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Steps to improve your English skills Antonella Protti Sanabria
CONTENT
Introduction…………………..3 Simple Present or Present Continuous?..............................4 Activity #1……………………..6 Simple Past or Past Progressive?..............................7 Activity #2…………………….10 Present Perfect, Passive Voice and the Past Participle Verbs..........................................11 Activity #3…………………….13 Are you asking me about the subject or about the object?...14
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Activity #4…………………….16 As soon as you learn how to use future time clauses, you will be ready…………………………17 Activity #5…………………….19 Conclusion………...………….20 Answer Key...............................21
Introduction Here you got an amazing magazine that will help you to know how to use some grammar topic that are often used. Now a days all of we need a little help with some rules or tips to use them, that is the reason why I will give to you some practice tools to make you sure you have understood the grammar in this articles. Have Fun! Note: At the end of this magazine you will find the answer key of the feedback activities to check your own answers and knowledge. Good Luck! 3
Simple Present or Present Continuous?
It’s easy to get confused about the expression of present time you are using? Stop suffer now! Here you will know the differences between simple present and present progressive. It is important to you to know that simple present describes what regularly happen, daily routines, actions one after another, actions set by timetable or schedule and to express emotion (senses, mental states). In simple present you have to use the verb in 3rd person, with: she, he or it you have to add an "s/ es/ ies/ ys" depending on the word.
25/6/14
As you see simple present is very easy to use, now we have to know when to use present continuous. As the word (progressive or continuous) says, this expression is used with actions happening right now or at the same time, also with arrangements for the near future or something happening on a limited period of time (week, month). In this time you have to use the verb to be followed by the main verb with "ing". Note: “progressive and continuous” are referred to the same expression clause.
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 Simple Present or Present Continuous? Time Clause Simple Present Positive She always eats Form Negative She does not like candies Form
Present Progressive She is eating
Interrogativ Does she like to eat? e Form
Is she eating candies?
Signal Words
She is not eating candies
Always, usually, often, At the moment, at seldom, every, normally, this moment, todays, sometimes, never now, look! , listen! , right now
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ACTIVITY #1 Choose the correct words to complete the sentences with simple present or present progressive. 1) She ---- (drives / is driving) the car right now. 2) He ----- (likes / is liking) chocolate. 3) Look at you! You --- (are getting / get) better with the days. 4) Lisa ---- (works / is working) at Pizza Hut for this week. 5) Emily ---- (isn't enjoying / doesn't enjoy) parties. 6) They usually ---- (go / are going) to the theater. 7) At this moment, Eli ---- (studies/ is studying) for tomorrow's test. 8) You ---- (are looking / seem) happy. 9) Look! It --- (is raining/ rains). 10) This year, Clara --- (is learning/ learns) Mandarin. 6
Simple Past or Past Progressive? As you learned in the past article, simple present and present continuous have some differences to identify them. Well, those are the same rules for simple past and past continuous but in another time clause, if you focus and work hard, you will dominate those topics as a normal form to speak.
2/7/14
The main difference between them consist in that past progressive is focus in the duration and simple past is focus in the completion. We talk in simple past when we are talking about actions or situations that are finished and with time expressions too, like "by the * century/ * years ago/ last week...� With this time clause you must use the past form of the verb, it can be regular and irregular. 7
Simple Past or Past Progressive? When we know how to use past continuous? It is a little bit harder but don' t be scared, you should talk in this time clause to talk about things that are happening at specific time in the past, actions happening at the same time or an action that was interrupted by another. Be careful with this rule because you must use both of the time clauses. When we use them together past progressive refers to the longer actions, you can use "while or when" to introduce it, and simple past refers to permanent or interruptive actions
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Simple Past or Past Progressive? Time Clause
Simple Past
Past Progressive
Positive Form
He was famous He lived in NY
He was living in NY We were having fun
Negative Form
He was not famous He did not live in NY
Interrogative Form
Was he famous? Did he live in NY?
He wasn’t living there We weren’t having fun Was he living in NY? Were you having fun?
ar l u reg r i he Y . t l l a R w O o M E kn M o t e y h e t k t s the s is ju : e Not verb
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ACTIVITY #2 Complete the sentences with the simple past or past progressive form of the verbs in parentheses. 1) She --- (read) the whole book last night. 2) He --- (walk) to his house when a man suddenly --- (appear) 3) While Emily --- (take) a shower, you --- (arrive) 4) I immediately --- (call) my mother and --- (tell) her the situation. 5) By 1996 I --- (be) born. 6) They --- (not do) the whole work on time. 7) What --- (be) you--- (do) at 7:00 am? 8) She --- (drive) when she --- (fall). 9) When you --- (arrive), I --- (eat). 10) At 9:30, what kind of report --- (be) Mr. Potter --- (write). 10
Present Perfect, Passive Voice and the Participle Verbs According to my grammar skills one of the most confused grammar topics are those that contain participle forms of the verb because of the rules and parts that they have. But, there isn't all negative or impossible you just have to pay attention to the tips next: Generally Present Perfect is used to talk about things you have done in your life and have results or continues in present. Some key words are "since" and "for", use "since" to show when something started or to introduce time clauses; use "for" to show how long something has lasted.
9/7/14
Subject+ have/ has+ participle... Be careful with the participle verbs they might confuse you.
Another grammar topic that can include participle is the Passive Voice, this is usually used in The News or in formal English. In Passive Voice the subject doesn´t do the action, he is affected by that. You can help you with the word "by" to introduce who/ what has made the action. With active sentences you say: Subject + action + object. But in passive sentences we say: object+ aux + p. participle+ by subject.
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Present Perfect, Passive Voice and the Participle Verbs Time Clause
Present Perfect
Positive Form
I have known her since I was a child. Tom has left his bag at the hotel. I haven’t known her… Tom hasn’t left has bag at the…
Negative Form Interrogative Form
Passive Voice
The girl was kissed by the man. The movie has been shown for 2 hours The girl wasn’t kissed by the man. The movie hasn’t been shown for 2 hours. Have you know her since Are being followed? 2010? How long has he been here?
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ACTIVITY #3 Use the words in parentheses to write sentences in Passive Voice or Present Perfect. 1) (be/ have/ He/ a professional / 1990./ since) 2) (Emily./ This book/ by/ be/ write) 3) (win / He/ have/ 30 medals.) 4) (I/ you/ for/ love/ have/ all my life.) 5) (have/ She/ be/ since/ was/ in home/ 5 years.) 6) (have/ be/ Most of us/ by T.V./ influenced) 7) (be/ The Titanic/ directed/ him./ by) 8) (published/ many articles/ be/ me./ by) 9) (she/ have/ swam/ since last year?) 10) (be/have/Danny and Jose/ friends/ ten years./for)
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16/7/14
Are you asking me about the subject or about the object? Wh- question, they are a headache, aren't they? For English speakers is easy to identify which kind of wh-question or whword but, for all of us Spanish speakers, is a little bit harder. Ok, nothing is impossible there are just a few key secrets to learn how to use them and then you will use it like everybody does. With question about the subject you are asking about the person that did the action, and with question about the object, you are asking about the action that the subject had done. Now are you seeing the difference
Wait! There is another form of question that can confuse you, the question tags. They are used to confirm the information that you are thinking. You have to say first your argument and then you ask for the opposite auxiliary or verb that you have already used (don’t forget about the comma before the question tag). Now, you are understanding me, aren't you? --- This is a question tag! e, which, when, why,
at, wher wh- words: who, wh and how long. h uc m w o h , ny a m whose, how, how 14
Are you asking me about the subject or about the object? Wh- questions About the subject
About the object
Use the wh-word instead the subject in the same order as the answer you spect. *Andrea saw you. --Who saw you? For which, how many, how much, whose: use a noun to refer the subject you are asking for. *How many people saw the murder? If the verb is a form of be (is, are, was, were, am): wh- word+ be *Who is the actress?
Right order: Wh-word/ why/ where/ when+ auxiliary+ subject+ main verb… *What are you doing? For which, how many, how much, whose: use a noun in place of the object. *How many people did you see? In very formal English you can use “whom” instead of who Whom did you see? But, if the main verb is a form of be you can’t use whom.
