Grammar summary | UNIT 1

PRESENT SIMPLE In object questions, the question word is not the subject of the
verb. We use the auxiliary verb do/does.
Form and use Who do you work for? (object)
Which bus do I take to go to the city centre? (object)
Affirmative Negative
► Exercises 1 and 2
I/you/we/they live I/you/we/they don’t live
(don’t = do not)
he/she/it lives he/she/it doesn’t live
EXPRESSIONS OF FREQUENCY
(doesn’t = does not)
Adverbs of frequency
Question Short answer We often use adverbs of frequency (always, usually, often,
do I/you/we/they live? Yes, I/you/we/they do. No, sometimes, rarely, never) with the present simple to talk about
I/you/we/they don’t. how often we do something.
does he/she/it live? Yes, he/she/it does. No,
Adverbs of frequency normally come before the main verb or
he/she/it doesn’t.
after the verb be.
We use the present simple to talk about: I always wear a suit to work. He is often late.
●
things which are always or generally true Sometimes, usually and often can also come at the beginning
I’m an architect. I design office buildings. of a sentence.
●
repeated actions and routines Sometimes I stay at home and read a book.
He takes the children to school and then he goes to work.
In negative sentences, adverbs of frequency come between the
●
permanent situations auxiliary verb and the main verb.
She works as an occupational therapist. I don’t often eat Mexican food.
To form the third person singular (affirmative), we add -s to the
main verb.
Adverbial phrases
She helps people after an injury. We use adverbial phrases (once a week, on Mondays, at the
After words ending -s, -ss, -sh, -ch and -o, we add -es. weekend) with the present simple.
He watches a lot of sport on TV. ●
every hour / day / week / month / year / Sunday
If a verb ends in -y, we replace -y with -i and add -es. ●
most days / weeks / weekends
She studies Russian in her free time. ●
once a(n) / twice a(n) / three times a(n) day / week / month
●
at the weekend / nine o’clock
Negatives and questions ●
in the spring / the summer / the autumn / the winter

To form negative sentences and questions in the present Adverbial phrases can come at the beginning or the end of a
simple, we use do/don’t/does/doesn’t with the main verb. sentence.
She doesn’t like chicken. They don’t have a car. Most days I get home before 6
Do you work here? Does the bank open on p.m. They go on holiday twice a
Saturday? What time does the film start? year.

We often give short answers to yes/no questions using do, don’t, ► Exercises 3–5
does and doesn’t. We don’t use the full verb.
A: Do you work at weekends? B: No, I don’t. (not No, I INDIRECT QUESTIONS
don’t work.)
A: Does she live near here? B: Yes, she does. (not Yes, When we want to be polite, we ask indirect questions. We start
she lives.) with an expression such as Can/Could you tell me … , Do you
know … , I’d like to know … In these questions, the word order is
Wh- questions start with a question word (e.g. What, Where,
the same as in an affirmative sentence.
Who, When, How). The question word is sometimes the subject,
Can you tell me how many rooms your flat has?
and sometimes the object.
(Direct question: How many rooms does your flat
In subject questions, the question word is the subject of the have?)
question. We do not use the auxiliary verb (do/does). Do you know how old she is? (Direct question: How old is she?)
Who manages the company? (subject)
For yes/no questions, we form indirect questions using if or
Which bus goes to the city centre? (subject)
whether.
I’d like to know if the bus leaves from here. (Direct question:
Does the bus leave from here?)

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

at the beginning of May. As well as food stalls there are

B: Yes, / she cookery demonstrations and even cookery workshops.

A: Which / university / go to? B: 5 Correct the mistake in each sentence.

1 He like Chinese food.
Manchester.

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

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

A: you / want / some biscuits instead?

4 He’s go to the gym every day after work.

3 A: you / commute / to work / by train?

5 Is he look like his father?

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

A: How long / take?

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

B: The silver one. 2 Can you tell me how far the station is from here?
How far is the station from here?
3 Put the words in the right order to make sentences. 3 I’d like to know what the job involves.
what does the job involve?
1 it / at this time of year / rains / often
4 ‘Which company does she work for?’
2 usually / I / with my tea / milk / take / don’t Do you know which company she works for? .
5 ‘How do I apply for the job?’
3 the trains / on time / run / in England / rarely Can you tell me how apply for the job? .
6 ‘Do you offer English courses?’
4 the last / always / is / person / he / to arrive I’d like to know if you offer English courses? .

5 but / sometimes / eat / we / vegetarians / fish / we’re

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

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