Tenses in English

REVIEW OF TENSES IN ENGLISH
Nguyen Linh
Tranphu High School
a. Describes actions or situations that began in the past, are happening now and will finish in the future.
Signal words:
now, at the moment, at this moment, at present, presently, today etc.
Example:
We are studying how to use 7 English verb tenses at the moment.
b. Describes actions or situations that are not exactly happening now but are temporarily happening around now, not always or usually.
Signal words:
this week, this month, this year, summer, spring, etc.
Example:
He studies engineering but he is working as a part-time waiter for a restaurant this summer vacation.
The Present Continuous Tense of the verbs like come, leave, arrive, return, and go is often used to describe future actions which have already been planned. .
Signal words:
tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, next week / month / year, in + length of time.
Example: Our parents and sister are coming to see us tomorrow.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
* The difference between present simple and present continuous tense is that the present simple describes long-lasting actions (happen all the time) while present continuous tense describe short-lasting ones (in progress at or around now only).
Example:
We are Vietnamese so we speak Vietnamese but now we are speaking English to Mr. Bob because he doesn’t know Vietnamese.
VERB TENSES
PRESENT CONTINUOUS Vs PRESENT SIMPLE
a. Describes actions or situations that finished or unfinished before now ( time unknown).
Signal words:
up to now, up to present, by now, so far, not … yet, already, recently, lately, ever, never, quantifier + times ( several / three / many times) etc.
Example:
I have already been to Hanoi but I have not seen Sword lake yet.
b. Describes actions or situations that began in the past and have continued up to present.
Signal words:
for, since, during/in the last + length of time etc.
Example:
We have been studying / have studied at the International High School for 3 years.
We have been studying / have studied at the International High School since 2002.
Prices have increases / have been increasing during the last three months.
PRESENT PERFECT
Nguyen Linh
* Note:
- The similarity between present perfect and past simple is that both tenses describe action in the past (happened before now) but the difference is that past simple mentions or implies an exact time of the action whilm present perfect doesn’t.
- The present perfect continuous tense describes actions or situations that began in the past and have continued up to present (Signal words: for, since). In many cases, it can interchangeably be used with the present perfect tense.
VERB TENSES
PRESENT PERFECT & PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
Describes actions or situations that happened at one particular time in the past. It began and ended in the past.
Signal words:
ago, clause of time in the past like “when I was young, …), yesterday, at/on/in + point of time in the past ( at the beginning of this semester; on Jan 1st, 2000; in June, 2000), last night/week/month/year/Saturday/June/ Christmas etc.
Example:
It rained yesterday;
I watched TV last night;
Our school was built 5 years ago.
VERB TENSES
PAST SIMPLE
Nguyen Linh
a. Describes an action or situation that was happening at a particular time in the past.
Signal words: when, as, at + point of time etc.
Example:
At 8 last night, we were studying in our room.
b. Describes an action or situation that was happening when another action occurred.
Signal words: when, as, while etc.
Example: She was taking a shower when the light went out.
c. Describes actions or situations in progress simultaneously.
Signal words:
while, when, as
Example:
I was doing my homework in my room when my roommates were having a party in the other room.
VERB TENSES
Past Continuous
a. Describes an action or situation that finished before another past action.
Signal words:
when, before, after, by, as, up to then, by then, by that time, not … yet, already, ever, never, quantifier + times ( several / three / many times) etc.
Example:
When we came, she was not there. She had already gone.
b. Describes an action or situation that finished before a particular time in the past.
Signal words:
by, for, since, up to then, by then , not … yet, already, never, quantifier + times ( several / three / many times) etc
By 10 last night, I had done 10 exercises on verb tenses.
VERB TENSES
Past Perfect
- Describes actions or situations that will happen at one particular time in the future.
Signal words:
tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, next week / month / year, in + length of time, until + point of time etc.
Example:
I will go to America next year; The match will continue in 15 minutes. I will not be here until next Friday.
VERB TENSES
FUTURE SIMPLE
TNPTTH
ex1
google
back
ihs
Verbs of mental state: know, realize, understand, recognize, believe, feel, suppose, think, imagine, doubt, remember, forget, want, need, prefer, mean.
