------------ How to say dates, years, and time in English?

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In the 20’, in the year 2020, on 16th April, on Thursday, at 4.30 p.m., we are here learning
English.

Dates:
When we read the date in English, we normally use ordinal numbers (first, second, third,
fourth, etc) instead of cardinal numbers (one, two, three, etc). There are two ways of
reading them, the first way of reading them is more commonly used. Let’s look at both of
them:

1. ‘1st January’ is pronounced as ‘on the first of January’

‘16th November’ is pronounced as ‘on the sixteenth of November’

2. ‘June 3rd’ is pronounced ‘on June the third’

‘August 11th’ is pronounced as ‘on August the eleventh’

SIDE NOTE:

● 1st – first ● 11th – eleventh ● 21st – twenty-first

● 2nd – second
● 3rd – third
● 4th – fourth
● 5th – fifth
● 6th – sixth
● 7th – seventh
● 8th – eighth
● 9th – ninth
● 10th – tenth
● 12th – twelfth ● 22nd – twenty-second
● 13th – thirteenth ● 23rd – twenty-third
● 14th – fourteenth ● 24th – twenty-fourth
● 15th – fifteenth ● 25th – twenty-fifth
● 16th – sixteenth ● 26th – twenty-sixth
● 17th – seventeenth ● 27th – twenty-seventh
● 18th – eighteenth ● 28th – twenty-eighth
● 19th – nineteenth ● 29th – twenty-ninth
● 20th – twentieth ● 30th – thirtieth
● 31st – thirty-first

EXERCISE TIME:
Read the following dates aloud:
1. Our anniversary is on 4th October.
2. 20th January is the deadline for this project.
3. The bread will be expired on 27th February.
4. Sarah was robbed on 31st May.
5. 11th April is the day when he will visit us.

YEARS:

1. 1750 = seventeen fifty

2017 = twenty seventeen / two thousand and seventeen
2. 1400 = fourteen hundred

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 1700 = seventeen hundred
3. 1401 = fourteen oh one / fourteen hundred and one
1707 = seventeen oh seven / seventeen hundred and seven
4. 2000 = two thousand / twenty zero
5. From 2001 up to 2019, they are pronounced as:
2001 = two thousand one / two thousand and one
2005 = two thousand five / two thousand and five

EXERCISE TIME:
Read the following dates aloud:
1. The company was founded in 1789
2. Jane was murdered in 1500
3. 1509 is the year when I was born.
4. 1000
5. 2006

DECADES:
We can refer to a decade (a period of ten years) in this way:
1960-1969 – The ‘60s – pronounced as ‘the sixties’
1980-1989 – The ‘80s – pronounced as ‘the eighties’.
2000 – 2009 – The 2000s – pronounced as ‘the two thousands’

We can also use decades to refer to someone’s age:

20-29 years old – 20s – pronounced as ‘someone’s twenties’
40-49 years old – 40s – pronounced as ‘someone’s forties’
10-19 years old – 10s – pronounced as ‘someone’s tens’

EXERCISE TIME:
1. Where were you living in the ‘90s?
2. He has been working as a clerk since his early 20s.
3. My neighbour is in her mid-30s.
4. I was already in my late 40s when I got my first job.

TIME:
6:00 It’s 6 o’clock

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 6:05 It’s 5 past 6 It’s six oh five

6:15 It’s quarter past 6 It’s six fifteen

6:30 It’s half past 6 It’s six thirty

6:35 It’s 25 to 7 It’s six thirty-five

6:45 It’s quarter to seven It’s six forty-five

6:55 It’s 5 to 7 It’s six fifty-five

FINISHED :D

----------------- Adverb of Frequency -----------------

Frequency Adverb of frequency Example Sentence

100% Always He’s always very punctual.

90% Usually, Almost always We usually hang out on Sundays

80% Normally, Generally They normally go to the sea for their holidays.

70% Often, Frequently I often surf the internet.

50% Sometimes I sometimes forget my husband’s birthday.

30% Occasionally I occasionally eat junk food.

10% Seldom I seldom read the newspaper.

5% Hardly ever, Rarely She is a couch potato and hardly ever exercise.

0% Never They never finish their work on time.

