Word order in questions

Questions with verb to be in

Present Simple

Wh-question word Am/Is/are Subject adjective, noun,

etc.

Why am I sad?

Where are you now?

Who is he?

Whose is this book?

is she thirsty?

Why are we anxious?

Are they hungry?

Who Are those people over there?

What Are these nimals?

Are there any shops near

here?

Questions with verb To be in Past Simple

Wh-word Was/Were Subject adjective, noun,etc.

Where was I yesterday?

Why were you angry with me two

days ago?

When was he born?

Were we at home yesterday?

Why were they there?

Word order in Present Simple Tense

Wh-word Auxiliary verb Subject main verb sth else

When do I get up?

What do you do?

Where does he live in Brighton?

Why do we wake up so early?

Who do they live with?

Questions in Past Simple

Wh-word Auxiliary verb Subject Main verb Sth else

When did I get home

Why did you buy that ugly shirt?

Where did she meet her boyfriend?

What did we do last night?

Who did they live with?

 Present Simple Tense

Affirmative form

Singular Plural
I learn We learn
You learn You learn
He learns They learn
She learns
It learns

Negative form

Singular Plural
I don’t learn We don’t learn
You don’t learn You don’t learn
He doesn’t learn They don’t learn
She doesn’t learn
It doesn’t learn

Question form

Singular Plural
Do I learn? Do we learn?
Do you learn? Do you learn?
Does he learn? Do they learn?
Does she learn?
Does it learn?

Spelling rules in 3rd singular form

1. add -s for most verbs spend-spends

work-works
sleep-sleeps
eat-eats
drink-drinks
2. add -es for verbs that end in miss-misses
s, sh, ch, x, o or z brush-brushes
watch-watches
fix-fixes
go-goes
buzz-buzzes
3. If the verb ends in study-studies
consonant + y , change the -y to -i fry-fries
and add -es cry-cries
dry-dries
fly-flies

4. If the verb ends in vowel+y, play-plays

DON’T CHANGE THE -Y stay-stays
lay-lays

5. irregular forms be-am/is/are

have-has
 When do we use Present Simple Tense?
Use
for repeated actions with
a) adverbs of frequency:
always, usually, often,
sometimes, rarely, hardly
ever, never*
b) every
every day/month/year… (we
use them at the end of a
sentence)
c) once, twice, three times, etc. They drink tea three times a
once a week, twice a month, day.
three times a day… (we use
them at the and of a
sentence)
for true facts (scientific facts,
unchanging truths, etc.)
Non-action verbs
-be
-have
-feelings (love, like, hate, etc)
-thinking verbs (think, know,
believe, etc)
-five senses (see, touch, smell,
hear, taste)
Schedules (TV schedules,
transportation schedule, etc)
Giving instructions
Examples
a) I always get up at 7 o’clock.
She often drinks coffee.
We sometimes hang out.
They never eat sweets.
You are always in a hurry.
b) I go to school every day.
c) We do sports twice a week.
He goes home once a
month.
The Earth goes around the Sun.
Water boils at hundred degrees.
I am thirsty now.
She is nice.
I have a cat.
He likes spaghetti.
They think I am smart.
I see you.
The film starts at 7 o’clock.
Banks open at 9 o’clock.
The train leaves at 2 pm.
You walk for 200 hundred meters,
 then you turn right.

● Adverbs of frequency go before the main verb.

I always drink water.

● Adverbs of frequency go after verb to be.

She is never late.

Present Continuous

Am/Is/Are + ing

Affirmative form

Singular Plural
I am learning We are learning
You are learning You are learning
He is learning They are learning
She is learning
It is learning

● Shorter forms:
I am learning - I’m learning
You/We/They are learning - You/We/They’re learning
He/She/I is learning - He/She/It’s learning

Negative form

Singular
I am not learning
You are not learning
He is not learning
She is not learning
It is not learning
Plural
We are not learning
We are not learning
They are not learning

● Shorter forms
I am not learning - I’m not learning
You/We/They are not learning - You/We/They aren’t learning
He/She/It is not working - He/She/It isn’t working
 Question form

Singular Plural
Am I learning? Are we learning?
Are you learning? Are you learning?
Is he learning? Are they learning?
Is she learning?
Is it learning?

Spelling rules

Rules Examples
Most verbs form -ing form by work-working
adding the ending -ing at the walk-walking
and of the main verb eat-eating
Verbs with one syllable, ending run-running
in consonant-vowel-consonant sit-sitting
double the last consonant and put-putting
add -ing win-winning
cut-cutting
Verbs with two or more LISten-LIStening
syllables, with the stress on the HAPpen-HAPPening
first syllable, just add -ing FOLlow-FOLlowing
CANcel-CANceling
ORder-ORdering
Verbs with two or more beGIN-beGINNing
syllables, with the stress on the forGET - forGETTing
second syllable, double the last regRET - regRETTing
consonant and add -ing reFER - reFERRing
 preFER - preFERRing
When a verb ends in -e, drop hope - hoping
the -e and add -ing write - writing
make - making
have - having
drive - driving
When a verb ends in -ie, drop die-dying
the -ie and instead of it use -y lie-lying
and add -ing tie-tying

When do we use Present Continuous?

Use
for actions happening at the
moment of speaking, with
adverbs: at the moment, now
for temporary actions, with
this month/week/year, these
days, etc
for future arrangements,
when we are sure that sth will
happen in the future ( a fixed
plan or a date)
for annoying repeated
actions with always,
continually, etc
Examples
I am reading a book at the
moment.
He is swimming in the pool
now.
She is having a shower now.
I am travelling a lot these days.
He is working hard this week.
She is learning a lot this month.
I am going to Boston next
week.
She is visiting her grandparents
at the weekend.
They are travelling to Budapest
at 7pm tomorrow.
You are always leaving your
dirty socks on the floor.
She is always listening to loud
 music.
They are always arguing.
It’s always raining in London
He is always laughing in a silly
way.

Present Perfect Tense

Have/Has + Past Participle

Affirmative form

Singular Plural
I have learned We have learned
You have learned You have learned
He has learned They have learned
She has learned
It has learned

Shorter forms
I/you/we/they have learned - I/you/we/they’ve learned
He/she/it has learned - He/she/it’s learned
 Negative form

Singular
I have not learned
You have not learned
He has not learned
She has not learned
It has not learned
Plural
We have not learned
You have not learned
They have not learned

Shorter form
I/you/we/they have not - I/you/we/they haven’t
He/she/it has not - He/she/it hasn’t

Question form

Singular Plural
Have I learned? Have we learned?
Have you learned? Have you learned?
Has he learned? Have they learned?
Has she learned?
Has it learned?
Use
for actions which started in the
past, but aren’t finished
for the recent past, not specifying
when things happened.
for giving news
with superlatives
when the focus is on the action,
not when the action happened
with:
-yet (we use it in questions and
negative sentences to ask is sth
has happened or to say that sth
hasn’t happened; it is used at the
end of the sentence)
Example
I have lived here since 2010.
She has just finished her
homework.
A letter has arrived for you.
This is the best book I have
ever read
I have lost my wallet.
I haven’t done my homework
yet.
Have you finished your meal
yet?

-already (we use it in affirmative They have already left.

sentences to say that sth
happened before now or earlier
than expected; it is used between
have/has and past participle)

-just (we use it in affirmative

sentences to say that sth We have just arrived home.
happened very recently; it is used
between have/has and past
participle)

Present Perfect or Past Simple

Present Example Past Example
Perfect
Simple
Unfinished I have known Finished I knew Julie
actions that Julie for 10 actions in the for 10 years
started in the years (and I past (but then she
past and still know her) moved away
continue to the and we lost
present touch0
A finished They have A finished My
action in been to action in great-grandfat
someone’s America three someone’s life her went to
life(when the times. (when the America three
person is still person is times.
alive; life dead)
experience)
A finished I have lost my A finished I lost my keys
action with the keys (the action with no yesterday.
result in the result is that I result in the (Now there is
present can’t get into present no result I got
my house new keys
now) yesterday)
With an I’ve seen With a finished I saw John
unfinished John today. time word (last yesterday.
time word (this week, last
week, this month,
month, today) yesterday)

Something, anything, nothing, etc.

