PRESENT SIMPLE / PRESENT CONTINUOUS

PRESENT SIMPLE PRESENT CONTINUOUS

USOS  General truths and facts.
Water boils at 100 degrees.
I really love my job.
 Habitual events
I read a book every night.
FORMA [+] S + V (-s/-es 3ºp.s.)
I speak English
She speaks English
 Activities at the moment of
speaking.
I'm just leaving work.
The children are sleeping.
 Future plans or arrangements.
What are you doing next
week?
[+] S + am/is/are + V-ing
I am playing tennis now

[–] S + don’t/doesn’t + V [–] S + am not/isn´t/aren’t + V-ing

They don’t speak English They aren´t having lunch
She doesn’t speak English

[?] Do/Does + S + V [?] Am/Is/Are + S + V-ing

Do you speak English? Is she sleeping?
Does he speak English?
EXPRESIONE Every morning/afternoon/night/ Now / At the moment / Currently
S Every day/week/year Tonight / Nowadays / Right now
Days of the week: on Mondays /
every Friday..
Frequency adverbs: always, often,
sometimes, never, rarely..

Stative verbs are not used with continuous tenses. Stative verbs include:
 Verbs of thinking and feeling: believe / dislike / know / like / love / hate / prefer
realise / recognise / remember / suppose / think (=believe) / understand / want / wish
 Verbs of the senses: appear / feel / look / seem / smell / sound / taste
 Others: agree / be / belong / disagree / need / owe / have

But Some verbs can be both stative and dynamic:

- Be: it is usually a stative verb, but when it is used in the continuous it means.
'behaving' or 'acting'. Ex. you are stupid = it's part of your personality / you are
being stupid = only now, not usually.
- Think: think (stative) = have an opinión / think (dyn) = consider, have in my head.
- Have: have (stative) = own / have (dynamic) = part of an expression (have dinner..)
- See: see (stative) = see with your eyes, understand /see (dynamic) = meet / have a
relationship with.
- Taste/Smell: taste (stative) = has a certain taste / taste (dyn) = the action of tasting.
EXERCISES
1. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Use the
Present Simple or Present Continuous
- The street artists ____________________ (draw) now.
- I ____________________ (not like) that mosaic.
- Terry ____________________ (visit) this museum every week.
- Art galleries sometimes ____________________ (sell) local artists’ paintings.
- My brother ____________________ (want) to be an artist.
- The photographer ____________________ (not take) photographs at the moment.
- Alice ____________________ (not go) to pottery lessons on Wednesday evenings.
- We ___________________(study) the life of L. da Vinci in art class right now.
- Kim __________________(take) her dog for a walk in the evenings.
- Call later. He __________________(study) for his exam now.
- How much ____________the book ____________(cost)?
- My grandmother __________________(not forget) any of our birthdays.
- Vegetarians __________________(not eat) meat.
- ______________you ______________(come) to the disco with us next Friday?
- This suitcase __________________(weigh) about 20 kilos.

2. Rewrite the sentences below using the Present Simple or Present Continuous.
- Our art teacher / often / show / us / famous paintings
________________________________________________________
- I / not remember / the name of the photographer
________________________________________________________
- Andy / study / art / at the moment / ?
________________________________________________________
- They / look / at an interesting painting / right now
________________________________________________________
- What / she / use / to make her mosaic / usually / ?
________________________________________________________
- The artist / draw / a sketch / now
________________________________________________________
- These artists / always / paint / bright pictures / ?
________________________________________________________
- Where / you / go / now / ?
________________________________________________________

3. Choose the correct option.

- Look! Thomas is bringing / brings his little sister to class.
- My older sister is often listening / often listens to pop music.
- We are writing / write an exercise now.
- Mmmm! Mum is making / makes a cake.
- Our teacher is giving / gives us a test every month.
- Listen! Dad is reading / reads a story to Ricky.
 - They are building / build a new house on the hill now.
- Maria is drinking / drinks milk every morning.

Comparative and Superlative 

We use the comparative when we want to compare two things or more, and the
superlative is used to show the difference between more than two things. 

COMPARATIVE 
ADJECTIVE + -ER + THAN 
MORE + ADJECTIVE +THAN 
We form the comparative in one way or another depending on the number of
syllables of the adjective. 
- One-syllable adjectives. We add -er to the adjective. 
Example. My sister is taller than me. 
Note: If the word ends in consonant-vowel-consonant, then the last
consonant  is usually doubled in the comparative.  
Examples: big-bigger, fat-fatter, hot-hotter. 
- Two-syllable adjectives ending in -y. We change -y for -ier. 
Example. This grammar topic is easier than the last one. 

- Two-syllable adjectives ending in -le / -er / -ow. We add -er to the

adjective. Examples. He is cleverer than you. 
I am idler than my sister. 
My jeans are narrower than yours. 
- Other two-syllable adjectives and more than two-syllable adjectives . We add
more  before the adjective. 
Example. Animals are more interesting than plants. 

