A Grammar in a Nutshell First Certificate Level

1
A Grammar in a NutshellFirst Certificate Level

• Present Simple
• Present continuous

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Present simple

• Form
• I work in a factory. (the same form for you,
  we, they)
• She works in a factory. (the same form for he,
  it)
• I do not (dont) work in a factory. (The same
  form for you, we, they)
• She does not (doesnt) work in a factory. The
  same for he, it)

3
? Do I work at university? (the same form
for you, we, they) Does she work at
university? (the same form for he, it) -? Do
I not (Dont I) study enough? (the same form for
you, we, they) Does she not (Doesnt she)
work at university? (the same form for he,
it)
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• Use
• Habitual or repeated actions and situations
• He often runs in races but rarely wins.
• In autumn birds fly south.
• Key words adverbs of frequency. (s. a.)
• Situations that never change.
• The sun rises in the east.
• Timetable future
• This lesson finishes at 100 p.m.
• Their train leaves at 412 p. m.
• .

5

• Time clauses introduced by when, as soon as,
  after, if
• When you get to Paris, youll see the Eiffel
  Tower.

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• Present continuous (present progressive)
• Form
• Present simple of the auxiliary be present
  participle of a full verb.
• They are having lunch at the canteen.
• - She isnt dancing in the park.
• ? Is he dying?
• -? Arent I having a great time?

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• Use
• Actions and situations at the moment of speaking
• Look, Its raining.
• Actions happening around the moment of speaking
• In German were reading Faust at the moment.
• Temporary situations
• Shes living with us until she finds a flat of
  her own.

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• Future plans
• Im playing badminton next Friday.
• (Use adverbs of time to express future action in
  order to avoid confusion.)
• Annoying habits. (with always, never etc.)
• Theyre always chatting. (And this goes on my
  nerves.)
• cf. They always chat. (This is a neutral
  observation.)

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• About 50 verbs are not normally put into the
  present continuous, even when the above uses
  would suggest so. Many of them are generally
  referred to as state verbs.
• Verbs that describe appearance
• He appears to be ill. It looks as if he is ill.
  He seems to be fit.
• 2. Auxiliary verbs
• can, dare, may, must, need, ought to
• Verbs of emotion
• love, like hate, adore, detest, prefer, want,
  wish

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• Verbs expressing existence
• be, exist
• Verbs expressing knowledge
• Know, remember, realise, forget, understand
• 6. Verbs of perception
• feel, see, hear, smell, taste, notice,
  recognise, stink
• Verbs of possession
• Belong, have, possess, own, owe
• Verbs of thought
• think, believe, suppose

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Many of these not continuous verbs can be used
in the continuous but with a different
meaning. Shes appearing in the news. Im
loving it. Shes being stupid. Theyre
feeling their way through the dark. Are you
seeing the doctor tomorrow? Theyre having
lunch / an affair. Im thinking of you. All
these examples present rather actions than states.