What does a noun look like in English?
A noun (noun) defines things, people, animals, plants, objects, and abstract concepts
Nouns are divided into countable and uncountable.
A countable noun, is one that can be counted individually, e.g., 1 cat – 2 cats
An uncountable noun, is one that cannot be counted individually, e.g., water, flour, sugar, time, bread
A countable noun can have a singular form: 1 cat or plural form: 2 cats
How do we form the plural of countable nouns?
We form the plural of countable nouns by adding the ending -s to the noun
| Spelling of the ending -s | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| nouns ending in -s, -z, -ch, -sh, -x or -o | we add -es to the noun | box – boxes watch – watches |
| nouns ending in -y preceded by a consonant | we change -y to -ies | baby – babies try – tries |
| nouns ending in -f or -fe | we change -f or -fe to -ves | thief – thieves knife – knives |
| Nouns forming irregular plurals | ||
| singular form | plural form | translation |
| man | men | man, human |
| woman | women | woman |
| child | children | children |
| tooth | teeth | tooth |
| foot | feet | foot |
| mouse | mice | mouse |
| goose | geese | goose |
| sheep | sheep | sheep |
List personal pronouns (subject)
I – I
You – you
He is – he is
She – she
It – it
We – we
You – you (plural)
They – they
What do we use the verb „to be” for?
a) To describe features, characteristics, etc. e.g. I am tall.
b) To describe states, e.g. I am hungry.
How do we conjugate the verb „to be” in the present tense?
I am – I am
You are – you are (singular)
He is – he is
She is – she is
It is – it is
We are – we are
You are – you are (plural)
They are – they are
The abbreviation for am is 'm
The abbreviation for is is 's
The abbreviation for are is 're
How do we form a negation with the verb „to be”?
I am not – I am not
You are not – you are not (singular)
He is not – he is not
She is not – she is not
It is not – it is not
We are not – we are not
You are not – you are not (plural)
They are not – they are not
The abbreviation for is not is isn’t
The abbreviation for are not is aren’t
How do we form a question with „to be”?
Am I …..? – Am I ….?
Are you ….. ? – Are you (singular) …?
Is he ….? – Is he …?
Is she …? – Is she …?
Is it …? – Is it …?
Are we …? – Are we …?
Are you …? – Are you (plural) …?
Are they …? – Are they …?
We form short answers as follows:
Yes, I/you/we/they have. Yes, he/she/it has.
No, I/you/we/they haven’t. No, he/she/it hasn’t.
What do we use the verb „to have” for?
We use the verb „to have” to say that someone has something.
Example: I have a cat. – I have a cat.
To the verb have, you can add the word got ; it does not change the meaning of the sentence, it only serves to give rhythm to the sentence. E.g. I have got a cat. = I have a cat.
How do we conjugate the verb „to have” in the present tense?
I have – I have
You have – you have (singular)
He has – he has
She has – she has
It has – it has
We have – we have
You have – you have
They have – they have
The abbreviation of have is 've
The abbreviation of has is 's
How do we form the negative with the verb „to have” in the present tense?
I have not – I do not have
You have not – you do not have
He has not – he does not have
She has not – she does not have
It has not – it does not have
We have not – we do not have
You have not – you do not have
They have not – they do not have
The abbreviation of have not is haven’t
The abbreviation of has not is hasn’t
How do we form a question with the verb „to have” in the present tense?
Have I …… ? – Do I have ………….?
Have you …… ? – Do you have ………….?
Has he …… ? – Does he have ………….?
Has she …… ? – Does she have ………….?
Has it …… ? – Does it have ………….?
Have we …… ? – Do we have ………….?
Have you …… ? – Do you have ………….?
Have they …… ? – Do they have ………….?
How do we form the possessive (possessive’s)?
To say that something belongs to someone, we use the possessive form. We add ’s to the owner of the thing to indicate ownership
owner 's + possessed thing
dog’s kennel = dog’s kennel
Tomek’s car = Tomek’s car
children’s toys = children’s toys
If the word is plural and ends in s we add 's after the word, e.g. dogs’ kennel = dogs’ kennel
What is the purpose of the construction There is / There are and how do we form it?
