Topic outline
- GRAMMAR 2023/24
- Dr Khiari Group 04
Dr Khiari Group 04
Verbs are fundamental components of the English language, serving as the engine of sentences. They convey actions, states, or events and come in various types, each with its own characteristics. In this paper, we will examine regular and irregular verbs, transitive and intransitive verbs, and finite and non-finite verbs.
There are different types of verbs in generative grammar. A sentence can contain a single verb or a combination of auxiliary and main verb.Phrasal verbs are a fundamental aspect of the English language. They can be challenging for learners because they consist of a verb and one or more particles (usually prepositions or adverbs), and their meanings are often idiomatic. Understanding the types of phrasal verbs and practicing them is essential for effective communication. In this lesson, we will explore the four main types of phrasal verbs, provide definitions, examples, and exercises to help you grasp their usage.
7 Most Commonly Used Phrasal Verbs
By now we know what phrasal verbs but they can be very intimidating to learn as a beginner in English. Therefore, we have compiled a list of the 7 most commonly used phrasal verbs in English.
“Come down with”
To come down with something is to start to suffer from a mild illness. You might feel like you’re coming down with something if you’re about to catch a cold. So, if you’re feeling tired and achy you could say:
“I think I’m coming down with something.” or,
“I think I’m coming down with a cold.”
“Check up on”
To check up on someone is to investigate their work. Your boss might check up on your work to see if it’s done properly.
But you can also check up on a friend or a family member to see if they’re feeling well. So, in casual contexts, you can use this phrase when you want to ask a friend if they’re feeling okay. Let’s say someone close to you hasn’t been feeling well lately, then you could say:
“Hey! Just wanted to check up on you. Are you feeling any better?”
“Show up”
To show up somewhere is to be present at a place where someone is waiting for you. You might show up early or late to a meeting, and your boss will be glad if you show up to work on time every day.
If you’re at a popular concert, thousands of people might show up. And if you had a plan to meet someone and they never made it, you could say:
“They never showed up!”
“Go/come over”
To come or go over is to visit someone in their house. If you’re home and waiting for a friend, you might say:
“A friend is coming over tonight.”
But if you’re on your way to your friend’s house, you could say:
“I’m going over to a friend’s place right now.”
“End up”
To end up somewhere is to arrive in a place after a series of events, especially when you didn’t plan it. You might travel around Europe for some time and end up in Spain. And if you like it so much that you decide to stay there permanently, you could say,
“I came to Spain just to visit but I ended up staying.”
To end up with a result can mean to experience it. If you’re at a favorite restaurant with some friends, you might end up eating too much. You can end up stressed if you work too much, and your friend might end up getting upset if you make too many jokes about his new haircut.
“Figure out”
To figure something out is to find a solution for it, or to understand it. If you can’t solve a math problem, you might say,
“I can’t figure it out!”
And if a new friend’s behavior is confusing you, you could say,
“I can’t figure out why she’s being so strange.”
To figure something out can also mean finding a way to do it. You might finally figure out how to stop your dog from eating everything in sight. And if you’re out late and no buses are running, you will need to figure out a way to get home.
“Put up with”
To put up with bad behavior or a situation is to tolerate it even though you don’t like it. You might not understand how your friend puts up with her brother. And if someone is irritating you because they’re not making any sense, you might say,
“I can’t put up with this nonsense.”
Modals are a crucial aspect of English grammar, providing nuances to the meaning of a sentence. Modals of obligation are a subset of modal verbs that express various degrees of necessity, duty, and requirement. In this lesson, we will explore modals of obligation, their definitions, uses, examples, differences, and exercises to help you grasp their usage more effectively.
Modals are essential components of English grammar that convey various degrees of certainty, possibility, and probability. Modals of probability, also known as modals of possibility, are a subset of modal verbs that express how likely an event is to occur. In this lesson, we will explore modals of probability, their definitions, usages, examples, differences, and exercises to help you understand their usage more effectively.
