Unit 1

The Past Continuous Tense

The past continuous tense describes activities happening or in progress at a specific time or
during a period of time in the past.

Examples Statements
Affirmative I was watching the news at 6:00
The anchorman was telling about a robbery.
Negative He wasn’t telling about a murder.
The bank tellers weren’t screaming.

Notes:
 Past continuous statements consist of a past form of be before the –ing form of a
verb.
 Negative statements include not after the verb be.

Yes/no questions
Examples Possible answers
Affirmative Negative
Affirmative Was the manager working? Yes, he was No, he wasn’t
Were the police investigating Yes, they were No, they weren’t
the robbery?
Negative Wasn’t the policeman Yes, he was No, he wasn’t
running after the suspect?
Weren’t the customers Yes, they were No, they weren’t
screaming?

Information questions
Examples Possible answers
Affirmative What were the suspects wearing? They were wearing mask
Who was carrying weapons? All of them
Negative Why weren´t the tellers screaming? They weren’t scared
Who wasn’t paying attention? The guard

The Simple Past vs The Past

Simple past examples Notes

I read the newspaper. Use the simple past tense to talk about
She didn’t use the computer last night. events and activities that began and ended
Did you see the movie? in the past.
Past continuous examples Notes
I was reading the newspaper when I fell Use the past continuous tense to describe
asleep. activities that were happening or in progress
She wasn’t using the computer at 8:00 last at a specific time or during a period of time
night. in the past.
Were you watching the movie when I
called?

When and While with the Simple Past and Past Continuous
When and while are used to introduce time clauses. They can relate two events or activities
that happened (simple past) or were happening (past continuous) at the same time in the
past. When is also related with events that happened in a sequence.

Examples:

When When the movie ended, we went home.

Clauses with when are most often in the past simple tense. If both verbs are in the simple
past, the action in the when clause happened first.

While She was watching TV while her husband was using the computer.
While she was watching TV, her husband was using the computer.

Clauses with while are most often in the past continuous tense. If both verbs are in the past
continuous, it means the two actions were going on at the same time. In these sentences,
while can go at the beginning or in the middle of the sentence.

When or My mother was listening to the radio when she got the call.
while My mother got the call while she was listening to the radio.

The simple past and the past continuous can appear in the same sentence. In these causes,
while begins clauses with the past continuous and when begin clauses with the simple past.
One event began before the other one was in progress when the second event interrupted it.

Unit 2

Time Expressions with the Present Perfect: for, since, all, always
The present perfect describes actions or situations that began in the past and continue to the
present. This tense tells how long something has lasted up to this point.
This meaning of the present perfect usually appears with a time expression. A
phrase with since, for, all or always can answer the questions “How long…?” or “Since
when…?”.
Examples
For I have played soccer for 5 years.
Since They have been married since January.
All She has been all her friend’s house all week.
Always We have always wanted to

 Use for with the amount of time an activity or state has lasted. Examples: for an
hour, for a week, for five years, for a long time.
 Use since with a time or point that shows when an activity or state started.
Examples: since 7:00, since Monday, since May 15th, since my birthday.
 Use all to express a time period. Examples: all day, all night, all week, all my life.
 Use always to show that an action or state began in the past and continues to the
present. Always comes between the auxiliary verb and the main verb.

Present Perfect: Time Clauses with Since

Sentences in the present perfect (or present perfect continuous) tense often have a time
clause with since:

 They’ve been in love since the first time they saw each other.
 Since I joined the gym, I’ve had more energy.

Notes:
a) The main clause must be in the present perfect (continuous) tense.
b) The clause with since is usually in the simple past tense. A since clause can come at
the beginning or at the end of a sentence.
c) A comma is used after the clause when it comes at the beginning of the sentence.

The Present Perfect Continuous Tense

The present perfect continuous tense consist of have/has been before the –ing form of a
verb. When the present perfect continuous is used with time expressions, it stresses the
duration or repetition of an action or situation that began in the past and continues to the
present. It often implies that the action or situation will continue in the future.
Time expressions often used with this tense include for, since, all (day, week, etc.),
today, and this (week, summer, etc.). Questions with how long are frequently used with this
tense. When the tense is used to talk about a general activity that has been in progress
recently. This meaning of the present perfect can be used with inexact time expressions
such as recently, lately, and these days.

Purpose
To emphasis duration of an
activity that started in the
past and continues to the
present.
To express a general activity I’ve been going to a lot of
that has been in progress
recently.
Statements
Affirmative
It’s been raining for an hour.
She’s been talking on the
phone all evening
parties recently.
He’s been reading a good
book.
Negative
We haven’t been living here
for more than a month.
I haven’t been playing
soccer this week.
He hasn’t been sleeping well
recently.
I haven’t been doing much.

Questions
Type Examples Affirmative Negative
Yes/no questions Have you been Yes, I have. No, I haven’t.
seeing a lot of
movies?
Has she been living Yes, she has. No, she hasn’t
here long?
Information question Where have you London.
been living?
Who’s been playing My neighbors have.
music?

Some verbs are not normally used in the continuous tense. These nonaction verbs include
verbs which express feeling and thought, possession, and sensory perception.

The Present Perfect Continuous vs The Present Perfect

The present perfect continuous and present perfect tenses both describe actions or situations
that began in the past and continue to the present.

Present perfect continuous examples:

 We’ve been talking for hours.
 How long has it been raining?

The present perfect emphasizes the duration or repetition of the activity or situation.

Present perfect examples:

 She has been in London all summer.
 She’s liked him for years.
 I have known him for six years.

The present perfect emphasizes the length of time the activity or situation has lasted.
 The present perfect is used with verbs that are not usually used in the continuous
tense (nonaction verbs). (NOT: I have been knowing him for six years).

Present perfect continuous or present perfect:

 I have lived here since 1993.
 I have been living here since 1993.

With certain verbs (such as live, work, and teach), there is little or no difference in meaning
between the perfect present and the present perfect continuous when a time expression is
used.

Unit 3

Gerunds and Infinitives as Subjects

Gerunds and infinitives can appear as subjects of sentences. Their meaning is identical.
Examples
Infinitive Gerund
It’s fun to get presents. Getting presents is fun.
Is it universal to celebrate birthdays? Is celebrating birthdays universal?

Notes:
a) A sentence with an infinitive subject begins with the impersonal it; the infinitive
follows the adjective or noun.
b) A gerund is formed by putting an –ing ending on a verb. A gerund or a gerund
phrase can be used as the subject of a sentence.

Note: not is placed in front of a gerund to make the gerund negative.

Verbs often followed by Gerunds or Infinitives

Either a gerund or an infinitive can follow these verbs with little or no difference in
meaning:

Verbs
Examples:
Begin Hate Love
 I hate celebrating my birthday. Can’t stand Intend Prefer
 I love to shop for my friends. Continue Like Start