1 Note de Gramatica

8/10/2019 1 Note de Gramatica

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Present Tenses

Present SimpleUse the present simple for things that are always true or happen regularly:every day, week, year.

Ex: They work in a bank.

Where do you live?

He doesn’t wear glasses.

She usually has cereal for breakfast.

I’m never late for work.

Spelling Rules - Third Person Singular (he, she, it)

1. Add -s for most verbs

work worksbuy buysride rides

return returns

2. Add -es for words that end in -ch, -sh, -s, -x, or -z

watch watches

pass passesrush rushesrelax relaxes

buzz buzzes

3. Change the y to i and add -es when the base form ends in a consonant +y

study studieshurry hurries

dry driesDo not change the y when the base form ends in a vowel +y. Add –s.

play playsenjoy enjoys



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● We often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency (always, often,

sometimes, usually, hardly ever, never).

● Adverbs of frequency go before the main verb but after be.

Ex: He often goes out. (not: He goes often out.)

She’s always late. (not: She’s late always.)

● Expressions of frequency (everyday, once a week, etc) usually go at the end of

a sentence.

Ex: I have English classes twice a week.

4. A few verbs have irregular forms.

be isdo doesgo goes

have has

Present Simple - negative do\does + not + verb

Ex: I do not (don’t) study.

She doesn’t like chocolate.

Present continuous be + verb + -ing Use present continuous for actions in progress at the time of speaking, for

future arrangements and current trents.

Ex: Who are you waiting for ? - I’m waiting for a friend

What are you doing after class? - I’m going to the café.

1. Add -ing to the base form of the verb.

read readingstand standing

2. If a verb ends in a silent -e, drop the final -e and add -ing.

leave leavingtake taking



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3. In a one-syllabe word, if the last three letters are a consonant-vowel-consonant

combination, double the last consonant before adding -ing.

sit sittingrun running

However, do not double the last consonant in words that end in w, x, or y.

sew sewingfix fixingenjoy enjoying

4. In words of two or more syllables that end in a consonant-vowel-consonant

combination, double the last consonant only if the last syllable is stressed.

admit admitting the last syllable is stressedwhisper whispering the last syllable is not stressed

5. If a verb ends in -ie, change the ie to y before adding -ing.

die dying

Action and nonaction verbs

-verbs which describe actions, e.g. make, cook, can be used in the present simple

or continuous

-verbs which describe states or feelings (not actions), e.g. like, want, be, are not

normally used in the present continuous.

Ex: What are you cooking tonight? - I’m making pasta.

Great! I really like pasta.

-common non-action verbs are: agree, be, believe, belong, depend, forget, hate,hear, know, like, love, matter, mean, need, prefer, realize, recognize, seem,

suppose.

-a few verbs have an action and a non-action meaning. The most common is

have.

Ex: I have a big flat. (possession - non action)

I can’t talk now. I’m having lunch. (an activity - action)



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Present continuous - negative to be (am\are\is) + not + verb +-ing

Ex:

I’m not working now

Past Tenses

We use different past tenses to describe moments and periods of time in the past.

When Andrea arrived at work at 9.00….

------ 8.30 --------------------------- 9.00 ---------------------------------------------------- …her secretary had opened the post.

…her secretary was opening the post.

…her secretary opened the post.

Past Simple

The Past Simple is used to express:

1. a finished action in the past.

Ex. We met in 2000.

I went to Manchester last week.

John left two minutes ago.

2. actions that follow each other in a story.

Ex. Mary walked into the room and stopped. She listened carefully. She heard a

noise coming from behind the curtain. She threw the curtain open, and she saw…

3. a past situation or habit.

Ex. When I was a child, we lived in a small house by the sea. Every day I walked

for miles on the beach with my dog.



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Spelling Rules

1. Most regular verbs add -ed to the base form of the verb.

work worked

want wantedhelp helped

wash washed

2. When the verb ends in -e, add -d.

like likeduse usedhate hated

care cared

3. If the verb has only one syllable, with one vowel + one consonant, double the

consonant before adding -ed.

stop stoppedplan plannedrob robbed

But we write cooked, seated, and moaned because there are two vowels.

