Determiners
1. He doesn’t have much money.
2. I would like a few salt on my vegetables.
3. She bought those card last night.
4. There are less students in this room than in the next room.
5. There is too much bad news on television tonight.
6. I do not want this water.
7. This is too much information.
8. A little people left early.
9. Would you like fewer coffee than this.
10. This jacket costs too much.
Article
1. Jason’s father bought him the bicycle that he had wanted for his birthday.
2. The Statue of Liberty was a gift of friendship for France to the United States.
3. Rita is studying English and Math this semester.
4. The judge asked the witness to tell the truth.
5. Please give me a cup of coffee with cream and sugar.
6. The big books on the table are for my history class.
7. No one in Spanish class knew the correct answer to Mrs. Perez’s question.
8. My cars is four years old and it still rows well.
9. When you go to the store, please buy a bottle of chocolate milk and a dozen orange’s.
10. There are only a few seats left for tonight musical at the university.
11. Jon and Marcy want to school yesterday and then studied in the library before returning home.
12. Lake Ere is one of the five great lakes in North America.
13. On our trip to Spain, we crossed the Atlantic Ocean.
14. Mount Rushmore is the site of a magnificent tribute to four great American Presidents.
15. What did you eat for breakfast this morning?
16. Louie played basketball and baseball at the Boy’s Club this year.
17. Rita plays violin and her sister plays guitar.
18. While we were in Alaska, we saw an Eskimo village.
19. Phil can’t go to the movies tonight becausehe has to write an essay.
20. David attended Princeston University.
21. Harry has been admitted to the school of medicine at Midwestern University.
22. Mel’s grandmother is in the hospital, so we went to visit her last night.
23. A Political Science class is taking a trip to Soviet Union in spring.
24. The Queen Elizabeth II is a monarch of the Great Britain.
25. The Declaration of Independence was drown up in 1776.
26. Scientist hope to send an expedition to Mars during 1980s.
27. Last night there was a bird singing outside my house.
28. The chair that you are sitting in is broken.
29. The Civil War was fought in United States between 1861 and 1865.
30. Florida State University is smaller than the University of Florida.
Other (with count nouns)
1. An + other + singular noun (one more)
Ex : another pencil -> one more pencil
2. The + other + singular noun (last of the set)
Ex : the other pencil -> the last pencil present
3. Other + plural noun (more of the set)
Ex : other pencils -> some more pencils
4. The other + plural noun (the rest of the set)
Ex : the other pencils -> all remaining pencils
Other (with non count nouns)
1. Other + non count nouns (more of the set)
Ex : other water -> some more water
2. The other + non count nouns (all the rest)
Ex : the other water -> the remaining water
Exercise
1. This pen isn’t working. Please give me another (singular).
2. If you’re still thristy. I’ll make the other put of coffee.
3. This dictionary has a page missing. Please give me the other one (the last one).
4. He doesn’t need those books. He needs the other ones (all the remaining).
5. There are thirty people in the room. Twenty are from Latin America and the other are from other countries.
6. Six people were in the store. Two were buying meat, the other was looking at magazines.
7. This glass of milk is sour. Another glass of milk is sour too.
8. The army was practicing its drills. One group was doing artillery practice other was marching, another was at attention, and the other was practicing combat tacties.
9. There are seven students from Japan, other are from Iran and the other are from other places.
10. We looked at four cars today. The first two were for too expensive, but the other ones were reasonably priced.
Notes : Another and other are non spesifisic while the other is spesific. If the subject is understood, one can omit the noun and keep the determiner and other so that other functions as a pronoun. If it’s a plural count noun that is omitted, other becames others. The word other can never be plural if it is followed by a noun.
Simple Present
Form : [VERB] + s/es in third person
Examples:
• You speak English.
• Do you speak English?
• You do not speak English.
Signal Words :
• always
• every...
• often
• normally
• usually
• sometimes
• seldom
• never
• first
• then
USE 1 Repeated Actions
Use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is repeated or usual. The action can be a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens. It can also be something a person often forgets or usually does not do.
Examples:
• I play tennis.
• She does not play tennis.
• Does he play tennis?
• The train leaves every morning at 8 AM.
• The train does not leave at 9 AM.
• When does the train usually leave?
• She always forgets her purse.
• He never forgets his wallet.
• Every twelve months, the Earth circles the Sun.
• Does the Sun circle the Earth?
USE 2 Facts or Generalizations
The Simple Present can also indicate the speaker believes that a fact was true before, is true now, and will be true in the future. It is not important if the speaker is correct about the fact. It is also used to make generalizations about people or things.
Examples:
• Cats like milk.
• Birds do not like milk.
• Do pigs like milk?
• California is in America.
• California is not in the United Kingdom.
• Windows are made of glass.
• Windows are not made of wood.
• New York is a small city.
USE 3 Scheduled Events in the Near Future
Speakers occasionally use Simple Present to talk about scheduled events in the near future. This is most commonly done when talking about public transportation, but it can be used with other scheduled events as well.
Examples:
• The train leaves tonight at 6 PM.
• The bus does not arrive at 11 AM, it arrives at 11 PM.
