Basic Tenses

Hello!!
Here you have the explanation of different basic tenses. Take a look.

Click on "Read more..."

Present Simple : affirmative           I walk, he walks, always, often, usually,              sometimes, never

                Frequency adverbs

We use the present simple to describe general facts, repeated actions and habits, facts that are always true.

• General facts

I like milk  .                                  They speak Turkish

María plays basketball.                We live in Australia.

• Repeated actions and habits

Harry often arrives late.               I usually get up at 7:30.

• Things that are always true

The sun rises in the east.              The earth goes round the sun.

STATEMENTS       I walk to school every day. My brother usually walks with me.

			I walk                                     We walk You walk                                They walk BUT  He walks                      She walks                   It walks   I walk      He walks                She walks                   They walk

                                                                                                                      

SPELLING

                       go                                    goes

                       miss                                 misses

                       watch                              watches

                       wash                                washes

                       relax                                relaxes

 

Always           100%  Tim always wears jeans Usually           80%    I usually go to bed at 9.30 Often              60% Sue often goes to the cinema Sometimes      40% Sam sometimes walks to school Never              0 %  It never rains here in August

ALWAYS, USUALLY

OFTEN, SOMETIMES,                    

NEVER

                                                                                                                                                              

                                                             The frequency adverb goes between subject and verb

                                                               Monday always comes after Sunday

                                                                                                                                                              

Present Simple: negatives and questions

NEGATIVES                       I don´t like ice-cream. She doesn´t eat chocolate                 

I do not walk              He does not walk                   We do not walk I don’t walk                He doesn´t walk                     We don’t walk You do not walk         She does not walk                  They do not walk You don’t walk           She doesn’t walk                    They don’t walk                                    It does not walk                                    It doesn’t walk

                                                                                                                     

Examples:                       I don’t drink coffee.         They don’t speak Italian

                                        Tom doesn’t play tennis    We don’t live in France

QUESTIONS                 Do you walk to school or do you take the bus?

                                         I usually walk

Do I walk?                             Does he walk?                        Do we walk? Do you walk?                         Does she walk?          Do they walk?                                                Does it walk?

                                  

Examples:                  Do you like ice-cream?                      Do they speak Italian?

                                   Does Anna play basketball?              Do you live in Australia?

                                   Does Harry often arrive late?                        Do you usually get up at 7.30?

CAREFUL!              I walk, you walk, we walk    BUT      he walks, she walks, it walks

                                   He walks. Does he walk?

Present Continuous: affirmative

We use the Present Continuous to talk about actions happening at the moment

STATEMENTS       I am sitting in my car.    She’s watching television

I am waiting               He is waiting              We are waiting I’m waiting                 He’s waiting               We’re waiting You are waiting          She is waiting             They are waiting You’re waiting            She’s waiting              They’re waiting                                    It is waiting                                    It’s waiting

Examples:                  I’m studying English

                                   My brother’s talking on the phone now

                                   We are swimming in the sea now

                                   Sue is reading a book at the moment

Spelling:                     Verbs ending in one consonant, add –ing

                                  

                                               Wait                         waiting

                       

                                    Verbs ending in e, drop e and add –ing

                       

                                    Make              making       decide             deciding      write          writing

                                    Verbs ending in one vowel and one consonant double the consonant

                                    Sit          sitting          swim             swimming      cut             cutting

                                    Verbs ending ie change ie to y

                                    Lie           lying         tie       tying             die        dying

                                    Verbs ending in a vowel and y add –ing

                                   

                                    Play       playing         stay        staying             say           saying

Present Continuous: negative and questions

NEGATIVES                       I’m not walking to school today

I am not waiting         He is not waiting                    We are not waiting I’m not waiting           He  isn’t waiting                     We aren’t waiting You are not waiting    She is not waiting                   They are not waiting You aren’t waiting      She isn’t waiting                     They aren’t waiting                                    It is not waiting                                    It isn´t waiting

Examples:                  I’m not drinking milk, I’m drinking cola

They aren’t playing football, they’re playing rugby

QUESTIONS             Are you walking to school today?

Am I waiting?             Is he waiting?                         Are we waiting? Are you waiting?        Is she waiting?                       Are they waiting?                                    Is it waiting?

Examples:              What are you doing?                 Are you reading?

                                I’m fixing my bike                      No, I’m not reading

Past Simple: regular affirmative

We use the past simple to describe finished events in the past.

