Grammar - Irregular verbs list

A
Infinitive
Simple Past
Past Participle
arise
arose
arisen
awake
awakened / awoke
awakened / awoken
B
backslide
backslid
backslidden / backslid
be
was, were
been
bear
bore
born / borne
beat
beat
beaten / beat
become
became
become
begin
began
begun
bend
bent
bent
bet
bet / betted [?]
bet / betted [?]
bid (farewell)
bid / bade
bidden
bid (offer amount)
bid
bid
bind
bound
bound
bite
bit
bitten
bleed
bled
bled
blow
blew
blown
break
broke
broken
breed
bred
bred
bring
brought
brought
broadcast
broadcast / broadcasted
broadcast / broadcasted
browbeat
browbeat
browbeaten / browbeat
build
built
built
burn
burned / burnt [?]
burned / burnt [?]
burst
burst
burst
bust
busted / bust
busted / bust
buy
bought
bought
C
cast
cast
cast
catch
caught
caught
choose
chose
chosen
cling
clung
clung
clothe
clothed / clad [?]
clothed / clad [?]
come
came
come
cost
cost
cost
creep
crept
crept
crossbreed
crossbred
crossbred
cut
cut
cut
D
daydream
daydreamed / daydreamt [?]
daydreamed / daydreamt [?]
deal
dealt
dealt
dig
dug
dug
disprove
disproved
disproved / disproven
dive (jump head-first)
dove / dived
dived
dive (scuba diving)
dived / dove
dived
do
did
done
draw
drew
drawn
dream
dreamed / dreamt [?]
dreamed / dreamt [?]
drink
drank
drunk
drive
drove
driven
dwell
dwelt / dwelled [?]
dwelt / dwelled [?]
E
eat
ate
eaten
F
fall
fell
fallen
feed
fed
fed
feel
felt
felt
fight
fought
fought
find
found
found
fit (tailor, change size)
fitted / fit [?]
fitted / fit [?]
fit (be right size)
fit / fitted [?]
fit / fitted [?]
flee
fled
fled
fling
flung
flung
fly
flew
flown
forbid
forbade
forbidden
forecast
forecast
forecast
forego (also forgo)
forewent
foregone
foresee
foresaw
foreseen
foretell
foretold
foretold
forget
forgot
forgotten / forgot [?]
forgive
forgave
forgiven
forsake
forsook
forsaken
freeze
froze
frozen
frostbite
frostbit
frostbitten
G
get
got
gotten / got [?]
give
gave
given
go
went
gone
grind
ground
ground
grow
grew
grown
H
hand-feed
hand-fed
hand-fed
handwrite
handwrote
handwritten
hang
hung
hung
have
had
had
hear
heard
heard
hew
hewed
hewn / hewed
hide
hid
hidden
hit
hit
hit
hold
held
held
hurt
hurt
hurt
I
inbreed
inbred
inbred
inlay
inlaid
inlaid
input
input / inputted
input / inputted
interbreed
interbred
interbred
interweave
interwove / interweaved
interwoven / interweaved
interwind
interwound
interwound
J
jerry-build
jerry-built
jerry-built
K
keep
kept
kept
kneel
knelt / kneeled
knelt / kneeled
knit
knitted / knit
knitted / knit
know
knew
known
L
lay
laid
laid
lead
led
led
lean
leaned / leant [?]
leaned / leant [?]
leap
leaped / leapt [?]
leaped / leapt [?]
learn
learned / learnt [?]
learned / learnt [?]
leave
left
left
lend
lent
lent
let
let
let
lie
lay
lain
lie (not tell truth) REGULAR
lied
lied
light
lit / lighted
lit / lighted
lip-read
lip-read
lip-read
lose
lost
lost
M
make
made
made
mean
meant
meant
meet
met
met
miscast
miscast
miscast
misdeal
misdealt
misdealt
misdo
misdid
misdone
mishear
misheard
misheard
mislay
mislaid
mislaid
mislead
misled
misled
mislearn
mislearned / mislearnt [?]
mislearned / mislearnt [?]
misread
misread
misread
misset
misset
misset
misspeak
misspoke
misspoken
misspell
misspelled / misspelt [?]
misspelled / misspelt [?]
misspend
misspent
misspent
mistake
mistook
mistaken
misteach
mistaught
mistaught
misunderstand
misunderstood
misunderstood
miswrite
miswrote
miswritten
mow
mowed
mowed / mown
N
No irregular verbs beginning with "N."
O
offset
offset
offset
outbid
outbid
outbid
outbreed
outbred
outbred
outdo
outdid
outdone
outdraw
outdrew
outdrawn
outdrink
outdrank
outdrunk
outdrive
outdrove
outdriven
outfight
outfought
outfought
outfly
outflew
outflown
outgrow
outgrew
outgrown
outleap
outleaped / outleapt [?]
outleaped / outleapt [?]
outlie (not tell truth) REGULAR
outlied
outlied
outride
outrode
outridden
outrun
outran
outrun
outsell
outsold
outsold
outshine
outshined / outshone [?]
outshined / outshone [?]
outshoot
outshot
outshot
outsing
outsang
outsung
outsit
outsat
outsat
outsleep
outslept
outslept
outsmell
outsmelled / outsmelt [?]
outsmelled / outsmelt [?]
outspeak
outspoke
outspoken
outspeed
outsped
outsped
outspend
outspent
outspent
outswear
outswore
outsworn
outswim
outswam
outswum
outthink
outthought
outthought
outthrow
outthrew
outthrown
outwrite
outwrote
outwritten
overbid
overbid
overbid
overbreed
overbred
overbred
overbuild
overbuilt
overbuilt
overbuy
overbought
overbought
overcome
overcame
overcome
overdo
overdid
overdone
overdraw
overdrew
overdrawn
overdrink
overdrank
overdrunk
overeat
overate
overeaten
overfeed
overfed
overfed
overhang
overhung
overhung
overhear
overheard
overheard
overlay
overlaid
overlaid
overpay
overpaid
overpaid
override
overrode
overridden
overrun
overran
overrun
oversee
oversaw
overseen
oversell
oversold
oversold
oversew
oversewed
oversewn / oversewed
overshoot
overshot
overshot
oversleep
overslept
overslept
overspeak
overspoke
overspoken
overspend
overspent
overspent
overspill
overspilled / overspilt [?]
overspilled / overspilt [?]
overtake
overtook
overtaken
overthink
overthought
overthought
overthrow
overthrew
overthrown
overwind
overwound
overwound
overwrite
overwrote
overwritten
P
partake
partook
partaken
pay
paid
paid
plead
pleaded / pled
pleaded / pled
prebuild
prebuilt
