AP04 - OA - Gammar Tips - Oa PDF

FAVA - Formación en Ambientes Virtuales de Aprendizaje
SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje.

Grammar tips: present and past tenses
ESTRUCTURA DE CONTENIDOS
Pág.
Introducción...................................................................................................................... 3
Mapa de contenido .......................................................................................................... 4
1. Let’s listen..................................................................................................................... 5
1.1 A talk about an inspiring computer scientist................................................................ 5
2. Let’s talk ....................................................................................................................... 7
2.1 Past tense pronunciation for regular verbs..................................................................7
3. Let’s read and write....................................................................................................... 8
3.1 Reading an interesting biography................................................................................ 8
3.2 How to write a user manual .......................................................................................11
4. Grammar points ..........................................................................................................13
4.1 Present continuous ...................................................................................................14
4.1.1 Affirmative and negative statements ......................................................................15
4.1.2 Questions ...............................................................................................................16
4.2 Simple past ...............................................................................................................16
4.2.1 Verb to be ...............................................................................................................18
4.2.2 Other verbs ............................................................................................................18
5. Vocabulary builder ......................................................................................................19
Glosario .......................................................................................................................... 25
Bibliografía....................................................................................................................... 26
Control del documento ................................................................................................... 27

SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje. 2

INTRODUCTION
One of the biggest challenges apprentices face when learning a second language is
understanding the complexity of verb tenses use. Many of them have trouble to use the
right tense at the proper time, and others find it very difficult to use those tenses without
making grammar mistakes.
The first step to actually understand when and how a verb tense should
be used is to identify the communicative situation in which they are
commonly brought into action. So, in the case of simple past
tense, we can state that it is used when we want to talk about
a completed action that happened in a time before the moment
of speaking. Whereas in the case of present continuous, the
intention of the speaker is to talk about an action occurring at the
very moment of speaking.
Having in mind the previous reasoning, this time we will focus on

how to use simple past and present continuous tenses correctly.
Also, we will check some useful tips on how to pronounce past
tense verb endings accurately and we’ll review some practical
instructions to write user manuals so you can apply this knowledge
to the development of the projects that are being developed.

MAPA DE CONTENIDO

DESARROLLO DE CONTENIDOS
1. Let´s listen
Greetings, dear friends!
Today I’m a little bit busy doing some research here at the Center’s cafeteria. I’m
searching the web for some information and writing some notes because I need to make
a presentation in English about an inspiring computer scientist who played a major role in
the development of graphical user interface (GUI) design.
As I want to talk about a character who did great things in the past, in order to be able to
explain the importance of his contributions to my teacher and classmates, I need to review
how to use simple past tense in English. This will be of great help when talking about
completed actions that happened in a time before now.
Let’s listen to the following conversation to find out more about ways in which we can talk
about things that happened in the past and things that occur at the moment of speaking.
1.1. A talk about an inspiring computer scientist
A: Good morning, Mrs. Rodríguez. Can I have a word with you, please?
B: Good morning, Susana! Well… right now I am preparing a lesson for my afternoon
class, but... sure! How can I help you?
A: I’m so sorry Mrs. Rodríguez, but I really need your help. Some classmates and I have
to make a presentation in English about any famous computer scientist related to the
user interface design, so we are preparing a talk about an American engineer called
Douglas Engelbart.

B: Douglas Engelbart? Wow, you selected a very fascinating and remarkable character!
A: Sure he is! That’s why we chose him. We are doing a lot of research about him because
we want to make a very good presentation.
B: That’s good. But tell me what do you want me to help you with?
A: Well, we distributed some tasks among the members of my group. My friend Mary
is searching for some information about his most important contributions, my friend
Carlos is working on the PowerPoint presentation and I have to research about the past
events in his life. That’s why I’m here, I need you to tell me about Douglas Engelbart’s
life story.
B: Off course! But… where do I start? Let me see… Engelbart was an American engineer
and inventor and became an early computer and internet pioneer.
A: Amazing! And what was he famous for?
B: He was popular because he invented the computer mouse. He also founded the field
of human-computer interaction.
A: What else did he do?
B: His work contributed to the creation of hypertext, networked computers and he was
also the precursor of graphical user interfaces.
A: Wow! He did a lot of great things.
B: And that’s not all. Let’ me tell you more about his contributions, but first, let’ me have
a cup of coffee.
A: Sure! I feel like having a cup too.

