Unit 20: The Cult of Celebrity

Tenses
Mixed tenses
Present simple and present continuous:
We use the present continuous for things that are happening now and for temporary
situations. We often use time expressions like at the moment, this week, these days.
We're staying in a fantastic hotel in Goa this week.
What are you doing these days?
I hope you aren't working too hard.

We use the present simple for things that we do regularly and for permanent situations. We
often use adverbs of frequency and time expressions like every day, on Saturdays.
I swim every day before breakfast.
Jake doesn't get up that early though.
It usually begins around June.

Past simple and present perfect:

We use the past simple tense when an action or situation happens and finishes in the past.
We usually say or know when it happens.
We arrived two days ago.
I didn't realise before that it usually begins around June.
Did you manage to book that hotel while there was a cheap offer?

We use the present perfect in several ways.

1) to talk about our experiences in the past. We don't say when these happened because we
are interested in the experience, not the time or date. We often use the words ever and
never.

Have you ever been here?

I've never been to Goa.

2) to talk about situations that started in the past and are continuing now. We sometimes ask
a question with how long + the present perfect and we answer it with the words for
or since.
How long has Mia been in Goa?
She's been there for two days. / She's been there since Wednesday.
It's been really hot since then.

3) to say whether an action has happened or not at the present time. The words just,
already and yet are very common with this use of the present perfect.
I've already done some sunbathing.
We haven't seen much yet.
The sun's just disappeared!
*A note about 'I'm loving it'. This is non-standard usage. In less formal English, the continuous
form is sometimes used with state verbs. You might also hear someone say, 'I'm hating this
movie.' The -ing form of the verbs in these examples have a sense of being temporary.
Present continuous and be going to for future
We use the present continuous to talk about the future when we have made an arrangement
to do something. Perhaps we have already booked tickets for something.
Were coming home next Wednesday.
We use be going to + infinitive for future plans.
Were going to visit the Saturday Night Market tomorrow.
Are you going to go to Egypt in September?
We also use be going to for something that we expect to happen because we know that it is
very likely. We cant use the present continuous in this way.

They say that the rainy season is going to start soon.

Examples of form

Present simple
I/We/You/They swim.
He/She/It swims.
I/We/You/They do not swim.

Present simple questions

Do I/we/you/they swim?
Does he/she/it swim?

He/She/It does not swim.

Present continuous
I am swimming.
He/She/It is swimming.
We/You/They are swimming.

Present continuous questions

Am I swimming?
Is he/she/it swimming?

I am am not swimming.
He/She/It is not swimming.
We/You/They are not swimming.

Past simple
I/He/She/It/We/You/They started.
I/He/She/It/We/You/They did not start.

Past simple questions

Did I/he/she/it/we/you/they

Present perfect
I/We/You/They have started.

Present perfect questions

Have I/we/you/they started?

He/She/It has started

I/We/You/They have not started.
He/She/It has not started.
Going to + infinitive
I am going to stay.
He/She/It is going to stay.
We/You/They are going to stay.

Going to questions
Am I going to stay?
Is he/she/it going to stay?

I am am not going to stay.

He/She/It is not going to stay.
We/You/They are not going to stay.
From 6 Minute vocabulary

Some adjectives with -ic and ical:

classic
a very good, or well-known, example of a category.
I like classic English novels, by writers like Jane Austen or Charles Dickens.
classical
describes a formal and often quite old style of art in forms such as painting, theatre,
architecture etc.
I dont like modern buildings at all. I much prefer classical architecture.
historic
very important for a lot of people; it will be remembered for a long time.
Nelson Mandelas release from prison was a historic event in world history.
Historical
connected to stories about the past.
I also like non-fiction; especially books about interesting historical characters.'

economic
connected to economics, the study of money and finance.
The economic situation is not good. Our sales have fallen again.
economical
cheap; good value for money.
Mostly, I borrow books from the library. Its much more economical.

6 Minute Vocabulary
-ic and -ical
Rob
Today we're talking about adjectives that end in i-c, pronounced ic, and adjectives that end
in i-c-a-l, pronounced ical.
Catherine
First, let's listen to Hannah. She's talking about her favourite books.
Rob
why does Hannah get most of her books from the library?
Hannah
I'm always reading! I like classic English novels, by writers like Jane Austen or Charles
Dickens. I also like non-fiction; especially books about interesting historical characters. I love
buying books, but it's so expensive! Mostly, I borrow books from the library. It's much
more economical.
Catherine
Because it's more economical.
Rob
Hannah mentioned that she likes to read novels. Do you remember what type of novels she
likes to read?
I like classic English novels, by writers like Jane Austen or Charles Dickens.
Catherine
Hannah said she likes to read classic novels. The word classic ends in i-c. It's an adjective

that describes something that's a particularly good example of a category or a particularly

famous example.
Rob
So, novels by Jane Austen and Charles Dickens are classic, because they're particularly
good, and very famous, examples of novels. And they've been popular for a long time, so we
could say they've stood the test of time.
Catherine
But be careful because people often confuse classic with another adjective: classical.
Now classical, ending in i-c-a-l has a slightly different meaning it describes a formal and
often quite old style of art in forms such as painting, theatre, architecture and so on.
I also like non-fiction; especially books about interesting historical characters.
Catherine
Historical is another i-c-a-l adjective and it means 'connected to stories about the past'.
Rob
now the i-c adjective - historic - has a slightly different meaning: it describes something
important, or something that will people will remember for a long time.
Catherine
So, if something really important and amazing happens today, we'll say today is a historic
day.
Catherine
but if it ever happened it would be a historic day. Now a quick pronunciation tip for you: we
pronounce historic and historical with the stress on the same syllable in both words,the 'to'.
And it's the same with classic and classical: in both words, the stress is on the same
syllable, this time, 'cla'.
Rob
So: Historic, historical. Classic, classical.
Mostly, I borrow books from the library. It's much more economical.
Rob
we use the adjective economical or as some people say, economical with i-c-a-l when
something is cheap, or good value for money.
Catherine
But the adjective economic with i-c has a different meaning: economic means 'connected to
the subject of money and finance'.

