Question Tags

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Question tags are short questions that you can ask at the end of a sentence. They are very common in spoken English. While there are many different question tags, they are not too difficult to learn.[1]https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/intermediate-to-upper-intermediate/question-tags

question tags

Positive/Negative

If the sentence is a positive sentence, you must make the question tag negative.

For example:

  • She is a doctor, isn’t she?
  • You are a teacher, aren’t you?
  • We are close to the beach, aren’t we?

Negative/Positive

If the sentence is a negative sentence, you must make the question tag positive.

For example:

  • You have not been there before, have you?
  • They are not coming, are they?
  • Susie does not speak English, does she?

Additional Question Tag Rules

As you can see, the main rules with question tags is that if the main phrase is positive it should be negative and if the main phrase is negative it should be positive.

However, there are a few additional points that you need to be aware of.

Regular Verbs

With most verbs, the question tag uses the appropriate form of the verb “do”.

For example:

  • She said that, didn’t she?
  • You like to swim, don’t you?
  • Frank loves ice cream, doesn’t he?

Auxiliary Verbs

With auxiliary verbs such as “have” and “be”, the question tag verb is the same as the auxiliary verb.

For example:

  • We have a few minutes before class starts, haven’t we?
  • You are a nice person, aren’t you?
  • They aren’t here right now, are they?

Be careful with sentences that begin with “I am”. The correct question tag is “aren’t I”.

For example:

  • I am very smart, aren’t I?

Modal Verbs

If the sentence uses a modal verb, the question tag uses the same verb.[2]https://study.com/academy/lesson/modal-adverbs-definition-interpretation-examples.html

For example:

  • They can help us, can’t they?
  • They couldn’t make it, could they?
  • You mustn’t do that, must you?

Intonations

A question tag can either be a real question or something that we already know the answer to.

If the question is genuine, then we need to speak with a rising intonation.

If we already know the answer to the question, then we need to speak with a falling intonation.

Example Exercises

Fill in the appropriate question tag.

 13%

Question 1 of 8

1. You have a swimming pool, __________?

Question 1 of 8

Question 2 of 8

2. I am next, __________?

Question 2 of 8

Question 3 of 8

3. Susie doesn’t live here, __________?

Question 3 of 8

Question 4 of 8

4. You like pizza, __________?

Question 4 of 8

Question 5 of 8

5. Fred can drive, __________?

Question 5 of 8

Question 6 of 8

6. You can ride a bike, __________?

Question 6 of 8

Question 7 of 8

7. She’s French, __________?

Question 7 of 8

Question 8 of 8

8. They are here, __________?

Question 8 of 8


 

References[+]

Broader range of intensifiers: So, such, too, enough

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In English, you can use several words to intensify the meaning of a phrase. They are intensifiers. Some of the most common ones are so, such, too, and enough.[1]https://phoneenglish.es/blog/2017/08/grammar-so-such-too-enough/

So

A common intensifier in English you can use is “so”. It means “very”. It can go before an adjective or an adverb.

so + adjective

  • It is so cold today.
  • It is so cloudy today.
  • It is so hot.

so + adverb

  • I have so much work to do today.
  • You can run so quickly!
  • You eat so slowly!

Such

Similar to “so”, the word “such” also means very. It can go before an adjective or a noun.[2]https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/so-and-such.html

such + adjective

  • They are such a nice family.
  • She is such a beautiful child.
  • We had such a good time today at the park.

Such + noun

  • You are such a genius.
  • You are such a jock!
  • He is such a teacher.

Too

The word “too” means a lot of something. However, it is usually used in a negative manner. It can be used before an adjective or adverb.

too + adjective

  • Our next-door neighbors are too noisy!
  • My boss at work is too mean.
  • That test was too hard.

too + adverb

  • You walk too fast!
  • You are speaking too quickly! Please slow down.
  • You are talking too loudly. Lower your voice.

Enough

The word “enough” means having as much or as many as required. It can be used before a noun or after an adjective or verb.

enough + noun

  • We don’t have enough toilet paper.
  • They don’t have enough wood for the fire.
  • He doesn’t have enough wood to last winter.

adjective/verb + enough

  • Are you comfortable enough?
  • I am not sure if I have trained enough for the race.
  • Have you studied enough for the test?

Example Exercises

Choose between the intensifiers so, such, too, and enough.

Please go to Broader range of intensifiers: So, such, too, enough to view this quiz

References[+]

Both, Either, and Neither

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You can use both, either, and neither to talk about two things or people.[1]https://www.grammar.cl/english/both-either-neither.htm

both

Both

Both is used to talk about two things. You can use it with both nouns and adjectives.

Both this and that

For example:

  • I like both ice cream and pizza.
  • She is both pretty and tall.
  • They have both a car and a motorcycle.

