Level

1
Study Book

University of Victoria B.C.

[GRAMMAR BOOK]
Source: http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/
Level 1

Level 1 ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 2

Verb "To Be" ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Definition ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5

Explanation ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Chart and sentences showing forms of the verb "to be" ...................................................................................................................... 5

Count and Non-Count Nouns ..................................................................................................................................................................... 8

Countable Nouns .................................................................................................................................................................................... 8

Uncountable Nouns ................................................................................................................................................................................ 8

How to Count Non-Count Nouns ................................................................................................................................................................ 9

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 9

Regular Plurals of Nouns.......................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 10

How to form the plural ....................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Irregular Plurals of Nouns ......................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Types of irregular plural..................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Adjectives and Adverbs ............................................................................................................................................................................ 12

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 12

1. Using adjectives and adverbs ....................................................................................................................................................... 12

2. Making adverbs from adjectives .................................................................................................................................................... 12

However, there are some important exceptions: ............................................................................................................................... 13

Determiners: Demonstratives ................................................................................................................................................................... 13

Definition ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 13

Explanation ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 13

The numbers ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 14

Numbers: Cardinal ................................................................................................................................................................................ 14

Definition ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 14

Explanation ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 14

Sentences using cardinal numbers ................................................................................................................................................... 14

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 Numbers: Ordinal .................................................................................................................................................................................. 15

Definition ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 15

Explanation ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 15

Sentences using ordinal numbers ..................................................................................................................................................... 16

1. Forming the simple present tense ........................................................................................................................................................ 18

2. -s or -es ? ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 18

Making Questions ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 19

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 19

Yes / No Questions ........................................................................................................................................................................... 19

Making a Question with a “To Be” Verb .................................................................................................................................................... 19

Simple Present: Negatives and Questions ............................................................................................................................................... 19

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 19

1. Forming a negative........................................................................................................................................................................ 20

2. Forming a yes/no question ............................................................................................................................................................ 21

3. Forming a WH- question ............................................................................................................................................................... 21

Making a Question with “Do” or “Does” .................................................................................................................................................... 22

WH- Questions .................................................................................................................................................................................. 22

Information Questions .............................................................................................................................................................................. 23

Comparatives and Superlatives of Adjectives .......................................................................................................................................... 24

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 24

Forming regular comparatives and superlatives ................................................................................................................................... 24

How to use comparatives and superlatives ........................................................................................................................................... 24

“It” and “There” ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 25

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 25

Using “it” ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 25

Using “there” ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 26

Prepositions.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 26

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 26

1. Transportation ............................................................................................................................................................................... 26

2. Time .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 26

3. Communications............................................................................................................................................................................ 27

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 4. Where prepositions are NOT used ................................................................................................................................................ 27

Determiners: Some and Any .................................................................................................................................................................... 27

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 27

Present Continuous .................................................................................................................................................................................. 28

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 28

1. Forming the present continuous tense .......................................................................................................................................... 28

2. How to make the -ING form ........................................................................................................................................................... 29

Present Continuous: Negatives and Questions ........................................................................................................................................ 29

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 29

1. Forming a negative........................................................................................................................................................................ 29

2. Forming a question........................................................................................................................................................................ 30

Present Simple or Present Continuous? .................................................................................................................................................. 31

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 31

1. The simple present tense .............................................................................................................................................................. 31

2. The present continuous tense ....................................................................................................................................................... 32

Simple Past: Regular Verbs ..................................................................................................................................................................... 33

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 33

1. Forming the simple past tense ...................................................................................................................................................... 33

Simple Past: Irregular Verbs ..................................................................................................................................................................... 34

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 34

1. The three most important irregular verbs ...................................................................................................................................... 34

2. Other irregular verbs ..................................................................................................................................................................... 35

Simple Past: Negatives and Questions .................................................................................................................................................... 35

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 35

1. Forming a negative........................................................................................................................................................................ 35

2. Forming a yes/no question ............................................................................................................................................................ 36

3. Forming a WH- question ............................................................................................................................................................. 36

A Special Christmas Present ......................................................................................................................................................... 37

Two sisters and the cat ................................................................................................................................................................... 37

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Verb "To Be"

Definition

The verb "to be" is the most important verb in the English language. It is used for descriptions, continuous tenses, and passives.

