English Basic Point!

English Basic Points!

T h i r d E d i t i on

fs hi N
i.c om
Pre-Intermediate/Intermediate Levels
na fsa IO

om
ah .c
sa na RS
eh sa E
@ h V
fo .e O
in ww EM
Dw

Seyed Ehsan Afsahi (M.A)

To My Beloved Mom and Dad
 ‫‪،‬‬ ‫‪:‬‬

‫‪English Basic Points!: Pre-Intermediate/Intermediate :‬‬

‫‪Levels/Third Edition/ Seyed Ehsan Afsahi‬‬

‫‪. ۲۰۱۱ = ۱۳۹۰‬‬ ‫‪:‬‬

‫‪.‬‬ ‫‪:. ۲۰۰ :‬‬
‫‪۹۷۸-۹٦٤-۲۷۳٦-۹٦-٦ :‬‬
‫‪:‬‬
‫‪.‬‬ ‫‪:‬‬
‫‪ :‬اﻧﮕﻠﯿﺶ ﺑﯿﺴﯿﮏ ﭘﻮﯾﻨﺘﺰ‪/‬ﭘﯿﺮی اﯾﻨﺘﺮﻣﺪﯾﺖ‪/‬اﯾﻨﺘﺮﻣﺪﯾﺖ ﻟﻮﻟﺰ‪ /‬ﺳﺮد ادﯾﺸﻦ‪/‬‬
‫‪-‬‬ ‫‪:‬‬
‫‪۱۳۹۰ ۹‬‬ ‫‪۷‬‬ ‫‪/۱۱۳۰PE :‬‬
‫‪٤۲۸ :‬‬
‫‪۰٦۹۳٥۳۲ :‬‬

‫‪fs hi N‬‬
‫‪i.c om‬‬
‫‪na fsa IO‬‬

‫‪om‬‬
‫‪ah .c‬‬
‫‪sa na RS‬‬
‫‪eh sa E‬‬

‫!‪English Basic Points‬‬

‫‪@ h V‬‬
‫‪fo .e O‬‬

‫‪Pre-Intermediate/Intermediate Levels – Third Edition‬‬

‫‪in ww EM‬‬

‫‪info@ehsanafsahi.com‬‬
‫‪D‬‬

‫‪www.ehsanafsahi.com‬‬
‫‪:‬‬
‫‪:‬‬
‫‪w‬‬

‫ﻧﻮﺑﺖ ﭼﺎپ‪ :‬ﺳﻮم‪ ،‬ﺷﻬﺮﯾﻮر ‪1393‬‬

‫ﻧﻮﺑﺖ وﯾﺮاﯾﺶ‪ :‬ﺳﻮم‬
‫ﺷﻤﺎرﮔﺎن‪ 2000 :‬ﺟﻠﺪ‬
‫‪978-964-2736 -96 -6 :‬‬
‫ﭼﺎﭘﺨﺎﻧﻪ‪ :‬ﻏﺰل‬
‫ﻗﯿﻤﺖ‪ 9,000 :‬ﺗﻮﻣﺎن )‪(1393‬‬

‫اﺧﻄﺎر‪ :‬ﻫﺮﮔﻮﻧﻪ ﮐﭙﻰ ﺑﺮدارى از ﮐﺘﺎب‪ ،‬ﺟﻠﺪ‪ ،‬ﻣﺤﺘﻮﯾﺎت و ﻃﺮاﺣﻰ آن ﺑﻪ‬

‫ﺻﻮرت ﭼﺎپ اﻓﺴﺖ‪ ،‬ﭼﺎپ دﯾﺠﯿﺘﺎل‪ ،‬ﮐﺘﺎب دﯾﺠﯿﺘﺎل‪ ،‬ﭼﺎپ در ﻣﺠﻠﻪ‪،‬‬
‫روزﻧﺎﻣﻪ‪ ،‬ﺑﻮﻟﺘﻦ و ﮐﭙﻰ ﺑﻪ ﻫﺮ ﻋﻨﻮان اﮐﯿﺪا ﻣﻤﻨﻮع ﺑﻮده و ﻣﺘﺨﻠﻔﯿﻦ ﻣﻮرد‬
‫ﭘﯿﮕﺮد ﻗﺎﻧﻮﻧﻰ ﻗﺮار ﺧﻮاﻫﻨﺪ ﮔﺮﻓﺖ‬
 English Basic Point!
6

What is your Level?

