1

Simple Present - Present Progressive/Continuous – contrasted

1) Use

Simple Present Present Progressive/Continuous

routine actions happening at the moment of speaking or

around the moment of speaking

habitual activities, scheduled events (e.g.

timetable)

fixed plan in the near future

sequence of actions in the present (first - then,

after that)

temporary actions

instructions trends

things in general repeated actions which are irritating to the speaker

(with always, constantly, forever)

2) Signal words

Simple Present Present Progressive/Continuous

always, often, usually, sometimes, seldom, never,

every day, every week, every year, on Mondays

now, at the moment, Look!, Listen!

3) Form

Simple Present Present Progressive/Continuous

infinitive

3rd person singular (he, she, it) infinitive + -s

to be (am, are, is) + infinitive + -ing

4) Examples

Simple Present Present Progressive/Continuous

4-1 Affirmative sentences

I play football. I am playing football.

You play football. You are playing football.

He plays football. He is playing football.

Simple Present Present Progressive/Continuous

4-2 Negative sentences

I do not play football. I am not playing football.

You do not play football. You are not playing football.

He does not play football. He is not playing football.

Simple Present Present Progressive/Continuous

4-3 Questions

Do I play football? Am I playing football?

Do you play football? Are you playing football?

Does he play football? Is he playing football?

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5) Spelling

Simple Present Present Progressive/Continuous

watches (-es after sibilant) Sit - sitting (double consonant after short vowel)

goes (-es after -o) Write - writing (without -e at the end)

hurries (-y to -ie after consonant) Lie - lying (change -ie to -y)

6) WH Questions

Simple Present Present Progressive/Continuous

What do you do? What are you doing now?

I. Complete the sentences with the Simple Present or the Present Continuous.

1.He usually ____________ (go) to work by bus but today he ________________ (go) by train.

2.Jane always ___________ (sleep) after lunch but this afternoon she ________________(visit)

her best friend.

3. Mary and Peter often _____________(stay) at home but tonight they _______________ (go out).

4. Paul usually _____________ (do) his homework in the evening but today he _________ (play)

with some friends.

5. I _________(read) a book every week but this week I ______________ (work) hard in the office.

II. Speaking. What are they doing? Work in pairs. Ask and answer questions about the picture.

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UNIT 1 MATERIALS

Listening

I. Listen and answer the questions.

a) What material is the rope made of? __________________________________________

b) What is the lecturer doing? __________________________________________

c) Is the rope breaking? __________________________________________

II. Listen again and complete the dialogue.

A: I’m (1) ____________________ the rope. I’m (2) _______________________ it.

Is it (3) ________________?

B: No, it (4) ________________

A: That’s right. It (5) __________________________

Vocabulary

I. Match the actions with the verbs in the box.

bend – compress – cut – drop – heat – scratch – stretch – strike

II. The lecturer is testing other materials. Complete his description.

o Now I (1) ‘m heating this plastic to 100° C. Can you see? It (2) ____________________(not melt).

OK, now I (3) _______________________ (put) this helmet on the floor. And now the machine (4)

_________________________ (drop) a 10 kg on it. Right, now look at Dr Wilson. He (5)

____________________ (strike) the metal plate with a hammer. But the plate (6) __________________

(not bend).

OK, now the jaws of the vice (7) ___________________ (compress) this plastic block. The block (8)

_____________________ (not break). Now, Dr Wilson (9) __________________________ (hang) a

Weight of 500 kg from the ropes. But the ropes (10) _________________________ (not stretch).

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Speaking

I. What are the people in the gym doing? Describe this picture using the words in the box.

bend – cycle – hold – lift – pick up – pull – push – run – sit – stretch – touch

II. Ask and answer questions about the picture in 6.

A: What’s D doing? Is he pushing the bar up?

B: No, he isn’t. He’s pulling the bar down.

III. Work in pairs. Guess the sport from the mime. Ex:

A: Look at me. (Mime the action). What am I doing?

B. Are you diving?

A: No, I’m not diving.

B: I know. You’re swimming.

A: Yes, you’re right. I’m swimming.

