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How Native Speakers Connect Their Words: Gonna, Wanna, Gotta (Video) - See more at:
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Are you confused about how and when to use the words GONNA, WANNA, and GOTTA
in English? Have you heard different things from different people about the
appropriateness of these words?
While a lot of conventional teachers and programs teach that its wrong or inappropriate
to use these colloquial contractions when speaking English in formal situations, gonna,
wanna, and gotta are perfectly okay to use in all spoken situations, both formal and
informal. This is simply how native speakers communicate.
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Gonna
Ok, to start with, we have going to in the simple future. So, going to, the simple
construction is going to + verb. So, Im going to go to the movies, Im going to play
soccer. This becomes gonna. Im gonna play soccer, Im gonna go to the movies.
This is very common, especially in American English, but in other forms of English as
well.
Wanna
So, now, wanna. Wanna is want to plus a verb. It can also be a noun as well, but thats a
little bit different. So, for example, I wanna play soccer. I wanna have fun. I wanna
eat dinner.
And then, with a noun, this is actually I want a. I want a new car. I want a book
about this subject.
A common tendency with this is sometimes we take off the subject in the beginning.
So, instead of saying Do you wanna hangout? I might say Wanna hangout? or You
wanna hangout?
Gotta
And the final one is gotta. Gotta comes from Ive got to. Ive got to leave now,
which is like I have to leave now. But we take off the Ive and make it I, as kind of
a colloquial contraction. So, I gotta go now is a common way. I gotta read that book.
More correct would be Ive got to and the correct pronunciation would be Ive gotta
with this. Ive gotta read that book.
Yeah, I dont think the stock actions scandal is GONNA impact this at the end of the day
earnings are GONNA be there.
And if he again puts out the better mousetrap, people are GONNA follow him.
So, there are some nice examples for you with some real people using it on TV in
American culture.
Conclusion
So, that does it for todays lesson. Remember that these are important. Connected speech
with gonna, gotta, wanna. Make sure you know how to understand them and then
play around with it, see if you can use it. And its really gonna help your English flow a
lot.
But thats it for today, thank you for watching, I really enjoyed being here today, make
sure you subscribe, check out the link to the article below and if you want to get a free
ebook from our website, A 101 Words You Wont Learn at School click on the link at
the end.
Thank you very much, take care.
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Learning English
wanna / gonna
Wanna and gonna are frequently used in speech in informal
Wanna can be used with all persons singular and plural, except
third person singular. This is because wanna scans with I want
to, you want to, we want to, they want to, but not with
he/she wants to where the final s is too intrusive:
a wannabee
This term derives originally from the US, but is now used
extensively in British English. A wannabee (literally a wantto-be) is someone who is trying to copy somebody else.
Usually the person they are trying to copy is somebody famous.
gotta
Gotta is used in a similar way to gonna and wanna, in this
case to show the conversational pronunciation of have got to,
or as informal alternatives to have to or must. It is not so
much used in the interrogative:
dunno
Dunno, meaning I don't know is characteristic of very informal
speech in British English. Note that the word stress in this
expression is on the second syllable, whereas with gonna,
gotta and wanna it is on the first syllable.
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You must come and visit us again soon. It's ages since
we saw you.
must and have to: expressing the future and the past
Must and have got to have no future or past tense forms.
We cannot say: I had got to.../ I'll have got to.../ I'll must.../
I've must....
However we can also use must to express future as well as
present intention, especially if it is the speaker who decides
that something is necessary. But it cannot be used to express
past intention.
Have to is the only one of the three that possesses past and
future forms.
Learning English
Roger replies:
more questions
American English
must as deduction
This usage of must is quite different. As in the Time article, we
are registering that we are not absolutely sure about something,
but are guessing or assuming that it has happened, will happen
or is the case. In this sense, must have is the past tense form of
must. Study the following:
Need
Note from the above examples that need can either act as a
modal verb or as an ordinary verb. When it acts as a modal
auxiliary verb it is nearly always used in negative sentences, as
the above examples illustrate, although it is sometimes also used
in questions as a modal verb:
Need you leave straightaway? Can't you stay longer?
Learning English
maybe / perhaps
In British English both of these adverbs are still very commonly
used and have the same meaning. You use them to say that
something is possible or may be true, but you are not certain.
They can be used interchangeably but of the two, maybe is
very appropriate for more informal contexts and perhaps is
may / might
Similarly, we can use the modal auxiliaries may or might to say
that there is a chance that something is true or may happen.
May and might are used to talk about present or future events.
They can normally be used interchangeably, although might
may suggest a smaller chance of something happening.
Compare the following:
Note that 'Pigs might fly' is a fixed expression and always uses
might. It means that something will never happen.
In the first conditional example, will perhaps could be
substituted.
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Learning English
Polite requests
Note the difference between: Would you mind? and Would you
mind me/my?:
Would you mind filling the ice trays and putting them
in the freezer? (= you do it)
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questions
Learning English
should
would
would have
If we want to refer to the past and make a statement about things
that did not happen, we need to use had + past participle in the if
clause and would have constructions in the main clause. Note in
these sentences that we can use 'd as the abbreviation for both had
in the if-clause and would in the main clause:
could
could have
As with would have, and should have, could have is used to talk
about the past and refers to things that people could have done in
the past, but didn't attempt to do or succeed in doing:
Note the difference between would have and could have in the
following two examples. Would have indicates certainty that he
would have won if he had tried harder, could have indicates
that it is a possibility. Might have is similar in meaning to could
have, although the possibility is perhaps not quite as great:
If he'd tried a bit harder, he would have won the race.
If he'd tried a bit harder, he could have won the race.
Learning English
For questions and negative forms, two forms of the verb are used either the normal infinitive pattern after did (more common), or the
past form used (less common):
When you were a kid, did you use to think the sun
revolved around the earth?
When you were a kid, did you used to think the sun
revolved around the earth?
I didn't use to take such a large dress size, but now I
do.
