Grammar Notes and Practice:
By buthaina Al Othman
Spring 2001
ELU/Art
Kuwait University
1)Present Continuous Tense:
Key Words for Present Continuous Tense:
Now
Right now
2)Simple Present Tense: (in the present tense you have to add the letter (s) at the end of the main verb with the third person He/She &It Only)
Key Words for Simple Present Tense:
Sometimes
Always
Usually
On Fridays/Sundays/ (any other day names)
All the time
Seldom
Example:
3)Simple Past Tense: (Regular Verbs: verbs that end with d or ed in the past tense form) (Irregular Verbs: verbs that don’t end with ed or d)
Key words for Simple Past Tense:
Yesterday
Last week/ month/ year
In 1990/1982
This Morning
Examples: (Regular verbs) I lived in London in 1974.(live+d)
The students worked hard last week. (work+ed)
(Irregular verbs) I ate pizza last night. (eat-ate-eaten)
I had lunch with my father yesterday. (have-had-had)
I was born in 1980. (am-was)
The Internet TESL Journal:
Practice Exercises and Quizzes
4)Future Time: (be+going to+infinitive)& (Will)
Key words for Future Time:
Tomorrow
Next day/week/month/year
On Friday/ Saturday/Sunday/Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday
Soon
In 10 minutes/ two hours
How to talk about an action that will happen in the future, near future, in addition to predictions, in an informal (casual) way?
Use (be going to) to talk about informal future actions.
Use (will) to talk about formal future actions.
1- Informal future action:
Example: I am + going to + live in New York next year.
We are + going to + play soccer next month.
2-Informal near future action:
Examples: I am + going to + boil the vegetable soon.
You are + going to + have a hair cut next week.
He/She is + going to + get up at 5.30 am tomorrow.
The plane is + going to + take off in five minutes.
3-Predictions: (when you expect something is going to happen both in the future and in the near future):
Examples: It is cloudy. It is + going to + rain.
He is + going to + be tall like his father when he becomes a man.
The baby is crying. She is + going to +be sick.
Important Note:
Never say or write (I am going to go to home tomorrow).
You say and write (I am going to go home tomorrow).
However, you can say and write (I am going to go to the movies tomorrow.)
Examples: You don't have to bring a camera, you can buy one.
Don't say
You don't have to bring guns.
You say
You must not / cannot bring guns, it is illegal.
Any
Use (Any) with negative and questions.
Examples: I don't have any money. Do you have any money?
I don't have any food. Does she/he have any bananas?
Some
Use (Some) with affirmative (positive) sentences.
Examples: I have some money.
He/she has some food.
Use many with plural nouns (countable nouns)
Countable nouns (books, photographers, friends, students, chairs, tables, bottles, suitcase.)
Examples:
Do you have many friends?
How many students are going to the sport hall?
There are many people waiting for the next train.
She /he is going to give you many flowers and balloons on your birthday.
How many suitcases do you have? I have two suitcases.
Use much with uncountable nouns.
Uncountable nouns (money, luggage, water, food, work, sugar, flour, rice.)
Examples:
Do you buy much food?
How much money do you have?
How much does it cost? It costs too much money. It is very expensive.
She/he has too much work to do.
How much luggage do you have? I have two pieces of luggage.
Use either after a negative verb.
Examples:
Huda doesn’t like meat. Athari doesn't like meat either.
Saoud can't cook. Faisal can't cook either.
Khaled doesn't watch TV. He doesn't read newspapers either.
Use too after a positive verb.
Examples:
Nasser enjoyed the movie. Muhammad enjoyed it too.
Fahad is a smart student. Ahmed is a smart student too.
Sara wants to be a journalist. Her friend Nada wants to be a journalist too.
9) Definitely/Probably
Use definitely when you are 100 percent sure (100%).
Example: I am definitely going to have dinner with my father tonight.
Use probably when you are not sure.
Example: I will probably play tennis next week.
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