UNIT 1

1. Prepositions of Time

• at: Specific times (5 o’clock), moments (the weekend).

• in: Longer periods (months, years, seasons).
• on: Days and dates (Sunday, 25 May).

Tip: At for exact times; in for longer spans; on for days.

2. Frequency Adverbs

• Placement: Go before the main verb (I usually go); but after “be” verbs (She
is always happy).
• Examples: always, usually, often, rarely.
• Frequency phrases (every day) go at the start or end of a sentence.

Tip: Remember “be” verbs change the rule; other verbs don’t.

3. Present Simple

• Positive/Negative:
• I/you/we/they: take, don’t take
• He/she/it: takes, doesn’t take
• Questions:
• Do I/you/we/they take photos?
• Does he/she/it take photos?
• Short Answers:
• Yes, I/you/we/they do / he/she/it does
• No, I/you/we/they don’t / he/she/it doesn’t

Tip: For he/she/it, always add an “s” to the verb in affirmative.

4. Present Continuous

• Positive/Negative:
• I am/’m (am not/’m not) working
• You/we/they are/’re (aren’t) working
• He/she/it is/’s (isn’t) working
• Questions:
• Am I working?
• Are you/we/they working?
• Is he/she/it working?

Tip: Use am/is/are + verb-ing for actions happening now.

5. State Verbs

• Definition: Verbs like agree, believe, know, like that usually aren’t in
continuous form.
• Example 1: He has a car (has = own).
• Example 2: He’s having breakfast (have = eat).

Tip: Mental and perception verbs typically use simple tense.

6. Countable and Uncountable Nouns

• Countable: Singular/plural forms; can use a/an in singular.

• Examples: a book, two chairs.
• Uncountable: No plural form; use words like a piece of for measurement.
• Examples: advice, furniture.

Tip: Use a piece of / slice of to measure uncountable nouns.

7. Quantifiers

• A few: Small quantity, countable nouns (a few books).

• A bit of: Small quantity, uncountable nouns (a bit of milk).
• Many: Large quantity, countable nouns (many apples).
• Much: Large quantity, uncountable nouns in questions/negative sentences.
• A lot of / lots of: Large quantity, countable or uncountable nouns.

Tip: Use many/much for larger quantities in questions/negatives; a lot of works in all
contexts.

8. Prepositions of Place

• at: Points (at the bus stop, at home).

• in: Spaces/inside (in the car, in France).
• on: Surfaces (on the table, on the wall).

Tip: At for specific points, in for enclosed spaces, on for surfaces.

9. Vocabulary to Know

• Rooms:
balcony, bathroom, bedroom, dining room, garage, garden, hall, kitchen, living room, stairs.
• Furniture/Items:
armchair, bath, blankets, chest of drawers, cooker, cupboards, cushions, dishwasher, duvet,
fridge, microwave, mirror, pillow, rug, sink, sofa, taps, toilet, towels, wardrobe, washing
machine.
DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN PRESENT SIMPLE AND PRESENT CONTINUOUS

1. Look for Time Expressions

• Present Simple often uses:

• Frequency words: always, usually, often, sometimes, never.
• Routine phrases: every day, on Mondays, once a week.
• Examples: “I always drink coffee in the morning.” / “She goes to the gym
every Tuesday.”
• Present Continuous often uses:
• Current time phrases: now, right now, at the moment, today, this week.
• Examples: “He is studying right now.” / “They are working from home this
week.”

Tip: If you see a time expression related to habits (e.g., “always” or “on Fridays”), it’s likely
Present Simple. For something happening now or around this time, it’s usually Present
Continuous.

2. Action Types: Routine vs. Temporary

• Present Simple describes:

• Regular or repeated actions (things we do regularly).
• Facts or general truths (e.g., “The sun rises in the east.”)
• Examples: “I work at a hospital.” / “Water boils at 100°C.”
• Present Continuous describes:
• Actions happening right now (e.g., “I am reading a book.”)
• Temporary situations or trends (e.g., “He is staying with his friend this week.”)
• Examples: “She is wearing a new dress today.” / “I am learning French this
month.”

Tip: Ask yourself, “Is this a fact or routine, or is it happening just now/temporarily?” Facts and
routines = Present Simple. Temporary or now = Present Continuous.

