unit 2b
1. READING
Some differences between the British and American spelling (you don't need to learn all of them yet):
British English tends to keep the spelling of words it absorbs from other languages (eg. French), while American English tends to adapt the spelling to reflect the way that the words actually sound when they're spoken.
British English tends to keep the spelling of words it absorbs from other languages (eg. French), while American English tends to adapt the spelling to reflect the way that the words actually sound when they're spoken.
Here are some examples:
British
-tre centre litre theatre -ence
defence licence offence -our
colour flavour humour labour neighbour ll
fuelled fuelling travelled travelling traveller |
American
-ter center liter theater / theatre -ense defense license offense -or color flavor humor labor neighbor l
fueled fueling traveled traveling traveler |
2. GRAMMAR
Past Continuous and Past Simple
1. The most common use of the past continuous tense is to talk about something that was happening around a particular time in the past.
What were you doing at 8 o’clock last night? I was watching television.
I started watching television before 8 o’clock and I continued watching it after 8 o’clock.
In 1994 he was working in a small town in Poland.
At 6 o’clock on Saturday morning we were travelling to the airport.
2. We often use the past continuous and the past simple tense together. When this happens, the past continuous describes a longer, ‘background’ action or situation and the past simple describes the action or events.
When I woke up this morning it was raining and my father was singing in the kitchen.
I was walking home when I saw two masked men run out of the bank.
Often, the ‘action’ described by the past simple tense interrupts the ‘situation’ described by the past continuous tense.
I broke my leg when I was skiing.
I was playing a computer game when the doorbell rang.
Notice that the past continuous describes ‘situations’ that go on for some time – ‘skiing’ and ‘playing’ but the past simpledescribes ‘actions’ that happen quickly – ‘broke’ and ‘rang’.
Notice the important difference between these two sentences.
When they arrived, Jeff was cooking dinner. (Jeff started cooking before they arrived)
When they arrived, Jeff cooked dinner. (Jeff started cooking dinner after they arrived).
1. The most common use of the past continuous tense is to talk about something that was happening around a particular time in the past.
What were you doing at 8 o’clock last night? I was watching television.
I started watching television before 8 o’clock and I continued watching it after 8 o’clock.
In 1994 he was working in a small town in Poland.
At 6 o’clock on Saturday morning we were travelling to the airport.
2. We often use the past continuous and the past simple tense together. When this happens, the past continuous describes a longer, ‘background’ action or situation and the past simple describes the action or events.
When I woke up this morning it was raining and my father was singing in the kitchen.
I was walking home when I saw two masked men run out of the bank.
Often, the ‘action’ described by the past simple tense interrupts the ‘situation’ described by the past continuous tense.
I broke my leg when I was skiing.
I was playing a computer game when the doorbell rang.
Notice that the past continuous describes ‘situations’ that go on for some time – ‘skiing’ and ‘playing’ but the past simpledescribes ‘actions’ that happen quickly – ‘broke’ and ‘rang’.
Notice the important difference between these two sentences.
When they arrived, Jeff was cooking dinner. (Jeff started cooking before they arrived)
When they arrived, Jeff cooked dinner. (Jeff started cooking dinner after they arrived).
When do we use the past continuous tense?
· At the beginning of a story to set the scene and to say what was happening: On January 20th I was visiting London with some friends. It was a sunny day and we were shopping the whole day.
· When the "actions in progress" (past continuous) are "interrupted" by a short completed action (past simple): We were shopping in a big shopping center when the lights suddenly went off.
· At the beginning of a story to set the scene and to say what was happening: On January 20th I was visiting London with some friends. It was a sunny day and we were shopping the whole day.
· When the "actions in progress" (past continuous) are "interrupted" by a short completed action (past simple): We were shopping in a big shopping center when the lights suddenly went off.
past_simple_vs_past_cont__1_.ppt | |
File Size: | 1274 kb |
File Type: | ppt |
English Grammar in Use: Past Continuous
Watch the following video about the past continuous
blackout= apagón
- What were the people in the video doing when the lights went out?
EXTRA ACTIVITIES
Exercises to choose the Past Simple or Past Continuous:
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/past-simple-past-continuous-exercise-2.html
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/past-simple-past-continuous-exercise-2.html
past_simple_vs_continuous.pdf | |
File Size: | 118 kb |
File Type: |
past-simple-past-continous-exercises__1_.pdf | |
File Size: | 268 kb |
File Type: |
past-simple-past-continuous2.pdf | |
File Size: | 137 kb |
File Type: |
3. VOCABULARY
Prepositions AT/ IN/ ON
prepositions_at_in_on__1_.ppt | |
File Size: | 1780 kb |
File Type: | ppt |
This is what you learnt in Básico 1
PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE:
IN
I was in a restaurant last night.(public places)
a flat
an office
a room
AT
I was at a restaurant last night. (public places)
home
school
university
work
TO
He goes to the gym.
(He goes to home.)
