ACTIVE & PASSIVE VOICE

Active Form

In active sentences, the thing doing the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing receiving the action is the object. Most sentences are active.

[Thing doing action] + [verb] + [thing receiving action]

Examples:

Passive Form

In passive sentences, the thing receiving the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing doing the action is optionally included near the end of the sentence. You can use the passive form if you think that the thing receiving the action is more important or should be emphasized. You can also use the passive form if you do not know who is doing the action or if you do not want to mention who is doing the action.

[Thing receiving action] + [be] + [past participle of verb] + [by] + [thing doing action]

tense	active	passive
present simple	I make a cake	A cake is made (by me)
present continuous	I am making a cake	A cake is being made (by me)
past simple	I made a cake	A cake was made (by me)
past continuous	I was making a cake	A cake was being made (by me)
present perfect	I have made a cake	A cake has been made (by me)
pres. perf. continuous	I have been making a cake	A cake has been being made(by me)
past perfect	I had made a cake	A cake had been made (by me)
future simple	I will make a cake	A cake will be made (by me)
future perfect	I will have made a cake	A cake will have been made(by me)

Past Perfect Continous

FORM

[had been + present participle]

Examples:

·       You had been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived.

·       Had you been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived?

·       You had not been waiting there for more than two hours when she finally arrived.

USE 1 Duration Before Something in the Past

We use the Past Perfect Continuous to show that something started in the past and continued up until another time in the past. "For five minutes" and "for two weeks" are both durations which can be used with the Past Perfect Continuous. Notice that this is related to the Present Perfect Continuous; however, the duration does not continue until now, it stops before something else in the past.

Examples:

·       They had been talking for over an hour before Joseph arrived.

·       She had been working at that company for three years when it went out of business.

·       How long had you been waiting for the class?

·       Mike wanted to sit down because he had been standing all day at work.

·       David had been teaching at the university for more than a year before he left for N.Y.C.

·       A: How long had you been studying English before you moved to U.S.A ?
B: I had not been studying English very long.

Using the Past Perfect Continuous before another action in the past is a good way to how ause and effect.

Examples:

·       Jason was tired because he had been jogging.

·       Sam gained weight because he had been overeating.

·       Betty failed the final test because she had not been attending class.

Past Continuous vs. Past Perfect Continuous

If you do not include a duration such as "for five minutes," "for two weeks" or "since Friday," many English speakers choose to use the Past Continuous rather than the Past Perfect Continuous. Be careful because this can change the meaning of the sentence. Past Continuous emphasizes interrupted actions, whereas Past Perfect Continuous emphasizes a duration of time before something in the past. Study the examples below to understand the difference.

Examples:

·       He was tired because he was exercising so hard.
This sentence emphasizes that he was tired because he was exercising at that exact moment.

·       He was tired because he had been exercising so hard.
This sentence emphasizes that he was tired because he had been exercising over a period of time. It is possible that he was still exercising at that moment OR that he had just finished.

ADVERB PLACEMENT

The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.

Examples:

·       You had only been waiting there for a few minutes when she arrived.

·       Had you only been waiting there for a few minutes when she arrived?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE

Examples:

·       Chef Jones had been preparing the restaurant's fantastic dinners for two years before he moved to Paris. Active

·       The restaurant's fantastic dinners had been being prepared by Chef Jones for two years before he moved to Paris. Passive

Past  Perfect

FORM

[had + past participle]

Examples:

USE 1 Completed Action Before Something in the Past

·       You had studied English before you come to University Libre.

·       Had you studied English before you come to University Libre?

·       You had not studied English before you come to University Libre.

The Past Perfect expresses the idea that something occurred before another action in the past. It can also show that something happened before a specific time in the past.

Examples:

·       I had never seen such a beautiful beach before I went to Cartagena.

·       I did not have any money because I had lost my wallet.

·       Tony knew Istanbul so well because he had visited the city several times.

·       Had Susan ever studied Thai before she moved to Thailand?

·       She only understood the movie because she had read the book.

·       Kristine had never been to an opera before last night.

·       We were not able to get a hotel room because we had not booked in advance.

·       A: Had you ever visited the U.S. before your trip in 2006?
B: Yes, I had been to the U.S. once before.

ADVERB PLACEMENT

The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.

Examples:

·       You had previously studied English before you come to University.

·       Had you previously studied English before you come to University?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE

Examples:

·       George had repaired many cars before he received his mechanic's license. Active

·       Many cars had been repaired by George before he received his mechanic's license. Passive

DAY OF LOVE AND FRIENSHIP

DIA DE SAN VALENTIN - ST VALENTINE'S DAY

Valentine's Day is celebrated on 14th February, the feast day of St. Valentine. It is a

traditional celebration in which lovers, partners and married couples express their love and affection for each other. In some countries it is known as The Day of Lovers orThe Day of Love and Friendship.

These days it is celebrated with the exchanging of cards known as valentines, with patterns on of hearts or Cupid; but with the rise of the Internet the custom of exchanging virtual cards has also increased. Common as well is the tradition of giving roses or tokens of love.

