I'm holding my breath.
Present simple and present continuous
Present simple
1 Add an -s for third person forms in present simple statements.
All other forms stay the same.
I/ you / we / they run.
He/she/it runs.
2 Make negative forms of regular verbs with don't and doesn't.
I don't want to do this. My friend doesn't live in a safe part of town.
NOT doesn't lives....
3 Use the present simple for things that are always or usually true. He doesn't live in a safe part of town.
4 Use the present simple for regular or repeated events and habits. I visit my friend every month.
5 We often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency, e.g. always, never, usually. Usually I find out it's the fridge or someone next door... or just nothing.
6 We often use the present simple to give instructions or directions.
- You lock the door as quietly as you can.
- You phone the police on your mobile.
7 We often use the present simple to tell a story, or to describe a series of events as they happen. I get slowly out of bed. But then I stop.
8 We often use the present simple for a review (of a book or a film, for example).
The film tells the story of a boy who lives in the poorest part of the city. It has an unexpected ending.
Present continuous
9 Make present continuous sentences with am/is/ are + verb +-ing.
I'm always lying awake.
It's getting closer.
Two round eyes are looking at me.
10 Use the present continuous to describe an activity in progress now or around now.
Two round eyes are looking at me.
I'm studying two languages: English and Spanish.
11 Use the present continuous to talk about unfinished or temporary actions.
I'm staying at my friend's.
12 Use the present continuous with always, constantly or forever to criticise.
I'm always hearing noises.
13 Use the present continuous to talk about situations which are gradually changing.
The noise is getting louder.
14 We often use the present continuous to describe the background to a story. We use the present simple to describe the events.
It's midnight and I'm holding my breath.
'Don't be silly! I say to myself.
15 We don't usually use the present continuous with state verbs (which describe states, not actions), e.g. want, sound, believe, mean, promise.
I don't want to do this.
That means the downstairs window is open.
16 We can use some state verbs in the continuous form to describe actions. The verb then has a different meaning. Some common verbs we use like this are: appear, expect, feel, have, imagine, look, think, see, smell, taste, weigh.
I think there's someone there.
(think = talking about a belief)
I'm thinking what to do next.
(think talking about a process)
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He was driving on a dark night.
Past simple and past continuous
Past simple
1 Add-ed to make the past simple (regular) for all persons. Use did not with the infinitive without to to make the negative and use did to make a question.
2 Many common verbs have irregular forms for past simple statements,
e.g. go went, seesaw, be was/were.
Casey went to the station. We saw the crash.
3 Use the past simple for past actions, states and facts.
Casey lived in the USA.
Millions of immigrants moved to the USA in the nineteenth century.
4 We usually use the past simple for repeated or usual actions or situations.
While I was on the train, Mike called twice. Casey walked to work every day.
Past continuous
5 Make the past continuous using the verb was / were + verb + -ing.
6 Use the past continuous (e.g. was walking, were living, etc.) to talk about events which were in progress at a particular time in the past.
On 30 April Casey was driving his train back to the station.
What was he doing the day before?
7 Use the past continuous for a description of simultaneous ongoing situations.
It was raining, so we weren't driving fast. What were the passengers doing while this was happening?
Past simple and past continuous
8 We can use the past simple with the past continuous in the same sentence. The past simple is a shorter action/event that happens in the middle of, or interrupts, a longer past continuous action/event.
My dad phoned while I was having a shower
9 Use the past continuous to give the reason for a past event, or to set the background to a story - to talk about what was going on when an event happened. The train was going fast, so it couldn't stop quickly. I was listening to the radio when I heard the news.
When, while and as
10 Use when, while or as to link past simple and past continuous verbs. Use when before the past simple or the past continuous verb. Use while before the past continuous verb.
While he was falling, he heard Casey. I didn't say anything when / while the police were asking questions.
11 Use when to join past simple events that are consecutive.
The train stopped when it arrived at the station. When the phone rang, Jack answered it.
