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Questions with Did (past tense) Have - Present & Past Tense The Present Perfect Tense The Present Perfect Tense - Negative The Present Perfect Tense - Questions The Comparative Form The Superlative Form The Past Continuous Tense The Past vs. The Past Continuous Modal Verbs Idiomatic Modal Verbs Perfect Modals The Present Perfect Continuous Tense Perfect Modals Continuous The Past Perfect Tense Direct and Indirect Quotations The Present & Past Perfect Continuous Prepositional Phrases The Future Continuous Tense Height and Weight Green Level

Past Participles
Learn About Them!

To return to previous lessons:

Blue Level
Quiz #1 - The Present Perfect

Red Level
Quiz #2 - Questions in the Present Perfect Quiz#3 - Comparatives and Superlatives Quiz #4 - The Past Continuous Tense Quiz #5 - Auxiliary Verbs Quiz #6 - Modal Verbs Quiz #7 - Perfect Modal Verbs

Yellow Level Quiz #1 - The Present Perfect Part A. Directions: Complete each statement with the verb in the present perfect tense. (10 points) 1. He _______ _____________ Mexico many times. (visit) 2. John and Emily ________ ____________ there also. (be) 3. It ________ ___________ twice this week. (snow) 4. I _________ ____________ a doctor about my backache. (see) 5. You ________ ___________ me a lot of help. (give) 6. She _______ __________ a beautiful cake. (make) 7. My car ________ ___________ over 160,000 miles. (go) 8. The students in the classroom _______ ___________ late several times this week. (come) 9. The teacher _________ ___________ to them about this problem. (speak) 10. They _________ ____________ all their homework. (do) Part B. Directions: Make each sentence negative in the present perfect tense. (10 points) 1. She __________ _________ any work yet today. (do) 2. I _________ ____________ any work today either. (do) 3. My cat __________ ___________ home since Tuesday. (be) 4. We _________ never ___________ before. (meet) 5. The computer __________ _____________ well lately. (work) 6. Sara and Ali _________ ___________ the house yet. (leave) 7. He _________ ____________ his bills on time. (pay) 8. You _________ __________ a dentist in several years. (see) 9. They _________ ___________ in Minnesota for very long. Part C. Directions: Conjugate the verb "be" in the present perfect tense. (5 points) singular plural

Conjugate the verb "do" in the present perfect tense negative . (5 points) singular plural

(live) 10. I ___________ __________ so much fun in a long time. (have)

Lesson Two Have - Present and Past Tense

Present Tense
I have You have He has She has It has They have We have You have

Past Tense
I had You had He had She had It had They had we had You had

Examples:

I have a garden in my backyard.

You have a pencil in your hand. You also have some schoolwork to do.

He has a beehive full of bees. Do you have any interest in bees?

She has a fear of spiders. Do you have a fear of anything?

They have fun playing in the water.

Questions Present Tense

Do I have... Do you have... Does he have... Does she have... Does it have... Do they have... Do we have... Do you have...

Past Tense
Did I have... Did you have... Did he have... Did she have... Did it have... Did they have... Did we have... Did you have...

Negatives Present Tense - Negative do / does + not + main verb

I don't have You don't have He doesn't have She doesn't have It doesn't They don't have We don't have You don't have

Past Tense - Negative did + not + main verb

I didn't have You didn't have He didn't have She didn't have It didn't have They didn't have We didn't have You didn't have

It's important to understand in the examples above that the main verb is in the simple form. You can make any verb negative in the present and past tense with this method--but not the verb "be." Below are examples of how to make the present and past tense negative with verbs other than "have."

simple
have eat see be

past
had ate saw was / were

Today I don't have any work to do. (present tense) Yesterday I didn't have any work to do. (past tense) I usually don't eat a big breakfast. (present tense) Yesterday I didn't eat a big breakfast. (past tense) I don't see movies very often. (present tense) I didn't see that movie yet. (past tense)

The verb "have" is also used as an auxiliary verb (or you can call it a "helping verb") when making the present

perfect tense.
To make the present perfect: has or have + the past participle You will learn more about this in Lesson Two.

He has finished his beer. There isn't any beer left in the glass.

Lesson Three The Present Perfect Tense

S + Has or Have + the Past Participle

Singular I have lived You have lived He has lived She has lived It has lived

Plural We have lived You have lived

They have lived

(See the video at the bottom of the page.)

The present perfect is used for three reasons: 1. 2. 3. To describe an action that goes from the past up to the present moment. To describe an action that occurred sometime in the past but the exact time is unknown. To describe an action that was repeated many times in the past.

1. I have lived in
Minnesota for 15 years. I have lived here since 1991.

2. You have heard this

song before.

3. She has cleaned

her bathroom twice this week.

Don't confuse the present perfect with the past tense. The present perfect is used with unspecified periods of time in the past or to show the passage of time. Here's an example of a mistake: She has cleaned her bathroom yesterday. This mistake specifies when she did something which you can only do with a past tense. Here's the correction: She cleaned her bathroom yesterday.

Sometimes people learning English use the past tense when they should use the present perfect. Here's an example of three common mistakes. I lived in Minnesota for 10 years. (ok but it sounds like he is no longer there and lives in another place.) I am living in Minnesota 10 years. (wrong) I live in Minnesota 10 years. (wrong) This person wants to say that he moved to Minnesota 10 years ago and is still there. In this case the present perfect is a good choice: I have lived in Minnesota for 10 years. (correct!)

or... I have lived in Minnesota since 1996. Notice also that for and since are often used in the present perfect. For is used with numbers of days, weeks, months, years, centuries, etc., and since is used with specified days, months and years.