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IV. Write the –ing forms of the verbs on the correct line.

bend – climb – cut – dive – drive – drop – grip – heat – hold – leave – move – pull – push – rise – run – sit –

strike – swim

Add ing Double the last letter and add ing Drop the –e and add ing

Bend - bending

Cut - cutting Dive - diving

V. There’s a problem with the forklift truck. Say what’s going wrong.

I’m pressing (press) the accelerator pedal, but the truck isn’t going (go)

1. He ____________________ (pull) the lever back, but the forks __________________ (not rise)

2. You ___________________ (push down) the brake pedal, but the truck ________________ (not slow)

3. I _____________________ (slide) the lever forwards, but the forks __________________ (not tilt) upwards.

4. He ___________________ (pull) the direction lever backwards, but the truck ______________________

(not reverse)

5. You ____________________ (move) the direction lever forwards, but the truck ________________________

(not go) forwards.

VI. Write questions and answers for the pictures.

(you / push / handles)

(she / walk)

A: Are you pushing the handles?

B: No, I’m rowing.

1. _______________________________________________?

___________________________.

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(you / pull / bar / down)

(she / bend / legs)

(they / work out)

VII. Complete the dialogue about the engine’s cooling system. Put the verbs into the present continuous.

One verb is used twice: blow – drop – go – push – rise – run – work.

A: Is everything OK?

B: No. The engine’s cooling system isn’t working. The temperature of the water ______________________.

A: __________ the fan _____________ air through the radiator?

B: Yes, the fan is fine.

A: _______________ the pump ________________ water round the engine?

B: Yes, the pump is working.

A: Look! That clip on the bottom hose is loose. Water ______________________ out of the hose. So the cold

water ____________ not ______________ back to the engine. Tighten the clip.

B: ________________ the water ______________ out of the hose now?

A: No. Check the temperature.

B: Ah! The temperature ______________________. Good!

2. _____________________________________________?

_______________________________.

3. ___________________________________________?

_______________________________.

4. _________________________________________?

____________________________.

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UNIT II FUTURE PROJECTS

I. Read the article about a new train tunnel. Complete the specification chart.

The Gotthard Base Tunnel

The Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT) will be the longest railway tunnel in the world. Engineers are building it now,

in Switzerland, under the Alps. They will finish the project in 2016 -2017.

Today, many trucks use the roads over the Alps. In future, they will use the GBT. The tunnel will connect Zurich

in Switzerland with Milan in Italy.

There will be two tunnels. Each tunnel will be about 57 km long. They will run about 600 metres below the old

St Gotthard railway tunnel (completed in 1881).

The new trains will use electricity. Some trains will carry trucks and cars. Fast passenger trains will travel at 250

kph. About 200-250 trains per day will use the GBT.

Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT)

Location of tunnel

Possible completion date

Number of tunnels

Length of tunnels

Depth below old tunnels

Maximum speed of trains

Source of power for trains

Number of trains per day

Using "Will"

Positive Negative Question

I will help.

You will help.

We will help.

They will help.

He will help.

She will help.

It will help.

I will not help.

You will not help.

We will not help.

They will not help.

He will not help.

She will not help.

It will not help.

Will I help?

Will you help?

Will we help?

Will they help?

Will he help?

Will she help?

Will it help?

Using "Be Going to"

Positive Negative Question

I am going to leave.

You are going to leave.

We are going to leave.

They are going to leave.

He is going to leave.

She is going to leave.

It is going to leave.

I am not going to leave.

You are not going to leave.

We are not going to leave.

They are not going to leave.

He is not going to leave.

She is not going to leave.

It is not going to leave.

Am I going to leave?

Are you going to leave?

Are we going to leave?

Are they going to leave?

Is he going to leave?

Is she going to leave?

Is it going to leave?

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Future Tense – Going to vs. Will

Going to Will

Future facts:

He’s going to be 50 next spring.

Future facts:

He’ll be 50 next spring.

Predictions:

We are going to miss the bus.

Predictions:

We’ll miss the bus if we don’t hurry.

Predictions when there is something in the present that

indicates what will happen in the future.

