BACK TO BASICS

GRAMMAR REFERENCE

Use these notes and your grammar book to

complete this module.

Unit 2 1

Module 1

ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS - the assistants

Adjectives and adverbs make language more interesting. They allow us to express
things in detail. What did it/they look like, how was it done?
Adjectives assist nouns and include words such as, big, small, beautiful. They also
include colours, numbers and nationalities.

What did the cake taste like?

What colour was the car?

Compound adjectives:

It was delicious cake.

It was metallic blue.
Hyphenated words which, when
skilfully used, can avoid an otherwise
lengthy description.
eg Twenty-year-old John ..
A string of adjectives:
eg It was a wet windy night. If using three or
more use a comma after all, except the last
eg It was a cold, wet, windy night.

Comparative adjectives:

Regular: add 'er' eg old, older

Irregular: eg good, better

Superlative adjectives:

Add 'est' or 'most' eg oldest, the most

beautiful.

Adverbs assist verbs

A verb tells us what is being or was/will be done and the adverb tells us how.
Most adverbs are adjectives + 'ly'.

eg quickly - He ran quickly.

beautifully - She sang beautifully.

Not all adverbs end in 'ly'

He ran as fast as he could

You will have to work hard to gain your
TEFL certificate.

Spelling

When the adjective ends in 'y' change the 'y'

to 'i' and add '-ly' (exceptions shy, shyly; sly,
slyly)
When the adjective ends in '-ly', the same
rule applies, sometimes with rather alarming
results, eg ugly becomes uglily. In such cases
it's usually better to find another word or
construction

Unit 2 2

Module 1

Beware

'hopefully' is an adverb which is

frequently misused. Remember
'hopefully' does not mean 'I hope that' it
means 'full of hope', so it is a
complement to a verb. eg The
inquisitive child searched the Internet
hopefully.

How and well are adverbs.

How do you do?

Very well, thank you.

Some words can be both an adjective and an adverb

How come?
It depends on the sentence.

eg He drove a fast car.

Fast describes the car (noun),
therefore it is an adjective.
He drove the car fast.
This time fast describes the manner in
which he was driving (verb), therefore it
is an adverb.

Adverbs can qualify adjectives

eg It was an extremely expensive restaurant.
Adverbs can qualify adverbs
eg He ran amazingly quickly to break the record.
Adverbs can be formed by adding '-ly' to the present/past participle
eg

hurried(ly)
undoubted(ly)
loving(ly)

supposed(ly)
joking(ly)

Comparative adverbs

more quickly, more gently

Superlative adverbs

most quickly, most gently

Unit 2 3

Module 1

SELF-CHECK

?
The aim of the self-check exercises in this unit is to give you the opportunity to put the
theory explained in each chapter into practice. Some of the exercises are open-ended
and they can have multiple answers. These come without answer keys. Other
exercises do have correct answers. The answer keys to these are found at the end of
the unit. (Please note that our tutors do not comment on self-check exercises).

SELF-CHECK 1. ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS

Find as many adjectives as you can to describe the weather.

Find as many adverbs as you can to describe someone's attempts at
speaking another language.
Use an adjective and an adverb together to describe the weather.
Use two adverbs together to describe someone's attempts at speaking
another language.

Unit 2 4

Module 1

ARTICLES
The indefinite article - a/an

an is used

before a singular word/letter beginning with a vowel or vowel

sound: an apple, an egg, an island, an opal, an umbrella, an
Yves St Laurent dress, an e-mail, an F.A. Cup match
before a silent h: an hour; half an hour; an hour and a half

a is used

before ALL consonants except silent h: a bank, a cow, a door, etc

before vowels which begin with the sound of a consonant: a unit,
a university, a one-bedroomed flat

a/an is used

before a singular countable noun: I need a ticket for the concert.

Its time you had a holiday.
before expressions of quantity: a lot of, a couple, a great many.
with certain numbers/fractions: a hundred, a thousand, a third
(one third is also acceptable)
before half, when half follows a whole number: one and a half
kilos, a half-share.
when quoting a price: 5p a kilo, 1 a metre.
to mean one: Did you buy or rent a house? I bought one.
In exclamations before singular, countable nouns: Such an
exciting match.

omit a/an

Unit 2 5

before plural nouns

Module 1

The definite article - the

the is used

When the object is unique or considered to be so: the earth, the

equator.
Before a noun which has become definite as a result of being
mentioned a second time: He scored a goal seconds before the
final whistle. It was probably the most important goal of his career.
Before a noun made definite by the addition of a phrase or clause:
The car in the showroom.
Before a noun which by reason of locality can represent only one
thing: The boys are playing football in the park. Please set the
video to record the Manchester United match.
Before superlatives: the best, the worst.
The + singular noun can represent a class of animals, people or
things: The Giant Panda is close to extinction. The hotelier has
suffered during the foot and mouth crisis. (not just one but many
hoteliers throughout the country)
Before certain proper names: the Atlantic, the Netherlands, the
Sahara; and names consisting of noun + of + noun: the Gulf of
Mexico, the Tower of London.
When referring to a family: the Smiths (ie Mr & Mrs Smith and
possibly their children as well)
Before Titles containing of: The Duke of Liverpool, The King of
Spain.

