MODULE Tenses Before you start 1 Review these intermedi Auxiliary verbs Auxiliary verbs are be, have and do. ‘We use them with main verbs to form tenses, questions and negatives. We don’t use them with modal verbs: X De-we-nnist pay excess baggage-on-this? Forming present and past simple tenses 1 For the present simple this is the same as the infinitive, except after he, she or it: Tread he reads. they carry -+ it carries 2 For the past simple we add -ed to the infinitive (regular verbs). The form is the same for all persons except with be: I/he/she/it was, we/you/they were 3 We form the negative and questions of the present and past simple with the auxiliary do: Japanese cooking doesn’t use a lot of dairy food. Do interest rates usually go up in order to reduce inflation? ‘Did you see anything suspicious?’ ‘No, I didn't see anythin, Spelling rules of present simple -s endings > page 366 Past tense -ed endings > page 367 Forming other tenses 7 present _am/is/are + ing form James and Sally are spending the evening together. continuous of main verb What are the children doing? past was/were + -ing form What were the children doing while you were travelling? continuous of main verb It wasn’t raining when we woke up this morning. present _has/have + past Pee 7 partge, The printers haven't finished the new brochure yet. There has been a decline in applicants to the profession. simple e.g. walked, had, done present a Bob Geldof has been doing a lot of work for charities perfect _has/have been + ind. since the mic-eightes continuous M How long have you been studying architecture? By the end of the fundraising week we had raised $5,000. past perfect had + past participle Hag you already seen that film? past perfect had been + ing form The lake was near bursting point as it had been raining continuous of main verb. heavily for weeks. 2 Be careful not to omit have with the present perfect: X Tnever-been-to MadameTussaud’s: / I've never been to Madame Tussaud’s. 3 Used to is followed by an infinitive. Notice the possible spellings in questions and negatives: It used to take me over an hour to get to work, Did you use(d) to get free milk at school? Supermarkets didn’t use(d) to be open on Sundays in the UK. Spelling rules of -ing forms > page 367 882. Read the information and identify examples of auxiliary verbs and different tenses. CINEMA AUDIENCES have jumped this year, a5 consumers flock to escape the recession, according to figures from the Cinema Advertising Association. While many other entertainment venues are struggling to survive during the downturn film fans are refusing to give up their regular trip to the cinema. ‘After a long period where audience figures had been falling, last year cinemas enjoyed their best summer since 1969. In the first four months of this year, 55 million tickets were sold, a 14 percent increase on the same period last year. 3 Complete the diagnostic test below. Choose the correct words in italics. 1 The city museum is having / has a new wing - it opened last month. > Unit 19.3 2 Gary had / had got a powerful motorbike when he was younger, but his > Unit 19.4 wife persuaded him to sell it. 3 ‘Sorry I haven’t phoned, I lost your number.’ ‘Oh, you always lose / > Unit 20.2 you're always losing my number. Why don’t you put it in your mobile?’ 4. It gets / is getting easier to find people to do part-time work these days. > Unit 20.5 5. By the middle of 2008 many parts of Europe experienced / were experiencing » Unit 21.2 the worst economic recession for decades. 6 The victim came / was coming home from work when she was attacked.» Unit 21.3 7 Jim caught | was catching the early flight the next moming so he left > Unit 21.4 the party before midnight. 8 Things have certainly changed - there would / used to be loads of small > Unit 21.5 shops around here when I was young 9 By the third month of the war rebel forces took / had taken most of > Unit 22.1 the province. 10 At the time of the takeover the company’s shares had declined / > Unit 22.2 had been declining in value for several months. 11 The cat was shaking when she ran into the house; a fox was / had been > Unit 22.3 chasing her. 12 Luckily, all the boring speeches finished | had finished by the time we > Unit 22.4 arrived at the ceremony. 13. The nurses’ strike increased / has increased the waiting time for > Unit 23.4 minor surgery. We now have to wait at least a month, 14. He's really much more handsome in the flesh than I thought / > Unit 23.6 have thought. 15. Street crime figures have risen / been rising by five percent in the last > Unit 24.1 two months. 16 The weather has been awful. It’s rained / been raining for five days already > Unit 24.4 this week. 17 The part-time philosophy course consists / is consisting of twenty evening > Unit 25.1 lectures and five full-day seminars. 18 You can’t leave a ten-year-old child on her own. What on earth > Unit 25.2 do you think | are you thinking of? 4 Check your answers on page 384. Then go to the unit for more information and practice.19 90 Auxiliaries and have got The first ‘megaplex’ in the world, Kinepolis Brussels has got 25 screens and over 8,000 seats. It is part of the international Kinepolis group. Uses of auxiliary verbs We use have and be to make perfect, continuous and passive forms of tenst Thaven't seen her for ages. John is working very hard these days. The flat is watched by the surveillance team twenty-four hours a day. We use do (does/did) to form questions and negatives in the present and past simple: Do you enjoy going to the theatre? We didn’t go to Corfu after all. Doesn't the thermostat control the heating? It is possible to omit the auxiliary, and sometimes the subject, in very informal English (e.g. speech, notes, postcards > Unit 83.2) and in headlines: Terrorists arrested in dawn raid. (= Terrorists were arrested ...) do as a substitute verb > Unit 73.1/2 do in inversion > Unit 76.2 Use of contractions (short forms) with auxiliaries We usually use contracted auxiliaries in speech and informal writing, either with the subject or with not: she’s, they’ve, we don't. Note the following exceptions and special cases. « In spoken English (and when representing speech in writing), we can combine contracted not and contracted auxiliaries, e.g. ‘ve, with modal verbs: He shouldn’t’ve done it + We don’t contract was: X He's-watehing-television-when-she-arrived. / He was watching television when she arrived. + In formal English we don’t use contractions when there is more than one subject: The ante tate paren hinted teach it date ¥ The army and the navy have launched a recruitment drive. Has and is have the same contracted form, ‘s. Similarly, had and would are both contracted to “d: He's taken a long lease. (= has taken) He's taking a holiday. (= is taking) He'd known her for ages. (= had known) He’d know what to do. (= would know) You can work out the full form by looking at the main verb or from the context. Pronunciation > 1.06 We usually avoid using contractions in very formal English: [Clauses 10-15 don’t apply in the case of valuables stolen from vehicles.) ¥ Clauses 10-15 do not apply in the case of valuables stolen from vehicles. Also, ain't (instead of am/is/are not) is used informally in some dialects and in popular songs. This is considered incorrect by many English speakers: [ain't going to the party.] (= I'm not going ...) be, have and do as main verbs Be, have and do can function as main verbs as well as auxiliaries. be = exist, located in, behave: They're here! It’s in the bag. Now you're being silly. do = perform an action or complete a task: When do you do the washing? I did my assignment yesterday evening. What do you do? (= What's your job?)We use have to talk about * possession: The chairman of the board has a Gulfstream executive jet. inclusion: Our latest computer will have a number of upgradeable components. relationships: I have two older brothers. experiences, e.g. illnesses/disabilities and dreams: This patient has a slight limp as a result of his accident. The children often have nightmares after thunderstorms. + actions, e.g. eating, drinking, playing sport: We're having chicken with cashew nuts for dinner tonight. (= We're eating chicken ...) The second team has an important match on Wednesday evening. Sometimes we use have + noun when there is no single appropriate verb in English: You have an appointment with the accountants at four. In British English we can use have without auxiliary do in questions and negatives: Has the government any real intention of addressing the crime problem head on? Thaven't a clue what they're talking about. ‘We don’t usually use the passive of main verb have. When we do, it has the meaning ‘be tricked or cheated’: You paid $100 for a T-shirt! You've been had! (= You've been cheated.) have + noun, e.g. have a race > Unit 68.5 have got We use have got as an alternative to have for possession and other states in the present. It is generally preferred to have in informal British English, especially in the negative: [He has a car but he hasn't a licence] J He has/’s got a car but he hasn't got a licence. In formal written English have is more usual: Our tutors have the highest qualifications. ‘We usually use a form of have, not have got, to talk about past or future possession: X Hhad- gota petrabbitwher-twase-child: J Thad a pet rabbit when I was a child. Have got and have do not have continuous or passive forms when they mean ‘possess’: X Heishaving-tgothecak X Acarhas-been-gotbp him: / He has got a car. have (got) to to express obligation > Unit 33.1 We also use have/has/had got as the present/past perfect form of the verb get. Compare: She's got a degree in chemistry and works at the lab. (= holds/possesses) She's just got a degree and hopes to find a job in a lab. (= has just received) He'd got a certificate from the doctor so he could claim sick pay. (= had obtained) ‘We can use have got as a perfect infinitive (past form of the infinitive) with these meanings: OBTAIN. I hope to have got the results by March. We expect to have got the keys by next week. RECEIVE He's likely to have got the letter by now. ‘We don't use have got in these ways: a119) suxauanes ano nave cor 1 2 92 Practice Rewrite the sentences correctly, using a suitable auxiliary verb. Whenever appropriate, use contracted forms. If two contracted forms are possible, in conversational speech for instance, write both, as in the example. 