Lesson One

Be - Present Tense
Subject + verb

Singular Plural

I am We are
You are You are
He is
She is They are
It is
Write in your notebook. Whenever you see a chart like this,

write it out in your notebook by hand

Subjects: I, you, he, she, it, we, and they.

"You" is singular or plural.

After the subject, the verb "be" changes to am, is, or are.
I am a teacher

You are a
student.

He is a man.

She is a woman.

It is an apple.

We arepeople
I
 you

I + you = we

You arestudents.

They areworkers.
 Lesson Two
Be - Present Tense Negative

Subject + (be) + not

Singular Plural

I am not We are not

You are not You are not
He is not
She is not They are not
It is not

I am not a student.
I'm a teacher.

You are not a teacher.

You are a student.

 He is notoutside.
He's inside.

She is notangry.
She's happy.

It is not a chair.

It's an apple.

We are notstudents.
We are a family.

You are not a family.

You are students.

They are notstudents.

They are workers.

contractions:

I am not We are not

I'm not We aren't

We're not
You are not You are not

You aren't You aren't

You're not You're not

He is not

He isn't

He's not
They are not
She is not
They aren't
She isn't
They're not
She's not

It is not
It isn't

It's not
 Lesson Three
Be - Present Tense Questions
(Be) + Subject + ____?

Singular Plural

Am I.... Are we...

Are you... Are you....

Is he....
Is she... Are they....

Is it.....

Yes-No Questions:

Question: Are you a student?

Answer: Yes, I am.

 Am I a teacher?

(Yes, you are.)

Are you a student?

(Yes, I am.)

Is he a student?
(Yes, he is.)

Is she a student?

(Yes, she is.)

Is this a house?

(Yes, it is.)

Are we in class?

(Yes, you are. )

or

(Yes, we are.)

Are you busy?

(Yes, we are.)

Are they happy?

(Yes, they are.)

 Blue Level Quiz #13: Making questions with the verb "be" in the present tense

Part A.

Directions: Complete each question with the verb "be" in the present tense (am,
is, or are). (10 points)

1. __________ you a student?

2. __________ the test today?

3. __________ the students in the classroom?

4. __________ I early?

5. __________ this a good book?

6. __________ your hands clean?

7. __________ Bina at work today?

8. __________ we on time?

9. __________ you tired?

10. __________ that clock right?

Part B.

Directions: Complete each question with the verb "be" in the present tense (am,
is, or are) after the question word. (10 points)

1. Where ___________ I?

2. When ___________ the movie on?

3. Why ____________ you here?

4. How ___________ you?

5. What __________ it?

6. Who ___________ that?

7. What time __________ it?

8. How many books ___________ on the shelf?

9. How much ___________ the ticket?

10. How cold ___________ the drinks?

Part C.

Directions: Complete each sentence with the verb "be" and the correct pronoun. (10
points)

1. __________ __________ at work today? (a woman)

2. __________ __________ outside? (children)

3. __________ __________ online? (first person, singular)

4. __________ __________ hot outside? (the weather)

5. __________ __________ on the phone? (a man)

6. __________ ___________ ready? (first person, plural)

7. __________ __________ any fun? (a game)

8. __________ __________ charged yet? (batteries)

9. __________ ___________ any good? (a salad)

10. __________ ___________ angry at me? (a person I talk to)

Part D.

Directions: Make a question with the verb "be" in the preset tense Use the picture to the
right for ideas. (10 points)

1. ________________________________________?

2. ________________________________________?

3. ________________________________________?

4. ________________________________________?

5. ________________________________________?
 Lesson Four
Nouns and Pronouns

Nouns
Nouns represent people, places, things, activities,
emotions, and ideas.

(1) a person (2) a place (3) a thing

Nicaragua

actor pliers

(4) an emotion (5) an idea

idea
 love

Examples of nouns:

1. That man is an actor.

2. That country is beautiful.

3. I use pliers to fix things.

4. Everyone needs love.

5. I have an idea! Let's go see a movie!

 Lesson Five
this / that / these / those

This That

A thing or a person is A thing or a person is

close far
This = singular That = singular
These Those

Things or people are Things or people are

close far
These = plural Those = plural

This pencil in my hand is yellow.

These pencils are not very sharp.

Far = x..............................y

That car across the street is red.

Those cars in the parking lot are blue.

 Take these stairs to get to those buildings.

That blue building in the

middle of this picture is very tall.

The video below might help:

"That" is often contracted with the singular form of the verb "be"

That is a window. = That's a window.

That is my friend, Tom. = That's my friend, Tom.

"That's" usually sounds much better than to say, "That is."

"That" can't be contracted in the plural form: That're (no!)

This, these, and those can't take contractions.

 Lesson Six
There

Singular

There is a black cat.

There is a boy behind the

tree.

There is a student in the

classroom.

Questions:

 Is there a boy behind the tree?

 Is there a student in the classroom?
 Plural

There are three

football players.

There are two

people and two
dogs.

There are two little

girls playing with
blocks.

Questions:

 Are there three football players?

 Are there two little girls playing with blocks?
Remember: The word "there" can be singular or plural. It
depends on the words that follow it.

 There is a book on the table. (singular)

 There are three books on the table. (plural)

When using "there" you must think ahead to the noun that follows
it. This noun is the subject. "There" is a dummy subject.

"There" is used for information and facts.

Sometimes "there" is singular, and sometimes
"there" is plural.

Examples:

 There is a clock on the wall. (singular)

 There's a rabbit in the
backyard.(singular)

There is = There's. Most Americans use the

contraction, there's

 There are seven days in a

week. (plural).
 There are some flowers on the table.
(plural)

There are = (no contraction) Some Americans

say "there's" even when the subject is plural.
You shouldn't do that.
write:

1. _________ ________ a restaurant on this street.

2. _________ ________ a lot of people here.

3. _________ ________ some water on the floor.

4. _________ ________ a police officer over there.

5. _________ ________ some flowers on the table.

 Lesson Seven
The Present Tense

The Present Tense

Singular Plural

I learn We learn
You learn You learn
He learns

She learns They learn

It learns

You learn English every day.

He learns English at school.

