English Grammar

time in the past. or will have happened before a

had happened before a certain
certain time in the future.
sentences are both
There are cases in when the verbs used in certain
English
then expressed by have been V-ing
Perfect
perfective and continuous. They are
event which occurred before the time
continuous forms indicate that an action or
was, at the same time, still
/ in progress at
indicated by the context or situation is
the given moment in the present or in the past.
the speaker towards the action or state
The category of mood refers to the attitude of
four finite mioods (the indicative mood. the
expressed by the verb. In English, there are
mood) and three non-tinute
conditional mood, the subjunctive mood and the imperative
moods (the infinitive, the gerund and the participle)
on certain parts of the sentence. If
The category of voice refers to the emphasis put If the object
use the Active Voice
the subject (the doer of the action) is in focus. we
we use the Passive Voice
(which undergoes the change l action) is focus.
in

THE INDICATIVE MOOD

and future, oach of them with
In English, there are three main tenses: present. past
continuous
four forms: simple, continuous. perfect simple and perfect
Present Continuous.
The tenses of the indicative mood in English are Present Simple.
Present Perfect Simple. Present Perfect Continuous. Past Simple. Past Continuous
Past Perfect Simple. Past Perfect Contnuous. Future Simple. Future Continuous
Future Perfect Simple and Future Perfect Continuouss

I. PRESENT TENSES

1. The Present Simple

Forms:
a.Affirmative: S+ V
S
NOTE: Third person singular V.s(-es)
b. Interrogative: DO+S+V?

NOTE: Third person singular: DOES+S +V?

c. Negative: S +DO NOT (DON'T) + V

NOTE: Third person singular: S+ DOES NOT (DOESNT)+V

Adverbs associated with the Present Simple tense:

often, usually, as a rule, always, every day / week / month / year, etc.

Uses:
expresses habitual, repeated actions which take place frequently - in the morming.
in the afternoon, in the evening, every day, every week, every month, every year.

84
 English Grammar
We have lunch and
dinner every day.
I often go to church.
I go to school
every morning.
b. expresses
general actions or states:
He goes to work
by bus.
She has a very difficult
job.
Thave lunch at a fast food.
C. expresses general truths:
Birds fly.
Water freezes at 0
degrees Celsius.
The Danube river flows into the Black Sea.
-

used in schedules or official

The train leaves at six o'clock.
programs:
The plane arrives at nine
thirty.
The bus leaves every ten minutes.
used in TV
announcements, instructions or in stage directions
The peace of the world faces a new terrorist
threat.
When she sees Mr. Poirot, she whispers something then leaves without even
looking at him.
Put the flour into the bowl and then add the
eggs.
expresses a future event
He comes to see me this evening.
He arrives tomorrow morning.
After he leaves, I will watch TV.

2. The Present Continuous

Forms:
a. Affirmative: S+TO BE (Present)+ V-ing..
b. Interrogative: TO BE (Present) +S+V-ing ?
c. Negative: S+TO BE (Present) + NOT +V-ing

Adverbs and adverb phrases associated with the Present Continuous tense:
(right) now, at present, at the moment, at the present moment, etc.

Uses:
a. expresses an action that takes place at the moment of speaking:
am reading now.
She is watching TV at the moment.
l am having English classes at present.
b. expresses a temporary action which includes the moment of speaking
My brother is studying in Paris.
They are working in Spain.
She is helping her sister to decorate the house.

85
English Grammar
the speaker(+ ALWAYS):
irritates or annoys
C.expresses a repeated action that
My boss is always yelling at me. when I go out with my
friends
mother
Drother isalways telling my
My
The dog is always stealing my socks.
d. expresses a future action (personal arrangement):
am meeting my friends tonight.
am leaving tomorrow.
l am having dinner with John this evening.
used in the continuous aspect:
There are some verbs which cannot be
to mind, to
to adore, to hate, to dislike,
1. verbs that express emotions: to like, to love,
detest, to fear;
to mean, to realise, to recognise, to
2. mental verbs: to think, to understand, to know,
remember, to consider;
3. verbs that express desire: to want, to prefer, to wish, to desire
to smel, to notice, to observe;
verbs of perception: to see, to hear, to taste, to feel,
4. to appear, to seem, to consist,
to belong, to matter
5. verbs of being, having, owning:
6. link verbs: to be, to become, to look, to sound.