4. The consonant is not doubled if it is -y or -w.

play played

show showed

5. In most two-syllable verbs, the end consonant is doubled if the stress is on the

second syllable.

prefer preferredadmit admitted

But we write entered and visited because the stress is on the first syllable.

6. Verbs that end in a consonant + -y change -y to -ied.



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carry carriedhurry hurried

bury buried

But we write enjoyed, because it ends in a vowel + -y.

Past Simple - negative did not + vb.(inf)

Ex. I did not (didn’t) work.

Past Continuous ( progressive ) was/ were + verb + -ing

I/he/she/it was

we/you/they were

playing

doingworking

The Past Continuous is used:

1. to express activities in progress before, and probably after, a particular timein the past

Ex: At seven o’clock this morning I was having my breakfast.

You made a lot of noise last night. What were you doing?

2. for descriptions.

Ex: Jan looked beautiful. She was wearing a green cotton dress. Her eyes wereshining in the light of the candles that were burning nearby.

3. to express an interrupt past activity.

Ex: When the phone rang, I was having a shower.While we were playing tennis, it started to rain.

4. to express an incomplete activity.

Ex: I was reading a book during the fligt. (I didn’t finish it.) I watched a film during the flight. (the whole film)



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Ex: She wasn’t working We weren’t working

Word order in questions

Questions with do/does/did in present and past simple

● In the present simple use the auxiliary verb do/does ● In these questions the subject goes after the auxiliary verb.● Use ASI (auxiliary, subject, infinitive) or QUASI (question word, auxiliary,

subject, infinitive) to help you with word order in questions.

Question word Auxiliary Subject Infinitive (=verb)

Do you live with your parents?Does Jenny like Chinese food?

Where do you live?

What food does Jenny like?

Questions with be, present continuous, and going to

● In questions with be, make questions by inverting the verb and subject

Question word be Subject (adjective, noun, verb

+ ing, etc)Is Ana a student?

What are they doing?

What are you talking about?Where is he going to live?

If a verb is followed by a preposition (listen to, talk about), the preposition goesat the end of the question.

Ex: What are you talking about? (not: About what are you talking)

● In the past simple use the auxiliary verb did + S + vb.(inf)

Question word Auxiliary Subject Infinitive (=verb)

WhereDiddid

youyou

work last night?work last night?

Past Continuous - negative wasn’t weren’t

+ vb.(inf) + -ing



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Ex: Why were you working?

Was she working when you saw her? - Yes, she was.

- No, she wasn’t.

Present continuos future arangements - fixed time/date

I am

+vb-ingyou arehe/she/it is

Ex: He’s seeing his friends in the evening.

I’ m not

+vb-ingyou aren’t he/she/it isn’t

Ex: He isn’t seeing his friends in the evening.

?am

+subj +vb-ingareis

Ex: Is he seeing his friends in the evening?

“Going to” future arangements - withouth fixed time/date ; predictions

I am

+going to +vb. infyou arehe/she/it isEx: I am going to see a movie.

I’ m not +going to +vb. infyou aren’t

he/she/it isn’t

● In the past continuous waswere

+ S + vb.(inf) + -ing



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Ex: You aren’t going to see a movie.

? Am

+subj +going to +vb. inf AreIs

Ex: Is she going to see a movie?

to look for - try to find something

to look forward - wait with pleasure for somethingwich is going to happen

to look after - be responsible for or take carefor somebody or something

will/won’t + infinitive (predictions)

I

‘ll be late

I

won’t be late

- use will/won’t + infinitive for future predictions.- the future of:

there is/are = there will be.I can = I’ll be able to

you youhe he

she sheit it

we wethey they

?

Will

I

be late? Yes

I

will No

I

won’t

you you you

he he heshe she sheit it it

we we we

they they they- we often use I think/I don’t think + will:

Ex: I think he’ll fail the exam.

I don’t think he’ll pas the exam.



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Sometimes, in sentences, with I and we, people use shall, but this is very

formal, for exemple in a business letter.

Ex: I shall write to you when I have studied your case.

will (promises, offers, and decisions)

Decisions I won’t have the fish. I’ll have the steak. We’ll take the 6.30 train.

