15 January 2011 By Eric Cheung

PAD 082 Intensive English

Grammar Review – Freebies

About Eric
A.k.a. ‘Erik Piece’
Social network: erikpiece@gmail.com
Likes: music, sports, photography
Dislikes: working overtime, snobs, celery

In 2010…
I started teaching in CCCU.
I got my masters degree in Polytechnics University.
I formed a music group called The Tranquil Summer Sea.
I played in a music festival in Taiwan with the group.
The group broke up before Christmas.

Today…
I got up at 6.30 this morning.
I teach two classes today. This is my first sessions today.
I have just met some new students in this class.
I have been waiting for the students who are late.
I am sure you must behave yourselves.

In the future…
I will be a full-time lecturer in CCCU.
I will be travelling around Japan from June to August.
I will have been teaching here for 1.5 years by the end of 2011.
I will have obtained my PhD by 35 years old.
I will have become rich before 40. (wishful thinking)

Let’s move on before I start daydreaming.

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 15 January 2011 By Eric Cheung

All verb tenses in one table

Aspect (態)
Simple Perfect Continuo Perfect
us Continuo
us
0 “tensed” “tensed” “tensed”
have + be + have +
Past P Present P been + ing
Time Past - was, were, had been was/were had been
(時) ed/irreg could had played being playing
ular played, had eaten was/were had been
acted playing eating
ate, was/were
caught eating
Prese original is, are, can has been is/am/are has been
nt play, act has played being playing
eats, have is/am/are have been
catches eaten playing eating
is/am/are
eating
Future will + will be will have will be will have
verb will play been being been
will eat will have will be playing
played playing will have
will have will be been
eaten eating eating

(Adapted from
http://www.ronazajac.com/ESL/CF/TenseAspectBasics/TA_Chart.jpg)

TENSE = TIME + ASPECT

TIME (when): past, present or future
ASPECT (how): always happening, finished or ongoing
A verb can only have one “time” (i.e. there is NO “present
past tense”).
What tense should I use?
1. Simple Past v. Present Perfect
* Tip: Stop thinking “Things are as easy as English translated into
Chinese.”
Cantonese: 尋晚我去咗蘭桂坊。
English: NOT “I have been to LKF last night.” BUT “I went to LKF last
night.”

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 15 January 2011 By Eric Cheung

(You do not need to emphasise the action has ended.)

Simple Past Present Perfect

Something that happened
at a particular time in the past.
It does not happen at
present.
We use this to tell when
something began in the past,
It is not important when
exactly something happened.
The event continued until
this moment.
It tells how long something
has lasted.

b. I arrived at Lan Kwai Fong at 10 p.m. (exact time)

I have arrived at Lan Kwai Fong for hours. (no exact time)
c. Barbie loved Ken. (She does not love him now.)
Barbie has loved Ken since 1960s. (Until this moment, she still loves
him.)
d. I waited for Miriam at the airport at 6 a.m. (when I started
waiting)
I have waited for Miriam for 12 hours. (the wait is such a torture!)

2. Present Perfect v. Present Perfect Continuous

Let’s put it simply here:

Present Perfect Present Perfect Continuous

An action that started from An action that started from

any point in the past, continues any point in the past, continues
UNTIL this moment. at present, and goes on in the
Mostly the action is DONE;
sometimes it is still going on
(similar to present perfect

a. I’ve waited for Margaret for ages. (Now we’ve finally come
together.)
I’ve been waiting for Margaret for ages. (I don’t know when we’ll
meet.)

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 15 January 2011 By Eric Cheung

b. I’ve lived in Tuen Mun since 2005. (I’m still living there.)
I’ve been living in Tuen Mun since 2005. (one and the same thing)

3. Future Perfect v. Future Perfect Continuous (headache...)

More or less the same as #2, only the “time” is “future”.
Note: when we use “be going to”, it generally means a plan,
intention or expectation. “Will” means possibilities or deduction.

Future Perfect Future Perfect Continuous

An action that finishes We can also use this to

some time in the future show an action that lasts at
An action that still lasts at some time in the future.
some time in the future. Special use: showing cause
and effect of a continuous
a. I will have drunk all the fruit punch by the time you arrive. (You
will not get a drop of it.)
I will have been drinking all the fruit punch by the time you arrive.
(You’ll see me drinking like a crazy man when you arrive.)
b. By Monday, Susan is going to have had my book for a week.
(She’s keeping it for too long.)
By Monday, Susan is going have my book for a week. (She hasn’t
got it yet; when she gets it, she can use it for a week.)

4. Extra (there is always extra stuff)

Stop using present continuous tense in:
• “Sense” verbs: see, hear, taste, smell, notice
• “Emotion” verbs: like, love, hate, want (so “I’m lovin’ it” is
ungrammatical!)
• “Knowledge” verbs: know, understand, suppose, guess
• “Speech” verbs: apologise, wish, agree
• “Possession” verbs: need, belong, desire, contain, possess

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 15 January 2011 By Eric Cheung

Active v. Passive Voice

We use passive voice when:
• We don’t know who is the “doer” of the action (E.g. The glass
was broken.)
• We don’t want to tell who the “doer” is. (E.g. Mistakes are
made.)
• It is not important to mention who the “doer” is. (E.g. I’m stood
up.)
• We want to sound “professional”. (I don’t recommend you do
this in your report.)

Be careful as you use active/passive voice:

• Can the subject do the action itself? (E.g. The chair moves/is
moved.)
• Is it really necessary to use passive? (Passive voice is indirect
and wordy.)
• Some verbs cannot be used in passive. (E.g. come, happen,
arrive, have, etc.)

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15 January 2011 By Eric Cheung

Prepositions about place and time

Time Place

in in 2011 (year) confined inside a container

in January (month) or a place:
in the summer (season) in Nathan Road
in the morning (part of the in the airport terminal
day)

on on 15 January 2011 (date) outside, touching the

on Wednesday (days of the surface
week) on the wall
on New Year Eve (special on the bus
day) on the plane

at at Chinese New Year general location at a point

(festival) at the bank (cf. in the bank)
at 4pm (time) at home
at breakfast (meals) at the corner
at night, at noon (part of
the day)

to 15 minutes before the next motion of a thing

hour go to the cinema
a quarter to ten (9:45)

for a period of time heading to the destination

used usually with perfect leave for New York
tenses

since when an action began N/A

used usually with perfect
tenses

ago “before the present” N/A

used usually with past tense

If you’re hardworking enough, read/do these:

Tenses (this page looks scary):
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbtenseintro.html
Active and passive voice:
http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/grammar/passive/1.xml
Prepositions about time and place:
http://esl.about.com/library/beginnercourse/bl_beginner_course_eas
ypreps.htm

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15 January 2011 By Eric Cheung

Reminder: Quiz coming in two weeks’ time (29 Jan 2011)

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!
- The End -