I didn't used to take such a large dress size, but now I
do.
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cliff
However, none of these examples sound as dramatic as "what
if...?". Note that the final two examples in these sequences
refer to imaginary situations that did not occur, for which we
need the so-called 'third' conditional.
I just caught the last flight of the day with two minutes
to spare!
~ Suppose you had missed the flight?
~ Supposing you had missed the flight?
~ What if you had missed the flight?
~ What would you have done, if you had missed the
flight?
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Learning English
Roger replies:
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questions
Strong emphasis
You are also quite right in suggesting that do is not normally
used in affirmative sentences. However, it is used when we want
to place strong emphasis on what we are saying to show that we
feel strongly about it in a positive way. In all these cases, do is
pronounced with strong stress. Consider the following:
Contrastive emphasis
There are three other circumstances when do is used in
affirmative sentences or clauses.
It is used for contrastive emphasis when we want to contrast
one set of circumstances or point in time with another. Study the
following:
'I wish I could lose some weight.' 'Yes, well you do eat
rather a lot of sweet things.'
'Why didnt you ask him for a loan?' 'I did ask him, but
he said he had no money.'
'I hardly ever see my ex-wife, but I do see my children
every week.
Polite Imperatives
It is sometimes used with imperatives when we want to make a
suggestion or invitation more polite or welcoming. Study the
following:
Avoiding repetition
It is often used when we want to avoid repeating a verb which
we have already used in the first part of the sentence. Consider
the following:
'Did you see Maria when she was over in London?' 'Yes, I
did!'
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questions
Then she dived into the pool with all her clothes on.
Can / could with verbs of perception
In British English, we normally use can or could with verbs of
perception such as see, hear, taste, feel, smell, when
American English will often use these verbs independently of
can or could. Compare the following:
Learning English
Roger replies:
more questions
in affirmative sentences.
It is also used in forming tag questions and shortened answers.
Study the following examples:
did, didn't
Past simple auxiliary verbs
Did and didn't are used as past simple 'helping' verbs in exactly
the same way as do/don't and does/doesn't are used in the
present simple.
Study the following examples:
'I did remember to put salt into the dishwasher. It's not
my fault that it's not working.'
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do as auxiliary verb
Ali Almalki from Oman writes:
What is the difference in use between I believe and I do
believe
Hamid Hakim from Algeria also asks:
What's the difference if I say I did sleep last night
instead of I slept last night?
Roger Woodham replies:
do / does
As you know, we normally use do or does + infinitive to form
questions and in negative sentences in the simple present (does
for the third person singular, he, she, it and do for all other
persons, I, you, we, they):
Do you like music? - Yes I do.
Does Henry? - Yes, he does.
What kinds of music do you like? - I quite like reggae, but I
don't care for garage very much.
Henry likes garage, but he doesn't get very excited about R & B.
As you can see from the above examples, we also use do and
does in shortened verb forms. The answer to the question: Do
you like music? Is Yes, I do. or No I don't. NOT Yes, I like. or
No, I don't like.
do / does : emphatic use
We do not normally use do or does in affirmative sentences, Ali,
but we can use them for emotive or contrastive emphasis when
we feel strongly about something:
She thinks he doesn't love her, but he does love her. He really
does!
You do look pretty in that new outfit! Quite stunning!
Are you all right? You do look a bit pale. Do please sit down.
I don't see very much of my old friends now, but I do still email
them.
Was that a joke? I do believe you're teasing me!
When we are using the auxiliaries do and does for contrastive or
emotive emphasis like this, we give them extra stress in
pronunciation to make them sound louder, longer or higher in
tone. When you see these words in print used in this way, they
will normally be in italics or bold type or in CAPITAL
LETTERS. Practise saying the sentences above with extra word
stress on do and does.
did
The same rules apply when using did in the simple past tense,
Hamid. It is normally used for making questions, in negative
sentences and with shortened verb forms and can also be used
for contrastive or emphatic use in affirmative sentences:
Did you go and visit your family last weekend? - Yes, I did.
Did you see everybody? - No, I didn't.
I saw my sisters, but my brother was away on business so I
didn't see him.
Remember to give the auxiliary did extra stress in pronunciation
in these examples of contrastive use:
Nearly every one was away on holiday, but I did manage to see
Brenda.
I don't play very much sport now, but I did play a lot of tennis
when I was younger.
I'm so worried at the moment that I don't' sleep well at night, but
I did manage to sleep for six hours, last night.
N
ote that with modal auxiliary verbs, do and did are not used:
Can you play the clarinet? NOT: Do you can play the clarinet?
I can't play the clarinet very well. NOT: I don't can play the
clarinet.
But I can play the recorder. NOT: I do can play the recorder.
forming questions using intonation
Note that we sometimes form questions by using a rising
intonation at the end of the sentence. When we do this, we use
the normal word order of affirmative sentences and don't use
does and do in the simple present and did in the simple past.
We normally use this type of question when the speaker thinks
he knows the answer to a question, but wants to make sure or
when he wants to express surprise of disbelief:
You like hip-hop? But I thought you said you don't like any kind
of rap?
You went to Brighton with Geoffrey? How could you? He's so
boring!
I sold the diamonds. - You sold your mother's diamonds? How
could you?
Learning English
Roger replies:
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questions
Strong emphasis
You are also quite right in suggesting that do is not normally
used in affirmative sentences. However, it is used when we want
to place strong emphasis on what we are saying to show that we
feel strongly about it in a positive way. In all these cases, do is
pronounced with strong stress. Consider the following:
Contrastive emphasis
There are three other circumstances when do is used in
affirmative sentences or clauses.
It is used for contrastive emphasis when we want to contrast
one set of circumstances or point in time with another. Study the
following:
'I wish I could lose some weight.' 'Yes, well you do eat
rather a lot of sweet things.'
'Why didnt you ask him for a loan?' 'I did ask him, but
he said he had no money.'
'I hardly ever see my ex-wife, but I do see my children
every week.