Offers I’ll help you with your homework. Shall I open the window?

Promisses I’ll always love you.I won’t tell anyone.

Use will/won’t + infinitive for making decisions, offering, and promising.

Ex: I’ll help you with those bags.

Use Shall I…? or Shall we…? when an offer is a question.

Ex: Shall I pay?

Shall we call you tonight at 7.00?



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Present perfect (experience) + ever, never

● Use the present perfect to talk about past experiences when you don’t say

exactly when happened.

Ex. I’ve been to London. NOT I’ve been to London last year .

My brother has worked abroad.

● For regular verbs the past participle is the same as the past simple.

● We often use the present perfect with ever (= in your life until now) and never.

Ex. Have you ever been to London? No, I’ve never been there.

!¥ Compare the present of go and be:

He’s gone to Paris. = He’s in Paris now.

He’s been to Paris. = He went to Paris and came back.

I’ve (I have)

been to Londonyou’ve (you have) (he/she/it)’s he/she/it has we’ve (we have)

they’ve (they have)

I haven’t

worked in a bank

you haven’t

he/she/it hasn’t we haven’t they haven’t

?

Have you worked in a bank? Yes, I have No, I haven’t Has he been to London? Yes, he has. No, he hasn’t.



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present perfect or past simple?

● Conversations often begin in the present perfect (with a general question) and

then change to the past simple (with questions asking for specific details, when,

where, who with, etc.)

● Use the past simple to ask/say exactly when something happened.

Ex.

A Have you ever been to Mexico? B Yes, I have.When did you go there? I went last year.

present perfect past simple no specific time in the past a specific/exact time in the past

HAVE/HAS+past participle vb. + ed Ex. I’ve never been to

London.Ex. I bought something yesterday.

I worked yesterday.

didn’t + vb. inf Ex. I didn’t buy anything yesterday. ? did + s + vb. inf Ex. Did you buy something yesterday?

Present perfect + yet, just, already

yet

● Use yet + the present perfect in and ? senteces to ask if something that you

think is going to happen has happened or to say it hasn’t happened.

● Put yet at the end of the sentence.

Ex: A. Have you finished yourhomework yet?

B. No, no yet. I haven’t finishedyet.



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just

● Use just in sentences to say that something happened very recently.

● Put just before the main verb.

A. Would you like a coffe? B. No thanks, I’ve just had one.

already

● Use already in sentences to say that something happened before now or

earlier than expected.

● Put already before the main verb.

A. Do you want to see this film? B. No, I’ve already seen it three times Shall I buy a newspaper? No, I’ve already bought one.

Comparative adjectives

● Use comparative adjectives to compare people and things.

Ex: My brother’s taller than me.

Adjective Comparative

short shorter one syllable: + erbig bigger one vowel + one consonant: double final

consonantbusy busier consonant + y: y -> ier

relaxed more relaxed two or more syllables: more + adjective

goodwellbadfar

betterbetterworsefurther

irregular



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Opposite adjectives

Adjective Opposite

boring exciting/interestingcrowded emptydangereous safe

far nearmodern oldnoisy quiet

polite rudepolluted clean

Comparative adverbs

● Use comparative adverbs to compare actions.

Adverb Comparative Adverb ComparativeRegular Irregularquicklyslowly

more quicklyless slowly

hardwellbadly

harderbetterworse

● You can also use (not) as + (adjective / adverb) + as.

Ex: I’m not as tall as my brother.

He doesn’t drive as fast as me.

● You can also use than + vb.+er /more

/less

superlative (+ ever + present perfect)

● Use the + superlative adjectives to say which is the biggest, etc. in a group.

Ex: It’s the highest mountain in Europe.

She’s the best in the class.



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● We often use a superlative with the present perfect

Ex: It’s the most beautiful church I’ve ever seen.

Russia is the coldest place we’ve ever been to.

Adjective Comparative Superlative

cold colder the coldesthot hotter the hottestpretty prettier the prettiestbeautiful more beautiful the most beautiful

good better the bestbad worse the worstfar further the furthest

TheFreeDictionary http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/



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