Simple Present Tense

The simple present tense in English is used to describe an action that is regular, true or normal. Structure: Affirmative: Subject + verb + complement. Negative: Subject + do/ does not (auxiliary) + verb in simple form + complement. Question: Do/ does (not) (auxiliary) + subject + verb + complement + ? Wh- question: Wh + Do/ does (not) (auxiliary) + subject + verb + complement + ? We use the present tense:

1. For repeated or regular actions in the present time period.

I take the train to the office. I don not take the train to the office. Do you take the train to the office? What time do you take the train?

My dog barks all the time. My dog does not bark all the time. Does my dog bark all the time? Why does your dog bark all the time?

2. For facts / to show place of origin

A dog has four legs. A dog does not have two legs. Do dogs have five legs? How many legs have dogs?

We come from Switzerland. We do not come from Switzerland. Do you come from Switzerland? Where do you come from?

3. To show regular activity (a habit) of repeated action.

I get up early every day. I do not get up late every day. Do you get up early? What time do you get up?

He walks with his dog three times a day. She does not walk with his cat. Do they walk with their pets? What is the name of their pets?

4. With general truths, to show that something is consistently true.

It rains a lot in winter. It does not rain a lot in winter. Does it rain a lot in winter? When does it rain a lot?

American people love pets. American people do not love pets. Do American people love pets? Who loves pets?

Verb Conjugation and Spelling

We form the present tense using the base form of the infinitive (without the TO). In general, in the third person we add 'S' in the third person.

Subject Base Form Complement Explanation

I You We The Guide dogs

work hard We use the base form when the subject is I, you, we, they, or a plural noun.

Subject -S Form Complement Explanation

He She It The dog

works hard We use the s form when the subject is he, she, it, or a singular noun.

My family has three cats. Everyone in the shelter likes animals. No one wants the new kittens.

We use the s form with family, everyone, everybody, no one, nobody, and nothing.

I have a pet dog. My friend has a guide dog.

Have in and irregular verb. Have has

The spelling for the verb in the third person differs depending on the ending of that verb: 1. For verbs that end in -O, -CH, -SH, -SS, -X, or -Z we add -ES in the third person.

go goes catch catches wash washes kiss kisses fix fixes buzz buzzes

2. For verbs that end in a consonant + Y, we remove the Y and add -IES.

marry marries study studies carry carries worry worries

NOTE: For verbs that end in a vowel + Y, we just add -S. play plays enjoy enjoys say says

Negative Statements

Examples Explanation

The owner knows the destination. The dog doesnt know the destination.

Use doesnt + the base form the he, she, it, or a singular noun. Know = doesnt know

Some trainers use food to reward a dog. Guide dos trainers dont use food.

Use dont + the base form with I, you, we, they, or a plural noun. Use = dont use

Usage note: American English and British English use different grammar to form the negative of have.

Compare: American: He doesnt have a dog. British: He hasnt a dog. Or He hasnt got a dog.

Frequency Words. Frequency words:

Always 100% Usually/ generally Often/ Frequently Sometimes/ occasionally Rarely/ seldom/ hardly ever Never/ not ever 0%

Examples Explanation

Marianne often calls her dog on the phone. Sparky always sleeps in bed with her.

We use the simple present tense with frequency words to show a regular activity.

Whenever the weather is nice, she takes her dog to the beach.

Whenever shows a regular activity. It means any time.

Once a month, she takes her dog to a groomer. Someone comes to her house to walk the dog twice a day.

Expressions that show frequency are:

Every day (week, month, year)

Every other day (week, month, year)

Once (twice, etc.) a day (week, month, year)

Once in a while.

Frequency word comes after the verb be.

The TV is always on in the day. The frequency word comes before other verbs.

I usually carry a picture of my family. Sometimes, usually, and often can come at the beginning of the sentence too.

Often my family writes me about their lives.

Do not put always, never, rarely, and seldom before the subject. A frequency expression can come at the beginning of at the end of a sentence. When it

comes at the beginning of the sentence, we sometimes separate it with a comma.

Once a month, she travels. She travels once a month.

