Basic English Module

Republic of Panama
Ministry of Education
Instituto Superior C&C Technologies
Student´s name:
_____________________________
ID Number:
___________________
OBJECTIVES
The student should be able to:

Communicate effectively and appropriately in real life situation.
Understand meaning of words, phrases, questions, instructions, commands
and sentences in context.
Identify and apply rules for capitalization, the use of correct punctuation
marks, use appropriate vocabulary and the use of correct grammatical items.
Recognize and identify parts of a sentence (subject and predicate).
Personal Pronouns
What is a personal pronoun simple definition?
A personal pronoun is a short word we use as a simple substitute for the proper
name of a person. Each of the English personal pronouns shows us the grammatical
person, gender, number, and case of the noun it replaces.
Examples of Personal Pronouns

Subject
Person Meanings
Pronouns
1st I Yo
Singular 2nd You Tú
3rd He / She / It Él / Ella / Eso-Esto
1st We Nosotros
Plural 2nd You Ustedes, Vosotros
3rd They Ellos
Personal pronouns are the stunt doubles of grammar; they stand in for the people
(and perhaps animals) who stand in our sentences. They allow us to speak and write
with economy because they enable us to avoid repeating cumbersome proper nouns
all the livelong day.
Personal pronouns are words like “you” that refer to the person speaking or writing,
to the person they’re addressing, or to other people and things.
Like other pronouns, they are used in place of nouns to allow us to speak and write
more concisely. For example, without the first-person pronoun “I,” you would have
to use your name every time you wanted to make a statement about yourself.
Subject Pronouns Sentences
I I am the writer.
You You are the fastest runner on the team.
He / She / It He is the best musician. / She is intelligent.

Examples
We We are the students.
You You are from England.
They They are teachers.
Should personal pronouns be capitalized?

Only the personal pronoun I should be capitalized all the time. The other pronouns
are only capitalized when they begin a sentence or form a proper noun (such as the
movie Us).
Should you use personal pronouns in an essay?

Personal pronouns are perfectly acceptable in essays. However, in academic essays
and other formal papers, it’s best to avoid the first- and second-person pronouns (I,
me, we, us, you) for the sake of objectivity.
Verb be / Personal Pronoun
In English the personal pronouns are: I, you, he, she, it, we and they. We must
ALWAYS use them when introducing a verb whether it is written or spoken. The verb
“to be” is the most important verb in the English language and needs to be learnt
and memorized as soon as possible.
Affirmative forms of the verb to be:
Subject Pronouns Verb be
I am
 I am from Peru.
you are  She is from Panama.
he/she/it is Example:
 He is from China.
we are  You are from Japan.
you are
they are
________________________________________________________________________________
Negative Forms of the verb to be:
Subject Pronouns Full Form
I am not
 I am not from London.
you are not
 You are not from Mexico.
he/she/it is not Example:
 He is not from Iceland.
we are not
 She is not from Australia.
you are not
they are not

Interrogative Forms of the verb to be:
Questions Short Answer / Short Answer /

Positive Negative
Am I a teacher? Yes, I am. No. I´m not
Are you a student? Yes, I am. No, I´m not
Is he a doctor? Yes, he is. No, he isn´t
Is she a singer? Yes, she is No, she isn´t
Are we singers? Yes, we are No, we aren´t
Are they students? Yes, they are No, they aren´t
Simple Present Tense:

How to Use It?
The simple present is a verb tense with two main uses. We use the simple present
tense when an action is happening right now, or when it happens regularly (or
unceasingly, which is why it’s sometimes called present indefinite). Depending on
the person, the simple present tense is formed by using the root form or by adding
“s” or “es” to the end.
Examples:
 I feel great!
 Pauline loves pie.
 I’m sorry to hear that you’re sick.
How to form the simple present?

In the simple present, most regular verbs use the root form, except in the third-
person singular (which ends in s).
First-person singular: I write. First-person plural: We write.
Second-person singular: You write. Second-person plural: You write.
Third-person Third-person plural: They write.

singular: He/she/it writes. (Note
the s.)
Present Tense - Third Person

English Grammar Rules
Normally in the present tense we add S to the end of the verb in the 3rd person (He,
She, It).
Verb 3rd Person
Speak Speaks
Play Plays
Give Gives
Make Makes
 He speaks three languages.