• When do we board the plane?
• The party starts at 8 o'clock.
• When does class begin tomorrow?
USE 4 Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)
Speakers sometimes use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is happening or is not happening now. This can only be done with Non-Continuous Verbs and certain Mixed Verbs.
Examples:
• I am here now.
• She is not here now.
• He needs help right now.
• He does not need help now.
• He has his passport in his hand.
• Do you have your passport with you?
Present Progressive
Form : form of 'be' and verb + ing
Examples:
• I am speaking
• you are speaking
• he / she / it is speaking
• we are speaking
• they are speaking
USE 1 Right Now
Example : Look! Colin is playing football now.
USE 2 Also for Several Actions Happening at the Same Time
Example : Colin is playing football and Anne is watching.
Signal Words :
• at the moment
• at this moment
• today
• now
• right now
• Listen!
• Look!
Examples Simple Present and Present Progressive :
1. Something smells (smell) very good.
2. We are eating (eat) dinner at seven o’clock tonight.
3. He practices (practice) the piano everyday.
4. They are driving (drive) to school tomorrow.
5. I believe (believe) you.
6. Maria has (have) a cold.
7. Jorge is swimming (swim) right now.
8. John hates (hate) smoke.
9. Jill always gets (get) up at 6 AM.
10. Jerry is mowing (mow) the lawn now.
Simple Past Tense
Form : [VERB+ed] or irregular verbs
Examples:
• You called Debbie.
• Did you call Debbie?
• You did not call Debbie.
Signal Words:
• First
• Then
• If-satz typ II (If I talked,...)
USE 1 Completed Action in the Past
Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific time in the past. Sometimes, the speaker may not actually mention the specific time, but they do have one specific time in mind.
Examples:
• I saw a movie yesterday.
• I didn't see a play yesterday.
• Last year, I traveled to Japan.
• Last year, I didn't travel to Korea.
• Did you have dinner last night?
• She washed her car.
• He didn't wash his car.
USE 2 A Series of Completed Actions
We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed actions in the past. These actions happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on.
Examples:
• I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.
• He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel at 9:00, and met the others at 10:00.
• Did you add flour, pour in the milk, and then add the eggs?
USE 3 Duration in Past
The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past. A duration is a longer action often indicated by expressions such as: for two years, for five minutes, all day, all year, etc.
Examples:
• I lived in Brazil for two years.
• Shauna studied Japanese for five years.
• They sat at the beach all day.
• They did not stay at the party the entire time.
• We talked on the phone for thirty minutes.
• A: How long did you wait for them?
B: We waited for one hour.
USE 4 Habits in the Past
The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the past. It can have the same meaning as "used to." To make it clear that we are talking about a habit, we often add expressions such as: always, often, usually, never, when I was a child, when I was younger, etc.
Examples:
• I studied French when I was a child.
• He played the violin.
• He didn't play the piano.
• Did you play a musical instrument when you were a kid?
• She worked at the movie theater after school.
• They never went to school, they always skipped class.
USE 5 Past Facts or Generalizations
The Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations which are no longer true. As in USE 4 above, this use of the Simple Past is quite similar to the expression "used to."
Examples:
• She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing.
• He didn't like tomatoes before.
• Did you live in Texas when you were a kid?
• People paid much more to make cell phone calls in the past.
IMPORTANT When-Clauses Happen First
Clauses are groups of words which have meaning but are often not complete sentences. Some clauses begin with the word "when" such as "when I dropped my pen..." or "when class began..." These clauses are called when-clauses, and they are very important. The examples below contain when-clauses.
Examples:
• When I paid her one dollar, she answered my question.
• She answered my question when I paid her one dollar.
When-clauses are important because they always happen first when both clauses are in the Simple Past. Both of the examples above mean the same thing: first, I paid her one dollar, and then, she answered my question. It is not important whether "when I paid her one dollar" is at the beginning of the sentence or at the end of the sentence. However, the example below has a different meaning. First, she answered my question, and then, I paid her one dollar.
Example:
• I paid her one dollar when she answered my question.
Past Progressive
Form : past form of 'be' + ing form of verb
Example :
• I was speaking
• You were speaking
• He/she/it was speaking
• We were speaking
• They were speaking
Signal Words :
• when
• while
• as long as
USE 1 at the Same Time
Example : Simon was playing on the computer while his brother was watchin TV.
USE 2 Action Already in Progress
Example : While I was sitting in a meeting, (my mobile suddenly rang.)
USE 3 Emphasising Progress
Example : Yesterday at six o'clock, Colin was playing football.
Examples Past Tense and Past Progressive :
1. Gene was eating (eat) dinner when his friend called.
2. While Maria was cleaning the apartment. Her husband was sleeping (sleep).
3. At three o’clock this morning. Eleanor was studying (study).
4. When Mark arrived, The Johnson’s were having (have) dinner, but they stopped in order to talk to him.
5. John went (go) to France last year.
6. When the teacher entered (enter) the room, the students were talking.
7. While Joan was writing the report, Henny was looking (look) for more information.
8. We saw (see) this movie last night.
9. At one time, Mr.Rubels own (own) this building.
10. Jose was writing (write) a letter to his family when this pencil broke (break).
Present Perfect Tense
Form : [has/have + past participle]
Examples:
• You have seen that movie many times.
