Grammar - Pre-Intermediate

Prepositions
Prepositions are very difficult for learners of English. Often, learners try to translate from their
language, but this is not possible. You need to learn and remember which prepositions are used
in different situations.

Perhaps in your language, you say "in" Monday. In English, we say "on Monday". Here are some
other common time prepositions:

Examples:

They got married in 1988.

They would like to go to Paris in the summer.
I can't sleep at night. It's too hot.
I will see you in three hours. Bye!
He worked as a pilot for fourteen years.

Other very important prepositions are prepositions of place - to describe where something is.
Sometimes the differences in these prepositions are very small. Think of the difference between
these sentences:

He put the box near the table.

He put the box next to the table.
He put the box in front of the table.
He put the box on the table.
He put the box under the table.
He put the box in the table. (Is this one possible? In the desk, perhaps....)

The other important thing when learning prepositions is to learn which ones go with new verbs
when you learn them. For example, let's take the verb "to rise" (to go up). Do prices "rise in
10%", "rise at 10%", "rise by 10%" or "rise on 10%"? As you learn each new verb, ask your
teacher "which preposition is this used with?" The answer? We say, for example, "prices have
risen by 10%". Here are some other verb+preposition examples:

That cat belongs to me.

We asked for some water.
What are you thinking about, John?
I'm very worried about Teresa. It's so late!

You also need to learn adjectives in the same way:

That car is identical to that one, isn't it?

Are you really afraid of the dark?
My parents were very impressed by my exam results.
Sharon is angry with Clara for telling everyone her secret.

And finally, even many nouns also come with prepositions.

What is the alternative to this plan?

Police said there is no connection between the two cases.
This medicine can have a negative effect on you.
Do you have a strong opinion about this, Carol?

Articles
In English, there is the definite article "the" and the indefinite articles "a" and "an".

The difference between "a" and "an" is simple. We put "an" in front of words with vowels.

Examples:

He lives in an old house.

She always wears an orange hat.

Careful - we use "an" also in front of words that begin with a silent "h" such as an hour and in
front of abbreviations that start with a vowel sound such as an M.P. (which starts with an /em/
sound).

We use "a" in front of words that are spelt with a vowel but start with a consonant sound. This is
seen often with words that are spelt with a "u" but begin with a "y" sound such as a university
or a united family.

How to use articles.

We use the indefinite article when we talk about something for the first time.

I walked down Smith Street where I saw a man repairing a bicycle.

We use the definite article when we talk about something on further occasions - not for the first
time.

The man was old and the bicycle was in terrible condition.

We use no article when we are talking about things in general and not one specific example.

Cows eat grass and produce milk.

Love is the best!
Teachers are not paid enough money.
Compare these pairs of sentences:

Children in America must go to school until they are 16.

but
The children are playing in the garden, Howard.

Shops stay open late in Britain on Thursday evenings.

but
The shops in this street are all so expensive.

Other rules of article use.

We don't use articles with the time, days of the week or months of the year.

He comes to this house in August.

At six o'clock, we have to leave.
On Monday, I start my new job.

We don't use articles for names of streets, languages, meals, airports, mountains, stations, cities
and countries.

London is the capital of England.

Grand Station can be found in Walter Street.
Christchurch Airport is near Mount Wilson.
French is spoken in Luxembourg.
Breakfast is at eight and lunch at one in the afternoon.

We use the definite article for names of rivers, seas, hotels and newspapers.

The Thames is England's most famous river.

We stayed at The Morrison when we visited Chicago.
The Pacific Ocean is bigger than the Mediterranean Sea.
The Straits Times is Singapore's English language newspaper.

We use the indefinite article for names of jobs.

My father is an engineer.
I want to be a doctor.

We use the indefinite article in certain expressions.

She smokes ten cigarettes a day.

I have a lot of friends in this school.
I just want a little milk, thank you.

We use the definite article in superlative sentences.

Mexico City is the biggest city in the world.

Important! In many languages, the article is used before plural nouns even when talking about
things in general. This is not true in English.

Example:

I like potatoes and tomatoes.

NOT I like the potatoes and the tomatoes.

Past Continuous Structure

The past continuous is easy to form. We use the past of the verb "to be" plus the verb in the
____ing form.

For example:

He was swimming in the river.

They were dancing when the police arrived.

