Simple Future

Simple Future has two different forms in English: "will" and "be going to." Although
the two forms can sometimes be used interchangeably, they often express two very
different meanings. These different meanings might seem too abstract at first, but with
time and practice, the differences will become clear. Both "will" and "be going to" refer
to a specific time in the future.

FORM Will

[will + verb]

Examples:

 You will help him later.

 Will you help him later?
 You will not help him later.

FORM Be Going To

[am/is/are + going to + verb]

Examples:

 You are going to meet Jane tonight.

 Are you going to meet Jane tonight?
 You are not going to meet Jane tonight.

Complete List of Simple Future Forms

USE 1 "Will" to Express a Voluntary Action

"Will" often suggests that a speaker will do something voluntarily. A voluntary action is
one the speaker offers to do for someone else. Often, we use "will" to respond to
someone else's complaint or request for help. We also use "will" when we request that
someone help us or volunteer to do something for us. Similarly, we use "will not" or
"won't" when we refuse to voluntarily do something.

Examples:

 I will send you the information when I get it.

 I will translate the email, so Mr. Smith can read it.
 Will you help me move this heavy table?
 Will you make dinner?
  I will not do your homework for you.
 I won't do all the housework myself!
 A: I'm really hungry.
B: I'll make some sandwiches.
 A: I'm so tired. I'm about to fall asleep.
B: I'll get you some coffee.
 A: The phone is ringing.
B: I'll get it.

USE 2 "Will" to Express a Promise

"Will" is usually used in promises.

Examples:

 I will call you when I arrive.

 If I am elected President of the United States, I will make sure everyone has
access to inexpensive health insurance.
 I promise I will not tell him about the surprise party.
 Don't worry, I'll be careful.
 I won't tell anyone your secret.

USE 3 "Be going to" to Express a Plan

"Be going to" expresses that something is a plan. It expresses the idea that a person
intends to do something in the future. It does not matter whether the plan is realistic or
not.

Examples:

 He is going to spend his vacation in Hawaii.

 She is not going to spend her vacation in Hawaii.
 A: When are we going to meet each other tonight?
B: We are going to meet at 6 PM.
 I'm going to be an actor when I grow up.
 Michelle is going to begin medical school next year.
 They are going to drive all the way to Alaska.
 Who are you going to invite to the party?
 A: Who is going to make John's birthday cake?
B: Sue is going to make John's birthday cake.

USE 4 "Will" or "Be Going to" to Express a Prediction

Both "will" and "be going to" can express the idea of a general prediction about the
future. Predictions are guesses about what might happen in the future. In "prediction"
sentences, the subject usually has little control over the future and therefore USES 1-3
do not apply. In the following examples, there is no difference in meaning.

Examples:
  The year 2222 will be a very interesting year.
 The year 2222 is going to be a very interesting year.

 John Smith will be the next President.

 John Smith is going to be the next President.

 The movie "Zenith" will win several Academy Awards.

 The movie "Zenith" is going to win several Academy Awards.

The Present Perfect Simple and Continuous

The present perfect is the English verb tense which speakers of Latin based languages
(French, Italian, Portuguese & Spanish) find the most difficult to master. This is
because, although this tense exists in their native language in form, it is rarely used in
the same way in practice. As a result of this, translating sentences in the present perfect
in English directly into these languages, will usually result in a completely different
choice of verb tense.

     With a conjunction of time to show that one action must finish before a second
action can start.

To form the past tense of some modal verbs.

     As a verb tense which forms a link between the past and present.

The present perfect simple, when used with a conjunction of time, shows that the first of
two actions must be completed before the second action can start.

The Present Perfect worksheet - Exercises

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense.

1. He_______________ (live) in London for two years and then _______________ (go)
to Edinburgh.

2. When I left school I_______________ (cut) my hair and_______________ (wear) it

short ever since.

3. My brother_______________ (write) several plays. He_______________

(just/finish) his second tragedy.

4. I_______________ (not see) him for three years, I wonder where he is.
5. He_______________ (not smoke) for two weeks. He is trying to give up.

6. I_______________ (do) this sort of work when I_______________ (be) an

apprentice.

7. I_______________ (write) the letter but I can't find a stamp.

8. _______________ you_______________ (see) the moon last night?

9. The clock isn't slow, it_______________ (stop).

10. A: Who_______________ (you/vote) for in the last election?

B: I_______________ (vote) for Mr. Pitt.

A: He_______________ (not/be) elected, _______________ (be) he?

B: No, he_______________ (lose) his deposit.