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ACTIVITY #4 Ask questions about the words below. It can be questions about the subject or about the object. 1) Something happened last night. 2) We went to Miami because of the weather. 3) Someone's phone rang at morning. 4) Some number of people went to the party. 5) She paid the rent yesterday. 6) Someone told the police about her. 7) Something surprised them. 8) She gave a gift to her boyfriend. 9) The apartment has 5 rooms. 10) Someone's friend called the police.
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25/7/14
As soon as you learn how to use future time clauses, you will be ready. Future time clauses are phrases or linking words that could help you to say future sentences with two clauses. We use the future time clauses in simple present and then we use the main clause in future (will / be going to). When/ after/ not until/ as soon as: those introduce the event that happens first. Before/ until/ by the time: those the event that happens second. While: introduce an event that happens at the same time as another one.
Another form to talk about future or possibilities is the conditional form. It is similar as the future time clauses but in this case we use "if" followed by simple present and then you put the future will/ may / should/ could.... Besides of "if" we could use another conditional words like, "unless" (if not), "when", "as soon as". Also you can use the “if” clause followed by simple present if the situation is always true. 17
As soon as you learn how to use future time clauses, you will be ready. Time Clause Positive Form
Future Time Clause
Before she get married, she will finish the college. Negative Form I won’t look for a job until I graduate. Interrogative Form
Conditional Form If you work hard, you will succeed. You won’t pass the test unless you study.
Where will she get a job What if I don’t go tonight? when she graduates?
Put a comma if the time clauses or the "if" are at the beginning.
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ACTIVITY #5 Match the correct time clause to the main clause. ___ After she gets up,
(a) the will need their umbrellas.
___Until the rain stops,
(b) I will work in a Hotel.
___As soon as she can,
(c) we could arrive early.
___You won’t survive
(d) I will prepare dinner.
___If you hurry up,
(e) she will help you.
___When I graduate,
(f) she will take a shower.
___By the time the day is over,
(g) when she has enough money.
___Before you come,
(h) unless you take your medicine.
___She will get married
( I ) she will take care of her baby.
___While she works at part-time job
( j ) you will be very tired.
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Conclusion Around this work and course, I have learned a lot of things that I didn't know before. The classes were very dynamic and interesting. I think that if you really want to learn, you have to make an effort and give from your part to succeed. I have realized that class participation is very important to improve in my spoken abilities because it helps me to develop more confidence in myself to talk in public and to think very well about what I am going to say. Class participation have helped me because before this course I couldn't do or didn't know some things, for example, I was a little shy about talking in front of people but now I'm not so scared as before. Now I can talk with my classmates and make questions to them and my teacher I also can teach someone else how to make an oral presentation in front some other persons. So, in my opinion participating in class discussions is very important for me and the people who wants to talk in English like I want to. 20
Answer Key Activity#1
Activity #4
B/A/A/B/B/A/B/B/A/A.
What happened last night?/ Why did you go to Miami?/ Whose phone rang at morning?/ How many people went to the party?/ When did she pay the rent?/ Who told the police about her?/ What surprised them?/ Who did she give a gift to?/ How many rooms does the apartment have?/ Whose friend called the police?
Activity#2 Read/ was walking- appeared/ was taking- arrived/ calledtold/ was/didn’t/ were-doing/ was driving- fell/ arrivedwas eating/ was- writing. Activity#3 He have been a professional since 1990./ This book was written by Emily./ He have won 30 medals./ I have loved you for all my life./ She have been in home since she was 5 years./ Most of us have been influenced by T.V./ The Titanic was directed by him./ Many articles were published by me./ Have she swan since last year?/ Have Danny and Jose been friends for ten years?
Activity #5 F/A/ E/ H/ C/ B/ J/ D/ G/ I/
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Simple Present and Present Continuous:
Present Perfect and Passive Voice: http:// MORE www.eclecticenglish.com/grammar/Pr PRACTICE AT: http:// http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_ www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/tenses/simple_present_progressive2.htm U9c0v_lDt9U Simple Past and Past Progressive: http:// www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=734 Wh- Questions (subject and object): http:// www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=719 http:// esl.about.com/library/quiz/blgrquiz_questionforms_subob.htm
Future Time Clauses: http:// www.english-test.net/esl/learn/english/gram http:// wwwedu.ge.ch/cptic/prospective/projets/an