Grammar Reference. Unit
2.2.1
Present Simple
Positive and negative forms
|
I work. I don't work. You work. You don't work. He works. He doesn't work. |
We work. We don't work. You work. You don't work. They work. They don't work. |
|
She works. She doesn't work. It works. It doesn't work. |
Questions
| Where do I live? | Where do we live? |
| Where do you live? | Where do you live? |
| Where does he live? | Where do they live? |
|
Where does she live? Where does it live? |
| Short answer | |
| Do you live in Bristol? | Yes, we do. |
| Does he have a car? | No, he doesn't. |
Use the Present Simple to express:
1. An action that happens again and again (a habit).
I go to work by car.
She drinks ten cups of coffee a day.
I wash my hair twice a week.
2. A fact that is always true.
Ronaldo comes from Brazil.
Some birds fly south in winter.
My daughter has brown eyes.
3. A fact that is true for a long time (a state).
He works in a bank.
I live in a flat near the centre of town.
I prefer coffee to tea.
Spelling of verb + -s
1. Most verbs add -s to the base form of the verb.
wants, eats, helps, drives
2. Add -es to verbs that end in -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -o.
kisses, washes, watches, fixes, goes
3. Verbs that end in a consonant + -y change the -y to -ies.
carry / carries, fly / flies, worry / worries, try / tries
But verbs that end in a vowel + -y only add -s.
buys, says, plays, enjoys
Adverbs of frequency
1. We often use adverbs of frequency with the Present Simple.
from 0 to 100%
never, rarely, not often, sometimes, often, usually, always
2. They go before the main verb, but after the verb be.
| I usually start school at 9.00. | They're usually in a hurry in the morning. |
| I don't often go to bed late. | I'm not often late for school. |
| She never eats meat. | He's never late. |
| I rarely see Peter these days. | We're rarely at home at the weekends. |
3. Sometimes and usually can also go at the
beginning or the end,
| Sometimes we play chess. | We play chess sometimes. |
| Usually I go shopping with my wife. | I go shopping with my wife usually. |
Never, always, rarely, seldom cannot move in this way,
NOT Never I go to the movies.
Always I have tea in the morning.
4. Every day, every morning, etc., goes at the end.
He phones me every day.
She eats me every night.
2.2 Present
Continuous
Positive and negative forms
| I'm eating | I'm not eating | We're eating | We aren't eating |
| You're eating | You aren't eating | You're eating | You aren't eating |
| He's eating | He isn't eating | They're eating | The aren't eating |
| She's eating | She isn't eating | ||
| It's eating | It isn't eating |
Questions
| What am I doing? | What are we doing? |
| What are you doing? | What are you doing? |
| What is he doing? | What are they doing? |
| What is she doing? | |
| What is it doing? |
Short answer
Are you going by train?
Yes, I am.
No, I'm not.
The Present Continuous is used to express:
1. An activity that is happening now.
Don't turn the TV off. I'm watching it.
You can't speak to Lisa. She's having a bath.
2. An activity or situation that is true now, but is not necessarily happening at the moment of speaking.
Don't take that book. Jane's reading it.
I'm doing a French evening class this year.
3. A temporary activity.
Peter is a student, but he's working as a waiter during
the holidays.
I'm living with friends until I find a place of my own.
4. A planned future arrangement.
I'm having lunch with Glenda tomorrow.
We're meeting at 1:00 outside the restaurant.
Spelling of verb + -ing.
1. Most verbs add -ing to the base form of the verb.
going, wearing, visiting, eating
2. Verbs that end in one -e lose the -e
smoking, coming, hoping, writing
3. Verbs that end in -ee don't drop an -e.
agreeing, seeing
4. Attention - Lie / lying
5. Verbs of one syllable, with one vowel and one consonant, double the consonant.
stop / stopping, get / getting, run / running, plan / planning, jog / jogging
If the final consonant is -y or -w, it is not doubled.
play / playing , show / showing
2.3 State verbs
1. There are certain groups of verbs that are usually only used in the Present
Simple. This is because their meanings are related to states or conditions that
are facts and not activities. This is a feature of the use of the Present
Simple. The groups of verbs are:
Verbs of thinking and opinions
believe, think, understand, suppose, expect, agree, doubt, know, remember, forget, mean, imagine, realize, deserve, prefer
I believe you.
Do you understand?
I know his face, but I forget his name.
Verbs of emotions and feelings
like, love, hate, care, hope, wish, want, admit
I like black coffee.
Do you want to go out?
I don't care.
Verbs of having and being
belong, own, have, possess, contain, cost, seem, appear, need, depend on, weigh, come from, resemble
This book belongs to Jane.
How much does it cost?
He has a lot of money.
Verbs of the senses
look, hear, taste, smell, feel
The food smells good.
We often use can when the subject is a person.
Can you smell something burning?
I can hear someone crying.
2. Some of these verbs can be used in the Present Continuous, but with a change of meaning. In the Continuous, the verb expresses an activity, not a state.
| I think you're right. | We're thinking of going to the cinema. |
| opinion | mental activity |
| He has a lot of money. | She's having a bad day. |
| possession | activity |
| I see what you mean. | Are you seeing Nigel tomorrow? |
| understand | activity |
| The soup tastes awful. | I'm tasting the soup to see if it needs salt. |
| state | activity |
2.4 Introduction to the Passive
Form: to be + past participle
The tense of the verb to be changes to give different tenses in the passive.
A party is being held by the Smiths next week. (Present Continuous Passive)
Me neighbour is invited to their party every year. (Present Simple Passive)
He was invited last year, I wasn't. (Present Perfect Passive)
I'd love to be invited to their party. (Passive infinitive)
Use:
1. Passive sentences move the focus from the subject to the object of active sentences.
Alfred Hitchcock directed Psycho in 1960.
Psycho, one of the classic thrillers of all times, was directed by Alfred
Hitchcock.
The passive is not just another way of expressing the same sentence in the active. We choose the active or the passive depending on what we are more interested in. In the first sentence, we are more interested in Alfred Hitchcock. In the second sentence, Psycho has moved to the beginning of the sentence because we are more interested in the film.
2. By and the agent are often omitted in passive sentence if the agent
is not known : My apartment was robbed last night.
is not important : The bridge was built in 1999.
is obvious : I was fined hundred dollars for speeding.
3. The passive is associated with an impersonal, formal style. It's often used in notices and announcements.
Customers are requested to refrain from smoking.
It has been noticed that reference books have been removed from the library.
4. In informal language, we often use you, we, and they to refer to people in general or to no person in particular. In this way, we can avoid using the passive.
You can buy stamps in lots of shops, not just the post offices.
They're building a new department store in the city centre.
We speak English in this shop.
Be careful! Many past participles are used as adjectives.
I'm very interested in modern arts.
We were extremely worried about you.
I'm exhausted! I've been working hard all day.
2.5 Present Simple and Present Continuous Passive
Form:
Present Simple Passive : am/is/are + past participle
Present Continuous Passive : am/is/are + being + past participle
It is mended.
It is being mended.
They are mended.
They are being mended.
The uses are the same in the passive as in the active.
My car is serviced every six month. (habit)
Computers are used in all areas of life and work. (fact that is always true)
Sorry about the mess. The house is being renovated at the moment. (activity
happening now)