GRAMMAR TOPICS –

BEGINNERS I
Centro de Lenguas Extranjeras Face to Face
 CONTENTS
 Verb “to be”
 Simple Present Tense
 Articles
 Possessive Adjectives
 WH Words
 There + Be
VERB “TO BE”
EXAMPLES
SUBJECT PRONOUNS (POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE FORMS)
 SENTENCES USING VERB “TO BE”
AFFIRMATIVE SENTENCE
Subject + Verb (Be) + Complement.
• She is a very responsible woman.
• They are at their house right now.

NEGATIVE SENTENCE
Subject + Verb (Be) + Not + Complement.
• She is not a very responsible woman.
• They are not at their house right now.

INTERROGATIVE SENTENCE
Verb (Be) + Subject + Complement + ?
• Is she a very responsible woman?
• Are they at their house right now?
 SENTENCES USING VERB “TO BE”
SHORT ANSWERS (Specific Questions)
Yes + Subject + Verb (Be) / No + Subject + Verb (Be) + Not.
• Yes, she is. • Yes, they are.
• No, she is not / isn’t. • No, they are not / aren’t.

EXAMPLES USING VERB “TO BE”

• I'm cold. Can you close the window, please?
• I'm 32 years old. My sister is 29.
• Steve is ill. He's in bed.
• My brother is scared of dogs.
• It's ten o'clock. You're late again.
• Ann and I are good friends.
• Your keys are on the table.
• I'm tired, but I'm not hungry.
• Lisa isn't interested in politics. She's
interested in art.
• James isn't a teacher. He's a student.
• Those people aren't English. They're
Australian.
• It's sunny today, but it isn't warm.
• Am I late? No, you're on time.
• Are your parents at home?
• Where is your mother?
• Where are you from?
• What color is your car?
• How old is Joe?'
SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE
 AUXILIARY VERBS “SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE”

I
He
You
DO DOES She
We
It
They

NEGATIVE SENTENCES
Do + not = don’t DO = “Hacer”
Does + not = doesn’t
.

USAGES FOR “SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE”

• General Truth • For Newspaper Headlines
Example: The sun rises in the east. Example: Man enters space.

• Habits or Routines • With Non-progressive

Example: I play badminton every Tuesday. Example: I believe that you are innocent.

• Future Timetables • When Telling Stories

Example: Our train leaves at 9 am. Example: Suddenly, the window opens and a
masked man enters.
• Future after “When”, “Until”…
Example: I won’t go out until it stops raining. • For Giving Directions and Instructions
Example: First of all, you break the eggs and
• Permanent Situations whisk with sugar.
Example: He works in a bank.
 SENTENCES USING “SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE”
AFFIRMATIVE SENTENCE
Subject + Verb + Complement.
• He works in a building downtown.
• They wash their clothes on Fridays.

NEGATIVE SENTENCE
Subject + don’t / doesn’t + Verb + Complement.
• He doesn’t work in a building downtown.
• They don’t wash their clothes on Fridays.

INTERROGATIVE SENTENCE
Do / Does + Subject + Verb + Complement + ?
• Does he work in a building downtown?
• Do they wash their clothes on Fridays?
 SENTENCES USING “SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE”
SHORT ANSWERS (Specific Questions)
Yes + Subject + Do /Does / No + Subject + Do /Does + Not.
• Yes, he does. • Yes, they do.
• No, he does not / doesn’t. • No, they do not / don’t.

EXAMPLES USING “SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE”

• Nurses look after patients in hospitals.
• I usually go away at weekends.
• The earth goes round the sun.
• The cafe opens at 7.30 in the morning.
• I come from Canada.
• Where do you come from?
• I don’t go away very often.
• Rice doesn’t grow in cold climates.
• What do you think of my idea?
• Do you see that man over there?
• How do you feel now?
• Do you play the guitar?
• Do your parents speak English?
• Does James work hard?
• Does your sister live in London?
• What does this word mean?
 3RD PEOPLE CONJUGATION IN AFFIRMATIVE SENTENCES
1. Add “S” 2. Add “ES” 3. Add “IES”
(b, c, d, e, g, h, k, l, m, n, p, (s, sh, ch, x, z, o, th) Y = Consonant (ies)
r, t, w) “S” = Vowel
Climbs Feels Kisses Fixes Study = Plays
Combs Heals Misses Mixes Studies Says
Panics Swims Brushes Buzzes Fly = Flies Buys
Needs Means Washes Goes Cry = Cries Obeys
Takes Jumps Touches Does Dry = Dries Stays
Gives Wears Watches Teethes Try = Tries
Rings Starts
Coughs Draws
Works Throws
ARTICLES
.

“DEFINITE ARTICLE”

THE
(el, la, los, las)
ðə ðiː
Meanings
The house The architect
The carpet The engineer
The dog The apple
Consonant The ceiling The orange Vowel
The table The umbrella

(ðiː)
The hour
The heir
The herb
.