Polite Imperatives
It is sometimes used with imperatives when we want to make a
suggestion or invitation more polite or welcoming. Study the
following:
Avoiding repetition
It is often used when we want to avoid repeating a verb which
we have already used in the first part of the sentence. Consider
the following:
'Did you see Maria when she was over in London?' 'Yes, I
did!'
Learning English
be able + infinitive
Roger replies:
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questions
Note also that we cannot combine can with another modal verb,
so if we want to use may, might or should and combine
possibility or probability with ability, we have to use be able
to and not can or could. Study the following:
'The doctor might be able to see you this afternoon.'
'This store is closing, but we may be able to offer the
sales staff a job in another branch.'
'I should be able to fix the upstairs toilet with the tools
in your toolbox.'
In the first two examples above, there is not much difference in
terms of possibility between may and might. They could be
used interchangeably without affecting the meaning. In the final
example above, it is likely or probable that the toilet will be
fixed.
Study
the following:
'Can you speak Japanese?'
'Can you see what it says on the departures board?'
'I can't see a thing without my glasses.'
'I couldn't taste the garlic in the mayonnaise, although
my wife could.'
'I can't remember when I last saw Joan.'
'I can't believe you're going to marry him.'
'They couldn't decide whether to buy a red or a blue
car.'
Learning English
being
being + adjective
We normally use the progressive form with an adjective when
we are talking about actions and behaviour. And being unfair
in your example sentence, Boon and Nukoon, relates to
somebody's behaviour of not being fair in their actions, so the
progressive form is preferred. Here are some further examples:
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You are quite correct, Eunice, to suggest that concern and its
related forms are used in a variety of different ways. Here are
some of the most important.
it concerns me = it worries me
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Me and Us part of our website.
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could
She started the viola at the age of eight and after only
six months she could play it quite well.
be able to
Note that can has no infinitive form, no -ing form, no perfect
form and no future form. It cannot follow another modal auxiliary
verb. On all of these occasions, we have to use be able to instead.
Compare the following:
Veronica was very upset when Ben left her, but she
managed to smile nevertheless.
She didn't really want to go to Mexico, but Tony
managed to persuade her somehow.
Can you help me put up my new shed? ~ I can manage
a few hours in the morning, but I'm busy in the
afternoon.
This is an ideal job for those who can only manage a
few hours each week.
Can I give you a hand with that? ~ No, it's all right. I'll
manage./ I can manage.
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So you know, I might say, when I get up Ill go, I will go into the bathroom and
gargle and swallow some water and clean my throat and make a noise with it every
morning. And there the meaning of will is a present meaning and not a future
meaning. I might say, When I get up, I wont have breakfast, Im in too much of a
hurry I go straight to work, and there that wont like the wouldnt in
wouldnt go home is expressing something that I dont do on a very regular basis
in the present.
Question:
So thats quite an easy way for learners to remember it its something that
happens on a regular basis its something quite normal in their lives.
Martin:
And the interesting thing is that when they come across these the wouldnts
and the wonts like all modal verbs they need to look at the context because one
of the things about modal verbs is that they can have lots of different meanings
and we need to spot the meaning by looking at the context in which its being
used.
Learning English
double negatives
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questions
'I've been working on this since six o' clock and now it's
nearly midnight. I'm tired!
'Finished' in questions
finished at the flat?' instead of Have you finished at the flat? Are you finished? uses
the past participle finished as though it were an adjective. So in a similar vein, we can
say:
Have you finished at work? or Are you finished at work?
Both questions are grammatically correct and acceptable in any situation. Some native
speakers would tell you that they see no difference between the two question forms. But
others might say that they perceive a slight nuance of difference between them. It really
depends on the tone of voice the question is delivered in and the attitude of the listener.
Lets discuss this in more detail then. Some people consider Have you finished? to be
more polite than 'Are you finished? In the examples Im about to give you, either
question form could be used but perhaps if you replace the question with Are you
finished?' in the following situations, a bit of impatience is implied. See what you think:
Mum to kid eating - Have you finished?
Teacher to student - Have you finished?
Some people would argue that using the present perfect tense and forming the question
Have you finished? seems to politely give the possibility of more time to finish, whereas
'Are you finished? lets the person know they are nearly out of time and no more is
available.
Well, personally, I think tone of voice is the all important aspect here. You can express
impatience or politeness just from the manner in which you say either of these questions:
Have you finished? Are you finished? (that was my impatient voice)
Have you finished? Are you finished? (that was my polite voice)
Well I hope you could hear the differences there and that you are successful sounding
polite or impatient depending on the situation that youre in!
the British Council as an IELTS and BULATS examiner. She is in the final year of studies
for an Msc. in Psychology.
Learning English
(= am not paid)
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happen
Roger replies:
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questions
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have + infinitive/-ing
more
questions
I won't have...
When we use the expression I won't have..., it means I won't allow... and here the -ing form
best, but be careful: after allow, you need to + infinitive:
I won't have you smoking in the bedroom. = I won't allow you to smoke in the bedroom
I won't have you staying out late. = I won't allow you to stay out late.
She wouldn't have him telling her when she could go out and who she could go out wi
This structure is also used when we talk about causing things to be done or about things happe
you, but with the past participle, note that it always has a passive meaning and can sometimes
instead of the passive:
I'm going to have my car repaired next week. (It's going to be repaired next week.)
Two of Henry VIII's wives had their heads cut off (Two of his wives were beheaded)
Have you ever had your credit cards stolen? (Have they ever been stolen?)
We had to have our nineteen-year-old spaniel put down. (He had to be put down.)
Kevin had his air pistol confiscated by the headmaster. (It was confiscated last week.)
I think you should have the curtains dry-cleaned. Don't try to wash them yourself.
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have to share.
(Note in this last example that have to is used as an alternative to
must because the need to share is imposed on the sisters.)
- Have you got a new car, Paul?
- Yes I have. I bought it last week.
