MODULE 1

Introduction to Verb tenses

The tense of a verb tells you when a person did something or when something existed or happened.
In English, there are three main tenses: the present, the past, and the future.

The present
The present tense (e.g. I am, she works, we swim, they believe) is also called the present
simple or simple present. It's mainly used in the following ways:

to describe things that are currently happening or that are currently or always the case
(I love chocolate ice cream; my parents are in New York this week; he has fair hair and blue
eyes; some birds eat worms and insects).

 to talk about something that exists or happens regularly (she goes out every Saturday night;
it always rains here in winter; I start work at 7.30 a.m.).
 to refer to a future situation in certain cases and in some subordinate clauses (the
bus arrives in London at 6 p.m.; I'll make us some coffee when we get home).

The past
The past tense (e.g. I was, he talked, we had, they worked) is also called the past simple or simple
past. As its description implies, it’s used to talk about things or situations which happened in the
past, that is, before the present time of speaking. Its main uses are as follows:

 to refer to an event or situation which happened once and is now finished (I met Lisa
yesterday; we ate a huge breakfast this morning; they walked ten miles that day;
you told me that before).
 to describe a situation that lasted for a longer time in the past but is now finished (he went to
college for four years; my familylived in Oxford in the 1980s; I loved her for ages but
never toldher).
 to talk about an event that happened regularly or repeatedly but is now over (she called for
help over and over again; we ate out every night last week; I phoned him three times today).
The future
The future tense (e.g. I shall [or will] go; he will talk; we shall [or will] have; they will work) is used to
refer to things that haven’t yet happened at the present time of speaking, but which are due,
expected, or likely to occur in the future. Here are the main situations in which the future is used:

 to give or ask for information about the future (you will be in California tomorrow; how
long will the journey take?; OK, I’ll write that report on Thursday).
 to talk about things that we think are likely or possible to happen in the future, but which
aren’t completely certain (I think she’ll retire soon; he won’t [will not] stay married to her for
long; you’llnever lose weight, you like food too much).
 to refer to conditional situations, namely things that will or may happen if something else
occurs (if it’s hot I’ll go swimming later; you’ll get stressed out if you work all the time).
 to make promises or threats, or to state decisions at the time of speaking (Fine, I’ll call you
soon; Are you going into town? We’ll give you a lift; I’ll never speak to you again).
The future tense is formed with will (or shall) and the infinitive of the verb without ‘to’.

Continuous and perfect tenses

There are two further types of tense: the continuous and the perfect. These tenses are sometimes
referred to as aspects rather than tenses. The term aspect is used in grammar to talk about the
form of a verb that shows, for example, whether the action happens once or repeatedly, is
completed or still continuing.

Continuous
These tenses (also called progressive tenses) are used to talk about actions that continue for a
period of time. They are formed with the relevant tense of the auxiliary verb to be and the present
participle of the main verb. There are three main continuous tenses:

 the present continuous (I am working)

 the past continuous (I was working)
 the future continuous (I will be working)
Perfect
Perfect tenses are typically used to talk about actions that are completed by the present or a
particular point in the past or future. They are formed with the relevant tense of the auxiliary verb to
haveand the past participle of the main verb. There are three main perfect tenses:

 the present perfect (I have worked)

 the past perfect (I had worked)
 the future perfect (I will have worked)

Perfect continuous

There is a final set of tenses which combine features of the perfect and continuous tenses. They are
formed and used as follows:

 the present perfect continuous (I have been working): used to talk about how long
something has continued up till now (I have been working there for a week)
 the past perfect continuous (I had been working): used to talk about something which
continued up to a particular moment in the past but is now completed (I had been working
there for a week before I resigned)
 the future perfect continuous (I will have been working): used to talk about something
which is expected to end by a particular time in the future (By December, I will have been
working there for 6 months)

Present tense
Present simple

We use the present simple to talk about:

 something that is fixed in the future:

The school terms starts next week.


The train leaves at 1945 this evening.


We fly to Paris next week.

 something in the future after time

words like when, after and before and after if and unless:

I’ll talk to John when I see him.

You must finish your work before you go home.

If it rains we’ll get wet.

