Teaching English online for SEC

7. The following sentences are incorrect, because they contain correlative conjunctions, but do not use parallel construction. Rewrite the sentences correctly, using parallel construction. For example:
He owns both a typewriter and he has a word processor.
Corrected: He owns both a typewriter and a word processor.
I prefer either to read or going hiking.
Corrected: I prefer either to read or to go hiking.
1. The train proceeded neither quickly nor was it smooth.
2. They will leave either today or they will go tomorrow.
3. The child hates both getting up in the morning and to go to bed at night.
4. She is neither kind nor has patience.
5. He is not only talented, but also he has charm.
6. The street is lined with both oak trees and there are elm trees.
7. The lecture was not only very long but also it was very dull.
8. You should either eat less, or should exercise more.
9. I am not only proud to be here, but also feel happy to meet you.
10. The town is both historical and it is picturesque.
8. The following sentences are incorrect, because they present lists of ideas, but do not use parallel construction. Rewrite the sentences correctly, using parallel construction. For example:
The air was cool, dry, and was clear.
Corrected: The air was cool, dry, and clear.
He has started making kites and to fly them.
Corrected: He has started making kites and flying them.
1. We walked out of the door, down the steps and went across the street.
2. She loves singing, dancing and to play the piano.
3. The wind moaned, shrieked and was howling.
4. The music was fast, brilliant and sounded exciting.
5. He proposes to borrow money, open a store and going into business.
6. The town boasts four libraries, two theaters and there are many schools.
7. The clouds were thick, black and looked threatening.
8. He likes running, jumping and to ride a bicycle.
9. They worked carefully, quickly and were quiet.
10. The vegetables were fresh, tender and tasted delicious.
(My hints: you can rewrite in your own papers and check them out in the answer topic)

Next
THE SIMPLE PRESENT OF THE VERB TO BE
1. Grammar
The grammar of a language is an analysis of the various functions performed by the words of the language, as they are used by native speakers and writers.
There are many different ways of analyzing a language. In such an analysis, words can be given various names, depending on the function which they perform. For instance, words which perform the function of naming things are commonly referred to as nouns, and words which perform the function of expressing states or actions are commonly referred to as verbs.
It should be kept in mind that many English words can perform more than one function. For instance, in the following sentences, the underlined words can be referred to as nouns because they perform the function of naming things.
e.g. I have lost my comb.
Water is one of the necessities of life.
However, in the following sentences, the same words can be referred to as verbs because they perform the function of expressing actions.
e.g. I comb my hair every morning.
Do you water your plants once a week?
In this book, widely used terms such as noun, verb, pronoun and so on, will be used in order to explain the way in which words function in the English language.

2. Verb forms
English verbs may have different forms, depending on the subject of the verb, and depending on when the action expressed by the verb takes place.
In the following sentences, the subjects of the verbs indicate who or what is performing the actions expressed by the verbs. The verbs in these examples are underlined.
e.g. We live in the city.
He lives on Queen Street.
These examples illustrate how the form of a verb may vary, depending on the subject of the verb. In the first example, the subject is we, and the form of the verb is live. In the second example, the subject is he, and the form of the verb is lives.
The different verb forms which indicate when the action expressed by a verb takes place are usually referred to as tenses.
e.g. We always walk to work.
We walked to work yesterday.
In the first sentence, the verb walk is in the Simple Present tense. In the second sentence, the verb walked is in the Simple Past tense. Present tenses are usually used to express actions which are taking place in the present; whereas past tenses are usually used to express actions which took place in the past.
The infinitive form of a verb can be used without reference to any particular subject or any particular time. In English, the infinitive form of a verb begins with the word to. For instance, to walk is the infinitive of the verb used in the two preceding examples.

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Được zerocool_destiny sửa chữa / chuyển vào 05:58 ngày 14/05/2003

3. Uses of the simple present tense
The Simple Present is one of four present tenses in English, and is used in various ways. In the examples given below, the verbs in the Simple Present tense are underlined.
For instance, the Simple Present can be used to refer to actions which occur at regular intervals.
e.g. We visit our friends every Sunday.
They take a holiday once a year.
Geese fly south every fall.
The Simple Present is also used in stating general truths.
e.g. Gas expands when heated.
The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean in the world.
Canada lies north of the United States.
In ad***ion, the Simple Present is used when referring to printed material, and when describing events portrayed in a book, film, or other work of art.
e.g. The report presents the information clearly.
At the end of the film , the hero finds the hidden treasure.
Occasionally, the Simple Present is used to express actions occurring in the future or the past.
e.g. Our plane leaves at eight o'clock tomorrow night.
Burglar Steals Valuable Paintings
In the first example, the Simple Present is used to refer to something which will happen in the future. In the second example, which is written in the style of a newspaper headline, the Simple Present is used to refer to something which happened in the past.

