Programma effettivo svolto

● Adjectives
Adjectives usually go before nouns.
I have bought a new T-shirt.

With some verbs, the word order changes and adjectives are put after verbs: be, get,
become, look, seem, appear, sound, taste, smell, feel

I feel good.
This T-shirt looks new.
The game is getting rough.

This same rule is also valid for adjectives like asleep, awake, afraid, alone

You are not alone.

When you have more than one adjective, we put them in a specific order according
to the meaning category.

1. opinion (beautiful, lovely, dirty, favourite, smart, obvious …)

2. size/age/shape (big, small, little, short, long, round, squared, old, new,
ancient)
3. colour (black, white, pink, blue, red, green…)
4. materials (wooden, metal, wool, leather ..)

My beautiful, little, white, silk dress is in the wardrobe.

When adj. belong to the same category they are divided by ‘and’.

My beautiful, little, black and white, silk dress ...

Adj. can derive from the -ing or the -ed forms of verbs.
-ing = participio presente
-ed = participio passato

This lesson is interesting. → questa lezione è interessante (p. presente)

I am very interested in this lesson → io sono molto interessata a questa lezione (p.
passato)

● Adverbs

Adverbs deriving from adjectives are made with the adj + -ly.
careful → carefully
songful → songfully
comfortable → comfortably
miserable → miserably
noisy → noisily
happy → happily
…

In English we don’t have only single adverbs but also adverbial phrases (adverbial
expressions).

1. frequency adverbs → every day (how often?)

2. adverbs from adj. → patiently (how?)
3. phrases of place → at home (where?)
4. phrases of time → Sunday morning (when)

irregular adverbs → fast, early, late, hard

● Comparative forms and superlative forms

1. majority → superlative
2. minority
3. equality

Majority:
1st term + main verb + (short adj. + -er/long adj. more + adj.) + than + 2nd term
My sister is older than me/Beethoven is more famous than Bach.

Superlative:
subj. + main verb + the + short adj. + -est/long adj. most + adj.
My sister is the oldest of the family/Beethoven is the most famous composer of the
world.

Minority:
1st term + main verb + less + adj. + than + 2nd term.
My sister is less old than me/Beethoven is less famous than Bach

Equality:
1st term + main verb + as + adj. + as + 2nd term.
My sister is as old as me. / Beethoven is as famous as Bach.

good → better → the best

far → further → the furthest
bad → worse → the worst.

● Present simple

ST: subj. + base form of the main verb (-s)

I live in Brescia.
Dana lives in Brescia.

NEG: subj. + do, does + not + base form of the main verb (without -s)
I don’t live in Brescia.
Dana doesn’t live in Brescia

QUE: do, does + subj. + base form of the main verb… ?

Do you live in Brescia?
Does Dana live in Brescia?

USE:
1. permanent situations - ‘Dana works as a teacher’ (life condition)
2. facts - ‘Smoking causes many diseases.’
3. habits - “We bring you 6 minute grammar on Tuesdays”; “6 minute grammar usually
finishes with a quiz” ‘I drink a cup of coffee every morning’.
4. general statements (scientific truths) - ‘The earth goes around the sun.’
5. Timetables - ‘I wake up at 7, I have breakfast at 8:30, I have lunch at 12:00 and start
working at 15:00.’ (daily routine)

● Present continuous

ST: subj. + am, is, are + -ing of the main verb.

I am working at the moment.

NEG: subj. + am, is, are + not + -ing of the main verb.
I am not working at the moment.

am not = ‘m not
is not = isn’t
are not = aren’t

QUE: am, is, are + subj. + -ing of the main verb ..?
Are you working at the moment?

USE:
1. things that are happening now, right in the moment of speaking. - “You’re listening to
6 minute grammar right now.”
 2. temporary situations - “I’m studying Russian this month.”
3. arrangements in the near future

STATE VERBS (belong, hate, have/have got (= possess), hear, know, like, love, mean,
prefer, realise, recognise, remember, see, understand, want, wish) - are not used in the
continuous tenses.

● Past simple

ST: subj. + past simple form of the main verb.

She went to Bristol yesterday evening.
NEG: subj. + did + not + base form of the main verb.
She didn’t go to Bristol yesterday evening.

QUE: did + subj. + base form of the main verb…?

did she go to Bristol yesterday evening?

USE
1. past events finished and closed in the past.
2. to say when an action happened in the past. “We arrived two days ago”
3. general statements in the past.

● Past continuous

ST: subj. + was, were + -ing of the main verb

She was cooking when the police arrived.