 She drinks coffee every morning.
 My dog hates my cat.
Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs in English in the present tense follow very simple rules. The only
change that is made to these verbs is in the third person – for He, She or It.
1. If the verb ends in SS, X, CH, SH or the letter O, we add + ES in the third
person.
Verb 3rd Person
Kiss Kisses
Fix Fixes
Watch Watches
Crash Crashes
Go Goes
 A mechanic fixes car.
 She watches soap operas every afternoon.
 He kisses his wife before he goes to work.
2. If the verb ends in a Consonant + Y, we remove the Y and + ies in the third
person.
Verb 3rd Person
Carry Carries
Hurry Hurries
Study Studies
Deny Denies
 Isabel studies every night.

 The baby cries all the time.
 He denies all responsibility.
How to make the simple present negative?
The formula for making a simple present verb negative is do/does + not + [root
form of verb]. You can also use the contraction don’t or doesn’t instead of do
not or does not.
Examples:
 Pauline does not want to share the pie.
 She doesn’t think there is enough to go around.
 Her friends do not agree.
 I don’t want pie anyway.
How to ask a question?
The formula for asking a question in the simple present is do/does + [subject] +
[root form of verb].
Examples:
 Do you know how to bake a Negative form:
pie?
 Don´t you like animals?
 Does he like hamburgers?
 Doesn´t she eat banana?
 Do you know the doctor?
VERB TO BE/PAST TENSE
The simple past is a verb tense that is used to talk about things that happened or
existed before now. Imagine someone asks what your brother Carlos did while he
was in town last weekend.
The past tense of To Be in English has two forms: WAS and WERE
Subject To Be
I was
He was
Singular
She was
It was
We were
You were Plural
They were
To Be – Affirmative
Subject To Be Examples
I was I was tired this morning.
He was He was the best in his class.
She was She was late for work.
It was It was a sunny day.
We were We were at home.
You were You were on holiday.
They were They were happy with their test results.

To Be - Negative Sentences
The negative of To Be can be made by adding not after the verb (was or were).
Subject To Be Examples
I was not I was not tired this morning.
He was not He was not married.
She was not She was not famous.
It was not It was not hot yesterday.
We were not We were not invited.
You were not You were not at the party.
They were not They were not friends.
How to formulate the simple past?

For regular verbs, add - ed to the root form of the verb (or just -d if the root form
already ends in an e):
Examples:
 Play→ Played
 Type→ Typed
 Listen→ Listened
 Push→ Pushed
 Love→ Loved
For other irregular verbs, including the verb to be, the simple past forms are more
erratic:
Examples:
 See→ Saw
 Build→ Built
 Go→ Went
 Do→ Did
 Rise→ Rose
 Am/Is/Are→ Was/Were
How to make the simple past negative?

Fortunately, there is a formula for making simple past verbs negative, and it’s the
same for both regular and irregular verbs (except for the verb to be). The formula
is did not + [root form of verb]. You can also use the contraction didn’t instead
of did not.
Examples:
 Wolfgang did not brag too much about his hula hoop skills.
 Wolfgang’s girlfriend didn’t see the contest.
For the verb to be, you don’t need the auxiliary did. When the subject of the
sentence is singular, use was not or wasn’t. When the subject is plural, use were
not or weren’t.
Examples:
 The third-place winner was not as happy as Wolfgang.
 The fourth-place winner wasn’t happy at all.
 The onlookers were not ready to leave after the contest ended.
 The contestants weren’t ready to leave either.
How to ask a question?
The formula for asking a question in the simple past tense is did + [subject] + [root
form of verb].
Examples:
 Did Wolfgang win the gold medal or the silver medal?
 Where did Wolfgang go to celebrate?
 Did the judges decide fairly, in your opinion?
When asking a question with the verb to be, you don’t need the auxiliary did. The
formula is was/were + [subject].
Examples:
 Was Wolfgang in a good mood after the contest?
 Were people taking lots of pictures?
PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE
The present continuous (also called present progressive) is a verb tense which is
used to show that an ongoing action is happening now.
Subject ► + Verb to be ► + Verb-ing
For example: You are watching TV.
Pronoun Auxiliary Verb +

ing Verb
I Am + ing  I am sitting on a chair.
He Is + ing  You are learning English now.
Example:
She Is + ing
 He is reading a book.
It Is + ing  They are watching television.
We Are + ing
You Are + ing
They Are + ing
Subject Auxiliary Verb Main Verb
+ I am speaking to you.
Affirmative
Form
+ You are reading this.
- She is not staying in London.

