English Verbs

A Review of the System

Three categories of English

verbs
Category
1. to be
2. Auxiliary verbs

Type
as main verb
as auxiliary
do

Example
I am English
I am speaking English
Do you speak
English?/He doesnt
speak English

have
modal auxiliaries (can,
could, may, might, shall,
should, will, would)

I have been to England

I can swim
Can you swim?
Tom cant swim

semi-modals (dare, need,

ought to, used to)
3. Main verbs

regular
irregular

love - loved
speak spoke spoken

The verb to be
to be can function as an auxiliary or as a
main verb, but even as a main verb, it
behaves syntactically like an auxiliary, i.e.:
It is directly negated with not:
He is tall > He is not tall
It is inverted to form a question:
He is tall > Is he tall?

Forms of the verb to be positive

Forms of the verb to be negative

Syntactic Properties of
Auxiliary Verbs
directly negated with not:
You would go > You would not go
inverted to form a question:
You would go > Would you go?
cannot be used alone EXCEPT:
in tag questions
in short answers and additions, to avoid
repetition

Auxiliaries used alone

Tag questions
You can swim, cant you?
You cant swim, can you?
Short answers and additions
Can you swim? Yes, I can.
I can swim and so can my brother.
I cant swim. Neither can I.

Exercise on modal
auxiliaries
1. Preciso terminar esse trabalho hoje.
2. Fecho a porta ou deixo aberta?
3. Pode esfriar bastante no inverno aqui.
4. Leva uma blusa que pode esfriar mais tarde.
5. Voc me empresta uma caneta?
6. Voc acha que devemos chamar a polcia?
7. Vocs no devem falar durante a prova.
8. Posso estacionar aqui? No, no pode.
9. Se eu fosse voc, no contaria para ningum.
10.O Pedro no deve ter recebido a nossa
mensagem.

Semi-modals
dare

He dares (to) argue

with the teacher

need

He darent argue with

the teacher.
He doesnt dare (to)
argue with the
teacher.

Dare he argue with

the teacher?
Does he dare (to)
argue with the
teacher?

Darent he argue
with the teacher?
Doesnt he dare
(to) argue with the
teacher?

She needs to go to the She neednt go to the

bank.
bank.
She need not go to
the bank.
She doesnt need to
go to the bank.

Need she go to the

bank?
Does she need to go
to the bank?

Neednt she go to
the bank?
Doesnt she need
to go to the bank?

ought to

He ought to
apologize.

He oughtnt to
apologize.
He ought not to
apologize.
He didnt ought to
apologize.

Ought he to
apologize?
Did he ought to
apologize?

Oughtnt he to
apologize?
Ought he not to
apologize?
Didnt you ought
to apologize?

used to

She used to smoke.

She didnt use to

smoke.

Did she use to

smoke?

Didnt she use to

smoke?

Syntactic Properties of Main

Verbs
cannot be directly negated with not:
I like not action movies
I dont like action movies
cannot be inverted to form a
question:
Like you action movies?
Do you like action movies?

The verb to do (1)

Is the hidden auxiliary of the present
and past simple:
You speak Portuguese, dont you?
I studied English and so did my brother.
He loved his ex-wife and he still does.
Has to be used in those tenses to negate
and form questions with main verbs:
I dont speak Portuguese.
Did you go to school today?

The verb to do (2)

The verb to have (1)

Used as an auxiliary to form the
perfect tenses:
I hadnt been to Buenos Aires before.
Have you read Harry Potter?
With its main verb meaning, it has the
syntactic properties of a main verb*:
I dont have time right now.
Did you have a good time last night?

The verb to have (2)

*Sometimes found with auxiliary syntax and
main verb meaning - old-fashioned/formal:
I havent time right now.
Have you enough money to get home?
In British English especially, have got is
much more common in main verb meaning:
I havent got time right now.
Have you got enough money to get home?

