PAST SIMPLE

FOR SIMPLE PAST CLICK HERE!
It has simple illustrations and is easy to remember.

CAREER ENGLISH TEST NEXT WEEK (Dec 5th-7th)

TO ALL CAREER ENGLISH STUDENTS: 

THIS WILL BE ON YOUR TEST NEXT WEEK (Dec 5th-7th)

• PRESENT SIMPLE (including tag questions)
• PRESENT CONTINUOUS
• PRESENT PERFECT
• PAST SIMPLE

Remember, you must know the different uses and exceptions.

• SINCE VS. FOR
• BEEN VS. GONE 
• 4 proverbs
• 1 monologue

• The Necklace: be able to write a 1-paragraph summary of the plot or a personal reaction to the story in one paragraph. Do NOT forget who the author is and when he wrote it.

STATIVE VERBS

Some English verbs, which we call state, non-continuous or stative verbs, aren't used in continuous tenses (like the present continuous or future continuous). These verbs often describe states that last for some time. Here is a list of some common ones:

Stative (or State) Verb List

like	know	belong
love	realise	fit
hate	suppose	contain
want	mean	consist
need	understand	seem
prefer	believe	depend
agree	remember	matter
mind	recognise	see
own	appear	look (=seem)
sound	taste	smell
hear	astonish	deny
disagree	please	impress
satisfy	promise	surprise
doubt	think (=have an opinion)	feel (=have an opinion)
wish	imagine	concern
dislike	be	have
deserve	involve	include
lack	measure (=have length etc)	possess
owe	weigh (=have weight)

A verb which isn't stative is called a dynamic verb, and is usually an action.
Some verbs can be both stative and dynamic:

Be

be is usually a stative verb, but when it is used in the continuous it means 'behaving' or 'acting' you are stupid = it's part of your personality you are being stupid = only now, not usually

Think

think (stative) = have an opinion I think that coffee is great think (dynamic) = consider, have in my head what are you thinking about? I'm thinking about my next holiday

Have

have (stative) = own I have a car have (dynamic) = part of an expression I'm having a party / a picnic / a bath / a good time / a break

See

see (stative) = see with your eyes / understand I see what you mean I see her now, she's just coming along the road see (dynamic) = meet / have a relationship with I've been seeing my boyfriend for three years I'm seeing Robert tomorrow

Taste

taste (stative) = has a certain taste This soup tastes great The coffee tastes really bitter taste (dynamic) = the action of tasting The chef is tasting the soup ('taste' is the same as other similar verbs such as 'smell')

PRESENT PERFECT

                                                                 PRESENT PERFECT

 Unfinished Actions
1: We use this tense when we want to talk about unfinished actions or states or habits that started in the past and continue to the present. Usually we use it to say 'how long' and we need 'since' or 'for'. We often use stative verbs.
I've known Karen since 1994.
She's lived in London for three years.
I've worked here for six months.

                                                                          'Since' and 'For'
We use 'since' with a fixed time in the past (2004, April 23rd, last year, two hours ago). The fixed time can be another action, which is in the past simple (since I was at school, since I arrived).
I've known Sam since 1992.
I've liked chocolate since I was a child.
She's been here since 2pm.

We use 'for' with a period of time (2 hours, three years, six months).
I've known Julie for ten years.
I've been hungry for hours.
She's had a cold for a week.


Finished Actions
2: Life experience. These are actions or events that happened sometime during a person's life. We don't say when the experience happened, and the person needs to be alive now. We often use the words 'ever' and 'never' here.
I have been to Tokyo.
They have visited Paris three times.
We have never seen that film.

3: With an unfinished time word (this month, this week, today). The period of time is still continuing.
I haven't seen her this month.
She's drunk three cups of coffee today.
I've already moved house twice this year!
We CAN'T use the present perfect with a finished time word.
NOT:I've seen him yesterday.

4: A finished action with a result in the present (focus on result). We often use the present perfect to talk about something that happened in the recent past, but that is still true or important now. Sometimes we can use the past simple here, especially in US English.
I've lost my keys (so I can't get into my house).
She's hurt her leg (so she can't play tennis today).
They've missed the bus (so they will be late).


5: We can also use the present perfect to talk about something that happened recently, even if there isn't a clear result in the present. This is common when we want to introduce news and we often use the words 'just / yet / already / recently'. However, the past simple is also correct in these cases, especially in US English.
The Queen has given a speech.
I've just seen Lucy.
The Mayor has announced a new plan for the railways.

                                                                        Been and Gone
In this tense, we use both 'been' and 'gone' as the past participle of 'go', but in slightly different circumstances. We use 'been' (often when we talk about life experience) to mean that the person we're talking about visited the place and came back.
I've been to Paris (in my life, but now I'm in London, where I live).
She has been to school today (but now she's back at home).
They have never been to California.
We use 'gone' (often when we are talking about an action with a result in the present) to mean that the person went to the place and is at the place now.
Where's John? He's gone to the shops (he's at the shops now).
Julie has gone to Mexico (now she's in Mexico).
They've gone to Japan for three weeks (now they're in Japan).

STUDENTS AND ACADEMIC COURSES

If your name should be here but isn't, MAKE SURE YOU LET ME KNOW

YEAR III

AGRARIO III:

Guido

AFM III:

Alex

Matteo

ODONTOTECNICO III:
Martina

YEAR IV

AGRARIO IV:

Guido

ALBERGHIERO IV:

Filippo

Alessio

Andrei (please contact me, I haven't seen you in class)

AFM IV:

Alex

Matteo

Luca

Riccardo

Gabriele

YEAR V

ALBERGHIERO V:

Filippo

Andrei

CAT V:

Maurizio

Edoardo

Giuseppe
 

AFM V:

Sara

Klaus

Simple Present vs. Present Progressive

SIMPLE PRESENT VS. PRESENT PROGRESSIVE

FORM

USE

In general or right now?

Do you want to express that something happens in general or that something is happening right now?

 

  

Timetable/Schedule or arrangement?

Do you want to express that something is arranged for the near future? Or do you refer to a time set by a timetable or schedule?

Daily routine or just for a limited period of time?

Do you want to talk about a daily routine? Or do you want to emphasise that something is only going on for a limited (rather short) period of time?

GUY DE MAUPASSANT biography


Hello! I found this link to Britannica Encyclopaedia online, but you are welcome to hyperlink forever.

TRUST ME, YOU WILL DO VERY WELL IN MY CLASS IF YOU:
READ FOR 30 MINUTES EVERY DAY
WRITE IN ENGLISH FOR 30 MINUTES EVERY DAY
WATCH AT LEAST ONE MOVIE IN ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES PER WEEK
WRITE DOWN THE LYRICS TO ONE ENGLISH SONG PER WEEK
KEEP A GLOSSARY FOR YOUR EVER-GROWING VOCABULARY
KEEP UP WITH THE BLOG.

A written reflexion or response to The Necklace ( 350 words minimum) is expected by the second week of November, if the schedule does not undergo changes.... so if you read for half an hour every day, writing down the unfamiliar words, you will make it.

See you next week! I will be posting stuff non-stop.

You can email me at: franbellucci@gmail.com for questions, or post comments in the blog.