used in this way include - learn, live, sleep, rain, sit, work, wait , stay ...

2. Sometimes the present perfect form can describe a permanent state, while the continuous form a temporary
activity.

-I have lived here for ten years. It is my permanent address.


-I have been living here for ten years. And now I am going to move.

Some verbs cannot express this difference, because they are not normally used in the continuous tenses

(verbs of senses - feel, hear, see; verbs expressing emotions - like, love, admire, wish; verbs of mental state -
know, remember, mean, recognize; verbs of possession - belong, own, owe; auxiliaries - can, must and be, have
in some cases; others - appear, concern, seem, sound ...).
They must be used in the Present Perfect form.

-We have always had a dog.


-I’ve known him since 1997.

3. Verbs that express a single action (find, start, stop, lose, break ...) are not used in the continuous form.

-They’ve started the fight.

55
-I’ve lost my purse.

4. There is a difference between a single action in the present perfect and present perfect continuous.

-I have painted the hall. (I have completed my work.)


-I have been painting the hall. (That is how I have spent the day, but it does not mean that I have finished my
job.)

5. A single action in the present perfect continuous comes up to the time of speaking. But it is different with the
present perfect tense.

-She’s been cooking dinner. (She is still in the kitchen. She has just finished or she will continue cooking.)
-She has cooked dinner. (We do not know when. Yesterday? or Very recently? The result is important.)

6. We can only use the present perfect continuous for uninterrupted actions.

-I’ve been visiting New York for a couple of years.


-She has been writing letters since she got up.

In these sentences we describe one uninterrupted incomplete activity.


If the action is repeated or interrupted (it describe a number of completed individual actions), we must use the
present perfect form. (see also the past tense rules).

-I have visited New York three times.


-She has written four letters since she got up.

56
SINGULAR AND PLURAL NOUNS
Intermedio

Most singular nouns form the plural by adding: boat, boats; cat, cats.

A singular noun ending in s, x, z, ch, sh makes the plural by adding-es: bus, buses; box, boxes; wish, wishes.

A singular noun ending in a consonant and then y makes the plural by dropping the y and adding-ies: baby,
babies; city, cities; penny, pennies.

Irregular Nouns

There are some irregular noun plurals.

For most nouns that end in “f” or “fe,” you drop the “f” or “fe” and add “ves” knife, knives; wife, wives; half,
halves.

For many words that end in “us,” change the “us” to an “i” (especially if it comes from a Latin word). There are
many exceptions to this rule and it is becoming more acceptable to add “es” instead of changing to “i” cactus,
cacti; fungus, fungi.

For many words that end in “is,” change the “is” to an “es” hypothesis, hypotheses; crisis, crises.

Nouns that end in “um” often become plural by changing “um” to “a” bacterium, bacteria;
curriculum, curricula.

Words that Change Form

Certain words do not add a letter to the end, but instead change the word itself. These words simply need to be
memorized. Some examples include:
- Man to men
- Foot to feet
- Tooth to teeth
- Goose to geese

Unchanging Nouns

Certain other nouns have the same plural form as singular form. A large number of animals happen to follow
this rule. For example:

- Deer is “deer” whether singular or plural


- Fish is “fish” whether singular or plural
- Moose is “moose” whether singular or plural
- Sheep is “sheep” whether singular or plural

Generalizations

In generalizations both singular and plural forms are possible.


We use a hammer to drive in a nail. OR We use hammers to drive in nails.
We use an adjective to modify a noun. OR We use adjectives to modify nouns.

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A generalizing plural is very often used without an article. Owls cannot see well in the daytime.

Theis used with a singular noun to make it general,followed by a singular verb.


The lion is a wild animal from Africa.

Singular and Plural Nouns exercises:

Exercise 1: Transform each of the following words into plurals:

Example
Flower: Flowers

SEPTEM Day: ……………………………………………………………………


BER

4
Tax: ………………………………………………………………….…

Taxi: ….……………………………………………………………..…

Lady: ...…………………………………………………………………

Mountain: ……………………………………………………………………………………………

Nucleus: ……………………………………………………………………………………..………

Shrimp: ………………………………………………………………………………………………

Mouse: ………………………………………………………………………………………….……

Woman: ………………………………………………………………………………………………

58
Intermedio
Exercise 2: Choose the correct plural for each of the words that follows:

1. Choice 2. Box 3. Thief


a. Choices a.Boxs a.Thiefies
b. Choices b. Boxies b. Thiefs
c. Choiceies c. Boxes c. Thieves

4. Army 5. Owl
a.Armys a.Owls
b. Armies b. Owlies
c. Army c. Owelds

Exercise 3: Choose the best word to fit into each of the following sentences:

1. The men sharpened their _____________ before throwing them at the targets.

A – knife
B – knifes
C – knives

2. Please eat the rest of your _____________.

A – pease
B – Peas
C – Peies

3. I’d like you to stop leaving your ________________ on the floor.

A – Socks
B – Sockses
C – Sox

4. We saw a lot of _________________ at the park.

A – Deers
B – Deeries
C – Deer

5. This recipe calls for a lot of _____________.

A – Tomatos
B – Tomatoes
C – Tomaties

59
COUNT NOUNS AND NON-COUNT NOUNS
Count nouns can be counted as one or more and can be expressed in plural form.

• pens, computers, bottles, spoons, desks, cups, televisions, chairs, shoes, fingers, flowers,
cameras, sticks, balloons, books, tables, combs, etc.

Work with expressions such as (a few, few, many, some, every, each, these, and the number of).

• a few pens, a few computers, many bottles, some spoons, every desk, each cup, these
televisions, the number of chairs, a few shoes, a few fingers, many flowers, some cameras,
every stick, each balloon, these books, the number of tables, many combs, etc.

Work with appropriate articles (a, an, or the).

• a pen, the computer, a bottle, the spoon, a desk, the cup, a television, the chair, a shoe, the
finger, a flower, the camera, a stick, the balloon, a book, the table, a comb, etc.

Do NOT work with much(for example, you would never say much pensor much computers).

Non-count nouns cannot be counted. They usually express a group or a type.

• water, wood, ice, air, oxygen, English, Spanish, traffic, furniture, milk, wine, sugar, rice,
meat, flour, soccer, sunshine, etc.

Generally cannot be pluralized.

Work both with and without an article (a, an, or the) , depending on the context of the sentence.

• Sugar is sweet.
• The sunshine is beautiful.
• I drink milk.
• He eats rice.
• We watch soccer together.
• The wood is burning.

Work with expressions such as (some, any, enough, this, that, and much).

• We ate some rice and milk.


• I hope to see some sunshine today.
• This meat is good.
• She does not speak much Spanish.
• Do you see any traffic on the road?
• That wine is very old.

Do NOT work with expressions such as (these, those, every, each, either, or neither)

60
Intermedio
Quantity Expressions

The difference between a countable and uncountable noun does matter with certain
adjectives, such as “some/any,” “much/many,” and “little/few.”

Some/Any: Some and any countable and uncountable nouns.

• “There is some water on the floor.”


• “There are some students here.”
• “Do you have any food?”
• “Do you have any apples?”

Much/Many: Much modifies only uncountable nouns. Many modifies only countable nouns.

• “We don’t have much time to get this done.”


• “Many Americans travel to Europe.”

Little/Few: Little modifies only uncountable nouns.

• “He had little food in the house.”


• “The doctor had littletime to think in the emergency room.”

Few modifies only countable nouns.

• “There are fewdoctors in town.”


• “Fewstudents like exams.”

A lot of/lots of: A lot of/lots of are informal substitutes for muchand many. They are used with
uncountable nouns when they mean muchand with countable nouns when they mean many.

• “They have lots of (much) money in the bank.”


• “A lot of(many) Americans travel to Europe.”
• “We got lots of(many) mosquitoes last summer.”
• “We got lots of(much) rain last summer.”

A little bit of:A little bit of is informal and always precedes an uncountable noun.

• “There is a little bit ofpepper in the soup.”


• “There is a little bit ofsnow on the ground.”

Enough: Enough modifies both countable and uncountable nouns.

• “There is enough money to buy a car.”


• “I have enoughbooks to read.”

Plenty of: Plenty of modifies both countable and uncountable nouns.

• “They have plenty ofmoney in the bank.”


• “There are plenty ofmillionaires in Switzerland.”

61
No: No modifies both countable and uncountable nouns.

• “There is notime to finish now.”


• “There are nosquirrels in the park.”

Little, a little, few, a few

(A) little and (a) few are quantifiers meaning ‘some’. Little and few have negative meanings. We use them to
mean ‘not as much as may be expected or wished for’.In many situations, we can choose to use ‘a little’ or ‘little’
(when using an uncountable noun) or ‘a few’ or ‘few’ (when using a plural countable noun). They have slightly
different meanings.

When we say ‘a little’ or ‘a few’, we mean a small amount, but it’s enough:

• John: Let’s go out tonight.


• Lucy: Okay. I have a little money, enough for the cinema at least.

On the other hand, ‘little’ or ‘few’ usually give us a different impression. These also mean a small amount, but
this time the amount is almost nothing. If the noun is something that we want (like money or friends) then using
‘little’ or ‘few’ means that we don’t have enough:

• John: Let’s go out tonight.


• Lucy: Sorry, I have little money. I really can’t afford to go out.

Of course, if we use ‘few’ or ‘little’ with a noun that we don’t want, then it can have a positive meaning. It’s good
to have nearly no problems, for example:

• There have been few problems with the new system, thankfully!
• Luckily, there is little crime in my town.