He won’t come unless you ask him.

Time adverbials
We often use the following time adverbials with the present simple:

Always, usually, regulary, every morning/night/evening/day/week, often, sometimes,

occasionally, from time to time, twice a week, rarely, seldom, once a month, hardly
ever, never.

Rule:

Always, usually, regulary, rarely, seldom, often, occasionally, hardly, ever, and never
appear between the subject and the verb:

He regulary swims and plays tennis.

Other adverbials usually appear at the end or at the beginning of the sentence:

I babysit for my sister once a week.

From time to time my family go for a picnic in the forest.

Present continuous

The present continuous is made from the present tense of the verb be and the –ing
form of a verb:

I am working
 He/she/it is working

We/you/they are working

We use the present continuous to talk about:

 activities at the moment of speaking:

I’m just leaving work. I’ll be home in an hour.

We also use the present continuous to talk about:

 something which is happening before and after a specific time:

At eight o’clock we are usually having breakfast.

 something which we think is temporary:

Michael is at university. He’s studying history.

 something which is new and contrasts with a previous state:

These days most people are using email instead of writing letters.

What sort of music are they listening to?

 something which is changing, growing or developing:

The children are growing up quickly.

 something which happens again and again:

It’s always raining in London.

Note that we normally use always with this use.

Special rules for the spelling of –ing

1) when the verb ends with a consonant + e (write, smile, come) we drop the final
–e (writing, smiling, coming)
 2) when the verb ends with one vowel + one consonant (put, run, sit) we double
the final consonant (putting, running, sitting). Except after –w (knowing, fixing)

Present perfect

The present perfect is formed from the present tense of the verb have and the past
participle of a verb

The present perfect continuous is formed with have/has been and the -ing form of the
verb

We use the present perfect tense:

 for something that started in the past and continues in the present:

They’ve been married for nearly fifty years.

She has lived in Liverpool all her life.

Note: We normally use the present perfect continuous for this:

She has been living in Liverpool all her life.

It’s been raining for hours.

 for something we have done several times in the past and continue to do:

I’ve played the guitar ever since I was a teenager.

He has written three books and he is working on another one.
I’ve been watching that programme every week.

We often use a clause with since to show when something started in the past:

They’ve been staying with us since last week.

I have worked here since I left school.
I’ve been watching that programme every week since it started.

 when we are talking about our experience up to the present:

Note: We often use the adverb ever to talk about experience up to the present:

My last birthday was the worst day I have ever had.

 Note: and we use never for the negative form:

Have you ever met George?

Yes, but I’ve never met his wife.

 for something that happened in the past but is important at the time of speaking:

I can’t get in the house. I’ve lost my keys.

Teresa isn’t at home. I think she has gone shopping.

I’m tired out. I’ve been working all day.

We use the present perfect of be when someone has gone to a place and returned:

A: Where have you been?

B: I’ve just been out to the supermarket.

A: Have you ever been to San Francisco?

B: No, but I’ve been to Los Angeles.

But when someone has not returned we use have/has gone:

A: Where is Maria? I haven’t seen her for weeks.

B: She's gone to Paris for a week. She’ll be back tomorrow.

We often use the present perfect with time adverbials which refer to the recent past:

just; only just; recently;

Scientists have recently discovered a new breed of monkey.

We have just got back from our holidays.

or adverbials which include the present:

ever (in questions); so far; until now; up to now; yet (in questions and negatives)

 Have you ever seen a ghost?

 Where have you been up to now?
  Have you finished your homework yet?

No, so far I’ve only done my history.

WARNING:

We do not use the present perfect with an adverbial which refers to past time which
is finished:

I have seen that film yesterday.

We have just bought a new car last week.

When we were children we have been to California.

But we can use it to refer to a time which is not yet finished:

Have you seen Helen today?

We have bought a new car this week.

Exercises
Now write a sentence for each time expression that is true for you, your friends or your family.
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Write the sentences using the correct tenses in brackets.

