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fluentbyear

ENGLISH VERB

shift

to change, to shift (the focus)

  • Regular verb
  • Gerund: shifting
  • Past participle: shifted

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Simple present · now, habits and facts

  1. I I change
  2. you you change
  3. he, she, it he changes
  4. we we change
  5. they they change

Past

Simple past · finished actions

  1. I I changed
  2. you you changed
  3. he, she, it he changed
  4. we we change
  5. they they changed

Future

Future · “will”

  1. I I am going to change
  2. you you are going to change
  3. he, she, it he is going to change
  4. we we are going to change
  5. they they are going to change

Present continuous

Present continuous · happening right now

  1. I I am changing
  2. you you are changing
  3. he, she, it he is changing
  4. we we are changing
  5. they they are changing

Present perfect

Present perfect · “have done”

  1. I I have already changed
  2. you you have already changed
  3. he, she, it he has already changed
  4. we we have already changed
  5. they they have already changed

Conditional

Conditional · “would”

  1. I I would change
  2. you you would change
  3. he, she, it he would change
  4. we we would change
  5. they they would change

Imperative

Imperative · requests and orders

  1. change!

How to use shift

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    The conversation always shifts to politics at dinner.

    The conversation always turns to politics at dinner.

  2. Past

    After the baby, our priorities shifted completely.

    After the baby was born, our priorities changed completely.

  3. Future

    The focus will shift to sales next quarter.

    The focus will shift to sales next quarter.

  4. Present continuous

    The wind is shifting, it's going to rain.

    The wind is changing; it's going to rain.

  5. Present perfect

    Public opinion has shifted a lot in ten years.

    Public opinion has changed a lot in ten years.

  6. Conditional

    I would shift the meeting to the afternoon.

    I would move the meeting to the afternoon.

  7. Imperative

    Shift the sofa a little to the left.

    Move the sofa a little to the left.

Good to know

  • "Shift" is also the work shift ("night shift") and the car gear ("shift gears").

Where you hear shift

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

English for Brazilians · Advanced Level 1

  • When the facts change, the focus shifts. When the facts change, the focus shifts.
  • After Carol's kitchen, the focus shifted to the flood. After Carol's kitchen, the focus shifted to the flood.
  • In the new cut, the focus will shift to the why. In the new cut, the focus will shift to the why.

English for Brazilians · Advanced Level 2

  • When the facts change, the focus shifts. When the facts change, the focus shifts.
  • After Carol's kitchen, the focus shifted to the flood. After Carol's kitchen, the focus shifted to the flood.
  • In the new cut, the focus will shift to the why. In the new cut, the focus will shift to the why.
13
It wasn't the party that changed everything

Advanced Level 1 · the focus needs to shift

Needs a subscription 7
The time of day changes the result

Advanced Level 2 · when my shift did

Needs a subscription 9
Cheap now, costly later?

Advanced Level 2 · An hour a week is fifty hours a year. On my shift.

Needs a subscription 12
The detail left out

Fluency Level 1 · By choice. The night shift was eating my children's childhood.

Needs a subscription

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: regular verb.