english grammar

THE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

2009-03-21T02:44:00.002+07:00

The Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used to express the continuity of the duration of an action which began in the past and is still continuing to the present.

Example: I am listening to the radio now. I turned it on an hour ago. So I have been listening to the radio for an hour.

FORMS:

Affirmative (Subject + have/has + been + Verb1 + ing)

Example: I have been cleaning the kitchen for an hour.

Negative ( Subject + have/has not + been + Verb1 + ing)

Example: I have not been cleaning the kitchen for an hour.

Question (Have/Has + subject + been + Verb1 + ing ?)

Example: Have you been cleaning the kitchen for an hour?

Adverbs of time:

since, for, all (morning, day, etc.), the whole (day, week, etc.)

Note:

When we use the verbs such as: “live, stay, study, learn, teach, work, wait, stand, sleep, sit, watch” with since or for, we can differentiate between the Present Perfect Simple and the Present Perfect Continuous tense when there is additional information, whether it emphasize the result or the continuity of the action.

DOWNLOAD LESSON

DOWNLOAD EXERCISE

THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

2009-03-18T00:35:00.002+07:00

The Present Perfect Tense is used to express an action that took place in the past but has a connection with present situation (there is a result at present).

Example: She has studied well (so she can answer the question correctly).

Compare: She studied well last night (we emphasize on the time it happened).

FORMS

Affirmative (Subject + have/has + Verb3)

Example: I have done my homework already.

Negative (Subject + have/has not + Verb3)

Example: I have not done my homework yet.

Question (Have/Has + subject + Verb3 ?)

Example: Have you done your homework yet?

Adverbs of time:

already, yet, for, since, once/twice, just, ever, never, recently/lately, so far/up to present/ up to now

Note:

Already is used in affirmative sentence.

Yet is used in negative and interrogative sentence.

Ever is commonly used in interrogative sentence.

Since ---> from that time to time of speaking.

For -----> the length of time.

DOWNLOAD LESSON
DOWNLOAD EXERCISE

THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

2009-03-15T01:19:00.002+07:00

The Past Continuous Tense is used to express:

An action which was in progress at a particular/specific past time.

Example: I was having dinner at 8 o’clock last night. (meaning: I began to have dinner before 8, I was having dinner at 8 and maybe continued after that)

Two actions which happened in the past, but one action began earlier and was still in progress when the other action happened.

Example: She was watching TV when we came.

When two actions happened simultaneously, we can use Past Continuous in both clauses.

Example: Last year, while Sisca was celebrating her graduation, we were lying on the beach.

FORMS:

Affirmative (Subject + was/were + Verb1 + ing)

Example: We were dancing when he saw us.

Negative ( Subject + was/were not + V1 + ing)

Example: We were not dancing when he saw us.

Question (Was/Were + subject + V1 + ing)

Example: Were we dancing when he saw us?

Adverbs of time:

when/as, while, at …. (yesterday, last week, last month)

Note: all verbs which cannot be used in the Continuous Tense, cannot also be used in this tense.

DOWNLOAD LESSON

DOWNLOAD EXERCISE

THE SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE

2009-03-11T00:34:00.003+07:00

The Simple Future Tense is used to express a statement, an opinion, an assumption or a speculation about the future.

We use will, shall and to be going to to express the future time.

Will is used as an auxiliary verb of the future time.

Example: If today is Monday, tomorrow will be Tuesday.

You will come on time if you leave now.

Will is used with the first person (I/We) to express a willingness/a promise/ an intention.

Example: Alright, I will help you solve the problem.

OK, we promise that we will come to your house tonight.

Shall is used with the first person (I/We) as an auxiliary verb of the future tense (to express a scheduled future action).

Example: I shall meet her tomorrow as she and I are in the same class.

To be (is/am/are) going to is used when the speaker feel certain that something is expected to happen immediately/in the near future. (Usually there is a SIGN that something will happen immediately)

Example: A: Look at the thick cloud above!

B: Yes, I’m sure that it is going to rain.

FORMS

Affirmative ( Subject + will/shall/to be (is/am/are) going to + Verb1)

Example: She will celebrate her birthday next week.

Negative (Subject + will not/shall not/ to be (is/am/are) not going to + Verb1)

Example: She will not celebrate her birthday next week.

Question (Will/Shall/To be (is/am/are) going to + Subject + Verb1?)

Example: Will she celebrate her birthday next week?

Adverbs of time

tomorrow, tonight, next…, this afternoon, this evening, soon, immediately.

DOWNLOAD LESSON

DOWNLOAD EXERCISE

THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE

2009-03-10T01:09:00.002+07:00

The Simple Past Tense is used to express an action which began and ended in the past and has no connection with the present time.

Forms:

Affirmative ( Subject + V2)

Example: I went to your house yesterday.

Negative ( Subject + did not + V1)

Example: I did not go to your house yesterday.

Question ( Did + subject + V1 ?)

Example: Did I go to your house yesterday?

Adverbs of time:

yesterday, ….. ago, last …, this morning, just now, once upon a time.