prebuilt
predo
predid
predone
premake
premade
premade
prepay
prepaid
prepaid
presell
presold
presold
preset
preset
preset
preshrink
preshrank
preshrunk
proofread
proofread
proofread
prove
proved
proven / proved
put
put
put
Q
quick-freeze
quick-froze
quick-frozen
quit
quit / quitted [?]
quit / quitted [?]
R
read
read (sounds like "red")
read (sounds like "red")
reawake
reawoke
reawaken
rebid
rebid
rebid
rebind
rebound
rebound
rebroadcast
rebroadcast / rebroadcasted
rebroadcast / rebroadcasted
rebuild
rebuilt
rebuilt
recast
recast
recast
recut
recut
recut
redeal
redealt
redealt
redo
redid
redone
redraw
redrew
redrawn
refit (replace parts)
refit / refitted [?]
refit / refitted [?]
refit (retailor)
refitted / refit [?]
refitted / refit [?]
regrind
reground
reground
regrow
regrew
regrown
rehang
rehung
rehung
rehear
reheard
reheard
reknit
reknitted / reknit
reknitted / reknit
relay (for example tiles)
relaid
relaid
relay (pass along) REGULAR
relayed
relayed
relearn
relearned / relearnt [?]
relearned / relearnt [?]
relight
relit / relighted
relit / relighted
remake
remade
remade
repay
repaid
repaid
reread
reread
reread
rerun
reran
rerun
resell
resold
resold
resend
resent
resent
reset
reset
reset
resew
resewed
resewn / resewed
retake
retook
retaken
reteach
retaught
retaught
retear
retore
retorn
retell
retold
retold
rethink
rethought
rethought
retread
retread
retread
retrofit
retrofitted / retrofit [?]
retrofitted / retrofit [?]
rewake
rewoke / rewaked
rewaken / rewaked
rewear
rewore
reworn
reweave
rewove / reweaved
rewoven / reweaved
rewed
rewed / rewedded
rewed / rewedded
rewet
rewet / rewetted [?]
rewet / rewetted [?]
rewin
rewon
rewon
rewind
rewound
rewound
rewrite
rewrote
rewritten
rid
rid
rid
ride
rode
ridden
ring
rang
rung
rise
rose
risen
roughcast
roughcast
roughcast
run
ran
run
S
sand-cast
sand-cast
sand-cast
saw
sawed
sawed / sawn
say
said
said
see
saw
seen
seek
sought
sought
sell
sold
sold
send
sent
sent
set
set
set
sew
sewed
sewn / sewed
shake
shook
shaken
shave
shaved
shaved / shaven
shear
sheared
sheared / shorn
shed
shed
shed
shine
shined / shone [?]
shined / shone [?]
shit
shit / shat / shitted
shit/ shat / shitted
shoot
shot
shot
show
showed
shown / showed
shrink
shrank / shrunk
shrunk
shut
shut
shut
sight-read
sight-read
sight-read
sing
sang
sung
sink
sank / sunk
sunk
sit
sat
sat
slay (kill)
slew / slayed
slain / slayed
slay (amuse) REGULAR
slayed
slayed
sleep
slept
slept
slide
slid
slid
sling
slung
slung
slink
slinked / slunk
slinked / slunk
slit
slit
slit
smell
smelled / smelt [?]
smelled / smelt [?]
sneak
sneaked / snuck
sneaked / snuck
sow
sowed
sown / sowed
speak
spoke
spoken
speed
sped / speeded
sped / speeded
spell
spelled / spelt [?]
spelled / spelt [?]
spend
spent
spent
spill
spilled / spilt [?]
spilled / spilt [?]
spin
spun
spun
spit
spit / spat
spit / spat
split
split
split
spoil
spoiled / spoilt [?]
spoiled / spoilt [?]
spoon-feed
spoon-fed
spoon-fed
spread
spread
spread
spring
sprang / sprung
sprung
stand
stood
stood
steal
stole
stolen
stick
stuck
stuck
sting
stung
stung
stink
stunk / stank
stunk
strew
strewed
strewn / strewed
stride
strode
stridden
strike (delete)
struck
stricken
strike (hit)
struck
struck / stricken
string
strung
strung
strive
strove / strived
striven / strived
sublet
sublet
sublet
sunburn
sunburned / sunburnt [?]
sunburned / sunburnt [?]
swear
swore
sworn
sweat
sweat / sweated
sweat / sweated
sweep
swept
swept
swell
swelled
swollen / swelled
swim
swam
swum
swing
swung
swung
T
take
took
taken
teach
taught
taught
tear
tore
torn
telecast
telecast
telecast
tell
told
told
test-drive
test-drove
test-driven
test-fly
test-flew
test-flown
think
thought
thought
throw
threw
thrown
thrust
thrust
thrust
tread
trod
trodden / trod
typecast
typecast
typecast
typeset
typeset
typeset
typewrite
typewrote
typewritten
U
unbend
unbent
unbent
unbind
unbound
unbound
unclothe
unclothed / unclad [?]
unclothed / unclad [?]
underbid
underbid
underbid
undercut
undercut
undercut
underfeed
underfed
underfed
undergo
underwent
undergone
underlie
underlay
underlain
undersell
undersold
undersold
underspend
underspent
underspent
understand
understood
understood
undertake
undertook
undertaken
underwrite
underwrote
underwritten
undo
undid
undone
unfreeze
unfroze
unfrozen
unhang
unhung
unhung
unhide
unhid
unhidden
unknit
unknitted / unknit
unknitted / unknit
unlearn
unlearned / unlearnt [?]
unlearned / unlearnt [?]
unsew
unsewed
unsewn / unsewed
unsling
unslung
unslung
unspin
unspun
unspun
unstick
unstuck
unstuck
unstring
unstrung
unstrung
unweave
unwove / unweaved
unwoven / unweaved
unwind
unwound
unwound
uphold
upheld
upheld
upset
upset
upset
V
No commonly used irregular verbs beginning with "V."To view our extended dictionary including rare and antiquated forms, Click Here.
W
wake
woke / waked
woken / waked
waylay
waylaid
waylaid
wear
wore
worn
weave
wove / weaved
woven / weaved
wed
wed / wedded
wed / wedded
weep
wept
wept
wet
wet / wetted [?]
wet / wetted [?]
whet REGULAR
whetted
whetted
win
won
won
wind
wound
wound
withdraw
withdrew
withdrawn
withhold
withheld
withheld
withstand
withstood
withstood
wring
wrung
wrung
write
wrote
written
X
No irregular verbs beginning with "X."
Y
No irregular verbs beginning with "Y."
Z
No irregular verbs beginning with "Z."

