Língua inglesa gramática e aplicação

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Autora: Profa. Palma Simone Tonel Rigolon
Colaboradores: Profa. Cielo Festino
 Profa. Joana Ormundo
 Profa. Tânia Sandroni
 Prof. Jamilson José Alves da Silva
Língua Inglesa: 
Gramática e Aplicação
Professora conteudista: Palma Simone Tonel Rigolon
Graduada em tradução e interpretação pela Unibero. Mestre e doutora em linguística aplicada e estudos 
da linguagem pela PUC-SP. Tanto no mestrado como no doutorado trabalhou com formação de professores em 
língua inglesa à luz da perspectiva reflexivo-crítica. Atua no Ensino Superior desde 1998, além de dar aulas in 
company e particulares.
© Todos os direitos reservados. Nenhuma parte desta obra pode ser reproduzida ou transmitida por qualquer forma e/ou 
quaisquer meios (eletrônico, incluindo fotocópia e gravação) ou arquivada em qualquer sistema ou banco de dados sem 
permissão escrita da Universidade Paulista.
U504.04 – 20
Dados Internacionais de Catalogação na Publicação (CIP)
R572 Rigolon, Palma Simone Tonel
Língua inglesa: gramática e aplicação. / Palma Simone Tonel 
Rigolon. São Paulo: Editora Sol, 2020.
 136 p. il.
Nota: este volume está publicado nos Cadernos de Estudos e 
Pesquisas da UNIP, Série Didática, ISSN 1517-9230.
1.Língua Inglesa 2. Gramática 3. Língua estrangeira I.Título
CDU 820
Prof. Dr. João Carlos Di Genio
Reitor
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Vice-Reitor de Planejamento, Administração e Finanças
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Vice-Reitora de Unidades Universitárias
Prof. Dr. Yugo Okida
Vice-Reitor de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa
Profa. Dra. Marília Ancona-Lopez
Vice-Reitora de Graduação
Unip Interativa – EaD
Profa. Elisabete Brihy 
Prof. Marcelo Souza
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Prof. Ivan Daliberto Frugoli
 Material Didático – EaD
 Comissão editorial: 
 Dra. Angélica L. Carlini (UNIP)
 Dra. Divane Alves da Silva (UNIP)
 Dr. Ivan Dias da Motta (CESUMAR)
 Dra. Kátia Mosorov Alonso (UFMT)
 Dra. Valéria de Carvalho (UNIP)
 Apoio:
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 Profa. Betisa Malaman – Comissão de Qualificação e Avaliação de Cursos
 Projeto gráfico:
 Prof. Alexandre Ponzetto
 Revisão:
 Kleber Souza
 Ricardo Duarte
Sumário
Língua Inglesa: Gramática e Aplicação
APRESENTAÇÃO ......................................................................................................................................................9
INTRODUÇÃO ...........................................................................................................................................................9
Unidade I
1 PRESENT OF BE ................................................................................................................................................. 11
1.1 Affirmative .............................................................................................................................................. 11
1.2 Negative ................................................................................................................................................... 12
1.2.1 Negative: contracted form ................................................................................................................. 13
1.3 Interrogative ........................................................................................................................................... 13
2 THERE TO BE (THERE IS/THERE ARE) ........................................................................................................ 23
2.1 Affirmative .............................................................................................................................................. 23
2.2 Negative ................................................................................................................................................... 24
2.3 Interrogative ........................................................................................................................................... 24
2.4 Contexto .................................................................................................................................................. 25
2.5 There to be e os vários tempos verbais ....................................................................................... 27
3 QUESTIONS ........................................................................................................................................................ 29
3.1 Yes/no questions ................................................................................................................................... 29
3.2 Wh-questions ........................................................................................................................................ 30
3.3 Question tags ......................................................................................................................................... 31
3.4 Contexto .................................................................................................................................................. 32
4 PRESENT CONTINUOUS OU PRESENT PROGRESSIVE ....................................................................... 37
4.1 Ação em progresso .............................................................................................................................. 39
4.2 Ação temporária ................................................................................................................................... 40
4.3 Futuro planejado .................................................................................................................................. 40
4.4 Reforçar a ideia de rotina ou repetição ...................................................................................... 41
4.5 Ortografia dos verbos no present continuous .......................................................................... 41
4.5.1 Verbos terminados com a vogal “e” ................................................................................................. 41
4.5.2 Verbos terminados em “ie” .................................................................................................................. 42
4.5.3 Verbos terminados em “y” ................................................................................................................... 42
4.6 Verbos que não vão para o “ing” .................................................................................................... 42
4.7 Verbos que podem ser utilizados no “ing” dependendo de seu significado ................ 43
4.7.1 Verbos cujo significado não permite a forma “ing” .................................................................. 43
4.7.2 Verbos cujo significado permite a forma “ing” ........................................................................... 44
4.8 Contexto .................................................................................................................................................. 44
4.9 To be going to future .......................................................................................................................... 46
4.10 Futuro próximo ou futuro planejado ......................................................................................... 47
4.11 Previsões com going to .................................................................................................................... 48
4.12 Contexto ................................................................................................................................................ 48
4.13 Future will ............................................................................................................................................. 52
Unidade II
5 TO BE: SIMPLE PAST AND PAST CONTINUOUS .................................................................................... 65
5.1 Simple past: affirmative form .........................................................................................................65
5.2 Simple past: negative form .............................................................................................................. 66
5.3 Simple past: interrogative form ..................................................................................................... 66
5.4 Texto .......................................................................................................................................................... 67
5.5 Past continuous ou past progressive............................................................................................ 70
5.5.1 Affirmative ................................................................................................................................................. 70
5.5.2 Negative ..................................................................................................................................................... 71
5.5.3 Interrogative ............................................................................................................................................. 71
5.6 Past continuous e simple past ........................................................................................................ 72
6 COUNT AND NON-COUNT NOUNS: HOW MANY, HOW MUCH, SOME, ANY .......................... 75
6.1 Substantivos contáveis (countable and count nouns) .......................................................... 75
6.2 Substantivos incontáveis (uncountable ou non-count nouns)......................................... 76
6.3 How many and how much ............................................................................................................... 80
6.3.1 The difference ........................................................................................................................................... 80
6.3.2 How many .................................................................................................................................................. 80
6.3.3 How much ................................................................................................................................................. 81
6.4 A lot of/lots of ....................................................................................................................................... 81
6.5 A few e a little ....................................................................................................................................... 82
6.6 Some and any ........................................................................................................................................ 83
6.6.1 Some ............................................................................................................................................................ 83
6.6.2 Any ................................................................................................................................................................ 84
6.7 Context ..................................................................................................................................................... 85
6.8 Articles ...................................................................................................................................................... 90
6.8.1 Indefinite article (a/an) ......................................................................................................................... 91
6.8.2 Definite article (the)............................................................................................................................... 92
6.8.3 The + adjetivo .......................................................................................................................................... 92
6.8.4 The + adjetivos de nacionalidade .................................................................................................... 93
6.8.5 Locais geográficos .................................................................................................................................. 93
6.9 Quando não usar .................................................................................................................................. 93
6.10 Expressions ........................................................................................................................................... 94
6.11 Contexto ................................................................................................................................................ 94
7 MODAL VERBS .................................................................................................................................................. 98
7.1 Must e have to ...................................................................................................................................... 99
7.2 Should, ought to e had better ......................................................................................................101
7.3 Will e shall .............................................................................................................................................102
7.3.1 Will ..............................................................................................................................................................102
7.3.2 Shall ............................................................................................................................................................102
7.4 Can, could e be able to (ability) ....................................................................................................103
7.5 May e might .........................................................................................................................................104
7.5.1 Permissão .................................................................................................................................................104
7.5.2 The difference .........................................................................................................................................104
7.5.3 Possibilidade ............................................................................................................................................105
7.6 Dare ..........................................................................................................................................................105
7.7 Need .........................................................................................................................................................106
7.8 Texto ........................................................................................................................................................106
8 CONDITIONAL .................................................................................................................................................108
8.1 Condicional zero (zero conditional) ............................................................................................109
8.2 Primeiro condicional (first conditional) ....................................................................................109
8.3 Segundo condicional (second conditional) .............................................................................110
8.4 Terceiro condicional (third conditional) ....................................................................................111
8.5 Reading ..................................................................................................................................................112
8.6 Writing ....................................................................................................................................................116
8.6.1 Estrutura do parágrafo ....................................................................................................................... 116
8.6.2 Escrevendoo parágrafo .....................................................................................................................121
9
APRESENTAÇÃO
Esta disciplina tem por objetivo levar o aluno a reconhecer e a produzir estruturas básicas da língua 
inglesa por meio do estudo das estruturas gramaticais, considerando-se o papel do contexto situacional 
no uso da língua estrangeira. Além disso, pretende-se fazer com que o estudante desenvolva a escrita e 
a leitura em língua inglesa.
