UNIT N°4

GRAMMAR

4A Can/Could (requests)

For things	Can/Could I have a cup of tea, please?
For permission to do something	Can/Could I open the door, please?
For someone to do something	Can/Could you help me, please?

Could I/Could you…? Is more polite and formal than Can I/Can you…?

4B Present Perfect with a present result

Use the present perfect to talk about something which happened in the past, but has important results now.

Past Action	Present Result
I/You/We/They’ve washed the cups.	The cups are clean now.
He/She/It’s broken the computer.	The computer doesn’t work now.

To form the present perfect, use have/has + a past participle.

4C Present Perfect (+ - ?)

+ (‘ve = have, s’ = has )	- ( haven’t = have not, hasn’t = has not )	?
I/You/We/They’ve fed the dog.	I/ You/We/They haven’t fed the dog.	Have I/you/we/they fed the dog.
He/She/It’s washed the towels.	He/She It hasn’t washed the towels.	Has he/she/it washed the towels?

Short answers
Yes, I/you/we/they have. Yes, he/she/it has.	No, I/you/we/they haven’t. No, he/she/it hasn’t

4D Present perfect with ever / never

Use ever and never with the present perfect for emphasis.

Ever + present prefect question	= at any time before now.	Have you ever travelled abroad?
Never + present perfect positive form	= at no time before now.	We’ve never been to Canada.

4E Present perfect and past simple.

Use the present perfect to talk about an event which happened at some time before now. It isn’t important exactly when it happened. Use the past simple to talk about an event which happened in the past and is not connected to now.

Present Perfect	Past Simple
I’ve been to London this year. He’s never played chess We’ve visited Dublin twice.	I went to London last week. He didn’t play chess yesterday. We went to Dublin twice last year.

Use expressions of unfinished time with the present perfect, and expressions of finished time with the past.

Expressions of unfinished time	Expressions of finished time
Before now, today, this week, in my life.	Last summer, yesterday, last week, in 2001, when I was five.

VOCABULARY

4A Vocabulary

Blanket: cobija

Glass: vaso

Lamp: Lámpara

Remote control: Control remoto

Pillow: Almohada

Ashtray: Cenicero

Shampoo: shampoo

Sheet: sábana

Soap: jabón

Mini-bar: mini-bar

Tap: Toque, llave.

Towel: Toalla

Toilet roll: Rollo de papel

Floor: Piso

4CVocabulary

Cup: Taza

Knife: Cuchillo

Plate: Plato

Glass: Vaso

Spoon: Cuchara

Fork: Tenedor

Water: Agua

Heating: Calefacción

Gas: Gas

Electricity: Electricidad

4D Vocabulary

Abroad: En el extrajero

Rent: Renta

Heating: Calefacción

Guest: Invitado

Remote control: Control remoto

Fridge: Nevera

Shelf: Estante

READING

Chapter IV

Mary tells Martha how much she hates the moor; Martha replies that she will come to love it, just as Martha does herself. The housemaid is quite casual in her speech, and talks to the girl as though the two were equals. This much upsets Mistress Mary, who is used to the extreme servility of the servants who took care of her in India. When Mary asks Martha to help her in getting dressed, Martha is completely shocked. It had never occurred to her that the child might not be capable of dressing herself. In her surprise, she lapses into the dialect.

Martha begins to tell Mary about her family: her mother, father, and eleven brothers and sisters. She mentions that one of her younger brothers, Dickon, has an almost magical way with animals and keeps a wild pony as a pet. For the first time in her life, Mary finds herself interested in something other than herself: she is attracted by the idea of Dickon.

Mary refuses to eat the breakfast that is brought to her, which exasperates Martha, who has often seen her siblings go hungry. At Martha's suggestion, Mary decides to explore the moor. Before she ventures out, however, Martha mentions that, somewhere on the grounds, there is a garden that has been shut up for ten years. It was once Mrs Craven's garden and, after her death, Mr Craven locked its door and buried the key. Mary begins searching for the secret garden as soon as she leaves the manor. She first explores the gardens, and, over one of the garden walls, sees a robin redbreast, whose lovely appearance and cheerful song please Mary deeply. She feels certain that the tree on which he is perched is in the secret garden. In one of the gardens, Mary comes across a gruff old gardener named Ben Weatherstaff. When she mentions seeing the robin, the old man breaks into a beautiful soft whistle; Mary is terribly surprised, as the sound is so at odds with his surly appearance. Ben Weatherstaff tells Mary that the robin had been lonely after the rest of his brood flew away. Mary realizes that she too is lonely. Ben Weatherstaff observes that Mary and he are alike, in that they are both unattractive and have terrible tempers.

The robin breaks into song, in an attempt to make friends with Mary; as she has no friends in the entire world, she is almost painfully delighted. Mary attempts to ask Ben Weatherstaff about the secret garden, but he refuses to answer and walks away without a word of goodbye.

EXERCISES

Fill in the space in each sentence using either "Could I" or "Could You".

Principio del formulario

1. close your window please? It's very cold in here.

2.open the door for me please? I am carrying all these books.

3. Oh, Anna isn't at home! leave a message for her please?

4. Waiter! see the wine list now? Thank you.

5. Mary, I don't get my money till next week. lend me $20 till then?

6. I like this jacket a lot. try it on, please?

7. I didn't understand what you said to me. repeat it please?

8. Please borrow your car until tomorrow as mine is being repaired?

9. This case is very heavy! help me with it please?

10. Excuse me! Your music is on very loud. turn it down a little?