Types of Verbs and Their Usage

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2 Map of the United States of America Which became the first and most influential country of English speakers outside the British sles when the Plilgrim Fathers on the May Flower entered the harbour at Cape Cod on the 11th November Old map of England and Scotland where the Angles, Saxons and Jutes migrated from Northern Germany implanting the nucleus of the Anglo-Saxon language ( Old English ), which would become Middle English after the Norman invasion of England in 1066 and Modern English from Shakespeare on.

3 English in the WORLD English is officially spoken in many countries (over 50) in the World as the main language (see red areas on the map below) but is present in many other parts especially as the language for business, research etc. and due to the growing military, economic and cultural influence of the United States, it has become the global language at every level of communication today, even in local versions like Singlish, a pidgin variety spoken in Singapore. ENGLSH VERBS & CO. This grammar is dedicated to the poor children of Africa, in particular to the orphans suffering from HV/ADS in Tanga (Tanzania) where the Associazione Casa Rosetta - NGO runs a wonderful centre Tanga December 2008

4 CONTENTS PART Expressing Present Time - Unit 1: Present Simple p. 2 - Unit 2: Present Continuous p. 5 - Unit 3: To Be and To Have p. 9 - Unit 4: The mperative p Test / Notes p PART Expressing Future Time - Unit 7: A- Present Simple p. 47 B- Present Continuous p Unit 8: A- Going to - form p. 49 B- will ( ll) form p Unit 9: A-Future Continuous p. 54 B-Future Perfect p Test / Notes p PART Expressing Past Time - Unit 4: Past Simple p Unit 5: A-Present Perfect p. 25 B-Present Perfect Continuous p. 30 -Unit 6: A- Past Perfect p. 33 B- Past Perfect Continuous p. 35 C- Past Progressive p. 37 D- Used to p Test / Notes p PART V Verbs & Co - Unit 10: Modal verbs p Unit 11: Reported or ndirect speech p Unit 12: Passive verbs p Unit 13: A- if clauses p. 80 B- time clauses p Test / Notes p Appendix : rregular verbs p Appendix : Phrasal verbs p. 98

5 ntroduction to A copy cut and paste compact Grammar of English The idea of writing a compact grammar for my students came to me a year ago, while was revising modal verbs with my third year class last year. Just before the test, one of my students, Martina, showed me her notes on the Modal verbs we had just revised: a computer chart, quick and easy to compile and understand with every variety of modal accompanied by examples and translation in talian. Not exactly communicative! But it was clear and practical! Why not to do the same for the rest of the grammar? With a group of students from that class (who had already worked on the school newssheet in English YOU RE HERE! ) we began to look at other areas of grammar in a similar way and gradually at the beginning of the year the basis for this book emerged. We would try to make this grammar as user-friendly as possible beginning with the revision of the English Verb system. wanted students to understand at a glance how easy English verbs are. The most complicated verb, the auxiliary verb to BE has only 8 forms and the normal regular verb has only 4 forms. Through charts and the use of colour the grammar rule would be easily understood. This work is intended for everyone who has attended some basic course in English at school or university and wants to go on to the intermediate level (e.g. P.E.T./F.C.E./upper secondary school/university exams/students on Erasmus exchange programs in English speaking countries etc.). n this analysis of the English verb system the students will be able to assess the English verb and tense system from a global point of view. For example, right from the start they will see the normal uses of the Present Simple together with the more advanced application of this tense in if clauses. For the final version polished and printed correctly, am especially grateful to four of my school students, who have worked on this project right from the start inspiring many of its qualities: Martina, laria, Roberta and Erika. A thanks to Gabriella Bosco for her original drawings. The responsibility for any mistakes present in this work is only mine! n any case we welcome r comments and suggestions. Use our farmaciaciraolo@alice.it 2008/2009 Author and Project Co-ordinator Pietro Cipolla Liceo Scientifico St. A. Sciascia Canicattì (AG) www. PART Expressing Present Time There are 2 main ways of expressing the present in English: the Simple Present, for routines and the Present Continuous, to describe actions which are happening at that precise moment in time. We ll also deal with the 2 auxiliary verbs To Be and To Have in the third Unit. - Unit 1: Present Simple p. 2 - Unit 2: Present Continuous p. 5 - Unit 3: To Be and To Have p. 9 - Unit 4: The mperative p Test p Notes p. 18

