Introduction to English

There are 4 components or skills of the English language.

Reading Writing

Speaking Listening

The key properties and features of a language.

1. Grammar
A set of rules for generating logical communication.

2. Lexicon
The vocabulary or body of words of a person or language.

3. Syntax
Sentences and phrases, and the rules of grammar that sentences obey.

4. Semantics and pragmatics

Semantics is sentence meaning; pragmatics is sentence meaning in
context.
English Tenses

It’s NOT JUST the PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE!

There are 12 major verb tenses in English.

Past Present Future
Simple past Simple present Simple future

Past continuous Present continuous Future continuous

Past perfect Present perfect Future perfect

Past perfect Present perfect Future perfect

continuous continuous continuous

Past Present Future

(usually) verb + ed verb(s) will + verb
Simple
ate eat(s) will eat

was/were + verb-ing am/is/are + verb-ing will be + verb-ing

Continuous
was/were eating am/is/are eating will be eating

had + past have/has + past will have + past

participle participle participle
Perfect
had eaten have/has eaten will have eaten

had been + verb-ing have/has + been + will have + been +

verb-ing verb-ing
Perfect
continuous had been eating have/has been will have been
eating eating
 Tense = Time

Each tense tells you WHEN something is happening.

Since time is mainly expressed by verbs, you have to know what

VERBS are beforehand.

VERBS
Action “To be” “To do” “To have”
- drink - am - do - have
- think - is - does - has
- give - are - did - had
- wipe - was
- like - were

You must also know the different verb forms in order to use them
properly.
Simple present Simple past Past participle Present
participle
eat ate eaten eating
walk walked walked walking
run ran run running
cut cut cut cutting
Now it’s your turn to try.

Exercise 1
Fill in the table below.

Simple present Simple past Past participle Present

participle
beat
become
begin
bite
catch
cost
do
draw
fight
fly
give
grow
hide
hurt
know
learn
pay
put
see
shake
sing
swim
tear
write
Exercise 2

Write three sentences using words from each of the different verb
forms. Write as creatively and interestingly as you can.

1.

Simple 2.
present
3.

1.

Simple 2.
past
3.

1.

Past 2.
participle
3.

1.

Present 2.
participle
3.