DEFINITE ARTICLE USAGES

• When we know who or what we are talking • To refer to directions (right, left, top,
about. We use "the" to indicate something bottom) and cardinal points (north, south,
or someone in particular, that is why it is east, west).
called definite Examples:
Examples: a. The south of France
a. Do you remember the day we went to b. The house on the left
New York?
b. What is the name of the restaurant?
• With adjectives in superlative degree and
• With the names of geological regions, ordinal numbers.
mountain ranges, seas, oceans, groups of Examples:
islands, rivers and countries in the plural. a. The tallest building
Examples: b. The strongest man
a. The Netherlands
b. The Canary Islands
.
WHEN NOT TO USE THE DEFINITE ARTICLE
• When we talk about something in general.
Examples:
a. I like ice cream.
b. Math is difficult.
• We never use "the" when we refer to
television, meal times, days of the week,
time, months of the year, seasons, or years.
Examples:
a. I do not like to watch television TV.
b. I have an appointment on Monday.
• With institutions and modes of transport,
when we are talking in general.
Examples:
a. We like school.
b. They go to church on Sundays.
• The article is not used with city names or
place names in general, although there are
some exceptions as we have seen in the
previous section. Also, the article is not
used with lakes or streets.
Examples:
a. I went to Lake Titicaca.
b. She lives on Flores Street.
.

“INDEFINITE ARTICLES”

A - AN
Consonant (un, una) Vowel
Meanings

A house An architect
A carpet An engineer
A dog (An) (A) = (iu) An apple
A ceiling An hour A university An orange
A table An heir A universe An umbrella
An herb A use
.
INDEFINITE ARTICLES USAGES
• It is used to talk about something in
general.
Examples:
a. He has a computer.
b. We work in a school.
• You can also use it instead of "1".
Examples:
a. I want an apple and two oranges.
b. There are a hundred students in the
school.
• It is used to refer to a thing for the first
time. Next time we talk about this thing,
we'll use the definite article.
Examples:
a. I live in an apartment.
• With professions, offices and political
affiliations, we use the indefinite article.
Examples:
a. Maria is a doctor.
b. Juan is an architect.
POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
.

POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
SUBJECT PRONOUNS POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVE MEANINGS

I My Mi, mis

You Your Su, sus (de usted)

She Her Su, sus (de ella)

He His Su, sus (de él)

It Its Su, sus (cosa, animal, etc.)

We Our Nuestro (a), nuestros (as) (de ustedes)

You Your Su, sus (de ustedes)

They Their Su, sus (de ellos (as)

.
EXAMPLES USING POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
MY
• I am a teacher. I like my job.
• I live with my girlfriend in New York.
• On Sundays I play tennis with my friends.
HER
• Mary went to her English class yesterday.
• She is sad because her teachers are very strict.
• Sarah is married. Her husband works with me.
ITS
• This car has a hole in its roof.
• We are studying Japan and its culture.
• New York is famous for its exciting nightlife.
YOUR
• You all love your country.
• You all have to make your own decisions.
• I want to thank you all for your help.
YOUR
• Do you like your job?
• You work here, and your wife works here too.
• Can you give me your opinion about this?
HIS
• Bill washes his car every day.
• Jack lives here, with his parents.
• He is painting his house.
OUR
• The Earth is our planet.
• We cook our own meals.
• We don't want to spend all our money.
THEIR
• Our neighbors are painting their house.
• Grandparents usually love their grandchildren.
• I saw Sally and John with their children.
“WH” WORDS
 WHAT = ¿Qué? ¿Cuál? ¿Cuáles? (G)
WHICH = ¿Qué? ¿Cuál? ¿Cuáles? (S)
WHERE = ¿Dónde? ¿Adónde?
WHEN = ¿Cuándo?

WH WHY = ¿Por qué?

HOW = ¿Cómo? ¿Cuán?
WHO = ¿Quién? ¿Quiénes?
WHOSE = ¿De quién? ¿De quiénes?
WHOM = ¿A quién? ¿A quiénes?
.

EXAMPLES USING “WH”

WHAT WHICH
• What is your father’s last name? • Which is the last movie directed by Coppola?
• What are your favorite books on history? • Which are the main characters of the movie?

WHERE WHEN
• Where is your new black coat? • When are Peter and Sarah coming to Argentina to visit us?
• Where are you going this summer? • When is your birthday?

WHY HOW
• Why is this car so expensive if it is so small? • How did you find the ring I was looking for?
• Why do you use this device that is so difficult to manage? • How long is Mary birthday’s dress?

WHO WHOSE
• Who is the woman in black? • Whose is the blue car that is parked over there?
• Who are the guys playing with George? • Whose are those keys that I found?

