1/The present continuous:
| Examples | Uses | Notes |
| · I am watching TV now. · He is playing football · Look! The boys are fighting | We use the present continuous for something happening now. "I am watching TV" means that I am in the middle of doing it. | 1/ We form the present continuous in this way: am/ is/ are + verb + ing |
| · They are building a new bridge. · They are preparing for the cup final. | The two actions don't take place exactly at the time of speaking, but they are occurring around the time of speaking. | 2/ The most important key words with which the present continuous is used are: now, at the moment, Look! Listen! Always. 3/ In general, we don't use continuous tenses with a- The verb "be" b- The verbs of feeling: feel, like, dislike, love, hate… c- The verbs of thinking: believe, think, forget remember, recall… So we never say: I am loving you" or "I am forgetting your name". Instead, we have to say: "I love you" and "I've forgotten your name". |
| · Tom usually goes to work by bicycle, but today he is walking. | We also use the present continuous to talk about an exceptional or temporary action. | |
| · My neighbors are always making noise at night. · Peter is always arriving to school late | The present continuous is used with "always" to express disapproval, anger, criticism… |
2/ The simple present:
| Examples | Uses | Notes | |
| · Ann gets up at · Bob always goes to work by bus . The Browns visit their relatives every weekend. | The three actions are repeated or habitual, i.e. they take place again and again. | 1/ The present simple is formed in this way: I/you/we/they + bare infinitive. He/she/it + bare infinitive + "es" e.g: watches/ goes | |
| · I feel dog-tired; I'm not ill. | Here we are talking about a present state (and not action) | 2/ When dealing with negatives or questions we must use "do". We say: Do you work? (Not "work you?) He doesn't work. (Not "he works not") | |
| · · Water boils at 100° C. · The sun rises in the east. | These are facts or general truths. | 3/ Key words: always, often, usually, sometimes, rarely, never, now, every… | |
3/ The simple past:
| Examples | Uses | Notes |
| · We dined out last night. | We put the verb "to dine" in the simple past because the action started and finished in the past | 1/ We form the simple past by adding "ed" to bare infinitive form of the verb. e.g. : played/ enjoyed/ arrived. However, some verbs are irregular and have different past forms. e.g. :leaveà left runà ran 2/ To form negatives and questions, we use "did" followed by infinitive. 3/ Sometimes, just for emphasis, "do" , "does" and "did" can be used in positive statements. · I did see you yesterday. · I do apologize. · 4/ Key words: yesterday, last, ago, in 2002… |
| · This morning, I woke up at six. I had a shower. Then I had my breakfast, dressed up and went to work. | Here, we are narrating a series of actions which started and finished in the past. | |
| · Did you go to · Did he leave the party early? · She didn't enjoy the film. · They didn't leave the house. | |
4/ The present perfect:
| Examples | Uses | Notes |
| · I've gone to · My brother has lived in | Here we are talking about actions which apparently started and finished in the past, but the time of their happening id not specified. | 1/ We form the present perfect with have/ has + the past participle of the verb. e.g.: has rained have smoked 2/ With "since" and "for", we often use the present perfect or the present perfect continuous. "For" is always followed by a period of time. However, "since" can be followed by a point of time, a noun or a verb in the simple past. Examples: · He has been in a coma for two months now. · He has been I, a coma since October 20. · He has been in a coma since the accident. · He has been in coma since he had a car accident. 3/Key words: since, for, just, already, so far, up to now, yet, ever, never. |
| (a) My father lived in (b) My father has lived in | In (a) the action started and finished in the past. (My father is no longer living in | |
| · I've washed the car. It's clean now. · I've just arrived. | The present perfect is also used to give new information or to announce a recent happening. | |
| · I've never visited the · The plane hasn't landed yet. | We also use the present perfect with "never" and "yet" to say that we have never done something or that an action hasn't happened yet. | |
| · It has rained 3 times this week. (it may rain again) · The students have had 5 tests this term. (They may have another test) | The present perfect is used with today/ this morning / this week/ this month... to show that the action is not finished at the time of speaking. | |
| | ||
5/The present perfect continuous:
| Examples | Uses | Notes |
