• We use the Present Simple to talk about things that happen every day/week/month, etc.

• We use the Present Continuous to talk about things happening now.

• We use am, are and is in Present Continuous questions (see 9.2).

• We use do and does in Present Simple questions (see 3.2 and 4.3).

• We usually use these words with the Present Simple: usually, sometimes, always, often, normally, hardly ever, never, every day/week/month, etc.

• We usually use these words with the Present Continuous: now, today, at the moment.

• We can also make negatives and short answers with ’re or ’s + not: No, you’re not. No, she’s not.

• We use the Present Continuous to talk about things happening now: I’m waiting for a taxi. They’re sitting in your office.

I’m (’m = am)

you/we/they’re (’re = are) verb+ing

he/she/it’s (’s = is)

I’m not

you/we/they aren’t (= are not) verb+ing

he/she/it isn’t (= is not)

most verbs: add -ing

examples: play > playing, look > looking, study > studying, go > going

verbs ending in -e: take off -e and add -ing

examples: smoke > smoking, live > living, write > writing

verbs ending in consonant + vowel + consonant: double the last consonant and add -ing

examples: sit > sitting, stop > stopping, run > running

• We can also make negatives with ’re or ’s + not: Danny’s not doing anything. They’re not looking very happy.

• We use can to say that something is possible.

• We use can’t to say that something isn’t possible.

• For positive sentences, we use: subject + can + infinitive.

• For negative sentences, we use: subject + can’t + infinitive.

• can and can’t are the same for all subjects (I, you, he, they, etc.).

subject + can + infinitive:

subject + can’t + infinitive:

I/You/He/She/It/We/They can’t stay there.

question word + can + subject + infinitive:

can + subject + infinitive:

• We also use can for ability, making requests and offers.

ability: She can speak French. I can’t decide where to go.

requests: Can you help me? Can I borrow it?

offers: Can I help you?

• can’t = cannot NOT can not.

• We use ago to talk about a time in the past.

We use it with the Past Simple: I went to Mexico two years ago.

(= two years before now).

• We use last to say the day, week, etc. in the past that is nearest to now: I went dancing last Saturday.

(= the Saturday before now).

• We use last with days (last Tuesday), months (last March) and in these phrases: last night, last week, last weekend, last month, last year, last century.

• We say last night, but we say yesterday morning/afternoon/evening NOT last morning, etc.

• We don’t use a preposition with last: last weekend NOT in last weekend, last month NOT at last month.

• We use in with years (in 2005) and months (in May).

• We use in the with decades (in the nineties) and centuries (in the twenty-first century).

• We can use on with days (on Monday) to mean last: I met him on Monday. = I met him last Monday.

• We use at with times (at ten o’clock).

• To make the Past Simple negative of be, we use wasn’t or weren’t (see 6.1).

• To make the Past Simple negative of all other verbs, we use didn’t + infinitive.

I/You/He/She/It/We/They didn’t study.

• We use didn’t for all subjects (I, you, we, they, etc.).

Where is Frank calling from?

Is the taxi moving?

What are Janet and Danny doing?

Where are they having the meeting?

Am I working here today?

Are you watching TV at the moment?

Is he/she/Janet answering the phone?

Are we going now?

Are they having the meeting now?

Yes, I am./No, I’m not.

Yes, you are./No, you aren’t.

Yes, he/she is./No, he/she isn’t.

Yes, we are./No, we aren’t.

Yes, they are./No, they aren’t.

We use comparative adjectives to compare two things:

• When we compare two things in the same sentence we use than after the comparative: The Sawadee Hotel is bigger than the Kata Hotel.

type of adjective: most 1-syllable adjectives

spelling rule: add -er

examples: smaller, older, but! dry > drier

type of adjective: 1-syllable adjectives ending in -e

spelling rule: add -r

examples: safer, nicer

type of adjective: 1-syllable adjectives ending in consonant + vowel + consonant

spelling rule: double the last consonant and add -er

examples: hotter, bigger, but! new > newer

type of adjective: 2-syllable adjectives ending in -y

spelling rule: -y > -i and add -er

examples: noisier, happier

type of adjective: 2-syllable adjectives NOT ending in -y

spelling rule: put more before the adjective

examples: more boring, more common

type of adjective: adjectives with 3 syllables or more

spelling rule: put more before the adjective

examples: more expensive, more interesting

type of adjective: irregular adjectives

spelling rule: good, bad, far

comparatives: better, worse, further/farther

• The opposite of more is less: The holiday in Phuket is more expensive. The holiday in Bangkok is less expensive.

• We can also use more with nouns: There are more rooms in the Sawadee Hotel.

• We use the auxiliary did in Past Simple questions (see G6.4), and the auxiliary do or does in Present Simple questions (see G3.2 and G4.3).

When (question word) did (auxillary) Madonna (subject) make (infinitive) her first record?

What did Sting do before he became a singer?

Where (question word) do (auxillary) U2 (subject) come (infinitive) from?

Which instrument does Elton John play?

• We can also make Present Simple questions with have got: What car has he got? (see G2.2).

In the Past Simple we say: Did you have a car? NOT Did you have got a car?.

· For the verb be, we don't use do, does or did to make questions (see G1.1 and G6.2).

How (question word) old was (be) Shakira (subject) when she released 'Magic'?

How long were the Beatles together?

Where (question word) am (be) I (subject)?

What is your name?

How old are they?

• We use the auxiliary did in Past Simple questions (see 6.4), and the auxiliary do or does in Present Simple questions (see 3.2 and 4.3).

When (question word) did (auxiliary) Madonna (subject) make (infinitive) her first record?

What did Sting do before he became a singer?

Where (question word) do (auxiliary) U2 (subject) come (infinitive) from?

Which instrument does Elton John play?

• We can also make Present Simple questions with have got: What car has he got? (see 2.2).

In the Past Simple we say: Did you have a car? NOT Did you have got a car?

• For the verb be, we don’t use do, does or did to make questions (see 1.1 and 6.2).

How (question word) old was (be) Shakira (subject) when she released ‘Magic’?

How long were the Beatles together?

Where (question word) am (be) I (subject)?

What is your name?

How old are they?

Where did I/you/he/she/it/we/they go?

Where did I/you/he/she/it/we/they go last weekend

Where did Albert Einstein come from?

When did the Wright brothers fly the first plane?

Where did Mother Teresa live for most of her life?

• Notice the difference between Present Simple questions and Past Simple questions:

Where do you live? (Present Simple)

Where did you live? (Past Simple).