1) You/like/programmes about exploration? (simple present)

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2) The dogs/pull/the sledge. (Present continuous)

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3) I/not bring/ the map with me. (present perfect)

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4) They/ not make/much progress with their expedition. (present continuous)

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5) He/cross/The Atlantic many times. (Present perfect)

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6) You/read/this travel book? (Present perfect)

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7) They/not speak/English. (Present simple)

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Make the present perfect - choose positive, negative or question:

1. (I / go / to the library today)

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2. (you / keep a pet for three years)
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3. (you / eat Thai food before?)
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4. (it / rain all day?) _________________________________________________
5. (who / we / forget to invite?)
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6. (we / not / hear that song already)
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7. (he / not / forget his books)
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8. (she / steal all the chocolate!)
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9. (I / explain it well?) _______________________________________________
10. (who / he / meet recently?)
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11. (she / pass the exam?) ____________________________________________
12. (you / eat lunch yet?) _____________________________________________
13. (he / read the newspaper today?)
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14. (you / not / study French for ten years)
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15. (they / be in London for six months)
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16. (where / you / be?) _______________________________________________
17. (we / not / go to Paris) _____________________________________________
18. (she / not / see ‘The Lord of the Rings’)
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19. (he / not / meet my mother)
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20. (they / not / visit St. Paul’s Cathedral yet)
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Complete using present simple or present perfect

1. ___________________ (they / arrive) already?

2. Lucy ___________________ (run) 2000 metres today.
3. I ___________________ (clean) all morning – I’m fed up!
4. How long ___________________ (you / know) Simon?
5. I ___________________ (drink) more water lately, and I feel better.
6. Sorry about the mess! I ___________________ (bake).
7. How many times ___________________ (you / take) this exam?
 8. He ___________________ (eat) six bars of chocolate today!
9. Julie ___________________ (cook) dinner. Let’s go and eat!
10. The students ___________________ (finish) their exams. They’re very happy. 11. The baby’s face is
really dirty! What ___________________ (he / eat)?
11. Iona is exhausted these days. She ___________________ (work) too hard recently.
12. Luke ___________________ (never / be) abroad.
13. I ___________________ (wait) for three hours already !
14. ___________________ (you / finish) your homework yet?

Comparatives and Superlatives

Forming regular comparatives and superlatives

1. We use comparatives to compare two things or two people. (e.g She is taller than her
husband.)
2. Superlatives are used, however, to compare to show the difference between more than
two things or more than two people. (e.g Paris is the biggest city in France)
3. To form comparatives and superlatives you need to know the number of syllables in the
adjective. Syllables are like "sound beats".

For instance:

 "find" contains one syllable,

 but "finding" contains two — find and ing.

The rules to form comparatives and superlatives:

1. One syllable adjective ending in a silent 'e' — nice

 Comparative — add 'r' — nicer

 Superlative — add 'st' — nicest

2. One syllable adjective ending in one vowel and one consonant — big

 Comparative — the consonant is doubled and 'er' is added —bigger

 Superlative — the consonant is doubled and 'est' is added—biggest

3. One syllable adjective ending in more than one consonant or more than a vowel — high, cheap

 Comparative — 'er' is added — higher, cheaper

 Superlative — 'est is added — highest, cheapest

4. A two syllable adjective ending in 'y' — happy

 Comparative — 'y' becomes 'i' and 'er' is added — happier

 Superlative — 'y' becomes 'i' and 'est' is added — happiest

5. Tow syllable or more adjectives without 'y' at the end — exciting

  Comparative — more + the adjective + than — more exciting than
 Superlative — more + the adjective + than — the most exciting

Examples:

 The Nile River is longer and more famous than the Thames.
 Egypt is much hotter than Sweden.
 Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
 This is one of the most exciting films I have ever seen.

Peter (6 years old) Charley (5 months old)

Peter is older than Charley.

Charley is younger than Peter.

Irregular comparatives and superlatives

Adjectives Comparatives Superlatives

bad worse worst

far(distance) farther farthest

far(extent) further furthest

good better best

little less least

many more most

much more most

How to use comparatives and superlatives

Comparatives Superlatives
Comparatives are used to Superlatives are used to compare more than two
compare two things or two things or two people. Superlative sentences usually
people: use 'the':
Alan is taller than John. Alan is the most intelligent.

