1. PRESENT TENSE SIMPLE vs. PRESENT TENSE CONTINUOUS

Present Tense Simple

is used to express:

Present tense Continuous

is used to express:

1. Habits and routines

e.g Karen usually deals with the clients.

I often get junk emails from unknown . companies.

1. Events happening at or around the moment of speaking

e.g. He is having breakfast at the moment.

It is snowing hard today.

2. Permanent/general situations

e.g I work for a big foreign trade firm.

My parents live in England.

2. Temporary/particular situations

e.g. I am working in Paris for two months.

I am living in England for a while.

3. Facts that are always true e.g. The sun sets in the West.

Water boils at 100 C.

3. Annoying actions/complainits

e.g. My car is always breaking down!

You are always arriving late on

Fridays.

4. Timetables and programmes

e.g. British Airways flight BA309 leaves

Rome at 7.45 and lands in London at 8.55

School starts on the 15th of September.

4. Fixed future arangements

e.g We are spending our holiday in Greece

next summer.

They are moving to the new premises in

April.

Time expressions :

- every day/week/month/year etc.- usually, always, ever, never, often,

seldom, sometimes.

Time expressions :

- now, at the moment, at present, today, tonight etc.

PRESENT TENSE SIMPLE

TO HAVE – a avea Affirmative Interrogative

Long form Short formI have You haveHe hasShe hasIt hasWe haveYou haveThey have

I do not have You do not haveHe does not haveShe does not haveIt does not haveWe do not haveYou do not haveThey do not have

I don’t have You don’t haveHe doesn’t haveShe doesn’t haveIt doesn’t haveWe don’t haveYou don’t haveThey don’t have

Do I have? Do you have?Does he have?Does she have?Does it have?Do we have?Do you have?Do they have?

TO GO – a mergeAffirmative Interrogative

Long form Short form

I goYou goHe goesShe goesIt goesWe goYou goThey go

I do not goYou do not goHe does not goShe does not goIt does not goWe do not goYou do not goThey do not go

I don’t goYou don’t goHe doesn’t goShe doesn’t goIt doesn’t goWe don’t goYou don’t goThey don’t go

Do I go? Do you go?Does he go?Does she go?Does it go?Do we go?Do you go?Do they go?

TO DO – A faceAffirmative Interrogative

Long form Short formI doYou doHe doesShe doesIt doesWe doYou doThey do

I do not doYou do not doHe does not doShe does not doIt does not doWe do not doYou do not doThey do not do

I don’t doYou don’t doHe doesn’t doShe doesn’t doIt doesn’t doWe don’t doYou don’t doThey don’t do

Do I do? Do you do?Does he do?Does she do?Does it do?Do we do?Do you do?Do they do?

PRESENT TENSE CONTINUOUS

TO BE – A FIAffirmative Negative InterrogativeLong form Short form Long form Short formI am You are

I’m You’re

I am not You are not

I’m notYou aren’t

Am I? Are you?

He isShe isIt isWe areYou areThey are

He’sShe’sIt’sWe’reYou’reThey’re

He is notShe is notIt is notWe are notYou are notThey are not

He isn’tShe isn’tIt isn’tWe aren’tYou aren’tThey aren’t

Is he?Is she?Is it?Are we?Are you?Are they?

S+TO BE+Ving

Affirmative Negative InterrogativeLong form Short form Long form Short formI am eating You are eatingHe is eatingShe is eatingIt is eatingWe are eatingYou are eatingThey are eating

I’m eatingYou’re eatingHe’s eatingShe’s eatingIt’s eatingWe’re eatingYou’re eatingThey’re eating

I am not eatingYou are not eatingHe is not eatingShe is not eatingIt is not eatingWe are not eatingYou are not eatingThey are not eating

I’m not eatingYou aren’t eatingHe isn’t eatingShe isn’t eatingIt isn’t eatingWe aren’t eatingYou aren’t eatingThey aren’t eating

Am I eating? Are you eating?Is he eating?Is she eating?Is it eating?Are we eating?Are you eating?Are they eating?

2. PAST TENSE SIMPLE vs. PAST TENSE CONTINUOUS

Past Tense Simple

Is used to express:

Past Tense Continuous

Is used to express:

1.An action completed at a stated time in the past

e.g. The merchant bank went bankrupt in 1997.

The first world war started in 1914.

