starter unit - grammar

1. 4th ESO
STARTER UNIT

2. PRESENT TENSES

3. PRESENT SIMPLE
Uses
•ROUTINES & HABITS: I play football every Saturday
•PERMANENT ACTIONS: I live in Barbastro. /The sun rises in the east.
•TIMETABLES: The class starts at 11.30.

4. •WITH STATIVE VERBS: He thinks is thinking that his proposal is a good one.

5. BUT some verbs can be both stative and dynamic:
Be
You are stupid . / You are being stupid.
Feel
I feel that Mr. Peters is a good teacher. / I’m feeling a little tired today.
Have
I have a car. / I'm having a party / a picnic / a bath / a good time / a break
Look
It looks cold outside. / She’s looking out the window.
See
I see her now, she's just coming along the road / I've been seeing my boyfriend for three
years
Smell
Something smells bad. What is it? / Anne is smelling the perfume to see if she wants to buy it.
Taste
This soup tastes great. / The chef is tasting the soup.
Think
I think that coffee is great. / What are you thinking about?” “I'm thinking about my next
holiday”

6. Time expressions
EXPRESSIONS OF FREQUENCY:
I play tennis_____________
Once / twice / three times... a day / week / month / year…
On Mondays...
Everyday / Every… Monday / August / year / class…
ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY:
I __________ play tennis.
I don’t ____________ play tennis.
I am _____________ tired.

7. Structure
(+) VERB / VERB –S / -ES* (3rd person singular = he / she / it)
I play tennis / She dances a lot
* verb finishes in.... –O : go / goES -S: kiss / kissES
-CH: watch / watchES -X: fix / fixES
-SH: wash / washES - Z: buzz / buzzES
* Verb finishes in consonant + y: cry / crIES
BUT ... if a verb finishes in vowel + y: play / playS
(-) DON’T / DOESN’T + VERB
I don’t play tennis / She doesn’t dance a lot
(?) DO / DOES + SUBJECT + VERB...?
Do you play tennis ? Yes , I do / No, I don’t.
Does she dance a lot? Yes, she does / No, she doesn’t.

8. PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Uses
• THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING NOW ( I’m explaining Present Continuous)
• TEMPORARY THINGS (I’m living in Lleida, only this summer)
• FUTURE PLANS (I’m having dinner with Joe next Friday)
Time expressions
NOW / RIGHT NOW / AT THE MOMENT / THIS MOMENT
TONIGHT
TODAY
THIS YEAR
AT PRESENT / PRESENTLY
TOMORROW / NEXT WEEK
You aren’t listening to me now.

9. Structure
VERB TO BE + VERB-ING Yo estoy cantando = I am singing
He is singing They are listening.
He isn’t singing They aren’t listening
Is he singing? Yes , he is / No he isn’t
Are they listening? Yes, they are / No, they aren’t.
SPELLING – ING:
1)Verbs which end in –e : the –e disappears
Write : writeing / writING
2)Verbs which end in –y
Play: playING
Cry: cryING
3)Verbs which end in CONS + VOW + CONS (tonic syllable)
Stop: stoPPING Cut: cuTTING

10. PAST TENSES

11. PAST SIMPLE
Uses
•An specific event which took place in the past. It’s ended:
I drove to the beach on 24th April.
•Sequence of past complete events:
We arrived at the airport and checked in.

12. Time expressions
YESTERDAY
LAST year
three days AGO
IN 1982
IN THE 19TH CENTURY
WHEN
THEN

13. Structure
(+) VERB –ED (regular verbs) * // VERB in 2nd column form (irregular verbs)
I played tennis / She drove her car.
*SPELLING OF –ED:
- Verb which ends in CONS + VOW + CONS (tonic syllable) Stop: stoPPed
- Verb finishes in consonant + y: cry / crIED
BUT ... if a verb finishes in vowel + y: play / playED
- Verb ends in silent –e : just add –D like / likeD
(-) DIDN’T + VERB
I didn’t play tennis / She didn’t drive her car.
(?) DID+ SUBJECT + VERB...?
Did you play tennis? Yes , I did / No, I didn’t
Did she drive her car ? Yes, she did / No, she didn’t.

14. Verb to be past form
WAS (1st & 3rd person singular ) / WERE (2nd person singular & 1st, 2nd and 3rd person plural)
She WAS my teacher
She WASN’T my teacher
WAS she my teacher? Yes, she was / No, she wasn’t.
They WERE her students / They WEREN’T their students /
WERE they their students? Yes, they were / No, they weren’t

15. PAST CONTINUOUS
Uses
• An incomplete action in progress (usually interrupted by another action)
I was having a shower when the phone rang
• Two incomplete actions taking place at the same time in the past.
I was having a shower while my sister was talking on the phone.

16. Time expressions
WHILE / AS + PAST CONTINUOUS
WHEN + PAST SIMPLE
WHILE / AS I was having a shower, the phone rang.
The phone rang WHILE / AS I was having a shower.
WHEN the phone rang , I was having a shower.
I was having a shower WHEN the phone rang.