The English Subjunctive

The subjunctive is a special, relatively rare verb form in English.

Structure of the Subjunctive
The structure of the subjunctive is extremely simple. For all verbs except the past tense of be, the subjunctive is the same as the bare infinitive (infinitive without "to"):
The subjunctive does not change according to person (I, you, he etc).

Use of the Subjunctive

We use subjunctives mainly when talking about events that are not certain to happen. For example, we use the subjunctive when talking about events that somebody:
wants to happen, hopes will happen, imagines will happen
Look at these examples:

The President requests that you be present at the meeting.
It is vital that you be present at the meeting.
If you were at the meeting, the President would be happy.

As you can see the subjunctive is formed when we use a verb of strong desire, ordering or command, or in constructions with some fixed expressions such as “It is vital” that expresses strong urgency, and after that we use a “that clause”. The verb in the “that clause” is always in the subjunctive (basic form).

The subjunctive is typically used after two structures:
1. the verbs:
· ask, + that
· command, + that
· demand, + that
· insist, + that
· propose, + that
· recommend, + that
· request, + that
· suggest + that

2. the expressions:
· it is desirable, + that
· essential, + that
· important, + that
· necessary, + that
· vital + that
Here are some examples with the subjunctive:

The manager insists that the car park be locked at night.
The board of directors recommended that he join the company.
It is essential that we vote as soon as possible.
It was necessary that every student submit his essay by the weekend.

Notice that in these structures the subjunctive is always the same. It does not matter whether the sentence is past or present.
Look at these examples:

Present: The President requests that they stop the occupation.

Past: The President requested that they stop the occupation.

Present: It is essential that she be present.

Past: It was essential that she be present.

The use of the subjunctive as above is more common in American English than in British English, where should + bare infinitive is often used:

The manager insists that the car park should be locked at night.
It was essential that we should vote as soon as possible.

We usually use the subjunctive "were" instead of "was" after if (and other words with similar meaning).
Look at these sentences:
If I were you, I would ask her.
Suppose she were here. What would you say?

Why do we say "I were", "he were"?
We sometimes hear things like "if I were you, I would go" or "if he were here, he would tell you". Normally, the past tense of the verb "to be" is: I was, he was. But the “if I were you” structure does not use the past simple tense of the verb "to be". It uses the past subjunctive of the verb "to be". In the following examples, you can see that we often use the subjunctive form “were” instead of "was" after:
· if
· as if
· wish
· suppose
· unless
Formal(The were form is correct at all times.)
Informal(The was form is possible in informal, familiar conversation.)
If I were younger, I would go. Formal
If I was younger, I would go.
If he weren't so mean, he would buy one for me. Formal
If he wasn't so mean, he would buy one for me.
I wish I weren't so slow! Formal
I wish I wasn't so slow!
I wish it were longer. Formal
I wish it was longer.
It's not as if I were ugly. Formal
It's not as if I was ugly.
She acts as if she were Queen. Formal
She acts as if she was Queen.
If I were you, I should tell her. Formal
Note: We do not normally say "if I was you", even in familiar conversation.

Some fixed expressions use the subjunctive. Here are some examples:
Long live the King!
God bless America!
Heaven forbid!
Be that as it may, he still wants to see her.
Come what may, I will never forget you.
We are all citizens of the world, as it were.

