Present Perfect

FORM

[has/have + past participle]

USE 1 Unspecified Time Before Now

We use the Present Perfect to say that an action happened at an unspecified time before now. The exact time is not important. You CANNOT use the Present Perfect with specific time expressions such as: yesterday, one year ago, last week, when I was a child, when I lived in Japan, at that moment, that day, one day, etc. We CAN use the Present Perfect with unspecific expressions such as: ever, never, once, many times, several times, before, so far, already, yet, etc.

ADJECTIVES ORDER

An adjective is a word that describes something (a noun) or someone (a person).

Adjectives sometimes appear after the verb To Be

• He is short.
• She is tall.

Adjectives sometimes appear before a noun.

• Red car
• Old hat

BUT… Sometimes you want to use more than one adjective to describe something (or someone).

What happens if a hat is both old AND ugly?

Do we say… an ugly old hat OR an old ugly hat?

An ugly old hat is correct because a certain order for adjectives is expected
(Note, you may hear the other version old ugly hat, though it doesn’t sound natural)

webgraphy:http://www.grammar.cl/english/adjectives-word-order.htm

Jueves,26 de Junio de 2014

Infinitive Verb vs. Base Verb

A lot of people think that the infinitive is the most basic form of a verb, but it isn’t. The most basic form is the base form. The base form is just the verb, without the “to.” Some people also call this a bare infinitive.

• be
• have
• hold
• sleep
• dream
• webgraphy:http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/parts-of-speech/verbs/infinitive-verb.html

Defining an Infinitive Verb

Basically, an infinitive verb is a verb with the word “to” in front of it.

• to be
• to have
• to hold
• to sleep
• to dream

When you use an infinitive verb, the “to” is a part of the verb. It is not acting as a preposition in this case. And the verb is always just the verb. It’s not conjugated in anyway – no -ed, no -ing, no -s on the end. Sometimes you’ll see sentences like this:

• She went from kissing him to slapping him in no time.

You see “to slapping,” and it’s easy to think that’s an infinitive verb, but it isn’t. It’s a preposition (to) and a gerund (slapping). You can tell it’s not an infinitive because of the -ing on the end of the verb. Infinitives never have an -ing ending.

webgraphy:http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/parts-of-speech/verbs/infinitive-verb.html

Martes,24 de Junio de 2014

Using an Infinitive Verb

There are several possible ways to use infinitive verbs. You can use them:

1. as the subject of a sentence – To err is human; to forgive, divine.
2. like an adjective or adverb phrase that expresses purpose or intent – My instructions are to press this button every hour.
3. following a direct object – He told me to give this to you.
4. following certain other verbs:

• afford – We can’t afford to eat out every night.
• agree – Let’s agree to disagree.
• aim – I aim to please.
• appear – She appears to have the chicken pox.
• arrange – I’ll arrange to meet you at 3:00.
• attempt – We attempted to contact him several times.
• determined – They are determined to finish the race.
• beg – She begged to stay up past her bed time.
• care – Would you care to dance?
• choose – He’ll always choose to eat pizza if given the choice.
• claim – They claim to have been home all night.
• dare – Do you dare to approach me?
• decide – We decided to get married in a hot air balloon.
• demand – I demand to know who said that!
• deserve – You deserve to have all you want in life.
• expect – Do you expect to see her any time soon?
• fail – She failed to achieve any of her goals.
• happen – I happen to have all the things you need.
• help – It would help to be able to swim.
• hesitate – He hesitated to ask for the day off.
• hope – She hopes to be engaged by the end of the summer.
• learn – We’re learning to communicate better.
• long – Oh how he longed to hold her in his arms!
• manage – Have you managed to complete your work on time for once?
• mean – I didn’t mean to hurt you.
• need – You need to think before you speak.
• neglect – He neglected to tell his parents about the accident.
• offer – Jim offered to help me pack.
• plan – What do you plan to do after college?
• prepare – I’m preparing to run away.
• pretend – Don’t pretend to sleep when I’m talking to you.
• proceed – We then proceeded to drink until we blacked out.
• promise – I promise to love you forever.
• refuse – She refused to sign the documents.
• resolve – He has resolved never to fight again.
• seem – They seem to be having some sort of argument.
• stop – We stopped to use the restroom and stretch.
• swear – Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
• tend – I tend to laugh when I’m nervous.
• threaten – He threatened to shoot me if I didn’t give him my wallet.
• use – She gave MacGeyver her cigarettes and an earring, which he used to make a bomb.
• volunteer – They volunteered to paint kids’ faces at the fair.
• vow – We vowed to love and cherish one another.
• want – Do you really want to hurt me?
• wish – Do you wish to see me cry?
• would hate – I would hate to be in his shoes.
• would like – The gentleman would like to accompany the lady home.
• would love – I would love to dance!
• would prefer – He would prefer to go bowling, but she wants to see a movie.

