5 speaking rules you need to know

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5 Speaking Rules you need to know! 1. Don't study grammar This rule might sound strange to many ESL students, but it is one of the most important rules. If you want to pass examinations, then study grammar. However, if you want to become fluent in English, then you should try to learn English without studying the grammar. Studying grammar will only slow you down and confuse you. You will think about the rules when creating sentences instead of naturally saying a sentence like a native. Remember that only a small fraction of English speakers know more than 20% of all the grammar rules. Many ESL students know more grammar than native speakers. I can confidently say this with experience. I am a native English speaker, majored in English Literature, and have been teaching English for more than 10 years. However, many of my students know more details about English grammar than I do. I can easily look up the definition and apply it, but I don't know it off the top of my head. I often ask my native English friends some grammar questions, and only a few of them know the correct answer. However, they are fluent in English and can read, speak, listen, and communicate effectively. Do you want to be able to recite the definition of a causative verb, or do you want to be able to speak English fluently? 2 . Learn and study phrases

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Page 1: 5 Speaking Rules You Need to Know

5 Speaking Rules you need to know!

1. Don't study grammar

This rule might sound strange to many ESL students, but it is one of the most important rules. If you want to pass examinations, then study grammar. However, if you want to

become fluent in English, then you should try to learn English without studying the grammar.

Studying grammar will only slow you down and confuse you. You will think about the rules when creating sentences instead of naturally saying a sentence like a native.

Remember that only a small fraction of English speakers know more than 20% of all the grammar rules. Many ESL students know more grammar than native speakers. I can

confidently say this with experience. I am a native English speaker, majored in English Literature, and have been teaching English for more than 10 years. However, many of my students know more details about English grammar than I do. I can easily look up

the definition and apply it, but I don't know it off the top of my head.

I often ask my native English friends some grammar questions, and only a few of them know the correct answer. However, they are fluent in English and can read, speak,

listen, and communicate effectively.

Do you want to be able to recite the definition of a causative verb, or do you want to be able to speak English fluently?

2. Learn and study phrases

Many students learn vocabulary and try to put many words together to create a proper sentence. It amazes me how many words some of my students know, but they cannot

create a proper sentence. The reason is because they didn't study phrases. When children learn a language, they learn both words and phrases together. Likewise, you

need to study and learn phrases.

If you know 1000 words, you might not be able to say one correct sentence. But if you know 1 phrase, you can make hundreds of correct sentences. If you know 100 phrases,

you will be surprised at how many correct sentences you will be able to say. Finally, when you know only a 1000 phrases, you will be almost a fluent English speaker.

So don't spend hours and hours learning many different words. Use that time to study phrases instead and you will be closer to English fluency.

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Don't translate

When you want to create an English sentence, do not translate the words from your Mother tongue. The order of words is probably completely different and you will be both

slow and incorrect by doing this. Instead, learn phrases and sentences so you don't have to think about the words you are saying. It should be automatic.

Another problem with translating is that you will be trying to incorporate grammar rules that you have learned. Translating and thinking about the grammar to create English

sentences is incorrect and should be avoided.

3. Reading and Listening is NOT enough. Practice Speaking what you hear!

Reading, listening, and speaking are the most important aspects of any language. The same is true for English. However, speaking is the only requirement to be fluent. It is

normal for babies and children to learn speaking first, become fluent, then start reading, then writing. So the natural order is listening, speaking, reading, then writing.

First ProblemIsn't it strange that schools across the world teach reading first, then writing, then

listening, and finally speaking? Although it is different, the main reason is because when you learn a second language, you need to read material to understand and learn it. So even though the natural order is listening, speaking, reading, then writing, the order for

ESL students is reading, listening, speaking, then writing.

Second ProblemThe reason many people can read and listen is because that's all they practice. But in

order to speak English fluently, you need to practice speaking. Don't stop at the listening portion, and when you study, don't just listen. Speak out loud the material you are

listening to and practice what you hear. Practice speaking out loud until your mouth and brain can do it without any effort. By doing so, you will be able to speak English fluently.

4. Submerge yourself

Being able to speak a language is not related to how smart you are. Anyone can learn how to speak any language. This is a proven fact by everyone in the world. Everyone

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can speak at least one language. Whether you are intelligent, or lacking some brain power, you are able to speak one language.

This was achieved by being around that language at all times. In your country, you hear and speak your language constantly. You will notice that many people who are good English speakers are the ones who studied in an English speaking school. They can

speak English not because they went to an English speaking school, but because they had an environment where they can be around English speaking people constantly.

