Saturday, December 26, 2015

Present Perfect vs Past Simple

(I have finished  vs  I  finished)

PRESENT PERFECT 

The present perfect tense is used :

  • To talk about an action which started in the past and continues
         today
     :

         For and since are used to express duration. 
    • I have lived here for 10 years.  I have lived here since 2005.
          (I arrived 10 years ago and I am still here.)
  • To refer to past events in an unfinished period of time.
    • I have written two letters today.
          (Two letters are written but today is not finished.)
  • To refer to past events that have just happened or been announced :
    • There has been a plane crash near the coast.
          (We know the event took place but we don't know when.)
  • To talk about a past action with a result in the present.  :
    • I've broken my arm.  I can't drive (= because my arm is broken now.)
  • To talk and ask about experiences or accomplishments up to the time
        of speaking :
    • "I'm a writer. I've written 9 books."
    • "Have you ever written a biography?" "No, never."

PAST SIMPLE

The Past Simple is used:

  • When the period of time is finished.
    • I wrote two letters yesterday. (Yesterday is finished).

Friday, December 25, 2015

Present Perfect Tense

Present Perfect Simple
AffirmativeNegativeInterrogative
Long FormContracted Form




I have doneI have not doneI haven't doneHave I done?
You have doneYou have not doneYou haven't doneHave you done?
He/she/it has doneHe/she/it has not doneHe/she/it hasn't doneHas he/she/it done?
We have doneWe have not doneWe haven't doneHave we done?
You have doneYou have not doneYou haven't doneHave you done?
They have doneThey have not doneThey haven't doneHave they done?
Present Perfect Continuous
AffirmativeNegativeInterrogative
Long FormContracted Form




I have been doingI have not been doingI haven't been doingHave I been doing?
You have been doingYou have not been doingYou haven't been doingHave you been doing?
He/she/has been doingHe/she/it has not  been doingHe/she/it hasn't been doing.Has he/she/it been doing?
We have been doingWe have not been doingWe haven't been doingHave we been doing?
You have been doingYou have not been doingYou haven't been doingHave you been doing?
They have been doingThey have not been doingThey haven't been doingHave they been doing?
The present perfect is used to refer to actions which take place in an
unfinished time period up to the time of speaking.
  • The present perfect continuous tense is used to refer to an action
        which started in the past and continues today.

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Past Continuous Tense

AffirmativeNegativeInterrogative
Long FormContracted Form




I was playingI was not playingI wasn't playingWas I playing?
You were playingYou were not playingYou weren't playingWere you playing?
He/she/was playingHe/she/it was not playingHe/she/it wasn't playingWas he/she/it playing?
We were playingWe were not playingWe weren't playingWere we playiing?
You were playingYou were not playingYou weren't playingWere you playing?
They were playingThey were not playingThey weren't playingWere they playing?


The past continuous tense is used :
  • To talk about a continuous action which took place at a specific time in the
     past :
    • Yesterday evening, at 9 o'clock, I was watching television.
    • What was I doing at 11 o'clock this morning? I was gardening.
  • It is also used in sentences with when or while, to refer to an action which
     was taking place when a shorter, brief event occurred.
    • Yesterday, while I was watching television, the phone rang.
    • When my husband arrived home yesterday, I was cooking dinner.

Friday, December 18, 2015

Past Simple Tense

(example : to play)

  • The past simple tense of regular verbs is formed by adding - ed to the infinitive
    (for example: -  Infinitive : to play   Past Simple : I played)

  • The auxiliary did is used to form the negative and interrogative forms
AffirmativeNegativeInterrogative
Long FormContracted Form




I playedI did not playI didn't playDid I play?
You playedYou did not playYou didn't playDid you play?
He/she/it playedHe/she/it did not playHe/she/it didn't playDid he/she/it play?
We playedWe did not playWe didn't playDid we play?
You playedYou did not playYou didn't playDid you play?
They playedThey did not playThey didn't playDid they play?


The past simple tense is used to talk about finished actions in a finished period of time,
for example :

  • Yesterday evening I played tennis with a friend.
  • Last year I started taking tennis lessons.
  • When I was at school I hated history.
  • Five minutes ago I finished the report for my boss.
  • Last week I attended a meeting in Tokyo.

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Present Continuous Tense

AffirmativeNegativeInterrogative
Long FormContracted Form




I am playingI am not playingI'm not playingAm I playing?
You are playingYou are not playingYou're not playingAre you playing?
He/she/it is playingHe/she/it is not playingHe/she/it's not playingIs he/she/it playing?
We are playingWe are not playingWe're not playingAre we playing?
You are playingYou are not playingYou're not playingAre you playing?
They are playingThey are not playingThey're not playingAre they playing?
The present continuous tense is used:
  • To talk about continuous activities :

    • At the time of speaking :
      • I am reading this page now.
    • Around now, in a more general sense :
      • I am learning English this year.


  • To talk about planned future activities or intentions :
    • Tom and Mary are coming to dinner tomorrow. They called to confirm.
    • I am spending my holidays in Australia. I have already booked my flight.
  • Friday, December 11, 2015

    Present Simple Tense

    AffirmativeNegativeInterrogative
    Long FormContracted Form




    I playI do not playI don't playDo I play?
    You playYou do not playYou don't playDo you play?
    He/she/it playsHe/she/it does not playHe/she/it doesn't playDoes he/she/it play?
    We playWe do not playWe don't playDo we play?
    You playYou do not playYou don't playDo you play?
    They playThey do not playThey don't playDo they play

    The present simple tense is used :
    • To talk about regular activities :
      • John plays tennis once a week.
      • We start work at 9 a.m. every morning.
      • Mary goes to visit her parents on Sundays.
    • To talk about tastes :
      • Peter likes Chinese food.
      • Julie doesn't like classical music.
      • Most children love chocolate.
    • To talk about facts :
      • The sun rises in the east.
      • In Europe, the weather is cold in winter.
      • Authors write books.

    Saturday, December 5, 2015

    Shall and Will

    What is the difference between shall and will?

    Shall is not used often in modern English especially in American English. In fact, shall and will have the same meaning and are used to refer to the simple future. They are use as follows:
    • will is used with all persons
      I, you, he, she, it, we, theywillgo there
    • shall is used with the first person singular and plural
      I, weshallgo
    • The short form of will and shall is 'll
      I, you, he, she, it, we, theywill or 'llcall you

      I, weshall or 'llcall you
    • In the negative, the short forms of will not and shall not are won't and shan't respectively
      I, you, he, she, it, we, theywon'tgive up

      I, weshan'tgive up

    Uses of shall

    It should be noted that shall is often used to make suggestions, offers or ask for advice. It is used in questions as follows:
    • Shall we stay or go out?
    • Shall we dance?
    • Shall I get his phone number if I meet him?
    • What shall I do to get rid of my acne?

    Friday, December 4, 2015

    Shall and Will

    What is the difference between shall and will?

    Shall is not used often in modern English especially in American English. In fact, shall and will have the same meaning and are used to refer to the simple future. They are use as follows:
    • will is used with all persons
      I, you, he, she, it, we, theywillgo there
    • shall is used with the first person singular and plural
      I, weshallgo
    • The short form of will and shall is 'll
      I, you, he, she, it, we, theywill or 'llcall you

      I, weshall or 'llcall you
    • In the negative, the short forms of will not and shall not are won't and shan't respectively
      I, you, he, she, it, we, theywon'tgive up

      I, weshan'tgive up

    Uses of shall

    It should be noted that shall is often used to make suggestions, offers or ask for advice. It is used in questions as follows:
    • Shall we stay or go out?
    • Shall we dance?
    • Shall I get his phone number if I meet him?
    • What shall I do to get rid of my acne?