Yesterday                                                                                                      Today

         7pm            8pm             9pm                 10pm               11pm

                        Started                                    finished

Yesterday I watched a great film on TV. It started at 8pm and finished at 10.15 pm

Watch + ed            start + ed

Regular verbs                      

                                                                                              

STATEMENTS                   John played football last week

                                               My grandparents moved to Scotland last year

	I started                      He started                   We started You started                 She started                  They started                                    It started

                        

Examples:                              The bus arrived at 9.30

                                               In 1998 I decided to move to Australia

                                               Kate stayed in Turkey last summer

                                               Yesterday I walked to school

SPELLING              fit            fitted                  stop            stopped

                                   cry            cried                try              tried

CAREFUL!    Two syllable verbs with the stress on the first syllable do NOT double the final             consonant.

                                   Admit             admitted

                        

                                   Answer            answered

Other regular            answer            listen               start

Verbs                         arrive              live                  stop

                                   decide             marry              turn

                                   like                  open                watch

Task                           Make your own list of regular verbs.

Past Simple: regular negative and questions

NEGATIVES           I didn’t start learning English last year. I started this year

I did not start              He did not start                 We did not start                            I didn´t start               He didn´t start                   We didn´t start                          You did not start         She did not start                 They did not start                                             You did not start        She didn’t start                   They didn’t start                                    It did not start                                    It didn’t start

                                                             

                                                                                                                                                          

QUESTIONS             Did you start learning English last year?

	Did I start?                 Did he start?               Did we start? Did you start?             Did she start?             Did they start?                                    Did it start?

                                                                                                                                              

Wh- questions           When did you start learning English?

                                   When did you finish your homework?

Examples                   Did they arrive yesterday?     No, they didn’t arrive yesterday

                                   They arrived on Monday

                                   Did you finish your homework?         No, I didn’t finish my homework

                                   It was very difficult.

                                   When did you start school?                I started school in 1993.

                          

Past simple: Irregular affirmative

Irregular verbs do not have –ed endings for the past simple. Each verb has its own form and we have to learn these forms.

                           go              went                  eat             ate

STATEMENTS       Last week we went to the cinema.

                                   Pedro ate 10 cakes yesterday.

Go                              Eat I went                          I ate You went                     You ate He went                      He ate She went                     She ate It went                         It ate We went                      We ate They went                   They ate

         Examples         Yesterday I drank Japanese beer

                                   Harry always came late

                                   We made dinner last night

Task                   Complete this list. Use the words in the box

Sent     got       did       knew    began  flew     brought           took     went    had Came  told      gave    stood   met      made   found   wore    drank   ran

                          

                           Verb                       Past Simple                Verb               Past Simple

                           begin                       ----------------               have                --------------

                           bring                                   ----------------               know               --------------

                           come                       ----------------               make               --------------

                           do                            ----------------               meet                --------------

                           drink                                   ----------------               run                  --------------

                           find                         ----------------               send                --------------

                           fly                           ----------------               stand               --------------

                           get                           ----------------               take                 --------------

                           give                         ----------------               tell                   --------------

go                            ----------------               wear                --------------

Now check your answers using the dictionary or consulting a list on a book.

Past Simple: irregular negative and questions

NEGATIVES                       go           went             eat          ate

                        We didn’t go to school last week.

                        Kate didn’t eat ice-cream yesterday

	I did not go                 He did not go              We did not go I didn’t go                   He didn’t go               We didn’t go You did not go                        She did not go             They did not go You didn’t go              She didn’t go              They didn’t go                                    It did not go                                    It didn’t go

                                                                                                                                                           

Examples:       They didn’t give Jack a present

                        I didn’t have breakfast

QUESTIONS Did you go to the cinema last night?

	Did I go?                    Did he go?                  Did we go? Did you go?                Did she go?                Did they go?                                    Did it go?

                                                                                                                                       

Examples:      Did you send me a letter last week?

                        Where did you go yesterday?

                        What did you do?

Past Continuous: affirmative, negative and questions

We use the past continuous to describe a continuing situation. We often interrupt a continuing situation with a sudden event

6.30 pm           7 pm               7.30 pm                      8 pm                8.30 pm

                        Having a bath                        phone rang

                        Nadia phoned me at 7.30. I was having a bath

STATEMENTS       Last month I was working in Brazil

	I was sitting                He was sitting             We were sitting You were sitting          She was sitting            They were sitting                                    It was sitting

NEGATIVES           The teacher was talking, but Harry wasn’t listening

                                   Was not = wasn’t                   were not = weren’t

I wasn’t sitting            He wasn’t sitting                    we weren’t sitting You weren’t sitting      She wasn’t sitting                   They weren’t sitting                                    It wasn’t sitting

QUESTIONS                        Were they working in the office?

