Grammar Pages

Present simple
(I do)

A  Study this example situation:

Alex is a bus driver, but now he is in bed asleep. So:

• He is not driving a bus. (He is asleep)
• But He drives a bus. (He is a bus driver.)

Drive(s)/work(s) do(es) etc. is the present simple:

I/we/you/they he/she/it

drive/work/do etc. drives/works/does etc.

B  We use the present simple to talk about things in general.  We are not thinking only about now. We use it to say that something happens all the time or repeatedly, or that something is true in general.  It is not important whether the action is happening at the time of speaking:

• Nurses look after patients in hospitals.
• I usually go away at weekends.
• The earth goes round the sun.

Remember that we say: he/she/it –s. Don't forget the s:

• I work…but He works….    They teach…but My sister teaches…

For spelling (-s or –es), see Appendix 6.

C  We use do/does to make questions and negative sentences:

Do Does

I/we/you/they he/she/it

work? come? do?

I/we/you/they he/she/it

don't doesn't

work come do

• I come from Canada
• Where do you come form?
• 'Would you like a cigarette?'  'No, thanks. I don't smoke.'
• What does this word mean? (not 'What means this word?'
• Rice doesn't grow in cold climates.

In the following examples do is also the main verb:

• 'What do you do?' (-What's your job?'  ' I work in a shop.')
• He's so lazy.  He doesn't do anything to help me. (not 'He doesn't anything')

D  We use the present simple when we say how often we do things:

• I get up at 8 o'clock every morning. (not 'I'm getting')
• How often do you go to the dentist? (not 'How often are you going?')
• Ann doesn't drink tea very often.
• In summer John usually plays tennis once or twice a week.

E  I promise / I apologies etc.

Sometimes we do things by saying something.  For example, when you promise to do something, you can say 'I promise…'; when you suggest something, you can say 'I suggest…'.  We use the present simple (promise/suggest etc.) in sentences like this:

• I promise I won't be late. (not 'I'm promising')
• 'What do you suggest I do'  'I suggest that you…'

In the same way we say: I apologise… / I advise…/ I insist…/ I agree…/ I refuse… etc.

Present continuous and present simple (1)
(I am doing and I do)

A  Study the explanations and compare the examples:

Present continuous (I am doing) Use the continuous for something that is happening at or around the time of speaking. The action is not finished: I am doing past now future The water is boiling. Can you turn it off? Listen to those people. What language are they speaking? Let's go out.  It isn't raining now. 'Don't disturb me. I'm busy.' 'Why? What are you doing?' I'm going to bed now. Goodnight! Maria is in Britain at the moment. She's learning English.  Use the continuous for a temporary situation: I'm living with some friends until I find a flat. 'you're working hard today.'  'Yes, I've got a lot to do.' See Unit 1 for more information.

Present simple (I do) Use the simple for things in general or things That happen repeatedly:     I do     past now future Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. Excuse me, do you speak English? It doesn't rain very much in summer. What do you usually do at weekends? What do you do? (= What's your job?) I always go to bed before midnight. Most people learn to swim when they are children. Use the simple for a permanent situation: My parents live in London. They have lived there all their lives. John isn't lazy. He works very hard most of the time.  See Unit 2 for more information.

B  I always do and I'm always doing

Usually we say "I always do something" (= I do it every time)

• I always go to work by car. (not "I'm always going")

You can also say "I'm always doing something", but this has a different meaning. For example:

• "I've lost my keys again. I'm always losing things."

"I'm always losing things" does not mean that I lose things every time. It means that I lose things too often, more often than normal.

• You're always watching television. You should do something more active.
• John is never satisfied. He's always complaining.

Present continuous and present simple (2)
(I am doing and I do)

A  We use continuous tenses only for actions and happenings (they are eating / it is raining etc.). Some verbs (for example, know and like) are not action verbs. You cannot say 'I am knowing' or 'they are liking'; you can only say 'I know', 'they like'.

The following verbs are not normally used in continuous tenses:

• I'm hungry. I want something to eat. (not 'I'm wanting')
• Do you understand what I mean?
• Ann doesn't seem very happy at the moment.

When think means 'believe', do not use the continuous:

• What do you think (= believe) will happen? (not 'what are you thinking') But
• You look serious. What are you thinking about? (= I what is going on in your mind?)
• I'm thinking of giving up my job. (= I am considering)

When have means 'possess' etc., do not use the continuous (see Unit 17):

• We're enjoying our holiday. We have a nice room in the hotel. (not 'we're having') But
• We're enjoying our holiday. We're having a great time.

