Too
Use:
Too means there is a lot of something. It shows a negative opinion.
It’s too hot = Itis very hot and I don’t like it.
Form: You can use too before an adjective. It’s too cold. My trousers are too small.
You can also use it before an adverb,
You walk too fast. James speaks too quietly.
Before a noun, use too much (uncountable nouns) or many (countable nouns).
I ate too much food.
I ate too many sandwiches.
You can also use too much after a verb.
I ate too much.
Paul drinks too much.
Enough
Use:
Enough means you have what you need.
We have enough food for everyone = everyone has some food.
We don’t have enough food for everyone = some people don’t have chairs.
Form:
Write enough before a noun.
We have enough chairs.
But write it after an adjective or verb.
Are you warm enough? He’s qualified enough. She isn’t tall enough to be a model.
You don’t work hard enough. Are you sleeping enough?
Sentences with enough are sometimes followed by to + verb infinitive.
I’m not tall enough to reach the book.
I haven’t got enough money to buy that coat.
So
Use:
So means very.
It’s so hot!
Form:
So is generally used before an adjective or an adverb.
He’s so funny! He plays the piano so well!
However, in modern English, it is increasingly being used before nouns and verbs.
That dress is so last year! (= That dress is last year’s fashion)
I’m so going to shout at him when I see him! (so = really)
So can be used with a that clause, to show a result of the first clause.
I was so hot that I couldn’t sleep.
Such
Use:
Such also means very. Such isused before an adjective and noun.
They are such nice children.
Form:
A / an, if necessary, go after such, not before.
That’s a such pretty dress. => That’s such a pretty dress!
Like So, Such can be used with a that clause, to show a result of the first clause.
I was such a nice day that we decided to go to the park.
Common mistakes
1) Some students use too with a positive meaning. But use so or very here
It’s too hot! I love the summer! => It’s so hot! I love the summer!
2) Some students write enough in the wrong place.
Do we have sugar enough? => Do we have enough sugar?
3) Some students use so / such…that incorrectly.
It was so hot that the sun was shining.
This sentence is not correct because ‘the sun was shining’ is not a direct result of ‘It was so hot’. The hot day did not cause the sun to shine.
Can / Could
Use:
1) Use can / can’t to talk about your abilities now.
I can speak English. I can’t speak German.
Use could / couldn’t to talk about abilities in the past.
I could speak French when I was a child, but I can't now.
I couldn’t speak English when I was a child, but I can now.
2) Use can and could to make requests. Could is more polite.
Can you cook this evening please?
Could you pass me the salt?
Use can to reply to requests.
Can I sit here? => Yes, you can. Sorry, you can’t.
Can you cook this evening please? => Yes, I can. Sorry, I can’t.
DON’T use could in replies.
Could you lend me some money?
Yes, I could. =>Yes, sure! Sorry, I can’t.
Form:
1) Can and could are the same for all persons.
I can/could speak English
you can/could speak English
he / she / it can/could speak English
we can/could speak English
they can/could speak English.
2) The negative form of can is cannot, or can’t. The negative form of could is couldn’t.
3) There is always a verb after can and could, and the verb is always in the infinitive form (without to).
Sally can help you. NOT Sally can helps you. / Sally can to help you.
4) Make questions by inverting can and the subject.
I can see you this afternoon. => Can I see you this afternoon?
You could help me. => Could you help me?
5) Use can/can’t and could/couldn’t in short answers.
Can your brother swim? => Yes, he can. No, he can’t.
Could you do the test? => Yes, I could. No, I couldn’t.
Common mistakes:
1) Some students make questions incorrectly.
You can speak English? => Can you speak English?
I could sit here? => Could I sit here?
