Week 1 Grammar Focus – AESL 703, Summer 2025

The Verb “To Be” in Present and Past Tense: A Comprehensive Review

Introduction
The verb “to be” is one of the most fundamental and frequently used verbs in the English language. Understanding its conjugation in both present and past tense is crucial for effective communication.

Present Tense of “To Be”
The present tense is used to describe current states, facts, or regular actions.

Singular Forms:

• First Person: I am
• Second Person: You are
• Third Person: He/She/It is

Plural Forms:

• First Person: We are
• Second Person: You are
• Third Person: They are

Example Sentences – Present Tense:

1. I am a university student.
2. You are an excellent researcher.
3. She is a brilliant professor.
4. We are in the library.
5. They are studying linguistics.

Past Tense of “To Be”
The past tense is used to describe actions or states that occurred in the past.

Singular Forms:

• First Person: I was
• Second Person: You were
• Third Person: He/She/It was

Plural Forms:

• First Person: We were
• Second Person: You were
• Third Person: They were

Example Sentences – Past Tense:

1. I was at the lecture yesterday.
2. You were correct about the assignment.
3. He was the department chair last year.
4. We were discussing the research paper.
5. They were international students.

Common Usage Patterns

Present Tense Applications:

• Stating facts: The Earth is round.
• Describing current situations: We are in class.
• Expressing temporary states: She is tired today.
• Describing permanent characteristics: He is tall.

Past Tense Applications:

• Describing completed actions: I was sick last week.
• Narrating past events: They were at the conference.
• Describing past states: The weather was cold.
• Expressing past conditions: We were ready for the exam.

Practice Exercises

1. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate form of “to be” in present tense:
   • The students _ (to be) in class.
   • This _ (to be) my favorite subject.
   • We _ (to be) ready to learn.
2. Convert these present tense sentences to past tense:
   • I am at the university.
   • The professors are excellent.
   • The campus is beautiful.

Understanding Present and Past Tense Verbs: Regular and Irregular Forms

Regular Verbs: Present and Past Tense

1. Work/Worked

• Present tense: I work at the university library.
• Past tense: I worked on the project yesterday.
• Rule: Add -ed to form the past tense

1. Study/Studied

• Present tense: She studies economics.
• Past tense: She studied for six hours last night.
• Rule: Change ‘y’ to ‘i’ and add -ed

1. Play/Played

• Present tense: They play basketball every weekend.
• Past tense: They played in the championship game.
• Rule: Add -ed to form the past tense

1. Talk/Talked

• Present tense: He talks to his professor frequently.
• Past tense: He talked about his research.
• Rule: Add -ed to form the past tense

1. Listen/Listened

• Present tense: We listen to lectures online.
• Past tense: We listened to the guest speaker.
• Rule: Add -ed to form the past tense

Irregular Verbs: Present and Past Tense

1. Go/Went

• Present tense: I go to class every day.
• Past tense: I went to the library last week.
• Note: Complete change in word form

1. Write/Wrote

• Present tense: She writes excellent essays.
• Past tense: She wrote her thesis last semester.
• Note: Vowel change from ‘i’ to ‘o’

1. Teach/Taught

• Present tense: The professor teaches biology.
• Past tense: The professor taught us about cell division.
• Note: Change in spelling and pronunciation

1. Think/Thought

• Present tense: They think critically about the material.
• Past tense: They thought about the discussion topics.
• Note: Change in spelling and pronunciation

1. Take/Took

• Present tense: We take notes during lectures.
• Past tense: We took the final exam yesterday.
• Note: Vowel change from ‘a’ to ‘o’

Practice Examples

Regular Verbs in Context:

• Present: I work on my assignments daily.
• Past: I worked on my assignments yesterday.

Irregular Verbs in Context:

• Present: I take the bus to campus.
• Past: I took the train last semester.

Key Points to Remember

1. Regular verbs follow predictable patterns when changing to past tense
2. Irregular verbs don’t follow standard patterns and must be memorized
3. Present tense describes current or habitual actions
4. Past tense describes completed actions

Common Usage in Academic Writing

• Present tense is often used for:
  • Discussing theories
  • Citing sources
  • Explaining ongoing research
• Past tense is often used for:
  • Describing completed experiments
  • Reporting research findings
  • Discussing historical events

Understanding Adjective Order in English: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction to Adjective Order
When using multiple adjectives to describe a noun, there is a specific order that native English speakers naturally follow. Understanding this order is crucial for clear and professional communication in academic and professional settings.

The Standard Adjective Order
The conventional order for adjectives in English follows this pattern:

1. Opinion/Quality
2. Size
3. Age/Temperature
4. Shape
5. Color
6. Origin/Nationality
7. Material
8. Purpose/Type

Examples in Context

• Incorrect: A leather old brown large bag
• Correct: A large old brown leather bag

Detailed Breakdown of Each Category

1. Opinion/Quality
   • Examples: beautiful, ugly, delicious, terrible
   • Usage: These adjectives express subjective views
   • Example phrase: “A wonderful Italian restaurant”
2. Size
   • Examples: tiny, huge, small, tall
   • Usage: Physical dimensions
   • Example phrase: “A small vintage clock”
3. Age/Temperature
   • Examples: new, ancient, hot, cold
   • Usage: Temporal qualities or temperature
   • Example phrase: “A new electric car”
4. Shape
   • Examples: round, square, oval, triangular
   • Usage: Physical form
   • Example phrase: “A round wooden table”
5. Color
   • Examples: red, blue, green, yellow
   • Usage: Visual appearance
   • Example phrase: “A blue cotton shirt”
6. Origin/Nationality
   • Examples: French, Japanese, Mexican
   • Usage: Place of origin
   • Example phrase: “An Italian leather sofa”
7. Material
   • Examples: wooden, metal, cotton, glass
   • Usage: What something is made of
   • Example phrase: “A metal cooking pot”
8. Purpose/Type
   • Examples: cooking, running, sleeping
   • Usage: Function or category
   • Example phrase: “A sleeping bag”

Practice Examples
Complete sentences using multiple adjectives:

1. “She bought a beautiful large antique round silver German serving platter.”
2. “He wore a stylish small new blue American cotton running shirt.”
3. “They found an expensive huge old rectangular brown Turkish wool cooking rug.”

