English grammar in use 3rd edition

2 Present continuous I am doing Stu y this example situation: Sarah is in her car.. not I begin Present continuous and prese t simple -- Units 3-4 Present te ses for the future -- Unit

intermediate students of English

with answers

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A ca t alog u e re cor d {or this public{/t i on is QW li/ab/ e (rolll t JC Briti s h Libr a r ),

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3 PreseO! continuous and present simple I (I am doing and I do)

4 Present continuous 1Ild present simple 2 (I am doing and 1 dol

5 Past simple (I did)

6 Past continuous (I was doing)

P r('S('1II pI' r(ect , /lid p.m

Present perfect 1 (I have done)

S Present perfect 1 (I h,wc done)

9 Preseor perfecr continuo s (I h3\'e been doin )

10 Present perfect continuous and simple (I have been doing and I have don )

11 How long ha\'e you (been) ?

11 For and since When ~ and How long ;

13 Present perfect and p:m I (I have done and I did)

14 Present perfeci :1nd p:m 1 (I h3\'e done and I did)

15 Past perfect (I had donel

16 Past perfect continuous (I had been doing)

1- Have gal and ha\"e

24 Will be doing and will have done

15 Wh n I do I When I've done When and if

3 - CaniCouldJ\Vould you " ? etc, (Requests, offers, permission and in\'irations>

IF YOU ARE NOT SURE WHICH UN S YOU NEED TO STUDY, USE THE STUDY GUIDE ON PAGE 326 iii

45 II is said Ihat He is said to He is supposed to

46 Have something done

50 Questions 2 (Do you know where ? / He ask d me wh re )

51 Auxiliary verbs (havc1do/can erc.) I think so / 1 hope so etc

52 Question tags (do you? isn't it? etc.)

- ;'Ig al1d the il1{illitil'e

53 Verb + -ing (e joy d ing I stop doing etc.)

54 Verb + to (decide to I forget to etc.)

55 Verb (+ object) + to ( I want you to Ctc.)

56 Verb + -ing or to I (remember/regret etc.)

57 Verb + -ing or to 2 (try/needlhclp)

58 Verb + -ing or to 3 (like I would like etc.)

59 PrcCer a d would rather

60 Preposition (in/for/a out etc.) + -ing

61 Be/get used 1 0 something (rm used to J

62 Verb + preposition + -ing (succeed in -ing / accuse somebody of -ing etc.)

63 Expressions + -ing

64 To , (or and so that (purpose)

65 Adjective + to

66 To (afaid to do) and pre osi on + -ing (afraid of -in )

67 See somebody do and sec somebo y doing

68 -ing clauses (Feeling tire , [ went to bed early.)

Articles aud 11 1111$

69 Countable and uncounrable 1

70 Countable and uncountable 2

71 Counrable n uns with atan and some

72 Nan a d the

73 The 1

74 The 2 (school/ the school etc.)

75 The 3 (children / the children)

76 The 4 (the giraffe / the telephone / the piano etc., the + adjec ve)

77 Names with and without the I

78 Names with and without the 1

IF YOU ARE NOT SURE WHICH UNITS YOU NEED TO STUDY, USE THE STUDY GUIDE ON PAGE 326

-9 Singula, and ph,,,1

SO :"'oun + noun (3 tennis ball f a headache)

81 ·'5 (your sisler's name) and of (rhe name of Ihe book)

PrO Il O l/lI S 'lIId deteTmj,l(!rS

81 Mysellfy urselflthcmselvcs NC

83 :\ friend of mine My own h use On my own I by myself

84 There and it

85 Some and 3n~'

86 Nofnonclany Nothing/nobody etc

S - M"h many little few a lot plent"

SS Ali I all of most I moS! of no I none of etc

89 BOlh I both of neilher I neither of either I either of

90 All e"cry and whole

91 Each and C\'er~

Re{Ofil'l! c/, IlISf.'S

91 Relative clauses 1: clauses with who/that/which

93 Relative clauses 2: clauses with and without who/th::nlwhich

94 ReI.:II;\,t' clauses 3: whose/whom/where

95 R e1ati\"i~ clauses 4: extra information clauses.( )

96 RehHivc clauses 5: c;.ara information clauses (1)

9 - -ing 'nd -ed clauses (the woman talking to Tom the bo'-inju"d in the occident)

Ad;er ril'es ,md ,uil 'Nbs

98 Ad iecti \"(~s ending in ·ing md -cd (boringlbored erc.,

99 \djecri\"cs:" nice new ho se you look lired

100 Adiecti\"cs and adverbs 1 (quick/quickly)

1 1 Adjt'Ctin:'s and 3d\"(~'rbs 1 (welV sr/l:uc hardlhardlyl

102 So :1nd su h

103 Enough and 1 00

1 4 Quile pretty r<uhcr and fairly

(05 Comparison 1 (cheaper morc exp nsive etc.)

J 06 Comp:uison 1 (much bener I :m~' b ncr I beneT and be et Ilhe soon r the better)

107 Comparison 3 (as as {than)

108 Superlatives (the longest, the most enjoyable erc.)

109 Wlord order 1: verb + obiect: place and time

110 \X'ord order 1: ;ld\"crbs with the \'crb

111 Still yet and alrcad~' Any morc f any longer I no longer

111 h en

Cm1 lwictio llS IlI/d prepos ltio S

1 \3 Altho gh I tho gh I e\'en thou h In spite of I despite

114 In case

115 nless As lo g as Provided/providing

116 As (As I walked liong the street I As I was hungry )

I ,- Like and as

11 S As if I as though I like

If YOU ARE NOT SURE WHICH UNITS YOU NEED TO STUDY, USE THE STUDY GUIDE ON PAGE 326 v

1 9 For, during and while

120 By and until By the time

Pr epositiolls

1 1 Alion/n (time)

122 On tme and in lime At the end and in the end

123 Inlallon (position) I

124 Inlallon (position) 2

125 Inlallon (position) 3

126 Tolatlinlinlo

127 lnlallon (other uses)

128 By

129 NOlin + preposition (e son for, cause of etc·.)

130 Adjective + preposition 1

1 1 Adjec ve + preposition 2

132 Verb + preposition 1 10 and at

133 Verb + preposition 2 a oullfor/of/after

134 Verb + preposition 3 a oul and of

135 Verb + preposition 4 of/for/from/on

136 Verb + preposition 5 in/inlo/with/to/on

Regular 3nd irregular verbs 292

Presenr and past tenses 294

The future 295

Modal verbs (can/could/willlwouid etc.) 296

Short forms ('m I you've I didn't etc.) 297

Key to Additional exercises 368

Key fO Study guide 372

Index 373

IF YOU ARE NOT SURE WHICH UNITS YOU NEED TO STUDY, USE THE STUDY GUIDE ON PAGE 326

Thanks

I wrOte the original edition of English Grammar in Use when I was a te cher at the Swan

School f English, Oxford I would like to repeat my thanks to my colleagues and students at

the school for their help encouragement and interest at that time

\Iore recently 1 would like to thank all the teachers and students I met and who offered their

thoughts on the previous edition It was fun to meet you all and extremely helpful for me

Regarding the production of this third edition, I 3m grateful to Alison Sharpe, Liz Driscoll

Jane \Iairs and Kamal" Design I would also lke to thank Cambridge University Press for

permission fO access the Cambridge Internato al Corpus

Thank you also to the following illustrators; aul Fellows, Gillian l\hrrin, Roger PCllwill,

Lisa Smirh ;lnd Simon Willi;ltns

vi i

VII I

To the student

This book is for sruclcnrs who walll help with English grammar It is wrinen for you to use without a teach r

The book will be useful for you if you are nOt sure of the answers to questions like these:

o What is the difference between f did and IIJOIIC dOlle?

o \'(/h n do we use will for the future?

o What is the structure after I Il'is/,?

o When do we say used (0 do and when do we say IIsed to doing?

o When do we use the?

o What is the difference between like and as?

