GRAMMAR

Unit 1  Making friends: Lesson A  Getting to know you

Present of be (review)
Yes-No questions and short answers

To ask Yes-No questions, use be + subject (noun / pronoun):

Are you from a big family?

In affirmative short answers, use Yes + pronoun + full form of be:

A  Are you from a big family?

B  Yes, I am. I'm one of six children.

In negative short answers, use No + pronoun + contraction of be + not:

A  Are you from a big family?

B  No, I'm not. There are only two of us.

Information questions

Information questions are questions that start with question words like:

What   Where   Who   When   How old

To ask information questions, you can use Question word + be + subject (noun / pronoun):

Where are your parents from?

Remember, you can contract is to 's in questions:

What's your name?

The answer to information questions is not yes or no.

Statements

In affirmative statements, use subject (noun / pronoun) + a form of be:

A  Where are your parents from?

B  They're from Peru.

In negative statements, use subject (noun / pronoun) + a form of be + not:

A  Where are your parents from? Lima?

 B  No, they're not from Lima.

Remember, you can use aren't when are not is difficult to say:

My parents aren't from Peru.

You can use isn't when 's not is difficult to say:

My boss isn't from Peru.

Simple present (review)

Yes-No questions and short answers

To ask Yes-No questions, use Do / Does + subject (noun / pronoun) + verb:

Do you have any brothers and sisters?

Does your brother go to college?

In affirmative short answers, use Yes + pronoun + do / does:

A  Do you have any brothers and sisters?

B  Yes, I do.

A  Does your brother go to college?

B  Yes, he does.

In negative short answers, use No + pronoun + don't / doesn't:

A  Do you have any brothers and sisters?

B  No, I don't.

A  Does your brother go to college?

B  No, he doesn't.

Information questions

Information questions are questions that start with question words like:

What   Where   Who   When   How old

To ask information questions, use Question word + do / does + subject (noun / pronoun) +
verb:

What does your brother do?

Where do your parents live?
Statements

In affirmative statements, use subject (noun / pronoun) + verb:

A  What does your brother do?

B  He works in a bank.

A  Where do your parents live?

B  They live near here.

In negative statements, use subject (noun / pronoun) + don't / doesn't + verb:

A  Does your brother work in a bank?

B  No, he doesn't work in a bank.

A  Do your parents live around here?

B  No, they don't live near here.

Responses with too and either
You can use responses with too and either to show that you have something in common
with someone.

Present of be

In responses to affirmative statements, use I am too:

A  I'm allergic to cats.

B  I am too.

In responses to negative statements, use I'm not either:

A  I'm not an animal lover.

B  I'm not either.

Simple present

In responses to affirmative statements, use I do too:

A  I watch pro football.

B  I do too.

In responses to negative statements, use I don't either:

A  I don't watch much television.

B  I don't either.

 
can / can't

In responses to affirmative statements, use I can too:

A  I can shop for hours.

B  I can too.

Me too and Me neither

You can use Me too or Me neither to show you have something in common with someone.

Use Me too in responses to affirmative statements:

A  I'm allergic to cats.

B  Me too.

You can use Me neither in responses to negative statements:

A  I'm not an animal lover.

B  Me neither.

You can also use Me either in responses to negative statements:

A  I'm not an animal lover.

B  Me either.

Really?
Remember, you can use Really? to show that you disagree with someone:

A  I don't watch a lot of sports on TV.

B  Really? I watch all the basketball games.

Unit 2  Interests: Lesson A  Leisure time

 
Verb forms
Different verb forms come after different verbs.

can / can't

After can and can't, use just a verb:

I can play the piano.

I can't play very well.
 

love, like, hate, prefer

After love, like, hate, and prefer, you can use to + verb or you can use verb + -ing. The

meaning is the same:

I love to swim. or I love swimming.

I like to play pool. or I like playing pool.
I hate to work out. or I hate working out.
I prefer to watch TV. or I prefer watching TV.
 

would like

After would like and Would you like, you can only use to + verb:

A  Would you like to play jazz?

B  I'd like to play jazz.

 
enjoy

After enjoy, you can only use verb + -ing:

I enjoy writing.

Prepositions

After prepositions, use verb + -ing:

I'm good at drawing people.

I'm not interested in skiing.

Unit 2  Interests: Lesson B  Music

 
Object pronouns
There is an object pronoun for every subject pronoun:

Subject Object
pronouns pronouns

I me
you you
 she her
he him
it it
we us
they them
 

In statements, subject pronouns usually come before the verb:

I'm a singer.

He's not a good singer.

They're local guys.

In statements, object pronouns usually come after the verb:

I'm a singer. That's me on the CD.

He's not a good singer. I don't like him.

They're local guys. Do you like them?

Also use object pronouns after prepositions:

We play in a band. Come listen to us.

