| 1. Past Tenses | 2. Have | 3. Success & Failure |
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1. PAST TENSES |
| We use did or didn’t if we are talking about the past. I did know. (positive) I didn’t know. (negative) |
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| ANNE We didn’t know what to think, David. |
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| We use did with the basic form of a verb called an infinitive. | |
| Know is the infinitive. I did know. |
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| These are some ways of forming past tenses with the verb know: I did know. I didn’t know. I knew. |
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| For an action that has not happened, we always use didn’t or did not and the infinitive. I didn’t know. I didn’t understand. I didn’t care. |
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| DAVID I didn’t know what to do. |
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| Another way that we use to form past tenses is to use the past tense of one verb followed by the infinitive. Listen to these examples: |
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| DAVID He agreed to give me a job if I could get a working visa. |
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| He agreed to give – the past tense agreed is followed by the infinitive to give. |
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| DAVID I was too ashamed to see anyone. |
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| The past tense was, is followed by the infinitive to see. |
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| Listen to how these sentences are changed to talk about the past: I know what to do. (present) I knew what to do. (past) I want to study overseas. (present) I wanted to study overseas. (past) |
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more information: past tense - episode 6 |
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2. HAVE |
| We use the word have and its past tense had in a number of ways. |
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They form perfect tenses with other verbs such as the present perfect have done for things that have just happened. |
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| It can mean ‘need’ I have to study. If you lose your job, you have to find another. If Michelle loses her job, she has to find another. |
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| The past tense is had. They have to find another job. (present) They had to find another job. (past) |
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| Notice that the past tense had is followed by the infinitive to find and not the past tense ‘found’. They had to find another job. |
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| DAVID I had to find a job. |
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3. SUCCESS & FAILURE |
| Success and failure are nouns: I’m a success. I’m a failure. |
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| DAVID I’m such a failure. |
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| The verbs are succeed and fail. I hope you succeed with your studies. If you work hard you won’t fail. |
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| ANNE Did you fail your exams? |
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| The past tenses are succeeded and failed. They succeeded in business. He failed his exams. |
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