The Present Perfect tense is all about "unspecified" or non-specific time in the past. This can be very confusing. The Present Perfect can be used in several ways. 1) It may be used to describe your personal experience. For example, you might say, "I have seen that man before." Or, "I have never been to Florida." 2) You can also use the Present Perfect to talk about change that has happened over time. For instance, you might say something like this: "Cell phones have become a necessity to many people." Or, "My English has gotten better since I started taking English classes." 

Those are two ways that we commonly use the Present Perfect tense. To review other usages of this tense, click here.

Click on the links below to practice the Present Perfect Tense.

Present Perfect Practice #1
Present Perfect Practice #2

A gerund is not a verb. It is a verb form, and it has an -ing ending (also known as a present participle). Most any action verb can be used as a gerund. An infinitive is the most basic form a verb. It is "to + verb." The infinitive does not act like a verb. Instead it acts like a noun, adjective, or adverb might in a sentence. Both gerunds and infinitives are considered verbals. 

Sometimes referred to as "verb complements," gerunds and infinitives often follow verbs. When this happens, they are functioning as subjects or objects.  

To learn more about gerunds and infinitives and to practice using them correctly, click on this link: Englishpage.com.

Other helpful resources on this topic:

• When to Use Gerunds and Infinitives: 5 Simple Rules for English Learners
• Using Gerunds and Infinitives
• Verb Lists: Gerunds and Infinitives

 

Click on the link below to review and practice the -ed endings. Included are explanations and examples of the three possible "ed" ending pronunciations (t, d, id). 
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Free online pronouncing "ed" endings lessons and exercises.

Also, be sure to check out the video below which will help you review the three endings. 

"The present continuous (also called present progressive) is a verb tense which is used to show that an ongoing action is happening now, either at the moment of speech or now in a larger sense. The present continuous can also be used to show that an action is going to take place in the near future. Read on for detailed descriptions, examples, and present continuous exercises." 

To continue reading about the Present Continuous tense and to practice using this tense, click HERE
To read about how and when to use Simple Present vs. Present Continuous, click HERE

What are modal verbs?
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Modals (also called modal verbs, modal auxiliary verbs, modal auxiliaries) are special verbs which behave irregularly in English. They are different from normal verbs like "work, play, visit..." They give additional information about the function of the main verb that follows it. They have a great variety of communicative functions.
Here are some characteristics of modal verbs:

• They never change their form. You can't add "s", "ed", "ing"...
• They are always followed by an infinitive without "to" (e.i. the bare infinitive.)
• They are used to indicate modality allow speakers to express certainty, possibility, willingness, obligation, necessity, ability

To read more about modals or to practice using modals, go to My English Pages.com

Here are some other links to practice exercises:

• Perfect English Grammar
• English Page

When you are learning and practicing irregular verbs in English, it is always helpful to have a list nearby. Why? Because there are so many of them. 

Here is a link that has several different irregular verb lists that you can print off: 
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Irregular Verb Lists

"ELSA, English Language Speech Assistant, is a fun and engaging app specially designed to help you improve your English pronunciation."  [from elsaspeak.com]

ELSA Speak is an app for your phone. It uses artificial intelligence technology to recognize speech patterns and help English language learners develop their speaking and pronunciation skills. According to the website, "27 hours of studying with ELSA is equivalent to an ESL speaking course at an American University." 

Here's what one reviewer says: 
"I never thought I would be able to get rid of my strong Chinese accent. Then I discovered this app. It helped me identify issues with my pronunciation that I was not aware of." 

Others say there is room for improvement. "I like the app overall, but there are some improvements that can be made, and bugs that can be fixed," says one user. 

"There is still quite a lot that could be done to this app," writes a reviewer of the product. 

Some of my students have used it for some time and really like it. To read more about ELSA Speak, you can go to their website: elsaspeak.com. Also, if you want to read some third-party reviews of the speaking practice app, go to any of the following: 

https://www.alllanguageresources.com/elsa-speak/
https://justuseapp.com/en/app/1083804886/elsa-speak-accent-coach/reviews
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpwLk9U5sEU

Below is a lengthy video review of ELSA Speak. ​
 
​I hope you find this post helpful. Please let me know in the comments below. 

I know that your mind is most likely on other things right now, things like viruses, your job, your family, etc. However, from time to time you might want to take a break from all the worry and anxiety of the moment. If you find yourself feeling that way, then perhaps you might want to take a few minutes and practice your listening skills. One of the better websites to use for this is Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab. On this site, there are many listening activities to explore, and you can practice according to your level: beginning, intermediate, and advanced. 

To explore this website, click on the image below. 

Learning English takes time and patience. You have to become familiar with many new words and new ideas. One of the greatest ways to increase your English vocabulary is by reading. Many students are unsure of just what they should be reading. There are many things one can read, including books, newspapers, magazines, online news sites, etc. However, one of the simplest ways to practice your reading skills is to read short stories.

I have found that one of the best sites on the internet for an English student to practice his reading is rong-chang.com. There are many stories located on this website. 

For the Intermediate Level reader, I would recommend beginning right here. On this page, you will find nearly 300 short stories. Each story provides opportunities to practice vocabulary, answer yes/no questions, complete a "Cloze" activity related to the story, or complete a Crossword puzzle about the story. 

​So, take time to read. You may just learn a new word or two. 

Did you know that there are 12 different verb tenses in the English Language?  It's easiest to think of them in four groups: simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous. Remember, some textbooks refer to the continuous as "progressive."

To form these tenses, one must use one or more of the 4 Principal Parts of a Verb. These include 1) the base/present form, 2) the past form, 3) the past participle form, and 4) the present participle form.   

From these, you can also create the 3 Verbals found in the English language (more on those another time).

If you would like to print out a chart of 12 verb tenses, click here.

If you wish to review the 4 Principal Parts, click here.