Unit 1
Present Tense of Be: Affirmative and Negative Statements, Contractions
The verb to be has different forms after different subjects:
Affirmative
Examples
Notes
I am from Japan
The students are late
You are twins!
The teacher is over there
Use am with the pronoun I.
Use are with plural nouns and these pronouns:
we, you, they, these or those.
Use is with singular nouns and these singular
pronouns: he, she, it, this or that
Negative
Examples
Notes
I am not late.
She is not in this class.
Use not after the verb be in negative sentences.
Contractions are short forms. They are used in conversation and informal writing. Full
forms are used in more formal writing
Affirmative
Full form
Contractions
I am Mexican.
He is/she is/it is over there.
We are/you are/they are at home.
I’m Mexican.
He´s/she´s/it’s over there.
We’re/you’re/they’re at home
Negative
Full form
Contractions
I am not interested.
He/she/it is not here.
We/you/they are not late.
I’m not interested.
He’s/she’s/it’s not here; he/she/it
isn’t here.
We’re/you’re/they’re not late;
we/you/they aren’t late.
The Simple Present Tense: Information question and answers
An information question begins with a question word and cannot be answered by yes or no.
when a form of do separates a question word from the subject, the main verb must appear in
its simple form.
Question word
Questions
Possible answers
Who
Who are your teachers?
Who is your adviser?
Who helps you?
Mr. Summers and
Ms. Lee
Mr. Michaels
Ben and Tom
Whom
Who/whom do you ask?
My tutor
What
What interest you?
What is in the bag?
What does she teach?
Books and movies.
My lunch.
History.
Where
Where is the snack bar?
Where do we go now?
In the student center.
To English class
When
When are our papers due?
When does class begin?
On Wednesday
In five minutes.
Why
Why is the building closed?
Why does he come so late?
Because it’s a
holiday.
He has a job after
school
How
How is your math class?
How are you?
How do you get to school?
Very hard.
Pretty good.
By bus and subway
Notes:
Who refers to people.
Who can be the subject of a question.
Who is usually followed by a singular verb.
Who (or whom) is also used as an object.
Whom is used only in formal questions.
Who is used in informal speech.
What refers to things.
What can be the subject of a question.
What can also uded as an object.
Where is used to ask questions about places.
When is used to ask about time.
Why is used to ask questions about reasons.
How can refer to a degree (of something).
How can refer to a state or condition (for example, health).
How can be refer to a way or a method of doing something.
Note: contractions for questions words + be used in informal speech are: who + is = who´s;
what + is = what’s; where + is = where’s; when + is = when’s; why + is = why’s; how + is
= how’s.
The Simple Present Tense: Yes/No Questions and Short Answers
In simple present yes/no questions, a form of the verb do comes before the subject with
verbs other than be. Use does with he, she and it. Use do with I, you, we and they. In these
questions, the main verb always appears in the simple form. The appropriate form of do
appears in short answers.
Affirmative answers
Negative answers
Yes, you do.
Yes he does.
Yes, we do.
No, you don’t.
No, he doesn’t.
No, we don’t.
Affirmative answers
Negative answers
Yes, you do.
Yes, she does.
Yes, it does.
Yes, we do.
No, you don’t
No, she doesn’t
No, it doesn’t
No, we don’t
Be: Yes/No Questions and Short Answers
Affirmative answer
Negative answer
Yes, you are
Yes, she is
Yes, you are
Yes, they are
No, you’re not/no, you aren’t
No, she’s not/no she isn’t
No, you’re not/no you aren’t
No, they’re not/no, they aren’t
Affirmative answer
Negative answer
Yes. I am
Yes, she is
Yes, we are
Yes, they are
No, I’m not
No, she’s not/no, she isn’t
No, we’re not/no, we aren’t
No, they’re not/no, they aren´t
Notes:
In a yes/no question, the verb comes before the subject.
Negative questions are used to express the speaker’s belief or expectation.
Contractions are not used in affirmative short answers; they are used in negative
short answers.
The Simple Present Tense Affirmative and Negative Statement
The simple present tense is used to describe everyday activities and habits, to male general
statements of facts, and to express opinions with some verbs, the present simple shows an
existing condition. The first three notes in the examples below apply to each type of
affirmative and negative statements.
Examples
Notes
Andres and Ricardo often
study math together
An object sometimes
follows the verb
Lu speaks three languages.
Dave runs quickly
With third person singular
subjects, the verb ends in –s.
I don’t like the instructor.
