Grammar practice.
Remember!
PRESENT TENSE SIMPLE/PRESENT TENSE CONTINUOUS
Present Tense Simple
is used to express:
1. Habits and routines
e.g Karen usually deals with the clients.
I often get junk emails from unknown
. companies.
2. Permanent/general situations
e.g I work for big foreign trade firm.
My parents live in England.
3. Facts that are always true
e.g. The sun sets in the West.
Water boils at 100 C.
4. Timetables and programmes
e.g. British Airways flight BA309 leaves
Rome at 7.45 and lands in London at
8.55
School starts on the 15th of September.
Time expressions :
- every day/week/month/year etc.
- usually, always, ever, never, often,
seldom, sometimes.
PAST TENSE SIMPLE/PAST TENSE CONTINUOUS
Past Tense Simple
Is used to express:
1.An action completed at a stated
time in the past
e.g. The merchant bank went
bankrupt in 1997.
The first world war started in 1914.
2. Actions which happened one after
another (a sequence of actions)
e.g. He entered the office, picked up
the phone and started to talk.
Present tense Continuous
is used to express:
1. Events happening at or around the
moment of speaking
e.g. He is having breakfast at the moment.
It is snowing hard today.
2. Temporary/particular situations
e.g. I am working in Paris for two months.
I am living in England for a while.
3. Annoying actions/complainits
e.g. My car is always breaking down!
Yiu are always arriving late on
Fridays.
4. Fixed future arangements
e.g We are spending our holiday in Greece
next summer.
They are moving to the new premises in
April.
Time expressions :
- now, at the moment, at present, today,
tonight etc.
Past Tense Continuous
Is used to express:
1. An action that was in progress at
a particular moment in the past.
e.g. At 9 o’clock last night she was
talking on the phone.
What were you doing this time
yesterday?
2. Two or more actions which were
happening at the same time in the
past
e.g. They were talking to the clients
while I was filling in a form.
3. With non-continuous verbs (like, 3. A past action that was in progress
love, hate, prefer, believe, when another action interrupted it.
remember, think, understand, forget,
e.g. While she was explaining her
know, want, mean, need, seem, see,
proposal somebody interrupted her.
feel, taste, smell etc).
e.g. She wanted to buy a mansion but
she couldn’t afford it.
.
4. Past actions which won’t happen 4. Past actions which describe the
again. background to the events in a story.
e.g. Charles Dickens wrote a lot of e.g. We were skiing on the slope. It
novels. was snowing heavily…

• The Past Tense Simple is often used with past time expressions:

a) with prepositions: - at two o’clock/the end of the month/on Christmas

- on Monday/the 15th of April/New year’s Day

- in May/winter/1996/the 1980s

b) without preposition: yesterday/yesterday morning/last week/last

night/a few days ago

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE

S+ HAVE+VERB3

1. Indefinite action: Somebody has broken the window.

I have got my driving-license.
2. Recent action:
- just – The taxi has just arrived.
- already – Have you already talked to him?
Yes, I have already talked to him.
- not…yet – I haven’t talked to him yet.
- lately/recently – I haven’t talked to him recently.
- up to now/so far – He has asked ten questions so far.
- before – Have you met before?
We haven’t met before.

3. A series of repeated actions in the past which may continue into

 the present (adverbs of frequency)
- ever – Have you ever travelled by plane?
- never – I have never travelled by plane.
- always – She has always bought expensive clothes.
- often – They have often visited their grandparents.
- seldom (rarely) – They have seldom visited their grandparents.

4. An action taking place in a period of time which is not over yet.

- today – Where have you been today?
- this (week, month, year etc) – I have been very busy this week.

5. An action which is not over yet or which has a result for the
present moment.
- How long have you known Mary?
- I have known Mary for 5 years.
- I have known Mary since 2002.

FOR is used to express a period of time

SINCE is used to express a point in time.

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE/PAST TENSE SIMPLE

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE PAST TENSE SIMPLE

1.Indefinite action: 1.Definite action:
e.g. Somebody has broken the window. e.g. Somebody broke the window on
Monday.

e.g. I have got my driving-license.

e.g. I got my driving-license in June.

2. An action taking place in a 2. An action taking place in a

period of time which is not over
yet: TODAY/THIS WEEK
(MONTH, YEAR ETC)
e.g. Where have you been today?
e.g. I have been busy this week.
period of time which is over:
YESTERDAY/LAST WEEK
(MONTH, YEAR ETC)
e.g. Where were you yesterday?
e.g. I was busy last week.

