Leveled Readings and Grammar Material

Introduction
Improve your reading comprehension skills with Lingolia! Practise reading and
answer comprehension questions in this section of the website. There are reading
texts with exercises for levels from beginner (A2), intermediate (B1) and upper
intermediate (B2). Happy reading!
Level A2
 Australian Wildlife and Climate
 A Funny Christmas Tradition
 Saint Patrick's Day
Australian Wildlife and Climate

Animals and Climate
Most of the animals and plants found in Australia are native to Australia, they
cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Some of the stranger and more
famous animals include koalas, kangaroos, the platypus and the echidna.
Australia is also home to some of the most dangerous and poisonous animals in
the world. Snakes, spiders, jellyfish, crocodiles and sharks, to name just a few.
Australia experiences regular drought, flood, and bush fires. The temperature and
weather conditions are very different from one end of the continent to the other.
The north is humid and tropical, with rain forests. The south, southeast and
southwest have mountain ranges and a mediterranean climate. The centre is a dry
desert.

1
Reading Comprehension Questions
Read the text then answer the questions.
1. What is unique about many of the plants and animals in Australia?

o They are poisonous.
o They are strange.
o They are native.
2. Which animal is not poisonous or dangerous?
o snake
o echidna
o spider
3. What can you find in the middle of Australia?
o desert
o mountain ranges
o rain forest
A Funny Christmas Tradition

Ugly Christmas Sweaters
Every year in December, something strange happens. People meet to celebrate

the festive season dressed in ugly Christmas sweaters. Christmas sweaters are
usually red or green and have large Christmas images on them. For example, a
giant elf or snowman, tinsel, Christmas presents with big bows, reindeer with big
bright red noses or gingerbread men. They have one thing in common - they are
always ugly. Where did this tradition come from?
2
The answer is the 80s television! Comedy shows helped make ugly Christmas
sweaters popular. A few shows had an uncool dad character who made bad jokes,
wore ugly sweaters and always tried to get the family into the Christmas spirit.
Before long, everyone was wearing Christmas sweaters - from primary school
teachers to pop stars and your favourite aunty. In the 1980s, Christmas sweaters
were not ugly, they were cool! But by the 1990s, fashion had changed and people
stopped dressing in ugly homemade sweaters.
These days, people think fashion from the 1980s is funny. They wear Christmas
sweaters as a joke, not because they want to be fashionable. It’s fun to meet up
and laugh about who is wearing the ugliest sweater. People even host ugly
Christmas sweater parties. The trend has spread around the world. Although, it is
not as popular in the southern hemisphere. It’s too hot to wear a woollen sweater
at Christmas time in places like South Africa or Australia.
Read the text and answer the questions.
1. People wear ugly sweaters in December.
o true
o false
2. Uncool dads made Christmas sweaters fashionable.
o true
o false
3. People wear Christmas sweaters today because they want to be
fashionable.
o true
o false
4. Christmas sweaters are more popular in the northern hemisphere.
o true
o false
3
Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day (17 March)
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day, everyone! On the 17 th of March, people all over the
world celebrate Irish culture and heritage in commemoration of Ireland’s patron
saint.
Who was Saint Patrick? The patron saint of Ireland lived in the fifth century. No one
knows when exactly he was born, but he is believed to have died on the 17 th of
March. As a teenager he was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Ireland. During
that time he learned a lot about Irish traditions and beliefs. After six years, he
managed to escape. He fled from the island and finally found shelter in Gaul
(France), where he stayed and studied for 12 years. Having become a bishop, he
decided to go back to Ireland as a missionary. As he knew the Irish and what was
important to them, Patrick managed to convert many Irish pagans to Chirstianity.
This is for example how the Celtic cross came into existence – Patrick simply
added a circle to the Christian cross, symbolizing the sun. Even more famous is
how Patrick used the three-leaved shamrock to explain the Trinity of father, son
and holy ghost to Irish pagans. The shamrock is therefore a symbol you'll find
everywhere on Saint Patrick’s Day.
What happens on Saint Patrick’s Day? The 17 th of March is a public holiday in
Ireland, but it is celebrated all over the world by Irish people and lovers of Ireland.
There are parades in the streets, there is music and dancing everywhere,
especially in Irish pubs. People usually wear something green on that day, they
dance, sing, have fun … and drink, especially Irish stout and whiskey. Many pubs
sell green beer and in Chicago the river is dyed green in celebration. So check out
if there is an event near you and enjoy the craic as the Irish say.
Questions on the text

4
Read the text carefully and answer the following questions.
1. Saint Patrick was born on the 17th of March.
o true
o false
2. He first came to Ireland as a slave.
o true
o false
3. Saint Patrick’s Day is a public holiday all over the world.
o true
o false
Level B1
 Christmas in Canada
 Summer Holidays at the Beach
 Halloween Traditions
 Missed Connections
 The Winter Olympics
 The Australian Open
 Sightseeing Tour
 A Bedroom for Billo
 Mischief in the Bathroom
Christmas in Canada
Tomfoolery in Newfoundland
On the eastern coast of Canada, in Newfoundland, a different kind of Christmas
celebration has been gaining popularity since the 1970s. Mummering, also
called Jennying or Jannying, is a folk tradition that actually dates back to 1819 in
Canada and medieval Rome before that.
The tradition generally takes place a few weeks before Christmas. It involves
people dressing up in outrageous costumes, wearing masks and changing their
voices in order to conceal their identity. Once in disguise, a group of mummers will
visit the home of a friend, neighbour or family member to perform a joke, song or
dance. Once the host has successfully guessed the identity of the jokers, the
masks are removed and the guests are invited in to drink, dance and be merry.
5
But it was not always fun and games in Newfoundland. Mummering actually has a
dark and violent past. In the 19th century, mummers often carried large sticks or
other weapons. Some people took advantage of the masked costumes to rob
houses and carry out violent attacks. The custom was officially banned in 1861
after a man was killed whilst walking home. The custom largely disappeared from
public life, however, it is believed that people carried on mummering in their
homes.
When the mummer’s song was released in 1981 by the band Simani, the tradition
slowly began to return to popular culture. More recently a number of official
festivals and parades have been established in celebration of
mummering. Emphasis is placed on silly homemade costumes which take
advantage of household items such as curtains, blankets, underwear, pillows and
shoes on the wrong feet. When it comes to mummering, tomfoolery is the new
normal!
Read the questions, then read the text once (1x) and put the sentences below in
the correct order.
Click and drag the sentence to move it into the correct position.
1. People are forbidden from mummering in public.

2. The tradition of mummering starts in Rome.
3. A song about mummering becomes very popular.
4. Mummering is embraced by young and old with festivals and parades taking
place each year.
5. In Canada, people dress in costumes and masks and play the fool.
Read the text again and answer the questions.
1. When did people start mummering in Canada?

o 1970
o 1819
o 1861
o 1981
2. What do mummers do?
o guess the identity of a masked person
o sing and dance
o carry large sticks
o prepare food and drink
3. Why did people think they could get away with murder?
o Because they had sticks and weapons.
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o Because a man had been killed.
o Because their identities were concealed.
o Because robberies were taking place.
4. What is important about mummering today?
o That people sing the mummer’s song.
o That people act silly and have fun.
o That people attend parades and festivals.
o That the costumes are homemade.
Summer Holidays at the Beach

Reading Comprehension
First, read through the questions.
Then read the text and answer the questions.
Summer holidays at the beach
Many Australian families spend their summer holidays at the beach. My family
usually go camping on the Great Ocean Road or we visit my grandparents who live
on the Gold Coast. Either way, we often spend the whole day at the beach. We
build sand castles and play with our beach ball in the shallow water. Sometimes I
look after my little sister. She hasn't learnt to swim yet and therefore she has to
wear a swim ring in the water. My mum makes us put sunscreen on every two
hours, even if it's not sunny or we're sitting in the shade. The sun is very strong in
Australia and she doesn’t want us to get sunburnt. That’s why we always have to
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wear sunglasses and a hat as well. My silly brother usually puts on way too much
sunscreen. He thinks it’s funny.
Sometimes we eat fish and chips on the foreshore, I love it! But I love it even more
when my parents pack a picnic and we eat together as the sun sets over the water.
After dinner mum sometimes buys us ice creams. While we wait, I sit in a beach
chair and my dad sleeps in a hammock strung up between two palm trees. Once
there was a dog that had crept over and was quietly trying to eat the rest of our
picnic, no one noticed what was about to happen. Luckily mum saw the dog as she
was returning with our ice creams. In a rush to shoo the dog away she tripped on
my little sister’s bucket and an ice cream flew out of her hand, arched through the
air and landed directly on my head. Eeeck, what a mess! Never mind. At least I
was able to wash it off in one of the beach showers.
Hooray for mum! She had saved the picnic from the dog and she even gave me
her ice cream!

Read the text. Are the following statements true or false?
1. Australian families often go to the Gold Coast for the summer holidays.
o True
o False
2. We put sunscreen on twice a day.
True
o
False
o
3. The story teller likes eating fish and chips more than having a picnic.
o True
o False
4. The family gives their picnic leftovers to their dog.
o True
o False
5. Not everybody ate an ice-cream.
o True
o False
Halloween Traditions
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Halloween Traditions
Halloween is the holiday when children (and some older people too) dress up in
scary or funny costumes and go from house to house calling "Trick or treat!" The
old tradition was that if someone didn't give you a treat, you were allowed to play a
trick on them.
You can see all sorts of costumes on Halloween. A few of the most popular ones
are witches, wizards, mummies, demons, or werewolves. Some people believe you
should always dress up as something that scares you, like a monster or the Devil,
but others prefer to wear silly costumes.
People also like to decorate their houses to look scary, with carved pumpkins, fake
bats and cobwebs, or even a realistic coffin with a vampire that rises up from it!
Halloween used to be an ancient pagan holiday and harvest festival, marking the
end of summer and the coming of winter. People would celebrate the harvest and
make bonfires to honor the dead, so that ghosts wouldn't come back and haunt
them. But nowadays the main purpose of Halloween is to go trick-or-treating and
get lots of sweets to eat.

Read the text.
Are the statements true or false.
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1. Halloween is only celebrated by children.
o True
o False
2. You have to wear a scary costume on Halloween.
oTrue
oFalse
3. Even the houses are scary on Halloween.
o True
o False
4. In ancient times, Halloween was a festival that celebrated collecting food for the
winter.
o True
o False
5. The best part of Halloween is the sweets.
o True
o False
Missed Connections
Missed Connections
10
I saw you in the park last week. I don’t know your name – but I remember your face
well. You have the cutest dimples in your cheeks and chin. They make your face
unique.
You were walking your dog, and so was I. They played together in the field. That’s
when I noticed your magical smile, the way your mouth curls up at the sides, and
your perfect symmetrical nose. Your long red hair kept falling across your
forehead, until you tucked it behind your ear. That’s when it happened: our gazes
met across the field. Did we share a moment? Your deep blue eyes have captured
my heart, and they appear in my thoughts all day long. At night, you come to me in
my dreams.
I hope that you remember me too. I’m the man with the dark beard, frizzy hair and
a Jack Russell terrier. If you’ve been thinking about me too, then call. I’d like to see
you again.