There are also some people who study abroad and learn very little. That is because they went to an English speaking school, but found friends from their own country and

didn't practice English.

You don't have to go anywhere to become a fluent English speaker. You only need to surround yourself with English. You can do this by making rules with your existing friends that you will only speak English. You can also carry around an iPod and

constantly listen to English sentences. As you can see, you can achieve results by changing what your surroundings are. Submerge yourself in English and you will learn

several times faster.

5. Study correct material

A common phrase that is incorrect is, "Practice makes perfect." This is far from the truth. Practice only makes what you are practicing permanent. If you practice the incorrect sentence, you will have perfected saying the sentence incorrectly. Therefore, it is important that you study material that is commonly used by most people.

Another problem I see is that many students study the news. However, the language they speak is more formal and the content they use is more political and not used in regular life. It is important to understand what they are saying, but this is more of an advanced lesson that should be studied after learning the fundamental basics of English.

Studying English with a friend who is not a native English speaker is both good and bad. You should be aware of the pro's and con's of speaking with a non native speaking friend. Practicing with a non native person will give you practice. You can also motivate each other and point out basic mistakes. But you might pick up bad habits from one another if you are not sure about what are correct and incorrect sentences. So use these practice times as a time period to practice the correct material you studied. Not to learn how to say a sentence.

In short, study English material that you can trust, that is commonly used, and that is

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correct.

Summary

These are the rules that will help you achieve your goal of speaking English fluently. All the teachings and lessons on TalkEnglish.com follow this method so you have the tools you need to achieve your goal right here on TalkEnglish.com.

Word Rank Wordthe 126 nameof 127 veryto 128 through

and 129 justa 130 formin 131 muchis 132 greatit 133 think

you 134 saythat 135 helphe 136 low

was 137 linefor 138 beforeon 139 turnare 140 causewith 141 sameas 142 meanI 143 differ

his 144 movethey 145 rightbe 146 boyat 147 old

Rank Word Rank Word251 open 376 ten252 seem 377 simple253 together 378 several254 next 379 vowel255 white 380 toward256 children 381 war257 begin 382 lay258 got 383 against259 walk 384 pattern260 example 385 slow261 ease 386 center262 paper 387 love263 often 388 person264 always 389 money265 music 390 serve266 those 391 appear267 both 392 road268 mark 393 map269 book 394 science270 letter 395 rule271 until 396 govern272 mile 397 pull

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one 148 toohave 149 doesthis 150 tellfrom 151 sentence

or 152 sethad 153 threeby 154 wanthot 155 airbut 156 well

some 157 alsowhat 158 playthere 159 smallwe 160 endcan 161 putout 162 home

other 163 readwere 164 hand

all 165 portyour 166 largewhen spell

up adduse even

word landhow heresaid mustan big

each highshe such

which followdo act

their whytime ask

if menwill changeway went

about lightmany kindthen offthem needwould housewrite picture

273 river 398 cold274 car 399 notice275 feet 400 voice276 care 401 fall277 second 402 power278 group 403 town279 carry 404 fine280 took 405 certain281 rain 406 fly282 eat 407 unit283 room 408 lead284 friend 409 cry285 began 410 dark286 idea 411 machine287 fish 412 note288 mountain 413 wait289 north 414 plan290 once 415 figure291 base 416 star

hear boxhorse nouncut fieldsure rest

watch correctcolor ableface poundwood donemain beauty

enough driveplain stoodgirl contain

usual frontyoung teachready weekabove finalever gavered greenlist oh

though quickfeel developtalk sleep

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like tryso us

these againher animallong pointmake motherthing worldsee nearhim buildtwo selfhas earthlook fathermore headday stand

could owngo page

come shoulddid countrymy found

sound answerno school

most grownumber study

who stillover learnknow plantwater coverthan foodcall sunfirst four

people thoughtmay letdown keepside eyebeen nevernow lastfind doorany betweennew citywork treepart cross

bird warmsoon freebody minutedog strong

family specialdirect mindpose behindleave clearsong tail

measure producestate fact

product streetblack inchshort lot

numeral nothingclass coursewind stay

question wheelhappen full

complete forceship bluearea objecthalf deciderock surfaceorder deepfire moon

south islandproblem foot

piece yettold busy

knew testpass recordfarm boattop common

whole goldking possiblesize plane

heard agebest dryhour wonder

better laugh

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take sinceget hard

place startmade mightlive story

where sawafter farback sealittle drawonly left

round lateman runyear don'tcame whileshow pressevery closegood nightme realgive lifeour few

under stop

true . thousandduring ago

hundred ranam check

remember gamestep shapeearly yeshold hotwest miss

ground broughtinterest heatreach snowfast bedfive bringsing sit

listen perhapssix fill

table easttravel weightless language

morning among

If + present form + present form

"If you heat ice, it melts."

