Grammar Point

Still, yet & already

a) Still

We use "still" for something going on longer than expected. The situation has not stopped.

It is five o'clock in the morning and Paul is still working
Do you still want to go on holiday?

1.- If the verb has one part (e.g. says, does, fell, etc.), the adverb "still" usually goes before the verb.

I still watch 'Neighbours'
They still go to school

2.- If the verb has two or more parts (e.g. am running, were watching, etc.) the adverb "still" goes after the first verb.

I am still eating my dinner
We are still going to the cinema tonight

3.-If the sentence is negative, "still" goes before the negative.

I gave up smoking, but my friends still haven't given up

4.- If you want to express surprise, "still" can go after the negative.

You don't still like him, do you?

b) Yet

We use "yet" to express "until now".
We use "yet" for something that is expected.

Have you replied to the letter yet?

1.- We normally use "yet" with the present perfect.

I haven't eaten my breakfast yet
Have you been to London yet?

2.- "Yet" goes at the end of a question or a negative statement.

I haven't washed my car yet
Have you seen your Mum yet?

3.- We can use "yet" in the middle of a sentence, this is a little formal.

We have not yet reached a decision on the subject

c) Already

We use "already" for something happening sooner than expected.

I already know how to speak French

1.- If the verb has one part, "already" goes before the verb.

She already knows how to cook

2.- If the verb has two parts, "already" goes after the first verb.

I have already received my exam results

3.- "Already" at the end of a sentence has more emphasis.

Have you typed the letter already? (I am surprised that you have done it so quickly)

4.- You cannot use "already" with a negative sentence.

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Modal Verb	Example in a sentence
Can: possibility OR current ability permission (informal)	Okay, I can go to the store with you, but I need to be back home by 2pm. (possibility) The baby can crawl. (current ability) I, you, he/she/ it cancrawl We, you, they can crawl Negative: The baby can't (cannot) crawl. Can I borrow your pen? (permission)
might: current OR future possibility (uncertain) may: permission (formal)	They might walk their dogs this afternoon. (future possibility) I, you, he/she/ it might walk We, you, they might walk negative: They might not walk (don't contract this one!) Answer the phone! It might be Brian.  (current possibility) I, you, he/she/ it might We, you, they might negative: might not break (don't contract!) A: May I have some water?             B: Yes, you may.      (Asking permission - formal)
could possibility OR former (general) ability      negative: past tense of can.	We could go to the party after the movie. (future possibility) When I was younger, I could play the piano. (former ability)   I, you, he/she/ it could We, you, they could When I went out to eat last night, I couldn't read the signs because they were in Chinese. I, you, he/she/ it couldn’t read We, you, they couldn’t  read negative contraction: He couldn't read
*would 1. Conditional possibility (used with ‘if’) *SEE SUPPLEMENTARY SHEET FOR ADDITIONAL USES OF ‘would.’	She would touch the spider if it was absolutely necessary, but she would rather not. I, you, he/she/ it would touch We, you, they would touch negative contraction: wouldn't touch She wouldn’t touch a spider under any circumstances.
should: advice/opinion	He should be careful on those roller skates because he could fall. I, you, he/she/ it should We, you, they should negative contraction: He shouldn't be
must: necessary and important (demonstrates the speaker’s opinion)	They must attend this important meeting. I, you, he/she/ it must We, you, they must negative: They must not attend (a contraction here is okay, but it sounds formal & British.)

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Adverbial phrases of frequency and time

Use: 
An adverbial phrase is a group of words which always go together. they describe where, when or how often something happens.

Adverbial phrases of frequency describe how often something happens.

every morning, every afternoon
every day – daily
every week – weekly
every month – monthly
every year – annually

every Sunday – on Sundays – on Sunday afternoons

once a day
twice a day 
three / four / five times a day

all the time

Form:
1) Adverbs of frequency often go in present simple sentences.
I have toast for breakfast every day.
We visit our grandparents twice a month.

2) Note that ‘on Saturday’ refers to one day. ‘On Saturdays’ means ‘every Saturday’.

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Use: 
Use adverbs and adverbial phrases of time to talk about when you do something.

