ENGLISH GRAMMER

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Nouns: gender 1) General rule English nouns rarely change form, even to indicate gender. As a general rule, only nouns referring to people and some animals reflect gender in their form. By the same token, unlike many other languages, the adjectives modifying nouns will remain unchanged. Example: My poor little dog died. 2) However, certain nouns -- especially those referring to people -- may have different forms to indicate masculin or feminine usage: man -- woman gentleman -- lady actor -- actress uncle -- aunt father -- mother The same can be said of certain male and female animals: a buck, a doe a ram, a ewe a bull, a cow a stallion, a mare 3) In other cases, the word "male" or "female" is added, if it is considered necessary to be specific: a female cat a male giraffe 4) Pronouns Note: If the gender of the person or animal is known, one will generally use the pronoun "he" or "she" to refer to it, as appropriate. When the gender is left unstated, the pronoun "he" is generally used when speaking of people, or "it" when speaking of animals. Some objects are also considered to be gendered in certain usages: some people may refer to a boat or a car as "she." 5) Man/Woman Certain nouns (especially the names of professions) are traditionally associated with men or women, in which case one signals exceptions to the tradition by adding "woman" (or "lady") or "man" to the term: They are in a group of male dancers. My wife prefers to see a woman doctor.

TEST - Find the feminine forms: bull, cat, man, doctor, buck, uncle, actor, father ANSWERS cow, female cat, woman, woman doctor, doe, actress, mother

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Plurals > As a general rule, the plural is formed by adding "-s" to the singular form of nouns. shoe --> shoes | book --> books | river --> rivers > Nouns ending in "s" or "s" will generally take the ending "-es" : bus --> buses | kiss --> kisses > Words ending in "y" will generally take the ending "-ies" in place of the "y": party --> parties | supply --> supplies > A few words have very irregular forms in the plural: one man --> two men one woman --> two women one person --> two people one foot --> two feet one mouse --> two mice one goose --> two geese one tooth --> two teeth one wife --> two wives one child --> two children one knife --> two knives one thief --> two thieves one dwarf --> two dwarves (or: dwarfs) one potato --> two potatoes one leaf --> two leaves one life --> two lives one loaf --> two loaves one half --> two halves > A small set of words do not change form in the plural: one moose --> two moose one sheep --> two sheep one aircraft --> two aircraft > Words of Greek or Latin origin which have retained their original endings will generally take the plural form associated with the language they are drawn from: one alumnus --> two alumni one syllabus --> two syllabi one alumna --> two alumnae one alga --> many algae one criterion --> many criteria one forum --> many fora (or : forums) one thesis --> two theses one hypothesis --> two hypotheses one phenomenon --> two phenomena one cactus --> two cacti (or : cactuses) one diagnosis --> two diagnoses one oasis --> two oases one analysis --> two analyses > A few nouns are invariable or collective, always indicating a plural meaning: She gave me some information. Michelle has a lot of clothes.

TEST - >> Find the plural table, child, thief, mouse, thief, potato, tooth, alga, goose, wife, sheep, life ANSWERS >tables, children, thieves, mice, women, potatoes, teeth, algae, geese, wives, sheep, lives

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Possessive It is used with nouns referring to people, groups of people, countries, and animals. 'Belonging to' or 'ownership' is one of the relationships it expresses : John owns a car. ('John' is the possessor or owner) It is John's car. America has some gold reserves. ('America' is the owner) They are America's gold reserves. Form To form the possessive, add 's ('apostrophe -s') to the noun. If the noun is plural, or already ends in -s, just add: ' (an apostrophe). For names ending in -s: In speaking- we add the sound /iz/ to the name, but -in writing- the 's form is common. e.g. Thomas's book, James's shop. Examples: The car of John = John's car. The room of the girls = The girls' room. Clothes for men = Men's jobs. The sister of Charles = Charles's sister. The boat of the sailors = The sailors' boat. The possessive is also used to refer to shops, restaurants, churches and colleges, using the name or job title of the owner. Examples: the grocer's the doctor's the vet's the newsagent's the chemist's Smith's the dentist's Tommy Tucker's Saint Mary's I've got an appointment at the dentist's at eleven o'clock.

TEST Say if these sentences are correct or wrong. 1. Peter's boat is really beautiful. 2. I like dog's John. It is so cute! 3. I had a walk with Thomas's girlfriend. 4. Women's jobs are very hard! 5. I went to the dentist. ANSWERS 1. Peter's boat is really beautiful. OK | 2. I like dog's John. It is so cute! WRONG> John's dog | 3. I had a walk with Thomas's girlfriend. OK | 4. Women's jobs are very hard! OK | 5. I went to the dentist. WRONG> to the dentist's.

