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Grammar
for foreigner:
ESL-52
ESL-53
Dictionary:
Contents: 1.
Present Time 2.
Past Time 3.
Future
Time
4.
The Present Perfect and The Past Perfect
5.
Asking Questions 6.
Nouns and Pronouns
7. Modal Auxiliaries
| 1-1 The simple present and the present progressive (现在时和现在进行时） | ||
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(a) Ann Takes
a shower every day. (b) I usually read the newspaper in the morning. (c) Babies cry. Birds fly. (d) Negative: It doesn't snow in Bangkok. (e) Question: Does the teacher speak slowly? |
The Simple Present
expresses daily habits or usual activities, as in
(a) and (b). The simple present expresses general statements of fact, as in (c). In sum, the simple present is used for events or situations that exist always, usually, or habitually in the past, present, and future. |
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(f) Ann can't come to the
phone right now because she is taking
a shower. (g) I am reading my grammar book right now. (h) Jimmy and Susie are babies. They are crying. I can hear them right now. Maybe they are hungry. (i) Negative: It isn't snowing right now. (j) Question: Is the teacher speaking right now? |
The
Present Progressive expresses
an activity that is in progress (is occurring, is
happing) right now. The event is in progress
at the time the speaker is saying the sentence. The
event began in the past, is in progress now, and will
probably continue into the future. Form: am, is, are +ing. |
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1-2 Forms of The Simple Present and The Present Progressive |
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Simple Present |
Present progressive |
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Statement |
You-We-They work. |
I am Working. |
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Negative |
I-You-We-They do not work. |
I am not working. |
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Question |
Do
I-you-we-they work |
Am
I working? |
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1-3 Frequency Adverbs（频率副词） |
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Frequency adverbs usually occur in
the middle of a sentence and have special positions, as
shown in examples (a) through (e) below. Some adverbs
such as: usually, often, frequently, generally,
sometimes, occasionally. ex: (1)
I sometimes
get up at 6:30. (2)
Sometimes I get up at 6:30. |
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(a) Subject
+ freq Adv + Verb |
Frequency adverbs usually come between the subject and the simple present verb (except main verb be). |
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(b) Karen is always on time. |
Frequency adverbs follow be in the simple present (am,is,are)and simple past (was, were). |
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(c) Do you always eat breakfast? |
In a question, Frequency adverbs come directly after the subject. |
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(d) Ann usually doesn't eat breakfast. (e) Sue doesn't always eat breakfast. |
In a negative
sentence, most Frequency adverbs come in front of a
negative verb (except always and ever) |
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(f) Correct:
Anna never eats meat. |
Negative adverbs (seldom, rarely, hardly ever, never) are NOT used with a negative verb. |
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1-4 Non-Action Verbs |
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(a) I know
Ms. Chen. |
Some verbs are not used in progressive tenses. These verbs are called "non-action verbs." They express a situation that exists, not an action in progress. |
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Non-Action Verbs
(also called "nonprogressive verb." |
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+Compare: |
Think and have can be used in the progressive. In(d): When think means "believe," it is nonprogressive. In(e): When think expresses thoughts that are going through a person's mind, it can be progressive. In(f): When have means "own" or expresses possession, it is not used in the progressive. In (g): In expressions where have does not mean "own" ,have can be used in the progressive. |