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Look at these examples to see how the verb forms are used.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar test 1

Verbs followed by '-ing' or by 'to' + infinitive 1: Grammar test 1

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

A verb can be followed by another verb. The second one usually needs to change into the - ing form or the to + infinitive form. Which form you need depends on what the first verb is.

Verbs followed by the -ing form

When enjoy, admit and mind are followed by another verb, it must be in the - ing form.

I enjoy travelling.
He admittedstealing the necklace.
I don't mindwaiting if you're busy.

Like and love can be followed by the - ing form and the to + infinitive form. They are both correct.

Verbs followed by to + infinitive form

When want, learn and offer are followed by another verb, it must be in the to + infinitive form.

I want to speak to the manager.
She's learningto play the piano.
He offeredto help us wash up.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar test 2

Verbs followed by '-ing' or by 'to' + infinitive' 1: Grammar test 2

Language level

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Verbs followed by '-ing' or by 'to' + infinitive 1

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Look at these examples to see how the verb forms are used. Try this exercise to test your grammar. Grammar test 1 Verbs followed by '-ing' or by 'to' + infinitive 1: Grammar test 1 Read the explanation to learn more. A verb can be followed by another verb.

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Look at these examples to see how these verb patterns work.

The bus stopped picking up the children.
The bus stopped to pick up the children. I want to try studying with a friend to see if it helps us stay more motivated.
I'm trying to study but it's impossible with all this noise.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar test 1

Verbs followed by '-ing' or by 'to' + infinitive 2: Grammar test 1

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

Some verbs have a different meaning depending on whether they are followed by an - ing form or to + infinitive.

Stop + - ing means the action is not happening any more.

I've stopped buying the newspaper because now I read the news online.

Stop + to + infinitive means that someone or something stops an activity so that they can do something else.

He stopped the video to ask the students some questions.

Try + - ing means that you are trying something as an experiment, especially as a possible solution to a problem, to see if it works or not.

Have you tried turning the computer off and on again?

Try + to + infinitive means that something is difficult but you are making an effort to do it.

I'm trying to learn Japanese but it's very difficult.

Remember + - ing and forget + - ing refer to having (or not having) a memory of something in the past.

I remember watching this film before.
I'll neverforget meeting you for the first time in this café.

Remember + to + infinitive and forget + to + infinitive refer to recalling (or not recalling) that there is something we need to do before we do it.

Please remember to buy some milk on the way home.
Heforgot to lock the door when he went out.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar test 2

Verbs followed by '-ing' or by 'to' + infinitive 2: Grammar test 2

Language level

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Verbs followed by '-ing' or by 'to' + infinitive 2

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Look at these examples to see how these verb patterns work. The bus stopped picking up the children. The bus stopped to pick up the children. I want to try studying with a friend to see if it helps us stay more motivated. I'm trying to study but it's impossible with all this noise.

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Do you know how to tell someone what another person said using reporting verbs? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.

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Look at these examples to see how we can tell someone what another person asked.

direct speech: 'Do you work from home?' he said.
indirect speech:He asked me if I worked from home.

direct speech:'Who did you see?' she asked.
indirect speech:She asked me who I'd seen.

direct speech:'Could you write that down for me?' she asked.
indirect speech:She asked me to write it down.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

A reported question is when we tell someone what another person asked. To do this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech.

direct speech: 'Do you like working in sales?' he asked.
indirect speech: He asked me if I liked working in sales.

In indirect speech, we change the question structure (e.g. Do you like) to a statement structure (e.g. I like).

We also often make changes to the tenses and other words in the same way as for reported statements (e.g. have done → had done, today → that day). You can learn about these changes on the Reported speech 1 - statements page.

In yes/ no questions, we use if or whether to report the question. If is more common.

'Are you going to the Helsinki conference?'
He asked me if I was going to the Helsinki conference.
'Have you finished the project yet?'
She asked us whether we'd finished the project yet.

Questions with a question word

In what, where, why, who, when or how questions, we use the question word to report the question.

'What time does the train leave?'
He asked me what time the train left.
'Where did he go?'

Reporting verbs

The most common reporting verb for questions is ask, but we can also use verbs like enquire, want to know or wonder.

'Did you bring your passports?'
She wanted to know if they'd brought their passports.
'When could you get this done by?'
He wondered when we could get it done by.

Offers, requests and suggestions

If the question is making an offer, request or suggestion, we can use a specific verb pattern instead, for example offer + infinitive, ask + infinitive or suggest + ing.

'Would you like me to help you?' 'Can you hold this for me, please?' 'Why don't we check with Joel?'
She suggested checking with Joel.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Language level

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Look at these examples to see how we can tell someone what another person asked. direct speech: 'Do you work from home?' he said. indirect speech:He asked me if I worked from home. direct speech:'Who did you see?' she asked. indirect speech:She asked me who I'd seen.

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Look at these examples to see how we can tell someone what another person said.

direct speech: 'I love the Toy Story films,' she said.
indirect speech: She said she loved the Toy Story films.

direct speech:'I worked as a waiter before becoming a chef,' he said.
indirect speech: He said he'd worked as a waiter before becoming a chef.

direct speech:'I'll phone you tomorrow,' he said.
indirect speech: He said he'd phone me the next day.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

Reported speech is when we tell someone what another person said. To do this, we can use direct speech or indirect speech.

direct speech: 'I work in a bank,' said Daniel.
indirect speech:Daniel said that he worked in a bank.

In indirect speech, we often use a tense which is 'further back' in the past (e.g. worked) than the tense originally used (e.g. work). This is called 'backshift'. We also may need to change other words that were used, for example pronouns.

Present simple, present continuous and present perfect

When we backshift, present simple changes to past simple, present continuous changes to past continuous and present perfect changes to past perfect.

'I travel a lot in my job.'
Jamila said that she travelled a lot in her job.
'The baby's sleeping!'
He told me the baby was sleeping.
'I've hurt my leg.'
She said she'd hurt her leg.

Past simple and past continuous

When we backshift, past simple usually changes to past perfect simple, and past continuous usually changes to past perfect continuous.

'We lived in China for five years.'
She told me they'd lived in China for five years.
'It was raining all day.'
He told me it had been raining all day.

Past perfect

The past perfect doesn't change.

'I'd tried everything without success, but this new medicine is great.'
He said he'd tried everything without success, but the new medicine was great.

No backshift

If what the speaker has said is still true or relevant, it's not always necessary to change the tense. This might happen when the speaker has used a present tense.

'I go to the gym next to your house.'
Jenny told me that she goes to the gym next to my house. I'm thinking about going with her.
'I'm working in Italy for the next six months.'
He told me he's working in Italy for the next six months. Maybe I should visit him!
'I've broken my arm!'
She said she's broken her arm, so she won't be at work this week.

Pronouns, demonstratives and adverbs of time and place

Pronouns also usually change in indirect speech.

'I enjoy working in my garden,' said Bob.
Bob said that he enjoyed working in his garden.
'We played tennis for our school,' said Alina.
Alina told me they'd played tennis for their school.

However, if you are the person or one of the people who spoke, then the pronouns don't change.

'I'm working on my thesis,' I said.
I told her that I was working on my thesis.
'We want our jobs back!' we said.
We said that we wanted our jobs back.

We also change demonstratives and adverbs of time and place if they are no longer accurate.

'This is my house.'

He said this was his house. [You are currently in front of the house.]

He said that was his house. [You are not currently in front of the house.]

'We like it here.'

She told me they like it here. [You are currently in the place they like.]

She told me they like it there. [You are not in the place they like.]

'I'm planning to do it today.'

She told me she's planning to do it today. [It is currently still the same day.]

She told me she was planning to do it that day. [It is not the same day any more.]

In the same way, these changes to those, now changes to then, yesterday changes to the day before, tomorrow changes to the next/following day and ago changes to before.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Language level

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Do you know how to report what somebody else said? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.

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Exercises Explanation Downloads

Reporting verbs - admit doing, refuse to do, etc.

Exercise 1

Choose the correct option to complete the sentences below.

Reporting verbs

Reporting verbs are used to report what somebody said, like promise, say, ask, admit, etc. And we normally classify these verbs into different groups depending on the structure they can be found in. In the grammar chart below you can see the most common reporting verbs and how they are used.

In the grammar chart below you can see the same verbs with example sentences.

The perfect gerund - regret doing vs regret having done

We use the perfect gerund to indicate that the action expressed by the verb was completed in the past.

I regret being married. (=now)

I regret having been married (=in the past)

However, it's often obvious whether the action in the gerund happened in the past or not. In those cases, we can use the simple gerund or the perfect gerund with little difference in meaning. With the perfect gerund, we emphasise that the action was completed in the past.

He admitted stealing the money.

He admitted having stolen the money.

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Reporting verbs - admit doing, refuse to do, etc. - Test-English

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Reporting verbs are used to report what somebody said, like 'promise', 'say', 'ask', 'admit', etc. Learn which are the most common reporting verbs and how to use them. Upper-intermediate English grammar.