2. Actions which happened one after another (a sequence of actions)

e.g. He entered the office, picked up the phone and started to talk.

1. An action that was in progress at a particular moment in the past.

e.g. At 9 o’clock last night she was talking on the phone.

What were you doing this time yesterday?

2. Two or more actions which were happening at the same time in the past

e.g. They were talking to the clients while I was filling in a form.

3. With non-continuous verbs (like, love, hate, prefer, believe, remember, think, understand, forget, know, want, mean, need,

3. A past action that was in progress when another action interrupted it.

e.g. While she was explaining her proposal

seem, see, feel, taste, smell etc).

e.g. She wanted to buy a mansion but she couldn’t afford it.

.

somebody interrupted her.

4. Past actions which won’t happen again.

e.g. Charles Dickens wrote a lot of novels.

4. Past actions which describe the background to the events in a story.

e.g. We were skiing on the slope. It was snowing heavily…

The Past Tense Simple is often used with past time expressions:

a) with prepositions: - at two o’clock/the end of the month/on Christmas

- on Monday/the 15th of April/New year’s Day

- in May/winter/1996/the 1980s

b) without preposition: yesterday/yesterday morning/last week/last night/a few days ago

PAST TENSE SIMPLE

TO BE

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I was I was not (wasn’t) Was I?

You were You were not (weren’t) Were you?

He/she/it was He/she/it was not (wasn’t) Was he/she/it?

We were We were not (weren’t) Were we?

You were You were not (weren’t) Were you?

They were They were not (weren’t) Were they?

TO HAVE I had an expensive car last year.

1. REGULAR VERBS: work-worked-worked

2. IRREGULAR VERBS: go – went – gone

Affirmative: I worked hard last week. S + V2

He went to the cinema last night.

Negative: I didn’t work hard last week. S + DID + NOT + V1

He didn’t go to the cinema last night.

Interrogative: Did you work hard last week? DID + S + V1

Did you go to the cinema last night?

1. REGULAR VERBS: ask – ask ed – asked [t]

cook – cook ed – cooked

look – look ed - looked

laugh – laugh ed – laughed

dance – danc ed – danced

work –work ed – worked

finish – finish ed – finished

like – lik ed – liked

pass – pass ed – passed

wash – wash ed – washed

watch – watched - watched

love – lov ed – loved [d ]

arrive – arriv ed – arrived

listen – listen ed – listened

live – liv ed – lived

travel – travell ed – travelled

phone – phon ed – phoned

borrow – borrow ed – borrowed

happen – happen ed – happened

order – order ed – ordered

play – play ed – played

stay – stay ed – stayed

return – return ed - returned

want – want ed – wanted [ id ]

start – start ed – started

sound – sound ed – sounded

visit – visit ed - visited

need – need ed - needed

taste – tast ed - tasted

hate – hat ed – hated

sound – sound ed – sounded

invite – invit ed – invited

Adverbs: YESTERDAY

LAST WEEK (MONTH, YEAR, NIGHT etc)

TWO DAYS AGO

Past Simple and time expressions:

last night

two days ago

I did it yesterday morning

in 1999

in summer

when I was yo

PAST TENSE CONTINUOUS

S + TO BE + VERB-ING

WAS WERE

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I was eating I was not eating (wasn’t eating) Was I eating?

You were eating You were not eating (weren’t eating)

Were youeating?

He/she/it was eating He/she/it was not eating (wasn’t eating)

Was he/she/it eating?

We were eating We were not eating (weren’t eating)

Were we eating?

You were eating You were not eating (weren’t eating)

Were you eating?

They were eating They were eating (weren’t eating)

Were they eating?

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE

S+ HAVE+VERB (3)

1. Indefinite action: Somebody has broken the window. I have got my driving-license.

2. Recent action: - just – The taxi has just arrived.

- already – Have you already talked to him?

Yes, I have already talked to him.

- not…yet – I haven’t talked to him yet.

- lately/recently – I haven’t talked to him recently/lately

- up to now/so far – He has asked ten questions so far.

- before – Have you met before?

We haven’t met before.

3. A series of repeated actions in the past which may continue into the present./adverbs of frequency

- ever – Have you ever travelled by plane? - never – I have never travelled by plane.- always – She has always bought expensive clothes.- often – They have often visited their grandparents.- seldom (rarely) – They have seldom visited their grandparents.