Be
Use:
Use be with:
| Names | Hello, I’m John. |
| Your age | How old are you? I’m 17. |
| Places | London is in England. The Pyramids are in Egypt. The bank is one kilometre from here. |
| Adjectives | This hotel is nice. I’m hungry. |
| Jobs and family | I’m a student. My parents are doctors. This is my sister. Ann and Tom are my children. |
| Other Nouns | Jess is a dog. ‘Hamlet’ is a play. |
| adjective + noun | That’s a nice dress. She’s a good actor. |
Form:
Positive sentences
| I | am / ‘m | cold / hungry a student / a teacher at home / in the kitchen |
| You / We / They | are / ’re | |
| He / She / It | is / ‘s |
Negative Sentences
| I | am not / ‘m not | cold / hungry a student / a teacher at home / in the kitchen |
| You / We / They | are not / aren’t / ’re not | |
| He / She / It | is not / isn’t / ‘s not |
Questions
| Am | I | cold / hungry? a student / a teacher? at home / in the kitchen? |
| Are | you / we / they | |
| Is | he / she / it |
Short answers
| Yes, | I am. you are. he / she / it is. we are. they are. | No, | I’m not. you aren’t / you’re not. he isn’t / he’s not. we aren’t / we’re not. they aren’t / they’re not. |
Contractions
The verb be has a full form and a contracted form.
I am = I’m
He is = He’s
We normally use the contracted form (‘m / ‘s / ‘re) in speaking and informal writing.
We write the words in full in formal writing.
You can only use one contraction at a time:
eg: He isn’t
He’s not
but NOT He’sn’t
You can contract ‘be’ after pronouns (I, you, she etc) and names.
You can contract ‘is’ after question words.
What is your name? => What’s your name?
But do not contract ‘are’ after question words.
Where are you from? => Where’re you from?
Do not contract short answers:
Yes, I am NOT Yes, I’m
Common mistakes
1. In English, every sentence must have a verb. Some students write sentences with no verb.
I very hungry. => I’m very hungry
My brother in his bedroom. => My brother is in his bedroom.
2. Some students write questions incorrectly.
She is your sister? => Is she your sister?
Past simple
Use:
Use the past simple to talk about finished events in the past. Use it to tell stories, jokes and anecdotes.
Form:
1) Many past tense verbs are formed by adding - ed to the end of the verb.
want => wanted
start => started
If a verb ends in e, just add d (liked, hoped).
If a verb ends in y, delete y and add ied (studied, carried). But don’t do this if the verb ends in a vowel + y (played, NOT plaied. stayed, NOT staied)
But a lot of past tense verbs are irregular. You need to learn each one separately. Here are some examples.
have => had make => made
take => took sit => sat
get => got feel => felt
Past simple verbs are the same for all persons.
I went; you went; he went; she went; they went; we went...
2) Form negatives this way:
| I, you, he, she, we, they... | didn’t | infinitive verb know, see, go |
Don’t use the past verb in negative sentences.
I didn’t had dinner. => I didn’t have dinner.
3) Form questions this way:
| Did | I, you, he, she, we, they... | infinitive verb know, see, go |
Common mistakes:
Some students use the past verb in questions.
Did you saw the film? => Did you see the film?
Possessive ‘s
Use:
Possessive adjectives after a name and before a noun.
They tell you who owns something.
This is John’s coat.
Is this Tina’s bag?
Don’t use ‘s after things.
I clean the garden’s pond every week. => I clean the pond in the garden every week.
What’s the book’s name? => What’s the name of the book?
You can usually use ‘s after organisations and groups of people.
It’s the government’s decision. OR It’s the decision of the government.
Ton is the company’s new director. OR Tom is the new director of the company.
You can use ‘s after time expressions.
What time is tomorrow’s meeting?
You can sometimes use ‘s after countries and cities.
India’s population is rising.
But you cannot do this if it refers to a person.
I met London’s mayor last week. => I met the mayor of London last week.
England’s Queen is well-known. => The Queen of England is well-known.
Form:
- To make the possessive form, add ’s to the end of the name.
Is that Jack’s bag?
- With two names, only add ‘s to the second name.
That’s Jane and Harry’s house. NOT That’s Jane’s and Harry’s house.
- If something belongs to two or more people, put the apostrophe(‘) after the plural s. Do not write a second s.
My parents’ house is really big. NOT My parents’s house is really big.
However, if the plural noun is irregular, write the apostrophe (‘) before the S.
The children’s party was great. NOT The childrens’ party was great.
