Past Continuous

 The past continuous is made from the past tense of the verb be and the –ing form of a verb:

I was working

You were playing

We use the past continuous to talk about the past:

• for something which happened before and after another action:

The children were doing their homework when I got home.

Compare: The children did their homework when (= after) I got home.

This use of the past continuous is very common at the beginning of a story:

The other day I was waiting for a bus when …
Last week, as I was driving to work, … 

• for something that happened before and after a specific time:

It was eight o'clock. I was writing a letter.

Compare: At eight o'clock I wrote (= started writing) some letters.

• to show that something continued for some time:

My head was aching.
Everyone was shouting.

• for something that happened again and again:

I was practising every day, three times a day.
They were meeting secretly after school.
They were always quarrelling.

• with verbs which show change or growth:

The children were growing up quickly.
Her English was improving.
My hair was going grey.
The town was changing quickly.

We do not normally use the past continuous with stative verbs. We use the past simple instead:

When I got home, I really needed (NOT was needing) a shower.

Make up 5 sentences with the verb in Past Continuous and post them below. 

‘Never give up,’ says teenager who landed BBC job after dozens of rejections

 

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Read the article and answer the questions:

1. What grades did Tyreek obtain in his A-levels?

2. What problems did he encounter while he was doing job-hunting?

3. How did he obtain his current job and what is it about?

4. What advice did Tyreek give to jobless people?

Hundreds of migrants and refugees camped at Belarus-Poland border

 

Watch the video and answer the questions:

1. Where are the refugees heading?

2. What is the reaction of the European Commission in response to the crisis?

3. What is the origin of the problem, according to the Russian foreign minister?

‘My grandmother hid Jewish children’: Poland’s underground refugee network

 

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Read the article and answer the questions:

1. What is the standoff between Poland and Belarus?

2. How do the Poles help the refugees?

3. Which situation in the past does the story resemble?

The Muslims who saved Jews from the Holocaust

 

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Read the article and answer the questions:

1. What role did Muslims play in the salvation of Jews during the Holocaust?

2. How many Muslims are there in Britain, according to the 2011 Census?

3. Why did the number of Jews increase in Albania during the Second World War?

 

Past simple or present perfect

Definite time in the past

We use the past simple to refer to definite time in the past (when we specify the time or how long) and usually with past time expressions such as yesterday, two weeks ago, last year, in 1995:

We met in January 1975. We went to America together in 1978.

Not: We have met in January 1975. We have gone to America together in 1978.

Time up to now

We use the present perfect to talk about time up to now, that is, events that took place in the past but which connect with the present. The present perfect is often used with time expressions which indicate time up to now, for example today, this year, in the last six months:

I haven’t seen her since January 1995.

Not: I didn’t see her since January 1995.

Compare

I haven’t seen her for over 20 years.	The last time I saw her was over 20 years ago.
I didn’t see her for over 20 years and then I bumped into her last week.	I saw her last week but the last time I saw her before last week was over 20 years ago.

 

Compare

I finished my homework an hour ago.	Definite time in the past. I finished my homework at a time in the past (one hour ago).
I haven’t finished my homework yet.	From a time in the past up to now. I started my homework at a time in the past and it is not finished yet (yet means ‘up to now’).
We had a good day yesterday.	Definite time in the past. We had a good day in the past (yesterday).
We have had a good day so far.	From a time in the past up to now. The day has been good until now but it hasn’t finished yet.
We didn’t see Diana last week.	Definite time in the past (last week).

We haven’t seen Diana this week.	From the beginning of the week until now.
I didn’t have any lunch today.	Today is not finished but it is almost the end of the day and past lunchtime.
I haven’t had any lunch today.	It is still today and not too late to have lunch.

Make up 5 sentences with Present Perfect and Past Simple and post them below.

Efforts to save Iran nuclear deal ‘reaching the end of the road’

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Read the article and answer the questions:

1. What changes have there occurred in the relations between Europe and Iran since the 2015 Iran nuclear deal?

2. What policy does the US pursue in this matter? 

3. What happened to the IAEA cameras placed at Karaj near Tehran?

Deadly Tornado Hits Multiple States

 

This should be a reminder to those capable of understanding. Fear Allah the way He should be feared.

Kentucky tornadoes: up to 100 feared dead in historic US storms

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Read the article and answer the questions:

1. What do you know of the level of devastation caused by the latest US tornado?

2. What was Biden's reaction to the event?

3. What was the reaction of the witnesses and survivors?

Phrasal Verbs

 Look at these examples to see how phrasal verbs are used.

