• You can use the use the imperative − just the verb − when you give directions .

Taxi via B2, hold short at the intersection.

• You often use the imperative when you give instruction for using things.

Set the altimeter to 1012 millibars.

• You use a negative imperative – don’t + verb-   to tell people not to do something.

Don’t cross the runway.

Don’t retract the gear just yet.

Don’t put your drink on the pedestal!

• When you give instructions use sequence markers to show the order of steps.

First, check the leading edge for damage. Next, check the stall warning. Then, inspect the navigation lights. Finally, move on to the trailing edge.

Form

• Use did to make questions in the past.

Did she go to college yesterday?

What time did they get up?

How did you get to work?

Common errors

• Did you bought anything?û = Did you buy anything?ü

Be in the past

Form

present                                                 past

We are very  tired to day. > We were very tired yesterday .

The match isn’t very interesting . > The match wasn’t (was not) very interesting.

Is Tom at home today? > Was Tom at home yesterday?

I came to England in 1997.

I didn’t get my command until last year.

Form

• To form the regular past simple, you add –ed to the verb stem. (or d for verbs which end in e):

work                 worked start   started

arrive                arrived visit                  visited

• Many other verbs have irregular forms.

come                came have                had

go went take                  took

• For regular and irregular verbs the form is the same with all pronouns: I / you/ he/ she/ we/ they.

I came here in 1999.

We came here last year.

• To form the negative, you put did not before the verb stem.

I didn’t (did not) go to work yesterday.

Cristina didn’t (did not) have lunch.

• You often use these time markers with the simple past.

yesterday, last Monday, last week, last month, 2 months ago, last year, 10 years ago, in 1995, when I was a 18

You can use the present continuous tense to talk about definite future plans in addition to talking about things happening now.

Form

• You form the present continuous with be and the – ing form of the verb.

• You often use a future time marker with the present continuous.

I’m taking my line check tomorrow.

I’m going to a flight safety conference next week.

What time are you leaving on Friday?

• When you speak you usually use short forms, e.g.

I am seeing > I’m seeing

You are going > You’re going

We are  leaving > We’re leaving

They are buying > They’re buying

She is staying > She’s staying

He is arriving > He’s arriving

It is raining > It’s raining

• You use adverbs of frequency to say how often things happen.

0%|_____________|______________ _|    __________| ___________|100%

never                    sometimes                          often                     usually                   always

I don’t often read during a flight.

Bilbao Airport always has turbulent approaches.

She’s never on time for her briefing.

Form

• The adverb of frequency usually just goes before the verb.

I always leave work early on Fridays.

Do you often use the internet to check NOTAMS?

• The adverb of frequency usually goes just after the verb be.

He’s always complaining about his roster.

They have two RB211 engines.

The plane rotates at 120 knots.

• You also use it to talk about things you do regularly.

I perform a pre-flight check before every flight.

I always let the passengers know about the progress of the flight.

He never flies alone.

Form

• You add –s to the verb with he, she and it.

She works very hard.

• You make a question with does for he, she and it.
• For short answers you use the pronoun and do, don’t, does and doesn’t.

Does the airline fly to Paris? > Yes, it does.

Do the 727 and 737 have fly by wire systems? > No, they don’t.

Two Americans were among the victims, a U.S. embassy spokesman told Reuters. He had no further details.

“There are no survivors. We believe all are dead. We are recovering the remains of the dead bodies from the wreckage,” Imtiaz Elahi, chairman of the state-run Capital Development Authority, a city municipal body.

The Airbus 321, belonging to private airline Airblue, crashed into a heavily wooded and hard-to-access hillside while flying from the southern port city of Karachi. More than 90 bodies had been recovered so far, but the bad weather was making recovery efforts difficult.

“We have suspended the air operation because of rain. It will take a long time to clear the area. There’s no way to transport bodies from the site except via helicopters and even helicopters cannot land there,” said Aamir Ali Ahmed, senior city government official, said.

Rescuers said they had to dig through the rubble with their bare hands, with fire and thick smoke hampering their work. The fire has since been extinguished, but access to the hillside remained limited to pedestrians and helicopters.

“You find very few intact bodies. Basically, we are collecting bodies parts and putting them in bags,” police officer Bin Yameen.

The plane lost contact with the control room of the Islamabad International Airport at 0443 GMT. It was carrying 146 passengers and six crew members.

“The pilot was given directions to land either on runway I or II,” Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters. “The plane was at 2,600 feet before landing but suddenly it went to 3,000, which was unexplained.”

“If the visibility to the runway was so poor then it should have been diverted.”

Defense Minister Ahmed Mukhatar said the control tower at the airport had been sealed and a team would examine the “black box” data recorder and radio traffic between the plane and the tower.