English Grammar Tenses
English Grammar Tenses The English Language, as with ALL languages allows us to describe the world around us. Nouns, describe things. Adjectives and adverbs describe the nature of things and the way we do things, respectively. The main difference between most languages is the Grammar; The language system. Typically, the nouns, adjectives, adverbs and prepositions are directly translatable. The difficulty most people have is understanding the Grammar Tenses – the time when events are described: I eat, I am eating I ate, I will eat and I have eaten etc. The English Grammar Tenses describe: Facts: What things are – It is a car (state). What things do -I eat cake (event). and Actions – I’m talking to you. Facts: The state of a thing – be (is am are) The verb be, together with adjectives describe what a thing is: Is your car a big car? Yes, it is big. It’s a big, blue car. and Events (what we do) – do (do – eat – talk etc) All verbs, and do describe events I live in Edinburgh, I work in London, I drive a lot. I do my homework when I get home from school. Don’t do that! Don’t do what? Don’t talk and eat at the same time. Sorry! There are two things in English: Facts and Actions: Facts: State – What a thing is ((to) be) London is a wonderful city. I’m tall, but you’re taller Events – What a thing does ((to) do) I have / own a big blue car, I drive it every day. I play tennis, do you like tennis? No, I don’t, I prefer rugby. and Actions: Events that are temporary (the verb be (is am are) + verb + ING). I am not driving at the moment so I can speak to you. Hello! I’m talking to you, are you listening to me? Importantly: When we describe general Facts and routines it is best to use the present simple tense. This is a nice cake. I love cake, I like biscuits too. I work in the city. I usually leave for work at 7 am. The Moon goes around the earth, and the Earth circles the sun. When we describe Actions or temporary events it is best to use only the continuous tense. I am driving and can’t speak to you now. I’m enjoying your cake. Mmm it’s delicious, I love it. Are you enjoying the ‘James Bond’ film on your new tele ? No, I’m watching a football match at the moment. Conjugating the verb and using Auxiliary verbs help us to describe events across time. Present simple I am bored You are tired He / She / It is big I eat / speak / walk / call Present continuous You are being silly I am eating / doing Past I was / We were late I ate / spoke / walked / called Future I will be late I will eat / speak/ walk / call Present perfect I have been to India twice I have eaten / spoken / walked Time: We can introduce time by conjugating the verb and using the auxiliary verb will (future). I eat cake: I atethe whole cake (past) / I will eat it all(future) / I have eaten too much cake (present perfect) Time words: Each grammar tense uses particular Time words and phrases to help us describe when events and actions take place. Time words include: nouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions and phrases: at 7 always yesterday in the future Some Time words and phrases clearly describe the time in which an event happens, such as: tomorrow now today last week next month at the moment Some...
Read MoreEveryday conversations
Meeting and Greeting (saying Hello): (A – person 1 B person 2) Hello / Hi / Good morning / afternoon / evening. A: How do you do? B: I’m well / fine, and you? A: How are you? B: Fine thanks and you? A: Fine, thank you. A: Nice to see / meet you. B: It’s nice to meet you too. A: How nice / lovely (it is) to see you again B: (it is for) Me too. A: / B: Glad / Nice to meet you. A: The weather is nice / terrible today. A: Lovely / Terrible weather we’re having. B: Yes, it’s lovely / awful, it’s usually nice here this time of year. Good-bye / See you later / Good night / All the best It’s been nice / lovely seeing / meeting / speaking with you. Asking for directions: (A – person 1 B – person 2) A: Excuse me / Hello / Hi, Could you help me please? Where is the…? Where is there a…? Where can I find…? I’m looking for a / the… How do I get to… (See get – General Grammar) (The King’s Hotel / The police station / chemist / doctor / Oxford Street / Broadway / The nearest station / The natural history museum etc.) B: The…….. is / It’s……… You can / will find the… / it’s Over there / There. On the other side of the road. At the end of the road. On the next corner. Second on the left and straight ahead (US: Two blocks over and one block up). A: Thank you / Many thanks. B: You’re welcome. A: Goodbye, have a nice day. At the hotel: (A – person 1 B – person 2) B: Hello. / Good evening / morning / afternoon Sir / Madam, can / may you help you? Do you have a reservation Sir / Madam? A: Yes, I / we have a reservation A: Excuse me / sorry, I believe I / we have a reservation. B: Yes, you are in room 7, on the third floor. B: Take the lift to the third floor, the room is down the corridor, fourth room on the right. A: Thank you. B: You’re welcome. A: May I / we have my / our key please? A: Thank you. B: You’re welcome Good-bye / See you later / Good night / All the best It’s been nice / lovely seeing / meeting / speaking with you. When we don’t understand A: Excuse me / Sorry, do you speak English? A: What’s your name please? B: My name is… A: Pardon / what? (what may be heard but is not polite) A: Say that again please / Pardon me. A: Speak more slowly please, I didn’t catch / hear that. A: I’m sorry I don’t understand. Ok / That’s ok / Very well. Thank you / Thanks / Many thanks / That’s very kind of you, thanks / Thanks for your help. On the Telephone – Making a call (A – person 1 B person 2) A: Hello / Good morning / afternoon / evening… May I speak to…? / I would like to speak to… I’m calling to speak to / in response to When you have Direct line to intended contact B: Hello / Good morning, etc. Yes, speaking! Receptionist B: Hello / Good morning, etc. Can / May I help you? A: May I speak to (name)? B: Yes / thank you, I’ll put you through. B: What is it about / concerning? A: It’s about… B:...
