E

BUSINESS ENGLISH LEVEL 1

T D R C U L T U R E O F

E X C E L L E N C E

ISSUED & PREPARED BY: Mr. AHMED HASSAN

Phonetics Instructor

The British Council

E n g l i s h 2014

1

TDR CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE

Issued & Prepared By: Mr. Ahmed Hassan (OE Team)

Intermediate English (Level 1)

Level

1

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T D R C U L T U R E O F E X C E L L E N C E

Intermediate English

Issued & prepared By ; Mr. Ahmed Hassan

Phonetic Instructor (British Council) OE Department (Training)

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Table of Contents

Work, Rest & Play .................................................... 2 Super Commuter ........................................................ 3 Past Time ..................................................................... 4 First meeting ............................................................... 5 Changing trends ......................................................... 6 Irregular Verbs ........................................................... 7

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Work, Rest and

Play

A- Life Stories

Introduce yourself to six students. Find out their name and where they live. Tell the class about 3 people you spoke to.

Chapter

A

C E L E B R I T Y

P R O F I L E :

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Jamie Oliver is one of the Britain’s Favourite chefs every week millions of people watch him on TV and use his recipes.

Jamie was born in Essex, England, in 1975. When he was only eight he started helping in his parents’ restaurant. He went to catering college when he was sixteen and then worked at the famous River Café in London for three years. His first TV programme was called the Naked Chef and it was an instant success. Jamie quickly became famous and in 1999 he prepared lunch for the British Prime Minister.

New Jamie has got his own restaurant in London called Fifteen. But it isn’t a typical restaurant – every year Jamie takes fifteen young unemployed people and teaches them to become chefs. The programme about the restaurant , also called Fifteen, is on TV every week. He is going to open Fifteen restaurants in Australia and the USA in the future and at the moment Jamie is writing a new book of recipes. He’s already very rich, of course – in 2003 he earned 3.8£ Million!!!

Jamie got married in 2000 and he lives in London with his wife , Jools, and their two daughters, Poppy Honey and Daisy Boo. He’s so busy that he doesn’t have much free time. But he loves riding around London on his scooter and he plays the drums in a rock band. When he’s at home he likes making bread and cooking pasta – his favourite ingredients are olive oil and lemons from Sicily.

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a) Read the profile again and find the answer to these questions:

1- How does he travel around London?

2- When did he get married?

3- Which instrument can he play?

4- What is he writing at the moment?

5- How often is Fifteen on TV?

6- How old was he when he started college?

7- How many children has he got?

8- Where is he going to open his new restaurant?

9- How much did he earn in 2003?

10- How long did he work at the River Café?

11- Who did he make lunch for in 1999?

12- Why is his restaurant called Fifteen?

a) You are going to write a profile of someone in the class. Write ten questions to ask another student. Use these ideas or your own.

- Personal Details - study - future plans

- Family - free time - studying English

- Work - last holiday - home

b) Work with a student you don’t know very well. Take turns to ask and answer your questions. Make notes on your partner’s answers.

V O C A B U L A R Y

A N D G R A M M A R

G E T R E A D Y … .

G E T I T

R I G H T !

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c) Write a profile with your partner. Check the information is correct.

d) Read other students’ profiles. Who do you have a lot in common with?

Present Continuous ( I AM DOING)

a) Study this example situation:

Sarah is in her car. She is on her way to work. She is driving to work.

This means: She is driving now, at the time of speaking.

The action is not finished.

Am/is/are + verb + ing is the present continuous

mI am (= I’ )

sHe/she/it is (=he’ etc.)

reWe/you/they are (= we’ etc.)

Driving

Working

doing

b) I am doing something = I’m in the middle of doing it; I’ve started doing it and I haven’t finished:

Please don’t make so much noise. I’m trying to work. (not I try)

“Where’s Mark?” He’s having a shower. (not he has a shower)

Let’s go out now. It isn’t raining any more. (not it doesn’t rain)

H E L P W I T H

G R A M M A R

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(at a party) Hi, Jane. Are you enjoying the party? (not Do you enjoy)

What’s all that noise? What’s going on? (= What’s happening?)

Sometimes the action is not happening at the time of speaking. For example:

Steve is talking to a friend on the phone. He says: (I’m reading a really good book at the moment it’s about a man who… )

Steve is not reading the book at the time of speaking. He means that he has started it, but has not finished it yet. He is in the middle of reading it.

Some more examples:

Kate wants to work in Italy, so she’s learning Italian. (but perhaps she isn’t learning Italian at the time of speaking)

Some friends of mine are building their own house. They hope to finish it next summer.

You can use the present continuous with today/ this week/ this year etc. (periods around now):

A: you’re working hard today. (not you work hard today)

B: Yes, I have a lot to do.

The company I work for isn’t doing so well this year.

