Danilo Ernesto Alfaro Mejia
Grammar album about:
the simple past ("I went") the past progressive ("I was going") the past perfect ("I had gone") the past perfect progressive ("I had been going") the simple present ("I go") the present progressive ("I am going") the present perfect ("I have gone") the present perfect progressive ("I have been going") the simple future ("I will go") the future progressive ("I will be going") the future perfect ("I will have gone") the future perfect progressive ("I will have been going") auxiliary verbs can, could, will, would, should, may, might, must, ought and shall
Simple Past •
Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific time in the past. Sometimes, the speaker may not actually mention the specific time, but they do have one specific time in mind.
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Examples:
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I saw a movie yesterday. I didn't see a play yesterday. Last year, I traveled to Japan. Last year, I didn't travel to Korea. Did you have dinner last night? She washed her car. He didn't wash his car.
The Past Continuous The past continuous tense in English is used quite often, especially when telling stories. 1.A continuous action in the past which is interrupted by another action or a time: •
I was taking a bath when the telephone rang.
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2.Background information, to give atmosphere to a story:
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It was a beautiful day. The birds were singing, the sun was shining and in the cafes people were laughing and chatting.
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3.An annoying and repeated action in the past, usually with 'always':
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He was always leaving the tap running. (In the same way as the Present Continuous)
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4.For two actions which happened at the same time in the past:
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I was watching TV and he was reading
The Past Perfect We use the past perfect tense fairly often in English. • • • • • •
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1: A completed action before something else in the past. When we arrived, the film had started. (= first the film started, then later we arrived) 2: To explain or give a reason for something in the past. I'd eaten dinner so I wasn't hungry. It had snowed in the night, so the bus didn't arrive. 3: Stative verbs only: something that started in the past and continued up to another action in the past. When he graduated, he had been in London for six years.
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(= he arrived in London six years before he graduated and lived there continuously until he graduated, or even longer)
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4: As part of the third conditional.
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If I had known you were ill, I would have visited you.
The Past Perfect Continuous The past perfect continuous isn't the most common tense, but it's still useful to know. •
Something that started in the past and continued up to another action or event (tells us 'how long')
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She had been working at that company for a year when she met James. (This tells us how long something had continued before another event in the past. We usually use 'for' or 'since' in the same way as we do with the present perfect continuous)
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Cause of something in the past The pavement was wet, it had been raining. (It was raining before the time I'm describing in the past. We could see the result of the rain - compare with the present perfect continuous)
The Simple Perfect • • •
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1: First, we use the Present Simple when something is generally true: The sky isn't green. 2: We also need to use this tense for a situation that we think is more or less permanent (see the present continuous for a temporary situation - one which we think won't last long): Where do you live? She works in a bank. 3: The next use is for habits or things that we do regularly. We often use adverbs of frequency in this case (also see the present continuous for new, temporary or annoying habits): Do you smoke? I play tennis every Tuesday. 4: Four, we use the simple present to talk about what happens in books, plays, or films: The hero dies at the end of the film.
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5: We use it in the first and th e zero conditionals: the If it rains, I won't come. If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils. 6: Strangely, we can use this tense to talk about the future. When you are discussing a timetable or a fixed plan, you can use this tense. Usually, the timetable is fixed by an organisation, not by us: School begins at nine tomorrow. 7: We also use it to talk about the future after words like ' 'when', 'until', 'after', 'before' and 'as soon as' in a future sentence: I will call you when I have time. (Not: 'will have') 8: We need to use this simple tense with stative verbs (verbs which we don't use in continuous tenses), in situations where we'd usually use the present continuous:
This soup tastes great.
The Present Progressive First, we use it for things that are happening at the moment of speaking. • • • • •
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I'm working at the moment. Please call back as– we are eating dinner now. Julie is sleeping. You are studying the present continuous. 2: We can also use this tense for temporary situations, when we feel something won't continue for a long time. She's staying with her friend for a week. I'm living in London for a few months. John's working in a bar until he finds a job in his field. I'm reading a really great book.
