GRAMMAR II - TENSES

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USES OF SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

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1. TO EXPRESS PERMANENT ACTIONS, TIMELESS ACTIONS OR ETERNAL TRUTHS.

Water freezes at 0° centigrade.

Two and two make four.

The Thames flows into the North Sea.

Oil floats on water.

All roads lead to Rome.

2. To express simple facts, abilities and continuous states.

A postman delivers letters and telegrams.

She works as a nurse.

She plays the piano.

I am twenty five years old.

They live in Cordoba.

3. To express habitual actions. The verb form indicates an established habit, a series of repeated events.

adverbs

of

frequency

She usually gets up at 7 A.M.

They never have lunch at work.

I sometimes go to bars with my friends.

You always read interesting novels.

He often walks in his neighbourhood.

4. to report a series of individual actions that have little or no duration.

Martin lets fly and... Emory has the ball. (Commentaries on the radio)

We add the eggs to the flour and then we bit everything together for five minutes. (Demonstrations)

Children from Newton Primary school demonstrate their gymnastic skills. (Captions or explanations on the newspaper/magazines)

5. To express future time reference. Future as a fact.

future time words

My birthday is tomorrow.

Next Christmas falls on a Monday.

Classes begin at 8 P.M.

The museum opens at ten tomorrow morning.

6. Historic present: to convey something of the dramatic immediacy of an eye-witness account.

John informs me you are getting your degree next month. (past communication)

PRESIDENT FLIES TO JAPAN. (newspaper headlines)

At that moment a messenger comes from the Head office telling me the boss wants to see me in a hurry. (narrative)

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USES OF PRESENT PROGRESSIVE TENSE

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1. TO INDICATE AN ACTIVITY IN PROGRESS AT THE VERY MOMENT OF SPEAKING.

at the moment, now, right now

A: What are you doing?

B: I'm sitting on the bus.

A: What?

B: The bus has broken down. We are waiting for another bus to come and take us to town.

A: Oh, no!

B: Yes. Some of the passengers are shouting angrily, but what can the driver do?

A: Is he talking to them?

B: No, he's reading a newspaper. Ah, here's the other bus. I'm getting on it now.

2. TO REFER TO AN ACTION THAT IS HABITUAL OR REPEATED, BUT FOR OR OVER A LIMITED PERIOD OF TIME.

We are getting up earlier these days because we have to get to the office at nine.

They are eating out this week because they are having their kitchen redecorated.

She is drinking tea without sugar this month, since she's on a diet.

adverbs of time (temporariness)

3. TO REFER TO AN ACTION THAT IS REPEATED FREQUENTLY. THERE'S USUALLY ANNOYANCE, IRRITATION, OR DISAPPROVAL ON THE PART OF THE SPEAKER.

He is always calling me at the oddest hours to ask some silly questions.

The children are forever quarrelling.

She is always trying to show that she knows more than everyone else.

He is constantly teasing his sister. I wish he wouldn't do that!

adverbs of frequency: reinforce repetition

4. TO EXPRESS CHANGING SITUATIONS OR STATES DEVELOPING INTO OTHER STATES. THE VERB INDICATES "INCREASE" OR "DECREASE" IN THE ACTIVITY.

He will soon get his degree. He is studying harder and harder.

I hope he doesn't have an accident. He is driving faster and faster.

I'm forgetting my English little by little.

More and more forests are disappearing because of fire.

Comparative

adverbials/adjectives or quantifiers

5. TO INDICATE AN ACTIVITY WHICH HAS BEEN ARRANGED FOR THE NEAR FUTURE.

future time words

I'm coming back in a few minutes.

We are moving into a new flat next week.

Sam is leaving at noon tomorrow.

John is phoning later to let us know his arrival time.

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USES OF SIMPLE PAST TENSE

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1. TO REFER TO AN ACTION OR STATE IN THE PAST WITHOUT ANY CONNECTION WITH THE PRESENT.

Last night we ate dinner in that Italian restaurant you like so much.

I went to the cinema yesterday.

She sat for her last exam two days ago.

adverbs of time

2. TO INDICATE A PERIOD OF PAST TIME.

She studied music while she was in Paris.

He drove along the motorway for two hours.

The Greens lived in Ireland during the war.

Adverbs of time

3. TO EXPRESS PAST HABITS OR STATES THAT ARE NOW FINISHED.

He never drove faster than the speed limit.

He was furious every time he got a parking ticket.

I used to work from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

4. TO EXPRESS HYPOTHETICAL MEANING.

It's high time we left.

I wish you stopped talking.

If you loved me, you wouldn't have done such a thing.

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USES OF PAST PROGRESSIVE TENSE

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1. TO EXPRESS A SINGLE ACTIVITY IN PROGRESS IN THE PAST.

It was raining hard.

The children were playing football.

We were studying English.

She was watching TV.

2. TO INDICATE THAT AN ACTION WAS REPEATED (BUT NOT PERMANENT) OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.

I was walking to the office that week.

She was eating only one meal a day those days.

I thought John was much better; he was gaining strength.