4. The simple present of the verb To Be
A conjugation of a verb is a list showing the different forms a verb may take. When a verb is conjugated, it is usually accompanied by all of the personal pronouns which can act as subjects of a verb. Thus, a conjugation can show the different forms a verb must take when it is used with different subjects.
The English personal pronouns which may be used as subjects of verbs are as follows:
I
you
he
she
it
we
they
It should be noted that in modern English, the same verb forms are used with the subject you, whether you refers to one or more than one person or thing. In an older form of English, there was another personal pronoun, thou, which was used with different verb forms, and which generally referred to one person or thing.
The Simple Present of the verb to be is conjugated as follows. In spoken English, contractions are often used.
Without contractions ++++++++++With contractions
I am ++++++++++++++ I'm
you are +++++++++++++ you're
he is ++++++++++++++++ he's
she is ++++++++++++++++ she's
it is ++++++++++++++++++ it's
we are +++++++++++++++++ we're
they are +++++++++++++++++ they're
In written English, an apostrophe: ' is used in a contraction, to indicate that one or more letters have been omitted.
a. Affirmative statements
An affirmative statement states that something is true. In an affirmative statement, the verb follows the subject.
e.g. I am awake.
They are ready.
In the first example, the verb am follows the subject I. In the second example, the verb are follows the subject they. In written English, statements are always followed by a period: . Statements and questions must begin with a capital letter.
b. Questions
For the Simple Present of the verb to be, questions are formed by reversing the order of the subject and the verb, so that the verb precedes the subject.
e.g. Am I awake?
Are they ready?
In the first example, the verb am precedes the subject I. In the second example, the verb are precedes the subject they. In written English, questions are always followed by a question mark: ?
c. Negative statements
In the Simple Present of the verb to be, negative statements are formed by adding the word not after the verb.
e.g. I am not awake.
They are not ready.
In the first example, not follows the verb am. In the second example, not follows the verb are.
In spoken English, the following contractions are often used:
Without contractions With contractions
is not ++++++++++++ isn't
are not ++++++++++++aren't
d. Negative questions
In the Simple Present of the verb to be, negative questions are formed by reversing the order of the subject and verb, and adding not after the subject.
e.g. Am I not awake?
Are they not ready?
In spoken English, contractions are usually used in negative questions. In the contracted form of a negative question, the contraction of not follows immediately after the verb. For example:
Without contractions +++++++++With contractions
Are you not awake? ++++++++++++ Aren't you awake?
Is he not awake? +++++++++++++++ Isn't he awake?
Are we not awake? ++++++++++++++++++ Aren't we awake?
Are they not awake? ++++++++++++++++ Aren't they awake?
It should be noted that there is no universally accepted contraction for am not. In spoken English, am I not? is often contracted to aren't I?. However, although the expression aren't I? is considered acceptable in informal English, it is not considered to be grammatically correct in formal English. In formal English, no contraction should be used for am I not.
e. Tag questions
A tag question is a question added at the end of a sentence. A tag question following an affirmative statement generally has the form of a negative question, with the meaning: Isn't that true? In some languages, such tag questions are invariable. However, in English, tag questions vary, depending on the verbs and subjects of the preceding statements.
In the following examples, the tag questions are underlined. Contractions are usually used in negative tag questions. For example:
Affirmative statement +++++++++++++++++++Affirmative statement with tag question
Are you not awake? +++++++++++++++++++ Aren't you awake?
I am awake. ++++++++++++++++++++++++ I am awake, am I not?
You are awake. ++++++++++++++++++++ You are awake, aren't you?
She is awake. ++++++++++++++++++++++ She is awake, isn't she?
We are awake. +++++++++++++++++++++++ We are awake, aren't we?
They are awake. +++++++++++++++++++++++ They are awake, aren't they?
These examples illustrate how the subjects and verbs of the preceding statements are repeated in tag questions. For instance, in the first example, the subject I and the verb am are repeated in the tag question. In the second example, the subject you and the verb are are repeated in the tag question.
In spoken English, the expression aren't I? is often used as a tag question. However, this is not considered to be grammatically correct in formal, written English.
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Được zerocool_destiny sửa chữa / chuyển vào 06:08 ngày 14/05/2003

Exercise 1
1. Change the following pairs of words into sentences, using the correct forms of the Simple Present of the verb to be. For example:
I, cautious
I am cautious.
they, friendly
They are friendly.
1. you, careful
2. it, warm
3. he, here
4. we, bold
5. they, careless
6. she, clever
7. we, ready
8. you, reckless
9. I, shy
10. they, polite
2. Change the affirmative statements resulting from Exercise 1 into questions. For example:
I am cautious.
Am I cautious?
They are friendly.
Are they friendly?
3. Change the affirmative statements resulting from Exercise 1 into negative statements. For example:
I am cautious.
I am not cautious.
They are friendly.
They are not friendly.
4. Change the affirmative statements resulting from Exercise 1 into negative questions. Except where the subject of the verb is I, write both the form without contractions and the form with contractions. For example:
I am cautious.
Am I not cautious?
They are friendly.
Are they not friendly?
5. Add negative tag questions to the ends of the affirmative statements resulting from Exercise 1. Except where the subject of the verb is I, use contractions for the tag questions. For example:
I am cautious.
I am cautious, am I not?
They are friendly.
They are friendly, aren't they?
Aren't they friendly?
6. Using the Simple Present of the verb to be, and making sure that the word order is correct, form the following groups of words into grammatically correct statements or questions. If the symbol ? is present, form the words into a question. If the word not is present, form the words into a negative statement or negative question. Do not use contractions in this exercise. For example:
it, brown
It is brown.
you, ?, excited
Are you excited?
I, satisfied, not
I am not satisfied.
not, ?, they, ready
Are they not ready?
1. you, ?, hungry
2. we, ?, not, correct
3. he, ?, happy
4. not, ?, it, cold
5. she, here
6. I, early, ?
7. they, wrong, not
8. you, ?, comfortable
9. they, ?, not, strong
10. not, ?, I, fortunate
11. it, slippery, ?
12. not, you, late
13. it, not, ?, important
14. we, famous
15. they, present, ?
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Được zerocool_destiny sửa chữa / chuyển vào 06:15 ngày 14/05/2003

I am using Linux right now . Therefore, i cannot use the correct format for these posts. I'll fix them later.
Today 's issue is about : THE SIMPLE PRESENT OF VERBS OTHER THAN THE VERB TO BE
1. Formation of the simple present
The Simple Present of any verb other than the verb to be is formed from the bare infinitive of the verb. As shown in the following examples, the bare infinitive of a verb consists of the infinitive without the word to. The bare infinitive is the form in which English verbs are usually listed in dictionaries. For example:
Infinitive-------------------------------------- Bare Infinitive
to be --------------------------------------- be
to walk------------------------------------- walk
to work --------------------------------------work
In the Simple Present of verbs other than the verb to be, the form of the verb used with the subjects I , you, we and they is the same as the bare infinitive. The form of the verb used with the subjects he, she and it has the ending s added to the bare infinitive.
For example, the Simple Present of the verb to work is conjugated as follows:
I work
you work
he works
she works
it works
we work
they work
The form of the verb used with the subjects he, she and it is generally referred to as the third person singular
a. The simple present of the verb To Have
The Simple Present of the verb to have is slightly irregular, since the bare infinitive is have, whereas the form of the verb used in the third person singular is has. The Simple Present of the verb to have is conjugated as follows:
I have
you have
he has
she has
it has
we have
they have
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Được zerocool_destiny sửa chữa / chuyển vào 01:50 ngày 21/05/2003

2. Spelling rules for adding s in the third person singular
Some verbs change their spelling when s is added in the third person singular.
a. Verbs ending in y
The English letters a, e, i, o and u are generally referred to as vowels. The other English letters are generally referred to as consonants.
When a verb ends in y immediately preceded by a consonant, the y is changed to ie before the ending s is added. In each of the following examples, the consonant immediately preceding the final y is underlined.
Bare Infinitive------------------------- Third Person Singular
study---------------------------------- studies
fly --------------------------------- flies
carry ------------------------------------ carries
However, when a verb ends in y immediately preceded by a vowel, the y is not changed before the ending s is added. In each of the following examples, the vowel immediately preceding the final y is underlined.
Bare Infinitive --------------------------Third Person Singular
say --------------------------------------- says
enjoy ------------------------------------- enjoys
buy---------------------------------------- buys
b. Verbs ending in o
When a verb ends in o, the letter e is added before the s ending. For example:
Bare Infinitive ----------------Third Person Singular
do ----------------------------- does
echo ----------------------------- echoes
go ------------------------------------ goes
c. Verbs ending in ch, s, sh, x or z
When a verb ends in a sibilant sound such as ch, s, sh, x or z, the letter e is added before the s ending. For example:
Bare Infinitive --------------------------Third Person Singular
pass --------------------------------------- passes
push -------------------------------------- pushes
watch -------------------------------------- watches
fix -------------------------------------------- fixes
buzz ------------------------------------------ buzzes
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Được zerocool_destiny sửa chữa / chuyển vào 01:53 ngày 21/05/2003