There is / there are is used to indicate where something is located, according to the pattern:
There is / There are + what + where
e.g. There is (what) a book (where) on the table. = There is a book on the table.
e.g. There are (what) books (where) in the bag. = There are books in the bag.
We form the question by swapping there with be (is/are)
e.g. Is there a book on the table? = Is there a book on the table?
Are there any books in the bag? = Are there books in the bag?
Short answers are formed as follows:
Yes, there is. / Yes, there are. No, there isn’t. / No, there aren’t.
Prepositions of place
To describe the location of things, we use prepositions of place.
on – on
under – under
in – in
next to – next to
behind – behind
in front of – in front of
opposite – opposite
between – between
Demonstrative pronouns
This, that, those, these are used to point out things
This and that are used in the singular
These and those are used in the plural
This and these are used when the thing/things are close
That and those are used when the thing/things are far
e.g. This car is mine. – This car is mine.
e.g. That car is mine. – That car is mine.
e.g. These cars are mine. – These cars are mine.
e.g. Those cars are mine. – Those cars are mine.
List possessive adjectives and their translation
| Possessive adjective | Translation |
|---|---|
| my | my |
| your | your |
| his | his |
| her | her |
| its | its |
| our | our |
| your | your |
| their | their |
What do we use the verb „can” for (to be able to)?
We use the verb can to describe what we are able to do, and to ask for permission.
e.g. I can swim. = I can swim.
She can play guitar. = She can play guitar.
They can drive a car. = They can drive a car.
We form negatives by adding the word „not” to the verb can.
She can’t play guitar. = She can’t play guitar.
They can’t drive a car. = They cannot drive a car.
We form questions by inversion, by moving the verb can before the subject.
Can you swim? = Can you swim?
Can they speak English? = Can they speak English?
Short answers
Yes, I/you/he/she/it/we/you/they can. No, I/you/he/she/it/we/you/they can’t.
e.g. Can you swim? No, I can’t.
e.g. Can we jump? Yes, we can.
When do we use a/an?
We use a and an before a countable noun in the singular.
We use a before a noun beginning with a consonant (in pronunciation)
We use an before a noun beginning with a vowel (in pronunciation)
What do we use the Present Simple tense for?
For repeated actions, e.g. I go to school every day.
For preferences, e.g. I like pizza.
For describing laws of nature, e.g. The earth goes round the sun.
For talking about actions resulting from timetables, lesson plans, TV programs, etc., independent of us, e.g. The bus leaves at 10. = The bus leaves at 10.
What does an affirmative sentence look like in Present Simple?
Affirmative sentence in Present Simple:
subject + verb (in base form) + rest of the sentence
e.g. I go to school everyday.
Tomek and Kasia play chess every night.
!!! In the 3rd person singular we add -s to the verb !!!
e.g. He goes to school everyday.
e.g. Paweł plays football every Saturday.
What does a negative sentence look like in Present Simple?
Negative sentence in Present Simple:
subject DON’T verb (in base form) + rest of the sentence
e.g. I DON’T go to school everyday.
e.g. Tomek and Kasia DON’T play chess every night.
!!! In the !!! 3rd person singular instead of DON’T we write DOESN’T -s !!!
e.g. He DOESN’T go to school everyday.
e.g. Paweł DOESN’T play football every Saturday.
What does a general question (yes/no) look like in Present Simple?
„Yes/No” question in Present Simple:
DO + person + verb (in basic form) + rest of the sentence
e.g. DO you go to school everyday?
e.g. DO we play chess every night?
!!! In !!! 3rd person singular instead of DO we write DOES !!!
e.g. DOES he go to school everyday?
e.g. DOES Zosia play football every Saturday?
What does a detailed question look like in Present Simple?
Detailed question in Present Simple:
We add a question word to the general question
e.g. Where do you live? – Where do you live?
e.g. Why does she play chess every morning? – Why does she play chess every morning?
List the question words.
| Question word | Translation |
|---|---|
| where | where |
| who | who |
| what | what, which, what kind |
| which | which |
| whose | whose |
| why | why |
| when | when |
| how | how |
| how often | how often |
| how many | how many (for countable nouns) |
| how much | how much, how much (for uncountable nouns) |
| how far | how far |
What are the adverbs of frequency and time markers typical for Present Simple?
