Mastering English Tenses: Simple, Continuous, Perfect

Present Simple

We use the present simple to talk about:

  • Facts.
  • General truths.
  • Describing things about a thing or a person.
  • Habits and routines.

Affirmative Sentences

Subject + verb infinitive + complement (I eat pizza every Sunday.)

Subject (she/he/it) + verb (s) + complement (She eats pizza every Sunday.)

Negative Sentences

Subject + don’t + verb infinitive + complement

Subject (she/he/it) + doesn’t + verb infinitive + complement

Questions

(When/where/why/what…) Do/Does + subject + verb infinitive + complement

Present

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Obama’s Impact: A Post-Inauguration Dialogue

The scene takes place at noon in a random cafe. We follow the dialogue of Anum Kebab RODRIGUEZ, who called John Freedom SMITH some days after Obama’s inaugural address.

(Sound of Skype)

John: Hello? Anum, what do you want? Why are you calling me at this time of day?

Anum: Hello John, I was just sitting in a cafe and I thought that maybe you would like to talk about Obama, because you really like him.

John: Indeed, I think Obama is a good president, a really big step forward from Nixon and others.

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Scottish Adventures: Highlands, Islands, and Sports

A Scottish Tale

An old story draws thousands of tourists annually, yet the elusive Nessie remains unseen. Perhaps it’s just a tale for tourists.

Stirling’s Significance

Northeast of Glasgow lies Stirling, a gateway to the Highlands. Its magnificent castle, one of Scotland’s largest and most important, stands as a testament to history. Nearby, the Battle of Bannockburn (1314) unfolded, and Mary was crowned Queen of Scots at the tender age of six.

Highlands and Islands

Highlands

The Highlands, in Scotland’

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Essential English Vocabulary, Grammar, and Interactions

Vocabulary: Compound Adjectives

world-famous; high-tech; slow-paced; densely populated; well-planned; highly educated; open-minded; fun-loving; culturally diverse.

Grammar: Comparatives and Superlatives

Comparisons:

cheaper than; more crowded than; less expensive than; better than; worse than; hotter than; more densely populated than; worse than.

Superlatives:

the cheapest; the most crowded; the least expensive; the best; the worst; the most high-tech; the worst; the most culturally diverse; the least

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Analysis of T.S. Eliot’s ‘Journey of the Magi’ and D.H. Lawrence’s ‘Snake’

Journey of the Magi – T.S. Eliot

A cold coming we had of it. – T.S. Eliot

Analysis

1. Voice and Mood

Voice: The poem is written in the third person, as if one of the Magi is recounting the story as an imaginary character.

Mood: The poet writes without strong emotions. The character recounts an event from the past, a significant episode. The tone is skeptical, disillusioned, and somewhat bitter, reflecting a past suffering. The primary tone is one of disappointment.

2. Summary

The Magi describes a difficult

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Essential English Grammar and Vocabulary for Beginners

Essential English Grammar and Vocabulary

“To Be” Verb Conjugation

  • I = AM – DO
  • HE-SHE-IT = IS – DOES
  • YOU-WE-THEY = ARE – DO

Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Count Nouns (Contables)

APPLE – TOMATOES – BANANAS

Non-Count Nouns (No Contables)

MILK – CEREAL – AZUCAR – LECHE

FOOD

UN = AN (Vowel Sound) e.g., APPLE

UN = A (Consonant Sound) e.g., TOM

SOME = Algunos/Algo (+)

I HAVE SOME CARROTS

ANY = Algunos/Algo (-??)

I DON’T HAVE ANY MILK

Prepositions of Location

IN = Dentro / NEXT TO = Al Lado De

BETWEEN = Enmedio De / ON

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