SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

The simple present tense is used to describe:

 To express habits, general truths, repeated actions or unchanging situations, emotions
and wishes:
I smoke (habit); I work in London (unchanging situation); London is a large
city (general truth)
 To give instructions or directions:
You walk for two hundred meters, then you turn left.
 To express fixed arrangements, present or future:
Your exam starts at 09.00
 To express future time, after some conjunctions: after, when, before, as soon as, until:
He'll give it to you when you come next Saturday.

Be careful! The simple present is not used to express actions happening now.

Examples

 For habits
He drinks tea at breakfast.
She only eats fish.
They watch television regularly.

 For repeated actions or events

We catch the bus every morning.
It rains every afternoon in the hot season.
They drive to Monaco every summer.

 For general truths

Water freezes at zero degrees.
The Earth revolves around the Sun.
Her mother is Peruvian.

 For instructions or directions

Open the packet and pour the contents into hot water.
You take the No.6 bus to Watney and then the No.10 to Bedford.

 For fixed arrangements

His mother arrives tomorrow.
Our holiday starts on the 26th March

 With future constructions

She'll see you before she leaves.
We'll give it to her when she arrives.

 
Forming the simple present tense: to think

Affirmativ Interrogative Negative

e

I think Do I think? I do not think

You think Do you think? You do not think

He thinks Does he think? He does not think

She thinks Does she think? She does not think

It thinks Does it think? It does not think

We think Do we think? We do not think.

They think Do they think? They do not think.

Notes on the simple present, third person singular

 In the third person singular the verb always ends in -s:
he wants, she needs, he gives, she thinks.
 Negative and question forms use DOES (= the third person of the auxiliary 'DO') + the
infinitive of the verb.
He wants  ice cream.  Does  he want strawberry? He  does  not want vanilla.
 Verbs ending in -y : the third person changes the -y to -ies:
fly --> flies, cry --> cries
Exception: if there is a vowel before the -y:
play --> plays, pray --> prays
 Add -es to verbs ending in:-ss, -x, -sh, -ch:
he passes,  she catches,  he fixes,  it pushes

Examples
 He goes to school every morning.
 She understands English.
 It mixes the sand and the water.
 He tries very hard.
 She enjoys playing the piano.
EXERCISE
Put the verb into the present simple. Be sure you spell it correctly!

1. She __________________ (play) tennis every Sunday.

2. He __________________ (buy) a cup of coffee every morning.

3. Julie __________________ (study) French at school.

4. Luke __________________ (try) hard to be polite.

5. She __________________ (enjoy) going swimming.

6. Lucy __________________ (wash) her hair every day.

7. John never __________________ (cry).

8. My mother always __________________ (say) that love is more important than money.
9. I hope Julie __________________ (pass) the exam.

10. The plane __________________ (fly) low over the airport.

Complete the following conversations

Mark : Hello, Can I ask you some questions for an interview?

Jennifer : Yes, I can answer some questions.

Mark : Thank you for taking the time. Now, first question: What (1) _____ you (2) _____?
Jennifer : I (3) _____________ in library. I’m a librarian.

Mark : Are you married?

Jennifer : Yes, I am.

Mark : What (4) ______ your husband (5) __________?

Jennifer : He (6) _______________ as a policeman.

Mark : (7) ____________ you usually (8) __________ dinner together?

Jennifer : Yes, we do.

Mark : How often (9) _____________ your husband do exercise?

Jennifer : He sometimes (10) _______________ four times a week. But, he usually (11) __________

only twice a week.

Mark : Where do you like going on holiday?

Jennifer : We rarely (12) ________ on holiday. However, we like going to the mountains if we can.
Mark : What type of books (13) ______ you (14) __________?

Jennifer : I often read horror stories.

Mark : Thank you very much for answering my questions.

Jennifer : You’re welcome!

Change the forms into correct forms based on the subject written in the parentheses!

Example: They like you

(she) ----- She likes you.

1. We don’t go there by car.

(he)____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. He flies a kite and plays there.

