Do you know how to use adjectives with prepositions like 

interested
in or similar to?
Look at these examples to see how adjectives are used with prepositions.
I'm interested in the idea.
My jacket is similar to yours.
She's brilliant at maths.
My neighbour is angry about the party.
Grammar explanation
Some adjectives go with certain prepositions. There are no grammatical rules for which preposition
is used with which adjective, so it's a good idea to try to learn them together. However, there are
some patterns that can help you. Let's look at them first. Remember that a preposition is followed
by a noun or a gerund (-ing form).
With at
We use at with adjectives like good/bad/amazing/brilliant/terrible, etc. to talk about skills and
abilities.
He's really good at English.
She's amazing at the piano.
They're terrible at organising anything.
I'm not very good at drawing.
With about
We often use about with adjectives of feelings
like angry/excited/happy/nervous/sad/stressed/worried, etc. to explain what is causing that
feeling.
I'm angry about the decision.
He's nervous about the presentation.
She's excited about the new job.
They were worried about the exam.
With of
However, sometimes we use of with feelings.
She was afraid of telling her mum.
I'm frightened of having an accident.
He's scared of flying.
You should be proud of your progress.

With to
We can use ‘to’  to show the connection between people or things.
He's married to the director.
I'm addicted to my phone.
I'm allergic to nuts.
It's similar to the old one.
We can also use ‘to’  to talk about someone's behaviour towards someone else.
They were really friendly to me
Was he nice to you?
He is always polite to everyone.
She was very rude to the waitress.
Here are some other useful adjectives with prepositions.
With for
Exercise is good for you.
Stress is bad for you.
The town is famous for its cheese.
I'm responsible for the financial side of the business.
With in
She's interested in the project.
They want someone who's experienced in design.
I didn't want to get involved in the argument.

Do you know the difference between bored and boring?

Look at these examples to see how adjectives ending in -ed and -ing are used.

I was really  bored in that presentation.

That was a really boring  presentation.

Grammar explanation

Adjectives that end in -ed (e.g. bored, interested) and adjectives that end in -

ing (e.g. boring, interesting) are often confused.

-ed adjectives

Adjectives that end in -ed generally describe emotions – they tell us how people feel.

I was so bored in that lesson, I almost fell asleep.

He was surprised to see Helen after all those years.
She was really tired and went to bed early.

-ing adjectives
Adjectives that end in -ing generally describe the thing that causes the emotion – a boring lesson
makes you feel bored.

Have you seen that film? It's really frightening.

I could listen to her for hours. She's so interesting.
I can't sleep! That noise is really annoying!

Here are some adjectives that can have both an -ed and an -ing form.

annoyed annoying

bored boring

confused confusing

disappointed disappointing

excited exciting

frightened frightening

interested interesting

surprised surprising
 tired tiring

worried worrying

Do you know how to use a, an and the?

Look at these examples to see how articles are used.

She's a doctor.
I need an umbrella.
Have you heard the news?
I don't like spiders.

Grammar explanation

Here are some of the most important things to know about using articles.

Jobs

When we say what people's jobs are, we usually use a/an.

He's an architect.
She's  a scientist.
My grandmother was  a teacher.

Singular nouns

Singular, countable nouns always have an article – a/an or the (or another determiner

– my, your, this, that, etc.).

We use a/an – the indefinite article – when we talk about something for the first time, or
something that is part of a group or type.
 I saw  a good film yesterday.
Do you want a drink?

We use a when the word that follows it begins with a consonant sound. We use an when
it's followed by a vowel sound. This makes pronunciation easier.

She has a  university degree.

It took me an hour to get home.

We use the – the definite article – when the listener already knows which thing we are
talking about because it was mentioned before or because there's only one of them.

I'm going to take the dog for a walk.

Have you seen the car key?
They go to  the  school next to the bridge.

Things in general

When we talk about things in general, we normally use a plural or uncountable noun with
no article.

Birds eat worms.

Water freezes at 0°C.
Children need a lot of sleep.

Particular groups of things

When we talk about a particular group of things, we use the.

We went to the zoo and saw the kangaroos. (These are the particular kangaroos in that
zoo – not kangaroos in general.)

Do you know when you need to use the  in common phrases and place
names?
Look at these examples to see when the is and isn't used.

I'm going to bed.

I walk to work.
My children are going to start school.
I visited the school yesterday.
Mount Everest is in the Himalayas.

Grammar explanation
Here are some ways we use articles in common phrases and place names.
Common phrases
We don't usually use an article in expressions with bed, work and home.

go to bed / be in bed
go to work / be at work / start work / finish work
go home / be at home / get home / stay at home

We also don't normally use an article in expressions with school, university, prison and hospital.

start school / go to school / be at school

go to university / be at university
be sent to prison / go to prison / be in prison
go to hospital / be in hospital

But we usually use the if someone is just visiting the place, and not there as a student/prisoner/patient,
etc.

My son has started school  now. I went to the school to meet his teacher.
I went to  the prison  a lot when I was a social worker.
I'm at the hospital. My sister has just had a baby.