We use the present continuous when we talk about changes happening around now, especially with these verbs:

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Get Change Become Increase Rise Fall Grow Improve Begin Start

Is your English getting better? (not Does your English get better)

The population of the world is increasing very fast. (not increase)

At first I didn’t like my job, but I’m beginning to enjoy it now. (not begin)

a) Match the words/phrases in bold in the profile to these verb forms.

Present Simple Present Continuous

Past Simple be going to

b) We usually use auxiliary verbs to make questions. Write questions 2-4 from a) in the table.

Question Word

Auxiliary Subject Verb

How Does He Travel Around London

c) Look again at a). Then answer these questions.

E X E R C I S E S

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1- Why don’t we use an auxiliary verb in questions 5 and 6?

2- What is the verb in question 7?

3- Look at question 8. How do we make questions with be going to?

Letter (A)

(a:) Father – Ask – Answer

(æ) and - fat – sad – bad – cat

(ei) fake – shake – make – take

Letter (C )

C + (a/o/u) = K

Cat – Cut – Can – Come – Coast

C+ (i/e) = S

Cinema – Center – conCept

P H O N E T I C S

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C + h = tʃ

Chip – Change – Check – Chance

C + (ia) = ʃ S + C + H then Vowel= SK

Social School – Schedule

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Super

Commuter

ITV5, 8 p.m. * * * *

Quick Review ….

Work in pairs. Take turns to ask and answer questions and find six things you have in common.

Vocabulary Work

Work in pairs. Fill in the gaps in the diagram with these words/phrases.

a restaurant a journalist a newspaper

children a receptionist a department store

a multinational company an office old people

London an accountant teenagers

unemployed people a charity an editor

yourself

Chapter

B

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Mick Benton’s fascinating new documentary series looks at the enormous distances people travel to get to work. Mick got the idea for the programme when he worked for TV Company in Bangkok. He lived only four kilometers from his office but it took him over two hours to get to work every day. “The traffic in Bangkok is unbelievable” says Mick. “ Often people sit in traffic jams for seven or eight hours a day. They even have their meals in their cars!”

In the first programme in the series, Mick interviews three ‘super commuter” who work in London. Tony Rogers is an accountant for a multinational company. And travels from Liverpool and back every day. Andrea Price lives in Pris, but works as an editor for a London newspaper. And Ian Hicks is a fireman in Ealing. West London – he commutes all the way from Santander. In Spain!

So maybe your half-hour train journey to

work every morning isn’t so bad!

a) Write the names of four people you know with jobs. Think of ways to describe their jobs. Use phrases from 1 or your own ideas.

S U P E R

C O M M U T E R

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b) Work in pairs. Tell your partner about these people’s jobs. Who has the best job, do you think?

c) Listen to part of the TV programme. Find one reason why Tony. Andrea and Ian live a long way from work.

d) Make questions with these words. Use the Present Simple.

1- Who/ leave/ home at 6.15 a.m.?

2- How/Ian/travel to work?

3- Who/finish/work at 2 a.m.?

4- How long/it/take Ian to get to work?

5- Who/spend/£ 8,000 a year on travel?

6- Where/Andrea/stay when she’s in London?

7- Who/commute/to London five days a week?

e) Work in pairs. Answer the questions, Then listen again

and check.

Present Simple (I Do)

Alex is a bus driver, but now he is in bed asleep. He is not driving a bus. (He is sleeping.)

But He drives a bus. (He is a bus driver.)

Drive(s)/ work(s)/do(es) etc. is the present simple:

I/we/you/they drive/work/do etc.

H E L P W I T H

G R A M M A R

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He/she/it drives/works/does etc.

We use the present simple to talk about things in general. We use it to say that something happens all the time or repeatedly, or that something is true in general:

Nurses look after patients in hospitals.

I usually go away at weekends.

The earth goes round the sun.

The café opens at 7:30 in the morning.

Remember:

I work …. but He works….

They teach… but sister teaches….

For spelling (-s or –es)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Do

Does

I/we/you/they

He/she/is

Work?

Drive?

Do?

I/we/you/they

He/she/it

Don’t

Doesn’t

Work

Drive

do

I come from Canada. Where do you come from?

I don’t go away very often.

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What does this word mean? (not what means this word?)

Rice doesn’t grow in cold climates.

In the following examples, do is also the main verb(do you do/ doesn’t do etc.):

What do you do? I work in a shop.

He’s always so lazy. He doesn’t do anything to help.

We use the present simple to say how often we do things:

I get up at 8 o’clock every morning.

How often do you go to the dentist?

Julie doesn’t drink tea very often.

Robert usually goes away two or three times a year.

I promise/ I apologise etc.

Sometimes we do things by saying something. For example, when you promise to do something, you can say I promise…; when you suggest something, you can say ‘I suggest…”

I promise I won’t be late. (not I’m promising)

What do you suggest I do? “I suggest that you..”

In the same way we say: I apologise…/I advise../I

insist…/ I agree…/ I refuse…etc.

a) Complete the sentences using the following verbs: E X E R C I S E S

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Cause(s) Connect(s) drink(s) live(s) open(s) speak(s) Take(s)

1- Tanya speaks German very well.