MSR/mbs

Clauses

CLAUSES
A clause is a part of a sentence that must contain a subject and a verb. Its function is to complete the meaning of the sentence.
Example:
Juan Miguel...........likes........the girl.
(Subject)...........(Verb).......(Comp.)
The sentence is complete grammatically because it has a subject, a verb and a complement; but its meaning is not complete because you don’t know who the girl is and you will ask which girl? Or
Who is the girl?
So we will use a clause to identify the girl.
Juan Miguel likes the girl who is sitting behind Eliana
(Independent clause) (Dependent clause)

This is an adjective clause because its function is to identify/modify a noun in the sentence (the girl).
According to its function clauses can be:
Adjective clauses
Adverb clauses
Noun clauses

NOUN CLAUSES,
A noun clause is a clause that has the function and occupies the same position as any normal noun in a sentence.

An advantage of having an older brother is (that) you always have somebody to help you.
.........................................................(Complement)

That you always have somebody to help you is an advantage of having an older brother.
.................(Subject)

The word that in noun clauses after BE is optional. You can omit it.



Relative Clauses, Also known as adjective clauses.

There are various ways of supplying more information about a noun in English. Frequently we use adjectives
e.g.:
a helpful teacher

and often other nouns
e.g.:
a university teacher.

Relative clauses or adjective clauses are another very common way of supplying more specific information about a noun referring to a person, thing or group,
e.g.:

The teacher who looked after our class today doesn’t normally work here.

The flowers that I bought yesterday have already died.

The book which she is referring to is no longer published.

In the examples the relative clauses are highlighted.

As the examples show, relative clauses are most commonly positioned immediately after the noun that they refer to, and often begin with a relative pronoun such as who, that or which.
Who is used to refer to people,
which is used to refer to things,
and that is used to refer to people or things.

Relative pronouns do not have masculine, feminine or plural forms. A relative pronoun, like who or that, can be used to refer to a man, a woman or a group of people,
e.g.:
I met a woman/man who lives near your sister.

Do you know the young boy/girl that offered you a seat?

They were the builders who fitted our kitchen.

Relative clauses can also be used after some pronouns. They are quite common after indefinite pronouns such as something, someone, anything, anyone, everything and everyone,
e.g.:

Anna is someone that I really admire.
Is there anyone who knows how this machine works?
Everyone who has worked with her will miss her very much.

When we talk about people we use who or that if the sentence is defining or identifying.
Eg:
The boy who/that is sitting next to Brianda is Scarlet's boyfriend.

We use which or that for things when the sentence is defining or identifying.
Eg:
The window which /that is behind Enrique is made of a special glass.
Eg:


We use where when we are trying to identify a place.
Eg:
The restaurant where Carlos alberto eats cebiche is in San Isidro.

We use when when we are trying to identify a moment or time.
Eg:
The moment when Miriam learned the news she fainted.

We use why when we are trying to identify a reason.
Eg:
Mr.Oaks doesn’t do his class work. That is the reason why he has such bad grades.

We use whose when we are trying to identify somebody or something by the possessions.
Eg:
That’s the woman whose dog bit Grecia


Relative clauses are also sometimes used after words like some, many, much, all, or those which can function as pronouns,
e.g.:
Like many who were taking the exam, I felt very nervous.
A small bar of chocolate was all that we had to eat.

Defining and non-defining clauses
Defining clauses: also called indentifying clauses are clauses that are necessary to identify a noun in the sentence and usually are immediately after the nouns they modify.
Eg:
Shirley's father is talking to the man who mistreated her yesterday.

We use the clause to identify which man Shirley’s father is talking to and the relative pronoun (who) is next to the noun (the man) that is identifying.


Non-defining clauses. also called non-identifying clauses, are clauses that are not necessary to identify any noun in a sentence. They only give extra information.
Eg:
Marc Anthony, who is a friend of Marlene's, plays a lot in class.

This sentence can be written:
Marc anthony plays a lot in class. The clause "who is a friend of Marlene's" is just extra information.

When the clause is non-defining we cannot use "that". We can only use who or whom for people and which for things.



What is the difference between who and whom?We use who when the relative pronoun is acting as the subject in the relative clause.
Eg:
The boy who is talking to Karina is a university student.

The relative clause is who (the boy) is talking to Karina. In this clause,
- who is doing the action of talking the boy or Karina?
- The boy, So who is acting as the subject in this clause.

We use whom when there is another subject in the clause and the relative pronoun is acting as the object of the clause.
Eg:
The girl whom Sebastian is talking to is a third grade student.
The relative clause is whom Sebastian is talking to (the girl). In this clause
- who is doing the action Sebastian or the girl?
- Sebastian, so the girl is receiving the action and not doing it. The relative pronoun whom is referring to the girl.

We also use whom after prepositions.
Eg:
The boy to whom Ana Paula is sending the letter lives in Florida.

2. Relative pronouns as subjects and objectsA relative pronoun can act as the subject or object of the verb in a relative clause, compare:

She’s the only person who offered to help. (Who is subject)

She’s the only person who Janice offered to help. (Who is object)

When a relative pronoun is functioning as the subject of the verb in a relative clause and is referring back to a person or people, the relative pronouns who or that are used,
e.g.:
I paid the man that delivered the flowers.
I met a woman who knows your sister.
I didn’t trust the builders who fitted our new kitchen.

When the relative pronoun acts as subject and refers to a person, the relative pronoun who is used more frequently than the relative pronoun that.

When a relative pronoun is functioning as the subject of the verb in a relative clause and refers back to a thing or things, the relative pronouns which or that are used,
e.g.:

I’ve bought a new oven that comes on automatically.
There are systems which are much more reliable.