WHOM
• Whom did Jonathan give the book I was reading last night?
• Whom did you invite to the birthday party?
.

COMPOUND FORMS WITH “WH”

WH + PREP WH + NOUN
• What...like? - ¿Cómo? • What time? - ¿Qué hora? ¿A qué hora?
• What...for? - ¿Para qué? • What kind? - ¿Qué clase ? ¿Qué tipo?
• What...about? - ¿Sobre qué?
• Who...for? - ¿Para quién?
• Who...with? - ¿Con quién?
• Who...about? - ¿Acerca de quién?
• Where...from? - ¿De dónde?

EXAMPLES
• What is the house you will buy like?
• What is this wooden box for?
• What is this new book about?
• Who is this huge present for?
• Who are you coming to the party with?
• Who are Joey and Nick talking about?
• Where is your girlfriend from?
EXAMPLES
• What time is it?
• What time does the train from London arrive?
• What kind of answer is that?
• What kind of music does your mother like?
.
COMPOUND FORMS WITH “WH”
WH + ADV
• How much?- ¿Cuánto/a?
• How many? - ¿Cuántos/as?
• How often? - ¿Con qué frecuencia? ¿Cada cuánto?
• How long ago? - ¿Hace cuánto tiempo?
• Since when? - ¿Desde cuándo?
• How soon? - ¿Cuán pronto?
• How early? - ¿Cuán temprano?
EXAMPLES
• How much is this bunch of white roses?
• How much water do you need to fill a bucket?
• How many eggs do you need for the cake?
• How many candles do you need for the cake?
• How often do you visit your sister?
• How long ago did my mother arrive?
• Since when are your students studying English?
• How soon will your friend get the money?
• How early do you get up in the weekends?
• How late does your sister go to sleep during the week?
• How late? - ¿Cuán tarde?
• What else? - ¿Qué más?
• Where else? - ¿Dónde más?
• When else? - ¿En qué otra ocasión?
• How else? - ¿De qué otra manera?
• Who else? - ¿Quién más?
• Why else? - ¿Porqué otra razón?
EXAMPLES
• How late does your sister go to sleep during the week?
• What else would you like to take to the picnic?
• Where else could we go to have lunch?
• When else could we meet to talk about the plan?
• How else could Angela get better but taking the
medication?
• Who else will come to the stag party?
• Why else would Jane quit his job?
.

COMPOUND FORMS WITH “WH”

WH + ADJ
• How long? - ¿Cuánto tiempo? • How far? - ¿A qué distancia? ¿Cuán lejos?
• How old? - ¿Qué edad? ¿Cuán viejo? • How tall? - ¿Qué estatura? ¿Cuán alto?
• How fast? - ¿Cuán rápido? ¿Con qué velocidad? • How deep? - ¿Qué profundidad? ¿Cuán
• How big? - ¿Qué tamaño? ¿Cuán grande? profundo?
• How heavy? - ¿Qué peso? ¿Cuán pesado?

EXAMPLES
• How long is it since you last saw Helen?
• How old is your brother?
• How fast can you ride on bike?
• How fast does Carol drive in the highway?
• How big is the wedding cake that Margaret is
preparing?
• How big is the country house where you spend
your holidays?
EXAMPLES
• How far is the school from your house?
• How far is the baker’s?
• How tall is your husband?
• How tall is the tree that is planted on Anne's
garden?
• How deep is this pool?
• How deep is the Nile river?
• How heavy is that big gold bar?
• How heavy is the grand piano you bought?
THERE + BE
 THERE + IS = Hay
(Singular)
THERE + BE
(haber)
THERE + ARE = Hay
(Plural)
 SENTENCES WITH THERE + BE (HABER)
AFFIRMATIVE SENTENCE
There + is / are + Complement.
• There is a party with my friends tonight.
• There are many meeting this week.

NEGATIVE SENTENCE
There + isn’t / aren’t + Complement.
• There is not a party with my friends tonight.
• There aren’t many meeting this week.

INTERROGATIVE SENTENCE
Is / Are + There + Complement + ?
• Is there a party with my friends tonight?
• Are there many meeting this week?
 SENTENCES WITH THERE + BE (HABER)

SHORT ANSWERS (Specific Questions)

Yes + There + Is / Are / No + There + Is / Are + Not.
• Yes, there is. • Yes, there are.
• No, there is not / isn’t. • No, they are not / aren’t.

EXAMPLES USING “SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE”

• There is a lighthouse on the beach.
• Is there a store round the corner?
• There are two houses near the station.
• Are there three schools in this town?
• There’s not a table in the kitchen.
• There aren’t many people in this house
• Are there any mistakes in your exam?
• Is there anything else you want to tell me?
• Are there more options to resolve this?
• There are some problems with our job.
• There are many reasons for having done
that.