Category: Grammar

Some verbs cannot be used in the progressive tenses. They are called non-action verbs.
Non-action verbs often point to emotions, relationships, senses, or thoughts.

The most common non-action verbs are:

•adore – I adore those shoes!
•agree – She agrees with his thoughts on the story.
•appear – He appears to be sad.
•appreciate – I appreciated your help very much.
•astonish – We were astonished at how much she had aged.
•be – Who is he supposed to be?
•believe – Do you believe me now?
•belong – He doesn’t belong to this world.
•concern – This is an issue that should concern everyone.
•consist – The cake consists of raw eggs, milk, and vanilla extract.
•contain – Each large crate contains 12 boxes.
•cost – The trip will cost you $1000.
•deny – Did you deny your love for him?
•depend – We are depending on you.
•deserve – You deserve a holiday.
•detest – I detest any kind of cruelty.
•disagree – I disagree with you about that.
•dislike – I dislike the idea.
•doubt – He may come back tomorrow with the money, but I doubt it.
•equal – 16 ounces equals one pound.
•feel – I feel happy.
•fit – The refrigerator won’t fit in our kitchen.
•hate – Kelly hates her teacher.
•have – I have a problem.
•hear – Can you hear me?
•imagine – Can you imagine how it feels to be blind?
•impress – She impressed us with her sincerity.
•include – The hotel room charge includes breakfast.
•involve – The accident involved two cars and a truck.
•know – I know what you did.
•lack – If you lack anything, ask for it.
•like – I like you.
•loathe – I loathe doing housework.
•look – I look fat in the picture.
•love – I love shopping.
•matter – It doesn’t matter.
•mean – What do you mean?
•mind – I don’t mind.
•need – I don’t need my phone.
•owe – He owes her an apology.
•own – Their family owns this house.
•please – You can’t please me.
•possess – She possesses an unusual talent.
•prefer – I prefer coffee over tea.
•promise – I promise, I’m not lying.
•realize – Suddenly I realized (that) I was lost.
•recognize – I didn’t recognize you.
•remember – Do you remember me?
•resemble – You resemble your mother very closely.
•satisfy – I am not really satisfied with the job you did.
•see – Can you see what is happening?
•seem – You seem nervous.
•smell – Just smell this perfume!
•sound – You sound great!
•suppose – I suppose you’re right.
•surprise – The news surprised everyone.
•taste – The food tastes good.
•think – Everybody thinks she’s the best dancer.
•understand – I don’t understand you.
•want – I want to eat.
•weigh – I weigh 120 pounds.
•wish – I wish for a new car.

Level: Beginner-Intermediate

Form of Article “the”

The definite article “the” is the most frequently used word in English.

We use the definite article in front of a noun when the speaker believes that the listener already knows what he is referring to.

Uses of the article “the”

The definite article ‘the’ is used in the following cases:

• because there is only one

The sun is very bright.
Who is the president of Spain?

• because there is only one in that context

My family lives in a house next to the church. (= the church in our town)
Mom, can I borrow the car? (= the family’s car)

• because it has already been mentioned

A young man tried to rob a jewelry shop in Tampa. The man used a big rock to smash the windows of the shop.

• with a superlative adjective

He is the tallest kid in our class.
It is the oldest house in the village.

• to talk about musical instruments and dances

Jerry plays the guitar really well.
Can you do the foxtrot?

• to refer to a system or service

How long does it take on the train?
She heard it on the radio.

• with countries whose names include words like kingdom, states or republic

the United Kingdom
the People’s Republic of China

• with countries which have plural nouns as their names

the Netherlands
the Philippines

• with geographical features, such as canals, oceans, groups of islands, seas, rivers, and mountain ranges

the Amazon
the Himalayas

• with works of art or well-known buildings

the Mona Lisa
the Empire State Building

• We do not use the definite article with names.

Robert Downey Jr. played Iron Man.
Madrid is the capital of Spain.
Japan is in Asia.

Other English grammar lessons can be found here.

We use quantifiers such as much, many, little, few, a lot and plenty when we want to give someone information about the number of something.

Much can be used ONLY with noncount nouns:
Examples:
How much money do you have?
There isn’t much coffee left.

We can use a lot of or lots of with both count and non-count nouns:
Examples:
We have lots of time.
Jerry has lots of friends.
There was a lot of food.

Plenty of is a colloquial form which can also be used with both count and non-count nouns:
Examples:
We have plenty of time.
Joe has plenty of friends.
There was plenty of food.

Many and a few can be used ONLY with count nouns:
Examples:
She asked too many questions.
The crowd was silent for a few minutes after the play ended.