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What is indirect speech or reported speech?

When we tell people what another person said or thought, we often use reported speech or indirect speech. To do that, we need to change verb tenses (present, past, etc.) and pronouns ( I, you, my, your, etc.) if the time and speaker are different. For example, present tenses become past, I becomes he or she, and my becomes his or her, etc.

Omission of that

We often leave out that after reporting verbs like say, think, etc.

The most common verbs we use in reported speech are say and tell. We must pay attention here. We say tell somebody something, and say something (to somebody).

Tense changes in indirect speech

When a person said something in the past and now we tell somebody what that person said, the time is different, and for this reason, the verb tenses change. Look at a summary of these changes.

Changes in expressions

There are adverbs or expressions of time and place that change when we report what someone said. Here you have a list.

Questions in indirect speech

We use the normal order of words in reported questions, i.e. the subject comes before the verb, and it is not necessary to use do or did.

Imperatives in indirect speech

When we report an order or instruction, we use the form ask or tell someone to do something.

Pronoun changes in indirect speech

In reported or indirect speech we must also pay attention to the use of pronouns. When a person tells us something, he or she uses the first person ( I, me, my, we, us, our) to talk about himself or herself and the second person ( you, your) to talk about us, the person listening. But when we tell someone else what that person said, we are going to use the third person ( he, she, his, her, etc.) to talk about the speaker and the first person ( I, me, my) to talk about ourselves, the listener.

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Indirect speech - reported speech - Test-English

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Reported speech - indirect speech. Reporting statements, questions and commands. Reporting verbs. English intermediate grammar exercises.

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What is reported speech or indirect speech?

When we tell people what another person said or thought, we often use reported speech or indirect speech. To do that, we need to change verb tenses (present, past, etc.) and pronouns ( I, you, my, your, etc.) if the time and speaker are different.

Omission of that

We often leave out that after reporting verbs like say, think, etc.

The most common verbs we use in reported speech are say and tell. We must pay attention here. We say tell somebody something and say something (to somebody).

They said me (that) they would help me.

They told me (that) they would help me.

He told (that) he didn't have a car.

He said (that) he didn't have a car.

Tense changes in reported speech

When a person said something in the past, and now we tell somebody what that person said, the time is different, and for this reason, the verb tenses change. Look at a summary of these changes.

Pronoun changes in reported speech

In reported or indirect speech, we must also pay attention to the use of pronouns. When a person tells us something, he or she uses the first person ( I, me, my, we, us, our) to talk about himself or herself and the second person ( you, your) to talk about us, the person listening. But when we tell someone else what that person said, we are going to use the third person ( he, she, his, her, etc.) to talk about the speaker and the first person ( I, me, my) to talk about ourselves, the listener.

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Reported speech - indirect speech - Test-English

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Reported speech - or indirect speech. We use reported speech to tell somebody what somebody else said. A2. Pre-intermediate English grammar and exercises.

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❓ ‘Didn’t need’ and ‘needn’t’ - improve your English with Learners' Questions

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Hi, everybody. I'm Sam, and in this lesson I'm going to talk about need. Do you know the difference between needn't and not need to?

Look at these two sentences in the present - is the meaning the same or different?
You don't need to worry about the exam. You've studied lots.
You needn't worry about the exam. You've studied lots. He didn't need to worry about the exam. He had already passed the course.
He needn't have worried about the exam. It was really easy.
They're the same right? Maybe needn't is a little bit more formal, but the meaning is that there is no necessity for you to worry.

Now look at these two sentences in the past:

These are different! In the first sentence, he had already passed the course, so he knew he didn't need to worry.

In the second sentence, he didn't know the exam was going to be easy, so he was worried, but he needn't have been.

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BBC Learning English - Course: English In A Minute / Unit 2 / Session 20 / Activity 1

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Hi, everybody. I'm Sam, and in this lesson I'm going to talk about need. Do you know the difference between needn't and not need to? Look at these two sentences in the present - is the meaning the same or different? You don't need to worry about the exam.

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Finn
Where's my script? Come on. This studio needs tidying!

Finn here with another BBC English Class. And did you hear what I just said? "This studio needs tidying". Not I need to tidy this studio. Now, why did I say it the other way round? Let's find out in 90 seconds.

In it goes. So, why did I say: "This studio needs tidying"? Well, this is a particular structure. Let's give the structure a name. Let's call it 'Ken'. No, let's call it need + verb-ing and we use it when something needs to be done but we don't want to say the person who needs to do it. Because maybe it doesn't matter. Or maybe we don't know. Or maybe it's more polite.

OK, let's first... we'll get there in a minute... let's look at some examples first. For example:
This studio needs tidying
My hair needs cutting
My shirt needs washing
So, what do we do? We have first the noun - my shirt - then need or needs and finally the verb in the ing form - washing.

So, let's give another example. For example, I'm your boss, you're writing a report and I don't want to say: " You need to finish that report" because it sounds a bit too direct. I can just say " That report needs finishing". See, it's a little bit less bossy. And my shirt: as you know it stinks, so I could say... well let me just say: " My shirt needs washing". Because you know it doesn't matter if I wash it or you wash it or if Ken washes it or whoever washes it. So there we are - 90 seconds. All that remains is to decide who needs to wash my shirt. I'm not doing it.

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BBC Learning English - Course: Upper-intermediate / Unit 14 / Session 1 / Activity 1

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Finn Where's my script? Come on. This studio needs tidying! Finn here with another BBC English Class. And did you hear what I just said? "This studio needs tidying". Not I need to tidy this studio. Now, why did I say it the other way round? Let's find out in 90 seconds.

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Intermediate Grammar | Needn't Have Exercise | esl-lounge Student

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Look at these examples to see when the is and isn't used.

I'm going to bed.
I walk to work.
My children are going to start school.
I visited the school yesterday.
Mount Everest is in the Himalayas.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar explanation

Here are some ways we use articles in common phrases and place names.

Common phrases

We don't usually use an article in expressions with bed, work and home.

go to bed / be in bed
go to work / be at work / start work / finish work
go home / be at home / get home / stay at home

We also don't normally use an article in expressions with school, university, prison and hospital.

start school / go to school / be at school
go to university / be at university
be sent to prison / go to prison / be in prison
go to hospital / be in hospital

But we usually use the if someone is just visiting the place, and not there as a student/prisoner/patient, etc.

My son has started school now. I went to the school to meet his teacher.
I went tothe prison a lot when I was a social worker.
I'm atthe hospital. My sister has just had a baby.

Place names

We don't normally use an article for continents, most countries, cities, towns, lakes, mountains or universities. So, we say:

Africa, Asia, Europe
India, Ghana, Peru, Denmark
Addis Ababa, Hanoi, New York, Moscow
Lake Victoria, Lake Superior, Lake Tanganyika
Mount Everest, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Elbrus
Cardiff University, Harvard University, Manchester University

Some countries are different. Country names with United have the. There are other countries which are exceptions too. So, we say:

the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States of America
the Bahamas, the Gambia

Seas and oceans, mountain ranges and rivers have the:

the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Mediterranean
the Andes, the Himalayas, the Alps
the Nile, the Amazon, the Yangtze

Universities with of in the title also have the:

the University of Cape Town, the University of Delhi, the University of Tokyo

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Language level

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Do you know when you need to use the in common phrases and place names? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.

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Look at these examples to see how participle clauses are used.

Looked after carefully, these boots will last for many years.
Not wanting to hurt his feelings, I avoided the question.
Having lived through difficult times together, they were very close friends.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

Participle clauses enable us to say information in a more economical way. They are formed using present participles ( going, reading, seeing, walking, etc.), past participles ( gone, read, seen, walked, etc.) or perfect participles ( having gone, having read, having seen, having walked, etc.).

We can use participle clauses when the participle and the verb in the main clause have the same subject. For example,

Waiting for Ellie, I made some tea. ( While I was waiting for Ellie, I made some tea.)

Participle clauses do not have a specific tense. The tense is indicated by the verb in the main clause.

Participle clauses are mainly used in written texts, particularly in a literary, academic or journalistic style.

Present participle clauses

Here are some common ways we use present participle clauses. Note that present participles have a similar meaning to active verbs.

Past participle clauses

Here are some common ways that we use past participle clauses. Note that past participles normally have a passive meaning.

With a similar meaning to an if condition
Used in this way, participles can make your writing more concise. (If you use participles in this way, ... )

Perfect participle clauses

Perfect participle clauses show that the action they describe was finished before the action in the main clause. Perfect participles can be structured to make an active or passive meaning.

Having got dressed, he slowly went downstairs.
Having finished their training, they will be fully qualified doctors.
Having been made redundant, she started looking for a new job.

Participle clauses after conjunctions and prepositions

It is also common for participle clauses, especially with -ing, to follow conjunctions and prepositions such as before, after, instead of, on, since, when, while and in spite of.