People

form use example

 Somebody/someo we use them with a Someone has
ne positive verb when stolen myy wallet!
we don’t say exactly
who
Anybody/anyone we use them with a Is anyone here?
negative verb or in I can’t see
questions anybody.
Nobody/no one we use them in No, no one.
short answers or in Nobody called you.
sentences with a
positive verb

Things

form use example

Something we use them with a I bought something
positive verb when we for you.
don’t say exactly what
Anything we use them with a I haven’t done
negative verb or in anything this
questions morning.

Is there anything in
that box?
Nothing we use them in short Did you notice
answers or in anything strange?
sentences with a - No, nothing.
positive verb
Nothing happened
here.
 Places

form use example

Somewhere we use them with a Let’s go somewhere
positive verb when we this summer.
don’t say exactly
where
Anywhere we use them with a I didn’t go anywhere
negative verb or in last year.
questions
Have you been
anywhere recently?
Nowhere we use them in short No, nowhere.
answers or in
sentences with a There is nowhere
positive verb else
like in London.

Uses of the infinitive with to

● The infinitive is the base form of the verb. It is often used with to.
Itcan be positive (to do) or negative (not to do).

use example
After some verbs: I want to speak with you.
want, would like, decide, hope, She would like to buy a new
learn, need, offer, plan, pretend, phone.
promise, etc. I’ve decided to lose some weight.
He hopes to win the lottery.
They are learning to drive a car.
We need to finish our homework
as soon as possible.

after adjectives
after question words: what,
where, when, etc.
to say why you do something
I plan to go to Dubai.
My friend pretended to be ill.
The girl promised not to be late
again.
He offered me to go with him.
It’s nice to see you again.
I find it difficult to learn Arabic.
I don’t know what to buy for my
mum’s birthday.
He is not sure where to go this
winter.
She didn’t know when to go there.
I came here to speak with Mr
Smith.
She went to that workshop to
improve her skills.

● We use infinitive without to (bare infinitive) after auxiliary verbs,

after most modal verbs, verbs let and make (in active tenses).

Uses of the gerund

Verb + ing

● Gerund is the base form of the verb + ing. It can be positive

(swimming) or negative (not swimming).
use
with some verbs: love, like,
prefer, enjoy, avoid, risk,
can’t stand, would mind, etc.
as a subject or a object of a
sentence
after prepositions
example
I love reading.
He likes eating pizza.
I prefer wearing red shirts to
brown ones.
We enjoy doing nothing.
He risked being caught.
She can’t stand standing in a
queue.
Would you mind opening the
window?
Eating a lot of chocolate is bad
for your health.
My ideal day is sleeping as
long as you want, drinking
coffee and walking as much
you can.
She was thinking about buying
a new car.
He is keen on listening to
classical music.

● Remember the spelling rules:

write-writing
have-having
sit-sitting
run-running
hit-hitting
cut-cutting
put-putting
stop-stopping
shop-shopping
travel-travelling
plan-planning,
lie-lying
die-dying, etc.

Have to, Don’t have to, Must, Mustn’t

Have to/Don’t have to

form use example

have to +inf we use it to talk She has to wear
about rules and a uniform at
obligations school.

We have to be at
work at 7 o’clock.
don’t have to + we use it to say I don’t have to
inf. that there is no go to school at
obligation weekends.

Question form example

 Do/Does + subject + main Do you have to work on
verb Saturdays?
NOT Have you to work on
Saturdays?

● Don’t contract have or has:

We have to go now.
NOT We’ve to go now.

Must and mustn’t

● Must and mustn’t is the same for all persons

Form Use Example

must + inf. we use it for rules I must go to the
(without to) and obligations hairdresser’s.

I must clean my
flat on Saturday.

We must do our
homework before
we go to bed.
mustn’t + inf. we use it for You mustn’t
(without to) prohibitions smoke here.

You mustn’t take

photos here.

