TENSES OF ENGLISH: a recap

TENSES  + forms	Uses + Examples	Signal words
SIMPLE PRESENT I / you / we / they learn He / she / it learns I / you / we / they don’t (do not) learn He / she doesn’t (does not) learn Do I / you / we / they learn? Does he / she / it learn? !!! No DO-support for auxiliaries! I / you / he … can’t (cannot) learn Can I / you / he … learn?  I am not / I’m not // You are not / You’re not / You aren’t… He is not; He’s not; He isn’t… Am I …?; Are you…?; Is he…? …	Habits I always get up early at 6 during the week but I sometimes sleep longer at the weekends. She goes on holiday once a week. Truths Water freezes at O° Celsius The moon goes round the earth. Stative verbs (seem; see; appear; hear; look; look like; disappear…) She looks nice. He looks like his father. It sounds interesting. They seem friendly. Future action set by a timetable e.g. The train leaves at 5. The lesson starts at 10.30. With future structures (after some conjunctions: after / as soon as / until / when … ) I’ll phone you as soon as I know. You’ll stay here until I decide otherwise.	Frequency adverbs (always; frequently; normally; often; sometimes; occasionally; rarely; hardly ever; never; …) Time phrases: every Saturday; on Mondays; at the weekends; once a day; twice a week; once every two weeks; in the morning…
PRESENT CONTINUOUS I am learning / I’m learning You / We / They are learning You’re / We’re / They’re learning He /  She / It is learning He’s / She’s / It’s learning Am I learning? Are you / we / they learning? Is he / she / it learning?	Action in progress at the time of speaking or in a more general context. The phone is ringing (now). Why don’t you pick it up? She’s studying at the moment. Let’s not disturb her! Look! She’s stealing something! Temporary action (versus permanent action / habit) She lives with her parents (habit / permanent action) but she’s living in a flat in Brussels now (temporary). I always go to work by car (habit / permanent action) but I’m going to work on foot this week (temporary).   A planned action in the future We’re going to France on holiday in August. We’re meeting friends tonight. Used to criticize someone or someone’s actions or behaviour (with always) She’s always losing her keys! He’s always interrupting me!	now / at present / currently / just now / right now Look! …  Listen! …

More?
You can find more explanations and interesting grammar videos by the British Council. 

This first video illustrates the simple present; click HERE

The second video focuses on the present continuous. Click HERE 

TENSES  + forms	Uses + Examples	Signal words
SIMPLE PAST Regular verbs Affirmative form + -ED    //  + - D if final letter is E worked / walked / listened / typed / deleted I / You / He/ She / We/ They walked !!! Pronunciation of final –ED /t / after voiceless consonants (/k/: walked; /p/: stopped; /f/: laughed …) /d/ after voiced sounds (/n/: listened; /v/: lived; /ə/: answered…) /id/ after /t/ or /d/: wanted / demanded / deleted Irregular verbs Affirmative form : see list spoke / ate / swam… I / You / He / She / We / They spoke Regular + Irregular verbs Negative form = did not (didn’t) + infinitive I / You / He …  didn’t travel / work / walk I / You / He …  didn’t speak / eat / drink But not with the auxiliaries!!! I / He / She / It was not // wasn’t You / We / They were not // weren’t I / You / He / We / They could not // couldn’t Regular + Irregular verbs Interrogative form = Did (I / you / He / …) + infinitive…? Did you buy a new car?  Yes, I did / No, I didn’t Did you see anything interesting? Yes, I did / No, I didn’t. Did they travel a lot?  Yes, they did / No, they didn’t. But not with the auxiliaries!!! Were you here last night?    Yes, I was. / No, I wasn’t. Could you use that computer?   Yes, I could. / No, I couldn’t.	Simple past:  2 conditions 1: the action is finished / completed in the past 2: we know exactly when the action happened. I saw the film last night. She met her boyfriend when she was at university. They got married in 1998. They bought their house 10 years ago. It happened during the war. She worked for four years. It happened on 5th May 1998. I came back home at 2.30.	… ago    (2 days ago / three weeks ago / 10 years ago / ages ago …) last…   (last Saturday / last week / last month / last year …) in…   (in 2000 / in March 2013 / in April…) at… (at 2 o’ clock / at 2.15 pm / … ) on…  (on Monday 2nd June / … ) for… (=pendant) (for two years / for 10 months / …) during… (= pendant)  (during the war / during the holiday…) …
PAST CONTINUOUS / PAST PROGRESSIVE was + …ing    / were + …ing wasn’t (was not) + …ing   / weren’t (were not) + …ing was + S + …ing…?    / were + S + …ing…	Used to denote an action going on in the past (possibly for a certain time) until it stops, possibly being interrupted by another action  She was reading an article ( = action going on / lasting a certain amount of time) when suddenly the phone rang (= sudden action which interrupts the longer one) I was using the lawnmower when suddenly it stopped working. Used to denote an action going on while another one was also happening simultaneously. I was working in the garden while she was cooking dinner. NOTE THE DIFFERENCE TO AVOID CONFUSION What were you doing when the accident happened? I was driving my car (when the accident happened) What did you do when the accident happened? I stopped driving, got out of the car, went to see if there were victims and called an ambulance…	when while