When a relative pronoun is functioning as the object of the verb in a relative clause and refers back to a person or people, the relative pronouns who, that or whom are used, or the relative pronoun is left out altogether (this last case is sometimes technically referred to as a zero relative pronoun),
e.g.:
They were a group of college friends who I hadn’t seen for several years.
I’m afraid Annabel is someone that I really dislike.
He was a distant cousin whom she had never met.
Did you know the woman ( ) you were chatting to in the park? (zero relative pronoun)



Whom is rather formal and is only used in written English and formal spoken English. The relative pronoun who is often used instead. However if the relative pronoun occurs immediately after a preposition (see also section 3 below), whom must be used,
e.g.:
* the man with who she lived (incorrect)
the man with whom she lived.

Most people tend to avoid this however by using who and placing the preposition at the end of the clause, i.e:
the man who she lived with

Note that as a general rule, when the relative pronoun refers back to a person and is functioning as object of the verb in the relative clause, the relative pronoun that and the zero relative pronoun are more common in informal contexts than the relative pronoun who. So the following examples are also likely:
the man that she lived with
the man she lived with

When a relative pronoun is functioning as the object of the verb in a relative clause and refers back to a thing or things, the relative pronouns which or that are used, or the relative pronoun is left out altogether (zero relative pronoun),
e.g.:
On the dining room wall was a photograph which my sister had taken.
This is the kind of flour that we usually use.
You could put the stones ( ) you’ve collected into that bucket. (Zero relative pronoun)

Note that if a relative pronoun occurs immediately after words such as much, all, little and none functioning as pronouns, that is used and not which,
e.g.
There wasn’t much that they could do to help.
These ruins are all that remain.

3. Prepositions in relative clauses

The relative pronouns which and whom can function as the object of a preposition, as illustrated by examples such as:

the room in which we are standing
an achievement of which I am very proud
the man with whom she lives
the article to which he is referring

However this use sounds rather formal and it is much more common to place the preposition towards the end of the clause rather than before the relative pronoun, as in
e.g.:
the room which we are standing in
an achievement which I am very proud of
the man who she lives with
the article which he is referring to

and very often the relative pronoun is left out altogether, as in
e.g.:
the room ( ) we are standing in
an achievement ( ) I am very proud of
the man ( ) she lives with
the article ( ) he is referring to

Note that if the verb in the relative clause is a phrasal verb which ends with a preposition, this preposition can never be placed in front of the relative pronouns which or whom,
e.g.:
* This is just something with which I have to put up. (Not correct)
This is just something which I have to put up with. (correct)

If the relative pronoun is functioning as the indirect object of the verb in the relative clause, the prepositions to or for are used,
e.g.:
The girl (who/that) I lent my jacket to
the person (who/that) I poured a drink for


REDUCTION OF CLAUSES
Clauses can be reduced by eliminating the relative pronoun and a verb “BE” only when the subjects of the two clauses in a complex sentence are the same person or thing..

Example,
My computer crashed when it was printing the first page.
1 2
As you can see the subject in clause 1 is my computer and the subject in clause 2 is “it” which is the same thing. When this happens we can eliminate one of the two subjects the relative pronoun and the verb “BE”. The main verb in this clause has to be in the present participle (verb+ing) because it is an active voice sentence. Using this type of reduction indicates that the two actions happened at the same time.

My computer crashed printing the first page (We eliminate When, It, Was)


When two actions happen at different moments in time, we use the following construction :
Having + past participle
Example
Mr. Grapevine grew up listening to the music of Village People. Then he started to play similar songs.

Having grown up listening to the music of Village People, Mr. Grapevine started to play similar songs.


How to Use a Relative Clause
Use relative clauses to provide extra information. This information can either define something (defining clause), or provide unnecessary, but interesting, added information (non-defining clause).

Relative clauses can be introduced by:

•a relative pronoun: who (whom), which, that, whose
•no relative pronoun, .
•where, why and when instead of a relative pronoun

You need to consider the following when deciding which relative pronoun to use:

•Is the subject or object or possessive of a relative clause?
•Does it refer to a person or an object?
•Is the relative clause a defining or non-defining relative clause?

NOTE: Relative clauses are often used in both spoken and written English. There is a tendency to use non-defining relative clauses mostly in written, rather than in spoken, English.
MSR/mbs

Alp B07

Dear Students,

For the project you will have to click on the following link:

http://literacynet.org/cnnsf/drunkdriving/home.html

- Read the story,

- Write down the new words and their meaning,

- Do the activities on the left part of the story (Vocabylary, Word selection ,etc)

- When you finish, write a composition (about 100 word) expressing your opinion about the

story and the website to present in class.

Alp for A04

LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER

Dear students,

For the project you need to read the following story, write down all the new words and their meaning, and when you finish reading and writing the new vocabulary you will write a composition(between 100 and 120 words) expressing your opinion about the story to present in class

Lamb to the Slaughter
by Roald Dahl (1916-1990)

Word Count: 3899

The room was warm and clean, the curtains drawn, the two table lamps alight-hers and the one by the empty chair opposite. On the sideboard behind her, two tall glasses, soda water, whiskey. Fresh ice cubes in the Thermos bucket.

Mary Maloney was waiting for her husband to come him from work.

Now and again she would glance up at the clock, but without anxiety, merely to please herself with the thought that each minute gone by made it nearer the time when he would come. There was a slow smiling air about her, and about everything she did. The drop of a head as she bent over her sewing was curiously tranquil. Her skin -for this was her sixth month with child-had acquired a wonderful translucent quality, the mouth was soft, and the eyes, with their new placid look, seemed larger darker than before. When the clock said ten minutes to five, she began to listen, and a few moments later, punctually as always, she heard the tires on the gravel outside, and the car door slamming, the footsteps passing the window, the key turning in the lock. She laid aside her sewing, stood up, and went forward to kiss him as he came in.
“Hullo darling,” she said.
“Hullo darling,” he answered.