0 He could not seen them do it. _ He couldn't have, seen. them. doit... He couldnt’ve, seen. them da it 1 [been waiting here for hours. 2 She will not returned by the time the show starts 3. Protection under this policy not include items exceeding a value of $500. 4 He might not known that it was you at the door, 5. thelr boss not realise that they are under a lot of pressure? 6 James got better despite the fact that he not been taking his medication for weeks. 7. They really should told you about their decision. 8 The documents requested from your solicitor have not received and we are therefore obliged to cancel your contract forthwith. Listen and check. 1 Sorry we late for the ceremony. Jason was really difficult and wouldn’t get ready in time. Teenagers! 2. It is advisable to request a vi: more than two weeks. 3 P've had a letter from the head teacher because Jane has rude to her teachers several times this month. 4 ‘The accounts should have been .. problems making the figures add up.’ Complete the sentences with a form of be, do or have. toa consultant if you severe stomach pain for by last Friday. What's happened?" ‘We're 5. While Vicki enjoys time to relax at weekends, nothing isn’t an option for her husband, who wants to active all the time. 6 You paid $5,000 for that old car? But it isn’t even worth $500. You've been ........! 7 He spends half his time reading newspapers and magazines. He calls it......... research for his thesis. I call it lazy! 8 That evening, instead of ......... dinner at home, we decided to go to the little French restaurant in the next village. 9 The weather was truly awful - freezing with driving rain - but I had to go out as 1 _ an appointment to keep. 10 Montague felt very depressed when the firm went bankrupt and he lost his job in Accounts. It was what he had... all his life; he didn’t know anything else.3 Read the conversation and underline all the examples of have. Decide which ones can be replaced with have got and write the correct form of have got. (BEEB Listen and check. has got Ber Do you fancy going to the cinema at the weekend? The local Odeon has a good film on. su I don’t really like going to the cinema. I prefer to watch movies at home, BETH Really? SUE Yes, we have a fantastic new 3D home cinema system, so the sound and vision are both excellent BETH I thought you already had a state-of-the-art TV. sur We used to have quite a good one, yes, but our new system has much better sound than that had. Why don’t you come round on Saturday evening and see it? bet I'm having dinner with my parents on Saturday evening. How about Friday? sue That's OK, but I've actually ordered the new James Bond film on DVD, and I hope to have it by Saturday. Let’s make it Sunday evening, shall we? BETH Yes, that’s fine, but I need to leave a bit early as I have an interview on Monday morning. sur OK, come round about seven. We'll have a snack first, then watch the movie. 4 Rewrite the underlined words in the hotel brochure with forms of be, do or have. Glenforth Ho Situated in the heart of the beautiful Scottish Highlands, the Glenforth H. eeu aE accra: Rooms All our rooms contain king-size beds, Babysitting service If you have small children, luxurious bathrooms and tea/coffee-making facilities. you willbe able to take advantage of our unique You can get extra tea, coffee and biscuits from babysitting service. We employ several reception at any time. {ully-qualified nannies who are able to take care of | Dining We possess a Michelin-starred restaurant your children for an evening. Our nannies perform offering the best in cordon bleu cuisine featuring a __this service for a nominal fee. variety of organic ingredients, all of which originate Sports For those of our guests that enjoy fishing, from the locality ‘the hotel owns the fishing rights on part of the Leisure faclties Would you enjoy indulging in a river Glenswift, which is teeming with a large | felaxing swim or sauna? Our guests can obtain number of salmon, trout and bream | free membership of the adjacent Glenforth Health ‘The hotel grounds are quite famous as they Centre, which includes a fully-equipped gymnasium, have acted as the location for many movies. heated indoor pool and sauna/steam rooms All our raonas have king-size beds. 0 1 2 3 420 94 Present simple or continuous? The Third Man is one of the most famous post-war films. In it, writer Holly Martins is searching for his friend Harry Lime in Vienna shortly after the end of World War Il. When he is told that his friend has died in an accident, Martins begins to suspect that there is. something suspicious about the death Permanent and temporary situations We often use the present simple to describe + permanent situations: A colony of Antarctic penguins lives in Marwell Zoo. © facts: Broken bones in adults don’t heal as fast as they do in children. © things which are generally true: British people drink a lot of tea, while the French drink more coffee. + opinions: Why don’t you come with me? It seems silly to take two cars. The present continuous describes a temporary situation or action in progress at or around the time of speaking. The action is likely to continue after the time of speaking: Tl be with you in a minute. I'm just finishing something in the kitchen. My niece from Ireland is spending the summer with us. She's really enjoying city life! Common adverbs with this form are now, just, still, af the moment and currently: The students are currently studying the writings of Gitnter Grass on the German course. We use live, work, study and stay in the continuous if the action is temporary: AX. She-staps-tne the Waldorf Astorie-o-this visit to New York-docsnt she? ¥ She's staying in the Waldorf Astoria on this visit to New York, isn’t she? ‘We can use the present simple to draw attention to someone arriving or leaving, with here comes and there goes. These are always present simple and appear before the subject: X Hereis-coming-the-postnan: J Here comes the postman. X There-thetast-bus-gees. J There goes the last bus. More on inversion ® Unit 76.3 State verbs and present simple > Unit 25.1 Regular or repeated actions We use the present simple to describe things that happen on a regular basis: As temperatures fall with the approach of winter, the soil freezes and contracts ‘Many people from the north of Europe take their summer holiday in the warmer south. We often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency, e.g. always, sometimes, and expressions of frequency, e.g. every day, once a week: Share prices usually change on a daily basis ~ but often by very little, Our two chefs provide an excellent choice of hot meals every day. Itis possible to use the present continuous to talk about repeated events or actions, usually if they happen within a temporary period: I’m feeding the neighbour's cat while she’s away. Compare: Alan loves sweet things. He eats a dessert most days. (habit over a long time) Alan’s on a diet. He isn't eating desserts at the moment, (repeated action within a temporary period)We can use the present continuous for a series of actions that are more frequent than we would normally expect: Now that I've bought a Toyota Prius, I’m seeing them everywhere! We can use the present continuous with an adverb such as always, forever or continually for frequently repeated actions: The baby’s always making cute little gurgling noises. This use is more emphatic than using the present simple for repeated actions, and, with a stressed adverb, expresses annoyance with the person who is doing the action: The neighbours are continually slamming doors and shouting during the night. I'm always forgetting people's birthdays. It’s so annoying. Series of events/actions We use the present simple to give directions or instructions, often with impersonal you: From here you cross the road, go through an iron gate and follow the path west ‘This is similar to the imperative, but the imperative can sound more abrupt Cross the road, go through an iron gate and follow the path west ‘We use the present simple to express the immediacy of an event, e.g. in sports commentaries, particularly when the action is over before the description finishes: France kicks off, Vieira passes to Henry, Henry cuts inside ... and it’s a goal! ‘Compare the use of the present continuous used in sports commentaries, when the action is in progress throughout the time of speaking: They're now entering the back straight and Bekele is starting to pull away fiom the other runners ... he crosses the line two seconds ahead of his closest rival ... Describing pictures, plots and telling anecdotes ‘We use the present continuous to describe pictures: Our head of our department is the one who's standing slightly apart in the college photo. We can use the present