Shadowing Practice: 5 Tenses = 96% of English - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Here is something that will make you doubt everything you've learnt in English.
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Here is something that will make you doubt everything you've learnt in English.
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Just five English tenses are used in around 96% of English interactions.
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Yeah, out of all 12 tenses we learn,
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you only need a literal handful in many conversations.
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So let's be efficient here.
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I'm going to show you what those five tenses are and how we use them.
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To make this even more efficient,
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I think efficiency is my word of the month here.
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I've also created a free PDF.
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It's basically an ebook at this point.
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It contains everything we discussed today,
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all of the information about each tense,
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extra examples and a quiz to check what you've learnt.
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If you would like to download that for free,
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just click on the link in the description Or scan that QR code there,
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sign up to my mailing list,
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and the PDF will arrive directly in your inbox.
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Okay, here is your pie chart.
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Let's start with the biggest slice.
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The most commonly used English tense.
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I wonder if you can guess what it is.
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It is, drum roll please.
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About to do it.
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Myself.
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It's the present simple.
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It's used around 55% of the time in spoken English.
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Next we have the past simple at almost 21%.
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So over three quarters of spoken interactions in English happen in just two tenses.
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Following that there is the present perfect simple at around 8.4%,
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the future with will at 6.4% and the present continuous coming in with 5.7%.
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The rest of the tenses are in that tiny slice of leftover pie.
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Now, these figures are based on a study of spoken British English.
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And as we know, there isn't just one variety of English.
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There's North American English, Australian English,
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Indian English, and so on.
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Within these varieties, there are countless dialects and regional nuances,
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and people use tenses differently.
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Spoken English itself changes depending on context.
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A casual conversation with friends is quite different from a job interview.
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And then of course, there is written English.
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In news reports and fiction books,
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the past tense tends to be used more often than the present.
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So 96% here is an estimate.
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The figures within it vary,
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but even with all of this variation,
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the same five tenses rise to the top time and time again.
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If you're interested in learning more,
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I've put some links to sources in the description below.
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But now let's go through some of the most common uses of these five key tenses.
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First, the present simple.
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This is usually the first tense that people learn in English.
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The structure is subject plus base verb,
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or with third person subjects,
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a base verb with S.
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I love it.
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He lives nearby.
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To see how to form negatives and questions and examples for the present simple and all the tenses to come,
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make sure you download the PDF.
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The link's down there.
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So why is the present simple used so much?
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Well, it has a lot of functions when talking about the present,
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but it can also be used to refer to the past and the future.
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It's the Swiss army knife of tenses.
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We use the present simple to talk about habits,
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routines, and things that are true at the present.
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For example, I often go to the gym on Wednesdays,
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or she lives in Belfast.
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It's also used to discuss facts and general truths.
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There are billions of stars in our galaxy.
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And the present simple can refer to fixed or scheduled events in the future.
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The play starts at eight.
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Finally, the present simple often appears when we tell a story or discuss what happens in a book or film.
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So, I'm at the beach yesterday when suddenly I see a massive wave coming right for me.
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Or, Elizabeth Bennet meets Mr. Darcy.
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Now, of course, we also tell stories in the past simple.
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And that is our next most common tense used around 20% of the time in spoken interactions.
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The past simple is formed by adding ed to regular verbs like start, started.
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but some of the most common verbs in English are irregular.
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Do you know the past simple of have, go, and be?
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Had, went, was, or were.
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Okay, and how do we use the past simple?
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Well, we use it to talk about completed actions or events that happened before now.
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It might be something that happened once.
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I bought a new phone last weekend.
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or something that happened several times.
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We went camping in Wales every summer.
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Or something that was true for a long period in the past.
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They worked together for over 30 years.
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Next up, the present perfect simple.
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This is formed with subject plus have or has plus the past participle.
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Again, regular past participles are formed by adding ed to verbs,
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just like in the past simple.
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For example, enjoy, enjoyed, enjoyed.
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But of course, there are many irregular past participles like eat, ate, eaten.
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Now, my students often find the present perfect tense quite challenging,
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but here's a basic overview.
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Of course, there's more information in the PDF.
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We can use it for states or actions that began in the past,
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but continue to the present.
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For example, we've known each other since primary school.
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Began in the past, we still know each other now.
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We also use it for describing life experiences.
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I've read The Great Gatsby.
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We've never been to Ireland.
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And we use it when something that happened in the past has an effect on or is relevant in the present.
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I think I've broken my wrist.
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It really hurts.
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Now, it's worth noting that perfect tenses are more common in British English than in North American English.
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For example, in British English,
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we would say, I've just spoken to John.
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While in North American English,
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speakers might prefer the past simple.
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I just spoke to John.
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Actually, can we get an American to say that?
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I just spoke to John.
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Thank you.
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Our next tense is the future simple,
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or the future with Will.