- Has it got air conditioning?
- No it hasnt. But its got a CD player.
- Do you have very many CDs?
- Ive got hundreds.
Note the way in which we form short answers and question tags
with have got and have:
- Have you got a sore throat as well as a runny nose?
- No, I havent.
- But youve got a high temperature, havent you?
- Yes, I have.
- Does this music school have enough pianos?
- No, it doesnt.
- But you have enough opportunities to practise, dont you?
- No, we dont.
future forms of 'have'
Note that we normally use the have got form of have only in the
present tense. For future reference different forms of have used.
Compare the following:
- Have you got tickets for the match on Saturday?
- No, I havent. Not yet.
- Will you have them by tomorrow?
- I hope so.
- Have you got any time to help me with my maths homework?
- Not now I havent. Sorry.
- Are you going to have any time at the weekend, do you think?
- Yes, Ill probably have some time then.
past tenses with 'have'
Similarly, for past tenses we use different forms of have, not
have got. Compare the following:
have got to
Note that we sometimes use have got to in present tense form as
sometimes used quite interchangeably with 'will'. This has a particular function for
stronger predictions, perhaps when there's some present evidence to suggest
something will happen: 'Ella's a really good student, I think she's going to be a
brain surgeon when she gets older.'
We also use this structure when we have a personal intention, or are making a
resolution or decision to do something, as in, 'I'm going to stop eating so much
chocolate this year'.
In a context where you have not only decided to do something but also made all
the arrangements, sometimes referred to as 'diary future', we're more likely to use a
present verb tense, the present continuous ? am/is/are + ING form of the verb, as
you have in your second sentence 'I'm going to the market at 4'. We use this form
for future events that are booked and already arranged, and which we consequently
feel are definitely going to happen. For example, I'm flying to France on Sunday,
we're buying a house or I'm meeting my boss at 2.
So while there's often a confusion between these forms I hope those examples
have helped to clarify the key difference for you. Thanks Anna.
Sian Harris is the Manager of English Language Training & Development at the
BBC World Service, and runs specialist courses in London and overseas for BBC
staff. Before joining the BBC, she spent 10 years as an English language teacher,
examiner and academic manager in schools and colleges in London.
A question from Marcel Fehlmann in Switzerland:
Good afternoon. Using 'going to' for the future: Is it more natural to say 'I'm going
to go snowboarding' or 'I'm going snowboarding'? Thank you for your answer.
We're meeting Jane outside the town hall at three o' clock.
>
We left school before the classes were over because we
were meeting Jane outside the town hall at three o' clock.
future perfect: will have + past participle > would have + past
participle:
We use the will / shall future for things which are much more
open or have not already been decided:
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he is to / they are to
We use this structure quite a lot to talk about official plans and
arrangements. In your examples, Enrique, the verb be is omitted
which is very characteristic of newspaper headlines. In any text
follow the headline it would need to be included, e.g.
The British Prime Minister, the French President and the
German Chancellor are to meet in Berlin this weekend.
Note that we can also use this structure as a perfect infinitive to
describe a planned event that did not take place:
The British PM was to have had talks with his Canadian
counterpart on his way to the US, but these were cancelled when
the trip was curtailed. I was to have gone on holiday with Ruth,
but she couldnt get time off work.
In a more informal register, was supposed to has a similar
meaning:
I was supposed to go on holiday with Ruth, but she couldnt get
time off work.
you are not to I am to
Note that this structure can also be used to issue or to
acknowledge instructions or orders. When it is used in negative
sentences, it nearly always has this meaning, but it can be used
in affirmative sentences with this meaning too
We are to smoke only in the designated areas. We are not to
smoke anywhere else.
We are to look after our neighbours dog while they are away
but were not to feed him any chocolate. Else he will be sick.
There is future meaning here, but it also means at any time,
particularly in negative sentences. As we are acknowledging an
instruction, we could also use we mustnt in these sentences
instead of were not to.
Here are some more examples of this usage. Look at these
instructions to members of a youth club in an inner-city area:
be to + infinitive
You're quite right, Young. This is a future form. When we say
that things are to happen, we are talking about official
arrangements and formal instructions that are imposed on us
by other people. This structure is quite common in news reports
and official notices of various kinds:
You are not to leave the school hall until your parents
arrive to collect you.
You're not to use your mobile phone for long
conversations. It's too costly!
I'm to clean up my room before I'm allowed to go out.
She can go out tonight, but she's not to be late back.
be to + infinitive in if clauses
This structure is also very common in if-clauses when we are
discussing pre-conditions:
I was about to get into the bath when the doorbell rang.
Is that Sarah? ~ Yes, it is. You're lucky to have caught
me. I was just about to leave.
Learning English
be to + infinitive
Roger replies:
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questions
But which is the most natural, which are you likely to hear? Well first let's look at
the different forms. How long will you stay in London? This is what's commonly
called the 'future simple'. How long will you be staying in London is the 'future
continuous', also called the 'future progressive'.
To understand the difference, I think it might be useful to look at an example
showing the differences between a present simple and continuous.
Let's compare these two - "I work in London" and "I'm working in London". Both
of these are similar in that they identify the place where I work. One form is
present simple, "I work in London", the other, "I'm working in London", is present
continuous.
So which is correct? Well, the answer is both of them are correct, depending on the
attitude of the person who is speaking. One of the general meanings of simple verb
forms is that they describe things that are seen to be a fact, a statement of what is
believed to be true and therefore permanent. Often there isn't actually any time
connection with the present simple. This might sound strange, but think of a
sentence like - "Fish live in water" - this is a statement of fact which is always
true, past present and future, there is no real time connection.
In our example, "I work in London", this is just my stating a fact about me in the
same way.
Now, "I'm working in London" is a little different. There's more information here.
Present continuous verb forms are often used to describe things which the speaker
believes to be temporary or in progress. They started before now and will end
sometime after now. So this suggests perhaps that if I say "I'm working in
London", I don't necessarily believe that to be a permanent thing, I imagine that
sometime in the future I might work somewhere else.