3. Structure Cues

• Present Simple:
• No auxiliary verbs (except in negatives/questions: do/does).
• Basic form of the verb (or add -s for he/she/it).
• Examples: “They play soccer.” / “He lives in Paris.”
• Present Continuous:
• Always uses am/is/are + verb + -ing form.
• Examples: “I am eating lunch.” / “They are playing soccer.”

Tip: Look for the “-ing” form and am/is/are—these are clear signs of Present Continuous.

4. Contextual Cues in Exam Sentences

• Present Simple Questions:

 • Likely involve questions about habits, schedules, or general information.
• Example: “What time do you usually wake up?”
• Present Continuous Questions:
• Likely ask about actions happening right now or temporarily.
• Example: “What are you doing right now?”

Tip: When a question asks about something regular, use Present Simple. For questions
about right now, use Present Continuous.

5. Signal Verbs for State Verbs (Present Simple)

• Certain verbs (known as “state verbs”) are rarely used in Present

Continuous because they describe feelings, mental states, or perceptions.
• Examples of state verbs: like, love, know, believe, understand, want, need,
think (meaning “believe”).

Tip: If the verb is a state verb (like know or believe), it’s usually in Present Simple. Example:
“I believe you.”

Quick Steps to Choose Between Present Simple and Continuous:

1. Scan for Time Words: Identify words like “always” (Present Simple) or “now”
(Present Continuous).
2. Determine Routine vs. Temporary: Ask if the action is a habit/fact or
happening just now.
3. Check the Verb Form: If it’s am/is/are + -ing, it’s Present Continuous. Simple
verb (or with “-s”) = Present Simple.
4. Consider the Verb Type: Is it a state verb (e.g., like)? Then it’s Present
Simple.
5. Think About the Context: Look at the question type (routine vs. current) or
context in the sentence.
 UNIT 2
1. Past Simple vs. Past Continuous

• Past Simple
• Use: Describes actions or situations completed in the past, often where one
action happened after another.
• Positive/Negative Forms:
• I/He/She/It → was / wasn’t
• You/We/They → were / weren’t
• Question Forms:
• Was → I/he/she/it → here yesterday?
• Were → you/we/they → here yesterday?
• Past Continuous
• Use: Describes actions that were in progress at a specific moment in the past;
we don’t know if the action finished or not.
• Positive/Negative Forms:
• I/He/She/It → was/wasn’t → studying yesterday
• You/We/They → were/weren’t → studying all evening
• Question Forms:
• Was → I/he/she/it → studying all evening?
• Were → you/we/they → studying all evening?
• Using Past Simple & Past Continuous Together:
• When, As, While: Use these to show one action interrupted another.
• Example: “As/When/While I was walking to work, I saw a group of dogs.”
Trick:
• If the action is sudden or completed, use Past Simple.
• If the action is ongoing at a moment in the past, use Past Continuous.

2. “Used to” for Past Habits

• Use: Talks about habits or situations that were true in the past but are no
longer true.
• Positive/Negative Forms:
• I/You/He/She/It/We/They → used to / didn’t use to → enjoy watching football
• Question Forms:
• Did → I/You/He/She/It/We/They → use to → play football?
Trick:
• Remember “used to” by thinking of something you “used to do” regularly in
the past but don’t do now. It always refers to a past habit or state.

3. “So / Nor / Neither” to Show Agreement

• Use: To express that you have the same opinion or experience as someone
else.
• Positive Agreement → So + auxiliary/modal + I.
• Example:
• A: “I love chocolate.” B: “So do I.”
• A: “I am hungry.” B: “So am I.”
 • Negative Agreement → Nor / Neither + auxiliary/modal + I.
• Example:
• A: “I don’t like chocolate.” B: “Neither do I.”
• A: “I haven’t had coffee.” B: “Nor have I.”
• Expressing Disagreement:
• If you disagree, use do or don’t.
• Example:
• A: “I love chocolate.” B: “I don’t!”
• A: “I don’t like chocolate.” B: “I do!”
Trick:
• Remember “So” is for positive sentences and “Nor/Neither” for negative ones.
Also, match the auxiliary or modal in your response.

4. Vocabulary to Know

• Unit 2 Vocabulary
• Verbs related to school and exams: fail, pass, take, lose, miss, study, teach
• Verbs related to money: do, earn, make, spend, take, win