6 A) How is it formed? AFFERMATVE NEGATVE to talk about general situations or things that are normally true or ask about factual information: NTERROGAT- VE Unit 1: Present Simple The Present Simple is formed by adding the base form to the subject for all the forms except the third person singular. We use the do auxiliary for the interrogative and the don t for he negative. With the third person singular (HE/SHE/T) remember to add an s to the base form of the verb in affirmative sentences and to transform DO DOES in the nega- tive and, DON T DOESN T in the interrogative (for the spelling rules concerning the s see BOX below). AFFERMATVE NEGATVE NTERROGAT- VE B) When is it used? We They Do He She t don t we they doesn t Does he she it watch TV on Saturday evenings watch TV on Saturday evenings? smells nice! sound interesting! play football on Fridays? to describe habitual actions or routines, usually accompanied by frequency adverbs (see BOX below): e.g. always go to discos on Saturday nights. [Vado sempre in discoteca ogni Sabato sera.] She never goes out during the week. [Non esce mai durante la settimana] Does she ever listen to her i-pod while she studies? Short answers Yes do No we they don t Short answers Yes he does she it No doesn t [Ascolta mai il suo i-pod mentre studia?] e.g. Water becomes ice when it there s is extremely frost. [L acqua cold. [l acqua diventa ghiaccio diventa quando ghiaccio c è quando gelo.] fa molto f reddo.] Does she speak a foreign language? [Parla una lingua straniera?] Does she speak a foreign language? [Parla una lingua straniera?] They don t live far away from here. [Non abitano tanto lontano da qui.] They don t live far away from here. [Non abitano tanto lontano da qui.] Where do come from? [Da dove vieni?] Where do come from? [Da dove vieni?] What does she do in her free-time? [Cosa fa nel suo tempo libero?] What does she do in her free-time? [Cosa fa nel suo tempo libero?] with state verbs (e.g. verbs which describe emotional states, love/like, or concern mental activities, believe/forget/understand or perceptions-senses, smell/taste/sound) see Appendix pag with.. state : verbs (e.g. verbs which describe emotional states, love/like, or concern mental activities, believe/forget/understand or perceptions-senses, smell/taste/sound): e.g. love rap (NOT m lovin it like in the Mc-Donald s slogan). [Amo il rap.] e.g. love rap (NOT m lovin it like in the Mc-Donald s slogan). [Amo il rap.] She doesn t believe him! [Non gli crede!] She doesn t believe him! [Non gli crede!] t sounds fantastic! [E una buona idea!] t sounds fantastic! [E una buona idea!] DO/DOES can also be used in affirmative/imperative sentences to express emphasis e.g. Do sit down, please! [Ti chiedo di sederti, per favore!] C) Exceptions She does go : to school! [Va a scuola per davvero!] sometimes with the frequency adverb ALWAYS we may use the Present Continuous: C) Exceptions : e.g. He s always chatting in class! [Chiacchiera sempre in classe!] sometimes with the frequency adverb ALWAYS we may use the Present Continuous: They re always getting into truoble! [Sono sempre nei guai.] e.g. He s always chatting in class! [Chiacchiera sempre in classe!] Here we are enphasizing a repeated action usually with a negative tone. They re always getting into truoble! [Sono sempre nei guai.] Here we are enphasizing a repeated action usually with a negative tone. we always use the Simple Present with the verb TO BE + an adjective: we e.g. always m tired. use the [Sono Simple stanco.] Present with the verb TO BE + an adjective: But e.g. when m we tired. use the [Sono verb stanco.] TO BE to mean how a person is behaving, we may use the continuous for: But when we use the verb TO BE to mean how a person is behaving, we may use the e.g continuous He s being form: stupid! [Si comporta da stupido!] e.g He s being stupid! [Si comporta da stupido!] 2 3

7 FREQUENCY ADVERBS Frequency adverbs always = sempre usually = di solito normally / generally = generalmente often / frequently = spesso sometimes = qualche volta seldom / rarely = raramente hardly ever = quasi mai never / ever = mai every now and then = ogni tanto Frequency expressions e.g once a week every day three times a week on Monday afternoon etc Position of adverbs The adverb goes always in front of the verb: e.g. always go to school on foot. But with the verb TO BE the adverb goes after the verb: e.g. m always late. AND EXPRESSONS The long frequency expressions may be placed at the end of the sentence: e.g go to school five times a week. 1 pronomi in inglese devono essere sempre espressi: es Vado sempre al mercato always go to the market 2 L indicativo presente italiano non corrisponde sempre al Present Simple inglese es. Guarda! Piove. è reso in inglese con il Present Continuous Look! t s raining. Ma nell espressione Piove ogni volta che esco! ovviamente si usa il Present Simple in inglese: es. t always rains when go out! SPELLNG For the s of the third person singular apply the same rule of the plural of nouns: verbs which finish in s, -sh, -ch, -x + es. e.g. He watches football on TV. verbs which finish with a consonants + y ies e.g. He studies a lot. etc nearly always use the Present Simple with State verbs, which can be divided into the following groups: 1 verbs about love: love/hate/mind/prefer/like etc 2 verbs about needs: want/need etc 3- verbs about understanding: know/think/ believe/ undestand/suppose etc 4 verbs about perception: hear/taste/sound/smell etc 5 verbs about possession: own/have/belong 6- other verbs like concern, include etc. Some of these verbs can be used with the -ing form but the meaning changes: e.g. think she s nice bella.] STATE VERBS noltre l indicativo presente italiano può essere reso in inglese anche col futuro (will): [Penso che sia But: m thinking of going to Boston next Summer. [Sto pensando di andare Boston.. quest estate.] es. Bussano alla porta...vado io ad aprire! They re knocking at the door... ll open it! (see Unit ) A) How is it formed? He She t We they Am s Are they t is be see Unit pag ) B) When is it used? Unit 2: Present Continuous AFFERMATVE am/ m is/ s are/ re to describe things that are happening now: e.g. We re watching TV. he she it we go+ing NTERROGATVE go+ing? formed with the Present of the verb be + ing. (For the verb [Stiamo guardando la TV.] What are doing at the moment? He She t We they Yes No NEGATVE am not/ m not is not/isn t are not/aren t Short answers am he/she/it is /we/they are m not he/she/it isn t [Cosa stai facendo ora?] go+ing /we/they aren t 4 5

8 to describe things that are happening during this period (not necessarily at this precise moment) e.g. He s living in London at the moment. [Per ora vive a Londra.] He usually lives in taly, but at the moment he s living in London. This is a temporary action. e.g. Are working at the moment? No,they ve sacked me! licenziato] He usually has a job, but at the moment he s unemployed. [Lavori per ora?no, mi hanno to describe changes that are happening during this period with verbs like: increase; fall; rise; slow down; go up; etc e.g. The price of petrol is going up due to the war in raq. [l prezzo del petrolio sta aumentando a causa della guerra in raq.] to describe planned actions with an appropriate time adverb (see Unit. e.g. m meeting Janet tomorrow) Today the use of the Progressive form is widely used in colloquial English in the place of the Simple form in many parts of the world: e.g. m thinking it s going to rain [Penso che pioverà.] n ndian English it s beginning to substitute the standard form: think it s going to rain TRANSFORMATONS N THE WORLD [Penso che pioverà.] (See preceding Unit. for the differences between the Simple and Progressive forms in standard English). For other innovations in the English spoken in ndia, Ghana, Nigeria, Singapore etc...see the interesting article on the Daily Telegraph (06/03/2008) reporting on David Crystal s English Project lecture at the University of Winchester. C) Exceptions : never use the ing form with state verbs. (See Unit 1) SPELLNG BOX Usually add ing to the base form. e.g. Go going But with verbs which end in -e, the e falls and add ing. e.g. Come coming verbs ending in ie, the -ie falls and add ying. e.g. Die dying; lie lying. verbs ending in consonant + vowel +consonant, double consonant before adding- ing e.g. begin beginning; plan planning And verbs ending in consonant + vowel + -l, double the l before adding ing. e.g. Travel travelling; This doubling does not happen in American English (A. Eng): 1 il Present Continuous inglese corrisponde all italiano stare + gerundio (sto andando ecc.) 2 si devono sempre usare le forme contratte nell inglese informale (conversazione, lettere di tipo personale, s ecc) e.g. Travel traveling 6 7

