Tag questions

Affirmative
(a) You know Bob Wilson
(b) Marie is from Paris
(c) Jerry can play the piano
Negative
(d) You don’t know jack smith
(e) Marie isn’t from Athens
(f) Jerry can’t speech Arabic
Negative
Don’t you?
Isn’t she?
Can’t he?
Affirmative
Do you?
Is she?
Can he?
A tag question is a question that is added onto the end of a sentence. An auxiliary verb is used in a tag question.
When the main verb is affirmative, the tag question is negative.
When the main verb is negative, the tag question is affirmative.
 In using tag question, a speaker gives his idea while asking a question at the same time. In (g) and (h) below: I (the speaker) use a tag question because I expect you (the listener) to tell me that my information or my idea is correct. As with other kinds of questions, a speaker usually uses a rising intonation at the end of a tag question.
(g) I think that you know bob Wilson (The speaker’s idea)
You know bob Wilson, don\t you? (The speaker’s question)
Yes, I do (Expected answer)
(h) I think that you don’t know jack smith (The speaker’s idea)
You don’t know jack smith, do you? (The speaker’s question)
No, I don’t (Expected answer)
Compare
(i) A: Do you know Tom Lea? (a yes no/no question)
B: Yes, I do Or No, I don’t
(j) A: You know tom lea don’t you? (a tag question)
B: Yes, I do.
In (i): The speaker has no idea. The speaker is simply looking for information.
In (j): The speaker believe that the listener knows tom lee. The speaker wants to make sure that his idea is correct.

Asking Question - Length of time: it + take and how long

IT + TAKE + (SOMEONE) + LENGTH OF TIME + INFINITIVE
(a) It takes 20 minutes to cook rice
(b) It took Al two hours to drive to work.
It + take is often used with time words and infinitive to express length of time, as in (a) and (b).  an infinitive = to + the simple form of a verb. In (a): to cook is an infinitive
(c) How long does it take to cook rice? 20 minutes
(d) How long did it take al to drive to work today? Two hours
(e) How long did you study last night? Four hours
(f) How long will you be in Hong Kong? Ten days
How long asks about length of time.
(g) How many days will you be in Hong Kong?
Other ways of asking how long:
How many + (minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years.)

ASKING QUESTIONS - Using how

(a) How did you get here?
I drove/By car
I took a taxi/ By taxi
I took a bus/ By bus
I flew/By plane
I took a train/ By train
I walked/On foot
How has many uses. One use of how is to ask about means (ways) of transportation.
(b) How old are you? Twenty-one
(c) How tall is he? About six feet
(d) How big is your apartment? It has three rooms
(e) How sleepy are you? Very sleepy
(f) How hungry are you? I’m starving
(g) How soon will you be ready? In five minutes
(h) How well he does speak English? Very well
(i) How quickly can you get here? I can get there in 30 minutes.
How is often used with adjective (e.g., old, big) and adverb (e.g., well, quickly)
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ASKING QUESTIONS - Using whose

(a) Whose (book) is this? It’s john’s book
(b) Whose (books) are those? They’re mine (or my book)
(c) Whose car did you borrow? I borrowed Karen’s (car)
Whose asks about possession.  Notice in (a): The speaker of the question may omit the noun (book) if the meaning is clear to the listener
Compare
(d) Who’s that? Mary smith
(e) Whose is that? Mary’s
Who’s and whose have the same pronunciation
Who’s = a contraction of who is
Whose = ask about possession

ASKING QUESTIONS - Using which

(a) Tom: May I borrow a pen from you?
Ann: Sure. I have two pens. This pen has black ink. That pen has red ink.
Which pen do you want? Or Which one do you want? Or Which do you want?
(b) Sue: I like these earrings, and I like those, too.
Bob: Which (earring/ones) are you going to buy?
Sue: I think I’ll get this
In (a): Ann use which (not what) because she wants tom to choose. Which is used when the speaker wants someone to make choice, when the speaker is offering alternative: this one or that one, these or those
Which can be used with either singular or plural nouns.
(c) Jim: Hare’s a photo of my daughter’s class
Kim: Very nice. Which one is your daughter?
Which can be used to ask about people as well as things.
(d) Sue: My aunt gave me some money for my birthday. I’m going to take it with me to the mall.
Bob: What are you going to buy with it?
 Sue: I haven’t decided yet.
In (d): The question doesn’t involve choosing from a particular group of items, so Bob use what, not which.

