SELF- STUDY MATERIALS FOR SECTION I

Verb to be (the Present Simple Tense)

Positive and Negative Forms

I am from Russia I’m—l am
He/She/It is He’s/She’s/It’s = He/ She/It is
We You They are We’re — We are You’re — You are They’re They are

Exercise 1. Put in am/am not/is/isn’t/are/aren’t.

  1. I ____ from Russia.
  2. Debbie and Mark ____British. They ____ German.
  3. My friend ____ interested in computers.
  4. His parents ____ around 40.
  5. How old ____ you? I____18.
  6. London____ situated on the river Evans. It ____situated on the river Thames.
  7. I ____ keen on sports. But I ____rather good at basketball.
  8. Her name____ Jane. It ____ Helen.

 

General Questions

Am I a student? — Yes, I am./No, I am not.
Is he / she / it a student? — Yes, he/she/it is./No, he/she/ it isn’t.
Are we you they students?   — Yes, we are. / No, we aren’t. — Yes, you are. / No, you aren’t. — Yes, they are. / No, they aren’t.

Exercise 5. Make general questions with these words. Give short answers.

1. your mother/at work?

2. her children/at home?

3. he/from Italy? ______ ____

4. I/good at English?

5. you/interested in books?

6. I/right?

7. this subject/difficult?

Alternative questions

Am I your friend or not? —Yes, you are / No, you aren’t.
Is   he/ she Spanish or Italian? — He/She is Italian.
it difficult or easy? — It’s difficult.
Are we in the city centre or on the out - skirts? — You are on the outskirts.  
you a student or a schoolboy? — I’m a student.
they at home or at work? —They are at work.

Exercise 7. Ask alternative questions with the following words. Give answers.

Example: You/a student/a schoolboy? — Are you a student or a schoolboy? — I’m a student.

1. He/in Moscow/in Kiev?

2. Alan and Henry/students/teachers?

3. Your new friends/sociable/not?

4. His daughter/17/18?

5. Your parents/old/young?

6. Russia/a big/a small country?

7. They/designers/artists?

Special questions

What Where Who How How old What What kind of( books) Why Whose friend What colour is are is are is is is are is is he? you from? John? you? he? your father like? he fond of? you late? Mary? our flag? - She’s a shop assistant. - from Germany. - He’s their son. - Not bad, thanks. - Eighteen - He’s sociable and very clever - Historical books. - My watch is wrong. - She’s my friend. - It’s white, blue and red.

Exercise 10.Ask the questions.

Example: What is your name? – My name’s Mark.

  1. _________________?
  2. _________________?
  3. _________________?
  4. _________________?
  5. _________________?
  6. _________________?
 Her name’s Pam. No my mother isn’t very young. Yes, it is Frank Ellis. Jane. My shoes are black. Olga is very kind.

 

Tag questions

I am a genius aren’t I? - Yes, I am./No, I am not.
He   a teenager   he? - Yes, he is./No, he isn’t
She is a Londoner isn’t she? - Yes, she is./No, she isn’t
It   far from here   it? Yes, it is./No, it isn’t.
We       we? -Yes, we are./ No, we aren’t.
You are in the city centre aren’t you? - Yes, you are./No, you aren’t.
They       they? - Yes, they are./ No, they aren’t.
I am not a schoolboy am I? - No, I’m not./ Yes, I am.
He isn’t married is he? - No, he isn’t./ Yes, he is.
She isn’t at home is she? - No, she isn’t./Yes, she is.

Exercise 11. Give the correct tag to these sentences.

1. Your mother is thirty-seven years old, ___?

2. It's her birthday today, ___?

3. I'm not in class now, ___?

4. You aren't married, ___?

5. They are Russian, ___?

6. I'm fond of hard rock, ___?

7. Alice isn't very friendly, ­­___?

Exercise 12. Ask questions about the information in italics. Example: My mother is 50. — How old is your mother?

1. I'm from a small town in the South of Russia.

2. Yes, Linda is a first-year student.

3. Tom and Sue are sociable and very intelligent.

4. My sister is fond of classical music.

5. I am a bank clerk.

6. Today Tony is at home because it's Sunday.

7. His home telephone number is 678-8996.

8. It's 4 o'clock and you are at work.

E. Bazanova, Moscow, Drofa.

Revision test

  1. Put in am, is or are.
  2. The weather _is_ very nice today.
  3. I ___ not tired.
  4. This case ___ very heavy.
  5. These cases ___ very heavy.
  6. The dog ___ asleep.
  7. Look! There ___ Carol.
  8. I ___ hot. Can you open the window, please?
  9. This castle ___ one thousand years old.
  10. My brother and I ___ good tennis players.
  11. Ann ___ at home but her children ___ at school.
  12. I ___ a student. My sister ___ an architect.

2. Write positive or negative sentences. Use am/am not/is/isn't/are/aren't.

1. (Paris/the capital of France) Paris is the capital of France.

2. (I/interested in football) _I’m interested in football.

3. (I /hungry) I ______

4. (it/warm today) It ____________ today.

5. (Rome/in Spain) Rome ______

6. (I/afraid of dogs) I ______

7. (my hands/cold) My ______

8. (Canada/a very big country) ______

9. (the Amazon/in Africa) ______

10. (diamonds/cheap) ______

3. Write questions with What/Who/How/Where/Why ...? Use am/is/are.

  1. (what colour your car?) What colour is your car?
  2. (where my key?) Where ______?
  3. (where my socks?) __________?
  4. (how old your father?) How __________?
  5. (what colour his eyes?) __________?
  6. (why John angry with me?) __________?
  7. (how much these shoes?) __________?
  8. (who your favourite actor?) __________?
  9. (why you always late?) __________?

Raymond Murphy. Essential Grammar in Use.

The Present Simple Tense

Exercise 1. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

1. I ________ to bed at 11.00 p.m. (go)

2. Jack ________ fluent French. (speak)

3. Her children _________ game shows and cartoons. (enjoy)

4. She _______ always funny jokes. (tell)

5. My sister and I often _______ to read newspapers in English. (try)

6. People_______ personal computers at home. (use)

7. It _______ him about half an hour to get home from college. (take)

Exercise 2. Write positive sentences with the verb in the correct form.

Example: Idon't go to school. — I go to school.

  1. My mother doesn't come from Russia.
  2. My friends don't live in Moscow.
  3. Paul Simon doesn't study at Trinity College.
  4. My father doesn't work as an engineer.
  5. My friends and I don't go to the cinema at weekends.
  6. My friend doesn't wear jeans and a T-shirt to the institute.

Exercise 3. Write negative sentences with the verb in the correct form.

Example: I ____to the radio in the morning. (listen) — I don't listen to the radio in the morning.

  1. I ___ the dog for a walk every day. (take)
  2. She ___ all the food in the nearest supermarket. (buy)
  3. We ___ to football matches every Sunday. (go)
  4. This car ___ much money — it's rather old. (cost)
  5. My friends ___ in a bank. (work)
  6. Pete ___ early at weekends. (get up)

Exercise 4. Write true sentences with the given words.

Example: A child/need love, food, care and toys. — A child needs love, food, care and toys.

A child/need a driver's license. — A child doesn't need a driver’s license.

  1. A restaurant / sell shoes.
  2. A restaurant / serve food.
  3. An architect / design buildings.
  4. Doctors / take care of sick people.
  5. The river Amazon / flow into the Pacific Ocean.
  6. Glass / break easily.
  7. Scientists / have all the answers to the mysteries of the universe.

Exercise 5. Write positive or negative sentences with the verb in brackets in the correct form.

Example: Children ___ lot of questions. (ask) — Children ask a lot of questions.

I ___ Turkish. (not/speak) — I don't speak Turkish.

1.I ___ hard rock. (love)

2.He ___ to work when the weather is good. (not / drive)

3.You usually ___ my birthday. (forget)

4.The village shop ___ at 10 o'clock in the morning. (not / open)

5.We seldom ____ letters to our old school friends. (write)

6.The planets ___ around the Sun. (go)

7.My father and I ___ television most evenings. (not / watch)

General questions

Exercise 6. Add do or does to make general questions and do, don't, does or doesn't to give short answers.

Example: --------- she live with her parents? — Yes, she-----.

Does she live with her parents? — Yes, she does.

------- you like your job? — No, I ------.___

Do you like your job? — No, I don't.

1. ___I speak good Italian? — Yes, you ___.

2. ___You drive to work? — No, I ___.

3. ___they work hard at university? — Yes, they ___.

4. ___Alan smoke? — No, he ___.

5. ___Patrick like computer games and cartoons? Yes, he ___.

