Grammar reference

Unit
Present simple (positive and negative; questions and short answers)
1 We use the present simple for actions that happen repeatedly or habitually.
Sally often goes to the swimming pool. We have breakfast at 7.30 every morning.
We also use the present simple for things that are always or normally true.
Apples grow on trees. He lives in Italy.
2 With most subjects, the present simple is the same as the base form of the verb. However,
with a third person singular subject (he, she, it), the verb has an s ending.
I play tennis on Fridays. She plays tennis on Fridays.
My parents work in London. My brother works in London.
If a verb ends with sh, ch, ss or x, we add es.
he washes she catches he misses she fixes
If a verb ends with consonant + y, we change the y to i and add es.
she studies he worries
3 The negative of the present simple is formed with don’t (do not) or doesn’t (does not) + base form of the verb.
I don’t like fish. She doesn’t like fish.
Students don’t wear uniforms. Jack doesn’t wear a uniform.
4 Present simple questions and short answers are formed with do or does.
Do you like cats? Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.
Do they play the guitar? Yes, they do. / No, they don’t.
Does Silvia live here? Yes, she does. / No, she doesn’t.

like + -ing
1 After verbs of liking and not liking we often use verb + -ing.
We love going to the cinema. My parents hate going to the supermarket.
My sister enjoys watching videos at home. I don’t like doing my homework.
2 If a verb ends in e, we drop the e before adding -ing.
live – living ride – riding
If a short verb ends in 1 vowel + 1 consonant, we double the final consonant before adding -ing.
We do the same if the verb ends in 1 vowel + l.
get – getting shop – shopping travel – travelling

Unit 2
Present continuous for activities happening now
1 We use the present continuous for actions that are happening now or around the time of speaking.
My brothers are watching a video at the moment.
It’s raining now.
2 The present continuous is formed with the present simple of be + verb + ing.
I’m enjoying this book. I’m not enjoying this book.
You’re working very hard! You aren’t working very hard.
Alison is listening to the radio. Alison isn’t listening to the radio.
3 The question is formed with the present simple of be + subject + verb + ing.
Is Carlo reading? Yes, he is. / No, he isn’t.
Are the girls having lunch? Yes, they are. / No, they aren’t.
What are you doing?
Why is she laughing?

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PHOTOCOPIABLE © Cambridge University Press 2012 English in Mind Second edition Level 1
PHOTOCOPIABLE © Cambridge University Press 2012
Present simple vs. present continuous
1 Time expressions for repeated actions are often used with the present simple.
Time expressions for present or temporary actions are often used with the present continuous.
Present simple Present continuous
every day on Mondays today tonight this afternoon
at the weekend usually this weekend right now
sometimes often never at the moment today
2 Some verbs aren’t normally used in the continuous form. Here are some common examples:
believe know understand remember want need mean like hate
I remember you. We need some milk. David loves pasta.

Unit 3
Past simple: be
1 We use the past simple to talk about actions and events in the past.
2 The past simple of be is was/wasn’t or were/weren’t.
I was in town yesterday. My sister wasn’t with me.
We were at a friend’s house last night. We watched some videos but they weren’t very good.
3 Questions with was/were are formed by putting the verb before the subject.
Were you in the park yesterday? Was James with you?

Past simple: regular verbs

1 In the past simple, regular verbs have an ed ending. The form is the same for all subjects.
I walked to the park. You played well yesterday.
Carla opened the window. It started to rain in the afternoon.
If a verb ends in e, we add only d.
like – liked hate – hated use – used
If a verb ends with consonant + y, we change the y to i and add ed.
study – studied try – tried marry – married
If a short verb ends in 1 vowel + 1 consonant, we double the final consonant before adding ed.
We do the same if the verb ends in 1 vowel + l.
stop – stopped plan – planned travel – travelled
2 The negative of the past simple is formed with didn’t (did not) + base form of the verb.
The form is the same for all subjects.
I didn’t like the film last night. He didn’t study very hard.
We didn’t walk to school. The bus didn’t stop for me.
3 Past time expressions are often used with the past simple.
yesterday yesterday morning last night last week a month ago two years ago on Sunday

Unit 4
Past simple: irregular verbs
A lot of common verbs are irregular. This means that the past simple form is different – they don’t
have the usual ed ending.
go – went see – saw eat – ate think – thought
There is a list of irregular verbs on page 127 of the Student’s Book.