They learn English on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The Present Tense describes the things you do

every day. Note the use of an "s" at the end of
the verb when describing a man, a woman, or a
thing.

Do not confuse the present tense with the

simple form.
Here's the present tense for the verb "work."

I work

You work

He works

She works

It works
 I
We work +

you

You work

They work
 Present Tense - Negative

do + not + verb

Singular Plural
I do not work We do not work
You do not work You do not work
He does not work
She does not work They do not work
It does not work

Contractions:

do + not = don't

does + not = doesn't

Singular Plural
I don't work We don't work
You don't work You don't work
He doesn't work
She doesn't work They don't work
It doesn't work
 Practice:

1. I ___ to school every day. (go)

2. She _____ to school every day. (go - negative)

3. Juan and Martha _____ a large family. (have)

4. He ______ a car. (have - negative)

5. You _____ from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day (work)

6. I ______ on the weekends. (work - negative)

7. It _____ a lot in the winter in Minnesota. (snow)

8. It _____ in the summer. (snow - negative)

9. We _____ how to speak English. (know)

10. We _____ how to speak Italian. (know - negative)

Part A. Part C.

Directions: Complete each sentence with the Conjugate the verb "have" in the present tense (5
correct form of the verb in the present tense. (10 points)
points)
singular plural
1. She _______ to school three times a week. (go)

2. My father ________ at that restaurant. (work)

3. I _______ English during the week. (study)

4. We ______ some time to go to the store. (have)

5. My car _______ a new set of tires. (have)

6. John _______ his shopping on the weekend.

(do)

7. They _______ at that table everyday. (sit)

8. A plumber _______ leaky pipes and toilets.

(fix) Conjugate the verb "have" in the present
tense negative (5 points)
9. You always ______ me good advice. (give)

10. They ______ very good students. (be) singular plural

Part B.

Directions: Make each of the above sentences

negative. (10 points)

1. She __________ __________to school. (go)

2. My father _______ ________at that restaurant.

(work)

3. I _______ _________English during the week.

(study)

4. We _____ ________ any time to go to the store.

(have)

5. My car _______ _________a new set of tires.

(have)

6. John ______ _____his shopping on the

 Lesson Eight
The Present Continuous Tense
S + (be) + _____ing

Click for the audio.

Singular Plural

I am learning We are learning

You are learning You are learning

He is learning
They are learning
She is learning

It is learning

You are learning English right now.

He is learning English at school.

They are learning English.

The Present Continuous Tense usually

describes things that are happening now, but it
can also be used to describe important things in
your life, and future activity.

Do not confuse the present continuous tense

with the "going to" future or with gerunds.

Notice the use of contractions in the

examples below.

Contraction: Subject + (be).

Example: He + is = He's

The Present Continuous Tense

I am
eating.
I'm eating

You are
eating.
You're eating.

He is
eating.
He's eating.
 She is
eating.
She's eating.

It is eating.
It's eating.

We are
eating.
We're eating.

(You + I = We)
I

you
You are
eating.
You're eating.
 You (plural)

They are
eating.
They're eating.

This man is eating soup.

She is winking at you.

This boy is getting some cotton candy.

 Lesson Nine
Have (present tense)

S + has / have

Have (present tense)

S + has / have

Singular Plural

I have We have
You have You have
He has

She has They have

It has
"Have" is usually used for ownership, ability, or
for a description....

 I have a new car.

 They have time to go to the movies.
 She has brown eyes.
 He has a beard.

...but the word "have" is also a very popular

substitute for the words "eat" and "drink."

 She has coffee every morning.

 (She drinks coffee every morning.)

 He has pancakes for breakfast.

 (He eats pancakes for breakfast.)
Have is also an important helping verb:

 I have lived in Minnesota for three years.

In the example above, (have) + (past participle) make

the present perfect tense.

I have glasses.

You have
sunglasses.

He has a gun.
 She has a
tricycle.

The cake has a

lot of fruit on
top of it.

We have time to
learn English.
 They have a
hamburger and
french fries.

All three
children have
popsicles.

Note: To make "have" negative in the present

tense, use don't or doesn't + have.

Correct: He doesn't have any money. / I don't

have any money.

Incorrect: He hasn't any money. (but okay in

British English)

Have - Present Tense (negative with contraction)

Singular Plural
I don't have.... We don't have...
You don't have... You don't have...
He doesn't have...
She doesn't have... They don't have...
It doesn't have...
 Lesson Ten
Articles
A / An / The

Singular Plural

a / an the

the ---

Articles are used in front of nouns.

"A" or "an" are always singular.

"The" is singular or plural.
Some plural nouns don't use an
article.
When using articles, it's important to also know the
difference between count and noncount nouns.

I have glasses.

(plural - a /an )
 Or....I have a pair of glasses

You have a hat.

(singular count noun)

But....the second time you

describe the hat, you say:

The hat is blue.

He has
some strawberries.

(plural count noun)

The strawberries are in his

mouth (second mention).

She has a popsicle.

(singular count noun)

The popsicle tastes good!

or....

Popsicles taste good.

The cat has some water.

(Water is a non-count
noun)
The water
a / an ) is in a bowl. The bowl is purple.

We have time to
learn English.

(time and English are

noncount nouns.
I + you = we
Sometimes the is used;
sometimes it isn't.)

They
have a goodrelationship.

(relationship is a singular
count noun)

All three children

have popsicles.

The popsiclestaste
good.

(Popsicle is a plural count

noun)
There are a lot of rules for articles:

1. Don't put an article in front of the name of a place.

 Correct: Minneapolis is a great city.

 Not correct: The Minneapolis is a great city.

But it is correct to use the name of a place as an adjective:

 The Minneapolis skyline is beautiful at night.

 The Chicago River is painted green on St. Patrick's Day.

2. Indefinite amounts or general qualities don't take an article.

 Pennies are made of copper.

 The copper in this penny is turning brown. (This is a
specific amount.)
 Water is good for you.
 The water in this glass tastes bad.(This is a specific
amount.)
 Honesty is the best policy.

3. Don't use an article with possessive nouns or pronouns.

This is the Paul's website.

