Grammar Tenses
Simple Past
Sometimes called the preterite, is mainly used to describe events in the past.
Used to talk about an action completed in a time before now.
The time of the action may be in the recent or distant past and the duration of the action is not important.
Present Simple
To give instructions or directions
To express fixed arrangements, present or future
To express habits, general truths, repeated actions or unchanging situations, emotions and wishes
To express future time, after some conjunctions
Be careful! The simple present is not used to express actions happening now.
Examples:
1.I walked to the hospital yesterday.
- He went to a concert last year.
- The day before yesterday, Matt swam in a lake.
- We were not in the airport last weekend.
- Did she eat 5 times per day, last wednesday?
Examples:
- She drinks the same coffee every day.
- Elena has problems with maths every school year.
- The train leaves the station every monday at 7pm.
- They do not play football
- Does she win the movie award?
Present Continuous
Describe situations or actions ocurring at the moment.
Affirmative: S + Vto be + Ving
Negative: S+Vto be + NOT + Ving
Questions: Vto be + S + Ving + ?
I am drinking beer.
She is swimming in the pool.
They are runnning in the marathon.
Are you drinking beer?
Are they running in the marathoon?
Is she swimming in the pool?
They are not runnning in the marathon.
She is not swimming in the pool.
I am not drinking beer.
S+ V To Be+C
S+ Aux. do/does+ not+C
Do/Does+S+C+?
S + Verb in past + C
S + was/were/did + not + C
Was/were/did + S + C ?
Present Perfect
To express experiences or memories that occurred a long time ago, but which have relevance today
The present perfect is formed from the present tense of the verb have and the past participle of a verb.
To use the present perfect tense we use unspecific expressions such as ever, never, once, many times, several times, before, so far, already, yet, etc.
Afirmative:S+Have/has+V(ed)+C
Negative:S+Have/has+NOT+V(ed)+C
QuestionsHave/has+S+V(ed)+C+?
You have played videogames
I have not watched that movie
He has not called his mother
They have written the homework
Have you eaten in that restaurant?
Has she cleaned the house?
We have traveled to Korea
She has cooked a delicious pasta