studentresources

Adverbs of Frequency

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:12:01 +0100

When using the present simple tense, adwords of frequency are used to express 'how often' we do something. Below you will see a list of the most common adverbs in order of frequency.

always

usually
normally
generally
regularly

often
frequently

sometimes
occasionly

rarely
seldom

never

Where is the adverb of frequency placed?

Usually the adverb is placed between the subject and the verb.

I often have toast for breakfast.
I sometimes watch football.
He rarely does his homework.
They never drink coffee after 6 pm.
We normally go away in the summer.

When using the verb 'to be' the adverb is usually placed after the verb.

Paul is usually late.
David is never here.
I am always hungry!

If more than one verb is used (auxiliary verb), the adverb is placed between the two verbs.

I would usually go there.
I don't normally smoke.
The students have often complained that they receive too much homework.

Note: Exception is 'have to'. I often have to repeat the exercise.

Expressions

Every now and then
From time to time

Every day/week/month/year
Once a week/month/year
Twice a day/year
Three times a day/week/month/year

Expressions are placed at the beginning or end of the sentence.

I study English every day.
Every now and then I go to the gym.
I eat three times a day.
I go to the cinema from time to time.

The Present Continuous (Progressive) Rules, Exercises and Quizzes

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:04:12 +0100

Positive	Negative
I'm working	I'm not working
You're / We're /They're working	You / We / They aren't working
He's / She's / It's working	He / She / It isn't working

Question

Am I working?

Are you / we / they working?

Is / He / She / It working?

The Present Simple Tense Forms, Rules, Exercises and Quizzes

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:51:38 +0100

This post will look at how the Present Simple is formed, how to use it along with some exercises and a quiz.

For forming the verbs in the affirmative, negative and question we will use the verb 'to work' as an example.

Affirmative

Subject	Verb form
I / we / you / they	work
He / She / It	works

For the third person singular;
if the verb ends in 's', 'z', 'ch', or sh' - add 'es'. E.g. He wishes. She passes.
if the verb ends in 'y' - change the 'y' and add 'ies'. E.g. He cries. It flies.

Negative

Subject	Auxiliary Verb and Verb Form
I / we / you / they	don't work
He / She / It	doesn't work

'Don´t' is the contracted form of 'do not'
Doesn't is the contracted for of 'does not'

Question

Auxiliary Verb and Subject	Verb Form
Do + I / we / you / they	work?
Does + He / She / It	work?

Use

1. To talk about things in general and it is used to say that something happens all the time or repeatly - Habits, hobbies, daily events, schedules, daily routines.

I play football two times per week

Do you play tennis?

The train leaves at 3pm on Wednesdays

I don´t get up early on Sundays

I don't like ice cream

He goes there all the time

The cafe opens at 7.30am

Hi my name is David. I usually get up at 7am. Afterwards I eat breakfast and read the paper. I sometimes take a shower but I prefer having a bath. I get to university at 10am and I have two classes. After the classes I usually go to the beach and meet my friends. My friend Sarah doesn't like the beach. She generally goes to the park with her dog. In the evening we study together and then have a few drinks in a local bar.

2. Facts and Generalizations

The earth goes around the sun

Cats drink milk

Water boils at 100 degrees.

Water freezes at 0 degrees.

London is the capital of England.

Argentina is in South America.

3. Sheduled events in the future. Anything that is on a timetable.

What time does the plane depart?

The film starts at 7.45 pm.

The party finishes at 2 am.

What time does the train arrive?

Exercises and a Quiz

1. Write about your daily routine. Use the following key verbs and any others that you know; to get up, to eat breakfast, to take/have a shower, to drive to work, to get to work, to have/eat lunch, to play, to walk, to go to bed.

2. Write about yourself. E.g., I live in France, I like playing football etc.,

TAKE OUR QUIZ - test your knowledge of the present simple with our free quiz.

The Past Continuous Rules, Exercises and Quizzes

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:28:56 +0100

The Past Continuous is used to talk about what was happening at a special time in the past. It is also know as the Past Progressive. You will be able to see the forms, the use and there is also a link to test your knowledge of the Past Continuous.

Affirmative	Negative
I/he/she/it was playing	I/he/she/it was not playing I/he/she/it wasn’t playing
You/we/they were playing	You/we/they were not playing You/we/they weren’t playing

Question

Was I/he/she/it playing?

Were you/we/they playing?

Use

1. Action in progress at a specific time in the past.

At 8pm yesterday I was watching football.

This time last week you were making a speech.

At 3am this morning we were sleeping.

The sun was shining when I woke up this morning.

2. Together with the past simple.

I was walking in the park when I saw Bill.

I was reading the newspaper when she came.

They were talking when the concert started.

We keep using the past simple to say that one thing happened after another e.g., I was walking i the park when I saw Bill. I stopped and we talked about the party.

3. Two actions that were happening at the same time.

I was talking with Peter while Sarah was talking with John.
They were listening to music while their mother was cooking.

Advanced Use

The past continuous is also used for repeated actions using always and similar words. By doing this the speaker is letting the listener know that this is a repeated action and irritating or cheeky.