Unit 2 6

Module 1

USE OF CAPITALS
Whilst there are some rules for the employment of capitals, in many instances it is a
matter of taste; but in all instances consistency is important.

Always start a sentence with a capital letter.

If the sentence starts with a number, write the number in words.

Initial capitals should be used for proper nouns eg The test will be held on the
last Saturday in July. They are going to live in North Yorkshire. We use a capital N
here because North Yorkshire is a specific place. If we are referring to an area in
general do not use capital letters eg Cornwall is in the south-west of England.

Personal titles need a capital letter. Mrs Jones, His Grace the Duke of Tesolshire.

Key words in titles of publications, stage productions and musical works etc. A
Place in the Sun, Much Ado about Nothing, The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba.

Names of buildings, organisations etc. The House of Commons, The British

Broadcasting Corporation, Sir John Talbots Primary School.
Acronyms (words formed from either the initial letters of other words or a mixture
of words and syllables) NATO, NUT, ROSPA, NIMBY.
Only write whole words in capitals if you are requested to, ie when completing a
form you may be asked to WRITE IN BLOCK CAPITALS, or, if you wish to draw
attention to something important, NO SMOKING, DANGER, FIRE EXIT.
Never write entirely in capitals. From the following short passage you will see
that it is (a) difficult to read and (b) confusing.
WHEN SHE HAD COMPLETED HER UNIVERSITY COURSE SHE DECIDED TO
APPLY FOR A JOB AS A TRAVEL CORRESPONDENT WITH THE BBC. SHE
WAS ASKED TO ATTEND AN INTERVIEW AT 3PM ON THE FOLLOWING
TUESDAY. THEY SENT HER DIRECTIONS PRINTED IN CAPITAL LETTERS
THROUGHOUT. SHE PLACED THESE ON THE SEAT BESIDE HER AND TRIED
TO GLANCE AT THEM EACH TIME SHE STOPPED AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS OR
BECAUSE OF A HOLD-UP. UNFORTUNATELY, BEING A STRANGER TO THE
LONDON AREA, SHE MANAGED TO GET INTO THE WRONG LANE OF THE
M25 AND MISSED HER JUNCTION. SEVERAL DAYS AND SOME 1500 MILES
LATER SHE COULD STILL BE SEEN DRIVING IN THE CLOCKWISE DIRECTION.
SHE DIDNT DARE STOP BECAUSE BY NOW HER ROAD TAX HAD EXPIRED.
NEEDLESS TO SAY SHE DIDNT GET THE JOB!

Unit 2 7

Module 1

PUNCTUATION
Full stops, commas, colons, semi-colons, dashes, brackets (round) and [square],
hyphens, question marks, exclamation marks, quotation marks (single and double).
Let's start with the easy ones
THE FULL STOP . (also known as 'period' or 'point').
It's used to

indicate that a sentence has been completed

denote an abbreviation, though the trend now is to omit the full stop.
Old method

New method

Mr. and Mrs. Smith,

12, New Rd.,
St. Ives,
Cornwall.

Mr & Mrs Smith

12 New Rd
St Ives
Cornwall

4 a.m.

4 am

It is still used when abbreviating days and months eg Mon. 10 Sept. However,
unless space is limited, it is frowned upon to abbreviate in this way.
THE COMMA ,
Use

When listing three or more items in a sentence. eg She won medals for swimming,
riding and playing hockey.

When merging two sentences with a conjunction. eg You can gain an INTESOL
qualification not only by distance learning, but also by attending a two-week
residential course.

When adding words to the beginning or end of a sentence. eg Unquestionably, EFL

teaching is a demanding but fun thing to do. eg We didn't have enough money for a
taxi, so we walked instead.

When inserting some non-essential component into a sentence. eg A German

shepherd dog, also known as an Alsatian, won the top prize at Crufts.

When introducing a quotation. eg As he hauled himself up from the hole in the

pavement, the man was heard to say, "I'll sue the person who left that manhole
cover off".

Unit 2 8

Module 1

THE COLON :
Use

When introducing a list which has been preceded by an independent clause.

eg Companies which participated in the event included: ASBC, DEF and XYZ.

To separate the result from that which precedes it. The trains were often late and
unreliable: he decided to look for a job nearer his home. The use of the colon
brings home to the reader the seriousness of the situation.

THE SEMI-COLON ;
Somewhere between a full stop and a comma. It is used

to indicate a slight break in a sentence. No one was able to complete the test; there
was a misprint on the paper.

when making lists such as invitees to an event. The guests included: Tom Smith,
General Secretary; James Brown, Accountant; etc

THE DASH Used as

a pause, when the dash separates a part of the sentence which has a strong
connection with the other part of the sentence. It was not a daffodil - it was a
narcissus, dancing in the breeze.

an indication of parenthesis. A pair of dashes (or commas) separate a non-essential

component. Brackets could do the same job.

a link. If music be the food of love - W. Shakespeare.

THE HYPHEN Used to

link separate words to make one compound word.

orange-box, without the hyphen this would mean an orange-coloured box.
paper-fastener, without it would mean a fastener made of paper.

to form an adjective. well-dressed, 250-volt. Shakespeare's 'lily-liver'd loon'.