17. Structure
VERB TO BE in the PAST+ VERB-ING Yo estaba cantando = I was singing
He was singing They were listening.
He wasn’t singing They weren’t listening
Was he singing? Yes , he was / No he wasn’t
Were they listening? Yes, they were / No, they weren’t.
SPELLING – ING:
1)Verbs which end in –e : the –e disappears
Write : writeing / writing
2) Verbs which end in –y
Play: playing
Cry: crying
3)Verbs which end in CONS + VOW + CONS (tonic syllable)
Stop: stoPPing Cut: cuTTing

18. PRESENT PERFECT TENSES
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE
VERB HAVE (HAVE / HAS)+ VERB in the past participle (-ed / 3rd column)
Yo he conducido una moto = I have driven a motorbike
He has bought a car. They have bought a car.
He hasn’t bought a car. They haven’t bought a car.
Has he bought a car? Yes , he has / No he hasn’t
Have they bought a car? Yes, they have / No, they haven’t.
VERB HAVE (HAVE / HAS)+ BEEN + VERB-ing
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
VERB HAVE (HAVE / HAS)+ BEEN (vb. To be in the past participle) + vb-ing
Yo he estado conduciendo una moto = I have been driving a motorbike
He has been buying a car. They have been buying a car.
He hasn’t been buying a car. They haven’t been buying a car.
Has he been buying a car? Yes , he has / No he hasn’t
Have they been buying a car? Yes, they have / No, they haven’t.

19. Uses
1) Something that started in the past and continues in the present (or maybe
its consequences continue)
They’ve been married for nearly fifty years.
I’ve broken my leg.
2) When we are talking about our past experiences (don’t mention when they
happened)
Have you ever eaten snails?
I’ve never played badminton.
I ‘ve travelled to New York and London vs I travelled to Paris last
summer.
!! “Where’s Maria?” “She’s gone to Paris for a week.” (She’ll be back tomorrow)
I’ve been to Italy on holiday. It was great. (I’m already back)
3) A recent action in the past
I’ve just had a sandwich.

20. PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE vs CONTINUOUS
1) I’ve painted the living room blue. (focus on the finished result. The
activity is finished but we can see the results now).
I’ve been decorating the house this summer. (focus on the action and
the action is unfinished)
2) I’ve read that book you lent me. I finished it yesterday. (completion idea)
I’ve been reading that book you lent me. I’ve got another 50 pages to
read. (something is unfinished)
3) She’s written 10 messages. (How much / many…?)
She’s been writing emails for 3 hours. (How long…?)
4) !! I’ve worked here for 30 years.
(How long…? BUT it’s a permanent situation)
I usually work in London but I’ve been working in Birmingham for the
last 3 weeks.
(How long…? It’s a temporary situation)

21. Time expressions
•EVER (?): Have you ever driven a car?
•NEVER : I’ve never driven a car.
•HOW LONG (‘?): How long have you lived here?
•SINCE : I haven’t smoked since 2010.
•FOR : I haven’t smoke for four years.
•STILL (-) :’ I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.
• (ONLY) JUST : I’ve just bought a car.
•RECENTLY : I’ve seen Mamma Mia! recently.
•LATELY: She hasn’t posted any updates lately.
•ALREADY (+): I’ve already bought my new car.
•YET (-/?): I haven’t bought a car yet.

22. PAST PERFECT SIMPLE
Uses
1) An action that happened before another action in the past.
By the time he was 20, he had already done a world tour.
Structure
VERB HAD + VERB in the past participle (-ed / 3rd column)
Yo había conducido una moto = I had driven a motorbike
He had bought a car.
They hadn’t bought a car.
Had she bought a car? Yes , she had. / No, she hadn’t.

23. Time expressions
•ALREADY
•YET
•BY THE TIME
•AFTER
•BEFORE
•UNTIL
•JUST
•WHEN
•AS SOON AS.

24. COMPARISON

25. COMPARATIVE
X X (más… que…)
SUPERLATIVE
X X X X (el / la más… de…)
short
adjectives
1 syllable tall
thin
taller than
thinner than
the tallest
the thinnest
2 syllables -y pretty prettier than the prettiest
long
adjectives
2 syllables boring more boring than the most boring
+ 2 syllables importa
nt
more important than the most important
irregular
adjectives
good better than the best
bad worse than the worst
far further than the furthest
little less than the least
old older than the oldest / * the eldest (family)
A lorry is bigger than a car. This is the most intelligent girl in
class.
ADJECTIVES:

26. AS + adjective + AS (tan …. como….)
September is AS hot AS August
X X
Not AS + adjective + AS (no tan …. como….)
The beach is not AS peaceful AS the lake.
X X
TOO + adjective : I’m TOO tired to go diving.
(not) adjective + ENOUGH
You’re clever ENOUGH to learn Chinese. (sufficient)
It’s not hot ENOUGH for swimming. (insufficient)
You’re too young to work = You’re not old enough to work.

27. ADVERBS:
I forget things more often nowadays.
She began to speak more quickly.
They are working harder now.
His ankles hurt badly, but his knees
hurt worst.
It rains most often at the beginning of
the year.