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Grammar focus

Unit 1
Be: positive
PRESENTATION
1 I’m Sue.
2 You’re here to study.
3 She’s sixteen.
4  “What’s this?”  “It’s a country.”
5 We’re from Argentina.
6 They’re here on vacation.

FORM
Be is an irregular verb. Be is the infinitive. It has three different forms in the simple
present tense.

Long form
Subject be
I am Sue.
You are here to study.
He is eleven.
She Spanish.
It a country.
We are students.
You here on vacation.
They from Brazil.

Short form
Subject + be
I’m Sue.
You’re here to study.
He’s eleven.
She’s Spanish.
It’s a country.
We’re students.
You’re here on vacation.
They’re from Brazil.

Tip
The verb be follows the subject.
I‘m Anna.
You‘re my friend.
He‘s Polish.
She‘s from Japan.
It‘s a good book.
We‘re students.
They‘re from Brazil.

Wide Angle  1  Unit 1  Grammar focus 1


Tip
We use short forms in spoken English.
I am → I’m  You are → You’re  He is → He’s, etc.

USE
We can use be for name, age, nationality, and jobs.
I’m Anna, I’m fifteen, and I’m from Germany.
He’s Phil, he’s American, and he’s a teacher.
We’re students and we’re from Brazil.
We can use be with here.
I’m here on vacation.
He’s here on business.
We’re here to study.

Subject pronouns
PRESENTATION
1  I love you!
2  We‘re going to watch TV now.
3  She never does her homework.
4  “Where’s my phone?”  “It‘s under the chair.”
5 Are you ready?
6 Can they speak Italian?
7 Does he live in Canada?

FORM
Subject pronoun
I
you
he
she
it
we
you
they

We can form short forms with subject pronouns and some verbs.
I + am → I’m
you + have → you’ve

Tip
We always write I with a capital letter.
I think I‘m late.
You is the same form for singular and plural.

USE
We use pronouns in place of nouns. The subject pronoun goes before a verb in positive and
negative sentences.
I love you!
We‘re going to watch TV now.
She never does her homework.
“Where’s my phone?”  “It‘s under the chair.”

Wide Angle  1  Unit 1  Grammar focus 2


In questions, the subject pronoun goes after the verb or between the parts of the verb.
Are you ready?
Can they speak Italian?
Does he live in America?
We use an object pronoun, not a subject pronoun, after the verb be.
“Who’s there?”  “It’s me—Ed.”
That’s her over there.
For more information on object pronouns, see Object pronouns.

Tip
We can’t leave a subject pronoun out of the sentence.
He‘s a doctor.  (NOT  Is doctor.)

Be: yes/no questions and short answers


PRESENTATION
1  “Are you from France?”  “Yes, I am.”
2  “Is she a teacher?”  “No, she isn’t.”
3  “Is it Monday today?”  “No, it isn’t.”
4  “Are they from Japan?”  “Yes, they are.”

FORM
We form yes/no questions with:
Am/Are/Is + subject?
Yes/no questions (?)
Be subject
Am I a student?
from Italy?
Are you
Is he
Is she
Is it
Are we students?
from Italy?
Are you
Are they

We form short answers with:


Yes + subject + am/are/is.
No + subject+ ‘m not/aren’t/isn’t.
Short answers
Positive (+) Negative (−)
Yes, I am. No, I’m not.
Yes, you are. No, you aren’t. OR You’re not.
Yes, he is. No, he isn’t. OR He’s not.
Yes, she is. No, she isn’t. OR She’s not.
Yes, it is. No, it isn’t. OR It’s not.
Yes, we are. No, we aren’t. OR We’re not.
Yes, you are. No, you aren’t. OR You’re not.
Yes, they are. No, they aren’t. OR They’re not.

Wide Angle  1  Unit 1  Grammar focus 3


Tip
In positive short answers, we don’t use short forms.
“Is he a doctor?”  “Yes, he is.” (NOT  Yes, he’s.)

USE
We can use be with questions to ask about name, age, nationality, and jobs.
We use be in the simple present to ask about people, jobs and days of the week.
“Are you from Italy?”  “Yes, I am.”
“Is she a doctor?”  “Yes, she is.”
“Are they from Germany?”  “No, they aren’t.”
“Are they from America?”  “No, they aren’t. They’re from Canada.”
“Is it Monday today?”  “No, it isn’t. It’s Tuesday.”

Be: wh- questions


PRESENTATION
1  “What’s your name?”  “Emma.”
2  “How is your mother?”  “She’s fine now.”
3  “How old are you?”  “I’m thirty.”
4  “Where are you from?”  “Syria.”
5  “What’s your phone number?”  “It’s 978-555-1349.”
6  “Who’s your teacher?”  “Ed Lewis.”
7  “When/What time is the class?”  “Four o’clock.”
8  “Why are you happy?”  “Because it’s the weekend!”

FORM
We can form wh- questions with be.
Question word + am/is/are + subject?
Question word be subject
What is your name?
Where are you from?
Who is your teacher?
When is the class?
Why are you happy?
How old are you?

USE
We use be with question words to ask about name, age, and nationality.
“What’s your name?”  “I’m Anna./My name’s Anna.”
“Where are you from?”  “I’m from Germany.”
“How old are you?”  “I’m fifteen years old.”

Question words
Word Information
What name
Where nationality
How old age

We use different question words with be to ask about different types of information.
“What’s your name?”  “Emma.”
“Where are you from?”  “Syria.”
“Who’s your teacher?”  “Ed Lewis.”
Wide Angle  1  Unit 1  Grammar focus 4
“When/What time is the class?”  “Four o’clock.”
“Why are you happy?”  “Because it’s the weekend!”
“How old are the students?”  “Fifteen.”
“How is your mother?”  “She’s fine now.”

Question words
Word Information
What things and people
Where places
Who people
When/What time time
Why reasons
How old age
How the way we do something

Be: negative
PRESENTATION
1 I’m not French.
2 You aren’t a doctor.
3 He isn’t Jack.
4 It isn’t Friday.
5 We aren’t singers.
6 They aren’t from Turkey.

FORM
We use not to make be negative.

Long form
Subject be not
I am not French.
You are a teacher.
He is Max.
She Sarah.
It Tuesday.
We are doctors.
You students.
They from Italy.

Short form
I + be not
I’m not French.
Subject be + not
You aren’t a teacher.
He isn’t Max.
She Sarah.
It Tuesday.
We aren’t doctors.
You students.
They from Italy.

Wide Angle  1  Unit 1  Grammar focus 5


Tip
We use short forms in spoken English.
I am not → I’m not.  (NOT  I amn’t.)
You are not → You aren’t/You’re not
He is not → He isn’t/He’s not
She is not → She isn’t/She’s not
It is not → It isn’t/It’s not
We are not → We aren’t/We’re not
They are not → They aren’t/They’re not

USE
We use be + not to say that something is not true.
I’m not French.
It isn’t Friday today.
They aren’t students.
I’m not French—I’m from Canada.
It isn’t Friday today—it’s Saturday.
They aren’t students—they’re teachers.
I’m not here on business—I’m here to study.

Wide Angle  1  Unit 1  Grammar focus 6


Unit 2
Nouns: singular and plural
PRESENTATION
1  I don’t have an orange.
2  I eat five vegetables every day.
3 My children are three and five years old.

FORM
Most nouns have a singular form and a plural form.
We use:
a/an + singular noun
We use an with singular nouns that start with a vowel.
an apple (NOT  a apple)

Singular
a/an noun
+ I have a banana.
an apple.
− I don’t have a tomato.
an orange.