Before cooking, you should wash your hands.
Instead of complaining about it, they should try doing something positive.
On arriving at the hotel, he went to get changed.
While packing her things, she thought about the last two years.
In spite of having read the instructions twice, I still couldn't understand how to use it.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Language level

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Do you know how to use participle clauses to say information in a more economical way? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.

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Look at these examples to see how capital letters and apostrophes are used.

India celebrates Independence Day on 15 August.
Adam speaks English, Arabic and some Persian.
It's really cold today! They say it'll snow tonight.
Jane's staying at her parents' house this week.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar test 1

Capital letters and apostrophers: Grammar test 1

Grammar explanation

Capitalisation

There are lots of times when you need to use capital letters - for example, to start a sentence or for the pronoun I. Here are some other important rules for using them.

Days, months and holidays

We capitalise days of the week, months and festivals, but not seasons.

His birthday party is on Thursday.
Schools are closed at Christmas.
It rains a lot in April and May, but the summer is very dry.

Names of people and places

We capitalise the names of people and places, including streets, planets, continents and countries.

Bea Jankowski has lived on Church Street in Manchester for 20 years.
The Earth is the third planet from the Sun.
Russia is in both Europe and Asia.

Words that come from the names of places - for example languages, nationalities and adjectives that refer to people or things from a country, region or city - are capitalised. We also capitalise nouns and adjectives that come from the names of religions.

Some Canadians speak French.
Londoners eat a lot of Indian food.
Most Muslims fast during the day for Ramadan.

Titles and names of institutions

The names of organisations and usually the important words in book and film titles are capitalised. When a person's job title goes before their name, capitalise both. If the title is separate from their name, capitalise only their name.

Salome Zourabichvili, the president of Georgia, is visiting President Alvi tomorrow.
The chief executive officer lives in New York.
We are readingWar and Peace with Ms Ioana, our teacher.

Apostrophes

We use an apostrophe to show a contraction or possession.

Contractions

We use an apostrophe to show where there are missing letters in contractions.

It's raining. (It's = It is)
Don't worry, it won't rain. (Don't = Do not; won't = will not)
She can't drive because she's broken her leg. (can't = cannot; she's = she has)
I'd like a coffee, please. (I'd = I would)
You'll be fine. (You'll = You will)

** Note that is a contraction of it is or it has. is a possessive form of the pronoun it.

The dog is chasing its tail.
Are you sure it's OK for me to ring you so early?
It's rained a lot this week.

Possession

We also use an apostrophe with the letter s after a noun (normally a person, animal or group) to show that the noun owns someone or something.

My cat's favourite toy is a small, red ball.
Sadiq's parents live in Liverpool.
South Korea's economy is growing.

Singular or plural

We use 's when the possessor is singular.

Marie's mother is going to Hong Kong.

We also use 's when the possessor is a plural noun that does not end in s.

The People's Republic of China
My cousin writes children's books.

When a plural noun ends in s, we put the apostrophe after the s ( s').

This is a picture of my parents' house.
Our friend's new car is red. She just got it yesterday.
Our friends' new car is red. They just got it yesterday.

When a singular noun ends in s, we generally use 's.

James's brother-in-law is German.
He has a collection of Dickens's novels.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar test 2

Capital letters and apostrophers: Grammar test 2

Language level

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Do you know how to use capital letters and apostrophes correctly? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.

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Basically, question tags work by turning a statement into a question by adding a tag at the end. The tag is a short yes or no question, and we use different tags depending on the statement. Here are a couple of examples:

You're here for the interview today, aren't you? (Compare with: Are you here for the interview?)
You haven't filled all the vacancies yet, have you? (Compare with: Have you filled all the vacancies yet?)

The tag asks if the statement is true and makes it into a question. We use question tags more often when we are speaking than when we are writing.

How do we make question tags?

We can see that question tags are either positive or negative. If the statement part is positive, the tag is negative. If the statement is negative, then the question tag part is positive. The subject of the statement always appears as a pronoun in the tag.

You can fill out the application form without any problems, can't you? (Positive statement, negative question tag.)
You haven't finished interviewing all the candidates, have you? (Negative statement, positive question tag.)

If the main statement has an auxiliary verb, then the question tag is made with the same auxiliary verb.
Positive statements with question tags
We are meeting this afternoon, aren't we?
You have prepared the spreadsheet, haven't you?
You will be on time for the workshop, won't you?
You can join us for the business lunch, can't you?
This is going to change our products forever, isn't it?

For positive statements without auxiliary verbs, we use do to make the question tag:

The new bosses like the idea, don't they?
He always gives a good presentation, doesn't he?
All the interviewees arrived on time, didn't they?
Negative statements with question tags
The job situation isn't getting any better, is it?
We haven't had so many candidates interested before, have we?
Our new boss doesn't like to have fun, does she?
I just can't get this presentation right, can I?

When a form of be is the main verb in the statement, we use the matching form in the tag.

She is qualified, isn't she?
They were impressed by the sales figures, weren't they?
It isn't that difficult to understand, is it?
We weren't ready for the tax increase, were we?

There is a special case if the pronoun is I and we use be in the statement. The tag is made with am when the statement is negative - but when the statement is positive, the tag is made with aren't.
I'm not the right person for the job, am I?
I'm in the right building for the interview, aren't I?
To do

You can understand how to make question tags now, can't you? Have a go at this gap fill quiz!

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BBC Learning English - Course: lower intermediate / Unit 27 / Session 2 / Activity 1

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Basically, question tags work by turning a statement into a question by adding a tag at the end. The tag is a short yes or no question, and we use different tags depending on the statement. Here are a couple of examples: You're here for the interview today, aren't you?

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Look at these examples to see how question tags are used.

You haven't seen this film, have you?
Your sister lives in Spain, doesn't she?
He can't drive, can he?

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

We can add question tags like isn't it?, can you? or didn't they? to a statement to make it into a question. Question tags are more common in speaking than writing.

We often use question tags when we expect the listener to agree with our statement. In this case, when the statement is positive, we use a negative question tag.

If the statement is negative, we use a positive question tag.

If we are sure or almost sure that the listener will confirm that our statement is correct, we say the question tag with a falling intonation. If we are a bit less sure, we say the question tag with a rising intonation.

Formation

If there is an auxiliary verb in the statement, we use it to form the question tag.

Sometimes there is no auxiliary verb already in the statement. For example, when:

... the verb in the statement is present simple or past simple and is positive. Here we use don't, doesn't or didn't:

... the verb in the statement is to be in the present simple or past simple. In this case we use to be to make the question tag:

... the verb in the statement is a modal verb. Here we use the modal verb to make the question tag:

If the main verb or auxiliary verb in the statement is am, the positive question tag is am I? but the negative question tag is usually aren't I?:

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Language level

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Look at these examples to see how question tags are used. You haven't seen this film, have you? Your sister lives in Spain, doesn't she? He can't drive, can he? Try this exercise to test your grammar. Read the explanation to learn more. We can add question tags like isn't it?, can you?

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We add question tags to the end of statements to turn them into questions. They are used in spoken language, especially when we want to check something is true, or invite people to agree with us.
So how do we form question tags?

We add a clause in the form of a question at the end of a sentence. If the main part of the sentence is positive we usually add a negative question tag.
It's a bit early, isn't it?
If the main part is negative, we usually add a positive question tag.
Mum isn't in trouble, is she?
OK, that seems easy.

Yes, but you need to think about what verb to use in the tag. If there is an auxiliary, a modal verb or the verb to be in the main clause, we use that in the question tag.
You're in a desert in the middle of Australia, aren't you?
If there is another main verb, we use do in the correct form (as we would with questions and negatives).
I think she might be getting a bit old for this sort of travelling, don't you?
We told you not to drive in the outback on your own,didn't we?
OK, so the question tag refers to the subject of the main sentence.

Yes, very often, but sometimes it doesn't.
I can't imagine her doing anything else, can you?
Are there any exceptions?

There are a few. We use 'aren't I' instead of the more logical 'amn't I'.
I'm next in the queue, aren't I?
Where is the stress in question tags?

It's on the verb and the intonation is usually falling, unless the speaker isn't sure about some kind of factual information, then it's rising.

You're from Beijing, aren't you? (falling intonation = you're fairly sure)
You're from Beijing, aren't you? (rising intonation = you're not very sure and want the other person to confirm the information)

You use them a lot in conversation, don't you?

Yes, we do. We use them a lot to try and involve other people in conversations.

So I'd better start using them more, hadn't I?

Yep!

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Sophie is in the Australian outback and not everything goes to plan.

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Past Participle - have something done :: Learn English online - free exercises, explanations, games, teaching materials and plenty of information on English language. :: page 08

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Complete the sentences. 1. We ______ (the house/paint) at the moment. 2. I lost my key. I will have to ______ (another key/make). 3. When was the last time you ______ (your hair/cut) ? 4. ______ (you/a newspaper/deliver) to your house every day, or do you go out and buy one ?