DOWNLOAD LESSON
DOWNLOAD EXERCISE

THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

2009-03-05T16:56:00.006+07:00

The present continuous (also known as the present progressive) tense is made with the present simple tense of the auxiliary verb to be and the present participle (verb+ing) of the main verb.

The present continuous tense is used to express:

An action that is in progress/going on at the time of speaking.

Example: We are learning English now.

An action happening about this time (long duration).

Example: She is writing a new novel this month.

A definite arrangement in the near future.

Example: I am meeting Alice at Kemang Café tonight.

Developing situations.

Example: It’s getting dark.

Forms:

Affirmative (Subject + is/am/are + verb1 + ing)

Example: I am eating now.

Negative (Subject + is/am/are + not + verb1 + ing)

Example: They are not going to Jakarta.

Question ( Is/Am/Are + subject + verb1 + ing ?)

Example: Is she doing her homework?

Adverbs of time:

now, right now, at this time/moment, at present, today, tonight, this week/month, and expression such as: look!, listen!, wait a minute!, be careful!

Verbs which are not normally used in the present continuous tense:

Verbs of possession (have, possess, belong, own, owe)

Verbs of mental activity (understand, forget, remember, know, agree, like, etc.)

Verbs of senses (see, hear, smell, taste)

Verbs of “be” . Example: I am busy NOT I am being busy.

Verbs such as: “contain, consist, seem/look/appear”

DOWNLOAD LESSON
DOWNLOAD EXERCISE

THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

2009-03-04T00:33:00.005+07:00

The Simple Present Tense is used to express:

Habitual/repeated action

Fact/general truth/eternal truth

Commentaries

Directions and instructions

Newspaper headlines

Present stories

Scheduled activity

Examples:

I visit my grandparents twice a month. (habitual action)

Water consists of oxygen and hydrogen. ( fact)

Ronaldo passes to Owen who shoots and scores. (commentaries)

First you go right and then you go left. (direction)

Tsunami kills thousands people. (headline)

The bell in my school rings at 6.45. (scheduled activity)

FORMS

Affirmative :

I/You/We/They walk every day.

He/ She/It walks every day.

Negative :

I/You/We/They do not walk every day.

He/ She/ It does not walk every day.

Question :

Do I/you/we/they walk every day?

Does he/she/it walk every day?

Adverbs of time:

always, usually, generally, often, sometimes, occasionally, seldom, rarely, scarcely, barely, never, every…., on Sundays/ on Mondays, once/twice/three times a day/ a week/a month

DOWNLOAD LESSON

DOWNLOAD EXERCISE

PRONOUNS

2009-03-04T00:15:00.004+07:00

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a common noun or a proper noun.

There are many kinds of pronouns:

Personal pronouns (I, you, we, they, he, she, it, me, you, them, him, her, it)

Example: I’m looking through you.

He looked at her and smiled.

Reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, themselves, yourselves).They refer to the person or animal that is the subject of the verb.

Example: They make this food themselves.

Be careful! You’ll burn yourself if you play with fire.

Interrogative pronouns (who, whom, what, which, whose)

Example: Who are you?

Whose umbrella are you taking?

Demonstrative pronouns (this, that, these, those)

Example: This is my pencil.

Those are your books.

DOWNLOAD LESSON
DOWNLOAD EXERCISE

NOUNS

2009-03-04T00:12:00.005+07:00

Nouns can be divided into common nouns and proper nouns.

Common nouns are words for people, animals, places, or things.

Example: actor, lawyer, doctor, duck, beach, library, basket, candy.

Proper nouns are name for

1. Particular people
2. Names of country and their people
3. Names of towns, cities, buildings and landmarks
4. Days of the week, months of the year
5. Names of mountains, seas, rivers, and lakes.
6. Names of festivals, some specials events and holidays.

They always begin with a capital letter.Example: Jocelyn, Harold, American, Indonesia, Sunday, July, Lake Toba, Mount Semeru, Valentine’s Day.

Nouns can be singular or plural. A singular noun is used when you are talking about one person, animal, place or thing. Plural nouns are used when you are talking about two or more people, animals, places or things. Example: a man, men, a dog, dogs, an egg, eggs.

Collective nouns are words for groups of people, animals or things. Example: a class, a band, an audience, a team. Many collective nouns can be used with a singular or plural verb, but the following collective nouns always take a plural verb: cattle, people, the police.

Masculine nouns are words for men and boys, and male animals. Example: bridegroom, rooster. Feminine nouns are words for women and girls, and female animals. Example: bride, hen.

DOWNLOAD LESSON
DOWNLOAD EXERCISE

THE CAPITAL LETTER

2009-03-03T23:49:00.004+07:00

The capital letter is also called a big letter or upper case letter, or sometimes just a capital. It is used for:

The first letter in sentence

Example: The man is working.

It is a dog.

The word I

Example: I will go to Jakarta tomorrow.

Jane and I go to school every day.

The names of people

Example: John, Andri, Merryln, Sebastian

The names of places

Example: London, Jakarta, Idaho, Gelora Bung Karno Stadium

Festivals, holidays, days of the week, months of the year

Example: New Year’s Day, Mother’s Day, Monday, June.

DOWNLOAD LESSON
DOWNLOAD EXERCISE