Remember:

We put a noun directly after a quantifier when we talk about members of a group in general.
Examples:
Few snakes are dangerous.
You can learn many things from books.

But if we are talking about members of a particular group, we also use “of the”.
Examples:
Few of the snakes in this zoo are dangerous.
Many of the kids played in the park.

Take a look at the following forms in active and passive.

• After will, can, must, going to, want to, etc.

active: eat => Somebody will eat the cake later.

passive: be eaten => The cake will be eaten later.

Examples:

Her lies are getting more and more serious. Something must be said to her.
The criminal is very elusive he can’t be caught.
He asked everyone to leave. He wanted to be left alone.

• After should have, might have, would have, seem to have, etc.

active: eaten => Somebody might have eaten the cake.

passive: been eaten => The cake might have been eaten.

Examples:

If you had locked the door, nothing would have been stolen.
The casino will not be opened until further notice.
The impact of the typhoon is devastating. Something must be done to help the victims.

• Present Perfect

active: has/have eaten => The cake is delicious. Somebody has eaten it.

passive: has/have been eaten => The cake is delicious. It has been eaten.

Examples:

I heard their wedding has been canceled.
Have you ever been arrested by the police?
She doesn’t take no for an answer. She has not been turned down.

• Past Perfect

active: had eaten => The cake was delicious. Somebody had eaten it.

passive: had been eaten => The cake was delicious. It had been eaten.

Examples:

The fruits weren’t ripe enough. They had been picked too soon.
This book was bought a year ago but it hadn’t been read.
Their house was very old but had not been renovated.

• Present Continuous

active: is/are/am eating => Somebody is eating the cake at the moment.

passive: is/are/am being eaten => The cake is being eaten at the moment.

Examples:

Her boyfriend isn’t faithful. She is being cheated on.
She is being kept alive by a machine.
The elderly people are being taken care of in this facility.

• Past Continuous

active: was/were eating => Somebody was eating the cake.

passive: was/were being eaten => The cake was being eaten when she arrived.

Examples:

She wasn’t being trained properly.
The dishes weren’t being washed thoroughly.
His car wasn’t being repaired.

FORM

present be-verb + present participle

am + doing

USAGE

• Present continuous is used with normal verbs to express that the action

is happening now, at present moment.

Examples:

Mary is just leaving work. She’ll be home in 30 minutes.

Please keep quiet. The students are taking their examination.

• It is also used to talk about definite future plans or arrangements.

Examples:

Katy is going to marry Walter next fall.

What are you doing this weekend?

• It can also be used to talk about temporary situations that are not necessarily happening now.

Examples:

Lindsay is working in a restaurant until she finds a better opportunity.

They are training for a marathon.

• Present continuous is used to talk about an action that is happening around a specific time.

Examples:

At three o’clock, she is having a nap.

When I get to home, my husband is waiting for me.

• Another use for present continuous is for temporary or new habits. Time expressions such as “these days” or “at the moment” are commonly used in this case.

Examples:

She’s binge shopping these days. She must be really stressed out at work.

John is running every single morning. He didn’t used to do this.

• It is also used for habits that are not regularly done but happen very frequently.

Examples:

You’re always forgetting our birthdays!

She’s normally stuttering when she is nervous.

• It can also be used to talk about something which is new and is a contrast with the past state.

Example:

Most children are playing video games instead of playing outside their homes.

These days, most people are communicating by chat instead of talking face-to-face.

• It is also used to talk about something that is changing.

Example:

The plants are growing so fast.

Spain’s economy is improving.

• Another use of present continuous is to talk about something which happens repeatedly.

Examples:

It’s always raining in Southeast Asian countries.

His parents are constantly arguing about money.

She’s very pretty. She’s always smiling.

EXEMPTION

Present Continuous cannot be used with stative verbs.

Examples:

I agree with you. (I am agreeing with you.)

This house belongs to his family now. (This house is belonging to his family now.)

Level: Intermediate-Advanced

Form:

It is very common to see adjective-preposition combinations. However, there is no concrete rule on when to use which combination. The key to mastering such combinations and knowing when to use them is reading and listening more in English. By doing so, one will become more familiar with how these combinations are used.

Common Adjective-Preposition Combinations:

Afraid of | Afraid for

Afraid of – that person or thing causes fear

John has always been afraid of heights.

Afraid for – feeling fear or worry about something or someone

Afraid for her life, she decided to leave her abusive husband.

Angry at | Angry about | Angry with

Angry at / about – anger is directed at the situation

It’s expected for the employees to be angry at the way the company handled the crisis.

The employees are still very angry about the low pay rise.