4. The definite article can be used with singular or plural nouns:

 The apples taste great. (plural)

 The apple tastes great. (singular)
 Apples taste great. (general category)
 The water is clean. (noncount noun)
 Water is necessary for life.
 Lesson Eleven

Prepositions

Prepositions show location, proximity, and

relationships:

He is standing on a pencil.

She is at the beach.

The flower is in the glass.

Prepositions are necessary to learn about. The most
important to learn now are in, at, and on. Most
prepositions have very specific applications as shown
below:

You can
get intothe
house through this
door.

The cat is
drinking from a
bowl.

There is
food onthe table.
 Another very common preposition is "to."

There are hundreds of different prepositions and

prepositional phrases. To learn them all will take years of
practice. The best way to learn them well is by reading
books, magazines, and newspapers. Listening to the
radio helps as well. You can also learn about
prepositions in class from a teacher, but it's important to
realize that it requires a lot of practice and memorization.
Some common prepositions are listed below in
alphabetical order. I'll add more as I think of them.

about: They read about the car accident in the newspaper.

above: Planes fly above the ground

across: We walked across the street to get a slice of pizza.

across from: Across the street from the park is a hospital.

after: Tom and Sue had some ice cream afterdinner.

against: She was so tired that she had to lean against the
wall.

along: I noticed a lot of garbage along the side of the

highway.

at: He needs to be at work in the afternoon.

before: Tom and Sue bought popcorn before the movie.

behind: What's behind the door?

below: It was 41 degrees below zero yesterday. (- 41

degrees!)

beneath: Get beneath the covers and keep warm tonight.

beside: I put the shovel beside the fence.

between: B comes between A and C.

by: You should try to be here by 10:00.

down: Let's walk down the street and get some gyros.

for: They work for a big company.

from: Ali moved to Minnesota from Somalia.

in: Now he lives in Minnesota.

in back of: John parked his car in back of the store.

in front of: The sign in front of the store told him to park in
back.

into: When we walked into the classroom, we met the

teacher.

inside: Is there any food inside the refrigerator?

near: Jorge lives near the place where he works, so he walks

to work.

of: There are plenty of apples for everybody to have one.

off: She got off the bus at the corner.

on: Look on the table and you'll see the books.

onto: They walked onto the airplane and sat down.

out: A cat fell out the window, but he survived the fall.

outside: The teachers are talking together outsidethe

classroom.

through: Running through a waterfall is refreshing.

to: Did you go to the store yet?

with: Who did you go to movies with?

or....With whom did you go to the movies?

Prepositions Exercise

Directions: Choose the best preposition.

1. I walked _______ the classroom from the hallway.

2. We all stayed _______ home and watched TV last weekend.

3. Can I borrow your car _______ a few days?

4. She said she'd be here ________ an hour.

5. The nation was informed of the bad news ________ TV.

6. John quickly walked _________ the door when he heard someone

knock.

7. The store is _______ the corner of Nicollet and 44th Street.

8. It has been snowing nonstop ___________ Tuesday.

9. Although my arm still hurts, it's getting better day ________ day.

10. He usually goes _______ a walk in the park in the morning.

 Lesson Twelve
The Past Tense

There are two types of past tense verbs:

regular verbs: add "ed" to the simple form

irregular verbs: don't add "ed"

Regular Verbs Irregular Verbs

simple past simple past

work worked be was/were

live lived get got

move moved go went

walk walked put put

open opened eat ate

wait waited have had

Remember to write in your notebook.

Regular verbs add ed to make the past tense (work /

worked) and irregular verbs change their form entirely
(go / went), or they don't change at all (put / put). The
most important verb to learn first in the past tense is "be."
 Be - Past Tense

Singular Plural

I was We were

You were You were

He was

She was They were

It was

I was at school yesterday.

We were in New York last week.

It was cold this morning.

Now, watch this video:

Only the verb "be" changes its form for the singular or
plural. All the other verbs, regular and irregular, use one
form in the past tense, which makes the past tense a little
easier to use when making statements.

More practice with this important verb ("be") comes

in Lesson 16.
 Regular Verb: Learn

Subject + _____ed

Singular Plural

I learned We learned

You learned You learned

He learned

She learned They learned

It learned

To make the negative, use "did" + "not"

(didn't) + the main verb in the simple form:

Singular Plural

I did not learn We did not learn

You did not learn You did not learn

He did not learn

She did not learn They did not learn

It did not learn

 Irregular Verb: Have

Subject + ________

(irregular verbs take many different forms in the past tense)

Singular Plural

I had We had

You had You had

He had

She had They had

It had

Review:

The Past Tense describes the things you

did yesterday, last year, back in February, in 1973,
or an hour ago.

Regular verbs, such as learn, take an "ed" ending

after the subject.

work---worked, learn---learned, visit---visited

Irregular verbs change their form entirely or not at all.

eat---ate, go---went, be---was/were, hit---hit, cut---cut

The form of the past tense is not dependent on the

 subject. See the example below:

Regular Verb - work:

I worked yesterday.

Irregular Verb - eat:

I ate breakfast earlier. I

Regular Verb - work:

You worked yesterday.

Irregular Verb - eat:

You ate breakfast earlier. you

Regular Verb - work:

He worked yesterday.

Irregular Verb - ate:

he
He ate breakfast earlier.

Regular Verb - work:

She worked yesterday.

Irregular Verb - ate:

she
She ate lunch an hour ago.

Regular Verb - like:

The cat liked her food.

Irregular Verb - eat:

it
She ate her food.

Regular Verb - arrive:

We arrived on time.

Irregular Verb - be:

I + you = we

We were on time.

Regular Verb - share:

You shared a milkshake.

Irregular Verb - have:

you
You had a nice lunch.

Regular Verb - visit:

They visited the beach.

they
Irregular Verb - go / eat:

They went to the beach

and ate popsicles.

Lesson Thirteen
Information Questions

Question
...used for this information.
Words...

Who a person

What a thing / fact

Where a location / place

When time / day / year / month

Why reason

How method / quality

Questions using question words follow two basic
patterns:

Question Word + Verb + Subject

QW + V + S

Who is he?

...or

Question Word + Verb + Subject + Verb

QW + V + S + V

Where do they live?

Who am I?
You're a teacher.

Where are
you?
I'm in the classroom.
What does he
have?
He has some
strawberries.

Where is she?
She's at the beach.

Why is the cat

drinking
water?
It's thirsty.

When do we
have class?
We have class in the
morning.

You + I = We
 How are they
drinking their
milkshake?
They're drinking it
with a straw.

What do they
have?
They have
popsicles.

Practice:

1. ____________ are you? (location / place)

2. ____________ are those people? (people)

3. ____________ is the time? (fact / truth / information)

4. ____________ is he upset? (reason)

5. ____________ is the party? (date / time)

6. ____________ is the weather today? (quality)

7. ____________ coffee is there? (amount)

8. ____________ oranges are on the table? (amount)

 Lesson Fourteen
Possessive Adjectives

Possessive adjectives show ownership or

belonging. They must go somewhere before a
noun.

I am a teacher.

You are mystudent.

You are a student.

I am yourteacher.

He is playing a
guitar.

It is his guitar.

This is a woman.

Her hair is red.

This is a cat.

It is eating itsfood.

We are
eating our lunch.
I

(I + you = we)

you
You are students.

You are
in yourclassroom.

They are children.

They are
eating their popsicles.
Practice:

1. I am practicing ___ English.

2. You are working with _____ teacher

3. We are doing ______ work.

4. They are in _______ house.

5. Open _____ books and turn to the first

lesson.

6. She wants to see ______ father.

7. It has ______ own food.

8. ______ name is (your name here).

9. ______ name is John.

10. _____ name is Julia.

The answers are below.

Nouns are also used as possessive adjectives:

Examples:

This is her book. / This is the girl's book.

That is his car. / That is John's car.

Where are their coats? / Where are

the children's coats?
 Lesson Fifteen
Possessive Pronouns

Subject Possessive Adjective Possessive Pronoun

I my mine

you your yours

he his his

she her hers

it its its

we our ours

you your yours

they their theirs

A possessive adjective is used

before a noun.

A possessive
pronoun is not used before a
noun.
I am a teacher.

This is my website.

This website is mine.

You are a student.

Is that your chair?

Is that chair yours?

He is playing his guitar.

The guitar is his.

This is a woman.

Her hair is red.

My hair is brown. Hers is red.

This is a crocodile.

It's showing its teeth.

("Its" is used for animals and things.)

We are working on our websites.

The websites are ours.

(mine + yours = ours)

You are students.

You are in yourclassroom. This classroom is yours.

They are children.

They are eating their popsicles. The popsicles

are theirs.
Blue Level
 Lesson Sixteen
Be - Past Tense

The verb "be" has two forms in the past tense:

was and were

Singular Plural

I was We were

You were You were

He was

She was They were

It was
 Listen and read with me:

I was in my classroom
yesterday.

You were there, too.

He was at a movie last night.

She was at home.

This cantaloupe wasin my

garden this morning.

It was delicious.

We were at school yesterday.

(I + you = we)

I
 you

You were on this website

earlier.

They were outside in the

snow.
 To make a question....

Singular Plural

Was I ... Were we ...

Were you ... Were you ...

Was he ...

Was she ... Were they ...

Was it ...

To make the negative add "not"

He was not in school yesterday.

He wasn't in school yesterday.

was not = wasn't / were not = weren't

 Lesson Seventeen

Telling Time
Important verbs for asking about and telling time:

have, know, be, tell

Questions: Answers:

Do you have the time? Sure, it's 6:00.

Sorry, I'm not wearing a

Do you know what time it is?
watch.

What time is it? 5:50

Can you tell me what time it is,

It's a quarter after two.
please?

Watch this video:

Important vocabulary

 o'clock = :00 ( 7:00 = seven o'clock )

 a quarter after = 15 minutes after the hour ( 3:15 = It's a quarter
after three.)
 a quarter past = 15 minutes after the hour (3:15 = It's a quarter
past three.)
 a quarter before = 15 minutes before the hour( 3:45 = It's a quarter
before four )
 a quarter to = 15 minutes before the hour (3:45 = It's a quarter to four.)
 half past = 30 minutes after the hour ( 11:30 = It's half past eleven)
 thirty = 30 minutes after the hour. (11:30 = It's eleven thirty.)

---
 The easiest way to tell someone the time is to use a
digital format. For example, when someone asks you
what time it is, you can say, "It's 5:30." Instead of,
"It's half past five."

"It's 5:13." = (five thirteen) or

"It's 5:02." (five o two)*

or "It's 5:50." (five fifty)

*Note: 0 is pronounced "O" not "zero."

Giving the Date

Question: Answers:

What's today?

or Today's Tuesday, June 6. (June

sixth)
What day is it
today?

What's the date? It's June 6. or It's the 6th of June.

There's a difference between "day" and "date"

 day: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, etc.

 date: June 6

When someone asks you the date, it's not necessary to give the year. For example:

 What's the date? ----> It's June 6. (Not It's June 6, 2005)

Make sure you use ordinal numbers when you say the date. You can listen to the way I say the
date every day on my blog. When someone asks about time in the future or the past, use the
year.

 When were you born? ----> March 25, 1965

When did you arrive in the U.S.? ----> In 2002.

When is the next election? ----> In November of 2010.

 Lesson Eighteen

Months

January is the first month of the year.

The first month of the year is January.

January comes after December.

It comes before February.

This month begins the year.

February is the second month of the year.

The second month of the year is February.

February comes after January.

It comes before March.

March is the third month of the year.

The third month of the year is March.

March comes after February.

It comes before April.

April is the fourth month of the year.

The fourth month of the year is April.

April comes after March.

It comes before May.

May is the fifth month of the year.

The fifth month of the year is May.

May comes after April.

It comes before June.

June is the sixth month of the year.

The sixth month of the year is June.

June comes after May.

It comes before July.

July is the seventh month of the year.

The seventh month of the year is July.

July comes after June.

It comes before August.

August is the eighth month of the year.

The eighth month of the year is August.

August comes after July.

It comes before September.

September is the ninth month of the year.

The ninth month of the year is September.

September comes after August.

It comes before October.

October is the tenth month of the year.

The tenth month of the year is October.

October comes after September.

It comes before November.

