Articles & Tenses

Session 7

My grandmother likes flowers very much My grandmother likes the flowers very much
Both are correct in different contexts. Guess the context for each

Check your Answers

(1) __The__country I'd most like to visit is India. I'd love to take (2) ___a__ train ride down (3)____the__ western coast and (4) __a__ boat trip along (5)_the___Yamuna river. Of course, I'd visit (6) ___the__Taj Mahal it's probably (7)____the__most famous building in (8) __the__whole country. I'd like to go there with my family. My partner and I have 3 children - 2 girls and (9)__a__boy and I'd love (10)___the___ children to see India while they're still young. This is a trip I would like to make once (11) _a__ decade. What (12) __a__ fun adventure it would be!

Basic Rule
a/an indicates an item in general the indicates something that is specific or unique.

(1) __The__country I'd most like to visit is India. I'd love to take (2) ___a__ train ride.

THE Rule 2
I'd love to take a train ride down (3)__the__ western coast and a boat trip along (5)_the___Yamuna river. We use 'the' before seas, rivers, and groups of mountains or islands Examples: the Atlantic, the Nile, the Himalayas, the Philippines Also, points on the globe (e.g. the Equator, the North Pole) and some geographical areas (the Middle East, the South)

But Remember
DO NOT use the when referring to the following: most countries or territories (e.g. Canada, China, New Zealand) towns, cities or states (e.g. Punjab, Lahore, Model Town) streets (e.g. Khyaban-e-Iqbal) lakes (e.g. Lake Ontario) bays, where the term bay comes after the name (e.g. Hawksbay) mountains (e.g. Mount Everest) continents (e.g. North America, Africa)

A A Rule Rule2 2
You use a to refer to something or someone for the first time in a conversation or text I'd love to take __a__ boat trip along the western coast This is the first time he is mentioning the idea of a boat trip and is not talking about any specific boat Other examples: Hes joined a new company. They had a fight last weekend

THE -Rule THE Rule33

Of course, I'd visit (6) ___the__Taj Mahal We use 'the' if there is only one such thing Example: the moon, the Government of Pakistan, the Great Wall of China

THE -Rule THE Rule44

It's probably (7)____the__most famous building in the whole country Use 'the' before superlative adjectives

THE -Rule THE Rule55

It's probably the most famous building in (8) __the__ whole country Use the to refer to something or someone both speakers in a conversation know about Here, the listeners knew he was talking about India previously and that is why he referred to it as the country

My partner and I have 3 children - 2 girls and (9)__a__boy and I'd love (10)___the___ children to see India while they're still young.
Here he uses a for the boy because it is the first time he is referring to him. He uses the in the second blank because he has already mentioned to the listeners that he has children and so all listeners know which children he is referring to.

A ARule Rule33
This is a trip I would like to make once (11) _a__ decade. Use a with certain expressions of quantity, or certain amounts of things.

Examples Around Rs. 300 a week, a pair of socks, four times a day, 90 kilometers an hour

A A Rule Rule4 4
What (12) __a__ fun adventure it would be!

We use the a or an with expressions that involve 'what' Examples What a pity! What a brilliant child! What a surprise!

Present Simple Tense

Expresses what exists now, or general facts:

There is a park down the block

I paint a portrait of my cat every week. Ayesha hears a noise in the attic.

Present Progressive Tense

Expresses what is temporary or continuous:

I am reading a letter. The car is running at high speed. Ali and Ahmed are always working in the library.

Present Perfect Tense

Expresses what began and occurred in the past and is still relevant to the current situation: I have read several of Shaws novels. She has seen him every Saturday this month. Anum has sampled six ice cream flavors so far.

Structure: Simple Statements

I You We They She He

HAVE lived in Lahore since 1998

HAS worked at Netsol for five months

Structure: Negative Statements

I You We They She He
HAVE NOT visited Europe

HAS NOT left home yet

Structure: Questions
Have I You We They reached yet?

Has
Why/How When/Where Have

He She
I You We They He She

been ill?
gone?

Why/How When/Where Has

travelled?

Present Perfect Progressive Tense

Expresses what began in the past and still continues in the present:
I have been standing on this corner for six hours. She has been dreaming of becoming an actress since she was ten.

Even though its raining, that Girl Scout has been selling cookies all day.

Questions
Have You We They I
You We They I

Been

Eating?

What/Where/How/ Why/ When Have

Been

Eating?

Has Where/How/Why/ When Has

He She He She

Been Been

Missing class? Missing class?

Activity: Picture
One student will ask another student a question about the picture in the present perfect continuous tense and the other student will answer in the same tense Example: What has he been doing? He has been running

They have been eating

She has been sleeping

She has been exercising

Past Simple Tense

Expresses what took place in the past:

Last week, I read Shaws novel. The mother took her son to the beach every day last summer.
The book sat on the shelf, collecting dust.

Past Progressive Tense

Expresses what took place continually during a certain amount of time in the past, but is not necessarily relevant to the current situation:
She was giving a presentation when the microphone broke. The computer was downloading the file for 20 minutes. During their first year, the puppies were growing at an alarming rate.

Past Perfect Tense

Expresses what took place in the past, often before something else happened. I had already seen him that morning, when I met you for lunch. As soon as my car had been repaired, I continued my trip. The power had gone out, so we found the flashlights.

Future Simple Tense

Expresses what will take place hereafter: I shall see him this afternoon, and I will inform him then.

Next week, her uncle will be in town.

Will you carry this bag for me?

Future Progressive Tense

Expresses what will take place continually at a certain time in the future:
I will be swimming in the sea by the time you wake up. He will be conducting a meeting every day between 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.

Next summer, Jake will be traveling through

South America.