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Adjectives: forms & usage > Forms: Adjectives are generally invariable in English and do not agree with nouns in number and gender. a blue car the great outdoors a group of young women However, a few adjectives have a connotation which is slightly masculine or feminine. Thus, one says that a woman is beautiful while a man would be called handsome. Adjectives indicating religion or nationality (or a region, state or province) generally begin with a capital letter, whether they refer to people or objects: She is an American student. They go to a Catholic school. They enjoy Breton music. > Usage: The adjective will be placed, with very few exceptions, in front of the noun it modifies. When two adjectives precede a noun, they can be connected by a comma (,) or by the conjunction"and." In a series of three or more adjectives, one usually uses "and" before the last adjective in the list. Examples: I like short novels. That fellow will be a competent worker. She writes long and flowery letters. He works long, hard hours. She had a mean, old and overbearing step-mother. An adjective may follow the noun when it is in a predicate (after the verb) or in a relative clause. (In relative clauses the relative pronoun may be implicit.) Examples: He was a man (who was) always happy to help others. She is a woman (who is) true to herself. They were entirely satisfied.

TEST Complete this sentence with an article, a noun and an adjective: Peter has ... - adjectives: elegant / short / brown / long / little / blue / warm / curly - articles: a / an / (nothing) - nouns: coat / gloves / beard / eyes ANSWERS > examples (there are more correct answers): an elegant / warm coat - brown / short gloves - curly / little beard - blue eyes - an elegant, warm, blue coat

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Adjective placement Where should I put my adjectives? When you use several adjectives, please use he following order to build your sentence. Please note that sentences containg 4 (or more!) adjectives are very awkward and should be split into several sentences. Opinion >> an interesting movie, an exciting journey Dimension >> a large house, a big car Age >> an old boat, a young boy Shape >> an oval carpet, a round table Colour >> a grey raincoat, a green door Origin >> French bread, a Japanese town Material >> a plastic bottle, a wooden treasure EXAMPLES: >A wonderful old Italian clock. (opinion - age - origin) >A big square blue box. (dimension - shape - colour) >A disgusting pink plastic ornament. (opinion - colour - material) >Some slim new French trousers. (dimension - age - origin)

TEST Build a phrase with this noun and these adjectives 1. book >> interesting - small - Spanish 2. house >> beautiful - modern - small 3. cap >> cotton - funny - green 4. picture >> modern - ugly - rectangular ANSWERS 1. An interesting small Spanish book. 2. A beautiful small modern house 3. A funny green cotton cap 4. An ugly modern rectangular picture

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Reflexive pronouns > Reflexive pronouns are used to show that the actions described by a verb act upon the subject of the verb: the subject and the object are thus the same. The forms of reflexive pronouns correspond to the forms of the subject pronouns: Subject pronouns I you he she it we you they Reflexive pronouns myself yourself himself herself itself ourselves yourselves themselves > To use a verb reflexively, the reflexive pronoun must follow the verb (and, in the case of an intransitive verb, it will follow any preposition used with the verb). If there are multiple verbs in the sentence, the reflexive pronoun follows the verb to which it applies: I told myself it would never happen. She talks to herself all the time. Look at yourself in that mirror! I would like to give myself a raise. > At the end of a sentence, one can add reflexive pronouns as a way of accentuating the subject in the sentence. In this case, the verb does not have reflexive power: I would rather do that myself. Can you talk to him yourself?

TEST Fill in the gaps with the correct pronouns: 1) The door opens ________________ when someone comes near it. 2) Look at your umbrella! You should buy ________________ a new one. 3) There was so much noise, I couldn't make ________________ heard. 4) "- Who taught you Latin?" || "- I taught ________________ ." 5) They lost the match and were ashamed of ________________ . ANSWERS: 1) itself | 2) yourself | 3) myself | 4) myself | 5) themselves

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Reflexive pronouns > Reflexive pronouns are used to show that the actions described by a verb act upon the subject of the verb: the subject and the object are thus the same. The forms of reflexive pronouns correspond to the forms of the subject pronouns: Subject pronouns I you he she it we you they Reflexive pronouns myself yourself himself herself itself ourselves yourselves themselves > To use a verb reflexively, the reflexive pronoun must follow the verb (and, in the case of an intransitive verb, it will follow any preposition used with the verb). If there are multiple verbs in the sentence, the reflexive pronoun follows the verb to which it applies: I told myself it would never happen. She talks to herself all the time. Look at yourself in that mirror! I would like to give myself a raise. > At the end of a sentence, one can add reflexive pronouns as a way of accentuating the subject in the sentence. In this case, the verb does not have reflexive power: I would rather do that myself. Can you talk to him yourself?