These and many other points of English gratnmar are explained in the book and there are exercises on each point

Level

The book is intended mainly for inter m e d ia t e slUdenrs IstudCllfs who h3\'C already studied the basic grammar o( nglish) It conccnrrates on those structures which imernwdi.m.' students wam

to lise, b t which often cause difficuly Some advanced students who ha\'e problems with

grammar will also find the book useful

The book is ItOt suitable for elementary learners

How the book is organised

There are 145 u its in the book Each unit concentrates on a particular point of grammar Some problems (for example the present perfect or the use of the) are cO\'ered in more than one unir

For a list of units, sec the CO I/t e l lts at the beginning of the book

Each u it consists of rwo facing pages On the Jeff there are explanations and examples; on the

right there are exercises At the back of the book there is a Key for rou to check your answers

to the exercises (p;lge 336)

There arc ;llso seven Appel/dices at the back of the book (p:lges 191-30 1) These include

irregular verbs SUlllmaries of verb forms, spelling and American English

Fina y, there is a detailed In dex at the back of the book (page 373)

How to use the book

The u its arc IIOt in order of difficuly so it is !lot intended that you work throu h the book

f om begin ing to end Every le;lrner has differem problems and ~'OU should lise this book to

help you with the grammar that yOIl find difficult

It is suggested that you work in this way:

o Use the CO l/ tents and/or I llde x to find which unit deals with the poim you are interested in

o If you arc not llre which units you need to study usc the Stud)' gllide on page 316

o Stud)' the explanations :lnd examples on the left-hand page of the Ullit ~'ou h ~l\'e chosen

o Do the exercises on the right-hand page

o Check your answers with the Key

o If )'our answers are nor correct, study the left-hand page ag.lin to see whal wem wrong

YOLI can of course use the book simply as a reference book without doing the exercises

Additional exercises

.\t [he back of the book [here are Addi t ional exercises (pages 302-3251 These exercises bring

together some of the grammar points fom a n mber of different units For example Exercise

16 brings together gmmmar points from Units 26-36 You can use these exercises for extra

practice after you have studied and practised the grammar in the units concerned

CD Rom

The book is sold with or \\'ithout a CD Rom On the CD Rom yotl will find more exercises on

all the units (different fom those in the book) There are also 1,700 tcst questions, and you can

use these to make your own tests The CD Rom can also be bou h separately

IX

x

To the teacher

Ellglish Grammllr ill Use was written as a self-study grammar book but reachers may also find

it useful as additional course material in cases where further work on gr,lnllllar is necessary The book will probably be most useful at middle-and upper- intermedi:He levels (where all or nearly all of the malerial will be relevant), and can serve both as a basis for n.·\'ision and as a means for practising new StrUCtures It will also be useful for some more ad\'a ced students who have problems with grammar and need a book for reference and practice The book is nor intended to be used by elementary learners

The units arc organised in grammatical categories (I'rcscllt alld past Articles IIml 11011115

PrelJositiolls etc.) They arc not ordered according to level of difficult~·, so the book should not

be worked through from beginning to end k should be used selective!>' and flexibly in accordance with the grammar syllabus being Llsed tlnd the difficulties studenrs are hal·ing The book can be used for immediate consolidation or for kiter revision or remedial work !t

might be used by the whole class or by individual students needing extra hefp The left-hand pages (explanations and examples) are written ior the STUdent to usc indil'idually, but they may

of course be used by the teac er as a source of ideas and inform;Hion on which to base a lesson

(and additionally), individual srudents call be directed to stud>" certain units oi the book by themselves if they have particular difficulties nO( shared by other studems in their class Don't

The book is sold with or without a CD Rom This contains further exercises on all the units in the book, as well as a bank of 1.700 rest questions from which users can select to compile their own tests The CD Rom is also available separately

An edition of EIIglish Grammar ill Use without the Kl')' is also available Some teachers may prefer this for usc with their stud nts

This is a new e ition of English Grammar ill US(' The differences between this edition tnd the second edition ;lte:

o There atc eight new unis on phrasal verbs (Units 138-145) There is also a ne\\' unit

on wish (Unit 41) Units 42-81 and 83-137 ;111 have different numbers irom the second edition

o SOllle of the material has been re\·ised or reorganised a d in most units there are

minor changes in the examples, explanations and exercises,

o The Additioltal exercises have been extended The new exercises ;Ire 14-16 25 30-31,

;lnd 37-41

o The book has been redesigned with new colour illustrations

o There is a new CD Rom with further exercises to accompany the book,

English Grammar

in Use

2

Present continuous (I am doing)

Stu y this example situation:

Sarah is in her car She is on her way ro work

She is driving to work

This means: she is driving 110111 at the time of speaking

The action is not finished

Am/slarc + -ing is the presellf CQmilllfolls:

am (= I'm) he/she/it is (= he·s'crc.) wc/youlthc)' arc ( = wc're etc.)

driving working

doing etc

I am doing something = I'm in the middle of doing i: I've started doing it a d I haven't

finish d yet:

o Please don't make so much noise I'm trying to work ( ll t [ try)

o 'WhCfe's Mark?' 'He's having a sh wer.' (1101 He has a shower)

o Let's go out now It isn't raining a y more (1I t It doesn't rain)

o (at a party) He o, Jane Arc you enjoying the party? ( " ot Do you enjoy)

o What's all that noise? What's going o ? (= Wh t's h ppening?)

The aclion is n t necessarily happening at the t me of speaking For example:

Steve is talking to a friend on the phone He sa~' s:

I' m rea d i ng a reallv good book at the moment

S t eve is nor reading the book at the time of speaking

Some more examples:

'-e means thar he h3S starred it but has n t finished it ret

He is in the middle of reading it

o Kate wants to work in Italy, so sh 's learning Italian (but perh'lps she isn't learning Italan at the time of sp aking)

o Some friends of mine afe building their own h use They hope to finish il next summer

You c n use the present continuo s wih today f this week flhis year etc (periods aro nd now);

o A: You're working h rd today ( lt t You work h rd roday) It: Yes, I have a 1m to do

o The company I work for isn't doing so well this year

We usc the present continuo s wh n we talk abom changes happening around now, especially with these verbs:

gel c ange become IIlCfeaSe rise fall grow Improve begin stan

o Is your English geuing better? ( n ot Does your English get better)

o The popula on of the world is increasing very fast ( lI r in reases)

o At first 1 did 't like my jo , b t I'm beginning to e jo)' it now ( not I begin)

Present continuous and prese t simple Units 3-4 Present te ses for the future Unit 19

4

Study this example situation:

Alex is a b s dri\cr but now he is in bed asleep

He is nO( dri\'ing:1 b s (He is asleep.)

b llt He dri\·cs a bus (He is a bus driver.)

Uwe/youlthey drive/work/do etc

happens all the time or repeatedly, or that something is true in gen ral:

o Nurses loo k aft er patients in hospi tals

o The earth goes round the sun

o The cafe op ns at 7.30 in rhe morning

I work bitt He works They leach , b llt My sister teaches

For spelling (-s or -es), see Appendix 6

We usc doldoes to make questions and negative sentences:

o I come fom Canada Where do you come from?

work

dri"e ,

do

o Riel." doesn'l grow in cold climates

In the following examples, do is also the main verb (do you do I doesn't do elc.):

o He's always so lazy He doesn't do anything to help

We use the present simple to say how often we do things:

o I get up at 8 o'clock e ery morning

Sometimes we do things by saying something For example, when )'ou promise [Q do something,

you can say 'I promise .'; when you s u ggest something, you can ill)' 'I suggest .':

o 'What do you suggest I do?' 'I suggest that you

P rese nt continllOltS (I am doing)

We use the continuous for things happening

at or around the rime of speaking

The action is not complete

I am d ing

Presellt simple (I do)

\Y'/e use the simple for things in general or things th:H happen rcpe:H cd l ~·

I do

o The W,Her is boiling Can you turn it off?

o Listen TO those people What language

arc they speakin ?

o Let's go our It isn't raining now

D 'I'm busy.' 'What arc you doing?'

