VERBS (Ch 4) main verbs –regular (always –ed in past tense + participle) –irregular (e.g. go-went-gone) auxiliary verbs –primary (be, have, do) –modal (e.g. should, can, would)

Irregular verbs- some important comments learn – learnt – learntor learn – learned – learned Also: dream, lean, burn, smell, spell Note difference: teach – learn lie – lay – lain = ligga, lägga sig ned lay – laid – laid = lägga något; duka

Note spelling: choose – chose – chosen lose – lost – lost (compare ‘loose’) shook, took, stood bought, fought caught, taught

Important! English has subject-verb agreement Examples: The house by the river is grey. The houses by the river are grey. The cat has black stripes. The cats have black stripes. Does her sister play floorball? Do her friends play football?

Modal verbs ( ) Can – could –permission: Can/Could I borrow your pen? –possibility: This can be done. –ability: She can speak Russian. May – might –permission: May I use your phone? –possibility: We may/might be late. Note! –Politeness (can/could/may) –’eventuellt’ in Swedish

Will can express –future: I will do the dishes tomorrow. –volition: Will you marry me? No, I will not! –habit: She will be on the phone for hours. Note ! ’Shall’ is unusual, but can be used for future with ’I/we’ or in questions: I shall (I’ll) see you later. Shall we dance?

Must/have to –’must’ only present (future) time –’have to’ in other tenses –Note! must not = not allowed to Used to –only has one form = past tense (’brukade’) –to express present tense (’brukar’) use ’usually/generally’: She usually walks to school.

Swedish ’skulle’ Could (=Sw. ‘skulle kunna’) –I’m so angry I could hit him. –If we save some money, we could go on holiday. –Could you give me a hand?

Would most common way to say ‘skulle’ –My sister said she would help me. –Our teacher told us he would be a bit late. –I would go to Australia if I had the money. –Would you like something to drink?

Should mainly to express ‘skulle’ = ‘bör/borde’ –You should see the film, it’s great! –You should have told me yesterday. –I think we should leave now. also after certain verbs (e.g. insist, demand, suggest) –We demanded that the meeting /should/ be moved.

Was/Were skulle = skulle just; skulle (det var planerat) –I was about to go to bed when the phone rang. –We were just going to leave/about to leave. –We were (supposed) to meet at the cinema, but she didn't turn up. –Was that supposed to be funny?

Tense differences (4.64) Future tense –generally necessary in English –Swedish often has present tense Examples: I will call you next week. (’ringer’) They will meet us at the station. (’möter’) She will do it if you ask her. (’gör’)

conditional 1) He would help you if you asked him. 2) He would have helped you if you had asked him. (’hade hjälpt/skulle ha hjälpt’) present tense (Sw. often past tense) –It’s nice to see you. (’var’) –That’s a strange painting. (’var’) –Those are nice glasses. (’var’)

past tense (Sw. often present tense) –Where were you born? (’är’) –Oliver Twist was written by Dickens. (’är skriven’) –This church was built in the 16th century.

difference between past and present perfect –She lived in the US for three years (but no longer). –She has lived in the US for three years (and still does). note sentences with ’for’ and ’since’: –He has worked as a teacher since –They have lived in Dublin for six months.

The passive (4.66) same basic sentences but shift in focus formed with ’be’ + past participle active: The police arrested the man passive: The man was arrested by the police. many passives have no by-agent: –This school was built in the 1970’s. –This question will be discussed at the next parental meeting.

The progressive form ( ) she is talking/was talking Used for: something on-going; a specific situation –What is he doing? He is watching TV. something temporary –She is working as a supply teacher. indicates change; something in progress –My pupils are learning new things all the time.

The simple form she talks/talked Used for: a habit; something typical –He usually walks to school. something permanent; eternal truths –The sun rises in the east. a state or relation –She has two brothers. short-lasting action: Mike jumped high.

Note Verbs for physical sensation, both forms possible: –My foot aches/is aching. –How do you feel/are you feeling? Some verbs don’t normally have progressive forms: –Examples: cost, love, hate, like

The –ing form ( ) not only used for progressive! preposition followed by –ing form: –I’m good at singing. –He’s interested in sampling music. –She apologised for being late. –We look forward to seeing you next year! ***

some verbs are always followed directly by the –ing form examples: enjoy, dislike, avoid, finish, stop –Some people enjoy watching docusoaps. –He dislikes cleaning up his room. –Have you finished writing? –You must stop shouting? ***

some verbs can have either –ing form or ’to’ –She likes skiing/to ski. –We hate doing/to do the dishes. –He loves playing/to play chess. Swedish ’bli’ sometimes ’become’ but often expressed with ’be’ (4.84) –He wants to become a surgeon. –The book was a great success. –We were surprised when he showed up.

Sum up Verbs Main Auxiliary Modal Tenses Passive Progressive – simple form Ing-form