As you can see, the infinitive verb has many uses, both functional (We need to leave now) and philosophical (To be, or not to be? That is the question).

• webgraphy
• http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/parts-of-speech/verbs/infinitive-verb.html

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
• webgraphy
• http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/es/english-grammar/verbs/infinitive

Too and Enough

Too and enough indicate degree. They are used with adjectives.

• Too means more than what is needed.
• Enough means sufficient.

Examples

He is too old to play football with the kids.
Dave is intelligent enough to do the write thing.
You're not working fast enough
I don't have enough time.
He has too many friends.
She has got too much patience

Use of too and enough

1.Enough precedes adjectives and adverbs:

He isn't old enough to watch this program.
We're not walking quickly enough.

2.Enough may also precede nouns:

We have enough money .
I have not got enough money to buy this computer.

3.Too comes before adjectives and adverbs:

It's too hot to wear that coat.
I was driving too fast.

4. Too may also come before nouns when it is used with the expressions too much and too many.
a. Too much is used before uncountable nouns.

There is too much salt in this food.

b. Too many is used before countable nouns

There are too many students in this classroom.

Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs are usually two-word phrases consisting of:

 verb + adverbor verb + preposition. 

Think of them as you would any other English vocabulary. Study them as you come across them, rather than trying to memorize many at once. Use the list below as a reference guide when you find an expression that you don't recognize. The examples will help you understand the meanings. If you think of each phrasal verb as a separate verb with a specific meaning, you will be able to remember it more easily. Like many other verbs, phrasal verbs often have more than one meaning.

As well as learning their meanings, you need to learn how to use phrasal verbs. Verb Meaning Example ask someone out invite on a date Brian asked Judy out to dinner and a movie. ask around ask many people the same question I asked around but nobody has seen my wallet. add up to something equal Your purchases add up to$205.32. back something up reverse You'll have to back upyour car so that I can get out. back someone up support My wife backed me upover my decision to quit my job. blow up explode The racing car blew upafter it crashed into the fence. blow something up add air We have to blow 50 balloons up for the party. break down stop functioning (vehicle, machine) Our car broke down at the side of the highway in the snowstorm. break down get upset The woman broke downwhen the police told her that her son had died. break somethingdown divide into smaller parts Our teacher broke the final project down into three separate parts. break in force entry to a building Somebody broke in last night and stole our stereo. break into something enter forcibly The firemen had to break into the room to rescue the children. break something in wear something a few times so that it doesn't look/feel new I need to break these shoes in before we run next week. break in interrupt The TV station broke into report the news of the president's death. break up end a relationship My boyfriend and I broke up before I moved to America. break up start laughing (informal) The kids just broke up as soon as the clown started talking. break out escape The prisoners broke outof jail when the guards weren't looking. break out insomething develop a skin condition I broke out in a rash after our camping trip. bring someone down make unhappy This sad music is bringingme down. bring someone up raise a child My grandparents broughtme up after my parents died. bring something up start talking about a subject My mother walks out of the room when my fatherbrings up sports.

Verb + object + to + infinitive

Verb, object, to + infinitive

We use this structure to report requests, advice, encouragement and warning.

In today's challenge, Ehsan from Iran hears clips from a children's party and tells us what advice his parents gave him when he left Tehran...

Listen to the programme!

Verb, object, to + infinitive

Certain verbs may be followed by an object and then by an infinitive with to – I told you to do it. The negative infinitive is formed with not – I told you not to do it.

subject	verb	object	(not) to + infinitive
Marco's mother	ordered	him	to get into	the car.
Elena	told	the children	not to touch	the glasses.

The following verbs take this pattern:
advise allow ask beg command encourage	forbid force instruct invite oblige order	permit persuade remind tell want warn

In this exercise you will practise verbs which are followed by an object + to + infinitive structure. 

