Fung Lan Yong, Honorary Advisor
IPB Pine Academy Sabah (June 28, 2014)
Grammar in Context
Simple Present Tense
Simple
Present Tense versus Present Continuous Tense Simple Past Tense versus Past
Continuous Tenseby Fung Lan Yong
June 2014
Article 1
Fill in the blanks with a suitable verb in the simple
present tense.
Tired of
swimming with the sharks? Fed up with that big ape down the hall? Real animals
often (1) _________ (teach) us better
ways to thrive in the workplace jungle. You
(2) __________ (be) ambitious and (3) _________ (want) to get ahead, but what
is the best way to do it? (4) _________ (become) the biggest, worst predator? Become the proverbial 800-pound gorilla? Or
does nature (5) __________ (teach) you to be more subtle and
sophisticated? Richard Conniff, the
acclaimed author of The Natural History of the Rich, (6) _________ (to have) survived savage beasts in the
workplace jungle, where he hooted and preened in the corner office as a
publishing executive. He has also spent time studying how animals (7)
___________ (operate) in the real jungles of the Amazon and the African bush.
(teach/are/want/Become/teach/has/operate)
What he (8) __________ (show) in The Ape in the Corner Office is that nature built you to be nice. Doing favours, grooming co-workers with kind words, building coalitions—these tools for getting ahead (9) __________ (come) straight from the jungle. The stereotypical Darwinian hard-charger supposedly (10) __________ (think) only about accumulating resources. But highly effective apes (11) __________ (know) it is often smarter to give them away. That does not (12) ___________ (mean) it is a peaceable kingdom out there, however. Conniff (13) __________ (explain) that you can become more effective by understanding how other species (14) __________ (negotiate) the tricky balance between conflict and cooperation. (shows/come/thinks/know/mean/explains/negotiate)
Conniff (15) __________ (quote) one biologist on a chimpanzee’s obsession with rank: “His attempts to maintain and (16) ___________ (achieve) alpha status (17) __________ (to be) cunning, persistent, energetic, and time-consuming. They affect whom he (18) _________ (travel) with, whom he (19) _________ (groom), where he (20) _________ (glance), how often he (21) __________ (scratch), where he (22) __________ (go), what times he (23) ___________ (get) up in the morning.” Sound familiar? It is the same behaviour you can find written up in any issue of BusinessWeek or The Wall Street Journal.
(quotes/achieve/is/travels/grooms/glances/scratches/goes/gets)
Bibliographical
details
Title: The Ape in the Corner Office
Link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Ape-Corner-Office
(2014)
Article 2
Fill in the blanks with a suitable verb in the simple
present tense.
The Ape in the Corner Office (1)
___________ (connect) with the day-to-day of the workplace because it (2)
__________ (help) explain what people are really concerned about: How come he
got the wing chair with the gold trim? How can I (3) __________ (survive) as
that big ape’s subordinate without becoming a spineless yes-person? Why does
being a lone wolf (4) ___________ (mean) being a loser? And, yes, why is it
that nasty people (5) ___________ (seem) to prosper—at least in the short run? People tend to follow the three-monkey
analogy when it (6) __________ (come) to the workplace - employees often have
titles such as cheeky monkey, wise monkey, media monkey or chief monkey for the
managing director and founder. This book
(7) ____________ (to be) an excellent
read that anyone who (8) __________ (work) in an office - irrespective of size
- can relate to. How far have we evolved from our primate cousins?
(connects/helps/survive/mean/seem/comes/is/works)
Drawing on field research and observations of the working
world (largely the USA), Conniff (9) __________ (set) out to show that the
similarities between our ape cousins and our own working jungle (10)
___________ (to be) more similar than not.
Conniff (11) ___________ (make) it clear that we are all emotional
animals and that social structures and cooperation (12) ____________ (to be) as
important in the natural world as they are in the workplace. He also (14)
__________ (point) out working is not all about confrontation and outward
aggression - that as primates we (15) ___________ (to be) programmed to be nice
to each another in our day-to-day working lives.
(sets/are/makes/are/points/are)
While there are often power struggles (who has not worked
with an alpha male?), the office family (16) ____________ (to be) one of a variety of temperaments. But
Conniff (17) ____________ (make) clear that we (18) ____________ (achieve) the
greatest success by recognising these traits in our colleagues and balancing
conflict with cooperation to work with our peers to solve problems and achieve
success. A wide range of subjects (18) ____________ (to be) covered, everything
from how we (19) __________ (work) as a collective, the role of the alpha male,
the importance of facial expression, what hierarchy in the jungle (20)
___________ (mean) and the role of gossip.
Conniff (21) ___________ (to be)
clear that by looking at the natural world we can gain an insight into our own
working relationships. Given that we (22) __________ (share) 99% of our genes
with chimpanzees it is not surprising there (23) ____________ (to be) so many
similarities.
