Verb Tense Overview with Examples

Simple Present	Simple Past	Simple Future
I study English every day.	Two years ago, I studied English in England.	If you are having problems, I will help you study English. I am going to study English next year.
Present Continuous	Past Continuous	Future Continuous
I am studying English now.	I was studying English when you called yesterday.	I will be studying English when you arrive tonight. I am going to be studying English when you arrive tonight.
Present Perfect	Past Perfect	Future Perfect
I have studied English in several different countries.	I had studied a little English before I moved to the U.S.	I will have studied every tense by the time I finish this course. I am going to have studied every tense by the time I finish this course.
Present Perfect Continuous	Past Perfect Continuous	Future Perfect Continuous
I have been studying English for five years.	I had been studying English for five years before I moved to the U.S.	I will have been studying English for over two hours by the time you arrive. I am going to have been studying English for over two hours by the time you arrive.

Future Perfect

FORM Future Perfect with "Will"

[will have + past participle]

Examples:

You will have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.

Will you have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.?

You will not have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.

FORM Future Perfect with "Be Going To"

[am/is/are + going to have + past participle]

Examples:

You are going to have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.

Are you going to have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.?

You are not going to have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.

NOTE: It is possible to use either "will" or "be going to" to create the Future Perfect with little or no difference in meaning.

Complete List of Future Perfect Forms

USE 1 Completed Action Before Something in the Future

GRAMMAR

The Future Perfect expresses the idea that something will occur before another action in the future. It can also show that something will happen before a specific time in the future.

Examples:

By next November, I will have received my promotion.

By the time he gets home, she is going to have cleaned the entire house.

I am not going to have finished this test by 3 o'clock.

Will she have learned enough Chinese to communicate before she moves to Beijing?

Sam is probably going to have completed the proposal by the time he leaves this afternoon.

By the time I finish this course, I will have taken ten tests.

How many countries are you going to have visited by the time you turn 50?

Notice in the examples above that the reference points (marked in italics) are in Simple Present rather than Simple Future. This is because the interruptions are in time clauses, and you cannot use future tenses in time clauses.

USE 2 Duration Before Something in the Future (Non-Continuous Verbs)

GRAMMAR

With Non-Continuous Verbs and some non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Future Perfect to show that something will continue up until another action in the future.

Examples:

I will have been in London for six months by the time I leave.

By Monday, Susan is going to have had my book for a week.

Although the above use of Future Perfect is normally limited to Non-Continuous Verbs and non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, the words "live," "work," "teach," and "study" are sometimes used in this way even though they are NOT Non-Continuous Verbs.

REMEMBER No Future in Time Clauses

Like all future forms, the Future Perfect cannot be used in clauses beginning with time expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc. Instead of Future Perfect, Present Perfect is used.

Examples:

I am going to see a movie when I will have finished my homework. Not Correct

I am going to see a movie when I have finished my homework. Correct

ADVERB PLACEMENT

The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.

Examples:

You will only have learned a few words.

Will you only have learned a few words?

You are only going to have learned a few words.

Are you only going to have learned a few words?

Cumulative Verb Tense Review

Send the exercise to mgruiz@cantv.net

1. When Carol (call) last night, I (watch) my favorite show on television.
   2. I (work) for this company for more than thirty years, and I intend to stay here until I retire!
   3. Sharon (love) to travel. She (go) abroad almost every summer. Next year, she plans to go to Peru.
   4. Thomas is an author. He (write) mystery novels and travel memoirs. He (write) since he was twenty-eight. Altogether, he (write) seven novels, three collections of short stories and a book of poetry.
   5. We were late because we had some car problems. By the time we (get) to the train station, Susan (wait) for us for more than two hours.
   6. Sam (try) to change a light bulb when he (slip) and (fell) .
   7. Everyday I (wake) up at 6 o'clock, (eat) breakfast at 7 o'clock and (leave) for work at 8 o'clock. However, this morning I (get) up at 6:30, (skip) breakfast and (leave) for work late because I (forget) to set my alarm.
   8. Right now, Jim (read) the newspaper and Kathy (make) dinner. Last night at this time, they (do) the same thing. She (cook) and he (read) the newspaper. Tomorrow at this time, they (do, also) the same thing. She (prepare) dinner and he (read) . They are very predictable people!
   9. By this time next summer, you (complete) your studies and (find) a job. I, on the other hand, (accomplish, not) anything. I (study, still) and you (work) in some new high paying job.
   10. The students (be, usually) taught by Mrs. Monty. However, this week they (teach) taught by Mr. Tanzer.