Since the nineteenth century, people have exchanged cards and gifts like roses and chocolates. The gift of roses is common between couples, friends and family, and the colour of the roses determines the message expressed. For example, the red rose symbolizes love, white represents peace and yellow represents friendship.

However, like most holiday celebrations, Valentine's Day has been commercialized and now many think it seems more like a celebration organized by the shops and department stores as any hint of romanticism has been lost.

What is the the history of St Valentine?

There are various legends regarding the history of St Valentine; the only thing that can be said for sure is that there is lots of mystery and his exact story is not very clear.

One of the most well-known legends dates back to Rome in the 3rd century. In this period, soldiers were not allowed to get married because it was believed that single men were better soldiers in battle than those that were married, because they were emotionally attached to their families. Faced with this situation, the figure of the Christian priest Valentine appeared, who considered the obligation on soliders not to marry to be injust. He therefore decided to unite partners in matrimony with the Christian blessing. Through his actions, he emerged as the protector of those in love, because he carried out secret marriages all over Rome, until he was summoned by the Emperor Claudius II.

Asterius, a deputy of Rome, was responsible for the condemned Valentine. He made fun of Christianity and put Valentine to the test, asking him to return the sight of his daughter who was born blind. The priest accepted and performed the miracle. Asterius and his family became Christian, but they could not save Valentine from death, and he was executed on 14th February. Two centuries afterwards, the Catholic church revived the story and shortly afterwards, Valentine was canonized.

How did Valentine's Day become the widespread and commercialized celebration that it is today?

In the United Kingdom during the 17th century, the celebration of Valentine's Day became widespread. In the 18th century, it was common for friends and lovers to exchange love notes written by hand. At the end of this century, printed cards started to replace these letters. In this period, Americans also adopted the tradition and in the 1840s, Esther A. Howland started to sell the first mass-produced Valentine's day cards.

Currently, according to 'The Greeting Card Association', a billion Valentines are sent every year.

LATIN WORLD TRADITIONS

In these countries, they celebrate the Day of Love and Friendship and they don't celebrate it on 14th February, but in September instead. In Central America it is also known as the Day of Tenderness.

However, celebrations on 14th February are also growing in popularity, now being celebrated by the majority of partners in a traditional way. Partners celebrate it through the exchange of gifts, the tradition of 'secret friends', with the men giving roses to the women, chocolates and small tokens that demonstrate love and friendship. In Peru, among one of the most precious gifts that can be given is the orchid, which are native to Peru.

THE TENSES VERBS

This table can help you to find differences between the most common tenses in the English speaking.

Name of Tense	Example	Meaning	Form	Key Time Expressions
Simple Present	I like to walk I listen music	Routines, Habits, Facts Is a personal information	Subject + Infinitive verb + Object	Now, Always, often, usually, seldom, never, sometimes, every day,every year
Present Continuous or Progressive	I am working She is eating you're jumping I'm going to class	An unfinished action Present of future plan	Subject + To be + verb + < ing form >	- At the moment -  Right Now - Tomorrow -  Next
Present Perfect	I have lived in 4 Countries I have had three cars	An action that occurred in the past at an unspecific moment	Subject + Have/Has + Past Participle	All my life, Before, Since, Yet, for , already,never, ever, so far, up to now, just, recently
Present Perfect Continuous or Progressive	I have been working for four years	An unfinished action that began in the past and is still occurring	Have+ Been+ verb < ing  form>	For, Every day, Long time,The Whole day, since,
Simple Past	I was at home I listened music I worked Yesterday	A finished action in the past	Subject + verb in past + object	Yesterday, Last week. Last year , two month ago
Past Continuous or Progressive	I was sleeping when the earth tremor happened I was working in San Francisco in 2004	An unfinished action in the past	Subject + (was/were) + verb + < ing form >	When, while,
Past Perfect	I hadn't seen my friend a years, until we met at the beach one afternoon, By the time I was at home, they had already left.	Past of the past	Subject + Had + Past participle	Until                        Before             Then  Already
Past Perfect Continuous or progressive	Before I come to class I had been smoking I had been studying	A continuous action that took place before another past event.	Had + Been ( PP ) + Verb + < ing form >	Before, Until, By the time, Already
Simple Future	I will run in the morning	Future Intention	Subject + Will + Verb in present	Tomorrow , soon, next
Future Continuous or progressive	What will you be doing at this time tomorrow? I'm going to be studying  at this time tomorrow He'll be sleeping when we get there!	Action in progress in the future	Will + to be + verb +       < ing form >	Tomorrow, Soon, Next. This time, When, While
Future Perfect	I will have done my homework by Wednesday I will have finished my homework by the time you get home!	Finished action in the future before another event.	Will + have + Past Participle.	By the time, By
Future Perfect Continuous or progressive	How long will she have been working by the time get there? By the time we get to the airport, she will have already been traveling for 8 hours.	An action that will be taking place in the future, before another action in the future	Will + Have + Been + Verb + < ing form >	Already, By the time, By