(is/makes/achieve/is/work/means/is/share/are)
Bibliographical
details
Title: The Ape in the Corner Office
Link: http://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/the-ape-corner-office (2014)
Article 3
Fill in the blanks with a suitable verb in the simple
present tense.
Dealing
with office politics often (1) _________ (prove) a headache to even the most
experienced managers. Small wonder, then, if new recruits - in particular
first-time jobbers - sometimes (2) __________ (buckle) under the strain.
Knowing what information to communicate and how to best to present yourself and
your achievements (3) __________ (to be)
as important as many practical qualifications. A major stumbling block (4)
___________ (to be) many new recruits' lack of understanding of how a working
environment actually (5) ___________
(work), according to Roly Cockman, chief executive of the Association of
Graduate Recruiters. "This is a gap identified by many employers," he
(6) ____________ (say).
(proves/buckle/is/is/works/says)
"All
are testing incoming graduates more on the basis of their competency, asking
just how well they will be able to do their job." Most graduates (7)
____________ (consider) preparation for employment as part of their university
education, Mr Cockman (8) ___________
(add). "We (9) ___________ (believe), however, a greater emphasis
is needed on developing actual job skills." In spite of this, he (10) __________ (add),
there (11) ___________ (to be) "pockets of good practice" in a
growing number of colleges. At City University, for example, a programme of
activities (12) ___________ (mix)
self-marketing skills with general awareness of the job market.
(consider/adds/believe/adds/are/mixes)
"It
(13) ___________ (start) from the
obvious things, like preparation for CVs and job applications, and (14)
_____________ (run) right through to how best to put yourself across in a work
environment," City University careers adviser Dagmar Burnett- Godfrey (15)
_____________ (explain). "We also (16) ____________ (run) assessment workshops and re-enact
hypothetical workplace situations."
(starts/runs/explains/run)
It
is about encouraging people to consider the consequences and demands of their
actions and attitudes in the workplace, she (17) ____________ (elaborate).
"It's a major change from college working where one more usually (18)
___________ (work) as an individual. "They
must choose their first employer carefully, because that decision usually (19)
___________ (affect) their entire working life - shaping self-confidence,
assertiveness, defensive and self-promotional skills," she (20) __________
(state). "It's no longer enough to be technically skilful and
knowledgeable - how you (21) ___________ (handle) corporate politics and
negotiating tactics are becoming just as important."
(elaborates/works/affects/states/handle)
Understanding
the nature of a given work environment is a good first step towards
successfully working within a difficult corporate culture. "In certain
situations, this can be vital," (22) ____________ (stress) Andrew
Kakabadse, professor of international management development at Cranfield
School of Management. "Some office
cultures (23) ______________ (to be) developmental - if you (24) ____________ (want)
to do it, do it. Others, however, (25) _____________ (to be) very much more divisive." Trying
to understand the context is a critical first step, he (26) ___________
(explain): "What are the hidden rules of the game; how do people in that
organisation (27) ____________ (make) relationships; what sort of relationships
are they?"
(stresses/are/want/are/explains/make)
Neither
economic climate nor type of business (28) ____________ (to be) significant in affecting the degree
of politics to be found in a company culture, Prof Kakabadse (29) ____________
(claim). More relevant (30) ___________
(to be) size. "The bigger the organisation, the more likely it is
because of blurred lines," he (31) ___________ (indicate). "Also,
there are many more politics in decentralised, down-sized organisations.
Because there (32) ____________ (to be) less clear guidelines and career
structures, people are constantly in a position of renegotiation - of salary
and role."
(is/claims/is/indicates/are)
Another
tip for success is keeping a cool and calm head. "Remember, politics (33)
____________ (to be) also a way of communicating in a negative environment -
it's not necessarily personal. Handling it (34) ____________ (require) a great
deal of maturity," he (35) _____________ (elaborate). There is, however,
some cause for comfort. "Usually, people do have the skills to cope,"
Prof Kakabadse (36) ____________ (reiterate). "But often, they (37)
_____________ (see) the situation
distasteful and opt out altogether. Keeping an open mind (38) ______________
(to be) the best course of action. Otherwise, you could end up a
casualty."
(is/requires/elaborates/reiterates/see/is)
Skills
required (39) ____________ (to be) often those already used at home, with
friends or family: how to communicate, how to withhold information until a better
time, recognising who really (40) _____________ (call) the shots and ensuring
they (41) ___________ (to be) aware of your performance and your achievements.
Forewarned, it (42) ___________ (seem), is forearmed.
(are/call/are/seems)
Title:
Surviving the office jungle
Author: Meg Carter
Publication
date: 12 December 1996
Link: http://www.independent.co.uk/student/career-planning/surviving-the-office-jungle
Grammar in Context
Simple Present Tense versus Present Continuous Tense
Simple Past Tense versus Past Continuous Tense
By Fung Lan Yong
June 2014
Part 1
Fill in the blanks with the simple present or present continuous
tense of the verb.
Signal Words
|
|
§ Simple Present
§ always
§ every ...