The system of tenses and

aspects
Tense
Present
Past

Aspect
Simple vs. continuous
Perfect (vs. non-perfect)

Tense and Aspect

Aspects of the present tense:

Present
Present
Present
Present

simple: I eat
continuous: I am eating
perfect: I have eaten
perfect continuous: I have been eating

Aspects of the past tense:

Past
Past
Past
Past

simple: I ate
continuous: I was eating
perfect: I had eaten
perfect continuous: I had been eating

Formation of Tenses
Simple tenses: basic verb forms,
present and past: live lived, eat
ate
Continuous tenses: to be + -ing form
Perfect tenses: to have + past
participle

Overview of Tenses

Portuguese > English

Equivalences (1)
falo > I speak
estou falando > I am speaking
Exception:
Actions which started in the past and are still
going on at the present time:
Ive studied English for ten years/since 2001.
How long have you been waiting here?
Port: Present tense > Eng: Present perfect
tense

Portuguese > English

Equivalences (2)
eu falava > I spoke/I used to speak /I would
speak
eu estava falando > I was speaking
Exception:
Actions which started at an earlier time and
are still going on at the moment in the past
which is being described:
I had studied English for two years before
going to the States.
How long had you been waiting for the bus?
Port: Imperfect tense > Eng: Past perfect
tense

Portuguese Imperfect
eu falava >
I spoke
I used to speak
= eu costumava falar/falava
antes
I would speak = eu falaria
= eu costumava falar
I was speaking
= eu estava falando
NB: used to also describes situations that are no
longer true:
This building used to be a movie theater.
Paula used to have long hair.
I used to think English was difficult.

Examples of past imperfect

action
She spoke Italian with her grandmother. (ambiguous)
She used to speak Italian with her grandmother.
(habitual action or action that is no longer true)
She would speak Italian with her grandmother.
(habitual action)
She was speaking Italian with her grandmother.
(ongoing action)
If she could, she would speak Italian with her
grandmother. (conditional)

Portuguese Preterite
falei >
I spoke reports a past action. Time of action
is either specified or implied from context:
Judy broke her arm and had to go to the
hospital.
I have spoken reports on the current
situation. Time of action is irrelevant; what
counts is the impact on the present:
Judy has broken her arm. We have to take
her to the hospital.

English Present Perfect Rules

of Thumb (1)
More advanced Brazilian learners tend to
overuse present perfect (where it is not
appropriate). But some American native
speakers hardly ever use the present
perfect, so, if in doubt, use the simple
past.
The present perfect CANNOT be used if
there is any reference, explicit or implied,
to the time when the action happened
EXCEPT:

English Present Perfect Rules

of Thumb (2)
If the time reference is a period of time
which has not yet ended at the time of
speaking:
Have you seen Bob this morning?
(cf. Did you see Bob this morning?)
If the time reference is introduced by for
or since referring to action that started in
the past and is still continuing:
We have lived in Rio for seven years.
(cf. We lived in Rio for seven years.)

Using the Present Perfect

The point in the past is irrelevant what
counts is the impact on the present:
Have you met my wife? (introduction)
I havent been to Buenos Aires.
Wheres Tim? Hes gone to the
store.
Youve given me the wrong change.
(paying)

Using the Present Perfect (2)

Present perfect is often used to introduce a topic,
emphasizing its relevance to the present. Details
then follow in simple past:
Have you met my wife? Yes, I met her
earlier.
Yes, I have been to Buenos Aires. I went there last
year.
Tims gone to the store. He went to buy milk.
Youve given me the wrong change. I gave you a
ten-dollar bill.
The prime-minister has resigned. He announced
his resignation this morning.

Exercise 1
1. Voc j esteve na Inglaterra?
2. No comi nada hoje.
3. Liguei o ar. Daqui a pouco vai refrescar aqui
dentro.
4. Voc j foi ao supermercado?
5. A Sandra acabou de sair. Ela foi ao supermercado.
6. Ela sempre quis ser cantora.
7. Os convidados chegaram. Voc pode fazer as
honras da casa?
8. No falei com o Tiago hoje.
9. No falei com o Tiago ontem.
10.Faz quanto tempo que voc estuda ingls?

Present Perfect Continuous

I have been doing = tenho feito,
venho/ando fazendo (except together with
for and since)

You look fit. Yes, Ive been working

out.
Youre all dirty. What have you been doing?
The business has been growing steadily
over the last few years.

