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Exercises Explanation Downloads

Too, too much, too many, enough

Exercise 1

Choose too, too much, too many, enough to complete the sentences below.

Too, too much, too many, enough - Grammar chart

Too

Before an adjective/adverb

We use too before an adjective or an adverb to mean 'more than we need' or 'more than is necessary'.

Too much

Before an uncountable noun

We can use too much before uncountable nouns to mean 'more than we need' or 'more than is necessary'.

After a verb

We can also use too much after a verb.

Too many

Before a plural noun

We use too many before plural nouns to mean 'more than we need' or 'more than is necessary'.

Enough

Before a noun

We can use enough + noun to say that something is the correct number or amount.

In negative sentences we use (not) enough + noun to say that something is less than we want or we need.

After an adjective/adverb

We can use adjective/adverb + enough to mean 'sufficiently'.

In negative sentences we can use (not) adjective/adverb + enough to mean 'less than we want' or 'less than necessary'.

After a verb

We can also use verb + enough.

Too, too much, too many, enough + to + infinitive

In English we often use to-infinitive with the expressions too, too much, too many, enough.

Be careful with these common mistakes!

Don't use an adjective after too much

I'm too tired to study now. (NOT: I'm too much tired.)

Don't confuse the word too (=more than enough) with the word very.

I think she is very beautiful. (NOT: I think she is too beautiful.)

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Too, too much, too many, enough - Test-English

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Too, too much, too many, enough. A2. Pre-intermediate English grammar and exercises. Learn when to use these basic quantifiers in English.

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Countable nouns

Countable nouns are nouns that we can count: car, house, book, etc. We can say one car, two cars, three cars, etc.

Singular and plural

Countable nouns have singular and plural forms: a car/cars, a house/houses, a book/books, etc.

A/an + singular countable noun

We CANNOT use a singular countable noun without a determiner like a/an or the.

Uncountable nouns

Uncountable nouns are nouns that we cannot count: money, milk, rain, etc. We cannot say one money, two moneys, etc.

Only singular

Uncountable nouns do not have a plural form, they only have a singular form: money/moneys, milk/milks, rain/rains, etc.

We cannot use a/an + uncountable noun. A/an means 'one', and we cannot count uncountable nouns.

Types of words that are uncountable

Some types of words that are typically uncountable are:

Food, drinks and liquids: cheese, bread, pasta, coffee, milk, petrol, fuel, etc.

Materials: iron, wood, metal, paper, plastic, etc.

Abstract ideas and feelings: information, advice, strength, time, love, excitement, etc.

Illnesses: diabetes, alzheimer, cancer, etc.

Languages: English, French, Spanish, etc.

Uncountable in English but not in other languages

Some nouns are uncountable in English, but they are countable in other languages. Some of them are: advice, news (it ends in -s, but it's a singular word), furniture, luggage, baggage, bread, cheese, toast, etc.

Countable and uncountable

Some nouns can be countable and uncountable because they can refer to a unit or to 'mass' or 'material'. Compare:

A/an, some, any

A/an

We use a/an + singular countable noun.

We cannot use a/an before a plural noun or an uncountable noun.

Some/any

We use some and any before countable plural nouns or singular uncountable nouns.

Some

We use some in positive sentences.

Any

We use any in negative sentences and questions.

But we use some in questions when we are asking for something or we are offering something.

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A, some, any - countable and uncountable nouns - Test-English

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a, some, any - countable and uncountable nouns. A car, some money, any money. A1 - Elementary English grammar and exercises.

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Something, anything, nothing, etc. - Test-English

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Something, anything, nothing, everything, someone, anyone, no-one, everyone, somewhere, anywhere, nowhere. Pre-intermediate English grammar and exercises.

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Must/mustn't, have to/don't have to - Form

Must/mustn't

Use must + infinitive without to

Must is a modal verb, and modal verbs are followed by an infinitive without to.

No -s

Modal verbs don't add -s after he/she/it.

Use must/mustn't in negatives and questions

Must is an auxiliary verb. This means that it has a negative and an interrogative form. Do not use do/did in negatives and questions.

Have to/don't have to

Use do and did in negatives and questions

The verb have in have to is not an auxiliary verb. Use do/don't, does/doesn't, did/didn't in questions and negative sentences in present and past.

No contraction

The verb have in have to cannot be contracted to 've.

Past and future forms

Only have to has a past and a future form. Must does not have a past or a future form.

Have to

Rules and obligations

We use have to to talk about rules and obligations, something that is necessary.

Must

Rules and obligations

Must is very similar to have to. We use must + infinitive (without to) to talk about rules and obligations.

Don't have to

Don't need to - not necessary

If you don't have to do something, it means that you 'don't need to' do something (there is no obligation). You can do it but you don't need to do it if you don't want to do it.

Mustn't

Prohibition

Use mustn't to talk about something that you can't do. It's necessary that you don't do it.

Must

Obligation from the speaker

We normally use must when to talk about obligations that come from the opinion of the speaker. The speaker thinks it's necessary or important to do something.

Have to

External obligation

We normally use have to when there's an external obligation. The obligation doesn't come from the speaker's opinion; another person thinks it's necessary.

Mustn't vs don't have to

Don't have to

You don't need to do it; not necessary; no obligation

Don't have to and mustn't have opposite meanings. We say that we don't have to do something when we don't need to do something; we can do it, but it's not necessary.

Mustn't

Prohibition; it's necessary that you don't do it

We say that we mustn't do something when we cannot do something; it is necessary that we don't do something.

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Have to, don't have to, must, mustn't - Test-English

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Have to, don't have to, must, mustn't. A2. Pre-intermediate English grammar and exercises. Have to vs. must and don't have to vs. mustn't.

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Must/mustn't, have to/don't have to - Form

Have to

Have to is NOT a modal verb. We need do/does/did to make negatives and questions in present and past.

We can use have to in all the verb forms (present, past and perfect tenses, gerund, to infinitive, etc.)

It is used to describe an obligation, a rule, something that is necessary.

Have got to

In spoken informal English, you can often use 've got to instead of have to.

Must

Must is a modal verb and it has a present form, which can be used to talk about the present or the future. The negative form is must not or mustn't and the question is must I, must you, etc.

It is used to describe something that the speaker thinks is necessary to do.

We can also use must to express strong advice.

Must/mustn't, have to/don't have to - Use

Must only has a present form, so for all other verb forms (past, future, perfect forms, infinitive, etc.) we need to use have to.

We normally use have to for questions. Questions with must are not common.

Regarding the meaning, sometimes there is little difference between have to and must.

But we normally use have to when there's an external obligation, and must when the obligation comes from the opinion of the speaker.

Mustn't or Don't have to?

Don't have to and mustn't have opposite meanings. We use don't have to when we don't need to do something, when there's no obligation; and we use mustn't to talk about prohibition, when there is obligation not to do something.

If you don't have to do something, it means that you can do it if you want, but you don't need to do it.

Can't/be not allowed to = mustn't

We can use can't or be not allowed to instead of mustn't.

You mustn't smoke in this area. = You are not allowed to/can't smoke in this area.

Children mustn't eat chewing gum. = Children can't/are not allowed to eat chewing gum.

Should, shouldn't

Should is used to give advice or an opinion about what we think is right or wrong.

I think schools shouldn't offer soft drinks to their students.

Should is not as strong as must or have to.

Ought to/ought not to = should/shouldn't

Ought to has the same meaning as should, although it is more formal and not as common.

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Have to, must, should – obligation, prohibition, necessity, advice - Test-English

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Have to, must, should – obligation, prohibition, necessity, advice. English intermediate grammar exercises. Modal verbs. Be supposed to, be allowed to, etc.

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Do you want to take a break from your studies and have some fun by playing games in English?

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Welcome to Games4esl! Feel free to browse through our huge library of resources for teaching and learning English. On Games4esl, you can find classroom games and game templates, interactive quizzes, ESL worksheets, flashcards, lesson plans, vocabulary lists, and much more. And the best part? Everything on Games4esl is FREE!

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We use some and any for talking about indefinite numbers or amounts of things. We use them with nouns or on their own, as pronouns.
I know about some and any. You use some in positive sentences and any in questions and negatives, right?

Well, yes, often.
We've got some amazing chocolate cake, and some carrot cake.
Have you gotany chocolate cake?
I haven't hadany carrot cake for ages.
But we also use any in positive sentences.
Any cake will do. Surprise me.
She can tell you everything about ... well, aboutanything!
Oh, so what's the rule?

We use some for talking about a limited number or amount; and we use any for an unlimited number or amount. For example, imagine you are talking about different kinds of cake. All these sentences are possible:
A I like any kind of cake. (= all kinds of cake, unlimited)
B Idon't like any kind of cake. (= 0 kinds of cake, unlimited)
C I likesome kinds of cake. (= a limited number of kinds of cake)
D Idon't like some kinds of cake. (= a limited number of kinds of cake)
OK, I think that's clear. I like any kind of music. I don't like some dogs.

Yes, if you like all music and if you also like some dogs.

Yes, I like most dogs, but not dogs that bite, or dogs that are ill.

And what about questions? Can we use both some and any in questions?

Yes, we use both.
Would you like some more coffee?
Would you likeany more to eat?
Here the difference is very small. The speaker is thinking of a limited amount in the first question, and an unlimited amount in the second question. In both questions we could use some or any.

Sometimes we use some when we expect the answer to be "yes". We use any when we don't know what the answer will be; we are asking whether something exists.
Can I have some sugar? (I know there's some sugar)
Is thereany cake left? (I don't know whether there's any cake)
Are you waiting forsomebody? (I think you are)
Isanybody coming to meet you? (I don't know)
Did you say we can use some and any on their own, as pronouns?

