A lot of verbs are often followed by a clause. Especially verbs connected to speech and thought. But what is a clause?
Here you have a list of verbs related to speech and thought 👇
Example:
Student A: “I think it will rain tomorrow.”
Student B: “Why do you think that?”
Student A: “The weather forecast said so.”
We use the present perfect (Have you ever + past participle) to ask about life experiences. We can answer these questions using a range of structures.
Unjumble the questions.
Write the correct sentences in your notebook.
Take turns asking questions starting with “Have you ever …?”
Answer each question using any of the alternative answers that you’ve learned in class.
Student A
Student B
Example:
Student A: Have you ever lost your wallet or cell phone?
Student B: Yes, I’ve lost my cell phone 3 times. Luckily, last time, someone found it and gave it back to me. What about you?
There are several ways to talk about past habits in English:
| Tense | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple past | Talk about a single action that happened in the past. | I went to the park yesterday. She played tennis last week. |
| Adverb of frequency + simple past | Talk about a past habit or state that is no longer true. It implies a repeated action in the past. | When I was a child, I often played in the park. He always drank coffee in the morning |
| Used to | Talk about a past habit or state that is no longer true. It implies a repeated action. | I used to smoke, but I quit. I used to be very shy. |
| Would | Talk about repeated actions in the past. It implies a habitual or repeated action. | When I was a child, I would play with my toys every day. |
| Simple past | Talk about a past state that is no longer true. | I was very shy when I was a child. They were very active when they were younger. I lived on a farm when I was a child. |
🎲 Students take turns rolling the dice and moving their piece on the board.
🛑 When a student lands on a square, they answer the question using the correct tense.
🗣️ Example: “I used to go to the country side on holiday.”
👂 The other players listen and decide if the answer is right or wrong.
✅ If the answer is right, the student stays on that square.
❌ If the answer is wrong, they go back to their previous square.
🏆 The first student to reach the finish square wins the game!
💪 To make the game more challenging answer your questions with other alternatives such as would or usually + simple past
How was your life when you were growing up? Write a short paragraph.
In English, there are many ways to talk about actions that happen in the present. From habits to routines, we use different words and phrases to describe how often or how regularly something occurs.
Here there is a list of different expressions to say how often things happen.
| Phrase | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Tend to do something (tend + infinitive) | Something happens frequently, but not all the time. | I tend to eat breakfast around 8 am. |
| As a rule (As a rule, + SVO) | Something usually happens, but there may be exceptions. | As a rule, I go to bed at 10 pm, but sometimes I stay up later. |
| On the whole (On the whole, +SVO) | Something generally happens. | On the whole, I enjoy studying English. |
| Regularly | Something happens at fixed intervals or at certain times. | I regularly go to the gym on Mondays and Thursdays. |
| Frequently | Something happens often. | I frequently check my email throughout the day. |
| From time to time (From time to time, + SVO) | Something happens occasionally, but not on a regular basis. | From time to time, I like to try new foods. |
| Every now and then (Every now and then, +SVO) (SVO + every now and then) | Something happens occasionally, but not on a regular basis. | Every now and then, I like to go for a walk. |
| Every now and again (Every now and again, +SVO) (SVO + every now and again) | Something happens occasionally, but not on a regular basis. | Every now and again, I watch a movie on the weekend. |
| Has/Have the habit of + gerund | Someone often does a certain action. | She has the habit of biting her nails when she’s nervous. |
| Always + present continuous | We use this form to talk about positive things that happen a lot or annoying things | She is always smiling. She’s always coming to my office and asking annoying questions |
| Constantly + present continuous | Someone is doing something continuously. | She is constantly checking her phone. |
Exercise 1: Read the interview questions with an English student.
Questions:
Exercise 2: These are the answers of the student. Put the words in the correct order. Copy the sentences in your notebook.
Answers:
Work in pairs. Ask and answer the questions in Exercise 1.
For High-Intermediate students
🎲 Board Game Instructions:
6. Finish: 🏆 The first player to reach the finish wins the challenge!
The simple present tense is used to describe actions that are habitual or routine, as well as facts that are always true. We use the simple present tense to talk about things that happen regularly, frequently or all the time.
Stative verbs are a specific type of verb that describe states or conditions rather than actions. These verbs express how someone feels, what they think, or what something is like. Unlike action verbs that show physical movement or activity, stative verbs describe a person’s state of being or the qualities of something.
Here are some common stative verbs:
The present continuous tense is used to describe actions that are currently happening or in progress at the time of speaking. We use the present continuous tense to talk about actions that are temporary or incomplete, as well as trends that are currently happening.
We use the present continuous tense to talk about actions that were started in the past but have not yet been completed.
Example:
Choose the correct sentence.
🎲 Students take turns rolling the dice and moving their piece on the board.
🛑 When a student lands on a square, they answer the question using the correct tense.
🗣️ Example: “I go to the cinema once every month.”
👂 The other players listen and decide if the answer is right or wrong.
✅ If the answer is right, the student stays on that square.
❌ If the answer is wrong, they go back to their previous square.
🏆 The first student to reach the finish square wins the game!
A noun phrase is a group of words that work together to function as a noun in a sentence.
It typically includes a noun or pronoun and any modifiers or determiners that describe or clarify the noun. Noun phrases are important in the English language because they allow us to express complex ideas and add detail to our sentences.
Common noun phrases and some examples:
| Type of Noun Phrase | Example |
|---|---|
| Simple Noun Phrase | the book, a dog, his hat |
| Noun Phrase with Determiner | the blue car, an interesting article, their favorite restaurant |
| Noun Phrase with Adjectives | a tall tree, the happy children, her new dress |
| Noun Phrase with Possessive | John‘s car, the company‘s profits, our family vacation |
| Noun Phrase with Gerund | swimming in the lake, playing basketball, singing a song |
| Noun Phrase with Infinitive | to go home, to study for the exam, to eat breakfast |
| Noun Phrase with Participle | running late, broken glass, excited children |
| Noun Phrase with Prepositional Phrase | the boy in the blue shirt, the house on the corner, the restaurant near the beach |
| Noun Phrase with Relative Clause | the book that I read yesterday, the woman who lives next door, the car which is parked outside |
In this mini lesson, I’ll explain these 3 types of noun phrases:
Prepositions are words that show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence. Prepositional phrases are phrases that begin with a preposition and end with a noun or pronoun. They provide additional information about the noun or pronoun in the sentence. For example:
To use prepositional phrases correctly, it’s important to identify the preposition and the noun or pronoun that the phrase modifies.
Infinitive phrases are phrases that begin with the word “to” and are followed by a verb in the base form. They can be used to express a variety of ideas, including purpose. For example:
Infinitive phrases can also be used with adjectives to describe feelings or emotions, or with nouns to describe a specific type of person or thing.
Here are some examples to explain how infinitive phrases can be used with adjectives or nouns:
In these examples, the infinitive phrase (to see her best friend again, to ask his boss for a raise, etc.) is used after an adjective (happy, afraid, excited, etc.) to describe the feeling or emotion that the person is experiencing.
Now let’s take a look at how infinitive phrases can be used with nouns:
In these examples, the infinitive phrase (to work with, to deal with, to learn about history, etc.) is used after a noun (pleasure, person, resource, etc.) to describe a specific type of person or thing. Infinitive phrases can be used in many different ways to add more detail and information to a sentence.
Relative clauses are clauses that are used to provide more information about a noun or pronoun in a sentence. They begin with a relative pronoun (such as “who,” “whom,” “whose,” “that,” or “which“) and provide additional details about the noun or pronoun. For example:
So, to sum up, noun phrases are really useful in English because they help us to describe things in more detail and express complicated ideas.
| Type of Noun Phrase | Example | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Prepositional Phrase | The book on the table | Provides additional information about the location of the book |
| Prepositional Phrase | The girl with the red hat | Provides additional information about the girl’s appearance |
| Infinitive Phrase | I went to the store to buy some milk | Expresses the purpose of an action |
| Infinitive Phrase with Adjective | She was happy to see her best friend again | Describes a feeling or emotion |
| Infinitive Phrase with Noun | She is a pleasure to work with | Describes a specific type of person or thing |
| Relative Clause | The woman who lives next door | Provides additional information about the woman |
By practicing how to use prepositional phrases, infinitive phrases, and relative clauses, you can get better at speaking and writing English clearly and effectively. Remember to keep practicing and don’t worry if you make mistakes – it’s all part of the learning process! And if you ever need help or don’t understand something, just ask – I’m here to help you learn.
Grammar PracticeMake full sentences using the noun phrases.
Speaking Practice1 Order the words to make a noun phrase
2 Complete the questions with the noun phrases. Write the questions in your notebook.
3. Ask and answer each question from exercise 2
Writing PracticeLevel of difficulty: 
Describe what you see in the picture using as many noun phrases as possible. Write your answer in the comments below.
When you ask for opinions about future probability, you usually use will + base form or be going to + base form. However, there are other alternatives that are also common in spoken English.
We use some expressions to talk about how sure we are about something in the future.
Some expressions show high certainty, and others show low probability.