More?
Here are more explanations and interesting grammar videos, the first three videos were made by the British Council whereas the fourth (simple past vs. past continuous) is by Mr Skypelessons. 

This first video illustrates the simple past tense (regular verbs). Click HERE

The second video deals with the irregular verbs. Click HERE

The third video illustrates how to use the past continuous tense. Click HERE

The fourth video is a lesson about the simple past versus the past continuous. Click HERE

TENSE + Forms	Uses  + examples	Signal words
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE have + past participle has + past participle (third person singular) I / You / We / They have worked all day long. I’ve / You’ve / We’ve / They’ve worked all day long. He / She / It has worked all day long. He’s / She’s / It’s worked all day long. I / You / We / They have not worked all day long. I’ve not / You’ve not / We’ve not / They’ve not worked all day long. I / You / We / They haven’t worked all day long. He / She / It has not worked all day long. He’s / She’s / It’s not worked all day long. He / She / It hasn’t worked all day long. Have I / you / we / they worked all day long? Has he / she / it worked all day long?	An action that took place in the past, but it is not known exactly when in the past. NOTE: remember the TWO conditions for the Simple Past. Here one condition is missing, hence the use of the present perfect instead! She has watched a film. (Versus: She watched a film yesterday) She has met her friends recently. (Versus: She met her friends last week at the party) She has been to London recently. (Versus: She went to London two days ago.) Have you been to London yet? I haven’t been to London yet. I have already been to London twice. An action that began in the past but continues up to the present. NOTE: both conditions for the Simple Past are missing here; hence, the use of the Present Perfect. I’ve lived in this town for the last 15 years. She’s been a teacher for 20 years. I’ve known her since 1998. She’s worked in that firm since she stopped school.	lately, recently, just, ever, never, yet, already since, for

More?

Watch the following British Council videos pertaining to the present perfect.

1 The present perfect used to talk about experiences in the past. Click HERE 

2 The present perfect used with yet and already. Click HERE

3 The present perfect versus the simple past. Click HERE

TENSE + Forms	Uses  + examples	Signal words
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS have / has + been + …ing I have been working all night long. She’s been waiting for her boyfriend for two hours. She hasn’t been drinking lately.	An action that began in the past and continues up to the present without interruption She’s been living in this town for 20 years. An action that has just finished and still influences (negatively) the present I’ve been working all day long. (Now, I’m very tired)	since     for

More?
Here is a short explanatory video by the British Council: click HERE

TENSES + Forms	Uses  + examples	Signal words
PAST PERFECT SIMPLE had +  past participle PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS had + been + …ing	Action taking place before another at a certain time in the past. I had seen her before she disappeared. She had cooked dinner when I arrived. Action which was in progress before a second action / definite time in the past which was completed before. She had been waiting for her train for half an hour when it finally arrived. It was wet all over this morning when I got up because it had been raining all night long	since     for

More?