Click here to practice.

The Present Perfect

Directions: Complete each sentence with the correct form of the verb in the present perfect. Exercise A - Affirmative Statements: S + has or have + past participle 1. I ______ __________ in this country all my life. (live) 2. She _______ _________ her homework. (do) 3. All of my friends ______ __________ away on vacation this week. (be) 4. It _____ ___________ the entire week. (rain) 5. We _________ _____________ a lot of grammar in this class. (study) 6. John ________ ____________ in the hospital for five days. (be) 7. I _______ _____________ as a teacher since 1989. (work) 8. Jennifer knows everyone in her town because she _______ _________ there since she was a baby. (live) 9. Mark and Louise _______ _________ about getting married. (talk) 10. A friend of mine _______ ___________ $20,000 in the bank to buy a house. (save)

Exercise B - Negative Statements: S + has or have + not + past participle 1. Martha ___________ _____________ her homework yet. (do) 2. We ___________ ______________ a movie in a very long time. (see) 3. The children ___________ _____________ breakfast and they're very hungry. (have) 4. You _________ ______________ eaten any breakfast yet either. (have) 5. It __________ _____________ in almost four weeks and the ground is too dry. (rain)

Lesson Four The Present Perfect Tense - Negative

S + have or has + not + past participle

Singular I have not worked You have not worked He has not worked She has not worked It has not worked

Plural We have not worked You have not worked

They have not worked

Notice the use of "has" for a man, a woman, or a thing. Also, it's important to know the irregular past participles.

Most Americans use the contracted form: have + not = haven't or has + not = hasn't Singular I haven't work You haven't worked He hasn't worked She hasn't worked It hasn't worked They haven't worked Plural We haven't worked You haven't worked

More Examples of the Present Perfect - Negative I have not been to China. (contraction: I haven't been to China.) main verb: be Your have not been to China, either. (contraction: haven't been) main verb: be He has not played this game before. This is the first time. (contraction: hasn't played) main verb: play She has not cleaned the bathroom in a week. Now she's cleaning it. (contraction: hasn't cleaned) main verb: clean The banana has not turned brown yet. It's still yellow.
(contraction: hasn't turned)

main verb: turn We have not visited China. Never in our lives have we been there. (contraction: haven't visited) main verb: visit and been. Notice that you can also make
I + you = we

the pressent perfect negative by using "never."

You have not finished your lunch yet. (contraction: haven't finished) main verb: finish They have not marched in the Minnesota State Fair Parade before. This is their first time. (contraction: haven't marched) main verb: march This is a video. Click here.

Lesson Five The Present Perfect Tense - Questions

Have or Has + Subject + past participle

Singular Have I seen... Have you seen... Has he seen... Has she seen... Has it seen...

Plural Have we seen... Have you seen...

Have they seen...

In the example above, the verb "see" is in the present perfect tense. "Seen" is the past participle for the verb "see." When you begin a question with "have" or "has," the answer is usually yes or no.

examples:

Have I ever met you?

(Answer: Yes, you have.)

Have you lived in the United States long?

(Answer: No, I haven't.)

Has he had any coffee yet this morning?

(Answer: No, he hasn't.)

Has she ridden a bike before?

(Answer: Yes, she has.)

Has the goat eaten anything yet today?

(Answer: No, it hasn't.)

Have we known each other for a long time?

(Answer: No, we haven't. We've known each other for a short time.)

Have you ever traveled to China?

(Answer: No, we haven't.)

Have they marched in this parade before?

(Answer: No, they haven't, but they have marched in other parades.)

Lesson Six Comparatives

A lion is more dangerous than a cat. A lion is also bigger than a cat.

The children playing with the blocks are younger than the students going to school. ---------------------In this video I practice making the comparative with my students:

The comparative form is used to show the difference between two things or two people, two groups of things, or two groups of people. There are rules for using the comparative form. The table below will help you.

Comparatives
One-syllable words
add er big old nice young fast cheap bigger older nicer younger faster cheaper

two syllable words ending in y

drop the y and ad ier noisy busy crazy lazy funny dry noisier busier crazier lazier funnier drier

two syllables or more ending in y

use more / don't add er dangerous expensive comfortable humid tired acceptable

not

more dangerous more expensive more comfortable more humid more tired more acceptable

There are some exceptions: good, bad, far, and fun are adjectives that don't follow the rules when making the comparative form.

good fun

better more fun

bad

worse

far

farther

Never use two comparatives together on an adjective: more cheaper more noisier more older

Comparatives
Choose the correct form of the comparative in the blank spaces. These are all adjectives. 1. I am much __________ ____________ you are. (old) 2. This gold watch is _______ _______________ __________ the silver one. (expensive) 3. China is __________ __________ Japan. (big) 4. It's _____________ to eat a big breakfast in the morning _________ nothing at all. (good) 5. I felt ___________ today when I woke up _________ I did yesterday. (bad) 6. We have to wake up _____________ tomorrow _________ we ususally do. (early) 7. The air feels _________ ____________ today _______ it did yesterday. (humid) 8. A motorcycle is much ________ _______________ _________ a car. (dangerous) 9. I need a _____________ house because mine is too big. (small) 10. My old shoes are _______ _____________ ________ my new shoes. (comfortable

Lesson Seven Superlatives

(differences in 3 + things or people)

The lion is the biggest animal. (There are three animals)

The lion is also the most dangerous of the three animals above.

The superlative form is used to show the difference among three or more things or people in a group. There are rules for using the superlative form. The table below will help you.