In this type of sentence, you could use when instead of if. It's always true that when you heat ice it melts. This is why this type of sentence is sometimes called a zero conditional.

If + present form, + will, can or may

"If I am late, I will call you."

"If you need me, you can call me at home."

"If it gets any hotter, we may have a thunder storm."

In these sentences (or first conditional sentences), there is a strong possibility that the first part (coming after if) is going to happen. The second part says what will happen as a result.

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If + past form + would, could or might

"If I got a pay rise, I would buy a new car."

"If you left your job, you could travel around the world."

"If you were nicer to him, he might lend you the money."

In these sentences, the first part with if shows that the event is unlikely to happen. In English, we often use this type of sentence (called a second conditional) to talk about hypotheses, or imaginary future events.

For example, "If I was President of the United States, I would change some laws." But I know that I'll never be the President of the USA – I'm just saying what I would do if I was in his/her position. Note: in American English, it is correct to use "if I were…" In British English, it's more common to say "if I was…"

If + past perfect + would/might/could have done

"If I had revised, I would have passed my exams."

"If we had gone out earlier, we might have got to the cinema on time."

"If you had told me there was a problem, I could have helped."

In these sentences (or third conditional sentences), the first part of the sentence with if didn't happen. So there is no possibility of the second part of the sentence happening. I didn't revise, so I didn't pass my exams and there is nothing I can do about it now. English speakers use this type of sentence to show how things could have been different.

"The student was bad at Geography."also good at

crazy about something"She was crazy about the Spice Girls and had all their CD's."

different from or to something / someone"The English are different from the Americans."

happy to do something"She was happy to help."also glad to and pleased to

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happy for someone"I was happy for him when he passed his exam."also pleased for

happy with someone / something"The boss was happy with his work."also pleased with and satisfied with

ill with something"She's ill with the flu."

nice to someone"Be nice to him – he's had a bad day."

polite to someone"The policeman was very polite to me."

ready to do something"I'm ready to start work now."

ready for something / someone"It takes me an hour to get the children ready for school."

responsible for something / someone"She felt responsible for her children."

tired from doing something (physically tired)"I'm tired from all this hard work."also exhausted from

tired with or of something (fed up, bored with)"She was tired of taking the train to work every day and decided to drive instead."

typical of someone"It's typical of her to do that for you – she always offers to help."

English Grammar Tip

The secret of remembering the right preposition in English grammar is through practice. Try to use them as much as possible and you'll soon be saying them without having to think.

Time

in a century"There were many inventions in the twentieth century."

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in a year"She left school in 1987."

in a month"He's leaving in January."

in a season"We usually go on holiday in summer."

in a part of the day"I'm leaving in the morning, not in the evening."

during or in – when something happens"Muslims fast during / in Ramadan.""It rained during / in the night."

for – how long something takes"She played tennis for an hour."

at Christmas or at Easter"Christians celebrate at Christmas and at Easter."

at the weekend"I play tennis at the weekend."

at night"I go to sleep at night."

at a time"The appointment is at four o'clock in the afternoon."

on a day"The appointment is on Monday."

on a date"I'm leaving on 12 December."

Place

on or on top of"The remote control is on the table."

above (higher than)"Look at the clock above the mantelpiece."

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under or underneath"The keys are under the mat."

beneath (old fashioned word to mean under)

below (lower than)"The chart below shows the annual figures.""It was below freezing last night."

next to "A is next to B in the alphabet."

between "B is between A and C in the alphabet."

opposite"The bank is opposite the supermarket. If you walk outside the bank, you can see the supermarket in front of you, on the other side of the road."

across"Walk across the road, to the other side."

round / around"It's round the corner – you can't see it from here."

Transport

on a train, a bus, a plane, a bicycle

get on / off a train / a bus / a plane / a bike

in a car

get in / out of a car

go by car / train / plane / bus

go on foot

1. He likes swimming.2. He can swim long distances.3. He is a good swimmer.

To make sentence 1 into a question, you need to add does. The does goes before he.