Simple Past Tense

We use the Past Simple tense to talk about an action or a situation - an event - in the past. The event can be short or long. To make past simple tense we use verbs in past which could be regular or irregular verbs. Structure: Affirmative: Subject + verb in past tense + complement. Negative: Subject + did/ did not (auxiliary) + verb in simple form + complement. Question: Did/ doid (not) (auxiliary) + subject + verb + complement + ? Wh- question: Wh + Did/ did (not) (auxiliary) + subject + verb + complement + ? Uses of Past Simple Tense: 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.

I saw a movie yesterday. I didn't see a play yesterday. Did you see the movie yesterday? Why did not you see the play yesterday?

Last year, I traveled to Japan. Last year, I didn't travel to Korea. Did you travel to Japan last year? When did you travel to Korea?

2. A Series of Completed Actions

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

I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim. I did not finish work so I could no walk to the beach. Did you walk to the beach when you finish your work? Why did not you finish your work and go to the beach?

I added flour, pour in the milk, and then I added the eggs. I did not add flour; pour in the milk, and the eggs. Did you add flour, pour in the milk, and then add the eggs? Who did tell you to add flour, pour in the milk, and the eggs?

3. Duration in Past

The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past. Duration refers to a longer action that often is indicated by expressions such as: for two years, for five minutes, all day, all year, etc.

I lived in Brazil for two years. I did not live in Brazil for two years. Did you live in Brazil for two years? How long did you live in Brazil?

They sat at the beach all day. They did not sit at the beach all day. Did they sit at the beach all day? Why did they sit at the beach all day?

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.

I studied French when I was a child. I did not study French when I was a child. Did you study French? Why did not you study French?

He played the violin. He didn't play the piano when he was a child. Did he play a musical instrument? What instrument did he play?

5. Past Facts or Generalizations

The Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations which are no longer true. It is quite similar to the expression "used to."

He liked tomatoes before. He didn't like tomatoes before. Did he like tomatoes before? Why did not he like tomatoes?

I lived in Texas. I did not live in Texas. Did you live in Texas? When did you live in Texas?

The spelling of the simple past form (-ed forms or Regular Verbs)

Verbs ending in a...

1. silent e 2. vowel + y 3. consonant + y 4. other forms

close = closed die = died phone = phoned

play = played destroy = destroyed show = showed

marry = married carry = carried study = studied

visit = visited miss = missed watch = watched finish = finished fix = fixed buzz = buzzed

Rules of the simple past tense forms:

1. Regular verbs ending in a silent e take /-d/ in the simple past and past participle:

close=closed

2. Regular verbs ending in a vowel + y take /-ed/ in the simple past and past participle:

play=played

3. Regular verbs ending in a consonant + y take /-ied/ in the simple past and past

participle (the y becomes an i followed by /-ed/)

marry=married

4. All the other regular verbs take /-ed/ in the simple past and past participle.

visit=visited

Special cases of the -ed forms:

Follow these rules when there is a consonant after a vowel (stop, ban, open, offer...)

If there is a consonant after a stressed vowel at the end of the word, double the

consonant

stop stopped

ban - banned

swap - swapped

If the vowel is not stressed, we do not double it:

open - opened (Here the stress is on 'o', not the 'e'.)

offer - offered ( Here the stress is on 'o', not the 'e'.)

In British English we double the last l even though the last vowel is not stressed. Here are

some examples:

travel - travelled

cancel - cancelled

level - levelled

marvel marvelled

Irregular Verbs change completely, here are all of them.

