30-11-2012, 05:31 PM
English Grammar Secrets
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Present simple
We use the present simple to talk about actions we see as long term or permanent. It is a
very common and very important tense.
Here, we are talking about regular actions or events.
• They drive to the office every day.
• She doesn't come here very often.
• The news usually starts at 6.00 every evening.
• Do you usually have bacon and eggs for breakfast?
Here, we are talking about facts.
• We have two children.
• Water freezes at 0° C or 32° F.
• What does this expression mean?
• The Thames flows through London.
Here, we are talking about future facts, usually found in a timetable or a chart.
• Christmas Day falls on a Monday this year.
• The plane leaves at 5.00 tomorrow morning.
• Ramadan doesn't start for another 3 weeks.
• Does the class begin at 10 or 11 this week?
Here, we are talking about our thoughts and feelings at the time of speaking. Although
these feelings can be short-term, we use the present simple and not the present
continuous.
• They don't ever agree with us.
• I think you are right.
• She doesn't want you to do it.
• Do you understand what I am trying to say.
Copyright Pearson Brown and Caroline Brown 2010 You may give copies of this ebook to your friends, colleagues and students
www.englishgrammarsecrets.com page 6 of 66
Present simple or continuous
The Present Simple is used for:
• regular actions or events
He plays tennis most weekends.
• facts
The sun rises in the east.
• facts known about the future
We leave at 8.30 next Monday
• thoughts and feelings about the time of speaking
I don't feel very well.
The Present Continuous is used for:
• the time of speaking ('now')
Shh, I'm trying to hear what they are saying .
• things which are true at the moment but not always
We're looking for a new flat.
• present plans for the future
We're having dinner with them next week .
Look at these examples :
• I don't usually have cereals for breakfast but I'm having some this
morning because there is nothing else.
• I often cycle to work but I'm taking the car this morning because it's
raining very hard.
• I'm thinking about having my hair cut short but I don't think my
husband will be very happy about it.
• My parents live in Washington but I'm just visiting.
Note how, in all these examples, we use the present continuous to talk about events
which are temporary/limited in time and the present simple to talk about events which
are habits/permanent.
Copyright Pearson Brown and Caroline Brown 2010 You may give copies of this ebook to your friends, colleagues and students
www.englishgrammarsecrets.com page 7 of 66
Past simple
We use the past simple to talk about actions and states which we see as completed in the
past.
We can use it to talk about a specific point in time.
• She came back last Friday.
• I saw her in the street.
• They didn't agree to the deal.
It can also be used to talk about a period of time.
• She lived in Tokyo for seven years.
• They were in London from Monday to Thursday of last week.
• When I was living in New York, I went to all the art exhibitions I could.
You will often find the past simple used with time expressions such as these:
• Yesterday
• three weeks ago
• last year
• in 2002
• from March to June
• for a long time
• for 6 weeks
• in the 1980s
• in the last century
• in the past
Copyright Pearson Brown and Caroline Brown 2010 You may give copies of this ebook to your friends, colleagues and students
www.englishgrammarsecrets.com page 8 of 66
Past continuous
We use the past simple to talk about actions and states which we see as completed in the
past.
We can use it to talk about a specific point in time.
We use the past continuous to talk about past events which went on for a period of time.
We use it when we want to emphasize the continuing process of an activity or the period
of that activity. (If we just want to talk about the past event as a simple fact, we use the
past simple.)
• While I was driving home, Peter was trying desperately to contact me.
• Were you expecting any visitors?
• Sorry, were you sleeping?
• I was just making some coffee.
• I was thinking about him last night.
• In the 1990s few people were using mobile phones.
We often use it to describe a "background action" when something else happened.
• I was walking in the street when I suddenly fell over.
• She was talking to me on the phone and it suddenly went dead.
• They were still waiting for the plane when I spoke to them.
• The company was declining rapidly before he took charge.
• We were just talking about it before you arrived.
• I was making a presentation in front of 500 people when the microphone stopped
working.