Gramàtica anglesa de nivell mitjà pas a pas (Intermediate English Grammar Step by Step)

1. L'afirmativa del present simple es fa amb l'infinitiu. Ara bé, cal tenir en compte que en la tercera persona del singular (he, she, it) afegim una -s o -es, segons la terminació del verb. Si el verb termina en so sibilant (-ch, -sh, -ss, -x, -zz) o en -o, posem -es. Si acaba en -y precedida de vocal, només col·loquen una -s, però si davant de la -y hi ha una consonant, cal canviar la -y per -i, i després inserir -es. En totes les altres terminacions, la tercera persona del singular només porta una -s. Vegem els exemples següents:
   start (començar)
   I start
   you start
   he starts
   she starts
   it starts
   we start
   you start
   they start

   finish (acabar)
   I finish
   you finish
   he finishes
   she finishes
   it finishes
   we finish
   you finish
   they finish

   fly (volar)
   I fly
   you fly
   he flies
   she flies
   it flies
   we fly
   you fly
   they fly

   play (jugar)
   I play
   you play
   he plays
   she plays
   it plays
   we play
   you play
   they play

a  The show (begin) at seven o'clock.
b  My parents (teach) at this school.
c  He (teach) French at university.
d  She (rely) on me.
e  They (work) in a restaurant.

2. En la negativa, emprem does not per a la tercera persona del singular, i do not per a les altres persones2. Do not i does not van entre el subjecte i el verb. La forma contracta de do not és don't; la de does not, doesn't.
   He reads every day. (afirmativa » Llegeix tots els dies.)
   He does not read every day. (negativa » No llegeix tots els dies. » Noteu que "read" va en infinitiu, és a dir, sense -s)
   They live in Tarragona. (afirmativa » Viuen a Tarragona.)
   They don't live in Tarragona. (negativa » No viuen a Tarragona.)

a  They (not like) punch.
b  She (not water) this plant very often.
c  We (not write) to each other.
d  I (not study) hard.
e  He (not watch) TV at night.

3. En la interrogativa, davant del subjecte posem does per a la tercera persona del singular, i do per a les altres persones.
   He reads every day. (afirmativa » Llegeix tots els dies.)
   Does he read every day? (interrogativa » ¿Llegeix tots els dies? » Noteu que "read" va en infinitiu, és a dir, sense -s)
   They live in Tarragona. (afirmativa » Viuen a Tarragona.)
   Do they live in Tarragona? (interrogativa » ¿Viuen a Tarragona?)

a  You (want) a cup of coffee?
b  He (need) a rest?
c  It (rain) very often?
d  They (sing) very well?
e  She (go) there from time to time?

4. El present continu es fa amb to be + verb-ing.
   I am dancing. (afirmativa » Balle / Estic ballant.)
   Is she sleeping? (interrogativa » Dorm? / ¿Està dormint?)
   We are not playing cards. (negativa » No juguem a les cartes / No estem jugant a les cartes.)

   Tanmateix, cal tenir en compte el següent quan afegim -ing al verb:
   live→living (consonante + e + ing)
   see→seeing (vocal + e + ing)
   brim→brimming (verb monosil·làbic3 que té l'estructura següent: "consonant + una vocal + una consonant")
   rain→raining (no doblem la -n porquè va precedida de dues vocals en lloc d'una)
   die→dying (ie + ing = ying)

a  She (drink) water.
b  They (listen) to music.
c  You (come) to the party tonight?
d  We (watch) a football match on television.
e  I (not study) now. If you like, we can go for a walk in the country.

5. El present simple s'usa per a hàbits4 i fets universals; el present continu, per a accions que passen quan parlem i per a plans futurs.
   They never drink milk. They don't like milk. (hàbit » No beuen llet mai. No els agrada la llet.)
   The sun sets in the west. (fet universal » El sol es pon per l'oest.)
   I am doing my homework now. (Acció que transcorre ara » Faig els deures ara / Estic fent els deures ara.)
   We are visiting Mary this afternoon. (pla futur » Visitarem Mary aquesta vesprada. » Açò implica que hem quedat amb Mary.)

a  She usually (finish) work at five o'clock.
b  Water (boil) when it is heated.
c  I (write) a novel. I'll show it to you as soon as I (finish) it.
d  I (take) the kids to the zoo tomorrow.
e  "How you (get) on at school?"
   "Not very well, I'm afraid."