Level
Pre-Intermediate

Aims
> Use English in most familiar situations
> Use English in a limited way in more difficult
situations fs hi N
i.c om
na fsa IO

om
ah .c
This Level is recommended for Dummies in English
sa na RS
eh sa E
@ h V

or
fo .e O
in ww EM

Level
D

Intermediate
w

Aims
> Use English to express simple ideas and achieve
results
> Use range of basic language well in most
situations

This Level is recommended for General English Course

English Basic Point! 7

Do you know about “Core Skills”?

Reading Listening

Grammar
fs hi N
i.c om
na fsa IO

om
ah .c
sa na RS

Writing Speaking
eh sa E
@ h V
fo .e O
in ww EM
D

Why do you need General English?

w

It prepares students for the kind of English they will

need in everyday situations. Class programs should be
designed to effectively develop communication skills
and fluency in speaking, listening, reading, writing and
grammar (core skills). Lack of correlation among the skills
may cause some faults in learning process of students.
 8 English Basic Point!

What are Parts of Speech?

“Parts of speech” are the basic types of words that English
has. Most grammar books say that there are eight parts of
speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns,
conjunctions, prepositions and interjections. We will add
one more type: articles.
It is important to be able to recognize and identify the
different types of words in English, so that you can
understand grammar explanations and use the right word
form in the right place. Here is a brief explanation of what
the parts of speech are:
Noun fs hi N
i.c om
A noun is a naming word. It names a person, place, thing,
na fsa IO
idea, living creature, quality, or action. Examples:

om
ah .c
sa na RS

cowboy, theatre, box, thought, tree, kindness, arrival

Verb
eh sa E

A verb is a word which describes an action (doing

@ h V

something) or a state (being something).Examples: walk,

fo .e O

talk, think, believe, live, like, want

in ww EM

Adjective
D

An adjective is a word that describes a noun. It tells you

something about the noun. Examples: big, yellow, thin,
amazing, beautiful, quick, important
w

Adverb
An adverb is a word which usually describes a verb. It tells
you how something is done. It may also tell you when or
where something happened. Examples: slowly,
intelligently, well, yesterday, tomorrow, here, everywhere
Pronoun
A pronoun is used instead of a noun, to avoid repeating
the noun. Examples: I, you, he, she, it, we,
Conjunction
A conjunction joins two words, phrases or sentences
together. Examples: but, so, and, because, or

Preposition
A preposition usually comes before a noun, pronoun or
English Basic Point! 9

What is WORD?

In linguistics, a word is the smallest element that may be

uttered in isolation with semantic or pragmatic content
(with literal or practical meaning). This contrasts with a
morpheme, which is the smallest unit of meaning but will
not necessarily stand on its own. A word may consist of a
fs hi N
i.c om
single morpheme (for example: oh!, rock, red, quick, run,
na fsa IO
expect), or several (rocks, redness, quickly, running,

om
ah .c
sa na RS

unexpected), whereas a morpheme may not be able to

stand on its own as a word (in the words just mentioned,
eh sa E

these are -s, -ness, -ly, -ing, un-, -ed). A complex word will
@ h V

typically include a root and one or more affixes (rock-s,

fo .e O

red-ness, quick-ly, run-ning, un-expect-ed), or more than

in ww EM

one root in a compound (black-board, rat-race). Words

can be put together to build larger elements of
D

language, such as phrases (a red rock), clauses (I threw

a rock), and sentences (He threw a rock too but he
missed).
w

The term word may refer to a spoken word or to a written

word, or sometimes to the abstract concept behind
either. Spoken words are made up of units of sound
called phonemes, and written words of symbols called
graphemes, such as the letters of the English alphabet.
10 English Basic Point!

