Say these after me.
		We play golf on a golf course. We play football on a pitch. We swim in a pool. Athletics takes place on a field or a track. We skate on a rink. Gymnastics take place in a gymnasium. We cycle on a track. Cricket is played on a field or pitch. Motor Racing takes place on a track or circuit. Baseball is played on a diamond.

	Here are some questions and answers. Click and listen and say them out loud.
		Where do you play cricket? I play cricket on a field or pitch.
		Where do athletes go to do their sport? Athletes go to a field or track.
		Where do you swim? I swim in a pool.
		What do you do on a golf course? I play golf on a golf course.
		What do you do on a soccer pitch? I play soccer on a soccer pitch.
		What is played on a diamond? Baseball is played on a diamond.
		Where would you go to do gymnastics? I would go to a gymnasium to do gymnastics.
		What do people do on a rink? People skate on a rink.
		What takes place at a race track? Cycling or motor racing takes place at a race track.
		What is played on a rugby pitch? Rugby is played on a rugby pitch. (Rugby is played with an oval ball and was first played at Rugby School in Warwickshire, England, in 1823).

    Simon: Hi Mum!

Mother: Hello dear, how did you get on?

Simon: We won 2-nil. Guess what! I scored the second goal.

Mother: Wow, that's good, who scored the first one?

Simon: Matt.

Mother: Is he the boy with the red hair?

Simon: Yeah, that's right, I think you know his Mum. She's the tall lady you sometimes talk to at the bus stop.

Mother: Oh, I thought that was her. If you let me have your football kit now, I'll put it into the washing machine right away. Put your boots in the porch and you can scrape the mud off them later when they've dried.

Simon: I'm starving Mum!

Mother: I thought you would be. There's a pizza in the oven and I've made some cookies.

Simon: Great!    

When speaking English you can shorten certain phrases by leaving out one or more letters like this:-

Listen to these two students talking at the bus stop.

Bob is getting ready to go to university.

    Bob: Hi Clare! I'm just going into town to the sports shop to buy a pair
         of trainers and some football boots.

Clare: Oh yes! I hear you're off to university next week, Bob.

Bob: Yes, I hope I'll be able to continue playing football while I'm there. I'm going to join the first-year team so that's why I need the boots.

Clare: They're all so expensive, aren't they? My Dad needed a new pair of golf shoes, so the family all clubbed together to buy them for him. He's very pleased with them.

Bob: Well, I've been saving most of my wages from my holiday job so that I could buy some new sports kit.

Clare: I did that last year and bought myself a new pair of ice skates. I don't suppose we can expect our parents to pay for everything can we?

Bob: No! But mine are quite generous, though. They paid for my last skiing trip to Austria. That included the hire of the boots and skis, although I would like to have my own, one day.

Clare: Here's my bus. I'm on my way to the swimming pool to try out my new swimming costume. 'Bye!    

When a group of people want to buy something together, they club together, which means they put their money together.

Try out means to test to see if something works.

last year the year before last next year the year after next yesterday the day before yesterday tomorrow the day after tomorrow

To hire means to pay for the use of an item for a certain length of time.

For example:

a) I will hire the skis when I get there.

b) Paul hired a bicycle while on holiday.

You can also use the word as a noun:

1. The hire of a boat cost two euros per hour.

2. Car hire can be arranged at the airport.

	Present Perfect (have + past participle)
	We use the present perfect for things in the past but when the exact time in the past is not important.
		Has she ever been to Paris? Have you seen my car keys anywhere? Have you finished your meeting? I've never been able to swim. They have never been to Paris. I haven't seen your car keys. We've finished our meeting. He's gone for some milk.

For example:

We have lived here for five years.

He's been working here since 9.00am this morning.

I haven't laughed so much since I was a child.

For/Since

We use 'for' to say how much time has passed.
We use 'since' to say when something started.

Which word completes these sentences?