PLURAL NOUNS
Most nouns, add -s.
apple → apples
banana → bananas

Tip
Add -es after -x, -sh, -ss, -ch, and sometimes after -o.
box → boxes
dish → dishes
kiss → kisses
beach → beaches
tomato → tomatoes
Change -y to -ies.
party → parties
Some plural nouns are irregular. We don’t form the plural with -s or -es.
some women (NOT  some womans)
three children (NOT  three childs)
five men (NOT  five mans)
a lot of people (NOT  a lot of persons)

Demonstrative adjectives: this, that, these, and those


PRESENTATION
1  This coat‘s warm.
2  That scarf‘s nice. Is it new?
3  Those shoes are beautiful. Are they new?
4  “Where are those people from?”  “They’re from Spain.”

Wide Angle  1  Unit 2  Grammar focus 7


FORM
Near Not near
Singular this chair that chair
Plural these chairs those chairs

USE
We use this or these with nouns to talk about people or things that are near us. They go
before the noun.
This chair‘s comfortable.
These cups are dirty.
We use that or those with nouns to talk about people or things that aren’t near us.
That cafe‘s open.
“Where are those people from?”  “They’re from Spain.”
Those trees are tall.
I don’t like those shoes.
We use this or that with singular nouns.
This book‘s exciting.
That jacket‘s expensive.
We use these or those with plural nouns.
These apples are nice.
I like those chocolates.

Demonstrative pronouns: this, that, these, and those


PRESENTATION
1  This is my wallet.
2  That‘s Maya’s computer.
3  These are my children.
4  Those are Tom’s books.
5  “What’s this?”
6  “What’s this/that in English?”
7  “What are these/those in English?”
8  “Who’s that?”  “That’s my friend, Sonny.”

FORM
Near Not near
Singular This is my bag. That is her computer.
Plural These are her pens. Those are his books.

Tip
We can use a short form with that.
That’s (That is) my dictionary.
We use the full form with this, these, and those.
This is Kate’s bicycle. (NOT  This’s Kate’s bicycle.)
These are Tom’s books. (NOT  These’re Tom’s books.)

USE
We use this or these with is/are to talk about things or people that are near us.
This is my phone.
These are my friends.
These are my children.

Wide Angle  1  Unit 2  Grammar focus 8


We use that or those with is/are to talk about things or people that aren’t near us.
That’s her bicycle.
Those are her shoes.
We use this or that when we talk about singular nouns.
This is your scarf.
That’s my car.
We use these or those when we talk about plural nouns.
These are my books.
These are my new glasses. Do you like them?
Those are her cookies.
Those are beautiful shoes! Are they new?
We can use this or that to introduce people.
“Hi, Karen.”  “This is my friend Jack.”
“Who’s that?”  “That‘s Tom.”
We can use this, that, these or those in wh- questions to ask about people or things. We can
reply with it or they.
“What’s that?”  “It’s a present for Sue.”
“What’s this in English?”  “It’s a bag.”
“What are those in English?”  “They’re pens.”
“Who’s that?”  “That‘s my friend, Sonny.”

Possessive ‘s
PRESENTATION
1  This is Maya’s coat.
2  Are these Sarah’s books?
3  She’s Tom’s sister.
4  These are Jack and Karen’s children.

FORM
Name + ‘s noun
Maya’s coat
Sarah’s books
Tom’s sister
Jack and Karen’s children

USE
We use possessive ‘s to talk about things or people that belong to a person, place, or thing.
We use it with singular or plural nouns.
We use ‘s to talk about possessions with names.
It’s Maya’s coat.
They’re Sarah’s books.
She’s Tom’s sister.
These are Jack and Karen’s children.
We use possessive ‘s with names or words that end with s.
Where is Ross’s bag?
This is my boss’s pen.
We use possessive ‘s with the last name in a list.
This is Kevin and Emma’s house. (NOT  This is Kevin’s and Emma’s house.)
These are Jack and Karen’s children.

Wide Angle  1  Unit 2  Grammar focus 9


We can use This is + singular noun or These are + plural noun with possessive ‘s to talk about
things.
This is Sarah’s book.
These are Sarah’s books.
We can use Subject + be (I’m, You’re, He’s, etc.) with possessive ‘s when we talk about people.
She’s Tom’s sister.
We’re Tom’s friends.
We can use possessive ‘s with a possessive adjective and noun.
This is my father’s phone.
Your brother’s car goes fast.
We add ‘ (not ‘s) to a plural noun that ends with s.
This is my parents’ house. (NOT  This is my parents’s house.)

Tip
Possessive ‘s does not have a long form.
It’s Maya’s coat.  OR  It is Maya’s coat. (NOT  It is Maya is coat.)

Possessive adjectives
PRESENTATION
1  My family lives in Miami.
2  I have your keys.
3  His name is Max.
4  She’s an artist. I like her paintings.
5  The hotel has nine rooms. Its rooms are big.
6  Our house is always messy.
7  Your friends are very nice.
8 That’s their new house.

FORM
Subject pronoun Possessive adjective
I my
you your
he his
she her
it its
we our
you your
they their

Subject pronoun Possessive adjective


I’m Spanish. My family is from Miami.
You’re tall. Your sister is tall.
He’s a student. His name is Max.
She’s an artist. Her paintings are good.
It’s a good hotel. Its rooms are big.
We’re students. Our school is new.
You’re friends. Your brothers are friends.
They’re sisters. Their parents are old.

Wide Angle  1  Unit 2  Grammar focus 10


Tip
Possessive adjectives have one form for singular and plural nouns.
our friend   our friends (NOT  ours friends)

USE
We use possessive adjectives with a noun to show that something belongs to somebody, that
is, to talk about possessions.
Our house is messy.
I have your keys.
We use possessive adjectives to talk about family and friends.
My family is from Miami.
My family lives in Miami.
Your friends are nice!
Our children have brown eyes.
These are our children.
We use possessive adjectives to talk about appearance.
Her eyes are blue.
Your hair is beautiful.
My eyes are brown and my hair is black.

Tip
We don’t use the with possessive adjectives.
It’s my bag. (NOT  It’s the my bag.)

Wide Angle  1  Unit 2  Grammar focus 11


Unit 3
There is…/There are…
PRESENTATION
1  There’s an airport.
2  There are some restaurants.

FORM
Singular Plural
Positive (+) There’s an airport. There are some restaurants.

Tip
We often use short forms.
There is → There’s  (NOT  There’re)

USE
We use There is/There are to talk about things that are in a place.
In my town there’s a river.
There are some books on the table.
We also use There is/There are to give some new information.
There’s a new girl in our class.
There are two people in our yard. What are they doing?
We use a/an with singular countable nouns.
There’s a museum, but there isn’t a lake.
We also use There is with the number one.
There’s only one cookie—it’s for you!
We use There are + some or a number with plural countable nouns.
There are two farms near us.
There are some sandwiches for lunch.

Tip
In a list of things, we use There is if the first word is singular and There are if the first word is
plural.
In the hotel, there is a swimming pool, a store, and sixty rooms.
There are some restaurants, a bar, and an old church.

There is…/There are…: negative and questions


PRESENTATION
1  There isn’t a hotel.
2  There aren’t any museums.
3  “Is there a railway station?”  “No, there isn’t.”
4  “Are there any stores?”  “Yes, there are.”

