Level 1 – Midterm Review

Verb Tenses
■ Simple present
– Uses
■ General statements of fact and general truths
■ Habitual or every day activities

– Form: same as simple form, except for third person singular

(add –s)
■ He washes the car every week.
■ I do not always eat bread in the morning.
■ Do you work for the government?
■ When do we like to go to the movies?
 Verb Tenses
■ Present progressive
– Uses
■ Activity in progress at the moment of speaking (temporary
activity that began in the past, continues in the present and will
probably end at some point in the future)

– Form: present of verb to be + present participle of main verb

■ I am teaching right now.
■ He is not studying English this semester.
■ Are they traveling today?
■ What is he cooking?
 Verb Tenses
■ Simple past
– Uses
■ Actions that began and ended at a specific time in the past.
– Form:
■ Regular verbs: simple form + -ed
■ Irregular verbs: Chart E9

– The dog barked at the mailman.

– I didn’t travel this weekend.
– Did you bake a cake yesterday?
– What did you do last week?
– Was she at the party last Saturday?
 Verb Tenses
■ Simple past
– If I am talking about actions that happened one after the other,
both in simple past, the action in the when clause happened first
■ I spilled my coffee when I tripped.
 Verb Tenses
■ Past progressive

– Uses
■ Action that began earlier and was in progress when another
action happened (simultaneous actions)
■ Two actions that were in progress simultaneously
■ Unfulfilled intentions
 Verb Tenses
■ Past progressive

– Form: past tense of verb to be + present participle of main verb

■ I was studying when my brother knocked on the door.
■ They weren’t dancing when the music stopped.
■ Were you driving when the car crashed?
■ What were we doing when I found out I was sick?
 Verb Tenses
■ Past progressive
– Unfulfilled intentions
■ Was/were + going to / planning to / intending to / hoping to +
simple form of main verb
– I was hoping to see you today, but I lost the bus.
– I was going to take a shower, but I ran out of water

■ Was/were + thinking about + present participle of main verb

– I was thinking about playing videogames, but the console is
broken.
 Verb Tenses
■ Present perfect

– Uses
■ Situations that began in the past and continue up to now
(since/for)
■ Events that happened at an unspecified time in the past (ever,
never, yet, still, already, lately)
■ Emphasize that an action was recently completed (just/recently)
■ Repeated events that started in the past and continue up to
present time
 Verb Tenses
■ Present perfect

– Form: has/have + past participle of main verb

■ I have never eaten jalapeños.
■ They haven’t met Peter yet.
■ He has been taught since 2000.
■ Has Diana been promoted?
 Verb Tenses
■ Present perfect progressive
– Uses
■ Expresses the duration of an activity

– Form: present perfect of verb to be + present participle of main

verb
■ I have been teaching for 10 years.
■ It’s been snowing all week.
■ They haven’t been studying a lot lately, have they?
■ What have they been singing all day?
 Stative verbs
■ Stative verbs are not used with progressive tenses
■ Some verbs can have both progressive and non progressive
meanings