Superlatives
One-syllable words add est
big old biggest oldest

two syllable words ending in y drop the y and ad iest

noisy busy noisiest busiest

two syllables or more ending in y use most / don't add est

dangerous expensive

not

most dangerous most expensive

nicer

nicest

crazy

craziest

comfortable most comfortable

young fast cheap

youngest fastest cheapest

lazy funny dry

laziest funniest driest

humid tired acceptable

most humid most tired most acceptable

There are some exceptions: good, bad, far, and fun are adjectives that don't follow the rules when making the comparative form.

good fun

best most fun

bad

worst

far

farthest

Never use two superlatives together on an adjective:

most cheapest most noisiest

It's often necessary to use "the" in front of the superlative:

Apples picked directly from a tree taste the best.

I had the most fun at the state fair when I rode on the ferris wheel.

Giraffes have the longest necks of any animal.

(Sometimes an article such as "the" isn't necessary. Instead, you can use the possessive form in front of the superlative. Examples: A dog is a man's best friend. This dog is her best friend. His best friend is his dog.

Click here for a quiz on comparatives and superlatives

Yellow Level Quiz #3 - Comparatives and Superlatives

Part A. Directions: Complete each sentence with the comparative form. The words in parentheses are adjectives or adverbs. (10 points) 1. She is ___________ ___________ I am. (old) 2. These shoes are _________ ___________ ________those shoes. (expensive) 3. I think this pizza tastes ___________ ___________ the one we ordered from them the last time. (good) 4. The weather today is _____________ ____________ it was yesterday. (bad) 5. Jorge got home much ___________ last night ___________ he ever has. (late) 6. The state of Minnesota is a lot _____________ ___________ the state of Delaware. (big) 7. I wake up much ____________ now ____________ I did when I was younger. (early) 8. The sun is ______________ away from the earth ___________ the moon. (far) 9. Spanish is an ______________ language to learn _____________ English. (easy) 10. Riding a motorcycle is ___________ _________________ ____________ riding a bike. (dangerous) Part B. Directions: Complete each sentence in the superlative form. The words in parentheses are adjectives. (10 points) 1. This is ________ ____________ ________________ car I have every owned. (expensive) 2. Maria is one of ________ ______________ players on the team. (good) 3. ________ _____________ month of the year in Minnesota is January. (cold) 4. He is __________ ______________ working employee in the company. (hard) 5. Who has __________ ______________ solution for fixing economic problems in the U.S.? (good) 6. Many Americans think George Bush has been _________ _____________ President we have ever had. (bad) 7. We had ______ __________ ____________ on our vacation last year. (fun) 8. A good education is ________ ___________ _______________ experience for a young person. (important) 9. That was ___________ ________________ story that I have ever heard. (funny) 10. Which country has ________ _______________ building? (tall)

Lesson Eight The Past Continuous Tense

S + (be) + _____ing The verb "be" is in the past tense: was or were examples:

I was relaxing outside when this picture was taken

You were sitting in the classroom when this picture was taken.

He was shaving this morning when he cut himself.

She was spinning around and around before she fell down.

This elephant was out looking for food yesterday.

We were talking together last week. (Now we're in two separate locations.)

You were thinking about taking another English class this year.

They were riding on a big seven-person bicycle last week.

Lesson Nine The Past Tense vs. the Past Continuous Tense
Past tense: I went to work yesterday. (main verb: go) Past tense negative: I didn't go to work on Sunday. (main verb: go) Past continuous tense: I was eating my breakfast when the phone rang. (main verb: eat) Past continuous tense negative: I wasn't eating anything when the phone rang. (main verb: eat) The past continuous tense is often used to show one or more two past actions.

examples:

What was the boy doing at the park? He was making sand castles. The boy was making sand castles while playing in the

sand. This boy made sand castles while he was playing in the sand.

As you can see, there are many possibilities when using this tense. I was drinking coffee while I was working on my computer.
sounds better than...

I drank my coffee when I worked on my computer

....because there's some activity.

You were taking English classes when you visited the United States. or You took English classes when you visited the United States. (Both verb tenses are okay) He was talking on his cell phone while he was walking to work. or While he was walking to work, he was talking on his cell phone.
(Many sentences that use "while" are continuous) Past tense: He talked on the phone an hour ago.

She was talking on the phone while she was drinking coffee. or She was talking on the phone while drinking coffee.
(Notice "she" is missing from the second sentence. That's okay.)

It was snowing when this man went out to shovel his driveway.

("It" refers to the weather.)

We were standing in my classroom when this picture was taken. ("was taken" is passive voice-not continuous. Notice the difference?)

You were riding on the bus.

They were riding their bikes through downtown Minneapolis.

Lesson Ten Modal Verbs

Modal Verb

Meaning

Picture

Example in a sentence

This baby can crawl.

I can crawl You can crawl He can crawl Click here for a YouTube video She can crawl It can crawl They can crawl We can crawl You can crawl

possibility and ability

can

negative contraction: can't crawl He will go to the beach later today. I will go You will go We will go You will go

will

future

He will go She will go It will go They will go

negative contraction: won't go

shall

possibility and future possibility

This sounds so formal I'm going to recommend that you not use it. Shall is not popular. (One less word to remember!)

Your teacher recommends that you don't use shall. 98 % of the American public doesn't use it. It sounds very formal. In fact, it sounds too formal. 1. (future possibility) They may walk their dogs this afternoon. 2. (Asking permission) A: May I walk your dog? B: Yes, you may.

may

1. possibiity ...or 2. permission

I may walk You may walk He may walk

We may walk You may walk

She may walk They may walk It may walk

negative: may not walk (don't contract this one!) When I went out to eat last night, I couldn't read the signs because they were in Chinese.

