ENGLISH GRAMMAR REFERENCE AND PRACTICE

• Grammar in Use provides reference and practice for intermediate English students.
• It can be used for classroom study or self-study.
• Useful when existing course materials lack grammar coverage.
• Tailored for intermediate students who have studied basic English structures.
• Focuses on structures that intermediate students want to use but find difficult.
• Most helpful at middle and upper-intermediate levels for review and practice.
• Also beneficial for advanced students needing grammar reference and practice.
• Not suitable for beginning-level students.
• Consists of 124 units, each covering a specific grammar point.
• Some areas, such as the present perfect or articles, are covered in multiple units.
• Each unit includes explanations and examples (left-hand page) and exercises (right-hand page), except for Unit 112.
• Contents pages list all units; a detailed index is at the end.
• Four appendices: "List of Present and Past Tenses," "Regular and Irregular Verbs," "Spelling," and "Short Forms."
• The book is intended to be used selectively and flexibly by teachers.
• Can be used with the whole class or individual students.
• When used with the whole class: grammar points are taught as desired; the left-hand page serves as a record, and exercises are done in class or as homework.
• Individual students can study specific units for their particular difficulties.
• A separate answer key is available for teachers and self-study users.

Present Continuous (I am doing)

• Used to describe an action happening now, at the time of speaking.
  • Example: "I'm studying."
• Used to describe something happening around the time of speaking but not necessarily at that exact moment.
  • Example: "I'm reading an interesting book at the moment."
• Used to talk about a period around the present like today, this week, this season.
  • Example: "You're working hard today."
• Used to describe changing situations.
  • Example: "The population of the world is rising very fast."

Simple Present (I do)

• Used to talk about things in general, not only the present, and to indicate habitual or repeated actions.
  • Example: "The earth goes around the sun."
• Used to express that something is generally true.
  • Example: "Nurses take care of patients in hospitals."
• Uses do/does to form questions and negative sentences.
  • Example: "Do you speak English?", "I don't smoke."
• Used to indicate frequency of actions.
  • Example: "I get up at 8:00 every morning."
• Used in the phrase "Where do you come from?"

Present Continuous vs. Simple Present

• Present Continuous: For actions happening at or close to the time of speaking.
  • "The water is boiling."
• Simple Present: For things in general or repeated actions.
  • "Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius."
• Present Continuous: For temporary situations.
  • "I'm living with some friends until I can find an apartment."
• Simple Present: For permanent situations.
  • "My parents live in Boston."
• Some verbs are normally only in simple tenses (e.g., like, know, understand).

Present Tenses for Future Meaning

• Present Continuous (I am doing): For what you have already arranged to do.
  • "What are you doing tomorrow evening?"
• Simple Present (I do): For timetables, scheduled events.
  • "What time does the movie begin?"
  • Do not use the simple present for personal arrangements.

Going to (I am going to do)

• Used to express decisions or intentions for the future.
  • Example: "I'm going to make it an early night."
• Present Continuous (I am doing): Preferred for arrangements, but 'going to' is also acceptable.
  • Example: "What time are you meeting Ann?" or "What time are you going to meet Ann?"
• Was/Were Going To: For intentions in the past that were not carried out.
  • "We were going to take the train, but then we decided to go by car."
• Going To: Used to say what you think will happen, often based on present circumstances.
  • "It's going to rain."

Will (1)

• Use will ('ll) to express a decision made at the time of speaking.
  • Example: "I'll go and shut it."
• Simple Present (I do): Cannot be used in these sentences.
• Will: Should not be used for pre-arranged events.
• The negative of will is won't.
• Use I think I'll... or I don't think I'll... to express a decision.

Will (2)

• Will: Cannot use it with arrangements or intentions.
• Use will/won't to predict a future happening or situation.
  • Example: "You'll pass."
• Often used with probably, sure, bet, think, suppose, guess.
• Both will and shall are contracted to 'll.
• Use shall (not will) in Shall I…? and Shall we…? questions for offers, suggestions, etc.

Will or Going To?

