Grammar 1: PRESENT
PERFECT SIMPLE AND CONTINUOUS

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE:

HAVE (HAVE, HAS) + V3

This
tense is made with the present simple form of the verb to, the past participle
of the verb to be (been) and the present participle (playing, doing). It is
similar to the future perfect continuous and past perfect continuous.

We
use the PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE for activities or states that started in the
past and still continue.

Example: We have
lived here since 2001.

It is often used with expressions
indicating that the activities come up to now, such as: for 10 years, since 1995, all week, all the time, always, lately,
recently.

Example: We have
always worked in York. (We still work in York.)

If
the activity started and ended in the past we cannot use the present perfect.

Compare: I have
smoked for 5 years. (= I still smoke.)

I smoked for 5 years. (= I smoked from 2000 to
2005, then I stopped.)

We
also use it to describe some experience that happened in the past (the time is
not given), but the effects are important now.

Example: She has
been to London. (And so she knows London.)

Compare:
I have already been to Greece. (experience - And I
want to go somewhere else now.)

I have been in Greece for two weeks. (state -
I am still in Greece.)

When
we use this tense to express some experience, we can use following adverbs - ever, never, already, often, occassionaly,
yet, before.

Example:
Have you ever tried it?

It
is used for activities that have a present result. For such activities we often
use these adverbs – yet, already,
just.

Example:
The bus hasn't arrived yet. (It did not arrived on
time and we are still waiting now.)

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS:

HAVE (HAVE, HAS) + BEEN +Ving

We
use the PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS for events that began at a point of time,
are continuing now and will probably continue in the future.

Example:
I have been playing tennis since I was 6 years old.

We
use it for actions that began in the past and have only just finished.

Example:
I've been skiing all day. I'm so tired.

The difference between the
simple and continuous tense

1.
In some situations we can use both tenses and there is practically no
difference in meaning. The continuous tense is more usual in English than the
simple tense.

Compare:  It has rained for a
long time.

It has been raining for a long time.

Verbs
which can be used in this way include – learn, live, sleep, rain, work, etc.

2.
Sometimes the simple tense can describe a permanent state, while the continuous
tense a temporary activity.

Example:
I have lived here for ten years. It is my permanent
address.

Some
verbs are not normally used in the continuous tenses, for example:

·
verbs of senses - feel, hear, see;

·
verbs expressing emotions - like, love, admire, wish;

·
verbs of mental state - know, remember, mean, recognize;

·
verbs of possession - belong, own, owe;

·
auxiliaries - can, must and be, have in some cases;

·
others – appear, concern, seem, sound).

Example:
We have always had a dog.

3.
Verbs that express a single action (find, start, stop, lose, break ...) are not
used in the continuous form.

Example:
They've started the fight.

4.
There is a difference between a single action in the simple and continuous.

Compare:
I have painted the hall. (I have completed my work.)

I have been painting the hall. (That is how I
have spent the day, but it does not mean that I have finished my job.)

5.
A single action in the present perfect continuous comes up to the time of
speaking. But it is different with the simple tense.

Compare:
She's been cooking dinner. (She is still in the
kitchen. She has just finished or she will continue cooking.)

She has cooked dinner. (We do not know when.
Yesterday or very recently? The result is important.)

6.
We can only use the present perfect continuous for uninterrupted actions.

Example:
I've been visiting New York for a couple of years.

If
the action is repeated or interrupted (we describe a number of completed
individual actions), we must use the simple form. (see also the past tense
rules).

Example:
I have visited New York three times.

Complete the
sentences with the correct form of the verbs

1.
How long have you……your dog? (have)

2.
You've ……… that magazine article for ages. It must be interesting. (read)

3.
I've ………. the same newspaper for years so I've………..to have a change. I've …………my subscription. (read/decide/cancel)

4.
Since 2008, sales of books have………..by 22%. (fall)

5.
My cat has just………back after being missing for three days. I
wonder what he's………………      (come/do)

6.    I think I've………….everything we need but I'm not sure because I've…………..the shopping list. (buy/lose)

7.    How long have you ……………. old records? (collect)

8.    He's ……………the cello since he was 6 years old. (play)

9.
Hasn't that film………….yet? It seems to have …………….. for
hours. (finish/go on)

10.
This is a great film! I've…………..it three times now. (see)

Choose
the most suitable verb tense to complete the sentences

1. It has snowed / has been snowing since I
arrived.

2. I have never travelled / have never been travelling by plane.

3. Have you ever seen / have you ever been seeing this movie?

4. We have toured / have been touring England. Now we are in Birmingham.

5. I have had / have been having this car for more than ten years.

6. He has worked / has been working for hours.

Fill
in the blanks with either the Present Perfect Simple or the Present Perfect
Continuous