FORM
Singular Plural
Negative (–) There isn’t a hotel. There aren’t any museums.
Questions (?) Is there a railway station? Are there any stores?
Short answers Yes, there is. Yes, there are.
No, there isn’t. No, there aren’t.

Wide Angle  1  Unit 3  Grammar focus 12


Tip
We often use short forms.
There is not → There isn’t
There are not → There aren’t
We can use short forms in short negative answers but not in short positive answers.
“Is there any orange juice?”  “Yes, there is.” (NOT  Yes, there’s.)
“Are there any bananas?”  “Yes, there are.” (NOT  Yes, there’re.)

USE
We use There aren’t any with plural countable nouns in negative sentences.
There aren’t any mountains here.
We use Is there…?/Are there…? to ask about things in a place. We usually answer yes/no
questions with short answers. We use a/an with singular countable nouns in questions.
“Is there a beach?”  “No, there isn’t.”
We use any before plural nouns in questions.
“Are there any flowers in your yard?”  “Yes, there are.”
We can use There aren’t many with plural nouns to say there are fewer than we expect.
There aren’t many tables in the restaurant.

Imperatives
PRESENTATION
1  Throw the ball!
2  Don’t run!
3 Shhh… Be quiet!
4  The movie starts at seven. Don’t be late!
5  Have fun!

FORM
We form positive imperatives with the verb.

Positive (+)
Verb
Run!
Throw the ball!
Be quiet!
Put your bag on the table!

We form negative imperatives with Don’t + verb!

Negative (–)
Don’t verb
Don’t run!
throw the ball!
be quiet!
put your bag on the table!

We usually use the short form (Don’t), but we sometimes use the full form (Do not) in formal
writing.

Wide Angle  1  Unit 3  Grammar focus 13


USE
We use imperatives to say what we want someone to do.
Run!  Throw the ball!
We use Don’t + verb! to say what we don’t want someone to do.
Don’t run!  Don’t throw the ball! 
We use the verb be with adjectives.
Be quiet!   Don’t be late!
We can use have with some nouns.
Have fun!   Have a nice day!

Tip
We don’t use an exclamation mark with ordinary instructions, directions, and offers.
Open the window, please. (NOT  Open the window, please!)
Turn right. (NOT  Turn right!)
Have a seat. (NOT  Have a seat!)

Wide Angle  1  Unit 3  Grammar focus 14


Unit 4
Simple present: positive
PRESENTATION
1 I live in Abu Dhabi and I teach at the university.
2 I have a great job.
3 She works from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
4 She has lunch at work.
5 Classes start at 7:30  a.m. and finish at 2 p.m.
6  In the evenings, I study and watch TV.
7  All animals need water.
8 I like French movies.

FORM
Subject verb
I teach at the university.
You
He starts work at 7 a.m.
She at 7 p.m.
It
We live in Abu Dhabi.
You
They

Tip
Spelling rules
We add -s to the verb with he/she/it.
She starts work at 7 a.m.
We add -es to verbs ending in -o, -s, -x, -z, -ch, and -sh with he/she/it.
He goes to the university.
Class finishes at 2  p.m.
We change -y to -ies after a consonant with he/she/it.
I study every day. → She studies every day.
Compare:
I pay for our food. → He pays for our food.
Have is irregular.
He has breakfast at 8  a.m.

USE
We use the simple present to talk about our lives and things we do every day/week, etc.
I live in Cape Town.
I get up at six o’clock.
School starts at 8:30  a.m. and it finishes at 3  p.m.
I start work at 7 a.m. and I finish at 2 p.m.
I study in the evenings.
On Saturdays, I get up at 10  a.m.
We use the simple present to talk about facts, things that don’t change.
The President lives in the White House.
All animals need water.
We also use the simple present to talk about feelings and opinions.
We like French movies.
I think this is a good book.

Wide Angle  1  Unit 4  Grammar focus 15


We use the simple present with have (not have got) to talk about some actions.
I have breakfast at seven o’clock.

Tip
We use at for times and meals.
at two o’clock  at breakfast
We use in for parts of the day, months, seasons, and years.
in the evening  in May  in the summer  in 2019
We use on for days of the week.
I watch TV on Saturday.
We use in/on + plural to mean “every.”
I study in the evenings (= every evening).
He works on Saturdays (= every Saturday).

Simple present: yes/no questions and short answers


PRESENTATION
1  “Do you like your job?”  “Yes, I do.”
2  “Does she live in Seattle?”  “No, she doesn’t.”
3  “Does it rain a lot?”  “Yes, it does.”
4  “Do they speak French?”  “No, they don’t.”
5  “Does he go to work on Saturdays?”  “Yes, he does.”
6  “Does the town have a good restaurant?”  “No, it doesn’t.”

FORM
We form yes/no questions in the simple present with:
Do/Does + subject + verb?
Yes/no questions (?)
Do/Does subject verb
Do I go to concerts?
you
speak Italian?
Does he know Mike?
she
like football?
it
Do we
you
they

We form short answers with:


Yes + subject + do/does.
No + subject + don’t/doesn’t.
Short answers
Positive (+) Negative (–)
Yes, I do. No, I don’t.
Yes, you No, you
Yes, he does. No, he doesn’t.
Yes, she No, she
Yes, it No, it
Yes, we do. No, we don’t.
Yes, you No, you
Yes, they No, they

For more information on yes/no questions, see Be: yes/no questions and short answers.
Wide Angle  1  Unit 4  Grammar focus 16
Tip
In questions, we don’t add -s or -es to the verb for he/she/it.
Does she go to work on Saturdays? (NOT  Does she goes to work on Saturdays?)
In short answers, we use do/don’t or does/doesn’t. We don’t use the main verb.
“Do you like pizza?”  “Yes, I do.” (NOT  Yes, I like.)
“Does she speak Japanese?”  “No, she doesn’t.” (NOT  No, she doesn’t speak.)

USE
We use simple present questions to ask about people’s lives and things we do every day/
week, etc. We usually answer with a short answer.
“Do you live in an apartment?”  “Yes, I do.”
“Does he work in an office?”  “No, he doesn’t.”
We also use the simple present to ask about feelings, opinions and facts.
“Do you like Turkish music?”  “Yes, I do.”
“Do the teachers speak Polish?”  “No, they don’t.”
“Does it rain a lot?”  “Yes, it does.”

Simple present: negative


PRESENTATION
1 I don’t teach math.
2 She doesn’t walk to school.
3 We don’t work in an office.
4 They don’t drive to work.
5 He doesn’t have lunch.
6  The village doesn’t have a hospital.
7  The buses don’t go to the train station.

FORM
We form the simple present negative with:
Subject + don’t/doesn’t + verb.
Subject don’t/doesn’t verb
I don’t teach math.
You
walk to school.
He doesn’t speak French.
She
It
We don’t drive to work.
You
like football.
They
watch TV.

Don’t is the short form of do not. Doesn’t is the short form of does not. We usually use short
forms, but we sometimes use the full forms in writing.

USE
We use the simple present negative to talk about our lives and things we do every
day/week, etc.
We don’t live in Rome.
I don’t get up early.
School doesn’t start at 7  a.m.
We also use the simple present negative to talk about feelings and opinions.
I don’t like pizza.
We don’t think it’s a funny movie.

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We use the simple present negative to talk about facts and things that don’t change.
She doesn’t speak French.
Camels don’t need water every day.
We use have with the simple present negative to talk about some actions.
I don’t have breakfast.
She doesn’t have a headache.

