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I have to do it until/by tomorrow. Why both seem to be common?

I have always thought that the correct one is "I have to do it by tomorrow" as "by" is used for some point in the future while "until" is used when something longs until now/that time. Is that correct?

  • prepositions

SilkySand's user avatar

No, that is not really correct.

Doing something 'by' tomorrow means that the deadline for completion is tomorrow. This is delivery focused - aiming to complete a task, write a report, deliver a product etc.

Doing something 'until' tomorrow means you continue carrying out the activity until tomorrow. This doesn't imply a deliverable or an end product.

Rory Alsop's user avatar

  • Thanks, but for example "I need that report by Friday" is definitely "by" - I cannot spot the difference between this and the one in the example. Also "I have to do it by tomorrow" is not grammatical? Because it has much mroe hits on Google than "until". –  SilkySand Commented Jan 29, 2014 at 11:07
  • They are both grammatical but mean entirely different things. You would not say, "I need that report until tomorrow" (well, you could, but that would imply you are giving it back tomorrow...) –  Rory Alsop Commented Jan 29, 2014 at 11:08
  • Oh righ, it would mean "I need to keep the record until tomorrow". So which one is actually correct - I have to do my homework until/by Friday? –  SilkySand Commented Jan 29, 2014 at 11:10
  • I have to do my homework by Friday. I have to carry out the activity to produce that homework until Friday. –  Rory Alsop Commented Jan 29, 2014 at 12:13

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you must hand in your homework tomorrow morning

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How to Do Homework in the Morning

Last Updated: June 28, 2021 References

This article was co-authored by Jennifer Kaifesh and by wikiHow staff writer, Amber Crain . Jennifer Kaifesh is the Founder of Great Expectations College Prep, a tutoring and counseling service based in Southern California. Jennifer has over 15 years of experience managing and facilitating academic tutoring and standardized test prep as it relates to the college application process. She takes a personal approach to her tutoring, and focuses on working with students to find their specific mix of pursuits that they both enjoy and excel at. She is a graduate of Northwestern University. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 144,818 times.

If you want to get some homework done in the morning, that's awesome! Just make sure you get everything ready the night before so you can get right to work in the morning. We've created a list to help you do just that! We'll start by walking you through some ways to prepare the night before and then share a few pointers to help you have a stress-free morning.

Figure out how much time you'll need in the morning.

Review your assignments and estimate how long it will take you to finish each one.

  • Don't forget to leave plenty of time for eating breakfast and getting ready!

Leave your homework out so it's ready to go.

Organize your work now so you don't waste any time in the morning.

  • If you think you might need stuff like a dictionary, graph paper, or a ruler, go ahead and grab it now. [3] X Trustworthy Source Child Mind Institute Nonprofit organization providing evidence-based care for children with mental health and learning disorders and their families Go to source

Pack your lunch and set out your clothes at night.

Get everything ready now so you don't have to think about it later.

Set your alarm to wake you up in the morning.

Put your alarm out of reach so you have to get up to turn it off.

  • If you have a family member who wakes up early, ask them to make sure you’re awake in the morning and to wake you up immediately if you’re still snoozing.

Go to bed at a sensible hour so you won't be tired.

Kids need 8-10 hours of sleep to feel rested the next day.

  • Put your phone on a sleep timer if your friends have a habit of calling or texting you late into the night.

Sit at a desk or table to finish your homework in the morning.

It’s hard to focus and get stuff done if you try to do homework in bed.

  • If your bed is starting to look a little too appealing as you’re working at your desk, get up and go work at the kitchen table, just in case!

Do logic-based homework first.

It’s easier to focus on simple, logic-based work in the morning.

Get up and move around if you start to feel sleepy.

Walk around or do a few quick stretches to wake yourself up.

  • Be careful not to get distracted! Limit your break to 1-2 minutes.

Leave enough time to get to school before the first bell.

Wrap up your work on time so you aren't late for school.

Give yourself more than a day for tough assignments.

Waiting until the last minute is stressful, especially if you don't have enough time.

  • If you're procrastinating because you don't understand the assignment, don't be afraid to ask your teacher to clarify! Ask for clear instructions and examples so you can get started. [13] X Trustworthy Source Edutopia Educational nonprofit organization focused on encouraging and celebrating classroom innovation Go to source

Community Q&A

wikiHow Staff Editor

You Might Also Like

Become Taller Naturally

  • ↑ https://www.startupwisconsin.org/tricky-tips-on-how-to-do-homework-early-in-the-morning.htm
  • ↑ https://ofy.org/blog/homework-hacks-8-tips-get-done-faster/
  • ↑ https://childmind.org/article/strategies-to-make-homework-go-more-smoothly/
  • ↑ https://childmind.org/article/school-mornings-without-the-stress/
  • ↑ https://www.fastcompany.com/3041455/8-tricks-to-make-yourself-wake-up-earlier
  • ↑ https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/sleep/Pages/healthy-sleep-habits-how-many-hours-does-your-child-need.aspx
  • ↑ https://childmind.org/article/teenagers-sleep-deprived/
  • ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/organize-focus.html
  • ↑ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2017/04/12/maths-classes-should-taught-morning-improve-attainment-study/
  • ↑ https://www.chkd.org/patients-and-families/health-library/quick-tips/homework-procrastination/
  • ↑ https://www.edutopia.org/article/3-reasons-students-procrastinate-and-how-help-them-stop

About this article

Jennifer Kaifesh

If you want to do your homework in the morning, prepare the night before by setting out your homework on your desk so you don't waste time the next day. Then, set your alarm so you wake up with enough time to complete your assignments, have breakfast, and get to school. When you wake up in the morning, do stretches to make you feel more alert and drink a glass of cold water to release adrenaline. Finally, sit at a desk or table to do your assignments to help you stay focused. To learn why you should complete logic-based homework first, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

Reader Success Stories

D. P.

Nov 30, 2023

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Feb 10, 2018

Become Taller Naturally

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Present Perfect

For recently finished actions.

Present Perfect For recent completed actions

Table of Contents

In this grammar section we will have a look at the tense Present Perfect to talk about recently finished/completed actions.

A: How long have you worked there? B: I have worked there for 3 years.

A: How long have you been friends? B: We haven’t been friends for long. We have been friends since 2022

The video gives an overview of to Present Perfect for something recently completed/finished actions.

It shows the meaning/usage: when and why to use the Present Perfect.

For the form and the pronunciation have a look a the different webpages:

  • Present perfect form
  • Present perfect pronunciation

Usage/ Meaning

How and when do we use the Present Perfect?

Timeline Present Perfect for recently finished actions just

Present Perfect is also used to talk about something recently finished.

I have just done my homework: This means not so long ago you finished your homework . It is an unspecified time in the past . We don’t know when the person did it, but it wasn’t so long ago . It is usually used to stress that you finished the action and there it no need to do it anymore or no need to worry about it anymore .

Timeline Present Perfect for recently finished actions already

I have already done my homework: This means you finished your homework somewhere before now . It is an unspecified time in the past . We don’t know when the person did it . It is usually used to stress that you finished the action and there it no need to do it anymore or no need to worry about it anymore .

Timeline Present Perfect for recently finished actions yet

Present Perfect is also used to talk about something that is not finished.

I haven’t done my homework yet : This means you did not finished your homework somewhere before now but that you will do it later . It is usually used to stress that you did not finished the action but you will do it somewhere soon in the future.

 

 

  

  • Just: recently finished actions. positive and questions. Between have and the main verb : I have just finished . 
  • Already: finished actions. positive and questions. Between have and the main verb : I have already finished .
  • Yet: not finished, but will finish it later. Negative and questions. At the end of the sentence: I haven’t finished yet .

