English Master | Grammar 01

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This is a learning note base on the course: Udemy | The English Master Course: English Grammar, English Speaking

Verb Tenses

Simple Present Verb Tense

  • usage:

    • happens all the time
    • happens repeatedly
    • is true in general

  • tips:

    • You can add markers such as always, often, usually sometimes, rarely, never, every day etc.

  • conversation:

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    Hello! What's your name?
    Oh, hi, my name's Sarah. And yours?
    I'm Alex. Nice to meet you, Sarah
    Nice to meet you too! So, where do you come from?
    I come from Germany. And where are you from?
    I'm from UK.
    Oh, I have a lot of friends form the UK. You probably have a great sense of humour.
    I'm not sure about that! I don't always get our jokes.
    Your're an exception then!
    I'll take that as compliment.

  • question:

    • What do you do for living?
    • What your hobbies?
    • What does your typical Sunday look like?

Verb Conjugation (1st/2nd/3rd person)

  • usage:

    • Verb conjugation refers to how a verb changes to indicate a different person, number, tense or mood.

  • conversation:

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    When I was your age, I wanted to become a nurse. I liked the idea of helping people when they need it the most.
    Why aren't you a nurse then, grandma?
    Well, sweetie, we grow up, and sometimes our goals change. I'm a teacher now, and I have never regretted my choice.
    And you are helping people anyway!
    That's true!

! Subject-Verb Agreement

  • usage:

    • The subject-verb agreement is the correspondence of a verb with its subject in person(first, second, or third) and number (singular or plural)
    • Subjects and verbs must agree with on another in number (singular or plural). Thus, if a subject is singular, its verb must also be singular; if a subject is plural, its verb must also be plural.
    • When the subject of the sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns connected by the conjunction and, use a plural verb.

  • tips:

    • The words each, each one, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anyone, anybody, nobody, somebody, someone, and no one are singular and require a singular verb.
    • When two or more singular nouns ro pronouns are connected by or or nor, use a singular verb.
    • ! When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronouns joined by or or nor, the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is closer to the verb(also called the rule of proximity).
    • Note the subject-verb agreement with words that indicate portions(e.g. a lot, a majority, some, all): if the noun after of is singular, use a singular verb; if it is plural, use a plural verb.
    • ! Use a singular verb with distances, periods of times, sums of money, etc., when considered as a unit.
    • ! Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person but are considered singular and take a singular verb (e.g. family, group, team, committee, class etc.)

  • examples:

    • Ten dollars is high price to pay for socks.
    • My family is very big.

  • conservation:

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    - These are a lot of people outside. Do you know what's going on?
    - These people are protesting. Maybe you've heard the recent news that some company wants build a huge factory right over there. And surely no one is happy about that.
    - But I didn't see any media around.
    - I'm sure that some reports will come in a bit. It's not like there are a couple of people so it's difficult to ignore this.

Past Simple Tense

  • usage:

    • We use the past simple when we talk about an action which happened at a definite time in the past.
    • This tense emphasizes that the action is finished.
    • We can also use this tense to talk about how someone felt about something.

  • tips:

    • Note that we use did/did not with the verb to have.
    • But we do not use did with the verb to be(was/were).

  • examples:

    • Nick’s mother didn’t want to stay at home the whole day so she signed up for Spanish classes.
    • I ran every day when I was a teen but I don’t do that anymore.
    • Where were you last night? I tried calling you but you didn’t pick up the phone.

  • conservation:

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    - Mom, do you have a minute?
    - Sure, kid, what's up?
    - When was the last time you wnt to a beauty salon?
    - Well, I don't remember. Maybe it was a year age.
    - And when was the last time you had a night out with Dad?
    - I'm not sure. It was definitely a long time age.
    - And what did you do last night?
    - I stayed a home with your Dad. We fell asleep watching some boring movie on TV.
    - I bought two ticket to Costa Rica. You need a vacation, Mom!

  • questions:

    • Where did you grow up?
    • What did you do last night?
    • When was the last time you went on a trip?

Simple Future Tense

  • usage:

    • We can refer to the future by using will, be going to or by using present tenses.
    • We use the will future when we want to talk generally about future belief, opinions, hopes and predictions.

  • tips:

    • Time markers - tomorrow, next month, in a day, etc.
    • Probability markers - perhaps, probably, definitely, etc.
    • Some speakers use shall to refer to the future in formal situation. Nowadays shall is used for suggestion only.

  • examples:

  • conservation:

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    - Mike, what are your plans fro tonight?
    - I don't know really, I'll probably play some video games after work.
    - And what will you do tomorrow?
    - Well, I definitely won't go out with my friends tomorrow.
    - And what will you do next week?
    - I'll most certainly start learning another language.
    - Mike, how do you have an answer for everything?
    - I'ts quite simple. I don't plan anything. Things will happen on their own.

  • questions:

    • What will you do tomorrow?
    • Where will you stay during your summer vacations?
    • Will robots take over the plant?

Present Continuous Tense

  • usage: we use the present continuous when we talk about something happening at the time of speaking, or actions happening ‘around now’, even though not at the moment of speaking. this tense also has some future meaning.

  • tips:

    • now, right new , at the moment, today, this week etc.

  • examples:

    • Is it raining outside? No, it isn’t raining. It’s a bit cloudy but kids are playing outside anyway.
    • The economic situation is already bad but it is getting worse.

  • conservation:

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    - Hello, Mike! How are you doing these day?
    - Hi, Sam! I'm fine, thanks! I'm doing a internship a one publishing house.
    - Oh, really? Are you enjoying it?
    - Yeah, I'm learning a lot of small but crucial details. How about you?
    - Well, I'm not working at the moment. I'm trying to find a job in my filed. It's a difficult staff!
    - Yeah, I totally got you! Well, I have to go now. Good luck!
    - Thank! Good luck to you too! See you!
    - Bye!

  • questions:

    • What are you doing right now?
    • Is anything interesting happing in your country?
    • Do you know what your family is doing now?

Past Continuous Tense

  • usage:

    • we use the past continuous when we describe a situation, or serval situations in progress, happening at the same time in the past.
    • this is often contrasted with a sudden event in the past simple.
    • we use the past continuous when we describe a situation, ro several situations in progress, happening at the same time in the past. This is often contrasted with a sudden event in the past simple.

  • tips:

    • was/were + Ving
    • at 7 o’clock, for two hours, in January, last week, all night etc.
    • when, while = during the time that
    • Non-continuous verbs (e.g. to love, hate, know, want etc.) are not used in any continuous tense! use the past simple instead.

  • examples:

    • While Emily was cooking dinner, the phone rang.
    • Ann broke a cup when she was washing the dishes.
    • Tom was sleeping peacefully in his bed when his mom took a picture of him.

  • conservation:

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    - Nate, where ware you yesterday? I was trying to reach you the whole evening.
    - Sorry, Sam it was such a crazy day!
    - Why so ?
    - Well, my college project was due to so I was running all over the city collecting information. I needed to write an article so I was meeting up with people, I wsa even interviewing strangers in the streets.
    - That sounds like a stressful day!
    - You bet! While I was interviewing one old lady, a cop came up to me and wanted to see my ID. But that's Ok.
    - Did you finish your project at least?
    - Thankfully, yes. I was working on ti the whole day!

  • questions:

    • What were you doing at 5 p.m. last night?
    • What were you doing when you heard a phone call?
    • What was your family doing when you went on a vacation together?