Academic structures often wrongly used - Future Tenses and Other Forms of the Verb.
Problem: Students often have trouble remembering the rules for their use.
Remedy: People frequently see pages and pages of information relating to use of verbs and just give up because there's too much. Don't try to learn all the rules from the grammar books. Do the following quiz, then, after 24 hours, come back to it and write down a summary of what it has told you about the uses of the various future tenses and other forms of the verb. Be sure to revise this after one week. Then it should be fixed in the "long term memory".
QUIZ
Answer true or false:
1) “They will be waiting” is an example of the future continuous tense.
Please write your answer here:[ANSWER]
2) All continuous verb tenses end in “-ing”. [ANSWER]
3) One use of the “going to” future is to make predictions of the future from a sign in the present. (example – “I am going to write”) [ANSWER]
4) The “about” to future is used for actions which will happen in the distant future (i.e. a long way in the future. Example – “I am about to write”) [ANSWER]
5) Both present simple and present continuous tense can be used with future meaning. (example – “I write” and “I am writing”) [ANSWER]
6) The future perfect continuous form is used when we are more interested in the action and the future perfect (non-continuous) form when we are more interested in the result. (examples – “I will have been writing” and “I will have written”) [ANSWER]
************ Other forms of the verb:
7) “Knew” is an example of a past participle. [ANSWER]
8) “The building is being pulled down” contains an example of a passive tense. [ANSWER]
9) All sentences in the passive form include the verb “to be” (in a variety of tenses) + a past participle. [ANSWER]
10) You can always successfully convert a verb from its active to its passive form by putting the verb “to be” in the same form and adding the past participle of the main verb [ANSWER]
11) In the sentence “I must go”, “go” is a “full infinitive”. [ANSWER]
12) In the sentence “I regret having married an old man”, “having married” is a perfect gerund. [ANSWER]
Do you need some hints and clues? Then scroll down ..........
[ADVERT]
1) “They will be waiting” is an example of the future continuous tense.
Are all the necessary parts there, and in the right form? And is it the right name for the tense? [ANSWER]
2) All continuous verb tenses end in “-ing”.
Think of as many examples as you can, such as present continuous, past continuous, present perfect continuous. Do the continuous tenses you know all end in "-ing"? [ANSWER]
3) One use of the “going to” future is to make predictions of the future from a sign in the present. (example – “I am going to write”)
Consider these examples:
"I'm going to go to London tomorrow."
"If you don't work harder, you're going to fail your exams."
"We're going to build an extension to our house."
"Hm - it looks as if he's going to die!" [ANSWER]
4) The “about” to future is used for actions which will happen in the distant future (i.e. a long way in the future. Example – “I am about to write”)
Which of these examples are you most likely to hear?
"I'm about to graduate at the end of my course next year."
"I can't check your work now because I'm about to leave." [ANSWER]
5) Both present simple and present continuous tense can be used with future meaning. (example – “I write” and “I am writing”)
This was answered in Verb Quiz 1. Try putting a future time expression after these examples and see if they work:
"They are having a party ..............."
"They have a party ................" [ANSWER]
6) The future perfect continuous form is used when we are more interested in the action and the future perfect (non-continuous) form when we are more interested in the result. (examples – “I will have been writing” and “I will have written”)
Again, if you've already answered Verb Tense Quiz 1, then you should know this one! [ANSWER]
************ Other forms of the verb:
7) “Knew” is an example of a past participle.
One traditional way to learn verbs is this:
"Root" of the verb:.......write.........see........ride........know
Past tense form:......... wrote........saw.......rode.... .............
Past participle:............written.. ...seen ... .ridden... ............. [ANSWER]
8) “The building is being pulled down” contains an example of a passive tense.
Decide for yourself if all the necessary parts are there, and in the right form. And is it the right name for the structure? If you've already done the exercise on "Passive Voice Structures", then this one should be easy! [ANSWER]
9) All sentences in the passive form include the verb “to be” (in a variety of tenses) + a past participle.
See number eight. Does it follow this pattern? And did you you say that number 8) was true or false? [ANSWER]
10) You can always successfully convert a verb from its active to its passive form by putting the verb “to be” in the same form and adding the past participle of the main verb
Is this a good conversion from active voice to passive?
>>>>> "The students will have finished all the written work next month."
>>>>> "All the written work will have finished by the students next month."
If you think it is, then has it followed all those stages? [ANSWER]
11) In the sentence “I must go”, “go” is a “full infinitive”.
There are two commonly used infinitives, the "full infinitive" and the "naked infinitive". Is it one of these? Or is it something altogether different from an infinitive, and if so, what? [ANSWER]
12) In the sentence “I regret having married an old man”, “having married” is a perfect gerund.
What does a gerund look like? And what auxilliary verb will you always see in perfect tenses? These questions may help you. Then again they may not! (in which case I advise you to go back to "Essential Grammar Terms 1"). [ANSWER]
When you've made your final true / false decisions, check further down the page to see if they're the same as the suggested answers..............
[ADVERT]
Answers
1) “They will be waiting” is an example of the future continuous tense.
True. All the necessary parts are there. ALL CONTINUOUS TENSES need SUBJECT + the appropriate form of the verb "TO BE" + THE "-ING" form of the main verb, as in "he" + "will be" + "going".
Use of the future continuous:
Example: "Don't come round at seven. I'll be working." Here the longer action (starting before and continuing after the other one) is in the continuous tense. Compare to notes on the past continuous tense in Verb tense quiz 1. This is very similar in use and meaning, but in future time instead of the past.
