Практична граматика англійської мови для першокурсників. Частина II: Навчально-методичний посібник з граматики, страница 6

Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell? How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which, of course, isn't a race at all). That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

Basic Forms of the Verb

**TASK 5.  Define the basic form of the underlined verbs in the joke below.

An Old Cow

A man was driving down a country road in the middle of dairy farm country when his car stalled inexplicably. He got out and raised the hood to see if he could find out what had happened.

A brown and white cow slowly lumbered from the field she had been grazing in over to the car and stuck her head under the hood beside the man. After a moment the cow looked at the man and said, "Looks like a bad carburetor to me." Then she walked back into the field and began grazing again.

Amazed, the man walked back to the farmhouse he had just passed, where he met a farmer. "Hey, mister, is that your cow in the field?" he asked. The farmer replied, "The brown and white one? Yep, that's old Bessie."

The man then said, "Well my car's broken down, and she just said, 'Looks like a bad carburetor to me.'

The farmer shook his head and said, "Don't mind old Bessie, son. She don't know a thing about cars."

PRESENT INDEFINITE (PRESENT SIMPLE)

Formation.     Do you often visit your grandparents? – I visit them every week.

                        Does Derek watch television every day? – No, he doesn’t. His parents don’t allow him to waste time on it.

Present Indefinite is used in the following cases:

1.  for permanent states, repeated actions and daily routines,

e.g. Mr. Freeman works in a bank. (permanent state)

He takes the train to work every morning. (daily routine/repeated actions)

We don’t usually watch television in the morning. (repeated action)

Do you always get up at one and the same time? (daily routine)

2.  for general truths and laws of nature,

e.g.  The sun sets in the west. 

        An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

3.  for timetables (planes, trains, etc.) and programmes.

e.g.  The plane from Brussels arrives 8:30.

        When does this shop open?

4.  for sports commentaries, reviews and narration, opera and theatre librettos, stage directions

e.g.  Peterson overtakes Williams and wins the race. (sports commentary)

        Mike Dalton plays the part of Macbeth. (review)

        Then the prince gets on his horse and quickly rides away. (narration)

5.  to give instructions or directions (instead of the imperative mood).

e.g.  You sprinkle some cheese on the pizza and then you bake it, (instead of:  “Sprinkle some cheese on the pizza...”)

6.  in adverbial clauses of time and condition after the following conjunctions: