Category: Grammar

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.

Phrasal verbs are special groups of verbs that often consist of two or three words.

A phrasal verb is typically structured in two ways:

1. a verb followed by a preposition (two-word phrasal verb)

sit down                       He sat down a chair.

fall over                       She lost balance and fell over.

take off                        The plane takes off in ten minutes.

2. a phrasal verb followed by one more preposition (three-word phrasal verb)

Here are some common examples and their meanings:

run away  from           leave or escape

They are trying so hard not to run away from their responsibilities.

keep up  with               maintain pace with

She is the smartest in class. No one can keep up with her.

look forward to            wait for something excitedly

I look forward to your wedding.

get on with                   have a friendly relationship

I do get on with my neighbors.

fed up with                  annoyed or upset at a situation

He was just so fed up with the big city life, he moved to the countryside.

come up against          to deal with a problem

The team might come up against a stronger opponent.

creep up on                 happens slowly or gradually you don’t notice it

Old age suddenly creeps up on you.

take care of                 be responsible for

You need to take care of your finances.

run out of                     have no more supply of something

We ran out of sugar.

walk out on                  abandon

He just walked out on his wife and children.

put up with                   tolerate

She had to put up with his bad attitude when they were together.

get through with          finish

She went skydiving just to get through with it.

PATTERN: Subject (S) + Verb (V) + Object (O)

Verb and Object are normally not separated.  The object of the sentence receives the verb’s action. It is placed immediately after the verb and answers either of the two questions: “what” or “whom”.

Indefinite pronouns are used to talk about people or things but not specifically saying who or what they are. Those with -body or –one endings are used for people while those with -thing endings are used for things.

Examples:

Everybody wants to be happy.
No one joined the singing contest.
After his eye surgery, he can see everything much clearly.

A singular verb is used with an indefinite pronoun.

Everybody talks fast.
Everything happens for a reason.

A plural pronoun is often used when referring back to an indefinite pronoun.

Everybody cheered him on. They supported him during his race.
I will talk to somebody. They have been waiting for my decision on this matter.

To express a possessive, -‘s is added to an indefinite pronoun.

She is talking to somebody’s friend.
Are these anybody’s shoes?

In negative clauses, indefinite pronouns are used with no- as the subject instead of pronouns with any.)

Anybody didn’t answer. >> Nobody answered.

Nobody, no one or nothing is not used with another negative in a clause.

Nobody wanted this.
Nothing good comes out of comfort zones.

Both each and every are used with a singular noun.

Each is used with an only one object or person.

Every is used with a group of people or object taken as one.

Examples:

Every child is receptive to learning.
Each child learns differently.

When talking about only two objects, use each.

Correct: Amanda wore earrings on each ear.

Incorrect: Amanda wore earrings on every ear.

When the quantifier modifies more than two objects, each and every can be interchanged.

The child got each item on her Christmas wish.
The child got every item on her Christmas wish.

Sometimes, the phrase each and every is used together to emphasize.

The child got each and every item on her Christmas wish.