Does is only used if the subject is he, she or it – in all other cases, use do.

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The verb like goes after the subject, but it doesn't have an 's' on the end.

Remember: after auxiliary verbs (like do, does, have, can, etc.) the verb is in the infinitive, without 'to'.

"Does he like swimming?" Not "Does he likes swimming?" or "Do he like swimming?"

If the sentence is in the past tense (he liked swimming), we use the past form of 'do' or 'does', which is did. The verb 'like' is still in the infinitive without 'to'.

For example, "Did he like swimming?" Not "Did he liked swimming?"

To make sentence 2 into a question, you don't need to use 'does' because you already have an auxiliary verb – can. So you put the can before he.

"Can he swim long distances?" Not "Can swim he long distances?" or "Does he can swim long distances?"

To make sentence 3 into a question, use is as the auxiliary.

"Is he a good swimmer?" Not "Does he is a good swimmer?" or "Does he be a good swimmer?"

Direct questions – "wh" questions

What is your name?Why do you want this job?How much do you earn?How soon can you start?When did you see the advertisement?Where do you live?Which newspaper did you see the advertisement in?Who gave you my name?

After the "wh word" (what, why, how, when, etc) comes the auxiliary (do, does, did or can), then the subject (you) , then the rest of the question.

Note: if 'who', 'which' or 'what' are the subject of the question, you don’t need an auxiliary.

For example, "What happened?" Not "What did happen?" The thing that happened is what – the subject of the question.

"Who saw you?" Someone saw you – who was it?

Compare with "Who did you see?" You saw someone – who was it?)

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"Which company made a profit?" A company made a profit – which company was it?

Compare with "Which company did you work for?" You worked for a company – which one was it?

Indirect questions in English

If you want to ask a question that is quite sensitive, try using one of the indirect phrases below:

Can you tell me…Could you tell me…I'd be interested to hear…I'd like to know…Would you mind telling me…

These questions are followed by either about, a "wh word" or if. Then you add the subject, then the sentence.

You don't need an 'auxiliary', such as 'do', 'does', 'did', or 'can'.

"Can you tell me what you like most about your present job?" Not "Can you tell me what do you like?"

"I'd be interested to hear about your experiences."

"Would you mind telling me if you have applied for a similar position before?"

This list will help you remember English verbs and prepositions. Practise using them as much as possible to feel more confident.

accuse someone of something"He accused her of stealing."

agree with someone / something"I agree with you – you are absolutely right."

agree to do something"She agreed to wait for him."

agree on something"We've agreed on all the major points."

apply for"I'm going to apply for a new job."

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apologise for something"She apologised for being late."

ask someone to do something"She asked him to do the shopping for her."

ask someone for something"She asked her boss for a day off."

believe in"I believe in hard work."

belong to"This pen belongs to me."

blame someone for doing something"He blamed her for driving too fast."

blame something on someone"He blamed the accident on her."

borrow something from someone"He borrowed some money from the bank."

care about something"I don't care about money."

care for someone"She really cares for her grandmother."

take care of something / someone"Please take care of yourself on holiday."

complain to someone (about something)"He complained to her about the food."

concentrate on something"The student concentrated on her homework."

congratulate someone on doing something"He congratulated her on passing her exam."

consist of something"The department consists of five people."

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depend on someone"She depended on her friends for support."

explain something to someone"She explained the new system to them."

listen to someone"The students listened to their teacher."

look at something"Look at that view – it's wonderful."

look for something / someone"Will you help me look for my book?"

look after someone"I need to look after my mother – she's ill."

pay someone for something"Can you pay me for the shopping later?"

prefer someone / something to someone"I prefer coffee to tea."

protect someone from something"A scarf will protect you from the cold."

provide someone with something"They provide families with housing."

regard someone as"She regarded her sister as her best friend."

rely on someone / something"Can I rely on you to get the shopping?"

search for someone / something"The police searched the building for bombs."

spend money / time on"I spent all my money on books as a student."

think about someone / something"I think about you all the time."

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think about / of doing something"I'm thinking about / of buying a new car."

think of something"I've just thought of a new idea.""What do you think of the new magazine?"

translate from something into something else"Don't translate from English into French."

wait for someone"I waited an hour for him, then went home."

warn someone about"The doctor warned her about smoking."

Question tags are used in English to encourage someone to carry on talking. We use these question tags when we want to ask a question, or if we want someone to agree with us.

She doesn't like swimming, does she?(No, she doesn't.)