Yes, we don't need to repeat the noun.
Is there any cake?
Yes, do you wantsome? / Sorry, there isn't any. / Sorry, there's none left.
Ah, none. That's new to me.

Yes, we can use noneor no + noun instead of not any.
Have we got any onions?
No, there aren'tany. / There are none left.
We haven't gotany money. = We have no money.
What about somebody, anybody, everybody and nobody? Can you tell me more about how you use those words?

Of course. Somebody/ anybody/ nobody/ everybody are used as singular nouns, even though everybody refers to more than one person and anybody can mean more than one person.
I saw somebody outside the window. (= 1 person)
There'snobody there. (= 0 person)
Everybody knows that The Beatles were from Liverpool. (= all people)
Hasanybody seen my keys? (= 1+ people)
Is somebody the same as someone?

Yes, it's the same. We also use:

People: someone - anyone - no one - everyone
Things: something - anything - nothing - everything
Places: somewhere - anywhere - nowhere - everywhere

OK, I think that's everything for today. I've got to go somewhere to meet somebody.

You don't want to ask anything else?

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Daisy and her new friend are at the shopping centre and they meet Oliver by chance.

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Cheese or cheeses?

Some nouns are usually uncountable, like furniture, accommodation, music and luggage. Some areusually countable, like chair, room, song and suitcase. Most nouns, though, can be either countable or uncountable. It doesn't depend on the noun but on the context, on how it is being viewed.

For example, many nouns for food and drink items such as cheese, water, milk, rice, sugar and butter are normally regarded as uncountable nouns. Nouns like these however can also be countable, particularly when we think of them as different kinds or varieties of a product.
These days supermarkets sell many different cheeses. Demarara, muscovado and caster are some of the different sugars we can use when baking.
Apple or apples?

Fruit and vegetables are normally regarded as being countable as we see them as individual items.

We need to get some apples = Countable

If, however, someone has one apple and is offering you a piece of it, the noun apple becomes uncountable.

Would you like some apple? = Uncountable

Uncountable or countable: does it matter?

Yes. Countable and uncountable nouns have different grammar and are used with different words.

Countable nouns can have plural forms. They can be used with the indefinite article.

Uncountable nouns are normally used with singular forms and can't be used with the indefinite article.

Words and phrases that go with countable nouns
many, a few, a number (of), several, fewer
Words and phrases that go with uncountable nouns:
much, a little, a bit (of), a great deal of, less, amount
Words and phrases that go with both countable and uncountable nouns:
no, none, some, any, a lot (of), plenty (of), lots of, more, quantity
To do

Now why not try a little quiz? All you have to decide is if the noun is countable or uncountable. Easy?

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BBC Learning English - Course: intermediate / Unit 16 / Session 2 / Activity 1

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Some nouns are usually uncountable, like furniture, accommodation, music and luggage. Some areusually countable, like chair, room, song and suitcase. Most nouns, though, can be either countable or uncountable. It doesn't depend on the noun but on the context, on how it is being viewed.

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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 hasfew friends, so she's quite lonely.
We've gota bit of time before our train. Shall we get a coffee?
We've gotvery little time before our train. Hurry up!

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar test 1

Countable and uncountable nouns 2: Grammar test 1

Read the explanation to learn more.

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.

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 arefew places where you can still see these birds.
We havevery little time.
I havevery little money.

Note that you can use little without very, but it is less common and sounds quite formal.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar test 2

Countable and uncountable nouns 2: Grammar test 2

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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 hasfew friends, so she's quite lonely. We've gota bit of time before our train. Shall we get a coffee? We've gotvery little time before our train.

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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? Try this exercise to test your grammar.

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much many a lot of a little a few some any

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much many a lot of a little a few some any

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Much, many, little, few, some, any - Grammar chart

Many/much

Many for countable, much for uncountable in (?) (-)

We use many before plural (countable) nouns and much before uncountable nouns. We use them in negative sentences and questions. We don't normally use them in affirmative sentences.

Too much/too many

Note that we don't normally use much/ many in affirmative sentences, but we can use too much and too many in affirmative sentences.

How much/how many

We use how many and how much to ask about quantity.

A lot of/lots of

Before both countable and uncountable

We use a lot of or lots of (more informal) before both plural (countable) and uncountable nouns. We normally use them in positive sentences.

Of before noun but NOT at the end of sentence

We must always use a lot of or lots of including of before a noun. However, we can use the expressions a lot or lots (without of) at the end of a sentence.

(A) few/(a) little/a bit of

Few for countable; little for uncountable

We use (a) few before plural (countable) nouns and (a) little or a bit of (more informal) before uncountable nouns.

A few means 'some but not many; enough', and a little means 'some but not much; enough'.

Few/little mean 'almost none; not enough'.

Normally, the difference between a few/little (WITH a) and few/little (WITHOUT a) is that a few/little is positive in meaning, and few/little is negative. Compare:

Some/any

We use some in affirmative sentences and any in negative sentences and questions.

With both countable (plural) and uncountable

Both some and any can be used before countable and uncountable nouns. But if we use them before a countable noun, the noun must be in the plural form.

Is there any student in the classroom?

Are there any students in the classroom?

Some for offers and requests

We use some (NOT any) in interrogative sentences when we are offering or requesting (=asking for) something.

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Much, many, little, few, some, any - quantifiers - Page 5 of 5 - Test-English

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Much, many, little, few, some, any. Quantifiers. A2. Pre-intermediate English grammar and exercises. Learn how to use quantifiers in English.

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Something, anything, nothing, etc. - Test-English

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Something, anything, nothing, everything, someone, anyone, no-one, everyone, somewhere, anywhere, nowhere. Pre-intermediate English grammar and exercises.

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Some nouns in English are countable - we can use them in singular and plural forms. Some are uncountable - they only have one form.
We often use a/an with singular countable nouns and some with plurals. We can also use some with uncountable nouns.
I've got a steak, some red chilli peppers, some potatoes...
OK, well, I've gota lemon, an apple ... and some chicken breasts.
I'd likea blue pen, please.
What are examples of countable nouns?

Here are a few:

OK, so for things you can count, like one pen, two pens ... Why did you say a pen, not one pen?

We often use a/an before singular countable nouns. Before words that start with a vowel sound, we use an, and before words that start with a consonant sound, we use a.

So is one wrong? As in Would you like one drink?

It sounds as if you're saying one (not two). If you're offering someone a drink, you'd say Would you like a drink?

But someone who works in a café might say, So that's one coffee and two lemonades.

So it's usually a or an for singular countable nouns and a number or some for plurals. How many is some?

It can be any number more than one.

I got some new jeans at the weekend. (a pair of new jeans)
Some teachers left at the end of the year. (we don't know how many)

Is some or a number always used with plurals?

No, have a look at these examples

I'm frightened of dogs. (dogs in general)
Strawberries have a lot of vitamin C. (strawberries in general)
I've got some garlic and some butter.
I'm looking for information about early rock and roll.
I haven't got enoughpaper.
You have to getpermission from the head teacher.
Do you want somecake?
What about uncountable nouns?

These are nouns that don't have a plural form.

So, I can use some with uncountables too?

Yes, we use some with both countables and uncountables.

How do I know whether a noun is countable or uncountable?

A dictionary will tell you. Usually dictionaries use symbols [C] for countable and [U] for uncountable.

Just a minute. You said cake was uncountable. What about I made a cake this morning?

Yes that's correct, but there's a difference in meaning.

I made a cake this morning. (a whole cake - countable)
Do you want some cake? (a piece of cake - uncountable)
A box of chocolates. (individual chocolates - countable)
I'd like some chocolate too. (a piece or pieces of chocolate from a bar of chocolate - uncountable)

I thought coffee and lemonade were uncountable too.

Yes, they are usually.

I love coffee with hot milk. (uncountable)
(uncountable)
I'll have a coffee, please. (a cup of coffee, countable)

Wow, so it's more complicated than I thought.

No, they're not really very difficult.

OK, they're easy. It's a piece of cake!

Yes, simple! A piece of cake!

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It's the day of Oliver and Alfie's cooking competition. Daisy is filming the chefs in action, and Mum is on her way home.

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Are you a learner at A1 (elementary) or A2 (pre-intermediate) English level? Learn new words and practise your vocabulary.

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Countable nouns

Countable nouns are nouns that we can count: car, house, book, etc. We can say one car, two cars, three cars, etc.

Singular and plural

Countable nouns have singular and plural forms: a car/cars, a house/houses, a book/books, etc.

A/an + singular countable noun

We CANNOT use a singular countable noun without a determiner like a/an or the.

Uncountable nouns

Uncountable nouns are nouns that we cannot count: money, milk, rain, etc. We cannot say one money, two moneys, etc.

Only singular

Uncountable nouns do not have a plural form, they only have a singular form: money/moneys, milk/milks, rain/rains, etc.

We cannot use a/an + uncountable noun. A/an means 'one', and we cannot count uncountable nouns.

Types of words that are uncountable

Some types of words that are typically uncountable are:

Food, drinks and liquids: cheese, bread, pasta, coffee, milk, petrol, fuel, etc.

Materials: iron, wood, metal, paper, plastic, etc.

Abstract ideas and feelings: information, advice, strength, time, love, excitement, etc.

Illnesses: diabetes, alzheimer, cancer, etc.

Languages: English, French, Spanish, etc.

Uncountable in English but not in other languages

Some nouns are uncountable in English, but they are countable in other languages. Some of them are: advice, news (it ends in -s, but it's a singular word), furniture, luggage, baggage, bread, cheese, toast, etc.

Countable and uncountable

Some nouns can be countable and uncountable because they can refer to a unit or to 'mass' or 'material'. Compare:

A/an, some, any

A/an

We use a/an + singular countable noun.

We cannot use a/an before a plural noun or an uncountable noun.

Some/any

We use some and any before countable plural nouns or singular uncountable nouns.

