Present Perfect Tense
I have sung
The present perfect tense is a rather important tense in English, but it gives speakers of some languages a difficult time. That is because it uses concepts or ideas that do not exist in those languages. In fact, the structure of the present perfect tense is very simple. The problems come with the use of the tense. In addition, there are some differences in usage between British and American English.
In this lesson we look at the structure and use of the present perfect, followed by a quiz to check your understanding:
• Structure: how to make the present perfect tense  • Use: when and why to use the present perfect tense  • For and Since with the present perfect tense. What's the difference?  • Present Perfect Quiz 
The present perfect tense is really a very interesting tense, and a very useful one. Try not to translate the present perfect tense into your language. Just try to accept the concepts of this tense and learn to "think" present perfect! You will soon learn to like the present perfect tense!  How do we make the Present Perfect Tense?
The structure of the present perfect tense is:
subject + auxiliary verb + main verb   have  past participle
Here are some examples of the present perfect tense:
  subject auxiliary verb   main verb   + I have   seen ET. + You have   eaten mine. - She has not been to Rome. - We have not played football. ? Have you   finished?   ? Have they   done it?
Contractions with the present perfect tense
When we use the present perfect tense in speaking, we usually contract the subject and auxiliary verb. We also sometimes do this when we write.
I have I've
You have You've
He has She has It has John has The car has
He's She's It's John's The car's
We have We've
They have They've
Here are some examples:
• I've finished my work.  • John's seen ET.  • They've gone home.  How do we use the Present Perfect Tense?
This tense is called the present perfect tense. There is always a connection with the past and with the present. There are basically three uses for the present perfect tense:
1. experience  2. change  3. continuing situation 
1. Present perfect tense for experience
We often use the present perfect tense to talk about experience from the past. We are not interested in when you did something. We only want to know if you did it:
I have seen ET.
He's or he's??? Be careful! The 's contraction is used for the auxiliary verbs have and be. For example, "It's eaten" can mean: 
• It has eaten. [present perfect tense, active voice]  • It is eaten. [present tense, passive voice] 
It is usually clear from the context. 
He has lived in Bangkok. Have you been there? We have never eaten caviar.
past present future !!!   
The action or state was in the past.
In my head, I have a memory now.
 
Connection with past: the event was in the past. Connection with present: in my head, now, I have a memory of the event; I know something about the event; I have experience of it. 

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Rewrite using modal auxiliary verbs

In English, we can express a lot of ideas using modal auxiliary verbs.
The modal auxiliary verbs are: will, would, can, could, may, might, must, ought to, need, used to and dare.
They express ideas such as possibility, permission, prohibition, obligation, necessity, duty, willingness etc.
Rewrite the following sentences using modal auxiliary verbs. Make sure that the meaning does not change.
1. It is not necessary for you to wait any longer.
2. You are required to respect the national flag.
3. She was able to read when she was three.
4. I was able to solve the problem.
5. Perhaps she would come.
6. You are prohibited from entering my home.
7. You are allowed to go home.
8. She is able to speak English.
9. It is possible to blow glass.
10. It is not necessary for her to pay for that call.
11. It is possible for wars to break out at any time.
12. I prefer to stay at home instead of going to the club.
Answers
1. You need not wait any longer.
2. You must respect the national flag.
3. She could read when she was three.
4. I could solve the problem.
5. She might come.
6. You must not enter my home.
7. You may go home.
8. She can speak English.
9. Glass can be blown.
10. She need not pay for that call.
11. Wars can break out at any time.
12. I would rather stay at home than go to the club.

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General grammar exercise

Complete the following sentences using an appropriate word or phrase.
1. Do you enjoy ………………. models from clay?
a) to make
b) make
c) making
d) to making
2. While holidaying in Sydney, Martin  …………….. a strong Australian accent.
a) caught
b) earned
c) acquired
d) scored
3. ……………………. he was, he played well.
a) Though tired
b) Tired though
c) As tired
d) Although tired
4. ………………. she was, she could not react at all.
a) Though shocked
b) Although shocked
c) As shocked
d) Shocked as
5. The front door was open, ……………… nobody was at home.
a) as
b) and
c) but
d) so
6. The bell has already ……………………..
a) rang
b) ring
c) rung
d) ringing
7. Stella ………………….. wait for her birthday.
a) can hardly
b) can’t hardly
c) won’t hardly
d) couldn’t hardly
8. There were ………………… students in the class than expected.
a) few
b) fewer
c) less
d) lesser
9. I did …………………… work today than yesterday.
a) fewer
b) lesser
c) less
d) few
10. Dad has …………………. on the sofa all morning.
a) laid
b) lain
c) lied
d) lay
Answers
1. Do you enjoy making models from clay?
2. While holidaying in Sydney, Martin acquired a strong Australian accent.
3. Tired though he was, he played well.
4. Shocked as she was, she could not react at all.
5. The front door was open, but nobody was at home.
6. The bell has already rung.
7. Stella can hardly wait for her birthday.
8. There were fewer students in the class than expected.
9. I did less work today than yesterday.
10. Dad has lain on the sofa all morning.