continuous with the present simple to give more immediacy to an anecdote. We use the continuous for actions which form a background and the simple for the actions that make up the narrative: There's an old woman with thick glasses who's serving the hot drinks, so I go up to her and ask (She started serving before the action of the narrative.) This is often the way that we describe the beginning of books, films or plays: At the start of the play, Hamlet is walking along the castle walls when he hears a strange voice. Newspaper headlines often use the present simple to express a past event, which again gives more immediacy to the event: UK jobless total climbs to 2.4 million. Other uses ‘We use the present continuous to describe things which are in the process of changing, , trends: X_ British summers get hotter andwinters. get wetter ¥ British summers are getting hotter and winters are getting wetter. The cost of bringing up children is increasing all the time. ‘The use of the present continuous for trends is common in academic English: While it is often assumed that violent crime is increasing, statistics show that it is actually decreasing in most areas. ‘We use the present simple in formal speech or writing for certain actions: Inote that you referred to the National Curriculum in your speech ... I look forward to receiving a prompt reply to my enquiry. Present simple for fixed future events or for future after when, after, etc. > Unit 28.1 Present continuous for arrangements in the future ® Unit 27.3, 9520 reserr sivrue on conrmucus? Practice 1 Choose the correct or more suitable verb form in italics. 1 The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao houses / is housing Spain's largest collection of Modern Art. 2 We try out / are trying out a new paper supplier at the moment. The old one was too expensive. 3. These animals display / are displaying a great deal of aggression if disturbed. 4. We currently show / are currently showing the film ‘Mamma Mia’ at all Odeon cinemas in the region. 5 Quick! Get rid of all the mess! Here come / are coming Mum and Dad! 6 The weather forecast says there'll be wind from the north-west tonight. That always brings | is bringing snow with it at this time of year. 7 You always complain / ‘re always complaining and it really gets on my nerves! Why can’t you just accept things and relax? 8. Swimming provides / is providing exercise for more muscl physical a 9 Now you've named your daughter Gemma I hear / ‘m hearing the name everywhere! It isn’t as uncommon as I thought. 10 Accessing money was very difficult last year, but banks become / are becoming more amenable to lending as the finan: situation improves. groups than any other 2 ‘Complete this description of a film, using the correct form of the verbs in brackets, either present simple or present continuous. Listen and check. The Day after Tomorrow Climate change? (1) {you / believe) in it? This film from 2004 world. tt soon (7) (become) lear that the world is about to enter a new ice age. Q (examine) the potential implausible, perhaps, but ths is above all an action aftermath of a sudden and catastrophic film, and (8) (not purport) global warming, to inform its viewers about climate change. f the best scenes in the film At the start of the film, the world (3) mde any ines (generally / get) warmer, Aevote aia i n lew Yor sis the casein reality, but dimatologist Jack Hall @ttempt to rescue his son froma 10) (lowly / freeze) over. discover) that ahuge Oe eee The acing is abo good, thoughts dea that the chunk of the Antarctic ice st e ea ee ‘and realises the inevitable consequences. At the same time, his son is with some friends in New York, where it (5) The Day after Tomorrow (12) (continualiy/ rain) and weather-related disasters (currently / show) as part of the Rol ‘Emmerich season at the Academy. struggle) with stilted dialogue. 963 Choose one verb from the box for each pair, A and B. Choose the present simple of the verb for one sentence and the present continuous for the other. If there is an adverb in brackets, write it in the correct place. arrive contradict open rise. stay 1 A. After twenty years, our local cinema again on a Saturday morning for Kids’ Club ~ a morning of cartoons and adventure films. B The theatre... .... to the public at 6.45, so I'll meet you there then, 2 A Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and are immediately swept away by their minders to the safety of the celebrity enclosure. B_ We expect the Royal Family at any moment. Yes, I think they (just) now. I can see the first car in the procession. 3. A Stars attending the ceremony (usually) at the Hilton for its luxuriousness and convenience. B_ The British contingent - at the Hilton this year as it appears to have more secure arrangements in place. 4A. Despite the cold winter in many European countries, the milder winter elsewhere underlines the fact that temperatures (generally) year on year. B_ During spring temperatures by about a degree every two weeks or so. 5 A He (often) the tutor if he’s made a different interpretation of the novel; I really admire his confidence. B I've got so fed up with his behaviour over the last few weeks — he (always) me, even when he knows nothing about the topic! 4 Find and correct eight more mistakes with the present simple or the present continuous in this interview. SDEEHA Listen and check. ‘mt stand saRAH Welcome to the programme. This afternoon I san¢ in the middle of the northern Black Forest, Germany, with Rainer Sanger, from Friends of the Forest, a pressure group which is representing people worried about the natural habitat in Europe. Rainer, you're very concerned about this area of the forest. Can you tell us why? RAINER Yes. Much of the forest was wiped out in the storms last winter, as you can see. ‘Many of the trees are dead, and more die because of the irreversible damage, We at Friends of the Forest believe that the authorities don’t do enough right now to restore this beautiful forest to its former state. SARAH But they clear the dead trees away today. I saw some men on the way here ... RAINER Of course, but they are doing that every year. It’s the normal procedure, We need more trees now, but they aren’t planting any. SARAH I see, But you have approached the authorities about this, I understand. RAINER We have tried but they're always making excuses - usually to do with money. It gets more and more frustrating all the time! Each time, they're telling us that they haven't got enough money to restore the forest as quickly as we'd like. SARAH But it’s not just an excuse, is it? They clearly don’t have enough money for everything, and the current situation is quite extraordinary. RAINER Of course, We appreciate that, and the point is that actually, we don’t ask for much money. We would just like their guidance — we have plenty of volunteers mee 9721 98 Past simple and continuous; used to and would The earliest films were made by the Lumiére brothers in France in the late nineteenth century, but they were very different from most films today: they all used to be very short, black and white only, and they didn’t use to have any sound. Completed actions and situations (past simple) We use this for completed actions in the past: fulius Caesar invaded Britain in 5S BCE. If the context is clear, it is not necessary to give a past time reference: But Caesar's troops failed to defeat the indigenous tribes. (in 55 BCE) We use the past simple for * actions happening at the same time: At the junction I took the left turn while Micky took the right. « repeated actions: My brother applied for a visa six times before he got one. + sequences of actions: Silverman ran to the car, jumped in and raced off into the night. * one action resulting in another: Wall Street traders lost a fortune when the Asian markets collapsed. (The markets collapsed with the result that the traders lost a fortune.) « states in the past: We lived just outside Oxford for several years, but we didn’t like it much. Common time expressions used with the past simple are ago, last (week/month), (the day before) yesterday, the other day/week and conjunctions such as when, (just) as, while and after: Theard the news hours ago. Mum called me just after you left this morning. The door opened and the director came in (just) as I finished my presentation. Differences between past simple and present perfect > Unit 23.6 Past actions and situations in progress (past continuous) ‘The past continuous describes an action in progress at a point of time in the past; the action began before this point of time and continued after it: We didn’t hear the intruder because we were sleeping on the top floor that night. At the time of our arrival the city was going through a period of rapid expansion. We often use the past continuous to show that a past action was « temporary: During my training I was earning a lot less than my wife. + changing or developing: His symptoms were becoming more pronounced each day. « providing a background to completed past actions: Darkness was falling over the city as James hurried back to college ... We can use the past continuous for two actions in progress at the same time: We were watching the sky and listening for the first sounds of the dawn chorus ... ‘We usually use the past simple for repeated actions in the past, but we can use the past continuous if we want to emphasise that the repeated actions took place over a temporary period: She received chemotherapy on a weekly basis. (repeated action) For the first three months she was receiving chemotherapy on a weekly basis. (repeated