6. ___children usually eat much ice-cream? — Yes, they ___.

7. ___ you take exams every month? - No, we ___.

Exercise 7. Make these sentences into general questions.

  1. The shop closes at 5 o'clock.
  2. They have parties every weekend.
  3. She speaks good English.
  4. You drink a lot of tea.
  5. They go shopping on Saturdays.

Alternative questionsI

Exercise 9. Ask alternative questions with the following words. Give answers.

Example: She (get up) early/late? — Does she get up late or early? — She gets up early.

  1. He (go) to work by bus/by train?
  2. Classes (start) in the morning/in the afternoon?
  3. His mother (work) as a bank manager/as an economist?
  4. Jacky (like) classical music/jazz?
  5. The shop (close) at 5/at 6 p.m.?
  6. His friends (watch) television/go out in the evenings?

7. You (play) the guitar/the piano?

Tag questions

Exercise 10. Give the correct tag to these sentences.

  1. She doesn't live in London, ___?
  2. I don't write to my penfriend very often, ___?
  3. Emma works in a sports shop, ___?
  4. Her elder brother doesn't play the violin, ___?
  5. They go dancing on Saturdays, ___?
  6. It snows a lot in this part of the country, ___?
  7. They don't stay at home most evenings, ___?

Special questions

What do you do?   — I am a student.
Where do you live?   — (I live) in Moscow.
When does he get up in the morning? — At about 7 o'clock.
How long does it take you to get here? — Half an hour.
How often do you go shopping? — Every other day.
How well does she know English? — Rather well.
Why do you study Physics? — I like it.
Which (drink) does she prefer?   — Juice.
What kind of (books) do they read?   — Different books.
How much does it cost?   ­­­­­— 20$.
Who does she teach?   — Foreign students.
Who     lives In Moscow? — Mary and Kate do.

 

Exercise 11. Complete the sentences.

Example: Whendo yougetup every morning? — I normally get up at 7 o'clock.

  1. ___ to the radio? — I listen to it in the morning.
  2. ___ live? — They live in Newcastle.
  3. ____ swimming? — I go swimming once a week.
  4. _____ like? — My sister likes rock-and-roll.

5. ___ work so much? — I have a lot to do.

6. ___ most evenings? — They go to the theatre.

  1. ___ play chess? — I play it very well.
  2. ___ take you to get to the city centre? — About an hour by bus.
  3. ___ in that flat? — My parents do.
  4. ___cost? — These shoes cost about 50$.

Exercise 12. Ask questions about the information in italics.

Example: I always sleep eight hours every night – How many hours do you sleep every night?

  1. It snows quite often in Britain during the winter.
  2. She comes from Germany.
  3. Children always ask a lot of questions.
  4. It takes me an hour and a half to get ready for my English class.
  5. No, my grandparents don’t live in the country.
  6. Our new car costs a lot of money.
  7. I don't like Tom because he always makes fun of me.
  8. Her husband often reads newspapers when he comes home from work.

E. Bazanova, Moscow, “Drofa”

Revision test

1. Complete the sentences. Use the correct form of these verbs:

boil close cost cost go have

like meet open smoke speak teach wash

  1. She's very clever. She _speaks _ four languages.
  2. Steve _____ ten cigarettes a day. ,
  3. We usually _____ dinner at 7 o'clock.
  4. I _____ films. I often _____ to the cinema.
  5. Water _____ at 100 degrees Celsius.
  6. In Britain the banks _____ at 9.30 in the morning.
  7. The City Museum _____ at 5 o'clock every evening.
  8. Food is expensive. It _____ a lot of money.
  9. Shoes are expensive. They _____ a lot of money.
  10. Tina is a teacher. She _____ mathematics to young children.
  11. Your job is very interesting. You _____ a lot of people.
  12. Peter _____ his hair twice a week.

2.You are asking somebody questions. Write questions with Do/Does ...?

  1. I work hard. And you? _Do you work hard_?
  2. I play tennis. And you? _you_?
  3. I play tennis. And Ann? _Ann_?
  4. I know the answer. And you? _____ the answer?
  5. I like hot weather. And you? _____ ?
  6. I smoke. And your father? _____ ?
  7. I do exercises every morning. And you? _____ ?
  8. I beak English. And your friends? _____ ?
  9. I want to be famous. And you? _____?

3. These questions begin with Where/What/How ...?