Present

Simple

When we speak of the various verb tenses, we must talk about both how to form the tense, as well 2. Negative Sentences
Subject + auxiliary verb (to do) + negative auxiliary (not) + verb.
as when we use it. Therefore, in this lesson, as with all the other verb tense lessons, we will look at both

structure and use.

Examples:
I do not [don’t] talk.
Grammatical Rules He does not [doesn’t] eat.
They do not [don’t] learn.

Form
Note: Don’t forget that in negative sentences with the auxiliary “to do”, it is the auxiliary verb that is
When conjugating the verb in the present simple, we use the infinitive with the following subjects: “I”, conjugated in the third person, not the principal verb.
“you”, “we”, and “they”. For the third person (“he”, “she” and “it”), we add an “-s” to the end of the
verb.
3. Interrogative Sentences

Subject Conjugation Auxiliary verb (to do) + subject + verb?

Examples:
Do you talk?
I, you, we, they talk, eat, learn, do, go… Does he eat?
Do they learn?

he, she, it talks, eats, learns, does, goes… Note: As with negative sentences, it is the auxiliary verb “to do” that is conjugated, depending on the
subject. The principal verb remains in the infinitive.

*For more information on the structure of sentences, see the lesson on constructing sentences.

Note: There are spelling exceptions in the third person, depending on the last letter(s) of the verb. The
rules are the same as those for forming the plural. For more information, see the lesson on nouns. Uses

1. We use the present simple when speaking about things that happen regularly. It is never used to
Structure speak about something that is happening at the moment in which we are speaking.

1. Affirmative Sentences We tend to use adverbs of time with the present simple:

Subject + verb. always, every day, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, hardly ever, never…

Examples:
Examples:
I always talk to my mother on Sunday.
I talk. He never eats vegetables.
He eats. . They usually learn something new in class.
They learn.
 Past Simple

There are several tenses for speaking about the past in English, but the past simple is the most
Exception:
commonly used. It is used for actions completed in the past. In the past tense there are both regular

Adverbs of time are generally located before the verb, except when they are used with the verb “to be”. verbs and irregular verbs.

When using “to be”, the adverb is found after the verb.
Grammatical Rules

Ejemplos:
I am always happy. Form
He is often sick.
They are rarely late.
To form the past simple of regular verbs we add the ending “-ed” to the verb. The form is the same for all
2. The present simple is used to speak about generalities or scientific facts. persons (I, you, he, she, it, we, they).

Examples: Examples:

He does not [doesn’t] eat vegetables. want → wanted

She works in a hospital. learn → learned
Elephants live in Africa. stay → stayed
Bogota is in Colombia. walk → walked
Do children like animals? show → showed
Adults do not [don’t] know everything. Exceptions:

3. We also use the present simple for events scheduled in the near future. 1. For verbs that end in “e”, we only need to add “-d”:

Examples: Examples:
The train leaves at 10:00. change → changed
The party is tonight. believe → believed
Does the festival start tomorrow?
The plane does not [doesn’t] arrive today. 2. If the verb ends in a short vowel plus a consonant (except “y” o “w”), we double the final consonant:

4. We use the present simple for giving instructions (the imperative). Examples:
stop → stopped
Examples: commit → committed

Open the window.

Eat the vegetables. 3. When the verb ends in a consonant and “y”, the “y” becomes an “i”:
Don’t cry.
Do your homework. Examples:
Call your mother. study → studied
try → tried

Note: There are many irregular verbs in English and unfortunately there are no fixed rules
for forming them. See here for a list of irregular verbs. Below are the three most commonly
used irregular verbs which also are used as auxiliary verbs.
 Structure

1. Affirmative Sentences
Verb Past simple Subject + principal verb…

Examples:

be was (I, he, she, it) She was a doctor.

were (you, we, they) The keys were in the drawer.
I wanted to dance.
They learned English.
do did We believed him.
I bought a blue car.
have had

2. Negative Sentences

Pronunciation
To be :
Subject + “to be” + “not”…
The pronunciation of the ending “-ed” is different depending on the letter with which the verb ends. In
general though, the “e” is silent.
Examples:

1. For those verbs which end in “p”, “f”, “k” o “s” (voiceless consonants, except “t”), we pronounce the She wasn’t a doctor.
The keys weren’t in the drawer.
“-ed” as a “t”.

Examples:
Note: The verb “to have got”, which in the present simple follows the same rules as “to be”, cannot be
looked[lukt] used in the past. To indicate possession in the past, we use the verb “to have”.
kissed[kisst]

2. For those verbs which end in “b”, “g”, “l”, “m”, “n”, “v”, “z” (voiced consonants, except “d”) or a
All other verbs :
vowel, we pronounce only the “d”.
Subject + auxiliary verb (to do) + “not” + principal verb (in infinitive)…

Examples:
Examples:
yelled[jeld]
cleaned[klind] I didn’t want to dance.
They didn’t learn English.
We didn’t believe him.
3. Verbs that end in “d” o “t”, we pronounce the “e” as an “i”. I didn’t buy a blue car.