3. ADVERBS:
a) expressing a recent action:
- just
- already
- not…yet
- lately/recently
- up to now/so far.
- before
b) adverbs of frequency:
- always
- ever
- never
- often
- seldom (rarely)
c) - how long
- for
- since

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

S + HAVE + BEEN + VERB – ING

1. An activity which began in the past and is still continuing now:

How long have you been driving the car?
I have been driving the car for 5 years.
I have been driving the car since 2004.
I have been driving the car since I was 18.

2. A past activity which has caused a present result:

I have been working all day. (I’m tired now).
She has been travelling all night. (She is exhausted).
Have you been crying? (Your eyes are red).
He has been swimming. (His hair is wet).
 PAST PERFECT SIMPLE: S+HAD+V3
a past action taking place before another past action

E.g. We had just got into the car when it started raining.
She had already entered the house when the storm broke out.
She had not entered the house yet when the storm broke out.
He had finished the paper before I rang him up.
We arrived at the airport after the plane had landed.
He told me he had never travelled by plane before.

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

S+HAD+BEEN+V-ING

E.g. He had been speaking for an hour when we came. (he was still
speaking when we came).
They had been driving for an hour when the accident happened.

FUTURE TENSE SIMPLE

1.Affirmative

S + SHALL/WILL + VERB (1)

I shall leave tomorrow. We shall leave tomorrow.

You will leave tomorrow. You will leave tomorrow.
He They will leave tomorrow.
She will leave tomorrow.
It

2. Interrogative

SHALL/WILL + S + VERB (1)

Shall I leave tomorrow? Shall we leave tomorrow?

Will you leave tomorrow? Will you leave tomorrow?
He Will they leave tomorrow?
Will she leave tomorrow?
it

3. Negative
S + SHALLWILL + NOT + VERB (1)

I shall not leave tomorrow/shan’t leave

You will not leave tomorrow/won’t leave
He
She will not leave tomorrow/won’t leave
It
We shall not leave tomorrow/shan’t leave
You will not leave tomorrow/won’t leave
They will not leave tomorrow/won’t leave

JOAN DANIEL

IF…I don’t go out so much IF…I stop smoking

do more work have more money

pass my exams save some every week

go to university rich when I’m thirty

study economics have my own business

become an economist make a lot of money

earn a good salary retire when I’m forty

FUTURE TENSE CONTINUOUS

S+SHALL/WILL+BE+V-ing

- is used to express an activity that will be in progress at a particular

moment in the future.

E.g. This time tomorrow I will be flying to London.

At three o’clock tomorrow he will be attending a meeting.
This time next week I will be attending a training course in Rome.
What will you be doing tomorrow afternoon?
He will be travelling all night.
She will be working hard all week.

FUTURE PERFECT TENSE

S+SHALL/WILL+HAVE+V3
- It is used for an action that will be completed before a particulat time in the
future (together with the time phrase by)

E.g. We won’t have repaid the loan by March.

They will have sold all the goods by the time the Trade Fair closes.

“GOING TO” FUTURE

1. Affirmative
I am going to spend my holiday in Spain.
You are going to spend your holiday in Spain.
He is going to spend my holiday in Spain.
She is going to spend her holiday in Spain.
We are going to spend our holiday in Spain.
You are going to spend your holiday in Spain.
They are going to spend their holiday in Spain.