Both (of) + Determiner + Plural Noun

You can also use determiners (such as possessive adjectives) with “both”.

For example:

  • Both of my sisters are older than me.
  • Both of the schools have be rivals for a long time.
  • Both of the kids have been friends for a long time.

Both of + Object Pronoun

You can also use object pronouns (such as us) with “both”.

For example:

  • They invited both of us to the party.

Verb + Object Pronoun + Both

For example:

  • I hope that the university accepts us both.

Either

The word “either” is used to talk about one of two things.

Either this and that

For example:

  • You can have either a chocolate cake or ice cream.
  • Either John or Sam is going to pick us up.
  • You can choose either a car or a motorcycle.

Neither

Neither is used to talk about not this thing and not the other thing. This is the negative form of “both”.

Neither this nor that

For example:

  • I want neither cake nor ice cream.
  • Neither Sam nor Jake helped us.
  • I neither sing nor dance.

Neither + Singular Noun

For example:

  • Neither school participated in the competition.
  • Neither team had an advantage.

Neither of + Pronoun

For example:

  • Neither of us want to swim.
  • Neither of them wanted to help.

Neither vs. Either

You can replace “neither” with “either” if you change the positive verb in the “neither” phrase with a negative verb.

For example:

  • I have neither friends nor family.
  • I don’t have either friends or family.

Example Exercises

Please go to Both, Either, and Neither to view this quiz

References[+]

Earth Facts

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Look at the text below about Earth facts and do the exercises to improve your English reading skills.[1]https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/skills/reading/elementary-a2-reading/about-earth

Preparation

Match the pictures with the corresponding vocabulary words below.

earth facts
  1. Volcano ____
  2. Desert ____
  3. Ocean ____
  4. Mountains ____
  5. River ____
  6. Waterfall ____
  7. Temperature ____
  8. Jungle ____
1. H 2. A 3. B 4. F 5. C 6. E 7. D 8. G

Reading

  1. What is the tallest volcano on the Earth?
    1. Ojos de Salado
    1. Sierra Nevada
    1. Tipas
  2. What is the largest desert in the world?
    1. Sahara
    1. Antarctica
    1. Gobi
  3. What is the largest ocean in the world?
    1. Atlantic Ocean
    1. Indian Ocean
    1. Pacific Ocean
  4. What is the tallest mountain in the world?
    1. Mount Everest
    1. K2
    1. Broad Peak
  5. What is the longest river in the world?
    1. Yangtze
    1. Amazon
    1. Nile
  6. What is the highest waterfall in the world?
    1. Angel Falls
    1. Niagara Falls
    1. Victoria Falls
  7. Where is the hottest place on Earth?
    1. Death Valley
    1. Timbuktu
    1. Wadi Halfa
  8. What is the largest jungle in the world?
    1. Congo
    1. Amazon
    1. Tama Kinabalu

Multiple Choice

1. Ojos del Salado 2. Antarctica 3. Pacific Ocean 4. Mount Everest 5. Nile 6. Angel Falls 7. Death Valley 8. Amazon

Fill in the blank

  1. Death Valley is the _______ place on earth.
  2. The Amazon River is the _______ river in the world.
  3. The Pacific Ocean is the _______ ocean in the world.
  4. Ojos del Salado is the _______ volcano in the world.
  5. The Amazon Rainforest is the _______ jungle in the world.
  6. Angel Falls is the _______ waterfall in the world.
  7. Mount Everest is the _______ mountain in the world.
  8. The Antarctica is the _______ desert in the world.
1. Hottest 2. Longest 3. Largest 4. Tallest 5. Largest 6. Highest 7. Tallest 8. Largest

Discussion

Now that you have read the article about Earth facts and the vocabulary that goes along with it:

  • Have you visited any of these places before?
  • What additional Earth facts do you know?

If this is too difficult to understand, check out the A2 grammar points to help out!

References[+]

My Town

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Look at the text below about my town and do the exercises for at my town to improve your English reading skills.[1]https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/skills/reading/elementary-a2-reading/my-town

Preparation

Match the pictures with the corresponding vocabulary words below.

my town
  1. Surfing ____
  2. Scuba diving ____
  3. Hiking ____
  4. Beach volleyball ____
  5. Shopping ____
  6. Sun bathing ____
  7. Swimming ____
  8. Driving ____
1. C 2. D 3. B 4. H 5. E 6. G 7. F 8. A

Reading

My Town – Los Angeles

By Susie Fleming, 16

I live in Los Angeles. It is a big town in Southern California on the west coast of the United States. It has many beaches and you can do many beach activities. My favorite thing to do is go scuba diving. There are many schools where you can learn. It is very easy and so much fun! I love looking at the sea life underwater. My favorite place to go scuba diving is Redondo Beach where I can play with the seals underwater.