| a- How long have you been waiting for the bus? b- We have been waiting for half an hour. c- Look at those paddles! It has been raining cats and dogs. | It is used to ask or to say how long something has been happening. The action began in the past and is still happening or has just stopped. | 1/ Form: Have/ has + been + verb + ing 2/ Key words: since, for. |
6/The past continuous:
| Examples | Uses | Notes |
| · Last night I was at home and watched TV. I began watching at 9 and finished at 11 · What was I doing at 10? · I was watching TV. | " I was watching TV" means that I was in the middle of watching TV. I had started watching TV but I hadn't finished. | 1/ Form: Was/ were/ + verb + ing 2/ Key words: when, while, as last night at 10 o'clock etc… |
| · Last night, I started watching TV at 9. At 9.30 my uncle came to visit us. · Last night, when I was watching TV, my uncle came to visit us. | We have a first action in progress in the past and it was interrupted by a second action still in the past. | |
| · This morning during the break, some students were having snacks. Others were chatting. Some other students were reviewing their lessons… | Here we are describing a past scene. |
7/The past perfect:
| Examples | Uses | Notes |
| · From 1992 to 1995, my father worked as a shop assistant. In 1996, he started working as a taxi driver. · My father had worked as a shop assistant before he became a taxi driver. | Both actions took place in the past. However, the first action started and finished before the second action began. | 1/ Form: Had + past participle e.g.: Had known had worked 2/ Key words: just, already, before, after, since, until…, by … |
| · When I came back home last night, everyone had already been in bed. | We use the past perfect with "already" to say that an action happened before another. | |
| · John told me he had seen you the week before. | Here, we are reporting a past action. |
8/The past perfect continuous:
| Examples | Uses | Notes |
| · Mr. Brown had been working for a car company for 7 years before he decided to start his own business | The past perfect continuous is used to say how long something had been happening before something else happened. | 1/ Form: Had been + verb + ing. 2/ Key words: before, after, since, for. |
9/The future:
There are different ways to express the future:
a- Will + bare infinitive (simple future):
| Examples | Uses | Notes |
| · I've forgotten my wallet at home. I will go and bring it. · Did you do your homework? No, I will do it this afternoon. · | When e decide to do something at the time of speaking, we use "will" | 1/ Form: Will + bare infinitive. 2/ Key words: tomorrow, tonight, next…, in 2050… |
b- be going to:
| Examples | Uses | Notes |
| (a) · Can you post this letter for me? · So I will have to drive to the town center, won't I? (b) · Can you post this letter for me? · O.K. I'm going to drive to town center. | In (a) I decided to go to the town center at the moment of speaking, but in (b) I have already decided to go to town center. | 1/Form: Be going to + bare infinitive 2/ "Be going to" can be used with all verbs except "go" and "come". So, we never say: "He's going to go…" or "He's going to come…" |
| · It's terribly cold. It's going to snow. | We also use "be going to" to predict what will happen in the future. We are certain about what will happen because of the situation in the present. |
c-Present tenses:
| Examples | Uses | Notes |
| · What are you doing at the weekend? · Sam is going to the stadium. · Bob is traveling to | The present continuous is used to talk about what we have already arranged to do. | 1/ Here we must use expressions with a future meaning: next summer/ next month/ In 2015 |
| · Peter is traveling to · "what time does the train leave?" · The train leaves at 9 o'clock." | The present simple with a future meaning is used when we talk about time tables, schedules etc… | 2/ Note that just after "when, if, after, before, till, until" and "as soon as" we never use the simple future tense (will + bare infinitive); to indicate future, we use the simple present. Examples: · We won't leave until he arrives · When I see you tomorrow, I will tell you the whole story. |
d- Will be+ V + ing (Future continuous):
| Examples | Use | Note |
| · Don't phone me between 7 and 8. I'll be having dinner then. · At 9 o'clock tomorrow, I'll be driving to | The future continuous is used here to talk about actions that will be in progress at a precise time in the future. | Key words: Tonight at 10 o'clock, (or any precise future time). |
e-Will have + past participle (future perfect):
| Examples | Uses | Notes |
| · We're late. The film will already have started by the time we get to the cinema. · We will have been married for 25 years by next July. | Here, we are talking about something that will be already complete at a precise time in the future. | Key words: By January, 20 (by + a future time). |
Exercice1: Put the bracketed verbs in the right tense (simple resent – present continuous).