Tip
In the negative, we don’t add -s or -es to the verb for he/she/it.
She doesn’t walk to school. (NOT  She doesn’t walks to school.)

Wide Angle  1  Unit 4  Grammar focus 18


Unit 5
Adverbs: always, usually, often, sometimes, and never
PRESENTATION
1 I always get up early.
2 I usually have toast for breakfast.
3 Karen is often at home on Saturdays.
4 I sometimes listen to music at work.
5 They never take the train.
6 I don’t always have breakfast.

FORM
Positive (+)
Subject adverb verb
I always get up early.
usually
You get up
often
He sometimes gets up
She never
It
We get up
You
They

Negative (–)
Subject don’t/doesn’t adverb infinitive without to
I don’t always have breakfast.
usually
You don’t
often
He doesn’t
She
It
We don’t
You
They

USE
We use adverbs of frequency with the simple present to say how often we do something.

100% 0%
always usually often sometimes never

We usually put the adverb between the subject and the verb.
Andy never gets up before eight o’clock.
He hardly ever has breakfast.
With the verb be, the adverb comes after the verb.
Karen is often at home on Saturdays.
We can use always, usually, and often in the negative after don’t/doesn’t.
I don’t always have breakfast. (= I sometimes do.)
I don’t usually/often get up early. (= I hardly ever do.)
We don’t use a negative verb with never.
It never rains in the summer. (NOT  It doesn’t never rain in the summer.)

Wide Angle  1  Unit 5  Grammar focus 19


Like/love/hate + -ing forms
PRESENTATION
1  I like traveling.
2  She hates singing.
3  He doesn’t like reading.
4  We don’t enjoy running.
5  “Does she like going out?”  “Yes, she does. / No, she doesn’t.”
6  “What do you like doing in your free time?”  “I like listening to music.”
7  My hobby is painting.

FORM
We can use the -ing form of a verb as a noun. It can be the object or subject of the verb.
Subject + verb + -ing form.
Subject verb -ing form (object)
I like singing.
You don’t like dancing.
running.
He enjoys
swimming.
She doesn’t enjoy
reading.
It
painting.
We love
You hate
They don’t like

We form questions with:


Do/Does + subject + verb + -ing form?

Do/Does subject verb -ing form (object)


Do I like going out?
you enjoy swimming?
reading?
Does he
she
it
Do we
you
they

We form wh- questions with:


What/Where/Where, etc. + do/does + subject + verb + -ing form?

What do/does subject verb -ing form (object)


What do I like doing?
you
does he
she
it
do we
you
they

Wide Angle  1  Unit 5  Grammar focus 20


Tip
Spelling rules
Most verbs add -ing read →  reading  
sing →  singing
Verbs that end in -e remove the e and add -ing dance → dancing 
ride → riding
Verbs that end in vowel + consonant double the consonant and add -ing run → running 
swim → swimming

USE
We use the -ing form with verbs like like/love/enjoy/hate to talk about things that we like or
don’t like doing.
I love running.
He hates swimming.
Ed doesn’t like dancing.
They don’t enjoy reading.
We use the -ing form in wh- questions to ask general questions about things that we like or
don’t like doing.
“What do you like doing in your free time?”  “I love making cakes.”
“What do your friends like doing?”  “They like listening to music.”
We use the -ing form in yes/no questions to ask about particular things that we like or don’t
like doing. We often reply with a short answer.
“Do you enjoy running?”  “Yes, I do.”
“Does he like reading?”  “No, he doesn’t.”

Tip
Remember to use -s with he/she/it in positive sentences.
She likes reading. (NOT  She like reading.)
We use don’t/doesn’t in negative sentences.
I don’t like swimming.
Sam doesn’t enjoy running.

Tip
We can also use like/love/hate with a noun to talk about things that we like or don’t like.
Sarah loves sports.
She doesn’t like cats.
Ed loves comics, but he hates books.

Simple present: wh- questions


PRESENTATION
1  “Where do you live?”  “In Cambridge.”
2  “What color are her sneakers?”  “Red and white.”
3  “What time does the class start?”  “At 9:15.”
4  “What do you do in the evening?”  “I watch TV.”
5  “How do you get to work?”  “By bus.”
6  “Why do they like football?”  “Because it’s exciting.”
7  “What’s your favorite restaurant?”  “Rioshi’s, on Sanur Road.”

Wide Angle  1  Unit 5  Grammar focus 21


FORM
We form wh- questions in the simple present with:
Question word + do/does + subject + verb?
Question word do/does subject verb
What do I need?
Where you live?
When does the class start?
What time do we get up?
How you get to school?
Why they like football?

Tip
Remember to use do/does in wh- questions—does for he/she/it and do for all the other
subjects.
Where do you live? (NOT  Where you live?)
What does she want? (NOT  What she wants?)

USE
We use different question words to ask about different types of information.

Question words
Word Information
What things and activities
Who people
When/What time time
Where places
How way/manner
Why reasons

“Where does he work?”  “In an office.”


“What do you do in the evenings?”  “I watch TV or listen to music.”
“Who do you know in the class?”  “Anna and Kate.”
“What time does the concert start?”  “At 7 p.m.”
“How do you get to school?”  “I walk.”
“How do you get to work?”  “By train.”
“Why do they like football?”  “Because it’s exciting!”
We can also use question words with the verb be.
“What’s your favorite restaurant?”  “Rioshi’s, on Sanur Road.”
“What color are her sneakers?”  “Red and white.”
For more information on question words with be, see Be: wh- questions.

Wide Angle  1  Unit 5  Grammar focus 22


Unit 6
Can and can’t
PRESENTATION
1 I can swim.
2 You can’t remember my name.
3 She can speak Hungarian.
4 He can’t understand the movie.
5 You can use a camera.
6 They can’t dance.

FORM
We use a verb after can and can’t.
Subject + can/can’t + verb.
Positive (+)
Subject can verb
I can swim.
You
run fast.
He
She play football.
It speak English.
We
You
They

Negative (–)
Subject can’t verb
I can’t swim.
You
run fast.
He
She play football.
It speak English.
We
You
They

Can’t is the short form of cannot. We usually use the short form, but we sometimes use the
full form in formal writing.

Tip
We do not add -s to can or can’t with he/she/it.
He can speak Spanish. (NOT  He cans speak Spanish.)
She can’t write. (NOT  She can’ts write.)
We don’t use do/does with can or can’t.
I can’t swim. (NOT  I don’t can swim.)

USE
We use can to talk about things we can do. We use can’t to talk about things we can’t do.
I can dance, but I can’t sing.

Wide Angle  1  Unit 6  Grammar focus 23


Can: yes/no questions and short answers
PRESENTATION
1  “Can you swim?”  “Yes, I can.”
2  “Can he drive a car?”  “No, he can’t.”

FORM
To make questions with can, we change the order of the subject and can.
Can + subject + verb?
Questions (?)
Can subject verb
Can I ski?
you
ride a horse?
he
she play the piano?
it speak Italian?
we
you
they

We don’t use do/does when we make questions with can.


Can you ride a bike? (NOT  Do you can ride a bike?)
Can you drive? (NOT  Do you can drive?)
Can he paint? (NOT  Does he can paint?)

Short answers
Positive (+) Negative (–)
Yes, I can. No, I can’t.
Yes, you No, you
Yes, he No, he
Yes, she No, she
Yes, it No, it
Yes, we No, we
Yes, you No, you
Yes, they No, they

We don’t repeat the other verb in short answers with can/can’t.


