INSTRUCTIONS to teachers and students:
ENGLISH: These English lessons are designed to be used either by students to help themselves improve their English or by teachers to use when delivering lessons to their students. Every lesson has six sections. Common idioms and expressions, a gap fill exercise, a reading text with new vocabulary, a grammar section, a speaking section and a writing section. These six sections help students and teachers cover the main elements of the English language.
Grammar included: ‘Received Pronunciation’ and ‘The Correct Pronunciation of “ED” in a regular verb.
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Remember that during the lesson we are continuing our RP practice to be able to improve our pronunciation and diction.
READING (Concentrate on your pronunciation of the ‘ed’ sounds. You will find the ‘ed’ lesson at the end of this English lesson.
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At the end of this English lesson you will find the rules to using the perfect tenses with examples
SECTION ONE (READING)
Introduction:
History often remembers Henry VIII for his larger-than-life persona, his bold political moves, and, perhaps most famously, his six marriages that reshaped the course of English history. The personal life of this Tudor monarch is a fascinating tapestry of love, betrayal, political intrigue, and tragedy. Each of his six wives—Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr—played a crucial role in the narrative of his reign, influencing not only the king’s personal life but also the religious and political landscape of the nation. In this English lesson, we will learn about the lives of these six remarkable women, exploring their individual stories and the indelible marks they left on the pages of history.
VOCABULARY: Now discuss any new vocabulary. https://translate.google.co.uk/
GRAMMAR QUESTION ONE:
Question: What tense is used in the following sentence, and what is its function? “Henry VII has united the warring factions of England, establishing the Tudor dynasty.”
1).
Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536)
Catherine of Aragon was Henry VIII’s first wife. Born on December 16, 1485, she was originally married to Henry’s older brother, Arthur, who died shortly after their marriage. Catherine then married Henry on June 11, 1509. Their marriage lasted for 24 years but was fraught with issues, primarily due to Catherine’s inability to produce a male heir. This led Henry to seek an annulment, which the Pope refused, resulting in Henry breaking away from the Catholic Church and establishing the Church of England. Their marriage was annulled in 1533, and Catherine was subsequently banished from court. She died on January 7, 1536, at Kimbolton Castle.
VOCABULARY: Now discuss any new vocabulary. https://translate.google.co.uk/
GRAMMAR QUESTION ONE:
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Present Perfect Tense:
- Question: How many years has it been since Henry VIII married his first wife, Catherine of Aragon?
2).
Anne Boleyn (circa 1501-1536)
Anne Boleyn, Henry’s second wife, was born around 1501. She caught Henry’s eye while serving as a lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon. Their courtship led to Henry’s break from the Catholic Church. They married on January 25, 1533. Anne gave birth to Elizabeth, the future Queen Elizabeth I, but failed to produce a male heir. Henry grew impatient and infatuated with Jane Seymour, Anne’s lady-in-waiting. Accused of adultery, treason, and incest, Anne was arrested and executed on May 19, 1536, at the Tower of London
VOCABULARY: Now discuss any new vocabulary. https://translate.google.co.uk/
GRAMMAR QUESTION TWO:
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Past Perfect Tense:
- Question: By the time Anne Boleyn became queen, how many wives had Henry VIII already been divorced from?
VIDEO QUESTIONS: This video has been produced using AI to bring to live the characters. Watch the video and answer the six questions below about the six wives of Henry VIII.
QUESTIONS:
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- What was Catherine of Aragon’s nationality?
- Who was Queen Elizabeth I’s mother?
- How soon after Anne’s execution did Henry marry Jayne Seymour?
- What nationality was Anne of Cleves and what did Henry think of her?
- Who was Catherine Howard’s cousin?
- How many dead husbands did Catherine Parr have before she married Henry?
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3).
Jane Seymour (1508-1537)
Jane Seymour, Henry’s third wife, was born around 1508. Jane served as a lady-in-waiting to both Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. She married Henry on May 30, 1536, just 11 days after Anne Boleyn’s execution. Jane finally gave Henry his long-desired male heir, Prince Edward, on October 12, 1537. Tragically, Jane died of postnatal complications on October 24, 1537, at Hampton Court Palace, and was buried in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
VOCABULARY: Now discuss any new vocabulary. https://translate.google.co.uk/
4).