Past simple: questions and short answers

Present simple questions and short answers are formed with did. The form is the same for regular and irregular verbs.
Did you talk to Barbara this morning? Yes, I did. / No, I didn’t.
Did they play tennis yesterday? Yes, they did. / No, they didn’t.
Did Bruno go home after the party? Yes, he did. / No, he didn’t.

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 Unit 5
have to/don’t have to
1 We use have to to say that it is necessary or very important to do something.
I’m late – I have to go now. We have to be at school at 8.30.
With a third person singular subject (he, she, it), we use has to.
Jimmy is very ill – he has to stay in bed. My mother has to go to London tomorrow for a meeting.
2 We use the negative form don’t/doesn’t have to to say that it isn’t necessary or important to do something.
It’s early, so I don’t have to hurry.
Diana doesn’t have to get up early on Sundays.
3 Questions are formed with do or does.
Do I have to go to school? Does he have to pay?
4 The past form is had to / didn’t have to. The form is the same for all subjects.
Joanna had to go to the dentist last week.
Yesterday was a holiday, so we didn’t have to go to school.
Did you have to do the ironing last night?
5 All forms of have to are followed by the base form of the verb.

Unit 6
Countable and uncountable nouns
1 Nouns in English are countable or uncountable. Countable nouns have a singular and a plural form.
car – cars house – houses apple – apples question – questions
man – men woman – women child – children person – people
2 Uncountable nouns don’t have a plural form – they are always singular.
food music money rice bread information
This food is horrible. This information is wrong.
3 Sometimes a noun can be countable or uncountable, depending on its meaning in the sentence.
I like coffee. (uncountable)
I’d like two coffees, please. (= two cups of coffee, countable)
She’s got some chocolate. (uncountable)
She’s got a box of chocolates. (= individual ones, countable)

a/an and some

1 With singular countable nouns, we can use a/an to indicate an unspecific thing or person.
They live in a flat. He’s carrying an umbrella.
With plural countable nouns, we use some.
I want to buy some eggs. You’ve got some interesting CDs.
2 With uncountable nouns, we don’t use a/an – we use some.
Let’s have some bread. We need some information.

much and many

1 We use many with plural countable nouns and much with uncountable nouns.
Countable Uncountable
She doesn’t eat many vegetables. He doesn’t eat much fruit.
How many children have they got? How much time have we got?
2 We usually use many and much in negative sentences and questions.
I don’t go to many concerts. He doesn’t listen to much music.
How many sandwiches do you want? How much homework have you got?
In positive sentences, we normally use a lot of or lots of.
Chris has got lots of / a lot of books.
The teacher always gives us lots of / a lot of homework.
PHOTOCOPIABLE © Cambridge University Press 2012 English in Mind Second edition Level 1
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some and any
1 We use some and any with plural nouns and uncountable nouns.
some apples some food some books some information
any apples any food any books any information
2 We use some for an unspecific number or amount. We normally use some in positive sentences.
I bought some apples at the supermarket. I’m going to buy some food.
There were some books on the floor. I need some information.
3 We normally use any in negative sentences and questions.
There weren’t any books in the room. They didn’t give me any information.
Have you got any apples? Is there any food in the fridge?

Unit 7
Comparative adjectives
1 When we want to compare two things, or two groups of things, we use a comparative form + than.
I’m older than my brother. TVs are more expensive than radios.
France is bigger than Britain. Your computer is better than mine.
2 With short adjectives, we normally add er.
old – older cheap – cheaper clever – cleverer
If the adjective ends in e, we add only r.
nice – nicer safe – safer
If the adjective ends with consonant + y, we change the y to i and add er.
easy – easier early – earlier happy – happier
If the adjective ends in 1 vowel + 1 consonant, we double the final consonant and add er.
big – bigger sad – sadder thin – thinner
3 With longer adjectives (more than two syllables), we don’t change the adjective – we put more in front of it.
expensive – more expensive
difficult – more difficult
interesting – more interesting
4 Some adjectives are irregular – they have a different comparative form.
good – better bad – worse far – further

