Adverbs - describing verbs

Use:
Adverbs can be used to describe verbs. They describe HOW you do something.
Examples: She walks quickly; He sings nicely.

Form:
1) You can make many adverbs by adding –ly to an adjective.
slow -> slowly; loud -> loudly
If an adjective ends in ‘y’, change it to an ‘i’.
heavy -> heavily; funny -> funnily
Add ‘ally’ to adjectives ending in ‘ic’.
Physical -> physically; energetic -> energetically

2) Some adverbs are irregular, and do not end in ly. These include:
good -> well She dances well.
hard -> hard He works hard.
fast -> fast He runs fast.
late -> late He arrives late.

3a) Usually, the adverb goes after the verb it describes.
She talks quietly NOT She quietly talks.
He runs fast. NOT He fast runs.

3b) If the verb has a direct object WITHOUT A PREPOSITION the adverb should go after the object.
You sang that song nicely. NOT You sang nicely that song.
He did the job well. NOT He did well the job.

3c) If the verb is followed by a preposition and an object, you can put the adverb in different places.
He quickly walked to the shop.
He walked quickly to the shop.
He walked to the shop quickly.

4) Adverbs are NOT used to describe the following verbs. These verbs use adjectives.
Be I am quiet. NOT I am quietly.
Seem It seems strange. NOT It seems strangely.
Look That looks nice. NOT That looks nicely.
Smell That smells good. NOT That smells well.
Sound That sounds great. NOT That sounds greatly.
Feel That feels funny. NOT That feels funnily.

5) Some words end in ‘ly’ but they are not adverbs. Friendly is an example. Friendly is an adjective. We can say ‘She is friendly’ but not ‘She talks friendly’. There is no adverb for friendly, but we can say ‘She talks in a friendly way’. Elderly and lonely are also adjectives, not adverbs. Kindly and early are adjectives and adverbs.

Definite and indefinite articles

Use:
1) Use a before a singular noun.
I've got a brother and a sister.
Use an if the noun begins with a vowel.
I've got an aunt in Texas.

2) Use plural nouns or uncountable nouns to talk about things in general. Don't use an article here.

I like cats.
Dolphins are very intelligent.
Crime is increasing.

3) Use the to talk about one particular thing, or a particular group of things.
Books are interesting. The book on the table is interesting.
Children are noisy. The children in this class are noisy.

4) Use a to introduce a new thing or person. Use the when you already know this person or thing.
There is a restaurant near my house. The restaurant serves good food.

5) Use the when there is only one of these things.
The moon is very big tonight.
My dad is the only doctor in our village.
Joe is the best student in the class.

6) Use the when there are many things, but it is clear which one you mean.
Let's go to the pub! We need to go to the supermarket.

7) Most 'general' nouns do not use an article.
Life is not the same as it used to be NOT: The life…

Health is important to everyone. NOT: The health…

We're worried about pollution. NOT: The pollution…

But some general nouns use the:

the environment People are increasingly worried about the environment.
the weather What's the weather like today?
the countryside I love walking in the countryside.
the sea / ocean I'd love to live near the sea.
the radio There's an interesting programme on the radio.
the theatre / cinema We went to the theatre last night.
the economy The economy is affecting everyone.

Common mistakes:

1) Some students use the when they talk about things in general.
I love the romantic films! => I love romantic films!

2) Some students use singular nouns without a or the.
I want book about the weather. => I want a book about the weather.

3) Some students use the when they talk about things in general.
I want the book about the weather. => I want a book about the weather.

Will / won’t

Use:
Willand won’t are used to talk about the future. Will is positive and won’t is negative.
I will be late tomorrow.
John won’t be at the party next Saturday.

Use will and won’t to:
a) Make predictions.
In the year 2050, people will live under the sea.

b) Make an offer or promise.
I’ll buy you a drink.
John will help you with that box.

c) Make a decision about the future at the same time as you speak.
Sorry, we don’t have any tea.
That’s OK, I’ll have coffee.

Form:
1) Will is the same for all persons.
I will go, you will go, he / she will go, we will go, they will go.

2) Always write a verb in the infinitive form after will.
You will happy when you hear the news. => You will be happy when you hear the news.

3) You can contract will to ‘ll for pronouns.
I’ll buy it. We’ll be late.
He’ll be take today. They’ll be delighted.

But don’t contractwillwith names.
Mark’ll be late. => Mark will be late.

4) To write questions, write will before the subject.
Will you buy me a drink?
Will Tom get the job?

5) The short answer for Will questions is: Yes, I/you/he/she/he/they/we will
No, I/you/he/she/he/they/we won’t.
Do not contract will in short answers.

Will John be late?
Yes, he’ll.=> Yes, he will.

Common mistakes:

1) Some students forget to write will before the subject in questions.
You will be late? => Will you be late?

2) Many students use will to talk about their plans. But you should use going to or the present continuous.
I will meet my friends on Friday. => I’m meeting my friends on Saturday.
I’m going to meet my friends on Saturday.