Look at the sky. There´s going to be a storm.

Often use with the following words:

Probably, I think, I don’t think, I’m sure, maybe

He’ll probably stay home tonight.

I think I’ll go to bed early.

I don’t think I’ll go to the movie.

I’m sure I’ll like her girlfriend.

What are you going to do next year?

I’m not sure. Maybe I’ll take a trip.

Preconceived plans, arrangements

He needs some tools. He’s going to fix the car.

Used when we decide something at the time of

speaking

Would you like tea or coffee?

I’ll have tea, please.

It’s hot here. I’ll open the window.

Used for offers, requests and promises

I’ll help you to carry those heavy bags.

Will you please lock the door?

I promise I’ll call when we get there.

Agreeing or refusing to do something

I’m mad at John. I won’t help him.

Complete the following sentences using the correct form of going to or will. Be prepared to give the reason

for your choice. (Remember that sometimes you can use either going to or will)

1. Sam feels sick. He ____________________ (stay) home from work tomorrow.

2. I ________________________ (finish) my homework late tonight.

3. I left my wallet at home. That’s OK. I ____________________ (lend) you some money.

4. The sky is very dark. It ___________________ (rain)

5. What time __________ he ______________ (meet) you tomorrow?

6. Frank _____________________ (take) a two week holiday next year.

7. The box looks very heavy. I ____________________ (help) you to carry it.

8. We probably ____________________ (not go) to the party next week.

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Practice

I. In the following situations choose the correct sentences, a) or b).

1 You are reminding a colleague about the programme for tomorrow.

a) Remember that you’ll meet the supplier at 12 o’clock.

b) Remember that you’re meeting the supplier at 12 o´clock.

2 Two colleagues are discussing the future visit by inspectors.

a) The inspectors won’t allow us to store chemicals in this cupboard.

b) The inspectors are not allowing us to store chemicals in this cupboard.

3 Designers are discussing the car models with airbags.

a) The use of airbags is going to save more lives in the future.

b) The use of airbags is saving more lives in the future.

4 Two managers need the results from some research before November.

a) They won’t be able to complete the research before November.

b) They aren’t completing the research before November.

5 A senior manager isn’t looking forward the next week because he’s worried about the tests.

a) Tests will be carried out next week.

b) Tests are being carried out next week.

II. A salesman is describing a new product to a customer. Complete what they say with will or won’t and

these verbs: give – operate – deal – take – be – contact – install – provide – need – revolutionize – warm – see.

S: This is an excellent new material which _______________the use of solar panels.

C: I see, and how many hours of sunshine ___________ we ________ to produce energy?

S: It __________ necessary to have sunshine. It ___________ in daylight only.

C: __________ it __________ enough energy to warm the building in winter?

S: It ____________ the building but you may need additional heating when it is very cold.

C: What about installation?

S: We ___________ it for you. It ____________ long and you ____________ soon __________ how effective it

is. We ______________ you a three year guarantee and if there are any problems we ____________ them

immediately.

C: When will you be able to install it?

S: As soon as we receive your order we ___________ you to discuss a suitable date.

III. Change the long forms to short forms.

1. They are building a new tunnel. __________________________________________________

2. They will be two new tunnels. __________________________________________________

3. They will finish the tunnel in 2017. __________________________________________________

4. The trains will not use magnetism. __________________________________________________

5. There will be more than 200 trains per day. __________________________________________________

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IV. Underline seven mistakes in this report about the GBT. Then write the report.

The GBT will be the longest road tunnel in the world. It will connect Italy and France. Engineers will finish the

project in 2014. The new tunnel will be above the old railway tunnel. There will be over 300 trains per day. The

new trains will use diesel. All of them will run at 250 kph.