Unit 2  Interests: Lesson B  Music

 
Everybody, nobody
Everybody and everyone mean "all the people":

Everybody / everyone is here today. (= All the students are here today.)

 

Nobody and no one mean "no people":

Nobody / no one is here today. (= There are no students here today.)

 

When everybody, everyone, nobody, or no one is the subject, use the same verb form as

after he, she, and it:

Everybody says that.

Everyone likes pop.
 Nobody is a jazz fan.

No one listens to country.

Unit 3  Health: Lesson A  Healthy living

 
Simple present and present continuous
Simple present

Use the simple present to talk about "all the time" (usually or generally):

A  How do you stay in shape?

B  I walk everywhere. I don't have a car.

Also use the simple present to talk about routines:

A  Does she get regular exercise?

B  Yes, she does. She exercises six days a week.

or
B  No, she doesn't. She doesn't exercise at all.

Remember, verbs after he, she, it, a name, or a singular noun, end in -s:

She walks everywhere.

Brian does karate.

My family has a good diet.

For negative statements, use don't / doesn't + verb:

I don't have a car.

Brian doesn’t eat red meat.

For Yes-No questions, use Do(es) + subject + verb:

Do you get regular exercise?

Does Brian eat red meat?

For information questions, use question word + do(es) + subject + verb:

How do you stay in shape?

How does Brian stay in shape?

 
Present continuous

Use the present continuous to talk about "now" (these days, this month):

A  What sports are you playing these days?

B  I'm doing karate. It's getting me in shape.

or
B  I'm not doing anything. I'm studying for exams this month.

Also use the present continuous to talk about temporary events (not all the time):

A  Is she trying to lose weight?

B  Yes, she is. She's drinking diet drinks.

or
B  No, she's not. She's not trying to lose weight.

Remember, for present continuous statements, use subject + be (+ not) + verb + -ing:

I'm doing karate. It’s getting me in shape.

She's not trying to lose weight.

For Yes-No questions, use be + subject + verb + -ing:

Is she trying to lose weight?

For information questions, use question word + be + subject + verb + -ing:

What sports are you playing these days?

Unit 3  Health: Lesson B  Aches and pains

 
Joining clauses with if and when
You can join clauses with if and when:

I take medicine. I have a cold.

I take medicine if I have a cold.

or
I take medicine when I have a cold.

These sentences mean "I take medicine every time I have a cold."

 
You can also use if or when at the beginning of sentences. Put a comma at the end of the
first clause:

If I have a cold, I take medicine.

or
When I have a cold, I take medicine.

These sentences also mean "I take medicine every time I have a cold."

If or when?
If and when have similar meanings.

Use when for usual events or things you often or sometimes do:

A  What do you take when you have a cold?

B  I don't take anything when I have a cold.

Use if  to talk about unusual events or things you don't often do:

A  What do you do if you get a really bad cold?

B  If I get a really bad cold, I drink hot vinegar with honey.

Unit 4  Celebrations: Lesson A  Birthdays

 
Future with be going to
Statements

To talk about your future plans, you can use be going to + verb.

In affirmative statements, use subject + be + going to + verb:

I'm going to buy something special.

She's going to be 50.

In negative statements, use subject + be + not + going to + verb:

You're not going to get a present.

She's not going to be 50.

Remember, you can also use isn't (= is not) and aren't (= are not), especially after names
and nouns:

Marcos isn't going to have a party.

 My parents aren't going to have a party.

Questions

To ask questions about someone's future plans, you can use be going to.

To ask Yes-No questions, use be + subject + going to + verb . . . ?:

A  Are you going to have a party?

B  Yes, we are. / No, we're not.

To ask information questions, use question word + be  + subject + going to + verb . . . ?:

A  What are you going to (do tonight)?

B  I'm not going to do anything special.

To ask information questions with the question word as subject, use question word + be
going to  + verb:

Who's going to go?

What's going to happen?

Unit 4  Celebrations: Lesson A  Birthdays

 
Indirect objects and indirect object pronouns
In the sentence below, my brother is an indirect object and a present is a direct object:

I'm going to buy my brother a present.

You can use an indirect object to answer the question Who?:

I'm going to buy my mother something special.

Let's send Mom and Dad some flowers.

A direct object answers the question What? It comes after any indirect object:

I'm going to buy my mother something special.

Let's send Mom and Dad some flowers.

An indirect object can also be a pronoun. There is an indirect object pronoun for every
subject pronoun:
 Subject Indirect object
pronouns pronouns

I me
you you
he him
she her
we us
they them
 

I'm going to buy my mother something special.

I'm going to buy her something special.

Let's send Mom and Dad some flowers.

Let's send them some flowers.

Unit 4  Celebrations: Lesson B  Special days

 
Present continuous for the future; be going to
You can use the present continuous or be going to to talk about plans.