She took his coat and hung it in the closer. Then she walked over and made the drinks, a strongish one for him, a weak one for herself; and soon she was back again in her chair with the sewing, and he in the other, opposite, holding the tall glass with both hands, rocking it so the ice cubes tinkled against the side.

For her, this was always a blissful time of day. She knew he didn’t want to speak much until the first drink was finished, and she, on her side, was content to sit quietly, enjoying his company after the long hours alone in the house. She loved to luxuriate in the presence of this man, and to feel-almost as a sunbather feels the sun-that warm male glow that came out of him to her when they were alone together. She loved him for the way he sat loosely in a chair, for the way he came in a door, or moved slowly across the room with long strides. She loved intent, far look in his eyes when they rested in her, the funny shape of the mouth, and especially the way he remained silent about his tiredness, sitting still with himself until the whiskey had taken some of it away.

“Tired darling?”

“Yes,” he said. “I’m tired,” And as he spoke, he did an unusual thing. He lifted his glass and drained it in one swallow although there was still half of it, at least half of it left.. She wasn’t really watching him, but she knew what he had done because she heard the ice cubes falling back against the bottom of the empty glass when he lowered his arm. He paused a moment, leaning forward in the chair, then he got up and went slowly over to fetch himself another.

“I’ll get it!” she cried, jumping up.

“Sit down,” he said.

When he came back, she noticed that the new drink was dark amber with the quantity of whiskey in it.
“Darling, shall I get your slippers?”

“No.”

She watched him as he began to sip the dark yellow drink, and she could see little oily swirls in the liquid because it was so strong.

“I think it’s a shame,” she said, “that when a policeman gets to be as senior as you, they keep him walking about on his feet all day long.”

He didn’t answer, so she bent her head again and went on with her sewing; bet each time he lifted the drink to his lips, she heard the ice cubes clinking against the side of the glass.

“Darling,” she said. “Would you like me to get you some cheese? I haven’t made any supper because it’s Thursday.”

“No,” he said.

“If you’re too tired to eat out,” she went on, “it’s still not too late. There’s plenty of meat and stuff in the freezer, and you can have it right here and not even move out of the chair.”

Her eyes waited on him for an answer, a smile, a little nod, but he made no sign.

“Anyway,” she went on, “I’ll get you some cheese and crackers first.”

“I don’t want it,” he said.

She moved uneasily in her chair, the large eyes still watching his face. “But you must eat! I’ll fix it anyway, and then you can have it or not, as you like.”

She stood up and placed her sewing on the table by the lamp.

“Sit down,” he said. “Just for a minute, sit down.”

It wasn’t till then that she began to get frightened.

“Go on,” he said. “Sit down.”

She lowered herself back slowly into the chair, watching him all the time with those large, bewildered eyes. He had finished the second drink and was staring down into the glass, frowning.

“Listen,” he said. “I’ve got something to tell you.”

“What is it, darling? What’s the matter?”

He had now become absolutely motionless, and he kept his head down so that the light from the lamp beside him fell across the upper part of his face, leaving the chin and mouth in shadow. She noticed there was a little muscle moving near the corner of his left eye.

“This is going to be a bit of a shock to you, I’m afraid,” he said. “But I’ve thought about it a good deal and I’ve decided the only thing to do is tell you right away. I hope you won’t blame me too much.”

And he told her. It didn’t take long, four or five minutes at most, and she say very still through it all, watching him with a kind of dazed horror as he went further and further away from her with each word.

“So there it is,” he added. “And I know it’s kind of a bad time to be telling you, bet there simply wasn’t any other way. Of course I’ll give you money and see you’re looked after. But there needn’t really be any fuss. I hope not anyway. It wouldn’t be very good for my job.”

Her first instinct was not to believe any of it, to reject it all. It occurred to her that perhaps he hadn’t even spoken, that she herself had imagined the whole thing. Maybe, if she went about her business and acted as though she hadn’t been listening, then later, when she sort of woke up again, she might find none of it had ever happened.

“I’ll get the supper,” she managed to whisper, and this time he didn’t stop her.

When she walked across the room she couldn’t feel her feet touching the floor. She couldn’t feel anything at all- except a slight nausea and a desire to vomit. Everything was automatic now-down the steps to the cellar, the light switch, the deep freeze, the hand inside the cabinet taking hold of the first object it met. She lifted it out, and looked at it. It was wrapped in paper, so she took off the paper and looked at it again.

A leg of lamb.

All right then, they would have lamb for supper. She carried it upstairs, holding the thin bone-end of it with both her hands, and as she went through the living-room, she saw him standing over by the window with his back to her, and she stopped.

“For God’s sake,” he said, hearing her, but not turning round. “Don’t make supper for me. I’m going out.”

At that point, Mary Maloney simply walked up behind him and without any pause she swung the big frozen leg of lamb high in the air and brought it down as hard as she could on the back of his head.

She might just as well have hit him with a steel club.

She stepped back a pace, waiting, and the funny thing was that he remained standing there for at least four or five seconds, gently swaying. Then he crashed to the carpet.

The violence of the crash, the noise, the small table overturning, helped bring her out of her shock. She came out slowly, feeling cold and surprised, and she stood for a while blinking at the body, still holding the ridiculous piece of meat tight with both hands.

All right, she told herself. So I’ve killed him.