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Intransitive verbs used as transitive verbs

A transitive verb takes an object. An intransitive verb, on the other hand, does not have an object.

Study the examples given below.

The peon rang the bell.
The peon rang what? The bell

As you can see, here the verb ‘rang’ has an object. Therefore, it is a transitive verb.
Now consider another example.

• The boy laughed loudly.

Here the verb ‘laughed’ does not have an object. Therefore, it is an intransitive verb.
When an intransitive verb is used in a causative sense it becomes transitive.
Examples are given below.

• Intransitive: The dog walks.
• Transitive: The man walks the dog. (Here the verb ‘walks’ becomes transitive because it has an object. The man causes the dog to walk.)
• Intransitive: Birds fly in the sky.
• Transitive: The boys fly their kites. (Here the verb ‘fly’ becomes transitive because it has an object. The boys cause the kites to fly.)

Some common verbs are distinguished as transitive or intransitive by their spelling.
Study the examples given below.

• Many trees fall in a storm. (Here the verb ‘fall’ is intransitive. It does not have an object.)
• Woodcutters fell trees. (NOT Woodcutters fall trees. Fell means cause to fall.)
• The doctor asked the patient to lie still. (Here the verb ‘lie’ is intransitive.)
• Lay the books on the table. (Lay means cause to lie. Here the verb ‘lay’ is transitive.)
• Rise with the lark. (Here the verb ‘rise’ is intransitive.)
• The teacher asked the boys to raise their hands. (Here the verb ‘raise’ is transitive because it has an object.)

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Make questions

This grammar exercise tests your ability to make questions in English.
1. …………………… you received my letter of October 3? (do / have / will)
2. Why …………………… you crying? (have / is / are)
3. What ………………….. they looking at? ( have / are / do)
4. How much ………………….. that apartment cost? (does / have / do / has)
5. ………………….. you like Beethoven? (Do / Have)
6. What ………………………. ‘nepotism’ mean? (does / has / is)
7. ………………………. you show me your identity card? (Can / Do / Have)
8. ………………………. you heard anything from them? (Have / Do / Can)
9. What ………………………. she want? (does / has / is)
10. Where ………………………. you been all this while? (have / do / had)
11. ………………………. you go swimming last weekend? (Did / Had / Have)
12. ………………………. she coming tomorrow? (Is / Does / Has / Will)
13. When ………………………. the tickets reserved? (was / were / did / had)
14. Where ………………………. the Prime Minister and his wife staying? (was / are / have)
Answers
1. Have you received my letter of October 3?
2. Why are you crying?
3. What are they looking at?
4. How much does that apartment cost?
5. Do you like Beethoven?
6. What does ‘nepotism’ mean?
7. Can you show me your identity card?
8. Have you heard anything from them?
9. What does she want?
10. Where have you been all this while?
11. Did you go swimming last weekend?
12. Is she coming tomorrow?
13. When were the tickets reserved?
14. Where are the Prime Minister and his wife staying?

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Conjunctions or prepositions

Complete the following sentences using an appropriate conjunction or preposition.
1. …………………. I had a headache, I enjoyed the movie. (Although / Even if)
2. We were late …………………. the rain. (because / because of)
3. We managed to reach on time ……………………. the rain. (because of / in spite of)
4. She went to work ……………………… her illness. (despite / because)
5. …………………… his best efforts, he could not pass the test. (In spite of / Because of)
6. The car is parked …………………….. the post office. (in front of / before)
7. I have bought a chicken …………………… Peter comes. (if / in case)
8. ……………….. he hadn’t paid the fee, they cancelled his subscription. (Since / so)
9. ………………… his stellar performance, he could not advance to the next round. (In spite of / despite of)
Answers
1. Although I had a headache, I enjoyed the movie.
2. We were late because of the rain.
3. We managed to reach on time in spite of the rain.
4. She went to work despite her illness.
5. In spite of his best efforts, he could not pass the test.
6. The car is parked in front of the post office.
7. I have bought a chicken in case Peter comes.
8. Since he hadn’t paid the fee, they cancelled his subscription.
9. In spite of his stellar performance, he could not advance to the next round.

