Section 1: Compound Nouns
A compound noun is a noun made of two or more words. They can be written as one word (haircut), two words (ice cream), or hyphenated (mother-in-law).
- Examples: toothpaste, swimming pool, blackboard, sunrise.
- The first word usually describes or modifies the second word, which identifies the object.
1. Which word combines with "butter" to make a common compound noun?
2. "Please put the books on the bookshelf."
Which word in the sentence is a compound noun?
3. A "greenhouse" is a building made of glass for...
4. Which two words form a compound noun for a place where you wait for a bus?
5. My dad reads the ___ every morning to know what's happening in the world.
6. After the storm, we saw a beautiful ___ in the sky.
Section 2: Prefixes
A prefix is a group of letters added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning.
- un-, dis-, im- (not): unhappy, disagree, impossible
- re- (again): reread, rebuild
- mis- (wrongly): misunderstand, misspell
- pre- (before): preview, preheat
1. Which prefix means "not"?
2. If you "reread" a book, you...
3. My homework was messy, so I had to ___write it.
4. To not agree with someone is to ___agree.
5. It is ___possible to be in two places at once.
6. I ___heard what you said; can you please repeat it?
Section 3: Suffixes
A suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a word. Suffixes can change a word's meaning or its grammatical function (e.g., from a verb to a noun).
- -ful (full of): careful, hopeful
- -less (without): careless, hopeless
- -able (can be done): readable, breakable
- -er, -or, -ist (person who does): teacher, actor, artist
- -ly (in a certain way): quickly, slowly
1. A person who sings is a ___.
2. If something is "breakable," it means it ___ be broken.
3. The night was dark and star___.
4. A person who acts in movies is an act___.
5. She was very happy. This suffix can create a noun for the state of being happy: happi___.
6. The situation is hope___. There is no hope.
Section 4: Modal Verbs
Modal verbs are auxiliary (helping) verbs that express ability, possibility, permission, or obligation.
- Ability: can, could (e.g., "I can swim.")
- Permission: may, can (e.g., "May I leave?")
- Advice: should (e.g., "You should rest.")
- Obligation: must, have to (e.g., "You must stop.")
- Possibility: might, may, could, can (e.g., "It might rain.")
1. He is very strong. He ___ lift that heavy box. (Ability)
2. "You ___ finish your homework before you watch TV." (Obligation)
3. Take an umbrella. It ___ rain later. (Possibility)
4. You look tired. You ___ get some sleep. (Advice)
5. ___ I borrow your pen, please? (Permission)
6. When I was young, I ___ run very fast. (Past Ability)
Section 5: Simple Tenses
Simple tenses describe single actions. They can be in the present, past, or future.
- Simple Present: For habits and general truths. (e.g., "The sun rises in the east.")
- Simple Past: For completed actions in the past. (e.g., "She finished her work.")
- Simple Future: For actions that will happen. (e.g., "They will arrive soon.")
- Simple Future with BE GOING TO: For planned actions. (e.g., "I am going to study tonight.")
1. Water ___ at 100 degrees Celsius.
2. We ___ a fantastic movie last night.
3. I promise I ___ you with your project tomorrow.
4. He ___ to the gym three times a week.
5. My family ___ to Spain for vacation in 2019.
6. I think it ___ soon.
Section 6: Progressive (Continuous) Tenses
Progressive (or Continuous) tenses describe ongoing actions.
- Present Progressive: For actions happening now. (e.g., "I am reading a book.")
- Past Progressive: For an ongoing action in the past that was interrupted. (e.g., "She was watching TV when the phone rang.")
- Future Progressive: For an ongoing action in the future. (e.g., "This time tomorrow, we will be flying to Paris.")
1. Please be quiet. The baby ___.
2. I ___ my homework when my friend called me last night.
3. Don't call me at 9 PM tonight. I ___ a movie.
4. What ___ you ___ at 3 PM yesterday?
5. Look! It ___ to snow.
6. This time next year, I ___ at a university.
Section 7: Perfect Tenses
Perfect tenses describe actions that are completed or "perfected" in relation to another point in time.
- Present Perfect: For past actions with a connection to the present. (e.g., "I have lost my keys.")
- Past Perfect: For an action that happened before another past action. (e.g., "The train had left when I arrived at the station.")
- Future Perfect: For an action that will be completed before a certain time in the future. (e.g., "By next year, I will have graduated.")
1. I can't find my wallet. I think I ___ it.
2. By the time the firefighters arrived, the fire ___ the whole building.
3. By the end of this year, she ___ to ten different countries.
4. She can't go to the movies because she ___ her homework yet.
5. He told me he ___ such a delicious meal before.
6. By the time you read this email, I ___ on vacation.