Unit 1

Word order in questions

Questions with be and can

EXAMPLES

Are you hungry?
Is there a bank near here?
Can I sit here?
What was that noise?
Where were you born?

FORM

• We make questions with the verb be and can by inverting the verb and the subject.
  She is a teacher. → Is she a teacher?
  He can drive. → Can he drive?

Questions with do / does / did in present simple and past simple

EXAMPLES

Do you live with your parents?
Did you have a holiday last year?
Where does your sister work?
When did you start studying English?
What did they talk about?

FORM

• You can use ASI (Auxiliary, Subject, Infinitive) or QUASI (Question word, Auxiliary, Subject, Infinitive) to remember word order in questions. If there's a preposition, we often put it at the end of the question, e.g. Who do you live with?

Present simple

EXAMPLES

I / you / we / they
[+] I usually work at home.
[–] My parents don't live near here.
[?] Do you speak French?
[✓] Yes, I do. [✗] No, I don't.

he / she / it
[+] My brother works in the city centre.
[–] It doesn't often rain here.
[?] Does he like pop music?
[✓] Yes, he does. [✗] No, he doesn't.

FORM

We use the present simple for things we do every day / week / year, or which are generally true or always happen.
We use don’t / doesn’t in negative sentences, and do / does in questions.

SPELLING RULES

work works add -s
study studies consonant + y ➞ ies
finish finishes add -es after ch, s, sh, x
go / do goes / does add -es
have has change to -s

Adverbs and expressions of frequency

EXAMPLES

1. We often go out on Friday night.
   She doesn't usually study at weekends.
   I'm never ill.
   He's always late for work.
2. She gets up early every day.
   We have English classes twice a week.

FORM

1. We often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency (always, often, sometimes, usually, hardly ever, never).
   • Adverbs of frequency go before the main verb.
   • Adverbs of frequency go after be. She’s never ill. NOT She’s ill never.
   • Remember to use a [+] verb with never. It never rains. NOT It doesn’t never rain.
2. Expressions of frequency (every day, once a week, etc.) usually go at the end of a sentence.

Present continuous: be + verb + -ing

EXAMPLES

1. A What are you doing?
   B I'm sending a message to Sarah.
2. My brother is doing a two-month course in the UK.
3. In this picture the woman is standing near a table.

FORM

• We use the present continuous:
  1. for things happening now, at this moment.
  2. for temporary things that are happening around now, this week, etc.
  3. to describe what's happening in a picture.

[+]
I ’m working
you / we / they ’re working
he / she / it ’s working

[–]
I ’m not working
you / we / they aren’t working
he / she / it isn’t working

[?] [✓] / [✗]
Are you working? Yes, I am. / No, I ’m not.
Is he working? Yes, he is. / No, he isn’t.

SPELLING RULES

cook → cooking, study → studying add -ing
live → living cut the final e and add -ing
run → running if verb finishes in consonant-vowel-consonant, double the final consonant and add -ing.