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Mistakes with prepositions

Incorrect: He is going to home.
Correct: He is going home.
The preposition ‘to’ is not normally used with ‘home’.
Incorrect: The children have been playing since two hours.
Correct: The children have been playing for two hours.
We use ‘for’ to indicate duration. ‘Since’ is used with the starting point of action.
Incorrect: An ordinary man’s life is different from a minister.
Correct: An ordinary man’s life is different from that of a minister.
Do not omit the words ‘that’ and ‘those’ in comparisons.
Incorrect: He hit me by a stick.
Correct: He hit me with a stick.
The preposition ‘by’ shows the agent – the person who performs the action. The preposition ‘with’ shows the tool with which the action is performed.
Incorrect: I need a pen to write.
Correct: I need a pen to write with.
Incorrect: Many people died by cholera.
Correct: Many people died of cholera.
Incorrect: India has been independent for 1947.
Correct: India has been independent since 1947.
Incorrect: I am ill since three weeks.
Correct: I have been ill for three weeks.
In expressions with ‘for’ and ‘since’, we normally use the present perfect and present perfect continuous tenses.
Incorrect: This paper is inferior than that.
Correct: This paper is inferior to that.
After adjectives like inferior, superior, senior and junior, we use the preposition ‘to’ instead of the preposition ‘than’.
Incorrect: This is different to that.
Correct: This is different from that. / This is different than that.

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Adjective clauses used as co-ordinate clauses

An adjective clause is a subordinate clause which serves the same purpose as an adjective. It modifies a noun or pronoun in the main clause.
Adjective clauses are introduced by a relative pronoun or relative adverb.
Examples are given below.
Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. (Here the adjective clause ‘that wears the crown’ modifies the noun head.)
Winston Churchill was a great statesman who also wrote many books. (Here the adjective clause ‘who also wrote many books’ modifies the noun statesman.)
This is the house where I was born. (Here the adjective clause ‘where I was born’ modifies the noun house.)
The reason why she did it is obvious.
Sometimes a relative pronoun may introduce a coordinate clause.
Study the example given below.
I met James who gave me this book. (= I met James and he gave me this book.)
Here the clause ‘who gave me this book’ does not identify James. It is a co-ordinate clause that can stand on its own.
Now study the example given below.
He is the boy who stole the watch.
Here the adjective clause ‘who stole the watch’ identifies and describes the noun ‘boy’. Therefore, it is an adjective clause.
More examples of ‘who’ and ‘which’ used to introduce coordinate clauses are given below.
I called James who came at once. (= I called James and he came at once.)
The prisoner was taken before the General, who condemned him to death. (= The prisoner was taken before the General and he condemned him to death.)

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When to use some and any

The words some and any are determiners. They are used to modify nouns. Some and any can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns. They show an indefinite quantity or number.

• There are some mangoes on the tree. (We don’t mention the exact number of mangoes on the tree.)
• I haven’t got any money.
• She has some friends in Hong Kong.

Some and any can be used with both singular and plural nouns.

• Have you got any friends? (Here ‘any’ is used to modify the plural noun ‘friends’.)
• We haven’t got any oil. (Here ‘any’ is used with the singular uncountable noun ‘oil’.)

Some and any are used to refer to an indefinite quantity or number.
Use ‘some’ in affirmative sentences. We can use some with both countable and uncountable nouns.

• I need some oil.
• There were some boys in the class.
• I need some help.

Use ‘any’ in negative and interrogative sentences.

• She hasn’t got any friends.
• Have you got any milk?

Exceptions
Some can be used in polite requests and offers.

• Would you like some cheese? (More natural than ‘Would you like any cheese?’)
• Could I have some more rice? (Polite request)

Common expressions with some include: somebody, someone, something and somewhere. They are all used in affirmative sentences.

• I need someone to help you.

Common expressions with any include: anybody, anyone, anything and anywhere. They are all mainly used in negative sentences and questions.

• I haven’t got anything to do.
• She hasn’t got anyone to help her.

