UNIDAD 3

The First Thanksgiving

Andrew and Kenji were sitting outside Kenji's house with nothing to do. Suddenly Andrew
stood up. "Let's go inside and watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV," he said.

"What's Thanksgiving Day?" asked Kenji.

"You don't know what Thanksgiving Day is!" Andrew asked, surprised. "It's a holiday that
Americans celebrate in honor of everything that this country offered to our ancestors. When
the pilgrims first came to America 400 years ago, they worked hard building houses,
planting, and fishing. They were helped by the American Indians, who taught them how to
grow all kinds of new vegetables, such as corn and yams, or sweet potatoes. By harvest
time, there was lots of food to eat and the future looked full of opportunity. Our ancestors
made a feast to show their appreciation. So now, every year we celebrate Thanksgiving
Day."

"What do you do on Thanksgiving?" asked Kenji.

"Well, it's traditional to eat a big meal together. We eat food that symbolizes the new food
our ancestors ate. At our house we usually eat turkey with sweet potatoes and corn bread.
And we have pumpkin pie for dessert." said Andrew.

"I've never had sweet potatoes or pumpkin pie. They sound interesting," Kenji said. "But
what's the parade you want to see?"

"Oh, it's an annual event. Every Thanksgiving, a giant parade is organized by one of the
most famous department stores in New York," Andrew explained. "There are big balloons,
called 'floats,' in the shape of famous cartoon characters. At the end of the parade, children
can even see Santa Claus, who's visiting from the North Pole. Santa Claus is invited to
remind children and parents that Christmas is not far away. Well, now that I've told you all
about Thanksgiving, do you want to come to my house for dinner and watch the parade?"
asked Andrew.

"Sure," said Kenji. " I'd love to."

 MORE MODALS (and SEMI-MODALS)

USE:
Modals and Semi-modals are words that are used with verbs and add a special meaning.
Most Modals have more than one meaning.

MUST
Modal showing strong necessity, obligation, or duty to do something. There is very little
difference between MUST and HAVE TO. However, in formal English, MUST is used for
public notices about official rules and regulations. MUST can also be used to express a
strong opinion about a situation based on existing facts or circumstances.

SHOULD
Modal used to talk about a duty or obligation (weaker than MUST or HAVE TO) or give
somebody advice.

HAD TO
Semi-modal used to talk about necessity, obligation, or duty in the past. It is the past form
of both HAVE TO and MUST.

BE ABLE TO
Semi-modal used to talk about ability in the present, future, and past. It is similar in
meaning to CAN and COULD.

AFFIRMATIVE

FORM:
 MUST, SHOULD

Note that there is no final -s on modal forms in the third person singular.
[SUBJECT + MODAL + VERB...]

EXAMPLES:
"We should invite Paul to the party."
"Bob must be home by now. Let's call him."
"You must have a license to drive."

BE ABLE TO, HAD TO

[SUBJECT + SEMI MODAL + VERB...]

EXAMPLES:
"Paul isn't able to come to the party."
"Barbara has/had to babysit tonight."

WITH ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY

Note that adverbs of frequency (never, often, sometimes, etc.) can be placed immediately
after the Modal in affirmative sentences.

EXAMPLE:
"You must always remember your boss's birthday."

Adverbs of frequency are placed immediately before HAD TO in affirmative sentences.

EXAMPLE:
"Bob always had to work after school."

With BE ABLE TO, adverbs of frequency are placed after BE.

EXAMPLE:
"She is never able to understand the homework."

NEGATIVE

FORM:
[SUBJECT + MODAL + NOT + VERB...]

NOTE: NOT is usually shortened to '-n't' and pronounced together with the Modal (except
for might).
EXAMPLES:
"We must not (mustn't) be late."
"You should not (shouldn't) open that box!"

[SUBJECT + DO/DOES/DID + NOT + HAVE TO+ VERB...]

EXAMPLE:
"They didn't have to clean the yard yesterday."

[SUBJECT + BE + NOT + ABLE TO + VERB...]

"Peter isn't able to come to our party."

YES/NO QUESTIONS

FORM:
[MODAL + SUBJECT + VERB...?]

EXAMPLES:
"Must we invite Paul?"
"Should we ask someone to help us?"

[DO/DOES/DID + SUBJECT + HAVE TO + VERB...?]

EXAMPLE:
"Did he have to leave so early?"

