English

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

USES

- TO EXPRESS HABITS, GENERAL TRUTHS, REPEATED ACTIONS OR UNCHANGING SITUATIONS, EMOTIONS AND WISHES:

- I SMOKE (HABIT); I WORK IN LONDON (UNCHANGING SITUATION); LONDON IS A LARGE CITY (GENERAL TRUTH)

-  TO GIVE INSTRUCTIONS OR DIRECTIONS:
YOU WALK FOR TWO HUNDRED METERS, THEN YOU TURN LEFT.

-  TO EXPRESS FIXED ARRANGEMENTS, PRESENT OR FUTURE:
YOUR EXAM STARTS AT 09.00

-  TO EXPRESS FUTURE TIME, AFTER SOME CONJUNCTIONS: AFTER, WHEN, BEFORE, AS SOON AS, UNTIL:
HE'LL GIVE IT TO YOU WHEN YOU COME NEXT SATURDAY.

THE SPELLING FOR THE VERB IN THE THIRD PERSON DIFFERS DEPENDING ON THE ENDING OF THAT VERB:

1. FOR VERBS THAT END IN -O, -CH, -SH, -SS, -X, OR -Z WE ADD -ES IN THE THIRD PERSON.

·         GO – GOES

·         CATCH – CATCHES

·         WASH – WASHES

·         KISS – KISSES

·         FIX – FIXES

·         BUZZ – BUZZES

2. FOR VERBS THAT END IN A CONSONANT + Y, WE REMOVE THE Y AND ADD -IES.

·         MARRY – MARRIES

·         STUDY – STUDIES

·         CARRY – CARRIES

·         WORRY – WORRIES

NOTE: FOR VERBS THAT END IN A VOWEL + Y, WE JUST ADD -S.

·         PLAY – PLAYS

·         ENJOY – ENJOYS

·         SAY – SAYS

 EXAMPLES:

·         I PLAY TENNIS.

·         SHE DOES NOT PLAY TENNIS.

·         DOES HE PLAY TENNIS?

·         THE TRAIN LEAVES EVERY MORNING AT 8 AM.

·         THE TRAIN DOES NOT LEAVE AT 9 AM.

·         WHEN DOES THE TRAIN USUALLY LEAVE?

·         SHE ALWAYS FORGETS HER PURSE.

·         HE NEVER FORGETS HIS WALLET.

·         EVERY TWELVE MONTHS, THE EARTH CIRCLES THE SUN.

·         DOES THE SUN CIRCLE THE EARTH?

 

SIMPLE PAST TENSE

USES

-  WE USE THE PAST TENSE TO TALK ABOUT:

 - SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED ONCE IN THE PAST:

-       I MET MY WIFE IN 1983.
WE WENT TO SPAIN FOR OUR HOLIDAYS.
THEY GOT HOME VERY LATE LAST NIGHT.

 - SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED AGAIN AND AGAIN IN THE PAST:

-       WHEN I WAS A BOY I WALKED A MILE TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY.
WE SWAM A LOT WHILE WE WERE ON HOLIDAY.
THEY ALWAYS ENJOYED VISITING THEIR FRIENDS.

- SOMETHING THAT WAS TRUE FOR SOME TIME IN THE PAST:

- I LIVED ABROAD FOR TEN YEARS.
   HE ENJOYED BEING A STUDENT.
   SHE PLAYED A LOT OF TENNIS WHEN SHE WAS YOUNGER.

     -  WE OFTEN USE PHRASES WITH AGO WITH THE PAST TENSE:

                - I MET MY WIFE A LONG TIME AGO.

EXAMPLES OF SENTENCES USING REGULAR VERBS IN THE PAST TENSE

·    LAST NIGHT I PLAYED MY GUITAR LOUDLY AND THE NEIGHBORS COMPLAINED.

·         SHE KISSED ME ON THE CHEEK.

·         IT RAINED YESTERDAY.

·         ANGELA WATCHED TV ALL NIGHT.

·         JOHN WANTED TO GO TO THE MUSEUM.

EXAMPLES OF NEGATIVE SENTENCES IN THE PAST TENSE

·         I DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO THE DENTIST.

·         SHE DIDN'T HAVE TIME.

·         YOU DIDN'T CLOSE THE DOOR.

·         HE DIDN'T COME TO MY PARTY.

·         THEY DIDN'T STUDY SO THEY DIDN'T PASS THE TEST.

·         WE DIDN'T SLEEP WELL LAST NIGHT.

EXAMPLES OF QUESTIONS IN THE PAST TENSE

·         DID YOU GO TO WORK YESTERDAY?

·         DID THEY ARRIVE ON TIME?

·         DID SHE LIKE THE SURPRISE?

·         WHERE DID SHE GO?

·         WHAT DID YOU DO YESTERDAY?

·         WHAT DID YOU SAY? - I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING.

WHY DID WE HAVE TO COME?

SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE

 USES

1 TO PREDICT A FUTURE EVENT:
IT WILL RAIN TOMORROW.

2  WITH I OR WE, TO EXPRESS A SPONTANEOUS DECISION:
I'LL PAY FOR THE TICKETS BY CREDIT CARD.

3  TO EXPRESS WILLINGNESS: I'LL DO THE WASHING-UP.
HE'LL CARRY YOUR BAG FOR YOU.

4  IN THE NEGATIVE FORM, TO EXPRESS UNWILLINGNESS:
THE BABY WON'T EAT HIS SOUP.
I WON'T LEAVE UNTIL I'VE SEEN THE MANAGER!

5  WITH I IN THE INTERROGATIVE FORM USING "SHALL", TO MAKE AN OFFER:
SHALL I OPEN THE WINDOW?

6  WITH WE IN THE INTERROGATIVE FORM USING "SHALL", TO MAKE A SUGGESTION:
SHALL WE GO TO THE CINEMA TONIGHT?

7  WITH I IN THE INTERROGATIVE FORM USING "SHALL", TO ASK FOR ADVICE OR INSTRUCTIONS:
WHAT SHALL I TELL THE BOSS ABOUT THIS MONEY?

8  WITH YOU, TO GIVE ORDERS:
YOU WILL DO EXACTLY AS I SAY.

9  WITH YOU IN THE INTERROGATIVE FORM, TO GIVE AN INVITATION:
WILL YOU COME TO THE DANCE WITH ME?
WILL YOU MARRY ME?

EXAMPLES

·         I WILL MEET HIM LATER (I'LL ..)

·         YOU WILL COME (YOU'LL..)

·         IT WILL RAIN TOMORROW (IT'LL)

·         SHE WILL BE LATE (SHE'LL..)

·         HE WILL HELP US LATER (HE'LL..)

·         WE WILL GET MARRIED IN SEPTEMBER (WE'LL)

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