q

We use adjectives to describe nouns.

Most adjectives can be used in front of a noun: They have a beautiful house. We saw a very exciting film last night. or after a link verb like be, look or feel: Their house is beautiful.

b
Adjectives
That film looks interesting.

We use adverbs to give more information about the verb.

We use adverbials of manner to say how something happens or

b
` AdVERBs

how something is done:

The children were playing happily. He was driving as fast as possible.

We use adverbials of place to say where something happens: I saw him there. We met in London. We use adverbs of time to say when or how often something happens:

Simple Sentence

A simple sentence has only one clause: The children were laughing. John wanted a new bicycle. All the girls are learning English.

b
They start work at six thirty.
They usually go to work by bus.

Compound Sentence
A compound sentence has two or more clauses: (We stayed behind) and (finished the job) (We stayed behind) and (finished the job), then (we went

home)

Verbs in English have four basic parts:

The clauses in a compound sentence are joined by co-ordinating conjunctions: John shouted and everybody waved. We looked everywhere but we couldnt find him. They are coming by car so they should be here soon. The common coordinating conjunctions are and but or nor so then yet

Complex Sentence
A complex sentence has a main clause and one or more adverbial clauses. Adverbial clauses usually come after the main clause: Her father bought her a dog when she was very young. >>> Her father bought her a dog (main clause) when (subordinating conjunction) she was very young (adverbial clause)

Verbs in English have four basic parts:

b
`
Verbs

Base form
work play listen

-ing form
working playing listening

Past tense
worked played listened

Past participle
worked played listened

Most verbs have past tense and past participle in ed (worked,

X Question Forms
irregular. We make questions by:
Everybody is watching English is spoken all over the world She is going to go to the cinema >> >> >>

played, listened). But many of the most frequent verbs are

1) moving an auxiliary to the front of the clause:

Is everybody watching?

Is English spoken all over the

world? Is she going to go to the cinema?

The simple present and the simple past have no auxiliary. We make questions by adding the auxillary do/does for the present simple or did for the simple past:
They live here >> Do they live here?

John lives here

Everybody laughed

>>
>>

Does John live here?

Did everybody laugh?

1. We use the simple present:

Talking about the present

to talk about something happening regularly in the present: The children come home from school at about four. We often see your brother at work. to talk about something happening continually in the present: They live next door to us. He works for the Post Office. to talk about things which are generally true: Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.

The Nile is the longest river in Africa.

2. We use the present continuous: to show that something in the present is temporary:

We are living in a rented flat at present.

My wife usually goes in to the office, but she is working at home today.

for something happening regularly in the present before and after a given time: Im usually getting ready for work at eight oclock. When I see George hes always reading his newspaper.

for something happening before and after the moment of speaking: I cant hear you. Im listening to my iPod.

Be quiet. The children are sleeping.

Talking about the past

1) Talking about past events and situations: We use the simple past:

when we are talking about an event that happened at a particular time in the past We arrived home before dark The film started at seven thirty.

when we are talking about something that continued for

some time in the past Everybody worked hard through the winter. We stayed with our friends in London.

When we are talking about something that happened several

times in the past we use the simple past: Most evenings we stayed at home and watched DVDs. Sometimes they went out for a meal. or used to Most evenings we used to stay at home and watch DVDs. We used to go for a swim every morning. ... or would Most evenings he would take the dog for a walk. They would often visit friends in Europe.

Talking about the future

1. Present tense. When we know about the future we normally use the present tense.

We use the simple present for something scheduled or

arranged: We have a lesson next Monday. The train arrives at 6.30 in the morning.

The holidays start next week.

It is my birthday tomorrow. We can use the present continuous for plans or arrangements:

Im playing football tomorrow.

They are coming to see us tomorrow. Were having a party at Christmas. 2. Will. We use will to talk about the future: When we make predictions: It will be a nice day tomorrow. I think Brazil will win the World Cup. Im sure you will enjoy the film.

To mean want to or be willing to: I hope you will come to my party. George says he will help us. To make offers and promises: I'll see you tomorrow. We'll send you an email. To talk about offers and promises: Tim will be at the meeting. Mary will help with the cooking. 3. F UTURE GOING TO. We use (be) going to: To talk about plans and intentions: Im going to drive to work today. They are going to move to Manchester. When we can see that something is likely to happen: Be careful! You are going to fall. Look at those black clouds. I think its going to rain.

The verb be has the following forms:

I am We are

The verb be

Y
You are
They are Are we? Are you? Are they? We are not (=arent) You are not (=arent) They are not (=aren't)

Simple Present

Affirmative

You are
He/She/It is Am I? Are you? Is he/she/it? I am not / Im not You are not

Question

form:

Negative:

(=arent)
He/She/It is not (=isnt) I was

We were You were They were Were we? Were you? Were they? We were not (=werent) You were not (=werent) He/She/It was not (=wasnt)

Simple Past

Affirmative

You were He/She/It was Was I?

Question form:

Were you? Was he/she/it? I was not (=wasnt) You were not

Negative:

(=werent) He/She/It was not (=wasnt)

The verb be is used in the following patterns: 1. with a noun: My mother is a teacher. Bill Clinton was the president of the US. 2. with an adjective:

This soup is very tasty.

The children were good. 2.1 with the -ing form to make the continuous aspect We were walking down the street. Everything was wet. It had been raining for hours.

U 6

Adapted from English Grammar British Council