Modals are fundamental elements in English grammar that help convey different meanings and functions. Modals of requests, also known as modals of politeness or permission, are a subset of modal verbs used to make polite requests, seek permission, or offer and ask for assistance. In this lesson, we will explore modals of requests, their definitions, usages, examples, differences, and exercises to help you understand their usage effectively.
Modals are crucial elements in English grammar, providing a wide range of meanings and functions. Modals of advice and prohibition are a subset of modal verbs used to offer advice, make recommendations, give warnings, or express prohibitions. In this lesson, we will explore modals of advice and prohibition, their definitions, usages, examples, differences, and exercises to help you understand their usage effectively.
Modals include modal verbs, semi-modal verbs (also called marginal modals) and other modal expressions. They combine with main verbs and modify their meanings. A modal may have several different meanings, while similar meanings may be expressed by using different modals:
He can't be at home; I've just met him. (deduction)
Unless you finish your homework, you can't go to the cinema. (prohibition)Can I help you? (offer)
May I help you? (offer)Modal verbs
The modal verbs (or modal auxiliary verbs) are: can, could, may, might, will, shall, would, should and must.
- Modal verbs always come first in a verb phrase and are followed by a bare infinitive. When used with a perfect infinitive, modal verbs usually refer to past time:
I could hear the dog barking outside. (modal + simple bare infinitive)
You must be joking. (modal + continuous bare infinitive)
He may have caught the train. (modal + perfect bare infinitive)
You must have been waiting for hours. (modal + perfect continuous bare infinitive)Contracted forms of will and would are often used in spoken and in informal written language ('ll and 'd):
I'd tell you if I knew.
They'll be here soon. - Modal verbs take no -s in the third person singular:
He might be at the office.
- Modal verbs form their negative and interrogative like other auxiliaries and not with do:
I can't swim.
Can you swim?The following contracted negative forms are often used in spoken and in informal written language:
cannot » can't
could not » couldn't
might not » mightn't
will not » won't
shall not » shan't
would not » wouldn't
should not » shouldn't
must not » mustn't - Modal verbs have no proper past tense; however, could, would, might and should may be used to refer to past time:
I could swim when I was five.
- Modal verbs have no infinitive, -ing or past participle forms and cannot be followed by other modal verbs. When necessary, modal idioms or other expressions are used instead of them:
If you want to be a sailor, you must can swim.
If you want to be a sailor, you must be able to swim.I have canned swim since the age of five.I have been able to swim since the age of five.
Semi-modal verbs
The semi-modal verbs (or marginal modals) are: dare, need, used to and ought to. They behave similarly to modal verbs but also share some characteristics with main verbs:
How dare she criticise us? (as a modal verb, the interrogative formed without do)
He didn't dare to look back. (as a main verb, followed by a to-infinitive and the negative formed with do)Need you make so much noise? (as a modal verb, the interrogative formed without do)
You needn't have been so rude. (as a modal verb, the perfect infinitive used to refer to past time)
Do you need to use the hairdryer? (as a main verb, followed by a to-infinitive and the interrogative formed with do)They used to live by the sea. (unlike a modal verb, followed by a to-infinitive)
You ought to know that by now. (unlike a modal verb, followed by a to-infinitive)
Other modal expressions
Besides modal verbs and semi-modal verbs, there are other expressions which can express modal meanings. Some of these are formed with be:
be able to
be allowed to
be about to
be bound to
be going to
be likely to
be obliged to
be supposed to
etc.Other expressions that carry modal meanings are: be to, had better, have (got) to, would rather
- Modal verbs always come first in a verb phrase and are followed by a bare infinitive. When used with a perfect infinitive, modal verbs usually refer to past time:
Tenses are a crucial aspect of English grammar that help us convey the timing of actions, events, and situations. In this lesson, we will explore two fundamental tenses: the Present Simple and the Present Continuous. These tenses are used to describe actions, habits, and events in the present, but they serve different purposes.
Present simple use
Habits or situations that happen regularly
We use the present simple to talk about actions that we do (o we don’t do) regularly:
- I wash my hair every day.
- I never go to the library.
- I sometimes go to the library.
Permanent situations or things that are usually or often true
- I don’t drink coffee.