Grammar boot camp

Have a look at the questions and write your answers in the comments below . Also give us some more details about when, where, why,….

  • What have you already done today?
  • What haven’t you done yet today, but must still do today?
  • What have you just finished before answering these questions?
  • Have you just had some food?
  • Have you already finished your homework?
  • Have you already studied today?
  • Have you just had a phone call?
  • Have you already had lunch today?
  • Which movie have you already seen more than 2 times?
  • Which goals in your life have you already achieved?

Spread the word

Kristof Abrath Teacher, Trainer, Course Designer Teaching in English on 4 different continents since 2006.

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by tomorrow vs. tomorrow

  • Thread starter lycen
  • Start date Jan 26, 2010

Senior Member

  • Jan 26, 2010

I need to hand in my homework tomorrow (future situation) I will need to hand in my homework tomorrow (future situation) Am I correct on this sentence below? I need to hand in my homework by tomorrow (present situation) Thank you.  

Copyright

Member Emeritus

Yes, you are... at least to my AE ear.  

bluegiraffe

bluegiraffe

Though "I need to hand in my homework by tomorrow" actually means you need to hand it in today.  

Szkot

I need to hand in my homework tomorrow (future situation) I will need to hand in my homework tomorrow (future situation) These mean the same thing. I need to hand in my homework by tomorrow (present situation) This means you need to hand it in today or tomorrow  

I disagree. "I need to have handed it in by tomorrow" means I need to hand it in today or tomorrow. "I need to hand it in by tomorrow" means I need to hand it in today.  

Szkot said: I need to hand in my homework tomorrow (future situation) I will need to hand in my homework tomorrow (future situation) These mean the same thing. I need to hand in my homework by tomorrow (present situation) This means you need to hand it in today or tomorrow Click to expand...
  • Apr 6, 2017

by tomorrow = no later than tomorrow  

Copyright said: by tomorrow = no later than tomorrow Click to expand...

Andygc

hhtt said: Yes, but what about this: until tomorrow=no later than tomorrow? Click to expand...
bluegiraffe said: I disagree. "I need to have handed it in by tomorrow" means I need to hand it in today or tomorrow. "I need to hand it in by tomorrow" means I need to hand it in today. Click to expand...
mplsray said: I agree. Click to expand...

PA016 - Passive Voice Sentences

Gap-fill exercise.

Complete the sentences using the correct form of the passive voice in the correct tense!

  • The war next week (DECLARE) .
  • Your homework by tomorrow afternoon. (MUST FINISH)
  • That house since I was a child. (NOT PAINT)
  • Smoking in this hotel (NOT ALLOW)
  • After all the flights the tourists checked in at the airport hotel. (CANCEL)
  • The car for over a week (NOT WASH) .
  • He a new contract last year (GIVE)
  • This song by the Beatles in 1967. (WRITE)
  • The earth if we try hard enough to do something (CAN SAVE)
  • The new bridge at the moment. (BUILD)

Logo for Open Oregon Educational Resources

Chapter 3: Simple Present

Daily Habits & Routines

alarm clock and coffee cup

Learning Goals

At the end of this chapter you should be able to:

  • Add -s for the third person singular verb
  • Write yes/no questions and short answers
  • Write information questions using wh- question words
  • Add the plural marker -s ,-es, and -ies to verbs and nouns

Recognize and use

  • the simple present in the affirmative and negative
  • adverbs of frequency

Yellow cup of coffee and funny pages from newspaper

Activity 3.1: Conversation

Directions: Ask your partner or group the following questions about your morning routines. A “routine” is a habit you usually do or a series of actions you do regularly.

  • What do you do before school?
  • Do you ever wake up late? Do you usually wake up early?
  • Do you drink coffee or tea in the morning?
  • Do you do your homework in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, or at night?
  • How long does it take for you to get ready in the morning?
  • How long does it take you to get to campus? Do you live close or far from campus?
  • How do you get to campus? Drive? Bike? Bus? Walk? Carpool? Dropped-off?

Icon for Read-chapter story

Directions: Read this story out loud with a partner. One person reads a paragraph, then the other person reads the next paragraph. When you are finished, read the story again. This time, read the paragraphs, you did not read.

Yuri & Palani

       Hi! My name is Yuri. I am from Ukraine. I am a student at Clackamas Community College. I have a roommate. His name is Palani. He is from Laos. We live together, but we are very different.

       I wake up early at 6:00 am. Palani pushes the snooze button on his alarm clock many times, so he wakes up very late. He gets up at 7:30 am. I take a shower in the morning, but Palani takes a shower at night. I take a shower at 6:15 am. He takes a shower at 9:00 pm. I eat breakfast at home, but Palani doesn’t eat breakfast. I make coffee, and I eat cereal for breakfast. I bike to school, but Palani drives to school. I am never late. I leave at 7:30 am.  Palani leaves at 7:50 am. I arrive at school early, but Palani arrives late. I arrive at school at 7:45 am. Palani arrives at 8:05 am. Palani sometimes arrives late because he can’t find parking. We are friends, so I always save him a seat next to me. We sit with Jacques and Ana. They arrive early too. Class begins at 8:00 am.

       How often do you arrive late to class? Are you similar to me, or are you more similar to Palani?

Activity 3.2: Comprehension

Directions: Please write the answers to the questions in complete sentences.

1. What is the name of the man who is talking?

___________________________________________________________________

2. What is the name of his roommate?

3. What is Yuri comparing?

4. Who wakes up early? Who wakes up late?

5. What time does class begin?

6. Who arrives late? Who arrives on time?

7. How about you? Are you an early riser or a late riser?

8. What time does Yuri wake up? What time does Palani wake up?

Activity 3.3: Noticing

Part 1 Directions: Look at the story about Yuri and Palani. Choose (by underlining or otherwise markin g)  the verbs you find. Don’t choose the BE verb. We are not studying that verb in this chapter.

Part 2 Directions: Complete the table with the verb forms that agree with each subject.

Verb Subject Form
1. wake up I
He/Palani
2. take I
He/Palani
3. leave I
He/Palani
4. arrive I
He/Palani

Activity 3.4: Try It Out!

Directions: Write the correct simple present tense form of the verb (in parentheses) on the line.

1. I (wake up)_________________________ at 6:00 am.

2. He (wake up)_________________________ at 7:30 am.

3. You (eat)_________________________ breakfast on the bus.

4. They (take)_________________________ a shower before bed.

5. He (take)_________________________ a shower in the morning.

6. We (go) _________________________ to a restaurant for lunch.

7. She (have)_________________________ cereal for breakfast.

8. His class at Oregon City (begin)_________________________ at 9:00 am.

9. My classes at Harmony (begin)_________________________ at 6:00 pm.

10. She (wash) _________________________ the dishes in the morning.

man and woman sharing breakfast while sitting on the floor

Uses of the Simple Present

The simple present is used for talking about routines, habits, and repeated activities in the present time. We use the simple present to talk about facts, which are always true. Time expressions (e.g., every day, in the summer ) and adverbs of frequency (e.g., never, sometimes, always ) signal the simple present tense.

line graph showing a habit/routine happening consistently over time

What is a routine? Something you do every morning, every week, every year.

  • I brush my teeth two times a day.
  • You go to the gym three times a week.
  • He makes breakfast for my children every morning.
  • She starts work at 7:00 am.
  • They do laundry every Saturday.

What is a habit? Something you do regularly.

  • My husband reads in bed before he goes to sleep.
  • My cat wakes me up on Saturdays because he is hungry.

What is a repeated action? Action that we do more than once.

