Mastering English Grammar: Key Concepts and Exercises

Posted on Mar 8, 2025 in Administration and Management

Complete with:

  • There is / There are: There are many people at the airport.
  • There is a security guard at the control.
  • How many cinemas are there in your town?
  • There aren’t any flight attendants on board.
  • There is time to study and to relax.
  • Is there any water in the fridge?

Complete with much/many:

  • How much does it cost?
  • I have many things in my bag.
  • How much clothes do you have?
  • There is too much paper in the toilet.
  • I have many friends.
  • How much cheese would you like?

Complete the sentences by adding the word: enough

  • Is there enough sugar in your coffee?
  • Can you hear the radio? Is it loud enough for you?
  • Did you have enough time to do the exam?
  • The house isn’t big enough for a family.
  • You don’t eat enough fruit. You should eat more.
  • The water wasn’t hot enough to take a bath.

Complete with too, too much, too many, or enough:

  • I don’t like the weather. There’s too much rain.
  • I can’t wait for them. I haven’t got enough time.
  • The beach was full. There were too many people.
  • You’re always tired; I think you work too hard.
  • You drink too much coffee. It’s not good.
  • You don’t eat enough vegetables. You should eat more.
  • I think the film was boring. It was too long.

Write the verb in the 3rd person singular:

  • Does, watches, gets, washes, has, gives, flies, shops, speaks, catches, kisses, builds, works, goes, studies, tries, plays, teaches, buys, designs, hates, hits, cries, stops, writes, finishes, says, finds, passes, walks, sails, mixes, matches.

Write the verb in the correct form of the present simple:

  • I cook pizza on Sunday.
  • Michele lives in Cáceres.
  • Marta and Luis work in Coria.
  • My mother doesn’t read comics.
  • You play basketball.
  • Do you like sports?
  • He doesn’t prefer basketball.
  • I don’t speak Russian.
  • My mother and I travel a lot.
  • My sister has dinner at 7.
  • I am Spanish.
  • What time does the match start?
  • My sister isn’t happy.
  • Have you got any friends?
  • You and I don’t like English.

Write in interrogative and negative:

  • I love English. I don’t love English. Do I love English?
  • My parents like pasta. My parents don’t like pasta. Do my parents like pasta?
  • Marta lives in China. Marta doesn’t live in China. Does Marta live in China?
  • Andrea and Sandra work a lot. Andrea and Sandra don’t work. Do Andrea and Sandra work a lot?
  • My cousins have got a car. My cousins haven’t got a car. Have my cousins got a car?
  • Spain is a big country. Spain isn’t a big country. Is Spain a big country?
  • My parents are happy. My parents aren’t happy. Are my parents happy?
  • Classes start at 9. Classes don’t start at 9. Do classes start at 9?
  • Luis has got 2 dogs. Luis hasn’t got 2 dogs. Has Luis got 2 dogs?

Write questions for the following responses:

  • I live in Cáceres. Where do you live?
  • I cook pizza. What do you cook?
  • She gets up at 7. What time does she get up?
  • Marcos loves his parents. Who does Marcos love?
  • We have a meeting tomorrow. When do you have a meeting?
  • I cry because I’m sad. Why do you cry?
  • Lucia works in a hospital. Where does Lucia work?
  • My sisters like cars. What does your sister like?
  • Luisa reads comics. What does Luisa read?
  • I work in the morning. When do you work?

Fill in the dialogue using the map:

  • Excuse me, how do I get to the cinema?
  • Go straight on, turn left at the corner. Then take the second road on your right. Continue to the end of the road. Turn left here. The cinema is on your left, opposite the castle.
  • Thank you very much.
  • You’re welcome.