Some

We use some in positive sentences.

Any

We use any in negative sentences and questions.

But we use some in questions when we are asking for something or we are offering something.

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A, some, any - countable and uncountable nouns - Test-English

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a, some, any - countable and uncountable nouns. A car, some money, any money. A1 - Elementary English grammar and exercises.

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Comparative and superlative adjectives

The comparative form

We use the comparative form of the adjective to compare two things.

Less ... than

We can also use the form less + adjective + than. Less is the opposite of more.

(Not) as ... as

We can also use the form (not) as + adjective + as.

Peter isn't as considerate as Marta. (=Marta is more considerate)

Than me / than I am

After than or as ... as we use an object pronoun ( me, you, him, etc.) or a subject pronoun ( I, you, he, she, etc.) + auxiliary verb.

Much/a lot/a bit more...

Before the comparative ( more or -er) we can use much, a lot or a bit.

Any/no more than

We can use any/ no + comparative ( any better, no faster, any more expensive, etc.). We use any in negative sentences and no with positive verbs.

Superlative adjectives

We use the superlative form of an adjective or adverb to compare more than two things.

The most... in...

After the superlative we use in + names of places or singular words for groups of people (class, school, team, family, etc.)

We normally use of + periods of time or a number of people ( of the year, of my life, of my brothers, of the students, etc.).

The most... I have ever...

We often use the superlative with the present perfect tense and ever.

The/my/Tom's best ...

Before the superlative we always use the, or my/your/his/etc. or Tom's/Jenny's/etc.)

The least

The opposite of the most is the least

Comparing actions with adverbs

We can use the comparative or superlative form of adverbs to compare actions.

With adverbs ending in - ly, you must always use more to form the comparative, and most to form the superlative

For adverbs that that have the same form as adjectives, the comparative and superlative forms are like adjectives: add - er to form the comparative and - est to form the superlative. The most common of these adverbs are: late-later, early-earlier, fast-faster, hard-harder, long-longer.

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Comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs - Test-English

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Comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs. English grammar exercises. Intermediate grammar exercises. more than, the most, not as as, etc.

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Exercises Explanation Downloads

Superlative adjectives - the oldest, the most important, etc.

Exercise 1

Write the superlative forms of these adjectives.

EXAMPLE: poor ⇒ the poorest

Superlative adjectives

Three or more things

We use the superlative form of an adjective or adverb to compare three or more things.

The best in

After the superlative we use in before names of places or before singular words referring to groups of people ( class, school, team, family, etc.)

The Everest is the highest mountain in the world. (NOT of the world)

The / my / John's

Before the superlative we always use the or a possessive adjective ( my, your, his, etc.) or noun + possessive 's ( Paul's, Elisabeth's, etc.)

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Superlative adjectives – the oldest, the most important, etc. - Test-English

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Superlative adjectives – the oldest, the hottest, the happiest, the most important, etc. A1 – Elementary English grammar and exercises.

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Comparative and superlative adjectives - Grammar chart

Comparative adjectives

Two things

We use the comparative form of an adjective to compare two things. When we compare three or more things, we use the superlative form of the adjectives.

Less ... than

When comparing two things, we can also use the form less + adjective + than (less ≠ more).

Not as ... as

We can also use the form ( not) as + adjective + as.

Than me / than I am

After than or as ... as we can use an object pronoun ( me, you, him, etc.), or we can also use a subject pronoun ( I, you, he, etc.) + verb.

Much/a lot/a bit more

Before the comparative ( more or -er) we can use much, a lot or a bit.

Superlative adjectives

Three or more things

We use the superlative form of an adjective or adverb to compare three or more things.

The best in

After the superlative we use in before names of places or before singular words referring to groups of people ( class, school, team, family, etc.)

The best I've ever...

We often use a superlative adjective with the present perfect tense of a verb and the word ever.

The / my / John's

Before the superlative we always use the or a possessive adjective ( my, your, his, etc.) or noun ( Paul's, Elisabeth's, etc.)

Comparative and superlative adverbs

Compare actions

We can use the comparative or superlative form of adverbs to compare actions

More slowly

The adverbs that are formed by adding -ly to the adjective (adverbs of manner), take more to form the comparative, and the most to form the superlative.

Adverbs of one or two syllables are like adjectives; they take -er in the comparative and -est in the superlative ( early-earlier, late-later, fast-faster, hard-harder, etc.)

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Comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs - Test-English

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Comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs. Pre-intermediate English grammar and exercises. More than, the most, less than, not as ...as, etc.

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'Comparatives and Superlatives' Quiz - Exercise & Worksheet - UsingEnglish.com

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Test yourself with our free English language exercise about 'Comparatives and Superlatives'. This is a free beginner English grammar quiz and esl worksheet. No sign-up required.

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Exercises Explanation Downloads

Comparative adjectives - older than, more important than, etc.

Exercise 1

Write the opposite of these adjectives. Use the comparative form of adjectives in the box below.

bad - big - difficult - expensive - far - fat - happy - hot - old - short

Comparative adjectives

We use more + adjective + than or adjective + -er + than to compare things or people.

In this chart you can see when we need to use more ... than or -er than and the changes in spelling.

Two things

We use the comparative form of an adjective to compare two things.

Less ... than

When we compare two things, we can also use the form less + adjective + than (less ≠ more).

Than me

If we use a personal pronoun after than we need an object pronoun ( me, you, him, etc.).

My sister is taller than me.

His sister is more intelligent than him.

Much/a bit + more

Before the comparative ( more or -er) we can use much (=big difference) or a bit (=small difference).

Common mistakes!

More or -er

We use more or - er, but we cannot use more + -er.

My brother is taller than me. (NOT My brother is more taller that me.)

More than (NOT that)

After a comparative adjective, we use than and NOT that.

My brother is taller than me. (NOT My brother is taller that me.)

Than + second element of the comparison

We use than + the second thing that we are comparing. When we don't mention the second element of the comparison, we do NOT use than.

My brother is taller than me .

I am tall, but my brother is taller. (NOT my brother is taller than.)

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Comparative adjectives – older than, more important than, etc. - Test-English

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Comparative adjectives . We use ‘more’ + adjective or adjective + -er to compare two things. A1 – Elementary English grammar and exercises.

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Verbs + -ing

Some verbs in English are followed by another verb in the -ing form. The most common of these verbs are verbs of liking and disliking: love, like, enjoy, don't mind, don't like, hate. If we use another verb after these verbs, it often takes the -ing form.

The second verb is in the -ing form in the past too.

-ing spelling

You can check the spelling of the -ing form of the verbs in the table below.

Verbs + to + infinitive

Many verbs in English are followed by to + infinitive. Some of these verbs are: forget, hope, learn, need, offer, plan, remember, start, want and would like.

The second verb takes the to + infinitive form in the past too.

would like

The verb would like (or 'd like) is different from like. We use would like + to + infinitive and we normally use like + -ing verb to talk about general preference.

The meaning is also different.

We use the question would you like... when we offer or suggest something.

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Verbs + to + infinitive and verbs + -ing - Test-English

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Many verbs are followed by another verb in the infinitive with 'to', or in the -ing form. Learn the most common of these verbs and do our three tests. A1 English grammar.

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Food miles: Is buying local food always better? – B1+ English reading test - Test-English

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Reading comprehension test for upper-intermediate students (CEFR B2.1). Read a text about the environment and answer the questions.

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Solar road - B1+ English listening test - Test-English

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English upper-intermediate listening test. B2.1 listening test. Science. Watch a video about solar roads and choose the correct answer.

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Welcome to the home of the future – B1 English reading test - Test-English

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English B1 reading comprehension test for intermediate students (CEFR B1). Read a text about housing and answer the questions.

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Comparative and superlative adjectives - Grammar chart

Comparative adjectives

Two things

We use the comparative form of an adjective to compare two things. When we compare three or more things, we use the superlative form of the adjectives.

Less ... than

When comparing two things, we can also use the form less + adjective + than (less ≠ more).

Not as ... as

We can also use the form ( not) as + adjective + as.

Than me / than I am

After than or as ... as we can use an object pronoun ( me, you, him, etc.), or we can also use a subject pronoun ( I, you, he, etc.) + verb.

Much/a lot/a bit more

Before the comparative ( more or -er) we can use much, a lot or a bit.

Superlative adjectives

Three or more things

We use the superlative form of an adjective or adverb to compare three or more things.

The best in

After the superlative we use in before names of places or before singular words referring to groups of people ( class, school, team, family, etc.)

The best I've ever...

We often use a superlative adjective with the present perfect tense of a verb and the word ever.

The / my / John's

Before the superlative we always use the or a possessive adjective ( my, your, his, etc.) or noun ( Paul's, Elisabeth's, etc.)

Comparative and superlative adverbs

Compare actions

We can use the comparative or superlative form of adverbs to compare actions

More slowly

The adverbs that are formed by adding -ly to the adjective (adverbs of manner), take more to form the comparative, and the most to form the superlative.

Adverbs of one or two syllables are like adjectives; they take -er in the comparative and -est in the superlative ( early-earlier, late-later, fast-faster, hard-harder, etc.)

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Comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs - Test-English

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Comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs. Pre-intermediate English grammar and exercises. More than, the most, less than, not as ...as, etc.

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A quiz video!

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Comparatives and Superlatives - World Knowledge Quiz

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https://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/45.html

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Who is the best football player?

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Comparative and Superlative Adjectives | ENGLISH GRAMMAR VIDEOS

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Exercises Explanation Downloads

Superlative adjectives - the oldest, the most important, etc.

Exercise 2

Choose the correct superlative or comparative forms to complete these sentences.

Superlative adjectives

Three or more things

We use the superlative form of an adjective or adverb to compare three or more things.