(they) _________________________________________________________________________________________
3. They have some cases.

(she) _________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Does your mother arrive early?

(you) _________________________________________________________________________________________
5. These shoes cost a lot of money.

(it) ____________________________________________________________________________________________
6. I watch action movies every time.

(Adi) __________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Do my brothers wear nice clothes?

(Nita) _________________________________________________________________________________________
8. The food court opens at 08:00 AM.

(those hotels) _________________________________________________________________________________

9. Monica usually likes chocolate.

(children) ______________________________________________________________________________________
10. His mates wash the clothes in a washing machine.

(my mother)___________________________________________________________________________________
 DEMONSTRATIVES

Demonstratives show where an object, event, or person is in relation to the speaker. They can
refer to a physical or a psychological closeness or distance. When talking about events, the near
demonstratives are often used to refer to the present while the far demonstratives often refer to
the past.

Near the speaker Far from the

speaker
Adverb Here There
Demonstrative with singular nouns &
This That
uncountable nouns
Demonstrative with plural countable nouns These Those

Demonstrative usage

Near the speaker Far from the speaker

Is this John's house? Is that John's house over there?

This is a nice surprise! That must have been a nice surprise for you.

These apples are mine. Those apples are yours.

What are you up to these days? Those days are long gone.

This time I won't be late. We really surprised you that time.

Sentence placement
Demonstratives can be placed before the noun or the adjective that modifies the noun.
 This blue car needs to be washed next.
 Those people were here first.
 That metal rod should work.
 These oranges are delicious.

Demonstratives can also appear before a number by itself when the noun is understood from
the context.
 I'd like to try on that one.
 This one is broken.
 I'll take these three.
 Those two are not as pretty as these two.

Demonstratives can be used by themselves when the noun they modify is understood from the
context.
 I'll never forget this.
 That has nothing to do with me.
 I didn't ask for these.
 Those aren't mine.
EXERCISE
that
those

this
these

Complete the sentences below with: this, these, that or those

1. ____________________ shoes are black.
2. ____________________ shoes are gray.
3. ____________________ pen is small.
4. ____________________ pen is very large.
5. The time on ____________________ clock is 5:00.
6. The time on ____________________ clock is 11:50.
7. ____________________ plane is a toy.
8. ____________________ plane isn’t a toy.
9. ____________________ cat is eating
10. ____________________ cat isn’t eating.
11. ____________________ glasses are for reading.
12. ____________________ glasses are sunglasses.

Circle the best answer for these sentences.

1. We’re going to play tennis ___ morning. ( this / that )
2. Shall I wear this shirt or ___ one? ( that / those )
3. Can I have a look at ____ trousers? ( that / those )
4. Look at ____ ring over here. ( this / that )
5. Hi Stuart, ____ is my friend Sylvie. ( this / it )

Write the word to fill the gaps. Use this / that / these / those

1. I’m really busy ______ morning.

2. ______ cake you made last week was delicious.
3. I’m going to take back _______ shoes I bought you last week.
4. First you need to chop up _______ tomatoes over there.
5. Yes, ________’s right. I completely agree with you.
 QUANTIFIERS

Quantifiers are adjectives and adjectival phrases that give approximate or specific answers to the
questions "How much?" and "How many?". To answer the questions How much? and How
many? certain quantifiers can be used with countable nouns, others with uncountable nouns and
still others with all types of nouns.

Only with uncountable With all types of nouns Only with countable nouns
nouns
a little no, none, not any a few
a bit of some a number of
any several
a great deal of a lot of, lots of a great number of
a large amount of plenty of a large number of
Examples
 Would you like some tea and a few cookies?
 I always put a little milk and some carrots in my soup.
 He has several apples. I don't have any fruit at all.
 She has plenty of clothes for the winter.
 I recieved a large amount of feedback from my survey.

“SOME” and “ANY”

Some and any can be used with countable and uncountable nouns to describe an undefined or
incomplete quantity.

