verb patterns

The structure of the clause depends on the verb. For example:

• An intransitive verb has the structure: N(=noun) + V(=verb): (John) + (smiled).
• A transitive verb has the structure: N + V + N: (We) + (had been playing) + (football)
• A link verb has the structure: N + V + Adj : (She) + (looked) + (happy)
• A phrasal verb has the structure: N + V + p + N (She) + (gave) +(back) + (the money)
  or
  N + V + N + p (She) + (gave) + (the money) + (back)

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link verbs:-

Some verbs are followed by either a noun or an adjective:

She was a good friend.	=	N + V + N
She was very happy.	=	N + V + Adj.
He became headmaster.	=	N + V + N
He became angry.	=	N + V + Adj.

These verbs are called link verbs. Common verbs like this are:

• be
• become
• appear
• feel
• look
• remain
• seem
• sound

She seemed an intelligent woman.
She seemed intelligent.
He looked hungry.
He looked a good player.

After appear and seem we often use to be:

She appeared to be an intelligent woman.
He seemed to be angry.

Some link verbs are followed by an adjective. Common verbs like this are:

• get
• go
• grow
• taste
• smell

He got hungry in the evening.
She grew stronger every day.

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wishes and hypotheses

Wishes

We use past tense forms to talk about wishes:

• We use past tense modals would and could to talk about wishes for the future:

I don’t like my work. I wish I could get a better job.
That’s a dreadful noise. I wish it would stop.
I always have to get home early. I wish my parents would let me stay out later.

•  We use past tense forms to talk about wishes for the present:

I don’t like this place. I wish I lived in somewhere more interesting.
These seats are very uncomfortable. I wish we were travelling first class.
Everyone wishes they had more free time.
John wishes he wasn’t so busy.
I wish it wasn’t so cold.

• We use the past perfect to talk about wishes for the past:

I wish I had worked harder when I was at school.
Mary wishes she had listened to what her mother told her.
I wish I hadn’t spent so much money last month.

Hypotheses (things that we imagine)

When we are talking about hypotheses:

• We use present tense forms after phrases like what if, in case and suppose to talk about the future if we think it is likely to happen:

Those steps are dangerous. Suppose someone has an accident.
We should leave home early in case we are late.

• We use a past tense form to talk about the future after suppose and what if to suggest something is not likely to happen:

It might be dangerous. Suppose they got lost.
What if he lost his job. What would happen then?

• We use modals would, could for a hypothesis about the future:

We can’t all stay in a hotel. It would be very expensive.
Drive carefully. You could have an accident.

• We use would in the main clause and the past in a subordinate clause to talk about the imagined future:

I would always help someone who really needed help.
I would always help someone if they really needed it.

• We use modals with have to talk about something that did not happen in the past:

I did not see Mary, or I might have spoken to her.
It’s a pity Jack wasn’t at the party. He would have enjoyed this party.
Why didn’t you ask me. I could have told you the answer.

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talking about the future:-

1. When we know about the future we normally use the present tense.

• We use the present simple for something scheduled or arranged:

We have a lesson next Monday.
The train arrives at 6.30 in the morning.
The holidays start next week.
It is my birthday tomorrow.

• We can use the present continuous for plans or arrangements:

I’m playing football tomorrow.
They are coming to see us tomorrow.
We’re having a party at Christmas.

2. We use will to talk about the future:

• When we make predictions:

It will be a nice day tomorrow.
I think Brazil will win the World Cup.
I’m sure you will enjoy the film.

• To mean want to or be willing to:

I hope you will come to my party.
George says he will help us.

• To make offers and promises:

I'll see you tomorrow.
We'll send you an email.

• To talk about offers and promises:

Tim will be at the meeting.
Mary will help with the cooking.

3. We use (be) going to:

• To talk about plans and intentions:

I’m going to drive to work today.
They are going to move to Manchester.

• When we can see that something is likely to happen:

Be careful! You are going to fall.
Look at those black clouds. I think it’s going to rain.

4. We often use verbs like would like, plan, want, mean, hope, expect to talk about the future:

What are you going to do next year? I’d like to go to University.
We plan to go to France for our holidays.
George wants to buy a new car.