3. TO INDICATE REPEATED AND SPORADIC PAST ACTIONS THAT SHOW ANNOYANCE, IRRITATION, DISAPPROVAL ON THE PART OF THE SPEAKER.

adverbs of frequency: repetition

She was always borrowing my books.

They were all the time telling lies.

He was always catching colds as a child.

They were always turning up without having been invited.

4. TO GIVE A DESCRIPTIVE BACKGROUND TO A NARRATIVE.

It was raining when we left Orleans. Because the roads were wet I drove quite slowly even though everyone else was driving at their usual speed. Just outside Amboise we had to stop because of an accident. A crowd of people were standing at the roadside and the police were taking statements from them...

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USES OF PRESENT PERFECT TENSE.

IT RELATES THE PAST AND THE PRESENT.

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1. TO REFER TO AN ACTIVITY/STATE WHICH BEGINS IN THE PAST AND CONTINUES UP TO THE MOMENT OF SPEAKING. tHE ACTION HASN'T FINISHED YET.

I have lived in Scotland since 1980/since I got married/for five years/so far.

Paul has lived in his hometown up to now/until now/up to the present/for ten years now/for the past few years/ever since he was a child/all his life.

unfinished action

for: a period of time

since: a point of time

2. A HABIT OR REPEATED EVENT IN A PERIOD OF TIME LEADING UP TO THE PRESENT.

Jane has usually had lunch at the hospital so far.

She has often worked at night until now.

I have always been very superstitious.

Daniel has never loved the hotel business.

The province has suffered from disastrous floods throughout its history.

3. TO EXPRESS AN ACTION THAT BEGAN AND FINISHED IN THE PAST. THE TIME ISN'T SPECIFIED AT ALL. FOCUS: PRESENT RESULTS.

finished action

I've finished my work. (Now I can sit and rest)

Dave looks upset - has he received bad news or something?

You're very tanned! Have you been on holiday?

I have lost my glasses. (Now, I can't see well)

John has saved $70,000. (Now he can buy a new fridge)

4. TO INDICATE AN ACTIVITY COMPLETED IN THE IMMEDIATE, RECENT, INDEFINITE PAST TIME.

I have just had lunch.

I have recently finished working.

Has she been to the cinema lately?

just

recently

lately

recent

actions

5. TO REFER TO AN ACTION THAT HAPPENED (OR NOT) BEFORE NOW, AT AN INDEFINITE, UNSPECIFIED TIME IN THE PAST.

Have you ever been to the United States? (ever: any time up to now)

I have never phoned my father. (never: no time up to now)

Have you had breakfast already? (already: surprise or when something happened sooner than expected)

I have already had breakfast. (already: something happened before the present moment in time)

I haven't had lunch yet. (yet: up until now; by a particular time; not in a period of time between before now and now)

Have you received a telegram yet? (yet: something happened before the present moment in time)

6. TO DENOTE AN ACTION THAT WAS COMPLETED DURING A PRESENT INCOMPLETE PERIOD OF TIME.

adverbials of time

He has grown over two inches in the past six months.

The value of this house has doubled over the past two years.

We have done very little today.

I haven't seen John this week.

She has received three e-mails this morning.

7. TO TALK ABOUT A SPECIFIC NUMBER OF TIMES WE HAVE COMPLETED OR DONE SOMETHING IN THE PAST.

I have read a hundred pages of this book.

I have smoked ten cigarettes.

She has visited Peru only once.

They have failed their driving test six times.

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USES OF PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE TENSE

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1. TO INDICATE AN ACTIVITY WHICH STARTED IN THE PAST AND IS STILL IN PROGRESS AT THE TIME OF SPEAKING.

He has been studying French for two years.

They have been eating vegetables for the last five years.

Now, wake up and get out of bed immediately. You have been sleeping for ten hours.

2. TO INDICATE A (TEMPORARY) HABIT WHICH STARTED IN THE PAST AND HAS CONTINUED UP TO THE PRESENT.

He has been visiting his mother on Mondays this month.

Lucy has been walking to work this week.

Sue has always been collecting stamps.

temporariness

3. TO EXPRESS A COMPLETE ACTION THAT HAS BEEN IN PROGRESS DURING A PRESENT INCOMPLETE PERIOD OF TIME.

It has been raining all morning.

She has been working a lot today.

I have been working in the garden all day.

4. TO EXPRESS AN ACTION THAT STARTED IN THE PAST AND LASTED FOR SOME TIME.

You have been fighting again. (I can tell that from your black eye)

Look! The ground is white. It has been snowing!

Have you been crying? (Your eyes are red)

results/effects still apparent

5. TO EXPRESS ANGER, ANNOYANCE, IRRITATION, OR TO DEMAND AN EXPLANATION.

What have you been doing all day?

What has she been doing in my bedroom?

Who has been reading my business papers?

Who has been using my toothbrush?

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USES OF PAST PERFECT TENSE

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1. TO REFER TO A PAST ACTION PREVIOUS TO ANOTHER PAST ACTION OR STATED TIME IN THE PAST.

She had begun her studies when I met her.

He had already done his homework when he left.

Jack waited until he had completed his university studies before he began working in his father's office.

