Friday, November 29th

A. Present Continuous

[am/is/are + present participle]

Examples:

• You are watching TV.
• Are you watching TV?
• You are not watching TV.

USE 1 Now

Use the Present Continuous to express the idea that something is happening now, at this very moment. It can also be used to show that something is not happening now.

Examples:

• You are learning English now.
• You are not swimming now.
• Are you sleeping?
• I am sitting.
• I am not standing.
• Is he sitting or standing?
• They are reading their books.
• They are not watching television.
• What are you doing?
• Why aren't you doing your homework?

USE 2 Longer Actions in Progress Now

In English, "now" can mean: this second, today, this month, this year, this century, and so on. Sometimes, we use the Present Continuous to say that we are in the process of doing a longer action which is in progress; however, we might not be doing it at this exact second.

Examples: (All of these sentences can be said while eating dinner in a restaurant.)

• I am studying to become a doctor.
• I am not studying to become a dentist.
• I am reading the book Tom Sawyer.
• I am not reading any books right now.
• Are you working on any special projects at work?
• Aren't you teaching at the university now?

USE 3 Near Future

Sometimes, speakers use the Present Continuous to indicate that something will or will not happen in the near future.

Examples:

• I am meeting some friends after work.
• I am not eating out tonight.
• Is he visiting his parents next weekend?
• Isn't he coming with us tonight?

B. Past Continuous

[was/were + present participle]

Examples:

• You were studying when she called.
• Were you studying when she called?
• You were not studying when she called.

Complete List of Past Continuous Forms

USE 1 Interrupted Action in the Past

Use the Past Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted. The interruption is usually a shorter action in the Simple Past. Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption in time.

Examples:

• I was watching TV when she called.
• When the phone rang, she was writing a letter.
• While we were having the picnic, it started to rain.
• What were you doing when the earthquake started?
• I was listening to my iPod, so I didn't hear the fire alarm.
• You were not listening to me when I told you to turn the oven off.
• While John was sleeping last night, someone stole his car.
• Sammy was waiting for us when we got off the plane.
• While I was writing the email, the computer suddenly went off.
• A: What were you doing when you broke your leg?
  B: I was snowboarding.

USE 2 Specific Time as an Interruption

In USE 1, described above, the Past Continuous is interrupted by a shorter action in the Simple Past. However, you can also use a specific time as an interruption.

Examples:

• Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.
• At midnight, we were still driving through the desert.
• Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my desk at work.

IMPORTANT

In the Simple Past, a specific time is used to show when an action began or finished. In the Past Continuous, a specific time only interrupts the action.

Examples:

• Last night at 6 PM, I ate dinner.
  I started eating at 6 PM.
• Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.
  I started earlier; and at 6 PM, I was in the process of eating dinner.

USE 3 Parallel Actions

When you use the Past Continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it expresses the idea that both actions were happening at the same time. The actions are parallel.

Examples:

• I was studying while he was making dinner.
• Yesterday, while Ellen was reading, Tim was watching television.
• I wasn't paying attention while I was writing the letter, so I made several mistakes.
• What were you doing while you were waiting?
• Yeah, I saw them yesterday.  They were eating dinner, discussing their plans, and having a good time.

Exercises: Simple Present / Present Continuous

Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses

A Trekking Journal

November 12, 1997

Today (be)  the second day of my trek around Mount Annapurna. I am exhausted and my legs (shake)  ; I just hope I am able to complete the trek. My feet (kill, really)  me and my toes (bleed) , but I (want, still)  to continue.

Nepal is a fascinating country, but I have a great deal to learn. Everything (be)  so different, and I (try)  to adapt to the new way of life here. I (learn)  a little bit of the language to make communication easier; unfortunately, I (learn, not)  foreign languages quickly. Although I (understand, not)  much yet, I believe that I (improve, gradually) .

I (travel, currently)  with Liam, a student from Leeds University in England. He (be)  a nice guy, but impatient. He (walk, always)  ahead of me and (complain)  that I am too slow. I (do)  my best to keep up with him, but he is younger and stronger than I am. Maybe, I am just feeling sorry for myself because I am getting old.