action, but only for three months) As with the present continuous, we can use the past continuous (with always and other adverbs) to talk about repeated actions that happened very often, or to express annoyance (> Unit 20.2): The track was so rough that we were continually mending punctures. They never saved their money. They were always borrowing cash from us.Interrupted actions We use the past continuous to contrast an ongoing action with a single (past simple) event which interrupts it: Seventy cars were crossing the bridge when the supports collapsed into the river. We can put either clause first, and we can use when, while ot as to introduce the interrupted action: Messengers arrived with the news of Mary's plot when|while/as Queen Elizabeth was hunting. We use when (not while) to introduce the interrupting (past simple) actior Queer Btieariet eee eetnng wie th feet plot: ¥ Queen Elizabeth was hunting when messengers arrived with the news of Mary's plot. If the background action finishes just before the event which interrupts it, we prefer to use the past perfect continuous (> Unit 22.1). Other uses of the past continuous We can use the past continuous to describe past arrangements that may or may not have taken place: Nancy was taking the next flight to Paris so she had to cut short the interview. (Nancy had an existing arrangement to take a flight to Paris.) ‘We often use verbs such as plan, expect, hope for unfulfilled arrangements: Were you expecting to have a meeting this morning? I'm afraid I’m too busy today. Future in the past and unfulfilled pasts > Unit 29 We can make requests, suggestions and questions more tentative and polite by using the past continuous. We often use the verbs think and wonder: We were wondering if you would like to join us. (= Would you like to join us ...?) Were you planning on going somewhere else later? (= Are you planning on ...?) used to and would Both used to and would describe actions which happened regularly in the past but no longer happen or now happen with more or less frequency: They used to get paid every three months. (Now they get paid weekly.) We would get up early every Thursday to go to the market. (We don't now.) ‘To avoid confusion with other uses of would, we usually mention the past time or situation: He would give her a lift to work in the days before she passed her test. ‘We often continue with would after a past narrative has started with used to: Dad used to travel a lot on business. He would be away for weeks at a time, and he'd always bring presents back with him. ‘We use used to, but not would, to describe past states which have changed: Lithuania used to be part of the Soviet Union. (It isn’t now.) There didn’t use* to be any crime around here in the old days. (There is now.) X The capitabof Nigeria would-be Lagos but now ity Abuje: ¥ The capital of Nigeria used to be Lagos but now it’s Abuja. We use the past simple, NOT used to, for + periods of time: They lived in Darwin for six years. (X Phey-1sed-to-tive—forsix-yeas:) ‘* a number of times: We visited them there three times. (x Wo-wsed-to-visit-thom-—three-times,) Don't confuse used to + infinitive with be/get used to which means ‘be/become accustomed to’: Tused to live alone. (= | lived alone at a time in the past.) He wasn't used to living on his own. (= He wasn’t accustomed to it.) * Many people now use didn’t used to and did (you) used to in negatives and questions, although this was considered to be non-standard in the past. 99211 past siete ano conmnuous, USED To AND WOULD Practice 1 Match the underlined words in 1-10 with the explanations A-J 1 They ran the same test eight times before they found the bug in the software. 2 The soldier was trying to deactivate the land mine when it exploded. 3 While we were at university, we would often go to the capital to take part in political demonstrations. Food was in short supply throughout the war. Claire jumped out of her chair, ran to the balcony and grabbed the screaming child. The whole time that Lwas talking, the one child in the audience was howling! Lorenzo the Magnificent died in Florence in 1492. We had a busy morning. Steve answered the phone calls and [dealt with the emails. A day out for the family used to cost considerably less than it does now. ‘The fire was raging through the whole night. A single or completed action in the past. A sequence of different, completed actions in the past. ‘Two actions which happened at the same time in the past. ‘The same action repeated several times in the past, A state existing for some time in the past. An action in progress in the past. One action interrupted by another, shorter action. ‘Two actions in progress at the same time in the past. A description of a past situation which is different now. A past action that happened frequently but no longer happens. UHDOnmtOn> Seas He 2 Read the text and choose the correct verb form in italics. If both forms are correct, choose both. Listen and check. ne of the highlights of life when I was a child (1) was / would Saturday morning cinema, or the pictures, as we called itthen. | remember the fist time my mother (2) allowed / used to allow me to go, when | was about ten, It (3) was / would be so exciting! That was with my big brother, of course; she didn’t (4) use to allow / allow me to go on my ‘own at that age. From then on, 1(5) would /used to (13) were queuing / used to queuing some of the go every Saturday morning, as long as Dad ‘older children would go and buy sweets. (6) eared nas eaming money atthe time hiss amazing to thnk now what a bargain it work (7) was / used to be a bit erratic. (14) was / would be -| can’t remember how much 8) would always / always used to we paid, but we (15) used to get / were getting aa By eine ecedinn about three films of different types. There'd often {@) we'd go/ we were going to the loca flea pit-__bea couple of parts of serials, and then a main it (10) was / would be a really old cinema, which feature It(16) would / used to be really good value ‘was probably why the Saturday kids’ pictures Then we'd all leave the cinema hungry, despite the (11) were / used to be held there! We sweets, and troop back home for the lunch that (12) would always | always used to get there ‘our mothers had spent the morning making. That about half an hour before the doors opened ‘was the main point of course - to get us out of the so we could get the best seats, and while we house for a few hours! 1003 Past reasons We often use the past perfect to describe the reason for a past action or situation: David didn’t join the agency as he'd signed up with a rival firm. The survivors looked painfully thin. They had been living on emergency rations since the accident. 4 Sequence of past actions We can use the past perfect with the past simple to make a sequence of events clear. We use the past perfect for the earlier action and the past simple for the later one: When we got back, the babysitter had put the children to bed. 830 9.30 v v I The babysitter had put the children to bed. We got back Notice the difference if both verbs are in the past simple: When we got back, the babysitter put the children to bed. 9.00 9.10 v ¥ TS? We got back. The babysitter put the children to bed. ‘We can use just with the past perfect to show that the earlier action was very recent: We wanted to talk to the manager in charge but she'd just left. Or we can use already to show that the action happened sooner than we expected: When we got back, we were shocked to find that the babysitter had already gone home. AL We don’t usually use the past perfect if the sequence is obvious and the first action makes the second happen: [Chad opened the door and let him in.] ¥ Topened the door and let him in, (He was able to come in because | opened the door.) ‘We can use either the past perfect or the past simple with time conjunctions, e.g. after, before, as soon as, when: She ushered me out of the room as soon as I paid/had paid my subscription. With before + past perfect the action in the past simple happens first: left university before I'd finished the course I was taking. ‘We can use this pattern for a past action which prevented a later action from happening: She sacked him before he'd had a chance to explain his behaviour. 