Example

The car is red. (present simple)

The women are drinking coffee. (present continuous)
The door is locked by Joanne. (passive)

Explanation

The verb "to be" --

• does not show action.

• is a stative verb, a verb with no action.
• is an irregular verb.
• is used as an auxiliary verb in continuous tense.
• has future and past forms.
• is used in passive sentences.
• is used in yes / no questions.

Chart and sentences showing forms of the verb "to be"

Pronoun Present Example Sentence

I am I am tired today.

You are You are happy today.

He/She/It is He is a student.

We are We are in love.

They are They are hungry now.

Pronoun Past Example Sentence

I was I was tired yesterday.

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 You were You were happy yesterday.

He/She/It was He was a student last year.

We were We were in love two years ago.

They were They were hungry an hour ago.

Pronoun Future Example Sentence

I will be I will be tired tomorrow.

You will be You will be happy tomorrow.

He/She/It will be He will be a student next year.

We will be We will be in love next year too.

They will be They will be hungry this evening too.

Sample sentences using the verb "to be" in different tenses

He is a handsome man. Present tense

It is a rainy day. Present tense

We are driving in our car. Present continuous

I am working at the computer now. Present continuous

The car is driven every day. Passive sentence

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 The trip was wonderful. Past tense

The child was playing in the park yesterday. Past continuous

Our boss will be pleased with our work. Future tense

Is the work difficult? Yes / No question

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Count and Non-Count Nouns

This lesson and the exercise use food vocabulary. Learn food vocabulary in the Level 200 Vocabulary topics.

Countable Nouns

Some words take an ‘s’ when you talk about more than one. These words are called count or countable nouns.

Example

1 apple

2 apples

Uncountable Nouns

Other words do not take an ‘s’ when you talk about more than one. These words are called non-count or uncountable nouns.

Example

1 piece of cheese

2 pieces of cheese

The word “food” is a non-count noun.

Example

I like food.

I like some food for breakfast.

I like a lot of food for dinner.

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How to Count Non-Count Nouns

Introduction

Although non-count nouns are supposed to be uncountable, we sometimes need to count them. At least, we sometimes need to explain
the quantity of something which is non-count. We can do this by using a measurement word, or counter, like this:

a bar of chocolate

two loaves of bread

three slices of meat

It's useful to learn some of the most common measurement words and how they are used. Here are some examples:

Measurement word Nouns used with it

bar Chocolate, soap

cube Sugar ,ice

game Tennis, soccer, cards

glass Wine, beer, wáter, juice

piece Advice, information, baggage, clothing, furniture, homework, machinery

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Regular Plurals of Nouns

Introduction

Most nouns in English have both singular and plural forms, and the plural is usually formed by adding "-s" to the singular. Most nouns in
English have both singular and plural forms, and the plural is usually formed by adding “-s” to the singular. This page explains the basic
ways of forming regular plurals in English. For information about forming irregular plurals see Irrgular Plurals of Nouns.

How to form the plural

Noun ending Forming the plural Example

boss bosses
s, x, ch or sh Add -es
tax taxes
bush bushes

baby babies
consonant + y Change y to i then add -es candy candies
curry curries

cat cats
most others Add -s
face faces
day days

Irregular Plurals of Nouns

Introduction

Although most nouns have plurals formed according to regular rules (see Regular Plurals of Nouns), some nouns have unusual, or
irregular plurals. This page will introduce the most common ones, so that you can learn them.