TEST Fill in the gaps with the correct pronouns: 1) The door opens ________________ when someone comes near it. 2) Look at your umbrella! You should buy ________________ a new one. 3) There was so much noise, I couldn't make ________________ heard. 4) "- Who taught you Latin?" || "- I taught ________________ ." 5) They lost the match and were ashamed of ________________ . ANSWERS: 1) itself | 2) yourself | 3) myself | 4) myself | 5) themselves

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Nationalities COUNTRY ADJECTIVE NOUN Africa African an African America American an American Argentina Argentinian an Argentinian Austria Austrian an Austrian Autralia Australian an Australian Bangladesh Bangladesh(i) a Bangladeshi Belgium Belgian a Belgian Brazil Brazilian a Brazilian Britain British a Briton/Britisher Cambodia Cambodian a Cambodian Chile Chilean a Chilean China Chinese a Chinese Colombia Colombian a Colombian Croatia Croatian a Croat the Czech Republic Czech a Czech Denmark Danish a Dane England English an Englishman/Englishwoman Finland Finnish a Finn France French a Frenchman/Frenchwoman Germany German a German Greece Greek a Greek Holland Dutch a Dutchman/Dutchwoman Hungary Hungarian a Hungarian Iceland Icelandic an Icelander India Indian an Indian Indonesia Indonesian an Indonesian Iran Iranian an Iranian Iraq Iraqi an Iraqi Ireland Irish an Irishman/Irishwoman Israel Israeli an Israeli Jamaica Jamaican a Jamaican Japan Japanese a Japanese Mexico Mexican a Mexican Morocco Moroccan a Moroccan Norway Norwegian a Norwegian Peru Peruvian a Peruvian the Philippines Philippine a Filipino Poland Polish a Pole Portugal Portuguese a Portuguese Rumania Rumanian a Rumanian Russia Russian a Russian Saudi Arabia Saudi, Saudi Arabian a Saudi, a Saudi Arabian Scotland Scottish a Scot Serbia Serbian a Serb the Slovak Republic Slovak a Slovak Sweden Swedish a Swede Switzerland Swiss a Swiss Thailand Thai a Thai The USA American an American Tunisia Tunisian a Tunisian Turkey Turkish a Turk Vietnam Vietnamese a Vietnamese Wales Welsh a Welshman/Welshwoman Yugoslavia Yugoslav a Yugoslav

TEST - Build full sentences: Example: He lives in Edinburgh. He's from Scotland. He is Scottish. He is a Scot. 1. He lives in Paris. 2. He lives in Washington. 3. She lives in Cardiff. 4. He lives in Amsterdam. 5. He lives in Brussels. ANSWERS 1. He lives in Paris. He is from France. He is French. He is a Frenchman. 2. He lives in Washington. He is from America. He is American. He is an American. 3. She lives in Cardiff. She is from Wales. She is Welsh. She is a Welshwoman. 4. He lives in Amsterdam. He is from Holland. He is Dutch. He is a Dutchman. 5. He lives in Brussels. He is from Belgium. He is Belgian. He is a Belgian.

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SOME, ANY, NO SOME: used in positive sentences for countable and uncountable nouns. Example: I have some friends. ANY: used in negative sentences or questions for countable and uncountable nouns. Example: Do you have any cheese? - He doesn't have any friends in Chicago. EXCEPTION! "some" is used in questions when offering or requesting something that is there. Examples: Would you like some bread? (offer) - Could I have some water? (request) SOMEBODY, SOMEWHERE, SOMETHING: Used in positive sentences. Example: He lives somewhere near here. ANYBODY, ANYWHERE, ANYTHING: Used in negative sentences or questions. Examples: Do you know anything about that boy? - She doesn't have anywhere to go. NOTHING: Used in positive sentences (with a negative meaning). Example: This show is very boring! There's nothing interesting!

TEST 1) A / AN, SOME or ANY? 1. I've got ………………. cookbook. / 2. There is ……………….water in the fridge. / 3. There isn't ……………….whisky left in the bottle. / 4. There was……………….bottle of whisky on the shelf. / 5. She wants to eat ……………….apple. / 6. Have we got ……………….chips? 2) SOMETHING, ANYTHING OR NOTHING ? 1. He's hungry, but there's …………………… to eat in the fridge! 2. I don't want to eat…………………… 3. I can see …………………… under the table. What is it? 4. "Pardon? What did you say?" - "……………………" 5. Is there …………………… interesting to watch on TV tonight? ANSWERS: Exercise 1) 1: a | 2: some | 3: any | 4: a | 5: an | 6. any - Exercise 2) 1: nothing | 2: anything | 3: something | 4: Nothing! | 5: anything

QUANTITIES a) 1st match: SOME vs. ANY SOME ANY 1) In positive sentences: I need some butter. 2) In questions when offering or requesting something that is there: Could I have some water, please? 1) In questions: Is there any cheese left? 2) In negative sentences: There isn't any milk left. b) 2nd match: MUCH vs. MANY MUCH MANY MUCH + singular There is much traffic. MANY + plural There are many cars.

TEST Choose the correct answer. a) I have (some/any) homework to do for tomorrow. b) I don't see (some/any) ducks there! c) Can I have (some/any) wine, please? d) Are there (some/any) vegetables left? e) There are (much/many) people in the cinema. f) Don't eat (much/many) sugar.

ANSWERS a) I have some homework to do for tomorrow. b) I don't see any ducks there! c) Can I have some wine, please. d) Are there any vegetables left? e) There are many people in the cinema. f) Don't eat much sugar.

