VERB TENSES

SIMPLE PAST

- An action that began and ended at a particular time in the past. - An action that occurred over a period of time but was completed in the past. - An activity that look place regularly in the past. We use the Simple Past to talk about:

Action that started in the past. -I lost my wallet yesterday. -she didn't sleep well last night.

Action that happened one after the other in the past. -He woke up got out of bed and took a shower. -I put on my coat, picked up my bag and left the house.

Action that were repeated or were habits in the past. -Her grandfather made wooden toys.

-Did they have CDs in the year 1960?

STRUCTURE OF SIMPLE PAST.

Affirmative: subject +verb (past form) +complement Negative: subject + aux. verb (past form) +not + main verb (present form) Interrogative: Aux.verb (past form) + subject + main verb (present form) +? Examples. Affirmative: I ran yesterday. Negative: She didn’t run yesterday. Interrogative: Did he run yesterday?

TIME EXPRESSIONS WITH THE SIMPLE PAST.

A week ago last summer A month ago last year

A year ago on Saturday In January on August 4th In 1998 the day before yesterday In my youth the other day Last night when I was five years old Last week yesterday.

PAST PERFECT.

- A past action that occurred before another past action. - An action that was expected to occur in the past. We use the past perfect to talk about:

Something that happened in the past before another action in the past.

For the action that happened first, we use the past perfect. For the action that happened second, we use the Simple Past. - The fire had gone out before the firefighters got there.

Something that happened before a specific time in the past. - They had all left by midnight.

Something that happened in the past and had an effect on a following action or state.

-He had forgotten his wallet, so he borrowed some money from me.

STRUCTURE OF PAST PERFECT

Affirmative: subject + aux. verb have (past form) + main verb Negative: subject + aux. verb have (past form) + not + main verb Interrogative: aux. verb have (past form) + subject + main verb (past participle) +? Examples: I had never seen such a beautiful beach before I went to Kauai. I did not have any money because I had lost my wallet. Had Susan ever studied Thai before she moved to Thailand?

TIME EXPRESSIONS WITH THE PAST PERFECT.

After Just

Already By (a time or date) Never..... before

As soon as

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS.

- An action that occurred before another past action. - An action that was expected to occur in the past. We use the Past Perfect Continuous to shoe that:

One action in the past lasted a long time before another past action. -The baby had been crying for hour before her mother came home.

One action that lasted a long time in the past had an effect on a following action or state. -She had been training all morning, so she was exhausted when she got home.

STRUCTURE OF PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Affirmative: subject + aux. verb have (past form) + aux. verb be (past participle) + main verb-ing form (present participle) Negative: subject + aux. verb have (past form) + not + aux. verb be (past participle) + main verb –ing form (present participle) Interrogative: aux. verb have (past form) + subject + aux. verb be (past participle) + main verb –ing (present participle)

Examples: She had been losing weight for months before she found out. We had not been waiting for hours before the theater opened. Had they been studying for five hours?

SIMPLE PRESENT.

- A present state of affairs - A general fact - Habitual actions - Future timetables. We use the Simple Present to talk about:

Habits. -He often goes to the movies. -I walk in the park every day.

General truths. -Water boils at 212° F(100°C) - We make oil from olives.

Permanent situations in the present. -They live in Boston.

-She teaches history and geography.

STRUCTURE OF SIMPLE PRESENT.

Affirmative: subject + base verb + object Negative: subject + aux. verb Do/be + not + base verb + object Interrogative: aux. verb do/be + subject + verb + object Examples: I dance hip-hop music. I don’t know the answer. Am I like vegetables? Do I go to the school every day?

TIME EXPRESSIONS WITH SIMPLE PRESENT.

Every day in the morning Every week in the afternoon Every month in the evening Every year three times a day Every summer once a week On Mondays twice a month In June three times a year.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS.

- A specific action that is occurring. - A general activity that takes place over a period of time. - Future arrangements. We use the Present Continuous to talk about:

Things that are happening at the time of speaking. -She is watching TV now. - I am reading a book.

