We use adverbs of frequency with the present simple to talk about how often something happens.
Position
Adverbs of frequency go before the verb, but after the verb be.
In negative sentences the adverb of frequency goes after don’t/doesn’t:
We don’t often go to bed late.
He doesn’t always agree with me.
In questions, adverbs of frequency go after the subject.
Is he always late?
Do they often go to the library?
never/hardly ever
The adverbs never and hardly ever (=almost never) have a negative meaning, but they are used with a positive verb:
He is never late. (NOT He isn’t never late.)
They hardly ever go to the library. (NOT They don’t hardly ever go to the library.)
There are other expressions that we use to talk about frequency: once a day, twice a week, three times a month, every day, etc. These expressions are longer (2 words or more) and they go at the end of the sentence.
I brush my teeth three times a day.
I see her every day.
We use ‘s to show that something belongs to a person (or a pet) or to talk about relationships between people.
This is Peter‘s father. (NOT the father of Peter)
Peter and Mary‘s car is red.
My cat‘s ears are white.
We also use the possessive ‘s to talk about shops and houses.
I am at John‘s. (= at John’s house)
I need to go to the chemist‘s. (= the chemist’s shop)
Singular noun + ‘s
Anna’s clothes, Chris’s wife, the student’s books, etc.
Plural noun ending in -s + ‘ (apostrophe)
The students’ books, the boys’ toys, the teachers’ lounge, etc.
Irregular plural noun (NOT ending in -s) + ‘s
The children’s toys, men’s clothes, etc.
When one thing belongs to two or more people, add ‘s only after the last noun.
Paul and Katherine’s house, Anna and George’s car, etc.
When we have two or more people, and each person has one thing, we add ‘s after each person.
Anna’s and George’s cars (Anna’s car and George’s car), Sally’s and Tim’s computers (Sally’s computer and Tim’s computer).
We use of and NOT ‘s when we talk about things (and not people or pets).
the end of the street (NOT the street’s end)
a picture of the eclipse (NOT the eclipse’s picture)
the man of the match (NOT the match’s man)
With nouns that are used together very often, we often use them together without of and without ‘s
a school bus
the city center
the car key
When do we use whose?
We use the question word whose to ask about possession. There are two possible forms:
whose + noun
Whose car is this?
Whose books are those?
whose without a noun
Whose is this car?
Whose are those books?
When we answer with the possessive ‘s, we can also use ‘s + noun or ‘s without a noun.
It’s John‘s car
It’s John‘s.
Whose vs who’s
Whose = possession (of who)
Who’s = who is
Whose car is this? (NOT Who’s car is this?)
Who’s that man in the lobby? (NOT Whose that man in the lobby?)
Use at with times of day, including mealtimes, bedtime, etc.
at 3 o’clock, at 10.30 am, at noon, at dinnertime, at bedtime, at sunrise, at sunset, at the moment
➪ Use in with months, seasons, years, decades, centuries and long periods of time in general.
in May, in the summer, in 1990, in the 1990s, in the 20th century, in the Ice Age, in the past/future
➪ Use on followed by days and dates.
on Sunday, on Tuesday mornings, on 6 March, on 25 December 2010, on Christmas Day, on Independence Day, on my birthday, on New Year’s Eve
➪ Use at in the following common expressions:
at the weekend: I don’t usually work at the weekend.
at Christmas/Easter: I stay with my family at Christmas.
at the same time: We finished the test at the same time.
at present/at the moment: He’s not home at present. Try later.
➪ Parts of the day:
in the morning
in the afternoon
in the evening
at night
When we say last, next, every, this we do not use at, in, on.
I went to London last June. (NOT in last June)
He’s coming back next Tuesday. (NOT on next Tuesday)
I go home every Easter. (NOT at every Easter)
We’ll call you this evening. (NOT in this evening)
At a point
We use at to refer to a point near something.
Can you see that car at the traffic light? (=The car is at a point near the traffic light)
Who is that man at the door? (=The man is at a point near the door)
At the top of/at the bottom of/at the end of
We use at in the expressions at the top of, at the bottom of and at the end of.
She is at the top of the stairs.
Please, sign at the bottom of the page.
The new café is at the end of the street.
Group activities
We use at to refer to group activities like parties, concerts, and other events.
We were at the cinema.
I didn’t see you at Jackie’s party.
We met at a concert.
At + school/university/college
We normally use at with school, university and college.
He is at school every morning until 12.
I’m studying at Oxford University.