 COUNTABLE AND UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS

I) What is a countable noun?

a) It is a noun which is for things we can count.
Examples of countable nouns: table, bag, school
We can say: one table, two tables... one bag, two bags...

b) It usually has a plural form:
Examples: table > tables | bag > bags | school > schools

II) What is an uncountable noun?
a) It is a noun which is for things we cannot count.
Examples of uncountable nouns: tea, sugar, water, air, rice.

b) Uncountable nouns are often the names for abstract ideas or qualities.
Examples: knowledge, beauty, anger, fear, love.

c) They usually do not have a plural form. They are used with a singular verb.
Examples: we cannot say "sugars, angers, knowledges".

d) We cannot use a/an with these nouns. To express a quantity of one of these nouns, we use a word or expression like:
some, a lot of, a piece of, a bit of, a great deal of...

Examples:
He gave me a great deal of advice before my interview.
They've got a lot of furniture.

III) TEST

What have you understood?

Write the letter "C" in front of Countable nouns and the letter "U" in front of Uncountable nouns.

The first one has been done for you:

___U_____ water

_________ boat

_________ record

_________ money

_________ tree

_________ furniture

_________ evidence

_________ TV set

_________ happiness

_________ bottle

_________ wall

_________ garden

_________ advice

_________ baggage

_________ information

_________ window

_________ news

IV) CORRECTION

Here are the Uncountable nouns: water, money, furniture, evidence, happiness, advice, baggage, information, news

"THE" or nothing? 1. Main rule: The definite article "the" (invariable in form) designates a person, place, or event which has been specified or defined by the speaker: Here's the book I bought. The cat is on the roof. He said he would bring the money. 2. Omission of the definite article No article is necessary in the following cases: 2.1 Before abstract nouns or nouns representing general categories. It is often omitted after verbs expressing opinions or preferences: Truth is the highest good. I don't like animals. Cats are nicer than dogs. Time flies. She likes coffee, but she hates tea. 2.2 Before days of the week and dates: On Tuesdays museums are closed. On Saturdays I sleep in. I was born on June 16, 1980. 2.3 Before names of countries, states, cities, and regions: France is seventeen times smaller than the United States. California is larger than Brittany. Exception: Some names actually include the definite article, such as The Hague, the United States (of America) 2.4. Before titles or nouns indicating professions: President Mitterrand completed two terms. We saw Professor Miller at the restaurant. She met with Doctor Schmidt.

TEST: Add the definite article "THE" when it is required. 1) I've just seen ________ latest movie by Spielberg. 2) ________ freedom is the best thing on Earth. 3) ________ Prince Charles will be a good King. 4) ________ boy sitting there is called John. 5) I really like ________ Queen Elizabeth III. 6) I don't like ________ vegetables. 7) On ________ Sundays, I sleep all day long. 8) ________ house we've just visited is the most expensive. 9) ________ life is so boring! 10) ________ Spain is a very nice country! ANSWERS 1. the | 2. X | 3. X | 4. The | 5. X | 6. X | 7. X | 8. The | 9. X | 10. X

THIS / THAT / THESE / THOSE > "this" is used for an object (singular) which is near the interlocutor. Example: This book is the best book on Earth. > Plural : "these" (several objects). Example: These books are the best books on Earth. > "that" is used for one object (singular) which is far from the interlocutor.. Example: That is his car over there. > Plural : those (several objects) Example: Those are his toys over there. > "there" is used for one object (singular) which exists - or "is" (near to us). Example: There is (There's) a table next to the window. > Plural: "there are" Example: There are many of my friends at the party tonight.

TEST: John: Could you please give me ________ (1) record on the table over there? Mike: Do you want ____________ (2) record here? John: Yes, ________ (3) record. Mike: Here you are. Oh, could you give me ________ (4) pens on the table over there? John: _________ (5) ? Sure, here you are. ANSWERS 1. that 2. this 3. that 4. those 5. These

Present (BE + -ING) Have a look at this picture: - What are they doing? - They are playing football. Main use: action which is being done at the same moment. Syntax: Auxiliary BE (conjugated) + Verb ending in -ING Examples: I am playing football. You are playing football. He/She/It is playing football. We are playing football. You are playing football. They are playing football. Negation: I am not playing football, you are not playing football... Question: Am I playing football? Are you playing football? Is he playing football? ... Answers: Are they playing football? Long answers: Yes, they're playing football. No, they aren't playing football. Short answers: Yes, they are. No, they aren't.

TEST - Fill in the gaps 1. They ........................ (study) at the moment. 2. She ........................ TV. 3. What ........................ (you/read) at the moment? 4. I ........................ (cook) dinner tonight. Would you like to come? 5. It ........................ (work). I think it's broken. 6. He ........................ (learn) German for his job. ANSWERS 1. are studying | 2. She is watching TV. | 3. What are you reading at the moment? | 4. I am cooking | 5. It is not working | 6. He is learning

Present Simple - What time do you wake up? - I wake up at 9.30 am Main uses: permanent situations, regular habits and daily routine; feelings Syntax: In the positive form, add an 's' to the base form of the 3rd person singular. If the verb ends in -y preceded by a consonant, change the -y to -ies Examples: I wake up You wake up He/She/It wakeS up We wake up You wake up They wake up Negative:Conjugate 'do' + not (don't and doesn't) + the base form of the verb to make negatives. I don't wake up at 9.30 am She doesn't wake up at 9.30 am Question: Conjugate 'do' (do or does) + the base form of the verb in question forms. Do you wake up at 9.30? Does she wake up at 9.30? Answers: Do you wake up at 9.30 ? Long answer: Yes, I wake up at 9.30 No, I don't wake up at 9.30 Short answer: Yes, I do. No, I don't.