o I'm gelling hungry Let's go and ear

a Kate wants to work in Italy so she's

learning Italian

o The population of the world is increasing very fasr

We usc the contnuous for t emporary

See Unit I for more information

I always do and I'm always doing

I always do (something) = I do it every lime:

o Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius

o Excuse me, do you speak English?

o IT docsn', rain \'cry much in summer,

o What do y u uSll1tlly do at weekends?

o I always get hungry in Ihe afternoon

o i\tost pe9ple learn TO swim whcn the~ ' arc children,

o Every day the populati n of the world

increascs by about 200,000 people,

We use the simple for permallellf situations:

o ~I y parents live in Lllndon, They ha\'e li\'ed there all their li\'es,

o Jo n isn't lazy He works hard most of the time

See Unit 2 for more inform:nion

o I always go to work by car (1I0 I'm always going) 'I'm always doing something' has a different meaning For example:

Two more examples:

I've lost my pen again I'm alway s losing things,

I'm always losing things = I lose things ,'ery often perhaps toO oilen or more often Ih:ln normal

o You're always watching (elevision You should do something more acti\'e, (= You watch television tOO on-en)

o Tim is never satisfied He's always complainin (= He complains 1 00 much)

Presen co tinuous and simple 2 Unit 4 Presen tenses for the future Unit 19

8

Present continuous and present simple 2 (I am doing and I do)

We use continu us forms for actions and happenings that have started but not finished (they are

eating I it is raining etc.) Some verbs (for example, k ow and like) afe not norma y used in this way We don't say 'I am knowing' or 'they are liking'; we say" k ow', 'they like',

The following verbs are nor normOlU\, used in the present conrinuous'

l ike l o v e hale want need prefer

know realise suppose m e an under tand believe remember

When think means 'believe' or 'have an opinion', we do nor lise the continuous:

o I think Mary is Can dian, but I'm not sure ( I/O f I'm thinking)

o Wh t do you think about my plan? (= Wh t is your opinion?)

Wh n think means 'consider', the continuous is possible:

o I'm thinking about what ha pened I often think abour it

o Nicky is thinking of giving up h r job (= she is considering if)

\

He is selfish and He is being selfish

He's being = He's behaving I He's acting Compare:

o I can't und rstand why he's being so selfish He isn', usually like that

(b ing selfish = behaving selfishly at the moment)

o He never thinks about other people He is very selfish (110 1 He is being) (= He is selfish generally, nor only at the moment)

We use am/s/arc being to say how somebody is bebol/il/ g It is not usually possible in

other sentences:

o It's hot today (I/ or It is being h r)

o Sarah is very t re (I/ot is b ing tired)

See h ar smell taste

We norma y usc the present simple (not continuous) with these \'crbs:

o Do you see that man over there? ( t/ot Are you seeing)

o This rool11 sme s Let's open a window

We often use c n seelhearlsmelVtaste:

o I can h ar a strange n ise Can you hear i ?

Look feel

You can use the present simple or continu us to say how somebody looks or feels now:

o You lo k well today or You're looking well today

o How do you feel now? or How are you feeling now?

bllt

o I usu lly feci tircd in the morning ( l l0 t I'm usu lly feeling)

Present continuous and simple 1 Unit 3 Have - Unit 17 Present tenses for the future - Unit 19

10

Study rhis example:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an Austrian

musician and composer He lived from 1 56 to

1791 He Slarted composing at rhe age of five

He was only 35 years old when he died Livcd/st:lrIc /wrotc/was/dicd are 311 P l S simple

Very often the past simple ends in -cd ( reg ular verbs):

D We invited them to our party but they decided not to come

o The p lice slopped me on my way home last night

o L'lura passed her examination because she studied vcry hard

For spelling (stopped, studied etc.), sec Appendix 6

But many verbs are irregular The past mple does lI o end in -cd For example:

write - wrote 0 Mozart wrote more than 600 pieces of music, sec saw 0 We saw Rose in town a few days ago,

go went 0 I went to the cinema three times last weekshut shut 0 h was cold, so I shut the window,

For a list of irregular verbs, see Appendix I,

In questions a d negatives we use did/didn't ;" fj"i ti ve (enjoy/see/go etc,l

o A: Did you go out laSt night?

B: Yes, I went to the cinema, but J didn't enjoy the film muc ,

o 'When did Mr Thomas die?' 'About ten rears ago.'

o They didn't invite her to the party, so she didn't go,

o 'Did you have time to write the letter?' 'No, I didn't.'

In the following examples, do is the main verb in the sente ce (did , do / didn't do):

o What did you do at rhe weekend? ( 1Iot What did you at the weekend?)

o I didn't do anything, ( m t I didn't a ything) The past of be (am/is/are) is was/we"r_' _ _ _ _ -, , -_-,

l hc/shclit was/wasn't was IIhe/she/it?

we/youlthey were/weren't were we/youlthey?

Norc that we do nor use did in negati\'es and questions with was/wel"c:

o I was angry because they were late,

o Was the weather good when you were on holiday?

o They were 't able to come because they were so busy

o Did you go out last night or were you roo tired?

Past simple and past continuous Unit 6 Pas simpit' and present perfect Units 12-14

Yesterday Karen and Jim played Tennis They began :11

10 o"clock and finished at 11.30

So,31 10.30 they were playing tcnnis

They were playing = they wcre in Ihe middle of

pJa~ · in g They had not finished playing

Was/were -ing is the P.lSt (' 1lti1l1l 0 1lS:

I/he/she/it was wc/youlrhey were

playing

doing working etc

I was doing something = I was in the middle of doing something at a ccpain time The action or

situation had already started before this time, bu had nOt finished:

I started doing

I ~ I was I doi - ng

I finish d doing

I

o This time lasl year I was living in Brazil

o What were you doing at 10 o'clock last night?

o I waved to Helen, but she wasn't looking

Compare the past con tinlfOus (I was doing) and pa s t s imple (I did):

P ast COl1til111 011S (in rhe middle of an acrion)

o J was walking home when I mel Dave

(in Ihe middle of an action)

we arrived

Past simple (complete aClio )

(= all the way complctely) :J Kalc walc ed lelevision a lot when she

was ill last year

We oftcn use the past simple and the past continuous together to say that something happened

o Matt p o ed white we were having dinner

o It was raining when I got up

o I saw you in the park yesterday You were siuing on the grass and reading a book

o I hurt my back while I was working in the garde But we use the past simple to say that one thing happened after anoth r:

o I was walking alo g the road when 1 saw Da\'e So I stopped, and we had a chat

Compare:

o When Karen arri\'ed, we were having dinner (= we had already started before she arrived)

:J \'\?hen Karen arrived, we had dinner ( = Karen arri\·ed and then we had dinner)

Some verbs (or example, know and want) 3re n r norma y used in rhe continuous (see Unir 4A ) :

o We were good friends We knew each other well ( lI t We were knowing)

o I was enjoying the party, but Chris wanted to go h me ( l1 t was wanting)

,

I

14

Study this example simarion:

Tom is looking for his key He can't find it

He has \O S his kt· ~·

He has losl his k e~' :: He lost it recently and he still doesn't h3\'C il

Havc/has losl is the prest'1II perfec t si m ple:

IIweft h ey/ 'ou have ( = l'\'e C'rc.' finished

lost helshelit h " 1= he's etc.) done

been el :

The present perfect simple is havclhas + past /J or ticil,/ e The past participle often ends in -cd

(finished/decided erc.), but many important verbs are irregular (lost/done/written etc.)

For a list of irregular verbs, see Appendix I

When we say that 'something has happened', this is usually new information:

o Ow! I've cut my finger

o The road is closed There's been (there has been) an accident

o ((rom tl )e " ews) Police have arrested fWO men in conncction with the robbery,

When we use the presem perfcct, there is a connection with now, The action in the past has a

result flOW:

o 'Where's your key?' 'I d n't know, I've lost i: ( = I don'r ha\'e il n ow)

o He told me his name, but I've forgonen it, (= I can't remember it " o w )

o 'Is Sally here?' 'No, she's gone out: (= she is out n w )

o I can't find my bag, Have you seen i ? ( = Do you know where it is I IOW? )

You can use the present perfect with JUSt, already and yet,

JUS = i t sh rt rime ago:

o 'Are you hungry?' 'No I've just had lunch:

o Hello, Have rou just arrived?