Common Exceptions and Special Cases

1. Coordinate Adjectives
   • When adjectives are equally important, separate them with commas
   • Example: “A bright, cheerful, spacious room”
2. Fixed Expressions
   • Some combinations are set phrases
   • Example: “Big bad wolf” (not “bad big wolf”)
3. Emphasized Adjectives
   • When emphasis is needed, normal order may be altered
   • Example: “The BLUE expensive car” (if color is the key feature)

Tips for Mastery

1. Practice with familiar objects around you
2. Read extensively to observe natural usage
3. Listen to native speakers
4. Write descriptions regularly
5. Use this order in academic writing

Assessment Practice
Arrange these adjectives in correct order:

1. (wooden, small, beautiful, antique) box
2. (Italian, red, sports, expensive) car
3. (cotton, white, new, comfortable) socks

Note: The correct answers would be:

1. beautiful small antique wooden box
2. expensive red Italian sports car
3. comfortable new white cotton socks

Understanding Present Continuous vs. Simple Present Tense: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction
The English language employs different tenses to express when actions occur. Two commonly confused tenses are the present continuous (also called present progressive) and the simple present. This guide will help you master the distinction between these tenses and their proper usage.

Present Continuous Tense

Structure:

• Subject + be (am/is/are) + verb-ing

Usage:

1. Actions happening right now:
   • “I am writing a paper.”
   • “They are studying in the library.”
2. Temporary actions:
   • “She is staying with her parents this semester.”
   • “We are taking extra classes this month.”
3. Future arrangements:
   • “I am meeting my professor tomorrow.”
   • “The class is starting at 2 PM next week.”

Simple Present Tense

Structure:

• Subject + base verb (+ s/es for third person singular)

Usage:

1. Regular/habitual actions:
   • “I walk to campus every day.”
   • “She studies at the library on weekends.”
2. General truths/facts:
   • “The Earth revolves around the Sun.”
   • “Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.”
3. Scheduled events:
   • “The semester begins in September.”
   • “The bus leaves at 8 AM.”

Comparison and Contrast

Time Reference:

• Present Continuous: temporary, happening now
• Simple Present: regular, repeated, or permanent

Examples:

1. “I work at the university.” (Simple Present – permanent job)
   “I am working on my thesis.” (Present Continuous – temporary action)
2. “She teaches English.” (Simple Present – regular occupation)
   “She is teaching a special workshop.” (Present Continuous – temporary)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Using present continuous for permanent situations:
   • Incorrect: “I am loving this course.”
   • Correct: “I love this course.”
2. Using simple present for temporary actions:
   • Incorrect: “Look! It rains.”
   • Correct: “Look! It is raining.”

Practice Exercises

Fill in the blanks with the correct tense:

1. Right now, my roommate _ (study) for her exam.
2. Usually, she _ (wake up) at 7 AM.
3. The professor normally _ (teach) this course.
4. Today, we _ (work) on a special project.

Answer Key:

1. is studying
2. wakes up
3. teaches
4. are working

Coordinating Conjunctions: And, Too, Either, and But

Understanding Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions are words that connect similar elements in a sentence. Today, we’ll focus on some common coordinating conjunctions and their specific uses.

1. Using “And”

• “And” joins similar items or ideas together
• It shows addition or continuation
• Examples:
  • I like pizza and hamburgers.
  • She studies math and science.

2. Using “Too”

• “Too” means “also” or “as well”
• It typically comes at the end of a sentence
• Examples:
  • I want to go to the movies too.
  • My brother plays basketball, and I play too.

3. Using “Either”

• “Either” is used in negative statements
• Often paired with “or”
• Usually means “one or the other”
• Examples:
  • I don’t like either pizza or pasta.
  • She doesn’t want to go either.

4. Using “But”

• “But” shows contrast between ideas
• Introduces an opposite or unexpected idea
• Examples:
  • I like chocolate but not vanilla.
  • He studied hard but failed the test.

Practice Exercises

1. Fill in the blank with the appropriate conjunction:
   a. I love swimming _ running. b. She doesn’t like coffee, I don’t .
   c. He wanted to help, he was too busy.
   d. I don’t want pizza __ hamburgers.
2. Combine these sentences using the appropriate conjunction:
   a. I play soccer. I play basketball.
   b. Tom likes movies. He doesn’t like horror films.
   c. Sarah isn’t going. I’m not going.
   d. The cake looks good. It tastes good.

Answer Key:
(Please review carefully before use)

1. Fill in the blank:
   a. and
   b. and, either
   c. but
   d. or either
2. Combining sentences:
   a. I play soccer and basketball.
   b. Tom likes movies but doesn’t like horror films.
   c. Sarah isn’t going, and I’m not going either.
   d. The cake looks good and tastes good too.

Writing Practice
Create your own sentences using each conjunction we learned today. Make sure your sentences are clear and complete.

Remember:

• “And” connects similar ideas
• “Too” adds information and usually comes at the end
• “Either” is used with negatives
• “But” shows contrast