Perfect Simple vs. Perfect

Continuous (1)
The two tenses are often interchangeable,
but simple implies completion while
continuous implies continuation:
Ive been reading a lot about UFOs. (Tenho
lido)
Ive read a lot about UFOs. (J li)
The price of oil has been falling lately. (vem
baixando)
The price of oil has fallen to $50 a barrel.
(baixou)

Perfect Simple vs. Perfect

Continuous (2)
Examples with for and since:
Ive been living here for seven years.
(Estou morando/Moro )
Ive lived here all my life. (Moro )
Shes been learning Portuguese since she
moved to Brazil. (Ele aprende ...)
Shes learnt Portuguese since she moved
to Brazil. (Ela aprendeu ...)
Your sons grown since I saw him last.
(cresceu)

Perfect Simple vs. Perfect

Continuous (3)
If the number of times is mentioned, or
the adverbs always, never or ever >
perfect simple only:
Ive read this book three times.
Weve always lived in the same house.
Its the best movie Ive ever seen.
Verb to be has no continuous tenses:
Shes been very understanding. (tem
sido)

Past Perfect Simple

had done = tinha feito
He had forgotten his passport. (tinha
esquecido)
English often requires past perfect where
Portuguese uses preterite:
Bob realized hed forgotten his passport.
The police asked her when she had last
seen her husband.
For lunch I ate the sandwiches I had
brought from home.

Past Perfect Simple vs. Past

Perfect Continuous (1)
Principles are the same as for present
perfect simple vs. continuous, but point of
reference is in the past rather than the
present:
Id been studying Portuguese for a number
of years before I moved to Brazil.
I had been to Brazil many times before I
came here to live.
He told me about a book he had been
reading. (... que ele lia)
He told me about a book he had read. (...
que ele leu)

Past Perfect Simple vs. Past

Perfect Continuous (2)
Examples with for and since
(corresponds to imperfect in
Portuguese):
They had been living in So Paulo since
1974. (Eles moravam ...)
How long had you been married when
you had your first child? (...era...)
He had grown since I had last seen him.

EXERCISE 2
1. Faz tempo que voc est me esperando?
2. O Brasil mudou muito desde a primeira vez que vim aqui
em 1981.
3. Acho que voc errou o caminho. melhor voltar.
4. Voc tem acompanhado a novela?
5. No tem sido fcil me adaptar vida aqui.
6. Eu estava usando um chapu de palha que comprei o
ano anterior.
7. Ele casou com a mulher que namorava fazia oito anos.
8. Perguntei Sandra quanto tempo ela trabalhava como
professora.
9. Quando fui a Londres, fiquei impressionado com o quanto
mudou desde a ltima vez que estive l havia vinte anos.
10. O que que voc anda aprontando?

Talking about the future

English

Connotation

Portuguese

John will leave

on Monday.
If it rains, we`ll
stay at home.

Neutral/formal
reporting

Vou fazer/farei

John is going to
leave on
Monday.
Its going to
rain tomorrow.

Intended plan

present
continuous

John is leaving
on Monday.

Arrangement
already made

Vou fazer ...

present simple

John leaves on
Monday.
The game
starts at nine.

Requirement

Fao ...

will + infinitive

going to +
infinitive

Consequence
Vou fazer ...

Immediate
future based
on present
evidence

Scheduled
event

Special use of ll (will)

Spontaneous (unpremeditated) statements and
decisions about the future, usually in response to
circumstances are expressed with ll + infinitive
in English, NOT present as in Portuguese:
Ill see you tomorrow. (te vejo)
Thats the phone. Ill get it. (eu atendo)
Ill have a mineral water, please. (vou
querer/quero)
Johnll drop you off at the station, wont you,
John? (o John te deixa)
Well help with the cleaning. (a gente ajuda)

will or going to
In many cases, will and going to are largely
interchangeable, with a preference for going to
in less formal language. Examples:
I think Ill/Im going to make some tea.
Dad will/is going to be furious when he finds out.
Well/were going to have to find a solution
sooner or later.
Youll/Youre going to be late if you dont hurry.
Im sure youll/youre going to have a good time.
They said itll/its going to rain on Sunday.
Ill/Im going to see Ann tomorrow.

Differences in emphasis
The company will open its Rio office in April.
(news report, formal writing)
The company is going to open its Rio office in
April. (speech, less formal writing)
The company is opening its Rio office in April.
(emphasizes arrangements already made)
The company opens its Rio office in April.
(emphasizes firmness of plan, also journalese)

A Practical Tip for Spoken

English
Present simple and present continuous
can always be replaced by going to
EXCEPT in spontaneous statements
about the future , will can very often
be replaced by going to
If in doubt, going to is safest option

Exercise 3
1.
2.
3.
4.