Unit 2 9

Module 1

QUOTATION MARKS ' "

Single and double. Modern practice is to use single marks for all quotations unless
there is a quotation within a quotation.
THE EXCLAMATION MARK !
Limit its use to exclamatory sentences and phrases. Get out! What a beautiful baby!
THE QUESTION MARK ?
The only real problem here is not using it when it is required or using it when it is not
needed.
Will you please complete the enclosed application form?
I wonder if you could call into this office next week. This is not a question it's a
statement.
BRACKETS

(round)

[square]

Round brackets enclose a word, clause or phrase inserted in a sentence which is

grammatically complete without it.
The students (from all parts of the world) who study with INTESOL have to work very
hard to gain their qualification.
Square brackets are generally used to enclose something extra, by way of
explanation, but not part of the sentence. eg I walk [verb] to work each day.

Unit 2 10

Module 1

THE APOSTROPHE
Who would believe that such a little mark could be so universally misunderstood.
Indeed it is probably the most misunderstood and frequently misused punctuation mark
in the English language.
It really is quite simple.
Providing it is well taught, students should rarely have a problem with its use. To
someone who knows how to use it, its misuse can prove to be cause for real irritation
and concern. So here goes, let's make sure that in future everyone who learns English
becomes an expert in the use of the apostrophe. Many people live in fear and dread of
the apostrophe and either pretend it doesn't exist, or liberally splatter the page with
apostrophes on every 's'. However, to use the apostrophe incorrectly is more of a crime
than not to use one at all.
If in doubt leave it out
When you know, let it show.
IT'S USED TO
show that something has been omitted
Hello, I'm Jack, what's your name? The 'a' in 'am' has been substituted by an
apostrophe, also the 'i' in 'is'.
I'd = I had

you've = you have

Mornin'

thro'

don't = do not

We're going to the cinema. Who'd like to join us?

indicate ownership
The dog owned by Jane won the 'Best of Breed' at Crufts.
Becomes
Jane's dog won ..
This is fairly straightforward; the apostrophe shows that Jane owns the dog.
What happens if the name of the person who owns the dog ends in 's', eg. James or
Phyllis?
This would become James's dog

or

Phyllis's dog

Even though this is grammatically correct, it is more usual to omit the final 's' and
simply put the apostrophe at the end of the name; this automatically indicates
possession.
James' dog won ..
Unit 2 11

Module 1

Phyllis' dog won .

singular and plural

Mr Jones and Mrs Jones = The Joneses (this indicates more than one, nothing has
been omitted and as yet we have not mentioned anything belonging to them). However,
if we discuss the car belonging to Mr and Mrs Jones
this becomes
The Jones's car

or

The Jones' car.

One cake, ten cakes - it doesnt matter how many there are, an apostrophe is not
required. However as soon as something belongs to the cake an apostrophe is
required eg The cake's stand was almost a metre high.
NB Please note that its showing ownership does not follow the apostrophe rule.
eg The gate creaked on its hinges.

Unit 2 12

Module 1

SELF-CHECK

SELF-CHECK 2.

THE USE OF CAPITALS, PUNCTUATION AND THE APOSTROPHE

Read through the following passage and make the necessary corrections.
Look out for the misuse of capital letters and punctuation; apostrophes
either left out or put in the wrong place and there may be the odd spelling
error and grammatical error lurking around somewhere. See how many
you can find. Thirty-seven = excellent, below thirty = more revision!
Cheshires Deep South Its Worth a Visit!
south Cheshire is an area of fasinating contrasts and great beauty, It is
renowned for its Cheese, picturesque black and white magpie houses,
Pastoral Countryside and canals.

It is regarded as one of the finest diary farming areas in the country and
has more cows to the acre than anywhere else in the World.

Most of the famous cheshire cheese is now made in creamerys, but

some farms are still producing the top qwality Farmhouse cheese.

From any vantage point, on the Peckforton and bickerton Hills, the
impression over the surrounding countryside is of an endless patchwork
quilt of hedges and fields with small copses and hedgerow trees. on a
Sunny day, hundreds of ponds (many of them old marl pits) glint and
shine, Well-managed hedges and ponds are excellent habitats for Wild
flowers and Birds.

Unit 2 13

Module 1

The Town of nantwich as much to offer architecturally and historically.

The parish Church is known has the cathedral of South Cheshire.
Nantwich museum brings together various aspects, of the towns history
an gives fascinating glimpses of the life of people though the years.
There are also a permanent display of cheese making once a major
industry on local farms:

Unit 2 14

Module 1

Cheshires Deep South Its Worth a Visit!

South Cheshire is an area of fascinating contrasts and great beauty. It is
renowned for its cheese, picturesque black and white magpie houses,
pastoral countryside and canals.
It is regarded as one of the finest dairy farming areas in the country and has
more cows to the acre than anywhere else in the world.
Most of the famous Cheshire cheese is now made in creameries, but some
farms are still producing the top quality Farmhouse cheese.
From any vantage point (no comma here) on the Peckforton and Bickerton
Hills, the impression over the surrounding countryside is of an endless
patchwork quilt of hedges and fields with small copses and hedgerow trees.
On a sunny day, hundreds of ponds (many of them old marl pits)
glint and shine. Well-managed hedges and ponds are excellent habitats for
wild flowers and birds.
The town of Nantwich has much to offer architecturally and historically. The
parish church is known as the cathedral of South Cheshire. Nantwich
Museum brings together various aspects (no comma here) of the towns
history and gives fascinating glimpses of the life of people through the years.
There is also a permanent display of cheese making, once a major industry
on local farms.