5 Other uses We can use the past perfect with superlatives, ordinals (the first, second, last, etc.), the only, etc. + ever: Tremember seeing ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ when I was only eighteen. It was the most frightening film I'd ever seen. They wanted us to go on the higher slopes but it was only the second time we'd ever done any skiing. ‘We use the past perfect with verbs such as hope, expect, want, plan, think about, wish to describe past intentions which were unfulfilled: They had hoped to get to the summit, but Travers fell ill at base camp. We'd been planning the merger for weeks when we received the news that it was all off. Remember that we don’t usually use the continuous form with state verbs: Suzie had wanted to leave her job and start her own business, but then she was offered a fantastic promotion and decided to stay. State verbs > Unit 25.1 10322 102 Past perfect simple and continuous Award-winning film star Grace Kelly had been acting on stage and in television for three years before she made her first Hollywood movie But by the age of twenty-six, she had given up her film career to live as a royal princess in Monaco. Actions and situations before a time in the past We use the past perfect simple to describe a single action, or repeated actions, completed before a time in the past: ‘The new owners found that the timbers had been patched up several times. We often include a specific time reference, such as a clause with when or by the time: By the age of twenty-six, Grace Kelly had given up her film career. We also use this form to describe a situation which existed before a past event: At the time of her trial last year, Hinkley had been in prison for eight months. We use the past perfect continuous to describe an ongoing situation or action which continued up to, or stopped just before, a time in the past, often with before or by the tine: Grace Kelly had been acting for three years before she made her first movie. We often use the continuous with for or since when we want to focus on the duration of an action: Kubrick had been trying to get the film made for more than twenty years. The eager fans had been waiting in line for over six hours/since the early hours of the morning. We don’t usually use the past perfect continuous for actions and background situations still continuing at the same time as the past simple narrative. We prefer to use the past continuou: We were living in New York when John was made redundant. (an ongoing situation at the time of the redundancy) Compare these examples: Jane called the boys infor lunch, Jane called the boys in for lunch, > “They were playing in the garden-> “<__ They hadbeen > playing in the garden. Completed and ongoing actions The past perfect simple often refers to a completed action, whereas the past perfect, continuous may refer to an action that was still ongoing at the time of the statement: The leaves had fallen from the trees early that year and they were completely bare. The leaves had been falling from the trees and the ground underfoot was very slippery. We do not mention the number of times that we have done an action when we use the past perfect continuous bitterest phere tebe ¥ Jill had only watched TV twice that week. (repeated action: past perfect simple)3 Complete the sentences with suitable verbs from the box. Use the past simple or past continuous. Listen and check. announce blow collapse cook decide feel hit leave live manage mention press run into see setoff settledown soar spend stand start study take 11 at the bus stop when I the car slam into the lamp-post. 2 The icy wind through the trees as we on our journey. 3 Brad sss exhausted so he onto the sofa, the button on the remote control and for an evening vegetating in front of the box. 4 The twins the afternoon shopping because they....... for their flatmates that evening. 5 Unfortunately for us, we on the wrong side of Miami when Hurricane Andrew the city. 6 Share prices when the government record growth figures. 7 Karen and Anna first writing to each other about their research when, they for their doctorates. 81 early the next morning so I to have an early night. 9 My younger brother the driving test five times before he to pass. 101 Clare at the supermarket the other day and she that you might be looking for work. 4 Find eight mistakes with past forms and correct them. Tick (/) the correct sentences. 1 Lady Jane Grey used to be Queen of England for only nine days in 1553. 2 What were the children doing while their mother was visiting her sister in the hospital? 3. The huge liners doing the journey from Europe to the United States would be extremely comfortable for the first class passengers but those travelling in steerage suffered appalling conditions. 4. The victim was talking on her mobile phone while her attacker struck from behind. 5 Mary didn’t join us yesterday evening because she expected a phone call from her son ‘in Australia. 6 Before printing and literacy became widespread, people would get news from the town crier, who would shout out anything newsworthy for the whole town to hear. 7 I'm sure that children didn't use to being so undisciplined when we were at school! The fox cubs were coming into our garden several times during the spring to try to get our chickens. 9 Gerald wasn't used to having such dark hair - do you think he’s coloured it? 10 Sorry I’m late. I was expecting to catch the early train but I got held up in traffic on the way to the station. 11 Would your mother work when you were a child or did she stay at home? 12 I found it really difficult when I got the job on the early news programme as I really wasn't used to getting up at five o'clock in the morning! 10122. rasr penrect sivPte AND CONTINOUS Practice 1 Choose the best sentence, A or B, to illustrate each picture. A When I returned to my hotel room, B [ felt ill when I'd eaten the pudding. the maid made the bed. B When I retuned to my hotel room, the maid had made the bed. A. Lexplained to my host that I'd been ‘A. The matinée performance started when. fixing the car, which had broken down. we got there. B Texplained to my host that Iwas fixing B_ The matinée performance had started the car, which had broken down. when we got there. A. Carrie was excited because she was ‘A Petra had been baking a cake when we travelling to South Africa. went to her new flat for tea B Carrie was excited because she had B Petra had baked a cake when we went to travelled to South Africa. her new flat for tea. ‘A [hoped to get a good result for my A. [sat down before the doctor had told me final exams. the bad news. B [had hoped to get a good result for my B The doctor told me the bad news before final exams. Thad sat down. 1042 Choose the most suitable verb form in italics. (DERM Listen and check. 1 So I turned / had turned on my heels and walked out of the shop in disgust. 2 Many voters were tured away from the voting stations although they had queued / queued for hours to cast their vote. 3 The mechanics had been taking / had taken the engine apart several times before they were able to locate the source of the mysterious rattle, 4 By 1280 Genghis Khan had conquered / had been conquering the whole of China. 5 She was surprised to find the fridge empty; the children had eaten / had been eating everything! 6 Our lead actor turned up and he was word perfect; apparently he was practising / had been practising his lines all day. 7 The children wanted to invite their friends to the circus, but their father had booked / had been booking tickets for just the family. 8 Debbie couldn't understand why her computer crashed; it had been working / was working perfectly for as long as she could remember, 9. My niece's accident was rather a setback because she hoped / had hoped to pursue a career as a tennis player. 10 Mrs Lawson arrived at casualty in quite severe stomach pains for hours. state; she suffered / had been suffering from 3) ‘Complete the text with the verbs in brackets. Use the past simple, past perfect, past continuous or past perfect continuous form of the verbs. Listen and check. Christopher Reeve 1952-2004 KNOWN PRINCIPALLY as an actor, Reeve (is l (have) many other talents and interests, including directing, which he (2) (do) for some years at the time of his death in 2004. Born in September 1952, Reeve was heavily influenced through his life by his ‘novelist and poet father, FD Reeve. As a child he ) (begin) acting stories with his litle brother, and by the age of eight he for a few years when, in 1995, he was thrown from @) seu (alfeady/appear) his horse and broke his neck. From a man who in several school plays. (10) (be) at the peak of his He studied music and English at Cornell University, powers, he was now paralysed from the neck down. and while he (5) a (study) in Perhaps because he (11) senteee (08) his final year, he was accepted into the renowned —_s0 active, he was determined to continue making Juilliard School of the Performing Arts. He something of his life, and despite his severe injuries, By ca (perform) both in he (12) (continue) to act and film and on the stage for a few years when he he started directing. In October 2004 Reeve @ (accept) the part for (13) (promote) a film that he which he is most remembered, Superman, in 1978. (14) (recently/direct) Always active and a keen sportsman, Reeve The Brooke Ellison Story - when he suffered a sudden ® (do) all his own stunts. In and unexpected heart attack and fell into a coma. He sports terms, his interests focused on horse-riding, (15) ’ (die) the following day, and he (9) (compete) in events aged only 52, leaving a wife and three children 10523 Present perfect simple * dD her Katharine MOST OSCARS Fo ed FOR ACTING Oscars for Best Actress. 