English IV

DEFINITION OF THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSE The present perfect is used to indicate a link between the present and the past. The time of the action is  before now but not specified , and we are often more interested in the  result  than in the action itself. THE PRESENT PERFECT IS USED TO  DESCRIBE An action or situation that started in the past and continues in the present.  I  have lived  in Bristol since 1984  (= and I still do.) An action performed during a period that has not yet finished.  She  has been  to the cinema twice this week  (= and the week isn't over yet.) A repeated action in an unspecified period between the past and now.  We  have visited  Portugal several times. An action that was completed in the very recent past, expressed by 'just'.  I  have just finished  my work. An action when the time is not important.  He  has read  'War and Peace'. ...

The  simple past  talks about something that happened before. It happened and it  finished . Some words are regular and just have  -ed  added at the end like  walked ,  helped , and  played . Others are irregular and have many variations like  ate ,  began , and  slept . The  past progressive  talks about something that was happening before,  but  for a  period of time . It uses  was  or  were  +  verb-ing  like  was eating  or  were playing . It gives a background for something that was happening while a different event happened. Example: While I  was eating , the telephone  rang . So, during the time I was eating (let's say from 6:30-7:00 p.m.) somebody called my house (let's say they called at 6:49p.m.) One thing happened ( simple past ) during the period of time another thing was happening ( past progressive .) Here is another exampl...

     MODAL VERBS  The modal verbs are: can could may might will shall should ought to must/have to We use modal verbs to show if we believe something is certain, probable or possible (or not). We also use modals to do things like talking about ability, asking permission making requests and offers, and so on. Should (Modals) Should is used to give advice and to make recommendations. It is also used to express obligation and expectation. Recommendation:   When you go to London, you should go to the theatre.   Advice:   You should try to focus more on your writing skills. Advice Obligation:  I should be going now. It's getting late. Expectation:   You should have understood the text by now. Most modal verbs have different forms depending on their function when used in the present, past or future times. To Offer of Assistance or Polite Suggestion (When you are quite...

VERBS (IRREGULAR AND REGULAR) VERBS A verb is a word used in sentences that serves to express existence, status, action or passion of the subject. An English verb can be regular or irregular. Regular verbs form their past and past participle forms by adding –ed. REGULAR VERBS Many English verbs are regular, which means that they form their different tenses according to an established pattern. Past tense formation Forming the past simple tense of regular verbs is mostly straightforward, and you use the same form for the first, second, and third persons, singular and plural:  If the basic form of the verb ends in a consonant or a vowel other than e, add the letters -ed to the end (e.g. seem/seemed, laugh/laughed, look/looked). For verbs that end in -e, add -d (e.g. love/loved, recede/receded, hope/hoped). If the verb ends in a consonant plus -y, change the y to an i before adding -ed (e.g. hurry/hurried, clarify/clarified). But if the verb ends in a vo...