November is the eleventh month of the year.

The eleventh month of the year is November.

November comes after October.

It comes before December.

December is the twelfth month of the year.

The twelfth month of the year is December.

The last month of the year is December.

December comes after November.

It comes before January.

This month ends the year.

 Lesson Twenty-Three

can / can't
singular plural
I can ______ We can ______
You can ______ You can ______
He can ______
She can ______ They can ______
It can ______

After the modal verb "can," the main

verb is in the simple form. What's the
simple form? Click here to learn.

I can help you.

She can go to the movies.

They can do many things with their hands.

subject modal verb main verb

I can help
She can go
They can do

To make "can" negative, add "not"

can + not = cannot or can't

 singular plural
I can't ______ We can't ______
You can't
You can't ______
______
He can't ______
She can't They can't
______ ______
It can't ______

I can't help you.

She can't go out tonight.

They cannot speak English.

examples

A: Can you play the

piano?

B: Yes, I can. or....

B: No, I can't.
A: Can he cook?

B: Yes, he
can. or....

B: No, he can't.

She's very talented.

She can do many
things.

She can speak French.

She can play the piano,
and she can dance.

A: Does she know how

to play tennis?

B: Well, she can't play

very well, but she's still
learning.
A: What are some of his
skills?

B: He can use a
chainsaw.

write!

Directions: Practice writing sentences and questions with "can." Use the verb in
parentheses.

1. We ________ ________ you later. (meet)

2. What ________ you ________ for them? (do)
3. It ________ ________ your life easier. (make)
4. They ________ ________ their rent. (afford -- negative)
5. Why _______ she _______ on time? (come -- negative)
 Lesson Twenty-five

want
Present Tense

singular plural
I want _____ We want _____
You want _____ You want _____
He wants _____

She wants _____ They want _____

It wants _____

The verb "want" requires an object:

 I want a banana. (The word "banana" is an object.)
 She wants some coffee. (The word "coffee" is an object.)
 They want some help. (The word "help" is an object.)

Present Tense - negative

singular plural
I don't want _____ We don't want _____
You don't want _____ You don't want _____
He doesn't want _____
They don't want _____
She doesn't want _____
 It doesn't want _____

Remember: You must have an object after the verb "want."

 I don't want any mustard on my sandwich.

 He doesn't want to go home. (The infinitive, "to go" is the object.)
 We don't want them.

The word "want" is often heard in questions:

 What do you want?

 Do you want anything to drink?
 Does he want anything to drink?
 Where do they want to go today?
 When do you want to leave for the airport?

Here are some examples:

 A: What do you want?

 B: I want a cup of coffee.

a cup of coffee.

 A: What does he want to

do?
 B: He wants to play
basketball. He doesn't
want to play football.
  A: What do they want to
do?
 B: They want to go hiking.
They don't want to go
swimming.

Practice

Directions: Fill in the blanks with the helping verb (do or does)
and the main verb (want or wants).

1- 10 Present Tense:

1. What _______ you _________ ?

2. I ________ to get a Coke.
3. What ________ she ________?
4. She _________ a new bike.
5. What ________ they ________?
6. They ________ to go on a trip.
7. He _________ __________ anything. (negative)
8. We _________ __________ that car. (negative)
9. What _________ the dog _________?
10. He __________ to go out.
 Lesson Twenty-six

want
Past Tense

singular plural
I wanted _____ We wanted _____
You wanted _____ You wanted _____
He wanted _____

She wanted _____ They wanted _____

It wanted _____

The verb "want" requires an object:

 I wanted some coffee. (The word "coffee" is an object.)
 He wanted a new car. (The word "car" is an object.)
 We wanted a vacation. (The word "vacation" is an object.)

Past Tense - negative

singular plural
I didn't want _____ We didn't want _____
You didn't want _____ You didn't want _____
He didn't want _____
They didn't want _____
 She didn't want _____

It didn't want _____

Remember: You must have an object after the verb "want."

 You didn't want the job.

 My dog didn't want to stay home. (The infinitive, "to stay" functions as the object in
this sentece.)
 The kids didn't want the brocolli.

These questions are asked in the past tense:

 What did you want?

 Did they want any more juice?
 Did your neighbor want any help?
 When did he want to eat?
 When did you want to leave for the airport? (This question and the one before it
are in the past tense, but they refer to a future event.)

Here are some examples:

 A: What did he
want?
 B: He wanted his
bottle. Now he's
happy!
 A: What did she
want to do when she
was a little girl?
 B: She wanted to
become a ballerina,
and now she is.

 A: What did they

want to do
yesterday?
 B: They wanted to
go skating, so they
went to the park and
skated around the
lake.

Practice
 Directions: Fill in the blanks to make the past tense with the
helping verb (did) and the main verb (want).

1- 10 Past Tense:

1. What _______ they _________ ?

2. They ________ a ride.
3. What ________ he ________?
4. He _________ something to drink.
5. What ________ you ________ to do?
6. I ________ to see a movie.
7. We _________ __________ that house. (negative)
8. The childen _________ __________ to leave. (negative)
9. Why _________ she _________ the job? (negative)
10. My mother _______ ________ me to do that. (negative)


 Lesson Twenty-seven

would like

singular plural
I would like ____ We would like _____
You would like ______ You would like _____
He would like_____

She would like _____ They would like _____

It would like _____

would like = want

The verb "would like" requires an object, a gerund, or an infinitive after

it:
 I would like a bagel. (The word "bagel" is an object.)
 He'd like a new job. (The word "job" is an object. Notice that the subject and "would"
are contracted to form "He'd." This is very common.)
 They'd like a new dog. (The word "dog" is an object.)
 They'd like to get a new dog. ("To get" is an infinitive.)

Most people make a contraction with the subject and "would."

I would like a burrito = I'd like a burrito.

She would like to make a call. = She'd like to make a call.

 Present Tense - negative

singular plural
I wouldn't like _____ We wouldn't like ____
You wouldn't like____ You wouldn't like ____
He wouldn't like ____

She wouldn't like ____ They wouldn't like ____

It wouldn't like ____

Remember: You must have an object after "would like."

You can also use a gerund after "would like."

 You wouldn't like living there. ("Living" is a gerund.)