We lise already to s y fhat someThing happened sooner than expected:

o ' D on'r f o rger ro send rhe lerrer.' 'I \ ' e al r ea d r se n t it.'

o 'What tillle is Mark leaving?' 'He's already gone:

Yet = u til now, Yet shows that the spe3ker is expecting something to h.ppen, Use ~'e only

in questio s and negarive semences:

o Has h SlOpped raining yel?

o I've wrinen the lerrer, bur I haven't sent it yet

~ -Note the difference between gone Itol and been (to):

o Jim is on holiday He has gone to Italy, (= he is there now or on his wa)' there)

o J ne is back home now, She has been to Italy, ( = she has now come back)

Present perfect Units 8, 11 Been to Units 8A, 1268 Present perfect continuous Units 9-10

Present perfect and past Units 12-14 Yet and already Unit 111 American English"'" Appendix 7

16

Present perfect 2 (I have done)

Study this example conversation:

DiONE: Have you travell d :l lor Jane?

JANE: Yes, I've been to lors of places

I)A\'[: R e ally ? Have you t'\'er been to China?

J ANE : Yes, I' e been ro China twic

DAVE : What about India?

J AN E : o I have 't been to India

Jane's lif

f a p e ri o d until n o w )

When we talk about a period of time that conrinues frolll the past umil no\\', we use the

prese" t perf ect (have been I have travell d etcI Here Dave and Jane arc talking about the

places jme has visited in her life {which is a period thar continues unril nowl

Some more examples:

o Have you e er e~lIcn caviar? (in your life)

o W e ' ve n e v c r h a d a ca r

o 'Ha e you read Hamlet? 'No, I haven't read any of Sh k speare's plays.'

o Susan really loves th t film She's seen it eight l mes!

o Wh t a boring film! It's the most boring film I've ever seenBeen (to) = visied:

o I've m:ver b en to China Have you b en there?

In the fo owing examples tOO, the speak rs are talking about a period that continues until now ( ecendy I in the last few days I so far I since breakfast etc.):

o Have y u h ard fom Brian recently?

o I've met a lor of people in the last few days

o Everything is going well We haven't had a y problems

o I've drunk four cups of coffee to ay

o Have y u had a h lday this year (ret)?

o I ha e 't seen Tom this morning Have you? past

o Rob h sn't stu ied very h rd this term

We sa : It's the (first) t me something h s h p e e For example:

a Don is having a driving lesson It's his first one

It's the first time he has driven a car (n t driv s)

o r He h s never driven a car before

o Sarah has lost her passp n again This is the second

time this h s h ppen d (n t happens)

o Bill is phoning his girlfriend again That's the third

time he's pho ed her this evenin

Present perfect 1 - Unit 7 Present perfect + for/since Units 11-12

Present perfect a d past - Units 12-14

today

T h iS is the fir5t time

rve d r ive n a car

Unit

9

18

Present perfect continuous

(I have been doing)

doing been waiting

playing C I C

We use the present perfect continuous for an activity that has recently stopped or just stopped

There is a con ection with /lOW:

o You're our of breath Have you been running? (= you're our of br;arh now)

o Paul is very tired He's been working very hard (= hc's tred now)

o Why 3tC your clothes so dirty? What have you been d ing?

o I've been talking to Amanda about the problem a d she agrees wi~h me

o Where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere

It has been raining for two h urs

Study this example situatio :

Ir began raining twO h urs ago and it is still raining

How long has it been raini n g

Ir has been raining for twO hours

We use the present perfect continu us in this way with

h w lon , for and since The acti\·iry is still happening (as in this example) or has just sropped

o How lo g have you been learning English? (= you're stll learning English)

o Tim is still watching television He's be n watching television all day

o Where have you been? I've been looking for you for the last half h ur

o Chris ha n't been feeling well recently

You can use the present prefect continuous for actio s repeated over a period of lime:

o Debbie is a very good tennis player She's been playing since she was eight

o Every morning they meet in the same cafe They've been going there for years

Compare I am doing (see Unit I) and I have been d ing:

Present perfect contnuous and simple -+ Unis 10-11 Present perfect + for/since - Units 11-1 2

20

Present perfect continuous and simple

(I have been doing and I have done)

Study this example situation:

Kate's clorhcs are coverec! in paim

co ntilll l OUS

We are interested in the activit}' It does not matter whether something has been finished

or nOt I n thi s example, the activity (paiming

t he ceiling) ha s nO[ been finished

The ceiling was whire : ':ow it is red

She has paimed the ceiling

Here, the important thing is that something has been finished Has painted is <1 completed acrion W/e arc interested in tht result of the

itself

I Comp:uc these examples:

-o My hands are very diny I've been

He should eat less

o The car is OK again now I've

o Somebody has eaten all my chocolates The box is empty

o \'('here's the book I ga\'e you: \X'hat

D II's nice to sec )'OU again What have you

o Where have you been? Have you been l

We usc the conrinuous to say hOIll I O ll g (for

an activity that is still happening):

o How long have you been reading that book?

o Lisa is still writing Iwers She's been

o The)"ve been playing tennis since

2 o'clock

o I'm learning Spanish bur I ha\'Cn't been

We usc [he simple (0 say h /l' mild ) , how

11/,/11)' or ( lOW 11/(111)' tim es (tor completed :lctions):

o How much of Ih:lI book ha\'e you read?

o Lisa has wriuen t e n leners roda~ ·

o They·'·c played tennis three times this week

Some verbs (for example, knowllikcJbelieve) are nor normally used in the continuous:

For a list of these verbs, see Unit 4A But nOte that you c all use want and mean in Ihe present perfect conrinuous:

22

D.1O and Jt'ml~' are married They got married exacdy

Th t'~ · ha\'c been married for 20 years

\'<'e say: They are married ( prest'flt)

Th('y ha,'c been tmrried for 20 years

( 1I 0 Thc~' arc m;Hried for 20 ye.lr s)

We lise the present I)erfe ct to mlk about something that began in the past and srill cominues

now Comp re the IJresellt and the present perfect:

o Bil is in hospital

but He has been in hospital since Monday

(llot Bill is in hospital since Monday)

o Do you know each oth r well?

/ Jresc flt

b ut Have yOll known each Other for a long lime?

o She's waiting for somebod)'

b " t She's been waiting all morning

o Do thc)' have a car?

b llt How lo g have the)' had their car?

I have known/hadllived etc is the presellt perfect si mpl e

11 0141

) have been learning I been waiting I been doin1! etc is the pres e nt perfect CO l1lillll O ll s

Wh n we ask or sa)' 'how long', th~' continuous is more usu l (see Unit 10);

o I'vc been learning English for six months

o It's bccn raining since lunchtime

o Richard has bcen doing [he same job for 20 years

D 'How long havc )'ou been driving?, 'Since I was 1

7'-Some verbs (for cxample, know/likelbclievc) a T t:' nOI nunna y used in the continuous;

D How lo g have you known Jane? ( Il t have you been knowing)

o I've h d a pain in my stoma h all day ( I/Of I"ve been having) See also Units 4A and lac For ha\-e, sec Unit 1

You can usc either rhe present perfect continuous or simple with ti,'c ::md work:

D Julia has been living I has lived in Paris for a long lime

D How lo g have you been working I have )'ou worked here?