9 -To be A) How is it formed? am are He is She is t is We are are They are Unit 3: To Be and To Have AFFERMATVE m re He s She s t s We re re They re NTERROGATVE Am Are s he s she s it Are we Are Are they Happy? happy! NTERROGATVE/ NEGATVE Aren t Aren t sn t he sn t she sn t it Aren t we Aren t Aren t they am not m not are not re not / He is not She is not t is not B) When is it used? e.g. m tired. [Sono stanco.] Are English? [Sei inglese?] NEGATVE He s not / isn t She s not / isn t t s not / isn t We are not We re not / aren t are not re not / aren t Short answers They are They re not/ not Yes aren t am Happy? No he/she/it is /we/they are m not he/she/it isn t it is used as the main verb: happy! /we/they aren t 8 9

10 apart from its use as an auxiliary to form both the Present Continuous (see Unit 2) and the Passive see Unit.), it has its own independent meaning: e.g m from Sicily. [Sono dalla Sicilia.] He isn t interested in archeology. Aren t they late? [Non sono in ritardo?] [Non è interessato in archeologia.] compared to talian the verb to be has special idiomatic meanings in English: e.g m hungry. m thirsty. m right/wrong. [Ho fame.] [Ho sete.] m 16/years old etc. m well. What time is it? m in a hurry! [Sto bene.] [Ho ragione/torto.] [Ho 16 anni.] [Che ora sono?] [Ho fretta!] t s cloudy/hot/cold/misty/windy etc [E nuvoloso/caldo/freddo/c è nebbia/vento ecc...] SPELLNG BOX Contracted forms of the verb to be are used in informal English at the end of the subject of the verb (both noun or pronoun): e.g Martina s late. t s new. [E nuovo.] [Martina è in ritardo.] NTERROGATVE-NEGATVE For the interrogative-negative form of the verb to be in the first person singular use aren t and not am not : e g. m really good with the computer, aren t?[sono bravo con il computer, vero?] This form is used a lot with tag questions. -To have A) How is it formed? have got haven t got NEGATVE () haven t got He hasn t got She hasn t got t hasn t got We haven t got haven t got They haven t ve got have got ve got He has got She has got t has got We have got He s got She s got t s got We ve got have got ve got They have got AFFERMATVE () They ve got an i-pod. an i-pod. AFFERMATVE () have ve have ve He has He has She has She has t has t has a party. We have We ve have ve They have They ve NEGATVE () don t have don t have He doesn t have She doesn t have t doesn t have a shower. We don t have don t have They don t have 10 1

11 But in A.Eng. have is used without got to mean possession: B) When is Do have it used? to indicate Do they have possession together with got: e.g. ve got a new bike. NTERROGATVE () Have got Have got Has he got Has she got Has it got Have we got Have got Have they got [Ho una bici nuova.] Have got an Apple computer? haven t got enough money. an i-pod? NTERROGATVE () Do have Do have Does he have Does she have Does it have Do we have time? Yes No Yes No [Hai un computer Apple?] [Non ho abbastanza soldi.] When have means possession we never use the -ing form. Short answers () //we/they have he/she/it has //we/they haven t he/she/it hasn t Short answers () //we/they do he/she/it does //we/they don t he/she/it doesn t e.g. Do have a light? don t have a big family. ve an interesting idea! [Hai da accendere?] [Non ho una grande famiglia.] [Ho un idea interessante!] it is used as an auxiliary verb with the Present Perfect and in other compound forms: e.g. ve always studied English. [Studio inglese da sempre.] it is also used as a normal verb without got and with do/does with a variety of meanings: e.g. have a shower before going to school. Do have breakfast before leaving? He doesn t have a snack at school. For the other meanings of have look at the box below. [Mi faccio la doccia prima di andare a scuola.] [Fai colazione prima di partire?] [Non fa lo spuntino a scuola.] have + to + base form is also used to express obligation: e.g. have to surf the net now. [Devo navigare su internet ora.] have + got + to is also used in this sense in colloquial English: e.g. ve got to do my homework this evening. [Devo fare i miei compiti stasera.] (see Unit... on modals for the different meanings of have in the negative/interrogative forms) Remember that in the Past forms of have we never use got. e.g. didn t have any money yesterday. [Non avevo soldi ieri.] BOX: COMMON MEANNGS OF HAVE AS AN ACTON VERB with food and drink: have breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack/a drink/a coffee/a pint; etc... with outdoor activities: have a walk/a swim/a ride; etc... with indoor activities: have a shower/ a bath/ a sleep/a wash; etc with special occasions: have a party/a meeting; etc with other meanings: have a look [dare un occhiata.] ; have a talk [fare una chiacchierata.] ; have a try/go [fare una prova] ; 12 13

12 Unit 4: The mperative The imperative is used for orders, invitations and directions and is only used in the Present (direct speech). use the base form of the verb withouth subject: e.g. Go away! [Vattene!/ Andatevene!] Be quiet! [Stai zitto!/ State zitti!]. t can be used for advice: e.g. Drive carefully! for offering and inviting: [Guidi/guidate con cura!] e.g. Have a coffee! [Prendi/ prendete un caffè!] n a recepe e.g. Mix the flour, sugar and butter. With some types of if clauses (see Unit.. Pag ) e.g. f see Martina give her the money... The imperative has also a negative form, don t + base form: e.g. Don t eat all that chocolate! (cf. road signs: Turn left-right) Remember can t use two negatives together in English: e.g Never drink and drive! [Mai guidare e bere!] [Miscelate la farina, lo zucchero e il burro.] [Se vedi Martina dalle i soldi ] [Non ti mangiare/non vi mangiate tutto quel cioccolato!] There is also a first person imperative which we use to include ourselves in the invitation or suggestion: e.g. Let s watch TV. Let s go to the cinema. [Guardiamo la Tv.] [Andiamo al cinema.] (cf. Shall we + base form see pag )This form derives from Let + us + base form. t has a negative equivalent, Let s not + base form which is used for orders and prohibitions (cf must pag.): e.g. Let s not ruin the party! [Non roviniamo la festa!] 14 15