Here is the verb write conjugated in the past continuous.

Past Continuous
Positive Negative Question
I was writing I wasn't writing Was I writing?
You were writing You weren't writing Were you writing?
He was writing He wasn't writing Was he writing?
She was writing She wasn't writing Was she writing?
It was writing It wasn't writing Was it writing?
We were writing We weren't writing Were we writing?
You were writing You weren't writing Were you writing?
They were writing They weren't writing Were they writing?

Note the spelling changes under the present continuous section.

Past Continuous Use

The past continuous has two main uses:

To describe an event that was happening in the past at the time of another event. Often the first
event interrupts the second event. In this situation, the event that started first is in the past
continuous and the second event is in the past simple:
I was watching TV when the telephone rang.
He left university while he was finishing his final year.

We can also use the past continuous to give the background to a story. The events of this story
are in the past simple.

He walked out of the bank with the gun. Police were standing surrounding the bank. A large
crowd were watching events from the "Police" barricades. A helicopter was flying overhead. He
raised his gun to fire at the police and..and..he woke up. It was 7am and time for work.

If there are two events that happen simultaneously, they can either be in the past continuous or
simple.

Mary was cutting the onions while I was cooking the beef.
Mary cut the onions while I cooked the beef.

Zero Conditional
A zero conditional sentence is made up of two halves:

If + Present Simple Then Present Simple

We use this structure when we describe what always happens as a result of something.

It is often used to describe scientific rules which are, by definition, unchanging...so the results
always happen the same.

Examples:

If you take ice out of the fridge in summer, it melts.

A stone sinks if you throw it in a lake.

We can also use the zero conditional to say what we do as a rule in certain situations. Here, we
are not talking about what we do in a particular, specific situation (e.g. tonight, tomorrow) but
what we always do in these conditions.

If I get a headache, I go and lie down.

If I miss the train, my sister always gives me a lift to work.

First Conditional
A first conditional sentence is comprised of two halves.
If + Present Simple Then Will

We use the first conditional to say what we will do in a certain situation in the future.

If it rains tomorrow, I will stay at home and paint the kitchen.

They will see Harry if he comes to the dinner party.

The negative uses won't.

She won't get to know him if he doesn't come!

If we study so little, we won't pass the exam.

Don't use will with if.

If I see him, I will tell him.

NOT If I will see him, I will tell him.

Note. Compare the zero and first conditional. In the first sentence, we are talking about what you
always do, it's your rule, if you like. In the second sentence, however, it is what you will do
tonight, on that one specific occasion.

If there's nothing in my fridge, I ring for pizza.

If there's nothing in my fridge tonight, I will ring for pizza.

There are other expressions in English that are followed by the present simple in the same way as
"if" is in first conditional sentences.
unless, when, in case, provided that, until, as soon as. See below for examples.

Unless

Meaning: except if.

I'll stay in a hotel, unless Joan lets me stay in her house for a few days.

In Case

To do something because you think something else will happen:

I'll take my credit card in case we see something we want to buy.

Provided That

This means "only if".

I'll lend you this $10 provided (that) you pay it back by Wednesday.
Until

Meaning: up to the point.

I'll wait in the hotel until you arrive.

As Soon As

We use "as soon as" to talk about something happening immediately after. Compare how
"when" and "as soon as" are used:

I'll call you when my husband comes home. (I might wait ten minutes)
I'll call you as soon as my husband comes home. (I won't wait, it will be immediately)

Quantifiers
All nouns in English are divided into countable or uncountable.

Countable nouns are things like apples or cars which we can count and have plural forms.

He ate 6 apples.
She is very rich. She has four cars.

Uncountable nouns are things like water and music which we can't count and don't have plurals.

She drank a lot of water.

The film had a little music.

We cannot say:

She drank six waters. BUT She drank six glasses of water.
The film had seven musics. BUT The film had seven songs / seven pieces of music.

Here are some examples of countable and uncountable nouns in English:

Countable Uncountable
Computers Butter
People Cheese
Tables Wine
Bananas Vodka
Bicycles Rice
CDs Electricity
Clocks Sand
Pens Sugar
Bottles Pasta
Telephones Work

Some nouns can be countable and uncountable but it changes the meaning:

How much chicken? means How much of a large chicken? What size piece do you want?
How many chickens? means How many small chickens do you want?