62
Count Nouns and Non-count Nouns exercises
Intermedio
Exercise 1: Decide whether these nouns are countable or uncountable

Example:
My brother Mark loves to play the guitar. Countable

1. The childrenare playing in the garden………………………………………………………….

2. I don’t like milk…………………………………………………………………………………

3. I prefer tea…………………………………………………………………………………….…

4. Scientistssay that the environment is threatened by pollution…………………………………..

5. My mother uses butterto prepare cakes……………………………………………………….…

6. There are a lot of windowsin our classroom…………………………………………………….

7. We need some glueto fix this vase………………………………………………………………

8. The waitersin this restaurant are very professional………………………………………..……

9. My father drinks two big glassesof water every morning……………………………………….

10. The breadmy mother prepares is delicious……………………………………………….….....

Exercise 2: Choose the correct answer.

1. How _____ money do you have left?

a. many
b. much
c. a lot of

2. There aren’t _____ oranges on the table.

a. much
b. many
c. some

3. There are _____ people who would like to come to the party.

a. a lots of

63
b. lot of
c. lots of

4. Unfortunately, there is ______ water left in the bottle.

a. a little
b. few
c. little

5. He has ______ friends in Los Angeles.



a. a little
b. any
c. a few

6. He has ______ education. He can’t read or write, and he can hardly count.
a. a little
b. few
c. little

ADJECTIVES AND NOUN MODIFIERS


When we want to give more information than can be provided by using a noun alone, we can add an
adjective to identify a person or thing, or describe them in more detail.

her new dress


a kind person

Most adjectives can appear before a noun as part of a noun phrase, placed after determiners or numbers if there
are any, and immediately before the noun.

She had a beautiful smile.


He bought two brown bread rolls.

64
When more than one adjective comes before a noun, the adjectives are normally in a particular order.
Intermedio
Generally, the adjective order in English is:

1. Opinion: pretty, horrible, lovely

2. Size: huge, tiny, big, little

3. Age: old, young, new

4. Shape: round, square, triangular

5. Color: black, red, yellow

6. Origin: British, Chinese, French

7. Material: wooden, silk

8. Purpose: writing (paper), school (shoes)

Sometimes nouns can be placed before other nouns as a way of identifying a particular type of
person or thing.

a chocolate cake
the football player

Nouns used in this way are usually referred to as noun modifiers. Though they are functioning in a similar way
to some adjectives, we classify them as nouns.

We can use noun modifiers to show what something is made of:


a gold watch; a leather purse; a metal box

We often use noun modifiers with nouns ending in -er and -ing:
an office worker; a jewelry maker; a potato peeler; a shopping list; a swimming lesson

We use measurements, age or value as noun modifiers:


a thirty kilogram suitcase; a two minute rest; a fifty kilometer journey

Sometimes we find more than two nouns together:


London office workers; grammar practice exercises

Position of noun modifiers

Noun modifiers come after adjectives:

The old newspaper seller


Atiring fifty kilometer journey

65
Adjectives and Noun Modifiers exercises

Exercise 1: Use the best response that would complete the sentence.

Example:
It is a bridge that is made of rope. It is a rope bridge.

1. It is a bridge that is made of rope. It is a………… bridge.

2. It is a bat for baseballs . It is a ………… bat.

3. It is a clotht hat goes on top of the dining table. It is a …………cloth.

4. It is a key for my car. It is my …………key.

5. We bought a bone for dogs. We gave Zak a …………bone.

6. We built a house in the trees. We built a …………house

7. This is a ladder with steps. It is a ………… ladder.

8. My grandmother gave me a plate that is used for serving desserts. It is a ………… plate.

9. In the summer, a truck that is filled with watermelons comes to our town.
We wait for the ………… truckto come to town.

10. She chose a dress for her wedding. It is her ………………………

66
Exercise 2: Choose the correct adjective on the left to complete the sentence.
Intermedio
Example:
If you drive too fast you will have an accident.

1. If you drive too ……...... you will have an accident. bad

2. I need a …………… calculator. This one’s broken! fast

3. I can’t reach that book on the top shelf; it’s too ............ dry

4. She can’t get into her jeans; she’s too ......... hard

5. He’s so slow; he comes …..... in every race. slow

6. You’re only 15; that’s not ............ enough to drive. good

7. Don’t put on those socks; they’re not …....... yet. fat

8. If you don’t study for your test, you’ll get a ............ grade. new

9. I felt so …...... when I got an A in my science test. high

10.I can’t sleep at night; my bed’s too ............ old

ADVERBS OF MANNER
Adverbs of manner tell us howsomething happens. They are usually placed either after the main verb or after the
object.

- He swims well.
- He ran quickly.
- She spoke softly.
- He plays the flute beautifully. (after the direct object)
- He ate the chocolate cake greedily. (after the direct object)

An adverb of manner cannot be put between a verb and its direct object. The adverb must be placed either before
the verb or at the end of the clause.

- He ate greedily the chocolate cake. [incorrect]


- He ate the chocolate cake greedily. [correct]
- He greedily ate the chocolate cake. [correct]
- He gave us generously the money. [incorrect]
- He gave us the money generously. [correct]
- He generously gave us the money. [correct]
If there is a preposition before the verb’s object, you can place the adverb of manner either before the preposition
or after the object.

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- The child ran happilytowards his mother.
- The child ran towards his mother happily.

Adverbs of manner should always come immediately after verbs which have no object (intransitive verbs).

- The town grew quicklyafter 1997.


- He waited patientlyfor his mother to arrive.

These common adverbs of manner are almost always placed directly after the verb: well, badly, hard, & fast

- He swam welldespite being tired.

Adejctive vs. Adverb

An adjectiveis a word or set of words that modifies(describes) a noun or pronoun.

Adjectives may come before the word they modify.

An adverbis a word or set of words that modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

Adverbs answer how, when, where, why, how oftenor how much.

Examples:

He speaks slowly (tells how)

He speaks very slowly (the adverb very tells how slowly)

She arrived today (tells when)

Let’s go outside (tells where)

Jorge works out daily (tells how often)

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Intermedio
Many adverbs end in -ly, but many do not. Generally, if a word can have -ly added to its adjective form, place it
there to form an adverb.

Examples:
She thinks quick/quickly.
How does she think? Quickly.

She is a quick/quickly thinker.


Quick is an adjective describing thinker, so no -ly is attached.

She thinks fast/fastly.


Fast answers the question how, so it is an adverb. But fast never has -ly attached to it.

We performed bad/badly.
Badly describes how we performed, so -ly is added.

Avoid the using-ly with linking verbs such as taste, smell, look, feel, which pertain to the senses. Adverbs are
often misplaced in such sentences, which require adjectives instead.

Examples:
Roses smell sweet/sweetly.
Do the roses actively smell with noses? No; in this case, smell is a linking verb—which requires an adjective to
modify roses—so no -ly.

She feels bad/badly about the news.


She is not feeling with fingers, so no -ly.

The word good is an adjective, whose adverb equivalent is well.

Examples:
You did a good job.
Good describes the job.

You did the job well.


Well answers how.

You smell good today.


Good describes your fragrance, not how you smell with your nose, so using the adjective is correct.

The word well can be an adjective, too. When referring to health, we often use well rather than good.

Examples:
You do not look well today.
I don’t feel well, either.

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Too / Enough / Very / A lot of

Enough

Patterns: ADJ + ENOUGH or ADV + ENOUGH or ENOUGH + N

Meaning: Enough has the meaning of completion or satisfaction. Enough refers to the correct amount of some-
thing.

Grammatical function: When functioning as an adverb, enough comes after the adjective or adverb it’s descri-
bing. When functioning as an adjective, it comes before a noun.
Examples:

• The instructions were clear enough for me to assemble the unit myself. (Adj + enough)
• Was your Internet connection fast enough to download that file on time? (Adj + enough)
• He spoke slowly enough for everyone to understand. (Adv + enough)
• I couldn’t run fast enough to win the race. (Adv + enough)
• There was enough pizza for everybody. (enough + N)
• Did you bring enough money on your trip? (enough + N)

Too

Patterns: TOO + ADJ or TOO + ADV

Meaning: Too has the meaning of very or a lot, and it is usually used for negative cases. Too means that some-
thing is incomplete or unable to be completed.

Too comes before adjectives and adverbs:

It’s too hot to wear that coat.


I was driving too fast.

Too may also come before nouns when it is used with the expressions too much and too many.

a. Too much is used before uncountable nouns.


There is too much salt in this food.

b. Too many is used before countable nouns


There are too many students in this classroom.

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Very
Intermedio
VERY + ADJ /ADV

Very goes before an adverb or adjective to make it stronger.

The girl was very beautiful.


The house is very expensive.

There is a big difference in meaning between “too” and “very”. “Very” expresses a fact while “too” suggests
there is a problem.

1. The exam is very difficult, but Jim can complete it.

2. The exam is too difficult. Jim can’t complete it.

Very difficult = it is difficult but possible for Jim to complete the exam.

Too difficult = It is impossible for Jim to complete the exam.

Remember that Too implies a negative result.

A lot of

“A lot of” + noun means a large quantity or a high number. “A lot of” can be used with both countable and un-
countable nouns.

• There were a lot of students in the classroom.


• I drank a lot of water during the marathon.

Adverbs exercises

Exercise 1: Complete the sentence by choosing the correct word.