He can't cook, can he?(No he can't.)

He's interesting, isn't he?(Yes, he is.)

We've been here before, haven't we?

How to make question tags

To make a question tag in English, use the auxiliary verb (if there is one) in the sentence.

She doesn't like… (doesn't is the auxiliary)

He can't cook… (can't is the auxiliary)

He's interesting… (is is the auxiliary)

We've been here… (have is the auxiliary)

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Negative and positive tags

If the auxiliary is negative, the tag is positive.

NEGATIVEShe doesn't like…

…does she?POSITIVE

If the auxiliary is positive, the tag is negative.

POSITIVEHe's interesting…

…isn't he?NEGATIVE

No auxiliary?

If there isn't an auxiliary in the verb, use the right form of 'do' instead.

He likes tennis, doesn't he?

You saw her last week, didn't you?

We don't know that for a fact, do we?

Pronunciation

If your voice goes up on the tag, you make a question. If your voice drops on the tag, then you aren't making a question, but you are asking someone to agree with you.

Test yourself!Click on the button on the right to test yourself on question tags.

Routine or permanent situations

- use the simple form. For example, "I live in London" tells you that "live" is true all the time – London is my home.

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"I lived in the countryside when I was a child" – this was a long-term situation in the past.

Temporary or continuing situations

- use the continuous form. For example, "I'm working as a secretary at the moment" – the job isn't permanent and maybe I'm doing it for a while until I get another job.

"House prices are rising" – they are continuing to rise and haven't stopped rising yet.

"She was wearing a black dress" – she put it on before I saw her and she still wore it after I saw her – wearing the dress continued over a period of time.

Connecting different times

- use the perfect form to show that one event was completed before another, or to show that one situation continues from one time to another.

For example, "I have lived here for two years" – I started to live here two years ago and I still live here.

"I will have finished the report before next week" – some time before next week, but I don't know exactly when.

"He had studied law before he met her" – he studied law before he met her, but we don't know when.

now that are different from normal.

"I live in London." (This is my home.)

"I am living with my parents." (A temporary situation until I buy my own house.)

"Hot air rises." (A scientific fact.)

"House prices are rising." (A trend happening now.)

"I drive to work every day." (My routine or habit.)

"I am walking to work this week." (My car is being repaired.)

"At work I write letters to customers." (My job routine.)

"I'm writing a difficult letter." (This is what I am doing right now and I haven't finished yet.)

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So the most important rule is that you use the Present Simple ("I do") for permanent states and the Present Continuous ("I am doing") for changes and trends.

Some verbs cannot be used in the Present Continuous tense. This is because they already suggest permanence.

These include:

Verbs of possession – own, have, belong. (Although you can say "I am having a party", it doesn't mean you own the party, it means you are hosting a party.)

Verbs of the mind – believe, know, think, forget.

Verbs of emotion – love, hate, detest.

Verbs of the senses – see, hear, smell, taste. ("I'm seeing the doctor tomorrow" means I am going to visit the doctor, but "I see the doctor" means "the doctor is standing in front of me".)

Verbs of geographical location – lie. ("London lies on the River Thames".)

We use this tense in English to talk about events or situations that are finished. Normally we use a time reference.

For example:

"Last year I went to Spain."

"In 1997, he changed his job."

"She called an hour ago."

We also use the Past Simple tense in English to talk about long-lasting events or situations in the past.

"When I was a child, I lived in the countryside."

To talk about repeated activites in the past, we also use the Past Simple.

"I often went to the beach as a child."

Past Continuous Tense ("I was doing")

There are three main uses of this tense:

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1. To talk about what was happening at a particular time in the past and to give descriptions and background information.

2. To talk about temporary situations in the past.

3. To make polite requests.

1. Talking about what was happening at a particular time in the past.

"This time yesterday, I was reading a book."

We often use the Past Continuous tense with the Past Simple tense. The Past Continuous gives the background to an event in the Past Simple:

"When he got home, the children were playing in the garden." (The children started playing in the garden before he got home.)

"I was eating dinner when there was a knock on the door." (The knock on the door came in the middle of my meal.)

We can use the Past Continuous to give descriptions.

"The girl was wearing a yellow dress. She was eating ice-cream and was watching television."

2. Talking about temporary situations in the past.

"When I was living in London, I often went to the theatre." (Living in London was temporary – perhaps I only lived there for a short while.)