Things that are happening, but not necessarily at the exact time we are speaking.

-We're studying Italian this year. -She's working this summer. Two contractions of be are possible for negative forms with you, he, she, it, we and they. You aren't working. You're not working. He isn't working. He's not working. She isn't working. She's not working. We aren't working we're not working.

STRUCTURE OF PRESENT CONTINUOUS.

Affirmative: subject + aux. verb be (present form) + main verb –ing form Negative: subject + aux. verb be (present form) + main verb –ing form Interrogative: aux. verb be (present form) + subject + main verb –ing form Examples: You are doing the homework now. I am drinking water. You aren’t dancing now. I am not standing. Are you studying? Why aren't you doing your homework?

TIME EXPRESSIONS WITH PRESENT CONTINUOUS

Today this afternoon At the moment this week Now this month Right now this year This morning

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS.

- An action that began in the past and has just recently ended. - An action that began in the past and continues in the present. - An action repeated over a period of time in the past and continuing in the present. - A general action recently in progress (no particular time is mentioned) The present perfect Continuous or progressive expresses an action that recently stopped or is still going on. It puts emphasis on the duration or course of the action.

STRUCTURE OF PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOS.

Affirmative: subject + aux. verb have (present) + aux. verb be (past participle) + main verb –ing (present participle) Negative: subject + aux. verb have (present) + not + aux. verb be (past participle) + main verb –ing (present participle) Interrogative: aux. verb have (present) + subject + aux. verb be (past participle) + main verb –ing (present participle). Examples: They have been talking for over an hour before Robert arrived. He has been working at that company for three years when it went out of business. He hasn’t been standing all day at work. We have not been playing football. How long have you been waiting to get on the bus? Has he been doing his homework?

TIME EXPRESSIONS PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS.

All day for 4 years Since 1993 how long? The whole week

FUTURE TENSE.

Simple Future has two different forms in English: "will" and "be going to." Although the two forms can sometimes be used interchangeably, they often express two very different meanings. These different meanings might seem too abstract at first, but with time and practice, the differences will become clear. Both "will" and "be going to" refer to a specific time in the future.

FUTURE WILL

-Making a decision at the time of speaking. - predicting an event that is likely to happen in the future. - indicating willingness to do something.

STRUCTURE OF FUTURE WILL.

Affirmative: subject + aux. verb will (simple form) + main verb (simple form) Negative: subject + aux. verb will (simple form) + not + main verb (simple form) Interrogative: aux. verb will (simple form) + subject + main verb (simple form) Examples: I will open the door She will not be at school tomorrow Will they want dinner?

FUTURE GOING TO

- Expressing a future intent based on a decision made in the past. - predicting an event that is likely to happen in the future. - predicting an event that is likely to happen based on the present condition.

STRUCTURE OF FUTURE GOING TO.

Affirmative: subject + aux verb be (present) + going to + main verb Negative: subject + aux verb be (present) + not + going to + main verb Interrogative: aux. verb be (present) + subject + going to + main verb

Examples: You are going to meet Jane tonight. You are not going to meet Jane tonight Are you going to meet Jane tonight?

FUTURE CONTINUOUS.

- An action that will be ongoing at a particular time in the future. - Future actions which have already been decided. Future Continuous has two different forms: "will be doing "and "be going to be doing''

[WILL BE + PRESENT PARTICIPLE]

STRUCTURE OF FUTURE CONTINUOUS.

Affirmative: subject + aux. verb will + aux. verb be + main verb –ing form Negative: subject + aux. verb will + not + aux. verb be + main verb –ing Interrogative: aux. verb will + subject + aux. verb be + main verb –ing Examples: I will be playing tennis at 10am tomorrow They won’t be watching TV tonight Will you be doing your homework today?