Types of irregular plural

There are many types of irregular plural, but these are the most common:

Noun type Forming the plural Example

Change f to v knife knives

Ends with -fe then life lives
Add -s wife wives

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 Change f to v half halves
Ends with -f then wolf wolves
Add -es loaf loaves

potato potatoes
Ends with -o Add -es tomato tomatoes
volcano volcanoes

cactus cacti
ends with -us Change -us to -i nucleus nuclei
focus foci

analysis analyses
ends with -is Change -is to -es crisis crises
thesis theses

phenomenon phenomena
ends with -on Change -on to -a
criterion criteria

man men
Change the vowel
foot feet
or
child children
ALL KINDS Change the word
person people
or
tooth teeth
Add a different ending
mouse mice

sheep
Singular and plural
Unchanging deer
are the same
fish (sometimes)

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Adjectives and Adverbs

Introduction

Adjectives such as beautiful, nice, and red describe nouns. Adverbs such as quickly, badly, or warmly describe verbs. This page will
explain the differences between them, and show you how to make adverbs from adjectives.

1. Using adjectives and adverbs

Adjective Adverb Example

beautiful Ann is beautiful.

beautifully Ann sings beautifully.

warm The room is warm.

warmly Joe smiles warmly.

slow The car is slow.

slowly Ann drives slowly.

2. Making adverbs from adjectives

Adverbs are usually made from adjectives, by adding -LY. However, there are some exceptions. These are the rules:

Adjective ending in... How to make the adverb Examples

heavy - heavily
y Change Y to I and add -LY happy - happily
lazy - lazily

warm - warmly
[anything else] Just add -LY nice - nicely
loud - loudly

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However, there are some important exceptions:

Adjective Adverb

good well

late
(“Lately” means recently.
late
It is not the adverb
from “late”.)

early early

fast fast

hard
(“Hardly” means not much.
hard
It is not the adverb
from “hard”.)

Determiners: Demonstratives

Definition

Determiners are small words that come before nouns and give more information about the noun. Demonstratives show whether nouns
are near (this, these) or far (that, those).

Example

This dress here is very beautiful.

demonstrative noun (The dress is close to the person.)

That dress on the shelf is very beautiful.

demonstrative noun (The dress is far from the person.)

Explanation

Demonstratives --

• help describe nouns.

• come before nouns.
• express whether a noun is near or far.
• have plural and singular forms.

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The numbers

Numbers: Cardinal

Definition

Cardinal numbers show how much or how many. They are numbers like one, two, three.

Explanation

Cardinal numbers --

go before count nouns.

use hyphens for numbers that are made up of two words. For example, twenty-one, thirty-four, forty-nine.

Sentences using cardinal numbers

1 one Michelle has one cat.

2 two Michelle has two cats.

3 three Michelle has three cats.

4 four Michelle has four cats.

5 five Michelle has five cats.

6 six Michelle has six cats.

7 seven Michelle has seven cats.

8 eight Michelle has eight cats.

9 nine Michelle has nine cats.

10 ten Michelle has ten cats.

11 eleven Michelle has eleven cats.

12 twelve Michelle has twelve cats.

13 thirteen Michelle has thirteen cats.

14 fourteen Michelle has fourteen cats.

15 fifteen Michelle has fifteen cats.

16 sixteen Michelle has sixteen cats.

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17 seventeen Michelle has seventeen cats.

18 eighteen Michelle has eighteen cats.

19 nineteen Michelle has nineteen cats.

20 twenty Michelle has twenty cats.

21 twenty-one Michelle has twenty-one cats.

30 thirty Michelle has thirty cats.

40 forty Michelle has forty cats.

50 fifty Michelle has fifty cats.

60 sixty Michelle has sixty cats.

70 seventy Michelle has seventy cats.

80 eighty Michelle has eighty cats.

90 ninety Michelle has ninety cats.

100 one hundred Michelle has one hundred cats.

1000 one thousand Michelle has one thousand cats.

1 000 000 one million Michelle has one million cats.

1 000 000 000 one billion Michelle has one billion cats.