But we usc the simple (I've lived 1 I've done etc.) with always:

o I've always lived in the country ( n ot always been living)

We say 'I haven't done something sincclfor (preSl!lIf perfect s imp/e ):

o 1 haven', seen Tom since Monday t= ~1 on d ay was the last time I saw him)

o Sue hasn't pho ed for ages t= the last tme she ph n d was ages ago)

I haven't since/for Unit 8A Present p rfect continuous Units 9-10 For and since - Unit 12A

24

For and since

We usc for lIld since to 5:1)' now lo g something has been happening

We U Sl' for + ;1 p riud uf lime ( IWO h urs

Christmas I got up

o Sail}' has been working here for six

months [ 11 0 1 since six months)

:J Sally h s been working here since April

1= from April u til now)

o [ h'lven', sn~Jl Tom for three days

( I/ ot since three d.},S)

::J I haven't seen Tom since Monday (= from ~ t ondar until now)

It is possible to leave out for (bur nor usually in negative sentences):

o They've been married (for) ten years (with or without for)

o They haven't had a holday for ten years (you must usc for)

We do 1I0t USl' for + all (all day I all my life etc.):

o I've lived here all my life ( ll ot for all my Hid Compare when ? (+ past si mpie) and h w lo g ? (+ pre se n p er fect ):

A: When did'it St<lTt raining:

II: It stdrtl"d r.ining an ho r ago I al I o'clock

A : How long has ir been r'lining?

Ii: It's been raining for an hour I since I o'clock

Ii: The\" hrst met ! a lo g time ago

We say 'h's (a long time I twO years ell.7,) since somelhing happened':

o h's two years since I last saw Joe (= I ha\'en't seen J Ot' for twO years)

o It's ages since we went 10 the :inema (= We ha\'en't been to the cinema for ages) You can ask 'How lo g is it since ?':

o How long is it since )'ou last saw Joe? (= Whcn did you la t see Joe?)

o How lo g is it since Mrs Hill died? (= When did Mrs Hill die?) Yoo can also say ,It's been (= It has ocen) since

o It 's been fWO years since I la t saw Joe

How long have you (been) ? - Unit 11

Unit

13

26

Present perfect and past 1

Study this example situation;

Ten minutes later:

Tom is looking for his k t'~ · He (an't find it

He has losl his key (prese llt PI'Treet)

This means thi H he doesn't 11 \'(' his key I IOll'

Now Tom has found his k y He h,15 if now,

H as he lost i s key? No 11 (' h as found it

Did he lose his key? Yes e did

He losl his key ( !Jil s t s ill/I,ll' )

hut now he has found it ( pre s eIIIIJerfe c t )

The present perfect (something has happened) is a prese nt tense It always tells u S about the

situation n O/v 'Tom has lost his key' = he doesn't have his key " D ill (see Unit 7)

The past simple (something happened) tells us only about the p as t If somebody says 'Tom lost his key', this doesn't tell us whether he has the k y now or nor It te s us only that he lost his

key at some Time in the past

Do f,o t use the present perfect if the situation now is different Compare:

o They've gone away They'll be hack on Friday Ithey arc away f lOW)

They went away, but I think they're back at home now ( ll t They\'e gone)

o It has Slopped raining n w, so we don't need the umbrella (it isn't raining fl OW)

It stopped raining for a while but now iI's raining again Ill t It h s stopped) You can use the prescm perfect for new or recent happenings:

o "'ve repaired the TV It's working OK now: ·Oh that's good:

o Ilave you heard the news? Sally has won the lo ery!

Usc the paS simple ( n t the present perfect) for things that arc not recent or new:

o Mozarl was a composer He wrote more than 600 pieces of music

(n t has been has written)

o My mother grew up in Scotlan (ll t has grown)

Compare:

o Did y u know that somebody has invented a new type of washing machine?

o Who invented the telephone? ( llot has inve ted)

We usc the present perfect to give new information (sec Unit 7) But if we continue to talk about it, we n rmally usc rhe past simple:

o 11.: Ow! I've burnt myself

8: How did you do that? I ll ot have you done) A: I picked up a hot dish ( 1I 0t ha\'e picked)

o A: Look! Somehody has spilt something on the sofa 8: Well, it wasn't me I didn't do it ( ll t hasn't been haven't done)

Past mple Unit 5 Present perfect - Units 7-8 Present perfect and past 2 - Unit 14

Ame can Englsh - Appendix 7

Unit

14

28

Present perfect and past 2

Do n r use the present perfect /I have done) when you talk about a finished time (for example

yesterday I tcn minutes ago I in 1999 I when I was a child) Use a past tense:

o It was very cold yesterday ( n ot has been)

o Paul and Lucy arrived Icn minutes ago (not have arrived)

o Did you eat a lot of sweets when you were a child? (1101 have you eaten)

o I got home late lasl night I was very tired and went straight to bed

Use the past to ask When ? or What time ?:

o When did your friends arrive? ( n ot have arrived)

o What lime did you finish work?

P reseflt / Jcrfec t (have done)

a I've done a lot of work today

We lise the present perfect for a period of time that continues IIlItil /I OIll, For example:

today 1 this week 1 since 1985,

D It hasn't rained this week

D Have you seen Anna this morning? (il is st ll morning)

D Have you seen Tim recently?

D I don't know where Lisa is I haven't seen her (= I haven't seen her recently)

D We've been waiting for an hour (we are still waiting n w)

o Ian lives in Lond n He has li\'cd there for seven years

o I have never played golf (in my life)

D It s til e last day of your halMa)' YOII say: h's been a really good holiday

I've really enjoyed it

o I did a lot of work yestcrday

We use the past simple for a {illished rime in

the past For example: yesterday I las( week I from 1995 (02001

past

r {i llislu!d-,

I yesterday I :: It didn't rain la t week

/lOIll

e Did you sec Anna this morning: (ir is now afternoon or e\'ening)

c Did you see Tim on Sunday?

C ,>": Was Lisa ar the parry on Sunday? R: I don't think so, I didn't see her,

e \X'e waited (or were waiting) for an hour {we arc no lo ger waiting) :: Ian l 'ed in $calland for ten years,

~ow he lin:s in London

= I didn't play golf last summer

:: Aft er YOll come b ,Ck (rom holidllY yOIi say: II was a really good holiday, I

really enjoyed iI,

Pas simple Unit 5 Present perfect - Units 7-8 Present p rfect and pas 1 Unit 13

30

Study this example situation:

a t 1 0.30 at 11.00 Sarah went to a parry lasl week Paul went (0 the

parr~ ' too bur they didn't sec each OIner Paul left the parry at 10.30 and Sarah arrived at II o'clock So:

\'(/hen Sarah arrived at the parry Paul wasn'r there

He had gone home

Had gone is the p.lSl perfect ( simple / :

Uwelthey/you he/she/it had

( = I'd etc.1 ( = he'd etc.)

gone

secn

finished etc

The past perfect simple is h d + past participle (goncJsccnlfinish d etc)

Sometimes we talk about something that happened in the past:

o Sarah arrived at the party

This is the starting point of the stor), Then, if we want to talk about things that happened

before this time, we use the past perfect (had ):

o When Sarah arrived at the party, Paul had already gone home

Some more examples:

o When we gOt home last night, we found that somebody had broken into the flat

o Karen didn't wam to go to the cinema with us because she'd already seen the film

o At first I thought I'd d ne the right thing, but I soon realised that I'd made a big mistake

o The man sitting next to me on the plane was very nervous He hadn't flown before

o We aren't h ngry We've JUSt had lunch

o The house is dirty The), haven't cleaned

= \'( / e weren't hungry We'd JUSt had lunch

= The house was dirty They hadn't cleaned it for weeks

Compare the past simple (left, was etc.) and the past perfect (had left, ad been etc.):

o A: Was Tom there when rou arri\'ed?

II: Yes, but he left soon afterwards

o Kate wasn't at h me when I phoned

She was at her mother's house

= \: \'('as Tom there when rou arrived? 8: 1\:0 he had already left

D Kate had JUSt gOt home when I phoned

She had been :11 her mother's hOllse

Pas perfect continuous _ Unit 16 Irregular verbs (gone/seen etc - Appendix I

I

I

32

Past perfect continuous

Study this example situation:

yes t e rd ay morn;lIg Yesterday morning I got up and looked out of the

window The sun was shining, but the ground was

very WC t

It had been raining

It was 1I 0t raining when I looked our of the window: the sun was shining But it had been raining before

Had been -ing is the P,lSt perfec t co nt i lll/ O Il S:

, ,

, ,

Some more examples:

IIwe/youlthcy 'he/shelit h,d (= I'd etc.)