SUPERLATIVE 
THE + ADJECTIVE + -EST 
THE MOST + ADJECTIVE 
We form the superlative depending on the number of syllables that an
adjective has.
- One-syllable adjectives. We add the + -est to the adjective. 
Example. My sister is the tallest in our family. 
Note: If the word ends: consonant-vowel-consonant, then the last
consonant is usually doubled in the superlative.  
Examples: big-biggest, fat-fattest, hot-hottest. 
- Two-syllable adjectives ending in -y. We change -y for -iest. 
Example. She's the luckiest person I know. 

- Two-syllable adjectives ending in -le / -er / -ow. We add -est to the adj.
Examples. My jeans are the narrowest in my wardrobe. 
The exam was the simplest I have ever done. 
Mary is the cleverest. 
- Other two-syllable adjectives and more than two-syllable adjectives. We
add the most before the adjective. 
Example. My sister is the most careful person I know. 

Two common irregular comaparative/superlative forms: 

Good > better (comparative) / the best (superlative) 
 Bad > worse (comparative) / the worst (superlative)
Little > less (comparative) / the least (superlative)
Far > farther/further (comparative) / the farthest/furthest (superlative)
EXERCISES
1. Complete with the comparative or superlative form:
- My sister is _____________ my brother. (intelligent)
- The blue whale is ____________ animal. (big)
- Iceland is ___________ Spain (cold)
- This is ___________ book I’ve ever read. (good)
- My neighbour is _________ person I know (lucky)
- Friday is the __________ day of the week. (busy)
- These trainers are much ____________ those. (cheap)
- Frank works __________ most people. (hard)
- I’m __________ at English than you. (good)
- Today has been _________ day of the year. (hot)
- This is __________ CD I’ve ever listened. (bad)
- English is __________ Japanese. (easy)
- Which mountain is ___________ in the world. (high)
- John is _________ his brother. (clever)
- English is _________ Latin. (useful)
- What is ___________ word in English? (common)
- The Nile is ___________ river in the world. (long)
- This is my __________ brother. Mary is their _________ daughter (old, old)
- That skyscraper is one of __________ buildings in the city. (tall)
- The first exercise was easy but this one is ________. (difficult)
- Our journey took __________ we expected. (long)
- Charles is __________ student in the school. (noisy)
- Madrid’s population is _________ Santander’s (large)
- Nothing makes me _________ waiting on the phone. (angry)
- Five years ago I was _________ I am now, and I had ________ hair. (fat, log)
- This car uses ___________ petrol. It’s __________ economical. (much, little)
- Spanish is ___________ difficult to learn than Chinese. (little)
- It’s _____________ hotel in Santander (expensive)
- How much __________ are we going? (far)
- I haven’t got many CDs. You’ve got __________ I have. (many)
- The cheetah is ___________ animal in the world. (fast)
- Barcelona’s stadium is new. It’s ___________ stadium in Europe. (modern)
2. Choose the correct answer:
- Tom’s car is as big as / the biggest his friend’s.
- Who is shorter than / the shortest person in your family?
- Who is more independent than / the most independent person you know?
- These sofas are more comfortable than / the most comfortable ours.
- My brother is taller than / the tallest in the class.
- Is Jason’s dog older than / the oldest yours?
- Who is the best / better than singer in the world?
- We are younger than / the youngest the rest of the class.

MODAL VERBS

MODAL USES EXAMPLES

CAN Ability He can find any street in London.
Suggestion You can take a taxi.
Request Can you take me to Victoria Station?
BE ABLE TO Ability He is able to find any street in
London.
CAN’T Certainty that something That story can´t be true.
is impossible
COULD Ability I could play tennis when I was
Request younger.
Suggestion Could you take me to Victoria
Station?
You could take a taxi.
MAY Possibility It may be quicker to travel by train.
Formal request May I come in?.
MIGHT Possibility It might be quicker to travel by train
MUST Obligation You must be back at 10 o´clock.
Certainty that something Look at the snow. It must be cold
is true outside.
HAVE TO Obligation You have to be back at 10 o´clock.
NEED TO Obligation You need to study a lot.
NEEDN’T Lack of obligation You needn’t have a university degree.
MUSTN’T Prohibition You mustn’t drive without a licence.
DON’T HAVE TO Lack of obligation You don’t have to call a taxi.
SHOULD Opinión / Advice You should drive more carefully.
OUGHT TO Opinion / Advice You ought to drive more carefully-

CAN / BE ABLE TO
El verbo modal CAN se usa para:
- Para expresar habilidad o capacidad: “saber”, “poder”.
- Para hacer peticiones, dar y pedir permiso de manera informal.
- Para indicar posibilidad. Ex. We can do that later. (Podemos hacer eso luego).
En negativa tiene, además de estos, otros dos usos:
- Para no dar permiso.
- Para indicar que algo es imposible.
BE ABLE TO también indica habilidad y posibilidad como can, pero en los tiempos
que le faltan a este verbo modal.

COULD
- Se usa para expresar habilidad y capacidad en el pasado.
- Para hacer peticiones o pedir un favor de manera más formal que con can.
- Para hacer sugerencias.
- Para indicar posibilidad. Ex. We could go on friday afternoon..
MAY / MIGHT
- Ambos verbos expresan la posibilidad de que algo ocurra en el presente o en el
futuro, sin ser seguro. Como hemos visto antes, can también expresa posibilidad,
pero denota que las circunstancias reales lo permiten.
- MAY también se utiliza para pedir y dar permiso de una forma más educada que
con can.