She was always doing that, I didn't like it.

They were constantly turning up late, I don't know how they got away with it.

When not to use it

1. With the Past Continuous we cannot use it for certain verbs (like, love, know, realise, believe, remember, fit, seem etc.,)

I loved it, NOT - I was loving it.
You believed him, NOT - You were believing him
They seemed nice, NOT - They were seeming nice
He realised before he left, NOT - He was realising before he left.
We preferred to go, NOT - We were preferring to go.

2. Repeated Actions

I knocked on the door 3 times, NOT - I was knocking on the door 3 times.
When I was a child I went there a lot, NOT - When I was a child I was going there a lot.

Test your knowledge of the Past Simple and Past Continuous. Take our quiz here

Learning English Online

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:36:52 +0100

Learning English online is an effective way to improve your English. But with any type of learning you need to be prepared. This blog will give you advice and tips on how to get the most out of your online lessons.

What you need

A computer, a good internet connection and a headset are the bare minimum of what you will need to take classes online. A web camera is also pretty important. Most online classes are taught using Skype, so if you don't have it already downloading this for free is a good idea. Your teacher will be able to tell you exactly what you need to take classes online.

Make sure everything is set up

This is an obvious point but also an important one. Make sure that your computer is freshly turned on, that everything is plugged in correctly and that you have tested the connection. With Skype you can do this with a test call. Doing this before the class means that you will be ready when the lesson starts.

Take the classes somewhere quiet

Get away from everything that may be going on in your home. Trying to listen and participate in English classes is very difficult when there is noise around you. So find a quiet room and make sure that no one disturbs you whilst you are taking your lesson.

Come prepared

Do your homework and exercises in good time before the class. If you have been sent an article by your tutor read this carefully and underline anything that you don’t understand. Reading it out loud before the class is great practice and it will make it easier for when you do it again in the class. Use the article sent or any newspaper article, magazine article or even this blog and read it out loud slowly, making sure that each word is pronounced correctly. Then read it again so that the article flows. Also write down any questions that you have so that you don't forget them when the class starts.

Understand what is being taught

When grammar or anything else is being taught make sure that you understand it. You won’t need to practice it at this time, just make sure that everything is clear. If you don't understand what is being taught ask your teacher to explain it again. It is also advisable to try and do some background reading on what is going to be taught next. For example, if the next lesson is on the past simple do some starter exercises so that you make yourself aware of what is going to come up.

Conversation

Every class is an opportunity to practice your English speaking with a native and qualified tutor. Try to allow the conversation to flow, listening and talking in a natural way. This is your chance to talk English without worrying about too many mistakes. The teacher should note the mistakes and revisit them at a later time.

Relax

Come to class feeling relaxed and excited. Language learning should be enjoyable this is especially true for online classes. Come into the class motivated and excited about learning English. You will be able to get more out of the class this way.

After the lesson

After the class do something different. And then within a couple of days review what was taught in the class. Try and do any exercises or homework after the review so that you revisit what was taught twice before your next class.

The Past Simple Tense - Rules, Exercises and Quizzes

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:29:39 +0100

The past simple is a tense that gets omitted in English conversation by English language learners. "Yesterday I go (instead of went) to the supermarket" is an example of a very common mistake. This post will explain the rules and usage of the past tense along with some phrases and exercises that will help you remember the correct form.

The Rules

Verbs Ending in..	How to make Simple Past	Examples
e	ADD "d"	Wave --> Waved Live --> Lived
one vowel + 1 consonant (not y or w)	Double the consonant + ADD "ed"	Tap --> Tapped
"y" after a consonant	CHANGE "y" to "i" + ADD "d"	Cry --> Cried
anything else	ADD "ed"	Call --> Called Play --> Played Pour --> Poured

As you probably already know, there are also many irregular verbs in English for the past tense. Here are some of the most common ones.

Infinitive	In Past Simple
to be	was or were
to do	did
to go	went
to come	came
to eat	ate
to find	found
to get	got
to give	gave
to make	made
to run	ran
to sleep	slept
to teach	taught
to think	thought
to wake	woke
to write	wrote

Forming the Negative

The auxiliary did is used to form the negative - did + not + the infinitive. (I did not play)

I did not play
You did not work yesterday
We did not want to go
They did not sleep last night

The "did + not" gets contracted in normal speech

I didn't play
You didn't work yesterday
We didn't want to go
They didn't sleep last night

Asking questions

The auxiliary "did" is always used in forming the questions.

Did I play?
Did you work last night?
Did you want to go?
Did you sleep sleep last night?

Now lets use it!

A fantastic and simple exercise to to write about what you did last night, last weekend, last month, last year. Try and include as many different verbs as possible.

If you struggle with the past simple when talking, remember to take your time! There is now rush. Getting it correct slowly the first few times is important. It comes easier the more you say it.

Also, feel free to help yourselves to our free quiz. Test your past simple level here.

FREE QUIZ FOR PAST SIMPLE - CLICK HERE

I hope this helps. If you have any ideas for further exercises or any comments at all on this blog you can leave them below.