Adjectives and prepositions
Do you know how to use adjectives with prepositions like interested in or similar to?
Look at these examples to see how adjectives are used with prepositions.
I’m interested in the idea.
My jacket is similar to yours.
She’s brilliant at maths.
My neighbour is angry about the party.
Grammar explanation
Some adjectives go with certain prepositions. There are no grammatical rules for which preposition is used with which adjective, so it’s a good idea to try to learn them together. To help you do this, write new vocabulary in your notebook in a sentence or phrase.
However, there are some patterns that can help you. Let’s look at them first. Remember that a preposition is followed by a noun or a gerund (-ing form).
With at
We use at with adjectives like good/bad/amazing/brilliant/terrible, etc. to talk about skills and abilities.
He’s really good at English.
She’s amazing at the piano.
They’re terrible at organising anything.
I’m not very good at drawing.
With about
We often use about with adjectives of feelings like angry/excited/happy/nervous/sad/stressed/worried, etc. to explain what is causing that feeling.
I’m angry about the decision.
He’s nervous about the presentation.
She’s excited about the new job.
They were worried about the exam.
With of
However, sometimes we use of with feelings.
She was afraid of telling her mum.
I’m frightened of having an accident.
He’s scared of flying.
You should be proud of your progress.
With to
We can use to to show the connection between people or things.
He’s married to the director.
I’m addicted to my phone.
I’m allergic to nuts.
It’s similar to the old one.
We can also use to to talk about someone’s behaviour towards someone else.
They were really friendly to me.
Was he nice to you?
He is always polite to everyone.
She was very rude to the waitress.
Here are some other useful adjectives with prepositions.
With for
Exercise is good for you.
Stress is bad for you.
The town is famous for its cheese.
I’m responsible for the financial side of the business.
With in
She’s interested in the project.
They want someone who’s experienced in design.
I didn’t want to get involved in the argument.
Adjectives ending in ‘-ed’ and ‘-ing’
Do you know the difference between bored and boring?
Look at these examples to see how adjectives ending in -ed and -ing are used.
I was really bored in that presentation.
That was a really boring presentation.
Grammar explanation
Adjectives that end in -ed (e.g. bored, interested) and adjectives that end in -ing (e.g. boring, interesting) are often confused.
-ed adjectives
Adjectives that end in -ed generally describe emotions – they tell us how people feel.
I was so bored in that lesson, I almost fell asleep.
He was surprised to see Helen after all those years.
She was really tired and went to bed early.
-ing adjectives
Adjectives that end in -ing generally describe the thing that causes the emotion – a boring lesson makes you feel bored.
Have you seen that film? It’s really frightening.
I could listen to her for hours. She’s so interesting.
I can’t sleep! That noise is really annoying!
Here are some adjectives that can have both an -ed and an -ing form.
| annoyed | annoying |
| bored | boring |
| confused | confusing |
| disappointed | disappointing |
| excited | exciting |
| frightened | frightening |
| interested | interesting |
| surprised | surprising |
| tired | tiring |
| worried | worrying |
Articles: ‘a’, ‘an’, ‘the’
Do you know how to use a, an and the?
Look at these examples to see how articles are used.
She’s a doctor.
I need an umbrella.
Have you heard the news?
I don’t like spiders.
Grammar explanation
Here are some of the most important things to know about using articles.
Jobs
When we say what people’s jobs are, we usually use a/an.
He’s an architect.
She’s a scientist.
My grandmother was a teacher.
Singular nouns
Singular, countable nouns always have an article – a/an or the (or another determiner – my, your, this, that, etc.).
We use a/an – the indefinite article – when we talk about something for the first time, or something that is part of a group or type.
I saw a good film yesterday.
Do you want a drink?
We use a when the word that follows it begins with a consonant sound. We use an when it’s followed by a vowel sound. This makes pronunciation easier.
She has a university degree.
It took me an hour to get home.
We use the – the definite article – when the listener already knows which thing we are talking about because it was mentioned before or because there’s only one of them.
I’m going to take the dog for a walk.
Have you seen the car key?
They go to the school next to the bridge.
Things in general
When we talk about things in general, we normally use a plural or uncountable noun with no article.
Birds eat worms.
Water freezes at 0°C.
Children need a lot of sleep.
Particular groups of things
When we talk about a particular group of things, we use the.