MUST / HAVE TO
La diferencia radica en que la obligación expresada por HAVE TO es externa (viene
dada por una tercera persona o por normas) mientras que la obligación expresada por
MUST está impuesta por el hablante o el que escribe la frase.
Ex. Passengers must fasten their seatbealts
Los pasajeros deben abrocharse el cinturón de seguridad
Ex. I have to wear uniform at work
Tengo que llevar uniforme en el trabajo
Tambien usamos MUST para indicar:
o Deber moral. Ex. You must respect your parents.
o Consejo (persuasión). Ex. You must clean your car.
o Necesidad fuerte. Ex. I must tidy my room. It’s a mess.
o Deducción afirmativa. Ex. You got uo very early. You must be tired.
También usamos HAVE TO para:
o Expresar obligación. Ex. I have to work on Saturdays. (obligada por contrato)
o Expresar necesidad. Ex. I have to do the shopping. (es necesario)

- Los dos verbos expresan necesidad y obligación, pero con must la necesidad es más
fuerte. Cuando queremos suavizar la frase utilizamos have to.
Ex. You must take a decision as soon as possible. VS. She has to work tomorrow.
(Debes tomar una decisión lo antes posible) (Tiene que trabajar mañana)

NEED TO / NEEDN´T
- NEED TO expresa obligación o necesidad.
- NEEDN’T indica ausencia de obligación o necesidad.

MUSTN´T / DON´T HAVE TO

- MUSTN’T indica prohibición.
- DON’T HAVE TO tiene un valor totalmente distinto pues significa ausencia de
necesidad, igual que needn’t
Ex. You don´t have to wash the dishes. (No tienes por qué lavar los platos)

SHOULD / OUGHT TO
- Se pueden utilizar indistintamente para dar consejos y hacer recomendaciones,
aunque SHOULD es mucho más frecuente.
EXERCISES
1. Complete the sentences with can, can’t, could or couldn’t.
- When he was young, my grandfather _____________ (run) 12 kilometres.
- John can’t run very fast but he _____________ (jump) high.
- _____________ you _____________ (finish) your homework last week?
- The dog hurt its leg and it _____________ (walk).
- _____________ Tony _____________ (find) his way to the party tonight?
- Sorry I _____________ (not help) you paint your house yesterday.
2. Complete the sentences with must / mustn’t / have to / don’t have to.
- At our school we __________ wear a uniform.
- You __________ cross the roads without looking. It’s dangerous.
- You _______ turn on the central heating. It’s automatic.
- The exams are next week. I __________ work harder.
- You ________ forget your umbrella. It’s going to rain.
- Students _________ listen to the teacher or they won’t understand.
- Soldiers ____________ obey orders.
- Shop assistants __________ deal with the public.
- You __________ come with us if you don’t want to.
- I was late this morning because I _________ wait a long time for the bus.
- In Spain, teachers __________ wear uniforms.
- You ___________ take food in your room.
- You __________ use the elevators in case of fire.
- I _________ wear glasses because I can’t see very well.
- You __________ a mobile phone in class.
- We ___________ feed the animals. It’s forbidden.
- We _________ book the tickets before it’s too late.
- In Britain you __________ drive on the left.
- Every player in a football team __________ have a number.
- You ___________ forget his birthday again.
- At a restaurant you _________ pay the bill but you __________ eat everything.

3. Fill in the gaps choosing the right modal verb:

- The doctor says I (should / can) _______________ rest more.
- (Could / Had to) _______________ you ride a bike when you were three years old?
- If you want to keep healthy, you (mustn’t / can’t) _____________ smoke and you
(can / should) _________________ do exercise.
- I (can’t / couldn’t) __________________ speak English when I was nine years old.
- “(Can / Must) _________ you help me? (Can / Should) _______ I use your phone?”
- Children under sixteen (mustn’t / don’t have to) _________________ drive cars.

4. Correct the mistakes:

- He must to be there by six o’clock.
- You don’t have to park here. It’s forbidden.
- You should talked to him. He’s very upset.
- He cans speak three languages.
- Did you can finish your work last night?
TOO / TOO MUCH / TOO MANY / (NOT) ENOUGH

TOO + adjective This cake is too sweet

Something is more TOO MUCH + uncount. noun

You work too much
than we want or or after verb
need
TOO MANY + plural noun You eat too many eggs

not enough +
I didn’t have enough time
noun
Something is less not + adjective + I’m not fast enough for the
NOT ENOUGH enough team
than we want or
need not + verb +
I don’t sleep enough
enough

enough + noun We have enough chairs

Something is the adjective +

ENOUGH The place is big enough
correct number or enough
amount
verb + enough He eats enough for his age
EXERCISES

1. Circle the correct words.

- Try not to make too many / too much noise.
- I don’t like it here. There are too many / too much tourists.
- Wow! I’m sorry but it costs too many / too much money.
- Do we have enough time? There are too many / too much places to visit.
- There are too many / too much problems.
- I think there’s too many / too much rain.
- Come on! There really isn’t too many / too much time.

2. Complete the sentences with too or enough.

 Can I open the window? It’s ________ hot.
 Please can you turn up the CD player? It isn’t loud ___________.
 My ladder isn’t long _____________. Can I borrow your ladder?
 Can you read that again, Jane? This reading isn’t good ___________.
 My bag is ____________ small. I can’t fit all these books in it.
 Can you speak up, please? Your voice is ___________ quiet.
 Today’s homework is ___________ easy. My five-year-old sister can do it!
 Could you all stop talking, please? It’s not quiet _____________.
 Can I switch the heating on? It’s _____________ cold.
 This computer is old and slow. It’s not fast _______________.

3. Complete the sentences with too, too much, too many, enough.
- Ken is always at home. He doesn't go out _______________.
- I don't like the weather here. There is _______________ rain.
- You are always tired.I think you work _______________ hard
- You drink _______________ coffee. It's not good for you
- I can't wait for them. I haven't got _______________ time
- There was nowhere to sit on the beach. There were ___________ people
- Our team didn't play well. We made _______________ mistakes
- I don't like the weather here. It's _______________ cold
- Dear friends, did you have ______________ to eat? Yes, thank you
- You don't eat _______________ fruit, you should eat some more.
PAST SIMPLE / PAST CONTINUOUS

PAST SIMPLE PAST CONTINUOS

 Past completed actions.
We went to the zoo last week
 Past habits or states.
We often went to the pub
USES  Situations that started and
finished in the past.
I played football for 20 years
 Actions in progress at a certain
time in the past.
Yesterday at 9 I was eating
 Narrative use: used to set the
scene at the beginning of a story.
It was getting dark, and I was
walking to the pub when…

 Narrative use: events in

chronological order.
She opened the door, looked at
us and went to her room
[+] S + V –ed / irregular [+] S + was / were + V –ing

FORM [–] S + DIDN’T + V infinitive [–] S + wasn´t / weren’t + V –ing

[?] DID + S + V infinitive [?] Was / Were + S + V -ing

Past simple
 We use the past simple to talk about completed actions in the past.
Ex. We ate out yesterday. (the action is finished)

 In a story, we use the past simple to talk about past events in chronological order,
such as the main events of a story.
Ex. When she opened the door, she pretended that we weren’t there and she
went to her room.

 We also use the past simple to talk about past habits or past states.
Ex. We often went to the bar for a drink before dinner.

Past continuous
 We use the past continuous for actions in progress in the past or longer actions
interrupted by shorter actions in past simple.
Ex. After dinner I went into the living room and saw that she was crying.

 We use the past continuous to set the scene in a story.

Ex. Last night I was walking home and listening to my ipod when …
EXERCISES

1. Choose the correct options.

 I listened / was listening to the radio when I heard / was hearing this fantastic song.
 When the teacher said / was saying ‘Stop!’, I still tried / was still trying to finish the
last question.
 I feel really silly! While I danced / was dancing, I fell / was falling and broke / was
breaking my elbow.
 Tim played / was playing a computer game when his mum called / was calling him
for lunch.
 I looked / was looking for a file on my memory stick when I noticed / was noticing
there was a virus.
 Ron found / was finding a really interesting website about dance music while he
surfed / was surfing the internet.
 My mum had / was having breakfast near the computer when she spilled / was
spilling her cup of coffee on the keyboard.
 When you saw / were seeing me yesterday, I didn’t go / wasn’t going to school, I
went / was going to the doctor’s – I felt terrible.
 How many pictures did you take / were you taking while you travelled / were
travelling around Ireland?
 Why did you chat / were you chatting to Philip while I tried / was trying to tell you
something really important?

2. Complete the sentences with the past simple or the past continuous form.
- I _________________ (switch off) the computer because it (make) a strange noise.
- My dad_________________ (listen) to classical music when I _________________
(arrive) home from school.
- We _________________ (play) video games when my mum ______________(say)
‘Turn the volume down!’
- My cousin _________________ (meet) his wife, Bianca, while he
_________________ (live) in Italy.
- My little sister__________________(draw) a picture while I_________________
(study) for my French exam.
- While they__________________ (try) to fix the computer, all the
lights__________________ (go out).
- When we__________________ (leave) school yesterday, it _________________
(pour) with rain.
- When you_____________ (see) Paul, he_________________ (wear) a black jacket?
- I________________ (try) to log on when the WiFi ______________(stop) working.
- While Dad _________________ (print) an article, the printer _________________
(run out) of paper.

PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

+ S + HAVE / HAS + PAST PARTICIPLE
– S + HAVEN’T / HASN’T + PAST PARTICIPLE
? HAVE / HAS + S + PAST PARTICIPLE

We use the present perfect:

 For something that started in the past and continues in the present.
Ex. They've been married for nearly fifty years.
She has lived in Liverpool all her life.

 When we are talking about our experience up to the present.

Ex. I've seen that film before.
I've played the guitar ever since I was a teenager.

 For something that happened in the past but is important in the present:
Ex. I can't get in the house. I've lost my keys.
Teresa isn't at home. I think she has gone shopping.

We often use the adverb ever to talk about experience up to the present:
Ex. My last birthday was the worst day I have ever had.
and we use never for the negative form:
Ex. Have you ever met George? Yes, but I've never met his wife.