Adverbs of frequency (placed between the person and the verb)
always – always
sometimes – sometimes
often – often
rarely – rarely
never – never
usually – usually, generally
seldom – seldom
Time markers (placed at the end of the sentence or at the beginning of the sentence)
every day – daily
every week – weekly
every month – monthly
every year – yearly
What does „some” mean and when do we use it?
„some” means some, a little
We use „some” before countable nouns in plural and uncountable nouns
We use „some” in affirmative sentences
!EXCEPTION!
We can use some in polite questions
e.g. Would you like some milk? – Would you like some milk?
What does „any” mean and when do we use it?
„any” means some, a little, none
We use „any” before countable nouns in plural and uncountable nouns
We use „any” in interrogative and negative sentences
e.g. We don’t have any time. – We don’t have any time.
List personal pronouns (object) and their translation
me – me, to me
you – you, to you
him – him, to him
her – her
it – it
us – us
you – you (plural)
them – them
What do we use the Present Continuous tense for?
For actions happening at the moment we are speaking about them e.g. I am going to school now.
For actions planned in the near future e.g. She is having dinner with her father next week.
What does an affirmative sentence in Present Continuous look like?
subject + verb to be (am/are/is) + verb with the ending -ing
What does a negative sentence in Present Continuous look like?
subject + verb to be (am/are/is) + NOT + verb with the ending -ing
The abbreviation for is not is isn’t
The abbreviation for are not is aren’t
e.g. I am not watching TV now. = I am not watching TV now.
e.g. The cat is not (isn’t) eating its food. – The cat is not eating its food.
What does a question in Present Continuous look like?
General question (of the „Czy” type?)
Am/Are/Is + subject + verb with the ending -ing
e.g. Is she going to the park now? – Is she going to the park now?
Specific question (with an interrogative word)
What are the typical time markers for the Present Continuous tense?
now – now
at the moment – at this moment
at present – currently
this week – this week
this month – this month
What do object pronouns look like?
me – me, to me
you – to you, you
him – him, to him
her – her
it – to it
us – us
you – you (plural)
them – them
What are adverbs of manner used for and how do we form them?
Adverbs of manner describe how something is done
We form them from adjectives by adding the ending -ly
e.g. bad (bad) – badly (badly)
If the adjective ends in y we add the ending -ily
e.g. heavy (heavy) – heavily (heavily)
If the adjective ends in ic we add the ending -ally
e.g. tragic (tragic) – tragically (tragically)
!EXCEPTIONS!
fast (fast) – fast (fast)
good (good) – well (well)
hard (difficult, hard) – hard (with difficulty, hard)
late (late) – late (late)
What do we use Past Simple for?
We use Past Simple to talk about completed actions
at a specific moment in the past
e.g. I washed my car yesterday. – I washed my car yesterday.
How do we form an affirmative sentence in Past Simple?
Affirmative sentence in Past Simple
subject 2nd form of the verb rest of the sentence
e.g. She ate dinner yesterday at 7. – She ate dinner yesterday at 7.
How do we form the second form of regular verbs?
We form the second form of the verb
by adding the ending -ed to the verb
when the verb ends in -y preceded by a consonant, y , we change y to i, and add -ed
e.g. dry – dried
when the verb ends in a consonant preceded by a single vowel we double the last consonant and add ed.
e.g. stop – stopped
!ATTENTION!
We do not double the letters -x, -w
How do we form a negative sentence in the Past Simple tense?
Negative sentence in Past Simple
person + did not (didn’t) + base form of the verb (If) + rest of the sentence
e.g. She didn’t eat dinner yesterday at 7. – She didn’t eat dinner yesterday at 7.
How do we form a question in the Past Simple tense?
Question in Past Simple
Did + person + base form of the verb (If) + rest of the sentence
e.g. Did she eat dinner yesterday at 7? – Did she eat dinner yesterday at 7?
We form a specific question by adding a question word at the beginning of a general question.
e.g. Where did she eat dinner yesterday at 7? – Where did she eat dinner yesterday at 7?
