QUESTION FORM AFFIRMATIVE FORM
SIMPLE PAST 1 SIMPLE PAST
Where did you live 10 years ago?
Did he buy a new car last week?
PAST TENSE
Was Mary late for work yesterday?
Were we in France that year?
Were they happy to see you?
PAST CONTINUOUS
Was it raining when you arrived last night?
What was he doing yesterday afternoon?
Were you watching TV when she called?
SIMPLE PRESENT
What do you do? - Im a teacher.
Does he play tennis every Friday?
PRESENT TENSE
Do you always have dinner at 8.00?
Are you from Italy?
Is he from France or from Belgium?
Are they the new students?
Has he got a new car?
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
What are you doing?
Is John doing his homework?
Are they sitting in the living room?
SIMPLE PRESENT FOR FUTURE TIMETABLES
Does the train leave in 10 minutes?
Does the meeting start at 4.00?
PRESENT CONT. FOR FUTURE PROGRAMMES
Are John and Mary leaving for Paris tomorrow?
Is he going to the meeting on 22nd March?
FUTURE TENSE
Are you having a party on Saturday?
GOING TO FOR FUTURE INTENTIONS /
PREVISIONS FOR THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE
Are you going to watch TV?
Is he going to play tennis with you or with John?
Is it going to rain?
SIMPLE FUTURE (with will/shall)
Shall we phone you tomorrow?
Will you arrive in time for your meeting?
Will everyone have a computer in 2020?
NEGATIVE FORM
2 SIMPLE PAST
We lived in Rimini 10 years ago.
He bought a new car three weeks ago.
She was late for work two days ago.
We were in France last year in July
They were very happy to see you.
PAST CONTINUOUS
I was having a shower when the phone rang.
He was playing tennis.
Mary was helping me to prepare dinner.
4 SIMPLE PRESENT
I live in Rimini.
He sometimes plays tennis on Friday.
We usually have dinner at 8.00.
You are Italian.
Hes from France.
They are the new students.
Hes got two brothers.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Im cooking dinner at the moment.
John is doing his homework now.
They are sitting in the living room.
7 SIMPLE PRESENT FUTURE TIMETABLES
The train leaves in 10 minutes.
School starts on 15th September.
PRESENT CONT. FOR FUTURE PROGRAMMES
They are leaving for Paris tomorrow.
He is going to the meeting next week.
We are having a party at the weekend.
GOING TO FOR FUTURE INTENTIONS /
PREVISIONS FOR THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE
Im going to do my homework this afternoon).
Hes going to play tennis with me.
Its going to rain.
SIMPLE FUTURE
Well phone you tomorrow.
Youll arrive in time for your meeting.
Everyone will have a computer in 2020.
3
You didnt live in Rimini 10 years ago.
He didnt buy a new car last week.
She wasnt late for work yesterday.
We werent in France that year.
They werent happy to see you.
PAST CONTINUOUS
I wasnt watching TV last night.
Im sure he wasnt playing football when he hurt himself.
You werent listening when she told us about John.
5 SIMPLE PRESENT 6
I dont live in Rimini.
He doesnt play tennis every
They dont often have dinner at 8.00.
You arent Italian.
He isnt from Belgium.
They arent the new students.
He hasnt got a sister.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Im not watching TV, Im studying French.
John isnt doing his homework.
They arent sitting in the living room.
8 SIMPLE PRESENT FUTURE TIMETABLES 9
The train doesnt leave in 10 minutes.
The film doesnt begin at 7.30, it begins at 7.45 p.m.
PRESENT CONT. FOR FUTURE PROGRAMMES
They arent leaving for Paris the day after tomorrow.
He isnt going to the meeting this afternoon.
You arent having a party on Sunday.
GOING TO FOR FUTURE INTENTIONS /
PREVISIONS FOR THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE
Im not going to watch TV.
He isnt going to play tennis with John.
It isnt going to rain.
SIMPLE FUTURE
We wont phone John this afternoon.
You wont arrive in time for your meeting.
Everyone wont have a computer in 2020.
(Not everyone will have a computer )
The purpose of this table is to reassume the verb forms taught up to the point in which the PERFECT verb forms are introduced to students.
! I always give a copy to students at the very beginning of a course.
! I explain that when we speak, the great majority of what we say is either a question, an affirmation or a negative sentence and then let them
think about what I have said. (We start by examining sentences in their mother tongue to prove the point)
! I then explain that they can talk about the past, the present or the future, and let them think about that too. (Here we introduce the use of
adverbs of time and frequency and how their presence in a sentence helps us to collocate our sentences in time and help decide whether the
SIMPLE form or the CONTINUOUS form should be used)
! Therefore, this 3 x 3 = 9 table represents everything they will learn about verbs during the course.
! Now, I tell them, all you have to do is learn the simple rules which distinguish one box from the others.
! As we learn different verb structures, I refer to this chart continuously, so the student (s) can create their own mental mind map of how the
rules work.
In my opinion it is important to continually emphasize that we use the SIMPLE form when we talk/write about FACTS and that the base form
(infinitive without to) is the core element in the construction of the verb types in this category. In fact, the verb BE is irregular because it does not
always use the base form.
I repeatedly explain that the CONTINUOUS form is all about ACTION and that they mustnt forget to use the two parts of this verb (the BE part
in the correct form and the main verb in the ING form).
I have found the concept: sentences about FACTS are distinguishable from sentences about ACTIONS, not always easy for beginner classes to
understand. But isnt it a fact that John is washing the car? they often ask me. Perhaps this is because in their mother tongue it is possible to
use the same verb construction for either situation.

When all verb constructions have been clarified , moving from an explanation of the whole MACRO to the explanation of single verb
constructions MICRO, students should have understood that by making slight adjustments to verb forms takes them from one box to another,
and allows them to move their conversation/written material backwards and forwards in time.

In my experience, children with learning difficulties benefit from an explanation which gives a global vision of the subject they are about to be
taught. It allows them to collocate the explanation of single parts into a given framework. It goes without saying that this method is suitable for
all students.