 He probably wouldn't like the food.
 They wouldn't like doing that kind of work. ("Doing" is a gerund.)

Note: Using "would like" in the negative is not always an easy thing to do. This expresses an
opinion about a person that might not be true.

ooooooooooooo
QUESTIONS:

These questions are made with "would like."

would like = do want

 What would you like on your pizza?

 Would you like to go out tonight?
 Would they like to go to the park?
 What time would you like to leave?
 How many pieces of chicken would you like?
 Here are some examples:

 A: What would she like to do

some day?
 B: She'd like to become a
professional photographer

(She'd = She would)

 A: Would he like to improve

his English?
 B: Yes, he would. (or...)

 B: Yes, he would like that

very much.

 A: What would she like to do

today?
 B: She'd like to read some
books.
 asking and answering questions with "would like."

Practice

Directions: Fill in the blanks with "would" and "like."

1- 10 would like

1. What _______ you _________ to eat?

2. I ________ _________ a hot dog.
3. What ________ she ________?
4. She ________ ________ some french fries.
5. How _________ you __________ your steak?
6. I _________ _________ it well done.
7. They _________ __________ to watch TV.
8. Your parents __________ _________ that. (negative)
9. Bob _________ _________ living in California. (negative)
10. ________ you _________ some ketchup?

(Answers: 1. would....like; 2. would like; 3. would...like; 4. would like; 5.

would....like; 6. would like; 7. would like; 8. wouldn't like; 9. wouldn't like; 10.
Would....l
 Lesson Twenty-eight

need

Present Tense

singular plural
I need _______ We need _____
You need ______ You need _____
He needs _____

She needs _____ They need _____

It needs _____

The verb "need" requires an object or an infinitive after it:

 I need some coffee. (The word "coffee" is an object.)

 She needs a ride. (The word "ride" is an object.)
 We need to go home. ("To go" is an infinitive.)

Present Tense - negative

singular plural
I don't need _____ We don't need ____
You don't need ____ You don't need ____
He doesn't need____
They don't need ____
 She doesn't need ____

It doesn't need ____

Remember: You must have an object or an infinitive after "need."

 They don't need a new car . (The word "car" is a noun that functions as
an object in this sentence.)
 She doesn't need to work tomorrow. ("To work" is an infinitive.)
 This flashlight doesn't need batteries. (The word "need" is often used
with things. It doesn't need batteries.)

The verb "need" is often used in questions:

 Is there something that you need?

 What does he need to do today?
 Do you need anything from the store?
 Why do you need to work on Saturday?
 Will I need to wear a jacket today?

Here are some examples:

 A: What do you need from

the store?
 B: I need some bread.

or ....

 B: I need to get some

bread.
 A: Does he need to go to
school today?
 B: Yes, he needs to go to
school.

or ....

 B: Yes, he does.
 B: Yes, he needs. (Don't
make a sentence like this!)

 A:How many potatoes do

we need?
 B: We need at least ten
potatoes.
 How much lettuce do we
need?
 We need three heads of
lettuce.
 Practice

Directions: Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the

verb "need." Some questions require "do" or "does."

1. What _______ he _________ ?

2. He ________ a pencil.
3. ______ you ________ any help?
4. I ________ ________ this. (negative)
5. Who _________ more to eat?
6. This flashlight _________ batteries.
7. The students _________ books.
8. I _______ ________ to go to work today.
(negative)
9. When _______ they ________ to leave?
10. My car __________ an oil change.

(Answers: 1. does....need; 2. needs; 3. Do....need; 4. don't need; 5. needs;

6. needs; 7. need; 8. don't need; 9. do....need; 10. needs)
 Blue Level

Review
Write your answers by hand. (or print out the PDF)

Use the correct verb (present

tense):

1. She _________ a mother. (be)

2. She _________ a baby. (have)

3. Her baby ________ asleep. (be)

4. They _________ together. (be)

5. Her husband ________ a job.

(have)

6. He _________ there. (be --

negative)

7. They _________ a nice family.

(have)
Use the correct verb for these
questions (present tense):

8. ________ they outside? (be)

9. ________ it the weekend? (be)

10. ________ they ________ a lot of

time together? (spend)

11. ________ he ________ time to

be with his children? (have)
Use the correct pronoun:

12. ________ is a student. (boy)

13. ________ is a student, too. (girl)

14. Their parents send ________ to

a good school. (boy and girl)

15. ________ like to go to school.

(boy and girl)

16. Their school is near their

home. ________ is a good
school.

17. She has a lot

of books. ________ are in her
backpack.
Use the correct possessive
adjective:

18. ________ vacation starts in

June. (girl)

19. When does _______ vacation

start? (you)

20. ________ vacation is in

August. (I)
Use the correct possessive
pronoun:

21. My sweatshirt is green. ______

is gray. (boy)

22. His books are in his hands.

________ are on my desk. ( I )

23. Our school is close. ________ is

far away. (a group, plural for "he" and
"she")

24. My class starts at 7:30. When

does _______ start? (you)

25. Their school isn't open today,

but _______ is. (you + I )

Use "there" and the verb "be" in

the present tense:

26. How many sailboats _______

_______?

27. ________ ________ two

sailboats.

28. ________ ________ any clouds

in the sky?

29. No, ________ ________.

30. It looks like ________ ________

a race today.
Use "this," "that," "these," or
"those."

31. ________ man is a hunter.

(close)

32. He's shooting at ________

ducks. (far)

33. ________ is duck-hunting

season. (now)

34. ________ forest rangers over

there checked his hunting license.
(far)

Use the correct verbs for the

present tense:

35. When ________ you _______ to

work in the morning? (go)

36. What time ________ your wife

______ for work? (leave)

37. How often ________ the train

_______? (come)

38. How many people ________ on

the train? (be)
Use the correct verbs for the
present continuous tense:

39. What ________ he ________?

(do)

40. He ________ ________ a

chainsaw. (use)

41. What _________ his coworkers

________? (do)

42. They ________ ________ him.

(help)

Use the correct article (or no

article):

43. She has _______ new bike.

44. ________ bike is purple.

45. She has ________ fun riding her

bike.