2- I don’t often………coffee.

3- The swimming pool………at 7:00 every morning.

4- Bad driving…….many accidents.

5- My parents……….in a very small flat.

6- The Olympic Games…….place every four years.

7- The Panama Canal……..the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

b) Put the verb into the correct form.

1- Lulie doesn’t drink (not/ drink) tea very often.

2- What time………..(the banks/close) here?

3- I’ve got a car, but I………….(not/use) it much.

4- “Where………..(Ricardo/come)form?” “From Cuba”

5- “What…………(you/do)?” “I’m an electrician.”

6- It ……….(take)me an hour to get to work. How long…………..(it/take)you?

7- David isn’t very fit. He………………..(not/do)any sport.

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Past times

Look at each of the pictures and note down FIVE adjectives to describe each scene. Then decide:

What century or period of history is shown?

What would have been pleasant about living at that time?

What would have been unpleasant about living then.

1- This is the blurb from the dust jacket of Chronicle of the 20th Century. The paragraphs have been mixed up. Decide on a suitable sequence for the paragraphs.

Chapter

C

T H E G O O D

O L D D A Y S ?

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Whether you turn to Chronicle for nostalgia, enlightenment, reference or simply for fun, this unique book will be a treasured and much-read possession in every home. For the youngest and oldest, it is the book of our lifetimes.

There has never been a century like it- and never a book like Chronicle. This lavishly-illustrated book gives you a front-row seat for all the dramas of the century- from world wars to the fashions of the day- as they happened, with all the immediacy and excitement of tonight’s television news.

Follow the lives of legendary figures such as Winston Churchill, recapture the whiff of scandals such as King Edward’s abdication, thrill to great sporting victories, be chilled by disasters such as A berfan, marvel at scientific discoveries and cheer at artistic triumphs from Picasso’s first exhibition to the Beatles’ first record- it’s all in Chronicle, as fresh and dramatic as today’s news.

Now, at last, it is available in an edition specially prepared for Great Britain, almost entirely new and reflecting the distinctly British perspective on a century that began when Queen Victoria was monarch to much of the world. With thousands of illustrations, many in full colour, this book captures the changing social and cultural life of our turbulent times.

Chronicle of the 20th Century is more than a book; it’s an experience, taking you back in time to relive history as it happens. No wonder it’s been a best-seller wherever it has been published with more than two million copies sold in Germany, France and the United States.

Chronicle of the 20th Century puts you there when man first flies an aeroplane or invents the” talking pictures”.

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Discover what happened at the great moments of history – the Russian Revolution, the rise of Hitler , the D-Day landing, the bombing of Hiroshima, the assassination of president Kennedy and the Moon landing.

Q: Write new version of paragraphs and of the blurb to include the important events that happened in YOUR country in the 20th century?

Discuss these questions:

What historical events happened in the year you were born?

What are the most significant historical events that have occurred during your lifetime?

History is a subject that’s taught in every school: why is this?

Past Simple (I did)

Study this example:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an Austrian musician and composer. He lived from 1756 to 1791. He started composing at the age of five and wrote more than 600 pieces of music. He was only 35 years old when he died.

Lived/Started/wrote/was/died are all past simple.

Very often the past simple ends in- ed (regular Verbs):

I work in a travel agency now. Before that I worked in a department store.

H E L P W I T H

G R A M M A R :

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We invited them to our party, but they decided not to come.

The police stopped me on my way home last night.

Laura passed her exam because she studied very hard.

For spelling (Stopped, Studied etc.)

But many verbs are irregular. The past simple does not end in- ed. For example:

Write – wrote

Mozart wrote more than 600 pieces of music

See – saw

We saw Tanya in town a few days ago.

Go – went

I went to the cinema three times last week.

Shut - Shut

It was cold, so I shut the window.

In questions and negatives we use did/didn’t + infinitive (enjoy/see/go etc.):

I

She

They

Enjoyed

Saw

Went

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Did You

She

They

Enjoy?

See?

Go?

I

She

They

Didn’t Enjoy

See

Go

A: Did you go out last night?

B: yes, I went to the cinema (Yes, I did),

but I didn’t enjoy the film much.

When did Mr.Thomas die? “ About ten years ago”

They didn’t invite us to the party, so we didn’t go.

“Did you have time to do the shopping?” “No, I didn’t”

In the following examples, do is the main verb in the sentence (did…do/didn’t do):

What did you do at the weekend? (not. What did you at the weekend?)

I didn’t do anything. (Not. I didn’t anything)

The past of be (am/is/are) is was/were:

I/he/she/it was/wasn’t

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We/you/they were/weren’t

Was I/he/she/it?

Were We/you/they?

Note that we do not use did in negatives and questions with was/were:

I was angry because they were late.

Was the weather good when you were on holiday?

They weren’t able to come because they were so busy.

Did you go out last night or were you too tired?

Read what laura says about a typical work day:

I usually get up at 7 o’clock and have a big breakfast. I walk to work, which takes me about half an hour. I start work at 8.45.