Unit 2 15

Module 1

COUNT AND MASS NOUNS

Also known as countable and uncountable/non-count nouns
Nouns

are things - animate or inanimate, real or

imaginary, visible or invisible.

Proper nouns

are names of people, places and trade names etc.

Countable nouns

are things which can be singular or plural. In the

singular the noun must be preceded by an article.
eg I have a cat.

I bought a house.

But in the plural this becomes:I have two cats.

Mass (uncountable/
non-count nouns)

I sell houses for a living.

Something which is always singular, irrespective of

quantity.
eg bread, air, petrol.
Serve on a slice of bread.
Use two slices of bread.

Abstract nouns

Words such as, information, hope, fear.

These are generally regarded as uncountable.
eg He set out with boots on his feet, hope in his
heart and an almighty great rucksack on his back..
But not always.
eg Carrying a great rucksack like that one wonders
whether his hopes of crossing the USA on foot will
be achieved.

SELF-CHECK

SELF-CHECK 3. COUNT AND MASS NOUNS

Put the following into the correct column: child, music, tennis, ice, money,
city, furniture, fear, knowledge, briefcase.
Countable
Singular
Plural

Unit 2 16

Module 1

Mass

Countable or Mass

THE GERUND
The ing form of the verb used rather like a noun, eg. jumping, walking, singing, speaking
etc.
Using the gerund
as the subject
of a sentence

Singing in tune is not everyones forte.

Prohibitions

No smoking. No riding on the grass verges.

after prepositions

Are you interested in cooking?

How about studying for a TEFL qualification?

Verb + gerund

They avoided skidding by attaching chains to the car

wheels.
She suggested jumping up and down to keep warm.
Most children dislike spelling.

The perfect gerund

Used when referring to a past action.

He was praised for having helped so many students to
learn English.

The passive gerund

Present: Her effort was rewarded by being given a

substantial pay rise.
Past:

Take your pick

A substantial pay rise indicated her effort

having been acknowledged.

Some verbs can take the infinitive or gerund without the meaning
being altered.
eg begin/start.

I began (started) dieting last week.

I began (started) to diet last week.

Other verbs include: continue, cease, can/could bear, intend,

advise, allow, permit, recommend.
Regret, remember,
Forget (negative)

Use these if the gerund is the first action.

eg I remember dreaming about owning a house in France. ie The
dream came first, then I remembered.
Ill never forget missing the flight; I was stranded for a week.

to express fear,
sorrow or shame

He never exceeded the speed limit. He was afraid of

getting booked.
They were sorry for creating so much mess.

Unit 2 17

Module 1

SELF-CHECK

SELF-CHECK 4. THE GERUND

Put the correct forms of the verb(s) in the space(s) provided.

1. They entered by the lock. (force)
2. By hard they succeeded in . the INTESOL certificate.
(work, gain)
3. I am looking forward to . you. (meet)
4. Dont forget the cat out before .. to bed.
(put, go)
5. He hates . up early so he had . two alarm clocks.
(get, set)
6. When the skater felt the ice

.. he hurried to the edge

of the lake . himself from .. (begin, stop, drown,

crack)

Unit 2 18

Module 1

PREPOSITIONS
Words that help us to answer questions such as, when and where, and link elements
eg noun, pronoun or participles.
Position
Usually, but not always, written before (pre) the noun etc.
We are told to avoid ending a sentence with a preposition and whilst it is perhaps best
to conform in formal writing or speech, it is considered acceptable in informal language
to move the preposition to the end eg
Where is the shop from which you bought your dress? - Where's the shop you bought it
from?
With whom are you going? - Who are you going with?
Phrasal verbs
We frequently tag a preposition on to the end of a verb to convey a specific meaning eg
try out, add up, give up, cough up.
Prepositions and adjectives/participles
owing to

confident of

sorry for/about

Prepositions relating to:

Time
at
before
by
in
on
from
since
for
during
after
until, till

Unit 2 19

Movement
at
in
by
on
into
onto
from
of
out
to
down
up
past
across
towards
along

Module 1

Place
above
below
beneath
over
under
inside
outside
between
in front of
opposite
around
across
along
among, amongst
amid

pleased with

SELF-CHECK

SELF-CHECK 5. PREPOSITIONS

Add a preposition or prepositions from the list below to the following to

form a prepositional phrase.
ask

break

take

believe

call

run

hope

come

put

prepare

die

think

get

turn

sit

Prepositions: for, off, across, away, over, of, up, after, down, along, out,
back, into, in, to, about, through, on, up.
Write sentences to show how make up can be used in six different ways.

Unit 2 20

Module 1

SPELLING RULES
DOUBLE OR SINGLE CONSONANT?
Remember, a double consonant softens the vowel:
file

fill

pile

pill

ei or ie?
We all know the rule i before e except after c
Pronounced ee
ie
field
grief
niece
relief
thief

ei after c
ceiling
conceive
deceive
perceive
receive

ei exceptions
counterfeit
seize
weir
weird

Pronounced ee
or eye
either
neither

CONSONANTS TO DOUBLE OR NOT TO DOUBLE

verbs/nouns
If, in its basic form, the consonant is preceded by only one vowel, then double it for
the past tense/participles and related noun, if applicable.
Verb
occur
cancel
travel
rob

Past tense and

past participle
occurred
cancelled
travelled
robbed

Present
participle
occurring
cancelling
travelling
robbing

Noun

sailing
feeling
needing

sailor
feeling

occurrence
cancellation
travel
robber

two vowels use a single consonant

sail
feel
need

sailed
Felt
needed

a vowel sound + a consonant

Unit 2 21

Module 1

single 'l'
crawl
trawl
Double 'l'
cull

crawled
trawled

crawling
trawling

crawl
trawl

culled

culling

cull

*Exceptions - verbs ending in 'en' - open, sharpen

'er' - offer
verbs ending in 'e'
Basic verb

Past tense + d

elope
rule
decide

eloped
ruled
decided

Present participle drop

'e' add 'ing'
eloping
ruling
deciding

if 'y' follows a consonant

Basic Verb

Past tense drop 'y' add

'ied'
cried
lobbied

cry
lobby

Present participle add

'ing'
crying
lobbying

if 'y' follows a vowel, the 'y' remains

Basic verb
play

Past tense
played

Present participle
playing

verbs ending in 'c' are given a 'k'

panic

panicking

PLURALS
Unit 2 22

Module 1

mimic

mimicking

Most English nouns form plurals by adding 's' or 'es'

books

flowers

plates

businesses

Singular
um
maximum
is
analysis
us
bacillus

Plural
A
maxima
Es
analyses
I
bacilli

Singular
a
formula
on
criterion

cactus
radius

cacti
radii
en
brethren
children
men
women

kisses

Exceptions

brother
child
man
woman

Plural
ae
formulae
a
criteria

'y' becomes 'ies'

city

cities

ending with 'o'

beauty
add 'es'
or 's'

beauties

potato(es)
radio(s)

tomato(es)
folio(s)

veto(es)
auto(s)

Nouns ending in 'f' or 'fe' are inconsistent. Some take 'fs' others 'ves'
Singular
chef
roof

Plural
chefs
roofs

Singular
half
knife

Plural
halves
knives

Nouns ending in 'ch' 'sh' 'ss' or 'x' take 'es'

churches

flashes

Most nouns ending in 's' take 'es'

Unit 2 23

Module 1

masses

coxes

PROBLEM AREAS
The following are consistently mis-spelled or mis-used.
practise (verb)

practice (noun)

license (verb)

licence (noun)

accept (verb)

except (preposition)

affect (verb)

effect (verb or noun)

all right

always two words

aural, oral

sound similar but aural refers to the ear and

oral refers to the mouth

biannual
biennial

twice a year
once every two years

compliment
complement

a courteous expression
something that goes well with something else

dependent (adjective)
dependant (noun)

relying on something or someone

something or someone which or who relies on something
or someone else

disinterested
uninterested

unbiased, impartial
not interested

elicit
illicit

extract ie information
unlawful

ensure
insure

to make sure
to protect something against misfortune

its
it's

possessive never has an apostrophe

abbreviation for 'it is'

their
there

possessive pronoun
at or in that place - adverb

who's
whose

who is or who has

the one belonging to a person or an inanimate object
eg the person whose car has broken down
the club whose secretary was arrested last week

less

applies to things measured by amount not size,

quality or number
eg The sale price was less than half the normal price.

fewer

answers the question 'how many?'

eg Fewer people attended than had been expected.

Unit 2 24

Module 1

TENSES
The word tense is a grammatical term for time. In all European languages we can
communicate in various forms of the Present, Past or Future Tense. We can say what
we do, what we did or what we will do.
1.

The Present Tenses

There are two core present tenses
a) The Present Simple, so called as it consists of one verb component,
underlined below in the examples:
They speak
She replies (add -s or -es for the third person singular)
We hear
When do we use it?
- To express thoughts and feelings.
eg I think he is married.
-

For repeated and routine actions.

eg She gets up at 7 oclock.

To describe permanent situations.

eg They live in Bristol.

NB The Present Simple can also be used to refer to future time

eg The bus leaves at 10 oclock on Saturday morning.
Johns plane lands later this afternoon.
b) The Present Continuous/Progressive is a compound tense containing
two verb components:
the present tense of the verb to be plus the present participle or gerund
of the main verb, indicated below:
They
Nobody
I

to be
are
is
am

gerund
speaking
listening
studying

Usually when the verb infinitive ends in -e this will be omitted before
adding -ing and often when the infinitive is monosyllabic and ending in a
consonant the latter is doubled.
eg

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Module 1

verb infinitive
rise
hit
sip

gerund
rising
hitting
sipping

When do we use it?

- To say what is happening now
(the action has already started and has not ended: this would include
comments about the weather and what people are wearing)
eg At the moment they are sitting in front of the television.
-

To describe temporary situations

eg Sheila is living with some friends until she can find a flat of her
own.

