Grammar rules to go!
Here are a few grammar rules to go. You can copy,
edit them and give them to your
students.
Hope you find the page
useful. You can become
part of our team
by sending us more rules
to be posted here, too.
Enjoy!
Grammar
Present tense
I
Past tense
I
Perfect tenses
I Mix Tenses
I
Prepositions
I Adjectives & Adverbs
I Miscellaneous
Adjectives & Adverbs
COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVES. Practice this!
|
FORM |
ADJECTIVE |
COMPARATIVE |
SUPERLATIVE |
|
One syllable
Two syllables Ending in –y Two or more syllables
Irregular adjectives
|
long few hot easy happy famous crowded expensive good bad much/many little far |
longer fewer hotter easier happier famous More crowdedexpensive better worse more less father/ further |
the
the
the most
the |
longest fewest hottest easiest happiest famous crowded expensive best worst most least farthest/ furthest
|
|
USE |
EXAMPLES |
|
We use than after a comparative adjective. |
Los Angeles is bigger than Paris. The Ritz is more expensive than the Hilton. |
|
Much can come before the comparative to add emphasis. |
She is much younger than her brother. Paris is much more expensive than Buenos Aires. |
|
We use the before a superlative adjective. |
The twin towers were the tallest buildings in New York. |
|
As ... as shows something is the same or equal. |
Miami is as sunny as Los Angeles. |
|
Not as ... as shows something isn’t the same or equal. |
Italy isn’t as big as Argentina. |
* One syllable adjectives ending with one vowel and a consonant double the consonant:
big bigger biggest
fat fatter fattest
* This doesn’t happen when the consonant is –w or –y:
new newer newest
grey greier greiest
MASS AND COUNT NOUNS.Practice this!
Mass nouns.
|
USE |
EXAMPLES |
|
Mass nouns have no plural form. We do not use a or an with them. We use them with a singular verb form. |
They want some information. I don’t like music. This machinery is expensive. |
Count nouns.
USE |
EXAMPLES |
|
Count nouns have a singular and plural form. We use them with a and an. We use with singular and plural verb forms.
|
This machine is expensive. Did you have a good trip? These machines are expensive. |
Some nouns are both mass & count.
Mass (general meaning)
James writes about wine.
She has a lot of experience of the travel industry.
Count (specific meaning)
He’s writing a book about the wines of Italy.
I had some amusing experiences on my last holiday.
1st CONDITIONAL Practice this!
|
if + Present Simple, will + infinitive (without to) |
|
|
|
POSITIVE
If they offer me the job, I’ll accept it. we'll have a lot of work if we get the contract. |
NEGATIVE
If you don't study more, you'll fail your exam. they won't visit us if they're very busy. If they don't leave now, they won't arrive on time.
|
|
|
QUESTION ____________________________________
Will you buy a new car if you have the money? If you ask him, will he tell you? What will he do if his plane arrives late? |
SHORT ANSWER _____________________
yes, I will. No, he won't. _ |
|
USE ____________________________________
Future possibilities and their results |
EXAMPLES ____________________________________
If the proposal becomes a reality, it will revolutionize train travel in Europe. If the weather is bad, the train will arrive before the plane.
|
* The if clause can come before or after the main clause. When the if clause comes first, we usually put a comma between it and the main clause.
If the meeting is successful, we'll sign the contract.
We'll sign the contract if the meeting is successful.
* For things we are certain will happen, we use when not if.
When he returns from the USA, he'll contract you. (We know he will return)
We'll leave when we finish the work. (We know we will finish the work)
2nd Conditional. Practice this!
|
if + Past Simple, would + infinitive (without to ) |
|
Positive ___________________________________________
If I had more time, I'd travel more. He'd understand the reason if you explained it.
|
Negative ____________________________________
If he didn't earn so much, he wouldn't spend so much. I wouldn't invest in that company if I were you. |
|
Questions ___________________________________________
Would you stop work if you won 1 million? Would he work abroad if he got the chance? If you had six months off work, how would you spend the time? |
Short answer ____________________________________
Yes, I would. No, he wouldn't. |
|
Use ___________________________________________
Unlikely or unreal situations and their probable results |
Examples ___________________________________________
If public transport were free, there would be fewer cars in the city centres. If I were the Transport Minister, I would increase petrol prices. |
* The if clause can come before or after the main clause. When the if clause comes first, we usually put a comma between it and the main clause.
