In Chapter 4 of Understanding and Using English Grammar we will introduce [Summary of all the verb tenses, Negative forms, Yes and no question formation, Information question formation, and Other types of questions]
1- Summary of all the verb tenses
- Simple Tenses
1. Present Simple
Indicates an action that happens regularly or habitually.
Example: I eat breakfast every day.
2. Past Simple
Indicates an action that happened in the past.
Example: I ate breakfast yesterday.
3. Future Simple
Indicates an action that will happen in the future.
Example: I will eat breakfast tomorrow.
- Continuous Tenses
1. Present Continuous
Indicates an action that is happening now.
Example: I am eating breakfast right now.
2. Past Continuous
Indicates an action that was happening in the past.
Example: I was eating breakfast when you called.
3. Future Continuous
Indicates an action that will be happening in the future.
Example: I will be eating breakfast when you arrive.
- Perfect Tenses
1. Present Perfect
Indicates an action that happened in the past but has a connection to the present.
Example: I have eaten breakfast already.
2. Past Perfect
Indicates an action that happened before another action in the past.
Example: I had eaten breakfast before you called.
3. Future Perfect
Indicates an action that will be completed before a certain time in the future.
Example: I will have eaten breakfast by the time you arrive.
- Perfect Continuous Tenses
1. Present Perfect Continuous
Indicates an action that has been happening for a period of time and is still happening now.
Example: I have been eating breakfast for an hour.
2. Past Perfect Continuous
Indicates an action that had been happening for a period of time before another action in the past.
Example: I had been eating breakfast for an hour before you called.
3. Future Perfect Continuous
Indicates an action that will have been happening for a period of time by a certain time in the future.
Example: I will have been eating breakfast for an hour by the time you arrive.
As you can see, there are many different verb tenses in English, each with its own specific use. It is important to be familiar with the different tenses in order to use them correctly in your writing and speaking.
Here are some additional tips for using verb tenses correctly:
- Use the simple tenses to talk about general facts or habitual actions.
- Use the continuous tenses to talk about actions that are in progress or that happen repeatedly.
- Use the perfect tenses to talk about actions that have been completed or that happened before another action.
- Use the perfect continuous tenses to talk about actions that have been happening for a period of time.
It is also important to be aware of the context in which you are using the verb tense. For example, if you are talking about a future event that is certain to happen, you would use the future simple tense. However, if you are talking about a future event that is less certain, you would use the future continuous tense.
Video Presentation Summary of all the verb tenses
Content of the Video in PDF
2- Negative forms
In English, there are two ways to make a verb negative:
1- Use the word "not" after the verb. This is the most common way to make a verb negative. For example:
- I eat breakfast. (affirmative)
- I do not eat breakfast. (negative)
- She goes to school. (affirmative)
- She does not go to school. (negative)
2- Use the contraction "don't" or "doesn't". This is a more informal way to make a verb negative. The contraction "don't" is used with pronouns that are singular or plural but not first person singular (I). The contraction "doesn't" is used with the pronoun "he", "she", or "it". For example:
- I don't eat breakfast.
- You don't eat breakfast.
- She doesn't eat breakfast.
- We don't eat breakfast.
- They don't eat breakfast.
The negative form of a verb can be used in any tense. Here are some examples of negative verbs in different tenses:
- Present Simple: I don't eat breakfast.
- Past Simple: I didn't eat breakfast.
- Future Simple: I won't eat breakfast.
- Present Continuous: I am not eating breakfast.
- Past Continuous: I was not eating breakfast.
- Future Continuous: I will not be eating breakfast.
- Present Perfect: I have not eaten breakfast.
- Past Perfect: I had not eaten breakfast.
- Future Perfect: I will not have eaten breakfast.
- Present Perfect Continuous: I have not been eating breakfast.
- Past Perfect Continuous: I had not been eating breakfast.
- Future Perfect Continuous: I will not have been eating breakfast.
Video Presentation Negative forms
Content of the Video in PDF
3- Yes, no question formation
Yes/no questions are questions that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no". They are formed by using an auxiliary verb (be, do, or have) or a modal verb (can, may, will, etc.) followed by the subject and the main verb.
For example:
- Auxiliary verb: Do you like dogs?
- Modal verb: Can you swim?
If the sentence has only the be verb, we switch the subject and the be verb around to make a question. For example:
- Affirmative: I am a student.
- Question: Are you a student?
If the sentence has a helping verb, we switch the subject and the first helping verb around to make a question. For example:
- Affirmative: I have a dog.
- Question: Do you have a dog?
We can also use negative forms in yes/no questions. We do this by adding the word "not" after the auxiliary verb or modal verb. For example:
- Auxiliary verb: Don't you like dogs?
- Modal verb: Can't you swim?
Here are some more examples of yes/no questions:
- Are you going to the party?
- Do you know how to cook?
- Have you seen the new movie?
- Can you speak French?
- Will you help me with this?
Video Presentation Yes, no question formation
Content of the Video in PDF
4- Information question formation
Information questions are questions that ask for specific information. They are formed by using a wh-question word (who, what, where, when, why, how, how many, how much, etc.) followed by the auxiliary verb or modal verb and the subject.
For example:
- Wh-question word: Who is the president of the United States?
- Auxiliary verb: What do you want to eat?
- Modal verb: Can you help me with this?
The wh-question word can be placed at the beginning of the sentence or at the end of the sentence. The most common placement is at the beginning of the sentence. However, placing the wh-question word at the end of the sentence can sometimes be used to add emphasis. For example:
- At the beginning: What do you want to eat?
- At the end: Do you want to eat what?
We can also use negative forms in information questions. We do this by adding the word "not" after the wh-question word. For example:
- Wh-question word: Who is not the president of the United States?
- Auxiliary verb: What do you not want to eat?
- Modal verb: Can you not help me with this?
Here are some more examples of information questions:
- What is your name?
- Where are you from?
- When did you start learning English?
- Why are you interested in artificial intelligence?
- How do you feel about the future of AI?
Video Presentation Information question formation
Content of the Video in PDF
5- Other types of questions
Rhetorical questions: These are questions that are not meant to be answered. They are used to make a point or to evoke an emotional response. For example:
- "What is the meaning of life?"
- "Why do bad things happen to good people?"
Hypothetical questions: These are questions that ask about a situation that is not real or that is unlikely to happen. For example:
- "What would you do if you won the lottery?"
- "If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?"
Leading questions: These are questions that are phrased in a way that suggests the answer. For example:
- "Don't you think that the new president is doing a good job?"
- "You don't agree with me, do you?"
Tag questions: These are questions that are added to the end of a statement. They are usually used to get confirmation or to check understanding. For example:
- "The meeting is at 10am, right?"
- "You like pizza, don't you?"
Funnel questions: These are questions that start with a broad question and then become more specific. For example:
- "What do you think about the current state of the economy?"
- "What are your thoughts on the rising cost of living?"
- "What do you think the government should do about the rising cost of living?"
These are just a few of the many different types of questions that exist. The type of question you use will depend on the context of the conversation and the information you are trying to get.
Video Presentation Other types of questions
Content of the Video in PDF
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