PRACTICE TIME!
Fill in the blanks below with the best adverbs of frequency (some sentences may have
more than one answer).
1. My brother is never sad. He’s _______________ happy.
2. I was late for work only once last year. I’m _______________ late.
3. Mary failed only one test in high school. She _______________ passed her tests.
4. I always remember to do my homework. I _______________ forget to do it.
5. Steven _______________ goes to a cinema, so he knows very little about the current
movies.
6. Judy saw a doctor for the first time in three years. She _______________ gets sick.
7. I get up at five o’clock seven days a week. I _______________ get up early.

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8. It’s always hot and sunny where I live. That’s why I _______________ see snow.
9. A: Do you ever drink coffee?
B: Yes, but only _______________, not often. Just a few times a week.

DONE!!

--------------------- MODAL VERBS ---------------------

Modal verbs are special verbs which behave irregularly in English. They are different from
normal verbs like "work, play, visit..." They give additional information about
the function of the main verb that follows it. 
Here is a list of modal verbs:

can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should, must, need to, ought
to

Modal verbs are used to express functions such as:

1. Request 要求
2. Ability 能力
3. Responsibility 责任
4. Prohibition 禁止
5. Lack of necessity 没必要
6. Suggestion 建议
7. Possibility 可能性

Here is a list of modal verbs with examples:

Modal Verb Expressing Example

must / have to Strong responsibility You must stop when the traffic lights turn red.

certainty 肯定 He must be very tired. He's been working all

day long.

must not prohibition You must not smoke in the hospital.

(mustn’t)

Can ability I can swim.

(cannot/can’t)

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 Request Can I use your phone please?

possibility Smoking can cause cancer.

Could ability in the past When I was younger, I could run fast.

(couldn’t)

Polite request Excuse me, could I say something?

Could you please help me open the door?

possibility It could rain tomorrow!

May Polite request May I use your phone please?

Suggestion You may start your exam now.

Possibility It may rain tomorrow!

Might polite suggestion You might like to try the salmon fillet.

Possibility I might go on holiday to Australia next year.

Will (won’t) Polite request Will you please help me lift this box?

Will you please take the trash out?

Will you please keep quiet?

Future event The order will be shipped out tonight.

He will have a sleepover at his friend’s house

tonight.

Would Polite request Would you mind if I sat here?

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 (wouldn’t) Would you like to have a coffee?

Polite statement I’d (I would) like to sign up for your

workshop.

I would like to order the onion soup please

Past habit 1. When I was a child, I would spend hours

playing with my train set.

Peter wouldn’t eat broccoli when he was a

kid. He loves it now.

Shall (shan’t) Polite suggestion 2. Shall we go for a walk?

(when you are quite
3. Shall I tell him the truth?
sure of a positive
answer)

(it is only used with ‘I’

or ‘we’)

Polite statement 4. We shall have a party tonight.

5. I shall make my own birthday cake.

6.

Should Polite suggestion 7. Should I consider his suggestion?

(shouldn’t) (when you are not
8. Should we tell him the truth?
sure of a positive
answer) 9. Should I call a doctor?
(it is only used with ‘I’
or ‘we’)

Should/ought 50 % responsibility I should see a doctor. I have a terrible

to/need to headache.

We should stop making fun of his name.

Advice You should to revise your lessons

Need not lack of necessity I need not (not need = wrong) buy
(needn’t) / tomatoes. There are plenty of tomatoes in the
don’t have to fridge.

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Side note:
We have a lot of ways to ask for permission in English. Here are some examples:

- Can you open the door for me, please?

- Could you open the door for me, please?
- Will you open the door for me, please?
- Would you mind to open the door for me, please?
- Can I have the menu, please?
- Could I have the menu, please?
- May I have the menu, please?

Examples:

▪ You must stop when the traffic lights turn red.

▪ You should see to the doctor.
▪ There are a lot of tomatoes in the fridge. You need not buy any.

Exercises Time!
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the following modal verbs:

must, have to, can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, need not / don’t have to

1. If you are sick, you ________ go to work. You’ll infect everyone there.

2. Drivers _______ stop at red lights.

3. You _______ finish the proposal today. You can finish it tomorrow.

4. She ______ hear much better with her new hearing aids.

5. ______ I order us a bottle of wine?

