Modal verb: Ought to

"..People ought to know several things about the recent history.."





Ought is different from other auxiliary verbs. It is used with to.
We can use ought to instead of should in some contests.
example:
- Do you think I ought to apply for this course in particular?
- Yesterday it was a useful lesson in the university. You ought to have come.
- He has been studying hard for the exam, so he ought to pass.

Ought expresses duty, necessity, desirability and similar ideas. It is often used to advise people: to tell them that they have a duty to do things. The meaning is similar to should, is not as forceful as must. 
examples:
- You ought to attend school regularly. (Duty)
- You ought to help the needy. (Moral obligation)
- We ought to buy a new car, the other one has broken down. (Necessity)


NOTE:
Note that to is dropped in question tags.
- You ought to love your girlfriend, ought not you? (NOT…ought not you to.) 

Ought does not have infinitives (to ought) or participles (oughting, oughted). Questions and negatives are made without do.


BUT:
Ought is rarely used in questions and negatives; should is generally used instead. A structure with think … ought is also common.
examples:
- We ought to help them, shouldn’t we? (More natural than ought not we?)
- Do you think I ought to consult a doctor? (More natural than Ought I to consult a doctor?) 
- Should we tell her? (Less formal than Ought we to tell her?)

Modal verb: Would

example situation:

 He would need to get a break....










Would is another auxiliary verb, a modal auxiliary verb.
We use would mainly:

•  when we imagine a situation or action (like thinking to something that is not real):                                                                                                                            - It would be beautiful to live in a caste;                                                               - I would love to go on the moon;                                                                           - I would like to live in Spain 

• when would/wouldn't is the past of will/won't.                                    example:                                                                                                                                - I'll phone you on Saturday / He said he would phone on Saturday.                                                                                                                              - I promise I'll be on time / She promised she wouldn't be late

• in sentences with if:                                                                                                          - I would phone her if I had her number;                                                             - I would have phoned you if I had had her number                                   ..we will get back to this forms in some next Units..

• when we imagine actions or situations in the past that didn't happened:          - I didn't tell your brother you didn't go to school, he would have not been happy ;                                                                                                                                     - I am happy it didn't rain, otherwise the pic-nic would have been canceled.

COMPARE: 
Would (do) and Would have (done)
- I would invite Brian to my party, but he doesn't get along well with my sister after they broke up.. (now)
- I would have invited Brian to my party, but he wasn't a good situation for my sister too see him at the party..
(in the past) 

- I would cut my hair, if I have time. (now)
- I would have cut my hair, if I'd had time. (past) 


BUT:
We tend to use would especially when reminiscing about the past, telling a story or recollecting some regular or repeated thing we did long ago.

"When I was a child, we would visit my grandmother every Sunday afternoon. I would sit on my grandmother's knee and she'd sing me a song."

'Would' is more restricted in use than 'used to'.
..we will see these form in the next post..

Stay tuned!

Modal verb: Should

example:

Here the scientist suggests to his colleague:
"I think you should be more explicit here in step two..instead of writing then we need a miracle..."







You should do something = means it is the right thing (or a good thing) to do
Should is used to give advice or to give an opinion.
examples:
- Your English needs a review. You should study some grammar.
- The government should do something concrete to help this country.
- Should we invite Mark for my birthday? Of course, we should! 
- You shouldn't run, is very slippery.  (negative form)

• Should is not as strong as must or have to: - You should apologise to her (it would be a good thing to do) ; You must / have to apologise to her (you have no alternative)

• It is possible to use should when something is not right or what we expect: - I wonder where Matteo is. He should be already here by now; - The price of this book is wrong, it should be 10€ not 100€

• Should can be used to comment on something we expect: - There shouldn't be any problem on finding a Hostel in Barcelona in two weeks.

• Should is often used after some verbs like: DEMAND, INSIST, PROPOSE, RECOMMEND, SUGGEST

ALSO
Should is often used in the first conditional hypothetical constructions:                     if + should + infinitive:

example
- If you should happen to miss the train, I could drive you there myself.

- Should you wish to change your holiday arrangements, we will all we can to help.  (very formal situation, in written English)

we are going to review conditional situations a bit further

Modal verbs: Have to, Must

this guy was singing in 1965..


"..And nobody has ever taught you how to live on the street
And now you find out you're gonna have to get used to it..."
 