  • I shop at Winco (not every week, but I like to go there).
  • She wears shorts in the summer.

What is a fact? Something that is always true.

  • The moon revolves around the earth.
  • She has two children.
  • Vegetables are healthy.
  • Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

Forms of the Simple Present

Affirmative statements in the simple present.

You must add an -s to the verb with the subjects he , she , and it .

subject + verb

Subject Verb
I
You
We
They
walk.
He
She
It
walks.

Activity 3.5: Fill-in-the-Blank

Directions: Write the correct form of the verbs in parentheses.

1. Yuri (wake up)______________ at 6:00 am.

2. Palani (drive)______________ to school.

Man shaving

4. Yuri (make)______________ coffee.

5. I (cook)______________ breakfast.

6. She (eat)______________ cereal.

7. Palani (take)______________ a shower in the evening.

8. They (carpool)______________ together.

9. She (ask)______________ for a pencil.

10. Yuri and Palani (attend) ______________ Clackamas Community College.

11. We (attend) ______________ Clackamas Community College.

12. I (take)______________ a shower in the morning.

13. He (make)______________ and (drink)______________ coffee every morning.

14. She never (arrive)______________ late.

15. Class (begin)______________ at 11:30 am.

16. He usually (find)______________ parking easily.

17. Palani (live)______________ with Yuri.

18. They (brush) ______________ their hair in the morning.

19. We (brush)______________ our teeth twice a day.

20. My cats (sleep)______________ all day.

Activity 3.6: Listening

Directions: Read the paragraph. Then, listen to your instructor read the paragraph. Listen for the verbs and write them on the line. Listen closely for the correct form of the verb.

Ana and Pedro’s Morning Routine

        Ana and Pedro (1)__________ at 6:00 am. Ana (2)__________ coffee. Her brother, Pedro, (3)__________breakfast. She (4)__________a shower at 6:30 am. Her brother (5)__________ a shower at 7:00 am. They (6)__________ and (7)__________ their teeth. Ana (8)__________ the cat. Ana (9)__________ her hair and (10)__________ makeup. Pedro (11)__________ his hair. Ana’s book bag (12)__________ready. Pedro (13)__________ his books in his backpack. Ana (14)__________lunches. Class (15)__________ at 9:00 am. Ana and Pedro (16)__________ the house at 8:30 am. They (17)__________ at school at 8:45 am. Ana (18)__________ out books from the college library before class. She always (19)__________ good books to read. Ana and Pedro (20)__________ to class at 8:55 am. Their first class (21)__________ at 10:50 am.

Activity 3.7: Interview

Part 1 Directions: Interview your partner.

1. Where do you live?

2. What time do you wake up?

3. When do you eat breakfast?

4. What do you eat for breakfast?

5. How do you get to school (walk, bus, car, etc.)?

6. What time do you go to school?

7. What time do you get home?

8. When do you go to bed?

Part 2 Directions: Write 8 sentences about your own daily routine using the same questions.

1. ________________________________________________________________

2. ________________________________________________________________

3. ________________________________________________________________

4. ________________________________________________________________

5. ________________________________________________________________

6. ________________________________________________________________

7. ________________________________________________________________

8. ________________________________________________________________

Part 3 Directions: Share and compare your daily activities. Read your sentences to your partner. Your partner reads to you. See if you have the same (or different) daily activities.

Part 4 Directions: Your instructor will give you a Venn Diagram to complete. Write sentences about yourself where it says You. Write sentences about your partner where it says Partner. If you and your partner have any activities that are the same, write them where it says both.

graphic organizer-venn diagram

Adverbs of Frequency with the Simple Present

Adverbs of frequency (AoF) let us talk about how often we do something.

How often do you come to class?      I always come to class!

How often do you shop at Fred’s?     I often shop at Fred’s.

Study the chart below to learn the meanings of the following adverbs.

Adverb Frequency
always 100%
usually 70-90%
often 50-60%
sometimes 30-40%
seldom/rarely 10-20%
never 0%

Adverbs of Frequency (AoF) with the BE Verb 

With the BE verb, the AoFs are added between BE and the rest of the sentence. You will see in the next section that this is different with other verbs.

subject + BE + AoF + rest of sentence

Subject BE AoF Rest of Sentence
I am never late.
He
She
It
is always on time.
You
We
They
are sometimes early.

Activity 3.8: Fill-in-the-Blank

Directions: Put the correct form of the BE verb followed by the AoF on the line.

1. I (be/always) _____________________________________ late.

2. He (be/never) _____________________________________ on time.

3. She (be/often) _____________________________________ busy on Saturday.

4. It (be/never) _____________________________________ cold in August.

5. You (be/usually) _____________________________________ cold in the morning.

6. We (be/never) _____________________________________ hungry in the morning.

7. They (be/seldom) _____________________________________ tired at 9:00  pm.

8. You (be/rarely) _____________________________________ late for school.

9. He (be/sometimes) _____________________________________ tired after work.

10. It (be/usually) _____________________________________ sunny in Los Angeles.

Activity 3.9: Fill-in-the-Blank

1. Class (usually)___________________________ interesting.

2. They (often)___________________________ busy.

3. I (always)___________________________ friendly.

4. You (never)___________________________ hungry after lunch.

5. She (always)___________________________ hungry at 3:00 pm.

6. He (rarely)___________________________ on time for class.

7. They (sometimes)___________________________ confused in class.

8. You (often)___________________________ sleepy.

Adverbs of Frequency with Other Verbs

Man thinking

But, what if we want to say how often we do some activity? In that case, we don’t use the BE verb. We use another verb, like eat, sleep, cook, drive, or talk.

Instead of adding the AoF after the verb, like we did with the BE verb, we add it before the verb. We do this because we are saying how often the activity of the verb happens.

subject + AoF + verb + rest of sentence

Subject AoF Verb Rest of Sentence
I always eat breakfast.
He
She
It
usually does his own laundry.
You
We
They
never walk to school.

We use the AoF to talk about how often or how frequently something happens.

How often do you eat breakfast? I always eat breakfast.

In the sentence above, we are saying how often we eat breakfast (always).

How often does he cook dinner? He usually cooks dinner.

In the sentence above, we are saying how often he cooks dinner. (usually).

How often do they walk to school? They never walk to school.

In the sentence above, we are saying how often they walk to school (never).

Activity 3.10: Fill-in-the-Blank

Directions: Write the Adverb of frequency (AoF) and the verb in the correct form on the line.

When we use any verb except the BE verb, the AoF goes before the verb.

1. I (never/eat) ___________________ breakfast.

2. You (often/do) ___________________ laundry on Saturdays.

3. He (usually/swim) ___________________ on weekends.

4. She (never/sing) ___________________ karaoke.

5. It (rarely/rain) ___________________ in July.

6. They (seldom/watch) ___________________ movies.

7. We (always/do) ___________________ our homework.

8. She (sometimes/make)___________________ the bed.

Activity 3.11: Fill-in-the-Blank

Directions: Put the AoF and the verb in the correct order.

Ana and Pedro (wake up) _______________________________ at 6:00 am.

Our class (start) _________________________________________ at 6:00 pm.

The college (cancel) ________________________ classes because of snow.

The teacher (give) ____________________________________ us homework.

Vegetarians (eat) ________________________________________ vegetables.

The students (sleep) ____________________________________ during class.

7. sometimes

Ana (make) _________________________________________ lunch for Pedro.

Students (speak) ____________________________________ English in class.

Activity 3.12: Classmate Interview

How often do you… always usually often sometimes seldom / rarely never
wake up before 7:00 am?
eat breakfast?
fall asleep before 11:00 pm?
drive to work?
do laundry
on the weekend?
eat dinner before
6:00 pm?
sleep in on Sundays?
go grocery shopping
on the weekdays?
come to class on time?
do your homework
before class?

