Nader Hadj Abdo
Tenses Usage
Simple Present
(routines-habits-states-facts…)
-Water
consists of hydrogen and oxygen.
-The
world is round.
-Most
animals kill only for food.
-I study for 3 hours every night. (always, usually, regularly, every morning, often,
sometimes, occasionally, from time to time, twice a week, rarely, seldom, once
a month, never)
-Whenever
she gets angry, her nose gets red.
-If
you study well, you will pass the exam.
-When
she comes/(has come), she will help us.
----- These verbs are rarely used in Progressive Tenses. -----
-seem-cost-need-want-like-love-remember-include-contain-consist-own-belong-know-
realize-recognize-hear-understand-imagine-mean-fear.
-taste /smell /see/feel/appear/weigh (These verbs can be used in Progressive Tenses but the meaning changes.)
(Transitive and intransitive verbs)
-raise
-ed/rise-rose-risen/set/sit-sat/lay-laid/llie-
lay-lain/lie-lied/hang-ed/hang-hung/
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Present Progressive
-It
is still raining right now.
-He
is writing another book this year.
-I
am taking five courses this semester.
-He
is trying to improve his work habits.
-Zeinab
usually sits in the front row during class, but this morning she is sitting in
the last row.
-We
are leaving for England next Sunday.
-I
hate Tom's habit. He is constantly bragging about himself.
-Lisa
is foolish.
-Lisa
is being foolish.
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Simple Past
-Peter
and Lisa got married in 1990 / 15 years ago / last
week.
-When
I dropped my cup, the coffee spilled on my lap.
-If
you studied well, you would pass the test.
-My
father used to smoke.
-Whenever
she got angry, her nose got red.
-My
father used to smoke.
-
My father is used to smoking.
Compare:
1-When
I arrived, they were eating dinner.
2-When
I arrived, they had eaten dinner.
3-When
I arrived, they ate dinner.
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Past
Progressive
While/as/just as/when
-I
was talking on the phone when she arrived.
-While
I was talking on the phone, she arrived.
-While
I was talking on the phone, my mother was cooking.
-At
ten o'clock last night, I was writing an e-mail to one of my old friends.
-Last
year at this time, I was attending school.
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Present
Perfect Tense
Ø/ever/never/only just/ not…yet/many times/so far this
semester/Up to now/up till now/ for 3 years/since 1976/since+SV2R
-They
have moved into a new apartment.
-Hasn’t
anyone ever told you to knock on the door before you enter someone else’s room?
-I
have never been to England.
-We
have had (had = taken) three tests and a quiz so far this semester.
-Up
to now, I have written four letters.
-I have met many people since I came here.
S + (have, has + been) + absent / a teacher / here +
for 2 days /since last week
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Present
Perfect Progressive
since 2:00 / for 2 hours / for 2 hours now / all this week
-Mary
has been waiting here since three o’clock.
-I
have been collecting old coins since I was 10
(years old).
-Most
students have been studying hard. Final exams start next week. (Lately)
-My
back hurts so I have been sleeping on the floor lately.
-The little boy is dirty from head
to foot, because he has been playing in the
mud.
-She
has been crying. Her eyes are red and puffy.
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Past
Perfect Tense
/when / until / after / before/ by the time/
-After
the guests (had left-left), I went to bed.
-He
did not leave until I had come back.
-By
the time I got home, my parents had already eaten.
-By
the time you get here, I will have finished my exams.
-The
thief simply walked in. Someone had forgotten to lock the door.
-I
would have visited her if I had had enough time.2005
-I
felt a little better after I had taken the medicine.
-She
did not pass the exam. She wishes she had passed the exam.
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Past
Perfect Progressive
-The
police had been looking for the criminal for
2 years before they arrested him.
-He
finally came at six. I had been waiting for him since 4:30.
-She
had been crying. Her eyes were red and puffy.
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The
Future
1-Simple
/ 2-progressive / 3-perfect / 4-perfect progressive
-When
you come, we will eat dinner. (1)
-When
you come, we will be eating dinner. (2)
-By
the time you come, we will have eaten
dinner. (3)
-By
the time you arrive, we will have been eating
for ten minutes. (4)
-Don’t
call me at nine. I won’t be at home. I am going to be studying at the library.
-Next
Saturday, I will be visiting my aunt in Tartous.
-Two
days from now I will be lying on the beach in the sun.
-Tomorrow
I’m going to leave for home. When I arrive at the airport, my whole family will
be waiting for me.
-Next
year at this time, I will be doing exactly what I am doing now. I’ll be
attending school and studying hard next year.
-I
came to my class at 8:00. Now it is 9:30. By 11:00 I will have been sitting
here for 3 hours.
-Oil will have run out by the year
2060.
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Expressing
the future in time clauses
V1+R
Don’t V1+R
S (can, will, +V1) R
(until-as
soon as-once-after-before-when)
+ S V (simple present or present
perfect) R.
-Bob
will come soon. We will see him when he comes/has come.
-Wait
here until I come back.
-Now
I’m a junior in college. After I graduate with a B.A, I intend to enter
graduate school.
-I'll get home around six. When I get home, I
will call Ahmad.
-I can't go to university until I
get the baccalaureate.
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