ESL Grammar Practice

Adjective Clauses and Relative Pronouns

2011-10-05T21:02:00.000-07:00

"The Waterfall" Henri Rousseau, 1910

Combine the two sentences. Change the underlined pronoun in the second sentence to a relative pronoun such as "that", "who", or "whose". Make sure your adjective clause immediately follows the noun it modifies, even if you have to break the main clause.

1. I like people. They are good listeners.

2. I bought a computer. It doesn't work very well.

3. She's a woman. She always eats nutritious food.

4. This is the camera. I bought it last week.

5. These are the photographs. I told you about them.

6. I notice people. They wear colorful clothes.

7. I finally bought the dress. I tried it on three times yesterday.

8. The movie wasn't very interesting. I saw it last night.

9. I know a teacher. Her classes are always full.

10. She's the excellent nurse. I wanted to tell you about her.

11. I didn't like the car. I test drove it yesterday.

12. The clown made everyone laugh. He rode backwards on an elephant.

13. The airplane landed successfully. It almost crashed.

14. Alan was hit by a flowerpot. It had fallen off a windowsill.

15. Then, he was splashed by a car. It had driven through a mud puddle.

16. My neighbor complains about my stereo. His tenants play drums loudly until midnight.

17. I have a good friend. He lives in Brazil.

18. I admire people. They aren't afraid to work hard.

19. The house is no longer for sale. I checked it out yesterday.

20. Some of the students are in the G.E.D. program. I taught them last year.

21. The boy was bitten by a dog. He delivers our newspapers.

22. Both dogs chased the ball. I threw it as far as I could.

23. The nurse gave the patient an injection. It made him go to sleep.

24. Students should take them to the hall. Their cell phones ring in class.

25. The apartment is downtown. My friends have rented it.

Present Simple Tense - Choose

2011-07-06T15:01:00.000-07:00

"Amoskeag Canal" Charles Sheeler, 1948

1. to my friend on the phone every afternoon.

2. flowers every spring.

3. at the office every day.

4. to a party every weekend.

5. Susan with her homework.

6. to them in English.

7. for Europe every morning at 11 o'clock.

8. their shoes before they enter the house.

9. the paychecks to the employees every other week.

10. the news of the day at dinnertime.

11. a letter to my friend Silvia once a month.

12. your notebook to class.

13. cards with his nephews.

14. from San Francisco International Airport.

15. a commercial on television.

16. soccer once a week.

17. an exam twice a semester.

18. the dentist every six months.

20. a game.

21. money from his parents once in a while.

22. her husband to work every morning.

23. dinner at 6:30 pm.

24. their work before 6:00 pm every evening.

25. next to Amber.

26. every January, February, and March.

27. beautifully at every performance.

28. a profit.

29. new words in the class.

30. at the mail person every afternoon.

31. the violin very well when she practices.

Past and Present of "Be" Contrast

2011-06-26T13:43:00.000-07:00

"At The Moulin Rouge" Toulous Lautrec, 1895

1. hungry a few minutes ago, but hungry now.

2. Yesterday, the weather terrible, but today nice.

3. any dishes in the sink an hour ago, but there a lot of
dishes in the sink now.

4. Last week, our children at their grandparents’ house, and my husband and I on vacation.

5. Before I painted my room, ugly. Now, beautiful.

6. Jack a mechanic, so every day after work, his clothes dirty.

7. energetic this morning, but now tired.

8a. When our kids young, always noisy.

8b. Now, so noisy.

9a. When young, coffee cheap.

9b. Now, expensive.

10a. Before Steve married Silvia, lonely.

10b. Now, happy.

11a. on Main Street last night?

11b. No, . home with my wife.

12. Two years ago, my dress new and colorful. Now, old and faded.

13. I in school last night because I sick.

14a. Robert in town last week. He in Los Angeles.

14b. back in town now.

15. The movie tickets $5.00 a year ago. Now, $7.00.

16a. On our first date, shy and embarrassed.

16b. shy or embarrassed anymore. very comfortable with you.

17a. How old your child when he began to walk?

17b. only 2 years old. Now, ten years old, and boy, can he run!

18a. Why Albert and Maria upset?

18b. upset because nobody invited them to the party.

19. They upset now because I just called them and invited them.

20a. Julie beautiful when she young.

20b. Now, she older, but still very beautiful.

Present Tenses - Present Simple and Continuous

2011-06-16T13:45:00.000-07:00

"Sleep" by Edouard Vuillard, 1891

1. I two English books.

2. Julie to school every evening, Monday to Thursday.

3. your sister live in The United States?

4. Maria a pencil. She already has one.

5. working tonight so she can't attend class.

6. usually works on the weekends.

7. Jose the bus to work.

8. you and David own a computer?

9. they going to L.A. next Thursday?

10. Steven very sweet desserts.

11. Who dinner in your family?

12. Mario always very hard to remember the new words.

13. Ana sometimes TV before she goes to bed.

14. The students never the rules of the class.

15. she sleeping now? I'm not going to wake her up.

16. she usually sleep late on Saturday morning?

17. Yes, she does. She usually late on the weekends.

18. She have to work on the weekends.

19. Felix is our cat. He butterflies.

20. a teacher. I work in a school.

21. After breakfast, my cat outside and chases the birds.

22. How often do you during the week?

23. your brother play soccer after school every day?

24. Your brother soccer very well. I saw him last weekend.

25. After a long walk, my dog always on the old sofa in the garage.

26. busy right now, but we'll call you later.

27. listening to the program. I think you should. It's excellent.

28. They a computer so they can't use the website.

29. Julia in July. She wants to invite you to the wedding.

30. ushers. They work in a theater. They show people to their seats.

31. writing the exercise now? Is it easy or difficult?

Present Progressive Tense (or Present Continuous Tense)

2011-06-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

"Woman in a Blue Hat" Pablo Picasso, 1901

Each number has part A and part B. Part A uses a name. In part B, use a pronoun to represent the name in part A.

1a. Julie in the mountains this weekend. (ski)

1b. there with her friends, Jeff and Mary. (go)

2a. Jeff a novel by Garcia Márquez.(read)

2b. it a lot. (enjoy)

3a. Mary and Jeff married in March. (get)

3b. to New York after the wedding. (travel)

4a. a class at Mission Campus? (Rolando, attend)

4b. Yes, a Level Four class there. (attend)

5a. What right now? (the students, write)

5b. a short composition about their families. (write)

6a. Where soccer this afternoon?(you, play)

6b. soccer at Dolores Park. (we, play)

7a. clothes this afternoon? (you, buy)

7b. No, I'm not. groceries at the supermarket. (buy)

8a. his grandmother today? (Jose, visit)

8b. No, he isn't. his aunt and uncle. (he, visit)

9a. What color the living room walls? (Maria, paint)

9b. them light blue. Do you think it's a nice color?

10a. What to do? Be careful. That ladder is dangerous! (you, try)

10b. to wash these windows. They're very dirty. (I, try)

11a. the wrong soap. That's dish soap. It won't clean your windows. (you, use)

11b. You're right. the wrong soap. (use)

12a. What today? (your sister, wear)

12b. her new blue hat today. (she, wear)

Exchanges 2, Page 1 - Present Progressive Tense

Here is a video about Present Progressive with nice graphics and music.

Embedded/Included Questions

2010-11-12T09:03:00.001-08:00

"The Guitar Player" Jan Vermeer, 1672
An embedded or included question is always a noun clause. It is the object of the verb, as in the following sentence: I don't know where the supermarket is. "where the supermarket is" is a noun clause, the object of the verb "know". The noun clause must always be in the word order: subject+verb. So, a noun clause can never be in the form of a question.

If it is an information question, (when, what, where, why, whose, which, how much, how many, etc.), the noun clause begins with the question word.

If it is a yes/no question, such as "Is this your book?" The noun clause begins with "if" or "whether".

Exercise: Change the following questions to noun clauses after the appropriate main clauses supplied.

1. When does the train arrive?
Do you know

2. Was Sam in San Francisco last year?
I don't know

3. Where's your brother going to live next year?
I'm not exactly sure

4. What is the teacher's name?
Can you tell me

5. Does this school have a cafeteria?
Could you please tell me

6. When did the new factory open?
Do you remember

7. Where can I find a good shoe store?
Do you happen to know

8. How far is Oregon from here?
I'd like to find out

9. What time is it?
Could you please tell me

10. Are there any new employees this week?
I really can't tell you

11. How much does this computer cost?
Do you know

12. Where are the restrooms in this building?
Could you please tell me

13. When did the First World War begin?
Do you happen to know

14. How long has Jack been here?
I'm really not sure

15. How did she break her leg?
Poor Maria! Do you happen to know

16. What kind of guitar is that lady playing?
I don't have any idea

17. What did she say?
I didn't hear

18. What was the answer?
She remembered

19. What did I see yesterday?
I don't recall

20. What did you explain in class?
I'm trying to remember

The following is an excellent video from Learning American English. It has a good explanation of the Noun Clause.

Reviewing the Comparative and Superlative.

2010-11-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

"Fishbone Forest" Max Ernst, 1927

1. My brother is my father. In fact, my brother is person in our family.

2. Spanish is Russian. In fact, Spanish is one of languages in the world.

3. Margaret is her neighbor. Some people say she's woman in our neighborhood.

4. Martha Brothers coffee is Starbucks. Some people think Martha Brothers coffee is coffee in San Francisco.

5. California's economy is Nevada's economy. Many people agree that California's economy is one of economies in the United States.

6. Arnold Schwarzenegger isn't Jerry Brown, however he's a lot Jerry Brown. Arnold Schwarzenegger used to be one of men in the world before he became an actor.

7. Your Uncle George is your Aunt Wilma. I think he's person in our family.

8. Your younger brother is his roommate. He's probably person in the dormitory.

9. Mildred is Evelyn. Mildred's music teacher think she's musician in the school.

10. Your grandfather is mine. Everybody says he's person in our community.

11, That dog is a lot our cat. That dog is probably animal on our block.

12. Yes, I know this radio isn't very , but unfortunately, we don't have a . This radio is one in the store.

13. Linda is person I know. In my opinion, she much her sister.

14. Our store is one in town. It's the stores in most cities.

15. The math problem our teacher gave us yesterday is one we've had all semester. It's much the one he gave us last week.

16. San Francisco is city in The United States. That's why I live here. It's certainly Los Angeles.

17. This cereal has too sugar. I'm looking for cereal that has sugar. Can you recommend one?

18. (answer to 17.) I think Uncle Sam is a very cereal. It has sugar of any cereal I know.