The best in

After the superlative we use in before names of places or before singular words referring to groups of people ( class, school, team, family, etc.)

The Everest is the highest mountain in the world. (NOT of the world)

The / my / John's

Before the superlative we always use the or a possessive adjective ( my, your, his, etc.) or noun + possessive 's ( Paul's, Elisabeth's, etc.)

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Superlative adjectives - the oldest, the most important, etc. - Page 2 of 3 - Test-English

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Superlative adjectives - the oldest, the hottest, the happiest, the most important, etc. A1 - Elementary English grammar and exercises.

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Exercises Explanation Downloads

Comparative adjectives - older than, more important than, etc.

Exercise 1

Write the opposite of these adjectives. Use the comparative form of adjectives in the box below.

bad - big - difficult - expensive - far - fat - happy - hot - old - short

Comparative adjectives

We use more + adjective + than or adjective + -er + than to compare things or people.

In this chart you can see when we need to use more ... than or -er than and the changes in spelling.

Two things

We use the comparative form of an adjective to compare two things.

Less ... than

When we compare two things, we can also use the form less + adjective + than (less ≠ more).

Than me

If we use a personal pronoun after than we need an object pronoun ( me, you, him, etc.).

My sister is taller than me.

His sister is more intelligent than him.

Much/a bit + more

Before the comparative ( more or -er) we can use much (=big difference) or a bit (=small difference).

Common mistakes!

More or -er

We use more or - er, but we cannot use more + -er.

My brother is taller than me. (NOT My brother is more taller that me.)

More than (NOT that)

After a comparative adjective, we use than and NOT that.

My brother is taller than me. (NOT My brother is taller that me.)

Than + second element of the comparison

We use than + the second thing that we are comparing. When we don't mention the second element of the comparison, we do NOT use than.

My brother is taller than me .

I am tall, but my brother is taller. (NOT my brother is taller than.)

We are working on this!

We're developing a NEW LEARNING PLATFORM with a subscription plan that includes additional features at an affordable price. One of those features will be PDF downloads.

Learn more!

Personalized English Lessons

Test-English is delighted to announce our partnership with Gymglish to deliver short, personalized and fun online English lessons.

Learn more!

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Comparative adjectives – older than, more important than, etc. - Test-English

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Comparative adjectives . We use ‘more’ + adjective or adjective + -er to compare two things. A1 – Elementary English grammar and exercises.

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The ETF is developing a new platform to replace Excellence Gateway, and this will come online at the same time as Excellence Gateway comes offline, in spring / early summer 2023. Most ESOL resources will be transferred. A few items will be retired, but a list will be provided in advance.

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In this section you will be able to practise skills in speaking, reading, writing, listening, pronunciation and numeracy. You don't have to complete all the sections; focus on the skills that you need to practise.

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The answer is simple - we use to add information about a place (a country, city, building, or other space); we use to give details about a person; and we use to begin a relative clause about an item, an idea, or a thing. can sometimes be used in place of , and it can also sometimes be used in place of . Look at the following examples:

The demonstration which/that Logie Baird gave in 1926 was the first time the world watched TV!

Florence Nightingale is someone who/that I really admire.

University College of London has a blue plaque to show where Charles Darwin used to live.

In informal speech, the pronoun that can replace who, which and where.

Jennifer is the woman that I love.

The library is the place that I feel the most relaxed.

In all of these examples, the relative clause adds some important information about the person, place or thing mentioned in the sentence. These clauses can be used to explain, define, or emphasise something or to give specific information about it.

For example, if someone hasn't heard of Handel, we could tell them: "He was a famous composer who lived 300 years ago."

When we say: " This is the house where Virginia Woolf lived" we are describing what is special about this house and what makes it different from the many other houses in the street.

We can also use relative clauses for emphasis. We could simply say: "Handel was born in Germany but he lived in London" but we can highlight this contrast by saying: "Handel was born in Germany but London is the city where he lived."

Of course, we may already know who Jimi Hendrix is and we definitely know what a guitar is but we can say: "The guitar which/that Jimi Hendrix used for most of his performances was a Fender Stratocaster" to give information about a specific guitar.

We have looked at quite a few examples so far. What have you noticed about the position of the relative clauses? Do they come at the end of a sentence, in the middle of a sentence, or in both positions?

Relative clauses can be used in the middle or at the end of a sentence. The important thing is that the relative clause will usually come directly after the person, place, or thing it describes.

So, we if we want to give some information about Florence Nightingale, we can explain:

She was the woman who set up the nursing school at St. Thomas's Hospital.

But, if we want to focus on the hospital, we can structure the sentence as follows:

She worked at St. Thomas's hospital, where she set up a special nursing school.

To do

We hope that explanation has helped you start to understand relative clauses! Test what you have learned so far with our next activity.

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BBC Learning English - Course: lower intermediate / Unit 15 / Session 2 / Activity 1

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The answer is simple - we use to add information about a place (a country, city, building, or other space); we use to give details about a person; and we use to begin a relative clause about an item, an idea, or a thing.

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We use relative clauses to describe or give extra information about something we have already mentioned. We often use relative pronouns (e.g. who, where, that, which, whose) to introduce relative clauses.
What are relative clauses and why do we use them?

A clause is a group of words containing a verb. Relative clauses are a way of giving more information about a person, thing, place, event, etc. We often use them to avoid repeating information.
The Uros people make fires. Their fires are used for cooking. = The Uros people make fires, which they use for cooking.
OK, so there the relative pronoun is 'which' and it refers back to 'the fires' and 'which they use for cooking' is the relative clause.

That's right, which is used for things (never for people). There are a lot of other relative pronouns: who (for people), that (for a thing or a person), where (for a place), whose (for possession) and when (for a time).

What are defining relative clauses?

They are clauses that you need in the sentence for it to make sense.
The people who live here have had the same kind of lifestyle for hundreds of years.
If I said 'The people have had the same kind of lifestyle for hundreds of years', you wouldn't know which people I was talking about.

There are no commas before and after the clause.

No, not with defining relative clauses.
The islanders pick the tall reeds that grow at the sides of the lake and use them to make the islands.
OK, so what about non-defining relative clauses?

We use those to give extra information, which isn't absolutely necessary. We use commas to separate them from the rest of the sentence, unless they come at the end of the sentence, when we use a comma and a full stop.
That grey thing, which you can see on the roof there, isn't very traditional.
The video's from yesterday,when she was on the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca.
This is Sophie,whose blog you've been reading.
OK, got it, I think. Is there anything else that I need to know?

Ah, you just used a relative clause with that. We can use that instead of who or which in defining clauses, not non-defining clauses.

So this grammar snack, which has been very interesting, has taught me everything that I need to know about relative clauses.

OK, it's taught you nearly everything you need to know.

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Sophie decides to post videos on her world-famous travel blog.

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who / that

Either of these can be used for people in defining relative clauses:
The man who came to the door was collecting for charity.
You do realise the man that you saw in Las Vegas wasn't the real Elvis, don't you?
Note that in non-defining relative clauses who is used for people and not that.
Michael, who was on time for once, made a good impression at the interview.

that / which

Either of these can be used for things in defining relative clauses:

I don't like films that are really scary.
I want to see something on the news which doesn't make me sad or angry.

Note that in non-defining relative clauses which is used for things and not that.
He was very late yesterday, which is not surprising.
whose

Use this relative pronoun for possessives:
The dog whose collar we found lives across the street.
The man whose wallet I found gave me a reward.
where

This relative pronoun is used for places:
Do you remember the place where we first met?
I want to go to a place where I've never been.
when

We use this relative pronoun for times:
I can remember a time when there was no email or internet.
Do you think there'll be a day this summer when it doesn't rain?
Leaving out the relative pronoun

In a defining relative clause when the relative pronoun refers to the object of the verb we can leave it out.

Let's look yet again at the first example:
The flight was cancelled. We were going to take it.
The pronoun it refers to the flight. The flight is the object of the verb take. In the sentence with the relative clause we can therefore leave out the relative pronoun.
The flight (that) we were going to take was cancelled.
You can't leave out the relative pronoun from a non-defining relative clause.

To do

Check your understanding of relative pronouns by trying the quiz. Can you select the correct pronoun?

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BBC Learning English - Course: intermediate / Unit 18 / Session 2 / Activity 2

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Either of these can be used for people in defining relative clauses: The man who came to the door was collecting for charity.You do realise the man that you saw in Las Vegas wasn't the real Elvis, don't you?

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Look at these examples to see how defining relative clauses are used.

Are you the one who sent me the email?
The phone which has the most features is also the most expensive.
This is the video that I wanted to show you.
The person they spoke to was really helpful.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar test 1

Grammar B1-B2: Relative clauses - defining relative clauses: 1

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

Relative clauses give us information about the person or thing mentioned.

Defining relative clauses give us essential information - information that tells us who or what we are talking about.

The woman who lives next door works in a bank.
These are the flightsthat have been cancelled.

We usually use a relative pronoun or adverb to start a defining relative clause: who, which, that, when, where or whose.

We can use who or that to talk about people. that is more common and a bit more informal.

She's the woman who cuts my hair.
He's the manthat I met at the conference.

We can use which or that to talk about things. that is more common and a bit more informal.

There was a one-year guarantee which came with the TV.
The laptopthat I bought last week has started making a strange noise!

Other pronouns

when can refer to a time.

Summer is the season when I'm happiest.

where can refer to a place.

That's the stadium where Real Madrid play.

whose refers to the person that something belongs to.

He's a musician whose albums have sold millions.

Omitting the relative pronoun

Sometimes we can leave out the relative pronoun. For example, we can usually leave out who, which or that if it is followed by a subject.

We can't usually leave it out if it is followed by a verb.

