English Grammar for International Studies

Piet van der Voort

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2019
• eBook ISBN: 9781000035421
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Business General
• Index: Business

English Grammar for International Studies is designed for students taking international programmes in higher vocational education, such as Business and Management Studies, International Marketing, International Finance, Business Administration, International Communication and Media, Finance and Banking, Hotel and Facility, and Tourism. Such programmes often have an international student body and therefore the language of instruction is English. English Grammar for International Studies caters precisely for these programmes since the instruction, examples and exercises are offered in English.

Offering grammar instruction based on problem-oriented learning, the grammatical principles in the book are rehearsed in a variety of exercises and assignments using primary source texts, such as newspaper headlines, advertisements and internet texts. This book is eminently suitable for self-study, because of its step-by-step approach to English grammar, its transparent instruction, wide range of exercises and the possibility to check answers to questions on the accompanying website (www.englishgrammarforinternationalstudies.noordhoff.nl) which also provides a self-assessment test allowing students to monitor their grammar deficiencies.

1
The tenses of ‘be’

Intro

The verb ‘be’ is the most frequently used verb in the English language. It may, therefore, be useful to revise all the tenses of this important verb. At the same time you will learn the English terminology for the various tenses. Do you know which tenses of ‘be’ are used in this text?

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1 The present tense

Singular		Plural
1st person	I am	1st person	we are
2nd person	you are	2nd person	you are
3rd person	she/he/it is	3rd person	they are

• It is used to refer to things and also to animals: Where is my mobile? It is over there.
• Short forms: I’m, you’re, he’s, she’s, it’s, we’re, you’re, they’re.

2 The past tense

I was	we were
you were	you were
she/he/it was	they were

After ‘if I’ you use were in formal speech and writing: If I were rich, I would spend a lot of time travelling.

3The present future tense

I will be	we will be
you will be	you will be
she/he/it will be	they will be

The present future tense of ‘be’ in all persons is: will be. In the first person singular and plural (I/we), both will and shall can be used, though shall is usually restricted to formal usage. Short forms: I’ll, we’ll, etc.

The factory of the future will have only two employees: a man and a dog. The man will be there to feed the dog. The dog will be there to keep the man from touching the equipment.

4The past future tense

I would be	we would be
you would be	you would be
she/he/it would be	they would be

The past future tense of ‘be’ is would be in all persons. Short forms: I’d, you’d, etc. Example: He said he would be back in ten minutes.

5The present perfect tense

I have been	we have been
you have been	you have been
she/he/it have been	they have been

• The present perfect tense of ‘be’ is have/has + been. Example: I have been very busy the last few weeks.
• Short forms: I’ve been, he’s been, etc.
• Note that the auxiliary (= helping verb) of the perfect tense is always have.

6The past perfect tense

I had been	we had been
you had been	you had been
she/he/it had been	they had been

The past perfect tense of ‘be’ is had been in all persons. Short forms: I’d been, you’d been, etc. Example: He said he had been very busy.

7The past future perfect tense

I would have been	we would have been
you wo...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Introduction
• Contents
• 1 The tenses of ‘be’
• 2 Word order
• 3 Irregular verbs
• 4 The present tense
• 5 The past tense
• 6 The present perfect tense
• 7 The past perfect tense
• 8 The future tense
• 9 The passive (1)
• 10 The passive (2)
• 11 Ability, possibility and request
• 12 Permission
• 13 Necessity and obligation
• 14 The -ing form
• 15 Direct object + infinitive
• 16 The noun (1)
• 17 The noun (2)
• 18 The possessive form of nouns
• 19 The adjective
• 20 The adverb
• 21 The indefinite article
• 22 The definite article
• 23 Personal and possessive pronouns
• 24 Interrogative pronouns
• 25 Relative pronouns
• 26 Indefinite pronouns (1)
• 27 Indefinite pronouns (2)
• 28 Reflexive pronouns
• 29 Numbers
• 30 Prepositions (1)
• 31 Prepositions (2)
• 32 Mixed grammar points
• Grammar terminology used in this book
• Index