19. "Mad Men" is a TV series about people in advertising in the 1960's. It's TV series I've seen in a long time. It's much many other TV series.

20. The location of our campus is before. This location is the one for most of our students.

21. Today, I'm I was yesterday. But tomorrow will be day I'll have this week.

22. Mount Everest is mountain in the world. No mountain in California is Mount Everest.

23. Historians say that Hitler was Mussolini. He was one of dictators the world has ever seen.

24, Her English was the teacher's. She was English student in the class.

25. Samuel lives in Sacramento. He lives from our school of all our students. Nobody lives he does from school.

26. day of my life was when my father died. I was about it, but my brother was I was.

27. Alaska has weather of any of the states. Also, Oregon's weather is California's weather.

28. New York is certainly San Francisco. In fact, New York is one of cities in the world.

29. Tokyo is much San Francisco. Tokyo, with its huge population, is one of cities in the world.

30. Angela always wears colorful clothes. Her clothes are any of her classmates' clothes. Some students think hers are clothes in the school.

Comparative Practice. Write the correct word. Check your answer by looking at the drop down menu.

2010-10-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

"Snow Covered Road" Claude Monet, 1867

1. I eat too many hamburgers. I should eat food. (healthy)

2. He should study harder and he should get grades in school. (good)

3. Most dogs are much than cats. (friendly)

4. I disagree. My cat is as as your dog. (friendly)

5. My parents say I should wear clothes. (nice)

6. Used cars are definitely new cars. (cheap)

7. There is one problem with used cars. They aren't as new ones. (reliable)

8. In the winter, New York is certainly San Francisco. (cold)

9. But, in the summer, I feel that San Francisco isn't New York. (warm)

10. My cousin is than my uncle. (energetic)

11. My aunts than my parents. (generous)

12. Our neighbor's furniture is more our furniture.(comfortable)

13. You should vote for Millie Parker. She's than Bob Green. (honest)

14. Maria is Pedro. (tall)

15. Pedro isn't Maria. (tall)

16. Uncle Edward is Uncle Albert. (intelligent)

17. However, Uncle Edward as Uncle Albert. (rich)

18. Raw vegetables than cooked vegetables. (delicious)

19. Judy's pet bird is Sally's pet bird. (beautiful)

20. My father's feet are mine. (large)

21. Today is hot. Yesterday was also hot. Today is yesterday. (hot)

22. Henry's new girlfriend is his ex-wife. (thin)

23. But, in my opinion, his new girlfriend isn't as his ex-wife. (interesting)

24. My brother's suitcase is mine. (light)

25. My suitcase is a lot his. (heavy)

26. Your pet crocodile is he was before. What have you been feeding him? (fat)

27. You live in San Francisco, but I live in Daly City. I live you from school. (far)

28. Steve can't come to school today. His cold is it was yesterday. (bad)

29. We cleaned our apartment today. Yesterday, our apartment was . (dirty)

30. Try Mario's Restaurant. It's as Pierre's Restaurant. (fancy)

31. Also, the food at Mario's Restaurant isn't as the food at Pierre's Restaurant.(expensive)

32. I'm glad Ted moved next door. He's a lot Peter, who used to live there. (quiet)

33. My computer is Jennifer's computer. (powerful)

35. I think you'll like my new watch. It's much my old one. (accurate)

36. Peggy isn't as talented as Ginger. You're right. Peggy is than Ginger. (talented)

37. This car is cheaper than that one. You're right. This car is than that one. (expensive)

38. There's an American saying that goes, "The grass next door is always mine." (green)

39. There's a famous saying that goes, "It is to have tried and failed than not to have tried at all." (good)

40. Toronto isn't as Mexico City. (noisy)

41. You're right. Mexico City is Toronto. (noisy)

42. Roger's apartment is Bill's apartment, but it isn't as nice. (big)

43. I think we should hire Mrs. Wilson. She's than Mr. Brown.(polite)

44. I don't know. Mrs. Wilson isn't as Ms. Jackson. We should hire Ms. Jackson. (capable)

45. Ms. Jackson is definitely than Mrs. Wilson. Don't you agree? (talkative)

46. These ties are than the ties I usually buy. (attractive)

47. I like this shampoo. It makes my hair than it was before. (soft, shiny)

48. I like this novel. It's that author's last novel. (exciting)

49. Starbuck's coffee isn't Martha and Brothers coffee. (good)

50. This exercise is longer and the other exercises. (difficult)

Choose the Correct Auxiliary

2010-08-17T20:14:00.000-07:00

This exercise should be done after the lesson on "Using Second Verbs".

1. I understand you. Please, speak slower.

2. He work overtime this Friday.

3. They to leave class early today.

4. You bring a notebook to class every day.

5. Sam to forget his ex girlfriend and find someone new.

6. You take a credit course if you wanted to.

7. They travel more if they had time.

8. I always driving downtown because the traffic is heavy.

9. We're to eat dinner around 7:00 pm tonight.

10. I to meet my uncle at the airport this afternoon.

11. Timmy to play baseball in the back yard.

12. Steve cook spaghetti for dinner tonight. He's not sure.

13. I to fix the washing machine. It's broken.

14. Yan Ching speak both Mandarin and Cantonese.

15. Maria isn't home right now. I take a message?

16. I don't to disturb you, but I really need your help.

17. We're to listen to music tonight.

18. You attend class if you're not feeling well.

19. You worked 12 hours today? You be tired.

20. My boss probably change my schedule next week.

21. I return my library books today. They're overdue.

22. You wear your sweater. It's very cold outside.

23. Steven isn't wearing his raincoat. It not be raining very hard.

24. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning. I be late for work.

25. My sister really watching science fiction movies.

26. you tell me how to get to Mission Campus from here?

27. Our dinner guests be here in about a half hour.

28. The doctor says I eat as much ice cream as I did before.

29. We're afraid we have a terrible time at Jack's party.

30. I give my brother a tie because I gave him one last year.

31. Our family to go to the beach every summer.

32. Put on your safety helmet or you hurt your head.

33. My son has a fever. I'm afraid he have the flu.

34. Our students don't to wear a uniform when they attend our classes.

35. You to go to bed early so you'll have energy tomorrow.

Using Second Verbs: Rules and an Exercise

2010-08-15T10:39:00.000-07:00

"Adoration of the Magi" Fra Angelico, 1433

Infinitive= to+verb: to go, to make, to play
Base Form= verb with no change: go, make, play
Gerund= verb+ing: going, making, playing
Auxiliary= First Verb or Helping Verb

Every language has a powerful motor. That motor is the power of verb combination. If you know how verbs combine, you find that you can converse more easily and more accurately. Listen to yourself speak in your own language, and you'll very often find that you're combining verbs. In English, there are three kinds of second verbs: Base Form, Infinitive, and Gerund. Which one you use depends on the first verb. If you use a modal auxiliary, the second verb will always be the Base Form. If you use auxiliaries:
have, going, want, need, decide, ought, able

your second verb will be the infinitive. If you use auxiliary verbs:
keep on, enjoy, feel like, avoid, consider, finish, have trouble
the second verb will be the gerund. There are some verbs that are followed by either the gerund or the infinitive such as
prefer, start, try, continue, hate, like, begin

Exercise: Choose the correct form of the second verb.

1. Steve must away all the tools now. (put)

2. The students can't this complicated lesson. (understand)

3. Have you ever considered in a computer course? (enroll)

4. We would in Europe if we had more time and money. (travel)

5. I don't want out these old letters. (throw)

6. They're going married in October. (get)

7. We should our typing skills so we can write online exercises more easily. (improve)

8. I don't like long meetings. (attend)

9. You ought your friends if they're in trouble. (help)

10. We need the driver's manual for the test. (learn)

11. Tom is late. He might stuck in traffic. (be)

12. I wasn't able the problem to the employer clearly enough. (explain)

13. I might my homework before the party begins. (finish)

14. I sometimes have trouble a parking place. (find)

15. He likes coffee in the morning. (drink)

16. Mary could 5 miles every day when she was younger.(run)

17. We'll City College next semester. (attend)

18. I won't be able to the party with you because I have too much homework.(go)

19. Dave has his brother after school today. (pick up)

20. You know, you ought a larger notebook. It's better for writing. (buy)

21. Steve should a jacket today because it's very cold out.(wear)

22. Andy wants a job in San Francisco because he likes that city. (find)

23. We don't want away but our company has changed its location. (move)

24. The students will a lot of grammar this semester. (study)

25. We enjoy to stories and articles on the internet. (read, listen)

26. We try as much as we can about the sounds of English. (learn)

27. They avoid on the freeway during rush hour. There are too many cars on the road. (drive)

28. I'd like my bicycle in the country this Saturday. (ride)

29. Sylvia and Roger are going married after they graduate from college. (get)

30. They decided to Hawaii for their honeymoon. (travel)

31. I prefer rather than taking the bus. (walk)

32. The police car began my car yesterday. I didn't know what I was doing wrong. (follow)

Participial Adjective Endings: "ed" or "ing" ?

2010-06-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

"Two Cranes by a Pine Tree" Maruyama Okyo, 18th Century

It's confusing! What's confusing? This grammar is confusing. How does it make you feel? I feel confused.

The "ing" ending for an adjective describes the person, or thing that causes a feeling or reaction. Examples: The trip was exciting. The lecture was interesting. The comedian was entertaining and amusing.

The "ed" ending describes a subjective response. It tells how I feel about the thing or person. Examples: I was annoyed when I had to wait in line. I was excited about the new class. I'm interested in the new book. I'm fascinated by Japanese art.

In the following exercises, use the correct form of the adjective. Click the drop down menu for the correct answer.

1. I saw a very exhibit of Japanese painting yesterday.

2. The children were very by the clowns at the circus.

3. I couldn't stand the movie last night. It was one of the most movies I've ever seen.

4. Aren't those cranes ? They're also graceful and beautiful.

5. Tom was because the application form was difficult to read.

6. Jose isn't with his progress in English this semester. He wants to repeat Level Five.

7. We don't want to be because we're trying to finish our homework.

8. The acrobats performed some somersaults and balancing acts.

9. I'm very to say that I forgot your birthday.

10. The score I received on my last exam was somewhat . I thought I had done better.

11. I was this morning because I didn't sleep well last night.

12. We want to paint our house, but we can't decide what color to paint it. It's very

13. They're because they want to go to the beach but it's raining.

14. I had to take the kids out of the movie theater yesterday because the film we were watching was too .

15. That singer was so that we wanted to listen to her all evening.

16. The cars were going so fast on the freeway that they us.

17. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are looking forward to having a holiday.