6. I _________ like to order the onion soup please.

7. Sam ______ pick his daughter up from school. She’s taking the bus home.

8. You _____________ smoke here. It’s a smoke-free building.

9. Bring an umbrella along, as it _____________ rain tonight.

10. _____________ you be joining us tonight?

11. You ________ eat so many sweets. They are bad for you.

12. _________ you mind walking a little faster? We’re going to be late.

13. I’m sorry. I _______ help you. I don’t know how to do it.

14. He ________ take his car to be serviced. The brakes are squeaking.

12. ________ you please save me a seat at the dinner event.

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 13. Sam _____________ cry at school when he was a kid.

14. The manager _____________ be happy to hear that a customer slipped on the wet
floor.

--------------------- QUESTION TAGS ---------------------

We add question tags to the end of statements to turn them into questions. They are often
used for checking information that we think we know is true, or invite people to agree
with us. (是吗，不是吗)

If the statement is positive, we add a negative question tag.

Example: It’s a bit early, isn’t it? (answer: Yes, it is)

You’re in a desert in the middle of Australia, aren’t you? (answer: Yes, I am / No, I’m not)

We’re leaving at 9.00 a.m., aren’t we? (answer: No, we’re not) (No, we aren’t = seldom)

I’m next in the queue, aren’t I? (answer: No, you’re not) (No, you aren’t = seldom)

He’s already handed in his work, hasn’t he? (answer: Yes, he has)

We should hang out this night, shouldn’t we? (answer: Yes, we should / No, we shouldn’t)

It rained last night, didn’t it? (answer: Yes, it did / No, it didn’t)

You invited Joan to the party, didn’t you? (answer: Yes, I did / No, I didn’t)

If the statement is negative, we add a positive question tag.

Example: Mum isn’t in trouble, is she? (answer: No, she’s not / Yes, she is)

I can’t imagine her doing anything else, can you? (answer: No, I can’t / Yes, I can)

I’m not confident enough, am I? (answer: No, you’re not / Yes, you are)

Julia hasn’t made her appointment yet, has she? (answer: No, she’s not / Yes, she has)

Mrs. Perry didn’t invite us, did she? (answer: No, she didn’t / Yes, she did)
Your mother didn’t go to the hospital, did she? (answer: No, she didn’t / Yes, she did)

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Complete the sentences using the correct question tags.

1. You're addicted to shopping, __________________?
2. They weren't part of this project, __________________?

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3. You can't give it back to the owner, __________________?
4. We shall take a day off tomorrow, __________________?
5. She styles her hair every week, __________________?
6. Mum will be happy to see you, __________________?
7. John keeps talking all the time. That's disgusting, __________________?
8. They haven't ever bought a new car, __________________?
9. I'm such a good swimmer, __________________?
10.He wouldn't agree with you, __________________?
11.There's really nothing more to say, __________________?
12.I shouldn't criticise the teacher, __________________?
13.You will fetch me to the shopping mall later, __________________?
14.You mustn't play on the freshly cut grass, __________________?
15.You don't want him to come with us, __________________?

Spellings of the Day (15/4/2020)

1. punctual (adj.) 准时 The punctual boy never misses his class.

2. hang out (v.) 出门 I love to hang out with my friends.

3. junk food (n.) 零食

4. couch potato (n.) 不爱运动的人

5. entire (adj.) 整个 The entire building is built of marble.

6. necessary (adj.) 有必要 It is necessary for you to hand in your work on time

7. unnecessary (adj.) 没有必要 It is unnecessary for us to do the chores.

8. challenge (n.) (v.) 挑战

Our lives are full of challenges. He challenges her to not hand in her homework

9. suitable (adj.) 适合 It is very suitable to wear this shirt to the party.

10. chore (n.) 家务 My Mum is always busy with the chores.

Active Voice VS Passive Voice

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(a.) A sentence is written in active voice when the subject of the sentence is performing the
action.
FORM: SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT
1. subject + verb (present verb form / past verb form) + object
2. subject + be + verb (-ing) + object

3. subject + have + verb (past participle form) + object

4. subject + modal verb + verb (present verb form) + object

*be = am / is / are / was / were

(b.) A sentence is written in passive voice when the subject of the sentence has something
done to it by someone or something.

