Anthony Hughes The Online English Grammar

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

The English4Today Members' Website
|A |B |C |D |E |F |G |H |I |J |K |L |M |N |O |P |Q |R |S |T |U |V |W |X |Y |Z |
TENSES
PRESENT PERFECT OR SIMPLE PAST?
Always use the present perfect when the time is not important, or not
specified.
Always use the simple past when details about the time or place are
specified or asked for.
Compare:
Simple past
Present perfect
I have lived in Lyon. I lived in Lyon in 1989.
They ate Thai food last night.
They have eaten Thai food.
Have you seen 'Othello'?. Where did you see 'Othello'?
We have been to Ireland. When did you go to Ireland?
There is also a difference of attitude that is often more important than the
time factor.
"What did you do at school today?" is a question about activities, and
considers the school day as finished.
"What have you done at school today?" is a question about results - "show
me", and regards the time of speaking as a continuation of the school day.
The Full PDF Online English Grammar V1.1 � copyright - all rights reserved 1995-2001, Anthony Hughes
The English4Today Members' Website
|A |B |C |D |E |F |G |H |I |J |K |L |M |N |O |P |Q |R |S |T |U |V |W |X |Y |Z |
TENSES
PRESENT CONTINUOUS FOR FUTURE EVENTS
1. Present continuous for the future, form
See notes on form in section on Present Continuous.
Subject + to be + base-ing
She is meeting
2. Future: Present continuous for the future, function
The present continuous is used to talk about arrangements for events at a
time later than now.
There is a suggestion that more than one person is aware of the event, and
that some preparation has already happened. e.g.
a. I'm meeting Jim at the airport = and both Jim and I have discussed this.
b. I am leaving tomorrow. = and I've already bought my train ticket.
c. We're having a staff meeting next Monday = and all members of staff have
been told about it.
More examples:
a. Is she seeing him tomorrow?
b. He isn't working next week.
c. They aren't leaving until the end of next year.
d. We are staying with friends when we get to Boston.
Note: in example (a), seeing is used in a continuous form because it means
meeting.
BE CAREFUL! The simple present is used when a future event is part of a
programme or time-table. Notice the difference between:
a. We're having a staff meeting next Monday.
b. We have a staff meeting next Monday.(= we have a meeting every
Monday, it's on the time-table.)
The Full PDF Online English Grammar V1.1 � copyright - all rights reserved 1995-2001, Anthony Hughes
The English4Today Members' Website
|A |B |C |D |E |F |G |H |I |J |K |L |M |N |O |P |Q |R |S |T |U |V |W |X |Y |Z |
TENSES
PRESENT PERFECT
1. Present perfect - form
The present perfect of any verb is composed of two elements : the
appropriate form of the auxiliary verb to have (present tense), plus the past
participle of the main verb. The past participle of a regular verb is base+ed,
e.g. played, arrived, looked. For irregular verbs, see the Table of irregular
verbs in the section called 'Verbs'.
Affirmative
Subject to have past participle
She has visited
Negative
Subject to have + not past participle
She hasn't visited
Interrogative
to have subject past participle
Has she visited..?
Interrogative negative
to have + not subject past participle
Hasn't she visited...?
Example: to walk, present perfect
Affirmative Negative Interrogative
I haven't walked Have I walked?
I have walked
You haven't walked Have you walked?
You have walked
He, she, it hasn't walked Has he,she,it walked
He, she, it has walked
We haven't walked Have we walked?
We have walked
You haven't walked Have you walked?
You have walked
They haven't walked Have they walked?
They have walked
2. Present perfect, function
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.
BE CAREFUL! There may be a verb tense in your language with a similar
form, but the meaning is probably NOT the same.
The present perfect is used to describe:
1.An action or situation that started in the past and continues in the present.
Example: I have lived in Bristol since 1984 (= and I still do.)
2. An action performed during a period that has not yet finished. Example:
She has been to the cinema twice this week (= and the week isn't over yet.)
3. A repeated action in an unspecified period between the past and now.
Example: We have visited Portugal several times.
4. An action that was completed in the very recent past, (expressed by
'just'). Example: I have just finished my work.
5. An action when the time is not important. Example: He has read 'War and
Peace'. (the result of his reading is important)
Note: When we want to give or ask details about when, where, who, we use
the simple past. Example: He read 'War and Peace' last week.
Examples:
1. Actions started in the past and continuing in the present.
a. They haven't lived here for years.
b. She has worked in the bank for five years.
c. We have had the same car for ten years.
d. Have you played the piano since you were a child?
2. When the time period referred to has not finished.
a. I have worked hard this week.
b. It has rained a lot this year.
c. We haven't seen her today.
3. Actions repeated in an unspecified period between the past and now.
a. They have seen that film six times.
b. It has happened several times already.
c. She has visited them frequently.
d. We have eaten at that restaurant many times.
4. Actions completed in the very recent past (+just).
a. Have you just finished work?
b. I have just eaten.
c. We have just seen her.
d. Has he just left?
5. When the precise time of the action is not important or not known.
a. Someone has eaten my soup!
b. Have you seen 'Gone with the Wind'?
c. She's studied Japanese, Russian and English.
The Full PDF Online English Grammar V1.1 � copyright - all rights reserved 1995-2001, Anthony Hughes
The English4Today Members' Website
|A |B |C |D |E |F |G |H |I |J |K |L |M |N |O |P |Q |R |S |T |U |V |W |X |Y |Z |
'IF' SENTENCES AND THE 'UNREAL' PAST
In this section you will find information on sentences containing the word 'if',
the use of conditional tenses, and the 'unreal past', that is, when we use a
past tense but we are not actually referring to past time.
IF AND THE CONDITIONAL
There are four main types of 'if' sentences in English:
1. The 'zero' conditional, where the tense in both parts of the sentence is
the simple present:
'IF' CLAUSE MAIN CLAUSE
If + simple present simple present
If you heat ice it melts.
If it rains you get wet
In these sentences, the time is now or always and the situation is real and
possible. They are often used to refer to general truths. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Linki