SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

WE USE THE PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE TO: + TALK ABOUT AN ACTION WHICH
HAPPENS EVERY DAY, EVERY WEEK, EVERY YEAR, EVERY TIME, ECT.

+ DESCRIBE ROUTINES AND REPEATED ACTIVITIES.

EXAMPLES:
NEGATIVE SENTENCES
AFFIRMATIVE SENTENCES:
WE DON’T LIKE ENGLISH EXAMINATIONS
I MAKE REVISION EVERY FRIDAY
SHE DOESN’T MAKE ME HAPPY
HE COMES HERE EVERY MONDAY
INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES

DOES SHE COME FROM ASIA?

DO YOU LIKE CHOCOLATE?

IF A SENTENCE HAS AS SUBJECT TO HE, SHE OR IT.

+ VERBS ENDING IN X, SS, O, SH, CH, ADDS –ES TO THE END.

+ VERBS ENDING WITH A CONSONANT + Y, CHANGES THAT Y AND ADDS –IES

+ VERBS ENDING IN A VOCAL + Y, ONLY ADDS –S

TIME EXPRESSIONS USED WITH THE PRESENT SIMPLE

USUALLY, ALWAYS, EVERY DAY, EVERY WEEK, EVERY MONTH, EVERY YEAR, ON
MONDAYS, ON FRIDAYS, ECT; IN THE MORNING, IN THE AFTERNOON, IN THE
EVENING, IN THE NIGHT, IN THE WEEKEND, ETC.

SHORT ANSWERS

DO YOU GET UP EARLY? YES, I DO

DOES SHE GO TO YOUR SCHOOL? NO, SHE DOESN’T

 PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

WE FORM THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS WITH THE AUXILIARY VERB ‘BE’ (AM, ARE, IS ) AND
THE MAIN VERB WITH –ING SUFFIX.

WE USE THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS:

+ FOR ACTIONS HAPPENING NOW, AT THE MOMENT OF SPEAKING.

+ FOR ARRANGEMENTS IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS’ SPELLING RULES

* VERBS ENDING IN – E, DROP THE - E AND TAKE THE – ING SUFFIX.

DANCE - DANCING, BUT SEE – SEEING.

* VERBS WITH ONLY ONE VOWEL BETWEEN TWO CONSONANTS, DOUBLE THE LAST
CONSONANT AND TAKE THE - ING SUFFIX.

RUN – RUNNING, GET – GETTING, BUT OPEN – OPENING.

* VERBS ENDING IN - L, DOUBLE THE – L AND TAKE THE –ING SUFFIX.

TRAVEL – TRAVELLING

* VERBS ENDING IN –IE, DROP THE –IE AND TAKE –Y + -ING.

LIE – LYING, DIE – DYING.

TIME EXPRESSIONS USED WITH THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS

NOW, AT THE MOMENT, THESE DAYS, AT PRESENT, ALWAYS, TONIGHT, STILL.

SHORT ANSWERS

ARE YOU LEAVING? ● YES, I AM

IS SHE WORKING AT THE OFFICE? ● YES, SHE IS

 SIMPLE PAST TENSE

WE USE THE PAST SIMPLE:

☻FOR ACTIONS WHICH HAPPENED AT A DEFINITE OR STATED TIME IN THE PAST.

☻FOR ACTIONS WHICH HAPPENED REPEATEDLY IN THE PAST BUT DO NOT HAPPEN ANY MORE.

☻ FOR ACTIONS WHICH HAPPENED IMMEDIATELY ONE AFTER THE OTHER IN THE PAST.

☻TO TALK ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE NO LONGER ALIVE.

● WE HAVE TO CONSIDER WHAT KIND OF VERB WE HAVE IN THE SENTENCE, WHETHER IT IS A REGULAR O
IRREGULAR VERB.

● REGULAR VERBS FORM THEIR PAST BY ADDING –ED TO THE END IN AFFIRMATIVE SENTENCES.

● IRREGULAR VERBS FORM THEIR PAST ACCORDING TO THE LIST OF VERBS IN AFFIRMATIVE SENTENCES.