The GBT will be the longest railway tunnel ______________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

V. Match these present tense situations with the future intention.

Listening

I. Listen to Peter Douglas from Changing Holidays calling Jerry Harte and complete the chart.

Jerry and Sue

1. Where/go?

2. Who/with?

3. How/get there?

4. What /do?

5. Where/stay?

II. Now, make the questions and answer them.

1. Where is Jerry going? He’s going to go to Norway.

2. ____________________________________? _______________________________________

3. ____________________________________? _______________________________________

4. ____________________________________? _______________________________________

5. ____________________________________? _______________________________________

1 The building materials are being delivered. a We're going to replace the faulty machine.

2 There is a backlog of orders. b We're going to build a new warehouse.

3 We're shutting down production. c The assembly line is going to be inspected.

4 The workers need different interesting jobs to do. d We're going to automate it in the near future.

5 This is a very slow manual process. e The workers are going to work overtime.

6 There have been too many faulty goods recently. f. We’re going to introduce job rotation.

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Unit 3 PAST EVENTS

Start here

I. Work in pairs. When did these events happen? Give the approximate year of the first…

1. space station 6. Spacewalk

2. telescope in space 7. Man on the Moon

3. man in space 8. Shuttle in space

4. space tourist 9. Crew to enter the International Space Station

5. satellite 10. European navigation satellite

Reading

Key dates in the history of space flight

Event Date

1. The Russians launched Sputnik, the first satellite 5 October 1957

2. Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space. 12 April 1961

3. Leonov made the first walk in space. 18 March 1965

4. The first men, Armstrong and Aldrin, landed on the moon. 20 July 1969

5. The Russians launched the first space station, Salyut 1. 19 April 1971

6. The Americans put the first shuttle into space. 12 April 1981

7. NASA sent the Hubble telescope into space 24 April 1990

8. The first crew entered the International Space Station. 2 November 2000

9. The first tourist flew into space. 28 April 2001

10 The Europeans launched Galileo, a global navigation satellite. 28 December 2005

Form of Simple Past http://www.slideshare.net/LALA28/the-past-simple-ppt-presentation

Positive Negative Question

I spoke. I did not speak. Did I speak? What did you say?

For irregular verbs, use the past form (see list of irregular verbs). For regular verbs, just add “ed”.

Exceptions in Spelling when Adding ‘ed’

Exceptions in spelling when adding ed Example after a final e only add d love – loved final consonant after a short, stressed vowel or l as final consonant after a vowel is doubled

admit – admitted travel – travelled

final y after a consonant becomes - i hurry – hurried

Signal Words of Simple Past

yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the other day, last Friday

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The verb "be" has two forms in the past tense: was

and were

Singular Plural

I was We were

You were You were

He was

They were She was

It was

To make a question....

Singular Plural

Was I ... Were we ...

Were you ... Were you ...

Was he ...

Were they ... Was she ...

Was it ...

To make the negative add "not" (wasn’t = was not / weren’t = were not)

We were at school yesterday.

It wasn’t sunny last weekend.

Was Charles in London last week? -No, he wasn’t. He was in Liverpool.

Where were you on weekend?

Practice

I. Make questions and answers about the history of space flight.

1. When did the Russian launch Sputnik? They launched it on the 5th of October 1957.

2. ____________________________________? ____________________________________

3. ____________________________________? ____________________________________

4. ____________________________________? ____________________________________

5. ____________________________________? ____________________________________

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II. Complete the table of verb forms.

Verb Past Simple Past participle

Type A Regular Add - ed or d check

changed

Type B Regular Double the final letter + ed stopped

plan

Type C Irregular Verb= Past= Participle cut

put

Type D Irregular Past= Participle bought

sold

sent

Type E Irregular Past ≠ Participle fell

speak

taken

write

III. Complete the article with the past tense of the verbs given in brackets.

Near Miss Over Manchester

25 November

Last night, a military jet plane almost _______________(crash) into a large passenger plane over northern

England.

The incident _________________( happen) in dense clouds 110 km west of Manchester. The Boeing 757

passenger plane _______________ (be) 3505 metres above sea level. At 22.17, the F16 military plane

______________ (pass) at an altitude of 3527 metres. At its closest point, the total distance between the two

aircraft ________________ (be) only 36 meters.

The Boeing, flight number BA 4058, ________________ (have) 234 passengers, and _______________ (be) on

a flight path from Manchester to Greece. The military plane was on its way from Scotland to the south of

England.