When we know if a noun is countable or uncountable, we then use different expressions to ask
questions, to say we have a little or a lot of it. Look at this table:

Question Big Quantity Small Quantity Questions / Negatives

Countable Nouns How many? A lot of A few many
Uncountable Nouns How much? A lot of A little much

Examples:

How many children does she have?

How much whiskey did you drink last night at the party?

He has a lot of trees in his garden.

We have a lot of butter for the cake.

She only has a few apples so we need to go shopping.

They have a little work to do before they can leave the office.

Q: Do you have many pictures in your house?

A: I don't have many pictures but I have 3 statuettes.

Q: Do you have much land on your farm?

A: I don't have much land. Just 5 acres.

Present Perfect Structure

The present perfect is made using the auxiliary verb have plus the past participle of the main
verb.

The past participle, for regular verbs, is the same as the past simple.

Infinitive Past Simple Past Participle

work worked worked
live lived lived
watch watched watched

So we have, for the present perfect:

I have worked
He has lived
They have watched

For the past participle of irregular verbs, check this page.

Here is the verb live in all forms of the present perfect.

Present Perfect
Positive Negative Question
I have lived I haven't lived Have I lived?
You have lived You haven't lived Have you lived?
He has lived He hasn't lived Has he lived?
She has lived She hasn't lived Has she lived?
It has lived It hasn't lived Has it lived?
We have lived We haven't lived Have we lived?
You have lived You haven't lived Have you lived?
They have lived They haven't lived Have they lived?

She's not lived is also possible but not as common as she hasn't lived.

Present Perfect Use

We use the present perfect for two main functions.

A. Indefinite Past.

Look at these two sentences. What is the difference?

I went to Paris in 1997.

I have been to Paris two times.

In the first sentence, we use past simple because we are talking about a specified time in the
past, 1997.

In the second sentence, though, we are just saying "at some time in my life" without being
specific as to exactly when we have been to Paris - so we use the present perfect.
The present perfect used in this way means "at some time in the past".

Examples:

I have lost my watch. - but we don't say when.

She has seen that film before. - again, we don't say when.
President Bush has told his advisors to work on tax cuts. - was is yesterday, last Wednesday?
We don't know - we just know he has done it.

Now look at the same examples with more specific time expressions. Note how we have to use
the past simple in these sentences.

I lost my watch last Wednesday at the swimming pool.

She saw that film with Terry before Christmas.
President Bush had a meeting with his cabinet yesterday late in the evening and told them he
was interested in working towards tax cuts.

Using the present perfect in this way is often used to talk about one's experiences of life. Have
you ever..? is a common question.

A: Have you ever visited Russia?

B: No, I haven't. I would like to one day.

A: Have you ever been to New York?

B: Yes, I have. I went in 1993.

Note how, in the second dialogue, the person responding uses the past simple to say when he
went to New York.

B. Unfinished Past.

Look at these two sentences, what is the difference?

Bill Clinton was the President from 1992 to 2000.

George Bush has been the President since 2000.

Who is the President now? Bill Clinton was the President in the past. Now his time in the White
House is finished, over - so we use the past simple. George Bush is still the president. His time
at the White House started in the past but it continues now - so we use the present perfect.

The Present Perfect in this way, joins the past and the present and speaks about both.

The present perfect used in this way means "unfinished past".

Examples:

I have lived in this house for 18 years. I love it!

He has worked for this company since 1987 and is now department manager.

In both these examples, the action started in the past but continues still today. If the action
started and finished in the past, we must use the past simple:

I lived in that house for ten years but then I bought a new house in the country.
He worked for IBM for six years, then went to work for Microsoft.

Using the present perfect in this way is often used to talk about the duration of your current
activities. A common question is How long have you...?

Present Simple, Past Simple or Present Perfect?

Read this:

I have a beautiful gold watch. It is from France and it's very old. I bought it in 1976 when I spent
the summer in Paris as a student. I have had this wonderful timepiece for over 25 years.

I have a watch. - here we talk only about the present and so use the present simple.
I bought it in 1976. - here we talk only about the past and so use the past simple.
I have had it for over 25 years. - here we are talking about the past and the present together. You
had the watch in the past and you still have it now in the present. So here we use the present
perfect.

