THE TENSE SYSTEM OF ENGLISH GRAMMA

The Tenses in English Grammar - Reference

One sentence is put into different tenses. You can see how the meaning changes.
The words in green are signal words. They tell you which tense you have to use.
Tense Example Explanation
Simple Present I play football every week. Here you want to say that it happens regularly.
Present
Progressive
I'm playing football now. Here you want to say that it is happening at the moment.
Simple Past I played football yesterday. You did it yesterday, it happened in the past.
Past
Progressive
I was playing football the
whole evening.
You were doing it in the past. It's not sure whether the action
was finished or not.
Present Perfect I have just played football.
You have just finished it. So it has a connection to the present.
Maybe your clothes are dirty.
Present Perfect
Progressive
I have been playing football
for 2 hours.
You want to say how long you have been doing it. (You started
in the past and it continues up to the present.
Past Perfect
I had played football before
Susan came.
The two actions are related to each other: you had finished to
play football and after that the girl arrived.
Past Perfect
Progressive
I had been playing football for
two hours when Susan came.
Here you want to point out how long you had been doing it
before the girl came.
will-future I will play football next week. This is a prediction, you can probably do something else.
going to-future
I'm going to play football this
afternoon.
This is a plan you've made.
Future
Progressive
I will be playing football next
Sunday.
You do it every Sunday (as usual)
Future Perfect
I will have played football by
tomorrow.
You will have done it before tomorrow.
Conditional
Simple
I would play football. You'll probably do it.
Conditional
Progressive
I would be playing football.
You'll probably do it. Here you concentrate more on the
progress of the action.
Conditional
Perfect
I would have played football.
You'll probably have finished playing football at a special time in
the future. Here you concentrate on the fact (football).
Conditional
Perfect
Progressive
I would have been playing
football.
You'll probably have finished playing football at a special time in
the future. Here you concentrate on the progress of playing
(football).
Negations of the sentences
Tense Example
Simple Present
I do not play football every week.
I don't play football every week.
Present Progressive
I am not playing football now.
I'm not playing football now.
Simple Past
I did not play football yesterday.
I didn't play football yesterday.
Past Progressive
I was not playing football yesterday.
I wasn't playing football yesterday.
Present Perfect
I have not played football.
I haven't played football.
I've not played football.
Present Perfect Progressive
I have not been playing football.
I haven't been playing football.
I've not been playing football.
Past Perfect
I had not played football.
I hadn't played football.
I'd not played football.
Past Perfect Progressive
I had not been playing football.
I hadn't been playing football.
I'd not been playing football.
will-future
I will/shall not play football next week.
I won't play football next week.
going to-future
I am not going to play football this afternoon.
I'm not going to play football this afternoon.
Future Progressive
I will/shall not be playing football.
I won't be playing football.
Future Perfect
I will/shall not have played football.
I won't have played football.
Conditional Simple
I would not play football.
I'd not play football.
Conditional Progressive
I would not be playing football.
I wouldn't be playing football.
I'd not be playing football.
Conditional Perfect
I would not have played football.
I wouldn't have played football.
I'd not have played football.
Conditional Perfect Progressive
I would not have been playing football.
I wouldn't have been playing football.
I'd not have been playing football.
Questions
Tense Example
Simple Present Do you play football?
Present Progressive Are you playing football?
Simple Past Did you play football?
Past Progressive Were you playing football?
Present Perfect Have you played football?
Present Perfect Progressive Have you been playing football?
Past Perfect Had you played football?
Past Perfect Progressive Had you been playing football?
will-future Will you play football?
going to-future Are you going to play football?
Future Progressive Will you be playing football?
Future Perfect Will you have played football?
Conditional Simple Would you play football?
Conditional Progressive Would you be playing football?
Conditional Perfect Would you have played football?
Conditional Perfect Progressive Would you have been playing football?





























































