Biologia

Tenses
Grammar and Exercises

David Fux
Luzern (Switzerland), August 2009
www.nubuk.com
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Tenses
Grammar and Exercises

Present Simple

3

Present Progressive

4

Ex.: The Present Tenses

5

Ways of Expressing the Future

7

Ex.: The Future Tenses

9

Ex.: Future Progressive

11

Ex.: Future Perfect

12

Present Perfect Simple

13

Ex.: PresentPerfect Simple

14

Present Perfect Progressive

15

Ex.: The Present Perfect Tenses

16

Past Simple

19

Ex.: Present Perfect or Past Simple

20

Past Progressive

21

Ex.: Past Simple or Past Progressive

22

Past Perfect

23

Ex.: Past Perfect or Past Simple

24

Past Perfect Progressive

25

Ex.: Past Perfect Simple or Progressive

26

Tenses I

27Tenses II

29

Tenses III

31

Tenses IV

33

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Present Simple

1. Formation
The present simple has the form of the infinitive. But in the 3rd person singular
only, we add -s. Negative statements and questions are formed with do/does.
I write. She writes.
I don’t write. She doesn’t write.
Do I write? Does she write?

2. Use
We use the present simple to say thatsomething happens repeatedly, regularly,
normally, often, always or never. It often occurs with phrases of time such as
always, never, often, sometimes, and usually, as well as every summer, on Fridays, after
midnight, etc.
She often goes to bed after midnight.

The present simple is used to talk about something permanent which is not limited to a particular time.
Most young people like trendyclothes.

The present simple is used to talk about texts, e.g. novels, short stories, newspaper articles, films or plays.
The novel describes life in an Irish village.

We use the present simple to describe a series of action, e.g. when giving information or instructions.
“How do I get to the station?”
“First you go along Victoria Street, then you turn left …”

We use the present simple tosay that a future event is a fixed part of a timetable,
a programme of events, a schedule or suchlike (the “timetable future”). Verbs
such as arrive, open, close, start or stop are often used this way.
The next train from Dublin arrives at 10.13.

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Present Progressive

1. Formation
We form the present progressive with am/is/are + -ing.
I am writing.
You are not writing.
Is shewriting?

2. Use
The present progressive is used when we want to say that somebody is doing
something or that something is happening at the moment. The action or event is
in progress and not yet complete. Common phrases of time are at the moment,
now, just and still.
Fiona is washing her hair (at the moment).

now

The present progressive is used for actions which are not yet complete butcan be
interrupted for a time. Strictly speaking, such interrupted actions are not in progress at the moment of speaking.
I’m very busy. I’m redecorating my living-room.

We use the present progressive to express the idea that a repeated action is temporary, i.e. it is happening for a limited period of time.
Patrick is working at a restaurant during his holidays.

We can use the adverbalways with the present progressive to say that something
happens again and again, although not at regular intervals. Here always means
very often or too often. The structure expresses the speaker’s annoyance or surprise.
You’re always forgetting your books!

We use the present progressive to say that something is definitely planned or
arranged for the future. It must be clear from the contextor from the use of a
phrase of future time (this afternoon, on Sunday, next week, etc.) that we are talking
about the future.
We’re having a barbecue on Sunday.
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Ex.: The Present Tenses

Put the following verbs into the correct tense—either the present simple or the present progressive. Use
all the elements in the brackets. Note the importance of certain key words. Use a highlighter...