Contents

Adjectives ............................................................................................................................................... 1
What is an adjective? .................................................................................................................... 1
Adjective Examples ....................................................................................................................... 1
Types of Adjectives ....................................................................................................................... 1
Articles .......................................................................................................................................... 1
Possessive Adjectives .............................................................................................................. 2
Demonstrative Adjectives ........................................................................................................ 2
Coordinate Adjectives .............................................................................................................. 2
Numbers Adjectives .................................................................................................................. 2
Interrogative Adjectives ........................................................................................................... 2
Indefinite Adjectives .................................................................................................................. 3
Attributive Adjectives................................................................................................................ 3
Adjective Exercises ....................................................................................................................... 3
Forming adjectives ............................................................................................................................ 4
Typical adjective endings ............................................................................................................ 4
Forming adjectives from nouns and verbs ............................................................................. 5
Examples of forming adjectives................................................................................................. 7
Forming adjectives exercises ..................................................................................................... 7
Denominal adjectives ........................................................................................................................ 9
What are denominal adjectives? ................................................................................................ 9
Examples of denominal adjectives.......................................................................................... 10
Denominal adjective exercises................................................................................................. 10
Comparing adjectives ..................................................................................................................... 13
Forming comparative adjectives.............................................................................................. 13
The comparative form ................................................................................................................. 13
Superlatives ................................................................................................................................... 15
Positive form ................................................................................................................................. 17
Exceptions (irregular forms) ..................................................................................................... 17
Comparing adjective exercises ................................................................................................ 18
Compound adjectives ..................................................................................................................... 21
Compound adjectives – Exceptions ....................................................................................... 22
Examples of compound adjectives ......................................................................................... 22
Compound adjective exercises ................................................................................................ 22
Order of adjectives .......................................................................................................................... 25
 Order of adjectives exercises ................................................................................................... 27
Much / many ...................................................................................................................................... 30
Much / many exercises ............................................................................................................... 30
A Little / A Few .................................................................................................................................. 31
A little / a few exercises .............................................................................................................. 31
A Little or A Lot................................................................................................................................. 32
A little / a lot exercises ............................................................................................................... 32
Few / Little .......................................................................................................................................... 33
Few / little exercises .................................................................................................................... 34
Fewer / Less....................................................................................................................................... 34
Fewer / less exercises................................................................................................................. 35
Definitions ...................................................................................................................................... 36
When to Use Further? ................................................................................................................. 37
When to use Farther? ................................................................................................................. 37
Some / Any ......................................................................................................................................... 39
Some / any exercises .................................................................................................................. 39
Examples for some and many .................................................................................................. 40
Some / many exercises............................................................................................................... 40
Later / Latter ...................................................................................................................................... 41
Later / latter exercises ................................................................................................................ 41
Last / Latter ........................................................................................................................................ 42
Examples for Last / latter ........................................................................................................... 42
Last / latter exercises .................................................................................................................. 43
Little / Less......................................................................................................................................... 43
Little / less exercises................................................................................................................... 44
Lists of adjectives ............................................................................................................................ 44
Adjective Definition – What are Adjectives? ........................................................................ 44
Adjectives Position – Where to Position an Adjective? .................................................... 45
Adjective Degrees – What are Adjective Degrees?............................................................. 45
Examples of adjectives................................................................................................................... 51
Typical adjective endings .......................................................................................................... 51
Denominal adjective examples................................................................................................. 51
Order of adjective examples ..................................................................................................... 51
Comparing adjective examples ................................................................................................ 52
Compound adjectives examples .............................................................................................. 52
Adjectival phrase examples ...................................................................................................... 52
Adjective Exercises ......................................................................................................................... 53
much vs many ............................................................................................................................... 53
a little vs a few .............................................................................................................................. 53
some vs any................................................................................................................................... 54
some vs many ............................................................................................................................... 55
little vs less .................................................................................................................................... 55
a little vs a lot ................................................................................................................................ 56
few vs little ..................................................................................................................................... 57
fewer vs less.................................................................................................................................. 57
farther vs further .......................................................................................................................... 58
later vs latter.................................................................................................................................. 59
last vs latter ................................................................................................................................... 59
More Adjective Exercise............................................................................................................. 60
Verbs ..................................................................................................................................................... 65
What is a verb? ................................................................................................................................. 65
How to Recognize a Verb ................................................................................................................. 65
Physical Verbs – Definition and Examples....................................................................................... 65
Physical Verb Examples ................................................................................................................. 66
Mental Verbs – Definition and Examples.......................................................................................... 66
Mental Verb Examples .................................................................................................................. 66
States of Being Verb Examples ......................................................................................................... 66
Types of Verbs................................................................................................................................... 66
List of all Verb Types ......................................................................................................................... 66
Action Verbs ................................................................................................................................. 66
Transitive Verbs ............................................................................................................................ 67
Intransitive Verbs ......................................................................................................................... 68
Auxiliary Verbs ............................................................................................................................. 68
Stative Verbs................................................................................................................................. 69
Modal Verbs ................................................................................................................................. 70
Phrasal Verbs ................................................................................................................................ 70
Irregular Verbs .............................................................................................................................. 71
Action Verbs ......................................................................................................................................... 72
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs ...................................................................................................... 72
What is a Transitive Verb? ............................................................................................................ 72
Examples of Transitive Verbs ........................................................................................................ 73
What is a Intransitive Verb? .......................................................................................................... 73
 Recognizing Transitive Verbs When You See Them ...................................................................... 74
Recognizing Intransitive Verbs When You See Them ....................................................................... 74
Auxiliary (or Helping) Verbs .................................................................................................................. 74
How to Identify an Auxiliary Verb ..................................................................................................... 75
Three Common Auxiliary Verbs ........................................................................................................ 76
Modal Auxiliary Verbs ....................................................................................................................... 77
Auxiliary Verb Examples.................................................................................................................... 77
Auxiliary Verb Exercises .................................................................................................................... 78
Stative Verbs......................................................................................................................................... 78
What are Stative Verbs? ................................................................................................................... 78
Stative Verb Examples: ..................................................................................................................... 79
List of Stative Verbs........................................................................................................................... 79
Stative Verb Exercises ....................................................................................................................... 81
Modal Verbs ......................................................................................................................................... 82
Modal and Modal Phrases (Semi-Modals) ........................................................................................ 82
Can, Could, Be Able To ...................................................................................................................... 82
Ability/Lack of Ability .................................................................................................................... 82
Possibility / Impossibility............................................................................................................... 83
Ask Permission / Give Permission ................................................................................................. 83
Make a suggestion – To make a suggestion use: ........................................................................ 83
Exercises: Can, Could, Be able to .................................................................................................. 83
May, Might ........................................................................................................................................ 84
Exercises: May / Might .................................................................................................................. 85
Shall, Should, Ought to ..................................................................................................................... 85
Exercises: Should, Shouldn’t, Ought To ........................................................................................ 86
Must, Have to, Need to, Don’t have to, Needn’t .............................................................................. 86
Exercises: Must, Have to, Need to, Don’t Have to, Needn’t ......................................................... 87
Modals: Will / Would ........................................................................................................................ 88
Exercises: will, would .................................................................................................................... 89
Exercises – All Modals ....................................................................................................................... 89
Phrasal Verbs ........................................................................................................................................ 90
Phrasal Verb Examples ...................................................................................................................... 90
Phrasal Verb Exercises ...................................................................................................................... 91
An Extensive List of Phrasal Verbs ........................................................................................................ 92
Verb Tenses ........................................................................................................................................ 111
Present Simple ................................................................................................................................ 111
Present Progressive (Continuous) ................................................................................................... 111
Past Simple ...................................................................................................................................... 111
Past Progressive (Continuous) ........................................................................................................ 111
Future .............................................................................................................................................. 111
Perfect Tenses ................................................................................................................................. 111
Present Perfect Simple.................................................................................................................... 112
Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous) ...................................................................................... 112
Past Perfect Simple ......................................................................................................................... 112
Past Perfect Progressive (Continuous) ............................................................................................ 112
Future Perfect Simple / Future Perfect Progressive ....................................................................... 112
The Present Simple Tense .............................................................................................................. 113
Examples of the Present Simple.................................................................................................. 113
Forming the Present Simple........................................................................................................ 113
Time Expressions in the Present Simple ..................................................................................... 114
Negative Sentences in the Present Simple Tense ....................................................................... 114
Yes/No Questions in the Present Simple .................................................................................... 115
Wh-Questions in the Present Simple .......................................................................................... 115
Tag Questions in the Present Simple .......................................................................................... 116
Exercises for the Present Simple ................................................................................................. 116
Examples – Present Simple ......................................................................................................... 117
The Present Progressive Tense ....................................................................................................... 118
Contractions in the Present Progressive (Continuous) ............................................................... 119
Negatives in the Present Progressive (Continuous) .................................................................... 120
Yes/No Questions in the Present Progressive (Continuous) ....................................................... 120
Wh-Questions in the Present Progressive ................................................................................. 121
Tag Questions in the Present Progressive ................................................................................. 122
Exercises for Present Progressive .............................................................................................. 122
Examples – Present Progressive (Continuous) .......................................................................... 123
The Past Simple Tense.................................................................................................................... 124
Regular verbs in the past simple ................................................................................................. 124
Forming the Past Simple ............................................................................................................ 125
Negative Sentences in the Past Simple Tense ............................................................................ 125
Yes/No Questions in the Past Simple ........................................................................................ 126
Wh-Questions in the Past Simple ............................................................................................... 126
Tag Questions in the Past Simple ................................................................................................ 127
Exercises with the Past Simple Tense ........................................................................................ 127
 Examples – Past Simple ............................................................................................................... 128
The Past Progressive Tense ............................................................................................................. 129
Verbing (Present Participle) ........................................................................................................ 129
Negatives in the Past Progressive (Continuous) ......................................................................... 130
Yes/No Questions in the Past Progressive (Continuous) ............................................................ 131
Wh-Questions in the Past Progressive (Continuous) .................................................................. 131
Tag Questions in the Past Progressive (Continuous) .................................................................. 132
Exercises – Past Progressive........................................................................................................ 132
Examples Past Progressive (Continuous) .................................................................................... 133
The Future Tense ............................................................................................................................ 134
Time expressions in the Future Tense ........................................................................................ 134
Future Simple: Will + Base Form of the Verb .............................................................................. 134
Contractions ............................................................................................................................... 135
Yes/No Questions in the Future Simple ...................................................................................... 135
Wh- Questions in the Future Simple ........................................................................................... 136
Exercises – Future Simple Tense ................................................................................................. 136
Future – Be Going To .................................................................................................................. 137
Yes/No Questions – Be going to.................................................................................................. 138
Wh-Questions – Be Going To ...................................................................................................... 138
Exercises – Future – be going to ................................................................................................. 139
Future: Shall................................................................................................................................ 139
Future Progressive (Continuous) – will + be + verbing ............................................................. 140
Yes/No Questions in the Future Progressive (Continuous) ...................................................... 140
Wh-Questions in the Future Progressive (Continuous) ............................................................ 141
Exercises – Future Progressive (Continuous)............................................................................. 142
Present Simple and Present Progressive with Future Meaning ............................................... 143
Tag Questions in the Future Tense ............................................................................................ 143
Examples – Future Tense ........................................................................................................... 143
The Present Perfect Simple Verb Tense .......................................................................................... 145
Useful Tip .................................................................................................................................... 145
The Typical Present Perfect Sentence......................................................................................... 146
Contractions in the Present Perfect Simple ................................................................................ 146
Negative Sentences in the Present Perfect Simple Tense .......................................................... 147
Yes/No Questions in the Present Perfect Simple ........................................................................ 148
Wh-Questions in the Present Perfect Simple ............................................................................. 148
Tag Questions in the Present Perfect Simple.............................................................................. 149
 Exercises – Present Perfect Simple ............................................................................................. 149
Examples – Present Perfect Simple............................................................................................. 150
The Present Perfect Progressive Tense........................................................................................... 151
Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous) – Which to use? ............. 152
Contractions in the Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous) .................................................. 152
Negative Sentences in the Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous) ....................................... 152
Yes/No Questions in the Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous) .......................................... 153
Wh-Questions in the Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous) ................................................ 154
Exercises – Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous) ................................................................ 154
Examples – Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous) ............................................................... 155
The Past Perfect Simple Tense ........................................................................................................ 156
Time Expressions in the Past Perfect Simple .............................................................................. 156
Contractions in the Past Perfect Simple ..................................................................................... 157
Negative Sentences in the Past Perfect Simple Tense ................................................................ 157
Yes/No Questions in the Past Perfect Simple ............................................................................. 158
Wh-Questions in the Past Perfect Simple ................................................................................... 159
Tag Questions in the Past Perfect Simple ................................................................................... 159
Exercises – Past Perfect Simple ................................................................................................... 160
Examples – Past Perfect Simple .................................................................................................. 160
The Past Perfect Progressive Tense ................................................................................................ 161
Verbing (Present Participle) ........................................................................................................ 161
Past Perfect Simple or Past Perfect Progressive (Continuous) – Which to use? ........................ 162
Negative Sentences in the Past Perfect Progressive (Continuous) ............................................. 163
Yes/No Questions in the Past Perfect Progressive (Continuous) ................................................ 163
Wh-Questions in the Past Perfect Progressive (Continuous) ..................................................... 164
Exercises – Past Perfect Progressive ........................................................................................... 164
Examples ..................................................................................................................................... 165
The Future Perfect Tense ................................................................................................................ 166
Yes/No Questions – Future Perfect Simple................................................................................. 167
Future Perfect Progressive .......................................................................................................... 167
Exercises – Future Perfect Simple and Future Perfect Progressive ............................................ 168
Irregular Verbs .................................................................................................................................... 168
What Are Irregular Verbs? .............................................................................................................. 168
Irregular Verb Examples.................................................................................................................. 169
Irregular Verb Exercises .................................................................................................................. 170
Confusing Verbs .................................................................................................................................. 170
 Exercises – Confusing verbs ............................................................................................................ 174
Gerunds and Infinitives ...................................................................................................................... 175
What are Gerunds? ......................................................................................................................... 175
Gerund Examples ............................................................................................................................ 175
What are Infinitives? ...................................................................................................................... 175
Exercises – Gerunds and Infinitives ................................................................................................ 176
Reference Lists – Gerunds and Infinitives ....................................................................................... 177
Passive Voice ....................................................................................................................................... 181
The passive agent............................................................................................................................ 181
Forming the passive voice............................................................................................................... 181
Passive Voice – Exercises ................................................................................................................ 184
Conjugation ........................................................................................................................................ 185
Definition of Conjugation ................................................................................................................ 185
Grammatical Conjugation ............................................................................................................... 185
All Types of Conjugations Exist ....................................................................................................... 186
Examples of Conjugation in English ................................................................................................ 187
Do, Does, Did....................................................................................................................................... 188
The Verb to do: do, does and did.................................................................................................... 188
to do as an Action Verb................................................................................................................... 189
Subject/Verb Agreement Using to do as an Action Verb................................................................ 189
Spelling Tip ...................................................................................................................................... 189
The verb to do as an auxiliary verb ................................................................................................. 189
Yes/No Questions with Do, Does and Did....................................................................................... 190
Wh-questions with do, does and did .............................................................................................. 191
Exercises for the Verb To Do ........................................................................................................... 192
Examples – do, does, did................................................................................................................. 193
Irregular Verbs List .............................................................................................................................. 194
Irregular Verbs – Complete List ...................................................................................................... 194
Nouns .................................................................................................................................................. 206
What is a Noun? .............................................................................................................................. 206
Categories of Nouns ........................................................................................................................ 206
Forms of Nouns ............................................................................................................................... 208
Additional Info About Nouns .......................................................................................................... 208
Proper Nouns ...................................................................................................................................... 209
What is a Proper Noun? .................................................................................................................. 209
Proper Noun Examples ................................................................................................................... 209
 How to Use Proper Nouns .............................................................................................................. 210
Proper Noun Examples ................................................................................................................... 210
Types of Nouns.................................................................................................................................... 210
Abstract Nouns ............................................................................................................................... 211
Collective Nouns ............................................................................................................................. 211
Common Nouns .............................................................................................................................. 211
Countable and Uncountable Nouns .................................................................................................... 212
Countable Noun Examples .............................................................................................................. 212
Uncountable Noun Examples.......................................................................................................... 212
Countable and Uncountable Nouns Exercises ................................................................................ 213
Common Noun .................................................................................................................................... 213
What is a Common Noun ................................................................................................................ 213
What is the difference between common and proper nouns? ...................................................... 214
When to use common nouns? ........................................................................................................ 214
How to recognize a common noun? ............................................................................................... 215
Common Noun Examples................................................................................................................ 215
Plural Nouns ........................................................................................................................................ 216
What is a Plural Noun ..................................................................................................................... 216
Singular and Plural Nouns ............................................................................................................... 216
Singular – Plural Nouns Exercises ................................................................................................... 217
Gerunds .............................................................................................................................................. 218
What are Gerunds? ......................................................................................................................... 218
Gerunds: The Basics ........................................................................................................................ 218
Examples of Gerunds ...................................................................................................................... 218
Compound Nouns ............................................................................................................................... 219
What is a Compound Noun ............................................................................................................. 219
Compound Noun Examples............................................................................................................. 219
Compound Nouns Exercises............................................................................................................ 220
Collective Nouns ................................................................................................................................. 221
What is a Collective Noun ............................................................................................................... 221
Collective Noun Examples ............................................................................................................... 221
List of Common Collective Nouns ................................................................................................... 221
What happens if you can’t decide whether a collective noun is singular or plural? ...................... 222
How to Use Collective Nouns .......................................................................................................... 223
Collective Noun Exercises ............................................................................................................... 224
Abstract Nouns ................................................................................................................................... 225
 What are Abstract Nouns................................................................................................................ 225
Types of Abstract Nouns ................................................................................................................. 225
Abstract Noun Examples ................................................................................................................. 225
More Examples ............................................................................................................................... 225
Abstract Nouns Exercises ................................................................................................................ 226
Gerunds and Infinitives ....................................................................................................................... 226
Gerund and Infinitive: What’s the Difference? ............................................................................... 226
Gerund & Infinitive Examples ......................................................................................................... 227
Examples of infinitives .................................................................................................................... 227
Gerund & Infinitive Usage ............................................................................................................... 228
Conjunctions ....................................................................................................................................... 228
What is a conjunction? ................................................................................................................... 228
Types of Conjunctions ..................................................................................................................... 228
Conjunction Rules ........................................................................................................................... 229
Examples of Conjunctions ............................................................................................................... 229
Conjunction Exercises ..................................................................................................................... 230
Subordinating Conjunctions ................................................................................................................ 231
What is a Subordinating Conjunction? ........................................................................................... 231
Examples of Subordinating Conjunctions ....................................................................................... 231
Subordinating Conjunction Exercises.............................................................................................. 231
Subordinating Conjunctions List ..................................................................................................... 232
Correlative Conjunctions .................................................................................................................... 233
What is a correlative conjunction? ................................................................................................. 233
Examples of Correlative Conjunctions ............................................................................................ 234
Correlative Conjunctions List .......................................................................................................... 235
Correlative Conjunctions Exercises ................................................................................................. 235
Coordinating Conjunctions ................................................................................................................. 236
What is a coordinating conjunction? .............................................................................................. 236
Coordinating Conjunction Rules ..................................................................................................... 236
Examples of Coordinating Conjunctions ......................................................................................... 237
Coordinating Conjunctions List ....................................................................................................... 238
Coordinating Conjunctions Exercises .............................................................................................. 238
Conjunctive adverbs............................................................................................................................ 239
What is a conjunctive adverb? ........................................................................................................ 239
Examples of Conjunctive adverbs ................................................................................................... 239
Conjunctive Adverb Exercise........................................................................................................... 240
 Conjunctive adverbs List ................................................................................................................. 241
Exercises Part 2 ............................................................................................................................... 242
Conjunction Exercises ......................................................................................................................... 242
Subordinating Conjunction Exercises.............................................................................................. 242
Correlative Conjunction Exercises .................................................................................................. 243
Coordinating Conjunction Exercises ............................................................................................... 243
Conjunctive Adverb Exercises ......................................................................................................... 244
Pronouns............................................................................................................................................. 245
What is a Pronoun? ......................................................................................................................... 245
Types of Pronouns .......................................................................................................................... 246
Pronoun Rules ................................................................................................................................. 249
Examples of Pronouns..................................................................................................................... 250
Pronoun Exercises ........................................................................................................................... 250
List of Pronouns .............................................................................................................................. 251
Demonstrative Pronouns ................................................................................................................... 253
What is a Demonstrative Pronoun? ................................................................................................ 253
Demonstrative Pronouns Examples ................................................................................................ 254
Demonstrative Pronouns Exercises ................................................................................................ 254
Demonstrative Pronouns List .......................................................................................................... 256
Relative Pronouns ............................................................................................................................... 257
What is a relative pronoun?............................................................................................................ 257
Relative Pronouns Examples ........................................................................................................... 257
Relative Pronouns Exercises ........................................................................................................... 257
List of Relative Pronouns ................................................................................................................ 259
Reflexive Pronouns ............................................................................................................................. 260
What Is a Reflexive Pronoun? ......................................................................................................... 260
Examples of Reflexive Pronouns ..................................................................................................... 260
Reflexive Pronoun Exercises ........................................................................................................... 260
Reflexive Pronouns List ................................................................................................................... 261
Possessive Pronouns ........................................................................................................................... 262
What are Possessive Pronouns? ..................................................................................................... 262
Possessive Pronouns Examples ....................................................................................................... 262
Possessive Pronouns Rules: ............................................................................................................ 262
Common Mistakes .......................................................................................................................... 263
Providing Clarity .............................................................................................................................. 265
Simplify Your Sentence ................................................................................................................... 265
Personal Pronouns .............................................................................................................................. 265
What is a Personal Pronoun? .......................................................................................................... 265
Examples of Personal Pronouns...................................................................................................... 266
Personal Pronouns as Subject Pronouns ........................................................................................ 266
Personal Pronouns as Object Pronouns .......................................................................................... 266
Comparing Subject and Object Pronouns ....................................................................................... 267
Personal Pronoun Exercises ............................................................................................................ 268
Object Pronouns ................................................................................................................................. 270
What is an Object Pronoun? ........................................................................................................... 270
Object Pronoun Examples ............................................................................................................... 270
Subject Pronouns ................................................................................................................................ 272
What is a Subject Pronoun? ............................................................................................................ 272
Subject Pronoun Examples ............................................................................................................. 272
Indefinite Pronouns ............................................................................................................................ 274
What is an indefinite pronoun? ...................................................................................................... 274
Examples of Indefinite Pronouns .................................................................................................... 275
Indefinite Pronouns Exercises ......................................................................................................... 275
Indefinite Pronouns List .................................................................................................................. 276
Interrogative Pronouns ...................................................................................................................... 277
What Is an Interrogative Pronoun? ................................................................................................ 277
Examples of Interrogative Pronouns............................................................................................... 278
Interrogative Pronouns Exercises ................................................................................................... 278
Reciprocal Pronouns ........................................................................................................................... 280
What is a Reciprocal Pronoun? ....................................................................................................... 280
Examples of Reciprocal Pronouns ................................................................................................... 280
Intensive Pronouns ............................................................................................................................. 281
What Is an Intensive Pronoun? ....................................................................................................... 281
Reflexive vs. Intensive Pronouns .................................................................................................... 281
Common Intensive Pronouns.......................................................................................................... 281
Intensive Pronoun Examples........................................................................................................... 281
Intensive Pronoun Exercises ........................................................................................................... 282
Intensive vs. Reflexive Pronoun Exercises ...................................................................................... 283
Pronoun Exercises ............................................................................................................................... 283
Indefinite Pronoun Exercises .......................................................................................................... 284
Interrogative Pronoun Exercises ..................................................................................................... 284
Intensive Pronoun Exercises ........................................................................................................... 285
 Personal Pronoun Exercises ............................................................................................................ 285
Possessive Pronoun Exercises ......................................................................................................... 286
Reciprocal Pronoun Exercises ......................................................................................................... 286
Reflexive Pronoun Exercises ........................................................................................................... 287
Relative Pronoun Exercises ............................................................................................................. 287
Demonstrative Pronouns Exercises ................................................................................................ 288
Adverb ................................................................................................................................................. 290
What is an Adverb? ......................................................................................................................... 290
Types of Adverbs ............................................................................................................................. 291
Adverbs of Manner ..................................................................................................................... 291
Adverbs of place.......................................................................................................................... 291
Adverbs of Frequency ................................................................................................................. 292
Adverbs of Time .......................................................................................................................... 293
Adverbs of Purpose ..................................................................................................................... 293
Positions of Adverbs ................................................................................................................... 293
Order of Adverbs......................................................................................................................... 294
Examples of Adverbs ....................................................................................................................... 295
Adverbs Exercises............................................................................................................................ 295
Adverbs List ..................................................................................................................................... 296
Adverb Clauses ................................................................................................................................... 298
What is an adverb clause? .............................................................................................................. 298
Examples of Adverb Clauses ........................................................................................................... 298
Adverb Clause Exercises.................................................................................................................. 298
Adverb Clauses List ......................................................................................................................... 300
Adverbs of Frequency ......................................................................................................................... 300
What are adverbs of frequency? .................................................................................................... 300
Adverbs of Frequency Rules............................................................................................................ 300
Examples of Adverbs of Frequency ................................................................................................. 300
Adverbs of Frequency Exercises ..................................................................................................... 301
Adverbs of Frequency List ............................................................................................................... 302
Adverbs of Manner ............................................................................................................................. 303
What is an adverb of manner? ....................................................................................................... 303
Examples of Adverbs of Manner ..................................................................................................... 303
Adverbs of Manner Exercises.......................................................................................................... 304
Adverbs of Manner List ................................................................................................................... 305
Adverbs of Place.................................................................................................................................. 309
 What is an adverb of place?............................................................................................................ 309
Examples of Adverbs of Place ......................................................................................................... 309
Adverbs of Place Exercises .............................................................................................................. 309
Adverbs of Place List ....................................................................................................................... 311
Adverbs of Time .................................................................................................................................. 311
What is an adverb of time? ............................................................................................................. 311
Examples of Adverbs of Time.......................................................................................................... 312
Adverbs of Time Exercises .............................................................................................................. 312
Adverbs of Time List ........................................................................................................................ 314
Adverb of Degree ................................................................................................................................ 315
What is an adverb of degree? ......................................................................................................... 315
Examples of Adverbs of Degree ...................................................................................................... 315
Preposition .......................................................................................................................................... 316
What is a preposition? .................................................................................................................... 316
Examples of Prepositions ................................................................................................................ 317
Types of Prepositions ...................................................................................................................... 317
Type of Prepositions ....................................................................................................................... 317
Prepositions of Time ................................................................................................................... 317
Prepositions of Place ................................................................................................................... 318
Prepositions of Movement ......................................................................................................... 319
How to Recognize a Preposition? ................................................................................................... 320
Prepositions with Nouns ................................................................................................................. 320
Prepositions with Verbs .................................................................................................................. 321
Prepositions with Adjectives ........................................................................................................... 322
Prepositions Exercises ..................................................................................................................... 323
List of Prepositions .......................................................................................................................... 324
Prepositional Phrases.......................................................................................................................... 326
What is a Prepositional Phrase? ..................................................................................................... 326
Examples of Prepositional Phrases ................................................................................................. 327
Prepositional Phrase Exercises........................................................................................................ 327
List of Prepositional Phrases ........................................................................................................... 328
Preposition of Time ............................................................................................................................. 329
What is a preposition of time?........................................................................................................ 329
Examples of Prepositions of Time ................................................................................................... 329
Preposition of Place ............................................................................................................................ 329
What is a preposition of place? ...................................................................................................... 329
 Examples of Prepositions of Place .................................................................................................. 330
Comma Punctuation Rules & Examples: Learn How To Use Commas ................................................ 330
English Punctuation: How to Use Commas Correctly ..................................................................... 330
Using Commas to Separate a Sentence’s Elements........................................................................ 330
How to use Commas and Conjunctions to Connect Independent Clauses ..................................... 330
Using Commas to Set Off a Sentence’s Introductory Element ....................................................... 331
Using Commas to Frame Quoted Elements .................................................................................... 331
Adjectives
What is an adjective?

Adjectives are words that describe or modify other words, making your writing and speaking
much more specific, and a whole lot more interesting. Words like small, blue, and sharp are
descriptive, and they are all examples of adjectives. Because adjectives are used to identify
or quantify individual people and unique things, they are usually positioned before
the noun or pronoun that they modify. Some sentences contain multiple adjectives.

Adjective Examples

In the following examples, the highlighted words are adjectives:

1. They live in a big, beautiful

2. Since it’s a hot day, Lisa is wearing a sleeveless

3. The mountaintops are covered in sparkling

4. On her birthday, Brenda received an antique vase filled with fragrant

Types of Adjectives

Remember that adjectives can modify as well as describe other words, and you’ll find it
much easier to identify different types of adjectives when you see them.

Articles
There are only three articles, and all of them are adjectives: a, an, and the. Because they are
used to discuss non-specific things and people, a and an are called indefinite articles. For
example:

• I’d like a
• Let’s go on an

Neither one of these sentences names a specific banana or a certain adventure. Without
more clarification, any banana or adventure will do.
The word the is called the definite article. It’s the only definite article, and it is used to
indicate very specific people or things:

• Please give me a banana. I’d like the one with the green stem.
• Let’s go on an adventure. The Grand Canyon mule ride sounds perfect!

1
Possessive Adjectives
As the name indicates, possessive adjectives are used to indicate possession. They are:

• My
• Your
• His
• Her
• Its
• Our
• Their

Possessive adjectives also function as possessive pronouns.

Demonstrative Adjectives
Like the article the, demonstrative adjectives are used to indicate or demonstrate specific
people, animals, or things. These, those, this and that are demonstrative adjectives.

• These books belong on that

• This movie is my favorite.
• Please put those cookies on the blue plate.

Coordinate Adjectives
Coordinate adjectives are separated with commas or the word and, and appear one after
another to modify the same noun. The adjectives in the phrase bright, sunny day
and long and dark night are coordinate adjectives. In phrases with more than two coordinate
adjectives, the word and always appears before the last one; for example: The sign had big,
bold, and bright letters.
Be careful, because some adjectives that appear in a series are not coordinate. In the
phrase green delivery truck, the words green and delivery are not separated by a comma
because green modifies the phrase delivery truck. To eliminate confusion when determining
whether a pair or group of adjectives is coordinate, just insert the word and between them.
If and works, then the adjectives are coordinate and need to be separated with a comma.

Numbers Adjectives
When they’re used in sentences, numbers are almost always adjectives. You can tell that a
number is an adjective when it answers the question “How many?”

• The stagecoach was pulled by a team of six

• He ate 23 hotdogs during the contest, and was sick afterwards.

Interrogative Adjectives
There are three interrogative adjectives: which, what, and whose. Like all other types of
adjectives, interrogative adjectives modify nouns. As you probably know, all three of these
words are used to ask questions.

• Which option sounds best to you?

• What time should we go?
• Whose socks are those?

2
 Indefinite Adjectives
Like the articles a and an, indefinite adjectives are used to discuss non-specific things. You
might recognize them, since they’re formed from indefinite pronouns. The most common
indefinite adjectives are any, many, no, several, and few.

• Do we have any peanut butter?

• Grandfather has been retired for many
• There are no bananas in the fruit bowl.
• I usually read the first few pages of a book before I buy it.
• We looked at several cars before deciding on the best one for our family.

Attributive Adjectives
Attributive adjectives talk about specific traits, qualities, or features – in other words, they are
used to discuss attributes. There are different kinds of attributive adjectives:

• Observation adjectives such as real, perfect, best, interesting,

beautiful or cheapest can indicate value or talk about subjective measures.
• Size and shape adjectives talk about measurable, objective qualities including
specific physical properties. Some examples include small, large, square, round,
poor, wealthy, slow and
• Age adjectives denote specific ages in numbers, as well as general ages. Examples
are old, young, new, five-year-old, and
• Color adjectives are exactly what they sound like – they’re adjectives that indicate
color. Examples include pink, yellow, blue, and
• Origin adjectives indicate the source of the noun, whether it’s a person, place, animal
or thing. Examples include American, Canadian, Mexican, French.
• Material adjectives denote what something is made of. Some examples
include cotton, gold, wool, and
• Qualifier adjectives are often regarded as part of a noun. They make nouns more
specific; examples include log cabin, luxury car, and pillow cover.

Adjective Exercises

Find the adjective or adjectives that fit in each of the blanks best.

1. We visited the museum, where we saw ____________ artifacts.

A. A lot of

B. Ancient

C. John’s

D. A room filled with

2. I received ______________ awards at the ceremony today.

A. The manager’s

B. Two

C. Information about

D. Motivation at the

3
3. Please get me a bag of ____________ apples.

A. Interesting

B. Ripe red

C. Oranges and

D. Real

4. The president sat in a _______________ chair.

A. Important

B. Barber’s

C. Funny

D. Leather

5. ________________ weather is the norm in San Francisco.

A. Blue

B. Big

C. Foggy

D. The best

Answer Key:

1. A – We visited the museum, where we saw ancient artifacts.

2. B – I received two awards at the ceremony today.

3. B – Please get me a bag of ripe red apples.

4. D – The president sat in a leather chair.

5. C – Foggy weather is the norm in San Francisco.

Forming adjectives

Typical adjective endings

Some adjectives can be identified by their endings. Typical adjective endings include:
1. -able/-ible understandable, capable, readable, incredible
2. -al mathematical, functional, influential, chemical

4
 3. -ful beautiful, bashful, helpful, harmful
4. -ic artistic, manic, rustic, terrific
5. -ive submissive, intuitive, inventive, attractive
6. -less sleeveless, hopeless, groundless, restless
7. -ous gorgeous, dangerous, adventurous, fabulous
Sometimes when adding these endings changes have to be made. Here are some rules for
forming adjectives and their exceptions:

Add Exceptions Word Adjective

-al If ending with an ‘e‘, drop it Nature Natural

Function Functional

-y If ending with an ‘e‘, drop it Ice Icy

Oil Oily

-ful If ending with a ‘y‘, replace Beauty Beautiful

with an ‘i‘ Peace Peaceful

-ous/- If ending with a ‘y‘, drop it Mystery Mysterious

ious Danger Dangerous

-ic If ending with a ‘y‘, drop it History Historic

Rust Rustic

Forming adjectives from nouns and verbs

Adjectives can be formed from different words. They can be formed from nouns:

5
 Noun Adjective

accident accidental

danger dangerous

length long

star starry

wind windy

From verbs:

Verb Adjective

enjoy enjoyable

help helpful

obey obedient

play playful

talk talkative

6
Or even from other adjectives:

Adjective Adjective

comic comical

correct corrective

elder elderly

red reddish

sick sickly

Examples of forming adjectives

1. Our house color is a kind of yellow. → We live in a yellowish house.

2. He often acts like a child. → He often acts in a childish way.
3. The event was a big success. → We enjoyed a successful event.
4. We enjoyed the sound of the drum’s rhythm. → We enjoyed the
drum’s rhythmic sound.
5. She adopted a dog without a home. → She adopted a homeless dog.
6. Look out, that plant is poison. → Look out for that poisonous plant.
7. It looks like it will rain today. → It looks like we’ll have rainy weather today.
8. She always acts with courtesy. → She always behaves in a courteous manner.
9. Her hair is pretty. → She has the prettiest hair.
10. We go for a walk each day. → We go for a daily walk.

Forming adjectives exercises

1. Choose the adjective from each of the following groups of words:

A. inventive, invent, invented

7
 B. curiosity, curious, curiousive
C. proliferate, prolific, proud
Answers: A – inventive B – curious C – prolific
2. Form adjectives from the following nouns:
A. smell
B. chill
C. width
Answers: A – smelly B – chilly C – wide
3. Form adjectives from the following verbs:
A. interested
B. amazed
C. annoyed
Answers: A – interesting B – amazing C – annoying
4. Form adjectives from the following verbs. Some words may be formed into more than one
adjective:
A. escape
B. improve
C. damage
Answers: A – escaped, escaping B – improved, improving C – damaged, damaging
5. Form longer adjectives from the following adjectives. Some words may be formed into
more than one adjective:
A. funny
B. incorrect
C. blue
Answers: A – funnier, funniest B – incorrectly C – bluest, bluer, blueish
6. Form adjectives from the following nouns:
A. magic
B. fool
C. lady
Answers: A – magical B – foolish C – ladylike
7. Form two adjectives from each of the following nouns:
A. life
B. power

8
 C. friend
Answers: A – lifelike, lifeless B – powerful, powerless C – friendly, friendless
8. Form adjectives from each of the following nouns:
A. cost
B. war
C. month
Answers: A – costly B – warlike C – monthly
9. Form adjectives from each of the following nouns:
A. poison
B. courtesy
C. mystery
Answers: A – poisonous B – courteous C – mysterious
10. Form adjectives from each of the following nouns:
A. athlete
B. photograph
C. science
Answers: A – athletic B – photographic C – scientific

Denominal adjectives

What are denominal adjectives?

Denominal adjectives (sometimes called denominal adjectives) are adjectives derived

from nouns. For example:
1. A mathematical puzzle. (a puzzle based on mathematics)
2. A biological experiment. (an experiment in biology)
3. A wooden boat. (a boat made of wood)
Proper adjectives are derived from proper nouns. They commonly describe something in
terms of nationality, religious affiliation, or culture. Like proper nouns, proper adjectives have
their first letter capitalized. For example:
1. I married a Russian woman.
2. The Jewish community in NY is very large.
Adjectives of this type should be carefully distinguished from adjectives denoting
nationalities (nominal adjectives). For example:
1. Denominal Adjective: The French people are noted for their wines.

9
 2. Nominal Adjective: The French are noted for their wines.
or:
1. Denominal Adjective: The poor people are more vulnerable.
2. Nominal Adjective: The poor are getting poorer.

Examples of denominal adjectives

1. A mathematical puzzle.
2. A biological experiment.
3. A wooden boat.
4. I married an American woman.
5. The Jewish community in NY is very big.
6. Mary has a collection of expensive Russian dolls.
7. In the winter you must wear heavy woolen clothes.
8. The polar bear is listed as threatened.

Denominal adjective exercises

1. Choose the sentence containing the denominal adjective:

A. We worked on our homework all evening.
B. We spent the evening working on our English homework.
C. We felt sad about using the evening to do our homework.
Answer: B. We spent the evening working on our English homework.
2. A or B? Which of the following sentences contain denominal adjectives?
A. London is noted for its many museums and monuments.
B. London is noted for its art museums and monuments.
A. The Japanese embassy is nearby.
B. The embassy of Japan is nearby.
A. I gave him a wooden walking stick.
B. He needs to use a walking stick.
Answers: B,A,A
3. A, B, or C? Which phrase contains the denominal adjective?
A. tidal wave

10
 B. screen door
C. 10-month-old baby
A. bunny rabbit
B. junior high
C. wooden boat
A. killer bees
B. weird science
C. oh, fudge!
Answers: A, C, A
4. Choose the correct denominal adjective for each sentence:
A. The sun had a cold, _____________ gleam.
o metallic
o strange
o constant
B. We walked along at a ________________ pace.
o quick
o leisurely
o fast
C. He does an _______________ check of his email.
o interest
o hourly
o scanning
Answers: metallic, leisurely, hourly
5. Which sentences contain proper denominal adjectives?
A. The Japanese are noted for their sushi.
B. The Japanese people are noted for their sushi.
A. He is English, but he married a Russian.
B. He is an Englishman, but he married a Russian woman.
A. New York is home to many nationalities; for example, there are many Puerto Ricans
living there.
B. New York is a melting pot of nationalities; for example, there are many Puerto Rican
people living there.
Answers: B,B,B

11
6. Which group of words contains only denominal adjectives?
A. orderly, order, port
B. masterly, orderly, cowardly
C. cowardly, orderly, order
Answer: B
7. Which of the following sentences does not contain a denominal adjective?
A. The dining room was comfortably appointed.
B. She rowed across the Atlantic in a wooden dinghy.
C. His grandfather was a carpenter of talent.
Answer: C

8. Which group of words contains no denominal adjectives?

A. Armenian, Indian, American
B. museum, clothing, party
C. restaurant, wooden, shindig
Answer: B
9. Find the proper denominal adjective in each of the following sentences:
A. His favorite dessert is German chocolate cake.
B. She is a long-standing member of the Democratic party.
C. We met some interesting Romanian people on the train.
Answer: A: German B: Democratic C: Romanian
10. Proper or not? Identify the denominal adjectives in the following sentences and state
whether they are proper.
A. The Queen had rosy cheeks.
B. We enjoyed the finest Greek goat cheese available.
C. They lived in a brick house.
D. We went to Paris for our yearly vacation.
E. My grandfather is a member of the British parliament.
Answers:
A. rosy, not proper
B. Greek, proper
C. brick, not proper
D. yearly, not proper

12
 E. British, proper

Comparing adjectives

Forming comparative adjectives

As well as serving as modifying words like beautiful and big, adjectives are also used for
indicating the position on a scale of comparison. The lowest point on the scale is known as
the positive form, the middle point is known as the comparative form, and the highest point
is known as the superlative form. Here are some examples:

Positive Comparative Superlative

This book This book is longer than This is

is long. that book. the longest book.

The airport is far. The airport This is

is farther than the train the farthest airport.
station.

My mom is My mom is a better cook My mom is

a good cook. than your mom. the best cook.

The comparative form

When two objects or persons are being compared, the comparative form of the adjective is
used. The comparative adjective can be formed in two ways:
1. Adding –er to the positive form of the adjective.
2. Adding the word more before the adjective.
For example:
1. My essay is longer than yours.
2. She is more beautiful than her sister.

Here are the rules for choosing and forming the right form:

13
Add When Example Forming and
Exceptions

–er Words of This is a • Words ending

one longer book. with ‘e‘, add ‘r‘
syllable to the end of
the word (e.g.,
lame → lamer).
• Words with one
vowel and one
consonant at
the end, double
the consonant
and add –er to
the end of the
word (e.g., big
→ bigger).
• Words with
more than one
vowel or more
than one
consonant at
the end, add –
er to the end of
the word (e.g.,
hard →
harder).

–er Words of This doll is Change ‘y‘ to ‘i‘, and

two prettier. add –er to the end of
syllables the word.
ending
with ‘y‘

more Words of He Insert more before the

two is more charming adjective
syllables than his friend.
not
ending
with ‘y‘

14
 Add When Example Forming and
Exceptions

more Three This is Insert more before the

syllable a more powerful adjective
words or cable.
longer

When comparing two things, the word than is positioned between the adjective and the thing
being compared. For example:
1. Apples are tastier than oranges.
2. This painting is more interesting than that painting.

Superlatives

The superlative is used to say what thing or person has the most of a particular quality within
a group or of its kind. The superlative can be formed in two ways:
1. Adding –est to the Positive form of the adjective.
2. Adding the word most before the adjective.
For example:
1. This is the most beautiful dress I have ever seen.
2. The biggest table in the room.
Here are the rules for choosing and forming the right form:

Add When Example Forming and

Exceptions

–est Words of This is the • Words ending

one longest book. with ‘e‘, add
syllable ‘st‘ to the end
of the word
(e.g., large →
largest).
• Words with
one vowel and
one consonant

15
 Add When Example Forming and
Exceptions

at the end,
double the
consonant and
add –est to
the end of the
word (e.g., big
→ biggest).
• Words with
more than one
vowel or more
than one
consonant at
the end, add –
est to the end
of the word
(e.g., blue →
bluest).

–est Words of This doll is the Change ‘y‘ to ‘i‘, and

two prettiest. add –est to the end of
syllables the word.
ending
with ‘y‘

most Words of He is Insert most before

two the most charming the adjective
syllables boy at school.
not
ending
with ‘y‘

most Three This is Insert most before

syllable the most powerful the adjective
words or story.
longer

Superlatives are usually preceded by the word the.

16
Positive form

The positive form is used in cases where there are no differences between the two
compared things or persons. To form the positive, we use the word as before and after the
positive form of the adjective. For example:
1. Danny is as smart as Phillip.
2. She is as beautiful as her older sister.
This can also be applied in a negative context to indicate that the compared objects
are not similar:
1. Danny is not as smart as Phillip.
2. She is not as beautiful as her older sister.

Exceptions (irregular forms)

Certain adjectives have irregular forms in the comparative and superlative degrees:

Positive Comparative Superlative

Good Better Best

Bad Worse Worst

Little Less Least

Much/many/some More Most

Examples of comparing adjectives

1. This house is bigger than that one.
2. This flower is more beautiful than that.
3. He is taller than Mr. Hulas.
4. He is more intelligent than this boy.
5. Jonathan is the most handsome man on campus.
6. This is the prettiest dress in the window.

17
 7. I lost my most comfortable shoes.
8. My job is worse than yours.

Comparing adjective exercises

1. Choose the comparative adjective in each group of sentences:

A.
1. Her hair is short.
2. Her hair is shorter than it was before.
3. Her hair is the shortest it has ever been.
B.
1. We live nearer the train station than we used to.
2. Park in the lot nearest the train station.
3. I know the train station is somewhere near.

C.
1. My dog might be ugly, but he is nice.
2. That’s the ugliest dog I’ve ever seen!
3. Because he was uglier than the others, my dog won the ugly dog contest.
D.
1. Your presentation was more informative than most.
2. She gave an informative talk on honeybees.
3. That’s the most informative speech I’ve ever heard Professor Brown give!

Answers: A: 2 – shorter B: 1 – nearer C: 3 – uglier D: 1: more informative

2. Which of the following sentences does not contain a comparing adjective?

A. I’d like to have more participation from each of you this time around.
B. If you’d have listened better, you wouldn’t be confused right now.
C. They live in the brick house on the corner.
Answer:C

18
3. Choose the superlative adjective in each group of sentences:
A.
1. That’s the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted!
2. You’re a lot nicer than your sister.
3. This is delicious cake.
B.
1. This presentation seems longer than usual.
2. Of all the hairstyles in the room, hers is most stylish.
3. I’m often trying to do better than others.

C.
1. Lake Silfra has some of the clearest water on the world.
2. This shop carries nicer things than it used to.
3. My cat has three adorable kittens.
D.
1. Be careful; that’s a fragile vase.
2. You’re more cheerful than you used to be.
3. This is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me.
Answers: A – 1: best B – 2: most stylish C – 1: clearest D – 3: most exciting

4. Which of the following sentences contains a superlative adjective?

A. I can run further than before.
B. She has the pinkest cheeks I’ve ever seen!
C. Jimmy is a cute baby.
Answer: : B – pinkest

5. Choose the positive adjective in each group of sentences:

A.
1. Your face is red.
2. You have the reddest face!
3. If you don’t wear sunscreen, your face will get redder.

19
 B.
1. This is the best book I’ve ever read.
2. I like this book better than the last one I read.
3. That’s a good book.
C.
1. Most chocolate is sweet.
2. Milk chocolate is sweeter than dark chocolate.
3. I’m not sure which chocolate is sweetest.
D.
1. This is a charming house.
2. Our new home is so much more charming than our old one.
3. She’s the most charming person I’ve ever met.
Answers: A – 1: red B – 3: good C – 1: sweet D – charming

6. Choose the correct comparing adjective for each sentence:

A. My mother is a _____________ woman.
o Smart
o Smarter
o Smartest
B. The surgeon worked ____________ to stabilize the patient.
o Quickly
o Most quickly
o More quickly
C. We ran ______________ than we did last week.
o Fast
o Faster
o Fastest
D. After the party, the house was the _______________ it’s ever been.
o Messy
o Messier
o Messiest
Answers: A – smart B – quickly C – faster D – messiest

20
7. Name the type of comparing adjective in each sentence:
A. Jinx is a hairy dog.
B. She has the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen.
C. He made me madder than I’ve been in a long time.
D. We felt more excited than ever when we heard the news.
Answers: A – positive B – superlative C – comparative D – comparative
8. Choose the sentence with the positive form comparing adjective:
A. This book is more interesting than that one.
B. The story we heard this week was as interesting as last week’s.
C. This is one of the most interesting stories I’ve ever heard.
Answer: B

9. Which of the following sentences contains a comparing adjective in the comparative form?
A. We’ve had a run of bad luck lately.
B. This is the worst snowstorm we have had in ten years.
C. Your injury is worse than mine.
Answer: C – worse

10. Which of the following sentences contains a comparing adjective in the superlative form?
A. She is not as mean as her older sister is.
B. This is the least exciting movie I’ve ever seen.
C. Mr. Brown is more boring than Mr. Philips.
Answer: B – least exciting

Compound adjectives

What are compound adjectives?

A compound adjective is formed when two or more adjectives are joined together to modify
the same noun. These terms should be hyphenated to avoid confusion or ambiguity. For
example:
1. Diana submitted a 6-page document.
2. She adopted a two-year-old cat.

21
Compound adjectives – Exceptions

Note that combining an adverb and an adjective does not create a compound adjective. No
hyphen is required because it is already clear that the adverb modifies the adjective rather
than the subsequent noun. For example:
1. It was a terribly hot day.
2. It is an amazingly good idea.
In addition, you should not place a hyphen in a compound adjective if the adjectives are
capitalized, such as when they are part of a title.

Examples of compound adjectives

1. This is a four-foot table.

2. Daniella is a part-time worker.
3. This is an all-too-common error.
4. Beware of the green-eyed monster.
5. He is a cold-blooded man.
6. I love this brightly-lit room!
7. Danny’s dog is well-behaved.
8. You have to be open-minded about things.

Compound adjective exercises

1. From each group, choose the sentence that contains a compound adjective:
A. Sheila was horribly moody.
B. We’d like you to be part of the decision-making process.
C. The company showed steady improvement in their stock trades.
A. This is a widely used procedure for finishing wood floors.
B. Moths ate his woolen socks.
C. That was really generous of you.
A. Sharon’s adopted son is five years old today.
B. My new car has leather upholstery.
C. She was a well-known actress by the time she reached age five.
Answers:B, A, C
2. Using hyphens in compound adjectives: Which sentences are correct?
A. The group was full of rowdy 10 year old schoolboys.

22
 B. The group was full of rowdy 10-year-old schoolboys.
A. The actress is well known
B. The actress is well-known.
A. They enjoyed a three-year profit streak.
B. They enjoyed a three-year-profit streak.
Answers:B, A, A
3. Using –ly adverbs in compound adjectives: Which sentences are correct?
A. Along the river, rapidly increasing floodwaters caused evacuations.
B. Along the river, rapidly-increasing floodwaters caused evacuations.
A. My neighbor Jim is an internationally recognized author.
B. My neighbor Jim is an internationally-recognized author.
A. The bank robbers tried to hatch their ill conceived plan and failed.
B. The bank robbers tried to hatch their ill-conceived plan and failed.
Answers:A, A, B
4. Choose the correct compound adjective for each sentence.
A. He is fond of ______________________ Scotch.
o good
o 12-year-old
o 10 year old
B. The weather has been ___________________ lately.
o terribly-cold
o terribly cold
o too cold
C. Babysitting these kids is like trying to manage a _____________________.
o three ring circus
o three-ring-circus
o three-ring circus
Answers: A – 12-year-old B – terribly cold C – three-ring circus

23
5. Fill in the blanks with the best compound adjective for the situation:
A. Melanie has everything she needs. She is _____________________.
o two-faced
o very badly behaved
o well-cared for
B. Louis overcomes difficulties easily. He is _______________________.
o short-tempered
o level-headed
o internationally renowned
C. Mr. Chan likes to hear about new ideas. He is ______________________.
o strong-minded
o two faced
o open-minded
Answers: A – well-cared for B – level-headed C – open-minded
6. Fill in the blanks with the best phrase for the situation:
A. Jesse was promoted, so he bought ________________________________.
o himself-a brand new car
o himself a brand-new-car
o himself a brand-new car
B. The _______________________ has been going on for decades.
o gun control debate
o gun-control debate
o gun-control-debate
C. The sound of ___________________________ always soothes my mind.
o gently-flowing water
o gently flowing water
o gently-flowing-water
Answers: A – himself a brand-new car B – gun-control debate C – gently flowing water
7. Creating compound adjectives: From each group, choose the sentence pair that makes
the most sense.
A. I don’t like glue that dries slowly. = This is a quick-drying glue.
B. Did you know that some plants eat meat? = Did you know that there are meat-eating
plants?