Examples:
ended[endid] Note: As in the present simple, in negative sentences in the past simple the auxiliary verb is conjugated
waited[weitid] (“did”) and the principal verb remains in the infinitive.

3. Interrogative Sentences 3. We also use the past simple for repeated actions or habits in the past.

To be : Examples:
“To be” + subject…? We always traveled to Cancun for vacation when we were young.
He walked 5 kilometers every day to work.
Examples:
4. The past simple is also used for narrations or actions that occurred over a long period of time in
Was she a doctor?
Were the keys in the drawer? the past.

All other verbs : Examples:

Auxiliary verb (to do) + subject + principal verb…? I worked for many years in a museum.
She didn’t eat meat for years.

Examples:
5. We use the past simple to speak about facts or things in the past in general.
Did you want to dance?
Did they learn English?
Did you believe him? Examples:
Did you buy a blue car?
The Aztec lived in Mexico.
I played the guitar when I was a child.

Note: As with negative sentences, the auxiliary verb is conjugated (“did”) and the principal verb remains

in the infinitive.

Uses

1. The past simple is used to talk about a specific action or event that began and ended in the past.
It is generally used with adverbs of time such as “last year”, “yesterday”, “last night”…

Examples:

Tom stayed at home last night.
Kate worked last Saturday.
I didn’t go to the party yesterday.
Did they walk to school this morning?

2. The past simple is used to talk about a series of actions that occurred in the past.

Examples:

I received the good news and immediately called my husband.
He studied for an hour in the morning, worked all afternoon and didn’t return home until
10 at night.

Future Simple
2. Negative Sentences
There are two main ways to express the future in English. They are sometimes interchangeable, but they
often have different meanings. Subject + “will” + “not” + principal verb…

Future: “Will” Examples:

I will not [won’t] call you tonight.
She will not [won’t] arrive late.
Structure They will not [won’t] be happy to see you.

3. Interrogative Sentences
Note: There is a short form for the modal verb “will” in both the affirmative and negative.
“Will” + subject + principal verb…?

Examples:
Afirmativo Forma corta Negativo Forma corta Will you call me tonight?
Will she arrive late?
Will they be happy to see you?
I won’t
I will I’ll I will not
I’ll not
Future: “Going to”
you won’t
you will you’ll you will not
you’ll not
Structure
he won’t
he will he’ll he will not
he’ll not
1. Affirmative Sentences
she won’t
she will she’ll she will not
she’ll not Subject + auxiliary verb (to be) + “going to” + principal verb…

it won’t
it will it’ll it will not
it’ll not
Examples:
I am going to call you tonight.
we will we’ll we will not
we won’t She is going to arrive late.
we’ll not
They are going to be happy to see you.
they won’t
they will they’ll they will not
they’ll not
2. Negative Sentences
Subject + auxiliary verb (to be) + “not” + “going to” + principal verb…
1. Affirmative Sentences
Subject + “will” + principal verb… Examples:
I’m not going to call you tonight.
She isn’t going to arrive late.
Examples:
They aren’t going to be happy to see you.
I will [I’ll] call you tonight.
She will [She’ll] arrive late.
They will [They’ll] be happy to see you.
3. Interrogative Sentences 4. Either “will” or “to be going to” can be used for making predictions. When there is evidence that

Auxiliary verb (to be) + subject + “going to” + principal verb…? something is going to happen, we use “going to”.

Examples: Examples:

Are you going to call me tonight? It will be a great party. / It is going to be a great party.
Is she going to arrive late? It won’t rain. / It isn’t going to rain.
Are they going to be happy to see you? Note: There are some situations in which we use the present continuous or the present simple to
Note: For imminent actions or events, we can say “to be about to”. The structure is the same as express actions in the future.
“to be going to”.
1. The present continuous can be used for actions in the near future or actions that are certain.
Examples:
I am about to leave.
Examples:
The concert is about to begin.
Sarah is arriving tonight.
I am going to the doctor this afternoon.
Uses
2. We use the present simple for events scheduled in the future and timetables for trains, flights, etc.
Both “will” and “to be going to” are used for expressing the future, but the use of one over the other
implies something about the probability of the action occurring in the future. The aspect that Examples:
The party starts at 9pm.
differentiates “to be going to” with “will” is in the sense of “planning”. In general, “to be going to” is
The train leaves at 10am.
used for concrete plans, when we are quite certain that something is going to happen.

1. We use “will” with voluntary actions.

Examples:
Will you help me move?
They will clean their rooms.
She won’t work with Paul.

2. “Will” is used to express a promise.

Examples:
When I am president, I will lower taxes.
He promises he will call when he arrives.

3. “To be going to” is used for plans; it indicates the intention to do something.

Examples:
We are going to have a party tonight.
Richard is going to take an English class.
Are they going to play football later?