● IN NEGATIVE SENTENCES WE FORM THE PAST SIMPLE WITH AN AUXILIARY VERB (DID NOT/ DIDN’T ) AND THE
MAIN VERB IN THEIR BASE FORM.

● IN INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES WE FORM THE PAST SIMPLE BY PLACING FIRST THE AUXILIARY VERB (DID)
THE SUBJECT AND THE MAIN VERB IN ITS BASE FORM.

SPELLING RULES

☻VERBS ENDING IN –E TAKE ONLY –D

☻ VERBS ENDING IN A CONSONANT + Y, DROP THE Y AND TAKES –IED.

☻VERBS ENDING IN A VOWEL + Y, TAKE –ED

☻VERBS ENDING IN ONE STRESSED VOWEL BETWEEN TWO CONSONANTS, DOUBLE THE LAST CONSONANT AND
TAKE –ED

☻ VERBS ENDING IN –L, DOUBLE THE L AND TAKE –ED

TIME EXPRESSIONS USED WITH THE SIMPLE PAST

YESTERDAY, LAST NIGHT, LAST WEEK, LAST MONTH, LAST YEAR, LAST MONDAY, THREE DAYS AGO, SOME
WEEKS AGO, TEN YEARS AGO, THEN, WHEN, IN 2O1O.

SHORT ANSWERS

DID YOU VISIT YOUR GRANMA ON SUNDAY? ● NO, I DIDN’T

DID HE GO TO THE CIMEMA WITH SANDRA? ●YES, HE DID

 PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

WE USE THE PAST CONTINUOUS:

● FOR AN ACTION WHICH WAS IN PROGRESS AT A STATED TIME IN THE PAST. WE DO NOT
WHEN THE ACTION STARTED OR FINISHED.

● FOR AN ACTION WHICH WAS IN PROGRESS WHEN ANOTHER ACTION INTERRUPTED IT. WE
USE THE PAST CONTINUOUS FOR THE ACTION IN PROGRESS ( LONGER ACTION) AND THE
PAST SIMPLE FOR THE ACTION WHICH INTERRUPTED IT (SHORTER ACTION)

● FOR TWO OR MORE ACTIONS WHICH WERE HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME IN THE PAST.

● TO GIVE BACKGROUND INFORMATION IN A STORY.

⃝ WE FORM THE PAST CONTINUOUS WITH A SUBJECT, THE PAST OF THE VERB BE (WAS/
WERE) AND THE MAIN VERB WITH THE SUFFIX –ING IN AFFIRMATIVE SENTENCES

⃝ IN NEGATIVE SENTENCES WE FORM THE PAST CONTINUOUS WITH A SUBJECT, WAS OR

WERE FOLLOWED BY NOT AND THE MAIN VERB WITH THE –ING SUFFIX.

⃝ IN QUESTIONS WE FORM THE PAST CONTINUOUS BY PLACING WAS OR WERE BEFORE THE
SUBJECT FOLLOWED BY THE MAIN VERB WITH THE –ING SUFFIX.

PAST CONTINUOUS’ SPELLING RULES

* VERBS ENDING IN – E, DROP THE - E AND TAKE THE – ING SUFFIX. DANCE - DANCING,
BUT SEE – SEEING.

* VERBS WITH ONLY ONE VOWEL BETWEEN TWO CONSONANTS, DOUBLE THE LAST
CONSONANT AND TAKE THE - ING SUFFIX. RUN – RUNNING, GET – GETTING, BUT OPEN –
OPENING.

* VERBS ENDING IN - L, DOUBLE THE – L AND TAKE THE –ING SUFFIX. TRAVEL –
TRAVELLING

* VERBS ENDING IN –IE, DROP THE –IE AND TAKE –Y + -ING. LIE – LYING, DIE – DYING.

TIME EXPRESSIONS

WHILE, WHEN, AS, ALL DAY, ALL NIGHT, ALL MORNING.

SHORT ANWERS

WERE YOU READING THE NEWSPAPER? ☻ NO, I WASN’T

WAS HE RUNNING? ☻ YES, HE WAS.