Anne of Cleves (1515-1557)
Anne of Cleves, Henry’s fourth wife, was born on September 22, 1515, in Düsseldorf. Their marriage was politically arranged to strengthen ties with her brother, a leader of the Protestant alliance. They married on January 6, 1540. However, Henry found Anne unattractive and the marriage was never consummated. The union was annulled six months later, on July 9, 1540. Anne was given a generous settlement and lived the rest of her life in England as the King’s “beloved sister.” She died on July 16, 1557, at Chelsea Old Manor.
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GRAMMAR QUESTION FOUR:
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Past Perfect Continuous Tense:
- Question: How long had Henry VIII been ruling England by the time he married Catherine Howard?
5).
Catherine Howard (circa 1523-1542)
Catherine Howard, Henry’s fifth wife, was born around 1523. She was a first cousin of Anne Boleyn and served as a lady-in-waiting to Anne of Cleves. Henry married Catherine on July 28, 1540, shortly after his annulment from Anne of Cleves. Catherine’s youth and beauty initially delighted Henry, but her past indiscretions and alleged infidelities soon surfaced. She was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London. Catherine was executed on February 13, 1542, at the Tower of London.
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GRAMMAR QUESTION FIVE:
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Past Perfect Continuous Tense:
- Question: How long had Henry VIII been searching for a new wife before he finally married Catherine Parr?
6).
Catherine Parr (1512-1548)
Catherine Parr, Henry’s sixth and final wife, was born in 1512. A twice-widowed noblewoman, she married Henry on July 12, 1543. Catherine was highly intelligent and a supporter of the Protestant Reformation. She played a significant role in reconciling Henry with his daughters, Mary and Elizabeth. Catherine outlived Henry, who died on January 28, 1547. After Henry’s death, she married Thomas Seymour, the brother of Jane Seymour. Catherine Parr died on September 5, 1548, after giving birth to her only child, Mary Seymour.
VOCABULARY: Now discuss any new vocabulary. https://translate.google.co.uk/
GRAMMAR QUESTION SIX:
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Future Perfect Continuous Tense:
- Question: How long will Henry VIII have been reigning as king by the time he married to all six wives?
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SECTION TWO (REVISION)
How to pronounce the ‘ed’ sounds in regular verbs.
‘ED’ practice text
In this text remember that we are practicing our RP but at the same time we are going to practice how to pronounce the ‘ed’ in regular verbs. Here is an explanation.
In English, the pronunciation of the past tense suffix “-ed” varies and is determined by the final sound of the root verb:
1. /t/ Sound: We use this sound when the root verb ends in voiceless consonants (except for /t/), such as /p/, /k/, /s/, /ʃ/ (sh), /ʧ / (ch), and /f/. For example:
– “walk” becomes “walked” and is pronounced as /wa: kt/
– “laugh” becomes “laughed” and is pronounced as /laugh: ft/
2. /d/ Sound: We use this sound with root verbs ending in voiced sounds, which include all vowel sounds and voiced consonants (except for /d/), such as /b/, /g/, /v/, / z/, etc. For example:
– “call” becomes “called” and is pronounced as /ca lld/
– “rob” becomes “robbed” and is pronounced as /rob bd/
3. /ɪd/ or just /d/ Sound: We use this sound distinctly when the root verb ends in either a /t/ or a /d/. This additional syllable makes it easier to pronounce. For example:
– “want” becomes “wanted” and is pronounced as /ˈwant: id/
– “need” becomes “needed” and is pronounced as /ˈneed: id/
ANSWERS:
- Question: What tense is used in the following sentence, and what is its function? “Henry VII has united the warring factions of England, establishing the Tudor dynasty.
- Answer: The tense used in the sentence is the present perfect tense (“has united”). Its function is to indicate that the action of uniting the warring factions of England was completed at some point in the past but has present relevance, as it led to the establishment of the Tudor dynasty.
