Summary

Grammar
 Present simple

1.

1. happens all the time or repeatedly, or that something is true in

general
2. We use it to say how often we do things
3. We use it with I promise, I apologise ... / I advise ... / I insist ... / I
agree ... / I refuse ...
4. We use the simple for permanent situations (things that continue
for a long time)
5. I always do something = I do it every time
 Present continues

1.

1. Continues is started doing it and I haven’t finished; I’m in the middle of doing
it
2. Sometimes the action is not happening at the time of speaking
3. We use it with today / this week / this year etc. (periods around now)
4. when we talk about a change that has started to happen. We often use these
verbs: getting, becoming changing, improving,starting, beginning increasing,
rising, falling, growing.
5. We use the continuous for temporary situations (things that continue for a
short time)
6. I’m always doing something = I do it too often. or more often than normal.
7. Some verbs (for example, know and like) are not normally used in continues :
like,want,need,prefer,know,realise,understand,recognise,believe,suppose,rem
ember,mean, belong,fit,contain,consist,seem
8. When think means ‘believe’ or ‘have an opinion’, we do not use the continuous
9. When think means ‘consider’, the continuous is possible
 Past simple

1.

1. Past simple is complete action in past

 Past continues

1.

1. Past continues is in the middle of an action in past

2. Can say something happened in the middle of something was happening
3. use the past simple to say that one thing happened after another
4. Don’t use stative verbs in continuous
 Present perfect
(Simple)
1. have/has+past participle
2. When we say ‘something has happened’, this is usually new information
3. We use the present perfect, there is a connection with now. The action in the past
has a result now
4. Gone to vs been to( gone to = go away not here, been to = was there and now back)
5. Use with just,already,yet(just= a short time ago, already=sooner than expected,
yet= until now )
6. When we talk about a period of time that continues from the past until now, we use
the present perfect
7. When we are talking about a period that continues until now
(recently, in the last few days, so far, since I arrived etc.)
8. we use the present perfect with today, this evening, this year etc.
when these periods are not finished at the time of speaking
9. We say ‘It’s the (first) time something has happened’
10. When we say something happened or happening again for first or second or third
 Present perfect
(Continuous)
1. Have/has been + -ing is the present perfect continuous
2. We use the present perfect continuous for an activity that has recently stopped or
just stopped
3. It began raining two hours ago and it is still raining. use the present perfect
continuous in this way, especially with how long, for ... and since ... . The activity
is still happening (as in this example) or has just stopped.
4. You can use the present perfect continuous for repeated actions
5. Compare I am doing (happening now) and I have been doing ( was happening
before now not past)
6. We are thinking of the activity. It does not matter whether it has been finished
or not
7. We use the continuous to say how long (for something that is still happening)
8. We can use want and mean in the present perfect continuous
9. When we ask or say ‘how long’, the continuous is more usual
10. Some verbs (for example, know and like) are not normally used in the continuous
11. You can use either the continuous or simple with live and work
 for and since when
... ? and how
long ... ?
1.
(Simple and
We use for and since to say how long something has been happening.
2.
Continuous)
We often leave out for (but not usually in negative sentences)
3. You can use in instead of for in negative sentences (I haven’t ... etc.).
4. We do not use for + all ... (all day / all my life etc.)
5. Compare when ... ? (+ past simple) and how long ... ? (+ present perfect). Use
when for time use how long for period
6. We say it is / it has been (long time) since something happened
 Present perfect vs
past
1. Present perfect: It tells us about the situation now
2. Past simple: It tells us only about the past (just about past)
3. You can use the present perfect for new or recent happenings
4. Usually, you can also use the past simple.
5. Use the past simple (not the present perfect) for things that are not
recent or new
6. We use the present perfect to give new information.But if we continue to
talk about it,we normally use the past simple
7. We do not use the present perfect (I have done) when we talk about a
finished time (for example,yesterday / last year / ten minutes ago etc.).
We use a past tense.
8. Use the past to ask When … ? or What time … ?
9. We use the present perfect for a period of time that continues until now.
For example: today / this week / since 2010.
10. We use the past simple for a finished time in the past. For example:
yesterday / last week / from 2010 to 2014
 Past perfect
(Simple)
1. had + past participle
2. Sometimes we talk about something that happened in the past
3. This is the starting point of the story. Then, if we want to talk about
things that happened before this time, we use the past perfect (had ...)
4. Compare present perfect (have seen etc.) and past perfect (had seen
etc.), Present perfect has happened before now with now,
Past perfect had happened before past
5. Compare past simple (left, was etc.) and past perfect (had left, had been
etc.). Past simple complete action in past , past perfect action
before past happened
 Past perfect
(Continuous)
1. had been -ing is the past perfect continuous
2. You can say that something had been happening before something else
happened
3. Compare have been -ing (present perfect continuous) and had been -ing
(past perfect continuous) first one happing before now second was
happening before past.
4. Compare was -ing (past continuous) and had been -ing,
first one was in middle of action in past ,second was doing
before past.
5. Some verbs (for example, know) are not normally used in continuous
forms (be + -ing)
 have and have got
1. have and have got (= for possession, relationships, illnesses, appointments etc.)
2. You can use have or have got. There is no difference in meaning
3. With these meanings (possession etc.), we do not use continuous forms (I’m having
etc.)
4. For the past we use had (usually without got)
5. In questions and negative sentences there are three possible forms,
Do you have…? I don’t have.
Have you got….? I haven’t got.
Have you…? I haven’t.
6. In past questions and negative sentences, we use did/didn’t.
Did you have….? I didn’t have
7. We also use have (but not have got) for things we do or experience. For example
breakfast / dinner / a cup of coffee / something to eat etc.
a bath / a shower / a swim / a break / a rest / a party / a
holiday. an accident / an experience / a dream.
a look (at something).
a
chat / a discussion / a conversation (with somebody).
trouble / difficulty / fun / a good time etc.
a baby (= give birth to a baby).
 used to (do)