Read the text then answer the questions.
1. Why does the man remember the woman’s face so well?
2. Did the man talk to the woman?
3. Why is the man searching for this woman?
4. How can the woman recognize the man?
11
The Winter Olympics
The Winter Olympics
The Winter Olympic Games happen once every four years for sports that take
place on snow or ice. The first ever games were held in Chaminoux, France in
1942 and there were 5 sports: bobsleigh, curling, ice-hockey, skiing and skating.
Skiing and skating, are broken down into different categories such as cross-country
skiing or ski jumping.
Eddie 'the Eagle' Edwards is a famous British ski jumper who competed in the
1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. The spectators, who were watching from the
stand and on T.V., loved Eddie because he was an underdog. He had taught
himself to ski and he didn't even own a pair of skis - he borrowed them! Eddie the
Eagle didn't make it to the winner's podium, he actually came last. But they made a
film his adventures on the ski jump.
Skating is another popular Winter Olympic sport. It takes places on an ice rink.
Speed skaters have to skate very fast whereas figure skating is more artistic, it's
like dancing on ice. Michelle Kwan is a famous American figure skater who won a
bronze medal at the games in Salt Lake City in 2002. She also won a silver medal
at the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998. Kwan never won a gold medal at the
Olympics but she is the winner of 5 World Championships.
But winning isn’t everything, just making it to the Olympic games is something to
celebrate. These days there are more than 5 sports at the games. New ones like
snowboarding and luge have been added over the years. The games have taken
place in 11 countries and three continents, but they have never been held in the
southern hemisphere. This is probably because the Winter Olympics are usually
held in February, which is the height of summer in the southern hemisphere.
12
The Australian Open
Reading Comprehension:
First, read the questions.
The Australian Open
Every year my family and I go to watch the Australian Open in Melbourne. Last
year we watched the women’s semi-final match between Steffi and Serena.
It was an exciting and extra special match for the family because my brother Daniel
was a ball boy. Mum bought him new sneakers especially for the match. The
stadium that day was packed. We watched Daniel excitedly as he waited beside
the umpire on the tennis court, ready to scoop up tennis balls.
Serena had the first serve. She positioned herself at the baseline and took a deep
breath in. She tossed the tennis ball up into the air and hit it with her tennis racket.
The ball soared over the net to Steffi, who returned the serve with a brilliant
forehand. Unfortunately for Steffi, the line judge called the ball out and Serena
scored the first points of the game.
The game continued, but Serena’s luck ran out. Steffi was a strong opponent with
a good backhand. In the end she won the match in two straight sets and the final
score was 6–4, 7–5.

13
Read the text. Are the statements true or false.
1. The family regularly watches tennis together.
True
o
False
o
2. Many people were there to see Steffi play against Serena.
o True
o False
3. Daniel picked up all the tennis balls near the umpire.
o True
o False
4. Serena’s first serve hit the net.
oTrue
oFalse
5. Even though she lost, Steffi played a good game.
o True
o False
Sightseeing Tour
First, read the questions.
Sightseeing Tour
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This summer, I’m visiting my uncle. He lives in a small town in the Scottish
Highlands. It's famous for its castle and ancient ruins. In the summer, there are a
lot of tourists. They often arrive exhausted from hiking through the Highlands with
their backpacks. Luckily, there are plenty of hotels and bed and breakfasts to stay
in. There's also a campsite, although in Scotland people are also allowed to camp
in the wild.
Most travelers stop in the town for a few days to relax and see the sights. The town
is beautiful and there is so much to see and do. Usually, you can see the tourists
wandering around with maps and cameras, eager to discover something exciting –
or maybe they're just lost. It's funny because there are so many signposts in the
town, it’s impossible to get lost.
My uncle is a tour guide, he takes groups on sightseeing tours of the town. They
meet every morning at 9 am in front of the statue in the town square. There's a
wonderful view of the hills and mountains nearby. With binoculars you can even
see the people hiking and the wind blowing in the grass.

Read the text then answer the following questions.
1. Why is the town well known?

o There are a lot of tourists.
o It has a castle and ancients ruins.
o There are plenty of places to have breakfast.
2. How long do people stay in town?
o two days
o one day
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o some days
3. What is funny about the tourists?
o They walk through the town with cameras and binculars.
o It’s very difficult to get lost here, but the tourists do.
o They think they will discover something new.
4. What can you see from the town square?
o The beautiful landscape.
o Tourits with their maps and cameras.
o Tour groups leaving their hotels.
A Bedroom for Billo

display incorrect answers
A Bedroom for Billo
I love my four-legged friends! That’s why I share my house with Renzo the scardy-
cat, Olivia the pint-sized dog and Billo the fluffy giant. They get up to all sorts of
mischief and sometimes I lose patience with them.
The other day, Billo was chasing Renzo around the house. The poor cat escaped
by jumping up onto the wardrobe, but he almost knocked the clothes hanger with
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my nighty onto the floor. Disappointed that the chase was over, Billo jumped up
onto the bed and made himself comfortable on the duvet and my pillow and there
was no use in trying to get him down. Amongst all the chaos, Olivia decided to
chew on my slipper, I think she wanted some attention too.
Luckily I’m much smarter than all three of them put together and I’ve come up with
a surefire way to get them out of my bedroom – the alarm clock! When the alarm
goes off, they disappear in a flash and all that’s left to do is close the door and
draw the curtains. I get into bed quickly and take my book from the bedside table.
Finally some peace and quiet .

Read the text. Complete the sentences with a word or words from the text.
1. A fun name for pets or animals is (3 words) .

2. Some people can always stay calm, they never get angry – they have a lot
of .
3. Having the ability to means you are able to get free from or
avoid someone.
4. When something doesn’t happen the way you had planned or hoped, you
might feel .
5. When an action is pointless or unnecessary, there is in doing
it.
6. When something is certain to succeed, it is .
7. Something that happens very quickly, happens (3 words) .
Mischief in the Bathroom
17
Mischief with Marmelade and Tigger
Louisa is a gardener. She spends her days with plants. When she comes home
from work, dirty and tired, all she wants is a nice relaxing bath. She rarely has a
shower. Instead, she turns on the tap and lets the warm water flow into the
bathtub, then she gets in. She listens to music and forgets about everything around
her.
Marmelade and Tigger, her two cats, creep quietly into the bathroom. This is their
favourite time of day. Marmelade loves looking at himself in the mirror, and he
combs his whiskers with Louisa’s toothbrush – he’s a very good-looking cat! He
really loves jumping on the toothpaste and smearing it all over the basin. Tigger, on
the other hand, just can’t wait to play with a role of toilet paper.
Louisa can’t believe her eyes when she opens them to reach for a towel, what a
mess! The cats had run out of the bathroom fast as lighting. The only clue they
leave behind is the little rubber ducky in toilet. Lucky, Louisa thinks to herself as
she takes in the scene. The rubber ducky has made a mess but imagine how it
would look if the cats had come in here too!
Questions
18
Read the text then answer the following questions.
1. What does Louisa do all day?

o She works with plants.
o She works with animals.
o She works with bathroom facilities.
2. How does Louisa relax?
o She has a shower and listens to music.
o She has a bath and reads a magazine.
o She has a bath and listens to music.
3. Marmelade …
o makes a mess in the basin.
o rolls around with toilet paper.
o brushes his teeth with Louisa’s toothbrush.
4. How does Louisa feel when she opens her eyes?
o relaxed
o sad
o surprised
5. Who does Louisa think is responsible for the mess?
o Tigger
o Marmelade
o the rubber ducky
Level B2
 Christmas in New Zealand
 Winter Holidays
 Relaxing in the Park
 The best concert ever!
19
Christmas in New Zealand
The World’s Creepiest Christmas Ornament
Giant Santa has been greeting New Zealand Christmas shoppers for more than 50
years. He first appeared in 1960 at the corner of Hobson and Wyndham street in
Auckland. The statue, which is constructed of steel and fibreglass tubes, weighs
more than 5 tonnes. He was the brainchild of Farmers department store, who were
looking for an eye-catching and elaborate way to encourage Aucklanders into their
store to do their Christmas shopping. With his beckoning finger and winking eye,
Giant Santa invited shoppers into the department store for 30 consecutive years. In
that time, he became a much-loved icon of Auckland’s Christmas calendar.
However, Giant Santa’s future was thrown into uncertainty in the 1990s when the
Farmers department store building was sold. Santa was given a temporary home
at a neighbouring shopping centre but was ultimately packed into a warehouse and
left to rot. By the time Stephen Hanford purchased Santa for $1 in 1998, the statue
had fallen into a state of disrepair. Hanford and various other donors went on to
spend $40,000 renovating Santa before giving him a new home on the facade of
Whitcoulls - a book, stationery and toy shop. Unfortunately, the rising cost of
storage, transportation, and maintenance for 59 ft (18 metre) statue, which
had soared to over $55,000 a year, was too much for Whitcoulls. Giant Santa was
donated to the city of Auckland. And so Santa’s fate hung in the balance once
more.
The city of Auckland pondered whether the Aucklanders would be willing to foot the

bill for the oversized Christmas ornament. Newspapers and television stations ran
opinion polls whilst pro- and anti-Santa facebook groups campaigned to keep or
abandon the now 48-year-old statue. Some believed that the winking statue with
his beckoning finger was outdated. They had come to view Santa as a creepy old
man. Others campaigned that tradition reigns supreme and that Giant Santa was
an integral part of the cultural landscape in Auckland.
Eventually, the decision was made to keep Giant Santa. The Auckland city council
believed that 50 years of Christmas tradition was a significant achievement in a
country as young as New Zealand and therefore worth continuing.
A whopping $100,000 was invested in restoring and updating Santa’s look. Gone
are the beckoning finger and droopy winking eye which many people had found
so displeasing. However, it seems that some things may never change: despite the
facelift, Auckland’s Giant Santa was crowned “World's Creepiest Christmas
Ornament” in 2011 by a popular American website. Creepy or not, he continues to
greet and delight the inhabitants of Auckland every Christmas. Google Auckland’s
Giant Santa and decide for yourself!
20
Exercises
Read the text and decide whether the following statements are true or false.
1. Giant Santa was created as a marketing tool.

o true
o false
2. Santa has appeared on the facade of at least three different buildings.
o true
o false
3. Opinions about the statue were divided.
o true
o false
4. Over the years almost $200,000 has been spent on restoring the statue.
o true
o false
5. The citizens of Auckland agree that Giant Santa is very creepy.
o true
o false
Find words or phrases in the text that mean the following:
1. An idea or invention which is considered to be a particular person's creation.