PRESENT PERFECT WITH ALREADY, STILL AND YET

Yet used with the present perfect means 'at any time up to now'. We use it to
emphasise that we expect something to happen soon. Yet is used in negative
sentences and questions. Yet comes at the end of the sentence or question.
Ex. Have you finished your homework yet?
I haven't finished it yet. I'll do it after dinner.

Still used with the present perfect means that something hasn't happened. We use it to
emphasise that we expected the thing to happen earlier. Still (in this context) is only
used in negative sentences. Still comes between the subject (the bus, they, etc.) and
auxiliary verb (haven't/hasn't).
Ex. I've been waiting for an hour and the bus still hasn't come.
She still hasn't replied to my email. Maybe she's on holiday.
Already used with the present perfect means 'before now'. We use it to emphasise that
something happened before something else or earlier than expected. Already can
come between the auxiliary and the main verb or at the end of the clause.
Ex. I've already spent my salary and it's two weeks before payday.
PRESENT PERFECT WITH HOW LONG, SINCE AND FOR

HOW LONG...?
[Cuánto tiempo, hace cuánto tiempo, por cuánto tiempo, qué tiempo...]

We can use the present perfect tense when we want to talk about HOW LONG we have
done something, or for what amount of time you have done something. It is used to
talk about an action that began in the past and continues up to the present (and will
probably continue in the future). This is the important thing to remember about using
the present perfect in this situation: the activity, action, or event is still going on. It has
not finished.
Ex. How long have you lived in Paris? I have lived in Paris for 7 years.

EXERCISES

1. Complete the sentences using the Present Perfect form of the verbs in brackets.
- Don’t take my plate away. I ___________________ (not / finish) my meal.
- I _________________ (lose) my pen. Can I borrow yours, please?
- I _________________ (make) some sandwiches. Would you like one?
- Sarah ________________ (work) as a secretary and as a schoolteacher.
- I_________________ (see) this film before. I don’t want to see it again now.
- My parents _________________ (not / take) any photographs.

2. Ask questions with HOW LONG:

- I know Bob. ________________________________________________________
- Sue and Alan are married. _____________________________________________
- George is unemployed. ________________________________________________
- My sister is ill. _______________________________________________________
- Jan has long hair. _____________________________________________________
- My parents are in London. ___________________________________________

3. Rewrite the following sentences twice, using SINCE and FOR:

- We’ve been here. (an hour / 4 o’clock)
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
- She hasn’t spoken to me. (2 weeks / last week)
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
- They’ve lived in this street. (1970 / a long time)
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
- I haven’t had time to do it. (last Monday / a few days)
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
- We haven’t bought a new one. (ages / many years)
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

4. Complete the following sentences with since or for.

- She has worked as a secretary _________ 1991.
- They have been married __________ a few years.
- They have lived in Manchester __________ a long time.
- He’s written 5 books ___________ I met him.
- I haven't phoned home___________Christmas.
- Johan has been in England___________ eight years.
4. Put the adverbs in the correct place in the sentences or questions.
- Have you had dinner? _____________________________________________(yet)
- Their plane hasn’t taken off. _______________________________________(still)
- I’ve seen this film._____________________________________________(already)
- We haven’t met the new boss._______________________________________(yet)
- He has finished his assignment.___________________________________(already)
- The bus hasn´t come.______________________________________________(still)

5. Complete the sentences with already / still / yet

- I’ve _____________ passed my driving test.
- Those boys haven’t apologised ____________.
- Victoria __________ hasn’t phoned me.
- Have you found your glasses _____________?
- We have _____________ been on holiday this year.

6. Choose the correct answer.

 I’m really hungry. I (haven’t eaten / didn’t eat) yet.
 They (arrived / have arrived) a week ago.
 We (have worked / worked) here for three years.
 They (didn’t recognise / haven’t recognised) me at yesterday’s meeting.
 Our neighbour (was / has been) in hospital since Friday.
 (Have you travelled / Did you travel) abroad many times?

7. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Use the
Past Simple or the Present Perfect Simple.
- John _____________________(not call) me recently.
- They _____________________(buy) a new car last month.
- The teacher _____________________(not return) the tests yet.
- How long __________ she _____________(know) about this problem?
- ______________ you ever _______________ (hear) such an unbelievable story?
- When I was a child, I _____________________(live) in England for two years.
- He _____________________(buy) me a beautiful gift for my birthday.
- I am so excited to have a dog. I _____________________(always / want) one.
PAST PERFECT TENSE

+ S + HAD + PAST PARTICIPLE

– S + HADN’T + PAST PARTICIPLE

? HAD + S + PAST PARTICIPLE

The past perfect is used in the same way as the present perfect, but it refers to a time in
the past, not the present. We use the past perfect:
- Action finished before another past action.
Ex. Richard had gone out when his wife arrived in the office.
- Action happened befored a specific time in the past.
Ex. Christine had never been to an opera before last night.
- Action started in the past and continued up to a given time in the past.
Ex. We had owned that car for ten years before it broke down.
- Cause and effect (combine with past simple)
Ex. I got stuck in traffic because there had been an accident.
- Emphasize the result of an activity in the past.
Ex. I had been to London twice by the time I got a job in NY.