Verbs of emotional state: love, like, appreciate, hate, dislike, fear, envy, mind, care.
Verbs of possession: belong, possess, have, own.
Verbs of sense perception: taste, smell, hear, feel, see.
Verbs of other existing state: be, seem, look, appear, cost, weigh, exist, consist of, contain, include.
verbs that can not be used
in Continous Tenses
Nguyen Linh
Action that was happening when another action occurred: use Past Continuous and Past Simple (She was taking a shower when the light went out)
Actions in progress simultaneously: use Past Continuous ( We were listening to the teacher when he was explaining the lesson).
Action that finished before another past action: use Past Perfect and Past Simple (I hadn’t had breakfast when I went to school this morning).
Actions that happened consecutively: use Past Simple (When she heard a strange noise, she stood up and walked to the window to investigate).
SEQUENCE OF PAST ACTIONS
The clock (strike) ……………. four as she ……..…(2. reach) her flat. She ……(3 light) a final cigarette and ……(4 sit) at her dressing–table thinking of the party she …………(5 leave) an hour before. She would have been home much earlier but she.. …(6 have) difficulty in finding a taxi at that late hour. Reflecting that if she didn’t go to bed quickly, she would feel dreadful at work the next day, she ……(7 put) down her cigarette, …….…..(8 undress) quickly, and …….(9 get) into bed. She …….(10 fall) asleep at once.
EXERCISE 1
WAS STRIKING
REACHED
LIT
SAT
HAD LEFT
HAD
FELL
PUT
UNDRESSED
GOT
back
The moon (move) around the earth and the earth (do) the same around the sun.
She said she (see) that film before.
The meeting (end) two hours ago.
I (meet) Mary while I (go) to the bookshop yesterday. I (ask) her to go with me. She with I (want) to find a good English dictionary. At last both of us (buy) the same ones after we (look) for and (read) many kinds of dictionary carefully.
MOVES
DOES
HAD SEEN
MET, WAS GOING
BOUGHT
HAD LOOKED
(HAD) READ
ENDED
ASKED
WANTED
EXERCISE 2
Nguyen Linh
1. Last week I (go) ........................ to an exhibition of paintings at the Town Gallery in HCMC. I (be) ........................ not really a great art lover but I (read) ........................ a lot of good reviews about that exhibition so I (be) ........................ keen to see it. When I (arrive) ........................ , there were already some people outside who (wait) ........................ for the door to open. I (join) ........................ the queue and in the end, the door ........................ (open) ........................ and we (go) inside to see the show.
2. John (work)………… hard every day.
3. He (speak) ……….. to the teacher now.
JOINED,
WENT
IS SPEAKING
AM
ARRIVED
WORKS
HAD READ
WENT
WERE WAITING
EXERCISE 3
WAS OPENED,
BE
A flight to London DEPARTED three hours late today. The delay (occur) as airline personnel (try) to locate a cat inside the plane. While the flight attendants (prepare) for takeoff, several passengers (hear) the sound of a cat coming from under their seats. Crew members (search) the plane for over an hour before they (locate) the cat. The cat (hide) under the floor of the first class cabin when they found it. As technicians (remove) a section of the cabin floor, the cat (escape) through the door of the garbage compartment and (jump) from the aircraft into the arms of its owner, an airline employee, who (stand) nearby at the time.
WENT
LOCATED
HAD BEEN SEARCHING
HEARD
WAS REMOVING, ESCAPED, JUMPED, WAS STANDING
WAS TRYING
EXERCISE 4
OCCURRED
WAS HIDING
Every morning, the sun (shine) .............. in my bedroom and (wake) .............. me up.
Water (consist) ………………….of hydrogen and oxygen.
I need an umbrella because it (rain) ........................
What you ( do) ........................ this weekend?
When she (hear) .............. a strange noise, she got up to investigate.
I (write) .............. some letters at nine o’clock last night.
While we were cleaning the windows, our mother (polish) .............. the forks and spoons.
.............. the children (go) .............. to school yet?
Everything (be) .............. successful so far.