Compare with: "When I was a child I lived in the countryside." Living in the countryside was a longer event – I was a child for more than a couple of years. For more permanent situations, we use the Past Simple tense.

3. Making polite requests.

If we want to make polite requests, we can use the Past Continuous tense. This is because we put a distance between ourselves and the person we are asking.

"I was wondering if you had time to see me."

"I was hoping we could discuss a pay raise."

When do you use the Past Simple ("I did") and the Present Perfect ("I have done")?

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The tense you choose depends on how you consider the event. Is it finished, or is there still a connection to the present?

If you use the Past Simple ("I did"), you consider the event or events as finished and in the past. This tense is often used with a time reference: last year, last week, in 1991, this morning (if it's now the afternoon) and so on.

With the Present Perfect ("I have done"), there is a connection to the present.

For example, "I have lived here for five years." (I still live here.)

Uses of the Present Perfect

When the past affects the present

"I've lost my wallet."This means that you have lost your wallet (sometime in the past, but we don't know when), but what is really important is that you don't have it now, at the time of speaking.

If instead, you say "I lost my wallet", people understand that you lost it, but not that it affects the present. They expect you to tell them about the time that you lost the wallet.

We use the Present Perfect tense to show that something has a result or a connection to now. This means that it's used to give news.

"The Euro slips!"(headline)

"The Euro has slipped against the pound again."(news report)

"My sister has had a baby." (announcing news)

Experiences

Your experiences make you the person you are now. We don't use dates and times to give information on what makes you this person.

"I've been to New Zealand." (I know something about New Zealand.)

We often ask questions about people's experiences with ever. For example, "Have you ever been white-water rafting?"

States or activities that started in the past, which have continued up to now and will probably continue into the future.

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"I have worked here for five years."

"I have lived here since 1994."

Use since to give the date that an activity or state started and use for to give the period of time the activity or state has lasted.

Recent past

"Have you finished yet?"

"I've already written the report." (Here it is.)

In these type of examples, we often use yet, already still, just and recently.

Note: American English uses the Past Simple instead of the Present Perfect in these examples. For instance, "Did you eat yet?"

Using both tenses in a conversation

"Have you travelled much?"

"Yes, I've been to the USA."

"Oh really? When did you go?"

The first question and the reply concern a person's experience, so they use the Present Perfect. But the second question asks for more information about the experience. Because it refers to a past time (when the person went to the USA), the Past Simple is used.

The conversation could continue:

"Oh really? When did you go?"

"Two years ago. I visited a friend in California, but I only stayed a week."

"Did you like it?"

"Yes, it was a fantastic trip."

How to use the Present Perfect Continuous.

Temporary situations

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Like the Present Continuous and Past Continuous, the Present Perfect Continuous is used to talk about activities or states that are temporary, rather than permanent.

Compare:

"I have been the Marketing Manager for five years." (This is my job.)

"I've been working on a new customer database." (This is a temporary project.)

Unfinished situations

"I've been writing letters all morning." (I still haven't finished them.)

"This morning I've written three letters." (They are all finished.)

Repeated and continuous actions

"No wonder you're not hungry. You've been eating sweets for the last hour." (One sweet after another.)

The "had done" form (or past perfect) is one of the least used tenses in English. We only really use it in the following situations.

* When it's important to say which event happened first in the past

* In reported speech

* To show regret about the past

* In conditional (if) sentences

Normally, when we say what happened in the past in English, we use the simple past or past continuous form.

For example, "He got up early to go to the beach. He spent all day there and went home as it was getting dark."

We know which order things happened in, so we don't need the past perfect tense.

Sometimes, we need to explain which events happened before other ones (especially if we "jump" around in our story). When we need to show that one thing happened before another, we can use the past perfect form.

For example, "I was hungry, as I hadn't eaten all day." (Being hungry happened after not eating all day.)

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Compare these two sentences:

"When he got to the airport, the plane took off." (The plane took off after he arrived at the airport.)

"When he got to the airport, the plane had taken off." (The plane took off before he arrived at the airport.)

Reported speech in English

"I didn't see her," he said.Because his words are in the past, when we report them we need to go one tense back and use the past perfect.

"He told me he hadn't seen her."

This is also the case if the words are in the present perfect."I have never been to Scotland."She said that she had never been to Scotland.

To show regret

I wish I hadn't gone to the party. (But I went.)If only she hadn't bought that car. (But she did.)

Conditional sentences (when we speculate about past events)

If I had worked harder, I would have passed the exam. (But I didn't work harder, so I failed.)