[BE + SUBJECT + ABLE TO + VERB...?]

EXAMPLE:
"Is he able to fix the TV?"

WH-QUESTIONS

FORM:
ABOUT THE SUBJECT
[WH-WORD + MODAL/SEMI-MODAL + VERB...?]

EXAMPLES:
"Who must we speak to?"
"Who had to help her yesterday?"
"Who is able to understand that question?"

WH-QUESTIONS ABOUT REST OF SENTENCE

[Wh-Word + MODAL + SUBJECT + VERB...?]
EXAMPLES:
"Why must we invite Paul?"
"When could you type that letter for me?"

[WH-WORD + DO/DOES/DID + SUBJECT + HAVE TO + VERB...?]

EXAMPLE:
"What did Bradley have to do yesterday?"

[WH-WORD + BE + SUBJECT + ABLE TO + VERB...?]

EXAMPLE:
"How is Sarah able to buy such an expensive sweater?"

PAST PROGRESSIVE

USE:
We use Past Progressive to talk about a continuous action or event which was happening at
a particular time in the past.

EXAMPLES:
"Weren't you studying with Linda last night?"
"No, I wasn't. I was shopping for Joe's birthday present."

"What were you doing when he phoned?"

"I was sleeping."
 STATEMENTS

FORM:
AFFIRMATIVE:
[SUBJECT + WAS/WERE + VERB + ing...]

I was waiting for the bus when it started to rain.

We were waiting for the bus when it started to rain.

NEGATIVE:
[SUBJECT + WAS/WERE + NOT + VERB + ing...]

She was not (wasn't) waiting for the bus.

They were not (weren't) waiting for the bus.

YES/NO QUESTIONS and ANSWERS

FORM:
[WAS/WERE + SUBJECT + VERB+ing...?]

Was she waiting for the train?

Were you waiting for the train?

[YES/NO + SUBJECT + BE (NOT)]

Yes, I was.
No, it wasn't.

Yes, they were.

No, you weren't.

PAST PROGRESSIVE vs. PAST SIMPLE

USE:
We use the Past Simple to talk about a completed action in the past. We use the Past
Progressive to talk about an action that continued over a period of time in the past.

We can also use the Past Simple and the Past Progressive together in the same sentence, to
show that one short action or event happened during a longer action or event. If we mention
the shorter action first, we usually join the two parts of the sentence together with WHILE.

EXAMPLES:
"The phone rang while she was taking a shower."
"The car broke down while Bill was driving home."If we mention the longer action first,
we usually join the two parts of the sentence together with 'WHEN'.

EXAMPLES:
"She was taking a shower when the phone rang."
"Bill was driving home when the car broke down."
RELATIVE CLAUSES

USE:
To provide information which helps to identify one of the nouns in a sentence. The relative
clause immediately follows the noun it describes.

EXAMPLES:
"He's the man who's wearing a black hat."
"The dress which you wore yesterday was beautiful."
"The apples that you brought are wonderful."

SUBJECT RELATIVE CLAUSES

USE:
When the subject of the verb in the relative clause is the same as the noun we are talking
about.

FORM:
These relative clauses begin with relative pronouns:
WHO (for people),
WHICH (for animals or things),
THAT (for people, animals, or things; for the words EVERYTHING, NOTHING,
SOMETHING, or ANYTHING)
WHOSE (for possessives).

[...NOUN + RELATIVE PRONOUN + VERB...]

EXAMPLES:
"He's the man who/that wrote this book."
"Let's see the movie which/that won the prize."
"I've forgotten everything that happened."
"Bill's the man who called me last night."
"Where is the factory that makes those chairs?"

Remember that the relative clause always contains a verb.

OBJECT RELATIVE CLAUSES

 USE:
When the subject of the verb in the relative clause is not the same as the noun we are
talking about.

FORM:
These relative clauses begin with relative pronouns:
WHO (for people)/WHOM (in very formal English)
WHICH (for animals or things),
THAT (for people, animals, or things and for the words EVERYTHING, NOTHING,
SOMETHING, or ANYTHING).

We can choose to leave out the relative pronoun if it is not the subject of the verb in the
relative clause, except when the relative clause begins with a preposition (in formal
English), or if it follows a comma.

[...NOUN + (RELATIVE PRONOUN) + SENTENCE...]

