TIPS TO HELP YOU LEARN ENGLISH.(5)

Once you have a basic level of English explore the different ways you

can say the same thing (paraphrasing).

TIPS TO HELP YOU LEARN ENGLISH. (4)

Find a comfortable, peaceful place for quiet study.

You need somewhere where you can focus 100%.

TIP FOR HELPING YOU LEARN ENGLISH. (3)

Don’t become too reliant on your dictionary.  Your dictionary should be an aid, not your main teacher.

Try to guess the meaning of words rather than going straight to your dictionary.

PRESENT PERFECT AND PAST SIMPLE- THEORY AND EXAMPLES( EXPLANATIONS IN SPANISH!)

Present Perfect -Pretérito Perfecto

El pretérito perfecto se forma con el verbo have ("haber") y el participio pasado. Es otro modo de expresar el pasado.

• He has studied English and French.Ha estudiado inglés y francés.
• I have read many books.He leído muchos libros.

A menudo el participio pasado en inglés es exactamente el mismo que la forma pasada de un verbo. Sin embargo, muchos verbos tienen participios pasados irregulares.

• She has forgotten her name. She has amnesia.
• Ha olvidado su nombre. Tiene amnesia.
• I have already drunk the coffee.Ya he bebido el café.
• They have gone to see the President. Han ido a ver al Presidente.
• She has come to see you.Ha venido a verte.

Cuando se usa have en el presente perfecto, se puede contraer con el pronombre que lo precede.

• I've been to New York once before.He estado en Nueva York una vez.
• He's gone to the fish market.Ha ido al mercado de pescados.
• We've come to help.Hemos venido a ayudar.

La negación del pretérito perfecto se forma con not. Cuando está presente not, have puede contraerse con not pero no puede contraerse con el pronombre que lo precede.

• She hasn't spoken to him.No ha hablado con él.
• We've not spoken with her.

Para hacer una pregunta, se usa have al frente de la oración.

• Have you seen Matthew?¿Has visto a Matthew?

Hay cierto grado de superposición entre el pretérito simple y el perfecto, pero sin embargo existen diferencias importantes entre ellos.
Cuando se precisa un tiempo pasado específico, debe usarse el pretérito simple (=simple past tense).

• He finished three days ago.Terminó hace tres días.
• They finished a long time ago.Terminaron hace mucho tiempo.

Cuando no se especifica el tiempo se usa el pretérito perfecto.

• I have already finished.Ya he terminado.

El pretérito simple expresa más finalidad que el pretérito perfecto.

• John has taught math for twenty years.John ha enseñado matermáticas durante veinte años.

• John taught math for twenty years. John enseñó matemáticas durante veinte años.

En las oraciones anteriores,
-la primera oración deja abierta la posibilidad de que John continúa enseñando matemáticas.
- La segunda implica que John ya no enseña matemáticas. Tal vez se jubiló, cambió de profesión o falleció.

• Steve and Carol have eaten at that restaurant twice. They really like it.Steve y Carol han comido en el restaurante dos veces. Realmente les gusta.
• Steve and Carol ate at that restaurant twice. Steve y Carol comieron en el restaurante dos veces.

Si algo comenzó en el pasado y continúa hasta el momento de la enunciación, se usa el pretérito perfecto.

• They have lived here for a long time.Han vivido ahí por mucho tiempo.
• She has been in Australia for two years.Ha estado en Australia por dos años.
• We have studied for 5 hours straight.Hemos estudiado durante 5 horas seguidas.
• Tim has waited for 30 minutes.Tim ha esperado por 30 minutos.

Las siguientes oraciones implican que la actividad comenzó en el pasado y ya ha terminado.

• They lived here for a long time.Vivieron aquí durante mucho tiempo.
• Melissa waited for 30 minutes.Melisa esperó 30 minutos.

Cuando hay since ("desde") en la oración, siempre se usa el preférito perfecto.