( = he'd el c ) been

d ing working pia ying etc

o When the boys came into the house, their clothes were dirry, their hair was untidy and

o e of them had a black eye They'd been fighting

o J was very tired when J gOt home I'd been working hard all day

o When I wCnt to Madrid a few years ago, I stayed with a fiend of mine She'd been living there only a short time but knew the city very well

You can say that something had been happening for a period of t me before something else happened:

o We'd ~e n playing tennis for about half an hour when it staned to rain h avily

o George went to the doctor last Friday He hadn't ~en feeling well for some time

Compare have been ·ing ( pre se nt perfect co ntinli O Il S) and had been -ing (pas t perfec t co fltimt o lls ) :

I h ve been ·ing

o I hope the bus comes soon I've been

waiting for 20 minutes ( bef o re II O W )

o James is Out of breath He has been running

Pa s t perfect con till/l O Il S

I h a d bceo -ing I

past 11 0 11'

o At last the bus came I'd been waiting

for 20 minutes (befo re th e bll s c ame }

o James was ou[ o breath He had been running

Compare was -ing (past co ntinllOIlS ) and h3;d been -ing:

o It wasn't raining when we wem out The sun was shining But it had been raining, so the ground was wet

o Cathy was sitting in an armchair resting She was tired because she'd been working very h rd

Some v rbs (for example, know and like) are not normally used in the continuous:

o We were good friends We had known each other for years ( 11 0 1 had been knowing)

For a list of these v rbs, see Unit 4A

Presrnt perfect continuous Units 9-10 Past perfect simple Unit 15

I

II

34

Have got and have

Have got and have (= for possession, relationships, illnesses etc.)

You can use have got or have (without got) There is no difference in meaning:

o They've got a new car o r They have a new car

D Lisa's got two brothers or Lisa has rwo brothers

o J've gOt a headache or I have a headache

o OUf house has got a small garden or OUf house has a small garden

a He's got a few problems or He has a few problems

With these meanings (P9ssession etc.), you cannot use continuous forms (am having etc.):

o We're enjoying OUf holiday We've got We have a nice room in the h Old ( not We're having)

For the past we use had (without got):

a Lisa h d long hair when she was a child { not Lisa had got)

In questions and negative sente ces there are three possible forms:

Have you got a y questions?

Do you have any questions?

Have you a y questions? (less usual)

Has she got a car? Docs she have a car?

Has she a car? (l ess u s ual )

I haven't gOi any questions

I don't have a y questions

I have 't a y questions (less u s ual)

She hasn't got a car

She docsn't hal-'e a car

She hasn't a car (less II s ll l)

In past questions and negative sentences, we use did/didn't:

o Did you have a car when you were living in London?

D 1 did 't ha e a watch, so I didn't know the time

D Lisa h d long hair, didn't she?

Ha e breakfast I have a b th I have a good time etc

We also use have (bll t not have gOt) for many actions and experiences For example:

breakfast I din er I a cup of coffee I something to cat etc

a bath I a sh wer I a swim I a break I a rest I a p rty I a h liday

an accident I an exp rie ce I a dream have a look (at something)

a ch t I a conversation I a discussion {with somebodyl

diffic lty I trouble I fun I a good time etc

a baby (= give birth [0 a baby)

Ha e gOt is n t possible in the expressions in the box Compare:

o Sometimes I ha e (= eat) a sandwich for my lun h ( not I've gOt)

but I've got I I h ve some sandwiches Would you like one?

You can use continuous forms (am having etc.) with the expressions in the box:

o We're e joying our holiday We're having a great time (no t We have)

o Mike is having a shower at the moment He has a shower every day

In questons a d negative sentences we usc do/docs/did:

o I do 't usually have a big breakfast (not 1 usually haven't)

o What time does Jenny h ve lunch? ( not has jenny lu c )

o Did you ha e difficulty finding a place to live?

Have (got) to Unit 31 Ame can En lish Appendix 7

I

I

36

Used to (do)

Study this example situa o :

Diane doesn't travd much these days

She prefers ro stay at home

But she used to tra\'cI a lot

She used to go away twO or three times a year

She used to travel a lot = she rravelled a lot regularly in the past, bUI she doesn't do this any more

she used to travel

she doesn't travel

I

these days

Something used to happen = it happened regularly in the past, but no lo ger happens:

o I used to play tennis a lot, but I don't play very onen now

o Dav id used to spend a lot of money on clothes These days he can't afford it

o 'Do you go to the cinema much?' 'Not now, but I used to.' (= I used to go)

We also use used to for things that were true, but are not true any more:

o This building is now a furniture shop It used to be a cinema

o I used to think Mark was unfriendly, but now ' realise he's a very nice person

a I've started drinking tea recently , never used to like it ~fore

o Nicole used to have very long hair when she was a child

" used to do something' is past There is no present form You cannot say" use to do'

To talk about the present, use the presenr simple (I do)

Compare:

I )ost he used to play we used to live there used to be

present he plays we live there is

o We used to live in a small village, but now we live in Lond n

o There used to be four cinemas in the town Now there is only o e

The normal question form is did (you) use to ?:

o Did you use to eat a lot of sweets when you were a child?

The negative form is didn't use to (used not to is also possible):

o , didn't use to like him (or' used not to like him.)

Compare' used to do and' was d ing:

a I used to watch TV a lot (= I watched TV regularly in the paSt, but I no lo ger do this)

a I was watching TV when Mike called (= I was in the middle of watching TV)

Do nOt confuse I used to do and I am used to doing (see Unit 61) The structures and meanings are different:

o I used to live alone (= I lived alone in the past, bUI I no longer li\'e alone.)

a I am used to liviD.&: alone (= I Jive alo e, and I don't find it strange or difficult because I've been living alo e for some time.)

Past continuous (I was doing) Unit 6 Would ( used to) Unit 36

Belg t used to (doing) something Unit 61

I

I

3 8

Pr ese fll co ntinu O Il S (I am doing) with a future meaning

This is Ben's diary for next we k

He is playing tennis on Monday afternoon

He is going to the demist n Tuesday morning

He is ha\'ing dinner with Kate on Friday

arranged to do these thin s

I'm doing something (tomorrow) = I h ve already decided and arra ged ( 0 do it:

B: Half past ten ('m meeting her at the statio

D I'm not working tomorrow, so we can go out somewh re

o Ian isn't playing football next Saturday He's hurt his leg

But the present contin o s is more natural for arrangements See also Unit 20B

o What are you doing this evening? (',Ot What will you do)

o Alex is getting married next month ( 1101 will get)

o I'm t red I'm going to bed now Good.night ( tl O I I go to bed now)

o 'Tin , are you ready yet?' 'Yes, I'm coming.' ( 11 0 1 I come)

Pr esent simple (I d ) with a future meaning

o h's Wednesday tomorrow.! Tomorrow is Wednesd y

o I stan my new job on Monday

o What me do you finish work tomorrow?

Compare:

o What time are you arriving? 0 What time docs the train arrive?

I'm going to - Units 20 23 Will - Units 21-22 Present simple after when/f etc Unit 25

Unit

20

40

(I'm) going to (do)

I am going to do something = I have already decided to do i, I intend to do it:

o A: Are you going to watch the latc fil m on TV tonight?

8 No, I'm going 10 have an early night

o 1+.: 1 hear Sarah has won some moncy What is she going to do with it?

B: She's going to buy a new car

D I'm just going to make a quick phone call Can you wait for me?

o This cheese looks horrible I'm not going ( 0 cat it

I am doing a d I am going to do

We use I am d ing (present con tinu o s) when we say what we have arran ged to do - for example, arranged to meet somebody, arranged to go somewh re:

o What time 3rc you meeting Ann this evening?

o I'm leaving tomorrow I've got my pla e ticket

I am going to do something = I've decided to do it (but perhaps not a IT anged to do it):

o 'Your shoes are dirty.' 'Yes, I k ow l'm going to dean them: (= I've decided to dean them, but I haven't arranged to clean them)

o I've decided n t to stay here any lo ger Tomorrow I'm going to look for somewh re else

to stay

Often the difference is very small and either form is possible

You can also say that 'something is going to happen' in the future For example:

The man can't see the wall in front of him

He is going to walk into the wall

When we say that 'something is going to happen', the

situation n ow makes this clear The man is walking row~ rd s the wall now, so we can see that he is going

to walk imo il

going 10

Some mote examples:

a Look at those black douds! It's going to rain (the clouds are there now)

a I feel terrible I think I'm going 10 be'sick (I feel terrible now)

a The econ mic situation is bad now and things are going to get worse

I was going to (do something) = I intended to do it but didn't do it:

o We were going to travel by train, but then we decided 10 go by car instead,

a Peter was going 10 do the exam, but he c anged his mind

a I was JUSt going to cross the road when somebody shouted 'StOp!'