He doesn’t teach math very
well
In negative statements, do or
does comes before not. The
contractions are don’t and
doesn’t. The main verb
always appears in the simple
form.
I hear music.
He doesn’t understand your
question.
Other verbs that describe an
existing condition include
like, need, want, seen,
know, and believe.
Notes:
1. Most verbs add –s to the simple form to make the third person singular: she works
at the library.
2. For verbs ending in –y after a consonant, change the y to i and add –es:
carry/carries; try/tries.
3. For verbs ending in –s, -z, -sh, -ch, -x or o (after a consonant), add –es:
teach/teaches; pass/passes; go/goes.
4. Two verbs are irregular: be/is; have/has.
Unit 2
Using articles: a/an and the
A, an and the are articles. They appear before nouns; a and are are indefinite articles, they
describe general nouns. The is a definite article, it describes specific nouns.
Examples
Notes
A: I can drive a car, but I
can’t fly an airplane
B: Really? I can do both
The speakers are talking
about cars and airplanes in
general – any cars or
airplanes-.
A: Are you finished writing
the reports yet?
B: Not yet. Do you want to
use the computer?
A: That’s all right. I can
wait.
The speakers are talking
about specific reports and a
specific computer – the
reports that B is writing and
the computer that B is
using-.
Usually a or an comes before a noun when the noun appears for the first time, after that, the
appears before the noun.
Examples
Notes
This is a painting of an island near Paris
It is one painting of one island.
The painting is very famous
It is the specific painting described in the
first sentence.
There is/there are
Statements and questions can be formed with there is/there are. There is is used to show
that something exist or is in a place. There is is used when the noun that follows is it
singular; there are is used when the noun that follows is plural.
Examples
Notes
There is a bee on the flower.
There are meadows on the
way.
The contraction for there is
is there’s.
There is no contraction for
there are.
There is no water in my
canteen.
There are no rocks on the
trial.
There are two contractions
for there is no: there isn’t
AND there’s not. The
contraction for there are no
is there aren’t.
Affirmative answer
Negative answer
Yes, there is
Yes, they are
No, there isn’t
No there aren’t
Affirmative answer
Negative answer
Yes, there is
Yes, there are
No, there isn’t
No, there aren’t
Possessive nouns
Singular nouns
Carlos
Carlos’s or Carlos’ (car)
Hiroshi
Hiroshis’s (boots)
Tomorrow
Tomorrow’s (weather)
The boy
The boy’s (pencil)
The lady
The lady’s (ring)
Notes: if a singular noun ends in –s, add ‘s or ‘ for the possessive form. If a singular noun
does not end in –s, add ‘s.
Plural nouns
The boys
The boy’s (bicycles)
The ladies
The ladies’ (coats)
The men
The men’s (team)
The children
The children’s (toys)
People
The lady’s (ring)
The Present Continuous Tense
The present continuous tense is formed with the present tense of the verb be + the ing form
of a verb. This tense is used to talk about an action happening at the moment of speaking,
or an action currently in progress.
Statements
Affirmative examples
Notes
She’s carrying a heavy bag.
They’re relaxing by the lake.
We’re learning Italian this semester.
She’s majoring in biology
In the first two examples, the action is
happening at the moment of speaking.
In the other two examples, the action is
currently in progress.
Negative examples
Notes
Hiroshi isn’t wearing boots.
They aren’t going on the hike.
She isn’t keeping a journal.
Form the negative by placing not between
the form of be and the verb in the ing form.
Yes/no questions
Affirmative examples
Possible answers
Is Carlos carrying her backpack?
Are they picking flowers?
Yes, he is/no, he isn’t
Yes, they are/no, they aren’t
Negative examples
Possible answers
Isn’t he walking on the trial?
Aren’t you getting tired?
Yes, he is/no he isn’t
Yes, I am/no, I’m not
Information questions
Affirmative questions
Possible answer
When are we leaving?
Why are you sneezing?
We’re leaving at noon.
I´m getting a cold.
Negative questions
Possible answer
Who isn’t carrying a canteen?
Why aren’t they wearing shoes?
Anita and Paul aren’t.
Their feet are hurting them.
Modal Auxiliaries: Can, May, Might and Will
Can, May, might and will are all modal auxiliaries. There are special verb forms. Modals
do not change forms: they do not take –s or –ed. Modals are followed immediately by the
simple form of a verb.
Statements
Affirmative examples
Notes
I can swim.
The rain may stop soon.
The tents might fall down.
We will call you tonight.
She’ll go to the store.
In statements, modals come before the
simple form of a verb.
Don’t use to before the verb.