Another example: "This time next week I'll be lying on a Spanish beach." (See photo album below.)
2) All continuous verb tenses end in “-ing”.
True. See number 1.
3) One use of the “going to” future is to make predictions of the future from a sign in the present. (example – “I am going to write”)
True. In "hints and clues", two of the examples were of this type. In one of them I'm predicting that you're going to fail your exams... because I've seen your work in the present. In the other, I'm sorry to tell you you're likely to die soon.... because you don't look at all well! Here's a more obvious example:
"Look at those dark clouds!"
"Yes - it's going to rain."
There is NO other tense a native speaker is likely to use in this last example. And yes, the "going to" future is its correct name. Don't confuse it with the present continuous tense of the verb "to go". It looks like that, but followed by a full infinitive.
Other important uses of the "going to" future.
For personal plans. See the other two examples in hints and clues. I hope they didn't put you off! (To put someone off - to cause them to lose concentration so that they make a mistake.)
4) The “about” to future is used for actions which will happen in the distant future (i.e. a long way in the future. Example – “I am about to write”)
False. In "hints and clues" you were asked:
Which of these examples are you most likely to hear?
"I'm about to graduate from my course at the end of the year."
"I can't check your work now because I'm about to leave."
The answer is the second (near future). The first (more distant future) is extremely unlikely.
5) Both present simple and present continuous tense can be used with future meaning. (example – “I write” and “I am writing”)
True. I hope the examples didn't put you off! The second of these:
"They are having a party ..............."
"They have a party ................"
is very unlikely. But "My plane lands at seven tonight" is something you may well hear. It's for timetables or impersonal future arrangements. (NOT like parties!) The first is for more personal things.
6) The future perfect continuous form is used when we are more interested in the action and the future perfect (non-continuous) form when we are more interested in the result. (examples – “I will have been writing” and “I will have written”)
True. This seems to be the most useful way to think about the difference between the continuous and non-continuous forms. For more information compare to number 7) in Verb Tense Quiz 1.
************ Other forms of the verb:
7) “Knew” is an example of a past participle.
False. The past participle of "know" is "known".
8) “The building is being pulled down” contains an example of a passive tense.
False. The passive is not a tense. In grammar terms we refer to "active and passive VOICE" of the verb. Sing "active and passive voiiiiiiiiiiice" to yourself to help you to remember.
9) All sentences in the passive form include the verb “to be” (in a variety of tenses) + a past participle.
True. In number 8), all the right parts are there, and in the right form. The only thing wrong is the name of the structure ("tense" for "voice").
10) You can always successfully convert a verb from its active to its passive form by putting the verb “to be” in the same form and adding the past participle of the main verb.
True. See the exercise on Passive Voice Structures for more on this topic. (Topic = subject.)
11) In the sentence “I must go”, “go” is a “full infinitive”.
False. It's a "naked" infinitive. This is also known as the "bare" infinitive, or the infinitive "without to". Here the naked infinitive is being used after a modal verb "must". It is similarly used after "should, would, can, could" etc.
Other important uses of the naked infinitive:
The naked infinitive is also used after.....
let + object + naked infinitive ("Let them eat cake!")
make + object + naked infinitive ("Make them wait in line.")
help + object + naked infinitive (or full infinitive). ("Help them understand better." OR, "Help them to understand better.")
Also:
It can be used with verbs of the senses. Example: "I saw him steal the money." If it was a longer action, we might prefer to use the gerund: "I saw him stealing the money."
Another example: "I felt him touch my leg, so I punched him in the throat!" (The author does not encourage violent behaviour.)
12) In the sentence “I regret having married an old man”, “having married” is a perfect gerund.
True. The gerund is "marrying", and the perfect gerund is "having + past participle". It would be perfectly acceptable to write, "I regret marrying and old man", but the example with the perfect gerund is a bit "posher" (high class English) and maybe suggests the action was further back in the past (?)
Photo album:
.
View from "our" balcony in Spain.
Here's the text of my postcard:
This is a view from the villa we rented in southern Spain this Easter. It overlooks the coastal plain which runs down to the sea at Mijas Costa. You can see the sea in the background, and on a clear day you can see as far as the coast of North Africa. Birds of prey swoop down in front of you as you sit drinking a cool beer on the balcony. It's heaven! Hope you're all enjoying yourselves at work back there in the U.K....... See you soon.
Vocabulary
overlooks - "looks over"
coastal - adjective from "coast", where the land meets the sea.
plain - area of flat land
background - part of the picture which is "in the distance".
birds of prey - birds which eat other birds, mice, etc.
swoop - to fly downwards suddenly
balcony - what you can see in the "foreground" of the picture
Do you get it?
vocabulary: nostril - your nose is divided into two nostrils, one on either side.
A man goes to the doctor's with an egg on his head, a piece of bacon in either ear and a sausage stuck up each nostril.
"The problem's obvious," says the doctor. "You're not eating properly!"
Note:
Much English humour depends on a "play on words". This is possible because so many words in English have "double meanings". Thus "you're not eating properly" could mean, "you're not eating a good, healthy, balanced diet." But it could also mean, "you're not eating in the correct way." Maybe putting things in your ears instead of your mouth?
Photo:
A so-called "full English breakfast". It's usually served with toast, and maybe also with mushrooms and black pudding, made from pig's blood. But not many people eat this these days. At least not at breakfast time. It's quite common today to see cafes and motorway service stations offering "Full English Breakfast Served All Day"(!)
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