13 Exercises on present tenses A) Complete the following sentences with the appropriate present tense (make any other necessary changes): (15 marks) 1) What.(YOU/DO) now? 2) He..(GO) to school once a year. 3) They. (THNK) he s deaf. 4) (YOU/EVER/ GO) to a disco? 5) She.(ALWAYS/BEHAVE) badly! 6) (YOU/BELEVE) his story? 7) They (BE) stupid today! They are normally quite nice. 8) He..(WORK) abroad at the moment. 9) What..(YOU/DO) for a living? 10) They (THNK) of buying a new house. 11) (YOUR STUDENTS/OFTEN/HAVE) a shower at school? 12) The value of the dollar (GO DOWN) and the price of petrol (GO UP). 13) (THEY/HAVE) a big party every Christmas? 14) What sort of i-pod.(you/have)? B) Write a description of a typical day spent in r school/university (5 marks) e.g. On a normal school morning usually arrive at school just before the bell rings at C) Write an to new pen-friend talking about rself and asking him/her questions about hobbies/family/school/appearance etc. (70-90 words): (5 marks) e.g. Hi Pete! m John. r was given to me by my English teacher... D) re looking through r bed-room window. re tired and bored! Write down r thoughts/ideas in r blog/diary: (10 Marks) e.g. Now m fed up of studying! Coz m tired! Wouldn t it be nice to go for a walk? No, it s too bloody cold!... E) Translate the following sentences into English: (10 marks) 1) Scrivi inglese correttamente? 2) Nevica! Non uscire con la macchina! 3) Si comporta sempre così nella presenza di estranei! 4) Mi sto divertendo molto in vacanza. 5) Ha la casa in campagna. Ma per ora vive a Londra. 6) Rassomigli molto a tuo papà. 7) Ti piace nuotare? 8) Faccio colazione ogni giorno alle 7. 9) Sta parlando al telefono. Non disturbarlo! 10) l film parla di un uomo che vive a Londra nel quartiere di Knightsbridge vicino al Victoria and Albert Museum

14 Notes on present tenses Notes on present tenses 18 19

15 PART Expressing Past Time When we talk about the past in English we have to decide between 2 main tenses: the Past Simple, for determined actions completed in the past (Unit 4)and the Present Perfect,for actions that are indetermined or concern duration (Unit5). n the second part of Unit5 we ll also look at the Present Perfect Continuous. n unit 6 the other secondary ways of indicating past time will be examined: Past Perfect/Past Perfect Continuous/Past Progressive. - Unit 4: Past Simple p Unit 5: A-Present Perfect p. 25 B-Present Perfect Continuous p. 30 -Unit 6: A- Past Perfect p B- Past Perfect Continuous p. 35 C- Past Progressive p. 37 D- Used to p. - Test p Notes p. 44 A) How is it formed? He She t We They Did AFFERMATVE Unit 4: Past Simple worked yesterday. NTERROGATVE he she it we work last week? they they they To form the Past Simple we add ed to the base form of all regular verbs. For spelling and pronunciation see boxes below. For irregular verbs which have their own form of the Past Simple look at the table at the end of Unit. pag...the interrogative and negative is formed with did/ didn t + base form for both regular and irregular verbs. Yes He She t We They he she it we NEGATVE Short answers did. N o he she it we didn t work yesterday. didn t

16 He She t We They AFFERMATVE went shopping yesterday. To form the affirmative of the Past Simple we add ed to the base form of the regular verb. (for spelling and pronunciation rules see Boxes at the end of this Unit p.). rregular verbs have a special form for the Past Simple. (See Table at the end of this Unit p. ). For the interrogative and the negative forms of both regular and irregular verbs use did and didn t. For regular verbs (affermative): e.g. watched TV yesterday. For irregular verbs (affermative): e.g. saw a good film Saturday. [Ho guardato la TV ieri.] [Ho visto un bel film sabato.] For both regular and irregular verbs (negative and interrogative): e.g. didn t go shopping last week. [Non ho fatto acquisti la scorsa settimana.] l Did study the literature lesson yesterday? [Hai studiato letteratura ieri?] However the auxiliary verb to be has a specific Past Simple form. He She t We They NEGATVE didn t go shopping yesterday. The verb to be is the only irregular verb which has 2 forms in the Past Simple (was/were). The auxiliary to have can form its Past Simple in the same way as other verbs: e.g. Did have a party yesterday? didn t have a sandwich for lunch. [Hai fatto festa ieri?] [Non ho preso un sandwich per pranzo.] However can also form the Past Simple of to have by inverting subject and verb: e.g. hadn t any money when was ng. [Non avevo soldi quando ero giovane.] Had he an address when he worked at the Ministry? [Aveva un indirizzo quando lavorava al Ministero?] This last form of to have is not very common today. Remember never to use got in the Past Tense with the verb to have: e.g. NOT: Was Wer e NTERROGATVE he/she/it we they at home yesterday? had got a bike when went to school. But: had a bike when went to school. [Avevo una bicicletta quando andavo a scuola.] Yes No Short answers /he/she/it was /we/they were /he/she/it wasn t /we/they weren t AFFERMATVE NEGATVE B) When is it used? He/She/t We They was were at home yesterday. He/She/t We They wasn t weren t at home yesterday. to talk about past events which happened in a given moment of time, usually accompanied by an appropriate time adverb like yesterday/last Tuesday etc (see box below pag...) e.g. went to school yesterday. [Sono andato a scuola ieri.] He didn t work last week. to talk about historical facts and events: [Non ha lavorato la settimana scorsa.] 22 23