• Use will to express a decision made at the time of speaking.
• Use going to when something has already been decided.
• Use going to (not will) when the present situation indicates what will happen in the near future.
• In other situations, use will.
  • Example: "Laura will probably get the job."

When and If Sentences

• In 'when' clauses indicating future actions, use the simple present, not will or going to.

• This rule applies to clauses with after, while, before, until/till, and as soon as.

• The present perfect (I have done) can also be used in these clauses.

• 'If' clauses also use the simple present for future possibilities.

• Use 'if' For uncertain events and 'when' for sure events.

Will Be Doing and Will Have Done

• Will Be Doing (Future Continuous): Used to describe being in the middle of an action at a specific future time.
• Will Have Done (Future Perfect): Used to convey that something will already be completed before a specific future time.

Simple Past Tense (I did)

• Simple Past: Used to talk about actions or situations in the past.
• Often ends in '-ed', but major verbs are irregular.
• Use did/didn't + base form for questions and negative sentences.
• With 'have,' typically use 'did/didn't'.
• Do not use 'did' Form with being (was/were).

Past Continuous (I was doing)

• Past Continuous: Use to indicate someone was in the middle of an action at a certain time. It doesn't say whether the action was finished or not,
  • "They were playing tennis (at 10:30)."
• Often used with simple past to show an event that happened in the middle of something else.
  • "Dan burned his hand while he was cooking dinner."
• Use simple past alone to narrate a sequence of events, one after the other.

Present Perfect (I have done) (1)

• Used when there is a present connection.
  • I've lost my key (and I don't have it now).
• Often used to announce a recent happening or give new information.
  • "I've lost my key."
• can be used with just (= a short time ago).
  • "I've just had lunch."
• use with already to mean sooner than expected.
  • "I've already mailed it."
• Can also use the simple past in these situations.
• gone to = Is there now or on the way there.
• been to = Was there, but has come back.

Present Perfect (I have done) (2)

• Used with a period of time continuing up to the present.
  • Example: "I've been to 47 different countries."
• Often use ever and never.
• Used after a superlative adjective.
• Have to use it with: "This is the first time…"
• Say that you never have or haven't done something during and a period of time continuing up to now.
  • "I haven't smoked for three years"

Present Perfect (I have done) (3)

• Use when talking about a period of time that continues to the present.
  • (Have you heard from George recently?)
• Often used with 'lately', 'in the past few days/years'
• Often used in combination with 'yet' to indicate expectancy.
• Usually used in questions and negative statements.
• Use the present perfect with 'this morning/evening/today/week' etc., only when these periods are not finished when speaking.

Present Perfect Continuous (I Have Been Doing)

• It is raining = It has been raining.
• It is often used with howlong, for, and since.
• It shows that the action began in the past and is either still happening or has just stopped.
• You can also use the present perfect continuous for repeated actions over a period of time.

Present Perfect Continuous or Simple Present

• Present Perfect Continuous: Emphasizes the action.
• Present Perfect Simple: Focuses on the result.
• Continuous: Use to express the duration of an action (how long).
• Simple: Use for actions with a specified quantity, amount or number of times.

Present Perfect (I have done / I have been doing) with How Long, For, Since

• Use the present perfect to say how long something has existed or been happening.
• If the action is ongoing, use the present perfect continuous.
• Use present perfect simple for long-term situations and present perfect continuous for short-term.
• Stative verbs such as be, have, and know are not used in continuous form.
• Do not use simple present or present continuous to express duration.

Simple Past vs. Present Perfect With How Long, When and Since/For

• Simple Past: use to ask or say when something happened or occurred.
• Present perfect: use to ask or say how long something has been happening up to present.
• 'For': we use when we state the period of time.
• 'Since' : we use when stating the beginning of the period.

Present Perfect (I have done) or Simple Past (I did)?

• Both I have done or I did might be possible at times.
• But you can not use a present perfect express when something like (yesterday, two years ago, etc).
• Use a past tense in these sentences.
• Do not use the present perfect(I have done) for actions that are not connected with the present.