This is the form. Please can you fill it in?
Why are you bringing that argument up now?
Police are looking into connections between the two crimes.
We need to come up with a solution.

Phrasal verbs are very common in English, especially in more informal contexts. They are made up of a verb and a particle or, sometimes, two particles. The particle often changes the meaning of the verb.

I called Jen to see how she was. (call = to telephone)
They've called off the meeting. (call off = to cancel)

In terms of word order, there are two main types of phrasal verb: separable and inseparable. 

Separable

With separable phrasal verbs, the verb and particle can be apart or together.

They've called the meeting off.
OR
They've called off the meeting.

However, separable phrasal verbs must be separated when you use a pronoun. 

The meeting? They've called it off.

Here are some common separable phrasal verbs:

I didn't want to bring the situation up at the meeting.
(bring up = start talking about a particular subject)

Please can you fill this form in?
(fill in = write information in a form or document)

I'll pick you up from the station at 8 p.m.
(pick up = collect someone in a car or other vehicle to take them somewhere)

She turned the job down because she didn't want to move to Glasgow.
(turn down = to not accept an offer)

Non-separable

Some phrasal verbs cannot be separated. 

Who looks after the baby when you're at work?

Even when there is a pronoun, the verb and particle remain together.

Who looks after her when you're at work?

Here are some common non-separable phrasal verbs:

I came across your email when I was clearing my inbox. 
(come across = to find something by chance)

The caterpillar turned into a beautiful butterfly. 
(turn into = become)

It was quite a major operation. It took months to get over it and feel normal again. 
(get over = recover from something)

We are aware of the problem and we are looking into it. 
(look into = investigate)

Some multi-word verbs are inseparable simply because they don't take an object.

I get up at 7 a.m.

With two particles

Phrasal verbs with two particles are also inseparable. Even if you use a pronoun, you put it after the particles.

Who came up with that idea? 
(come up with = think of an idea or plan)

Let's get rid of these old magazines to make more space. 
(get rid of = remove or become free of something that you don't want)

I didn't really get on with my stepbrother when I was a teenager.
(get on with = like and be friendly towards someone)

Can you hear that noise all the time? I don't know how you put up with it. 
(put up with = tolerate something difficult or annoying)

The concert's on Friday. I'm really looking forward to it. 
(look forward to = be happy and excited about something that is going to happen)

Read the explanation and make up 5 sentences with phrasal verbs.

Complex Subject

 

Noun/Pronoun + Predicate + Infinitive

The combination of a noun in the common case (or a pronoun in the nominative case) and an infinitive forms a complex subject.
The predicate which is usually expressed by a verb in the passive voice  is placed between the noun and the infinitive. The relation between the noun and the infinitive is that of subject and predicate.


The predicate in sentences with a complex subject can be expressed by:

1. The same verbs that can be followed by a complex object  (that is verbs of sense perception: to see, to hear…, verbs of mental activity: to know, to suppose…; verbs of inducement: to order, to cause, to allow…,). The verbs are used in the passive voice.

Patterns.

1. He was supposed to bring this book from London. (Predicate is underlined.) 
2. They are heard to have come from the South. 
3. They were seen to go home together. This article is expected to be published next month.

2. verbs of saying: to say, to report, to announce... in the passive voice.

Patterns.

1. The building of the new hostel is reported to be over. 
2. He was said to be writing a new play.

3. the verbs to seem, to appear, to prove, to happen, to turn out, to chance  in the active voice. 

1. The telephone happened to be out of order. 
2. The young man proved to know everybody. 
3. The house seems to have been damaged by the earthquake.

4. compound predicate: to be likely, to be unlikely, to be sure, to be certain, to be bound. 

1. They are likely to return on Sunday. 
2. Their team is certain to win. / Their team is bound to win. 
3. He is sure to miss this train. 
4. This house is likely to have been built many centuries ago.

Read the information above and make up 5 sentences with Complex Subject.

A decade of marketisation has left lecturers with no choice but to strike

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Read the article and answer the questions:

1. What was the reason for the strike?

2. How do you understand the term 'casualisation'?

3. Who insisted on reduction in staff costs and why?

4. Do you think reduction is the solution?

List of examination topics for the 3rd year students

 1. My meals

2. Higher education in Great Britain

3. The book I've recently read

4. My last visit to the doctor

5. The country I would like to visit

6. Choosing a career

7. London

8. Russia

9. My favorite film

10. Happy topic