TEST 1. The cinema _______________ (close) at 7 pm. 2. The _______________ (not/think) that you should buy this dress. 3. We usually _______________ (take) a taxi to go to work. 4. How often _______________ (you go) to the swimming-pool? 5. Courses _______________ (begin) the third of September. 6. When _______________ (he arrive) home in the evenings? 7. They _______________ (not/live) in Washington, they _______________ (live) in New York. 8. We usually _______________ (take) a taxi to go to work. 9. He _______________ (get up) early on Mondays. 10. I _______________ (not/believe) in witches. 11. The Sun's rays _______________ (take) eight minutes to reach the Earth. ANSWERS 1. closes - 2. do not think = don't think - 3. take - 4. do you go - 5. begin - 6. when does he arrive home? - 7. don't live | live - 8. take - 9. gets up - 10. don't believe - 11. take

PRESENT CONTINUOUS (BE + -ING) vs PRESENT SIMPLE PRESENT (BE + -ING) PRESENT SIMPLE Main use Action which is being done at the same moment Permanent situations; regular habits and daily routine; feelings Affirmative AUXILIARY BE + verb ending in -ING eg: I am playing, you are playing, he/she/it is playing, we are playing, you are playing, they are playing In the positive form, add an 's' to the base form of the 3rd person singular. eg : I play, you play, he/she/it plays, we play, you play, they play Exceptions 1) If the verb ends in "-e", remove the "-e": smoke -> he is smoking 2) If the verb has one syllable AND if it ends in "consonant-vowel-consonant", double the final consonant: run -> running 1) If the verb ends in "ch", "s", "sh", "x", "z", "o", add "-es" to the base forme of the 3rd p sg: she goes, he catches 2) If the verb ends in -y preceded by a consonant, change the "-y" to "-ies": study -> he studies. Negative Use NOT eg: I am not playing Use DO NOT / DON'T or DOES NOT / DOESN'T (3rd p sg) eg: I don't play, she doesn't play Questions Auxiliary BE at the beginning of the question eg: Are you playing football? Auxiliary DO or DOES at the beginning of the question eg: Do you play football? Does he play football? Short answers Use BE eg: Yes, I am. No, he isn't. Use DO or DOES eg: Yes, I do. No, he doesn't.

TEST : Fill in the gaps with the verb (choose the correct present): 1. We _______________ (not/think) that you should buy this dress. 2. At the moment, he _______________ (learn) German for his job. 3. We usually _______________ (take) a taxi to go to work. 4. How often _______________ (you go) to the swimming-pool? 5. The cinema _______________ (close) at 7 pm. 6. Look! She _______________ TV. 7. Courses generally _______________ (begin) on the third of September. 8. When _______________ (he arrive) home in the evenings? 9. What _______________ (you/read) at the moment? 10. They _______________ (not/live) in Washington; they _______________ (live) in New York. 11. We usually _______________ (take) a taxi to go to work. 12. It _______________ (work). I think it's broken. 13. He _______________ (get up) early on Mondays. 14. I _______________ (not/believe) in witches. 15. The Sun's rays _______________ (take) eight minutes to reach the Earth. 16. They _______________ (study) at the moment.

ANSWERS 1. We don't think that you should buy this dress. 2. At the moment, he is learning German for his job. 3. We usually take a taxi to go to work. 4. How often do you go to the swimming-pool? 5. The cinema closes at 7 pm. 6. Look! She is watching TV. 7. Courses generally begin on the third of September. 8. When do you arrive home in the evenings? 9. What are you reading at the moment? 10. They don't live in Washington; they live in New York. 11. We usually take a taxi to go to work. 12. It is not working. I think it's broken. 13. He doesn't get up early on Mondays. 14. I don't believe in witches. 15. The Sun's rays take eight minutes to reach the Earth. 16. They are studying at the moment.

Present simple or Present continuous? Put the verbs into the correct tense (present simple OR present continuous): The train always ________________(1: leave) on time. "What's the matter? Why ________________(2: cry/you)?" That's strange. They________________(3: not to watch) TV. He________________(4: not to speak) very good English. Please be quiet! I________________(5: do) my homework. Where________________(6: live/they)? Listen! John ________________ music! (7: play) I never ________________(8: go) to the swimming pool. Harold Black's a famous pianist. He________________(9: give) two or three concerts every week. He ________________(10: travel) a lot and this week he's in New York. He________________(11: stay) at an expensive hotel. He's at his hotel now. He________________(12: have) his breakfast in the dining-room. He________________(13: drink) a cup of coffee and he________________(14: read) a newspaper. Harold's always very busy. He________________(15: play) the piano regularly. He________________(16: practise) for four hours every day. He________________(17: go) to bed late and he always ________________(18: get up) early. But he sometimes________________(19: get) dressed too quickly, and this morning he________________(20: wear) one blue sock and one red one!