The Present Perfect Progressive There are two main times we use this tense. Remember we can't use it with stative verbs. •
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1: To say how long for unfinished actions which started in the past and continue to the present. We often use this with for and since. (See the present perfect for the same use with stative verbs) I've been living in London for two years. She's been working here since 2004. We've been waiting for the bus for hours. 2: Actions which have just stopped (though the whole action can be unfinished) and have a result, which we can often see, hear, or feel, in the present (focus on action). (See the present perfect for a similar use which focuses on the result of the action) I'm so tired, I've been studying. I've been running, so I'm really hot. It's been raining, the pavement is wet. I've been reading your book, it's very good.
The Simple Future We use the simple future for: • • •
A decision at the moment of speaking: A: 'I'm cold'. B: 'I'll close the window'.
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Prediction based on opinion: I think the Conservatives will win the next election.
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A future fact: The sun will rise at 7am.
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Promises / requests / refusal / willingness: I'll help you with your homework. Will you give me a hand? I will give up smoking!
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In the same way as the future continuous, but with state verbs: I'll be at the station when you arrive.
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'Shall' is used mainly in the forms 'shall I ?' and 'shall we?' in British English. These forms are used when you want to get someone's opinion, especially for offers and suggestions:
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Future plans made before the moment of speaking: • A: 'We've run out of milk.' • B: 'I know, I'm going to buy some.' • •
Prediction based on present evidence: Look at those boys playing football! They're going to break the window.
The Future Progressive We use the future progressive tense for: •
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A continuous action in the future which is interrupted by a time or by another action. I’'ll be waiting when you arrive. At eight o’clock, I’'ll be eating dinner.
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A complete action in the future that will happen in the normal course of events.
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The Government will be making a statement later. Because this talks about something that will happen if everything is as we planned, we often use this tense to ask politely about what someone is going to do. Will you be taking your car to the meeting? (=I'm asking very indirectly and politely - perhaps I want to get a lift).
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To make a guess about the present. My mother will be working now (= I think she is working now, but I’'m not completely certain).
The Future Perfect The future perfect tense in English isn't very common, but it is useful in some situations, and it's very important to understand it when you hear it. I recommend trying the exercises about how to make this tense first, as it's easy to get confused with all the different auxiliary verbs. •
Also it's good to listen to how to pronounce it - as this tense has so many auxiliary verbs, we usually shorten it when we speak.
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We use this English verb tense:
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With a future time word, (and often with 'by') to talk about an action that will finish before a certain time in the future, but we don't know exactly when.
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By 10 o'clock I will have finished my homework. (=I will finish my homework some time before 10, but we don't know exactly when) By the time I'm sixty, I will have retired. (= I will retire sometime before I'm sixty. We don't know exactly when, but definitely before my sixtieth birthday)
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As the future perfect continuous, but with stative verbs.
The Future Perfect Progressive We use the future perfect continuous tense to: •
With a time word, to talk about an action which starts before a time in the future and continues up to that time.
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In April 2009, I will have been teaching here for two years. (=I started in April 2007 and still teach here now, probably I will continue after April 2009 but we are not sure).
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We often use this tense (instead of the present perfect continuous ) because we like easy numbers.
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For example, imagine now it is March 2013. I started working in my job in April 2011. If you ask me: how long have you been working here?', I don't want to say '1 year and 11 months' because it's a bit long and complicated. I prefer to use the future perfect continuous so I can say 2 years , which is an easier number.
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So, instead of saying: I've been working here for 1 year and 11 months (using the present perfect continuous) I prefer: In April, I will have been working here for 2 years.
