PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

Past Continuous Tense is used to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted. The interruption is usually a shorter action in the Simple Past. Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption in time.

Examples:

1. I was watching TV when she called.

2. When the phone rang, she was writing a letter.

3. While we were having the picnic, it started to rain.

4. What were you doing when the earthquake started?

The Past Continuous is interrupted by a shorter action in the Simple Past. However, you can also use a specific time as an interruption.

Examples:

1. Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.

2. At midnight, we were still driving through the desert.

3. Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my desk at work.

When you use the Past Continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it expresses the idea that both actions were happening at the same time. The actions are parallel.

Examples:

1. I was studying while he was making dinner.

2. While Ellen was reading, Tim was watching television.

3. Were you listening while he was talking?

4. I wasn't paying attention while I was writing the letter, so I made several mistakes.

5. What were you doing while you were waiting?

PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE POSITIVE FORM

Making the Present Continuous tense with the correct form of the verb to be (was/were) and the ing form of the main verb.

Examples:

I was walking down the street when the rain began.

We were studying under the tree yesterday.

He was watching TV when his mother came in.

It was barking when I passed by.

PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE NEGATIVE FORM

Making the past continuous tense by adding NOT after to be (was and were).

Examples:

They were talking with their friends when I came,

becomes:

They were not talking with their friends when I came.

Another examples:

1. I was not watching TV when she called.

2. When the phone rang, she was not writing a letter.

PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE QUESTION FORM

Making past continuous tense by moving to be: was and were in the beginning of the sentence before subject.

1. Was I singing?

2. Were you singing?

3. Were we singing?

4. Were they singing

PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

Present Continuous uses to express the idea that something is happening now, at this very moment.

It can also be used to show that something is not happening now.

Examples:

1.You are learning English now.

2.You are not swimming now.

3.Are you sleeping?

4.I am sitting.

5.I am not standing.

Sometimes, Present Continuous Tense is used to say that we are in the process of doing a longer action which is in progress; however, we might not be doing it at this exact second.

Examples:

1. I am studying to become a doctor.

2. I am not studying to become a dentist.

3. I am reading the book Tom Sawyer.

continue Sometimes, Present Continuous is also used to indicate that something will or will not happen in the near future.

Examples:

1. I am meeting some friends after work.

2. I am not going to the party tonight.

3. Is he visiting his parents next weekend?

4.Isn't he coming with us tonight?

Not all of verbs can be used in present continuous form, such as verb “know”. It is cannot be changed into “knowing”, but it is possible in gerund form

PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE POSITIVE FORM

We make the Present Continuous tense with the correct form of the verb to be (am/is/are) and the -ing form of the main verb.

Examples:

1. I am playing football.

2. You are standing up.

3. He is listening to the music.

4. She is swimming.

5. It is playing with the ball.

6. We are going home.

7. They are running.

simple present tense

 SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

FORMING THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

There are only two basic forms for the simple present tense; one ends with -s and the other does not. Here are the rules, using the example verb "sing“

SUBJECT	VERB FORM	EXAMPLE
I	simple form	I sing
You	simple form	You sing
He	simple form + S	He sings
She	simple form + S	She sings
It	simple form + S	It sings
We	simple form	We sing
They	simple form	They sing

With most verbs, the third person singular form is created simply by adding -S. However, with some verbs, you need to add -ES.

Verb ending in...	How to make the 3rd person singular	Example
s	Add -ES	He passes
z	Add -ES	She dozes
sh	Add -ES	She wishes
ch	Add -ES	He watches
consonant + y	Change Y to I, then add -ES	It flies
[anything else]	Add -S	He sings

Noun	“be” in present	“be” in past
I	am	was
You	are	were
They	are	were
We	are	were
He	is	was
She	is	was
It	is	was

THE USE OF SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

I.The Simple Present uses to express the idea that an action is repeated or usual. The action can be a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.

Such as:

1.She always forgets her purse.

2.The train leaves every morning at 8 AM.

II.The Simple Present can also indicate the speaker believes that a fact was true before, is true now, and will be true in the future. It is also used to make generalizations about people or things

Examples:

1.California is in America.

2.Windows are made of glass.

3.Some birds fly south for the winter.

4.Water consists of hydrogen and oxygen

 III.Speakers occasionally use simple present to talk about scheduled events in the near future.

Examples:

1.The party starts at 8 o'clock.

2.The train leaves tonight at 6 PM.

IV.Speakers sometimes use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is happening or is not happening now.

Examples:

1.I am here now.

2.She is not here now.

3.He needs help right now.

4.He does not need help now.

Negatives in the simple present are formed by adding don't or doesn't before the simple form of the verb:

Examples:

1.I sing become I don’t sing

2.You sing > you don’t sing

3.He sings >he doesn’t sing

4.She sings >she doesn’t sing

5.We sing> we don’t sing

6.They sing> they don’t sing

FORMING INTEROGATIVE  “Do/does” use to make questions, it places before the subject.

For examples:

1. Do I sing?

2. Do you sing?

3. Does he/she sing?

SIMPLE PAST TENSE

Simple Past Tense is used to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific time in the past. Sometimes, the speaker may not actually mention the specific time.

Examples:

1. I saw a movie yesterday.

2. Last year, I traveled to Japan.

3. She washed her car.

4. The police stopped me on my way home last night.

5. She passed the examination because she studied very hard.

The Simple Past also use to list a series of completed actions in the past. These actions happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on.

Examples:

1. I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.

2. He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel at 9:00, and met the others at 10:00.

3. Did you add flour, pour in the milk, and then add the eggs?

Simple Past Tense also used to tell about habitual action in the past. (Characteristic: using “used to”)

Example:

Every month, Xavier used to buy a comic after getting money from his father.

Explanation:

Xavier has habitual activity in the past (buy a comic after getting money from his father) and it is not his habitual activity anymore.

Examples:

1. I studied French when I was a child.

2. He played the violin.

3. He didn't play the piano.

4. Did you play a musical instrument when you were a kid?

5. She worked at the movie theater after school.

6.They never went to school

SIMPLE PAST TENSE NEGATIVE FORM

SIMPLE PAST STATEMENT	NEGATIVE FORM
I had a car.	I did not have a car.
You ate my toast.	You did not eat my toast.
He was here yesterday.	He was not here yesterday
They were in the park.	They were not in the park

SIMPLE PAST TENSE QUESTION FORM

1.Yes/No questions

2. WH questions (What, Who, Where, When, Why)

Yes/No questions are created by adding “did” at the beginning of the sentence before the subject.

1. He brought his friend = Did he bring his friend?

2. They had a party = Did they have a party?

3. You were here = Were you here?

4. She was sick = Was she sick?

Forming a WH- question WH- questions (using words such as "what", "when", "where" etc.) are also created by putting the auxiliary “did” before the subject.

1. The building fell down = Where did the building fall down?

2. They lived in Vancouver = Where did they live?

3. The store was closed = Why was the store close?

4. They were wolves = What were they?

IRREGULAR VERBS

Irregular verbs fall into three main categories:

1.Verbs which don't change.

For examples: cut - cut hit - hit fit – fit

2. Verbs which change their vowel.

For examples: get - got sit - sat drink – drank

3. Verbs which change completely

For examples: catch - caught bring - brought teach - taught