The pilot and passengers on the plane ____________________ (not see) the incident beause of the clouds, but

the emergency anti-collision system (TACS) in BA 4058 __________________ (switch) on automatically. The

TACS system _________________ (steer) the passenger plane safely away from the military plane.

There ________________ (be) no injuries in the incident.

IV. Answer the questions about the article.

1. When did the incident happen? _______________________________________

2. Where were the planes? _______________________________________

3. How many passengers were there in the Boeing? _______________________________________

4. What was the distance between the two aircraft? _______________________________________

5. Did the military plane fly to Greece? _______________________________________

6. Did the passengers see the military plane? _______________________________________

7. Was the military plane on its way to the south of England? _______________________________________

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Speaking

I. Work in pairs. Ask and answer these questions.

1. Where / incident / happen 2. How high / be / Boeing

3. What / be / height /of / F16 4. What / be / flight number / passenger plane

5. What time / F16 / pass / Boeing 6. How far / be / jet / from / passenger plane

II. Ask questions for these answer about an incident.

1. It took place in the Nautilus shipyard. (Where / incident)

_______________________________________________________________

2. It happened in July last year. (When / happen)

____________________________________________________________________________

3. Yes, he wore his hard hat and safety boots. (repair man / hard hat)

____________________________________________________________________________

4. He used a ladder. (How / climb / to the cable)

____________________________________________________________________________

5. It was about 8 metres high. (How / cable)

____________________________________________________________________________

6. It had some bare wires. (problem)

____________________________________________________________________________

7. No, he didn’t, but there was a spark. (get / electric shock)

____________________________________________________________________________

8. No, it wasn’t. It was connected to a generator. (cable / main supply)

III. Write a short biography about you: when and where you were born, games you played as a child,

your favorite toy, school where you studied, etc. Then present it to the class.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

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IV. A listening activity. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/40568792/LISTENINGS/33%20Track%2033.mp3

I. True or False

1. Charlie and Maggie were on a school trip. _______

2. Maggie was worried on the plane. _______

3. Pablo and Sonia weren’t friendly. _______

4. Charlie’s Spanish was good so he wasn’t frustrated. _______

5. Maggie and Charlie weren’t homesick after the first few days. _______

6. Maggie wants to come back to Puerto Rico. _______

II. Answer these questions about the reading.

1. When did Maggie fly to Puerto Rico?

______________________________________________

2. Who was worried on the plane?

______________________________________________

3. When did Maggie meet her host family?

______________________________________________

4. What language did Pablo and Sonia speak?

______________________________________________

5. Did Maggie understand them?

______________________________________________

6. When did Maggie come back home?

______________________________________________

Learn about verbs in a funny way! Go to these sites.

http://www.eslgamesplus.com/past-simple-irregular-verbs-esl-grammar-interactive-activity-online/

http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verb-tenses_past_quiz.htm

http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-exercise-simple-past.php

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Unit 3 "I still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"

"I still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is a song by U2. It was one of the first big hits for the band.

The song helps you learn English because it has many examples of the present perfect.

The present perfect is a verb tense in English that uses "have" or "has" and a past participle.

Here are some examples from the lyrics in this U2 song:

I have run

I have climbed

Watch the video with the lyrics and pay attention to the examples of the present perfect.

Under the video is a listening comprehension quiz. Listen and see if you can fill in the blanks with the

correct words.

http://www.learnenglish-online.com/listening/music/stillhaventfoundwhatimlookingfor.html

Fill in the spaces with the correct words

I have climbed highest _________________

I have run through the fields

Only to be with you

Only to be with you

I have ____________________

I have crawled

I have scaled these city walls

These city walls

Only to be with you

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

I have ___________honey lips

Felt the healing in her fingertips

It burned like a ________________

This burning desire

I have spoke with the tongue of _______________

I have held the hand of a devil

It was warm in the night

I was ________________ as a stone

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But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

I believe in the Kingdom Come

Then all the colors will bleed into one

Bleed into one

But yes I'm still ______________

You broke the bonds

And you loosed the chains

Carried the _______________

Of my shame

Oh my shame

You know I _________________ it

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

PRESENT PERFECT

The structure of the present perfect tense is:

subject + auxiliary verb + main verb

have past participle

Here are some examples of the present perfect tense:

subject auxiliary verb main verb

+ I have seen ET.