What is SENTENCE?

A sentence is a group of words that are put together

to mean something. A sentence is the basic unit of
language which expresses a complete thought. It
does this by following the grammatical
fs hi N rules ofis a group of words that are
A sentence

i.c om
syntax. put together to mean something. A
na fsa IO
sentence is the basic unit of language
om
ah .c
sa na RS

A complete sentence has at least awhichsubject expresses

and aa complete thought. It
does this by following the grammatical
main verb to state (declare) a complete thought.
eh sa E

rules of syntax.
@ h V

Short example: Walker walks. A subject is the noun

A complete sentence has at least a
fo .e O

that is doing the main verb. The main verb and

subject is thea main verb to state
in ww EM

verb that the subject is doing. In English and many

(declare) a complete thought. Short
other languages, the first word of a written
example: sentence
Walker walks. A subject is the
D

has a capital letter. At the end of the sentence

noun that therethe main verb. The
is doing
is a full stop or full point. main verb is the verb that the subject is
doing. In English and many other
w

languages, the first word of a written

sentence has a capital letter. At the
end of the sentence there is a full stop
or full point.
 w D
w
in w EM
fo .e O
@ h V
eh sa E
sa na RS
na fsa IO
fs hi N
ah .c
i.c om
om
English Basic Point! 11

Contents
Pre-Intermediate Level

Lesson 1 Video Games/11

Lesson 2 T-REX/25

Lesson 3 Fire in Colorado/39

Lesson 4
fs hi N
Some New Cars Save Gas/57

i.c om
na fsa IO

om
ah .c
sa na RS

Lesson 5 Computer Virus/75

eh sa E

Lesson 6 Lost Whales/89

@ h V
fo .e O

Level
in ww EM

Intermediate Level
D

Lesson 7 Save the Forest/105

w

Lesson 8 High Seas/117

Lesson 9 Police officer delivers own baby/129

Lesson 10 Neighbor’s Fight/145

Lesson 11 Looking for a job/161

Lesson 12 Film Made About UFO’s/171

 w D
w
in w EM
fo .e O
@ h V
eh sa E
sa na RS
na fsa IO
fs hi N
ah .c
i.c om
om
 12 English Basic Point!

Introudction
Learning English language is not just learning a language
but also a new life. First thing you may need to learn new
language is General Issues about it. I have reviewed and
studied several General English books in IRAN and other
countries. The result was very incredible. I am not going to
explain the differences here but hope to remove the gaps
fs hi N
i.c om
between the Source Language (SL) and the Target
na fsa IO

om
Language (TL) by using the Authentic and Practical
ah .c
sa na RS

System of English teaching. This book is the first but not last
attempt to motivate Iranian Students to activate their SL
eh sa E
@ h V

potenitial. So, Let’s start to read the original texts from

fo .e O

variety of Authentic Texts from American colleges. Think

in ww EM

English to Understand English. This is the goal you may

follow to understand the importance of language
D

learning. First you need is choose your level. All is done. I

will guide you through this book. Please note that using
Bilingual Dictionaries is helpful for understanding English
w

Words and Sentences in your native language.

Don’t forget to use

Longman Handy Learner’s Dictionary of American English

 w D
w
in w EM
fo .e O
@ h V
eh sa E
sa na RS
na fsa IO
fs hi N
ah .c
i.c om
om
English Basic Point! 13

Pre-Intermediate Level

Lesson 1

fs hi N
i.c om
na fsa IO

om
ah .c
sa na RS
eh sa E
@ h V
fo .e O
in ww EM
D

Reading
Video Games
w

Grammar
Simple Present Tense

Structure
Simple Sentence
12 English Basic Points!

Vocabulary Study
Comfortable (adj.) making you feel physically relaxed,
without
any pain or without being too hot, cold etc [↪ comfort]
E.g.: The bed wasn't particularly comfortable.
Blood (n.) [uncountable] the red liquid that your heart
pumps around your body
E.g. : She lost a lot of blood in the accident.

