Shadowing Practice: How to use present tenses - 6 Minute Grammar - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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6 Minute Grammar from bbclearningenglish.com Hello and welcome to 6 Minute Grammar with me, Catherine.
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6 Minute Grammar from bbclearningenglish.com Hello and welcome to 6 Minute Grammar with me, Catherine.
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And me, Finn.
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Hello.
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In this programme, we're talking about present tenses.
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Now, let's get started.
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The first thing we need to know is that the present simple tense is mainly for facts,
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habits and truths.
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Now, Catherine, give me a true fact about you.
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A true fact about me is that I like gardening.
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Oh wow!
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Yeah.
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Love it.
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Thanks Catherine.
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And can you tell me one of your habits?
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I drink a cup of coffee every morning.
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I drink one at home and I drink another one when I get to work.
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So far, so good.
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We make the present simple with a subject and base verb and we add S to the verb for he,
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she and it.
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So, I work, you work,
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he works, she works and so on.
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We make questions and negatives with do or does.
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So Catherine, do you take milk in your coffee?
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I do take milk in my coffee.
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Finn, do you take milk in your coffee?
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I don't.
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I like it black.
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And what about Mrs Finn?
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Does she take milk in her coffee?
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She doesn't drink coffee.
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Oh, what does she drink?
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Tea.
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All the time.
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Very British.
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Yes.
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So that's present simple for facts and habits.
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Now, when we're talking about activities,
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temporary situations and things that are happening now or around now,
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we use am, is or are plus an ing verb to make the present continuous.
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So, Finn, what are you doing now?
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Now, right now, right at this minute,
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I'm sitting in the studio on a chair talking to you.
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But off and on, I'm also reading a novel called The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro.
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Ooh.
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That's great.
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Well pronounced.
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Thank you.
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And are you reading anything right now, Catherine?
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Yes, I am.
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I'm reading a novel also.
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It's a comedy about Adrian Mole and it's really good.
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I'm enjoying it a lot.
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Sounds great.
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I'd like to borrow it.
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You can.
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We can also use the present continuous for future arrangements.
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And so, Finn, what are you doing tonight?
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Tonight I'm taking my wife to dinner.
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Don't tell her.
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Oh, lucky wife.
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That's right.
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So, present simple for facts and habits,
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present continuous for activities and future arrangements.
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And now for the present perfect.
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We make it with have or has plus a past participle.
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It connects the past to the present and it's useful for asking about life experiences.
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So life experience question coming, Finn.
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Have you ever eaten insects?
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I have, yes.
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I've eaten ants and beetles in Cambodia.
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So in the question, the word ever means at any time in your life.
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Never means at no time in your life.
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So Catherine, tell us about an experience that you have never had.
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Well, I've never eaten insects, Finn.
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OK.
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And I've never been on safari.
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OK.
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But I'm sure that our colleague Rob has been on safari.
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He's been to many places.
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He has.
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Yes.
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Other words we can use with present perfect are just, already and yet.
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We use just already and yet a lot
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when we're using the present perfect tense to talk about the present effect of a past event.
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Already means something has happened, perhaps earlier than expected.
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So, Finn, give us an example of already.
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Right.
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I've already had breakfast today. And coffee?
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Have you had coffee?
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I've just had a cup of coffee.
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Just means recently.
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And I haven't had lunch yet.
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I should think not, it's only half ten.
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It's a bit early for lunch, yeah.
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And yet means something like not until now.
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Good.
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And if a past situation has continued until now,
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use for or since to say how long it's continued, like this.
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I've lived in London for five years.
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I've been married since 2003.
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And we also use the present perfect to give news,
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things that happened a short time ago and are important now.
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So, have you got any news for us, Catherine?
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Yes, I have actually.
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OK.
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I've won the lottery!
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I don't believe you.
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I have.
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That's because I'm not telling the truth.
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It's just an example.
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OK.
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You're listening to OK.
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And we're talking about present tenses.
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And it's quiz time.
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Question one.
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Which of these sentences best describes a habit?
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a I have smoked 20 cigarettes a day.
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b I smoke 20 cigarettes a day.
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And the answer is b I smoke 20 cigarettes a day.
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Question two.
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Is this sentence grammatically correct or wrong?
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Humans have not visited the planet Mars yet,
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but they have already been to the moon.
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It's correct.
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It is.
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Now, last one.
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Which sentence is correct?
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a Catherine has never eaten insects.
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b Catherine never eats insects.
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or c Catherine is never eating insects.
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And the answer is that both A and B are correct.
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Aha.
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Aha.
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As a life experience, it's true to say
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that I have never eaten insects and as a fact I can say I never eat insects.
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So, that brings us to the end of the quiz and well done to you if you got them all right.
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A free insect for everyone who got all of those right.
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Now there's more about this on our website at bbclearningenglish.com.
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Join us again for more 6 Minute Grammar.
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Bye.
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Bye.

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Context & Background

In the video "How to use present tenses - 6 Minute Grammar," hosts Catherine and Finn engage in a casual yet informative conversation aimed at elucidating the present simple and present continuous tenses in English. The dialogue highlights their personal habits and current activities, providing learners with relatable examples of how these tenses are used in real-life situations. Understanding present tenses is fundamental for expressing facts, routines, and ongoing actions—essential aspects of daily communication.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • I drink a cup of coffee every morning. - A quintessential example of a daily habit.
  • Do you take milk in your coffee? - A common question that illustrates the use of present simple for inquiries.
  • I'm reading a novel right now. - A clear example of the present continuous tense for actions happening at the moment.
  • She doesn't drink coffee. - Demonstrating the negative form in present simple.
  • What are you doing now? - A typical question used to inquire about someone's current activity.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively improve your English speaking and pronunciation using this video, follow this shadowing guide. Shadowing is a technique where you listen and repeat what you hear to practice fluency and accent.

  1. Watch the Video First: Take the time to watch the video without interruption to get an overall understanding of the topic and context.
  2. Listen Carefully: Replay sections of the video while focusing on how Catherine and Finn structure their sentences using the present tenses. Pay attention to their intonation and rhythm.
  3. Pause and Repeat: Use a shadowing app or a similar tool to pause the video after a phrase. Try to repeat it out loud, mimicking their pronunciation as closely as possible. Practice key phrases like “I drink a cup of coffee every morning.”
  4. Slow It Down: If the natural speed of the conversation is challenging, slow down the playback to grasp the nuances. Websites that specialize in shadowing provide options for adjustable playback speeds.
  5. Record Yourself: After shadowing, record your speech to evaluate your improvement. Compare your pronunciation with that of the speakers in the video.

By practicing consistently with the material from this shadowing site and utilizing the phrases shared, you can significantly improve your English pronunciation and become more comfortable in conversations. This approach allows you to learn English with YouTube effectively while building your language skills in a fun, engaging manner.

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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