I could read

We could read You could read

1. past tense of could

can--usually negative. * 2. possibility and ability
You could read He could read She could read It could read They could read

negative contraction: couldn't read She wouldn't touch the spider she saw earlier this morning because she's afraid of them. I would touch You would touch We would touch You would touch

would

past tense of "will"

He would touch She would touch It would touch They would touch

negative contraction: wouldn't touch He should be careful on those rollerskates because he could fall. I should be We should be You should be

shoul d

recommendation and good idea. (Related to "shall" but much better and easier to use.)

You should be He should be She should be They should be

They should be

negative contraction: shouldn't be

These eggs might break when they hit the ground. In fact, they'll probably break unless they land on something soft. I might break You might break We might break You might break

possibility

might
(use instead of "may" in some cases)

He might break She might break It might break They might break

negative: might not break (don't contract!) They must attend this important meeting. I must attend You must attend He must attend We must attend You must attend

must

necessary and important

She must attend It must attend

They must attend

negative: must not attend (a contraction here is okay, but it sounds formal and it sounds British. Most Americans try not to sound like they have a British accent, but you may use the contraction if you want to)

Remember: Modal verbs are followed by the main verb in the simple form. I must go He must be They should eat

NOW TAKE A QUIZ Here are the answers for the quiz on video.

Yellow Level Quiz #6 - Modal Verbs

Part A. Directions: Complete each question or sentence with a modal verb and a main verb. The modal verb goes first. The main verb goes second. (10 points) Modal verbs: can / may / should / must / will / might / could (use more than once) Main verbs: see / live / bring / eat / find / do / help / play / pay / rain (use only once)

1. My teacher ________ __________ some cookies to class today. We don't know yet. 2. You really _________ __________ a doctor about your illness. 3. __________ I ___________ you? 4. When Jeff graduates from college, he ________ definitely ____________ in New York. 5. Tatania ________ __________ the piano really well. 6. We __________ ____________ our taxes before April 15. 7. The weatherman said that it __________ __________ later tonight. 8. You _________ ___________ less meat because it's not good for your health to eat too much. 9. They _________ probably ___________ good jobs in Minnesota if they decide to move there. 10. __________ you __________ me a favor, please?

Part B. Directions: Choose the correct modal verb and main verb to complete each sentence. (5 points) 1. The doctor told me that I ______________ smoking. A. will like B. should stop C. must try

2. My girlfriend ______________ to the party this weekend because she is scheduled to work. A. can't go B. shouldn't drive C. will go

3. This computer ______________ better if it has more memory. A. can't move B. should go C. will work

4. If I don't stop at a gas station soon, I ____________ out of gas. A. might run B. can be C. will do

5. The young woman called her boss to tell him that she _____________ late to work this morning. A. can be B. must be C. will be

Answers: Part A. 1. might bring; 2. should see; 3. May help; 4. will live; 5. can play; 6. must pay; 7. might or will rain; 8. should eat; 9. can or could or will find; 10. can or will do. Part B. 1. B; 2. A; 3. C; 4. A; 5. C

Lesson Eleven Idiomatic Modal Verbs

These verb phrases are a little unusual and sometimes hard to use:
Idiomatic Modal

Meaning

Picture

Example in a sentence They're going to do some work in their garden. Main verb is in the simple form S + (be) going to _______ I am going to do You are going to do He is going to do She is going to do It is going to do They are going to do We are going to do You are going to do

future (be) going to (similar to "will")

(scroll down for video lessons)

negative: am not/isn't/aren't going to

A penguin is a bird that is also able to swim. Main verb = simple form S + (be) able to _________ I am able to swim We are able to swim

possibility (be) able to (similar to "can")

You are You are able able to swim to swim He is able to swim She is able to swiim It is able to swim negative: am not/isn't/aren't going to She has to clean the bathroom. She also has to do some other chores around the house. Main verb = simple form S + has or have to ________ I have to clean We have to clean They are able to swim

necessity have to (similar to "must")

You have to You have to clean clean He has to clean She has to clean It has to clean Negative: don't/doesn't have to Notice the negative requires the verb "do" They have to clean

will = (be) going to

can = (be) able to

must = have to

Lesson Twelve Perfect Modals

modal verb + have + past participle Perfect Modal

meaning

Picture

sentence

could have _____ couldn't have _____ should have _____ shouldn't have _____

past ability

The boy could have done the dishes himself, but his father decided to help.

You did or didn't do something that was a good idea.

The girl shouldn't have spun around so many times. She fell down. (spin: turn around many times. spin / spun /spun)

would have _____ wouldn't have _____

past condition / past situation

This house of cards would have fallen over if the person who built it hadn't been so careful.

may have _____

past possibility

may not have _____ might have ______ might not have _____

My grandfather may have used this camera when he was a young man, but I'm not sure.

past possibility

Her mother might have put mustard on her sandwich. She hopes not.

must have _____ must not have _____

past probability. This indicates that something probably happened in the past. They must have practiced a lot because they're very good musicians.

Let's not forget... The Future Perfect Tense

Unlike all the other modals above, will is used for the future: Subject + will + have + past participle Singular Plural We will have lived You will have lived

I will have lived You will have lived He will have lived She will have lived It will have lived

They will have lived

This is a difficult tense to use. It describes an action that will be completed in the future. For example: I moved to Minnesota in 1991. The year now is 2007. By 2011, I will have lived in Minnesota for 20 years.