24
 C. Professor Brown has a very narrow mind. = Professor Brown’s mind is very narrow.
A. The price of the car was high. = It was a high-priced car.
B. The meal tasted good. = This was a tasteful-meal.
C. He likes to weigh in on political issues. = He is loud-mouthed and boring.
A. The tapeworm measured 35 inches. = The tape-worm measured 35-inches.
B. The duck has flat feet. = That’s a flat-footed duck.
C. Why not try some carrot juice? = Have some carrot-juice.
Answers:B – meat-eating plants A – high-priced car B – flat-footed duck
8. Compound adjectives containing numbers: From each group, choose the sentence
containing the correct compound adjective.
A. The earthworms were at least three inches long.
B. He ate a 12-inch sandwich for lunch.
C. The sumo champion weighed 210-kilograms.
A. He drives a one-ton truck.
B. Our house has three-bedrooms and two-bathrooms.
C. There are nine-carrots in each bottle of juice.
A. My new chainsaw cost three-hundred dollars.
B. I got a 300-dollar chainsaw for two hundred dollars.
C. The best chainsaws cost more than three-hundred-dollars.
Answers:B – 12-inch sandwich A – one-ton truck B – 300-dollar chainsaw
9. Use the underlined phrase to make a compound adjective.
A. He suggested an innovative plan to save money.
B. Her brother had a sharp mind.
C. My cat died suddenly when it was ten years old.
Answers:
A. He suggested an innovative money-saving plan.
B. Her brother was sharp-minded.
C. My ten-year-old cat died suddenly.

Order of adjectives

How to order adjectives in English

In many languages, adjectives denoting attributes usually occur in a specific order.
Generally, the adjective order in English is:

25
 1. Quantity or number
2. Quality or opinion
3. Size
4. Age
5. Shape
6. Color
7. Proper adjective (often nationality, other place of origin, or material)
8. Purpose or qualifier

For example:
1. I love that really big old green antique car that always parked at the end of the
street.
2. My sister adopted a beautiful big white bulldog.
When there are two or more adjectives that are from the same group, the word and is placed
between the two adjectives:
1. The house is green and red.
2. The library has old and new books.
When there are three or more adjectives from the same adjective group, place a comma
between each of the coordinate adjectives:
1. We live in the big green, white and red house at the end of the street.
2. My friend lost a red, black and white watch.
A comma is not placed between an adjective and the noun.

Order of adjectives – examples

26
More examples:
1. I love that beautiful old big green antique car that always parked at the end of the
street. [quality – age – size – color – proper adjective]
2. My sister has a big beautiful tan and white bulldog. [size – quality – color – color]
3. A wonderful old Italian clock. [opinion – age – origin]
4. A big square blue box. [dimension – shape – color]
5. A disgusting pink plastic ornament. [opinion – color – material]
6. Some slim new French trousers. [dimension – age – origin]
7. An amazing new American movie. [opinion – age – origin]
8. I bought a pair of black leather shoes. [color – material]

Order of adjectives exercises

1. Choose the best answer for each sentence.

A. The house is __________________.
o large and white
o white and large
o large white
B. They live in a __________________ house.
o large and white
o white and large
o large white
Answers: A – large and white B – large white
2. Which sentence uses the correct order of adjectives?
A. We took a ride on a blue, old Chinese bus.
B. We took a ride on a Chinese, old, blue bus.
C. We took a ride on an old, blue Chinese bus.
Answer: C
3. Which sentence uses the correct order of adjectives?
A. I’d like three good reasons why you don’t like spinach.
B. I’d like a good three reasons why you don’t like spinach.
C. I’d like good reasons three why you don’t like spinach.
Answer: A
4. Which sentence uses the correct order of adjectives?

27
 A. I like that really big red old antique tractor in the museum.
B. I like that really big old red antique tractor in the museum.
C. I like that old, red, really big antique tractor in the museum.
Answer: B
5. Which sentence uses the correct order of adjectives?
A. My brother rode a beautiful big black Friesian horse in the parade.
B. My brother rode a beautiful Friesian big black horse in the parade.
C. My brother rode a big, black, beautiful Friesian horse in the parade.
Answer: A
6. For each of the following sentences, choose the correct order of adjectives to fill in the
blank.
A. My grandmother lives in the ________________________ house on the corner
o little blue, green and white
o little blue and green and white
o little, blue, green, and white

B. The store carries an assortment of _____________________ objects.

o interesting new, old and antique
o new, old, interesting and antique
o interesting, old and new and antique
C. We went for a two-week cruise on a __________________________ ocean liner.
o incredible brand-new, huge Italian
o incredible, huge, brand-new Italian
o Italian incredible, brand-new, huge
Answers: A – little blue, green and white B – interesting new, old and antique C – incredible,
huge, brand-new Italian
7. For each of the following sentences, choose the correct order of adjectives to fill in the
blank.
A. I bought a pair of _________________ boots.
o new, nice, red rain
o nice new red rain
o red nice new rain

28
 B. My dad was thrilled with his gift of ______________________ bowties for his clown
act.
o three squirting new nice big polka-dotted
o three polka-dotted nice new squirting
o three nice big new polka-dotted squirting
C. Please put the marbles into that ______________________ box.
o round little old red
o little old round red
o little old red round
Answers: A – nice new red rain B – three nice big new polka-dotted squirting C – little old
round red
8. For each of the following sentences, choose the correct order of adjectives to fill in the
blank:
A. I was surprised to receive a __________________ puppy for my birthday.
o little, cute, eight-week-old golden retriever
o cute eight-week-old little golden retriever
o cute little eight-week-old golden retriever
B. Our work uniform consists of black pants, black shoes, and a ________________
shirt.
o yellow baggy big polo
o big baggy yellow polo
o baggy yellow big polo
C. I’ve been spending a lot of time in antique shops looking for the perfect
_______________ clock.
o little silver Italian cuckoo
o little Italian silver cuckoo
o silver little Italian cuckoo
Answers: A – cute little eight-week-old golden retriever B – big baggy yellow polo C – little
silver Italian cuckoo
9. Which sentence uses the correct order of adjectives?
A. Our grandparents drive a motorhome with black and white stripes.
B. Our grandparents drive a motorhome with black with white stripes.
C. Our grandparents drive a motorhome with black, white stripes.
Answer: A

29
10. Which sentence uses the correct order of adjectives?
A. During my college years, I wore a red, white and black big hat to sporting events.
B. During my college years, I wore a big red, white and black hat to sporting events.
C. During my college years, I wore a big red white and black, hat to sporting events.
Answer: B

Much / many

Rule
Use much if the noun is non-countable (e.g., water, sand). Use many if the noun is
countable (e.g., oranges, children). For example:
1. I don’t have much money.
2. They own many houses.

Examples for much / many

1. Phillip owns many properties in France.
2. We didn’t earn much profit this year.
3. How much money have you got?
4. Sharon does not have many friends.
5. There are too many students in this class.
6. It doesn’t need much milk.
7. We had so much fun.
8. I spent many days there.

Much / many exercises

Decide whether you have to use much or many:

1. We saw _____ animals at the zoo.
2. How _____ oranges did you put in the box?
3. There isn’t _____ sugar in my coffee.
4. I don’t have ______ friends.
5. The old man hasn’t got _____ hair on his head.
6. I’ve packed _____ bottles of water.
7. I didn’t get _____ sleep last night.
8. How _____ fruit do you eat in an average day?

30
Answers:
1. many
2. many
3. much
4. many
5. much
6. many
7. much
8. much

A Little / A Few

Rule
Use a little for non-countable nouns (e.g., jam, time). Use a few if the noun is countable
(e.g., jars of jam, students). For example:
1. I have coffee with a little milk.
2. She likes a few songs by Frank Sinatra.

Examples for a little / a few

1. I always enjoy a little cream and sugar in my coffee.
2. Jesse has a few speeding tickets, so his insurance rate is higher than mine.
3. We have a little extra time this afternoon; do you want to watch a movie?
4. There were a few horses grazing in front of the barn.
5. Have a little salsa on your eggs. It’s delicious!
6. A few coconuts fell from the tree. One of them hit Aaron, causing him to yelp.
7. I really would like a litlle peace and quiet.
8. My neighbor let me pick a few peaches from his tree.

A little / a few exercises

Decide whether you have to use a little or a few:

1. Can you please buy _______ apples.
2. We need _______ water.
3. I have _______ money left.
4. I take _______ sugar with my coffee.

31
 5. We had _______ pints of beer there.
6. You have _______ time left.
7. There are _______ chairs in the room.
8. He only spent _______ dollars there.
Answers:
1. a few
2. a little
3. a little
4. a little
5. a few
6. a little
7. a few
8. a few

A Little or A Lot

Rule
Use a lot for uncountable nouns (e.g., jam, time) to indicate many, or a large number. Use a
little for uncountable nouns to indicate a small number. Notice that a lot is followed by the
word of (unike a little). For example:
1. I don’t have a lot of money.
2. I owe him a little money.

Examples for a little and a lot

1. She eats a lot of marmalade each morning.
2. I’d like a little oatmeal instead of toast.
3. He spent a lot of money on hair implants.
4. Dust the pan with a little flour so the cake doesn’t stick.
5. Kids require a lot of attention.
6. I only have a little laundry to do.
7. There’s a lot of spare change in that 5-gallon bucket.
8. I need to spend a little time studying before we go out.

A little / a lot exercises

32
Decide whether you have to use a little or a lot:
1. That may cost you _______ of money.
2. I added _______ sugar to the mix.
3. You’ll have to spend _______ of cash on this car.
4. I can do it with _______ help from my friends.
5. _______ change can really make a difference.
6. I don’t have _______ of free time today.
7. He left _______ of laundry for me to do.
8. She gave him _______ attention.
Answers:
1. a lot
2. a little
3. a lot
4. a little
5. a little
6. a lot
7. a lot
8. a little

Few / Little

Rule
Little refers to non-countable nouns, and is used with the singular form to indicate that
something exists only in a small amount or to a slight degree. Few refers to countable
nouns, and is used with the plural form to indicate not many persons or things. For example:
1. I’ve got little money left in my account.
2. Ben has few friends in London.

Examples for few / little

1. Few people stopped to listen to the preacher on the corner.
2. There is little that you can do about the situation.
3. I happen to like spiders but few others agree with me.
4. I have little time to waste.
5. Although the car is old, I have few problems with it.

33
 6. He’s so stubborn, there’s little use in talking to him.
7. There are few cars on the road after midnight.
8. There’s little chance of rain for the next few days

Few / little exercises

Decide whether you have to use few or little:

1. There’s _______ point in calling.
2. _______ people understood what he said.
3. There is _______ use in trying to do this.
4. There’s _______ space here as it is.
5. There’s _______ I can do about this.
6. Dan is a great student. He has _______ problems with history.
7. There was _______ traffic on the road.
8. I think Coventry will win the match but _______ people agree with me.
Answers:
1. little
2. few
3. little
4. little
5. little
6. few
7. little
8. few

Fewer / Less

Rule
Less is the comparative form of little. It is used especially before uncountable
nouns. Fewer is the comparative of few. It is used before plural nouns. For example:
1. Jeff drinks less alcohol than John.
2. I have fewer pairs of shoes than I used to have.

Examples for fewer / less

1. I missed less work this year than last.

34
 2. John has fewer fishing lures than Jack does.
3. Cherie drinks less wine than she used to.
4. Fewer than five children live in this apartment building.
5. We wear less clothing in hot weather.
6. She gets in fewer workouts than he does.
7. I tend to wear a lot less perfume on weekdays.
8. We grew fewer squashes in our garden than we did last season.

Fewer / less exercises

1. There were _______ days below freezing last winter.

2. I drank _______ water than she did.
3. I have _______ than an hour to do this work.
4. People these days are buying _______ newspapers.
5. I have _______ time to do this work.
6. _______ than thirty children each year develop the disease.
7. I wear _______ makeup on weekdays.
8. He worked _______ hours than I did.
Answers:
1. fewer
2. less
3. less
4. fewer
5. less
6. fewer
7. less
8. fewer

Further vs Farther

Further and farther are two words that look and sound very similar and which have almost
identical meanings. For that reason, it’s easy to get them mixed up in both speech and
writing. In short, further and farther both mean to a greater distance or extent.
However, farther means a greater distance in a literal, physical sense i.e. it can be
measured, whereas further is a greater figurative or metaphorical distance. Both words can
be used as adverbs or adjectives.

35
Frankly, mixing them up is probably not the biggest mistake you can make, as the rules
around further and farther have become something of a gray area in modern language. But
knowing the difference and using the words correctly is nevertheless important.

Definitions

The simple definitions of further and farther are both terms that mean more far, which is a
grammatically incorrect phrase (that’s why we use further/farther) but does offer a succinct
explanation of the definitions.
Anyway, let’s look at the common dictionary definitions:
• Farther = (adverb/adjective) at or to a greater distance or more advanced point.
• Further = (adverb/adjective) to a greater degree or extent.
So, it’s quite easy to understand.
Farther means more advanced in the sense of physical distance:
• We will travel 10 miles farther on the highway, then we will stop.
• How much farther to New York, Dad?
• The farther north we go, the colder it gets.
Further means more distance in the sense of non-physical/metaphorical distance:
• We will go no further with this conversation.
• The family plunged further into debt that year.
• I’d like to go a little further into the details tomorrow.
Following the examples and differences between further and farther above is quite simple,
but we can run into two main problems:
1. It’s not always clear when we mean a physical or non-physical distance.
For example, if you are reading a book, and wanted to read more, would you be
reading further or farther? You could, perhaps, argue for both cases, as you are travelling
metaphorically through the book, but also moving down the page and passages, which is
technically a physical distance. It’s certainly tricky:
• We got no farther than the third page, then gave up.
• I will go no further with James Joyce’s Ulysses – it’s obscene.
Both examples are correct, but they also enter a gray area, one that linguists could debate
about for days. In that sense, it’s not worth worrying too much when there is doubt
over further and farther.
2. Dictionaries and style guides sometimes give further and farther the same definitions
and rules.
• “My ponies are tired, and I have further to go.”
• “See to it that I don’t have to act any farther in the matter.”

36
Both those examples – they are quotes from Thomas Hardy and Bernard DeVoto – are
taken from the Merriam Webster dictionary. But, if we were to use the rules
of farther and further discussed earlier, wouldn’t these be considered incorrect? The answer
is yes, up to a point. Hardy was a British writer, and the use of further is much more flexible
in British English than American English. But it also serves to highlight the fluidity of
language, and the fact that some celebrated writers will consider the choice
between further and farther as a question of style.

When to Use Further?

1. While we have pointed out some of the complexities and gray areas above, the
common rule is to use further when speaking of a figurative or non-physical distance.
Consider the statement below:
o John will go far in life, but David, who is smarter, will go further. However,
Jenny is a genius, and will go furthest of all the children.
When using further here, it is clear we are not talking about a physical distance, but a
metaphorical one linked to achievement.
Examples of Further
Further is mostly used as an adverb to indicate an abstract distance:
o Congress will proceed no further with the bill until after the election.
o Don’t go any further with Shakespeare’s later works until you have read
Macbeth.
o The fear was that Iran and Iraq would plunge further into conflict.
Further can also be used as an adjective to mean going beyond or additional:
o For further reading on the subject, have a look at these articles.
o I will give you some further instructions on the matter after dinner.
o The actor’s performance raised further doubts about his talents.
Further can also be used as a verb, meaning to help forward or promote:
o I furthered my knowledge of French by reading Le Monde each day I was in
Paris.
o Mandela gave an electrifying speech, furthering the hopes of a divided
nation.
Finally, further can also be used as an adverb but in the sense of meaning moreover or in
addition. In this case, further and furthermore are interchangeable:
o Further to what you said earlier, I would also like to add an amendment.
Further, there are greens, yellows, blues and a host of wonderful colors to consider for the
bridesmaids’ dresses.

When to use Farther?

37
As we have seen, farther is used when we are speaking of a physical distance, one that can
be measured. Consider once again the statement below:
• John will go far in this hike, but David, who has just started training for his trip to
Everest, will probably go farther. However, Jenny is the most experienced hiker and
will undoubtedly go farthest up the mountain.
It is clear here that we are talking about a measurable distance, thus using farther as we are
not talking about a figurative one.
Examples of Farther
Farther is mostly used as an adverb to indicate something is at a greater distance or more
advanced point:
• Which is farther from here, Tokyo or Sydney?
• I’d like to walk one mile farther today, but I’m too tired.
• She refused to go one step farther until she had a drink.
Farther can also be used as an adjective to describe something that is more remote:
• The cinema is on the farther side of town.
• It was farther to the end of the field than it seemed.
• The Celts were from farther north than the Saxons.
Important note: Farther is not used as a verb in the same manner as further, nor is it used to
mean in addition like further/furthermore.
Tips
How to remember the difference between further and farther? Most grammarians
recommend focusing on the word far, which helps you remember that farther indicates
physical distance.
However, remembering the rule is quite easy, but the difficulty tends to come with deciding
whether to use farther or further when it’s not clear if it is addressing physical or abstract
distances.
Basically, if you are really in doubt, you should use further. The reason is that farther is a
little more inflexible in its meaning than further. For example, while we could correctly say
things like further down the road and further up the mountain, saying things like farther your
education or farther to what you said earlier are incorrect.
In the end, it’s not a huge deal if you mix them up. Indeed, some great writers and
publications refuse to differentiate between further and farther, making it a question of style
rather than grammar. It’s a moot point in British English, as further is almost always
preferred, but knowing the difference in American English can still be important.

38
Some / Any

Rule
Use some when the context is positive and any when it is negative as well as in most cases
of questions. For example:
1. I have some money / I don’t have any money
2. I put some jam in the sandwich / I didn’t put any jam in the sandwich
Examples for some / any
1. Would you like some ketchup to go with your fries?
2. We don’t have any olives.
3. I really want some striped socks.
4. Do you have any wrapping paper?
5. Let’s go have some fun.
6. I’ve never heard of any of these artists.
7. Chris found some wild strawberries growing by the side of the road.
8. Do we have any jam or are we all out?

Some / any exercises

Decide whether you have to use some or any:

1. Is there _______ milk left?
2. There is _______ juice in the bottle.
3. Do you have _______ coffee?
4. I don’t have _______ money left.
5. She has _______ money.
6. Do you know _______ of these singers?
7. I don’t know _______ of them.
8. I know _______ of them.
Answers:
1. any
2. some
3. any
4. any
5. some

39
 6. any
7. any
8. some

Some vs. Many

Rule
Use some in a positive context when you don’t want to specify the number or quantity.
Use many with countable nouns, when you want to refer to a large but indefinite number.
For that reason, some and many are not interchangeable, each meaning something
different. For example:
1. I bought some apples / I bought many apples.
2. She made some friends in NY / She made many friends in NY

Examples for some and many

1. I’m fortunate enough to have many good friends.

2. Patti found some money just lying in the parking lot.
3. How many pieces of pie did you eat?
4. Sheila bought some books at a garage sale.
5. Many types of marine life live in reef environments.
6. I’d like to buy some flowers for my mom.
7. We have so many cousins!
8. This recipe contains some dairy ingredients.

Some / many exercises

Decide whether you have to use some or many:

1. The child put _______ sand into the bucket.
2. I can lend you _______ money if you need it.
3. There aren’t _______ pears left. Only two.
4. We had _______ cake with the tea.
5. Don’t eat so _______ sweets or you’ll get fat.
6. I had _______ beer last night at the bar.
7. I don’t have _______ friends.
8. He brought _______ food with him.
Answers:

40
 1. some
2. some
3. many
4. some
5. many
6. some
7. many
8. some

Later / Latter

Rule
Use later when referring to time. Use latter when referring to the second of two persons or
things mentioned previously. For example:
1. Brenda said that she would call me later.
2. “There are two kinds of worries: those you can do something about and those you
can’t. Don’t spend any time on the latter.” (Duke Ellington)
Examples for later / latter
1. Jeremy got to later than Mary did.
2. Of the two options offered, I prefer the latter.
3. Let’s have coffee later in the week.
4. We have a dog and a cat. Of the two, the latter makes less noise.
5. Carrie plans to shop for a dress later this afternoon.
6. She had the option of silk or lace trim. She chose the latter.
7. During daylight savings time, it gets dark later at night.
8. Of the first two Hobbit movies, I prefer the latter.

Later / latter exercises

Decide whether you have to use later or latter:

1. My neighbours have a son and a daughter : the former is a teacher, the _______ is a
nurse.
2. I will address that at a _______ time.
3. Of the first two Harry Potter books, I prefer the _______.
4. John arrived at the party _______ than Mary did.

41
 5. I prefer the _______ offer to the former one.
6. I will be back _______.
7. I was given the choice between a hamburger or a hotdog, I chose the _______ of the
two; the hotdog.
8. When it comes to soy burgers or a juicy cow burger, I prefer the _______.
Answers:
1. latter
2. later
3. latter
4. later
5. latter
6. later
7. latter
8. latter

Last / Latter

Rule
Use latter to refer to the second of two persons or things that have been mentioned. When
more than two have been mentioned, use last. For example:
1. He preferred oranges to apples, because the latter were not as juicy.
2. He saw Leathal Weapon 1, 2, and 3 and liked the last one most.

Examples for Last / latter

1. She watched all the Harry Potter movies and like the last one least.
2. Mary is friends with Kerry and Kim. The former is her cousin, while the latter is her
sister-in-law.
3. Of apples, oranges, and grapes, the last is my favorite.
4. There are two color options, red and black: the latter is much more popular.
5. I take flute, violin, and piano lessons. I like the last one most.
6. Maria speaks Spanish and English. She’s still perfecting the latter.
7. I’ve read books by Shakespeare, Poe, and Tennyson. Of the three, the last bores me
most.
8. Henry was given the option to have vanilla or chocolate ice cream. He chose
the latter.

42
Last / latter exercises

Decide whether you have to use last or latter:

1. Jack, Jill and Bob went up the hill; the _______ watched the other two fall down.
2. The former half of the film is more interesting than the _______ half.
3. Out of chapters 1, 2, and 3, the _______ one is the most difficult to learn.
4. Dan is now friends with Ruth, Maya and Ben. The _______ is his cousin.
5. Jane speaks Italian and English : the former language fairly well and the _______
fluently.
6. There are two versions, A and B, but the _______ is more popular.
7. Tom and Dick were both heroes but only the _______ is remembered today.
8. I study math, English and history. I enjoy the _______ one most.
Answers:
1. last
2. latter
3. last
4. last
5. latter
6. latter
7. latter
8. last

Little / Less

Rule
Little refers to non-countable nouns, and is used with the singular form. Less is the
comparative form of little. Use less in comparative structures, especially before uncountable
nouns. For example:
1. I have less homework to do today than I had yesterday.
2. I have little homework to do before I leave.
Examples for little / less
1. It rained less last month than it has so far this month.
2. She has little time to spare.
3. I need to eat less butter
4. He has little interest in what others have to say.

43
 5. It takes less time to weed the garden than it used to.
6. I have little information to share on the matter.
7. Mary sings less than she did in high school.
8. The teacher has very little patience with those who don’t study.

Little / less exercises

Decide whether you have to use little or less:

1. I have _______ interest in classical music.
2. I have _______ faith in him.
3. We need _______ furniture in this dance hall than in the big one.
4. You have to drink _______ coffee.
5. He has _______ money than I thought.
6. Tonight I drank _______ wine than last night.
7. She dedicates _______ time to her homework than to her hobbies.
8. This will take _______ time to finish than the last time we tried.
Answers:
1. little
2. little
3. less
4. less
5. less
6. less
7. less
8. less

Lists of adjectives

Adjective Definition – What are Adjectives?

Adjectives are describing words, such as blue, angry, cold, dry and hard. Technically, an
adjective is described as modifying or quantifying a noun or pronoun, but an easier way to
look at the definition of adjectives is that an adjective tells us more and gives us extra
information about something. For example, if someone said: “It’s a warm day”, the
adjective warm is giving us extra information about the noun day. What are adjectives?
Adjectives are words that make sentences more interesting and add spice to writing.

44
 1. Jason gave me a piercing look before he shut the open
2. The Titanic was a great movie, but it was long and sad!
3. Lauren has excellent managerial skills and is a superb listener.

Adjectives Position – Where to Position an Adjective?

Normally, adjectives are positioned before the noun that they describe: the yellow ribbon,
the heavy box. These adjectives are said to be attributive, meaning they qualify the nouns.
However, if a linking verb such as be or seem is used, the adjective
becomes predicative and can be placed after the noun: the ribbon is yellow, the box
seems heavy.
Attributive adjectives are used like this:
Poor, sick Robert won’t be coming to work today, he has a bad cold.
It takes longer to get there on the two-lane bumpy road than on the new fast highway.
Predicative adjectives are used like this:
1. Robert seems sick.
2. The road is bumpy.In some cases, adjectives can be said to be postpositive, coming
after the noun: There are plenty of rooms available. Postpositive adjectives are not
used as often as attributive or predicative adjectives:The blue boat sailed on the
rough seas (attributive)The teddy-bear is soft and fluffy (predicative)
The firemen found the buildings ablaze, with the damage catastrophic (postpositive)
Sometimes these different adjective positions can be combined in a sentence:
The soft (attributive) teddy-bear is also fluffy (predicative)
The tired (attributive) firemen found the buildings ablaze (postpositive). The damage was
catastrophic (predicative).

Adjective Degrees – What are Adjective Degrees?

Adjectives can be used to describe different degrees of comparison about something. For
example, we can say that something is large, but we could also say it is larger (than
something else) and the largest (of all) when comparing it to other things. These terms seem
complicated, but they are just a way of using adjectives to compare one thing to another.
Thus, we can breakdown adjectives into the following degree groups:
Positive Adjectives: small, old, fast.
Comparative Adjectives: smaller, older, faster.
Superlative Adjectives: smallest, oldest, fastest.
I am small. The old men. The fast runner.

45
Examples of comparative adjectives:
1. Smaller
2. Older
3. Faster
I am smaller than you. The older men knew more than the younger men. The faster runner
won the race.
Examples of superlative adjectives:
1. Smallest
2. Oldest
3. Fastest
Bilbo was the smallest of all hobbits. She is the oldest woman in America. Usain Bolt is
the fastest man on the planet.
As you can see, a positive adjective can become a comparative one by adding “er” and a
superlative adjective by adding “est”. However, a small group of adjectives do not follow this
rule. Those that don’t are called irregular comparative and superlative adjectives. For
example, the adjective good in its comparative form is better, not good(er), and is best in its
superlative form, not good(est). Other examples include: far, farther, farthest and bad,
worse, worst.
Examples of irregular comparative and superlative adjectives:
1. Good, Better, Best
2. Bad, Worse, Worst
3. Far, Further, Furthest
Shakespeare is good, but Mark Twain is much better. However, Hemingway is best of all.
In addition, some adjectives will not change at all when used as comparative or superlative.
Usually, these will take the addition of the words ‘more’ and ‘most’ to make the comparison.
Examples:
1. I am an interesting person (positive)
2. He is more interesting than you (Comparative)
3. Sylvia Plath is the most interesting of all poets (Superlative)
Other examples:
1. Beautiful
2. More beautiful
3. Most beautiful
4. Intelligent,
5. More intelligent

46
 6. Most intelligent
7. Practical
8. More practical
9. Most practical
Amy was beautiful, but Jo was more intelligent. Beth was certainly more practical than Jo
and Amy However, Meg was the most practical, beautiful and intelligent of all the March
sisters.
Here is a list of 1000+ Adjectives

A
aback abaft abandoned abashed aberrant abhorrent abiding abject ablaze able abnormal
aboard aboriginal abortive abounding abrasive abrupt absent absorbed absorbing
abstracted absurd abundant abusive acceptable accessible accidental accurate acid acidic
acoustic acrid actually ad hoc adamant adaptable addicted adhesive adjoining adorable
adventurous afraid aggressive agonizing agreeable ahead ajar alcoholic alert alike alive
alleged alluring aloof amazing ambiguous ambitious amuck amused amusing ancient angry
animated annoyed annoying anxious apathetic aquatic aromatic arrogant ashamed aspiring
assorted astonishing attractive auspicious automatic available average awake aware
awesome awful axiomatic

B
bad barbarous bashful bawdy beautiful befitting belligerent beneficial bent berserk best
better bewildered big billowy bite-sized bitter bizarre black black-and-white bloody blue blue-
eyed blushing boiling boorish bored boring bouncy boundless brainy brash brave brawny
breakable breezy brief bright broad broken brown bumpy burly bustling busy

C
cagey calculating callous calm capable capricious careful careless caring cautious ceaseless
certain changeable charming cheap cheerful chemical chief childlike chilly chivalrous chubby
chunky clammy classy clean clear clever cloistered cloudy closed clumsy cluttered coherent
cold colorful colossal combative comfortable common complete complex concerned
condemned confused conscious cooing cool cooperative coordinated courageous cowardly
crabby craven crazy creepy crooked crowded cruel cuddly cultured cumbersome curious
curly curved curvy cut cute cynical

D
daffy daily damaged damaging damp dangerous dapper dark dashing dazzling dead
deadpan deafening dear debonair decisive decorous deep deeply defeated defective defiant
delicate delicious delightful demonic delirious dependent depressed deranged descriptive

47
deserted detailed determined devilish didactic different difficult diligent direful dirty
disagreeable disastrous discreet disgusted disgusting disillusioned dispensable distinct
disturbed divergent dizzy domineering doubtful drab draconian dramatic dreary drunk dry
dull dusty dynamic dysfunctional

E
eager early earsplitting earthy easy eatable economic educated efficacious efficient eight
elastic elated elderly electric elegant elfin elite embarrassed eminent empty enchanted
enchanting encouraging endurable energetic enormous entertaining enthusiastic envious
equable equal erect erratic ethereal evanescent evasive even excellent excited exciting
exclusive exotic expensive extra-large extra-small exuberant exultant

F
fabulous faded faint fair faithful fallacious false familiar famous fanatical fancy fantastic far
far-flung fascinated fast fat faulty fearful fearless feeble feigned female fertile festive few
fierce filthy fine finicky first five fixed flagrant flaky flashy flat flawless flimsy flippant flowery
fluffy fluttering foamy foolish foregoing forgetful fortunate four frail fragile frantic free freezing
frequent fresh fretful friendly frightened frightening full fumbling functional funny furry furtive
future futuristic fuzzy

G
gabby gainful gamy gaping garrulous gaudy general gentle giant giddy gifted gigantic
glamorous gleaming glib glistening glorious glossy godly good goofy gorgeous graceful
grandiose grateful gratis gray greasy great greedy green grey grieving groovy grotesque
grouchy grubby gruesome grumpy guarded guiltless gullible gusty guttural

H
habitual half hallowed halting handsome handsomely handy hanging hapless happy hard
hard-to-find harmonious harsh hateful heady healthy heartbreaking heavenly heavy hellish
helpful helpless hesitant hideous high highfalutin high-pitched hilarious hissing historical
holistic hollow homeless homely honorable horrible hospitable hot huge hulking humdrum
humorous hungry hurried hurt hushed husky hypnotic hysterical

icky icy idiotic ignorant ill illegal ill-fated ill-informed illustrious imaginary immense imminent
impartial imperfect impolite important imported impossible incandescent incompetent
inconclusive industrious incredible inexpensive infamous innate innocent inquisitive insidious
instinctive intelligent interesting internal invincible irate irritating itchy

J
jaded jagged jazzy jealous jittery jobless jolly joyous judicious juicy jumbled jumpy juvenile

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K
kaput keen kind kindhearted kindly knotty knowing knowledgeable known

L
labored lackadaisical lacking lame lamentable languid large last late laughable lavish lazy
lean learned left legal lethal level lewd light like likeable limping literate little lively living
lonely long longing long-term loose lopsided loud loutish lovely loving low lowly lucky
ludicrous lumpy lush luxuriant lying lyrical

M
macabre macho maddening madly magenta magical magnificent majestic makeshift male
malicious mammoth maniacal many marked massive married marvelous material
materialistic mature mean measly meaty medical meek mellow melodic melted merciful
mere messy mighty military milky mindless miniature minor miscreant misty mixed moaning
modern moldy momentous motionless mountainous muddled mundane murky mushy mute
mysterious

N
naive nappy narrow nasty natural naughty nauseating near neat nebulous necessary
needless needy neighborly nervous new next nice nifty nimble nine nippy noiseless noisy
nonchalant nondescript nonstop normal nostalgic nosy noxious null numberless numerous
nutritious nutty

O
oafish obedient obeisant obese obnoxious obscene obsequious observant obsolete
obtainable oceanic odd offbeat old old-fashioned omniscient one onerous open opposite
optimal orange ordinary organic ossified outgoing outrageous outstanding oval overconfident
overjoyed overrated overt overwrought

P
painful painstaking pale paltry panicky panoramic parallel parched parsimonious past
pastoral pathetic peaceful penitent perfect periodic permissible perpetual petite phobic
physical picayune pink piquant placid plain plant plastic plausible pleasant plucky pointless
poised polite political poor possessive possible powerful precious premium present pretty
previous pricey prickly private probable productive profuse protective proud psychedelic
psychotic public puffy pumped puny purple purring pushy puzzled puzzling

Q
quack quaint quarrelsome questionable quick quickest quiet quirky quixotic quizzical

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R
rabid racial ragged rainy rambunctious rampant rapid rare raspy ratty ready real rebel
receptive recondite red redundant reflective regular relieved remarkable reminiscent
repulsive resolute resonant responsible rhetorical rich right righteous rightful rigid ripe ritzy
roasted robust romantic roomy rotten rough round royal ruddy rude rural rustic ruthless

S
sable sad safe salty same sassy satisfying savory scandalous scarce scared scary scattered
scientific scintillating scrawny screeching second second-hand secret secretive sedate
seemly selective selfish separate serious shaggy shaky shallow sharp shiny shivering
shocking short shrill shut shy sick silent silky silly simple simplistic sincere six skillful skinny
sleepy slim slimy slippery sloppy slow small smart smelly smiling smoggy smooth sneaky
snobbish snotty soft soggy solid somber sophisticated sordid sore sour sparkling special
spectacular spicy spiffy spiky spiritual spiteful splendid spooky spotless spotted spotty
spurious squalid square squealing squeamish staking stale standing statuesque steadfast
steady steep stereotyped sticky stiff stimulating stingy stormy straight strange striped strong
stupendous stupid sturdy subdued subsequent substantial successful succinct sudden sulky
super superb superficial supreme swanky sweet sweltering swift symptomatic synonymous

T
taboo tacit tacky talented tall tame tan tangible tangy tart tasteful tasteless tasty tawdry
tearful tedious teeny teeny-tiny telling temporary ten tender tense tenuous terrible terrific
tested testy thankful therapeutic thick thin thinkable third thirsty thoughtful thoughtless
threatening three thundering tidy tight tightfisted tiny tired tiresome toothsome torpid tough
towering tranquil trashy tremendous tricky trite troubled truculent true truthful two typical

U
ubiquitous ugliest ugly ultra unable unaccountable unadvised unarmed unbecoming
unbiased uncovered understood undesirable unequal unequaled uneven unhealthy
uninterested unique unkempt unknown unnatural unruly unsightly unsuitable untidy unused
unusual unwieldy unwritten upbeat uppity upset uptight used useful useless utopian utter
uttermost
V
vacuous vagabond vague valuable various vast vengeful venomous verdant versed
victorious vigorous violent violet vivacious voiceless volatile voracious vulgar

W
wacky waggish waiting wakeful wandering wanting warlike warm wary wasteful watery weak
wealthy weary well-groomed well-made well-off well-to-do wet whimsical whispering white
whole wholesale wicked wide wide-eyed wiggly wild willing windy wiry wise wistful witty
woebegone womanly wonderful wooden woozy workable worried worthless wrathful
wretched wrong wry

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Examples of adjectives

Typical adjective endings

1. They live in a beautiful house.

2. Lisa is wearing a sleeveless shirt today. This soup is not edible.
3. She wore a beautiful dress.
4. He writes meaningless letters.
5. This shop is much nicer.
6. She wore a beautiful dress.
7. Ben is an adorable baby.
8. Linda’s hair is gorgeous.
9. This glass is breakable.
10. I met a homeless person in NY.

Denominal adjective examples

1. A mathematical puzzle.
2. A biological experiment.
3. A wooden boat.
4. I married an American woman.
5. The Jewish community in NY is very big.
6. Mary has a collection of expensive Russian dolls.
7. In the winter you must wear heavy woollen clothes.
8. The polar bear is listed as threatened.

Order of adjective examples

1. I love that really big old green antique car that is always parked at the end of the
street. [quality – size – age – color – qualifier]
2. My sister has a beautiful big white bulldog. [quality – size – color]
3. A wonderful old Italian clock. [opinion – age – origin]
4. A big square blue box. [size – shape – color]
5. A disgusting pink plastic ornament. [opinion – color – material]
6. Some new slim French trousers. [age – shape – origin]
7. My small new red sleeping bag. [size – age – color – purposee]
8. I bought a pair of black leather shoes. [color – material]

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Comparing adjective examples

1. This house is bigger than that one.

2. This flower is more beautiful than that.
3. He is taller than Mr. Hulas.
4. He is more intelligent than this boy.
5. Jonathan is the most handsome man on campus.
6. This is the prettiest dress in the window.
7. I lost my most comfortable shoes.
8. My job is worse than yours.

Compound adjectives examples

1. This is a four-foot table.

2. Daniella is a part-time worker.
3. This is an all-too-common error.
4. Beware of the green-eyed monster.
5. He is a cold-blooded man.
6. We saw a man-eating shark!
7. Danny’s dog is well-behaved.
8. You have to be open-minded about things.

Adjectival phrase examples

1. Susan is really clever.

2. The doctor is very late.
3. My sister is fond of animals.
4. I am happy to meet you.
5. The kids are ready to go.
6. Don’t be afraid of the dark.
7. Tony lost his dark brown briefcase.
8. He’s an extraordinary looking man.
For more examples, read our comprehensive lists of adjectives in the English language.

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Adjective Exercises

much vs many

Decide whether you have to use much or many:

1. We saw _____ animals at the zoo.
2. How _____ oranges did you put in the box?
3. There isn’t _____ sugar in my coffee.
4. I don’t have ______ friends.
5. The old man hasn’t got _____ hair on his head.
6. I’ve packed _____ bottles of water.
7. I didn’t get _____ sleep last night.
8. How _____ fruit do you eat in an average day?
Answers:
1. many
2. many
3. much
4. many
5. much
6. many
7. much
8. much

a little vs a few

Decide whether you have to use a little or a few:

1. Can you please buy _______ apples.
2. We need _______ water.
3. I have _______ money left.
4. I take _______ sugar with my coffee.
5. We had _______ pints of beer there.
6. You have _______ time left.
7. There are _______ chairs in the room.
8. He only spent _______ dollars there.

53
Answers:
1. a few
2. a little
3. a little
4. a little
5. a few
6. a little
7. a few
8. a few

some vs any

Decide whether you have to use some or any:

1. Is there _______ milk left?
2. There is _______ juice in the bottle.
3. Do you have _______ coffee?
4. I don’t have _______ money left.
5. She has _______ money.
6. Do you know _______ of these singers?
7. I don’t know _______ of them.
8. I know _______ of them.
Answers:
1. any
2. some
3. any
4. any
5. some
6. any
7. any
8. some

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some vs many

Decide whether you have to use some or many:

1. The child put _______ sand into the bucket.
2. I can lend you _______ money if you need it.
3. There aren’t _______ pears left. Only two.
4. We had _______ cake with the tea.
5. Don’t eat so _______ sweets or you’ll get fat.
6. I had _______ beer last night at the bar.
7. I don’t have _______ friends.
8. He brought _______ food with him.
Answers:
1. some
2. some
3. many
4. some
5. many
6. some
7. many
8. some

little vs less

Decide whether you have to use little or less:

1. I have _______ interest in classical music.
2. I have _______ faith in him.
3. We need _______ furniture in this dance hall than in the big one.
4. You have to drink _______ coffee.
5. He has _______ money than I thought.
6. Tonight I drank _______ wine than last night.
7. She dedicates _______ time to her homework than to her hobbies.
8. This will take _______ time to finish than the last time we tried.
Answers:

55
 1. little
2. little
3. less
4. less
5. less
6. less
7. less
8. less

a little vs a lot

Decide whether you have to use a little or a lot:

1. That may cost you _______ of money.
2. I added _______ sugar to the mix.
3. You’ll have to spend _______ of cash on this car. (a lot)
4. I can do it with _______ help from my friends.
5. _______ change can really make a difference.
6. I don’t have _______ of free time today.
7. He left _______ of laundry for me to do.
8. She gave him _______ attention.
Answers:
1. a lot
2. a little
3. a lot
4. a little
5. a little
6. a lot
7. a lot
8. a little

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few vs little

Decide whether you have to use few or little:

1. There’s _______ point in calling.
2. _______ people understood what he said.
3. There is _______ use in trying to do this.
4. There’s _______ space here as it is.
5. There’s _______ I can do about this.
6. Dan is a great student. He has _______ problems with history.
7. There was _______ traffic on the road.
8. I think Coventry will win the match but _______ people agree with me.
Answers:
1. little
2. few
3. little
4. little
5. little
6. few
7. little
8. few

fewer vs less

Decide whether you have to use fewer or less:

1. There were _______ days below freezing last winter.
2. I drank _______ water than she did.
3. I have _______ than an hour to do this work.
4. People these days are buying _______ newspapers.
5. I have _______ time to do this work.
6. _______ than thirty children each year develop the disease.
7. I wear _______ makeup on weekdays.
8. He worked _______ hours than I did.
Answers:

57
 1. fewer
2. less
3. less
4. fewer
5. less
6. fewer
7. less
8. fewer

farther vs further

Decide whether you have to use farther or further:

1. How much _______ do you plan to drive tonight?
2. I just can’t go any _______.
3. Do you have any _______ plans for adding on to the building?
4. That’s a lot _______ than I want to carry this heavy suitcase!
5. The _______ that I travel down this road, the _______ behind schedule I get.
6. How much _______ do you intend to take this legal matter?
7. It’s not that much _______ to the gas station.
8. How much _______ do I have to run, coach?
Answers:
1. farther
2. further
3. further
4. farther
5. farther, further
6. further
7. farther
8. farther

58
later vs latter

Decide whether you have to use later or latter:

1. My neighbours have a son and a daughter : the former is a teacher, the _______ is a
nurse.
2. I will address that at a _______ time.
3. Of the first two Harry Potter books, I prefer the _______.
4. John arrived at the party _______ than Mary did.
5. I prefer the _______ offer to the former one.
6. I will be back _______.
7. I was given the choice between a hamburger or a hotdog, I chose the _______ of the
two; the hotdog.
8. When it comes to soy burgers or a juicy cow burger, I prefer the _______.
Answers:
1. latter
2. later
3. latter
4. later
5. latter
6. later
7. latter
8. latter

last vs latter

Decide whether you have to use last or latter:

1. Jack, Jill and Bob went up the hill; the _______ watched the other two fall down.
2. The former half of the film is more interesting than the _______ half.
3. Out of chapters 1, 2, and 3, the _______ one is the most difficult to learn.
4. Dan is now friends with Ruth, Maya and Ben. The _______ is his cousin.
5. Jane speaks Italian and English : the former language fairly well and the _______
fluently.
6. There are two versions, A and B, but the _______ is more popular.
7. Tom and Dick were both heroes but only the _______ is remembered today.
8. I study math, English and history. I enjoy the _______ one most.

59
Answers:
1. last
2. latter
3. last
4. last
5. latter
6. latter
7. latter
8. last

More Adjective Exercise

1. Form adjectives from the following nouns:

A. water
B. ice
C. syrup
Answers:
A. Watery
B. Icy
C. Syrupy
2.Form adjectives from the following verbs:
A. walk
B. amaze
C. decay
Answers:
A. walking
B. amazing
C. decaying
3.Which of the following sentences contains a proper denominal adjective?
A. People in New York are usually busy.
B. New York residents are often busy.
A. We had fun listening to classic French music.
B. Music by the French is fun to listen to.
A. He speaks Russian.

60
 B. He speaks the Russian language.
Answers: B,A,B

4.Choose the superlative adjective in each group of sentences:

A. I like dark coffee.
B. This is the fastest car I’ve ever driven.
C. I’d like darker curtains.
A. This is good ice cream.
B. Meet Sue, my younger sister.
C. Of all the options available, this seems to be the best one.
A. This is a better play than the last one.
B. The box was blue, and oddly shaped.
C. This is the most exciting thing I’ve ever experienced!
Answers: B, C, C
5. Choose the absolute adjective in each group of sentences:
A. We live in a blue house.
B. The grass is greener on the other side.
C. This is the shortest my hair has ever been.
A. That’s a short dress.
B. Why don’t you choose a longer style?
C. Just because it’s the shortest dress doesn’t mean it’s the most stylish.
A. Our house is bigger than our grandmother’s is.
B. They live in the biggest house I’ve ever seen.
C. That’s a big house!
Answers: A, A, C
6. Choose the adjective from each of the following groups of words:
A. interest, interesting, party
B. amount, colorful, medicine
C. fur, hilarious, cup
Answers:
A. interesting
B. colorful

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 C. hilarious
7. Fill in the blanks with the best compound adjective for the situation.
A. With ______________ temperatures, this is the coldest winter on record.
o below zero
o below-zero
o freezing
B. Jeremy gave Linda a _____________________ engagement ring.
o gorgeous diamond
o gorgeous-diamond
o big
C. We’re celebrating with a __________________ bottle of champagne.
o costly
o ten-year-old
o 10 year old
Answers:
A. below-zero
B. gorgeous diamond
C. ten-year-old
8. Choose the sentence containing the denominal adjective:
A. We practiced for the play.
B. We spent two hours practicing the Shakespearean play.
C. We practiced Shakespeare’s play for two hours.
Answer: B. We spent two hour practicing the Shakespearean play.
9. Choose the comparative adjective in each group of sentences:
A. This list is longer than the last one.
B. This is probably the longest one I’ve ever seen.
C. This is a long list.
A. Stop acting so weird.
B. You’re acting weirder than ever.
C. You’re the weirdest person in this class.
A. This is the chocolatiest cake I’ve ever tasted.
B. Have some chocolate cake.

62
 C. Do you think this cake tastes chocolatier than the last one?
Answers: A, B, C
10. For each of the following sentences, choose the correct order of adjectives to fill in the
blank.
A. His grandfather lives in the ________________________ house down the street.
o big old yellow
o yellow old big
o old big yellow
B. The shop offers all kinds of _____________________ objects.
o interesting old antique
o old antique interesting
o old interesting antique
C. We went for a long walk on a __________________________ trail.
o Beautiful new 5-mile
o New, beautiful 5-mile
o 5-mile new, beautiful
Answers:
A. big old yellow
B. interesting old antique
C. beautiful new 5-mile
11. A, B, or C? Which phrase contains the denominal adjective?
A. open door
B. fun time
C. Parmesan flavor
Answer: C
12. Some compound adjective contain hyphens. Which of the following sentences is
correct?
A. He’s a decent-judge of character.
B. She submitted a 190-page document supporting her position.
C. We’re adopting a two year old parakeet.
Answer: B
13. Which sentence uses the correct order of adjectives?
A. We took a ride on a red, new, Italian motorbike.

63
 B. We took a ride on an Italian, new, red motorbike.
C. We took a ride on a new red Italian motorbike.
Answer: C
14. For each of the following sentences, choose the correct order of adjectives to fill in the
blank.
A. I was thrilled to receive a __________________ book with my order.
o big, beautiful, leather-bound
o leather-bound, big, beautiful
o beautiful big leather-bound
B. His clown costume consists of a red nose, oversized shoes, and a
________________ jacket.
o Size 4X polka-dotted silk smoking
o polka-dotted silk smoking size 4X
o polka dotted size 4x silk smoking
C. I’ve been shopping for the perfect _______________ chopsticks.
o Japanese long sushi
o long Japanese sushi
o long sushi Japanese
Answers:
A. beautiful big leather-bound
B. size 4x polka-dotted silk smoking
C. long Japanese sushi
15. From each group, choose the sentence containing the correct compound adjective.
A. Jennifer is overworked. She has been putting in 12 hour days lately.
B. Jennifer is overworked. She has been putting in 12-hour days lately.
C. Jennifer is overworked. She has been putting in 12-hour-days lately.
A. Jim prefers spicy, Caribbean-style food.
B. Jim likes Caribbean foods with lots of spice.
C. Jim’s favorite foods are spicy ones with Caribbean flavors.
A. He’s grown two inches since last time we saw him.
B. He’s grown by a whole two inches since we last saw him.
C. He’s had a two-inch growth spurt since last time we saw him.
Answers: B, A, C

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Verbs
What is a verb?
Verbs are the action words in a sentence that describe what the subject is doing. Along with
nouns, verbs are the main part of a sentence or phrase, telling a story about what is taking
place. In fact, without a verb, full thoughts can’t be properly conveyed, and even the simplest
sentences, such as Maria sings, have one. Actually, a verb can be a sentence by itself, with
the subject, in most case you, implied, such as, Sing! and Drive!
When learning the rules of grammar, schoolchildren are often taught that verbs are ‘doing’
words, meaning they signify the part of the sentence which explains the action taking
place: He ran away, she eats chocolate cake on Sundays, the horses gallop across the
fields. Ran, eats and gallop are the ‘action’ parts of those sentences, thus they are the
verbs. However, it can be confusing because not all verbs are easily identifiable as
action: I know your name, Jack thought about it, we considered several applications.
These are non-action verbs, i.e. those that describe a state of being, emotion, possession,
sense or opinion. Other non-action verbs include include love, agree, feel, am, and have.
How to Recognize a Verb
As you can see from the examples above, one clue to help you recognize a verb is its
location compared to the subject. Verbs almost always come after a noun or pronoun. These
nouns and pronouns are referred to as the subject. The verb thought comes after the noun
Jack, so the action Jack (subject) was taking was thinking (verb).
1. Mark eats his dinner quickly.
2. We went to the market.
3. You write neatly in your notebook.
4. They thought about all the prizes in the competition.
Here are some other ways to recognize verbs in a sentence:
1. If you’re not sure if a word is a verb, ask yourself, “Can I do ______?”
Can I think, wonder, walk, yawn? Yes, so these are verbs.
2. You can also ask, ”What is happening?”
In the sentence Mark eats his dinner quickly, what is happening? Eating is happening, so
eating is the verb.
In the sentence They thought about all the prizes what is happening? Thought (thinking) is
happening, so thought is the verb.