The assistant that helped us was really kind.
( helped = verb, can't omit that)

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar test 2

Grammar B1-B2: Relative clauses - defining relative clauses: 2

Language level

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Relative clauses: defining relative clauses

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Do you know how to define who or what you are talking about using relative clauses? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.

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The relative pronouns are:

We use relative pronouns to introduce relative clauses. Relative clauses tell us more about people and things:

Lord Thompson, who is 76, has just retired.
This is the housewhich Jack built.
Marie Curie is the womanthat discovered radium.

We use:

Two kinds of relative clause

There are two kinds of relative clause:

1. We use relative clauses to make clear which person or thing we are talking about:

Marie Curie is the woman who discovered radium.
This is the housewhich Jack built.

In this kind of relative clause, we can use that instead of who or which:

Marie Curie is the woman that discovered radium.
This is the housethat Jack built.

We can leave out the pronoun if it is the object of the relative clause:

2. We also use relative clauses to give more information about a person, thing or situation:

Lord Thompson, who is 76, has just retired.
We had fish and chips,which I always enjoy.
I met Rebecca in town yesterday,which was a nice surprise.

With this kind of relative clause, we use commas (,) to separate it from the rest of the sentence.
Level: intermediate
whose and whom

This is George, whose brother went to school with me.

We sometimes use whom as the object of a verb or preposition:

but nowadays we normally use who:

This is George, who you met at our house last year.
This is George's brother,who I went to school with.

Relative pronouns with prepositions

When or which have a preposition, the preposition can come at the beginning of the clause:

I had an uncle in Germany, from who(m) I inherited a bit of money.
We bought a chainsaw,with which we cut up all the wood.

or at the end of the clause:

I had an uncle in Germany, who(m) I inherited a bit of money from.
We bought a chainsaw,which we cut all the wood up with.

But when has a preposition, the preposition always comes at the end:

I didn't know the uncle that I inherited the money from.
We can't find the chainsawthat we cut all the wood up with.

when and where

We can use when with times and where with places to make it clear which time or place we are talking about:

England won the World Cup in 1966. It was the year when we got married.
I remember my twentieth birthday. It was the daywhen the tsunami happened. Do you remember the place where we caught the train?
Stratford-upon-Avon is the townwhere Shakespeare was born.

We can leave out when:

England won the World Cup in 1966. It was the year we got married.
I remember my twentieth birthday. It was the daythe tsunami happened.

We often use quantifiers and numbers with relative pronouns:

She has three brothers, two of whom are in the army.
I read three books last week,one of which I really enjoyed.
There were some good programmes on the radio,none of which I listened to.

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The relative pronouns are: We use relative pronouns to introduce relative clauses. Relative clauses tell us more about people and things: Lord Thompson, who is 76, has just retired. This is the housewhich Jack built. Marie Curie is the womanthat discovered radium. We use: There are two kinds of relative clause: 1.

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Level: intermediate

We use the reciprocal pronouns and one another when two or more people do the same thing.

Peter and Mary helped each other.
=Peter helped Mary and Mary helped Peter.
We sent one another Christmas cards.
=We sent them a Christmas card and they sent us a Christmas card.
They didn't look at each other.
=X didn't look at Y and Y didn't look at X.

We also use the possessive forms each other's and one another's:

They helped to look after each other's children.
The group of students often stayed inone another's houses.

Note that we do not use reciprocal pronouns as the subject of a clause.

Reciprocal pronouns and plural reflexive pronouns ( ourselves, yourselves, themselves) have different meanings:

John and Fred killed each other.
=John killed Fred and Fred killed John.
John and Fred killed themselves.
=John killed himself and Fred killed himself.

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Level: intermediate We use the reciprocal pronouns and one another when two or more people do the same thing. Peter and Mary helped each other. =Peter helped Mary and Mary helped Peter. We sent one another Christmas cards. =We sent them a Christmas card and they sent us a Christmas card.

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Learn about reflexive pronouns like myself, herself and yourselves and do the exercises to practise using them.

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Learn about possessive pronouns like mine, yours, his, hers, etc. and do some exercises to practise using them.

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Verbs in time clauses and conditionals usually follow the same patterns as in other clauses but there are some differences when we:

talk about the future

make hypotheses.

Talking about the future

In time clauses with words like when, after and until, we often use present tense forms to talk about the future:

I'll come home when I finish work.
You must wait hereuntil your father comes.
They are comingafter they have had dinner.

In conditional clauses with words like if, unless, even if, we often use present tense forms to talk about the future:

We won't be able to go out if it is raining.
I will come tomorrowunless I have to look after the children.
Even if Barcelona lose tomorrow, they will still be champions.

We do not normally use will in time clauses and conditional clauses:

I'll come home when I finish work. (NOT will finish work)
We won't be able to go out if it rains. (NOT will rain)
It will be nice to see Peter when he gets home. (NOT will get home)
You must wait here until you father comes. (NOT will come)

but we can use will if it means want to or be willing to:

I will be very happy if you will come to my party.
We should finish the job early if Georgewill help us.

Future time and conditional clauses 1

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Future time and conditional clauses 2

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Level: intermediate
Making hypotheses

Some conditional clauses are like hypotheses, so we use past tense forms.

We use past tense forms to talk about something that does not happen or is not happening in the present:

He could get a new job if he really tried.
(= He cannot get a job because he has not tried.)
If Jack was playing, they would probably win.
(= Jack is not playing so they will probably not win.)
If I had his address, I could write to him.
(= I do not have his address so I cannot write to him.)

We use past tense forms to talk about something that we believe or know will not happen in the future:

We would go by train if it wasn't so expensive.
(= We will not go by train because it is too expensive.)
I would look after the children for you at the weekend if I was at home.
(= I cannot look after the children because I will not be at home.)

We use past tense forms to make suggestions about what might happen in the future:

If he came tomorrow, we could borrow his car.
If we invited John, Mary would bring Angela.

If Jack was/were playing, they would probably win.
We would go by trainif it wasn't/weren't so expensive.
I would look after the children for you at the weekendif I was/were at home.

We use the past perfect to talk about something which did not happen in the past:

If you had seen him, you could have spoken to him.
(= You did not see him so you could not speak to him.)
You could have stayed with us if you had come to London.
(= You could not stay with us because you did not come to London.)
If we hadn't spent all our money, we could take a holiday.
(= We have spent all our money so we cannot take a holiday.)
If I had got the job, we would be living in Paris.
(= I did not get the job, so we are not living in Paris.)

If the main clause of a hypothetical conditional is about the present or future, we use a modal:

If I had got the job, we might be living in Paris now.
(= I did not get the job so we are not living in Paris now.)
If you had done your homework, you would know the answer.
(= You did not do your homework so you do not know the answer.)

If the main clause is about the past, we use a modal with have:

If I had seen him, I would have spoken to him.
(= I did not see him so I did not speak to him.)
You could have stayed with us if you had come to London.
(= You could not stay with us because you did not come to London.)
If you had invited me, I might have come.
(= You did not invite me so I did not come.)

Hypothetical conditionals: present/future 1

Hypothetical conditionals: present/future 2

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Hypothetical conditionals: past 1

Hypothetical conditionals: past 2

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Verbs in time clauses and conditionals usually follow the same patterns as in other clauses but there are some differences when we: talk about the future make hypotheses. In time clauses with words like when, after and until, we often use present tense forms to talk about the future: I'll come home when I finish work.

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Grammar areas to study at each CEFR level

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When we know about the future, we normally use the present tense.

1. We use the present simple for something scheduled:

We have a lesson next Monday.
The trainarrives at 6.30 in the morning.
The holidaysstart next week.
It's my birthday tomorrow.

2. We can use the present continuous for plans or arrangements:

4. We use be going to:

Be careful! You are going to fall. (= I can see that you might fall.)
Look at those black clouds. I think it's going to rain. (= I can see that it will rain.)

5. We use will be with an -ing form for something happening before and after a specific time in the future:

6. We can use instead of the present continuous or when we are talking about plans, arrangements and intentions:

7. We often use verbs like would like, plan, want, mean, hope, expect to talk about the future:

I might stay at home tonight or I might go to the cinema.
Wecould see Mary at the meeting. She sometimes goes.

9. We can use should if we think there's a good chance of something happening:

Talking about the future 1

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Talking about the future 2

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In time clauses with words like when, after, until we often use present tense forms to talk about the future:

In clauses with if we often use present tense forms to talk about the future:

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Level: intermediate When we know about the future, we normally use the present tense. 1. We use the present simple for something scheduled: We have a lesson next Monday. The train arrives at 6.30 in the morning. The holidays start next week. It's my birthday tomorrow.

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Past events and situations

We use the past simple to talk about:

something that happened once in the past:

something that was true for some time in the past:

When we talk about something that happened several times in the past, we use the past simple:

or used to:

Most evenings, he would take the dog for a walk.
Theywould often visit friends in Europe.

We do not normally use would with stative verbs. We use the past simple or used to instead:

We use the past continuous:

for something that happened before and after a specific time in the past:

for something that happened before and after another action in the past:

Past simple and past continuous 1

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Past simple and past continuous 2

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The past in the past

We use the past perfect when we are looking back from a point in the past to something earlier in the past:

Helen suddenly remembered she had left her keys in the car.
When wehad done all our shopping, we caught the bus home.
They wanted to buy a new computer, but theyhadn't saved enough money.
They would have bought a new computer if theyhad saved enough money.

Past simple, continuous and perfect 1

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Past simple, continuous and perfect 2

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The past and the present

We use the present perfect:

for something that started in the past and continues in the present:

We have lived here since 2017. [and we still live here]
I have been working at the university for over ten years.

for something that happened in the past but is important in the present:

Present perfect and past simple 1

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Present perfect and past simple 2

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The future in the past

When we talk about the future from a time in the past we use:

John was going to drive and Mary was going to follow on her bicycle.
It was Friday. Wewere going to set off the next day.

The past with modal verbs

You could get a good meal for a pound when I was a boy.

We use , might have and could have to show that something has possibly happened in the past:

We use should have as the past form of should:

I didn't know he was ill. He should have told me.
You shouldn't have spent so much money.

We use would have and could have to talk about something that was possible in the past but did not happen:

I could have gone to Mexico for my holiday but it was too expensive.
Iwould have called you, but I had forgotten my phone.
Theywould have gone out if the weather had been better.

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We use the past simple to talk about: something that happened once in the past: something that was true for some time in the past: When we talk about something that happened several times in the past, we use the past simple: or used to : Most evenings, he would take the dog for a walk.

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We use the present simple to talk about:

something that is true in the present:

something that happens regularly in the present:

something that is always true:

We use the present continuous to talk about:

something happening at the moment of speaking:

something happening regularly in the present before and after a specific time:

I'm usually having breakfast at this time in the morning.
When I see George he's usually reading his Kindle.

something in the present which we think is temporary:

something which is new and contrasts with a previous state:

something which is changing, growing or developing:

something which happens again and again:

It's always raining in London.
Theyare always arguing.
George is great. He's always laughing.

Note that we normally use always with this use.

I can speak English quite well but I can't speak French at all.
Youshould do your homework before you go out.

Present simple and present continuous 1

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Present simple and present continuous 2

Present simple and present continuous 3

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We use the present simple to talk about: something that is true in the present: something that happens regularly in the present: something that is always true: We use the present continuous to talk about: something happening at the moment of speaking: something happening regularly in the present before and after a specific time: I'm usually having breakfast at this time in the morning.

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200.000 BC - 2016 AD

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We have different ways of talking about the future. We often use going to (+ infinitive), the present continuous (to be + -ing) or will (+ infinitive). The structure we use depends on the function of what we want to say, whether we are talking about arrangements, plans, predictions, etc..
I thought will was the future tense in English.

It's one of the ways of talking about the future, but there are a few others. Let's look at will to start with. We use will / won't (= will not) + the infinitive for predictions about the future.
Oliver'll be back soon.
Wewon't be ready.
Do you think it'll rain this afternoon?
We also use will when we decide something at the moment of speaking.
(The doorbell rings) I'll get it.
So, you sometimes use the verb think before will?

Yes, that's very common. We also use: don't think, expect, be + sure.
I'm sure you'll have a good time.
You said will is used for decisions made at the moment of speaking. What about decisions made before the moment of speaking?

Then we can use either the present continuous or going to (+ infinitive).
Amy's coming round.
We're going to watch a film - want to join us?
Whatare you doing this evening?
Is there a difference between them?

We use the present continuous more for arrangements with other people and be + going to + infinitive for intentions. Sometimes it's important to choose the right structure, but often we could use either because many events are both arrangements and intentions.
Amy's coming round. (= arrangement between Amy and Daisy)
Amy's going to come round. (= Amy's intention)
I'm going to clean my room tonight. (= intention)
I'm cleaning my room tonight. (not an arrangement)
So could I say 'I'm going to go to the cinema with Alex'?

Yes, that's correct. But we usually avoid saying going to go, just because it doesn't sound very elegant. We normally use the present continuous with go.
I'm going to the cinema with Alex.
And 'I will go to the cinema with Alex'?

No. We don't use will for arrangements or intentions if the decision was made before the moment of speaking.

Oh, yes, you told me that before. Anything else?

Yes, there's another use of going to. We use it for predictions too, especially when you can see something happening or about to happen.
Look out! You're going to spill that coffee.
Can you use going to for other predictions?

Yes, sometimes both will and going to can be used.
I think the Green Party will win the election.
I think the Green Partyare going to win the election.
OK, and one last thing! Is it correct to say, 'When's the race?' That's present simple, isn't it?

Yes. You can use present simple for timetabled events.
My plane leaves at 4pm tomorrow.
The match starts at 8pm.
Phew! So sometimes you can use going to or the present continuous and sometimes you can use will or going to. And you can also use present simple for timetabled events. I'll never understand the future!

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Oliver and Alfie decide to enter a bike race.

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Dan
I wish I wish I wish I wish I wish... Oh! It only works if you know the grammar rules! I completely forgot. So here is the complete 'wish'. Wish has five uses in English and today we're going to cover them all. Are you ready? Go!

1. Wish for present or past that isn't real.

This is the most common form of wish. It's when we wish for a situation in the present or past to change, but we know that it can't change because it's impossible.

'I wish I were taller.' (because I am not tall) Or: ' I wish I had eaten ice-cream for breakfast this morning.' (because I didn't eat ice cream for breakfast this morning).

I wish I were taller is an example of a present wish. It is 'wish' plus the past simple. We often use 'were' instead of 'was' for all pronouns because of the subjunctive. I could also say:

'I wish I knew how to speak Chinese.' (because I don't know how to speak Chinese.)

I wish I had eaten ice-cream for breakfast this morning is an example of a past wish. This morning is a past time; we make a past wish. 'Wish' is followed by the past perfect, which is had plus the past participle. That indicates true past time. Did you get it?

2. Wish for an irritation that can change.

Another common form of wish is to use 'wish' plus would plus the bare infinitive. And this is often in regards to other people and our irritation. For example:
'I wish you would make the bed!'
This is a present wish, but unlike the wishes I discussed before, this wish means 'I believe you can change and something can be done'. Compare:

'I wish you would make the bed,' means ' I think you can, but you don't, so please do.'
'I wish you made the bed' means ' you don't and I don't think you ever will so... '

It is extremely uncommon to use a first person 'I' in this form of wish. This is because we have control over our own actions, so to say:

'I wish I would stop talking,' means I want to stop talking, and I believe I can stop talking, so why don't I?'

However, in terms of an illness or an addiction, this form is fine. When I say ' I wish I would stop smoking' it means 'I don't want to smoke anymore, but I can't stop because I'm addicted.' Someone give me a cigarette! Did you get it?

3. Wish to want

Wish followed by the full infinitive is a formal way of saying want. It's not very common, and only used in special circumstances, for example, when you want to make a polite formal complaint. For example: 'I wish to see the manager. '

We can also use wish followed by 'for' to attach an object that you want. And this is most often used in the circumstances of magic. For example: 'I wish for a pizza.' Got it?
4. Wish to send 'good vibrations'.
We can use the verb wish followed by two objects, the first of which is most often a pronoun, to send 'good vibrations' to somebody. This is more common than hope and it is used in fixed phrases such as:

'I wish you luck for your exam tomorrow.' or 'We wish you a merry Christmas.' Got it?

5. Wish for the future.
'I hope you will pass your exam.'
This is a trick, because apart from sending good vibrations, as mentioned before, we cannot use the verb 'wish' in this way. We need another verb, and the verb is 'hope'. And this is usually followed by 'will' plus the infinitive. So, for example:

Got it? Did you get it? Of course you got it! Now for more information please log on to bbclearningenglish.com. I've been Dan, you've been fantastic. I hope to see you next time, ok? Now. I wish I wish I wish I wish I wish... it works! Hahahaha!

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BBC Learning English - Course: Towards Advanced / Unit 23 / Session 1 / Activity 1

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Dan I wish I wish I wish I wish I wish... Oh! It only works if you know the grammar rules! I completely forgot. So here is the complete 'wish'. Wish has five uses in English and today we're going to cover them all. Are you ready? Go! 1.

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Wishes about the present or future
Download this explanation in PDF here.
Wish + (that) + past simple:
We can use 'wish' to talk about something that we would like to be different in the present or the future. It's used for things which are impossible or very unlikely.

I wish that I had a big house (I don't have a big house, but it's a nice idea!).

I wish that we didn't need to work today (we do need to work today, unfortunately).

I wish that you lived close by (you don't live close by).

I wish that John wasn't busy tomorrow* (he is busy, unfortunately).

(*In formal writing, you will see 'were' instead of 'was' after wish. This is correct, but it's also fine to use 'was', in the same way as with the second conditional.

'I wish I were rich' or 'I wish I was rich'.)

We also use 'wish' with 'could' to talk about things in the present or future that we would like to be different. In this situation, 'could' is the past simple of 'can'.

Of course, we use 'can' to talk about ability - if we know how to do something or not. For example, 'I can speak Spanish' or 'I can't drive'. We also use 'can' to talk about possibility - if things are possible or not possible. For example, 'we can't come to the party tonight' or 'John can help you clean up'. We use 'could' with 'wish' to talk about ability and to talk about possibility.

I wish that I could speak Spanish (but, unfortunately, I can't speak Spanish).

I wish that I could drive (I can't drive).

I wish that we could go to the party tonight (unfortunately, we're busy so we can't go).

I wish that John could help you clean up (John is at work, so he can't help).

Try an exercise about 'wish' here.

We don't usually use 'wish' in this way for things that are really possible in the future. Instead, we use 'hope'. Read more about 'hope' here.

I hope that you pass your exam (NOT: I wish that you passed the exam).

I hope that it's sunny tomorrow (NOT: I wish that it was sunny tomorrow).

I hope that Julie has a lovely holiday (NOT: I wish that Julie had a lovely holiday).

Wish + (that) + would:
On the other hand, we use 'would' with 'wish' in a little bit of a special way. It's generally used about other people who are doing (or not doing) something that we don't like and we want that person to change. It's not usually used about ourselves, or about something which nobody can change though, exceptionally, we do use it about the weather.

I wish that John wouldn't eat all the chocolate. (John does usually eat all the chocolate and I don't like it. I want him to change his behaviour!)

I wish that the neighbours would be quiet! (They are not quiet and I don't like the noise.)

I wish that you wouldn't smoke so much! (You do smoke a lot and I don't like it. I want you to change this.)

I wish that you wouldn't work late so often.

I wish that it would stop raining!

