Unit 19: Prepositions of Time

Free English Language Lessons

In this lesson of  Learning English as a Second Language , we shall learn a few Prepositions of Time:

Video Tutorial in English

Video Tutorial in Urdu

There are many Prepositions of Time and their uses also vary from one another. Prepositions of Time are those Prepositions which do not show any location, they show time.

In this lesson we shall the use of the following Prepositions of Time:

at , in , on , from ..........to.

AT:

1. At is used with specific time on the clock , it means that if you want to show clock time , you should use at .

                At + a specific time  on the clock.  ( at 2:30 , at 4:00 , at 9:15)

2. At is also used with night .Remember only with night not with any other time of the day .

                At + night    (We will go to the park at night)

IN:

1. In is used with the following :

            in +  specific month        (My sister's birthday is in December)

            in + specific year            (She was born in 1980)

            in + the morning             (They have to run in the morning)              

            in + the afternoon            (Jim has a class in the afternoon)   

            in + the evening               (I work in the evening)

ON:

1. On is used with a particular day of the week and with particular date.

            on + a particular day of the week            (I am going to Lahore on Monday)

            on + a particular date                             (I was born on December 4th, 1987)

From.............to :

1. These two Prepositions are used together to show starting time and ending time of anything.

            From (a particular time ) to (a particular time)            

            (We will stay at the party from 9:00 to 12:00)

 

Exercise 1 : Complete the following sentences with Prepositions of Time:

1. We have a class   at  ten o'clock.

2. They have a class   nine    eleven.

3. She has a class the morning.

4. I don't work    the afternoon.

5. We study    the evening.

6. I sleep night.

7. She was born   July.

8. I was born    1945.

9. He was born   May 25.

10. She was born    May 10, 1945.

11. The bank isn't open     Sunday.

12. The bank is open 9:00 A.M.   5:00 P.M. Monday.

13. The post office closes    6:00 P.M.

14. Salma has an appointment with her doctor    ten- fifteen.

15. The bank is open   Friday, but it is not open    Sunday.

Check Answers

1. at
2. from , to
3. in
4. in
5. in
6. at
7. in
8. in
9. on
10. on
11. on
12. from , to
13. at
14. at
15. on , on

Unit 19: Prepositions of Time (Video Urdu)

Free English Language Lessons

In this lesson of  Learning English as a Second Language , we shall learn a few Prepositions of Time:

Video Tutorial in Urdu

Unit 19: Prepositions of Time (Video English)

Free English Language Lessons

In this lesson of  Learning English as a Second Language , we shall learn a few Prepositions of Time:

Video Tutorial in English

Unit 17: Need or Want (Video English)

In this lesson of Learning English as a Second Language, we shall learn :-

• The difference between Need and Want
• How to use Need or Want

Video Tutorial in English

Unit 18: Using it to tell time (Video)

In this lesson of learning English as a Second Language , we shall learn:-

1. How to tell time
2. Using it to tell time

Video Tutorial in English

Unit 18: Using it to tell time (Video)

In this lesson of learning English as a Second Language , we shall learn:-

1. How to tell time
2. Using it to tell time

Video Tutorial in Urdu

Unit 18 : Using IT to talk about time

In this lesson of learning English as a second language, we shall learn:

1. How to ask and tell time
2. Using it to tell time

Video Explanation In English

Video Explanation In Urdu

In English Language, people usually use it to talk about time. It means that if anyone one asks about time, the other person answering him starts his sentence with it.

Examples:

a) What day is it?                     It's Monday.

b) What month is it?                 It's September.

c) What year is it?                    It's 2008.

d) What's the date today?        It's _________.

e) What time is it?                    It's 9:00*

                                                            It's nine.

                                               It's nine o'clock.

                                               It's nine A.M.

* In American  English a colon (two dots) are used between the hour and the minutes : 9:00 . In British English only one dot is used : 9.00

Exercise 1: Make questions . Use What in your questions.

1. A:  What day is it?

    B: It's Tuesday.

2. A:

    B: It's March 14th.

3. A:

    B: Ten - Thirty.

4. A:

    B: March.

5. A:

    B: It's six-fifteen.

6. A:

    B: The 1st of April.

7. A:

    B: Wednesday.

8. A:

    B: July 3rd.

9. A:

    B: It's 6:05.