Remember what we said before about the present perfect connecting the past and the present.

'For', 'Since' and 'Ago'.

We can use for or since with the present perfect to say how long something has happened.

I have known him since 1980.

or
I have known him for 22 years.

The meaning is the same. For is used to talk about a period of time, since to talk about when the
action started.

ago is more often used with the past simple to say when something started.

He started his own business six months ago.

The first book was printed over 500 years ago.
So the difference between 'since' and 'ago'?

Since tells us the starting point of an action which is still continuing now. Ago tells us the
starting point of an action which is finished.

I have lived in this city since 1980.

I left Denver to come here over twenty years ago.

Modal Verbs
Modal verbs are irregular auxiliary verbs (they don't have regular past and present forms, for
example) that express ability, necessity, requests, advice, permission, probability and so on. They
are generally used with other verbs in the infinitive:

(See the next sections for modal verbs "will" and "must/mustn't".)

I must go to the hotel tomorrow.

They can be very selfish!
We should leave now.

There are modal verbs which have different meanings and different functions.

Should / Shouldn't

This is used to give advice or to express what you expect.

Examples:

You should go to the doctor if your headaches continue.

They should win the championship this year. They are the best team.

We use "shouldn't" to talk about something you are advising a person not to do.

Examples:

If you want to pass your exams, you shouldn't go out tonight.

You shouldn't speak to your mother like that - show some respect!

May / Might

These are similar in meaning and are used to express possibility.

Examples:

Q: Are you going to the cinema tonight?

A: I don't know. I might go or I might stay at home.
Used in questions, these two are ways of asking for something in a polite/formal way.

Might I borrow your telephone for a few moments?

May I open the window a little, please?

Can / Could

We have already seen that "can" can be used to talk about ability, with "could" used in the past:

Examples:

I can see, but I can't dance.

Could you speak French from a young age?
My mum couldn't swim until she was 24!

We can also use "can" to talk about possibility, permission and make polite requests:

Examples:

I can't come to the party tonight. (possibility)

You can't go in there! (permission)
Can you help me with this package? (request)
Could you lend me ten dollars? (polite request)

Note that all three of these modal verbs are followed directly by an infinitive verb without "to".

'Will' or 'Going To'

We have already discussed the use of "going to" to talk about the future. It is used to talk about
plans already made and also to make predictions based on evidence we see now.

We will now talk about "will" and then see how they differ in direct comparison.

Will is a modal verb and is followed directly by an infinitive verb without "to".

I will see you tomorrow.

He'll go to the meeting tomorrow.

The main functions of "will" are:

a. to predict a future event:

The party will be at my house at eight o'clock.

The exam will finish in one hour.
b. to express a spontaneous decision:

I'll answer the phone.

You don't have bread! We'll go to the supermarket.

Note the difference between will and going to in this use. We use going to if a decision has been
made before speaking, but will if the decision is made now.

John: What are you doing this weekend?

Mary: I'm going to visit Howard in Boston.
John: But Howard is in Chicago this weekend with his parents.
Mary: Oh! I didn't know that! I'll go and visit his brother Stefano then.

In this dialogue, Mary's first answer uses going to as it is a plan she made before. Her second
answer uses will as she now has to make a new plan, and her plan to visit Stefano is made now,
as she speaks.

c. to express a prediction based on opinion, not on fact.

Howes will win the election.

I think she'll get married next summer.

Here, expressions of opinion and belief are common:

I hope we'll see the start of the film

I wonder what will happen if I press this red button. Aaagh!!
She will probably be very late because of the traffic.
He's sure he'll get the job. He said the interview went quite well.

d. The old form of will, "shall" is often used to make offers and suggestions.

Shall we leave now? It's late.

That bag is very heavy. Shall I help you with it?

"Have To" and "Must"

These two are very similar and both are used to talk about obligation.

Used in the positive/affirmative, these two are almost identical. They are used to say that there
is an obligation, necessity for someone to do something.

Drivers in England have to drive on the left of the road.

All students must finish the exam by eleven o'clock.
All young Israelis have to do military service.
Usually, have to is used when there is an external obligation on you, must when the obligation
comes from the speaker.

Note the difference:

It's late, I'm really tired, I must go now. Bye!

It's late. I'd love to stay but I have a meeting tomorrow morning. I have to go now. Bye!