Click here for a quiz

Yellow Level Quiz #7 - Perfect Modal Verbs

Part A. Directions: Complete each question or sentence with should have or could have, and a main verb. (10 points) For example: You ________ ________ __________ (be) more helpful to that elderly woman. (advice) * should have = past advice, capability, or responsibility / * could have = past possibility

1. I _________ _________ _________ (help) you last weekend if you had asked. (possibility) 2. He _________ ________ ___________ (talk) to the doctor about his stomach pains. (advice) 3. _____________ they _________ ____________(do) all that work already? (possibility) 4. Maria __________ ___________ ____________ (eat) that whole pizza by herself--she was so hungry! (possibility) 5. My students ___________ __________ __________ (finish) their assignment by now. (capability) 6. ____________n't that company __________ ____________ (pay) their employees on time? (responsibility) 7. Why ___________n't you __________ ___________ (meet) my earlier? Now we don't have any time. (possibility) 8. There ___________ ___________ ___________(be) a disaster if the country hadn't prepared properly. (possibility) 9. President Bush __________ __________ ___________(tell) the American people they needed to make more personal sacrifices once the Iraq War began. (responsibility) 10. You __________ __________ __________(be) able to complete the test within 60 minutes. (capability -- in this sentence, "complete" is the main verb. That means there are seven words in the verb phrase!)

Part B. Directions: Complete each sentence or question with would have or should have and a main verb. (10 points) * would have = past tense of will / * should have = past advice, capability, or responsibility

1. If I had known you were coming, I _________ ___________ ____________ (make) extra cookies. 2. We __________ _________ __________ (fix) the leak in the roof before the storm made it worse. 3. You _________n't _________ __________ (go) into that strange house if it was empty.

4. It __________ _________ __________ (take) longer to get dinner made without your help. 5. Before going to the beach, they _________ __________ __________(check) the weather because it rained. 6. The doctor told her she __________ __________ ___________ (be) on a diet the last few years. 7. The party _________ __________ ____________ (be) more fun if you were there. 8. My friend __________ _________ _________ (make) a lot of money if he had sold his stock in the company earlier. 9. I __________ __________ ____________ (do) anything just to spend a few more hours with you. 10. They really ___________n't ___________ gotten _____________ (marry) so fast.

Lesson 13 Present Perfect Continuous Tense

This is similar to the present perfect tense except that the action is continuous. It describes something that starts in the past and continues into the present.

Subject + has / have + been + _______ing

I have been teaching English for almost 20 years.

You have been studying English. How long have you been studying?

He's been playing the guitar for about an hour. (He's = He has)

She's been talking on the phone with her mother for 40 minutes.

The cat has been singing all night.

We've been working together. (We've = We have)

You've been riding on the bus since 10 a.m. It's now 10:40 a.m. and you're still traveling to your destination. (You've = You have)

These apples have been growing all summer and now they're ripe and ready to be picked. They look delicious.

The present continuous tense is very easy to use and often preferred over the present perfect tense when there is some kind of action. You can go back to the present perfect tense here to compare the two.

Lesson Fourteen Perfect Modals + ing

could should would might + have been ______ing

I could have been living in Los Angeles if I hadn't moved to Chicago. They should have been doing their homework at the time that I called. We would have been working at that company for 20 years if we hadn't quit. You might have been thinking I was much older.
This is a diffficult modal form for beginning and intermediate level students. In this case, you're describing something that was possible in the past; however; another event emerged and forever altered the past. Don't worry about mastering this right now, but listen to how Americans use it--whether correctly or not.

This penquin could have been swimming in Antarctica today if he hadn't been captured there two years ago.

They should have been taking a test but instead they skipped school and went to a malt shop.

He would have been working in a bank if he hadn't decided to become a beekeeper.

He might have been thinking it was earlier. Now he realizes he's late for a meeting. (This helps describe problems with perception of time.)

To make the negative, add "not" to the modal: I shouldn't have been working so late last night. (but I did)

Lesson Fifteen The Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect tense is usually used with two past actions. The verb in the past perfect shows the first past action. I had seen that movie before but I forgot what happened in it. First verb: see; Second verb: forget The word order can be changed but it doesn't change the meaning: I forgot that I had seen that movie. NOTE: Many Americans don't use this tense properly.

Singular I had seen You had seen He had seen She had seen It had seen

Plural We had seen You had seen

They had seen

examples

He had already started to make breakfast before his wife woke up. (already is frequently used with perfect tenses. It usually appears between the auxiliary verb and the main verb: had already started

This house had been painted yellow before they changed it to pink. Notice that the past perfect tense here is in the passive voice. The past tense form like this: The house was painted yellow before they changed it to pink. Often using the past tense instead of the past perfect tense is acceptable. past perfect passive: had + been + (past participle)

They had worked and saved a lot of money before they retired last year. They'd had no idea how much they'd enjoy their retirement. NOTE: When the verb "have" is in the past perfect it looks like had had which is a little confusing) (they'd = they would)

Lesson Sixteen Direct & Indirect Quotations

A "quotation" is the exact word or words that a person speaks. It's good to understand the difference between a direct quotation, the words you hear from someone speaking, and an indirect quotation, which are the words that someone else uses to describe another speaker. Confused? When you're confused it helps look at an example.

Direct Quotation "I need to go to the store," said my wife.

Indirect Quotation My wife said that she needed to go to the store.

Notice that "said" is in the past tense, so the verb "need" also becomes past tense. There's something called the "sequence of tenses" which is useful to look at now:

The Sequence of Tenses Direct Speech Present Indirect Speech Past

Present Continuous Past Present Perfect will can may

Past Continuous Past Perfect Past Perfect would could might

There are others that can be added, but this is a good start in learning that tenses change their form when using indirect speech. See the examples below.

examples

What did he say? He said he was a beekeeper.

