by R. S. Karunaratne

Future perfect continuous tense

We form the future perfect continuous or the future perfect progressive tense with “shall / will + have been + present participle of the verb” for the first person singular ( I ) and the first person plural ( we). We use “will + have been + present participle of the verb” for the second person singular and plural (you ) and the third person singular (he, she, it) and the third person plural (they). Like the future perfect tense, it is normally used with a time expression beginning with “by”.

By February 4 Sri Lanka will have been enjoying Independence for 64 years.

By the end of this year the principal will have been acting in his post for three years.
By the end of this term the students will have been studying for three months.
By the end of this week I will have been living in this room for six days.
By the end of 2015 my father will have been working in this factory for 30 years.
By the end of this year Nalan will have been training drivers for ten years.
By the end of this month we will have been climbing mountains for three years.

If we wish to mention the number of students studying or the number of people taking part in an activity, we have to use the future perfect tense instead of the future perfect continuous tense.

By the end of this year he will have trained 50 drivers.
By the end of this month we will have climbed four mountains.

The future perfect continuous tense indicates that an event will be in progress at a particular time in the future. It additionally highlights the duration of the event.

By 3 p.m. the board members will have been meeting for almost two hours.

By next year she will have been teaching at the school for four years.

[Activity]

Complete the following sentences using the correct form of the verb given in brackets. Check your answers with the key.

1. By this time tomorrow he ............................. to Australia. (fly)
2. By next year we ............................ here for five years. (study)
3. By the end of this month they ........ in this house for 30 years. (live)
4. By the end of this month Rukmani .....................for 15 years. (act)
5. By next week she .....................the novel for three months. (write)
6. By 2013 he ..........................his retirement for 10 years. (enjoy)
7. By 2030 they .............................in England for 20 years. (live)
8.By the end of this week I .........my project report for six days. (write)
9.By the end of December I ........................for 40 years. (work)
10.By January 2013 we ..........Information Technology for one year. (learn)

Key:

1. will have been flying
2. will have been studying
3. will have been living
4. will have been acting
5. will have been writing
6. will have been enjoying
7. will have been living
8. will have been writing
9. will have been working
10. will have been learning

In order to be a fluent speaker or an effective writer, you will have to enrich your vocabulary.

Here is an interesting quiz to test your vocabulary. Indicate the correct answer for each word in bold type in the following sentences and check your answers with the key.

1. The priest used a crucifix and a Bible to exorcise the evil spirit.

(a) to drive away
(b) to solicit
(c) to invite

2. The police inspector surprised the murder suspect with his inscrutable expression.

(a) lively
(b) mysterious
(c) jovial

3. If you stay indoors for a very long time, you will develop an unhealthy pallor.

(a) symptoms
(b) disease
(c) unnatural paleness

4. If you are interested in unidentified flying objects, study phenomenology.

(a) science of planets
(b) science of unusual happenings
(c) science of aliens

5. The polygraph will tell us whether a person is lying or not.

(a) lie detector
(b) judge
(c) courts

6. Don’t purloin your own valuables to claim compensation from the insurance company.

(a) sell
(b) deposit
(c) steal

7. Some people do not like religious rituals.

(a) a system of rites
(b) beliefs
(c) writings

8. The soothsayer warned the minister not to attend the senate meeting.

(a) one who is loyal
(b) one who predicts the future
(c) one who is corrupt

9. The amplitude of the professor’s knowledge is amazing.

(a) fullness
(b) emptiness
(c) poverty

10. Messages are carried to the brain through the infinitesimal vessels of the nervous system.

(a) unseen
(b) too small to be measured
(c) large

Key:

1. (a) 2. (b) 3. (c) 4. (b) 5. (a) 6. (c) 7. (a) 8. (b) 9. (a) 10. (b)

Starters:

Common expressions in speech

We use ‘too’ and ‘either’ at the end of a sentence mostly in speech. Use ‘too’ after a positive verb.

A: I’m delighted.
B: I’m delighted too.

A: I enjoyed the novel.
B: I enjoyed it too.

A: Mary is a journalist.
B: Her husband is a journalist too.

A: It rained on Monday.
B: It rained on Tuesday too.

A: Cyril’s son is a lawyer.
B: His daughter is a lawyer too.

Use ‘either’ after a negative verb.

A: I’m not happy.
B: I’m not happy either.