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Oxford University Press, English Language Teaching - elt.enquiry@oup.com

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Students >Solutions >Intermediate >Grammar >Exercise 1 - have something done

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Let or Make exercise 1 - a free interactive online exercise

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Download this explanation about 'let' and 'make' in PDF.
Try an exercise about 'let' and 'make' here.

Let
Subject + let + object + bare infinitive (infinitive without 'to')

'Let' can mean 'allow' or 'give permission': We can also use 'let' to mean 'allow' in the sense of 'make something possible': Let's + infinitive is often used to make a suggestion: (Although 'let's' is a contraction of 'let us', we don't use 'let us' in this situation). We don't use 'let' in the passive.
Make
Subject + make + object + bare infinitive (infinitive without 'to')

'Make' can mean 'force someone to do something that he or she doesn't want to do': It can also be used to mean 'cause someone to do something' (the thing can be good or bad): If we use 'make' in the passive, we use the infinitive with 'to' instead of the bare infinitive:

She was made to work on Saturday, even though she hated working at weekends.

We can also use subject + make + object + adjective. This means 'cause the object to be the adjective' (the adjective can be good or bad):
Choosing 'let' or 'make'
Remember, we use 'let' when we mean 'allow'. It's usually something the person wants to do:

My boss let me leave early (I wanted to leave early, and the boss gave me permission).

We use 'make' when we mean 'force' or 'cause'. It's often something the person doesn't want to do:

My boss made me stay late (I didn't want to stay, but I had to).

When 'make' means 'cause' it can be something good or bad: Laughing is a good thing, BUT laughing isn't something I wanted to do that my brother gave me permission for. Instead it's something that he caused.

We can only use 'make + object + adjective'. We can't use 'let' in this way.

Try an exercise about 'let' and 'make' here.

Need more practice? Get more Perfect English Grammar with our PDFs, videos, flashcards and more.

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Download this explanation about 'let' and 'make' in PDF. Try an exercise about 'let' and 'make' here. Subject + let + object + bare infinitive (infinitive without 'to') 'Let' can mean 'allow' or 'give permission': We can also use 'let' to mean 'allow' in the sense of 'make something possible': Let's + infinitive is often used to make a suggestion: (Although 'let's' is a contraction of 'let us', we don't use 'let us' in this situation).

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An exercise about causatives: have someone do something and get someone to do something.

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An exercise about causatives: have something done and get something done.

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Download this explanation in PDF here.
See my explanation about the causative verbs 'let' and 'make' here.

We use a causative verb when we want to talk about something that someone else did for us or for another person. It means that the subject caused the action to happen, but didn't do it themselves. Maybe they paid, or asked, or persuaded the other person to do it. For example, we can say:

I cleaned my house. (This means I cleaned it myself).

If I paid someone to clean it, of course I can say:

A cleaner cleaned my house.

But, another way is to use a causative construction. So I can also say:

I had my house cleaned.

In a sense, using a causative verb is similar to using a passive. The important thing is that the house is now clean. We don't focus on who did the cleaning.

Have + object + past participle (have something done)

We usually use 'have something done' when we are talking about paying someone to do something for us. It's often used for services. The form is 'subject + have + object + past participle'.

I had my car washed.

John will have his house painted.

Get + object + past participle (get something done)

We can also use 'subject + get + object + past participle'. This has the same meaning as 'have', but is less formal.

The students get their essays checked.

I'll get my hair cut next week.

He got his washing machine fixed.

Try an exercise about 'have something done' and 'get something done' here.

Have someone do something (have + person + infinitive)

We can also use the construction 'subject + have + person + infinitive'. This has a very similar meaning to 'have something done', which we've already talked about, but this time we say who did the thing - we talk about the person who we asked to do the thing for us.

I had the electrician look at my broken light.

The doctor will have the nurse call the patients.

The teacher had the students write the answers on the whiteboard.

Get someone to do something (get + person + to + infinitive)

Finally, we can also use the construction 'get + someone + to + infinitive'. Again, this means that you cause the other person to do the action, maybe by paying them to do it, or by asking them to do it, or by persuading them to do it.

She gets her son to do his homework by promising him ice cream when he's finished.

I got the cleaner to clean under the cupboards.

Sometimes, this construction has the feeling that we needed to convince someone to do something, while the other constructions on this page are neutral.

Try an exercise about 'have someone do something' and 'get someone to do something' here.

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Learn about the causative verbs 'have' and 'get' here.

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Download the complete list in PDF here
See this page for verbs which change their meaning when followed by the gerund or the infinitive.

Here are some of the most common verbs that are usually followed by the gerund.

enjoy: I enjoyed living in France.

fancy: I fancy seeing a film tonight.

discuss: We discussed going on holiday together.

dislike: I dislike waiting for buses.

finish: We've finished preparing for the meeting.

mind: I don't mind coming early.

suggest: He suggested staying at the Grand Hotel.

recommend: They recommended meeting earlier.

keep: He kept working, although he felt ill.

avoid: She avoided talking to her boss.

And here are some common verbs followed by 'to' and the infinitive.

agree: She agreed to give a presentation at the meeting.

ask*: I asked to leave early / I asked him to leave early.

decide: We decided to go out for dinner.

help*: He helped to clean the kitchen / he helped his flatmate to clean the kitchen.

plan: She plans to buy a new flat next year.

hope: I hope to pass the exam.

learn: They are learning to sing.

want*: I want to come to the party / I want him to come to the party.

would like*: I would like to see her tonight / I would like you to see her tonight.

promise: We promised not to be late.

*We can use an object before the infinitive with these verbs.

(Note that 'help' can also be followed by the infinitive without 'to' with no difference in meaning: 'I helped to carry it' = 'I helped carry it'.)

Try an exercise about gerunds and infinitives with these verbs here.

See the list of verbs part 2 here
See the list of verbs part 3 here
See the list of verbs part 4 here

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How to use gerunds and infinitives - lots of explanations and free exercises

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Verbs that are followed by other verbs can take either the gerund or the infinitive. A gerund is a verb ending in "ing" that functions as a noun. An infinitive is the basic or root form of a verb, typically preceded with "to." Understanding how these words function is a crucial step in developing your English skills. The following lists of verbs followed by other verbs will help you practice using gerunds and infinitives within simple sentences. Note how the gerund and infinitive verbs ( italicized) are used within the sample sentences.

Verbs Followed by the Gerund

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Learn How to Use Gerunds and Infinitive Verbs in a Sentence

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Improve your language skills and learn to distinguish between gerunds and infinitives with this reference chart for non-native English speakers.

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In English, if you want to follow a verb with another action, you must use a gerund or infinitive. For example:

There are certain verbs that can only be followed by one or the other, and these verbs must be memorized. Many of these verbs are listed below.

Common verbs followed by a gerund:

Example: He misses playing with his friends.

Common verbs followed by an infinitive:

Example: She threatened to quit if she didn't get a raise.

Verbs followed by a gerund or infinitive with little to no change in meaning:

Verbs followed by a gerund or infinitive with a change in meaning:

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Verbs Followed by Gerunds and Infinitives

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In English, if you want to follow a verb with another action, you must use a gerund or infinitive. For example: There are certain verbs that can only be followed by one or the other, and these verbs must be memorized. Many of these verbs are listed below.

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Both gerunds and infinitives can be nouns, which means they can do just about anything that a noun can do. Although they name things, like other nouns, they normally name activities rather than people or objects. Here are five noun-uses of gerunds and infinitives (and one additional non-noun use, the adjective complement, that we throw in here, free of charge).

Gerunds and infintives can both function as the subject of a sentence:

1. Playing basketball takes up too much of her time.

2. To play basketball for UConn is her favorite fantasy.

It is not impossible for an infinitive to appear at the beginning of a sentence as the subject (as in Ib), but it is more common for an infinitive to appear as a Subject Complement:

1. Her favorite fantasy is to play basketball for UConn.
The gerund can also play this role:

2. Her favorite fantasy is playing basketball for UConn.

Both of these verbal forms can further identify a noun when they play the role of Noun Complement and Appositive:

1. Her desire to play basketball for UConn became an obsession.

2. I could never understand her desire to play basketball for UConn.

3. Her one burning desire in life, playing basketball for UConn, seemed a goal within reach.

The infinitive is often a complement used to help define an abstract noun. Here is a very partial list of abstract nouns, enough to suggest their nature. Try following these adjectives with an infinitive phrase (their desire to play in the championship game, a motivation to pass all their courses, her permission to stay up late, a gentle reminder to do your work) to see how the phrase modifies and focuses the noun.

Infinitive phrases often follow certain adjectives. When this happens, the infinitive is said to play the role of Adjective Complement. (This is not a noun function, but we will include it here nonetheless.)