2. Let’s talk
When talking about concrete events that occurred in the past, people use simple past
tense, which is basically formed by adding –ed at the end of the main verb (regular verbs).
Verb forms like selected, contributed, lived and invented are all examples of regular
verbs in past tense. All of these –ed endings may sound the same to you, however, their
pronunciation can be a little bit tricky.
Past tense regular verbs ending in –ed can be pronounced in three different ways:
• They can be pronounced like /t/ as in helped.

• They can be pronounced like /d/ as in saved.
• They can be pronounced like /Id/ as in selected.
Mastering the right pronunciation of past tense for regular verbs is important to avoid
misunderstandings and to improve your listening comprehension skills. Let’s check the
three pronunciations that the –ed ending has in past tense verbs.
2.1. Past tense pronunciation for regular verbs
There are three ways to pronounce the final –ed of regular verbs in the simple past. This
pronunciation is influenced by the final sound of the verb in the base form. Let’s have a
look at the following cases:

3. Let’s read and write
3.1. Reading an interesting biography
Hi there!
I’m still looking for information about Douglas Engelbart to help Susana with her
presentation. I will try searching the web for an Engelbart’s biography. Do you know what
a biography is? Well, a biography is an account of a person’s life and it could be useful for
Susana to find out more about important events related to Engelbart’s early years, career
and contributions to the computer science field.
Usually, biographies are written using simple past tense because they mainly relate to
actions or events that occurred in the past. They are a detailed description of a person’s
life story or what a person’s background is. In order to be able to comprehend what
biographies account for, it is important to identify when past simple tense verbs are used
and what their purpose is.
Let’s google Engelbart to see what interesting information we can find about him and how
it relates to the use of simple past tense in English.
Who was Douglas Engelbart?
Douglas Engelbart was an acclaimed American engineer and

inventor who pioneered the design of interactive computer
environments. He is best known for inventing the computer mouse
in 1964.
His work also contributed to find the field of human–computer

interaction, and to the development of hypertext, networked
computers, and precursors to graphical user interfaces.
Douglas Engelbart’s background
Engelbart was born on January 30, 1925, in Portland, Oregon. His parents were Carl

Louis Engelbart and Gladys Charlotte Amelia Munson Engelbart. He had two siblings, his
sister Dorianne and his brother David. He graduated from Portland’s Franklin High School
in 1942.
Early years
After graduating from Franklin High School in Portland in 1942, Engelbart enrolled at
Oregon State College (Oregon State University) in Corvallis, where he studied electrical
engineering. As World War II came to close, he joined the US Navy and worked as a
radar technician in the Philippines for two years. He returned to Oregon State College and
completed his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1948.
Career and contributions
Engelbart earned a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of California,

Berkeley, in 1955. Later on, he began a career at the Stanford Research Institute (SRI).
In the early 1960s, Engelbart founded SRI International’s Augmentation Research Center
in Palo Alto with the aim of pursuing research on information processing and computer-
sharing tools and methods. He was the first to develop the oN-Line System, also known
as NLS, a revolutionary computer-sharing system.
In 1964, Engelbart created the first design for the computer mouse and the first two-
dimensional editing system.
Engelbart received several honors throughout his lifetime. But, he never received any
credit for inventing the computer mouse, for which he’s now best known.
Engelbart died of kidney failure in Atherton, California, on July 2, 2013. He was 88 (Douglas
Engelbart, 2017).

After reading about Douglas Engelbart, let’s try to summarize the main points made in his
biography by checking the following mind map:

3.2. How to write a user manual
As an information system analyst, one of the things you will be expected to do is working
on the design of manuals to help your client users to understand how to handle and
control the information system you have previously devised for them. In this regard, user
manuals turn out to be extremely necessary since they provide important information on
“how to use the system” to end-users.
A correctly written manual can be tremendously beneficial as it can help you limit the
misuse of your information system which in turn contributes to save engineers’ time and
to support your company’s image.
Pay attention to the following guidelines since they remark important aspects to take into
account in the process of writing a user manual.
Fuente: (wikiHow, 2017)

Plan your user manual

Do an audience analysis. Identify who are you writing your manual
for.