● Mustn’t is shorter form of must not.

 Must and have to (difference)

Although must and have to are very similar, they are a bit
different. While must is a personal obligation (imposed by a
speaker), have to is general obligation (a rule at school/work or law,
imposed by a third person). But often you can use both of them
without difference in meaning.

I have to go to school. (that’s a rule)

I must do my homework. (that’s personal obligation)

On the other hand, mustn’t and don’t have to have completely

different meanings. While musn’t is used for strong prohibition, don’t
have to is used for lack of obligation or necessity.

You mustn’t be here = you have to go immediately

You don’t have to be here = you can stay if you want, but it’s not
compulsory

Both must and have to are often used with impersonal you (people
in general)

You have to wear a suit and a tie in this company.

You mustn’t eat here.

Passive voice

To be (in an appropriate tense) + past participle of the main verb

In English language there are 2 Voices: Active and Passive Voice.

Voice is the form a verb takes to indicate whether the subject of the verb
performs or receives the action.
● Active voice - indicates that subject of the verb is acting.
I read a book. (the focus is on the subject)

● Passive voice - indicates what happens with the object.

The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the
passive one.

A book is read.

Voice Present Past

am/is/are + past was/were + past
participle participle
Active She eats a They built a house
sandwich every 10 years ago.
day.
Passive A sandwich is A house was built
eaten every day. 10 years ago.

Negative form

Present: isn’t/aren’t + past participle

A sandwich isn’t eaten every day.

Past: wasn’t/weren’t + past participle

 Question form

Present: Am/is/are + subject + past participle

Is a sandwich eaten every day?

Past: Was/were + subject + past participle

Was a house built 10 years ago.

We use Passive when:

● we don’t know who did the action

Someone broke the window. (we don’t know who broke the
window, so we use someone as a subject; because of that we can use
Passive)
The window was broken.

● we want to give more importance to the object rather than the

subject
His wallet was stolen. ( it’s not important who did the action, but
what happened)

● to make more polite or formal statements

The car wasn’t cleaned yesterday. ( it’s more polite than You
didn’t clean the car yesterday)

● we put emphasis on the agent, then we use by+agent

The book was written by Shakespeare.
 Used to

Affirmative form

Used to + infinitive

Singular Plural
I used to live We used to live
You used to live You used to live
He used to live They used to live
She used to live
It used to live

Negative form

Didn’t use to + infinitive

Singular Plural
I didn’t use to live We didn’t use to live
You didn’t use to live You didn’t use to live
He didn’t use to live They didn’t use to live
She didn’t use to live
It didn’t use to live

Question form

Did + subject + use to + infinitive

Singular
Did I use to live?
Did you use to live?
Did he use to live?
Did she use to live?
Did it use to live?
Plural
Did we use to live?
Did you use to live?
Did they use to live?

● Use
We use used to for things that happened repeatedly or were true
for a long period of time in the past, but usually are not true now.
When I was a child I used to eat a lot of sweets. (but now I don’t
eat a lot of sweets)

Instead of used to we can use the past simple with an adverb of

frequency.

When he was a child he often played in the park with his friends.
Used to only exists in the past, there isn’t use to for present
situations. For habits in the present we use the present simple and
an adverb of frequency.

I usually eat meat and salad for lunch.

NOT I use to eat meat and salad for lunch. m

Might
Affirmative form

Might + infinitive without

to

Might + inf. has the same form for all persons

I might come to you tomorrow.
We might go to Sarah’s party.
They might change their mind.

Negative form

Might not + infinitive without to

Might not + inf. has the same form for all persons

I might not come to you tomorrow.

We might not go to Sarah’s party.
They might not change their mind.

There isn’t shorter form of might not, it doesn’t exist mightn’t.

 Question form

Might + subject + infinitive without to

Question form is the same for all persons:

Might I come to you tomorrow?
Might we go to Sarah’s party?
Might they change their mind?

● We use might/might not for possibility, when we are not sure if

sth will happen or not. Instead fo might we can also use may.
It might rain tomorrow. OR It may rain tomorrow.