Superlative adjectives
1 When we compare something with two or more other things, we use a superlative form with the.
Steve is the tallest boy in our class. This is the most important day of my life.
Brazil is the biggest country in South America. Monday is the worst day of the week!
2 With short adjectives, we normally add est.
tall – the tallest old – the oldest
short – the shortest clean – the cleanest
Spelling rules for the est ending are the same as for the er ending in the comparative form.
nice – nicest safe – the safest
easy – the easiest happy – the happiest
big – the biggest thin – the thinnest
3 With longer adjectives (more than two syllables), we don’t change the adjective – we put
the most in front of it.
delicious – the most delicious
important – the most important
intelligent – the most intelligent
4 Some adjectives are irregular.
good – the best bad – the worst far – the furthest
I like Sundays, but I think Saturday is the best day of the week.
My team is terrible – it’s the worst team in the world!
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 Unit 8
Present continuous for future arrangements
1 We can use the present continuous to talk about things that are planned or arranged for the future.
I’m travelling to Italy next week.
We’re having a party on Saturday.
Alan is meeting Judy at the airport tomorrow morning.
2 Future time expressions are often used with the present continuous for arrangements.
tomorrow tomorrow night next week next Sunday evening
the day after tomorrow the week after next in three hours’ time
3 For information on the form of the present continuous, see the notes on Unit 2.

Unit 9
will/won’t
1 We use will (’ll) and won’t to make predictions about the future.
When I’m older, I’ll live in France. I won’t live in England.
I’m sure you’ll pass the test tomorrow. The questions won’t be very difficult.
In the future, people will travel to Mars. But people won’t live on Mars.
2 Will is a modal (see also must, Unit 11 and should, Unit 13). We use will/won’t + base form of the verb,
and the form is the same for all subjects. We don’t use any form of do in the negative.
You’ll pass the test. You won’t pass the test.
He’ll pass the test. He won’t pass the test.
Most students will pass the test. Most students won’t pass the test.
3 Questions are formed with will + subject + base form of the verb. Again, we don’t use any form
of do in questions or short answers.
Will Sonia go to university? Yes, she will. / No, she won’t.
Will your brothers come to the party? Yes, they will. / No, they won’t.
When will the letter arrive?

Unit 0
too + adjective
1 The adverb too + adjective has a negative meaning – when we use too, we mean ‘more than is good’
or ‘more than I want’.
I’ve only got £300, and the CD player costs £450. It’s too expensive.
It’s only 5˚ today. I don’t want to go out – it’s too cold.
2 Compare too with very, which doesn’t have a negative meaning.
This computer costs £3,000 – it’s very expensive. But I’ve got lots of money, so for me it isn’t too expensive.

Adverbs
1 Adverbs usually go with verbs – they describe an action.
We walked home slowly. The train arrived late.
Drive carefully!
Some adverbs can also go with adjectives.
It was bitterly cold yesterday. I get extremely nervous before an exam.
The house was beautifully warm inside.
2 A lot of adverbs are formed by adjective + ly.
quiet – quietly bad – badly polite – politely
If the adjective ends in le, we drop the e and add y.
terrible – terribly comfortable – comfortably
If the adjective ends in consonant + y, we change the y to i and add ly.
easy – easily happy – happily lucky – luckily
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2 We use the present perfect continuous to show that an action is still going on, or to focus on how long something
has been in progress.
I’ve been reading this book for two hours. I’ve been reading detective stories for years.
3 There are some verbs which cannot usually be used in the continuous. These verbs often express a permanent
state. For example, know, understand, have (for possession), like, hate. For these verbs we use the present perfect
simple (see also Unit 1 present simple and present continuous).
She’s known her teacher since she was in the first class. (NOT She’s been knowing …)

Unit
Defining relative clauses
1 A defining relative clause is something we use to say exactly who or what we are talking about.
The boy was friendly. The boy who told me that joke was friendly.
2 To make these clauses, we use these words: who/which/that/where. We use who or that for people.
We use which or that for things and animals. We use where for places.
That’s the man who told me. OR That’s the man that told me.
used to
1 We can use the expression used to when we want to talk about an action which happened regularly in the past,
but which doesn’t happen any more.
My father used to smoke. (= My father smoked in the past, but he doesn’t smoke any more.)
2 used to is followed by the base form of the main verb.
Our town used to be much smaller than it is now.
3 The negative of used to is didn’t use to.
I didn’t use to eat vegetables. (= In the past I didn’t eat vegetables, but now I eat them.)
We make questions with used to using Did + subject + use to …?
Did you use to live in London?
The negative of used to and questions with used to are not written or said very often.
4 For actions that happened only once in the past, use the past simple.
I got married last year. (NOT I used to get married …)