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Common similes

A simile is a figure of speech in which one thing is compared with another things. Here are some common similes in English.
As crooked as a dog’s hind leg
If somebody is as crooked as a dog’s hind leg, they are dishonest.
No one will trust you if you are as crooked as a dog’s hind leg.
As fat as a pig
If somebody is as fat as a pig, they are very fat.
I must start dieting. I am as fat as a pig.
As gentle as a lamb
If somebody is as gentle as a lamb, they are very gentle.
The boy is as gentle as a lamb when his parents are around.
As gruff as a bear
If somebody is as gruff as a bear, they are very unsociable.
The lady next door is as gruff as a bear. She never invites people to her home.
As hungry as a bear
When you are as hungry as a bear, you are very hungry.
The boy was as hungry as a bear when he got home from school.
As innocent as a lamb
If someone is as innocent as a lamb, they are very innocent or naïve.
Everybody loves Julie. She is as innocent as a lamb.
As meek as a lamb
If somebody is as meek as a lamb, they are very quiet or docile.
As a teenager Frieda was as meek as a lamb. I still can’t believe that she has become an aggressive business woman.
As nervous as a cat
If somebody is as nervous as a cat, they are very nervous.
She was as nervous as a cat during the interview.

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Simple Past Tense

Simple Past Tense
I sang
We can use several  tenses to talk about
the past, but the simple past tense  i s the one we use most of ten.
In this  lesson we  look at the structure and use of  the simple past tense,  foll owed by a quiz to check
your understanding:
How do we make the Simple Past Tense?
To make the simple past tense, we use:
·  past form only
or
·  auxiliary did + base form
Here  you can see examples of  the past form and base form  for irregular verbs and regular verbs:
V1
base
V2
past
V3
past participle
regular
verb
work
explode
like
worked
exploded
liked
worked
exploded
liked
The past form  for all
regular verbs ends  in -ed.
irregular
verb
go
see
sing
went
saw
sang
gone
seen
sung
The past form  for
irregular  verbs  is
variable. You need to
learn  i t by  heart.
You do not need the past participle
form to make the simple past tense. It
is shown  here  for completeness only.
The structure for positive sentences  in the simple  past tense  is:
subject + main verb
past
The structure for negative sentences  in the simple past tense  is:
subject + auxiliary verb + not + main verb
did base
The structure for question sentences  in the simple past tense  is:
auxiliary verb + subject + main verb
did base
The auxiliary  verb did  i s  not conjugated. It is the same  for all  persons (I did,  you did, he did etc). And
the base  form and past form do not change. Look at these examples with the main  verbs go and work:
subject  auxiliary verb    main verb
I      went  to school .
+
You      worked  very  hard.
She  did  not  go  with me.
-We  did  not  work  yesterday.
Di d  you    go  to London?
?
Di d  they    work  at home?
Exception!The verb to be is different. We conjugate the verb to be (I was, you were, he/she/i t was,
we were, they were); and we do not use an auxiliary  for negative and quest i on sentences. To make a
question, we exchange the subject and verb. Look at these examples:
subject  main verb  
I, he/she/i t  was    here.
+
You, we, they  were    in  London.
I, he/she/i t  was  not  there.
-You, we, they  were  not  happy.
Was  I, he/she/i t    right?
?
Were  you, we, they    late?
How do we use the Simple Past Tense?
We use the simple past tense to talk about an action or a situation—an event—in the past. The event
can  be short or long.
Here are some short events with the simple past tense:
PDF
The car exploded at 9.30am yesterday.
She went to the door.
We did not hear the telephone.
Did you see that car?
past  present  future
The action  is  in the past.  
Here are some long events with the simple past tense:
I lived in Bangkok for 10 years.
The Jurassic period lasted about 62 million years.
We did not sing at the concert.
Did you watch TV last night?
past  present  future
The action  is  in the past.  
Notice that i t does not matter how long ago the event is:  i t can be a  few  minutes or seconds  in the past,
or millions of   years  in the past. Also i t does not matter how long the event is. It can be a  few
milliseconds (car explosion) or millions of   years (Jurassic period). We use the simple past tense when:
·  the event is in the past
·  the event is completely finished
·  we say (or understand) the time and/or place of  the event
In general ,  if  we say the time or place of  the
event, we must use the simple past tense; we
cannot use the present perfect.
Here are some more examples:
·  I lived in that house when I was  young.
·  He didn't like the movie.
·  What did you eat for dinner?
·  John drove to London on Monday.
·  Mary did not go to work yesterday.
·  Did you play tennis  last week?
·  I was at work yesterday.
·  We were not l ate (for the train).
·  Were  you angry?
Note that when we tell  a story, we usually use the simple past tense. We may use the past continuous
tense to "set the scene", but we almost always use the simple past tense  for the action. Look at this
example of  the  beginning of  a story:
"The wind was howling around the hotel  and the rain was pouring down. It was col d. The door opened
and James Bond entered. He took off  his coat, which was  very wet, and ordered a drink at the bar. He
sat down in the corner of  the  lounge and quietly drank his..."
This page shows the use of  the simple past
tense to talk about past events. But note that
there are some other uses for the simple past
tense, for example  in conditional  or if
sentences.

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