Angry with somebody – anger is directed at a person

Your mother is no longer angry with you, David.

Answerable for | Answerable to

Answerable for – responsible for

The league’s officials are answerable for mismanaging the funds.

Answerable to – has to explain its actions to

The department head is answerable only to the Chief Executive Officer.

Anxious about | Anxious at | Anxious for | Anxious to

Anxious about – talks about subject of worry

The business owners are increasingly anxious about the new tax reform policies.

Anxious at – talks about the cause of worry

Jason was anxious at Mildred’s delay.

Anxious for – talks about positive concern or desire for something

We’re anxious for our wedding to go as we’ve planned it.

Anxious to – expresses eagerness and is followed by a verb

The new city mayor was anxious to impress his constituents.

Bad/Good at | Bad/Good for

Good/Bad at – successful / unsuccessful

Everyone in this class is good at math.

He’s very bad at telling lies.

Good for – beneficial

We should all drink more water. It’s definitely good for us.

Good about | Good to | Good with

Feel good about – pleased

She felt good about getting the promotion.

Good to someone – kind

His foster parents have always been very good to him ever since they took him in.

Good with – skilled

Aries is very good with children.

Concerned about | Concerned with

Concerned about – worried

They were a bit concerned about their upcoming event.

Concerned with – about

This paragraph of the article is concerned with common air pollutants.

Glad about | Glad for | Glad of

Glad about something – reason for being happy

Karen is going to take the job in Berlin and her boss was not glad about her decision.

Glad for someone – happy for that person

I’m very glad for you.

Glad of – to be thankful to have something

I’d be glad of extra time to finish this report.

Pleased about | Pleased at | Pleased with

Pleased about/at – directed at reason for being happy and satisfied

She was really pleased about finishing her room’s renovations.

Pleased with – happy/satisfied

It took forever to complete the construction of this building, but we are very pleased with the results.

Right about | Right for

Right about – correct

The team was right about not proceeding with the project. It turned out, Mr. Jones is a crook.

Right for – suitable

Richard and Julia are going to agree on whatever they think is right for their children.

Sorry about | Sorry for

Sorry about – regretful

The professor was sorry about being late for the class.

Sorry for – feel sympathy for

I feel really sorry for people who are not comfortable in their own skin.

A tag question is a positive or negative sentence that is immediately followed by a short question. It is used when asking for confirmation. It means something similar to: “Is that right?” or “Do you agree?” Keep in mind that the tag takes on the form of auxiliary or main verb be from the main sentence and is changed to either negative or positive.

For simple past and present, do, does, and did are used in the tag.

POSITIVE STATEMENT TAG QUESTIONS

Positive Statement               Negative Tag

He is English,                          isn’t he?

He is English, isn’t he?

NEGATIVE STATEMENT TAG QUESTIONS

Negative Statement              Positive Tag

You don’t work here,               do you?

You don’t work here, do you?

 ANSWERING TAG QUESTIONS

 A tag question is answerable by yes or no. To answer, simply repeat the tag and reverse it.

Example:

Tag Question: The sun revolves around the earth, doesn’t it?

Answer: Yes, it does.

The meanings of yes and no when responding to a negative sentence:

Question: You’re not attending the meeting this afternoon, are you?

Answers:

Yes. – Yes, I am attending

No. – No, I am not attending.

INTONATION

With a tag question, the meaning is implied by the way it is said.

Using rising intonation denotes that it is an actual question. Meanwhile, using falling intonation means it is not a real question but a mere invitation for the listener to agree to what the speaker is saying.

SOME EXCEPTIONS

• The tag for Let’s is shall we.

Example: Let’s begin the ceremony, shall we?

• The tag for imperatives is will you.

Example: Give that to me, will you?

• The negative tag for I’m is aren’t I.

Example: I’m one of your best friends, aren’t I?

ALL / MOST / NO

ALL

• All refers to a whole group of people or things. It does not need to be followed by “the”.

Example:  All phones have screens. 

• Same goes for time expressions like all day, all night, week, all year, all summer.

Example: She studied all night and was very exhausted the next day.

• It is also used before an uncountable nouns.

Example: All food in their menu is salt-free.

• We normally use everybody or everyone instead of all people.

Example: Everyone wants to achieve their dreams. (All people want to achieve their dreams.)

MOST

• Most is used to talk about quantities, amounts, and degree.  Most used with a noun means “the majority of”.

Example: Most tap water in the region is potable.

NO

• No is used right before a noun.

Example: She has got no place to go.

ALL OF / MOST OF / NONE OF

ALL OF

• All of is usually followed by pronouns: us, them, this, that, these, those, whom, and which.

