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Exercises: Complete the sentences. Use “must be” and one of the following verbs.

Example:

Your sister had a new baby? Congratulations! You must be (hungry, happy, tired)! ==> You must be happy!

Jack worked all night. He must be tired.
It must be windy. I see everyone is using an umbrella.
Class is canceled today. Mrs. Smith must be sick.
John just sits on the couch and sighs. He must be bored.
Mary gets straight As every semester. She must be very smart.

Exercises: Complete the sentences. Use “must” and one of the following verbs.

Example:

Everything in Susie’s room is pink. She must (hate, like, know) the color pink. ==> She must like the color pink.

Miss Brown teaches two kindergarten classes every day. She must have the patience of Job.
Tom studied for six hours last night. He must know all the material well enough for the test by now.
The Jones have a large vegetable garden. They must eat plenty of fresh vegetables in the summer.
Jane used to have long hair, but now it’s short. She must have gotten a haircut.
Jack seems to know so much. He must read a lot.

Exercises: Complete the sentences. Use “must” and one of the following verbs.

Example:

You are going to Disneyworld for your vacation? You must (take, give, bring) a lot of pictures. ==> You must take a lot of pictures.

Hospital visiting hours are over. You must go home now.
All passengers must have their passports ready when going through Customs.
In most states, you must be 21 to drink alcohol.
You must sign this form before submitting it to the office.
You must do your homework if you want to pass the test.

Exercises: Complete the sentences. Use “must” or “must not”.

Example:

Jack never goes out after work. He (must / must not) like socializing. ==> He must not like socializing.

Matt rides a bike every day, even in the winter. He must not have a car.
Jane has the flu. She must not feel very well.
Tom works at the zoo. He must like animals.
Grandpa needs a magnifying glass to read the paper. He must not see very well.
Mary’s pie has won a blue ribbon at the county fair. She must be a good cook.

must

Grammar Basics: Unit 32 – must

Posted on 2012/04/05

“must” is used with another verb in its infinitive form. “must” does not change for either person or count.

Pattern:

I / you / he, she, it / we / they “must” + V (inf. form)

The negative “not” comes between “must” and its verb:

“must not” + V (inf. form)

“must” is used in two different ways:

1 – to indicate something that we believe to be true
2 – to indicate that doing something is an obligation or necessity

1 – must: belief that something is true

In this sense, it is very similar to “probably”:

John dislikes driving, so I think he must take the train to work. (I think he probably takes the train to work, since he dislikes driving.)

You haven’t eaten all day? You must be hungry! (You are probably hungry!)

I called the Petersons, but no one answered. They must not be home. (They are probably not home.)

There are several newspapers on the neighbor’s driveway. They must be on vacation. (They are probably on vacation.)

2 – must: something is an obligation or necessity

You must be quiet in the library.

All drivers must stop at a red light.

If you want dessert, you must finish your dinner.

It’s quiet hours now in the dormitory. You must not play loud music.

Note: “must not” can be contracted: “mustn’t”

You mustn’t play loud music.

Note: We can also use “have to” in the positive sentences above:

You have to be quiet in the library.

All drivers have to stop at a red light.

If you want dessert, you have to finish your dinner.

For the negative, use “should not”:

It’s quiet hours now in the dormitory. You should not play loud music.

If we need the past tense, we use “had to” and not “must”:

You had to be quiet in the library.

All drivers had to stop at a red light.

If you wanted dessert, you had to finish your dinner.

Exercises: Complete the sentences. Use “must be” and one of the following verbs.

Example:

Your sister had a new baby? Congratulations! You must be (hungry, happy, tired)! ==> You must be happy!

Jack worked all night. He must be (hungry, happy, tired).
It must be (cold, raining, windy). I see everyone is using an umbrella.
Class is canceled today. Mrs. Smith must be (sick, hungry, short).
John just sits on the couch and sighs. He must be (busy, hot, bored).
Mary gets straight As every semester. She must be (dumb, very smart, tall).

Exercises: Complete the sentences. Use “must” and one of the following verbs.

Example:

Everything in Susie’s room is pink She must (hate, like, know) the color pink. ==> She must like the color pink.