Present continuous for the future

The present continuous is often used to talk about plans with specific times or places:

A  What are you doing for New Year's Eve?

B  We're going to The Sea Grill for dinner. We're meeting friends

     there at 8:30.
    (We know where and when to meet.)

be going to

You can use be going to to talk about plans:

A  What are you going to do for New Year's Eve?

B  We're going to go somewhere for dinner. We're going to meet some friends at
a restaurant.
You can also use be going to to talk about predictions for the future:

It's going to be fun.

It's going to snow tomorrow.

Unit 5  Growing up: Lesson A  Childhood

 
be born
Statements

You can use the simple past of be to talk about when and where you were born.

Remember, the simple past of be is subject + was / wasn't or were / weren't . . . :

I / He / She was (or) wasn't . . .

You / We / They were (or) weren't . . .

For statements with be born, use subject + was / wasn't or were / weren't born:

I was born in São Paulo.

I wasn't born in Seattle.

My parents were born in Hong Kong.

They weren't born in the U.S.

Questions and answers

You can use the simple past of be to ask questions about when and where someone was
born.

To ask a Yes-No question with be born, use Was / Were + subject + born . . . ?:

Were you born in the U.S.?

In affirmative answers, use Yes + subject + was / were:

A  Were you born in São Paulo?

B  Yes, I was.

In negative answers, use No + subject + wasn't / weren't:

A  Were your parents born in Hong Kong?

B  No, they weren't.
To ask an information question with be born, use question word + was / were + subject
+ born . . . ?:

A  Where were you born?
B  I was born in São Paulo.

A  Where was she born?
B  She was born in São Paulo.

Unit 5  Growing up: Lesson A  Childhood

 
Simple past (review)
Statements

You can use the simple past to talk about actions and events before now:

I lived in São Paulo.

(I lived in São Paulo in the past. I don't live there now.)

In affirmative statements, regular verbs end in -ed:

I lived there for six years.

She moved in May.

The verb is the same for all subjects (I / you / he / she / it / we / they).

Irregular verbs like leave, go, come, grow up, and speak are different:

My parents left Hong Kong just before I was born.

They went to Seattle.

We came here to San Francisco about three years ago.

I grew up bilingual.

We always spoke Chinese at home.

The verb is the same for all subjects.

In negative statements, use didn't + verb:

I didn't live there long.

We didn't leave until 1997.

The verb is the same for all subjects.

 

Questions and answers

You can use the simple past to ask and answer questions about actions and events before
now.

To ask a Yes-No question in the simple past, use Did + subject + verb . . . ?:

In affirmative answers, use Yes + subject + did.

In negative answers, use No + subject + didn't.

A  Did you live there for a long time?

B  Yes, I did.
or
B  No, I didn't.

To ask an information question in the simple past, use question word + did + subject + verb
. . . ?:

A  How long did you live in São Paulo?

B  We lived there until I was six. We didn't leave until 1997.

Unit 5  Growing up: Lesson A  Childhood

 
Time expressions
You can use time expressions to say when something happened in the past.

 Use last + year, month, week, and days of the week to mean "the one before now":

A  Did she move here last year?

B  Yes. She moved here last May.

 Use in with months and years:

She moved here in May / 2011.

 Use for + a period of time (for example, six years, a long time) to say how long:

A  How long did you live in São Paulo? Did you live there for a long time?
B  Yes. I lived there for six years.

In negative statements you can also say long. It means "for a long time":

B  I didn't live there long.

  Use time words + ago to say how long before now something happened:

A  When did they come here?

B  They came here about three years ago.

 Use from and to to show the start and end times:

We lived in São Paulo from 1995 to 2001.

 Use until to talk about "before a point in time":

We lived in São Paulo until I was six. (until + simple sentence)

We didn't leave until 1997. (until + year)

 Use when to talk about a specific time:

A  When did your parents come here?

B  They came when Ling was sixteen. (when + simple sentence)

 Use then to talk about the next event or action:

We didn't leave São Paulo until 1997. Then we came to the US.

Unit 5  Growing up: Lesson B  Favorite classes

 
Determiners
Determiners say "how much" / "how many" of something we are talking about:

all    most    a lot   some    a few    no    none

Determiners go before nouns.

General (students, Canadians)

To talk about people in general, use determiners without of:

All children learn a language.

Most Canadians need French.

Some students take Spanish.

A few people are good at Latin.

No students like exams. (use no, not none)

But always use of in a lot of:

A lot of people speak English well.

 

Specific (the students in my class, my friends)

To talk about specific people or things, use the determiner + of:

Most of the people in my office know French.

A lot of the people in this city speak English well.

Some of the students in my class take Greek.

A few of my classmates got As.

None of my friends failed the exams. (use none, not no)

But you can use all with or without of:

All (of) the children in my town take English.

 

With pronouns

Use determiners + of + object pronoun:

All of the children in my town take English.