46. She lives on _______ street

without _____ lot of traffic.

47. _______ other streets nearby

have too much _______ traffic.
Use the correct preposition:

48. She lives ________ Chicago.

49. She lives ________ Clark Street.

50. She's talking ________ the

phone.

51. She's a little mad ________ her

boyfriend.

52. She's not happy ________ him.

Use the past tense:

53. ________ you __________

some of this watermelon? (eat)

54. Yes, I __________ a bite. (take)

55. How ________ it? (be)

56. It _________ very good. (be --

negative)
Use the past tense:

57. What ________ they ________

yesterday? (do)

58. They ________ hockey. (play)

59. _________ they _________ a

good time? (have)

60. Yes, they ________.

Use information words to make

questions (who, what, where,
when, or why):

61. ________ are they? (people)

62. ________ do they work?

(location)

63. ________ do they take a break?

(time)

64. ________ are they talking

together? (reason)
Use "how often," "how much," or
"how many" for each question:

65. ________ ________ time does

she have to exercise?

66. ________ ________ different

exercises does she do?

67. ________ ________ does she

go to the gym?

68. ________ ________ people

does she know at the gym?

Use the correct words to

complete each question and
answer:

69. A: How often _______ he ride

his bike to work? (present tense)

70. B: He rides _______ day of the

week, Monday through Friday.

71. A: ________ time does he leave

in the morning?

72. B: He leaves ________ 8:00 in

the morning.

Use "can" or "can't" and the main

verb for each sentence:

73. ________ he ________ a

skateboard? (ride)

74. Yes, he ________.

75. ________ he ________ the

piano? (play)

76. No, he _________.

Use the correct words to complete
each question and answer:

77. _________ _________ of skills

do you have?

78. I ________ ________ a

computer. (Describe ability with the
verb "use")

79. ________ ________ can you

type? (Describe speed)

80. I ________ ________ 40 words

per minute. (Describe ability with the
verb "type.")
Use "have to" and the main verb
to complete each question and
answer:

81. What ________ they _______

_______ ______? (do)

82. They _______ _______

________ for a new baby. (prepare)

83. What ________ he _______

______ _____? (do)

84. He ________ ________

________ his wife. (help)

85. ________ she ________

______ _______ to work? (go)

86. No, she ________. She can stay

home.
Use the correct verbs to make the
present tense:

87. ________ she ________ how to

swim? (know)

88. No, she _________.

89. What ________ she ________

on the weekend? (do)

90. She _________ swimming

lessons. (take)
Use the correct word to complete
each sentence or question:

91. How ________ work does she

do every day?

92. She __________ a lot of work.

(present tense)

93. ________ she do any work

yesterday? (past tense)

94. No, she ________. (past tense)

95. ________ she _________ a

good job? (have -- present tense)

96. Yes, she _________.

Use the correct word to complete

each sentence:

97. The ________ month of the year

is January.

98. The ________ month of the year

is December.

99. ________ ________ twelve

months in a year.

100. ______ favorite month is

_______. (What do you say? Which
is your favorite month?)
 Lesson Nineteen
Count and

Noncount Nouns

Count Nouns Noncount Nouns

a car (singular) cars (plural) traffic

a chair chairs furniture

an apple apples fruit

a camera four cameras video equipment

 noncount
count nouns use
singular and plural verbs nouns use only
and pronouns: singular verbs
andpronouns:

There is an apple. (singular) There is some fruit. (singular

There are some apples. (plural) verb)

I like that chair. ("that" is singular). I like that furniture.

She likes those chairs. ("those" is plural)
I like those furniture. (no!)

A car is an expensive thing to own.

Traffic was heavy today.
Cars are an expensive form of
(singular verb)
transportation.

Apples taste good Fruit tastes good.

Digital cameras make photography TV stations have a lot of video

easy. They are fun to use. equipment. It is expensive.

The camera is very nice. The equipment are nice. (no!)

Asking questions for an amount or a number:

Count Nouns Noncount Nouns

How many chairs How many chairs are How much furniture is there?
are there? there?

There is one chair There are two chairs There is a lot of furniture

How manycameras How many cameras How much equipment is

are there? are there? there?

There's one There are four There's a lot of video

camera cameras equipment

Only count nouns can take a number:

There is one camera. There are four cameras.

Noncount nouns don't use numbers:

There is some equipment. There is a lot of equipment.

Knowing the difference between count and noncount

nouns will make your English sound much better. Below
are words and phrases that can be used with count and
noncount nouns. As you continue through the next
levels, you will probably need to come back to this page.

count nouns noncount nouns

a (singular) -- (no article)

the (singular and plural) the

some some

a lot of a lot of

many (large numbers) much (large numbers)

a few (3 to 4) a little (small number)

few (a very small number) little (a very small number)

fewer (comparative) less (comparative)

fewest (superlative) least (superlative)

not many (a small number) not much (a small number)

not any (zero) not any (zero)

 Lesson Twenty
days of the week

Sunday is the first day of the week.

The first day of the week is Sunday.

Sunday comes after Saturday . Su M T W Th F Sa

It comes before Monday . Su M T W Th F Sa

Sunday is a weekend day.

Monday is the second day of the week on the

calendar.

Monday is also the first day of the work week.

Monday comes after Sunday. Su M T W Th F Sa

It comes before Tuesday. Su M T W Th F Sa

(Everyone hates Monday because it's the first day back to work after the
weekend!)

Tuesday is the third day of the week.

The third day of the week is Tuesday. It's the second

day of the work week.

Tuesday comes after Monday. Su M T W Th F Sa

It comes before Wednesday. Su M T W Th F Sa

Wednesday is the fourth day of the week.

The fourth day of the week is Wednesday. It's the third

day of the work week.
Wednesday comes after Tuesday. Su M T W Th F Sa

It comes before Thursday. Su M T W Th F Sa

Wednesday is the middle of the week.

Thursday is the fifth day of the week.

The fifth day of the week is Thursday. It's the fourth day
of the work week.

Thursday comes after Wednesday. Su M T W Th F Sa

It comes before Friday. Su M T W Th F Sa

Friday is the sixth day of the week.

The sixth day of the week is Friday. It's the fifth and last
day of the work week.