Note the construction:

Have to
Subject + + Infinitive without "TO"
Must

NOT I must to go home before midnight.

Used in the negative, have to and must are very different.

Mustn't means there is an obligation not to do something. It's against the law, for example.

You mustn't drive over 70mph in this area.

Teachers mustn't hit their students.
If you drink more than a couple of beers, you mustn't try and drive home.

Don't have to, on the other hand, means there is no obligation for you to do something. In other
words, it isn't necessary.

Rich people don't have to work.

You don't have to do part B of the test. That is for the other class.
In Britain, old people don't have to pay on the buses. It's free!

Must doesn't have a past form so you should use had to.

We missed the last bus last night so we had to catch a taxi.

'Like' as Verb and Preposition

The word like seems to have many uses in English, some as a verb and some as a preposition:

Verb

I like beer.
I would like a beer.

In the first sentence, we are talking about what someone likes in general, always. In the second,
the person is asking for a beer now. In English we use would like to ask for something and not
would want as in many languages.
She would like to go to Australia next year.
NOT She would want to go to Australia next year.

Preposition

Like used as a preposition means "similar to" or "the same as".

His house is huge. It's like a palace.

Sandra is a teacher, like me.
I hate television quiz shows like this.

If we want to know general information about a person or place, we can use like in the question:

Q: What is your father like?

A: He is tall and muscular and a very generous person.

Q: What is London like?

A: Well, it's a chaotic, cosmopolitan city. But in summer, it's full of tourists.

We can use look like if we only want physical information:

Q: What does your sister look like?

A: She is blonde with lovely green eyes. She is quite short.

Note the difference between look and look like in these sentences:

My father looks happy all the time.

Your sister looks like a model.
He looks French if you ask me!
Jane looks like Meryl Streep.

So we use:

look + Adjective / Age

look like + Person / Noun

Introduction To Phrasal Verbs

If you want to see our phrasal verb section of the site, click here.

Phrasal verbs are verbs that are comprised of a main verb plus a particle, or preposition. Some
phrasal verbs have two particles after the main verb!
She gets up at six o'clock every morning.
Turn on the television, that programme is starting now.
My grandmother lives with us and we look after her.
I will never live up to my mother's expectations of me.

Phrasal verbs must be learnt individually like normal verbs. Often there is a clue, a help, in the
main verb as to its meaning:

She sat down on the sofa.

I am looking for my glasses. Where are they?

But often there isn't any help in the main verb:

I didn't want to speak to her, so I hung up.

We had to put our cat down last year. It was terrible.

Once you learn the meaning of a phrasal verb, you then must learn how it can be used. Most
importantly, you must learn if it is formal or informal English and if it can be separated or not.

Most phrasal verbs can be separated - that is, the main verb and the particle can have another
word, usually the object, in between them.

I got John up at seven o'clock as he had to leave early.

She said she didn't have a hotel room so I put her up.
They picked their parents up from the airport.

Usually, if we use a pronoun such as it, her, him, etc, this must go between the main verb and
the particle.

But you need to learn those that can't be separated:

They got on the bus. NOT They got the bus on.

You should treat phrasal verbs like any normal vocabulary. That is to say, you must learn each
one individually - its meaning and its use.

'Have' and 'Have Got'

have got is used in some English-speaking countries (not very much in the United States) to
mean have, possess.

John has got a big house near the harbour.

We haven't got any children.
Have you got a cigarette, please?

Remember to use has in the third person:

Can
Positive Negative* Question
I've got I haven't got Have I got?
You've got You haven't got Have you got?
He's got He hasn't got Has he got?
She's got She hasn't got Has she got?
It's got It hasn't got Has it got?
We've got We haven't got Have we got?
You've got You haven't got Have you got?
They've got They haven't got Have they got?

Note the contractions used.

Examples:

This hotel has got two large restaurants.

I've got a terrible headache!

This television hasn't got an off switch!

We haven't got time to look in shop windows. Come on!!

Has you car got electric windows?

Have your parents got photos of their wedding?

Note. You cannot use have got to replace have in expressions which do not signify possession.

I have a shower at seven every morning.

NOT I have got a shower at seven every morning.

Question Tags
Question tags are used in English as a simple way of asking questions in conversation.