All of them take English.

None of my friends failed the exams.

None of us failed the exams.

Unit 6  Around town: Lesson A  Finding places

 
Is there . . . ? Are there . . . ?
You can use Is there . . .? and Are there . . .? to ask what is in a place.

Is there . . . ?

To ask a question about a singular noun, use Is there + a / an + singular noun:

Is there a café with free Wi-Fi near here?

In affirmative answers, you can use Yes + there is. You can then use one in follow-up
statements, so you don't need to repeat the noun:

Yes, there is. There's one on Main Street.   (one = a café with free Wi-Fi)

In negative answers, you can use No + there isn't. You can then use one in follow-up

statements, so you don't need to repeat the noun:

No, there isn't. There isn't one in this neighborhood.

  

Are there . . . ?

To ask a question about a plural noun, use Are there + any + plural noun:

Are there any cash machines near here?

In affirmative answers, you can use Yes + there are. You can then use some in follow-up
statements, so you don't need to repeat the noun:

Yes, there are. There are some outside the bank.   (some = cash machines)

In negative answers, you can use No + there aren't. You can then use any in follow-up
statements, so you don't need to repeat the noun:

No, there aren't. There aren't any nearby.   (any = cash machines)

Unit 6  Around town: Lesson A  Finding places

 
Location expressions
You can use location expressions to say where people and things are:
 

There are some cash machines outside the bank.

There's a café with free Wi-Fi on Main Street.

Unit 6  Around town: Lesson B  Getting around

 
Offers and requests with Can and Could
You can make offers using Can + I + verb . . . ?:

Can I help you?

You can also make offers using Question word + can + I + verb . . . ?:

What can I do?

How can I help?

You can make requests (ask someone for something) using Can + you + verb . . . ?:

Can you help me?

Can you tell me how to get to the aquarium?

You can also make requests with Could + you + verb . . . ?:

Could you give me directions?

Could you recommend a cheap restaurant around here?

Could is a more polite way to say can.

Unit 7  Going away: Lesson A  Getting ready

 
Infinitives for reasons
You can use an infinitive (to + verb) to give a reason in an answer to a question with
"Why?":

A  Why are you going to Puerto Rico?

B  To see my relatives.

You can also use the infinitive in a sentence to give a reason. Use main clause + infinitive
(to + verb) . . . :

I'm going to Puerto Rico to see my relatives.

(main clause = I'm going to Puerto Rico; reason = to see my relatives)

I need to go shopping to get a suitcase.

 I have to go online to find a flight.

Unit 7  Going away: Lesson A  Getting ready

 
It's + adjective + to . . .
You can use It's + (not) adjective + to to describe a verb:

It's easy to find a cheap flight online.

It's not expensive to fly.

To ask a question, use Is + it + adjective + to + verb . . . ?:

A  Is it easy to find bargains online?

B  It's easy to do. / It's not hard to do.

Unit 7  Going away: Lesson B  Things to remember

 
Advice and suggestions
You can use the verbs should, could, and need to to give someone advice or to make a
suggestion.

Should

You can use should + verb to give advice. This means that you think it is a very good idea
for someone to do something:

A  What should I take?
B  You should take a hat.

You can use shouldn’t (should not) when you think it is not a good idea for someone to do
something:

A  Should I take these shoes?

B  No, you shouldn't take high heels.

You should . . . can be very strong. People sometimes soften it by saying:

I think you should . . .

Maybe you should (just) . . .

You should probably . . .

 
Need to

You can use need to + verb to say something is very important when you give advice:

You need to have warm clothes.

Do not use need to in the negative form when giving advice.

Could

Could is softer. You can use could + verb to make a suggestion:

You could borrow your dad's hat.

Do not use could in the negative form when making suggestions.

You can use these expressions when you give someone a suggestion about what to do:

Do you want to . . .?    Why don't you . . . ?    It's a good idea to . . .  

Do you want to pack some other shoes?

Why don't you take a hat?

It's a good idea to pack a jacket.

All of these expressions are usually softer than should and need to.

You can also use an imperative to make a suggestion:

Take a flashlight.

Don't forget to pack some batteries.

Only use imperatives with people you know well, and only use them for friendly helpful
suggestions

Unit 8  At home: Lesson A  Spring cleaning

 
Whose . . . ?
To ask who things belong to, use Whose + noun + be + this / these?

The noun can be singular, plural, or uncountable. Use this with a singular or uncountable

noun. Use these with a plural noun:

Whose bathing suit is this?   (bathing suit = singular noun)

Whose jewelry is this?   (jewelry = uncountable noun)

 Whose clothes are these?   (clothes = plural noun)

Unit 8  At home: Lesson A  Spring cleaning

 
Possessive pronouns
You can use a possessive pronoun when you don't need to say or repeat a noun.
Possessive pronouns show who something belongs to.