18. I was to learn that I was accepted to the University of California. I didn't think my grades were good enough.

19. I heard that Joe and Carol are getting married. Isn't that ?

20. I didn't even know they were in each other.

21. If I don't have the chance to use my computer for a while, I get restless and .

22. I'm getting very with my browser. It keeps quitting while I'm working on my blog.

23. The cranes in the picture seem very peaceful and .

24. After doing some of these exercises, are you still about when to use "ed" or "ing"?

25. Please, don't be about your English. It's natural to make mistakes when you're learning a new language.

26. I listened to the lawyers at the trail, but I didn't think their arguments were very .

27. I'm not at all that Mr. Donald Bennet is guilty of any crime.

28. The situation on the Gulf Coast is absolutely . How long will it take to clean up that oil spill?

29. Louise and Jeffery have a very house in the country. They stay there every summer.

30. The food and service at our restaurant seems to be pretty good because we have a lot of customers.

Prepositions

2010-05-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

ESL Grammar Practice: Prepostions of Place
ESL Grammar Practice: Preposition Practice
Better English.com: Prepositions
Better English.com: Prepositions of Time
Grammar-Quizes.com: Prepositions of Time

Prepostions of Place

2010-05-28T18:55:00.000-07:00

"The Art of Conversation" Rene Magritte, 1950

Prepositions are short words that show the relationship between things. Prepositions of place in English are not difficult, but take some practice to use correctly. Here are some rules to make these place prepostions easier to use accurately:

Use "at" for an exact address. For example, "Bob lives at 342 Mission Street."
A corner is also an exact place, so say "I'll meet you at the corner of Fifth and Market." Use "at" for a place such as a restaurant, hospital, or a store. You're calling your friend who asks you where you are, and you say, "I'm at school, right now. I'll call you later."

Use "in" for cities, states, countries. "I used to live in Nicaragua. I live in the United States now." "Oh, where?" "I live in San Francisco." "My friend Jose lives in California, also." Also, "in" is appropriate for objects inside a box or a drawer.
"This is a beautifully wrapped present. What's in it, I wonder?"

Use "on" when you talk about a street without using a specific address. "Our campus is on Valencia Street." Use "on" for the location of an object that is on top of another object. "What's that on your head?" "It's my new hat. Don't you like it?" "It looks like a bird." "Where are the car keys?" "They're on the table."

Use "on" for a floor of a building. "The Language Lab is on the Third Floor."

Use "between" when a place has a place on either side of it. "The bank is between the restaurant and the school."

Use "across from" for locating a place on the other side of the street. "The gas station is across from the hotel."

Use "to" to show the direction of an action. "He's moving to Los Angeles at the end of the month."

Use "from" to show a relationship to origin. "Mario is from Mexico."

Choose the correct preposition in the following sentences. Check your answers.

1. Tom lives Sacramento, California.

2. He didn't give me his exact address, but I believe he lives B Street.

3. You can probably find him the coffee shop C Street.

4. The tallest building the world isn't New York City.

5. Our business office is the fourth floor. Our school is located 1125 Valencia Street.

6. Maria is going school Ocean Campus of City College.

7. If you don't drive faster, we'll arrive the airport late.

8. There's a bank the restaurant and the laundromat.

9. Alejandro was born Texas, but he moved California last year.

10. Fred's sister said he wasn't home, so he must be school.

11. Aren't these apples good? They're Anderson Valley. You can buy some the farmer's market 24th Street.

12. Did Ed park his car front of his house or the driveway?

13. How far is Los Angeles San Francisco? I want to drive L.A. next weekend.

14. There's a good restaurant the subway station.

15. The Smiths live West Chestnut Street the shoe store.

16. They live Spain. They plan to travel Mexico next year.

17. My plane stopped Paris and London and arrived New York five hours late.

18. I live the 7th floor 21 Oxford Street Berkeley, California.

19. There is a "no smoking" sign the wall. It means you're not allowed to smoke this building.

20. I waited for you the restaurant for a long time. When you didn't show up, I went the bookstore.

21. The world's tallest building is Dubai, United Arab Emerates. It's name is Burj Khalifa. I have an office that building the 50th Floor.

(Come back to this exercise later. I'll be adding more questions)

Present Perfect Progressive Tense

2010-05-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

"Green Apples" by Paul Cezanne, 1873

The Present Perfect Progressive Tense is formed by using the subject with "have been" or "has been" plus a present participle (-ing form) of the verb.
If you're using a subject pronoun, you may use a contraction. The contractions are as follows: I've, he's, she's, it's, you've, we've, they've.

Change the following Present Progressive sentences to Present Perfect Progressive. Use the time word in the drop down menu. Click on the arrows to view the correct answer.

1. He's studying English.

2. They're reading the new books.

3. We're waiting for the doctor.

4. They're repairing that road.

5. You're learning new words.

6. The students are writing their essay.

7. It's snowing.

8. We're jogging.

9. The gardeners are planting flowers.

10. The turkey is cooking.

11. They're swimming now.

12. Roger is working at the post office.

13. Irene is playing the piano.

14. We're playing soccer together.

15. What are they doing now?

16. The doctor is giving a check up.

17. The teacher is explaining the grammar.

18. The neighbors are making noise.

19. My TV isn't working well.

20. The baby is crying.

21. The ceiling is leaking.

22. My car is making strange noises.

23. Paul and Jane are dating.

24. Officer Daniels is directing traffic.

25. The neighbor's dog is barking.

Past Progressive Tense and Clauses.

2010-05-15T14:40:00.000-07:00

"Puddle" M.C. Escher, 1952

Write the main clause or time clause to complete the following sentences.

1. I was sleeping when

2. While , he tripped on the curb.

3. While , it started to rain.

4. They were watching TV when

5. I was eating lunch when

6. when the plane took off.

7. While , they saw a beautiful bird.

8. They were getting of a bus when on the sidewalk.

9. Jack hurt his wrist while

10. Rita was brushing her teeth when

11. We were waiting for the bus when

12. While , the photographers ran towards us.

13. While Mary was sleeping last night,

14. I was skiing when

15. The teacher started to cough while

16. when she heard the office phone ring.

17. when my friend called on me.

18. when the accident happened.

19 while he was playing basketball.

20. When the fire started,

21. Sonia was waiting for me when

22. When the computer suddenly shut off,

23. While my girlfriend paid for the dinner.

24. Tom and I were having coffee when

25. George was driving to work when

26. Dorothy was talking to her friend when

Past Progressive Conversation Practice, Grammartalk 9HB, Page One

Past Perfect and Past Progressive Review.

2010-04-27T19:27:00.000-07:00

"The Room" by Edouard Vuillard, 1893

Jennifer's schedule yesterday:

1:00 write an English composition
2:00 study for my history exam
3:00 practice the piano
4:00 read the next chapter in the science text
5:00 memorize my poem

1. What was she doing at 2:00?

2. What had she already done?

3. What hadn't she done yet?

4. What else hadn't she done yet?

5. What else hadn't she done yet?

Brian had a very busy day at the office yesterday

9:00 send an e-mail to his supervisor
10:00 distribute the paychecks to the employees
11:00 install the new software on the computers
1:00 write a proposal for a new procedure
2:00 return three phone calls

6. What was he doing at 11:00?

7. What had he already done?

8. What else had he already done?

9. What hadn't he done yet?

10. What else hadn't he done yet?

Mr. and Mrs. Lopez had a very busy day at home yesterday

8:00 assemble a new bicycle for their son
9:00 fix the broken faucet
11:00 clean the garage
2:00 paint their living room
4:00 vacuum the carpets

11. What were they doing at ll:00?

12. What had they already done?

13. What else had they already done?

14. What hadn't they done yet?

15. What else hadn't they done yet?

Louise had a very busy day at her health club.

9:00 go to jazz dance class
10:00 ride the stationary bike
12:00 swim ten laps
3:00 lift weights
4:00 attend nutrition class

16. What was she doing at 12:00?

17. What had she already done?

18. What else had she already done?

19. What hadn't she done yet?

20. What else hadn't she done yet?

Comparative of the Adverb.

2010-04-21T09:43:00.000-07:00

For example:

Tom speaks too quickly. He should speak more slowly.

1. Stella speaks too softly.

2. Marvin talks to his associates too impolitely.

3. Steve drives too carelessly.

4. Tom dances too awkwardly.

5. They type too slowly.

6. Dave doesn't study seriously enough.

7. Evelyn doesn't attend class frequently enough.

8. Our neighbor dresses sloppily.

9. We understand English badly.

10. They arrive at work too late.

11. Amanda doesn't sing beautifully enough.

12. They cook American food badly.

13. Alice doesn't drive safely enough.

14. Arnold doesn't work hard enough.

15. The guests have arrived at the party much too early.

Using Adverbs of Manner. Choose the Correct Answer.

2010-04-15T18:31:00.000-07:00

1. Bob drives very

2. He's the most driver I know.

3. That student writes very

4. The teachers have a faculty meeting on Thursday.

5. Julio Ortega is a very translator.

6. Bob complained when he was stuck in traffic.

7. Parents should talk to their babies

8. When you are you get much better results.

9. I don't play cards with Jake because he's too

10. In order to drive you need to always use a seat belt.

11. You should always dress when you go on a job interview.

12. This paragraph isn't as as that one.

13. The candidate spoke to the people very during the campaign.

14. Jessica works very I think she deserves a raise.

15. If you are you will earn their respect.

16. Mr. Brown explained his situation very so that everyone understood him.

17. In a couple of years, you'll be able to speak English

18. Those two waiters are too We must talk them about their problem.

19. I like those workers because they put up sheet rock very

20. You didn't write that composition

21. Actually, I think it's quite

Gerund and Infinitive Practice

2010-04-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

"The History of the Theater"
by David Alfaro Sigueiros, 1963

Use the gerund, gerund phrase, preposition plus gerund, or the infinitive to fill the blanks in these sentences.

