Gerunds, So and Neither

See this interesting video about So and Neither

Gerunds: Form and Use

Gerunds:
Form and Use (#1)

Gerunds are -ing forms of verbs, but they are not part of any  verb tense. Instead, they are used as nouns. Notice that 1. Most gerunds are the -ing form (base form + -ing) of a verb . 2. Gerunds may be affirmative or negative. Negatives are formed by putting not before the -ing form. Gerunds may be used exactly as nouns are used. Their most common uses are 1. as subjects; 2. as objects of verbs and prepositions; 3. as subject complements. Examples: Subjects Swimming is excellent exercise. Drinking too much coffee gives him a headache. Eating too quickly gave him an upset stomach. Not doing his homework caused him to fail the test. Not having an answering machine causes him to miss many calls. Objects He dislikes doing homework. The manager suggested having our meeting away from the office. He proposed meeting in a restaurant. I look forward to seeing you soon. She's worried about missing her bus. Are you tired of studying? She's depressed about not passing the test. He's nervous because of not being on time. He's tired from not getting enough sleep. Subject Complements His hobby is playing computer games. My least favorite chore is cleaning the bathroom. His problem is not coming to class on time. So and Neither So and neither responses can be very difficult. Let's just focus on what we say if we agree with someone. If someone says something negative and we agree with them we can use neither. If someone says something positive and we agree with them we can use so. We must also remember that the verb in the statement needs to agree with the verb in the response: "I am excited about the party." "So am I."

Exercise 1: Infinitive and Gerund

Exercise 2: Gerunds

Exercise 3 : So do I & Neither do I
Exercise 4: Gerund or infintive
Exercise5 : So and Neither

Relative clauses of time

Relative clauses

 

Relative clauses are clauses starting with the relative pronouns who*, that, which, whose, where, when. They are most often used to define or identify the noun that precedes them. Here are some examples:

Do you know the girl who started in grade 7 last week?

Can I have the pencil that I gave you this morning?

A notebook is a computer which can be carried around.

I won't eat in a restaurant whose cooks smoke.

I want to live in a place where there is lots to do.

Yesterday was a day when everything went wrong!

Note 1: The relative pronoun whose is used in place of the possessive pronoun. It must be followed by a noun. Example: There's a boy in grade 8 whose father is a professional tennis player. (There's a boy in grade 8. His father is a professional tennis player.)

Note 2: The relative pronouns where and when are used with place and time nouns. Examples: FIS is a school where children from more than 50 countries are educated. 2001 was the year when terrorists attacked the Twin Towers in New York.

Exercise 1: Relative Clauses

Exercise 2:  Relative Clauses

Exercise 3:  Relative Clauses (Contact clauses)

Adverbial clauses of time

After, Before, When

Key Time Expressions used in Adverb Clauses

The time expressions after, before andwhen are used to indicate when something happens in the past, present or future. Each is a subordinating conjunction which introduces a dependent clause and can be used at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence.

AFTER

The action in the main clause occurs after what occurs in the time clause with after. Notice the use: 

Present: What always happens after something else occurs.

Time clause: present simple
Main clause: present simple

Alison checks her mail after she gets home.
David plays golf after he mows the lawn on Saturdays.

BEFORE

The action in the main clause happens before the action described in the time clause with 'before'. Notice the use:

Present: What happens before something else occurs on a regular basis.

Time clause: present simple
Main clause: present simple

I take a shower before I go to work.
Doug exercises every evening before he eats dinner.

WHEN

The action in the main clause happens when something else occurs. 

Present: What always happens when something else occurs.

Time clause: present simple
Main clause: present simple

We discuss the bookkeeping when she comes every month.
Susan plays golf when he friend Mary is in town.

See the video about adverbial clauses of time

Exercise 1: Time clauses 

Exercise 2: 

Time clauses

Time Contrasts

See a video about statements with  time phrases

Exercise 1:  time Contrasts

Exercise 2:  presentSimple, Past Simple, Future Simple, Present continuous

Exercise 3:  past, present and future tenses

Infinitives and gerunds

English Grammar: Gerunds and Infinitives for Purpose

Gerunds and infinitives are a part of English grammar that many English learners find challenging.

In English, both gerunds and infinitives can be used to talk about the reason 
why we use or do something.

Let’s begin with an example. This is a hair dryer:

There are two ways you can talk about the purpose of the hair dryer. Compare these two sentences …

A hair dryer is for drying hair.

I use a hair dryer to dry my hair.

Can you see the difference between the two sentences above?

Gerunds

A gerund is a verb that acts like a noun. To form a gerund, add –ing to the end of the verb.

To describe the purpose of something, use for + gerund:

What is a hair dryer for?
A hair dryer is for drying hair.

What is this program for?
This computer program is for editing videos.

*Notice that in the above sentences, the thing being described is the subject of the sentence.

Infinitives

An infinitive is the to + verb form. To describe the purpose of someone, use an infinitive.

What do you use a hair dryer for?
I use a hair dryer to dry my hair.

Why did you go to the store?
I went to the store to buy some milk.

Why are you going to Toronto?
I‘m going to Toronto to learn English

Exercise 1: Gerunds and Infinitives

Exercise 2:  Gerunds and Infinitives

Two part verbs

Phrasal verbs are usually two-word phrases consisting of verb + adverb or verb + preposition.

If you think of each phrasal verb as a separate verb with a specific meaning, you will be able to remember it more easily. Like many other verbs, phrasal verbs often have more than one meaning.