[AM/IS/ARE + GOING TO BE + PRESENT PARTICIPLE]

STRUCTURE OF FUTURE CONTINUOUS

Affirmative: subject + aux. verb be (am, are, is) + going to be+ main verb – ing form Negative: subject + aux. verb be (am, are, is) + not + going to be + main verb –ing Interrogative: aux. verb be (am, are, is) + subject + going to be + main verb –ing Examples: I am going to be studying and he is going to be making dinner. You are not going to be waiting for her all night. Is he going to be walking all the morning?

FUTURE PERFECT.

- An action that will be completed before a particular time in the future. Future Perfect has two different forms: "will have done" and "be going to have done."

[WILL HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE]

STRUCTURE OF FUTURE PERFECT (WILL HAVE)

Affirmative: subject + aux. verb will + aux. verb have + main verb (past participle) Negative: subject + aux verb will + not + aux. verb be + main verb (past participle) Interrogative: aux. verb will + subject + aux. verb have + main verb (p.participle) +?

Examples. I will have finished by 10am She will not has gone to school Will you have arrived?

[AM/IS/ARE + GOING TO HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE]

STRUCTURE OF FUTURE PERFECT (GOING TO HAVE)

Affirmative: subject + aux. verb be + going to have + main verb (past participle) Negative: subject + aux verb be + not + going to have + main verb (past participle) Interrogative: aux. verb be + subject + going to have + main verb (p.participle) +? Examples. The party is going to have ended by the time you finish work. I am not going to have eaten before we meet. Am I going to have worked until midnight?

FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS.

- Emphazing the length of time that has occurred before a specific time in the future. - Future Perfect Continuous has two different forms: "will have been doing " and "be going to have been doing." We use the Future Perfect Continuous to show that something will continue up until a particular event or time in the future. "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and "since Friday" are all durations which can be used with the Future Perfect Continuous. Notice that this is related to the Present Perfect Continuous and the Past Perfect Continuous; however, with Future Perfect Continuous, the duration stops at or before a reference point in the future.

[WILL HAVE BEEN + PRESENT PARTICIPLE]

STRUCTURE OF FUTURE PERFECT (WILL HAVE BEEN)

Affirmative: subject + aux. verb will + aux. verb have + aux. verb be (past participle) + main verb – ing Negative: subject + aux verb will + not + aux. verb have + aux. verb be (past participle) + main verb –ing form Interrogative: aux. verb will + subject + aux. verb have + aux. verb be (past participle) + main verb +? Examples. I will have been working for three hours She will not has been driving the car Will you have been watching TV?

[AM/IS/ARE + GOING TO HAVE BEEN + PRESENT PARTICIPLE]

STRUCTURE OF FUTURE PERFECT (WILL HAVE BEEN)

Affirmative: subject + aux. verb be + going to have been + main verb (past participle) Negative: subject + aux verb be + not + going to have been + main verb (past participle) Interrogative: aux. verb be + subject + going to have been + main verb (past participle) +?

MODAL AUXILIARY

Other helping verbs, called modal auxiliaries or modals, such as can, could, may, might, must, ought to, shall, should, will, and would, do not change form for different subjects. For instance, try substituting any of these modal auxiliaries for can with any of the subjects listed below.

USES OF CAN AND COULD

THE MODAL AUXILIARY CAN IS USED

to express ability (in the sense of being able to do something or knowing how to do something):

He can speak Spanish but he can't write it very well.

to expression permission (in the sense of being allowed or permitted to do something):

Can I talk to my friends in the library waiting room? (Note that can is less formal than may. Also, some writers will object to the use of can in this context.)

to express theoretical possibility: American automobile makers can make better cars if they think there's a profit in it.

THE MODAL AUXILIARY COULD IS USED

to express an ability in the past: I could always beat you at tennis when we were kids.

to express past or future permission: Could I bury my cat in your back yard?

to express present possibility: We could always spend the afternoon just sitting around talking.

to express possibility or ability in contingent circumstances: If he studied harder, he could pass this course. In expressing ability, can and could frequently also imply willingness: Can you help me with my homework?

