Both, Either, Neither, Nor and So

Expression	Example
both … and …	I like both cats and dogs.
so	Jane likes cats. So do I.
not … either	Jane doesn't like cats. I don't like cats either.
either … or …	Jane either has a cat or a dog.
neither/nor	Jane doesn't like cats. Neither do I./Nor do I.
neither … nor …	I like neither cats nor dogs.

Exercise

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Future II Progressive (Future II Continuous)

Future II progressive puts emphasis on the course / duration of an action taking place before a certain time in the future. It can also be used to express an assumption regarding a future action.

Future II progressive is not used very often as it can usually be replaced by future II simple.

Form

• A: He will have been talking.
• N: He will not have been talking.
• Q: Will he have been talking?

Use

• action taking place before a certain time in the future
• puts emphasis on the course of an action

Signal Words

• for ..., the last couple of hours, all day long

Exercise on future II progressive

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Future II Simple Level: elementary

Future II Simple expresses an action that will be finished at a certain time in the future.

Form

• A: He will have talked.
• N: He will not have talked.
• Q: Will he have talked?

Use

• action that will be finished at a certain time in the future

Signal Words

• by Monday, in a week

Exercise on future II simple

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Past Perfect Progressive (Past Perfect Continuous)

The past perfect progressive puts emphasis on the course or duration of an action taking place before a certain time in the past.

Form

• A: He had been talking.
• N: He had not been talking.
• Q: Had he been talking?

Use

• action taking place before a certain time in the past
• sometimes interchangeable with past perfect simple
• puts emphasis on the course or duration of an action

signal words

• for, since, the whole day, all day

Exercise on past perfect progressive

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Past Perfect Simple Level: lower intermediate

The past perfect simple expresses an action taking place before a certain time in the past.

Form of Past Perfect Simple

	Positive	Negative	Question
no differences	I had spoken.	I had not spoken.	Had I spoken?

For irregular verbs, use the past participle form (see list of irregular verbs, 3rd column). For regular verbs, just add ed.

Exceptions in Spelling when Adding ed

Exceptions in Spelling when Adding ed	Example
after final e, only add d	love – loved
final consonant after a short, stressed vowel or l as final consonant after a vowel is doubled	admit – admitted travel – travelled
final y after a consonant becomes i	hurry – hurried

Use of Past Perfect

• action taking place before a certain time in the past
  (putting emphasis only on the fact, not the duration)
  Example: Before I came here, I had spoken to Jack.
• Conditional Sentences Type III (condition that was not given in the past)
  Example: If I had seen him, I would have talked to him.

Signal Words

• already, just, never, not yet, once, until that day (with reference to the past, not the present)
• If-Satz Typ III (If I had talked, …)

Exercises on Past Perfect

• Exceptions in Spelling when Adding ed
• Positive Sentences in Past Perfect Simple
• Negative Sentences in Past Perfect Simple
• Questions in Past Perfect Simple
• Mixed Exercise in Past Perfect Simple
• Irregular Verbs

Grammar in Texts

• „The Canterville Ghost“ (highlight verbs in past perfect simple) 

Tests

• Past Perfect Simple: Level 2, Level 3

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Future I Simple going to..

Going to future expresses a conclusion regarding the immediate future or an action in the near future that has already been planned or prepared.

Form of going to Future

	positive	negative	question
I	I am going to speak.	I am not going to speak.	Am I going to speak?
you / we / they	You are going to speak.	You are not going to speak.	Are you going to speak?
he / she / it	He is going to speak.	He is not going to speak.	Is he going to speak?

Use of going to Future

• an action in the near future that has already been planned or prepared
  example: I am going to study harder next year.
• a conclusion regarding the immediate future
  example: The sky is absolutely dark. It is going to rain.

Signal Words

• in one year, next week, tomorrow

Exercises on going to Future

• form of going tofuture
• positive sentences in going to future
• negative sentences in going to future
• question in going to future
• mixed exercise in going to future

Tests

• Future I Simple going to: Level 1 • Level 2 • Level 3

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Future I Progressive

Future I progressive puts emphasis on the course of an action taking place in the future.

Form

• A: He will be talking.
• N: He will not be talking.
• Q: Will he be talking?

Use

• action that is going on at a certain time in the future
• action that is sure to happen in the near future

Signal Words

• in one year, next week, tomorrow

Exercise on future I progressive

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Future I Simple will

Form of will Future

	positive	negative	question
no differences	I will speak.	I will not speak.	Will I speak?

Use of will Future

• a spontaneous decision
  example: Wait, I will help you.
• an opinion, hope, uncertainty or assumption regarding the future
  example: He will probably come back tomorrow.
• a promise
  example: I will not watch TV tonight.
• an action in the future that cannot be influenced
  example: It will rain tomorrow.
• conditional clauses type I
  example: If I arrive late, I will call you.