Serão trabalhados diferentes gêneros textuais; o uso do presente simples, enfatizando hábito 
e rotina; perguntas simples e complexas com verbo de ligação; futuro simples; passado simples do 
verbo to be para enfatizar ações que aconteceram em tempo determinado; substantivos contáveis e 
incontáveis; artigos definidos e indefinidos; modais com ênfase em situações formais e informais; além 
de condicional para polidez.
INTRODUÇÃO
No presente livro-texto trabalharemos com estruturas linguísticas objetivando sua aplicação. 
Acreditamos que a gramática é importante, porém não a gramática pela gramática; por isso, nos 
preocupamos com sua aplicação, ou seja, com a contextualização.
O objetivo aqui será ensinar as regras formais da língua inglesa e sua utilização nos diferentes contextos 
de forma reflexivo-crítica, para que o aluno seja capaz de se comunicar nos diferentes contextos e apreenda 
a importância do ensino-aprendizagem da língua inglesa.
Lembre-se de que aprender uma língua, seja ela qual for, é muito diferente da aprendizagem de 
uma disciplina da área de exatas, por exemplo, em que se pode decorar fórmulas, aplicá-las e chegar 
ao resultado desejado. O estudo do idioma requer prática e dedicação, pois a língua é viva, dinâmica 
e nos proporciona escolhas a todo tempo. Por isso, esperamos contar com participação ativa e muita 
curiosidade por parte de todos os envolvidos no processo.
Neste livro-texto, serão encontradas explicações tanto em língua inglesa quanto em língua 
portuguesa. Isto acontece para que possamos atender aos diferentes níveis de competência linguística 
de nossos alunos e com o objetivo de possibilitar o acesso a explicações de estudiosos da língua inglesa, 
já que a função deste material é formar professores.
11
LÍNGUA INGLESA: GRAMÁTICA E APLICAÇÃO
Unidade I
1 PRESENT OF BE
Nosso primeiro assunto será o verbo to be (ser/estar). Em inglês, além de ser verbo auxiliar (aquele 
utilizado para fazer perguntas, negativas, respostas curtas), ele exerce a função de verbo principal.
Veja a definição de verbo sugerida por Bloor e Bloor (2004, p. 18):
Traditionally defined as words which expresses an action or state, verbs 
show the greatest degree of variation in form (morphology) of any of the 
Word classes. Verbs can be subdivided in many different ways. Halliday lists 
three basic subclasses – lexical, auxiliary and finite.
Observemos como os autores Leech e Svartvik (2003, p. 207) definem o verbo na função de auxiliar:
Auxiliary verbs are, as their name suggests, “helping verbs”. They do not 
make up a verb phrase on their own, but must usually be accompanied by a 
following main verb. Auxiliary verbs are a small class of words, made up of 
primary auxiliaries like be and modal auxiliaries like can.
Auxiliary verbs are structurally necessary for certain constructions 
(especially negative and question clauses), and these constructions enable 
us to distinguish them from main verbs:
A) Auxiliary verbs can be placed before the negative word not: I’m not 
working today.
B) Auxiliary verbs can be placed before the subject in questions: Can I help?
Ainda, conforme os autores, especificamente a respeito do verbo to be: “Be is constructed as an 
auxiliary even when it functions as a main verb” (LEECH; SVARTVIK, 2003, p. 208).
Vamos agora ver a estrutua do verbo to be. Observe sua forma afirmativa.
1.1 Affirmative
Observe o quadro a seguir, referente à forma afirmativa do verbo to be.
12
Unidade I
Quadro 1 – Conjugação do verbo no presente do indicativo
I am a student Eu sou aluno(a).
He is a teacher Ele é professor.
She is a journalist Ela é jornalista.
It is a book É um livro.
We are mechanics Nós somos mecânicos.
You are pilots Vocês são pilotos.
They are policemen Eles são policiais.
 Lembrete
O verbo to be, além de funcionar como verbo principal, atua como 
verbo auxiliar, ou seja, é com ele que fazemos as perguntas e negativas.
1.2 Negative
Observe o quadro a seguir, referente à forma negativa do verbo to be.
Quadro 2 – Forma negativa
I am not a singer.
He is not a receptionist.
She is not a nurse.
It is not my book.
We are not musicians.
You are not a shop assistant.
They are not taxi drivers.
Perceba que usamos a partícula de negação “not” para formar a negativa do verbo. Também 
podemos usar a forma contraída do verbo.
 Observação
A forma contraída é sempre utilizada na oralidade.
13
LÍNGUA INGLESA: GRAMÁTICA E APLICAÇÃO
1.2.1 Negative: contracted form
Observe o quadro a seguir, referente à forma negativa contraída do verbo to be.
Quadro 3 – Forma contraída
I’m not a singer.
He isn’t a receptionist.
She isn’t a nurse.
It isn’t my book.
We aren’t musicians.
You aren’t a shop assistant.
They aren’t taxi drivers.
O fato de o verbo to be funcionar como verbo principal faz com que o usemos para as formas 
negativa e interrogativa.
1.3 Interrogative
Observe o quadro a seguir, referente à forma interrogativa do verbo to be.
Quadro 4 – Forma interrogativa
Am I right?
Is he here?
Is she a nurse?
Is it second-hand?
Are we wrong?
Are you Alan Parker?
Are they American?
 Observação
Note que, para fazer perguntas, o verbo to be fica na frente do pronome 
ou sujeito.
Como o objetivo desta disciplina é trabalhar a gramática de forma contextualizada, vamos pensar 
em quais situações utilizamos o verbo to be. E em português, quando utilizamos o verbo “ser”/”estar”? 
Será que é da mesma forma?
14
Unidade I
Na verdade, o verbo to be, no presente simples, é utilizado para falar de hábitos e rotina, mas não 
apenas ele; fazemos uso do presente simples dos verbos para isso.
Então, pelo que foi possível perceber, a língua é usada para expressar significados e, portanto, em 
contextos sociais. Veja o que Bloor e Bloor (2004, p. 3) falam sobre isso:
“When people use language to express meanings, they do so in specific situations, and the form of 
the language that they use is influenced by the complex elements of those situations.”
Os autores nos dizem que o contexto influencia nossas escolhas a todo tempo, mesmo que muitas 
vezes não tenhamos consciência disso. A não observância desse fato pode trazer consequências, no 
mínimo, complicadas. Veja alguns exemplos apontados por eles:
Thus, to offer some obvious examples, we greet people in different ways 
depending on the time of day, where we are and who we are talking to. 
Teachers speak differently when they are addressing naughty children from 
when they are talking to the headteacher or a shop assistant. Teachers who 
fail to adapt their speech to different situations and talk to everyone as 
though they were naughty children will become, at best, objects of humour, 
and, at worst, targets of serious resentment (BLOOR; BLOOR, 2004, p. 3).
Leech e Svartvik (2003) também apresentam outra forma do verbo to be. O problema está relacionado 
ao pronome I, ou melhor, com a flexão do to be para esse pronome, pois não há contração para am not. 
Então, usa-se aren’t I, o que parece ser bastante estranho, principalmente nos primeiros contatos com a 
língua. Veja o que os autores dizem a esse respeito.
Aren’t I is widely used in questions in <BrE>, but there is no generally 
acceptable contracted form for am not in declarative sentences. Ain’t is 
<sub-standard BrE> and is so considered by many in <AmE>. As well as 
serving as a contracted am not, it is used also for isn’t, aren’t, hasn’t, and 
haven’t (LEECH; SVARTVIK, 2003, p. 209).
Let’s see some examples:
• Aren’t I intelligent?You know I am. I got a 10 in Calculus!
• “I won the lottery!”, she said, “Aren’t I lucky?”
Os autores ainda afirmam a possibilidade do uso de ain’t, porém deixam claro que é considerado 
informal, subpadrão da língua.
Veja algumas amostras de ain’t extraídas da literatura:
15
LÍNGUA INGLESA: GRAMÁTICA E APLICAÇÃO
De acordo com Knowles (1999, p. 190), “Lewis Carroll may or may not have been tweaking purists in 
his 1871 novel Through the Looking-Glass, when the character Tweedledee says to Alice, ‘If it was so, it 
might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn’t, it ain’t. That’s logic.’”
 Saiba mais
No site a seguir será possível encontrar informações adicionais acerca 
do uso de ain’t:
AIN’T. In: GRAMMARIST. The online grammar dictionary. [s.d.].
