Grammar summary  | Unit 1

Present simple In object questions, the question word is not the subject of
the verb. We use the auxiliary verb do/does.
Form and use Who do you work for? (object)
Which bus do I take to go to the city centre? (object)
Affirmative Negative ▶ Exercises 1 and 2
I/you/we/they live I/you/we/they don’t live
(don’t = do not) Expressions of frequency
he/she/it lives he/she/it doesn’t live
(doesn’t = does not) Adverbs of frequency

Question Short answer We often use adverbs of frequency (always, usually, often,
sometimes, rarely, never) with the present simple to talk
do I/you/we/they live? Yes, I/you/we/they do.
about how often we do something.
No, I/you/we/they don’t.
does he/she/it live? Yes, he/she/it does. Adverbs of frequency normally come before the main verb
No, he/she/it doesn’t. or after the verb be.
I always wear a suit to work.   He is often late.
We use the present simple to talk about:
●● things which are always or generally true Sometimes, usually and often can also come at the
I’m an architect. I design office buildings. beginning of a sentence.
Sometimes I stay at home and read a book.
●● repeated actions and routines
He takes the children to school and then he goes to work. In negative sentences, adverbs of frequency come between
●● permanent situations the auxiliary verb and the main verb.
She works as an occupational therapist. I don’t often eat Mexican food.

To form the third person singular (affirmative), we add -s to Adverbial phrases

the main verb.
She helps people after an injury. We use adverbial phrases (once a week, on Mondays, at the
weekend) with the present simple.
After words ending -s, -ss, -sh, -ch and -o, we add -es.
He watches a lot of sport on TV.
●● every hour / day / week / month / year / Sunday
●● most days / weeks / weekends
If a verb ends in -y, we replace -y with -i and add -es. ●● once a(n) / twice a(n) / three times a(n) day / week / month
She studies Russian in her free time. ●● at the weekend / nine o’clock
●● in the spring / the summer / the autumn / the winter
Negatives and questions
Adverbial phrases can come at the beginning or the end of
To form negative sentences and questions in the present a sentence.
simple, we use do/don’t/does/doesn’t with the main verb. Most days I get home before 6 p.m.  
She doesn’t like chicken.  They don’t have a car. They go on holiday twice a year.
Do you work here?   Does the bank open on Saturday?
What time does the film start? ▶ Exercises 3–5
We often give short answers to yes/no questions using do,
don’t, does and doesn’t. We don’t use the full verb. INDIRECT QUESTIONS
A: Do you work at weekends? B: No, I don’t. (not No, I When we want to be polite, we ask indirect questions. We
don’t work.) start with an expression such as Can/Could you tell me … ,
A: Does she live near here? B: Yes, she does. (not Yes, Do you know … , I’d like to know … In these questions, the
she lives.) word order is the same as in an affirmative sentence.
Wh- questions start with a question word (e.g. What, Where, Can you tell me how many rooms your flat has? (Direct
Who, When, How). The question word is sometimes the question: How many rooms does your flat have?)
subject, and sometimes the object. Do you know how old she is? (Direct question: How old is she?)

In subject questions, the question word is the subject of For yes/no questions, we form indirect questions using if or
the question. We do not use the auxiliary verb (do/does). whether.
Who manages the company? (subject) I’d like to know if the bus leaves from here. (Direct question:
Which bus goes to the city centre? (subject) Does the bus leave from here?)

▶ Exercise 6

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 Exercises 4 Complete the text from a travel guidebook with these words.
1 Complete the text using the present simple form of the verbs. are always every most
My children all work now. Chris 1 (have) often once sell year
a job with a computer games company. He 2
(not / get) paid much, but he 3 (love) it. Shopping
Sarah and Kate 4 (work) for a big theatre in The town has several markets. There is a food market
London. Sarah 5  (do) marketing and Kate 1
week in the main square. The quality
6
(design) costumes. Sarah 7 of the food is high, but the prices 2
(get) us tickets for shows sometimes and then we sometimes high too. 3 a month, on
8
(go) to London to see them. I’m very Saturdays, there is an antiques market, selling old
happy that they 9 (have) jobs, because a furniture and art objects. People 4 find lots
lot of young people 10 (not / find) it easy to of interesting things here. There is a Christmas market
get work these days. next to the food market 5 Saturdays and
Sundays in December. These are 6 very
2 Complete the conversations. Use the notes to write
popular with tourists and visitors, because local traders
present simple questions and answers.
usually 7 traditional Christmas gifts. Finally,
1 A: Jess / go / to / university? there is a big food fair in the town once a 8
at the beginning of May. As well as food stalls there are
B: Yes, / she cookery demonstrations and even cookery workshops.

A: Which / university / go to? 5 Correct the mistake in each sentence.
1 He like Chinese food.
B: Manchester.

2 A: Who / like / cake? 2 Doctors works very long hours.

B: I / not 3 She don’t know the answer.

A: you / want / some biscuits instead?
4 He’s go to the gym every day after work.

3 A: you / commute / to work / by train? 5 Is he look like his father?

B: Yes, / I
6 We eat always takeaway food on Fridays.

A: How long / take?
6 Rewrite the questions. Rewrite questions 1–3 as direct
B: An hour, each way. questions. Rewrite questions 4–6 as indirect questions.
4 A: Which key / open / the front door? 1 Do you know when the bank opens?

B: The silver one. 2 Can you tell me how far the station is from here?
3 Put the words in the right order to make sentences.
3 I’d like to know what the job involves.
1 it / at this time of year / rains / often

4 ‘Which company does she work for?’

2 usually / I / with my tea / milk / take / don’t
Do you know  .

3 the trains / on time / run / in England / rarely 5 ‘How do I apply for the job?’
Can you tell me  .
4 the last / always / is / person / he / to arrive 6 ‘Do you offer English courses?’
I’d like to know  .
5 but / sometimes / eat / we / vegetarians / fish / we’re

6 never / is / enough time / to do everything / there

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