Some can be used in:

(a) Descriptive sentences.
 I had some rice for lunch.
 Philip wants some help with his exams.

(b) Interrogative sentences when you think you already know the answer.
 Did he give you some tea? = I think he did.
 Would you like some help? = Probably you do.

(c) Interrogative sentences to ask for something or to offer something.

 Could I have some books, please?
 Why don't you take some apples home with you?

Any is used in interrogative sentences when you do not know the answer.
 Do you have any friends in London?
 Are there any problems with your work?

Any is also used with not to form negative sentences.

In these sentences, the word any emphasizes the negativity to make it more absolute.
 She doesn't want any kitchen appliances for Christmas.
 I don't want any cake.
“MUCH” and “MANY”
Much and many are mainly used in interrogative and negative sentences. They are also used in
affirmative and negative sentences in combination with too  and  so. Notice: the word many can be
used alone in affirmative sentences while the word much  cannot. Much is replaced in affirmative
sentences with a lot of or lots of (these expressions can also replace many).

UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS COUNTABLE NOUNS

How much sugar do you have?
There's not much sugar at the store.
I have too much sugar at home.
I don't know what to do with so
much sugar.
I wish there was not so much
sugar here.
There is a lot of sugar in candy.
How many people came to the concert?
Not many people came to the concert.
There were too many people at the concert.
It's a problem when there are so many people.
There were not so many people last year.
There are many people who want to come. = There
are a lot of people who want to come.

“FEW” and “a FEW”, “LITTLE” and “a LITTLE”

The quantifiers few and a few, and little and a little seem nearly identical but they are actually quite
distinct. These expressions show the speaker's attitude towards the quantity he is referring to as
either positive or negative.

A few (for countable nouns) and a little (for uncountable nouns) describe the quantity in a
positive way, implying that although the speaker may not have much, he has enough.
 I've got a few friends. = I have enough friends.
 I have a few flowers in my garden. = I have enough flowers.
 I've got a little money. = I have enough money.
 I have a little free time on Thursdays. = I have enough free time.

Few (for countable nouns) and little (for uncountable nouns) describe the quantity in a negative
way. They may actually indicate a total lack of the noun, but are more polite than saying so
directly.
 Few people visited him in hospital. = he had almost no visitors, or perhaps no visitors at all.
 He had little money for treats. = almost no money, or perhaps no money at all

EXERCISE
Complete the following exercise with correct quantifiers.

1. We are going to be late. There is too _________ (much/many) traffic.

Yeah, the _____________ (amount/number) of people driving is incredible.
I’ve never seen this ___________ (much/many) cars.
2. Can you bring soda to the picnic? I don’t have _______ (some/any).
Yeah, I think I’ve got ___________ (some/any) left over from the party.
3. How do you think you did on the test? I think I did _______________ (little/a little) better than last
time, maybe even __________ (a lot/many) better. What about you?
Well, I think I probably made __________ (few/ a few) mistakes, but I have the feeling I did well
overall.
Fill in the blanks with appropriate quantifiers : little / a little / few / a few

1. We must be quick. We have _____________ time.

2. Listen carefully. I'm going to give you _____________ advice.

3. This town is not a very interesting place to visit, very __________ tourists come here.

4. This is a very boring place to live. There's ______________ to do.

5. 'Do you ever go to Atlantic City?' 'Yes, I go there __________ times a year’.

Fill in the blanks with some or any

1. We need _________ apples.

2. I don’t have _________ brothers or sisters.

3. May I have ________ sugar in my tea, please?

4. There isn’t ________ water in the fridge.

5. There are ________ people in the yard.

6. I have ________ notes from the exam.

7. My sister doesn't have _________ money.

8. Tony is going to buy ________ eggs.

9. We have ________ flowers in our backyard.

10. Do you know _________ good restaurants around here?

11. Are there _________ parcels for me?

12. I am so thirsty. Can I have ________ water, please?

Fill in the blanks with much or many

1. We don't have that _______ water.

2. You have no idea how ______ she loves you.

3. We have so __________ trees in our front yard.

4. Todd has __________ skills that we can benefit from.

5. Don't put that _______ salt in the food.

6. She bought so _________ food I don't know what to do with them.

7. How _________ times can one crash in a year?
 ADVERBS

ADVERBS of FREQUENCY

Adverbs of frequency are adverbs of time that answer the question “How frequently?” or “How
often?”. They tell us how often something happens. Here are some examples:
a) Daily, weekly, yearly
b) Often, sometimes, rarely
You probably see a difference between a) and b) above. With words like daily we know exactly
how often the activity occurred. The words in a) describe definite frequency. On the other hand,
words like often give us and idea about frequency but they don’t tell us exactly. The words in b)
describe indefinite frequency.
We separate them into two groups because they normally go in different positions in the
sentence. In this lesson we will look in more detail at:

Adverbs of definite frequency

Examples:
 hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly
 every second, once in a minute, twice a year
 once, twice, three times
Adverbs of definite frequency, like all adverbs of definite time, typically go in END position. Look at
these examples:
 Most companies pay taxes yearly.
 The manager checks the toilets every hour.
 The directors meet weekly to review progress.
Sometimes, usually for reasons of emphasis or style, some adverbs of definite frequency may go at
the FRONT, for example:
 Every day, more than five thousand people die in our roads.

Adverbs of indefinite frequency

Examples: never, seldom, sometimes, often, always

Adverbs of indefinite frequency mainly go in MID-position in the sentence. They go before the
main verb (except the main verb “to be”):
 We usually go shopping on Saturday.
 I have often done that.
 She is always late.

Occasionally, sometimes, often, frequently and usually can also go at the beginning or end of a
sentence:
 Sometimes they come and stay with us.
 I play tennis occasionally.

Rarely and seldom can also go at the end of a sentence (often with “very”):
 We see them rarely.
 John eats meat very seldom.
 How we put adverbs of frequency in the sentence?
(b) Before main verb
 I always come first to the classroom.
 She never submits her report on time.
(b) After “to be”
 My superior is constantly bad-tempered whenever the deadline is close
 Tony and his brothers are rarely seen again.
(c) After auxiliary verb and before main verb, if there are two verbs
 She will never come to that restaurant again.
 We should never smoke in public transportation.
(d) Before main verb, if the sentence is negative
 I don’t always stay at my parent’s house.
 She doesn’t often visit me.
(e) In interrogative sentence
 Will you sometimes clean your room?
 Does she ever call her brother again?

EXERCISE

Please choose the correct answer in the brackets.

1. Nancy and I [25%] ( never / occasionally / frequently ) go out for coffee together.

2. Andrea lives next door so wee [75%] ( never / often / rarely ) see her.
3. We meet ( never / every day / yearly ) at the Annual General Meeting.

4. I [0%] ( never / sometimes / does not ) rains here in the summer.

5. ( Sometimes / never / rarely ) [50%] we take the dog off his leash at the beach.

6. My sister ( has often missed / often has missed / has missed often ) two days of school in a row.
7. My boyfriend and I take vacations together quite ( never / hardly / frequently ).

8. Andy [10%] ( very frequently / very rarely / very often ) gets to visit with his cousins.
9. My doctor ( a. yearly ) checks my health ( b. yearly ).

10. I ( a. never ) went to college ( b. never ).

Rewrite these sentences with the words in the brackets!

1. Helen was sick. ( always ) ________________________________________________

2. I go to work at 08:00 AM. ( usually ) ___________________________________________________

3. Have you loved 2 people at once? ( ever ) __________________________________________________

4. I can remember her name. ( never ) ___________________________________________

5. George comes here. ( seldom ) ___________________________________________________
ADVERBS of MANNER

Adverbs of manner tell us how something happens. They are usually placed either after the main
verb or after the object.
 He swims well.
 He ran quickly.
 James coughed loudly to attract her attention.
 He plays the flute beautifully. (after the direct object)

An adverb of manner cannot be put between a verb and its direct object. The adverb must be
placed either before the verb or at the end of the clause.
Examples
 He ate greedily the chocolate cake. [incorrect]
 He ate the chocolate cake greedily. [correct]
 He greedily ate the chocolate cake. [correct]
 He gave us generously the money. [incorrect]
 He gave us the money generously. [correct]
 He generously gave us the money. [correct]
If there is a preposition before the verb's object, you can place the adverb of manner either before
the preposition or after the object.
Examples
 The child ran happily towards his mother.
 The child ran towards his mother happily.