Physical Verbs – Definition and Examples

Physical verbs are action verbs. They describe specific physical actions. If you can create a
motion with your body or use a tool to complete an action, the word you use to describe it is
most likely a physical verb. For example, Joe sat in his chair, the dog breathes quickly after
she chases her ball, and should we vote in the election? Even when the action isn’t very
active, if the action is done by the body or a tool, consider it a physical verb.

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Physical Verb Examples

The physical verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
• Let’s run to the corner and back.
• I hear the train coming.
• Call me when you’re finished with class.

Mental Verbs – Definition and Examples

Mental verbs have meanings that are related to concepts such as discovering,
understanding, thinking, or planning. In general, a mental verb refers to a cognitive state.

Mental Verb – Definition and Examples

Mental verbs have meanings that are related to concepts such as discovering,
understanding, thinking, or planning. In general, a mental verb refers to a cognitive state.

Mental Verb Examples

The mental verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
• I know the answer.
• She recognized me from across the room.
• Do you believe everything people tell you?
States of Being Verbs – Definition and Examples
Also known as linking verbs, state of being verbs describe conditions or situations that exist.
State of being verbs are inactive since no action is being performed. These verbs, forms of
to be, such as am, is, are, are usually complemented by adjectives.
States of Being Verb Examples
The state of being verbs in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
• I am a student.
• We are circus performers.
• Please is quiet.
Types of Verbs
There are many types of verbs. In addition to the main categories of physical verbs, mental
verbs, and state of being verbs, there are several other types of verbs. In fact, there are
more than ten different types of verbs that are grouped together by function.
List of all Verb Types
Action Verbs
Action verbs express specific actions and are used any time you want to show action or
discuss someone doing something. It’s important to remember that the action does not have
to be physical.

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Action verb examples:
1. Run
2. Dance
3. Slide
4. Jump
5. Think
6. Do
7. Go
8. Stand
9. Smile
10. Listen.
The action verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
I run faster than David.
He does it well.
She thinks about poetry all day long

Transitive Verbs
Transitive verbs are action verbs that always express doable activities that relate or affect
someone or something else. These other things are generally direct objects, nouns or
pronouns that are affected by the verb, though some verbs can also take an indirect object,
such as show, take, and make. In a sentence with a transitive verb, someone or something
receives the action of the verb.
Transitive verb examples:
1. Love
2. Respect
3. Tolerate
4. Believe
5. Maintain.
The transitive verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
Gary ate the cookies.
The transitive verb is ate, Gary is the subject, because it is Gary who is doing the eating,
and the cookies are the direct object, because it is the cookies that are being eaten. Other
examples:
He kicked John.
John punches him.

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They sold the tickets.
Examples of verbs used with both direct and indirect objects:
They sell him the tickets.
In this sentence, the tickets are the direct object while him is the indirect object.
Mary baked her mother a pie.
In this sentence, a pie is the direct object while her mother is the indirect object.
Intransitive Verbs
Intransitive verbs are action verbs that always express doable activities. They are different
from transitive verbs because there is no direct object following an intransitive verb.
Intransitive verb examples:
1. Walk
2. Laugh
3. Cough
4. Play
5. Run
The intransitive verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

We travelled to London.
The intransitive verb is travelled, the subject is we, because we are doing the travelling,
but London is not a direct object because London is not receiving the action of the verb.
Other examples:
I sneeze in the morning.
He arrived with moments to spare.
Kathryn sat away from the others.
John eats before leaving for school.
The last example shows that the verb eats can be both transitive and intransitive depending
on whether there is a direct object or not. If the sentence read: John eats the cookies before
leaving for school, eats would be transitive as there is a direct object – the cookies.
By the way, some verbs can be both transitive and intransitive. These verbs include: start,
leave, change, live, stop.
Auxiliary Verbs
Auxiliary verbs are also known as helping verbs and are used together with a main verb to
show the verb’s tense or to form a question or negative. Common examples of auxiliary
verbs include have, might, will. These auxiliary verbs give some context to the main verb, for
example, letting the reader know when the action took place.
Auxiliary verb examples:
1. Would

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 2. Should
3. Do
4. Can
5. Did
6. Could
7. May
The auxiliary verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
I will go home after football practice.
The auxiliary verb will is telling us that the action of the main verb go is going to take place
in the future – after football practice has ended. If the auxiliary verb will was removed, we
get the sentence:
I go home after football practice.
In this case, there is no definite time frame for the action. The sentence suggests that going
home after football practice is just something the subject I generally does. Other examples:
I may dance with you later.
We did consider Bryan’s feelings.
Jenny has spoken her final words.
In addition, we can sometimes use the auxiliary very before the pronoun to make a question:
Might you dance with me later?
Did we consider Bryan’s feelings?
Has Jenny spoken her final words?
Also, auxiliary verbs are used to help form negative statements, with the use of words
like not and never. These will usually split the auxiliary and main verbs:
I may never dance with you again.
We did not consider Bryan’s feelings.
Jenny has not spoken her final words.

Stative Verbs
Stative verbs can be recognized because they express a state rather than an action.
They typically relate to thoughts, emotions, relationships, senses, states of being, and
measurements. The best way to think about stative verbs is that they are verbs that
describe things that are not actions. The stative verbs are all expressing a state: A state of
doubting, a state of believing, a state of wanting. These states of being are often temporary.
The stative verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
The doctor disagrees with your analysis.

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Disagree is a stative verb here, as it describes the doctor’s state of being – disagreement.
John doubts the doctor’s opinion.
I believe the doctor is right.
She wanted another opinion.

Modal Verbs
Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that are used to express abilities, possibilities, permissions,
and obligations.
Modal verb examples:
1. Can
2. Must
3. May
4. Should
5. Would
The modal verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
He can shoot a three-point shot easily.
The auxiliary verb can is expressing an ability, suggesting that shooting a three-point shot is
a skill the subject possesses.
Please note that in the case of should and must in the examples below, the modal verbs are
expressing obligations, whereas would and may are expressing possibilities.
I should go home.
You must not delay.
Sally would not recommend the sushi.
David may be late.

Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs aren’t single words; instead, they are combinations of words that are used
together to take on a different meaning to that of the original verb. There are many examples
of phrasal verbs, some of which have colloquial meanings, such as make up, hand in, bring
up, point out, look forward to. Each time the verb takes the extra word(s) it takes on a new
meaning. For example, make without the up expresses that something is being created,
whereas with make up, the suggestion is that there are some lies or a fantastical element to
the story and make out can mean either to grasp or see something difficult, or to kiss
passionately.
Phrasal verb examples:
1. Run out
2. Go all out

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 3. Make out
4. Hand out
5. Bring out
6. Face up
7. Think through
The phrasal verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
Mary looked forward to her high school reunion.
The verb looked has taken on forward to to become a phrasal verb meaning to be excited
about or eagerly await something.
He brought up the same points again and again.
Leroy handed in the wallet to the police.
I make up stories all the time.
She pointed out Donald’s mistake.

Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs are those that don’t take on the regular spelling patterns of past simple and
past participle verbs. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of irregular verbs in the English
language. But don’t worry, while many are used often, the majority are not in common usage
– or if they are, you will use them so often you will learn them quickly. Some of the most
common irregular verbs include: say, make, go, take, come, know and see.
Irregular verb examples:
1. Eat
2. Think
3. Bring
4. Hold
5. Bear
6. Buy
7. Lay
8. Catch
9. Drive
10. Paid
11. Feel
12. Redo
The irregular verb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

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I take my time when I go to the shops (present tense)
I took my time when I went to the shops (past tense)
Julie makes cake for the classroom (present tense)
Julie made a cake for the classroom (past tense)
She sees a silhouette shaped like a man in the window (present tense)
She saw a silhouette shaped like a man in the window (past tense)
We come to Aunt Jane’s for Thanksgiving each year (present tense)
We came to Aunt Jane’s for Thanksgiving each year (past tense).
You should also remember that auxiliary verbs ‘do’ and ‘have’ are also irregular verbs:
I do agree.
He does it often.
We have done our homework early.
They do their homework on Fridays.
I have a suspicion about Fran
Fran has a devious look.
We have no money left.
They have had a cough twice this winter.

Action Verbs
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
What is a Transitive Verb?

A transitive verb is one whose action must be used in relation to an object, and when using
the verb, it only makes sense if the verb is transferring action upon an object. That means
the verb doesn’t sound good or work on its own without an object.
Consider the verb to bring: The verb will not make sense if the action of the verb is not acting
on something, i.e. you have to bring something or someone. Simply saying I bring will not
make sense on its own, you must bring something, an object or a person or a feeling. That
something or someone – Joe, a book, your brother, a good mood – is the direct object of the
sentence, i.e. the thing that the verb is acting upon.

• I bring (doesn’t make sense without an object).

• I bring a book for Grandma (makes sense because of the direct object, book).
• I will bring my brother to the meeting.

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Examples of Transitive Verbs
There are lots of examples of transitive verbs. They can be any verb that fulfils the criteria of
needing to confer action upon an object. Consider these examples and see how the verb
exerts action on an object.

• I love
• Please carry the books for me.
• Can we buy these ones?
• Johnny kicked the ball.
• She didn’t take anything from the table.
• I will send the note for the doctor.

Consider how these verbs need to confer the action upon the object. This makes them
transitive verbs:

• Love – you need to love something or someone for the verb to make sense.
• Carry – you need to carry something or someone for the verb to make sense.
• Buy – you need buy something for the verb to make sense.
• Kick – you need to kick something or someone for the verb to make sense.
• Take – you need to take something or someone for the verb to make sense.
• Send – you need to send something or someone for the verb to make sense.

What is a Intransitive Verb?

As you might guess, an intransitive verb is one that does not need to transfer action on an
object in order to make sense.
Consider the verb to run. You can run without transferring the action of running on a direct
object.
How did you get here so quickly? I ran. (There is no need for a direct object).

Examples of Intransitive Verbs

As with transitive verbs, there are many examples of intransitive verbs. They can be any
verb that fulfills the criteria of not needing a direct object to confer action upon:

• It snowed.
• We laughed.
• He cried. He will probably cry again tonight.
• We didn’t know.
• They died.
• When did they arrive?

None of the actions described above require direct objects for the action of the verb to make
sense. However, you should be aware that intransitive verbs are often followed by
prepositions or adverbs.

• It snowed
• We laughed
• He cried
• We didn’t know right away.
• They died on Sunday night.
• Did they arrive on time?

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Recognizing Transitive Verbs When You See Them
Unfortunately, it can sometimes be tricky to know if a verb is transitive because some verbs
aren’t only transitive or intransitive. Consider the verb to eat, and look at these examples:

• I eat fried eggs for breakfast.

• I eat quickly at breakfast.

In the first example, the verb eat is a transitive verb because the action has a direct object –
the fried eggs. However, the second example shows eat as an intransitive verb. There is no
action upon a direct object; quickly is an adverb describing the action of eating.
Other examples of verbs that are both transitive and intransitive include walk, drive,
read, and understand.

• I walked.
• I walked the dogs.
• Daniel drives.
• Daniel drives a large truck.
• Barbara reads.
• Barbara reads 10 books a month.
• I understand.
• I understand you.

So, to recognize a transitive verb, you must understand and be able to identify that it acts on
a direct object.
Recognizing Intransitive Verbs When You See Them

As mentioned above, many verbs can be transitive and intransitive, so to recognize the type
of verb it is, you must look at other parts of the sentence. Consider the verb to sing, and look
at these examples:

• The birds sang the mating call.

• The birds sang.
• The birds sang
• The birds sang on the trees.

In the first example, sang (the past tense of sing) is a transitive verb. The birds are
conferring the action of singing on a direct object – the mating call.
But sang is an intransitive verb in the other three examples. We know this because the first
example requires no direct object for the action, the second example is followed by an
adverb and the final example is followed by a preposition.
Therefore, we can recognize an intransitive verb if it makes sense on its own (without a
direct object) or is followed by an adverb or preposition.

Auxiliary (or Helping) Verbs

Auxiliary (or Helping) verbs are used together with a main verb to show the verb’s tense or
to form a negative or question. The most common auxiliary verbs are have, be, and do.
1. Does Sam write all his own reports?
2. The secretaries haven’t written all the letters yet.
3. Terry is writing an e-mail to a client at the moment.

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Auxiliary verbs, also known as helping verbs, add functional or grammatical meaning to the
clauses in which they appear. They perform their functions in several different ways:
• By expressing tense ( providing a time reference, i.e. past, present, or future)
• Grammatical aspect (expresses how verb relates to the flow of time)
• Modality (quantifies verbs)
• Voice (describes the relationship between the action expressed by the verb and the
participants identified by the verb’s subject, object, etc.)
• Adds emphasis to a sentence
Auxiliary verbs almost always appear together with a main verb, and though there are only a
few of them, they are among the most frequently occurring verbs in the English language.

How to Identify an Auxiliary Verb

You probably know that every sentence has at least one verb in it. There are two main types
of verbs. Action verbs are used to depict activities that are doable, and linking verbs are
used to describe conditions. Both action verbs and linking verbs can accompany auxiliary
verbs including the three main ones: do, be, and have.
Sometimes actions or conditions occur only one time and then they’re over. It’s at times like
these that some of the same verbs that are used as auxiliary verbs are instead used as
action or linking verbs. In this example, we see the word “is”. This is one of the most
common auxiliary verbs, but because it stands alone here, it is not functioning as an auxiliary
verb.
Jerry slammed the car door on his thumb. He is in horrible pain.

“Is” is a linking verb in this sentence. Because it stands alone, it is not an auxiliary verb.
At other times, an action or condition is ongoing, happening predictably, or occurring in
relationship to another event or set of events. In these cases, single-word verbs like is are
not accurately capable of describing what happened, so phrases that include auxiliary verbs
are used instead. These can be made up of anywhere from two to four words.
A main verb, also known as a base verb, indicates the kind of action or condition taking
place. An auxiliary or helping verb accompanies the main verb and conveys other nuances
that help the reader gain specific insight into the event that is taking place.
Read the following sentences and explanations to gain greater insight into how auxiliary
verbs work.
1. Jerry caught his thumb in the car door as coffee spilled from his cup onto his
favorite shirt.
2. Jerry is always spilling things.
3. Since Jerry is also accident prone, he should have been drinking coffee from a
mug with a lid, which would not have spilled on his favorite shirt.
In sentence one, caught and spilled, single-word verbs, describe quick, one-time actions of
both Jerry and his messy coffee. This sentence does not contain an auxiliary verb.

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Since Jerry often has unfortunate accidents, is spilling communicates the frequency of his
clumsy actions in sentence two. In sentence three, the auxiliary verbs that make up should
have been drinking and would have stained express time relationships as well as an
evaluation of Jerry’s actions.

Three Common Auxiliary Verbs

There are just three common auxiliary verbs:
• Have
• Do
• Be
In this section, we’ll take a closer look at how these common verbs work, plus you’ll see
some examples.
Have
“Have” is a very important verb that can stand alone in all its tenses, including has, have,
having, had, and hadn’t or had not. It is usually used to denote ownership, and it can also
be used to discuss ability or describe appearance. “Have” is also a very popular substitute
for the verbs “eat” and “drink.” For example: “Let’s have dinner.”
When used as an auxiliary verb, have is always teamed up with another verb to create a
complete verb phrase, making it easy to differentiate between uses. You can see the
difference in the sentences below:
• Jerry has a large coffee stain on his shirt. → Has = action verb
• Jerry has bought a new shirt to replace the one that was ruined earlier. → Has =
auxiliary verb; bought is a past participle that competes the verb phrase.
• Jerry should have been more careful! → Have = auxiliary verb; phrase “should have
been” expresses time and evaluates Jerry’s actions.
Do
“Do” can be used as an action verb that stands alone in all its tenses, including to
do, do, does, done, did and didn’t, doesn’t or did not .
When used as an auxiliary verb, do is always paired up with another verb to create a
complete verb phrase. In some cases, it is used to add emphasis: “I did put the garbage
out!” Do is often used to form questions and negated clauses. It is also used in elliptical
sentences, where the main verb is understood and is omitted as a result. For example: “He
plays piano well, doesn’t he?” or “They all had dinner, but I didn’t.”

• Because he spills things so often, Jerry does more laundry than most people.  Does
= action verb

• Jerry didn’t put his coffee in a cup with a lid.  Didn’t = auxiliary verb

• Jerry doesn’t always spill things, but it happens a lot.  Doesn’t = auxiliary verb

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Be
“Be” or “to be” is an important verb that has a multitude of uses in English. It can be used as
an action verb that stands alone in all its tenses including be, to be, been, am, are, is, was,
were, wasn’t, was not aren’t, are not, weren’t and were not.
When used as an auxiliary verb, be is always paired with another verb to create a complete
verb phrase. It can be singular or plural, present or past. Negative sentences are formed by
adding the word “not”.

• Jerry is messy.  Is = action verb

• Although he is always complaining about his accidents, Jerry fails to pay attention. 
is = auxiliary verb

• Jerry is going to be doing extra laundry for the rest of his life.  to be = auxiliary verb

Modal Auxiliary Verbs

In addition to the three main auxiliary verbs, have, do, and be, there are additional auxiliary
verbs. These are called modal auxiliary verbs, and they never change form. A complete list
of modal auxiliary verbs follows:
• Can
• Could
• May
• Might
• Must
• Ought to
• Shall
• Should
• Will
• Would
Auxiliary Verb Examples
Here are some examples of auxiliary verbs and verb phrases. In the examples below, the
verb phrase is italicized and the auxiliary verb is in bold.
1. Jessica is taking John to the airport.
2. If he doesn’t arrive on time, he’ll have to take a later flight.
3. Unfortunately, our dinner has been eaten by the dog.
4. I have purchased a new pair of shoes to replace the ones that were lost in my
luggage.
5. We hope you don’t have an accident on your way to school.
6. She was baking a pie for dessert.

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 7. Dad has been working hard all day.
8. The bed was made as soon as I got up.
9. Sarah doesn’t ski or roller skate.
10. Did Matthew bring coffee?

Auxiliary Verb Exercises

Fill in the blank with the correct auxiliary verb from the choices presented:
1. What ________________ the kids doing when you last saw them? (was, were, are,
did, been)
2. Carla ________________ always wanted to try skydiving. (was, doesn’t, has, is,
have)
3. Where __________________ you go on your summer vacation? (were, been, are,
did, does)
4. Why do you think she __________ call you like she said she would? (didn’t, is,
hasn’t, has been, have)
5. Mary _____________ going to be upset when she hears what happened. (will, don’t,
is, didn’t, has)
6. Jeremy _____________ want to go to the movies; he wants to stay home instead.
(doesn’t, isn’t, wasn’t, hasn’t, was not)
7. I _________________ appreciate his jokes. They weren’t funny. (did, have, been,
didn’t, haven’t)
8. I really like fish but I _______________ care for meat. (weren’t, been, don’t, is, was)
9. Where _____________ you going when I saw you last night? (were, was, is, do, did)
10. Tara ________________ called yet; she’s late as usual. (are, were, has, hasn’t,
wouldn’t)
Answers: 1 – were, 2 – has, 3 – did, 4 – didn’t, 5 – is, 6 – doesn’t, 7 – didn’t, 8 – don’t, 9
– were, 10 – hasn’t

Stative Verbs
What are Stative Verbs?
Stative verbs are verbs that express a state rather than an action. They usually relate to
thoughts, emotions, relationships, senses, states of being and measurements. These verbs
are not usually used with ing in progressive (continuous) tenses even though they may take
on time expressions such as now and at the moment. We use the simple tenses for them.
1. Paul feels rotten today. He has a bad cold.
2. Do you recognize him? He is a famous rock star.
3. Our client appreciated all the work we did for him.
• Incorrect: I’m smelling your wife’s wonderful spaghetti sauce.

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 • Correct: I smell your wife’s wonderful spaghetti sauce.
However, there are some verbs that look like they should be stative, but may appear in the
ing form. These verbs differ in meaning to the stative verbs.

Stative Verb Examples:

see
1. I see Michael, but he can’t see me. I’m too far away. (I see him with my eyes.)
2. James is seeing Marsha. They’ve been together for a month. (He’s dating her.)
hear
1. I hear music coming from the Smith’s apartment. Someone must be home now. (To
experience sound)
2. I’m hearing voices. (I’m imagining it)

have
1. Jeremy has a Mercedes. (He owns it.)
2. Sara is having lunch with her editor. (She’s eating lunch)

List of Stative Verbs

• adore

• agree
• appear (seem)
• appreciate
• be (exist)
• believe
• belong to
• concern
• consist of
• contain
• cost
• deny
• depend on
• deserve
• detest
• disagree

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• dislike
• doubt
• equal
• feel
• hate
• have (possession)
• hear
• imagine
• include
• involve
• know
• lack
• like
• loathe
• look (seem)
• love
• matter
• mean
• measure
• mind
• need
• owe
• own
• possess
• promise
• realize
• recognize
• remember
• resemble
• satisfy
• see
• seem

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 • smell
• sound
• suppose
• surprise
• taste
• think (opinion)
• understand
• want
• weigh
• wish

Stative Verb Exercises

Complete each sentence using the stative verb from the parenthesis:
1. Do you _________ the answer? (depend on, know, include)
2. Jim _________ dessert every day. (has, eats, possesses)
3. I _________ good about the race’s outcome. (am, were, feel)
4. She _________ her mother. (imagines, resembles, walks with)
5. Do you _________ they will win? (think, involve, promise)
6. They really _________ everything you did for them. (include, appreciate, dislike)
7. I think the teacher was _________ with my speech. (involved, measured, satisfied)
8. Can you _________ the coffee brewing? (feel, smell, dislike)
9. I still _________ a lot of money on my student loans. (deserve, owe, involve)
10. You _________ more shoes than anyone else I know! (dislike, suppose, have)
Answers: 1 – know, 2 – has, 3 – feel, 4 – resembles, 5 – think, 6 – appreciate, 7
– satisfied, 8 – smell, 9 – owe, 10 – have

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Modal Verbs
Modal and Modal Phrases (Semi-Modals)
A modal is a type of auxiliary (helping) verb that is used to express: ability, possibility,
permission or obligation. Modal phrases (or semi-modals) are used to express the same
things as modals, but are a combination of auxiliary verbs and the preposition to. The
modals and semi-modals in English are:
1. Can/could/be able to
2. May/might
3. Shall/should
4. Must/have to
5. Will/would

Can, Could, Be Able To

Can, could and be able to are used to express a variety of ideas in English:

Ability/Lack of Ability

Present and Future:

can/can’t + base form of the verb
1. Tom can write poetry very well.
2. I can help you with that next week.
3. Lisa can’t speak French.
am / is / are / will be + able to + base form of the verb
am not/ isn’t / aren’t/ won’t be + able to + base form of the verb
1. Mike is able to solve complicated math equations
2. The support team will be able to help you in about ten minutes.
3. I won’t be able to visit you next summer.
Past:
could / couldn’t + base form of the verb
1. When I was a child I could climb trees.
was / were + able to + base form of the verb
wasn’t / weren’t + able to + base form of the verb
hasn’t / haven’t + been able to + base form of the verb
1. I wasn’t able to visit her in the hospital.
2. He hasn’t been able to get in touch with the client yet.

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Note: Can and could do not take an infinitive (to verb) and do not take the future auxiliary
will.
• Incorrect: I can to help you this afternoon.
• Correct: I can help you this afternoon.
• Correct: I will (I’ll) be able to help you this afternoon.

Possibility / Impossibility
can / can’t + base form of the verb
1. You can catch that train at 10:43.
2. He can’t see you right now. He’s in surgery.
could + base form of the verb
1. I could fly via Amsterdam if I leave the day before.

Ask Permission / Give Permission

Can + Subject + base form of the verb (informal)
1. Can you lend me ten dollars?
Can + base form of the verb (informal)
1. You can borrow my car.
Could + subject + base form of the verb (polite)
1. Could I have your number?
2. Could I talk to your supervisor please?
Make a suggestion – To make a suggestion use:
Could + base form of the verb (informal)
1. You could take the tour of the castle tomorrow.

Exercises: Can, Could, Be able to

Fill in the correct form of can, could or be able to as in the examples.
1. Ben could not help his little brother with his homework yesterday.
2. Can I call you later tonight?
1. _______ Tony run long distances when he was a boy?
2. ______ you please call a tow truck for me? My car broke down. (polite)
3. The students _______ to buy their textbooks today. The bookstore is all out of them.
4. ______ you teach me how to fix my computer? You’re so good at it.
5. ______ you ______ reach the customer if you call him at 4:00 his time?

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Answers:
1. Could
2. Could
3. aren’t able
4. Can
5. Will/be able to

May, Might

Formal Permission / Formal Prohibition

may / may not + base form of the verb
1. You may start your exam now.
2. You may not wear sandals to work.

Polite Request
May + subject + base form of the verb
1. May I help you?
Possibility / Negative Possibility
may/ might + base form of the verb
1. We may go out for dinner tonight. Do you want to join us?
2. Our company might get the order if the client agrees to the price.
may not / might not + base form of the verb
1. Adam and Sue may not buy that house. It’s very expensive.
2. They might not buy a house at all.

To Make a Suggestion (when there is no better alternative)

may as well / might as well + base form of the verb
1. You may as well come inside. John will be home soon.
2. We might as well take Friday off. There’s no work to be done anyway.
Polite Suggestion
might + base form of the verb
1. You might like to try the salmon fillet. It’s our special today.

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Exercises: May / Might
Fill in the correct form of may or might as in the example.
1. May I sit here?
1. They ______ finish the project on time. The main engineer is ill.
2. You _____ want to stop by the museum gift shop on your way out.
3. _____ I have your autograph?
4. He _______ visit the Louvre. He’s in Paris anyway.
5. You ______ park your car here. It’s reserved for guests of the hotel only.
Answers:
1. might not
2. might
3. May
4. may as well
5. may not
Shall, Should, Ought to

To Offer of Assistance or Polite Suggestion (When you are quite sure of a positive
answer)
Shall + subject + base form of the verb
1. Shall we go for a walk?
Note: Shall is only used with I or we. It is used instead of will only in formal English.

To Offer of Assistance or Polite Suggestion (When you are not sure of a positive
answer)
Should + subject + base form of the verb
1. Should I call a doctor?

A Prediction or Expectation that Something Will Happen

should/shouldn’t + base form of the verb
1. The proposal should be finished on time.
2. I shouldn’t be late. The train usually arrives on time.

To Give Advice
should / ought to + base form of the verb

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 1. You should check that document before you send it out.
2. You ought to have your car serviced before the winter.

To Give Advice (about something you think wrong or unacceptable)

shouldn’t + base form of the verb
1. James shouldn’t teach him words like those.

Exercises: Should, Shouldn’t, Ought To

Fill in should, shouldn’t or ought in the following sentences as in the example.
1. He shouldn’t encourage such bad behavior.
1. You _____ get your teeth cleaned at least once a year.
2. The house ______ be ready to move into by next month. It’s almost finished.
3. Ron ________ to improve his attitude. If he doesn’t, he might get fired.
4. ________ I get your jacket? It’s cold in here.
5. You ________ put your feet on the table. It’s not polite.
Answers:
1. should
2. should
3. ought
4. shall
5. shouldn’t

Must, Have to, Need to, Don’t have to, Needn’t

Necessity or Requirement
Present and Future:
must / have to / need to + base form of the verb
1. You must have a passport to cross the border.
2. Elisabeth has to apply for her visa by March 10th.
3. I need to drop by his room to pick up a book.

Past:
had to / needed to + base form of the verb
1. I had to work late last night.

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 2. I needed to drink a few cups of coffee in order to stay awake.
Note: have to and need to are often used in the same context, but many times, need to is
used to express something that is less urgent, something in which you have a choice.

Almost 100% Certain

must + base form of the verb
1. Thomas has lived in Paris for years. His French must be very good.

To Persuade
must / have to + base form of the verb
1. You must try this wine. It’s excellent.
2. You have to visit us while you’re in town.

Prohibited or Forbidden
must not / mustn’t + base form of the verb
1. You must not drive over the speed limit.
2. You mustn’t leave medicines where children can get to them.

Lack of Necessity
don’t /doesn’t /didn’t + have to + base form of the verb
1. You don’t have to park the car. The hotel valet will do it for you.
2. Tim doesn’t have to go to school today. It’s a holiday.
3. You didn’t have to shout. Everyone could hear you.
needn’t + base form of the verb
1. You needn’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.

Exercises: Must, Have to, Need to, Don’t Have to, Needn’t

Fill in the blanks with one of these modals:

must, must not, have to, has to, don’t have to, doesn’t have to, needn’t as in the examples.
There may be more than one correct answer.
1. Shira doesn’t have to drive to the airport. She’s going by taxi.
2. You must speak politely to the customers.

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 1. You ______ tell Anna about the party tomorrow night. It’s a surprise! (must not, need
to, doesn’t have to)
2. Tina _______ register for her classes on Monday, otherwise she won’t get a place in
them. (doesn’t have to, mustn’t, has to)
3. You ________ send that fax. I’ve already sent it. (must, will have to, don’t have to)
4. A dog ______ get special training in order to be a guide dog. (must, need to, don’t
have to)
5. Jeremy _______ get up early tomorrow. His class was cancelled. (mustn’t, doesn’t
have to, don’t need to)
Answers:
1. must not
2. has to
3. don’t have to
4. must
5. doesn’t have to

Modals: Will / Would

will / won’t + base form of the verb
1. John will pick you up at 7:00am.
2. Beth won’t be happy with the results of the exam.

Polite Request or Statement

Will / Would + base form of the verb
1. Will you please take the trash out?
2. Would you mind if I sat here?
3. I’d (I would) like to sign up for your workshop.

Habitual Past Action

Would/Wouldn’t + base form of the verb
1. When I was a child, I would spend hours playing with my train set.
2. Peter wouldn’t eat broccoli when he was a kid. He loves it now.

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Exercises: will, would
Fill in the blanks with one of the following words: will, won’t, would, wouldn’t.
1. Will you please help me lift this box?
1. I ______ like to order the onion soup please.
2. The manager _______ be pleased to hear that a customer slipped on the wet floor.
3. _______ it be okay if I slept here tonight?
4. When Igor lived in Russia, he ________ call his mother as often as he does now.
5. I can assure you sir, the order ______ be shipped out tonight.
Answers:
1. would
2. won’t
3. would
4. wouldn’t
5. will

Exercises – All Modals

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the following modals:
can, could, be able to, may, might, shall, should, must, have to, don’t have to, need to
– You may have to make the modals negative according to the context of the sentence.
– There may be more than one possibility.
1. He has to take his car to be serviced. The brakes are squeaking.
2. Would you please save me a seat at the dinner event.
1. If you are sick, you ________ go to work. You’ll infect everyone there.
2. Drivers _______ stop at red lights.
3. You _______ finish the proposal today. You can finish it tomorrow.
4. She ______ hear much better with her new hearing aids.
5. ______ I order us a bottle of wine?
6. Sam ______ pick his daughter up from school. She’s taking the bus home.
7. You _____________ smoke here. It’s a smoke-free building.
8. You ________ eat so many sweets. They are bad for you.
9. _________ you mind walking a little faster? We’re going to be late.
10. I’m sorry. I _______ help you. I don’t know how to do it.
Answers:
1. shouldn’t

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 2. must
3. don’t have to
4. can
5. shall
6. needn’t
7. mustn’t
8. shouldn’t
9. would
10. can’t

Phrasal Verbs
What are Phrasal Verbs?
A phrasal verb is a combination of words (a verb + a preposition or verb +adverb) that when
used together, usually take on a different meaning to that of the original verb.

Phrasal Verb Examples

1. break down, check in, tear up
When we use phrasal verbs, we use them like normal verbs in a sentence, regardless if it’s a
regular or irregular verb.
1. Ella tore up the letter after she read it.
2. Their car broke down two miles out of town.
3. Did the manager deal with that customer’s complaint.
More phrasal verb examples:
1. Be sure to put on a life jacket before getting into the boat.
2. We left out the trash for pickup.
3. It’s time to get on the plane.
4. What will she think up next?
5. I’m having some trouble working out the solution to this equation.
6. We’re going to have to put off our vacation until next year.
7. Stand up when speaking in class, please.
8. We’ll have to wake up early if we want breakfast.
9. Take off your shoes before you walk on the carpet.
10. My dog likes to break out of his kennel to chase squirrels.

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Phrasal Verb Exercises
Choose the correct phrasal verb from the parenthesis at the end of the sentence.
1. Someone broke into my car last night and stole the stereo. (broke down/broke into)
2. Will you be able to get by this month with the little you have?(get off / get by)
1. His father always taught him not to _____ those people with less. (look up to / look
down on)
2. Stop complaining and _____ your work! (get on with / get over)
3. The boss wants you to _____ your figures for this month to him. (hand out / hand in)
4. We’re going to have to _____ our trip to Spain until September. (put up/ put off)
5. I _____ Amir today at the supermarket. It was great to see him. (ran out of / ran into)
6. I’m so tired of Sophie _____ her engagement ring all the time. (showing off, showing
up)
7. The police would not _____ to the kidnapper’s demands. (give up/ give in)
8. I thought I would _____ for a cup of coffee. Is that okay? (drop off/ drop in)
9. Have you ever _____ such an unusual piece of art? (come forward/come across)
10. It’s important to _____ on time. (show up / show off)
11. _____ your feet when walking; you don’t want to trip! (uplift / lift up)
12. The tree was _____ by the wind. (blown up / blown over)
13. He _____ his hat to show me his new haircut. (took off / took up)
14. I just can’t seem to _____ this book. (get off / get into )
Answers:
1. look down on
2. get on with
3. hand in
4. put off
5. ran into
6. showing off
7. give in
8. drop in
9. come across
10. show up
11. lift up
12. blown over

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 13. took off
14. get into

An Extensive List of Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Meaning Example

Verb

abide by To respect or obey a If you want to keep your job

decision, a law or a here, you must abide by our
rule rules.

account for To explain, give a I hope you can account

reason for the time you were out!

add up To make sense, seem The facts in the case just

reasonable don’t add up.

advise To recommend not I advise against walking

against doing something alone in this neighborhood.

agree with To have the same I agree with you. I think you
opinion as someone should go as well.
else.

allow for To take into We need to allow

consideration for unexpected charges
along the way.

appeal to 1. To plead or 1. He appealed to the

make a request court to change its
decision.
2. To be attractive
or interesting 2. A vacation of
sunbathing
doesn’t appeal to me.

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Phrasal Meaning Example
Verb

apply for To make a formal He applied for a scholarship

request for something for next semester.
(job, permit, loan etc.)

back away To move backwards, When he saw the bear,

in fear or dislike he backed away in fright.

back down To withdraw, concede Local authorities backed

defeat down on their threats to build
on that part of the beach.

back up 1. To give support 1. I’m going to be very

or strict with him. I hope
encouragement you’ll back me up on
this?
2. To make a
copy of (file, 2. You should back
program, etc.) up all your computer
files in a secure
location.

bank on To base your hopes I’m banking on you to help

on something / with the charity event.
someone

black out To faint, lose Jenna fell in the parking lot

consciousness and blacked out.

block off To separate using a The police blocked off the

barrier. street after the explosion.

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Phrasal Meaning Example
Verb

blow up 1. To explode 1. Tommy blew up the

red balloon.
2. To get angry
2. Don’t blow up at me.
It’s not my fault.

boil down To be summarized as It all boils down to who has

to more power.

boot up To start a computer by You need to boot up your

loading an operating computer before you begin to
system or program work.

break away To separate from a One of the wolves broke

crowd away from his pack.

break down 1. To go out of 1. The washing

order, cease to machine broke
function down so we had to
call in the repair
2. To lose control
technician.
of one’s
emotions 2. John broke
down when he heard
the news.

break into To enter by force Burglars broke into my car

last night.

break out To start suddenly Rioting broke out after the

government raised the fuel
prices again.

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Phrasal Meaning Example
Verb

break out of To escape from a Several prisoners broke

place by force out of jail.

break up To come to an end She broke up with Daniel

(marriage, after dating him for five years.
relationship)

bring up To raise (a child) Sara is bringing up her

children by herself.

brush up on To improve, refresh I must brush up on my

one’s knowledge of French before going to Paris
something next month.

bump into To meet by chance or I bumped into Adam at the

unexpectedly bank. He says “hello”.

burn out 1. stop 1. The light bulb burnt

(something) out. Please change it.
working
2. She needs to work
2. become fewer hours.
exhausted from Otherwise she
over-working will burn out.

call back To return a phone call Could please call back in ten
minutes?

call off To cancel The game was called

off because of bad weather.

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Phrasal Meaning Example
Verb

calm down To become more It took Kylie several hours to

relaxed, less angry or calm down after she saw the
upset accident.

carry on To continue The soldiers carried

on walking in order to get to
their post before dark.

carry out 1. To do 1. His orders

something as were carried out to
specified (a the letter.
plan, an order,
2. That company does
a threat)
not carry out tests on
2. To perform or animals.
conduct (test,
experiment)

check in To register at a hotel They said I must check in at

or airport least three hours before my
flight.

check out 1. To pay one’s 1. Donna checked

bill and leave out of the hotel this
(a hotel) morning.
2. To investigate 2. I don’t know if this
price is correct.
I’ll check it out online.

clam up To refuse to speak When the police started

asking questions, the
suspect clammed up.

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Phrasal Meaning Example
Verb

clamp down To act strictly to The local authorities have

on prevent something decided to clamp down
on illegal parking in
handicapped parking places.

come 1. To find by 1. I was cleaning up

across chance and came
across some old
2. To appear, photos of you.
seem, make an
impression 2. The politician came
across as a complete
fool during the TV
interview.

come To present oneself Has the owner of the winning

forward lotto ticket come forward?

count on To rely or depend on You can count on me to

(for help) keep your secret.

cut down To reduce in number I’ve decided to cut down on

on or size the amount of sweets I eat.

cut out 1. To remove 1. She cut out a coupon

using scissors from the newspaper.
2. To stop doing 2. You need to cut
something out all red meat from
your diet.

deal with To handle, take care Catherine is not good

of (problem, situation) at dealing with stress.

97
Phrasal Meaning Example
Verb

die down To calm down, After the storm died down,

become less strong we went outside to see the
damage it had caused.

do without To manage without She didn’t get a salary this

month, so she’ll have to do
without extra treats.

drag on To last longer than The suspect’s trial dragged

expected on longer than we had
expected!

draw up To write (contract, They drew up a contract and

agreement, document) had me sign it.

dress up wear elegant clothes Their wedding gave us a

chance to dress up and get
out of the house.

drop in To visit, usually on the Why don’t you drop in to see

way somewhere us on your way home?

drop off 1. To deliver 1. I’ll drop off the

someone or papers later today.
something
2. I often drop off in
2. To fall asleep front of the TV.

drop out To leave school Zack dropped out of college

without finishing and joined the army.

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Phrasal Meaning Example
Verb

ease off To reduce, become Traffic usually eases

less severe or slow off about 7pm
down (pain, traffic,
work)

end in To finish in a certain Her marriage ended

way; result in in divorce.

end up To finally reach a If you don’t improve your

state, place or action work habits, you’ll end
up being fired.

fall through To fail; doesn’t happen His plans to trek through

South America fell
through when he got sick.

figure out To understand, find He’s trying to figure out how

the answer to earn enough money to go
on the trip to Spain.

fill out To complete (a Please fill out the enclosed

form/an application) form and return it as soon as
possible.

find out To discover or obtain I’m going to to find out who’s

information responsible for the power cut.

focus on To concentrate on Tom had difficultty focusing

something on work the day before his
holiday started.

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Phrasal Meaning Example
Verb

get along To be on good terms; It’s important to get

(with) work well with along with your team
supervisor.

get at To imply What are you getting at? Do

you think I’m to blame?

get away To escape I think we should get

away for the weekend.

get by To manage to cope or Students without jobs have a

to survive hard time getting by.

get in To enter When did you get in last

night?

get into To enter How did you get into your

(+noun) car without the keys?

get off 1. To leave (bus, 1. You should get

train, plane) off the train in Kings
Heath.
2. To remove
2. I can’t get the ink
stain off my shirt.

get on To board (bus, train, I’m trying to get on the flight

plane) to Brussels.

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Phrasal Meaning Example
Verb

get on with To continue to do; After they split up, she had a
(something) make progress hard time getting on
with her life.

get on (well) To have a good He doesnt get on very

with relationship with well with the other members
(somebody) of the committee.

get out To leave He had a hard time getting

out of Newark because of the
snow?

get out of To avoid doing Edna’s trying to get out

something of working the night shift.

get over To recover from Has she gotten over the flu?
(illness,
disappointment)

get over To recover from Mary had the chickenpox last

(illness, week but she got over it.
disappointment)

get rid of To eliminate Please get rid of that old t-

shirt. It’s so ragged.

get together To meet each other Let’s get together for your
birthday on Saturday.

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Phrasal Meaning Example
Verb

get up To rise, leave bed Will you please get up?

You’ve got a class in 20
minutes.

give in 1. To cease 1. We will never give

opposition; in to the terrorists’
yield demands.
2. To To hand in; 2. I’ll give in my paper
submit tomorrow.

give up To stop doing Morris gave up drinking 10

something years ago.

go through To experience Andy went through a lot of

pain after his mother died.

grow up To spend one’s He’s like Peter Pan. He never

childhood; develop; really grew up at all.
become an adult

hand in To submit (report, Please hand in your papers

homework) before Friday.

hand out To distribute Susan volunteered at the

shelter where she handed
out warm clothes.

hang out To spend time in a Which pub does the

particular place or with team hang out at after the
a group of friends game?

102
Phrasal Meaning Example
Verb

hang up To end a phone If you hang up now, I’ll never

conversation speak to you again.

hold on 1. To wait 1. Please hold on and a

representative will
2. To grip tightly
answer your call.
2. She was so scared on
the rollercoaster ride
that she held on for
dear life.

hurry up To be quick, act Hurry up and finish your

speedily lunch or we’ll miss the train.

iron out To resolve by The two countries met at the

discussion, eliminate conference to iron out their
differences differences.

join in To participate Yes David, you can join

in the discussion any time
you like.

join up 1. To engage in, 1. There was a war on,

become a so some kids were
member of only sixteen when
they joined up.
2. To meet and
unite with 2. Let’s separate now
and join up later at
the restaurant.

103
Phrasal Meaning Example
Verb

keep on To continue doing If you keep on making that

something noise I will get annoyed.

keep up To stay at the same I read the paper every day

with level as someone or to keep up with the news.
something

kick off To begin, start The rugby match kicked

off at 3 o’clock.

leave out To omit, not mention Please check your form again
and make sure nothing is left
out.

let down To disappoint I feel so let down because

they promised me a puppy
but all I got was a doll.

look after To take care of Andy can you look after your
sister until I get back?

look down To consider as inferior She’s such a snob. She

on always looks down
on anyone who is poor.

look on To be a spectator at If you don’t want to take part

an event in the game you can look
on for now.

104
Phrasal Meaning Example
Verb

look for To try to find Harry went to the shop

something to look for a new computer.

look To await or anticipate I’m looking forward to my

forward to with pleasure birthday. It’s in two days time.

look up to To admire I always looked up to my

father. He was a great man.

make fun of To laugh at/ make It’s not nice to make fun
jokes about of people in wheelchairs.

make up To invent (excuse, That’s a good excuse. Did

story) you make up it up yourself?

mix up To mistake one thing She had so many cats that

or person for another she kept mixing up their
names.

move in To arrive in a new Did you hear? Our new

home or office neighbors are moving in this
afternoon.

move out To leave your When are you moving out?

home/office for We need your office for the
another one. new guy.

105
Phrasal Meaning Example
Verb

nod off To fall asleep You were so tired after the

game that you nodded off on
the couch.

own up To admit or confess Come on. Own up. We know

something you did it!

pass away To die Your grandfather passed

away peacefully in his sleep
last night.

pass out To faint He didn’t drink enough water

so he passed out at the end
of the race.

pay back To reimburse I’ll pay you back as soon as I

get the loan.

put off To postpone, arrange Don’t put off until tomorrow,

a later date what you can do today.

put on To turn on, switch on It’s very dark in here.

Please put on the light on.

put out To extinguish The fire fighters were able

to put out fire in ten minutes.

106
Phrasal Meaning Example
Verb

put up To accommodate, give I can put you up until the

somebody a bed weekend but then I’m going
away.

pick up To collect somebody I’ll pick you up at around

7:00 to take you to the
airport.

point out To indicate/direct As I already pointed out,

attention to something there was a mistake in your
calculation.

rely on To count on, depend You can rely on me. I always

on, trust arrive on time.

rule out To eliminate Since he had a sound alibi,

the police ruled him out as a
suspect.

run away To escape from a He ran away from home and

place or suddenly joined the circus.
leave

run into To meet by accident or I’m so glad I ran into you. I

unexpectedly (also: need to ask you something.
bump into)

run out of To have no more of We’ve run out of milk. I’ll just
something. pop next door to borrow
some.

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Phrasal Meaning Example
Verb

set off To start a journey; Let’s set off early to miss the
rush hour traffic.

set up To start a business They set up their own

company when they were still
in high school.

shop To compare prices Don’t buy that. Let’s shop

around around and see if we can
find something cheaper.

show off To brag or want to be He’s such a show off. He

admired has to tell everybody about
his new computer.

show up To appear/arrive I don’t think she’ll show

up tonight. Her daughter is
sick.

shut up To be silent, stop Shut up, you’re spoiling the

(impolite) talking movie!

sit down To take a seat I think you should sit down.

It’s bad news.

stand up To rise from a sitting The whole stadium stood

position up for the national anthem.

108
Phrasal Meaning Example
Verb

stick up for To defend My big brother always stuck

up for me when I got into a
fight.

take after To resemble, in Angie really takes after her

appearance or grandmother.
character

take care of To look after Please take care of my cat

when I’m away.

take off To leave the ground The plane will take off as
soon as the fog lifts.

take on To hire or engage staff I hear they’re taking on extra

staff for this event.

take out To remove; extract Please take out your mobile

phones and turn them off.

tell off To reprimand/criticize The coach told her off for not
severely trying hard enough.

think over To consider Take your time

and think it over before you
decide.

try on To wear something to Go ahead, try it on and see if

see if it suits or fits it fits?

109
Phrasal Meaning Example
Verb

turn down To refuse I asked her out but

she turned me down flat.

use up To finish a product (so Your parents used up all the

that there’s none left) coffee!

watch out To be careful Watch out! There’s a dog in

the road.

wear out 1. To become 1. Julie wore out her

unusable shoes running the
marathons.
2. To become
very tired 2. Julie was worn
out after all that
running.

work out 1. To do physical 1. You should work

exercise out twice a week at
the gym.
2. To find a
solution or 2. Can
calculate you work this out?
something I’m no good at math.

wipe off To clean (board, I’ll wash up if you wipe

table). off the table.

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Verb Tenses
Present Simple
1. Positive: Most kids like milk.
2. Negative: I do not like milk unless it’s chocolate.
3. Yes/No Questions: Do you like milk?
4. Wh-Questions: When do we board the train for Paris?
5. Tag Questions: You like scuba diving, don’t you?
Present Progressive (Continuous)
1. Positive:You are learning to use perfect English.
2. Negative:You are not sleeping now.
3. Yes/No Questions:Are you eating?
4. Wh-Questions:What are you watching?
5. Tag Questions:You aren’t eating liverwurst, are you?
Past Simple
1. Positive:I visited my grandmother yesterday.
2. Negative:We didn’t watch the movie on Saturday.
3. Yes/No Questions:Did you have spaghetti for dinner last night?
4. Wh-Questions:Why didn’t you wash the car yesterday?
5. Tag Questions:You went to Paris last year, didn’t you?
Past Progressive (Continuous)
1. Positive:We were watching TV when the power went out.
2. Negative:You were not listening to the teacher’s instructions yesterday.
3. Yes/No Questions:Were you skateboarding when you broke your leg?
4. Wh-Questions:What were you doing when you heard the news?
Future
Future Simple
1. Be Going To:We are going to the movies tonight.
2. Shall:You will help your grandmother later.
Future Progressive (Continuous)
1. Present Simple and Present Progressive with Future Meaning: Sam will be
coming home any minute.

Perfect Tenses
The perfect tenses describe actions that have already been completed or that began in the
past and are relevant to the present or that will have happened at a particular time in the
future. They are also referred to as the perfective aspect.

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Present Perfect Simple
1. Positive:They have been to Paris.
2. Negative:You haven’t gone overseas.
3. Yes/No Questions:Have you been to London?
4. Wh-Questions:Why are we here?
5. Tag Questions:You haven’t been to Zurich, have you?
Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)
1. Positive:They have been swimming for more than an hour.
2. Negative:You haven’t waited thirty minutes yet.
3. Yes/No Questions:Have you been waiting long?
4. Wh-Questions:What time did you begin waiting?
5. Tag Questions:You haven’t been waiting long, have you?

Past Perfect Simple

1. Positive:He had studied French before traveling to Paris.
2. Negative: She hadn’t studied French before last semester.
3. Yes/No Questions:Had you studied French before you traveled to Paris?
4. Wh-Questions:Why hadn’t you studied French when you knew you’d be traveling to
Paris soon?
5. Tag Questions:You hadn’t visited the U.S. before your trip in 2010, had you?
Past Perfect Progressive (Continuous)
1. Positive:We had been waiting for more than three hours when the train finally
arrived.
2. Negative:We had not been waiting for more than thirty minutes when her plane
landed.
3. Yes/No Questions:Had you been waiting for longer than three hours?
4. Wh-Questions:Why had you been waiting for the last two hours?
Future Perfect Simple / Future Perfect Progressive
1. Future Perfect Simple:You will have perfected your French by the time you come
back from Paris.
2. Future Perfect Progressive:We will be waiting for him when his plan arrives tonight.

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The Present Simple Tense
Spelling Tip
In the present simple 3rd person singular (he, she, it), add s, es, or ies to the base form of
the verb.
• To regular verbs just add an s – Ex: travel >travels, give > gives, play >plays
• To verbs that end in s, ss, sh, ch, x, and o, add an es – Ex: wash > washes, mix >
mixes, go >goes
• To verbs end in y after a consonant (any letter that isn’t a vowel), change the y to i
and add es. Ex: study > studies, fly > flies
Sometimes the present simple tense doesn’t seem very simple. Here we will sort it all out for
you!
We use the present simple tense to express the following ideas:
1. To state facts or general truths
2. To express habits or customs
3. To relate future plans (often regarding programs and timetables)
4. To tell jokes and stories or to report sporting events in real time.

Examples of the Present Simple

1. The sun sets in the west.
2. We produce lasers for cosmetic surgery.
3. They move into their new home next week.
4. So, I go to Mr. D and say “I deserve a better mark in this class”.
5. Jones stops in mid-court and passes the ball to Schuster.

Forming the Present Simple

Subject verb rest of sentence

I / You / We / They sleep late on Saturdays

He / She / It goes to the beach every weekend

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Time Expressions in the Present Simple
The most common time expressions in the present simple are: usually, always, never, on
Wednesdays, every Wednesday, twice a week, once a month, in general, every other day.
Time expressions made up of one word are placed between the subject and the verb in
positive sentences and questions and between the auxiliary verb and main verb in negative
sentences.
1. I always study hard for exams.
2. Do you usually speak to him like that?
Time expressions made up of two or more words are placed either at the beginning or the
end of a sentence and usually at the end of questions.
1. Ben goes to football practice every Tuesday.
2. In general, I believe that all people can live in peace.
3. you go to the supermarket every week?