1. She was hesitant to tell the coach of her plan.

2. She was reluctant to tell her parents, also.

3. But she would not have been content to play high school ball forever.

Here is a list of adjectives that you will often find in such constructions.

Although we do not find many infinitives in this next category, it is not uncommon to find gerunds taking on the role of Object of a Preposition:

1. She wrote a newspaper article about dealing with college recruiters.

2. She thanked her coach for helping her to deal with the pressure.

Two prepositions, except and but, will sometimes take an infinitive.

1. The committee had no choice except to elect Frogbellow chairperson.

2. What is left for us but to pack up our belongings and leave?

And, finally, both gerunds and infinitives can act as a Direct Object:

Here, however, all kinds of decisions have to be made, and some of these decisions will seem quite arbitrary. The next section is about making the choice between gerund and infinitive forms as direct object.

Verbs that take other verb forms as objects are called catenatives (from a word that means to link, as in a chain). Catenatives can be found at the head of a series of linked constructions, as in "We agreed to try to decide to stop eating between meals." Catenatives are also characterized by their tendency to describe mental processes and resolutions. (Kolln)

Although it is seldom a serious problem for native English speakers, deciding whether to use a gerund or an infinitive after a verb can be perplexing among students for whom English is a second language. Why do we decide to run, but we would never decide running? On the other hand, we might avoid running, but we would not avoid to run. And finally, we might like running and would also like to run. It is clear that some verbs take gerunds, some verbs take infinitives, and some verbs take either. The following tables of verbs should help you understand the various options that regulate our choice of infinitive or gerund.

Some students may find it convenient to have a list of verbs that take infinitives, verbs that take gerunds, verbs that take either—without the lists being broken into verb categories as they are below. Click the button to see such a list.

We also make available a chart of 81 verbs that take gerunds and infinitives along with pop-up examples of their usage. Click HERE for that chart.

The verbs in the table below will be followed by an infinitive. We decided to leave. He manages, somehow, to win. It is threatening to rain. Notice that many, but not all, of these verbs suggest a potential event.

Some of the verbs in the following table may be followed by a gerund if they are describing an "actual, vivid or fulfilled action" (Frodesen). We love running. They began farming the land. These are described, also, below.

The verbs in the next table will often be followed by an infinitive, but they will also be accompanied by a second object. We asked the intruders to leave quietly. They taught the children to swim. The teacher convinced his students to try harder.

The verbs in blue, with an asterisk, can also follow the same pattern as the verbs in the table above (i.e., the second object is optional). We all wanted to go. They promised to be home early.

Gerunds accompany a form of the verb to go in many idiomatic expressions: Let's go shopping. We went jogging yesterday. She goes bowling every Friday night.

The following verbs will be followed by a gerund. Did I mention reading that novel last summer? I recommend leaving while we can. I have quit smoking These verbs tend to describe actual events.

The verbs in the following table can be followed by either an infinitive or a gerund, and there will be virtually no difference in the meaning of the two sentences. I like to play basketball in the park. I like playing basketball in the park.

The verbs in this next, very small table can be followed by either an infinitive or a gerund, but there will be a difference in meaning. I stopped smoking means something quite different, for instance, from I stopped to smoke. The infinitive form will usually describe a potential action.

Finally, the verbs below will be followed by either a gerund or a simple verb and a second subject will be required. I saw the team losing its composure. I overheard my landlord discussing a rent increase. (I heard Bill sing/singing.) These verbs involve the senses.

Verbs of perception — hear, see, watch — and a handful of other verbs — help, let, and make — will take what is called the bare infinitive, an infinitive without the particle "to." This is true of these verbs only in the active voice.

1. We watched him clear the table.

2. They heard the thief crash through the door.

3. She made me do it.

4. We helped her finish the homework.

Using Possessives with Gerunds

Do we say "I can't stand him singing in the shower," or do we say "I can't stand his singing in the shower"? Well, you have to decide what you find objectionable: is it him, the fact that he is singing in the shower, or is it the singing that is being done by him that you can't stand? Chances are, it's the latter, it's the singing that belongs to him that bugs you. So we would say, "I can't stand his singing in the shower."

On the other hand, do we say "I noticed your standing in the alley last night"? Probably not, because it's not the action that we noticed; it's the person. So we'd say and write, instead, "I noticed you standing in the alley last night." Usually, however, when a noun or pronoun precedes a gerund, that noun or pronoun takes a possessive form. This is especially true of formal, academic writing.

There are exceptions to this. (What would the study of language be without exceptions?)

When the noun preceding the gerund is modified by other words, use the common form of that noun, not the possessive.

1. Federico was pleased by Carlos's making the Dean's List for the first time.
but

2. Federico was pleased by Carlos, his oldest son, making the Dean's List for the first time.

When the noun preceding the gerund is plural, collective, or abstract, use the common form of that noun, not the possessive.

1. Professor Villa was amazed by her students working as hard as they did.

2. The class working collaboratively was somebody else's idea.

3. It was a case of old age getting the better of them.

There are certain situations in which the possessive and the gerund create an awkward combination. This seems to be particularly true when indefinite pronouns are involved.

1. I was shocked by somebody's making that remark.
This would be greatly improved by saying, instead . . .

2. I was shocked that somebody would make that remark.

This is also true when the "owner" of the gerund comes wrapped in a noun phrase:

I was thankful for the guy next door shoveling snow from my driveway.

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Gerunds and Infinitives: Their Noun Roles

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Both gerunds and infinitives can be nouns, which means they can do just about anything that a noun can do. Although they name things, like other nouns, they normally name activities rather than people or objects. Here are five noun-uses of gerunds and infinitives (and one additional non-noun use, the adjective complement, that we throw in here, free of charge).

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Saskia
Hi! Saskia for BBC Learning English here, and today I'm going to tell you about how we use verbs of perception in English.

There are a number of these verbs but I'm just going to look at two with you now: see and hear.

When we use these verbs, this is the form:

First, the verb of perception.

Then, the object of the sentence.

Then we have either the infinitive without to or the -ing form.

Here's an example: I heard him go down the stairs.
Or: I heard him going down the stairs.

There's a slight difference between these two forms:

When we use the infinitive, it suggests that we hear or see the whole action or event.

Using the -ing form suggests that we hear or see something in progress.

'I saw her cross the street' means I saw her cross from one side to the other.
'I saw her crossing the street' means I saw her in the middle - on the way across.

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BBC Learning English - Course: English In A Minute / Unit 1 / Session 64 / Activity 1

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Saskia Hi! Saskia for BBC Learning English here, and today I'm going to tell you about how we use verbs of perception in English. There are a number of these verbs but I'm just going to look at two with you now: see and hear.

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Hear, see, make, let, allow + object + verb form

Both see and hear, and also notice and watch and other verbs of perception, can be followed by object + bare infinitive (i.e. without to) or by object + verb-ing.

At about one o' clock in the morning I heard my daughter unlock the door and come in.

At about one in the morning I heard my daughter unlocking the door and coming in.

I watched my brother scrape the ice off the car windscreen.

I watched my brother scraping the ice off the car windscreen.

There is often, however, a slight difference in meaning. If we use the verb-ing form, there is a suggestion that we are witnessing the event in progress, whereas if we use the bare infinitive, this suggests that we can hear or see the complete action or event. Compare the following:

As I passed their classroom, I could hear them whispering inside.
At the party, I heard Sue whisper to Tom: "Let's get our of here before Barry arrives."

I watched Henman play Hewitt I saw them playing in the garden, but I didn't take much notice. in the men's singles semi-final at Wimbledon

We can use see and hear in the passive voice, but if we use it with an infinitive then to is required. The verb-ing form is not affected. Compare the following:

She was heard to mutter Everybody heard her mutter "I shall never forgive you" as she left the room.

"I shall never forgive you" as she went out of the room.

He was seen climbing out of the window.
They all saw him climbing out of the window.

let + object + infinitive

Like make, see and hear, let is followed by object + bare infinitive. It cannot be followed by verb-ing:

Let me carry that box of papers for you. It's very heavy.
Why don't youlet him walk home by himself from school now? He's eleven years old after all

Let is also frequently used in the expression let's ( let us) to introduce a suggestion. Note that negative sentences with let's can be formed in two possible ways:

Let's finish the video tomorrow, shall we? I'm tired and I want to go to bed.
Let's not be late home tonight. It's Monday tomorrow after all.
Don't let's get too stressed about this. I know the car is damaged, but it's only a piece of metal.

We do not normally use let in the passive voice.

allow / permit + object + infinitive

Allow and permit are the more formal equivalents of let. But they both require to before the infinitive. Permit sounds a bit more formal than allow. Compare the following:

Let me bake the cakes for the party.
Allow me / permit me to bake the cakes for the party.
I would never let him smoke in the bedroom.
I would never allow him / permit him to smoke in the bedroom.