Adverbs of manner should always come immediately after verbs which have no object (intransitive
verbs).
Examples
 The town grew quickly after 1997.
 He waited patiently for his mother to arrive.

These common adverbs of manner are almost always placed directly after the verb: well, badly,
hard, & fast
Examples
 He swam well despite being tired.
 The rain fell hard during the storm.

The position of the adverb is important when there is more than one verb in a sentence. If the
adverb is placed before or after the main verb, it modifies only that verb. If the adverb is placed
after a clause, then it modifies the whole action described by the clause. Notice the difference in
meaning between the following sentences.
Example Meaning
She quickly agreed to re-type the letter. the agreement is quick
She agreed quickly to re-type the letter. the agreement is quick
She agreed to re-type the letter quickly. the re-typing is quick
He quietly asked me to leave the house. the request is quiet
He asked me quietly to leave the house. the request is quiet
 He asked me to leave the house quietly. the leaving is quiet
Sometimes an adverb of manner is placed before a verb + object to add emphasis.
Examples
 He gently woke the sleeping woman.
 She angrily slammed the door.

Some writers put an adverb of manner at the beginning of the sentence to catch our attention and
make us curious.
Examples
 Slowly she picked up the knife.
 Roughly he grabbed her arm.

EXERCISE
Please choose the correct answer.

1. When my teacher talks too ___, it's difficult to understand him.

a. quickly b. quickly c. slowly

2. I always study ___ for a big test.

a. hardly b. goodly c. hard

3. My dad used to shout ___ when he was angry.

a. loud b. noise c. loudly

4. Please try to behave ___ when you meet my family.

a. quickly b. softly c. normally

5. She did ___ in her tennis match last week. She won.
a. goodly b. well c. bad

6. Please close the door ___ when you enter my room.

a. successfully b. stupidly c. gently

7. I'm sitting ___ so I don't want to move.

a. quickly b. normally c. comfortably

8. My husband sings ___ when he's in the shower. Even the neighbours can hear him.
a. bigly b. enthusiastically c. quietly

9. She laughs ___ at my jokes.

a. angrily b. well c. happily

10. Sometimes I need my teacher to talk more ___ so I can hear her better.
a. slowly b. successfully c. hardly
ADVERBS of DEGREE
Adverbs of degree tell us about the intensity of something. Adverbs of degree are usually
placed before the adjective, adverb, or verb that they modify, although there are some exceptions.
The words "too", "enough", "very", and "extremely" are examples of adverbs of degree.
Adverb of degree Modifying Example
extremely adjective The water was extremely cold.
quite adjective The movie is quite interesting.
just verb He was just leaving.
almost verb She has almost finished.
very adverb She is running very fast.
too adverb You are walking too slowly.
enough adverb You are running fast enough.

Enough as an adverb
Enough as an adverb meaning 'to the necessary degree' goes after the adjective or adverb that it
is modifying, and not before it as other adverbs do. It can be used both in positive and negative
sentences.
Examples
 Is your coffee hot enough?
 This box isn't big enough.
 He didn't work hard enough.
 I got here early enough.

Enough is often followed by "to" + the infinitive.

Examples
 He didn't work hard enough to pass the exam.
 Is your coffee hot enough to drink?
 She's not old enough to get married.
 I got here early enough to sign up.

Enough can also be followed by "for someone" or "for something".

Examples
 The dress was big enough for me.
 She's not experienced enough for this job.
 Is the coffee hot enough for you?
 He didn't work hard enough for a promotion.