We went to the zoo and saw the kangaroos. (These are the particular kangaroos in that zoo – not kangaroos in general.)
Articles: ‘the’ or no article
Do you know when you need to use the in common phrases and place names?
Look at these examples to see when the is and isn’t used.
I’m going to bed.
I walk to work.
My children are going to start school.
I visited the school yesterday.
Mount Everest is in the Himalayas.
Grammar explanation
Here are some ways we use articles in common phrases and place names.
Common phrases
We don’t usually use an article in expressions with bed, work and home.
go to bed / be in bed
go to work / be at work / start work / finish work
go home / be at home / get home / stay at home
We also don’t normally use an article in expressions with school, university, prison and hospital.
start school / go to school / be at school
go to university / be at university
be sent to prison / go to prison / be in prison
go to hospital / be in hospital
But we usually use the if someone is just visiting the place, and not there as a student/prisoner/patient, etc.
My son has started school now. I went to the school to meet his teacher.
I went to the prison a lot when I was a social worker.
I’m at the hospital. My sister has just had a baby.
Place names
We don’t normally use an article for continents, most countries, cities, towns, lakes, mountains or universities. So, we say:
Africa, Asia, Europe
India, Ghana, Peru, Denmark
Addis Ababa, Hanoi, New York, Moscow
Lake Victoria, Lake Superior, Lake Tanganyika
Mount Everest, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Elbrus
Cardiff University, Harvard University, Manchester University
Some countries are different. Country names with United have the. There are other countries which are exceptions too. So, we say:
the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States of America
the Bahamas, the Gambia
Seas and oceans, mountain ranges and rivers have the:
the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Mediterranean
the Andes, the Himalayas, the Alps
the Nile, the Amazon, the Yangtze
Universities with of in the title also have the:
the University of Cape Town, the University of Delhi, the University of Tokyo
Comparative adjectives
Do you know how to use comparative adjectives like older, better and more interesting?
Look at these examples to see how we use comparative adjectives.
The city is more interesting than the countryside.
This house is older than my house.
She’s better at cooking now than before.
Grammar explanation
We use comparative adjectives to compare two things or show change. The comparative form depends on the number of syllables in the adjective.
Adjectives with one syllable
To make comparative forms with one-syllable adjectives, we usually add -er:
old → older
clean → cleaner
slow → slower
If an adjective ends in -e, we add -r:
safe → safer
nice → nicer
If an adjective ends in a vowel and a consonant, we usually double the consonant:
big → bigger
hot → hotter
Adjectives with two or more syllables
If a two-syllable adjective ends in a consonant and -y, we change -y to -i and add -er:
noisy → noisier
happy → happier
easy → easier
We use more to make comparative forms for most other two-syllable adjectives and for all adjectives with three or more syllables:
crowded → more crowded
stressful → more stressful
dangerous → more dangerous
Exception: You can either add -er/-r or use more with some two-syllable adjectives, such as common, cruel, gentle, handsome, likely, narrow, pleasant, polite, simple and stupid.
I think life in the countryside is simpler than in the city.
It’s more simple to live in the city because everything you need is there.
Irregular adjectives
The adjectives good, bad and far have irregular comparative forms:
good → better
bad → worse
far → further/farther
Than
When we want to say which person or thing we are comparing with, we can use than:
Their house is cleaner than ours.
Traffic is slower in the city than in the countryside.
After the race I was more tired than Anne.
Infinitive of purpose
Do you know how and when to use an infinitive to talk about purpose?
Look at these examples to see how we use infinitives of purpose.
He went to the shops to buy some shoes.
I’m writing to ask for your help.
My father runs every day to keep healthy.
Grammar explanation
When we want to answer the question why?, we can use an infinitive of purpose. Most of the time, we use the to-infinitive.
Why do you have the LearnEnglish Grammar app?
To improve my grammar.Why do we always eat at home?
We eat at home to save money.Why do you have a bicycle?
I use it to go to work.Why does she run every morning?
She runs to keep fit.
Nouns: countable and uncountable
Do you know how to use a, some, any, much and many?
Look at these examples to see how to use countable and uncountable nouns in a sentence.
I’m making a cup of tea.
There’s some money on the table.
Have we got any bread?
How many chairs do we need?
How much milk have we got?