Place names
We don't normally use an article for continents, most countries, cities, towns, lakes, mountains or
universities. So, we say:

Africa, Asia, Europe

India, Ghana, Peru, Denmark
Addis Ababa, Hanoi, New York, Moscow
Lake Victoria, Lake Superior, Lake Tanganyika
Mount Everest, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Elbrus
Cardiff University, Harvard University, Manchester University

Some countries are different. Country names with United have the. There are other countries which are
exceptions too. So, we say:

the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States of America
the Bahamas, the Gambia

Seas and oceans, mountain ranges and rivers have the:

the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Mediterranean

the Andes, the Himalayas, the Alps
the Nile, the Amazon, the Yangtze

Universities with of in the title also have the:

the University of Cape Town, the University of Delhi, the University of Tokyo

Do you know how to use a, some, any, much and many?

Look at these examples to see how to use countable and uncountable nouns in a sentence.

I'm making a cup of tea.

There's some money on the table.
Have we got any bread?
How many chairs do we need?
How much milk have we got?

Grammar explanation

Nouns can be countable or uncountable. Countable nouns can be counted, e.g. an

apple, two apples, three apples, etc. Uncountable nouns cannot be counted,
e.g. air, rice, water, etc. When you learn a new noun, you should check if it is countable
or uncountable and note how it is used in a sentence.

Countable nouns

For positive sentences we can use a/an for singular nouns or some for plurals.

There's a man at the door.

I have some friends in New York.

For negatives we can use a/an for singular nouns or any for plurals.

I don't have a dog.
There aren't any seats.

Uncountable nouns

Here are some examples of uncountable nouns:

bread rice coffee information

money advice luggage furniture

We use some with uncountable nouns in positive sentences and any with negatives.

There's some milk in the fridge.

There isn't any coffee.

Questions
In questions we use a/an, any or how many with countable nouns.

Is there an email address to write to?

Are there  any chairs?
How many chairs are there?

And we use any or how much with uncountable nouns.

Is there any sugar?
How much orange juice is there?

But when we are offering something or asking for something, we normally use some.

Do you want some chocolate?
Can we have  some  more chairs, please?

We also use some in a question when we think the answer will be 'yes'.

Have you got  some  new glasses?

Other expressions of quantity

A lot of (or lots of) can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns.

There are  lots of  apples on the trees.

There is  a lot of snow on the road.

Notice that we don't usually use many or much in positive sentences. We use a lot

of instead.

They have  a lot of money.

However, in negative sentences we use not many with countable nouns and not

much with uncountable nouns.

There are a lot of carrots but there aren't many  potatoes.

There's lots of juice but there isn't much water.

Do you know how to use a few, few, very little and a bit of?

Look at these examples to see how these quantifiers are used with countable and uncountable
nouns.

I have a few friends, so I'm not lonely.

She has few friends, so she's quite lonely.
We've got a bit of time before our train. Shall we get a coffee?
We've got very little time before our train. Hurry up!
Grammar explanation

A few and a bit of or a little mean some. Often we feel this amount is enough or more than
we expected. We use a few with plural nouns and a bit of or a little with uncountable
nouns.

I have  a few  ideas.

I've brought a few friends.
There's a bit of  milk left.
It needs  a little more work.

We use few and very little to show that we are talking about a small amount. Often we
feel this amount is not enough or less than we expected. Few is for countable nouns
and very little is for uncountable nouns.

Few people came to the meeting.

There are few places where you can still see these birds.
We have very little time.
I have  very little money.

Note that you can use little without very, but it is less common and sounds quite formal.

She had little water.

Do you know how to make questions?

Look at these examples to see how questions are made.

Is he a teacher?
Does she eat meat?
When did you get here?
How much does a train ticket cost?

Grammar explanation

To make questions, we often put the verb before the subject. This is called inversion.

Affirmative Question

I am late. Am I late?
 Affirmative Question

I can  help. Can I help?

She is sleeping. Is she sleeping?

We have met before. Have we  met before?

If there is a question word (why, what, where, how, etc.), it goes before the verb.

Question Question with question word

Are you late? Why are you late?

Was she there? When was she there?

Can I help? How can I help?

Have we met before? Where have we met before?

This is true for sentences with be, sentences that have auxiliary verbs (e.g. They are
waiting. She has finished.) and sentences with modal verbs (can, will, should, might, etc.).
Questions in the present simple and past simple

For other verbs in the present simple, we use the auxiliary verb do/does in the question.

Question with question

Affirmative Question
word

You work at Do you work at

Where do  you  work?
home.   home?

It costs £10.  Does it cost £10? How much does it cost?

We use the auxiliary verb did in the past simple.

Question with question

Affirmative Question
word

She went
Did she go home? Where did she go?
home. 

They went to Did they go to the

Where did they go?
the cinema.  cinema?

Subject questions

In some questions, who or what is the subject of the verb. There is no inversion of subject

and verb in these questions.
Who broke  the window?
Who is knocking  on the door?