1. When my teacher talks too ___, it’s difficult to understand him.


quickly
quickly
slowly

2. I always study ___ for a big test.


goodly
hardly
hard

3. My dad used to shout _______________ when he was angry.

71
loudly
noise
loud

4. Please try to behave _______________ when you meet my family.


quickly
softly
normally

5. She did _______________ in her tennis match last week. She won.
well
goodly
bad

6. Please close the door _______________ when you enter my room.


stupidly
gently
successfully

7. I’m sitting _______________ so I don’t want to move.


comfortably
quickly
normally

8. My husband sings _______________ when he’s in the shower. Even the neighbours can hear him.
bigly
quietly
enthusiastically

9. She laughs _______________ at my jokes.


angrily
well
happily

10. Sometimes I need my teacher to talk more _______________ so I can hear her better.
slowly
successfully
hardly

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Exercise 2: Fill in the correct word (too or enough).
Intermedio
1. I left the coffee for a minute to cool because it was ………. hot to drink.

2. He wasn’t strong ………. to lift that heavy box.

3. There aren’t ………. policemen in our town.

4. Do you have ………. information to help me with this problem?

5. It is ………. difficult to do for a little child.

6. I do not have………. much time to prepare dinner.

7. I didn’t buy the car because it was ………. expensive.

8. He didn’t work hard ………. to pass the exam.

9. My mom can’t sleep because she drinks ………. much coffee.

10. She isn’t old ………. to start driving.

Exercise 3: Fill in the correct word (too or very).

1. I think James is nice. Karen thinks James is nice, too.


James is ………. nice.

2. It’s cold outside. I hate it. I might become sick if I go out.


It’s ……….cold outside.

3. That box is so big. I can’t pick it up.


That box is ………. big.
4. Tony’s cat is fat. It weighs 8 kg.
Tony’s cat is ………. fat.

5. Tony’s cat is fat. It can’t run. It may not live a long time.
Tony’s cat is ………. fat.

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TIME WORDS AND TIME CLAUSES
The time clauses in the English language are introduced by conjunctions such as after, as soon as, before, till,
until, when, whenever, while or time expressions such as the minute, the moment etc.
We do not use the future tense (will) in a time clause to describe future activities.

Compare:
I’ll come back home and I’ll do it. =
I’ll do it when I come back home. (when I come is the time clause)

You will push this button and the door will open. =
As soon as you push this button the door will open.

Don’t stand up. First I’ll tell you. = Don’t stand up until I tell you.

You’ll need my car. Take it. = Whenever you need my car you can take it.

You’ll tidy up the house and I’ll do the shopping. =


You’ll tidy up the house while I do the shopping.

You will drop the bomb and it will explode. = The moment you drop the bomb it will explode.

Similarly, other future forms also change to the present simple tense in time clauses.

He is going to leave. The room will be empty. = As soon as he leaves the room will be empty.

We are moving next week. Then we’ll call you. = When we move next week we’ll call you.

If we describe an action that is happening at the same time as another future action (the two activities are simul-
taneous), we use the present continuous tense in the time clauses.

We are going to cut the grass. You’ll pick the apples. =


While we are cutting the grass you’ll pick the apples.

Time Words

When, once, as soon as

We can use when, once, as and as soon as to talk about a specific point in time when something happened or will
happen:

When we were in Greece, we went to as many islands as possible.


They always close their curtains once they get home in the evening.
As soon as we hear any news, we’ll call you.

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Before, after and until
Intermedio
We use before and after to talk about the order of events in the past or future.

[event 1] She’ll pick you up before [event 2] she comes here.

After [event 1] she comes here, [event 2] she’ll pick you up.

Until as a time conjunction means up to a time in the past or future. In the case of until, the main clause usually
comes first:

I’m going to wait until the January sales start to buy a new jacket.

While

We use while to show that actions or events happen at the same time in the past, present or future:

Can you wait in the car while I run into the shop?
They were talking while the teacher was explaining the activity.

When and Whenever

Rule 1 – If an event is unique or its date or time is known, use when.

Examples:
The game will begin Friday evening when the clock strikes seven.

When I told you I wanted a vacation, I meant a cabana by the beach, not a ticket to the Super Bowl!

She loved to play baseball with the neighborhood kids when she was younger.

Rule 2 – Whenever is best used for repeated events or events whose date or time is uncertain. If you can substi-
tute every time that or at whatever time that in your sentence, then whenever is preferred.

Examples:
Whenever I get in the shower, the phone rings.

Whenever you decide to begin eating healthier foods, I’ll help you come up with new recipes.

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Time Clauses and Time Words exercises

Exercise 1: Complete the sentences with the verbs in brackets.

1. I’ll be ready as soon as you………….. (be).

2. We’ll stay here untilshe………….. (return).

3. Please, call us when you………….. (arrive).

4. I’m going to tell her before she………….. (leave).

5. I don’t know when the party ………….. (start).

6. He’ll drive you there whenever you ………….. (need).

7. The moment summer here, the garden will be so beautiful! …………..(be)

8. I am going to take the exam after I all these books. …………..(study)

9. He will wait for you until you………….. (be back)

10. Don’t worry! I’ll watch you while you in the lake. …………..(swim)

Exercise 2: Fill in the correct word (when or whenever).

1. Do you know ………………. we’re supposed to arrive at your mother’s house?

2. Let me know ………………. you’ll be arriving at the airport next week so I can pick you up.

3. ………………. the baby cries, she clenches her little fists.

4. I lived in a small town ………………. I was seven years old.

5. Do you recheck your math ………………. you have difficulty balancing your checkbook?

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Exercise 2: Underline the correct time word.
Intermedio
1. On Sundays I often stay in bed until/when 10 o’clock.

2. After/Before John has done hishomework, he may play his favorite computer game.

3. We were on our way to Ashville when/while our car broke down.

4. Before/During I go to school, I take my little brother to preschool.

5. I’ll call you when/until I’m there.

6. It’s still two days before/while our son flies back to Chicago.

7. After/Before I finished school, I went to New Zealand.

8. We had left the beach before/until the rain started.

9. We stayed in our house until/while the rain stopped.

10. When/Before he heard about the accident he was shocked.

MODALS AND RELATED


EXPRESSIONS

Modals are part of a verb phrase; they give more information about the main verb by qualifying it in some way.
Modals also have an effect on the grammar of the verb phrase; after a modal, the infinitive form (verb name) is
used.

List of the modal verbs in English:

can could
may might
will would
must shall
should ought to
Can

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1. It is used to express the ability to do something.
I can swim very well.
Can he speak English fluently? - No, he can’t.
We cannot sing at all!

2. It expresses the possibility to do something.


We can go to the seaside at last. Our holidays start next week.

3. We use it to say that something is probable.


It can be John. He has blond hair and he is wearing glasses.

4. It expresses the permission to do something.


Why not? You can marry her. She is a nice girl.

May

1. It is used for permissions.


You may borrow my car. I won’t need it.
May I smoke here? - No, you can’t, I’m sorry.

2. It is used to express probability or prediction.


They may call tomorrow. I hope so.

The main difference between may and can is in style. May is more formal than can. Can is typical of spoken
English.

3. The opposite of may is must not or may not.


May I smoke here?
- You mustn’t smoke here. (strong prohibition)
- You may not smoke here. (more polite, very formal)
- You can’t smoke here. (informal spoken English)

Must

1. It is used for strong obligations. It is personal, because it expresses the speaker’s opinion or will.
I must clean my teeth. I want to be healthy.
You must go there. And do it right now!

2. It means a strong recommendation.


You must see it. It’s the best film I’ve ever seen.

3. We use it to show the certainty of the speaker.


They must be at school by now. It’s already 9 o’clock.

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4. The opposite of must is need not.
Intermedio
Mom, must I wash up? - No, you needn’t. I’ve already done it.

Must not has a different meaning. It is used to express prohibition that involves the speaker’s will.

We mustn’t come late today. Or the teacher will be very angry.


He mustn’t enter this room. It is dangerous.

Modals can, may, must exercises

Exercise 1:
Fill in the blanks with can, may,or must in positive or negative form to complete
the sentence.

1. Excuse me! …………………… you speak French?

2. Alan isn’t coming tonight. He ………………… come tomorrow, I hope.

3. There’s a lot of work to do in the house. You ………………………. help me!

4. You ……………………… call him anymore. I have already called him.

5. She is over there. …………………………… you see her?

6. ………………….. I borrow your pen, please?

7. Teachers …………………….. beat children. It’s forbidden.

8. I can hear some voices. Someone ……………………………. be in the house.

9. We ……………………….. eat sweets! We are on a diet.

10. You ………………………………… buy it on Sunday if you want. The shops are open.

11. You ………………………………… drive me to the station. I can walk.

12. We want to be the best. We ……………………………. practice!

Related Expressions:

Apart from modal verbs, there are a lot of words which also express modality. They are words which express
degrees of certainty or obligation.

be able to: Shows ability


I am / was / will be able / unable to do that.
be supposed to: Shows expectation
I am / was supposed to / not supposed to do that

had better: Shows advisability

79
I had better / better not do that.

have to: Shows necessity or lack of necessity.


I have to/I don’t have to do that.

Negative forms

Negatives are formed by adding ‘not’ after the modal verbs. We don’t use don’t/doesn’t/didn’t with modal verbs.

Modal Verb Negative Form Contracted negative


Can cannot (usually written as one word not two) can’t
Could could not couldn’t
May may not
Might might not mightn’t
Will will not won’t
Shall shall not shan’t
Would would not *wouldn’t
Should should not shouldn’t
Must must not mustn’t

Negative Modals exercises


Exercise 1: Write the negative form of the underlined words. Use a contraction
whenever possible.

1. I can have a cat in my apartment. I …………….. have a dog.

2. You should read the contract carefully. You ……………… sign it without readng it.

3. Your boss must pay you on time. He ……………….. be late with your payments.

4. You may have visitors in your apartment. You …………………….. make a lot of noise.

5. You might get back your security deposit. if you leave your apartment in bad condition,
you ………………………. get all of it back.

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Affirmative statements and questions with a modal
Intermedio
Subject + Modal + Verb (base form) + Complement = Affirmative Statements

Leslie can have a dog in her apartment.