Usage of "too"
"Too" is always an adverb, but it has two distinct meanings, each with its own usage patterns.

Too as an adverb meaning "also" goes at the end of the phrase it modifies.
Examples
 I would like to go swimming too, if you will let me come.
 Is this gift for me too?
 I'm not going to clean your room too!
Too as an adverb meaning "excessively" goes before the adjective or adverb it modifies. It can be
used in both affirmative and negative sentences.
Examples
 This coffee is too hot.
 Isn't she too young?
 I am not too short!

Too is often followed by "to" + the infinitive.

Examples
 The coffee was too hot to drink.
 You're too young to have grandchildren!
 I am not too tired to go out tonight.
 Don't you work too hard to have any free time?

Too can also be followed by "for someone" or "for something".

Examples
 The coffee was too hot for me.
 The dress was too small for her.
 He's not too old for this job.
 Sally's not too slow for our team.

Usage of "very"
Very goes before an adverb or adjective to make it stronger.
Examples
 The girl was very beautiful.
 The house is very expensive.
 He worked very quickly.
 She runs very fast.

If we want to make a negative form of an adjective or adverb, we can add "not" to the verb, we can
use an adjective or adverb of opposite meaning, or we can use "not very" with the original
adjective or adverb. The meanings of the phrases are not identical. Usually the phrase using "not
very" is less direct, and thus more polite, than the other phrases.
Examples

Original Opposite meaning Opposite meaning Opposite meaning with

phrase with "not" with "not very" an opposite word

The girl was The girl was not The girl was not very The girl was ugly.
beautiful. beautiful. beautiful.

He worked He did not work He did not work very He worked slowly.
quickly. quickly. quickly.

Difference in meaning between "very" and "too"

There is a big difference in meaning between "too" and "very". "Very" expresses a fact while "too"
suggests there is a problem.
Examples
 He speaks very quickly.
 He speaks too quickly for me to understand.
 It is very hot outside.
 It is too hot outside to go for a walk.

Other adverbs used like "very"

Some common adverbs are used in the same way as "very" to heighten the degree of adjectives
and adverbs.

Expressing very strong Expressing strong feelings Expressing somewhat

feelings doubtful feelings

extremely, terribly, especially, particularly, pretty, rather, fairly, not

amazingly, wonderfully, uncommonly, unusually, especially, not particularly
insanely remarkably, quite

The movie was amazingly The movie was particularly The movie was fairly
interesting. interesting. interesting.

She sang wonderfully well. She sang unusually well. She sang pretty well.

The lecture was terribly The lecture was quite boring. The lecture was rather
boring. boring.

Inversion with negative adverbs

Normally the subject goes before the verb, however, some negative adverbs can cause an
inversion when placed at the beginning of the clause. The order is reversed and the verb goes
before the subject. This inversion is only used in writing, not in speaking.

Adverb Normal word order Inversion

Never I have never seen such courage. Never have I seen such courage.

Rarely She rarely left the house. Rarely did she leave the house.

Not She did not only the cooking but the Not only did she do the cooking, but the
only cleaning as well. cleaning as well.

Scarcely I scarcely closed the door before he Scarcely did I close the door before he
started talking. started talking.

Seldom We seldom cross the river after sunset. Seldom do we cross the river sunset.

EXERCISE
Fill these sentences with the words in the brackets.

1. She finished the day _______________ exhausted. ( a bit / totally )

2. Tammy Payne isn't a good singer. She's _________________ fantastic. ( absolutely / very )

3. The Serrano Towers in Valencia are _______________ high. ( absolutely / pretty )

4. Jerez de la Frontera is a _______________interesting place. ( quite / rather )

5. That boy of yours is _____________ lazy. ( absolutely / extremely )

6. It was _________________ freezing this morning. ( a bit / absolutely )

7. Victoria, in my opinion, is __________ mad. ( completely / highly )

8. Scarlett Johansson looked ____________________ gorgeous at the Golden Globe Awards ceremony.

( absolutely / totally )

