SIMPLE PRESENT

Theory and Practice

 FORM
[VERB] + s/es in third person
Examples:
You speak English.
Do you speak English?
You do not speak English.
She speaks English.
Does she speak English?
She does not speak English.
 USE 1 Repeated Actions
Use the Simple Present
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. It can also be
something a person often
forgets or usually does
not do.
Examples:
I play tennis.
She does not play tennis.
Does he play tennis?
The train leaves every morning at
8 AM.
The train does not leave at 9 AM.
When does the train usually
leave?
She always forgets her purse.
He never forgets his wallet.
Every twelve months, the Earth
circles the Sun.
Does the Sun circle the Earth?
 USE 2 Facts or Generalizations
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 not important
if the speaker is correct
about the fact. It is also
used to make
generalizations about
people or things.
Cats like milk.
Birds do not like milk.
Do pigs like milk?
California is in America.
California is not in the
United Kingdom.
Windows are made of
glass.
Windows are not made
of wood.
New York is a small city.
It is not important that this
fact is untrue.
 USE 3 Scheduled Events
Speakers occasionally The train leaves tonight
use Simple Present to at 6 PM.
talk about scheduled The bus does not arrive
events in the near future. at 11 AM, it arrives at 11
This is most commonly PM.
done when talking about When does Cora open
public transportation, but on Sunday?
it can be used with other
scheduled events as well. The party starts at 8
o'clock.
When does class begin
tomorrow?
 ADVERB PLACEMENT

Adverbs such as: Examples:

always, only, never, She always takes
ever, still, just, etc. sugar in coffee.
are used with Simple Do you only speak
Present. English?
I never drink red wine.
They still work in
Paris.
 ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples:
Once a week, I send a report. Active
Once a week, a report is sent by Tom.
Passive (to be sent= a fi trimis)
Present Continuous

Theory and Practice

 FORM
[am/is/are + present participle]
Examples:
You are watching TV.
Are you watching TV?
You are not watching TV.
 USE 1 Now
(acum)
The Present Continuous Examples:
is used to express the
idea that something is
happening (or is not) now,
at this very moment.
You are learning English
now.
You are not swimming
now.
Are you sleeping?
Is he sitting or
standing?
What are you doing?
Why aren't you doing
your homework?
 USE 2 Longer Actions in Progress Now

In English, "now" can mean: I am studying to become a

today, this week/month/ year/
century, and so on.
doctor.
I am not studying to become a
dentist.
Are you working on any
special projects at work?
Aren't you teaching at the
university now?
 USE 3 Near Future

Sometimes, speakers use the Examples:

Present Continuous to indicate I am meeting some friends
that something will or will not after work.
happen in the near future. I am not going to the party
tonight.
Is he visiting his parents next
weekend?
Isn't he coming with us
tonight?
 Repetition and Irritation with
"Always"
The Present Continuous Examples:
with words such as She is always coming to
"always" or "constantly" class late.
expresses the idea that He is constantly talking.
something irritating or I wish he would shut up.
shocking often happens.
Notice that the meaning I don't like them because
is like Simple Present, but they are always
with negative emotion. complaining.
Remember to put the
words "always" or
"constantly" between "be"
and "verb+ing."
 Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be
used in any continuous tenses.
To love, to hate
To see, to feel, to taste
To perceive, to notice
To possess, to own, to cost
 Verb Tense Exercise 1
Simple Present / Present Continuous

Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the
appropriate tenses:

1. Every Monday, Sally (drive) her kids to football practice.

2. Usually, I (work) as a secretary at ABT, but this summer I (study)

French at a language school in Paris. That is why I am in Paris.

3. Shhhhh! Be quiet! John (sleep) .

4. Don't forget to take your umbrella. It (rain) .

5. I hate living in Seattle because it (rain, always) .

6. I'm sorry I can't hear what you (say) because everybody (talk) so
loudly.

7. Justin (write, currently) a book about his adventures in Tibet. I

hope he can find a good publisher when he is finished.

8. Jim: Do you want to come over for dinner tonight?

Denise: Oh, I'm sorry, I can't. I (go) to a movie tonight with some
friends.

9. The business cards (be, normally ) printed by a company in New

York. Their prices (be) inexpensive, yet the quality of their work is
quite good.

10. This delicious chocolate (be) made by a small chocolatier in Zurich,

Switzerland
 4. Sebastian (arrive) at Susan's house a little before 9:00
PM, but she (be, not) there. She (study, at the library) for
her final examination in French.