There is a possessive pronoun for every pronoun and possessive adjective:

Possessive Possessive
Pronouns
adjectives pronouns

I my mine
you your yours
he his his
she her hers
we our ours
they their theirs

To make a statement using a possessive pronoun, you can use It's / They're (+ not ) +

possessive pronoun. Use It's with a singular or uncountable noun. Use They're with a plural
noun:

A  Whose bathing suit is this?

B  It's mine. (= It's my bathing suit.)

A  Whose jewelry is this?

B  It's hers. (= It's her jewelry.)

A  Whose clothes are these?

Unit 8  At home: Lesson B  Things at home

 
Order of adjectives
Remember, adjectives come before nouns:

They're small speakers.
 

Different adjectives give different kinds of information about the noun:

  Opinion          beautiful, nice, cute, awful

 Size                big, small, little

 Shape            round, square, rectangular

 Color              blue, red, silver

 Nationality     Chinese, Indian, Turkish

 Material         plastic, silk, wooden, wool

When you use two or more adjectives, use this order:

opinion, size, shape, color, nationality, material

They have a beautiful black leather cover.

I want those cute little round speakers.

(They're not our clothes.)

Unit 8  At home: Lesson B  Things at home

 
Pronouns one and ones
You can use the pronoun one or ones when you don't need to say or repeat a noun.

Use one for a singular noun:

A  I like the black cover.

B  Do you? I like the blue one in the middle. (one = cover)

Use ones for a plural noun:

A  Those speakers are cool.

B  Yes, they are. I like the silver ones on the right. (ones = speakers)

You can ask questions using Which one  . . . .? or Which ones . . . ?:

I like the black cover. Which one do you like?

Those speakers are cool. Which ones do you like?

You can use an adjective before one / ones to help people understand what you are talking
about:

I like the blue one.
You can also use a prepositional phrase after one / ones to help people understand what
you are talking about:

I like the silver ones on the right.

Unit 9  Things happen: Lesson A  When things go

wrong . . .
 
Past continuous statements
For affirmative statements, use subject + past of be (was / were) + verb + -ing:

She was using my computer.

We were trying to look cool.

In negative statements, use subject + past of be + not (wasn't / weren't) + verb + -ing:

I wasn't paying attention.

We weren't looking.

Remember:

For verbs ending in e, remove the e before adding -ing:

have    having

use      using

For verbs ending in a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) + a consonant (but not w) double the last letter
before adding -ing:

swim     swimming

shop     shopping

but

visit      visiting

Unit 9  Things happen: Lesson A  When things go

wrong . . .
 
Past continuous and simple past statements
You can use the past continuous to set the background for a story or talk about events in
progress in the past (events that are not complete).

The past continuous often describes a long action.

Use the simple past for completed actions in the past. The simple past often describes a
short action.

I was talking to a woman, and I missed my stop. I wasn't paying attention.

(I was still talking and not paying attention when I missed my stop.)

We were trying to look cool, and we walked into a glass door. We weren't

looking.

Unit 9  Things happen: Lesson A  When things go

wrong . . .
 
Linking ideas in the past with when
You can link sentences about the past with when. Use the past continuous to set
the background and the simple past for the completed action:

A friend of mine deleted all my music files. She was using my computer.

A friend of mine deleted all my music files when she was using my computer.

When my friend was using my computer, she deleted all my music files.

Unit 9  Things happen: Lesson B  Accidents happen.

 
Past continuous questions
You can use past continuous questions to ask about background events or events in
progress in the past. The past continuous often describes a long action.

Use simple past questions to ask about completed events and actions. The simple past
often describes a short action:

Were you skiing with a friend?

What were you doing when you fell?

Did you hurt yourself?

What did you do?

Yes-No questions

For past continuous Yes-No questions, use past of be (Was / Were) + subject + verb + -

ing . . . ?:

Were you skiing with a friend?

For affirmative responses, use Yes, + subject + was / were:

 Yes, I was.

For negative responses, use No, + subject + wasn't / weren't:

No, they weren't.

Information questions

For information questions, use question word + was / were + subject + verb + ing . . . ?:

A  What were you doing?

B  I was talking on my cell phone.

Unit 9  Things happen: Lesson B  Accidents happen.

 
Reflexive pronouns
There is a reflexive pronoun for every subject pronoun:

Reflexive
Pronouns
pronouns

I myself
you yourself
he himself
she herself
it itself
we ourselves
they themselves

Use a reflexive pronoun when the subject and the object of a verb are the same person.

I hurt myself. (myself is the same person as "I")

They hurt themselves. (themselves is the same person as "they")

You can use by + reflexive pronouns to mean "alone" and not with other people:

A  Were you skiing by yourself?

B  Yes, I was skiing by myself.

Unit 9  Things happen: Lesson B  Accidents happen.
 