Uma encomenda para mim? Vou descer.

O ministro vai renunciar por conta do escndalo.
Vai cair um tor a qualquer momento.
A presidente se reunir amanh com o
embaixador americano.
5. No sei se vai dar tempo para ler tudo.
6. No se preocupem, eu ajudo vocs.
7. Quando eu receber meu salrio, vou comprar
um computador novo.
8. Quando eu precisar de ajuda, te aviso.
9. O meu irmo vai pegar o voo das 22h45.
10. A que horas termina o filme?

Other future tenses

will/going to be doing (future continuous)
This time next week Im going to be sitting on
the beach.
You go into the pharmacy, Ill be waiting
outside.
will have done (future perfect)
Will you have finished the job by Friday?
They will have been married 50 years in June.
will have been doing (future perfect
continuous)
By the time we finish, well have been working
24 hours non-stop.

Future from a past

perspective
would do
Bob: Ill help > Bob said hed help.
was going to do
Sara: Im going to get a dog. > Sara said
she was going
to get a dog.
was doing
When are you leaving? > I asked him when
he was leaving.
did
The movie starts at eight. > They told us
the movie
started at eight.

Other Conditional Tenses

would be doing (conditional continuous)
They warned us theyd be arriving late.
would have done (perfect conditional)
He wasnt sure he would have finished all
his work in time to make it to the party.
would have been doing (perfect
conditional continuous)
He said he would have been traveling for
36 hours by the time he got home.

Exercise 4
1. Do you think the students will have
done the homework you gave them?
2. Will you be needing a ride home?
3. She said she would have preferred to
stay at home.
4. My husband was going to have painted
the house in time for Christmas.
5. What time did you say your flight left
tomorrow?
6. She told me she was meeting Trish
tomorrow.

Verb Tense and Aspect 1

1AI always wanted to go to America.
1BI have always wanted to go to America.
1CI had always wanted to go to America.

2A They live in So Paulo for two years.

2B They lived in So Paulo for two years.
2C They have lived in So Paulo for two
years.

Verb Tense and Aspect 2

3A The company has been growing steadily
since it was
founded in 1988.
3B The company has grown steadily since it was
founded in 1988.
3C The company grows steadily since it was
founded in
1988.

4A The house had been standing empty for two

years
when we bought it.
4B The house stood empty for two years when
we bought
It.
4C The house had stood empty for two years
when we
bought it.

Verb Tense and Aspect 3

5A
5B
5C
5D

She
She
She
She

was not seeing her children for six months.

did not see her children for six months.
had not seen her children for six months.
had not seen her children in six months.

6A He is not speaking English since he came back from

Canada.
6B He does not speak English since he came back from
Canada.
6C He did not speak English since he came back from
Canada.
6D He has not spoken English since he came back from
Canada.
6E He has not been speaking English since he came back
from
Canada.

Verb Tense and Aspect 4

7A Exports have risen sharply in the last
five
years.
7B Exports rose sharply in the last five
years.
7C Exports have been rising sharply in the
last
five years.

8A There has been a change of plan.

8B There was a change of plan.

Future tenses 1
1A The
year.
1B The
next
1C The
year.
1D The

company will open its first overseas branch next

company is going to open its first overseas branch
year.
company is opening its first overseas branch next
company opens its first overseas branch next year.

2A
2B
to
2C
2D

Analysts
Analysts
fall.
Analysts
Analysts

predict that stock markets will continue to fall.

predict that stock markets are going to continue
predict that stock markets are continuing to fall.
predict that stock markets continue to fall.

Future tenses 2
3A We will inform you if there are any new
developments.
3B We are going to inform you if there are any new
developments.
3C We inform you if there are any new developments.
3D We are informing you if there are any new
developments.

4A Im leaving now, so I see you tomorrow.

4B Im leaving now, so Im seeing you tomorrow.
4C Im leaving now, so Im going to see you
tomorrow.
4D Im leaving now, so Ill see you tomorrow.

Future tenses 3
5AWhen I get paid, Im going to buy
a new computer.
5BWhen I get paid, Ill buy a new
computer.
5CWhen I get paid, I buy a new
computer.
5D
When I get paid, Im buying a
new
computer.