Have to do something means that it is necessary to do it: is used to express a strong obligation. 
examples: 
- I have to arrive at work before 8 o'clock tomorrow morning, I have a client at 8,30.
- You have to pass your last five exams get the bachelor degree.
- I have to send a my report by the end of the week.

- Matteo doesn't have to work on Saturdays. (negative form)

- Why did you have to go so early yesterday evening? (questions)

- I don't know if I can come to the seaside next weekend, I might have to work. (have to with might)

the same man has been telling us about another story saying:

"..How many roads must a man walk down,
before you call him a man?
How many seas must a white dove sail,
before she sleeps in the sand?
yes and how many times must a cannon ball fly.."

  

[...This lyrics excite abstract statements rather than particular and specific examples. They excite both the imagination and emotions, it enables you to unlock your own highly personal box of images, memories, connections and associations. Keep them in your mind as they are beautiful songs...] 

Must is similar to have to:
- You must come and see us again soon.
- You have to come and see us again soon. (is also possible)

• Must can be used to give your personal opinion, to say what you think is necessary or to recommend somebody to do something. But have to is also possible: - They must do something about it.  - I must say, I don't think you were very nice to her. 

• Must to show that we are certain something is true. Actually, we are making a logical deduction based upon some clear evidence or reason: - You must be worried that she didn't call you yet. - It must be nice to live in Marbella in summer. 

• Must is often used in written rules and instructions: - Application forms for the job must received by October the 10th. - In this exam, pencils are not allowed, you must write your answers in ink.

NOTE:

Have to to express a strong obligation. 

When we use have to this usually means that the speaker is not giving his personal opinion, but rather some external circumstance makes the obligation necessary:

- I have to work from 9 to 6 o'clock, every day. (this is a fact, not an opinion)

- I have to pass my last exam or the university won't accept me.

ALSO

Especially, in British English, have got to is used to mean the same as have to.

- Ciccio is a bartender. He's got to work mainly at weekends.

- Have I got to do it right now?

 

BUT

Mustn't and don't have to are completely different:

 

You mustn't do something = it is necessary that you do not do it:

- You must keep the secret! You mustn't tell anyone

- You mustn't phone me at work. We aren't allowed to receive any personal calls. 

You don't have to do something = you don't need to do it, but you can if you want:
- You don't have to tell them, but you can if want to.
- I don't have to go to lesson today, but I'll think I'll go anyway.

Modal verbs: Can, Could, Be able to

..unfortunately this won't an example but, a dedication..

  

 

Motorcycles racers can fly high..

                                                     #58

Can and could are modal verbs. 

They are used with other verbs to transmit ideas such as possibility, permission, etc.


Can

We use can to say that something is possible or allowed, or somebody has the ability:

• talk about possibility and ability. example: - I can ride a motorbike.  - He can speak three languages.

• make requests or give orders. example: - Can you buy me a pencil?  - Can you complete your job before you leave the office.

• ask for or give permission. example: - Can I borrow your mobile for a second?

Could 
We use could:

• as the past tense of can. example:  - Guys, Tom is on his way and he said she could get the pizzas for us.

• to show what was possible in the past. example:  - He could ride the bike since he was nine years old.

• to ask someone to do something. example:  - Could you hold this bag for a second, please?

• to ask if someone is able or allowed to do something. example: - My grandmother could speak Spanish.  - Could I ask you an information?

 We could use could especially with verbs like: SEE, HEAR, SMELL, TASTE, FEEL, REMEMBER, UNDERSTAND
examples:- I could hear the sound of your voice from the upper floor.
- Yesterday afternoon was very hard to drive, I couldn't see anything.


Be able to
Be able to is used when we refer to somebody who has the ability to do something:
- Marta is able to drive, but she hasn't got a car.
- My grandfather was able to repair motorbikes.
- Applicants for the job, must be able to speak two foreign languages.


NOTE:
For general ability, the most common form is could.
But if we want to say that somebody did something in a specific situation, is possible to use was/were able to or managed to, rather than could.

examples: 
- I wanted to buy some bread, the first shop I went didn't have any, but I managed to go in another bakery.
- There was nobody to disturb me, so I was able to study the whole morning.