Veja a seguir um trecho de Through the Looking-Glass, de Lewis Carroll. Observe os tempos 
verbais, preste atenção no uso do verbo to be.
Figura 1 
Through the Looking-Glass
Chapter IV
[...]
Alice couldn’t say honestly that he was. He had a tall red night-cap on, with a tassel, 
and he was lying crumpled up into a sort of untidy heap, and snoring loud – ‘fit to snore his 
head off!’ as Tweedledum remarked.
‘I’m afraid he’ll catch cold with lying on the damp grass,’ said Alice, who was a very 
thoughtful little girl.
‘He’s dreaming now,’ said Tweedledee: ‘and what do you think he’s dreaming about?’ 
Alice said ‘Nobody can guess that.’
16
Unidade I
‘Why, about you!’ Tweedledee exclaimed, clapping his hands triumphantly. ‘And if he left 
off dreaming about you, where do you suppose you’d be?’
‘Where I am now, of course,’ said Alice.
‘Not you!’ Tweedledee retorted contemptuously. `You’d be nowhere. Why, you’re only a 
sort of thing in his dream!’
‘If that there King was to wake,’ added Tweedledum, ‘you’d go out – bang! – just like a candle!’
‘I shouldn’t!’ Alice exclaimed indignantly. ‘Besides, if I’m only a sort of thing in his dream, 
what are you, I should like to know?’
‘Ditto’ said Tweedledum. ‘Ditto, ditto’ cried Tweedledee.
He shouted this so loud that Alice couldn’t help saying, ‘Hush! You’ll be waking him, I’m 
afraid, if you make so much noise.’
‘Well, it no use your talking about waking him,’ said Tweedledum, ‘when you’re only one 
of the things in his dream. You know very well you’re not real.’
‘I am real!’ said Alice and began to cry.
‘You won’t make yourself a bit realler by crying,’ Tweedledee remarked: ‘there’s nothing 
to cry about.’
‘If I wasn’t real,’ Alice said – half-laughing through her tears, it all seemed so ridiculous 
– ‘I shouldn’t be able to cry.’
‘I hope you don’t suppose those are real tears?’ Tweedledum interrupted in a tone of 
great contempt.
‘I know they’re talking nonsense,’ Alice thought to herself: ‘and it’s foolish to cry about 
it.’ So she brushed away her tears, and went on as cheerfully as she could. ‘At any rate I’d 
better be getting out of the wood, for really it’s coming on very dark. Do you think it’s 
going to rain?’
Tweedledum spread a large umbrella over himself and his brother, and looked up into it. 
‘No, I don’t think it is,’ he said: ‘at least – not under here. Nohow.’
‘But it may rain outside?’
‘It may – if it chooses,’ said Tweedledee: `we’ve no objection. Contrariwise.’
17
LÍNGUA INGLESA: GRAMÁTICA E APLICAÇÃO
‘Selfish things!’ thought Alice, and she was just going to say ‘Good-night’ and leave 
them, when Tweedledum sprang out from under the umbrella and seized her by the wrist.
‘Do you see that?’ he said, in a voice choking with passion, and his eyes grew large and 
yellow all in a moment, as he pointed with a trembling finger at a small white thing lying 
under the tree.
‘It’s only a rattle,’ Alice said, after a careful examination of the little white thing. ‘Not 
a rattle snake, you know,’ she added hastily, thinking that he was frightened: only an old 
rattle – quite old and broken.’
‘I knew it was!’ cried Tweedledum, beginning to stamp about wildly and tear his hair. 
`It’s spoilt, of course!’ Here he looked at Tweedledee, who immediately sat down on the 
ground, and tried to hide himself under the umbrella.
Alice laid her hand upon his arm, and said in a soothing tone, ‘You needn’t be so angry 
about an old rattle.’
‘But it isn’t old!’ Tweedledum cried, in a greater fury than ever. ‘It’s new, I tell you – 
I bought it yesterday – my nice NEW RATTLE!’ and his voice rose to a perfect scream.
All this time Tweedledee was trying his best to fold up the umbrella, with himself in it: 
which was such an extraordinary thing to do, that it quite took off Alice’s attention from 
the angry brother. But he couldn’t quite succeed, and it ended in his rolling over, bundled up 
in the umbrella, with only his head out: and there he lay, opening and shutting his mouth 
and his large eyes – ‘looking more like a fish than anything else,’ Alice thought.
‘Of course you agree to have a battle?’ Tweedledum said in a calmer tone.
‘I suppose so,’ the other sulkily replied, as he crawled out of the umbrella: ‘only she must 
help us to dress up, you know.’
So the two brothers went off hand-in-hand into the wood, and returned in a minute with 
their arms full of things – such as bolsters, blankets, hearth-rugs, table-cloths, dish-covers 
and coal-scuttles. ‘I hope you’re a good hand a pinning and tying strings?’ Tweedledum 
remarked. `Every one of these things has got to go on, somehow or other.’
Fonte: Carroll (s.d.).
 Observação
O autor utiliza as contrações (I’m, you’re, he’s, etc.) por se tratar de um 
diálogo. As contrações são marcações de oralidade.
18
Unidade I
Veja a seguir a biografia de Lewis Carroll.
Figura 2 – Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll Biography
Lewis Carroll is the pseudonym of the English writer and mathematician Charles 
Lutwidge Dodgson, b. Jan. 27, 1832, d. Jan. 14, 1898, known especially for Alice’s Adventures 
in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1872), children’s books that are also 
distinguished as satire and as examples of verbal wit. Carroll invented his pen name by 
translating his first two names into the Latin “Carolus Lodovicus” and then anglicizing it 
into “Lewis Carroll.”
The son of a clergyman and the firstborn of 11 children, Carroll began at an early age to 
entertain himself and his family with magic tricks, marionette shows, and poems written for 
homemade newspapers. From 1846 to 1850 he attended Rugby School; he graduated from 
Christ Church College, Oxford, in 1854. Carroll remained there, lecturing on mathematics 
and writing treatises and guides for students. Although he took deacon’s orders in 1861, 
Carroll was never ordained a priest, partly because he was afflicted with a stammer that 
made preaching difficult and partly, perhaps, because he had discovered other interests.
Among Carroll’s avocations was photography, at which he became proficient. He 
excelled especially at photographing children. Alice Liddell, one of the three daughters of 
Henry George Liddell, the dean of Christ Church, was one of his photographic subjects and 
the model for the fictional Alice.
Carroll’s comic and children’s works also include The Hunting of the Snark (1876), 
two collections of humorous verse, and the two parts of Sylvie and Bruno (1889, 1893), 
unsuccessful attempts to re-create the Alice fantasies.
19
LÍNGUA INGLESA: GRAMÁTICA E APLICAÇÃO
As a mathematician, Carroll was conservative and derivative. As a logician, he was more 
interested in logic as a game than as an instrument for testing reason. In his diversions as 
a photographer and author of comic fantasy, he is most memorable and original – the man 
who, for example, contributed, in “Jabberwocky,” the word chortle, a portmanteau word 
that combines “snort” and “chuckle,” to the English language.
Fonte: Siqueira (s.d.).
Voltando ao contexto de uso do verbo to be, observe a seguir algumas situações em que ele pode ser 
utilizado. Preste atenção nas diferentes situações e na adequação da linguagem.
Exemplo de aplicação
Em um congressono qual as pessoas estão se conhecendo e falando acerca de suas profissões:
Figura 3 
A: Good morning! I’m Susan Brown, I am with Banco Sul-Americano. Nice to meet you. 
B: I’m Robert Smith, nice to meet you too. I’m with Suzano Company.
A: Nice. What do you do there?
B: I am an engineer and you, what’s your occupation at Banco Sul-Americano? 
A: I’m a lawyer.
Primeiramente, analisemos qual a linguagem do texto. Como se trata de um congresso, podemos 
perceber que a linguagem utilizada é a formal. Veja a maneira pela qual a língua é usada nesse contexto. 
Compare com os quadros anteriores.
Em um único texto, temos afirmativas, interrogativas, as pessoas se cumprimentam. É por isso que 
trabalhamos com contexto, com situações em que a língua é empregada. De acordo com Rego (1994, 
p. 110): “construir conhecimentos implica uma ação partilhada, já que é por meio dos outros que as 
relações entre sujeito e objeto de conhecimento são estabelecidas”.
20
Unidade I
 Saiba mais
É importante que tenhamos clareza sobre como trabalhar a língua 
inglesa, uma vez que seremos professores. Leia o livro a seguir, que 
discute questões importantes com relação ao ensino-aprendizagem à 
luz da perspectiva histórico-cultural.