To express regrettable actions

eg I am always losing my keys.

NB The Present Continuous/Progressive can also be used when talking about plans
for the future
eg Our neighbours are emigrating early next year
Were travelling to Italy by train in the summer
c) The Present Perfect (Simple) and Present Perfect
Continuous/Progressive
These are two tenses that join the past to the present
Present Perfect (Simple)
eg Ive lost my keys [therefore I cannot open the door now]
We have lived in Bath for ten years [and we still do]
With the Present Perfect Continuous/Progressive there is no sense of
the action being completely finished
eg A: Look at your hands! What have you been doing?
B: Ive been mending my bicycle [The job is not complete. B
is in the middle of doing it and hes probably taking a
break]
Contrast this with the Present Perfect Simple:
Ive mended my bicycle [ie the job is done and the bike is now
available for use].
NB When using verbs such as work or live there is no difference in meaning between
continuous and simple.
eg Dawn
I

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has been working

has worked
ve lived
have been living

in the Slough office for two years.

in Rochdale for some time.

Both of the above are compound tenses. The Simple tense has two components: the
Present tense of the verb to have and the past participle of the main verb
eg He has walked the Pennine Way.
[completed]
The Continuous tense has three components:
the Present tense of to have
been (the present participle of to be)
the gerund of the main verb
eg He has been walking the Pennine Way.
[not necessarily completed]
The regular form of the Past Simple ends in -ed and this will be the same as the past
participle in such tenses as the Present Perfect and the Past Perfect. However with
irregular forms this is not always the case. Note a few common examples below.
verb infinitive

past simple

past participle

to begin
to swim
to bite

began
swam
bit

begun
swum
bitten

. . . and there are many more!

As teachers of English we must ensure that we use these correctly ourselves.
2. The Past Tenses
a) The Past Simple is the only past tense with one component.
Non-native speakers often confuse it with the Present Perfect. The Past
Simple is used to describe actions that finished in the past. The inclusion
of a time phrase reminds us that this is the case.
eg We visited the Channel Islands last summer.
She lost her camera whilst on holiday.
The shooting party left two hours ago.
b) The Past Continuous
Whereas the Past Simple is used for complete actions in the past, the
Past Continuous (Past Simple of to be plus the gerund of the main verb)
is used to describe incomplete actions going on in the past. A single
complete action can occur whilst a continuous action goes on in the
background.
eg It was raining when I stepped outside
past continuous past simple
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The Past Continuous can also be used as a descriptive tense, particularly with people
and weather.
eg He was wearing short grey trousers.
The moon and stars were shining brightly.
c) The Past Perfect
This is a compound tense (Past Simple of to have plus past participle of
the main verb) which native speakers often avoid using.
eg He said he had forgotten his dinner money is the correct version of
He said he forgot his dinner money
Plainly the forgetting occurred before the saying. The Past Perfect is the
past tense you use to say what happened earlier than a certain point of
time in the past.
eg They asked me if I had seen the doctor on time.
By 11 oclock all the chocolate cake had disappeared.
The car we had paid for in cash proved to be unreliable.
d) The Past Perfect Continuous
This tense is had been plus the gerund of the main verb.
Imagine a continuous action leading up to a single event in the past.
eg Peter had been waiting for the bus for a good half hour when it
suddenly appeared.
Jean experienced blurred vision as she had been working on the
computer for most of the evening.
e) Used to (do)
Used to plus infinitive means that something happened on a regular
basis in the past.
eg We used to go to church on Sunday [but we dont go any more]
We normally use didnt use to in negatives
eg We didnt use to take calculators into examinations.
or We never used to take calculators into examinations.
We normally use did . . . use to in questions
eg Which medicine did she use to take?
Did you use to watch that awful situation comedy?

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Module 1

Was/were going to is used to express an intention in the past which

frequently does not translate into action.
eg I was going to paint the ceiling at the weekend but I just didnt have
the time.
He was going to catch the early train but was prevented from doing
so because he had to stay behind at work.
3. The Future Tense
a) Going to
This is used to talk about something we have decided to do in the near
future (an intention).
eg James is going to take a holiday in Malta.
Were not going to listen to that sort of music.
[can be taken as a refusal]
b) Will/shall
Will is commonly identified as a modal auxiliary that forms part of the
future tense. It is accompanied by the infinitive of the main verb and
together they form the neutral future.
eg She will visit us in the new year
(Shell)
Which is usually well expressed as :
Shes visiting us in the new year
[see notes on Present Continuous]
Both will and shall are often used as the first word in a sentence to
express a functon.
Will, for example, is used to make a request
eg Will you open the window, please?
or to give an order
eg Will you be quiet!
Shall is used to make a suggestion
eg Shall we go to the theatre tonight?
or when the speaker is volunteering to do something
eg Shall I fix the clock?
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Module 1