PREPOSITIONS OF TIME:
IN
the morning
the afternoon
the evening
January
(the) summer
1978
ON
Tuesday (morning)
the 18th of February
my birthday
AT
four o'clock
midday / midnight
lunchtime
night
the weekend
Christmas / Easter / New Year
PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE:
IN
I was in a restaurant last night.(public places)
a flat
an office
a room
AT
I was at a restaurant last night. (public places)
home
school
university
work
TO
He goes to the gym.
(He goes to home.)
PREPOSITIONS OF TIME:
IN
the morning
the afternoon
the evening
January
(the) summer
1978
ON
Tuesday (morning)
the 18th of February
my birthday
AT
four o'clock
midday / midnight
lunchtime
night
the weekend
Christmas / Easter / New Year
IN
Countries and cities:
Spain, Madrid
Rooms:
the kitchen, the bathroom, a room, an office
Buildings:
a shop, a museum
Closed spaces:
a park, a garden
a car
ON
Transport:
a bike, a bus, a train, a plane, a ship
(not car)
a surface:
the floor, a table, a shelf, the balcony, the roof, the wall, on TV
AT
school, home, work, university
the airport, the station, a bus stop, a party, the door
Examples in sentences:
·He went to live in South America.
· I'm watching the last programme
in the Channel 4 series That'll Teach 'Em.
Examples in sentences:
·I'm watching footbal on TV.
Examples in sentences:
·I'm at school. / We'll meet at school.
·I go to school. / He goes back to school.
·We met at college.
·She's at a college in Madrid.
·We met at university.
·I bought a jacket at Barcelona airport.
·I had a shower at my apartment.
Countries and cities:
Spain, Madrid
Rooms:
the kitchen, the bathroom, a room, an office
Buildings:
a shop, a museum
Closed spaces:
a park, a garden
a car
ON
Transport:
a bike, a bus, a train, a plane, a ship
(not car)
a surface:
the floor, a table, a shelf, the balcony, the roof, the wall, on TV
AT
school, home, work, university
the airport, the station, a bus stop, a party, the door
Examples in sentences:
·He went to live in South America.
· I'm watching the last programme
in the Channel 4 series That'll Teach 'Em.
Examples in sentences:
·I'm watching footbal on TV.
Examples in sentences:
·I'm at school. / We'll meet at school.
·I go to school. / He goes back to school.
·We met at college.
·She's at a college in Madrid.
·We met at university.
·I bought a jacket at Barcelona airport.
·I had a shower at my apartment.
TIME
IN
Months:
January, March
Seasons:
(the) summer, (the) winter
Years:
1978, 2009
Times of day:
the morning, the afternoon, the evening
(not night)
ON
Dates (one date):
June 2nd (the 18th of February)
Days (one day):
Tuesday (morning), New Year's Day,
Valentine's Day, my birthday
AT
Times:
four o'clock, half past three, 5.25
midday / midnight / noon
lunchtime
Festival periods (some days):
Christmas / Easter / New Year
night
the weekend
Examples in sentences:
·She does her homework usually
late on Sunday night.
IN
Months:
January, March
Seasons:
(the) summer, (the) winter
Years:
1978, 2009
Times of day:
the morning, the afternoon, the evening
(not night)
ON
Dates (one date):
June 2nd (the 18th of February)
Days (one day):
Tuesday (morning), New Year's Day,
Valentine's Day, my birthday
AT
Times:
four o'clock, half past three, 5.25
midday / midnight / noon
lunchtime
Festival periods (some days):
Christmas / Easter / New Year
night
the weekend
Examples in sentences:
·She does her homework usually
late on Sunday night.
IN HOSPITAL
I was in hospital six days ago because I had an operation.
= cuando estás ingresado
My mother was in hospital for an operation.
AT HOSPITAL
My mother was at hospital while I was on surgery.
= cuando alguien va de visita
My mother was at the hospital when I had the operation.
IN THE HOSPITAL (= para decir que alguien está en el hospital) / AT ..... (cuando dices el nombre del hospital)Look at the dialogue:
Do you know where is John?
He is in the hospital!!!
Really, what happened?
He was in a car accident.
What hospital is he in?
He's at St. Joseph's.
I was in hospital six days ago because I had an operation.
= cuando estás ingresado
My mother was in hospital for an operation.
AT HOSPITAL
My mother was at hospital while I was on surgery.
= cuando alguien va de visita
My mother was at the hospital when I had the operation.
IN THE HOSPITAL (= para decir que alguien está en el hospital) / AT ..... (cuando dices el nombre del hospital)Look at the dialogue:
Do you know where is John?
He is in the hospital!!!
Really, what happened?
He was in a car accident.
What hospital is he in?
He's at St. Joseph's.
IN (you are just in a place)
AT (you have a purpose)
I'm in this room.
I'm at the office. (I'm working)
The dog is in the pharmacy.
The dog's master was at the pharmacy (to buy drugs).
I was in the airport. / I woke up in an airport (from a dream).
I was at the airport to pick up a friend of mine.
AT (you have a purpose)
I'm in this room.
I'm at the office. (I'm working)
The dog is in the pharmacy.
The dog's master was at the pharmacy (to buy drugs).
I was in the airport. / I woke up in an airport (from a dream).
I was at the airport to pick up a friend of mine.