Was I sitting?              Was he sitting?                       Were we sitting? Were you sitting?        Was she sitting?                      Were they sitting?                                    Was it sitting?

Wh- questions           What were you doing at 6.00?           Who was he talking to?

Examples                   Steve was eating in the restaurant when the fire started.

                                   Carmen wasn’t teaching in 1990, she was studying.

                                   Were you eating dinner when I phoned?

Present Perfect: affirmative

We often explain a present situation by saying what has happened. We do not mention an exact time

            Why are you walking home?              I’ve broken my bike

            Why are you late?                              I’ve lost my watch

We use the present perfect when we talk about our experiences in the past and do not mention an exact time

                        I’ve been to Italy

Have/ has + past participle

REGULAR VERBS                       Forming the present perfect:

                        The film has started

                        I’ve finished my homework

                                  

                        With regular verbs, the past participle is the same as the past simple.

I have started              he has started             we have started I’ve started                  he’s started                 we’ve started You have started         she has started            they have started You’ve started             she’s started                they’ve started                                    It has started                                    It’s started

STATEMENTS                  

Have/ has + past participle

IRREGULAR          Forming the present perfect    

VERBS

                                   I’ve eaten ten pizzas!

                                   Jim has left

Each irregular verb has its own past participle. Sometimes the participle is the same as the past simple, sometimes it has a different form.

Verb               Past Simple                 Past Participle

eat                   ate                               eaten

leave               left                               left

drink               drank                          drunk

Present Perfect: negative and questions

NEGATIVES                       I haven’t visited China before

                                   This is the first time

I have not found my car keys

I’m still looking for them

                                   Have not = haven’t      has not = hasn’t

Regular                                                                   Irregular I haven’t started          we haven’t started                  I haven’t eaten            we haven’t eaten You haven’t started     they haven’t started                you haven’t eaten       they haven’t eaten He hasn’t started                                                       he hasn’t eaten           She hasn’t started                                                      she hasn’t eaten It hasn’t started                                                          it hasn’t eaten

 QUESTIONS            Have you started your homework?                I’ve finished it!

                                   Have you ever visited Cairo?                        Yes, I’ve been there twice

Regular                                                                   Irregular Have I started?           Have we started?                   Have I eaten?             Have we eaten? Have you started?      Have they started?                 Have you eaten?         Have they eaten? Has he started?                                                         Has he eaten? Has she started?                                                        Has she eaten? Has it started?                                                           Has it eaten?

                                             Future plans and predictions

Plans or intentions                When you decide to do something in the future you make a plan or have an intention. Plans can change, so it is not 100% certain

Predictions from the             Sometimes we can see that something is going to happen

situation                                            Look out! Those books are going to fall on your head!

STATEMENTS                   He’s going to stop eating chocolate

I am going to stop                  he is gring to stop                   we are going to stop You are going to stop             she is going to stop                 they are going to stop                                                It is going to stop

NEGATIVES                                   Clare isn’t going to cook dinner

I am not going to stop            he is not going to stop            we are not going to stop You are not going to stop       she is not going to stop           they are not going to stop                                                It is not going to stop

QUESTIONS                                    Are you going to take your umbrella?

Am I going to stop?                Is he going to stop?                Are we going to stop? Are you going to stop?           Is she going to stop?               Are they going to stop?                                                Is it going to stop?

Wh- questions                       What are you going to do in the summer?

                                               When are you going to phone me?

Examples:                              Is it going to rain?

                                               Mike is going to run in the Marathon in April

                                               Peter is going to learn Chinese

        

Predictions: Certainty and uncertainty

A prediction is what you think will happen

           

            Jim will pass all his exams                 It will rain tomorrow

            I’ll be late tonight                               he will come to the party

Sometimes we emphasize that we are not certain. We can use perhaps, probably, think or expect

            Jim will probably pass all his exams             I expect it will rain tomorrow

            Perhaps I’ll be late tonight                            I think he will come to the party

STATEMENTS       They’ll leave tomorrow

I will leave                     he will leave                        we will leave You will leave                she will leave                       they will leave                                       It will leave

NEGATIVES                       I won’t be at school on Friday

                                   Will not = won’t

I won’t leave               he won’t leave            we won’t leave You won’t leave          she won’t leave           they won’t leave                                    It won’t leave

QUESTIONS                        Will the shop be open tomorrow?

	Will I leave?                Will he leave?                         Will we leave? Will you leave?           Will she leave?                       Will they leave?                                    Will it leave?