So, in very simple terms you could say that often simple verb forms are for
permanent things and continuous verb forms for temporary things.
Now, let's go back to the original question - "How long will you stay?" or "How
long will you be staying?"
I think it would probably be unusual for a native speaker to say "How long will
you stay?" This is the future simple. Simple forms often go with permanent ideas but if you are asking someone this question, then you believe that they will not
stay permanently, their stay will be temporary, they're going to leave at some
point. So I don't think it quite matches. I don't think we'd use the future simple to
ask a question about a temporary condition.
If someone is visiting you or your country, I think it'll be much more likely that
we'd ask, 'How long will you be staying.'
Naser from Iran asks:
Would / going to
Hello Naser and thanks very much for your question! Now,
first of all, before we answer your question, I'd like to have a quick look at the
grammar of what you wrote. We need to add a subject to your sentence. You said
How long is going to take? and in fact we need a subject in there so it would say
How long is it going to take? And regarding your use of the word effect, you need
to use it with an a not an e.
Right, now we've sorted your questions out, let's have a look at the difference between
the two forms, that's would and going to. And here we've got an example conversation:
Woman: I've just heard - my PhD proposal's been accepted! I'm going to start my
research next year.
Man:
The woman has used going to because she's talking about future plans, that's things which
are definitely going to happen. So the man also uses going to because he's asking for
more information about the plans.
Now, we can also use going to, not just for certainties but for things which are probably
going to happen. So, sometimes we use going to with 1st conditional sentences to express
a strong possibility or probability. Here's an example:
If you drink the whole bottle of medicine, it is going to affect you very badly.
And that was a 1st conditional sentence with if and present simple with going to, which
shows the likely result.
We can also use modal verbs and first conditionals, like this:
If you drink the whole bottle of medicine, it might affect you very badly.
So the modal verb with that 1st conditional sentence is might, and it shows quite a strong
possibility.
Now let's have a look at the modal verb would. And here's an example dialogue:
sentences. But for things which are less likely to happen, impossible, improbable or even
just talking about dreams and ideas, we use 2nd conditional sentences and we use would.
Thanks for your question Naser, and I do hope my answer's going to be useful!
Transcript (46 K)
Well hi Thuc, thats a great question! And Ill just say youre
not the first student to feel confused about the different forms of the future tense!
But lets start with Ill miss you. Were using the future with will here, to let someone
know that well feel sad about not being with them. And in this example, no time is
mentioned, so although these people will miss each other, we dont know whether or
when theyll be meeting again. And Ill miss you is just a simple statement of a fact.
But in the sentence Ill be missing you, were using the future progressive to express the
same feeling, but the emphasis is slightly different. The use of the progressive verb
missing emphasises the continuation of the feeling, because the condition or action is
ongoing. Because the progressive form of the verb is associated with action, it draws
attention to the actual experience of something. So the difference between Ill miss you
and Ill be missing you is that the use of the future progressive has a bit more power
because it highlights the constant experience of loneliness or loss. However, Ill be
missing you also seems to suggest that the two people will meet again, because we could
almost add a second part to the sentence - Ill be missing you until I see you again.
And theres a line in a famous song which sums up the power of the future progressive,
but dont worry Thuc, Im not going to sing to you now! But listen to this:
Ill be seeing you in all the old familiar places
The use of the future progressive here draws attention to the fact that the person will be
constantly reminded or haunted by the memory of his lover. If the line had been Ill see
you in all the old familiar places, I dont think the song would be remembered today the
way it is! Ill see you in all the old familiar places is quite factual and it doesnt conjure
up the image of an unhappy lover enduring a painful separation.
Similarly, Ill think of you on the airplane could mean Ill think of you once or twice but
Ill be thinking about you on the airplane suggests that Ill constantly be thinking about
you.
Well, Ill be thinking about you Thuc, and I hope that you found these explanations
useful!
Tue Thuc responds:
OK, thank you!
About Samantha
Samantha has been a teacher of English language and communication skills for
the past sixteen years. She taught in Japan for many years, but is now based at
Newcastle University, where she teaches on an MA in Translating and
Interpreting, as well as preparatory EFL programmes.
Agata from Poland asks:
Quite recently a group of English learners from
Poland got interested in the following question:
What grammatical constructions are possible after a
verb "hope"?
A lot of doubts were connected with proper usage of "will" after verb "hope".
Could you please provide elaborate and easy to understand answer to such
question in "Ask About English" section?
Thank you in advance
Agata
P.S - Curious members of www.ang.pl* forum cannot wait to hear from your
experts
Hope
So to sum up, it's probably better to use hope + present, as this is more flexible, and only
ever use hope + will if you are very clear that your meaning is in the future.
I hope that you and your friends have enjoyed all my examples, Agata!
Mark Shea has been a teacher and teacher trainer for fifteen years. He has taught
English and trained teachers extensively in Asia and South America, and is a
qualified examiner for the University of Cambridge oral examinations. He is
currently working with journalists and is the author of the BBC College of
Journalism's online English tutor.
Dani from Brazil asks:
I would like to know when may I or may I not use 'I
was' and when may I or may not use 'I were'.
What's the difference between them?
Thank you very much
Dani
I was and I were
languages like Italian and Portuguese, Persian languages and many of the
languages of the Indian subcontinent. And these languages all shared a common
ancestor - for those of you who are interested, it was called proto-Indo-European.
This language divided ideas into things which are real on the one hand, and things
which are imaginary on the other.
This difference still exists in Latin languages like Portuguese, where you have
indicative tenses to describe real things and subjunctive tenses to describe things
which are 'wishes', 'untrue at the moment' or 'imaginary'.
If you translate the two sentences:
'He comes every Tuesday' and 'I hope he comes'
into Portuguese, the form of the verb is probably different - the first is indicative
and the second is subjunctive.