B  See  hear  smell  taste

We normally use the present simple (not continuous) with these verbs:

• Do you see that man over there? 9not 'are you seeing')
• This room smells. Let's open a window.

We often use can + see/hear/smell/taste:

• Listen! Can you hear something?

But you can use the continuous with see (I'm seeing) when the meaning is 'having a meeting with' (especially in the future – see Unit 19A):

• I'm seeing the manager tomorrow morning.

C  He is selfish and He is being selfish

The present continuous of be is I am being / he is being / you are being etc.

I'm being = 'I'm behaving / I'm acting'. Compare:

• I can't understand why he's being so selfish. He isn't usually like that.
  (being selfish = behaving selfishly at the moment) But
• He never thinks about other people. He is very selfish. (not 'he is being')
  ( = he is selfish generally, not only at the moment)

We use am/is/are being to say how somebody is behaving. It is not usually possible in other sentences:

• It's hot today. (not 'it is being hot')
• Sarah is very tired. (not 'is being tired')

D  Look and feel

You can use the present simple or continuous when you say how somebody looks or feels now:

• You look well today. Or You're looking well to day.
• How do you feel now? Or How are you feeling now?  But
• I usually feel tired in the morning. (not 'I'm usually feeling')

Past simple
(I did)

A  Study this example:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an Austrian musician and composer. He lived from 1756 to 1791. He started composing at the age of five and wrote more than 600 pieces of music. He was only35 years old when he died.

Lived/started/wrote/was/died are all past simple.

B  Very often the past simple ends in –ed (regular verbs):

• I work in a travel agency now. Before that I worked in a shop.
• We invited them to our party but they decided not to come.
• The police stopped me on my way home last night.
• She passed her examination because she studied very hard.

For spelling (stopped, studied etc.), see Appendix 6.

But many verbs are irregular. The past simple does not end in –ed. For example:

Write				wrote		* Mozart wrote more than 600 pieces of music.
See				saw		* We saw Rose in town a few days ago.
Go				went		* I went to the cinema three times last week.
Shut				shut		* It was cold, so I shut the window.

For a list of irregular verbs, see Appendix 1.

C  In questions and negatives we use did/didn't + infinitive (enjoy/see/go etc.):

I she they enjoyed saw went

Did you she they enjoy? see? go?

I she they didn't enjoy see go

• A: Did you go out
  B: Yes, I went to the cinema but I didn't enjoy the film much.
• 'When did Mr. Thomas die?'  'About ten years ago.'
• They didn't invite her to the party, so she didn't go.
• 'Did you have time to write the letter?' 'No, I didn't.'

Be careful when do is the main verb in the sentence:

• What did you do at the weekend? (not 'what did you at the weekend')
• I didn't do anything. (not 'I didn't anything')

D  The past of be (am/is/are) is was/were:

I/he/she/it we/you/they was/wasn't were/weren't

was were I/he/she/it we/you/they

Note that we do not use did in negatives and questions with

• I was angry because they were late.
• Was the weather good when you were on holiday?
• They weren't able to come because they were so busy.
• Did you go out last night or were you too tired?

Past continuous
(I was doing)

A  Study this example situation:

Yesterday Karen and Jim played tennis. They began at 10 o'clock and finished at 11.30.  So, at 10.30 they were playing tennis. They were playing – ‘they were in the middle of playing'. They had not finished playing.  Was/were –ing is the past continuous:

I/he/she/it we/you/they

was were

Playing Doing Working etc.

B  We use the past continuous to say that somebody was in the middle time.  The action or situation had already started before this time but had not finished:

I started doing	I was doing	I finished doing
past		past	now

• This time last year I was living in Brazil .
• What were you doing at 10 o'clock last night?
• I waved to her but she wasn't looking.

C  Compare the past continuous (I was doing) and past simple (I did):

D  We often use the past simple and the past continuous together to say that something happened in the middle of something else:

• Tom burnt his hand when he was cooking the dinner.
• I saw you in the park yesterday.  You were sitting on the grass and reading a book.
• While I was working in the garden, I hurt my back.

But we use the past simple to say that one thing happened after another:

• I was walking along the road when I saw Dave.  So I stopped and we had a chat.

Compare:

E   There are some verbs (for example, know/want/believe) that are not normally used in the continuous (see Unit 4A):

• We were good friends.  We knew each other well. (not 'we were knowing')
• I was enjoying the party but Chris wanted to go home. (not 'was wanting')

Present perfect (1)
(I have done)

A   Study this example situation:

Tom is looking for his key. He can't find it.
 He has lost his key.
'He has lost his key' = He lost it and he still hasn't got it'
Have/has lost is the present perfect simple:

The present perfect simple is have/has + past participle. –ed (finished/decided etc.), but many important verbs are irregular (lost/done/been/written etc.) For a list of irregular verbs, see appendix 1.

