BE PAST: STATEMENTS

USE:
To connect the subject with the rest of the sentence and talk about the past.
AFFIRMATIVE

FORM:
[SUBJECT + WAS/WERE + REST]

I/She/He/It was in the kitchen.

You/We/They were late.
NEGATIVE

FORM:
[SUBJECT + WAS/WERE + NOT + REST]
WASN'T/WEREN'T
I/She/He/It was not angry.
I/She/He/It wasn't here.

You/We/They were not early.

You/We/They weren't on time.

EXAMPLES:
"Diana was at home yesterday."
"She wasn't at school."

"They were late to work."

"They weren't early."
 BE PAST: QUESTIONS

YES/NO QUESTIONS

USE:
To ask questions that need an answer of "yes" or "no".

FORM:
The subject and the verb change places.

Affirmative: They were at home.

Yes/No Question: Were they at home?

Negative: He wasn't at school.

Yes/No Question: Wasn't he at school? (Always use contractions.)

Answers: Yes, I was.

No, I wasn't.

WH-QUESTIONS

USE:
To ask questions that begin with these question words:WHAT, WHEN, WHERE,
WHO, WHY, HOW.

FORM:
Questions about the SUBJECT:

[WH-WORD + BE PAST + REST OF SENTENCE]

Affirmative: Juan was at home.
Wh-Question: Who was at home?

Questions about the REST OF THE SENTENCE:

[WH-WORD + BE PAST + SUBJECT + REST OF SENTENCE]

Affirmative: He was in Philadelphia.
Wh-Question: Where was he?

Affirmative: He was there in 1990.

Wh-Question: When was he there?

EXAMPLES:
Police: "Where were you last nightat 9:30?"
Man: "I was at home all night."
Police: "Was Big Bob with you?"
Man: "No, he wasn't. I was alone."
 NOUNS AND QUANTIFIERS:
NON-COUNT NOUNS and QUANTIFIERS

USE:
Quantifiers are words or phrases which show the number or amount of an object. Some
quantifiers are used with both count and non-count nouns. Some other quantifiers are
used only with either non-count nouns or count nouns, but not with both.

REMEMBER: Non-count nouns take only the singular form of the verb!

some (statements):
"There is some water in your glass."

any (questions and negative sentences):

"Is there any money in the handbag?"

"There isn't any time left."

a lot of

"There is a lot of butter on your bread."

much

"I haven't got much money."

"How much milk do you want?"

a little

"I only want a little juice."

 PRESENT SIMPLE: STATEMENTS

USE:
To talk about actions, states or events which happen at any time, repeatedly, or all the
time.
AFFIRMATIVE

FORM:
Verbs take an -s ending in third person singular.

[SUBJECT + VERB(s) + REST OF SENTENCE]

I/You/We/They work in a bank.

He/She/It has brown eyes.
SPELLING

Verbs ending in ss, sh, ch, x, o take -esin third person singular: kisses,matches, goes,
watches

For verbs ending in consonant + y,drop the y and add -ies: carry/carries,try/tries,
copy/copies

NOTE: The Present Simple is often used with adverbs and adverb phrases: Always,
Never, Often, Sometimes, Usually, Every day/week, On Sundays, Twice a month, year,
etc.

EXAMPLES:
"I often go to basketball games."
"He never watches TV."
"My brother goes to the health club twice a week."
"I always have coffee for breakfast."

NEGATIVE

FORM:
[SUBJECT+ DO NOT/DON'T+ VERB+ REST OF SENTENCE]

I/You/We/They don't drive in the city.

He/She/It doesn't have brown eyes.

EXAMPLE:
"Bill calls Mary, but he doesn't call me."
 PRESENT SIMPLE: YES/NO QUESTIONS
QUESTIONS

USE:
To ask questions about actions in general time that need an answer of "yes" or "no".

FORM:
Put DO or DOES in front of the subject.

[DO/DOES + SUBJECT + VERB + REST]

Does he/she/it like milk?

Do I know him?

AFFIRMATIVE: She likes milk.

YES/NO QUESTION: Does she like milk?
ANSWERS

USE:
To answer a yes/no question.

FORM:

[YES, SUBJECT + DO/DOES]

Yes, I/you/we/they do.
Yes, he/she/it does.
[NO, SUBJECT + DON'T/DOESN'T]
No, I/you/we/they don't.
No, he/she/it doesn't.

EXAMPLES:
"Do you work on Saturdays?"
"Yes, I do."

"Does he work on Saturdays?"

"No, he doesn't."