Quantifiers, Past & Future

Last year, Diego went to Italy with his brother. They visited many cities, but Rome was the most beautiful of all. They didn’t have much money, so they stayed in cheap hotels and ate simple food — but they had a lot of fun.

This year, Diego is going to visit Portugal instead. He doesn’t have many days off work, so he is going to stay for just one week. He isn’t sure exactly what he will do yet, but he thinks he’ll visit the coast because it’s cheaper than the cities.

“How many countries have you visited?” his friend asked.

“Not many,” Diego said, “but I’m going to change that soon!”

In this final lesson of the module, we will bring together several important tools: counting quantities, comparing things, and finally breaking out of the present tense to talk about the past and the future!

Quantifiers: Much, Many, A lot of

When you want to say “a large amount,” the word you choose depends on the noun.

• A lot of: Use this for positive sentences. It works with everything! I have a lot of friends. / She drinks a lot of water.
• Many: Use this for plural things you can count (like apples, cars, people), usually in negatives and questions. I don’t have many books. / How many brothers do you have?
• Much: Use this for things you can’t count (like water, time, money), usually in negatives and questions. I don’t have much time. / How much money is it?

Comparatives and Superlatives

We use comparatives to compare two things, and superlatives to say something is the #1 in a group.

Short adjectives (1 syllable): add -er / the -est

• fast → faster than → the fastest
• big → bigger than → the biggest

Long adjectives (2+ syllables): use more / the most

• expensive → more expensive than → the most expensive

The Past Simple

To talk about finished actions in the past (like yesterday, last week), we use the Past Simple.

The Verb ‘To Be’ in the Past:

• I / He / She / It was
• We / You / They were (Question: Were you at home?)

Regular Verbs: Just add -ed.

• work → worked
• play → played

Irregular Verbs: These must be memorized!

• go → went
• eat → ate
• see → saw

The Future: Be Going To & Will

When talking about the future, A1 learners mostly need be going to and will.

• Be going to: Use this for plans and intentions you already decided. I am going to visit Paris next year.
• Will: Use this for quick decisions made at the moment of speaking, or promises. Oh, you forgot your wallet? Don’t worry, I will pay.

Connectors (And, But, Because, So)

To sound more fluent, connect your short sentences!

• And: Adds information. (I like apples and bananas.)
• But: Shows contrast. (I like apples, but I don’t like bananas.)
• Because: Gives a reason. (I am sleeping because I am tired.)
• So: Shows a result. (I am tired, so I am sleeping.)

Congratulations! You now have the basic building blocks of the English language.