Present 3rd Person Present

Continuous Past

Past

Participle

1. arise arises arising arose arisen

2. awake awakes awaking awoke awoken

3. be am/are is being was, were been

4. bear bears bearing bore born

5. bear bears bearing bore borne

6. beat beats beating beat beaten

7. become becomes becoming became become

8. begin begins beginning began begun

9. bend bends bending bent bent

10. bet bets betting bet bet

11. bid bids bidding bid bid

12. bind binds binding bound bound

13. bite bites biting bit bitten

14. bleed bleeds bleeding bled bled

15. blend blends blending blent blent

16. blow blows blowing blew blown

17. break breaks breaking broke broken

18. breed breeds breeding bred bred

19. bring brings bringing brought brought

20. broadcast broadcasts broadcasting broadcast broadcast

21. build builds building built built

22. burst bursts bursting burst burst

23. buy buys buying bought bought

24. cast casts casting cast cast

25. catch catches catching caught caught

26. choose chooses choosing chose chosen

27. cling clings clinging clung clung

28. come comes coming came come

29. cost costs costing cost cost

30. creep creeps creeping crept crept

31. cut cuts cutting cut cut

32. deal deals dealing dealt dealt

33. dig digs digging dug dug

34. do does doing did done

35. draw draws drawing drew drawn

36. drink drinks drinking drank drunk

37. drive drives driving drove driven

38. dwell dwell dwelling dwelt dwelt

39. eat eats eating ate eaten

40. fall falls falling fell fallen

41. feed feeds feeding fed fed

42. feel feels feeling felt felt

43. fight fights fighting fought fought

44. find finds finding found found

45. fit fits fitting fit fit

46. flee flees fleeing fled fled

47. fling flings fling flung flung

48. fly flies flying flew flown

49. forbid forbids forbidding forbade forbidden

50. forget forgets forgetting forgot forgotten

51. forgive forgives forgiving forgave forgiven

52. forsake forsakes forsaking forsook forsaken

53. freeze freezes freezing froze frozen

54. get gets getting got gotten

55. give gives giving gave given

56. go goes going went gone

57. grind grinds grinding ground ground

58. grow grows growing grew grown

59. hang hangs hanging hung hung

60. have has having had had

61. hear hears hearing heard heard

62. hide hides hiding hid hidden

63. hit hits hitting hit hit

64. hold holds holding held held

65. hurt hurts hurting hurt hurt

66. keep keeps keeping kept kept

67. knit knits knitting knit knit

68. know knows knowing knew known

69. lay lays laying laid laid

70. lead leads leading led led

71. leave leaves leaving left left

72. lend lends lending lent lent

73. let lets letting let let

74. lie lies lying lay lain

75. light lights lighting lit lit

76. lose loses losing lost lost

77. make makes making made made

78. mean means meaning meant meant

79. meet meets meeting met met

80. mistake mistakes mistaking mistook mistaken

81. overcome overcomes overcoming overcame overcome

82. pay pays paying paid paid

83. put puts putting put put

84. quit quits quitting quit quit

85. read reads reading read read

86. rid rids ridding rid rid

87. ride rides riding rode rode

88. ring rings ringing rang rung

89. rise rises rising rose risen

90. run runs running ran run

91. say says saying said said

92. see sees seeing saw seen

93. seek seeks seeking sought sought

94. sell sells selling sold sold

95. send sends sending sent sent

96. set sets setting set set

97. shake shakes shaking shook shaken

98. shed sheds shedding shed shed

99. shine shines shining shone shone

100. shoot shoots shooting shot shot

101. show shows showing showed shown

102. shrink shrinks shrinking shrank shrunk

103. shut shuts shutting shut shut

104. sing sings singing sang sung

105. sink sinks sinking sank sunk

106. sit sits sitting sat sat

107. sleep sleeps sleeping slept slept

108. slide slides sliding slid slid

109. sling slings slinging slung slung

110. slit slits slitting slit slit

111. speak speaks speaking spoke spoken

112. speed speeds speeding sped sped

113. spend spends spending spent spent

114. spin spins spinning spun spun

115. spit spits spitting spit spit

116. split splits splitting split split

117. spread spreads spreading spread spread

118. spring springs springing sprang sprung

119. stand stands standing stood stood

120. steal steals stealing stole stolen

121. stick sticks sticking stuck stuck

122. sting stings stinging stung stung

123. strike strikes striking struck struck

124. string strings stringing strung strung

125. strive strives striving strove striven

126. swear swears swearing swore sworn

127. swell swells swelling swelled swollen

128. sweep sweeps sweeping swept swept

129. swim swims swimming swam swum