Do a task analysis. Identify and organize the steps needed to use the
device (system).

Decide on your manual’s layout. Decide on text style, color use and
graphic design.
Include essential information

Organize the manual logically. Include a table of contents, a
glossary, a list of figures and tables, and an appendix.
Include necessary warning. Provide the caution information about

potential threats that can be caused by misuse of the system.
Describe the device (system). Include written description and

pictures.
Include setup instructions. Include basic information about how to prepare to use the
product or device.
Provide information about operation. Provide concrete, detailed information on how to

use the device.
Include a product summary at the end. It should go at the end of the manual, just before
the index.
Describe product care

Tell the user how to perform basic maintenance. If the product or
device can be serviced by the user to correct performance issues,
include numbered directions as to how the user can do so.
Include troubleshooting information. Organize this section as a

list of common problems and their solutions. This way, users can find
specific problems quickly.

Write a readable manual

Read other user manuals. Look at other effective user manuals.
Pay attention to the structure, word choice, and sentence style.
Select your standards. Standardizing spelling, word choice, and

phrasing will make the user manual more user-friendly.
Use active voice. Active voice is a perspective in writing that

explains things from the user’s perspective.
Write numbered instructions. Numerically ordered instructions will help the reader stay
more focused on the process of using the device.
Decide what kind of vocabulary you’ll use. If you’re writing a yo-yo user manual, your
audience will be mostly young children. Use simple words and vocabulary in order to
explain how the yo-yo works.
Keep your writing brief. Instead of a few long paragraphs, use many short paragraphs.
4. Grammar points
Verb tenses in English can be a little bit

problematic if you don’t know much about
how they are grammatically structured and
what their main communicative purpose
is. English tenses help speakers express
time in language and are very useful for
both written and oral communication. For
this reason, it is important to devote some
study time to learn the fundamentals
of using verb tenses appropriately,
especially those tenses such as present
continuous and past simple, which are
the basic past and present tense forms
in English.
Let’s review the grammar behind the formation of these two structures so we can improve
our command of tenses in order to be able to communicate our ideas in a clearer and
more accurate manner.

4.1. Present continuous
In English, the present continuous or present progressive tense has multiple uses
depending on the intention or purpose of the speaker. It is basically formed by combining
the present tense of the verb be and the present participle (-ing form) of a verb. Let’s have
a look at the following example structure:
The present continuous tense is mainly used in the following situations:

Useful tip!
Notice that when you use an adverb in a present continuous statement, the
adverb goes between the verb be and the present participle (+ing form of
the verb). Check this example:
People think I am great. I am always laughing.
4.1.1 Affirmative and negative statements
After checking what the main uses of the present continuous tense are, it is time to take a
close look into how this tense is used in affirmative and negative statements.
Affirmative Statements
Present participle
Subject Verb be Complement
(-ing form of the verb)
I am about famous computer scientists.
My friend Mary is for some information at the library.
Carlos is on the Power Point presentation.
We are a presentation in English about

Douglas Engelbart.
They/you (plural) are
Mrs. Rodríguez afternoon class.
Negative Statements

4.1.2 Questions
To make questions using present continuous is quite simple. The only thing you need to
do is to change the position of the verb be and put it at the beginning of the statement.
If you want to add a –wh question word, you only need to put it before the verb be. Let’s
see how it works:
Present participle Question

Verb be Subject Complement mark
(-ing form of the verb)
Are you ?
Is Mary ?
Is Carlos ?
Are we ?
Are they/you (plural) ?
4.2. Simple past
Simple past tense in English is generally used to talk about concrete events that started
and finished in the past. The time of the action can be in the recent past or the distant past
and its duration is not relevant.
With most verbs, the past tense is basically formed by adding –ed to the base form of the

verb. Let’s have a look at the following example structure:
the Engelbart invented

Engelbart Invent ed computer the computer
mouse. mouse
However there are irregular verbs in English that don’t take the –ed ending to form the
past tense. Check the following example:
was in Engelbart was

Engelbart Born
(be) Oregon. born in Oregon.
The simple past tense is mainly used in the following situations:
Useful tip!
People often use phrases with “ago” with the past tense. Check these
examples:
I met Janice a long time ago.
I quitted smoking a long time ago.