4. An action taking place in a period of time which is not over yet.- today – Where have you been today?

- this (week, month, year etc) – I have been very busy this week.

5. An action which is not over yet or which has a result for the present moment.

- How long have you known Mary?- I have known Mary for 5 years. - I have known Mary since 2002.- - I have learnt English for 5 years.

FOR is used to express a period of time

SINCE is used to express a point in time.

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLEPAST TENSE SIMPLE

1.Indefinite action:

e.g. Somebody has broken the window.

e.g. I have got my driving-license.

1.Definite action:

e.g. Somebody broke the window on Monday.

e.g. I got my driving-license in June.

2. An action taking place in a period of time

2. An action taking place in a period of time which is not over yet: TODAY/THIS WEEK (MONTH, YEAR ETC)

e.g. Where have you been today?

e.g. I have been busy this week.

3. ADVERBS:

a) expressing a recent action:- just

- already

- not…yet

- lately/recently

- up to now/so far.

- before

b) adverbs of frequency:- always- ever- never- often- seldom (rarely)

c) - how long - for

- since

which is over: YESTERDAY/LAST WEEK (MONTH, YEAR ETC)/AGO

e.g. Where were you yesterday?e.g. I was busy last week.

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

S + HAVE + BEEN + VERB – ING

1. An activity which began in the past and is still continuing now: How long have you been driving the car?

I have been driving the car for 5 years.

I have been driving the car since 2004.

I have been driving the car since I was 18.

2. A past activity which has caused a present result: I have been working all day. (I’m tired now).

She has been travelling all night. (She is exhausted).

3. An action which finished „just now”’ Have you been crying? (Your eyes are red).

He has been swimming. (His hair is wet).

PAST PERFECT SIMPLE

S+HAD+V3

a past action taking place before another past action

E.g. We had just got into the car when it started raining.

She had already entered the house when the storm broke out.

She had not entered the house yet when the storm broke out.

He had finished the paper before I rang him up.

We arrived at the airport after the plane had landed.

He told me he had never travelled by plane before.

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

S+HAD+BEEN+V-ING

E.g. He had been speaking for an hour when we came. (he was still

speaking when we came).

He had spoken for an hour when we came. (he was no longer speaking).

They had been driving for an hour when the accident happened.

S+USED TO+VERB

He used to smoke when he was younger.

Did he use to smoke when he was younger?

He didn’t use to smoke when he was younger.

There used to be an old shop there.

He used to be an army officer (he is retired now)

Would My grandpa would smoke a cigarette after lunch.

S+to be used to(get used to) +Ving

I am not used to working so hard.

I can’t get used to working so hard.

(I used to work very hard when I was younger)

FUTURE TENSE SIMPLE

1.Affirmative

S + SHALL/WILL + VERB (1)

I shall leave tomorrow. We shall leave tomorrow.

You will leave tomorrow. You will leave tomorrow.

He They will leave tomorrow.

She will leave tomorrow.

It

Let’s have a break, shall we?

Shall we leave now?

2. Interrogative

SHALL/WILL + S + VERB (1)

Shall I leave tomorrow? Shall we leave tomorrow?

Will you leave tomorrow? Will you leave tomorrow?

He Will they leave tomorrow?

Will she leave tomorrow?

it

3. Negative

S + SHALLWILL + NOT + VERB (1)

I shall not leave tomorrow/shan’t leave

You will not leave tomorrow/won’t leave

He

She will not leave tomorrow/won’t leave

It

We shall not leave tomorrow/shan’t leave

You will not leave tomorrow/won’t leave

They will not leave tomorrow/won’t leave

Dupa WHEN, AS SOON AS, BEFORE, AFTER, TILL/UNTIL, BY THE TIME, IF, UNLESS

I will call you when I get back home.

We will play tennis as soon as the rain stops.

We will sell the products before the shop closes.

I am afraid I will get to the airport after the plane lands/after the plane has landed

She will stay in hospital until she recovers completely.

By the time you get home, dinner will be ready.

You will sell the products if they are of high quality.

You won’t sell the products unless they are of high quality.

JOAN DANIEL

IF…I don’t go out so much IF…I stop smoking

do more work have more money

pass my exams save some every week

go to university be rich when I’m thirty

study economics have my own business

become an economist make a lot of money

earn a good salary retire when I’m forty

If I do not go out so much, I will do more work.

