Introduction - Welcome

This blog will probably be most usefull at middle and upper-intermediate levels ( where all or nearly all of the material will be relevant), and can serve both as a basis for revision and as a means for practising new structures. It will also be usefull for some more advanced students who have problems with grammar and need a blog for reference and practice. The blog , as a matter of fact, is not intended to be used by elementary learners.

Id like to thank all my students for being my strenght and courage to get through everything. This blog is for all of you.

@@ If you live in Brazil and would like to improve your English by taking a personal English Course , I would love to be your private teacher.

## If you live in other countries and want to learn Portuguese in order to blow the roof of the mother during the World Soccer Cup and Olympics, I would love to prepare a special Course for you.

Just send me an email and let's do it!!!

j_b_english@hotmail.com

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1- Present Continuous - ( I am doing )

* Pay attention on this example situation:

** Wilma is in her car. She is on her car to work. She is driving to work. I mean, she is driving now, at the time of speaking. The action is not finished.
AM/ARE/IS + verb + ing = present continuous

* drive = I am driving
* work = Anselmo is working
* travel = They are travelling again.
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## I am doing something = I'm in the middle of doing something; I've started doing it and I haven't finished it yet.
* Often the action is happening at the time of speaking............................................
a) Please don't make so much noise. I'm working on a project. ( don't use " I work on a project")
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b) Where's your sister? " She is having a bath. ( not " She has a bath)
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c) Let's go out now. It isn't raining anymore. ( no " it doesn't rain").
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d) Are you enjoying the party? ( no " Do you enjoy")
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e) I'm tired. I'm going to bed now.
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## Sometimes the action is not happening at the time of speaking:
** Steve and Michael are talking in a snack bar. Steve says:
" I'm following an interesting blog about grammar on internet. I'll send the link to you by e-mail."
** Steve is not connected to internet at the time of speaking. He means that he is following it because he started to follow but he haven't seen everything yet. He is in the middle of following it.
** Some more examples:

a) Romulo wants to work in Canada, so he is learning English. ( but perhaps , at the time of speaking, he isn't learning English.)

b) Some friends of mine are working in the USA. ( depending on time zone , perhaps they aren't working right now, but they are there, they work there.)

c) My boss is building his new office. He hopes it will be finished before next summer.
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TEACHER TIPS:

*** We use the present continuous when we talk about things happening in a period around now.( today/this week/this evening/some hours,minutes ago)

* What is the correct way to say it?

a) You work hard today.
b) You're working hard today.
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a) Does William work this week?
b) Is William working this week?
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*** We also use the present continous when we talk about changes happening around now.
a) Unfortunately this horrible flu is spreading very fast and it is taking thousand and thousand of lives away.

b) Is your English getting better? ( don't say :" Does your English get better?).
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** If you are a teacher I would like to know your feelings about this blog. I'm aware of how hard it is to prepare a good explanation for each grammar you teach. Sometimes you find yourself running out of time or patience and it affects your progress as a teacher and certainly your students are going to have a hard work in class. This blog intends to be an important support to your classes. When you became a teacher you were aware of your important mission to give voice to your student and so Am I. Let me help you to abide by it. Send me your oppinion and I'll go all out to improve this blog in order to offer you better conditions to get succes. See ya

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2- Simple Present ( I do )

* Pay attention on this example situation:

** Altamir is a bus driver,but now he is in bed asleep. So, he is not driving a bus. (He is asleep)...but he is a bus driver, he drives a bus.
** drive/work/sleep = I,we,you,they = simple present
** drives/works/sleeps = he,she,it = simple present/third person

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# We use the simple present to talk about things in general. We are not thinking only about now. We use it to say that something happens all the time or repeatedly, or that something is true in general. It is not important whether the action is happening at the time of speaking.
* Teachers look after their students as if they were their own children.
* I usually wake up before 6am.
* Ronaldo plays for Corinthians.

# Remember that... when we are refering to the third singular person we must follow a particular rule:
** The general rule asks you to add an "s"
* He works
* She buys
* it rains

** When the verb ends with = o/sh/ch/ss/x = you must add "es"

* he goes
* she watches
* it washes
* he fixes

** When the verb ends in a "y" with a consonant before = you cut off the "y" and add "ies".
* He cries
* She tries
* it flies
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## We use do/does to make questions and negatives sentences.
* do = I/you/we/they
* does = he/she/it

* don't = I/you/we/they
* doesn't = he/she/it

* I come from Brazil. Where do you come from?
* Would you like a cigarette? - No,thanks. I don't smoke.
* What does this word mean?
* Some foods don't grow in cold climates.
* My sister doesn't study with me.
* He doesn't know me very well but he knows my brother.
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## In the following examples "do" is also the main verb:
* What does she do? = what's her occupation? - I work in a shop.
* He's so lazy. He doesn't do anything to help me.