Gerunds and Infinitives

Use:
1) A gerund is a verb in its –ing form, used as a noun.
For example: eating, going, seeing

Gerunds are used:
a) As the subject of a sentence.
Smoking is bad for you.

b) After some verbs, such as: like, hate, enjoy, quit, suggest, dislike, deny
I like cooking. I enjoy fishing.
A good learner’s dictionary will tell you whether a verb is followed by a gerund or not.

c) After prepositions.
I’m interested in buying a computer. I’m scared of walking alone in the dark.

2) The infinitive form of the verb is the original verb. It can be with or without ‘to’.
For example: (to) eat, (to) go, (to) see.

The infinitive form is used:
a) After some verbs, such as; agree, arrange, ask, promise, decide, afford
I agreed to do the work. I arranged to see the doctor, They decided to get married.
A good learner’s dictionary will tell you whether a verb is followed by an infinitive or not.

b) To show the reason why you did something.
Tony went to the post office to pay a bill.

c) After adjectives.
I was surprised to see Erica. I’m pleased to meet you.

3 a) Some verbs can be followed by a gerund or infinitive with NO CHANGE in meaning:
For example: start, begin, hate, like, prefer, continue
She started to cry = She started crying.
I hate watching horror films = I hate to watch horror films.
b) Some verbs can be followed by a gerund or a infinitive, but there is a change in meaning.
For example: try, remember, stop
I tried to get into the house.(Getting into the house is your goal or objective).
I tried climbing through the window. (Climbing through the window is one thing you tried in order to obtain your final objective.)

I stopped cleaning the windows. (I was cleaning the windows and then I stopped).
I stopped to clean the windows. (I was driving, and I stopped driving in order to clean the windows).
I remembered to lock the door. (I remembered, and after that I locked the door).
I remember locking the door. (I remember (now) that I locked the door (in the past)).

Have to

Use:
Use have to to talk about something you must do.
I have to start work at eight.

Usedon’t have toto talk about something that is not necessary.
You don’t have to work tomorrow, it’s Saturday.

Form:
The positive, negative and question forms are shown in the table.

Positive

Negative

Question

Common mistakes

1) Some students think that don’t have to means must not, but this is not correct.
You don’t have to use your mobile phone in class. → You mustn’t use your mobile phone in class.

2) Some students use haven’t / hasn’t to make negative sentences and questions.
My sister hasn’t to work today. → My sister doesn’t have to work today.
Have you to leave now? → Do you have to leave now?

Should and Ought to

Use:
UseShouldand Ought to give advice.
Examples: You should see a doctor.
You ought to find a new job.

Form:
Should
Should is a modal verb, like can and will,so it follows the same rules.
1) Do not add ‘s’ to the third person singular.
He should buy a new car. NOT He should buys a new car.

2) To form a negative, add not / n’t after should.
You shouldn’t do that!

3) To form questions, invert should and the subject.
What time should we arrive?

4) Should is always followed by a verb in the infinitive form.
I should to go. =>I should go.

5) You can also use should in the continuous form. Use should + be + verb-ing.
Why are you watching TV? You should be working!

Ought
Ought is a semi-modal verb. It is similar to should in some ways:

1) Do not add ‘s’ to the third person singular.
He oughts to buy a new car. => He ought to buy a new car.

2) To form a negative, add not / n’t after ought.
You ought not to do that!
However, ought is not often used in negative sentences

3) To form questions, invert ought and the subject.
What time ought we to arrive?

However, ought is not often used in questions.

Ought is different to should because:
1) Ought is always followed by to + a verb in the infinitive form.

I ought go. =>I ought to go.

Zero Conditional

Use: The first conditional structure is used to talk about something which is always true. It always happens, on the condition that something else happens. Example: If it rains a lot, our garden floods.

Form:
1. Make the first conditional in this way.

Examples: If you fly on a budget airline, you have to buy your own drinks.
When we visit Geoff, he always cooks us a roast dinner.

Or

Examples: You have to buy your own drinks if you fly on a budget airline.
Geoff always cooks us a roast dinner when we visit him.

2. You can also form the zero conditional with the imperative form.
If you have a membership card, enter through the door on the left.
Enter through the door on the left if you have a membership card.

3. You can also form the zero conditional using a modal verb.
If the alarm goes off, we should leave the building.
If it’s rainy and sunny at the same time, you can often see a rainbow.
4. Different tenses can be used in the If / When (‘condition’) clause. However, only the present simple, a modal or imperative form can be used in the ‘result’ clause.
If we’ve finished all our work, we can leave early.
If people are getting enough exercise, they usually feel better emotionally as well as physically.

First Conditional

Use: The first conditional structure is used to talk about something which will or may happen in the future as a result of something else. Example: If it rains tomorrow, I’ll stay at home.

Form:
Make the first conditional in this way.

Examples: If I see Tom, I will tell him the news.
When you visit, we might go to the park.