5. Sandy is in the living room watching television. At this

time yesterday, she (watch, also) television. That's all
she ever does!

6. A: I (call) you last night after dinner, but you (be, not)
there. Where were you?
B: I (work) out at the fitness center.
 Simple Past

FORM
[VERB+ed] or irregular verbs
Examples (regular verbs):
You called Debbie.
Did you call Debbie?
You did not call Debbie.
 Examples (irregular verbs):
You drew up two reports on tax policies.
Did you draw two reports on tax policies?
You did not draw up any reports on tax
policies.
 USE 1 Completed Action in the Past
Use the Simple Past 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, but they do
have one specific time in
mind.
Examples:
I saw a movie yesterday.
I didn't see a play
yesterday.
Last year, I traveled to
Japan.
Last year, I didn't travel
to Korea.
Did you have dinner last
night?
She washed her car.
He didn't wash his car
 USE 2 A Series of Completed Actions (enumerare de
actiuni trecute)

We use the Simple Past Examples:

to list a series of
completed actions in the
past. These actions
happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th,
and so on.
I finished work, walked
to the beach, and found
a nice place to swim.
He arrived from the
airport at 8:00, checked
into the hotel at 9:00, and
met the others at 10:00.
Did you add flour, pour
in the milk, and then add
the eggs?
 USE 3 Duration in Past
The Simple Past can be used
with a duration which starts
and stops in the past. A
duration is a longer action
often indicated by expressions
such as: for two years, for five
minutes, all day, all year, etc.
Examples:
I lived in Brazil for two years.
Shauna studied Japanese for
five years.
They sat at the beach all day.
They did not stay at the party
the entire time.
We talked on the phone for
thirty minutes.
A: How long did you wait for
them?
B: We waited for one hour.
 USE 4 Habits in the Past
The Simple Past can also be
used to describe a habit which
stopped in the past. It can
have the same meaning as
"used to." To make it clear that
we are talking about a habit,
we often add expressions such
as: always, often, usually,
never, when I was a child,
when I was younger, etc.
Examples:
I studied French when I was a
child.( I used to study
French..)
He played the violin.
He didn't play the piano.
Did you play a musical
instrument when you were a
kid?
She worked at the movie
theater after school.
They never went to school,
they always skipped class.
 USE 5 Past Facts or Generalizations

The Simple Past can also Examples:

be used to describe past She was shy as a child,
facts or generalizations but now she is very
which are no longer true. outgoing.
As in USE 4 above, this He didn't like tomatoes
use of the Simple Past is before.
quite similar to the
expression "used to." Did you live in Texas
when you were a kid?
People paid much more
to make cell phone calls
in the past.
 IMPORTANT When-Clauses Happen First

Some clauses begin Examples:

with the word "when" When I paid her one
such as "when I dollar, she answered
dropped my pen..." or my question.
"when class began..." She answered my
These clauses are question when I paid
called when-clauses, her one dollar.
and they are very
important.
 ADVERB PLACEMENT

The examples below Examples:

show the placement You just sent for the
for grammar adverbs manager.
such as: always, only, Did you just send for
never, ever, still, just, the manger?
etc.
 ACTIVE / PASSIVE

Examples:
Tom opened an account at BCR ERSTE.
Active
The account was opened at BCR ERSTE
by Tom. Passive
 Past Continuous

FORM
[was/were + present participle]
Examples:
You were checking the invoice when she
called.
Were you checking the invoice when she
called?
You were not checking the invoice when
she called.
 USE 1 Interrupted Action in the Past

Use the Past Continuous Examples:

to indicate that a longer I was watching TV when she
action in the past was called.
interrupted. The When the phone rang, she
interruption is usually a was writing a letter.
shorter action in the While we were having the
picnic, it started to rain.
Simple Past. Remember
What were you doing when
this can be a real the earthquake started?
interruption or just an I was listening to my iPod, so
interruption in time. I didn't hear the fire alarm.
You were not listening to me
when I told you to turn the
oven off.
While John was sleeping last
night, someone stole his car.
 USE 2 Specific Time as an Interruption

In USE 1, described Last night at 6 PM, I

above, the Past was eating dinner.
Continuous is At midnight, we were
interrupted by a still driving through
shorter action in the the desert.
Simple Past. Yesterday at this time,
However, you can I was sitting at my
also use a specific desk at work.
time as an
interruption
 IMPORTANT
In the Simple Past, a specific time is used to show when an action
began or finished. In the Past Continuous, a specific time only
interrupts the action.