(WH-word) + Modal + Subject + Verb (base form) + Complement = Question with a modal

What can they eat at the restaurant?


Can she have a dog in her apartment?

Statements and questions with modals exercises

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks to complete the question.

Example:
You should read the contract before signing it.
Why should I read the contract before signing it?

1. You can’t have a water bed. Why ……………………………… a water bed?

2. The landlord can’t refuse to rent to a person beacause of race, religion, or nationality.
Why………………………………………….to rent to a person for these reasons?

3. Tenants shouldn’t make a lot of noise in their apartments. Why ………………….............…


a lot of noise?

4. I may have a cat in my apartment. ……………….. have a dog in my apartment?

5. I shouldn’t pay your rent late. Why ………………………the rent early?

Must, Have to, Have got to

The modal must has a very official tone. For nonofficial situations, we usually use have to or have got to.

For formal obligations, use must. Must is often used in legal contracts.
The tenant must pay for the rent on the first day of the month.

We can also use have to or have got to for obligations.


You have to feed your pets everyday.

Must, have to, and have got to express a sense of urgency.

81
You must leave the building immediately. It’s on fire!
You have to leave the building immediately. It’s on fire!
You have got to leave the building immediately. It’s on fire!

Avoid using must for personal obligations. It sounds very official or urgent and is too strong for most situations.
Use have to or have got to.

Must has no past form. The past of both must and have to is had to. Have got to has no past form.

Must, have to, have got to exercises

Exercise 1: Make a list of personal obligations you have.

Example:
I have to help clean the house on the weekends

1. _______________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________________

4. _______________________________________________________________________

Exercise 2: Finish these statements. Practice have got to.

Example:
When you live in the U.S., you’ve got to learn English

1. When I don’t know the meaning of a Word, I’ve got to …………………………………….

2. English is so important in the U.S. We’ve got to ………………………………….………..

3. For this class, you’ve got to………………………………………………………………….

4. if you went an apartment, you’ve got to…………………………………………………..…

5. If you want to drive a car, you’ve got to………………………………………………...…..

82
GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES
Intermedio
A gerund is a noun made from a verb by adding “-ing.” The gerund form of the verb “read” is
“reading.” You can use a gerund as the subject, the complement, or the object of a sentence.

Examples:
• Reading helps you learn English. subject of sentence
• Her favorite hobby is reading. complement of sentence
• I enjoy reading. object of sentence

Gerunds can be made negative by adding “not.”

Examples:
• He enjoys not working.
• The best thing for your health is not smoking.

Infinitives are the “to” form of the verb. The infinitive form of “learn” is “to learn.” You can also use an infini-
tive as the subject, the complement, or the object of a sentence.

Examples:
• To learn is important. subject of sentence
• The most important thing is to learn. complement of sentence
• He wants to learn. object of sentence

Infinitives can be made negative by adding “not.”

Examples:
• I decided not to go.
• The most important thing is not to give up.

Both gerunds and infinitives can be used as the subject or the complement of a sentence. However, as subjects
or complements, gerunds usually sound more like normal, spoken English, whereas infinitives sound more
abstract. In the following sentences, gerunds sound more natural and would be more common in everyday
English. Infinitives emphasize the possibility or potential for something and sound more philosophical. If this
sounds confusing, just remember that 90% of the time, you will use a gerund as the subject or complement of
a sentence.

Examples:
• Learning is important. normal subject
• To learn is important. abstract subject - less common
• The most important thing is learning. normal complement
• The most important thing is to learn. abstract complement - less common

As the object of a sentence, it is more difficult to choose between a gerund or an infinitive. In such situations,
gerunds and infinitives are not normally interchangeable. Usually, the main verb in the sentence determines
whether you use a gerund or an infinitive.

Examples:

83
• He enjoys swimming. “Enjoy” requires a gerund.
• He wants to swim. “Want” requires an infinitive.

Some verbs are followed by gerunds as objects:

ADMIT DISCUSS MIND PUT OFF


APPRECIATE DISLIKE MISS QUIT
AVOID ENJOY PERMIT RECOMMEND
CAN’T HELP FINISH POSTPONE RISK
CONSIDER KEEP PRACTICE SUGGEST

Some verbs are followed by infinitives.

AGREE APPEAR ARRANGE ASK


CARE CHOOSE CLAIM CHOOSE
DECIDE DEMAND DESERVE EXPECT
HAPPEN HOPE INTEND LEARN
PLAN PROMISE REFUSE SEEM

Gerunds can often be modified with possessive forms such as his, her, its, your, their, our, John’s, Mary’s, the
machine’s, and so on. This makes it clearer who or what is performing the action.

Examples:
• I enjoyed their singing. They were singing.
• She understood his saying no to the offer. He said no.
• Sam resented Debbie’s coming late to the dinner. Debbie came late to the dinner.
• We discussed the machine’s being broken. The machine is broken.

There are many “go + gerund” expressions used for adventure sports and individual recreational activities.

go boating go jogging
go bowling go sailing
go camping go shopping
go dancing go sightseeing
go fishing go skating
go hiking go skiing
go hunting go swimming

84
Gerunds are used after prepositions. Most commonly, these are “verb + preposition” combinations.
Intermedio
Examples:
• They admitted to committing the crime.
• Leslie made up for forgetting my birthday.
• He is thinking about studying abroad.

Remember that there are many “adjective + preposition” combinations and “noun + preposition” combinations
in English as well. These are also followed by gerunds.

Examples:
• Sandy is scared offlying. adjective + preposition
• Nick is anxious about taking the examination. adjective + preposition
• His interest in becoming a professional snowboarder was well known. noun + preposition
• Thomas’ story about seeing a grizzly bear was really exciting. noun + preposition

List of Adjective + Preposition Combinations Followed by Gerunds

accustomed to He is accustomed to having his own office.


addicted to She is addicted to watching TV.
afraid of She is afraid of speaking in public.
anxious about Norma is anxious about making the presentation.
bored of I am bored of doing the same old job.
capable of He is capable of winning a gold medal.
committed to She is committed to improving her English.
concerned about Nancy was concerned about being late.
content with Tim is content with winning second place.
dedicated to The organization is dedicated to ending poverty.
devoted to The money will be devoted to protecting the environment.
disappointed with Fiona was disappointed with coming in third place.
discouraged by He was discouraged by not getting the job.
excited about The researcher was excited about going to Africa.
famous for That actor is famous for being extremely weird.
fond of She is fond of having picnics.
frightened of She is frightened of being alone at night.
guilty of The banker was guilty of stealing money.
happy about He was happy about winning the lottery.
interested in She is interested in becoming a doctor.
involved in He was involved in making the movie.
known for She was known for causing problems.
opposed to They are opposed to building a new road in the park.
proud of He was proud of having completed the marathon.

85
remembered for She is remembered for protecting mountain gorillas.
responsible for He is responsible for causing the damage.
scared of Tina is scared of being alone at night.
terrified of The surfer is terrified of being attacked by a shark.
tired from She is tired from working all day.
tired of Margaret is tired of making dinner every night.
worried about The hikers were worried about not having enough water.

List of Noun + Preposition Combinations Followed by Gerunds.

addiction to His addiction to surfing the Internet is a problem.


advantage of He has the advantage of speaking English fluently.
anxiety about Her anxiety about speaking in public caused her to lose the job.
belief in His belief in not harming animals was something he learned
from his mother.
credit for She took credit for improving the filing system.
dedication to His dedication to teaching was impressive.
delay in The delay in processing the visa caused problems.
devotion to His devotion to biking allowed him to win the competition.
disadvantage of The disadvantage of flying is that you can’t see the scenery along the way.
experience in She has a great deal of experience in introducing new products
to international markets.
With the noun “experience,” sometimes a gerund is added without the
preposition “in.” “Experience introducing new products”
would also be acceptable.
fear of His fear of flying made travel difficult.
fondness for Her fondness for traveling led to her career in the travel industry.
habit of His habit of smoking in restaurants caused many problems in California.
interest in Her career as a pilot evolved out of her interest in flying.
knowledge of Her knowledge of climbing helped her during the competition.
love of His love of singing developed when he was a child.
memory of Their memories of traveling in Africa will stay with them forever.

86
preference for I think his preference for speaking his native language is natural.
Intermedio
process of The process of painting such a large mural is more complicated
than you might think.
reaction to His reaction to winning the prize was quite funny.
reason for The main reason for taking the course is to improve your language skills.
regret for The criminal’s regret for committing the crime did not convince the judge.
report on The magazine’s report on choosing the right car was not well researched.
reputation for Her reputation for lying is well known.
responsibility for His responsibility for completing the project on time was acknowledged by
the company.
story about I don’t know if I believe his story about seeing a UFO.
talent for His talent for learning languages was impressive.

Some verbs can be followed by a gerund or an infinitive with little difference in meaning.

can’t bear He can’t bear being alone. He can’t bear to be alone.

can’t stand Nancy can’t stand working the late shift. Nancy can’t stand to work the late shift.

cease The government ceased providing The government ceased to provide
free health care free health care.

continue She continued talking. She continued to talk.


Hate He hates cleaning dishes. He hates to clean dishes.
Like Samantha likes reading. Samantha likes to read.
Love We love scuba diving. We love to scuba dive.
neglect He neglected doing his daily chores. He neglected to do his daily chores.
prefer He prefers eating at 7 PM. He prefers to eat at 7 PM.
propose Drew proposed paying for the trip. Drew proposed to pay for the trip.

Sometimes infinitives are used to express the idea of “in order to do something.”
Examples:
• He bought the English dictionary to look up difficult words. in order to look up
• Janine sold her car to get the money that she needed. in order to get
• Juan uses Englishpage.com to learn English. in order to learn
Expressions and phrasal verbs followed by infinitive:
be about, do one’s best, make up one’s mind, set out, turn out

He was about to start.

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I did my best to learn it.
I haven’t made up my mind to start yet.
It turned out to be your car.
We set out to cut the tree.

Gerunds and Infinitives exercises

Exercise 1: Complete the sentences with the gerund form of the verbs in parentheses.

(cook)…………. is one of her hobbies.


(Get) …………..a good job is not easy
(Find)………… a parking space is quite difficult in this area.
(drive) ………… becomes more and more expensive.
No (smoke)…………. in this area.
(work) …………… overtime is quite common in this company.
(eat)………………..fruits and vegetables is good for your health.
(make)………… fun of other people is not nice.
(learn) ………………… about other cultures makes people more tolerant.

Exercise 2: Gerund or Infinitive? Choose the correct form.

Example:
We felt the plane (shake) shaking in the storm.

1. I’ve always disliked (smoke)………………………….


2. Where did you learn (speak) …………………………..French?
3. Is the exhibition worth (visit)…………………………………..?
4. I don’t mind (get up) …………………… early.
5. We’d love (come)……………………………. with you.
6. She seems (know) ………………………….this place.
7. I’m sorry (hear)…………………………. that Jane is ill.
8. Finally, he set out (find)……………………..his horse.

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9. Dentists recommend (clean) ……………teeth twice a day.
Intermedio
10. My teacher recommended me (study)………………… at university.
11. They chose (take) …………………………… a shower first.
12. I asked him to stop (talk)………………………………..
13. I hate housework. But I like (have)…………………. everything in order.

Exercise 3: Complete each statement with an infinitive phrase.

Example:
It’s easy to ride a bicycle.
It’s necessary for me to go to school everyday.

1. It’s important …………………………………………………………………….

2. It’s impossible ……………………………………………………………………

3. It’s possible ………………………………………………………………………

4. It’s necessary …………………………………………………………………….

5. It’s dangerous…………………………………………………………………….

6. It isn’t good to ……………………………………………………………………

7. It’s expensive …………………………………………………………………….

8. It’s hard ………………………………………………………………………….

Exercise 4: Choose the correct answer.

I remember _____ the Queen in London.

a. meet
b. to meet c. getting
c. meeting d. to getting
d. to meeting

I used _____ to the cinema a lot.


Did you remember _____ the letter?
a. go
a. send b. to go
b. to send c. going
c. sending d. to going
d. to sending I regret _______________ Mary about the we-
ddding.

I’m not used _____ up this early. a. tell


b. to tell
a. get c. telling
b. to get
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d. to telling

Mrs Jones, I regret _______________ you that your credit limit has been exceeded.

a. inform
b. to inform
c. informing
d. to informing

Stop _______________ this terrible noise at once!

a. make
b. to make
c. making
d. to making

I wanted to stop _______________ some presents, but we didn’t have enough time.

a. to
b. to buy
c. buying
d. to buying

Look, it’s starting _______________ .

a. rain
b. to rain
c. raining
d. to raining

I started _______________ English when I was four.

a. learn
b. to learn
c. learning
d. to learning

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Exercise 5: Gerund or Infinitive – Fill in the correct form.
Intermedio
1. Mary enjoys ___________________ to music. (listen)

2. I don’t mind ___________________ the chores. (do)

3. Irregular verbs are not easy ___________________ . (remember)

4. Mathew is really good at ___________________ . (cook)

5. She waited ___________________ a movie ticket. (buy)

6. The doctor encouraged his patients ___________________ healthy food. (eat)

7. My apartment is easy ___________________ . (find)

8. She is interested in ___________________ a doctor. (become)

9. He is saving money ___________________ a new car. (buy)

10. My favorite hobby is ___________________ . (cook)

11. My father helped me ___________________ my homework. (do)

12. I’m sick of ___________________ hamburgers every day. (eat)

Exercise 6: Wite a sentence about yourself using the words given, in any tense.

Example:
like/eat I like to eat Chinese food.
try/find I’m trying to find a new job.

1. like / read
...................................................................................................................................................

2. not like / eat


...................................................................................................................................................

3. want / visit
...................................................................................................................................................

4. decide / go
...................................................................................................................................................

5. begin / study
..................................................................................................................................................

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COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES
1. We use comparatives to compare two things or two people. (e.g She is taller than her husband.)

2. Superlatives are used, however, to compare to show the difference between more than two things or more than
two people. (e.g Paris is the biggest city in France)

3. To form comparatives and superlatives you need to know the number of syllables in the adjective. Syllables
are like “sound beats”.

For instance:
• “find” contains one syllable,
• but “finding” contains two — find and ing.

The rules to form comparatives and superlatives:

1. One syllable adjective ending in a silent ‘e’ — nice


• Comparative — add ‘r’ — nicer
• Superlative — add ‘st’ — nicest

2. One syllable adjective ending in one vowel and one consonant — big
1. Comparative — the consonant is doubled and ‘er’ is added — bigger
2. Superlative — the consonant is doubled and ‘est’ is added — biggest

3. One syllable adjective ending in more than one consonant or more than a vowel
— high, cheap
• Comparative — ‘er’ is added — higher, cheaper
• Superlative — ‘est is added — highest, cheapest

4. A two syllable adjective ending in ‘y’ — happy


• Comparative — ‘y’ becomes ‘i’ and ‘er’ is added — happier
• Superlative — ‘y’ becomes ‘i’ and ‘est’ is added — happiest

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5. Tow syllable or more adjectives without ‘y’ at the end — exciting
Intermedio
• Comparative — more + the adjective + than — more exciting than
• Superlative — more + the adjective + than — the most exciting
Examples:
• The Nile River is longer and more famous than the Thames.
• Egypt is much hotter than Sweden.
• Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
• This is one of the most exciting films I have ever seen.

Irregular comparatives and superlatives

Adjectives Comparatives Superlatives


Bad worse worst
far(distance) farther farthest
far(extent) further furthest
good better best
little less least
many more most
much more most

How to use comparatives and superlatives

Comparatives Superlatives

Comparatives are used to compare two things or two Superlatives are used to compare more than
people and use the word ‘than’: two things or two people. Superlative sentences
Alan is taller than John usually use ‘the’:
Alan is the most intelligent.
Omit than if the second item of comparison is not
included. We often say “one of the” before a superlative
Basketball is popular in the U.S. but football is more form. The noun that follows is plural.
popular. He is one of the best chefs.

Much or a little can come before a comparative We often put a prepositional phrase after a super-
form. lative phrase: in the world, of all time, in the
Interest in soccer in the U.S. is much lower than in U.S., etc.
other countries. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world.

We can show two comparisons in one sentence to


show cause and result.
The more they practice, the better they play.

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Gerunds and Infinitives exercises

Exercise 1: Write down the comparative and superlative forms of the adjectives.

Example:
smart smarter smartest

Adjective Comparative Superlative

bad …………………………….. ……………………………..

regular …………………………….. ……………………………..



exciting …………………………….. ……………………………..

happy …………………………….. ……………………………..

wonderful …………………………….. ……………………………..

clever …………………………….. ……………………………..

friendly …………………………….. ……………………………..

beautiful …………………………….. ……………………………..

clear …………………………….. ……………………………..

few …………………………….. ……………………………..

empty …………………………….. ……………………………..

good …………………………….. ……………………………..

famous …………………………….. ……………………………..

little …………………………….. ……………………………..

strong …………………………….. ……………………………..

boring …………………………….. ……………………………..

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Intermedio
cool …………………………….. ……………………………..

easy …………………………….. ……………………………..

hot …………………………….. ……………………………..

dark …………………………….. ……………………………..

expensive …………………………….. ……………………………..

Exercise 2: Fill in the correct form of the words in parantheses (comparative or superlative).

1. My house is (big)………………………….. than yours.

2. This flower is (beautiful)………………………….. than that one.

3. This is the (interesting)………………………… book I have ever read.

4. Non-smokers usually live (long) ……………………….. than smokers.

5. Which is the (dangerous) ……………………………. animal in the world?

6. A holiday by the sea is (good) ……………….……. than a holiday in the mountains.

7. It is strange but often a coke is (expensive)………………………..…. than a beer.

8. Who is the (rich)………………………. woman on earth?

9. The weather this summer is even (bad)……………………….…. than last summer.

10. He was the (clever) ……………………….. thief of all.

Word order – Comparatives

Put the comparative adjective after the verb be or other linking verbs: seem, feel, look, sound, etc.

Football is more popular than soccer in the U.S.

Football looks more dangerous than soccer.

Put the comparative adverb after the verb (phrase).

Soccer is growing faster than any other sport.

We can put more, less, fewer,better, and worse before a noun.

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There is less interest in hockey than there is in golf.

Soccer players have fewer injuries than football players.

You can put more, less, better, worse, and other comparative forms after a verb (phrase).

My sister likes soccer more than I do.

I play soccer worse than my siser does.

Word order – Superlatives

A superlative adjective comes before a noun or noun phrase.

In golf, the winner scores the fewest points.

What is the most popular sport in the world?

When the verb beconnects a noun to a superlative adjective + noun, there are two possible word orders.

Football is the most popular sport in the U.S. or

The most popular sport in the U.S. is football.

96
Comparatives and Superlatives word order exercises
Intermedio
Exercise 1: Put the words in the correct order to make sentences.

Example:
is the wonderful city New the York most in world.
New York is the most wonderful city in the world.

1. is the wonderful city New the York most in world.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

2. is have ever I met. Jenny girl most beautiful the

………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. is brightest his class. Jack the pupil in

………………………………………………………………………………………………

4. her isn’t as clever brother. as Mary

………………………………………………………………………………………………

5. dress worst have you the bought. is This ever

………………………………………………………………………………………………

6. a A house is flat. usually than bigger

………………………………………………………………………………………………

7. my car comfortable Your car. is more than

………………………………………………………………………………………………

8. truck. than jet is faster A a

………………………………………………………………………………………………

9. A uglier a witch is fairy. than

………………………………………………………………………………………………

10. or for worse. get better They married for

………………………………………………………………………………………………

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11. is I’ve the cake ever This best eaten.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

98
Intermedio
Equality

An adjective or adverb is used to show that two things share a quality in the same amount. A quality shared in
the same amount means that the two things are equal is some way. The form used to make this kind of compa-
rison is as adjective / adverb as.

Adjective Examples:
Our boss is as friendly as yours.
Her vacation lasted as long as her boyfriends vacation.

Adverb Examples:
He works as efficiently as you.
His computer can download files as fast as their computer does.

When we make a comparison of unequal items, we put the lesser item first.
Erik is not as thin as John.
Skiing is not as difficult as mountain climbing.

We can show that two things are equal or not equal in some ways by using:
(not) the same + noun + as.

Erik had the same ability as his teammates.


A soccer ball is not the same shape as a football.

You can omit as in the pattern below:

A soccer ball and a football are not the sameshape.

For equality or inequality with nouns, use (not) the same …..as. For equality or inequality with adjectives and
adverbs, use (not) as …….as or the comparative form.

Noun: He’s not the same age as his wife.


Adjective: He’s not as old as his wife.
His wife is older.
Noun: Those shoes are not the same size as these shoes.
Adjective: Those shoes are not as big as these shoes.
These shoes are bigger.

We show that two things are different by using different from.
Noun 1 is different from Noun 2.

Football is different from soccer.


Noun 1 and Noun 2 are different.
Football and soccer are different.

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Comparatives and Superlatives exercises

Exercise 1: Use either as ... as or not as ... as in the sentences below.

Example:
The blue car is as fast as the red car.

1. The blue car is …………………………………… the red car. (fast)

2. Peter is …………………………………… Fred. (not/tall)

3. The violin is …………………………………… the cello. (not/low)

4. This copy is …………………………………… the other one. (bad)

5. Oliver is …………………………………… Peter. (optimistic)

6. Today it’s …………………………………… yesterday. (not/windy)

7. The tomato soup was …………………………………… the mushroom soup. (delicious)

8. Grapefruit juice is …………………………………… lemonade. (not/sweet)

9. Nick is …………………………………… Kevin. (brave)

10. Silver is …………………………………… gold. (not/heavy)

Similarity with like and alike

We can show that two things are similar (or not) with like and alike.

Like: as a preposition, means “similar to”

My sister looks like Madonna.



A soccer player doesn’t dress like a football player.

You can observe the pattern for the above examples: Noun 1 + verb + like + Noun 2.

Alike: means in the same way

My sister and I look alike.

A soccer player and a football player don’t dress alike.

You can observe the pattern for the above examples: Noun 1 and Noun 2 + verb + alike.

100
Like and Alike exercises
Intermedio
Exercise 1: Complete the following sentences using like or alike

1. The two girls are in looks but they have very different personalities.

2. He is his father.

3. I don’t smoke Peter.

4. I have never heard anything this before.

5. Nobody loves you I do.

6. Americans and people from England don’t sound . They have different accents.

Exercise 2: Make a statement with the words given. Use like or alike.

Example: taste / diet soda / regular soda


Diet soda doesn’t taste like regular soda

or

Diet soda and regular soda don’t taste alike.

1. taste / hot chocolate / coffee

……………………………………………………………………………………………

2. look / an American classroom / a classroom in another country

……………………………………………………………………………………………

3. sound / Asian music / American music

……………………………………………………………………………………………

4. look / salt / sugar

……………………………………………………………………………………………

5. taste / salt / sugar

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Be like

We use be like to talk about similarities (both physical and in character).

101
(Remember to change “be” to the correct form of the verb)

I’m like my sister.


David is like his father.
She’s like her mother.
Who are you like?
My sister and I aren’t like anyone else in our family.

Remember to use the verb “to be” as the auxiliary for questions and negatives:

He isn’t like his mother at all!


Is he like his sister?

PASSIVE VOICE AND


ACTIVE VOICE

Sentences can be active or passive. Therefore, tenses also have “active forms” and “passive forms.”

Active Form
In active sentences, the thing doing the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing receiving the action is
the object. Most sentences are active.

[Thing doing action] + [verb] + [thing receiving action]

Examples:

102
Intermedio
Examples:

The passive voice is not a tense in English. Each tense has its own passive voice which is created by using a
form of the auxiliary verb to be + past participle.

How to formulate

-Put the object of the verb at the beginning of the sentence.

-Conjugate the verb to be in the same tense as the active sentence.

-Put the main verb in the past participle form

-If you want to mention the subject in a passive sentence, use “by.”

Examples:

Active: The mail man delivers the mail.


Passive: The mail is delivered by the mailman.
Active: The decorator is painting my room.
Passive: My room is being painted by the decorator.
Active: Someone stole the money.
Passive: The money was stolen.

Passive voice of different tenses

Simple present:
Active: I do it.
Passive: It is done
Simple future:
Active: I will do it
Simple past:
Passive: It will be done
Active: I did it
Passive: It was done
Present progressive:
Past progressive:
Active: I am doing it
Active: I was doing it
Passive: It is being done
Passive: It was being done

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Future progressive: Past perfect
Active: I will be doing it Active: I had done it.
Passive: It will be being done Passive: It had been done.

Present perfect Future perfect


Active: I have done it. Active: I will have done it
Passive: It has been done Passive: It will have been done.

Passive Voice exercises

Exercise 1: Rewrite the sentences in passive voice.

Example:
John collects money. The money is collected by John

1. Anna opened the window. ……………………………………………………………………..

2. We have done our homework. …………………………………………………………………

3. I will ask a question. …………………………………………………………………………...

4. He can cut out the picture. ……………………………………………………………………..

5. The sheep ate a lot. …………………………………………………………………………….

6. We do not clean our rooms. ……………………………………………………………………

7. William will not repair the car. ……………………………………………………………...…

Exercise 2: Rewrite the sentences in passive voice.

1. She sang a song. ……………………………………………………………………

2. Somebody hit me. ……………………………………………………………………

3. We stopped the bus. ……………………………………………………………………

4. A thief stole my car. ……………………………………………………………………

5. They didn’t let him go. ……………………………………………………………………

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6. She didn’t win the prize. ……………………………………………………………………
Intermedio
7. They didn’t make their beds. ………………………………………………………………

8. I did not tell them. …………………………………………………………………........…

Exercise 3: Decide whether the sentences are written in Active or Passive

Example: They often listen to music. → Active

1. She is reading the newspaper now. → …………………………….

2. These cars are produced in Japan. → …………………………….

3. Alan teaches geography. → …………………………….

4. German is spoken in Austria. → …………………………….

5. Lots of houses were destroyed by the earthquake in 1906. → …………………………….

6. Henry Ford invented the assembly line. → …………………………….

7. The bus driver was hurt yesterday. → …………………………….

8. You should open your workbooks. → …………………………….

9. Houses have been built. → …………………………….

Two objects in an active sentence

When there are two objects in an active sentence, there are two possible active sentences and two possible
passive sentences.

• Sentence 1: The professor gave the studentsthe books.


• Sentence 2: The professor gave the books to the students.

There are two objects in each of the following sentences:


• Object 1 = indirect object → the students
• Object 2 = direct object → the books

An indirect object is very often a person, a direct object a thing. When a direct object is followed by an indirect
one, we put to in front of the indirect object.
Each of the objects (books/students) in the active sentences can become subject in the passive sentence.
Passive sentence 1: The students were given the books (by the professor).
Passive sentence 2: The books were given to the students (by the professor).

105
Passive Sentences with two objects exercises

Exercise 1: Rewrite the given sentences in Passive voice. Sometimes there are two
possible answers (two objects in the active sentence).

Example:
They don’t speak English in this shop. English is not spoken in this shop

1. Kevin asked Dennis a question.

………………………………………………………………………………………..

2. Somebody built the house last year.

…………………………………………………………………………………..

3. She gives him a box.

………………………………………………………………………………..

4. Max will look after him.

………………………………………………………………………………………..

5. The waiter brought Fred a big steak.

………………………………………………………………………………………..

6. Somebody broke into our bungalow last Friday.

………………………………………………………………………………………..

7. The teacher told us a joke.

………………………………………………………………………………………..

8. They will meet Doris at the station.

………………………………………………………………………………………..

9. Michael has not sent me the file.

………………………………………………………………………………………..

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Questions in Passive voice
Intermedio
Questions in Passive are formed with to be and the past participle.

1. Questions without questions words in Passive (Simple Present)

Form of be Subject past participle Yes/No Subject Auxiliary (+ n’t)


Yes, it is.
Is the car repaired By the No, it isnot.
mechanic? No, it isn’t.

Are grapes grown Yes, they are.


in California?
No, they arenot.
No, they aren’t.

2. Questions with questions words in Passive (Simple Present)

Question Form Subject past participle Answer


word of be
The
Where is the car repaired? carisrepaired in the
shop.

Grapes are grown


Why are grapes grown in California because
in
it’s warm and sunny
California?

3. Questions without questions words in Passive (Simple Past)

Form of be Subject past participle Rest Yes/No Subject Auxiliary (+ n’t)


Yes, it was.
to the No, it wasnot.
Was the book taken classroom? No, it wasn’t.