4.2.1 Verb to be
To form the simple past tense with the verb be, follow the patterns shown in the chart
below:
Subject Be affirmativeB e negative
I was wasn’t
You were weren’t
He/She/It was wasn’t
We were weren’t
You were weren’t
They were weren’t
4.2.2 Other verbs
To make questions in simple past tense, people use “did”.

Now let’s check how to make negative statements with other verbs in simple past tense.
Here the only thing you need to do is to use “did not/didn’t” before the verb.
5. Vocabulary builder
Here you will find a selection of words related to one of the tasks you will be expected to
complete as part of the project you have been working on: the graphical user interface
design for the information system you have been developing so far. The words you will
find here will become especially handy when you need to talk about the user interface
design components and the processes that derive from working on the interaction design,
visual design and information architecture of the system.
Pay special attention to the context in which each word is used and work on expanding
your vocabulary by learning the synonyms and phrases that appear along with each term.

A user i s someone who

uses a product, machine,
or service.
Customer
Buyer
User
(noun) We design systems to
give t he u ser quick a nd
easy a ccess to t he
required information.
Regular users
First-time users
Contact
Interface Communication
Connection
(noun) Interaction
The purpose of our project

is to design a simple user
interface.

The way in which

something is p lanned
and made.
Model
Drawing
Layout
Design
(noun/verb) Microsoft is a w orld
leader i n software
design.
At the design stage
Collaborate
Combine
Connect
Cooperate
Interaction
(noun) User i nteraction is h ow
the user a cts on t he
system a nd h ow t he
systems acts on the user.
- Social interaction
- Face-to-face interaction

It is the practice of
deciding how to arrange
the parts of something to
be understandable.
Information
architecture Information structure
(noun)
Information architecture
allows designers and
developers to organize
and label websites,
intranets, online
communities and
software.
- The power to m ake a

person, o rganization, o r
object do what you want
- A switch o r piece of
equipment that y ou u se
to operate a m achine or
vehicle
Control
(noun/verb) Power
Rule
Command
-Out of control
-Under control

One o f the parts of

something, especially a
machine
Element
Part
Piece
Item
Component
When designing a u ser
(noun) interface, n avigational
and i nformational
components of t he
system need t o be
included.
- Key component
- Core component
Information that is put

into a computer
Data
Input Info
(noun/verb) Information
The server is having

trouble with the input.

The art or science of

directing the course of a
ship, aircraft, spacecraft,
etc.
Exploration
Navigation Piloting
(noun)
A central theme in web

design is the development
of a web navigation
interface that maximizes
usability.
A preliminary plan for the

arrangement of written
material, photographs or
other artwork.
Design
Layout Ouline
Arrangement
(noun) Plan
The decision which layout

you want to apply to your
information system
depends on the
application, the end users,
the content, etc.

GLOSARIO
Biography (noun): It is the story of a person’s life written by another person.
Component (noun): It is one of the parts of something, especially a machine.
Control (noun/ verb): 1. It references to the power to make a person, organization, or

object do what you want. 2. A switch or piece of equipment that you use to operate a
machine or vehicle.
Design (noun/verb): It is the way in which something is planned and made.
Information architecture (noun): It is the practice of deciding how to arrange the parts
of something to be understandable.
Input (noun/verb): It is information that is put into a computer.
Interaction (noun): It refers to the way in which two or more things combine and have
an effect on each other.
Interface (noun): 1. It refers to the place or area at which different things meet and
communicate with or affect each other. 2. A device or program enabling a user to
communicate with a computer.
Layout (noun): It is a preliminary plan for the arrangement of written material, photographs
or another artwork.
Navigation (noun): The art or science of directing the course of a ship, aircraft, spacecraft,
etc.
User (noun): A user is someone who uses a product, machine, or service.

BIBLIOGRAFÍA
Cambridge Dictionary | Free English Dictionary, T. (2017). Cambridge Dictionary
| Free English Dictionary, Translations and Thesaurus. Dictionary.cambridge.
org. Recuperado de http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/
Collocation examples, Usage and Definition | collocation dictionary. (2017).

Oxforddictionary.so8848.com. Recuperado de https://goo.gl/8xJhoS
Douglas Engelbart. (2017). En.wikipedia.org. Recuperado de https://

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Engelbart
English dictionary with synonyms, examples and English translator. (2017).