Miss Brown teaches two kindergarten classes every day. She must (know, have, like) the patience of Job.
Tom studied for six hours last night. He must (know, write, see) all the material well enough for the test by now.
The Jones have a large vegetable garden. They must (drink, wash, eat) plenty of fresh vegetables in the summer.
Jane used to have long hair, but now it’s short. She must (have, be, seem) gotten a haircut.
Jack seems to know so much. He must (write, read, talk) a lot.

Exercises: Complete the sentences. Use “must” and one of the following verbs.

Example:

You are going to Disneyworld for your vacation? You must (take, give, bring) a lot of pictures. ==> You must take a lot of pictures.

Hospital visiting hours are over. You must (go, leave, stay) home now.
All passengers must (eat, have, read) their passports ready when going through Customs.
In most states, you must (have, be, am) 21 to drink alcohol.
You must (close, look, sign) this form before submitting it to the office.
You must (do, listen, work) your homework if you want to pass the test.

Exercises: Complete the sentences. Use “must” or “must not”.

Example:

Jack never goes out after work. He (must / must not) like socializing. ==> He must not like socializing.

Matt rides a bike every day, even in the winter. He (must / must not) have a car.
Jane has the flu. She (must / must not) feel very well.
Tom works at the zoo. He (must / must not) like animals.
Grandpa needs a magnifying glass to read the paper. He (must / must not) see very well.
Mary’s pie has won a blue ribbon at the county fair. She (must / must not) be a good cook.

must

Grammar Basics: Unit 31 – can and could (Solutions)

Posted on 2012/04/04

Exercises: Using the given clues, write sentences using “can.” If there is a question mark, make a question using “can.”

Example:

Tom / sing well ==> Tom can sing well.
She / speak Italian / not ==> She can’t speak Italian.
John / poker / ? ==> Can John play poker?

Walter can drive a car.
We can’t come to the party.
I can ice skate.
Can you swim?
Bill can go to the picnic.
Can we go on vacation this summer?
They can’t buy a house.
Can you shut the window?
Sally can cook dinner.
Tim can’t stay up late.

Exercises: Determine whether to use “can” or “could” with the given verb in the following sentences.

Example:

I wasn’t busy, so I (come) to the party. ==> I wasn’t busy, so I could come to the party.
Dan is sick. He (go, not) to the football game. ==> Dan is sick. He can’t go to the football game.

After eating a whole pizza, James was full. He couldn’t eat another bite of food.
Louis is blind. He can’t read that book.
Mark is in high school, so he can attend summer camp this year.
We couldn’t go swimming at the outdoor pool because there was a thunderstorm.
We have finished packing, so we can leave on our trip as soon as you’re ready.
John didn’t finish his homework in time, so he couldn’t go skiing with us.
On a clear day, you can see forever.
We had an extra seat in the car, so we could give Mary a ride to the train station.
If you’re tired, you can take a quick nap before dinner.
The weather was nice, so we could go camping at the state park last weekend.

Grammar Basics: Unit 31 – can and could

Posted on 2012/04/03

“can” is used to indicate the ability to do something. It is used with a verb in the infinitive form:

can + V (inf.) …

Examples:

I can play the piano.
Shelia can ride a bike.
The twins can play chess.
We can go to the museum tomorrow.

Note: “can” is the same, regardless of person and number. First person singular, third person plural – it doesn’t matter :).

To make a question, switch the order of “can” and its subject:

Can you play the piano?
Can Jack ride a bike?
Can they play checkers?

To negate, put “not” between “can” and its verb: “can not”, which is written as one word ==> “cannot”

I cannot lift this heavy suitcase.
They cannot come because of bad weather.
Sam cannot speak Chinese.

Note: “cannot” is usually contracted to “can’t.” Thus we have:

I can’t lift this heavy suitcase.
They can’t come because of bad weather.
Sam can’t speak Chinese.

All the examples we’ve given thus far use “can” or “can’t” in the present or future tense. To speak of ability in the past tense, we use “could” (“could not” or “couldn’t” for the negation):

The neighbors were noisy, so I couldn’t sleep at all last night.
James could eat a whole pizza when he was a teenager.
They could stay up all night when they were in college.