17 WH questions about someone s past: e.g. Where were born? Which school did go to? in if clauses (second conditionals): e.g. [Dove sei nato?] [Quale scuola hai frequentato?] f had a lot of money, d live in New York. [Se avessi tanti soldi vivrei a New York.] See Unit on if clauses pag Yesterday = ieri PAST TME ADVERBS Last Monday/week = lunedì/settimana scorsa Last month/year = mese/anno scorso Last Christmas/winter = Natale/inverno scorso 2 weeks ago = 2 settimane fa A month ago = un mese fa n 1956 = nel 1956 The day before yesterday= l altro ieri A decade ago= un decennio fa A century ago= un secolo fa n the 19th century= nell Ottocento etc... PRONUNCATON BOX Even if we always add ed to the base form of the regular verb to create the Past Simple, the pronunciation varies according to the last consonant/s of the verb: 1- verbs ending with /f/; /k/; /p/;/s/ /t/ e.g. stopped stop/t/ walked walk/t/ 2- verbs ending with /d/; /t/ /id/ e.g. started start/id/ 3- verbs ending with /l/; /v/; /r/;/n/; /y/ /d/ e.g. closed clos/d/ Offered offer/d/ SPELLNG BOX To form the Past Simple form of regular verbs add -ed with the following spelling rules: 1- verbs ending in -e just add -d: e.g. arrive arrived 2- verbs ending in -y preceded by a consonant remove y and add -ied: e.g. study studied 3- certain verbs ending with a consonant preceded by a vowel double last consonant: e.g. stop stopped 4 all verbs ending in -l double the -l (only in B.Eng) e.g. travel travelled A) How is it formed? ve ve He s She s t s We ve ve They ve Have Unit 5: A- Present Perfect AFFERMATVE worked all day. NTERROGATVE We they he done the shopping today? Short answers haven t he/she/it hasn t Has she /we/they haven t it t s for- med by adding the Past Participle of the verb to the auxiliary to have. Remember that in English the auxiliary verb to be is never used in the Present Perfect. The Past Participle of the regular verbs coincides with the ed form; for the irregular Past Participles see the third column of the Appendix pag.. He She t We They Yes No NEGATVE haven t hasn t haven t have he/she/it has worked all day. /we/they have 24 25

18 B) When is it used? the Present Perfect causes some complications for talian students. However we must remember to use the Present Perfect for actions which are not determined (there is no specific time adverb which refers to a precise time context): e.g. ve lost my keys [Ho perso le mie chiavi.] Have done r homework? She hasn t remembered to call me. [Hai fatto i compiti?] [Non si è ricordata di chiamarmi.] n all these cases the event has happened in the past but this past is not determined. f we add to these sentences a precise time adverb we can not use the Present Perfect but must use the Simple Past: e.g. NOT Yesterday ve lost my keys BUT Yesterday lost my keys. to describe actions which happened in the past but are still felt as important now at the time of speaking: e.g. My boss has sacked me. [l mio capo mi ha licenziato.] with the these time adverbs: just, yet, never, ever, still, already we automatically use the Present Perfect when the action is referred to the past. f think a moment about the meaning of these adverbs, they all refer to actions which have just happened, in any case they didn t happen in a precise moment of the past and have some relationship with the Present JUST ve just finished my homework. [Ho appena finito i miei compiti.] YET haven t finished my breakfast yet. [Non ho ancora finito la colazione.] Yet is always used in interrogative and negative sentences and placed at the end of the phrase. NEVER ve never drunk champagne. [Non ho mai bevuto champagne.] EVER Have ever visited Euro-Disney? [Hai mai visitato Euro-Disney?] Ever is used in interrogative sentences and with not: haven t ever played the guitar = ve never played the guitar. [Non ho mai suonato la chitarra.] But ever can be used in affermative sentences with the superlative and the Present Perfect: e.g. She s the most beautiful girl ve ever seen! [E la più bella ragazza che io abbia mai visto!] This Audi A3 is the fastest car ve ever driven! [Questa Audi A3 è la macchina più veloce che io abbia mai guidato!] STLL He still hasn t studied the lesson. [Non ha ancora studiato la lezione.] Still is used before the verb to have and it refers to actions which have happened in a time which goes from the past until now. Sometimes it can be used with the present: m still hungry. [Ho ancora fame.] ALREADY ve already finished my homework. [Ho già finito i compiti.] with FOR/SNCE. This use of the Present Perfect with FOR or SNCE is sometimes called duration form because it describes the duration of actions which happened in a past which continue to the present: e.g. ve studied English for 3 years. [Studio nglese da 3 anni.] ve studied English since [Studio nglese dal 2004.] We use FOR to indicate the duration of the action; we use SNCE to indicate the moment when the action starts. FOR haven t seen him for 2 years. haven t eaten anything for a week. He s been here for 2 hours SNCE haven t seen her for ages. They haven t met since their divorce. Remember that in all these cases if we were to translate the sentences into talian we would have to use the present: haven t seen him since Sunday is translated into talian by Non lo vedo da domenica. Not Non l ho visto da domenica which doesn t mean anything in talian. After SNCE if there is a verb it must go into the Past Simple: haven t seen him since Christmas. haven t visited the USA since He s lived here since his birth. e.g. haven t seen him since was 12. [Non lo vedo da quando avevo 12 anni.] 26 27

19 e.g. t s been ages since saw him = t s been a long time since saw him [E da tanto tempo che non lo vedo.] with the question how long we normally use the Present Perfect because we are usually referring to the duration of time: e.g. How long have lived in Racalmuto? [Da quando tempo vivi a Racalmuto?] n all these cases we FOR/SNCE/HOW LONG in English we can usually also use the Present Perfect Continuous. (see Unit pag ) BEEN/GONE n the Present Perfect been and gone have slightly different meanings: e.g. He s gone to school [E andato a scuola.] (he hasn t come back yet) He s been to Paris [E stato a Parigi.] (he has visited Paris and has come back) 28 29