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This is my favourite tense because my husband's name is Will.
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The form is subject plus will plus base verb.
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I will see.
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She will help.
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Now, in spoken English, will is nearly always contracted to ll, apostrophe ll.
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I'll, she'll, and so on.
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They have one syllable.
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It'll has two syllables.
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The negative form of will is will not,
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usually contracted to won't in speech.
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And fun fact, if my husband's ever rude to me,
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I call him won't because he is not my will.
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We make offers, promises and spontaneous decisions with will.
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For example, I'll give you a hand with that,
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meaning I'll help you with that.
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Or, you're going to the shop?
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I'll come.
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We also use it to express beliefs and make predictions.
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It'll be amazing to see you again,
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or you'll drop that glass if you're not careful.
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However, a small study based on the sitcom Friends found
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that be going to appears more often than will when referring to the future.
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Be going to is definitely a key structure to use when discussing future plans or making predictions based on present evidence.
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In fast speech, we use the informal contraction gonna.
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It's gonna chuck it down any minute.
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It's going to rain hard soon.
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Alright, let's move on to our final tense.
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The present continuous formed with subject plus am,
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is or are plus ing verb.
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For example, I'm speaking.
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Are you coming?
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This tense is used for ongoing actions happening at or around the moment of speaking.
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Ellie's walking the dog.
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They're creating a cycle path.
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And we use it for future arrangements.
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Mum's coming for dinner on Friday.
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It's actually a very versatile tense.
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We also use it for things we think are temporary,
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things that are changing or developing,
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and repeated actions that might be annoying.
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Okay, now we've gone through our tenses,
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let's do a short quiz together to test what you remember.
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Use the correct form of the verbs in brackets to complete the sentences.
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There are five questions and I want you to use each tense from this video once.
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One, Helen, university in Glasgow last year.
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The word in brackets is start.
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Two, we, them tomorrow morning.
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And your word is meet.
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Three, I, you back in about five minutes.
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And your word is call.
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Four, bees, to tell other bees where food is.
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And your word is dance.
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And five, I, good will hunting.
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And your words are never see.
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Pause the video now to have a think if you need more time.
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Now I'm going to reveal the answers.
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Number one is started in the past simple.
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This is a completed action in the past.
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For number two, you could have used our meeting using the present continuous to talk about a future arrangement.
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We are going to meet them is also fine, expressing a future plan.
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Three should be will call or I'll call.
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That's a promise made with will.
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Four should be dance, the present simple for a fact.
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And five should be have never seen,
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the present perfect simple to talk about an experience up to now.
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How did you score out of five?
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Let me know your results in the comments and tell me,
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which of these five tenses do you need to practise the most?
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That's it for today's lesson,
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but don't forget to download the PDF.
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It is stuffed full of information,
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examples, and there's another quiz because one isn't enough.
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The link for that is in the description box or you can scan the QR code there.
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I will see you soon for another lesson.
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Mwah.
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you
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About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will explore the five essential English tenses that account for approximately 96% of spoken interactions. Understanding these tenses will enhance your communication skills, allowing you to engage more effectively in everyday conversations. You will learn how to identify and use the present simple, past simple, present perfect simple, future with will, and present continuous tenses. With this knowledge, you will feel more confident in both speaking and listening contexts.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Present Simple - The tense used to describe habitual actions and general truths.
- Past Simple - The tense used for actions completed in the past.
- Present Perfect Simple - This tense connects past actions to the present.
- Future with Will - Used for spontaneous decisions and predictions.
- Present Continuous - Describes ongoing actions happening at the moment of speaking.
- Efficiency - The aim of focusing on the most commonly used tenses.
- Casual Conversation - Informal communication context where these tenses frequently appear.
Practice Tips
To effectively practice using these five tenses, consider applying the shadowing technique as part of your learning process. This involves listening to audio recordings that utilize these tenses clearly and trying to repeat what you hear as closely as possible. Focus on the speed and tone of the speech in the video, which is relatively natural but not too fast. Here are some tips to enhance your shadow speech practice:
- Start by listening to a short section of the transcript, such as the explanation of the present simple. Pay attention to the pronunciation and rhythm.
- Pause after each sentence and repeat it aloud. This will help you practice the intonation and stress patterns used in natural conversation.
- Use a shadowing site that offers audio clips where these five tenses are highlighted in various contexts. Listening to varied examples will deepen your understanding.
- Record yourself while shadowing, then listen back to evaluate your pronunciation and fluency. This feedback loop is invaluable for improvement.
- Try to incorporate these tenses into your daily conversations. Whether speaking with friends or during language exchange sessions, actively using what you learn will reinforce your skills.
By practicing regularly with the shadow speak method, you will gain greater confidence and mastery over the most common English tenses. Remember, consistent practice is key to fluency!
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.
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