It was extraordinary, now, how clear her mind became all of a sudden. She began thinking very fast. As the wife of a detective, she knew quite well what the penalty would be. That was fine. It made no difference to her. In fact, it would be a relief. On the other hand, what about the child? What were the laws about murderers with unborn children? Did they kill then both-mother and child? Or did they wait until the tenth month? What did they do?

Mary Maloney didn’t know. And she certainly wasn’t prepared to take a chance.

She carried the meat into the kitchen, placed it in a pan, turned the oven on high, and shoved t inside. Then she washed her hands and ran upstairs to the bedroom. She sat down before the mirror, tidied her hair, touched up her lops and face. She tried a smile. It came out rather peculiar. She tried again.

“Hullo Sam,” she said brightly, aloud.

The voice sounded peculiar too.

“I want some potatoes please, Sam. Yes, and I think a can of peas.”

That was better. Both the smile and the voice were coming out better now. She rehearsed it several times more. Then she ran downstairs, took her coat, went out the back door, down the garden, into the street.

It wasn’t six o’clock yet and the lights were still on in the grocery shop.

“Hullo Sam,” she said brightly, smiling at the man behind the counter.

“Why, good evening, Mrs. Maloney. How’re you?”

“I want some potatoes please, Sam. Yes, and I think a can of peas.”

The man turned and reached up behind him on the shelf for the peas.

“Patrick’s decided he’s tired and doesn’t want to eat out tonight,” she told him. “We usually go out Thursdays, you know, and now he’s caught me without any vegetables in the house.”

“Then how about meat, Mrs. Maloney?”

“No, I’ve got meat, thanks. I got a nice leg of lamb from the freezer.”

“Oh.”

“I don’t know much like cooking it frozen, Sam, but I’m taking a chance on it this time. You think it’ll be all right?”

“Personally,” the grocer said, “I don’t believe it makes any difference. You want these Idaho potatoes?”

“Oh yes, that’ll be fine. Two of those.”

“Anything else?” The grocer cocked his head on one side, looking at her pleasantly. “How about afterwards? What you going to give him for afterwards?”
“Well-what would you suggest, Sam?”

The man glanced around his shop. “How about a nice big slice of cheesecake? I know he likes that.”

“Perfect,” she said. “He loves it.”

And when it was all wrapped and she had paid, she put on her brightest smile and said, “Thank you, Sam. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Mrs. Maloney. And thank you.”

And now, she told herself as she hurried back, all she was doing now, she was returning home to her husband and he was waiting for his supper; and she must cook it good, and make it as tasty as possible because the poor man was tired; and if, when she entered the house, she happened to find anything unusual, or tragic, or terrible, then naturally it would be a shock and she’d become frantic with grief and horror. Mind you, she wasn’t expecting to find anything. She was just going home with the vegetables. Mrs. Patrick Maloney going home with the vegetables on Thursday evening to cook supper for her husband.

That’s the way, she told herself. Do everything right and natural. Keep things absolutely natural and there’ll be no need for any acting at all.

Therefore, when she entered the kitchen by the back door, she was humming a little tune to herself and smiling.

“Patrick!” she called. “How are you, darling?”

She put the parcel down on the table and went through into the living room; and when she saw him lying there on the floor with his legs doubled up and one arm twisted back underneath his body, it really was rather a shock. All the old love and longing for him welled up inside her, and she ran over to him, knelt down beside him, and began to cry her heart out. It was easy. No acting was necessary.

A few minutes later she got up and went to the phone. She know the number of the police station, and when the man at the other end answered, she cried to him, “Quick! Come quick! Patrick’s dead!”

“Who’s speaking?”

“Mrs. Maloney. Mrs. Patrick Maloney.”

“You mean Patrick Maloney’s dead?”

“I think so,” she sobbed. “He’s lying on the floor and I think he’s dead.”

“Be right over,” the man said.

The car came very quickly, and when she opened the front door, two policeman walked in. She know them both-she know nearly all the man at that precinct-and she fell right into a chair, then went over to join the other one, who was called O’Malley, kneeling by the body.

“Is he dead?” she cried.

“I’m afraid he is. What happened?”

Briefly, she told her story about going out to the grocer and coming back to find him on the floor. While she was talking, crying and talking, Noonan discovered a small patch of congealed blood on the dead man’s head. He showed it to O’Malley who got up at once and hurried to the phone.

Soon, other men began to come into the house. First a doctor, then two detectives, one of whom she know by name. Later, a police photographer arrived and took pictures, and a man who know about fingerprints. There was a great deal of whispering and muttering beside the corpse, and the detectives kept asking her a lot of questions. But they always treated her kindly. She told her story again, this time right from the beginning, when Patrick had come in, and she was sewing, and he was tired, so tired he hadn’t wanted to go out for supper. She told how she’d put the meat in the oven-”it’s there now, cooking”- and how she’d slopped out to the grocer for vegetables, and come back to find him lying on the floor.

Which grocer?” one of the detectives asked.

She told him, and he turned and whispered something to the other detective who immediately went outside into the street.

In fifteen minutes he was back with a page of notes, and there was more whispering, and through her sobbing she heard a few of the whispered phrases-”...acted quite normal...very cheerful...wanted to give him a good supper…peas...cheesecake...impossible that she...”

After a while, the photographer and the doctor departed and two other men came in and took the corpse away on a stretcher. Then the fingerprint man went away. The two detectives remained, and so did the two policeman. They were exceptionally nice to her, and Jack Noonan asked if she wouldn’t rather go somewhere else, to her sister’s house perhaps, or to his own wife who would take care of her and put her up for the night.

No, she said. She didn’t feel she could move even a yard at the moment. Would they mind awfully of she stayed just where she was until she felt better. She didn’t feel too good at the moment, she really didn’t.