Watch this short explanatory video by the British Council by clicking HERE

Tenses + Forms
FUTURE SIMPLE I / You / He… will + infinitive … I / You / He…  won’t (will not) + infinitive… Will I / You / He … + infinitive …? FUTURE SIMPLE (to be going to) I’m / You’re / He’s …  going to … I’m not / She’s not / She isn’t going to Are you / Is she going to…?	Action in the future that is often predicted Spontaneous decision Suggestions; offers; requests I’ll let you know as soon as I know. (decision made at the moment of speaking) Will you close the window, please? He’ll be late again (prediction) Decision made before the time of speaking about a future action /Action already planned before the time of speaking She’s going to see her friend next week. I’m going to book a table for two for tonight.	in a week; in a year; …   tomorrow ; next month; …

More?

Watch this explanatory video by the British Council: click HERE

D-Day should never be forgotten
(Level: Intermediate / B1 to B2 / ** to ***)

Gold Beach on D-Day
Picture credit: wikipedia.org

It was a very emotional moment for the veterans who came back to Normandy to remember the comrades they had lost nearly a whole lifetime ago. 

Among them was Tony Colgan who brought his grandson Anthony with him on a poignant trip to the places that were to define his whole life.

D-Day map credit: BBC

Before watching



The following words and phrases could be useful:

It was all hell breaking loose...: a situation becoming terribly violent and noisy      C'était l'enfer (qui s'abattait sur nous) 
the toll (of the wounded and the dead): number of losses (because of a battle, war...)  les pertes / le nombre de blessés et de morts

Tony and his grandson at the Bayeux Cemetery
Photo credit: BBC

While watching



Decide whether the following utterances are true or false.
Justify all your answers!

1. Tony came back to Normandy for the first time in 70 years.
2. He came with his grandson because he wanted to show him the beach he had landed on on 6 June 1944.
3. He never thought he could die.
4. Most men from Tony's unit fell on D-Day.
5. Anthony's promise was that such cruel events would never happen again. 

You can also watch the video on the BBC site by clicking HERE








When you are finished, you can check your answers

1 FALSE

La première fois qu'il y était allé, c'était il y a 70 ans. Il avait alors 20 ans. 

2 FALSE

Pas uniquement la plage mais tous les endroits à l'intérieur des terres où son unité a été amenée à évoluer dans les jours qui ont suivi le Jour J / Aussi pour que les sacrifices consentis par ceux qui sont tombés ne soient jamais oubliés (et qu'Anthony pourra transmettre aux arrière-petits-enfants et arrière-arrière-petits-enfants de Tony, en guise de devoir de mémoire) ... 

3 FALSE

C'était l'enfer qui s'abattait sur eux; la mort pouvait frapper chacun d'entre eux à tout moment.

4 FALSE

A mesure que l'unité de Tony progressait à l'intérieur des terres dans les semaines qui ont suivi le débarquement, les pertes en hommes ne faisaient que croître rapidement. 200 hommes sont tombés en une seule journée... 

5 FALSE

Sa promesse était qu'il se souviendra toujours de ce que son grand-père et compagnons d'armes de ce dernier ont accompli... 

D-Day landings depended on a weatherman
(Level: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate / B1 to B2 / ** to ***)

On D-Day
Photo credit: the Guardian 

You are going to watch a Sky News report focusing on one man in particular, i.e.  MET office meterologist James Stagg(*), on whose weather forecast the D-Day landings and therefore the outcome of the war depended.

James Stagg
Photo credit: wikipedia.org

(*) For more details about James Stagg (from the Encyclopaedia Britannica), click HERE




Before watching


The following words and notes could be useful:
the MET Office = the UK's national weather service; it was called the meteorological office until 2000.
For more information about the MET Office, click HERE

a group captain = a senior commissioned rank (*) in the Royal Air Force above the rank of wing commander and below that of air commodore; it is equivalent to a captain in the Royal Navy or a colonel in the British Army.      colonel d'aviation 

For more information about ranks in the RAF, click HERE
For more information about ranks in the Royal Navy, click HERE
For more information about ranks in the British Army, click HERE