However, some verbs can be used in the continuous aspect, with a change in meaning:

TO SEE
l am seeing Mary tomorrow. (= to meet)
John is seeing his friend to the door. (= to accompany)
I shall be seeing them tomorrow. (= to pay a visit to)
Who is seeing to the arrangements? (= to attend, to take care ot)
My father is seeing the dentist these days. He has postponed this for a longtime.
( to go to the doctor, to have an appointment);

TO HEAR
The judge is hearing the witness. (= listen in court)

TO SMELL, TO TASTE, TO FEEL (to express a voluntary action)

Roses smell nice. I vs/ I was smelling the scent ofincense.
feel ready to start the exam. (= confidence, long-lived sensation)
/vs/
am feeling strange in this room. ( perception, short-lived sensation)
(When these verbs express an involuntary action, they cannot be used in the continuous
aspect.)
TO DIFFER
He is always differing with his friends. (= to quarrel with);
TO LIKE
How are you liking your new job? (it is assumed that the
person has not arrived
at a final stage of either liking or disliking the
job)

86
 English Grammar
TO MIND
John is minding the baby when Mary is out. (= to look
TO THINK
after)
am thinking of
doesnt nave the
changing my job. (= to have the intention to; when "to think"
meaning of "to have an opinion", it can be used in the
aspect); conunuou
TO HAVE
(used in the continuous aspect when it doesn't mean "to own", "to possess)
They are having a walk as we
She can't come
speak.
to the phone right now, she is
having a shower.
TO BE
(used in the continuous aspect shows a temporary state in opposition to a general
condition):
He is such a good boy, but now he is being naughty.
You are being so rude today.

NOTE: The continuous aspect may also be used with these verbs to stress the idea that
something is happening progressively, in steps:
Now that I am getting used to the dark, I can see things more clearly
He is finding that English is rather difficult.

3. The Present Perfect Simple

Forms
a. Affirmative: S+HAVE I HAS+V (3rdform) (Past Participle)
b. Interrogative: HAVE I HAS +S+V (3rd form) ?
c. Negative: S+HAVE NOT (HAVEN'T) /HAS NOT (HASN'T) + V (3rd form)

Adverbs associated with the Present Perfect Simple tense:

just, already, often, seldom, today, this week /month I summer|
never, ever,
to now, until, until now, of late, before, yet
year, lately, recently, so far, up
since (shows the beginning of the action), for
(negative / interrogative sentences),
(shows the length of the action).
with the Present Perfect to show that an
NOTE: Both since and for are used
continues in the present as well.
action which started in the past

Uses that started in the past and continues in the present

as well
a. expresses an action

(the Present Perfect of experience): idea.

Thave heard such a stupid
never
have not been to France yet.
that film?
Have you ever s e e n
 English Grammar
PRACTICE
I. Present Simple or Present Continuous? Fill in.
A.
1. If you.
(see) me every day, I will do the same favour (come) and *******
to you when you are ill.
'*** **

2. This flower * * * * * * * * *
.. ************* (smell) nice.
3. Communication * * * * * * ' * * ' ' * * *
... (be) very important, although people
****''*'* **.
... (forget) this sometimes.
4. .. (see) the dentist tomorrow.
5. First I... °* **********. .(have) a shower, then we will talk about this problem.
6. I don't recognise you *********** ** ************ (be) so rude today.
anymore, you.
7. She always... ***********:***********° *****'*** (Sing) at partiees.
8. Johnny usually ... (spend) Christmas holidays in Moscow.
*****°***********.
9.1 .. (ive) in Romania and I... *********

(not want) to live somewhere else.

10. Take your
umbrella, it... (rain) outside. * *

11. ***** ******** (have) a picnic in Grand Park next week.

12.Anna... .. (believe) in miracles, contrary to her brother, who
******

****.. (be) more realistic.

13. Mark . . ************ (leave) for New York on Thursday.
14. Every Saturday, Sarah . . . ..(drive) her boys to football practice.
15. I am sorry, l can't hear what you .. (say) because
***** ****

everybody... ****.. (talk) so loudly.

B.
1. Usually,I.. *****
(work) as a secretary in an advertising agency, but this
summerl... ... ( teach) French at a language school in Paris.
2. Be quiet. The kids. . (sleep) still.
3.I currently ... ... (write) a grammar book. I hope I will find a good
publisher when I .. . . (finish) it.
4. "Would you like to have dinner in town?" "I am sorry, I can't. I. . (go)
to the cinema tonight."
5. "What you ****
..(do)? You ******
(not hear) when 1
**** ****************
... (call) you?"
6. She always. cup of tea before going to bed.
.. (drink) a
7. Peter and Sue ... .... (dance). Aren't they nice?
*****. (have) English classes every week.
8.1.... (taste) the soup. Let's wait for his impression.
9. Father *****

(not believe) the Earth.. . (go) round

10. Some people . .. . . .

the Sun.
(speak) Russian?" No, I can only speak French."
11."You ***
. . .

(go) out in the evening.

12. They rarely .

109