REGO, T. C. Vygotsky: uma perspectiva histórico-cultural da educação. 
São Paulo: Vozes, 1994.
Vamos agora continuar falando a respeito dos diferentes contextos em que o verbo to be é utilizado. 
Também o empregamos para descrever pessoas. Isso acontece quando falamos a um amigo sobre alguém 
que conhecemos, ou ainda, como no exemplo a seguir, quando lemos sobre o perfil de alguém. Pode ser 
em uma revista, um jornal, um blog etc.
Exemplo de aplicação
O exemplo a seguir é sobre o ex-presidente dos Estados Unidos. Veja:
Figura 4 
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African 
American to hold the office.
A native of Honolulu, Hawaii, Obama is a graduate of Columbia University, and Harvard Law School.
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LÍNGUA INGLESA: GRAMÁTICA E APLICAÇÃO
In a 2006 interview, Obama highlighted the diversity of his extended family: “It’s like a little mini-
United Nations”, he said. “I’ve got relatives who look like Bernie Mac, and I’ve got relatives who look 
like Margaret Thatcher.” Obama has seven half-siblings from his Kenyan father’s family – six of them 
living – and a half-sister with whom he was raised, Maya Soetoro-Ng, the daughter of his mother and 
her Indonesian second husband. Obama’s mother was survived by her Kansas-born mother, Madelyn 
Dunham, until her death on November 2, 2008, two days before his election to the Presidency. In 
Dreams From My Father, Obama ties his mother’s family history to possible Native American ancestors 
and distant relatives of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America during the 
American Civil War. Obama’s great-uncle served in the 89th Division that overran Ohrdruf, the first of 
the Nazi concentration camps to be liberated by U.S. troops during World War II.
He is married to Michelle Robinson. He has two daughters: Malia Ann and Natasha (Sacha).
Adaptado de: Barack... (s.d.).
 Observação
Note que, nesse exemplo, mesmo que o texto tenha sido adaptado, 
além do verbo estudado, temos outros verbos, adjetivos, conjunções etc. 
Esse contato com a língua viva é extremamente importante, pois é assim 
que ela aparece na vida, no dia a dia. É importante apresentar aos alunos 
essa vasta gama de possibilidades.
Exemplo de aplicação
Descrição de uma pessoa.
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney was born on May 6, 1961, in Lexington, Kentucky, to Nina Bruce (née 
Warren), a former beauty pageant queen, and Nick Clooney, a former anchorman and television host 
(who was also the brother of singer Rosemary Clooney). He has Irish, English, and German ancestry. 
Clooney spent most of his youth in Ohio and Kentucky, and graduated from Augusta High School. He 
was very active in sports such as basketball and baseball, and tried out for the Cincinnati Reds, but was 
not offered a contract.
After his cousin, Miguel Ferrer, got him a small part in a feature film, Clooney began to pursue 
acting. His first major role was on the sitcom ER (1984) as “Dr. Doug Ross”. More roles soon 
followed, including “George Burnett”, the handsome handyman on Vivendo e Aprendendo (1979); 
“Booker Brooks”, a supervisor on Roseanne (1988); and “Detective James Falconer” on Sisters (1991). 
Clooney had his breakthrough when he was cast as “Dr. Doug Ross” on the award-winning drama 
series, Plantão Médico (1994), opposite Anthony Edwards, Noah Wyle, and Julianna Margulies.
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While filming ER, Clooney starred in a number of high profile film roles, such as Robert 
Rodriguez’s Um Drink no Inferno (1996), and Um Dia Especial (1996), opposite Michelle Pfeiffer. In 
1997, Clooney took on the role of “Batman” in Joel Schumacher’s Batman & Robin (1997). The film 
was a moderate success in the box office, but was slammed by critics, notably for the nipple-laden 
Bat suit. Clooney went on to star in Steven Soderbergh’s Irresistível Paixão (1998), Terrence Malick’s 
Além da Linha Vermelha (1998), and David O. Russell’s Três Reis (1999).
In 1999, Clooney left ER (though he would return for the season finale) and appeared in a 
number of films, including E Aí, Meu Irmão, Cadê Você? (2000), Mar em Fúria (2000), and Onze Homens 
e um Segredo (2001). Collaborating once again with Steven Soderbergh, Ocean’s Eleven received 
critical acclaim, earned more than $450 million at the box office, and spawned two sequels: Doze 
Homens e Outro Segredo (2004) and Treze Homens e um Novo Segredo (2007).
In 2002, Clooney made his directorial debut with Confissões de uma Mente Perigosa (2002), an 
adaptation of TV producer Chuck Barris’s autobiography. This was the first film under the banner of 
“Section Eight Productions”, a production company he founded with Steven Soderbergh. The company 
also produced many acclaimed films, including Longe do Paraíso (2002), Syriana – A Indústria do Petróleo 
(2005), O Homem Duplo (2006), and Boa Noite e Boa Sorte (2005). Clooney won his first Oscar for Best 
Supporting Actor in Syriana, and was nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Good 
Night, and Good Luck.
In 2006, “Section Eight” was shut down so that Soderbergh could concentrate on directing, 
and Clooney founded a new production company, “Smokehouse Productions”, with his friend and 
long-time business partner, Grant Heslov.
Clooney went on to produce and star in Conduta de Risco (2007) (which earned him an Oscar 
nomination for Best Actor), directed and starred in O Amor Não tem Regras (2008), and took leading 
roles in Queime Depois de Ler (2008), Os Homens que Encaravam Cabras (2009), O Fantástico Sr. 
Raposo (2009), and Jason Reitman’s Amor Sem Escalas (2009). Clooney received critical acclaim for 
his performance in Up in the Air and was nominated for several awards, including a Golden Globe 
and Academy Award. He didn’t win that year, but took home both Best Actor awards (as well as 
countless nominations) for his role as a father who finds out his wife was unfaithful as she lay in 
a coma in Alexander Payne’s Os Descendentes (2011). 
Throughout his career, Clooney has been heralded for his political activism and humanitarian 
work. He has served as one of the “United Nations Messengers of Peace” since 2008, has been an 
advocate for the Darfur conflict, and organized the “Hope for Haiti” telethon, to raise money for 
the victims of the 2010 earthquake. In March of 2012, Clooney was arrested for civil disobedience 
while protesting at the Sudanese embassy in Washington, D.C.
Clooney was married to actress Talia Balsam, from 1989 until 1993. After their divorce, he swore 
he would never marry again. Michelle Pfeiffer and Nicole Kidman bet him $10,000 that he would 
have children by the age of 40, and sent him a check shortly after his birthday. Clooney returned 
the funds and betdouble or nothing he wouldn’t have children by the age of 50. Although he has 
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LÍNGUA INGLESA: GRAMÁTICA E APLICAÇÃO
remained a consummate bachelor, Clooney has had many highly publicized relationships, including 
with former WWE wrestler Stacy Keibler. In 2014, he married lawyer and activist Amal Clooney.
Fonte: George... (s.d.).
Aproveite e pratique: escreva um parágrafo falando sobre você. A única maneira de melhorarmos 
nossa competência linguística é praticando, então utilize todas as oportunidades que tiver: leia, acesse 
sites em língua inglesa, entre em chats para conversar com pessoas de outros países. Tenha certeza de 
que sua performance melhorará muito.
2 THERE TO BE (THERE IS/THERE ARE)
O verbo there to be equivale ao verbo “haver” ou “ter” no sentido de existir em português. A diferença 
é que, no inglês, no singular utilizaremos there is e no plural there are. Enquanto em português o verbo 
“haver” não varia conforme o substantivo, no inglês há variações de número.
Veja o que o autor Swan (2005, p. 563) diz a respeito do uso desse verbo: “In sentences which say 
that something exists (or does not exist) somewhere, we usually use there as a kind of preparatory 
subject, and put the real subject after the verb.”
 Observação
Na linguagem informal do dia a dia, em português, costumamos usar o 
verbo “ter” no sentido de haver, por exemplo: “Tem uma pessoa na janela”. 
Na língua inglesa, isso não pode acontecer.
Vamos ver como o verbo there to be é formado.
2.1 Affirmative
A forma afirmativa é constituída pelo verbo there + to be (is ou are). Veja o quadro.
Quadro 5 – Forma afirmativa
Verbo Forma contraída Exemplo Significado
There is There’s There is a handsome guy near the bar.
There’s a handsome guy near the bar.
Há um rapaz bonito perto do bar.
There are There’re There are 5 pictures on the wall.
There’re 5 pictures on the wall.
Há 5 quadros na parede.
Note que sempre flexionaremos o verbo to be de acordo com o número, isto é, there is para 
singular e there are para plural.