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modals auxiliary verbs •
What are "modal auxiliary verbs"? The verbs can, could, will, would, should, may, might, must, ought and shall are verbs which 'help' other verbs to express a meaning: it is important to realise that these "modal verbs" have no meaning by themselves. A modal verb such as would has several varying functions; it can be used, for example, to help verbs express ideas about the past, the present and the future. It is therefore wrong to simply believe that "would is the past of will": it is many other things.
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Making personal predictions WILL ::Making
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I don't think the Queen will ever abdicate.
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Talking about the present with certainty (making deductions)
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I'm sure you will understand that there is nothing the Department can do from the bank: they said they'd be writing.
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Talking about the future with certainty
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I won't be in the office until 11; I've got a meeting. Don't bother ringing: they'll have left for their 10 o'clock lecture.
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Talking about the past with certainty
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I'm sure you will have noticed that attendance has fallen sharply.
I doubt if I'll stay here much longer.
There's a letter for you. It'll be
shall •
SHALL
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Shall is a form of will, used mostly in the first person. Its use, however, is decreasing, and in any case in spoken English it would be contracted to "-ll" and be indistinguishable from will.
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The only time you do need to use it is in questions, when:
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Making offers
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Shall I fetch you another glass of wine?
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Making suggestions
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Shall we go to the cinema tonight?
MAY & MIGHT •
May & might sometimes have virtually the same meaning; they are used to talk about possibilities in the past, present or future. ("Could" is also sometimes used).
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May is sometimes a little bit "more sure" (50% chance); whereas might expresses more doubt (maybe only a 30% chance).
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Talking about the present or future with uncertainty
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She may be back in her office: the lecture finished ten minutes ago.
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Talking about the past with uncertainty
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I'm surprised he failed. I suppose he might have been ill on the day of the exam.
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MAY Talking about things that can happen in certain situations If the monitors are used in poorly lit places, some users may experience headaches.
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With a similar meaning to although The experiment may have been a success, but there is still a lot of work to be done. (= Although it was a success, there is still ...)
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MIGHT Saying that something was possible, but did not actually happen
WOULD • •
WOULD As the past of will, for example in indirect speech
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"The next meeting will be in a month's time" becomes He said the next meeting would be in a month's time.
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Polite requests and offers (a 'softer' form of will)
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Would you like another cup of tea?
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In conditionals, to indicate 'distance from reality': imagined, unreal, impossible situations
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If I ruled the world, every day would be the first day of Spring.
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After 'wish', to show regret or irritation over someone (or something's) refusal or insistence on doing something (present or future)
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I wish you wouldn't keep interrupting me.
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Talking about past habits (similiar meaning to used to)
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When I was small, we would always visit relatives on Christmas Day.
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Future in the past
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The assassination would become one of the key events of the century.
CAN & COULD • • •
Talking about ability Can you speak Mandarin? (present) She could play the piano when she was five. (past)
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Making requests Can you give me a ring at about 10? Could you speak up a bit please? (slightly more formal, polite or 'softer')
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Asking permission Can I ask you a question? Could I ask you a personal question? (more formal, polite or indirect)
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Reported speech Could is used as the past of can. He asked me if I could pick him up after work.
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General possibility You can drive when you're 17. (present) Women couldn't vote until just after the First World War.
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Choice and opportunities If you want some help with your writing, you can come to classes, or you can get some 1:1 help. We could go to Stratford tomorrow, but the forecast's not brilliant. (less definite)
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Future probability Could (NOT can) is sometimes used in the same way as might or may, often indicating something less definite.
MUST & SHOULD Must is often used to indicate 'personal' obligation Necessity and obligation • I really must get some exercise. • •
Strong advice and invitations I think you really must make more of an effort.
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Saying you think something is certain This must be the place - there's a white car parked outside.
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The negative is expressed by can't: You're going to sell your guitar! You can't be serious!
Should is much more common (and easier to say!), so if you're not sure, use should. Giving advice I think you should go for the Alfa rather than the Audi. Obligation: weak form of must The university should provide more sports facilities. Deduction The letter should get to you tomorrow - I posted it first class.