Troublesome verbs
■ Transitive verbs need an object (raise, set, lay)
■ Intransitive verbs do not have objects (rise, sit, lie)
 Let’s practice!
■ Fill the blanks with the verbs in the correct tense.
– Peter ___________ (work) in the same company since 2011.
– Janet ___________ (drive) her kids to school every day.
– I ____________ (have) three surgeries since I broke my leg, and I
might need one more.
– You __________ (give) your brother a videogame last Christmas,
didn’t you?
– We __________ (wait) for Andrew for three hours! I can’t believe he
still ___________ (not, arrive)!
– Anne and Jacob ______________ (sightsee) in the Champs-Élysées
when they _______ (run) into Michael Douglas.
 Let’s practice!
■ Fill the blanks with the verbs in the correct tense.
– Heather _________ (listen) to music right now.
– We _________ (buy) a new air conditioner when our old one
_______ (stop) working.
– I ___________ (expect) a baby. He is supposed to be born in March.
– She never __________ (write) down anything during class.
– _____________ (they, ever, be) to Egypt?
No, ___________ (they, not). They __________ (plan) to go there
last year, but Greg ________ (lose) his job.
 Let’s practice!
■ Fill the blanks with the verbs in the correct tense.
– __________ (we, watch) this movie last week?
– What __________ (you, do) when I called you?
– Lilian __________ (taste) the lasagna. She ________ (think) it might
be too salty.
– Keith __________ (look) tired. He ___________ (work) a lot lately.
– I __________ (appreciate) your concern, but everything is fine.
– Anne ____________ (think) about moving to another city recently.
– I _________ (not, paint) my nails for six months!
 Let’s practice!
■ Fill the blanks with the verbs in the correct tense.
– Peter has been working/has worked (work) in the same company since
2011.
– Janet drives (drive) her kids to school every day.
– I have had (have) three surgeries since I broke my leg, and I might
need one more.
– You gave (give) your brother a videogame last Christmas, didn’t you?
– We have been waiting (wait) for Andrew for three hours! I can’t
believe he still hasn’t arrived (not, arrive)!
– Anne and Jacob were sightseeing (sightsee) in the Champs-Élysées
when they ran (run) into Michael Douglas.
 Let’s practice!
■ Fill the blanks with the verbs in the correct tense.
– Heather is listening (listen) to music right now.
– We bought (buy) a new air conditioner when our old one stopped
(stop) working.
– I am expecting (expect) a baby. He is supposed to be born in March.
– She never writes (write) down anything during class.
– Have they ever been (they, ever, be) to Egypt?
No, they haven’t (they, not). They were planning (plan) to go there
last year, but Greg lost (lose) his job.
 Let’s practice!
■ Fill the blanks with the verbs in the correct tense.
– Did we watch (we, watch) this movie last week?
– What were you doing (you, do) when I called you?
– Lilian is tasting (taste) the lasagna. She thinks (think) it might be too
salty.
– Keith looks (look) tired. He has been working/has worked (work) a lot
lately.
– I appreciate (appreciate) your concern, but everything is fine.
– Anne has thought/has been thinking (think) about moving to another
city recently.
– I haven’t painted (paint) my nails for six months!
 Let’s practice!
■ Choose the correct verb.
– The dog lay/laid down after chasing the ball.
– What did she lay/lie on the desk?
– The boys have already set/sat the tent.
– Jane always sits/sets at the first row.
– He always knows how to raise/rise my spirits when I am feeling
down.
– He raised/rose from his seat.
– The sun has risen/raised.
 Let’s practice!
■ Choose the correct verb.
– The dog lay/laid down after chasing the ball.
– What did she lay/lie on the desk?
– The boys have already set/sat the tent.
– Jane always sits/sets at the first row.
– He always knows how to raise/rise my spirits when I am feeling
down.
– He raised/rose from his seat.
– The sun has risen/raised.
 Conjunctions
■ Coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS)
– Joins independent clauses
– Always use comma before conjunction

■ Subordinating conjunctions
– Joins independent and dependent clauses
– Only use comma when the dependent clause comes first
 Let’s practice!
■ Complete the sentences with the appropriate coordinating or subordinating
conjunction. Each conjunction will be used only one time.

■ ________ we had a big dinner, we skipped dessert.

■ You have to follow the rules, _________ I will not play with you.
■ She was angry, ____________ he did something mean to her.
■ Leslie can have a puppy ______ she takes care of it.
■ I would like some cake, ___________ I would also like some cookies.
■ I did everything I could, ___________ the situation is disintegrating.
■ __________ we denied it, they knew we were guilty.
 Let’s practice!
■ Complete the sentences with the appropriate coordinating or subordinating
conjunction. Each conjunction will be used only one time.
nor unless but while
so now because if
since although and yet
for or

■ ________ that our chores are done, we can play.

■ I wanted to have sausage, __________ the restaurant was out of it.
■ We played cards _________ it rained.
■ They won’t remember us ________ we excel.
■ I didn’t attend the party, __________ did Sheila attend.
■ I bought a hamburger __________ I was hungry.
■ The grass was too long, ___________ I cut it.
 Let’s practice!
■ Complete the sentences with the appropriate coordinating or subordinating
conjunction. Each conjunction will be used only one time.

■ Since we had a big dinner, we skipped dessert.

■ You have to follow the rules, or I will not play with you.
■ She was angry, for he did something mean to her.
■ Leslie can have a puppy if she takes care of it.
■ I would like some cake, and I would also like some cookies.
■ I did everything I could, yet the situation is disintegrating.
■ Although we denied it, they knew we were guilty.
 Let’s practice!
■ Complete the sentences with the appropriate coordinating or subordinating
conjunction. Each conjunction will be used only one time.
nor unless but while
so now because if
since although and yet
for or

■ Now that our chores are done, we can play.