Negative Sentences in the Present Simple Tense

Spelling Tip
When shortening the 3rd person (he, she, it) negative, just remove the o in not and add an
apostrophe (‘) does not > doesn’t
When creating negative sentences, we usually use the auxiliary verbs don’t and doesn’t +
the base form of the verb.
Note: Save the long forms (do not, and does not) for when you want to create emphasis.
When speaking, put the stress on ‘not’.

Subject auxillery verb in base rest of

verb form sentence

I / You / We / don’t (do not) eat late at night

They

He / She / It doesn’t (does watch TV every day

not)

1. I don’t like the food they serve at that restaurant.

2. Jim doesn’t work on Fridays.
3. My friends don’t usually leave so early.
4. I do not want to go with you!

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Yes/No Questions in the Present Simple
Punctuation Tip
Always begin a sentence, question and wh-question with a capital letter:
He always does good work.
Do you like me?
What did they bring you?
To create a question that will be answered with a yes or no, start the question with Do or
Does, then add a subject (the person or thing that does the action) followed by the base form
of the verb and only then add the rest of the sentence.

Auxiliary subject verb in base rest of sentence

Verb form

Do I / you / we / drive to the city on

they Mondays

Does he / she / it break down often

1. Do you surf the Internet every day?

2. Does your boss give you positive feedback?
3. Does Jonathan always turn off the lights?
4. Don’t you ever clean your room?
Note: In the Present Simple tense:
1. You may add a one-word time expression, such as ‘always’, ‘usually’, or ‘often’
between the subject and the verb.
2. You may use a negative question with a time expression such as ‘ever’.

Wh-Questions in the Present Simple

Wh- questions are questions that require more information in their answers. Typical wh-
words are what, where, when, why, who, how, how many, how much.
To create a wh-question, start with the wh-word, then add do or does, then the subject (a
person or thing that does the action), followed by the base form of the verb and only then
add the rest of the sentence.

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 Wh- Auxiliary Subject Verb in Rest of
Word Verb Base Sentence
Form

What do I / you / want

we / they

Why does he / she / shout at you

it

1. When do you want to meet me?

2. Why does Beth always complain so much?
3. How much does the ticket cost?
4. Why don’t you ever go on vacation?

Tag Questions in the Present Simple

Tag questions are those short questions that are tagged onto the end of a sentence. They
are used just to make sure the person you’re talking to understood what you meant or to
emphasize what you said.
They’re formed either by using a regular sentence in the present simple and adding don’t or
doesn’t and a pronoun (I, you, we, they, he, she, it) and a question mark.
1. John likes me, doesn’t he?
2. All those girls speak French, don’t they?
You may also add a positive tag when you’re using a negative sentence.
1. Keisha doesn’t speak Spanish, does she
2. Those boys don’t play sports, do they?
As a rule: When the sentence is positive, the tag is negative.
When the sentence is negative, the tag is positive.

Exercises for the Present Simple

Fill in the correct form of the verb as in the examples.
1. Mark and Sara play squash twice a week. (play)
2. Sheila doesn’t do the family accounts. (not do) Her husband does them.
3. Does Gillian usually meet clients so late at night? (meet)

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 1. Every year his family ____________ to Europe for two weeks. (go)
2. Tammy and Jen ______________ a Pilates class on Wednesday mornings.(take)
3. __________ that airline __________ to Paris? (fly)
4. The semester _____________ until the end of June. (not finish)
5. Tony usually _________ to call his mother in the mornings. (try)
6. _______________ for your car expenses? (Who/pay)
7. The shops ___________ until 21:00. (not close)
8. Gerard _________ the ball and __________ it into the net. (receive/kick)
9. _________times a day _____ you _____ your dogs for a walk? (take)
10. ________ he always ________ his cell phone for long distance calls? (use)
Answers:
1. goes
2. take
3. Does/fly
4. doesn’t finish
5. tries
6. Who pays
7. don’t close
8. receives/kicks
9. How many/do/take
10. Does/use

Examples – Present Simple

Positive
1. The sun sets in the west.
2. We produce lasers for cosmetic surgery.
3. They move into their new home next week.
4. So, I go to Mr. D and say “I deserve a better mark in this class”.
5. Jones stops in mid-court and passes the ball to Schuster.
6. I always study hard for exams.
7. Do you usually speak to him like that?
8. Ben goes to football practice every Tuesday.
9. In general, I believe that all people can live in peace.

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 10. Do you go to the supermarket every week?
Negative
1. I don’t like the food they serve at that restaurant.
2. Jim doesn’t work on Fridays.
3. My friends don’t usually leave so early.
4. I do not want to go with you!
Yes/No Questions
1. Do you surf the Internet every day?
2. Does your boss give you positive feedback?
3. Does Jonathan always turn off the lights?
4. Don’t you ever clean your room?
Wh Questions
1. When do you want to meet me?
2. Why does Beth always complain so much?
3. How much does the ticket cost?
4. Why don’t you ever go on vacation?
Tag Questions
1. John likes me, doesn’t he?
2. All those girls speak French, don’t they?
3. Keisha doesn’t speak Spanish, does she?
4. Those boys don’t play sports, do they?

The Present Progressive Tense

Spelling Tip
Verbing (Present Participle)
• Add ing to most verbs. Ex. play > playing, cry > crying, bark > barking
• For verbs that end in e, remove the e and add ing. Ex: slide > sliding, ride > riding
• For verbs that end in ie, change the ie to y and add ing. Ex: die > dying, tie > tying
• For a verb whose last syllable is written with a consonant-vowel-consonant and is
stressed, double the last letter before adding ing. Ex: beg > begging, begin >
beginning. However: enter > entering (last syllable is not stressed)
The present progressive tense is often overused by non-native speakers of English. It should
only be used in the following contexts:

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To describe an incomplete action which is in progress at the moment of speaking; usually
with time expressions such as: now, at the moment, right now.
1. (During a phone call or in an e-mail) We are discussing the project at the moment.
To describe a plan or arrangement in the near future; usually with time expressions such as:
tonight, tomorrow, this week, this Monday.
1. Jim‘s leaving for Brussels this evening.
To express actions that are repeated regularly; usually with a negative meaning and with the
time expressions: always or forever.
1. Her husband is always complaining about his health.
Note: A common mistake is using this form to describe what a company sells or produces. In
general, a company sells something on a regular basis, so you need to use the present
simple tense and not the present progressive.
• Incorrect: We are producing high-end plastic pipes.
• Correct: We produce high-end plastic pipes.
• Correct: That company is always selling some cheap gadget. (negative meaning)
The present progressive (continuous) is formed using am, is or are together with the ing
(present participle) form of the verb.

Subject A form of be + Verbing Rest of Sentence

(Present Participle)

I am taking my final exam

tomorrow

He / She / It is sweeping the floor at the

moment

You / We / are giving me a headache

They

Contractions in the Present Progressive (Continuous)

In general we contract (or shorten) the subject (the person or thing doing the action), and
form of be:
1. I am > I’m – I’m going to the store in about ten minutes.
2. He is > He’s, She is > She’s, It is > It’s – It’s raining cats and dogs.

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 3. We are > We’re, You are > You’re, They are > They’re – We’re catching the 9:00
flight.
Save the long forms for when you want to create emphasis.
1. You are not going out tonight!
When speaking, you should stress the not.

Negatives in the Present Progressive (Continuous)

Spelling Tip
When shortening a form of be and negative, just remove the o in not and add an apostrophe
(‘)
is not > isn’t
are not > aren’t
The negative in the present progressive tense is created using am not, is not or are not
together with the ing form (present participle) of the verb.

Subject A form of be + Verbing Rest of Sentence

I am not working on that project now

He / She / It isn’t sleeping at the moment

You / We / They aren’t running in the marathon tomorrow

Note: In general, use these contractions in the negative: isn’t, aren’t. Am not cannot be
shortened, but you can say I’m not. Save the long forms for when you want to create
emphasis.
1. I’m not listening to you.
2. Roger isn’t eating with us tonight.
3. The Smiths aren’t going to France this year. They’re going to Thailand.
4. He is not coming with me dressed like that!

Yes/No Questions in the Present Progressive (Continuous)

To ask a question that will be answered with either a yes or no, start with Am, Is or Are, then
choose your subject (the person or thing doing the action), followed by the ing (present
participle) form of the verb and then the rest of your question.

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 A Form of Subject Verbing Rest of Sentence
be

Am I making myself clear

Is he / she / it shaking right now

Are you / we / buying steaks for dinner

they tomorrow

1. Am I talking too much?

2. Is that your dog barking?
3. Are you participating in the competition next week?

Wh-Questions in the Present Progressive

Wh- questions are questions that require more information in their answers. Typical wh-
words are what, where, when, which, why, who, how, how many, how much.
To create a wh-question, start with the wh-word, then add am, is or are, then the subject (a
person or thing that is doing the action), followed by the ing ( present participle) form of the
verb and only then add the rest of the sentence.

Wh A form Subject Verbing Rest of

Word of be Sentence

Who am I meeting with today

What is he / she / doing right now

it

When are you / we / choosing the colors for

they the room

1. Which route are you taking to the conference this week?

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 2. Why is she bleeding?
3. Who am I sending to the meeting?
Tag Questions in the Present Progressive
Tag questions are those short questions that are tagged onto the end of a sentence. They
are used just to make sure the person you’re talking to understood what you meant or to
emphasize what you said.
They’re formed by using a positive sentence in the present progressive and adding isn’t or
aren’t and a pronoun (I, you, we, they, he, she, it) and a question mark. For sentences in the
first person (I), use the tag aren’t I?
1. Terry is driving to the post office, isn’t she?
2. All the kids in the class are going on the field trip, aren’t they?
3. I‘m buying tickets for everyone, aren’t I?
You may also add a positive tag when you’re using a negative sentence.
1. Latika‘s not working at IBM anymore, is she?
2. Tomer and Guy aren’t going on the trek to South America, are they?
As a rule: When the sentence is positive, the tag is negative.
When the sentence is negative, the tag is positive.

Exercises for Present Progressive

Fill in the correct form of the Present Progressive as in the examples.
1. The runners are approaching the finish line. (approach)
2. Are you preparing the contract for the client? (prepare)
3. Joyce isn’t playing in today’s tournament. (not play)
1. The team members ______________ late to finish the bid. (stay)
2. What _______Arnie ____________ over there? (do)
3. _______ you __________ a big wedding? (plan)
4. Tim is helping you put the lights up, ___________?
5. The computers _____ finally ____________ like they’re supposed to. (run)
6. _________ Ann _________ in from New York tonight? (fly)
7. The customers aren’t getting the price quote this week, ____________?
8. I________________ Peter for a drink later. (meet)
9. How much money ________ they _________ in the company?(invest)
10. He ___________ to you. (not lie) He ____________ the truth. (tell)
Answers:
1. are staying

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 2. is/doing
3. Are/planning
4. isn’t he
5. are/running
6. Is/flying
7. are they
8. am meeting
9. are/investing
10. isn’t lying/is telling

Examples – Present Progressive (Continuous)

Positive
1. We are discussing the project at the moment.
2. Jim’s leaving for Brussels this evening.
3. Her husband is always complaining about his health.
Contractions
1. I’m going to the store in about ten minutes.
2. It’s raining cats and dogs.
3. We’re catching the 9:00 flight.
Negatives
1. I’m not listening to you.
2. Roger isn’t eating with us tonight.
3. The Smiths aren’t going to France this year. They’re going to Thailand.
4. He is not coming with me dressed like that!
Yes/No Questions
1. Am I talking too much?
2. Is that your dog barking?
3. Are you participating in the competition next week?
Wh-Questions
1. Which route are you taking to the conference this week?
2. Why is she bleeding?
3. Who am I sending to the meeting?
4.

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Tag Questions
1. Terry is driving to the post office, isn’t she?
2. All the kids in the class are going on the field trip, aren’t they?
3. I’m buying tickets for everyone, aren’t I?
4. Latika’s not working at IBM anymore, is she?
5. Tomer and Guy aren’t going on the trek to South America, are they?

The Past Simple Tense

Spelling Tip
Regular verbs in the past simple
• Add ed to most verbs. Ex. talk > talked , employ > employed

• If a short verb ends with a consonant-vowel-consonant, double the last letter and
then add ed. Ex. stop > stopped, top > topped
However, do not double the last letter if the verb ends in w, x or y. Ex. play > played,
mix > mixed.
• In longer words, if the last syllable of the verb ends with a consonant-vowel-
consonant and that syllable is stressed, double the last consonant and then add ed.
Ex. prefer > preferred
However, do not double the last letter if the first syllable is stressed. Ex. enter >
entered
• If the verb ends in e, just add d. Ex. create > created , live > lived
• If the verb ends in a consonant + y, change the y to i and add ed. Ex. try > tried
The past simple tense is quite straightforward. The main problem is its spelling rules, which
you’ll find below.
We use the past simple to describe an action that started in the past and ended in the past.
It could be something that happened twenty years ago or something that happened two
minutes ago. It started. It stopped. It’s over.
1. I visited a client in London yesterday.
2. She planned the event all by herself.
The most common time expressions used for the past simple are: yesterday, a week (month,
year) ago, last (month, year, weekend, Monday) night, the day before yesterday, two days
(months, years) ago. The time expression appears either at the beginning or at the end of
the sentence – never in the middle of the sentence.

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Forming the Past Simple

Subject Verb + d, ed, ied Rest of Sentence

or irregular form
(V2)

I / He / She / It You / We / walked to the shop

They yesterday

slept late last Saturday

The past simple is usually formed by adding d, ed, or ied to the base form of the verb,
however, in English there are many irregular verbs that take on a completely different form in
the past tense. Some people call this the V2 form of the verb. The best thing to do is to try
and memorize them.
Negative Sentences in the Past Simple Tense
Spelling Tip
When shortening the 3rd person (he, she, it) negative, just remove the o in not and add an
apostrophe (‘)
did not > didn’t
To create a negative sentence in the past simple, use didn’t (did not) + the base form of the
verb.
Note: Save the long forms (did not) for when you want to create emphasis. When speaking,
put the stress on ‘not’.

Subject didn’t + verb in the Rest of

base form Sentence

I / He / She / It You / didn’t walk to the shop

We / They yesterday

didn’t sleep late last Saturday

1. I didn’t talk to John yesterday.

2. He didn’t steal those ideas from the company.

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 3. You didn’t show me the photos from the wedding.
4. Ron did not sign the document.

Yes/No Questions in the Past Simple

To create a question that will be answered with a yes or no, start the question with Did, then
add a subject (the person or thing that does the action) followed by the base form of the verb
and only then add the rest of the sentence.

Auxiliary Subject verb in base rest of

Verb form sentence

Did I / you / we / walk to the shop

they yesterday

he / she / it sleep late last

Saturday

1. Did you ask Tina to go out with you?

2. Did the employees stay late again last night?
3. Did Rob finish his assignment yesterday?

Wh-Questions in the Past Simple

Wh- questions are questions that require more information in their answers. Typical wh-
words are what, where, when, why, who, how, how many, how much.
To create a wh-question, start with the wh-word, then add did (or didn’t for a negative
question), then the subject (a person or thing that does the action), followed by the base
form of the verb and only then add the rest of the sentence.

Wh- auxiliary subject verb in rest of

word verb base sentence
form

What did sell the house

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 Wh- auxiliary subject verb in rest of
word verb base sentence
form

Why didn’t I / you / rescue me

we / they
he / she /
it

1. When did you buy that sweater?

2. Why did the computer break down?
3. How long did the train journey take?
4. Why didn’t you tell me about the accident?

Tag Questions in the Past Simple

Tag questions are those short questions that are tagged onto the end of a sentence. They
are used just to make sure the person you’re talking to understood what you meant or to
emphasize what you said.
They’re formed either by using a positive sentence in the past simple and then adding didn’t,
a pronoun (I, you, we, they, he, she, it) and a question mark.
1. John scored a goal, didn’t he?
2. Their dogs barked all night, didn’t they?
You may also add a positive tag when you’re using a negative sentence.
1. Kate didn’t take out the rubbish bin, did she?
2. The girls didn’t copy on the exam, did they?
As a rule: When the sentence is positive, the tag is negative.
When the sentence is negative, the tag is positive.
Exercises with the Past Simple Tense
Fill in the correct form of the verb in the past simple as in the examples.
1. David saw his History professor at the supermarket two days ago. (see)
2. I didn’t know your e-mail address, so I phoned instead. (not know/phone)
3. Did you get the message I left the day before yesterday?
1. I _______ a great book last week. (read)
2. _______ Adam ______ the jacket that he _______ at the party? (find / leave)
3. Why _______ you__________ for me at the bar yesterday evening? (not wait)

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 4. I _________ for over an hour, but you never __________ up! (wait / show)
5. My friends _________ to New Delhi via Mumbai a week ago. (fly)
6. Teresa ___________ the last train, _______________? (catch)
7. The sunset _________ beautiful last night. (be)
8. _______ they _________ the client’s deadline yesterday? (meet)
9. When _____ he ___________ from med school? (graduate)
10. Ella ___________ to get a hold of you, but you ________ home. (try/not be)
Answers:
1. read
2. Did/find/left
3. didn’t/wait
4. waited/showed
5. flew
6. caught/ didn’t she
7. was
8. Did/meet
9. did/graduate
10. tried/weren’t

Examples – Past Simple

Positive
1. I visited a client in London yesterday.
2. She planned the event all by herself.
Negative
1. I didn’t talk to John yesterday.
2. He didn’t steal those ideas from the company.
3. You didn’t show me the photos from the wedding.
4. Ron did not sign the document.
Yes/No Questions
1. Did you ask Tina to go out with you?
2. Did the employees stay late again last night?
3. Did Rob finish his assignment yesterday?

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Wh-Questions
1. When did you buy that sweater?
2. Why did the computer break down?
3. How long did the train journey take?
4. Why didn’t you tell me about the accident?
Tag Questions
1. John scored a goal, didn’t he?
2. Their dogs barked all night, didn’t they?
3. Kate didn’t take out the rubbish bin, did she?
4. The girls didn’t copy on the exam, did they?

The Past Progressive Tense

Spelling Tip
Verbing (Present Participle)
• Add ing to most verbs. Ex. play > playing, cry > crying, bark > barking

• For verbs that end in e, remove the e and add ing. Ex: slide > sliding, ride > riding
• For verbs that end in ie, change the ie to y and add ing. Ex: die > dying, tie > tying
• For a verb whose last syllable is written with a consonant-vowel-consonant and is
stressed, double the last letter before adding ing. Ex: beg > begging, begin >
beginning. However: enter > entering (last syllable is not stressed)
The past progressive tense is difficult for many non-native speakers to master because
many languages don’t have an equivalent.
The past progressive describes an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past.
It can be used:
To describe an action that started in the past and was interrupted by another action:
1. He was writing an e-mail when the phone rang.
2. When the phone rang, he was writing an e-mail.
3. While he was writing an e-mail, the phone rang
To describe two actions that were in progress at the same time in the past:
1. I was preparing dinner while Melanie was working upstairs.
2. While Melanie was working upstairs, I was preparing dinner
Note: The word order in the sentence can be switched around as in the examples above,
however, it is important to remember that we use the time expression while before the past
progressive and the word when before the past simple part of the sentence. Use only one of
these time expressions in each sentence.

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The past progressive is formed using was or were and the ing (present participle) form of the
verb.

Subject a form of be + rest of sentence

verbing

I / He / She / was finishing the exam when the bell rang

It

You / We / were paying the bill while I was waiting to be

They seated

Negatives in the Past Progressive (Continuous)

Spelling Tip
When shortening the 1st & 3rd person (I, he, she, it) negative, just remove the o in not and
add an apostrophe (‘)
was not > wasn’t
were not > weren’t
The negative in the past progressive tense is created using was not or were not + the ing
(present participle) form of the verb.
Note: In general, use these contractions in the negative: wasn’t, weren’t. Save the long
forms for when you want to create emphasis.

Subject a form of be + rest of sentence

verbing

I /He / She / It wasn’t crying when you came home

You / We / weren’t hiking there when the earthquake

They hit

1. I wasn’t sleeping when you came home last night.

2. When Ms. Foster came in, the girls weren’t studying.
3. Sam wasn’t lying when he said he loved you.

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Yes/No Questions in the Past Progressive (Continuous)
To ask a question that will be answered with either a yes or no, start with Was or Were,
(Wasn’t or Weren’t for a negative question) then choose your subject (the person or thing
doing the action), followed by the ing (present participle) form of the verb and then the rest of
your question.

A form of subject verbing rest of sentence

Be

Was I walking too fast

Was he / she / it shouting while you were trying to

sleep

Were you / we / waiting for her when the plane

they landed

1. Was I talking to you?

2. Were you writing the report when the electricity went off?
3. When you came home, was he singing in the shower?
4. Wasn’t Tom sitting in the cafe when you drove past?

Wh-Questions in the Past Progressive (Continuous)

Wh- questions are questions that require more information in their answers. Typical wh-
words are what, where, when, which, why, who, and how.
To create a wh-question, start with the Wh-word, then was or were (wasn’t or weren’t for a
negative question), then the subject (a person or thing that does the action), followed by the
ing (participle) form of the verb and only then add the rest of the sentence.

Wh a form subject verbing rest of

Word of be sentence

Who was I talking to

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 Wh a form subject verbing rest of
Word of be sentence

What was he / she / doing

it

When were you / we / planning on telling me

they the bad news

1. Where were you standing when the trouble started?

2. Who was I talking to? I can’t remember.
3. Why wasn’t she waiting at the meeting point?

Tag Questions in the Past Progressive (Continuous)

Tag questions are those short questions that are tagged onto the end of a sentence. They
are used just to make sure the person you’re talking to understood what you meant or to
emphasize what you said.
They’re formed by using a positive sentence in the past progressive and adding wasn’t or
weren’t and a pronoun (I, you, we, they, he, she, it) and a question mark.
1. I was snoring last night, wasn’t I?
2. They were all rushing for the exit, weren’t they?
3. When Mr. Thomas called, David was solving crossword puzzles, wasn’t he?
You may also add a positive tag when you’re using a negative sentence.
1. Jennifer wasn’t trying very hard, was she?
2. The trains weren’t running on schedule yesterday, were they?
As a rule: When the sentence is positive, the tag is negative.
When the sentence is negative, the tag is positive.

Exercises – Past Progressive

Fill in the correct form of the verb in Past Progressive (Continuous) or Past Simple as in the
examples.
1. Tom was wrapping the gift when I walked in the room. (wrap / walk)
2. Did he comfort her while she was crying? (comfort / cry)
3. What were you doing when the accident occurred? (do / occur)

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 1. What _______the manager ________ at 7:00 pm yesterday? (do)
2. Tina and Shelly ____________ to the hotel when it _________ to rain. (walk/start)
3. When Donny _________ the room, everyone ______________. (enter/talk)
4. I _________ in the sales department when I first _________ Sofie. (work/meet)
5. My brother ______the computer while I ______ for my trip. (use/pack)
6. ______ you ______ attention when the teacher ______ your name? (pay/call)
7. We ______ TV when the lighting ________. (watch/ strike)
8. She _______ about me behind my back, wasn’t she? (whisper)
9. ______ the client really ______out while Troy ______ the proposal? (walk / present)
10. This morning, while I ________ breakfast, someone _______ on the door. (eat
/knock)
Answers:
1. was/doing
2. were walking/started
3. entered/was talking
4. was working/met
5. was using/was packing
6. Were/paying/called
7. were watching/struck
8. was whispering
9. Did/walk/was presenting
10. was eating/knocked

Examples Past Progressive (Continuous)

Positive
1. He was writing an e-mail when the phone rang.
2. When the phone rang, he was writing an e-mail.
3. While he was writing an e-mail, the phone rang.
4. I was preparing dinner while Melanie was working upstairs.
5. While Melanie was working upstairs, I was preparing dinner.
Negative
1. I wasn’t sleeping when you came home last night.
2. When Ms. Foster came in, the girls weren’t studying.

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 3. Sam wasn’t lying when he said he loved you.
Yes/No Questions
1. Was I talking to you?
2. Were you writing the report when the electricity went off?
3. When you came home, was he singing in the shower?
4. Wasn’t Tom sitting in the cafe when you drove past?
Wh-Questions
1. Where were you standing when the trouble started?
2. Who was I talking to? I can’t remember.
3. Why wasn’t she waiting at the meeting point?
Tag Questions
1. I was snoring last night, wasn’t I?
2. They were all rushing for the exit, weren’t they?
3. When Mr. Thomas called, David was solving crossword puzzles, wasn’t he?
4. Jennifer wasn’t trying very hard, was she?
5. The trains weren’t running on schedule yesterday, were they?

The Future Tense

The future can be expressed in several ways in English. Here are the different possibilities:
1. Future Simple: will + base form of the verb
2. Be Going To: am, is, are + going to + base form of the verb
3. Shall: Shall + subject + base form of the verb?
4. Future Progressive: will be + verbing
5. Present Simple and Present Progressive with Future Meaning

Time expressions in the Future Tense

There are several time expressions that are used in all of the different forms of the future
tense. They are generally used at the end of the sentence or question. The most common
are: tomorrow, next week (Sunday/month/year), in two days (weeks, months years), the day
after tomorrow.

Future Simple: Will + Base Form of the Verb

This form is used to:

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Describe a simple action in the future:
1. She‘ll write the e-mail after lunch.
2. Alice won’t help us decorate for the party.
Make a prediction or give a warning:
1. Don’t lift that. You‘ll hurt yourself
2. If you don’t finish the bid, the boss won’t give you a raise.
Make a spontaneous decision:
1. You dropped your purse. I‘ll get it.

Subject will or won’t +verb rest of sentence

Positive Negative

I / You / We / They will see won’t see you tomorrow night

He / She / It

Contractions
In general, use the contracted forms of the pronoun + will:
I will > I’ll / he will > he’ll / she will > she’ll / you will > you’ll / we will > we’ll /they will
> they’ll
Ex. I’ll see you tomorrow. / You’ll get the answer by post.
Try to use the short form won’t instead of will not
Ex. I won’t see you tomorrow.
Save the long forms for when you want to create emphasis in spoken Englsih or when
writing formal texts.
Ex. You will not do that again! / His hypothesis will not stand up to their criticism.

Yes/No Questions in the Future Simple

To create a question that will be answered with a yes or no, use Will (or Won’t) + subject +
base form of the verb.

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 Will subject base form of rest of
the verb sentence

Will I / You / We / send that fax for me

(Won’t) They
He / She / It

1. Will Dave burn the CD for you?

2. Won’t the girls be late for the party?

Wh- Questions in the Future Simple

Wh- questions are questions that require more information in their answers. Typical wh-
words are what, where, when, why, who, how, how many, how much.
To form a Wh-question use: Wh-word + will (or won’t) + subject + base form of the verb.

Wh Will subject base form rest of

word of the sentence
verb

What will I / You / tell him tonight

We / They
He / She /
It
Why won’t finish the project

1. When will he give you an answer?

2. Why won’t you tell him the truth?

Exercises – Future Simple Tense

Fill in the correct form of the verb with the future simple tense as in the examples.
1. I‘ll drive you to your lesson at 4 pm. (drive)
2. He won’t work overtime anymore (not work)
1. Sam _______ the documents over to you tomorrow. (bring)
2. The managers ________ about the budget until next Thursday. (not decide)

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 3. _______ your sister ______ in a large church? (get married)
4. ________ he _____ you move to your new apartment? (not help)
5. I _________ him this time. He mustn’t do that again. (forgive)
Answers:
1. will bring
2. won’t decide
3. Will/ get married
4. Won’t/help
5. will forgive
Future – Be Going To
We usually use am, is or are + going to + the base form of the verb to talk about actions in
the future that have already been decided on.

Subject Form of be + going to base rest of

form of sentence
the
Positive Negative verb

I am am not buy some

going going to clothes
to tomorrow

He / She is going isn’t (is

/ It to not) going
to

You / We are aren’t (are

/ They going not) going
to to

1. Dan‘s going to take the order over to the customer.

2. The girls are going to sing ‘Amazing Grace’ now.
3. They aren’t going to buy the house.
4. I am not going to make dinner tonight. We’re going out to a restaurant.

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Yes/No Questions – Be going to
To ask a question that will be answered with either a yes or no, start with Am, Is or Are (or
isn’t/aren’t for negative questions), then choose a subject (the person or thing doing the
action), followed by going to + the base form of the verb.

A form of subject going to + rest of

be verb sentence

Am I going to eat lunch today

Is / Isn’t he / she / it

Are/ Aren’t you / we /

they

1. Am I going to feel bad about my decision?

2. Is he going to watch the film tonight?
3. Are you going to participate in the race tomorrow?

Wh-Questions – Be Going To
Wh- questions are questions that require more information in their answers. Typical wh-
words are what, where, when, which, why, who, how, how many, how much.
To create a wh-question, start with the wh-word, then add am, is or are, then the subject (a
person or thing that will be doing the action), going to and the base form of the verb.

Wh- A form subject going to rest of

word of be + verb sentence

Why am I going to the news

watch

is / Isn’t he / she /
it

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 Wh- A form subject going to rest of
word of be + verb sentence

are/ you / we /
aren’t they

1. How much is the computer going to cost?

2. Why aren’t you going to buy that car?

Exercises – Future – be going to

Fill in the correct form of the verb with the be going to form of future as in the examples.
1. He is going to clean up his room tonight. (clean up)
2. Teddy and Sam aren’t going to eat at that restaurant again. (not eat)
1. Ben__________ Mr. Davis to give him a good grade. (persuade)
2. We __________ a refund on that TV that broke down. (demand)
3. ________Ms. Thompson __________ you extra for that work?(pay)
4. I _______ Los Angeles next year. (leave)
5. Turner _______ a car when he lands at the airport. (hire) He’ll take the train.
Answers:
1. is going to persuade
2. are going to demand
3. Is/going to pay
4. am going to leave
5. isn’t going to hire

Future: Shall
Shall is used with the subjects I and we to make suggestions or to offer to do something for
someone. It is always used in the form of a question.

Will subject base form of the verb rest of sentence

Shall I / We send out for pizza

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 1. Shall we go for a walk?
2. Shall I help you with that?
The use of shall to mean will is formal English and is not commonly used today.

Future Progressive (Continuous) – will + be + verbing

Spelling Tip
Verbing (Present Participle)
• Add ing to most verbs. Ex. play > playing, cry > crying, bark > barking
• For verbs that end in e, remove the e and add ing. Ex: slide > sliding, ride > riding
• For verbs that end in ie, change the ie to y and add ing. Ex: die > dying, tie > tying
• For a verb whose last syllable is written with a consonant-vowel-consonant and is
stressed, double the last letter before adding ing. Ex: beg > begging, begin >
beginning. However: enter > entering (last syllable is not stressed)
We use will/wont + be + verbing (present participle) when we know that an action will be in
progress at some time in the future or to describe something that has been pre-arranged.

Subject will / won’t + be + verbing rest of

sentence

Positive Negative

I / You / We / will be won’t be for you

They waiting waiting
He / She / It

1. Don’t phone me before 12:00. I will be meeting with a client.

2. You can take my car tomorrow. I won’t be using it.
3. This time next year, we will be living in our new home.

Yes/No Questions in the Future Progressive (Continuous)

To ask a question that will be answered with either a yes or no, start with Will or Won’t, then
choose your subject (the person or thing that will be doing the action), followed by be +
verbing (present participle).

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 Will/Wont Subject be + Rest of Sentence
verbing

Will I be at the show next

he / she / it exhibiting month
you / we /
they

Won’t be coming to the wedding on

Sunday

1. Will Allen be participating in the science fair next week ?

2. Won’t you be visiting your mother when I’m in town?

Wh-Questions in the Future Progressive (Continuous)

Wh- questions are questions that require more information in their answers. Typical wh-
words are what, where, when, which, why, who, how,
To create a wh-question, start with the wh-word, then will +the subject (a person or thing that
is doing the action), followed by be + the ing ( present participle) form of the verb.

Wh will/wont subject verbing rest of

Word sentence

When will I be with the

he / she / meeting CEO today
it
you / we /
they

1. Where will he be waiting for me?

2. How will you be travelling to the exhibition?
Some Wh-questions have a different word order:

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 Wh subject will verbing rest of
Word sentence

How people will be the show

many attending

Who will be going with you

1. How many contestants will be attempting to win the prize?

2. Which runners will be running the race?

Exercises – Future Progressive (Continuous)

Fill in the correct form of the verb with the future progressive ( will + be + verbing) form of
future as in the examples.
1. He will be receiving his M.A. degree at the ceremony next week (receive)
2. Will Ron be visiting you today?(visit)
1. I ________ to Monterey this weekend. (drive) Do you want to come along?
2. ________ they ________ the conference next week? (attend)
3. Ella and Sara __________ out of class just as I arrive at the college. (get)
4. I ________ in Norway next week while you are sunbathing in Tahiti (freeze)
5. How many students _________ next month? (not graduate)
Answers:
1. will be driving
2. Will/ be attending
3. will be getting
4. will be freezing
5. will not be graduating

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Present Simple and Present Progressive with Future Meaning
The present simple tense may be used to express the future in order to talk about plans in
the near future.
1. Her bus leaves at 6:00 Tuesday morning.
The present progressive tense may be used to express the future especially when you want
to talk about plans arranged in advance. It is common to use it with verbs of movement.
1. I’m turning in my History assignment tomorrow morning.

Tag Questions in the Future Tense

Tag questions are those short questions that are tagged onto the end of a sentence. They
are used just to make sure the person you’re talking to understood what you meant or to
emphasize what you said.
They’re formed by using a positive sentence in the future tense forms and adding an
appropriate auxiliary (helping) and a pronoun (I, you, we, they, he, she, it) and a question
mark.
1. John will call her tomorrow, won’t he?
2. All those girls will be sitting quietly, won’t they?
3. You’re coming over tonight, aren’t you?
4. That bee is going to sting me, isn’t it?
You may also add a positive tag when you’re using a negative sentence.
1. Carey won’t report me, will she?
2. The kids aren’t going to play soccer tomorrow, are they?
3. You’re not working tomorrow, are you?
As a rule: When the sentence is positive, the tag is negative.
When the sentence is negative, the tag is positive.

Examples – Future Tense

Positive
1. She’ll write the e-mail after lunch.
2. Don’t lift that. You’ll hurt yourself.
3. You dropped your purse. I’ll get it.
4. I’ll see you tomorrow.
5. You’ll get the answer by post.
6. Dan’s going to take the order over to the customer.
7. The girls are going to sing ‘Amazing Grace’ now.
8. I’ll drive you to your lesson at 4 pm.

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 9. He is going to clean up his room tonight.
10. Don’t phone me before 12:00. I will be meeting with a client.
11. This time next year, we will be living in our new home.
12. He will be receiving his M.A. degree at the ceremony next week.
13. Her bus leaves at 6:00 Tuesday morning.
14. I’m turning in my History assignment tomorrow morning.
Negative
1. Alice won’t help us decorate for the party.
2. If you don’t finish the bid, the boss won’t give you a raise.
3. I won’t see you tomorrow.
4. You will not do that again!
5. They aren’t going to buy the house.
6. I am not going to make dinner tonight. We’re going out to a restaurant.
7. Teddy and Sam aren’t going to eat at that restaurant again.
8. You can take my car tomorrow. I won’t be using it.
9. He won’t work overtime anymore.
Yes/No Questions
1. Will Dave burn the CD for you?
2. Won’t the girls be late for the party?
3. Am I going to feel bad about my decision?
4. Is he going to watch the film tonight?
5. Are you going to participate in the race tomorrow?
6. Shall we go for a walk?
7. Shall I help you with that?
8. Will Allen be participating in the science fair next week?
9. Won’t you be visiting your mother when I’m in town?
10. Will Ron be visiting you today?
Wh- Questions
1. When will he give you an answer?
2. Why won’t you tell him the truth?
3. How much is the computer going to cost?
4. Why aren’t you going to buy that car?

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 5. Where will he be waiting for me?
6. How will you be travelling to the exhibition?
7. How many contestants will be attempting to win the prize?
8. Which runners will be running the race?
Tag Questions
1. John will call her tomorrow, won’t he?
2. All those girls will be sitting quietly, won’t they?
3. You are going to finish that work, aren’t you?
4. That bee is going to sting me, isn’t it?
5. Carey won’t report me, will she?
6. The kids aren’t going to play soccer tomorrow, are they?
7. You’re not working tomorrow, are you?

The Present Perfect Simple Verb Tense

The Perfect Tenses
The opinion of many native and non-native English speakers is that the perfect tenses are
far from being ‘perfect’. They cause headaches for most people. On these pages, we will
break the perfect tenses down into short sections that will make them easier to understand.
Useful Tip
Time Expressions in the Present Perfect
• Use since with a specific year or a period in the past > since 2002 / since I was a
child
• Use for with a number of years > for twenty years
• Use ever and yet in questions and negatives > Have you ever / hasn’t been yet
• Use already and never, just between have/has and the verb > has already
finished / have just been
• Use before, since, for, already, many times, so far, yet at the end of a sentence or
questions > Have you been there before?
The present perfect simple tense is used to
Describe actions that occurred in the past but are still relevant to the present.
1. Rani has broken her arm. (She broke it in the past and can’t use her arm now.)
Describe an action that started in the past but is still happening on a regular or habitual basis
(like the present simple).

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 1. The girls have played tennis at the club since 2005. (They started to play tennis
there in 2005 and still play there today. This does not mean they are playing tennis at
the moment.)
Describe actions that were repeated several times in the past.
1. I‘ve already made several calls. (Up until now)
The specific time in the past is unimportant, just the fact that it happened.
Note: Time Expressions – Present Perfect
NEVER use the same time expressions that you use in the past simple tense, such as:
yesterday, a week ago, last night. You MAY use unspecific time expressions such as: ever,
never, since, for, already, many times, before, so far, yet.

The Typical Present Perfect Sentence

In order to form a typical sentence in the present perfect simple, choose a subject ((the
person or thing that has done the action), add an auxiliary (or helping) verb: has or have +
the V3 (past participle) form of the verb and then add the rest of the sentence.

Subject have/has +Verb(V3) Rest of Sentence

(Past Participle)

I / You / We / They have met him before

He / She / It has lived here for three years

The V3 (past participle) form of a regular verb looks just like a regular verb in the past
simple:
1. walk > walked / study > studied / stop > stopped / create > created
There are quite a few irregular verbs in English. It pays to memorize them.
Note: Has Had – A verb combination that often causes confusion in the present perfect
simple is has had or have had. Ex. I have had enough of your complaining! Have is the
auxiliary (or helping) verb and had is the V3 (or past participle) of the main verb to have. It
may look strange, but it is correct.

Contractions in the Present Perfect Simple

In general, we contract the subject (the person or thing that has done the action) and form of
have:
1. I have > I’ve – I’ve used those images before.
2. He has > He’s / She has > She’s / It has > It’s – He’s already had the surgery.

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 3. We have > We’ve / You have > You’ve / They are > They’ve – We’ve just gotten
home.
You may have noticed that the 3rd person singular (he, she, it) contractions look like those in
the present progressive. You can tell them apart by the use of the V3 and from the context of
the sentence: he is > He’s eating now. / he has > He’s eaten dinner already
Save the long forms for when you want to create emphasis. When speaking, you should
stress the have/has.
1. He has sung that song. I know he has.

Negative Sentences in the Present Perfect Simple Tense

Spelling Tip
When shortening the auxiliary verb have/has and the negative, just remove the o in not and
add an apostrophe (‘)
has not > hasn’t
have not > haven’t
When creating negative sentences, we usually use hasn’t or haven’t together + the V3 (past
participle) form of the verb. Save the long forms (has not, and have not) for when you want
to create emphasis. When speaking, put the stress on ‘not’.

Subject Auxillery Verb in V3 Rest of

Verb (Past Sentence
Participle)

I / You / We / haven’t (have ridden a bike in many

They not) years

He / She / It hasn’t (has lost enough weight

not) yet

1. I haven’t eaten at that restaurant in a long time.

2. Jim hasn’t worked on Fridays since he joined the company.
3. My friends haven’t ever gone to France.
4. I have not forgiven you!

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Yes/No Questions in the Present Perfect Simple
To create a question that will be answered with a yes or no, start the question with Have or
Has, (Haven’t or Hasn’t for a negative question) then add a subject (the person or thing that
has done the action) followed by the V3 (Past Participle) form of the verb and only then add
the rest of the sentence.

Auxiliary Subject Verb in V3 Rest of

Verb (Past Sentence
Participle)

Have I / you / we / begun the meeting

they yet

Has he / she / it answered your letter

Hasn’t he / she / it eaten dinner yet

1. Have you ever gone ice skating?

2. Has Jerry presented his ideas to the CEO yet?

Wh-Questions in the Present Perfect Simple

Wh- questions are questions that require more information in their answers. Typical wh-
words are what, where, when, why, who, how, how many, how much.
To create a wh-question, start with the wh-word, then add have or has, then the subject (a
person or thing that has done the action), followed by the V3 (Past Participle) form of the
verb and only then add the rest of the sentence.

Wh- Auxiliary Subject Verb in V3 Rest of

Word Verb (Past Sentence
Participle)

What have I / you / read lately

we / they

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 Wh- Auxiliary Subject Verb in V3 Rest of
Word Verb (Past Sentence
Participle)

Why has he / she changed color

/ it

1. When have I ever lied to you?

2. Why has Tanya left the country?
3. How much money have you spent so far?

Tag Questions in the Present Perfect Simple

Tag questions are those short questions that are tagged onto the end of a sentence. They
are used just to make sure that the person you’re talking to understood what you meant or to
emphasize what you said.
They’re formed by using a regular sentence in the present perfect simple, then adding
haven’t or hasn’t and a pronoun (I, you, we, they, he, she, it) and a question mark.
Examples of the Present Perfect Simple – Tag Questions:
1. John has known her for a couple of years, hasn’t he?
2. They have been in business since 1980, haven’t they?
You may also add a positive tag when you’re using a negative sentence.
1. Keisha hasn’t spoken to you yet, has she?
2. Those kids have never played rugby, have they?
As a rule: When the sentence is positive, the tag is negative.
When the sentence is negative, the tag is positive.

Exercises – Present Perfect Simple

Fill in the correct form of the present perfect simple as in the examples.
1. Dan has worked in that company for 12 years. (work)
2. Have you heard the news? (hear)
3. The boys have never eaten sushi. (eat)
1. Daniel ____ that video clip at least twenty times. (see)
2. The workers _______ a break in 4 hours. (not have)
3. We ___________ them regularly over the last few years. (visit)

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 4. _______ Ella _______ her driving test yet? (pass)
5. Roger _______ to Mexico several times since 2002.(be)
6. They______ to each other in ages, _______ they? (not speak)
7. Why _______ Mathew _______his job? (quit)
8. ______the nurses ______ on strike again? (go)
9. ________ they ______ the post yet? (not deliver)
10. I _____ already_______ you the answer. (tell)
Answers:
1. has seen
2. haven’t had
3. have visited
4. Has/passed
5. has been
6. haven’t spoken/have
7. has/quit
8. Have/gone
9. Haven’t/delivered
10. have/ told

Examples – Present Perfect Simple

Positive
1. Rani has broken her arm.
2. The girls have played tennis at the club since 2005.
3. I’ve already made several calls.
Contractions
1. I have > I’ve – I’ve used those images before.
2. He has > He’s / She has > She’s / It has > It’s – He’s already had the surgery.
3. We have > We’ve / You have > You’ve /They have > They’ve – We’ve just gotten
home.
Negative
1. I haven’t eaten at that restaurant yet.
2. Jim hasn’t worked on Fridays since he joined the company.
3. My friends haven’t ever gone to France.

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 4. I have not forgiven you!
Yes/No Questions
1. Have you ever gone ice skating?
2. Has Jerry presented his ideas to the CEO yet?
Wh-Questions
1. When have I ever lied to you?
2. Why has Tanya left the country?
3. How much money have you spent so far?
Tag Questions
1. John has known her for a couple of years, hasn’t he?
2. They have been in business since 1980, haven’t they?
3. Keisha hasn’t spoken to you yet, has she?
4. Those kids have never played rugby, have they?

The Present Perfect Progressive Tense

Useful Tip
Time Expressions in the Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)
• Use since or ever since with a specific month, year or a period in the past > I have
been jogging in this park since 2002 / He has been staring at the wall ever since he
heard the news.
• Use for with a number of hours, days, months, years > She’s been talking on the
phone for 3 hours.
The present perfect progressive (continuous) is actually easier to understand than the
present perfect simple tense. It is used to describe an event that started in the past but is still
happening in the present. That event in the present can be
An habitual event:
1. I have been living in this house for 40 years.
(I started living in it 40 years ago and I am still living in it today.)
Something that is taking place at this moment:
1. I have been climbing up this mountain for over two hours.
(I started climbing up it two hours ago and at this moment I’m still climbing.)
To form the present perfect progressive (continuous), has or have + been + verbing (present
participle).

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 Subject have/has + been + rest of sentence
verbing

I / You / We / have been sitting here for two hours

They

He / She / It has been working at this company since

April

Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous) – Which to use?

In general, use the present perfect simple when the action started in the past and is relevant
to the present. Ex. This is the third time I’ve written to you. (I wrote twice in the past and
now I am writing again – in the present.)
If it’s an action that started in the past and that same action is still happening now, use the
present perfect progressive. Ex I have been waiting for you since 10 am.
Some actions can be expressed in either tense, especially those that started in the past and
still occur in the present on a habitual basis. Ex. I have lived in this house for 20 years. /
I have been living in this house for 20 years. Both sentences are correct.

Contractions in the Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

In general, we contract the subject (the person or thing doing the action) and form of have:
1. I have > I’ve – I’ve been thinking about you since you called.
2. He has > He’s / She has > She’s / It has > It’s – He’s been singing for two hours.
3. We have > We’ve / You have > You’ve / They are > They’ve – We’ve been helping
her out for a few months.
You may have noticed that the 3rd person singular (he, she, it) contractions look like those in
the present progressive. You can tell them apart by the use of been and from the context of
the sentence: he is > He’s eating now. / he has > He’s been eating for two hours.

Negative Sentences in the Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

Spelling Tip
When shortening the 3rd person (he, she, it) negative, just remove the o in not and add an
apostrophe (‘)
has not > hasn’t
When creating negative sentences, we use hasn’t or haven’t together with been and the ing
(present participle) form of the verb. Save the long forms (has not, and have not) for when
you want to create emphasis. When speaking, put the stress on ‘not’.

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 Subject Auxillery Been + Rest of
Verb Verbing Sentence

I / You / We / haven’t (have been lying to you

They not)

He / She / It hasn’t (has been weill since the

not) sleeping accident

1. I haven’t been feeling well lately.

2. Simon hasn’t been attending class regularly since he got a job.
3. The sales team hasn’t been performing at the top of their game.
4. He has not been paying attention!

Yes/No Questions in the Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

To create a question that will be answered with a yes or no, start the question with Have or
Has, (Haven’t or Hasn’t for a negative question) then add a subject (the person or thing that
has been doing the action) followed by been and the ing (present participle) form of the verb
and only then add the rest of the sentence.

Auxiliary Subject Been + Rest of

Verb Verbing Sentence

Have I / you / we / been working since this

they morning

Has he / she / it been earning minimum wage

Hasn’t he / she / it been helping you clean the

house

1. Have you been keeping track of sales?

2. Has Jerry been picking fruit from my trees again?

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Wh-Questions in the Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)
Wh- questions are questions that require more information in their answers. Typical wh-
words are what, where, when, why, which, who, how, how many, how much.
To create a wh-question, start with the wh-word, then add have or has, then the subject (a
person or thing that has been doing the action), followed by been and the ing (present
participle) form of the verb, and only then add the rest of the sentence.

Wh- Auxiliary Subject Been + Rest of

Word Verb Verbing Sentence

What have I / you / been lately

we / they doing

Why has he / she / been documents

it copying all day

1. What have you been doing since I left?

2. Why has the phone been ringing for the last two hours?
3. How long has he been waiting?

Exercises – Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

Fill in the correct for of the Present Perfect Progressive as in the examples.
1. I‘ve been gardening for three hours. (garden) My back is killing me!
2. Tony has been listening to the news non-stop since the conflict began. (listen)
3. Have you been saving the coupons for me? (save)
1. Roger ______ at his mother’s house since his divorce. (stay)
2. How long _____ the dogs ________ like that? (bark)
3. I _______ the football score. (not follow) Are we winning?
4. The students ______ plans for the school party for several weeks. (make)
5. Rachel ________ at that studio for very long. (not dance)
6. _________ Tim _______ that book since January? (not read) I’m waiting to borrow it.
7. The project manager ________ us to finish the work since Tuesday. (push)
8. ________ you ________ TV all morning? (watch)
9. I_________ to Paris twice a month since the project started. (travel)

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 10. Jenny ________ customer deadlines since she arrived here. (not meet.) The boss
may fire her.
Answers:
1. has been staying
2. have/been barking
3. haven’t been following
4. have been making
5. hasn’t been dancing
6. Hasn’t/been reading
7. has been pushing
8. Have/been watching
9. I’ve been traveling
10. has not been meeting

Examples – Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

Positive
1. I have been living in this house for 40 years. (I started living in it 40 years ago and I
am still living in it today.
2. I have been climbing up this mountain for over two hours. (I started climbing up it two
hours ago and at this moment I’m still climbing.)
3. I have been waiting for you since 10 am.
4. I’ve been thinking about you since you called.
5. He’s been singing for two hours.
6. We’ve been helping her out for a few months.
7. I’ve been gardening for three hours. My back is killing me!
8. Tony has been listening to the news ever since the conflict began.
Negative
1. I haven’t been feeling well lately.
2. Simon hasn’t been attending class regularly since he got a job.
3. The sales team hasn’t been performing at the top of their game.
4. He has not been paying attention!
Yes/No Questions
1. Have you been keeping track of sales?
2. Has Jerry been picking fruit from my trees again?

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 3. Have you been saving the coupons for me?
Wh Questions
1. What have you been doing since I left?
2. How long has he been waiting?
3. Why has the phone been ringing for the last two hours?

The Past Perfect Simple Tense

Useful Tip
Time Expressions in the Past Perfect Simple
The time expressions already, for, since, and yet may be used in the past perfect simple, as
they are in the present perfect simple. Remember the following rules for using other time
expressions:
• Use after, as soon as, the moment that, until before using the past perfect simple.
Ex: After she had moved out, I found her notes./ I didn’t say anything until she had
finished talking.
• Use before, when, by the time before the past simple:
Ex. Before I knew it, she had run out the door. / By the time he phoned her, she
had found someone new.
The past perfect simple is used to describe one action that happened before another action
in the past.
In many cases a complete sentence is written in two parts with two different tenses:
1. The past perfect simple, to refer to the action that happened first or earlier
2. The past simple to refer to the action that happened second or later
Sometimes the past perfect simple is used on its own and the action that took place
afterwards is understood.
1. After Sofie had finished her work, she went to lunch.
(First she finished her work and then she went to eat lunch.)
2. I washed the floor when the painter had gone.
(First the painter left and then I washed the floor.)
3. Harold had known about it for a while.
(First he knew about it, then others knew about it)
The past perfect simple tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb had together with the V3
(past participle). The V3 (past participle) form of a regular verb looks just like a regular verb
in the past simple:
1. walk > walked / study > studied / stop > stopped / create > created
There are quite a few irregular verbs in English though. It pays to memorize them.

