Key Concepts in English Language Structure

English Verb Tenses and Aspects

1. Present Continuous

Structure: Am/is/are + verb + -ing

• You are watching TV. (Affirmative)
• Are you watching TV? (Question)
• You are not watching TV. (Negative)

2. Simple Past

Structure (Regular Verbs): Verb + -ed

• You called him. (Affirmative)
• Did you call him? (Question)
• You did not call him. (Negative)

3. Past Continuous

Structure: Was/were + verb + -ing

• You were studying. (Affirmative)
• Were you studying? (Question)
• You weren’t studying. (Negative)

4. Perfect Tenses

Past Perfect

Structure: Had + Past Participle (V3)

• You had studied. (Affirmative)
• Had you studied? (Question)
• You hadn’t studied. (Negative)

Present Perfect Continuous

Structure: Has/have + been + verb + -ing

• You have been waiting. (Affirmative)
• Have you been waiting? (Question)
• You have not been waiting. (Negative)

Past Perfect Continuous

Structure: Had been + verb + -ing

• You had been playing. (Affirmative)
• Had you been playing? (Question)
• You had not been waiting. (Negative)

Modal and Aspectual Verbs

Used To & Would

These describe past habits or states that no longer exist.

• We used to go here every Friday.
• We would go here every Friday.
• Pete used to own a scooter.
• He didn’t use to like living here, but he does now.

Be/Get Used To

Structure: Be/get used to + -ing / noun

This structure describes familiarity or the process of becoming familiar with something.

• She’s used to going to bed late.
• He is used to the hot weather.
• They are getting used to living here.
• They have got used to the pollution.

Parts of Speech: Adjectives and Adverbs

Adjectives

We use adjectives to describe someone or something. Adjectives usually come before the noun they describe or after linking verbs.

Order of Adjectives (OSASCOMP)

1. Opinion
2. Size
3. Age
4. Shape
5. Colour
6. Origin
7. Material
8. Type

Adverbs

We use adverbs to describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They answer questions about:

• How (Adverbs of Manner)
• Where (Adverbs of Place)
• When (Adverbs of Time)
• To what degree (Adverbs of Degree)

Regular Adverbs: Adjective + -ly

Comparison Structures

These structures are used for specific types of comparison:

• Equality: As + adjective/adverb + as
• Inequality: Not as + adjective/adverb + as
• Inferiority: Less + adjective/adverb (+ than)
• Increasing Change: Comparative + and + comparative
• Proportional Change: The + comparative, the + comparative

Nouns and Articles

Countable & Uncountable Nouns

• Countable nouns can be singular or plural.
• Uncountable nouns do not have a plural form.

We can quantify uncountable nouns using phrases:

• A piece of / pieces of
• A bit of / bits of (used with some uncountable nouns)

Articles

A / AN (Indefinite Article)

Used with singular countable nouns to refer to something for the first time.

• A dog, a pencil, an ostrich, an hour.

The (Definite Article)

Used with singular countable nouns, plural countable nouns, and uncountable nouns. It refers to something specific or previously mentioned.

Vocabulary Unit 5: City Life and Actions

City Features

• Crossroad
• Post box
• Traffic light
• Road sign
• Zebra crossing
• Pavement
• Telephone box
• Roundabout
• Car park
• City centre
• Petrol station
• Shopping centre
• Taxi rank
• Bus station

Actions and Phrasal Verbs

• Take a taxi
• Take time
• Keep someone’s place
• Keep track of something
• Follow the rules
• Follow the crowd
• Get lost
• Get tired
• Turn left
• Turn right

Core Movement Verbs

Get, Go, Turn, Head, Take, Come.

Vocabulary Unit 6: Food and Cooking

Food Items

• Apple pie
• Apple juice
• Bread roll
• French fries
• Hot pie
• Hot chocolate
• Hot drink
• Hot water
• Soft roll
• Soft drink
• Turkey pie
• Turkey sandwich
• Turkey roll
• Mineral water
• Orange juice

Cooking Verbs

• Mix
• Bake
• Boil
• Grill
• Slice
• Peel
• Fry

Descriptive Adjectives

• Cheerless, cheerful, cheery
• Colourless, colourful
• Tasteless, tasteful, tasty
• Healthy
• Spicy
• Fatty