Unit 2
Second conditional
1 We use the second conditional to talk about unreal or imagined situations in the present or future.
If I was a film star, I would live in a house in Hollywood. (= I am not a film star, and I don’t live in a house in
Hollywood.)
Your parents wouldn’t look after you if they didn’t love you. (= Your parents do look after you, because they
do love you.)
2 The second conditional has two parts (or ‘clauses’). We usually make the second conditional like this:
If clause Main clause
If + past simple would/wouldn’t + main verb
If my brother had more time, he’d help me with my homework.
If Jenny was older, she’d leave school and get a job.
We can change the order of the two clauses if we want to.
My brother would help me with my homework if he had more time.
When we put the if clause first, we write a comma (,) after it. If we put the main clause first, there is no comma.
3 The word would is often spoken as ’d. We can write it like this in informal writing, too. Also would not is often
spoken as wouldn’t.
4 When we use the verb to be in the if clause of second conditional sentences, we often use were for all persons,
including I and he/she/it. This is especially true in the phrase If I were you …
If I were older, I’d live in my own flat. (OR If I was older, …)

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 when and if
If indicates a possible situation. If we use when instead of if, it indicates that we are sure that the
situation is going to happen.
If he sees Martina, he’ll tell her about the party. (= Perhaps he’ll see her, perhaps not.)
When he sees Martina, he’ll tell her about the party. (= He’s going to see her – this will definitely happen.)

Unit 3
should/shouldn’t
1 When we want to say that something is a good idea (or is not a good idea), we can use should or shouldn’t.
I should work this evening. (I think this is a good idea for me.)
They shouldn’t buy that computer. (I think this is a bad idea for them.)
Should we go home now? (Do you think this is a good idea for us?)
2 Should is another modal, like will and must. We use should/shouldn’t + base form of the verb, and the
form is the same for all subjects. We don’t use any form of do in the negative.
I should lose some weight. I shouldn’t eat this chocolate.
You should come to the cinema with us. You shouldn’t stay at home on your own.
3 Questions are formed with will + subject + base form of the verb. Again, we don’t use any form of do in
questions or short answers.
Should we wait for Lisa? Yes, we should. / No, we shouldn’t.
Should I tell my parents? Yes, you should. / No, you shouldn’t.

What’s it like?
1 We use a form of the question What’s it like? if we want to hear a description or opinion of something/
somebody. The answer to this question will often contain adjectives.
What’s she like? She’s an interesting person and she’s very intelligent.
What are your neighbours like? They’re OK. They’re polite but they’re not very friendly.
2 The question is formed with What + be + subject + like? The word like doesn’t change – it is quite different
from the verb like.
What’s the weather like today? What was the film like last night?
What are those cakes like? Did you meet Helen’s cousins? What were they like?

Unit 4
Present perfect
1 We often use the present perfect to talk about things from the beginning of our life until now.
John has travelled to lots of different countries. (= from when he was born until now)
I haven’t met your brother. (= at any time in my life, from when I was born until now)
2 When we use the present perfect with this meaning, we often use ever (= at any time in someone’s life)
in questions, and never (= not ever) in sentences.
Have you ever eaten seafood? I’ve never been interested in music.
Has Steve ever won a prize in a competition? She’s never tried to cook.
3 The present perfect is formed with the present tense of have + past participle of the main verb.
For regular verbs, the past participle has the same ed ending as the past simple.
Irregular verbs have different past participles.
Regular verbs Irregular verbs
We’ve stayed in Athens three times. We’ve been there three times.
Julia hasn’t used a computer. She hasn’t written any emails.
Have they ever climbed a mountain? Have they ever flown in a plane?
For the past participles of irregular verbs, see the list on page 127 of the Student’s Book.
4 Present perfect questions are formed with have/has + subject + past participle.
Have you ever seen a snake? Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t.
Has he ever had a job? Yes, he has. / No, he hasn’t.

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96 GRAMMAR REFERENCE