LANGUAGE REFERENCE
120
10
GRAMMAR
G1
PRESENT CONTINUOUS FOR FUTURE
ARRANGEMENTS
You can use the present continuous to talk about the
future.
What
are
you
doing
on Friday evening?
We
’re having
dinner with my husband’s boss.
We
aren’t meeting
him until nine.
¬
irregular verb list, page 165
When you use the present continuous for the future,
you are certain that the action will happen.
The taxi
’s
coming
at six o’clock. (= We’ve booked
the taxi.)
The minister
is giving
a speech tomorrow morning.
(= It’s organised.)
You often use the present continuous when you
have made arrangements, so you usually give a time
or mention other people.
I
’m meeting
Melanie at the theatre this evening.
There is very little difference between the present
continuous and
going to
.
I
’m having
a tennis lesson tomorrow afternoon.
We
’re going to spend
the weekend by the sea.
G2
PAST SIMPLE PASSIVE
You use the passive when you want to focus on the
object of an active sentence.
¬
present simple passive, page 118
You often use the past simple passive to talk about
the history of something.
The first car
was designed
in Germany, but the first
car for the general public
was made
in the USA.
The important information is what happened, not
who did the action. If you want to mention the agent,
you use
by
.
The first portable cassette player
was produced
in
Japan. It
was invented by
Akio Morita.
You often use the passive when the agent is not
known, not important or obvious.
The book
wasn’t published
on time.
The new film
was released
last month.
The new software
was launched
in May.
Form the past simple passive with
was/were
+ past
participle.
‘When
was
your first book
published
?’
‘It
was published
in 1997.’
‘Was the new car a success?’ ‘No, it
wasn’t liked
by the public at all.’
KEY LANGUAGE
KL
GIVING EXAMPLES
For example/instance, …
Another example is the …
… as well as …
A good example of …
It’s just a few minutes from the centre.
VOCABULARY
V1
PEOPLE AND ORGANISATIONS
ambassador, assistant, civil servant, committee,
department, head of department, minister, president,
representative, spokesperson, staff
V2
DIGITAL ADVANCES
adjectives: digital, easy-to-use, portable, powerful,
trendsetter
nouns: competition, digital advances, fault, mobile
electronic devices, online, product launches,
smartphone, slogan, software, tablet
verbs: launch, improve, present, register, release,
set up, store
V3
ADJECTIVES
comfortable, comprehensive, easy, electrifying,
fantastic, high-speed, magical, magnificent,
memorable, modern, quick, spacious, spectacular,
world-class
V4
LINKERS
although, on the other hand, therefore