Yes, they were.


Were the students taught at home? No, they werenot.
No, they weren’t.

4. Questions with question words in Passive (Simple Past)

Question Form Subject past participle Answer


word of be
The book was taken to
Where was the book taken? the classroom.

The students were


Why were the students taught taught at home their
at home? school was closed

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Questions in Passive voice exercises

Exercise 1: Change the sentences from the active to the passive

Example:
Did they catch the thief?
Was the thief caught?

1. Do they make cars in Korea?

______________________________________________________

2. Do the hounds kill the fox?

______________________________________________________

3. Did the bull kill the matador?

______________________________________________________

4. Have the police found the body?

______________________________________________________

5. Why has the government banned the film?

______________________________________________________

6. When did they hijack the plane?

______________________________________________________

7. What caused the accident?

______________________________________________________

8. Has anyone cleaned the oven yet?

______________________________________________________

9. Is a doctor going to examine you?

______________________________________________________

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Simple Present tense exercises:
Intermedio
do | does (yes and no questions) /
Keys with answers to exercises 1-2

Exercise 1

Ann: Does he get up early?


Ann: Do they travel by bus?
Ann: Does he teach at the same school?
Ann: Does your brother like English?
Ann: Do you help him with his homework?
Ann: Do Jim and Kevin go to the same class?
Ann: Does Mark eat at a school canteen?
Ann: Do your parents go to work?
Ann: Do they work at a hospital?
Ann: Does your brother want to be a doctor?

Exercise 2

1. Does your parents live in a house? (Do)


2. Do your brother and sister eat meat? (correct)
3. Does Sam works on a computer? (work)
4. Do you think she is your best friend? (correct)
5. Do she thinks you are her best friend? (Does, think)
6. Do Jill’s cat catch mice at night? (Does)
7. Does Claire and Brad help in the garden? (Do)
8. Do Tim’s dogs eat bones? (correct)
9. Does her classmates do their homework? (Do)
10. Does your uncle and aunt watch football on TV? (Do)
11. Do Mike’s friend speaks English? (Does, speak)
12. Do lions live in India? (correct)

Simple Present tense exercises: (wh- questions) |


Keys with answers to exercises 3-4
Exercise 3

Examiner: What do your friends call you?


Examiner: Where do you live?
Examiner: What do you do in your free time?
Examiner: What is your favourite sport?
Examiner: How often do you play basketball?
Examiner: Why don’t you play it more often?
Examiner: And who do you play basketball with?
Examiner: Who is your best friend?
Examiner: What does Marjorie do?
Examiner: Where does she work?

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Exercise 4

1. Who do you stay with?


2. Which car starts first?
3. Why doesn’t Derek eat fruit?
4. What does he think about it?
5. Where do Joe and his wife live?
6. How does your grandpa do it?
7. Who works with you?
8. Which colour do you prefer?
9. Why doesn’t Mary help with housework?
10. What annoys you?
11. Where does he put his bag?
12. How do Mimi and her friend speak?

Simple Present tense exercise: don’t, doesn’t in negative


sentences | Keys with answers to exercises 5-6

Exercise 5

1. The Earth doesn’t move around the Sun 150 thousand kilometers away from it.
It moves around the Sun 150 million kilometers away from it.
2. Tourists don’t go to Africa to see the Niagara Falls.
They go to America to see the Niagara Falls.
3. People in Switzerland don’t speak the Swiss language.
They speak the German, French and Italian languages.
4. The Amazon River doesn’t end in the Pacific Ocean.
It ends in the Atlantic Ocean.
5. The Ayers Rock doesn’t lie in the east of Australia.
It lies in the middle of Australia.
6. The oldest skyscraper in the world doesn’t stand in New York.
It stands in Chicago.
7. The tallest trees in the world don’t grow in France.
They grow in California.
8. The cheetahs don’t run up to 60 kilometers per hour.
They run up to 120 kilometers per hour.
9. The ostrich doesn’t live in Australia.
It lives in Africa.
10. The Japanese people don’t make Nokia mobile phones.
The Finnish people make them.

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Exercise 6
Intermedio
1. A good student doesn’t come late to school.
2. Good students don’t forget to do homework.
3. He/she doesn’t copy other students’ homework.
4. Good students don’t talk to their neighbours during lessons.
5. They don’t eat or drink anything between school breaks.
6. The best student doesn’t make any mistakes in his or her tests.
7. He or she doesn’t cheat.
8. Even the worst students don’t sleep at their desks.
9. Really good students don’t mind going to school.
10. And do you know what a really good student doesn’t like? Holidays!

Present Continuous tense exercises: positive and negative


statements | Keys with answers to exercises 1-5

Exercise 1

1. I am writing an e-mail now.


2. Susan is lying in the bed at the moment.
3. I am staying in Houston this month.
4. Peter is working this week.
5. My mom and dad are cooking now.
6. Oh, no! Look! What is he wearing?
7. Don’t turn off the TV. I am watching it.
8. I can hear Jane. She is coming.

Exercise 2

1. Look. She is watching us.


2. We are staying in Paris this week.
3. My sister is not here. She is doing the shopping.
4. Please, stop! You are singing so loudly!
5. It’s 9 o’clock and I am reading a book.
6. Where is Sam? - He is mending his car.

Exercise 3

1. I am learning English in Oregon this summer.


2. Sarah and Sue are playing in the street at the moment.
3. She is decorating her flat/apartment in New York these days.
4. We are just looking.
5. Luke is taking a shower now.
6. The sun is shining and we are sunbathing.

Exercise 4

1. No, my best friend isn’t (is not) eating a chocolate.


2. No, I’m not (am not) drinking milk right now.
3. No, he isn’t (is not) playing the piano.
4. No, you aren’t (are not) writing this test with me.
5. No, they aren’t (are not) singing a song at the moment.

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6. No, I’m not (am not) wearing my grandma’s shoes today.
7. No, we aren’t (are not) riding bikes just now.
8. No, they aren’t (are not) sitting near me.
9. No, there isn´t (is not) anyone talking to the police.
10. No, Spiderman isn´t (is not) fighting the strongest supervillain in the galaxy.

Exercise 5

1. Simon isn’t (is not) looking at you.


2. I’m not (am not) doing homework just now.
3. We aren’t (are not) jogging in the park.
4. My friend isn’t (is not) selling pizzas.
5. Why aren’t you smiling at us? Why are you not smiling at us?
6. Isn’t the cat eating the food? Is the cat not eating the food?
7. Why aren’t you reading with us? Why are you not reading with us?
8. Aren’t you working on your computer? Are you not working on your computer?

Simple Past tense exercises: Verb to Be as auxiliaries for the


Past Tense | Questions | Negatives | Regular and Irregular Verbs
| Keys with answers to exercises 1-7

Exercise 1: Simple Past – Was, Were

1. Yes, I was a little bit hungry.


2. No, she was not (wasn’t) at school.
3. Yes, my mum was at work. But my dad was not (wasn’t) at work.
4. Peter and Bill were my best friends.
5. No, the stories were not (weren’t) very interesting.
6. Not really. You were much healthier than your brother.
7. Well, Susan was quite good at athletics, but Marion was not (wasn’t) good at any sport.

Exercise 2: Simple Past – Was, Were

A: When were you eighteen years old?


B: I was eighteen years old in 2016.
A: And when were you born?
B: I was born on 30 June.
A: Was your birthday party on the same day?
B: No, it wasn’t. It was a week later.
A: Why wasn’t your birthday party on the same day?

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B: I have a twin brother and he wasn’t at home. He was in France.
Intermedio
A: Were you and your brother born at the same time?
B: No, we weren’t. I was born one hour after him.
A: Were your parents happy to have twins?
B: Yes, they were. But our grandma wasn’t. She was shocked.

Exercise 3: Simple Past - Questions

1. Did Bill arrive on time?


2. Didn’t you know it? Did you not know it?
3. Was Marion at the party?
4. Why did you leave so early?
5. Were they in their office?
6. What did he think of our house?
7. Did Mr. and Mrs. Gregson like the trip?
8. How did you do that?
9. Didn’t they tell you their address? Did they not tell you their address?
10. How did Joe get there?

Exercise 4: Simple Past - Questions

1. Did your students do...?


2. Who went...?
3. Did you work...?
4. Which jeans did you like...?
5. Why were Tim and Greg...?
6. Why didn’t you answer...?
7. Were they not...?
8. Did you have...?

Exercise 5: Simple Past - Negative

1. Victoria didn’t (did not) become... She ruled...


2. “As You Like It” wasn’t (was not)... Shakespeare wrote...
3. Caesar didn’t (did not) die... The Roman senators killed...
4. Botticelli didn’t (did not) create... Leonardo da Vinci painted...
5. Shah Jahan didn’t (did not) build... It was...

Exercise 6: Simple Past - Negative

- I didn’t (did not) have


- I couldn’t (could not)
- I didn’t (did not) get
- I didn’t (did not) catch
- I wasn’t (was not)
- There weren’t (were not)
- I didn’t (did not) want
- it wasn’t (was not)
- I wasn’t (was not)
- I didn’t (did not) listen
- I didn’t (did not) pass
- my parents weren’t (were not)
Exercise 7: regular and irregular verbs

- did
- cleaned
- decided

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- was
- went
- saw
- wanted
- stopped
- could
- happened
- met
- kissed
- were
- tried
- ran
- came
- cried
- said

Past Continuous tense exercises: Affirmative | Questions


| Negatives | Combined Exercise | Keys with answers to
exercises 1-7

Exercise 1: Past Continuous - affirmative Exercise 2: Past Continuous - affirmative

1. was having 1. was cooking


2. were playing 2. was cleaning
3. was watching 3. were sitting
4. was revising 4. was reading
5. were doing 5. was playing
6. was cooking 6. were having
7. were tidying 7. was exercising
8. was doing 8. was ironing
9. were doing
10. was catching
11. was fighting

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Intermedio
Exercise 3: Past Continuous – Questions

1. What were Tim and Matt doing...?


2. Were you swimming...?
3. What was he doing?
4. Wasn’t he just trying | Was he not just trying...?
5. Were they laughing?
6. Was Matt making...
7. Was he watching...?
8. Were you wearing...?