If you had told me, I could have helped. (But you didn't tell me, so I couldn't help.)

If they had left earlier, they might have caught the plane. (But they didn't leave earlier, so they didn't get the plane.)

Making predictions in English

You can use both will and going to to make predictions.

For example, "I think the Labour party will lose the next election." Or "I think the Labour party are going to lose the next election."

If you can make a prediction based on what you see now, we use going to.

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For example, "You're driving too fast, you're going to hit the car in front!"

Future plans and arrangements

If something has already been planned, use going to with the verb, or the Present Continuous tense.

"I'm going to take my exams next month."

"He's visiting a client on Tuesday."

Unplanned future

When we decide to do something at the moment of speaking, we use will.

"The phone's ringing – I'll answer it."(You only answer the phone when it starts ringing.)

Future schedules

When we want to talk about a schedule, we use the Present Simple tense.

"The plane leaves in half an hour – we'd better hurry."

"Next week I fly to Italy, then on Tuesday, I'm in Spain."

Events in progress at a time in the future

To talk about something that will be in progress at a time in the future, use will be doing.

"For example, "This time next week, I'll be sitting on a plane."

We can also use this form to make polite requests.

"Will you be using the car tomorrow?"(If you won't, can I use it?)

Events that will be completed by a time in the future

If you want to say that something will be completed by a time in the future, use will have done.

"I'll have finished the report by this afternoon."

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Final tip

Many learners of English overuse will and going to. Try using all the different future forms so that you become more confident.

You can use the imperative form to give an order, to give a warning or advice, and (if you use "please") to make a request.

To make the imperative, use the infinitive of the verb without 'to':

"Come here!""Sit down!"

To make a negative imperative, put "do not" or "don't" before the verb:

"Don't go!""Do not walk on the grass."

The imperative can be used for all subjects (you, he, they and we), but you can also use "let's" before the verb if you are including yourself in the imperative:

"Let's stop now.""Let's have some lunch."

The negative of "let's" is "let's not":

"Let's not argue!"Let's not tell her about it."

Orders

Adults do not usually give each other orders, unless they are in a position of authority. The intonation of an order is important: each word is stressed, and the tone falls at the end of the sentence:

"Sit down now!" ('Sit', 'down' and 'now' are all stressed, and the tone falls on 'now'.)

However, adults can give orders to children and to animals:

Here are some orders you could give your pet dog:

"Come here!""Sit!"

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"Heel!""Fetch!"

Warnings

You can use the imperative to warn someone of danger. All the words in the warning are stressed, but the last word has a higher tone than the first word:

"Watch out!""Look out!""Don't cross!"

Advice

When you give advice using the imperative, the words are stressed normally:

"Eat an apple – it's much better for you than a biscuit!"

"Don't tell him you're resigning now! Wait until Monday when he's in a better mood."

You can often read articles in magazines that give advice on a subject. Sometimes, this advice is presented as "Dos and don'ts".

For example:

Travelling long-distance

Do try to sleep well the night beforeDo drink plenty of waterDo try to walk about the plane during the flightDon't drink alcoholDon't eat heavy mealsDon't wear restrictive clothing

Requests

You can also use the imperative to make a request, but you should use a polite word before the verb:

"Please take a seat.""Please wait here.""Please hold the line.""Please don't smoke here."

In written English, you might also see "Kindly" used as a polite word:

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"Kindly return the documents as soon as possible.""Kindly forward this to the Sales and Marketing department.""Kindly send me 2 copies of your brochure."

There's a big difference between used to live – to talk about past habits or states and is used to doing – to talk about something that you are now familiar with.

For example, a common mistake is "I am used to study."

Do you mean that you used to study, but you don't study any more, or do you mean that you know about studying?

Avoid making mistakes by remembering the verb pattern.

Used to + verb describes a past habit or state.

For example:

He used to smoke, but he doesn't now."

To be used to + verb with ing describes something that you are now familiar with.

For example, "Five years ago, I didn't know about the internet. Now I am used to working with it

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How to use gerunds

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In English, the ing form, for example swimming or smoking, is both a noun and a verb. You can follow it by an object, smoking cigarettes, by a verb, swimming is good, or you can make it the object of a sentence, I like swimming.

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After verbs

You use the ing form after some verbs such as enjoy, admit, appreciate, can't stand / help / bear, deny, avoid, mind, understand.

For example, "I can't stand doing nothing", or "she denied breaking the copier".