3. Pronunciation of the es ending
A syllable is a unit of pronunciation, usually consisting of a vowel sound which may or may not be accompanied by consonants.
When a verb ends in a sibilant sound such as ch, s, sh, x or z, the es ending of the third person singular is pronounced as a separate syllable. The reason for this is that these sounds are so similar to the sound of the es ending, that the ending must be pronounced as a separate syllable in order to be heard clearly.
In each of the following examples the bare infinitive consists of one syllable, whereas the form of the verb used in the third person singular consists of two syllables.
Bare Infinitive ------------------------------Third Person Singular
pass ------------------------------------------ passes
push ----------------------------------------- pushes
catch ----------------------------------------- catches
mix -------------------------------------------- mixes
Similarly, when s is added to verbs ending in ce, ge, se or ze, the final es is usually pronounced as a separate syllable. In each of the following examples the bare infinitive consists of one syllable, whereas the form of the verb used in the third person singular consists
of two syllables.
Bare Infinitive ------------------------Third Person Singular
race -------------------------------------- races
rage ---------------------------------------- rages
praise -------------------------------------- praises
doze ------------------------------------------ dozes
However, when s is added to a verb ending in e preceded by a letter
other than c, g, s or z, the final es is not pronounced as a separate syllable. In each of the following examples, both the bare infinitive and the form of the verb used in the third person singular consist of one syllable.
Bare Infinitive ---------------------------Third Person Singular
make ---------------------------------------- makes
smile ----------------------------------------- smiles
dine ------------------------------------------- dines
save ------------------------------------------- saves
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4. The auxiliary Do
With the exception of the verb to be, verbs in modern English use the auxiliary do to form questions and negative statements in the Simple Present.
The Simple Present of the verb to do is conjugated as follows:
I do
you do
he does
she does
it does
we do
they do
Auxiliaries are verbs which are combined with other verbs to form various tenses. It should be noted that when an auxiliary is combined with another verb, it is the auxiliary which must agree with the subject, while the form of the other verb remains invariable.
When the auxiliary do is combined with another verb, the other verb always has the form of the bare infinitive.
a. Questions
In order to form a question in the Simple Present of any verb other than the verb to be, the Simple Present of the auxiliary do is added before the subject, and the bare infinitive of the verb is placed after the subject. For example:
Affirmative-------------------- Statement Question
I work. ----------------------- Do I work?
You work. ---------------------- Do you work?
He works. --------------------- Does he work?
She works. -------------------- Does she work?
It works. ------------------------ Does it work?
We work. ------------------------ Do we work?
They work.----------------------- Do they work?
b. Negative statements
In order to form a negative statement, the Simple Present of the auxiliary do followed by the word not is placed before the bare
infinitive of the verb. For example:
Affirmative Statement -----------------------------Negative Statement
I work. ---------------------------------------------- I do not work.
You work. ------------------------------------------- You do not work.
He works. --------------------------------------------- He does not work.
She works. ---------------------------------------------- She does not work.
It works. -------------------------------------------------- It does not work.
We work. ------------------------------------------------ We do not work.
They work. ------------------------------------------------ They do not work.
In spoken English, the following contractions are often used:
Without contractions -------------------With contractions
do not -------------------------------------- don't
does not -------------------------------------- doesn't
c. Negative questions
To form a negative question, the Simple Present of the auxiliary do is placed before the subject, and the word not followed by the bare infinitive is placed after the subject. However, when contractions are used, the contracted form of not follows immediately after the Simple Present of the auxiliary do. For example:
Without contractions-------------------------------- With contractions
Do I not work? -----------------------------------Don't I work?
Do you not work? --------------------------------- Don't you work?
Does he not work? --------------------------------- Doesn't he work?
Does she not work? --------------------------------- Doesn't she work?
Does it not work? ----------------------------------- Doesn't it work?
Do we not work? ------------------------------------- Don't we work?
Do they not work? ------------------------------------- Don't they work?
d. Tag questions
The auxiliary do or does is used for a tag question which follows a statement containing the Simple Present of a verb other than the verb to be. In the following examples, the negative tag questions are underlined. Contractions are usually used in negative tag questions.