Be at home/work
We say be at home/at work (without the)
She’s at home. (NOT at the home)
I’ll be at work all morning. (NOT at the work)
At the shop
We use at to refer to shops, restaurants, cafés, etc.
I’m at the bakery.
If you are at the chemist’s, can you buy some aspirins?
In a 3D space
We use in to refer to a position inside of a three-dimensional space.
The book is in the bag.
She is waiting in the classroom.
In a space with limits
We also use in for areas that have limits or boundaries, like continents, countries, cities, regions, etc.
We are in France.
I love the houses in the Alps.
In a car
We use in for cars and vans.
They are in the car.
In the water
We also use in when something is in the water: in the sea, in the river, in the swimming pool, etc.
The kids have fun in the swimming pool.
In a picture, in a book
We also use in for things that are printed in books, pictures, documents, etc.
Who’s that woman in the picture?
Does it say anything about the concert in the newspaper?
On a surface
We use on to refer to a position on a surface.
The book is on the table.
On the first/second/etc. floor
We use on to refer to floors in a building.
The office is on the third floor.
On the right/left
We use on in the expressions on the right and on the left.
The office is on the third floor on the left.
On the bus/train/plane
We use on when we are using public transport: on the bus, on a train, on a plane, etc.
She’s on the bus right now.
On TV/the radio/the Internet/a website
We use on when we read, see or learn something in the media.
I saw it on TV last night.
I learned it on the internet.
Many for countable, much for uncountable in (?) (-)
We use much/many in negative sentences and questions. We use many before plural countable nouns and much before uncountable nouns. We don’t normally use them in affirmative sentences.
There isn’t much coffee in the jar.
Were there many people at the party?
How much/how many
We use how many + plural nouns and how much + uncountable nouns to ask about quantity. You can review countable and uncountable nouns here.
How many books did you read last semester?
How much coffee do you drink every day?
We can also say How much is it? to ask about the price of an item.
‘How much is it?’ ‘It’s 43 pounds.’
‘How much are the trousers?’ ‘They’re 58 pounds.’
Before both countable and uncountable
We use a lot of before both plural countable and uncountable nouns to talk about big quantity. We normally use a lot of in positive sentences.
She spends a lot of time watching TV.
We had lots of good moments together.
We can say quite a lot of to talk about medium quantity.
With my new job, I have quite a lot of free time.
It is also possible to use a lot of in negative sentences and questions.
Do you eat a lot of sugar?
I don’t read a lot of books.
Of before noun; of at the end of sentence
We must always use a lot of including of before a noun. However, we can use a lot (without of) at the end of a sentence or in short answers.
‘How many beers did you have?’ ‘I don’t know; I had a lot.’
I like her a lot.
‘How much coffee did you have?’ ‘A lot.’
A few for countable; a little for uncountable
We use a few before plural countable nouns and a little before uncountable nouns in affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences to talk about small quantity.
I have to do a few things this afternoon.
I always put a little milk in my tea.
Not many, not much
We can also use not many + plural countable or not much + uncountable nouns. The meaning is similar.
I don’t have to do many things this afternoon.
I don’t put much milk in my tea.
No/not…any/none
When we want to talk about zero quantity, we can use no + noun or not…any + noun. The meaning is the same.
I have no time today.
I don’t have any time today.
In short answers we use none.
‘How much time do you have?’ ‘None.’
We use more + adjective + than or adjective + -er + than to compare things or people.
My car is more expensive than your car.
I am older than my brother.
In this chart you can see when we need to use more … than or -er than and the changes in spelling.
Two things
We use the comparative form of an adjective to compare two things.
Luke is taller than Mathew.
This armchair is more comfortable than the sofa.
Less … than
When we compare two things, we can also use the form less + adjective + than (less ≠ more).
Peter is less popular than Marta. (= Marta is more popular than Peter.)
Than me
If we use a personal pronoun after than we need an object pronoun (me, you, him, etc.).
My sister is taller than me.
His sister is more intelligent than him.
Much/a bit + more
Before the comparative (more or –er) we can use much (=big difference) or a bit (=small difference).
He’s a bit taller than me.
Switzerland is much more expensive than Italy.
More or -er
We use more or –er, but we cannot use more + -er.
My brother is taller than me. (NOT My brother is more taller that me.)
More than (NOT that)
After a comparative adjective, we use than and NOT that.
My brother is taller than me. (NOT My brother is taller that me.)
Than + second element of the comparison
We use than + the second thing that we are comparing. When we don’t mention the second element of the comparison, we do NOT use than.
My brother is taller than me.
I am tall, but my brother is taller. (NOT my brother is taller than.)
Three or more things
We use the superlative form of an adjective or adverb to compare three or more things.
Both John and his brother play football, but John is better.
John and his two brothers all play football, but John is the best.
The best in
After the superlative we use in before names of places or before singular words referring to groups of people (class, school, team, family, etc.)
The Everest is the highest mountain in the world. (NOT of the world)
She is the best student in the class.
He’s the tallest in the family.
The / my / John’s
Before the superlative we always use the or a possessive adjective (my, your, his, etc.) or noun + possessive ‘s (Paul’s, Elisabeth’s, etc.)
He is the best.
This is my most expensive jacket.
This is Paul’s best friend.
We use the comparative form of an adjective to compare two things. When we compare three or more things, we use the superlative form of the adjectives.
White meat is healthier than red meat.
Travelling by bus is more comfortable than travelling by train.
When comparing two things, we can also use the form less + adjective + than (less ≠ more).
Peter is less considerate than Marta. (= Marta is more considerate)
Not as … as
We can also use the form (not) as + adjective + as.
Peter isn’t as considerate as Marta. (= Marta is more considerate)
Than me / than I am
After than or as … as we can use an object pronoun (me, you, him, etc.), or we can also use a subject pronoun (I, you, he, etc.) + verb.
My sister is taller than me. / My sister is taller than I am.
His sister is more intelligent than him. / His sister is more intelligent than he is.
Much/a lot/a bit more
Before the comparative (more or –er) we can use much, a lot or a bit.
Florence is much more interesting than Pisa.
My car is a lot more expensive than yours.
The best I’ve ever…
We often use a superlative adjective with the present perfect tense of a verb and the word ever.
This is the best movie I’ve ever watched.
She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.
Before the superlative we always use the or a possessive adjective (my, your, his, etc.) or noun (Paul’s, Elisabeth’s, etc.)
Compare actions
We can use the comparative or superlative form of adverbs to compare actions
She drives fast, but I drive faster.
He plays well, but I play better than him.
More slowly
The adverbs that are formed by adding -ly to the adjective (adverbs of manner), take more to form the comparative, and the most to form the superlative.
She speaks more quietly than her boss. (NOT quietlier)
He cooks well, but more slowly than his workmates. (NOT slowlier)
Adverbs of one or two syllables are like adjectives; they take -er in the comparative and -est in the superlative (early-earlier, late-later, fast-faster, hard-harder, etc.)
He works harder than me.
She always arrives later than her boss.
➪ When the verb is the subject of a sentence.
Reading on tablets and phones isn’t very good for your eyes.
➪ After a preposition.
I’m tired of waiting. Let’s go home.
➪ After some verbs.
I don’t mind waiting.
She recommended visiting this museum.
Common verbs followed by a gerund
Some common verbs that are followed by gerund are: avoid, enjoy, finish, hate, keep, like, love, don’t mind, prefer, recommend, spend time, stop, suggest, etc.
Negative gerund
The negative form of the gerund is not + -ing.
He enjoys not having to wake up early at weekends.
➪ After the auxiliary verb do, does, did in negative sentences and questions.
He didn’t say anything.
Does Tim work with you?
I don’t believe you.
➪ After modal verbs (will, can, must, should, might, may, etc.)
You should come with us.
I can’t play the guitar.
➪ After adjectives.
It’s important to arrive early at the station.
➪ To express a reason or purpose (why).
I went to Madrid to visit some family.
I need time to study for the exam.
➪ After question words.
I don’t know what to eat.
I want to learn how to play the guitar.
Don’t forget to call me.
She seems to be distracted.
Common verbs followed by to + infinitive
Some common verbs that are followed by to infinitive are: ask (someone), decide, forget, help, hope, learn, need, offer, plan, promise, remember, seem, try, want, would like, would love, would hate, would prefer, etc.
The negative form of to + infinitive
The negative form of to + infinitive is not to + infinitive.
She decided not to enter the competition.
If clause and main clause
All conditional sentences have two parts: the if clause and the main clause. It doesn’t matter which clause comes first, but when the if clause comes first, we should put a comma after it.
If it rains, we’ll stay home
We’ll stay home if it rains.
If + present, future
In the first conditional, the verb in the if clause is present and the verb in the main clause is future.
If you don’t go to sleep, you’ll be very tired tomorrow.
The if clause may have a present or a future meaning, but the verb is always in present (NOT future)
If you are a good boy tomorrow, mummy will buy you a present. (NOT If you will be a good boy)
Main clause: will, modal verb, imperative
In the main clause, we can also use may, might, can, must, should instead of will.