Grammar explanation
Nouns can be countable or uncountable. Countable nouns can be counted, e.g. an apple, two apples, three apples, etc. Uncountable nouns cannot be counted, e.g. air, rice, water, etc. When you learn a new noun, you should check if it is countable or uncountable and note how it is used in a sentence.
Countable nouns
For positive sentences we can use a/an for singular nouns or some for plurals.
There’s a man at the door.
I have some friends in New York.
For negatives we can use a/an for singular nouns or any for plurals.
I don’t have a dog.
There aren’t any seats.
Uncountable nouns
Here are some examples of uncountable nouns:
| bread | rice | coffee | information |
| money | advice | luggage | furniture |
We use some with uncountable nouns in positive sentences and any with negatives.
There’s some milk in the fridge.
There isn’t any coffee.
Questions
In questions we use a/an, any or how many with countable nouns.
Is there an email address to write to?
Are there any chairs?
How many chairs are there?
And we use any or how much with uncountable nouns.
Is there any sugar?
How much orange juice is there?
But when we are offering something or asking for something, we normally use some.
Do you want some chocolate?
Can we have some more chairs, please?
We also use some in a question when we think the answer will be ‘yes’.
Have you got some new glasses?
Other expressions of quantity
A lot of (or lots of) can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns.
There are lots of apples on the trees.
There is a lot of snow on the road.
Notice that we don’t usually use many or much in positive sentences. We use a lot of instead.
They have a lot of money.
However, in negative sentences we use not many with countable nouns and not much with uncountable nouns.
There are a lot of carrots but there aren’t many potatoes.
There’s lots of juice but there isn’t much water.
Past continuous and past simple
Do you know how to use the past continuous and past simple?
Look at these examples to see how the past continuous and past simple are used.
When I woke up this morning, it was snowing.
I was sleeping when you called me.
Grammar explanation
The past continuous and the past simple help us to show how two past actions or situations are connected.
Past simple
The past simple shows us that an action was in the past, not in the present. Regular past simple verbs have –ed at the end (e.g. called, played, arrived). Irregular verbs have a different form, usually with a different vowel sound (e.g. wake → woke, break → broke, feel → felt).
My parents called me yesterday.
I woke up early this morning.
Sam played basketball when he was at university.
We make the negative with didn’t and the infinitive verb.
My parents didn’t call me yesterday.
I didn’t wake up early this morning.
We make the question form with did and then the subject and infinitive verb.
Did you wake up early this morning?
Did Sam play basketball when he was at university?
Past continuous
The past continuous shows us that the action was already in progress at a certain time in the past.
What were you doing at 8 p.m. last night? I was studying.
This means that I started studying before 8 p.m. and I continued after 8 p.m.
The past continuous can also show that an activity was in progress for some time, not just for a moment.
We were cleaning the house all morning.
We make the past continuous with was or were and the –ing form of the verb.
She couldn’t come to the party. She was working.
Three years ago, we were living in my home town.
I tried to give him some advice, but he wasn’t listening.
What were you doing this time last year?
Past continuous and past simple
When we use these two tenses together, it shows us that the past simple action happened in the middle of the past continuous action, while it was in progress.
While I was studying, I suddenly felt sleepy.
We often use these tenses to show an action interrupting another action.
I broke my leg when I was skiing.
As I was going to work, I saw an old friend.
We were watching television when the power went off.
Can you see a difference in the meaning of these two sentences?
When the guests arrived, Jane was cooking dinner.
When the guests arrived, Jane cooked dinner.
In the first one, Jane started cooking dinner before the guests arrived. We know that because it uses the past continuous. In the second sentence, the guests arrived first and then Jane started cooking.
Possessive ‘s
Do you know how to use possessive ‘s?
Look at these examples to see how we use possessive ‘s.
Mohammed is my brother‘s son.
My grandpa‘s beard is white.
This is my grandparents’ house.
Grammar explanation
We can use possessive ‘s to talk about the relationship between people or to say who owns something. Possessive ‘s always comes after a noun or a name.
We often use possessive ‘s or s’ when we talk about family and friends.
Grandma and Grandpa are my mum‘s parents.
Maria‘s best friend is Juanita.
My cousins’ birthdays are both in January.
We can also use it to say that something belongs to someone.
That’s Roberto‘s flat. He’s got a flat in the city centre.