(*) (senior) commissioned rank: grade d'officier (supérieur) / non-commissioned rank: grade de sous-officier

the outcome: what follows as a result or a consequence       issue / résultat
to postpone: to decide that something originally planned for a certain time will be done at a later time instead      retarder / reporter / ajourner
the guidelines: rules or instructions showing or telling how something should be done    directives / lignes directrices
at dawn: at sunrise      à l'aube 
choppy: rough          agité / houleux 
airborne troops: soldiers who are specially trained to jump from planes into ennemy territories      troupes aéroportées 
50 yards = 45.72 metres (1 yard = 0.9144 metre)
to lose one's nerve: to fear doing something      perdre son sang-froid / se dégonfler

Pegasus Bridge
Photo credit: en.wikipedia.org

Pegasus Bridge
Photo credit: swordbeach1944.wordpress.com

While watching


Answer the following question in French:


How are the following notions important? What do they refer to?
- June 5th?
- Strict guidelines (for the landings)?
- 00.16?
- Ham and Jam?
- 2 weeks after June 6th?

You can also watch he video on the Sky News site by clicking HERE













When you are finished, you can check your answers:

- June 5th?
Date prévue initialement pour le débarquement des troupes alliées sur les plages de Normandie mais les conditions météorologiques (nuages bas; vents forts; mer agitée...) ont forcé le commandement suprême à reporter l'opération. 

- Strict guidelines (for the landings)?
Directives très strictes à appliquer pour un débarquement réussi: 
- à l'aube et à marée basse (Note: pour éviter les pièges et obstacles en tous genres disposés par les Allemands et invisibles à marée haute)
- à la pleine lune: pour permettre les troupes aéroportées d'atteindre plus précisément les objectifs fixés.

- 00.16?
Minuit 16, le 6 juin: déclenchement des opérations; les premiers parachutistes et planeurs britanniques sont envoyés en Normandie pour prendre à l'ennemi des points stratégiques (ponts); ils y sont largués avec une extrême précision (à quelques dizaines de mètres près)...

- Ham and Jam?
Message codé signifiant que les soldats aéroportés se sont rendus maîtres du Pont Pégase et d'un autre... 

- 2 weeks after June 6th?
- Période suivante théoriquement favorable à un débarquement sur les plages normandes (pleine lune; marée basse...)
- Temps exécrable
- Un débarquement à ce moment-là aurait été synonyme d'échec pour les troupes alliées...  

Tank Man
(Level: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate / B1 to B2 / ** to ***)

You are going to watch a Sky News report focusing partly on Tank Man (also called the 'Unknown Protester'), an anonymous rebel who came to stand in front of a column of tanks and brought it to a halt. 

This happened after the Chinese authorities had decided to put an end to the Tiananmen Square protests, an event which was later called the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

If you want to know more about the Tiananmen Square crackdown, here are an article (China, the world remembers Tiananmen massacre), a timeline, photos and a few CNN videos.  

Click HERE

Tiananmen Square
Picture credit: gotintravel.com

Tank Man
Picture credit: timetothink.fr

Before watching


The following words and notes could be useful:

Tiananmen: a famous monument in Beijing which was first built in 1420 and which is often referred to as the front entrance to the Forbidden City.

The Forbidden City: was the imperial palace from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) to he Qing dynasty (1644-1912) and is located in the centre of Beijing. It has been the Palace Museum  since 1925 and it houses the imperial collections of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The place has also been a World Heritage Site since 1987 as it was listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. 

The Forbidden City
Photo credit: livescience.com

Gorbachev (born in 1931): here are a few facts about him, in a nutshell. 

He was the last President of the Soviet Union (until 1991), and had been before General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

He worked in his teenage years on collective farms.

He graduated from Moscow State University in 1955 with a degree in law and joined the Communist Party.

He was appointed First Secretary to the Supreme Soviet in 1974 and became a member of the Politburo in 1979.

He contributed to the end of the Cold War thanks to his policies of glasnost (openness), perestroika (restructuring) and his reorientation of Soviet strategic aims and later to the end of the Soviet Union as such.

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990.