1 000 000 000 000 one trillion Michelle has one trillion cats.

Numbers: Ordinal

Definition

Ordinal numbers show time or space order.

Example

My first child is a girl, and my second child is a boy.

Explanation

Ordinal numbers --

• go before the noun.

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 • show time or space order.
• can be spelled out (sixth) or numeric (6th).
• are formed by writing the number + "th" (for example, sixth), except:
o irregular forms: 1st, 2nd, 3rd = first, second, third
• there are spelling rules for some forms:
o five and twelve change the "ve" to "f" = fifth and twelfth
o Eight adds only 'h' = eighth
o twenty, thirty, forty, and so on change the "y" to "ie" before adding "th" = twentieth, thirtieth, fortieth
o nine drops the 'e' = ninth

Sentences using ordinal numbers

1st first
Jack was first in the race.

2nd second
Sarah was second in the race.

3rd third
Byron was third in the race.

4th fourth
Tim was fourth in the race.

5th fifth
Holly was fifth in the race.

6th sixth
Bo was sixth in the race.

7th seventh
Laura was seventh in the race.

8th eighth
Faith was eighth in the race.

9th ninth
Dave was ninth in the race.

10th tenth
Glenn was tenth in the race.

11th eleventh
Sally was eleventh in the race.

12th twelfth
Joan was twelfth in the race.

13th thirteenth
Gail was thirteenth in the race.

14th fourteenth
Teresa was fourteenth in the race.

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15th fifteenth
Rob was fifteenth in the race.

16th sixteenth
Sandra was sixteenth in the race.

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 1. Forming the simple present tense

There are only two basic forms for the simple present tense; one ends with -s and the other doesn't. Here are the rules, using the
example verb "sing":

Subject Verb Form Example

I simple form I sing

You simple form You sing

He simple form + S He sings

She simple form + S She sings

It simple form + S It sings

We simple form We sing

They simple form They sing

In other words, only THIRD PERSON SINGULAR subjects (he, she and it) have to have a verb with -S.

2. -s or -es ?

With most verbs, the third person singular form is created simply by adding -S. However, with some verbs, you need to add -ES or
change the ending a little. Here are the rules:

Verb ending in... How to make the 3rd person singular Example

s Add -ES He passes

z Add -ES She waltzes

sh Add -ES She wishes

ch Add -ES He watches

x Add –ES She mixes

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consonant + y Change Y to I, then add -ES It flies

[anything else] Add -S He sings

Making Questions

Introduction

There are many different ways to form questions. We will look at two kinds of questions. One is called a yes / no question and the
other is called a WH- question.

Yes / No Questions

A yes / no question is a question that can be answered with yes or no. Yes / no questions can be formed using the words is / are or
do / does.

The most common type of yes / no question is formed by putting a to be verb (for example, is or are) at the beginning of a question.

Making a Question with a “To Be” Verb

Example (be-verb: IS)

Statement Question Answers

Elliot is reading a book. Is Elliot reading a book? Yes, he is. / No, he isn't.

Example (be-verb: ARE)

Statement Question Answers

They are from Greece. Are they from Greece? Yes, they are. / No, they are not.

Another common type of yes / no question is formed by adding do or does at the beginning of a sentence.

The form of this kind of yes / no question is: Do / Does + subject +verb*

Simple Present: Negatives and Questions

Introduction

In the simple present tense, negative forms and question forms are made using the auxiliary verb “do”. This page explains the rules.

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1. Forming a negative

Negatives in the simple present are formed by adding don't or doesn't before the simple form of the verb:

Subject Auxiliary Example

I don't I don't sing

You don't You don't sing

He doesn't He doesn't sing

She doesn't She doesn't sing

It doesn't It doesn't sing

We don't We don't sing

They don't They don't sing

In other words, only third person singular subjects (he, she and it) have doesn't — the rest have don't.