5. We use modals may, might, and could when we are not sure about the future:

I might stay at home tonight, or I might go to the cinema.
We could see Mary at the meeting. She sometimes goes.

6. We can use should if we think something is likely to happen:

We should be home in time for tea.
The game should be over by eight o’clock.

7. Clauses with time words:

In clauses with time words like when, after, and until we often use a present tense form to talk about the future:

I’ll come home when I finish work.
You must wait here until your father comes.
They are coming after they have had dinner.

8. Clauses with if:

In clauses with if we often use a present tense form to talk about the future:

We won’t be able to go out if it rains.
If Barcelona win tomorrow they will be champions.

WARNING: We do not normally use will in clauses with if or with time words:

I’ll come home when I will finish work.
We won’t be able to go out if it will rain rains.

But we can use will if it means a promise or offer:

I will be very happy if you will come to my party.
We should finish the job early if George will help us.

9. We can use the future continuous instead of the present continuous or going to for emphasis when we are talking about plans, arrangements and intentions:

They’ll be coming to see us next week.
I will be driving to work tomorrow.

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talking about the past:-

1 Talking about past events and situations:

We use the past simple:

• when we are talking about an event that happened at a particular time in the past

We arrived home before dark
The film started at seven thirty.

• when we are talking about something that continued for some time in the past

Everybody worked hard through the winter.
We stayed with our friends in London.

When we are talking about something that happened several times in the past we use

• the past simple:

Most evenings we stayed at home and watched DVDs.
Sometimes they went out for a meal.

• … or used to

Most evenings we used to stay at home and watch DVDs.
We used to go for a swim every morning.

• ... or would

Most evenings he would take the dog for a walk.
They would often visit friends in Europe.

WARNING: We do not normally use would with stative verbs.

We use the past continuous:

• when we are talking about something which happened before and after a given time in the past

It was just after ten. I was watching the news on TV.
At half-time we were losing 1-0.

• when we are talking about something happening before and after another action in the past:

He broke his leg when he was playing rugby.
She saw Jim as he was driving away.

2 The past in the past

When we are looking back from a point in the past to something earlier in the past we use the past perfect:

Helen suddenly remembered she had left her keys in the car.
When we had done all our shopping we caught the bus home.
They wanted to buy a new computer, but they hadn’t saved enough money.
They would have bought a new computer if they had saved enough money.

3 The past and the present:

We use the present perfect:

• when we are talking about the effects in the present of something that happened in the past:

I can’t open the door. I’ve left my keys in the car.
Jenny has found a new job. She works in a supermarket now.

• When we are talking about something that started in the past and still goes on:

We have lived here since 2007. (and we still live here)
I have been working at the university for over ten years.

4 The future in the past

When we talk about the future from a time in the past we use:

• would as the past tense of will

He thought he would buy one the next day.
Everyone was excited. The party would be fun.

• was/were going to

John was going to drive and Mary was going to follow on her bicycle.
It was Friday. We were going to set off the next day.

• the past continuous:

It was September. Mary was starting school the next week.
We were very busy. The shop was opening in two weeks time.

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talking about the present:-

1. We use the present simple:

• to talk about something happening regularly in the present:

The children come home from school at about four.
We often see your brother at work.

•  to talk about something happening continually in the present:

They live next door to us.
He works for the Post Office.

•  to talk about things which are generally true:

Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
The Nile is the longest river in Africa.

2. We use the present continuous:

• to show that something in the present is temporary:

We are living in a rented flat at present.
My wife usually goes in to the office, but she is working at home today.

• for something happening regularly in the present before and after a given time:

I’m usually getting ready for work at eight o’clock.
When I see George he’s always reading his newspaper.

• for something happening before and after the moment of speaking:

I can’t hear you. I’m listening to my iPod.
Be quiet. The children are sleeping.

3. We use modal verbs

• to talk about the present when we are not sure of something:

I don’t know where Henry is. He might be playing tennis.
Who’s knocking at the door? I don’t know. It could be the police.