Part 2 Directions: Choose 5 of the questions (and answers) from Part 1. On your own lined paper, use the answers to write sentences about your classmate’s activities. Remember to use adverbs of frequency. Turn this in to your teacher. Write your name, the date, and Activity 3.12 on the top of your paper.

Activity 3.13: Game

Directions: The purpose of this game is to practice using adverbs of frequency. Your teacher will give you some AoF game cards (often, sometimes, never).

  • Stand up and find a partner.
  • Ask your partner a question. Begin the sentence “How often…”
  • The partner answers the question using an AoF.
  • If your partner answers your question using the AoF that you have in your hand, give your partner the card.
  • If your partner answers using an AoF that you don’t have, then change to another student and try again.
  • You can only ask two questions before you need to change partners.
  • You can only talk to the same person after you have talked with all your other classmates.
  • Talk to as many partners as you can. When you have no more cards, sit down.

The goal of the game is to give away all of your cards.

Student 1: How often do you eat french fries for breakfast?

Student 2: I never eat french fries for breakfast.

(Student 1 gives the card saying “never” to Student 2)

Student 1: How often do you do your homework?

Student 2: I usually do my homework.

(Student 1 doesn’t have a ”usually” card. Student 1 changes partners and tries again.)

Ideas for Questions: How often do you…

wash your hair?

eat at a restaurant?

call your brother?

walk to school?

Pronunciation and Spelling: Adding -s and -es

We add -s and -es for two reasons:

1. The word is a noun, and we are making it plural.

2. The word is a verb, and it agrees with the subject (he, she, or it–3rd person singular)

Pronunciation

In English the same letters can have different sounds. For example, the letter “c” can sound like /k/ in cat , but it can also sound like /s/ in ice .

For words that end in -s or -es, there are three different sounds: /s/, /z/, and /ɪz/. We can predict how the -s or -es ending will sound by the last sound of the word before we add the -s or -es ending.

If the word ends with these sounds: This is the sound made by adding -s or -es: Examples
/f/ /k/ /p/ /θ/ or /t/ → /s/ laughs, drinks, sleeps, births, writes, gets
/b/ /d/ /g/ /l/ /m/ /n/ /ŋ/ /r/ /v/ /ð/
and all vowel sounds
→ /z/ grabs, rides, hugs, comes, runs, sings, lives, sees, goes, plays, buys, studies
/ʤ/ /z/ /ks/ /s/ /tʃ/ or /ʃ/ → /ɪz/ changes, quizzes, fixes, kisses, uses, teaches, pushes

/θ/=th as in bath   /ð/=th as in that   /ʤ/=j as in judge    /tʃ/=ch as in church     /ʃ/=sh as in wash

Activity 3.14: Pronunciation

Target Word Ending Sound
(Circle your choice)
1. teaches /s/
/z/
/ɪz/
2. teachers /s/
/z/
/ɪz/
3. asks /s/
/z/
/ɪz/
4. kicks /s/
/z/
/ɪz/
5. does /s/
/z/
/ɪz/
6. reads /s/
/z/
/ɪz/
7. watches /s/
/z/
/ɪz/
8. begins /s/
/z/
/ɪz/
9. pushes /s/
/z/
/ɪz/
10. listens /s/
/z/
/ɪz/
11. She works at a hospital. /s/
/z/
/ɪz/
12. He lives with his sister. /s/
/z/
/ɪz/
13. He puts the book on the table. /s/
/z/
/ɪz/
14. She goes to school four nights a week. /s/
/z/
/ɪz/
15. He cooks for her in the evening. /s/
/z/
/ɪz/
16. We need boxes to move house. /s/
/z/
/ɪz/
17. The mom buys groceries after class. /s/
/z/
/ɪz/
18. The mom buys groceries after class. /s/
/z/
/ɪz/
19. I sweep up the leaves on the sidewalk. /s/
/z/
/ɪz/
20. The boys play soccer in the park. /s/
/z/
/ɪz/

Activity 3.15: Listening

Directions: Listen to the teacher say a list of words and then sentences. You will hear each word or sentence two times. Decide if the ending sound is  /s/, /z/, or /ɪz/ and choose (by circling or otherwise marking) your choice.

1.    /s/      /z/      /ɪz/

2.   /s/      /z/      /ɪz/

3.   /s/      /z/      /ɪz/

4.   /s/      /z/      /ɪz/

5.   /s/      /z/      /ɪz/

6.   /s/       /z/      /ɪz/

7.   /s/       /z/      /ɪz/

8.   /s/       /z/      /ɪz/

9.   /s/       /z/      /ɪz/

10. /s/       /z/      /ɪz/

11.  /s/      /z/      /ɪz/

12.  /s/      /z/      /ɪz/

13.  /s/      /z/      /ɪz/

14.  /s/      /z/      /ɪz/

15.  /s/      /z/      /ɪz/

Activity 3.16: Listening & Speaking

Part 1 Directions: Identify which of the three ending sounds (/s/, /z/, or /ɪz/) is at the end of each of the target words. Write the sound symbol on the line.

/s/                /z/              /ɪz/

1.  changes _____

2.  crabs _____

3.  dishes _____

4.  touches _____

5.  helps _____

6.  books _____

7.  pencils _____

8.  sleeps _____

9.  mixes _____

10. kisses _____

11.  The students eat breakfast. _____

12.  My sister walks her dog. _____

13.  The dogs eat peanut butter. _____

14.  The student catches the bus. _____

15.  I have three cats.     _____

16.  Most teachers have pets. _____

17.  She writes a book.     _____

18.  Natasha buys food.     _____

19.  Yuri wakes up on time. _____

20.  She sees her daughter. _____

Part 2 Directions: With a partner, say the word or sentence. Your partner will point to the sound they hear.

If a word ends in /s/,  /z/,  /ch/,  /sh/  or  /x/ sound    →    add -es

Only add -es for the he/she/it form of the verb (third person singular).

watch   →   watches

wash    →   washes

kiss      →    kisses

I pass out papers.    →    She passes out papers.

I wash the dishes.   →    He washes the dishes.

Activity 3.17: Fill-in-the-Blank

Directions: Write the correct form of the verb in parentheses on the lines.

1. (watch) I __________ TV in the morning, but she ________ TV at night.

2. (wash) They ________ dishes together after dinner. He ________ dishes on  weekends.

3. (fix) My father and I _________ cars together. My husband ________ the bicycle.

4. (teach) They  ________ their daughter Ukrainian. Eva ________ her son Amharic.

5. (brush) I ________ my teeth twice a day. He _______ three times a day.

6. (kiss) She _______ her husband in the morning. I ________ my children before bed.

7. (stretch) I always ________ before exercise. Viktor ________ after exercise.

8. (guess) I never ________ the answer, but Tatiana often ________ the answer.

9. (mix) She ________ Spanish and English. They _______ English and Ukranian.

10. (splash) The kids ______ in the bathtub. My daughter always ________, too.

11. (cash) I ______ my check at the bank. He _________ his check too.

12. (latch) I ________ my screen door. She ________ her screen door.

13. (notice) I always ________ mistakes. She never ________ mistakes when she writes.

14. (touch) He ________ the door. We ________ the window.

15. (brush) They  ________ their hair once a day. He _________ his hair three times a day.

16. (pass) She ________ all her classes. They ________ their ESL classes.

17. (ask) I ________ for vegetarian food. Natasha ________ for Ukrainian food.

18. (ask) He ________ a question. We ________ to play a game.