IDIOMS. PRACTICE

A
A Picture Paints a Thousand Words: A story told by pictures, a lot of descriptive text.
A Doubting Thomas: Originating from the Bible where Thomas believe all what Jesus says
A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand: Every kingdom divided is brought to desolation
A Leopard Can't Change His Spots: When people state that they can't change who they are
Absent Without Leave: Not present without permission
All Your Base Are Belong To Us: turned into a joke among gamers
Apple of My Eye: Keep me as the apple of Your eye, hide me in the shadow of Your wings.

B
Back Seat Driver: Someone who watches and criticizes
Back To Basics: Decency/values
Back To Square One:To returned
Bad Hair Day: Nothing seems to be going right.
Baker's Dozen: Bakers were usually not educated and terrible counters
Ball and Chain: 'wife'. Originating from the presumption that a man's wife has held him down
Balls to the Wall: Dating back to the 1950's, this refers to nn all-out effort
Barking: Reaching the wrong conclusion when told something
Beeswax: It actually has nothing to do with 'wax'
Big Apple:The whole city.
Blackmail:Evil is consideres black.
Blind leading the blind:The person in charge of the situation knows no more than the people leading.
Moon: Rarely.
Blue Sky: No clouds to block the view
Brass Monkey: Don’t let anybody convince you of this. It’s rubísh.
Break A Leg: Have luck.
Brownie Points: Silly/childlike.
Buckaroo: The origin was Spanish Baquero.
Bullpen: They were herded like bulls

C
Carry her over the threshold: man carrying his wife through the front door of their new home.
Catch-22: Bureaucratic regulation is dependent on another
Caught With Your Pants Down: Someone caught you doing something.
Charley Horse: Mencken gives no dates for this one
Chip on his Shoulder: To carry a grudge
Chow Down: Meaning to sit down and eat.
Clear Blue Water: Reguarding ideas
Close but no Cigar: Many years ago slot machines gave out cigars as prizes
Cock and bull story: The kind of story someone gives to cover up the truth
Cold War: A conflict between nations that is just short of physical war.
Copasetic: You had to be a good judge of what a man was like.
Crackerjack: "superb" or "excellent"
Cup Of Joe: That thing is just for that person.
Cut to the Chase: To get to the point
Cute as a Bug's Ear: The smaller they come the cuter they are.
Cyber: cybernétique, which meant the art of governing .

D
Dead Ringer: Something that is exactly duplicated.
Deadline: On the limit.
Devil's Advocate: Person who espouses a cause just for the sake of argument.
Diamond in the Rough: Someone of good character who lacks social graces.
Dirt Poor:Something is not for sure.
Dog Days: Extremely hot days
Don't look a Gift Horse in the Mouth: When given something don't be ungrateful.
Don't try to teach your Grandma to suck eggs: You shouldn't teach anyone who knows alot more than you do
Doozy: Silly.
Dope: People who used drugs were dopes for acting silly or stupid.
Double Whammy: Some sort of setback or a double blow.
Doughboy: A type of dumpling called a doughboy.
Drag Race: A wagon or buggy.
Drink like a fish: Drink heavily.
Dropping like flies: Dead very quickly or falling down ill and in large numbers.
Dry Run: Going through the motions of firing weapons.

E
Eat Drink and Be Merry: Let's eat, drink, and be merry.
Eighty Six: Refuse to serve an unwelcomed customer at a bar or restaurant.
Elvis has left the building: Meaning the show/event has ended.
End of story: To end a conversation.
Ethnic Cleansing: Also known as genocide.
Eureka: I have found it!",
Excuse my French: To forgive one for using a swear word / cussing.

F
Face the Music: To turn towards the audience.
Feeding Frenzy: The voracious feeding habits of sharks.
Field Day: An enjoyable or especial time.
Finger lickin' good: Excellent, delicious food.
Flea Market: "flea" used to mean cheap.
Flesh and Blood: From Shakespeare's Hamlet this term means 'one's family'
Flip The Bird: The middle finger solute.
Fly on the wall: Someone who over sees something without the watched noticing him/her.
Foam at the Mouth: To display rape...
Fools Gold: look a little like gold but are worthless.
French Kiss:Kiss with tongue.
Full Monty: The whole thing.
Funny Farm: 'funny in the head'.

G
Get out of the wrong side of bed: Meaning to be in a bad mood.
Getting Down To Brass Tacks: Getting serious.
Gilding the Lily: To add hyperbole to an otherwise unremarkable event or story.
Go out on a limb: Taking a rish in order to support something or someone.
Go The Extra Mile: You have gone above and beyond what was required of you.
Good Samaritan:Someone who helps another one.
Got my mojo working: To have a lucky charm.
Graveyard Shift: It has nothing to do with actually working.
Green Room: The actors got paid
Gung Ho: The unofficial motto of the US Marine Corps.

H
Handwriting on the wall: When people see bad things coming or avoid disaster because of their alertness they say
Hat Trick: Aplayer was able to gather money from the crowd with
his (or a given) hat.
Have an axe to grind: Have an ulterior motive.
Heavy Metal: Hard rock music.
Hell in a Handbasket: A handbasket being easy to carry.
High Five: Slap hands above each others heads.
High on the hog: To be affluent and well fed.
Hit the Hay::Go to bed comes from.
Hit The Nail on the Head: Define the conclusion of an argument or discussion.
Hocus Pocus: Trickery or magic.
Hold your horses: Be patient and to wait.
Honeymoon: New father-in-law giving honey beer to his new son-in-law.
Houston we have a problem: First used to report a real serious problem in space.

I
I Wash My Hands Of It: advertize a wrong and it continues anyway.
I'll Have His Head On A Platter: Destroying an enemy.
In Like Flynn: Get women into bed.
In the bag: Under the Speaker's chair.
In the buff: Being naked.
In your face: Aggressive manner one would be in.
It came like a bolt from the blue: It means a surprise.
Ivy League: Conference of teams which were also known as the Old Ten.

J
Jaywalk: An annoying or stupid person.
JinxA bringer of bad luck or an evil influence.
Joshing Me: A friend of mine heard….

K
Keep body and soul together: 'to survive'
Keep your chin up: To stay full of cheer even in situations that may be difficult.
Kick The Bucket:To die.
Kilroy was here: "inspected."
Kitty-corner:Diagonal.
Knee jerk reaction: Something with an automatic response
Knock on wood:To have better luck.
Knock Someone Down A Peg: A measurement of alcohol and the saying has something to do with drinking games.
Know the ropes: Understand how something works.
Know which way the wind blows: When circumstances change and you still understand what is happening is what this idiom means.

L
Last but not least: The last person announced isn't any less important than the others called before him.
Let The Dog See The Rabbit : Get out of the way
Level playing field: No side has an advantage.
Like a chicken with its head cut off:A frenzied manner.
Live By The Sword, Die By The Sword: When Judas had betrayed Jesus and a crowd came up to arrest Him.
Lollygag: iIly or dally spend time
Long in the Tooth: Horses teeth growing very long as it ages.
Loose Cannon: Anything unpredictable.
Lose your rag: Lose one's temper.
Lynch: execution by a self-constituted court that has no real legal authority.

M
Mad As A Hatter: After years of mercury exposure it would make the user quite mentally unstable.
Make no bones about: State a fact in a way that allows no doubt.
Mayday: Derived from the French word "m'aidez" meaning "help me".
Mayhem: "to wound".
Mexican Wave: Elvis has left the building.
Money is the Root of All Evil: love of Money.
Muck and Brass: Give us all your copper mister.
Mum's the word: This idiom means say nothing and keep your mouth shut.
Mumbo Jumbo: Nonsense.
Murphy's Law: If anything can go wrong, it will".
My Brother's Keeper: you are asked the whereabouts of someone else.

N
Nerd: Surfer or hot-rodder lingo, or even that is it a euphemism for "turd".
Nest Egg: Allusion of putting china egg into a hen's nest to encourage her to lay.
New kid on the block: The newest arrival in a community, area or circle of friends.
New York Minute:Faster than a second.
No Dice: When a proposition is refused.
No Room to Swing a Cat: A small space.
Not Playing With a Full Deck: You are stupid.
Nothing is certain but death and taxes: In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.

O
Off The Cuff: Traditionally thought to be a spontaneous statement or response.
Off the Record: Something that you don't want attributed to you, told in confidence.
OK:That’s right.
On a wing and a prayer: To rely on good fortune.
On the dole: 'unemployed'
One for the road: One last drink before leaving.
One over the eight: Drinking more than eight alcholic beverages would get you drunk.
Over the Top: Exaggerated or excessive.