You (study) ........................ for five hours, why don’t you take a break?
Ecercise 5
Nguyen Linh
If my cheque comes, I (buy) .............. us all a meal.
I would fix your bicycle if I (have) .............. a screwdriver of the proper size.
If I (have) .............. my camera with me yesterday, I would have taken a picture of Alex standing on his head.
If I were you, I (tell) .............. him the truth as soon as possible.
15. I (meet) …….. Mary while I (go) …….. to the bookshop yesterday.
16. At last both of us (buy) …….. the same ones after we (look) …….. for and (read) …….. many kinds of dictionary carefully.
By the time we (arrive) ........................ , the party (finish) .............................
Ecercise 6
Nguyen Linh
Last night, the thief (break) .............. into the room easily because someone (forget) .............. to lock the door. Fortunately, I (watch) ........................ TV upstairs. I (turn on) ........................ the light. The thief (run) ........................ away.
His mother ........................ (interrupt) him as he ........................ (make up) a wonderful story about why he was so late.
Casilas is Spanish. He (live) ...................... in Madrid , where he (play) ...................... for Real Madrid. He (work) .................... as a footballer there for several years now. At the moment, he (be) ...................... in Portugal.. She (arrive) .................... there last Saturday. She (stay) ........................ there for a month, and he (return) ........................ to Spain next January.
Ecercise 7
Nguyen Linh
Last week, I (walk) ........................ home after I (play) ........................ some tennis when it (start) ........................ to rain heavily. Just then, a friend of mine who (drive) ........................ home from work (see) ........................ me take shelter from the rain and he (offer) ........................ me a lift home.
Several people (walk) ................................. along when suddenly tons of earth came crashing down the hillside and (block) ........................ the road in front of them.
Here I am in Nhatrang! I (1. be) ........................ here for 3 days now and it (2. be) ........................ very interesting. My friend, Nhung, who I (3. meet) ........................ in Nhatrang in 1999 (4. live) ........................ in Nhatrang for 5 years, so she (5. know) ........................ all about it. Yesterday we (6. go) ........................ to Tam island and (7. eat) ........................ seafood there. We (8. visit) ........................ the White Statue of Buddha this Sunday. Back on 31st .
Ecercise 8
Nguyen Linh
Yesterday while I (read) ........................ in my study. Tim (appear) ........................ in and (tell) ........................ me to lend him a dictionary. "I (prepare) ........................ tomorrow`s English lesson." he (say) ........................ "and I find several words that I (not / know) ........................ " .
Last Saturday when I (arrive) ........................ at the station, Natalie (wait) ........................ for me. She (wear) ........................ a blue dress. She (look) ........................ very pretty. As soon as she (see) ........................ me, she (wave) ........................ and shouted something but I (not, hear) ........................ what she (say) ........................ because it was too noisy there.
Thank you for your letter which I received this morning. You asked me what I (do) when the landslide occurred. I ( not remember) ........................ things too clearly now but I think I (watch) ........................ TV and my sister (do) ........................ her homework at the time. Suddently, all the lights (go out) ........................ and I (frighten) ......................... I (remember) ........................ calling out to my parents who (talk) ........................ quietly in the next room. The next minute we (hear) ........................ a loud noise and the whole building (begin) ........................ to shake.
Ecercise 9
Nguyen Linh
What ........................ you (do) ........................ since you come here? How many friends ........................ you (make) ........................ ?
Libraries today (be) ........................ different from those in 1800s. For example, the content of the libraries (change) ........................ greatly through the years. In 1800s, libraries (be) ........................ simply collections of books. However, today, most libraries are multimedia centers that contain tapes, computers, disks, films, magazines, music, and paintings. The role of the library in society (also, change) ........................ . In 1800s, libraries (be) ........................ open to a certain people, such as scholars or the wealthy. Today libraries (serve) ........................ everyone.
Last month John (read) ........................ two novels. Right now he (read) ........................ A Farewell to Arms, and he (think) ........................ he (finish) ........................ reading it next week. In his lifetime, he (read) ........................ many novels but this is the first Hemingway novel he (ever, read) ........................ .
Ecercise 10
Nguyen Linh