Will, however, tends to be the more versatile of the two. In addition it can
be used:
i. to predict
eg Itll rain tomorrow
(It will)
ii.to show determination
eg I will win that race even if I have to train day and night.
iii.
to make a promise
eg If you pass that examination Ill buy you a car.
(I will)
iv.
to express supposition and an instant decision
eg (Theres a knock at the door)
Thatll be the postman. Ill get it.
c) The Future Continuous
Will/shall and the verb to be plus the gerund are used to describe an
action over a period of time in the future.
eg This time next week we will be celebrating Dads birthday.
At noon I shall be enjoying this lovely weather in the garden.
Its difficult to imagine what Ill be doing in ten years time.
d) The

Future Perfect

This takes the form of will have plus the past participle of the main verb
and is used to express a completed action in the future.
eg By the time you arrive at the port the boat will have set sail.
Will he have completed his thesis before he goes abroad?
e) The

Future Perfect Continuous consists of four components:

will have been plus the gerund ( . . . ing)

The tense is used to predict how long something will last, viewed up to a
point in the future.
eg On 20th January I will have been working for this company for
thirty years.
[Action started before time of speaking]
This time next week he will have been travelling for
thirty-six hours.
[Action will start after time of speaking]

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4. The Conditional Tense

This is made up of would plus the infinitive of the main verb. Should is
possible instead of would with the first person.
The Conditional occurs in the following cases:
i. In sentences with if and similar words
eg If I won the lottery I would first pay off all my debts.
[Id]
Supposing/Imagine you were sent to a desert island, what
luxury item would you take with you?
ii.In a report about the past which looks forward to the future
eg They assured us they would remove the eyesore the next day.
I explained I wouldnt be able to do it on my own.
[or couldnt]
iii.
When making polite requests or offers
eg I should/would like some brandy with my coffee.
Would you prefer to go to the sea or the mountains?
NB Would and should are used in other contexts
eg When I was small our teacher would always give us sixpence
on our birthday. (meaning used to give)
People shouldnt abuse the welfare state. (instead of ought not
to abuse)
If we examine if clauses more closely we will see there are three types of Conditional.
The first type we can refer to as the probable condition
eg If you finish your work on time, well pay a visit to the science
museum.
(we will)
If we dont score more points well be soundly beaten.
(we shall)
The second type we can classify as the improbable condition
eg If Tim got up on time he wouldnt be late for his lecture.
If I were you Id cancel the policy now.
(I would)

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Module 1

In the third type we find that the opposite really happened to what is expressed in the
if clause. It can be described as impossible because it has already taken place and
cannot be changed.
eg You would have passed your exams if you had devoted more
time to your studies.
[You didnt devote more time and you didnt pass]
If she hadnt fallen asleep she would have seen the lunar eclipse.
[She did fall asleep and she didnt see the eclipse]
Notice the sequences of tenses in each of the three types of Conditional:
If Clause

Main Clause

First Condition

Present Simple

Second Condition

Past Simple

would

Third Condition

Past Perfect

would have

SELF-CHECK

will

SELF-CHECK 6. TENSES

Construct three sentences of the type above with the following jumbled
words:
If the instructions follow on the tin
you get you results best the

Unit 2 32

Module 1

VERBS
When you use a verb you are focusing on the action that takes place within a
sentence. Without a verb you do not have a sentence.
STRUCTURE OF VERBS
In the section on tenses you will have observed there are simple and compound
tenses (ie composed of more than one part). In a simple tense you only have the
main verb)
For example:

in he speaks, speaks is the main verb of to speak

in they arrived, arrived is the main verb of to arrive

In a compound tense you will find, as well as the main verb, an auxiliary (or helping)
verb
For example:

He has spoken
auxiliary
verb: present
tense of to
have

They are arriving

main verb:
past
participle of
to speak

auxiliary
verb: present
tense of to
be

main verb:
present
participle of
to arrive

Having studied the tenses of English already, can you say which other tenses make
use of the verb to have?
eg the past perfect (or pluperfect)
He had refused
auxiliary
verb: past
simple of to
have

main verb:
past
participle of
to refuse

NB The past participle occurs only in compound tenses.

There is a third auxiliary verb: the verb to do which is used to make questions and
negatives in simple tenses.
eg Does she take sugar? Did I leave my umbrella behind? She doesnt take sugar
auxiliary
verb: present
tense of to
do

Unit 2 33

main verb:
infinitive
without to

Module 1

auxiliary
verb: past
simple of to
do

main verb:
infinitive
without to

negative
auxiliary
verb

main verb:
infinitive
without to

All three of the above verbs (have, be and do) can also be used as main verbs.
eg

We have had an argument

auxiliary
verb:
present
tense of to
have

eg

Look what the clown is doing

main verb:
past
participle of
to have

auxiliary
verb: present
tense of to
be

main verb:
present
participle of
to do

He is being silly

auxiliary
verb: present
tense of to
be

main verb:
present
participle of
to be

There are occasions when you may have more than one auxiliary verb. This is
usually in a sentence where the passive voice is being used; here the subject of the
sentence is not responsible for the action described by the verb, but instead is on the
receiving end of that action.
eg

The boy is being questioned by the police The artefacts have been stolen
auxiliary
verb

Auxiliary
verb:
present
participle
of to be

Past
participle
of to
question

auxiliary
verb

main verb:
past
participle of
to be

main verb:
past
participle of
to steal

SELF-CHECK

SELF-CHECK 7. VERBS

Identify each of the underlined words saying whether they are main or
auxiliary verbs, giving any extra information necessary, as in the course
notes.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

They are having a party.