If I do more work, I will pass my exams.

If I pass my exams, I will go to university.

If I go to university, I will study economics.

If I study economics, I will become an economist.

If I become an economist, I will earn more money.

FUTURE TENSE CONTINUOUS

S+SHALL/WILL+BE+V-ing

- It is used to express an activity that will be in progress at a particular moment in the future.

E.g. This time tomorrow I will be flying to London.

At three o’clock tomorrow he will be attending a meeting.

This time next week I will be attending a training course in Rome.

What will you be doing tomorrow afternoon?

He will be travelling all night.

She will be working hard all week.

FUTURE PERFECT TENSE

S+SHALL/WILL+HAVE+V3- It is used for an action that will be completed before a particulat time in the

future (together with the time phrase by)

3E.g. We won’t have repaid the loan by March.

They will have sold all the goods by the time the Trade Fair closes./has closed

FUTURE-IN-THE-PAST

She promised me that she would help me.

WAYS OF EXPRESSING THE FUTURE

“GOING TO” FUTURE

S+TO BE +GOING TO +VERB

1. Affirmative

I am going to spend my holiday in Spain.

You are going to spend your holiday in Spain.

He is going to spend his holiday in Spain.

She is going to spend her holiday in Spain.

We are going to spend our holiday in Spain.

You are going to spend your holiday in Spain.

They are going to spend their holiday in Spain.

2. Interrogative

Where are you going to spend your holiday?

3. Negative

I am not going to spend my holiday in Spain.

Uses:

1. immediate action: Look at the sky! It is going to rain.If you eat so many cakes, you are going to be sick.

2. intention: We are going to spend our holiday in Greece next summer.

To be due to + verb

The plane is due to take off in five minutes.

We are due to hand in the papers on Monday.

To be + verb

We are to talk to the manager tomorrow.

To be about to

To be about to +verb We are about to leave

The Sequene of Tenses

1.We arrived at the airport after the plane had taken off.

2. I didn’t know that John was your best friend.

Exceptions: The teacher told us that water boils at 100 degrees C.

3. She promised me that she would help me. Future in the past

State verbs express a permanent state and are not normally used in the continuous/ progressive aspect. These are:

Verbs of senses: feel, hear, see, smell, taste, etc. Verbs of feeling and emotion: like, enjoy, love, adore, appreciate, desire, detest, dislike,

hate, loathe, forgive, prefer, refuse, want, wish, etc. Verbs of thinking/opinion: agree, believe, consider, recall, recollect, expect (=think),

intend, forget, feel (=think), know, mind, recall, recollect, realize, remember, see (=understand), suppose, understand, want, wish, etc

Verbs indicating states/permanent qualities of people or objects: be, belong, own, contain, comprise, cost, consist, have(=possess), include, measure, resemble, weigh

Miscellaneous verbs: appears (=seem), concern, depend, fit (=be the right shape and size for something), mean, owe, possess, need, require, keep, seem etc.

*feel and hurt can be used in either continuous or simple forms, Mary feels/is feeling better today.*Can or could are often used with these verbs. - There’s too much noise here, I can’t hear you. - I can’t see anything. It’s too dark in here. - I can’t understand him. - I can’t remember her name.

Some stative verbs have continuous forms but with a difference in meaning:

State ActionHe thinks she’s really very intelligent. (=he believes)The icecream tastes sweet. (=It has the flavor)

He has twomansions. (= he owns; he possesses)The silk scarf feels soft. (=it has a soft texture)Do you see what I mean? (= understand)

Your perfume smells of roses. (it has the smell)I love/enjoy good films. (= I like in general)

I’m thinking about his proposal. (=I’m considering)Why is he tasting the soup? (= testing the flavour)

She’s having lunch. (= she’s eating)

She is feeling the scarf. (= she’s touching)

I’ m seeing the manager tonight. (= I’m meeting)She is smelling the roses. (= she’s sniffing) I’m loving/enjoying this film. (= I like specifically)

It looks as if it’s going to rain. (= it appears)

He appears to be painting. (=he seems to be)The box is heavy. It weighs a few kilos. (=has the weight of)

He is looking at the painting. (= he’s observing it)

The actress is appearing on stage now.(= is performing)He is weighing meat (=is measuring the weight of)