Two- part verbs	Meaning	Example sentence
Turn somenthing  on	Start the energy, switch on	It's too dark in here. Let's turn some lights on.
Turn something off	Stop the energy flow, switch off	Your mother wants you to turn the TV offand come for dinner.
Turn something down	Decrease the volume or strength (heat, light etc)	Please turn the TV down while the guests are here.
Take something  off	Remove something (usually clothing)	Take off your socks and shoes and come in the lake!
Take something out	Remove from a place or thing	Can you take the garbage out to the street for me?
Hang up	End a phone call	He didn't say goodbye before he hung up
Put away	Save or store	We put away money for our retirement. She puts away the cereal boxes.
Pick up	Lift something off something else	The crane picked up the entire house. (Watch them pick itup.)

Take’ appears in many phrasal verbs. Here are several uses of the verb..

Take up- to begin or start a new hobby.

‘He took up jogging after his doctor advised him to get some exercise.’

‘He took jogging up after his doctor told him to get some exercise.’

Take out – To remove something to outside

‘Take out the rubbish when you leave.’

‘Take the rubbish out when you leave.’

Take in – To understand or comprehend something.

‘Sarah couldn’t take in all the information at the meeting.’

Take after– To have a similar character or personality to a family member.

‘In my family, I take after my mother. We have the same eyes and nose.’

Take back (something) – To return something.

‘Could you take this book back to the library for me?’

‘Could you take back this book to the library for me?’

Take off (something) – To remove something, usually an items clothing or accessories

‘In Japan people take off their shoes when they enter a house.’

‘In Japan people take their shoes off when they enter a house.’

Take on – To employ someone or to be employed.

‘The restaurant takes on extra staff in the summer.’

Click here to see a video about TURN Phrasal Verbs: turn on, turn off, turn over, turn around, turn out...

Exercise 1: Choose the correct preposition to complete each of the following sentences

Exercise 2: PHRASAL VERBS using "TO TAKE"

Exercise 3: Phrasal Verbs Exercise

Imperatives and infinitives

Click here to see a video about imperatives and infinitives for giving suggestions

Exercise 1: Imperative - Exercises

Exercise 2:  Imperative

Exercise 3: Imperative

Requests with modals and would you mind.

Modal Verbs for Requests

Modal verbs are used in English to make polite requests

Can & Could

Can and Could are modal verbs used to make requests. Here is the structure:

Can/Could + Subject + Verb

Examples:

Can you pass the salt please?

Could you bring your book tomorrow?

Would Would is used to make polite requests in English. The structure is as follows: Would you mind + Verb + ING Examples: Would you mind closing the door?Would you mind turning down the radio?You can also say “do you mind”, but “would you mind” is more polite: Do you mind turning off the music?Would you mind turning off the music?

See de video how to make polite resquest

Exercise 1: Modal Verbs for Requests Exercise

Exercise 2: Request with modals and would you mind 

Exercise 3:  Would You Mind Grammar Exercise

Will vs. Going to

Future - Will vs. Going to

English Grammar Rules

A very confusing concept is when to use WILL and when to use BE GOING TO when we refer the future.

Both refer to the future and there is a slight difference between the two though in most cases they can be used interchangeably with no difference in meaning. Even if you misuse them, a native speaker is going to understand you without any problems.

Quick Summary Chart

Compare Will vs. Going To

If someone asks: "Are you busy this evening?"

If I respond: "Yes, I'm going to the movies." I use going to because it is a plan I made earlier (before I was asked the question). - In this case we cannot use Will.

If I haven't made plans, then you can say either: "I will probably watch TV." OR "I'm probably going to watch TV."

Both will and going to are possible in this situation because we are predicting what will happen (since we haven't made any plans).

Click here to see a video about  will versus going to 

Exercise 1: Will or Going to

Exercise 2: will-future or going to-future 

Exercise 3: Will or Going to?

Modals for necessity and suggestion

Describe Necessity

Need can also be used to express necessity or strong recommendation. For example: Describe necessity"Have to" is used to express necessity, and obligation. 
For example: Describe necessityMust: Express necesity or strong recommendation.
 For example:
"Students must study hard to pass the TOEIC" 

Giving suggestion

"Had better" is used to make recommendations or suggestion. 

For example; Giving suggestion"Ought to" is used to advise or make recommendations. 

For example; 
Giving suggestion"Should" is most commonly used to make recommendations or give advice. For example; 

 Video about modals for necessity and suggestion

Exercise 1: Modals:Obligation - Necessity -  Prohibition -Suggestion

Exercise 2: must-should-have to-need

Exercise 3: Have to or must

Simple past vs. present perfect

Present perfect vs. simple past

You must always use the Present perfect when the time of an action is not important or not specified.You must always use the Simple past when details about the time or place that an action occured are given or requested.

COMPARE:

 Present perfect                                            Simple past 

I have lived in Lyon.                          I lived in Lyon in 1989.
They have eaten Thai food.             They ate Thai food last night.
Have you seen 'Othello'?.                 Where did you see 'Othello'?
We have been to Ireland.                    When did you go to Ireland?

 

   There is also a difference in attitude between the two tenses, which is often an important factor in             choosing which tense to use.

• "What did you do at school today?" I use the simple past tense because the question is about activities, and the school day is considered finished.

• "What have you done at school today?" I use the present perfect because the question is about results : « show me ». The time at which the question is asked is considered as a continuation of the school day.

 Present perfect versus simple past video

            

 Exercise 1:  Present perfect or simple past

Exercise 2: Present Perfect or Past Simple

Exercise 3: Choose past simple or present perfect

Sequence adverbs

Sequence adverbs are used to help describe a progression of events. Often used in recipes or instructions, sequence adverbs such as “first,” “then,” “next,” “after that,” and “finally” contain information about the order of actions and create natural transitions in writing. 

See a video about sequence adverbs

Exercise 1: Sequence Adverbs | First, Next, After That, Finally

Exercise 2: Food Vocabulary