IV. GRAMMAR REFERENCE 1. Present simple Form I go to the Soundhouse most evenings. He doesn't want to be in the school play.

Do you work in a bank? Use We use the present simple to describe: a routine (something which happens regularly or always): Lisa always takes part in the school play. a state (something which is unlikely to change soon): Julie works for a bank. Verbs not used in continuous tenses These are some verbs which we don't normally use in the continuous form. Their meanings are often connected with thoughts and feelings: believe realize forget remember hate know like love suppose understand NOT NOT need want

She likes sport. He knows a lot about music.

She's liking sport. He's knowing a lot about music.

2. Present continuous Form I'm practicing my lines for the play. Lisa isn't coming with us tonight. Are you writing a letter? Use We use the present continuous to: describe a current action (something which is happening at this moment): We're reading the poster about the play. describe an incomplete action (something which is happening around this time but not necessarily at this moment): I'm trying to concentrate on the exams this term. make a criticism: He's always being rude about my cooking. Present simple and present continuous Look at these sentences. In each pair one is right and one is wrong. 1. I'm going to the cinema tomorrow evening.

2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

I'm going to the cinema every day. She's working here until Christmas. She works here until Christmas. He seems very tired. He's seeming very tired. A Where's Graham? B He's cleaning the car. A Where's Graham? B He cleans the car. Vegetarians don't eat meat. Vegetarians aren't eating meat. I want to go out for dinner. I'm wanting to go out for dinner.

3. The present prefect tense Form We make the present perfect tense with have/has and the past participle. Positive and negative She has cooked dinner. You haven't lived abroad. Questions Short answers Have you been to Paris before? Yes, I have. To make regular past participles, we add ed to the infinitive. play played open opened This is the same as the regular past tense. A lot of common verbs have an irregular past participle. go gone write written see seen Use The present perfect links the past with the present. We use the present perfect tense: when we are interested in the present result of a past action: She's gone home. (She isn't here now.) I've bought a new car. (I've got a new car now.) when the activity or situation started in the past and still continues in the present: He's worked in the same office for twenty years. (He still works there now.) I've lived here for three years. (I still live here now.) when we are referring to a time frame that comes up to the present: Have you ever been to Brazil? (In your life until now.) I've been to Brazil three times. (Until now I've been there three times.) Have you seen John today? (We are still in the time frame of 'today'.)

Present perfect, present simple, and present continuous Look at these sentences. Some are right and some are wrong. 1. How long have you lived in this house? How long do you live in this house? How long are you living in this house? I've worked here since October. I'm working here since October. I work here since October. How many times have you been to New York? How many times do you go to New York?

2.

3.

4. Adverbs of frequency never hardly ever sometimes often frequently normally usually always

We put the adverb of frequency: after the verb to be. The train is always on time. He's never here at 9.00. in front of the main verb. We often go to the park. I don't usually get up late. Sometimes, normally, and usually can also go at the beginning or end of the sentence, but they usually go before the main verb. * I * have lunch in a restaurant *.

5. Comparatives and superlatives Form one syllable tall taller the tallest cold colder the coldest one syllable: short vowel + one consonant hot hotter the hottest thin thinner the thinnest big bigger the biggest two syllables: consonant + y heavy heavier the heaviest pretty prettier the prettiest two or more syllables

modern more modern the most modern interesting more interesting the most interesting irregular good better the best bad worse the worst far further the furthest A comparative adjective is often followed by than. Russia is bigger than Canada. The film was much better than I expected. as ... as ... can be used to make comparisons. Her house is as big as mine. Silver isn't as expensive as gold. In the negative so ... as ... is also possible. Silver isn't so expensive as gold. Comparatives and superlatives Look at these sentences. In each pair one is right and one is wrong. 1. 2. 3. 4. Use The comparative is used to compare two separate items or groups. Alex 1.92m Alex's brothers 1.85m 1.83m 1.75m Alex is taller than his brothers. The superlative is used to compare one member of a group with the rest of the group. all the mountains in the world Mount Everest Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. The elephant is the heaviest land animal in the world. The elephant is the most heavy land animal in the world. He's as tall as his brother. He's so tall as his brother. The film was better than the book. The film was better that the book. My exam results were worse than Andy's. My exam results were more bad than Andy's.

6. The past simple tense Form The verb to be

Positive and negative I was at home last week. We weren't here yesterday. Questions Was he at home last week? Use

Short answers Yes, he was.

We use the past simple tense to describe: a completed action in the past We went to the cinema yesterday. a completed situation in the past I worked in Edinburgh from 1989 to 1995. a repeated action in the past They went to Greece every year until 1995. Past simple and present perfect Compare the uses of the past simple and the present perfect. We use the past simple: when we are interested in the action or the time of the action, not the effect. She's gone home. (She isn't here now.) She went at four o'clock. (We're interested in when the action took place.) when we are talking about a finished time in the past. I've lived here for five years. (I still live here.) Before that I lived in Madrid. (But I don't live there now.) when we are referring to a time frame that ended in the past. 'Have you been out today?' 'Yes, I went out this morning.' Note: When there is a past time reference (e.g. in 1993, two days ago, last week), you must use the past simple tense, not the present perfect. I went there four years ago. I've been there four years ago. I saw Hamlet last Tuesday. I've seen Hamlet last Tuesday. used to Form Positive and negative He used to smoke. We didn't use to live in London. Questions Short answers Did you use to smoke? Yes, I did. Use We use used to to: describe a state in the past which is not true now. She used to be a teacher. describe a habit in the past which is not true now. He used to smoke, but he gave up five years ago.