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 Subject had +Verb(V3) Rest of Sentence
(Past
Participle)

I / You / We / had met him before he became famous

They
He / She / It

had lived here for three years by the time

we met

Note: The order of phrases may be switched, but the meaning will stay the same.
1. By the time Doris got to the party, everyone had gone home.
2. Everyone had gone home by the time Doris had got to the party.
Note: Had Had – A verb combination that often causes confusion in the past perfect simple
is had had. Ex. I had had enough to eat but I wanted dessert anyway. The first had is the
auxiliary (or helping) verb and the second had is the V3 (or past participle) of the main verb
to have. It means that even though I ate enough, I wanted dessert after that. It may look
strange, but it is correct.

Contractions in the Past Perfect Simple

Punctuation Tip
When you begin a sentence with a time expression, put a comma (,) after the first part of the
sentence.
We often contract the subject (the person or thing that had done the action) and had:
1. I had > I’d – After I’d used the phone, I paid the bill.
2. He had > He’d / She has > She’d / It has > It’d – It’d happened so quickly, I didn’t
notice.
3. We had > We’d / You have > You’d /They are > They’d – We’d just gotten home,
when we heard the blast outside.

Negative Sentences in the Past Perfect Simple Tense

When creating negative sentences, we use the auxiliary verbs hadn’t (had not) together with
the V3 (past participle) form of the verb. You can also create a negative sentence by using
the auxiliary verb had with the time expression never and then the V3.

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 Subject Auxillery Verb in V3 Rest of
Verb (Past Sentence
Participle)

I / You / We / hadn’t (had driven a car before

They not) then
He / She / It

had never driven a car before

then

1. I had not eaten at that restaurant before today.

2. Samantha hadn’t had time to explain her side of the story.
3. My friends hadn’t ever gone to France.
4. My friends had never gone to the USA either.

Yes/No Questions in the Past Perfect Simple

To create a question that will be answered with a yes or no, start the question with Had
(Hadn’t for a negative question) then add a subject (the person or thing that had done the
action) followed by the V3 (Past Participle) form of the verb and only then add the rest of the
sentence.

Auxiliary Subject Verb in V3 Rest of Sentence

Verb (Past
Participle)

Had I / you / we had time to rehearse

/ they you’re the song
he / she / it

Had he / she / it eaten there before

1. Had you cleaned up the mess by the time they came home?
2. Had Adam ever spoken to the CEO before he was fired?

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Wh-Questions in the Past Perfect Simple
Wh- questions are questions that require more information in their answers. Typical wh-
words are what, where, when, why, who, how, how many, how much.
To create a wh-question, start with the wh-word, then add had, then the subject (a person or
thing that had done the action), followed by the V3 (Past Participle) form of the verb and only
then add the rest of the sentence.

Wh- Auxiliary Subject Verb in V3 Rest of

Word Verb (Past Sentence
Participle)

What had I / you / taught before

we / leaving
they education
he / she
/ it

Why had changed the subject

1. What had they said that made him so angry?

2. Why had he agreed to work for that salary?
3. How much had he drunk before you got to him?

Tag Questions in the Past Perfect Simple

Tag questions are those short questions that are tagged onto the end of a sentence. They
are used just to make sure that the person you’re talking to understood what you meant or to
emphasize what you said.
They’re formed by writing a regular sentence in the past perfect simple, then by adding
hadn’t and a pronoun (I, you, we, they, he, she, it) and a question mark.
1. John had known about the cancer for a couple of years, hadn’t he?
2. They had been in business together, hadn’t they?
You may also add a positive tag when you’re using a negative sentence.
1. Jennifer hadn’t spoken to you about it, had she?
2. They had never eaten a proper Indian meal, had they?
As a rule: When the sentence is positive, the tag is negative.
When the sentence is negative, the tag is positive.

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Exercises – Past Perfect Simple
Fill in the correct form of the past perfect simple or past simple as in the examples.
1. After Loren had turned on the alarm, she locked the door. (turn on)
2. By the time Simone arrived, the police had already left. (arrive)
3. Had you known about the contract they signed? (know)
1. After the company _____Joe, he began to work on his first project. (hire)
2. _____you _______ the news before you saw it on TV? (hear)
3. Michael didn’t want to see the movie because he _______ the book yet. (not read)
4. The concert ______ already _______when we _______ the stadium. (begin/ enter)
5. Until Anne ________ Mark, she ____ never ______in love. (meet, be)
6. Bill __________ for years before he finally _______. (smoke/ quit)
7. _______ Sara ever _______to London by herself before then? (drive)
8. How many fish ______ the boys _____ by the time it started raining? (catch)
9. You ________ them to go to the beach, hadn’t you? (forbid)
10. The girls _______ in weeks? That’s why they ______ so much afterwards. (exercise /
hurt)
Answers:
1. had hired
2. Had/heard
3. hadn’t read
4. had/begun/entered
5. met/had/been
6. had smoked/quit
7. Had/driven
8. had/caught
9. had forbidden
10. hadn’t exercised / hurt

Examples – Past Perfect Simple

1. After Sofie had finished her work, she went to lunch.
2. I washed the floor when the painter had gone.

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 3. Harold had known about it for a while.
4. I didn’t say anything until she had finished talking.
5. After she had moved out, I found her notes.
6. Before I knew it, she had run out the door.
7. By the time he phoned her, she had found someone new.
8. By the time Doris got to the party, everyone had gone home.
9. Everyone had gone home by the time Doris had got to the party.
10. I had had enough of his complaining.
11. After I’d used the phone, I paid the bill.
12. It’d happened so quickly, I didn’t notice.
13. We’d just gotten home, when we heard the blast outside.
Negative
1. I had not eaten at that restaurant before today.
2. Samantha hadn’t had time to explain her side of the story.
3. My friends hadn’t ever gone to France.
4. My friends had never gone to the USA either.
Yes/No Questions
1. Had you cleaned up the mess by the time they came home?
2. Had Adam ever spoken to the CEO before he was fired?
Wh- Questions
1. What had they said that made him so angry?
2. Why had he agreed to work for that salary?
3. How much had he drunk before you got to him?
Tag Questions
1. John had known about the cancer for a couple of years, hadn’t he?
2. They had been in business together, hadn’t they?
3. Jenifer hadn’t spoken to you about it, had she?
4. They had never eaten a proper Indian meal, had they?
The Past Perfect Progressive Tense
Spelling Tip
Verbing (Present Participle)
• Add ing to most verbs. Ex. play > playing, cry > crying, bark > barking

• For verbs that end in e, remove the e and add ing. Ex: slide > sliding, ride > riding

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 • For verbs that end in ie, change the ie to y and add ing. Ex: die > dying, tie > tying
• For a verb whose last syllable is written with a consonant-vowel-consonant and is
stressed, double the last letter before adding ing. Ex: beg > begging, begin >
beginning. However: enter > entering (last syllable is not stressed)
The past perfect progressive (continuous) is used to describe an action that started in the
past and was still in progress when a second action started. Both actions began and ended
in the past. As in the past perfect simple, the sentence has two parts:
1. The past perfect progressive, to refer to the action that was in process
2. The past simple to refer to the action that happened after the first action
1. Ben had been working for three hours when Rachel came home.
2. By the time Sam found an umbrella, it had been raining for ten minutes.
To form the past perfect progressive, use the auxiliary (helping) verb had + been + verbing
(present participle).

Subject Have/Has + Been + Rest of Sentence

Verbing

I / You / We / had been talking for two hours when he got

They up and left
He / She / It

had been texting her long before they met

Note: The order of phrases may be switched, but the meaning will stay the same.
1. By the time Catherine got to the office, the client had been waiting for an hour.
2. The client had been waiting for an hour by the time Catherine got to the office.

Past Perfect Simple or Past Perfect Progressive (Continuous) – Which to use?

Punctuation Tip
When you begin a sentence with a time expression, put a comma (,) after the first part of the
sentence.
In general, use the past perfect simple when the first action started in the past and ended
before the second action began. Use the past perfect progressive when that first action was
still in progress when the second action began. Remember, both actions ended in the past.
1. I had fed the dogs before I tripped and fell.
2. I had been feeding the dogs when I tripped and fell.

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Negative Sentences in the Past Perfect Progressive (Continuous)
Useful Tip
Time Expressions in the Past Perfect Progressive (Continuous)
• Use since with a specific hour, month, year or a period in the past > since
2002 / since Tuesday
• Use for with a number of hours, days, months or years > for twenty years
• Use already between had and the verb > had already been flying
• Use before, when and by the time before the past simple > when they saw the boys
When creating negative sentences, we use the auxiliary (helping) verb hadn’t (had not) +
been + the ing (present participle) form of the verb.

Subject Auxiliary Been + Rest of

Verb Verbing Sentence

I / You / We / hadn’t (had been when you

They not) sleeping arrived
He / She / It

1. I hadn’t been feeling well, so I sent him away.

2. Simon had not been expecting a positive answer when he got a job.
3. The hikers hadn’t been walking long before they got lost.

Yes/No Questions in the Past Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

To create a question that will be answered with a yes or no, use Had (or Hadn’t for a
negative question) + been + the ing (present participle) form of the verb.

Auxiliary Subject Been + Rest of

Verb Verbing Sentence

Had been working when she

called

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 Auxiliary Subject Been + Rest of
Verb Verbing Sentence

Hadn’t I / you / we / been you

they assisting
he / she / it

1. Had he been drinking when you found him?

2. Had the manager been complaining about Jim before she fired him?
3. Hadn’t the snow been falling for hours before then?

Wh-Questions in the Past Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

Wh- questions are questions that require more information in their answers. Typical wh-
words are what, where, when, why, which, who, how, how many, how much.
To form a wh-question, start with the wh-word, then add had, then the subject (a person or
thing that had been doing the action), followed by been and the ing (present participle) form
of the verb, and only then add the rest of the sentence.

Wh- Auxiliary Subject Been + Rest of

Word Verb Verbing Sentence

What had I / you / been until then

we / they doing
he / she /
it

Who been before me

dating

1. What had you been doing when you cut your finger?
2. Which fax message had you been trying to send when the power went off?
3. How long had he been waiting?

Exercises – Past Perfect Progressive

Fill in the correct form of the Past Perfect Progressive or Past Simple as in the examples
1. I‘d been trying to sell my car for six months before I found a buyer (try/find)

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 2. Sheila had not been dieting for long when she began to lose weight. (not diet)
3. How long had the fire been burning before the firefighters arrived? (burn/arrive)
1. Dylan ______ chess for several years before he _______ his first tournament
(study/enter)
2. Before I _______ to work here, who ______ the client’s account? (start/ manage)
3. Although they _______ the house for two years, it still _____ ready. (build/not be)
4. Mario _______ well before the exam. (not feel)
5. At last we ______ the movie that everyone _______ about. (see/talk)
6. The students _____ math problems when one of them fainted. (solve)
7. How long _____ he _____ before the accident ______? (drive/occur)
8. Paula and Terry ______ tennis when it _____ to rain. (play/begin)
9. ______ you _______ a long time when you ______? (jog / faint)
10. Our forces _______ in that area until two weeks before then. (not fight)

Answers:
1. had been studying/entered
2. started/managed
3. had been building/wasn’t
4. hadn’t been feeling
5. saw/had been talking
6. had been solving
7. had/been driving/occurred
8. had been playing/began
9. Had/been jogging/fainted
10. hadn’t been fighting

Examples
Positive
1. Ben had been working for three hours when Rachel came home.
2. By the time Sam found an umbrella, it had been raining for ten minutes.
3. By the time Catherine got to the office, the client had been waiting for an hour.
4. The client had been waiting for an hour by the time Catherine got to the office.
5. I had been feeding the dogs when I tripped and fell.

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Negative
1. I hadn’t been feeling well, so I sent him away.
2. Simon had not been expecting a positive answer when he got a job.
3. The hikers hadn’t been walking long before they got lost.
Yes/No questions
1. Had he been drinking when you found him?
2. Had the manager been complaining about Jim before she fired him?
3. Hadn’t the snow been falling for hours before then?
Wh-Questions
1. What had you been doing when you cut your finger?
2. Which fax had you been trying to send when the power went off?
3. How long had he been waiting?
The Future Perfect Tense
The future perfect simple is used to explain an activity that will be completed by a certain
time in the future. We add time expressions such as by the time, by then, by the year 2008,
by March 25th to describe these kinds of activities.
To form the future perfect simple, use will have + V3 (past participle) form of the verb.

Subject will /will not + have + (V3) Rest of Sentence

form of the verb (Past
Participle)

I / You / will have worked here for three years by the

We / They time the visa needs to be
He / She / renewed.
It

I / You / won’t have solved all the math problems by

We / They then.
He / She /
It

1. By this time next year we will have been married for 30 years.
2. If all goes well, by June 2012, I will have finished my university degree.

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Yes/No Questions – Future Perfect Simple
To form Yes/No questions in the future perfect simple tense use: Will/Won’t + Subject + have
+ V3 (past participle) form of the verb.

Auxiliary Subject Verb in V3 Rest of Sentence

Verb (Past
Participle)

Will I / you / we have gone home by then?

/ they
he / she / it

Won’t have eaten dinner by the time

I get home?

1. Will she have gotten her passport by then?

2. Won’t you have sent the documents by Thursday?

Future Perfect Progressive

The future perfect progressive tense is used to talk about an action that will already have
started and will still be happening by a certain time in the future. We use time expressions
such as for 30 minutes and since early morning to describe the length of time the activity has
already going on.
To form a sentence in the future perfect progressive use will + have + been verbing (present
participle) form of the verb.

Time Subject have + been + rest of

Expression verbing sentence

By October I / You / We will have been for two

1st, / They travelling months.
He / She / It

1. By the time you get here, we will have been building the house for a year.
2. By 2008, Adam will have been selling sports equipment for 10 years.

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Exercises – Future Perfect Simple and Future Perfect Progressive
Fill in the correct form verb in either the future perfect simple or future perfect progressive
tense.
1. Tamara will have completed her Bachelor’s Degree by June. (complete)
2. The customer service department will have been operating for 2 years by then.
(operate)
1. By the time I start my shift, Dr. Frazier _________ for 18 hours straight. (work)
2. Sheila ____ the scholarship by the time she starts school in September. (get)
3. By this time next month, I hope they ____building the community center. (finish)
4. Professor Adams ______ at this university for 25 years by the time he retires in June.
(teach)
5. By this time tomorrow night we ______ in Australia. (arrive)
6. ______ he ______ the message by the time your flight takes off? (receive)
7. Dana _____ the night shift by the time you get up in the morning. (not finish)
8. The team _____ at the exhibition for five hours by the time I arrive there. (work)
9. By the time we get on the plane, they ____already _____ the luggage. (load)
10. By 2025, I hope researchers ______ a cure for cancer. (find)

Answers:
1. will have been working
2. will have gotten
3. will not have seen
4. will have been teaching
5. will have arrived
6. Will/have received
7. won’t have finished
8. will have been working
9. will/have loaded
10. will have found

Irregular Verbs
What Are Irregular Verbs?
Irregular verbs are verbs that don’t take on the regular –d, -ed, or -ied spelling patterns of
the past simple (V2) or past participle (V3). Many of the irregular V2 and V3 forms are the
same, such as: cut – cut, had – had, let – let, hurt – hurt, fed- fed, sold-sold

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Irregular Verb Examples
Irregular verbs are also known as strong verbs. Here are nine that are used more often than
the rest. These nine irregular verb examples also happen to be among the most commonly
used words in the English language. They are:
• Go
• Get
• Say
• See
• Think
• Make
• Take
• Come
• Know
The following list of examples show how irregular verbs are used in sentences. Some
sentences contain more than one example.
1. Go get your brother. It’s time to eat dinner.
→ In this example, all three irregular verbs (go, get, and eat) are in base form.
2. I want to build a sand castle like the one we built last year.
→ In this example, the irregular verb build is in base form. The irregular verb built is the past
simple form of “build”. When you look at the complete list of examples, you’ll notice that built
is also the past participle of the irregular verb “build”.
3. He bet me that I couldn’t run five miles without stopping. I proved him wrong;
I ran seven miles before I had to catch my breath.
→ In this example, bet is a past simple form. When you look at the complete list, you will see
that all three forms of “bet” are the same. Next, in the same sentence, the irregular verb run
is in base form. In the next sentence, ran is the past simple form of “run” and had is the past
simple form of “have.” Meanwhile, catch is base form.
4. I awoke to find that a spider had bitten me. Although the wound didn’t bleed, it
itched terribly.
→ In this example, the irregular verb awoke is the past simple form of “awake.” Bitten is past
participle form of “bite” and bleed is base form.
5. Let’s drink some of this lemonade. I drank some yesterday and found it delicious.
→ In this example, the irregular verb drink is in base form. Drank is the past simple form of
“drink,” and found is the past simple form of “find.”
For more examples, read our complete list of irregular verbs in the English language.

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Irregular Verb Exercises
Fill the blank spaces with the appropriate irregular verb.
1. My dog jumped out of the swimming pool and _____________ himself, causing
water to spray everywhere. (shake, shook, shaken)
2. You should have ______________ Trish’s face when she got her surprise. (saw, had
seen, seen)
3. We _____________ the whole day lounging on the beach. (spend, spent, had spend)
4. Let’s _____________ a hike on Saturday. (take, took, taken)
5. My brother Mike ______________ his stinky socks on the coffee table. (leave, left,
leaving)
6. This is the ninth time that pitcher has _____________ a foul ball (throw, threw,
thrown)
7. The water balloon _____________ when it hit its target. (burst, busted, broken)
8. Jesse intentionally ______________ gum in Jeff’s hair. (stick, stuck, sticky)
Answers: 1 – shook, 2 – seen, 3 – spent, 4 – take, 5 – left, 6 – thrown, 7- burst, 8 – stuck

Confusing Verbs
There are many verbs that sound similar and it’s easy to get confused between them. Here
is a list of some of the most common confusing verb pairs, their meanings and examples of
how they should be used in a sentence.

Verb Meaning/ Use The Verb in Context

borrow To take a loan Can I borrow $20 from you

please?

lend To give a loan I will lend you $20.

say 1. To report 1. Did she say anything

someone’s about me?
words
2. How do you say “hello”
2. To ask about in Spanish?
how to use a
language

170
Verb Meaning/ Use The Verb in Context

tell 1. To instruct 1. Tell him to stop the car.

2. To narrate 2. He’s telling a good joke.

do To carry out activities He needs to do his homework.

or tasks

make 1. To cause to 1. Don’t make him angry.

happen
2. Don’t forget to make a
2. To create or list.
build
something

can 1. To show ability 1. I can contact the

company if you would
2. To request
like me to.
(informal)
2. Can I help you?

may 1. To express a 1. I may see you later at

possibility the party.
2. To request 2. May I help you?
(polite)

meet 1. To come into 1. He met her for the first

contact with time yesterday.
someone
2. I will meet you in front of
2. To be the main building.
introduced to
someone
3. To arrange to
see someone

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Verb Meaning/ Use The Verb in Context

know 1. To be familiar 1. I’ve known Sheila for a

with someone long time.
2. To understand 2. He knows a lot about
a fact or truth geography.

waste To fail to use 1. Don’t waste your time

something valuable in watching too much TV.
an effective way
2. Don’t waste water! We
don’t have enough of it.

spend 1. To pay out 1. I spent a lot of money at

the shop yesterday.
2. To pass time
2. He spends much of his
time at the beach.

lie 1. To recline or to 1. The cat lies in the sun

rest most of the day.
2. To not tell the 2. The documents
truth are lying on the table
now.
3. He lay on his bed in pain
last night.
4. He lied to me about the
money he’d spent.

lay To put, place or set 1. He lays his keys on the

down counter every day.
2. He laid the mail on the
table when he came in.

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Verb Meaning/ Use The Verb in Context

bring To carry towards He brings me flowers every

someone or week.
somewhere

take To carry away from He always takes his brother to

someone or hockey games.
somewhere

adopt To take or claim as They adopted a child from

one’s own Vietnam last year.

adapt 1. To get used to 1. John adapted to the

weather in the East quite
2. To change
quickly.
2. That
company adapts and
resells the ideas of
others.

rise 1. To get up 1. He rises at 5:00 every

morning
2. To go up
2. Gas prices are
steadily rising.

raise to make higher The government is raising the

price of fuel.

emigrate To leave a country Joshua emigrated from the UK

in 2001.

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 Verb Meaning/ Use The Verb in Context

immigrate To move to another She immigrated to Canada in

country 2002.

Exercises – Confusing verbs

Choose the correct word from the parenthesis at the end of the sentence as in the example.
1. As a child, I spent each summer in France with my grandmother. (spent/wasted)
1. I have already ____ to the customs in this new country I live in. (adapted / adopted)
2. Ed ______ Suzanne at a single’s party last month. (met / knew)
3. The girls ____ money from their father to buy their mom a gift. (lent / borrowed)
4. My father _______ the American flag on all US holidays. (raises / rises)
5. He’s ________ down because he doesn’t feel well. (laying / lying)
6. Cho left China and _______ to Australia in 1998. (emigrated / immigrated)
7. I don’t know how to do it, but I’m sure the service department ________ help you.
(can / may)
8. I hope you will _______ your job well. (make / do)
9. Anna parties every night. It has started _______ her work. (effecting / affecting)
10. Please turn off the lights. We don’t like to _____ energy. (spend / waste)
Answers:
1. adapted
2. met
3. borrowed
4. raises
5. lying
6. immigrated
7. can
8. do
9. affecting
10. waste

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Gerunds and Infinitives
Gerunds and infinitives are sometimes referred to as verb complements. They may function
as subjects or objects in a sentence.
What are Gerunds?
A gerund is a verb in its ing (present participle) form that functions as a noun that names an
activity rather than a person or thing. Any action verb can be made into a gerund.
Spelling Tip
Verbing (Present Participle)
• Add ing to most verbs. Ex. play > playing, cry > crying, bark > barking
• For verbs that end in e, remove the e and add ing. Ex: slide > sliding, ride > riding
• For verbs that end in ie, change the ie to y and add ing. Ex: die > dying, tie > tying
• For a verb whose last syllable is written with a consonant-vowel-consonant and is
stressed, double the last letter before adding ing. Ex: beg > begging, begin >
beginning. However: enter > entering (last syllable is not stressed)

Gerund Examples
Gerunds can appear at the beginning of a sentence when used as a subject:
1. Jogging is a hobby of mine.
Gerunds can act as an object following the verb:
1. Daniel quit smoking a year ago.
Gerunds can serve as an object after a preposition:
1. I look forward to helping you paint the house.
Note: The same spelling rules that apply to the progressive tenses also apply to gerunds.
Some verbs and verb phrases are directly followed a gerund:
1. Paul avoids using chemicals on the vegetables he grows.
Some verbs can be followed by a gerund or an infinitive without causing a change in
meaning:
1. Some people prefer getting up early in the morning.
2. Some people prefer to get up early in the morning
Some verbs can be followed by a gerund or infinitive but with a change in meaning:
1. He remembered sending the fax. (He remembered the act of send the fax)
2. He remembered to send the fax. (He remembered the fax and sent it.)

What are Infinitives?

An infinitive is a verb form that acts as other parts of speech in a sentence. It is formed with
to + base form of the verb. Ex: to buy, to work.

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Infinitive Examples
Infinitives can be used as:
an object following the verb:
1. Jim always forgets to eat
a subject at the beginning of a sentence:
1. To travel around the world requires a lot of time and money.
an adverb modifying a verb:
1. You promised to buy me a diamond ring.
an adjective modifying a noun:
1. Tara has the ability to succeed.
Some verbs are directly followed by an infinitive:
1. Do you want to call your family now?
Some verbs are directly followed by a noun or pronoun and then by an infinitive:
1. I convinced Catherine to become vegetarian.
2. He advised me to sell all my shares of stock.
Some verbs can be followed by an infinitive or a gerund without causing a change in
meaning:
1. Will you continue working after you give birth?
2. Will you continue to work after you give birth?
Some verbs can be followed by an infinitive or a gerund but with a change in meaning:
1. He stopped drinking coffee. (He never drank coffee again.)
2. He stopped to drink coffee. (He stopped what he was doing and drank some coffee.)
Exercises – Gerunds and Infinitives
Choose the correct gerund or infinitive from the parenthesis at the end of the sentence.
1. She likes to get up early in the morning. (likes / dislikes)
1. 1. Alan can’t stand _________ on trains. (riding/ to ride)
2. Mr. Harris enjoys _________ people out to dinner. (inviting / to invite)
3. In the old days, gentlemen challenged their rivals _______. (fighting / to fight)
4. As the famous saying goes, there’s no use ______ over spilt milk. (crying / to cry)
5. Jim stopped _________ his shoelace. Wait for him. (tying / to tie)
6. My wife always volunteers ___________ cakes PTA meetings. (baking / to bake)
7. Don’t waste my time ___________ about your salary. (complaining/ to complain)
8. Eva is having trouble _________ on the exam. (concentrating / to concentrate)

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 9. Please allow me ____________ your Facebook page. (joining / to join)
10. You won’t forget _________milk on your way home, will you? (picking up /to pick up)
Answers:
1. riding
2. inviting
3. to fight
4. crying
5. to tie
6. to bake
7. complaining
8. concentrating
9. to join
10. to pick up

Reference Lists – Gerunds and Infinitives

Common verbs and phrases that are followed by a gerund
• admit
• advise
• avoid
• be used to
• can’t help
• can’t stand
• consider
• deny
• discuss
• dislike
• end up
• enjoy
• feel like
• finish
• forget
• get used to
• give up

177
 • go on
• have difficulty
• have problems
• have trouble
• imagine
• it’s no use
• it’s worthwhile
• keep
• look forward to
• mention
• mind
• miss
• recommend
• remember
• quit
• spend time
• stop
• suggest
• understand
• waste time
• work at
Common verbs that can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive without
causing a change in meaning
• begin
• continue
• hate
• intend
• like
• love
• prefer
• start
Common verbs that can be followed by a gerund or infinitive but with a change in
meaning

178
 • forget
• remember
• stop
Common verbs that are followed by an infinitive
• afford
• agree
• appear
• arrange
• ask
• care
• decide
• demand
• expect
• fail
• forget
• hope
• learn
• manage
• mean
• offer
• plan
• prepare
• pretend
• promise
• refuse
• remember
• seem
• stop
• volunteer
• wait
• want
• wish

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Common verbs that are directly followed by a noun or pronoun and then by an
infinitive
• advise
• allow
• ask
• cause
• challenge
• command
• convince
• expect
• forbid
• force
• hire
• instruct
• invite
• order
• pay
• permit
• program
• remind
• teach
• tell
• urge
• want
• warn

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Passive Voice
What is the passive voice?
In general we tend to use the active voice. That is when a subject does an action to an
object.
1. Somebody stole my laptop. (subject = Somebody / action(verb) = stole / object = my
laptop)
The passive voice is used when we want to emphasize the action (the verb) and the object
of a sentence rather than subject. This means that the subject is either less important than
the action itself or that we don’t know who or what the subject is.
1. My laptop was stolen. (The object – now the subject = My laptop / action= was
stolen)
1. Passive: Napa Valley is known for its excellent wines.
2. Active: [Many people] know Napa Valley for its excellent wines.
1. Passive: Twenty civilians were killed in the bomb explosion.
2. Active: Someone killed twenty civilians in the bomb explosion.

The passive agent

When we know who the subject is, we put it at the end with by. We call this an agent.
1. Passive: The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci. (agent =Leonardo Da
Vinci )
2. Active: Leonaro Da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa.
Most writing instructors and editors recommend against using the passive voice, when
possible. The reason for this is that when you use the active voice, your writing is clearer
and less complicated.
1. Active: While Mr. Taylor was driving down Highway 101, a police officer pulled him
over and gave him a speeding ticket.
2. Passive: While Mr. Taylor was driving down Highway 101, he was pulled over and
given a ticket by a police officer.
If it’s a long sentence and you know who the subject is, it’s best to use the active voice.
The passive is often used to report something or to state a fact.
1. Highway 15 was closed yesterday due to a serious road accident.
2. A lot of corn is grown in Iowa.
Forming the passive voice
The passive voice is not a tense in English. Each tense has its own passive voice which is
created by using a form of the auxiliary verb to be + V3 (past participle)
The passive voice in each tense:

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Tense Auxiliary verb + sample Examples
V3 (past participle)

Present am, is, are + made Wine is made from

simple grapes.
Many cars are made in
Japan.

Present am, is, are + being + sent The document is being

progressive sent right now.
I am being sent to work in
the London office.

Past simple was, were + invited John was invited to speak

at the conference.
We were invited to Daniel
and Mary’s wedding.

Past was, were + being + The dog was being

progressive washed washed when I got home.
Their cars were being
washed while they were
in the mall shopping.

Future (will) will be + signed The contract will be

signed tomorrow.
The documents will all be
signed by next week.

Future (going am, is, are + going to A bridge is going to be

to) be + built built within the next two
years.
New houses are going to
be built in our
neighborhood.

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Tense Auxiliary verb + sample Examples
V3 (past participle)

Present has, have + been + sold That start-up has been

perfect sold for $5 million.
The rights to his book
have been sold for
$250,000.

Past perfect had + been + hired The new manager had

been hired before John
left the company.
All the employees had
hired before the store
opened.

Future will + have been + The car will have been

perfect finished loaded by the time he
gets home.
The crates will have been
loaded by then.

Modals: can, could + be + issued A passport can only be

can/could issued at the embassy.
He said the documents
could be issued within the
week.

Modal: have have to, has to, had A babysitter has to be

to to + be + arranged arranged for this evening.
Joan’s travel plans have
to be arranged by
December.

Modal: must must + be + stopped Criminals must be

stopped before they
commit crimes.

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All of the rules for passive negatives and questions are the same as for the active voice.
Note: Verbs that have no object (no one to “receive” the action) cannot be put into the
passive, such as, arrive, come, die, exist, go, happen, have, live, occur sleep, etc.

Passive Voice – Exercises

Fill in the correct passive form of the verb in parentheses.
1. After the earthquake, aid was sent to the people of Haiti. (sent)
2. The electricity was cut off because the bill hadn’t been paid. (not pay)
1. Penicillin ______ by Alexander Fleming in 1928. (discover)
2. Statements ______ from all the witnesses at this moment. (take)
3. Whales ______ by an international ban on whaling. (must protect)
4. Both weddings _______ by Good Taste. (cater)
5. A Picasso ____ from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.(steal)
6. ____ this washing machine ______in Germany? (make)
7. Tea _____ in China. (grow)
8. When we reached the airport, we found that all the flights____ due to the storm.
(cancel)
9. The fax _____ until tomorrow morning. (not send)
10. The soundtrack of a movie _____ always _____ after the filming is finished. (is/add)
Answers:
1. was discovered
2. are being taken
3. must be protected
4. were catered
5. was stolen
6. Was/made
7. is grown
8. had been cancelled
9. won’t be sent
10. is/added

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Conjugation

Definition of Conjugation
Conjugation is the change that takes place in a verb to express tense, mood, person and so
on. In English, verbs change as they are used, most notably with different people (you, I, we)
and different time (now, later, before). Conjugating verbs essentially means altering them
into different forms to provide context. If we regard verbs as the action part of the speech,
conjugation alters verbs to tell us who is doing the action and when the action takes place. If
we didn’t conjugate the verb, leaving it in what is called the infinitive form
(to think, to laugh, to whisper), the context (tense, person, mood, etc.) might be unclear or
lost all together.
Consider the verb to be and the examples of how it is conjugated into the present tense.
• I am 32 years old.
• You are a terrific foot player.
• Acoustics is the study of the properties of sound.
• The sheep is running across the field.
• The sheep are running across the field.
First of all, the conjugation of be into the present tense tells us that these actions are
happening now. I am (currently) 32 years old. (Right now) you are a terrific football player.
Secondly, while one could argue that the context of who is doing the action is already given
by pronouns you and I, notice how the conjugated form is tells us that acoustics, which looks
like a plural, is a singular word. The importance is really driven home in the last two
examples, both of which are grammatically correct as sheep has the same spelling in the
singular and plural forms. The first tells us that a (just one) sheep is running across the field,
whereas the last tells us that multiple (more than one) sheep are running across the field. No
other word in this sentence indicates how many sheep there are but the verb, thus the
conjugation is critical to the meaning of the sentence.
Grammatical Conjugation
Of course, verbs are not just conjugated into the present tense and there are many reasons
– some subtle, some explicit – for them to be altered into different variations. The overall
term for this altering specific to verbs is called grammatical conjugation. We achieve
conjugation by the process of inflection, which is a way of saying changing a word to provide
different inflected, or adjusted, meaning. The way a verb is conjugated is determined by
factors like number, person and tense. Look at the example below to see how the verb to
go changes meaning (and spelling) when conjugated and how its change changes the
meaning of the sentence.
• I go to work each day. This is something that still occurs.
• I went to work each day. This is something that no longer occurs.
• I will go to work each day. This is something that has not yet happened.
• I would go to work each day. This is something that might happen (if a condition is
met).
• I am going to work each day. This is something that is presently occurring.

185
 • I would have gone to work each day. This is something that might have happened in
the past (if a condition had been met). I would have gone to work each day if they
gave us yummy cookies means that if they offered us delicious cookies in the past, I
would have gone (in the past).
• I will have gone to work each day. This is something that will have happened (when
a future condition is met). For example, I will have gone to every game of the season
by the championship means that in the future, when there is a championship, I can
look back and see that I went to all the games. I will be looking backward from some
time in the future.

The verb to go is conjugated in seven different ways to provide seven different meanings
(tenses) to an otherwise identical sentence. Look at the next example that shows how the
verb to dance is conjugated differently to express the number, people and tense of the
action.
• I dance alone, yet I still love to dance. This is something that is presently occurring.
• Will you dance with me? This is something you hope will happen in the future.
• Jane danced with Bob, but she didn’t dance with me or Kevin. This happened in the
past.
• I saw Kevin dancing alone, so I asked him if he would dance with me. This
happened in the past, but I asked him if he would dance with me in the future.
• I soon learned that Kevin dances badly, so I let him dance alone again. This
happened in the past.
• Next time, I will dance with Jane and Bob. Although, I am not sure if they will
dance with me. This is something that will happen in the future.
All Types of Conjugations Exist
As you may have noticed, conjugation is inextricably tied to the idea of verb tenses. A verb
cannot be conjugated without reflecting the tense, otherwise we would not know when the
action of the verb takes place. There is actually some debate as to how many tenses there
are in the English language, with as many as 12 to 16 cited. There is a bit of confusion as
some tenses can go by two names: future simple or simple future, for example. The good
news is that most of these tenses are formed by the use of auxiliary verbs, such as will,
have, be, so it’s not as if you have to learn up to 16 different conjugations. In English, we can
break the tenses down to five main areas: past, present, future, perfect and conditional.
Past tense conjugations:
• Simple past: Zoe went to the store.
• Past progressive: Zoe was going to the store.
Present tense conjugations:
• Simple present: Caren buys make-up.
• Present progressive: Caren is buying make-up.
Future tense conjugations:

186
 • Future simple (I): Michael and Benjy will eat lunch at noon.
• Future simple (I) with going to: They are going to eat lunch at noon.
• Future perfect (II): Will they have eaten lunch by noon?
• Future progressive (I): They will be eating lunch at noon.
• Future perfect progressive (II): They will have been eating lunch for a few minutes
by the time I arrive at 12:15.
Perfect tense conjugations:
• Present perfect simple: He has spoken about it.
• Present perfect progressive: He has been speaking about it.
• Past perfect progressive: He had been speaking about it.
• Past perfect simple: He had spoken about it.
Conditional tense conjugations:
• Conditional simple (I): We would consider your proposal.
• Conditional perfect (II): We would have considered your proposal.
• Conditional progressive (I): We would be considering your proposal.
• Conditional perfect progressive (II): We would have been considering your
proposal.
Examples of Conjugation in English
As you can see from the examples above, most verbs are conjugated by the use of auxiliary,
or helping, verbs and the addition of infinitives, gerunds and participles. We will provide
some basic examples of fully conjugated verbs below. For context, the conjugation in the
form of a question and negative will also be provided. With the verb to be, it changes form in
the present: am, is, are. But with the verb to find in the past, there is no change in form
except in the negative or when used as a question: found. And for both the verb to go in the
future tense and the verb to think in the conditional tense, notice how they no longer display
any of irregular properties when paired with the auxiliary verbs will and would:
The irregular verb to be conjugated into the (simple) present tense:
• I am.
• You (singular) are.
• He/she/it/John/Jane is.
• We
• You (plural) are.
• They/John & Jane are.
• Are you?
• I am
The irregular verb to find conjugated into the (simple) past tense:

187
 • I found.
• You (singular) found.
• He/she/it/John/Jane found.
• We found.
• You (plural) found.
• They/John & Jane
• Did he find it?
• We did not find
The irregular verb to go conjugated into the future tense:
• I will go.
• You (singular) will go.
• He/she/it/John/Jane will go.
• We will go.
• You (plural) will
• They/John & Jane will go.
• Will we go?
• You will not go.
The regular verb to think conjugated into the conditional tense:
• I would think.
• You would think.
• He/she/it/John/Jane would think
• We would think.
• You (plural) would think.
• They/John & Jane would think.
• Would we think?
• You would not think.

Do, Does, Did

The Verb to do: do, does and did
The words do, does and did often cause confusion in the English language.
They are all forms of the verb to do.
The verb to do can be used as an action verb and also as an auxiliary verb.

188
to do as an Action Verb
In some cases, to do is used as a verb that expresses an action (just like the verb to walk).
Subject/Verb Agreement Using to do as an Action Verb

Subj Forms of to do in each Tense Rest of

ect Senten
ce
Prese Pa Perfec Continuo
nt st t Form us Form

I/ do did have/h am/are/w a good

You / ad + ere + job
We / done doing
They

He / does did has/ha is/was + homew

She / d+ doing ork
It done

Spelling Tip
In Present Simple 3rd person (he, she, it), add an es to a verb that ends in ‘o’:
do > does / go> goes
Examples
1. Pete always does his taxes on time.
2. Volunteers do a lot of work around the town.
3. Gil did a great job on his history report for school.
4. You have done nothing all morning!
5. I am doing the best I can!

The verb to do as an auxiliary verb

It is also common to use do, does and did as auxiliary verbs (or helping verbs) together with
another verb in its base form. This is used to create negative sentences, questions, or for
adding emphasis.
Negative sentences with do not, does not and did not
When creating negative sentences, we usually use shortened
forms: don’t, doesn’t and didn’t together with the base form of the verb.
Note: Save the long forms (do not, does not and did not) for when you want to create
emphasis. When speaking, you would put an accent on the ‘not’.

189
 Subject Auxillery Verb to do Verb in Rest of
Present or Past Base Sentence
Form

I / You / don’t (do didn’t sleep late

We / They not) (did
not)

He / She / doesn’t didn’t sit out in the

It (does (did sun
not) not)

Spelling Tip
When shortening the 3rd person (he, she, it) negative, just remove the o in not and add an
apostrophe (‘)
does not > doesn’t
Examples
1. Your client doesn’t understand the contract.
2. You don’t need to worry about me.
3. Your friends didn’t get the e-mail.

Yes/No Questions with Do, Does and Did

To create a question that will be answered with a yes or no, start the question with Do, Does
or Did, (Doesn’t, Don’t, Didn’t) for a negative question) then add a subject (the person or
thing that does the action) followed by the base form of the verb and only then add the rest
of the sentence.

Auxiliary Verb ‘To subject verb in rest of

Do’ base sentence
form

Present Past

Do Did I / you / we drink enough

/ they water

190
 Auxiliary Verb ‘To subject verb in rest of
Do’ base sentence
form

Present Past

Does Did he / she / it eat meat

Don’t Didn’t I / you / we write to them

/ they

Punctuation Tip
Always begin a sentence, question and wh-question with a capital letter:
He always does good work.
Do you like me?
What did they bring you?
Examples:
1. Do you want to go to the party?
2. Does your dog live outside or in the house?
3. Does your sister always talk so much on the phone?
4. Did you catch the bus this morning?
5. Don’t you ever visit your parents?
6. Didn’t Mr. Albertson call you?
Note: Time Expressions:
1. You may add a one-word time expression, such as always, usually,
or often between the subject and the verb.
2. You may use a negative question with a time expression such as ‘ever’.

Wh-questions with do, does and did

Wh- questions are questions that require more information in their answers. Typical wh-
words are what, where, when, why, who, how, how many, how much.
To create a wh-question, start with the wh-word, then add do, does or did, then the subject
(a person or thing that does the action), followed by the base form of the verb and only then
add the rest of the sentence.

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 Wh- Auxiliary Verb ‘To Subjec Verb Rest of
Word Do’ t in Sentenc
Bas e
e
Presen Pas For
t t m

Wher Do Did I / you / get the maps

e we /
they

Why Does Did he / sit out in the

she / it sun

Examples
1. Where do you want to send the package?
2. Why does she always scream like that?
3. How much do these earrings cost?
4. Why don’t you ever clean up your mess?
5. When did they arrive home?

Exercises for the Verb To Do

Fill in the correct form of the verbs as in the examples:
1. Mark and Dylan do volunteer work at the homeless shelter twice a week. (do)
2. Sheila didn’t do the dishes last night. (not do)
3. Does Gillian usually meet clients so late at night? (meet)
1. ________ John often _____ together with his friends on the weekends? (get)
2. Sivan ____________the post every day. (not collect)
3. _______ the computer ____________ again yesterday? (break down)
4. ____________ work __________ he _______ every month? (how much/do/do)
5. _________ you ________ your laundry now? (do)
6. In general, the dogs ____________ on the beds in his house. (not sleep) They _____
last night though. (do)
7. How many copies of the document_______ you _________? (need)

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 8. I ________ ever___________ the street on a red light! (not cross)
9. ________ Adam always _________ the lights off when he leaves the office? (turn)
10. _________ she ________ her homework yet? (do) It’s due tomorrow.
Answers:
1. Does/get
2. doesn’t collect
3. Did/break down
4. How much/does/do
5. Are/doing
6. don’t sleep/did
7. do/need
8. don’t/cross
9. Does/turn
10. Hasn’t/done

Examples – do, does, did

Positive
1. Pete always does his taxes on time.
2. Volunteers do a lot of work around the town.
3. Gil did a great job on his History report for school.
4. You have done nothing all morning!
5. I am doing the best I can!
Negatives
1. Your client doesn’t understand the contract.
2. You don’t need to worry about me.
3. Your friends didn’t get the e-mail.
4. I do not want to go with you!
Yes/No Questions
1. Do you want to go to the party?
2. Does your dog live outside or in the house?
3. Does your sister always talk so much on the phone?
4. Did you catch the bus this morning?
5. Don’t you ever visit your parents?

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 6. Didn’t Mr. Albertson call you?
Wh-Questions
1. Where do you want to send the package?
2. Why does she always scream like that?
3. How much do these earrings cost?
4. Why don’t you ever clean up your mess?
5. When did they arrive home?

Irregular Verbs List

This list contains all the irregular verbs of the English language. Each entry includes the
base or bare infinitive first, followed by the simple past (V2) form and the past participle (V3)
form. Taking some time to make sentences using each irregular verb form will help you to
use these verbs correctly when speaking and writing. Simply reading through this list will
help you to recognize an irregular verb when you see one.
Irregular Verbs – Complete List

Base Form Past Simple (V2) Past Participle (V3)

arise arose arisen

awake awoke awoken

be was/were been

bear bore born(e)

beat beat beaten

become became become

begin began begun

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Base Form Past Simple (V2) Past Participle (V3)

bend bent bent

bet bet bet

bind bound bound

bite bit bitten

bleed bled bled

blow blew blown

break broke broken

breed bred bred

bring brought brought

broadcast broadcast broadcast

build built built

burn burnt/burned burnt/burned

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Base Form Past Simple (V2) Past Participle (V3)

burst burst burst

buy bought bought

can could … (been able)

catch caught caught

choose chose chosen

cling clung clung

come came come

cost cost cost

creep crept crept

cut cut cut

deal dealt dealt

dig dug dug

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Base Form Past Simple (V2) Past Participle (V3)

do did done

draw drew drawn

dream dreamt/dreamed dreamt/dreamed

drink drank drunk

drive drove driven

eat ate eaten

fall fell fallen

feed fed fed

feel felt felt

fight fought fought

find found found

fly flew flown

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Base Form Past Simple (V2) Past Participle (V3)

forbid forbade forbidden

forget forgot forgotten

forgive forgave forgiven

freeze froze frozen

get got got

give gave given

go went gone

grind ground ground

grow grew grown

hang hung hung

have had had

hear heard heard

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Base Form Past Simple (V2) Past Participle (V3)

hide hid hidden

hit hit hit

hold held held

hurt hurt hurt

keep kept kept

kneel knelt knelt

know knew known

lay laid laid

lead led led

lean leant/leaned leant/leaned

learn learnt/learned learnt/learned

leave left left

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Base Form Past Simple (V2) Past Participle (V3)

lent lent lent

lie (in bed) lay lain

lie (to not tell the truth) lied lied

light lit/lighted lit/lighted

lose lost lost

make made made

may might …

mean meant meant

meet met met

mow mowed mown/mowed

must had to …

overtake overtook overtaken

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Base Form Past Simple (V2) Past Participle (V3)

pay paid paid

put put put

read read read

ride rode ridden

ring rang rung

rise rose risen

run ran run

saw sawed sawn/sawed

say said said

see saw seen

sell sold sold

send sent sent

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Base Form Past Simple (V2) Past Participle (V3)

set set set

sew sewed sewn/sewed

shake shook shaken

shall should …

shed shed shed

shine shone shone

shoot shot shot

show showed shown

shrink shrank shrunk

shut shut shut

sing sang sung

sink sank sunk

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Base Form Past Simple (V2) Past Participle (V3)

sit sat sat

sleep slept slept

slide slid slid

smell smelt smelt

sow sowed sown/sowed

speak spoke spoken

spell spelt/spelled spelt/spelled

spend spent spent

spill spilt/spilled spilt/spilled

spit spat spat

spread spread spread

stand stood stood

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Base Form Past Simple (V2) Past Participle (V3)

steal stole stolen

stick stuck stuck

sting stung stung

stink stank stunk

strike struck struck

swear swore sworn

sweep swept swept

swell swelled swollen/swelled

swim swam swum

swing swung swung

take took taken

teach taught taught

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Base Form Past Simple (V2) Past Participle (V3)

tear tore torn

tell told told

think thought thought

throw threw thrown

understand understood understood

wake woke woken

wear wore worn

weep wept wept

will would …

win won won

wind wound wound

write wrote written

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Nouns
What is a Noun?
The simplest definition of a noun is a thing and nouns are the basic building blocks of
sentences. These things can represent a person, animal, place, idea, emotion – almost
any thing that you can think of. Dog, Sam, love, phone, Chicago, courage and spaceship are
all nouns. The more nouns you know in a language, the better you will be able to
communicate your ideas. Here, we’ll take a closer look at what makes a noun a noun, and
we’ll provide some examples of how nouns are used.
Noun examples: respect, faith, apple, seashore, peanut, motorcycle
Noun examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
1. The boy and girl were holding hands as they crossed the bridge on
the way to town.
2. I love watching my cat play with the pink yarn.
3. It is raining! Everyone, grab your umbrella and rain hat and watch out for
the puddles!

Categories of Nouns
There are several categories of nouns, and there can be an overlap across the categories.
For example, there are common and proper nouns, and concrete and abstract nouns, yet
some nouns are both concrete and common, or concrete and proper. It will become clear as
you read on.
Common nouns are the words that refer to most general things: country, evening, laughter,
puppy, umbrella
Common noun examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
• Cathy loves the weekends in the country.
• We enjoy swimming after breakfast.
• The cup fell and broke.
Proper nouns are the name that identifies someone or something, a person or a place.
Proper nouns are capitalized. John is a proper noun, since the word John represents a
particular, single example of a thing, John.
Proper noun examples: Mary, Jimmy, Aunt Audrey, Honda, Philadelphia
Proper noun examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
• Emily loved spending time with her Aunt Nancy in Paris.
• Buick and Jeep are two important carmakers.
• We visited Lake Erie, which separates the United States and Canada.
Concrete nouns represent a thing that is real and tangible: pig, person, rock, smell, air,
soup, Larry are all concrete nouns.
Concrete noun examples: cup, computer, diamond, rollercoaster, shampoo, Debby

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Concrete noun examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
• The person threw the rock across the yard.
• My dog, Oreo, jumped in the air and caught the ball!
• Can you smell the soup, John?
An abstract noun represents a thing that is more like a concept or idea: love, integrity,
democracy, friendship, beauty, knowledge are examples of abstract nouns.
Abstract noun examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
• Love and friendship are equally important.
• Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
• Your mind can know a million things.
Nouns can also be categorized as countable or uncountable.
A countable noun is a thing can be numbered or counted: airplane, sock, bowl, noodle,
teacher, as in two airplanes, three socks, 1000 noodles.
Countable noun examples: peach, horse, shirt, telescope
Countable noun examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
• There are five dogs in the street.
• I bought three tons of coal.
• Margaret has six pairs of blue sandals.
Uncountable nouns can have a quantity or amount but cannot be actually counted: water,
music, clothes, understanding. In the second example above, tons is a countable noun,
but coal is not. Coal is referred to as an uncountable noun.
Uncountable noun examples: hate, confidence, attractiveness, wisdom
Uncountable noun examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
• Love is in the air.
• The four elements are air, earth, fire and water.
• Her humor knows no bounds.
Collective nouns refer to a group of people or things: audience, team, bunch, family, class.
When speaking of collective nouns, Americans consider them as singular, using singular
verbs with them, such as the group dances happily. When speaking British English, both
singular verbs and plural verbs might be used, as in the group dance crazily before the
Queen.
Collective noun examples: government, jury, team, bunch, school, class, and room (the
people in the room or building)
Collective noun examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
• The team threw confetti when it was over.

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 • Steve buys the band some sandwiches.
• Meredith told the class she was getting married.
As mentioned above, when we talk of categories of nouns, some nouns can be described as
being in more than one category. Some nouns are concrete and countable, for example,
such as raindrops and wedding rings, while some are proper and uncountable, such as the
Atlantic Ocean and Alaska.

Forms of Nouns
The same noun can appear in different forms, depending on how it is used.
A countable noun can be singular or plural. Most nouns in English form the plural by
adding -s or -es to the noun, although there are some exceptions:
• One dog, two dogs, red dog, blue dog.
• I missed not just one bus today, but two buses.
• New York City is one of the grandest cities in the world.
Uncountable nouns and proper nouns are always considered to be singular:
• The air in the countryside and in the city is clean and fresh (not the airs).
• All knowledge is a good thing (not knowledges).
• Florida has mostly warm weather in the winter.
Nouns can also indicate ownership. This form of a noun is called a possessive noun, and
is indicated by an apostrophe and the letter –s. It is equivalent to using the word of and the
noun.
• The light’s color is red. (or: The color of the light is red.)
• The country’s flag has blue stripes. (or: The flag of the country has blue stripes.)
• The hunters’ guns were loaded. (or: The guns of the hunters were loaded.)
Note that when the noun already ends with -s, possession is indicated by adding only an
apostrophe – hunters’ guns, not hunters’s guns.
A noun can be used as the subject of a sentence, or in another capacity as an object:
• John is nice. – John is the subject of the sentence
• I saw John – John is the simple (direct) object of the sentence.
• I gave John the phone. – John is the indirect object of the sentence.
• I gave the phone to John. – John is the object of the preposition to.

