Grammar: :Tenses
........... ,
: PRESENT
habitual actions or
repeated actions with
recently completed actions
past actions producing
permanent states
always, forever, constantly
visible results in the present
He goes swimming every
day.
She works in a bank.
(often to show annoyance)
She has just painted her
room.
She has been painting her
room. {Itsmells of paint.}
You're always leaving the
cap off the toothpaste.
arranged future actions
(timetables, programmes,
ete)
actions in progress/
temporary actions
actions
beginning
in
the
an action beginning
in the
past and continuing up to
the present, focusing on the
result
past and continuing up to
the present, focusing on the
action especially with for or
He has written three books.
since
She has been waiting for
two hours but there's still no
sign of him.
fixed arrangements for the
near future
indefinite past actions or
experiences
action showing annoyance,
irritation or surprise
Ice melts when heated.
First you chop the meat,
then you fry it.
They are going on an
excursion tomorrow.
She has seen this film. {We
do not know when.}
I've been to Berlin twice.
What have you been doing
to my computer?
dramatic narration
current trends and
developments
repeated actions still
continuing
Oil prices are rising at
present.
He has worked as a
teacher for four years. {He
is still a teacher.}
He's sleeping at the
moment.
They're hunting for a flat.
The match begins at 8:30
next Monday evening.
laws of nature/scientific
facts and instructions
The lights ga out and a
figure tearsouf of the villa.
Time Expressions: usually, Time Expressions: now, at
often, always, every day, in present, at the moment,
the morning, on Mondays etc these days, still, today,
tonight, nowadays etc
senses
thinking
emotion & feeling
other
Time Expressions: since,
yet, for, already, just, ever,
so for, recently, lately, still,
how long etc
Time Expressions: for,
since, how long, lately,
recently etc
see, hear, smell, feel, taste
think, agree, believe, consider, doubt, expect, feel l=think)
feel, forgive, hate, loathe, like, dislike, love, mind, wish, etc
appear/seem, be, belong, have l=possess), keep l=continue), matter, owe, possess/own
ete
Notes
Verbs of the senses can have continuous forms, but then there's a change in meaning.
I'm seeing my dentist tomorrow. {= a prior arrangement}
Do you see those birds? {ability to see}
The verbs think, consider and expect can have continuous forms when they refer to an activity.
Be quiet, please! I'm thinking.
but:
but:
I think you are wrong. {= I believe}
Have can have continuous forms in certain expressions such as: have a bath, have a nap, have fun, have a good
time, etc.
We were having a good time at the party when the fire broke out. but: Since you have his phone number,
you can call him. {= possess}
1
o
2
3
4
5
...........
Put the verbs in brackets into the appropriate present tense.
Our firm is launching (launch) two new products
next week.
"Why
(he/leave)?"
"Beca use he
(play) footba II
at 6:30 this evening."
Dancers at the ballet school
.
(train) for the performance since last November.
You
(not/really/expect)
me to eat this stew! It
(smell) awful!
(know)
me since high school! You
.
(not/really/believe)
I would do such a terrible thing.
8 The opposition party
(appear) to be
making ground in the opinion polls.
9 Randall
(kick) the ball into the net and
it
(be) a goal!
10 He
(study) most of the year,
but now it's summer, he
(work) in a
I
(try) to com plete that
jigsaw for over three months now!
"Why
(you/feel) Annie's
forehead?"
"I
(think) she's got a temperature."
?
The place looks like a bombsite! What
......................
(do) all day?
Come on John! you
shop.
11 you
(always/leave)
the
bathroom tap running .
: HAS BEEN TO /
HAS
BEEN
IN
HAS
GONE TO
He has been to Berlin. (=He has gone and come back.)
He has been in Buenos Aires for a year. (=;Helives there.)
He has gone to Toledo. (=He hasn't come back yet.)
2
o
2
3
4
Fill in the blanks with have been to, have been
in or have gone to in their correct form.
I have never been to (never) Cambodia,
include it on my itinerary next year.
but I might
Mrs Bates
Cologne. She
won't be back for at least three weeks.
Nick
Wales for three years
now, studying for his degree.
Why don't you ask Clare about the tropics? She
........................................
Thailand.
He
visit his father. I'm afraid
you've just missed him.
Put the verbs in brackets into the Simple Present
or
Present Continuous.
erry Poole (0) is (be) an engineer who (1)
.
(work) for an international aid organisation. Although he
ormally (2)
(3)
(work) in Indonesia, at present he
(supervise) a project in Rwanda
(involve) the co-ordination of local
which (4)
people, aid workers and engineers like himself. Although
e (5)
(enjoy) the experience, he
(6)
(doubt) the project will be finished soon.
Put the verbs in brackets into the Present Perfect
or
Present Perfect Continuous.
Stonehenge (0) has been (be) the subject of
archaeological
debate for many years. No one
(1)
(yet/explain)
satisfactorily
why or how it was built, although teams of experts
(2)
(excavate) the site for
years and a team of American scientists (3)
.
..
..
.. .. (recently/start) worki ng in the area
with sophisticated new equipment. Popular theories
(4)
(suggest) that Stonehenge was
built as a temple, but no one (5)
.
(manage) to work out how the stones were transported
here. A group
(6)
of students from
Bangor
University
(discuss) the
possibility of re-enacting the journey from Wales, where
such stones are to be found, overland to Stonehenge and
sponsors (7)
(come)
forward with offers of financial assistance. The British
Museum (8)
(also/announce) a
forthcoming exhibition of artefacts from the Stonehenge
period which they (9)
(gather) over the
last five years from all over Northern Europe.