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to + infinitive:-

We use the to-infinitive:

• to express purpose (to answer "Why...?"):

He bought some flowers to give to his wife.
He locked the door to keep everyone out.

We sometimes say in order to or in order not to:

We set off early in order to avoid the traffic.
They spoke quietly in order not to wake the children

… or we can say so as to or so as not to:

We set off early so as to avoid the traffic.
They spoke quietly so as not to wake the children.

• after certain verbs (see verbs followed by infinitive), particularly verbs of thinking and feeling:

choose, decide, expect, forget, hate, hope, intend, learn, like,
love, mean, plan, prefer, remember, want, would like, would love

… and verbs of saying:

agree, promise, refuse

They decided to start a business together.
Remember to turn the lights out.

Some verbs are followed by a direct object and the infinitive(see verbs followed by infinitive):

advise, ask, encourage, invite, order, persuade, remind, tell, warn,
expect, intend, would prefer, want, would like

She reminded me to turn the lights out.
He encouraged his friends to vote for him.

• after certain adjectives.

Sometimes the to-infinitive gives a reason for the adjective:

• disappointed
• glad
• sad
• happy
• anxious
• pleased
• surprised
• proud
• unhappy

We were happy to come to the end of our journey
= We were happy because we had come to the end of our journey
John was surprised to see me
= He was surprised because he saw me

Other adjectives with the to-infinitive are:

• able
• unable
• due
• eager
• keen
• likely
• unlikely
• ready
• prepared
• unwilling
• willing

Unfortunately I was unable to work for over a week.
I am really tired. I’m ready to go to bed.

We often use the to-infinitive with these adjectives after it to give opinions:

• difficult
• easy
• possible
• impossible
• hard
• right
• wrong
• kind
• nice
• clever
• silly
• foolish

It’s easy to play the piano, but it’s very difficult to play well.
He spoke so quickly it was impossible to understand him.

We use the preposition for to show who these adjectives refer to:

• difficult
• easy
• possible
• impossible
• hard

It was difficult for us to hear what she was saying.
It is easy for you to criticise other people.

We use the preposition of with other adjectives:

It’s kind of you to help.
It would be silly of him to spend all his money.

• As a postmodifier (see noun phrases) after abstract nouns like:

• ability
• desire
• need
• wish
• attempt
• failure
• opportunity
• chance
• intention

I have no desire to be rich.
They gave him an opportunity to escape.
She was annoyed by her failure to answer the question correctly.

• We often use a to-infinitive as a postmodifier after an indefinite pronoun (See indefinite pronouns):

When I am travelling I always take something to read.
I was all alone. I had no one to talk to.
There is hardly anything to do in most of these small towns.

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continuous aspect:-

Both tenses have a continuous form. These continuous tenses are formed with the verb be and the –ing form of the verb:

We use continuous aspect:

• for something happening before and after a given time.

He’s getting on the train. [before and after the moment of speaking]
It was quarter past ten. We were watching the news on television.

• for something continuing before and after another action:

Mother will be cooking the dinner when we get home.
We were waiting for the bus when it started to rain.

• for something continuing for some time:

Everybody will be waiting for us.
They had been working hard all day.

• for something happening again and again:

They’ve been doing that every day this week.
The children were always shouting.
He will be practising the piano every night.

• for something temporary:

We are renting an apartment until our house is ready..
He was working in a garage during the vacation.

• for something new:

We have moved from Birmingham. We’re living in Manchester now.
He had left university and was working in his father’s business.

• to describe something changing or developing:

Everything has been getting more difficult.
He was growing more bad-tempered every day. 

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perfective aspect

We use the present perfect to show that something has continued up to the present

They’ve been married for nearly fifty years.
She has lived in Liverpool all her life.

… or is important in the present:

I’ve lost my keys. I can’t get into the house.
Teresa isn’t at home. I think she has gone shopping.

We use the present perfect continuous to show that something has been continuing up to the present:

It’s been raining for hours.
We’ve been waiting here since six o’clock this morning.

We use the past perfect to show that something continued up to a time in the past:

When George died he and Anne had been married for nearly fifty years.

... or was important at that time in the past:

I couldn’t get into the house. I had lost my keys.
Teresa wasn’t at home. She had gone shopping.