(paragraph 1)
2. The state of being broken or old and needing to be repaired. (paragraph 2)
3. Be in an uncertain or critical state. (paragraph 2)
4. Pay for something, especially when the amount is considered large or

unreasonable. (paragraph 3)
5. To be the best or most important thing. (paragraph 3)
Winter Holidays
21
Winter Holidays
“It snowed!” Jonas called in excitement as he looked out the window that morning.
He had come to the mountains with his friends Sophie, Carl, and Felix for the
winter holidays, but up till now there hadn’t been enough snow to do winter sports.
But now everything was white, 50 centimetres of new snow! It must have snowed
all night!
Quickly Jonas woke his friends, and they could hardly believe their eyes either.
“Finally!” they exclaimed, and although they were usually late risers, they couldn’t
stay in their warm beds any longer this morning. They wanted to get outside in the
snow as soon as possible. Even the cold didn’t bother them, because there was so
much to do. First the friends built a snowman. Then they formed a few snowballs
and had a snowball fight. They slid down the mountain on their sled and
snowboard, and Sophie had even brought along her ice skates.
The children weren’t the only ones who were excited about the snow. In the
distance you could see skiers heading up the mountainside in the chairlift in order
to come racing down the slopes again. There was even a polar bear on skis. Only
the snowman was shivering in the cold and wishing for summer. He had a cold and
was feeling uncomfortably chilly, and huge icicles were hanging from his nose.
Huh? A snowman with a cold, and a polar bear on skis? Feeling irritated, Jonas
turned over. Oh no! He was still lying in bed, and he’d only dreamt it all!
Disappointed, he peered out the window, which looked out over the street. But wait
a moment! Everything was white outside!
“It snowed!” Jonas exclaimed happily, and quickly woke his friends.
22
Read the text.
Find words in the text for each of the definitions below.
1. a collective noun for sports done on snow or ice →

2. a person who always get out of bed late →
3. a verb that describes a smooth movement over a surface →
4. a verb that means shake from the cold →
5. an adjective that means cold →
6. a verb that means look carefully →
Relaxing in the Park
Relaxing in the Park
23
“What a beautiful day!” Mrs. Smith is thinking to herself. “The sun is shining and the
birds are singing. This weather is far too nice to stay at home.”
Mrs. Smith is a pensioner. She lives in a big city, in a tower block situated right by
a large main road. She doesn't like it very much because life here is very
anonymous. But at least there is a small park close by. Mrs. Smith likes to go there
when the weather is nice, like today.
There is always something going on in the park. Here you can meet joggers, dog-
owners, bikers and families with children. They often have a little picnic on the
meadow by the pond. Because Mrs. Smith is very outgoing, she always meets new
people who she can talk to.
There are benches on either side of the path. Some are in the sun between
bushes, others in the shade of trees. Because it is not too hot today, Mrs. Smith is
sitting on a bench in the sun. From here, she can watch the ducks and fish in the
pond. And she loves the sound of the fountain.
Just as she is sitting down, she hears the pigeons cooing. Yes, the pigeons already
know Mrs. Smith and they know that she always has something for them.
“There you are!” says Mrs. Smith and laughs. She places a bag of bird food next to
her on the park bench. Of course she has thought of her feathered friends today as
well.

Read the text.
Find words in the text for each of the definitions below.
24
1. a noun for an elderly person who no longer works →
2. an adjective that means unknown, or not identified by name →
3. a noun for a field with grass and wild flowers →
4. an adjective that describes a friendly energetic person who likes being with people
→
5. a verb that describes the low soft sound made by pigeons and doves
→
6. a funny name for birds → (2 words)
The best concert ever!

The best concert ever!
25
Daniel dragged himself home after a long night. His big toe hurt terribly. His thumb
throbbed with pain and his little finger nail was torn. There was also a mysterious
bruise on his neck. Where had it come from …?
The concert was amazing! By the second song, the crowd had already began to
spring wildly back and forth. Leo got a little bit carried away and stomped on
Daniel’s foot. Then Daniel rolled his ankle and almost fell. Luckily, it didn’t hurt too
badly and besides, the music was awesome!
During his favourite song, the girl standing next to him pointed upwards with her
finger and Daniel lifted her up on to his shoulders so she could see the band. After
the song was over, she thanked him with a kiss on the cheek. Daniel swooned.
The crowd were becoming more energetic and the music better and better.
Suddenly, Daniel was hoisted up on to the hands of the mosh pit and he crowd
surfed down to the front of the stage. Unbelievable! He had some bruises on his
calf and he grazed his elbow when he fell to the ground. But who cares, not Daniel!
At the end of the night everything ached and Daniel was exhausted. He didn’t mind
the pain because it was the best concert he’d ever been to. All he wanted to do
now was go home and sleep.
Read the text. Choose the right word from the text for each of the definitions below.
1. feel a regular beating pain:

2. move or jump quickly upwards or forwards:
3. put your foot on the ground hard and quickly:
4. feel ver happy or in love:
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5. lift something heavy:
6. scrape and break the surface of your skin on a rough surface:
Narrative Perspective
27
Introduction
Every literary text has a narrator who guides us through the story. The narrator is
the voice that recounts events and has the ability to take on different points of view.
Depending on how much the narrator knows about the protagonists and the story,
or from which point of view the story is told, we can choose between three different
types of narration in English.
First-person narration
Narrator speaks in the first person
A first-person narrator is directly involved in the story and tells it from his or her
point of view, frequently making use of the pronouns I, me, my and mine. This style
of narration is limited because the narrator can only tell the reader what he/she
experiences (subjective point of view). The advantage of the first person point of
view is that the narrator shares their personal experiences and secrets with the
reader who then feels more connected to the story.
Example:
I still couldn’t believe it. Lisa really was pregnant and hadn’t told me
anything about it. I didn’t know how the band could go on. After all, nobody
becomes a famous rock star with a baby on the stage.
Literary example: The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
Third-person narration
The story is told through the perspective of the third person (he/she/they
etc.). There are three types of third person narration in English:
 limited point of view

 neutral point of view
 omniscient point of view
Third-person limited
Narrator speaks in the third person – subjective point of view
The narrator is not directly involved in the story which is told from the point of view
of a character. The reader only has insight into the feelings and thoughts of the
protagonist which is why this type of narration is refered to as limited. Information
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about other characters is only shared with the reader when it is shared with the
protagonist. This type of narration can also change perspectives and tell the story
from the point of view of another character. In this case we refer to third person
multiple point of view narration.
Example:
He had already called her a thousand times but she just didn’t answer.
Where was she? He was really worried and could not understand her
disappearance. So he decided to look for her.
Literary example: Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.
Third person neutral
Narrator speaks in the third person – objective point of view
This style of narration doesn’t provide insight into the thoughts and feelings of the
characters. Instead, the story is told from an objective or neutral point of view. Only
facts which are discernable from the outside are reported and comments and
insights into characters and events are left out. Dialogues are often reported
without an explanation of what the characters are thinking and feeling. The reader
must discern the information from the events described.
Example:
He entered the room and slammed the door behind him. “Stop telling me
what to do all the time!” Laura left the room without answering.
Literary example: Hills like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway.
Third person omniscient
Narrator speaks in the third person – all-knowing point of view
The narrator knows everything about the fictive world they are narrating – hence
the name omniscent or all-knowing point of view. This type of narration offers
insight into the thoughts, feelings, opinions and relationships between the
characters. In other words, the all-knowing narrator knows everything about what
connects the characters, as well as their past, present and future. The all-knowing
narrator can move between space and time within an event. Thus, allowing the
reader to learn more about the event and characters in the story.
Example:
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He was walking down the street thinking about his dog Poppy. It broke his
heart to see her so sick and he hoped that she would get better soon. He
didn’t yet know that Poppy was already better, running happily around the
garden.
Literary example: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley or Harry Potter by J.

K. Rowling
Narrative Perspective – Exercises

Exercises
Decide whether the passages are written in first or third person perspective.
1. Alice thought to herself, “after such a fall as this, I shall think nothing of
tumbling down the stairs! How brave they’ll all think of me at home! Why, I
wouldn’t say anything about it, even if I fell off the top of the house!
– Lewis Carrol, Alice in Wonderland
person perspective
2. “Landlord!” said I, “what sort of chap is he -- does he always keep such late
hours?” It was now hard upon twelve o'clock. The landlord chuckled again
with his lean chuckle, and seemed to be mightily tickled at something
beyond my comprehension.
– Herman Melville, Moby Dick
person perspective
3. Shall I?” I said briefly; and I looked at his features, beautiful in their
harmony, but strangely formidable in their still severity; at his brow,
commanding, but not open; at his eyes, bright and deep and searching, but
never soft; at his tall imposing figure; and fancied myself in idea his wife.
– Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre
person perspective
4. When Jane and Elizabeth were alone, the former, who had been cautious in
her praise of Mr. Bingley before, expressed to her sister how very much she
admired him.
“He is just what a young man ought to be,” said she, “sensible, good
humoured, lively; and I never saw such happy manners! -- so much ease,
with such perfect good breeding!”
– Jane Austin, Pride and Prejudice
person perspective
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5. High above the city, on a tall column, stood the statue of the Happy Prince.
He was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold, for eyes he had two
bright sapphires, and a large red ruby glowed on his sword-hilt.
– Oscar Wilde, The Happy Prince
person perspective
Read the passages and decide which narrative point of view has been used.
1. Margaret, the eldest of the four, was sixteen, and very pretty, being plump
and fair, with large eyes, plenty of soft brown hair, a sweet mouth, and white
hands, of which she was rather vain.[…] Amy, though the youngest, was a
most important person, in her own opinion at least.
– Louisa May Alcott, Little Women
o limited
o objective
o omniscent
2. The Scarecrow found a tree full of nuts and filled Dorothy’s basket with
them, so that she would not be hungry for a long time. She thought this was
very kind and thoughtful of the Scarecrow, but she laughed heartily at the
awkward way in which the poor creature picked up the nuts. […] But the
Scarecrow did not mind how long it took him to fill the basket, for it enabled
him to keep away from the fire, as he feared a spark might get into his straw
and burn him up.
– L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
o limited
o objective
o omniscent
3. They spoke no more until camp was made. Henry was bending over and
adding ice to the bubbling pot of beans when he was startled by the sound
of a sharp snarling cry of pain from among the dogs. Henry grunted with a
tone that was not sympathy, and for a quarter of an hour they sat on in
silence, Henry staring at the fire, and Bill at the circle of eyes that burned in
the darkness just beyond the firelight.
– Jack London, White Fang
o limited
o objective
o omniscent
4. His one desire was to know what was happening and at any cost correct, or
remedy, the mistake if he had made one, so that he, an exemplary officer of
twenty-two years' service, who had never been censured, should not be
held to blame.[…] Despite his desperate shouts that used to seem so
terrible to the soldiers, despite his furious purple countenance distorted out
of all likeness to his former self, and the flourishing of his saber, the soldiers
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all continued to run, talking, firing into the air, and disobeying orders.
– Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
o limited
o objective
o omniscent
5. Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and
of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her
sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, "and what is
the use of a book," thought Alice, "without pictures or conversations?" So
she was considering, in her own mind whether the pleasure of making a
daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies,
when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her.
– Lewis Carol, The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland
o limited
o objective
o omniscent
Narrative Perspective – First/Third

