VERBAL TENSES

PRESENT TENSES

PRESENT SIMPLEUses•ROUTINES & HABITS: I play football every Saturday

•PERMANENT ACTIONS: The sun rises in the east.

•WITH STATIVE VERBS: He thinks that his proposal is a good one.STATIVE VERBS:

Some verbs can be both stative and dynamic:

AppearJack appears to be tired todayShe’s appearing on a TV show today.

Bebe is usually a stative verb, but when it is used in the continuous it means 'behaving' or 'acting'you are stupid = it's part of your personalityyou are being stupid = only now, not usually

Feelfeel (stative) = have an opinion: I feel that Mr. Peters is a good teacher. I’m feeling a little tired today.

Havehave (stative) = own : I have a carhave (dynamic) = part of an expression : I'm having a party / a picnic / a bath / a good time / a break

LookIt looks cold outsideShe’s looking out the window

Seesee (stative) = see with your eyes / understand : I see what you mean / I see her now, she's just coming along the roadsee (dynamic) = meet / have a relationship with: I've been seeing my boyfriend for three years

SmellSomething smells bad. What is it?Anne is smelling the perfume to see if she wants to buy it.

Tastetaste (stative) = has a certain taste : This soup tastes greattaste (dynamic) = the action of tasting : The chef is tasting the soup('taste' is the same as other similar verbs such as 'smell')

Thinkthink (stative) = have an opinion: I think that coffee is greatthink (dynamic) = consider, have in my head: “what are you thinking about?” “I'm thinking about my next holiday”

Time expressions

EXPRESSIONS OF FREQUENCY: I play tennis_____________

Once / twice / three times... a day / week / month / year…

On Mondays...

Everyday / Every… Monday / August / year / class…

ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY:

I __________ play tennis.I don’t ____________ play tennis. I am _____________ tired.

ALWAYS / USUALLY / OFTEN / SOMETIMES / HARDLY EVER / ALMOST NEVER/ NEVER

Structure

(+) VERB / VERB –S / -ES* (3rd person singular = he / she / it) I play tennis / She dances a lot

* verb finishes in.... –O : go / goES -S: kiss / kissES -CH: watch / watchES -X: fix / fixES -SH: wash / washES - Z: buzz / buzzES

* Verb finishes in consonant + y: cry / crIES BUT ... if a verb finishes in vowel + y: play / playS

(-) DON’T / DOESN’T + VERBI don’t play tennis / She doesn’t dance a lot

(?) DO / DOES + SUBJECT + VERB...?Do you play tennis ? Yes , I do / No, I don’t.Does she dance a lot? Yes, she does / No, she doesn’t.

PRESENT CONTINUOUSUses

•THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING NOW ( I’m explaining Present Continuous)

•TEMPORARY THINGS (I’m living in Lleida, only this summer)

•FUTURE PLANS (I’m having dinner with Joe next Friday)

Time expressions

NOW / RIGHT NOW / AT THE MOMENT / THIS MOMENT

TONIGHT

TODAY

THIS YEAR

AT PRESENT / PRESENTLY

TOMORROW / NEXT WEEK

You aren’t listening to me now.

Structure

VERB TO BE + VERB-ING Jo estic cantant = I am singing

He is singing They are listening.

He isn’t singing They aren’t listening

Is he singing? Yes , he is / No he isn’t

Are they listening? Yes, they are / No, they aren’t.

SPELLING – ING:

1)Verbs which end in –e : the –e disappears

Write : writeing / writING

2)Verbs which end in –y

Play: playING

Cry: cryING

3)Verbs which end in CONS + VOW + CONS (tonic syllable)

Stop: stoPPING Cut: cuTTING

PAST TENSES

PAST SIMPLEUses

•AN SPECIFIC EVENT WHICH TOOK PLACE IN THE PAST: I drove to the beach on 24th April.

•SEQUENCE OF PAST ACTIONS: We arrived at the airport and checked in.

Time expressions

YESTERDAY

LAST year

three days AGO

IN 1982

IN THE 19TH CENTURY

WHEN

THEN

Structure

(+) VERB –ED (regular verbs) * // VERB in 2nd column form (irregular verbs) I played tennis / She drove her car.

* SPELLING OF –ED: -Verb which ends in CONS + VOW + CONS (tonic syllable) Stop: stoPPed

- Verb finishes in consonant + y: cry / crIED BUT ... if a verb finishes in vowel + y: play / playED

- Verb ends in silent –e : just add –D like / likeD

(-) DIDN’T + VERBI didn’t play tennis / She didn’t drive her car.

(?) DID+ SUBJECT + VERB...?

Did you play tennis? Yes , I did / No, I didn’tDid she drive her car ? Yes, she did / No, she didn’t.

Verb to be past form

WAS (1st & 3rd person singular ) / WERE (2nd person singular & 1st, 2nd and 3rd person plural)

She WAS my teacher She WASN’T my teacher WAS she my teacher? Yes, she was / No, she wasn’t.

They WERE her students / They WEREN’T their students /WERE they their students? Yes, they were / No, they weren’t

PAST CONTINUOUSUses

•An incomplete action in progress (usually interrupted by another action)

I was having a shower when the phone rang

•Two incomplete actions taking place at the same time in the past.