COMPARE:
- Marco was an excellent  motorcycle racer, he could drive really fast in races.
(Marco had the general ability to drive very well in competitions)

- Marco managed to win the Italian Minimoto Championship in 1999
(Marco won the title in that specific competition)

Might as well

take a look at this example situation:

That is probably the toughest question ever asked, but he might as well know it.







Might as well is an expression very commonly used by English speakers, but also not very seen it taught in an English textbook.
Let's have a look at it. It can be used:

•  when you want to say that there is no GOOD reason NOT to do something. example:                                                                                        It’s almost time to go home and you’ve finished all your work, so you might as well go home now.

• to say that two things, people or situations are so similar that they could be considered to be the same. example:                                                 Shame! We have just lost the bus connection! So we might as well take a taxi to the airport.

 
more examples:
- There is nothing interesting on TV. I might as well go to sleep.

- I bought this ticket for the We will rock you show, but I'll be outside London for work. So I might as well sell it.

Modal verbs: May - Might

May and might are used to say that something is a possibility. 

May
The modal verb may is manly used in written and formal contests, is rather formal and not used very often in modern spoken English.

Is possible to use it:

• to ask for a permission:  

      May I have a cup of tea?  
        (this is the typical English contest we could imagine, like at 5 o'clock in the hall of a Lord's club)  
      May I borrow your pen? (in an office)

• to suggest something is possible:  

      I may not have time to do it today. (in an office)

Might
Might suggests a smaller possibility than may, there is basically just a little difference and is more usual than 'may' in spoken English.

• the modal verb might is used when the outcome is less probable or uncertain to happen:  

        Tom is not in the office, he might not work here anymore.
       (he is not in the office, but maybe he is just having a day off)


more examples, in past version as well:
- I can't find my wallet anywhere. I might have left it in the car.
- I might not go to the party.
- I wonder why Dave didn't answer the phone, he might have been sleeping.


MORE:
Could is similar to may and might:
- What you've just said is a weird story, but it could be true = (it may/might be true)
- You could have forgotten your wallet at home = (you may/might have forgotten)

BUT remember that couldn't is different from may not and might not, compare:
- Police said it couldn't have been an accident. (is propable that was something planned)

- He didn't answer me. I might not have been English. (is probable that he wasn't able to understand me)


more examples:
- I haven't decided where to go next weekend, i might go to Milan. 
  (perhaps I will go to Milan = future plans)

- I might not go out tomorrow evening, I don't feel good. 
  (perhaps I will not go out = future plans)

- Don't phone at my parents' house at 11 o'clock, they might be already sleeping = Don't phone at my parents' house at 11 o'clock, they will be already sleeping

Modal Verbs: Can - Could - Was able to

Can
The modal verb can is used to express:

• the ability to do something: I can speak English

• the possibility to do something: This evening i can go out, because tomorrow is my day off

• to say that something is probable: If you don't pay attention on the stairs, you can hurt yourself 

• expresses the permission to do something: You can take my car this weekend if you need it

Could 
The modal verb could is used to:

• express the conditional in sentences as the conditional form of can: If I had more time, I could travel around the world

• express possibility: You could to Rome by train, rather than the car.

• express past ability as well: I could run ten kilometers in one hour, when I was younger.

• make suggestions: You could spend your holidays in my house in Toscany, if you like.

• make polite requests: Good evening, Could I have something to drink? 

As we have specified above could is used to for general ability, but if you want to say that somebody did something in a specific situation, is good to use the form:
was/were able to or managed to

examples:
- You will be able to speak perfect English very soon. 
- I would like to be able to speak 5 languages.
- I have been able to ride the bicycle since I was 6.

Future perfect: will have (been, doing)

example situation:

Dave is an engineer. 

His job is to project and develop eolic solutions.

In January, he will have been working in the same company for 4 years.



The present perfect form will have + past participle is used to say something will already be achieved before a time in the future.

examples:
- They will be tired when they arrive. They will not have slept for a long time.
- You can call after midday The meeting will have finished by that time.

• as we can see from the examples above, the 'will have done, been, ..' to predict what we think has already happened at present:

        more examples:
        - Even if you hurry so much, by the time you'll get to the station the train will
        have left  already.
        - We are so late, the movie will have started by the time we get to the 
          cinema in the city. 