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2. Forming a yes/no question

Yes/no questions are also created using the auxiliary do. This time, the auxiliary is placed before the subject. Here are the rules:

Auxiliary Subject Example

Do I Do I sing?

Do you Do you sing?

Does he Does he sing?

Does she Does she sing?

Does it Does it sing?

Do we Do we sing?

Do they Do they sing?

3. Forming a WH- question

WH- questions (using words such as “what”, “when”, and “where”) are also created by putting the auxiliary do before the subject. Then,
you add the WH- word at the beginning. Here are some examples:

Statement Yes/no question WH- question

I sing Do I sing? What do I sing?

You fight. Do you fight? Why do you fight?

He lives Does he live? Where does he live?

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Making a Question with “Do” or “Does”

Statement Question Answers

Yes, I do.
I eat breakfast at 7 a.m. Do you eat breakfast at 7 a.m.?
No, I don't.

Yes, I do.
I listen to music. Do you listen to music?
No, I don't.

Yes, he does.
He doesn't work on the computer. Does he work* on the computer?
No, he doesn't.

Yes, we do.
We don't watch TV every night. Do we watch TV every night?
No, we don't.

Yes, I do.
I start work at 8 p.m. Do you start work at 8 p.m.?
No, I don't.

Yes, it does.
It takes* an hour to walk home. Does it take an hour to walk home?
No, it doesn't.

* Note that the -s is never added to the verb when using do / does in a question.

WH- Questions

Questions can ask for information. You ask for information using WH- question words (who, what, where, how, whose, why, and
when).

WH- questions have a different structure when "who" is the subject.

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Information Questions

Question WH- Word Structure Answer

Where is the hotel? Where question word + The hotel is on

Information about auxiliary verb + subject Douglas Street.
place

What is your name? What question word + My name is Rachael.

Information about auxiliary verb + subject
things

Why is the road wet? Why question word + The road is wet
Information about the auxiliary verb + subject because it was just
reason for something raining.

When do you get up? When question word + I get up at 7:00 every
Information about time auxiliary verb + subject morning.
(+ verb)

How do you drink your How question word + I drink my coffee with
coffee? Information about the auxiliary verb + subject milk and sugar.
manner or way in (+ verb)
which something is
done

Who lives in that Who (subject) question word + verb My mother lives in that
house? Information about house.
people

Whose pen is this? Whose question word + That is Camilla's pen.

Information about subject + verb
possession (who the
owner is)

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Comparatives and Superlatives of Adjectives

Introduction

Comparatives and Superlatives are special forms of adjectives. They are used to compare two or more things. Generally, comparatives
are formed using -er and superlatives are formed using -est. This page will explain the rules for forming regular comparatives and
superlatives, and also show some basic ways of using them.

Forming regular comparatives and superlatives

How these forms are created depends on how many syllables there are in the adjective. Syllables are like “sound beats”.
For instance, “sing” contains one syllable, but “singing” contains two — sing and ing. Here are the rules.

Adjective form Comparative Superlative

Only one syllable, ending in E. Add -R: Add -ST:

Examples: wide, fine, cute wider, finer, cuter widest, finest, cutest

Only one syllable, with one vowel and one consonant at Double the consonant, and add - Double the consonant, and add -
the end. ER: EST:
Examples: hot, big, fat hotter, bigger, fatter hottest, biggest, fattest

Only one syllable, with more than one vowel or more

Add -ER: Add -EST:
than one consonant at the end.
lighter, neater, faster lightest, neatest, fastest
Examples: light, neat, fast

Two syllables, ending in Y. Change Y to I, then add -ER: Change Y to I, then add -EST:
Examples: happy, silly, lonely happier, sillier, lonelier happiest, silliest, loneliest

Use MORE before the adjective:
Two syllables or more, not ending in Y.
more modern, more interesting,
Examples: modern, interesting, beautiful
more beautiful
Use MOST before the adjective:
most modern, most interesting,
most beautiful

How to use comparatives and superlatives

Comparatives are used to compare two things. You can use sentences with THAN, or you can use a conjunction
like BUT. Examples:

Comparatives • Jiro is taller than Yukio.