12 We usually use when with states, e.g. ages. They left America when they were children. Casey died when he was 37.
13 We usually use as to describe two short events that happen simultaneously, or two events that change together.
As the train crashed, everyone screamed. As the train went faster, Casey worked harder.
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They used to pay soliders in salt.
Used to and would
Used to
1 Used to is followed by an infinitive without to. Used to has no present or continuous forms.
Salt used to be very valuable.
2 Make used to questions with Did + noun / pronoun + used to ...?
Did the Egyptians used to buy gold?
Did you used to eat a lot of sweets when you were young?
3 Make the negative of used to with did not (didn't) use to or never used to. Paper money didn't use to be very common.
We never used to spend much.
4 Used to is for habits and activities which are no longer happening today. Used to often contrasts the past and the present. Used to usually comes without a time expression.
The Romans used to pay soldiers in salt.
I used to work in a bank but now I'm a teacher.
Would
5 Would is followed by an infinitive without to, and the negative is would not. The affirmative short form is 'd and the negative short form is wouldn't. For example, you'd give a sheep and get a knife. They wouldn't work on Sundays.
6 Would is similar in meaning to used to but it is less common. In a text, would usually follows used to or a past time expression.
That summer we would go swimming every morning. Jack used to love books. He would read two books every week.
Used to vs. would
7 Used to, not would, is for past states.
The Lydians used to live in Turkey. NOT would live.... My sister used to know him. NOT would know...
Used to and would vs. the past simple
8 We can use the past simple instead of used to and would.
We used to watch / watched too much TV.
The soldiers would sell / sold the salt for other things.
9 Use the past simple, not used to or would, when talking about single events, how long they took or how many times they happened.
I went to the market yesterday.
NOT I used to go to the market yesterday.
We didn't eat for two days.
NOT We didn't use to eat for two days
Jane visited me in hospital twice.
NOT Jane used to visit me in hospital twice.
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Many famous people have studied at Harvard.
Present perfect, past simple, present simple
Present perfect
1 Make the present perfect using the verb have + past participle.
Make questions and short answers as follows:
2 Use the present perfect to talk about recent events or a past event which the speaker feels is connected with the present.
Kurt is very happy that he has graduated.
A: Have they arrived?
B: Yes, they're here.
Past simple
3 Use the past simple to talk about a finished action in the past.
John Harvard died.
Matt Damon went to Harvard.
Present simple
4 Use the present simple to talk about present facts or events.
I study Mathematics at Harvard. There are 15 students in my class.
Present perfect vs. present simple
5 Use the present perfect, not the present simple, for an event or a situation which began in the past and continues in the present, when we want to say how much time it has been going on.
Harvard has been a university since 1636.
NOT... was a university....
Natalie, how long have you worked in the movie business?
NOT did you work...
It hasn't rained for months now. NOT didn't rain
6 Go has two past participles: gone and been. There is a difference in meaning.
My brother has gone to America.
(= My brother is travelling to America or is there now.)
My brother has been to America.
(= My brother went to America but he is back home now.)
Present perfect vs. past simple
7 Use the present perfect when we do not know exactly when the past event took place, or it is not important. Use the past simple to give details later. Have you seen my book?
Bill has come back from university. He arrived on Tuesday.
President Obama has arrived in India. He met
Indian business men and visited.....
8 With the present perfect, we use words which mean 'at a time up to now', e.g. already, ever, for, lately, never, recently, since, yet. With the past, we use words and expressions which mean a finished period of time, e.g. ago, in 2003, last week, on my birthday, then, when, yesterday.
Teresa has already graduated. I've never been to America.
The university started in 1636. Last Saturday we had a party.
9 With today and this + time word, e.g. this afternoon, this year, we can use the present perfect or the past simple. Use the present perfect to mean the complete time period up to now. Use the past simple to mean a finished part of that time period.
I've phoned John this morning. (It is still the morning.)
I phoned John this morning. (It is now the afternoon.)
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