P
P's and Q's: Means to learn one's letters.
Paddle Your Own Canoe: To decide your own fate and act independently.
Pass The Buck: From what my great-uncle has told me, the buck in "pass the buck".
Pedal to the metal: Much like "balls to the wall",came from transport sources.
Peeping Tom:Spy.
Pick up your ears: To pay careful attention.
Pie in the Sky: To search for the impossible dream
Pig in a Poke: Something that isn't really what you've been told it is.
Piggyback: Pick a Back.
Pin Money: This is money from a part time job.
Pipe Down: When a sailor was to be dismissed below he would have been 'piped down' by an officer
Play by ear: This comes from not using sheet music to play the music.
Posh: Intended to refer to luxurious.
Prick Up Your Ears: Stand upright
Pull out all the stops: To put a maximum of effort into a certain activity.
Pull the plug: to stop something.
Pull the Wool Over His Eyes: To deceive
Push the Envelope: to go the limits.
Put a sock in it: Request to be quiet or silent.
Put on your thinking cap: Meaning to think hard.
Put your best foot forward: 'to make a bold start'.

Q
Quality Time: The time a parent who works spends with their neglected child.
Queer Street: 'in debt'
Queer the pitch: To ruin a plan.
Quiz:Just a test.

R
Rain Cats and Dogs: Lightning and thunder sounds like that of a cat/dog fight, cats had a big influence on the weather.
Raincheck: used when baseball games were rained out and fans were issued vouchers that allowed them to return and watch another game.
Raise Cain: To cause trouble comes from a biblical account.
Red Herring: Seems to be in common use today.
Redhanded: Having blood on one's hands.
Redneck: Ruddy neck caused by anger.
Ring Fencing: The protection of project funds are guaranteed.
Rise and Shine: 'Get out of bed'
Rule of thumb: A basic rule that is usually but not always correct
Run out of steam: To run out of energy.

S
Sabotage: Unhappy at the loss of their jobs.
Sacred Cow: Something open to criticism and highly reguarded.
Safe Sex: taking precautions when having sex.
Saved by the bell:When you are saved by anything to do something terrible.
Scapegoat: Someone who gets the blame for a scandal/mistake.
Shake a leg: To rouse yourself and get out of bed.
Shot in the dark: A desperate attempt at doing something.
Sitting in a Catbird Seat: Favored position.
Sitting Shotgun: You sit next to the person with the reigns w/ a shotgun in your handsto protect the wagon's cargo and the people on it
Skid Row: The loggers usually hung out in a rough neighborhood full of vagrants and bums.
Skin of your teeth: Barely escape from a harrowing situation.
Sleep Tight: Sleep well.
Son of a gun: If you were born at sea you were often referred to as a "son of a gun".
Sour Grapes: To act mean after a disappointment.
Southpaw: "Paw" refers to their pitching hand.
Spare The Rod, Spoil the Child: The practice of spanking your children in discipline.
Spitting Image: One person is so much like that person he may have been spit from the person's mouth.
Straight From The Horse's Mouth: The phrase is used to indicate that something is definitely true
Strike a deal: to agree on a transaction.
Stumped:When you are sunk, stopped.

T
Thats all Folks!: Banner shown at the very end of a Bugs Bunny cartoon.
The Truth Will Set You Free: Jesus:”you shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free”.
The Whole Nine Yards: if they shot you full of holes and ran out of bullets you got "the whole nine yards.
There's more than one way to skin a cat: To beat and cats may have suffered.
Third times a charm: Good luck.
Third World:First Eors:USA, Second Word:Communists nations. Third: Others.
Three Dog Night:A cold and unexpected night.
Three Sheets to the Wind: When someone has had too much to drink and is therefore unsteady.
Three strikes and you are out: Originally a baseball term.
Tie the knot: To make yourself a marriage bed you had to 'tie the knot'.
Til the cows come home: A long and indefinite time.
To Everything There Is A Season: This is a famous song "To everything/Turn, turn.
To Make A Long Story Short: Usually the phrase repeated by a person telling a boring, long-winded story.
Tongue In Cheek: To keep yourself from laughing at a bad time.
Top Drawer: To go first class.
Top Notch: Excellent
Turn A Blind Eye: I see no ships
Twenty three skidoo: let's get out of here

U
Uncle Sam: Famous symbol during World War II on recruiting posters.
Under the Weather: Bad weather can make you sick.
Up a blind alley: On the wrong track.
Up the Apples and Pears:That way.
Use Your Loaf: Just
thought i'd share that one for ya readers.

V
Vampire:Someone very bad, witch.
Van Gogh's ear for music: Van Gogh's well known ear which was cut off and means tone deaf.