Will is the only of these modals that can
appear as a contraction.
Negative examples
Notes
I cannot find my watch.
We may not need the compass.
I might not come back.
He will not go with us
May not and might not cannot appear as a
contraction. The contraction for cannot is
can’t, the contraction for will not is won’t.
Modal
Meaning
Examples
Can
Ability
I can speak English (I am able to speak English)
He can’t swim (he isn’t able to swim)
Can you dance? (Are you able to dance?)
May/might
Future possibility
It may rain (maybe it will rain; maybe it won’t)
I might not go. (maybe I won’t go; maybe I will)
Will
Intentions/predictions
I’ll see you tomorrow (I intent to see you tomorrow)
The movie won’t be crowed (I predict the movie
won’t be crowed)
Will you buy a tent? (Do you intend to buy a tent?)
Unit 3
Count and Noncount Nouns
There are two basic types of nous – count nouns and Noncount Nouns. Count nouns are
thing you can count, such as books and pens. Noncounts nouns are things you can’t count,
such as paper and ink.
Count nouns (singular)
Count nouns (plural)
A meal
An egg
One waiter
A chair
One restaurant
Three meals
Some eggs
Waiters
Some chairs
Restaurants
Notes:
Count nouns have both singular and plural forms.
Singular count nouns can have a/an before them.
Most plural count takes an –s/-es ending.
Noncount nouns examples
Butter, some juice, electricity, salt, some jewelry, traffic, freedom, anger, some luck.
Notes:
Noncount nouns are always singular and have no plural form, they do not take –s or
–es endings.
Most Noncount nouns refer to a whole that is made up of smaller o different parts.
Some Noncount nouns describe abstract things, such as ideas, feelings and
concepts.
Some and any
Some and any refers to an unspecified number or amount. Some and any may appear before
both count and Noncount nouns.
Examples
Notes
Some
Please buy some napkins
There’s some milk in the cup
Some expresses an indefinite amount.
Some is used in affirmative statements
and questions.
Any
There aren´t any plates on the table
I don’t use any salt
Do you have any pots in your kitchen
Any is used in negative statements and
in affirmative and negative questions.
Note: no + any before Noncount and plural count nouns means no. for example: there
aren´t any hot dogs = there are not hot dogs.
A lot of/Many/Much
A lot of, many, and much are used to express a large quantity of something. A lot of may
appear before both Noncount and plural count nouns. Many appear only before plural
nouns. Much appears only before Noncount nouns.
Examples
Notes
A lot of
She doesn’t eat a lot of hamburgers.
Isn’t there a lot of alt in this soup?
Are there a lot of apples at home?
A lot of is used in
affirmative and negative
statements and questions.
Many
Many fast food restaurants serve hamburgers.
I don’t like many kind of vegetables.
Do many people have a poor diet?
Many is used in affirmative
and negative statements and
questions.
Much
They don’t eat much red meat.
We don’t drink much tea or coffee.
Does chicken have much cholesterol?
Don’t they eat much fish?
Much is used mainly in
negative statements and
affirmative and negative
questions. Much usually
isn’t used in affirmative
statements.
Asking Questions with How many and How much
How many is used in questions before plural count nouns. How much is used in questions
before Noncount nouns.
Examples
Answers
How many eggs do you
want?
How many cakes are you
making?
Two
Only one
How much coffee does he
drink?
How much rice do we need?
Three cups
Ten pounds
Note: if a unit of measurement is used with a Noncount noun, how many should be used.
For example: how much coffee does he drink? Can also be expressed as How many cups of
coffee does he drink?
Modal Auxiliaries: Request, Offers, and Permission
The modals may, can, could, will or would can be used with the simple form of a verb to
make requests, offers, and to request permission. In questions, the modal appears before the
subject.
Making request
Possible answer
Notes
Of course
In these cases, we are asking
someone else to do
something.
I´d be glad to.
Certainly
Could and would are used in
both informal and formal
situations.
Sure
Can and will are informal.
Note: please make any request more polite.
Making offers
Possible answers
Notes
Yes. Can I get the menu?
I’d like an iced tea please.
In these cases, we are
offering to do something for
someone.
May is considered formal
and can is less formal.
Requesting permission
Possible answers
Notes
No, you may not.
Yes, you can.
No. you can’t
In these cases, we want something or
want to do something and are asking
for someone’s help or permission.
May is considered formal.
Could is used in formal and informal
requests.
Can is the least formal.
Notes: May is not used in questions in which the subject is you.
Spelling Rules for s, ed, er, est and ing Endings