1. Complete the sentences with expressions in brackets.

- He couldn't go skiing, because he _________________ ill the night before. (fall)
- _______________________ off the lights before you left home? (you - switch)
- The plane crashed because the engines _______________________ fire. (catch)
- After Sam _______________________ the bank, he got into his car. (leave)
- When he arrived at the office, everyone _______________________ gone. (be)
_______________________ anything to eat before you fed him? (the dog- have)
- By the time Joseph returned home Sarah _______________________ to get in
touch with him several times. (try)
- Why _______________________ me before you refused their offer? (you - call)
- I was so sad because Jill __________________ somewhere in Spain. (disappear)
RELATIVE PRONOUNS
We use relative pronouns to refer to a noun (person or thing) that was mentioned
earlier in the sentence and to which we want to add more information or modify.
Relative pronouns can refer to something or someone in either singular or plural.

 That
It is the relative pronoun most frequently used in spoken English, as it can be used for
both people and things. It is used in place of which, who or whom in defining relative
clauses.
EXAMPLES: This is the book that won the Pulitzer prize last year.
My friend is the girl that was on the cover of Vogue last month.
This is the restaurant that received the excellent reviews.

 Which
It is only used with things.
EXAMPLES: My new job, which I started last week, is very stressful.
The book, which is now out of print, has all the information.

 Who
It can only be used with people.
EXAMPLES: My sister, who just moved in with me, is looking for a job.
I never met someone who didn’t like music.

 Whom
It is used to refer to the indirect object of the verb, but is is not often used in spoken
English. Who is frequently used in place of it.
EXAMPLES: The woman with whom I was talking to was my cousin.
This is Peter, whom I met at the party last week.

 Whose
The use of whose indicates possession, both for people and things.
EXAMPLES: That is the girl whose parents got divorced last year.
Paul, whose wife just had a baby, will not be at work.

 When, Where and Why

These relative adverbs are sometimes used instead of a relative pronoun to make the
sentence easier to understand. These adverbs refer to time expressions, locations or
reasons.
EXAMPLES: The university where I teach is an excellent school.
 Can you tell me when is the best time to call?
Do you know the reason why the market is closed?

EXERCISES

1. Fill in the correct relative pronoun who or which.

- This is the bank _____________ was robbed yesterday.
- The man _____________ robbed the bank had two guns.
- He wore a mask _____________ made him look like Mickey Mouse.
- He came with a friend _____________ waited outside in the car.
- The woman _____________ gave him the money was young.
- The bag _____________ contained the money was yellow.
- The people _____________ were in the bank were very frightened.
- The car _____________ the bank robbers escaped in was orange
- The man _____________ drove the car was nervous.

Exercise 2.
- The doctor _____________ examined the child was very gentle.
- I live in Canada, _____________ is a densely populated country.
- Lee teaches a class of students _____________ native language is not English.
- Yesterday, I saw an old friend _____________ I hadn't seen for years.
- That's the drawer _____________ I keep my jewelry.
- The town _____________ I used to live was not very big.
- The people _____________ house I am staying at are very kind.
- Is this store _____________ you said you bought your jacket?
- Here is the place _____________ I played when I was a child..
- Why don't you consult someone _________ has experienced the same troubles?
- The woman _____________ husband is a football player is always complaining.
- Jim can’t remember the room _____________ he left his glasses.
- He showed us the car _____________ he wants to buy.
- That’s the man _____________ stole my bag.
- I still remember the moment _____________ I first saw her.
- We have never met the neighbours _____________ flat is above ours.

Exercise 3.
1. I met a girl. She lives in England.
____________________________________________________
2. Here is a book. You gave me this book last week.
____________________________________________________
3. The neighborhood has been in the news. We lived there.
____________________________________________________
4. John is a friend of mine. He works at McDonald’s.
____________________________________________________
5. There is a girl in my class. Her family emigrated from India.
____________________________________________________

PRESENT SIMPLE AND PAST SIMPLE PASSIVE

When we want to give more importance to the action, rather than the subject, we use
what is known as the passive voice.
Ex: He ate all of the cookies. (ACTIVE) > All of the cookies were eaten. (PASSIVE)

• Grammatical rules.

Subject + Auxiliary verb TO BE + Past Participle

To change the sentence from an active one to a passive one, there are several points
to keep in mind:
 The object of an active voice sentence becomes the subject of the sentence in
the passive.
 The principal verb in the active voice is substituted by the auxiliary verb to be,
in the same verb tense, and the verb is then in the past participle form.
 The subject in the active voice becomes the complement in the passive. If in the
passive we mention the subject-agent, this is normally introduced in
the passive with the preposition by.

TENSE VOICE SUBJECT VERB OBJECT

Active Mary writes a letter
PRESENT SIMPLE
Passive A letter is written by Mary
Active Mary wrote a letter
PAST SIMPLE
Passive A letter was written by Mary

1. Complete with the Present Simple Passive or Past Simple Passive.

- Many aeroplanes _________________________ (fly) every day. The first
aeroplane _________________________ (invent) in 1903.
- Work on the Tower of Pisa _________________________ (begin) in 1173.
- The Tower Eiffel ________________________ (visit) by many tourists every year.
- Jeans _________________________ (wear) all over the world,
they _________________________ (create) by Levi Strauss in 1873.
- Tea _________________________ (discover) in China in 2737 BC.
It_________________________ (drink) in many countries around the world.