1. Jerry is interested

2. They don't enjoy

3. She wants at the Candle Company.

4. The students are very excited from "Planet Earth."

5. Maria appreciated when she was in the hospital.

6. The Newmans decided instead to Canada for their vacation.

7. Personally, I can't stand a lot of junk mail in my mailbox.

8. On Halloween, my son pretended He painted himself blue. He was very convincing.

9. In order to make progress, you should keep

10. Tomasa is thinking next semester.

11. Four employees are responsible , cleaning up, and locking the store.

12. The workers are concerned dangerous chemicals.

13. She looks forward from the university.

14. We're all very tired for so little money.

15. The boss was in a bad mood, so we didn't dare about the bad working conditions.

16. He was nice enough to admit when he backed into the parking place.

17. We're planning for our vacation.

18. The heavy rain prevented us at the outdoor market.

20. I don't like waiting in traffic. That's why I avoid whenever possible.

21. The students are accustomed every day.

22, It is appropriate for customers to insist

23. I don't like mountain climbing because I'm afraid

24. You definitely shouldn't postpone if you're over fifty.

25. They continued even after their divorce.

26. Tazuko isn't used It sometimes gives him a stomachache.

27. Would you mind It's very stuffy in this room.

28. We haven't finished yet. Please, come back in a five or ten minutes.

29. The children are very interested astronomy.

30. Don't forget to thank the cooks

The Comparative Form

2010-04-08T08:29:00.001-07:00

"Beautiful World" Rene Magritte

Use the following information to make comparative sentences.

1. My brother/my father

2. New York/San Francisco

3. The book/the movie

4. Spanish/English

5. Chinese food/English food

6. These pencils/those pencils.

7. The subway/the bus

8. That sofa/this chair

9. My dogs/my cat

10. Our party/her party

11. This dress/that dress

12. my sister/my brother

13. This car/that motorcycle

14. This necklace/that one

15. This ticket/that one

16. Movie stars/TV stars

17. This job/that one

18. These tools/those

19. Our coach/yours

20. Your TV/mine

21. These toothbrushes/those

22. Her party/theirs

23. This dishwasher/that one

24. Our next door neighbor/we are

25. That band/this one

25. Your car/his

26. This city/that one

27. The planet/it used to be

28. Maria/she used to be

29. Hawaii/Daly City

30. The taxi/the bus

The Past Progressive - Review Tests and a Video

2010-03-22T22:10:00.001-07:00

"The Walkers" Claude Monet, 1865

Here are good review tests in Past Progressive Tense:

Test One

Test Two

Test Three

Practice with Future, Real Conditional

2010-02-14T09:33:00.001-08:00

"Mystery and Melancholy of a Street"
by Giorgio de Chirico

The Future, Real Conditional uses a Condition Clause and a Result Clause. The Condition Clause may begin with "If" or "Unless". The Condition Clause is in the present tense. The Result Clause is in the future tense. Other modals besides "will" may be used, such as "might" or "can" or "must". Don't forget to use a capital letter at the beginning of the sentence and a period at the end. Otherwise, the "Capital Letter" cop and the "Period" cop will get on your case.

A: ______ should/shouldn't __________.
B: Why?
A: If ______ , ___ will ___________ .

1. John should exercise more.

2. Mary should marry Bob.

3. They should go to the sale.

4. We shouldn't oversleep.

5. She shouldn't worry too much.

6. You shouldn't drink too much beer.

7. They should go to bed early.

8. June should break up with Steve.

9. Tom should speak more English.

10. You should buy a notebook.

11. Steve should pay his rent.

12. Ivan should brush his teeth.

13. Moses should get out of Egypt.

14. You shouldn't eat that mushroom.

15. Wally should dance with my sister.

16. You should put down that snake.

17. Hanna shouldn't tell the boss off.

18. The company shouldn't expand too fast.

19. The waiters shouldn't be too slow.

20. Michelangelo should take more breaks.

Now, use the word "unless" in your answer. "Unless" means "If not."

21. You should eat a good breakfast.

22. Tom should stop seeing other women.

23. Judith should bring an umbrella.

24. Anthony and Sylvia should go shopping.

25. The banks should take fewer risks.

25. The students should study.

26. Mabel should rest her bad foot.

27. You should write down the phone number.

28. Paul should submit his application on time.

29. Arthur should stay in school.

30. The dog should be on a leash.

31. Phillip should quit gambling.

Practice With Present, Unreal Conditional.

2010-02-14T09:30:00.000-08:00

"Monument in Fertile Country" by Paul Klee, 1929

Instructions: Combine two sentences to make one sentence. Use the Present, Unreal Conditional. In the Condition Clause, use the past tense. Remember that for "be", use the subjunctive form which is "were" for all subject pronouns. In the Result Clause, use "Would" or "Could" plus the base form of the verb. If you're using a pronoun, you can make a contraction with "would": I'd, he'd, she'd, we'd, they'd, you'd.

1. I'm not sick. I don't go to the doctor.

2. I don't have a headache. I don't take an aspirin.

3. It's very cold today. We don't go to the beach.

4. I'm not the president. I don't make the right decisions.

5. I don't understand your question. I can't answer you.

6. I don't have a lot of money. I can't live in a big apartment.

7. She doesn't have a car. She can't drive to the mountains.

8. He's very tired. He doesn't go out to dinner..

9. She doesn't have a car. She can't drive to the mountains.

10. They don't have a new computer. They don't browse the web more.

11. Michelangelo isn't alive. He doesn't decorate Mission Dolores.

Read about the famous chapel Michelangelo did decorate.

12. We don't play soccer on Saturday. We aren't in good shape.

13. We don't have a car. We don't go out of town very often.

14. I'm not you. I don't take a credit class.

15. He has to work. He doesn't have time to read books.

16. I don't lose my hair. I don't purchase a wig.

17. He's not interested in history. He doesn't learn about his ancestors.

18. I have a notebook. I can take notes in class.

19. He's not a ghost. He doesn't haunt Tombstone, Arizona.

See the story about the historical Ghost Town: Tombstone, Arizona

Past Unreal Conditional Practice

2010-02-14T09:17:00.000-08:00

"Charles IV and His Family" by Francisco de Goya

Combine the sentences to form the Past, Unreal Conditional

1. She was sick. She didn't attend school.

2. He drove too fast. He was in an accident.

3. He didn't do the homework. He got a bad grade.

4. I missed the plane. I didn't go to Hawaii.

5. I didn't understand the grammar. I didn't pass the test.

6. She didn't practice. She didn't perform well.

7. She didn't read the book. She didn't answer the questions.

8. She was tired last night. She didn't go to the party.

9. John Black wasn't honest. I didn't vote for him.

10. My computer crashed. I couldn't write emails.

11. I didn't have a good interview. I didn't get the job.

12. The music wasn't good. I didn't enjoy the party.

13. He didn't get stuck in traffic. He didn't miss his plane.

14. Alan didn't tell his mother about his cold. She didn't serve him chicken soup.

15. Greta wasn't feeling well yesterday. She didn't go to work.

Jennifer's Past Unreal Conditional Videos

2e:

2f:

Practice With Past Progressive (Continuous) Tense.

2010-02-07T09:03:00.000-08:00

"The Creation of Adam" by Michelangelo
Michelangelo painted the ceiling while he was lying on his back.

Instructions. Combine two sentences to make one. Use the time word indicated in the brackets.

1. He waited for the doctor. He read a magazine. (while)

2. She broke her ankle. She played tennis. (while)

3. They watched TV. The blackout happened. (when)

4. I slept. The telephone rang. (when)

5. Thelma ripped her pants. She did exercises. (while)

6. The teacher started to cough. He explained the grammar. (while)

7. They crossed the street. The accident happened. (when)

8. I wrote a composition. My friend called on me. (when)

9. I read an article on the website. The computer crashed. (when)

10. Michelangelo painted on the wall. The Pope made a suggestion. (when)

11. Tom waited for the bus. He met the love of his life. (when)

12. The students stood in the hall. The janitor unlocked the door. (when)

13. The people swam. Someone noticed a shark. (when)

14. I drove on the freeway. My car ran out of gas. (when)

15. We walked in the park. We heard a chorus of birds. (when)

16. They were eating at a restaurant. We saw them. (when)

17. It rained. I left home. (when)

18. They traveled in Australia. They heard the news. (when)

19. I got sick. We drove to my grandmother's house. (while)

20. I came to work this morning. I met an old friend. (while)

Conversation Practice: Grammartalk 9HB, Page One

Making Questions.

2010-01-30T10:06:00.000-08:00

"Sad Young Man on Train" by Marcel Duchamp

Part One: "Yes/No" Questions
Change the following sentences into Yes/No Questions. Yes/No questions are formed by placing the auxiliary (helping verb) before the subject of the sentence. In Simple Present, use "Do" or "Does", and in Simple Past, use "Did".

1. Fred drives carefully.

2. Mr. Harper walked downtown with his friend.

3. Maria is listening to the radio now.

4. There were a lot of people at the party last night.

5. Martha does her homework every evening.

6. The store is having a big sale today.

7. Mrs. Franklin told her friend the good news.

8. They will have enough time to work this afternoon.

9. You hear the traffic on Mission Street.

10. Julia has been a student in this school for a long time.

11. Animals can predict earthquakes.

Part Two: Information questions. Place the question word first, then the auxiliary, then the subject. Ask a question based on the answer in bold type. You will begin your question with what, when, where, why, who, whose, how, how long, or how far.

1. John borrowed a dictionary because he didn't understand the word.

2. They'll arrive at the airport at 10 o'clock.

3. They usually park their car in the Bartlett Garage.

4. I've been waiting here for 45 minutes.

5. Mr. Parker sold his house because he had to move to New York.

6. She's planning to spend her vacation in Florida.

7. We're going to get married next June.

8. The students usually come to school by bus.

9. My country is about one thousand miles from California.

10. The accident happened at the corner of 15th Street and Howard.

11. That notebook is Jose's.

12. I'm writing a letter to my friends in Oregon.

How are these exercises for you? Too easy? Too difficult? I welcome your feedback. You can write a comment below.

Complete the following exercise using either the simple past or the present perfect tense.

2010-01-25T18:34:00.000-08:00

"El Moli" by Salvador Dali, 1923

Note: Use the simple past if:

1. The action occurred in the past and
does not include the present.

2. The action happened in specific past time.

Use the present perfect if:

1. The action includes the present.

2. The action occurred in non specific past time.

3. For repeated actions in the past.

4. For adverbs of frequency in actions that include the present time.

1. Mr. and Mrs. Slater (sell) their house several days ago.

2. George Howell (work) for the Ajax Company since 1999.

3. Our instructor (explain) that lesson to us in yesterday's class.

4. The weather (be) terrible ever since last Saturday.

5. We (spend) several weeks in Mexico City last year.

6. Many people in this class (see, never) the famous Grand Canyon.

7. Our friends (return) to Canada a week ago yesterday.

8. Michael (study) English at this school for six months now.

9. I (speak) to Mr. Scott about that matter several times already.

10. Miss Ross (be) in Havana until two months ago.

11. My wife and I (travel) by air many times in the past.

12. My friend Roger (see, never) that television program.

13. Fred and Bill (finish, not) their homework yet.

14. I (have) a little trouble with my car last week.

15. However, I (have) any trouble with it since that time.

16. John (drive) over the Golden Gate Bridge hundreds of times.

17. I (read, already) 187 pages of this new novel.

18. From the time of his arrival until now, he (avoid) that sensitive topic.

19. We (study) practically every lesson in the book so far.

20. The mailman (deliver) the letter just a few minutes ago.

21. That fellow (work) here for the past three weeks.

22. Our teacher (give) us more than four examinations this semester.

23. Formerly, Mr. Foster (work) for the A. B.C. Supply Company.

24. We (have) more than the normal amount of rain so far this year.

25. Before his graduation, Fred's brother (apply) for a job with Apple Computer.

26. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips (live) in Daly City from 1995 to 2002.

27. A little while ago, we (hear) some very bad news.

28. Professor Moore, our English teacher, (write) three textbooks.

29. I (read) that book three or four times when I was in my twenties.

30. The Smiths (go) to Belgium during their vacation.

31. Pierre and Carlos (learn) a lot of English since June.

32. Mr. and Mrs. Benson (fly) to New York twice since last summer.

Verb Tense Review. Please, fill the blanks, then check your answer.

2010-01-10T09:56:00.000-08:00

Family Excusions, 1919, by Max Ernst

1. Daryl always (come) to work on time.

2 Mr. Jones (teach) us at present. He (substitute) for Mr. Holt, who is our regular teacher.

3.I (work) in my garden when you called me last night.

4. We (take) our finals next week.

5. I (come) to work on the bus this morning.

6. As I (come) to work this morning, I (meet) a boy who (try) to sell me a watch.

7. I (be) to the Grand Canyon several times.

8. Listen! I think the telephone (ring).

9. Bob said that he (see) that movie before.

10. I (read) that novel three or four times.

11. By this time next year, we (complete) all the exercises in this book.

12. The telephone (ring) just as I (leave) my house.

13. The sun (shine) brightly when I got up this morning.

14. Our class (begin) every morning at 8:30 and (end) at 10:10.

15. We occasionally (go) to the movies on Sunday.

16. Listen! Somebody (knock) at the door.

17. Up to now, nothing (hear) from the search party.

18. Marjory, who is now in the fourth grade, (study) English for three years.

19. Ruth (study) French for a few months last year.

20. My brother-in-law (visit) me next week.

21. The magician (do) tricks on the stage when we entered.

22. The newspaper says that the police in New Orleans finally (catch) the bank robber.

"Say" Verus "Tell"

2009-12-10T17:52:00.000-08:00

"Garden in Bloom" by Claude Monet

1. Carol that she was going to Mendicino for the weekend.

2. Carol me that she was going to Mendicino for the weekend.

3. I my boss that I could not finish my work on time.

4. Paul me all about his trip. He that it was exhausting.

5. Please, me about the movie you saw last night. Ruth that she liked it very

much.

6. Grace to me, "I will never speak to him again."

7. I William that I could not go to the movies with him.

8. The boy his mother a lie, and she was angry at him.

9. I believe that he will always the truth in the future.

10. Those twins are so much alike, I can't them apart.

11. Mr. and Mrs. Smith us all about their trip to Japan.

12. They Japan was a very interesting country.

13. Loren that he was too tired to go to the park with us.

14. I have him the same thing several times. Why doesn't he remember?

15. Would you please me what time it is?

Gerund Review for Level Five/Six

2009-11-17T16:41:00.000-08:00

"My Parents, My Grandparents, and I" by Frida Kahlo, Mexican artist and wife of Diego Rivera

1. I'm interested more about computers. (learn)

2. Louise is planning word processing next semester. (take)

3. They've been responsible their apartment for years. (clean)

4. We're accustomed writing exercises every day. (do)

5. I had a cold. It prevented me the class. (attend)

6. The students succeeded their final exams. (pass)

7. The boss thanked us excellent workers. (be)

8. Are you looking forward Christmas presents? (receive)

9. I don't go swimming because I'm afraid in the ocean. (drown)

10. Bill hasn't worked here very long. Why does he insist a raise? (get)

11. The brave woman prevented the robber the money. (steal)

12. Anita thanked me her move to her new apartment. (help)

13. They are very excited Golden Gate Bridge on their trip to San Francisco. (see)

14. A procrastinator is someone who always puts things. (do)

15. The Jacksons say they are looking forward us over for dinner.
(have)

16. Would you this letter on your way home? (mail)

17. Robert doesn't like vegetables. Even though they're good for him, he them. (eat)

18. My wife and I downtown whenever we can. (drive)

19. Don't forget all of the doors before you leave the building. (lock)

20. I my lunch at home. Now, I eat in the cafeteria. (eat)

21. What time do your friends expect in San Francisco? (arrive)

22. I didn't that movie. It was too violent. (watch)

23. Would you that package at the post office on your way to work? (drop off)

24. Did you ever Europe sometime? (visit)

25. My lawyer my divorce. (postpone)

26. I dislike gerunds because they're too difficult. (study)

27. Don't postpone for next semseter. (register)

28. Has the thief finally admitted the expensive painting? (steal)

29. I don't recall my paycheck. (receive)

30. I heard that Bob quit for Acme Construction Company. (work)

31. Do you believe every day? (exercise)

32. I'm tired a double shift. It's sixteen hours a day! (work)

Jennifer Teaches The Present, Unreal Conditional

2009-11-12T14:24:00.001-08:00

"Man the Master, not the Slave of Technology", by Mexican Artist, David Alfaro Siqueiros

Links to Gerund Practice

2009-11-06T09:41:00.001-08:00

Gerunds at English Club
Gerund Tutorial at Englishpage.com
Gerunds Quizzes at EnglishPage.com Just do quizzes 1 to 10.
Kaye Mallory's Gerund or Infinitive Test
Another Gerund or Infinitive Quiz
Gerund or Infinitive? Correct answer is a smile sideways, like this: :-)
Piglet is adopted by a mother dog.
Video of Nora The Cat playing piano
Panda babies and adults

Two Word, or Phrasal Verbs. Please fill in the blanks and check your answers by clicking on the drop down menu.

2009-10-30T17:16:00.000-07:00

"Summer Evening" by Edward Hopper

1. Every morning, I have to my daughter at school.

2. Then, after her school is over, I .

3. After you the application form, to me and I'll check it over.

4. Before you leave the store at night, don't forget to all the lights, and don't forget to any tools that you used.

5. Excuse me. Your television is a little too loud and it bothers me. Could you possibly ?

6. It looks like we all of the dish soap. We'll have to buy some more the next time we go to the store.

7. I'm sorry you have the flu. I hope you soon.

8. We had to the picnic because the weather was terrible.

9. The decorations for the party are still on the walls of the living room. When are you going to ?

10. I haven't decided whether I want to take a credit course next semester or not. I really have to .

11. Guess who I last week? George Parker! I hadn't seen him in five years.

12. I invited Melissa to my party. I sent her the invitation three weeks ago, but I haven't yet.

13. Are you sure that jacket isn't too warm? You should . You'll feel more comfortable.

14. I cooked a lot of spaghetti, but it was very popular. I'm sorry to say that I've .

15. Your English composition has too many mistakes. You should probably .

16. If you forget the meaning of a word, you can always in the dictionary or online.

17. I'm a single mother. It hasn't been easy. I three children by myself.

18. Welcome to my party. Of course you want to know where you can put your coats. You can in the hall closet.

19. He tried to keep it a secret, but his wife that he was planning a surprise party for her.

20. Why are you so excited? She agreed to marry you, but that's no reason to jump up and down. Why don't you try to ?

21. I haven't my new computer yet. It's still in the box!

22. I have a new job. I hope I will my fellow workers.

23. Do you usually early? Yes, I do, because I have to be at work at 7:30 AM.

24. Do you have any more grammar exercises and pronunciation practice? No, I'm sorry. I .

25. My wife and I have a couple of interesting photograph albums. We yesterday.

The Following Conversation is about Phrasal Verbs from Voice of America's Word Master Series:

AA: I'm Avi Arditti with Rosanne Skirble, and this week on Wordmaster -- English teacher Lida Baker joins us from Los Angeles to talk about phrasal verbs. The first word is a verb. The second word, sometimes even a third, is usually a preposition. Phrasal verbs have a reputation for being tough for English learners. So what does Lida Baker think?

LB: "I think that is a myth."

RS: "Really."

LB: "Phrasal verbs are not hard to learn, as long as you learn them in a context. I think what has given phrasal verbs a reputation for being difficult is the way they are traditionally taught, which is that students are given long lists of verbs -- you know, for instance every phrasal verb connected with the word 'go.' So 'go on,' 'go up,' 'go out,' 'go in,' 'go away,' 'go through,' OK? That's a very tedious way of learning anything."

RS: "Well, give us some of your strategies."

Lida Baker

LB: "All right. Well, one thing we should keep in mind about phrasal verbs is that they are used a lot more in conversational English than they are in formal English. So you are going to find a lot of phrasal verbs in conversational settings such as ... "

RS: "Come on [laughter]."

LB: " ... television programs, radio interviews, and pop music is a wonderful, wonderful source for phrasal verbs. I think the best way to learn, or one of the best ways of learning phrasal verbs is to learn them in everyday contexts. One good one is people's daily routine. We 'get up' in the morning, we 'wake up,' we 'put on' our clothes in the morning, we 'take off' our clothes at the end of the day, we 'turn on' the coffee maker or the television set, and of course we 'turn it off' also. After we eat we 'clean up.' If we're concerned about our health and our weight, we go to the gym and we ... "

RS: "Work out."

LB: "There you go. You see, so as far as our daily routine is concerned, there are lots and lots of phrasal verbs. Another wonderful context for phrasal verbs is traveling. What does an airplane do?"

AA: "It 'takes off.'"