9. María is _________ nice. ( absolutely / really )

10. Ecuador is a ________________ great country. ( really / very )

11. Samantha is a _______________ skilled computer technician. ( completely / highly )

12. Sean lives a _______________ stressful life. ( quite / very )

13. Gerard cooks _________________ well. ( absolutely / fairly )

14. The concert was ________________________ wonderful. ( absolutely / extremely )

15. Rodin's sculptures are ___________________ well-known. ( absolutely / very )

 PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

Forming the present continuous

The present continuous of any verb is composed of two parts - the present tense of the verb to be
+ the present participle of the main verb.
(The form of the present participle is:  base+ing, e.g. talking, playing, moving, smiling)

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

Subjec
Subject to be V1 + ing Subject to be + not V1 + ing to be V1 + ing
t
She is talking She is not talking Is she talking

Functions of the present continuous

As with all tenses in English, the speaker's attitude  is as important as the time of the action or
event. When someone uses the present continuous, they are thinking about something that
is unfinished or incomplete

The present continuous is used:

(a) to describe an action that is going on at this moment: 
 You are using the Internet. 
 You are studying English grammar.

(b) to describe an action that is going on during this period of time or a trend: 
 Are you still working for the same company?
 More and more people are becoming vegetarian.

(c) to describe an action or event in the future, which has already been planned or prepared: 
 We're going on holiday tomorrow. 
 I'm meeting my boyfriend tonight. 
 Are they visiting you next winter?

(d) to describe a temporary event or situation: 

 He usually plays the drums, but he's playing bass guitar tonight. 
 The weather forecast was good, but it's raining at the moment.

(e) with "always, forever, constantly", to describe and emphasise a continuing series of
repeated actions: 
 Harry and Sally are always arguing! 
 You're constantly complaining about your mother-in-law!
EXERCISE

stay watch swim cook wear sit

build knock buy have

Complete the sentences using verbs in the boxes!

1. Look! Somebody __________________________ the door.

2. They’re on vacation. They ___________________________ in the villa near by the beach.

3. She _____________________________ dinner with her family.

4. Where is your brother? He ______________________________ TV.

5. Henry’s mother _________________________________ rice in the kitchen.

6. Mr. William ___________________ some fruits in the supermarket.

7. The teacher ____________________ on his chair.

8. Mrs. Icha _________________________ a purple dress and black shoes.

9. We _______________________ in the river with a lot of children.

10. Those people ________________________ a new office at present.

Write questions by using the following incomplete sentences!

Example : (go shopping/Mr. Jack) = Is Mr. Jack going shopping?

1. (where/go/the children) =
2. (send/the man/his letter) =

3. (who/an apple/eat) =
4. (drink/those people/juice) =

5. (why/meet/Dennise/him) =
6. (take/Miranda/a photograph) =

7. (laugh/the girl/ at me) =

8. (drive/Joe/a bus) =
 SIMPLE PAST TENSE

The simple past tense is used to talk about a completed action in a time before now. The time of
the action can be in the recent past or the distant past and action duration is not important.
 John Cabot sailed to America in 1498.
 My father died last year.
 We crossed the Channel yesterday.

You always use the simple past when you say when something happened, so it is associated with
certain past time expressions
 frequency: often, sometimes, always
I sometimes walked home at lunchtime.
I often brought my lunch to school.
 a definite point in time: last week, when I was a child, yesterday, six weeks ago
We saw a good film last week.
Yesterday, I arrived in Geneva.
She finished her work atseven o'clock
I went to the theatre last night
 an indefinite point in time: the other day, ages ago, a long time ago
People lived in caves a long time ago.
She played the piano when she was a child.

Note: the word ago is a useful way of expressing the distance into the past. It is placed after the
period of time: a week ago, three years ago, a minute ago.

Patterns of simple past tense

Affirmative Negative
Subject Verb1 + ed Regular Subject did not Verb1
I skipped. verb They didn't go.
Subject Verb2 Irregular
I went verb

Interrogative Interrogative negative

Subject did not Verb1 Did not subject Verb1
They didn't go. Didn't you play?