Adverbs of time include:
today, tomorrow, tonight, yesterday, tomorrow, nowadays
now, first of all, beforehand
soon, afterwards, later, next, then

Form:
1) Adverbs of frequency usually go at the beginning or the end of a sentence or clause.
Tomorrow, I’m going to the beach.
I’m going to the beach tomorrow.

First of all, we had a drink at a café.
We had a drink at a café first of all.

I’m going to the supermarket, and afterwards I’m going to the library.
I’m going to the supermarket, and I’m going to the library afterwards.

2) It is more common to use then at the beginning of a sentence or clause. 
Then we arrived at the castle.
I’m going to finish my work and then I’m going to have a drink.

It is more common to use soon and now at the end of a sentence.
We’re going on holiday soon.
I’m going home now.

3)            You must use a noun after After and Before. Otherwise, use afterwards or beforehand.

I’ll be late to class tomorrow. I’m going to the doctors before.  =>             I’ll be late to class tomorrow. I’m going to the doctors beforehand.

I’m going to my English class and I’m going to the bar after.          =>           I’m going to my English class and I’m going to the bar afterwards.  

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Transitional words and phrases

Addition:
also, again, as well as, besides, coupled with, furthermore, in addition, likewise, moreover, similarly

When there is a trusting relationship coupled with positive reinforcement, the partners will be able to overcome difficult situations.

Consequence:
accordingly, as a result, consequently, for this reason, for this purpose,
hence, otherwise, so then, subsequently, therefore, thus, thereupon, wherefore

Highway traffic came to a stop as a result of an accident that morning.

Contrast and Comparison:
contrast, by the same token, conversely, instead, likewise,
on one hand, on the other hand, on the contrary, rather,
similarly, yet, but, however, still, nevertheless, in contrast

The children were very happy. On the other hand, and perhaps more importantly, their parents were very proactive in providing good care.

Emphasis

above all, chiefly, with attention to, especially, particularly, singularly

The Quakers gathered each month with attention to deciding the business of their Meeting.

Exception:
aside from, barring, beside, except, excepting, excluding, exclusive of, other than, outside of, save

Consensus was arrived at by all of the members exclusive of those who could not vote.

Exemplifying:chiefly, especially, for instance, in particular, markedly, namely,
particularly, including, specifically, such as

Some friends and I drove up the beautiful coast chiefly to avoid the heat island of the city.

Generalizing:
as a rule, as usual, for the most part, generally, generally speaking, ordinarily, usually

There were a few very talented artists in the class, but for the most part the students only wanted to avoid the alternative course.

Illustration:
for example, for instance, for one thing, as an illustration,
illustrated with, as an example, in this case

The chapter provided complex sequences and examples illustrated with a very simple schematic diagram.

Similarity:
comparatively, coupled with, correspondingly, identically, likewise, similar, moreover, together with

The research was presented in a very dry style though was coupled with examples that made the audience tear up.

Restatement:
in essence, in other words, namely, that is, that is to say, in short, in brief, to put it differently

In their advertising business, saying things directly was not the rule. That is to say, they tried to convey the message subtly though with creativity.

Sequence:
at first, first of all, to begin with, in the first place, at the same time,
for now, for the time being, the next step, in time, in turn, later on,
meanwhile, next, then, soon, the meantime, later, while, earlier,
simultaneously, afterward, in conclusion, with this in mind,

The music had a very retro sound but at the same time incorporated a complex modern rhythm.

Summarizing:
after all, all in all, all things considered, briefly, by and large, in any case, in any event,
in brief, in conclusion, on the whole, in short, in summary, in the final analysis,
in the long run, on balance, to sum up, to summarize, finally

She didn't seem willing to sell the car this week, but in any case I don't get paid until the end of the month.

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Use: 

Connectives join two clauses, and show the relationship between them.

The relationship can show:

• a contrast: Although, but, even though, however, despite, in spite of
• a cause: because, because of, as a result of, due to
• an effect: so, consequently, as a result, thus, therefore

These words cannot be used interchangeably. They may be located in different places with in the sentence, and they may use a different grammar.

Form:
a) Connectives showing Contrast
Compare these sentences with the same meaning:

i It is sunny but temperatures are low.

Never start a sentence with But. You can use but after a comma(,). In short sentences, no punctuation is needed.

ii Although it is sunny, temperatures are low. / Even though it is sunny, temperatures are low.

Note how Although and Even though are located in a different part of the sentence from But.Although and Even though go before the known clause, whereas but goes before the unknown clause. The two clauses are separated with a comma. The order of clauses can be reversed.

Temperatures are low, even though / although it’s sunny.

iii It is sunny. However, temperatures are low.

Note how however starts a sentence and is followed by a comma. It may also be seen after a semi-colon (;). Consequently, it is usually seen in longer sentences.

iv Despite the sun, temperatures are low.
In spite of the sun, temperatures are low.

Note the position of Despite and In spite of before the known clause. The order of clauses can be reversed:
Temperatures are low despite / in spite of the sun.

Also note that these words are followed by a noun, not a verb clause. You can also use the –ingform of the verb in these sentences.

Despite  / In spite of it being sunny, temperatures are low.

b) Connectives showing a Cause
Compare these sentences with the same meaning.

i I arrived late because the traffic was bad.
Because the traffic was bad, I arrived late.

Note you can ONLY start a sentence with Because if there are two clauses in the sentence.

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Countable Nouns

Countable nouns are easy to recognize. They are things that we can count. For example: "pen". We can count pens. We can have one, two, three or more pens. Here are some more countable nouns:

• dog, cat, animal, man, person
• bottle, box, litre
• coin, note, dollar
• cup, plate, fork
• table, chair, suitcase, bag

Countable nouns can be singular or plural:

• My dog is playing.
• My dogs are hungry.

We can use the indefinite article a/an with countable nouns:

• A dog is an animal.

When a countable noun is singular, we must use a word like a/the/my/this with it:

• I want an orange. (not I want orange.)
• Where is my bottle? (not Where is bottle?)

When a countable noun is plural, we can use it alone:

• I like oranges.
• Bottles can break.

We can use some and any with countable nouns:

• I've got some dollars.
• Have you got any pens?

We can use a few and many with countable nouns:

• I've got a few dollars.
• I haven't got many pens.

Uncountable Nouns

Uncountable nouns are substances, concepts etc that we cannot divide into separate elements. We cannot "count" them. For example, we cannot count "milk". We can count "bottles of milk" or "litres of milk", but we cannot count "milk" itself. Drinks (coffee, water, orange juice) are usually uncountable. Here are some more uncountable nouns:

• music, art, love, happiness
• advice, information, news
• furniture, luggage
• rice, sugar, butter, water
• electricity, gas, power
• money, currency

We usually treat uncountable nouns as singular. We use a singular verb. For example:

• This news is very important.
• Your luggage looks heavy.

We do not usually use the indefinite article a/an with uncountable nouns. We cannot say "an information" or "a music". But we can say a something of:

• a piece of news
• a bottle of water
• a grain of rice

We can use some and any with uncountable nouns:

• I've got some money.
• Have you got any rice?

We can use a little and much with uncountable nouns:

• I've got a little money.
• I haven't got much rice.

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Definite and indefinite articles

Use: 
1) Use a before a singular noun.
   I've got a brother and a sister.
Use an if the noun begins with a vowel.
   I've got an aunt in Texas.

2) Use plural nouns or uncountable nouns to talk about things in general. Don't use an article here.

I like cats.
Dolphins are very intelligent.
Crime is increasing.

3) Use the to talk about one particular thing, or a particular group of things.
Books are interesting. The book on the table is interesting.
Children are noisy. The children in this class are noisy.

4) Use a to introduce a new thing or person. Use the when you already know this person or thing.
There is a restaurant near my house. The restaurant serves good food.

5) Use the when there is only one of these things.
    The moon is very big tonight.
My dad is the only doctor in our village.
Joe is the best student in the class. 

6) Use the when there are many things, but it is clear which one you mean.
   Let's go to the pub! We need to go to the supermarket. 

7) Most 'general' nouns do not use an article.
Life is not the same as it used to be NOT: The life…

Health is important to everyone. NOT: The health…

We're worried about pollution. NOT: The pollution…

But some general nouns use the:

the environment People are increasingly worried about the environment. 
the weather What's the weather like today? 
the countryside I love walking in the countryside.
the sea / ocean I'd love to live near the sea. 
the radio There's an interesting programme on the radio. 
the theatre / cinema We went to the theatre last night. 
the economy The economy is affecting everyone. 

Common mistakes:

1) Some students use the when they talk about things in general.
I love the romantic films! => I love romantic films!

2) Some students use singular nouns without a or the.
I want book about the weather. => I want a book about the weather.

3) Some students use the when they talk about things in general.
I want the book about the weather. => I want a book about the weather.

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Table of Main Modal Verbs
Modals are different from normal verbs:
1: They don't use an 's' for the third person singular.

2: They make questions by inversion ('she can go' becomes 'can she go?')

3: They are followed directly by the infinitive of another verb (without 'to')
4. You use "not" to make modal verbs negative, even in Simple Present and Simple Past.

Modal	Example	Uses
Can	They can control their own budgets. We can’t fix it. Can I smoke here? Can you help me?	Ability / Possibility Inability / Impossibility Asking for permission Request
Could	Could I borrow your dictionary? Could you say it again more slowly? We could try to fix it ourselves. I think we could have another Gulf War. He gave up his old job so he could work for us.	Asking for permission. Request Suggestion Future possibility Ability in the past
May	May I have another cup of coffee? China may become a major economic power.	Asking for permission Future possibility
Might	We'd better phone tomorrow, they might be eating their dinner now. They might give us a 10% discount.	Present possibility Future possibility
Must	We must say good-bye now. They mustn’t disrupt the work more than necessary.	Necessity / Obligation Prohibition
Should	We should sort out this problem at once. I think we should check everything again. Profits should increase next year.	Saying what’s right or correct Recommending action Uncertain prediction
Would	Would you mind if I brought a colleague with me? Would you pass the salt please? Would you mind waiting a moment? "Would three o`clock suit you?" - "That’d be fine." Would you like to play golf this Friday? "Would you prefer tea or coffee?" - "I’d like tea please."	Asking for permission Request Request Making arrangements Invitation Preferences

Use of Would

would: Talking about the past

We often use would as a kind of past tense of will or going to:

• Even as a boy, he knew that he would succeed in life.
• I thought it would rain so I brought my umbrella.

Using would as as a kind of past tense of will or going to is common in reported speech:

• She said that she would buy some eggs. ("I will buy some eggs.")
• The candidate said that he wouldn't increase taxes. ("I won't increase taxes.")
• Why didn't you bring your umbrella? I told you it would rain! ("It's going to rain.")

We often use would not to talk about past refusals:

• He wanted a divorce but his wife would not agree.
• Yesterday morning, the car wouldn't start.

We sometimes use would (rather like used to) when talking about habitual past behaviour:

• Every weekday my father would come home from work at 6pm and watch TV.
• Every summer we'd go to the seaside.
• Sometimes she'd phone me in the middle of the night.
• We would always argue. We could never agree.

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Conditional sentences

The conditional sentences are sometimes confusing for learners of English.

Watch out:

1) Which type of the conditional sentences is used?

2) Where is the if-clause (e.g. at the beginning or at the end of the conditional sentence)?

There are three types of the if-clauses.

type	condition
I	condition possible to fulfill
II	condition in theory possible to fulfill
III	condition not possible to fulfill (too late)

Form

type	if clause	main clause
I	Simple Present	will-future (or Modal + infinitive)
II	Simple Past	would + infinitive *
III	Past Perfect	would + have + past participle *

Examples (if-clause at the beginning)

type	if clause	main clause
I	If I study,	I will pass the exam.
II	If I studied,	I would pass the exam.
III	If I had studied,	I would have passed the exam.

Examples (if-clause at the end)

type	main clause	if-clause
I	I will pass the exam	if I study.
II	I would pass the exam	if I studied.
III	I would have passed the exam	if I had studied.

