A Summary of English Verbs in Review

English Verbs 201- by Michael fuller

English Verbs 201- by Michael fuller

Before beginning this presentation of verb tenses, it is important to remind ourselves that with all grammar explanations of verb tenses we have two focal points necessary to mastering verbs: the use (when to use the verb in its correct tempo/tense) and the structure (how to form the successful structure of these verbs). To save space, I have eliminated the presentation of the structures and can expand on this during the class. It is worth mentioning that the outline of English verb structures follow the pattern of affirmations (positive sentences +), negations (negative sentences -) and interrogative sentences (classic question structures ?).

Simple Present: We use simple present to express habits, routines, and scientific facts.

Habit: They always take a towel with them when they go to the beach.

Routine: I brush my teeth three times a day.

Scientific facts: The earth revolves around the sun.

The name ‘simple present’ can confuse the learner because this verb tense runs through the past, present, and into the future by custom. There are some structural elements worthy of attention.

With the exception of the extremely irregular verb “can”, all other verbs end with an (s) in the third person singular. This includes the verb to be- is. The verb “to be” has three forms (am/is/are) in the simple present, while all other verbs (except ‘can’) have 2 forms (the form with the “s” and the form without- eat/eats).

*It is important to the Portuguese speaker to note that in English we use the simple present in place of the present subjunctive of Portuguese. This is because there is no existent subjunctive case in English. Exempli gratia: Eu como para que tenha energia. I eat so that I have energy. (Neste caso, também poderíamos usar o modal verb “may”).

Regular and irregular verbs: In the simple present tense we can remember very easily which verbs are irregular if we understand the reason why. The vast majority of these irregular verbs are irregular due to pronunciation. “Brush” and all other verbs ending in “sh”, “ch”, and “ss” have an added “es” to make the pronunciation clearer. (brushes, catches, stresses). Verbs like “have” become “has” for simple pronunciation reasons.

Simple Past: Simple past verbs are used to express an action that happened in the past, independent of other actions, and is no longer happening. This is in direct contrast with present and past perfect, as we will see. This verb can be understood as the preterit indicative of Portuguese: example: I took an aspirin before class. Eu tomei aspirina antes da aula. The imperfect indicative: She always arrived late. Ela sempre chegava atrasada. (Podemos usar “used to arrive” para claridade.) And also the imperfect subjunctive: If I lit a match, there would be an explosion. Se eu acendesse um fósforo, haveria uma explosão. (Quando usamos past perfect para expressar uma ação antes de outra ação no passado, o verbo que aconteceu depois sempre vem no caso de simple past. Exempli gratia: They had already left by the time he got there.

Irregular verbs in the simple past do not all have a pattern for reasoning. It is best to memorize them through use. This can be easy since 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd person singular and plural are all the same with the notable exception of the verb “to be”, which has 2 forms (was/were). Here it is necessary to explain that when we use verb “to be” in the imperfect subjunctive equivalent (second conditional phrases most often), “was” is eliminated in formal English and I/she/he/it use the “were” form. E.g.- If I were you, I would take an umbrella.

Infinitives: Infinitives are extremely important since they are the dictionary form of verbs. This is the form of the verb in its base form with the “to” attached. For beginners, this “to” appears to be the preposition “to” (para/por/a) and can cause confusion. It is important to simplify this and make the “to” represent the (r) at the end of Portuguese verbs (ar/er/ir). The important part for Portuguese speakers is knowing that infinitives are not always interchangeable between English and Portuguese. Many times in English, we use the gerund form of the verb where Portuguese uses the infinitive; we see this in the previous sentence of this paragraph. E.g.- is knowing that- é saber que. We can see this most frequently after prepositions. E.g. My sister insists on kneeling upon entering a church. A minha irmã insiste em se ajoelhar ao entrar numa igreja.

In book 2 of Four Corners (unit 12), we see the use of prepositions to express purpose. Here the “to” actually does function like the “para” of Portuguese.  E.g. I’m taking a class to learn English. Estou fazendo um curso para aprender ingles. I’m saving money to buy a car. Eu estou economizando dinheiro para comprar um carro.

Present Perfect: With present perfect we express an action that has started in the past and touches up to the present moment. (Structure is have+past participle.) We can use a timeline to visualize this.