1 Jack Nicholson 3 (1937—) has won three Oscars for Best Actor (in a lead or supporting role. 1 Ongoing situations and actions We use the present perfect simple to talk about situations that started in the past and are still continuing in the present: The manor house has stood on this spot for over two hundred years. (It is still here.) We often use the prepositions for and since with this use: The centre of the island has not been inhabited for fifty years. (for + period of time) The island has not been inhabited since the earthquake of 1952. (since + point in time) When we use since to introduce a new clause, we usually use the past simple after it: X You've been-really-moody-ever since that letter has arrived Whats-wrong? ¥ You've been really moody ever since that letter arrived. What's wrong? A. Tie present continuous + for expresses a present situation continuing into the future, NOT a situation that began in the past: We're staying here for three months. We're going back to Chile in September. But note the use of either the present perfect or past simple after It’s (weeks/years/ages) since ..., to express a period of time when we haven't done something: It’s ages since I've been/I went to the theatre. It’s weeks since we've seen/we saw each other, 2. Unfinished time periods ‘We can use the present perfect for completed actions in the past if they may happen again, i.e. if the time period in which the actions took place has not ended: ve only been to Hong Kong once. (My life is still continuing, so I may go there again.) NASA has sent probes to various planets. (NASA still exists so may send more.) Sometimes we know the time is not ‘finished’ because of the time expression: This channel has shown four wildlife documentaries this week and it's only Thursday! Compare these two sentences Jack Nicholson has won three Oscars. (He is still alive and may win some more.) Katharine Hepburn won four Oscars during her life. (She is dead and can't win any more.) British English uses the present perfect after superlatives, e.g. the best/worst, the greatest, ordinal numbers, e.g. the first (second, third), the only, often followed by ever: It’s the worst sports show I have ever seen and the first I have ever complained about! Past simple with the superlative in American English > page 368 106Adverbs often used with the present perfect These adverbs are very common with the present perfect use described in 23.2: The Prime Minister has seldom been put in such a difficult position. Thave never experienced any racism in athletics. We've received over 20,000 entries for the competition so far. ‘Have they decided on the wedding date yet?’ ‘No, they still haven't made up their minds.’ ‘We use already with the affirmative but yet with the negative and in questions: A Welve pet scenr the flim but they haven tscen-it alter ¥ We've already seen the film but they haven't seen it yet. Past simple with these adverbs in American English > page 368 Present results ‘We can use the present perfect simple to talk about an action completed in the past which has a present result: The avalanche has devastated the skiing industry in the area. (result: The skiing industry is still having big problems.) We can start the interviews now, as all the candidates have arrived. Common adverbs with this use of the present perfect are just, recently and lately: Has the sports centre increased its membership fees lately? John Barry, the composer of numerous famous film scores, has just died. very recently) Other uses As the present perfect simple expresses relevance to the present, news reports often start with this tense, before moving into past tenses: The largest car plant in Detroit has shut down. It closed its doors for the last time yesterday. Similarly, we often use it to introduce a new topic of conversation: I’ve heard from Maurice — he’s been in Australia for the last two months. In time clauses (e.g. beginning with after, when) we can use the present perfect with future reference (> Unit 28.1): We'll make a move as soon as the rain has stopped. Present perfect and past simple: differences oases PAST SIMPLE (> Unit 22.1) We use a past or past perfect form, not the present perfect, to correct an incorrect belief or expectation, or to confirm a correct one: X Shewas justas-beautifulasthave-imagined: J She was just as beautiful as I had imagined. X The area is-wikderthan-Hhave expected. / The area is wilder than I expected/was expecting. 1072B rresenr pervect sme 108 Practice Choose the correct option, A or B, to continue the text or dialogue. 1 Only halfway through the football season and Manchester United yet again leads the Premier League. The situation could easily change, however, as ... A... most teams played only a third of their games so far. B ... most teams have played only a third of their games so far. 2 ‘I must remember to call my parents before I go away. I haven't even told them about the trip yet.’ A ‘Didn't you see much of them lately, then?’ B ‘Haven't you seen much of them lately, then?” 3. ‘What do you think of our new Finance Director?" A ‘He's even more obnoxious than I expected.’ B ‘He's even more obnoxious than I've expected.’ 4 We won’t be able to move back into our house for a while. A Our tenants are living there for six months. B Our tenants have lived there for six months. 5. Today we're previewing the new album by singer-songwriter Adele, who, as I'm sure you all know, is coming to the US next month. A She released two albums so far. B She has released two albums so far. 6 Another earthquake has hit the Fiji region, bringing further devastation to the area, which is still suffering from the August earthquake. A. The latest tremor measured 7.2 on the Richter scale. B The latest tremor has measured 7.2 on the Richter scale. 7 Pipeworks regrets the current inconvenience to residents of Kelvin Close, ‘A’ We have lowered the water pressure to allow for essential repairs. B_ We lowered the water pressure to allow for essential repairs. 8 Investigators into the recent air crash have released their findings, which show a fault in the engine cooling system of the aircraft. All major airlines .. A. ... grounded aircraft of the same type for thorough checks. B ... have grounded aircraft of the same type for thorough checks. 9 The seventeenth-century writer Cervantes is often considered the father of the modern novel. Most people only connect the name with Don Quixote, though Cervantes A... was a prolific writer. B ... has been a prolific writer. 10 ‘With so much money being poured into medical research every year, you'd think that, more breakthroughs would be made.’ ‘But breakthroughs are being made. A Didn’t a Colombian scientist discover a cure for malaria last year?” B Hasn't a Colombian scientist discovered a cure for malaria last year?" 11. Most visitors to the prison are pleasantly surprised by the environment. A Itis far more open and greener than they have imagined. B Itis far more open and greener than they imagined. 12 My head feels really fuzzy. Concentrating has been far more difficult since ... A I’ve been knocked out by that wall that has collapsed. B Twas knocked out by that wall that collapsed. 13. ‘Have you checked that contract again? We have to send it by lunchtime.’ A ‘T've read it through twice this morning. That should be enough surely?” B ‘Tread it through twice this morning. That should be enough, surely?’ 14 I haven't even looked at the latest assignment for the history course yet. I'll start it once A [finished going through the set book. B I’ve finished going through the set book.2 Complete the conversation, using the words from the box. Write the verbs in the present perfect or past simple. Listen and check. already / watch akways-want be ever/see he/make leave never /hear of not/finish not/see see win HLA. Look, a DVD of Casablanca, (0) I ve.alwiays.wanted.. to see that. KATE What - (1) you Casablanca ~ | don’t believe it! HLA No, When did you see it, then? Kate (2)1 it several times. I think it’s one of the best films (3) I ELLA Oh, well, in that case, I'll buy it. I don’t usually like old films, but (4) 1 all the new films I’ve got on DVD so I'll watch this tonight. Who's in it? | Humphrey Bogart kare Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. (1899-1957) HLA Who are they? (5) I them. kate You're unreal! Humphrey Bogart (6) one of the greatest actors of the twentieth century, well, in my opinion, anyway. ELLA What other films (7) wa? kate Oh, loads ... The Big Sleep, The Maltese Falcon, The African Queen — he 6) an Oscar for that. He died when he was in his fifties, otherwise I’m sure he'd have won more. HLA Well, you can tell me more about it later. Right now I've got to go because 1 the children with my sister and have got to pick them up in a few minutes. kaTE You go. Ill get the bus. (10) I looking around here yet - there might be some more old films at good prices. 3 Write the second sentence so it has a similar meaning to the first. Use the word in brackets, as in the example. ten and check. © There’s a cake in the oven. (baked) I've. just. baked. a. cake, 1 Most of the workers started here in 1996, when the factory opened. (since) 2. The guest performers are all here now. (arrived) 3 We visited the new theme park three times last summer and we intend to go this summer, too. (have) . 4 Kay and I met each other twenty years ago, when we were children. (for) - 5. The latest novel by Chris Cleave is stunning. It’s his best to date. (ever) 6 There is no decision from the panel yet about the technical irregularities. (made) 7 The government last increased the rate of income tax several years ago. (recently)24 1 a 110 Present perfect continuous Ongoing situations and actions We use the present perfect continuous, often with since or for, to talk about an ongoing situation or action which began in the past and is still continuing, or has just finished: Women have been speaking out on this issue for some time, with mixed results, I’ve been looking into the possibility of early retirement since the reorganisation. ‘We do not usually use the present perfect continuous in the passive: x rs i i ¥ The nurses have been monitoring the patient's heart rate continuously. The present perfect simple often (but not always) refers to a completed action, while the continuous usually refers to an action that is still ongoing: I’ve read that book by Dan Brown if you want to borrow it. (I've finished reading it.) I’ve been reading that book by Dan Brown — it’s really exciting! (I'm still reading it.) When we use the continuous we focus on duration, so we do not mention the number of times that we have done an action: I’ve been calling you all morning. If we give a number of times, we use the present perfect simp X Pye boon calling-you