Do you know when to use -ing and when to use to + infinitive after a

verb?
Look at these examples to see how the verb forms are used.

I enjoy learning languages.
I want to learn a new language.

Grammar explanation

A verb can be followed by another verb. The second one usually needs to change into
the -ing form or the to + infinitive form. Which form you need depends on what the first
verb is.

Verbs followed by the -ing form

When enjoy, admit and mind are followed by another verb, it must be in the -ing form.

I enjoy travelling.
He admitted stealing the necklace.
I don't mind waiting if you're busy.

Other verbs in this group include avoid, can't help, consider, dislike, feel

like, finish, give up, like, love, miss, practise  and suggest.

Verbs followed by to + infinitive form

When want, learn and offer are followed by another verb, it must be in the to +

infinitive form.

I want to speak to the manager.

She's learning to play the piano.
He offered to help us wash up.

Other verbs in this group

include afford, agree, ask, choose, decide, expect, hope, plan, prepare, promise, refuse 
and would like.

Do you know how to use as and like correctly?

Look at these examples to see how as and like are used.

I worked as an actor for two years.

I went home early as I felt ill. 
He looks as if he hasn't slept.
As you know, this is the third time I've had to complain.
He looks like his dad. 
She's like a sister to me.
Try to do something relaxing, like reading a book or having a bath.

Grammar explanation

as and like are often confused since they can both be used for comparisons. There are, however,
important differences.

Making comparisons

as +  adjective + as and as much as

We often use the structure as + adjective  + as  or  as much as to say if something has, or doesn't have,
the same amount of that quality as something else. 

She loves curry as much as I do.

He's not as tall as his brother.
It's not as expensive as the other hotel.
That dog is as big as that child!

You also have to use as in the expression the same as.

Your phone is the same as mine.

Texting is not the same as speaking in person.

like  + noun

In the following comparisons, like is followed by a noun or a pronoun to say that two things are
similar.

He's like a father to me.

She's acting like a child.
It's like a burger but with big mushrooms instead of bread.
There are lots of people like us.

It is also common to make comparisons using like  with verbs of the senses.

She looks like her mother.

It sounds like a cat.
Nothing tastes like homemade lemonade.
It smells like medicine.
It feels like cotton.
as if/as though  + clause

As if  and as though can be used to compare a real situation to an imaginary situation. They are
followed by a clause (a subject and verb).

You look as if you've seen a ghost.

I felt as if I was floating above the ground.
You talk as though we're never going to see each other again.

Giving examples

We can say like or such as to give examples. 

You could try a team sport like football, basketball or hockey.

You should take something soft, such as a towel, to lie on.
 

Talking about a job or function

We can use as + noun to talk about a job or function. 

I worked as a shop assistant for two years.

He used his coat as a blanket to keep warm.
 

as  to connect two phrases

as can be used as a conjunction to connect two phrases. It can have different meanings.

as  = 'because'

All the tickets were sold out as we got there too late.
As the road was closed, I had to park on the next street.

as = 'while' or 'during the time that'

She called as I was getting out of the bath.

As they were arriving, we were leaving.

as = 'in the way that'

As we expected, it started to rain.

As you know, classes restart on 15 January.
As I said, I think this project will be a challenge.

** Note that in informal speech, people sometimes say like  for 'in the way that'.

Like I said, I didn't know her.

 Do you know how to use the word enough?
Look at these examples to see how enough is used.

She's not old enough to walk yet.

We are not acting fast enough to stop climate change.
I don't read enough.
Is there enough coffee for everyone?
We've had enough of their lies.

Grammar explanation
enough means 'as much as necessary'. It can be used with an adjective, an adverb, a
verb or a noun. It can also act as a pronoun.

With adjectives and adverbs

enough comes after adjectives and adverbs.

I'm not tall enough to reach the top shelf.

Your marks are good enough to study engineering at university.
I couldn't write quickly enough and I ran out of time.
I've helped at conferences often enough to know what can go wrong.

With verbs
enough comes after verbs.

I make sure I drink enough during the day.

I don't read enough but I'm going to start downloading books to my phone. 

With nouns
enough comes before nouns.

There isn't enough bread to make sandwiches.

Have you got enough money?

As a pronoun
enough can also be used without a noun. 

I'll get some more chairs. There aren't enough.

A: Do you want more coffee? B: No, I've had enough, thanks.

We know what the noun is because of the context.

With an adjective and a noun

When enough is used with an adjective and a noun, two positions are possible but the meaning changes.
We haven't got big enough envelopes. 
We haven't got enough big envelopes.

When enough is after the adjective (big enough envelopes), it describes the adjective – the envelopes are too
small. When enough is before the adjective (enough big envelopes), it describes the noun phrase – we have
some big envelopes, but we need more.

enough of
We normally only use enough of when it is followed by a determiner or a pronoun
(a/an/the, this/that, my/your/his, you/them, etc.).

There isn't enough of that bread to make sandwiches for everyone.

I've seen enough of his work to be able to recommend him.
There's enough of us to make a difference.