McGehee, Arkansas TESOL Online & Teaching English Jobs

1. Present Simple Examples For habits He drinks tea at breakfast. She only eats fish. They watch television regularly. For repeated actions or events We catch the bus every morning. It rains every afternoon in the hot season. They drive to Monaco every summer. For general truths Water freezes at zero degrees. The Earth revolves around the Sun. Her mother is Peruvian. For instructions or directions Open the packet and pour the contents into hot water. You take the No.6 bus to Watney and then the No.10 to Bedford. For fixed arrangements His mother arrives tomorrow. Our holiday starts on the 26th March With future constructions She'll see you before she leaves. We'll give it to her when she arrives. Present Continuous The present continuous is used: to describe an action that is going on at this moment: You are using the Internet. You are studying English grammar. to describe an action that is going on during this period of time or a trend: Are you still working for the same company? More and more people are becoming vegetarian. to describe an action or event in the future, which has already been planned or prepared: We're going on holiday tomorrow. I'm meeting my boyfriend tonight. Are they visiting you next winter? to describe a temporary event or situation: He usually plays the drums, but he's playing bass guitar tonight. The weather forecast was good, but it's raining at the moment. with "always, forever, constantly", to describe and emphasise a continuing series of repeated actions: Harry and Sally are always arguing! You're constantly complaining about your mother-in-law! -- Affirmative Negative Interrogative I am going I am not going Am I going? You are going You aren't going. Are you going? He, she, it is going He, she, it isn't going Is he, she, it going? We are going We aren't going Are we going? You are going You aren't going Are you going? They are going They aren't going Are they going? ------ Present Perfect The Present Perfect is used to describe An action or situation that started in the past and continues in the present. I have lived in Bristol since 1984 (= and I still do.) An action performed during a period that has not yet finished. She has been to the cinema twice this week (= and the week isn't over yet.) A repeated action in an unspecified period between the past and now. We have visited Portugal several times. An action that was completed in the very recent past, expressed by 'just'. I have just finished my work. An action when the time is not important. He has read 'War and Peace'. (= the result of his reading is important) Actions started in the past and continuing in the present They haven't lived here for years. She has worked in the bank for five years. We have had the same car for ten years. Have you played the piano since you were a child? When the time period referred to has not finished I have worked hard this week. It has rained a lot this year. We haven't seen her today. Actions repeated in an unspecified period between the past and now. They have seen that film six times It has happened several times already. She has visited them frequently. We have eaten at that restaurant many times. Actions completed in the very recent past (+just) Have you just finished work? I have just eaten. We have just seen her. Has he just left? When the precise time of the action is not important or not known Someone has eaten my soup! Have you seen 'Gone with the Wind'? She's studied Japanese, Russian, and English. ---- Present Perfect Continuous Actions that started in the past and continue in the present She has been waiting for you all day (= and she's still waiting now). I've been working on this report since eight o'clock this morning (= and I still haven't finished it). They have been travelling since last October (= and they're not home yet). Actions that have just finished, but we are interested in the results She has been cooking since last night (= and the food on the table looks delicious). It's been raining (= and the streets are still wet). Someone's been eating my chips (= half of them have gone). Affirmative Negative Interrogative I have been living I haven't been living Have I been living? You have been living You haven't been living Have you been living? He, she, it has been living He hasn't been living Has she been living? We have been living We haven't been living Have we been living? You have been living You haven't been living Have you been living? They have been living They haven't been living Have they been living?