Unit 1: Summarized By: Instructor

Summarized by : Instructor.
Ahmed Subhi Abdullah English for Fourth Classes
UNIT 1
1.1 The tense system
There are three classes of verbs in English: auxiliary verbs, modal verbs, and full verbs.
1 Auxiliary verbs
The auxiliary verbs are be, do, and have.
be
1.Be is used with verb+ -ing to make continuous verb forms.

You're lying. (present)
They were reading. (past)
I've been swimming. (present perfect)

We'll be having dinner at 8 o'clock. (future)
You must be joking! (infinitive)
2. Be is used with the past participle to make the passive.

These books are printed in Hong Kong. (present)
Where were you born? (past)
The car's been serviced. (present perfect)

The city had been destroyed. (past perfect)
This work should be done soon. (infinitive)
do
1. Do/does/did are used in the Present Simple and the Past Simple.
Do you smoke? (question)

She doesn't understand. (negative)
When did they arrive? (question)
2. Do/does/did are used to express emphasis when there is no other auxiliary.
I'm not interested in sport, but I do like tennis.

'If only he had a car!' 'He does have a car!'
"Why didn't you tell me?" "I did tell you!"

Summarized by : Instructor. Ahmed Subhi Abdullah English for Fourth Classes
have
Have is used with the past participle to make perfect verb forms.
Have you ever tried sushi? (present)

My car had broken down before. (past)
I'll have finished soon. (future)
I'd like to have met Napoleon. (infinitive)

Having had lunch, we tidied up. (participle)
have and have got
1.Have and have got are both used to express present possession.
Do you have
Have you got any brothers or sisters?
I do. I have
Yes, I have. I've got two brothers.
2. Have to can be replaced with have got to for present obligation.
Do you have to go now?

Have you got to
Yes, I do. I have to catch the bus

I have. I've got to
3. Only forms of have (not have got) are used in all other tenses.
I had my first car when I was nineteen.

I've had this car for two years.
I'll have a strawberry ice-cream, please.
I'd had three cars by the time I was twenty.
I'd like to have a pet.
He loves having a sports car.
4. Have (not have got) is used in many expressions.
have breakfast have a barbecue

have fun have a bath
have a good time have a word with someone
5. Have got is generally more informal. It is used more in spoken English than in written
English. However, they are often interchangeable. Have with the do /does forms is more
common in American English.
Other uses of auxiliary verbs
1. In question tags.
It's cold today, isn't it?
You don't understand, do you?
You haven't been to China, have you?
2. In short answers. Yes or No alone can sound abrupt.

Are you hungry?' 'No, I'm not.'
'Do you like jazz?' 'Yes, I do.'
'Did you have a nice meal?" "Yes, we did.'
Has she seen the mess?" "No, she hasn't.'
3. In reply questions. These are not real questions. They are used to show that the listener
is paying attention and is interested.
'The test was awful. 'Was it? What a pity.'
'I love burgers.' 'Do you? I hate them.
" I've bought you a present.' 'Have you? How kind!"
2. Modal auxiliary verbs
These are the modal auxiliary verbs.
Can shall could should may must might will ought to would need
They are auxiliary verbs because they 'help' other verbs. They are different from be, do, and
have because they have their own meanings.
He must be at least 70. (= probability) , You must try harder. (= obligation)
Can you help me? (= request), She can't have got my letter. (= probability)
I'll help you. (willingness) , (Ring) That'll be the postman. (= probability)
3. Full verbs
Full verbs are all the other verbs in the language.
Run walk eat love go talk write
The verbs be, do, and have can also be used as full verbs with their own
meanings.
Have you been to school today? I want to be an engineer.

I do a lot of business in Russia. The holiday did us a lot of good.
They're having a row. Have you had enough to eat?
1.2 English tense usage
English tenses have two elements of meaning: time and aspect.
Time
1.The time referred to is usually obvious.

English people drink tea. (all time)
Shh! I'm watching this programme! (now)
I'll see you later, (future)
I went to England last summer. (past)
2. Sometimes a present tense form can refer to the future.

I'm going out tonight. (Present Continuous for near future)
The train leaves at 10.00 tomorrow. (Present Simple for a timetable)
If you see Peter, say hello from me. (Present Simple in a subordinate clause)
3.Sometimes a past tense form can refer to the present.

I wish I could help you, but I can't.
The simple aspect
1.The simple aspect describes an action that is seen to be complete.

The action is viewed as a whole unit.
The sun rises in the east. (= all time)

When I've read the book, I'll lend it to you. (= complete)
She has red hair. (= permanent)
He always wore a suit. (= a habit)
It rained every day of our holiday. (=the whole two weeks)
This shop will close at 7.00 this evening. (= a fact)
2. Remember the verbs that rarely take the continuous. This is because they express states that
are seen to be permanent and not subject to frequent change.
Verbs of the mind : know understand believe think mean

Verbs of emotions: love hate like prefer care
Verbs of possession: have own belong
Certain other verbs: cost need contain depend
3.The simple aspect expresses a completed action. For this reason we must use the simple, not
the continuous, if the sentence contains a number that refers to 'things done'.
She's written three letters this morning.