Kim‘s hair is very long. She’s got long, black hair.
My parents’ garden is beautiful. They grow a lot of flowers.
When it is one person who owns something, we usually use ‘s.
Our friend‘s car is red. She loves it.
Simon‘s phone is new. He bought it yesterday.
Can you see Amira‘s keys? She can’t find them.
It is possible to use more than one possessive in a phrase.
We had lunch at my friend‘s father’s house.
If a name or noun ends in s, we can add either ‘ or ‘s. The pronunciation can be /zɪz/ or /sɪz/.
Is that James‘ bag?
That’s my boss‘s office.
If the thing belongs to more than one person, we usually add ‘ after the s of the plural noun.
Our friends’ house is in the mountains. They moved there last year.
My grandparents’ dog is called Bertie.
The twins’ school is closed today.
If the plural noun is irregular and doesn’t end in s, we add ‘s.
This is our children‘s school.
The women‘s clothes are on the second floor.
A lot of people‘s eyes are brown.
If something belongs to more than one person, and we give a list of names, the ‘s comes after the last name in the list.
Liam is Anne and Gary‘s son.
Remember that s at the end of a word without an apostrophe (‘) can make it plural, but this doesn’t show possession.
I’ve got two brothers.
Are those your keys?
Prepositions of place – ‘in’, ‘on’, ‘at’
Do you know how to use in, on and at to talk about location?
Look at these examples to see how we use these prepositions.
Please put the book on the shelf.
They live in Helsinki.
You should keep milk in the fridge.
Mette is studying at the library.
Grammar explanation
We can use the prepositions in, on and at to say where things are. They go before nouns.
I am in the kitchen.
My dog likes sleeping on the sofa.
The children eat lunch at school.
in
We use in to talk about a place that is inside a bigger space, such as a box, a house, a city or a country.
The clothes are in the wardrobe.
The children are playing in the park.
There’s a bookshop in the shopping centre.
My grandmother was born in Sweden.
We also use in with other physical locations such as:
in the world
in water / the sea / a river / a lake / a pool
in the mountains / the countryside / a valley / the forest
in a car / a taxi
on
We use on to talk about location on a surface.
The books are on the desk.
We live on the fifth floor.
There are pictures on the wall.
She likes to sit on the floor.
We also use on for some types of public transport.
He’s on the bus now.
You can’t make phone calls on a plane.
They go to school on the train.
We also use on for lines (including rivers, borders, streets, etc.) and islands.
London is on the River Thames.
The Pyrenees are on the border of Spain and France.
There’s a market on James Street.
I’d love to live on the Isle of Wight.
at
We use at in many common phrases, especially when we are talking about a place for a specific activity.
I’m at work.
She’s working at home today.
The children are at school.
See you at the train station!
They’re at the supermarket.
I met him at a party.
We also use at for addresses or exact positions.
I live at 15 Craig Street.
She’s sitting at a desk.
He’s waiting at the entrance.
Please sit at the back of the room.
Prepositions of time: ‘at’, ‘in’, ‘on’
Do you know how and when to use at, in and on to talk about time?
Look at these examples to see how we use at, in and on to talk about time.
At weekends, I love to go skiing.
In spring, the weather is warmer.
On Mondays, I work from home.
In the afternoon, I do activities.
On weekdays, I work until 12.
At 5 o’clock, I do two or three more hours of work.
Grammar explanation
We use the prepositions in, on or at to say when something happens.
at
We usually use at with clock times and mealtimes.
I get up at 6.30 a.m. and go for a run.
She doesn’t like to leave the office at lunchtime.
We also use at with some specific phrases such as at the weekend and at night.
At the weekend, I can spend the days how I like.
We can also say on weekends or on the weekend. This is more common in American English.
We say at night when we mean all of the night. But we say in the night when we want to talk about a specific time during the night.
She’s a nurse and she works at night.
The baby often wakes up in the night.
We use at with Christmas and other holidays that last several days.
The weather is very cold here at Christmas.
At Chinese New Year, many people go home to their families.
| clock times | at 6 o’clock at 9.30 at 13.00 |
|---|---|
| mealtimes and breaks | at breakfast time at lunchtime at dinner time at break time |
| other time phrases | at night at weekends/the weekend at Christmas/Easter |
in
We usually use in with parts of the day and longer periods of time such as months, seasons and years.