How do we conjugate the verb „to be” in the Past Simple tense?
| Conjugation of the verb „be” in the past tense | ||
|---|---|---|
| person | form of be | translation |
| I | was | I was |
| you | were | you were |
| He | was | he was |
| She | was | she was |
| It | was | it was |
| We | were | we were |
| You | were | you were |
| They | were | they were |
List possessive pronouns (possessive pronouns) and their translation.
| Possessive pronoun | Translation |
|---|---|
| mine | mine |
| yours | yours |
| his | his |
| hers | hers |
| ours | ours |
| yours | yours |
| theirs | theirs |
What is the difference between a possessive adjective and a possessive pronoun ?
Possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her etc.) are placed before the noun
Possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers etc.) are used instead of the noun
after a possessive pronoun there is no noun.
e.g. This is my book.
This book is mine
She ate her breakfast. It was hers.
How do we form the comparative degree of an adjective?
| Comparative degree of an adjective | ||
|---|---|---|
| Short adjectives 1-2 syllables | ||
| In most adjectives, we add the ending -er | fast – faster long – longer |
|
| When an adjective ends in a consonant preceded by a single vowel, we double the last consonant and add the ending er | hot – hotter big – bigger |
|
| When an adjective ends in -y, we change y to -ier | heavy – heavier happy – happier |
|
| Long adjectives | |
|---|---|
| Before a long adjective, we add the words more or less | beautiful – more beautiful intelligent – less intelligent |
When and how do we use the comparative degree of an adjective?
We use the comparative degree of an adjective to compare two things, people, or groups. In comparison, we use the word than
e.g. Peter is taller than Kasia. – Peter is taller than Kasia.
Boys are faster than girls. – Boys are faster than girls.
Dogs are more intelligent than frogs. – Dogs are more intelligent than frogs.
Bikes are less expensive than cars. – Bikes are less expensive than cars.
How do we form the superlative degree of an adjective?
| Superlative degree of an adjective | ||
|---|---|---|
| Short adjectives 1-2 syllables | ||
| In most adjectives, we add the ending -est | fast – fastest long – longest |
|
| When the adjective ends in a consonant preceded by a single vowel, we double the last consonant and add the ending -est | hot – hottest big – biggest |
|
| When the adjective ends in -y, we change y to -iest | heavy – heaviest happy – happiest |
|
| Long adjectives | |
|---|---|
| Before a long adjective, we add the words most (most) or least (least) | beautiful – most beautiful intelligent – least intelligent |
When and how do we use the superlative degree of an adjective?
We use the superlative degree of an adjective to indicate the „most” element in a group. In the superlative degree, we use the word the or a possessive adjective before the adjective
e.g. Peter is the tallest in class. – Peter is the tallest in class.
Tomek is my oldest friend. – Tomek is my oldest friend.
Dolphins are the most intelligent animals. – Dolphins are the most intelligent animals.
Bikes are the least expensive mean of transport. – Bikes are the least expensive mean of transport.
What do we use the Past Continuous tense for?
We use Past Continuous for:
– talking about actions that were ongoing at a specific moment in the past
e.g. I was washing my car at 7 o’clock yesterday. – I was washing my car yesterday at 7:00.
– talking about several actions that were ongoing simultaneously in the past
e.g. I was washing my car and my brother was reading a book. – I was washing my car and my brother was reading a book.
– talking about a longer action that was interrupted by a shorter action (Past Simple) in the past
e.g. I was walking home and a car hit me. – I was walking home and a car hit me.
How do we form an affirmative sentence in Past Continuous?
subject was/were verb with the ending -ing
I was washing my car at 7 o’clock yesterday. – I was washing my car yesterday at 7:00.
We were walking home and a car hit us. – We were walking home and a car hit us.
How do we form a negative sentence in Past Continuous?
subject was/were not verb with the ending -ing
I was not washing my car at 7 o’clock yesterday. – I was not washing my car yesterday at 7:00.
We were not walking home at 6 in the morning. – We were not walking home at 6 in the morning.
How do we form an interrogative sentence in Past Continuous?
Was/Were subject verb with the ending -ing ?
Was I washing my car at 7 o’clock yesterday? – Was I washing my car yesterday at 7:00?
Were we walking home and a car hit us? – Were we walking home and a car hit us?
How do we form the imperative mood?
We form the imperative mood by using the infinitive, e.g.:
Go! – Go!