You can say that 'something was going to happen' (but didn't happen):

a I th u ht it was going to rain, but it didn't

I am doing for the future Unit 19A I will and I'm going to - Unit 23

Unit

21

42

Will/shall 1

We use I'll (= I will) wh n we decide to do something at the time of speaking:

D Oh I've left the door open I'll go and shut it

o 'What would you like to drink?' 'I'll have an orange juice, ple se:

o 'Did you phone Lucy?' 'Oh no, I forgot I'll phone her now:

You cannot use the present sim pl e (I do I I go etc.) in thest sentences:

We often use I think I'll and I don't think I'll :

o I feel a bit hungry I think I'll have something 10 eat

o I don't think I'll go o t tonight I'm too tired

In spoken English the negative of will is usua y wo 't (= will not):

o I can see you're busy, so I won't stay lo g

Do flot use will to talk about what you have alrea y decided or arra ged (0 do (see Units 19-201:

o I'm going on ho day next Saturday ( n t I'll go)

o Are you working tomorrow? (no t Will you work)

We often use will in these situatio s:

Offeri ll g t o d o so m e t hing

o Thaf bag looks heav}' I'll help rou with if (not I help)

Agreeillg to do some t hing

o A: Can you give Tim this book?

B: Sure, I'll give it to him when I see him this afternoon

Pr o mi si ll g t o do something

o Thanks for le ding me the money I'll pay y u back on Friday

o I won't tell anyone what happened I promise

A sk i1t g so mebody to d o so m eth illg ( Wi ll you ?)

o Will you please turn the stereo down? rm trying to concentrate

You can use wo 't to say that somebody refuses to do something:

o I've tried to give h r a vice, but she won't liste

o The car won't start (= the car 'refuses' to start)

Shall I ? Shall we ?

Shall is used mostly in the questions shain ? I sh ll we ?

We use shall I ? I sh ll we ? to ask somebody's opinion (especiall)' in offers or suggestions):

o Sh ll I open the window? (= Do you want me to open the window?)

o I've got no money What sballl do? (= What do you suggest?)

o 'Shall we go?' ' JU S a minute I'm not ready yet.'

o Where sh ll we go this evening?

Compare sh ll I ? and will you ?:

o ShaUl shut the door? (= Do you want me to shut i?)

o Will you shut the door? (= I want you to shut it)

Will/shall 2 _ Unil 22 I will and I'm going to Unit 23 Ame can English Appendix 7

Unit

22

44

Will/shall 2

We do not use will [Q say what somebody has already arranged or decided to do:

o Diane is working next week (no t Diane will work)

o Are you going to watch television this evening? (not Will you watch)

For 'is working' and 'Are you going to ?', see Units 19-20

But often, when we talk about the future, we are n ot talking about what somebody has decided

to do For example;

Kate is doing an exam next week Chris and

Joe are talking about it

~~t:"~u~h:: ~ !Z y~, she' ll pass eaSily the uam? '5~~ 0

Some more examples:

S e'll pass does II ot mean 'she has decided [Q pass', Joe is saying what

he knows or thinks will happen

He is predicting the future

When we predict a future happening

or situation, we use wi ll I wo 't

o Jill has been away a long time When she returns, she'll find a lor of changes here

o 'Where will you be this time next year?' "'II be in Japan

o That plate is hot If you touch it, you'll bum yourself

o Tom won't pass the exam He hasn't studied hard enough

o When will you get your exam results?

We often use will (,II) with:

probably

, expect (I'm) sure ( ) think () don't think

I wonder

o I'll probably be home late tonighI

o I haven't seen Carol today I expect she'll phone this e\·ening

o Don't worry about the exam I'm sure you'll pass

o Do you think Sarah will like the present we bou ht her?

o I don't think the exam will be \'ery difficult

o I wonder what will happen

After I hope, we generally use the present (will is also possible):

o I hope Kate passes the exam (or I hope Kate will pass )

o I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow

Genera y we usc will to talk about the future, but sometimes we use will to talk abom now

For example:

o Don't phone Ann now She'll be busy (= she'll be busy n ow)

I shall I we shall

Normally we use shall only with I and we 'you can say:

I shall or I will ('ll) we shall or we will (we'll)

o I sbalJ be late this evening (o r I will be)

o We shall probably go to Scotland in the summer (or We will probably go)

In spoken English we n rma y use I'll and we'll:

o We'll probably go to Scotland

The negative of shall is shall not or shan't:

o I shan't be here tomorrow (o r I won't be)

Do not use shall with helshe!itlyoulthey:

o S e will be very angry (no t S e shall be)

Will/shall 1 _ Unit 21 I will and I'm going to Unit 23 Will be doing and will have done - Unit 24

T e future - Appendix 3 American English - AppcndiK 7

Study the difference between will and (be) going to:

Sue is [3.1king to Helen:

l ~t's ha~ a party

; -~

will ('II): We usc will when we decide [Q do something a l the tme of speaking The speaker has nor decided before The parr)' is

a new idea

now

111 1

SUE H L E:\'

Later thar day, Helen meets Dave:

Sue and I have decided to hav e a p rty Wt're going to invite lots of people

(be) going 1 0: We use (be) going to when we

have already decided to do something Helen

had alread~' decided to im'ic tOt S of people

before she spoke to Da\'e

d ecis i on before

Future happenings and situations (predicting the future)

Somctimes there is n t much difference between will and going to For example, you can say:

o I think the weather will be nice this afternoon

o I think the weather is going to be nice this afternoon

When we say something is going to happen we think this is because of the situation 1I0W (see

Unit 20C) For example:

o Look at those black clouds It's going to rain ( ll ot It will rain) (We can see that it is going to rain from the clouds that are in the sky n w )

o I feel terrible I think I'm going to be sick ( " o I think I'll be sick)

(I think I'm going to be sick because I feel terrible n ow )

Do n t use will in this type of situation

In othcr situations, use will:

o Tom will probably get here at abou 8 o'clock

o I think Sarah will lke the present we bought for her

o These shoes 3re vcry well·made Thcy'lIlast a lo g time

I'm going to _ Unit 20 Will - Units 21-22 The future - Appendix 3

Un i t

24

48

Will be doing and will have done

Study this example situatio :

These people are standing in a queue to get into the cinema

Half an hour from now, the cinema will be full

Everyone will be watching the film

now

half an hOIiT from flOIl '

Three hours from now, the cinema will be empty

Th e film wi ll h ave fini s hed

Everybody will have gone h me

thref! hOllrs from 110 // '

-I will be doing something (futllre co ntinuO l/s) = I will be in the middle of doing it:

o This time next week I'll be on holiday I'll be lying on the beach or swimming in the sea

D You h ve no chance of getting the job You'll be wasting your time if )'ou apply for it

Compare will be (doling and will (do);

o Do 't phone between 7 and 8 We'll be having dinner

o Let's wait for Liz to arrive and then we'll have dinner

Compare will be -ing with other continuous forms:

o At to o'clock yesterday, Sally was in h r office She was working ( pas t )

It's 10 o'clock now She is in her office She is workin ( present)

At 10 o'clock tomorrow, she will be in her office She will be working

We also use will be -ing in a different way: to talk about complete actions in the future

o The government will be making a statement aboul programme nl

o Will you be going away this summer?