LB: "It 'takes off,' that's right. And lots of phrasal verbs connected with hotels. So when we get to the hotel we 'check
in,' and you can save a lot of money if you ... "

RS: "Stay -- "

LB: "'Stay over,' right."

AA: "And you just have to make sure you don't get 'ripped off.'"

LB: "That's right! I'm glad that you mentioned 'ripped off,' because a lot of phrasal verbs are slang, such as ripped off. And most of them do have sort of a formal English equivalent. So to get ripped off means to be treated unfairly ... "

AA: "To be cheated."

LB: "To be cheated, yeah. And there are lot of other two-word or phrasal verbs that you might find, for instance, in rap
music. For example, to 'get down' means to, uh -- what does it mean?"

RS: "It means to party, doesn't it?"

LB: "To go to parties."

AA: "Have a good time."

LB: "Right. Another wonderful context is dating and romance. For example, when a relationship ends two people 'break up.' But when they decide that they've made a mistake and they really are in love and want to be together, they 'call each other up' ... "

RS: "And they 'make up.'"

LB: "And they make up. Now, if your boyfriend 'breaks up' with you and it's really, really over, then it might take you a few months to 'get over it.' But, you know, sooner or later you're going to find someone else ... "

AA: "To 'hook up' with -- "

LB: "To hook up with."

AA: " -- to use a current idiom."

LB: "Right. Or you might meet someone nice at work to 'go out with.'"

RS: "So what would you recommend for a teacher to do, to build these contexts, so that the students can learn from them?"

LB: "I think the best thing for a teacher to do, or for a person learning alone, is to learn the idioms in context. And there are vocabulary books and idiom books that will cluster the phrasal verbs for the student. There are also so many wonderful Web sites. I mean, if you go to a search engine and you just type in 'ESL + phrasal verbs,' you're going to run across -- and there's another one, 'run across' -- you're going to find lots of Web sites that present phrasal verbs in these contexts that I've been talking about. And also grammar sites which explain the grammar of phrasal verbs, which I haven't gotten into because we just don't have the time to discuss it here. But in doing my research for this segment I found lots of Web sites that do a really great job of explaining the grammar of phrasal verbs."

AA: Lida Baker writes and edits textbooks for English learners. You can find earlier segments with Lida at voanews.com/wordmaster. And that's WORDMASTER for this week. With Rosanne Skirble, I'm Avi Arditti.

Phrasal Verb Dictionary from English Page.com

"If you could say it in words, there would be no reason to paint" Edward Hopper

Video about Phrasal Verbs from Jennifer:

Two Word or Phrasal Verbs: Practice Two

2009-10-23T18:09:00.000-07:00

"Sunflowers" by Joan Mitchell, Abstract Expressionist Painter

1. Tim and Patty don't each other. They fight constantly.

2. I really my older sister because she's so smart.

3. You borrowed my screw driver yesterday, but you haven't to me yet.

4. My fiancee is going to her wedding dress tomorrow.

5. I need your email. Could you for me in this notebook?

6. This math problem is difficult. I'm having trouble .

7. I borrowed these library books two weeks ago. Now, I have to .

8. I just turned on that TV. Why did you ?

9. I haven't decided whether I will accept the job offer. I have to .

10. I don't believe you. That's story isn't true! You just !

11. They missed class for two weeks, so now they're trying to .

12. Has the electrician begun working on the house? No. In fact, he hasn't

yet.

13. I'm not going to stop learning English. I'm going to studying it.

14. Maria decided to lose weight, so she's going to on bagels and

cookies.

15. Your brother is too undisciplined. He needs to and start thinking

about his future.

16. The salesman tried to convince me to buy the car, but I didn't let him

it.

17. Have the people received their flyers? No, you haven't yet.

18. Are those old newspapers still in the garage? You really should .

19. My parents have marital problems. They should before they get

divorced.

20. You shouldn't smoking in the house. Second hand smoke is bad for

you.

21. We have repaired you car. You can any time.

22. Judy, your toys are all over your room. Please, .

23. They are going to the report carefully to see if there are any mistakes.

24. I need an alarm clock to every morning, or I'll oversleep.

25. Harry gave me a nice ring, but I because I decided not to marry him.

Phrasal Verb Dictionary from English Page.com

Jennifer ESL: Lesson 18: The Structure of Phrasal Verbs.

Jennifer ESL: Lesson 19: The pronunciation patterns in Phrasal Verbs.

Future, Real Conditional and Present, Unreal Conditional

2009-10-22T22:02:00.000-07:00

"Untitled" by Joan Mitchell, Abstract Expressionist Painter

1. If John ________ more time, he'd study more.

will have
had
has
had had

2. If our cat __________ friendlier, everyone would like him more.

were
be
will be
is

3. If __________ a lot this winter, we'll probably go to Florida on vacation.

it will snow
it snowed
it snows
doesn't snow

4. If Walter didn't enjoy his job, _________ work so hard.

he doesn't
he wouldn't
he'd
he won't

5. If you _______ too late, you might be very tired in the morning.

stayed up
don't stay up
can stay up
stay up

6. If Maria ________ another bad report card, her parents will be very angry.

gets
got
will get
might get

7. If we don't clean the environment, __________ better.

it'll get
it has gotten
it doesn't get
it won't get

8. If you don't get dressed up for the interview, __________ get the job.

you wouldn't
you'll
you might not
you couldn't

9. If my class were canceled, __________ to the library.

I might probably
I'll probably go
I think I go
I'd probably go

10. If you ________ a coin in the wishing well, your wish will come true.

drop
dropped
will dropping
had dropped

11. I wouldn't walk on that slippery floor ________________.

if I am you
if I were you
if you was me
if you don't want to

12. If the teacher __________ louder, we'd be able to hear her.

speaks
has spoken
spoke
is speaking

13. If Timmy ___________ so often, __________ better results.

didn't oversleep ... he'll get
overslept ... he wouldn't get
won't oversleep ...he'll get
didn't oversleep ... he'd get

Practice with Future, Real Conditional. Fill the blanks and check your answer by clicking on the drop down menu.

2009-10-13T17:59:00.000-07:00

"Summer Days" by Georgia O'Keefe

1. (to be) If the question difficult, we can ask the teacher.

2. (to save) Tom will go to Disneyland if he enough money.

3. (to buy) If I a lottery ticket, I might win the lottery.

4. (to have) My friend usually walks to school if he enough time.

5. (to start) If the movie at eight, we will be late!

6. (to have) We can go waterskiing if Jeff's boat gas.

7. (to pass) The class will have a party if the students all their tests.

8. (to be) If there milk in the refrigerator, I'll have milk with my cake.

9. (to eat) If my sister all of the cake, I will get angry.

10. (to tell) My mother always punishes my sister if she a lie.

11. (not close) If the company tomorrow, we'll have to go to work as usual.

12. (not come) If the pizza soon, we can eat a sandwich instead.

13. (not be) If there any milk in the refrigerator, I'll go to the supermarket.

14. (not snow) If it tomorrow, we can't go skiing.

15. (not rain) My dad will paint the garage if it on Saturday.

16. (not go) If we to work, we won't get paid.

17. (not buy) We can't go to the show if we a ticket.

18. (not go) I will call you if she to the movies, and we can go out together.

19. (not be) We should go jogging if it raining outside.

20. (not ring) If the phone this afternoon, I can take a nap.

Past Perfect Tense Quiz

2009-10-03T08:32:00.000-07:00

"Sunday afternoon at Jatte Island" by Georges Seurat

1. My parents didn't go to the movies last night because ______________ a movie the night before.

they didn't see
they has seen
they had seen
they have seen

2.
A: What was Mrs. Lee doing in her garden this morning?
B: She ______________ her plants.

was watering
had been watering
had watered
has watered

3. Albert was very tired last night because ____________ all day.

he's been exercising
he's exercised
he had exercised
he's exercising

4.
A: Did Helen enjoy discussing politics last night?
B: Yes. She ___________ in a long time.

hadn't been discussed
had discussed
didn't discuss
hadn't discussed

5.
A: Has Pamela ever been to Paris?
B: Yes. She ________ there last year.

had gone
went
has gone
had been going

6. Sam had trouble flying a kite last weekend because __________ never flown one before.

he had
he
he hadn't
he was

7. I didn't want to go swimming yesterday because I __________ swimming the day before.

was gone
had gone
am going
was go

8. By the time I got there, the game ______________

had already started
started
had been starting
has started

9. Harry's wife had already finished eating dinner when he __________ home.

had come
was coming
came
has come

10. James ___________ that his shirt was dirty until after dinner.

realized
hadn't realized
hasn't realized
wasn't realizing

11.
A: Why didn't you go to New York last year?
B: We didn't want to. _____________ to New York the previous year.

We've already gone
We'd already went
We'd already gone
We've already been

12. ________ Jerry arrived, we'd already left.

While
Whether
Where
By the time

13. Monica enjoyed going fishing yesterday because she ____________ in a long time.

hadn't thought about
hadn't gone fishing
hasn't gone fishing
wasn't gone fishing

14. By the time I got to the boat, it _____________ away.

was already sail
is already sailing
have been already sail
had already sailed

15. The bank had unfortunately closed by the time _______________ .

I got there
I was getting there
I had gotten there
I had been getting there

Present Perfect or Past Perfect??

2009-10-03T07:30:00.000-07:00

California Back Roads

1. I only been to Berkeley twice before I went there last weekend.

2. Before Jose studied at Mission Campus, he never studied English before.

3. Steven driven on many back roads in California.

4. Before you explained the past perfect tense, I ever understood it.

5. Jim was happy when he visited San Francisco last month because he been here in a long time.

6. Arlene sung in many operas during her long career .

7. I wasn't interested in buying a car last month because I already bought one .

8. I'd like to go to Reno because I never been there before.

9. By the time we got to the party, everyone already left.

10. My job interview is tomorrow and I prepared for it yet.

Embedded (Included) Questions. Choose, then check your answer.

