SIMPLE PRESENT TO BE

SIMPLE PRESENT
-Habitual actions -actions and situations which are generally true -facts which are always true -general situations -permanent sense

PRESENT CONTINUOUS
-Actions in progress at the present moment -actions happening around now, even though not at the moment of speaking - future meaning S + V to be + V ing + rest (Affir.) S + V to be neg + V ing + rest (Neg.) V to be + S + V ing + rest (Inter.) The spelling of ing verbs State verbs: Remember that some have specific uses in the simple present and do not take the continuous form.

SIMPLE PAST TO BE

SIMPLE PAST

PAST CONTINUOUS
-Situations in progress in the past, often contrasted with a sudden event in the past, which interrupts the action in progress -several situations in progress at the same time S + V to be past + V ing + rest (Affir.) S + V to be past neg + V ing + rest (Neg.) V to be past + S + V ing + rest (Inter.) The spelling of ing verbs You can use while and when to mean during the time.

Uses

To say how or what someone or something is or where someone or something is

To say how or what someone or something was or where someone or something was in the past

-Actions and states in a completed period of time in the past -habitual actions in the past

Grammatical Structure

S + V to be + rest (Affir.) S + V to be neg + rest (Neg.) V to be + S + rest (Inter.) I You We They She He It AM ARE IS

S + V + rest (Affir.) S + Aux neg + V inf + rest (Neg.) Aux + S + V inf + rest (Inter.) Verbs for the third person singular end with an s only in the affirmative. Bear in mind the spelling problems. I, you, we, they DO She, he, it DOES

S + V to be past + rest (Affir.) S + V to be past neg + rest (Neg.) V to be past + S + rest (Inter.) I She He It You We They WAS

S + V past + rest (Affir.) S + Aux past + V inf + rest (Neg.) Aux past + S + V inf + rest (Inter.) Affirmative: Regular verbs: add an (e)d at the end. Irregular verbs: check them with list. Bear in mind the spelling problems.

What do I have to remember?

WERE

DO NOT USE THIS VERB WITH THE AUXILIARIES

DO NOT USE THIS VERB WITH THE AUXILIARY

DO OR DOES.

You can use only when to mean at the time that. Frequency adverbs DID. The auxiliary for ALL SUBJECTS is DID.