6. Hi ha verbs que no van en temps continus: like, be, recognise, understand, etc. Per tant, utilitzarem sempre el present simple amb aquests verbs.
   I understand you perfectly now. (T'entenc perfectament ara.)
   What do you want now? (Què vols ara?)
   I do not think she needs you. (Crec que no et necessita.)

a  She (be) at home now.
b  We (need) a rest now.
c  I (not believe) you.
d  I (wish) you a merry Christmas.
e  "You (love) me?"
   "Of course I do!"

7. Alguns verbs tenen varis significats o sentits, i en alguns d'ells poden admetre temps continus, pero en altres, no.
   I see a woman sitting on a chair. (Veig una dona asseguda en una cadira.)
   He's seeing his sales representative in London now. (Atén / Està atenent el seu representant comercial de Londres.)

a  What you (think) about? You haven't said anything for almost an hour!
b  "What you (think) about this?"
   "I (think) we'll have to spend more money advertising our products."
c  I (expect) a customer now.
d  We (expect) that our sales will double in the next few months.
e  This soup (taste) great.

8. Exercici de revisió.
a  We (love) visiting them. They (be) so charming!
b  Wherever you (go), I'll follow you.
c  "Why you (smell) that yoghourt? It (smell) off?"
   "I (be) afraid it (do). It (have) an unpleasant smell."
d  I (be) afraid she can't talk to you now: she (have) a shower. Could you ring back later?
e  I can't tonight! I (take) my wife to the opera. What about tomorrow?
f  Don't light a cigarette now! It (smell) of gas.
g  I sometimes (go) for a walk in the afternoons.
h  "What you (do) in you free time?"
   "I usually (read) or (connect) to the Internet."
i  He (not like) garlic, so don't put any garlic in the stew.
j  Could you explain it again? I still (not understand)!
k  Don't go out now: it (rain) very heavily.
l  "Love (be) what (make) the world go round. Or it (be) money?"
   "I (think) it (be) money what (make) the world go round."
m  "Who this pen (belong) to?"
   It (belong) to Peter, I (think).
n  "What on earth you (do) here?"
   "Nothing! I just (wait) for John to come."
o  The moon (revolve) around the earth.
p  We have taken this road because they (repair) the other one.
q  "Where your mother (be)?"
   "She (pick) roses in the garden."
r  He (meet) her tomorrow evening. He (love) her a lot.
s  "You (mind) if I come again tomorrow?"
   "Of course not! I (enjoy) your visits."
t  I (taste) the food because it (have) a funny odour.
u  Why you (not taste) it? It (be) delicious!
v  "How you (be) today?"
   "I (not feel) very well."
w  I (detest) peeling onions. They (make) me cry.
x  "What you (look) for?"
   "I've lost my keys and can't find them anywhere."
y  How often you (feed) your snake?
z  The sun's rays (permit) life on this planet.

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1  El present continu s'anomena també "present progressiu".
2  Els modals (can, may, must, should...), be i have got no fan la negativa i l'interrogativa amb do o does:
   We can speak Catalan. (Sabem parlar / Parlem català.)
   We can't speak Catalan.
   Can we speak Catalan?
   She is my sister. (És ma germana.)
   She is not my sister.
   Is she my sister?
   Veges les unitats 1, 2 i 4 per a més informació.

   Compara els exemples següents:
   She has got lots of friends. (Té moltíssims amics.)
   She hasn't got lots of friends.
   Has she got lots of friends?
   He has a shower every day. (Es dutxa tots els dies.)
   He does not have a shower every day.
   Does he have a shower every day?
   Veges la unitat unidad 3 per a més informació.
3  Si un verb té dues síl·labes, i la síl·laba tònica és la darrera, la qual té "consonant + una vocal + una consonant", també doblem la consonant: begin→beginning. Nota que alguns verbs acabats en l doblen la consonant en anglès britànic, però no, en anglès americà: travel→travelling. Per a més informació, veges la nostra gràmatica de nivell avançat.
4  Observa que el present continu s'usa de vegades amb always per denotar que quelcom ens irrita:
   You are always sucking up to the boss. (Sempre fas la gara-gara a l'amo / Sempre estàs fent la gara-gara a l'amo, és a dir, estic tip de tanta gara-gara.)
   Per a més informació, veges la nostra gràmatica de nivell avançat.