Additional Info About Nouns

Sometimes nouns are used as adjectives, which is referred to as a noun adjunct. In fact,
English is amazingly flexible in that almost any noun can also be used as an adjective,
though sometimes the use is considered comical or slangy:

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 • Ocean view – Ocean describes the type of view you would see outside your window.
• Jazz concert – Jazz is specifying what kind of concert is being played.
• Cheese omelet – It’s a certain type of omelet, eggs with cheese. Using a true
adjective as in a cheesy omelet means any type of omelet (onion and peppers,
mushroom) that has a lot of cheese.
• Dog tired – Really really tired – even though dogs aren’t known to be especially tired.
• Fear Factor – An example of using just any old word as a noun adjunct.

Proper Nouns
What is a Proper Noun?
Proper nouns have two distinct features: They name specific one-of-a-kind items, and they
begin with capital letters, no matter where they occur within a sentence. Here, we’ll take a
closer look at proper nouns, provide proper noun examples, and help you learn how to use a
proper noun the right way.
Remember that all nouns are words naming people, animals, places, things, and ideas.
Every noun can be further classified as either common or proper. The distinction is very easy
to make once you see some examples and come up with a few of your own.
Proper Noun Examples
In the following sentences, proper noun examples are compared with common nouns.
Notice that the proper nouns are specific and unique, while the common nouns are much
more general in nature.
1. Common noun: I want to be a writer.
Proper noun: Agatha Christie wrote many books.
2. Common noun: I’d like to adopt a cat.
Proper noun: Cleopatra is the cutest kitten ever.
3. Common noun: Would you like a cookie?
Proper noun: I’m craving Oreos.
4. Common noun: Let’s go to the city.
Proper noun: Let’s go to San Francisco.
5. Common noun: My teacher starts work before sunup.
Proper noun: Mr. Bell seems to understand what students need.
6. Common noun: I think that’s a planet, not a star.
Proper noun: I can see Jupiter tonight.
7. Common noun: He’s always hanging out with his girlfriend.
Proper noun: He never goes anywhere without Sarah.
8. Common noun: There are a lot of important documents in the archives.
Proper noun: There are many important documents at The Library of Congress.

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How to Use Proper Nouns
It’s easy to use proper nouns, once you know what they are. Simply place them in your
sentences as you would common nouns, ensuring that you capitalize them. Here are some
examples to help you get started.
• Brett had hoped for an easy teacher for his algebra class, but he got Ms. Boggs,
whose unreasonable demands and short temper made the semester unbearable.
→ Teacher is a common noun. Ms. Boggs is a proper noun.
• Gloria had a craving, and not just any cookie would do. She went to the store and
bought a box of Oreos.
→ Cookie is a common noun. Oreos is a proper noun.
• We wanted to try a new restaurant, so we went to Taste of Thai.
→ Restaurant is a common noun. Taste of Thai is a proper noun.

Proper Noun Examples

Identify the proper noun in each sentence:
1. The boy threw the ball to his dog, Wilson.
2. I’d like you to meet my friend Jeremy.
3. We’ll be vacationing in Aspen this year.
4. My second grade teacher was Mrs. Gilbert, an old battle-axe.
5. We went to Smith’s Furniture and bought a new couch to replace our old one.
6. Do you think the Dolphins will win the game?
7. I’m flying first-class on Emirate Airlines.
8. Thomas Jefferson was a president and philosopher.
9. My best friend moved to Israel to study.
10. When the Titanic sank, the captain went down with the ship.
Answers: 1 – Wilson, 2 – Jeremy, 3 – Aspen, 4 – Mrs. Gilbert, 5 – Smith’s Furniture, 6
– Dolphins, 7 – Emirate Airlines, 8 – Thomas Jefferson, 9 – Israel, 10 – Titanic

Types of Nouns
There are several different types of nouns used to name people, animals, places, things,
and ideas. Here, we’ll take a quick look at various types of nouns so you can recognize them
when you see them and use them appropriately in sentences.
Types of Nouns in English
Nouns are among the most important words in the English language – without them, we’d
have a difficult time speaking and writing about anything. This guide to noun types is
intended as a basic overview. Every type of noun comes with its own rules, so be sure to
read more in our pages about specific types of nouns.

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Abstract Nouns

Abstract nouns are those referring to ideas, concepts, emotions, and other “things” you can’t
physically interact with. You can’t see, taste, touch, smell, or hear something named with an
abstract noun. Some abstract noun examples are included in the following sentences.
Success seems to come easily to certain people.
His hatred of people smoking indoors is legendary.
She has an incredible love for nature.
This is of great importance.
He received an award for his bravery.

Collective Nouns

When talking about types of noun, it’s important to remember collective nouns. A collective
noun is a word that refers to a group. It can be either singular or plural, but is usually used in
the singular. Some collective noun examples are included in the following sentences.
Our team is enjoying an unbroken winning streak.
There’s a pack of hyenas outside.
Watch out for that swarm of bees.
You haven’t lived until you’ve seen a herd of wild horses.
Our class graduates two years from now.

Common Nouns

Common nouns are used to refer to general things rather than specific examples. Common
nouns are not normally capitalized unless they are used as part of a proper name or are
placed at the beginning of a sentence. Some common noun examples are included in the
following sentences.
Be sure to pick a top university.
Stack those boxes carefully.
Would you like a cookie with your coffee?
People are strange.
My dog won’t stop barking.
Concrete Nouns
Concrete nouns are words used for actual things you can touch, see, taste, feel, and hear –
things you interact with every day. Notice that concrete nouns can also be countable,

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uncountable, common, proper, and collective nouns. Some concrete noun examples are
included in the following sentences.
Please remember to buy oranges.
Have a seat in that chair.

Countable and Uncountable Nouns

In English grammar, countable nouns are individual people, animals, places, things, or ideas
which can be counted. Uncountable nouns are not individual objects, so they cannot be
counted. Here, we’ll take a look at countable and uncountable nouns and provide both
countable noun examples and uncountable noun examples. Although the concept may seem
challenging, you’ll soon discover that these two different noun types are very easy to use.
Countable Noun Examples
Anything that can be counted, whether singular – a dog, a house, a friend, etc. or plural – a
few books, lots of oranges, etc. is a countable noun. The following countable noun examples
will help you to see the difference between countable and uncountable nouns. Notice that
singular verbs are used with singular countable nouns, while plural verbs are used with
plural countable nouns.
1. There are at least twenty Italian restaurants in Little Italy.
2. Megan took a lot of photographs when she went to the Grand Canyon.
3. Your book is on the kitchen table.
4. How many candles are on that birthday cake?
5. You have several paintings to study in art appreciation class.
6. There’s a big brown dog running around the neighborhood.
Uncountable Noun Examples
Anything that cannot be counted is an uncountable noun. Even though uncountable nouns
are not individual objects, they are always singular and one must always use
singular verbs in conjunction with uncountable nouns. The following uncountable noun
examples will help you to gain even more understanding of how countable and uncountable
nouns differ from one another. Notice that singular verbs are always used with uncountable
nouns.
1. There is no more water in the pond.
2. Please help yourself to some cheese.
3. I need to find information about Pulitzer Prize winners.
4. You seem to have a high level of intelligence.
5. Please take good care of your equipment.
6. Let’s get rid of the garbage.
Uncountable nouns can be paired with words expressing plural concept. Using these words
can make your writing more specific. Here are some examples of how to format interesting
sentences with uncountable nouns.

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• Garbage – There are nine bags of garbage on the curb.
• Water – Try to drink at least eight glasses of water each day.
• Advice – She gave me a useful piece of advice.
• Bread – Please buy a loaf of bread.
• Furniture – A couch is a piece of furniture.
• Equipment – A backhoe is an expensive piece of equipment.
• Cheese – Please bag ten slices of cheese for me.

Countable and Uncountable Nouns Exercises

Is the underlined noun countable or uncountable?
1. The children fell asleep quickly after a busy day of fun.
2. Be careful! The water is deep.
3. The parade included fire trucks and police cars.
4. We like the large bottles of mineral water.
5. My mother uses real butter in the cakes she bakes.
6. How many politicians does it take to pass a simple law?
7. Most kids like milk, but Joey hates it.
8. Most pottery is made of clay.
9. Michael can play several different musical instruments.
10. I was feeling so stressed that I ate an entire box of cookies.
Answers: 1 – countable, 2 – uncountable, 3 – countable, 4 – countable, 5
– uncountable, 6 – countable, 7 – uncountable, 8 – uncountable, 9 – countable, 10
– countable

Common Noun
At some point, everyone has the same question: What is a common noun? Here, we’ll take a
look at common nouns and provide some common noun examples so you can easily
recognize common nouns when you see them. Don’t worry, this will be painless.
What is a Common Noun
A noun is a word that names a person, animal, place, thing, or idea. All nouns can be further
classified as a proper or common noun. Common nouns are words used to name general
items rather than specific ones. Go into your living room. What do you see? A lamp, chair,
couch, TV, window, painting, pillow, candle – all of these items are named using common
nouns.
Common nouns are everywhere, and you use them all the time, even if you don’t realize it.
Wherever you go, you’ll find at least one common noun. Street, closet, bathroom, school,
mall, gas station, living room; all of these places are things, and thus they are common
nouns.

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What is the difference between common and proper nouns?
When we look at the two main types of noun – proper and common – we can differentiate
between the two by saying that a proper noun is a general way of classifying something, and
a proper noun is a specific way of classifying something, So, for example, the word dog is a
common noun; but if your dog was called Fido, the word Fido is a proper noun:
• Dog = common noun
• Dog’s name (Fido, in this case) = proper noun
More examples of the difference between common and proper nouns:
• My favorite newspaper (common noun) is the Washington Post (proper noun).
• Her husband (common noun) is called Frank (proper noun).
• The award-winning Babe Ruth (proper noun) is the greatest baseball
player (common noun) in history.
You may have noticed from the examples that common nouns are not usually capitalized,
unless they begin a sentence, whereas proper nouns are normally capitalized. You will also
notice that both types of nouns can be more than a single word.
When to use common nouns?
We use common nouns to denote a class of objects or a concept. Consider the word star, as
in the stars we see in the sky. Star is used as a common noun, used to denote the class of
objects that we view in the night sky, i.e. the luminescent bodies that are spread across the
universe, twinkling overhead. The Sun, however, is a proper noun, used to describe the
specific star that is at the center of our solar system.
So, anything that is a thing can be generally classified as a common noun:
Professions: lawyer, doctor, teacher, nurse, politician, football player.
People: People in general are named using common nouns, though their official titles in
certain cases or given names are proper nouns. When we refer to people using common
nouns, we use words like teacher, clerk, police officer, preacher, delivery driver, boyfriend,
girlfriend, grandma, cousin, and barista.
For example, when talking about your mother, mother is a common noun.
• My mother is an actress.
• Barbara’s mother was the best cook in the city.
But when speaking to your mother, or using mother as her name, mother is used as a proper
noun.
• “Mother, can you bake your brownies for the party?”
• I asked Mother Thompson to join us at dinner.
Objects: car, newspaper, boat, potato chip, shoe, house, table, sword.
However, common nouns can also be more abstract concepts, not things but ideas,
emotions and experiences, for example:
Abstract ideas: Culture, love, democracy, time, hatred, peace, war, empathy, anger,
laughter.

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How to recognize a common noun?
Considering what we have laid out above, it should be pretty easy to recognize a common
noun. However, there are some cases when it can be tricky. Consider these sentences:
• Queen Elizabeth II welcomed President Donald Trump to Buckingham Palace.
• Donald Trump visited many queens and palaces during his tenure as
the president of the United States.
In the first sentence, Queen Elizabeth II, President Trump and Buckingham Palace are
proper nouns. They are specific titles for a specific person. In the second sentence, queens,
palaces and president are common nouns. Queens and palaces refer
to queens and palaces in general, and president refers to the job title and not the specific
person.
We mentioned earlier that job titles and general titles fall under the category of common
nouns – attorney, actor, comedian, truck driver, sergeant, officer, secretary. However, if
these become specific titles referring to a specific person, they sometimes become proper
nouns as in the examples above. Normally, this means the words are capitalized when
placed directly in front of that person’s name:
• Attorney General William Barr was appointed by President
But look how we can use the same words with common nouns:
• Each US president must appoint an attorney general while in office.
So, you can recognize the common noun by the fact it is not capitalized. But remember that
common nouns can also be identified because they are referring to non-specific things or
classifications.
The takeaway is this: common nouns are general names and unless they are part of a title
like Postmaster General or begin a sentence, they’re not usually capitalized.

Common Noun Examples

The following common noun examples will help you to recognize common nouns. In the
sentences that follow, common noun examples are italicized. Notice that the examples
providing proper nouns name specific versions of the same type of person, animal, place,
thing, or idea.
1. Common Noun: You broke my favorite mug. Proper Noun: I can’t believe you broke
my Snoopy mug.
2. Common Noun: I really want a new pair of jeans. Proper Noun: I really want to buy
a new pair of Levis.
3. Common Noun: I wish I could remember the name of that painter. Proper Noun: I
really love art by Van Gogh.
4. Common Noun: They’re all waiting for us at the restaurant. Proper Noun: Everyone
else is at Bill’s Burgers.
5. Common Noun: I really want to live in the city Proper Noun: Of all the places I’ve
lived, Denver was best.

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 6. Common Noun: Let’s go to watch a live game at the stadium. Proper Noun: Let’s
try to get good seats at Wrigley Field

Plural Nouns
Plural nouns are words used to indicate that there is more than one person, animal, place,
thing, or idea. The difference between singular and plural nouns is simple once you know
what to look for. Here, we take a look at singular and plural nouns, providing both singular
nouns examples and plural noun examples to help you recognize plural nouns when you see
them.

What is a Plural Noun

The answer is a relatively easy one, as grammar goes. A plural noun is a word that indicates
that there is more than one person, animal place, thing, or idea. When you talk about more
than one of anything, you’re using plural nouns. When you write about more than one of
anything, you usually use the same word, simply adding an s, es, or ies to the end. There
are a few exceptions to this rule, but not many – one of the best is that a single moose is a
moose, and a group of moose are still moose.
Singular and Plural Nouns
The difference between singular and plural nouns is easy to spot. When a noun indicates
one only, it is a singular noun. When a noun indicates more than one, it is plural.
Singular Noun Examples
The following sentences contain singular nouns examples.
1. The boy had a baseball in his hand.
2. My horse prefers to wear an English saddle.
3. That cat never seems to tire of jumping in and out of the box.
4. You stole my idea and didn’t give me any credit.
5. Your mom is going to be upset about that broken lamp.
6. It’s not difficult to grow a tree as long as you give it plenty of water.
7. I can’t believe you let your dog stick his head out the window while you drive.
Plural Noun Examples
The following sentences contain plural noun examples.
1. The boys were throwing baseballs back and forth between bases.
2. Our horses are much happier wearing lightweight English saddles.
3. Those cats never seem to tire of chasing one another in and out of those boxes.
4. You stole my ideas and didn’t give me any credit.
5. Our moms are going to be upset that we stayed out all night going to parties.
6. It’s not too difficult to grow trees as long as you provide them with plenty of water.
7. I can’t believe you allow your dogs to climb all over the seats while you are driving.

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Singular – Plural Nouns Exercises
Transform each of the following words into plurals:
1. Day
2. Tax
3. Taxi
4. Lady
5. Mountain
Answers 1-5:
1. Days
2. Taxes
3. Taxis
4. Ladies
5. Mountains
Choose the correct plural for each of the words that follows:
1. Choice
a. Choices b. Choices c. Choiceies
2. Box
a.Boxs b. Boxies c. Boxes
3. Thief
a.Thiefies a. Thiefs c. Thieves
4. Army
a.Armys b. Armies c. Army
5. Owl
a.Owls b. Owlies c. Owelds
Answers:
1. –a
2. –c
3. –c
4. –b
5. –a
Choose the best word to fit into each of the following sentences:
1. The men sharpened their _____________ before throwing them at the targets.
A – knife B – knifes C – knives
2. Please eat the rest of your _____________.
A – pease B – Peas C – Peies

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 3. I’d like you to stop leaving your ________________ on the floor.
A – Socks B – Sockses C – Sox
4. We saw a lot of _________________ at the park.
A – Deers B – Deeries C – Deer
5. This recipe calls for a lot of _____________.
A – Tomatos B – Tomatoes C – Tomaties
Answers:
1. –C
2. –B
3. –A
4. –C
5. –B

Gerunds
What are Gerunds?
Although the term might sound foreign, the gerund is a common part of speech that most of
us use every day, whether we know it or not. Here, we’ll take an in-depth look at gerunds
and provide you with several examples of gerunds so you’ll feel comfortable using them in
your writing, and so that you will be able to recognize them when you see them.
Gerunds: The Basics
Gerunds are words that are formed with verbs but act as nouns. They’re very easy to spot,
since every gerund is a verb with ing tacked to its tail. There are no exceptions to this rule.
Like all things grammar, gerunds do take a tiny bit of detective work to spot. The problem
here is that present participles also end with the letters ing. Besides being able to spot
gerunds, you should be able to tell the difference between a gerund and a present participle.
Let’s go back to the definition of a gerund for a moment. Remember that gerunds are words
that are formed with verbs but act as nouns. Present participles do not act as nouns.
Instead, they act as modifiers or complete progressive verbs. To find gerunds in sentences,
just look for a verb + ing that is used as a noun. It’s that simple.
Examples of Gerunds
As you read these examples of gerunds, notice the verbs they contain, and notice that every
single one of them ends in ing. By the end of this quick lesson, you’ll have no problem
recognizing gerunds when you see them.
1. Swimming in the ocean has been Sharon’s passion since she was five years old.
2. Let’s go dancing at the club tonight.
3. I delayed telling Jerry the bad news.
4. Holly decided that flying above the clouds was the most incredible experience she’d
ever had.
5. Bill avoided doing his math assignment because the World Series was on.

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Compound Nouns
What are compound nouns? Here, we’ll take an up-close look at compound nouns so you
can recognize them when you see them, plus we’ll provide you with some compound noun
examples that will help you use them effectively.
What is a Compound Noun
Compound nouns are words for people, animals, places, things, or ideas, made up of two or
more words. Most compound nouns are made with nouns that have been modified
by adjectives or other nouns.
In many compound nouns, the first word describes or modifies the second word, giving us
insight into what kind of thing an item is, or providing us with clues about the item’s purpose.
The second word usually identifies the item.
Compound nouns are sometimes one word, like toothpaste, haircut, or bedroom. These are
often referred to as closed or solid compound nouns.
Sometimes compound nouns are connected with a hyphen: dry-cleaning, daughter-in-law,
and well-being are some examples of hyphenated compound nouns.
Sometimes compound nouns appear as two separate words: full moon, Christmas tree, and
swimming pool are some examples of compound nouns that are formed with two separate
words. These are often referred to as open or spaced compound nouns.
Compound Noun Examples
The more you read and write, the more compound noun examples you’ll encounter. The
following sentences are just a few examples of compound nouns. Compound noun
examples have been italicized for easy identification.
Compound nouns can be made with two nouns:
Let’s just wait at this bus stop.
I love watching fireflies on warm summer nights.
While you’re at the store, please pick up some toothpaste, a six-pack of ginger ale, and
some egg rolls.
Compound nouns can be made with an adjective and a noun:
Let’s watch the full moon come up over the mountain.
Please erase the blackboard for me.
Compound nouns can be made with a verb and a noun:
Be sure to add bleach to the washing machine.
Let’s be sure to stay somewhere with a swimming pool.
Compound nouns can be made with a noun and a verb:
He always gets up before sunrise.
I really could use an updated hairstyle.
Compound nouns can be made with a verb and a preposition:
Checkout is at noon.

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Please remember to schedule your dog’s annual check-up.
Compound nouns can be made with a noun and a prepositional phrase:
My mother-in-law is the kindest person I know.
Compound nouns can be made with a preposition and a noun:
Do you believe in past lives?
This city is vibrant, so it’s hard to believe it has a thriving criminal underworld.
Compound nouns can be made with a noun and an adjective:
We need a truckful of mulch for the garden.

Compound Nouns Exercises

Choose the word that makes each of these nouns into a compound noun.
1. Fund __________ (A – driver, B – seat, C – raiser)
2. News __________ (A– paper, B – story, C – travels)
3. Sun ____________ (A– day, B – glasses, C – heat)
4. Child ___________ (A – hood, B – ren, C – play)
5. Door ___________ (A– frame, B – handle, C – way)
Answer Key: 1 – C, 2 – A, 3 – B, 4 – A, 5 – C
Fill in the blanks to complete each compound noun, or with the one-word compound noun
that fits best.
6. Prevent a heart _________ by eating properly and getting enough exercise. (A –
stroke, B –attack, C – murmur)
7. Do you prefer peppermint or cinnamon flavored _____________? (A– cookies, B –
toothpaste, C – applesauce)
8. The full ___________ looked enormous as it rose over the horizon. (A – moon, B –
sun, C –sunset)
9. I’m going to the barber for a _____________. (A – trim, B – new style, C – haircut)
10. They’re digging a new swimming ____________ in the park. (A – suit, B – pool, C –
game)
11. I’d love to learn to pilot an ____________(A–boat, B – airplane, C – submarine)
12. One reason donuts are fattening is that they’re fried in cooking _____. (A – oil, B –
sugar, C –pans)
13. Sherrie is upset because she lost an ______________. (A – input, B – earring, C –
friendship)
14. We put a ____________ in the garden to chase birds away.(A – runway, B –
sunshade, C –scarecrow)

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 15. 15.I’ve got to pick up a package at the post ___________. (A – man, B – office, C –
book)
Answer Key: 6 – B, 7 – B, 8 – A, 9 – C, 10 – B, 11 – B, 12 – A, 13 – B, 14 – C, 15 – B

Collective Nouns
Collective nouns are names for a collection or a number of people or things. Words like
group, herd, and array are collective noun examples. Here, we’ll take a closer look at
collective nouns, and provide even more examples, placing them in context so you can gain
a greater understanding of how they work.
What is a Collective Noun
You might not know it, but you encounter collective nouns in everyday speech. Collective
nouns are words for single things that are made up of more than one person, animal, place,
thing, or idea. You can’t have a team without individual members; even so, we discuss a
team as a single entity.
Collective Noun Examples
Remember that nouns are words naming people, animals, places, and things. Collective
nouns are in a class all their own. Once you’ve read these examples, you’ll find it much
easier to recognize collective nouns when you see them.
• Our class took a field trip to the natural history museum.
• The herd of bison ran across the prairie, leaving a massive dust cloud in its wake.
• We waited anxiously for the jury to come to a verdict.
• This year’s basketball team includes three players who are over six feet tall.
• Napoleon’s army was finally defeated at Waterloo.
• The town council has approved plans to create a new park.
• He comes from a huge family: he’s the oldest of eleven kids.
• The rock group has been on tour for months.
• Everyone in the audience applauded loudly when Elvis appeared on stage.

List of Common Collective Nouns

This list of common collective nouns contains words that describe groups of animals, people,
or things. These words are sometimes interchangeable, and English writers and speakers
often use them to describe different things. For example, the word swarm is usually used to
discuss a group of insects such as ants, flies or bees, but many writers use it to talk about a
very busy crowd of people. Once you are familiar with these words, you’ll notice that they are
used in a variety of situations.
• Herd– A group of herbivore animals
• Pack– A group of canine animals such as wolves or dogs; also used to describe
playing cards and packages containing multiple objects

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 • Flock– A group of birds; also used to discuss small hooved animals such as sheep
or goats
• Swarm– A group of insects
• Shoal– A group of fish
• Group – A very general term used to describe people, places, things, and animals
• Crowd – Usually used to describe a group of people
• Gang – Usually used to describe a group of criminals; also used to describe a group
of workers, particularly sailors or dock workers
• Mob – Normally used to describe an angry or unruly group of people; also used to
describe a group of kangaroos
• Staff – A group of people who work in the same place
• Crew – Usually used to denote a group of workers; also used to describe aircraft and
ships personnel
• Choir – A large, organized group of singers
• Orchestra – A large, organized group of instrumentalists, led by a conductor
• Panel – A group of experts
• Board – A group of people, usually professionals, who take on an advisory role
• Troupe – A group of actors or acrobats; also used to describe a group of monkeys
• Bunch – Usually a group of smallish objects such as grapes, flowers, keys, or
bananas
• Pile – An untidy collection of items such as rubbish
• Heap – A mounded collection of items; used interchangeably with “pile”
• Set – A tidy group of matched objects such as dishes; also used to describe rules or
a social group of people
• Stack – A group of items neatly laid one on top of another; i.e., a stack of books
• Series – Used to discuss movies, books, or events that follow one after another, i.e.
Star Trek or Harry Potter
• Shower – Usually used to describe rain, although it can be used to describe gifts or
compliments
• Fall – Often used to discuss weather, such as rain, snow or hail

What happens if you can’t decide whether a collective noun is singular or plural?
You can use different words to compose your sentence to be sure there is no agreement
error. For example, you can insert the word “members” after a collective noun or use a
different word such as “players” instead of “team” or “zebras” instead of “herd” or “students”
instead of “class.” Reread what you have written to be sure it sounds natural, and give

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yourself some time to practice. Soon enough you’ll be able to use plural verbs without
worrying whether you have made mistakes.
How to Use Collective Nouns
People who are new to writing often encounter some trouble with sentence agreement when
using collective nouns. This is understandable, because a collective noun can be singular or
plural, depending on a sentence’s context. How do you know if a collective noun is singular?
How can you tell if it’s plural? What pronouns and verbs are best for pairing with the
collective noun you’ve chosen?
Here’s a simple trick you can use to decide how to use collective nouns in sentences:
Imagine a herd of zebras grazing peacefully on the savanna. Suddenly, a lion jumps out of a
clump of tall grass. What do the zebras do? They run away as a single unit as they attempt
to make a getaway, galloping across the savanna in the same direction.
Often, people behave in the same way, engaging in a single activity in unison with everyone
else in their group. When individuals are in a team, a choir, a committee, or part of any other
collective noun, that noun is singular and is paired with singular pronouns and singular
verbs. As you read the examples that follow, notice that each individual who is part of the
collective noun is doing the same action at the same time as others who are part of that
collective noun.
• Every morning, the herd follows its leader to the watering hole for a drink.
→ Herd is a singular collective noun. Follows is a singular verb, and the word its is a singular
pronoun. All the animals in the herd arrive at the watering hole at the same time.
• Today, Ms. Kennedy’s class takes its SOL test.
→ Class is a singular collective noun. Takes is a singular verb, and the word its is a singular
pronoun. All the students in Ms. Kennedy’s class are taking the same test at the same time.
• The committee agrees that people are misusing their cell phones, so its verdict is that
phones must not be used during working hours.
→ Committee is a singular collective noun. Agrees is a singular verb, and the word its is a
singular pronoun. All the members of the committee are thinking alike.
Now imagine three teenagers in the living room. Are they all doing the same thing at once?
Not likely! One is watching TV intently. Another is reading a book and listening to music. The
third has one eye on the TV and the other on his computer. There is a single group of
teenagers, but the members of the group are doing different things.
Members of collective nouns can act the same way, as individuals doing their own thing.
When members of a collective noun act as individuals, that collective noun is plural and must
be paired with plural pronouns and plural verbs. As you read the following examples, you’ll
notice that members of the collective noun are not functioning in unison.
• After eight hours sitting in the stuffy courtroom, the jury stretch, look at their watches,
and head to their cars for the commute home.
→ Jury is a plural collective noun in this instance. Stretch, look, and head are plural verbs,
and their is a plural pronoun. The members of the jury are stretching and looking at their
individual watches before they head to different cars to go to their own homes.
• After taking a test, the class start their papers on Shakespeare’s sonnets.

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→ Class is a plural collective noun in this instance. Start is a plural verb, and their is a plural
pronoun. Although the students are in the same class, they are beginning their own papers
on different sonnets written by Shakespeare.

Collective Noun Exercises

Each of these sentences contains a collective noun. Select the correct answer from the
options that follow the sentence:
1. Keys, marbles, and rubber bands were just a few of the things in the pile of objects in
his drawer.
A – marbles, B – things, C – pile
2. The boys decided to join the navy after graduation.
A – boys, B – navy, C – graduation
3. After the performance, all the actors joined hands and bowed toward the audience.
A – performance, B – actors, C – audience
4. The team celebrated heartily after scoring a winning goal.
A – team, B – winning, C – goal
5. Most of the students on the council are also on the honor roll.
A – students, B – council, C, – honor roll
6. The boat’s crew worked all night to stop the leak.
A – boat’s, B – crew, C – leak
7. The talent show featured several individual performers, along with three bands.
A – show, B – performers, C – bands
8. Our extended family includes great-grandparents and second cousins.
A – family, B – great-grandparents, C – cousins
9. All of the students are attending a school assembly on Friday.
A – students, B – school, C – assembly
10. The senate will be voting on three education funding bills tomorrow.
A – senate, B – bills, C – tomorrow
11. The teachers and administrators held a meeting in the faculty office.
A – teachers, B – administrators, C – faculty
12. The sheep clustered in a tight flock to ward off the cold weather.
A – sheep, B – flock, C – weather
Answer key: 1 – C, 2 – B, 3 – C, 4 – A, 5 – B, 6 – B, 7 – C, 8 – A, 9 – C, 10 – A, 11 – C, 12
–B

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Abstract Nouns
What are abstract nouns? You probably can recall that nouns are words that name people,
animals, places, things, and ideas. Here, we’ll define abstract nouns, provide abstract noun
examples, and give you the information you need for using an abstract noun to write
interesting sentences.
What are Abstract Nouns
Abstract nouns are words that name things that are not concrete. Your five physical senses
cannot detect an abstract noun – you can’t see it, smell it, taste it, hear it, or touch it. In
essence, an abstract noun is a quality, a concept, an idea, or maybe even an event.
Abstract nouns and concrete nouns are usually defined in terms of one another. Something
that is abstract exists only in the mind, while something that is concrete can be interacted
with in a physical way. Qualities, relationships, theories, conditions, and states of being are
some examples of the types of things abstract nouns define.
Types of Abstract Nouns
It’s not always easy to determine if a noun is abstract or concrete. Many grammar experts
argue over whether certain terms, making things even worse. The line separating abstract
nouns from concrete nouns is often quite blurry. For example, many abstract noun lists
include the word laughter, but others leave it out, as it’s something that can be heard, seen,
and physically felt.
Abstract Noun Examples
The following lists contain different types of abstract nouns. Certain abstract nouns,
especially the ones describing feelings and emotions, easily fit into multiple categories, as
they can be used in different ways. Get to know them, and it’ll be easier for you to spot an
abstract noun when you see one.

More Examples
Although you may not realize it, you experience abstract nouns every day and in many
different types of situations. Once you’ve read these abstract noun examples, you’ll probably
find it very easy to come up with some abstract nouns of your own.

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• Love, fear, anger, joy, excitement, and other emotions are abstract nouns.
• Courage, bravery, cowardice, and other such states are abstract nouns.
• Desire, creativity, uncertainty, and other innate feelings are abstract nouns.
These are just a few examples of non-concrete words that are sensed. The following
sentences contain abstract noun examples which have been italicized for easy identification.
Notice that although the ideas expressed are real, they are things you can’t see, touch,
taste, smell, or hear.
• I want to see justice served.
• I’d like the freedom to travel all over the world.
• Joe felt a nagging sense of doom.
• Love is a kind of irresistible desire; it’s hard to define.
• When Sarah jumped into the lake to rescue a drowning cat, her bravery astonished
onlookers.

Abstract Nouns Exercises

Many abstract nouns are formed from adjectives, though some are formed from verbs or
nouns. You’ll find one of these words in parenthesis at the end of each sentence. Use it to
form an abstract noun to fill in the blank.
1. _______________ is something almost everyone appreciates. (kind)
2. The wrestlers exhibited immense ___________________. (strong)
3. As the sun dipped below the horizon, _______________ came over the city. (dark)
4. It is my _______________ to welcome the mayor. (please)
5. Our ________________ will last forever. (friend)
Answer Key: 1 – Kindness 2 – Strongness 3 – Darkness 4 – Pleasure 5 – Friendship

Gerunds and Infinitives

What’s the difference between gerunds and infinitives? Here, we take a closer look at how
these elements differ from one another. Gerund and infinitive rules are reviewed, so you can
recognize both and use them effectively.
Gerund and Infinitive: What’s the Difference?
Knowing the difference between gerund and infinitive can save you from making costly
grammar mistakes when writing. In a nutshell, a word formed from a verb acting as a noun
and ending in ing is a gerund. Infinitive phrases – normally referred to as infinitives – are
formed with the word to in front of a verb. Both gerunds and infinitives can be subjects in
sentences, and both gerunds and infinitives can serve as the object of a verb.
Now that you know how these two elements can work in similar ways, it’s time to note an
important difference in the gerund/infinitive equation: A gerund can be the object of a
preposition; an infinitive cannot.

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Gerund & Infinitive Examples
Examples of gerunds
Gerunds are formed with the letters “ing”. For example:
• Thinking
• Acting
• Walking
• Talking
• Fishing
• Caring
• Writing
• Listening
Examples of infinitives
Infinitives are prefaced with the word “to”. For example:
• To think
• To act
• To walk
• To talk
• To fish
• To care
• To write
• To listen
Both Gerunds and Infinitives can act as the subject of a sentence:
Thinking is something that comes naturally.
To think is something that comes naturally.

You can use a gerund or an infinitive as the object of a verb:

I like fishing.
I like to fish.

Only a gerund can be the object of a preposition. An infinitive cannot:

We are thinking about walking in the woods.

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Gerund & Infinitive Usage
At first glance, it may seem difficult to know when to use an infinitive and when to use a
gerund. You will find the following guidelines for gerund/infinitive usage helpful.
Gerunds
Gerunds are best for use in sentences about actions that are real or complete, or that have
been completed.
• I stopped worrying about the future.
In this example, the worrying was real and it happened until I stopped.

• We really enjoy climbing mountains.

In this example, the climbing is real and it’s something we like to do.
Infinitives
Infinitives are best for use in sentences about actions that are unreal or abstract, or that will
occur in the future.
• I’d like you to think about something.
In this example, I’m asking you to think about something, but the thinking hasn’t happened
yet.

• Can we take a walk without you stopping to smoke?

In this example, we’re talking about taking a walk and the smoking hasn’t happened yet.

Conjunctions
What is a conjunction?
A conjunction is a part of speech that is used to connect words, phrases, clauses, or
sentences. Conjunctions are considered to be invariable grammar particle, and they may or
may not stand between items they conjoin.
Types of Conjunctions
There are several different types of conjunctions that do various jobs within sentence
structures. These include:
• Subordinating conjunctions – Also known as subordinators, these conjunctions
join dependent clauses to independent clauses.
• Coordinating conjunction – Also known as coordinators, these conjunctions
coordinate or join two or more sentences, main clauses, words, or other parts of
speech which are of the same syntactic importance.
• Correlative conjunction – These conjunctions correlate, working in pairs to join
phrases or words that carry equal importance within a sentence.
• Conjunctive adverbs – While some instructors do not teach conjunctive adverbs
alongside conjunctions, these important parts of speech are worth a mention here.
These adverbs always connect one clause to another, and are used to show
sequence, contrast, cause and effect, and other relationships.

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When people first learn to write, they usually begin with short, basic sentences like these:
“My name is Ted. I am a boy. I like dogs.” One of the most important jobs conjunctions do is
to connect these short sentences so they sound more like this: “I am a boy named Ted, and I
like dogs.”
Conjunction Rules
There are a few important rules for using conjunctions. Remember them and you will find
that your writing flows better:
• Conjunctions are for connecting thoughts, actions, and ideas as well as nouns,
clauses, and other parts of speech. For example: Mary went to the
supermarket and bought oranges.
• Conjunctions are useful for making lists. For example: We made pancakes,
eggs, and coffee for breakfast.
• When using conjunctions, make sure that all the parts of your sentences agree. For
example: “I work busily yet am careful” does not agree. “I work
busily yet carefully” shows agreement.
Conjunctions List
There are only a few common conjunctions, yet these words perform many functions: They
present explanations, ideas, exceptions, consequences, and contrasts. Here is a list of
conjunctions commonly used in American English:
• And
• As
• Because
• But
• For
• Just as
• Or
• Neither
• Nor
• Not only
• So
• Whether
• Yet

Examples of Conjunctions
In the following examples, the conjunctions are in bold for easy recognition:
o I tried to hit the nail but hit my thumb instead.
o I have two goldfish and a cat.

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 o I’d like a bike for commuting to work.
o You can have peach ice cream or a brownie sundae.
o Neither the black dress northe gray one looks right on me.
o My dad always worked hard so we could afford the things we wanted.
o I try very hard in school yet I am not receiving good grades.

Conjunction Exercises
The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how conjunctions
work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
8. My brother loves animals. He just brought a puppy __________ a kitten home with
him.
1. But
2. Or
3. Yet
4. And
Answer: 4. My brother loves animals. He just brought a puppy and a kitten home with him.
9. I’d like to thank you ______ the lovely gift.
1. Or
2. For
3. And
4. Yet
Answer: 2. I’d like to thank you for the lovely gift.
10. I want to go for a hike _____ I have to go to work today.
1. But
2. Yet
3. Or
4. For
Answer: 1. I want to go for a hike but I have to go to work today.
11. They do not smoke, _____ do they play cards.
1. And
2. Or
3. Nor
4. Yet

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Answer: 3. They do not smoke, nor do they play cards.
12. I’m getting good grades _________ I study every day.
1. Or
2. Yet
3. But
4. Because
Answer: 4. I’m getting good grades because I study every day.

Subordinating Conjunctions
What is a Subordinating Conjunction?
Subordinating conjunctions are parts of speech that join dependent clauses to independent
clauses. Sometimes referred to as subordinators or subordinate conjunctions, these
important words and phrases may also introduce adverb clauses.
Subordinating conjunctions are essential parts of complex sentences with include at least
two clauses, with one of the clauses being main (independent) and the other being
subordinate (dependent).
There is only one rule to remember about using subordinate conjunctions:
A subordinate conjunction performs two functions within a sentence. First, it illustrates the
importance of the independent clause. Second, it provides a transition between two ideas in
the same sentence. The transition always indicates a place, time, or cause and
effect relationship. For example: We looked in the metal canister, where Ginger often hides
her candy.
Examples of Subordinating Conjunctions
In the following examples, the subordinating conjunctions are in bold for easy identification:
1. As Sherri blew out the candles atop her birthday cake, she caught her hair on fire.
2. Sara begins to sneeze whenever she opens the window to get a breath of fresh air.
3. When the doorbell rang, my dog Skeeter barked loudly.

Subordinating Conjunction Exercises

The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how subordinating
conjunctions work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1. _________ the basement flooded, we spent all day cleaning up.
1. After
2. Although
3. Before
4. Even if

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Answer: 1. After the basement flooded, we spent all day cleaning up.
2. I don’t want to go to the movies _____________ I hate the smell of popcorn.
1. Although
2. Because
3. Whenever
4. So that
Answer: 2. I don’t want to go to the movies because I hate the smell of popcorn.
3. I paid Larry, ___________ garden design work is top-notch.
1. Whenever
2. Whose
3. After
4. If
Answer: 2. I paid Larry, whose garden design work is top-notch.
4. ___________ spring arrives, we have to be prepared for more snow.
1. Because
2. Until
3. Although
4. Now that
Answer: 2. Until spring arrives, we have to be prepared for more snow.
5. _____________ the alarm goes off, I hit the snooze button.
1. As soon as
2. Because
3. Before
4. Now that
Answer: As soon as the alarm goes off, I hit the snooze button.
Subordinating Conjunctions List
There are many subordinating conjunctions. This list contains 25 of those most commonly
used.
After
Although
As
As soon as
Because

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Before
By the time
Even if
Even though
Every time
If
In case
Now that
Once
Since
So that
Than
The first time
Unless
Until
When
Whenever
Whether or not
While
Why

Correlative Conjunctions
What is a correlative conjunction?
As suggested by their name, correlative conjunctions correlate, working in pairs to join
phrases or words that carry equal importance within a sentence. Like many of the most
interesting parts of speech, correlative conjunctions are fun to use. At the same time, there
are some important rules to remember for using them correctly.
• When using correlative conjunctions, ensure verbs agree so your sentences make
sense. For example: Every night, either loud music or fighting neighbors wake John
from his sleep.
• When you use a correlative conjunction, you must be sure that pronouns agree. For
example: Neither Debra nor Sally expressed her annoyance when the cat broke the
antique lamp.
• When using correlative conjunctions, be sure to keep parallel structure intact. Equal
grammatical units need to be incorporated into the entire sentence. For example: Not
only did Mary grill burgers for Michael, but she also fixed a steak for her dog, Vinny.

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Examples of Correlative Conjunctions
In the following examples, the correlative conjunctions have been italicized for easy
identification.
1. She is both intelligent and beautiful.
2. I will either go for a hike or stay home and watch TV.
3. Jerry is neither rich nor famous.
4. He is not only intelligent, but also very funny.
5. Would you rather go shopping or spend the day at the beach?
Correlative Conjunctions Exercises
The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how correlative
conjunctions work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1. She is neither polite _______ funny.
1. Or
2. Nor
3. Not
4. Yet

Answer: B. She is neither polite nor funny.

2. _______ that is the case, _______ I’m not surprised about what’s happening.
1. If / then
2. No sooner / than
3. Scarcely / when
4. Whether / or
Answer: A. If that is the case, then I’m not surprised about what’s happening.
3. Have you made a decision about _______ to go to the movies _______ not?
1. If / then
2. Either / or
3. Whether / or
4. What with / and
Answer: C. Have you made a decision about whether to go to the movies or not?
4. _______ had I put my umbrella away, _______ it started raining.
1. No sooner / than
2. If / then

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 3. What with / and
4. Neither / nor
Answer: A. No sooner had I put my umbrella away, than it started raining.
5. This salad is _______ delicious _______ healthy.
1. Whether / or
2. Both / and
3. Scarcely / when
4. Rather / than
Answer: B. This salad is both delicious and healthy.

Correlative Conjunctions List

There are many pairs of correlative conjunctions. This list contains many of the most
commonly used pairs.
As / as
Both / and
Either / or
Hardly / when
If / then
Just as / so
Neither / nor
Not only / but also
No sooner / than
Not / but
Rather / than
Scarcely / when
What with / and
Whether / or

Correlative Conjunctions Exercises

1. I like __________ to sing opera, _______________ to spend my spare time practicing
ballroom dances.
A. not only / but also
B. whether / or
C. neither / nor
D. not / but

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2. The test was ____________ very short __________ quite easy.
A. not / but
B. both / and
C. whether / or
D. scarcely / when
3. ______________ Joe _______ his sisters could understand what their parents were
saying when they spoke French.
A. Whether / or
B. No sooner / than
C. Rather / than
D. Neither / nor
Answer Key:
1 – A. I like not only to sing opera, but also to spend my spare time practicing ballroom
dances.
2 – B. The test was both very short and quite easy.
3 – D. Neither Joe nor his sisters could understand what their parents were saying when
they spoke French.

Coordinating Conjunctions
What is a coordinating conjunction?
Coordinating conjunctions coordinate or join two or more sentences, main clauses, words,
or other parts of speech which are of the same syntactic importance. Also known as
coordinators, coordinating conjunctions are used to give equal emphasis to a pair of main
clauses.
Coordinating Conjunction Rules
As there are only seven of these words, there are just a few rules for using coordinating
conjunctions correctly:
1. It’s a good idea to use the mnemonic “FANBOYS” to memorize coordinating
conjunctions so you’ll never forget them. They are:
o F = for
o A = and
o N = nor
o B = but
o O = or
o Y = yet
o S = so
2. Coordinating conjunctions always connect phrases, words, and clauses. For
example: This batch of mushroom stew is savory and delicious.
3. Some instructors warn that starting a sentence with a coordinating conjunction is
incorrect. Mostly, this is because they are attempting to help prevent you from writing
fragments rather than complete sentences; sometimes though, it’s just a personal

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 preference. The fact is, you can begin sentences with coordinating conjunctions as
long as you follow these three rules for doing so:
o Ensure that the coordinating conjunction is immediately followed by a main
clause
o Don’t use coordinating conjunctions to begin all of your sentences. Do so only
when it makes your writing more effective.
o Although commas typically follow coordinating conjunctions used in areas
other than the beginning of a sentence, they should not be used after
coordinating conjunctions used to open sentences unless an interrupter
immediately follows.

Examples of Coordinating Conjunctions

In the following examples, the coordinating conjunctions have been italicized for easy
identification.
1. You can eat your cake with a spoon or fork.
2. My dog enjoys being bathed but hates getting his nails trimmed.
3. Bill refuses to eat peas, nor will he touch carrots.
4. I hate to waste a drop of gas, for it is very expensive these days.
Coordinating Conjunctions Exercises
The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how coordinating
conjunctions work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1. Would you rather have cheese _____ bologna on your sandwich?
1. For
2. Nor
3. Or
4. So
Answer: 3. Would you rather have cheese or bologna on your sandwich?
2. His two favorite sports are football ______ tennis.
1. Or
2. And
3. Nor
4. For
Answer: 2. His two favorite sports are football and tennis.
3. I wanted to go to the beach, _______ Mary refused.
1. But

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 2. Or
3. So
4. For
Answer: 1. I wanted to go to the beach, but Mary refused.
4. I am allergic to cats, ______ I have three of them.
1. Or
2. For
3. Yet
4. So
Answer: 3. I am allergic to cats, yet I have three of them.
5. I am a vegetarian, _______ I don’t eat any meat.
1. So
2. Yet
3. Nor
4. But
Answer: 1. I am a vegetarian, so I don’t eat any meat.

Coordinating Conjunctions List

Remember, there are only seven coordinating conjunctions. This list contains all of them.
• For
• And
• Nor
• But
• Or
• Yet
• So

Coordinating Conjunctions Exercises

1. Thomas will be late to work, _____ he has a dental appointment.
A. but
B. or
C. for
D. nor

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2. Jennifer does not like to swim, ____ does she enjoy cycling.
A. and
B. or
C. but
D. nor
3. Jackson wanted to eat another piece of cake, ____ he was on a diet.
A. for
B. but
C. yet
D. so
Answer Key:
1 – C. Thomas will be late to work, for he has a dental appointment
2 – D. Jennifer does not like to swim, nor does she enjoy cycling.
3 – B. Jackson wanted to eat another piece of cake, but he was on a diet.

Conjunctive adverbs
What is a conjunctive adverb?
Conjunctive adverbs are parts of speech that are used to connect one clause to another.
They are also used to show sequence, contrast, cause and effect, and other relationships.
Like other adverbs, conjunctive adverbs may be moved around in the sentence or clause in
which they appear. This is just one of the things you’ll need to remember; additional rules for
using conjunctive adverbs follow:
• Always use a period or semicolon before the conjunctive adverb when separating two
independent clauses. Conjunctive adverbs are not strong enough to join independent
clauses without supporting punctuation.
• Use a comma if a conjunction such as and, but, or, or so appears between the
conjunctive adverb and the first clause.
• Use a comma behind conjunctive adverbs when they appear at the beginning of a
sentence’s second clause. The only exception to this rule is that no comma is
necessary if the adverb is a single syllable.
• If a conjunctive adverb appears in the middle of a clause, it should be enclosed
in commas most of the time. This is not an absolute rule and does not normally apply
to short clauses.

Examples of Conjunctive adverbs

The conjunctive adverbs in the following examples are in bold for easy identification.
1. Jeremy kept talking in class; therefore, he got in trouble.
2. She went into the store; however, she didn’t find anything she wanted to buy.
3. I like you a lot; in fact, I think we should be best friends.
4. Your dog got into my yard; in addition, he dug up my petunias.
5. You’re my friend; nonetheless, I feel like you’re taking advantage of me.

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 6. My car payments are high; on the other hand, I really enjoy driving such a nice
vehicle.
Conjunctive Adverb Exercise
The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how conjunctive
adverbs work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1. You need to put more effort into your work; ________________, you won’t get a
passing grade.
1. Moreover
2. Otherwise
3. Unless
4. Instead
Answer: 2. You need to put more effort into your work; otherwise, you won’t get a passing
grade.
2. We wanted to spend the day at the beach; ______________________, it rained so
we stayed home.
1. Moreover
2. Unless
3. However
4. Additionally
Answer: 3. We wanted to spend the day at the beach; however, it rained so we stayed
home.
3. She is a very smart girl; __________________, it’s not at all surprising that she gets
such good grades.
1. Again
2. Besides
3. Contrarily
4. Therefore
Answer: 4. She is a very smart girl; therefore, it’s not at all surprising that she gets such
good grades.
4. Jared is a millionaire; __________________, his brother Jeremy is always flat broke.
1. In contrast
2. Accordingly
3. Again
4. Likewise
Answer: 1. Jared is a millionaire; in contrast, his brother Jeremy is always flat broke.

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 5. He felt he couldn’t tell the truth about what happened; ___________________, he
lied.
1. In contrast
2. Likewise
3. Undoubtedly
4. Instead
Answer: 4. He felt he couldn’t tell the truth about what happened; instead, he lied.

Conjunctive adverbs List

There are many conjunctive adverbs – in fact, there are many more of these than there are
common conjunctions. Here is a comprehensive list of conjunctive adverbs.
Would you like to learn more? Click here to learn how to use colons correctlyin a sentence
o Additionally
o Again
o Almost
o Anyway
o As a result
o In addition
o Besides
o Certainly
o Comparatively
o Consequently
o Contrarily
o Comparatively
o Consequently
o Conversely
o Elsewhere
o Equally
o Eventually
o Finally
o Further
o Furthermore
o Elsewhere

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 o Hence
o Henceforth
o However

Exercises Part 2
You need to put more effort into your work; ________________, you won’t get a passing
grade.
1. I love to eat toffees; _____________, people often give them to me at holidays.
A. nevertheless B. accordingly C. however D. also
2. The tree has developed a large crack over the years; ____________, it will have to
be cut down for safety’s sake.
A. for example B. however C. eventually D. likewise
3. It would be nice to spend our vacation on the beach in Jamaica: ________________,
it would be fun to hike the Swiss alps.
A. on the other hand B. as a result C. indeed D. therefore
4. Instead

Answer Key:
1 – B. I love to eat toffees; accordingly, people often give them to me at holidays.
2 – C. The tree has developed a large crack over the years; eventually, it will have to be cut
down for safety’s sake.
3 – x. It would be nice to spend our vacation on the beach in Jamaica;on the other hand, it
would be fun to hike the Swiss alps.