10. A:

      B: It's 10:55.

Check Answers

1. What day is it?
2. What's the date today?
3. What time is it?
4. What month is it?
5. What time is it?
6. What's the date today?
7. What day is it?
8. What's the date today?
9. What time is it?
10. What time is it?

Past Continuous Tense (Advanced Level)

Explanation of Past Continuous Tense in Urdu

Past Continuous is used :-

1. To show an activity that was in progress (was happening,was occurring) at a particular time in the past;
   (a) I sat down at the dinner table at 6:00 p.m. yesterday. My friend came to my house at 6:10 p.m. I was eating when my friend came.
   (b) I went to bed at 10:00. The phone rang at 11:00.I was sleeping when the phone range.
   In (a) & (b): The Simple Past is used in a "when clause" and the Past Continuous in the main clause.
   
   So ,do remember that when a new action happens in the middle of another action for that action we use Past Indefinite. In (a) you can observe that "my friend came" in the middle of "eating" and in (b) you can observe that "the phone rang" in the middle of "sleeping".

In the Evening (Everday Idioms 2)

 

 

Everyday Idioms 2

 

to leave home to do an activity (usually in the evening)

Example:

Aslam went out with his friends very often until he got married.

She goes out for a walk almost every morning.

2. stay out

to remain away from home at night

Example:

On Eid day many people stay out late at night

There was such a bad storm last Sunday that we decided to stay in instead of going out.

3. stay up

to remain awake at night
Related  Idiom: wait up
Usage Note: Wait up  is often used when someone has to wait for another person, such as a child, to come home at night. Stay up can be used for this purpose, but it also has a more general meaning.
Examples:

Salma was too tired to stay up for the late-night movie that she had planned to see.

I can't believe that my parents are going to wait up until I get home tonight.

4. be tired out

to be completely tired (usually at the end of the day)
Related Idiom: be tuckered out
Usage Note: Be tuckered out is more informal than be tired out.
Examples:

I'm sorry that I'm too tired out to attend the lecture with you tonight.

After a hard day's work in the yard, Mr.Ali said, "I'm tuckered out!"

5. fall asleep
also: drop off to sleep , doze off

to begin sleeping
Examples:

Sadia fell asleep on the couch while watching a boring movie on TV.

I like to read at night until I drop off to sleep around  3  A.M.

One person in the theater audience started snoring after he dozed off.

6. turn in

to retire, to enter one's bed.
Related Idiom: go to sleep, go to bed
Examples:

Rashid always turn in after watching the eleven o'clock news.

When do you generally go to sleep at night?

Nancy was so tired that she couldn't wait to go to bed.

7.  hit the sack
Related Idiom: hit the hay , crash out
Usage Note: These idioms are more informal than turn in, go to sleep and go to bed.
Examples:

I'm so tired that the only thing I want to do is take a shower and hit the sack.

Arnold stumbled into the house at midnight and said, "Time to hit the hay!".

Carlos didn't mind crashing out in his friend's living room during his visit.

8. bed down

to prepare a temporary place to sleep.
Usage Notes: This idiom is usually used for sleeping outdoors in a temporary location.
Examples:

The hikers bedded down in a different place each night of their weeklong trip.

The soldiers were told to bed down in the barn of an old farmhouse.

9. after hours

after the normal, or permitted, time.
Usage Notes: After hours can be used as an adjective when it is hyphenated (-)
Examples:

Most large cities have a part of town where people can go after hours.

The popular nightclub stayed open for a special after-hours party.

Unit 17: Need or Want

Urdu Video Tutorial

Unit 16: Present Indefinite (Negative & Interrogative)

Urdu Video Tutorial

Unit 15: Adverbs of Frequency

Urdu Video Tutorial

Unit 14: Present Indefinite Tense (Affirmative)

Urdu Video Tutorial

Unit 13: Subject and Predicate

Urdu Video Tutorial

Unit 12: First , Second and Third Person

Urdu Video Tutorial

Unit 11: Asking Questions using What/Who + Be

Urdu Video Tutorial

Unit 10 : Demonstrative Adjectives

Urdu Video Tutorial

Unit 9: Possessive Adjectives

Urdu Video Tutorial

Unit 8: Has or Have

Urdu Video Tutorial

Unit 7 : Where + Be

Urdu Video Tutorial

Unit 6 : Be + Location

Urdu Video Tutorial

Unit 5: Be + Adjectives

Urdu Video Tutorial

Unit 4: Be + Negative and Interrogative

Urdu Video Tutorial

Unit 3: Contractions (Pronouns + Be)