I usually relax in the evening.
In summer it’s too hot to do anything.
I’m always really busy in December.
| parts of the day | in the morning/afternoon/evening |
|---|---|
| months | in January/February |
| seasons | in (the) spring/summer/autumn/winter |
| years, centuries, decades | in 2016 in the 21st century in the 80s |
| other time phrases | in the past in the future in the last few years/months/weeks/days |
on
We usually use on with days and dates.
On Fridays, I have a long lunch.
It’s his birthday on 19 October.
| days | on Monday/Tuesday etc. on my birthday on New Year’s Day |
|---|---|
| dates | on 30 July on the second of August |
Present simple
Do you know how to use the present simple?
Look at these examples to see how we use the present simple.
I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables.
My dad phones me every day.
She doesn’t like her job.
What time do you get up at weekends?
Grammar explanation
We can use the present simple to talk about things we do regularly.
I go to the gym three times a week.
We drink coffee at work.
We can also use it for things which are generally true.
She loves her job.
A lot of people work at home now.
Remember that we add s or es for he, she and it. Sometimes we also change y to i.
My favourite TV show starts at 8 o’clock.
She finishes work early on Fridays.
My brother studies at university.
The he, she and it forms for have, do and go are irregular.
He has a flat in the city centre.
She does yoga on Tuesdays.
My dog goes for a walk every morning.
For the negative, we use don’t or doesn’t.
We don’t eat meat.
She doesn’t have a lot of free time.
For questions, we use do or does.
Do you watch a lot of films?
Does he speak English?
| + Affirmative | – Negative | ? Question |
|---|---|---|
| I like ice cream. | I don’t like ice cream. | Do I like ice cream? |
| You go to the gym. | You don’t go to the gym. | Do you go to the gym? |
| He/she/it eats meat. | He/she/it doesn’t eat meat. | Does he/she/it eat meat? |
| We watch a lot of films. | We don’t watch a lot of films. | Do we watch a lot of films? |
| They work at home. | They don’t work at home. | Do they work at home? |
Short answers
We can answer questions with Yes, I/you/we/they do, Yes, he/she/it does, or No, I/you/we/they don’t or No, he/she/it doesn’t.
Do you like cheese?
Yes, I do.Does she play football on Saturdays?
No, she doesn’t.
Questions with question words
We can also put question words like what, where, who or what time before do or does.
Where do you work?
What time does he have lunch?
Present simple: ‘have got’
Do you know how to use have and have got?
Look at these examples to see how we use have/has got.
I’ve got a big family.
We haven’t got a garden.
Have you got any pets?
Grammar explanation
We use I/you/we/they + have got or he/she/it + has got to talk about things that we have.
In many situations, have and have got mean the same thing. Have got is a little less formal than have. We often use have got more in speaking and have more in writing.
They have got a big garden. = They have a big garden.
She has got a good job. = She has a good job.
We can use have/has got to talk about appearance, family and friends or possessions. We often contract the verb, especially when we’re speaking.
I have got brown hair. = I‘ve got brown hair.
My sister has got long hair. = My sister‘s got long hair.
He has not got many friends. = He hasn’t got many friends.
They have got a new car. = They‘ve got a new car.
We can also use have/has got for timetabled events, illnesses or abstract things.
They‘ve got basketball practice this evening.
He‘s got a terrible cold.
I‘ve got a good idea!
Affirmative
| I you we they | have got | ‘ve got |
| he she it | has got | ‘s got |
Negative
For negatives, use not after have/has. We can contract negatives.
We have not got any pets. = We haven’t got any pets.
She has not got a brother. = She hasn’t got a brother.
| I you we they | have not got | haven’t got |
| he she it | has not got | hasn’t got |
Questions
To make questions, use have/has + subject + got.
Have you got a big house?
How many rooms has it got?
| Subject pronoun | yes/no question | Question with question word, e.g. what, who, how many, etc. |
|---|---|---|
| I you we they | Have (we) got (time)? | What have (you) got? |
| he she it | Has (she) got (a car)? | What has (he) got? |
Short answers
For yes/no questions, we can use short answers.
Have you got a new job? No, I haven’t.
Has she got a meeting this morning? Yes, she has.
| Yes, I/you/we/they have. | No, I/you/we/they haven’t. |
| Yes, he/she/it has. | No, he/she/it hasn’t. |
Have/has got is only used in the present tense. For the past, use had without got.