I finish work at 5 o’clock. I’m always tired when I get home. I usually cook a meal in the evening . I don’t usually go out.

I go to bed at about 11 O’clock, and I always sleep well.

Yesterday was a typical working day for Laura. Write what she did or didn’t do yesterday.

1-…………………..at 7 o’clock.

E X E R C I S E S

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2- She …………a big breakfast.

3- She…………………………….

4- It …………………….to get to work.

5- ……………………………..at 8.45.

6- ………………………………at 5 o’clock.

7- ……………………………….lunch.

8- ……………….tired when……….home.

9- ………….a meal yesterday evening.

10- ………………..out yesterday evening.

11- ………………………………at 11 o’clock.

12- ……………………………..well last night.

Complete the sentences. Put the verb into the correct form, positive or negative:

1- It was warm, so I……..off my coat. (take)

2- The film wasn’t very good, I…….it much. (enjoy)

3- I knew Sarah was busy, so I……..her. (disturb)

4- We were very tired, so we………..the party early. (leave)

5- The bed was very uncomfortable. I…………well. (Sleep)

6- The window was open and a bird…………into the room. (fly)

7- The hotel wasn’t very expensive. It………….much to stay there.(cost)

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Letter (E)

(i:) Cheap Sheep Deep Eat

(e) Bed Set Pet

(ә) Father Writer Fighter Character

Letter (P)

(P) Pet People Package

(F) Phone Photo Phase

P H O N E T I C S

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First meetings

Quick Review ….

Make a list of eight things you did last week Work in groups or go around the class. Ask questions with Did you….? And find one student who did each thing on your list.

Listening and Grammar

a) Look at the photos. Where are the people? Do they know each other, do you think?

b) Match sentences 1-2 to photos A-C. guess who says each sentence.

1- I was travelling back from China and we met on the plane.

2- We were standing in a queue at the supermarket and he said hello.

Chapter

D

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3- When we first met, she was going out with my best friend.

C) Hilary is talking about how she met Ken. Choose the correct verb from.

1- I first met/was meeting ken when we waited/were waiting in a supermarket queue.

2- It rained/was raining so he offered/was offering me a lift home.

3- While we drove/were driving to my flat, he gave/was giving me his phone number.

4- I saw/was seeing him in the supermarket again a few days later.

Past continuous (I was doing)

Yesterday Karen and Jim played tennis. They started at 10 o’clock and finished at 11.30. So at 10.30 they were playing tennis.

They were playing = they were in the middle of playing. They had not finished playing.

Was/Were - ing is the past continuous:

I/he/she/it was

We/you/they Were

Playing

Doing / working

H E L P W I T H

G R A M M A R

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I was doing something = I was in the middle of doing something at a certain time. The action or situation had already started before this time, but had not finished:

I started doing I was doing I finish doing X

Past …………………………………..Past now

1. This time last year I was living in Brazil.

2. What were you doing at 10 o’clock last night?

3. I waved to Helen, but she wasn’t looking.

Compare the past continuous (I was doing) and past simple (I did):

Past continuous (in the middle of an action)

I was walking home when, I met Dan. (in the middle of walking home)

Kate was watching TV when we arrived

Past simple (complete action)

I walked home after the party last night. (= all the way, completely)

Kate watched television a lot when she was ill last year.

We often use the past simple and the past continuous together to say that something happened in the middle of something else:

Matt phoned while we were having dinner

It was raining when I got up.

I saw you in the park yesterday. You were sitting on the grass and reading a book.

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I hurt my back while I was working in the garden.

But we use the past simple to say that one thing happened after another:

I was walking along the road when I saw Dan. So I stopped, and we had a chat.

Compare:

When Karen arrived, we were having dinner. (= we had already started before she arrived)

When Karen arrived, we had dinner. (= Karen arrived, and then we had dinner)

Some verbs (for example, know and want) are not normally used in the continuous:

We were good friends, We knew each other well. (not WE WERE KNOWING)

I was enjoying the party, but Chris wanted to go home. (not WAS WANTING)

a) What were you doing at these times? Write sentences as in the examples. The past continuous in not always necessary (see the second example).

1- (at 8o’clock yesterday evening) I was having

dinner.

2- (at 5 o’clock last Monday) I was on bus on my

way home.

E X E R C I S E S

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3- (At 10:15 yesterday morning)…………………

4- (At 4:30 this morning)………………………….

5- (At 7:45 yesterday evening)……………………

6- (Half an hour ago)………………………………

b) Use your own ideas to complete the sentence . Use the past continuous.

1- Matt phoned while we were having dinner.

2- The doorbell rang while I ………………………

3- The car began to make a strange noise when we……………………………………………………

4- Jessica fell asleep while she………………………

5- The television was on, but nobody……………..

c) Put the verb into the correct form, past continuous or past simple.

1- I saw (see) Sue in town yesterday, but she…………….(not/see) me. She ………………..(look) the other way.