Stay! – Stay!
Be quiet! – Be quiet!
We form the negation by using Don’t before the infinitive, e.g.:
Don’t go! – Don’t go!
Don’t stay! – Don’t stay!
Don’t be quiet! – Don’t be quiet!
What does the modal verb „must” mean?
Must means to have to
e.g. I must go. = I must go.
Must has the same form for all persons!
ATTENTION
must not = mustn’t means MUST NOT
We form questions with must by using inversion, e.g. Must I go? – Must I go?
What does the modal verb „should” mean?
Should means should
e.g. I should go. = I should go.
Should has the same form for all persons!
We form the negation by adding not to should, e.g. She shouldn’t smoke. = She shouldn’t smoke.
We form questions with should by using inversion, e.g. Should I go? – Should I go?
What does the modal verb „have to” mean?
Have to means to have to
e.g.
I have to go. = I have to go.
She has to go. = She has to go.
She had to go. = She had to go.
Kasia will have to go. = Kasia will have to go
Have to changes to Has to in the 3rd person singular (i.e. he, she, it) in the Present Simple tense.
We form the negative by adding the appropriate operator for the tense and not, e.g.
She doesn’t have to learn. = She doesn’t have to learn.
He didn’t have to go yesterday. = He didn’t have to go yesterday.
Questions with „have to” are formed using the appropriate operator for the tense, placing it before the person,
e.g.
Do I have to go? – Do I have to go?
Did you have to eat it? – Did you have to eat it?
Have you had to visit her? – Have you had to visit her?
What do we use „be going to” for?
We use the expression „be going to” to:
- talk about intentions
- predict the future based on evidence
e.g.
- Zosia is going to visit her friend next weekend.
- Zosia was going to visit her friend last weekend.
- It is going to rain.
- She is going to have a baby.
What do we use Future Simple (will) for?
We use the Future Simple tense (with the operator will) to express the future in a few specific situations:
1. Quick, spontaneous decisions (made at the moment of speaking):
e.g. It’s cold. I will close the window. – It’s cold. I will close the window. (I decided just now).
2. Predictions based on our opinions, hunches, and hopes (not on hard evidence):
Often after verbs: think, hope, believe, expect and phrases: I’m sure, maybe, probably.
e.g. I think our team will win the match. – I think our team will win the match. (This is just my opinion).
3. Promises, offers of help, requests, and threats:
e.g. I will help you with your homework. – I will help you with your homework. (Offer of help / promise).
e.g. Will you open the door, please? – Will you open the door, please? (Request).
4. Facts in the future (situations we have no control over):
e.g. He will be 15 next year. – He will be 15 next year.
How do we form an affirmative sentence in Future Simple?
person + will + verb
I will do my homework, I promise
Zosia will win the contest
How do we form negation in Future Simple?
person + will + not (won’t) + verb
e.g. I will not break it. (I won’t break it)
Andrzej won’t help me with my homework. (Andrzej will not help me with my homework)
How do we form a question in Future Simple?
(Question word) + will + person + verb?
e.g.
Will you open the window?
Where will you go after the concert?
How do we form the third form of the verb?
Third form of the verb – we add the ending -ed to regular verbs or take it from the table of irregular verbs from the third column
e.g. watch – watched, play – played, stay – stayed
Irregular verbs
| be | was/were | been |
| have | had | had |
| see | saw | seen |
What do we use Present Perfect for?
We use the Present Perfect tense to talk about:
- actions that started in the past and continue to the present moment
- e.g. I have studied English for five years – I have been learning English for five years
- actions that ended in the past, but we do not specify exactly when
- e.g. She has been to England. – She has been to England. (we don’t say when)
- actions completed just now
- e.g. I have just eaten. – I have just eaten.
- past experiences, often with the words ever and never
- Piotrek has never drunk goat milk. – Piotrek has never drunk goat milk.
- Has Zosia ever watched „L for Love”? – Has Zosia ever watched „L for Love”?
How does an affirmative sentence look in Present Perfect?
person + have/has + III form of the verb*
e.g.
I have seen a Harry Potter movie. – I have seen a Harry Potter movie.
Marysia has visited her grandma in Paris. – Marysia has visited her grandma in Paris.