I had got a red bike when I was young.
I had a red bike when I was young.
Present simple: ‘to be’
Do you know how to use the verb to be in the present simple?
Look at these examples to see how we use to be in the present simple.
I’m a student.
My mum’s a doctor.
They aren’t very busy.
Is he a teacher?
Grammar explanation
We can use the present simple of the verb to be to talk about situations and states in the present.
| Affirmative | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|
| I am | I am not | Am I? |
| You/we/they are | You/we/they are not | Are you/we/they? |
| He/she/it is | He/she/it is not | Is he/she/it? |
Contractions
We can contract the verb, especially when we’re speaking.
I am a shop assistant. = I’m a shop assistant.
You are a good friend! = You’re a good friend!
He is my wife’s brother. = He’s my wife’s brother.
We are very busy at the moment. = We’re very busy at the moment.
They are on holiday in Italy. = They’re on holiday in Italy.
Negatives
For negatives, use not after the verb. We can contract the verb or not.
I am not at work. = I‘m not at work. Note: I amn’t is not possible.
She is not a student. = She‘s not a student. = She isn’t a student.
Money is not important. = Money’s not important. = Money isn’t important.
We are not hungry. = We‘re not hungry. = We aren’t hungry.
They are not at home. = They‘re not at home. = They aren’t at home.
Questions
For questions, change the order of am, is or are and the person.
Are you tired?
Is she Mexican?
Is this your phone?
Are we late?
Are they your children?
Short answers
| Affirmative | Negative | (Verb contracted) | (not contracted) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes, I am. | No, I am not. | No, I’m not. | |
| Yes, you are. | No, you are not. | No, you’re not. | No, you aren’t. |
| Yes, we are. | No, we are not. | No, we’re not. | No, we aren’t. |
| Yes, they are. | No, they are not. | No, they’re not. | No, they aren’t. |
| Yes, he is. | No, he is not. | No, he’s not. | No, he isn’t. |
| Yes, she is. | No, she is not. | No, she’s not. | No, she isn’t. |
| Yes, it is. | No, it is not. | No, it’s not. | No, it isn’t. |
Note that with short answers, we only use contractions with no answers.
Questions with question words
We can also make questions by using a question word like where, when, who or what. We put the question word at the beginning.
Where are you from? I’m from Brazil.
When is the meeting? It’s next Tuesday.
Who‘s she? She’s my sister.
What time is it? It’s six o’clock.
Quantifiers: ‘few’, ‘a few’, ‘little’ and ‘a bit of’
Do you know how to use a few, few, very little and a bit of?
Look at these examples to see how these quantifiers are used with countable and uncountable nouns.
I have a few friends, so I’m not lonely.
She has few friends, so she’s quite lonely.
We’ve got a bit of time before our train. Shall we get a coffee?
We’ve got very little time before our train. Hurry up!
Grammar explanation
A few and a bit of or a little mean some. Often we feel this amount is enough or more than we expected. We use a few with plural nouns and a bit of or a little with uncountable nouns.
I have a few ideas.
I’ve brought a few friends.
There’s a bit of milk left.
It needs a little more work.
We use few and very little to show that we are talking about a small amount. Often we feel this amount is not enough or less than we expected. Few is for countable nouns and very little is for uncountable nouns.
Few people came to the meeting.
There are few places where you can still see these birds.
We have very little time.
I have very little money.
Note that you can use little without very, but it is less common and sounds quite formal.
She had little water.
Question forms
Do you know how to make questions?
Look at these examples to see how questions are made.
Is he a teacher?
Does she eat meat?
When did you get here?
How much does a train ticket cost?
Grammar explanation
To make questions, we often put the verb before the subject. This is called inversion.
| Affirmative | Question |
| I am late. | Am I late? |
| I can help. | Can I help? |
| She is sleeping. | Is she sleeping? |
| We have met before. | Have we met before? |
If there is a question word (why, what, where, how, etc.), it goes before the verb.
| Question | Question with question word |
| Are you late? | Why are you late? |
| Was she there? | When was she there? |
| Can I help? | How can I help? |
| Have we met before? | Where have we met before? |
This is true for sentences with be, sentences that have auxiliary verbs (e.g. They are waiting. She has finished.) and sentences with modal verbs (can, will, should, might, etc.).
