Focus on error unit 4 Present simple The present simple tense is used in the following instances: a) to express something that is habitual b) to express something that is a general present or general truth Examples 1- The sun rises in the East and sets in the West. 2- Hamad goes to university every day. Note: if we talk about something habitual, we can use frequency words like these: usually, sometimes, often, every day, always, rarely
The present continuous is used to: a) express what is happening now b) expresses what will happen in the future Examples 1- The members of the GCC are meeting in Riyadh next month. 2- Ahmad is visiting his family right now. 3- The government in my country is trying very hard to improve the educational system this year.
Exercise If the tense in the sentence is written correctly, write a check (√) in the space provided. If the tense is wrong, write (x) and make corrections. _______ 1. We are usually using the word ‘massive’ to express a large quantity. _______ 2. Sometimes they are meeting new people, so it is helpful to speak a second language. _______3. Now, the role of women changes in Qatar. _______ 4. People are watching the news every day on television. _______ 5. I am never exercising because I don’t have any free time. _______ 6. The electron is subatomic particle with a negative elementary electric charge. _______ 7. The proton is having a positive electric charge.
The present perfect and past simple The present perfect tense is used to refer to an action that happened at sometime before now. This action may have finished by now, or still taking place at present. Usually it is not important when, the focus is on the result of the action. In the Present Perfect tense, we look from now to the past to express a relationship between the past and present. Form: has/have + past participle verb Example: - I have already completed two courses in Quantum Physics. Comment: this means that I started studying Quantum physics before now (sometime in the past), but it is not known when exactly. You can use the following words with the present perfect: Since, for, already, just, recently, (since + time in the past)
The Past Simple tense is used to express a completed action at specific time in the past (anytime before now). The action is finished and no longer is taking place. Form: Verb 2, irregular verbs have different forms than regular verbs. Regular verbs end with -ed Examples: - Sara bought a house in Palm Beach last summer. Comment: the action of ‘buying’ started and finished at specific time in the past (last summer). You can use the following words with the Past Simple: ago, yesterday, ago, before, last (week, summer, year, Eid, Christmas, October, etc…)
Voice errors “Voice” is the term used to describe the relation of the subject to the action that is expressed in the verb. There are two voices: active and passive. The subjective of an active verb is the doer of the action, while the subject of the passive verb is the receiver of the action, and the doer is often placed in a propositional phrase after the passive verb. Examples Active: Ali (s) ate (v) an apple (o). The subject here “Ali” is the doer of the action “eat” Passive: An apple was eaten by Ali. The subject here “An apple” is the receiver of the action, and the doer is introduced in with by + the doer.
Exercise 7 Verb errors page 146