Question tags go at the end of a sentence and we use positive ones to finish a negative sentence
and, conversely, we use negative ones to finish off positive sentences.

That was a great meal, wasn't it?

Tony is married, isn't he?

She isn't very pretty, is she?

They don't smoke much, do they?

To form the question tag, you must use the same auxiliary verb that is used to make the question
form of the relevant tense.
Examples:

The continuous tenses use "be":

You were fishing yesterday, weren't you?

I'm doing this correctly, aren't I?

The simple tenses use "do":

You went to the cinema yesterday, didn't you?

She loves her wine, doesn't she?

The perfect tenses use "have":

He's never been out of the country, has he?

I've been accepted, haven't I?

And the modals stay the same:

They shouldn't make that strange noise, should they?

You can't come out tonight, can you?
We'll see you tomorrow, won't we?

The meaning of question tags can change slightly depending on whether your voice rises or falls
at the end of a sentence. If your voice falls, you are only checking information, confirming what
you already believe. But if your voice rises on a question tag, this makes it more of a real
question.

Compound Nouns
Compound nouns are where two (or more) nouns are put together to mean one thing.

a kitchen table
a shopping centre
a video player

When this happens, the first noun is acting like an adjective to give us more information on the
second noun. The first noun, like an adjective, tells us what type of table it is. What type of
centre, what type of player?

We know that it is a kitchen table, for example, and not a dining room table. A shopping centre
and not an industrial centre. It is a video player and not a CD or cassette player.

If you know this, it will help you remember and even create nouns of your own.

What is the difference between these two?

A phone card and a card phone.

Remember what we read before about the first noun acting like an adjective. The first thing is a
card. The first word, phone, tells us what type of card it is. The second thing is a phone. The
first word, card, tells us what type of phone it is - those that accept only cards and not money.

What about these two?

Film music and music film

More difficult this one. If we use the same logic though we can understand that the first, "film
music", is the type of music we hear in a film. Maybe orchestral. The second, "music film", is a
film about music.

The second word tells us what the object is.

The first word acts as an adjective and describes what type of object it is.

'So' and 'Such'

So and such are used to emphasise nouns and adjectives.

It was so hot yesterday that I went swimming down at the beach.

That was such a good film, Tracy. Who was the main actor?

We use:

So + Adjective or Adverb

He was so quick, he won the race easily.

My mother spoke French so well!

but

Such + Noun or Adjective and Noun

He drove such a fast car that he won easily.

Such films always make me cry.

So / Because

So and Because are used to talk about reasons and causes for connected events.

Consider this little story:

Tom gets up. He sees the weather forecast. "It's going to rain," they say. He decides to take his
umbrella. Later on, it rains, but Tom is smiling under his umbrella!

They said it was going to rain, so Tom took his umbrella.

Tom took his umbrella because he saw the weather forecast.
Tom didn't get wet because he had his umbrella, so he was happy!

-ing And -ed Adjectives

See video: Bored or Boring?

There are two types of adjectives in English.

"Active Adjectives" are those that end in -ing. Consider a television show which is boring. This
TV show causes a feeling in us, who watch is.

"Passive Adjectives" are those that end in -ed. The TV show makes us feel bored. The TV show
causes the feeling - we are the ones who have the feeling.

A laughing man - a man who is laughing.

An interesting book - a book that causes interest.
An amusing movie - a movie that is funny, causes amusement.

but...

A frightened cat - a cat who has fear of something else, frightened by something.
A surprised expression - on the face of a person who is surprised by something/someone.
A damaged car - the car has damage caused by something else: another car maybe, a criminal.

Enough
Enough can act as an adjective or adverb and also be used as a pronoun. Its position in the
sentence is usually very important.

With adjectives and adverbs, it usually comes after the adjective:

Examples:

My horse isn't strong enough to pull that big tree.

That house is big enough for all of us. Let's buy it!
We didn't speak quickly enough in the oral exam and we both failed.

With nouns, "enough" comes before the noun:

Examples:
Do we have enough apples for this apple pie recipe?
There aren't enough people here to start the meeting. We'll wait.

Look how "enough" can be used without nouns too, like a pronoun:

Example:

Jim: We need some mushrooms for the pizza.

Jane: Yes, we don't have enough.

Note: Be careful to pronounce this important word correctly. You should put the stress on the
second syllable: e'nough.