If you want to know more about Gorbachev, here is an interesting biography; click HERE


defiantly: with a lot of defiance; boldness          avec beaucoup d'audace
last stand: last fight     baroud d'honneur
to reminisce: to talk, think or write about events that happened in the past     se rappeler / se souvenir
to reckon: to think; to consider        estimer
to turn nasty: to become terribly unpleasant; very dangerous...      devenir méchant; dangereux / prendre une sale tournure / prendre une tournure désagréable
to gather momentum: to get strength; stronger         prendre de l'ampleur / s'accélérer
to run out: to be used up; to come to an end       arriver à terme / s'épuiser
from on high: from somebody in a position of power or authority      d'en haut 
staggering: causing astonishment; overwhelming         étonnant; stupéfiant 




While watching


Answer the following questions in French:

1. Under which circumstances had journalists come to Beijing in the first place back in 1989? Why had they decided to stay a bit longer?
2. What did they come to realize once they saw what the man, later called Tank Man, was up to?

You can also watch the video on Sky News by clicking HERE




When you are finished, you can check your answers

1

Les journalistes étrangers étaient venus initialement pour couvrir la visite d'état de Gorbatchev en Chine mais avaient décidé de rester quelque temps encore parce qu'ils se doutaient que les mouvements protestataires, quoique pacifistes, notamment sur la Place Tiananmen risquaient de prendre une tournure plutôt néfaste, voire fatale pour les manifestants. Leurs craintes se sont avérées exactes à la vue de la colonne de chars qui défilaient sous les fenêtres de l'hôtel où ils se trouvaient...

2

Quand ils ont vu l'homme se planter, seul, devant le premier char de la longue colonne, bravant ses occupants, les forçant à s'arrêter un temps, risquant de se faire abattre à tout moment, ils ont su qu'ils détenaient des images fortes, emblématiques d'un combat perdu d'avance. Images qui allaient être à la une de tous les quotidiens mondiaux le lendemain et qui allaient symboliser à tout jamais les événements sanglants de Tiananmen et la résistance pacifiste insupportable au régime chinois...

If you want to know more about Tank Man, you can click HERE and read an article (Tiananmen Square: What happened to Tank Man?) by Heather Saul (The Independent).

D-Day veterans pay homage to bagpipe-playing commando
(Level: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate / B2 / ** to ***)

Bill Millin landing on 6 June 1944 on Sword Beach
Photo credit: en.wikipedia.org

Scottish bagpiper Bill Millin who died aged 88 in 2010 was remembered on 2 June 2014 by D-Day veterans. 

Bill Millin in 1944
Photo credit: dday-overlord.com

Bill Millin in 2009
Photo credit: dday-overlord.com

You are now going to watch a BBC report focusing on Bill and on what he did on 6th June 1944.




Before watching


The following words could be useful:
a commando: a member of a military unit trained for raiding
to defy orders: to oppose / to refuse to submit to orders 
the mayhem: state of violent disorder / havoc        chaos / dévastation / destruction
a landing craft: a small vessel designed for the landing of troops and equipement on beaches    rampe de débarquement

A mortar (Heavy mortar - German type)
Photo credit : lonesentry.com

     

A landing craft
Photo credit: ww2pics.tripod.com

While watching


Answer the following questions in French:

1. Why was Bill considered an exceptional man? What exactlly did he do on 6 June 1944?
2. Why didn't German snipers shoot him?

You can also watch the video on the BBC site by clicking HERE








When you are finished, you can check your answers.

1

Bill était connu pour avoir encouragé ses camarades de combat en musique lors du Débarquement du 6 juin 1944. Seulement "armé" de sa cornemuse, il a arpenté la plage malgré les tirs incessants de mortiers, de mitrailleuses, le chaos, la destruction ambiante...

2

Après la guerre, des soldats allemands lui ont dit que tuer un joueur de cornemuse leur aurait porté malheur.(*)

(*) Autre version: les Allemands l'auraient pris pour un fou et ne l'auraient pas abattu pour cette raison.

Notes et autres faits:

1. Bill était le seul soldat du Débarquement à porter un kilt! 
2. Bill a servi sous les ordres du général Simon Fraser (connu aussi sous le nom de Lord Lovat) et est devenu son joueur de cornemuse attitré. Malgré l'interdiction par un décret datant de la Première Guerre mondiale de jouer de la cornemuse en première ligne, Fraser a donné l'ordre à Bill de jouer pour encourager les hommes dans la bataille. Etant tous les deux écossais, ils n'estimaient pas être concernés par un décret... anglais. 
3. Bill a été immortalisé par le film The Longest Day de 1962 dont voici un extrait; cliquez ICI

Titanosaurs
(Level: Intermediate / B1 / **) 

Argentinosaurus
Picture credit: BBC

Paleontologists believe they have unearthed the fossils of some of the tallest and heaviest creatures to have ever walked the earth. 