• We have lived here since June.Hemos vivido aquí desde junio.
• She has been in China since last month.Está en China desde el mes pasado.

TIP FOR HELPING YOU LEARN ENGLISH.(2)

Procrastination can stop you from being successful.

To stop procrastinating, it’s important you understand if

your procrastinating is to avoid studying, or if it is your bad habit.

 pro‧cras‧ti‧nate [intransitive verb] formal

to delay doing something that you ought to do, usually because you do not want to do it

[= put off]: "People often procrastinate when it comes to paperwork."

"Students usually procrastinate when it comes to studying for tests or exams."

adapted from:

the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

 

TIP FOR HELPING YOU LEARN ENGLISH.(1)

It’s not enough to only learn English words. You can teach a parrot English words but that doesn’t mean it can speak English! 

You still need to have an understanding of grammar.

STATIVE VERBS or NON-ACTION VERBS.

PRACTICE OF VERB TENSES: PAST SIMPLE AND CONTINUOUS.

Complete the sentences with the words in parentheses using the SIMPLE PAST or the PAST CONTINUOUS: 

1. Christine ______________________ (eat) dinner last night when you ______________________ (knock) on the door.
 2. I ______________________ (begin) to study at nine last night and I ______________________ (still / study) at eleven. 
3. When Jack ______________________ (drop by) to visit me, I______________________ (have) dinner. 
4. Did your parents call you last night while you _______________________ (watch) TV?
 5. When Sam ______________________ (finish) his assignment I ______________________ (talk) to my friend on the phone. 
6. Yesterday Alicia and Gaby ______________________ (go) to the cinema; yet, I stayed at home to finish my project. 
7. As we ______________________ (travel) from Paris to Brussels we ______________________ (stop) at a small restaurant to get something to eat. 
8. While I ______________________ (try) to repair the leaking roof, I ______________________ (fall) down. 
9. My brother ______________________ (be born) in Lisbon in 1986. 
10. I ______________________ (graduate) from Oxford in 1997.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Answers: 
1. Christine was eating dinner last night when you knocked on the door. 
2. I began to study at nine last night and I was still studying at eleven. 
3. When Jack dropped by to visit me, I was having dinner. 
4. Did your parents call you last night while you were watching TV? 
5. When Sam finished his assignment I was talking to my friend on the phone.
 6. Yesterday Alicia and Gaby went to the cinema; yet, I stayed at home to finish my project. 
7. As we were travelling from Paris to Brussels we stopped at a small restaurant to get something to eat. 8. While I was trying to repair the leaking roof, I fell down. 
9. My brother was born in Lisbon in 1986.
10. I graduated from Oxford in 1997. 

PRACTICE OF VERB TENSES : Present simple and continuous.

Present simple or present continuous?

1. Look! The boys __________ (come) home.

2. Every day Ayla __________ (go) for a walk.

3. Sofía usually __________ (help) in the kitchen.

4. Bob __________ (make) breakfast now.

5. I __________ (chat) with my sister at the moment.

6. It never __________ (rain) in Valencia.

7. Don´t bother me now. I __________ (work).

8. They _____________ (swim) at the moment.

9. I _____________ (play) chess with my friend.

10. Look! He __________ (leave) the house.

11. Quiet please! I __________ (write) a letter.

12. I __________ (not do) anything at the moment.

13. __________ he __________ (watch) the news regularly. 14. I __________ (work) as an accountant.

15. Eli __________ (work) eight hours a day.

16. I __________ (know) him very well.

17. My wife __________ (have) coffee at the moment.

18. __________ you __________ (meet) your friend now? 19. Sandra __________ (work) on her project at the moment.

20. __________ Milie __________ (work) in a restaurant? 21. He __________ (wear) a T-shirt and shorts today.

22. Carlos __________ (like) fruits and vegetables.

23. Cristina __________ (have) long blond hair.

24. What´s that noise? Someone __________ (play) the piano.

25. She often __________ (talk) to herself.