130. swing swings swinging swung swung

131. take takes taking took taken

132. teach teaches teaching taught taught

133. tear tears tearing tore torn

134. tell tells telling told told

135. think thinks thinking thought thought

136. throw throws throwing threw thrown

137. thrust thrust thrusting thrust thrust

138. undergo undergoes undergoing underwent undergone

139. understand understands understanding understood understood

140. undertake undertakes undertaking undertook undertaken

141. undo undoes undoing undid undone

142. wake wakes waking woke woken

143. wear wears wearing wore worn

144. weave weaves weaving wove woven

145. wed weds wedding wed wed

146. weep weeps weeping wept wept

147. wet wets wetting wet wet

148. win wins winning won won

149. wind winds winding wound wound

150. withdraw withdraws withdrawing withdrew withdrawn

151. withhold withholds withholding withheld withheld

152. withstand withstands withstanding withstood withstood

153. wring wrings wringing wrung wrung

154. write writes writing wrote written

Present Progressive/ Present Continuous Tense

Present progressive is also known as present continuous. The present progressive puts

emphasis on the course or duration of an action.

The present progressive is used for actions going on in the moment of speaking and for

actions taking place only for a short period of time. It is also used to express development

and actions that are arranged for the near future.

Structure: Affirmative: Subject + verb to be (am, is, are) + verb with ending ing + complement Negative: Subject +not + verb to be (am, is, are) + verb with ending ing + complement Question: Verb to be+ subject + verb with ending ing + complement + ? WH Question: WH + verb to be+ subject + verb with ending ing + complement + ? Uses of Present Progressive:

1. Actions taking place at the moment of speaking (now)

The action is going on now.

Signal words like now, at the moment are often used to emphasize that the action is taking place at the moment of speaking. Signal words are not really necessary, however, as this is already expressed by the tense itself.

He is playing football. He is not playing football. Is he playing football? What is he playing?

I am reading. I am not reading. Are you reading? What are you reading?

2. Arrangements for the near future

In the example you can see that the tickets are already bought. So we are talking about an arrangement for the near future.

To make clear that the action is not going on now, we usually use signal words like tonight, tomorrow, next Friday, at noon.

I am going to the theatre tonight. I am not going to the theatre tonight. Are you going to the theatre?

When are you going to the theatre? She is acting tomorrow. She is not acting tomorrow.

Is she acting tomorrow? Where is she acting tomorrow?

3. Actions taking place only for a limited period of time

Here we are talking about a time limit. To make clear that there is a time limit, we usually use signal words, e.g. this week/month/year.

Jim is helping in his brother's firm this week. Jim is not helping in his brother's

firm this week. Is Jim helping in his brothers firm?

Where is helping Jim this week? I am studying French this year. I am not studying French this year. Are you studying French? What are you studying this year?

4. Actions taking place around now (but not at the moment of speaking)

This action takes place around now and only for a limited period of time, but not at

the moment of speaking.

I am studying for my exams. I am not studying for my exams. Are you studying for your exams? Why are you studying?

She is participating. She is not participating. Is she participating? Where is she participating?

5. Development, changing situations

The sentence describes a development from one situation to another.

Signal words are not that common here, only sometimes the change of situation is emphasized by using for example more and more.

The population is rising very fast. The population is not rising very fast. Is the population rising very fast? Why is it rising very fast?

It is raining a lot. It is not raining a lot. Is it raining a lot? Where is raining a lot?

NOTE: To make present or past progressive we have to use the ending ing with our verbs, here we have some exceptions in the moment of adding it. A single, silent e at the end of the word is dropped before ing.

come - coming But: ee at the end of the word is not changed agree - agreeing

The final consonant after a short, stressed vowel is doubled before ing. sit - sitting

An ie at the end of a word becomes y before ing. lie - lying The letter l as final consonant after a vowel is always doubled before ing. travel travelling

Mind: This applies only for British English; in American English there is usually only one l.

