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POCKET
GRAMMAR
BOOK
 Simple Past Tense 2
Past Continuous Tense 5
Past Perfect Tense 9
Past Perfect Continuous 12
Simple Present Tense 15
Present Continuous 19
Present Perfect 22
Present Perfect Continuous 26
Simple Future Tense 30
Future Continuous 33
Future Perfect 36
Future Perfect Continuous 39
Zero Conditional 43
CONTENTS

First Conditional 46
Second Conditional 49
Third Conditional 52
Mixed Conditionals 56
simple
past
tense
 Function
SIMPLE PAST TENSE

The simple past tense,

sometimes called the preterite, is used
to talk about a completed action
in a time before now.

The simple past is the basic form

of past tense in English.
The time of the action can be in the
recent or distant past and
action duration is not important.

3
 EXAMPLES

John Cabot sailed to America in 1498.

We crossed the Channel yesterday.

You always use the simple past when

you say something happened,
so it is associated with certain
past time expressions.

A definite point in time: last week, when

I was a child, yesterday, six weeks ago.
We saw a good film last week.
She finished her work at seven o’clock.
SIMPLE PAST TENSE

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.

4
past 4

continuous
tense
PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

Function
The past continuous
describes actions or events in a time
before now, which began in the past and
is still going on at the time you are
talking about.

In other words, it expresses an unfinished

or incomplete action in the past.

6
 Often, to describe the background in
a story written in the past tense.
The sun was shining and the birds were
singing as the elephant came out
PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

of the jungle. The other animals were relaxing

in the shade of the trees, but the elephant
moved very quickly.
She was looking for her baby, and she didn’t
notice the hunter who was watching her
through his binoculars. When the shot rang
out, she was running towards the river.

To describe an unfinished action that was

interrupted by another event or action.
I was having a beautiful dream when the
alarm clock rang.

To express a change of mind.

I was going to spend the day at the beach
but I’ve decided to get my homework
done instead.

7
 EXAMPLES

They were waiting for the bus when

the accident happened.
When we arrived, he was having a bath.
When the fire started,
PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

I was watching television.

Note:
With verbs that are normally used in the continuous form,
the simple past is used.

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past
perfect
tense
 Function
PAST PERFECT TENSE

The past perfect refers to

a time earlier than before now.

It is used to make it clear

that one event happened before another
in the past.

It does not matter which event

is first in the sentence - the tense makes
it clear which one happened first.

10
 In these examples, Event A is the event
that happened first and Event B is the
second or more recent event.

Event A Event B
John had gone out when I arrived in the office.
PAST PERFECT TENSE

Event A Event B
I had saved my document before the computer crashed.

Event B Event A
When they arrived we had already started cooking.

Event B Event A
He was very tired because he hadn’t slept well.

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past
perfect
continuous
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Function
The past perfect continuous
corresponds to the present perfect
continuous, but with reference to a time
earlier than before now.

It tells us how long something

was happening for (duration),
so the length of time is important.
Also, it can express cause and effect
based on duration.

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 EXAMPLES

Had you been waiting long before the taxi

arrived?
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

We had been trying to open the door for five

minutes when Jane found her key.
It had been raining hard for several hours
and the streets were very wet.
Her friends had been thinking of calling
the police when she walked in.

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simple
present
tense
SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

Function
The simple present tense
is one of several forms
of present tense in English.
It is used to describe habits,
unchanging situations, general truths,
and fixed arrangements.

The simple present tense

is simple to form. Just use
the base form of the verb:
(I take, you take, we take, they take).
The 3rd person singular takes an -s
at the end (he takes, she takes).

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 To express habits, general truths,
repeated actions or unchanging situations,
emotions and wishes.
I smoke (habit);
I work in London (unchanging situations);
It always rains in London (general truth).

To give instructions or directions.

Walk for two hundred meters,
SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

then you turn left.

To express fixed arrangements,

present or future.
The 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.

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 EXAMPLES

For habits.
He drinks tea at breakfast.
They watch television regularly.

For repeated actions or events.

We catch the bus every morning.
It rains every afternoon in the dry season.
SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

For general truths.

Water freezes at zero degrees.
The earth revolves around the sun.
The sun rises in the east.

For instructions or directions.

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

For fixed arrangements.

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

With future constructions.

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

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present
continuous
 Form
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).

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 Affirmative

subject + to be + base+ing
She is talking
PRESENT CONTINUOUS

Negative

subject + to be +not + base+ing

She is not (isn’t) eating

Interrogative

to be + subject + base+ing
Is she watching TV?