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Present Perfect Tense:
- Question: How many years has it been since Henry VIII has married his first wife, Catherine of Aragon?
- Answer: It has been many years since Henry VIII has married Catherine of Aragon.
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Past Perfect Tense:
- Question: By the time Anne Boleyn became queen, how many wives had Henry VIII already divorced?
- Answer: By the time Anne Boleyn became queen, Henry VIII had already divorced one wife.
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Future Perfect Tense:
- Question: How long will it have been since Henry VIII has married Jane Seymour by the time he marries his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves?
- Answer: By the time he marries Anne of Cleves, it will have been a few years since Henry VIII has married Jane Seymour.
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Present Perfect Continuous Tense:
- Question: How long has Henry VIII been ruling England by the time he has married Catherine Howard?
- Answer: Henry VIII has been ruling England for several years by the time he has married Catherine Howard.
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Past Perfect Continuous Tense:
- Question: How long had Henry VIII been searching for a new wife before he finally married Catherine Parr?
- Answer: Henry VIII had been searching for a new wife for several months before he finally married Catherine Parr.
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Future Perfect Continuous Tense:
- Question: How long will Henry VIII have been reigning as king by the time he has been married to all six wives?
- Answer: By the time he has been married to all six wives, Henry VIII will have been reigning as king for over three decades.
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Here is a comprehensive guide to the grammar rules for all of the perfect tenses in English, along with examples:
Present Perfect Tense
Rule: The present perfect tense is used to describe an action that occurred at an unspecified time in the past or an action that began in the past and continues in the present. It is formed by using the present tense of the auxiliary verb “have” (have/has) followed by the past participle of the main verb.
Structure:
- Subject + have/has + past participle
Examples:
- I have eaten breakfast. (Action at an unspecified time in the past)
- She has lived here for five years. (Action that began in the past and continues in the present)
Past Perfect Tense
Rule: The past perfect tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action or time in the past. It is formed by using the past tense of the auxiliary verb “have” (had) followed by the past participle of the main verb.
Structure:
- Subject + had + past participle
Examples:
- I had finished my homework before the movie started. (Action completed before another action)
- They had left by the time I arrived. (Action completed before another action)
Future Perfect Tense
Rule: The future perfect tense is used to describe an action that will be completed before a specific time in the future. It is formed by using “will have” followed by the past participle of the main verb.
Structure:
- Subject + will have + past participle
Examples:
- I will have finished my project by tomorrow. (Action that will be completed before a specific future time)
- She will have traveled to five countries by the end of the year. (Action that will be completed before a specific future time)
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Rule: The present perfect continuous tense is used to describe an action that started in the past and has continued up until now, often with an emphasis on the duration. It is formed by using “have/has been” followed by the present participle (verb + ing).
Structure:
- Subject + have/has been + present participle
Examples:
- I have been studying for three hours. (Action started in the past and continues up to now with emphasis on duration)
- She has been working here since June. (Action started in the past and continues up to now with emphasis on duration)
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Rule: The past perfect continuous tense is used to describe an action that was ongoing in the past and was completed before another past action. It is formed by using “had been” followed by the present participle (verb + ing).
Structure:
- Subject + had been + present participle
Examples:
- I had been reading for two hours when the power went out. (Ongoing action in the past completed before another past action)
- They had been living in Paris for a year before they moved to London. (Ongoing action in the past completed before another past action)
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Rule: The future perfect continuous tense is used to describe an ongoing action that will be completed before a specific future time, often with an emphasis on the duration. It is formed by using “will have been” followed by the present participle (verb + ing).
Structure:
- Subject + will have been + present participle
Examples:
- By next month, I will have been working here for five years. (Ongoing action that will be completed before a specific future time with emphasis on duration)
- They will have been traveling for 24 hours by the time they arrive. (Ongoing action that will be completed before a specific future time with emphasis on duration)
These rules and examples should help you understand and use the perfect tenses in English accurately.
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