Allow and permit are often used in the passive voice. Remember, we cannot use let in these examples:

I wasn't allowed to pay for my meal. Tony insisted on inviting me.
Young childrenshould not be allowed / permitted to watch television after nine o' clock.

If you would like more practice more please visit our Message Board in the You, Me and Us part of our website.

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Hear, see, make, let, allow + object + verb form Both see and hear, and also notice and watch and other verbs of perception, can be followed by object + bare infinitive (i.e. without to) or by object + verb-ing. At about one o' clock in the morning I heard my daughter unlock the door and come in.

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❓ Preposition 'to' + '-ing' or 'infinitive'? - Improve your English with Learners' Questions

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After certain verbs we use the -ing form, and after other verbs we use the infinitive. Sometimes we can use either form and there is no change in meaning. Occasionally we can use either form and there is a change in meaning.
So what's the rule for whether we use the -ing form or the infinitive?

Sorry, there isn't a rule. You have to learn which verbs go with which pattern.

The verbs followed by -ing include enjoy, mind, stop and recommend.
I told him you really enjoy cooking.
Would youmind helping me?
It didn'tstop raining all day yesterday.
Daisyrecommends trying Alfie's tiramisu. Imagine not having pizza! I eat it all the time.
Verbs usually followed by -ing
stop finish imagine suggest recommend avoid mind miss risk enjoy
I thought you could say: ' I recommend that you see that film'?

Yes, you're right, you can. But we're not looking at the more complex patterns with that or an object today.

OK, what about the verbs followed by the infinitive?
She decided to go with Elliot instead.
Iwanted to visit Rome.
Shepromised to take me there.
Iplanned to go to some real Italian restaurants.
She didn'tforget to phone.
The negative is verb + not + infinitive.
They decided not to make pizza.
Here are more verbs that are usually followed by the infinitive:
hope offer fail agree forget manage learn afford arrange ask expect would like decide plan promise want invite
What about the verbs that can be followed by either form?

It started raining. or It started to rain.
Don'tbother waiting for me. or Don't bother to wait for me.

The verbs like, love and hate can be followed by -ing or the infinitive when talking about repeated actions.

I love reading long novels. (British English or American English)
I love to read long novels. (American English)

But when we are talking about situations, we use the -ing form.
Paulo loves living by the beach in Rio.
Do you like working as a waitress?
So, ' I love learning grammar rules' or ' I love to learn grammar rules' are both OK?

Exactly. But there are some more verbs which can be followed by -ing or the infinitive, but the two options have different meanings, for example remember and stop.

I never remember to lock the door, and my mum gets really angry!
(remember + infinitive =remember something and then do it)
I neverremember locking the door, but when I go back and check I always have.
(remember + -ing =remember something you did before)

She stopped smoking three years ago.
(stop + -ing =to not do something any more)
It was hot, so westopped to have a drink. (we stopped walking)
(stop + infinitive =to not do something in order to do something else)

Let's stop to have a rest now.

OK, later on you can try to remember all the patterns.

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Oliver, Daisy and Alfie are at Oliver and Daisy's home. Oliver is upset, so Daisy and Alfie decide to cheer him up.

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Verb patterns: gerunds and infinitives

Gerunds are the -ing form of a verb, and infinitives are the to + base form. These words can be confusing; they combine the meaning of a verb with the grammar of a noun.

My father asked me to phone him. I enjoy talking with my father.

So, how is 'to phone' like a noun? Imagine the first sentence said: My father asked me a question. You can see how a question and to phone have the same grammatical role. Similarly, you could replace 'talking' with the noun conversation.

Using gerunds and infinitives correctly with verbs can be difficult because some verbs go with only the infinitive or only the gerund, and others can go with either one.

I enjoy going to the movies. (enjoy + -ing form only)

Jason wants to visit a museum on Friday. (want + infinitive form only)

Tony likes eating at restaurants. Tony likes to eat at restaurants. (like + either -ing or infinitive form)

Another difficulty is that sometimes choosing the infinitive or the gerund will change the meaning of the sentence.

Mary stopped eating at six.
(Mary was eating, and at six o'clock, she stopped.)

Mary stopped to eat at six.
(Mary was walking home, and at six o'clock she stopped walking and went into a café to eat.)

The best way to learn which verbs take infinitives, gerunds, or both, is to notice them in context when you read, or to consult grammar references. Here are some of the most common verbs:
Followed by a gerund (-ing form)

admit, advise, consider, discuss, dislike, dread, enjoy, finish, mind, practise, recommend, suggest
Followed by an infinitive
agree, appear, choose, decide, expect, fail, hope, learn, need, refuse, seem, wait, want
Followed by either, usually with no change in meaning
begin, continue, hate, like, love, prefer, start
Followed by either, with a change in meaning
stop, regret, remember, forget, go on, try
Stop
When 'stop' is followed by the gerund, the verb in the gerund stops.

When 'stop' is followed by the infinitive, we stop something else in order to do the verb in the infinitive.

I stopped to buy a coffee on the way into work this morning. (I stopped walking in order to buy a coffee.)

I stopped to have a cigarette (I stopped working in order to have a cigarette.)

Regret
When 'regret' is followed by the gerund you feel sorry about something you did - or didn't do - in the past.

When 'regret' is followed by the infinitive, you regret something you are about to say. Often used in formal, written English with verbs 'tell', 'say' and 'inform'.

We regret to inform you that your application has not been successful.
Go on
When 'go on' is followed by the gerund, the activity in the gerund continues.

When 'go on' is followed by the infinitive, one action finishes and another and another action starts. This is often the next stage in a process.
Remember/forget
When 'remember' or 'forget' are followed by the gerund it means you forget or remember something you have done.

When 'remember' or 'forget' is followed by the infinitive, there is something you need to do and you remember or forget to do it.

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BBC Learning English - Course: Towards Advanced / Unit 9 / Grammar Reference

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Gerunds are the -ing form of a verb, and infinitives are the to + base form. These words can be confusing; they combine the meaning of a verb with the grammar of a noun. My father asked me to phone him. I enjoy talking with my father.

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Gerunds are the -ing form of a verb, and infinitives are the to + base form. These words can be confusing; they combine the meaning of a verb with the grammar of a noun.

My father asked me to phone him. I enjoy talking with my father.

So, how is 'to phone' like a noun? Imagine the first sentence said: My father asked me a question. You can see how a question and to phone have the same grammatical role. Similarly, you could replace 'talking' with the noun conversation.

Using gerunds and infinitives correctly with verbs can be difficult because some verbs go with only the infinitive or only the gerund, and others can go with either one.

I enjoy going to the movies. (enjoy + -ing form only)

Jason wants to visit a museum on Friday. (want + infinitive form only)

Tony likes eating at restaurants. Tony likes to eat at restaurants. (like + either -ing or infinitive form)

Another difficulty is that sometimes choosing the infinitive or the gerund will change the meaning of the sentence.

Mary stopped eating at six.
(Mary was eating, and at six o'clock, she stopped.)

Mary stopped to eat at six.
(Mary was walking home, and at six o'clock she stopped walking and went into a café to eat.)

The best way to learn which verbs take infinitives, gerunds, or both, is to notice them in context when you read, or to consult grammar references. Here are some of the most common verbs:
Followed by a gerund (-ing form)

admit, advise, consider, discuss, dislike, dread, enjoy, finish, mind, practise, recommend, suggest
Followed by an infinitive
agree, appear, choose, decide, expect, fail, hope, learn, need, refuse, seem, wait, want
Followed by either, usually with no change in meaning
begin, continue, hate, like, love, prefer, start
Followed by either, with a change in meaning
forget, regret, remember, stop, try

Form

Gerunds and infinitives can follow verbs in the form verb + -ing form of the verb or verb + infinitive (to + base form of the verb).
Positive

Theresa suggested going to the park.

Ross decided to go home instead.

Negative
The negative form is verb + not + gerund/infinitive.

My grandparents have retired and enjoy not working.

Frank hopes not to travel over the holidays.

Question

What did the doctor advise taking for your cold?

Do you need to do your laundry this weekend?

Take note: 'split' infinitives

A 'split infinitive' has an adverb between to and the verb.

It is important to thoroughly study for an examination.

His sister seems to really want a cat.

Some people think split infinitives are ungrammatical. If you are writing formal English, it is best to avoid using them in your writing.

Take note: possessives

Remember that gerunds are types of nouns, so you can use possessive adjectives like my, your, his, her, etc.

Do you mind my going out for a while?

I like his planning our holidays for us.

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BBC Learning English - Course: lower intermediate / Unit 10 / Grammar Reference

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Gerunds are the -ing form of a verb, and infinitives are the to + base form. These words can be confusing; they combine the meaning of a verb with the grammar of a noun. My father asked me to phone him. I enjoy talking with my father.

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Meaning and use

With some verbs, especially those that explain, report or warn, after the main verb, you can sometimes use that, sometimes a gerund ( verb-ing form), other times an infinitive (with to), and other times, either a gerund or an infinitive. Sentences that make promises, warnings, offers, suggestions or recommendations use these verb structures.