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2.2 Negative
Para fazer a negativa, adicionaremos a partícula de negação not ao verbo to be. Veja:
Quadro 6 – Forma negativa
Verbo Forma contraída Exemplo
There is not There isn’t or there’s not There isn’t a bank near here.
There are not There aren’t or there’re not There are not 35 students in my class.
2.3 Interrogative
Para formar a interrogativa do verbo, posicionamos o verbo to be (devidamente flexionado de 
acordo com o número) na frente do there. Veja:
Quadro 7 – Forma interrogativa
Affirmative Interrogative Exemplo
There is Is there Is there a bank near here?
There are Are there Are there 35 students in my class?
Agora vamos ver o que Swan (2005, p. 588-589) aponta acerca desse verbo, denominado 
introductory subject.
There is used as an introductory subject in sentences beginning there is, there 
are, there seems to be, there might be, etc.
In sentences which say that something exists (or does not exist) somewhere, 
we usually use there as a kind of preparatory subject, and put the real 
subject after the verb.
There’s a hole in my tights. There’s ice on the lake.
There is a lot of noise in the street. There is some water in the refrigerator.
There is a red car parked in front of our house. There is a problem that can 
be solved.
There is snow in the mountains. There is a woman at the door. Is there a car 
park near here?
There isn’t any hotel nearby. Is there a drugstore around? There isn’t any 
bank nearby.
There are is used with plural subjects. There are lots of people at the beach. There 
aren’t any kids in the classroom. How many kids are there in the classroom? 
There are many holes in this cloth.
There are some big trees in the garden.
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How many players are there in a soccer team? There are a lot of modern 
buildings here.
There are seven days in a week. There are twelve months in a year. There are 
365 days in a year.
How many students are there in your class?
I don’t know how many people there are in the waiting room.
2.4 Contexto
Geralmente, usamos essa estrutura para pedir informações e descrever lugares. Veja os exemplos.
Exemplo de aplicação
Exemplo 1
O exemplo a seguir refere-se a dois amigos que acabam de chegar a Nova York e pedem informações.
Figura 5 
A: Well, finally in New York!!!!
B: Yes, but now we need to find a place to stay.
A: A cheap place. Let’s ask for some information.
B: Yes.
A: Excuse me. We are looking for a place to spend the night. Are there any youth hostels near here?
C: Yes, there is a nice one about a block from here.
A: Thanks a lot. Just one more information, are there any good fast-food restaurants around here?
C: Yes, there is a nice snack bar near here, and it’s close to the hostel.
A: That’s great. Thanks again.
C: You’re welcome. Enjoy your stay in New York!!
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Exemplo 2
Mary acabou de chegar a São Paulo e descreve o quarto de hotel para sua mãe.
Figura 6 
A: Hi, mom, how are you doing?
B: Fine and you? Are you all right? Did you have a nice flight? How is the hotel like?
A: Hey, mom, take it easy. I’ll answer everything. Yes, I am ok. Yes, the flight was good and the hotel 
is good.
B: And the bedroom, is it good?
A: Yes, there is a big double bed, the room is very clean, it has a nice balcony view, there is a nice 
TV, there is also a bathtub in the bathroom, there is a mini bar. Ah, there is a hair dryer!!! It’s a very 
nice hotel.
Sempre busque no dicionário as palavras desconhecidas; uma ótima maneira de guardar o significado 
delas é por meio da criação de frases.
 Saiba mais
A fim de obter dados adicionais a respeito do verbo to be, acesse:
THE SIMPLE present of the verb to be. In: MY ENGLISH pages. [s.d.]. 
Disponível em: https://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-
lesson-simple-present-be.php. Acesso em: 22 ago. 2019.
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2.5 There to be e os vários tempos verbais
Usamos a estrutura do there to be em outros tempos verbais também. O quadro a seguir mostra a 
estrutura no presente (já estudado anteriormente), passado e futuro na afirmativa. Veja:
Quadro 8 – Modo afirmativo
Passado Presente Futuro
Singular There was There is There’s There will be
Plural There were There are There will be
 Observação
Perceba que, no futuro, não há mudança do singular para o plural.
Agora, veja a negativa dos vários tempos verbais.
Quadro 9 – Modo negativo
Passado Presente Futuro
Singular There was not / There wasn’t There is not / There isn’t / There’s not
There will not be/ 
There won’t be / There’ll not be
Plural There were not / There weren’t There are not / There aren’t (idem ao singular)
Veja alguns exemplos:
• There’s a tree in my garden.
• There are books on the desk.
• There isn’t a computer in my bedroom.
• There aren’t any cinemas here.
• There were many people at the party.
• There were not many options yesterday.
• There was a dog in the bakery, can you believe it!
• There won’t be any biscuits left if he continuous eating like that!
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• There will be a wonderful lunch for me!
• There was a good film on TV last night.
• There were 300 beautiful rooms at the hotel we stayed in LA.
• Were there any letters for me yesterday?
• There will be rain tomorrow.
Leia o texto a seguir e observe o uso dos verbos:
Domestic Cat
Cats are very popular pets and there are many different breeds that all vary in size, colour 
and markings. An average cat reaches a length of 50-60 cm and weighs about 3-5 kg. The fur 
may be black, white, brown, grey, red, black and white, tabby (striped) or calico.
Whiskers
Eye
Ear
Fur
Front leg
Paw Claw
Hind leg
Tail
Figura 7 
Senses
Cats see and hear extremely well. They can see in the dark and hear many sounds that 
humans are not able to hear. To feel their way round, cats use their whiskers.
Cat language
Cats say ‘meow’. If they feel very comfortable, they purr. If a cat is angry,it wags its tail, 
lowers its ears, and hisses or growls. Just watch your cat: eyes, ears, tail and body posture 
tell you a lot about how your cat feels.
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Things your cat needs
• food and water: there are many different sorts of food. Ask your vet or pet shop for 
assistance. Make sure that your cat always has a bowl of fresh water. Cats never 
drink where they eat, so put the water bowl at least one metre away from the 
food bowl.
• a litter box and litter: keep the litter box clean or you will soon have some stinky 
corners in your living room.
• a carrier: you’ll have to see the vet from time to time. If you have to transport a cat, 
always use a carrier.
• a place to sleep: this can be a fancy cat’s bed, the carrier or just an old cushion 
or blanket.
• toys: pet shops have lots of toys for cats, but even rolled-up wads of paper make 
nice toys. The most important thing is that you take your time to play with your cat.
• a scratching post: a cat needs to scratch its claws and if you don’t have a post, your 
furniture will suffer.
Fonte: Domestic... (s.d.).
3 QUESTIONS
Há dois tipos de perguntas: yes/no questions e as chamadas wh-questions ou information questions. 
Veja a definição de pergunta de Leech e Svartvik (2003, p. 110):
“Questions are typically sentences by which someone asks his hearer to give information”.
3.1 Yes/no questions
São perguntas cuja resposta será “sim” ou “não”, por isso yes/no questions. Veja a definição dos autores:
“Yes/no questions are limited: only one of two answers (positive or negative) is possible” (LEECH; 
SVARTVIK, 2003, p. 111).
Vejamos alguns exemplos:
• Are you hungry?
Yes, I am / No, I am not.
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• Is she your friend?
Yes, she is / No, she isn’t.
• Am I your friend?
Yes, you are / No, you aren’t.
• Are there many restaurants near here?
Yes, there are / No, there aren’t.
• Is there a nice hotel around?
Yes, there is / No, there isn’t.
3.2 Wh-questions
Neste caso, a resposta será diferente de “sim” ou “não”. Os pronomes utilizados para formular esse tipo 
de pergunta são chamados wh-questions, question words ou wh-words, pois a maioria dos pronomes 
começa com as letras “wh”.
Vejamos a definição de wh-questions de Leech e Svartvik (2004, p. 111): “Wh-questions are unlimited, 
because any number of answers can be given, so long as they give information required by the wh-word 
(who, what, when, where, how, etc).”
Vamos ver os pronomes:
What: O que
Who: Quem
When: Quando
Where: Onde
Why: Por que
Whose: De quem
Which: Qual
How: Como
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How far: Quão longe
How long: Quanto tempo
How old: Quantos anos
How many: Quantos (contáveis)
How much: Quantos (incontáveis)
Vejamos alguns exemplos:
Quadro 10 – Questions
Pergunta Resposta
What’s your name? Silvia
How old are you? I’m 25 years old
Where is the book I was reading? It’s on the shelf
What’s your favorite color? Blue
Which color do you prefer red or white? White
Who are you waiting for? My brother, he is picking me up
When are you visiting Silvia? Tomorrow morning
Why are you so sad? Because I broke up with my boyfriend
Whose blouse is this? It’s mine, thanks
How far is São Paulo from Santos? I don’t know exactly, but it’s not far
How many cars are there? There are 20 cars
How much is it? It’s R$ 20.00
How are you? Fine, thanks
3.3 Question tags
Question tags são perguntas que fazemos ao final de uma afirmação com o objetivo de obter 
confirmação. Veja como Leech e Svartvik (2003, p. 112) explicam:
“Tag Questions added to the end of a statement ask for confirmation of the truth of the statement. 