20 Unit 5: B- Present Perfect Continuous A) How is it formed? ve ve He s She s t s We ve ve They ve Have Has AFFERMATVE We they he she been studying all day. NTERROGATVE been studying all day? haven t haven t He hasn t She hasn t t hasn t We haven t ha- They haven t Yes No it t is formed with the Present Perfect of the verb to be + ing form. NEGATVE been Short answers have he/she/it has haven t studying all day. /we/they have he/she/it hasn t /we/they haven t B) When is it used? t s a form which is very similar to the Present Perfect and can be often used in its place, especially in spoken/informal English. t s specifically used to emphasize the time-duration of actions that began in the past and are probably still continuing are not the action itself. n these cases it can be often used with time expressions like all day, all morning, all year, how long, for and since, for actions which are still happening or have just finished. n any case these actions are incomplete. t is interesting to note the differences between the following sentences: ve done all my homework. [Ho fatto tutti i i miei compiti.] Here Here the the action action is complete. is ve been doing my homework all afternoon. [E da un pomeriggio che che faccio faccio i miei i miei compiti.] compiti.] Here the action Here is the still action going is still on or going has on just or finished. has just finished. Obviously the Present Perfect Continuous can not be used with verbs that do not have the progressive form (See Unit pag.) e.g. ve known him for ages. [Lo conosco da anni.] And not: ve been knowing him for ages. the Present Perfect Continuous can not be used when the actions are limited or determined in some way: e.g. How long have been writing letters? [Da quanto tempo stai scrivendo lettere? ] But: How many letters have written? Has he been playing football all afternoon? [Quante lettere hai scritto?] [Ha giocato a calcio tutto il pomeriggio?] But: How many matches has he played this year? [Quante partite ha giocato quest anno?] n these last examples we use the Present Perfect for complete actions which are determined and the Present Perfect Continuous with actions which are continuing up to the Present and are not determined in any way. e.g. ve been watching TV all afternoon. [E da un pomeriggio che guardo la TV.] Has he been eating all day? [Ha mangiato tutto il giorno?] He hasn t been eating much recently. [Non ha mangiato molto in questi ultimi tempi.] 30 31

21 TRANSLATON BOX l Present Perfect Continuous come anche il Present Perfect creano qualche problema nella traduzione italiana specialmente con la duration.. form (for/since/how long). Con la duration form usiamo molto spesso in taliano il presente per rendere il Present Perfect/Present Perfect Continuous: ve lived in Racalmuto for 10 years/ ve been living in Racalmuto for 10 years deve essere tradotto in taliano con il Presente [Vivo a Racalmuto da 10 anni. ] n alcuni casi può essere anche tradotto dal Passato Prossimo ma deve essere chiaro che nell nglese questa forma, specie la forma Progressiva, viene usata per descrivere azioni iniziate nel passato che continuano fino al presente: Has he been eating all day? [Ha mangiato tutto il giorno?] B) When is it used? t s a form which is very similar to the Present Perfect and can be often used in its place, especially A) How in is spoken/informal it formed? English. t s specifically used to emphasize the time-duration of actions that began in the past and are probably still continuing are not the action itself. n these cases it can AFFERMATVE be often used with time expressions like all day, NEGATVE all morning, all year, how long, for and since, for actions which are still happening or have just finished. n any case these actions are incomplete. t is interesting to note the differences between the following sentences: He He ve done all my homework. [Ho fatto tutti i miei compiti.] Here the action is complete. She had/ visited srael She hadn t visited srael ve been doing my homework all afternoon. [E da un pomeriggio che faccio i miei d before getting compiti.] t before getting Here the action is still going on or has just t finished. married. married. We We They Unit 6: A- Past Perfect They NTERROGATVE Short answers Had he she it we they visited srael before getting married? t is formed by adding the Past Participle to had: Yes he she it we they had. No he she it we they hadn t. e.g. After he had studied at Palermo University he went to live in Turin. [Dopo aver studiato all Università di Palermo è andato a vivere a Torino ] Had he remembered to lock the door when he went to sleep? chiudere la porta a chiave prima di andare a dormire?] [Si è ricordato di 32 33

22 B) When is it used? t is used to emphasize actions which happened in the past before other actions in the past: e.g. After he had finished his homework he went out. uscito.] [ Dopo che aveva finito i compiti è This tense is often used with time-sequencers: after/before/when etc. We can use also the Past Perfect with For/Since: e.g. He had worked in Australia for 8 years. [Aveva lavorato in Australia per 8 anni.] He had lived in that house since he was born. [Aveva vissuto in quella casa da quando era nato.] B) When is it used? -Unit 6: B- Past Perfect Continuous t s a form which is very similar to the Present Perfect and can be often used in its place, especially A) How in is spoken/informal it formed? English. t s specifically used to emphasize the time-duration of actions that began in the past and are probably still continuing are not the action itself. n these cases it can AFFERMATVE be often used with time expressions like all day, NEGATVE all morning, all year, how long, for and since, for actions which are still happening or have just finished. n any case these actions are incomplete. t is interesting to note the differences between the following sentences: He He ve done all my homework. [Ho fatto tutti i miei compiti.] Here the action is complete. She had/ d living She hadn t living ve been doing my homework all afternoon. [E da un pomeriggio che faccio i miei been abroad, compiti.] t been abroad. Here the action is still going on or has just t finished. We We They They Had NTERROGATVE he she it we they been living abroad? t is formed with the Past Perfect of the verb to be + ing form: Short answers had. e.g. He had been living in London for many years when he got married. [Viveva a Londra da tanti anni quando si sposò] Yes he she it we they No he she it we they hadn t

