The Present Simple Tense
The main use of the Tense is to
express repeated or habitual actions:
I go to school every day. Tom
smokes.
The Present Simple Tense is often
used with the adverbs or adverb phrases such as: always, never, often, usually, every day, on Sundays, twice a week, etc.
I wash my car twice a week.
It rains in autumn.
I often play tennis with my
partner.
I never get up early on Sundays.
Other uses of the Tense.
1) It can be used in newspaper
headlines:
“Dangerous prisoner escapes”
“Floods bring road chaos”
“Plane crashes in Columbia
2) The Tense can be
used for describing planned future actions when they refer to a trip:
“We leave Prague Berlin Berlin
3) The Present Simple Tense
can be use instead of the Present Continuous Tense (We’ll speak about that
tense later) with the verbs that which cannot be used in the continuous form,
e.g. hate, love, believe, like etc.
I believe you now/at the moment, but not I am believing you now.
4)
Another use of the Tense is in first type of conditional sentences:
If I see Tom I’ll ask him to call
you.
5) The Tense is also used when we
want to ask about what is written in letters, books, and notices. In these
sentences the verb say is used:
“What does the notice say?”
“It says, ‘Wet painted’
Forms of the Present Simple Tense.
The Verb to be in the Present Simple Tense
1) be is normally used to show the existence or to give
information about a person or a thing.
Mark is a student.
The cat is on the table.
2) be is used to express physical or mental condition:
I'm cold/hungry/thirsty.
They are happy.
3) be is also used for age:
She is 20 years old.
How old is this castle?
4) be is used to say about size and weight:
How tall are you?
What is her weight?
5) you can use be for asking
and saying about prices:
How much is this ball?
This book is 250,-
To be affirmative, interrogative
sentences (questions) and No answers.
Affirmative:
I am a student.
You are a student.
You/we/they are students.
Interrogative:
Am I a student?
Are you a student?
Are you/we/they students?
Negative:
No, I'm not.
No, you are not (aren't)
No, you/we/they are not (aren't)
Can interrogative sentences (questions) and yes/no answers.
I/you/he/she/it/we/they can. Can
I/you/we/he/she/it/we/they?
I/you/he/she/it/we/they/cannot.
Must interrogative sentences (questions) and yes/no answers.
I/you/he/she/it/we/they must. Must
I/you/we/he/she/it/we/they?
I/you/he/she/it/we/they/ mustn't.
To have interrogative sentences (questions) and yes/no answers.
I/you/we/they have a
house. Have I/you/we/they a house?
No I/you/we/they haven't.
He
/she/it has a
dog. Has he/she/it a
dog? No,
he/she/it hasn't
I /you/we/they have a nice car.
Do I/you/we/they have a nice car? No I/you/we/they don't
He/she/it has a big bag. Does he/she/it
have a big bag? No, he/she/it doesn't.
I/you/we/they have got a new desk.
Have I/you/we/they have got a new desk? No, I...haven't.
To work:
1) Affirmative (simple sentence)
I work
You work
She works
He works
It works
We work
You work
They work.
2)Negative
sentence.
I do not work
You do not work
She does not work
He does not work
It does not work
We do not work
You do not work
They do not work.
3) Interrogative
(questions)
Do I work?
Do you work?
Does she work?
Does he work?
Does it work?
Do we work?
Do you work?
Do they work?
4) Answers
Yes/No.
Do I work?
Yes, I do. No, I don’t.
Do you
work? Yes, you do. No, you don’t.
Does she work?
Yes, she does. No, she doesn’t.
Does he
work? Yes, he does. No, he doesn’t.
Does it
work? Yes, it does. No, it doesn’t.
Do we work?
Yes, we do. No, we don’t.
Do you
work? Yes, you do. No, you don’t.
Do they
work? Yes, they do. No, they don’t.
N.B. Verbs ending in ss, sh, ch, x
and o add es instead of s in the third form singular:
I watch-he watches. I go-she goes. I do -she does
-----------------------------------------------------------
II. The Past Simple Tense.
The Past Simple Tense is used for actions completed in the past at
a definite time.
1) It is used for a past action when
the time is given:
I opened the window an hour ago.
I met my friend yesterday.
2) It is also used when someone is
asking about the time when something was done:
When did you go to Paris
3) When there is a word ago in the
sentence:
I bought this suite a month ago.
4) This Tense can be used for
repeated actions in the past or a past habit:
She went to the theatre every week-end when she lived in Prague
He smoked a lot when he was young.
The verb to be in the Past
Simple Tense.
Affirmative:
I /he/she/it was a student.
You were
a student.
You/we/they were students.
Interrogative:
Was I/he/she/it a student?
Were you a student?
Were you/we/they students?
Negative:
No, I /he/she/it wasn't not.
No, you were not (weren't)
No, you/we/they were not (aren't)
The verb can in the Past
Simple Tense.
Affirmative:
I/you/he/she/it/we/they could speak Spanish five years ago.
Interrogative:
Could I/you/he/she/it/we/they speak Spanish five years ago?
Negative:
I/you/he/she/it/we/they couldn't speak Spanish five years ago.
The verb must in the Past
Simple Tense.
Affirmative:
I/you/he/she/it/we/they had to go home early yesterday.