Person POV
Exercises
Decide whether these literary extracts are written from a first or third person point
of view.
1. He shuddered, and for a moment he regretted that he had not told Basil the
true reason why he had wished to hide the picture away. Basil would have
helped him to resist Lord Henry's influence, and the still more poisonous
influences that came from his own temperament.
– Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray
o first person
o third person
2. Possibly, some people might suspect him of a degree of under-bred pride; I
have a sympathetic chord within that tells me it is nothing of the sort: I know,
by instinct, his reserve springs from an aversion to showy displays of feeling
—to manifestations of mutual kindliness.
– Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights
32
o first person
o third person
3. It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once
conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion
there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had
never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire.
– Edgar Allen Poe, The Tell-Tale Heart
o first person
o third person
4. I ate everything that caught my eye, because I felt that nothing but eating
would take away my illness. The oysters had a terrible look in their eyes and
were loathsome. I shuddered at the thought of them, but I wanted to eat! To
eat!
– Anton Chekov, Oysters
o first person
o third person
5. She met Candide on reaching the castle and blushed; Candide blushed
also; she wished him good morrow in a faltering tone, and Candide spoke to
her without knowing what he said.
– Voltaire, Cadide
o first person
o third person
6. “Kindly look her up in my index, Doctor,” murmured Holmes without opening
his eyes. For many years he had adopted a system of docketing all
paragraphs concerning men and things, so that it was difficult to name a
subject or a person on which he could not at once furnish information. In this
case I found her biography sandwiched in between that of a Hebrew rabbi
and that of a staff-commander who had written a monograph upon the deep-
sea fishes.
– Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal
in Bohemia
o first person
o third person
7. He was about twenty-six years of age, with a soft, light brown moustache
and rather innocent-looking grey eyes.
– James Joyce, After the Race
o first person
o third person
8. Yet those who approached Dorothea, though prejudiced against her by this
alarming hearsay, found that she had a charm unaccountably reconcilable
with it. Most men thought her bewitching when she was on horseback. She
33
loved the fresh air and the various aspects of the country, and when her
eyes and cheeks glowed with mingled pleasure she looked very little like a
devotee.
– George Eliot, Middlemarch
o first person
o third person
9. She had taken everything else from him; and now she meant to take the one
thing that made up for all the others. For a moment such a flame of hate
rose in him that it ran down his arm and clenched his fist against her. He
took a wild step forward and then stopped.
– Edith Wharton, Ethan Frome
o first person
o third person
10. I thought he was criticizing me for something and I started to explain. But he
cut me off. "You don’t have to justify yourself, my dear boy. I’ve read your
mother’s file. You weren’t able to provide for her properly.
– Albert Camus, The Stranger
o first person
o third person
Narrative Perspective – Third Person

POV (1)
Exercises
Read three different versions of the same story and decide which type of third
person narration has been used.
1. Jacinta strolled leisurely through the old town centre, snapping photographs
with her disposible camera as she went. She thought the town was rather
charming with it’s old buildings and luscious green square. She smiled at the
children playing in the fountain as she passed by “I wouldn’t mind jumping in
that fountain myself,” she thought. It was a sweltering 35 degrees and the
sun was beating down relentlessly. Instead she bought herself an ice-
cream, vanilla and strawberry her favourite flavour, and sat in the shade of
big tree. She enjoyed watching the people going about there business. After
a short while, she began to feel sleepy and fell asleep against the big tree
trunk.
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Ring ring! Ring ring! Jacinta awoke with a start feeling disoriented. She
reached for her bag and rummaged around for her phone and answered it.
“Hello”, she was greeted by the deep voice of Macca. “Jacinta, where are
you?” he snapped. He had been waiting for Jacinta in the hotel lobby and
was beginning to loose his temper. He thought she must have forgotten their
appointment.
o limited
o objective
o omniscient
2. Jacinta strolled leisurely through the old town centre, snapping photographs
with her disposible camera as she went. The centre was lovely, it had old
buildings and nice green square. She smiled at the children playing in the
fountain as she passed by. It was a hot day so she bought herself an ice-
cream and sat in the shade of big tree. She lent back against the trunk of
the great tree and fell asleep.
Ring ring! Ring ring! Jacinta awoke with a start. She reached for her bag
and rummaged around for her phone and answered it.
“Hello”, she was greeted by Macca. “Jacinta, where are you?” he said.
There was an urgent tone in his voice.
o limited
o objective
o omniscient
3. Jacinta strolled leisurely through the old town centre. She thought that it was
rather charming with it’s old buildings and luscious green square. She
smiled at the children playing in the fountain as she passed by “I wouldn’t
mind jumping in that fountain myself,” she thought. Instead bought herself
an ice-cream, vanilla and strawberry her favourite flavour, and sat in the
shade of big tree. She enjoyed watching the people going about their
business. She was tired from the hot weather which she had never really
enjoyed, and she had fallen asleep.
Ring ring! Ring ring! Jacinta woke up confused. She reached for her phone
and answered it.
“Hello”, she was greeted by the deep voice of Macca. “Jacinta, where are
you?” he said. There was an urgent tone in his voice.
o limited
o objective
o omniscient

POV (2)
35
Exercises
Read three different versions of the same story and decide which type of third
person narration has been used.
1. The wind howled through the trees and rain splattered against the windows.
The three were all asleep in the big double bed. They had three woolen
blankets to keep them warm. Marnie the oldest of the three was dreaming
peacefully, she felt safe in the bed with her siblings. Suddenly she heard a
terrible crashing sound, and the neighbourhood dogs started barking. A gust
of wind blew the window open waking Marnie and her siblings. She sat up
afraid of the darkness and the cold. She got out of bed to close the window
and set about lighting a fire for extra warmth.
o limited
o objective
o omniscient
2. The wind howls through the trees and rain splatters against the windows.
The three lay sleeping in a big double bed tucked under heavy woolen
blankets. A terrible crashing sounds wakes the children and they hear the
neighbourhood dogs barking. When a gust of wind blows the window open,
Marnie the oldest of the three gets up to close it again. She notices her
brother and sister shivering in the cold, so she lights a fire to keep them
warm for the night.
o limited
o objective
o omniscient
3. The wind howled through the trees and rain splattered against the windows.
The three were all asleep in the big double bed. They had three woolen
blankets to keep them warm. Suddenly there was a terrible crashing sound,
and the neighbour’s dog began barking wildly. Mitch, the youngest brother
cried out in fear for he was terrified of dogs. A gust of wind blew the window
open and all three children woke. Marnie, who wasn’t afraid at all, got out of
bed with a sigh to close the window and set about lighting a fire for extra
warmth, she felt responsible for her younger siblings, especially Lucy who
had been anxious lately.
o limited
o objective
o omniscient
36
POV (3)
Exercises
Decide which type of third person point of view (POV) has been used in these
literary extracts.
1. He shuddered, and for a moment he regretted that he had not told Basil the
true reason why he had wished to hide the picture away. Basil would have
helped him to resist Lord Henry's influence, and the still more poisonous
influences that came from his own temperament.
– Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray
o limited
o objective
o omniscient
2. In a castle of Westphalia, belonging to the Baron of Thunder-ten-Tronckh,
lived a youth, whom nature had endowed with the most gentle manners. His
countenance was a true picture of his soul. He combined a true judgment
with simplicity of spirit, which was the reason, I apprehend, of his being
called Candide.
– Voltaire, Candide
o limited
o objective
o omniscient
3. Yet those who approached Dorothea, though prejudiced against her by this
alarming hearsay, found that she had a charm unaccountably reconcilable
with it. Most men thought her bewitching when she was on horseback. She
loved the fresh air and the various aspects of the country, and when her
eyes and cheeks glowed with mingled pleasure she looked very little like a
devotee.
– George Eliot, Middlemarch
o limited
o objective
o omniscient
4. Madame de Cintré rose quickly and grasped his arm. "Ah Valentin, what do
you mean to do?"
"To show Mr Newman the house. It will be very amusing to show Mr
37
Newman the house....It's full of curious things. Besides a visit like Mr
Newman's is just what it wants and has never had. It's a rare chance all
round."
"You're very wicked, brother," Madame de Cintré insisted.
– Henry James, The American
o limited
o objective
o omniscient
5. She had taken everything else from him; and now she meant to take the one
thing that made up for all the others. For a moment such a flame of hate
rose in him that it ran down his arm and clenched his fist against her. He
took a wild step forward and then stopped.
– Edith Wharton, Ethan Frome
o limited
o objective
o omniscient
6. For a long moment she was silent; and in that moment Archer imagined her,
stealing up behind him to throw her light arms about his neck. While he
waited, soul and body throbbing with the miracle to come, his eyes
mechanically received the image of a heavily-coated man with his fur collar
turned up who was advancing along the path to the house. The man was
Julius Beaufort.
– Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence
o limited
o objective
o omniscient
7. During the four years since his puppyhood he had lived the life of a sated
aristocrat; he had a fine pride in himself, was even a trifle egotistical, as
country gentlemen sometimes become because of their insular situation.
But he had saved himself by not becoming a mere pampered house-dog.
Hunting and kindred outdoor delights had kept down the fat and hardened
his muscles; and to him, as to the cold-tubbing races, the love of water had
been a tonic and a health preserver.
– Jack London, The Call of the Wild
o limited
o objective
o omniscient
8. The tastes of the duke were peculiar. He had a fine eye for colors and
effects. He disregarded the decora of mere fashion. His plans were bold and
fiery, and his conceptions glowed with barbaric lustre. There are some who
would have thought him mad. His followers felt that he was not. It was
necessary to hear and see and touch him to be sure that he was not.
38
– Edgar Allen Poe, The Masque of the Red Death
o limited
o objective
o omniscient
Comparison of Verb Tenses in English

