Tenses
When do we use the present simple? Name at least one instance.
We use the present simple for:
facts
routines or habits
permanent states
Explain the meaning of the provided idiom in your own words.
Piece of cake
Something very easy to do.
Name a compound adjective that describes a person who is lacking sympathy or feeling; indifferent; unkind.
cold-hearted
Fill in the gaps with fitting prepositions.
My kitten jumped ____ my desk and then climbed ___ his favourite box.
onto/off, into
Should we use "the" before proper nouns? (in most cases)
Proper nouns usually are not modified by articles.
When do we use the present continuous? Name at least one instance.
We use the present continuous for:
actions that are happening at the time/around the time of speaking
temporary situations
Explain the meaning of the provided idiom in your own words.
Beat around the bush
To avoid talking about what’s important.
Name a compound adjective that is used to describe a person who has no doubts in their abilities.
self-confident
Complete the rule with a missing preposition. We use ___ with times and some time periods, e.g. night, weekends.
at
Fill in the gaps with fitting articles. (if it is necessary)
When you visit ___ Egypt, don’t forget to take a cruise on ___ River Nile.
When you visit - Egypt, don’t forget to take a cruise on the River Nile.
We do not use articles before the names of countries. We use "the" before the names of rivers.
When do we use the past simple? Name at least one instance.
We use the past simple for:
something that started and finished in the past
past routines and habits
actions that happened one after another in the past (for example when telling a story)
Explain the meaning of the provided idiom in your own words.
Break a leg
A way of wishing someone good luck, especially before a performance.
Explain the meaning of the following compound adjective in your own words.
easy-going
Relaxed and not easily upset or worried.
Complete the rule with a missing preposition. We use ___ for longer periods of time, e.g. years, months, seasons, parts of the day (morning, afternoon, evening).
in
In what case should we use the indefinite article "an" instead of "a"?
We use "an" instead of "a" if the word that follows it starts with a vowel SOUND.
When do we use the past continuous? Name at least two instances.
We use the past continuous for:
actions that were happening at a specific time in the past
two or more actions that were happening at the same time
giving background information in a story,
an action that was in progress in the past that was interrupted by another action
Explain the meaning of the provided idiom in your own words.
Once in a blue moon
Very rarely.
Explain the meaning of the following compound adjective in your own words.
level-headed
Calm and able to deal easily with difficult situations.
Complete the rule with a missing preposition. We use ___ for days.
on
When do we use the indefinite article "a/an"? Name at least one instance.
We use "a/an":
with singular countable nouns
to mention something for the first time
to talk about someone’s job, status, etc
How many tenses are there in the English language?
There are (at least) 12 tenses in English:
past simple/continuous/perfect/perfect continuous
present simple/continuous/perfect/perfect continuous
future simple/continuous/perfect/perfect continuous
(Some scholars argue that there are 16 or even more tenses in English.)
Explain the meaning of the provided idiom in your own words.
Comparing apples to oranges
Comparing two things that are too different and cannot be compared.
Why should we use hyphens in compound adjectives?
Because the meaning of a sentence can depend on it. For example:
He is a large truck driver. (This means the driver himself is large.)
He is a large-truck driver. (This means he drives large trucks.)
Can all of the given prepositions act as either prepositions of time or prepositions of place, depending on the context?
at, in, on
Yes, they can.
as prepositions of time:
at night, in winter, on Monday
as prepositions of place:
at school, in the park, on the table
When do we use the definite article "the"? Name at least two instances.
We use "the":
with singular or plural countable nouns and uncountable nouns
to talk about something specific when the noun is mentioned for a second time
before unique nouns, names of cinemas/theaters/ships/hotels/etc., names of rivers, deserts, mountain ranges, names or nouns with "of", countries whose names are plural or groups of countries, musical instruments, nationalities