2009-09-30T14:19:00.000-07:00

Henri Rousseau, "The Football Players"

1. Could you tell me how much ____________ ?
costs this suit
does this suit cost
this suit costs
does cost this suit

2. Do you have any idea how long _________ out?
had they been going
they had been going
did they go
were they going

3. Do you know why ___________ closing early today?
is the store
does the store be
will the store be
the store is

4. How much money __________ last month?
we spent
spent we
did we spend
did we spent

5. I'd like to know what ________________.
does that word mean
that word means
that word does mean
does mean that word

6. Do you know if __________________ ?
are classes held on Sunday
classes are held on Sunday
classes holding on Sunday
are classes holding on Sunday

7. Steven can't remember ____________ last weekend.
what did he do
what he did
what was he doing
what had he done

8. I don't know _____________ promoted or not.
if will I be
whether I will be
what I be will
if I will can

9. I don't know _______________ junk food or not.
if quit she eating
what she quit to eat
if she quit eating
whether did she quit eating

10. My secretary doesn't remember _____________ a copy of the letter.
if he gave me
did he give me
when did he give me
whether did he give me

11.
A: What is our new neighbor's name?
B: I'm sorry. I don't remember ______________ .
what is his name
what his name is
what's is his name
whether his name is

12. Joan can't remember _____________ her new gloves.
where did she put
whether did she put
where she put
if she put

13. The patient doesn't remember when _________________ .
is his appointment
his appointment is
does he have an appointment
if he has an appointment

14. Could you tell me ___________ ?
who is responsible for cleaning the lab
who responsible for cleaning the lab is
who for the lab responsible is cleaning
whose responsibility for the cleaning lab

15. I'm sorry. I don't know _____________.
where is the bank
where the bank is
where has the bank
where the bank

Embedded question practice from English Zone

Gerund and Infinitive. Choose, then check your answer.

2009-09-25T20:36:00.000-07:00

"Night Cafe" by Vincent Van Gogh

1. Does your sister __________ to play tennis?

practice
enjoy
like
think about

2. Timothy usually avoids _________ at fast-food restaurants.

to eat
eat
going
eating

3. I'm interested ___________ an English class next semester.

to take
to taking
in taking
about taking

4. Your son _________________ going to bed earlier.

doesn't like to
should start
has always hating
should decide

5. James and Margaret don't ____________ standing in line.

like to
decide
can't stand
enjoy

6. Have you ever tried _____________ your nails before?

to quit to bite
to bite to quit
quit to bite
to quit biting

7. They're excited _________________ their anniversary.

about celebrating
to celebrating
to celebrate
about celebrate

8. That's the second time she's _____________ this year.

been promoted
hurt
rejected
taken

9. She's ___________ eating too much junk food.

keeps on
been
doesn't enjoy
continues

10. Jane _____________ moving to New York, but decided against it.

decided
can't stood
considered
has thought

11. Why did you ___________ wearing a tie and jacket when you were young?

learn
hate
decide
start to

12. How long have you _______________ a piano?

been thinking to buy
thought to buy
considering buying
been thinking of buying

13. Kathy loves her cell phone. That's why she can't stop _________ it.

to use
using
use
to like

14. They're ___________________ their own gas and electricity.

responsible of
responsible
responsible to
responsible for

15. I ______________ early everyday, but not now, because I'm retired.

am used to getting up
used to get up
am used to get up
used to getting up

Passive Voice Practice

2009-09-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

"Falling Water House" by the architect, Frank Lloyd Wright

1. You don't need to do the report over. It's already ___________.
rewriting
been rewriting
been rewritten
going to be rewritten

2. That piano _____________ . It's too heavy.
could be moved
will be move
was moving
can't be moved

3. My pants ____________ by the tailor right now.
are altering
have been altered
are being altered
are been altering

4. The mail _________________ yet. They're going to do it in an hour.
hasn't been distributed
is being distributed
wasn't distributed
has been distributing

5. Time Magazine ______________ every two weeks.
is published
has published
is being publish
is publishing

6. In American football players __________ more often than soccer players .
is injured
are injuring
are injured
had injuring

7. Dessert _____________ in the dinner menu.
has usually included
was usually been included
is usually including
is usually included

8. That's the second time she's _____________ this year.
been promoted
hurt
rejected
taken

9. Your TV hasn't been repaired yet. ______________ right now.
It's being repaired
It hasn't been repaired
It was repaired
It wasn't repaired

10. If you have time, please sweep the floor because ________________ .
it hasn't been swept
it's been swept
it's being swept
it's going to be swept

11. A midterm examination ____________ next week. Are you prepared?
has been given
is giving
will be given
will be giving

12. I believe this building ___________________ by Frank Lloyd Wright.
is being design
has designed
was designed
will be designing

13. On her birthday, Amanda was given ___________ .
by her parents
many presents
her grandparents a present
a very exciting year

The following article talks about using the passive voice in compositions. It is usually stronger to use the active voice when you write. But there are some situations where the passive is better. It is interesting that the passive is sometimes used when the writer doesn't want to reveal the initiator of an action, as in the sentence: "Archibald Cox, who investigated Watergate, was fired." (It was President Nixon who fired him.)

Link to an article about the Passive Voice.

Modal Plus Present Perfect

2009-09-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

1. Janet's not in school today. She __________ have overslept.

should
might
couldn't
mustn't

2. Grandpa moved the piano by himself. He's okay, but he __________ have injured his back.

could
couldn't
should
must

3. My parents haven't arrived at the party yet. They don't know this city very well. They ____________ have gotten lost.

should
must
shouldn't
mustn't

4. I'm tired today. I definitely __________ have stayed up so late last night.

shouldn't
couldn't
may
could

5. How did Linda catch a cold? I'm not sure. She __________ have gone out in the rain.

couldn't
should
may
mustn't

6. Mother didn't answer the phone. She ____________ been sleeping.

should have
might have
hadn't
mustn't have

7. I think I ate too much at dinner. I definitely __________ skipped dessert.

should have
shouldn't have
had
must have

8. It's too bad you didn't practice for the marathon. You _________ won.

could have
may not have
must have
couldn't have

9. Jennifer had a lot of homework. She ____________ gone to the party last night.

couldn't have
must not have
hadn't
shouldn't have

10. Jack ______________ in a car accident yesterday. He was home all day.

shouldn't be
mustn't be
couldn't have been
shouldn't have been

11. Nancy did very well on her history test. She ______________ studied hard.

might have
should have
must have
shouldn't have

12. We couldn't hear our teacher all day. He __________________ spoken louder.

should have
must have
mustn't have
may have

13. Bill slept too late but he got to work on time. He's lucky. He _______________ missed the bus.

must have
should have
could have
mustn't have

14. It was a good movie. You _______________ seen it.

should have
shouldn't have
would have
mustn't have

15.I'm not sure. I _________ left my keys at home.

should have
might have
wouldn't have
must have

16. Be careful. That floor is wet. You _________ slipped.

should have
must have
shouldn't have
could have

17. The ground is very wet this morning. It ___________ rained last night.

couldn't have
must have
should have
would have

18. The ground is very dry this morning. It ___________ rained last night.

could have
must have
shouldn't have
mustn't have

19. You ________________ thrown out that painting. It might be worth something.

could have
must have
shouldn't have
might have

20. They ________________ enjoyed the party if more of their friends had been there.

couldn't have
must have
should have
would have

21. The boss is in a terrible mood today. He ___________ had a very good cup of coffee.

must have
could have
shouldn't have
mustn't have

22. Andrew hurt his hand while he was fixing his sink. He _____________ been more careful.

mustn't have
should have
wouldn't have
couldn't have

23. We _______________ gone to Hawaii for vacation if we had known it was going to rain the whole time.

wouldn't have
must have
should have
could have

24. Andrea is late for work. There ____________ been a lot of traffic on the Bay Bridge.

couldn't have
might not have
should have
must have

25. I _______________ answered the phone yesterday because I wasn't home.

couldn't have
didn't have
should have
might have

26. Did Marvin's cat pass away? He _____________ felt really sad.

couldn't have
should have
must have
might have

27. Why did my son become a low paying circus clown when he _____________ become a wealthy lawyer??

couldn't have
must have
shouldn't have
could have

28. If we had known about the lecture, we ____________ attended it.

couldn't have
must have
would have
shouldn't have

29. I called the Stevensons, but no one answered. They ____________ gone to the country.

shouldn't have
mustn't have
might have
would have

30. Those cool musicians play beautifully together. They ________ practiced a lot.

couldn't have
must have
should have
would have

Basic English Grammar Quiz #10

2009-08-15T15:18:00.000-07:00

1: Can you come to _____________ this Saturday night?

mine party
our party
ours party
we's party

2: Bruce is probably _____________ football this afternoon.

go to practice
going to practice
go to practicing
going practice

3. She doesn't drive ___________. She isn't a _________ driver.

careful ... carefully
carefully ... careless
carefully ... careful
careful ... carelessly

4. Tim ______________________ every day.

is washing his car
washes his car
is wash his car
washing is his car

5. Jim and Patty ____________ now. _______________.

aren't swimming ... They're reading
no swim now ... They read
isn't swim now ... They're read
aren't swiming now ... They're reading

6. Her friends gave her flowers, but ______________ a watch.

she was wanted
she was want
she wanted
she is wanted

7. Every Sunday afternoon, they ______________________ .

going to the park
are go to the park
go to the park
are the park

8. "_________ do you and Larry go camping?" " About twice a year."

How
Where
How often
Why

9. "_______ your sister ______________?" " Yes, but only once or twice a week"

Does .... liking to watch TV
Is ... like watch TV
Do .... like to watching TV
Does ... like to watch TV

10. "When _____________________ to work? " "At 10 o'clock."

are you having
does you have go
do you have to go
do you has to go

Basic English Grammar Quiz #9

2009-08-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

1: What kind of music ___________?

is she composing
she's composing
she composes
does she composes

2: _____________ to the movies?

You like to
Do like you to go
Do you going
Do you like to go

3. She ________ swim very well. She _______ a good swimmer.

isn't ... doesn't
doesn't ... is
not ... isn't
doesn't ... isn't

4. _________ write to ________ cousin in New York every week.

We're ... our
She ... her
I ... my
They ... They're

5. _______ play tennis very often. _________ very busy.

We don't ... We don't be
She doesn't ... She
We don't ... We're
We ... We'll

6. ______________ whenever he can.

He's exercises
He's exercise
He exercises
Does he exercise

7. _________ calls _________ every Sunday afternoon.

They ... me
Her ... she
She ... her
We ... her

8. "Did you do well on the test?" "________________."

Yes, I did. I wasn't prepared
Yes, I did. I was prepared
No, I wasn't. I prepared
No, I didn't. I was prepared

9. "____________________?" " Yes, he did. He was angry."

Does he shout at his neighbors
Was he shout at his neighbors
Did he shout at his neighbors
Did he shouted at his neighbors

10. "Were you scared during the movie?" "______________________."