Conjunction Exercises
Subordinating Conjunction Exercises
Complete each sentence using the subordinating conjunction from the parenthesis:
1. I visit the Grand Canyon _________ I go to Arizona. (once, whenever, wherever)
2. This is the place _________ we stayed last time we visited. (where, when, how)
3. _________ you win first place, you will receive a prize. (wherever, if, unless)
4. You won’t pass the test _________ you study. (when, if, unless)
5. I could not get a seat, _________ I came early. (as, though, when)
6. We are leaving Wednesday _________ or not it rains. (if, whether, though)
7. Pay attention to your work _________ you will not make mistakes. (so that, unless,
or)
8. The musicians delivered a rousing performance _________ they had rehearsed
often. (though, as, once)
9. She’s honest _________ everyone trusts her. (if, so, when)
10. Write this down _________ you forget. (or, when, lest)

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Answers: 1 – whenever, 2 – where, 3 – if, 4 – unless, 5 – though, 6 – whether, 7- so that,
8 – as, 9 – so, 10 – lest

Correlative Conjunction Exercises

Complete each sentence using the correct correlative conjunction pair from the parenthesis:
1. I plan to take my vacation _________ in June _________ in July. (whether / or, either
/ or, as / if)
2. _________ I’m feeling happy _________ sad, I try to keep a positive attitude. (either
/ or, whether / or, when / I’m)
3. _________ had I taken my shoes off _________ I found out we had to leave again.
(no sooner / than, rather / than, whether / or)
4. _________ only is dark chocolate delicious, _________ it can be healthy. (whether /
or, not / but, just as / so)
5. _________ I have salad for dinner, _____________________I can have ice cream
for dessert. (if /then, when / than, whether / or)
6. _________ flowers _________ trees grow _________ during warm weather. (not
only / or, both / and, not / but)
7. _________ do we enjoy summer vacation, _________ we _________ enjoy winter
break. (whether / or, not only / but also, either / or)
8. Calculus is _________ easy _________ difficult _________ (not / but, both / and,
either / or)
9. It’s _________ going to rain _________ snow tonight. (as / if, either / or, as / as)
10. Savory flavors are _________ sweet _________ sour. (often / and, neither / nor, both
/ and)
Answers: 1 – either / or, 2 – whether / or, 3 – no sooner / than, 4 – not / but, 5 – if /then,
6 – both / and, 7 – not only / but also, 8 – not / but, 9 – either / or, 10 – neither / nor
Coordinating Conjunction Exercises
Complete each sentence using the correct coordinating conjunction from the parenthesis:
1. My car has a radio _________ a CD player. (but, or, and)
2. Sharon hates to listen to rap music, _________ will she tolerate heavy metal. (but,
nor, or)
3. Carol wanted to drive to Colorado, _________ Bill insisted that they fly. (and, or, but)
4. I’m afraid of heights, _________ I appreciate the view from the top of this building.
(and, yet, nor)
5. I have to be on time, _________ my boss will be annoyed if I’m late. (and, nor, for)
6. Do you like chocolate _________ vanilla ice cream better? (or, nor, and)
7. I have to go to work at six, _________ I’m waking up at four. (but, so, yet)
8. I was on time, _________ everyone else was late. (so, but, for)

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 9. Nadia doesn’t like to drive, _________ she takes the bus everywhere. (but, yet, so)
10. Our trip to the museum was interesting, _________ there were several new artifacts
on display. (but, for, yet)
Answers: 1 – and, 2 – nor, 3 – but, 4 – yet, 5 – for, 6 – or, 7- so, 8 – but, 9 – so, 10 – for
Conjunctive Adverb Exercises
Complete each sentence using the correct coordinating conjunctive adverb from the
parenthesis:
1. Bianca wore her rain boots; _________, her feet stayed dry during the storm.
(however, therefore, on the other hand)
2. I love the color red; _________, this shade seems a little too bright. (therefore,
nonetheless, in fact)
3. You have to be on time; _________, you’ll miss the train. (nonetheless, however,
otherwise)
4. Teresa likes to read; _________, her sister Julia prefers to watch TV. (however, in
contrast, again)
5. She really wanted to eat ice cream; _________, she had a salad. (however, likewise,
instead)
6. We were working hard; _________, Jill and Jerry were lounging by the pool.
(meanwhile, instead, therefore)
7. He is a weak leader; _________, he has plenty of supporters. (otherwise, moreover,
nevertheless)
8. She has an incredible voice; _________, she will go far in her music career.
(otherwise, undoubtedly, similarly)
9. Natalie wanted to make pie but didn’t have apples; _________, she decided to bake
a cake. (therefore, namely, in contrast)
10. We had hoped to go to Spain; _________, we ended up in France. (otherwise,
instead, again)
Answers: 1 – therefore, 2 – nonetheless, 3 – otherwise, 4 – contrast, 5 – instead, 6
– meanwhile, 7- nevertheless, 8 – undoubtedly, 9 – therefore, 10 – instead

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Pronouns
What is a Pronoun?
A pronoun is defined as a word or phrase that is used as a substitution for a noun or noun
phrase, which is known as the pronoun’s antecedent. Pronouns are short words and can do
everything that nouns can do and are one of the building blocks of a sentence. Common
pronouns are he, she, you, me, I, we, us, this, them, that. A pronoun can act as a subject,
direct object, indirect object, object of the preposition, and more and takes the place of any
person, place, animal or thing. So coffee becomes it, Barbara becomes she, Jeremy
becomes he, the team becomes they, and in a sentence, Barbara drinks a cup of coffee
every afternoon could become she drinks a cup of it every afternoon, or even she drinks it
every afternoon, where the it would substitute the cup of coffee, not just the coffee.
Without pronouns, we’d constantly have to repeat nouns, and that would make our speech
and writing repetitive, not to mention cumbersome. Without pronouns, Barbara drinks a cup
of coffee every afternoon, she likes to have it before dinner would be Barbara drinks a cup of
coffee every afternoon, Barbara likes to have the cup of coffee before dinner. Using
pronouns helps the flow of sentences and makes them more interesting
• He
• It
• You
• I
• They
• We
• Who
• Him
• Them
• Whoever
• Anyone
• Something
• Nobody
Pronoun examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
1. Billy, Caren, and I were playing poker with friends -> We were playing poker with
friends.
2. Ellie loves watching movies. -> She loves watching movies, especially if they are
comedies.
3. Will Daniel be going to the circus with Sarah? -> Will he be going there with her?
As mentioned, pronouns are usually used to replace nouns, however they can also stand in
for certain adverbs, adjectives, and other pronouns. Almost anytime you refer to a person,
animal, place or thing, you can use pronouns to add interest and make your speech or
writing flow better.

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In nearly all cases, a pronoun must follow an expression called an antecedent. This basically
means that a pronoun can only really be understood in the context of prior information about
the noun. For example, if we use the pronoun she in a sentence, we will only be able to
understand it if we know who she is, thus an antecedent, perhaps giving the person’s name,
is usually supplied first. In the example above Barbara drinks a cup of coffee every
afternoon, if we had never mentioned Barbara or what she drinks, it would be unclear if we
said, She drinks it every afternoon. Your reader would be confused and wonder who she is
and what does she drink, wine, water, lemonade?
Once Barbara has been mentioned, we would use the pronouns she and her later in the
writing in order to stop repeating the proper noun Barbara and possessive proper
noun Barbara’s.
Barbara went to the restaurant for dinner with her (Barbara’s) friends. She (Barbara) was
very hungry, but her (Barbara’s) friends would not stop chatting. Eventually, Barbara
decided to take matters into her (Barbara’s) own hands and she (Barbara) demanded
that they (Barbara’s friends) stop talking.
Imagine how that sentence would read if it kept repeating Barbara and Barbara’s. Pronouns
have acted to make the writing tighter and, arguably, much more elegant. This is just a basic
example of the use of pronouns, they act in many ways to help make speech and writing
more lucid and dynamic.
Types of Pronouns
Pronouns can be divided into numerous categories including:
• Indefinite pronouns – those referring to one or more unspecified objects, beings, or
places, such as someone, anybody, nothing. Notice in the examples below that there
is no set position for where an indefinite pronoun will appear in a sentence.
Indefinite pronoun examples:
1. Anyone
2. Somebody
3. Whichever
4. Whoever
5. Other
6. Something
7. Nobody
Indefinite pronoun examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
o Would anyone like a coffee?
o Take whatever you like. Jamie took one cookie and Ben took the other.
o Whoever owns this is in big trouble! I want someone to move this now.
Indefinite pronouns can also be used to create sentences that are almost abstract. Examples
could include: this, all, such and something.
o All was not lost.
o Such is life.
o Something tells me this won’t end well.
• Personal pronouns – those associated with a certain person, thing, or group; all
except you have distinct forms that indicate singular or plural number. Personal

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 pronouns are always specific and are often used to replace a proper noun
(someone’s name) or a collective group of people or things. Personal pronouns have
two main groups, one referring to the subject of the sentence and one to the object.
The first is used to replace the subject of the sentence: I, you, he, she, it, we, you
and they. Notice that you is repeated as you can be singular, addressing one
person, or plural, addressing a group of people.
Personal pronoun examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
o Jack and David are friends. They play basketball together.
o I have more money than he
o We will be late if you don’t hurry up.
The second group of pronouns replaces the object of the sentence: me, you, him, her, it, us,
you, them. Consider the sentence again:
We will be late if you don’t hurry up.
In the above example, we is the subject of the sentence, but you is the object. Other
examples of pronouns replacing the object:
o Peter sang the song to me.
o Missing the train will cause us to be late.
She packed them tightly in the suitcase.
• Reflexive pronouns – those preceded by the adverb, adjective, pronoun, or noun to
which they refer, and ending in –self or –selves. Reflexive pronouns are used to refer
back to the subject or clause of a sentence. The list of reflexive pronouns
includes: Myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.
Reflexive pronoun examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy
identification.
o Count yourselves
o Annie only had herself to blame.
Peter and Paul had baked themselves cakes.
• Demonstrative pronouns – those used to point to something specific within a
sentence. There are only four demonstrative pronouns – this, that, these, those – but
the usage can be a bit tricky at times. This and that are singular,
whereas these and those are plural. As you may have noticed, there can be some
crossover with indefinite pronouns when using this and that.
Demonstrative pronoun examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy
identification.
o I prefer this.
o These are beautiful, but those belong to Danny.
o Did you see that?
While it can be confusing, this, that, these and those can sometimes be used as
demonstrative adjectives. The difference between the two is that a demonstrative pronoun
replaces the noun and a demonstrative adjective qualifies the noun.

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I prefer this photo. These flowers are beautiful, but those vases belong to Danny. Did you
see that rainbow?
It should be clear that this, that, these and those in the example above are not pronouns
because they are being used to qualify the noun, but not replace it. A good trick for
remembering the difference is that a demonstrative pronoun would still make sense if the
word one or ones followed it in the sentence.
I prefer this (one). These (ones) are beautiful. Did you see that (one)? Those (ones) belong
to Danny.
• Possessive pronouns – those designating possession or ownership. Examples
include: mine, its, hers, his, yours, ours, theirs, whose. Consider the example:
o This cat is mine.
Mine is indicating possession, that the cat belongs to me. Incidentally, this in the sentence is
not a pronoun but demonstrative adjective as it qualifies the noun cat. You will find that
possessive pronouns often follow phrases that contain demonstrative adjectives.
Possessive pronoun examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
o Are these bananas yours?
o This money is ours.
Is the fault theirs or yours?
• Relative pronouns –those which refer to nouns mentioned previously, acting to
introduce an adjective (relative) clause. They will usually appear after a noun to help
clarify the sentence or give extra information. Examples include: who, which, that,
whom, whose. Consider the following sentence:
The man who stole the car went to jail. The relative pronoun who acts to refer back to
the noun man. It acts to open a clause by identifying the man as not just any man,
but the one who stole the car.Relative pronoun examples in the following sentences
are in bold for easy identification.
o The table, which sits in the hallway, is used for correspondence.
o The car that crashed into the wall was blue.
o This is the woman, whose key you found.
• Interrogative pronouns –Those which introduce a question. Examples include: who,
whom, whose, what, which. We can usually identify an interrogative pronoun by the
fact that they often appear at the beginning of a question.
Interrogative pronoun examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy
identification.
o Who will come to the party?
o Which do you prefer?
o What do you need?
o Whose clothes are on the floor?
o Whom did you tell?

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Whom and who are often confused, and even native speakers will use them
incorrectly. Who will replace the subject of a sentence, whereas whom will replace the direct
or indirect object. A good tip for deciding which to use is that you can replace who in the
sentence with a personal pronoun and it will still make sense. Who will come to the party? I
will come to the party. The same system would not work for Whom did you tell? I did you tell.
• Reciprocal pronouns –Those expressing mutual actions or relationship; i.e. one
another.
There are just two reciprocal pronouns in English: one another and each other. They
are mainly used to stop unnecessary repetition in a sentence, but also to reinforce
the idea that collective and reciprocal actions are happening to more than one person
or thing.John and Mary gave each other gifts. Using each other allows us the
sentence to be more efficient than: John gave Mary a gift and Mary gave a gift to
John. The countries worked with one another on national security. In this
example, one another works to suggest that the action of working is being
reciprocated back and forth by more than one country.
Reciprocal pronoun examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
o The boxers punched each other
The couple love one another deeply
• Intensive pronouns – those ending in –self or –selves and that serve to emphasize
their antecedents. These are almost identical to reflexive pronouns, but rather than
just referring back to the subject of the sentence they work to reinforce the action. In
many cases, the sentence would still make sense without the intensive pronoun.
Intensive pronoun examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy
identification.
o I will do it myself.
o We made this pie ourselves.
o A nation speaks for itself through elections.
Notice how the intensive pronoun is working to emphasize the statement. The sentence
would still technically be correct without the intensive pronoun, but it adds some important
context to its meaning.
Pronoun Rules
There are a few important rules for using pronouns. As you read through these rules and the
examples in the next section, notice how the pronoun rules are followed. Soon you’ll see that
pronouns are easy to work with.
• Subject pronouns may be used to begin sentences. For example: We did a great job.
• Subject pronouns may also be used to rename the subject. For example: It was she
who decided we should go to Hawaii.
• Indefinite pronouns don’t have antecedents. They are capable of standing on their
own. For example: No one likes the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard.
• Object pronouns are used as direct objects, indirect objects, and objects of
prepositions. These include: you, me, him, her, us, them, and it. For example: David
talked to her about the mistake.

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 • Possessive pronouns show ownership. They do not need apostrophes. For example:
The cat washed its

Examples of Pronouns
In the following examples, the pronouns are italicized.
1. We are going on vacation.
2. Don’t tell me that you can’t go with us.
3. Anybody who says it won’t be fun has no clue what they are talking about.
4. These are terribly steep stairs.
5. We ran into each other at the mall.
6. I’m not sure which is worse: rain or snow.
7. It is one of the nicest Italian restaurants in town.
8. Richard stared at himself in the mirror.
9. The laundry isn’t going to do itself.
10. Someone spilled orange juice all over the countertop!
Pronoun Exercises
The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how pronouns work.
Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1. This is __________ speaking.
A. John
B. He
C. He john
D. Am
2. Greg is as smart as __________ is.
A. I
B. me
C. she
D. we
3. The dog chewed on __________ favorite toy.
A. it’s
B. it is
C. its’
D. its
4. It could have been __________ .

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 A. Jerry
B. anyone
C. better
D. more difficult
5. Terry is taller than __________ am.
A. I
B. me
C. she
D. we
Answers
1. B. This is he speaking.
2. C. Greg is as smart as she is.
3. D. The dog chewed on its favorite toy.
4. B. It could have been anyone.
5. A. Terry is taller than I am.

List of Pronouns
As you read through this list of pronouns, remember that each one of these pronouns is a
word that can be used to take the place of a noun. Think about ways to use the pronouns on
this list in sentences, as this will increase your understanding.
I
We
Me
Us
You
She
He
Her
Him
They
Them
It
That

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Which
Who
Whom
Whose
Whichever
Whoever
Whomever
This
These
That
Those
Anybody
Anyone
Anything
Each
Either
Everyone
Everybody
Everything
Nobody
Neither
No one
Nothing
Somebody
One
Someone
Something
Few
Many
Both
Several
Any

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All
Some
Most
None
Myself
Yourself
Ourselves
Yourselves
Herself
Himself
Themselves
Itself
Who
What
Which
Whose
Whom

Demonstrative Pronouns
What is a Demonstrative Pronoun?
A demonstrative pronoun is a pronoun that is used to point to something specific within a
sentence. These pronouns can indicate items in space or time, and they can be either
singular or plural.
When used to represent a thing or things, demonstrative pronouns can be either near or far
in distance or time:
• Near in time or distance: this, these
• Far in time or distance: that, those
Because there are only a few demonstrative pronouns in the English language, there are just
three simple rules for using them correctly. Remember them and you will have no difficulty
using these surprisingly interesting parts of speech.
• Demonstrative pronouns always identify nouns, whether those nouns are named
specifically or not. For example: “I can’t believe this.” We have no idea what “this” is,
but it’s definitely something the writer cannot believe. It exists, even though we don’t
know what it is.

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 • Demonstrative pronouns are usually used to describe animals, places, or things,
however they can be used to describe people when the person is identified,
i.e., This sounds like Mary singing.
• Do not confuse demonstrative adjectives with demonstrative pronouns. The words
are identical, but demonstrative adjectives qualify nouns, whereas demonstrative
pronouns stand alone.
Demonstrative pronouns can be used in place of a noun, so long as the noun being replaced
can be understood from the pronoun’s context. Although this concept might seem a bit
confusing at first, the following examples of demonstrative pronouns will add clarity.
Demonstrative Pronouns Examples
In the following examples, demonstrative pronouns have been italicized for ease of
identification.
This was my mother’s ring.
That looks like the car I used to drive.
These are nice shoes, but they look uncomfortable.
Those look like riper than the apples on my tree.
Such was her command over the English language.
None of these answers are correct.
Neither of the horses can be ridden.

Demonstrative Pronouns Exercises

The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how demonstrative
pronouns work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1.
1. ____________ was such an interesting experience.
A. That
B. These
C. Those
D. Such
2. Are ___________ your shoes?
A. That
B. Them
C. Those
D. This
3. You’ll have to get your own pen. ______________ is mine.
A. That

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 B. Those
C. Such
D. This
4. There is no end to ___________.
A. Such
B. Those
C. This
D. None
5. Because of their bad behavior, ____________ of the children were given
allowances.
A. None
B. That
C. Those
D. Them
6. ____________ of them had seen it before.
A. Those
B. Neither
C. Such
D. This
7. Is ____________ yours?
A. This
B. Those
C. These
D. Such
8. Everyone ate early. When we arrived, ____________ was left.
A. That
B. Such
C. None
D. Neither
9. Please give me one of ____________.
A. That
B. Those
C. This

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 D. Such
10. ____________ are nice-looking.
A. This
B. That
C. These
D. Such
Answers
1.
1. A – That was such an interesting experience.
2. C – Are those your shoes?
3. D – You’ll have to get your own pen. This is mine.
4. C – There is no end to this.
5. A – Because of their bad behavior, none of the children were given
allowances.
6. B – Neither of them had seen it before.
7. A – Is that yours?
8. C – Everyone ate early. When we arrived, none was left.
9. B – Please give me one of those.
10. C – These are nice-looking.

Demonstrative Pronouns List

Such
This
That
These
Those
None
Neither

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Relative Pronouns
What is a relative pronoun?
A relative pronoun is one which is used to refer to nouns mentioned previously, whether
they are people, places, things, animals, or ideas. Relative pronouns can be used to join two
sentences.
There are only a few relative pronouns in the English language. The most common
are which, that, whose, whoever, whomever, who, and whom. In some situations, the
words what, when, and where can also function as relative pronouns. Because there are
only a few of them, there are also just a few rules for using relative pronouns. Keep them in
mind as you write.
• Relative clauses are typically introduced by relative pronouns, and that the relative
pronoun can function as a possessive pronoun, an object, or a subject.
• When relative pronouns introduce restrictive relative clauses, no comma is used to
separate the restrictive clause from the main clause.
• In American English, the relative pronoun whom is used rarely. You may notice this
in conversations, but it is best to use the term when writing to ensure that your work
is grammatically correct.
Relative Pronouns Examples
The following sentences contain examples of relative pronouns. The relative pronoun in
each example is italicized.
1. The cyclist who won the race trained hard.
2. The pants that I bought yesterday are already stained.
3. The four team leaders, whoever the committee selects, will be at tomorrow’s
meeting.
4. Spaghetti, which we eat at least twice a week, is one of my family’s favorite meals.
5. Where did you buy the dress that you wore last week?
6. The book, when it was finally returned, was torn and stained.
7. The store on the corner, where we usually buy all of our art supplies, burned to the
ground.
Relative Pronouns Exercises
The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how relative
pronouns work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1. The festival, ______________ lasted all day, ended with a banquet.
A. That
B. Who
C. Which
D. What
2. I am looking for someone __________ can watch my dog while I go on vacation.
A. Which

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 B. Who
C. Whom
D. Whoever
3. The police needed details _____________ could help identify the robber.
A. Who
B. Whatever
C. That
D. What
4. I’d like to take you to a café _______________ serves excellent coffee.
A. What
B. Whatever
C. Which
D. Whichever
5. The clubhouse, in __________ the dance was held, housed about 200 people.
A. Which
B. Where
C. That
D. Whom
6. You can choose one person, __________ you like, to share the cruise with you.
A. Whomever
B. That
C. Which
D. Whom
7. I saw the shoes __________ you bought last week on sale for less this week.
A. When
B. That
C. Who
D. Whom
8. The winners, __________ known, will receive money and other prizes.
A. Whoever
B. Who
C. When

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 D. That
9. This is the place __________ we met.
A. When
B. Where
C. Who
D. That
10. The baby, ________ nap had been interrupted, wailed loudly.
A. Whose
B. Whomever
C. Whom
D. Who
Answers
1. C – The festival, which lasted all day, ended with a banquet.
2. B – I am looking for someone who can watch my dog while I go on vacation.
3. C – The police needed details that could help identify the robber.
4. C – I’d like to take you to a café which serves excellent coffee.
5. A – The clubhouse, in which the dance was held, housed about 200 people.
6. A – You can choose one person, whomever you like, to share the cruise with you.
7. B – I saw the shoes that you bought last week on sale for less this week.
8. C – The winners, when known, will receive money and other prizes.
9. B – This is the place where we met.
10. A – The baby, whose nap had been interrupted, wailed loudly.

List of Relative Pronouns

Who
Whom
That
Which
Whoever
Whomever
Whichever

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Reflexive Pronouns
What Is a Reflexive Pronoun?
A reflexive pronoun is a type of pronoun that is preceded by
the adverb, adjective, pronoun, or noun to which it refers, so long as that antecedent is
located within the same clause.
In English grammar, a reflexive pronoun indicates that the person who is realizing the action
of the verb is also the recipient of the action. While this might seem strange at first glance,
the following examples of reflexive pronouns and the accompanying list of reflexive
pronouns will help you gain thorough understanding. In fact, you will probably notice that you
yourself use reflexive pronouns frequently when speaking or writing.
Examples of Reflexive Pronouns
In the following examples of reflexive pronouns, the reflexive pronoun in each sentence is
italicized.
1. I was in a hurry, so I washed the car myself.
2. You’re going to have to drive yourself to school today.
3. He wanted to impress her, so he baked a cake himself.
4. Jennifer does chores herself because she doesn’t trust others to do them right.
5. That car is in a class all by itself.
6. We don’t have to go out; we can fix dinner ourselves.
7. You are too young to go out by yourselves.
8. The actors saved the local theatre money by making costumes themselves.
Reflexive Pronoun Exercises
The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how reflexive
pronouns work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1. Each morning, I brush my teeth and stare at ______________ in the mirror.
A. Himself
B. Herself
C. Myself
D. Itself
Answer: C. Each morning, I brush my teeth and stare at myself in the mirror.
2. Dad and I painted the trailer _______________.
A. Myself
B. Himself
C. Itself
D. Ourselves
Answer: D. Dad and I painted the trailer ourselves.

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 3. The children made holiday decorations by ________________.
A. Itself
B. Ourselves
C. Themselves
D. Their selves
Answer: C. The children mad holiday decorations by themselves.
4. Paul copies his friend’s homework instead of doing it _______________.
A. Itself
B. Himself
C. Myself
D. Yourself
Answer: B. Paul copies his friend’s homework instead of doing it himself.
5. Please make ________________ at home while you wait.
A. Themselves
B. Himself
C. Yourselves
D. Herself
Answer: C. Please make yourselves at home while you wait.
Reflexive Pronouns List
As you read through the following list of reflexive pronouns, consider ways to use them in
sentences like the ones in the preceding section.
Myself
Yourself
Herself
Himself
Itself
Yourselves
Ourselves
Themselves

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Possessive Pronouns
What are Possessive Pronouns?
Possessive pronouns are words used to indicate that something belongs to someone or has
a direct relationship with someone else. They are often used in speech and writing to avoid
repetition. Consider this example:
• I had dinner with Jane and Jane’s brother, Michael.
To avoid repeating the name Jane in the sentence, we use the possessive pronoun her to
make the sentence neater and less repetitive:
• I had dinner with Jane and her brother, Michael.

Possessive Pronouns Examples

Here are some examples of dependent possessive pronouns in sentences:
• Does this key open my door or your door?
• I will bring my favorite beer to the party.
• She could not believe her
• His shoes were old and worn.
• They promised to do their
• Amazon sent an email to its
Here are some examples of independent possessive pronouns in sentences:
• Who owns this bike? Is it yours?
• That’s ours. Please don’t touch it.
• The land west of the field is theirs.
• This money is all mine.
I can see theirs, but I can’t see his.

Possessive Pronouns Rules:

There are two groups of possessive pronouns:
Dependent Possessive Pronouns
My, your, his, her, its, our, your (pl) and their are the dependent possessive pronouns.
Sometimes called possessive adjectives, they are used to indicate ownership or a
relationship. For example:
• This is my
• Is this man your husband?
• Welcome to our
• The dog chased its

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The rule of dependent possessive pronouns is that they are used before a noun. You can
think of them this way: they are dependent on the noun that comes after them.
The possessive pronouns are mostly used to show ownership between a person and the
noun that follows. However, there are some instances when we don’t exactly own the thing
in question – people, countries, jobs etc. – but in these cases the possessive pronoun is
used to show ownership in the sense of a direct relationship:
• I love my
• Is Jamaica your country of birth?
• Those are her
Sometimes an adjective can come between the possessive pronoun and noun, but only if it
is acting as a modifier for that noun:
• I lost my favourite pencil.
• Did you see her blue dress?
We sat in our designated seats.

Independent Possessive Pronouns

Mine, ours, yours, his, hers and theirs are the independent possessive pronouns. They are
not immediately followed by a noun. You can think of them this way: they are independent
because they don’t need a noun after them. For example:
• The car parked outside is mine.
• If the candy bar isn’t yours, it must belong to someone else.
• This cake is
• It is mine.
An independent possessive pronoun will normally come at the end of the sentence or
clause. While it should not be followed by a noun, it does need auxiliary information before it
appears to show the reader what the possessive pronoun is indicating ownership of – the
cake, candy bar, car etc. For example, if we simply say it is mine, we won’t know what it is.
We will only know whose it is. For us to know what it is, we need information before the
possessive pronoun appears.
Common Mistakes
It can be quite easy to mix up independent and dependent possessive pronouns. It means
that we can make incorrect sentences like this:
• This is mine
We know this is incorrect as a noun (house) never follows at independent possessive
pronoun. The correct sentence would be:
• This my
Generally, dependent possessive pronouns are shorter than their independent possessive
pronoun counterparts:

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 Dependent possessive pronouns Independent possessive pronouns

My Mine

Your (sing) Yours

His, Her His, Hers

Its Its*

Your (plural) Yours

Our Ours

Their Theirs

*Its is very rarely used as an independent possessive pronoun. An example can be found in
Shakespeare’s Henry VIII, but it is effectively never used in modern English.
However, one of the most common mistakes made in everyday English is the mixing up of
the possessive pronoun its with the contraction it’s (the shortened form of it is). The golden
rule to remember is that we never use apostrophes with possessive pronouns.
• The boat had a red stripe on its Correct.
• The boat had a red stripe on it’s Incorrect.
• A horse swished its tail happily in the field.
A horse swished it’s tail happily in the field. Incorrect.

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Providing Clarity
Possessive pronouns are designed to provide clarity on ownership by making sentences
less repetitious and more concise. This will make your speech and writing easier to
understand.
Consider this example of a sentence that does not use possessive pronouns.
• That is Jack’s house. Jack’s neighbour, Bob, lives next door. In the park across the
road from Jack’s and Bob’s houses, Jack’s and Bob’s wives are chatting.
Look how we can provide clarity with the use of possessive pronouns.
That is Jack’s house. His neighbour, Bob, lives next door. In the park across the road
from their houses, their wives are chatting.

Simplify Your Sentence

Above all, the objective of using possessive pronouns is to simplify your sentence. This will
provide clarity and even give your speech and writing a sense of style. Remember these
three golden rules to use possessive pronouns correctly:
• Never use an apostrophe with possessive pronouns.
• A dependent possessive pronoun is followed by a noun or a noun with an adjective
modifier (it needs one because it is dependent).
An independent possessive pronoun is not followed by a noun (it doesn’t need one because
it is independent), and it will usually be at the end of a sentence or clause.

Personal Pronouns
What is a Personal Pronoun?
A personal pronoun is a pronoun that is associated primarily with a particular person, in the
grammatical sense.
When discussing “person” in terms of the grammatical, the following rules apply:
• First person, as in “I”
• Second person, as in “you”
• Third person, as in “It, he, she”
Personal pronouns may take on various forms depending on number (singular or plural for
the most part). They may also take different forms depending on case, gender, or formality.
It is important to note that personal pronouns may refer to objects, animals, or people.
Personal pronouns provide us with the following information:
• The person – Who is speaking?
• The number – Is the pronoun plural or singular?
• The gender – Is the pronoun feminine, masculine, or neuter?

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Examples of Personal Pronouns
The word “he” is an example of a personal pronoun. He is third person (because he is the
person being spoken about), singular, and masculine. The word “we” is another example of
a personal pronoun. We is first person (because we are speaking as a group), plural, and
neuter.
In the following examples, personal pronouns are italicized.
1. You need to stop lying to me.
2. We would love for you to join us.
3. Come look at my cat! He has climbed to the top of that tree.

Personal Pronouns as Subject Pronouns

When a personal pronoun takes the place of a noun as the subject of a sentence, it is both a
personal pronoun and a subject pronoun. What is a subject pronoun? In essence, it’s any
pronoun that is used to replace a common or proper noun as a sentence’s subject.
If you are using a personal pronoun to talk about a person, animal, place, or thing that also
happens to be the subject of a sentence, then it is classified as both a personal pronoun and
a subject pronoun.
Personal Pronouns as Object Pronouns
When a personal pronoun is the direct or indirect object of a verb, or when it is used as the
object of a preposition, it is called an object pronoun. What is an object pronoun? It’s any
pronoun that is affected by the action the subject of the sentence takes.
The personal pronouns that are used as object pronouns are different than the personal
pronouns that are used as subject pronouns, but they are just as important. There are seven
object pronouns that also happen to be personal pronouns: me, you, him, her, it, us, and
them.
How Are Subject Pronouns and Object Pronouns Related to Personal Pronouns?
Like all personal pronouns, subject pronouns and object pronouns are used to eliminate
repetition within sentences. Additionally, they are always associated with a specific person,
group, animal, or inanimate object.
Sometimes it can be difficult to tell the difference between subject and object pronouns. It
can be helpful to remember that a subject is what a sentence is about, while an object is
affected by the action of the subject.
Just like other personal pronouns, subject pronouns and object pronouns can take on
different forms depending on number, i.e. whether they are singular or plural. Additionally,
they can be used with any of the three grammatical persons, i.e. first-person, second-
person, or third-person.
Finally, subject pronouns and object pronouns are related to one another and all other
personal pronouns in that the words used may differ depending on the natural or
grammatical gender of the words they refer to.
Examples of Sentences Containing Both Subject Pronouns & Object Pronouns
1. I want you to read this book.

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 2. You are the fastest runner on the team, and we’re depending on you.
3. They talked to me about acting in the play.
4. We enjoyed hearing her sing.

Comparing Subject and Object Pronouns

Use the following table to compare subject and object pronouns. Notice that some subject
pronouns are identical to certain object pronouns.

Subject Object
Pronoun Pronoun

It It

You You

What What

I Me

He Him

She Her

We Us

Who Whom

They Them

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Personal Pronoun Exercises
The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how personal
pronouns work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1. __________ often reads until late at night.
A. He
B. Alan
C. Mary
D. They
2. __________ is running up and down the stairs.
A. The cat
B. She
C. My brother
D. You
3. __________ is from Ireland.
A. Rory
B. My friend
C. He
D. This souvenir
4. Have __________ got a dog, Mary?
A. Anyone
B. They
C. Someone
D. It
5. We enjoy the roses so much. __________ really liven up the garden.
A. They
B. Its
C. Someone
D. Flowers
6. Melissa isn’t an architect; __________ is an engineer.
A. He
B. They
C. It
D. She

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 7. Are __________ friends or not?
A. He
B. She
C. We
D. It
8. My doctor was born in Germany. __________ teaches language lessons in his spare
time.
A. They
B. It
C. She
D. He
9. All of my teachers are Americans. __________ come from all over the country.
A. She
B. We
C. They
D. Them
10. Our friends are athletes. All of __________ are either strong, fast, or both.
A. We
B. They
C. Them
D. You

Answers:
1. A – He often reads until late at night.
2. B – She is running up and down the stairs.
3. C – He is from Ireland.
4. B – Have they got a dog, Mary?
5. A – We enjoy the roses so much. They really liven up the garden.
6. D – Melissa isn’t an architect; she is an engineer.
7. C – Are we friends or not?
8. D – My doctor was born in Germany. He teaches language lessons in his spare time.
9. C – All of my teachers are Americans. They come from all over the country.
10. C – Our friends are athletes. All of them are either strong, fast, or both.

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Object Pronouns
What is an Object Pronoun?
An object pronoun is a type of personal pronoun that is normally used as a grammatical
object, either as the direct or indirect object of a verb, or as the object of a preposition.
These pronouns always take the objective case, whether they are indirect object pronouns
or direct object pronouns.
The seven basic pronouns take on different forms when used as object pronouns rather than
as subject pronouns:
• I becomes Me
• You becomes You (tnis rule applies for singular and plural use)
• He becomes Him
• She becomes Her
• It becomes It
• We becomes Us
• They becomes Them
If you know how to find the object of a sentence, then you will find it very easy to identify an
object pronoun when you see one. To find the object of a sentence, locate the nouns and
verbs and mentally separate them from the rest of the words the sentence contains. Both the
subject and object of the sentence will be nouns or pronouns. The subject will be the one
doing the action the verb describes. The object is the noun or pronoun receiving the action.
Making things even simpler, when the object is not a noun, it’s an object pronoun.
Just like subject pronouns, object pronouns can be singular or plural, masculine, feminine, or
gender neutral. The masculine or feminine subject pronoun is used whenever the gender is
known. When referring to the weather, temperature, time, an inanimate object or a child or
animal of undetermined gender, the neuter form “it” can be used.
Object Pronoun Examples
In the following examples, the subject is in bold, the verb is in italics, and the object pronoun
is in bold and is underlined.
1. Bob took her to work Monday.
2. Will you please tell them to come in?
3. He told you a lie about where he was Saturday.
4. Our grandparents gave us candy and our teeth are just fine.
Object Pronouns Exercises
1. Mary wants to talk to __________ about your homework.
A. Him
B. Her
C. You
D. Them

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2. The plate shattered when John dropped __________ on the floor.
A. Him
B. Her
C. Them
D. It
3. Be careful; he lied to __________ before and he may do it again.
A. Us
B. It
C. We
D. They
4. Where are Jill and Cherie? Didn’t you invite __________?
A. Us
B. Them
C. They
D. Her
5. The spider bit __________ on my ankle.
A. You
B. Me
C. Her
D. It
6. I heard that Jeremy was cut from the team just because Tyler doesn’t like
__________.
A. Him
B. Her
C. It
D. Them
7. The bread is stale. You can feed __________ to the birds.
A. Them
B. It
C. Him
D. Her
8. The movie was hilarious! We really liked __________.
A. Him

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 B. Them
C. Her
D. It
Answers:
1. C – Mary wants to talk to you about your homework.
2. D – The plate shattered when John dropped it on the floor.
3. A – Be careful; he lied to us before and he may do it again.
4. B – Where are Jill and Cherie? Didn’t you invite them?
5. B – The spider bit me on my ankle.
6. A – I heard that Jeremy was cut from the team just because Tyler doesn’t like him.
7. B – The bread is stale. You can feed it to the birds
8. D – The movie was hilarious! We really liked it.

Subject Pronouns
What is a Subject Pronoun?
A subject pronoun is exactly what it sounds like: a pronoun that takes the place of
a noun as the subject of a sentence. Remember, a sentence’s subject is the person or thing
that performs the action of a verb. When you take an even closer look, you’ll see that a
subject pronoun is used as the subject of a verb, while an object pronoun is usually used
as a grammatical object.
Subject pronouns can be singular or plural, and they can be masculine, feminine, or gender
neutral. The masculine or feminine subject pronoun is used when gender is known; when
referring to an inanimate object, the gender-neutral form “it” is used. The subject pronoun “it”
can be used to refer to animals of unspecific gender, and it is also appropriate to use the
subject pronoun “it” to describe a baby of unknown gender. “It” is also used to talk about the
weather, temperature, or time.
If you can find the subject of a sentence, then you can find a subject pronoun just as easily!
Let’s go back to basics for a moment. Every complete sentence has a subject, a verb, and
an object. The subject (or subject pronoun) is always a person, thing, place, or idea, or the
plural of one of those, i.e. people, things, places, or ideas. The object or object pronoun is
always on the receiving end of the action.
One of the easiest ways to identify a subject or subject pronoun is to remember that it is
always going to be the who or what that has a direct effect on the action that’s taking place.
Subject Pronoun Examples
In the following examples, you can see exactly how this method works. The subject pronoun
is in bold and is underlined, the verb is in italics, and the object is in bold.
1. We gave them a head start in the race.
2. You told Jerry that his score was among the best; that made him feel better.
3. She lost weight by cutting out junk food.

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 4. They drank water from a spring that ran right out of the mountainside.
Subject Pronouns Exercises
1. __________ kicked the ball so hard that his shoe came off.
A. She
B. They
C. He
D. It
2. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think __________ enjoy studying.
A. He
B. She
C. You
D. I
3. The dog stole Tara’s ice cream before __________ ran away.
A. You
B. I
C. They
D. It
4. __________ enjoys going to the gym early each morning.
A. I
B. She
C. They
D. We
5. __________ prefer hiking to movies.
A. She
B. He
C. We
D. It
6. __________ is raining again.
A. It
B. She
C. He
D. We

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 7. __________ puts ketchup on everything she eats.
A. He
B. She
C. We
D. It
8. You can have ice cream after __________ finish your dinner.
A. We
B. You
C. It
D. She
Answers:
1. C – He kicked the ball so hard that his shoe came off.
2. C – Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you enjoy studying.
3. D – The dog stole Tara’s ice cream before it ran away.
4. B – She enjoys going to the gym early each morning.
5. C – We prefer hiking to movies.
6. A – It is raining again.
7. B – She puts ketchup on everything she eats.
8. B – You can have ice cream after you finish your dinner.

Indefinite Pronouns
What is an indefinite pronoun?
Indefinite pronouns are those referring to one or more unspecified objects, beings, or places.
They are called “indefinite” simply because they do not indicate the exact object, being, or
place to which they refer.
Indefinite pronouns include partitives such as any, anybody, anyone, either, neither, nobody,
no, someone, and some; they also include universals such as every, all,
both, and each; finally, they include quantifiers including any, some, several, enough,
many, and much. Many indefinite pronouns can also function as determiners.
There are just two important rules for using indefinite pronouns correctly. Remember these
and you will find that writing comes easier for you.
• Indefinite pronouns are never plural. They are always singular.
• Because indefinite pronouns are singular, the pronouns or verbs used to refer to
them should also be singular.

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Examples of Indefinite Pronouns
In the following examples, the indefinite pronouns are italicized.
Many are called, but few are chosen.
Somebody ate my sandwich!
Everyone says she is beautiful inside and out.
No one wants to hear about my health problems.
Either choice has its advantages.
Indefinite Pronouns Exercises
The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how indefinite
pronouns work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1. __________________ is making my computer act up.
1. Anyone
2. Something
3. Each
4. Everyone
Answer: B. Something is making my computer act up.
1. Does _______________ know what’s happening tonight?
1. Anybody
2. Anyone
3. Someone
4. A, B, and C
Answer: D. Any of these words may be used in this sentence.
1. _____________ baker presented a beautiful cake to the king.
1. The
2. One
3. Each
4. Both
Answer: C. Each baker presented a beautiful cake to the king.
1. I don’t know __________ of the answers.
1. Anyone
2. Any
3. Everyone
4. No one

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Answer: B. I don’t know any of the answers.
1. ____________ happens for a reason.
1. Anybody
2. Everything
3. Some
4. Somebody
Answer: B. Everything happens for a reason.

Indefinite Pronouns List

Anybody
Anyone
Anything
Each
Each one
Either
Neither
Everybody
Everyone
Everything
Nobody
No one
Nothing
Somebody
Someone
Something
Both
Many
Few
All
Most
None
Some

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Interrogative Pronouns
What Is an Interrogative Pronoun?
An interrogative pronoun is a pronoun which is used to make asking questions easy. There
are just five interrogative pronouns. Each one is used to ask a very specific question or
indirect question. Some, such as “who” and “whom,” refer only to people. Others can be
used to refer to objects or people. Once you are familiar with interrogative pronouns, you’ll
find that it’s very easy to use them in a variety of situations.
Interrogative pronouns can also be used as relative pronouns, which may be found in
questions or indirect questions. You’ll know for certain that a pronoun is classified as an
interrogative when it’s used in an inquiring way, because interrogative pronouns are
found only in question and indirect questions.
The five interrogative pronouns are what, which, who, whom, and whose.
• What – Used to ask questions about people or objects. Examples:
o What do you want for dinner?
o I wonder what we’re doing tomorrow.
o What is your friend’s name?
o What time are we supposed to be there?
• Which – Used to ask questions about people or objects. Examples:
o Which color do you prefer?
o Which of these ladies is your mother?
o She asked which train to take.
o Which seat would you like?
• Who – Used to ask questions about people. Examples:
o Who is that?
o Who was driving the car?
o I’m wondering who will be at the party.
o Who is going to take out the trash?
• Whom – This interrogative pronoun is rarely seen these days, but when it shows up,
it is used to ask questions about people. Examples:
o Whom did you speak to?
o Whom do you prefer to vote for?
o You should ask whom to call.
o Whom do you live with?
• Whose – Used to ask questions about people or objects, always related to
possession. Examples:
o Whose sweater is this?

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 o Whose parents are those?
o I wonder whose dog knocked our garbage can over.
o Whose phone is that?
In some cases, interrogative pronouns take on the suffix –ever. A few can also take on the
old-fashioned suffix –soever, which is rarely seen in writing these days. For example:
• Whatever
• Whatsoever
• Whichever
• Whoever
• Whosoever
• Whomever
• Whomsoever
• Whosever
Interrogative pronouns are very easy to remember and use. Memorize them to make things
even simpler.
Examples of Interrogative Pronouns
Sentences containing interrogative pronouns are always questions, so they always end with
a question mark. In the following examples, interrogative pronouns have been italicized for
ease of identification.
1. What do you want for your birthday?
2. Which shirt do you think looks better on me?
3. Who do you think will win the playoff game?
4. To whom are you speaking?
5. Whose socks are those?

Interrogative Pronouns Exercises

Fill in the blanks with an interrogative pronoun.
1. __________ threw the football?
A. who
B. what
C. which
D. whose
2. ____________ would you prefer, coffee or tea?
A. who

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 B. whom
C. which
D. whose
3. ______________ time do we need to be at the airport?
A. which
B. what
C. whose
D. whom
4. _____________ car is that?
A. whom
B. whose
C. what
D. who
5. ____________ is your sister’s name?
A. who
B. whom
C. what
D. whose
6. _____________ did you tell?
A. whom
B. what
C. whose
D. which
7. _____________ of these books have you read?
A. what
B. whom
C. whose
D. which
8. ______________ wants ice cream?
A. what
B. whom
C. who

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 D. whose
Answer Key:
1. A – Who threw the football?
2. C – Which would you prefer, coffee or tea?
3. B – What time do we need to be at the airport?
4. B – Whose car is that?
5. C – What is your sister’s name?
6. A – Whom did you tell?
7. D – Which of these books have you read?
8. C – Who wants ice cream?

Reciprocal Pronouns
What is a Reciprocal Pronoun?
A reciprocal pronoun is a pronoun which is used to indicate that two or more people are
carrying out or have carried out an action of some type, with both receiving the benefits or
consequences of that action simultaneously. Any time something is done or given in return,
reciprocal pronouns are used. The same is true any time mutual action is expressed.
There are only two reciprocal pronouns. Both of them allow you to make sentences simpler.
They are especially useful when you need to express the same general idea more than
once.
• Each other
• One another
Reciprocal pronouns are easy to use. When you want to refer to two people, you will
normally use “each other.” When referring to more than two people, for example the students
in a lecture hall, you will normally use “one another.”
Examples of Reciprocal Pronouns
Reciprocal pronouns help prevent repetition within sentences. In the following examples,
reciprocal pronouns have been italicized for ease of identification.
1. Maria and Juan gave each other gold rings on their wedding day.
2. Maria and Juan kissed each other at the end of the ceremony.
3. Terry and Jack were talking to each other in the hallway.
4. We give each other gifts during the holidays.
5. The students congratulated one another after giving practice speeches.
6. The kids spent the afternoon kicking the ball to one another.
7. The defendants blamed one another for the crime they were charged with.

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Intensive Pronouns
What Is an Intensive Pronoun?
An intensive pronoun is almost identical to a reflexive pronoun. It is defined as
a pronoun that ends in self or selves and places emphasis on its antecedent by referring
back to another noun or pronoun used earlier in the sentence. For this reason, intensive
pronouns are sometimes called emphatic pronouns.
You can test a word to see whether it’s an intensive pronoun by removing it from the
sentence and checking to see if the sentence has the same impact.
Reflexive vs. Intensive Pronouns
You can tell the difference between a reflexive pronoun and an intensive pronoun easily:
Intensive pronouns aren’t essential to a sentence’s basic meaning. Understanding this basic
difference will help to prevent you from confusing the two.
Both intensive and reflexive pronouns end in the suffix –self or –selves, however reflexive
pronouns are always objects that refer to a sentence’s subject. The following example shows
a reflexive pronoun in action:
Jim made himself coffee.
Without the reflexive pronoun himself, it would be impossible for the reader to know who Jim
made coffee for.
In the next example, himself is used as an intensive pronoun. The reader would be able to
understand the sentence’s complete meaning without this pronoun, but it serves to add
emphasis:
Jim made coffee for the king himself.
Here, himself refers to the king rather than to Jim. The reader is meant to be impressed that
Jim made coffee for the king.
Common Intensive Pronouns
The following list contains the most commonly used examples of intensive pronouns.
• Himself
• Herself
• Yourself
• Themselves
• Ourselves
Intensive pronouns might not be necessary, but they serve the important function of making
your writing more interesting as well as more meaningful, particularly in formal situations.
Use them sparingly to ensure that the emphasis they provide isn’t lost.
Intensive Pronoun Examples
Intensive pronouns are used to add emphasis to statements. In the following examples, the
intensive pronouns have been italicized for ease of identification.
1. Jesse wondered aloud whether he himself was the only one seeing what was
happening.

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 2. Maria knew that she herself could make a positive impact on the world, if only she
put her mind to it.
3. You yourself can easily transform your body: All it takes is a proper diet and plenty of
exercise.
4. The team knew that they themselves were responsible for playing their best.
5. We ourselves are the ones who make the greatest impact upon the world we live in.
Intensive Pronoun Exercises
Choose the correct intensive pronoun to fill the blank in each sentence.
1. We built a garden shed by ______________.
A. Myself
B. Ourselves
C. Themselves
D. Himself
2. Jordan made _____________ a sandwich, complete with pickles.
A. Ourselves
B. Yourself
C. Himself
D. Themselves
3. I’m a little nervous about walking by _____________ after dark.
A. Myself
B. Ourselves
C. Themselves
D. Herself
4. The twins are growing up fast; they’re already walking by _____________.
A. Myself
B. Ourselves
C. Himself
D. Themselves
5. Jennifer sewed her dress ____________.
A. Myself
B. Himself
C. Ourselves
D. Herself

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Answer Key
1. B – We built a garden shed by ourselves.
2. C – Jordan made himself a sandwich, complete with pickles.
3. A – I’m a little nervous about walking by myself after dark.
4. D – The twins are growing up fast; they’re already walking by themselves.
5. D – Jennifer sewed her dress herself.

Intensive vs. Reflexive Pronoun Exercises

Identify the italicized word as either a reflexive pronoun or an intensive pronoun.
1. Ben built a boat for himself
A. Reflexive pronoun
B. Intensive pronoun
2. My mother bakes our family’s bread herself.
A. Reflexive pronoun
B. Intensive pronoun
3. The mayor herself appeared at the rally.
A. Reflexive pronoun
B. Intensive pronoun
Answer Key
1. A – Reflexive pronoun
2. B – Intensive pronoun
3. B – Intensive pronoun

Pronoun Exercises
The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how pronouns work.
Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
Demonstrative Pronoun Exercises
Choose the correct demonstrative pronoun to fill the blank, remembering that
demonstratives include the words this, that, these and those.
1. I really like watching old shows. _________ are some of the best things on TV.
A. Those
B. That
C. This
D. These

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 2. Please hand me __________ .
A. those
B. that
C. this
D. these
3. __________ is some of the nicest weather we’ve had lately.
A. Those
B. That
C. This
D. These

Indefinite Pronoun Exercises

Choose one of the following indefinite pronouns to fill each blank: something, everyone,
anywhere
4. After the parade, __________ met up in the town square.
A. something
B. everyone
C. anywhere
5. Would you like __________ to drink.
A. something
B. everyone
C. anywhere
6. I searched all over, but couldn’t find my notes __________ .
A. something
B. everyone
C. anywhere

Interrogative Pronoun Exercises

Select an interrogative pronoun to fill the blank in each sentence.
7. __________ flavor do you prefer?
A. Whom
B. Which
C. Who

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 8. I heard someone at the door but wasn’t sure __________ it was.
A. what
B. which
C. whom
9. __________ do you want for lunch?
A. what
B. which
C. who

Intensive Pronoun Exercises

Choose the correct intensive pronoun to fill the blank, remembering that they always end in
–self or –selves.
10. I slipped on the sidewalk and hurt _________ .
A. himself
B. themselves
C. myself
11. The kids rode the rollercoaster by _________ .
A. themselves
B. herself
C. himself
12. She bought _________ a new car.
A. himself
B. myself
C. herself

Personal Pronoun Exercises

Choose the correct personal pronoun to fill each blank.
13. _________ am learning to speak better English.
A. I
B. Me
C. You
14. Thanks for the package! Please leave _________ on the table.
A. them

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 B. them
C. it
15. Ben was surprised when _________ discovered that his friends were hiding in the
living room.
A. she
B. he
C. they
Possessive Pronoun Exercises
Choose the correct possessive pronoun to fill each blank.
16. I lost _________ phone last night.
A. mine
B. my
C. ours
17. They bought new furniture for _________ house.
A. mine
B. their
C. ours
18. We’re going to get _________ test results today.
A. mine
B. yours
C. our

Reciprocal Pronoun Exercises

Choose the correct reciprocal pronoun to fill the blank, remembering that reciprocal
pronouns include each other and one another.
19. Dan and I waved hello to _________.
A. each other
B. one another
20. The students talked to _________.
A. each other
B. one another
21. The two boys threw the ball back and forth to _________.
A. each other
B. one another

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Reflexive Pronoun Exercises
Choose the correct reflexive pronoun to fill the blank.
22. I’m always talking to _________.
A. themselves
B. myself
C. herself
23. John likes to do things by _________.
A. myself
B. ourselves
C. himself
24. You can do it _________.
A. yourself
B. himself
C. themselves

Relative Pronoun Exercises

Choose the correct relative pronoun to fill the blank.
25. The tallest child, _________ was also oldest, was also most outgoing.
A. who
B. that
C. whose
26. I don’t recognize the song _________ is playing.
A. which
B. that
C. who
27. I rode my bike, _________ has a headlight, home in the dark.
A. that
B. whom
C. which
Answers
4. A. I really like watching old shows. Those are some of the best things on TV.
5. B. Please hand me that.
6. C. This is some of the nicest weather we’ve had lately.