1. Have you ever . . . . to London?

2. She's been . . . . Spanish for 2 years.

3. We've . . . . Paul since he was a baby.

4. It . . . . rained constantly since we arrived.

5. Prices have risen steadily . . . . last year.

6. I've been growing my hair . . . . six months.

7. This tree . . . been here . . . hundreds of years.

8. . . . . they arrived, I haven't . . . . any time to myself.

9. A fire has been . . . . in Australia for 2 days.

10. I've . . . . seen this film before.

Click ANSWER to see if you were right.

We use the past for things that are finished and when we want to know when something happened.

We often start a conversation with the present perfect and then change to the past.

For example:

    Bob: Have you seen the film 'A Dog's Life'?

Clare: Yes I have, I saw it last week.

Bob: Did you like it?

Clare: Yes, it was okay, but a bit too long.

and another example:

Brad: I've never been to Mexico but I'd like to go some day.

Lucy: I bet it's great.

Brad: My friend Jane went there 2 years ago. She really enjoyed it.

Lucy: How long did she go for?

Brad: I think it was for about a month. I'll ask her to bring some of her pictures to the party on Saturday.    

   Regular Verbs

Infinitive	Past	Past Participle
live	lived	lived
finish	finished	finished
arrive	arrived	arrived

   Irregular Verbs

Infinitive	Past	Past Participle
go	went	gone/been
do	did	done
be	was	been
see	saw	seen
know	knew	known
rise	rose	risen
become	became	become
can	could	been able to

'The'

We use 'the' with a singular or plural noun when we know or want to say which specific thing we are talking about.

For example:

    I scored the second goal.

The boy with the red hair.

I'm going to the swimming pool.

Put your boots in the porch.

In the above sentences we know which boy, swimming pool and porch we are talking about.    

'A' and 'An' We use 'a' or 'an' when we are not being specific - when we are talking in a general way about something or when it is not important which specific thing we are talking about.

For example:

    People skate on an ice rink.

I'm going to buy a pair of trainers.

I play golf on a golf course.

In these sentences we are not talking about one specific rink, pair of trainers or golf course, we are speaking in a general way.    

We also often use 'a' or 'an' when we are describing something.

For example:  I live in an old house with a big garden.

Say each sentence out loud putting the/a/an in the right places.

1. _ earth goes round _ sun.

2. Baseball is played on _ diamond.

3. _ iceberg is _ floating mountain of ice.

4. My car is parked next to _ bank where I work.

5. When I leave school I would like _ job that is interesting.

Click ANSWER to see if you were right.

When a word has several syllables, one or more of the syllables is spoken with more emphasis or 'stress' than the others.

Practise saying the following words with the correct pronunciation and stress.

Place the emphasis on that part of the word which is THIS colour.

Be careful of differences between spelling and speech.

athletics   gymnastics   everything   washing machine trainers   expensive   soccer   goal   swimming costume yesterday    bicycle

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Answers to the 'Practice' questions.

    1. Have you ever been to London?

2. She's been learning Spanish for 2 years.

3. We've known Paul since he was a baby.

4. It has rained constantly since we arrived.

5. Prices have risen steadily since last year.

6. I've been growing my hair for six months.

7. This tree has been here for hundreds of years.

8 Since they arrived I haven't had any time to myself.

9. A fire has been burning in Australia for 2 days.

10. I've never seen this film before.

Click BACK to get back to where you were in the lesson.    

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Here are the 5 sentences with the/a/an in the right places.

    1. The earth goes round the sun.

2. Baseball is played on a diamond.

3. An iceberg is a floating mountain of ice.

4. My car is parked next to the bank where I work.

5. When I leave school I would like a job that is interesting.

Click BACK to get back to where you were in the lesson.    

Tailpiece

Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained.

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Course  A End of Lesson A5

(Play the Song)

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Link to Introduction

Links to other lessons in Course A : 1   2   3   4  *  6   7   8   9   10

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Remember - you can go back to any lesson as many times as you like.

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