W
Wag the Dog: The subsidary (small) part controlling the major part.
Wearing the pants: Being in charge.
Well Heeled: Well heeled or 'wealthy'.
Wet Behind The Ears: Someone is very young or, more often, inexperienced.
Where there's muck there's brass: There is money to be made even with dirty jobs.
White Bread: Supposed bland and uninteresting nature of white middle class culture in the US.
Who Let The Cat Out Of The Bag: The real truth has been revealed.
Whole nine yards:All you have.
Wild and Woolly: Unrestrained and law-less.
Windy City:Chicago or a city with to much wind.
Wolf In Sheep's Clothing: Someone who is secretly out to harm you.
Word for Word: Exact repetition of someone else's words.
Word in your shell-like: 'I would like to talk to you'.

X
X marks the spot: When one find's something or a clue to finding something one's been looking for.

Y
Yankee: Pejorative term for Americans.
You are what you eat: What you eat determines how healthy of a person you are.
You Can't Take it With You: For we have brought nothing into the world, and so we cannot take anything out of it.
Your name is mud: You are not popular.

Z
Zero Tolerance: No crimes will be overlooked.
Zigger Zigger: Noisy rattles that were once used at sporting events in Europe.

Make sentences with at leat three idioms and we will make a forum to talk about it

IDIOMS

• to be armed to the teeth = have all the necessary equipment.
  We left for a weekend's camping armed to the teeth with pots, pans, tins, tents and boots!
• to cut one's teeth on something = gain experience from something.
  This reporter cut his teeth on his job at that small press agency.
• to fight tooth and nail = fight fiercely, with energy and determination.
  During the war, these two countries fought tooth and nail.
• to get one's teeth into something = deal with or concentrate on something.
  Now you know what the job involves, here's something to get your teeth into.
• to lie through one's teeth = tell lies openly and without shame.
  That's not true! You're lying through your teeth!
• to show one's teeth = use one's power or authority to intimidate or punish somebody.

Make an observation of each idiom or use them in a phrase and send it to the e-mail: mgruiz@cantv.net

CONSUMER COMPLAINTS

After completing this lesson, students will learn how to return something. They will also learn how to give reasons for return and most important which steps they should follow to have the purchase returned and their money back, if applicable.

CONSUMER COMPLAINTS

The Types of Business Receiving the Most Complaints

MAIL ORDER SERVICES, LONG DISTANCE PHONE COMPANIES, CAR DEALERS, HOME IMPROVEMENT SERVICES, BANKS AND INSURANCE COMPANIES AND SERVICE COMPANIES

Talk about these questions.

Have you ever complained about any of these types of businesses?
What are three other businesses or things people often complain about?
Have you ever wanted to complain about something, but you didn't? What was it?

Send it to the e-mail: mgruiz@cantv.net

Read and practice.

Helen:	Yes, I'd like to return this jacket.
Clerk:	What’s wrong with it?
Helen:	Well, I didn't notice when I bought it, but there are a few problems. First, it has a tear in the lining.
Clerk:	Hmm. Actually, it is torn in several places.
Helen:	And some of the buttons are very loose. This one came off, in fact. And there's a stain on the collar.
Clerk:	I'm really sorry about this. Would you like to exchange it for another one?
Helen:	Well, to be honest, I don't think this jacket is very well made. I'd rather get a refund
Clerk:	I understand. Do you have the receipt?

Class-activity
Please share any related experience with your pairs. Have you ever returned anything to a store? Why? How did the store respond? Send your answer to mgruiz@cantv.net

GRAMMAR FOCUS

Describing problems.
Please read the expressions below and practice with your pairs. Create your own examples.

Using past participle as adjectives	Using nouns
The jacket lining is torn.	It has a tear in it. / There's a hole in It.
The collar of the jacket is stained.	It has a stain on the collar.
The car is damaged in the back.	It has some damage in the back.
The furniture is scratched.	There are a lot of scratches on it.
The glass is cracked.	There's a crack in it.
The pipe is leaking.	It has a leak in it.

*This is an exception: is leaking is a present continuous form.

Prepare a role play following the instructions provided below for your next class। Then read and practice dialogue between Ms. Lock and Mr. Burr. Pay attention to the structures used and use same vocabulary and expressions to prepare your role play.

Role Play 1: What's the problem?. Make your dialogue or phrases and send them to the e-mail: mgruiz@cantv.net

Directions: A customer is returning an item to a store. He or she has to explain why he or she is returning the item. The salesperson has to offer some help to the client, he or she must ask for the reasons of return, and must follow the store’s return procedure.