Reflexive pronouns
There is a reflexive pronoun for every subject pronoun:

Reflexive
Pronouns
pronouns

I myself
you yourself
he himself
she herself
it itself
we ourselves
they themselves

Use a reflexive pronoun when the subject and the object of a verb are the same person.

I hurt myself. (myself is the same person as "I")

They hurt themselves. (themselves is the same person as "they")

You can use by + reflexive pronouns to mean "alone" and not with other people:

A  Were you skiing by yourself?

B  Yes, I was skiing by myself.

Unit 10  Communication: Lesson B  On the phone

 
More, less, fewer
You can make comparisons using nouns and verbs. You can use more, less, and fewer to
compare two nouns, and more and less to compare two verbs. Use than before the second
noun or verb.

Fewer and less are the opposite of more.

With countable nouns

You can use more / fewer + countable noun:

 I get more calls than you (do). You get fewer calls than I do.
 

With uncountable nouns

You can use more / less + uncountable noun:

You spend less time on the

I spend more time on the phone.
phone.
 

With verbs

You can also use more / less with verbs:

She talks more than he does. He talks less than she does.

Unit 11  Appearances: Lesson A  Family traits

 
Describing people
There are many different expressions you can use to ask and answer questions about
someone's appearance.

Look like / Look alike

You can use look like to ask about someone's general appearance. Use What + do / does +

subject + look like?:

A  What does Hayley look like?

B  She's tall and thin.

You can also use look like to ask who has a similar appearance to someone. Use
in Who + do / does + subject + look like?:

A  Who does she look like?

B  She looks like her father.

To ask if two people have a similar appearance, you can use look alike. Use Do +

subject and subject + look alike?:

A  Do Hayley and Heather look alike?

B  No, they look totally different.

Height, hair color, eye color

You can use How  + tall + be . . . ? to ask about someone's height:

A  How tall is her father?

B  He's six (foot) seven. / He's over two meters tall.
You can use What color + be . . . ? to ask about the color of someone's hair or eyes:

A  What color is Hayley's hair?

B  It's blond.

A  What color are Hayley's eyes?

B  They're blue.

Unit 11  Appearances: Lesson A  Family traits

 
have got = have
In statements, you can use have or have got to describe someone's appearance:

She has straight hair.

or

She's got straight hair. (She's got = She has got)

In Yes-No questions, use have to ask about someone's appearance.

Does she have curly hair?

You can also use have got to ask and answer Who . . . ? about someone's appearance:

A  Who's got curly hair? (= Who has got . . . ?)

B  I do. I've got curly hair. (= I do. I have got . . . )

Unit 11  Appearances: Lesson B  Features

 
Phrases with verb +-ing and prepositions
You can use phrases with verb +-ing or phrases with prepositions to identify people you
can see. You can use them to describe what people are doing or wearing, where they are,
or what they look like.

Phrases with verb +-ing

You can use phrases with verb +-ing to say what someone is doing or wearing:

A  Which one is your roommate?

B  She's the woman standing by the table.
or
B  She's the woman wearing (the) black pants.
You can also use phrases with verb +-ing to ask questions about people you can see:

A  Who's the guy talking to Rosa's roommate?

B  The guy wearing (the) yellow pants? My brother.

Phrases with prepositions

You can use phrases with prepositions to describe where someone is:

She's the one by the table.

You can use with to describe what someone looks like:

She's the one with (the) long hair.

The one with (the) glasses is Jason.

You can use with or in to describe what someone is wearing:

The guy with / in the yellow pants is Rosa's brother.  (= The guy wearing . . . )

She's the one with / in the black shirt.  (= She's the one wearing . . . )

You can also use phrases with prepositions in questions:

Who's the guy in the blue shirt?

Unit 12  Looking ahead: Lesson A  What’s next?

 
Future with will, may, and might
When you are 100% sure – will

You can use will to give facts or predictions about the future. The predictions are things that
you think are sure to happen.

In affirmative statements, use subject + will / 'll + verb . . . :

I'll be 65 in June. (I'll = I will)

The baby will keep us busy!

In negative statements, use subject + won't (= will not) + verb . . . :

It won't be easy to find a job.

Remember, you can also use be going to to talk about predictions for the future, especially
when you have good reasons or evidence for your predictions:

It's going to snow tomorrow. (It's cold and there are some clouds.)
 
When you are not 100% sure – may, might, will + expressions

You can use may or might to show you are not 100% sure about the
future. May and might have similar meanings.

In affirmative statements, use subject + may / might + verb . . . :

I may go on for a master's degree.

In negative statements, use subject + may / might + not + verb . . . :

I might not be able to afford it.

Don't use can for predictions when you are not sure. Use may or might.

Usually will is used for future events and situations that you are 100% sure about. But you
can also use will with expressions like I guess, I think, maybe, and probably if you are not
100% sure about the future:

We'll probably take some time off from work.