o Later in the programme, I'll be talking to the Minister of Education

o Our best player is injured and won't be playing

in the game on Saturday

In these examples will be -ing is similar 1 0 (be) going to

We usc will have (done) (f llftlre perf ect ) to say that something will already be complete before a time in the future For example:

o Sally always leaves for work at 8.30 in the morning She won't be a[ home at 9 o

'clock-she'll have gone to work

o We're late The film will already have started by the time we get to the cinema

Comp re will have (d ne) with oth r perfect forms:

o Ted and Amy have been married for 24 years (present perf ect)

Next year they will have been married for 25 years

When their son was born, they had been married for three rears ( past perfect)

Will _ Unis 2 -22 By then I by the time Unit t20 The future - Appendix 3

50

Study [his example:

"I'll phone you when I get home" is a semen.:"

with (wo pans:

the IIIllill p,u t :

o We'll go out when it StOp s raining ( n ot when it will stop)

o When you arc in London again, come and see us (no t When you will be )

o (sa id to a child) What do you want to he when you grow up? ( ,~ ot will grow)

The same thing happens after while I before I after I as soon as I umil or till:

o I'm going to read a lot while I'm on holiday ( 1I 0 while I will be)

o I'll probably go back h me on Sunday Before I go, I'd like to visit the museum

o Wait here until (or till) I come back

You can also use the present perfect (have done) after when I after until I as soon as:

o When I've phoned Kate, we can have dinner

(= First I'll phone Kate and after th at we can have dinner.)

Do not use the present perfect if the rwo things happen together:

o When I phone Kate, I'll ask her about the party ( 1I ot When I've ph ned)

It is often possible to use either the present simple or the present perfect:

o Yo 'll feel better after you have or You'll feel bener after you've had

something to cat something 10 ear

After if, we normally use the present simple (if I do I if I see erc.) for the future:

o It's raining hard We'll get wet if we go our (,:ot if we will go)

o I'll be angry if it happens again (n ot if it will happen)

o Hurry u ! If we don't hurry, we'll be late

We use when for things which are sure to happen:

We use if ( 1 tOt when) for things that will possibly happen:

o I might go shopping later (it's possible) If I go shopping, I'll buy some food

o If it is raining this evening, I won't go out (lI t When it is raining)

o Don't worry if I'm late tonight ( n t when ('m (ate)

o If they don't come soon, I'm not going to wair ( lIot When the)' don't come)

If Unis 38-40 Even if I ev("n when Unit 1 12D Unless Unit 11 5

52

Can, could and (be) able to

We use can to say that something is possible or allowed, or that somebody has the abiliry to do something We use can + in(initille (can do I can see erc.):

o We can see the lake from our bedroom window

o 'I haven't got a pen.' 'You can use mine.'

o Can you speak any foreign languages?

o I can come and see you tomorrow if yOll like

D The word 'play' can be a noun or a verb

The negative is can't (= cannot):

o I'm afraid I can't'come to the part}' on Friday

You can say that somebody is able to do s?mething, but can is more usual;

o We are able to sec the lake from our bedroom window

But can has only twO forms: can ( p resefttj and could (pas t ) So sometimes it is necessary to use (be) able to Comp re:

~ I haven; been able to sleep recently

= Tom might be able to come romorrow

~ Applicants for the job must be able to speak tWO foreign languages

Sometimes could is the past of can We use could especially with:

see hear smell taste feel remember understand

o We had a lovely room in the hotel We could see the lake

D As soon as I walked into the room, I could smell gas

o I was sitting at the back of the theatre and couldn't hear very well

We also usc could to say that somebody ha{l the general ability or permission to do something:

D My grandfather could speak five languages

D We were totally free We could do what we wanted (= we were allowed to dol

Could and was able to

We usc could for geuera l ability But if you wam to S3Y that somebody did something in a

specific situatio , se was/were able to or managed to (no t could):

o The fire spread through the building ver)' quickly but fortunately everybody

was able to escape I managed to escape ( 1I0t could escape)

D We didn't know where David was, but we managed to find I were able to find him in the end (1I0 t could find)

Compare:

D Mike was an excellent tennis player when he was )'ounger He could beat a rbody

(= he had the general ability to beat anybody)

bllt Mike and Pete played tennis yesterday Pete played very well, but ~ · I ike managed to beat

him (= he ma aged to beat him in this particular game)

The negative couldn't (could not) is possible in all situations:

o My grandfather couldn't swim

D We looked for David everywhere, but we couldn't find him

D Pete played well but he couldn't beat Mike

54

Could (do) and could have (done)

We use could in a n mber of ways Sometimes could is the past of can (see Unit 26):

o listen can hear something (now)

o J lstened I could hear something (past)

But could is nOI only used in this war We also use could 1 0 talk about possible actions fl Oll'

or i t! the (utJIre (especiall)' to make suggestio s)

We could go to the ci nema

We also use could ( 11 0 can) for actions which 3rc not realstic For example:

o I'm so [ired I could sleep for a week ( nol I can sleep for a week)

Compare can and could:

o I can stay with Julia when J go to Paris (ealistic)

o Maybe I could stay with Julia when I go to Paris (possible, but less sure)

o This is a wonderful place I could stay here for ever (unrealistic)

We also use could ( not can) to say that something is possible now or in the furure The meaning

is similar to might or may (see Unit 29):

o The story could be true, bur I don't think it is ( not can be true)

o I don't know what time Liz is coming She could get here at any time

We use could have (done) to talk about the past Compare:

o I'm so t red, I could sleep for a week ( n oUl)

J was so tired I could h.n'e slept for a week (pas t )

o The situation is bad, but it could be worse ( now)

The situation was bad, bur it could have been worse { pa sO

Something could have happened = it was possible but did lI o happen:

o Why did you stay at a hotel when you were in Paris? You could have stayed with Julia

(you didn't stay with her)

o I didn't know that you wanted to go to the concert J could have got you a ti ker

(I didn't get you a ticket)

o Dave was lucky He could have hurt ~i m self when he fell, bUI he's OK

We use couldn't to say that something would n t be possible now:

o I couldn't live in a big cit}' I'd hate i (= it would 't be possible for me)

o Everything is fine right now Things couldn't be benet

For the past we use couldn't have (done):

o We had a really good h liday It couldn't have been bener

o The trip was cancelled last week Paul couldn't have gone anyway because he was ill (= it would not have been possible for him to go)

Couldn't have (done) Unit 28B Could and might Unit 29 C Could I/you ? - Unit 31

Could with if - Units J8C, J9E, 400 Modal verbs (can/could/wili/wouid etc.) Appendix 4

56

Must and can't

Study this example:

YOu can use must to say that you believe something is certain

o You've been travelling all day You must be tired (Travelling is tiring and you've been travelling all day, so you must be tired.)

o 'Jim is a hard worker.' 'Jim? You must be joking He doesn't do an thing.'

o Carol must get very bored in her job She does the same thing e,very day

o I'm sure Sally gave me her phone number I must have it somewhere

You can use can't to say that you believe something is n r possible:

o You've JU S had lunch You can't be hungry already (People are n t normally hungry JUSt after eat ng a meal You've just eaten, so you can't be hungry.)

o They haven't lived here for very long They can't know many people

Study the structure'

must be (tired I hungry I at work etc.)

Uyoulhe (etc.)

can't be (d ing I going I joking etc.)

do I et I know I have etc

For the past we use must have (done) and can't have (done)

Study this example:

There's nobody at home They must

hav e gone out

Martin and Lucy are standing at the door

of their frien s' house

They have rung the doorbell twice, but nobody has answered Lucy says:

They mUSt have gone out

D I didn't hear the pho e I must have been asleep

D 'I've lost one of my gloves.' 'You must have dropped it somewhere.'

D S e hasn't contacted me She can't bave got my message

D Tom walked into a wall He can't h~ve been looking where he was going

You can use couldn't have instead of can't have:

D S e couldn't have got my message

D Tom couldn't have betn looking where he was going

Can't ('I can't swim' etc.) Unit 26 Must ('I must go' etc.) Units 31-32

Moda verbs (can/could/will/wouid etc.) Appendix 4 American English Appendix 7