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Advanced Composition

Grammar

Unit 1: Present Time

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Key Words

1. Present simple

2. Present continuous/progressive

3. State verbs

4. Action verbs (or event verbs)

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permanent facts stateshabits

temporaryin progress

around nowtemporary

habits

P r e s e n t Simple Continuous

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permanent states facts habits

temporary statesactions in progress

around now

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

PRESENT SIMPLE

Present Simple: Basic Uses

Facts that are always trueThe earth rotates around the sun. Canberra is the capital of Australia.

Habits I work out every morning before breakfastI take the MRT to school.

States These trousers don’t fit me.I love sushi. STATE VERBS are always

used in the present simple

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• We should also cover the use of the present tense after certain sentence openings

• In case it rains …• If you are on time…

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Present Continuous: Basic Uses

Temporary actionsI’m living with my grandparents for the summer.

Actions actually in progress now It’s raining! We’d better go inside.

Actions generally in progress around nowI’m learning French. I have a class later.Change or development

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Repeated actions – not yet habits

My car has broken down, so I _________ to work these days.

Present Continuous: advanced points 1

am walking

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Complaints about annoying habits (with always, forever etc.)

You _______________ snide remarks about my

cooking!

Present Continuous: advanced points 2

are always making

Snide (adj.) mocking in an indirect way

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with verbs describing change or development

The rain ___________ harder. We’d better go inside.

Every year, more and more people ____________ to

the cities.

Present Continuous: advanced points 2

is getting

are moving

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Common State Verbs

Mental actions Likes and dislikes Senses

believethink knowwantwishsuspectunderstandrealize recognize

likedislike love hate preferfancy

feel see taste hearsound

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State Verbs

Some STATE VERBS describe a permanent condition.

Therefore, they do not usually have a continuous

form.

1. I __________ pork to steak.

2. That laptop __________ to my sister.

3. We __________ in freedom of speech.

prefer

belongs

believe

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Stative and active meanings

State Event /actionJack is a really friendly guy. Jack is being very friendly to

Amy at the moment.I think Toyota is the most reliable model.

I am thinking about changing my car.

She has a new puppy. She’s having a good time.

Some verbs can have stative and active meaningsbe, depend, feel, have, see, taste etc.

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Summarize

With a partner, summarize what we have learned so

far about:

1. Present simple

2. Present continuous/progressive

3. State verbs

4. Action verbs (or event verbs)

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1. Every year I visit / I’m visiting

Britain to improve my English.

PRESENT SIMPLE : a habit

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3. It’s time we turned on the air-

conditioning. It gets / It’s getting hotter

every day.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS: a change or development

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3. I’m going to buy a new swimming

costume. My old one doesn’t fit / isn’t

fitting any more.

PRESENT SIMPLE: “fit” is a state verb

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4. I forever tidy up / I’m forever tidying up the mess in your

room.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS: complaint about an

annoying habit

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5. The main character died / dies at the end of the story.

PRESENT SIMPLE: plot summary of a book or film

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6. I use / I’m using my brother’s car this week.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS : repeated action closely connected to the present moment