Other Notes:

1) Sometimes “can” / “can’t” is used for permission rather than ability:

You can’t use your cell phone in the library.
Tom can’t go visit Becky. He has to whitewash the fence.
Can I have a drink of water?

2) In asking permission, “could” is a more polite form to use than “can”:

Can I have a drink of water? ==> Could I have a drink of water?
Can my friend sit here? ==> Could my friend sit here?
Can you open the window? ==> Could you open the window?

Exercises: Using the given clues, write sentences using “can.” If there is a question mark, make a question using “can.”

Example:

Tom / sing well ==> Tom can sing well.
She / speak Italian / not ==> She can’t speak Italian.
John / poker / ? ==> Can John play poker?

Walter / drive / a car
We / come / to the party / not
I / ice skate
You / swim / ?
Bill / go / to the picnic
We / go on vacation / this summer / ?
They / buy a house / not
You / shut / the window / ?
Sally / cook / dinner
Tim / stay up / late / not

Exercises: Determine whether to use “can” or “could” with the given verb in the following sentences.

Example:

I wasn’t busy, so I (come) to the party. ==> I wasn’t busy, so I could come to the party.
Dan is sick. He (go, not) to the football game. ==> Dan is sick. He can’t go to the football game.

After eating a whole pizza, James was full. He (eat, not) another bite of food.
Louis is blind. He (read, not) that book.
Mark is in high school, so he (attend) summer camp this year.
We (go, not) swimming at the outdoor pool because there was a thunderstorm.
We have finished packing, so we (leave) on our trip as soon as you’re ready.
John didn’t finish his homework in time, so he (go, not) skiing with us.
On a clear day, you (see) forever.
We had an extra seat in the car, so we (give) Mary a ride to the train station.
If you’re tired, you (take) a quick nap before dinner.
The weather was nice, so we (go) camping at the state park last weekend.

Grammar Basics: Unit 30 – might and may (Solutions)

Posted on 2012/03/30

Exercises: Use the given words to respond to the following questions, using the phrase “I don’t know / I’m not sure. I (He, They, etc.) might…”

Example:

What are you doing this afternoon? (store) ==> I don’t know. I might go to the store this afternoon.
Where is Tom going for vacation? (Florida) ==> I’m not sure. He might go to Florida.

What are you going to eat for lunch? ==> I’m not sure. I might have soup or salad.
Is Mary coming to the party? ==> I don’t know. She might have to work.
When are you going to go to the library? ==> I don’t know. I might go after class.
Did Bill and Jane name their new baby yet? ==> I’m not sure. They might have named him James.
What’s the weather supposed to be like tomorrow? ==> I’m not sure. It might rain.
Where is Mark going to college? ==> I don’t know. He might be going to the University of Illinois.
Does Sally have any pets? ==> I’m not sure. She might have a cat.
What color is Jill’s car? ==> I don’t know. It might be blue.
How many books do the kids have to read for the summer program? ==> I’m not sure. They might have to read 15 books.
Where would you like to go on your dream vacation? ==> I don’t know. I might like to go to Switzerland.
How old is John’s son? ==> I don’t know. He might be six.
Where did Tom and Susan move to? ==> I’m not sure. They might have moved to Colorado.
Is there butter or margarine in this cookie recipe? ==> I’m not sure. It might be butter.
Where does Jim work? ==> I don’t know. He might be a salesman for a manufacturing company.
How fast can Tina type? ==> I’m not sure. She might type as fast as 80 words per minute.
Where are the newlyweds going for their honeymoon? ==> I’m not sure. They might go to Hawaii.
Who is the greatest basketball player? ==> I don’t know. It might be Michael Jordan.
What present are you going to give your mother for her birthday? ==> I’m not sure. I might get her a box of chocolates.
What is the name of Barbara’s older son? ==> I don’t know. It might be Christopher.
Who’s calling on the phone? ==> I’m not sure. It might be the doctor’s office.