Friday comes after Thursday. Su M T W Th F Sa

It comes before Saturday. Su M T W Th F Sa

(Everyone loves Friday because it's the last day of the week. In the afternoon,
the weekend begins. T.G.I.F. = Thank God it's Friday!)

Saturday is the seventh day of the week.

The seventh day of the week is Saturday.

Saturday comes after Friday. Su M T W Th F Sa

It comes before Sunday. Su M T W Th F Sa

Saturday and Sunday are the weekend.

 Su M T W Th F Sa

When talking about the weekend, you can use:

- on the weekend

- during the weekend

- this weekend (present and future):

What are you going to do this weekend?

- last weekend (past)

What did you do last weekend?

- next weekend (future - comes after "this weekend")

What are you going to do next weekend?

(Saturday and Sunday, March 4 and 5 are this weekend; Saturday and
Sunday, March 11 and 12 are next weekend.)

There are seven days in a week.

There are 52 weeks in a year.

 Lesson Twenty-One

Numbers

ones tens hundreds

1. one 1. ten 1. one
2. two 2. twenty hundred
3. three 3. thirty 2. two
4. four 4. forty hundred
5. five 5. fifty 3. three
6. six 6. sixty hundred
7. seven 7. seventy 4. four
8. eight 8. eighty hundred
9. nine 9. ninety 5. five
hundred
6. six hundred
7. seven
hundred
8. eight
hundred
9. nine
hundred

Reading numbers above 100:

When reading numbers above 100, read the

number in the hundred position, and then the
two numbers after it. For example, 125 is
read, one hundred twenty-five.

341: three hundred forty-one.

965: nine hundred sixty-five

 603: six hundred three.

Ordinal Numbers

number ordinal number

1. one 1. first
2. two 2. second
3. three 3. third
4. four 4. fourth
5. five 5. fifth
6. six 6. sixth
7. seven 7. seventh
8. eight 8. eighth
9. nine 9. ninth
10. ten 10. tenth
11. eleven 11. eleventh
12. twelve 12. twelfth
13. thirteen 13. thirteenth
14. fourteen 14. fourteenth
15. fifteen 15. fifteenth
16. sixteen 16. sixteenth
17. seventee 17. seventeenth
n 18. eighteenth
18. eighteen 19. nineteenth
19. nineteen 20. twentieth
20. twenty 21. twenty-first
21. twenty- 22. twenty-second
one 23. twenty-third
22. twenty- 24. twenty-fourth
two 25. twenty-fifth
23. twenty- 26. twenty-sixth
three 27. twenty-seventh
24. twenty- 28. twenty-eighth
four 29. twenty-ninth
25. twenty- 30. thirtieth
five
26. twenty-six
 27. twenty- 40. fortieth
seven
28. twenty- 50. fiftieth
eight
29. twenty- 60. sixtieth
nine
30. thirty 70. seventieth

40. forty 80. eightieth

50. fifty 90. ninetieth

60. sixty 100. hundredth

70. seventy 1000. thousandth

80. eighty

90. ninety

100. hundred

1000. thousand
 Lesson Twenty-Two
Addition and Subtraction in English

addition or adding
5 + 3 = 8
five plus three equals eight
2 + 2 = 4
two and two is four
Note: Some English books will use the plural verb "equal" or "are" for the
equal sign (=). Grammatically, this is correct but most people use a
singular verb.

The teacher asks for the answer like this:

What's two plus two? (use the singular verb for "be" -- "is")

subtraction or subtracting
5 - 3 = 2
five minus three equals two
10 - 7 = 3
ten take away seven is three

Note: The first example (using "minus") is preferred over the second, but
"take away" is popular.

The teacher asks for the answer like this:

What's five minus three?

Of course, you know how to do math in your own

language, but it's important to practice in English. Here
are some other ways to talk about addition and
subtraction:

Addition:

 A: What do you get if you add six and eight

together?
 B: You get 14.
  A: If you put two and two together, what do
you get?
 B: You get four.

 A: If you add 20 to 30, what does that make?

 B: That makes 50.

The word "make" is often used when counting money.

Subtraction:

 A: What do you get if you subtract five from

nine?
 B: You get four.

 A: How much do you have if you take three

away from seven?
 B: You have four.
 Lesson Twenty-Four, Part 1
have to

singular plural

I have to _____ We have to ____

You have to____ You have to ____

He has to ____

She has to ____ They have to ____

It has to ____

You have to go to school tomorrow.

He has to do some work.

They have to travel to New York.

(These sentences are in the present tense.)

"have to" = necessary, important

After "have to" use the simple form of the verb.

 Here are some examples:

I have to get new

glasses.

You have to get

new glasses, too.

He has to go to
work tomorrow.

She has to talk to

her supervisor.
 It has to ripen
before we eat it.

We have to get
new glasses.
I + you = we

You have to get

up early
tomorrow.

They have to talk

about some new
ideas.
 To make "have to" negative:

do + not + have to + main verb

Singular Plural

I don't have to _____ We don't have to ____

You don't have to _____ You don't have to ____

He doesn't have to _____

She doesn't have to _____ They don't have to _____

It doesn't have to _____

We don't have to be there until 8:00.

She doesn't have to do the dishes tonight.

They don't have to clean their house.

Practice

Directions: Use "have to" and the verb in

parentheses ( ____ ) to complete each sentence.

1. He ________ ________ ________ his

homework. (finish)

2. They _______ ________ ________ ________

to work tomorrow. (go -- negative)

3. Alice ________ ________ ________ a dentist.

(see)
4. I ________ ________ ________ eating better.
(start)

5. You ________ ________ ________ some

bread from the store. (get)

6. We ________ ________ ________ ________

this chapter. (read -- negative)

7. She ________ _______ ________ at work by

5:00 a.m. (be)

8. This ________ ________ ________ ________

on. (be -- negative)

9. These glasses ________ ________ ________

right. (fit)

10. We ________ ________ ________ English in

class. (speak)

(Answers: 1. has to finish; 2. don't have to go; 3. has to see; 4. have to

start; 5. have to get; 6. don't have to read; 7. has to be; 8. doesn't have to
be; 9. have to fit; 10. have to speak)