Similarities

To express similarities use the following ... as + adjective + as ... structure:

Examples:

 Mike is as intelligent as Nancy.

 Larry is as popular as Oprah.

Lights, camera, action

Exercise 1 - Comparatives and superlatives
Complete the sentences with the present simple form
of the verbs in brackets. Use contractions where possible.
1. My sister thinks she's (intelligent) than me, but I don't agree!

2. Avatar is probably (bad) film I've seen!

3. What is (wet) month of the year in England?
4. Do you think the Harry Potter films are (good) than the books?

5. Who is (powerful) person in your country?

6. I think Men in Black 1 was (funny) than Men in Black 3.
7. Is Angelina Jolie (old) than Sandra Bullock?
8. John is (nice) person that I know.

Fill in the correct form of the words in brackets (comparative or superlative).

1. My house is (big) than yours.

2. This flower is (beautiful) than that one.

3. This is the (interesting) book I have ever read.

4. Non-smokers usually live (long) than smokers.

5. Which is the (dangerous) animal in the world?

6. A holiday by the sea is (good) than a holiday in the mountains.

7. It is strange but often a coke is (expensive) than a beer.

8. Who is the (rich) woman on earth?

9. The weather this summer is even (bad) than last summer.

10. He was the (clever) thief of all.

English exercise "Comparative or superlative"

1. Greenland is the (large) island in the world.

2. Travelling by plane is (fast) than travelling by train.

3. Boracay Island in the Philippines has (good) beaches I

have ever seen.

4. Jamaica is (sunny) than Norway.

5. Fjordland in New Zealand is (wet) place in the world.

6. Rain in the wet season is (heavy) than during the rest

of the year.

7. Easter Island is (interesting) island I have ever visited.

8. A holiday in Thailand is (exciting) than a holiday in

Spain.

9. Santa Cruz is the second (large) island in the

Galapagos.

10. The Galapagos are one of the (expensive) places in

the world to visit.

ut the adjectives between brackets in the correct form

1. My brother has a (tidy) room than me.

 2. Australia is (big) than England.
3. I'm (good) now than yesterday.
4. She's got (little) money than you, but she doesn't care.
5. He thinks Chinese is (difficult) language in the world
6. Valencia played (bad) than Real Madrid yesterday.
7. Cats are not (intelligent) as dogs.
8. Show me (good) restaurant downtown.
9. (hot) desert of all is the Sahara and it's in Africa.
10. Who is (talkative) person in your family?

COMPLETE THE ADJECTIVES USING THE COMPARATIVE FORM

1. It´s too noisy here. Can we go to a (quiet) place?

2. The hotel was (big) than that in which we stayed last year.
3. Your work is (good) than mine.
4. The accident could have been (bad) than it was.
5. I was (nervous) in my exam yesterday than Mark.
6. I´d like to have a (fast) car. The one I have now is really old.
7. Last week it was really hot. Today is (cold) than then.

WHICH IS CORRECT?

1. We have an brother who lives in Miami.

2. Her illness is than what the doctors expected.
3. I like warm weather. If the weather is , I will get sick.
4. This dress is than that one.
5. He is than Arthur.
6. This road is than the motorway.
7. Was the TV programme than the film?

COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING THE SUPERLATIVE FORM OF THE

ADJECTIVES
1. It´s a very nice house. It´s house in the street.
2. This is a cheap restaurant. It´s I´ve ever been.
3. It was a very valuable painting. I´m sure it was painting in
the gallery.
4. She´s a very good tennis player. Her trainer says she is .
5. He´s a very dangerous criminal. The police says he is in
the country.
6. We should buy him a beautiful present. Last year we gave
him gift of all in his birthday.

4. WRITE THE COMPARATIVE OR SUPERLATIVE FORM OF THE

ADJECTIVES IN THESE SENTENCES

1. She was a very intelligent student. She was girl in her

class.
2. It´s a very old castle. Experts argued it is in Britain.
3. I´m going to sleep on the sofa. The floor
is (uncomfortable) than it.
4. This new job is (important) for me than the last I had.
5. Living in the countryside is (healthy) than leaving in town.
6. These instructions were (difficult) ones I have ever read.