Note: The past simple tense can also be used to describe states and habits in the past. For individual past actions, or past actions which were not habits, only the past simple can be used. We went to the cinema twice last week. Last year he went on five foreign holidays. Used to can only be used to talk about the past. It has no present form. To describe present states and habits we use the present simple tense.

7. The past continuous tense Form Positive and negative You were standing at the bus stop. She wasn't going to work. Questions Short answers Was he having a bath? Yes, he was. Use The past continuous tense describes a continuous or unfinished activity in the past. We use the past continuous tense to: describe an action that started before a particular moment, and probably continued after it. At 8.00 I was having breakfast. This time last week I was lying on a beach in Greece. describe a temporary situation in the past. I as living in Bristol last year. Past continuous and past simple We often use the past continuous tense with the past simple tense. The past continuous describes the situation it is background information. The past simple describes the main event. The clauses are usually joined by while, as or when. While I was waiting for a bus, it started to rain. As I was going to bed, the doorbell rang. Compare these two sentences. While I was waiting for a bus, it started to rain. When it started to rain, I decided to take a taxi. The first sentence uses the past continuous tense to describe the background situation and the past simple tense to say what happened. The second sentence has two past simple tenses. One action happened after the other.

8. The past perfect tense Form We make the past perfect tense with had/hadn't and the past participle.

Positive and negative I had been there for 2 hours. They hadn't finished the project. Questions Short answers Had you seen him before? Yes, I had. Use We use the past perfect tense to look back on an event that occurred before another event in the past. We had dinner. We weren't hungry. We weren't hungry because we'd had dinner. The past perfect is often use with when, after, before, as soon as. I was sure I'd seen him before. After we'd finished dinner, we went for a walk. The past perfect is necessary when we need to make it clear that one thing happened before another. Compare these sentences. Sheila got up, got dressed, had some breakfast, and went out. When Sheila got to the party, Amanda had gone home. In the first sentence we do not use the past perfect, because the order of events is clear. In the second sentence we need to use the past perfect to make it clear that Amanda went home before Sheila got to the party. Past perfect and past simple Look at these sentences. In each pair one is right and one is wrong. 1. 2. 3. I was sure I had never heard the song before. I was sure I never heard the song before. I met him yesterday and I told him the news. I had met him yesterday and I told him the news. How long had you worked for the company when it closed? How long did you work for the company when it closed?

9. Talking about the future There are several ways of talking about the future in English. It can be difficult for learners of English to choose between them, and in some cases more than one form is possible. The form used does not depend on how certain a future event is, but on how the speaker sees the future. a) The future with will Form Positive and negative I will see you tomorrow. You will not get the job.

Questions Will you be at the meeting? Use

Short answers Yes, I will.

We use the future with will to: make predictions or general statements about the future. We'll need some more money soon. In the year 2050 the world's population will reach 10 billion. describe a decision made at the moment of speaking, often to make an offer. 'Have you got that report?' 'Yes, I'll fax you a copy.' I can't hear the TV very well.' 'I'll turn it up.' b) going to Form Positive and negative I'm going to do the shopping. She's not going to have a shower. Questions Short answers Are you going to play football? Yes, I am. Use We use going to to: describe plans, intentions, and things we have decided to do. I'm going to look for a new job. I'm going to sell my car. describe things we can see or feel will definitely happen in the future. She's going to have a baby. 3-0 up with five minutes to play, Manchester United are going to win. The present continuous with future meaning Form See the form of the present continuous tense. Use We can use the present continuous to describe personal arrangements in the future. There is normally a future time expression. She's going to the doctor's next week. We're meeting at four o'clock this afternoon. It is often possible to use either the present continuous or going to to talk about the future. Sometimes there is a difference between an arrangement and something we have decided to do. I'm seeing my grandmother on Saturday. (I've arranged it. She knows I'm coming.) I'm going to see my grandmother on Saturday. (I've decided to go, but possibly it isn't arranged yet.) Will, going to, and the present continuous Look at these sentences. Some are right and some are wrong.

1.

2.

3.

4. 5.

A I've got a terrible headache. B I'll get you some aspirin. B I'm going to get you some aspirin. B I'm getting you some aspirin. A What are you doing this evening? B I'm going to go to a party. B I'm going to a party. B I'll go to a party. The weather forecast says it'll rain tomorrow. The weather forecast says it's going to rain tomorrow. The weather forecast says it's raining tomorrow. You'll feel better after a good night's sleep. You're feeling better after a good night's sleep. He's lost control! He's going to crash! He's lost control! He'll crash!