Maybe we'll move to Arizona. (we'll = we will)

Avoid will to talk about plans or decisions that are already made. Use the present
continuous or going to instead:

I'm going to Europe next year. I'm going to visit Paris.

Unit 12  Looking ahead: Lesson B  Jobs

 
Present tense verbs with future meaning
Complex sentences are sentences with more than one clause or part. In complex
sentences about the future, use the simple present after if, when, after, and before:

What are you going to do when you graduate?

If I get good grades, I may go to law school.

My parents will be disappointed if I don't go into law.

After I graduate, I'll be able to work in their firm.

I need to decide before I go home for the summer.

CONVERSATION STRATEGIES
Unit 1  Making friends
 
Starting a conversation
To start a conversation with a stranger you can:

 talk about things you can see or hear, like the weather or the place you are in

It's cold tonight.

There are a lot of people out here tonight.

 ask general questions

Do you come here a lot?

 say your name

By the way, my name's Chris.

Unit 2  Interests
 
Saying no in a friendly way
Saying more than just no is friendly and polite:

A  Do you enjoy cooking?

B  Um, no, not really. I mean, I cook every day but I'm not really into it.

A  Do you have any hobbies?

B  Well no, I don't really have much time.

Really
You can use really to make statements stronger:

I'd really like to take a look sometime. (really before a verb)

I'm really good at photography. (really before an adjective)

You can also use really to make negative statements softer:

I don't really have much time for hobbies. (really after don't or doesn't)

I'm not really interested in photography. (really after not and before an adjective)

 
Not really can also be a polite way to answer no:

A  Do you do a lot of cooking?

B  Not really.

Unit 3  Health
 
Encouraging people to talk
You can keep a conversation going by encouraging the other person to talk.

You can comment on what someone says:

A  I'm working two jobs.

B  You're kidding!

You can ask follow-up questions:

A  I'm so tired.

B  Really? How come?

Showing surprise
Use expressions like these to show surprise when talking to people you know well:

Oh! Gosh!
Really? Oh, my gosh!
Wow! You're kidding!
Oh, wow! Are you serious?
No way! No!
 

A  I'm working two jobs this semester.

B  You're kidding! Two jobs? Wow.

To show surprise when talking to people you don't know well, use Oh!  or Really!

Unit 4  Celebrations
 
"Vague" expressions
You can use "vague" expressions in conversations when you don't need to give a long list
of things because the other person understands what you mean:
and stuff (like that)

It's a festival. It's lots of parades and stuff (like that).

(= everything we understand about a festival)

and things (like that)

You can get all kinds of tacos and things (like that).

and everything

The kids wear outfits and makeup and everything.

 
"Vague" responses
You can use a vague response if you are not sure about your answer to a question:

I don't know.    I'm not sure.    Maybe.    It depends.

A  Are you going to the festival this weekend?

B  I don't know. It depends. What is it exactly?

Unit 5  Growing up
 
Correcting things you say
You can correct the things you say with expressions like well, actually and no, wait:

A  Do you remember much about kindergarten?

B  Not really. Well, I remember my first day at school.

A  I remember my first day of school. Actually, I don't remember the day, but I

     remember on the way home, I missed my bus stop.

B  Oh, no!

A  So that was when you were five?

B  Yeah, Uh . . . no, wait . . . I was only four.

I mean
You can use I mean to correct yourself when you say the wrong word or name:
 A  How did you get home?

B  Well, the teacher, I mean, the bus driver, had to call my parents . . .

This is just one use of I mean.

Unit 6  Around town

 
Checking information
In a conversation, you may need to check something that you didn't hear or understand.
You can:

 repeat words as a question to check information

A  Well, there's a Mexican restaurant within walking distance.

B  Within walking distance?

 use the expression Did you say . . . ? or What did you say? to check information

A  There's usually about a 15-minute wait.

B  Did you say fifteen or fifty?

 use the expression I'm sorry? or Excuse me? to ask the speaker to repeat what he /
she said

A  Are there any nice places to eat around here?

B  Excuse me? Did you say places to eat?

 
"Echo" questions
You can use "echo" questions to check information.

In an "echo" question, you repeat something you heard, and add a question word to check
the information you didn't hear:

A  There's a Vietnamese place on Park Avenue.

B  I'm sorry. There's a Vietnamese place where?

You can use a checking expression before an "echo" question:

A  Is there a drugstore around here?

B  I'm sorry, a what?
 A  It opens at 10:00.
B  Excuse me? It opens at what time?

Unit 7  Going away

 
Responding to suggestions
You can use these expressions to respond to suggestions that you like:

That's a great idea.    That sounds great.    I'd love to.

A  We could go to Mexico or something.

B  That's a great idea.

You can use these expressions to respond to suggestions that you don't like:

Maybe.    I guess we could, but . . .    I don't know.    I'd like to, but . . .