2. TO DENOTE AN INCOMPLETE PAST ACTION THAT HAD STARTED BEFORE ANOTHER PAST ACTION AND HAS LASTED FOR SOME TIME.

He had been unconscious for several hours when we found him.

Her body had laid over there since very early in the morning.

3. TO EXPRESS AN ACTION WHICH HAD STARTED AND FINISHED IN THE PAST AND WHOSE RESULTS WERE VISIBLE IN THE PAST.

Bill had injured his legs in a car accident, so he had to use a wheelchair for six months.

In her youth, my aunt had lived in Italy for five years; that's why she spoke Italian so well.

results in the past

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uses of past perfect progressive tense

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1. to put emphasis on the duration of an action which started in the past and finished in the past before another past action or stated time in the past.

She had been practising for a long time before she entered the competition.

He had been waiting long before she arrived.

When the patient regained consciousness, he had been lying in a coma for more than two years.

He had been driving for twenty years when he had his first car accident.

2. REsultative past in the past: to express an action which lasted for some time in the past and whose duration caused visible results later on in the past.

Tommy had been playing in the mud all the afternoon, so he dirtied all his clothes.

She had been shouting all day, so that night she couldn't speak.

The children were exhausted because they had been playing football all morning.

I had been working so hard all morning that I was quite hungry by the time lunch was ready.

future

progressive

simple

future

future

perfect

future perfect progressive

be going

to form

Simple future: will

1. to talk about something that has been planned.

We will study the meanings and the uses of verb tenses tomorrow.

Where will you stay in Berlin?

As soon as we arrive in Paris, we will visit the Louvre Museum.

Simple future: will

2. to tell about an action, state or event that is definitely going to happen in the future.

I will be eighteen next month.

There's no doubt that another earthquake will hit San Francisco in the future. The only question is when.

One day I will die.

Simple future: will

3. to express general predictions about the future based on opinion or experience.

Tomorrow's weather will be cold and cloudy.

You will feel better after taking this medicine.

The shops will be really busy on Saturday.

You will feel hungry after all that exercise.

Simple future: will

4. to express "on-the-spot decisions", decisions that we make at the time of speaking.

There's Sonia. I'll go and talk to her.

I'm tired. I think I'll stay in this evening.

A: I can't hear well.

B: I'll close the door.

Simple future: will

5. to express promises, threats, warnings, hopes, fears, invitations, refusal or willingness.

I promise I will be punctual next time.

I swear I will not do it again.

Stop making so much noise, or the neighbours will get angry.

I'm afraid the doctor will not be able to see you today.

Simple future: will

6. to express request and offers.

A: I don't understand this exercise. Will you help me?

B: Yes, of course; I will explain it to you in a minute.

A: I'm sorry, but I can't finish this for tomorrow.

B: Don't worry; I'll help you.

A: I'll take you to the airport tomorrow.

B: Oh, thank you!

FUTURE PROGRESSIVE: WILL BE -ING

1. TO INDICATE AN ACTION THAT WILL BE TAKING PLACE, IN PROGRESS, AT A CERTAIN, STATED TIME IN THE FUTURE.

That was such an unexpected upset that all true sports fans will be discussing it for years.

I will be travelling to London when you wake up tomorrow.

This time tomorrow I will be leaving home.

FUTURE PROGRESSIVE: WILL BE -ING

2. TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WILL DEFINITELY HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE AS A RESULT OF A ROUTINE OR AN ARRANGEMENT.

I will be visiting you tomorrow morning as usual.

Dr Jones will be giving the same talk in 103 at 10.00 next Friday.

According to the schedule, we will be having classes at 09:30 tomorrow.

Don't phone him at nine; he will be having dinner at that time.

FUTURE PROGRESSIVE: WILL BE -ING

3. TO REFER TO THE PRESENT, WHEN WE ARE GUESSING ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE DOING.

Peter and Tom will be lying on the beach in Mexico at the moment.

I bet they will be having a good time now that it's hot.

They'll probably be staying at an expensive hotel somewhere.

FUTURE PERFECT: WILL HAVE p.participle

to refer to an action that will have been completed prior to or by a certain time in the future. emphasis on the completion of the action and on its consequences.

I will have finished grading the papers before 4.00 p.m.

This coming January we will have been married for 30 years.

By Monday night, I will have flown to Spain.

By the time the twenty-first century comes to an end, many unimaginable changes will have taken place in the world.

future perfect progressive: will have been -ing

to refer to an action that began before a certain future time, but will not have been completed by then. emphasis on duration and incompleteness.

By the end of the year, they will have been working on that project for ten months.

By next February, he will have been researching into that subject during a year.

We will have been living here for two years in July.

be going to form

1. to express future fulfillment of a present intention/plan/ambition.

They are going to decontaminate the lake.

I'm going to study psychology next year.

Sarah is going to move from her house next year.

be going to form

2. to express future fulfillment of a present cause. there is evidence that something will happen in the near future.

She is going to have another baby. (She is pregnant)

I think I'm going to faint. (I'm not feeling well)

There is going to be a storm in a minute. (I can see black clouds gathering)