1. I´m sorry! I´m late. __________ ( you/wait) for long?

2. Mary __________ (drive) her new car for a month.

3. Mark __________(sleep) since 1 pm.

4. We
__________( come ) to this school because our best friends __________ (attend)
it for three years.

5. We __________(study) English for three years.

6. __________(you/see) Tim lately?

7. __________(the doctor prescribe/ just) these antibiotics?

8. My father __________ (not/ understand) my reasons yet.

9. Mary __________(talk) on the phone with Tim for over two hours..

10.
Our local football team __________ (win) the championships for three years
consecutive.

v  Grammar 2: ARTICLES

Indefinite
article

We use A / AN before singular countable nouns,
when we mention them for the first time.

Example: I live in a small
town.

We also use the indefinite article to talk
about our jobs.

Example: She's a teacher.

Uncountable nouns cannot have an indefinite
article.

Example: Information  (not an information), money (not a
money), etc.

Definite
article

We can use THE before all nouns: singular or
plural countable, and uncountable.

We use THE when:

1. talking about something for the second time

Example:
I live in a small town. The town is near a large city.

2. talking about unique things

Example:
The Earth goes round the Sun.

We use THE with ordinal numerals and
superlatives.

Example:
the first of September; the most interesting book

We use THE with plural names of people and
places.

Example:
The Smiths, The Netherlands, The United
States, The Bahamas, The Alps, The Caribbean.

We use THE with oceans, seas, rivers and
canals.

Example:
The Atlantic Ocean, The Red Sea,  The Nile, The Panama Canal

We use THE with north, south, east and west to
talk about the location of a place within another place, but ZERO ARTICLE to
compare the location of two places.

Compare:
Greece is in the south of Europe.

Spain is south of France.

We use ZERO ARTICLE with northern, southern,
eastern and western:

Example:
Greece is in southern Europe.

We normally use THE with buildings, except if
the first word is the name of a place.

Compare:
The White House, The Sheraton Hotel.

Oxford University, Buckingham Palace.

Zero article

We have no article with plural countable nouns
when we talk about general things.

Example:
Cats are beautiful animals. (cats in general)

We have no article with uncountable nouns when
we talk about them in general.

Example:
Tea is good for you. (all tea in general)

With school,
university, prison, hospital, church, bed, work and home we use THE when we
are talking about a particular one, and ZERO ARTICLE when we are talking about
the idea of school, university...

Compare: I go to church
every Sunday. (the idea of church, not a particular building)

The
church on our street was built in the 17th Century. (a particular church)

We use ZERO ARTICLE with continents, most
countries, regions, cities, streets, mountains, lakes and parks.

Example: Asia, Italy, California, Bristol, Main St., Mount
Everest, Lake Superior, Central Park.

Put a(n), the or - (no article) in the spaces in the
following news story

Associated
Retailing, the company that
owns some of ……
most well-known
names on ……
High Street, is
believed to be in……financial trouble. There is …… rumour that they may be considering …… option of selling off one of their supermarket
chains. ........ last night, …… director of …… company was not available for........ comment, but one
of……staff at …… branch of Costcare said "We are obviously
all worried that there could be......... redundancies."

Fill in the correct article

1.
Do you still live in ______ Bristol?

2.
Carol's father works as ______ electrician. Wednesday.

3.
The tomatoes are 99 pence ______ kilo.

4.
My grandmother likes ______ flowers very much.

5.
I always listen to the radio in ______ morning.

6.
What about going to Australia in ______ February?

7.
There is ______ new English book on the desk.

8.
Loch Ness is ______ most famous lake in Scotland.

9.
Peter has ______ aunt in Berlin.

10.
Look! There's ______ bird flying.

11.
______ most children like sweets.