This is Rosie and her family's house. They (live)________ in a small town near
Every Saturday afternoon, Rosie's mum (visit)________ Aunt Lisa and (not/come)________ back home for lunch. Rosie's dad usually (stay)________ at home and (watch)________ a video. At the moment, he (talk)________ on the phone.
Exercise 2: Put the bracketed words in the right tense: (simple past/ past continuous).
I (have)__________a bath yesterday when the phone (start)__________ringing. "That must be my mother", I (think)__________. The cats were sitting at the top of the stairs. I (not/see)_________ them, so I tripped over them and I (fall)_________. At the bottom of the stairs I (get)__________up. My right leg (hurt)__________ more than my head. The phone (still/ring)__________At last I (answer)__________it. It (be)__________ my mother. "Hello, dear, is everything all right?" she (say)__________.
Exercise 3: Underline the best alternative:
Carol Kennedy (played/was playing) a card game with her nephew on the train when she (head/was hearing) a loud noise and (saw/ was seeing) the car in the front of them fall away from the tracks. "I (didn't know/ was not knowing) what (happened/was happening), Mrs. Kennedy said. An instant later, their own car (crashed/was crashing) to the side, with bags and books flying across the passengers. Mrs. Kennedy, who (wore/was wearing) sandals, (saw/ was seeing) her feet covered with dust and ash. On the lower level, said her nephew, "there was an elderly woman who (bled/was bleeding) pretty bad". Alma Bailey, a retired nurse who (traveled/was traveling) home, (heard/was hearing) the conductor announce the
Exercise 4: Put the bracketed words in the right tense:
Swanky Khanyle (live)_________with his wife and two young daughters in
Exercise 5: Underline the best alternative:
Thirty-four-year –old Dianne Grey (is/was/has been) a successful doctor in the south of
The organization she (works/will work/worked) for (sent/has sent/ was sending) medical teams and equipment to
Exercise 6: Put the bracketed words in the right tense.
The early morning air was cold and mild as Ted Wilson walked along the beach. He (want)__________to be completely alone to think about his problem. Since he (lose)__________his job, his life (seem)__________to be full of problems. Walking to the far end of the beach, Ted (be)__________so deep in thought that he (not/notice)__________the dark clouds which (gather)__________overhead. When the first heavy drops (begin) __________to fall, her (look)__________up in surprise and hurried back towards his car. The soft dry sand of the beach slowed him down, so he (start)__________running on the hard sand at the water's edge. Before he (go)__________two miles, though, he suddenly (feel)__________himself sinking into the sand. Within seconds, he had sunk in up to his waist. He realized, to his horror, that he (step)__________into quicksand.
Exercise 7: Put the bracketed verbs in the right tense:
Witnesses of the
Eddie Niedes said he (see)__________ an engine on the wing blow up seconds before the plane (plunge)_________to the ground. He added: "it (fly)__________fine with no problems. It (seem)_________to be on a normal flight. Then, the engine on the right side (blow)__________up and it went straight down into a nosedive".
Exercise 8: The underlined verbs are not in the right tense; correct them in the table below:
Dear Sir/ Madam,
I (1) am just reading the "where are they now?" page of this year's college magazine. I (2) wrote with some news as you ask. The last few years were very interesting for me. When I (3) have left college, I (4) am starting work with ICI, but I only stayed there for a year. I (5) have several temporary jobs and then I got a job with a record company in
| Correction | |
| 1-……………………………………… | 6-………………………………………. |
| 2-……………………………………… | 7-………………………………………. |
| 3-……………………………………… | 8-………………………………………. |
| 4-……………………………………… | 9-………………………………………. |
| 5-……………………………………… | |
Exercise 9: Put the bracketed words in the right tense:
Peter and Anna were on holiday in
Exercise 10: Put the verbs in the right tense.