Translate:

  • Siempre me levanto a las 7 y desayuno con mis hijos. No cojo el metro, voy a trabajar en coche. Me reúno con mis amigos para comer y hablamos de cosas divertidas. I always get up at 7 and have breakfast with my children. I don’t take the underground; I go to work by car. I meet my friends for lunch and we speak about funny things.
  • ¿Dónde vive tu hermana? Vive en una casa a las afueras. Where does your sister live? She lives in a house in the suburbs.
  • A menudo salgo por las noches y a veces los fines de semana. I often go out in the evening and sometimes at the weekend.
  • ¿Cómo se llega al bar? Sube las escaleras, gira a la derecha y sigue recto por el pasillo. El bar está al lado de mi oficina, enfrente del gimnasio. How do you get to the canteen? Go up the stairs, turn right and go straight on along the corridor. The canteen is next to my office, opposite the gym.
  • ¿Cuáles son tus hobbies? Me encanta responder al teléfono. Me gusta mucho escribir informes. Y no puedo soportar planear viajes. Detesto rellenar hojas de cálculo. What are your hobbies? I love answering the phone. I like writing reports a lot and I can’t stand planning trips. I detest filling in spreadsheets.
  • Lo siento, tú no puedes usar ningún ordenador ni móvil a bordo. I’m sorry, you can’t use any laptop or mobile on board.
  • Hay demasiados clientes en las tiendas libres de impuestos. There are too many customers in the duty-free shops.
  • ¿Tienes las tarjetas de embarque? Sí, vamos al mostrador de facturación. Have you got the boarding cards? Yes, we go to the check-in desk.
  • Mi jefe tarda 3 días en llegar de Madrid a Sydney, pero se tarda 8 horas en llegar de Londres a Nueva York. It takes my boss three days to arrive from Madrid to Sydney, but it takes eight hours to arrive from London to NY.

Complete the sentences:

  • I answer phone calls.
  • We discuss our day.
  • Hattie has meetings.
  • She goes on business trips.
  • She travels to many different countries.
  • She often flies with British Airways.

Complete the sentences:

  • a) She gets up at 8 o’clock. She doesn’t get up at 8 o’clock.
  • b) She reads a book on the bus. She doesn’t read a book on the bus.
  • c) Hattie always travels to the same countries. Hattie doesn’t travel to the same countries.
  • d) Hattie doesn’t fly with British Airways. Hattie flies with British Airways.
  • e) Gita eats with Hattie. Gita doesn’t eat with Hattie.

Complete the sentences:

  • The files are on top of the shelf.
  • The printer is under the desk.
  • The pens are in the drawer.
  • The telephone is near the computer.
  • The waste-paper basket is behind the door.
  • The stapler is between the scissors and the glue.
  • My computer is on the table.
  • My mobile phone is in my bag.
  • My highlighter pen is on the table.
  • My desk is in the classroom.
  • My keys are in my bag.

Translate:

  • The reception is on the ground floor. La recepción está en la planta baja.
  • The car park is between the storeroom and the gym. El parking está entre el almacén y el gimnasio.
  • My office is on the fifth floor, next to my boss’s. Mi oficina está en la quinta planta al lado de mi jefe.
  • The Administration department is opposite the Finance department. El departamento de administración está enfrente del departamento financiero.

Answering the phone:

  • Planning business trips.
  • Interviewing applicants.
  • Organising meetings.
  • Writing reports.
  • Receiving visitors.
  • Calling suppliers.
  • Doing tax returns.
  • Filling in spreadsheets.
  • Processing expenses.
  • Repairing computers.
  • Installing software.

Allie’s Daily Routine:

  • Allie gets up at 7:30 am and has breakfast with Charlie and the children.
  • She takes the underground and arrives at work at 9:00 am.
  • At 12:30 pm, Allie meets friends for lunch, then she chats with her colleagues.
  • Allie leaves the office at 5:30 pm and gets home at 6:15 pm.
  • Allie and Charlie prepare dinner together, then watch TV with their children.
  • She goes to bed at 10:30 pm and reads for half an hour.

Questions for Answers:

  • Charlie travels to work by car. How does Charlie travel to work?
  • Allie and Charlie live in a house in the suburbs. Where do they live?
  • Allie and Charlie live with their two children. Who do they live with?
  • Charlie works in a hotel. Where does Charlie work?
  • Allie meets her friends in the evening and sometimes at the weekends. When does Allie meet her friends?
  • Charlie’s responsible for reservations. What does Charlie do?