Grammar Basics: Unit 30 – might and may

Posted on 2012/03/29

“might” is used to indicate possibility. We use it when we are not certain if something will happen.

Pattern:

might + V (infinitive) …

Example:

I might cook spaghetti tomorrow night.
Be careful! You might slip and fall on the ice.
He might get a job working at the gas station.
We might see a movie next weekend.
They might close the store early.

Note: “might” is the same, regardless of person and number. First person singular, third person plural – it doesn’t matter :).

To form the negation, put “not” between “might” and its infinitive verb.

Negation:

might not + V (infinitive) …

Example:

I might not get to the appointment on time.
You might not make the team if you don’t practice.
Who knows, it might not rain tomorrow anyhow.
We might not see him again for a long time.
They might not be able to afford it.

“might” is often used with “I don’t know” or “I’m not sure”:

A: What are you going to eat?
B: I’m not sure. I might try the salmon.

A: Have you decided where you’ll go for your honeymoon?
B: We don’t know. We might go to the Bahamas.

A: Do you know if Tom is coming?
B: I don’t know. I suspect he might not make it.

Recall:

“am going to” indicates certainty – something will happen.
“might” indicates uncertainty – we do not know if something will happen.

Tom is going to stop by later. (He will certainly come.)
Tom might stop by later. (Maybe he will come, or maybe he won’t. We don’t know.)

I am going to take a nap after lunch. (I am so tired, I will certainly rest.)
I might take a nap after lunch. (I don’t know. I have a lot of work to do, so maybe I will do that instead.)

When we are talking about uncertainty, we can use “may” instead of “might”:

Tom may stop by later = Tom might stop by later.

Exercises: Use the given words to respond to the following questions, using the phrase “I don’t know / I’m not sure. I (He, They, etc.) might…”

Example:

What are you doing this afternoon? (store) ==> I don’t know. I might go to the store this afternoon.

Where is Tom going for vacation? (Florida) ==> I’m not sure. He might go to Florida.

What are you going to eat for lunch? (soup or salad)
Is Mary coming to the party? (have to work)
When are you going to go to the library? (after class)
Did Bill and Jane name their new baby yet? (James)
What’s the weather supposed to be like tomorrow? (rain)
Where is Mark going to college? (University of Illinois)
Does Sally have any pets? (cat)
What color is Jill’s car? (blue)
How many books do the kids have to read for the summer program? (15)
Where would you like to go on your dream vacation? (Switzerland)
How old is John’s son? (six)
Where did Tom and Susan move to? (Colorado)
Is there butter or margarine in this cookie recipe? (butter)
Where does Jim work? (salesman for a manufacturing company)
How fast can Tina type? (as fast as 80 words per minute)
Where are the newlyweds going for their honeymoon? (Hawaii)
Who is the greatest basketball player? (Michael Jordan)
What present are you going to give your mother for her birthday? (box of chocolates)
What is the name of Barbara’s older son? (Christopher)
Who’s calling on the phone? (doctor’s office)

Grammar Basics: Unit 29 – will, Part II (Solution)

Posted on 2012/03/28

Exercise: In the following sentences, choose either “will” or “going to” to make an appropriate sentence.

Example:

I’m tired, so I think I (will / am going to) go to bed. ==> I’m tired, so I think I will go to bed.

A: What are you doing tomorrow night?
B: We (will / are going to) go out for dinner and watch a movie. ==> We are going to out for a dinner and watch a movie.

1. It snowed a lot overnight. I will shovel the driveway before I go to work.

2. A: I have a ton of work to do.
B: That’s all right. We will help you.

3. I’m confused. I think I will ask Sam to explain these instructions to me.

4. A: Have you done your homework yet?
B: No, I will do it later, I think.

5. I’m tired. I think I will skip exercising today.

6. A: Are you going to do anything this weekend?
B: No, I am going to stay home and get caught up on my reading.

7. Someone’s at the door. Will you answer it?

8. A: What are you doing after lunch?
B: I am going to go ice skating. Want to come?

9. Mother likes flowers, so I think we will get her a colorful bouquet for her birthday.

10. A: This room’s a mess.
B: Don’t worry – I will clean it up.

11. Do you know how expensive that wine is? If we buy that for the party, it will cost a fortune!

12. A: We’re having a potluck this Saturday.
B: Okay. I will bring a salad.

13. I’ve finished reading my library books. I think I will return then and get some more.

14. A: Why are you baking so many cookies?
B: I am going to gift wrap plates of cookie and give them away as presents.

15. We didn’t get a Christmas tree this year. We will get one next year, okay?

16. A: The car’s low on gas.
B: I will fill it up on my way to the store.

17. I’m hot. I think I will go swimming to cool off.

18. A: The plants need watering.
B: I will do it as soon as I’m done washing these dishes.

19. I will give you a call tomorrow, okay?

20. A: I have a taste for pretzels.
B: I will bake some.

Grammar Basics: Unit 29 – will, Part II

Posted on 2012/03/27

Many ESL students are confused about “will” and “going to.” Both are used to indicate future events. But their connotations are slightly different.

going to:”going to” is used when a person has already decided to do something. After you have made your plans to do this or that, you use “I’m going to …” when you tell somebody about your future.

will:”will” is used at the moment you have made your decision. For example, someone might say, “The phone is ringing.” You could respond, “Don’t worry, I’ll get it.” You would not say, “I’m going to get it,” because you did not make your decision until the phone started to ring.

Another example: Someone asks, “Who wants to go with me to the store after lunch?” Up until now you had not considered doing that. But after someone asks you, you think that it would be something you are interested in doing. So you decide to go along, and you respond, “I will.”

If some other person asks you (even only 5 minutes later), “What are you doing after lunch?” you would then respond: “I am going to the store.” You would not say, “I will go to the store.” Why? Because your decision was already made before the other person asked.

Here are some more situations where “will” is used instead of “going to”:

Person A: It’s cold in here.
Person B: I’ll turn up the heat.

Person A: We need some more milk and eggs.
Person B: I’ll go to the store later today and pick some up.

Person A: I’m bored. I think I’ll go for a walk.

Person A: You look hungry. I’ll fix you a sandwich.

Person A: The roads are so snowy and icy today, I don’t think we’ll go to the museum.

Exercise: In the following sentences, choose either “will” or “going to” to make an appropriate sentence.

Example:

I’m tired, so I think I (will / am going to) go to bed. ==> I’m tired, so I think I will go to bed.
A: What are you doing tomorrow night?
B: We (will / are going to) go out for dinner and watch a movie. ==> We are going to out for a dinner and watch a movie.

1. It snowed a lot overnight. I (will / am going to) shovel the driveway before I go to work.

2. A: I have a ton of work to do.
B: That’s all right. We (will / are going to) help you.

3. I’m confused. I think I (will / am going to) ask Sam to explain these instructions to me.

4. A: Have you done your homework yet?
B: No, I (will / am going to) do it later, I think.

5. I’m tired. I think I (will / am going to) skip exercising today.

6. A: (Will you do / Are you going to do) anything this weekend?
B: No, I (will / am going to) stay home and get caught up on my reading.

7. Someone’s at the door. (Will you / Are you going to) answer it?

8. A: What are you doing after lunch?
B: I (will / am going to) go ice skating. Want to come?

9. Mother likes flowers, so I think we (will / are going to) get her a colorful bouquet for her birthday.

10. A: This room’s a mess.
B: Don’t worry – I (will / am going to) clean it up.

11. Do you know how expensive that wine is? If we buy that for the party, it (will / is going to) cost a fortune!

12. A: We’re having a potluck this Saturday.
B: Okay. I (will / am going to) bring a salad.

13. I’ve finished reading my library books. I think I (will / am going to) return then and get some more.

14. A: Why are you baking so many cookies?
B: I (will / am going to) gift wrap plates of cookie and give them away as presents.