English makes the same distinction, but it's much easier as subjunctive forms are
usually identical to indicative forms, so you can't tell the difference. Basically 'I
was' is indicative 'I was having dinner when you called' or 'I was happy' - both describe real
situations.
'I were' is subjunctive.
'If I were you, I wouldn't go' is not a real situation, as I cannot be you ...
'If I were you, I wouldn't go'.
It's very common to use the 'I were' construction in sentences with 'if' - or
conditional sentences. This is correct, and technically speaking:
'If I was you ...' is incorrect, at least in formal speech and writing.
Unfortunately, it is quite common to hear native speakers say it, and it might be
that the subjunctive form is gradually disappearing from English.
The subjunctive form is a little more flexible though - we can use inversion with
the subjunctive, so instead of saying:
'If I were rich, I would build a new house for my family' we can say:
'Were I rich, I would build a new house for my family'.
Bare infinitive
Could you help me look for my car keys? I can't find them
anywhere.
Would you like to help to cook dinner tonight? It's late and
I'm feeling tired.
Would you like to help cook dinner tonight? It's late and
I'm feeling tired.
There are one or two other structures where to-infinitive and the
bare infinitive are both possible. Expressions with do or did, such
as what I've done or all I did can follow either pattern.
All I did was (to) suggest that she should lend him no
more money. I didn't insist on it.
I would like you to tidy the house and (to) wash the dishes
before I get home.
You must finish your own work before you go out, but you
don't have to help your sister.
It will be hot and sunny today so you should put on plenty
of sunscreen and you ought to wear a hat.
He needn't take time off work, but he needs to rest in the
evenings and get a good night's sleep before he sets off on
the new expedition.
After the object after certain verbs, such as hear, see, make, let,
there is no to:
I saw him pour the medicine down the loo and I heard him
laugh to himself.
I cannot make you take this medication, I can only ask you
to take it.
I can't let you go to bed hungry. You must let me prepare
you some supper.
After verbal idioms would rather and had better there is no to:
Did you speak to the man wearing the grey jacket? (the man who was wearing a grey
jacket)
The lady working behind the counter is very busy. (the lady who is working behind the
counter)
I could hear the dog barking. (the dog which was barking)
We can also use ing participle clauses to talk about something that happens all the time.
At the end of the road there is a path leading to the station. (a path which leads to the
station)
The agent has a website giving details of all the properties for sale. (a website which
gives details of all the properties for sale)
With the verbs see, hear, watch, and listen to, the meaning can change depending on
whether an -ing participle is used. Compare these sentences:
Stella saw the children cross the road.
Stella saw the children crossing the road.
In the first one - Stella saw the children cross the road - the use of cross in the simple
form implies that Stella saw the complete action she saw the children cross the road
from start to finish. But in the second one - Stella saw the children crossing the road the
use of the participle suggests that Stella saw the children while they were crossing the
road she didn't see the complete action. So in your example sentence Arun, I could hear
the dog barking suggests that the dog was already barking when you heard it and
probably continued barking even when you had left.
I hope that's answered your question Arun!
Catherine
The wind subsided, the sun came out and the water
receded.
My shares have collapsed, so I'm going to have to
economise.
His whole body was aching and his medical condition was
deteriorating.
She wept bitterly on hearing this news.
Note from the last example that intransitive verbs are often
followed by a prepositional or adverbial phrase which provides
more information about the action - when it occurs, where it
occurs, how it occurs, what direction it takes, etc. Compare the
following:
the bed.
It happened yesterday. Vicky had behaved quite
unacceptably.
She could not remain in her company, so she turned and
rushed out of the room.
We can also reverse the order of the objects and put the direct
object first by inserting the preposition to before the indirect
object:
Intransitive or transitive
Many verbs in English can be used both transitively and
intransitively. The object is often not needed when it is obvious
what you are talking about. But it may need to be added to clarify
what is meant. Compare the following:
I asked him to come in, but he did not enter. He did not
enter the room.
In these examples, the meaning of the verb does not change whether
it is used transitively or intransitively. With certain verbs, the
meaning does change. Compare the following:
Marcela asks:
A very specific question, about grammar. Is there a rule about 'inverted subject
verb word order in conditionals?
Normally if we're talking about the past and imagining if things were different, we
use if and then we use what we call the past perfect tense. So, if I had known he
was tired, I would have gone home earlier (I stayed there all night talking to him;
I didn't know he was tired). If I'd known - I had known - he was tired, I would
have gone home earlier.
There's an alternative to that we can use. Instead of saying if I had known, we
can say had I known. We invert the 'had', the auxiliary verb and the subject so
our alternative to if I had known is had I known. If I had seen him, I would
have spoken to him had I seen him I would have spoken to him. If she had
got the job, she would have been happier had she got the job, she would have
been happier.
All the same
The interesting thing about these three examples is, in a way theyre all the same.
In each of these examples, we get rid of if and then we invert (we change the
order of) the auxiliary verb and the subject. And each of them is more formal than
using if, and each of them suggests that the condition that this if clause, the
condition is a bit less probable.
Learning English
let or leave
We use both let and leave in different ways and for different
purposes. They cannot be used interchangeably.
let + infinitive
A very common usage of let is in the phrase let us or let's
when we are making a suggestion involving others.
We say this instead of Why don't we? or I suggest we
which is quite formal. It is often used with shall we? as a
question tag.
Compare the following:
Let = allow/permit
We can see from these last examples, particularly the Joey and
Phoebe example, that let also means allow or permit. These
are more formal alternatives and require to before the infinitive.
Compare the following:
leave = go (depart/quit/abandon)
As we saw with let, leave has a number of different meanings
and uses.
I haven't got any cash left. Can you get the sandwiches?
There were only two days' rations left, but they had to
last for six days.
Learning English
more
questions
Roger replies:
First, see how the words look in the present and the past tense.
