Grammar reference

be PRESENT: am, is, are be PRESENT – NEGATIVE

MEANING FORM
Use am, is, are to talk about:
Short form + not Full form + n’t
people:
Hi, I’m Alexa. I’m not British. –
This is my husband. You’re not Peter. You aren’t Peter.
places: He’s not from Miami. He isn’t from Miami.
They’re at the station. She’s not from the USA. She isn’t from the USA.
countries: It’s not Monday today. It isn’t Monday today.
We’re from Brazil. We’re not married. We aren’t married.
jobs: They’re not at home. They aren’t at home.
I’m a student.
He’s a teacher. You don’t say I + full form + n’t.
She’s at university. I’m not. I amn’t.
time:
You write isn’t and aren’t as one word.
It’s 2.30.
Today’s Tuesday. PRONUNCIATION
things:
This is our new car. You usually stress negative forms.
She’s not in the office.
FORM Your parents aren’t at home.
Full form Short form isn’t /Iz@nt/
aren’t /ɑ:nt/
I am I’m
you are you’re
he is
she is
he’s
she’s
be PRESENT – QUESTIONS
it is it’s FORM
we are we’re
they are they’re To make questions, change the order:
They’re at home. → Are they at home?
Use the short form after pronouns (I, he, it, they ...): Shanghai is in China.→ Is Shanghai in China?
I am a teacher. → I’m a teacher.
It is 7.30. → It’s 7.30.
You can use is or ’s after nouns. I am Am I ... ?
My daughter is at school. → My daughter’s at school. you are Are you ... ?
he is Is he ... ?
PRONUNCIATION she is Is she ... ?
You don’t usually stress am, is, are. it is Is it ... ?
Miami is a city in Florida. we are Are we ... ?
Your parents are here. they are Are they ... ?

You can say are as /@/. You can also add a question word (Who, Where, When ...).
Your parents are here. Who is she?
Where are you?
we’re /wI@/
you’re /ju:@/ PRONUNCIATION
they’re /De@/
You don’t usually stress am, is, are in questions.
Where are my glasses?
Are they at home?
You can say are as /@/.
Where are my glasses?

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PRONOUNS AND POSSESSIVE this, these

ADJECTIVES MEANING
Use this and these for things near you:
MEANING and FORM
This is my wife.
Subject pronouns usually come before the verb in a sentence: These are my children.
We live in Hong Kong. It’s a beautiful city.
She works in a bank. FORM
Object pronouns usually come after the verb or a preposition: Use this + singular nouns, these + plural nouns:
I eat lots of burgers. I like them. How much is this coat?
Tina was at the concert. I saw her. How much are these shoes?
Please meet us at the airport. We can use this, these before a noun, or alone:
This is Tom. He works with me. What’s this book? What’s this?
Use possessive adjectives for:
Things: This is my car. Where’s your coat? PRONUNCIATION
Family: Their daughter is six. this has a short /I/ sound: /DIs/
Names: What’s his name? these has a long /i:/ sound: /Di:z/

Subject Object Possessive

pronouns pronouns adjectives SINGULAR AND PLURAL NOUNS
I me my MEANING
you you your
he / she him / her his / her Singular
it it its The flat has one room.
we us our There’s a good café near here.
they them their Plural
The flat has three rooms.
PRONUNCIATION There are lots of good cafés near here.

Their and they’re (= they are) sound the same: FORM

They live with their parents.
They’re not married. Singular Plural
(1) (2, 3, 4 ... )
Your and you’re (= you are) sound almost the same:
What’s your name? add -s to most nouns. a car cars
You’re 16 today – happy birthday! an office offices

add -es to nouns a bus buses

there’s / there are ending in s, ch, sh, or x. a church churches

for nouns ending in a party parties

MEANING
consonant + y: a baby babies
You can use there’s / there are to talk about things and places: y → -ies.
There’s a garden behind the hotel.
There are lots of shops and cafés. irregular plurals a man men
a woman women
a child children
FORM
a person people
Use there’s + singular nouns:
There’s a café near the hotel.
PRONUNCIATION
Use there are + plural nouns:
There are two cafés near the hotel. Say -s as /s/ or /z/:
There are lots of cars. flats /flts/ shops /ʃɒps/ cars /ka:z/ rooms /ru:mz/ or /rumz/
Say -es as /Iz/ and -ies as /i:z/:
PRONUNCIATION buses /bsIz/ matches /mtʃIz/ parties /pa:ti:z/
You don’t usually stress there’s or there are.
Irregular plurals:
There’s a new restaurant in Green Street. women /wImIn/ children /tʃIldr@n/ people /pi:p@l/
There are lots of people here.
You can say there’s a as /De@z@/.
There’s a café.
You can say there are as /Der@/.
There are two cafés.

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PRESENT SIMPLE – POSITIVE PRESENT SIMPLE – NEGATIVE

MEANING FORM
Use the present simple for: After I, we, you and they, use don’t + infinitive:
facts (things that are always true): I go to school. → I don’t go to school.
We live in London. They like London. → They don’t like London.
She works for Siemens.
After he, she and it, use doesn’t + infinitive. The infinitive stays
We have four children.
the same:
habits (things you often do):
He doesn’t go to school. He doesn’t goes to school.
They usually get up late.
She doesn’t like London.
She often wears black.
things you like:
He likes Italian food.
I don’t live here.
FORM You don’t live here. Short forms:
He doesn’t live here. don’t = do not
I, we, you, they forms are the same:
She doesn’t live here. doesn’t = does not
I live in London.
We don’t live here.
We live in London.
They don’t live here.
My parents live in London.
After he, she and it, most verbs end in -s:
He lives in London. My mother lives in London. PRONUNCIATION
You say don’t /d@υnt/ and doesn’t /dz@nt/.
Some verbs after he, she and it end in -es:
He goes to school. You usually stress don’t and doesn’t:
She does a lot at the weekend. I don’t have a mobile.
He often watches DVDs. She doesn’t like expensive restaurants.
The concert finishes at 2.00.
have → has:
John has two brothers.

Live Go Have PRESENT SIMPLE – QUESTIONS

I live I go I have
you live you go you have
FORM
he lives he goes he has With I, we, you and they, use Do + infinitive:
she lives she goes she has You go to school. → Do you go to school?
it lives it goes it has With he, she and it, use Does + infinitive:
we live we go we have She lives in Paris. → Does she live in Paris?
they live they go they have

PRONUNCIATION
Do I live in Cairo?
You usually say -s as /s/ or /z/. Do you live in Cairo?
lives /lIvz/ Does he live in Cairo?
plays /pleIz/ Does she live in Cairo?
gets /ets/ Do we live in Cairo?
works /w:ks/ Do they live in Cairo?
You usually say -es as /Iz/. You can also add a question word
watches /wɒtʃIz/ (Who, Where, When ...):
finishes /fInIʃIz/ Where does she live?
You say goes /@υz/ and does /dz/. When do they get up?

PRONUNCIATION
You say do /du:/ or /d@/ and does /dz/ or /d@z/.
You don’t usually stress do or does in questions:
Do you read a lot of books?
Where does she live?

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can, can’t be PAST: was, were

MEANING MEANING
Use can to: Use the past tense of be (was, were) to talk about the past:
Say how to get to places:
You can go by bus, or you can walk. Present (am, is, are) Past (was, were)
Talk about places to visit:
In Istanbul, you can visit the Blue Mosque. We’re at the cinema. We were at the cinema yesterday.
Ask for things: She’s not at home. She wasn’t at home last weekend.
Can I have some money?
Invite people: FORM
Can you come to the party?

FORM I was at the meeting. I wasn’t at the meeting.

After can use infinitive without to: You were at home. You weren’t at home.
You can go by underground. You can to go ... He was there. He wasn’t there.
She was in hospital. She wasn’t in hospital.
To make questions, change the order: We were in a café. We weren’t in a café.
You can get there by bus. → Can I get there by bus? They were on holiday. They weren’t on holiday.
The negative of can is can’t (= can + not):
I can’t come to the cinema tonight. Was I at the meeting?
Were you at home?
Was he there?
I can I can’t Was she in hospital?
You can You can’t Were we in a café?
He / she can He / she can’t Were they on holiday?
We can We can’t
They can They can’t Questions:
You can also add a question word (Who, Where, When ...):
Where were you?
Can I ...? When was the meeting?
Can you ...?
Can he / she ... ? PRONUNCIATION
Can we ...?
You don’t usually stress was and were:
Can they ...?
I was at home.
Where were you last night?
PRONUNCIATION
You don’t usually stress can. You often say it as /k@n/. You usually stress wasn’t and weren’t:
I can go. /aI k@n @υ/ I wasn’t at home.
They weren’t here.
You usually stress can’t. It has a long /ɑ:/ sound:
I can’t go. /aI kɑ:nt @υ/ Say was /w@z/ and were /w@/.
Say wasn’t /wɒz@nt/ and weren’t /w:nt/.