Read MoreIrregular verb list
Irregular verb list Arise Arose Arisen Awake Awoke Awoken Be Was / Were Been Beat Beat Beaten Become Became Become Begin Began Begun Bend Bent Bent Bid Bade Bidden Bite Bit Bitten Blow Blew Blown Break Broke Broken Bring Brought Brought Build Built Built Burn Burnt Burned Burnt Burned Buy Bought Bought Catch Caught Caught Choose Chose Chosen Come Came Come Cost Cost Cost Cut Cut Cut Deal Dealt Dealt Dig Dug Dug Dive Dived Dove Dived Do Did Done Draw Drew Drawn Dream Dreamt Dreamed Dreamt Dreamed Drink Drank Drunk Drive Drove Driven Eat Ate Eaten Fall Fell Fallen Feel Felt Felt Fight Fought Fought Find Found Found Fly Flew Flown Forbid Forbade Forbad Forbidden Forget Forgot Forgotten Forgive Forgave Forgiven Freeze Froze Frozen Get Got Got / Gotten Give Gave Given Go Went Gone / Been Grow Grew Grown Hang Hung Hanged Hung Hanged Have Had Had Hear Heard Heard Hide Hid Hidden Hit Hit Hit Hurt Hurt Hurt Keep Kept Kept Kneel Knelt Kneeled Knelt Kneeled Know Knew Known Lay Laid Laid Lead Led Led Leap Leapt Leaped Leapt Leaped Learn Learnt Learned Learnt Learned Leave Left Left Lose Lost Lost Make Made Made Mean Meant Meant Meet Met Met Pay Paid Paid Prove Proved Proven Proved Put Put Put Read Read Read Ride Rode Ridden Ring Rang Rung Rise Rose Risen Run Ran Run Saw Sawed Sawn Sawed Say Said Said See Saw Seen Seek Sought Sought Sell Sold Sold Send Sent Sent Shake Shook Shaken Shed Shed Shed Shine Shone Shone Show Showed Shown Shrink Shrank Shrunk Sing Sang Sung Sink Sank Sunk Sit Sat Sat Sleep Slept Slept Smell Smelt Smelled Smelt Smelled Sneak Sneaked Snuck Sneaked Snuck Sow Sowed Sown Speak Spoke Spoken Spell Spelt Spelled Spelt Spelled Spend Spent Spent Spring Sprang Sprung Stand Stood Stood Steal Stole Stolen Sting Stung Stung Stink Stank Stunk Strike Struck Struck Stricken Strip Stript Stripped Stript Stripped Strive Strove Striven Swell Swelled Swollen Swim Swam Swum Take Took Taken Teach Taught Taught Tell Told Told Think Thought Thought Throw Threw Thrown Tread Trod Trodden Understand Understood Understood Wake Woke Woken Wear Wore Worn Win Won Won Write Wrote Written...
Read MoreIrregular verbs list 1
Irregular verbs list 1 Present Past Present Perfect Be Was Been Bring Brought Brought Break Broke Broken Buy Bought Bought Choose Chose Chosen Come Came Come Do Did Done Drink Drank Drunk Drive Drove Driven Eat Ate Eaten Find Found Found Fly Flew Flown Forget Forgot Forgotten Get Got Got / Gotten Give Gave Given Go Went Gone Have Had Had Know Knew Known Leave Left Left Make Made Made Meet Met Met Pay Paid Paid Read Read Read Rise Rose Risen Run Ran Run Say Said Said See Saw Seen Sit Sat Sat Sleep Slept Slept Sell Sold Sold Send Sent Sent Speak Spoke Spoken Stand Stood Stood Swim Swam Swum Take Took Taken Teach Taught Taught Tell Told Told Understand Understood Understood Write Wrote...
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