We sell shrimps.
Do you take American Express?
We have had the most wonderful time.
My application has been rejected.
They are being watched by the Secret Service.
Have you read that story?
They dont shoot rabbits, do they?

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Module 1

Modal Auxiliary Verbs

This group of verbs has no infinitive - you cannot say to must - and has no s on the
3rd person singular. Questions are constructed by reversing the order of the subject
and the verb, and do is not used to form a negative.
By doing the self-check you will be able to see which verbs are modals.
NB Most modal verbs have no past forms, could and would being the exceptions.
eg She must cancel her appointment
would become in the past:
She had to cancel her appointment
Must have cancelled means something completely different.
I may not visit the museum today (indicating possibility)
would become in the past:
I wasnt sure if I was going to visit the museum on that day
I may not visit the museum today (indicating prohibition)
would become in the past:
I was not allowed to visit the museum on that day

SELF-CHECK

SELF-CHECK 8. MODAL AUXILIARY VERBS

Exercise 1(a)
Identify the modal auxiliary verbs from the following:
1. must

8. could

2. should

9. shall

3. would

10. find

4. swim

11. will

5. may

12. can

6. read

13. write

7. ought

14. might

Unit 2 35

Module 1

Exercise 1(b)
Which four of the above are not modal verbs? Can you say why?
Exercise 2
Try placing another verb after each of the ten modal auxiliaries you have
identified above. Which modal is the exception to the rule given, and can
be followed by to?
Phrasal Verbs
There are thousands of phrasal verbs in the English language which for foreigners
can be quite difficult to learn and take some time getting used to.
These verbs consist of two or more parts: an ordinary verb (eg put, take, look) and
a small word or particle such as off, down, up, aside etc.
For example:

What phrasal verb can you use instead of the underlined word in
the following sentence?
They have postponed the meeting until Friday.

Answer:

put off

Some phrasal verbs have more than one particle, eg get on with, go through with,
snap out of
One final point to note about the particle is that it does not always come immediately
after the verb.
eg

Are you going to give back the ladder you borrowed?

Ill give it back as soon as possible.
If the object is a pronoun, the particle will come after.

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Module 1

SELF-CHECK

SELF-CHECK 9. PHRASAL VERBS

?
Exercise 1

Find a phrasal verb from the list on the right for each of the single words
on the left.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

continue
reduce (prices)
extinguish
alight
depart
return
inspect
criticise (someone)
investigate (the matter)
retreat

a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j

look over
set off
look into
give back
put out
put down
carry on
back away
get off
bring down

Exercise 2
Think of a synonym in the form of a phrasal verb for each of the
following words. Each phrasal verb will end in one of the particles
listed.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

seek
wait
maintain (payments)
discover
inherit

6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

demolish
ridicule
remove
withdraw (money)
enter

Particles
up

down

out

in

on

into

at

for

off

(both lists can be used more than once)

Unit 2 37

Module 1

ANSWER KEYS TO SELF-CHECK

Self-check 2:
Cheshires Deep South Its Worth a Visit!
South Cheshire is an area of fascinating contrasts and great beauty. It is
renowned for its cheese, picturesque black and white magpie houses,
pastoral countryside and canals.
It is regarded as one of the finest dairy farming areas in the country and
has more cows to the acre than anywhere else in the world.
Most of the famous Cheshire cheese is now made in creameries, but some
farms are still producing the top quality Farmhouse cheese.
From any vantage point (no comma here) on the Peckforton and Bickerton
Hills, the impression over the surrounding countryside is of an endless
patchwork quilt of hedges and fields with small copses and hedgerow
trees. On a sunny day, hundreds of ponds (many of them old marl pits)
glint and shine. Well-managed hedges and ponds are excellent habitats for
wild flowers and birds.
The town of Nantwich has much to offer architecturally and historically.
The parish church is known as the cathedral of South Cheshire.
Nantwich Museum brings together various aspects (no comma here) of the
towns history and gives fascinating glimpses of the life of people through
the years. There is also a permanent display of cheese making, once a
major industry on local farms.

Unit 2 38

Module 1

Self-check 3:
Countable
Singular
Plural
Child

Children

City

Cities

Briefcase

Briefcases

Mass
Music

Ice

Tennis

Money

Furniture

Fear

Knowledge

Self-check 4:
1. forcing
2. working, gaining
3. meeting
4. to put, going
5. to get/getting, to set
6. beginning to crack, to stop, drowning

Self-check 7:
1) Are auxiliary, having main
2) Sell main
3) Do auxiliary, take main
4) Have auxiliary, had main
5) Has auxiliary, been auxiliary, rejected main
6) Are auxiliary, being auxiliary, watched main
7) Have auxiliary, read main
8) Don't auxiliary, shoot main, do auxiliary

Self-check 8:
Unit 2 39

Module 1

Countable or Mass

1a)
must, should, would, may, ought, could, shall, will, can, might

1b)
swim, read, find, write these have tense forms and require another verb to form a
question or negative.

2)
ought

Self-check 9:
1)
1g
2j
3e
4i
5b
6d
7a
8f
9c
10 h

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Unit 2 40

Module 1