EXAMPLES:
"Frederick is the man (who/that/whom) I work with."
"Here's the book (which/that) you lent me."
"Tell me everything (that) you remember."

If there is a preposition at the beginning of the relative clause we must use the relative
pronouns WHOM or WHICH unless we move the preposition to the end of the clause.

EXAMPLES:
"The lady with whom you were dancing is my wife."
OR
"The lady (that) you were dancing with is my wife."

"The company for which you work is responsible for your pension."
OR
"The company (that) you work for is responsible for your pension." We can also replace IN
WHICH, AT WHICH and ON WHICH by WHERE or WHEN.

EXAMPLES:
"That's the house where Shakespeare lived."
"1492 was the year when Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic. PRESENT
PERFECT
USE:
To talk about actions or states which began in the past and are still relevant in the present.
The Present Perfect is often used with expressions starting with FOR and SINCE, to talk
about actions or states which began in the past and are true up until the present time. It is
also used with the adverbs JUST, ALREADY, and YET to talk about actions or events
which took place at an indefinite time in the past. The Present Perfect is also used to talk
about recent actions or events ("news").

EXAMPLES:
"Hi, Karla! I haven't seen you lately. Where have you been?"
"I've been really busy. I've been playing with a band called "Wild Thing." Have you heard
of us?"
"No, I haven't."
"Well, come and see us on Saturday night!"

FORM:
AFFIRMATIVE

Simple:
[SUBJECT + HAVE/HAS + (JUST/ALREADY) + PAST PARTICIPLE [V3] +
(FOR/SINCE...)]

Progressive:
[SUBJECT + HAVE/HAS + (JUST/ALREADY) + BEEN + VERB + ing +
(FOR/SINCE...)]

EXAMPLES:
"They've lived here for two years."
"She's been here since 4 p.m."
"I've already swept the floor."
"They've been working all night."

NEGATIVE

Simple:
[SUBJECT + HAVE/HAS NOT / HAVEN'T/HASN'T + PAST PARTICIPLE [V3]...]

Progressive:
[SUBJECT + HAVE/HAS NOT / HAVEN'T/HASN'T + BEEN + VERB + ing...]

EXAMPLES:
"We haven't met her yet."
"He hasn't made a sound."
"You haven't been doing your homework."
 YES/NO QUESTIONS

Simple:
[HAVE/HAS + SUBJECT + PAST PARTICIPLE [V3]...?]

Progressive:
[HAVE/HAS + SUBJECT + BEEN + VERB + ing...?]

EXAMPLES:
"Have you finished your work yet?"
"Has Peter come home yet?"
"Have they been living here long?"

WH-QUESTIONS
WH-QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SUBJECT

Simple:
[WH-WORD + HAVE/HAS + PAST PARTICIPLE[V3]...]

Progressive:
[WH-WORD + HAVE/HAS + BEEN + VERB + ing]

EXAMPLES:
"Who's eaten all the candy?"
"Who's been sleeping in my bed?"

WH-QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REST OF THE SENTENCE

Simple:
[WH-WORD + HAVE/HAS + SUBJECT + PAST PARTICIPLE[V3]...]

Progressive:
[WH-WORD + HAVE/HAS + SUBJECT + BEEN + VERB + ing]

EXAMPLES:
"Where has he put my coat?"
"Why have you done that?"
"What have you been doing?"

TIME EXPRESSIONS

FOR or SINCE are used at the beginning of a time expression. To say how long the action
or state lasted, we use FOR:"...for ten minutes." "...for twenty years," "...for two centuries,"
"...for a very long time," etc.

To say when the action or state began, we use SINCE: "...since 2 o'clock," "...since last
Monday," "...since 1975," "...since the end of the war," etc.

HOW LONG is used to start a question about duration.

EXAMPLES:
"How long have you had that sweater?"
"About six months."

"How long have you been living here?"

"For two years." EVER is used before the verb, to ask if something has happened, but not
when.

EXAMPLE:
"Have you ever eaten octopus?"
"Yes, I have."

JUST, ALREADY, and YET are used to talk about actions or events which took place at an
indefinite time in the past, or recent actions or events ("news"). JUST (= a short time ago)
and ALREADY (= before now) usually go immediately before the Past Participle [V3], and
YET (before/until now) is often used at the end of a negative sentence or question.

EXAMPLES:
"I have already seen that movie. Let's stay home!"
"But I haven't seen it yet!