1. Present Simple a) Form: Example: + She lives in Edinburgh
+ Subject + base form of verb + s* (if it is 3rd person singular) - Subject + don’t / doesn’t (if 3rd person singular) + base form of verb
- She doesn’t live in Edinburgh ? Does she live in Edinburgh?
? Do / Does (if 3rd person singular) + subject + base form of verb * For verbs ending in –s, -sh, -ch, -z, -x, -o, we have to add –es:
Wash – washes
kiss – kisses
go – goes
b) Uses - Usual actions, routines or things we do repeatedly. We often play tennis after school. - Universal truths (things that are always true – or that the speaker believes to be true) Water boils at 100 ºC. - Timetables. The train leaves at 19:50 this evening.
c) Time Expressions. Frequency Adverbs: - They are always placed before the main verb – except with the verb TO BE. In this case they follow the verb. Always – Siempre Often – A menudo Usually – habitualmente Sometimes – A veces Rarely – Rara vez Seldom/hardly ever – casi nunca Never - Nunca
Every +
Todos los/las
Day week month Year …
Dias Semanas meses Años …
Once Twice Three times Four times Five times
Una vez Dos veces Tres veces Cuatro veces Cinco veces
a
al a la
day week month year …
día semana mes año …
2.- Present Continuous a) Form Example:
+ Subject + am/is / are + verb+ing * - Subject + am not/isn’t/aren’t + verb+ing ? am/is / are + subject + verb+ing
+ She is reading a magazine - She isn’t reading a magazine ? Is she reading a magazine?
* Spelling rules: - Final –e is dropped when –ing is added: write – writing - Single final consonant preceded by stressed vowel is doubled: permit - permitting b) Uses -Actions in progress (unfinished) at the time of speaking. NOW
The action starts
The action finishes
- Repeated actions (usually with a sense of complaint). She is complaining all the time. - Changing states. He is getting better. - Future arrangements. John and I are going to the theatre this evening. c) Time Expressions. - Now ahora - At present en el presente, actualmente - In this moment, at the moment en este momento - Today hoy - This week/month… esta semana/mes…
Some verbs can’t be used in continuous tenses: Perception through the senses See Hear Smell
Mind activity Understand Know Believe Think
Personal tastes Like Love Hate Prefer
others Want Be Have
These verbs must be used in the present simple, or be used with a modal instead. I am seeing my house from here.
I can see my house from here.
3. Past simple a) Form: Example:
+ Subject + verb+ed* - Subject + didn’t + verb ? Did + subject + verb
+ She worked in a factory - She didn’t work in a factory ? Did she work in a factory?
* verb+ed Represents the verb + the past morpheme. With regular verbs, the past morpheme adds the suffix –ed to the verb. With irregular verbs, it causes a change in the form of the verb. Spelling rules for –ed ending:
- Verbs ending in –e drop it before –ed: move – moved - Verbs ending in consonant + y -ied: Bury – buried - Verbs ending in consonant + vowel + consonant double final consonant: Stop - stopped b) Uses
- Completed actions that happened at a specific time in the past. Susan went to the cinema
yesterday. If two or more actions are expressed, they are consecutive and chronologically expressed.
John opened the door, he entered the room and saw them playing video-games. NOW
Opened
entered
saw
c) Time Expressions.
Last
Week
One
hour(s)
- Yesterday
Month
Two
day(s)
- In 1452
Year
Three
week(s)
Weekend
Four
month(s)
Summer; winter, etc.
Five
year(s)
ago
- In the 15th century. …
4. Past Continuous a) Form:
+ Subject + was/were + verb - Subject wasn’t/weren’t + verb ? Was/Were + subject + verb
Example:
+ing
+ She was reading a magazine +ing
+ing
- She wasn’t reading a magazine ? Was she reading a magazine?
b) Uses -Actions in progress (unfinished) at a specific time in the past. He was doing his homework yesterday at 7 o’clock. Yesterday at 7 o’clock
The action starts
NOW
The action finishes
- Repeated actions in the past (usually with a sense of complaint). He was chatting all the time. - Descriptions. When we tell a story, we often describe the place where it takes place, the people who participate, the situation… For descriptions, the most commonly used tense is the past continuous.
It was a lovely day. The sun was shining bright and all the students were singing songs as the bus which was taking them to the museum drove smoothly along the speedway. c) Time Expressions. -Yesterday at 7 o’clock…
-WHEN + sentence with verb in the past simple:Susan was watching T.V. when Jack
arrived. Jack arrived
Susan started watching TV.
NOW
Susan stopped watching TV.
5.THE FUTURE a) Form
+ ¿
WILL Subject + will + verb (base form)
BE GOING TO Subject + am/is/are + going to + verb (base form)
Subject + won’t + verb (base form)
Subject + am not/isn’t/aren’t + going to + verb (base form)
Will + subject + verb (base form)
Am/Is/Are + subject + going to + verb (base form)
b) Uses Predictions
Plans or decisions
WILL
General predictions
Spontaneous decisions
BE GOING TO
Predictions based on present evidence
Previously made
Promises
Offers
-
-
c) Time Expressions
Next
Week
In the future
Month
In 2031
Year
In July, in August…
Summer, winter, … Christmas, …
6. Present Perfect Simple a) Form
+
Subject + have / has (if 3rd person singular) + verb past participle*
-
Subject + haven’t / hasn’t (if3rd person singular) + verb past participle
Example:
+ We have studied English - We haven’t studied English ? Have we studied English?