Conversation 1:

  • Do you know where the MD’s office is, please?
  • Yes, go straight on, along this corridor and then take the last door on the left.
  • Thanks.
  • Not at all.

Conversation 2:

  • How do you get to the canteen, please?
  • Go up the stairs then turn right; the canteen is opposite.
  • Thank you.
  • You’re welcome.

Conversation 3:

  • Where are my glasses?
  • On your desk, next to the keyboard.
  • Yes, they’re there! Thanks!
  • That’s ok.

Conversation 4:

  • I don’t know where the stapler is.
  • I think it’s on top of the filing cabinet, under those files.
  • Ah! Yes it is, thank you very much.
  • Not at all.

Frequency:

  • I often get up early at weekends.
  • I am occasionally late.
  • I always have a shower in the evening.
  • I normally go to school/work by car.
  • I usually have lunch in a restaurant.
  • I sometimes make a lot of phone calls.
  • I never play football.
  • They usually have tea in the afternoon.
  • He often plays football on Saturday mornings.
  • They sometimes go to the cinema on Friday evenings.
  • They hardly ever go camping at night.
  • He always eats ice cream after dinner.
  • She often drives to go shopping.

Places:

  • Your keys are in the drawer.
  • Computer manuals are on top of the filing cabinet.
  • The printer is behind the computer.
  • The highlighter is on the desk.
  • The staples are next to the stapler.
  • The photocopier is between the filing cabinet and the shelves.

Likes and Dislikes:

  • I don’t really like filling in spreadsheets.
  • I enjoy planning trips.
  • I detest installing software.
  • I can’t stand receiving visitors.
  • I hate repairing computers.
  • I love organising meetings.
  • I really like answering the phone.
  • I don’t really like writing reports.

Complete the sentences:

  • Are there any passengers? Yes, there are.
  • Is there a cinema? No, there isn’t.
  • Are there any dogs? No, there aren’t.
  • Is there an information desk? Yes, there is.

Complete:

  • I’m afraid that’s too much, madam.
  • Excuse me, sir, I’m afraid you can’t use any electronic equipment on board.
  • Of course, madam, how many sandwiches would you like?
  • Oh good, there are lots of shops, so now we’ll have enough time to look at them.
  • I’d like some tea to take home.
  • Certainly, sir, how much tea would you like?
  • That’s a lot of tea!

Complete the sentences with: some / any / much / many / a lot of / enough / too

  • There are a lot of (some, many) customers in the cafeteria.
  • Excuse me, madam, I’m afraid you can’t use any laptops or mobile phones on board.
  • How many T-shirts would you like?
  • Oh good; it’s early, we have enough (some, much) time to have a coffee.
  • I’d like some chocolate to take home. Certainly, madam, how much chocolate would you like?
  • There are too many things in my bag; I can’t find anything!
  • Is there any (enough) paper in the toilet?
  • These tickets cost too much!

Find and correct mistakes in the sentences:

  • There haven’t aren’t any customers in the duty-free shop.
  • My boss has too many problems.
  • I don’t have any luggage.
  • My boss has too much stress.
  • I like speaking English much.
  • A pilot has to study a lot.
  • There is a long queue at the check-in desk.

Translate:

  • Hay 2 pilotos en el avión. There are two pilots on the plane.
  • No hay mucha gente en el aeropuerto. There aren’t many people at the airport.
  • Hay un guardia de seguridad en la puerta. There is a security guard at the door.
  • No hay música en la tienda. There isn’t any music in the shop.
  • Hay mucho equipaje en el carrito. There is much luggage on the trolley.

Complete the sentences with the correct form (positive or negative) of the verb:

  • We borrow books from the library twice a month.
  • Richard never does the shopping on Saturdays.
  • Sheila doesn’t eat very much; that’s why she’s so thin.
  • What time do you have breakfast?
  • The children don’t get up until 8 o’clock in the morning.
  • My friend Gill studies at Oxford University.
  • What kind of books does your mother read?
  • Jenny watches too much television.

