PRESENT SIMPLE

ROOT OF THE VERB (+ S / ES IN THE 3 pers.sg)

USE
It is used in PERMANENT situations and actions (HABITS/
ROUTINES)
Ex. I play tennis twice a week.

It is used in TIME CLAUSES introduced by: WHEN, IF, AS SOON AS,
AFTER, UNTIL.
Ex. We wont leave until he calls

In GENERAL TRUTHS.
Ex. The Earth revolves around the sun.

In FUTURE PLANS with particular reference to JOURNEYS and
TIMETABLES.
Ex. The train stops at every station on the way to London.

















KEYWORDS: always, usually, often, sometimes, never, every (day, week,
Monday), once/twice/ 3 times(a week, a month)


PRESENT CONTINUOUS






USE
It is used in actions and situations happening now.
Ex. The telephone is ringing
In temporary situations.
AFFIRMATIVE
I SPEAK
SHE SPEAKS

NEGATIVE
I DONT SPEAK
SHE DOESNT SPEAK

QUESTION
DO YOU SPEAK?
DOES SHE SPEAK?

AM / IS / ARE + VERB + ING

Ex. Im working in an ice cream factory to pay my college fees.
In annoying habits. (With always, continually, constantly...)
Ex. Youre always criticising the way I speak.

















KEYWORDS: Now, at this moment, but today


NOTE: Some verbs are not usually used in the continuous form. (STATE
VERBS). The most common are:

WISH
WANT
LIKE
HATE
BELIEVE
KNOW
SEE
LOVE
SEEM
NOTICE
UNDERSTAND
MEAN
BELONG
REMEMBER


SIMPLE PAST





USE
It is used to talk about actions or situations, which began and ended
in the past.
Ex. I bought this car in July.

It is used to talk about actions or situations that refer to past habit.
Ex. He smoked 20 cigarettes a day as a student.





AFFIRMATIVE
IM / SHES / THEYRE
SPEAKING

NEGATIVE
IM NOT/SHE ISNT/ THEY
ARENT SPEAKING

QUESTION
ARE YOU/ IS SHE
SPEAKING?

VERB + -ED / IRREGULAR FORM








KEYWORDS: Yesterday, ago, in 1789, last

PAST CONTINUOUS





It describes actions and situations, which are not finished at a particular
point in the past. We have no information about the exact starting and
finishing time.

USE
It is used to refer to longer situations, which are interrupted by
shorter actions.
Ex. While I was having a bath, the telephone rang.

It is used to refer to two or more longer actions happening at the
same time.
Ex. While I was chatting on the phone, the dinner was burning.

It is also used to emphasise how long the action continued.( Time is
more important than the action)
Ex. He was talking to a policeman for 2 hours. I began to get worry.















KEYWORDS: WHILE + past cont
WHEN+ past simple
AFFIRMATIVE
THEY TALKED / WENT

NEGATIVE
THEY DIDNT TALK/
GO

QUESTION
DID THEY TALK/ GO?

WAS / WERE VERB + ING
AFFIRMATIVE
I WAS WORKING
THEY WERE WORKING

NEGATIVE
I WASNT WORKING
THEY WERENT WORKING

QUESTION
WAS SHE WORKING?
WERE YOU WORKING?

FUTURE SIMPLE



USE
Future simple is used to express:
1. FUTURE FACT
Ex. She will be nine tomorrow
2. PREDICTION
Ex. That man will be a millionaire one of these days.
3. OPINION ABOUT THE FUTURE ( Especially after verbs like THINK,
EXPECT, SUPPOSE, DUOBT IF, and also after PROBABLY and
PERHAPS)
Ex. I expect we will be tired after the journey.
4. When we decide to do something at the moment of speaking.

NOTE: future of CAN = will be able to.
future of MUST = will have to










USE
We mainly use BE GOING TO to talk about FUTURE PLANS OR
INTENTIONS decided before the time of speaking.
Ex: They are going to leave tomorrow


WILL / WONT + INFINITIVE
AFFIRMATIVE
I WILL GO

NEGATIVE
I WONT GO

QUESTION
WILL I GO?

BE GOING TO + INFINITIVE
ABUELAS USE (when you have present evidence that something is
going to happen)
Ex: Look at the back clouds!!! It is going to rain.


PRESENT PERFECT







USE
It is used to refer to actions that started in the past and have
continued until the present ( they may be finished or not)
Ex. I have never eaten worms..
It is used to refer to actions that have just finished
Ex. I have just opened the window.
















KEYWORDS: already, still, yet, never, ever, just
FOR+ period of time
SINCE+ point in time


HAVE / HAS + p.p
AFFIRMATIVE
I HAVE WORKED
HE HAS WORKED

NEGATIVE
I HAVENT WORKED
HE HASNT WORKED

QUESTION
HAS SHE WORKED?
HAVE YOU WORKED?