19. (watch) She ________ Jackie Chan movies. They ________ Jet Li movies.

20. (dance) I ______ twice a week. He ________ once a week.

Activity 3.18: Listening

Directions: Read the story. Then listen to your teacher read the story. Listen for the missing words and write them on the line. Remember that the subject and the verb of a sentence have to agree. If they don’t agree, you should listen again. Some verbs end in -s and some verbs end in -es.

Viktor and Tatiana

        Viktor and Tatiana (1)_________ married. They (2)_________ English at Clackamas Community College. They (3)_________ from Ukraine. Tatiana sometimes (4)_________ angry with Viktor because he doesn’t help around the house. Tatiana (5)_________ dinner and Viktor (6)_________ TV. Tatiana (7)_________ the house, and Viktor (8)_________ English.

Then Tatiana remembers that Viktor (9)_________ the car while she (10)_________ books. In the grocery store, he always (11)_________ the shopping cart. He (12)_________ for her when she is sick. He also (13)_________ the socks when they (14)_________ movies at home. On school nights, Viktor (15)_________ the dishes after Tatiana cooks. He (16)_________ her every day when they leave the house, and he (17)_________ her every night before they (18)_________ asleep. Then Tatiana isn’t angry anymore.

If a word ends in a consonant plus -y, change -y to i and add -es. If the word ends in a vowel plus -y, just add -s.

Consonant + -y

Change -y to i and add -es

cry       →   cries

study   →   studies

pay      →   pays

buy      →   buys

Activity 3.19: Fill-in-the-Blank

Directions: Write the correct form of the verb on the line in the sentences below.

1. (study) I ___________ in the morning, but he ___________ at night.

2. (worry) He ___________ about money. I ___________ about him.

3. (cry) The cat ___________ when I leave. The babies  ___________ all the time.

4. (play) She ___________ piano. We ___________ violin.

5. (pay) I ___________ for groceries with a credit card. Tatiana ___________ with cash.

6. (stay) He ___________ after class for help. They ___________ after class to talk.

7. (stay) She ___________ at a hotel. I ___________with my mom.

8. (worry) My husband ___________ about school. I ___________ about our health.

9. (enjoy) We ___________ playing board games. He ___________ online games.

10. (say) They ___________ they are busy Friday, but she ___________ Friday is ok.

11. (fly) A bird ___________ south in winter. Birds ___________ north for the summer.

12. (buy) They ___________ paper online. She ___________ supplies at the store..

13. (fly) He ___________ to Paris today. I ___________ to Denver tomorrow.

14. (study) We ___________ before vocabulary tests. She ___________ for grammar.

15. (pay) He ___________ for 2 classes. I ___________ for 3 classes.

16. (try)     I ___________ to study 3 times a week. She ___________ to study every day.

Activity 3.20: Listening

Using infinitives with like, want, & need.

Some verbs can be combined with an infinitive (to + verb) to express a different meaning or opinion about the activity.

Verb Meaning
like + to ski (Infinitive) This shows an activity that is pleasurable or fun.
Example: I like to ski.
want + to go (Infinitive) This shows an activity that I have a desire to do.
Example: I want to go to a movie.
need + to finish (Infinitive) This shows an activity that I have to do.
Example: I need to finish my homework.

Activity 3.21: Fill-in-the-Blank

Part 1 Directions: Complete the sentences by writing like, want, or need on the line.

1. I ___________ to pay my rent.

2. She ___________ to study for the test.

3. They  ___________ to buy a diamond necklace.

4. You ___________ to have an expensive new car.

5. I ___________ to read a book before bed to help me sleep.

6. You ___________ to do your homework.

7. We ___________ to eat dessert first.

8. I ___________ to sleep until 10:00 am, but I __________ to get up because work starts at 7:00 am.

Negative Statements in the Simple Present

Negatives with the be verb, activity 3.22: writing.

Directions: Make these sentences negative by adding not after the verb.

1. She is a hairdresser.

2. He is busy today.

3. They are from Colombia.

4. He is a contractor.

5. It is sunny.

6. They are students.

7. He is a teacher.

8. The dog is in the garden.

Negatives with All Other Verbs

Using auxiliary verbs.

There are three auxiliary verbs in English: BE, DO, and HAVE. We will learn about BE and DO in this class. We will learn about using HAVE as an auxiliary in the next level. You have already seen the first of our three auxiliary verbs, BE, in Chapter 2. We combine the BE verb with the -ing form of the verb to create the present progressive (an action happening now).

When we make negative sentences with other verbs, we use the auxiliary verb, DO. It has two forms: do and does . The negative not comes after do or does and is followed by the base form of the main verb.

The base form is the infinitive without the to . Instead of “to sing” (infinitive), the base form is sing . Do not add -s to the base verb. Let’s look at an example sentence.

subj      do/does    neg.     base verb     rest of sentence

He         does           not        sing               in the shower.

  • He is the subject
  • Does is the auxiliary verb. Do/Does agrees with the subject (3rd person singular: add -es).
  • Sing is the main verb in the base form. Do not add -s to the main verb.

subject + auxiliary DO + not + base form + rest of sentence

Subject Auxiliary DO Negative Base Form of Main Verb Rest of Sentence
I
You
We
They
do not drink coffee after 5:00 pm.
He
She
It
does

Negative Contractions

To make negative contractions, we contract the auxiliary verb and the negative.

Subject Auxiliary DO + not
I
You
We
They
do not = don’t
He
She
It
does not = doesn’t

Activity 3.23:  Choose the Correct Form

Directions: Choose the correct form, and then write the contraction on the line. Remember that the auxiliary DO (do/does) has to agree with the subject.

1. The teacher do not / does not eat meat.                                                 ___________________

2. I am a homemaker. I do not / does not work outside my home.    ___________________

3. She is a driver. She do not / does not work in an office.                     ___________________

4. He is a vegetarian. He do not / does not eat meat.                             ___________________

5. They do not / does not drink coffee in the evening.                            ___________________

6. Palani do not / does not like to wake up early.                                     ___________________

7. Yuri do not / does not want to come to school late.                            ___________________

8. Yuri do not / does not press snooze on his alarm clock.                    ___________________

9. They do not / does not have the same habits.                                     ___________________

10. It do not / does not  look like a good book.                                         ___________________

11. The students do not / does not do their homework.                        ___________________

12. He do not / does not get good grades on tests.                                ___________________

Activity 3.24: Fill-in-the-Blank

Directions: Write the correct form of do or does on the line.

1. (do/sing)        She ___________ not ___________ in public.

2. (do/write)     They ___________ not ___________ on the wall.

3. (do/drive)     He ___________ not ___________ for a job.

4. (do/ask)        You ___________ not ___________ for a diamond ring.

5. (do/play)       We ___________ not ___________ guitar.

6. (do/like)        The dog ___________ not ___________ my cat.

7. (do/type)       She ___________ not ___________ fast.

8. (do/read)       He ___________ not ___________ online.

Activity 3.25: Writing

Directions: Make these sentences negative. Use full forms for numbers 1-5 and contractions for numbers 6-10.

1. I go to work at 3:00 pm.

2. She wants to eat Chinese food.

3. They have two children.

4. He has a dog and two cats.

5. You need to stand in line.

6. She finishes her homework.

7. I eat breakfast.

8. You drink coffee.

9. He drinks diet soda.

10. My car has red seats.

Activity 3.26: Interview

Part 1 Directions: Use the sentences below to interview your partner. Take notes on your own lined paper.

Student A: Tell me a food you don’t like.

Student B: I don’t like eggs.

kid holding his nose and sticking out his tongue

2. Tell me a movie you don’t like.

3. Tell me a place you don’t like.

4. Tell me a sport you don’t like.

5. Tell me a color you don’t like.

6. Tell me a singer or band you don’t like.

7. Tell me a type of music you don’t like.

8. Tell me a book you don’t like.

Part 2 Directions: Now, write 5 sentences about your partner. Use your notes to help you.  Write your partner’s answers in FULL sentences.

Yes/No Questions & Short Answers

Yes/No questions mean that the answer to the question is either yes or no . These questions don’t use wh- question words. Remember, when we use an auxiliary verb, the main verb is in the base form. The auxiliary verb goes before the subject and the main verb goes after the subject.

auxiliary DO + subject + base verb + rest of sentence

Auxiliary DO Subject Base Form of Main Verb Rest of Sentence
Do I
you
we
they
eat breakfast?
Does he
she
it

Short Answers

Short answers are quick answers to yes/no questions. Remember that if the question uses the BE verb, use the BE verb in your answer. If the auxiliary DO is used in the question, then use DO in the answer.

Do you have cats?    Yes, I do.

Are you a teacher?    Yes, I am.

Affirmative Negative
Yes, I
you
we
they
do. No, I
you
we
they
do not.
OR
don’t.
he
she
it
does. he
she
it
does not.
OR
doesn’t.

Do you drink coffee in the morning?      Yes, I do.

Does he drink coffee in the morning?    No, he doesn’t.

Activity 3.27: Fill-in-the-Blank

Directions: Complete the questions with the missing auxiliary verb and subject.

A: Does she wake up early?

B: No, she doesn’t.

1. A:___________________ do her homework every day?

B: Yes, she does.

2. A:___________________ wash the dishes after dinner?

B: Yes, he does.

3. A:___________________ eat dinner together?

B: Yes, they do.

4. A:___________________ work late every day?

5. A:___________________ drive to school?

6. A:___________________ study vocabulary?

B: Yes, I do.

7. A:___________________ eat lunch at home?

B: No, we don’t.

8. A:___________________ ask questions?

9. A:___________________ practice English at the grocery store?

10. A:___________________ do laundry on Saturdays?

Activity 3.28: Game

Information questions in the simple present.

We have seen several lists of wh- question words in previous chapters. Here is a bigger list. You can practice making questions with the new words and review the ones you have seen in Chapters 1 and 2.

Wh- Question Word Asks about... Example Question
Who a person Who is your teacher?
What information What is your name?
Where location Where are you from?
When
What time
Time
*(specific and general)
When is your birthday?
What time is your class?
Why a reason Why are you late?
How directions, process,
or means
How do you get home?
How many a number How many children
do you have?
How often frequency How often do you drink coffee?
How much an amount or money How much is our textbook?
What kind one from a group What kind of fruit
do you like?

* What time asks about specific time. When asks about general time.

What time does class start?     Class starts at 9:00 am.

When is your birthday?         My birthday is in August.

We form information questions (sometimes called wh- questions) the same as yes/no questions. Add the question word (who, what, where, when, what time, etcetera) to the beginning of the question.

wh- + auxiliary DO + subject + main verb

Wh- Question Word Auxiliary
DO
Subject Base Form
Main Verb
Who
What
Where
When
What time
Why
How
How many
How often
How much
do I
you
we
they
see?

eat?

drive?

write?

does he
she
it

Activity 3.29: Choose the Correct Form

Directions: Choose the correct question word.

1. Who/What is your teacher?                            My teacher is Susan.

2. Where/What is your address?                        My address is 19 Molalla Ave, Oregon City.

3. Where/When do you wake up?                      I wake up at 7:30 am.

4. Why/Who do you have an umbrella?           Because it’s raining.

5. How/Where do you take ESL?                         I take ESL classes at CCC.

6. When/What do you work?                               I work at 5:00 pm.

7. Why/How do you get to school?                     I take the bus.

8. What/How do you cook hotdogs?                 I boil them, but some people grill them.

9. How much/How often milk do you want?   I want 1 cup.

10. How many/Why cookies do you want?       I want 2 dozen.

Activity 3.30: Fill-in-the-Blank

Directions: Fill in the blank with the correct question word.

1. A:___________ do you go to work?

B: I go to work at 5:00 am.

2. A:___________ is he wearing a sweater?

B: He’s cold.

3. A:___________ do you study vocabulary?

B: I use vocabulary cards.

4. A:___________ are they from?

B: They’re from Italy.

5. A:___________ are you doing?

B: I’m doing my homework.

6. A:___________ often do you sleep in?

B: I sleep in on Saturdays.

7. A:___________ time does class start?

B: Class starts at 6:00 pm.

8. A:___________ do you study?

B: I study at the library.

9. A:___________ is your favorite actor?

B: My favorite actor is Brad Pitt.

10. A:___________ many classes do you take?

B: I take three classes each term.

Activity 3.31: Interview

Directions: Your instructor will give you a worksheet that you can use to interview a classmate.

  • Match the wh- question word with the question. You can only use a word one time.
  • When you finish matching you will have 10 questions and 10 answers. Choose 5 questions to ask your classmate.
  • Write the answers to the 5 questions below.

1. ___________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________________

4. ___________________________________________________________________

5. ___________________________________________________________________

Activity 3.32: Error Correction

Directions: There are 10 mistakes in the paragraph below. Find the mistakes with the simple present, adverbs of frequency, negative sentences, or -s / -es endings and correct them.

My name is Jacques. I lives next to Yuri and Palani. I am a student at CCC also. I arrive always early to class. My brother drive me to school. I do not drives. I eat lunch with my friends. We eat often at Ana and Pedro’s house. I doesn’t cook. After class, always I study in the library. I finishes my homework in the afternoon. I study with my friend. My friend Palani finish his homework at night. I live with my family. My mother cook dinner for the family. She wash the dishes after dinner. I dry them.

Man smiling with arms crossed

Activity 3.33: Writing

Directions: Rewrite these sentences to include the adverb of frequency (AoF) in parentheses.

1. (usually) We eat dinner outside in summer.

2. (always) I wear slippers in the house.

3. (never) My family wakes up early.

4. (sometimes) My friends and I watch movies on Fridays.

5. (rarely) We eat uncooked food.

6. (often) They are late to class.

7. (never) I finish my homework on the computer.

8. (seldom) She takes her dog to the dog park.

9. (usually) You are on time.

10. (rarely) She eats fast food.

11. (never) It snows in August.

12. (always) It rains in October.

13. (often) We have homework.

14. (never) They forget books at home.

Activity 3.34: Writing

Directions: Write the question on the line below. Use the answer for extra information. Some questions are wh-questions, and some are yes/no questions.

1. A: ______________________________________________________________

B: I wake up at 8:00 am.

2. A: ______________________________________________________________

B: Yes, I do (I have a dog.)

3. A:_______________________________________________________________

B: My birthday is in August.

4. A: ______________________________________________________________

B: No, I don’t. (I don’t do my homework in the morning.)

5. A: ______________________________________________________________

B: I take a shower in the morning.

6. A: ______________________________________________________________

B: I arrive early for class.

7. A: ______________________________________________________________

B: He drives to school.

8. A: ______________________________________________________________

B: He washes the dishes every day.

9. A: ______________________________________________________________

B: Yes, I do. (I exercise 3 times a week.)

10. A: ______________________________________________________________

B: I eat fast food once a month.

Directions: Write a paragraph comparing your daily schedule with a partner’s daily schedule. Use the simple present tense, adverbs of frequency, and time expressions.