11. A: _______________ (you/like) your last job?

B: I_______________ (like) it at first but then I_______________ (quarrel) with my

employer and he_______________ (dismiss) me.

A: How long_______________ you there?

B: I_______________ there for two weeks.

12. A: _______________ (Mary/feed) the cat?

B: Yes, she_______________ (feed) him before lunch.

A: What_______________ (she/give) him?

B: She_______________ (give) him some fish.

13. A: I_______________ (not see) your aunt recently.

B: No, she_______________ (not be) out of the house since she_______________

(buy) her colour TV.

14. A: How_______________ (you/get) that scar?

B: I_______________ (got) it in a car accident a year ago.

15. She_______________ (say) she'd ring me this morning, but it's now 12.30 and
she_______________ (not/ring) yet.

16. It_______________ (rain) for two hours and the ground is too wet to play on, so the
match _______________ (be) postponed.
17. A: Why_______________ (you/make) such a horrible noise?

B: I_______________ (lose) my key and I_______________ (try) to wake up my wife

by throwing stones at her window.

A: You_______________ (throw) stones at the wrong window. You live next door.

18. He_______________ (not/stop) since he arrived.

19. He_______________ (ride), that's why he's wearing a riding hat.

20. A: How long_______________ (you/drive)?

B: I_______________ (drive) for ten years.

21. _______________ (you/lock) the house before you left?

22. I can't go out because I_______________ (not/finish) my homework yet.

23. A: Where_______________ (you/be or go)

B: I_______________ (be or go) to the dentist.

A: _______________ (he/take) out your bad tooth?

B: Yes, he_______________ .

A: _______________ (it/hurt)?

24. I_______________ (ride) all the horses in this stable.

25. A: What_______________ (you/do)?

B: We_______________ (pick) apples.

A: How many_______________ (you/pick)?

B: We_______________ (pick) ten basketfuls.

26. The car_______________ (make) a very funny noise ever since it

_______________ (run out) of petrol.

27. Originally, horses used in bull fights_______________ (not/wear) any protection,

but for some time now they_______________ (wear) special padding.

28. That pipe_______________ (leak) for ages. We must get it fixed.

29. A: _______________ (you/ever/try) to give up smoking?

B: Yes, I_______________ (try) last year, but then I_______________ (find) that I was
getting fat so I_______________ (start) again.

30. A: _______________ (be) the plumber here yet?

B: Yes, but he_______________ (only/stay) for an hour.

A: What_______________ (he/do) in that time.

B: He_______________ (turn off) the water and_______________ (empty) the tank.

Can/ Could/
Would you …?
We often use can or could to ask
people to do things:

 Can you wait a moment,

please? or
Could you wait a moment,
please?
 Liz, can you do me a favour?
 Excuse me, could you tell me
how to get to the station?
 I wonder if you could help
me.

Note that we say ‘Do you think

(you) could…?’ (not usually ‘can’):

 Do you think you could lend

me some money until next
week?

We also use will and would to ask people to do things (but can/could are more usual):

 Liz, will you do me a favour?

 Would you please be quiet? I'm trying to concentrate.

Asking for things

To ask for something we use Can I have…? or Could I have…?:

 (in a shop) Can I have these postcards, please?

  (during a meal) Could I have the salt, please?

May I have…? is also possible (but less usual):

 May I have these postcards, please?

Asking for and giving permission

To ask for permission to do something, we use can, could or may:

 (on the phone) Hello, can I speak to Tom, please?

 ‘Could I use your phone?’ ‘Yes, of course.’
 Do you think I could borrow your bike?
 ‘May I come in?’ ‘Yes, please do.’

To give permission, we use can or may.

 You can use the phone. or You may use the phone.

May is formal and less usual than can or could.

Offering to do things

To offer to do something, we sometimes use Can I…?:

 ‘Can I get you a cup of coffee?’ ‘Yes, that would be very nice.’
 ‘Can I help you?’ ‘No, it's all right. I can manage.’

You can also use I'll… to offer to do things (see Unit 21):

 You look tired. I'll get you a cup of coffee.

Offering and inviting

To offer or to invite we use Would you like…? (not ‘do you like’)

 ‘Would you like a cup of coffee?’ ‘Yes, please.’

 ‘Would you like to come to dinner tomorrow evening?’ ‘Yes, I'd love to.’

I'd like… is a polite way of saying what you want:

 (at a tourist information office) I'd like some information about hotels, please.
 (in a shop) I'd like to try on this jacket, please.
Forming Comparative and Superlative
Adjectives
One-syllable adjectives.

Form the comparative and superlative forms of a one-syllable adjective by adding –er
for the comparative form and –est for the superlative.