We don't usually use 'would' when there's no feeling that we want somebody to change their behaviour.

NOT: I wish that tomorrow would be a holiday. (Instead: I wish that tomorrow was a holiday.)

NOT: I wish that I would work harder. (It's strange to use 'wish' + 'would' about yourself, as you can change your behaviour if you don't like it!)

Wishes about the past

Wish + (that) + past perfect:
We can use 'wish' with the past perfect to talk about regrets from the past. These are things that have already happened but we wish they'd happened in a different way. This use of 'wish' is very similar to the third conditional.

I wish that I had studied harder at school. (I didn't study hard at school, and now I'm sorry about it.)

I wish that I hadn't eaten so much yesterday! (But I did eat a lot yesterday. Now I think it wasn't a good idea.)

I wish that the train had been on time. (But unfortunately the train was late, and so I missed my interview.)

Other uses of 'wish'
Wish + to + infinitive:
We can use 'wish' with the infinitive to mean 'would like'. This is very formal. We don't usually use a continuous tense with 'wish' in this case.

I wish to speak to the headmaster. (This means the same as 'I would like to speak to the headmaster'.)

I wish to go now.

Wish + object + to + infinitive:
In the same way, we can use 'wish' with an object and an infinitive.

I do not wish you to publish this article.

I wish these people to leave.

Wish + somebody + something:
This is used mostly in set phrases.

I wished him a happy birthday.

They wished us Merry Christmas.

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Explanation about using 'wish' to talk about wishes and regrets in the past, present and future.

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Finn
Hi, I'm Finn with another BBC English Class. Now I'm sure you know the story of Aladdin. The man who found a magic lamp, a bit like this... out came a genie... and he made three wishes: three things he wanted to happen that were very unlikely or impossible otherwise. I have three wishes for you today as well. Unfortunately I'm not a genie. I'm going to give you three ways to use the verb wish. OK, it's not quite as good as Aladdin, but hopefully it will be useful for you. So let's do it, as usual, in 90 seconds.

Right. OK, so number one. Wish... you can use it wish something unlikely or impossible to be true. OK, let me give you an example:
I wish my eyesight was better.
Or:
I wish I hadn't told her.
OK, so: I wish my eyesight was better, that's something that's very unlikely. I wish I hadn't told her - that's something that's impossible to change. It's already happened. So, we use it with past tenses as well. Notice that I wish I hadn't told her, and I wish my eyesight was better. OK, so there's another video on that in our Stop Saying series so take a look out for that.

Next, wish number two. We have: to wish for something. Now, when you wish for something, you really think very hard about something you want to happen.

So, I could wish for a happy, peaceful life.

Or we could say: she wished for a better job. Maybe she doesn't like her job - she wished for a better job.

OK, now, last wish. You can wish someone something. Right, so: I wished him... Oh, that's my time. I wish I had more time. There it is. My time's run out, but let me just finish my last point.

I wished him a safe trip... so you wish someone something. Or...

I wished him a safe trip, he wished me luck.

Or, I wish you a happy anniversary.

And there we are. I'm out of time already. I wish you all the best with your English learning. That's it from me. I'm no genie, but hopefully with these videos your English will improve. Bye.

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BBC Learning English - Course: Upper-intermediate / Unit 16 / Session 1 / Activity 1

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Finn Hi, I'm Finn with another BBC English Class. Now I'm sure you know the story of Aladdin. The man who found a magic lamp, a bit like this... out came a genie... and he made three wishes: three things he wanted to happen that were very unlikely or impossible otherwise.

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Hi, everyone. Tom here, from BBC Learning English in London. And today, I'm going to tell you what to say after the word wish.

When we're talking about wishes, we're talking about situations that are imaginary or unreal. To show this, after saying 'I wish', we use the past to talk about the wish, which is in the present.

So, I could say: I wish I had a cup of tea. Ah, thank you!

Now, if we want to make a wish about the past, we need to use the past past - or the past perfect.

For example: I wish I had chosen a more formal shirt before I filmed this video today.

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BBC Learning English - Course: English In A Minute / Unit 1 / Session 7 / Activity 1

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Hi, everyone. Tom here, from BBC Learning English in London. And today, I'm going to tell you what to say after the word wish. When we're talking about wishes, we're talking about situations that are imaginary or unreal. To show this, after saying 'I wish', we use the past to talk about the wish, which is in the present.

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BBC Learning English - Course: intermediate / Unit 24 / Session 2 / Activity 2

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In the last activity we highlighted four different conditional structures with regular patterns. These aren’t the only possible conditional forms, though.

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http://www.englishpage.com/conditional/conditional6.htm

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http://www.englishpage.com/conditional/conditional5.htm

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http://www.englishpage.com/conditional/conditional4.htm

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IF CLAUSES TYPE 3: Watch the videos and enjoy the activities of session 2 and 3 !

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IF CLAUSES TYPE 3: Watch the videos and enjoy the activities of session 2 and 3 !

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/intermediate/unit-9/session-2

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http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/if_type3.htm

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Hi, I'm Phil from BBC Learning English. Today, I'm going to tell you the difference between even though and even if.

Now, we use them both for emphasis but they don't mean the same.

We use even though to introduce something that's true, but might be a little bit unexpected. It's a bit like despite. Even though I hate driving, I'm still going to Scotland by car. Even though I hate tennis, I'm still going to watch the final.

We use even if to introduce something hypothetical, so it might not be real. Even if it's sunny when we're in Scotland, I'm not going swimming. Even if you paid me, I wouldn't watch that film.

So, even though is for things that are true but unexpected, and even if is for things that are hypothetical, so they might not be real.

Even though they look the same, they are different - even if you didn't notice at first!

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BBC Learning English - Course: English In A Minute / Unit 1 / Session 27 / Activity 1

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Hi, I'm Phil from BBC Learning English. Today, I'm going to tell you the difference between even though and even if. Now, we use them both for emphasis but they don't mean the same. We use even though to introduce something that's true, but might be a little bit unexpected.

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http://www.englishpage.com/conditional/conditional8.htm

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http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/if_type2.htm

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We use the second conditional in English to talk about unreal situations (or things we don't think will happen), and to talk about the possible results of these situations. It is made like this:

Here are some examples:

If we all recycled more, there would be a lot less waste in the world.

If I lived in Japan, I'd eat sushi almost every day.

A conditional sentence has two parts. The if part tells us about the unreal or unlikely situation. The would part tells us the possible results of this situation.

If I lived in Japan, ... (This is the imaginary situation.)

... I'd eat sushi almost every day. (This is the result of the imaginary situation.)

The two parts can come in any order. When the if part comes first in the sentence, we put a comma between the if part and the would part. You don't use a comma when the would part comes first.

If I had more free time, I would be more relaxed.

I would be more relaxed if I had more free time.

To do

Time to see if you recognise the different parts of second conditional sentences! Try our matching activity!

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BBC Learning English - Course: lower intermediate / Unit 24 / Session 2 / Activity 1

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We use the second conditional in English to talk about unreal situations (or things we don't think will happen), and to talk about the possible results of these situations. It is made like this: Here are some examples: If we all recycled more, there would be a lot less waste in the world.

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Will
Hello, and welcome to today's Grammar Gameshow! I'm your host, Will! And if we cannot do what we will, we must will what we can. And of course, let's not forget Leslie, our all-knowing voice in the sky.

Will
Tonight we're going to ask you three questions about...

Leslie
The second conditional! That present-to-future construction with 'if' that's all about the unreal!

Will
OK! Now, let's meet our contestants!

Liz
Hello, all. My name's Liz.

Will
And contestant number two?

Rory
Hello, everyone. My name's Rory.

Will
Nice to see you again Liz! How are you?

Liz
I'm well, thank you. Fighting fit and ready for action.

Will
Wonderful! I hope you do really well.

Liz
That sounded... nice! No cruel jokes? No false pleasantries?

Will
No, no. It's all about self-control! I'm trying out a new nicer me. Welcome Rory! Tell me something about yourself.

Will
What a fascinating hobby! Well, I hope you do really well, both of you. OK. Let's get going and don't forget you can play along at home too. It's a double-question round so fingers on those buzzers! First question! What is the formula for a basic second conditional structure?

Rory
Is it 'if' plus a present tense and 'will' plus an infinitive?

Will
So sorry, Rory. That is the first conditional. But, please, dear friend, have another go for free.

Rory
OK. Is it 'if' plus a present tense and 'will' plus an infinitive?

Will
No! That was the same answer again. You know, the old me would have killed you for that. Literally, plucked your eyes out of your skull. But Liz, why don't you give it a try?

Liz
Isn't it 'If' plus a past tense plus 'would' plus an infinitive verb?

Will
Can you give me an example?

Will
No, that's the present continuous.

Liz
I know, just pushing your buttons.

Liz
Wow, you are doing well. The real answer is: if I had more time, I'd have a holiday.

Will
Well done! And onto our second question. What is the second conditional used for?

Rory
We use a second conditional after a first conditional. First then second, see?

Will
Yes, I can see what you've done there. It's logical, but not right, I'm afraid. Liz?

Liz
It's used for a hypothetical present or future situation and its consequence.

Leslie
Correct! The second conditional structure is used for an unreal or extremely unlikely, present or future situation and its consequence. Its formula is 'If' plus the past simple or continuous, and 'would' plus an infinitive verb! For example: if I were a girl, I'd be called ...Leslita!

Will
Oh, what a lovely name! Well done Liz, six points to you. And Rory, you are very good at pushing that buzzer, aren't you? Yes. One point to you. On to our second round. Look at these two sentences. One is in the first conditional and one is in the second conditional. I want to know what the difference in meaning is.
a) If I leave now, I will get home early.
b) If I left now, I would get home early.

Will
Well, that's wonderful to know, good friend. Liz?