Examples (affirmative and negative sentences)

type		Examples
		long forms	short/contracted forms
I	+	If I study, I will pass the exam.	If I study, I'll pass the exam.
	-	If I study, I will not fail the exam. If I do not study, I will fail the exam.	If I study, I won't fail the exam. If I don't study, I'll fail the exam.
II	+	If I studied, I would pass the exam.	If I studied, I'd pass the exam.
	-	If I studied, I would not fail the exam. If I did not study, I would fail the exam.	If I studied, I wouldn't fail the exam. If I didn't study, I'd fail the exam.
III	+	If I had studied, I would have passed the exam.	If I'd studied, I'd have passed the exam.
	-	If I had studied, I would not have failedthe exam. If I had not studied, I would have failedthe exam.	If I'd studied, I wouldn't have failed the exam. If I hadn't studied, I'd have failed the exam.

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Prepositions – Time

English	Usage	Example
on	days of the week	on Monday
in	months / seasons time of day year after a certain period of time (when?)	in August / in winter in the morning in 2006 in an hour
at	for night for weekend a certain point of time (when?)	at night at the weekend at half past nine
since	from a certain point of time (past till now)	since 1980
for	over a certain period of time (past till now)	for 2 years
ago	a certain time in the past	2 years ago
before	earlier than a certain point of time	before 2004
to	telling the time	ten to six (5:50)
past	telling the time	ten past six (6:10)
to / till / until	marking the beginning and end of a period of time	from Monday to/till Friday
till / until	in the sense of how long something is going to last	He is on holiday until Friday.
by	in the sense of at the latest up to a certain time	I will be back by 6 o’clock. By 11 o'clock, I had read five pages.

Prepositions – Place (Position and Direction)

English	Usage	Example
in	room, building, street, town, country book, paper etc. car, taxi picture, world	in the kitchen, in London in the book in the car, in a taxi in the picture, in the world
at	meaning next to, by an object for table for events place where you are to do something typical (watch a film, study, work)	at the door, at the station at the table at a concert, at the party at the cinema, at school, at work
on	attached for a place with a river being on a surface for a certain side (left, right) for a floor in a house for public transport for television, radio	the picture on the wall London lies on the Thames. on the table on the left on the first floor on the bus, on a plane on TV, on the radio
by, next to, beside	left or right of somebody or something	Jane is standing by / next to / beside the car.
under	on the ground, lower than (or covered by) something else	the bag is under the table
below	lower than something else but above ground	the fish are below the surface
over	covered by something else meaning more than getting to the other side (also across) overcoming an obstacle	put a jacket over your shirt over 16 years of age walk over the bridge climb over the wall
above	higher than something else, but not directly over it	a path above the lake
across	getting to the other side (also over) getting to the other side	walk across the bridge swim across the lake
through	something with limits on top, bottom and the sides	drive through the tunnel
to	movement to person or building movement to a place or country for bed	go to the cinema go to London / Ireland go to bed
into	enter a room / a building	go into the kitchen / the house
towards	movement in the direction of something (but not directly to it)	go 5 steps towards the house
onto	movement to the top of something	jump onto the table
from	in the sense of where from	a flower from the garden

Other important Prepositions

English	Usage	Example
from	who gave it	a present from Jane
of	who/what does it belong to what does it show	a page of the book the picture of a palace
by	who made it	a book by Mark Twain
on	walking or riding on horseback entering a public transport vehicle	on foot, on horseback get on the bus
in	entering a car  / Taxi	get in the car
off	leaving a public transport vehicle	get off the train
out of	leaving a car  / Taxi	get out of the taxi
by	rise or fall of something travelling (other than walking or horseriding)	prices have risen by 10 percent by car, by bus
at	for age	she learned Russian at 45
about	for topics, meaning what about	we were talking about you

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Comparatives and Superlatives

Form the comparative and superlative forms of a one-syllable adjective by adding –er for the comparative form and –est for the superlative.

One-Syllable Adjective	Comparative Form	Superlative Form
tall	taller	tallest
old	older	oldest
long	longer	longest

• Mary is taller than Max.
• Mary is the tallest of all the students.
• Max is older than John.
• Of the three students, Max is the oldest.
• My hair is longer than your hair.
• Max's story is the longest story I've ever heard.

If the one-syllable adjective ends with an e, just add –r for the comparative form and –st for the superlative form.