- She’s very tall.
- I have two brothers.
- Water boils at 100 degrees.
- I like soup.
Adverbs of frequency
We often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency (always, sometimes, etc.) and expressions of frequency (once every three months, twice a week, every other day, etc.).
Adverbs of frequency go in mid position (before the main verb or after be).
- She doesn’t often eat hamburgers.
- He usually gets up very early.
- I am never late.
Expressions of frequency go at the end of the sentence
- We go to the cinema once a month.
- I buy clothes twice a year.
Future events that are timetabled
We use the present simple to talk about future events that are scheduled or timetabled.
- The train leaves at 4.
- Shops close at 6.
- My yoga class is tomorrow at 10.
Present continuous use
Actions in progress
We use the present continuous to talk about things that are happening now or ‘around now’ (a time around this moment, such as these days, weeks or months)
- I can’t talk now. I’m brushing my teeth.
- I finished the Lord of the Rings and now I’m reading a new book.
Temporary actions
The present continuous is used to talk about temporary actions:
- I’m going to work by bus this week because my car is at the garage.
- I’m living with my cousins until I find a flat.
With expressions meaning ‘now’ or ‘around now’.
The present continuous often appears next to expressions such as now, these days, this week/month, or at the moment.
- He’s studying a lot this week.
- I’m not feeling very well these days.
Situations that are changing or developing
- The climate is changing very quickly.
- More and more people are trying to eat more healthily nowadays.
- Your English is improving.
Future arrangements
We use the present continuous to talk or ask about future actions that are already planned or decided.
- I‘m meeting John this evening. Do you want to come?
- We are leaving tomorrow at 7.
Stative verbs
Non-action verbs (or stative verbs) cannot be used in present continuous. They must be used in present simple. The most frequent are the verbs of the senses (hear, see, smell, look, seem, sound), verbs of opinion (believe, consider, like, love, hate, prefer, think, etc.) verbs of possession (have, own, belong, etc.). Other common non-action verbs are: agree, be, depend, need, mean, remember, realise, recognise, seem, want, etc.
- Please, give me my money; I need it now.
- Look at her; she seems sad.
Some verbs have an action and a non-action meaning; for example, have or think:
- I have a car (=possession) / I’m having a siesta (=action)
- I think he is great (=opinion) / What are you thinking? (=action)
The verb see also has a dynamic and a stative meaning.
- I‘m seeing the doctor tomorrow at 9. (see= ‘have an appointment’)
- What do you see in this picture? (see= ‘see with your eyes’)
Tenses are a fundamental part of English grammar used to indicate the timing of actions, events, and situations. In this lesson, we will delve into the Past Simple and Past Continuous tenses, which are essential for describing actions and events that took place in the past.
Past simple
We use the past simple to talk about completed actions in the past.
- We ate out yesterday. (the action is finished)
In a story, we use the past simple to talk about past events in chronological order; i.e. the main events of a story.
- When she opened the door, she pretended that we weren’t there and she went to her room.
- He called me and told me to go, but when I arrived he wasn’t there.
We also use the past simple to talk about past habits or past states.
- We often went to the bar for a drink before dinner.
- He really liked sport, and was very fit.
Past continuous
We use the past continuous the set the scene in a story.
- Last night I was walking home and listening to my ipod when …
- The sun was shining and lots of tourists were lying on the beach. Suddenly …
We use the past continuous for actions in progress in the past or longer actions interrupted by shorter actions in past simple.
- After dinner I went into the living room and saw that she was crying.
- When she opened the door, we were talking about her.
In this grammar lesson, we will explore two tenses that are often used to describe actions and events that have a connection to the present. These tenses are the Present Perfect Simple and the Present Perfect Continuous. They are particularly useful for discussing experiences and actions that occurred in the past but still have relevance in the present.
In this grammar lesson, we will explore two tenses that are used to describe actions and events that occurred before a specified past time or other past actions. These tenses are the Past Perfect and the Past Perfect Continuous. Understanding these tenses allows you to express the sequence of past events more precisely.
- Topic 2
- Topic 3