12.
Great Britain consists of ______ three parts.

13.
We celebrate New Year on ______ 31st of December.

14.
Britain is ______ island.

15.
Montreal is a large city in ______ Canada.

16.
Excuse me, can I ask ______ question, please?

17.
Our children go to ______ school by ______ bus.

18.
Go down ______ Kingston Street and turn left into Oxford Street.

19.
Would you like ______ cup of tea?

v  Grammar 3: First and second conditionals

We use FIRST CONDITIONAL when talking about
possible future events.

Structure:   If + Simple
Present + Will  OR Will + If + Simple Present

Example: Lisa will be very
happy if she wins the prize.

Note: You can use these modal verbs instead of will: shall, can, may.

Example: If you fail, you
can always try again.

We use SECOND CONDITIONAL when talking about
future events that are not likely to happen.

Structure: If + Simple Past, + Would + Base Form
OR Would + Base Form + If + Simple Past

Example: If I won a million
dollars, I would travel around the world. (There is a small possibility that I
would actually win.)

We also use SECOND CONDITIONAL when talking
about things which are contrary to the present facts.

Example: If she worked
less, she wouldn't be so tired. (In reality she doesn't work less, so she is
tired.)

Note: You can use these modal verbs instead of
would: should, could, might.

Example: If she didn't have
her job, she could come with us to the North Pole.

Complete the sentences below with the correct
form of the verb in brackets, as in the example

Example: If you mend (mend) my car, I’ll give (give) you a lift into town.

1.
I'm not promising anything but if we..........
(have) a dog, you …………….
(have to) take it
for a walk every day.

2.
I predict the TV company…………….(be) in serious trouble if it
……………………. (keep) losing advertisers
at this rate.

3.
I……………..
(do) more of my shopping
in local stores if they ………………….. (not
be) so expensive.

4.    If they…………… (not
turn) that music down soon, I ………………..
(call) the police.

5.    If you …………………… (not have) the receipt, you ………………(not get) your money back.

6.    By next year you…………………. (not be able) to receive TV signals if
you………………………… (not
have) a special digital box.

7.
People……………
(not be) so scared
of snakes if they……………..(understand) them.

8.    If
News Weekly…………………..(not be) available, I
………………….. (get) International Affairs instead. OK?

9.    He ……………… (be) a big star if he ..............  (have) a good manager.

10.
If you ……………………
(not give) your
name, they …………………..
(not print) your
letter.

You
are going to read a text about an 85 year-old woman talking about her life.
Circle the words you might find in the text. Choose 4 words and make up  sentences.

relax
trips
dare       regret
pastime             car
trouble
thermometer
safety
climb
book
exercises
healthy

endocrinologist
death
cry

Now
read the text and try to find definitions for the words in the box

IF I COULD LIVE MY LIFE ALL OVER…

If
I had to live my life all over again, I’d dare make more mistakes next
time.
I would relax. I would limber up.
I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I would take fewer
things seriously. I would take more chances.

I would take more trips. I would climb more mountains, swim more rivers.
I would eat more ice cream and fewer beans. I would perhaps have more
actual troubles, but I would have fewer imaginary ones.

You see – I’m one of those
people who live seriously and sanely hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I
have my moments. And if I had to do it over again, I’d have more of
them. In fact, I’d try to have nothing else, just moments one after
another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day.

I’ve
been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a
hot water bottle, a raincoat and a parachute. If I had to do it over again, I
would travel lighter than I have. If I had to live my life over, I would
start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in autumn.

I
would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more
daisies.

Attributed to Nadine Stair, 85 years
old

Discuss
the following

1. Why do you think the author would dare make more mistakes next time? Find
evidences on the text.

2. How does the author describe herself?

3. Do you think you would regret so many things if you were her age? Why? Why
not?

Make
up sentences about yourself

1.
I would do it differently if…

2.
What would I do if I were the president of the country?

3.
What would I do if I could go back in any part of the history?

4. What would I ask for if I had three wishes?

5. What would I do if I could become invisible
for a day?

6. What powers would I like to have if I were a super hero?