REVIEW TENSESREVIEW TENSES

PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE vs SIMPLE PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE vs SIMPLE PRESENTPRESENT

PRESENT CONTINUOUS SIMPLE PRESENT

Function: Something happening at / around the time of speaking.

I am doingpast now future

Example:1. Listen to those people. What language are they speaking?2. The water is boiling. Can you turn it off?3. Please be quiet. I am working now.4. J.K. Rowling is working on her new novel.

Function: Something in general or things that happen repeatedly

I dopast now future

Example:1.Excuse me, do you speak English?

2. Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.

3. Jeff works in a very big office.

PRESENT PERFECT vs PRESENT PERFECT vs PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUSPRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

PRESENT PERFECT PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Function: To express an activity started in the past and has been finished before now. We are interested in the result/achievement of the activity.

Example:1.Somebody has smoked all my cigarettes. The package is empty.2.Mary has written ten letters today.3. They have played tennis three times this week.4. The car is OK now. I have repaired it.

Function: To express activity started in the past, still in progress now, and might continue in the future. We are interested in the activity.

Example:1. She has been smoking too much recently.2. Mary is still writing letters. She has been writing letters all day.3. They have been playing tennis since 2 o’clock.4. My hands are very dirty. I have been repairing the car.

SIMPLE PAST vs PAST CONTINUOUSSIMPLE PAST vs PAST CONTINUOUS

SIMPLE PAST PAST CONTINUOUS

Function: To express an activity started and finished at certain point of time in the past

xPast now future

Example:1.I work in a travel agency now. Before that I worked in a shop.2.The police stopped me on my way home last night.3.She passed her examination because she studied very hard.

Function: To express that somebody was in the middle of doing something at a certain time in the past.

started doing was doing finished doing

Past past now

Example:1.This time last year I was living in Brazil.2.What were you doing at 10 o’clock last night?

SIMPLE PAST vs PAST CONTINUOUSSIMPLE PAST vs PAST CONTINUOUS

We often use Past Simple and Past Continuous together to say that something happened in the middle of something else.

Example:

1.I was walking home when I met Dave. (=in the middle of walking home)

2.Ann was watching television when the phone rang.

3.Tom burnt his hand when he was cooking the dinner.

PAST PERFECT vs PAST SIMPLEPAST PERFECT vs PAST SIMPLE

PAST PERFECT PAST SIMPLE

Function: To express an activity started and finished in the past (before now). We are interested on the result.

had done past now

Example:1.The house was dirty. They had not cleaned it for weeks.2.We weren’t hungry. We had just had lunch.

Function: To express an activity started and finished at certain point of time in the past

xPast now future

PAST PERFECT vs PAST SIMPLEPAST PERFECT vs PAST SIMPLE

Sometimes, Past Perfect and Past Simple are used in a sentence. In this case, actions expressed by Past Perfect happened before the Past Simple.

Example:

1.When I arrived at your house, Tom had already gone to airport.

1st event: Tom went to airport

2nd event: I arrived

2. The house was very quiet when I got home. Everybody had gone to bed.

1st event: Everybody went to bed

2nd event: I got home

Will vs Going ToWill vs Going To

WILL GOING TO

Function: will is used when we decide to do something at the time of speaking. The speaker has not decided before.

Example:1.A: Let’s have a party. B: Cool. I will surely come!

2. X: Ann is in hospital. Y: Oh really? I didn’t know. I will go and visit her.

Function: (be) going to is used when we have already decided / planned to do something.

Example:1.Sue and I have decided to have a party. We are going to invite lots of people.

2. X: Ann is in hospital. Y: I know. I am going to visit her tomorrow.

Will vs Going ToWill vs Going To

Will and Going To can also be used to predict the future

WILL GOING TO

We use will if the prediction is based on one’s personal opinion.

Example:1.Tom will probably arrive at about 8 o’clock.2.I think Ann will like the present we bought for her.

We use going to if the prediction is based on the present condition/fact.

Example:1.Look at those black clouds. It is going to rain.2.I feel terrible. I think I am going to be sick.