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7. B. After the parade, everyone met up in the town square.
8. A. Would you like something to drink.
9. C. I searched all over, but couldn’t find my notes anywhere.
10. B. Which flavor do you prefer?
11. C. I heard someone at the door but wasn’t sure whom it was
12. A. What do you want for lunch?
13. C. I slipped on the sidewalk and hurt myself.
14. A. The kids rode the rollercoaster by themselves.
15. C. She bought herself a new car.
16. A. I am learning to speak better English.
17. C. Thanks for the package! Please leave it on the table.
18. A. Ben was surprised when he discovered that his friends were hiding in the living
room.
19. B. I lost my phone last night.
20. B. They bought new furniture for their house.
21. C. We’re going to get our test results today.
22. A. Dan and I waved hello to each other.
23. B. The students talked to one another.
24. A. The two boys threw the ball back and forth to each other.
25. B. I’m always talking to myself.
26. C. John likes to do things by himself.
27. A. You can do it yourself.
28. A. The tallest child, who was also oldest, was also most outgoing
29. B. I don’t recognize the song that is playing.
30. C. I rode my bike, which has a headlight, home in the dark.

Demonstrative Pronouns Exercises

EE. 1.______________ of them had seen it before:
A. – those
B. – neither
C. – such
Answer: A. Neither of them had seen it before.
D. 2.Is ____________ yours?

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 E. – that
F. – those
G. – these
Answer: A. Is that yours?
H. Everyone ate early. When we arrived, _________ was left.
I. – that
J. B – such
K. C – none
Answer: C. Everyone ate early. When we arrived, none was left.
L. Please give me one of ____________.
M. – that
N. – those
O. – this
Answer: B. Please give me one of those.
P. ___________ are nice-looking.
Q. – this
R. – that
S. – these
Answer: C. These are nice-looking.

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Adverb
What is an Adverb?
An adverb is a word that is used to change, modify or qualify several types of words
including an adjective, a verb, a clause, another adverb, or any other type of word or
phrase, with the exception of determiners and adjectives, that directly modify nouns. A good
way to understand adverbs is to think about them as the words that provide context.
Specifically, adverbs provide a description of how, where, when, in what manner and to what
extent something is done or happens. Normally, we can spot an adverb by the fact that it
often ends in –ly, but there are lots of adverbs that don’t end in this way. Moreover, adverbs
can be used in many combinations with each other.
Traditionally considered a single part of speech, adverbs perform a wide variety of functions,
making it difficult to treat them as a single, unified category. However, spotting an adverb,
especially one that ends in -ly is easy. Adverbs normally help paint a fuller picture by
describing how something happens, such as
• When? She always arrives early.
• How? He drives carefully.
• Where? They go everywhere together.
• In what way? She eats slowly.
• To what extent? It is terribly hot.
This function of providing more information about how something is done is called the
adverbial function, and it may be accomplished by using adverbial clauses and adverbial
phrases as well as by adverbs that stand alone.
There are many rules for using adverbs, and these rules often depend upon which type of
adverb you are using. Remember these basics and using adverbs to make sentences more
meaningful will be easier for you.
• Adverbs can always be used to modify verbs. Notice that the second of these two
sentences is much more interesting simply because it contains an adverb:
o The dog ran. (You can picture a dog running, but you don’t really know much
more about the scene.)
o The dog ran excitedly. (You can picture a dog running, wagging its tail,
panting happily, and looking glad to see its owner. You can paint a much
more interesting picture in your head when you know how or why the dog is
running.)
• Adverbs are often formed by adding the letters “-ly” to adjectives. This makes it very
easy to identify adverbs in sentences. There are many exceptions to this
rule; everywhere, nowhere, and upstairs are a few examples.
• An adverb can be used to modify an adjective and intensify the meaning it conveys.
For example:
o He plays tennis well. (He knows how to play tennis and sometimes he wins.)
o He plays tennis extremely well. (He knows how to play tennis so well that he
wins often.)

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As you read the following adverb examples, you’ll notice how these useful words modify
other words and phrases by providing information about the place, time, manner, certainty,
frequency, or other circumstances of activity denoted by the verbs or verb phrases in the
sentences.
Types of Adverbs
Adverbs of Manner
An adverb of manner will explain how an action is carried out. Very often adverbs of
manner are adjectives with -ly added to the end, but this is certainly not always the case. In
fact, some adverbs of manner will have the same spelling as the adjective form.
Some examples of adverbs of manner include:
1. Slowly
2. Rapidly
3. Clumsily
4. Badly
5. Diligently
6. Sweetly
7. Warmly
8. Sadly
Adverb of manner examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
• She passed the exam easily.
• They walk quickly to catch the train.
• The dinner party went badly.
• John answered the question correctly.
Notice how the adjectives are formed by adding -ly to the adjectives bad, correct and quick,
although there is a slight spelling change when forming an adverb with the adjective easy.
As mentioned, some adverbs of manner take the same spelling as the adjective and never
add an -ly to the end:
• The boys had worked hard.
• The car drives
• Julia dances well.
Adverbs of place
An adverb of place, sometimes called spatial adverbs, will help explain where an action
happens. Adverbs of place will be associated with the action of the verb in a sentence,
providing context for direction, distance and position: southeast, everywhere, up, left, close
by, back, inside, around. These terms don’t usually end in -ly.
Adverbs of place examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
Directions

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 • New York is located north of Philadelphia.
• They traveled down the mountainside.
• First, I looked here, and then I looked there, but I can’t find them anywhere.
Notice that here and there are often used at the beginning of a sentence to express
emphasis or in exclamation.
• Here comes the sun.
• There is love in the air.
• Here you are!
Many times, adverbs of place can be used as prepositions as well. The difference is, when
the phrase is used as an adverb, it is modifying a verb; when it is used as a preposition, it is
always followed by a noun.
• New York is located north of Philadelphia -> New York is on the map.
• They travelled down river -> They travelled in the first compartment.
• That puppy was walking around by itself-> We put a collar around its neck.
Distance
• There was a deli
• Jane is moving far away.
• Carly is sitting close to me.
Position
• The treasure lies underneath the box.
• The cat is sleeping on the bed.
• Why are you standing in the middle of the dancefloor?
In addition, some adverbs of position will refer to a direction of movement. These often end
in -ward or -wards.
• Oscar travelled onward to Los Angeles.
• Hannah looked upwards to the heavens.
• Molly, move forward to the front of the queue, please.

Adverbs of Frequency
Adverbs of frequency are used to express time or how often something occurs. Adverbs of
frequency can be split two main groups. The first, adverbs of indefinite frequency, are terms
that have an unclear meaning as to how long are how often something occurs: usually,
always, normally. These adverbs will usually be placed after the main verb or between the
auxiliary verb and infinitive.
Adverbs of frequency examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

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 • The adverb is usually placed before the main verb.
• I can normally make the shot.
• I will always love
Adverbs of definite frequency will usually be placed at the end of the sentence.
• We get paid hourly.
• I come here
• The situation seems to change monthly.
• The newspaper is bought daily.
Adverbs of Time
Adverbs of time, while seemingly similar to adverbs of frequency, tell us when something
happens. Adverbs of time are usually placed at the end of a sentence.
Adverbs of time examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
• I will see you
• Harvey forgot his lunch yesterday and again today.
• I have to go now.
• We first met Julie last year.
While it’s almost always correct to have the adverb of time at the end of the sentence, you
can place it at the start of the sentence to put a different emphasis on the time if it is
important to the context.
• Last year was the worst year of my life.
• Tomorrow our fate will be sealed.
• Yesterday my troubles seemed so far away.
Adverbs of Purpose
Adverbs of purpose, sometimes called adverbs of reason, help to describe why something
happened. They can come in the form of individual words – so, since, thus, because – but
also clauses – so that, in order to. Notice in the examples that the adverbs of purpose are
used to connect sentences that wouldn’t make sense if they were formed alone.
Adverbs of purpose examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
• I was sick, thus didn’t go to work today.
• I started jogging so that I wouldn’t be late.
• Because I was late, I jogged a little faster.
• Since it’s your birthday, I will buy you a gift.
Positions of Adverbs
The positions of adverbs are not a fixed or set thing. As you have seen, adverbs can
appear in different position in a sentence. However, there are some rules that help us decide
where an adverb should be positioned. The rules will be different depending on whether the
adverb is acting to modify an adjective or another adverb, a verb or what type of adverb it is.

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Positional adverb examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
Adverb position with adjectives and other adverbs
These adverbs will usually be placed before the adjective or adverb being modified:
• We gave them a really tough match. The adverb really modifies the adjective tough.
• It was quite windy that night. The adverb quite modifies the adjective windy.
• We don’t go to the movies terribly often. The adverb terribly modifies the
adverb often.

Adverb position with verbs

This can be a bit trickier because, it will depend on the type of adverb – place, position, time
etc. – and there are many exceptions to the rules. However, a basic set of guidelines is
shown below:
Adverbs of manner or place are usually positioned at the end of the sentence:
• She laughed timidly.
• I stroked the cat gently.
• Janine lived here.
• There is money everywhere.
As mentioned, if the adverb is of definite time it will be placed at the end of the sentence.
• I did it yesterday.
• We can discuss it tomorrow.
• Let’s go to Paris next week.
However, if it is an indefinite period of time, it will go between the subject and main verb.
• We often go to Paris in the springtime.
• Debbie regularly swims here.
• Bobby and Audrey always loved fishing by the lake.
Order of Adverbs
Adverb order is so important it has clear rules. It’s already mentioned that some adverbs will
act to modify another, but how do you decide the structure of a sentence with several
adverbs? Thankfully, there is a simple set of rules to follow, called the order of adverbs.
Handily, the order of adverbs, sometimes also called the royal order of adverbs, can help us
determine sentence structure too. In short, the adverbs get preference (are placed first) in
the following order:
1. Adverbs of manner.
2. Adverbs of place.
3. Adverbs of frequency.

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 4. Adverbs of time.
5. Adverbs of purpose.
Consider this sentence:
I run (verb) quickly (manner) down the road (place) every morning (frequency) before
school (time) because (purpose) I might miss the bus.
While it is good to remember the order of adverbs, there is always flexibility with language,
and we have already mentioned that adverbs of time and frequency can be placed at the
start of a sentence to change the emphasis. So, bottom line: think of the order of adverbs as
more of a guideline than a rule that can’t be broken.
Examples of Adverbs
As you read each of the following adverb examples, note that the adverbs have been
italicized for easy identification. Consider how replacing the existing adverbs with different
ones would change the meaning of each sentence.
1. She was walking rapidly.
2. The kids love playing together in the sandbox.
3. Please come inside now.
4. His jokes are always very
5. You don’t really care, do you?

Adverbs Exercises
The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how adverbs work.
Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1. The driver stopped the bus _______________.
A. Financially
B. Exactly
C. Abruptly
D. Now
Answer: C. The driver stopped the bus abruptly.
2. During autumn, colorful leaves can be seen falling ______________ from trees.
A. Everywhere
B. Very
C. Gently
D. Loudly
Answer: C. During autumn, colorful leaves can be seen falling gently from trees.
3. My grandmother always smiled _______________.
A. Cheerfully
B. Sadly
C. Never
D. Yesterday
Answer: A. My grandmother always smiled cheerfully.

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 4. After the party, confetti was strewn _________________.
A. Blandly
B. Everywhere
C. Later
D. Carefully
Answer: B. After the party, confetti was strewn everywhere.
5. It’s time to go ____________.
A. Before
B. Now
C. Yesterday
D. Lightly
Answer: B. It’s time to go now.

Adverbs List
There are many different words that function as adverbs. The following list is broken down
into segments which list adverbs by function. After reading, you will be able to think of
additional adverbs to add to your own list – after all, there are thousands.
Many adverbs end in “-ly”. This makes it very easy to spot the adverbs in most
sentences.
Abruptly
Boldly
Carefully
Deliberately
Excitedly
Financially
Horribly
Mildly
Naughtily
Openly
Poorly
Quickly
Sadly
Terribly
Willingly
Yearly

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Some adverbs tell us where the action happened. These are known as adverbs of
place.
Everywhere
Here
Inside
There
Underground
Upstairs
Certain adverbs let us know when or how often the action happened. These are
known as adverbs of time and adverbs of frequency.
After
Always
Before
Later
Now
Today
Yesterday
Many adverbs tell us the extent of the action.
Almost
Enough
So
Too
Quite
Rather
Very
Some adverbs are used as intensifiers.
Absolutely
Certain
Completely
Heartily
Really
Certain adverbs called adverbs of manner tell us about the way in which something
was done.

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Briskly
Cheerfully
Expectantly
Randomly
Willingly
Some groups of words serve the same functions as adverbs. These are known as adverb
clauses. Be sure to read the adverb clause section to learn new ways to make your
sentences even more interesting.

Adverb Clauses
What is an adverb clause?
An adverb clause is a group of words that is used to change or qualify the meaning of
an adjective, a verb, a clause, another adverb, or any other type of word or phrase with the
exception of determiners and adjectives that directly modify nouns.
Adverb clauses always meet three requirements:
• First, an adverb clause always contains a subject and a verb.
• Second, adverb clauses contain subordinate conjunctions that prevent them from
containing complete thoughts and becoming full sentences.
• Third, all adverb clauses answer one of the classic “adverb questions:” When? Why?
How? Where?
Examples of Adverb Clauses
As you read the following adverb clause examples, you’ll notice how these useful phrases
modify other words and phrases by providing interesting information about the place, time,
manner, certainty, frequency, or other circumstances of activity denoted by the verbs or verb
phrases in the sentences. While adverb clauses are slightly more complicated than simple
adverbs, they are worth learning about.
The adverb clauses in these examples are italicized for easy identification.
1. Jennifer scrubbed the bathtub until her arms ached. (This adverb clause describes
how Jennifer scrubbed.)
2. The dogs started chasing my car once they saw it turn the corner. (This adverb
clause describes when the dogs started chasing my car.)
3. After having my wisdom teeth out, I had a milkshake for dinner because I couldn’t
chew anything. (This adverb clause describes why I had a milkshake for dinner.)
Adverb Clause Exercises
The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how adverb clauses
work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1. The women took notes ________________________.
a. While being taught to cook
b. Steadily

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c. Noisily
d. For their children
Answer: A. the women took notes while being taught to cook. (This adverb clause describes
when the women took notes.)
2. We will go to the game __________________.
a. Friday
b. Even if it rains
c. Saturday
d. Sometime
Answer: B. We will go to the game even if it rains. (This adverb clause describes a certain
condition, or a “how.”)
3. You can put the package ____________________.
a. Outside
b. Inside
c. Wherever you like
d. Somewhere
Answer: C. You can put the package wherever you like. (This adverb clause denotes a
place, even though that place is not specific.)
4. ___________________, you will not be punished.
a. Since you have apologized
b. We decided
c. He told me
d. You are lucky
Answer: A. Since you have apologized, you will not be punished. (This adverb clause
denotes a reason or a “why.”)
5. She was so tired _____________________.
a. She left
b. She cried
c. Today
d. That she could not stand
Answer: D. She was so tired that she could not stand. (This adverb clause denotes a result
of being tired or a “how.”)

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Adverb Clauses List
When creating adverb clauses, feel free to be creative. The following examples will help you
get started:
• Even when I’m sick
• When you have finished working
• Whenever you like
• Wherever we prefer
• Since I returned from vacation
• As she was not there
• Since you always do well
• Before entering high school
• After I return
• So that he would understand

Adverbs of Frequency
What are adverbs of frequency?
Adverbs that change or qualify the meaning of a sentence by telling us how often or how
frequently something happens are defined as adverbs of frequency.
An adverb of frequency is exactly what it sounds like – an adverb of time. Adverbs of
frequency always describe how often something occurs, either in definite or indefinite terms.
An adverb that describes definite frequency is one such as weekly, daily, or yearly. An
adverb describing indefinite frequency doesn’t specify an exact time frame; examples are
sometimes, often, and rarely.
Adverbs of Frequency Rules
These simple rules for adverbs of frequency will help you to use them correctly:
• Always use adverbs of frequency to discuss how often something happens.
• Adverbs of frequency are often used to indicate routine or repeated activities, so they
are often used with the present simple tense.
• If a sentence has only one verb, place the adverb of frequency in the middle of the
sentence so that it is positioned after the subject but before the verb. For example:
Tom never flies. He always takes the bus.
• When a sentence contains more than one verb, place the adverb of frequency before
the main verb. For example: They have often visited Europe.
• When using an adverb of frequency in the negative or in forming a question, place it
before the main verb. For example: Do you usually get up so late?
Examples of Adverbs of Frequency
Each sentence contains an example of an adverb of frequency; the examples are italicized
for easy identification.

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 1. The incubator turns each egg hourly.
2. We take a vacation at least once annually.
3. I usually shop for groceries on Saturday mornings.
4. He is often late for work.
5. We seldom see John.
6. My dentist told me I should floss twice daily.

Adverbs of Frequency Exercises

The following exercises will help you to gain better understanding about how adverbs of
frequency work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1. I ________________ late on Saturdays.
a. Get up usually
b. Get usually up
c. Usually get up
Answer: C. I usually get up late on Saturdays.
2. Jared ______________ late for work.
a. Never is
b. Is never
Answer: A. Jared is never late for work.
3. _______________ on weekends?
a. Often do you travel
b. Do you often travel
c. Often you do travel
Answer: B. Do you often travel on weekends?
4. Susan ________________ early for class.
a. Often is
b. Are often
c. Often are
d. Is often
Answer: D. Susan is often early for class.
5. When do you ____________ go on vacation each year?
a. Always
b. Never

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c. Usually
d. Ever
Answer: When do you usually go on vacation each year?

Adverbs of Frequency List

This list of adverbs of frequency contains many of the most common; keep in mind though
that there are many other words which can serve in this capacity.
Always
Annually
Constantly
Daily
Eventually
Ever
Frequently
Generally
Hourly
Infrequently
Later
Monthly
Never
Next
Nightly
Normally
Now
Occasionally
Often
Quarterly
Rarely
Regularly
Sometimes
Soon
Then
Today

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Tonight
Weekly
Yearly
Yesterday
Yet

Adverbs of Manner
What is an adverb of manner?
Adverbs of manner describe how something happens. For example, it is possible to walk or
run at different speeds. The words used to describe walking or running at different speeds
(quickly or slowly for example) are excellent examples of adverbs of manner. They help the
reader gain greater insight into the way a written scene is playing out. Comparing the
following sentences will help you to understand how these adverbs change the overall
meaning of the sentences they’re found in.
The boys ran. (There is no adverb of manner in this sentence, so we can only imagine how
fast the boys are running.)
The boys ran quickly. (The adverb of manner is quickly. It tells us that the boys are in a
hurry.)
The boys were tired, so they ran more slowly than before. (The adverb of manner is slowly. It
tells us that the boys are running, but they aren’t covering as much ground as they were
before.)
There are a few rules to remember regarding adverbs of manner:
• When using these adverbs, be careful not to place them between the object and the
verb. They often fit best after the sentence’s object or main verb.
• If there is a preposition before the object, the adverb of manner may be placed either
before the preposition or after the sentence’s object.
• Add emphasis by placing an adverb of manner before both the verb and object, and
when these adverbs are placed at the beginning of a sentence, they catch the
reader’s attention.
As you read the following examples of adverbs of manner, you will notice how the same
adverb can lend different meanings to sentences containing nearly the exact same set of
words.
Examples of Adverbs of Manner
The adverb of manner in each example has been italicized for easy identification.

He quickly agreed to go to the store for milk. (His agreement was quick)
He agreed to go to the store for milk quickly. (He would go to the store quickly)

She quietly asked me to leave the room. (Her request was quiet)

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She asked me to leave the room quietly. (I am not going to make noise when I leave)

The doctor woke the gently sleeping patient. (The patient was sleeping gently)
The doctor gently woke the sleeping patient. (The doctor was gentle while waking the
patient)

Adverbs of Manner Exercises

The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how adverbs of
manner work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1. The excited baby pounded the table _______________.
a. Badly
b. Hungrily
c. Normally
d. Variously
Answer: B. The excited baby pounded the table hungrily.
2. Walk ______________ or you may miss the bus.
a. Quickly
b. Slowly
c. Personally
d. Happily
Answer: A. Walk quickly or you may miss the bus.
3. Reading ______________ helps you to understand concepts better.
a. Rapidly
b. Briefly
c. Carefully
d. Always
Answer: C. Reading carefully helps you to understand concepts better.
4. Playing music too _______________ can damage your hearing.
a. Slowly
b. Cheerfully
c. Carelessly
d. Loudly
Answer: D. Playing music too loudly can damage your hearing.

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5. A tortoise walks _______________.
a. Mostly
b. Slowly
c. Happily
d. Eagerly
Answer: B. A tortoise walks slowly.

Adverbs of Manner List

The following list of adverbs of manner contains 125 single-word adverbs of manner; this is
just a sample, as adverbs of manner actually form the largest of all groups of adverbs.
accidentally
angrily
anxiously
awkwardly
badly
beautifully
boldly
bravely
brightly
busily
calmly
carefully
cautiously
cheerfully
clearly
closely
correctly
courageously
cruelly
daringly
deliberately
doubtfully
eagerly

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easily
elegantly
enormously
enthusiastically
equally
eventually
exactly
faithfully
fast
fatally
fiercely
fondly
foolishly
fortunately
frantically
generously
gently
gladly
gracefully
greedily
happily
hard
hastily
honestly
hungrily
hurriedly
inadequately
ingeniously
innocently
inquisitively
irritably
joyously

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justly
kindly
lazily
loosely
loudly
madly
mortally
mysteriously
neatly
nervously
noisily
obediently
openly
painfully
patiently
perfectly
politely
poorly
powerfully
promptly
punctually
quickly
quietly
rapidly
rarely
really
recklessly
regularly
reluctantly
repeatedly
rightfully
roughly

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rudely
sadly
safely
selfishly
sensibly
seriously
sharply
shyly
silently
sleepily
slowly
smoothly
so
softly
speedily
stealthily
sternly
straight
stupidly
successfully
suddenly
suspiciously
swiftly
tenderly
tensely
thoughtfully
tightly
truthfully
unexpectedly
victoriously
violently
vivaciously

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warmly
weakly
wearily
well
wildly
wisely

Adverbs of Place
What is an adverb of place?
Adverbs that change or qualify the meaning of a sentence by telling us where things happen
are defined as adverbs of place. Some instructors refer to these words or phrases as spatial
adverbs. No matter what they are called, these adverbs always answer one important
question: Where?
These simple rules for adverbs of place will help you to use them the right way:
• An adverb of place always talks about the location where the action of the verb is
being carried out.
• Adverbs of place are normally placed after a sentence’s object or main verb.
• Adverbs of place can be directional. For example: Up, down, around, away, north,
southeast
• Adverbs of place can refer to distances. For example: Nearby, far away, miles apart
• An adverb of place can indicate an object’s position in relation to another object. For
example: Below, between, above, behind, through, around and so forth.
• Many adverbs of place indicate movement in a particular direction and end in the
letters “-ward or -wards”. For example: Toward, forward, backward, homeward,
westward, eastwards onwards
Examples of Adverbs of Place
Each sentence contains an example of an adverb of place; the examples are italicized for
easy identification. As you read these examples, you will notice that some of the adverbs of
place contain more than one word.
Put the cake there.
After a long day at work, we headed homewards.
Please bring that book here.
My grandfather’s house is nearby.

Adverbs of Place Exercises

The following exercises will help you to gain better understanding about how adverbs of
place work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.

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 1. Close the door when you go ___________.
1. Out
2. Westward
3. Lightly
4. Here
Answer: A. Close the door when you go out.
2. The cat is hiding _______________ the couch.
1. On
2. Underneath
3. Somewhere
4. There
Answer: B. The cat is hiding underneath the couch.
3. Will you be starting your plants ________________ or in a greenhouse?
1. Round
2. Home
3. Outside
4. Around
Answer: C. Will you be starting your plants outside or in a greenhouse?
4. The ship sailed ________________, encountering heavy weather along the way.
1. Up
2. Down
3. Northwards
4. Backwards
Answer: C. The ship sailed northwards, encountering heavy weather along the way.
5. When she saw me waiting, she ran __________________ me.
1. Around
2. Towards
3. Through
4. Forward
Answer: B. When she saw me waiting, she ran towards me.

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Adverbs of Place List
As you read through the examples this adverbs of place list contains, think about how they
denote location or movement. With some consideration, you are likely to come up with some
additional terms on your own.
Abroad
Across
Ahead
Back
Backwards
Beyond
Down
Downwards
Eastwards
Everywhere
Here
In
Indoors
Inside
Outside
Overseas
There
West
Yonder

Adverbs of Time
What is an adverb of time?
Adverbs that change or qualify the meaning of a sentence by telling us when things happen
are defined as adverbs of time.
An adverb of time is just what you might expect it to be – a word that describes when, for
how long, or how often a certain action happened. You will notice that many adverbs of time
are the same as adverbs of frequency. There is quite a bit of overlap between these two
types of adverbs – so much so that some instructors choose to mention one or the other but
not both.
These simple rules for adverbs of time will help you to use them the right way:
• Adverbs of time often work best when placed at the end of sentences. For example:
o Robin Hood swindled the Sheriff of Nottingham yesterday.
o I’m sick of living in chaos, so I’m going to clean my house tomorrow.

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 • You can change the position of an adverb of time to lend emphasis to a certain
aspect of a sentence. For example:
o Later Robin Hood stole the king’s crown. (The time is the most important
element here.)
o Robin Hood later stole the king’s crown. (This is a formal way to use the
adverb later. Notice how the statement sounds like it belongs in a police
report.)
o Robin Hood stole the king’s crown later. (This is a neutral, standard way to
use the adverb later.)
• Adverbs of time describing for how long an action occurred usually work best at the
end of a sentence. For example:
o She stayed at her grandmother’s house all day.
o My father was up with heartburn for hours.
• Adverbs of time that express an exact number of times the action happens usually
work best at the end of a sentence. For example:
o The newspaper arrives daily.
o They go out to dinner weekly.
o Our family goes on an outing monthly.
• When using more than one adverb of time in a sentence, use them in the following
order:
o 1. How long
o 2. How often
o 3. When
For example:
o She volunteered at the hospital (1) for three days (2) every month (3) last
year.

Examples of Adverbs of Time

Each sentence contains an example of an adverb of time; the examples are italicized for
easy identification.
Are you coming to work tomorrow?
I’d like to go to the movies later.
Jim was so sick he spent four weeks in the hospital.

Adverbs of Time Exercises

The following exercises will help you to gain better understanding about how adverbs of time
work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.

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 1. We go out for Japanese food ________________.
1. Willingly
2. Normally
3. Weekly
4. Perfectly
Answer: C. We go out for Japanese food weekly. (This sentence talks about how often we
go out for Japanese food.)
1. Have you done your homework _____________?
1. Now
2. Then
3. Yet
4. Still
Answer: C. Have you done your homework yet? (This question inquires whether homework
has been done at the appointed time.)
1. Do you _______________ work at the bank?
1. Still
2. Never
3. Grudgingly
4. Happily
Answer: A. Do you still work at the bank? (This question asks whether the subject is
employed at the bank as they were in the past.)
1. Would you rather drive sometimes or take the train ______________?
1. Still
2. Never
3. Every day
4. To the beach
Answer: C. Would you rather drive sometimes or take the train every day? (This question
asks how often the subject would prefer to take the train instead of driving.)
1. The patient is ___________ waiting to see the doctor.
1. Still
2. Never
3. Every day
4. Sadly

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Answer: A. The patient is still waiting to see the doctor. (This sentence expresses continuity.
The patient was waiting to see the doctor before and is still waiting.)

Adverbs of Time List

After reading this list of adverbs of time, you may be able to come up with several more on
your own. Remember that adverbs of time always tell us when, how long, and how often
something happens.
When:
Yesterday
Today
Tomorrow
Later
Last year
Now
How long:
All morning
For hours
Since last week
How often:
Frequently
Never
Sometimes
Often
Annually

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Adverb of Degree
What is an adverb of degree?
An adverb of degree is used to discuss the degree or intensity of an adjective, an action, or
another adverb. There are so many adverbs of degree that it’s impossible to list them all in
one short guide. Some common examples of adverbs of degree follow.
• Almost
• Absolutely
• Barely
• Completely
• Deeply
• Enough
• Enormously
• Extremely
• Fairly
• Fully
• Greatly
• Hardly
• Incredibly
• Practically
• Quite
• Scarcely
• Somewhat
• Terribly
• Virtually
Adverbs of degree are important modifiers. As you will soon see, they are usually placed
before the word they are modifying.
Examples of Adverbs of Degree
Adverbs of degree allow you to be very specific when writing, no matter what the purpose. In
the following examples, the adverbs of degree have been italicized for ease of identification.
They were almost finished.
This cake is absolutely wonderful.
The temperature was barely above freezing.
Our driveway is completely frozen.
We felt incredibly lucky after winning tickets to the World Series.
My teacher is terribly grumpy today.

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Preposition
What is a preposition?
A preposition is a word used to link nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other words
within a sentence. They act to connect the people, objects, time and locations of a
sentence. Prepositions are usually short words, and they are normally placed directly
in front of nouns. In some cases, you’ll find prepositions in front of gerund verbs.
A nice way to think about prepositions is as the words that help glue a sentence together.
They do this by expressing position and movement, possession, time and how an action is
completed.
Indeed, several of the most frequently used words in all of English, such as of, to, for, with,
on and at, are prepositions. Explaining prepositions can seem complicated, but they are a
common part of language and most of us use them naturally without even thinking about it.
In fact, it’s interesting to note that prepositions are regarded as a ‘closed class’ of words in
the English language. This means, unlike verbs and nouns, no new words are added to this
group over time. In a way, it reflects their role as the functional workhorse of the sentence.
They are unassuming and subtle, yet vitally important to the meaning of language.
There are two very important rules to remember when using prepositions. Because they are
somewhat vague, learning about prepositions and using them correctly in sentences takes
practice. Because 1:1 translation is often impossible when dealing with prepositions, even
the most advanced English students have some difficulty at first.
• The first rule is that to make sentences clear, specific prepositions are needed. For
example, the preposition in means one thing and the preposition on cannot substitute
for it in all cases. Some prepositions are interchangeable but not always. The correct
preposition means one particular thing and using a different proposition will give the
sentence a very different meaning. I want to see you in the house now, Bill! means
something very different from I want to see you on the house now, Bill! In the
house means Bill should go through the door, walk inside, and stand in the hall or
living room. On the house means Bill would need to get a ladder and climb to the roof
where he would be on top of the house.
• The second rule for using prepositions is that prepositions are generally followed by
nouns or pronouns. There was a time in the past when teachers held strictly to this
rule, but it made for some clunky sentences. I am seeking someone I can depend
on ends with the preposition on, so people who insisted that sentences shouldn’t end
with a preposition would be forced to use convoluted and unnatural phrasing. To
avoid ending that sentence above with a preposition, you’d have to say, someone I
can depend on is whom I am seeking.
• There are more than 100 prepositions in the English language. In addition, there are
endless possibilities for creating prepositional phrases, phrases that begin with a
preposition and end with a noun or pronoun. In the following sections, you will find
examples of prepositions, types of prepositions, a comprehensive list of prepositions,
and some helpful preposition exercises. As you read the examples and study the list,
remember that prepositions usually convey concepts such as comparison, direction,
place, purpose, source possession, and time.

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Examples of Prepositions
In the following sentences, examples of prepositions have been italicized. As you read,
consider how using different prepositions or even different types of prepositions in place of
the examples might change the relationship between the rest of the words in the sentence.
• I prefer to read in the library.
• He climbed up the ladder to get onto the roof.
• Please sign your name on the dotted line after you read the contract.
• Go down the stairs and through the door.
• He swam across the pool.
• Take your brother with you.
Types of Prepositions
There are three types of prepositions, including time prepositions, place prepositions, and
direction prepositions.
Time prepositions are those such as before, after, during, and until; place
prepositions are those indicating position, such as around, between, and against; and
direction prepositions are those indicative of direction, such as across, up, and down. Each
type of preposition is important.

Type of Prepositions
Prepositions of Time
Basic examples of time prepositions include: at, on, in, before and after. They are used to
help indicate when something happened, happens or will happen. It can get a little confusing
though, as many different prepositions can be used.
Prepositions of time examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
For example:
• I was born on July 4th, 1982.
• I was born in 1982.
• I was born at exactly 2am.
• I was born two minutes before my twin brother.
• I was born after the Great War ended.
The above makes it seem quite difficult, with five different prepositions used to indicate when
something happened. However, there is a set of guidelines that can help decide which
preposition to use:
For years, months, seasons, centuries and times of day, use the preposition in:
• I first met John in 1987.
• It’s always cold in January
• Easter falls in spring each year.
• The Second World War occurred in the 20th century.

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 • We eat breakfast in the morning.
For days, dates and specific holiday days, use the preposition on.
1. We go to school on Mondays, but not on Sunday
2. Christmas is on December 25th.
3. Buy me a present on my birthday.
For times, indicators of exception and festivals, use the preposition at:
• Families often argue at Christmas time.
• I work faster at night.
• Her shift finished at 7pm.
Before and after should be much easier to understand than the other examples of
prepositions of time. Both are used to explain when something happened, happens or will
happen, but specifically in relation to another thing.
• Before I discovered this bar, I used to go straight home after work.
• We will not leave before 3pm.
• David comes before Bryan in the line, but after Louise.
Other prepositions of time could include: During, about, around, until and throughout.
• The concert will be staged throughout the month of May.
• I learned how to ski during the holidays.
• He usually arrives around 3pm.
• It was about six in the morning when we made it to bed.
• The store is open until midnight.

Prepositions of Place

To confuse matters a bit, the most common prepositions to indicate time – on, at, in – are
also the most common prepositions to indicate position. However, the rules are a little
clearer as place prepositions are a more rigid concept than time prepositions.
Prepositions of place examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.
• The cat is on the table.
• The dogs are in the kennel.
• We can meet at the crossroads.
The guidelines can be broken down as follows:
On is used when referring to something with a surface:
• The sculpture hangs on the wall.

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 • The images are on the page.
• The specials are on the menu, which is on the table.
In is used when referring to something that is inside or within confined boundaries. This
could be anything, even a country:
1. Jim is in France, visiting his aunt in the hospital.
2. The whiskey is in the jar in the fridge.
3. The girls play in the garden.
At is used when referring to something at a specific point:
1. The boys are at the entrance at the movie theater.
2. He stood at the bus stop at the corner of Water and High streets.
3. We will meet at the airport.
Lot’s of other prepositions of place, such as under, over, inside, outside,
above and below are used in English. There is, however, a lot less confusion as they refer to
rigid positions rather than abstract ones.
• The cat is under the table.
• Put the sandwich over there.
• The key is locked inside the car.
• They stepped outside the house.
• Major is ranked above corporal.
• He is waving at you from below the stairs.

Prepositions of Movement
Prepositions of movement are quite easy to understand as they are less abstract than
prepositions of place and time. Essentially, they describe how something or someone moves
from one place to another. The most commonly used preposition of movement is to, which
usually serves to highlight that there is movement towards a specific destination.
Prepositions of movement examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy
identification.
• He has gone on vacation to France.
• She went to the bowling alley every Friday last summer.
• I will go to bed when I am tired.
• They will go to the zoo if they finish their errands.
Other more specific prepositions of movement include: through, across, off, down and into.
These prepositions can sometimes get mixed up with others. While they are similar, they
have individual meanings that add context to the movement.
Across refers to moving from one side to another.

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 • Mike travelled across America on his motorcycle.
• Rebecca and Judi are swimming across the lake.
Through refers to moving directly inside something and out the other end.
• The bullet Ben shot went through the window.
• The train passes through the tunnel.
Into refers to entering or looking inside something.
• James went into the room.
• They stare into the darkness.
Up, over, down, past and around indicate directions of movement:
1. Jack went up the hill.
2. Jill came tumbling down after.
3. We will travel over rough terrain on our way to Grandma’s house.
4. The horse runs around the track all morning.
5. A car zoomed past a truck on the highway

How to Recognize a Preposition?

Recognizing prepositions can be challenging as they do not always follow a consistent
pattern in terms of their position in a sentence, nor do they have a discernible structure or
spelling. We do know, however, that prepositions are almost always short words, with the
majority having less than six letters. One technique people use to identify a preposition is to
think of a preposition as anywhere a mouse can go. Above, below, next to, between,
beyond, through, by, with…It won’t cover them all, but it can be a useful question to ask
when trying to identify and recognize a preposition. While there are over 100 prepositions,
there are around 500,00-700,000 nouns in English! It is unlikely anyone will learn so many
nouns, but recognizing and then mastering prepositions might be a worthwhile and
attainable goal.
Prepositions with Nouns
There are lots of different nouns that carry specific prepositions to consolidate their meaning.
These are called dependent prepositions. Again, there isn’t a set rule that says a particular
type of noun will take a dependent preposition, although they normally follow the noun.
Moreover, there are many possible combinations. Essentially, it’s case of familiarizing
yourself with the different possibilities of nouns and dependent prepositions. Examples:
• He displayed cruelty towards his dog.
• She had knowledge of physics.
• The trouble with Jack.
• 21 is the age at which you are allowed to drink.
• Bolt made another attempt at the world record.
• The police held an inquiry into the murder.

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Prepositions with Verbs
Prepositional verbs – the phrasal combinations of verbs and prepositions – are important
parts of speech. The prepositions again act as links between the verb and noun or gerund,
giving extra meaning to the sentence. The prepositions most commonly used with verbs
are: to, for, about, of, in, at and from. The good news is that these will always come after the
verb in the sentence. However, it should also be noted that the prepositional verbs can have
slightly different meaning compared to the original verb. For example, to relate a story simply
means to tell a story, to relate to a story means you identify with it, find some personally
meaning in that story.
Verb + to:
• He admitted to the charge.
• I go to Vancouver on vacation twice a year.
• William can relate to the character in the play.
Verb + for:
• He must apologize for his actions.
• We searched for ages before we found the perfect apartment.
• I provide for my family by working two jobs.
Verb + with:
• I don’t agree with your claim.
• The lawyer said he will meet with your representatives.
• They began with a quick warm-up.
Verb + of:
• I dream of a better life.
• Have you heard of Shakespeare?
• The bread consists of dough, raisins and a little honey.
Verb + in:
• Does Rick believe in miracles?
• Fallon lives in New York.
• The bus accident resulted in my being late to work.
Verb + at
1. We arrived at our destination.
2. Ilene excels at singing.
3. Will the baby smile at her mother?
Verb + on:
• We should really concentrate on our studies now.

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 • Helen insisted on Brenda’s company.
• Morris experimented on some canvas.
Verb + from:
• Since turning 80, she suffers from lapses in concentration.
• Dad retired from the navy in the 1970s.
• Billy Bob, please refrain from doing that.

Prepositions with Adjectives

Prepositions can form phrases with adjectives to give further context to the action, emotion
or thing the adjective is describing. Like verbs and nouns, adjectives can be followed by: to,
about, In, for, with, at and by.
• I am happily married to David.
• Ellie is crazy about this movie.
• Michelle is interested in politics.
• We are sorry for your loss.
• Jane will be delighted with her results.
• Is he still angry at the world?
• The entire room was astonished by the election results.
There can sometimes be a pattern in deciding which prepositions go with adjectives, for
example, when adjectives have the same or very similar meaning to each other, they might
take the same preposition:
• Frightened of, afraid of, scared of, terrified of
Indeed, when adjectives have opposite meaning they might also take the same preposition:
• Good at, great at, superb at, wonderful at
• Bad at, terrible at, woeful at, inept at
There are always many exceptions to the above, but it can help that there seems to be some
consistency when adjectives have the same meaning or opposite meaning.

Nevertheless, perhaps a more general rule is that English speakers simply need to learn
which prepositions go with which adjectives, as meaning can change significantly by using a
different preposition.
• I am good at sports means I have some athletic talent.
• The nurse was good to my mother means she took care of her and was nice, kind,
and helpful.
• I am good with animals means I get along with them and handle them well.

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 • Swimming is good for your health.
• That was good of you to come means you were begin nice and good to visit.
• My little brother is good inside (his body) means even though you can’t see how he
thinks and feels, he is good. Even if his behavior is bad.
• The blueberry jam will be good on toast.
Prepositions Exercises
The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how prepositions
work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1. The bone was _______ the dog.
a. About
b. For
c. After
d. Considering
Answer: b. The bone was for the dog.
2. We are going on vacation _______ August.
a. On
b. At
c. In
d. Since
Answer: c. We are going on vacation in August.
3. Please put the vase ________ the table.
a. In
b. On
c. For
d. Over
Answer: b. Please put the vase on the table.
4. I received a present ________ Janet.
a. From
b. Of
c. By
d. About
Answer: a. I received a present from Janet.
5. School begins ________ Monday.
a. In
b. On
c. From
d. Since
Answer: b. School begins on Monday.

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List of Prepositions
While there are only about 150 prepositions in the English language, these words are among
the most important. Without them, the sentences we speak, read, and write would be difficult
to understand. The following list of prepositions is not a complete one, however it is among
the most comprehensive lists of prepositions available anywhere.
Aboard
About
Above
Absent
Across
After
Against
Along
Alongside
Amid
Among
Amongst
Anti
Around
As
At
Before
Behind
Below
Beneath
Beside
Besides
Between
Beyond
But
By
Circa
Concerning
Considering

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Despite
Down
During
Except
Excepting
Excluding
Failing
Following
For
From
Given
In
Inside
Into
Like
Minus
Near
Of
Off
On
Onto
Opposite
Outside
Over
Past
Per
Plus
Regarding
Round
Save
Since
Than

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Through
To
Toward
Towards
Under
Underneath
Unlike
Until
Up
Upon
Versus
Via
With
Within
Without
Worth

Prepositional Phrases
What is a Prepositional Phrase?
Prepositional phrases are groups of words containing prepositions. Remember that
prepositions are words that indicate the relationships between various elements within a
sentence, and you’ll never have difficulty identifying prepositional phrases.
A prepositional phrase is a group of words that lacks either a verb or a subject, and that
functions as a unified part of speech. It normally consists of a preposition and a noun or a
preposition and a pronoun.
Remember the following rules for prepositional phrases and you will find that using them
becomes much easier.
• Prepositional phrases always consist of two basic parts at minimum: the object and
the preposition.
• In formal English, prepositions are almost always followed by objects.
• Adjectives can be placed between the prepositions and objects in prepositional
phrases.
• Prepositional phrases can act as adverbs or adjectives. When they are used as
adjectives, they modify nouns and pronouns in the same way single-word adjectives
do.

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 • When prepositional phrases are used as adverbs, they at the same way single-word
adverbs and adverb clauses do, modifying adjectives, verbs, and other adverbs.
Just like bread and cheese are the minimum ingredients for making a cheese sandwich, a
preposition and the object of a preposition are the minimum requirements for forming a
prepositional phrase. The object of a preposition is the name for the noun or pronoun
following the preposition.
Prepositional phrases don’t have to be plain. Just as adding more ingredients to a sandwich
dresses it up, adding more words such as adverbs or adjectives is a good method for spicing
up prepositional phrases. As you read the following examples of prepositional phrases, you’ll
notice that the first sentence in each set contains a basic prepositional phrase, while the
second one contains a more interesting one.
Examples of Prepositional Phrases
The following sentences contain examples of prepositional phrases; the prepositional phrase
in each sentence is italicized for easy identification.
The cupcake with sprinkles is yours.
The cupcake with colorful sprinkles is yours.

We climbed up the hill.

We climbed up the very steep hill.

The rabbits hopped through the garden.

The rabbits hopped through the perfectly manicured garden.

Prepositional Phrase Exercises

The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how prepositional
phrases work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1. There are lots of birds nesting _____________________.
1. Under the eaves
2. There
3. Now
Answer: A. There are lots of birds nesting under the eaves.
2. After school, the children played tag ________________.
1. At the park
2. Roughly
3. And baseball
Answer: A. After school, the children played tag at the park.
3. Come ___________________ with me.

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 1. Home
2. Over
3. Into the store
Answer: C. Come into the store with me.
4. __________________ the chair sat mouldering in the attic.
1. Sad to say,
2. For one hundred years
3. Incredibly
Answer: B. For one hundred years the chair sat mouldering in the attic.
5. I gave the children pizza ______________ pancakes for breakfast today.
1. Instead of
2. Because of
3. Any more
Answer: A. I gave the children pizza instead of pancakes for breakfast today.

List of Prepositional Phrases

The following is by no means a complete list of prepositional phrases. While there are only
about 150 prepositions in the English language, there are thousands of other words that can
make their way into prepositional phrases. Learn to create a colorful prepositional phrase,
and your writing will be wonderfully appealing.
Down the tree
Up the hill
Around the mulberry bush
Into the woods
With chopped nuts
Near a fast-flowing river
Within the book’s pages
Through the tunnel
In spite of
Instead of
Any more
On account of
To the fact that
Because of

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Preposition of Time
What is a preposition of time?
A preposition of time is a preposition that allows you to discuss a specific time period such
as a date on the calendar, one of the days of the week, or the actual time something takes
place. Prepositions of time are the same words as prepositions of place, however they are
used in a different way. You can easily distinguish these prepositions, as they always
discuss times rather than places.
• At – This preposition of time is used to discuss clock times, holidays and festivals,
and other very specific time frames including exceptions, such as “at night.”
• In – This preposition of time is used to discuss months, seasons, years, centuries,
general times of day, and longer periods of time such as “in the past.”
• On – This preposition of time is used to discuss certain days of the week or portions
of days of the week, specific dates, and special days such as “on New Year’s Day.”
Prepositions of time allow you to tell your readers when things are taking place. They are
vital parts of speech to use in stories, as well as when writing simple communications,
reports, and other items.
Examples of Prepositions of Time
There may only be three prepositions of time, but the ways in which you can use them are
almost endless. In the following examples, the prepositions of time have been italicized for
ease of identification.
My birthday falls in January.
Birds often migrate in spring and autumn.
My great-grandmother was born in 1906.
Breakfast is a meal which is generally eaten in the morning.
My parents grew up in the 1960s.
My vacation ends on Monday.
We’re going bowling on Friday night.
My brother John was born on September 3rd.
We always have a huge celebration on New Year’s Eve.
Meet me at 7:30.
The town is always well-decorated at Christmastime.
Now that my grandfather is older, he no longer drives at night.

Preposition of Place
What is a preposition of place?
A preposition of place is a preposition which is used to refer to a place where something or
someone is located. There are only three prepositions of place, however they can be used to
discuss an almost endless number of places.
• At – A preposition of place which is used to discuss a certain point

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 • In – A preposition of place which is used to discuss an enclosed space
• On – A preposition of time which is used to discuss a surface
Prepositions of place allow you to be very specific when talking about where action takes
place in stories or when discussing important details for communication purposes.
Examples of Prepositions of Place
Prepositions of place give you the ability to tell others where something is located. In the
following examples, the prepositions of place have been italicized for ease of identification.
Jessie waited for Jim at the corner.
The mall is located at the intersection of Main Street and Third Avenue.
We spent a quiet evening at home.
I’m growing tomatoes in my garden.
Marie was born in Paris, France.
I was so tired that I took a nap in the car.
Please place the bouquet on the table.
I really wish you would stop throwing your dirty clothes on the floor.
What’s on the menu this evening?

Comma Punctuation Rules & Examples: Learn How To Use Commas

English Punctuation: How to Use Commas Correctly
Commas are used to separate a sentence’s elements, to connect independent clauses, to
avoid confusion, and much more. Here, we offer a brief, basic guide to using commas
correctly.
Using Commas to Separate a Sentence’s Elements
Commas provide clarity, particularly in sentences that contain several different elements.
• Always use commas to separate the elements of a series of three or more things,
particularly the last two. “She saddled her horse, hopped on, and rode off into the
sunset.”
• You may have learned that it’s not necessary to use a comma before “and” – and
that’s fine in most cases. However, there are some times when adding a comma
before “and” can help to prevent confusion, particularly when a series of words
includes terms that have a tendency to glom together (like spaghetti and meatballs).
“He went to the grocery store, where he bought cheese, spaghetti, and meatballs.”
How to use Commas and Conjunctions to Connect Independent Clauses
Conjunctions are words such as and, for, nor, but, yet, and so.
• Use a comma after a conjunction to provide balance. “We drove to the beach, but we
left since the parking lot was full.”
• One of the most common comma placement errors is the usage of a comma after a
conjunction rather than before: “Nancy’s schedule was very busy but, she always
made time to go to the gym.”

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Using Commas to Set Off a Sentence’s Introductory Element
While it is not always necessary to use a comma after a sentence’s introductory element, it’s
usually a good idea to do so since omission can lead to hesitancy or confusion.
• Notice how the comma in this sentence infuses the words with greater meaning:
“While lighting the candles on John’s birthday cake, Susan realized that he would
soon be an adult.”
If you are ever in doubt about whether to use a comma after an introductory element, err on
the side of caution and insert a comma – it’s never incorrect to do so.
Using Commas to Accentuate Parenthetical Elements
Parenthetical elements, or added information, increase a sentence’s value by providing
additional information that isn’t necessary for getting one’s point across, but that is worth
stating.
• In this sentence, the parenthetical element is italicized: “The North River
Bridge, which was built in 1902, collapsed on Saturday.”
In the example above, the parenthetical information provides the reader with a sense of
context that helps provide insight into the cause of the bridge’s collapse.
When writing about locations, such as cities, states, and nations, treat the middle element as
parenthetical. For example:
• We visited Bozeman, Montana, last summer.
• London, England, is a destination everyone should visit at least once.
When the state or nation takes on a possessive form, the rule no longer applies. For
example:
• Williamsburg, Virginia’s connection with our nation’s history is well-known.
In addition, the second comma is dropped when the location’s name is compounded, as
follows:
• Facebook, as a Boston, Massachusetts-based company, is now known throughout
the world.
Using Commas to Frame Quoted Elements
Many writers use quoted material rarely, if ever. Because it’s fairly uncommon to use quotes
in everyday writing, this rule can be difficult to remember. If ever in doubt, find a page from
an article that incorporates several quotations and uses it as a model for constructing
sentences with quotes.
• “The question is,” said Mary, “why it is possible to make the same words mean many
things.”
• In Lectures in America, Gertrude Stein writes, “A long complicated sentence should
force itself upon you.”
As the above examples illustrate, commas generally separate quotes from the remainder of
the sentence, which usually introduces or explains the quotation.

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