1. I used to do something = I did it often in the past, but not any more.
2. We also use used to ... for things that were true, but are not true any
more.
3. I used to do something’ is past.
4. The normal question form is did (you) use to ... ?
5. negative form is didn’t use to ... (used not to ... is also possible)
6. Compare I used to do and I was doing.
7. Do not confuse I used to do and I am used to doing (see Unit 61).
The structures and meanings are different
 The future
Present tenses (I am doing / I do)

1. Present continuous (I am doing) with a future meaning.

2. I’m doing something (tomorrow etc.) = I have already decided and arranged to
do it.
3. We do not normally use will to talk about what we have arranged to do.
4. We also use the present continuous for an action just before you start to do it.
This happens especially with verbs of movement (go/come/leave etc.)
5. Present simple (I do) with a future meaning.
6. We use the present simple when we talk about timetables and programmes
(for example, transport or cinema times).
7. You can use the present simple to talk about people if their plans are fixed like
a timetable.
8. But the continuous is more usual for other personal arrangements.
9. Compare present continuous and present simple in future
10. When you talk about appointments, lessons, exams etc., you can use I have or
I’ve got
 I’m going to (do)

1. I am going to do something = I have already decided to do it, I intend to do it.

2. I am doing and I am going to do.
3. I am doing = it is already fixed or arranged. For example, you have arranged to
go somewhere or meet somebody
4. I am going to do something = I’ve decided to do it. Maybe I’ve arranged to do it,
maybe not
5. Compare between the last 2.
6. You can also say that ‘something is going to happen’ in the future.
7. I was going to do something = I intended to do it, but didn’t do it.
8. You can say that ‘something was going to happen’ (but didn’t happen)
 Will and Shall
1. We use I’ll ... (= I will) when we’ve just decided to do something. When we say ‘I’ll do something’, we
announce our decision.
2. We do not use the present simple (I do / I go etc.) in these sentences.
3. We often use I think I’ll ... / I don’t think I’ll ...
4. We often use I’ll in these situations : Offering to do something, Agreeing to do something, Promising
to do something.
5. We use won’t to say that somebody refuses to do something.
6. Will you (do something)? = please do it.
7. We do not use will to talk about what has been decided or arranged before.
8. Compare. ( I’m meeting decided before- I will meet announce my decision)
9. We use shall mostly in the questions shall I ... ? / shall we ... ?
10. We use shall I ... ? / shall we ... ? to ask if it’s OK to do something or to ask for a suggestion.
11. Compare shall I ... ? and will you ... ? Shall I = is it ok to do something, will you = please do it
12. We do not use will to say what somebody has already arranged or decided to do.
13. We use will to say what we know or believe about the future (not what someone has already decided)
[When we predict a future happening or situation, we use will/won’t.]
14. Compare. He is going to do something =I think he already decided to do it , he will go to do something
= I think he will decide.
15. We often use will (’ll) with : probably, I’m sure, I think, I don’t think, I wonder
16. After I hope, we generally use the present.
17. Generally we use will to talk about the future, but sometimes we use will to talk about now.
 I will and I’m going to

1. Future actions — Compare will and (be) going to

2. Compare
3. Future happenings and situations (predicting the future)
We use both will and going to for future happenings and situations.
4. When we say something is going to happen, we believe this because of the situation
now. What is happening now shows that something is going to happen in the future
5. Compare
 will be doing and will have done

1. I will be doing something (future continuous) = I will be in the middle of doing it.
2. Compare will be (do)ing and will (do)
3. Compare
4. We also use will be -ing to talk about complete actions in the future.
5. When we use it in this way, will be (doing) is similar to will (do) and going to (do).
6. I will have done something (future perfect) = it will be complete before a time in the
future
7. Compare
 when I do and when I’ve done if and when

1. Study this.
2. The same thing happens after while / before / after / as soon as / until
3. You can also use the present perfect (have done) after when / after / until / as soon as:
4. We use the present perfect to show that one thing is complete before the other. The two
things do not happen together.
5. Do not use the present perfect if the two things happen together:
6. It is often possible to use either the present simple or the present perfect
7. If and when
8. After if, we normally use the present (if I do / if I see etc.) for the future:
9. We use if (not when) for things that will possibly happen (or not happen):
10. We use when for things which are sure to happen. Compare: