Category: Class

Future Continuous

Form

The future continuous is made up of two elements:
the simple future of the verb ‘to be’ + the present participle (base+ing)

Subjectsimple future of the verb ‘to be’present participle
Youwill becleaning.
Shewill bereading.

 

AffirmativeNegativeInterrogativeNegative Interrogative
I will be staying.I won’t be staying.Will I be staying?Won’t I be staying?
She will be staying.She won’t be staying.Will she be staying?Won’t she be staying?

 

Functions

The Future Continuous refers to an unfinished action or event that will be in progress at a time later than now. The future continuous is used for quite a few different purposes.

*The future continuous can be used to project ourselves into the future.

Examples
  • This time next month, I will be sun-bathing in Maldives.
  • By Christmas, I will be skating like a pro.
  • Just think, next Monday you will be working in your new job.

*The future continuous can be used for predicting or guessing about future events.

Examples
  • She’ll be attending to the party, I expect.
  • I guess you’ll be feeling tired after working out at the gym.
  • You’ll be missing the sunshine once you’re back in England.

*In the interrogative form, the future continuous can be used to ask politely for information about the future.

Examples
  • Will you be bringing your cousin to the concert tonight?
  • Will Matthew be coming with us?
  • Will Anne be going to the party tonight?
  • Will they be staying in this hotel?

*The future continuous can be used to refer to continuous events that we expect to happen in the future.

Examples
  • I‘ll be seeing Tim at the meeting next week.
  • When he is in Canada, he will be staying with his aunt.
  • I’ll be eating with Kim this evening.

*When combined with still, the future continuous refers to events that are already happening now and that we expect to continue some time into the future.

Examples
  • In an hour, I’ll still be washing my car.
  • Tomorrow, she’ll still be suffering from flu.
  • Next year, will she still be wearing a size six?
  • Won’t stock prices still be falling in the morning?
  • According to research, sea levels will still be rising in 20 years.

Needn’t Have and Can’t Have Modals

This lesson focuses on the needn’t have and can’t have modals. To form, simply combine the negative modal, have, and the past participle.

Form

needn’t or can’t have + past participle

Can’t Have + Past Participle

  • Use this when we are definitely sure that something did not happen in the past or we believe that something was impossible in the past.

Her car is still in the garage. She can’t have left the house yet.

He can’t have escaped through this window – it’s too small.

He can’t have been at the meeting. He’s on a business trip this week.

Needn’t Have + Past Participle

  • Use this to mean that the action is done, but it was unnecessary and even a waste of time.

Yesterday my friend had already bought two tickets for the concert so you really needn’t have bought another one, it was a waste of money.

Martha worked all the weekend to finish her assignment on time, but actually she needn’t have done so.

The bus arrived two minutes after you left, so you needn’t have taken a taxi.

Needn’t Have and Can’t Have Modals Exercise

Answer this exercise on needn’t and can’t have modals.

1. You _____ cleaned your room. The housekeeping would’ve tidied it up for you.

a. can’t have

b. needn’t have

2. They _____ left the country because their children are still in the middle of their school year.

a. can’t have

b. needn’t have 

3. We _____ rehearsed that intensely. The competition is canceled.

a. can’t have

b. needn’t have

4. I didn’t rain so you ______ brought an umbrella.

a. can’t have

b. needn’t have

5. She is very polite. She _____ spoken to her manager in a rude manner.

a. can’t have

b. needn’t have 

6. We had a lot of food in the fridge so we _____ gone to the supermarket today.

a. can’t have

b. needn’t have

7. You _____ seen that movie. It isn’t released until next month.

a. can’t have

b. needn’t have 

8. You _____ bought all these presents for her. She doesn’t feel like celebrating her birthday this year.

a. can’t have

b. needn’t have

9. I _____ taken this medicine. I’m allergic to it.

a. can’t have

b. needn’t have 

10. He ______ seen her in town. She left for the US last month.

a. can’t have

b. needn’t have 

Find the answers to this exercise here.

See also: Modals of Deduction and Speculation and Modals: Will, May, Might

For additional information on this topic, check out this BBC Learning English lesson.

For other English grammar lessons, go to this page.

Separable Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verbs (Splitting)

Some verbs are two part verbs .They consist of a verb and a particle:

  • grow + up
    The children are growing up.

Often this gives the verb a new meaning:

  • take + after
    She takes after her mother
    = She looks like her mother, or She behaves like her mother.
  • count + on
    I can always count on my friend.
    = I know I can trust him, or I know I can believe him.

Some transitive (verbs with object) two part verbs have only one pattern:

N (subject) + V + p + N (object)

[Note: N = noun; V = verb; p = particle]

N (Subject) VerbParticle N (Object)
She
I
My father		takes
can count
comes		after
on
from		her mother
my friend
Madrid

Some transitive two part verbs are phrasal verbs. Phrasal verbs have two different patterns:

  • The usual pattern is:N + V + N + p

 

N (Subject)Verb(N) ObjectParticle
She
He
Dad		put
turned
will pick		the toys
the lights
my mom		away
off
up
  • But sometimes these verbs have the pattern:

N (subject) + V + p + N (object)

 

N (Subject)VerbParticleN (Object)
She
He
Dad		put
turned
will pick		away
off
up		the toys
the lights
my mom

When the object is a personal pronoun, these verbs always have the pattern:

N + V +N + p:

  • She put away it.