No, I wasn't. I covered my eyes.
No, I didn't. I didn't cover my eyes.
Yes, I was. I covered my eyes.
Yes, I did. I was cover my eyes.

Conjugation Practice: Present Perfect Tense

2009-08-10T17:22:00.000-07:00

Conjugation Menu	Subject Pronoun	Verb Form
First Person Singular	I	have already read that book.
Second Person Singular	You	have already read that book.
Third Person Singular	He	has already read that book.
	She	has already read that book.
	It	has already opened.
First Person Plural	We	have already read that book.
Second Person Plural	You	have already read that book.
Third Person Plural	They	have already read that book.

Conjugation Menu	Subject Pronoun	Verb Form
First Person Singular	I
Second Person Singular	You
Third Person Singular	He
	She
	It
First Person Plural	We
Second Person Plural	You
Third Person Plural	They

Okay, here's the conjugation.
Present Perfect Tense: Affirmative
Conjugation Menu Subject Pronoun Verb Form
First Person Singular I have already read that book.
Second Person Singular You have already read that book.
Third Person Singular He has already read that book.
She has already read that book.
It has already opened.
First Person Plural We have already read that book.
Second Person Plural You have already read that book.
Third Person Plural They have already read that book.

Now, you try it.
Present Perfect Tense: Affirmative
Conjugation Menu Subject Pronoun Verb Form
First Person Singular I
Second Person Singular You
Third Person Singular He
She
It
First Person Plural We
Second Person Plural You
Third Person Plural They

Basic English Grammar Quiz #8

2009-08-07T15:23:00.000-07:00

1: My mother ___________ for my birthday.

gave me a book
gave to me a book
gave a book me
me gave a book

2: The man ______ came yesterday is very rich.

he
who
has
when

3. John is good at football but Richard is ___________ .

good
well
gooder
better

4. John ________ since he left school.

was working
works
has been working
will be working

5. Susan will come to tea if you ________ her.

asks
ask
asked
will ask

6. I'm not as smart as you. You are ________ I am.

smart than
smarter as
more smart than
smarter than

7. When I was a child I ___________ a lot of sweets.

use eat
eat
used to eat
am used to eat

8. "_________ Romeo and Juliet?" "Yes, I saw it on Wednesday."

Did you seen
Have you seen
Will you see
Do you see

9. "Did I arrive for the meeting late?" "______________ . It started twenty mintues ago."

Yes, you did
No, you didn't
Yes, you have
No, you won't

10. "Did you buy anything at the garage sale?" "_____________ . Everything was too expensive."

Yes, I haven't
No, you aren't
Yes, I did
No, I didn't

Basic English Grammar Test #7

2009-08-04T14:51:00.000-07:00

1: "Do you care for some popcorn?" "No, thank you, I don't ______________ ."

want some
want any
want no
want anys

2: "Where ___________ last month?" "I was in Los Angeles".

you were
you was
did you
were you

3: "Do you want to go to a baseball game?" "I ______________ yesterday."

go to one
went to one
going to one
want to one

4: "When ___________ breakfast yesterday?" "At around 7:30."

ate you
you eating
did you eat
you did eat

5: You ____________ hard in order to get a promotion.

must work
has to work
must have work
must working

6: His French is very good. He _______________ .

speak French good
speaks French well
speaking French well
speaks French good

7: I ______________ to the East Coast of the United States.

been have never
have never been
have never
never been

8: Richard ______________ the tickets.

already buying
has already buy
has already bought
buying had

9: You'd better take your umbrella. It _______________ .

was rain
might rain
will be rain
may not raining

10: Richard ______________ to his girlfriend when I saw him.

is talk
was talking
is talked
might talk

Conjugation Practice: Simple Present Tense

2009-08-02T13:31:00.000-07:00

Conjugation Menu	Subject Pronoun	Verb Form
First Person Singular	I	work everyday.
Second Person Singular	You	work everyday.
Third Person Singular	He	works everyday.
	She	works everyday.
	It	usually works.
First Person Plural	We	work everyday.
Second Person Plural	You	work everyday.
Third Person Plural	They	work everyday.

Conjugation Menu	Subject Pronoun	Verb Form
First Person Singular	I
Second Person Singular	You
Third Person Singular	He
	She
	It
First Person Plural	We
Second Person Plural	You
Third Person Plural	They

The Conjugation Menu	Auxiliary	Subject Pronoun+Verb
First Person Singular	Do	I talk in my sleep?
Second Person Singular	Do	you talk in your sleep?
Third Person Singular	Does	he talk in his sleep?
	Does	she talk in her sleep?
	Does	it talk in its sleep?
First Person Plural	Do	we talk in our sleep?
Second Person Plural	Do	you both talk in your sleep?
Third Person Plural	Do	they talk in their sleep?

The Conjugation Menu	Auxiliary	Subject Pronoun+Verb
First Person Singular	Do
Second Person Singular	Do
Third Person Singular	Does
	Does
	Does
First Person Plural	Do
Second Person Plural	Do
Third Person Plural	Do

Okay, here's the conjugation.
Present Simple Tense: Affirmative
Conjugation Menu Subject Pronoun Verb Form
First Person Singular I work everyday.
Second Person Singular You work everyday.
Third Person Singular He works everyday.
She works everyday.
It usually works.
First Person Plural We work everyday.
Second Person Plural You work everyday.
Third Person Plural They work everyday.

Now, you try it.

Present Simple Tense: Affirmative
Conjugation Menu Subject Pronoun Verb Form
First Person Singular I
Second Person Singular You
Third Person Singular He
She
It
First Person Plural We
Second Person Plural You
Third Person Plural They

Present Simple Tense: Negative
Conjugation Menu Subject Pronoun Verb Form
First Person Singular I don't need this pen.
Second Person Singular You don't need this pen.
Third Person Singular He doesn't need this pen.
She doesn't need this pen.
It doesn't need an oil change.
First Person Plural We don't need these pens.
Second Person Plural You don't need these pens.
Third Person Plural They don't need these pens.

Now, you try it.

Present Simple Tense: Negative
Conjugation Menu Subject Pronoun Verb Form
First Person Singular I
Second Person Singular You
Third Person Singular He
She
It
First Person Plural We
Second Person Plural You
Third Person Plural They

Simple Present Tense: Question
The Conjugation Menu Auxiliary Subject Pronoun+Verb
First Person Singular Do I talk in my sleep?
Second Person Singular Do you talk in your sleep?
Third Person Singular Does he talk in his sleep?
Does she talk in her sleep?
Does it talk in its sleep?
First Person Plural Do we talk in our sleep?
Second Person Plural Do you both talk in your sleep?
Third Person Plural Do they talk in their sleep?

Now, you try it.

Simple Present Tense: Question
The Conjugation Menu Auxiliary Subject Pronoun+Verb
First Person Singular Do
Second Person Singular Do
Third Person Singular Does
Does
Does
First Person Plural Do
Second Person Plural Do
Third Person Plural Do

Now, try this: Conjugation Writing Exercise 1
Finish Number 1? Try this: Conjugation Writing Exercise 2
One more! Conjugation Writing Exercise 3

Conjugation Practice. The verb "do".

2009-08-01T21:19:00.000-07:00

Conjugation Menu	Subject Pronoun	Verb Form
First Person Singular	I	do
Second Person Singular	You	do
Third Person Singular	He	does
	She	does
	It	does
First Person Plural	We	do
Second Person Plural	You	do
Third Person Plural	They	do

Conjugation Menu	Subject Pronoun	Verb Form
First Person Singular	I
Second Person Singular	You
Third Person Singular	He
	She	does
	It
First Person Plural	We
Second Person Plural	You	do
Third Person Plural	They

Conjugation Menu	Subject Pronoun	Verb Form
First Person Singular	I
Second Person Singular	You
Third Person Singular	He
	She
	It
First Person Plural	We
Second Person Plural	You	don't
Third Person Plural	They

The Conjugation Menu	Verb Form	Subject Pronoun
First Person Singular	Do	I?
Second Person Singular	Do	you?
Third Person Singular	Does	he?
	Does	she?
	Does	it?
First Person Plural	Do	we?
Second Person Plural	Do	you?
Third Person Plural	Do	they?

The Conjugation Menu	Verb Form	Subject Pronoun
First Person Singular		I?
Second Person Singular		you?
Third Person Singular		he?
		she?
		it?
First Person Plural		we?
Second Person Plural		you?
Third Person Plural		they?

Okay, here's the conjugation.
The Verb "do": Affirmative
Conjugation Menu Subject Pronoun Verb Form
First Person Singular I do
Second Person Singular You do
Third Person Singular He does
She does
It does
First Person Plural We do
Second Person Plural You do
Third Person Plural They do

Now, you try it.
The Verb "do": Affirmative
Conjugation Menu Subject Pronoun Verb Form
First Person Singular I
Second Person Singular You
Third Person Singular He
She does
It
First Person Plural We
Second Person Plural You do
Third Person Plural They

The Verb "do": Negative
Conjugation Menu Subject Pronoun Verb Form
First Person Singular I don't
Second Person Singular You don't
Third Person Singular He doesn't
She doesn't
It doesn't
First Person Plural We don't
Second Person Plural You don't
Third Person Plural They don't

Now, you try it.
The Verb "do": Negative
Conjugation Menu Subject Pronoun Verb Form
First Person Singular I
Second Person Singular You
Third Person Singular He
She
It
First Person Plural We
Second Person Plural You don't
Third Person Plural They

The Verb "do": Question
The Conjugation Menu Verb Form Subject Pronoun
First Person Singular Do I?
Second Person Singular Do you?
Third Person Singular Does he?
Does she?
Does it?
First Person Plural Do we?
Second Person Plural Do you?
Third Person Plural Do they?

Now, you try it.

The Verb "do": Question
The Conjugation Menu Verb Form Subject Pronoun
First Person Singular I?
Second Person Singular you?
Third Person Singular he?
she?
it?
First Person Plural we?
Second Person Plural you?
Third Person Plural they?

Conjugation Menu	Subject Pronoun	Verb Form
First Person Singular	I	don't need this pen.
Second Person Singular	You	don't need this pen.
Third Person Singular	He	doesn't need this pen.
	She	doesn't need this pen.
	It	doesn't need an oil change.
First Person Plural	We	don't need these pens.
Second Person Plural	You	don't need these pens.
Third Person Plural	They	don't need these pens.