Past                                                      Present                                                              Future

|_____________________________|__________________________________|

           |              |                                      |

     (S. Past )           ( Present Perfect)

We can see that the simple past (represented by the red bar) is an action that happened in the past and finished. The present perfect, in contrast, (represented by the purple bar) started in the past and continues up to the present moment. Just like with all verb tenses, we can pick up on key words to tell us if we should use the present perfect tense. The most common of these is ever. Ever should never be translated as “sempre”, but in the case of present perfect seems to indicate “desde algum ponto no passado até e incluso agora”. This can be “desde que você nasceu”, “desde que você começou na escola”, “desde que você mudou para Espirito Santo”. [O present perfect pode ser usado na pergunta para localizar o tempo em que ocurreu uma ação e a resposta pode ser no simple past.] Let’s see some examples.

Have you ever eaten octupus? R. I ate it once when I went to Rio.

*We can use present perfect when we want to express something that we have never done in our lives. E.g.- I haven’t ever seen a live tiger. Eu nunca vi um tigre ao vivo.

* We can use present perfect when we want to add various degrees of emphasis to an action that happened in the past. E.g. We have completed book 2. Nos já terminamos o livro 2. Notice that in Portuguese you can add the “já” to give the same emphasis while retaining the same verb.

Past Perfect: We use the past perfect (pluperfect indicative) tense to give order to two actions in the past. There are two verbs in the past and one happens before the other. The first action to occur will always use the past perfect. (Structure is had+past particple.) E.g.- I had already eaten when she brought the food. Eu já tinha comido quando ela trouxe a comida. First I ate food, then she brought food. This order is not always first in the collocation. The first action in time can be the last action mentioned; it can come at the end of the sentence. E.g.- The ground was wet because it had rained. O chão estava molhado porque tinha chovido.

Present Continuous: We use the present continuous to express an action that is happening in this moment (right now) or in this time period (these days). This uses the gerund form of the verb (-ing) with verb to be. E.g. I am taking an English class these days. Estou fazendo um curso de ingles hoje em dia. I am eating a sandwich on the subway right now. Eu estou comendo um sandwiche no metrô agora mesmo.

We can also use present continuous to express fixed plans about the future or a future event that will be temporary. E.g- After class, we are having a cook out. Depois da aula estamos tendo um churrasco.

Past Continuous: Past continuous is commonly used to express an action that was taking place when another action occurred. E.g- I was walking to the store when I saw the crash. Eu estava caminhando pela loja quando vi o accidente. What were you doing when they called? O que que você estava fazendo quando eles ligaram.

Modal verbs: A list of important modal verbs is may, might, would, will, could, should, ought to, shall, must.

“May” expresses probability and is more formal or less used. E.g. It may rain today, but I really don’t know. It can also be used to formally ask for permission in the 1^st person sentences. E.g.- May I get a drink of water.

“Might” is used in the same sense as “may”. We could say that might is more often used. I might have to go to get some milk if it runs out.

“Would” is used as a polite way to ask someone if they want something or ask for something. E.g.- What would you like to eat? I would like a hamburger. “Should” and “could” are used interchangeably with “poderia” and “deveria” with the exception of “could” when it is the past of “can”.

“Will” is used to state plans, predictions or future events. E.g.- I’ll have a hamburger. I think it’ll rain tomorrow. The negative contraction is always “won’t”. This modal verb stands in direct contrast to the more often used “to be going to” that is more often used in future expressions that are certain and fixed.

“Ought to” expresses obligation in the form of a suggestion. This is a sense less urgent than “must”. It expresses a suggestion to what you think someone should do. E.g. You ought to call your mom and let her know that you’re okay. Você deveria ligar a sua mãe e informá-la que está bem.

“Must” is an absolute obligation. It does not suggest but informs one as to what is their responsibility. E.g.- Employees must wash hands before returning to work. Os funcionarios devem lavar-se as mãos antes de retornar ao trabalho. In this case, if you say “ought to” it sounds like you leave it to the employees to decide if they want to or not. “Must” can also be used for inference (dedução). E.g. She´s late. She must be at the beauty salon.- Ela deve estar no salão de beleza.

“Shall” is an archaic form of “must”. It can be used for strong emphasis, formal situations or even irony. E.g. Shall we dance?  Biblical examples can be found in the ten commandments: “Thou shalt not kill”- “You shall not kill”.

Zero, First, Second and Third Conditionals: Conditionals use an “if/when” clause and together with a main clause to express a hypothetical idea. (Futuro do subjuntivo is used in Portuguese).