My teacher advised us to study two hours a day. (advise + infinitive)

The bookstore recommended buying an English-English dictionary. (recommend + verb-ing)

Judith promises to attend the school concert. (promise + infinitive)

Toby told me that he was going to France on holiday. (tell + that + independent clause)

In addition, some of these verbs need an object, usually a person or people.
The police warned us not to enter the building. The speaker invited the audience to ask questions.
The best way to learn which of these verbs take 'that', infinitives, gerunds, or both, is to notice them when you read, or to use grammar references. Here is a list of some of the most common patterns. Remember that an independent clause has a subject and a verb.

suggest
1) suggest + gerund
Jason suggested seeing Romeo and Juliet this weekend.

1) tell + someone + to-infinitive
My grandfather told us not to argue.

2) tell + that + independent clause
My friends told me that I could join them at the pub.

1) promise + someone + to-infinitive
I promised my father to do my best always.

2) promise + infinitive
Mark has promised to take his grandson to a football game.

3) promise + that
We promise that we will finish in time.

Form

You can notice from the table that discuss, explain, invite and offer each can be combined with only one verb form, either an infinitive, gerund, or that + independent clause. Advise, ask, and promise can be combined with three options. The rest of these verbs can be combined with two different choices. Here is a chart showing these choices.

When using negative forms with the infinitive, not goes before the to part of the verb.

We were warned not to miss the last train of the evening.

For negatives with gerunds or that + independent clauses, the not goes before the gerund or infinitive part of the phrase.
My coach recommends not eating before practice. The taxi driver asked that we not smoke in the taxi. Did the manager suggest selling the new product at the market? When did Maurice promise to telephone in the morning?
Take note: prepositionsBe careful not to confuse the to used in an infinitive with the preposition to.
We propose to finish by December. (propose to = intend to) Stephen proposed to Nora over dinner. (propose to = ask to marry) Dr Jacobson invited his students to hear a special lecture. (invite someone to hear = ask someone to listen) We would like to invite you to a party on Saturday. (invite someone to = ask someone to come)
Spoken English
The pronunciation of to with infinitives is often unstressed, sounding like /tƏ/ (Ə = 'uh').

The final g sound of the -ing of a gerund is sometimes not pronounced, or pronounced very quietly.

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BBC Learning English - Course: intermediate / Unit 29 / Grammar Reference

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With some verbs, especially those that explain, report or warn, after the main verb, you can sometimes use that, sometimes a gerund ( verb-ing form), other times an infinitive (with to), and other times, either a gerund or an infinitive. Sentences that make promises, warnings, offers, suggestions or recommendations use these verb structures.

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Exercises Explanation Downloads

Gerund or infinitive - verb patterns

Exercise 1

Choose the correct gerund or infinitive form for each gap below.

When to use gerund or infinitive

In the table below, you can see when to use gerund or infinitive.

Verbs that take gerund or infinitive with a change of meaning

Forget

Forget to do something: Used to talk about things that we need to do, and we forget to do them.

Forget doing something: It's normally used in negative sentences. Used to talk about memories, normally about things that we did in the past and that we will not forget.

Remember

Remember to do something: You remember first and then you do something. Used to talk about things we need to do.

Remember doing something: Used to talk about memories. We remember things from the past.

Try

Try to do something: When we try to do something, we make an effort to achieve something that maybe we will or will not accomplish.

Try doing something: Used when we want to achieve something and try something as an experiment to see if it help us achieve what we want. We try a method (one of the many we could try) in order to achieve something.

Stop

Stop to do something: Used when we stop doing an activity so as to start doing a different one.

Stop doing something: It means to finish doing something that we are doing.

Need

Need to do something: It's necessary to do something

Something needs doing: It has a passive meaning. It means that something needs to be done.

Your car needs cleaning. (=Your car needs to be cleaned.)

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Gerund or infinitive - verb patterns - Test-English

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Gerund or infinitive. Verb patterns. Upper-intermediate English grammar. The use of gerunds or infinitives after certain nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.

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Exercises Explanation Downloads

Gerund or infinitive - do, to do, doing

Exercise 1

Choose the correct gerund or infinitive form to complete the sentences below.

When do we use gerund or infinitive?

When we have to use a verb after another verb, or a certain kind of word, we sometimes use an infinitive or a gerund. It often depends on the word that comes before. Here you have a list of the main situations in which we use infinitives or gerunds.

Verbs that take gerund or infinitive with a change of meaning

Forget

Forget to do something: Used to talk about things that we need to do, and we forget to do them.

Forget doing something: It's normally used in negative sentences. Used to talk about memories; normally about things that we did in the past and that we will not forget.

Remember

Remember to do something: Used to talk about things we need to do.

Remember doing something: Used to talk about memories. We remember things from the past.

Try

Try to do something: When we try to do something, we make an effort to achieve something that we maybe will or will not accomplish.

Try doing something: Used when we have an objective and we try something as an experiment to see if it helps us achieve that objective. We try something in order to achieve an objective.

Stop

Stop to do something: Used when we stop doing an activity so as to start doing a different one.

Stop doing something: It means to finish doing something that we are doing.

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Gerund or infinitive - do, to do, doing - Test-English

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Gerund or infinitive - do, to do, doing. Verbs patterns. Verbs followed by infinitive, verbs followed by -ing. English intermediate grammar exercises.

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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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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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Exercises Explanation Downloads

Any, no, none - quantifiers

Exercise 1

Choose any/no/none to complete these sentences.

No, any, none - Grammar chart

No/any + noun

We use no + noun in sentences with a positive verb, and we use any + noun in negatives and questions. No= not a or not any

Any without noun

We can also use any as a pronoun, i.e. not followed by a noun.

Any in affirmative sentences

We can also use any in affirmative sentences when it means 'one or some, but it is not important which'.

None

We use none as a pronoun, i.e. not followed by a noun. We use none to replace countable or uncountable nouns.

We can also use none of the/my/Tom's/etc. + noun or none of + us/you/them.

Note that when None of ... is the subject of a sentence, we can use the verb in singular (more formal) or plural form (more informal).

Nothing/anything, nobody/anybody, nowhere/anywhere

We use nothing, nobody, and nowhere with positive verbs and anything, anybody, and anywhere in negative sentences and questions. Nothing, nobody, nowhere = not anything, not anybody, not anywhere

There's nothing that we can do. (=There isn't anything that we can do.)

We saw nobody. (=We didn't see anybody)

Anything, anybody, anywhere in affirmative sentences

We can use anything/anybody/anywhere in affirmative sentences to mean 'it doesn't matter what/who/where.'

We can do anything . (=It doesn't matter what.)

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Any, no, none - quantifiers - Test-English

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We normally use ANY and NO as determiners, followed by a noun. NONE is just a pronoun so it is never followed by a noun. In this page you will learn how to use these words with our complete grammar explanation and three online exercises. B1-B2 English grammar online.

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Exercises Explanation Downloads

Much, many, a lot, little, few, some, any, no - quantifiers

Exercise 1

Choose the correct quantifiers for each gap below.

Much, many, little, few, some, any, no - Grammar chart

Many/much

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

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

Too much/too many, so much/so many

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

How much/how many

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

A lot of/lots of/plenty of

Before both countable and uncountable

Of before noun; no of at the end of a sentence

We must always use a lot of or lots of including of at the end. 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

Few or a few? Little or a little?

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

Few means '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:

'Do you speak English?' 'No, I speak very little English.' (=Negative)

'Do you speak English?' 'Yes, I speak a little English.' (=Positive)

Some/any/no

Some in (+) and any in (?) and (-)

No in (+)

We use no in affirmative sentences.

I have no questions to ask.

With both countable (plural) and uncountable

Are there any students in the classroom? (NOT Is there any student in the classroom?)

There are no 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.

None

None is a pronoun. It means 'zero'. We use it in affirmative sentences as a pronoun to replace countable and uncountable nouns. This means that it's not followed by a noun.

None of

We can also use none of + noun (countable or uncountable).

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Much, many, a lot, little, few, some, any, no - quantifiers - Test-English

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Much, many, a lot, little, few, some, any, no - quantifiers. Determiners and pronouns. English intermediate grammar exercises.

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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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Exercises Explanation Downloads

Much, many, little, few, some, any - quantifiers

Exercise 1

Choose much, many, little, few, some, any to complete each sentence.

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; no of 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.

Few or a few? little or a little?

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:

'Do you speak English?' 'No, I speak very little English.' (=Negative)

'Do you speak English?' 'Yes, I speak a little English.' (=Positive)

Some/any

Some in (+); any in (?) (-)

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.

Are there any students in the classroom? (NOT Is there any student 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 - 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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Much, many, a lot of, a little, a few - Test-English

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Much, many, a lot of, a little, a few. How much and how many. Learn how to talk about quantity. A1 - Elementary English grammar and exercises.