Questions in the present simple and past simple
For other verbs in the present simple, we use the auxiliary verb do/does in the question.
| Affirmative | Question | Question with question word |
| You work at home. | Do you work at home? | Where do you work? |
| It costs £10. | Does it cost £10? | How much does it cost? |
We use the auxiliary verb did in the past simple.
| Affirmative | Question | Question with question word |
| She went home. | Did she go home? | Where did she go? |
| They went to the cinema. | Did they go to the cinema? | Where did they go? |
Subject questions
In some questions, who or what is the subject of the verb. There is no inversion of subject and verb in these questions.
Who broke the window?
Who is knocking on the door?
Using ‘there is’ and ‘there are’
Do you know how to use there is and there are?
Look at these examples to see how we use there is and there are.
There’s a very big park in my city.
There aren’t any street markets.
There are no restaurants in the station.
But there’s a café and a bank.
Grammar explanation
Affirmative
We use there is to say that something exists or is in a place.
There is a bridge in the park.
We use there is for singular nouns and there are for plural nouns.
There is a restaurant in the station.
There are two cafés in the shopping centre.
We can say there’s instead of there is. We often say this when we speak. But there is no short form for there are.
There is a restaurant in the station. > There’s a restaurant in the station.
There are two cafés. >There’re two cafés.
When we are speaking informally and make a list of things, we often use there is or there’s instead of there are.
There’s a café, a supermarket and a bus stop on my street.
(Instead of There are a café, a supermarket and a bus stop on my street.)
Negative
For negatives, we use there isn’t or there’s not (= there is not) for singular and there aren’t (= there are not) for plural.
There isn’t a pharmacy near the hotel.
There aren’t any restaurants near the hotel.
We often use there isn’t a + singular noun, there isn’t any + uncountable noun and there aren’t any + plural noun.
There isn’t a café near here.
There isn’t any milk.
There aren’t any toilets in the park.
To show that the negative is important, we also often use there is no + uncountable noun and there are no + plural noun. (It is possible to use there is no + singular noun, but it’s not as common.)
There’s no milk.
There are no toilets in the park.
Questions
For questions, we say Is there for singular nouns and uncountable nouns and Are there for plural nouns.
Is there a café near here?
Is there any milk in the fridge?
Are there any toilets in the park?
To answer, we say Yes, there is (not Yes, there’s) or No, there isn’t, or Yes, there are or No, there aren’t.
Is there a café near here? Yes, there is. / No, there isn’t.
Is there any milk in the fridge? Yes there is. / No, there isn’t.
Are there any toilets in the park? Yes, there are. / No, there aren’t.
Here is a summary of these forms.
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| affirmative | there is there’s | there are |
| negative | there is not there isn’t there’s not | there are not there aren’t |
| negative + a/any | there isn’t a … (countable) there isn’t any … (uncountable) | there aren’t any … |
| negative + no | there is no … | there are no … |
| question | Is there …? | Are there …? |
Other verb tenses
We can use there is and there are in many other verb tenses.
There was a storm last night. (Past simple)
There were a lot of cars on the roads yesterday. (Past simple)
There will be a lot of people at the shopping centre tomorrow. (Future simple)
Verbs followed by ‘-ing’ or infinitive
Do you know when to use –ing and when to use to + infinitive after a verb?
Look at these examples to see how the verb forms are used.
I enjoy learning languages.
I want to learn a new language.
Grammar explanation
A verb can be followed by another verb. The second one usually needs to change into the –ing form or the to + infinitive form. Which form you need depends on what the first verb is.
Verbs followed by the –ing form
When enjoy, admit and mind are followed by another verb, it must be in the –ing form.
I enjoy travelling.
He admitted stealing the necklace.
I don’t mind waiting if you’re busy.
Other verbs in this group include avoid, can’t help, consider, dislike, feel like, finish, give up, miss, practise and suggest.
Like and love can be followed by the –ing form and the to + infinitive form. They are both correct.
Verbs followed by to + infinitive form
When want, learn and offer are followed by another verb, it must be in the to + infinitive form.
I want to speak to the manager.
She’s learning to play the piano.
He offered to help us wash up.
Other verbs in this group include afford, agree, ask, choose, decide, expect, hope, plan, prepare, promise, refuse and would like.