The answer expected is ‘Yes’ if the statement is positive, and ‘No’ if the statement is negative. (If the 
statement is positive, the tag question is negative and vice versa).”
Let’s see some of the examples:
• He likes his job, doesn’t he? (I assume he likes his job. Am I right?)
• Nobody was watching me, were they? (I assume nobody was watching me, am I right?)
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If the tag question has a falling tone, the positive or negative bias is stronger, and the tag question 
merely asks for routine confirmation of what the speaker believes. The sentence is more like a statement 
than a question.
Examples:
• It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?
• It’s a nice weather, isn’t it?
• Not a very good film, was it?
• That’s the postman, isn’t it?
• You’re not the new secretary, are you?
• It’s cold, isn’t it?
• It’s not hot, is it?
• You couldn’t lend me R$ 100.00, could you?
• I’m late, aren’t I?
• There is something wrong, isn’t there?
• There weren’t any problems, were there?
• It’s no good, is it?
• There is little we can do about it, is there?
3.4 Contexto
Fazemos perguntas nos mais diferentes contextos do dia a dia. Pense em quais momentos as 
perguntamos e as respondemos. São muitos, não são?
Respondemos a muitas perguntas quando estamos em uma entrevista de emprego, fazemos 
e respondemos questões quando conhecemos alguém e queremos saber mais a seu respeito, enfim, 
fazemos isso em várias situações.
Veja o exemplo a seguir. São três amigos que estão em uma festa de aniversário.
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Exemplo de aplicação
Figura 8 
Maria: Amanda, who’s that gorgeous man with Brian?
Amanda: I think his name is John, they are friends.
Maria: Is he single?
Amanda: I guess so.
Maria: What does he do?
Amanda: He works with Brian, he is an architect.
Maria: Wow!! Let’s go there, I’ll ask Brian to introduce me to him.
Já passou por uma situação semelhante? Crie um diálogo pensando em situação vivenciada por você.
Outro contexto em que geralmente nos fazem perguntas é durante uma entrevista de emprego. 
Vejamos alguns exemplos aplicados nesse campo:
• What is your greatest weakness?
• What is your greatest strength?
• How will your greatest strength help you perform?
• How would you describe yourself?
• Do you take work home with you?
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• How many hours do you normally work?
• How would you describe the pace at which you work?
• How do you handle stress and pressure?
• What motivates you? Are you a self motivator?
• What are your salary expectations?
• What do you find are the most difficult decisions to make?
• What has been the greatest disappointment in your life?
• What are you passionate about?
• What are your pet peeves?
• What do people most often criticize about you?
• When was the last time you were angry? What happened?
• Do you prefer to work independently or on a team?
• What type of work environment do you prefer?
• How do you evaluate success?
• If you know your boss is 100% wrong about something how would you handle it?
 Saiba mais
A fim de obter informações adicionais a respeito de entrevistas de 
emprego, acesse:
DOYLE, A. How to answer the most frequently asked interview questions. 
The balance careers, 2019. Disponível em: http://jobsearch.about.com/od/
interviewquestionsanswers/a/interviewquest.htm. Acesso em: 22 ago. 2019.
Ainda no contexto de entrevista de emprego, veja algumas perguntas e respostas.
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Exemplo de aplicação
1. Tell me about yourself.
My background to date has been centered around preparing myself to become the very best _____ 
I can become. Let me tell you specifically how I’ve prepared myself...
2. Why should I hire you?
Because I sincerely believe that I’m the best person for the job. I realize that there are many 
other college students who have the ability to do this job. I also have that ability. But I also bring 
an additional quality that makes me the very best person for the job – my attitude for excellence. 
Not just giving lip service to excellence, but putting every part of myself into achieving it. In 
_____ and _____ I have consistently reached for becoming the very best I can become by doing 
the following...
3. What is your long-range objective? Where do you want to be 10or 15 years from now?
Although it’s certainly difficult to predict things far into the future, I know what direction I want 
to develop toward. Within five years, I would like to become the very best _____ your company has. In 
fact, my personal career mission statement is to become a world-class _____ in the _____ industry. 
I will work toward becoming the expert that others rely upon.
And in doing so, I feel I will be fully prepared to take on any greater responsibilities that might be 
presented in the long term.
4. How has your education prepared you for your career?
As you will note on my resume, I’ve taken not only the required core classes in the _____ field, 
I’ve also gone above and beyond. I’ve taken every class the college has to offer in the field and also 
completed an independent study project specifically in this area. But it’s not just taking the classes 
to gain academic knowledge – I’ve taken each class, both inside and outside of my major, with this 
profession in mind. So when we’re studying _____ in _____, I’ve viewed it from the perspective of 
_____. In addition, I’ve always tried to keep a practical view of how the information would apply to my 
job. Not just theory, but how it would actually apply. My capstone course project in my final semester 
involved developing a real-world model of _____, which is very similar to what might be used within 
your company. Let me tell you more about it...
5. Are you a team player?
Very much so. In fact, I’ve had opportunities in both athletics and academics to develop my 
skills as a team player. I was involved in at the intramural level, including leading my team in assists 
during the past year – I always try to help others achieve their best. In academics, I’ve worked on 
several team projects, serving as both a member and team leader. I’ve seen the value of working 
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together as a team to achieve a greater goal than any one of us could have achieved individually. 
As an example...
6. Have you ever had a conflict with a boss or professor? How was it resolved?
Yes, I have had conflicts in the past. Never major ones, but certainly there have been situations 
where there was a disagreement that needed to be resolved. I’ve found that when conflict occurs, it’s 
because of a failure to see both sides of the situation. Therefore, I ask the other person to give me 
their perspective and at the same time ask that they allow me to fully explain my perspective. At that 
point, I would work with the person to find out if a compromise could be reached. If not, I would 
submit to their decision because they are my superior. In the end, you have to be willing to submit 
yourself to the directives of your superior, whether you’re in full agreement or not. An example of 
this was when...
7. What is your greatest weakness?
I would say my greatest weakness has been my lack of proper planning in the past. I would overcommit 
myself with too many variant tasks, then not be able to fully accomplish each as I would like. However, 
since I’ve come to recognize that weakness, I’ve taken steps to correct it. For example, I now carry a 
planning calendar in my pocket so that I can plan all of my appointments and “to do” items. Here, let 
me show you how I have this week planned out...
8. If I were to ask your professors to describe you, what would they say?
I believe they would say I’m a very energetic person, that I put my mind to the task at hand and see 
to it that it’s accomplished. They would say that if they ever had something that needed to be done, 
I was the person who they could always depend on to see that it was accomplished. They would say 
that I always took a keen interest in the subjects I was studying and always sought ways to apply the 
knowledge in real world settings. Am I just guessing that they would say these things? No, in fact, I’m 
quite certain they would say those things because I have with me several letters of recommendation 
from my professors, and those are their very words. Let me show you...
9. What qualities do you feel a successful manager should have?
The key quality should be leadership – the ability to be the visionary for the people who 
are working under them. The person who can set the course and direction for subordinates. 
A manager should also be a positive role model for others to follow. The highest calling of a true 
leader is inspiring others to reach the highest of their abilities. I’d like to tell you about a person 
who I consider to be a true leader...
10. If you had to live your life over again, what would you change?
That’s a good question. I realize that it can be very easy to continually look back and wish that things 
had been different in the past. But I also realize that things in the past cannot be changed, that only 
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things in the future can be changed. That’s why I continually strive to improve myself each and every 
day and that’s why I’m working hard to continually increase my knowledge in the field. That’s also the 
reason why I want to become the very best your company has ever had. To make positive change. And 
all of that is still in the future. So in answer to your question, there isn’t anything in my past that I would 
change. I look only to the future to make changes in my life.
Pensando em suas experiências com entrevistas de emprego, será que as perguntas em inglês são 
parecidas com as questões feitas em português? Pense nas similaridades e diferenças. Além disso, você 
pensaria em outras perguntas? Quais?
 Observação
Praticar o idioma é sempre importante.
4 PRESENT CONTINUOUS OU PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
Utilizamos essa estrutura em quatro situações:
• ação em progresso, ou seja, quando a ação estiver acontecendo no momento (agora);
• referência a uma ação temporária;
• futuro planejado;
• reforço de ideia de rotina ou repetição.