Present
Past
lie
he lies..., he is lying...
lay
lie ( + phrase She was lying asleep on the sofa when her
of place)
husband arrived home.
lay ( +
object)
I told her not to lie out in the sun, but she must
lie ( + phrase
have lain there for at least an hour for her back
of place)
was very sunburnt.
lay ( +
object)
Learning English
like
Like as a verb is used mainly to talk about enjoyment,
preferences and habits. It is perhaps not quite as strong in
emotional terms as love, or be fond of or be keen on.
Compare the following:
Note that like is not normally used in the progressive form and
Note that when used for requests and suggestions, would like
to sometimes sounds slightly more polite than want to.
like as preposition
Like as a preposition with nouns or pronouns is used to express
ideas of similarity or comparison. Compare the following:
Likely
It was unlikely that Sarah knew that her boyfriend was a criminal when she first met him
A question from Daniela in Italy:
In English there are many verbs to express possibility or probability, such as may, might,
and could. I am very uncertain how to use the form "to be likely to". Which degree of
probability does it express?
Hello Daniela. Thank you for your question concerning the use of the phrase 'to be likely
to'.
As you say, we use this phrase to talk about the possibility of something happening, and
we often use it to refer to possible future events. For example:
When we use this phrase, we are saying that we are confident that something will happen,
but of course we are not one hundred percent certain. We think something is very
possible, but we also know that we can't be totally sure.
The opposite of likely is unlikely, and I think that this phrase, 'to be unlikely to', is used
more often, perhaps because people are rather pessimistic about the future. For example:
'I think it is unlikely that England will win the football World Cup.'
'I am unlikely to pass my exams this year.'
In these examples, the speaker is nearly certain that something won't happen.
Finally, I have talked about future events, but the phrase 'to be likely' or 'unlikely to' can
be used to refer to past and present time. You simply need to change the form of the verb
'to be'. For example:
'It was unlikely that Sarah knew that her boyfriend was a criminal when she
first met him.'
I hope that has answered your question. While you continue to study English, you are
likely to have other questions. If so, please write to us at BBC Learning English again for
help. Good luck.
Gareth Rees has a BA (hons) in History and Philosophy of Science, CTEFLA, and
DELTA. He has taught EFL, EAP and Business English in China, Spain and England,
and he is the co-author of the Language Leader Elementary and Pre-Intermediate
English language course books (Pearson Longman). He currently teaches English in the
Language Centre at the University of the Arts, London.
Learning English
do not need to
On the one hand, it can be used as an ordinary verb and has the
same forms as an ordinary verb. The third person singular ends
with an s, and questions and negatives are formed with do. As an
ordinary verb, need is normally followed by an infinitive with to:
needn't
In the other format, need behaves as a modal verb, like can, could,
must should, etc. It has the same forms as modal auxiliary verbs:
the third person singular has no s, questions and negatives are
made without do. In this format, need is followed by an infinitive
without to:
Dare she tell him what she thinks about him? She daren't
Transcript (51 K)
So what a great question! I have to say, its rare for a nonnative speaker to notice this feature of spoken English, so you must have a very
good ear for conversations! The feature that youve drawn attention to is called a
non-standard grammatical form and in the cases youve mentioned the speakers
seem to combine two tenses into one new one.
So whats going on here? I was sat waiting for an hour uses the simple past of be and the
past participle of the second verb sit, and finally waiting is in the progressive verb form.
This pattern, which almost looks like the passive voice, is used to introduce anecdotes
and stories, almost as a kind of scene-setting device. It also sometimes suggests that the
person was forced to do something against their will, which is similar to the function of
the passive. This phrase is likely to be used when were complaining about something:
I was stood waiting for the bus for half an hour in the freezing cold.
I was finished cleaning when the kids come in and messed the room up again.
Technically, in writing, this combination of verb forms would be incorrect, and if children
wrote in this way at school, their teacher would correct the form of the second verb (as
youve done in your examples) or cross out the be participle to change the verb to the
simple past:
I sat waiting for an hour.
I stood in the rain.
The teacher corrects written English so that the child is aware of conventional or
standard usage, which a child needs to become literate. Even as children, were able to
modify our language depending on the formality of a situation and adult speakers who
use a lot of non-standard grammatical forms are probably unlikely to do so in formal
situations - for example, if they were asked to give a speech in public.
So, while a teacher might correct a childs written English, I think were more tolerant of
spoken variations, and these days, we use the term non-standard to describe such
features. I think its better than describing such variations as being wrong or incorrect,
because these non-standard grammatical patterns are used consistently by millions of
speakers every day! So, I really approve of your phrase seemingly incorrect, Cynthia, to
describe this usage, because I think that sums it up perfectly!
And Cynthia, I just want to finish by mentioning that there are some regional variations
in non-standard grammar. I thought Id tell you about some features of non-standard
grammar from the regional accent, Geordie, where I live. (In fact, rather than being an
accent, its a dialect, but thats another story!). OK
The first example Im going to tell you about is Ive went or Shes went or
Hes went home, which is used instead of gone.
Another example is the use of the simple present instead of the simple past
- I says to my husband - which uses the third person singular form of the
verb.
Theres also a non-standard conditional form used: If I hadve went
meaning If I had gone to express an unfulfilled condition.
Another example is that the past tense of irregular verbs becomes inflected:
I catched it; I telled him.
And finally, double negatives are common: You didnt want it, didnt you
not?
So, just before I go, or gan, you might be intrigued to learn that regional accents
(although not dialects) have become very fashionable in broadcasting, but the announcers
do read scripts written in standard English grammar! So good-bye and thank you for the
question Cynthia!
About Samantha
Samantha has been a teacher of English language and communication skills for
the past sixteen years. She taught in Japan for many years, but is now based at
Newcastle University, where she teaches on an MA in Translating and
Interpreting, as well as preparatory EFL programmes.
Learning English
Roger replies:
more questions
Formal
I got interested in
I became interested in art in
photography when I was ten. later life.
As he got older, his garden
got really messy.