“Can you cook?”  “Yes, I can.” (NOT  Yes, I can cook./Yes, I cook.)
“Can she make a cake?”  “No, she can’t.” (NOT  No, she can’t make a cake./No, she can’t make.)

USE
We use can to ask if someone can do something.
We usually answer yes/no questions with short answers.
“Can you speak English?”  “Yes, I can.”
“Can they swim?”  “No, they can’t.”

Tip
We can also answer a yes/no question with just yes or no.
“Can he play the piano?”  “Yes.”
“Can they speak Chinese?”  “No.”

Wide Angle  1  Unit 6  Grammar focus 24


Adverbs of manner
PRESENTATION
1  Grandma walks slowly.
2  She worked happily all day.
3  I closed the window quietly.
4  Anna plays tennis well.
5  Jenna runs fast.

FORM
We form most adverbs by adding -ly to the adjective.

Adverbs of manner
Most adjectives add -ly bad → badly 
quiet → quietly 
slow → slowly
Adjectives that end in -y change -y to -ily easy → easily 
happy → happily

Some adverbs are irregular and don’t end in -ly. You have to learn these.
good → well  fast → fast

USE
We use adverbs of manner to talk about how we do things.
Tom talks quietly.
Grandma walks slowly.
She worked happily all day.
Sam sings well.
Jenna runs fast.

Wide Angle  1  Unit 6  Grammar focus 25


Unit 7
Simple past of be: positive and negative
PRESENTATION
1 I was a happy child.
2 We were in Lisbon last weekend.
3 She wasn’t in class yesterday.
4 They weren’t at work on Friday.
5  His parents were rich.
6 We weren’t poor.
7  The food wasn’t hot—it was cold.
8 There was a hospital in the town.
9 There were six students at the party.

FORM
Was and wasn’t (was not) are the past forms of is, isn’t, am, and am not.
Were and weren’t (were not) are the past forms of are and aren’t.

Positive (+)
Subject was/were
I was happy then.
lonely.
You were
in class yesterday.
He was
She
It
We were
You
They

Negative (–)
Subject wasn’t/weren’t
I wasn’t cold in the park.
rich.
You weren’t
at home last night.
He wasn’t
She
It
We weren’t
You
They

USE
We use was/were to talk about the past.
We often use was/were with past time expressions, e.g., last week, in 2003, 500 years ago,
yesterday.
We were in Paris last week.
It wasn’t very hot yesterday.
We use There was/There were to talk about things in the past.
There was a hospital in the town.
There were six students at the party.

Wide Angle  1  Unit 7  Grammar focus 26


Tip
We use was/were with born.
I was born in 1998. (NOT  I am born in 1998.)

Simple past with be: yes/no questions


PRESENTATION
1  “Was she at home last night?”  “No, she wasn’t.”
2  “Were they students in 2012?”  “Yes, they were.”
3  “Was your new jacket expensive?”  “No, it wasn’t.”
4  “Was there a movie theater in your town?”  “Yes, there was.”
5  “Were there lots of people at the party?”  “No, there weren’t.”

FORM
We form yes/no questions with be in the simple past with:
Was/Were + subject (I, you, he, etc.)…?
Yes/no questions (?)
Was/Were subject
Was I at home yesterday?
Were you
Was he
she
it
Were we
you
they

Short answers
Positive (+) Negative (–)
Yes, I was. No, I wasn’t.
Yes, you were. No, you weren’t.
Yes, he was. No, he wasn’t.
Yes, she No, she
Yes, it No, it
Yes, we were. No, we weren’t.
Yes, you No, you
Yes, they No, they

When we answer yes/no questions, we usually use short answers with was, were, wasn’t, or
weren’t.
“Were you on vacation last week?”  “Yes, I was.”
“Was it very hot?”  “No, it wasn’t.”

USE
We use questions with was/were to ask about the past. We can reply with a short answer.
“Were you at home yesterday evening?”  “Yes, I was.”
“Were you a happy child?”  “Yes, I was.”
“Was he friendly?”  “No, he wasn’t.”

Wide Angle  1  Unit 7  Grammar focus 27


We can use Was there…?/Were there…? to ask about things in the past.
“Was there a cafe in your school?”  “Yes, there was.”
We often use past time expressions, e.g., last week, in 2003, 500 years ago, yesterday, in
questions with was/were.
“Were Jenna and Karen in class yesterday?”  “Yes, they were.”

Simple past with be: wh- questions


PRESENTATION
1  “What was your last job?”  “I was a teacher.”
2  “When were they born?”  “In 1998.”

FORM
We form wh- questions with be in the simple past with:
Question word + was/were + subject (I, you, he, etc.)…?
Wh- questions (?)
Question word was/were subject
What was your last job?
Why was she in Spain last week?
When were they born?

“What was your last job?”  “I was a teacher.”


“Why was she in Spain last week?”  “She was on vacation.”
“When were they born?”  “In 1998.”

USE
We use wh- questions with was/were to ask about the past.
“What was your first job?”  “I was an engineer.”
We often use was/were with past time expressions, e.g., last week, in 2003, 500 years
ago, yesterday.
“When were you in London?”  “In 2012.”
We can answer with a short answer.
“When was she born?”  “In 2008.”

Simple past of regular verbs: positive


PRESENTATION
1 I played football in school.
2 We worked in South America in 2008.
3 He lived in New York for two years.
4  The movie started at 8:30.
5 They stopped for coffee.
6 I listened to the radio last night.
7 She studied in college from 2007 to 2010.
8 He learned to drive a car when he was 16 years old.

FORM
We add -ed to form the simple past of most regular verbs. The form of the simple past is the
same for every subject (I, you, he, etc.).

Wide Angle  1  Unit 7  Grammar focus 28


Positive (+)
Subject verb
I played football.
You
started school this year.
He
She lived in New York.
It studied in college.
We
stopped for coffee.
You
They listened to the radio.

Tip
Spelling rules: regular verbs
Simple past form
Most verbs add -ed play → played
Verbs that end in -e add-d live → lived
Verbs that end in a consonant + -y change -y to -ied study → studied
Verbs that end in one vowel + one consonant (except w and y) double the consonant and add -ed stop → stopped

USE
We use the simple past to talk about finished actions or states in the past.
She finished her English homework.
Our Italian friends visited us.
We loved Ireland.
When we use the simple past, we often say when the action happened, e.g., last winter, in
1999, ten minutes ago, for three days.
I played football yesterday afternoon.
They lived in Egypt in 2005.

Tip
This is how we pronounce the ending -ed:
– /d/ in words that end in a voiced sound (except /d/).
played (/pleɪd/)
lived (/livd/)
– /t/ in words that end in an unvoiced sound (except /t/).
worked (/wərkt/)
stopped (/stɑpt/)
– as a separate syllable /id/ in words that end in the sound /t/ or /d/.
started (/stɑrtid/)
ended (/endid/)

Wide Angle  1  Unit 7  Grammar focus 29


Unit 8
Simple past of irregular verbs
PRESENTATION
1 She went to London yesterday and saw the palace.
2 He had a good vacation, but he got sick in Tangiers.
3 They sold their house nine months ago.
4 You left college in 2008.
5 I ate a sandwich for lunch.
6 She did her homework this afternoon.
7 Jack made dinner on Sunday.
8 We met some friends in town.
9 They came to my house.

FORM
With irregular verbs, we do not add -ed for the simple past form. There are no rules. They all
have different forms.