Liz
Isn't it something to do with the speaker's perception of a situation? With the first conditional, the speaker believes that something is possible and might actually happen. With the second conditional, the speaker says something is unlikely or unreal.

Will
Wow. What an informative answer. Let's see if it's correct. Leslie, old friend?

Leslie
It is correct! Many ideas can be expressed in either the first or second conditional. They both talk about a present or future time, after all. The difference is that when using a first conditional the speaker believes that an event is possible or real. But if they use the second conditional, they are saying it's unlikely or impossible!

Will
Six points to you Liz!

Liz
I'm impressed. This is like a whole new you! I like this Will!

Will
Thanks! You know, me too! I'm sleeping better, I've got more energy, I don't spend hours checking myself out in front of the mirror. Let's move on to our final round. Which of these sentences is incorrect?
a) If I were rich, I'd buy a yacht.
b) If you were rich, you'd buy a yacht.
c) If he were rich, he'd buy a yacht.
d) If they were rich, they'd buy a yacht.

Will
Rory, is this a proper answer?

Will
Well then go on, old friend! Give it a go!

Rory
I choose present perfect.

Liz
I think c) is wrong. It should be if he was...

Leslie
Sorry Liz... none of them are incorrect. In the second conditional, people commonly put the verb 'be' into the form 'were' for any pronoun... including 'I', 'he', 'she' and 'it'. It is frequent to hear both styles, although many consider the 'were' form to be more formal.

Liz
I am so silly. I knew that and forgot it.

Will
And you were doing really well. Have twenty points anyway. And to you too, Rory! Well, that brings us to the end of today's Grammar Gameshow. Let's count out the points... and the winner is... both of you! You're both winners in my book!

Liz
Hang on! He didn't even answer one question right! Why does he win too?

Will
Well, I can't drop him down the pit. It wouldn't be good for the new calm me! I'm much nicer now.

Liz
But don't you miss it? The thrill of the drop...

Liz
Drop. When was the last time you...

Will
The drop! Well, it has been a while...

Liz
You must be really strong to just drop the drop.

Rory
Drop the drop! Drop the drop! Drop the drop! Drop the drop! Drop the drop! Drop, drop, drop, drop!

Will
Aw heck! And bring him back up! And drop him back down! Release the clowns! It looks like we'll need another contestant. Ah... so much better. I'm back!

Liz
And my prize? I'm fine!

Will
We'll see you again next week, where you can play for another prize. Thanks for joining us. Say goodbye Leslie.

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BBC Learning English - Course: The Grammar Gameshow / Unit 1 / Session 21 / Activity 1

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Will Hello, and welcome to today's Grammar Gameshow! I'm your host, Will! And if we cannot do what we will, we must will what we can. And of course, let's not forget Leslie, our all-knowing voice in the sky. Will Tonight we're going to ask you three questions about...

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Hi Guys! Dan for BBC Learning English here. This time we're going to talk about conditionals. Now many of you may know that conditionals are sentences which commonly but not always begin with if in English. We have five of them and they usually talk about cause and effect. Either now or in the future or in the past. We're gonna have a look at all of them today. Are you ready? Here we go.

If it rains, we get wet. This is an example of a zero conditional. Zeros have no maybes or possibilities in them. They talk about cause and result: If it rains, we get wet. You'll notice that they use the present on both sides but past forms are also possible. For example, If it rained, we stayed inside.

First conditionals are a little bit more tricky. First conditionals talk about a possible, real future or present outcome. For example, If I leave now, I'll get home early. They use present tense on the If side and they use will + the infinitive on the main clause.

Second conditionals. If I had a million dollars, I would buy my mum a horse. That's a second conditional. It talks about a highly unlikely or most likely impossible outcome of a present or future situation. Second conditionals are really confusing because we use past tense verbs on the 'If' clause but actually we're talking in the present tense. If I had a million, I would buy. Notice that the main clause uses would plus the infinitive. Got it? Good.

Third conditionals. Third conditionals are always impossible because we cannot travel back in time... yet... Anyway, so... If I hadn't drunk so much, I wouldn't have been arrested. On the 'If' clause we use the past perfect - 'If I hadn't drunk' - and in the main clause we have would + have + the past participle. This usually is used for past mistakes.

Finally, we have mixed conditionals. For example, If I hadn't been born a boy, I would be a girl! Anyway, that's where we take half of one conditional and half of another conditional and mix them together - usually third to second.

For more information, you can check on our website at bbclearningenglish.com

I've been Dan, you've been great. Get out of here! Bye.

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BBC Learning English - Course: Upper-intermediate / Unit 28 / Session 1 / Activity 1

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Hi Guys! Dan for BBC Learning English here. This time we're going to talk about conditionals. Now many of you may know that conditionals are sentences which commonly but not always begin with if in English. We have five of them and they usually talk about cause and effect.

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Hi everyone! I'm James. We're going to look at the difference between in case and if in today's English In A Minute.

Look at these examples:

1. I'll call you if I need help with my homework.

2. I'll call you in case I need help with my homework.

In the example with if, it means that I might call you in the future, but it depends if I need help or not. The second sentence with in case means I'm going to call you before I do my homework to prevent any problems.

Let's take a look at another example:

1. I'll take an umbrella in case it rains.

2. I'll take an umbrella if it rains.

Just like in our first example, in case means I am going to take my umbrella anyway to prevent any problems. But in the example with if, this means that you only take an umbrella because it is raining when you leave.

So if you want to learn more English, join us on social media or on our website. In case you can't remember the link, here it is.

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BBC Learning English - Course: English In A Minute / Unit 1 / Session 51 / Activity 1

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Hi everyone! I'm James. We're going to look at the difference between in case and if in today's English In A Minute. Look at these examples: I'll call you if I need help with my homework. I'll call you in case I need help with my homework.

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43. IF CLAUSES: TYPE 1: Got it? Quiz time!

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43. IF CLAUSES: TYPE 1: Got it? Quiz time!

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http://www.englishpage.com/conditional/conditional7.htm

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Zero conditional

We use this to talk about things that are always true, whether they are scientific fact or personal beliefs. Both parts are in the present simple.

The zero conditional uses if / when + present simple, and present simple:
Positive Negative Question
First conditional

We use this to talk about things which might happen if an action takes place. We use if for things which are likely to happen and when for things which are certain to happen.

It uses if / when + present simple, and will + infinitive (without 'to'):
Positive

I'll do the cooking this evening if it's OK with you.

When they finish work, they'll go home.

Negative

I won't wait for you, if you're late again.

When we go camping, we won't take our laptops.

Question

Where will he live when he moves to the city?

Note: The if / when part can also come second in zero and first conditional sentences.

I get a stomachache if I drink milk.

They'll go home when they finish work.

To do

That's a brief introduction to the form. So do you think you can spot sentences which are grammatically correct and wrong? Find out in our test!

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BBC Learning English - Course: intermediate / Unit 5 / Session 2 / Activity 1

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We use this to talk about things that are always true, whether they are scientific fact or personal beliefs. Both parts are in the present simple. The zero conditional uses if / when + present simple, and present simple: Positive Negative Question We use this to talk about things which might happen if an action takes place.

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Hi guys. Dan for BBC Learning English here. This week I'm going to teach you about the difference between if and when. And of course, all in 90 seconds. We're going to do the whole thing using this timer, this coin and these two delicious piles of sweets.

Are you ready? Here we go.

Now. Do you like sweets? I love sweets. I've had a sweet tooth since I was a child. The problem is that when I get two delicious piles of sweets I can never make up my mind which one I want to eat first. It drives me mad.

And so, to help me decide, I've brought along a coin. Now, in English we call this side of the coin heads, and this side of the coin tails. What I'm going to do is spin this coin. Now, i f the coin lands on heads I'm going to eat these delicious sweets. And if the coin lands on tails, I'm going to eat these delicious sweets. It's win-win! I literally can't lose. This is superb. Are you ready?

I can say if because at the moment, both oportunities are still possible. And if is used for a possible outcome in the present or future. It's often used with conditionals.

Now I spin the coin.

When the coin stops, I'll know what to do. I can say when because when is for certainty. I know the coin will stop spinning eventually.

Have you got it?

Let's have a look. It's tails. I'm going to eat this delicious pile of sweets.

Alright? Did you get the difference between when and if? That's good. When and if can be used for a variety of different tenses and a variety of different situations.

For more information have a look on our website at bbclearningenglish.com for a full transcript... CLOCK BEEPS... perfect timing as usual... a full transcript and exercises on what to do.

I've been Dan; you've been fantastic. I'm going to eat these sweets. Excuse me.

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BBC Learning English - Course: Upper-intermediate / Unit 21 / Session 1 / Activity 1

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Hi guys. Dan for BBC Learning English here. This week I'm going to teach you about the difference between if and when. And of course, all in 90 seconds. We're going to do the whole thing using this timer, this coin and these two delicious piles of sweets. Are you ready?

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if + will

All the advice uses the first conditional: if + will. We use the first conditional to talk about possible future situations (or 'conditions') and their results. The person giving the advice doesn't know whether or not Sue will do these things.

A conditional sentence usually has two parts: the if part and the result (main) part. For the first conditional we use the present simple in the if part, and will + infinitive (without to) in the main part.

The two parts can be in any order. When the ' if' part comes first, we put a comma between the if and the main part. We don't use a comma when the main part comes first.

It isn't certain that I'll feel tired.

Download

You can download the audio here (size: 999KB).

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BBC Learning English - Course: lower intermediate / Unit 23 / Session 2 / Activity 1

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All the advice uses the first conditional: if + will. We use the first conditional to talk about possible future situations (or 'conditions') and their results. The person giving the advice doesn't know whether or not Sue will do these things. A conditional sentence usually has two parts: the if part and the result (main) part.

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http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/if_type1.htm