She put it away.

  • He turned off them.

He turned them off.

  • Dad will pick up her.

My dad will pick her up.

  • Phrasal verbs are nearly always made up of a transitive verb and a particle. Common Separable verbs with their most frequent particles are:

 

Phrasal VerbMeaningExample Sentence
call (something) offcancelIt rained heavily  so they called the game off.
cheer (someone) upmake a sad person feel happyMy friend was sad about not getting the job, so I was with her to cheer her up.
do (something) overrepeat a taskYou didn’t do this assignment correctly. You have to do it over.
figure (something) outunderstand, find a solutionCould you help me with this math problem? I can’t figure it out.
let (someone) downdisappoint another personShe really let me down when she forgot my birthday.
put (something) awayput something in the correct placeAfter you’re done reading those magazines, please put them away.
put (something) offdelay, postpone, procrastinateI know I should work on this project, but it’s difficult so I keep putting it off.
spell (something) outdescribe carefully and clearly in detailIt’s my first day at this new job, so you’ll need to spell everything out for me.
try (something) onwear a piece of clothing temporarily to see if it’s the correct sizeI really like these shoes. Can I try them on?
turn (someone/something) downreject or refuseShe got a job offer from a big company, but she turned it down to pursue a career in music.
write (something) downwrite something on paperCould you tell me your e-mail address again? I didn’t write it down.

 

 

 

Wildlife Travel Agent Drops Zoo Trips

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Going on package tours sound really interesting. However, if these trips include activities that endanger animals and violate their rights, is it still worth it?

A travel agent in Brighton is changing things by adapting “responsible tourism”.

To read more about this, click the link below.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-39479367

Discussion Questions:

  1. What did the company “Responsible Travel” do and how do you think this would impact their business?
  2. What is ‘responsible tourism’? What are your thoughts on this?
  3. Do you agree or disagree that “Keeping animals in zoos is inhumane.“? Explain your point.
  4. Why is it important to protect animals and as well as their rights?
  5. Have you ever gone on a package tour that included animal attractions? Kindly talk about it.
  6. What are the pros and cons of going on package tours?

The Firm that Starts Work at 9.06am

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Most employees consider having flexible work hours a perk. At Pivotal Software, they require their employees to clock in at exactly 9:06 in the morning.

Curious to know why? Click on the link below to read more about this unusual work rule.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-37998577

Discussion Questions:

1. Why are employees at Pivotal Software required to report to work at exactly 9:06 AM?
2. What do you think of this idea?
3. Would you like such rule to be implemented in your company? Why or why not?
4. Describe your work hours and your typical work day.
5. What are the things that you do to increase your productivity at work?

Achieving Work-Life Balance

C1 – Advanced

Work-life balance refers to the balance between a person’s career and his or her personal life. Many people work longer hours and have fewer holidays and days off, in part because of globalization, outsourcing, and a loss of job security. As a result, employees have less time for personal interests, friends and family. Such an imbalance can lead to reduced productivity, depression and high levels of stress.  Although the employee makes the choice to work longer hours, the corporate culture is also responsible. Companies should educate their workers on the importance of a healthy work-life balance.

Watch the video carefully and be able to answer the discussion questions below:

http://www.englishwithjo.com/business-english-work-life-balance/#more-1994

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you have a good balance between your work and personal life? If yes, how do you achieve it?
  2. Do you like working under pressure?
  3. What deadlines do you have to meet in your daily life?
  4. Are you good at managing your time?
  5. Do you ever delegate tasks when you get too busy?
  6. Have you ever worked over the weekend to meet a deadline?
  7. Have you ever missed an important social or family event because of work?

Advice to Young Women

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Advice is usually a recommendation about what might be thought, said, or otherwise done to address a problem, make a decision, or manage a situation. Everyone needs to ask advice at some stage in their lives, whether it is from family, friends, colleagues, or another trusted individual. Likewise, we all offer advice, assistance, and support to someone in need of guidance at some point in time.

Watch the video on what advice women can give to younger girls. Be able to answer the discussion question that follows.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think about the advice that was given to  young women?
  2. What is the best piece of advice you have received from a family member?
  3. What three pieces of advice will you give your children?
  4. Do you often ask family and friends for advice?
  5. Whose advice do you follow more, your parents’ or your friends’ advice?
  6. Do you ask your colleagues for advice?

Toys and Games

B2 – Upper intermediate

A game is structured form of play, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool.  Key components of games are goals, rules, challenge, and interaction. Games generally involve mental or physical stimulation, and often both. A toy is an object that can be used for play. Unlike games, there are no rules involved in playing with a toy.

Please click the link and watch the video. Be able to answer the discussion questions below:

English Conversations – Toys and Games

Discuss:

  1. Do you agree with the advice given in this video? Why? Why not?
  2. Do you think experiences are better than toys?
  3. What kind of games did you play when you were a child?
  4. What games are popular in your country today?
  5. What kinds of games were popular when you were young?
  6. Do you think adults should play games?
  7. What do children learn from games?

Test 219

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Test 205

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