Los Angeles is great because there are many other things you can do other than scuba diving. If you love the beach, you can also go surfing, sun bathing, swimming, and even play beach volleyball. In fact, Manhattan Beach is one of the most famous beach volleyball places. You can always see many people playing volleyball. Sometimes you can even see professional beach volleyball players!

If you do not want to get sandy at the beach, another great activity in Los Angeles is hiking. Just a short drive away, there are many great places to hike and see nature.

If you also love shopping like me, there are also many great places to go shopping. There are many malls and stores where you can spend all day trying on clothes and buying them!

Fill in the blank

  1. Susie lives in _______.
  2. Her favorite activity is _______.
  3. The best place to go scuba diving is _______.
  4. _______ is a great place to play beach volleyball.
  5. If you don’t want to do outdoor activities, Los Angeles is also a great place to go _______.
  6. _______ is another fun outdoor activity to do if you don’t want to go to the beach.
1. Los Angeles 2. scuba diving 3. Redondo Beach 4. Manhattan Beach 5. shopping 6. Hiking

True or False

Select true or false for each statement.

  1. Susie lives in Northern California. True/False
  2. She doesn’t like shopping. True/False
  3. There are a lot of activities to do at the beach. True/False
  4. She likes outdoor activities. True/False
  5. Redondo Beach is a great place to go and place volleyball. True/False
1. False 2. False 3. True 4. True 5. False

Discussion

Now that you have read the article about Susie and Los Angeles and the vocabulary that goes along with it:

  • What activities are there to do in your town?
  • What is your favorite thing to do?

If this is too difficult to understand, check out the A2 grammar points to help out!

References[+]

Zero and 1st Conditionals

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In English, conditionals help us describe something that might have or might happen. In order to use the zero and 1st conditionals we need to know what verb tenses to use.[1]https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/conditionals.html

conditionals

Zero Conditional

The zero conditional is used to talk about general truths and habits.[2]https://www.test-english.com/explanation/b2/first-second-third-conditionals/

If + present simple verb + present simple verb

For example:

  • If it rains, I use an umbrella.
  • If I drink a beer, I don’t drive a vehicle.
  • If we study, we do well in school.

Word Order

You can also put the main clause at the beginning of the sentence. In this case, you don’t use a comma.

For example:

  • I use an umbrella if it rains.
  • I don’t drive a vehicle if I drink a beer.
  • We do well in school if we study.

“When”

You can also use the word “when” in the place of “if” without changing the meaning of the sentence.

For example:

  • When it rains, I use an umbrella.
  • When I drink a beer, I don’t drive a vehicle.
  • When we study, we do well in school.

1st Conditional

The first conditional is used to talk about possible things in the future.

If + present simple verb + will + infinitive

For example:

  • If we practice, we will get better.
  • If it doesn’t rain, I will go to the park.
  • If they don’t call back, I will call them.

“Unless”

You can also use the word “unless” to replace the negative form.

For example:

  • If it doesn’t rain, I will go to the park. → I will go to the park unless it rains.

Difference between the zero and 1st conditionals

As you can see, the zero and first conditionals are quite similar.

The biggest difference is that the zero conditional is used for general truths while the 1st conditional is used for specific situations.

Practice Exercises

Determine is the following sentences are either the zero or 1st conditional.

Please go to Zero and 1st Conditionals to view this quiz

References[+]

Wh- Questions in the Past Simple Tense

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You can ask Wh- questions in the past tense.[1]https://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/verbs/the-past-simple-tense/

Wh- question words include:

  • What
  • Where
  • When
  • Why
  • Who
  • How

These types of questions require more information than a simple Yes or No answer.

When asking Wh- questions, you need to add the word “did”.

wh- questions

What

You can use “what” to ask for information.[2]https://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/wh-question-words.htm

For example:

  • What did you do?
  • What did she say?

You can also use “what” to ask for someone to repeat what they said.

For example:

  • Sorry, I can’t hear you. What did you say?

Where

You can use “where” to ask for the position of something or someone.

For example:

  • Where did they go?
  • Where did Sam live?

When

You can use “when” to ask about time.

For example:

  • When did the meeting start?
  • When did the plane arrive?

Why

You can use “why” to ask for the reason.

For example:

  • Why did they not call back?
  • Why did he not study for the test?

Who

You can use “who” to ask for which person or persons did an action.

For example:

  • Who did that?
  • Who did you call?

How

You can use “how” to ask about manner.

For example:

  • How did this work?
  • How did they do that?

You can also use “how” to ask about quality or condition.

For example:

  • How did you do on the test?
  • How did it go?