CAN VERSUS MAY

Whether the auxiliary verb can be used to express permission or not — "Can I leave the room now?" ["I don't know if you can, but you may."] — depends on the level of formality of your text or situation. As Theodore Bernstein puts it in The Careful Writer, " a writer who is attentive to the proprieties will preserve the traditional distinction: can for ability or power to do something, may for permission to do it. The question is at what level you can safely ignore the "proprieties." Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, tenth edition, says the battle is over and can can be used in virtually any situation to express or ask for permission. Most authorities, however, recommend a stricter adherence to the distinction, at least in formal situations.

USES OF MAY AND MIGHT

Two of the more troublesome modal auxiliaries are may and might. When used in the context of granting or seeking permission, might is the past tense of may. Might is considerably more tentative than may.

May I leave class early?

If I've finished all my work and I'm really quiet, might I leave early?

In the context of expressing possibility, may and might are interchangeable present and future forms and might + have + past participle is the past form:

She might be my advisor next semester.

She may be my advisor next semester.

She might have advised me not to take biology. Avoid confusing the sense of possibility in may with the implication of might that a hypothetical situation has not in fact occurred. For instance, let's say there's been a helicopter crash at the airport. In his initial report, before all the facts are gathered, a newscaster could say that the pilot "may have been injured." After we discover that the pilot is in fact all right, the newscaster can now say that the pilot "might have been injured" because it is a hypothetical situation that has not occurred. Another example: a body had been identified after much work by a detective. It was reported that "without this painstaking work, the body may have remained unidentified." Since the body was, in fact, identified, might is clearly called for.

USES OF WILL AND WOULD

In certain contexts, will and would are virtually interchangeable, but there are differences. Notice that the contracted form will is very frequently used for will. Will can be used to express willingness:

I'll wash the dishes if you dry.

We're going to the movies. Will you join us? It can also express intention (especially in the first person):

I'll do my exercises later on.

Specific: The meeting will be over soon.

Timeless: Humidity will ruin my hairdo.

Habitual: The river will overflow its banks every spring. Would can also be used to express willingness:

Would you please take off your hat?

It can also express insistence (rather rare, and with a strong stress on the word "would"):

Now you've ruined everything. You would act that way. and characteristic activity:

Customary: After work, he would walk to his home in West Hartford.

Typical (casual): She would cause the whole family to be late, every time. In a main clause, would can express a hypothetical meaning:

My cocker spaniel would weigh a ton if I let her eat what she wants. Finally, would can express a sense of probability:

I hear a whistle. That would be the five o'clock train.

USED TO.

The auxiliary verb construction used to is used to express an action that took place in the past, perhaps customarily, but now that action no longer customarily takes place:

We used to take long vacation trips with the whole family. The spelling of this verb is a problem for some people because the "-ed" ending quite naturally disappears in speaking: "We yoostoo take long trips." But it ought not to disappear in writing. There are exceptions, though. When the auxiliary is combined with another auxiliary, did, the past tense is carried by the new auxiliary and the "-ed" ending is dropped. This will often happen in the interrogative:

Didn't you use to go jogging every morning before breakfast?

It didn't use to be that way. Used to can also be used to convey the sense of being accustomed to or familiar

with something:

The tire factory down the road really stinks, but we're used to it by now.

I like these old sneakers; I'm used to them. Used to is best reserved for colloquial usage; it has no place in formal or academic text.

WH QUESTIONS: Question Answer Example

What Thing What is that?

When Time When is the game?

Who Person Who do you live with?

Where Place Where do you live?

Why Reason Why are you happy?

How Directions/Feelings How are you?

STRUCTURE

WH questions in simple present use “do” or “be”:

WH Questions with "do"

WH + DO/DOES + SUBJECT + VERB

Examples:

* Where do you work?

* When does she wake up?

* Who is your brother?

WH Questions with "be"

WH + BE + SUBJECT

Examples:

* Where are you from?

* Who is that man?

* When is your class?

WH Questions are similar to YES/NO questions except they

have WH words at the start.

Examples:

Are you from Canada?

* Where are you from?

Here are some example questions and answers:

* Where are you from?

* I am from Japan.

* What is your name? * My name is Jacob.