NEG: subj. + was, were + not + -ing of the main verb.

She wasn’t cooking when the police arrived.

QUE: was, were + subj. + -ing of the main verb …?

Was she cooking when the police arrived?

1. for contemporary actions happening at the same time in the past

2. things that were happening around a time in the past
3. Interrupted actions (while + past continuous - when + past simple)

● Present perfect

ST: subj. + have, has + past participle of the main verb.

I have visited London once.
She has visited London once.

NEG: subj. + have, has + not + past participle of the main verb.
I haven’t visited London once.
QUE: have, has + subj. + past participle of the main verb…?
Have you visited London once? - Has Dana visited London once?

USE:
1. to say what happened in the past
2. for life experiences - “Have you ever been here?” + ever/never
3. for things that happened in the past but have an influence, result or meaning in the
moment of speaking.
4. With ever, never, just, already, yet, (still), for and since.

• Present perfect continuous

ST: subj. + have, has + been + -ing of the main verb.

I have been practising for two hours.

NEG: subj. + have, has + not + been + -ing of the main verb.

I haven’t been practising for two hours.

QUE: have, has + subj. + been + -ing of the main verb …?

have you been practicing for two hours?

1. how long an action happened in the past - We have been climbing the mountain for 6 hours

this afternoon.

● Past perfect

ST: subj. + had + past participle of the main verb.

I woke up late because I had forgotten to set the alarm

NEG: subj. + had + not + past participle of the main verb.

I hadn’t forgotten to set the alarm

QUE: had + subj. + past participle of the main verb…?

Had you forgotten to set the alarm?

1. to say that a past event happened before another past event

Past event = my birth. Before my birth, my mother had worked as a secretary.

I woke up late because I had forgotten to set the alarm.

1st event - I had forgotten to set the alarm
2nd event - I woke up late

I visited my home city last week. It had changed a lot.

1st event - it had changed
2nd event - I visited my home city

• Past perfect continuous

ST: subj. + had + been + -ing of the main verb.

Yesterday I had been practising for two hours before your arrival.

NEG: subj. + had + not + been + -ing of the main verb.

I hadn’t been practising for two hours.

QUE: had + subj. + been + -ing of the main verb …?

had you been practicing for two hours?

1. to say for how long an activity happened before a time in the past.

● Futures
1. Will → probability, possibility, uncertainty + decision made at the time of speaking
2. Going to → arrangements, set intentions, decisions, plans
3. present simple → timetables
4. present continuous → arrangements in the very near future
5. be about to → immediate future

Will
ST: subj. + will + inf. of the main verb.
I will be a superstar.

NEG: subj. + will + not + inf. of the main verb.

I won’t be a superstar.

QUE: will + subj. + inf. of the main verb…?

Will you be a superstar?
Going to
ST: subj. + am, is, are + going to + inf. of the main verb
I am going to be a superstar. (gonna)

NEG: subj. + am, is, are + not + going to + inf. of the main verb
I’m not going to be a superstar.

QUE: am, is, are + subj. + going to + inf. of the main verb…?
Are you going to be a superstar?

● 0 conditional

USE: for facts or truths (scientific statements); general situation that is true for everyone

I always get a headache if I eat chocolate.

pres. simple if + pres. simple

● 1st conditional

USE: for results connected to a special condition (possible situation, not certain); one-off
situation

If you drop that glass it’ll break.

(condition) (result)
if + pres. simple will + inf. of the main verb

● 2nd conditional

USE: to talk about impossible, unlikely or imaginary situations.

If England won the world cup, Catherine would be so happy.

(condition) (result)
if + past simple would + inf. of the main verb

● Modals

1) suggestion - permission
2) obligation
3) ability

suggestions: can, could (forma di cortesia), may, (will)

permission: can, could (forma di cortesia), may
obligation: must, have to (necessità)
ability: can, could (passato di can), be able to, manage to.

Suggestion and offer

Can I cook for you today? - Could I cook for you today? - May I cook for you today?

Permission
(I am allowed, I am not allowed)
Children can run in the playground. Children can use the small swimming pool.
Children cannot (they have no permission) play in the residence area.
Children cannot use the big swimming pool.

Obligation
Students must go to school every day.
Students don’t have to do their homework on Sunday.
Students mustn’t (it is forbidden) use the swimming pool on Saturday.

Ability
I can swim very well. (general ability)
I could swim when I was 10 years old. (general ability)
After 6 hours climbing we were able to reach the top of the mountain. (special ability)
After I tried it three times, I finally managed to pass the English exam.