Regular

play → played live → lived stop → stopped carry → carried


Irregular

come → came do → did eat → ate get → got

go → went have → had leave → left make → made

meet → met see → saw sell → sold write → wrote

The simple past is the same for every subject (I, you, he, etc.) for both regular and irregular
verbs, except for the verb be.
For more information on forms of the simple past with be, see Simple past of be: positive
and negative and Simple past with be: yes/no questions.
Here is a list of irregular verbs and their forms:

Positive (+)
Subject verb
I went to London.
You
ate a sandwich.
He
She did the homework.
It made dinner.
We
met some friends.
You
They came home.

USE
We use the simple past to talk about finished actions and states in the past.
I met Dave in the park.
They got married.
When we use the simple past, we often say when the action happened, e.g., last winter, in
1999, nine months ago, for three days.
He came home at ten o’clock.
We had dance lessons last year.

Wide Angle  1  Unit 8  Grammar focus 30


Simple past: negative
PRESENTATION
1 I didn’t have breakfast this morning.
2 You didn’t go to work yesterday.
3 He didn’t play football on Saturday.
4  The lesson didn’t finish until five o’clock.
5 We didn’t drive to Chicago. We went by train.
6 They didn’t watch the movie.
7 I didn’t have a headache. I was tired.

FORM
We form the simple past negative with didn’t.
Subject (I, you, he, etc.) + didn’t + infinitive without to.
Subject (I, you, he, etc.) + didn’t + verb.
Negative (−)
Subject didn’t infinitive
without to
I didn’t have breakfast.
You
go to work.
He
She play football.
It finish until 5 o’clock.
We
drive to Chicago.
You
They watch the movie.

We usually use the short form (didn’t), but we sometimes use the full form (did not) in
formal writing.
The simple past is the same for every subject (I, you, he, etc.) and for both regular and
irregular verbs, except for the verb be.
For more information on forms of the simple past with be, see Simple past of be: positive
and negative.

Tip
We form the negative in the same way for both regular and irregular verbs.
I didn’t play tennis yesterday. (NOT  I didn’t played tennis yesterday.)
I didn’t eat yesterday. (NOT  I didn’t ate yesterday.)

USE
We use the simple past to talk about finished actions and states in the past.
I didn’t have breakfast this morning.
He didn’t play football on Saturday.
I didn’t have a headache. I was tired.

Simple past: yes/no questions


PRESENTATION
1  “Did you meet any interesting people?”  “Yes, we did.”
2  “Did she enjoy her vacation?”  “No, she didn’t.”

Wide Angle  1  Unit 8  Grammar focus 31


FORM
We form simple past yes/no questions with:
Did + subject + verb?
Yes/no questions (?)
Did subject verb
Did I arrive on time?
you
have a good time?
he
she swim in the ocean?
it meet any interesting people?
we
you
they

The form is the same for every subject (I, you, he, etc.).
Notice that the main part of the structure is the infinitive without to (arrive), not the simple
past form (arrived).
Notice that the main part of the structure is arrive, swim, etc., not the simple past form
arrived, swam, etc.
Did they arrive on time? (NOT  Did they arrived on time?)
Did you swim in the sea? (NOT  Did you swam in the sea?)

Short answers
Positive (+) Negative (–)
Yes, I did. No, I didn’t.
Yes, you No, you
Yes, he No, he
Yes, she No, she
Yes, it No, it
Yes, we No, we
Yes, you No, you
Yes, they No, they

Tip
In short answers, we use did or didn’t. We don’t use the main verb.
“Did you swim in the sea?”  “Yes, I did.” (NOT  Yes, I swam.)
“Did he visit the island?”  “No, he didn’t.” (NOT  No, he didn’t visit.)
These forms are the same for both regular and irregular verbs, except for the verb be.  For
more information on forms of be, see Be: positive.

USE
We use the questions in the simple past to ask about finished actions and states in the past.
We often use it with past time expressions, e.g., last week, in 2003, 500 years ago, yesterday.
“Did you go on vacation last summer?”  “Yes, I did.”

Tip
We can also answer a yes/no question with just yes or no.
“Did you like Amsterdam?”  “Yes.”
“Did you see the museum?”  “No.”

Wide Angle  1  Unit 8  Grammar focus 32


Unit 9
Countable and uncountable nouns
PRESENTATION
1  I’ve got an apple and a banana.
2  He has some pens.
3  He doesn’t have any pencils.
4  I have some bread.
5  I don’t have any milk.

FORM
Countable nouns have a singular form and a plural form.
We use:
a/an + singular countable noun
We use some with plural countable nouns in positive sentences.
We use any with plural countable nouns in negative sentences.

Plural
some /any countable noun
+ I have some bananas.
apples.
− I don’t have any
oranges.

Uncountable nouns have only a singular form.

Singular Plural
bread —
milk —

We can use some + uncountable noun in positive sentences.


We can use any + uncountable noun in negative sentences.

some/any uncountable noun


+ I’ve got some bread.
milk.
− I haven’t got any

USE
Countable nouns are things and people that we can count.
I have an apple and two bananas.
There are twelve students in my class.
We use a/an with singular countable nouns.
I have an orange and a banana.
We can use numbers with plural countable nouns to say how many.
I eat five vegetables every day.
We use some with plural countable nouns in positive sentences.
I have some pens.
We use any with plural countable nouns in negative sentences.
I don’t have any pens.
We can’t count uncountable nouns. We don’t use numbers to say how many.
some milk  (NOT  two milks)
Uncountable nouns have no plural form. We don’t add -s.
some bread  (NOT  some breads)

Wide Angle  1  Unit 9  Grammar focus 33


We don’t use a/an with uncountable nouns.
some milk  (NOT  a milk)
We use some with uncountable nouns in positive sentences.
I have some bread.
We use any with uncountable nouns in negative sentences.
I don’t have any milk.

Quantifiers: much/many/a lot of/lots of


PRESENTATION
1  I have a lot of books on my shelf.
2  They drink lots of water.
3  I don’t have much coffee.
4  We don’t have many tomatoes.
5  “How much rice do you eat?”  “A lot.”
6  “How many potatoes are there?”  “Not many.”
7  “How much money do you have?”  “None.”

FORM
Countable Uncountable
+ I have a lot of/lots of books. a lot of/lots of time.
She eats a lot of/lots of sweets. a lot of/lots of rice.
− I don’t have many pens. much coffee.
She doesn’t eat many apples. much meat.

Countable
How many potatoes are there? A lot. There are a lot of/lots of potatoes.
Not many. There aren’t many potatoes.
None. There aren’t any potatoes.

Uncountable
How much cheese do you eat? A lot. I eat a lot of/lots of cheese.
Not much. I don’t eat much cheese.
None. I don’t eat any cheese.

USE
In positive sentences, we use a lot of/lots of with countable or uncountable nouns to talk
about a big quantity of something.
I drink a lot of milk.
He eats lots of apples.
In negative sentences, we use much with uncountable nouns, and many with countable
nouns.
I don’t have much money. (= I have a small amount.)
We don’t have many books. (= We have a small number.)
We can also use a lot of/lots of in negative sentences with countable or uncountable nouns.
I don’t have a lot of time.
We don’t eat lots of potatoes.
We use How much/How many to ask about quantities of things or people.
How much cake is there?
How many apples would you like?

Wide Angle  1  Unit 9  Grammar focus 34


We use How many with countable nouns.
How many books does she have?
How many cars are there?
We use How much with uncountable nouns.
How much money do you need?
How much cheese do you eat?
We can answer with a short answer.
“How much money do you have?”  “A little./None.”
“How many stores are there?”  “A few./A lot.”
Or we can answer with a full sentence, using a quantifier + noun.
“How much money do you have?”  “I don’t have any money.”
“How many stores are there?”  “There are a lot of stores.”