With 'from' and 'to' with some verbs

Prevent / stop someone from doing: "He prevented her from leaving."

Look forward to doing: "We look forward to hearing from you soon."

Object to doing: "Does anyone object to me smoking?"

Get used to doing: "It took him a long time to get used to living in a city."

Prefer something to doing something else: "I prefer cooking to doing the dishes."

After prepositions

"Before going out he turned off the heating."

"I'm tired of arguing."

"These are used for cracking walnuts."

"I passed the exam by remembering the equations."

In some fixed expressions

"As well as doing…""It's no good doing…""It's no use doing…"

Some verbs can use either the 'to do' or the 'ing' form

See / hear / watch someone do / doing

With the verb form do, you see or hear the whole action. For example,"I heard him tell you about the letter."

With the verb form ing you only see or hear part of the action. For example, "I saw her drinking a coffee in the bar."

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Remember / regret

If you use ing after these verbs, you are talking about something that happened before. "I remember coming here as a child" – I'm not a child any more, but I remember the times when I came here before.

"I regret not studying." (I didn't study in the past and I regret it now.)

If you use the to do form after these verbs, then you are referring to something in the future.

"Please remember to turn off the lights." (Please don't forget to do it later.)

"I regret to inform you that…" (I'm just about to tell you some bad news.)

Stop

"I want to stop smoking." (I want to break my habit.)

"She stopped to sit down." (She stopped walking so that she could sit down.)

Try

Try + ing = try out this experiment.

Try reading something in English every day." (You may be surprised at the results!)

Try to do = try hard to do something.

"Please try to be quiet when you come in." (Please make an effort.)

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In English, you can show what you feel about a situation by using words such as may, will, would, might, can and could.

These words can change the meaning of a sentence and show that something is possible, necessary, uncertain, or intended.

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"For example, "I'll go shopping tomorrow" shows that you intend to go tomorrow.

"I might go shopping tomorrow" shows that perhaps you will go tomorrow, but you don't know for sure.

When you use these words, remember:

* They are followed by the verb without to.

* You don't need an 's' for the third person singular: "He might come to the party." (Not "he mights come to the party".)

* You can make a question by putting the word before the person, not by using 'do' or 'have': "Could you help me?" (Not "do you could help me?")

* You can make a negative form by adding a form of not to the word:

can becomes can't

will becomes won't

might becomes might not (or mightn't)may becomes may not

could becomes couldn't.

How possible something is

"The company might relocate next year."

"We may have to wait an hour for dinner in this restaurant."

"It can get very cold here in winter."

"We could all live to be 100 years old in theory."

How certain something is

"She'll get promoted next year."

"He won't agree to that idea."

"You must be our new neighbour."

"If you left now, you would get the train."

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Offers and requests

"Shall I open the door for you?"

"I'll cook dinner, if you like."

"Could you help me?"

"Can you pass me the salt, please?"

Permission

"Can I open the window, please?"

"You may now look at your exam papers." (This is formal.)

Ability

"I can cook, but I can't drive."

"I couldn't speak French very well when I was at school."

Using should, must and need

These words help you to talk about rules, obligation and advice.

Should

We use should to give advice.

"If you want to learn English, you should practise as much as possible."

We can also use should to talk about what we expect to happen.

"He should be here by now – he left over an hour ago."

The negative of should is shouldn't.

"You shouldn't eat so much chocolate – it's bad for you."

Must

We use must to talk about obligation.

"I must call my grandmother today – it's her birthday."

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If you want to say the opposite – that there is no obligation to do something, use don't have to or don't need to.

"You don't have to wash the car – I'll do it."

"You don't need to put the rubbish out – I've already done it."

We can also use must to talk about what we think is logically certain.

"You must be tired after all that travelling."

If you want to say that something is logically impossible, use can't.

"Who's that at the door? It can't be the postman – he's already been."

Mustn't means that it is not allowed to do something.

"You mustn't feed animals in the zoo – it's not allowed."

Should have done

Look at this example dialogue:

"You know… my car was broken into yesterday."

"How terrible. What did you do?"

"Oh, nothing."

"You should have called the police."

We use the pattern should have done to talk about what we think would have been the best thing to do. However, the past event we are talking about cannot be changed. So the pattern after should is have done – not should do.

In the example dialogue, the person didn't contact the police yesterday (in the past), so you can't change the situation. You can only say what action would have been the best in this situation.

SEE ALSO: If Sentences In English

Note

When you use this construction, be careful not to say should had done.

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