2. Complete the text with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.
No one can really say when the game of football began. Some people believe football
____________________(play) more than 3,000 years ago in Japan and in Rome. In
England, in the 14th century, people__________________(not allow) to play football
and football players___________________(put) in jail. However, people didn’t stop
playing the game and it eventually became very popular. Later, football
_________________ (export) to many different countries and today, it
_________________ (enjoy) by millions of people around the world.
FUTURE WILL / BE GOING TO

WILL BE GOING TO
A decision before the moment of
A decision at the moment of speaking.
speaking.
Ex. There's no milk.
Ex. There’s no milk.
I'll go and get some
I know. I’m going to get some

A prediction based on something

A prediction based on opinion.
Ex. I think the Conservatives will win
USES
the next election.
we can see or hear now.
Ex. The Conservatives are going
to win the election. They already
have most of the votes.

A future fact
Ex. The sun will rise tomorrow
Promises / Requests / Refusals / Offers
Ex. I’ll help you tomorrow, if you like

1. Put in ‘will’ or ‘be going to’:

- A: We don’t have any bread.
B: I know. I __________________ get some from the shop.
- A: We don’t have any bread.
B: Really? I __________________ get some from the shop then.
- A: Why do you need to borrow my suitcase?
B: I __________________ visit my mother in Scotland next month.
- A: I’m really cold.
B: I __________________ turn the heating on.
- A: Are you going to John’s party tonight?
B: Yes. Are you going too? I __________________ wear a new dress.
- A: What are your plans after you leave university?
B: I __________________ work in a hospital in Africa. I leave on the 28th
- (The phone rings)
A: I __________________ get it!
- A: Are you ready to order?
B: I can’t decide … Okay, I __________________ have the steak, please.
- A: Are you busy tonight? Would you like to have coffee?
B: Sorry. I __________________ go to the library. I’ve been planning to study
all day.
- A: Why are you carrying a hammer?
B: I __________________ put up some pictures.
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS

1. Complete the sentences below with the correct indefinite pronouns.

- I looked __________________ for my cat, but I couldn’t find it.
- James called his friend, but __________________ answered the phone.
- I didn’t go __________________ on the weekend, so I was really bored.
- Let’s get __________________ to eat after our class.
- Did you hear that? I think __________________ rang the doorbell.
- __________________ was on time. No one was late.
- I didn’t eat __________________ for lunch, so I’m really hungry now.
- Linda understood __________________ that her teacher said.
- I had __________________ to go because all the shops were closed.
- __________________ came to school because it was a holiday.
- Fernando wants to go __________________ interesting next summer.
- Was __________________ at home when you knocked on the door?
- _______________ closed the door and locked us out.
- I put my purse here but _______________ must have taken it. I can’t find it
_______________.
FIRST AND SECOND CONDITIONAL
They are used to express that the action in the main clause (without if) can only take
place if a certain condition (in the clause with if) is fulfilled. There are three types of
conditional sentences.

 ZERO CONDITIONAL ( IF + PRESENT SIMPLE >> PRESENT SIMPLE )

We use the zero conditional to talk about things that are generally true, especially
for laws, scientific facts and rules.
EXAMPLES: If you freeze water, it becomes solid.
If the sun goes down, it gets dark.

 FIRST CONDITIONAL ( IF + PRESENT SIMPLE >> FUTURE WILL )

We use the first conditional when we talk about future situations we believe are
real or possible.
EXAMPLES: If it doesn't rain tomorrow, we'll go to the beach.
If I find her address, I’ll send her an invitation.

 SECOND CONDITIONAL ( IF + PAST SIMPLE >> WOULD + INFINITIVE )

The second conditional is used to imagine present or future situations that are
impossible or unlikely in reality.
EXAMPLES: If we had a garden, we would have a cat.
If she saw a snake, she would be terrified.

A common expression used to give advice has the second conditional structure.
The expression is If I were you, I would..., which means ‘in your situation, this is
what I would do’. For example: A: I’ve got a headache.
B: If I were you, I’d take an aspirin.

1. Put the verb in the correct form to complete each sentence.

- If global warming continues, temperatures __________________ (rise) even higher.
- What would you do if you__________________ (win) a million dollars?
- If people stopped using cars completely, there________________(be) less pollution.
- When it __________________ (rain) again, I won't forget to bring my umbrella.
- If I spoke English fluently, I __________________ (not/need) to take lessons.
- If Siberia __________________ (not/be) so cold, I'd go there in winter.
- Tom will be at the party tonight. If I see him, I __________________ (say) hello.
- If it _________________(not/rain) in England, you wouldn't see so many umbrellas.
- I __________________ (call) you when I get home.
- Where __________________ _(you/live) when you move out of your flat?
 - If you __________________ (can) choose any company, which company would
you like to work for?
- If I ______________(be) you, I would eat something.
REPORTED SPEECH
TENSE CHART DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH
PRESENT SIMPLE –
“He is American,” she said. She said that he was American.
PAST SIMPLE

PRESENT CONTINUOUS –
PAST CONTINUOUS
PAST SIMPLE –
PAST PERFECT SIMPLE
PAST CONTINUOUS–
PAST PERFECT CONT.
PRESENT PERFECT SIMP. –
PAST PERFECT SIMPLE
PAST PERFECT SIMPLE –
PAST PERFECT SIMPLE
“Dan is living in San Francisco,”
she said.
Greg said, “I didn’t go to work
yesterday.”
“I was working late last night,”
Vicki said.
“We haven’t travelled to China,”
they said.
“I’d been to Chicago before for
work,” he said.
She said Dan was living in San
Francisco.
Greg said that he hadn’t gone to
work the day before.
Vicki told me she’d been
working late the night before.
They said they hadn’t travelled
to China.
He said that he’d been to
Chicago before for work.

MODAL VERBS DIRECT SPEECH INDIRECT SPEECH

“I’ll go to shool tomorrow,” John John said he would go to school the
WILL – WOULD
said. next day.

WOULD – WOULD “I would like a coffee,” she said. She said that she would like a coffee.

CAN – COULD Debra said, “Allen can play.” Debra said Allen could play

“I could ride a bike when I was My brother said he could ride a bike
COULD – COULD
three,” my brother said. when he was three.

“You must wear your seat belt,” mom My mom said I had to wear my seat
MUST – HAD TO
said. belt.

“You should go to the doctor,” mom Mom said that I should go to the
SHOULD – SHOULD
said. doctor.

EXPRESSIONS
Today – That day
Tonight – That night
This week/month/year – That week/month/year
Tomorrow – The next day
Next week/month/year – The following
week/month/year
Yesterday – The day before / the previous day
Last week/month/year – The week/month/year
before OR the previous week/month/year
Now – Then / at the moment
 Here – There
This – That
These – Those
EXERCISES
Exercise 1. Change this direct speech into reported speech:

1. “He works in a bank,” she said. _________________________________________________

2. “We went out last night,” she told me. ____________________________________________
3. “I’m coming!,” she said._______________________________________________________
4. “I was waiting for the bus when he arrived,” she said.
______________________________________________________
5. “I had never been there before,” he said. __________________________________________
6. “I didn’t go to the party,” she told me. ____________________________________________
7. “Lucy will come later,” she said._________________________________________________
8. “You haven´t eaten breakfast,” Anne told him._____________________________________
9. “I can help you tomorrow,” John said.____________________________________________
10. “You should go to bed early,” mom told me.______________________________________
11. “I don’t like chocolate,” she told me.____________________________________________
12. “I won’t see you tomorrow,” she said.___________________________________________
13. “She’s living in Paris for a few months”, they said.
____________________________________________________________________________
14. “I visited my parents at the weekend,” she told me.
____________________________________________________________________________
15. “She hasn’t eaten sushi before,” he said._________________________________________
16. “I hadn’t travelled by underground before I came to London,” Mary said.
____________________________________________________________________________
17. “They would help if they could,” I said.__________________________________________
19. “He could read when he was three,” she said.
_____________________________________________________________________________
20. “I was sleeping when Julie called,” my sister said.
_____________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 2. Write these sentences in direct speech.

1. She said he worked in a bank.___________________________________________________
2. She told me they had gone out the night before._____________________________________
3. She said she was coming.______________________________________________________
5. She said she had never been there before.__________________________________________
7. She said Lucy would come later._________________________________________________
TRADUCCIÓN ESPAÑOL – INGLÉS VERBOS IRREGULARES
 Él condujo el coche ________________________________________________________
 Mi madre fue al supermercado ________________________________________________
 He dormido bien ___________________________________________________________
 María robó una cartera ayer ___________________________________________________
 Te di galletas esta mañana ____________________________________________________
 Mi abuela ha escrito una carta _________________________________________________
 Te vi en el parque___________________________________________________________
 Ellos bebían agua___________________________________________________________
 Mi hermana comió pizza anoche_______________________________________________
 Lei el periódico ____________________________________________________________
 Ella hizo la tarea ____________________________________________________________
 Nadamos ayer ______________________________________________________________
 Hemos comprado una piscina _________________________________________________
 Elegí el color verde _________________________________________________________
 Mi profesora se sentía indispuesta ______________________________________________
 Olvidé mi tarea _____________________________________________________________
 Encontraron una llave _______________________________________________________
 Se han escondido debajo de la mesa ____________________________________________
 Me hice daño en la mano _____________________________________________________
 Él sabía donde yo montaba en bici _____________________________________________
 El hombre disparó __________________________________________________________
 Mi madre ha gastado 100 pounds ______________________________________________
 Mis amigos ganaron el partido _________________________________________________
 Me desperté temprano esta mañana_____________________________________________
 Hemos deletreado una palabra _________________________________________________
 El teléfono sonó ____________________________________________________________
 Quedé con mis primos ayer ___________________________________________________
 He aprendido los verbos ______________________________________________________
 Mi abuela sujetaba el vaso ____________________________________________________
 Crecí en una casa grande _____________________________________________________
 Mi madre vendió mi coche ___________________________________________________
 Te presté mi libro ___________________________________________________________
 El helado estaba congelado ___________________________________________________
 Tu te caíste ________________________________________________________________