B   When we use the present perfect there is always a connection with now. The action in the past has a result now:

• 'Where's your key?'  'I don't know. I've lost it.' (I haven't got it now)
• He told me his name but I've forgotten it' (I can't remember it now)
• 'Is Sally here?'  'No, she's gone out.' (she is out now)
• I can't find my bag. Have you seen it? (do you know where it is now?)

We often use the present perfect to give new information or to announce a recent happening:

• Ow! I've cut my finger.
• The road is closed. There's been (= there has been) an accident.
• (from the news) The police have arrested two men in connection with the robbery.

C   You can use the present perfect with just, already and yet:

Just = 'a short time ago':

• 'Would you like something to eat?' 'No, thanks. I've just had lunch.'
• Hello. Have you just arrived?

We use already to say that something happened sooner than expected.

• 'Don't forget to post the letter, will you?' 'I've already posted it.?
• 'What time is Mark leaving?' 'He's already gone.'

Yet = 'until now/ and shows that the speaker is expecting something to happen. Use yet only in questions and negative sentences.

• Has it stopped raining yet?
• I've written the letter but I haven't posted it yet.
  

D   Note the difference between gone (to) and been (to):

Jim is away on holiday. He has gone to Spain . (= he is there now or on his way there)

Jane is back home from holiday now. She has been to Italy . (= she has now come back from Italy)

Present perfect (2)
(I have done)

A   Study this example conversation:

DAVE:  Have you travelled a lot, Jane?
JANE:  Yes, I've been to lots of places.
DAVE:  Really? Have you ever been to China?
JANE:  Yes, I've been to China twice.
DAVE:  What about India?
JANE:  No, I haven't been to India

Jane's life (a period until now)
past		now

When we talk about a period of time that continues from the past until now, we use the present perfect (have been / have travelled etc). Here, Dave and Jane are talking about the places Jane has visited in her life (which is a period that continues until now).

• Have you ever eaten caviar?
• We've never had a car.
• 'Have you read Hamlet?' 'No, I haven't read any of Shakespeare's plays.'
• Susan really loves that film. She's seen it eight times!
• What a boring film! It's the most boring film I've ever seen.

In the following examples too the speakers are talking about a period that continues until now (recently / in the last few days / so for / since breakfast etc.):

Have you heard from George recently? I've met a lot of people in the last few days. Everything is going well. We haven't had any problems so far. I'm hungry. I haven't eaten anything since breakfast. (=from breakfast until now) It's nice to see you again. We haven't seen each other for a long time.

recently in the last few days since breakfast past   now

B   We use the present perfect with today / this morning / this evening at the time of speaking (see also Unit 14B):

I've drunk four cups of coffee today. (perhaps I'll drink more before today is finished) Have you had a holiday this year (yet)? I haven't seen Tom this morning. Have you? Ron hasn't worked very hard this term.

today past   now

C   Note that we say 'It's the first time something has happened' (present perfect). For example:

Don is having a driving lesson. He is very nervous and unsure because it is his first lesson.

• It's the first time he has driven a car. (not 'drives')

or: He has never driven a car before.

• Linda has lost her passport again. It's the second time this has happened. (not 'happens')
• This is a lovely meal. It's the first good meal I've had for ages. (not I have')
• Bill is phoning his girlfriend again. That's the third time he's phoned her this evening.

Present Perfect continuous
(I have been doing)

A   It has been raining. Study this example situation:

Is it raining?
No, but the ground is wet.
It has been raining.
Have/has been – ing is the present perfect continuous:

We use the present perfect continuous for an activity that has recently stopped or just stopped.

There is a connection with now:

• You're out of breath. Have you been running? (you're out of breath now)
• Paul is very tired. He's been working very hard. (he's tired now)
• Why are your clothes so dirty/ What have you been doing?
• I've been talking to Carol about the problem and she thinks that……

It is raining now.  It began raining two hours ago and it is still raining.

• How long has it been raining?
• It has been raining for two hours.

We often use the present perfect continuous in this way, especially with how long, for… and since…. The activity is still happening (as in this example) or has just stopped.

• How long have you been learning English? (you're still learning
• Tim is still watching television. He's been watching television all day.
• Where have you been? I've been looking for you for the last half hour.
• George hasn't been feeling well recently.

You can use the present perfect continuous for actions repeated over a period of time:

• Debbie is a very good tennis player. She's been playing since she was eight.
• Every morning they meet in the same café.  They've been going there for years.