We use the past perfect continuous to show that something had been continuing up to a time in the past or was important at that time in the past:

Everything was wet. It had been raining for hours.
He was a wonderful guitarist. He had been playing ever since he was a teenager.

We use will with the perfect to show that something will be complete at some time in the future:

In a few years they will have discovered a cure for the common cold.
I can come out tonight. I'll have finished my homework by then.

We use would with the perfect to refer to something that did not happen in the past but would have happened if the conditions had been right:

If you had asked me I would have helped you.
I would have helped you, but you didn’t ask me.
You didn’t ask me or I would have helped you.

We use other modals with perfective aspect when we are looking back from a point in time when something might have happened, should have happened or would have happened.

The point of time may be in the future:

We’ll meet again next week. We might have finished the work by then.
I will phone at six o’clock. He should have got home by then.

the present:

It’s getting late. They should have arrived by now.
He’s still not here. He must have missed his train.

or the past:

I wasn’t feeling well. I must have eaten something bad.
I checked my cell phone. She could have left a message.

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irregular verbs:-

Most verbs have past tense and past participle in –ed ( worked, played, listened). But many of the most frequent verbs are irregular:

Base form	Past tense	Past participle
be begin break bring buy build choose come cost cut do draw drive eat feel find get give go have hear hold keep know leave lead let lie lose make mean meet pay put run say see sell send set sit speak spend stand take teach tell think understand wear win write	was/were began broke brought bought built chose came cost cut did drew drove ate felt found got gave went had heard held kept knew left led let lay lost made meant met paid put ran said saw sold sent set sat spoke spent stood took taught told thought understood wore won wrote	been begun broken brought bought built chosen come cost cut done drawn driven eaten felt found got given gone had heard held kept known left led let lain lost made meant met paid put run said seen sold sent set sat spoken spent stood taken taught told thought understood worn won written

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Kind of Booties With Name

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sleep on it

To ‘sleep on it’ 
                                     means that you will make a decision about something the next day.
It’s a good offer, but give me a chance to sleep on it. 

Remember     that sleep has the irregular form ‘slept’

I slept well last night.

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PLAY HARDBALL Idiom

PLAY HARDBALL:-
                                take an aggressive stance in negotiations, behave ruthlessly. It's interesting—this idiom is likely of American origin, since it refers to the game of baseball. But I'm seeing Australian and a few British examples as well as North American ones.  
ABC News (Australia):
                                      ("We're prepared to negotiate in good faith and get the best possible deal for our members but if the Government want to play hardball they better bring their A game." )

Bonus idiom! To "bring your A game" is to be prepared to compete at your top level.

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10 Idioms

 Vocabulary of Autumn

1. Autumn years – it is often used to refer to the later years in someone’s life
“In his autumn years, Peter was able to enjoy his garden a lot more”

2. Apple of my eye – someone who is cherished above everyone

“Even though Frank has three children, his youngest has always been the apple of his eye”.

3. Old chestnut – it refers to a story or a joke that has been told so many times that it becomes uninteresting.
Ted: “The best years of your life are when you’re a child”.
Sue: “Not that old chestnut again!”

4. Golden handshake – Used in Business English to refer to a large sum of money that is given to an employee (normally high level) when they leave.

“The CEO was given early retirement and a golden handshake of £800,000 when the company was restructured”.

5. Turn over a new leaf – to reform and begin again
“He has learned his lesson and have turned over a new leaf“.

6. Take a leaf out of someone’s book – to follow someone’s example

“Alex has really done well to turn his life around. You should take a leaf out of his book”.

7. Lost in the mists of time – means that something has been forgotten because it happened a long time ago
“The true significance of these traditions have been lost in the mists of time“.

8. To drive someone nuts – to make someone go crazy
“That noise is driving me nuts. Please stop at once!”

9. To be nuts about someone or something – to be obsessed with someone or something

“I am nuts about that girl. I’d do anything for her”.

10. To squirrel something away – to hide or store something like a squirrel

“Lisa squirreled away a lot of money while she was working and now she can enjoy her retirement”.

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