Rob
So, we might say, the bus is more economical than the train, and we would say, the
country has economic problems.
Catherine
And we're talking about adjectives that end in ic and ical.
Rob
Like economic and economical.
Catherine
And now it's time for a little quiz! Listen to this, then answer question one.
Rob
Question one: was that an example of classic music, or was it classical music?
Catherine
It was classical music. Not too much for you Rob?
Rob
No, it's enough, just enough.
Catherine
Okay, question two: if you watch a film about the past, is it a historic film or a historical film?
Rob
It's a historical film. Last question! If you read the news about business and the financial
markets, are you reading the economic news or the economical news?
Catherine
And that's the economic news.
Rob
Finally, here's a piece of vocabulary learning advice. Learning vocabulary alone is okay, but
it's often more effective to work together with a study partner. Find someone who is learning
English, get together regularly, and give each other vocabulary tests!

Session Grammar
Form
Present simple
I swim.
I do not swim.

Present simple question

Do you swim?

Present continuous
I am swimming.
I am am not swimming.

Present continuous question

Are you swimming?

Past simple
I started.
I did not start.

Past simple question

Did you start?

Present perfect
I have started.
I have not started.
Going to + infinitive
I am going to stay.
I am not going to stay.

Present perfect question

Have you started?
Going to question
Are you going to stay?

6 Minute Grammar
Tenses
Neil
In this programme were looking at six different English tenses.
Catherine
And our first tense is: the present simple. So, Neil, a question: Where do you live?
Neil
I live in London. And the present simple I live tells us that this is a fact, or a permanent
situation. London is home.
Catherine
Good - and as well as facts, we use the present simple for regular activities too, with phrases
like every day or on Saturdays. For example we bring you 6 Minute Grammar on
Tuesdays!
Neil
and words like usually, sometimes, always, and often go with the present simple.
Harry
6 Minute Grammar usually finishes with a quiz!

Catherine
And our second tense is: the present continuous.
Neil
Yes, and one of the uses of the present continuous tense to talk about activities happening
now.
Harry
Youre listening to 6 Minute Grammar right now.
Neil
Thats an activity happening now. But heres a different example.
Harry
Im from near Bristol, but Im living in London at the moment.
Catherine
The present continuous Im living tells us that this is a temporary situation. London isnt
Harrys permanent home. With this use of the present continuous, look out for time
expressions like at the moment, this year, these days.
Neil
And a sentence like Im studying Russian this month doesnt mean Im studying it right this
minute. It means Im doing it off and on, around this time.
Catherine
But Neil: if we use the present continuous tense for things happening now, why do we say
things like I understand and that coffee smells good? Thats happening now - but we used
the present simple.
Neil
Good question! And the answer is, some verbs dont take a continuous form. Theyre often
verbs of thinking or feeling like understand or smell, or know, believe, remember, hear,
sound, want, need. We keep them in the simple tense.
Catherine
And were talking about tenses. Now for tenses three and four: thats the past simple and the
present perfect. And our examples are from a postcard that our colleague Finn sent us and
hes on holiday in India, the lucky man. So Harry, can you read it for us please?
Harry
Hello from Goa! Have you ever been here? We arrived two days ago. Its been really
hot since then. Ive already done some sunbathing but we havent seen much yet.

Catherine
lets look at the tenses. The sentence we arrived two days ago is past simple.
Neil
Yes: use the past simple when something clearly finished in the past. It often goes with
phrases like two days ago, yesterday, and last month.
Catherine
But with the present perfect, we dont usually say when things happened. We just want to
know whether something has happened or not.
Neil
So, Finns sentences Ive already done some sunbathing and we havent seen much
yet are good examples of this.
Catherine
And the words already, yet and just often go with the present perfect.
Harry
Have you ever been here? Its been really hot since then.
Neil
With the present perfect, were interested in past experiences more than past times or dates.
So we use ever and never. Have you ever been to Goa, Catherine?
Catherine
No: Ive never been to Goa Neil. Id like to, but I never have. And if we need to talk about
when things happened, we can use the words for and since with the present perfect. Finns
been in Goa for two days; and its been really hot since he arrived. Now for our next tense,
and heres Harry with more of Finns postcard.
Harry
Were going to visit the market tomorrow, and were coming home next Wednesday.
Neil
We use going to with an infinitive verb for things you plan or expect to happen. Finn has a
plan to visit the market tomorrow.
Catherine
Yes, and Finn also says were coming home next Wednesday. And thats tense six, the
present continuous for future arrangements.
Neil
Yes. Its like going to but its a definite arrangement. Hes probably got his plane tickets.

Catherine
Right. So thats our six tenses. And now its quiz time!! Question one. Which is correct? Is it
a) Im needing some new shoes or b) I need some new shoes?
Neil
Its b) I need some new shoes. Question two: which is correct: a) Did you see Luke since
Saturday? Or b) Have you seen Luke since Saturday?
Catherine
And its b) Have you seen Luke since Saturday. And the last one: which is correct? Is it a)
Its going to rain tomorrow. Or b) Its raining tomorrow.
Neil
Its a) Its going to rain tomorrow.