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Summary of English. Units 4-9 of First Certificate Expert.

UNIT 4.

A. Past tenses.

Past Simple (regular verb + -ed; but there are some irregular forms). The past simple is usually used to talk
about completed actions in past time.
1. Completed actions at a particular time in the past. Example: I went to Rome last Thursday.
2. Completed situations over a definite period of time in the past. Example: I worked in a bank when I was a
younger.
3. Repeated actions/situations in the past. Example: We went to the beach every summer.
4. Actions which happen quickly one after another. Example: When I arrived they turned off the television and
started cooking.
Narrative use: an action or event at a point in the past.

Past continuous (was/were + -ing). This tense is used in the following ways:
1. At a particular time in the past when we were in the middle of a (temporary) action/situation. Example: On
Friday we were listening to a CD.
2. Background descriptions. Example: We went out into the street. It was raining and people were carrying
umbrellas.
3. Describing typical behavior with always. Example: She was always smoking in the house.
4. To talk about planned events that did not happen. Example: We were meeting Jane the next day but she
didnt come.
Note: we use the past continuous to focus on the activity or its effect on us. We are not saying whether or not
the action is completed.
Narrative use: an activity in progress at a point in the past.

Past perfect simple (had + past participle). The past perfect simple is usually used to talk about actions before a
past time. Example: When we got to the airport the plane had already left.
However, if the order of events is clear, we prefer the past simple. Example: The plane left before we
got there.
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Narrative use: a single action which happened before a point in the past.

Past perfect continuous (had + been + -ing). We use the past perfect continuous for an activity over a period of
time up to a specific time/event in the past. Example: Before I came to London I had been working in Paris.
Narrative use: an activity which happened before a point in the past.

Past habit. To talk about past habits it is possible to use three verb structures:
1. Past simple + adverb of frequency: Every day I got up at 7 a.m. and went to work by bus.
2. Used to: for states or habits which are no longer true: I used to live in Birmingham (state). I used to go
out every Friday (habit).
3. Would: for habits (but not states) which are no longer true: When I was younger, I would go out every
Friday.
Also, we can use kept (on) to suggest criticism of a habit: He kept (on) talking while I was trying to sleep.

B. Time conjunctions.

1. As, While, When.
a. A longer activity happening around a short event: As/While/When I was watching a horror
movie, I heard a noise outside.
b. Two longer activities happening at the same time: As/While/When I was working, my brother
was sitting on the beach.
2. When.
a. A short event in the middle of a longer activity: I was watching a horror movie when I heard a
noise outside.
b. A short event immediately before another short event: When he crossed the finish line,
everybody cheered.
3. Before, After.
a. Before always goes with the second action in the sequence: Before we left, I filled up/had
filled up with petrol. (=first: fill up; second: leave). I filled up/had filled up with petrol before we
left.
b. After always goes with the first action in the sequence: After I filled up/had filled up with
petrol, we left. We left after we filled up/had filled up with petrol.
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4. As soon as: it means immediately after. As soon as he went/had gone outside, it started raining.
5. By the time: it means before. By the time the police arrived, the robbers had run away.

C. Countable/uncountable nouns.

Countable nouns. They can be singular or plural and refer to things we can count. We can use a/an with singular
countable nouns.

Uncountable nouns. They (usually) have no plural. We cant count liquids, materials (wool) or abstract qualities
(progress, behaviour). We use some/any, or no article, with uncountable nouns (not a/an).
Somme common uncountable nouns are: accommodation, advice, athletics, behaviour, bread, butter,
electricity, equipment, fun, food, furniture, health, information, knowledge, luggage, money, music, news,
research, salt, scenery, skiing, spaghetti, traffic, travel, trouble, weather, work.

Countable and uncountable nouns. Some nouns can be either countable or uncountable, depending on the use:
chicken, chocolate, coffee, glass, hair, time, cheese, paper, room/space, business.
Some uncountable nouns can be limited by using a countable expression:
A piece/ a bit of (bread, news, information, advice).
A drop of (water/milk).
A slice of (bread, toast, cake).
An item of (news).

Determiners.

1. Plural countables nouns:
a. (a) few/fewer.
b. Many; a great many; very many; not many.
c. Several.
d. Small/ a good/ a large/ a great number of
2. Uncountable nouns:
a. (very) little/not much.
b. A good/ a great deal of; a small/ a large amount of.
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3. Plural countables and uncountables nouns:
a. A lot of/ lots of/ plenty of.
b. No... at all; none.
c. A lack of.
Note: there is a difference in meaning between few/ a few and little/ a little.
Countable:
There are a few (=some) people.
There are few (=not much) people.
Uncountable:
Theres a little (=some) time.
Theres little (=not much) time.

UNIT 5.

A. Future tenses.

A variety of forms can be used to talk about the future:
1. Be going to + infinitive.
2. Present continuous.
3. Shall/will + infinitive.
4. Present simple.
5. Be to + infinitive.
6. Be due to/be about to + infinitive.
7. Be on the point of + -ing.
8. Future continuous.
9. Future perfect.
10. Future perfect continuous.





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Going to Present
continu
ous
Shall/will Presen
t
simple
Be to +
infinitiv
e
Be
due
to/be
about
to +
infinit
ive
Be on
the
point
of + -
ing
Future
continuo
us
Futu
re
perf
ect
Future
perfec
t
contin
uous.
Plann
ed
event
s
Things
already
decided/in
tentions
Arrange
ments
(need
of a
time
expressi
on)
-- -- -- -- -- Planned/
routine
action
without
personal
intention
polite
-- --
Fixed
event
s
-- -- -- Timeta
bles
and
progra
mmes
(need
of a
time
expres
sion)
Formal
official
arrange
ments
-- -- -- -- --
Unpla
nned
event
s
-- -- Decision at
the moment
of speaking
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
Predic
tions
Noticing
something
in the
present
that will
make
something
happen
-- Expecting
something to
happen
(opinion
based on our
experience/k
nowledge)
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
Events
close
to
happe
ning
-- -- -- -- -- About
to:
event
s
close
to
happe
ning.
Due
to:
more
Event
s
close
to
happ
ening
-- -- --
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plann
ed
event
s
Action
in
progr
ess at
a
fixed
time
in the
future
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- Example:
Ill be
laying on
the
beach
when
you get
this
card.
-- --
Somet
hing
compl
eted
befor
e a
specifi
c time
in the
future
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Exa
mple
:
We
ll
have
finis
hed
befo
re ou
get
back
.
--
Somet
hing
may
be
ongoi
ng at
a
specifi
c time
in the
future
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Examp
le: Ill
have
been
learni
ng
Englis
h for
five
years
by the
time I
take
the
exam.
Future
in the
past
1

simple

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Sometimes when we are talking about the past, we want to refer to something that was in the future at that point in the
past. We use the same structures that we use for talking about the future, but change the verb forms. Example: We arrived
at the building where the interview was to take place.
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Time
clause
s and
Condit
ional
type 1
-- -- -- Use
presen
t
simple
-- -- -- -- -- --