Simple and continuous tenses: present and past

Grammar from Oxford

For PET-level practice see Oxford Practice Grammar Basic

Find examples“On holiday last year, I was waiting at a bus stop in the centre of a city with several other people. When a bus arrived, nobody got on. The road was busy but after about five minutes the traffic stopped briefly. Then everyone started to cross the road. I realized they weren’t waiting for a bus, but for an opportunity to get across! I’m now planning my holiday for next summer. I usually go to a big city, as they’ve got more to offer, but I’m having doubts about visiting a place with lots of traffic.”

Find examples“On holiday last year, I was waiting at a bus stop in the centre of a city with several other people. When a bus arrived, nobody got on. The road was busy but after about five minutes the traffic stopped briefly. Then everyone started to cross the road. I realized they weren’t waiting for a bus, but for an opportunity to get across. I’m now planning my holiday for next summer. I usually go to a big city, as they’ve got more to offer, but I’m having doubts about visiting a place with lots of traffic.”

Present continuous: form• Affirmative: present of be + -ing• Negative: present of be + not + -ing• Questions: present of be + subject + -ingSpelling rules for -ing: • most verbs: walk > walking, visit > visiting• -e: take > taking, write > writing• short verbs ending vowel + consonant: run > running• -ie: lie > lying, die > dying

Present continuous: use

• to describe an action that is happening now I can’t come right now because I’m doing this.

• to describe an action that is happening around nowHe’s taking the train to work this week.

• with always for an annoying action that happens repeatedly

That dog’s always barking!

That dog’s always barking!

Present simple: form

• Affirmative: infinitive without to (+ -s/-es for he/she/it)• Negative: don’t/doesn’t + infinitive without to • Questions: do/does + subject + infinitive without to• Does and doesn’t are used for he/she/it.

You wear nice clothes./Sue wears nice clothes.I watch TV./Diana watches TV.We don’t like tea./Paul doesn’t like tea.Do the drawers open?/Does the drawer open?

Present simple: use• to talk about something that is always true

Most plants die without water.

• to talk about things that happen regularly, often with an adverb of frequency such as sometimes, always, never

He always takes the 7.30 train. I get up at 6.00.

Most plants die without water

Past continuous: form and use

• Affirmative: past of be + -ing• Negative: past of be + not + -ing• Questions: past of be + subject + -ingUse• to describe an action that was in progress, especially

when interrupted by another action (in past simple)I was listening to the radio when you called.Sam wasn’t waiting when I arrived.Who were you talking to earlier?

Past simple: form

• Affirmative for regular verbs: infinitive without to + -ed • Negative: didn’t + infinitive without to • Questions: did + subject + infinitive without to

Spelling rules for past simple affirmative of regular verbs: • most verbs: enjoy > enjoyed, talk > talked• -e: close > closed, phone > phoned• short verbs ending vowel + consonant: stop > stopped• consonant + -y: carry > carried, marry > married

Many verbs are irregular in the affirmative, e.g.be > was/were, have > had, go > went, see > saw

Past simple: use

• for actions that took place in the past The family moved to New York in 1985.

• for actions that happened regularly in the past We often went to the beach on Sundays.

• for a state that continued for some time in the past, but which is over now The couple were married for forty years.

• after when for a single past action that interrupts a continuous past action

I was crossing the road when I saw Simon.

State and action verbs

State verbs describe something that stays the same.They include be, hate, have, know, like, need, prefer. Action verbs describe something that is happening.• State verbs are not usually used in the continuous. • Some state verbs can be used for a state or an action,

with different meanings:He appears nervous./He’s appearing in a film.I have two cars./I’m having lunch.

• Other verbs that have different meanings in state/action form are look, see, think, weigh.

-ing and -ed: spellingForm the -ing form and the past simple affirmative form

of the following regular verbs:

-ing form past simpletry ________ _________plan ________ _________argue ________ _________open ________ _________answer ________ _________propose ________ _________

-ing and -ed: spellingForm the -ing form and the past simple affirmative form

of the following regular verbs:

-ing form past simpletry trying triedplan planning plannedargue arguing arguedopen opening openedanswer answering answeredpropose proposing proposed

Select the correct sentence

A Cathy is usually being late. B Cathy is usually late.

A Mr Kay is working at head office this month.B Mr Kay works at head office this month.

A I was playing football when the alarm went off.B I played football when the alarm was going off.

Select the correct sentence

A Cathy is usually being late. B Cathy is usually late.

A Mr Kay is working at head office this month. B Mr Kay works at head office this month.

A I was playing football when the alarm went off. B I played football when the alarm was going off.