After making a negative response, people usually offer an explanation or excuse:

A  We could just quit our jobs and go backpacking for a few months.

B  I don't know. I'd like to, but I need to keep this job to pay for school and stuff.

I guess
You can use I guess when you're not 100% sure about something or if you don't want to
sound 100% sure.

It can make what you say sound softer:

A  I guess I need to keep this job.

B  Yeah, me too, I guess.

Unit 8  At home

 
Asking politely
Sometimes you need to ask to do something or ask someone to do something.

You can use Do you mind if + subject + verb . . . ? to ask permission to do something:

Do you mind if I look around? ( = Can I look around?)

You can use Would you mind + verb + -ing . . . ? to ask someone to do something:

Would you mind helping me in the kitchen? ( = Can you help me?)

You can use No to agree to requests with Do you mind if . . . ? and Would you mind
+ verb + -ing . . . ?:

A  Do you mind if I look around?

B  No, go ahead.

A  Would you mind helping me in the kitchen?

B  No, not at all.

In both examples, No means "I don't mind. It's not a problem."

Agreeing to requests
You can use Yes or No to agree to requests.

Use Yes to agree to requests with Can and Could:

A  Can I look around?

B  Yes. / Sure. / Go (right) ahead.

A  Could you chop the onions?

B  Yes. / Sure. / OK. / No problem.

Use No to agree to requests with mind:

A  Do you mind if I look around?

B  No, go (right) ahead. / No, not at all.

A  Would you mind helping me in the kitchen?

B  No, not at all. / Oh, no. No problem. I’m happy to help.

Unit 9  Things happen

 
Reacting to a story
You can comment on things other people say to show you're listening and interested in the
conversation.

 You can use expressions of surprise like Oh, no!, Oh, . . . , Really?, You're kidding!:

A  It all stuck to the bottom of the pan and burned.

 B  Oh, no!

 You can give personal information or your opinions:

A  We were making Thai curry for a bunch of people . . .

B  Oh, I love Thai food.

 You can use expressions with that's + adjective:

A  Then I hid the burnt pan under the sink.

B  Oh, that's hilarious.

I bet . . .
You can use I bet in different ways.

 You can start a statement with I bet . . . when you are pretty sure about something:

A  I hid the burned pan under the sink.

B  I bet no one even noticed.

 You can use I bet as a response to show you understand a situation:

A  It didn't taste too good. I freaked.

B  I bet. Unit 10  Communication

 
Dealing with interruptions
When you are talking to someone, you may need to interrupt the conversation (stop it for a
short time). You can use expressions like these:

Just a minute / second.

Excuse me just a second.

I'm sorry. Hold on (a second).

Could / Can you hold on a second?

A  Juan and I went out to a fancy restaurant last night and . . .

B  Oh, just a minute. I've got another call.

When you restart a conversation after an interruption, you can use expressions like these:
 What were you saying?

You were saying?

Where were we?

What were we talking about?

A  Juan and I went out to a fancy restaurant last night and . . .

B  Oh, just a minute. I've got another call. . . . Sorry. So, what were you saying?

Unit 10  Communication
 
just
You can use just to make the things you say softer.

This is useful when you tell someone to do something. Just is less direct and more polite:

Just (wait) a minute. I've a got another call.

You can also use just to make the things you say sound small or unimportant:

I was just calling to ask – will you be my maid of honor?

Unit 11  Appearances
 
Remembering a name or a word
When you can't remember a name or a word, you can use these expressions to give you
time to think, or to ask someone else:

 When you can't remember a name . . . :

What's his / her name?

Do you remember that guy?

Oh, what's his / her name?

Do you remember that cool guy in our class last year? Oh, what's his name?

 When you can't remember a word . . . :

What do you call it / them?

What do you call that . . . / those . . . ?

He always wore those baggy pants with all the pockets. What do you call them?
 And he had long hair and a funny little beard . . . what do you call that?

 
You mean . . . and Do you mean . . . ?
You can say You mean . . . or ask Do you mean . . . ? to check what someone is talking
about, or to suggest a word or name:

A  Do you remember that cool guy in our class last year? Oh, what's his name?
    He had a funny little beard . . . what do you call that?

B  Do you mean a goatee? . . . Oh, I know. You mean Max!

Unit 12  Looking ahead

 
Making offers and promises
You can use I'll to make offers, and I will and I won't to make promises.

Use I'll + verb for offers:

I'll get some steaks.

Use I'll / I won't + verb for promises:

I'll call you.

I won't forget the drinks.

In short responses, use I will to make a promise:

A  Make sure you go to the gas station before you pick me up.

B  All right. I will.

Unit 12  Looking ahead

 
All right and OK
You can use All right or OK when you agree to something:

A  Remind me to bring my beach umbrella.

B  All right / OK.