Now let's compare the future perfect with the future continuous:

- Simon is on holiday and he is spending his money very quickly. If he continues like this, he will have spent all his money before the end of next weekend.

- If you need to contact me, I'll be staying at the Generator Hostel until next Monday.

Future Continuous: Will be doing

example situation:

Mrs Johnson is a teacher. 
She goes to work every day. She leaves home at 7,30 am and arrives at work at about 8 o'clock. 
Lessons start at 8,30 and continue until 1 o'clock.
At 1,30 she goes back home where she has lunch with the husband.
At 5 o'clock she corrects the homeworks of her students. ...

At 7,45 am: She will be driving to school.

At 8,30 am: She will be starting the lesson.

At 12.30: She will be explaining homeworks to her students.

                                                        At 2 pm: She will be eating at home.

The future continuous (I will be doing something) is used to describe something when I will be in the middle of doing it.

 examples:
- This time next month, I'll be sitting on the beach in Marbella.
- What will you be doing at 8pm tonight?
- Don't worry. I won't be sleeping, if you call me at 2 o'clock.

Also, is possible to use this tense in other situations:

•  to talk about future events that are fixed or decided:                                        - You know what! I'll be visiting your city right next week!. In fact, I'm going to be coming next Friday!

•  to predict what we think or suppose is happening now:                                    - I've been trying to call his mobile for an hour. He'll probably still be sleeping.

• to ask extremely politely, and with no pressure, about future plans:                  - Will you be eating with us for lunch?

The Future: (to) be going to

The present continuous form referred to future actions (I am going to/we are planning to), means that I/We have already decided and arranged to do something.

situation example:

- What are you doing for Christmas Holidays?
- I think, we are going to ski in Slovakia on the Low Tatras.
- That's awesome! How many of you are planning to go?
- We are six in total, we are managing to rent a bungalow not far from the slopes.
- I wish you to have fun guys!!

• Present continuous can be also used just before we begin to do something. example:  

      -  She is going to give up smoking.
      -  If I look at the clouds, I deduct is going to snow, before evening. 

• To talk about something refereed to the past, it is used the form I was going to= I intended to do it, but I didn't do it:

     - I was going to call you, but Sue stopped me in the shop and I forgot.
      - It looked like it was going to snow, but in the end it didn't.

Tips:

Informal contractions are short forms of other words that people use when speaking casually: they are a little like slang.

For example, "gonna" is a short form of "going to".

If you say "going to" very fast, without carefully pronouncing each word, it can sound like "gonna".

Please remember that these are informal contractions: that means that in formal written English are not used, neither in writing.
They are normally used only when speaking fast and casually, for example with friends.
It is probably true to say that informal contractions are more common in American English.

The Future Will/Shall

The first form of future we have studied in the past was the will form:

			I will speak.  I will not/won't speak.  Will I speak?

Shall is also often used, only in formal contests in British English, in the first person (I/we) in questions when asking for permission, making suggestions, making an offer or asking for advice.
 I shall be at work on time. Shall we be at work on time? We shan't be at work on time.

The will/shall form is used when:

• we decide to do something at the time of speaking: What would you like to drink? I'll have a cup of tea please.

• we offer to do something: Your luggage seems to be heavy, I'll help you.

• agreeing on something: Can you send me the email now? I'll do it straight away!

• promising to do something: Ok I will help you to translate your thesis, in English.

•  we give information about the future or predict future events that are not certain: Train will arrive to Parma around 7 o'clock, without delays.  

Also will form is used in the cases:
- I'll probably be late, don't wait for me..
- I think/don't think Carl will make it on time.
- I'm sure you will do the right thing, don't hesitate.
- I wonder where I'll be next year this time..
- I think/don't think I'll be called to the job interview.

Do not use the will form to say what somebody has already arranged or decided to do, example:
- I am going on holiday in June. (not I will go on holiday in June)

- We are planning to go to Jane's house on the Alps, in two weekends. (not we'll plan to go to..)

Used to

let's have a look to this example:

Susan used to smoke when she was twenty years old.
Susan doesn't smoke anymore. (now)
She said, she used to smoke a lot when she was young.




As we can assume from the example above, Susan used to smoke regularly in the past: was an action that she had been doing for a while in her life.
Something used to happen, it happened regularly in the past, but no longer happens.

examples:
- I used to smoke a packet a day but I stopped two years ago.
- I used to live in London, but I moved back to Italy three years ago.