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2- I…………………(meet) Tom and Jane at the airport a few weeks ago. They…………….(go) to Paris and I………………….(go)to Rome. We………(have)a chat while we…………….(wait) for our flight.

3- I…………….(cycle)home yesterday when a man…….(step) out into the road in front of me. I…….(go) quite fast, but luckily I …………(manage) to stop in time and ……….(not/hit)him.

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a) Liam is talking about he met Jenny. Listen and answer these questions.

1- Was Jenny at Ben’s birthday Party?

2- When did Liam ask Jenny out?

3- Why wasn’t their first date very good?

4- What were they doing when Liam asked jenny to marry him?

5- What was Liam doing when she said yes?

b) Listen again and choose the correct answer.

1- Liam and Jenny first met last year/two years ago

2- They started going out in March/September

3- He asked her to marry him eight/eighteen months later.

4- They got engaged a few days/weeks later.

5- They got married six weeks/months after that.

L I S T E N I N G

A N D G R A M M A R

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Letter (I)

(ai) Like Idea Island

(i) Is Idiot did

Letter (T)

(T) Tea Talk Take

TH

(Ө) Think Thin Thick

(Ǒ) Then The This

P H O N E T I C S

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Changing

Trends

Quick Review ….

Think of five famous buildings, paintings or books from your country. Work in pairs. Tell your partner when these things were built/painted/written and who by.

1) Work in pairs. Discuss these questions.

- What type of things do you like9and hate) shopping for?

- Who goes shopping more often in your country, men or women? What do they buy?

- Is it a good idea for men and women to go shopping together? Why? Why not?

- What was the last thing you bought(not food or drink)?

Chapter

E

L I S T E N I N G

A N D G R A M M A R

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2) Listen to an interview with Sam Bennett about his radio programme, Real Men Shop!. Put the things he talks about in order.

a- Skincare products for men

b- A department store

c- A men’s clothes shop

d- Food shopping in the 1970s

3) Listen again. Fill in the gaps in these sentences.

a- Selfridges opened in…………….

b- Selfridges used to have a special room only for……..

c- In the 1970s most married men never used to do the……..shopping.

d- “Shopping girlfriends’ used to help men choose…………

e- ……….years ago you didn’t use to see skincare products for men.

Brands

LOUIS VUITTON

R E A D T H E

F O L L O W

P A R A G R A P H

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Photograph by Raymond Meier. Published in Vogue, September 2008.

Since its founding in Paris in 1854, Louis Vuitton has catered to—among the general throng of well-heeled every women—empresses, explorers, and magazine editors. What was once a tiny little Parisian luggage shop is now the multifaceted jewel in the crown that sits atop the head of Bernard Arnault, CEO of the fashion conglomerate LVMH, who, in 2003, likened the revenue-generating house to a “luxury Microsoft.”

For well more than a century, Louis Vuitton was best known for canvas-covered travel cases with flat, stackable shapes that made them ideal for modern travel via planes, trains, and automobiles. The company’s operating system was substantially updated in 1997, however, when Marc Jacobs, the downtown New York designer best known at the time for elevating the grunge look, was hired as creative director. For the next sixteen years, Jacobs was charged with creating not just apparel for Vuitton, but accessories, too (from handbags to, later on, watches and jewelry). Before long, the brand was not only moving with the times, it was shaping them. As Sally Singer colorfully reported in Vogue in 2000, “In the space of two years, and with much hoo-ha over his corporate teething pains, the darling of New York’s fashion antiestablishment has transformed an arch-bourgeois luggage company ravaged by a zillion knockoffs into an impossibly hip purveyor of haute ready-to-wear.”

Vuitton had indeed been devilled by copycats as early as the nineteenth century, but that imitation has often been the mother

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of invention. Production is controlled tightly—so that demand for handbags regularly exceeds supply, and prices are never reduced—but as soon as a new LV accessory is glimpsed in the press, the fakes and coattail-riders hit the production line . . . and so designers start thinking of something new. “My team and I are always playing ‘Top this’ with one another, hoping to surprise our customers,” Jacobs told the magazine in 2010. “At Vuitton we’re working on this luggage icon, one with no archive of clothes,” he said in 2000. “It’s fun to keep bringing something fresh, and the way to do that is by bringing in fresh people.” Among the creative collaborations, spearheaded by Jacobs, that kept things constantly moving forward were those with the 1980s It designer Stephen Sprouse and the artists Richard Prince and Takashi Murakami. The pop-meets-manga efforts of Murakami were so unique—some of the bags requiring up to 93 color screens (versus the three needed for the basic LV logo)—that the house altered its Monogram Canvas for the first time since its introduction in 1896.

Just as art-world A-listers were brought in to the design atelier, a troupe of Hollywood stars (Jennifer Lopez, Uma Thurman, Scarlett Johansson) was tapped by Jacobs to represent the company in its advertisements, and world-renowned architects hired to dream up new retail spaces. Jacobs’s out-of-the-box thinking stoked unflagging interest in the brand.