§ often
§ normally
§ usually
§ sometimes
§ seldom
§ never
§ first
§ then
|
§ Present Continuous
§ at the moment
§ at this moment
§ today
§ now
§ right now
§ Listen!
§ Look!
|
1.
Look! The students __________ (leave) the classroom.
2.
Quiet please! I _________ (compose) a poem.
3.
My grammar lecturer
usually _________ (design) her own
lessons.
4.
The workers often __________ (arrive) early.
5.
We __________ (play) Monopoly at the moment.
6.
The lecturers often
__________ (share) their ideas.
7.
Tom and Jane seldom
_________ (watch) television.
8.
The Dean __________ (talk)
with some students at the moment.
9.
The lecturer always
_________ (encourage) her students to improve their grammar.
10.
Every evening James __________ (go) jogging.
11.
The cooks __________ (sharpen) their knives
every day.
12.
That unhappy individual ___________ (complain)
about others frequently.
13.
I __________ (write) an essay at present.
14.
The lecturer often __________ (tell) jokes to
motivate her students.
15.
She _________ (type) a letter right now.
(are
leaving/am composing/designs/arrive/are playing/share/watch/is talking/encourages/goes/sharpen/complains/am
writing/tells/is typing)
Part
2
Write
ten sentences in the simple present tense and another ten sentences in the
present continuous tense using any of the phrases provided.
Example:
(a)
She always reads English newspapers when she
is free.
(b)
She is reading a newspaper in the library now.
Phrases
·
Drink fruit juice
·
Practise speaking
·
Listen to online music
·
Surf the Internet
·
Log in Facebook
·
Use a smartphone
·
Attend Intensive English classes
·
Talk to the grammar lecturer
·
Read English storybooks
·
Complain about the lecturer
·
Ask questions in class
·
Complete homework promptly
·
Watch Korean dramas
·
Go to a karaoke
Part 3
Simple Past Tense versus Past Continuous Tense
Simple
Past Tense
Regular
verbs: verb + ed
Irregular
verbs
I worked
hard yesterday.
I studied
until eleven last night.
John went
to the library yesterday.
After another
She came
home, switched on the computer and checked her e-mails.
Action
My mobile
rang (when I was sitting in a meeting.)
Just mentioning
Colin
played football yesterday.
|
Past
Continuous Tense
Past form
of 'be' + ing form of verb
I was
speaking to the lecturer when the bell rang.
They were
speaking loudly when the lecturer walked into the classroom.
Mary was speaking to her mother when she heard a strange noise.
At the same time
Simon was
playing on the computer while his brother was watching television.
Action already in progress
While I
was sitting in a meeting, (my mobile suddenly rang.)
Emphasising progress
Yesterday at six o'clock, Colin was playing
football.
|
Put the verbs into the correct tense
(Simple Past or Past Progressive).
1. While Tom
_________ (read), John ________ (watch) television.
2. Melvin
________ (come) home and ________ (log) in Facebook.
3. The burglar
_________ (sneak) into the apartment, _________ (steal) the money and ________
(leave) without a trace.
4. Most of the
students _________ (listen) while the
grammar lecturer _________ (explain) the tenses.
5. While we
__________ (enjoy) a sight-seeing tour, our parents _________ (relax) on the
beach.
6. Jane _________
(wake) up and __________ (look) at the clock.
7. We
_________ (wait) for Jennifer when
suddenly Helen ________ (come) around the corner.
8. The students
__________ (cycle) through the campus when they ________ (witness) a car
accident.
9. James
__________ (wink) at the new student when the lecturer __________ (not look).
(was reading/watched;
came/logged; sneaked/stole/left; listened/was explaining; were
enjoying/relaxed; woke/looked; were waiting/came; were cycling/witnessed;
winked/was not looking)
10. My father
_________ (fall) asleep while he _________ (watch) the television news last
night.
11. When Jane and I
________ (decorate) the wall, the puppy _________ (knock) over the glue bottle.
12. Melinda
___________(break) her leg when she _________
(jog) in the woods.
13. The smartphone
__________ (ring) when I _________ (stir) the chicken soup.
14. Three weeks
ago, a robbery _________ (occur) in the park in the evening.
15. Yesterday, the
international student __________ (arrive) at the university to learn English.
16. The landowner
__________ (ask) the tenant what he _________ (do) last night.
17. He _________
(respond) that he __________ (surf) the
Internet until the wee hours of the morning.
18. The tenant
_________ (add) that he _________ (hear)
a strange noise last night.
19. Rebecca ___________ (grade) her students’
homework when her husband
___________ (invite) her to dine at a nice
restaurant.
20. The student _________ (knock) at the door when
Rebecca __________ (check) her
email.
( fell/was watching; were decorating/knocked; broke/was
jogging; rang/was stirring; occurred; arrived; asked/did; responded/was surfing;
added/heard; was grading/invited; knocked/was checking)
Part 4
Write ten sentences
using the simple past and past continuous tense.