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present
perfect
 Function
PRESENT PERFECT

The present perfect is used

to indicate a link between the present
and the past. The time of the action
is before now but not specified,
and we are often more interested in the
result than in the action itself.

Be careful! There may be

a verb tense in your language
with a similar form.

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 To describe an action or situation
that started in the past and continues
in the present.
I have lived in Bristol since 1984
(=and I still do).

To describe an action performed

during a period that has not yet finished.
She has been to the cinema twice this week
(=and the week isn’t over yet).

To describe a repeated action

in an unspecified period
between the past and now.
PRESENT PERFECT

We have visited Portugal several times.

To describe an action that was completed

in the very recent past, expressed by ‘just’.
I have just finished my work.

To describe an action when the time

is not important.
He has read ‘War and Peace’.
(=the result of his reading is important).
Note:
When we want to give or ask details about when, where,
who, we use the simple past. Read more about choosing
between the present perfect and the simple past tenses.

24
 To describe actions started in the past and
continue in the present (more permanent).
She has worked in the bank for five years.
Have you played the piano since you
were a child?

To describe when the time period

referred to has not finished.
I have worked hard this week.
It has rained a lot this year.
We haven’t seen her today.

To desribe actions repeated in an

unspecified period between the past & now.
PRESENT PERFECT

They have seen that film six times.

It has happened several times already.
She has visited them frequently.

To describe actions completed in the very

recent past (+just).
Have you just finished work?
We have just seen her.

To describe when the precise time of

the action is not important or not known.
Have you seen ‘Titanic’?
She’s studied Japanese, Russian, and English.

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present
perfect
continuous
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Function
The present perfect continuous is used
to refer to an unspecified time between
before now and now. The speaker is
thinking about something that started
but perhaps did not finish in that period
of time. He/she is interested in the
process may still be going on,
or may have just finished.

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 To describe actions that started in the past
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

& continue in the present (only temporary).

She has been waiting for you all day.
(=and she’s still waiting now.)
I’ve been working on this report since
eight o’clock this morning.
(=and I still haven’t finished it.)
They have been travelling since October.
(=and they’re not home yet.)

To describe actions that have just finished,

but we are interested in the results.
She has been cooking since last night.
(=and the food on the table looks delicious.)
It’s been raining.
(=and the streets are still wet.)
She has been crying all night.
(=and her eyes are still sore.)

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simple
future
tense
 Function
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’.

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 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.
SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE

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?

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 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?
SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE

Note:
In modern English, ‘will’ is preferred to ‘shall’. ‘Shall’ is
mainly used with ‘I’ and ‘we’ to make an offer or suggestion,
or to ask for advice (see examples above). 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.

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future
continuous
 Form
FUTURE CONTINUOUS

The future continuous

is made up of two elements:
the simple future of the verb ‘to be’ +
the present participle (base+ing).

+ simple future + present

subject
of the verb ‘to be’ participle
He will be watching.
I will be staying.

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 FUNCTION

The future continuous

refers to an unfinished action or event
that will be in progress at a time
later than now.

The future continuous is used

for quite diferrent purposes. The future
continuous can be used to project
ourselves into the future.
FUTURE CONTINUOUS

EXAMPLES

This time next week I will be sun-bathing

in Bali.
By Christmas I will be skiing like a pro.
Just think, next Monday you will be working
in your new job.

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future
perfect
 Form
The future perfect is composed
FUTURE PERFECT

of two elements; the simple future of

the verb “to have” (will have) + the past
participle of the main verb.

+ past participle
subject + will have
of the main verb
He will have finished his job.
I will have eaten my lunch.

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 FUNCTION

The future perfect tense refers to

a completed action in the future.

When we use this tense we are projecting

ourselves forward into the future and
looking back at an action that will be
completed some time later than now.

It is most often used with

a time expression.

EXAMPLES
FUTURE PERFECT

I will have been here for six months

on June 23rd.
By the time you read this I will have left.
You will have finished your report by
this time next week.
Won’t they have arrived by 5:00?
Will you have eaten when I pick you up?

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future
perfect
continuous
FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Form
The future perfect continuous
is composed of two elements:
the future perfect of the verb “to be”
(will have been) + the present participle
of the main verb (base+ing).

+ will have + present

subject
been participle
He will have been playing football.
I will have been taking a shower.

40
FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS

FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

Affirmative Negative

I will have I won’t have

been working been working

You will have You won’t have

been working been working

Negative
Interrogative
Interrogative

Will I have Won’t I have

been working? been working?

Will you have Won’t you have

been working? been working?

41
conditionals
 NOT
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