Content:
- Oral English- Diphthongs and Monopthongs
- Grammar- Tenses
Diphthongs
It is sound formed by the combination of two vowels in a single syllable, in which the sound begins as one vowel and moves toward another.
Examples of diphthongs
| /eɪ/ as in day, pay, say, lay./aɪ/ as in sky, buy, cry, tie./ɔɪ/ as in boy, toy, coy or the first syllable of soya./ɪə/ in beer (the drink), pier, hear, fear/eə/ as in bear (the animal), pair and hair, fair./ʊə/ as in tour, poor (talking posh!) or the first syllable of tourist./əʊ/ as in oh, no, so or phone./aʊ/ as in all the words of “How now brown cow!”, found |
Monophthongs
A monophthong (Greek monóphthongos from mónos “single” and phthóngos “sound”) is a pure vowel sound.
one whose articulation at both beginning and end is relatively fixed, and which does not glide up or down towards a new position of articulation.
Grammar- Tenses
Tenses are forms of a verb that show the time, continuance or completion of an action or a state that is expressed in connection with the moment at which a statement is made about it. The following tenses are commonly used:
Present Tense
Uses of simple present tense
- To show a fact or something that is always true.
Example
- The heart pumps blood through the body.
- He does not speak a word of English.
2. For daily routines or something done regularly or habitually.
Examples:
We comb our hair in the morning.
- He smokes two packets of cigarettes a day.
- She goes to mosque on Fridays
3. For timetable, schedule, plan, and programmes.
Examples:
- The first flight for London leaves at 6.30 a.m
- The weekly meeting is held in the conference room on Monday at 2.00 p.m
Present continuous tense
We use the present continuous tense to show we are in the middle of an activity that is in progress at this moment. The activity started in the past and will go on in the future.
Examples
- I am reading
- I am walking home today
So when we use the present continuous tense we are talking about something that is still not yet finished or complete at the time of speaking.
The Present Perfect Tense
The Present Perfect Tense connects the present to the past. It describes an action that happened in the past and goes right to the present moment. The time of occurrence of the action is not mentioned. Usually, the time is not important or is not necessary to know.
Example
- “Frank has gone” tell us that
- He has broken a glass
The Present Perfect Continuous Tense
It is used for an action that began in the past and has been continuing up to now (and may still be going on)
Example:
- Cecilia and I have been talking about getting married
- “Look how dirty your hands are.” “Yes, I have been repairing the car.”
Past Tenses
Past tenses are
- Simple past tense: We use the simple past tense for events that happened or started and completed in the past and that have no relation with the present.
Uses of the simple past tense:
- To describe an action that occurred in the past or at a specified time or the time is easily understood or already implied.
Example: We finished our breakfast an hour ago.(Not we have/had finished our breakfast an hour ago)
- For an action that began and ended in the past.
Example: The dangerous policeman was recaptured after three months on the run
- For an action done repeatedly, habitually or at regular times in the past.
Example: We saw the movie’ Titanic’ several times at the cinema.
2. Continuous past tense: It is formed with the past tense of the verb to be (was/were) + present participle (verbs ending in …ing).
| Example: | I/he/she/it was eating spaghetti at 8 o’clock last night. |
| You/we/they were eating spaghetti at 8 o’clock last night |
3. Past perfect tense: It is formed with the past tense of the verb to have (had) and the past participle of the verb (e.g. eaten, stolen, taken).
Example:
When he had done his homework, he went for a smoke in the park.
They had already finished their dinner when I arrived to join them.
4. Past perfect continuous tense: It is formed with the past perfect tense of the verb to be (= had been) + the present participle (–ing).
Example: I had been praying.
Future Tenses
1. Simple future tense: we use the simple future tense for actions that will happen in the future. How we use it depends on how we view the events are going to happen.
Example: The lawyer will conclude their investigation of the computer fraud next week. (simple future)
2. The future continuous tense: It is made up of the simple future tense of the verb to be (shall/will be) + a present participle (verb + -ing), as follow:
| Subject | Simple |
Example: His father will be working the whole day tomorrow.
3. Future perfect tense:It is formed by using the simple future tense of the verb to have (will have) + the past participle of the main verb. It is used for an action which will have finished by some future time or date as mentioned
Example: She will have sewn the patch on her jeans by nine o’clock
Test and Exercise
Fill in the gap with the appropriate tenses
- The dangerous policeman ————-recaptured after three months on the run (a) was (b) were (c)would (d) will
- My friend ——–several brothers. (a) have (b) has got (c) have got (d) is having
- Nobody knew the man ————- a wooden leg (a) is having (b) is owning (c) owns (d) have
- My friend ———–several brothers. (a) have (b) have got (c) has got (d) got
- Geoffrey————- several brothers. (a) is having (b) is owning (c) owns (d) has