We also use it for something that was true but no longer is:
- She used to have really long hair but she's had it all cut off. 
- My brother used to go to work by bus, but he bought a car two years ago. 

more examples:
- Did you use to play a lot with your toys when you were a child?
- I didn't use to like her, but after we had holiday together, our feelings got better.

Pay attention:
'Used to do' is different from 'to be used to doing' and 'to get used to doing' :

• to be used to doing
  We use 'to be used to doing' to say that something is normal, not unusual.
  I'm used to living on my own. 
• to get used to doing
  We use 'to get used to doing' to talk about the process of something becoming normal for us.
  I've started working nights and I'm still getting used to sleeping during the day.

The English Possessive ("Saxon genitive")

In English language teaching, the term "Saxon genitive" is used to associate

the possessive use of the apostrophe (" 's ") 

The Saxon genitive is one of the ways in modern English of forming a 

genitive construction, along with the preposition "of". 

The possessive case is used to show ownership. 

example: 

Luca's blog. 

In general, we can say that we use the genitive case (‘s) when the possessor is a 

person or an animal. If not, we use the "of-construction": "The blog of Luca."

examples: 

- Luca's blog

- Marta's pen

- Marcelo's photos 

- The kids’ bikes

- The children’s bikes

- The boy’s bike 

As we can see from the examples above, if we have a plural form ending in -s, 

we add only the apostrophe, as in the first example: boy is singular, so we add ‘s, 

as has been seen in the previous section.

• Exception:
  children is plural, but it does not end in -s. 

  If, like in this case, we have a plural form ending in -s, 

  we add only the apostrophe: 

  examples: 

  - The children's toys.

  - The members' hall.

  - The families' houses.

  It is good to remember:

Personal Pronoun/Determiner Possessive
Lynne's	Lynne's
My	Mine
Your	Yours
His	His
Her	Hers
Its	Its
Our	Ours
Their	Theirs
Whose	Whose

For example:
- This is Luca's blog. It's my blog!. It's mine!
- It's not Matt's blog. It's not his blog. It's not his. 
- Have you seen her keys? They're her keys. They're hers.

You should still use the genetive case when talking about things that belong to other things.

examples:
- The door of the car.
- The content of the website. 
- The top of the page.

Plural "Y" Endings

There are two rules for making the plural of words that end in "- y". 

The rules depend on the previous letter before the "- y", if is a consonant or a vowel.

There are 5 vowels in the alphabet: a, e, i, o, u
There are 21 consonants: b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z

If the word has a consonant before the final 'y' then the plural ends with 'ies':

Singular candy poppy canary spy city story

becomes

Plural candies poppies canaries spies cities stories

If the word has a vowel before the final y then you just add an 's':

Singular day delay boy toy key

becomes

Plural days delays boys toys keys

Past perfect continuous

Look at this example:

Before Jimmy finally could pay the journey to Thailand, he had been working for months.

Jimmy now is on holiday, he paid his holiday one month ago.
He had to work for a long time before i could pay it.
This action of working, doesn't continue till now, but it stopped when he paid in the past.

The Past Perfect Continuous is used to show that something started in the past, and continued up until another time in the past.
How is composed:

more examples:
- When the kids came into the house, is was quite clear to see from the dirty clothes that they had been playing in the garden.
- I had been waiting for Susan for 2 hours when she arrived

Let's focus on these sentences:
- Jason was tired because he had been jogging.
- Betty failed the final test because she had not been attending class.

And now compare the examples above with these similar examples in the present perfect continuos. 

The only difference is that these examples are referring to the present:

- He is tired because he has been exercising so hard.
- I think I'll fail this last test because I haven't been studying at all.

Past Perfect

Take a look at this example:

Paulina had written the letter before the class started.
Now she gave it to Mark.





The past perfect is used to refer to an event or situation which took place before another past event.

 

To help you to make it clearer:

more examples:

- I had lived in Spain for three years before I got married.

- She knew she hadn't studied it before the teacher called her to the blackboard.

And now compare the examples above with these similar examples in the present perfect. 

The only difference is that these examples are talking about the present:

- I have lived in Spain for three years. (until now)

- She knows that she hasn't studied at all, and now the teacher is calling her at the blackboard.