Pre-writing: 

  • Write 6 questions to ask your partner. Use 6 different wh-question words. There is a place to write each question in the chart that follows.
  • Answer the 6 questions for yourself.
  • Choose a partner, ask your questions, and then write down your partner’s answers.
Question My Answer Partner’s Answer
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
  • Use your own 8.5″ x 11″ lined paper. Do not use other paper sizes, please.
  • Heading: Put your full name, the due date, and Ch. 3 Writing Assignment at the top of your paper. Your instructor will tell you where the heading goes (left or right side).
  • Indent the first sentence, skip lines (double space), and leave a 1-inch margin on the sides and bottom.

Writing and Grammar:

  • First sentence: begin writing by using this topic sentence: [Partner’s name] and I are classmates, but we are very different.
  • In your sentences, write your answer and your partner’s answer.
  • Use 3 adverbs of frequency.
  • Write 2 negative sentences.
  • Use full forms; do not use contractions.
  • Use capital letters and punctuation correctly.
  • Use the rubric below to check your work.

Model Paragraph:

My partner and I are classmates, but we are very different. I get up very early at 5:00am. My partner doesn’t get up early. She often gets up at 9:00am. I usually drink coffee in the morning, but my partner doesn’t like coffee. She likes tea instead. I have two children, so I am busy with them. My partner is married, but she doesn’t have any children. I leave for school at 8:30am. My partners never goes straight to school. She goes to her parents house first. She always helps them because they are very old. My parents are still young at age 50 and 55.

Assignment Rubric:

Heading: Full Name, Due Date, Ch. 3 Writing Assignment 1 point
Format: Indent, double space, margins 1 point
Your paragraph has at least 10 sentences 1 point
Every sentence has a subject and verb, & they agree 1 point
There are 3 adverbs of frequency 3 points
There are 2 negative sentences 4 points
Correct use of spelling 1 point
Correct use of capital letters 1 point
Correct end punctuation 1 point
Total 14 points

Self-Assessment

These were our goals at the beginning of Chapter 3:

At the end of this chapter you will be able to:

  • Add -s , -es, and -ies to verbs and nouns

Directions: Choose yes if you think you achieved the goals or no in the table below if you think you did not achieve the goals. Then, write an example of the goal in the last column.

I can… I achieved this goal: My example:
add -s for 3rd person singular yes

no

He walks.
write an affirmative sentence
in the simple present
yes

no

write a negative sentence in the simple present yes

no

write yes/no questions using the simple present yes

no

answer yes/no questions using short answers yes

no

make information questions using wh- question words yes

no

use AoF with the simple present yes

no

Explorations 1: Grammar for the Experienced Beginner Copyright © by Susan; Jen; and Kit is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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What to Say (and Not Say) When Handing in Late Assignments, According to Professors

A young man talks with an older man holding a notebook in a hallway

No matter how hard you try to manage your time, you will probably end up being late on an assignment at some point in your academic (or professional) career. In times of stress and panic, your initial reaction may be to lie or go one the defense. It might seem reasonable to claim you had an emergency or swear you sent in the required documents, and did they check the spam filter?  But professors and bosses can probably tell when you’re fibbing, especially if it isn’t the first time. Instead, it’s better to face the problem head-on. Be proactive, and ask for an extension—or at least explain your lateness in a way that won’t ruin their opinion of you. Here’s how to do it, according to college profs themselves.

Kim Crowley, PhD, who teaches English at Bismarck State College, said the first mistake a student can make when asking for an extension (or even reporting a planned absence) is not being respectful or professional in their communication. Don’t dash off a text or email. Choose your words carefully, and use correct capitalization, punctuation, and grammar when sending these messages, which will show you understand you’re asking for serious consideration. Authority figures aren’t your friends.

Keep in mind that while you’re stressing about this one class or assignment, the professor is overseeing any number of other students or coworkers who might be in similar situations, so “identifying [yourself] is a big plus,” Crowley said. Even if they recognize your name, they might not quite remember which section you’re in. Helping them out there will decrease the amount of work they have to do to help you solve your problem, which could earn you some points—or at least not cost you any.

Finally, check the syllabus to figure out what is missing. Don’t ask the professor a vague question, like whether you are missing “anything important” or what you still haven’t handed in. Open up that document they gave you at the beginning of the semester and check the assignment schedule. Skipping this step will definitely not impress them. Instead, be straightforward: “I’m missing [this specific assignment] because I missed class. I’m going to send it shortly, but is there anything we went over in person I need to know first?”

Know the professor’s penalties

Every professor has a different set of rules governing late work. You might even notice that older, more seasoned teachers are a little more chill after years in the business (but don’t count on it). Carl Coulanges, who teaches at Suffolk Community College, said he’s “gotten softer” over the years and doesn’t mind an assignment being a day or two late, but, “once it goes beyond a week it starts to impact the grade. Two weeks, then it’s an automatic 50%.”

Late work penalties are almost always noted in the syllabus, and it’s hard to fight a grade reduction when things are clearly laid out in writing well before the homework is due. You can try, though—and if you do, Coulanges recommends being honest, and avoiding “BS excuses.”

“I always tell my students, ‘Listen, if there’s a real-life situation and you need the extension, that’s fine and I’ll work with you. Let’s figure out what works, but when you don’t speak up and don’t say anything, then I can’t help,’” he explained.

While Crowley said giving a detailed explanation of why you’re missing work or class is optional, it might be beneficial to do so if you’re aiming for the honesty Coulanges recommends. If you miss a class because of a medical situation or even a stressful life event, you can relay that information without getting too personal. Try framing that references the event while avoiding the intimate details, which can come off as an attempt to engender their sympathy.

The straightforward approach—“Professor, I missed Wednesday’s class and wasn’t able to submit the homework because of a private health concern. I know from the syllabus that this will result in a 10% grade reduction, which I accept, but I wanted to let you know the assignment will be in next week”—might or might not earn you an assurance that they won’t dock your score, but you might be able to use the same approach to successfully ask for an extension.  

They’re not your friends , but professors are people. They know what it’s like to fall behind on work, and they may be willing to share resources that can help you out. If you fail their class, it reflects poorly on them, too, so they may consider it in their own best interests to show a degree of flexibility. Give them the opportunity to do that by making it easy for them to understand why you’re late, and empathize with you.

My assignment is due tomorrow and I haven't even started it yet!

you must hand in your homework tomorrow morning

English expert at Atomi

you must hand in your homework tomorrow morning

Well, if it really is due tomorrow, let’s do this and do it quick! You could have anything due tomorrow, so instead of a step-by-step guide let’s focus on some tips and tricks to pull off this craziness. Legions of students before you have done it and legions of students after you will do it so have faith—you can do it 💪.

1. Prioritise

This probably doesn’t need to be said but if it’s due tomorrow then clear your schedule tonight—this is absolutely your top priority right now! Normally we recommend getting plenty of sleep but if you have something due tomorrow, tonight's the night to push your bedtime back a little bit (still no all-nighters though!)

2. Get your head in the game

Okay, no matter how much of a mountain it seems, this has to be done tonight. Don’t let yourself even consider the option of handing it in late—just thinking that will make it even harder to finish in time.

It’s time to get your head in the game and focus on the task ahead. You want to grab some water and make sure you’ve eaten. Then, set yourself up in a clean, bright area, find a supportive chair and grab all of the resources you'll need to do your assignment.

You can check out our video on Study Spaces for everything you need to set up the perfect workspace.

3. Work out exactly what you need to do

To work as efficiently as possible you should first understand exactly what you need to do.

That means you need to think about exactly what ideas or topics you need to cover and what your approach should be. So, read the assignment and marking criteria carefully and identify any keywords. Also highlight any important details, like the word count or page limit, the submission format and any other info that will affect how you approach this task.

This will vary massively depending on the assignment. The point is basically just that you should make sure you know exactly what you need to do before you start. Trust me, it’ll make everything quicker if you do ⏰.

4. Do a brief plan

To make sure we can get this done properly in one night, the next step is to plan your answer. This will make it a lot easier to start writing and, if you have to do any research, you will know exactly what you’re looking for.

So, sketch out a brief plan onto a page. Work out what needs to go into your answer and how it’s going to be structured. It might feel difficult or pointless to plan at this point, but if you can get some of the hard work out of the way here it’ll become much easier to write!

5. Research efficiently

Now, this one is obviously only relevant if you need research for your answer. Gathering research for an essay or report can take time. By using the keywords from the syllabus and assessment notification, you’ll be able to focus on the resources that you actually need. As far as you can, drop your research straight into the plan and you’ll be moving much more efficiently.

Don’t forget to reference as you go! This will save you time and ensure you don’t make any mistakes 😅.

6. Quality over quantity

This is a seriously important tip. When you’re really under pressure, it can be tempting to just smash out as many words as possible so you can hit that word count—don’t do this! It’s just going to give you a whole lot of waffle and even worse marks.

Instead of waffling, stick to your answer plan, use your research and fall back on the ideas in our lessons . It will get you a much better result for not that much extra work ✅.

7. Do your final read over tomorrow morning

Once you’ve finally pulled off that answer, it’s time to go to bed. You’re probably going to be too tired, too stressed and too wrapped up in your answer to be able to give it a proper check and edit.

So, just get some sleep now, set the alarm 30mins earlier tomorrow and read over it again with fresh eyes and a clear mind. You should be able to pick up any little mistakes and make the whole thing read a lot better and generally end up with a stronger answer!

Even though this isn’t ideal, you can still pull it off! The secret is to be as efficient as possible. So, keep calm, find out exactly what you need to do, plan, research properly and don’t waffle.

Oh and next time, don’t leave your assignments to the last minute 😅. Instead, watch our lesson on Planning an Assignment and use the downloadable planner so you aren’t in this sticky situation again.

For more study tips, tricks and advice, keep reading the student blog or follow Atomi on Instagram . See you there 👋.

Published on

March 15, 2022

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IMAGES

  1. Hand in your Homework Sign by Science and Spice and Everything Nice

    you must hand in your homework tomorrow morning

  2. Meme Creator

    you must hand in your homework tomorrow morning

  3. How to Do Homework in the Morning: 13 Steps (with Pictures)

    you must hand in your homework tomorrow morning

  4. 10 Ways to Do Homework in the Morning

    you must hand in your homework tomorrow morning

  5. 11 Ways to Do Homework in the Morning

    you must hand in your homework tomorrow morning

  6. What is the Best Time to do Homework? Morning, Night, or After School?

    you must hand in your homework tomorrow morning

COMMENTS

  1. He said, "You must hand in your homework tomorrow morning"

    Hello! If I turn it into reported speech, would it sound like this: "He said we had to hand our homework the day after in the morning". ? Thank you!

  2. M013

    Complete the sentences with MUST, MUSTN'T, HAVE TO, HAS TO, DOESN'T HAVE TO or DON'T HAVE TO I leave early tomorrow morning or else I'll miss the flight to London. The pupils hand in their homework by Friday. John doesn't know anything about his birthday party. You tell him anything about it. Jack get up early tomorrow . It's his day off.

  3. I have to do it until/by tomorrow. Why both seem to be common?

    I have always thought that the correct one is "I have to do it by tomorrow" as "by" is used for some point in the future while "until" is used when something longs until now/that time.

  4. Which preposition? -- "I'm going to hand in my work [ at / to / with

    So if you are "handing in" your homework, presumably you are giving it to the teacher. The teacher is the person receiving it. So you "hand it in to the teacher". If you and another student worked on the assignment together and then went together to give it to the teacher, you could say, "I handed in my work with my classmate".

  5. PDF Reported Speech

    The chef advised us, "Cook the meat carefully." The chef advised us to cook the meat carefully. H promised, "I'll return the book tomorrow." He promised to return the book the following day. The teacher reminded us, "Don't forget your homework". The teacher reminded us not to forget our homework.

  6. Zero and first conditional and future time clauses

    Review the use of the zero conditional, the first conditional and future time clauses in English. Gap-filling and multiple choice exercises.

  7. 10 Ways to Do Homework in the Morning

    If you want to get some homework done in the morning, that's awesome! Just make sure you get everything ready the night before so you can get right to work in the morning. We've created a list to help you do just that!

  8. Past simple or present perfect?

    Past simple or present perfect. How long, for, since, already, yet, before, ever, never, etc. B1 - English intermediate grammar exercises.

  9. Present Perfect for recently finished actions

    Overview In this grammar section we will have a look at the tense Present Perfect to talk about recently finished/completed actions.

  10. Hi! I need help! Turn the following into reported speech. 1 "You must

    Hi! I need help! Turn the following into reported speech. 1 "You must hand in your homework morning," our teacher said to us. rrow 2 "I don't want to go to school today," Sammy said to his mother 3 "I will buy some milk on my way home from work," said John.

  11. by tomorrow vs. tomorrow

    I need to hand in my homework tomorrow (future situation) I will need to hand in my homework tomorrow (future situation) Am I correct on this sentence below? I need to hand in my homework by tomorrow (present situation) Thank you.

  12. conditionals

    3 Which conditional is this? When you do your homework, you can listen to some music. It seems to be the zero conditional. Timeless. But can it be the first conditional? When you do your homework (tomorrow morning), you can listen to some music.

  13. Turn the following into reported speech. 1. "You must hand in your

    Turn the following into reported speech. 1. "You must hand in your homework tomorrow morning," our teacher sa… Get the answers you need, now!

  14. PA016

    Note that you will lose points if you ask for hints or clues! Complete the sentences using the correct form of the passive voice in the correct tense! The war next week (DECLARE). Your homework by tomorrow afternoon. (MUST FINISH) That house since I was a child. (NOT PAINT) Smoking in this hotel (NOT ALLOW) After all the flights the tourists ...

  15. PDF If Clauses

    If I had lost my way I would have gone to the nearest police station. (GO) If I saw a spider in my bathroom I would cry out loud. (SEE) The teacher will be very angry if you don't hand in your homework on time. (NOT HAND) If you had wanted to learn a lot, you would have taken this course. (WANT) If you run quickly you will catch the bus. (RUN)

  16. phrasal verbs

    2. I would presume it means to submit your homework to your teacher. But as StoneyB says, we normally say "turn in" or "hand in". In general, to "give in" means to surrender, to let someone else have their way. Like, "Al wanted to go the car show but his girlfriend Mary wanted to go to the ballet. Finally Al gave in and they went to the ballet ...

  17. Chapter 3: Simple Present

    What do you do before school? Do you ever wake up late? Do you usually wake up early? Do you drink coffee or tea in the morning? Do you do your homework in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, or at night? How long does it take for you to get ready in the morning? How long does it take you to get to campus?

  18. What to Say (and Not Say) When Handing in Late Assignments ...

    Late work penalties are almost always noted in the syllabus, and it's hard to fight a grade reduction when things are clearly laid out in writing well before the homework is due. You can try ...

  19. My assignment is due tomorrow and I haven't even started it yet!

    Well, if it really is due tomorrow, let's do this and do it quick! You could have anything due tomorrow, so instead of a step-by-step guide let's focus on some tips and tricks to pull off this craziness. Legions of students before you have done it and legions of students after you will do it so have faith—you can do it 💪.