+ You have eaten mine.

- She has not been to Rome.

- We have not played football.

? Have you finished?

? Have they done it?

Contractions of the present perfect form:

-I’ve finished my work.

- John hasn’t seen ET.

- She’s been to Rome.

WH Questions:

-How long have they excavated the

mine?

-Where have you been lately?

Uses

- actions in the past with no specific time

- activities that affect the present or

continue in the present

- experiences

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For & Since with Present Perfect Tense

We often use for and since with the present perfect tense.

We use for to talk about a period of time - 5 minutes, 2 weeks, 6 years.

We use since to talk about a point in past time - 9 o'clock, 1st January, Monday.

Do these exercises

I. Fill in the spaces with the correct form of the Present Perfect.

1. I _________________________ (go) to Japan.

2. She ______________________(see) the movie.

3. They _____________________(not eat) Italian food.

4. You _____________________ (meet) my brother.

5. Jeff ______________________(not drive) a car.

6. We ______________________ (speak) to the teacher.

7. They ____________________(not try) Mexican food.

8. _______________ Jen ____________(do) her homework?

9. Bob and Dan ____________________ (make) many telephone calls.

10. The children ____________________ (play) soccer many times.

for since

a period of time a point in past time

x------------

20 minutes 6.15pm

three days Monday

6 months January

4 years 1994

2 centuries 1800

a long time I left school

ever the beginning of time

Here are some examples:

I have been here for 20 minutes.

I have been here since 9 o'clock.

John hasn't called for 6 months.

John hasn't called since February.

He has worked in New York for a long time.

He has worked in New York since he left

school.

been and gone

- She’s gone to Portugal (and she’s there now)

- She’s been to Portugal (sometimes in her life, but

she has returned)

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Reading

I. Bob and Darren work together. They are talking about interviews for a new sales manager position at their

company. This reading has many examples of the present perfect verb tense. Underline them. Bob:

We need to make a decision on who we are going to hire for the new salesperson position.

Darren:

I know. There are a lot of good applicants. So far we have interviewed 10 people and have looked at over 50

resumes.

Bob:

Well, let’s take a look at some of the best and make a decision.

Darren:

Ok, the first person is Phil. He has worked as a salesperson for 10 years in both The United States and Canada.

Also, he has been the manager of the sales department of a large auto-parts company.

Bob:

Sounds interesting, but has he ever worked in the food sales industry?

Darren:

No he hasn’t.

Bob:

That might be a problem; we need someone with food experience.

Darren:

OK, what about Karen? She has worked in the food industry for 6 years. She has been a manager of a major

supermarket and worked in marketing for a large meat company.

Bob:

OK. Has she worked in international sales before?

Darren:

No, she has never worked in international sales.

Bob:

Well, that could be a problem. This job will require a lot of international experience. I think we need someone

who has worked in an international environment

Darren:

Well what about Larry? We haven’t met him yet but his resume looks good. He has been a salesperson in the

food industry for 13 years. He has lived in The United States, Canada and Mexico. In the past 4 years he has

learned how to speak Spanish and French.

Bob:

Wow, sounds great!

Darren:

The problem is we still haven’t had an interview with him.

Bob:

Well, let’s get him in here and see what he has to say!

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II. Answer these questions about the reading.

1. What are Darren and Bob doing? ___________________________________________________

2. How many people have they interviewed? ___________________________________________________

3. How long has Phil work as a salesman? ___________________________________________________

4. Has Karen worked as a saleswoman? ___________________________________________________

5. Who has been a manager in an auto-parts company? _____________________________________________

6. Where has Larry lived? ___________________________________________________

7. How many languages does Larry speak? ___________________________________________________

8. Have Darren and Bob interviewed Larry? ___________________________________________________

III. Rewrite the sentences using the present perfect tense. Remember: don’t use a time expression (such as

yesterday or an hour ago) with the present perfect.

