Tense Review

Simple Present vs Present Continuous

A. We use The Present Continuous Tense for actions happening at the time of speaking.

Look! It is snowing.
Listen, Katie is singing in the bathroom.
The water is boiling. Can you turn off the stove?
Let's go out. It isn't raining anymore.
Don't disturb me. I'm busy... Why? What are you doing?'
I'm going to bed, goodnight.
Listen to those people. What language are they speaking?
Maria is in class at the moment. She's taking an exam.

B. We use The Simple Present Tense for habits or general activities.

It snows here every winter.

Sean always sings in the bathroom.
We usually get up at seven o’clock.

C. We normally do not use these verbs in the present continuous.

want like love need hate prefer depend

know mean understand believe remember

I think you are right.

She wants a new bike.
Matt likes his job.
I don’t understand you. What do you mean?
She hates math.
I like you very much.
Do you know his name? No, I don’t know his name.

D. We use the Present Progressive for a routine or situation that we see as temporary, for a short period.

I'm living with some friends until I find an apartment.

You're working hard today. Yes, I've got a lot to do.

E. We use the Simple Present for a routine or situation that we see as permanent.

I work at a sports bar. (It is a permanent job.)

They live in a very nice house.

F. When we use the Present Continuous Tense with "always" the sentence has a meaning of "too often/too
much" and this annoys the speaker.

John is always inviting his friends over.

He does it all the time and it annoys me.
John always invites his friends over. (neutral)
I’m always making silly mistakes.
I make silly mistakes too often and I hate it.
G. Always with the Present Simple means ‘all the time’

I always take a bus to work. (I do it all the time.)

We always play computer games after school.
I always pray before I sleep.

Simple Past Tense

1. When we want to indicate that something happened at a specific time in the past, we use the simple past
tense.
I saw the manager a few minutes ago.
In seventeenth-century Europe, there were many problems.
When questioned about the latest events, the minister gave very little away.

2. We use the past simple for situations that existed for a period of time in the past but not now.

When I was in high school, I played soccer. (used to play)

The teacher at high school was very strict. He severely punished any misbehaving students.

3. “When, while, after, before, as…” we should pay attention to the tense agreement in sentences with time
clauses.
He always ---- at me, before he ---- to me.
a) shouts / listens ✓ b) shouted / listened ✓
c) had shouted / listens d) shouts / listened

It ---- almost midnight, we ---- go to bed.

a) is / had to b) is / have to ✓
c) was / had to ✓ d) was / will have to

Past Continuous
The past continuous shows us that the action was already in progress at a certain time in the past.
What were you doing at 8 p.m. last night? I was studying.
This means that I started studying before 8 p.m. and I continued after 8 p.m.
The past continuous can also show that the activity was in progress for some time, not just for a moment.
We were cleaning the house all morning.
We make the past continuous with was or were and the -ing form of the verb.
She couldn't come to the party. She was working.
Three years ago, we were living in my home town.
I tried to give him some advice, but he wasn't listening.
What were you doing this time last year?

Past Simple vs Past Continuous

When we use these two tenses together, it shows us that the past simple action happened in the middle of the
past continuous action, while it was in progress.

While I was studying, I suddenly felt sleepy.

We often use these tenses to show an action interrupting another action.
I broke my leg when I was skiing.
As I was going to work, I saw an old friend.
We were watching television when the power went off.

Can you see a difference in the meaning of these two sentences?

When the guests arrived, Jane was cooking dinner.
When the guests arrived, Jane cooked dinner.

In the first one, Jane started cooking dinner before the guests arrived. We know that because it uses the past
continuous. In the second sentence, the guests arrived first, and then Jane started cooking.

What’s the difference?

Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect Continuous
We use both of these tenses for finished and unfinished actions.

The present perfect simple can be used (often with ‘since’ and ‘for’) to talk about unfinished actions that started in
the past and are still true in the present. It’s often used with stative verbs:

• I’ve known John for three years.

The present perfect continuous can also be used (often with ‘since’ and ‘for’) to talk about unfinished actions that
started in the past and are still true in the present. (Of course, we don’t use the present perfect continuous with
stative verbs):

• She’s been living here for three years.

Stative verbs often relate to:

Thoughts and opinions: agree, believe, doubt, guess, imagine, know, mean, recognize, remember, suspect, think,
understand

Feelings and emotions: dislike, hate, like, love, prefer, want, wish

Senses and perceptions: appear, be, feel, hear, look, see, seem, smell, taste

Possession and measurement: belong, have, measure, own, possess, weigh.

Sometimes there’s really no difference in meaning between Present Perfect & Present Perfect continuous. This is
especially the case with verbs such as ‘live’, ‘work’, ‘study’:
• They’ve lived in London since 2004.
• They’ve been living in London since 2004.
• I’ve studied French for ten years.
• I’ve been studying French for ten years.
• He’s worked at the company since 2009.
• He’s been working at our company since 2009.
Sometimes, there is a difference in meaning:
1: The present perfect continuous can be used to emphasize the length of time that has passed. The present
perfect simple is generally neutral:

• They’ve been waiting for hours! (This emphasizes the length of time).
• They’ve waited for hours. (This doesn’t emphasize the length of time).
2: On the other hand, the present perfect simple is often used when we’re talking about how much or how
many. This isn’t possible with the present perfect continuous:

• She’s drunk three cups of coffee this morning.