I was having a shower while my sister was talking on the phone.

Time expressions

WHILE / AS + PAST CONTINUOUSWHEN + PAST SIMPLE

WHILE / AS I was having a shower, the phone rang.The phone rang WHILE / AS I was having a shower.

WHEN the phone rang , I was having a shower.I was having a shower WHEN the phone rang.

Structure

VERB TO BE in the PAST+ VERB-ING Jo estava cantant = I was singing He was singing They were listening.He wasn’t singing They weren’t listeningWas he singing? Yes , he was / No he wasn’t Were they listening? Yes, they were / No, they weren’t.

SPELLING – ING: 1)Verbs which end in –e : the –e disappears Write : writeing / writing

2) Verbs which end in –yPlay: playingCry: crying

3)Verbs which end in CONS + VOW + CONS (tonic syllable)Stop: stoPPing Cut: cuTTing

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLEUses1) An action that took place in the past at an unstated time.

Have you ever travelled to New York?I’ve never eaten snails.BUT… if you mention when it happened – PAST SIMPLE : I travelled to New York last summer.

2) A past event which is very recent I’ve just had a sandwich.

3) A past event which has consequences in the present time (or still continues)I’ve had the flu (and I’m still ill…)

Time expressions

•JUST : I’ve just bought a car.

•ALREADY (+): I’ve already bought my new car.

•YET (-/?): I haven’t bought a car yet.•EVER (?): Have you ever driven a car?

•NEVER : I’ve never driven a car.

•SINCE : I haven’t smoked since 2010.

•FOR : I haven’t smoke for four years.

•RECENTLY : I’ve seen Mamma Mia! recently.

•LATELY: She hasn’t posted any updates lately.

•STILL :’ I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.

Structure

VERB HAVE (HAVE / HAS)+ VERB in the past participle (-ed / 3rd column)

Jo he conduit una moto = I have driven a motorbike He has bought a car. They have bought a car.He hasn’t bought a car. They haven’t bought a car.Has he bought a car? Yes , he has / No he hasn’tHave they bought a car? Yes, they have / No, they haven’t.

PAST PERFECT SIMPLEUses

1)An action that happened before another action in the past.

By the time he was 20, he had already done a world tour.

Time expressions

•ALREADY

•YET

•BY THE TIME

•AFTER

•BEFORE

•UNTIL

•JUST

•WHEN

•AS SOON AS.

Structure

VERB HAD + VERB in the past participle (-ed / 3rd column) Jo havia conduit una moto = I had driven a motorbike He had bought a car. They hadn’t bought a car.Had she bought a car? Yes , she had. / No, she hadn’t.

FUTURE TENSES

WILLUses

1- Instant decisions: - I’m celebrating my birthday party next Friday. Would you like to come?Yes, I’ll go to your birthday party. Thanks.

2- Predictions based in what we think: I think it won’t rain in the evening

3- Promises and offers: Mum, I promise I’ll behave better. Don’t worry, I’ll go and buy some food for you.

4.- Future events in a timetable. The session will start at 2 o’clock. Don’t be late!

Will is often used with:

1- Future plans and intentions: I'm going to buy a new laptop computer next week

2- Predictions based in what we can see at the moment: Look at that car! it is going to crash into the lamp post

BE GOING TOUses

Structurewill + verb

(+) :I will travel to Madrid in October

( - ) : I will not travel to Jaca this summer.

( ? ) : Will you travel by bus? Yes, I will / No, I won’t.

verb to be + going to + verb

(+) : I am going to travel by plane

( - ) : He is not going to travel by plane ( ? ) : Are they going to travel by plane? Yes, they are. / No, they aren’t

PRESENT CONTINUOUSUses

1- Definite plans in the near future:

I'm having lunch with my friends next Friday at 10 o’clock.

PRESENT SIMPLEUses

1- Events which are part of a timetable:

The train leaves at 11:30.

Time expressions

• THIS EVENING

•TOMORROW

•SOON

•LATER

•IN THE FUTURE

•NEXT WEEK

•THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW

•IN A MINUTE

•IN SEVERAL DAYS

•IN THE YEAR 2020

FUTURE CONTINUOUSUses

1- An action in progress in an specific time in the future:

At this time next year, he will be studying engineering.

FUTURE PERFECT SIMPLEUses

1- A completed action at a specific time in the future:

I will have started my new job by this time tomorrow.

Time expressions

• BY / AT THIS TIME NEXT WEEK

•BY JULY

•TOMORROW

•SOON

•LATER

•IN THE FUTURE

•NEXT WEEK

•THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW

•IN A MINUTE

•IN SEVERAL DAYS

•IN THE YEAR 2020

Structurewill + have + verb past participle

(+) : They will have run out of food by then.

( - ) :They won’t have run out of food by then.

( ? ) : Will they have run out of food by then? Yes, they will / No, they won’t.

will + be+ verb-ing

(+) : I ‘ll be travelling by plane

( - ) : I won’t be travelling by plane ( ? ) : Will you be travelling by plane? Yes, I will. / No, I won’t.