ASKING QUESTIONS - Using what kind of

(a) What kind of shoes did you buy?
Boots, sandals, tennis shoes, loafers, running shoes, high heels etc.
What kind of ask for information about a specific type ( a specific kind) in a general category.
In (a): general category: shoes
Specific category: boots, sandals, tennis shoes etc.
(b) What kind of fruit do you like best?
Apples, bananas, oranges, grapefruits, grape, strawberries etc.
In (b): general category: fruit
Specific category: apples, bananas, orange etc.

Spoken and written contractions with question words

Is
(a) “When’s he coming?” “Why’s she late?”  (Spoken only)
Are
(b) “What’re these?” “Who’re they?” (Spoken only)
Did
(c) “Who’d you see?” “What’d you do?” (Spoken only)
Will
(d) “Where’ll you be?” “When’ll they be here?” (Spoken only)
Is, are, did and w ill are usually contracted with question words in speaking. These contractions are usually NOT written.
Is
(e) “Where’s Ed?” “What’s that?” “Who’s he?” (Spoken)
(f) “Where’s Ed?” “What’s that?” “Who’s he?”(Written)
Only contraction with is and where, what or who are commonly used in writing

Using already, yet, still, and anymore

Already
(a) The mail came an hour ago. The mail is already here
Idea of already: Something happened before now, before this time.
Position: midsentence
Yet
(b) I expected the mail an hour ago, but it hasn’t come yet
Idea of yet: Something did not happen before now (up to this time), but it may happen in the future.
Position: end of sentence
Still
(c) It was cold yesterday. It is still cold today. We still need to wear coats.
(d) I could play the piano when I was a child. I can still play the piano.
(e) The mail didn’t come an hour ago. The mail still hasn’t come.
Idea of still: A situation continues to exist from past to present without change
Position: midsentence
Anymore
(f) I lived in Chicago two years ago, but then I moved to another city. I don’t live in Chicago anymore
Idea of anymore: A past situation does not continue to exist at present, a past situation has changed. Anymore has the same meaning as any longer
Position: end of sentence
Note:
Already is used in affirmative sentence
Yet and anymore are used in negative sentence
Still is used in either affirmative or negative sentence.
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Present perfect progressive vs. present perfect

Present Perfect Progressive
(a) Rita and John are talking on the phone. They have been talking on the phone for twenty minutes
The Present Perfect Progressive expresses the duration of present activities that are in progress, using action verb as in (a).
Present Perfect
(b) Rita has talked to John on the phone many times (before now)
(c) Incorrect: Rita has been talking to John on the phone many times
(d) Rita has known John for two years
(e) Incorrect: Rita has been knowing John for two years
The present perfect expresses:
1. Repeated activities that occur at unspecified times in the past, as in (b) or
2. The duration of present situation as in (d), using non-action verb
(f) I have been living here for six months or
(g) I have lived here for six months
(h) Al has been wearing glasses since he was ten or Al has worn glasses since he was ten,
(i) I’ve been going to school ever since I was five years old or I’ve gone to school ever since I was five years old.
For some (not at all) verbs, duration can be expressed by either the present perfect or the present perfect progressive. (f) and (g) have essentially the same meaning, and both are correct.
Often either tense can be used with verbs that express the duration of usual or habitual activities/situations (things that happen daily or regularly), e.g., live, work, teach, smoke, wear glasses, play chess, go to school, read the same newspaper every morning etc.