Complete the sentences:

  • If it rains, take your umbrella.
  • Does he make his bed after he gets up?
  • The children watch TV after dinner.
  • They don’t start work until 8 a.m.
  • Do you clean your teeth before you go to bed?
  • We usually drink wine with our meals.
  • Leaves fall in autumn.
  • The sun rises in the east.

Martin gets up at 7:30 and has a shower every day. He usually drinks a cup of coffee and eats toast and marmalade for breakfast. Then he gets dressed and leaves home at 8:15. He goes to the town centre by bus. He works in a bank from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. He doesn’t like his job very much. Martin has lunch in a café opposite the bank. He usually talks to his colleagues about sports, holidays, etc. When he goes back home, he switches on the TV to listen to the news and reads the newspaper. After a while, he switches on the cooker and has dinner. He hardly ever goes out for dinner, except with his family or friends. Then he does the washing up and watches TV again until he goes to bed at about 11 o’clock.

Correct errors in these sentences:

  • She doesn’t want to come with us.
  • What time do you have lunch?
  • They don’t have breakfast at home.
  • The moon turns around the earth.
  • We often go to the cinema.
  • What happens in the garden every night?
  • This car doesn’t belong to me.
  • When we get to France, we’ll send you a postcard.

Translate:

  • No cenamos nunca en casa. We never have dinner at home.
  • Emily suele jugar al fútbol los sábados por la tarde. Emily usually plays football on Saturday afternoon.
  • Limpiamos el coche todos los domingos. We wash the car every Sunday.
  • ¿Dónde viven tus amigos? Where do your friends live?
  • ¿Te gustan las patatas? Do you like potatoes?
  • A veces coge el autobús a las 9 de la mañana. He sometimes takes the bus at 9 am.
  • ¿Estudias por la noche? Do you study at night?
  • Siempre va a la discoteca los viernes por la noche. He always goes to the disco on Friday evening.

Circle the correct verb:

  • Try not to make too much noise.
  • I don’t like it here. There are too many tourists.
  • Wow! I’m sorry but it costs too much money.
  • Do we have enough time? There are too many places to visit.
  • There are too many problems.
  • I think there’s too much rain.
  • Come on! There really isn’t too much time.

Put the word: enough in the correct place in each sentence:

  • We don’t have enough time.
  • There aren’t enough people.
  • Do you have enough money?
  • Is the music loud enough?
  • There isn’t enough to do.
  • She looks happy enough.
  • Do you have enough food to eat?

Complete the dialogue with: too many, too much, or enough:

  • Where are we going today?
  • I don’t know. There are too many places to choose from.
  • Why don’t we go to the Washington Monument?
  • Won’t there be too many people there?
  • No, it should be OK.
  • Yes, but it costs too much money.
  • Don’t worry. I have enough money; I can lend you some.
  • OK. Come on, let’s go.
  • Can we walk down by the river after that?
  • Well, we don’t want to take too much time.
  • It’ll be OK. We have enough time.
  • Yes, and when we take the subway I don’t like it.
  • Why not? Isn’t it fast enough?
  • It’s fast, but it isn’t interesting enough. I want to see things.
  • Come on, let’s go. Otherwise, we really won’t have enough time.

Vocabulary:

  • what – qué
  • where – dónde
  • when – cuándo
  • who – quién
  • thank – gracias
  • understand – entender
  • spell – deletrear
  • morning – mañana
  • meet – conocer
  • abroad – en el extranjero
  • with – con
  • well – bien
  • company – empresa
  • a container – un contenedor
  • a department manager – un gerente de departamento
  • a secretary – un secretario
  • an administrative assistant – un asistente administrativo
  • a receptionist – un recepcionista
  • IT technician – un técnico de informática
  • a trainee – aprendiz
  • accountant – contable
  • a box – caja
  • mechanic – mecánico
  • file – archivador
  • printer – impresora
  • drawer – cajón
  • chair – silla
  • phone – teléfono
  • mouse – ratón
  • computer – ordenador
  • desk – mesa de trabajo
  • key – llave
  • pencil – lápiz
  • a university – universidad
  • too – también
  • from – desde, de
  • interesting – interesante