"I am a beekeeper."

What did he say? He said that he was reading a book.

"I'm reading a book."

What did she say? She said she had been afraid of spiders when she was a little girl. He said that he'd been in that same spot for an hour and he hadn't caught anything.
"I have been in this same spot for an hour and I haven't caught a thing."

"I was afraid of spiders when I was a little girl."

(he'd been = had been)

The said that they enjoyed making breakfast together.

"We enjoy making breakfast together."

He said he would help her pick up the apples.

"I'll help you pick them up."

His wife said that he could eat an entire watermelon.

"He can eat an entire watermelon," his wife said.

The owner of the antique shop said that the radio might be over 70 years old.
"This radio may be over 70 years old," said the owner of the antique shop.

Here's a good website for learning about indirect quotations. This is an important skill!

We often have to give information about what people say or think. In order to do this you can use direct or quoted speech, or indirect or reported speech. Direct Speech Saying exactly what someone has said is called direct speech (sometimes called quoted speech) Here what a person says appears within quotation marks ("...") and should be word for word. For example: She said, "Today's lesson is on presentations." or "Today's lesson is on presentations," she said.

Indirect Speech Indirect speech (sometimes called reported speech), doesn't use quotation marks to enclose what the person said and it doesn't have to be word for word. When reporting speech the tense usually changes. This is because when we use reported speech, we are usually talking about a time in the past (because obviously the person who spoke originally spoke in the past). The verbs therefore usually have to be in the past too. For example: Direct speech Indirect speech "I'm going to the cinema", he said. He said he was going to the cinema.

Tense change As a rule when you report something someone has said you go back a tense: (the tense on the left changes to the tense on the right): Direct speech Present simple She said, "It's cold." Present continuous She said, "I'm teaching English online." Present perfect simple She said, "I've been on the web since 1999." Present perfect continuous She said, "I've been teaching English for seven years." Past simple She said, "I taught online yesterday." Past continuous She said, "I was teaching earlier." Past perfect She said, "The lesson had already started when he arrived." Past perfect continuous She said, "I'd already been teaching for five minutes." Indirect speech

She said it was cold. She said she was teaching English online. She said she had been on the web since 1999.
Past perfect continuous She said she had been teaching English for seven years. Past perfect She said she had taught online yesterday. Past perfect continuous She said she had been teaching earlier. Past perfect NO CHANGE - She said the lesson had already started when he arrived. Past perfect continuous NO CHANGE - She said she'd already been teaching for five minutes. Past perfect simple Past continuous

Past simple

Modal verb forms also sometimes change: Direct speech Indirect speech

will She said, "I'll teach English online tomorrow." can She said, "I can teach English online." must She said, "I must have a computer to teach English online." shall She said, "What shall we learn today?" may She said, "May I open a new browser?"

would She said she would teach English online tomorrow. could She said she could teach English online. had to She said she had to have a computer to teach English online. should She asked what we should learn today. might She asked if she might open a new browser.

!Note - There is no change to; could, would, should, might and ought to. Direct speech "I'm might go to the cinema", he said. Indirect speech He said he might go to the cinema.

You can use the present tense in reported speech if you want to say that something is still true i.e. my name has always been and will always be Lynne so:Direct speech Indirect speech She said her name was Lynne. or She said her name is Lynne. You can also use the present tense if you are talking about a future event. Direct speech (exact quote) "Next week's lesson is on reported speech ", she said. Indirect speech (not exact) She said next week's lesson is on reported speech.

"My name is Lynne", she said.

Time change If the reported sentence contains an expression of time, you must change it to fit in with the time of reporting. For example we need to change words like here and yesterday if they have different meanings at the time and place of reporting. Today "Today's lesson is on presentations." + 24 hours - Indirect speech She said yesterday's lesson was on

presentations. Expressions of time if reported on a different day this (evening) that (evening) today these (days) now (a week) ago last weekend here next (week) tomorrow

yesterday ... those (days) then (a week) before the weekend before last / the previous weekend there the following (week) the next/following day

In addition if you report something that someone said in a different place to where you heard it you must change the place (here) to the place (there). For example:At work "How long have you worked here?" Pronoun change In reported speech, the pronoun often changes. For example: Me "I teach English online." You She said she teaches English online. At home She asked me how long I'd worked there.

Reporting Verbs Said, told and asked are the most common verbs used in indirect speech. We use asked to report questions:For example: I asked Lynne what time the lesson started. We use told with an object. For example: Lynne told me she felt tired. !Note - Here me is the object.

We usually use said without an object. For example: Lynne said she was going to teach online. If said is used with an object we must include to ; For example: Lynne said to me that she'd never been to China. !Note - We usually use told. For example: Lynne told me that she'd never been to China. There are many other verbs we can use apart from said, told and asked. These include:accused, admitted, advised, alleged, agreed, apologised, begged, boasted, complained, denied, explained, implied, invited, offered, ordered, promised, replied, suggested and thought. Using them properly can make what you say much more interesting and informative. For example: He asked me to come to the party:He He He He He invited me to the party. begged me to come to the party. ordered me to come to the party. advised me to come to the party. suggested I should come to the party.

Use of 'That' in reported speech In reported speech, the word that is often used. For example: He told me that he lived in Greenwich. However, that is optional. For example: He told me he lived in Greenwich. !Note - That is never used in questions, instead we often use if. For example: He asked me if I would come to the party.