I drink ten cups of tea a day.
He read five books while he was on holiday.
The continuous aspect
1.The continuous aspect focuses on the duration of an activity. We are aware of the passing of
time between the beginning and the end of the activity. The activity is not permanent.
I'm staying with friends until I find a flat ( temporary)

What are you doing on your hands and knees? (in progress)
I've been learning English for years (And I still am.)
Don't phone at 8.00 We'll be eating ( in progress)
2.Because the activity is seen in progress, it can be interrupted.
We were walking across a field when we were attacked by a bull.

'Am I disturbing you? No. I'm just doing the ironing '
3. The activity may not be complete.
I was writing a report on the flight home. (I didn't finish it.)

He was drowning, but we saved him. (He didn't die.)
Who's been eating my chocolates? (There are some left.)
4. The action of some verbs, by definition, lasts a long time, for example, live, work, play. The
continuous gives these actions limited duration and makes them temporary.
Hans is living in London while he's learning English.

I'm working as a waiter until I go to university.
Murray has been playing well recently. Maybe he'll win Wimbledon.
5. The action of some other verbs lasts a short time, for example, lose, break, cut, hit, crash.
They are often found in the simple.
I've crashed your car. Sorry.

She's cut her finger. He hit me.
I lost all my money.
In the continuous, the action of these verbs seems longer or habitual.
I've been cutting the grass. (= for hours)

He was hitting me. (= again and again)
Note
We cannot say a sentence such as "I've been crashing your car because it suggests an activity
that was done deliberately and often.
The perfect aspect
The perfect aspect expresses two ideas.
1. The action is completed before another time.
Have you ever been to America? (= some time before now)

When I arrived, Peter had left. (= some time before I arrived)
I'll have finished the report by 10.00. (= some time before then)
2. The exact time of the verb action is not important. The perfect aspect refers to indefinite time.
Have you seen my wallet anywhere? I've lost it. (= before now)
We'll have arrived by this evening. (= before this evening)
The exception to this is the Past Perfect, which can refer to definite time.
I recognized him immediately. I had met him in 1992 at university.
Active and passive
1. Passive sentences move the focus of attention from the subject of an active sentence to the
object.
Shakespeare wrote Hamlet in 1599.
Hamlet, one of the great tragedies, was written in 1599.
2. In most cases, by and the agent are omitted in passive sentences. This is because the agent
is not important, isn't known, or is understood.
My car was stolen yesterday.
This house was built in the seventeenth century.
She was arrested for shoplifting.
3.Sometimes we prefer to begin a sentence with what is known, and end a sentence with what
is 'new'. In the passive, the 'new' can be the agent of the active sentence.
"What a lovely painting!" "Yes. It was painted by Canaletto."
4. In informal language, we often use you or they to refer to people in general or to no person in
particular. In this way we can avoid using the passive.
You can buy anything in Harrods. They're building a new airport soon.
5. There are many past participles that are used more like adjectives.
I'm very impressed by your work.

You must be disappointed with your exam results.
I'm exhausted! I've been on my feet all day.

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Summarized by : Instructor.

Ahmed Subhi Abdullah English for Fourth Classes

The auxiliary verbs are be, do, and have.

1.Be is used with verb+ -ing to make continuous verb forms.

They were reading. (past)

I've been swimming. (present perfect)

You must be joking! (infinitive)

2. Be is used with the past participle to make the passive.

Where were you born? (past)

The car's been serviced. (present perfect)

This work should be done soon. (infinitive)

Do you smoke? (question)

2. Do/does/did are used to express emphasis when there is no other auxiliary.

I'm not interested in sport, but I do like tennis.

"Why didn't you tell me?" "I did tell you!"

Have you ever tried sushi? (present)

I'll have finished soon. (future)

I'd like to have met Napoleon. (infinitive)

have and have got

Have you got any brothers or sisters?

Yes, I have. I've got two brothers.

2. Have to can be replaced with have got to for present obligation.

Do you have to go now?

Yes, I do. I have to catch the bus

I had my first car when I was nineteen.

4. Have (not have got) is used in many expressions.

have breakfast have a barbecue

Other uses of auxiliary verbs

2. In short answers. Yes or No alone can sound abrupt.

2. Modal auxiliary verbs

These are the modal auxiliary verbs.

He must be at least 70. (= probability) , You must try harder. (= obligation)

I'll help you. (willingness) , (Ring) That'll be the postman. (= probability)

Full verbs are all the other verbs in the language.

Run walk eat love go talk write

Have you been to school today? I want to be an engineer.

I do a lot of business in Russia. The holiday did us a lot of good.

They're having a row. Have you had enough to eat?

1.2 English tense usage

English tenses have two elements of meaning: time and aspect.

1.The time referred to is usually obvious.

2. Sometimes a present tense form can refer to the future.

3.Sometimes a past tense form can refer to the present.

The simple aspect

1.The simple aspect describes an action that is seen to be complete.

The sun rises in the east. (= all time)

Verbs of the mind : know understand believe think mean

She's written three letters this morning.

The continuous aspect

I'm staying with friends until I find a flat ( temporary)

2.Because the activity is seen in progress, it can be interrupted.

We were walking across a field when we were attacked by a bull.

3. The activity may not be complete.

I was writing a report on the flight home. (I didn't finish it.)

Hans is living in London while he's learning English.

I've crashed your car. Sorry.

In the continuous, the action of these verbs seems longer or habitual.

I've been cutting the grass. (= for hours)