In the table below, you can find a collection of useful phrases and expressions that will help you convey future probabilities with confidence.
| Probability | Expressions | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Almost certain (≈99%) | definitely be bound to | Subject + will definitely + verb Subject + be bound to + verb | Canada will definitely win the game. Canada is bound to win the game. |
| Very likely (≈75%) | probably there’s a good chance it’s likely that | Subject + will probably + verb There’s a good chance (that) + subject + will + verb It’s likely that + subject + will + verb | Canada will probably win the game. There’s a good chance Canada will win the game. It’s likely that Canada will win the game. |
| Possible (≈50%) | might (not) there’s a chance | Subject + might (not) + verb There’s a chance (that) + subject + will + verb | Canada might win the game. There’s a chance Canada will win the game. |
| Not very likely (≈25%) | probably won’t there’s a small chance it’s unlikely that | Subject + probably won’t + verb There’s a small chance (that) + subject + will + verb It’s unlikely that + subject + will + verb | Canada probably won’t win the game. It’s unlikely that Canada will win the game. |
| Almost impossible (≈1%) | definitely won’t I doubt | Subject + definitely won’t + verb I doubt + subject + will + verb | Canada definitely won’t win the game. I doubt Canada will win the game. |
1. After modal verbs (might, will), use the base form of the verb.
❌ might wins
❌ will probably arrives
2. “That” is optional in some expressions.
3. “Probably” goes after “will”.
Correct:
Incorrect:
Practice 1
Practice 2
“Have/get something done” is a useful English construction that we use when we want to talk about arranging for someone else to do something for us. It’s a way to emphasize that we didn’t do the action ourselves, but rather someone else did it for us. This English pattern is called the passive causative.
| Usage | Structure | Examples | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Services you pay someone else to do for you | get/have + object + past participle | I get my car washed every week. She had her hair cut at a fancy salon. They are getting their house painted next month. | Emphasizes that you pay someone to perform a service for you. |
| Formal situations, arranging for something to be done | have + object + past participle | We had our website redesigned by a professional agency. He had his presentation translated into three languages. We had our legal documents notarized by a certified notary. | Indicates that you arranged for a service to be done by someone else in a formal context. |
| Things that happen to you, often negative experiences | have + object + past participle | She had her purse stolen while she was shopping. We had our flight delayed for several hours due to bad weather. He had his car broken into last night. | Describes events or actions that occur to you, usually negative experiences, without your organization or control. |
| Negative form | did not have/get + object + past participle | I didn’t have my computer repaired. They didn’t get their house cleaned before the guests arrived. She didn’t have her dress altered in time for the event. | Expresses the negative form of arranging or paying for a service to be done. |
| Question form Simple past | Did + subject + have/get + object + past participle? | Did you get your passport renewed? Did he have his car washed? Did they have their house repainted? | Forms a question to inquire about arranging or paying for a service to be done. |
Example: He hasn’t gotten his hair cut yet.
The present perfect tense is a verb form used to connect past actions or events to the present. It indicates that something started in the past and has a relevance or connection to the present moment. In other words, it emphasizes the relationship between past actions and their impact on the current situation.
| Grammar pattern |
|---|
| Form: Subject + have/has + past participle (3rd form) |
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Expressing Experiences | “I have visited Paris several times.” |
| Unfinished Actions | “They have studied English for three years.” |
| Actions with Relevance | “She has lost her keys.” |
| Recent Past | “He has just arrived home.” |
There are some adverbs that we can use with present perfect to make emphasis or add additional details.
| Adverb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Already | Before the present time or earlier than expected | “I have already finished my homework.” |
| Even | Emphasizing a surprising or unexpected situation | “I’ve been very busy. I haven’t even had time to have lunch.” |
| Ever | At any time in the past or in one’s life | “Have you ever traveled abroad?” |
| Just | Referring to a very recent past or a short time ago | “He’s just come back from Brazil.” |
| Lately | In the recent past or during a recent period | “I haven’t seen him lately.” |
| Never | Not at any time in the past or in one’s life | “I have never been to Australia.” |
| Only | Indicating exclusivity or emphasizing limitations | “I’ve only done the first year of my course.” |
| Recently | In the near past or not long ago | “She has recently started a new job.” |
| So far | Describing the extent of an action up to the present time | “They have visited three countries so far.” |
| Still | Indicating that a situation or action is continuing or ongoing | “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for |
| Yet | Expressing an action or event expected to happen but hasn’t occurred until now | “They haven’t finished their project yet.” |
For High-Intermediate English learners
There are different ways of talking about the future in English. While one structure may be preferred for certain meanings, in many cases more than one structure can be used with little or no change of meaning.
| Future Form | Grammar Pattern | Meaning | Explanation | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| be going to | subject + be + going to + base verb | Planned or intended actions in the future | Used when something is already decided or planned | I am going to visit my grandparents next weekend. |
| Will | subject + will + base verb | Spontaneous decisions, predictions, promises, or offers | Used for decisions made at the moment or predictions/promises | It’s hot here. I will open the window. |
| Present Continuous | subject + am/is/are + present participle (-ing form) | Fixed plans or arrangements in the near future | Used for actions already planned or arranged | I am meeting my friend for dinner tonight. |
| Might/May | subject + might/may + base verb | Possibilities or uncertain future events | Used when there is a possibility, but uncertainty | I might go to the party if I finish my work early. |
| Future Continuous | subject + will be + present participle (-ing form) | Ongoing actions or events in the future | Used to describe actions happening at a specific time | They will be watching a movie this time next week. |