ANSWERS 1. leaves | 2. are you crying | 3. are not watching (= aren't watching) | 4. does not speak (= doesn't speak) | 5. am doing | 6. do they live | 7. is playing | 8. go 9. gives | 10. travels | 11. is staying (= he's staying) | 12. is having | 13. is drinking | 14. is reading | 15. plays | 16. practises | 17. doesn't go | 18. gets up | 19. gets | 20. is wearing

Past Simple (Preterite) Main use: past action (dated and definite) -- REGULAR VERBS -- Did they play football yesterday? >> Yes, they played football yesterday. = Yes, they did. >> No, they didn't play football. = No, they didn't. -- IRREGULAR VERBS -- Did they win yesterday? >> Yes, they won. = Yes, they did. No, they didn't win yesterday. = No, they didn't.

TEST - Fill in the gaps: ____________ (1: you/go) to London yesterday? Yes, I ____________ (2): I ____________ (3: take) the Eurostar and I ____________ (4: arrive) at Waterloo Station. I ____________ (5: meet) old friends there. They ____________ (6: be) all very happy to see me. I ____________ (7: visit) the town with them and I even ____________ (8: see) Prince Charles! I ____________ (9: go) to Buckingham Palace too! It ____________ (10: be) a wonderful journey! ANSWERS 1: did you go | 2: did | 3: took | 4: arrived | 5. met | 6. were | 7: visited | 8: saw | went | was (GO, TAKE, MEET, BE, SEE are irregular).

Irregular Verbs Infinitive - Preterite - Past participle be - was/were - been bear - bore - born become - became - become begin - began - begun bet - bet - bet bite - bit - bitten blow - blew - blown break - broke - broken bring - brought - brought build - built - built burn - burnt - burnt buy - bought - bought catch - caught - caught choose - chose - chosen come - came - come cost - cost - cost cut - cut - cut do - did - done draw - drew - drawn dream - dreamt - dreamt drink - drank - drunk drive - drove - driven eat - ate - eaten fall - fell - fallen feel - felt - felt - ressentir fight - fought - fought find - found - found fly - flew - flown forget - forgot - forgotten forgive - forgave - forgiven get - got - got give - gave - given go - went - gone have -had - had hear - heard - heard keep - kept - kept leave - left - left know - knew - known lose - lost - lost make - made - made meet - met - met read - read - read ring - rang - rung say - said - said see - saw - seen sit - sat - sat sleep - slept - slept swim - swam - swum take - took - taken think - thought - thought write - wrote - written

TEST - YOUR TURN NOW! We give you one form. You must find the 2 other forms. 1. give - ?? - ?? 2. ?? - drew - ?? 3. ?? - ?? - begun 4. fly - ?? - ?? 5. ?? - sat - ?? 6. ?? - ?? - brought 7. ?? - ?? - ?? 8. build - ?? - ?? - ?? ANSWERS 1. give - gave - given | 2. draw - drew - drawn | 3. begin - began - begun | 4. fly - flew - flown | 5. sit - sat - sat | 6. bring - brought - brought | 7. write - wrote - written | 8. build - built - built

Preterite: BE + -ING Main use: action in the past, which was being done, when another short action interrupted it. Syntax: auxiliary BE (was/were) + Verb + -ING Examples: Were they playing football when you saw them yesterday? Answers: Yes, they were playing football when I saw them yesterday. = Yes, they were. No, they weren't playing football when I saw them yesterday. = No, they weren't.

TEST Please choose the correct tense: simple past or BE+-ING? I _____________ (1: have) a bath yesterday when the phone _____________ (2: ring). "That must be my mother," I _____________ (3: think). As I _____________ (4: get) out of the bath, I _____________ (5: put) my foot on my watch and I _____________ (6: break) it. The phone _____________ (7: still/ring). I _____________ (8: run) out of the bathroom and I _____________ (9: hit) my head on the door. It _____________ (10: hurt) terribly and I _____________ (11: want) to sit down for a moment, but the phone _____________ (12: still/ring). "Please wait a minute, mother," I _____________ (13: think). The cats _____________ (14: sit) at the top of the stairs. I _____________ (15: not/see) them and I _____________ (16: fall). At the bottom of the stairs I _____________ (17: get up). My right leg _____________ (18: hurt) more than my head. The phone _____________ (19: still/ring). At last I _____________ (20: answer) it. It _____________ (21: be) my mother. "Hello, dear. Is evrything all right?" she _____________ (22: say). ANSWERS: 1: was having | 2: rang | 3: thought | 4: was getting | 5: put | 6: broke | 7: was still ringing | 8: ran | 9: hit | 10: hurt | 11: wanted | 12: was still ringing | 13: thought | 14: were sitting | 15: didn't see | 16: fell | 17: got up | 18: was hurting | 19: was still ringing [ 20: answered | 21: was | 22: said

