The Simple Present tense is used to describe habitual actions that happen frequently and does not mention if it is happening at present.

Examples:

I play tennis.

He works in an office.

They travel to Madrid.

Then the affirmative, interrogative and negative forms of this tense is:

FORM:

Verb to be (am, is, are)+verb+ing

We use the Present Continuous Tense to talk about activities happening now.

Example: The kids are watching TV.

I am sitting down, because I am tired.

We can also use the Present Continuous Tense to talk about activities happening around now, and not necessarily this very moment.

Examples:

Sally is studying really hard for her exams this week.

I am reading a really interesting book now.

The Present Continuous Tense is also used to talk about activities happening in the near future, especially for planned future

events.

Examples:

I am seeing my dentist on Wednesday.

Polly is coming for dinner tomorrow.

An action that began

and ended at particular

time in the past.

Example:

The mail came early this morning.

An action that occurred over a period of time

but was completed in the past.

Example:

Dad worked in advertising for ten years.

An activity that took place regularly in the past.

Example:

We jogged every morning before class.

FORM

(was/were + present participle)

The Past Continuous is a tense describes actions that were being made at one point last referred

to and then continued, for example:

Yesterday he was studying English.

John was playing tennis at 10 a.m.

Expressing a future intent based on a decision made in the past.

Example:

Jim is going to bring his sister tonight.

Predicting an event that is likely to happen in the future.

Example:

You´re going to pass the test. Don´t worry.

Predicting an event that is likely to happen

based on the present conditions.

Example:

I don´t feel well. I´m going to faint.

Examples: Hold on. I'll get a pen.

We will see what we can do to help you.

Maybe we'll stay in and watch television

tonight.

It will rain tomorrow.

People won't go to Jupiter before the 22nd

century.

Who do you think will get the job?

The future continuous or "future continuous" is

used:

To indicate that an action that is running in the

future is interrupted by another specific action.

I will be studying when you call me.

To express actions that are in the process of

making or taking place in a specific time in the

future.

Tonight I'll be watching the premiere of last

season.

To express future actions that are developed in

parallel.

Tonight we will be dancing and having a good

time.

To express an action that has been planned for

the future and to be carried out within a certain

time (the translation is not literal, but tinged

future).

She will be visiting us next Christmas.

To express probability deduction.

We have not called her and she will be getting angry.

To inquire politely about someone plans.

Will you be coming tomorrow morning?

FORM [has/have + past participle] Examples: You have seen that movie many times. Have you seen that movie many times? You have not seen that movie many times. An action that happened at an unspecified time. Example: She has never climbed a mountain. I´m sorry. I have

forgotten your name.

An action that has recently ocurred.

Example:

He´s just gone to sleep.

An action that began in the past and continues

up to the present (often used with for or since).

Examples:

Jacky has lived in Maine all her life.

I´ve been here since Monday

He´s known her for two weeks.

An action that happened repeatedly before now.

Examples:

We have flown across the Pacific four times.

I´ve failed my driver´s test twice.

FORM

has/have + been + present participle]

We use the Present Perfect Continuous to show that something started in the past and has continued up until now. "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and "since Tuesday" are all durations which can be used with the Present Perfect Continuous.

Examples:

They have been talking for the last hour.

She has been working at that company for three years.

James has been teaching at the university since June.

What have you been doing for the last 30 minutes?

We have been waiting here for over two hours!

You can also use the Present Perfect Continuous WITHOUT a duration such as "for two weeks." Without the duration, the tense has a more general meaning of "lately." We often use the words "lately" or "recently" to emphasize this meaning. Examples: Recently, I have been feeling really tired. She has been watching too much television

lately. Have you been exercising lately? Lisa has not been practicing her English. What have you been doing?

FORM (had + past participle) A past action that occurred before another past action. Example: Tom had left hours before we got there. An action that was expected to ccur in the past. Example: I had hoped to know about the job before now.

FORM

(had been + present participle)

An action that occurred before another past action.

Examples:

They had been playing tennis before the storm broke.

His eyes hurt because he had been reading for eight hours.

An action that was expected to occur in the past.