In October 2013, during Paris Fashion Week, the house announced the departure of Jacobs; the spring 2014 runway presentation was his swan song. Reports said that he was leaving to focus on a public offering of his own namesake label. Critics sent up a wail of lament: It was, everyone seemed to agree, the end of a transformative era. Just a few weeks later, though, the tears changed to cheers when it was confirmed that the French wunderkind Nicolas Ghesquière would lead the mighty fashion superpower into a new era.

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The new alliance was formidable. Ghesquière’s retro-futuristic manifesto at Balenciaga had earned him a reputation as not just a highly original thinker but one of his generation’s brightest lights. “Louis Vuitton has always incarnated for me the symbol of ultimate luxury, innovation, and exploration,” he said upon his appointment. “We share common values and a vision.”

USED TO (DO)

❶Study this example situation:

Nicola doesn’t travel much these days. She prefers to stay at home.

But she used to travel a lot.

She used to go away two or three times a year.

She used to travel a lot = she travelled a lot often in the past, but she doesn’t do this anymore.

She used to travel She doesn’t travel

Past Now

❷Something used to happen = it happened often in the past, but no longer happens:

I used to play tennis a lot, but I don’t play very much now.

David used to spend a lot of money on clothes. These days he can’t afford it.

H E L P W I T H

G R A M M A R

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“Do you go to the cinema much?” “Not now. But I used to”. (= I used to go)

We also use used to….for things that were true, but are not true anymore:

This building is now a furniture shop. It used to be a cinema.

I used to think Mark was unfriendly, but now I realize he’s very nice person.

I’ve started drinking tea recently. I never used to like it before.

Lisa used to have very long hair when she was a child.

❸” I used to do something” is past. There is no present. You cannot say ”I use to do”. To talk about the present, use the present simple (I do).

Compare:

Past He used to play We used to live There used to be

present He plays We live There is

We used to live in a small village, but now we live in London.

There used to be four cinemas in the town. Now there is only one.

❹The normal question form is did (you) use to…?:

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Did you use to eat a lot of sweets when you were a child?

The negative form is didn’t use to …(use not to…is also possible.):

I didn’t use to like him. (or I used not to like him)

❺Compare I used to do and I was doing:

I used to watch TV a lot. (= I watched TV often in the past, but I no longer do this)

I was watching TV when Rob called. (= I was in the middle of watching TV)

❻Do not confuse I used to do and I am used to doing. The structures and meanings are different:

I used to live alone. (= I lived alone in the past, but I no longer live alone)

I am used to living alone. (=I live alone, and I don’t fins it strange or difficult because I’ve been living alone for some time)

Complete the sentences with use (d) to + a suitable verb.

1- Nicola doesn’t travel much now. She used to

travel a lot, but she prefers to stay at home these days.

2- Sophie………………a motorbike, but last year she sold it and bought a car.

E X E R C I S E S

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3- We moved to Spain a few years ago. We………….in Paris.

4- I rarely eat ice-cream now, but I ……………it when I was a child.

5- Jackie…………..my best friend, but we aren’t good friends any more.

6- It only takes me about 40 minutes to get to work now that the new road is open. It………………………….more than an hour.

7- There……………..a hotel near the airport, but it closed a long time ago.

8- When you lived in New York,…………………..to the theatre very often?

Write sentences about yourself like the example. Begin I used to….(I used to be/ work/like/play/read

etc.)

Example:

She used to travel a lot, but she doesn’t go away

much these days.

1-……………………………………………….

2-………………………………………………..

3-……………………………………………….

4-……………………………………………….

5-……………………………………………….

Now begin with I didn’t use to…..

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I used to live in a small village, but now I live in

London.

6-………………………………………………………..

7-…………………………………………………………

8-………………………………………………………….

9-……………………………………………………….

10-………………………………………………………

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Irregular Verbs

List of English Irregular Verbs…..

A list of 211 common English irregular verbs, including their base form, past simple, past participle, 3rd person singular, and the present participle / gerund. Click on a verb to view extended information about it.

Base Form Past Simple Past Participle 3rd Person Singular

Present Participle / Gerund

Abide Abode/Abided Abode/Abided/Abidden Abides Abiding

Alight Alit/Alighted Alit/Alighted Alights Alighting

Arise Arose Arisen Arises Arising

Awake Awoke Awoken Awakes Awaking

Be Was/Were Been Is Being

Bear Bore Born/Borne Bears Bearing

Beat Beat Beaten Beats Beating

Chapter

F

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Become Became Become Becomes Becoming

Begin Began Begun Begins Beginning

Behold Beheld Beheld Beholds Beholding

Bend Bent Bent Bends Bending

Bet Bet Bet Bets Betting

Bid Bade Bidden Bids Bidding

Bid Bid Bid Bids Bidding

Bind Bound Bound Binds Binding

Bite Bit Bitten Bites Biting

Bleed Bled Bled Bleeds Bleeding

Blow Blew Blown Blows Blowing

Break Broke Broken Breaks Breaking

Breed Bred Bred Breeds Breeding

Bring Brought Brought Brings Bringing

Broadcast Broadcast/Broadcasted Broadcast/Broadcasted Broadcasts Broadcasting

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Build Built Built Builds Building