## We use the simple present when we say how often we do things:

* I get up at 7 o'clock every morning.
* How often do you read the blog?
* I don't use the internet very often.
* In winter Renato plays soccer once or twice a week.

## I promise/I apologise ...

*** Sometimes we do things by saying something. For example:

* When you promise to do something , you can say..." I promise..."
* When you suggest something , you can say..." I suggest..."

# Whe use the simple present in sentences like this:

** I promise I won't be there.
** What do you suggest I do ? - I suggest that you take a look on J.B's blogs.
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** If you are a teacher I would like to know your feelings about this blog. I'm aware of how hard it is to prepare a good explanation for each grammar you teach. Sometimes you find yourself running out of time or patience and it affects your progress as a teacher and certainly your students are going to have a hard work in class. This blog intends to be an important support to your classes. When you became a teacher you were aware of your important mission to give voice to your student and so Am I. Let me help you to abide by it. Send me your oppinion and I'll go all out to improve this blog in order to offer you better conditions to get succes. See ya next post!

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3- Present Continuous and Simple present ( I'm doing and I do)

* Study the explanation and compare the examples:

Present Continuous = I AM DOING

** Use the continuous for something that is happening at or around the time of speaking. The action is not finished yet.

a) The water is boiling. Can you turn it off?
b) Listen to those people. What language are they speaking?
c) Let's go out . It isn't raining now.
d) Don't disturb me. I'm writing the blog.
e) What are you doing?
f) Larissa is in the USA at the moment. She's improving her accent.

** Use the continuous for a temporary situation.

a) I'm working at night until I find a new job.
b) She is dating me but I'm not sure we will continue together.
c) I'm living with some friends until I find a flat.
d) They are working hard today, aren't they?

Simple Present = I do

** Use the Simple Present for things in general or things that Happen repeatedly.

a) Water boils at 100 degrees celsius.
b) Excuse, Do you live here?
c) It doesn't rain very much in summer.

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4- I am doing and I do - part 2

* We use continuous tenses only for actions and happenings.

- They are studying English at Plugnet with J.B.
- It is raining outside.

* Some verbs ( for example , know and like ) are not action verbs. You cannot say :

- I am knowing somebody
- They are liking to study English.

* You can only say :

- I know somebody.
- They like to study English.

Here is a list of verbs not normally used in continuous tenses:

like - love - hate - want - need - prefer - know - realise - suppose - mean - understand - believe - remember - belong - contain - consist - depend - seem

1- I'm tired . I need some time to rest ( not I'm needing ...)
2- Your class is very good . I understand better now. ( not I'm understanding ...)
3- Do you understand what I mean ? ( not Are you understanding what I mean? )
4- She believes in everything I say . ( not She is believing ...)

* When the verb "to think " means believe, do not use the continuous.

- What do you think will happen with me? ( not What are you thinking...)

* but you can use the continuous in these cases:

- You look serious. What are you thinking about? I mean : What is going on in your mind?

- I'm thinking of opening a new English group. Actually I'm considering that this is possible.

* When the verb "to have " means posses, do not use the continuous.

- We are enjoying our holiday. We have a nice room in the hotel.

* but you can use in this case:

- We are enjoying our holiday. We are having a great time here.

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5- Simple Past ( I did)

Study this example:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozar was an Austrian musician and composer . He lived from 1756 to 1791. He started composing at the age of five and wrote more than 60 pieces of music. He was only 35 years old when he died.

lived/started/wrote/was/died are all past simple.

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6- Past Continuous ( I was doing)

Pay attention on this example:

Yesterday Yasmin and Sabrina studied English together . They began at 10 o'clock and finished at 11:30. So, at 10:30 they were studying English.

They were studying = They were in the middle of studying . At 10:30 they had not finished studying yet.

* was / were + ing = past continuous

I was playing / doing / working
He, she, it was calling/ kissing/ dreaming

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We you they were singing/crying/enjoying

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