Englishdictionary.education. Recuperado de http://englishdictionary.education/
Pronunciation of the simple past -ed. (2017). e Learn English Language.

Recuperado de http://www.elearnenglishlanguage.com/blog/learn-english/
grammar/simple-past-pronunciation/
Thesaurus.com - The world’s favorite online thesaurus!. (2017). Thesaurus.

com. Recuperado de http://www.thesaurus.com/
User Interface Design Basics. (2017). Usability.gov. Recuperado de https://

www.usability.gov/what-and-why/user-interface-design.html
How to Write User Manuals. (2017). wikiHow. Recuperado de http://www.

wikihow.com/Write-User-Manuals

CONTROL DEL DOCUMENTO
Centro de Gestión de Mercados, Logística y Tecnología de la Información.

Regional Distrito Capital.
Experto temático: Ingrid Carolina Flórez Urzola
Centro Industrial de Mantenimiento Integral - CIMI

Regional Santander
Líder línea de producción: Santiago Lozada Garcés
Rosa Elvia Quintero Guasca
Asesores pedagógicos:
Claudia Milena Hernández Naranjo
Diseño multimedia: Oscar Julian Marquez Sanabria
Programador: Francisco José Lizcano Reyes
Producción de audio: Martha Lucia Chaves Niño
Víctor Hugo Tabares Carreño
Este material puede ser distribuido, copiado y exhibido por terceros si se

muestra en los créditos. No se puede obtener ningún beneficio comercial
y las obras derivadas tienen que estar bajo los mismos términos de la
licencia que el trabajo original.

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FAVA - Formación en Ambientes Virtuales de Aprendizaje

SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje.

Mapa de contenido .......................................................................................................... 4

1.1 A talk about an inspiring computer scientist................................................................ 5

2. Let’s talk ....................................................................................................................... 7

2.1 Past tense pronunciation for regular verbs..................................................................7

3. Let’s read and write....................................................................................................... 8

3.1 Reading an interesting biography................................................................................ 8

3.2 How to write a user manual .......................................................................................11

4. Grammar points ..........................................................................................................13

4.1 Present continuous ...................................................................................................14

4.1.1 Affirmative and negative statements ......................................................................15

4.1.2 Questions ...............................................................................................................16

4.2 Simple past ...............................................................................................................16

4.2.1 Verb to be ...............................................................................................................18

4.2.2 Other verbs ............................................................................................................18

5. Vocabulary builder ......................................................................................................19

Control del documento ................................................................................................... 27

FAVA - Formación en Ambientes Virtuales de Aprendizaje

SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje. 2

Having in mind the previous reasoning, this time we will focus on

FAVA - Formación en Ambientes Virtuales de Aprendizaje

SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje. 3

FAVA - Formación en Ambientes Virtuales de Aprendizaje

SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje. 4

Greetings, dear friends!

1.1. A talk about an inspiring computer scientist

FAVA - Formación en Ambientes Virtuales de Aprendizaje

SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje. 5

A: Amazing! And what was he famous for?

A: What else did he do?

A: Wow! He did a lot of great things.

A: Sure! I feel like having a cup too.

FAVA - Formación en Ambientes Virtuales de Aprendizaje

SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje. 6

• They can be pronounced like /t/ as in helped.

2.1. Past tense pronunciation for regular verbs

FAVA - Formación en Ambientes Virtuales de Aprendizaje

SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje. 7

3. Let’s read and write

3.1. Reading an interesting biography

Who was Douglas Engelbart?

Douglas Engelbart was an acclaimed American engineer and

His work also contributed to find the field of human–computer

Douglas Engelbart’s background

FAVA - Formación en Ambientes Virtuales de Aprendizaje

SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje. 8

Career and contributions

Engelbart earned a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of California,

FAVA - Formación en Ambientes Virtuales de Aprendizaje

SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje. 9

FAVA - Formación en Ambientes Virtuales de Aprendizaje

SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje. 10

3.2. How to write a user manual

Fuente: (wikiHow, 2017)

FAVA - Formación en Ambientes Virtuales de Aprendizaje

SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje. 11

Plan your user manual

Include essential information

Include necessary warning. Provide the caution information about

Describe the device (system). Include written description and

Provide information about operation. Provide concrete, detailed information on how to

Describe product care