Burn Burnt/Burned Burnt/Burned Burns Burning

Burst Burst Burst Bursts Bursting

Bust Bust Bust Busts Busting

Buy Bought Bought Buys Buying

Cast Cast Cast Casts Casting

Catch Caught Caught Catches Catching

Choose Chose Chosen Chooses Choosing

Clap Clapped/Clapt Clapped/Clapt Claps Clapping

Cling Clung Clung Clings Clinging

Clothe Clad/Clothed Clad/Clothed Clothes Clothing

Come Came Come Comes Coming

Cost Cost Cost Costs Costing

Creep Crept Crept Creeps Creeping

Cut Cut Cut Cuts Cutting

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Dare Dared/Durst Dared Dares Daring

Deal Dealt Dealt Deals Dealing

Dig Dug Dug Digs Digging

Dive Dived/Dove Dived Dives Diving

Do Did Done Does Doing

Draw Drew Drawn Draws Drawing

Dream Dreamt/Dreamed Dreamt/Dreamed Dreams Dreaming

Drink Drank Drunk Drinks Drinking

Drive Drove Driven Drives Driving

Dwell Dwelt Dwelt Dwells Dwelling

Eat Ate Eaten Eats Eating

Fall Fell Fallen Falls Falling

Feed Fed Fed Feeds Feeding

Feel Felt Felt Feels Feeling

Fight Fought Fought Fights Fighting

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Find Found Found Finds Finding

Fit Fit/Fitted Fit/Fitted Fits Fitting

Flee Fled Fled Flees Fleeing

Fling Flung Flung Flings Flinging

Fly Flew Flown Flies Flying

Forbid Forbade/Forbad Forbidden Forbids Forbidding

Forecast Forecast/Forecasted Forecast/Forecasted Forecasts Forecasting

Foresee Foresaw Foreseen Foresees Foreseeing

Foretell Foretold Foretold Foretells Foretelling

Forget Forgot Forgotten Forgets Foregetting

Forgive Forgave Forgiven Forgives Forgiving

Forsake Forsook Forsaken Forsakes Forsaking

Freeze Froze Frozen Freezes Freezing

Frostbite Frostbit Frostbitten Frostbites Frostbiting

Get Got Got/Gotten Gets Getting

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Give Gave Given Gives Giving

Go Went Gone/Been Goes Going

Grind Ground Ground Grinds Grinding

Grow Grew Grown Grows Growing

Handwrite Handwrote Handwritten Handwrites Handwriting

Hang Hung/Hanged Hung/Hanged Hangs Hanging

Have Had Had Has Having

Hear Heard Heard Hears Hearing

Hide Hid Hidden Hides Hiding

Hit Hit Hit Hits Hitting

Hold Held Held Holds Holding

Hurt Hurt Hurt Hurts Hurting

Inlay Inlaid Inlaid Inlays Inlaying

Input Input/Inputted Input/Inputted Inputs Inputting

Interlay Interlaid Interlaid Interlays Interlaying

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Keep Kept Kept Keeps Keeping

Kneel Knelt/Kneeled Knelt/Kneeled Kneels Kneeling

Knit Knit/Knitted Knit/Knitted Knits Knitting

Know Knew Known Knows Knowing

Lay Laid Laid Lays laying

Lead Led Led Leads Leading

Lean Leant/Leaned Leant/Leaned Leans Leaning

Leap Leapt/Leaped Leapt/Leaped Leaps Leaping

Learn Learnt/Learned Learnt/Learned Learns Learning

Leave Left Left Leaves Leaving

Lend Lent Lent Lends Lending

Let Let Let Lets Letting

Lie Lay Lain Lies Lying

Light Lit Lit Lights Lighting

Lose Lost Lost Loses Losing

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Make Made Made Makes Making

Mean Meant Meant Means Meaning

Meet Met Met Meets Meeting

Melt Melted Molten/Melted Melts Melting

Mislead Misled Misled Misleads Misleading

Mistake Mistook Mistaken Mistakes Mistaking

Misunderstand Misunderstood Misunderstood Misunderstands Misunderstanding

Miswed Miswed/Miswedded Miswed/Miswedded Misweds Miswedding

Mow Mowed Mown Mows Mowing

Overdraw Overdrew Overdrawn Overdraws Overdrawing

Overhear Overheard Overheard Overhears Overhearing

Overtake Overtook Overtaken Overtakes Overtaking

Pay Paid Paid Pays Paying

Preset Preset Preset Presets Presetting

Prove Proved Proven/Proved Proves Proving

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Put Put Put Puts Putting

Quit Quit Quit Quits Quitting

Re-prove Re-proved Re-proven/Re-proved Re-proves Re-proving

Read Read Read Reads Reading

Rid Rid/Ridded Rid/Ridded Rids Ridding

Ride Rode Ridden Rides Riding

Ring Rang Rung Rings Ringing

Rise Rose Risen Rises Rising

Rive Rived Riven/Rived Rives Riving

Run Ran Run Runs Running

Saw Sawed Sawn/Sawed Saws Sawing

Say Said Said Says Saying

See Saw Seen Sees Seeing

Seek Sought Sought Seeks Seeking

Sell Sold Sold Sells Selling

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Send Sent Sent Sends Sending