A: I can’t drive.
B: I can’t either.

A: Joe doesn’t read newspapers.
B: He doesn’t watch television either.

A: Jane can’t swim.
B: She can’t play tennis either.

A: I don’t drink milk.
B: I don’t drink it either.

Let’s learn how to use ‘So am I’, ‘So do I’, ‘So have I’ etc.

A: I’m hungry.
B: So am I.

A: I went to school late yesterday.
B: So did I.

A: I’ve been to India.
B: So have I.

A: I want to learn French.
B: So do I.

A: I’ll be coming late tomorrow.
B: So will I.

A: I was shocked to hear the news.
B: So was I.

A: I haven’t got any money.
B: Neither have I.

A: Shilpa can’t swim.
B: Neither can her sister.

A: I can’t ride a scooter.
B: Neither can I.

A: I didn’t buy a ticket.
B: Neither did I.

A: I’m not going to school tomorrow.
B: Neither am I.

A: I don’t know anybody at the Passport Office.
B: Neither do I.

A: I never tell lies.
B: Neither do I.

[Activity]

Fill in the blanks with “So ........I’ or ‘Neither .............. I’ and check your answers with the key.

1. I’m learning Tamil. ....................................................
2. I can drive a car. ....................................................
3. I’m not hungry. ....................................................
4. I like music. ....................................................
5. I don’t like ice-cream. ................................................
6. I danced well last night. ...............................................
7. I have never been to Taj Mahal. ........................................
8. I don’t go to the gym everyday........................................
9. I’m leaving for Nuwara Eliya tomorrow. ................................
10. I haven’t got a toothbrush. ..........................................

Key:

1. So am I. 2. So can I. 3. Neither am I. 4. So do I. 5. Neither do I. 6. So did I. 7. Neither have I. 8. Neither do I. 9. So am I. 10. Neither have I.

Differences between ‘make’ and ‘do’

‘Make’ and ‘do’ are two verbs that give problems to many learners of English. ‘Make’ is to produce something and ‘do’ is about performing an action.

[Make ]

People are making arrangements for the forthcoming New Year festival.
The new director will make some changes to streamline the services.
Sometimes we have to make a choice between two courses of action.
The newly appointed leader of the ABC party refused to make any comments on his success.
The visiting professor made a useful contribution to educational reforms.
Many people are not willing to make a decision in an emergency.
If you make an effort , you will pass the examination.
She made an excuse and did not join the party.
Some people are good at making friends.
Colour washing has made an improvement to the old building.
If you make a mistake, admit it.
I want to make a phone call before leaving office.
Is your son making progress with his studies?

[Do ]

Do your best in the examination.
Tsunami did some damage to my house.
The scientist is doing an experiment in the laboratory.
Do more exercises if you want to remember grammatical rules.
Can you do me a favour?
He will not do any harm to your plants.

How long will you take to do my hair? I have to do my homework before going to bed.

Mother agreed to do the washing while I do the ironing .
Do some work without idling!

One word for many

Here’s an interesting word game. Look at the following group of words and give one word for each. To facilitate your task we have given the first letter of the single word. Check your answers with the key.

1. Objects, materials or processes that do not occur naturally and are created by human beings: A .......................

2. A large group of people who meet regularly to make decisions or laws: A ..............................

3. Something or somebody considered useful for success: A.........................

4. A piece of work given to you as part of your job or studies: A ..........................

5. Something considered true without any real proof: A ...........................

6. The scientific study of the stars and planets in space: A .........................

7. A document or file added to another document or an E-mail: A........................

8. An organised group of people who deal with something officially: B ....................

9. An important development or achievement: B .........................

10. A programme, performance or speech on the radio or on television: B ..................

11. Rules and procedures followed by government departments: B .............................

12. An area of land that contains the main buildings of a university: C ........................

13. An economic and political system in which property, business and industry are owned by private individuals and not by the state: C ....................................

14. The smallest part of an animal or plant that is able to function independently: C .....................

15. Division of people in a society into groups according to their social status: C ..............

Key:

1. Artificial 2. Assembly 3. Asset 4. Assignment 5. Assumption 6. Astronomy 7. Attachment 8. Body 9. Breakthrough 10. Broadcast 11. Bureaucracy 12. Campus 13. Capitalism 14. Cell 15. Class