Esse sistema é formado da seguinte maneira:
Verbo to be + verbo principal + ing
Veja o que Swan (2005, p. 460) aponta sobre o uso dessa estrutura:
We use the present progressive to talk about temporary actions and 
situations that are going on “around now”: before, during and after the 
moment of speaking. According to them we also use the present progressive 
to talk about changes and future.
Veja os quadros a seguir.
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Quadro 11 – Forma afirmativa
Pronoun To be Verbo principal + ing
I am studying English now
He is having lunch at this moment
She is reading a book
It is having lunch right now
You are taking a shower
We are buying
They are playing in the garden
Quadro 12 – Forma negativa
Pronoun To be Verbo principal + ing
I am not /’m not studying English now
He is not /isn’t having lunch at this moment
She is not / isn’t reading a book
It is not / isn’t having lunch right now
You are not / aren’t taking a shower
We are not / aren’t buying
They are not / aren’t playing in the garden
Quadro 13 – Forma interrogativa
To be Pronoun Verbo principal + ing
Am I talking too much?
Is he having lunch at this moment?
Is she reading a book?
Is it having lunch right now?
Are you taking a shower?
Are we buying a new car?
Are they playing in the garden?
Agora, vamos ver as situações em que essa estrutura é utilizada.
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LÍNGUA INGLESA: GRAMÁTICA E APLICAÇÃO
4.1 Ação em progresso
Neste caso, a ação ocorre no momento em que a frase está sendo construída. Exemplos:
Figura 9 
• It is raining a lot now. (Está chovendo.)
• The woman is holding a pink umbrella.
• I am studying English now. (Estou estudando inglês agora.)
• Mary is making a cake. (Mary está fazendo um bolo.)
• Listen! The baby is crying!
• The dog is barking a lot today!
• Look, Anna is smoking a cigar!
• Shsssss. John is sleeping.
• What are you doing? I am writing a letter.
• Hurry up! Paul is waiting for you.
Observe a estrutura da frase:
I (sujeito) + am (verbo to be) + study (verbo principal) + ing.
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4.2 Ação temporária
Entende-se por açãotemporária algo que está acontecendo agora, mas que acabará em breve, ou 
retornará à rotina. Vamos ver os exemplos, eles o ajudarão a entender melhor.
• I am working at home this week. (Isso não acontece sempre, é uma ação temporária que só 
acontecerá nesse período.)
• She is picking up the girls from school this month. (Isso acontecerá apenas neste mês.)
• Paul is working in Japan this month.
4.3 Futuro planejado
O futuro planejado ou planned future refere-se a algo que temos certeza de que acontecerá porque 
já pensamos sobre isso, decidimos, planejamos. Veja o exemplo:
• I am travelling tomorrow. (Vou viajar amanhã / Viajo amanhã.)
Quer dizer que tenho certeza de que realmente viajarei amanhã, já está tudo planejado.
• I’m moving out next month.
Foi algo planejado. Normalmente, quando alguém vai se mudar, tem de planejar, verificar o local, 
comprar ou alugar outro espaço.
Observe os exemplos a seguir:
• What are you doing this evening? I am going to the movies.
• My car is having a service next week.
• We are going to Spain in June.
• Did you know I am getting a new job?
• She is playing tennis on Sunday afternoon.
• He is having lunch with me at 12:30.
• She is flying to Chicago on Thursday.
• Paul is coming to see her on Sunday morning.
• They are going to the theater on Saturday evening.
• She is moving out next month. (Ela vai se mudar no próximo mês.)
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LÍNGUA INGLESA: GRAMÁTICA E APLICAÇÃO
 Observação
Os advérbios de tempo que geralmente acompanham o present 
continuous são: now; at this moment; right now; nowadays; at the 
moment; this week.
4.4 Reforçar a ideia de rotina ou repetição
Em algumas situações, utilizamos este tempo verbal com o objetivo de reforçar repetição ou rotina. 
Isso geralmente acontece para expressar uma ideia negativa.
Deve-se ficar bastante atento a essa ocorrência porque os advérbios utilizados neste caso serão os 
mesmos utilizados no tempo presente para indicar ações rotineiras. Veja os exemplos:
• She is always playing music loud (reforçando a ideia de que o volume da música é sempre 
muito alto).
• She is always fighting with her husband (Ela está sempre discutindo com o marido).
• He is always coming to class late (Ele está sempre atrasado para a aula).
4.5 Ortografia dos verbos no present continuous
Conforme poderá ser observado nos exemplos dados neste item, alguns verbos mudam a ortografia 
na forma ing, como é o caso de make, que passará a ser making.
Vamos ver algumas regras.
4.5.1 Verbos terminados com a vogal “e”
Neste caso, retiraremos a vogal “e” e acrescentaremos “ing”. Veja:
• Make: making
She is making a cake for Mike’s birthday!
• Drive: driving
You are not driving safely!
• Write: writing
He is in his room. Writing Julia a letter.
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4.5.2 Verbos terminados em “ie”
Com estes verbos, retiraremos as vogais “ie” e acrescentaremos “ying”, como é o caso dos 
seguintes verbos:
• Die: dying
The cat is dying! I think it was hit by a car.
• Lie: lying
Stop lying! Can’t you never say the truth?
• Tie: tying
He is tying his shoes.
4.5.3 Verbos terminados em “y”
Neste caso, apenas acrescentaremos “ing”:
• Study: studying
Mary is studying so hard! She has to pass the math exam.
• Cry: crying
Listen! The baby is crying!
• Play: playing
The children are playing in the park.
4.6 Verbos que não vão para o “ing”
Há alguns verbos que não podem ser usados na forma contínua, ou seja, no “ing form”. Veja os exemplos:
Quadro 14 
be hate prefer
believe impress promise
belong know realize
care like remember
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LÍNGUA INGLESA: GRAMÁTICA E APLICAÇÃO
contain love seem
cost matter suppose
disagree mean understand
forget need want
Exemplos:
• I love this chocolate.
• I want to buy a new car this week.
• She prefers going out for dinner tonight.
• It costs R$ 100.00.
• She needs to study more, otherwise she will fail again.
• I like him a lot!
• I don’t believe in you. You never tell the truth.
• I don’t know him.
• She can’t understand what Peter says.
• I don’t understand you.
 Observação
Em caso de dúvida, consulte sempre o dicionário.
4.7 Verbos que podem ser utilizados no “ing” dependendo de seu significado
Há alguns verbos que podem ser utilizados no “ing” de acordo com seu significado.
4.7.1 Verbos cujo significado não permite a forma “ing”
Veja os exemplos:
• Feel: com sentido de ter uma opinião.
He feels he could get another chance.
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• See: com sentido de entender.
I see what you mean.
• Think: com sentido de ter uma opinião.
I think we should go home right now.
• Appear: com sentido de parecer.
That appears to be unstable.
 Observação
O verbo stop pode ser usado tanto com “ing” como no infinitive, 
porém com significados diferentes: a) I stopped smoking (parei de fumar); 
b) I stopped to smoke (parei para fumar).
4.7.2 Verbos cujo significado permite a forma “ing”
• Feel: com sentido de sentir fisicamente.
I am feeling bad today.
• See: com sentido de visitar, ir.
She is seeing a doctor today.
• Think: com sentido de pensar.
She is thinking hard about the problem.
• Appear: com sentido de estar no palco, atuar.
Fernanda Torres is performing at Bibi Ferreira this month.
4.8 Contexto
Vimos que o present continuous é usado para descrever uma ação que está acontecendo no 
momento. Também pode ser empregado para fazer previsões ou reforçar rotina ou repetição.
Há vários contextos em que essa estrutura aparece. A seguir observaremos um sobre duas amigas 
que não se encontram há bastante tempo, Susan and Kathy. Susan telefona para Kathy para saber 
das novidades.
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LÍNGUA INGLESA: GRAMÁTICA E APLICAÇÃO
Exemplo de aplicação
Figura 10 
Kathy: Hello.
Susan: Hello. I would like to talk to Kathy? Is she there?
Kathy: This is Kathy. Who’s speaking?
Susan: Susan.
Kathy: Susan! I can’t believe it. How are you doing?
Susan: I’m fine. I miss you so much. What have you been doing?
Kathy: Now, I am working for a nice company and I am studying German because of the new job. 
What about you?
Susan: Great! Well, things are the same with me, but I’m moving next week.
Kathy: Really? Where are you going to live?
Susan: Not far, in South Street. It’s a nice place and the house is much bigger.
Kathy: How nice.