Become + noun
We cannot, however, use get with a noun, even though the
meaning is 'grow' or 'develop into'. We have to use become in
this sense:
Get + noun/pronoun
When we use get with a noun or a pronoun as a direct object,
get usually means 'obtain', 'acquire', 'receive' or 'fetch'.
Become is impossible here:
Learn It
never would.
I'm going to sack all the staff and close the unit. ~ Are you
really? ~ Yes, I am.
Also note that contracted forms are normal in negative short
questions and answers, but cannot be used in the affirmative
where stressed, non-contracted forms are needed.
Expressing disbelief
Note that to express disbelief we sometimes use a longer
response and repeat everything we have heard. By using a rising
intonation at the end, we 'echo' the information back and turn it
into a question:
I'm going to sack all the staff and close the unit. ~ You're going
to sack all the staff and close the unit? ~ That's what I intend to
do, yes.
He broke his collarbone on purpose to get out of playing rugby.
~ He broke his collarbone on purpose to get out of playing
rugby? ~ That's what he did!
Question tags
We also often use question tags to check information or to
request agreement. With a positive statement we normally use a
negative question tag. With a negative statement, we always use
a positive tag.
If the main sentence contains an auxiliary verb or the nonauxiliary verb be, this is repeated in the question tag. If the main
sentence has no auxiliary, the question tag is formed with do or
did:
It's not very warm today, is it?
It's quite cold today, isn't it?
This beer hasn't been properly chilled, has it?
This beer's been out of the fridge too long, hasn't it?
Learning English
more
questions
Roger replies:
Learning English
Roger replies:
more
questions
Strong emphasis
You are also quite right in suggesting that do is not normally
used in affirmative sentences. However, it is used when we want
to place strong emphasis on what we are saying to show that we
feel strongly about it in a positive way. In all these cases, do is
pronounced with strong stress. Consider the following:
Contrastive emphasis
There are three other circumstances when do is used in
affirmative sentences or clauses.
It is used for contrastive emphasis when we want to contrast
one set of circumstances or point in time with another. Study the
following:
'I wish I could lose some weight.' 'Yes, well you do eat
rather a lot of sweet things.'
'Why didnt you ask him for a loan?' 'I did ask him, but
he said he had no money.'
'I hardly ever see my ex-wife, but I do see my children
every week.
Polite Imperatives
It is sometimes used with imperatives when we want to make a
suggestion or invitation more polite or welcoming. Study the
following:
Avoiding repetition
It is often used when we want to avoid repeating a verb which
we have already used in the first part of the sentence. Consider
the following:
'Did you see Maria when she was over in London?' 'Yes, I
did!'
Learning English
'used to'
Roger replies:
more
questions
'When did you meet your husband?' 'I met him in 1992,
but we didn't get married until quite recently.'
Learning English
Roger replies:
more
questions
'How long have you been waiting for this bus?' 'Ive
been standing here for over half an hour. These buses
never come.'
'Ive been looking for a summer holiday job for two
weeks now, but I still havent found one.'
'Weve been living here in Brighton since 1988 the
year we got married.'
'I first went to the States in 1995. That was where I met
Peter. So weve known each other for six years and
weve been married now for three years.'
'That man has been standing outside our house since
early morning. He arrived at eight o clock and hasnt
moved all day.'
'When I woke up the sun was shining, but its been
raining steadily since eleven o clock and its now half
past three.'
Learning English
Roger replies:
more
questions
construction.
For the interrogative, we must also remember to invert subject
and verb. Study the following:
Sheila:
Henry:
Sheila:
Henry:
Sheila:
Henry:
Sheila:
Henry:
Sheila:
Henry:
Sheila:
Now see if you can write a dialogue combining the past simple
and present perfect.
Learning English
the subjunctive
more
questions
It + be + adjective:
desirable/important/essential/imperative/vital/etc
In all of these examples below with should, you can substitute
the subjunctive if you want to make it sound more formal or the
present simple tense if you want it to be less formal:
It is essential (that) you should be given your
medication by a properly qualified nurse. (Or: be given,
or are given.)
For the future well-being of the company, it is imperative
(that) he should resign now. (Or: resign, or resigns.)
It is desirable (that) he should be retained in custody,
rather than released on bail. (Or: be retained, or is
retained.)
suggest/recommend/insist/demand
Similarly with these reporting verbs, we can use should, the
subjunctive or the normal tense in the that-clause, depending on
whether it is appropriate to sound formal or not:
The government tried to insist (that) all firearms should
be handed in without delay. (Or: be handed in, or are
handed in.)
The doctors have recommended (that) he should remain
in hospital for a further three weeks. (Or: remain, or
remains.)
advise/ask/command/instruct/request/require/warn
Note that these reporting verbs do not require should or a thatclause and are normally used instead with a simple infinitive.
The issue of whether to use the subjunctive or not with these
verbs does not then arise.
Consider the following:
Her mother advised them to be home by ten o clock.
They required me to clean the house every Saturday.
You asked me to let you know how much it would cost.
currents.
Learning English
We've lived in this house for over twenty years ever since July 1981 to be precise.
They've known Jennifer since she was two years old.
aspect:
Learning English
When you were living in Egypt, did you ever see a Nile
crocodile? ~ No, I don't ever remember seeing a
crocodile in the Nile!
Did you ever sail up the Nile? ~ Once, but only from
Luxor to Aswan.
appointment.
in the last ten years / six months / three weeks / few
days
These adverbial expressions indicate a fixed period of
time, and say when something happened. They connect the
past with the present and, like ever, since and for are most
commonly used with the present perfect. Your supermarket
example therefore sounds best with the present perfect
passive, Bea, rather than past simple passive:
Learning English
suppose = think/believe/imagine/expect
In this sense, suppose is often used in requests with negative
structures when we hope the answer will be positive:
When you are practising these examples in speech, note that the
final d in supposed to is not pronounced. It is pronounced as
'suppose to', but should always be written in its correct form
grammatically as supposed to.