■ I wanted to have sausage, but the restaurant was out of it.
■ We played cards while it rained.
■ They won’t remember us unless we excel.
■ I didn’t attend the party, nor did Sheila attend.
■ I bought a hamburger because I was hungry.
■ The grass was too long, so I cut it.
 Paragraph Structure
■ Topic sentence
■ Supporting idea 1
■ Expansion: fact, example, detail, explanation
■ Supporting idea 2
■ Expansion: fact, example, detail, explanation
■ Supporting idea 3
■ Expansion: fact, example, detail, explanation
■ Conclusion
 Paragraph Structure

■ Paragraph: 8-10 sentences

■ DO NOT use first and second person pronouns
■ Always answer the prompt
■ Outline your paragraphs before you start writing
and review them once you are done.
 Preposition Combinations

■ To ask (someone) for (something)

■ To ask for something

■ To ask for someone

■ To explain something to someone

 Preposition Combinations

■ To borrow something from someone

■ To lend something to someone

■ To lend someone something

■ To depend upon/on
 Let’s practice!
■ Use the correct preposition combination to complete the sentence.
– Did you ___________ my pen? I can’t find it.
– I _________ the chef for something less spicy, but he refused
to make it.
– Daniel still ___________ his parents financially, for he
doesn’t have a job.
– They ___________ us their skiing equipment for our
vacation.
– My chess instructor __________ this move to me several
times, but I still don’t understand it.
 Let’s practice!
■ Use the correct preposition combination to complete the
sentence.
– He ________ for his mother because he is scared.
– Dad ________ for his car keys back.
– I ________ this sweater to you six months ago!
– The fate of the Middle Earth ___________ Frodo and Sam.
– She ________ the dolls from her friend before going home.
 Let’s practice!
■ Use the correct preposition combination to complete the sentence.
– Did you borrow my pen? I can’t find it.
– I asked the chef for something less spicy, but he refused to
make it.
– Daniel still depends on his parents financially, for he doesn’t
have a job.
– They lent us their skiing equipment for our vacation.
– My chess instructor has explained this move to me several
times, but I still don’t understand it.
 Let’s practice!
■ Use the correct preposition combination to complete the
sentence.
– He is asking for his mother because he is scared.
– Dad asked for his car keys back.
– I lent this sweater to you six months ago!
– The fate of the Middle Earth depends upon Frodo and Sam.
– She borrowed the dolls from her friend before going home.
 Idioms
■ In: parts of the day, months, years, decades, centuries, seasons,
long periods, when we think of a place as three-dimensional or
as an area, with buildings (referring to the building itself)
■ At: specific times of day, mealtimes, holiday periods,
expressions (at night, at the moment), when we think of a place
as a point, with buildings (as a place where things happen), with
house numbers
■ On: days of the week, parts of specific days, dates, special days,
weekends, when we think of a place as a surface or as a line,
with street names, floor numbers, public transportation, islands
 Idioms

■ To take after (someone)

■ To be born

■ In a moment, in a minute (in a short amount of time)

■ To find out

■ At present, at the moment (right now)

■ To figure out
 Let’s practice!
■ Use the correct idiom to complete the sentence.

– They’ll meet you at the airport.

– In the 1940s, a lot of people emigrated from Europe
because of the war.
– I opened my presents on Christmas morning.
– He lives at 88 Rainbow Street.
 Let’s practice!
■ Use the correct idiom to complete the sentence.

– They’ll meet you ____ the airport.

– ____ the 1940s, a lot of people emigrated from
Europe because of the war.
– I opened my presents ______ Christmas morning.
– He lives ________ 88 Rainbow Street.
 Let’s practice!
■ Use the correct idiom to complete the sentence.

– The waiter will be here in a moment.

– Tom went to the doctor today and found out that he is anemic.
That is why he has been so tired lately.
– At the moment, I’m happy with my job.
– Prince William and Kate Middleton’s last baby was born in
2019.
 Let’s practice!
■ Use the correct idiom to complete the sentence.

– I finally figured out why I couldn’t get to the correct answer on

that physics problem.
– Richard takes after his uncle. Both of them are great with
numbers!
– Fluffy, our dog, begs me to open the door, and then refuses to
go outside. I can’t figure him out!
 Let’s practice!
■ Use the correct idiom to complete the sentence.

– I will be waiting for you at the airport.

– In the 1940s, a lot of people emigrated from Europe
because of the war.
– I opened my presents on Christmas morning.
– He lives at 88 Rainbow Street.
 Let’s practice!
■ Use the correct idiom to complete the sentence.
– I was born on August 1st, 1992.
– You are in the classroom right now.
– Cairo is on the Nile.
– I have a class at 2:00 pm.
 Let’s practice!
■ Use the correct idiom to complete the sentence.

– The waiter will be here in a moment/in a minute.

– Tom went to the doctor today and found out that he is anemic.
That is why he has been so tired lately.
– At present/at the moment, I’m happy with my job.
– Prince William and Kate Middleton’s last baby was born in
2019.
 Let’s practice!
■ Use the correct idiom to complete the sentence.

– I finally figured out why I couldn’t get to the correct answer on

that physics problem.
– Richard takes after his uncle. Both of them are great with
numbers!
– Fluffly, our dog, begs me to open the door, and then refuses to
go outside. I can’t figure her/him/it out!