Grammar
Introduction
39
English grammar has three main tenses: the present, the past and the future. Each
of these tenses has a progressive/continuous aspect, a perfect aspect and
a perfect progressive aspect, which adds up to 12 different tenses. The four
English present tenses are the simple present, the present progressive, the
present perfect and the present perfect progressive. The four English past tenses
are the simple past, the past progressive, the past perfect and the past perfect
progressive. And the four English future tenses are the simple future
with will or going to, the future progressive, the future perfect and the future perfect
progressive.
Understanding the difference between simple, progressive, perfect and perfect

progressive tenses in English grammar can be very difficult for non-native
speakers. Here, we compare the English tenses that learners tend to confuse and
explain the difference between them. Simply click on one of the links below for a
detailed online lesson with exercises to test your grammar skills.
Simple Present – Present Progressive

We use the simple present for actions that take place regularly and repeatedly, and
the present progressive for actions that are taking place at the moment of
speaking.
Example:
He usually wears a hat, but he is not wearing a hat now.
Simple Present – Present Perfect Progressive

The simple present tense is used for general statements about the present, and for
actions that regularly and repeatedly take place. The present perfect
progressive tense is uses to express how long an unfinshed action has been
taking place.
Example:
I live in London. I have been living here for 3 years.
Present Perfect – Present Perfect Progressive

We use the present perfect for actions that started in the past but have lasted until
the present moment or have just ended, especially if we want to emphasise the
result. We use the present perfect progressive to emphasise the progression or
length of the action.
40
Example:
I have already done my homework.
I have been doing my homework for two hours.
Simple Past - Past Progressive

The simple past is the narrative past form. We use it for events that took place one
after the other. The past progressive is for actions that were in progress at a
specific moment in the past.
Example:
I was doing my homework when my friends came to see me.
Simple Past – Present Perfect Simple

We use the simple past to say when something happened. We use the present
perfect to say that something happened, without mentioning when.
Example:
He travelled to New York last week.
I have never travelled to New York.
Simple Past – Past Perfect

We use the simple past to describe events that took place sequentially in the past.
To look further back and say what happened before these past events, we use
the past perfect.
Example:
The teacher corrected the tests that we had written.
Present Tenses
There are four tenses to express the present in English. Click here to learn when to
use the simple present, present progressive, present perfect or present perfect
progressive.
41
Example:
I am studying for a test. I have been studying for an hour, but I don’t
remember what I have learned.
Past Tenses
There are four tenses to express the past in English grammar. Click here to learn
when to use the simple past, past progressive, past perfect and past perfect
progressive.
Example:
I was studying for a test when a friend I had met at the summer
camp phoned me.
Future Tenses
There are four tenses to express the future in English grammar. Click here to learn
when to use the simple future, future progressive, future perfect and future perfect
progressive.
Example:
The train leaves in ten minutes. We will have to hurry up or we are going to
miss the train.
Verb Tenses in English Grammar

Introduction
There are three main verb tenses in English grammar: present simple or simple
present, the past simple or simple past and the future. Each of these tenses also
has a continuous or progressive aspect, a perfect aspect and a perfect
progressive aspect.
In the following pages, you will find a detailed explanation of the

various verb tenses and aspects in the English language. Simply click on one of
42
the links below to learn more about that topic then put your knowledge to the test in
the interactive exercises.
Overview of English Tenses

In the overview of English verb tenses, you will find all of the English tenses, along
with examples of their construction and tips on correct usage.
Example:
he goes
he is going
he has gone
he went
he will go
Simple Present Tense

The simple present describes actions that take place in the present, happen once
or repeatedly, happen one after the other, are fact, or are predetermined.
Example:
She often goes to the cinema.
Present Progressive Tense

The present progressive also called the present continuous describes actions that
are taking place at the moment or speaking, temporary conditions or future
arrangements.
Example:
43
We are standing in front of the cinema.
Simple Past Tense

We use the simple past to describe actions that started and ended in the past.
Example:
We went to the cinema yesterday.
Past Progressive Tense

Use the English past progressive tense say exactly what was happening at a
specific time in the past, or to express two actions happening at the same time.
Example:
They were waiting in front of the cinema.
Present Perfect Tense

The present perfect indicates that an action has just taken place and is still
influencing the present. The result of the action is emphasized.
Example:
She has bought the tickets.
Present Perfect Progressive Tense

The present perfect progressive indicates that an action has lasted until the
present moment, with emphasis on the process or passing of time.
Example:
We have been queuing for the tickets for half an hour.
Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect is used for actions that took place before a certain point in the
past.
44
Example:
Before they went to the cinema, they had booked their tickets.
Past Perfect Progressive Tense

We use the past perfect progressive for actions that were in progress just before or
leading up to a certain time in the past.
Example:
Before they got their tickets, they had been queuing for half an hour.
Future tense: will + infinitive

The English future tense with will expresses a spontaneous decision, a prediction,
or a future event that can’t be influenced.
Example:
I will go to the cinema tonight.
Future Tense: going to + infinitive

The English future tense with going to expresses a logical conclusion or a future
action that is already prepared or planned.
Example:
Jane and I are going to the cinema tonight.
Future Progressive Tense

With the future progressive, we emphasise the progress or length of an action that
will take place in the future.
Example:
At 9 pm, we will be watching the film.
45
Future Perfect Tense
We use the future perfect to indicate that an action will have been completed by a
certain point in the future.
Example:
They will have returned from the cinema by 11 pm.
Future Perfect Progressive Tense

With the future perfect progressive, we emphasise the process or length of an
action up to a certain point in the future.
Example:
In two more minutes, we will have been queuing for half an hour.
Conditional I
The conditional I tense is mostly used in Type II if-clauses. The conditional
I expresses an action that could take place under other circumstances.
Example:
He would go to the cinema with us if he had time.
Conditional II
The Conditional II is mostly used in Type III Conditional Sentences.
The Conditional II expresses an action that might have taken place under other
conditions in the past.
Example:
If we had booked tickets in advance, we wouldn’t have had to queue.
Simple Present or Present Perfect Progressive – English

Tense Comparison
 Usage
 Signal Words: Simple Present vs. Present Perfect Progressive
46
 Signal Words for Simple Present
 Signal Words for Present Perfect Progressive
 Conjugation
 Exercises
Introduction
The simple present tense and the present perfect progressive tense, also present
perfect continuous, are both used to talk about the present. The simple present is
used for general statements and actions that take place regularly in the
present. The present perfect progressive is used to express the duration of an
action that started in the past and continues into the present.
Compare the usage of the simple present and present perfect progressive in

English grammar with Lingolia’s simple tense comparison chart. In the exercises,
you can practise using these present tenses.
Example
 Helen, you’ve been cycling for three hours and you are not tired. How
often do you cycle?
 I cycle almost every day. My grandparents gave me a bike on my fourth
birthday. I’ve been cycling since then.
ADVERTISEMENT
Usage
The chart below provides an overview of the differences between the
English simple present and present perfect progressive tenses.
Simple Present Present Perfect Progressive

to say when/how often a present action to say how long an action has been in
47
Simple Present Present Perfect Progressive
progress
takes place Example:
Example: How long have you been cycling?
How often do you cycle? You have been cycling for three
I cycle almost every day. hours.
I have been cycling since then.
Signal Words: Simple Present vs. Present Perfect

Progressive
Signal words can help us to recognise which tense to use in a sentence. Below is a
list of signal words for the simple present and present perfect progressive tenses.
Signal Words for Simple Present
Signal Word Example

how often How often do you do sport?
how long How long do you cycle?
every day/month... He plays volleyball every Thursday.
once/twice I go to the gym twice a week.
... times We visit my parents about three times a year.
To Note
Some of the signal words for the simple present are the same as those for
the present perfect. In the case of the simple present, the frequency of
a present/ongoing action is stressed, whereas with the present perfect, we express
how often it has taken place in the past up to this present point in time.
Example:
How long do you cycle? (simple present → focus on regular bike rides)
How long have you been cycling? (present perfect continuous → focus on
the question since when)
Simple Present Tense in English Grammar

 Usage
48
 Conjugation of English Simple Present Tense
 Contractions
 Exercises
Introduction
The simple present is also called present simple or present tense. We use it to talk
about present actions and events that take place repeatedly or one after the other,
facts, and future actions that are determined by a timetable or schedule. It is one of
the most commonly used tenses in the English language.
Learn how to conjugate positive, negative and interrogative sentences in

the simple present tenses with Lingolia. In the exercises, you can put your
knowledge to the test.
Example
Colin likes football. He is a forward. A forward tries to score goals for his team.
Colin plays football every Tuesday. His training starts at five o’clock. After school

Colin goes home, packs his bag, puts on his football shirt and then he goes to
football training. He has to take the bus. The bus leaves at half past four.
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Usage
We use the simple present tense for:
 events that take place regularly or habitually with signal words such
as: always, never, rarely, often
49
Example:
He plays football every Tuesday.
 events that take place one after the other
Example:
After school Colin goes home, packs his bag, puts on his football shirt and
then he goes to football training.
 facts, or things that are generally valid
Example:
A forward tries to score goals for his team.
 future actions that are planned and predetermined (e.g. by a timetable or
programme)
Example:
The bus leaves at half past four.
His training starts at five o’clock.
 stative verbs and verbs of thought/memory
Example:
Colin likes football.
He is a forward.
There are four present tenses in English grammar. Besides the simple present,

there is the present progressive, the present perfect and the present perfect
progressive.
Signal Words: English Simple Present Tense
The following is a list of signal words that indicate the simple present tense:
 always, normally, usually

 often, sometimes, seldom
 never
 every day/week/month/…
Conjugation of English Simple Present Tense

The conjugation of English verbs in the simple present is relatively simple. We add
an -s/-es to verbs in the third person singular (he/she/it), otherwise the verb does
50
not change. In positive sentences, we use the verb in its present form. In negative
sentences and questions, we use the auxiliary verb do. The main verb is used in it
the infinitive form.
positive negative question

I/you/we/they I speak I do not speak Do I speak?
he/she/it he speaks he does not speak Does he speak?
Simple Present – Spelling Rules
To conjugate verbs in the third person singular in English grammar, we simply and

an -s to the verb. However, there are a few exceptions to take note of:
 When the verb ends with an -o, -ch, -sh, we add -es.
Example:
do – he does
wash – she washes
 When the verb ends with a consonant + y, we change the y to ie before
adding the -s. However, verbs that end in vowel + y simply take -s.
Example:
worry – he worries
(but: play – he plays)
 Modal verbs such as can, may, might, and must never take an -s. They
remain the same in all forms.
Example:
he can swim
she must go
The Verbs be and have

be
The verb be is irregular in all its forms. In negative sentences and questions, we do

not use it with an auxiliary verb.
51
I I am I am not Am I?
he/she/it he is he is not Is he?
you/we/they you are you are not Are you?
have or have got
There are two version of the verb have in the simple present: have and have got.

