My Class Notes

Level 5 | Unit 1
INSTRUCTIONS
Review the key information presented in this unit. If you dont remember the language, vocabulary or phrases listed, go
back and review the unit.
There are many ways to talk about the past in English. Be sure to use the right one!

Present Perfect or Past Simple?

LANGUAGE STRUCTURE

We use the present perfect when we think about the past and the present together
- to talk about a past action that affects the present:
Oh no! Ive left my wallet at home. I dont have any money to pay for these groceries.
The President has arrived to Canada. He is having a meeting with the Prime Minister.
- for general experiences in the past:
Hes really interesting. Hes traveled all over the world and (has) learned many languages.
- to talk about an unfinished time period:
Ive worked at this company for three years, and I still work here.
Ive met with him four times this month.
We use the past simple when we think only about the past
- for completed action / states / habits at a specific time in the past:
I went to Peru last month. I lived in Mexico eight years ago.
I saw him yesterday. (NOT Ive seen him yesterday)
- to give details of new or recent events:
The President has arrived to Canada. His plane landed at 7 oclock.
Shes gone to Brazil. (= Shes there now)
Shes been to Brazil. (= She went but now she is back)
Review it in Language Structures: Present Perfect vs. Past Simple

Past Simple

LANGUAGE STRUCTURE
Irregular Verbs

Regular Verbs
verb + ed
I
you
he / she
we
they
it

talked
worked
typed

Review it in Language Structures: Present Perfect vs. Past Simple

take
meet
get
go
see
eat
break

Negative
didnt + simple verb
took
met
got
went
saw
ate
broke

I
you
he / she
we
they
it

didnt talk
didnt work
didnt type

My Class Notes
Level 5 | Unit 1
Past Continuous and Simple Past

LANGUAGE STRUCTURE

Use past continuous for an ongoing action in the past. Use simple past for an event that interrupts
that action.
Example: While she was walking down the street, she fell down.
He was watching the soccer game when his phone rang.
REMEMBER!
When you talk about things in the past, when is usually followed by the simple past and while is
usually followed by the past continuous.
You can also use as instead of while.
Example: As she was walking down the street, she fell down.
Review it in Language Structures: Present Perfect vs. Past Simple

Past Continuous

LANGUAGE STRUCTURE
Positive

Negative

I / He / She

was

You / We / They

were

eating.

Questions
Was

I / he / she

Were

you / we / they

I / He / She

wasnt (was not)

You / We / They

werent (were not)

eating.

Short Answers
eating?

Yes,

I / he / she was.
you / we / they were.

No,

I / he / she wasnt.
you / we / they werent.

Review it in Language Structures: Present Perfect vs. Past Simple

Present Perfect

LANGUAGE STRUCTURE

I / you / we / they + have + past participle

he / she + has + past participle
Examples:

? Have you seen that movie?

? Where have you traveled?

+
-

Yes, I have seen that movie.

No, I have not seen that movie.

Uses:
1. The present perfect expresses activities that happened at an unspecified time in the past.
It describes life experiences.
Example: I have been to that library.
2. We use the present perfect when there is a connection now. The action in the past has a result now.
Example: Wheres your ticket? I dont know. I think Ive lost it.
Review it in Language Structures: Present Perfect vs. Past Simple

My Class Notes
Level 5 | Unit 1
Past Perfect

LANGUAGE STRUCTURE
Positive

Negative

I / He / She /
You / We / They

had

left.

Questions
Had

I / He / She /
You / We / They

hadnt

left.

Short Answers

I / he / she /
you / we / they

left?

Yes,

I / he / she /
you / we / they

had.

No,

I / he / she /
you / we / they

hadnt.

We use the past perfect to talk about events / actions before a past time.
When / By time we got to the terminal, the bus had already left.
PAST

bus left

got to terminal

now

However, if the order of events is clear, we often prefer the past simple.
The bus left before we got to the terminal.
We use already, yet, ever, and never to emphasize the event which happened first.
The bus had already left. Had they ever spoken? I had never done that.
Review it in Language Structures: Present Perfect vs. Past Simple

Used to

LANGUAGE STRUCTURE
We use used to to talk about regular actions in the past which do not continue in the present.
I used to play with toy soldiers. I dont play with toy soldiers now.
I used to swim every day. Now, I dont swim every day.
We also use used to to describe something that was true but no longer is.
Atlanta used to be a small city. Now Atlanta is not a small city.
The question forms of used to are below. Notice there is no d in the question and negative forms.
(Q) What did you use to do when you were younger?
(A) I used to play outside with my friends all summer.
(Q) Did you use to play tennis?

+
-

Yes, I used to play tennis.

No, I didnt use to play tennis.

Review it in Language Structures: Present Perfect vs. Past Simple

My Class Notes
Level 5 | Unit 1
You can use the words below to talk about business networking.

Networking

VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT
Networking Events

Networking Expressions

conferences

hive of activity

private parties

mailshot

trade fairs

motto

training events

standing ovation
to wind up

Review it in Vocabulary in Context: Networking in Business

My Class Notes
Level 5 | Unit 1
The following structures are useful to talk about when things happened in the past.

Present Perfect Language

USEFUL PHRASES

Yet & Recently

Subject

Present Perfect

yet / recently

I / You / We / They

havent seen

the movie yet.

He / She / It

has been

to the movies recently.

Already & Just

Subject

have / has

I / You / We / They

have

He / She / It

has

already / just
already / just

past participle
finished a run.
seen the movie.

Since
Since can go at the beginning or the end of a sentence.
Since
+
day / time
Since
August,

OR

Subject

Subject

Present Perfect

Present Perfect

I / you / we /
they

havent gone to
the movies.

I / You / We havent gone to

They
the movies

he / she / it

hasnt gone to
the movies.

He / She / It

hasnt gone to
the movies

since
+
day / time
since
August.

Past Simple Time Expressions

Past Simple time phrases can go before or after the verb.
As soon as I started, I hurt my knee.

I hurt my knee as soon as I started.

Last week, I went to the movies.

I went to the movies last week.

In 2005, I was on the track team.

I was on the track team in 2005.

Two years ago, I fell and hurt my knee.

I fell and hurt my knee two years ago.

When I was younger, I hurt my knee.

I hurt my knee when I was 18.

Review it in Useful Phrases: Time Expressions

My Class Notes
Level 5 | Unit 1
Review the following rules to make sure that you can correctly pronounce the ed endings of regular past
tense verbs.

Pronouncing the Past Simple

PRONUNCIATION & DIALOGUE

Pronunciation of Regular Past Tense Verbs

Example verb

End sound
of the verb
/t/

collect

/d/

decide

Pronunciation of
final sound in the
past tense

/id/

Verb in past tense

collected
decided

Voiced
/y/

play

played

/w/

allow

allowed

/e/

agree

agreed

/r/

answer

/n/

earn

earned

/z/

use

used

/v/

love

loved

/p/

hope

hoped

/f/

laugh

laughed

/s/

fax

/sh/

wash

/ch/

watch

watched

/k/

like

liked

/d/

answered

Unvoiced

Review it in Pronunciation Workshop: -ed endings

/t/

faxed
washed