Tenses

 

Now, a new chapter. We need to work on the tenses now. Quite difficult, but it's worth the effort once you understand.

We are also going to repeat the conditionals here; they can be put under sentences, but lots of people put them in the category with the tenses; we've done both.

 

We have:

Present simple > full form of the verb (mind the shit-rule!) > for: fact, habit/things you regularly do, job/studies, character, timetables (bus, train, school, plane etc.) > She has English on Mondays. / I visit my grandparents every week.

Present continuous > present tense of "to be"+verb+ing > for: what is going on right now and for annoyances in the present > I'm working on my English now. She is constantly clicken her pen.

Present perfect > have/has+past participle > for: something that started in the past is still continuing + something from the past has a result in the present > I have lived here for 8 years now./ I have just paingted the door (door still wet).

Present perfect continuous: have/has+been+verb+ing > same as simple, but now the emphasis is on what you do (not who or when) or you want to emphasize that it took some time > We have been working on this all day. 

Past simple > 2nd row of the irregular verbs or verb+ed > for things in the past when there's no connection to the present > I went to the game yesterday.

Past continuous: > was/were+verb+ing > something in the past took some time or a longer activity (gets past continuous) is interrupted (that part gets the past simple) > We were washing dad's car. / I was cooking when the phone rang.

Past perfect > had+past participle > something happened before something else in the past > We had lived in Leeuwarden for 10 years before we moved to Stiens.

Past perfect continuous > had+been+verb+ing > the same as past continuous, but now you put emphasis on the action > We had been working on that assignment for two hours before the teacher discovered it was the wrong assignment.

Future with will > used for spontaneous decision > Oh, I will help you pick up those fallen oranges.

Future with to be going to > a fixed plan > We're going to work on common mistakes next week.

Future with present continuous > plans for the near future > We're working on the present tense next class.

Future with present simple > with schedules >The train leaves at six.

Future with to be about to > when it's on the verge of starting, it can happen any minute now > The bell is about to ring. *bell rings*

Future continuous = will be + verb+ing > talking about plans at a spedcific time > On the first day, we will be visiting ther Big Ben.

 

Zero conditional > to describe facts and things that are always true (general)> present simple or past simple> If you heat ice-cream, it melts. / If the weather was fine, we had breakfast outside.

First conditional > to describe a real possibility in the future (specific)> present simple+will for result> If I miss the buss, I'll call a cab.

                                                                                          > present simple+ going to for result > If I see her, I'm going to ask her out. > stronger 

                                                                                              intention than with will

                                                                                          > present simple + modal verb for permission or advice > If you clean, you may watch TV /

                                                                                              If you feel ill, you should see a doctor.

Second conditional > to describe an improbable event in the future > condition = past simple + result = would > If I were rich, I'd buy a palace.

Third conditional > to describe an event from the past that did not happen> condition= had+past participle & result = would have + past participle > If he had studires, he would have passed the test. 

 

The assignment:

Step 1: Go to the Magister ELO and watch the video about "tenses" (video 40) on the ELO whilst taking notes in your notebook.

Step 2: continue watching the videos and dloing the exercises on the next pages called present, past, forms with a link between present and past, future and conditionals.