• Yukio is tall, but Jiro is taller.

Superlatives are used to compare more than two things. Superlative sentences usually use THE, because there
Superlatives is only one superlative. Examples:

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 • Masami is the tallest in the class.
• Yukio is tall, and Jiro is taller, but Masami is the tallest.

“It” and “There”

Introduction

It and there are used as subjects when there is no natural subject in a sentence.

Using “it”

“It” is used to identify something or someone.

Example Question Example Answer

“Who is it?” “It's me.”

“What is it?” “It's a cat.”

“It” is also used to talk about the weather, about time, and about distance.

When to use “it” Example Question Example Answer

Talking about weather “What's it like outside?” “It's sunny.”

Talking about time “What time is it?” “It's two o'clock.”

Talking about distances “How far is it to Banff?” “It's 900 kilometers?”

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Using “there”

“There” is used to say that something exists in a particular place.

When to use “there” Example Sentence

Singular There is a party tonight.

Plural There are lots of people at the party.

Singular question Is there a party tonight?

Plural question Are there many people at the party?

Prepositions

Introduction

This page shows you how to use the prepositions on, in, and at in different contexts.

1. Transportation

Preposition Example Nouns Example Sentences

in car, truck I went to Vancouver in my car.

I went downtown on the bus.

on bus, train, ship, plane, bicycle
We travelled to Toronto on the train.

2. Time

Preposition Example Nouns Example Sentences

January, February, March She arrived in February.

in 1987, 1988, 1989 I was born in 1988.
two minutes, three days I'll be home in three days.

Wednesday, Thursday The party is on Thursday.

on
weekend He left on the weekend.

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at 7:00, 7:30, 8 o'clock, noon I'll call you at 7.30.

3. Communications

Preposition Example Nouns Example Sentences

telephone I spoke to him on the telephone yesterday.

on Internet I read about it on the Internet.
radio, television I heard the news on the radio.

4. Where prepositions are NOT used

We don't use prepositions with certain words and phrases:

NO Preposition Words and Phrases Example Sentences

home Sally went home.

this morning I met my classmates this morning.
this afternoon We will arrive this afternoon.
in, on, at
every week We have an exam every week.
last Tuesday Neil did his laundry last Tuesday.
next year Betty will return next year.

Determiners: Some and Any

Introduction

This page introduces the determiners some and any.

Both some and any can be used with count nouns (such as “book”) and non-count nouns (such as “water”). This table
shows one difference between them. There are more differences which you will learn about later in your course.

Examples
Some is used in positive statements. John gave me some money.
We bought some candies.

Examples
Any is used in negative statements. She didn't have any money.
I couldn't find any books.

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Present Continuous

Introduction

The present continuous tense (also called the present progressive tense) is commonly used in English for actions happening right now,
or in the future. This page will explain the rules for forming the tense with regular verbs.

1. Forming the present continuous tense

This tense is formed using two components: the verb BE (in the present tense), and the -ING form of a verb. Here are the rules, using
the example verb “sing”:

Subject BE -ING form

I am singing

You are singing

He is singing

She is singing

It is singing

We are singing

They are singing

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2. How to make the -ING form

With many verbs, you can simply add -ING to the end of the verb. However, with some verbs, you need to change the ending a little.
Here are the rules:

Verb ending in... How to make the -ING form Examples

swim - swimming
one vowel + one consonant Double the consonant, then add -ING hit - hitting
get - getting

come - coming
one vowel + one consonant + E Remove E, then add -ING lose - losing
live - living

say - saying
[anything else] Add -ING go - going
walk - walking

Present Continuous: Negatives and Questions

Introduction

In the present continuous tense, negative forms are made using NOT, and question forms are made by changing the word order of the
sentence. This page explains the rules.