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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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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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Adjectives are words that give more information about a noun or pronoun and can go in different positions in a sentence.

Read clear grammar explanations and example sentences to help you understand how adjectives are used. Then, put your grammar knowledge into practice by doing the exercises.

Choose a topic and start improving your English grammar today.

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Adjectives are words that give more information about a noun or pronoun and can go in different positions in a sentence. Read clear grammar explanations and example sentences to help you understand how adjectives are used. Then, put your grammar knowledge into practice by doing the exercises.

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Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns. We often use them to avoid repeating the nouns that they refer to. Pronouns have different forms for the different ways we use them.

Read clear grammar explanations and example sentences to help you understand how pronouns are used. Then, put your grammar knowledge into practice by doing the exercises.

Choose a topic and start improving your English grammar today.

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Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns. We often use them to avoid repeating the nouns that they refer to. Pronouns have different forms for the different ways we use them. Read clear grammar explanations and example sentences to help you understand how pronouns are used.

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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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Comparison of adjectives in English Grammar - Regular and irregular forms and examples

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Might, may and could - used for what we think was possible in the present or past.

There might / may/ could be life forms on Mars.

NASA says it may / might / could have been suitable for life in the past.

Might not ( mightn't) and may not - used for talking about negative possibility in the present or past.

Couldn't - used for something that is completely impossible.

Other scientists say that there couldn't be life on Mars.

The gas couldn't be coming from living organisms.

Oh, it can't be true! (I believe strongly that it isn't true)

There must be another explanation. (I believe there's another explanation)

They must have made a mistake! (I believe they have made a mistake)

Form
Present positive
The present positive is might / may / could / must + the infinitive of the verb be or another verb. Or the continuous be + verb-ing.

The information might be correct.

They must know that it isn't possible.

Bacteria-like organisms could be producing the gas.

Present negative
The present negative is might not / mightn't / may not / can't / couldn't + the infinitive of the verb be or another verb. Or the continuous be + verb-ing.
Past positive
The past positive is might / may / could / must + have + been or the past participle of another verb. Or the continuous been + verb-ing.

There must have been water on Mars in the past.

Something might have existed there.

Who knows what could have been living in that lake?

Past negative
The past negative is might not / mightn't / may not / can't / couldn't + have + been or the past participle of another verb. Or the continuous been + verb-ing.

There may not have been anything in the lake.

Scientists can't have found anything definite.

They mightn't have been looking in the right area.

For more notes on modals, visit our grammar reference area.

So, do you think you know how to use these modals? Next we're going to try them out by solving a murder mystery riddle. You're the detective - can you work out what happened?

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BBC Learning English - Course: intermediate / Unit 6 / Session 2 / Activity 1

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Might, may and could - used for what we think was possible in the present or past. There might / may/ could be life forms on Mars. NASA says it may / might / could have been suitable for life in the past.

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BBC Learning English - Course: lower intermediate / Unit 5

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In the final session of Unit 5 we join Phil and friends in their round-the-world adventure. Then it's time to revise this week's session with the Weekly Quiz.

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BBC Learning English - Course: lower intermediate / Unit 4

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Love it or hate it, most of us have to get to work, school or university every day. In this session, Emma and Rob tell us about their journeys to work. You'll learn some travel vocabulary and take a look at some useful language for talking about how often things happen.

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'So do I & Neither do I' Quiz - Exercise & Worksheet - UsingEnglish.com

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Test yourself with our free English language exercise about 'So do I & Neither do I'. This is a free beginner English grammar quiz and esl worksheet. No sign-up required.

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Free Grammar Lesson - So do I! Neither do I

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English Grammar Rules

SO

SO is used to show agreement with positive statements.

The Auxiliary (or To Be/Have) needs to agree with the verb tense in the original statement.

It is similar to using TOO at the end of a sentence.

Sometimes you can use So + Auxiliary + Subject as a continuation of the first part of the sentence.

John can sing well and so can his brother.
(= John can sing will and his brother can sing well too)

See our complete English lesson about SO and TOO that is a part of our Free English Course: SO - TOO - English Grammar Lesson

NEITHER

Neither is used to show agreement with negative statements.

Neither + Auxiliary + Subject (pronoun)

The Auxiliary needs to agree with the verb tense in the original statement.

It is similar to using either at the end of a sentence, although Neither is more commonly used, especially in spoken English.

A: I don't understand Spanish.
B: Neither do I. (= I don't understand Spanish either.)

A: I cannot swim.
B: Neither can I. (= I can't swim either.)

Sometimes people respond Me Neither instead of Neither + Auxiliary + Subject though this is very informal spoken English.

See our complete English lesson about NEITHER and EITHER that is a part of our Free English Course: Neither Either - English Grammar Lesson

Summary Charts

Next activities

Try our interactive game to practice the difference between these words at: So - Neither - Either.

There is also two other games that are about the use of correct tenses with So + Auxiliary + Subject and Neither + Auxiliary + Subject.

So vs. Neither Practice Exercises

If you found this grammar guide about the difference between So, Neither and Either useful, let others know about it.

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How to use SO, NEITHER and EITHER in English. Their differences and correct use in English Grammar. La diferencia entre So, Neither y Either en inglés

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Learn to spell plural nouns in English - common rules for creating plural forms

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This video presents the common spelling rules for plural nouns: -es after sh, y changes to i, and f changes to v, for example. There are several examples with each. For flashcards and matching worksheets, visit http://www.mes-english.com/flashcards/plural.php

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How to form the plural of nouns in English - Examples and Explanation

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We use quantifiers when we want to give someone information about the number of something: how much or how many.

Sometimes we use a quantifierin the place of a determiner:

Quantifiers with count and uncount nouns

We can use these quantifiers with both count and uncount nouns:

Quantifiers with count and uncount nouns 1

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Quantifiers with count and uncount nouns 2

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Level: intermediate
These more colloquial forms are also used with both count and uncount nouns:
Level: beginner
We do not normally use the quantifier some in negative and interrogative sentences. We normally use any:

but we can use some for offers and requests:

Quantifiers with count nouns

Some quantifiers can be used only with count nouns:

These more colloquial forms are used only with count nouns:

Quantifiers with uncount nouns

Some quantifiers can be used only with uncount nouns:

These quantifiers are used particularly with abstract nouns such as time, money and trouble:

Quantifiers with count and uncount nouns 3

Quantifiers with count and uncount nouns 4

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Level: intermediate
Members of groups

We put a noun directly after a quantifier when we are talking about members of a group in general:

but if we are talking about members of a specific group, we use of the as well:

Few of the snakes in this zoo are dangerous.
Most of the boys at my school play football.
He's spentall (of) the money that we gave him.
Both (of) the chairs in my office are broken.

Note: with all and both, we don't need to use of. We can say all the ... and both the ... .

both, either and neither

If we are talking about two people or things, we use the quantifiers both, either and neither:

Note that nouns with both have a plural verb but nouns with either and neither have a singular verb.

every and each

There was a party in every street. (= There were parties in all the streets.)
Every shop was decorated with flowers. (= All the shops were decorated with flowers.)
Each child was given a prize. (= All the children were given a prize.)
There was a prize in each competition. (= There were prizes in all the competitions.)

We often use every to talk about times like days, weeks and years:

We do not use a determiner with every and each:

Every shop was decorated with flowers. (NOT The every shop)
Each child was given a prize. (NOT The each child)

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We use quantifiers when we want to give someone information about the number of something: how much or how many.

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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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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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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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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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The ... the ... comparatives - Test-English

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Grammar exercise to revise the structure the ... the ... + comparative adjectives. Rewrite the sentences using a the … the ... comparative form.

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Possessives are forms that we use to talk about possessions and relationships between things and people. They take different forms depending on how they are used.

Read clear grammar explanations and example sentences to help you understand how possessives are used. Then, put your grammar knowledge into practice by doing the exercises.

Choose a topic and start improving your English grammar today.

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Possessives are forms that we use to talk about possessions and relationships between things and people. They take different forms depending on how they are used. Read clear grammar explanations and example sentences to help you understand how possessives are used. Then, put your grammar knowledge into practice by doing the exercises.

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In this lesson, we will find out how to use linking words in speaking to improve your fluency and coherence. Linking words can be used to:

link the flow of ideas in your writing

guide the reader (examiner) towards the next stage of your argument

express different views in your speaking task

For speaking you need some simple linking words to help examiner follow your ideas. These linking words will help you to express your ideas and use them in different situations.

You can use some useful words and phrases below to write a great essay to get a high score in your exam. So take a look and start to learn all of them.

English Book: How to Learn English effectively through short stories

If you love this lesson, please support us via PayPal. Thank you!

Linking Words for Speaking (Pdf)
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Top Linking Words for Speaking and Useful Words, Phrases to Write a Great Essay

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In this lesson we will find out how to use linking words in speaking to improve your fluency and coherence.