Very Strange British Traditions
Britain has a long and varied past it has been conquered repeatedly, it has conquered others, and it has colonized half the planet.
Through its history, many strange traditions and festivals have arisen. This list looks at ten of the most unusual.
Gurning


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The Egremont Crab Fair one of Englands weirder events gets its name from crab apples rather than the marine variety. It
started back in the 13th century when the Lord of the Manor gave away crab apples to the populace. In fact, to this day, the Parade
of the Apple Cart, where apples are thrown into the crowds on the Main Street, is part of the fair. There are a host of other non-
mechanized, traditional events greasy pole climbing, a pipe smoking contests, a talent show, Cumberland wrestling, a hounds
trail. But lets face it, the reason Egremont makes the news every year is the gurning competition. Home of the Gurning World
Championships.
Gurning, involves a rubber-faced skill that is totally bizarre and unique to this part of England. Contestants put their heads through
horse collar or braffin while they create the ugliest, most grotesque faces they can manage. A certain amount of skill is involved
but a lot of beer and a certain amount of toothlessness probably has an impact as well. Celebrities occasionally have a go and the
national news usually features the winning gurners. If you are in Cumbria visiting the Lake District, nearby, in September, stop in
at the Egremont Crab Fair. You wont see anything like this anywhere else and you wont soon forget it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=WD_c7t5kSpk

Cheese Rolling at Coopers Hill

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The Coopers Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake is an annual event held on the Spring Bank Holiday at Coopers Hill near Gloucester
in the Cotswolds region of England It is traditionally by and for the people of Brockworth the local village, but now people
from all over the world take part. The event takes its name from the hill on which it occurs. The 2010 event has been cancelled
due to safety concerns over the number of people visiting the event. Due to the steepness and uneven surface of the hill there are
usually a number of injuries, ranging from sprained ankles to broken bones and bruises. Coopers Hill Cheese Rolling has been
summarized as twenty young men chase a cheese off a cliff and tumble 200 yards to the bottom, where they are scraped up by
paramedics and packed off to hospital.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_GdVnzDFyLg

Pearly King and Queen


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Pearly Kings and Queens, known as pearlies, are an organized charitable tradition of working class culture in London, England.
The practice of wearing clothes decorated with pearl buttons originated in the 19th century. It is first associated with Henry Croft,
an orphan street sweeper who collected money for charity. In 1911 an organized pearly society was formed in Finchley, north
London.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ZglWsmNEQK8
Guy Fawkes Night

Guy Fawkes Night (or bonfire night), held on 5 November in the United Kingdom and some parts of the Commonwealth, is a
commemoration of the plot, during which an effigy of Fawkes is burned, often accompanied by a fireworks display. The word
guy, meaning man or person, is derived from his name. Guy Fawkes (13 April 1570 31 January 1606), also known as
Guido Fawkes, the name he adopted while fighting for the Spanish in the Low Countries, belonged to a group of Catholic
Restorationists from England who planned the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Their aim was to displace Protestant rule by blowing up
the Houses of Parliament while King James I and the entire Protestant, and even most of the Catholic, aristocracy and nobility
were inside. The conspirators saw this as a necessary reaction to the systematic discrimination against English Catholics.
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The Gunpowder Plot was led by Robert Catesby, but Fawkes was put in charge of its execution. He was arrested a few hours
before the planned explosion, during a search of the cellars underneath Parliament in the early hours of 5 November prompted by
the receipt of an anonymous warning letter. Basically its a celebration of the failed attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament
in Westminster.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=2OttNo41ab0

Ascot Ladies Day


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Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse
racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UKs 32 annual Group 1 races, the same
number as Newmarket. The course is closely associated with the British Royal Family, being approximately six miles from
Windsor Castle, and owned by the Crown Estate. Ascot today stages twenty-five days of racing over the course of the year,
comprising sixteen Flat meetings held in the months of May and October. The Royal Meeting, held in June, remains a major draw,
the highlight being the Ascot Gold Cup. The most prestigious race is the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes run over the
course in July. What makes this so special is that every year the fashion, specifically the hats get bigger, bolder and damn right
weirder as the photo illustrates.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=f1F5oXRC8NU