23 B) When is it used? it is used to describe continuous actions when the main verb is in the Past Simple: e.g. She had been working in New York when she met George Bush. quando incontrò George Bush.] [Viveva a New York How long had she been studying English when she passed the F.C.E exam? [Da quanto tempo ha studiato l inglese quando ha superato l esame F.C.E? ] B) When is it used? -Unit 6: C- Past Progressive t s a form which is very similar to the Present Perfect and can be often used in its place, especially A) How in is spoken/informal it formed? English. t s specifically used to emphasize the time-duration of actions that began in the past and are probably still continuing are not the action itself. n these cases it can AFFERMATVE be often used with time expressions like all day, NEGATVE all morning, all year, how long, for and since, for actions which are still happening or have just finished. n any case these actions are incomplete. was wasn t He/She/t He/She/t t is interesting to note the differences between the following sentences: ve done all my homework. watching [Ho fatto tutti i miei compiti.] Here the action watching is complete. TV. TV. ve been We doing my were homework all afternoon. [E We da un pomeriggio weren t che faccio i miei compiti.] Here the action is still going on or has just finished. They They Was Wer e t is verb to be: NTERROGATVE he/she/it we they watching TV? Short answers Yes /he/she/it was /we/they were No /he/she/it wasn t /we/they weren t formed by adding the -ing form to the past of the e.g. was sleeping when arrived. [Stavo dormendo quando sei arrivata.] Were washing the car when it began to rain? cominciato a piovere?] B) When is it used? [Stavi lavando la macchina quando è it is used to describe actions which were happening at the same time as the action of the main verb (the two parts of the sentences are usually connected with when or while): e.g. was shopping in Oxford Street when we heard an explosion. Oxford Street quando abbiamo sentito un esplosione.] [Stavo facendo aquisti in 36 37

24 With while we can use the Past Progressive with both verbs: e.g. While was having a shower she was watching TV. [Mentre stavo facendo la doccia lei si stava guardando la TV.] B) When is it used? -Unit 6: D- Used to t s a form which is very similar to the Present Perfect and can be often used in its place, especially A) How in is spoken/informal it formed? English. t s specifically used to emphasize the time-duration of actions that began in the past and are probably still continuing are not the action itself. n these cases it can AFFERMATVE be often used with time expressions like all day, NEGATVE all morning, all year, how long, for and since, for actions which are still happening or have just finished. n any case these actions are incomplete. t is interesting to note the differences between the following sentences: He He ve done all my homework. [Ho fatto tutti i miei compiti.] Here the action is complete. She used to study hard at She didn t use to study hard at ve been doing my homework all afternoon. [E da un pomeriggio che faccio i miei school. compiti.] t school. Here the action is still going on or has just t finished. We We They They Did NTERROGATVE he she it use to study hard at school? Yes we they Remember they to add use to the interrogative and negative forms: he she it we Short answers he did. No she it we they didn t. e.g. Did she use to go to school on foot? [Era solita andare a scuola a piedi?] didn t use to study my lessons by heart. [Non ero solito imparare a memoria le lezioni.] 38 39

25 B) When is it used? to describe habits in the past: e.g. We used to eat out a lot when we were on holiday. [Eravamo soliti mangiare fuori quando eravamo in vacanza ] n more formal or written English would + base form can also be used with the same meaning. e.g. When was little my mother would take me to school in her car. mia madre era solita portarmi a scuola con la sua macchina] TO BE USED TO + BASE FORM [Quando ero piccolo While used to + base form are limited to the past, to describe things that have got to know in all tenses can use the adjective form to be used to + ing which should not be confused with used to + base form: e.g. m used to studying with my -pod on. [Sono abituato a studiare con l -pod acceso.] B) When is it used? t s a form which is very similar to the Present Perfect and can be often used in its place, especially in spoken/informal English. t s specifically used to emphasize the time-duration of actions that began in the past and are probably still continuing are not the action itself. n these cases it can be often used with time expressions like all day, all morning, all year, how long, for and since, for actions which are still happening or have just finished. n any case these actions are incomplete. t is interesting to note the differences between the following sentences: ve done all my homework. [Ho fatto tutti i miei compiti.] Here the action is complete. ve been doing my homework all afternoon. [E da un pomeriggio che faccio i miei compiti.] Here the action is still going on or has just finished. Are used to having a rest in the afternoon? [Sei abituato a riposarti dopo pranzo?] m not used to telling lies. [Non sono abituata a dire bugie.] We can also use the verb get in the place of the verb to be: e.g. got used to eating my pasta without much salt. [Mi sono abituato a mangiare.... la pasta senza sale.] n this last case the use of get implies that some time or effort was involved in the action. Both be/get + used to can also be use with a pronoun or noun without any other verb: e.g. m used to her. [Sono abituato a lei.] got used to Roberta and Martina after many years of working with them. [Mi sono abituato a Roberta e Martina dopo tanti anni di lavoro con loro.] 40 41

26 Exercises on past tenses A) Complete with the appropriate past tense and make any other necessary changes: (25 marks) 1) (GO) to New York 3 summers ago. 2) When.(MEET) last week he..(wear) a heavy coat. 3) She.(FNSH/JUST) her English homework. 4) How long..(know) him? 5) They...(LVE/NEVER) abroad since they. (GET) married. 7) We.(LVE) in Sicily all our lives. 8) He (WORK) on the novel all morning. 9).(LOSE ) my keys! can t get in! 10) (SEE/YOU) the new Bond film? How.(BE) it? 11) He. (FNSH//YET) his homework. 12) (COLLECT) stamps since (BE) a child. 13) While he..(work) in the garden they (BREAK) into the house. 14) Nobody. (DRVE/EVER) so fast! 15) She is the most beautiful girl he..(meet/ever)! 16) How many cups..(wn/they) this year? 17) She..(PREFER) English to French when she..(study) at Bologna University. 18) Their English (MPROVE) so far. 19) After he (LEAVE) his home he. (GO) abroad. B) Write a letter to a pen-friend describing what did on holiday last summer ( words): ( 5 marks) e.g. Hi Tom, m writing to tell about the 2 weeks spent in Spain last July. C) Describe an episode which remember of r childhood that had a positive or negative influence on maturity ( words): (10 marks) e.g. One day at the age of 5, my father took me to the circus.. D) Translate the following sentences into English: (10 marks) 1) Studio inglese da più di 10 anni. 2) Da quanto tempo suoni il pianoforte? 3) E stata a Hong Kong due volte. L ultima volta è stata 2 anni fa. 4) Quando ero piccolo ero solito andare da mia nonna in bici. 5) Stavo guardando la TV quando sei arrivata. 6) Da quanto tempo conosci tuo marito? 7) Mi dispiace, è uscito! 8) Non ho mai visto quel film. 9) Non ho ancora finito di cucinare. 10) E tutto il giorno che gioca

27 Notes on past tenses Notes on past tenses 44 45

28 PART Expressing Future Time There are many ways of communicating or expressing Future Time in English: can use forms that have other primary uses like the Simple Present to express pre-arranged and scheduled or timetabled plans; or the Present Continuous with programmed personal actions coupled with the appropriate time adverb; or the going to- form to express future intention which is widely used in colloquial English. Finally we have the will form to express a more neutral form of future. n the last unit of this section the use of the Future Continuous and Future Perfect will be illustrated. - Unit 7: A- Present Simple p. 47 B- Present Continuous p Unit 8: A- Going to - form p. 49 B- will ( ll) form p Unit 9: A-Future Continuous p. 54 B-Future Perfect p Test p Notes p Unit 7: A- Present Simple A) How is it formed? (See Unit 1 for the form and primary uses of the Present Simple) What time/ When, etc.. does do B) When is it used? WH QUESTONS the train leave tomorrow? the lessons start on Monday? to talk about the future with time-tabled actions (trains, planes, ships, etc) or with a scheduled school or TV time-table: e.g. When does the film start tomorrow evening? What time does this train to Liverpoool leave this afternoon? per Liverpool per questo pomeriggio?] [Quando inizia il fim domani sera?] [A che ora parte il treno Do not use Present Simple for personal plans or arrangements. For personal plans we generally use the Present Continuous (see B of this Unit): e.g. They re getting married tomorrow. [Si sposano domani.] with if- clauses (first conditionals) and time clauses (when, as soon as, until, before etc.): e.g. f go to London next year ll visit Westminster. [Se andrò a Londra il prossimo anno visiterò Westminser.] When we see him we ll tell him ve called. hai chiamato.] (see Unit.pag for the other time clauses and conditionals ) Answers t leaves at They start at [Quando lo vedremo gli diremo che tu lo 46 47

29 B- Present Continuous What time/ When, etc.. are is B) When is it used? for personal plans with an appropriate time adverb which must specify future time or in any case some sort of reference to the future must be implicit, otherwise the use of the Present Continuous may create ambiguity: e.g. m leaving from Heathrow Airport tomorrow. [Partirò.dall aereoporto di Heathrow.. domani.] Are eating out this evening? She isn t going out Saturday afternoon. Tomorrow = domani; we they he she going out Saturday evening? coming back home for Christmas? m He She We They s re [Mangerai fuori stasera?] Answers [Non uscirà sabato pomeriggio.] going out later. arriving on Christmas Eve. Next Monday/week/year/summer/Christmas etc..= il prossimo lunedì/la prossima settimana etc n a week/year etc..= fra una settimana/ fra un anno; n two days time = fra due giorni; The day after tomorrow = dopodomani n the future = in futuro ADVERBS AND EXPRESSONS OF FUTURE TME One week from now = fra una settimana A) How is it formed? He She t We they Am s Are am/ m is/ s he she it we - Unit 8: A- Going to - form AFFERMATVE are/ re going to NTERROGATVE going to study at Palermo University. have a birthday party? going to com- they The form is posed of the verb to be + going to + base form: e.g. m going to study hard for my P.E.T. exam. Are going to have breakfast together? He isn t going to buy a new car this year. quest anno.] He She t We they Yes No am not/ m not is not/isn t are not/aren t NEGATVE Short answers am he/she/it is going to /we/they are m not he/she/it isn t /we/they aren t [Studierò molto per il P.E.T.] [Farete colazione insieme?] [Non comprerà una machina nuova get married. A) How is it formed? (See Unit 2 for the form and primary uses of the Present Continuous) WH QUESTONS 48 49

30 B) When is it used? to describe things we have decided or intended to do in the future (the going to form is also called ntentional Future ) : A) How is it formed? - Unit 8: B- will ( ll) form e.g. She s going to get drunk. [Ha intenzione di ubriacarsi.] They aren t going to see the new Muccino film. nuovo film di Muccino.] [Non hanno intenzione di vedere il AFFERMATVE NEGATVE to describe actions which will clealy happen from the indications given: He He e.g. She s not studying enough! She s going to have problems at University. [Non sta.. studiando abbastanza! Avrà problemi all Università.] t s really clowdy! t s going to rain. [E molto nuvoloso! Pioverà.] Cf. (=compare with) the use of will with a similar meaning. (see the next Unit on will) She t We ll (will) open the door. She t We won t (will not) speak to him. to describe things which are about to happen: They They e.g. They ve recentely had a serious quarrel. They re going to divorce. [Recentemente. hanno litigato seriamente. Hanno intenzione di divorziare.] n many ways it is similar to the Present Continuous, although as we have seen the latter is used when we are talking about future plans (see Unit.) However with the going to form we don t have to use a future adverb or expression. The going to part of the construction comunicates by itself the future. there is also the past equivalent of the going to form composed of was/were + going to + base form which is used to describe things which wanted to do in the past but didn t manage to do (for the form See the unit on the Past Progressive pag..): e.g. was going to play tennis yesterday afternoon but it rained. [Avevo intenzione di giocare a tennis ieri pomeriggio ma ha piovuto.] AMERCAN AND ENGLSH SLANG A.Eng: m gonna see her. [Ho intenzione di vederla.] n A.Eng gonna often substitutes going to in both the written and oral language. See the lyrics of many American rock singers and groups. Sometimes in spoken English going to is rended by /gənə/ Will NTERROGATVE he she it send me a Valentine card? we they This form they they of the future is composed of the modal will+base form. n the affirmative and negative the contracted forms are usually used (shall/shan t are no longer used for the first person singular and plural - see Unit.. p....for other uses of shall/shan t) e.g. think he ll pass his exams. They won t go out if it rains. Will see him tomorrow? Yes [Penso che supererà i suoi esami.] [Non usciranno se piove.] [Lo vedrai domani?] he she it we Short answers will. No he she it we won t