If I won a lot of money, I'd buy Ferrari.
I'd buy a Ferrari if I won a lot of money.
* With I, he, and she, we can use was instead of were in the if clause, especially in a more informal style.
If it was less expensive, he would buy it.
* Could is both the Past and the Conditional of can.
When she lived in Paris, she could visit the Louvre ay any time. (Past)
When could make some of the money if we changed motorists. (Conditional)
* The Past tense does not refer to past time in a conditional sentence. It refers to an unreal situation.
If I were the Transport Minister,... (but I'm not).
PRESENT SIMPLE. Practice this!
|
POSITIVE |
NEGATIVE |
|||
|
I you we they
he she it
|
work.
works. |
I you we they
he she it
|
don’t (do not).
doesn’t (does not). |
work. |
|
QUESTION |
SHORT ANSWER. |
||||
|
Do
Does
|
I you we they
he she it
|
work? |
yes,
no,
yes,
no, |
I you we they
he she it
|
do.
don’t.
does.
doesn’t |
|
USE |
EXAMPLE |
|
Long-term situations.
Habits and routines
Feeling and opinions
Facts
|
I live in Miami. Where does he work?
I travel to work by train. How often do you play soccer?
He doesn’t like his work. I agree with him.
The trip takes 90 minutes. It costs $ 250.
|
Question words.
Where do you live? In Rome.
What do you do at weekends? I usually play golf.
When do they take their holiday? In July or August.
Which magazine does James write for? Wine and Dine.
How do you travel to work? By car.
How often do you make business trips? About twice a month.
Whose book is this? It’s mine.
Who / (Whom) do you visit in London? I visit my sister.
Who arrives at work first? Anna does.
Whom is very formal, and is not used very often.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS. Practice this!
|
POSITIVE |
NEGATIVE |
|
||||
|
I |
‘m (am) |
working. |
I |
‘m not (am not) |
working. |
|
|
he she it
|
‘s (is) |
|||||
|
he she it
|
isn’t (is not) |
|||||
|
you we they |
‘re (are) |
you we they |
aren’t (are not) |
|||
|
QUESTION |
SHORT ANSWER. |
|
||||
|
I |
‘m (am) |
working? |
yes,
|
I |
am. |
|
|
‘m not. |
||||||
|
no,
|
||||||
|
is |
he she it
|
|||||
|
yes, |
he she it
|
is. |
||||
|
no, |
isn’t. |
|||||
|
are
|
you we they
|
|||||
|
yes, |
you we they
|
are. |
||||
|
no, |
aren’t |
|||||
|
USE |
EXAMPLES |
|
Actions happening now
Temporary situations or actions |
He’s talking on the phone at the moment. They’re having lunch with a customer.
Jeans are selling well this season. I’m not travelling on business this month. Which hotel are you staying at?
|
· A dictionary tells you when the final consonant doubles (travel, travelling), and when we leave out the final e (make, making).
Past tense
PAST SIMPLE. Practice
this!
|
POSITIVE |
NEGATIVE |
|||||
|
I you he she it we they
|
started rang* |
yesterday. |
I you he she it we they |
didn’t (did not) |
start ring* |
yesterday. |
|
QUESTION |
SHORT ANSWER |
|||||
|
Did
|
I you he she it we they |
start ring* |
yesterday? |
Yes, |
I you he she it we they
|
did. |
|
No, |
didn’t. |
|||||
· See the list of irregular verbs
|
USE |
EXAMPLES |
|
Finished situations and actions in the past |
I lived in New York for two years. He flew to Paris last week. They didn’t go to the party. Where did you spend your last week?
|
· We often use the Past Simple with finished time phrases like yesterday, last week, an hour ago.
· Regular verbs in the Past Simple end in –ed. A dictionary tells you when the consonant doubles (Group 3), and when the –y changes to –i (Group 4).
|
Group 1 |
work worked |
play played |
wait waited |
|
Group 2 |
live lived |
smile smiled |
close closed |
|
Group 3 |
stop stopped |
travel travelled |
plan planned |
|
Group 4 |
study studied |
worry worried |
try tried |
· When the infinitive ends in a /d/ or a /T/ sound (attend / ‘tend /, visit /’vizit /), we pronounce the – ed ending as / id/ (attend / ‘tend /,visited /’ vizitid/ ).
 |
Home | Teaching
Materials | Events | Study &
Work Abroad | Entertainment | ELT Links
| Exams
| Job
Fair | Contact |