Verb + object + to + infinitive
After some verbs we use the object, followed byto + infinitive. Verbs which can be followed by this form include: advise, ask, allow, expect, encourage, force, help, invite, order, persuade, teach, tell.	They helped their neighbour to repair his car.
	She asked me to give her some advice.
	I told my assistant to send the letter. I advised my friend not to sell his house.

Instructions: The following sentences all have a verb + object + to + infinitive structure. Complete each sentence by putting the words in brackets into the correct form. 

VERB + OBJECT + TO-INFINITIVE OR GERUND.

1) Verb + object + to-infinitive

After the following verbs, we normally use the object before a to-infinitive. These verbs include force, persuade, ask, convince, get, expect, invite, teach, want, suggest, order, tell, assign, remind…

Example:

- They force him to go away.

- I expect you to come to my party.

- She suggests me to learn English.

2) Verb + object + ing-form

Some verbs must have an object before an ing-form. Other verbs like this include catch, discover, feel, hear, leave, notice, observe, see, spot, watch, find, overhear…

Example:

- The police found the man climbing the wall.

- She overheard them talking about the closure of the factory.

NOTE: However, this is not the case when these verbs are in the passive.

Example: The man was found climbing the wall.

3) Verb + (object) + ing-form

Some verbs can have an object or no object before an ing-form. Other verbs like this include detest, dislike, dread, envisage, hate, imagine, like, love, mind (in questions and negatives), miss, recall, regret, resent, risk, start, stop, stand, remember…

Example:

- They can’t stand (him) driving his old car.

- I remember (you) buying that jumper.

4) Verb + object + ing-form/bare infinitive

A few verbs such as feel, hear, notice, observe, overhear, see, and watch can be followed either by an ing-form or a bare infinitive, but the meaning may be slightly different.

COMPARE:

ç Verb + object + ing-form: We use verb + object + ing-form to suggest that the action is repeated or happens over a period of time.

Example: Did you hear those dogs barking most of the night?

ç Verb + object + bare infinitive: We use verb + object + bare infinitive to suggest that the action happens only once.

Example: I noticed him throw a sweet wrapper on the floor, so I asked him to pick it up.

ç Verb + object + ing-form: We use verb + object + ing-form to suggest that we watch, hear, etc. some of the action, but not from start to finish.

Example: I was able to watch them building the new car park from my office window.

ç Verb + object + bare infinitive: We use verb + object + bare infinitive to suggest that we watch, hear, etc. the whole action from its start to its finish.

Example: I watched him climb through the window, and then I called the police.

Some examples about adjectives

Gerunds and infinitives

Both gerunds and infinitives can be nouns, which means they can do just about anything that a noun can do. Although they name things, like other nouns, they normally name activities rather than people or objects. Here are five noun-uses of gerunds and infinitives (and one additional non-noun use, the adjective complement, that we throw in here, free of charge).

Gerunds and infintives can both function as the subject of a sentence:

1. Playing basketball takes up too much of her time.
2. To play basketball for UConn is her favorite fantasy.

It is not impossible for an infinitive to appear at the beginning of a sentence as the subject (as in Ib), but it is more common for an infinitive to appear as a Subject Complement:

1. Her favorite fantasy is to play basketball for UConn.
   The gerund can also play this role:
2. Her favorite fantasy is playing basketball for UConn.

Both of these verbal forms can further identify a noun when they play the role of Noun Complement and Appositive:

1. Her desire to play basketball for UConn became an obsession.
2. I could never understand her desire to play basketball for UConn.
3. Her one burning desire in life, playing basketball for UConn, seemed a goal within reach.

The infinitive is often a complement used to help define an abstract noun. Here is a very partial list of abstract nouns, enough to suggest their nature. Try following these adjectives with an infinitive phrase (their desire to play in the championship game, a motivation to pass all their courses, her permission to stay up late, a gentle reminder to do your work) to see how the phrase modifies and focuses the noun.

advice appeal command decision desire fact instruction motivation	opportunity order permission plan possibility preparation proposal recommendation	refusal reminder request requirement suggestion tendency wish

Infinitive phrases often follow certain adjectives. When this happens, the infinitive is said to play the role of Adjective Complement. (This is not a noun function, but we will include it here nonetheless.)

1. She was hesitant to tell the coach of her plan.
2. She was reluctant to tell her parents, also.
3. But she would not have been content to play high school ball forever.

USED TO

FORM

[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.

FORM

[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.