1. PRESENT SIMPLE – PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Present Simple:
Adverbs
or expressions of frequency, days of the week.
STATIVE VERBS - CATEGORIES: 1.
Emotions and feelings: LOVE, LIKE, DISLIKE, HATE, HOPE, PREFER, WANT. 2. Thought and opinion: THINK, BELIEVE,
FORGET, KNOW, REMEMBER, UNDERSTAND, (DIS)AGREE, MEAN, RECOGNISE, REALISE, SEEM,
SUPPOSE. 3. Perception and senses:
SEE, HEAR, FEEL, SMELL, TASTE, SOUND, TOUCH. 4. Possession: HAVE, OWN, BELONG. 5. Prices and measures: COST, MEASURE, WEIGH
Present Continuous: now, right now, at the moment // this … these + time expression (this
week, these days)// nowadays, currently, at present // next …, today, tonight,
tomorrow (Present Continuous with
future meaning)// With expressions like Look!,
Listen!
2. PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE (have – has + v-ed/ 3rd column) – PRESENT
PERFECT CONTINUOUS (have – has been + v-ing)
P.P. Simple:
- To talk about quantity: “How much?/How many?”
Example: I have attended 5 yoga classes.
- We also use the Present Perfect Simple with "stative verbs", “be” and “have”.
Example: I have been to London very often.
- When we indicate the result of something.
Example: As a result, I have studied English.
P.P. Continuous: Emphasis on time: “How long?”.
- Particles to measure time: “For”, “Since”
Example: I have been living here for five years.
- Repetitive actions: Focus on continuity.
Example: I have been going to
clases since I left college (focus on time not number of classes).
What has been here stated can also be applied to the contrast between the PAST PERFECT SIMPLE (HAD /
HADN’T + V-ED/3RD COLUMN) and the PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS (HAD/HADN’T BEEN +
V-ING).
3. PAST SIMPLE – PAST CONTINUOUS
Contrast in a sentence:
When + Simple Past, Past Continuous: When Mary came in, I was watching TV.
While / As + Past Continuous, Past Simple: As/While he was driving, he suddenly saw a car crash.
Two actions expressed in the Simple Past: (acciones
concatenadas). I watched TV and then I went to bed.
Two actions expressed in the Past Continuous: (acciones simultáneas):
While I was cooking, he was watching TV.
It was so unfair!.
Past Simple
(one simple clause):
Yesterday, last night, ago, past years / decades
(e.g.: in the 80s) / centuries (e.g.: in the 19th century).
Past
Continuous (one simple clause):
Yesterday/last ….. at + hour // all day yesterday
4. PAST PERFECT (former action) - PAST SIMPLE (latter action)
Contrast in a sentence:
- Past Perfect/ Past Simple:
After + Past Perfect: After
I had written the e-mail, I turned off the computer.
“I regretted
/ was sorry that” + Past Perfect: I
regretted / was sorry that I had been rude to him.
……. because + Past Perfect: I apologized because I had been rude to him.
- Past Simple/ Past Perfect:
Before / By the time + Past Simple: Before I turned off the computer, I had
written the e-mail.
……….until + Past Simple: I hadn’t spoken in English until I went to
England.
Time expressions:
Before / By (the time) / When / Until + Past Simple.
After / As soon as + Past Perfect.
5. PAST SIMPLE OR PRESENT PERFECT?
Past Simple (one simple clause): Definite time
in the past.
Yesterday, last …, ……ago, in + past year/century.
Present Perfect (one simple clause): Indefinite time in the past. Actions beginning in the
past and continuing up to now, repetitive actions, personal experience.
Time expressions:
So far, over the years, lately, recently, in the last…, before.
Ever, just, already (affirmative), yet
(negative, interrogative) / For, since.
6. FUTURE TENSES
Future Simple (will): Predictions
(no evidence), far in time (+ one year), spontaneous decisions.
Examples: I
hope – I suppose – I think – I promise – I imagine - I am sure/certain that…
Future “be going to”: Predictions
(evidence), ± within a year, planned actions / intentions.
Examples:
I’ve decided / planned…
Future perfect: Will have + V-ed/ 3rd column. A COMPLETED action at a certain future time.
By this
time, by the end, in two years,...
Future continuous: Will
be +V-ing. Action IN PROGRESS at a certain future time.
(At)
this time …, in the next decades, for the next weeks, Next X (day) between (time) and (time)…