In these last examples we refer at the time of speaking, in the previous examples we refereed something before another event, therefor we used the past perfect.

Present perfect and Past simple

Most of the students, find difficult the circumstances of when it should be used either present perfect or past simple.
example:

Mark is looking for his wallet. He can't find it.
Mark has lost his wallet. (action, present perfect)

That means that he is not in possess of his wallet, at the time of speaking, now.


and a few minutes after..


Now Mark has found his wallet. He has it now.
Has he lost his wallet? No, he has found it.
Did he lose his wallet? Yes, he did.

He lost his wallet,            (before, present simple)
but now he has found it!  (now, present perfect)



The present perfect is a present tense. It always tells us about the situation now. The present simple tells us only about the the past, it doesn't tell anyting about the situation now.

This scheme represents most of the past tens, we have seen so far:

Note:

• Present perfect is used for new or recent happenings: I've just seen a nice advertisement on TV
• Past simple is used for things that are not recent or new: My grandfather grew up in Sardinia, then he moved to Italy when he was 35 years old.

Compare the examples:
- Who invented the first car?
- Do you know if the Europeans car manufacturers have invented some new eco-engine?

• Present perfect is used to give new information, but if we continue to talk about it, we normally use the past simple.

more examples:
- I've just cut my finger!
- Are you ok? I'll bring you a plaster.
- Yes please, take here the whole first Aid box.
- How did it happened?
- I cut myself with the new knife, is so sharped!

Do not forget, what we said in the previous lessons:

• Present perfect is not used when is refered to a finished time (yesterday, in 1980, yesterday, when i was a child): last weekend was soo cold.
• When in the sentence there is When or What time, it must be used the Past simple: what time did you get home last night?

more examples:
- It hasn't snowed yet this year.     (Present perfect)
- It didn't snow last year.               (Past simple)

- at breakfast time: Have you shaved this morning?         (Present perfect)
- at dinner: You didn't shave this morning, isn't?               (Past simple)

- I have never been in Tunisia.    (Present perfect)
- I was in Tunisia in 2005.           (Past simple)

Have got & Have

Have got and have (for possession, relationships):
Is possible to use have got and have (without got), there is no difference in meaning.
examples:
- I've got a new laptop / I have got a new laptop
- She's got two cars / She has two cars
- My house has got a nice terrace / My house has a nice terrace

Note:

• for the past is used had (without got)

• with the possession meaning, it is not possible to use continuous forms: We are having a car is wrong. We have got a car is correct.

In past questions and negative sentences, is used did / didn't:
- I had a bike when i was living in London, did you have one as well?
- I didn't have the mobile with me all day long.
- Didn't you have rasta hair last month?


Have is commonly used for many actions and experiences:
Have:

• breakfast, lunch, dinner, a cup of tea, something quick to eat, ...
• a problem, a holiday, a party, a rest, a dream, ...
• a look at (something)
• a good time, fun, a hard time
• a son, a daughter, a baby

In all the examples mentioned above, have got is not possible to be used;
but is possible to use continuous forms.

examples:
- Every monday I have (I eat) pasta at lunch.
- We are having luch in a little bit.
- Have a look at the mirror.

Present perfect & Present Perfect continuous

Matt has climbed the mountain.

In this contest, the important thing is that something has been finished.
Who is talking is interested in the result of the activity, not the activity itself.




Matt has been rockclimbing 

Who is talking is interested in the activity, it doesn't matter whether something has been finished or not.
In this example the activity(climbing the mountain) has not been finished.






more examples:
- The garden is cleaned now, I have cleaned it
- My clothes are dirty, I have been cleaning the garden

- Jane has eaten all the food i bought
- Jane has been losing too much weight, recently



It is used the present perfect to say how much, how many or how many times (for completed actions):
- Matt has written 10 pages of the thesis today.
- We have had 3 lesson of History this week.

The present perfect continuous is used to say how long (for an activity that is still happening):
- How long has been taking you writing your thesis?
- We have been having this lesson since 9 o'clock

For & Since

We have been waiting for one hour.

We have been waiting since 9 o'clock.





For is used in a sentence where is specified the period of time.
Since is used in a sentence where is specified the start of the period of time.

more examples:
- I have been working in this factory for 20 years old.
- I have been working in this factory since May 1991.

"How long has it been raining?"
- It has been raining for 6 hours
- It has been raining since noon

"How long have you been with your girlfriend?"
- We have known each other for a long time
- We have known each other sincewe were at the University

- We haven't been in a discoclub for ages.
- It's ages since we went to a discoclub.

Present perfect continuous

Is it snowing?
No, but the house is under the snow.
It has been snowing.




The present perfect continuous is used for an activity that has recently stopped or just stopped: there is a connection with now

examples:
- You look tired. Have you been working till now?
- I've been talking to Paul, about our situation at work, and he agrees with me
- I've been reading this book, utill now.
- How long have you been smoking for?

The present perfect continuous is used with expressions like: how long, for, since.
The activity is still happening or it has just stopped.

- How long have you been playing that videogame, today?
- How long have you been living in London for?
- Matt! where have you been? I have been looking for you for the last hour!

compare this example:

Thom is building a brick wall. (he is building a wall now)

Thom has been building a wall (he started yesterday, and now he is still working on it)


take a look at this example:

How long have we been using oil?
The first oil well was in Pennsylvania in 1859.
We have been using oil for 152 years.





also

- Do you know each other well?
- Yes, we have been knowing each other for a long time!

Present perfect 2

Compare the examples:
I have lived in London for two years. (I live in London now.)
I lived in London for two years. (I don't live in London now.)







When we talk about a period of time that continues from the past until now, it is used the present perfect (have been / have done..)

examples:
- Have you ever driven a Ferrari?    (in your life)
- What a boring comedy! Is the most boring comedy I've ever seen!
- I've never been in Israel. Have you ever been there?
- I haven't seen you for a long time! 

The present perfect is commonly used with:
for a long time, recently, so far, in the last few week or days, since breakfast, today, this morning, this year, is the first time

In these examples the periods that we refer to, are not finished:



- Have you been on holiday this year? (is still this year)

- Have you shaved this morning?       (is still this morning)- So far, i haven't seen so much interest from you!
- David hasn't studied so much this term.
- Is the first time she has played guitar in front of so many people.
- Carla has never driven a car before.

Present Perfect

Matt is playing a videogame. He had to do some homework.
He has finished his homework, so now he can play the videogame.




Matt has finished his homework recently, but he doesn't say when exactly.

The present simple is have/has + past participle. The past participle often ends in -ed (finished, watched, decided, ..), but many verbs are irregular (forgotten, mistaken, been, seen,..)

When it's said that "something happened", this is usually new information:
examples:
- Someone has eaten my soup!
- Have you seen 'Gone with the Wind'?
- She has studied Japanese, Russian and English.

When there is a connection with now, thr action in the past has a result with now:
examples:
- She has worked in the bank for five years.
- We have had the same car for ten years.
- She gave me her number, but I have lost it!

We can use the present perfect with just, already and yet:
Just = a short time ago
I have just finished my homeworks.

Already = something has happened sooner than expected
I have already sent you the email, with the document you asked me.


Yet = the speaker is waiting for something to happen. 
Have you seen Mario yet?
He has finished her project, but she hasn't sent it to the costumer yet.
We only use the temporal adverb yet, in questions and negative sentences.

Past continuous

Yesterday Mark was studying. He started at 10 o'clock and finished at 8pm.
So at 4pm he was studying = he was in the middle of studying. He had not finished studying.



Was / Were - ing in the past continuous:

I / he / she / it      was             studying
we / you / they    were            reading
                                               watching
                                               eating               

examples:
I saw you walking in the street, yesterday around 2pm
What were you doing around 8pm yesterday evening?


Compare the past continuous and the past simple:
I was studying in my room, when the phone rang. (in the middle of the action)
I studied in my room, then i went to call on the balcony. (the action of studying was completed)

The past simple and the past continuous together are used to say that something happened in the middle of something else:
We were having a tea at 5 o'clock when my brother called me.
I was shopping in Tesco, when I saw Debbie.
It was snowing yesterday, when my granmother fell in the garden.

The spast simple can be used to say that one thing happened after another
She was having a coffee in a bar, when i saw her trough the window, so i stopped and we had a chat.

Some verbs (for example know and want) are not normally used in the past continuous
I was at the meeting, when my husband told me he wanted to go home.
(not he was wanting)