• She’s drunk at least a liter of coffee today.
• (NOT: she’s been drinking three cups of coffee this morning.).

3: The present perfect continuous often focuses on the action itself, while the present perfect simple focuses on
the fact that the action is completed:

• I’ve been reading the book you recommended. (I’m enjoying it, but I’m not finished).
• I’ve read the book you recommended. (I’ve finished it, so we can talk about it).

We use ‘yet’ and ‘already’ with the present perfect simple:

• Have you read the book yet?
• She’s finished her work already.

This difference is often used to talk about different kinds of results in the present. The present perfect simple is
used when the action is finished, and the result comes from the action being finished:

• I’ve eaten dinner, so let’s go out.

• She’s done all her homework, so she can relax this evening.
• I’ve made a cake. Would you like some?

The present perfect continuous is used when the result comes from the action itself. It doesn’t matter if the
whole action is finished or not. The result is often something we can see, hear, smell, or feel:

• I’ve been eating dinner, so there are plates all over the table.
• She’s been doing her homework, so she’s tired.
• I’ve been making a cake, that’s why the kitchen is such a mess.

4. Finally. the present perfect continuous can be used to emphasize that something is temporary:

• She’s been running a lot recently. (She doesn’t usually do this).

• Usually I study at home, but I’ve been studying in the library for the last week.

Which of the two sentences below is the better or more likely?

Q1. I’ve worked in the garden all day and now I’m tired.
I’ve been working in the garden all day and now I’m tired.

Q2. What have you done? You’re all wet.

What have you been doing? You’re all wet.

Q3. I’ve finished my homework. Now I’m going to watch TV.

I’ve been finishing my homework. Now I’m going to watch TV.

Q4. What have you done with my keys? - I haven’t seen your keys.
What have you been doing with my keys? - I haven’t seen your keys.

Q5. She’s worked in the garden all morning and she’s still not finished.
She’s been working in the garden all morning and she’s still not finished.
Q6. Why are you sweating? - I’ve cut the grass.
Why are you sweating? - I’ve been cutting the grass.

Q7. How many biscuits have you eaten?

How many biscuits have you been eating?

Q8. How long have you known her?

How long have you been knowing her?

Q9. I’ve had this computer for over 10 years.

I’ve been having this computer for over 10 years.

Q10. I’ve had piano lessons for over 10 years and I’m still not very good.
I’ve been having piano lessons for over 10 years and I’m still not very good.
learning how to play

Passive Voice

Present Perfect Con

Perfect
-

-
Choose the appropriate options to complete the sentences

1. The meeting ---------- at three o’clock, so we must hurry if we want to be there in time.
(A) starts (B) started (C) was starting (D) has started

2. Exactly how long ---------- worked as a senior accounting clerk for this company?
(A) have you (B) did you (C) are you (D) will you

3. After being discharged from the hospital, our president Mr. Liu ---------- taking a long break.
(A) will (B) is going to (C) will be (D) will have

4. We _______ coffee when the new Vice President came into the office.
A) have B) were having C) will have D) have had

5. Sorry, James is not here. I think he .............. ten minutes ago.

A) left B) had left C) was leaving D) has left
-When
6. As soon as the other passengers get on the bus, we (leave)
u
A) leaves B) left C) will leave D) have left
Now
7. For the time being, we _____ for the exam, but this time tomorrow we _____ the best movie of this year.
A) study / will watch B) are studying / will be watching
C) have been studying/are watching D) are studying / will have watched

8. These days, people who _____ manual work, often receive far more money than clerks who _____ in offices.
A) are doing / are working B) were doing / were working
C) have done/have worked D) do/work

V2
9. Since they _______ acting, they ________ in three plays, a television commercial and two TV dramas.
A) begin / have performed B) began/have performed
C) begin / are performing D) began / have been performing

10. Tony is a wonderful singer; his mother tells me that he _____ professionally since she was four.
A) has sung B) was singing C) is singing D) has been singing

11. In the evenings, I often play chess with my next-door neighbor. I ______ chess with him ever since I _______ to
live here ten years ago.
A) have been playing / came B) play / came
C) have been playing / have come D) am playing / have come

12. Ann _______ her driving test three times because she's so bad at reversing. But she ________ reversing since
last week and I think she has got a bit better at it.
A) has failed / has been practicing B) failed / practiced
C) failed / was practicing D) fails / practices

13. I have been waiting for the prices of the houses to come down before buying one, but I think I ______ too long
and the prices ________ to go up again.
A) am waiting / are beginning B) wait / began
C) am waiting / began D) have waited / are beginning
boring
14. Last year, I experienced how tedious long plane trips could be. I ______ in an airplane for fairly long distances
before that, but never as long as when I went to Australia last June.
A) have never flown B) didn't fly C) have flown D) had flown
15. This bicycle _______ in our family for fourteen years. My father used it for the first five years, my brother rode
it for the next five and I ________ it for the last four.
A) is / have had B) had been / had
C) has been / have had D) was / had had

16. Carl apologizes for not being available when you called, but he ---------- an important client.
(A) had visited (B) visited
(C) was visiting (D) had been visiting