Example: Die Hard, all of which stars Bruce Willis, is Jake’s favorite movie franchise.

• All or all of can be used with demonstrative pronouns this, that, these, those.

Examples:

All (of) this nonsense has to stop!

Are all (of) these food gluten-free?

MOST OF

• Most of with a noun is used to refer to the majority of a specific group of something.

Most of the people I work with here are very professional.

The climate of most of New York State is warm summers and cold winters.

NONE OF

• None of is used before the, this, that, my, your or pronouns.

Example:

None of the topics he studied for appeared on his test.

None of her friends like her boyfriend.

COMPARE

All vs All of

All babies are cute. (=all babies in general)

All of the babies in the nursery got sick because of a virus. (=specific group of babies)

Most vs Most of

Most families have their own problems. (=most families in general)

Most of the families who live on this street have two or more cars. (=specific group of families)

USE

The imperative form is used when giving instructions, orders, and warnings. To give instructions in signs and notices, must is usually used.

FORM

1. A subject is not necessary when giving orders.

You finish your food. => Finish your food.

Do not use the infinitive to.

To go on please. => Go on please.

Use Don’t for the negative form.

Don’t enter the room without permission!

2. Do not use contraction in written instructions on signs.

Don’t cross the street. . => Do not cross the street.

3. When giving friendly instructions, use ‘you’ to soften the way the order is given. This is normally only done in spoken English.

First, you wash your face and then you use a toner. Then you moisturize.

4. Must / Must not are often used in written signs.

All guests must register.

Test takers must not talk to each other.

COMMON MISTAKE

Using to after Don’t / Must

Don’t to feed the animals.  => Don’t feed the animals.

Level: Beginner-Intermediate

Some adjectives are combined with certain prepositions. There is no actual pattern or rule on this. The key is familiarization.

Here are some common adjective + preposition combinations:

OF

 afraid of                    She is afraid of spiders.

ashamed of               They are ashamed of the way they behaved at the party.

aware of                     Are you aware of the problem?

capable of                 I am very capable of taking care of myself.

envious of                 They are envious of their neighbors because they are always on holiday.

proud of                     Her parents were really proud of her progress in learning French.

typical of                    This behavior isn’t very typical of him.

FOR

eligible for                 You are eligible for a scholarship abroad.

famous for                 Thailand is famous for its beautiful beaches.

thankful for               She is very thankful for all of her fans’ support.

ready for                    Get ready for your exam.

responsible for         The police are responsible for keeping the city a safe place.

suitable for                This program is suitable for young audiences.

notorious for             This newspaper is notorious for sensationalizing stories.

WITH

associated with        His depression is associated with his recent divorce.

bored with                 I am so bored with this game. Let’s play different one.

blessed with              They are blessed with two beautiful daughters.

confronted with        The new government is confronted with many problems.

crowded with            The beach is crowded with people.

disappointed with    She was disappointed with the quality of the product.

familiar with              I am familiar with this city.

fed up with                They are fed up with being poor.

pleased with             Were they pleased with the proposal?

popular with              The new video game is very popular with teenagers.

satisfied with             Marta is satisfied with her new hairstyle.

TO

attracted to                 She is attracted to Tom.

accustomed to          I am accustomed to sleeping early.

addicted to                 He is addicted to playing online games.

allergic to                   Collin is allergic to peanuts.

kind to                         Be kind to animals.

married to                  Lola is married to Gerard.

receptive to                The student is receptive to corrections.

related to                    Air pollution is related to climate change.

similar to                    These shoes are similar to your old ones.

IN

comfortable in           You need to be comfortable in using the language.

experienced in         He is experienced in sales.

interested in              I am very interested in this house.

polite in                      She was polite in rejecting the invitation.

present in                  They were present in his life.

skilled in                    Rafael is very skilled in tennis.

slow in                       He was slow in moving his broken arm.

BY

amazed by                 Everyone was amazed by his excellent performance.

delighted by              My mother was delighted by all the warm greetings on her birthday.

disturbed by              She was disturbed by her boss.

impressed by             The audiences were impressed by his act.

inspired by                This painting is inspired by life in the countryside.

FROM

made from                 She made this craft from scratch.

different from            She is very different from her twin sister.

safe from                   Always keep your child safe from harm.

absent from               John was absent from the meeting yesterday.

free from                    You need to break free from his control.

AT

amazed at                  I am amazed at how creative you are.

angry/mad at             I can’t stay mad at you.

annoyed at                Sean was annoyed at his brother.

good/bad at               She is very bad at telling lies. / I am good at speaking in public.

ON

keen on                     I am not very keen on going to attractions that use animals.