If he doesn’t train harder, he may/might lose the championship.
If your room is tidy, you can leave.
If you want to lose weight, you must/should eat less sugary things.
We can also use an imperative instead of will.
If you arrive after midnight, ring me on my mobile.
When, as soon as, before, after, until
When we use a verb after when, as soon as, before, afteror until to talk about the future, we have to use this verb in present tense (NOT future). We use the future in the other part of the sentence.
I’ll retire when I’m 70. (NOT: when I’ll be)
I won’t call you until I arrive. (NOT: will arrive.)
Similar to first conditional
Future time clauses are similar to the first conditional. There’s a main clause and a when/after/etc. clause. We use the verbs in these clauses like in the first conditional.
We use a comma when the when/after/etc. clause is at the beginning of the sentence. But we don’t use a comma if the when/after/etc. clause is at the end of the sentence.
I’ll retire when I’m 70.
When I’m 70, I’ll retire.
We use present in the when/after/etc. clause and we use future in the main clause.
Before you go to sleep, daddy will tell you a story.
In the main clause, we can also use may, might, can, must, should or an imperative instead of will.
As soon as you finish, you can leave.
After you arrive, call me.
We use if + past to talk about an imaginary present or future situation (although the verb is in past, the meaning is present or future). And we use would + infinitive to talk about the result or consequence of that imaginary situation.
If we had a mansion in the country, we’d go there every weekend.
Would you travel around the world if you won the lottery?
When the if clause comes first, we normally put a comma after it. We don’t use a comma when the main clause comes first and the if clause comes second.
If I won the lottery, I’d buy a mansion.
I’d buy a mansion if I won the lottery.
Would/wouldn’t is the same for all persons.
I/you/he/she/it/we/they would/wouldn’t do that if it was possible.
Contracted forms are wouldn’t= would not and ‘d= would
I‘d never tell anyone if you told me your secret.
I wouldn’t tell anyone if you told me your secret.
We can often use could + infinitive instead of would + infinitive in the main clause.
If you spoke English, you could get a better job.
In the second conditional we can use if I/he/she/it were (more formal) instead of if I/he/she/it was (spoken English).
If I were/was fit, I would run a marathon.
We wouldn’t have any problems if he were/was more reasonable.
But we use were (NOT was) when we give advice with the expression if I were you.
If I were you, I would stay home and rest.
I wouldn’t pay any attention to what he says if I were you.
First conditional vs second conditional
We use the first conditional to talk about possible future situations and we use the second conditional to talk about hypothetical or imaginary future situations.
If I don’t have a meeting tomorrow morning, I’ll have lunch with you. (It’s possible. Maybe I don’t have a meeting.)
If I didn’t have a meeting tomorrow morning, I’d have lunch with you. (It’s hypothetical. I have a meeting tomorrow, so I won’t be able to have lunch with you.)
A is or does the same as B
To say that A is or does the same as B, we can use so + auxiliary verb + subject in affirmative sentences and neither + auxiliary verb + subject in negative sentences.
A: “I am from London.” B: “So am I.” (=I am from London too.)
A: “I’m not tired.” B: “Neither am I.” (=I am not tired either.)
What auxiliary verb do we need?
After so/neither we use the same auxiliary or modal verb as in the first sentence: be, do, have, can, will, must, etc.
A: “Tomas is not going to the party.” B: “Neither is Sally.”
A: “I’ll be here at 7.” B: “So will I.”
A: “Lisa can play the guitar.” B: “So can Tim.”
When there isn’t an auxiliary or modal verb in the first sentence, we use do/does in the present and did in the past.
A: “I want to leave.” B: “So do I.”
A: “George loves chocolate.” B: “So does Bruno.”
A: “I went to bed very late.” B: “So did I.”
Nor = neither
We can use nor instead of neither.
A: “I wasn’t ready.” B: “Nor/Neither was I.”
Neither is negative
Neither/nor is a negative word, like not. For this reason, the auxiliary verb after neither should be affirmative.
A: “I didn’t see the film yesterday.” B: “Neither did I.” (NOT Neither didn’t I)
A: “Ray couldn’t answer the question.” B: “Neither could Jimmy.” (NOT Neither couldn’t Jimmy.)
Another way of saying that A is or does the same as B, is the use of too or either at the end of the sentence. We use too for affirmative sentences and either for negative sentences.
A: “I want to leave.” B: “I want to leave too.”
A: “I didn’t go.” B: “I didn’t go either.”
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