Grammar Review

Topic One: Tenses

Structure of the lecture:
THE TIME LINE:

Past Future Time

Line

Now
The Simple: Simple present
 It snows in Alask
a.
 Tom watches tel
evision every day.

 Link 1
The Simple: Simple past
 It snowed yester
day.
 Tom watched tel
evision last night.
The Simple: Simple Future
 It will snow tom
orrow.
 It is going to sn
ow tomorrow.
 Tom will watch t
elevision tonight.
 Tom is going to
watch television
tonight. (Link 1)
The Progressive: be + v.-ing
Present Progressive

 Am/is/are doing…

 Tom is sleeping
right now.
The Progressive: be +v.-ing
Past Progressive

 was/were doing

 Tom was sleepin

g when I arrived.
The Progressive: be + v.-ing
Future Progressive
 will be doing…

 Tom will be slee

ping when we arr
ive.

 Link 2
The Perfect: have + v-ed
Present Perfect

 has/have done…

 Tom has already

eaten.
The Perfect: have + -ed
Past Perfect

 had done…

 Tom had already

eaten when his fr
iend arrived.
The Perfect: have + v-ed
Future Perfect
 will have done…

 Tom will already

have eaten whe
n his friend arrive
s.

 Link 4
Perfect Progressive: have + been + -ing
Present Perfect Progressive

 has/have been do
ing…

 Tom has been st

udying for two h
ours.
Perfect Progressive: have + been + -ing
Past Perfect Progressive

 had been doing…

 Tom had been st

udying for two h
ours before his fri
end came.
Perfect Progressive: have + been + -ing
Future Perfect Progressive

 will have been doi

ng…

 Tom will have b

een studying for
two hours by the
time his friend arr
ives.
 Link 5
Summary: The Simple
Summary: The Progressive
Summary: The Perfect
Summary:
The Perfect Progressive
Simple Present
Vs. Present Progressive
 I ______ for two hours every night. (Stu
dy)
 John ________ right now. (sleep)

 study– habitual or everyday activity

 is sleeping— in progress at the moment
of speaking

 See Link 7 for more practice exercises

Stative Verbs
 Yum! This food ______ (taste) good.
I _____ (like) it very much.
 The chef is in his kitchen. He ______
(taste) the sauce.

 tastes, like: have stative meanings; d

escribe a state that exists.
 is tasting: an action
 See Link 8 for a list of stative verbs
Am/is/are being +Adjective
 Jack doesn’t feel well, but he refuses
to see a doctor. He _____(be) foolish.
 Sue never does anything right. She _
__ (be) foolish.

 is being: a temporary, in-progress be

havior
 is:
 Click on link 9 for more exercises
Simple Past– Irregular Verb
s
 I ______ (buy) a new car three days
ago.
 I ______(bring) back home a big pile
of books to read last night.

 bought
 brought
 Click on Link 10 for a list of irregular
Verbs
Past Progressive
Vs. Simple past
 While I _______ (walk) down the stre
et, it ______ (begin) to rain.

 was walking; began: one action (wal

k) began earlier and was in the progr
ess when the other action (begin) occ
urred.

 Click on Link 10 for more exercises

Present Perfect
 _____ you _____ (visit) Mexico?
 I _______ (meet) many people since I cam
e here in June.

 Have…visited: The exact time it happened i

s not important; adverbs: ever, never, alre
ady, yet, still, just
 have met: repetition before Now; so far, si
nce
 Click on Link 12 for more exercises
Present Perfect vs. Simple past
 I can not get into my apartment now.
I ______ (lose) my key.
 I did something stupid yesterday. I _
___(lose) my key.

 have lost: something happened at the

past and it has an effect till now.
 lost: something that happened in the
past.
Present Perfect Progressive
 You ___(study) for five straight hour
s.
 I __ (think) about changing my majo
r.

 have been studying: Duration of an a

ction, used with for, since, all day…
 have been thinking: general activity i
n progress recently, lately
Present Perfect Progressive
 I ___ (live) here since 1995.

 have lived; have been living: words li

ke work, study
 Click on Link 13 for more exercises
Past Perfect
 Sam ___ already ___ (leave) when Ann got
there.
 Sam ___ (leave) before Ann ____(get) ther
e.

 had…left
 had left/left; got: with before or after

 Click on Link 14 for more exercises

Will vs. Be going to
To express a prediction
 Be careful! You ____ (hurt) yourself!
 Watch out! You ___ (hurt) yourself!

 will hurt; are going to hurt

 A prediction: a statement about some
thing s/he thinks will be true or will o
ccur in the future, either will or be goi
ng to is possible. See GIU U19
Will vs. Be going to
To express a prior plan
 Why did you buy this paint?
 I ____ (paint) my bedroom tomorro
w.

 am going to paint
 a prior plan: something the speaker i
ntends to do in the future because in
the past s/he has made a plan or deci
sion to do it; In this case, only be goi
ng to is used.
Will vs. Be going to
To express willingness
 A:The phone’s ringing. B: I __ (get) it.
 My friend told me that he would call me thi
s afternoon at six. It is noon time. I ______
____(answer) the phone at six.

 will get it: no prior plan, volunteer; use Wil

l only.
 am going to answer: with prior plan
 Click on Link 15 for more exerices
Time cause: When/before/after…
 Bob will come soon. When Bob ____
(come), we ____ (see) him.

 comes; will see:

 Time cause= When/before.. + subject
+ verb. The meaning of time cause is
future, but the simple tense is use
d.
 Click on Link 16 for more exercises.
Present Progressive -Future
 My wife has an appointment with a do
ctor. She _______ (see) Dr. North ne
xt Tuesday.

 is seeing
 used when the idea concerns a plann
ed event or definite intention.
 Click on Link 18 for more exercises.
More Exercises for Practice
 Review of Verb Tenses:
 Link 19
 Link 20
 Link 21