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Present Simple Present Continuous Past Simple Past Continuous
Present Simple Present Continuous Past Simple Past Continuous
PAST CONTINUOUS
Present Simple is used:
• for general truths:
The earth goes around the sun.
• for daily routines, habits and repeated actions:
Every morning I get up at 7 am.
• for permanent states:
My friend who lives in Spain is married.
• for scheduled actions (timetables of trains, buses, etc.):
The plain to Istanbul leaves at 9.00 pm.
• for giving instructions:
Cross the road and turn left at the nearest corner.
• in a negative question with why to make a suggestion:
Why don‘t we all go to the theatre tonight?
Time expressions used with Present Simple: always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never, every
day/week/month/year, etc., on Mondays/Tuesdays, etc., in the morning/afternoon/evening, at
night/the weekend, etc., once a year/day, etc.
Time expressions used with Past Simple: yesterday, last night/week/year/Monday, etc., a
month/two years, etc., ago, in 1944, etc.
Spelling:
We add –d to verbs ending in –e.
I live – I lived
Verbs ending in a consonant + y drop the –y and add –ied.
I try – I tried
Verbs ending in one stressed vowel between two consonants double the last consonant and
add –ed.
I stop – I stopped
Time expressions used with Past Continuous: when, while, as, all day/night/morning, etc.