How does a negative sentence look in Present Perfect?
person + have/has + not + III form of the verb
e.g.
My daughter has not seen a real bear yet. – My daughter has not seen a real bear yet.
Andrzej and Zdzich have not driven a go-kart. – Andrzej and Zdzich have not driven a go-kart.
*have not = haven’t has not = hasn’t
How does a subject question differ from other questions?
In English, asking questions starting with the words who (who/whom) or what (what/which) can cause some trouble. The key to avoiding mistakes is to understand exactly what we are asking about: the performer of the action (subject) or its recipient (object).
1. Subject Question
We ask it when we don’t know who or what performs a given action. The question word (who or what) replaces the subject in the sentence.
- Most important rule: In subject questions, we do not use auxiliary operators (do, does, did) in Present Simple and Past Simple tenses! The sentence structure is exactly the same as in an affirmative sentence.
Initial situation: Romeo loves Juliet.
Subject question: Who loves Juliet? (Who loves Juliet? – We ask about who performs the act of loving, i.e., Romeo).
2. Object Question
We ask it when we know who performs the action, but we don’t know who or what the action concerns (who/what is its recipient).
- Most important rule: In object questions, we must use the standard interrogative word order. Inversion and an auxiliary operator (do, does, did ) appear immediately before the subject.
Initial situation: Romeo loves Juliet.
Object question: Who does Romeo love? (Who does Romeo love? – The performer is Romeo, we ask about the recipient of the feelings, i.e., Juliet).
Quick comparison
| Feature | Subject Question | Object Question |
|---|---|---|
| What do we ask about? | Who did it? What happened? | Who was affected by it? What was done? |
| Sentence structure | Affirmative (as in a regular sentence) | Interrogative (requires an operator) |
| Operator (do/does/did) | None | Present |
| Example in Past Simple | Who broke the window? | What did he break? |
What is the passive voice used for?
We use the passive voice when:
- we don’t know the performer of the action
- the action is more important than the performer
- we want to sound more formal
How to distinguish active voice from passive voice?
In the active voice, the subject performs the action, e.g.
The cat drinks milk. -> Cat drinks milk.
In the passive voice, the action is performed on the subject, e.g.
Milk is drunk by a cat
How do we form an affirmative sentence in the passive voice?
To create the passive voice, you need two unchanging elements:
-
The appropriate form of the verb „to be” (conjugated according to the tense of the sentence).
-
The third form of the main verb (Past Participle / ending -ed).
The pattern looks like this:
Subject + appropriate form of „to be” + Past Participle (V3)
Basically, only the form of „to be” changes depending on the tense
| Tense | Active sentence (Active) | Passive sentence (Passive) |
| Present Simple | Someone cleans the office. | The office is cleaned. |
| Past Simple | Someone cleaned the office. | The office was cleaned. |
| Present Continuous | Someone is cleaning the office. | The office is being cleaned. |
| Present Perfect | Someone has cleaned the office. | The office has been cleaned. |
| Future Simple | Someone will clean the office. | The office will be cleaned. |
| Modals (e.g. can, must, should, have to) | You must clean the office. | The office must be cleaned. |
How do we form negation in the passive voice?
Forming negations in the passive voice is very simple and logical – it is based on the same principle as in active sentences. The word not is always placed after the first auxiliary verb (i.e., after the conjugated form of the verb to be, have or after a modal verb).
Here is the general pattern:
Subject + appropriate form of „to be” auxiliary + NOT + Past Participle (V3)
Examples in different tenses:
Here’s how affirmative sentences change to negative ones:
Key rules to remember:
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Placement of „not” in compound tenses: In tenses such as Present Perfect, (has been) or Future Simple (will be), we insert „not” after the first auxiliary word:
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The house has not been sold. (NOT: ~~has been not~~)
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The flowers will not be watered. (NOT: ~~will be not~~)
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Contractions: In spoken language and less formal writing, we almost always use contracted forms:
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is not → isn’t
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are not → aren’t
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was not → wasn’t
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were not → weren’t
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has not → hasn’t
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will not → won’t
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Modal verbs: The rule is identical:
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This must not be touched.
(This must not be touched). -
The meeting should not be cancelled.
(The meeting should not be canceled).
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