One-Syllable Adjective Comparative Form Superlative Form

tall taller tallest
old older oldest
long longer longest

 Mary is taller than Max.

 Mary is the tallest of all the students.
 Max is older than John.
 Of the three students, Max is the oldest.
 My hair is longer than your hair.
 Max's story is the longest story I've ever heard.

If the one-syllable adjective ends with an e, just add –r for the comparative form and –st
for the superlative form.

One-Syllable Adjective with Final -e Comparative Form Superlative Form

large larger largest
wise wiser wisest

 Mary's car is larger than Max's car.

 Mary's house is the tallest of all the houses on the block.
 Max is wiser than his brother.
 Max is the wisest person I know.

If the one-syllable adjective ends with a single consonant with a vowel before it, double
the consonant and add –er for the comparative form; and double the consonant and add
–est for the superlative form.

One-Syllable Adjective Ending with a Single Comparative Superlative

Consonant with a Single Vowel before It Form Form
big bigger biggest
thin thinner thinnest
fat fatter fattest

 My dog is bigger than your dog.

 My dog is the biggest of all the dogs in the neighborhood.
 Max is thinner than John.
 Of all the students in the class, Max is the thinnest.
  My mother is fatter than your mother.
 Mary is the fattest person I've ever seen.

Two-syllable adjectives.

With most two-syllable adjectives, you form the comparative with more and the
superlative with most.

Two-Syllable Adjective Comparative Form Superlative Form

peaceful more peaceful most peaceful
pleasant more pleasant most pleasant
careful more careful most careful
thoughtful more thoughtful most thoughtful

 This morning is more peaceful than yesterday morning.

 Max's house in the mountains is the most peaceful in the world.
 Max is more careful than Mike.
 Of all the taxi drivers, Jack is the most careful.
 Jill is more thoughtful than your sister.
 Mary is the most thoughtful person I've ever met.

If the two-syllable adjectives ends with –y, change the y to i and add –er for the
comparative form. For the superlative form change the y to i and add –est.

Two-Syllable Adjective Ending with -y Comparative Form Superlative Form

happy happier happiest
angry angrier angriest
busy busier busiest

 John is happier today than he was yesterday.

 John is the happiest boy in the world.
 Max is angrier than Mary.
 Of all of John's victims, Max is the angriest.
 Mary is busier than Max.
 Mary is the busiest person I've ever met.

Two-syllable adjectives ending in –er, -le, or –ow take –er and –est to form the
comparative and superlative forms.

Two-Syllable Adjective Ending with -er, -le, or Comparative Superlative

-ow Form Form
narrow narrower narrowest
gentle gentler gentlest

 The roads in this town are narrower than the roads in the city.
 This road is the narrowest of all the roads in California.
 Big dogs are gentler than small dogs.
  Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the gentlest.

Adjectives with three or more syllables.

For adjectives with three syllables or more, you form the comparative with more and the
superlative with most.

Adjective with Three or More Syllables Comparative Form Superlative Form

generous more generous most generous
important more important most important
intelligent more intelligent most intelligent

 John is more generous than Jack.

 John is the most generous of all the people I know.
 Health is more important than money.
 Of all the people I know, Max is the most important.
 Women are more intelligent than men.
 Mary is the most intelligent person I've ever met.

Exceptions.

Irregular adjectives.

Irregular Adjective Comparative Form Superlative Form

good better best
bad worse worst
far farther farthest
little less least
many more most

 Italian food is better than American food.

 My dog is the best dog in the world.
 My mother's cooking is worse than your mother's cooking.
 Of all the students in the class, Max is the worst.

Two-syllable adjectives that follow two rules. These adjectives can be used with -er and
-est and with more and most.

Two-Syllable Adjective Comparative Form Superlative Form

clever cleverer cleverest
clever more clever most clever
gentle gentler gentlest
gentle more gentle most gentle
friendly friendlier friendliest
friendly more friendly most friendly
quiet quieter quietest
quiet more quiet most quiet
Two-Syllable Adjective Comparative Form Superlative Form
simple simpler simplest
simple more simple most simple

 Big dogs are gentler than small dogs.

 Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the gentlest.
 Big dogs are more gentle than small dogs.
 Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the most gentle.

Comparatives and Superlatives

Introduction

Comparatives and Superlatives are special forms of adjectives. They are used to
compare two or more things. Generally, comparatives are formed using -er and
superlatives are formed using -est. This page will explain the rules for forming regular
comparatives and superlatives, and also show some basic ways of using them.