Past Progressive/ Past Continuous Tense

The PAST PROGRESSIVE TENSE is formed with the helping "to be" verb, in the past tense, plus the present participle of the verb (with an -ing ending). Structure: Affirmative: Subject + verb to be in past (were, was) + verb with ending ing + complement Negative: Subject +not + verb to be (were, was) + verb with ending ing + complement Question: Verb to be+ subject + verb with ending ing + complement + ? WH Question: WH + verb to be+ subject + verb with ending ing + complement + ? 1. indicates continuing action, something that was happening, going on, at some point in the

past. I was riding my bike all day yesterday. I was not riding my bike all day yesterday? Were you riding your bike yesterday? What were you doing yesterday? Joel was being a terrible role model for his younger brother. Joel was not being a terrible role model for his younger brother- Was he a terrible model? Why was he a terrible model?

2. The past progressive indicates a limited duration of time and is thus a convenient way to indicate that something took place (in the simple past) while something else was happening. Carlos lost his watch while he was running. Carlos lost his watch while he was not running. Was he running? What did he lose while he was running? They make a poem while the teacher was working. They make a poem while the teacher was not working. Was the teacher working? What was the teacher working on?

3. The past progressive can express incomplete action. (as opposed to the simple past, which suggests a completed action: I slept on the couch last night)

I was sleeping on the couch when Bertie smashed through the door. I was not sleeping on the couch when Bertie smashed through the door.

Were you sleeping when he smashed through the door? What were you doing when he smashed through the door? She was reading when you called. She was not reading when you called. Was she reading when you called? What was she reading when you called?

4. The past progressive is also used to poke fun at or criticize an action that is sporadic but habitual in nature: Tashonda was always handing in late papers. She was not handing in late papers. Was she handing in late papers? Why was she handing in late papers? My father was always lecturing my brother. My father was not lecturing my brother. Was he lecturing him? Why was not he lecturing him?

Personal Pronouns

Subject and Object Pronouns

Subjects are what the sentence is about Objects are what is affected by the action of the subject.

Personal pronouns represent specific people or things. We use them depending on:

Number: singular ( I) or plural (we)

Person: 1st person (I), 2nd person (you) or 3rd person (he)

Gender: male (he), female (she) or neuter (it)

Case: subject (we) or object (us)

Object pronouns are used instead of nouns, usually because we already know what the object

is. It makes the sentence easier to read and understand and avoids repetition. We normally

use object pronouns after a verb or a preposition.

Examples

I like horses. Subject Pronoun

Horses don't like me. Object Pronoun

We talk to our neighbor. Subject Pronoun

She talks to us. Object Pronoun

They listen to the teacher. Subject Pronoun

Listen to me carefully. Object Pronoun

You speak very quickly. Subject Pronoun

We watch them on TV. Object Pronoun

The Object Pronoun - it

Be careful when using 'it' as an object pronoun because it is only in the correct context that it

has meaning. It needs to have already been mentioned or obvious to the listener what you

are referring to.

You are sitting on it! (The listener probably doesn't know what the speaker refers to).

The letter is on the sofa. You are sitting on it! (It is obvious in the second sentence

that the reference is to the letter)

We use personal pronouns in place of the person or people that we are talking about. My name is Josef but when I am talking about myself I almost always use "I" or "me", not "Josef". When I am talking direct to you, I almost always use "you", not your name. When I am talking about another person, says John, I may start with "John" but then use "he" or "him". And so on. Here are the personal pronouns, followed by some example sentences:

Number Person Gender

Personal Pronouns

Subject Object

Singular

1st male/ female I me

2nd male/ female you you

3rd

male he him

female she her

neuter it it

Plural

1st male/ female we us

2nd male/ female you you

3rd male/ female/ neuter they them

In each pair of the following examples, the first sentence shows a subject pronoun, the second an object pronoun.

I like coffee. Do you like coffee? He runs fast She is clever. It doesn't work We went home. Do you need a table for three? They played doubles.

John helped me. John loves you. Did Ram beat him? Does Mary know her? Can the man fix it? Anthony drove us. Did John and Mary beat you at doubles? John and Mary beat them.

When we are talking about a single thing, we almost always use it. However, there are a few exceptions. We may sometimes refer to an animal as he/him or she/her, especially if the animal is domesticated or a pet. Ships (and some other vessels or vehicles) as well as some countries are often treated as female and referred to as she/her.