1. My car broke down five minutes ago. My car has broken down.

2. NASA launched the space shuttle fifteen minutes ago.

________________________________________________________________________________

3. A virus attacked our office computers two hours ago.

________________________________________________________________________________

4. I wrote the e-mail and I sent it to the customer yesterday.

________________________________________________________________________________

5. The technician took the hard drive out of the computer an hour ago.

________________________________________________________________________________

6. The exhaust pipe fell off my car ten minutes ago.

________________________________________________________________________________

IV. Speaking. Work in pairs. Tell your partner about your experiences, places you have been to, etc. Then

change roles.

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Unit 4 ACTIVE vs. PASSIVE

A. Process description

First the logs are stripped of bark, cut into smaller sections, and made into chips. The chips are put into a large

tank called a digester and allowed to stew in a chemical mix under pressure. The wood pulp that is created by

this process is then washed to remove any chemicals and pressed through screens to remove chunks and foreign

objects. The pulp is then drained of water to form a mass that is bleached and washed again.

The passive is often used in three situations:

1. The “doer” of the action is not known.

My bicycle was stolen.

(It is not known who stole the bicycle.)

2. The “doer” of the action is obvious or not important.

Spanish is spoken in Mexico.

(The subject, people, is obvious.)

3. The object is the most important part of the sentence.

The diamond was stolen by two thieves.

In active sentences the subject goes first. In

passive sentences the object, or the receiver

of the action, goes first.

(Active) Jeff stole the money.

(Passive) The money was stolen by Jeff.

24

Sample sentences

Study the differences in these samples.

For our research studies we normally produce a preliminary analysis. We then publish the findings and

circulate them to various experts. This is exactly what we did when we applied for the current patent. We are

therefore very surprised that you have contacted us in this matter. We can assure you that we completed all the

relevant documentation. In the meantime we will investigate your claims further.

For our research studies a preliminary analysis is normally produced. The findings are the published and

circulated to various experts. This is exactly what was done when the current patent was applied for. We are

therefore very surprised that we have been contacted in this matter. We can assure you that all the relevant

documentation was completed. In the meantime your claims will be investigated further.

This list shows the active and passive sentences for all the major verb tenses.

Verb Tense Active Passive

Simple Present I speak English. English is spoken (by

me).

Simple Future I will speak English. English will be

spoken (by me).

Simple Past I spoke English. English was spoken

(by me).

Present Continuous I am speaking English. English is being

spoken (by me).

Present Perfect I have spoken English. English has been

spoken (by me).

Present Modals I should speak

English. English should be

spoken (by me).

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TASKS

I. In the following sentences underline the verbs and decide if they are active or passive.

1. A repeater boosts the electrical signal so that longer cables can be used.

2. Men’s tied are usually made of silk or polyester.

3. Nearly all paper can be recycled if it is sorted and contaminants are removed

4. Geothermal energy is produced below the earth’s surface.

5. The main sources of greenhouse gas emissions include fossil fuel generating plants and transportation

vehicles.

6. Manufacturers choose plastic containers for many different reasons.

7. Oil was formed in underground rocks millions of years ago.

II. Transform the sentences from active to passive. Only include the agent when necessary.

1. They filmed The Lord of the Ring in New Zealand.

__________________________________________________________________

2. They have translated Harry Potter into 47 languages.

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3. Somebody stole my motorbike.

__________________________________________________________________

4. We haven’t seen him for two weeks.

_________________________________________________________________

5. They introduced the Euro in Spain in 2002.

_________________________________________________________________

6. The chauffer will take us to the airport.

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III. Transform the sentences from active to passive or passive to active.

1. Researchers developed the laser eye treatment in Russia. _________________________________

2. The architects will design a new stadium in 2014. _________________________________

3. They’ve spent over five million pounds on the new building. _________________________________

4. This song was originally written by The Beatles. _________________________________

5. She is usually driven to school by her sister. _________________________________

6. This photo was taken by Ben when he was in India. _________________________________

IV. Read on the platform the instructions for an oral presentation: A process.