Bog Snorkeling



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Yes indeed, you read correctly, bog snorkeling. If any of you ever doubted that us Brits are mad, this should make up your minds
for you. Basically participants dive into a bog, wearing goggles, a pair of flippers and a snorkel, they then proceed to race each
other along a 120ft trench filled with mud. Held every year the participants come from all over the world and raise lots of money
for charity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UeeUnLQO7Y&feature=player_detailpage
Straw Bear


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Straw Bear (Strawboer) Day is an old English tradition held on the 7th of January. It is known in a small area of Fenland on the
borders of Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire, including Ramsey Mereside. This day is believed to be traditional start of
agricultural year in England. A man or a boy wears a straw costume covering him from his head to toes. He goes from house to
house where he dances. As prize for his dancing people give him money, food or beer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=oEWjn_2AoGQ
Worm Charming



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Worm charming is a way to of attracting earthworms from the ground. Many do it to collect bait for fishing. But there are also
those who do it as sort of sport. The village of Willaston, near Nantwich, Cheshire is the place where since 1980 the annual
World Championships have been organized. The competition was actually initiated by local man Tom Shufflebotham who on the
5th of July, 1980 charmed 511 worms from the ground in only half an hour. The competition has 18 rules. Here are just few of
them. Each competitor competes in the 3 x 3 meters area. Music of any kind can be used to charm worms out of the ground. No
drugs can be used! Water is considered to be a drug (stimulant).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urBAms5qzNc&feature=player_detailpage

Enthusiast-Operated Railways
Yes, in the UK there are rail lines that had been shut down due to lack of natural demand that were
refurbished and are now operated by train hobbiests. Of course, this is taking a train hobby as far as it can
go. In general, these are lines that are so picturesque that train hobbiests from all over the world (as well as
other tourists) will come and pay to ride even though there may be no destination. On Thursday my cabbie
was telling me of a steam train line operated by hobbiests (yes, they bought themselves an historic steam
engine as well as the other cars, and refurbished the rails and the line itself).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=TXZq556DGS4


Slotstox
What is Slotstox Racing? Basically it could be described as Scalextric on a bigger scale, but we prefer to
call it Superstox on a smaller scale. On purpose built 5 and 6 lane oval tracks their wide sweeping bends
and chicaned straight give you all the bumper to bumper contact you need.
I s there more than Slotstox? Once a month we also race bash and crash Bangers and all action Saloon
Stock Cars. With refreshments available it is ideal for a family night out (our only requirement is that under
14s must be accompanied by an adult).
If you are simply a Stock Car enthusiast there are always people willing to discuss your ideas and opinions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_Jb7RuWqso&feature=player_detailpage
















Train spotters at Norwich railway station, Norwich, Norfolk, England



Those who are "trainspotters" make an effort to "spot" all of a certain type of rolling stock. This might be a
particular class of locomotive, a particular type of carriage or all the rolling stock of a particular company.
To this end, they collect and exchange detailed information about the movements of locomotives and other
equipment on the railway network, and become very knowledgeable about its operations.
A trainspotter uses a data book listing the locomotives or equipment in question, in which locomotives seen
are ticked off. In Great Britain, this aspect of the hobby was given a major impetus by the publication from
1942 onward of the Ian Allan "ABC" series of booklets, whose publication began in response to public
requests for information about the rolling stock of Southern Railways. Sometimes, trainspotters also have
cameras, but railway photography is mostly linked to railfans. Moreover, in contrast to modern railway
companies' attitudes, at its inception in 1948 British Railways handed out free copies of a locomotive data
book to school-children.
Some trainspotters now use a tape recorder instead of a notebook. In modern times, mobile phones and/or
pagers are used to communicate with others in the hobby, while various internet mailing lists and web sites
aid information exchange. Railbuffs can maintain private computerised databases of spotting records as
well. Radio scanners are common equipment for listening to railroad frequencies in the US to follow rail
traffic.
It is a misconception that all railfans are trainspotters. Many enthusiasts simply enjoy reading about or
travelling on trains, or enjoying their rich historythis may extend to art, architecture, the operation of
railroads, or simply modelling, drawing or photographing them.
Certain train operating companies in the United Kingdom are banning trainspotters from taking photographs
on railway station platforms (although, in theory, such activity may be possible if permission is requested
beforehand). The reasons for the ban appear to be security and concerns about terrorism.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=16kCRTFJr04