THE SIMPLE PAST vs. PRETERITE: BE + -ING

SIMPLE PAST PRETERITE: BE + ING SYNTAX * Affirmative: -> Regular verbs: BV + -ED eg. We played football. -> Irregular verbs: please learn them eg. We ate a sandwich. * Questions & negation: use the auxiliary DID. eg. Did you play football? eg. No, we didn't play (did not play) football. * All forms (regular & irregular verbs): we use the auxiliary BE in the past(WAS/WERE) + base form ending in -ING: eg. Were you playing football? Yes, we were playing football. No, we weren't (were not) playing football. MAIN USE A short action, which took place in the past. It is often dated. eg. In 1998, I went to Spain. An action in the past, which was being done, when another short action interrupted it. eg. I was having a bath when the phone rang.

> TEST Choose the right tense (simple past / BE + -ING) : a) Last week, I _________________ (buy) a new car. b) Sarah _______________________ (do) her homework when you __________________________ (arrive). c) What ________________ you ___________________ (do) last summer? d) Peter ________________ (not to go) to school: he __________________ (be) too tired.

> ANSWERS: a) Last week, I BOUGHT a new car. b) Sarah WAS DOING her homework when you ARRIVED. c) What DID you DO last summer? d) Peter DIDN'T GO to school: he WAS too tired.

PRESENT PERFECT Main uses: 1) Past actions with results/consequences in the present. Paul has eaten all the cookies. When was the action done? In the past: a few minutes ago/yesterday. Consequence? There is no cookie left. There is nothing left for me. 2) Actions which began in the past and are still in progress. Paul has lived in London for 10 years. When did it start? 10 years ago. Is it finished? No, it isn't. Paul is still in London. He lives in London. SYNTAX: HAVE (or HAS with he/she/it) + PAST PARTICIPLE I have done my homework. She has done her homework (verb: do) NEGATIVE: I have not done my homework. = I haven't done my homework. She has not done her homework. = She hasn't done her homework. QUESTION: Have you done your homework? Yes, I have. / No, I haven't.

TEST: Present perfect - Conjugate the verbs: 1. Peter _____________ (steal) my trainers! 2. I ________________ (buy) this magazine. 3. We ______________ (write) three pages this afternoon. 4. _________________ (ever/you/be) to London? 5. I ________________ (finish) my work yet. ANSWERS 1. Paul has stolen my trainers! 2. I have bought this magazine. 3. We have written three pages this afternoon. 4. Have you ever been to London? 5. I have not finshed my work yet. I haven't finished my work yet.

Past progressive > The past progressive is a past tense which emphasizes the ongoing nature of the action described. WAS/WERE + Verb - ING I was working. He was eating his dinner when the phone rang. The cat was meowing last night while we tried to sleep. > If an idea could be expressed with the expression "was in the process of doing" or with "was in the midst of doing," the past progressive will be more appropriate than the simple past. Consequently, verbs indicating belief, emotion, possession, etc., are rarely conjugated in the past progressive: I thought that was right. ["I was in the process of thinking..." would be awkward.] Cheryl owned her own house. ["Cheryl was in the midst of owning..." would be awkward.] > Note: Do not use the past progressive in order to describe habitual actions in the past.

TEST Simple past or past progressive? 1. I ___________________ (do) my homework when Peter ___________________ (arrive). 2. When ___________________ (go) to the disco, we ___________________ (see) a car accident. 3. When they ___________________ (sleep), they ___________________ (hear) a big noise. ANSWERS 1. I was doing my homework when Peter arrived. 2. When we were going to the disco, we saw a car accident. 3. When they were sleeping, they heard a big noise.

Pluperfect > The plu-perfect is formed with the auxiliary HAD, followed by the past participle of the main verb: He had always wanted to travel in Africa. She had already left when Philippe arrived. I bought the book that Corinne had recommended to me. > The plu-perfect shows that the action has been done before another action (in the past). Adverbs such as "already" reinforce this impression. She learned to love the dog that had bitten her the week before. When I got home, I had already heard the bad news. The children ate all the cookies that their father had bought. > The plu-perfect is often used in hypothetical expressions with "if", in conjunction with the past conditional: I would not have come if I had known he was ill. > With the adverb "just", the plu-perfect indicates the immediate past in a past context: He had just eaten lunch when I arrived.

TEST - Fill in the gaps with the verbs (plu-perfect): 1. I went to Paris two days ago. I ___________________ (already / to be) to Europe several years before. 2. I ate the apple I _________________ (to buy) in the supermarket. 3. _________________ you _________________ (to do) your homework when your friend arrived? > Answer 1: Yes, I _________________. > Answer 2: No, I _________________. ANSWERS 1. I had already been to Paris. 2. I had bought. 3. Had you done your homework... Yes, I had. No, I hadn't.