They are conjugated differently in positive, negative and interrogative senteces.

I do not have/I have not
I/you/we/they I have/I have got Do I have?/Have I got?
got
he has/he hashe does not have/he hasDoes he have?/Has he
he/she/it
got not got got?
Usage of have got
Have got expresses possession/belonging in British English. This form is

uncommon in American English.
Contractions
Contractions are a combination of certain pronouns, verbs and the word not. They
are mostly used in spoken and informal written English. The table below provides
an overview of contractions in the present simple using the verbs be, have and do.
long form contraction example

am (not) …’m (not) I’m (not) (not: I amn’t)
are …’re you’re
are not …’re not/… aren’t we’re not/we aren’t
is …’s he’s
is not …’s not/… isn’t she’s not/she isn’t
have …’ve they’ve
have not …’ve not/… haven’t I’ve not/I haven’t
has …’s she’s
has not …’s not/… hasn’t he’s not/he hasn’t
do not don’t you don’t
52
does not doesn’t it doesn’t
To Note
In written English, the contracted form of are can only be used after pronouns, not
after nouns, or names.
Example:
They’re not interested in football.
(but not: The girls’re not interested in football.)
Simple Present - Exercises

Exercises
Type in the verbs in the correct Simple Present form.
1. Anne (work) in a language school.

2. She (be) a teacher.
3. She (teach) English.
4. Her students (come) from all over the world.
5. Anne usually (go) to school by bus.
6. On the bus she (have) time to correct a few tests.
Complete the sentences with the negation.
1. The children (be/not) tired.

2. Carol (have/not) any brothers or sisters.
3. I (drink/not) milk.
4. She (like/not) maths.
5. I (be/not) from England.
Construct questions.
53
1. (have/you/a dog)
2. (speak/they/English)
3. (be/I/right)
4. (play/he/tennis)
5. (be/you/on holiday)
Present Perfect Progressive Tense in

English Grammar
 Usage
 Conjugation of English Present Perfect Progressive Tense
 Contractions
 Exercises
Introduction
The present perfect progressive tense, also present perfect continuous, expresses
an action that begins in the past and lasts until a present or almost present
moment. The timing of this action is not specified, instead, the result or process of
the action is emphasised. The present perfect progressive is conjugated with
the present form of have, the past participle of be and the present participle or -
ing form of the main verb.
Learn how to use and conjugate the present perfect progressive tense in English

grammar. In the exercises, you can practise what you have learnt.
Example
54
Aaron has been repairing cars since he was sixteen years old. He has always
wanted to be a mechanic.
He has been working in this garage for ten years.
As Aaron has been changing tyres all morning, his clothes are dirty now.
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Usage
The present perfect progressive is similar to the present perfect, but we use it to
express a continuing or unfinished action, or emphasise an action rather than a
result.
Here are the three main uses of the present perfect continuous:
 to express an action in the recent past with emphasis on the action itself and
not the result
Example:
Aaron has been changing tyres all morning.
 to express a single continuing action that started in the past and is
incomplete at the present moment
Example:
He has been working in this garage for ten years.
He still works in the garage, therefore the action is incomplete.
 to express repeated actions that started in the past and continue now.
Example:
Aaron has been repairing cars since he was sixteen years old.
Take a closer look at the difference between the present perfect and the present
perfect progressive in English grammar in the tense comparison section of the
website.
Signal Words: English Present Perfect Progressive
Signal words can help us to recognise the tense in a sentence. The signal words
for the present perfect progressive are:
 all day, the whole week

 for 4 years, since 1993, how long?
55
 lately
Conjugation of English Present Perfect Progressive

Tense
To conjugate the present perfect progressive we follow the rule: have/has + been
+ verb in the -ing form. The table below provides an overview of conjugations of
the present perfect progressive in positive, negative and interrogative sentences.

I/you/we/the I have
I have not been speaking Have I been speaking?
y been speaking
he has been
he/she/it he has not been speaking Has he been speaking?
speaking
Present Participle – Spelling Rules
The present participle is generally formed by adding -ing to the base form of a

verb. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule:
 An -e at the end of the word is removed, but -ee, -oe and -ye remain

unchanged.
Example:
come – coming
but: agree - agreeing
 The final consonant is doubled in words that have a short
stressed vowel before the final consonant. However, -w, -x and -y are not
doubled.
Example:
sit – sitting
but: mix – mixing
 An -l as a final consonant after a vowel is always doubled in British English
but not in American English.
Example:
travel – travelling (British)
traveling (American)
56
 An -ie at the end of the word is replaced with a -y
Example:
lie – lying
Contractions
an overview of contractions in the present perfect progressive tense using
the verb have.

has …’s she’s
To Note
The contracted form of have is generally only used after pronouns.
Example:
They’ve been repairing cars in the morning.
(but not: The men’ve been repairing cars in the morning.)
But the contraction of has is possible after nouns as well as pronouns unless

the noun already ends with -s.
Example:
He’s/Aaron’s not been repairing cars in the morning.
Present Perfect Progressive -

Exercises
57
Exercises
Does the present perfect progressive take have or has in these sentences?
1. I been working all day.

2. She been studying all morning.
3. You been eating the whole time.
4. William been sleeping for four hours.
5. Kate and Rian been arguing for half an hour.
Complete the sentences in the present perfect progressive.
1. Claire (teach) English since 2006.

2. We (look) for that document all day.
3. Mr Smith (speak) on the phone for two hours.
4. The students are exhausted because they (take) a difficult
test.
5. He (live) here since he was a child.
Write questions in the present perfect progressive.
1. (How long/we/wait/for her)

2. (How long/she/learn/English)
3. (How long/they/go out with each other)
4. (How long/you/exercise)
5. (How long/he/sit/there)
Simple Past or Past Progressive –

English Tense Comparison
 Usage
 Signal Words: Simple Past vs. Past Progressive
 Verbs that are not used in the progressive form
 Conjugation
 Exercises
58
Introduction
The simple past and the past progressive, also past continuous, are used to
express actions in the past. We use the simple past as the narrative form of the
past to express completed, sequential actions. We use the past progressive to say
what was happening at a particular moment in the past, to set the scene and to
emphasise duration of a past action.
Learn the difference between the simple past and the past progressive in English
grammar with Lingolia’s tense comparison table. Then test your understanding in
the exercises.
Example
I spent my holidays in Wales last year. I travelled around by bike. Every morning

I got up early, set off on my bike, visited the villages on the way and talked to
people.
My friends preferred to spend their holidays by the sea. So while I was cycling, my

friends were probably sitting on the beach.
But one day, when I was talking to a farmer in a village, my mobile rang. My friends
were calling to tell me that they were waiting under a bus stop because it was
raining so heavily at the seaside!
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Usage
English simple past and past progressive, also past continuous, tenses.
Simple Past Past Progressive

narrative tense to describe actions that take place one after another to describe two action
59
Example: Example:
Every morning I got up early, set off on my bike, visited the villages While I was c
along the way and talked to people. the beach.
to set the scene/des
to describe an action which interrupts a second action past
Example: Example:
When I was talking to a farmer in a village, my mobile suddenly rang. When I was t

suddenly rang
to emphasise that an
to talk about completed actions
in the past
Example:
Example:
I spent my holidays in Wales.
It was raining
Signal Words: Simple Past vs. Past Progressive

list of signal words for the simple past and past progressive tenses.

Signal
Example Signal Word Example
Word
when I was cycling on the road when the rain started. when When I was cy
then Then I unlocked my bike and set off. while While I was cy
first First I put on my trainers.
suddenly I was taking a break and suddenly I heard a loud crash.
Verbs that are not used in the progressive form
The following verbs are not generally used in a progressive form.
 stative verbs
be*, cost, fit, mean, remain, suit
Example:
The weather was awful.
60
 verbs that indicate possession/belonging
belong, have*
Example:
I didn’t have a lot of luggage.
 verbs of sensory perception
feel*, hear, see*, smell*, taste*, touch
Example:
I saw many villages.
 verbs that express feelings
hate, hope, like, love, prefer, regret, want, wish
Example:
My friends preferred to spend their holidays by the sea.
 verbs of thought and recognition
believe, know, realise, recognise, seem, think*, understand
Example:
I thought they would be sitting at the beach all day.
 clauses accompanying direct speech
answer, ask, reply, say
Example:
“We are spending all day inside,” my friends said.
*change of meaning
Some stative verbs also have a progressive form, but the meaning of the
progressive form is sightly different.
stative form progressive form

verb meaning example meaning example
The
deliberate
be state weather was wonderfu He was being silly.
behaviour
l.
hav in particular
possession He had a red bicycle. He was having a good time.
e expressions
feel opinion I felt it was a great dayfeel (health) He wasn’t feeling well.
at the beach.
61
stative form progressive form
verb meaning example meaning example
feel It felt like it was going I was feeling the warm sand
touch
(sense) to rain. between my toes.
be together
I saw my friends at the Nigel and Beatrice were
sight with
beach. seeing each other.
somebody
see
have an
understa I saw your point of I was seeing my friends that
appointment,
nd view. afternoon.
meeting
smell
sme smell Why were you smelling your
It smelt like rain. something
ll (sense) bicycle?
(action)
sense, The ice-
tast try, testI was tasting the ice-cream to
quality ofcream tasted delicious
e (action) see if it’d been poisoned.
food/drink .
thin I thought it was going What were you thinking about
believe contemplate
k to be hot that day. ?
Learn more about the progressive aspect with Lingolia’s visual tense timeline.
Conjugation
For information on the conjugation of these two tenses, see:
 Simple Past
 Past Progressive
Simple Past Tense in English

Grammar
 How to use the Simple Past Tense in English Grammar
 How to conjugate the English Simple Past Tense
 Contractions
 Exercises
62
What is the Simple Past Tense in English Grammar
The simple past tense, also known as the past simple, the past tense or the
preterite, expresses completed actions in the recent and distant past. It is the basic
past tense in English grammar. We form this tense with the past simple form of the
main verb and did, the past simple form of the auxiliary verb do. The duration of an
action is not important in the simple past, instead, we emphasise when an action
took place.
Learn about the simple past tense in English Grammar with Lingolia then test
yourself in the exercises.
Example
Last month a girl from China joined our class. She came in, introduced herself,

and began to talk about her country. She showed us where she was from on a
map. While she was talking about her home town, the school bell suddenly rang.
If I spoke Chinese, I would love to go on a holiday to China.
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How to use the Simple Past Tense in English