Examples
 He went to a club last night.
 They didn't give John their new address.
 Did he come to your party last week?
 

Note : the past form for to be “is, am, are” is “was/were”

EXERCISE

Put the verbs into the correct form (simple past).

1. Last year I (spend) __________________ my holiday in Ireland.

2. It (be) ____________ great.

3. I (travel) _______________ around by car with two friends and we (visit) _________________ lots of

interesting places.
4. In the evenings we usually (go) ________________________ to a pub.

5. One night we even (learn) _____________________ some Irish dances.

6. We (be) _______________________ very lucky with the weather.

7. It (not / rain) ________________________ a lot.

8. But we (see) ________________________________ some beautiful rainbows.

9. Where (spend / you) _______________________ your last holiday?

10. I (not / drink) any beer last night.

11. What time (he / get up) yesterday?

12. Where (you / get off) the train?

13. I (not / change) trains at Victoria.

14. We (wake up) very late.
15. What (he / give) his mother for Christmas?
16. I (receive) £300 when my uncle _ (die).

17. (she / make) good coffee?

18. What time (the film / start)?

19. He (have) a shower.

20. Why _ (you / come)?

Draw a circle around the correct past tense verb in each sentence below.

1. We had a garage where we ( kept / keeped ) our car.

2. Ali ( shew / showed ) me the cut on his knee.

3. We ( selled / sold ) our old car and ( buyed / bought ) a new one.
4. The bell ( ringed / rang ) and we all ( goed / went ) into school.

5. The dog ( catched / caught ) the ball in its mouth.

 SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE

The simple future refers to a time later than now, and expresses facts or certainty. In this case there
is no 'attitude'.

The simple future is used:

 To predict a future event:
It will rain tomorrow.
 With I or We, to express a spontaneous decision:
I'll pay for the tickets by credit card.
 To express willingness:
I'll do the washing-up.
He'll carry your bag for you.
 In the negative form, to express unwillingness:
The baby won't eat his soup.
I won't leave until I've seen the manager!
 With I in the interrogative form using "shall", to make an offer:
Shall I open the window?
 With we in the interrogative form using "shall", to make a suggestion:
Shall we go to the cinema tonight?
 With I in the interrogative form using "shall", to ask for advice or instructions:
What shall I tell the boss about this money?
 With you, to give orders:
You will do exactly as I say.
 With you in the interrogative form, to give an invitation:
Will you come to the dance with me?
Will you marry me?

Note: Shall is mainly used with I and we to make an offer or suggestion, or to ask for advice. With
the other persons (you, he, she, they) shall is only used in literary or poetic situations, e.g. "With
rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, She  shall have  music wherever she goes."

Forming the simple future

Affirmative Negative
Subject will Verb1 Subject will not Verb1
I will go I will not go
I shall go I won’t go
Interrogative Interrogative Negative
will Subject Verb1 won’t Subject Verb1
Will you go? Won’t you go?

Contractions
I will = I'll He will = he'll
We will = we'll She will = she'll
You will = you'll
They will = they'll The form "it will" is not normally shortened.
Will not = won't

EXERCISE

Write down “will” or “won’t” to complete the following statements!

1. Is he ready yet? ‘Not yet. She ________________ be ready in a minute.

2. Don’t eat too much. You _______ study well.

3. They’re going away for 2 days. They’re leaving tonight, so they _________ be there tomorrow.
4. You don’t need to take an umbrella. It _________ rain.

5. You don’t look so well today. Just take a rest and you __________ feel better later.

Make future simple questions:

1. (they / come) tomorrow?

2. When (you / get) back?

3. If you lose your job, what (you / do)?

4. In your opinion, (she / be) a good teacher?

5. What time (the sun / set) today?

6. (she / get) the job, do you think?

7. (David / be) at home this evening?

8. What (the weather / be) like tomorrow?

9. There’s someone at the door, (you / get) it?

10. How (he / get) here?