This is our dog Rusty. He's an Alsatian. The Titanic was a great ship but she sank on her first voyage. My first car was a Mini and I treated her like my wife. Thailand has now opened her border with Cambodia.

For a single person, sometimes we don't know whether to use he or she. There are several solutions to this:

If a teacher needs help, he or she should see the principal. If a teacher needs help, he should see the principal. If a teacher needs help, they should see the principal.

We often use it to introduce a remark:

It is nice to have a holiday sometimes. It is important to dress well. It's difficult to find a job. Is it normal to see them together? It didn't take long to walk here.

We also often use it to talk about the weather, temperature, time and distance:

It's raining. It will probably be hot tomorrow. Is it nine o'clock yet? It's 50 kilometers from here to Cambridge.

Possessive Pronouns

We use possessive pronouns to refer to a specific person/people or thing/things (the "antecedent") belonging to a person/people (and sometimes belonging to an animal/animals or thing/things). We use possessive pronouns depending on:

number: singular (mine) or plural (ours)

person: 1st person (mine), 2nd person (yours) or 3rd person (his)

gender: male (his), female (hers) Below are the possessive pronouns, followed by some example sentences.

Notice that each possessive pronoun can be subject or object or refer to a singular or plural antecedent.

Number Person Gender (Of "Owner") Possessive Pronouns

Singular

1st Male/ Female Mine

2nd Male/ Female Yours

3rd Male His

Female Hers

Plural 1st Male/ Female Ours

2nd Male/ Female Yours

3rd Male/ Female/ Neuter Theirs

Look at these pictures. Mine is the big one. (subject = My picture)

I like your flowers. Do you like mine? (object = my flowers)

I looked everywhere for your key. I found John's key but I couldn't find yours. (object = your key)

My flowers are dying. Yours are lovely. (subject = Your flowers)

All the essays were good but his was the best. (subject = his essay)

John found his passport but Mary couldn't find hers. (object = her passport)

John found his clothes but Mary couldn't find hers. (object = her clothes)

Here is your car. Ours is over there, where we left it. (subject = Our car)

Your photos are good. Ours are terrible. (subject = Our photos)

Each couple's books are colour-coded. Yours are red. (subject = Your books)

I don't like this family's garden but I like yours. (object = your garden)

These aren't John and Mary's children. Theirs have black hair. (subject = Their children)

John and Mary don't like your car. Do you like theirs? (object = their car) Notice that the following (with apostrophe [']) do NOT exist: her's, your's, their's

Notice that the interrogative pronoun whose can also be a possessive pronoun (an interrogative possessive pronoun).

There was $100 on the table and Tara wondered whose it was.

This car hasn't moved for two months. Whose is it?

Possessive Adjectives

We use possessive adjectives to show who owns or "possesses" something. The possessive adjectives are:

my, your, his, her, its, our, their

Whose (interrogative) Warning! These are adjectives. Don't confuse them with pronouns.

Number Person Gender Possessive Adjective

Example Sentence

Singular

1st Male/ Female My This Is My book.

2nd Male/ Female Your I Like Your Hair.

3rd

Male His His Name Is "John".

Female Her Her Name Is "Mary".

Neuter Its The Dog Is Licking Its Paw.

Plural

1st Male/ Female Our We Have Sold our House.

2nd Male/ Female Your Your Children Are Lovely.

3rd Male/ Female/

Neuter Their

The Students Thanked Their Teacher.

Singular/Plural 1st/ 2nd/

3rd Male/ Female (Not Neuter)

Whose Whose Phone Did You Use?

Compare:

Your =possessive adjective Youre = you are Its = possessive adjective Its = it is OR it has

Their = possessive adjective Theyre = they are There = adverb (I'm not going there / look over there / there is a car outside) Whose = possessive adjective Whos = who is OR who has

Be careful! There is NO apostrophe (') in the possessive adjective "its". We use an apostrophe to write the short form of "it is" or "it has". For example:

o Its raining = it is raining o Its finished = it has finished o I'm taking my dog to the vet. It's broken its leg.