Tip
Lots of and a lot of mean the same, but lots of is more informal.
We use None in a short answer, but we use not any in a full sentence.
“How much meat do you eat?”  “None./I don’t eat any meat.”
We often use no in sentences with there is/there are.
“How much money is there?”  “None./There’s no money.”

Would like: requests and offers


PRESENTATION
1  “What would you like to eat?”  “A small salad, please.”
2  “Would you like an apple?”  “Yes, please./No, thanks.”
3 I’d like some juice, please.
4 She’d like a coffee.
5 They’d like spaghetti.
6  “Would you like to watch TV?”  “No, thank you. I’m fine.”
7 She’d like to speak to him.

FORM
‘d like is the same for every subject. We use it before a noun or verb.
Subject + ‘d like + noun/verb.
Subject ‘d like noun/verb
I ‘d like some cake.
You a sandwich.
He five apples.
She the chicken.
It to watch TV.
We
You
They

‘d like is short for would like. We use would like in formal writing.
We would like three tickets, please.
To form questions, we change the order of would and the subject.
Would + subject + like + noun/verb?

Wide Angle  1  Unit 9  Grammar focus 35


Questions
Would subject like noun/verb
Would you like an ice cream?
he some rice?
she a ticket?
they a new coat?
to watch TV?

Wh- questions
Question word would subject like verb
What would you like to eat?
he
she
they

USE
We use ‘d like or would like to ask for something. It is a polite way of saying want.
I’d like coffee and Cathy would like tea.
We use Would you like…? to ask other people what they want.
“Would you like an apple?”  “Yes, please./No, thanks.”
We can also use wh- questions with would like to ask other people what they want.
What would you like to eat?
What would you like to do?

Wide Angle  1  Unit 9  Grammar focus 36


Unit 10
Object pronouns
PRESENTATION
1  He likes her.
2  You love me, and I love you!
3  They are good movies. I want to watch them.
4  She gave me a nice present.
5  I’m studying English with him.
6  They’re staying with us.
7  Listen to me!

FORM
Subject pronoun Object pronoun
I me
you you
he him
she her
it it
we us
you you
they them

Tip
The object pronouns you and it are the same as the subject pronouns you and it.
You love me, and I love you!

USE
We use pronouns in place of nouns. The object pronoun goes after a verb.
He likes her.
They are good movies. I want to watch them.
She gave me a nice present.
The object pronoun also goes after a preposition.
He played a song for us.
I’m studying English with him.
I play football with him.
Listen to me!
We use an object pronoun, not a subject pronoun, after the verb be.
“Who’s there?”  “It’s me—Kate.”
That’s him over there.
For more information on subject pronouns, see Subject pronouns.

Comparative adjectives
PRESENTATION
1  Jack is older than Maya.
2 Sarah’s taller than me.
3  The blue jacket’s nicer than the red jacket.
4  Math is easier than science.
5  Lions are bigger than cats.

Wide Angle  1  Unit 10  Grammar focus 37


FORM
For short adjectives, we usually form the comparative with -er.

Short comparative adjectives


Add -er, or -r when the adjective ends in -e. tall → taller 
long → longer 
nice → nicer
When the adjective ends in one vowel + one consonant, big → bigger 
double the consonant and add -er. hot → hotter
Change -y to -ier. happy → happier 
easy → easier

Short comparative adjectives


Add -er or -r. tall → taller long → longer nice → nicer
Double the consonant and add -er. big → bigger hot → hotter
Change -y to -ier. happy → happier easy → easier

USE
We use comparative adjectives to describe how one thing or person is different from another
thing or person.
We use comparative adjectives with than.
Jack is older than Maya.
Sarah’s taller than me.
My hair is shorter than Kate’s hair.
The blue jacket’s nicer than the red jacket.
Lions are bigger than cats.
Math is easier than physics.
When it is clear what we are talking about, we don’t need to give a phrase with than.
She was sad last year but she’s happier now.

Comparative adjectives: long and irregular forms


PRESENTATION
1  Vacations are more exciting than work.
2  The book’s better than the movie.

FORM
For long adjectives, we form the comparative with more + adjective. We don’t add -er.
beautiful → more beautiful
difficult → more difficult
For adjectives with three or more syllables, we form the comparative with more + adjective.
We don’t add -er.
beautiful → more beautiful
difficult → more difficult
For some adjectives with two syllables, we add -er for the comparative. Others use more +
adjective. And some can do either.
boring → more boring
funny → funnier
simple → more simple OR simpler

Wide Angle  1  Unit 10  Grammar focus 38


The adjectives good, bad, and far are irregular. The comparative form is a different word.
good → better
bad → worse
far → farther OR further

USE
We use comparative adjectives to describe how one thing or person is different from another
thing or person.
We use comparative adjectives with than.
Math is more difficult than English.
Vacations are more exciting than work.
The book is better than the movie.
When it is clear what we are talking about, we don’t need to give a phrase with than.
She was sad last year but she’s happier now.

Wide Angle  1  Unit 10  Grammar focus 39


Unit 11
Present continuous: positive
PRESENTATION
1 I’m reading.
2 You’re eating my sandwich!
3 He’s watching TV.
4 We’re laughing.
5 They’re listening to music.

FORM
We form the present continuous with:
Subject + am/are/is + -ing form.
Subject am/are/is -ing form
I am reading.
watching TV.
You are
He is listening to music.
She
It
We are laughing.
You dancing.
They running.

Tip
We use short forms in spoken English.
I am reading. → I’m reading.  You are reading. → You’re reading.  He is reading. → He’s
reading.  She is reading. → She’s reading.  We are reading. → We’re reading.  They are
reading. → They’re reading.

Tip
Spelling rules
For most verbs, add -ing:
read → reading  listen → listening  watch → watching
For verbs that end with -e, remove the e and add -ing:
dance → dancing  close → closing
For verbs that end in a stressed vowel + a consonant, double the consonant and add -ing:
stop → stopping  begin → beginning
We don’t double -x or -y
relax → relaxing  pay → paying

Spelling rules
Most verbs add -ing
Verbs that end in -e add -ing
Verbs that end in vowel + consonant double the consonant and add -ing;
don’t double -x or -y

USE
We use the present continuous to talk about actions happening now.
I’m listening to music.
Jenna is having her breakfast.
We’re watching an interesting movie.

Wide Angle  1  Unit 11  Grammar focus 40


We can use a time expression with the present continuous when we talk about actions
happening now.
I’m doing my homework now.
We’re leaving right now.
We also use the present continuous to talk about the situation now. We often use a time
expression to say when.
I’m working this week.
Ed’s wearing a jacket today.

Present continuous: negative


PRESENTATION
1 I’m not reading.
2 He isn’t watching TV.
3 We aren’t laughing.
4 I’m not working this week.
5 She isn’t wearing a jacket today.

FORM
We form the negative present continuous with:
Subject + am/are/is + not + -ing form.
Subject + be not -ing form
I’m not reading.
watching (TV).
Subject be + not
listening (to music).
You aren’t dancing.
He isn’t swimming.
She
It
We aren’t
You
They

USE
We use the negative present continuous to talk about actions not happening now.
I’m not watching TV.
Dave isn’t crying.
They aren’t eating their lunch.
We also use the negative present continuous to talk about the situation now. We often use a
time expression to say when.
I’m not going to school this week.
She isn’t speaking to me today.