Wh- Questions with “to be”

You can also ask Wh- questions in the past simple tense with the verb “to be”.[3]https://www.oysterenglish.com/past-simple.html

wh- questions

For example:

  • What was in the box?
  • Where were they?
  • When did they get back?
  • Who was at the door?
  • How was class?

Practice Exercises

Please go to Wh- Questions in the Past Simple Tense to view this quiz

References[+]

Want and Would like

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In English, want and would like mean the same thing. The both are used to describe the desire for something or the desire to do something.

However, want and would like are not used in exactly the same way.

In general, “would like” is more polite than saying “want”.

Want (to)

Want is a simple and direct way to expresses offers and requests.[1]https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/would-like

In general, you can use it to state facts.

However, you need to be careful when using it as it can seem selfish and rude depending on the context.

Nouns

Want is used with nouns to express the desire for an object or offer an object.

Form:

Want + noun

For example:

  • I want a dog.
  • She wants a boyfriend.
  • What do you want for your birthday?

Infinitives

Want is used with infinitive verbs to express the desire to do an activity or offer to do an activity.

Form:

Want + infinitive verb

For example:

  • Sam wants to swim in the ocean.
  • Do you want to eat with me?
  • They want to learn English.

Would Like (to)

Would like is a modal verb. It is an indirect and polite way to talk about requests and wishes.[2]https://www.italki.com/question/106216?hl=en

In general, it is used to talk about something imagined.

Nouns

Would like is used with nouns to request or wish for something.

Form:

Would like + noun

For example:

  • I would like a piece of cake.
  • They would like some food.
  • What would you like for Christmas?

Infinitives

Would like is used with infinitives to request or wish for an action.

Form:

Would like + infinitive verb

For example:

  • Would you like to swim in the pool with me?
  • Susie would like to go to the mall with her friends.
  • Mark and Frank would like to eat some burgers with fries.

Example Exercises

Please go to Want and Would like to view this quiz

References[+]

How Questions

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You can use the word “how” to ask questions in English. These are called “how questions”.[1]https://www.engvid.com/4-types-of-how-questions-in-english/

Similar to “Wh-“ questions, you can ask:

How + modal verb

For example:

  • How can you sing so well?
  • How can you know so many languages?
  • How can I get there?

How + verb (any tense)

  • How did she do that?
  • How are we going to get there?
  • How is it outside?

However, there are 4 specific cases where you only use “how” to ask questions.

how questions

Adjective

“How” can be used with adjectives.

How + adjective

For example:

  • How old are you?
  • How hot is it outside?
  • How difficult is the test?

Adverb

“How” can be used with adverbs.

How + adverb

For example:

  • How quickly can you run?
  • How well can she cook?
  • How often do you work out?

Plural Countable Noun

How questions can be used with plural countable nouns.

How + many + plural countable noun

For example:

  • How many dogs do you have?
  • How many people are in the school?
  • How many things did she buy?

Uncountable Noun

“How” can be used with uncountable nouns.

How + much + uncountable noun

For example:

  • How much time do we have left?
  • How much water is in the bucket?
  • How much English do I need to know?

References[+]

Present Perfect Simple

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In English, you can use the present perfect simple to describe actions in the past. It can be used to describe both finished and unfinished actions. It is similar to the past simple verb tense.[1]https://7esl.com/past-simple-and-present-perfect/

present perfect simple

However, the main differences between the two are:

Past Simple vs. Present Simple

  • Finished vs. unfinished time
  • Definite vs. indefinite time
  • Finished actions vs. experiences or results

In addition, the present perfect tense is conjugated in the following manner:

Subject + has/have + Verb –ed

While, the past simple tense is conjugated in the following manner:

Subject + verb -ed

Unfinished Time

You can use the it to describe events that started in the past but that are not yet finished. In other words, you might have started doing something in the past and are still doing that same thing at the moment.

For example:

  • I have worked at this company since 1999.
  • She has been studying since 8 am.
  • Frank has been running since he was 5 years old.

Use the word “since” to indicate the starting point in the past.

Indefinite Time

You can use it to describe an event in the past at an unspecified moment. In other words, you can talk about the past without giving the exact time.

For example:

  • They have visited the museum before.
  • We have seen the Pyramids in Egypt.
  • She has visited New York.

Experiences or Results

You can also use the it to describe experiences or results.

For example:

  • Susie has watched the movie already.
  • I have already ridden the roller coaster 5 times.
  • They have visited Mexico 2 times before.

Vocabulary Clues

There are several words to look out for to help give you a clue to use the present perfect verb tense.[2]https://pt.slideshare.net/MJSIMOES/present-perfect-vs-past-simple-english-language

  • Ever
  • Never
  • Since
  • So far
  • yet

Example Exercises

Change the following sentences from past simple tense to present perfect simple tense.

Please go to Present Perfect Simple to view this quiz

References[+]