Zero Conditional uses two simple present verbs to describe things that are generally true. E.g.- If I have a really important exam, I study a lot. Se eu tiver uma prova importante, estudo muito. I get sick if I drink beer. Eu passo mal se eu beber cerveja.

First Conditional uses the modal verb “will” in the main clause and s. present in the if clause to express a prediction or result. E.g.- I will be late if it rains. Eu chegarei atrasado se chover. If it is hot out, I will need to take the bus.

Second conditional uses the modal verb “would” in the main clause and the s. past in the if clause to explain imaginary situations. E.g.- If you went to China, you would learn Mandarin. Se você fosse a China, aprenderia Mandarim.

Third conditional uses past perfect in the if clause and “would have”+ the past participle in the main clause to express a different possible past/imagining different past results. E.g.- If I had known about the car’s engine problems, I wouldn’t have bought it. Se eu soubesse sobre o problema do motor do carro, não o teria comprado.

Modal verbs with present perfect or past perfect continuous conditionals can express alternate endings or results to situations if something different were done. E.g. I should have studied harder. I would have gotten a better grade. Eu deveria ter estudado mais. Teria conseguido uma nota melhor. With “will” we can express a determined future result if something occurs. This can also combine with the gerund and becomes a continuous. I will have been working here for 2 years in August. You would be eating lunch if you were at home.

Present and past perfect continuous: present perfect continuous [have been+present participle] expresses an action that started in the past and is not yet finished. E.g.- We have been studying English for 2 years. Nos estamos estudando ingles já dois anos. ( In Portuguese the time expression “já” can appear to express that it is not yet finished.) Let’s compare with present perfect. I have lived here for two years. Eu moro aqui há dois anos.  O foco é a permanência no local onde a pessoa mora – já está lá há 2 anos e dá a entender que a ideia é continuar ali. I have been living here for two years. Eu estou morando aqui já dois anos. Aqui usando na forma continua expressa ênfase e poderia estar entendidoque não é um estado permanente.

Past perfect continuous  [had been + present participle] is used to express that something started in the past and continued up until another point in time in the past when another past action occurred. You had been talking for five minutes when I asked you to keep quiet. Você tinha estado falando por 5 minutos quando pedi que calasse. The time expression “for five minutes” is the palavra chave (key word) in this phrase.

Future Perfect Continuous (Progressive): [will have been+ verb-ing]Future perfect continuous is used to express an action that was occurring for a period of time before another action in the future or the cause of something that will happen in the future. E.g. She will have been working at the company for ten years by the time I retire. He will be tired by the time he arrives because he will have been traveling all day.

 Perfect Continuous Conditional The perfect continuous conditional can be used in type 3 conditional sentences. It refers to the unfulfilled result of the action in the if-clause, and expresses this result as an unfinished or continuous action.

If clause (condition)	Main clause (result)
If + past perfect	perfect continuous conditional
If this thing had happened	that thing would have been happening.

E.g. If I had known it about the new book, I would have been reading it yesterday.

I would have been studying if I had known about the test.

Imperative case- The imperative form of verbs is the easiest to understand. We can simply remove the “to” from the infinitive and exclude the subject. This is the only case in English that does not require a subject. To express this we state that it is the “understood you” (o you subentendido). When speaking in the imperative case, we are always speaking to the second person (ouvinte). E.g. Take the trash out, please. –Leva o lixo for a, por favor.

O "You" Pode Ser Plural? Nope!

Neste vídeo estou esclarecendo um tema importante. Muitos professores y instituições respeitáveis ensinam que o "you" pode ser também plural. Os falantes não nativos isto já se tornou um problema na fala quando querem traduzir vocês como "you". Estou demostrando porque não se deve considerar o "you" como o pronome pessoal da segunda pessoa plural.

Eu resolvi abordar este tema pelo simples fato que não concordo com "you" usado como plural. No ensino de inglês como idioma não nativo vi este tema ser muito pouco entendido. Todo professor diz que o "you" também é plural. O "you" pode ser entendido impessoal...pessoas em geral. Neste caso os idiomas latinos usam o reflexivo. É uma expressão e isto fica mais claro se analisarmos o que é o reflexivo...o reflexivo é usado quando a ação é feito pelo sujeito ao sujeito. Qual é o sujeito na frase: "aqui não se pode fumar"? É entendido como pessoas em geral. Em inglês usamos "you" e em situações mais formais usamos "one". Também é uma expressão idiomática. Uma coordenadora de um lugar de ensino de idiomas me falou "you talk a lot". Um pouco depois me falou "you don't talk much". Depois entendi que ela estava pensando "você" na primeira frase e "vocês" na segunda frase. Simplesmente é um erro e não dá para entender. O correto seria: "you and your students don't talk much". Usar "you" como vocês é um erro grave no ensino de inglês. Nos casos quando "you" é usado e as pessoas acham que pode ser plural, e sempre "you" como "pessoas em geral". Em português se expressa isso com o pronome reflexivo, porêm é somente uma maneira de expressar "pessoas em geral" porque o sujeito não está definido.