Present continuous: yes/no questions and


short answers
PRESENTATION
1  “Are you listening to music?”  “Yes, I am.”
2  “Is he watching TV?”  “No, he isn’t.”
3  “Are they working this week?”  “Yes, they are.”
4  “Is she wearing a hat today?”  “Yes, she is.”

Wide Angle  1  Unit 11  Grammar focus 41


FORM
We form yes/no questions in the present continuous with:
Am/Are/Is + subject + -ing form?
Am/Are/Is subject -ing form
Am I reading?
Are you waving?
Is he making a cake?
she
it
Are we
you
they

Short answers
Positive (+) Negative (−)
Yes, I am. No, I’m not.
Yes, you are. No, you aren’t/you’re not.
Yes, he is. No, he isn’t.
Yes, she is. No, she isn’t.
Yes, it is. No, it isn’t.
Yes, we are. No, we aren’t/we’re not.
Yes, they are. No, they aren’t/they’re not.

Tip
In positive short answers, we don’t use short forms.
“Are you reading?”  “Yes, I am.” (NOT  Yes, I’m.)

USE
We use questions in the present continuous to ask about actions happening now.
Are you listening to music?
Is he watching TV?
Are they laughing?
We also use the present continuous to talk about the situation now. We often use a time
expression to say when.
“Are you working this week?”  “No, I’m not.”
“Is he wearing a new coat today?”  “Yes, he is.”

Present continuous: wh- questions


PRESENTATION
1  What are you doing?
2  Where is he going?
3  Why are they laughing?
4  What are you studying?

FORM
We form wh- questions in the present continuous with:
Question word + am/are/is + subject + -ing form?

Wide Angle  1  Unit 11  Grammar focus 42


Question word am/are/is subject -ing form
What am I doing?
Where
are you going?
Why
is he laughing?
she
it
are we
you
they

USE
We use the present continuous to ask about now.
We use the present continuous to ask about actions happening now.
What are you doing?
Where is he going?
Why are they laughing?
“What are you doing?”  “I’m watching TV.”
“Where is he going?”  “To the movies.”
“Why are you laughing?”  “Because the movie is so funny.”
We also use the present continuous to ask about the situation now.
“What are you studying?”  “English and business.”

Using -ing forms as subjects


PRESENTATION
1  Singing is fun.
2  Swimming is my favorite sport.

FORM
-ing form + is + adjective/noun
-ing form (subject) is adjective
Singing is fun.
Running awful.

Tip
Spelling rules
Most verbs add -ing read → reading  
sing → singing
Verbs that end in -e remove the e and add -ing dance → dancing 
ride → riding
Verbs that end in vowel + consonant double the consonant and add -ing run → running 
swim → swimming

USE
We can also use the ing-form with the verb be to describe things we can do and talk about
our hobbies.
Singing is fun.
Swimming is my favorite sport.
Cooking is boring.
Watching football is exciting.

Wide Angle  1  Unit 11  Grammar focus 43


Unit 12
Superlative adjectives
PRESENTATION
1 Ed’s the tallest boy in my class.
2  Yesterday was the hottest day this year.
3  This was the easiest question on the test.
4  Roses are the most beautiful flowers in the world.
5 It’s the best restaurant in New York.

FORM
For short adjectives, we usually form the superlative with -est.

Short superlative adjectives


Add -est, or -st when the adjective ends in -e. tall → tallest 
long → longest 
nice → nicest
When the adjective ends in one vowel + one consonant, big → biggest 
double the consonant and add -est. hot → hottest
Change -y to -iest. happy → happiest 
easy → easiest

Short superlative adjectives


Add -est or -st when the adjective ends in -e. tall → tallest long → longest nice → nicest
Double the consonant and add -est. big → biggest hot → hottest
Change -y to -iest. happy → happiest easy → easiest

For long adjectives, we form the superlative with most + adjective. We don’t add -est.
beautiful → most beautiful
difficult → most difficult
Some adjectives with two syllables add -est for the superlative. Others use most + adjective.
And some can do either.
boring → most boring
funny → funniest
simple → most simple OR simplest
The adjectives good, bad, and far are irregular. The superlative form is a different word.
good → best
bad → worst
far → farthest OR furthest
We use the before superlative adjectives.
the smallest animal
the most beautiful girl
the best restaurant

USE
We use superlative adjectives to describe how three or more things, animals, or people are
different from the group they belong to. We use the before superlative adjectives.
Chocolate is the best ice cream flavor.
After superlatives, we often use in before a group or a place.
Ed is the tallest boy in my class.
Sue’s the happiest person in the office.
Roses are the most beautiful flowers in the world.

Wide Angle  1  Unit 12  Grammar focus 44


Going to: future plans
PRESENTATION
1 We’re going to ride horses tomorrow.
2 I’m not going to drive to the beach.
3 They’re going to swim in the sea.
4 I’m going to be a volunteer in Bolivia next month.
5 We’re going to have fun!
6 You aren’t going to work with local people.
7 She’s going to visit her friends in Spain in three days.

FORM
We form positive sentences with:
Subject + be + going to + infinitive.
Positive (+)
Subject + be going to infinitive
I’m going to swim.
You’re
have fun!
He’s
She’s be a volunteer.
It’s
We’re
You’re
They’re

We form negative sentences with:


Subject + be + not + going to + infinitive.
Negative (–)
Subject + be + not going to infinitive
I’m not going to ride horses.
You aren’t
have an ice cream.
He isn’t
She isn’t be a teacher.
It isn’t
We aren’t
You aren’t
They aren’t

USE
We use be + going to to talk about future plans.
I’m going to drive to the beach.
He’s going to visit his friend in Berlin.
She’s going to walk to the store.
We’re not going to play soccer today.
We’re going to have fun at the party!
I’m going to be a volunteer in Bolivia.
We often use be + going to with future time expressions, e.g., tomorrow, next week,
next year.
We’re going to ride horses tomorrow.

Wide Angle  1  Unit 12  Grammar focus 45


Going to: questions
PRESENTATION
1  “Are you going to go to India?”  “No, I’m not.”
2  “Is she going to travel next year?”  “Yes, she is.”
3  “Where are you going to spend the holidays?”  “In Mexico.”
4  “When is she going to finish college?”  “In May.”

FORM
We form yes/no questions with:
Be + subject + going to + infinitive?
Yes/no questions (?)
Be subject going to infinitive
Am I going to travel?
Are you
Is he go to the party?
she
it
Are we
you
they

We usually answer with a short answer.


“Are you going to buy a new phone?”  “No, I’m not.”
“Is she going to play tennis with us on Friday?”  “Yes, she is.”
We form wh- questions with:
Question word + be + subject + going to + infinitive?

Wh- questions (?)


Question word be subject going to infinitive
Where are you going to go?
When is she travel?
What are they do?

USE
We use be + going to to ask about future plans.
“Where’s he going to stay?”  “He’s going to stay in Rome.”
We can answer yes/no questions with a short answer.
“Is he going to go to Italy?”  “Yes, he is.”
We can also answer wh- questions with a short answer.
“When is she going to finish college?”  “In May.”
We often use be + going to with future time expressions, e.g., tomorrow, next week, tonight,
next year.
“Are you going to visit Max tomorrow?”  “Yes, I am.”
“What are you going to do this summer?”  “I’m going to travel around Europe.”

Wide Angle  1  Unit 12  Grammar focus 46

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