Examples:
Last night at 6 PM, I ate dinner.
I started eating at 6 PM.
Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.
I started earlier; and at 6 PM, I was in the
process of eating dinner. - a specific time only interrupts
the action.
 USE 3 Parallel Actions

Both actions were While Ellen was reading,

happening at the same Tim was watching
time television.
Were you listening while
he was talking?
I wasn't paying attention
while I was writing the
letter, so I made several
mistakes.
What were you doing
while you were waiting?
 USE 4 Atmosphere
A series of parallel
actions to describe the
atmosphere at a
particular time in the past.
Example:
When I walked into the office,
several people were busily
typing, some were talking on
the phones, the boss was
yelling directions, and
customers were waiting to be
helped. One customer was
yelling at a secretary and
waving his hands. Others
were complaining to each
other about the bad service.
 Repetition and Irritation with
"Always"
Examples:
She was always coming to class late.
He was constantly talking. He annoyed
everyone.
I didn't like them because they were
always complaining.
 While vs. When

Examples:
I was studying when she called.
While I was studying, she called.
 ADVERB PLACEMENT

The placement for Examples:

grammar adverbs You were just
such as: always, only, studying when she
never, ever, still, just, called.
etc. Were you just
studying when she
called?
 ACTIVE / PASSIVE

Examples:
The salesman was helping the customer
when the thief came into the store. Active
The customer was being helped by the
salesman when the thief came into the
store. Passive
 Remember
1. Interrupted Action in the Past
2. Specific Time as an Interruption
3.Parallel Actions
4..Atmosphere
5. Repetition and Irritation with
"Always"
Using the words in parentheses, complete the text
below with the appropriate tenses
1. A: What (you, do) when the accident
occurred?
B: I (try) to change a light bulb that had burnt
out.

2. After I (find) the wallet full of money, I (go,

immediately) to the police and (turn) it in.

3. The doctor (say) that Tom (be) too sick to go

to work and that he (need) to stay at home for a
couple of days.
 4. Sebastian (arrive) at Susan's house a little
before 9:00 PM, but she (be, not) there. She
(study, at the library) for her final examination in
French.

5. Sandy is in the living room watching

television. At this time yesterday, she (watch,
also) television. That's all she ever does!

6. A: I (call) you last night after dinner, but you

(be, not) there. Where were you?
B: I (work) out at the fitness center.
 6. A: I (call) you last night after dinner, but you
(be, not) there. Where were you?
B: I (work) out at the fitness center.

7. When I (walk) into the busy office, the

secretary (talk) on the phone with a customer,
several clerks (work, busily) at their desks, and
two managers (discuss, quietly) methods to
improve customer service.
 8. I (watch) a mystery movie on TV when the electricity
went out. Now I am never going to find out how the
movie ends.

9. Sharon (be) in the room when John told me what

happened, but she didn't hear anything because she
(listen, not).

10. It's strange that you (call) because I (think, just) about
you.
 11. The Titanic (cross) the Atlantic when it
(strike) an iceberg.

12. When I entered the bazaar, a couple of

merchants (bargain, busily) and (try) to sell their
goods to naive tourists who (hunt) for souvenirs.
Some young boys (lead) their donkeys through
the narrow streets on their way home. A couple
of men (argue) over the price of a leather belt. I
(walk) over to a man who (sell) fruit and (buy) a
banana.
 13. The firemen (rescue) the old woman who
(be) trapped on the third floor of the burning
building.

14. She was so annoying! She (leave, always)

her dirty dishes in the sink. I think she (expect,
actually) me to do them for her.

15. Samantha (live) in Berlin for more than two

years. In fact, she (live) there when the Berlin
Wall came down.
 Last night, while I was doing my
homework, Angela (call). She said she
(call) me on her cell phone from her
biology classroom at UCLA. I asked her if
she (wait) for class, but she said that the
professor was at the front of the hall
lecturing while she (talk) to me. I couldn't
believe she (make) a phone call during the
lecture. I asked what was going on.
 She said her biology professor was so
boring that several of the students (sleep,
actually) in class. Some of the students
(talk) about their plans for the weekend
and the student next to her (draw) a
picture of a horse. When Angela (tell) me
she was not satisfied with the class, I
(mention) that my biology professor was
quite good and (suggest) that she switch
to my class.
 While we were talking, I (hear) her
professor yell, "Miss, are you making a
phone call?" Suddenly, the line went dead.
I (hang) up the phone and went to the
kitchen to make dinner. As I (cut)
vegetables for a salad, the phone rang
once again. It (be) Angela, but this time
she wasn't sitting in class.