five-times-thismorning. J I've called you five times this morning. Temporary situations The present perfect continuous can suggest a temporary situation or action: We've been subscribing to one of the satellite TV companies. (not fixed - we may change) With lately or recently, it often refers to new developments which may be temporary: Helen’s been spending a lot of time at the club lately. (She didn’t use to do this.) ‘We use the present perfect continuous + for, not the present continuous, to specify the duration of an activity which started in the past and is still continuing: X Lam teaming howto play chess forties years now, ¥ have been learning how to play chess for three years now. Verbs like live, work, study, teach can be used in either the simple or continuous with little difference except that the present perfect simple is seen as more permanent: The Montague family has lived in the manor house for as tong as T can remember. Our daughter has been living with us for a few weeks as she’s been ill. Present result We can use the present perfect continuous to explain a present result. The focus is on the activity rather than the result. In this case, we don’t usually use time adverbs: I'm sorry the hall is in such a mess, We've been decorating. Present perfect simple and continuous: differences PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE Gumcncakenun ee nee elas Cae 2 Temporary situation: es "People have been eating less meat recently because of the health scares. Focusonthe activity: or I've been doing my accounts all afternoon.Practice Match sentences 1 and 2 1a their meanings, A or V’ve been reading the book you lent me on genetics. V've read the book you lent me on genetics. ‘The firm gives company cars to junior managers. The firm has been giving company cars to junior managers. Something has been killing the rabbits in the woods, Something has Killed the rabbits in the woods. Monsanto has placed an advert in the last four Sunday Times newspapers. Monsanto has been placing adverts in the national press. ‘Hi, Fiona. What a mess! Have you been decorating?” ‘Hii, Fiona. This room looks great! Have you decorated it?” A group of us have learnt how to play bridge. A group of us have been learning how to play bridge. Ss continuous form of the verbs Kathryn Bigelow (1) elena University and (2) She (3) (be) of film directing - she (4) and in that time (5) the last ten years, she (6) Some of her films (7) known now for The Hurt. Only four women (8) Sofia Coppola (9) film and (11) (12) set in South America Complete the article with the present perfect simple or, if you can, the EG Listen and check. for Best Director — the first woman ever to do so. So, who is she? Bigelow was born in California in 1951, She studied film at Columbia ‘be nominated) for Best Director, and of the others, Jane Cai ‘As well as directing, Bigelow (10) during her career. Since her success with The Hurt Locker she FB, in each pair. A I've finished the book. B I'm still reading the book. This is the company’s usual policy. It’s unlikely to change. This isn’t the company’s usual policy. It may change. There are no rabbits left in the woods. There are some rabbits left in the woods. ‘This was a number of repeated actions. This is a continuing publicity campaign Fiona is in the middle of decorating, Fiona isn’t decorating any more. We're still learning. We can play it now. (ust / win) the Academy Award (work) in film since the mid-1970s. ) a female pioneer in the male-dominated world Girect) since 1978 .. (rect) eight feature films, In (also / produce) films. (be) modest successes, but she is best Locker, the film for which she won the Oscar. (ever / pion and (have) other Oscar awards. (act) in one (also / appear) as a model (look) at possibilities for a new crime film ore25 State verbs Do you like Ingmar Be ere Film Institute | don’t know. I've been 9-15 May meaning to watch one his films for a ‘Oh, really? They're interesting, but very strange. don't understand what they mean at all. 1 State verbs believe, have, like, etc There are a number of state verbs in English; we rarely use them in a continuous tense: X The-solicitoris doubting the credibility of his-client’s-explanation: ¥ The solicitor doubts the credibility of his client’s explanation. They often describe states of being, thinking, possessing or feeling: existing or being be consist of contain exist possessing belong to have (= own) include lack own possess adore desire despise detest dislike envy hate like love need pity refer trust want wish believe doubt expect feel| recognise remember see appearance appear resemble seem other verbs: concem cost depend deserve fit matter mean measure mind weigh feeling or wanting think) forget imagine intend know realise understand) suppose think understand thinking or believing 2. Using these verbs in the continuous It is possible to use many of the above verbs in the continuous, but the verb either has a different meaning or expresses a temporary action: ‘Ts Maria ready yet?’ ‘No, she’s having a shower.’ (= is taking) Santos is thinking of getting a new Internet connection. (= is considering now) are some of the common differences in use: Zoe ER arn ess p Your son was a very obedient Your son was being very difficult at the weekend; © child, wasn’t he? that wasn't like him. (= was behaving) have They're very rich. They have three _'m having a really good time, thanks. homes and a yacht. (= own) (= am experiencing) think ‘Ve always thought that we'd _ I've been thinking of contributing to Oxfam. meet again. (= have believed) ( have been considering) You're always meaning to call, but you never do, mean The sign means ‘slow down’. aaineneg) appear | appears the police haven't The Philharmonic are appearing at the Palladium. 'PPSS" started the investigation. (= seems) (= are performing) i _ She weighs 70 kilos. 'm weighing the ingredients for the cake. welg (= her weight is) (= action of weighing) 1123 Sense verbs see, hear, feel, etc. We do not usually use the continuous form with verbs which describe a sense or a form of perception, e.g, ear, notice, see, smell, taste: A La tetictas Hidd pt Mite eter cette tthe tees Hes, Deed este the thet ¥ [notice that your wife never comes to the matches. Doesn't she lke cricket? X Env hearing that you're not-too-happy-with-the management’ proposal: ¥ Thear that you're not too happy with the management's proposal. We usually use the simple form or can/could + sense verb when we experience something without intentionally using the sense, ie. the action is involuntary: I (can) smell the fertiliser on the fields every time I open the back door! We also use the simple form when the verb is intransitive: The fertiliser on the fields smells really horrible! With smell and taste, we can use the continuous for a deliberate action: I (can) taste cream in this. (there is cream in the dish; involuntary action) I'm tasting the cream. (the cream might be bad; intentional action of checking) A We usually use the verbs sce and hear only in the involuntary sense; we use look at, watch or listen to for an intentional action: X Can you keep the noise down?-Fm hearing something on-the-radio: ¥ Can you keep the noise down? I’m listening to something on the radio. If they have a different meaning, we can use the continuous: I'm seeing a new doctor now. (= visiting as a patient) &. some verbs of feeling can be used in both the simple and the continuous with no change in meaning: My wrist hurts/is hurting again — I must go to the physiotherapist. [ think those mussels may have been bad. Do you feel/Are you feeling OK today? 4 Performative verbs thank, apologise, etc. Performative verbs are verbs which can actually perform the action they describe when they are used in the first person and the present tense; they address the listener/reader directly: On behalf of the company, L apologise for any inconvenience caused. ‘Common examples are: accept agree apologise congratulate declare deny disagree forbid forgive guarantee a ee te ee When we use these verbs in the present, they are usually in the simple form: Railtrack apologises for the disruption to services this weekend. We recommend the new tapas restaurant in the town centre. If we use these verbs to refer to the past or future, we can use them in the continuous form. ‘Compare: PRESENT X Enethanking-you-all for joining 1s today: ¥ I thank you all for joining us today. past ¥ He warned the children not to swim too far from the beach. ¥ When we arrived, he was warning the children not to swim too far from the beach. FUTURE ¥ I’m inviting about sixty people to Jenna’s party — OK? 11325 stare veros Practice ‘1 Match sentences 1 and 2 with the continuations A and B in each pair. 1 1 Steven's a difficult child. 2. Steven's being difficult. 2 1 This salmon weighs more than six kilos. 2 We're weighing the salmon. 3. 1 Linvite everyone present to the opening of the new superstore. 2. I’m inviting everyone to the opening of the new superstore. He's showing off because we've got visitors. He's been very demanding since birth. It will be plenty for thirty people. It needs to be priced per kilo. And I can offer you all a 10 percent discount voucher. Vl put the invitation in a letter to everyone. 4 1 The poet appears to have A There are performances arrived at the theatre. every evening 2. The poet is appearing at the theatre. B We don’t know why she was late. 51 Mmm. | taste cinnamon in A. The recipe said one teaspoon only, this. Lovely. but I might add more. 2 I'm tasting it to see if there’s enough B [adore the taste of cinnamon. cinnamon in it. 6 1 Tthink house prices will rise again A Atleast, that’s my opinion. next year. B At least, that's my intention. 