2. Interrogative
Where are you going to spend your holiday?

3. Negative
I am not going to spend my holiday in Spain.

Uses:
1. immediate action: Look at the sky! It is going to rain.
2. intention: We are going to spend our holiday in Greece next summer.
VI. Grammar practice.
Modal Verbs:
• are followed by an infinitive without “to”
• have only one form (there is no “-s” in the third person
singular and there are no forms with “–ing” or “-ed”)
• do not form the interrogative or negative with the help of
auxiliary verbs
• do not have forms for all the times and tenses; others
expressions are used instead
MODAL VERB EXPRESSING
CAN – COULD - ability
(TO BE ABLE TO)
- possibility
- permission(less formal)
- polite requests, offers and
instructions (“could” is
more polite than “can”)
- with “see”, “hear”,
“smell”, “taste”, “feel” to
speak about something
which is happening now
- deduction (can’t)
MAY – MIGHT - permission (very formal)
(TO BE ALLOWED
TO/TO BE PERMITTED - possibility
TO)
MUST (TO HAVE TO) - strong obligation (due to
some personal
circumstances)
- strong obligation (due to
some external
circumstances)
- interdiction
- lack of obligation
- probability
- advice, opinion,
SHOULD (OUGHT TO) recommendation
EXAMPLE
I can speak English fluently.
She can’t drive.
He could ski when he was
three.
You can come if you want.
You could come by plane.
You can leave your coat
over there.
Can I speak to you for a
minute?
You can use my phone.
You can’t park over there.
Can you help me with my
luggage?
Could you lend me your
dictionary?
Can I help you?
When you finish, you can
turn off the light.
I can’t see anything over
there.
Can you here me?
I can smell something
burning.
It can’t be Tom. He is in
Paris now.
You can’t be hungry. You
have just eaten.
May I use your phone?
May I leave now?
It may rain later in the
afternoon.
She might be at school but I
am not sure.
You must do something
about it.
We have to wear uniforms
at school.
You mustn’t park your car
over there
You don’t have to come
with me.
She must be at the office
now.
You should see a doctor if
you don’t feel well.
They should invest more in
Africa.
A) Complete the sentences with can, can’t, could, couldn’t or be able to:

1. I’m afraid I ………. join you on the trip.

2. He ……………….. arrive in time last night as he was stuck in a traffic-jam.
3. I don’t think ……………….. to accompany you tomorrow.
4. I …………… skate really well when I was younger.
5. He ………………………to conclude a contract.
6. Do you think ……………………. to take up that job?
7. I’m sorry, ………….. attend the meeting last Friday.
8. I find Dutch very difficult. I …….. understand it but ………….. to speak it.

B) Complete the sentences with may, might or be allowed to/be permitted to:

1. You ……….. leave the office earlier today.

2. Do you think …………………to travel alone next year?
3. She ………….. be reading in the library but I’m not sure.
4. I ……. … not come to your party as I’m very busy.
5. The secretary ………………………….. to take any decisions.
6. You ………. recoup your investment but I doubt it.
7. You ………………… to drive before you get your driving-license.
8. They ………. agree on the price if you accept their terms.

C) Complete the sentences with must, mustn’t, have to/had to or don’t have
to/didn’t have to:

1. You ……………… remember to send out the letters by the end of the programme.
2. She …………. go home earlier last night because she still had some work to do.
3. You ……….. park your car over there because it is a private parking place.
4. ……………….. pay for the course in advance?
5. I …………… take part in the meeting last night so I could go to the concert.
6. I ………………. write lots of reports and I find it quite annoying.
7. ……………………..attend that training seminar on Monday?
8. You ……………… tell anyone that we concluded the business.

D) Underline the correct modal verbs:

1. You should/must talk to him seriously.

2. I don’t believe you; it can’t/mustn’t be true.
3. Your partners may/must be very pleased with this agreement.
4. I’ afraid I may not/won’t be able to arrive at the airport in time.
5. You shouldn’t/mustn’t talk to him like that.
6. They ought to/must buy that house because it has a very good price.
7. I can’t/may not come to your presentation as I already have an appointment.
8. My opinion is that you should/must

VII. Grammar practice. Passive Voice.

Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. The causer of the action, however, is
not important or not known. (In contrast, active voice focuses on the causer of an action)
Form of Passive:
Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle (3rd column of irregular verbs)
Example: A letter was written.

When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following:

• the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence
• the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle)
• the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is
dropped)

Mr. Smith writes the delivery Simple Present The delivery notes are written
notes. (by Mr. Smith).

Mr. Smith is writing the Present Progressive The delivery notes are being
delivery notes. written (by Mr. Smith).

Mr. Smith wrote the delivery Simple Past The delivery notes were
notes. written (by Mr. Smith).

Mr. Smith was writing the Past Progressive The delivery notes were
delivey notes then. being written then (by Mr.
Smith).

Mr. Smith has written the Present Perfect The delivery notes have been
delivery notes. written (by Mr. Smith).

: Mr. Smith had written the Past Perfect The delivery notes had been
delivery notes. written (by Mr. Smith).

Mr. Smith will write the Future The delivery notes will be
delivery note. written (by Mr. Smith).

Mr. Smith must write the Modal Verbs The delivery notes must be
delivery notes. written (by Mr. Smith).
You should follow his advice His advice should be
followed.