?
have / has (if 3rd person singular) + subject + verb past participle * past participle regular verbs = verb +ed ; Irregular verbs = 3rd column of list. b) Uses - Actions that started in the past and last up to the present. With time expressions 1 I have lived in Guildford for five years
- Past actions which have some kind of effect on the present situation. With time expressions 2 I have already called Joe.
- Actions that have happened in a very recent past. With time expressions 3 I have just seen Mary.
- Actions that happened at an unspecified time in the past. (if the past time is specified, we use the past simple) c) Time Expressions. 1 For + time span (periodo de tiempo)
2 Yet: always placed at the end of the sentence
Since + the time when the action started (el momento en que comenzó la acción)
In negative sentences todavía In interrogative sentences ya
I have lived in Guildford for five years I have lived in Guildford since 2007.
I haven’t finished my homework yet. No he terminado mis deberes todavía. Have you eaten breakfast yet? ¿Has desayunado ya?
Already: Always placed before the main verb In affirmatives ya I have already called Joe. Ya he llamado a Joe.
3 Just: Always placed before the main verb. I have just seen Mary. Acabo de ver a Mary
7. Present Perfect Continuous a) Form Example:
+ Subject + have / has (if 3rd person singular) + been + verb+ing - Subject + haven’t / hasn’t (if3rd person singular) + been + verb+ing ? have / has (if 3 person singular) + subject + been + verb+ing
+ They have been writing - They haven’t been writing ? Have they been writing?
rd
b) Uses - Actions that started in the past and last up to the present. We often indicate that the action is still happening. It is often translated as “llevar + gerund” in Spanish.
I have been playing chess all my life. LLevo jugando al ajedrez toda la vida.
C) Time Expressions For + time span (periodo de tiempo) Since + the time when the action started (el momento en que comenzó la acción) I have been living in Guildford for five years I have lbeen living in Guildford since 2007.
8. Past Perfect Simple a) Form
+ Subject + had + verb past participle - Subject + hadn’t + verb past participle ? Had + subject + verb past participle
Example:
+ We have studied English - We haven’t studied English ? Have we studied English?
b) Uses - Actions that happened before a definite time in the past. Susan had finished her
homework yesterday at 7 o’clock. Yesterday at 7 o’clock
NOW
Susan finished her homework These tense often combines with the past simple in subordinate time clauses. The action in the past perfect is always previous to the action in the past simple.
When Susan arrived, we had washed the dishes. Time clause
Once we had washed the dishes, Susan arrived. Time clause In both examples: We washed the dishes
Susan arrived NOW
c) Time Expressions Yet: always placed at the end of the sentence In negative sentences todavía In interrogative sentences ya I hadn’t finished my homework yet. No había terminado mis deberes todavía. Had you eaten breakfast yet? ¿Habías desayunado ya? Already: Always placed before the main verb In affirmatives ya I had already called Joe. Ya había llamado a Joe.
Just: Always placed before the main verb. I had just seen Mary. Acababa de ver a Mary
9. Past Perfect Continuous
a) Form Example:
+ Subject + had + been + verb+ing - Subject + hadn’t + been + verb+ing ? Had + subject + been + verb+ing
+ They had been sleeping - They hadn’t been sleeping ? Had they been sleeping?
b) Uses - Actions that started before at specific time in the past and that last up to that time. It is often translated as “llevaba/llevabas/llevaba/etc. + gerund” in Spanish.
I had been watching TV for 2 hours. LLevaba viendo la tele dos horas.
C) Time Expressions For + time span (periodo de tiempo) Since + the time when the action started (el momento en que comenzó la acción) I had been living in Edinburgh for five years I had been living in Edinburgh since 2007.
10. Future Continuous. a) Form Example:
+ Subject + will + be + verb+ing - Subject + won’t + be + verb+ing ? Will + subject + be + verb+ing
+ They will be working - They won’t be working ? Will they be working?
b) Uses -Actions that will be in progress (unfinished) at a specific time in the future. He will be doing his homework tomorrow at 7 o’clock. Tomorrow at 7 o’clock
NOW
The action starts
The action finishes
This tense often combines with a present simple, which states a simple action that will happen in the middle of the action in progress. He will be doing his homework when you phone him.
NOW
You phone him
The action starts
c) Time Expressions - Tomorrow at … - When + present simple.
The action finishes
11. Future Perfect a) Form
+ Subject + will + have + verb past participle - Subject + won’t + have + verb past participle ? Will + subject + have + verb past participle
Example:
+ We will have seen the film - We won’t have seen the film ? Will we have seen the film?
b) Uses - Actions that will happen before a definite time in the future. Susan will have finished her
homework tomorrow at 7 o’clock. Tomorrow at 7 o’clock
NOW
Susan will finish her homework These tense often combines with the present simple in subordinate time clauses. The action in the future perfect is always previous to the action in the present simple.
When Susan arrives, we will have washed the dishes. Time clause We will wash the dishes
c) Time Expressions - Tomorrow at … - When + present simple.
Susan will arrive NOW