15. We didn’t get a Christmas tree this year. We (will / are going to) get one next year, okay?

16. A: The car’s low on gas.
B: I (will / am going to) fill it up on my way to the store.

17. I’m hot. I think I (will / am going to) go swimming to cool off.

18. A: The plants need watering.
B: I (will / am going to) do it as soon as I’m done washing these dishes.

19. I (will / am going to) give you a call tomorrow, okay?

20. A: I have a taste for pretzels.
B: I (will / am going to) bake some.

Grammar Basics: Unit 28 – will, Part I (Solutions)

Posted on 2012/03/23

Exercise: Change the following sentences from simple present to future tense using “will”:

They go swimming at the pool. ==> They will go swimming at the pool.
He doesn’t sing in the shower. ==> He won’t sing in the shower.

1. Bob will eat an apple every day.
2. The tailor will fix the broken zipper.
3. The band will march in the parade.
4. She will bake twelve different kinds of cookies for Christmas.
5. He won’t clean the basement in the spring.
6. We will paint the house on the weekend.
7. Tom will write for the newspaper.
8. The children won’t watch TV after school.
9. Jack will graduate from college next month.
10. Mary will take pictures at the party.
11. John will bring hot dogs and hamburgers.
12. They will buy drinks for everyone.
13. He won’t read 10 books a month.
14. You will wash the car next week.
15. The bank will open at 9 o’clock.
16. Susan will fill up the coffee pot.
17. The mailman will drop off a package.
18. We won’t buy stamps at the post office.
19. They will have a birthday party on Friday.
20. I will study history as often as I can.

Grammar Basics: Unit 28 – will, Part I

Posted on 2012/03/22

“will” is used to indicate future tense:

Yesterday he sang.
Today he sings.
Tomorrow he will sing.

“will” is easy to use. It must have a verb (in the infinitive form) that goes along with it. Also, “will” doesn’t change for either person or number:

will + (inf. verb)

I will _____
You will _____
He / She / It will _____
We will _____
You will _____
They will _____

To form a negative, put “not” immediately after “will,” but before the infinitive verb:

I will not _____
You will not _____
He / She / It will not _____
We will not _____
You will not _____
They will not _____

“will” may also be contracted: will ==> ’ll

I will _____ ==> I’ll
You will _____ ==> You’ll
He / She / It will _____ ==> He’ll / She’ll / It’ll
We will _____ ==> We’ll
You will _____ ==> You’ll
They will _____ ==> They’ll

“will not” is contracted a little differently, though: will not ==> won’t

I will not _____ ==> I won’t
You will not _____ ==> You won’t
He / She / It will not _____ ==> He / She / It won’t
We will not _____ ==> We won’t
You will not _____ ==> You won’t
They will not _____ ==> They won’t

We can also use “think … will” to indicate something we are fairly ( about 75%, for example) certain is going to happen.

(Noun – often, a pronoun) + think + (noun, pronoun) + will + (inf. verb)

I think it will snow.
She thinks the children will like that movie.
They think he will be a fireman when he grows up.

We use “don’t think….will” to express that something is unlikely:

I don’t think it will rain on our parade.
He doesn’t think the library will be open on Sundays.

Sometimes, we use “will not” / “won’t” to indicate something that is unlikely to happen. It means the same thing as “don’t think…will”.

Tom thinks the economy won’t improve until next year.
They think the store won’t have any apples.

Exercise: Change the following sentences from simple present to future tense using “will”:

They go swimming at the pool. ==> They will go swimming at the pool.
He doesn’t sing in the shower. ==> He won’t sing in the shower.

1. Bob eats an apple every day.
2. The tailor fixes the broken zipper.
3. The band marches in the parade.
4. She bakes twelve different kinds of cookies for Christmas.
5. He doesn’t clean the basement in the spring.
6. We paint the house on the weekend.
7. Tom writes for the newspaper.
8. The children don’t watch TV after school.
9. Jack graduates from college next month.
10. Mary takes pictures at the party.
11. John brings hot dogs and hamburgers.
12. They buy drinks for everyone.
13. He doesn’t read 10 books a month.
14. You wash the car next week.
15. The bank opens at 9 o’clock.
16. Susan fills up the coffee pot.
17. The mailman drops off a package.
18. We don’t buy stamps at the post office.
19. They have a birthday party on Friday.
20. I study history as often as I can.