Violence (n.) [uncountable] Behaviour that is intended to

fs hi N
i.c om
hurt other people physically
na fsa IO
E.g.: There is too much violence on TV these days.
om
ah .c
sa na RS

Pretend (v.) [intransitive and transitive] to behave as

eh sa E

if something is true when in fact you know it is not, in

@ h V

order to deceive people or for fun

fo .e O

E.g.: We can't go on pretending that everything is OK.

in ww EM

Young (adj.) a young person, plant, or animal has not

D

lived for very long:

E.g.: a young child
w

Clothes (n.) the things that people wear to cover their

body or keep warm:
E.g.: I enjoy shopping for new clothes.
Monster (n.) [countable] an imaginary or ancient creature
that is large, ugly, and frightening:
E.g.: the remains of a prehistoric monster

Computer (n.) [countable] An electronic machine that

stores information and uses programs to help you find,
organize, or change the information:
E.g.: A message flashed up on my computer screen.
English Basic Points! 13

Video Games

There are many kinds of computer games. Some games let

you shoot a gun at people on the screen. If a body is hit,
blood and body parts come off the body. Another game
shows a monster eating a person.
In another game, many of the pictures show violence.
Some pictures show women with very little clothes on. The
people who make the games are worried that these kinds
of games are not good for people to play.
fs hi N
i.c om
One game company wants less violence in the computer
na fsa IO

om
games. They want their games to not have women shown
ah .c
sa na RS

without much clothing.

Some people think that the violence in the games is like
eh sa E
@ h V

growing up. Some boys like to fight and they will use the
fo .e O

computer to pretend to fight.

in ww EM

These games were made by young men. The violence is

D

put in the game for boys. But what about girls? Girls need
to be comfortable with computers so they can use them
when they grow up.
w

Most computer games are not violent. Playing computer

games help kids to get involved with computers. The
problem now is to get girls to learn computers while they
are still young.
14 English Basic Points!

Reading Comprehension Tests

1. The problem now is to get girls to learn computers while
they are what?
a. working hard
b. out of school
c. still young
2. Some boys like to _____ and they will use the
computer to
pretend to fight.
a. sleep
b. fight fs hi N
i.c om
na fsa IO
c. run

om
ah .c
d. jump
sa na RS

3. The problem now is to get girls to learn _____ while they

eh sa E

are still young.

@ h V

a. sewing
fo .e O
in ww EM

b. games
c. computers
D

d. cooking
4. Who is worried that these kinds of games are not
w

good for people to play?

a. The people who make the games
b. The parents that buy the game
c. The kids who play the games
5. Some people think that the violence in the games
is like what?
a. a movie
b. reading a book
c. growing up
English Basic Points! 15

6. If a computer body is hit, what comes off the body?

a. shoes and socks
b. blood and body parts
c. hair and clothes
7. What is put in the game for boys?
a. violence
b. high scores
c. loud sounds
8. In another game, many of the pictures show _____.
a. violence
b. holidays
c. colors fs hi N
i.c om
d. houses
na fsa IO

om
ah .c
9. Some games let you shoot a gun at _____ on the
sa na RS

screen.
eh sa E

a. boxes
@ h V

b. yourself
fo .e O

c. people
in ww EM

d. animals
D

What did you learn?

w

1. How is the violence in computer games like growing up?

a. Everyone grows up with a lot of violence.
b. Boys sometimes like to be rough and to fight.
c. There is violence in big cities.

2. Why should girls become comfortable with computers?

a. So they can use them when they are older.
b. So they can buy one at the store.
c. So they can beat the boys in the games
16 English Basic Points!

3. Why would one computer game company care about

having violence in their games?
a. They won't be able to make enough copies to sell.
b. They think these games are not good for
people.
c. It will make the game harder to play.

4. Why is playing computer games at a young age

important?
a. It help kids to learn about computers.
b. It helps them get a high score.
c. It helps them to learn how to type.
fs hi N
i.c om
na fsa IO

om
ah .c
5. Why are the people who make violent games worried?
sa na RS

a. They will not be able to sell their games.

eh sa E

b. They think these games are not good for people.

@ h V

c. They are afraid they will lose their job.

fo .e O
in ww EM

Write an answer
D

Do you think computer games should have violence?

w

Why?
English Basic Points! 17

GRAMMAR
Simple Present
FORM
[VERB] + s/es in third person
Examples:

• You speak English.

• Do you speak English?
• You do not speak English.

USE 1 Repeated Actions

fs hi N
i.c om
na fsa IO

om
ah .c
Use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is
sa na RS

repeated or usual. The action can be a habit, a hobby, a daily

eh sa E

event, a scheduled event or something that often happens. It can

@ h V

also be something a person often forgets or usually does not do.

fo .e O

Examples:
in ww EM
D

• I play tennis.
• She does not play tennis.
Does he play tennis?
w

•
• The train leaves every morning at 8 AM.
• The train does not leave at 9 AM.
• When does the train usually leave?
• She always forgets her purse.
• He never forgets his wallet.
• Every twelve months, the Earth circles the Sun.
• Does the Sun circle the Earth?
18 English Basic Points!

USE 2 Facts or Generalizations

The Simple Present can also indicate the speaker believes

that a fact was true before, is true now, and will be true in
the future. It is not important if the speaker is correct
about the fact. It is also used to make generalizations
about people or things. Examples:

• Cats like milk. fs hi N

i.c om
• Birds do not like milk.
na fsa IO
Do pigs like milk?
om
•
ah .c
sa na RS

• California is in America.
• California is not in the United Kingdom.
eh sa E
@ h V
fo .e O
in ww EM

USE 3 Scheduled Events in the Near Future

Dw

Speakers occasionally use Simple Present to talk about

scheduled events in the near future. This is most
commonly done when talking about public transportation,
but it can be used with other scheduled events as well.
Examples:

• The train leaves tonight at 6 PM.

• The bus does not arrive at 11 AM, it arrives at 11 PM.
English Basic Points! 19

• When do we board the plane?

• When does class begin tomorrow?

USE 4 Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)

Speakers sometimes use the Simple Present to express

the idea that an action is happening or is not happening
now. This can only be done with Non-Continuous Verbs
and certain Mixed Verbs.
Examples:
fs hi N
i.c om
na fsa IO
• I am here now.

om
ah .c
• She is not here now.
sa na RS

• He needs help right now.

eh sa E

• He does not need help now.

@ h V

• He has his passport in his hand.

fo .e O
in ww EM

• Do you have your passport with you?

D

ADVERB PLACEMENT
The examples below show the placement for grammar
w

adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:

• You only speak English.

• Do you only speak English?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples

Once a week, Tom cleans the car. Active

Once a week, the car is cleaned by Tom. Passive
20 English Basic Points!

Exercise:
Fill in the blanks using correct form of the verb

1. I ____________ (read) a very interesting book now.

2. Joanne ____________ (work) eight hours a day.
3. Tonight we ____________ (see) a play at the theater.
4. Who ___________ you ____________ (speak) to just now?
5. I ____________ (not know) him very well.
6. What will you do if she ____________ (come) late?
7. My wife ____________ (like) coffee for breakfast.
8. What _________ Tom usually _______(have) for breakfast?
9. Your train ____________ (leave) at 17.25 from platform 3.
fs hi N
i.c om
10. What _________ Mary __________ (do) ? She's a student.
na fsa IO

om
11. My whole family __________ (go) to church once a
ah .c
sa na RS

week.
eh sa E

12. My wife and I __________ (go) to the beach in the

@ h V

summer.
fo .e O

13. Listen! The phone ____________ (ring) in the other room.

in ww EM

14. Rain seldom ________________ (fall) in the Sahara.

15. He is thirteen years old now, and his voice
D

______(change).
16. Let's change the conversation. It ___________(get)
w

too serious.
17. My grandfather ________________(grow) tomatoes in
his garden this summer.
18. He ________________(grow) them every summer .
19. The children ______________(leave) for school right now.
20. The children __________________(leave) at 8:30
every morning of the week.
21. Shu! The baby ______________________(take) her nap.
22. In the north the season _______________(change)
four times a year .
English Basic Points! 21

23. Unfortunately, the patient _______________ (die).

24. The monsoon _____________(come) once or twice a
year.
25. It's spring and the days _______________(get) longer.
26. The weather _____ (get) very cold in Moscow in the
winter.
27. It _____________ (rain) hard, and I don't have an
umbrella.
28. It's November and the birds ___________(fly) south.
29. Many birds of Europe ____ (fly) south to Africa every
winter.

Form of Affirmative Sentences

Put the verbs into the correct form.
fs hi N
i.c om
1. I (to like) ------------------- lemonade very much.
na fsa IO

om
ah .c
2. The girls always (to listen) ------------------- to pop
sa na RS

music.
eh sa E

3. Janet never (to wear) ---------------- jeans.

@ h V

4. Mr Smith (to teach) -------------------- Spanish and

fo .e O

French.
in ww EM

5. You (to do) ------------------ your homework after

school.
D

Simple present with 'have' and 'be'

w

Fill in the correct form of the verbs.

1. We (to have) ---------------------a nice garden.
2. She (to be) -------------------- six years old.
3. Simon (to have) --------------- two rabbits and five
goldfish.
4. I (to be) ------------------- from Vienna, Austria.
5. They (to be) ----------------------Sandy's parents.

Negative Sentences
Make negative sentences.
1. My father makes breakfast.
2. They are eleven.
3. She writes a letter.
4. I speak Italian.
22 English Basic Points!

Questions
Make questions.

1. you / to speak / English

2. when / he / to go / home
3. they / to clean / the bathroom
4. where / she / to ride / her bike
5. Billy / to work / in the supermarket

Signal Words fs hi N
i.c om
Find the signal words for simple present.
na fsa IO

om
ah .c
sa na RS

1. Which is a signal word for simple present? a. Now

eh sa E

b. Last Monday c. often

@ h V

2. Which is a signal word for simple present? a.

fo .e O

Sometimes b. at the moment c. yesterday

in ww EM

3. Which is a signal word for simple present? a. last

D

Friday b. every Friday c. next Friday

4. Which is not a signal word for simple
present?
w

a. never b.already c.usually

5. Which is not a signal word for simple
present?
a. Listen! b. first ... then ... c.seldom
English Basic Points! 23

Structure

SIMPLE SENTENCE

A. Some students like to study in the

mornings.
B. Juan and Arturo play football every
afternoon.
C. Alicia goes to the library and studies
fs hi N
i.c om
na fsa IO
every day.

om
ah .c
sa na RS
eh sa E

A simple sentence, also called an independent

@ h V

clause, contains
fo .e O

a subject and a verb.

in ww EM

This means that it doesn’t contain more than one independ-

D

ent clause, and it doesn’t contain any subordinate clauses.

It expresses only one main idea.
w

The three examples above are all simple sentences. Note that
sentence B contains a compound subject, and sentence C
contains a compund verb. Simple Sentences, therefore,
contain a subject and verb and express a complete
thought, but they can also contain a compound subjects
or verbs.
24 English Basic Points!

A simple sentence has the most basic elements that make

it a sentence: a subject, a verb, and a completed thought.

Examples of simple sentences include the following:

Joe waited for the train.

“Joe” = subject, “waited”
= verb

The train was late.

“The train” = subject, “was”
= verb

Mary and Samantha took the bus.

fs hi N
i.c om
“Mary and Samantha” = compound subject,
na fsa IO

om
“took” = verb
ah .c
sa na RS

I looked for Mary and Samantha at the

eh sa E

bus station. “I” = subject, “looked” = verb

@ h V
fo .e O

Mary and Samantha arrived at the bus station before

in ww EM

noon and left on the bus before I arrived.

“Mary and Samantha” = compound subject, “arrived”
D

and “left” = compound verb

w