Or

Examples: She’ll be late if she doesn’t hurry up.
You might not pass your exams if you watch television all the time.

Common Mistakes:
1) Don’t use will or might directly after will or might.
If I will arrive first, I’ll make lunch. => If I arrive first, I’ll make lunch.

2) Always use an infinitive verb after will and might.
I might to go out tonight, if I’m not too tired. => I might go out tonight if I’m not too tired.

Present Perfect

Use:
The present perfect is used for several reasons:
1) Use it to describe events that happened in the past and are still true now because you can see the result.
I’ve broken my leg!
David has painted his house.

2) Use it to describe experiences in your life.
I’ve been to New York three times in my life.

However, you cannot use the present perfect to describe experiences in someone’s life if that person has died.
Michael Jackson performed in Britain many times.
NOT
Michael Jackson has performed in Britain many times.

3) Use it to describe events that started in the past and are still happening now.
I’ve lived here all my life (and I live here now).
John has worked here for 10 years (and he works here now).

Never refer to a finished time with a present perfect verb.

Form:
Make the present perfect in this way.

Positive

Examples: I’ve seen him; they’ve gone; she’s taken my bag.

Negative

Examples: I haven’t seen him; they haven’t gone yet; she’s not been here.

Questions

Examples: Have you seen him? Has she taken my bag?

Common mistakes:
1) Don’t use the present perfect to refer to a finished time.
I’ve hurt my arm yesterday. => I’ve hurt my arm.
John’s been to New York last month. => John’s been to New York.

Past continuous

Use:
1) Use the past to ‘set the scene’ of a story before describing what happened.

‘It was raining. I was walking in the park. Some kids were playing football nearby. Suddenly…’

2) Use the past continuous to talk about an action which happened for some time in the past and was then interrupted. Use the past simple tense to talk about the interruption.

I was cooking dinner when suddenly there was a knock at the door.

3) Use the past continuous to talk about events that were in progress at a certain time.

At 5 o’clock yesterday afternoon, I was driving home from work.

Note the difference in meaning:

When James got home, I cooked dinner:- I started cooking AFTER he got home.
When James got home, I was cooking dinner: - I started cooking BEFORE he got home.

Form:
Positive

Negative

Question

Spelling Rules:
If a verb ends in e, delete the e before you add –ing.
have =>I was having lunch.

If a verb ends in one vowel and one consonant, double the consonant (except w and y).
get =>He was just getting up.
play =>We were playing.

Common mistakes
1) Some students remember the verb bebut forget ‘ing’.
I was watch television. =>I was watching television.
2) Some students make spelling mistakes.
I was studing. =>I was studying.

We were eatting =>We were eating.

Inseparable phrasal verbs

Use:
Phrasal verbs consist of a verb and one or more prepositions. They are often used, especially in informal spoken English. The meaning of phrasal verbs is often completely different from the meaning of the verb alone.

Form:
1) Some phrasal verbs never use an object.
get up = get out of bed
I get up at seven o’clock every morning.
take off = leave the ground
The plane took off on time.
look out = beware! be careful!
Look out! That car is going to hit you!
get on = be good friends
My dad and my brother don’t get on.
break down= stop working (for vehicles)
Our car broke down on the way home from Scotland.
make up= become friends again after an argument
The kids often fight but they always make up afterwards.

2) Some phrasal verbs need an object.
get on / offsomething = exit transport
Get off the bus at the next stop.
look after someone / something = take care of someone / something
Please can you look after our cats while we’re on holiday?
see tosomething = do, arrange, prepare, organise
Don’t worry about dinner. I’ll see to it.
look intosomething = investigate
There has been a burglary at the school. Police are looking into it.
get to= arrive at
When you get to the end of the street, turn right.

3) Some phrasal verbs contain three words and an object.
look up to someone = respect someone
I look up to my teachers.
look forward to something = be excited about (a future event)
I’m looking forward to the party.
get on withsomeone = be good friends with someone
I don’t get on with Karen.
get on withsomething = continue doing something
Please be quiet and get on with your work.
put up with something = tolerate
I can’t put up with that noise any longer!

Past Perfect

Use:
a) The past perfect is a narrative tense. This means it is used when telling a story about the past.
It is used in the same paragraph as verbs in the past simple tense, and is often used in the same sentence as a past simple verb.

The past perfect describes an event which happened before another event in the past. We use it when we do not want to say the events in the order they happened.

Example:
A sentence with the events in the order they happened:
John went to the shop on the way home from work, so he got home late.
Both verbs are in the past simple.

A sentence in which the events are NOT in order:
John got home late because he had gone to the shop on the way home from work.
The event which happened before the other verb is in the past perfect tense.

b) The past perfect is also used in other structures such as:
I wish: I wish I had cleaned the house!
Third Conditional: If I had practiced harder, we might have won the competition.

Form:

Write any adverbs between had and the past participle.
The film had already started.
The post had just been delivered.

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