Then hadn’t she better lie down on the bed? Jack Noonan asked.

No, she said. She’d like to stay right where she was, in this chair. A little later, perhaps, when she felt better, she would move.

So they left her there while they went about their business, searching the house. Occasionally on of the detectives asked her another question. Sometimes Jack Noonan spoke at her gently as he passed by. Her husband, he told her, had been killed by a blow on the back of the head administered with a heavy blunt instrument, almost certainly a large piece of metal. They were looking for the weapon. The murderer may have taken it with him, but on the other hand he may have thrown it away or hidden it somewhere on the premises.

“It’s the old story,” he said. “Get the weapon, and you’ve got the man.”

Later, one of the detectives came up and sat beside her. Did she know, he asked, of anything in the house that could’ve been used as the weapon? Would she mind having a look around to see if anything was missing-a very big spanner, for example, or a heavy metal vase.

They didn’t have any heavy metal vases, she said.

“Or a big spanner?”

She didn’t think they had a big spanner. But there might be some things like that in the garage.

The search went on. She knew that there were other policemen in the garden all around the house. She could hear their footsteps on the gravel outside, and sometimes she saw a flash of a torch through a chink in the curtains. It began to get late, nearly nine she noticed by the clock on the mantle. The four men searching the rooms seemed to be growing weary, a trifle exasperated.

“Jack,” she said, the next tome Sergeant Noonan went by. “Would you mind giving me a drink?”

“Sure I’ll give you a drink. You mean this whiskey?”

“Yes please. But just a small one. It might make me feel better.”

He handed her the glass.

“Why don’t you have one yourself,” she said. “You must be awfully tired. Please do. You’ve been very good to me.”

“Well,” he answered. “It’s not strictly allowed, but I might take just a drop to keep me going.”

One by one the others came in and were persuaded to take a little nip of whiskey. They stood around rather awkwardly with the drinks in their hands, uncomfortable in her presence, trying to say consoling things to her. Sergeant Noonan wandered into the kitchen, come out quickly and said, “Look, Mrs. Maloney. You know that oven of yours is still on, and the meat still inside.”

“Oh dear me!” she cried. “So it is!”

“I better turn it off for you, hadn’t I?”

“Will you do that, Jack. Thank you so much.”

When the sergeant returned the second time, she looked at him with her large, dark tearful eyes. “Jack Noonan,” she said.

“Yes?”

“Would you do me a small favor-you and these others?”

“We can try, Mrs. Maloney.”

“Well,” she said. “Here you all are, and good friends of dear Patrick’s too, and helping to catch the man who killed him. You must be terrible hungry by now because it’s long past your suppertime, and I know Patrick would never forgive me, God bless his soul, if I allowed you to remain in his house without offering you decent hospitality. Why don’t you eat up that lamb that’s in the oven. It’ll be cooked just right by now.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Sergeant Noonan said.

“Please,” she begged. “Please eat it. Personally I couldn’t tough a thing, certainly not what’s been in the house when he was here. But it’s all right for you. It’d be a favor to me if you’d eat it up. Then you can go on with your work again afterwards.”

There was a good deal of hesitating among the four policemen, but they were clearly hungry, and in the end they were persuaded to go into the kitchen and help themselves. The woman stayed where she was, listening to them speaking among themselves, their voices thick and sloppy because their mouths were full of meat.

“Have some more, Charlie?”

“No. Better not finish it.”

“She wants us to finish it. She said so. Be doing her a favor.”

“Okay then. Give me some more.”

“That’s the hell of a big club the gut must’ve used to hit poor Patrick,” one of them was saying. “The doc says his skull was smashed all to pieces just like from a sledgehammer.”

“That’s why it ought to be easy to find.”

“Exactly what I say.”

“Whoever done it, they’re not going to be carrying a thing like that around with them longer than they need.”

One of them belched.

“Personally, I think it’s right here on the premises.”

“Probably right under our very noses. What you think, Jack?”

And in the other room, Mary Maloney began to giggle.


To watch the video click on the following link:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmpY9cpe6g8

MSR/mbs

Alp B03

Dear Basic three students,
For the project this month you will have to read the following short conversation, write down any new words and their meanings, click on the link and take the interactive quiz about the reading. When you finish you have to write a small composition expressing your opinion about the reading and about the website to present in class

Planning a Party
(two neighbors talking)

Martha:...What horrible weather today. I'd love to go out, but I think it will just continue raining.

Jane:Oh, I don't know. Perhaps the sun will come out later this afternoon.
Martha:I hope you're right. Listen, I'm going to have a party this Saturday. Would you like to come?

Jane:Oh, I'd love to come. Thank you for inviting me. Who's going to come to the party?
Martha:Well, a number of people haven't told me yet. But, Peter and Mark are going to help out with the cooking!

Jane:Hey, I'll help, too!
Martha:Would you? That would be great!

Jane:I'll make lasagna!
Martha:That sounds delicious! I know my Italian cousins are going to be there. I'm sure they'll love it.

Jane:Italians? Maybe I'll bake a cake...
Martha:No, no. They're not like that. They'll love it.

Jane:Well, if you say so... Is there going be a theme for the party?
Martha:No, I don't think so. Just a chance to get together and have fun.

Jane:I'm sure it'll be lots of fun.
Martha:But I'm going to hire a clown!

Jane:A clown! You're kidding me.
Martha:No, no. As a child, I always wanted a clown. Now, I'm going to have my clown at my own party.

Jane:I'm sure everyone will have a good laugh.
Martha:That's the plan!

Check your understanding with this :

multiple choice comprehension quiz.