• Have you seen that movie many times?
• You have not seen that movie many times.
USE 1 Unspecified Time Before Now
We use the Present Perfect to say that an action happened at an unspecified time before now. The exact time is not important. You CANNOT use the Present Perfect with specific time expressions such as: yesterday, one year ago, last week, when I was a child, when I lived in Japan, at that moment, that day, one day, etc. We CAN use the Present Perfect with unspecific expressions such as: ever, never, once, many times, several times, before, so far, already, yet, etc.
Examples:
• I have seen that movie twenty times.
• I think I have met him once before.
• There have been many earthquakes in California.
• People have traveled to the Moon.
• People have not traveled to Mars.
• Have you read the book yet?
• Nobody has ever climbed that mountain.
• A: Has there ever been a war in the United States?
B: Yes, there has been a war in the United States.
How Do You Actually Use the Present Perfect?
The concept of "unspecified time" can be very confusing to English learners. It is best to associate Present Perfect with the following topics:
TOPIC 1 Experience
You can use the Present Perfect to describe your experience. It is like saying, "I have the experience of..." You can also use this tense to say that you have never had a certain experience. The Present Perfect is NOT used to describe a specific event.
Examples:
• I have been to France.
This sentence means that you have had the experience of being in France. Maybe you have been there once, or several times.
• I have been to France three times.
You can add the number of times at the end of the sentence.
• I have never been to France.
This sentence means that you have not had the experience of going to France.
• I think I have seen that movie before.
• He has never traveled by train.
• Joan has studied two foreign languages.
• A: Have you ever met him?
B: No, I have not met him.
TOPIC 2 Change Over Time
We often use the Present Perfect to talk about change that has happened over a period of time.
Examples:
• You have grown since the last time I saw you.
• The government has become more interested in arts education.
• Japanese has become one of the most popular courses at the university since the Asian studies program was established.
• My English has really improved since I moved to Australia.
TOPIC 3 Accomplishments
We often use the Present Perfect to list the accomplishments of individuals and humanity. You cannot mention a specific time.
Examples:
• Man has walked on the Moon.
• Our son has learned how to read.
• Doctors have cured many deadly diseases.
• Scientists have split the atom.
TOPIC 4 An Uncompleted Action You Are Expecting
We often use the Present Perfect to say that an action which we expected has not happened. Using the Present Perfect suggests that we are still waiting for the action to happen.
Examples:
• James has not finished his homework yet.
• Susan hasn't mastered Japanese, but she can communicate.
• Bill has still not arrived.
• The rain hasn't stopped.
TOPIC 5 Multiple Actions at Different Times
We also use the Present Perfect to talk about several different actions which have occurred in the past at different times. Present Perfect suggests the process is not complete and more actions are possible.
Examples:
• The army has attacked that city five times.
• I have had four quizzes and five tests so far this semester.
• We have had many major problems while working on this project.
• She has talked to several specialists about her problem, but nobody knows why she is sick.
Time Expressions with Present Perfect
When we use the Present Perfect it means that something has happened at some point in our lives before now. Remember, the exact time the action happened is not important.
Sometimes, we want to limit the time we are looking in for an experience. We can do this with expressions such as: in the last week, in the last year, this week, this month, so far, up to now, etc.
Examples:
• Have you been to Mexico in the last year?
• I have seen that movie six times in the last month.
• They have had three tests in the last week.
• She graduated from university less than three years ago. She has worked for three different companies so far.
• My car has broken down three times this week.
NOTICE
"Last year" and "in the last year" are very different in meaning. "Last year" means the year before now, and it is considered a specific time which requires Simple Past. "In the last year" means from 365 days ago until now. It is not considered a specific time, so it requires Present Perfect.
Examples:
• I went to Mexico last year.
I went to Mexico in the calendar year before this one.
• I have been to Mexico in the last year.
I have been to Mexico at least once at some point between 365 days ago and now.
USE 2 Duration From the Past Until Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)
With Non-Continuous Verbs and non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Present Perfect to show that something started in the past and has continued up until now. "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and "since Tuesday" are all durations which can be used with the Present Perfect.
Examples:
• I have had a cold for two weeks.
• She has been in England for six months.
• Mary has loved chocolate since she was a little girl.
Although the above use of Present Perfect is normally limited to Non-Continuous Verbs and non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, the words "live," "work," "teach," and "study" are sometimes used in this way even though they are NOT Non-Continuous Verbs.
Example Present Perfect and Simple Past :
1. John wrote (write) his report last night.
2. Bob has seen (see) this movie before.
3. Jorge has read (read) the newspaper already.
4. Mr.Johnson has work (work) in the same place for thirty years, and he is not playing to retire yet.
5. We haven’t began (begin/negative) to study for the test yet.
6. George went (go) to the store at ten o’clock this morning.
7. Jean has travel (travel) around the world.
8. Betty wrote (write) a letter last year.
9. Guillermo called (call) his employer yesterday.
10. We haven’t seen (see/negative) this movie yet.