1. Forming a negative

Negatives in the simple present are formed by adding not or n't after the verb BE:

Positive sentence Negative sentence Contracted negative

I am eating. I am not eating. I'm not eating.

You are working. You are not working. You aren't working.

He is driving. He is not driving. He isn't driving.

She is teaching. She is not teaching. She isn't teaching.

It is raining. It is not raining. It isn't raining.

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We are reading. We are not reading. We aren't reading.

They are writing. They are not writing. They aren't writing.

2. Forming a question

Yes/no questions are created by moving the verb BE to the beginning of the sentence. WH-questions are formed by moving the verb
BE, and then adding the WH- word. Here are the rules:

Statement Yes/no question WH- question

I am eating. Am I eating? What am I eating?

You are crying. Are you crying? Why are you crying?

He is going. Is he going? Where is he going?

She is arriving. Is she arriving? When is she arriving?

It is sleeping. Is it sleeping? Why is it sleeping?

We are leaving. Are we leaving? When are we leaving?

They are fighting. Are they fighting? Why are they fighting?

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Present Simple or Present Continuous?

Introduction

The simple present tense is often confused with the present continuous tense. This page will explain when to use each one.

1. The simple present tense

The simple present tense is used for two main types of action:

Habits Actions which happen regularly (for example, every day or every week)

States Things which do not often change (for example, opinions and conditions)

Some examples will help to make this clearer:

Type of
Examples Explanations
action

Young-Mi goes to class every day. “Every day” is a habit.

It rains a lot in Vancouver. This means that it rains often.

Habit
Santos always talks about his family. “Always” means this is a habit.

Jerry spends Christmas with his This implies that he spends Christmas with his parents every
parents. year.

Bianca lives in Florida. This is a state, because it doesn't change.

Jean-Paul has red hair. Someone's hair colour doesn't usually change.
State
Martin likes chocolate. When we like something, usually we will always like it.

Anna believes in God. Beliefs and opinions are states. They don't often change.

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2. The present continuous tense

The present continuous tense is used for two main types of action:

A temporary action happening now Something which is going on right now (but it will stop in the future)

A definite plan for the future Something we intend to do, usually in the near future

Here are some examples:

Type of action Examples Explanations

Right now, John is winning, but the game isn't

John is winning the game.
finished yet.

It's raining outside. It's raining right now (but it may stop soon).
Temporary action
happening right now
Soraya's working in the
She's working there right now.
library.

Sihol is spending Christmas He's spending Christmas with his family right now,
with his family. this year. (Maybe next year he won't.)

I'm playing soccer tomorrow. This plan is already arranged and definite.

Sarah's leaving for San

She has probably already bought her ticket.
Francisco on Friday.
Definite plan for the
future
The Olympics are taking
This is already certain.
place here next year.

I'm having a party next week. All the plans have been made.

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Simple Past: Regular Verbs

Introduction

The simple past tense is one of the most common tenses in English. Its form is the same with all subjects. It is usually formed by adding
-ED to the verb. This page will explain the rules for forming the tense with regular verbs.

1. Forming the simple past tense

With most verbs, the simple past is created simply by adding -ED. However, with some verbs, you need to add -D or change the ending
a little. Here are the rules:

Verb ending in... How to make the simple past Examples

live lived
e Add -D
date dated

try tried
Consonant +y Change y to i, then add -ED
cry cried

One vowel + one consonant tap tapped

Double the consonant, then add -ED
(but NOT w or y) commit committed

boil boiled
fill filled
anything else including w Add -ED
hand handed
show showed

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Simple Past: Irregular Verbs

Introduction

Although many verbs in English form their past tense with -ED, some do not. These are called irregular verbs, and they include some of
the most basic verbs in English. This page will explain some of the most important patterns in forming the past tense. However, the only
way to know how an irregular verb will change in the past tense is to learn all of the important verbs.

1. The three most important irregular verbs

The three most important irregular verbs are BE, HAVE, and DO. The simple past forms for BE are different depending on the subject.

Pronoun BE HAVE DO

I was had did

You were had did

He / she / it was had did

We were had did

They were had did

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2. Other irregular verbs

Other irregular verbs fall into three main categories:

Category Examples

cut - cut
Verbs which don't change hit - hit
fit - fit

get - got
Verbs which change their vowel sit - sat
drink - drank

catch - caught
Verbs which change completely bring - brought
teach - taught

Simple Past: Negatives and Questions

Introduction

In the simple past tense, negative and question forms are made using the auxiliary verb "do" (in its past form, "did") followed by the
simple form of the main verb. This page explains the rules.

1. Forming a negative

Negatives in the simple past are formed by adding didn't (informal) or did not (formal) before the simple form of the verb. The verb BE is
an exception to this; in the case of BE, we just add n't (informal) or not (formal) after "was" or "were":

Simple past statement Informal negative Formal negative

I had a car. I didn't have a car. I did not have a car.

You ate my toast. You didn't eat my toast. You did not eat my toast.

He was here yesterday. He wasn't here yesterday. He was not here yesterday.

They were in the park. They weren't in the park. They were not in the park.

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2. Forming a yes/no question

Yes/no questions are also created using the auxiliary did. This time, the auxiliary is placed before the subject. The verb BE is an
exception; in this case, we move BE before the subject. Here are the rules:

Simple past statement Yes/no question

He brought his friend. Did he bring his friend?

They had a party. Did they have a party?

You were here. Were you here?

She was sick. Was she sick?

3. Forming a WH- question

WH- questions (using words such as "what", "when", and "where") are also created by putting the auxiliary did before the subject (or
moving BE, as explained above). Then, you add the WH- word at the beginning. Here are some examples:

Statement Yes/no question WH- question

The building fell down. Did the building fall down? Why did the building fall down?

They lived in Vancouver. Did they live in Vancouver? Where did they live?

The store was closed. Was the store closed? Why was the store closed?

They were wolves. Were they wolves? What were they?

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 A Special Christmas Present

David wants to buy a Christmas present for a very special person, his mother. David's father gives him $5.00 a week
pocket money and David puts $2.00 a week into his bank account. After three months David takes $20.00 out of his bank
account and goes to the shopping mall. He looks and looks for a perfect gift.

Suddenly he sees a beautiful brooch in the shape of his favourite pet. He says to himself, "My mother loves jewelry, and
the brooch costs only $17.00." He buys the brooch and takes it home. He wraps the present in Christmas paper and
places it under the tree. He is very excited and he is looking forward to Christmas morning to see the joy on his mother's
face.

But when his mother opens the present she screams with fright because she sees a spider.

Two sisters and the cat

Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Smith are sisters. Mrs. Wilson lives in a house in Duncan and Mrs. Smith lives in a condominium in
Victoria. One day Mrs. Wilson visited her sister. When her sister answered the door, Mrs. Wilson saw tears in her eyes.
"What's the matter?" she asked. Mrs. Smith said "My cat Sammy died last night and I have no place to bury him".

She began to cry again. Mrs. Wilson was very sad because she knew her sister loved the cat very much. Suddenly Mrs..
Wilson said "I can bury your cat in my garden in Duncan and you can come and visit him sometimes." Mrs.. Smith
stopped crying and the two sisters had tea together and a nice visit.

It was now five o'clock and Mrs. Wilson said it was time for her to go home. She put on her hat, coat and gloves and Mrs.
Smith put the dead Sammy into a shopping bag. Mrs. Wilson took the shopping bag and walked to the bus stop. She
waited a long time for the bus so she bought a newspaper. When the bus arrived, she got on the bus, sat down and put
the shopping bag on the floor beside her feet. She then began to read the newspaper. When the bus arrived at her bus
stop, she got off the bus and walked for about two minutes. Suddenly she remembered she had left the shopping bag on
the bus.

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