Urdu Video Tutorial

Unit 2: Be + Subject Pronouns

Urdu Video Tutorial

Unit 1: A or An and Verb to be

Urdu Video Tutorial

Past Indefinite (Simple) Tense (Advanced Level)

Explanation of Past Indefinite Tense in Urdu

The Simple Past is used:-

1. To describe an action completed in the past. It often occurs with adverbs of time;
   She visited a park yesterday. (yesterday = adverb of time)
   I received an e-mail from my friend last Sunday. ( last Sunday = adverb of time)
2. Sometimes, adverb of time is not used and the Simple Past tense is used without any past time. In such case the times is understood or indicated by the context.
   I didn't sleep well. (i.e., last night)
   I am hungry, I did not take breakfast. (i.e., Today's breakfast)
3. Simple Past is also used for past habits;
   Ann studied many hours every day.
   He always bit his nails.

In the Morning (Everday Idioms 1)

1. wake up
also: get up

to awake, to arise from sleep.
Grammar/Usage Notes: These idioms can be used with or without an object. With an object, the idioms are separable."Get up" literally means " to get out of the bed" which may happen some time after waking up.

Example: Ginger usually gets up before her parents, but this morning they had to wake her up.
Sometimes after I wake up, I lie in bed for a while before I finally get up.

2. crack of dawn

the moment when sunlight is first seen in the morning sky.

Example: During the busy harvest season , farmers get up at the crack of dawn and don't stop working until dusk.

3. go off

to sound, to ring.
Usage Note: The subject is usually alarm or buzzer.
Examples: When the alarm goes off in the morning , I jump out of bed immediately.
Jack was late to work because he didn't hear the buzzer go off

4. not sleep a wink

to get no sleep (or very little sleep) during the night.
Usage Note: the negative term hardly can substitute for not.
Examples: The Wilsons couldn't sleep a wink the first night they spent in their new house.
The children were so exited about opening presents on Christmas Day that they hardly slept a wink on Christmas Eve.

5. sleep like a log
also: sleep like a baby.

to sleep very well.
Examples: I didn't wake up once last night. I must have slept like a log.
Maria can sleep like a baby in almost any place, including airplanes and cars.

6. take a shower

to shower.
related idiom: take a bath (to bathe)
Example: After easy exercise I take a shower, but after serious exercise I take a bath to relax my muscles.

7. get ready

to prepare oneself by getting dressed , eating breakfast, and so on.
Examples: It takes Linda about an hour to get ready for work if she hurries.
The firsth thing I do to get ready in the morning is to shave.

8. get someone going

to stimulate into action.
Grammar/Usage Notes: This idiom is used when someone is slow to act in the morning. A reflexive pronoun can also be used.
Examples:There's nothing like a good cup of coffee to get me going in the morning.
Charlie likes to jog every morning to get himself going.

9. start the day off (right)

to begin the day with something good.
Examples:I usually start the day off by having some tea and reading the newspaper.
Some people like to exercise to start the day off right.

10. sleep in

to stay in bed late in the morning.
Examples: On the weekends, many people like to sleep in.
Josh chose to sleep in after staying up late the night before.

English Language Tenses (Advanced Level)

What is a Tense? [The word tense comes from Latin tempus,time.] We have three kinds of time,

• Present.
• Past.
• Future.

What ever we say and whenever we say ,it is related to a particular time.It can not happen that you say a sentence and it is not related to any tense.So tenses are very important in any language.Here you must note that every language does not have grammar , but still they are spoken. But a lot of languages are those which do have grammar and rules and regulations.Tenses does not mean to learn only structures and then you are on your way to using them.

A mistake which students usually make is that they never try to learn the usage of the tenses and just try to memorize the structure of any tense and then they think that they can use the tense. Never, it is never possible. Structures only help you to make sentences , they can never help you in understanding the tenses. So you must try to understand the usage of different tenses and should see how they can be used in different situations. Another mistake is trying to learn tenses ,having indentifications from your own mother tongue, which is a world wide problem. Students rather than understanding the usage of any tense, make an identification of sentences of their own mother tongue and attach that identification with any tense and think that it would be enough for speaking English fleuntly. I don't say that it cannot help you even a bit. It can but it is going to make a boundry of your own lanuguage around English and you will be dependent on your own language to learn English or any other foreign language.

So , the right way to learn tenses is to learn the usage of those tenses. And then , you are on the right path.Remember you must have been learning the usage of tenses for a long long time but still you are here reading this article. So , here a question rises a lot of people claim that they know the usage of all of the tenses but still they cannot speak English. The answer is very simple ,their claim is right , they do know the usage of different tenses but the problem is that they never apply tenses which is the basic problem. Just by knowing the usage of anything cannot make you speak you fluently.You have to apply all of that knowledge which you have at the time of speaking English ,unitl and unless you do it ,you can never speak English fluently.

Please do not mind, but lazy people cannot achieve anything in their lives. If you really want to speak English fluently and properly, make it a habit of applying all what you have learnt so far,otherwise after visiting this website , you will be visiting another website trying to learn tenses.I can guarantee if you learn and APPLY whatever you learn here or anywhere you will not have to wander looking for grammar explanation.

Tips for speakers of Urdu learning English as second language.

The students who are learning English using Urdu, must remember that here you can have explanation of all tenses and other grammar rules and regulations in Urdu ,try to learn English within English and even in Urdu explanations I have emphasized on the importance of learning English without the support of your own mother tongue and I have also given reasons for that, but I know that there are a lot of people in my country who can not understand English, so only for them I have provided grammar explanation and other things in Urdu and even in them I have emphasized on not depending upon Urdu to learn English.

Contents

Present Indefinite Tense
Present Continuous Tense
Present Perfect Tense
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Past Indefinite Tense
Past Continuous Tense
Past Perfect Tense
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Future Indefinite Tense
Future Continuous Tense
Future Perfect Tense
Future Perfect Continuous

Present Perfect Continuous Tense (Advanced Level)

Explanation of Present Perfect Continuous Tense in Urdu

Observe the following sentences:-
1. I am playing cricket. (right now) (Present Continuous)
2. I have been playing cricket since 8 in the morning. (right now) (Present Perfect Continuous)

If you pay a little attention to both of the sentences, you should see that both of the actions started some time back in past and both of the actions are still going on.But, the biggest difference between the two sentences is TIME. In sentence 1 time is not present, but in sentence 2 times is present and that is the biggest difference between Present Continuous and Present Perfect Continuous.
So the rule is simple, when you want to tell whatever you are doing at the time of speaking and you don't want to mention how long you have been doing it, use Present Continuous Tense and when you want to tell the action you are doing and how long you have been doing it, use Present Perfect Continuous.In other words,this tense is used to indicate the duration or starting point of an activity that began in the past and continues to the present.
Sara is sleeping. (right now without time) (Present Continuous)
Sara has been sleeping for five hours. (still sleeping but with time) (Present Perfect Continuous).

Present Perfect Continuous is also used for actions already completed but in such cases the continuity of the activity is emphasized as an explanation of something.
"Why are your clothes so dirty?" -----------"I have been playing football in the park."
"You look sleepy"----------"Yeah! I have been working late at night."

Present Perfect Tense (Advanced Level)

Explanation of Present Perfect Tense in Urdu

Present Perfect Tense is used :-

1. To show actions completed in the immediate past (usually with JUST);
   He has just left for the airport.
   I have just finished my homework.
2. To show past actions whose time is not mentioned and definite;
   Have you read "Harry Potter"?
   I have seen Japan.
3. To define past events when we focus on their effect in the present than of the action itself;
   Aslam has eaten all of the cake. (There isn't any left for me)
   I have cut my finger. (and it is bleeding now)
   I have done my homework. (now I am free)
   
4. To show experiences of your life;
   I have been to K-2.
   I have jumped from an aeroplane.
   
5. Present Perfect Tense is also used To express a situation (not action) that began in the past and continues to the present and it usually comes with since or for ;
   
   (a) I have been here since seven o'clock.
   (b) We have been here for two weeks.
   (c) I have known him for many years.
   

Present Perfect Tense is never used with adverbs of past time.For Example; We must not say "He has gone to Karachi yesterday" in such case you had better use Simple Past Tense "He went to Karachi yesterday".