1. Forming comparatives and superlatives

How these forms are created depends on how many syllables there are in the adjective.
Syllables are like “sound beats”. For instance, “sing” contains one syllable, but
“singing” contains two — sing and ing. Here are the rules:

Adjective form Comparative Superlative

Only one syllable, ending in E. Add -st: widest, finest,

Add -r: wider, finer, cuter
Examples: wide, fine, cute cutest

Only one syllable, with one vowel Double the consonant, and
Double the consonant, and
and one consonant at the end. add -est: hottest, biggest,
add -er: hotter, bigger, fatter
Examples: hot, big, fat fattest

Only one syllable, with more than

one vowel or more than one Add -er: lighter, neater, Add -est: lightest, neatest,
consonant at the end. Examples: faster fastest
light, neat, fast

Two syllables, ending in Y. Change y to i, then add -er: Change y to i, then add -est:
Examples: happy, silly, lonely happier, sillier, lonelier happiest, silliest, loneliest
 Use “more” before the Use “most” before the
Two syllables or more, not ending
adjective: more modern, adjective: most modern,
in Y. Examples: modern,
more interesting, more most interesting, most
interesting, beautiful
beautiful beautiful

2. How to use comparatives and superlatives

Comparatives are used to compare two things. You can use

sentences with “than”, or you can use a conjunction like “but”.
Comparatives
Jiro is taller than Yukio.
Yukio is tall, but Jiro is taller.

Superlatives are used to compare more than two things. Superlative

sentences usually use “the”, because there is only one superlative.
Superlatives
Masami is the tallest in the class.
Yukio is tall, and Jiro is taller, but Masami is the tallest.

Countable Nouns
Countable nouns are easy to recognize. They are things that we can count. For example:
"pen". We can count pens. We can have one, two, three or more pens. Here are some
more countable nouns:

 dog, cat, animal, man, person

 bottle, box, litre
 coin, note, dollar
 cup, plate, fork
 table, chair, suitcase, bag

Countable nouns can be singular or plural:

 My dog is playing.
 My dogs are hungry.

We can use the indefinite article a/an with countable nouns:

 A dog is an animal.

When a countable noun is singular, we must use a word like a/the/my/this with it:

 I want an orange. (not I want orange.)

  Where is my bottle? (not Where is bottle?)

When a countable noun is plural, we can use it alone:

 I like oranges.
 Bottles can break.

We can use some and any with countable nouns:

 I've got some dollars.

 Have you got any pens?

We can use a few and many with countable nouns:

 I've got a few dollars.

 I haven't got many pens.

Uncountable Nouns
Uncountable nouns are substances, concepts etc that we cannot divide into separate
elements. We cannot "count" them. For example, we cannot count "milk". We can count
"bottles of milk" or "litres of milk", but we cannot count "milk" itself. Here are some
more uncountable nouns:

 music, art, love, happiness

 advice, information, news
 furniture, luggage
 rice, sugar, butter, water
 electricity, gas, power
 money, currency

We usually treat uncountable nouns as singular. We use a singular verb. For example:

 This news is very important.

 Your luggage looks heavy.

We do not usually use the indefinite article a/an with uncountable nouns. We cannot
say "an information" or "a music". But we can say a something of:

 a piece of news
 a bottle of water
 a grain of rice

We can use some and any with uncountable nouns:

 I've got some money.

 Have you got any rice?
We can use a little and much with uncountable nouns:

 I've got a little money.

 I haven't got much rice.

Uncountable nouns are also called "mass nouns".

Here are some more examples of countable and uncountable nouns:

Countable Uncountable

dollar money

song music

suitcase luggage

table furniture

battery electricity

bottle wine

report information

tip advice

journey travel

job work

view scenery

When you learn a new word, it's a good idea to learn whether it's countable or
uncountable.

Nouns that can be Countable and

Uncountable
Sometimes, the same noun can be countable and uncountable, often with a change of
meaning.

Countable Uncountable
There are two hairs in my coffee! hair I don't have much hair.
Close the curtain. There's too much
There are two lights in our bedroom. light
light!
 It's difficult to work when there is too
Shhhhh! I thought I heard a noise. noise
much noise.
Have you got a paper to read? (= I want to draw a picture. Have you got
paper
newspaper) some paper?
Our house has seven rooms. room Is there room for me to sit here?
We had a great time at the party. time Have you got time for a coffee?
Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's
work I have no money. I need work!
greatest works.
 
Drinks (coffee, water, orange juice) are usually uncountable. But if we are thinking of a
cup or a glass, we can say (in a restaurant, for example):

 Two teas and one coffee please.