One-Syllable Adjective with Final -e	Comparative Form	Superlative Form
large	larger	largest
wise	wiser	wisest

• Mary's car is larger than Max's car.
• Mary's house is the tallest of all the houses on the block.
• Max is wiser than his brother.
• Max is the wisest person I know.

If the one-syllable adjective ends with a single consonant with a vowel before it, double the consonant and add –er for the comparative form; and double the consonant and add –est for the superlative form.

One-Syllable Adjective Ending with a Single Consonant with a Single Vowel before It	Comparative Form	Superlative Form
big	bigger	biggest
thin	thinner	thinnest
fat	fatter	fattest

• My dog is bigger than your dog.
• My dog is the biggest of all the dogs in the neighborhood.
• Max is thinner than John.
• Of all the students in the class, Max is the thinnest.
• My mother is fatter than your mother.
• Mary is the fattest person I've ever seen.

Two-syllable adjectives.

With most two-syllable adjectives, you form the comparative with more and the superlative with most.

Two-Syllable Adjective	Comparative Form	Superlative Form
peaceful	more peaceful	most peaceful
pleasant	more pleasant	most pleasant
careful	more careful	most careful
thoughtful	more thoughtful	most thoughtful

• This morning is more peaceful than yesterday morning.
• Max's house in the mountains is the most peaceful in the world.
• Max is more careful than Mike.
• Of all the taxi drivers, Jack is the most careful.
• Jill is more thoughtful than your sister.
• Mary is the most thoughtful person I've ever met.

If the two-syllable adjectives ends with –y, change the y to i and add –er for the comparative form. For the superlative form change the y to i and add –est.

Two-Syllable Adjective Ending with -y	Comparative Form	Superlative Form
happy	happier	happiest
angry	angrier	angriest
busy	busier	busiest

• John is happier today than he was yesterday.
• John is the happiest boy in the world.
• Max is angrier than Mary.
• Of all of John's victims, Max is the angriest.
• Mary is busier than Max.
• Mary is the busiest person I've ever met.

Two-syllable adjectives ending in –er, -le, or –ow take –er and –est to form the comparative and superlative forms.

Two-Syllable Adjective Ending with -er, -le, or -ow	Comparative Form	Superlative Form
narrow	narrower	narrowest
gentle	gentler	gentlest

• The roads in this town are narrower than the roads in the city.
• This road is the narrowest of all the roads in California.
• Big dogs are gentler than small dogs.
• Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the gentlest.

Adjectives with three or more syllables.

For adjectives with three syllables or more, you form the comparative with more and the superlative with most.

Adjective with Three or More Syllables	Comparative Form	Superlative Form
generous	more generous	most generous
important	more important	most important
intelligent	more intelligent	most intelligent

• John is more generous than Jack.
• John is the most generous of all the people I know.
• Health is more important than money.
• Of all the people I know, Max is the most important.
• Women are more intelligent than men.
• Mary is the most intelligent person I've ever met.

Exceptions.

Irregular adjectives.

Irregular Adjective	Comparative Form	Superlative Form
good	better	best
bad	worse	worst
far	farther	farthest
little	less	least
many	more	most

• Italian food is better than American food.
• My dog is the best dog in the world.
• My mother's cooking is worse than your mother's cooking.
• Of all the students in the class, Max is the worst.

Two-syllable adjectives that follow two rules. These adjectives can be used with -er and -est and with more and most.

Two-Syllable Adjective	Comparative Form	Superlative Form
clever	cleverer	cleverest
clever	more clever	most clever
gentle	gentler	gentlest
gentle	more gentle	most gentle
friendly	friendlier	friendliest
friendly	more friendly	most friendly
quiet	quieter	quietest
quiet	more quiet	most quiet
simple	simpler	simplest
simple	more simple	most simple

• Big dogs are gentler than small dogs.
• Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the gentlest.
• Big dogs are more gentle than small dogs.
• Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the most gentle.

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Verb Tense Review and Exercises

Here is a helpful table with the tenses, a quick explanation and some helpful words/phrases associated with each of them.

	Past	Present	Future
Simple	An action that ended at a point in the past.	An action that exists , is usual, or is repeated.	A plan for future action.
	cooked	cook / cooks	will cook
(time clue)*	e.g. He cooked yesterday.	e.g. He cooks dinner every Friday.	e.g. He will cook tomorrow.
Progressive be + main verb +ing	An action was happening (past progressive) when another action happened (simple past).	An action that is happening now.	An action that will be happening over time, in the future, when something else happens.
	was / were cooking	am / is / are cooking	will be cooking
(time clue)*	e.g. He was cooking when the phone rang.	e.g. He is cooking now.	e.g. He will be cooking when you come.
Perfect have + main verb	An action that ended before another action or time in the past.	An action that happened at an unspecified time in the past.	An action that will end before another action or time in the future.
	had cooked	has / have cooked	will have cooked
(time clue)*	e.g. He had cooked the dinner when the phone rang.	e.g. He has cooked many meals.	e.g. He will have cooked dinner by the time you come.
Perfect Progressive have + be + main verb + ing	An action that happened over time, in the past, before another time or action in the past.	An action occurring over time that started in the past and continues into the present.	An action occurring over time, in the future, before another action or time in the future.
	had been cooking	has / have been cooking	will have been cooking
(time clue)*	e.g. He had been cooking for a long time before he took lessons.	e.g. He has been cooking for over an hour.	e.g. He will have been cooking all day by the time she gets home.

*Time clues: these are words that give some information about when an action occurs. Some examples are:

yesterday every day tomorrow while now

simple past simple present simple future past progressive present progressive

.

There are many words that are time clues; some can be used to indicate a number of tenses, for instance that something happened in the past or that it will happen in the future. If you learn to recognize these time clues, you will find them very helpful. Note that some time clues can be used with more than one verb tense and also that this table is not a complete listing of all the time clues that can be used with all of the tenses

CHART—TIME CLUES AND VERB TENSE

	Past	Present	Future
Simple	Simple Past	Simple Present	Simple Future
	yesterday last year/ month/ etc. before for five weeks/days/etc. one year/ month ago	every morning / day / etc. always usually frequently sometimes	tomorrow tonight next week/month/etc. soon in the future
Progressive	Past Progressive	Present Progressive	Future progressive
	while when	now right now this week/minute/etc.	when after as soon as before
Perfect	Past Perfect	Present Perfect	Future Perfect
	before already by the time until then/last week/etc. after	until now since ever never many times/ weeks/years/etc. for three hours/ minutes/etc/	by the time you go (somewhere) by the time you do (something) already
Perfect Progressive	Past Perfect progressive	Present Perfect Progressive	Future Perfect Progressive
	before for one week/hour/etc. since	for the past year/ month/ etc. for the last 2 months/ weeks/etc. up to now for 6 weeks/hours/etc. since	by the time for ten days/weeks/etc. by

Adjectives

Appearance Adjectives adorable beautiful clean elegant fancy glamorous handsome long magnificent old-fashioned plain quaint sparkling ugly cute	Color Adjectives red orange yellow green blue purple gray black white	Condition Adjectives alive better careful clever dead easy famous gifted helpful important inexpensive mushy odd powerful rich shy tender uninterested vast wrong	Feelings (Bad) Adjectives angry bewildered/perplexed clumsy defeated embarrassed grumpy helpless itchy jealous lazy mysterious nervous obnoxious panicky repulsive scary uptight worried
Feelings (Good) Adjectives agreeable brave calm delightful eager faithful gentle happy jolly kind lively nice obedient proud relieved silly thankful victorious witty	Shape Adjectives broad chubby crooked curved deep flat high hollow low narrow round shallow skinny square steep straight wide	Size Adjectives big colossal fat gigantic great huge immense large little mammoth massive miniature scrawny short small tall tiny	Sound Adjectives deafening faint hissing loud melodic noisy quiet raspy screeching whispering
Time Adjectives ancient brief early fast late long modern old old-fashioned quick rapid short slow young	Taste/Touch Adjectives bitter delicious fresh greasy juicy hot icy loose melted nutritious rotten salty sticky strong sweet tart tasteless uneven weak wet wooden yummy	Touch Adjectives boiling breeze broken bumpy chilly cold cool crooked cuddly curly damaged damp dirty dry dusty filthy flaky fluffy freezing hot warm wet	Quantity Adjectives abundant empty few full heavy light many numerous sparse substantial a lot a little