Example:

I had been expecting his change in attitude.

FORM

[will have + past participle]

An action that will be completed before a particular time in the future.

Example:

By next July, my parents will have been married for ffty years.

FORM

(will have been + present participle)

Emphasizing the length of time that has

occurred before a specific time in the future.

Example:

By May, my father will have been working at

the same job for thirty years.

Modals auxiliary verbs are a very complex area of English grammar, so in this quick guide we will not be able to go into much detail, but we will at least get an overall idea of what their function is in a sentence. In an earlier section of this guide we looked at how the verb phrase can be broken down into its constituent parts and we noted that one of these parts was called a modal auxiliary verb.

Examples of modal auxiliary verbs:

He should be here by now.

I could swim quite well when I was younger.

You mustn't blame yourself for this.

You might have discussed it with me first.

You can't be serious!

Could you open the window please?

Must you make so much noise?

She had to take her brother along with her.

We ought to be going.

So, a modal verb is quite simple as far as its form

and position in various types of sentence are

concerned; but what exactly are the modal

verbs in English? The chart below lists the main

modal auxiliaries that you are likely to meet and

divides them into two categories pure

modals and semi-modals, although in most

cases the distinction is merely formal and their

meanings are not affected by this division.

Pure modals Semi-modals

can ought to

could has/have (got) to

may be able to

might

shall

should

will

would

need ***

*** need is a special verb

since as an auxiliary it is

almost always negative

and it is also a lexical

verb as in sentences like

he needs to speak to you

now, while it acts as a

modal verb in sentences

such as you needn't

come to work tomorrow

where it has the same

meaning as don't have

to.

The main characteristics of the pure modals are: They never change their form irrespective of the subject of the sentence Example: he can swim, not *he cans swim

Following on from the above feature, they do not change to show past tense.

Example: she had to leave not *she musted leave They all carry the negative of the sentence by the addition of not/n't.

Example: I can't remember not *I don't can remember They all form questions by inversion with the subject of the sentence.

Example: should I stay? They are all followed by the base form of the verb without the addition of to. Example: he can swim not *he can to swim

You will notice that this type of modal is made up of two or more separate words, the last one invariably being to. They are all modal in meaning but not in form as they behave differently in a sentence from the pure modals. It is perhaps best to think of the semi-modals in the form with the to infinitive that is given in the table rather than thinking of them as modals that need to + base form. We need to look at the form of each individual semi-modal separately.

Be able to

We use this semi-modal to express possibility or the ability to do

something, but unlike the pure modals, be able to has a full range

of tenses and also needs to inflect to show agreement with its

subject.

For example:

He is able to offer you the best price possible.

We were able to get in to see the film.

They haven't been able to find the missing document.

So, you aren't able to help.

Notice that the negative is carried either by the be element or the

auxiliary verb that is closest to the subject of the sentence. It can

also be accompanied by any of the pure modals:

I will be able to see you after lunch.

They might not be able to put us up for the night.

Has/have (got) to

This is used to express necessity or obligation to do something and shares some of the features of be able to discussed above. The have element of the form has to change to agree with its subject. Although it is normally used in the present tense, it also has its own past (had to) and can be used with pure modals to show the future or the attitude of the speaker:

They have to be more punctual.

He has to take responsibility for the accident.

I had to help my father repair his car.

We will have to put this off until tomorrow.

You shouldn't have to suffer in silence.

You don't have to come if you don't want to.

He didn't have to do all the shopping.

From these few examples it should be clear that the negative not again attaches itself to the auxiliary verb (modal or main) that comes immediately after the subject of the sentence.

Ought to

It is usually claimed that the meaning of ought to is the same as should whether it refers to giving advice or making a logical deduction. So, to most native speakers the following sentences with ought to and should feel the same:

You ought to see a doctor.

You should see a doctor.

They ought to have got back home by now.

They should have got back home by now.

In practice, most speakers tend to prefer should for negatives and questions because the ought to and oughtn't ... to forms can sound rather clumsy and awkward.

Ought you to be doing that?

They oughtn't to (ought not to) do that.

Oughtn't we to leave now?