Right now, Liam (sit)  with the owner of the inn. They (discuss)  the differences between life in England and life in Nepal. I (know, not) the real name of the owner, but everybody (call, just)  him Tam. Tam (speak)  English very well and he (try)  to teach Liam some words in Nepali. Every time Tam (say)  a new word, Liam (try)  to repeat it. Unfortunately, Liam (seem, also)  to have difficulty learning foreign languages. I just hope we don't get lost and have to ask for directions.

Simple Past / Past Continuous

Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses

Last night, while I was doing my homework, Angela (call) . She said she (call)  me on her cell phone from her biology classroom at UCLA. I asked her if she (wait)  for class, but she said that the professor was at the front of the hall lecturing while she (talk)  to me. I couldn't believe she (make)  a phone call during the lecture. I asked what was going on.

She said her biology professor was so boring that several of the students (sleep, actually)  in class. Some of the students (talk)  about their plans for the weekend and the student next to her (draw)  a picture of a horse. When Angela (tell)  me she was not satisfied with the class, I (mention)  that my biology professor was quite good and (suggest)  that she switch to my class.

While we were talking, I (hear)  her professor yell, "Miss, are you making a phone call?" Suddenly, the line went dead. I (hang)  up the phone and went to the kitchen to make dinner. As I (cut)  vegetables for a salad, the phone rang once again. It (be)  Angela, but this time she wasn't sitting in class.

C. Used To

[used to + VERB]

Example:

• I used to go to the beach every day.

It is better not to use "used to" in questions or negative forms; however, this is sometimes done in informal spoken English. It is better to ask questions and create negative sentences using Simple Past.

USE 1 Habit in the Past

"Used to" expresses the idea that something was an old habit that stopped in the past. It indicates that something was often repeated in the past, but it is not usually done now.

Examples:

• Jerry used to study English.
• Sam and Mary used to go to Mexico in the summer.
• I used to start work at 9 o'clock.
• Christine used to eat meat, but now she is a vegetarian.

USE 2 Past Facts and Generalizations

"Used to" can also be used to talk about past facts or generalizations which are no longer true.

Examples:

• I used to live in Paris.
• Sarah used to be fat, but now she is thin.
• George used to be the best student in class, but now Lena is the best.
• Oranges used to cost very little in Florida, but now they are quite expensive.

• Name 3 activities that you used to do when you were a kid

• Name 3 things that you used to do when you were studying at the university

• Name 3 activities that you used to do as an adult when you had more time

D. Email exercise

Scenerio: you just met a new colleague from the US office at a company party in France and you seem to really get along as you share multiple interest and personality traits.  You plan to take a trip to the US next month and you hope to hang out with him and a few other people from the office after work.  Both of you share a love for music and you would like to see a concert or two in Chicago.  The name of the US worker is Bill Goat and he is a marketing manager in the Chicago office.  

Write him an email to him letting him know about your trip and propose some social outings after your meetings there.  You will be there for 1 week including a weekend. so you have tons of things to do there.  Make sure to ask a lot of questions.

E. London, London, Oh London

Your job is to find 3 top attractions in London based on the list diaplayed in the following page and identify it in the map o London in the Blog: http://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/sightseeing/tourist-attraction/top-ten-attractions

Now the fun begins:

1. You are staying at a hotel situated on St George's Road, behind the Imperial War Museum
2. How do you get to your 3 attractions from your hotel.
3. Now you are starting your trip from the intersection between Old street and City Road.  How do you get to your destinations.

Vocabulary to keep in mind when giving and asking for directions:

How do I get to …?

What's the best way to …?

Where is …?

Go straight on (until you come to …).

Turn around./Go back.

Turn left/right (into …-street).

Make a left/right (on....street)

Go along …

Cross …

Go Across

You will pass...

You will see a....on the left/right

Take the first/second road on the left/right

It's on the left/right.

straight on

opposite to

near 

next to

between

at the end (of)

on/at the corner

behind 

in front of

(just) around the corner

traffic lights

intersection, junction