Present Continuous Tense (Advanced Level)

Explanation of Present Continuous Tense in Urdu

The Present Continuous is used:-

1. For an action going on at the time of speaking;
   She is cooking. (right now)
   The boys are singing. (right now)
2. To show near future ations already arranged;
   I am going to the museum tonight.
   My uncle is selling his car tomorrow.
3. For a temporary action which may not be happening at the time of speaking;
   I am reading "Harry Potter" now a days. (I am not reading right now)
   
   

   Non-Progressive Verbs

   
   

   be	hear	prefer
   believe	know	see
   belong	like	think ( meaning believe )*
   hate	love	understand
   have ( meaning possess )*	need	want

   
   *When have expresses possession , it is not used in Present Continuous: Arsalan has a car. In certain idiomatic expressions (e.g. have a good time), have can be used in Present Continuous: I'm having a good time.
   *When think means believe, it is nonprogressive: I think that grammar is easy. However, when think expresses thoughts that are going through a person's mind, it can be used in Present Continuous: I'm thinking about grammar right now.

Present Indefinite (Simple) Tense (Advanced Level)

Explanation of Present Indefinite Tense in Urdu.

Present Indefinite Tense is used :-

1. To express habitual actions;
   He drinks 2 cups of coffee every morning.
   She gets up every day at 5.
   
2. To express general truths;
   The sun rises in the east
   The earth revolves round the sun.
   
3. In exclamatory sentences beginning with here and there to express what is actually taking place in the present;
   There she goes!
   Here comes the train!
   
4. In stories, as substitute for the Simple Past;
   The thief opens the door and enters the house.
   
5. To express a future event that is part of a fixed timetable or fixed programme;
   The next train leaves at 6.
   When does this restaurant reopen?
   
6. In quotations;
   Aslam says,"Honesty is the best policy."
   
7. It is used as a time or conditional clause instead of Simple Future Tense (Future Indefinite Tense);
   If he comes we shall go to the park.
   (conditional clause) I will stay here till your brother comes. (time clause)
   
8. In broadcast commentaries on sporting events, instead of Present Continuous, to describe activities in progress where there is stress on the succession of happenings rather than on the duration
   

Unit 17: Need / Want

In this lesson, we shall learn.

• The difference between Need and Want.
• How to use Need and Want.
• Two different Patterns of Need/Want.

Need/Want + Infinitive.
Need/Want + Noun.

Please click here to watch English Video Explanation

Please click here to watch Urdu Video Explanation

Need And Want

Need

There is a great difference between Need and Want. Need shows that something is very important.
E.g. We need food in order to live.
In this sentence, you can well understand the use of need that we need food to live and without eating food no one can survive.But that is not all.There are other things in our lives which are very important. The idea of need and want changes and varies from person to person.If a thing is my Need , it is not necessary for another person to be his/her need too. Observe the following examples.
E.g. My mother is sick and I don't have enough money to buy medicine. I need 100 dollars.

In this example you can see that 100 dollars is a need . Just remember that when something is very very important for you and you cannot manage without it, that is your Need.

Want

Now you know what Need is. Want is less important than Need. It might be your desire. Just Imagine that you are shifting to a new apartment. If you are thinking to buy a stove , so that is your need but if you are thinking to buy a stereo player so that is not your need, it is WANT. Observe the following example:
E.g.
A: I'm thirsty.
B: Let me get you a glass of water.
A: No, I want a glass of mango juice.
In the above example you can see that A is thirsty and B offers him water but A denies and asks for a glass of mango juice which is his want. Your thirst can be quenched by drinking water that is why a glass of mango juice is your WANT.

Need/Want + A Noun.

This is Pattern No.1 of Need and Want. We can use Need and Want + A Noun
E.g. I need / want a glass of water(noun)

Infinitive

Infinitive = To + First form of a verb

Need/Want + An Infinitive

This is Pattern No.2 of Need and Want. We can use Need and Want + A Noun.
E.g. I need / Want to buy ( infinitive) a car.

Structure of Need and Want

S + NEED/WANT + NOUN/INFINITIVE
S + DO/DOES + NOT + NEED/WANT + NOUN/ INFINITIVE
DO/DOES + S + NEED/WANT + NOUN + INFINITIVE?