Preparing Learners for the Academic World – Post 2 Robert McLarty

Preparing Learners for the Academic World – Post 2 Robert McLarty

“Is all on it?” I heard these four simple words and didn’t have a clue what the Italian student in front of me in the queue was asking about. He was an international student getting his lunch along with some fellow students in an Oxford café last week. The person serving him looked equally confused until he pointed to the condiments. “All. Olive all”. “Oh, Olive Oil. S’already dressed”, she replied and I left them to it. His poor pronunciation and grammar created a short, but not dramatic, breakdown in communication, the sort of thing that can happen time and again to international students. The shorter the utterance, the more room for confusion. 

Although we usually think of reading and writing as the key skills required by students for the academic world, listening and speaking are equally important. Pronunciation is a key element of both of them. Although we cannot rid the Italian completely of his strong accent there is plenty we can do to raise his awareness of some of the key elements. Both outside and inside the lecture theatre and classroom, how well he expresses himself and how effectively he listens will become vital to him. In terms of confidence, pronunciation can make such a difference to a student and any help with listening is always welcome. Areas teachers can work on effectively during any presessional course include sense groups, sentence and word stress, intonation, linking and rhythm. You can literally take any sentence and analyse and practise it looking at each of these elements in turn. This comes from Oxford Learner’s Dictionary of Academic English and is the kind of sentence you may well hear in a seminar or lecture.

 Following a national shift from coal to oil in 1959, Japan’s mining industry went into decline. 

By asking the class which words take the main stress, which ones are completely unstressed, where the speaker pauses, which words are linked, what the intonation pattern is, etc you will raise their awareness of these elements. Oral practice of the sentence will push them to imitate as closely as possible the original model and it is fair to say that most of them can get closer than they think. Working on four or five sentences like this every lesson will really instill in them a need to articulate clearly and to listen effectively. When they are listening to English, they need to listen in chunks or sense groups. This sentences has four, each of which is the answer to a Wh question. Why? Following a national shift from coal to oil When? in 1959 What? Japan’s mining industry What ? went into decline. This activity can continue with each student choosing a sentence to dictate to the rest of the class aiming for as perfect pronunciation as possible. When their colleagues cannot grasp a particular word encourage them to ask, Did you say notional or national? I didn’t catch the last word, When did it happen? etc. This will be useful language to have when they are in seminars and lectures at a later date.

 Another useful activity for raising awareness on larger samples of speaking comes when they are practising making presentations. The pronunciation habits you are trying to teach them on a sentence level can easily be applied to the paragraph level, or in presentation terms, what is said about one particular slide. A simple activity is to ask your students to present an illustration or explanation of some key terms in their field as if they were explaining them to a non-specialist. In the time it takes to explain hydrophobic as opposed to hydrophilic, (in other words one mixes with water and the other repels water so soap molecules have both parts) your student will have spoken enough words to give you a good sample to work on. Take the same areas as above and try to really push them as far as they can go in terms of delivery. Note the two adjectives are a good example of contrastive stress when we are talking about them together and the stress will fall on the syllable which differentiates them, phob or phil. Extend this activity further by asking them to film themselves, or have a classmate do it, on their own smartphones so that they have a recording to review as many times as they want not only to practise but to act as an example of where their pronunciation was at the beginning of the course. Hopefully by the end it will be much improved. Listening and speaking are such important skills it is important they are not overlooked. They have the benefit of being able to be practised in short bursts and I would always advocate frequent rather than long practice sessions. Your learners will soon start to notice progress and will appreciate the usefulness of the exercises when they are working on a project with fellow students later in the academic year. 

Robert McLarty runs his own consultancy, McLarty Languages Ltd. He is a coursebook writer, an EAP teacher and is the Senior Tutor for the Oxford Teachers’ Academy. He is Editor of Modern English Teacher. He has run language schools in Paris and Oxford and worked for Oxford University Press for ten years.

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