THE PAST

PAST SIMPLE (PRETERITE)	PRETERITE: BE + -ING
MAIN USE past action (dated and definite) SYNTAX Affirmative -> Regular verbs: verb + -ED e.g. Yesterday, I played football. -> Irregular verbs: there is no easy rule; you must learn them by heart e.g. In 1998, I went to Australia. Interrogative & negative: use DID e.g. -> Did you go to Australia? -> Yes, I did. No, I didn't (go to Australia).	MAIN USE action in the past, which was being done, when another short action interrupted it SYNTAX Affirmative auxiliary BE in the past (WAS/WERE) + verb + -ING e.g. I was taking a shower when the phone rang. Interrogative & negative: inversion e.g. Were you listening to the radio when he arrived? -> Yes, I was. / No, I wasn't (listening to the radio).
PRESENT PERFECT	PLUPERFECT
MAIN USES a) Actions which began in the past and are still in progress. b) Past actions with results/consequences in the present. SYNTAX Affirmative auxiliary HAVE (HAS with he/she/it) + past participle e.g. a) I have lived in Paris since 1992. b) Sarah has eaten all the cakes. (There is no cake left). Interrogative & negative: inversion e.g. Have you broken by vase? -> Yes, I have. / No, I haven't (broken the vase).	MAIN USE Action which was done before another action (in the past). SYNTAX Affirmative auxiliary HAD + past participle e.g. Peter went to Sydney in 2002. I had been there two years before. Interrogative & negative: inversion e.g. Had you bought a car? -> Yes, I had. / No, I hadn't (bought a car).

TEST : Fill in the gaps with the verbs. Choose the correct tense.

a) - Peter, what _____________________ (do) yesterday?
- I _____________________ (play) football with Mike.

b) John's father _____________________ (be) very unhappy: when he _____________________ (get) back home, he _____________________ (find) that thieves _____________________ (break) into his flat.

c) Mum, Sarah _____________________ (break) my TV! I _____________________ (watch) it when she _____________________ (come) into my room and _____________________ (break) it! I can't watch the football match! Do something!

ANSWERS

a) - Peter, what did you do yesterday? (preterite)
- I played football with Mike. (preterite)

b) John's father was (preterite) very unhappy: when he got (preterite) back home, he found (preterite) that thieves had broken (pluperfect) into his flat.

c) Mum, Sarah has broken (present perfect) my TV! I was watching (preterite: BE + -ING) it when she came (preterite) into my room and broke (preterite) it! I can't watch the football match! Do something!

Conditional The conditional is formed using the modal "would" in front of an infinitive (dropping the word "to"). The conditional is used especially in three contexts: 1) Politeness I would like the menu, please. Would you have a couple of minutes for me? 2) To indicate the "future within the past": She said she would come to the party. I thought he would arrive before me. 3) In hypothetical constructions with "if." When "if" is followed by the preterit or the subjunctive, the conditional is expected in the second clause: If I had the time, I would do my homework. If you told me the truth, I would believe you. The "if" of hypothetical expressions can be implicit: In your position (= if I were you), I wouldn't stay here!

TEST - Build a sentence with all these words: 1. rich / would / If / buy / a / house / were / big / I 2. said / like / come / She / would / not / to / she 3. could / I / big / would / if / give / you / a / ring / I ANSWERS 1. If I were rich, I would buy a big house. 2. She said she would not like to come. 3. I would give you a big ring if I could.

Present Participles > Formation The present participle is formed by adding the ending "--ing" to the infinitive (dropping any silent "e" at the end of the infinitive): to sing --> singing to take --> taking to bake --> baking to be --> being to have --> having > Use A. The present participle may often function as an adjective: That's an interesting book. That tree is a weeping willow. B. The present participle can be used as a noun denoting an activity (this form is also called a gerund): Swimming is good exercise. Traveling is fun. C. The present participle can indicate an action that is taking place, although it cannot stand by itself as a verb. In these cases it generally modifies a noun (or pronoun), an adverb, or a past participle: Thinking myself lost, I gave up all hope. Washing clothes is not my idea of a job. Looking ahead is important. D. The present participle may be used with "while" or "by" to express an idea of simultaneity ("while") or causality ("by") : He finished dinner while watching television. By using a dictionary he could find all the words. While speaking on the phone, she doodled. By calling the police you saved my life! E. The present participle of the auxiliary "have" may be used with the past participle to describe a past condition resulting in another action: Having spent all his money, he returned home. Having told herself that she would be too late, she accelerated.

TEST A) Find the gerund: 1. to give | 2. to walk | 3. to sit | 4. to help B) Fill in the blanks with BY or WHILE + a present participle. Une one of these verbs: to look, to watch, to work 1. He passed his exam __________________ very hard. 2. He did his homework __________________ TV. 3. They found the way to our house __________________ at their map. ANSWERS A) 1. giving | 2. walking | 3. sitting | 4. helping B) 1. by working hard | 2. while watchin