FORM: OBJECT + VERB + SUBJECT (the subject is sometimes not written)

1. object + be + verb (past participle form) + by + subject
2. object + be + being + verb (past participle form) + by + subject
3. object + have been + verb (past participle form) + by + subject
4. object + modal verb + be + verb (past participle form) + by + subject

*For passive voice, all the verbs used must be in past participle form.

EXAMPLE:

ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE

1. Ben challenges Jenny to walk into the Jenny is challenged by Ben to walk into
graveyard. the graveyard.

1. Harry added some dried shrimps to his Some dried shrimps were added by Harry
meal. to his meal.

Money was generously donated by Larry

1. Larry generously donated money to to the beggar.
the beggar.
1. Mom read the novel in a day. The novel was read by Mom in a day.

1. Lawrence ate cauliflower at dinner Cauliflower is eaten by Lawrence at dinner.

2. The cat is chasing the mouse The mouse is being chased by the cat

2. We are watching a movie tonight. A movie is being watched by us.

2. We are going to watch a movie tonight. A movie is going to be watched by us

tonight.

3. Tom has painted the entire house. The entire house has been painted by Tom.

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 3. Susan had taken back her books. Susan’s books had been taken back by
herself.

3. The police have finally arrested the The vandals have finally been arrested by the
vandals. police.

4. The director will give you instructions. Instructions will be given to you by the
director.

4. Susan can bake delicious cakes. Delicious cakes can be baked by Susan.

Usage of passive voice:

Active voice is more commonly used than passive voice in our daily speaking and writing.
However, passive voice is sometimes used for two particular reasons.
1. Passive voice is used when the subject of the sentence is not known.
Example: (i.) The bread is over-toasted (by someone).
(ii.) Crayons are drawn all over the wall (by someone).
(iii.) My bracelet is robbed (by someone)!

2. Passive voice is used when the subject of the sentence is not important.
Example: (i.) The votes for the election have been counted (by someone).
(ii.) “Hi there! Are the videos uploaded (by someone) already?”
“Yes, Susan has already uploaded the videos.”
(iii.) The paddies are harvested (by someone) already.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!

Rewrite the sentences below in the passive voice.

1. Someone has already paid the workers.

__________________________________________________________________________________

2. Sam wrote that book.

__________________________________________________________________________________

3. Who wrote that book?

__________________________________________________________________________________

4. They taught him Spanish and gave him a word list.

__________________________________________________________________________________

5. My friend offered me a job at the bank.

__________________________________________________________________________________

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6. The boss asked him to leave the meeting.
__________________________________________________________________________________

7. The proposal interests him.

__________________________________________________________________________________

8. They will show the paintings at the exhibition until Monday.

__________________________________________________________________________________

9. They are repairing the church bells at the moment.

__________________________________________________________________________________

10. They haven't seen him since last week.

__________________________________________________________________________________

11.You have never watered these plants.

__________________________________________________________________________________

12.When I entered the room, the teacher was passing out the test instructions.
__________________________________________________________________________________

13.They treat and cure people at hospitals.

__________________________________________________________________________________

14.They say that the man is living in London.

__________________________________________________________________________________

15.Everyone says he is a great footballer.

__________________________________________________________________________________

16.The police told her that they had found her purse.
__________________________________________________________________________________

--------------------- ACTIVE VOICE AND PASSIVE VOICE, DONE!!! ---------------------

SPELLINGS OF THE DAY (17/4/2021)

1. confident (adj.) 有自信 The confident man is never afraid of public speaking
2. innocent (adj.) 无辜 Please trust me, I am innocent. The innocent man was killed.
3. suit (v.) 适合 (n.) 西装 Your outfit suits you very well.
4. silly (adj.) 糊涂 The silly boy spilled his milk again.
5. afraid (adj.) 害怕 I am afraid that I can’t attend your class tomorrow.
6. polite (adj.) 有礼貌 The polite boy greeted everyone in the living room.
7. disgusting (adj.) 恶心 Stop doing this! This is so disgusting!
8. outfit (n.) 全套服装 Your outfit is so fashionable.
9. spill (v.) 无意中使泼出 He accidentally split some of his water.

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10. fashionable (adj.) 时尚的 fashion (n.) The fashionable boy is very rich.

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