The bones are believed to be from massive herbivores named titanosaurs and were found about 250 km west of Trelew, Patagonia.

Trelew, Patagonia, Argentina
Map credit: wordwomanpartialellipsisofthesun.blogspot.be

Before watching

The following words could be useful:
the thigh bone: the femur
to unearth: to find something that was buried

Titanosaur
Picture credit: BBC

While watching


Answer the following questions in French:

1. What do we know now about the prehistoric individuals unearthed in Pentagonia? 
2. How can the scientists make sure these creatures were really the largest ones to have ever walked the earth? 

The femur  of the titanosaur
Photo credit: BBC

You can also watch the report on the BBC site by clicking HERE











When you are finished, you can check your answers

1
le plus grand et le plus pesant dinosaure connu à ce jour; l'équivalent en poids de 14 éléphants réunis et en hauteur d'un bâtiment de 7 étages.

La taille du fémur correspond à celle d'un homme adulte.



2
Les scientifiques mesurent les parties du squelette de manière adéquate et précise pour être sûrs qu'il s'agit bel et bien de l'animal le plus titanesque jamais retrouvé!

Growing concerns in the UK over housing quality offered to tenants
(Level: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate / B2 / ** to ***)

Students' accommodation to let
photo credit: topuniversities.com

As house prices have risen in the UK, it is no wonder that the number of people living in rented accommodation is also on the rise. 

Among them, the students who are a group of tenants being particularly vulnerable. 

You are going to watch a BBC report focusing on the issue.

Before watching



The following words could be useful:
an estate agent: someone whose job is to help people buy, sell or rent property    agent immobilier
damp: moisture / humidity         humidité  
mould / mold:  state of decay (apparent on walls, wallpapers etc) due to fungi that develop because of damp     moisissures 

A slug
Photo credit: telegraph.co.uk

a tenancy agreement: a written agreement or contract between a landlord and a tenant specifying the terms of the rental           bail / contrat de location
the tenant: the person having the use of a room, flat, house... and having to pay rent for it    locataire  
the landlord / landlady: a person who owns and lets property (room, flat, house...)   propriétaire

Rented houses can be rat-infested
Photo credit: independent.co.uk

Mould
Photo credit: bbc.co.uk

While watching


Answer the following questions in French:

1. What kinds of problems do students renting some accommodation have to face? 
2. What was Giorgio's experience like? 
3. The students are said to be an easy target for unscrupulous landlords: to what extent?
4. What advice is being given in the report so as to avoid such problems as a tenant?

You can also watch the video on the BBC site by clicking HERE










When you are finished, you can check your answers.

1

Problèmes d'humidité; moisissures; logements infestés de souris, de punaises... 

2

Habitation infestée de souris; traînées de bave d'escargots et de limaces partout sur le sol et sur les objets emmenés par lui et ses colocataires... 

Quand ils ont emménagé, les fauteuils avaient été placés à l'extérieur et étaient détrempés puisqu'il pleuvait; il a fallu trois semaines pour que le propriétaire les enlève et en installe de nouveaux dans l'habitation. 

3

75% des étudiants locataires ont signalé avoir eu des problèmes liés au logement qu'ils occupaient et 50% d'entre eux ont des difficultés à obtenir réparation. 

Un tiers d'entre eux n'étaient même pas parvenus dans un premier temps à entrer en contact avec le propriétaire ou l'agent immobilier pour faire état du problème.

4

• Ne pas signer de contrat de location à la hâte;
• poser un grand nombre de questions avant de signer;
• veiller à ce que l'acompte soit (déposé sur un compte) protégé
• signer un bail mais bien le lire aussi, vérifier chaque clause et tout commentaire laissé par le propriétaire; bien déterminer à qui incombent certaines responsabilités, savoir à qui s'adresser en cas de litige...
• ...