Signal Words

• in a year, next …, tomorrow
• Vermutung: I think, probably, perhaps

Exercises on will Future

• positive sentences in will Future
• negative sentences in will Future
• questions in will Future
• mixed exercise in will Future

Tests

• Future I Simple will: Level 1 • Level 2 • Level 3

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Present Perfect Progressive

The present perfect progressive expresses an action that recently stopped or is still going on. It puts emphasis on the duration or course of the action.

Form of Present Perfect Progressive

	Positive	Negative	Question
I / you / we / they	I have been speaking.	I have not been speaking.	Have I been speaking?
he / she / it	He has been speaking.	He has not been speaking.	Has he been speaking?

Exceptions in Spelling

Exceptions in spelling when adding ing	Example
final e is dropped (but: ee is not changed)	come – coming (but: agree – agreeing)
after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled	sit – sitting
l as final consonant after a vowel is doubled (in British English)	travel – travelling
final ie becomes y	lie – lying

Use of Present Perfect Progressive

• puts emphasis on the duration or course of an action (not the result)
  Example: She has been writing for two hours.
• action that recently stopped or is still going on
  Example: I have been living here since 2001.
• finished action that influenced the present
  Example: I have been working all afternoon.

Signal Words of Present Perfect Progressive

• all day, for 4 years, since 1993, how long?, the whole week

Exercises on Present Perfect Progressive

• Exceptions in Spelling when Adding “ing”
• “Have” or “Has”?
• “Since” or “For”?
• Positive Sentences
• Negative Sentences
• Questions
• Mixed exercise on Present Perfect Progressive

Tests on Present Perfect Progressive

• Present Perfect Progressive: Level 2 • Level 3

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Present Perfect

The present perfect simple expresses an action that is still going on or that stopped recently, but has an influence on the present. It puts emphasis on the result.

Form of Present Perfect

	Positive	Negative	Question
I / you / we / they	I have spoken.	I have not spoken.	Have I spoken?
he / she / it	He has spoken.	He has not spoken.	Has he spoken?

For irregular verbs, use the participle form (see list of irregular verbs, 3rd column). For regular verbs, just add “ed”.

Exceptions in Spelling when Adding ‘ed’

Exceptions in spelling when adding ed	Example
after a final e only add d	love – loved
final consonant after a short, stressed vowel or l as final consonant after a vowel is doubled	admit – admitted travel – travelled
final y after a consonant becomes i	hurry – hurried

Use of Present Perfect

• puts emphasis on the result
  Example: She has written five letters.
• action that is still going on
  Example: School has not started yet.
• action that stopped recently
  Example: She has cooked dinner.
• finished action that has an influence on the present
  Example: I have lost my key.
• action that has taken place once, never or several times before the moment of speaking
  Example: I have never been to Australia.

Signal Words of Present Perfect

• already, ever, just, never, not yet, so far, till now, up to now

Exercises on Present Perfect

• Exceptions in Spelling when adding ‘ed’
• have or has
• Positive Sentences in Present Perfect Simple
• Negative Sentences in Present Perfect Simple
• Sentences with ‘never’ in Present Perfect Simple
• Questions in Present Perfect Simple
• Questions with Interrogative Particles in Present Perfect Simple
• Mixed Exercise on Present Perfect Simple
• Exercise on the text “Loch Ness”
• Irregular Verbs

Tests on Present Perfect

• Present Perfect: Level 1, Level 2, Level 3

Grammar in Texts

• „History of Snowboarding“ (highlight verbs in Present Perfect) 

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Past Progressive

The past progressive puts emphasis on the course of an action in the past.

Form

	Positive	Negative	Question
I / he / she / it	I was speaking.	I was not speaking.	Was I speaking?
you / we / they	You were speaking.	You were not speaking.	Were you speaking?

Exceptions in Spelling

Exceptions in spelling when adding ing	Example
final e is dropped (but: ee is not changed)	come – coming (but: agree – agreeing)
after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled	sit – sitting
l as final consonant after a vowel is doubled (in British English)	travel – travelling
final ie becomes y	lie – lying

Use of Past Progressive

• puts emphasis on the course of an action in the past
  Example: He was playing football.
• two actions happening at the same time (in the past)
  Example: While she was preparing dinner, he was washing the dishes.
• action going on at a certain time in the past
  Example: When I was having breakfast, the phone suddenly rang.

Signal Words of Past Progressive

• when, while, as long as

Exercises on Past Progressive

• Exceptions in Spelling when Adding ing
• Was or Were
• Positive Sentences
• Negative Sentences
• Questions
• Questions with Interrogatives
• Mixed exercise on Past Progressive

Tests

• Past Progressive: Level 1, Level 2, Level 3

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