Bus spotting
Bus spotting is a pastime in which one seeks to see all buses in a particular fleet or those produced by a
particular manufacturer. A person who engages in these activities is known as a bus spotter, bus fan
(popular name in Hong Kong), bus nut (term popular in the UK) or bus enthusiast (although this term can
also cover preservationists). Within the bus industry bus spotters are known as moquettes, from the material
used to make the seat coverings. As with train or aircraft spotters, bus spotters spend much time outdoors
with notepads, cameras or camcorders, monitoring bus routes.
Bus spotters are relatively unconcerned by timetables or network quality but they may be interested in new
liveries, especially ad-hoc schemes to advertise particular products or events. Some may be so keen that they
might track a vehicle through its life, knowing for example which fleet numbers it has carried with different
owners and when mechanical parts or interior fittings were renewed. Bus spotting has never had the wide
following achieved by train spotting in the UK, even though enthusiasts can share the common term of
"gricer", however it has become popular in Hong Kong and bus societies have been formed there.
Bus spotters often enjoy taking photographs of buses and ride on them. Since bus spotting involves urban
mass transit, it often goes hand in hand with metrophily. In New York, the two are often combined into
"transit fan", a person who studies both bus and rail rapid transit, with the same diligence.
Deep-water soloing
Deep-water soloing (DWS) (also known as psicoblocis a form of solo rock climbing, practiced on sea cliffs
at high tide (originally, but also on reservoirs, rivers, swimming pools ), that relies solely upon the presence
of water at the base of a climb to protect against injury from fallings from the generally high difficulty
routes

Although this is viewed as a relatively new style of climbing, it probably originated in the late 1960s
or early 1970s in Dorset, Southern England or Majorca. Real development of the style began in the mid-late
1990s, and is progressing to this day.

Normally a dinghy is used to pick up the fallen climber as a fall from a taller route can still knock him/her
out, causing them to drown.




This type of climbing is most famously practiced on the coasts of Dorset and Devon, but also in the
Calanques near Marseille, around the Southern Pembrokeshire coast, parts of Ireland, Sardinia, Majorca,
Spain, Greece, and many other climbing areas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3A98XzjgZc&feature=player_detailpage

Kit car building
A kit car, also known as a "component car", is an automobile that is available as a set of parts that a
manufacturer sells and the buyer then either assembles into a car themselves, or retains a third party to do
part or all of the work on their behalf. Usually, many of the major mechanical systems such as the engine
and transmission are sourced from donor vehicles or purchased from other vendors new. Kits vary in
completeness ranging from as little as a book of plans to a complete set with all components included.
There is a sub-set of kit cars, commonly referred to as a "re-body" in which a commercially manufactured
vehicle has a new (often fiberglass) body put on the running chassis. Most times, the existing drive gear and
interior are retained. These kits require less technical knowledge from the builder and as the chassis and
mechanical systems were designed, built and tested by a major automotive manufacturer can also lead to a
much higher degree of safety and reliability.
The definition of a kit car usually indicates that a manufacturer constructs multiple kits of the same vehicle
which they then in turn sell. This should not be confused with 'hand built cars' or 'Special' cars, which are
typically built from scratch by an individual.






http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=qBS7LNXuR38