Next week, I am going on holiday with a friend. We (fly)__________to
Key:
Exercice1: Put the bracketed verbs in the right tense (simple resent – present continuous).
This is Rosie and her family's house. They live in a small town near
Every Saturday afternoon, Rosie's mum visits Aunt Lisa and doesn't come back home for lunch. Rosie's dad usually stays at home and watches a video. At the moment, he is talking on the phone.
Exercise 2: Put the bracketed words in the right tense: (simple past/ past continuous).
I was having a bath yesterday when the phone started ringing. "That must be my mother", I thought As I was getting out of the bath, I trod on my watch and broke it. The phone was still ringing. I ran out of the bathroom and hit my head on the door. It hurt terribly and I wanted to sit down for a moment, but the phone was still ringing. "Please wait a minute, mother", I thought. The cats were sitting at the top of the stairs. I didn't see them, so I tripped over them and I fell. At the bottom of the stairs I got up. My right leg hurt more than my head. The phone was still ringing. At last I answered it. It was my mother. "Hello, dear, is everything all right?" she said.
Exercise 3: Underline the best alternative:
Carol Kennedy (played/was playing) a card game with her nephew on the train when she (head/was hearing) a loud noise and (saw/ was seeing) the car in the front of them fall away from the tracks. "I (didn't know/ was not knowing) what (happened/was happening), Mrs. Kennedy said. An instant later, their own car (crashed/was crashing) to the side, with bags and books flying across the passengers. Mrs. Kennedy, who (wore/was wearing) sandals, (saw/ was seeing) her feet covered with dust and ash. On the lower level, said her nephew, "there was an elderly woman who (bled/was bleeding) pretty bad". Alma Bailey, a retired nurse who (traveled/was traveling) home, (heard/was hearing) the conductor announce the
Exercise 4: Put the bracketed words in the right tense:
Swanky Khanyle lives with his wife and two young daughters in
Exercise 5: Underline the best alternative:
Thirty-four-year –old Dianne Grey (is/was/has been) a successful doctor in the south of
The organization she (works/will work/worked) for (sent/has sent/ was sending) medical teams and equipment to
Exercise 6: Put the bracketed words in the right tense.
The early morning air was cold and mild as Ted Wilson walked along the beach. He wanted to be completely alone to think about his problem. Since he lost his job, his life seemed to be full of problems. Walking to the far end of the beach, Ted was so deep in thought that he didn't notice the dark clouds which were gathering overhead. When the first heavy drops began to fall, her looked up in surprise and hurried back towards his car. The soft dry sand of the beach slowed him down, so he started running on the hard sand at the water's edge. Before he went two miles, though, he suddenly felt himself sinking into the sand. Within seconds, he had sunk in up to his waist. He realized, to his horror, that he stepped into quicksand.
Exercise 7: Put the bracketed verbs in the right tense:
Witnesses of the
Eddie Niedes said he had seen an engine on the wing blow up seconds before the plane plunged to the ground. He added: "it was flying fine with no problems. It seemed to be on a normal flight. Then, the engine on the right side blew up and it went straight down into a nosedive".
Exercise 8: The underlined verbs are not in the right tense; correct them in the table below:
Dear Sir/ Madam,
I (1) am just reading the "where are they now?" page of this year's college magazine. I (2) wrote with some news as you ask. The last few years were very interesting for me. When I (3) have left college, I (4) am starting work with ICI, but I only stayed there for a year. I (5) have several temporary jobs and then I got a job with a record company in
| Correction | |
| 1- have just read | 6- have been |
| 2- am writing | 7- bought |
| 3- left | 8- has |
| 4- started | 9- have been |
| 5- had | |
Exercise 9: Put the bracketed words in the right tense:
Peter and Anna were on holiday in
Exercise 10: Put the verbs in the right tense.
Next week, I am going on holiday with a friend. We (are flying to
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