Set Set Set Sets Setting

Sew Sewed Sewn/Sewed Sews Sewing

Shake Shook Shaken Shakes Shaking

Shave Shaved Shaven/Shaved Shaves Shaving

Shear Shore/Sheared Shorn/Sheared Shears Shearing

Shed Shed Shed Sheds Shedding

Shine Shone Shone Shines Shining

Shoe Shod Shod Shoes Shoeing

Shoot Shot Shot Shoots Shooting

Show Showed Shown Shows Showing

Shrink Shrank Shrunk Shrinks Shrinking

Shut Shut Shut Shuts Shutting

Sing Sang Sung Sings Singing

Sink Sank Sunk Sinks Sinking

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Sit Sat Sat Sits Sitting

Slay Slew Slain Slays Slaying

Sleep Slept Slept Sleeps Sleeping

Slide Slid Slid/Slidden Slides Sliding

Sling Slung Slung Slings Slinging

Slink Slunk Slunk Slinks Slinking

Slit Slit Slit Slits Slitting

Smell Smelt/Smelled Smelt/Smelled Smells Smelling

Sneak Sneaked/Snuck Sneaked/Snuck Sneaks Sneaking

Soothsay Soothsaid Soothsaid Soothsays Soothsaying

Sow Sowed Sown Sows Sowing

Speak Spoke Spoken Speaks Speaking

Speed Sped/Speeded Sped/Speeded Speeds Speeding

Spell Spelt/Spelled Spelt/Spelled Spells Spelling

Spend Spent Spent Spends Spending

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Spill Spilt/Spilled Spilt/Spilled Spills Spilling

Spin Span/Spun Spun Spins Spinning

Spit Spat/Spit Spat/Spit Spits Spitting

Split Split Split Splits Splitting

Spoil Spoilt/Spoiled Spoilt/Spoiled Spoils Spoiling

Spread Spread Spread Spreads Spreading

Spring Sprang Sprung Springs Springing

Stand Stood Stood Stands Standing

Steal Stole Stolen Steals Stealing

Stick Stuck Stuck Sticks Sticking

Sting Stung Stung Stings Stinging

Stink Stank Stunk Stinks Stinking

Stride Strode/Strided Stridden Strides Striding

Strike Struck Struck/Stricken Strikes Striking

String Strung Strung Strings Stringing

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Strip Stript/Stripped Stript/Stripped Strips Stripping

Strive Strove Striven Strives Striving

Sublet Sublet Sublet Sublets Subletting

Sunburn Sunburned/Sunburnt Sunburned/Sunburnt Sunburns Sunburning

Swear Swore Sworn Swears Swearing

Sweat Sweat/Sweated Sweat/Sweated Sweats Sweating

Sweep Swept/Sweeped Swept/Sweeped Sweeps Sweeping

Swell Swelled Swollen Swells Swelling

Swim Swam Swum Swims Swimming

Swing Swung Swung Swings Swinging

Take Took Taken Takes Taking

Teach Taught Taught Teaches Teaching

Tear Tore Torn Tears Tearing

Tell Told Told Tells Telling

Think Thought Thought Thinks Thinking

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Thrive Throve/Thrived Thriven/Thrived Thrives Thriving

Throw Threw Thrown Throws Throwing

Thrust Thrust Thrust Thrusts Thrusting

Tread Trod Trodden Treads Treading

Undergo Underwent Undergone Undergoes Undergoing

Understand Understood Understood Understands Understanding

Undertake Undertook Undertaken Undertakes Undertaking

Upset Upset Upset Upsets Upsetting

Vex Vext/Vexed Vext/Vexed Vexes Vexing

Wake Woke Woken Wakes Waking

Wear Wore Worn Wears Wearing

Weave Wove Woven Weaves Weaving

Wed Wed/Wedded Wed/Wedded Weds Wedding

Weep Wept Wept Weeps Weeping

Wend Wended/Went Wended/Went Wends Wending

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Wet Wet/Wetted Wet/Wetted Wets Wetting

Win Won Won Wins Winning

Wind Wound Wound Winds Winding

Withdraw Withdrew Withdrawn Withdraws Withdrawing

Withhold Withheld Withheld Withholds Withholding

Withstand Withstood Withstood Withstands Withstanding

Wring Wrung Wrung Wrings Wringing

Write Wrote Written Writes Writing

Zinc Zinced/Zincked Zinced/Zincked Zincs/Zincks Zincking