Past Participles
There are three main uses for past participles in English: 1. Perfect Tenses - I have broken my arm. 2. Adjectives: My window is broken. 3. The Passive Voice: My window was broken by that boy with the rock. Don't confuse the past participle with the present participle or continuous form: breaking

Understanding how the past participle works and remembering how to conjugate irregular verbs will improve your English. Regular verbs are easy to remember. Just add "ed" work / worked / worked Remember that the past tense and the past participle for regular verbs are the same: worked / worked Irregular verbs must be remembered. See the table below. Click here for a printer friendly verstion.

Irregular Verbs
Simple Past Past Participle

be become begin blow break build buy catch come cost cut do drink drive eat feel find fly forget

was/were became began blew broke built bought caught came cost cut did drank drove ate felt found flew forgot

been become begun blown broken built bought caught come cost cut done drunk driven eaten felt found flown forgotten

freeze get give go have hear hit hold hurt keep know lay lead leave lend let lie lose make

froze got gave went had heard hit held hurt kept knew laid led left lent let lied lost made

frozen gotten given gone had heard hit held hurt kept known laid led left lent let lied lost made

meet pay put read ride ring run say see sell send show sit sleep speak spend stand swim take

met paid put read rode rang ran said saw sold sent showed sat slept spoke spent stood swam took

met paid put read ridden rung run said seen sold sent shown sat slept spoken spent stood swum taken

teach tell think throw

taught told thought threw

taught told thought thrown

understand understood understood wear win write wore won wrote worn won written

Here's a video I made for past participles. Pronunciation practice here is important.

Lesson Eighteen Prepositional Phrases

The woman in the blue coat is looking for her dog. The above sentence contains two prepositional phrases: in the blue coat and for her dog. A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition such as "in" or "for" and ends with a noun. There are hundreds of different prepositions so they are very commonly used and very important to understand. Why are prepositional phrases important? They provide important information on location, descriptions of people and things, relationships, time, and ideas. The best way to learn how to use prepositional phrases is to read English. Over time you will learn how they are used and which ones to use. Below are some examples.

She spilled coffee on her report for class.

prepositional phrases: on her report and for class In this example the prepositional phrases provide important information about where something happened and the reason for her concern.

There are two children on a sled.

In this garden there are many strawberries.

She likes to spend a lot of time with her baby.

He's standing behind a tree.

Lesson Nineteen Weight

To learn the weight of a thing or things: Singular How much does this weigh? What does this weigh? How heavy is this? Singular How much do you weigh? How much does he/she weigh? What's your weight? How much do they weigh? What's their weight? Plural How much do these weigh? What do these weigh? How heavy are these? Plural

To learn the weight of a person:

Don't say: How much pounds? What weight is it? It's possible to ask, "How much do I weigh?" or "What's my weight?" But in most situations it isn't necessary unless you are repeating another person's question. The examples below might help:

Q: How much do I weigh? I ask a question A: I don't know. Why don't you weigh yourself?

You give an answer.

Q: How much do you weigh? You ask a question.

A: I weigh 191 pounds.

I give an answer.

Q: What does he weigh? A: He weighs about 175 pounds.

Q: How much does she weigh? A: She doesn't know. She has to weigh herself.

Q: How heavy is this? A: It's about 10 pounds.

Q: How heavy are these stones? A: They're very heavy.

Q: How much do these apples weigh? A: They're almost four pounds.

Lesson Twenty Height and Weight

To learn the height of a thing or things: Singular How tall is it? What's the height? How many stories is it? (for one building) To learn the height of a person: Plural How tall are they? How high are they?
---

Singular How tall are you? What's your height?

Plural How tall are they?

---

Height is not as sensitive a topic as weight in the U.S. It's okay to ask about a person's height but not a person's weight.

Q: What's your height?

I ask a question

A: I'm 5 feet, 4 inches tall.

You give an answer.

Q: How tall are you?

A: I'm 5 feet, 11 inches tall. or... A: I'm 5' 11" Q: What's his height? A: He's six one. (It's possible to eliminate the use of "feet" or "inches" completely.

You ask a question.

I give an answer.

Q: How tall is she? A: She doesn't know. She has to measure herself.

Q: How tall is that apartment building? A: It's three stories tall.

Q: How tall are these stones? A: They're about 15 feet high.

Q: How tall are those skyscrapers? A: They're over 40 stories tall.

Weight
To learn the weight of a thing or things: Singular How much does this weigh? What does this weigh? How heavy is this? Singular How much do you weigh? How much does he/she weigh? What's your weight? How much do they weigh? What's their weight? Plural How much do these weigh? What do these weigh? How heavy are these? Plural

To learn the weight of a person:

Don't say: How much pounds? What weight is it? It's possible to ask, "How much do I weigh?" or "What's my weight?" But in most situations it isn't necessary

unless you are repeating another person's question. The examples below might help:

Q: How much do I weigh? I ask a question A: I don't know. Why don't you weigh yourself?

You give an answer.

Q: How much do you weigh? You ask a question.

A: I weigh 191 pounds.

I give an answer. Q: What does he weigh? A: He weighs about 175 pounds.

Q: How much does she weigh? A: She doesn't know. She has to weigh herself.

Q: How heavy is this? A: It's about 10 pounds.

Q: How heavy are these stones? A: They're very heavy.

Q: How much do these apples weigh? A: They're almost four pounds.