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Present perfect progressive

Al and Ann are in their car right now. They are driving home. It is now four o'clock
(a) They have been driving since two o'clock
(b) They have been driving for two hours. They will be home soon.
The Present Perfect Progressive talks about how long an activity has been in progress before now.
Note: Time expression with since, as in (a), and for as in (b), are frequently ued with this tense. Statement: have/has+been+-ing
(c) How long have they been driving?
Question form: have/has+subject+been+-ing
Compare the present progressive and the present perfect progressive
Present progressive
(d) Po is sitting in class right now
The Preent Progressive describes an activity that is in progress right now, ax in (d). It does not discuss duration (length of time).
Incorrect: Po has been sitting in class right now.
Present perfect progressive
Po is sitting at his desk in class. He sat down at nine o'clock. It is now nine-thirty
(e) Po has been sitting in class since nine o'clock
(f) Po has been sitting in class for thirty minutes.
The Present Perfect Progressive expresses the duration (length of time) of an activity that began in the past and is in progress right now.
Incorrect: Po is sitging in class since nine o'clock
(g) Correct: I know Yoko
(h) Incorrect: I am knowing Yoko
(i) Correct: I have known Yoko for two years
(j) Incorrect: I have been knowing Yoko for two years
Reminder: Non-action verbs (e.g, know, like, own, belong) are not used in any progressive tenses.
In (i): With non-action verbs, the present perfect is used with since or for to express the duration of a situation that began in the padt and continues to the present.
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Using since and for

SINCE
(a) I have been here (since eight o'clock, Since Tuesday, Since May, Since 1999, Since January 3, 2001, Since yesterday, Since last month)
Since is followed by the mention of a specific point in time: an hour, a day, a month, a year etc.
Since expresses the idea that something begab at a specific time in the past and continues to the present.
(b) Correct: I have lived here since May
Correct: I have been here since May
(c) Incorrect: I am living here since May
(d) Incorrect: I live here since May
(e) Incorrect: I lived here since May
Incorrect: I was here since May
The present perfect is used in sentences with since:
In (c): The present progressive is NOT used
In (d): The simple present is NOT used
In (e): The simple past is NOT used
Main clause (present perfect)              Since clause (simple padt)
(f) I have lived here                           since I was a child
(g) Ali has met many people             since he came here
Since may also introduce a time clause (i.e, a subject and verb may follow since)
Notice in the examples: The Preent Perfect is used in the maim clause; the simple past is used in the since-clause
FOR
(h) I have been here (For ten minutes, For two hours, For five dsys, For about three weeks, For almost six months, For many years, For a long time)
For is followed by the mention of a lenght of time: two minutes, three hours, four dsys, five weeks etc.
Note: If the noun ends in -s (hours, days, weeks, etc.), use for in the time expression not since.
(i) I have lived here for two years. I moved here two years ago, and I still live here
(j) I lived in Athens for two years. I don' t live in Athens now.
In (i): The use of the present perfect in a sentence with for+a length of time means that the action began in the past and continues to the present.
In (j): The use of the simple past means that the action began and ended in the past.
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Simple past vs. present perfect

Simple past
(a) I finished my work two hours ago
Present perfect
(b) I have already finished my work
In (a): I finished my work at a specific time in the past ( two hours ago)
In (b): I finished my work at an unspecified time in the past (sometime before now)
Simple Past
(c) I was in Europe last year/three years ago/in 1999/in 1995 when I was ten years old
Present Perfect
(d) I have been in Europe many times/several times/a couple of time/once(no mention of time)
In (a): I finished my work at a specific time in the past ( two hours ago)
In (b): I finished my work at an unspecified time in the past (sometime before now)
The Simple Past expresses an activity that occured at a specific time (or times) in the past, as in (a) and (c).
The Present Perfect expresses an activity that occured at an unspecified time (or time) in the past, as in (b) and (d).
Simple Past
(e) Ann was in Miami for two weeks
Simple Perfect
(f) Bob has been in Miami for two weeks/since May first
In (e): In sentence where for is used in a time expression, the simple past expresses an activity that began and ended in the past.
In (f): In sentences with for or since, the present perfect expresses an activity that began in the past and continues to the present.