Grammar
The simple past is the basic form of the past tense in English grammar, we use it
for:
 actions that happened once or repeatedly in the past
Example:
Last month a girl from China joined our class.
She was from China.
63
She showed us where she was from on a map.
 actions that happened one after the other in the past
Example:
She came in, introduced herself, and began to talk about her country.
 a new action interrupting an action that was already taking place, together
with the past progressive tense
Example:
While she was talking about her home town, the school bell suddenly rang.
 in the second conditional
Example:
If I spoke Chinese, I would like to go on holiday to China.
There are four past tenses in English grammar. Besides the past simple, there is
the past progressive, the past perfect simple and the past perfect progressive.
Learn about the differences between English past tenses on Lingolia’s English

Tense Comparison page:
 Tense comparison simple past – past progressive

 Tense comparison simple past – past perfect
 Tense comparison all past tenses
Learn more about the simple aspect and other simple tenses on Lingolia’s tenses

timeline.
Signal Words: English Simple Past Tense
The simple past is used to say when something happened, so it is common to use

it with expressions of time and adverbs of frequency.
 Time expressions: yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the other day, last
Friday etc.
 Adverbs of frequency: always, often, sometimes, rarely, never etc.
 In the second (unreal) conditional.
How to conjugate the English Simple Past Tense

The conjugation of verbs in the simple past is the same for all forms. We add -ed to
the regular verbs, but the irregular verbs have to be learned by heart.
64
In negative sentences and questions, the verb remains in the infinitive, and
the auxiliary verb do is conjugated in the past tense – did. The table below shows
examples of the conjugation of regular and irregular verbs in the simple past
in positive, negative and interrogative sentences.

regular verb I played I did not play Did I play?
irregular
I spoke I did not speak Did I speak?
verb
Info
The infinitive of the verb always follows the simple past auxiliaries didn’t and did.
I didn’t knew about the party. → I didn’t know about the party.
Did you had a nice weekend? → Did you have a nice weekend?
Did she said anything? → Did she say anything?
Simple Past – Spelling Rules
Regular verbs are conjugated by adding -ed to the base infinitive of a verb.

However, there are some exceptions to this rule:
 When a verb ends in -e , we only add -d.
Example:
love – loved (not: loveed)
 The final consonant is doubled after a short stressed vowel.
Example:
admit – admitted
 The final consonant -l is always doubled after a vowel in British English but
not in American English.
Example:
travel – travelled (British), traveled (American)
 A -y at the end of the word is replaced by an -i.
Example:
hurry – hurried
65
be in the Simple Past
The verb be is irregular. We use was for the first and

third person singular and were for the second person and all plural forms. We don’t
need the verb do to conjugate negative and interrogative sentences with be. We
use not for negative sentences and in interrogative sentences, we simply invert the
verb and subject. See table below:

I/he/she/it I was I was not Was I?
you/we/they you were you were not Were you?
Contractions
We can only use contractions in the negative form of the simple past. We do this
by combining the form of be/did and not.
long form contraction

was not wasn’t
were not weren’t
did not didn’t
Simple Past - Exercises

Exercises
Type in the verbs in the Simple Past.
1. William (visit) his grandparents last weekend.

2. Jane (arrive) an hour ago.
3. We (go) to Bob's birthday party yesterday.
4. I (be) on holiday last week.
5. She (see) fire.
Complete the sentences in the negative form.
66
1. I phoned Lucy last night. → I Lucy last night.
2. You tidied up your room. → You up your room.
3. Olivia became an actress. → Olivia an actress.
4. We found the treasure. → We the treasure.
5. He spoke Spanish. → He Spanish.
Construct questions.
1. (you/dance) at the party last night?

2. (she/do) her homework?
3. (Robert/work) at the post office?
4. (they/help) you with the washing-up?
5. When (I/say) that?
Past Progressive Tense in English

Grammar
 Usage
 Signal Words: English Past Progressive Tense
 Conjugation of English Past Progressive Tense
 Exercises
Introduction
The past progressive tense, also called the past continuous tense, emphasises a
continuing or incomplete action in the past. We can use this tense to describe what
was in progress at a specific moment in time in the past. It is formed with the past
form of the auxiliary verb be (was/were), and the present participle or -ing form of
the main verb.
Learn how to conjugate the past progressive tense in English grammar and get tips

on its usage. In the exercises, you can test your English grammar skills.
Example
67
Lucy was sitting on the beach at six o’clock yesterday.
Her friend Laurence doesn’t like being lazy. So while Lucy was relaxing on the
beach, he was sailing.
Lucy was watching the sunset when Laurence passed by on his boat.
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Usage
There are a few ways to use the past progressive tense in English grammar. We
can use it to express:
 an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past
Example:
Lucy was sitting on the beach at six o’clock yesterday.
 two actions that were taking place at the same time
Example:
While Lucy was relaxing on the beach, Laurence was sailing.
 a past action that was interrupted by a second past action
Example:
Lucy was watching the sunset when Laurence passed by on his boat.
Signal Words: English Past Progressive Tense

Signal words can help you to identify which verb tense is being used in a sentence.
The signal words for the past progressive are:
68
 while, as long as
Conjugation of English Past Progressive Tense

To conjugate the past progressive tense, we use the past tense form of
the auxiliary verb be and the main verb in its -ing form. The table below provides
an overview of the conjugation of the past progressive tense

I / he / she / it I was speaking I was not speaking Was I speaking?
you / we /
you were speaking you were not speaking Were you speaking?
they
Present Participle – Spelling Rules
The present participle or -ing form is usually formed by adding -ing to the

base infinitive of the verb. However, there are a few exceptions to the rule.
 An -e at the end of the word is removed, but -ee, -oe and -ye remain

unchanged.
Example:
come – coming
(but: agree - agreeing)
 For words that have a short stressed vowel before the final consonant, the
final consonant is doubled, but not -w, -x and -y.
Example:
sit – sitting
(but: mix – mixing)
 An -l as the final consonant after a vowel is always doubled in British
English, but not in American English.
Example:
travel – travelling (British)
traveling (American)
 An -ie at the end of the word is replaced with a -y.
69
Example:
lie – lying
Past Progressive - Exercises

Exercises
Yesterday at nine o’clock, these people were right in the middle of doing
something. What were they doing?
Type in the verbs in the Past Progressive.
1. Richard (work) on his computer at 9 o’clock yesterday.

2. Lucy and Tom (have) dinner.
3. I (read) an article in the newspaper.
4. The children (watch) a film on TV at that time.
5. Paula (chat) on the phone with a friend.
Complete the sentences with the past progressive of the verbs in brackets.
1. When I came into the living room, the cats (sit) on the table.
2. I could tell by his eyes that he (lie) to me.
3. We (play) Monopoly when our neighbours rang at the door.
4. Helen (listen) to the radio when she heard a strange noise in
the garden.
5. I (prepare) dinner yesterday when I noticed that the
cooker (work/not) .
Write questions in the Past Progressive.
1. (what/do/you) yesterday at six?

2. (Jane/practise) the piano when you came home?
3. (who/talk/to you) when I saw you last night?
4. (what/discuss/they) when she went over to them?
5. (type/she) a message when you interrupted her?
70
Past Simple/Progressive - Exercises
Exercises
Choose the correct tense (simple past or past progressive).
1. While Charlie golf, his wife a book in the

lounge.
2. He a number.
3. While I around Australia, I many
interesting places.
Complete the sentences. Decide if you need to use the simple past or the past
progressive.
1. While Steve (watch) football on TV,

Monica (listen) to the radio.
2. When I (walk) down Fifth Avenue,
I (discover) a wonderful boutique.
3. The angry little girl (throw) her toy onto the floor
and (stamp) her foot.
4. I (receive) your SMS while
I (sit) in the doctor’s waiting room.
5. When Ruth (be) little,
she (hate) the smell of coffee.
Simple Past or Present Perfect Simple

– English Tense Comparison
 Usage
 Signal Words: Simple Past vs. Present Perfect
 Signal Words for Simple Past
 Conjugation
 Exercises
71
Introduction
The simple past and the present perfect are often confused by non-native
speakers, but they are not interchangeable in English grammar. The simple
past expresses completed past actions and often includes a reference to time. The
present perfect is used to talk about actions which began in the past but aren’t yet
complete or actions from the recent past when no reference to time is made.
Learn the difference between the simple past and the present perfect in English

grammar with Lingolia’s simple tense comparison table, then practice using the
simple past and the present perfect in the exercises.
Example
I have been to the theatre only three or four times in my life. I last went to the
theatre in 2005. I saw the Shakespeare play Hamlet. I have not been to the theatre
since.
Last week my friend phoned and asked me if I wanted to go to the theatre with her.

I said yes.
I have bought a new dress and now I’m in the theatre and I’ve just found my seat.
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Usage
English simple past and present perfect, also present perfect simple, tenses.
Simple Past Present Perfect Sim

completed past action with specified time action just completed
Example: Example:
I last went to the theatre in 2005. Now I am in th
72
Simple Past Present Perfect Sim
whether/how often u
specified event in the past Example:
Example: I have been t
I saw the Shakespeare play Hamlet then. life.
I have not bee
narrating a story in the past
connection to the pre
Example:
Example:
Last night, my friend phoned and asked if I wanted to go to the theatre
with her. I have bought
I am wearing
I said yes.
Signal Words: Simple Past vs. Present Perfect

list of signal words for the simple past and present perfect simple tenses.
Signal Words for Simple Past
Signal Word Example

... ago I met my husband 16 years ago.
in 1990 She started university in 2009.
last We had coffee together last Saturday.
the other
I saw him the other day and he seemed fine.
day
yesterday I stayed home yesterday and did some housework.
Conjugation
 Simple Past
 Present Perfect Simple
73
Grammar
 Contractions
 Exercises

took place.
Example

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Grammar
74
for:
Example:
She was from China.
Example:
Example:
Example:



timeline.

