Verb Tenses (Part 1)

Present simple
USE IMPORTANT! EXAMPLE Use frequency adverbs: always, usually, sometimes, often, hardly She often reads the paper. ever, never, everyday, twice a year, etc. She lives in London. The earth revolves around the sun. General truths & scientific facts Only women get pregnant. Brazil is in South America. Transportation schedule The train leaves at 5.

Present habits

Permanent present situations

Verbs like, love, hate, understand, mind, prefer

Present simple or present cotinuous continuous? Present Simple!

I like her. What do you think of him?

Present continuous
USE Present situations happening now, at this IMPORTANT! EXAMPLE You're studying English now.

moment Temporary present situations Future arrangements, plans (you're sure or almost sure) Criticism Use a future word: tonight, next, on Monday, etc Use frequency adverbs She's living in London. I'm picking up Mike at the airport tomorrow. He's always reading the paper. People are becoming more violent nowadays. Life is Brazil is getting better.

Situations that are changing

Past simple
USE Past actions at a definite time IMPORTANT! Use adverbs of time: last, ago, in 1996, etc EXAMPLE I played soccer last night.

Past habits

Use used to

I used to play soccer When were you born? What time did you get home?

Questions in the past with when & what time

Historical facts, inventions & discoveries

With or without a time word

America was discovered by Columbus (in 1500). Alfred Nobel invented the dynamite.

Verbs like, love, hate, understand, mind, prefer, think of

Past simple, past continuous or present perfect? Past simple!

I liked the movie I didn't understand what she said.

Past continuous
USE Past actions happening at a certain point in the past (such as clock times) Temporary past actions IMPORTANT! EXAMPLE I was sleeping at 5 am. I was living in Copenhagen in 1994.

NEVER use present perfect when you connect past actions:

PS = present simples PC = present continuous

Simultaneous past actions (at the same time)

Sentence 1

Sentence 2

PS
Sentence 1

while/when + PS
Sentence 2

I was jogging while she was reading.

Successive past actions (after)

PS

I called my dad as when/as soon as + soon as I got home. PS This morning I woke up at 6, took a long shower and had a big breakfast.

Actions in their chronological sequence => use past simple.

Sentence 1

Sentence 2

Incidental past actions. (during the time)

PS PC

while/as + PC when + PS
Sentence 2

I was having breakfast when the bell rang.

Incidental past actions, but the ongoing action was interrupted.

Sentence 1

just as / just when + PC

PS

Just when I was leaving, the phone rang.

Present perfect
USE Past actions at an indefinite time. IMPORTANT! EXAMPLE

I have bought a car.

Asking questions (ever) and talking about life experiences.

Use ever, never, once, twice, three times, etc

Have you ever read Hamlet? I have never read Hamlet. She has read it twice.

Actions that started in the past and continue in the present. Saying something happened a little time ago. ( = acabei de)

Use for, since

We have been friends for 20 years. How long have you been here?

Use just

I have just arrived.

Saying you've finished doing something.

I've already done my homework. Use already, yet, still I haven't done it yet. I still haven't done it.

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