Susan: I would love to have you there for some coffee.
Kathy: I’d love to. Give me the address.
Susan: It’s South Street, 50 near the flower shop. Are you free on 25th?
Kathy: Yes. See you there, then.
Susan: See you.
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Unidade I
Esse é apenas um exemplo. A linguagem acontece sempre na interação. Vygotsky (1994) entende 
que o indivíduo se constitui como ser humano por meio das práticas sociais e que faz uso da linguagem 
como um instrumento para interagir com o próximo. Por isso a importância do contexto.
As regras apresentadas aqui serão internalizadas com o tempo, com o contato com a língua. Quanto 
maior o seu contato com o idioma, mais fácil e rápido será o seu aprendizado.
Escreva um diálogo semelhante a esse. Pratique! Lembre-se de que quanto maior for o contato com 
a língua, melhor será sua aprendizagem!
4.9 To be going to future
Acabamos de aprender que o present continuous também pode ser utilizado para dar a ideia de futuro. 
Neste item, teremos outra estrutura empregada para indicar futuro planejado. O to be + going to. Vamos 
ver seu funcionamento:
Pode-se usar essa composição em duas situações:
• indicar futuro próximo ou futuro planejado;
• fazer previsões.
Veja o que Swan (2005, p. 210) aponta sobre essa estrutura:
It is used to talk about future actions and events that have some present 
reality. If we say that something in the future is happening or is going to 
happen, it is usually already planned or decided, or it is starting to happen, 
or we can see it coming now.
Observe o quadro a seguir e perceba como essa estrutura é formada:
Quadro 15 – Formação da estrutura verbal
Pronoun Affirmative Negative Interrogative
I I am going to have a shower. I am not going to have a showernow. Am I going to have a shower?
He He is going to leave. He isn’t going to leave. Is he going to leave?
She She is going to have dinner with her boyfriend.
She isn’t going to have dinner with 
her boyfriend.
Is she going to have dinner with 
her boyfriend?
You You are going to travel on the weekend.
You are not going to travel on the 
weekend.
Are you going to travel on the 
weekend?
We We are going to visit Maggie this afternoon.
We are not going to visit Maggie 
this afternoon.
Are we going to visit Maggie this 
afternoon?
They They are going to buy a new car. They aren’t going to buy a new car. Are they going to buy a new car?
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LÍNGUA INGLESA: GRAMÁTICA E APLICAÇÃO
Veja mais exemplos:
• We are going to get a new car soon.
• When are you going to have your hair cut?
• I’m going to keep asking her out until she says “yes”.
• She is going to buy a new car.
• This food looks awful. I’m not going to eat it.
• I am not going to clean my car, it’s going to rain.
• What are you going to wear to the Julia’s party?
• I’m going to buy some books tomorrow.
• I’m not going to have breakfast this morning.
• Mary is not going to sell her car anymore.
• I’m going to play tennis with Silvia tomorrow.
Agora, vamos ver as situações em que essa estrutura é utilizada.
4.10 Futuro próximo ou futuro planejado
Em inglês, denominamos essa estrutura como: future going to, immediate future ou ainda near 
future. Para futuro planejado, utilizaremos a estrutura:
to be + going to + verbo principal na forma base, ou seja, infinitivo sem to.
Vamos ver alguns exemplos:
• I am going to buy a house next month.
• I am going to travel tomorrow.
• We are going to New York on vacation this year.
• They are going to work in Paris next month.
• When are you going to see the doctor?
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Unidade I
• Where are you going to buy that blouse you loved so much?
Uma dúvida costuma ser bastante comum: qual a diferença entre o futuro com going to e o futuro 
com present continuous? Na verdade, não há diferença, é simplesmente uma questão de escolha do 
falante. Os dois têm o mesmo sentido.
4.11 Previsões com going to
Também utilizamos essa estrutura, to be going to, para fazer previsões. Elas geralmente têm como 
base: sentido, cheiro, gosto, sensação, algo que tenha visto etc. Vamos ver alguns exemplos:
• The sun is shining, the sky is so blue! It’s going to be a nice day!
(O falante está prevendo que o dia será ótimo porque está vendo que o céu está azul e que o sol 
está brilhando.)
• What a nice smell! Mary is preparing dinner. The dinner is going to be delicious!
(O falante sentiu um cheiro agradável, sabe que geralmente Mary prepara o jantar naquele horário 
e então prevê que o jantar será delicioso).
4.12 Contexto
Veja o e-mail a seguir, em que Jessica conta seus planos para as próximas férias.
Exemplo de aplicação
Figura 11 
Hi there!!
I have already decided what to do on my vacation! Today I am going to book a flight to visit my 
friends in Chicago!!! Isn’t it great!!! I am going to be there for two weeks. I am really happy.
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LÍNGUA INGLESA: GRAMÁTICA E APLICAÇÃO
What about you? Have you decided what to do?
Oh, John is going to travel with me. I am really happy.
Xoxo,
Jessica.
Escreva um texto semelhante a esse. Pratique!
Vamos ver agora um texto retirado do site da BBC News, falando sobre futuro. Para ler o texto na 
íntegra, acesse o site.
How to Predict the Future 
[...]
Uncertain future
Futurists are also surprisingly reticent to be pinned-down on specifics. They will 
never say “in ten years time we will all be wearing silver hover boots or using mobile 
phones with built-in egg whisks”.
Instead they talk in generalities – “the growth of screens”, “ubiquity of information” 
and the “nano revolution”.
This is a business of broad trends forecasting. Details will always be left to inventors, 
politicians or the man on the street to devise.
The electric light bulb, iPhone and flying cars tend to be the sort of thing that we first 
hear about when someone calls a press conference and whips them out from under a 
velvet cover.
But however surprised we might be to see their shape, colour or exact functioning, 
according to the futurists, each has a measurable lineage that can be identified and monitored.
Dr. Kalev Leetaru from the University of Illinois has been working to automate that 
process, mining vast swathes of literature – from books to academic papers to news media.
“In transportation, for example, you are not looking for ‘I wish that cars could x’. What 
you are looking for is more broad,” he says.
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“When people talk about the world, what are things that they say that are related 
to transportation. Like an offhand comment: ‘I wish grandma could visit more often 
at Thanksgiving.’
“As you start aggregating those you start seeing that there are perhaps more and more 
people talking about this notion of having better transportation. Then using that detail we 
start walking that back and thinking what are the common threads and what might solve 
what all these people are asking.”
Crunching data
Dr. Leetaru has already applied his particular brand of analytics – known as Culturomics 
– to predicting political unrest, showing that many of the events which characterized 
the Arab Spring, were foreshadowed by months and years of changing “sentiment” in 
available literature.
For now his work is largely focused on retrospective analysis – or hindsight. But it might 
one day be applied in real-time to create a foresight system.
As well as the proliferation and tone of writing about particular future concepts, 
Dr. Leetaru believes that it is possible to chart the ascent or descent of future 
outcomes by looking at how they move from one type of writing to another.
“Are there patterns that you see in science fiction and do you start see those patterns 
start to flow into the academic literature? In the academic literature, are we seeing some 
take off or are we seeing people kill that idea? Then do we see it start showing up elsewhere 
in more popular literature?”
He cites the example of the Star Trek communicator as an early precursor to modern 
wireless devices. In this case the trajectory moved from science fiction directly to the general 
public. Over subsequent years, excitement around the idea created a feedback loop of 
positive sentiment to scientists and corporations, who ultimately produced mobile phones.
The final frontier
Speaking to futurists, it is remarkable how important a role science fiction plays in their 
work. It is here that the first gem of an idea often appears, decades, sometimes centuries 
ahead of its time.
Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was essentially an intergalactic iPad, 
conceived in 1978.
Arthur C. Clarke came up with the idea of a satellite occupying a geostationary orbit in 
1945. At the time, such an idea may have seemed fanciful to many.
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LÍNGUA INGLESA: GRAMÁTICA E APLICAÇÃO
The author himself once said: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable 
from magic.”
So great are the potential rewards for spotting ideas early on, that science fiction writers 
are actively courted by futurists.
Intel’s Tomorrow Project draws on the work of writers such as Corey Doctorow, Sonia Orin 
Lyris and Charles Walbridge to create visions for the future that can inspire the public, and act 
as goals for engineers.
“Science fiction and science fact have a really lovely relationship where science fiction 
has fired generations of scientists and generations of scientists have inspired generations of 
science fiction authors,” says Brian David Johnson, a futurist at Intel.
“We are creating these stories, based on science fact with the specific intent of building 
a better future. It’s not just wild speculation. It is wild speculation based upon science with 
the intention of something we could build.”
However, there is a flip side to the notion that the future is not