2. Ym thinking of selling my house next year. 7 1 My sister has a baby. A It’s due in July. 2. My sister's having a baby. B He'll be six months old tomorrow. 8 1 Ismell lavender. A Is it your perfume? 2 I'm smelling the lavender. It's a very B [know quite a lot about lavender, strong variety. you know. 9 1 He's having a shower. A. It cost more than 400 euros. 2 He has a fantastic power shower in B Why don't you wait in the the main bathroom. living room? 10 1 We guarantee that your child will be A The company takes full supervised by experienced instructors. responsibility for her. 2 Mrs Knight’s brother and sister-in-law B They believe she is entirely are guaranteeing the loan for her. trustworthy. 11 1 Laura's very sarcastic sometimes. A It’s her least attractive characteristic. 2 She thinks she’s clever, but she’s just B Take no notice of her. being sarcastic, 12 1 What are you thinking of? A. It seems an exercise in pointless 2. What do you think about the new bureaucracy to me. toad layout? B You look deep in thought.2 Read the letter and choose the correct italic verb form. If both options are correct, choose both. (HERE Listen and check. 12 SUNNYBANK ROAD * READING * BERKS * RG2 40x Ms Gloria Travis 12 February 2012 Pinetree Studios Loughton LG12 2cO Dear Ms Travis, Please forgive me for contacting you out of the blue. | am writing in connection with the film apprenticeships your studio offers. (1) noticed / was noticing an advertisement about these in the Guardian some months ago and I have (2) meant / been meaning to write to you since then, My request (3) concerns / is concerning the film editing apprenticeship in particular, | completed a university degree in film studies last June and | have been trying to find a position in film since then. To be honest, | (4) have / am having great difficulty and | (6) fee! | am feeling rather despondent at present. My course (6) consisted / was consisting of most aspects of film and television production, and | specialised in film editing in my final year. | have always (7) wanted / been wanting to pursue a career in film and | took the degree to facilitate that, although it (8) appears / is appearing not to have been successful to date, |(9) realise / am realising that the advert for the apprenticeships was placed some months ago and you may not have any places available now. However, | am perfectly willing to work in any capacity without payment for a few weeks in order for you to see my level of commitment, in the hope that | may qualify for an apprenticeship in the future. | (10) promise / am promising that | won't disappoint you if you decide to employ me in any capacity | ook forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely Celia Roberts Celia Roberts 3 Complete the sentences, using sui simple or continuous form. ble verbs from the box. Choose whether to use a Listen and check. be despise forbid hurt mean see taste watch 1 I'm really annoyed you took the car without asking me. From now on T you to borrow the car without asking permission first! 2 That medicine horrible! What on earth do they put in them to make them so awful? 3. Oh, Joan, can I call you back? I the grand prix at the moment. 4 Hasn’t Mike fixed your kitchen tap yet? I know he to do it for ages. 5. ‘What was that?’ ‘I don’t know. I just something blue fly past. Was it a bird?” 6 I'm not coming to the class tonight. I've twisted my ankle and it a lot now. 7 What do you mean, you're leaving? Now you over-dramatic! 8 [can't understand why the newspapers write such awful lies about people. Everyone that kind of gutter journalism. 115Review MmMobDULE5 1 CEEDEOFIEIEPS choose the correct verb form in italics, Ionian Idyll Every year more and more tourists (1) visit [are visting the tonian islands, and most are enchanted by these lush green islands in a turquoise sea Many (2) now think / are now thinking about the possbily of owning property in this warm, unspoilt Cotner of Europe. Does the dea appeal to you? if so, read on! Imagine yourself standing on a wide terrace high on a cliff above the clear lonian Sea. The sun (3) beats / is beating down and you (4) hear / are hearing the cicadas and the sound cof waves lapping gently against the golden sand below. You (5) smell / are smelling the heady scent of jasmine. Down a steep path (6) es / ying the turquoise sea, right in front of you. We (2) invite | ‘re inviting you to share this experience saith 2 There is a mistake We (8) currently develop | are currently developing a complex of luxury apartments just outside Lourdas, in the south of Cephalonia, the largest and the most varied of the Ionian Islands. Lourdas is a traditional Greek village with a variety of shops and tavernas, where local people (9) have / have got their long, leisurely lunches, Behind the village the mountains (10) rise / are rising steeply and goats roam freely. From the vilage a road winds down to Lourdas Bay. The wide sweep of the bay (11) is sheltering / shelters a long sandy beach which is almost totally uncommercialised. ‘We have completed our show apartment and we (12) now show / are now showing prospective purchasers the apartment, either in person at the site, or online with a virtual tour. past forms in each of these sentences. Correct the mistake, then match the sentence with an explanation from A-G below, as in the example. swerve 0 The car had-swerved past us, then it immediately hit the lamp-post. ...2 1 Julia hates working. She would be much happier when she was a student. 2 Almost everyone left the party when I got there. Only Alex and Mike were still there. 3. We all complained to our manager about Larry as he continually took two-hour lunch breaks. 4. Jack was exhausted when he arrived ~ he was running to catch the train. what a big day it was. mm OOE> o Emma was waking up, was getting up, was showering as usual ... then she remembered ‘We used to go to our son's graduation ceremony last weekend. ‘We don’t use this form for a single action in the past. We don’t usually use this form for an action that happens immediately before another. ‘We don’t use this form when the action has already stopped. We don’t use this form for a series of complete, fairly quick actions in the past. ‘We don’t use this form for a state in the past, only actions that are no longer happening ‘We prefer to use the continuous for actions in the past which annoyed us. G_ We don’t use this form when we want to show that the action happened before another action. 1163 Complete the text with the phrases from the box. contained existed found has allowed has discovered has produced has been has been trying have been digging have been found have unearthed were discovered Palaeontologists in New Mexico (1) from the late Jurassic period. The scient ists (2) the remains of at least one dinosaur in an unexplored part of the Morrison Formation ~ a vast fossil bed - for the last eight months. Last week one of the group (3) a section of rock which (4) a number of bones from one, or possibly more, large herbivorous dinosaurs, Since then, the group (5) ... to release the bones from the rock and piece them together. According to Bryce Larson, the group’s leader, the bones are from a large brachiosaurus. These animals (6) brachiosaurus remains (7) . prove to come from the largest dinosaur anyone (8)... For a long time the Morrison Formation (9) productive fossil beds in the world. Since the first bones (10) tonnes of material. This, more than any other fossil bed, us an insight into the late Jurassic period in North America. 1877, it (11) (12) approximately 150 million years ago. Other in the Morrison, but these latest bones may to date. one of the most there in 4 Complete the article by writing the verbs in brackets in the correct tense. Treasure Island TREASURE ISLAND is one of the best known and ost loved children’s adventure stories, Published in 1883, it remains popular to this day. Recent research @ (uncover) the true origin of this thling tale of pirates and hidden treasure Treasure Island's author, Robert Louis Stevenson, was a Scotsman born in Edinburgh in 1850. Although he 2). (not stay) in Scotland, iin 1881 he returned to the land of is birth for a holiday. With him was his American wife Fanny, whom he (3) (meet) five years earlier in France, and his stepchildren from Fanny's first marriage The farnily soon settled into a relaxing routine. Each ‘morning Stevenson (4) (et up) early and take them out for long walks over the hills. They (5) (enjoy) this for several days when the weather suddenly took a turn for the worse. Trapped indoors, Robert’ stepson started painting a beautiful coloured map of a tropical island, with a large cross in the middle of the island ‘tt means "Here (6)... (lie) the buried treasure", he told his stepfather. This was the beginning of one of the greatest adventure stories that (7) (ever be) written, While the rain (8) (beat) down on the roof of his rented holiday cottage, Stevenson sat down by the fire to write The story (9) have got) everything necessary for a successful children’s book: treasure, wild adventures at sea, a young protagonist, and a memorable villain. The story (10) i {always stimulate) childrens imaginations and (11) i (still do) so today. Over the years film-makers ‘across the world (12) (adapt) the novel for the cinema and TV: There 3).. (be) sixteen film versions Of the book, and recent rumours suggest that a famous Oscar-winning director (1a) (work) on a new version, Using the latest 3D technology.