Exercise 4: Past Continuous – Questions

1. Where were they sitting?


2. What were they drinking?
3. What was Simon drinking?
4. Were they eating anything?
5. What was Sharon wearing?
6. How was she looking in her outfit?
7. Were they doing anything special?
8. What were they talking | speaking | chatting about?
9. How was Simon feeling at the restaurant?

Exercise 5: Past continuous – negative

1. I wasn’t (was not) talking


2. I wasn’t (was not) watching
3. You weren’t (were not) wearing
4. You weren’t (were not) doing
5. they weren’t (were not) buying
6. Why weren’t you waiting | Why were you not waiting...?
7. She wasn’t (was not) waving
8. And why wasn’t I looking | Why was I not looking...?

Exercise 6: Past continuous – negative

1. I wasn’t (was not) having


2. Weren’t you playing | Were you not playing?
3. I wasn’t (was not) lying
4. We weren’t (were not) arguing
5. Weren’t Jane and Katy working | Were Jane and Katy not working?
6. Dick wasn’t (was not) sitting
7. They weren’t (were not) doing
8. Wasn’t Mr. Jones driving | Was Mr. Jones not driving?
Exercise 7: Simple Past and Past Continuous: combined exercise - mixed forms

A) Complete the story.


was driving - saw
was watching
stopped - got out
was getting out - ran away
went back
was getting - appeared - sat down
started - didn’t move
jumped out - shouted

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barked - started
followed
saw
were bleeding

B) Make these sentences negative.


1. No, he wasn’t riding
2. No, he didn’t run over
3. No, he didn’t throw
4. No, it wasn’t barking
5. No, it didn’t bite
6. No, they weren’t sitting

C) Make the policeman’s questions.


1. What were you doing ... ?
2. What time did you meet ... ?
3. Were you driving ... ?
4. What did the dog do?
5. How did you find ... ?
6. Did you see ... ?
7. Did you call ... ?

Simple Future tense exercises: Affirmative | Questions |


Negatives | Keys with answers to exercises 1-3

Exercise 1: Simple Future - affirmative

1. You can’t take my car. I will need it next weekend.


2. Waiter, we will have two glasses of orange juice.
3. Do you think we will write a test tomorrow?
4. I will go to the cinema if you help me with the housework.
5. I will work a lot in the evening.
6. Dad can’t take you to the station because he will want to see a football match.
7. I will watch this film!
8. We will visit a museum tomorrow.

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Exercise 2: Simple Future - questions
Intermedio
1. When will Bill arrive?
2. Will your mum not work late tonight?
3. Will Marion be at school tomorrow?
4. What time will you leave?
5. Will your classmates be in their classroom?
6. What will Matt think of my new hairstyle?
7. Will Mr. and Mrs. Gregson enjoy the concert?
8. Will you not stay there till Sunday?
9. How will Joe find the hotel?
10. Will you tell me your email address?

Exercise 3: Simple Future – negatives

1. Don’t leave your keys on the table. You will | won’t forget it.
2. If it doesn’t rains tomorrow, we will | won’t take our umbrellas.
3. Susan will | won’t like it if you come late.
4. Anna will | won’t be on holiday next week. But she promised to write to us.
5. I’m told you are ill. I hope you will | won’t feel better again.
6. I have no idea how to do it. I will | won’t make it.
7. Turn on your laptop tonight. We will | won’t chat a little bit.
8. I will | won’t be a doctor, because I didn’t finish my studies.
9. You needn’t wear your cap. It will | won’t be cold today.
10. I am really tired. I will | won’t rest.

Future Continuous tense exercises: Affirmatives | Questions


| Negatives | Combined Exercise | Keys with answers to
exercises 1-3

Exercise 1: Future Continuous - affirmative

1. This time on Monday he will be driving to the airport.


2. This time on Monday she will be cooking meals at the restaurant.
3. This time on Monday Marion will be having a geography lesson.
4. And her grandma will be seeing a doctor.
5. This time on Monday Ben will be practicing football in his club.
6. And his grandpa will be waiting for grandma at the doctor’s.
7. This time on Monday Samuel will be exercising in a physical education class.
8. But we have no idea what Spot will be doing tomorrow.

Exercise 2: Future Continuous – questions

1. What time will Jack be working on it?


2. Will you still be having your lunch break at one o’clock?
3. Will I be living in Leeds in a few years’ time?
4. Will the tide be coming in at nine tonight?
5. Where will you be sitting during the match?
6. Will he be walking again in a few weeks?
7. What will you be wearing at the party?

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8. Who will you be interviewing tomorrow morning?

Exercise 3: Future Continuous – negatives

1. On my holiday I will be getting up | I won’t be getting up at 6 o’clock as usual.


I want to relax a lot.
2. You are so late! Everybody will be working | won’t be working when you arrive at the office.
3. You think that Derek will be playing | won’t be playing tennis at seven? Why not?
4. Computers will be translating | won’t be translating all texts in a couple of years.
It’s impossible.
5. Mary will be waiting | won’t be waiting in the arrivals hall this time. She is ill.
6. Can I take your camera? You will be using | won’t be using it this morning, will you?
7. The cinema will be showing | won’t be showing any films next week.
8. They will be delivering | won’t be delivering parcels even on 24 December.
9. He can find her easily in her red coat. - But she will be wearing |
won’t be wearing the red coat.
10. I won’t be here this time tomorrow. I will be travelling | I won’t be travelling to Rome.

Simple Future and Future Continuous:


combined exercise - affirmative

Combined Exercise

1. Don’t call me at 10 o’clock. I’ll be flying | I will be flying to Spain.


2. I suppose we’ll stay | we will stay at a hotel next summer.
3. Come to see me in the afternoon. I’ll be working | I will be working in the garden.
4. Do you think it’ll snow | it will snow at the weekend?
5. Is the coat OK.? - Yes, I’ll take | I will take it.
6. This time on Sunday we’ll be skiing | we will be skiing in France.
7. I don’t know if I will stay here. Perhaps I’ll move | I will move to a big city one day.
8. Every student will be using a computer in the near future.

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Present Perfect Tense exercises: Combination Exercises | Tense
Intermedio
Forms | Questions | Negatives | Key with answers 1 - 6

Present Perfect + Simple Past: Combination Exercises | Key with answers 1-2

Combination Exercise 1

A: Have you seen Greg lately?


B: No, I haven’t. I talked to him at the airport two weeks ago. But I haven’t seen him since then.
A: Where did he travel?
B: He flew to Greece for a holiday.
A: I have been to Greece three times. I love Greece.
B: Really? My wife and I spent a week in Turkey last year, but I have never been to Greece.
By the way, has Greg come back yet?
A: I don’t know. I called him yesterday, but there was no reply.

Combination Exercise 2

1. C How long have you worked on it?


2. B But we have lived in a big city for 5 years.
3. C Have you ever driven a car?
4. B She has already gone to school.
5. B Where did you have the lunch?
6. A I’m sorry, I didn’t understand.
7. A Yes, I have known him since 1997.
8. C Has he brought me any postcards?
9. B Yes, I saw him in his office.
10. B She has studied English since she was seven.
11. A Hold on. He has just come.
12. A How long have you been here?

Present Perfect Tense exercises:

Exercise 1: Present Perfect – Tense Forms

1. I have not done it yet.


2. We have already bought the tickets.
3. She has not arrived.
4. They have just lost.
5. I have not found my keys..
6. Has the postman delivered the parcel yet?
7. I have cut my finger.
8. They have worked in Wales since last week.
9. She has been on her holiday for a month. She has just come back.
Exercise 2: Present Perfect – Types of Adverbs

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1. I have never seen a ghost.
2. Has Peter finished his studies yet?
3. Have you ever met anyone famous?
4. What has Greg done since the morning up to now?
5. I have just got back from my holiday.
6. But I have already written to him.
7. My grandma has lived in the same place since she was born.
8. She has been my best friend for a long time.
9. I have recently broken it.
10. How many jobs have you had so far?

Exercise 3: Present Perfect – Types of Adverbs

A. How long have you been unemployed?


B. I have not had any job since May. But I have just applied for a job as a waiter.
A. You have never worked as a waiter.
B. I have helped at a wedding reception twice or three times.
A. Have they contacted you about their choice yet?
B. Nobody has got in touch with me since the interview.
A. And have you written to them?
B. Should I? I have not found the courage to do that so far.
A. If you have not done it yet, you should do it as soon as possible.

Exercise 4: Present Perfect – Affirmatives | Negatives

1. + He has seen his family. - He has not unpacked his luggage.


2. + He has met his friends. - He has not exchanged foreign money.
3. + He has gone out with his girlfriend. - He has not printed any photos.
4. + He has checked his emails. - He has not found a job.
5. + He has rented a flat. - He has not bought a car.

Exercise 5: Present Perfect – Questions | Statements

A. Have you seen Kim yet?


B. But he has already gone to Scotland twice.
B. Unfortunately, I have not studied any foreign languages so far.
A. Have you got the email from me?
A. What has happened to her?
A. Where have you been so long?
A. The sun has disappeared.
B. I have not telephoned her yet.
B. I have just opened the window.

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Intermedio

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