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Present Tenses

Present Simple
Use the present simple for things that are always true or happen regularly:
every day, week, year.


Ex: They work in a bank.
Where do you live?
He doesnt wear glasses.
She usually has cereal for breakfast.
Im never late for work.

Spelling Rules - Third Person Singular (he, she, it)
1. Add -s for most verbs
work works
buy buys
ride rides
return returns

2. Add -es for words that end in -ch, -sh, -s, -x, or -z
watch watches
pass passes
rush rushes
relax relaxes
buzz buzzes

3. Change the y to i and add -es when the base form ends in a consonant +y
study studies
hurry hurries
dry dries
Do not change the y when the base form ends in a vowel +y. Add s.
play plays
enjoy enjoys
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We often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency (always, often,
sometimes, usually, hardly ever, never).
Adverbs of frequency go before the main verb but after be.
Ex: He often goes out. (not: He goes often out.)
Shes always late. (not: Shes late always.)

Expressions of frequency (everyday, once a week, etc) usually go at the end of
a sentence.
Ex: I have English classes twice a week.
4. A few verbs have irregular forms.
be is
do does
go goes
have has

Present Simple - negative do\does + not + verb
Ex: I do not (dont) study.
She doesnt like chocolate.

Present continuous be + verb + -ing
Use present continuous for actions in progress at the time of speaking, for future
arrangements and current trents.

Ex: Who are you waiting for? - Im waiting for a friend
What are you doing after class? - Im going to the caf.
1. Add -ing to the base form of the verb.
read reading
stand standing

2. If a verb ends in a silent -e, drop the final -e and add -ing.
leave leaving
take taking
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3. In a one-syllabe word, if the last three letters are a consonant-vowel-consonant
combination, double the last consonant before adding -ing.

sit sitting
run running

However, do not double the last consonant in words that end in w, x, or y.

sew sewing
fix fixing
enjoy enjoying

4. In words of two or more syllables that end in a consonant-vowel-consonant
combination, double the last consonant only if the last syllable is stressed.

admit admitting the last syllable is stressed
whisper whispering the last syllable is not stressed

5. If a verb ends in -ie, change the ie to y before adding -ing.

die dying

Action and nonaction verbs

-verbs which describe actions, e.g. make, cook, can be used in the present simple
or continuous
-verbs which describe states or feelings (not actions), e.g. like, want, be, are not
normally used in the present continuous.

Ex: What are you cooking tonight? - Im making pasta.
Great! I really like pasta.
-common non-action verbs are: agree, be, believe, belong, depend, forget, hate,
hear, know, like, love, matter, mean, need, prefer, realize, recognize, seem,
suppose.
-a few verbs have an action and a non-action meaning. The most common is
have.
Ex: I have a big flat. (possession - non action)
I cant talk now. Im having lunch. (an activity - action)
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Past Tenses

We use different past tenses to describe moments and periods of time in the past.

When Andrea arrived at work at 9.00.
------ 8.30 --------------------------- 9.00 ----------------------------------------------------
her secretary had opened the post.
her secretary was opening the post.
her secretary opened the post.
Past Simple

The Past Simple is used to express:
1. a finished action in the past.

Ex. We met in 2000.
I went to Manchester last week.
John left two minutes ago.

2. actions that follow each other in a story.

Ex. Mary walked into the room and stopped. She listened carefully. She heard a
noise coming from behind the curtain. She threw the curtain open, and she saw

3. a past situation or habit.

Ex. When I was a child, we lived in a small house by the sea. Every day I walked
for miles on the beach with my dog.

Spelling Rules

1. Most regular verbs add -ed to the base form of the verb.

work worked
want wanted
help helped
wash washed

2. When the verb ends in -e, add -d.
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like liked
use used
hate hated
care cared

3. If the verb has only one syllable, with one vowel + one consonant, double the
consonant before adding -ed.
stop stopped
plan planned
rob robbed

But we write cooked, seated, and moaned because there are two vowels.
4. The consonant is not doubled if it is -y or -w.
play played
show showed

5. In most two-syllable verbs, the end consonant is doubled if the stress is on the
second syllable.
prefer preferred
admit admitted

But we write entered and visited because the stress is on the first syllable.
6. Verbs that end in a consonant + -y change -y to -ied.
carry carried
hurry hurried
bury buried

But we write enjoyed, because it ends in a vowel + -y.
Past Simple - negative did not + vb.(inf)
Ex. I did not (didnt) work.

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Past Continuous ( progressive ) was/ were + verb + -ing

I/he/she/it was
we/you/they were
playing
doing
working

The Past Continuous is used:

1. to express activities in progress before, and probably after, a particular time in
the past

Ex: At seven oclock this morning I was having my breakfast.

You made a lot of noise last night. What were you doing?

2. for descriptions.

Ex: Jan looked beautiful. She was wearing a green cotton dress. Her eyes were
shining in the light of the candles that were burning nearby.

3. to express an interrupt past activity.

Ex: When the phone rang, I was having a shower.
While we were playing tennis, it started to rain.

4. to express an incomplete activity.

Ex: I was reading a book during the fligt. (I didnt finish it.)
I watched a film during the flight. (the whole film)

Ex: She wasnt working
We werent working







Past Continuous - negative wasnt
werent
+ vb.(inf) + -ing
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Word order in questions

Questions with do/does/did in present and past simple

In the present simple use the auxiliary verb do/does
In these questions the subject goes after the auxiliary verb.
Use ASI (auxiliary, subject, infinitive) or QUASI (question word, auxiliary,
subject, infinitive) to help you with word order in questions.

Question word Auxiliary Subject Infinitive (=verb)


Where
What food
Do
Does
do
does
you
Jenny
you
Jenny
live with your parents?
like Chinese food?
live?
like?

Questions with be, present continuous, and going to
In questions with be, make questions by inverting the verb and subject
Question word be Subject (adjective, noun, verb
+ ing, etc)

What

Where
Is
are
are
is
Ana
they
you
he
a student?
doing?
talking about?
going to live?

If a verb is followed by a preposition (listen to, talk about), the preposition goes
at the end of the question.
Ex: What are you talking about? (not: About what are you talking)

In the past simple use the auxiliary verb did + S + vb.(inf)

Question word Auxiliary Subject Infinitive (=verb)

Where
Did
did
you
you
work last night?
work last night?
Ex: Why were you working?
Was she working when you saw her? - Yes, she was.
- No, she wasnt.

In the past continuous was
were
+ S + vb.(inf) + -ing