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PAST SIMPLE – POSITIVE PAST SIMPLE – NEGATIVE

MEANING FORM
Use the past simple for things you did, or things that happened Use didn’t + infinitive (for all forms):
in the past: We stayed in a hotel. → We didn’t stay in a hotel.
I got up early yesterday. They saw the Pyramids. → They didn’t see the Pyramids.
We went to the cinema last night.
We visited the Mohamed Ali Mosque.
They moved to London. I didn’t go.
She died in 1966. You didn’t go.
He didn’t go. Short form:
FORM She didn’t go. didn’t = did not
I, you, he, she, it, we and they all have the same It didn’t go.
past simple form: We didn’t go.
I lived in London. They didn’t go.
They lived in London.
John went to a café.
We went to a café. PRONUNCIATION
Say didn’t /dId@nt/.
live went You usually stress didn’t:
I lived I went I didn’t see the film.
You lived You went We didn’t stay in a hotel.
He lived He went
She lived She went
It lived It went
We lived We went
They lived They went

Some past simple verbs are regular. Add -ed or -d:

PAST SIMPLE – QUESTIONS
stay → stayed
FORM
work → worked
live → lived Use Did + infinitive (for all forms):

Some past simple verbs are irregular. You need to learn these.
go → went I got up late. Did I get up late?
buy → bought You got up late. Did you get up late?
meet → met He / She got up late. Did he / she get up late?
See Irregular verbs on p128. We went to a café. Did we go to a café?
They went to a café. Did they go to a café?
PRONUNCIATION
You can also add a question word (Who, Where, When ...):
You don’t usually stress did in questions: Where did you go?
Did you read a lot of books? When did she go?
Where did she live? When did they get up?
You usually say -d or -ed as /d/ or /t/: PRONUNCIATION
lived /d/
You don’t usually stress did in questions:
played /d/
cooked /t/ Did they go to a café?
watched /t/ Where did they go?

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PRESENT PROGRESSIVE Verbs that end in -e, -e + -ing:

write → I’m writing I’m writeing
have → she’s having she’s haveing
MEANING
You can use the present progressive to talk about: Use not in negative sentences:
Things that are happening now (at this moment). I’m not having breakfast.
I’m in a café. I’m having lunch. We’re not going to the party.

Things in the future (tomorrow, next week ...): To make questions, change the order:
I’m meeting a friend tomorrow for lunch. They’re going to a concert. → Are they going to a concert?
We’re going to the theatre on Saturday. He’s working late this evening. → Is he working late this evening?

A picture: You can also add a question word (Who, Where, When ...):
There’s a man in the picture. He’s wearing a blue shirt. Where are they going?

PRONUNCIATION
You don’t usually stress am, is and are in questions:
Is he working late this evening?
When are they going?
You usually stress not:
We’re not going to the party.

The present progressive is sometimes called

PAST TIME EXPRESSIONS
the present continuous. MEANING
Compare present simple and present progressive: May September
Present simple: I usually have lunch in a café. (= most days) in Australia
Present progressive: I'm in a café. I'm having lunch. (= just now) 4 months

FORM They went to Australia in May. They left Australia in September.

They stayed in Australia from May to September.
They stayed in Australia until September.
I’m going I’m not going They were in Australia for four months.
You’re going You’re not going
He’s going He’s not going You can use for with a period of time:
She’s going She’s not going for two hours
It’s going It’s not going for five days
We’re going We’re not going for a year
They’re going They’re not going You can use When and How long to make questions:
A When did you go to Australia?
B In May.
Am I going?
Are you going? A How long did you stay there?
Is he going? B For four months.
Is she going?
Is it going?
Are we going?
Are they going?

Use am, is, are + verb + -ing in positive sentences:

I’m having breakfast. They’re going out tonight.
Most verbs add -ing:
wear → he’s wearing
go → we’re going
talk → they’re talking

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