Negative
Form
- We are not playing football.
? Is he watching TV?
Interrogative
? Are they waiting for John? Form
Present Continuous Spelling Rules:
 Add ing to most verbs.

 play > playing
 cry > crying
 bark > barking
 For verbs that end in e, remove the e and add ing.

 slide > sliding
 ride > riding
 For verbs that end in ie, change the ie to y and add ing.
 die > dying
 tie > tying
 For Verbs ended with a consonant preceded by a vowel, double the

consonant and add -ing
 Run – running
 Get – getting
 Stop – stopping
 Sit – sitting
Yes/No Questions in the Present Continuous
Questions Short Short Answer /

Answer / Negative
Positive
Are you studying now? Yes, I am. No. I´m not
Is he cutting the grass? Yes, he is. No, he isn´t

Is it a raining? Yes, it is No, it isn´t
Are they meeting at six? Yes, they are No, they aren´t
Usage
Usage Example
To express actions that are happening

He is playing tennis now.
now.
He is watching movie with his

To express actions that are planned.
friend next Sunday.
The climate is getting hotter each

For changing situations.
year.
To express time at the moment of We are performing our duty at the

speaking moment.
ACTIVITY - #1
General Instructions: Read and follow the guidelines carefully. Be neat
and tidy, otherwise you will lose points.
I. Fill in the blanks with "he", "she", "it", "they" or "we" – Personal Pronoun.
1. Martha is a teacher. ______ is a teacher.
2. My family and I go to Chiriqui. ______ go to Chiriqui.
3. The dog runs fast. ______ runs fast.

4. The students study English. ______ study English.
5. The man is strong. ______ is strong.
6. The cat is fat. ______ is fat.
7. My mother is kind ______ is kind.
8. You and I are students. ______ are students.
9. The books are on the desk. ______ are on the desk.
10. The boy is intelligent. ______ is intelligent.
11. The girl is tall. ______ is tall.
12. My friends and I go to school. ______ go to school.
13. The horse is strong. ______ is strong.
14. Gerald is a policeman. ______ is a policeman.
15. Mary and John come from England. ______ come from England.
16. Susan and I are young. ______ are young.
17. Grandma is drinking wine. ______ is drinking wine.
18. Teresa is the winner. ______ is the winner.
19. Mike and Peter are teachers. ______ are teachers.
20. Charlie is a dancer. ______ is a dancer.
ACTIVITY - #2
I. Write the correct form of the verb be – am, is, are.
1. I ________ a student.
2. Tom and I _________ good free fire players.
3. The hamster _________ on the cage.
4. _________ she the girl I saw yesterday?
5. They _________ footballers.
6. The cats _________ hungry. Let´s feed them.
7. His sister _________ seven years old.
8. Emma and Betty _________ good friends.
9. My green pencil _________ on the floor.
10. ________ you from Scotland?
II. Write the appropriate short answer that coincides with the short question
using the verb be.
1. Is he a funny person? 6. Am I a student?

Yes, ____________. Yes, ____________.
No, _____________. No, _____________.
2. Are they your children? 7. Is my book on the bed?

Yes, _____________. Yes, _____________.
No, ______________. _______, it isn´t.
8. Are many people

3. ______ that an elephant?
happy?
Yes, it is.
_______, they are.
No, ______________. No, _____________.
4. Are you at the library? 9. _____ he a lawyer?

Yes, _____________. Yes, he is.
______, it isn´t. No, _____________.
5. _____ Peter from 10. Are the eggs in the box?