75
Friday etc.


irregular
verb
Info

Example:
Example:
admit – admitted
76
Example:
Example:
hurry – hurried


Contractions

was not wasn’t
were not weren’t
did not didn’t
Exercises
Present Perfect Tense in English

Grammar
 When to use the present perfect simple
77
 Conjugation of English Present Perfect Tense
 Contractions
 Exercises
Introduction
The present perfect tense connects the past with the present. Use this tense to
emphasise the result of a past action, especially when the exact time of this action
is not important. The present perfect is formed using a present form of
the verb have and the past participle of the main verb. Be aware that many
languages have a tense that is similar to the present perfect, however, the usage is
probably different.
Learn about the conjugation of regular and irregular verbs in the present perfect
and master the usage of this tricky English tense. In the exercises, you can test
your grammar skills.
Example
James loves football and plays very well. He has bought new trainers and now he
plays even better than before.
James is the team captain because he has never lost a match.
It looks like his team will win this match as well. James has just scored a goal and
the referee has not blown the final whistle yet. The other team has not scored a
goal so far.
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When to use the present perfect simple

We use the present perfect tense to express:
 an action that has recently been completed
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Example:
He has just scored a goal.
When he scored the goal is not important.
 a completed action with influence on the present
Example:
He has bought new trainers and now he plays even better than before.
 an action that has never happened, or has happened once or several times
up to the time of speaking
Example:
He has never lost a match.
The referee has not blown the final whistle yet.
The other team has not scored a goal so far.
There are four present tenses in English grammar. Besides the present perfect,

there is the simple present, the present progressive, and the present perfect
progressive.
Learn about the differences between English present tenses on Lingolia’s English

 Tense comparison simple present – present progressive

 Tense comparison simple present – present perfect progressive
 Tense Comparison present perfect – present perfect progressive
Signal Words: English Present Perfect Tense
Signal words can help us to recognise the tense in a sentence. The signal words
for the present perfect are:
 already, just, not yet

 ever, never
 so far, till now, up to now
just, already and yet
We use the signal words just, already and yet in different situations.
In positive sentences, we use just to say that something has happened very

recently.
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Example:
Have you read this book yet?
Yes, I’ve just read it.
To say whether something has happened or not, we

use already and yet. Already is used in positive sentences, whereas, yet is used
in negative sentences and questions.
Example:
Have you read this book yet?
Yes, I’ve already read it./ No, I haven't read it yet.
Signal Words: English Present Perfect Tense
Signal words can help us to recognise the tense in a sentence. The table below
gives an overview of the most important signal words for the present perfect simple
as well as example sentences. Note the position of the signal words in the
sentences; most follow the auxiliary (help verb), however there are others that
come at the end of the phrase (yet, so far etc.)
Signal Word Meaning Example

 before the moment of speaking
already I’ve already re
 (positive sentences)
just  very recently James has jus
 until the present time Have you see

(not) yet
 (negative sentences and questions) The referee ha
 at any time, in your whole life Have you eve

ever
 (positive sentences and questions) It was the bes
 not at any time before
never He has never
 (gives a negative meaning to a positive sentence)
so far  until now The other team
... times  how many occasions until now Apparently he
Some of the signal words for the present perfect simple are the same as those for
the past perfect. The difference is that when used together with the present perfect
the signal words refer to the present or the very recent past.
Conjugation of English Present Perfect Tense

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To conjugate the present perfect tense in English we use the present form of
the auxiliary verb have and the past participle of the main verb. The table below
provides and overview of
the conjugation in positive, negative and interrogative sentences.

I have not Have I
I/you/we/they I have played/spoken
played/spoken played/spoken?
he has not Has he
he/she/it he has played/spoken
played/spoken played/spoken?
Past participle – Spelling Rules
The past participle for regular verbs is formed by adding -ed to the base form of

the verb. The past participle of irregular verbs is different and should be
memorised. However, here are a few exceptions to take note of when conjugating
the past participle of regular verbs:
 When a verb ends with -e, we simply add a -d.
Example:
 The final consonant is doubled after short stressed vowels.
Example:
admit – admitted
Example:
Example:
hurry – hurried
Learn the difference between the irregular past participles of the verb go with our
page on been to/gone to.
Contractions
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an overview of contractions in the present perfect tense using the verb have.

has …’s she’s
Note
In written English, we usually form contractions with a pronoun and

an auxiliary (help verb), but not with a noun and an auxiliary.
Example:
They’ve never played football.
(but not: The girls’ve never played football)
However, the contraction of has can be used after nouns as well as pronouns.
Example:
He’s/The boy’s never played football.
’s = has
Words that end in -s are an exception to this:
Example:
James’s never played football. → James has never played football.
Simple Past/Present Perfect Simple -

Exercises
Exercises
Choose the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).
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 to England?
 Yes, I there three times.
 When to England?
 I last there two years ago. I a few days in
London.
Complete the sentences. Decide if you need to use the simple past or the present
perfect simple.
1. He (tell/already) you why he won’t be able to come.

2. The children (go/not) to school on Monday.
3. I (give) you his phone number last month.
Why (you/call/not) him yet?
4. (you/see) that new movie yet?
5. I (visit) a good friend of mine the other day.
6. My grandma (send) me a birthday present yesterday.
7. We (hear) a great new song on the radio two days ago.
8. We (get/just) home.
9. So far he (speak/only) about the company’s past successes.
Simple Past or Past Perfect – English

Tense Comparison
 Usage
 Signal Words: Simple Past vs. Past Perfect
 Conjugation
 Exercises
Introduction
The simple past and the past perfect, also past perfect simple, both express
completed actions that took place in the past. We use the simple past to say what
happened in the past, often in sequential order. We use the past perfect to look
further back from a past point and say what happened before it. In spoken English,
it is common to use only the simple past and not the past perfect.
83
Learn about the difference between the simple past and the past perfect in English
grammar with Lingolia’s simple tense comparison chart. In the exercises, you can
practise using these two English past tenses.
Example
Monica flew to London yesterday. As she had never travelled by plane before,

she was a little nervous.
First she checked in, then she went to the gate. Finally the plane was ready for
boarding and Monica got on the plane.
She had already fastened her seatbelt when the flight attendants gave the safety

demonstration.
After the flight attendants had completed the safety demonstration, the

plane took off.
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Usage
English simple past and past perfect tenses.
Simple Past Past Perfect

look back to something that happened b
narrative form for the past
Example:
Example:
As she had never travelled by pla
Monica flew to London yesterday.
She had already fastened her se
First she checked in and then she went to the gate.
safety demonstration.
Finally the plane was ready for boarding and
After the flight attendants had
Monica got on the plane.
plane took off.
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Signal Words: Simple Past vs. Past Perfect
list of signal words for the simple past and past perfect tenses.

 already
 up to then
 first
 before (that day)
 then
 after
 once
After/before/when with Simple Past and Past Perfect
The simple past and the past perfect share some signal words. The table below
explains the differences for three of the most common signal words.

The verb appears in the clause
with after
The clause with after has no verb
Example:
Example:
after After the flight attendants had
After the safety demonstration,
completed the safety
the plane took off.
demonstration, the plane
took off.
The action in the clauseThe action in the clause
with when takes place after the action inwith when was completed just
the first clause. before the new action began.
Example: Example:
when
She had already fastened her When she had fastened her
seatbelt when the flight seatbelt, the flight attendants
attendants gave the safety gave the safety
demonstration. demonstration.
before The action in the clauseThe action in the clause
with before began after the other action with before was not yet completed
was completed. when the other action began.
Example: Example:
All passengers boarded/had The plane took off before all
85
boarded before the plane took
passengers had boarded.
off.
Conjugation
 Simple Past
 Past Perfect Simple

Grammar
 Contractions
 Exercises

took place.
Example
86
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Grammar
for:
Example:
She was from China.
Example:
Example:
87
Example:



timeline.

Friday etc.


irregular
verb
Info
88

Example:
Example:
admit – admitted
Example:
Example:
hurry – hurried


89
Contractions

was not wasn’t
were not weren’t
did not didn’t
Past Perfect Tense in English

Grammar
 Usage
 Conjugation of English Past Perfect Tense
 Contractions
 Exercises
Introduction
The past perfect tense, also pluperfect tense, is used for actions that took place
before a certain point in the past. It is often used together with the simple past
tense. It is formed with the auxiliary verb had and the past participle of the main
verb.
Learn how to conjugate the past perfect tense in English grammar and get tips on

the correct usage. In the exercises, you can test your grammar skills.
Example
90
Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet after she had made herself some porridge.
She had not eaten much of her porridge when a spider frightened her away.
If the spider had not frightened her, she would have finished her porridge sitting on
her tuffet.
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Usage
The past perfect tense is common in written English and storytelling. We use it
together with the simple past to express:
 actions that took place before a certain time in the past
Example:
Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet after she had made herself some
porridge.
She had not eaten much of her porridge when a spider frightened her away.
 the third conditional
Example:
If the spider had not frightened her, she would have finished her porridge
sitting on her tuffet.
Learn more about the difference between the simple past and the past perfect in
English grammar or test your knowledge of the English past tenses.
Signal Words: English Past Perfect Tense
Signal words help us to recognise which tense is being used in a sentence. The

signal words for the past progressive are listed below:
 already, just
 never, not yet
 once, until that day
 if-clause type III (If I had talked, …)
To Note
91
Some of the signal words for the past perfect are the same as those for
the present perfect. The difference is that the signal words for the past perfect refer
to the past and not to the present.
Conjugation of English Past Perfect Tense

To conjugate the past perfect tense in English, we follow the rule: had + past
participle. The table below shows
the conjugation of positive, negative and interrogative sentences in the English
past perfect tense.

all forms are I had not
I had played/spoken Had I played/spoken?
the same played/spoken
Past Participle – Spelling Rules
Regular verbs are normally conjugated by adding -ed to the base infinitive form of

a verb. However, there are some exceptions to this rule:
 Then a verb ends with in -e , we only add -d.
Example:
Example:
admit – admitted
Example:
Example:
hurry – hurried
Learn the difference between the irregular past participles of the verb go with our
page on been to/gone to.
92
Contractions
an overview of contractions in the past perfect tense using the verb had.

had …’d they’d
had not …’d not/… hadn’t I’d not/I hadn’t
Negated Contractions
In written English, we usually form contractions with a pronoun and an auxiliary

verb, but not with a noun and an auxiliary verb.
Example:
She’d not eaten much of her porridge.
(but not: The girl’d/Little Miss Muffet’d not eaten much of her porridge.)
The negated contractions, in which the verb and not are combined, can always be
used no matter what kind of word comes before them.
Example:
She hadn’t eaten much of her porridge.
The girl/Little Miss Muffet hadn’t eaten much of her porridge.
Past Perfect Simple - Exercises

Exercises
Form the Past Perfect Simple.
1. I/work →
2. he/paint →
3. we/listen →
4. you/speak →
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5. they/find
Complete the sentences in the Past Perfect Simple.
1. We ate cherries from the tree that my grandfather (plant)

many years before.
2. When we arrived, the show (start/already) .
3. We went to a place where I (be/never) before.
4. The teacher wanted to know whether we (read) the book.
5. Yesterday I met a friend that I (see/not) for ages.
Complete the questions in the Past Perfect Simple.
1. (your husband/make/dinner) when you got home?

2. (Lisa/finish/her homework) when she went out with her
friends?
3. (you/have/breakfast) when you started to work?
4. (What/he/do) that made you so upset with him the other day?
5. (she/move/to London/already) when she met her boyfriend?
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