Transitive and intransitive verbs

Transitive verbs can take a direct object. An action (which they express) passes on to a person or a thing. Such verbs as to see, to show, to bring, to love, to take, to give, to send, to make etc - are transitive verbs.

Intransitive verbs cannot take a direct object. Such verbs as to swim, to think, to lie, to stand, to laugh etc – are intransitive.

_! Many verbs can be transitive and intransitive

Grammatical categories person

In English there are but few forms indicating person of the verb:

1) the third person singular (in the present simple tense) I; you; we; they help he; she; it helps

2) the verb to be has forms for different persons: singular and plural (in the present simple and the past simple tenses)

I	am	was	we	are	were
you	are	were	you	are	were
he; she; it	is	was	they	are	were

NUMBER

There are two numbers in English:

singular • I, (he, she, it) like (likes) summer • I am a student. • I was happy. • I have a book. • I (he, she, it) lived in the city. I shall go to the seaside.

b) plural — We (you, they) like summer We are at home. — We were happy. — We have a big house. — We (they, you) lived in the city. They (you) will go to the mountains.

TENSE

The English tenses denote time relations. There are four groups of tenses in English: I. Simple (Indefinite) II. Progressive (Continuous) III. Perfect IV. Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

Each of these groups includes four tenses: 1) Present 2) Past 3) Future 4) Future-in the-Past

Tenses	Indefinite (Simple)	Continuous (Progressive)	Perfect	Perfect Continuous (Progressive)
Present	Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.	The water is boil­ing. Can you turn it off?	-Would you like something to eat? — No, thank you. I have just had lunch.	— How long has it been raining? —It has been raining since three o'clock.
Past	Mozart wrote more than 600 pieces of music.	I burnt my hand while I was cook­ing dinner.	We went to Bar­bara's office, but she wasn't there. She had gone out.	I was very tired when I arrived home. I had been work­ing hard all day.
Future	I shall probably be at home early this evening.	— Will you be passing the post office when you are out? Probably, why?	Do you think Carol will have passed the exam by two o'clock? — I think so.	— The match will have been finish­ing at 9.30. — So, at ten you'11 be free.
Future -in the-Past	I said that I should ask the teacher.	He said that he would be read­ing the book from 8 to 10.	I said that I should have ar­rived home by the supper.	I wondered how long they would have been packing by the time I re­turned.

ASPECT

The category of aspect shows whether the action is in process or completed.

The simple form has no aspect characteristics. lt shows an action as a fact.

• The Solar system consists of the sun and planets and moons. The Great Patriotic War began in 1941.

The progressive, perfect and perfect progressive forms have both time and aspect characteristics.

They show actions:

1) as a process: He is walking now.

2) completed before a definite moment in the present, past or future and connected with it: He has passed his exam.

3) in progress whose duration is expressed (before a definite moment in present, past or future): When we came he had been playing the piano for half an hour.

Thus, the category of aspect shows the way in which the ac­tion develops.

Read the following sentences. Translate the sentences and state if the action shows: a) a fact (customary or repeated), b) an action as a process, c) a completed action, d) an action in progress

Models

1. — I like to play tennis with him. — Mнe нравится uгpaть с ним в теннис.— a fact (customary).

2. — Last year I met Ann in the supermarket very often. —B пpoшлом году я очень часто встречала Анну в магазине. — a fact (repeated).

3. — I am reading a newspaper. I am busy. — Я читаю гaзeтy. Я занята.—an action as a process.

1 Some friends of mine are staying with us at the moment …………………………………………….

2 Yesterday I lost my note-book …………………………………………….

3 We were playing golf at 2 o'clock yesterday …………………………………………….

4 I think the increase in violent crime is because of television. …………………………………………………………

5 He always said everything in my fault. He always blames me……………………………………………………….

6 The great number of people suffer from heart disease ……………………………………………

7 They say it will be raining all day tomorrow ……………………………………………

8 The students often cheat in examination ……………………………………………

9 Some years ago I often went to Sochi ……………………………………………

10 They are reading and translating the text right now……………………………………………………………….

VOICE

The category of voice indicates the relation of the predicate to the subject and the object. We distinguish the Active Voice and the Passive Voice.

Pushkin wrote the "Poltava". -Active Voice. The "Poltava" was written by A. Pushkin. - Passive Voice.