England? Yes, ____________.
_______, he is. No, _____________.
No, ______________.
ACTIVITY - #3
I. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate forms of the given verbs - Third
person singular.
1. My brother __________ (speak) three languages fluently.
2. Daniel __________ (watch) his favorite program every Saturday.
3. Jennifer __________ (wash) her hair every day.
4. Ryan __________ (go) to church every Sunday.
5. My sister __________ (do) her homework after school.
6. My father __________ (not like) fast food.

7. Your uncle _________ (not work) here.
8. __________ (Sarah / want) to come with us?
9. __________ (Andre / enjoy) pop music?
10. Thais __________ (teach) English in a private school.one of the most modest
people I have ever met.
11. Jessica __________ (kiss) her mother before she goes to bed.
12. Paul _________ (not play) tennis.
13. Clara _________ (sing) very well.
14. She always ___________ (carry) her umbrella with her.
15. He never ___________ (call) me.
16. My uncle _________ (not talk) much.
17. _________ (she / cook) well?
18. _________ (he / drive) carefully?
19. My son never _________ (listen) to me.
20. Your baby __________ (cry) too much.

ACTIVITY - #4
I. Complete the following sentences using present continuous tense. – am –
is - are + ing. (positive, negative or question).
1. My son __________ (talk) on the phone right now.
2. Are __________ (you / sleep)?
3. Jason __________ (do) his homework at the moment.
4. Tom ___________ (work) on a project nowadays.
5. My kids _________ (play) in the garden.
6. Some people __________ (wait) to talk to you.
7. My wife ___________ (not cook) today.
8. ___________ (Lucas / study) for his exam right now?
9. ___________ (Ryan / play) the piano now?
10. Lea and I ___________ (paint) the fences today.
11. Andrea ___________ (help) me at present.
12. My children ___________ (not listen) to the radio now.
13. Selena ___________ (not drink) tea at this moment.
14. I ___________ (vacuum) the carpet right now.
15. My father ___________ (run) at the park.
16. What ___________ (she / eat) right now?
17. ___________ (your dog / hide) from me?
18. What book __________ (you / read) nowadays?
19. Thomas ___________ (drive) me home now.
20. I ___________ (wash) my face at the moment.

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Republic of Panama

The student should be able to:

Examples of Personal Pronouns

Singular 2nd You Tú

3rd He / She / It Él / Ella / Eso-Esto

Plural 2nd You Ustedes, Vosotros

3rd They Ellos

Subject Pronouns Sentences

You You are the fastest runner on the team.

He / She / It He is the best musician. / She is intelligent.

You You are from England.

They They are teachers.

Should personal pronouns be capitalized?

Should you use personal pronouns in an essay?

Affirmative forms of the verb to be:

Subject Pronouns Verb be

Negative Forms of the verb to be:

Subject Pronouns Full Form

they are not

Questions Short Answer / Short Answer /

Am I a teacher? Yes, I am. No. I´m not

Are you a student? Yes, I am. No, I´m not

Is he a doctor? Yes, he is. No, he isn´t

Is she a singer? Yes, she is No, she isn´t

Are we singers? Yes, we are No, we aren´t

Are they students? Yes, they are No, they aren´t

Simple Present Tense:

How to form the simple present?

First-person singular: I write. First-person plural: We write.

Second-person singular: You write. Second-person plural: You write.

Third-person Third-person plural: They write.

Present Tense - Third Person

Verb 3rd Person

 He speaks three languages.

Verb 3rd Person

 She watches soap operas every afternoon.

 He kisses his wife before he goes to work.

Verb 3rd Person

 Isabel studies every night.

How to make the simple present negative?

not or does not.

 She doesn’t think there is enough to go around.

 Her friends do not agree.

 I don’t want pie anyway.

How to ask a question?

 Do you know how to bake a Negative form:

I was I was tired this morning.

He was He was the best in his class.

She was She was late for work.

It was It was a sunny day.

We were We were at home.

You were You were on holiday.

They were They were happy with their test results.

I was not I was not tired this morning.

He was not He was not married.

She was not She was not famous.

It was not It was not hot yesterday.

We were not We were not invited.

You were not You were not at the party.

They were not They were not friends.

How to formulate the simple past?

How to make the simple past negative?

 Wolfgang’s girlfriend didn’t see the contest.