Quiezz

Yellow Level Quiz #2 - Questions in the Present Perfect Tense Part A. Directions: Complete each question with the verb in the present perfect tense. (20 points) 1. _________ he _____________ his dinner yet? (finish) 2. _________ they _____________ this movie before? (see) 3. ________ the plane already _____________? (land) 4. __________ I ____________ to you about this? (talk) 5. _________ the girl with the limp__________ to the doctor? (be) 6. __________ the team ever ___________ a game? (win) 7. How long _________ you _____________ each other? (know) 8. Where __________ he ___________? (be) 9. What ___________ they _____________? (do) 10. How many voters _______ the candidate __________ to? (talk) Part B. Directions: Complete each question in the present perfect tense. Some are affirmative and some are negative. (10 Conjugate the verb "give" in the present perfect tense negative and in the form of a question. (5 points) singular plural Part C. Directions: Conjugate the verb "go" in the present perfect tense and in the form of a question. (5 points) singular plural

points) 1. Why __________ he ___________ his work yet? (do negative) 2. ___________ you ____________ the dishes? (do) 3. ___________ I ___________ you enough to eat? (give negative) 4. Wow! Where __________ the time __________? (go) 5. Who __________ _____________ their work yet? (complete - negative) 6. ___________the dog ___________ all his food? (eat) 7. How much money __________ he ___________? (pay) 8. _____________ this ____________ fun? (be - negative) 9. Why ___________ Jorge and Martha ____________ us? (call - negative) 10. ____________ you ever ____________ in love before? (be)

Yellow Level Quiz #4 - the Past Continuous Tense Part A. Directions: Complete each sentence in the past continuous tense. (10 points) 1. She _______ ____________ on the phone five minutes ago. (talk) 2. I _________ _______________ to the radio this morning when I heard the news. (listen) 3. They _________ ____________ in Mexico last year. (live negative) 4. You _________ ________________ last weekend. (work) 5. We _________ ______________ when the telephone rang. (sleep) 6. Bob bumped his head as he ________ ___________ into the Part C. Conjugate the verb "go" in the past continuous tense (5 points) singular plural

car. (get) 7. It ___________ _____________ when we left home, but now it is. (rain - negative) 8. I ________ ____________ dinner while talking on the phone.(make) 9. The students ____________ ______________ very much last week, so they forgot what they had learned. (study - negative) 10. Maria _________ ____________ what she had to do to get the job done. (do - negative) Part B. Directions: Make questions in the past continuous tense. (10 points) 1. What _________ she ____________ last weekend? (do) 2. __________ you _______________ yesterday? (work) 3. Why _________ they ______________ so angry? (get) 4. __________ the sun ______________ earlier? (shine) 5. When __________ Ted _____________ on the phone? (talk) 6. __________ I _________________ last night? (snore) 7. How _________ he ___________ his bills when he lost his job? (pay) 8. _____________ the baby ______________ just now? (cry) 9. How much money __________ you ____________ at that company? (make) 10. ___________ we _________________ too loudly? (laugh) Conjugate the verb "talk" in the past continuous tense negative (5 points) singular plural

Yellow Level Quiz #5 - Auxiliary Verbs

Part A. Directions: Complete the second part of each sentence with the correct auxiliary verb. (10 points) 1. He wanted to go to the movies, and so _________ she. 2. I like to eat Vietnamese food, and you _________ too. 3. Martha knows how to make a really good pizza, and Robert _________ too. 4. We have had the same car for over 10 years, and so ____________ they. 5. You can play guitar really well, and so ___________ I. 6. They decided to barbeque outside last night, and we ___________ too. 7. She had been to that restaurant before, and so __________ he. 8. Sara and Oscar might get married next year, and Oscar's brother ___________ too. 9. The teacher was late to class this morning, and so ____________ the students. 10. Tigist is going to be at the party, and so __________ Roger. Part B. Directions: Complete the second part of each sentence with the correct auxiliary verb. Notice that these sentences are all negative (10 points) 1. Her children don't like to eat that kind of food, and mine ___________ either. 2. I have never been to Montanta, and neither ____________ you. 3. Jim isn't going to get a new bike this year, and his friend Bill __________ either. 4. He can't play the piano very well, and neither __________ his sister. 5. You never do the dishes, and neither ____________ your roommate. 6. We didn't go to the party Saturday night, and they ______________ either. 7. His car doesn't work anymore, and neither _____________ his motorcycle. 8. I don't have to go to work tomorrow, and you ______________ either. 9. Jennifer doesn't want him to leave right now, and neither ___________ he. 10. They had never seen a shooting star before, and their neighbors _______________ either.

Answers: Part A - 1. does; 2. do; 3. does; 4. have; 5. can; 6. did; 7. had; 8. might; 9. were; 10. is; Part B - 1. don't; 2. have; 3. isn't; 4. can; 5. does; 6. didn't; 7. does; 8. don't; 9. does; 10. hadn't

Irregular Past Tense Verbs Simple be become begin blow break build buy catch come cost cut do drink drive eat feel find fly forget freeze get give go have hear hit hold Past was/were became began blew broke built bought caught came cost cut did drank drove ate felt found flew forgot froze got gave went had heard hit held been become begun blown broken built bought caught come cost cut done drunk driven eaten felt found flown forgotten frozen gotten given gone had heard hit held Past Participle

hurt keep know lay lead leave lend let lie lose make meet pay put read ride ring run say see sell send show sit sleep speak spend stand swim take teach tell think throw understand wear win write

hurt kept knew laid led left lent let lied lost made met paid put read rode rang ran said saw sold sent showed sat slept spoke spent stood swam took taught told thought threw wore won wrote

hurt kept known laid led left lent let lied lost made met paid put read ridden rung run said seen sold sent shown sat slept spoken spent stood swum taken taught told thought thrown worn won written

understood understood