Affirmative Statement -----------------------------Affirmative Statement with Tag Question
I work. ----------------------------------------------- I work, don't I?
You work. --------------------------------------------- You work, don't you?
He works. --------------------------------------------- He works, doesn't he?
She works. --------------------------------------------- She works, doesn't she?
It works. --------------------------------------------------- It works, doesn't it?
We work. ---------------------------------------------------- We work, don't we?
They work. ---------------------------------------------------- They work, don't they?
e. The verb To Have
It should be noted that, particularly in British English, in the case of the Simple Present and Simple Past of the verb to have, questions and negative statements are sometimes formed in the same way as for the verb to be, without the use of the auxiliary do.
e.g. He has a sister, hasn't he?
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EXERCISES:
1. Using the Simple Present tense, fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the verbs shown in brackets. For example:
I ______ to the radio. (to listen)
I listen to the radio.
He _______ to the radio. (to listen)
He listens to the radio.
1. She __________ the guitar. (to play)
2. We __________ soccer. (to play)
3. They _________ to talk. (to like)
4. He __________ ice cream. (to like)
5. You _________ your friends often. (to call)
6. He _________ the office every day. (to call)
7. She __________ regularly. (to practise)
8. They __________ once a week. (to practise)
9. We __________ here. (to shop)
10. It __________ delicious. (to taste)
2. Using the Simple Present tense, fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the verb to have. For example:
I ____ a pen.
I have a pen.
He ___ two pencils.
He has two pencils.
1. I _______ many books.
2. You _______ an apartment.
3. He _______ a bicycle.
4. We _______ fun.
5. They _______ two sleds.
6. She _______ milk in her tea.
7. I _______ a warm sweater.
8. We _______ breakfast at eight o'clock.
9. He _______ an alarm clock.
10. They ________ a sense of humor.
3. Paying attention to which verbs change their spelling before adding s in the third person singular, fill in the blanks with the Simple Present of the verbs shown in brackets. For example:
He always _______ promptly. (to reply)
He always replies promptly.
She _____ little. (to say)
She says little.
They _____ bridge once a week. (to play)
They play bridge once a week.
1. He __________ it. (to deny)
2. They __________ to be on time. (to try)
3. It _________ to be careful. (to pay)
4. She __________ hard. (to study)
5. You __________ good manners. (to display)
6. He always __________ himself. (to enjoy)
7. She __________ to Ireland once a year. (to fly)
8. We __________ five people. (to employ)
9. He __________ his friends. (to accompany)
10. She __________ chocolate chip cookies every week. (to buy)
4. Paying attention to which verbs take s and which take es in the third person singular, fill in the blanks with the Simple Present of the verbs shown in brackets. For example:
He ____ everywhere on foot. (to go)
He goes everywhere on foot.
It _____ surprising. (to seem)
It seems surprising.
They _____ skiing. (to teach)
They teach skiing.
1. She __________ a great deal of work. (to do)
2. He __________ television every evening. (to watch)
3. She __________ a horse. (to own)
4. We __________ the dishes every night. (to do)
5. She __________ she had a pair of skates. (to wish)
6. He _________ us to call him. (to want)
7. She __________ she made a mistake. (to confess)
8. He usually __________ the truth. (to tell)
9. They __________ apples to make cider. (to press)
10. It __________ out easily. (to wash)
5. For each of the following verbs, underline the letter or letters representing the sound preceding the es ending, and then indicate the number of syllables in the verb. For example:
wishes __
wishes 2
laces __
laces 2
takes __
takes 1
1. watches __
2. teases __
3. likes __
4. rushes __
5. faces __
6. dines __
7. misses __
8. tames __
9. scares __
10. passes __
11. pinches __
12. wades __
6. Change the following affirmative statements into questions. For example:
She walks to work.
Does she walk to work?
They take the bus.
Do they take the bus?
1. I hurry home.
2. He drives a truck.
3. You follow the news.
4. They want a pet.
5. She likes flowers.
6. We need tea.
7. She answers the questions.
8. He drinks coffee.
9. I learn quickly.
10. It rains heavily.
7. Change the affirmative statements given in Exercise 6 into negative statements. For example:
She walks to work.
She does not walk to work.
They take the bus.
They do not take the bus.
8. Change the affirmative statements given in Exercise 6 into negative questions. Give both the forms without contractions, and the forms with contractions. For example:
She walks to work.
Does she not walk to work?
Doesn't she walk to work?
They take the bus.
Do they not take the bus?
Don't they take the bus?
9. Add negative tag questions to the affirmative statements given in Exercise 6. Use contractions for the tag questions. For example:
She walks to work.
She walks to work, doesn't she?
They take the bus.
They take the bus, don't they?
mess with the best
die with the rest
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