Interrogative:
Did I/you/he/she/it/we/they
have to go home early yesterday?
Negative:
I/you/he/she/it/we/they didn't have to go home early yesterday.
The verb to have in the Past Simple
Tense.
Affirmative:
I/you/he/she/it/we/they had a party last night.
Interrogative:
Did I/you/he/she/it/we/they have a party last night?
Negative:
No, I/you/he/she/it/we/they
didn't have a party last night.
Regular verbs in the Past
Simple Tense.
Affirmative:
I/you/he/she/it/we/they worked there last week.
Interrogative:
Did I/you/he/she/it/we/they work there last week?
Negative:
I/you/he/she/it/we/they didn't work there last week.
Irregular verbs in the Past Simple Tense.
Affirmative:
I /you/he/she/it/we/they bought a new dress last month.
Interrogative:
Did I /you/he/she/it/we/they
buy a new dress last month?
Negative:
I/you/he/she/it/we/they
didn't buy a new dress last month.
-----------------------------------------------------------
IIII. The Future Simple Tense.
The Future Simple Tense is used to
identify the future actions.
1) To express opinions, speculations, assumptions about the future
with the verbs such as assume, be afraid, be/feel sure/believe,
expect, hope, know, think, wonder or
with or without adverbs as
perhaps, possibly, probably.
I'm sure he'll come back.
I suppose they will go to Paris
Perhaps you will find him here.
They will probably wait for you
downstairs.
2) To show future habitual actions which we believe will happen:
Spring will come again.
People will build houses in the new
neighborhood.
3) Is used in First Conditional sentences:
If I see him I will tell him about
your request.
When I am in Paris
4) Is used with the auxiliary verbs that are not normally used in
continuous tenses such as auxiliary verbs, verbs of senses, of emotions,
thinking, etc. :
He will be here at six.
They will know about it in the
evening.
You will like this new rules.
5) It is also used in newspapers
for formal announcements of weather forecasts and plans:
The Prime Minister will take speech
at the meeting tomorrow.
It will rain at the week-end.
Forms of the Future Simple Tense.
Affirmative:
I/you/he/she/it/we/they will work there next week.
Interrogative:
Will I/you/he/she/it/we/they work there next week?
Negative:
I/you/he/she/it/we/they won't work
there next week.
The verb to be in the Future
Simple Tense.
Affirmative:
I /he/she/it will be a student.
You will be a student.
You/we/they will be students.
Interrogative:
Will I/he/she/it be a
student?
Will you be a student?
Will you/we/they be students?
Negative:
No, I /he/she/it won't be a student.
No, you won't be a student.
No, you/we/they won't be students.
The verb can in the Future
Simple Tense.
Affirmative:
I/you/he/she/it/we/they will be able to speak Spanish.
Interrogative:
Will I/you/he/she/it/we/they be
able to speak Spanish?
Negative:
I/you/he/she/it/we/they won't be able to speak Spanish.
The verb must in
the Future Simple Tense.
Affirmative:
I/you/he/she/it/we/they will have to go home.
Interrogative:
Will I/you/he/she/it/we/they have to go home?
Negative:
I/you/he/she/it/we/they won't have to go home.
The verb to have in the Future Simple
Tense.
Affirmative:
I/you/he/she/it/we/they will have a party.
Interrogative:
Will I/you/he/she/it/we/they have a party?
Negative:
No, I/you/he/she/it/we/they won't have a
party.
-----------------------------------------------------------
IV. The Past Continuous Tense.
The Past Continuous Tense is
chiefly used for past actions which continued for some time in the past when
something else happened:
I was reading a newspaper when he
called.
This tense is also used in indirect
speech:
He said: "I'm living in London
He said he was living in London
Forms of Past Continuous Tense.
Affirmative:
I//he/she/it was reading a newspaper.
You/we/they were reading a newspaper.
Interrogative:
Was I/you/he/she/it reading a newspaper?
Were you/we/they reading a
newspaper?
Negative:
I /you/he/she/it wasn't reading a newspaper.
You/we/they weren't reading a newspaper.
The verb to have in the Past
Continuous Tense.
Affirmative:
I//he/she/it was having dinner.
You/we/they were having dinner.
Interrogative:
Was I/you/he/she/it having dinner?
Were you/we/they having dinner?
Negative:
I/you/he/she/it wasn't having dinner.You/we/they weren't having dinner.
-----------------------------------------------------------
V. The Present Continuous Tense.
The Present Continuous Tense is
used for an action happening now:
It is raining now.
What is the baby doing now?
1) For the action happening about
this time but not necessary at the moment of speaking;
I'm learning English.
He is teaching French this week.
2) For a planned activities in the
near future:
I'm visiting Paris
They are playing tennis at the
week-end.
3) With always ( in affirmative
form ) when the speaker expresses his negative attitude or irritation:
You are always losing your
keys.
He is always making this mistake.
NB.
These verbs are not normally used
in the continuous tenses.
Verbs of the senses: feel, hear, see, smell, notice, observe.
Verbs expressing feeling and
emotions: admire, adore, appreciate, desire,
detest, dislike, fear, hate, like, loathe, love, mind, respect, value, want,
wish.
Verbs of mental activity: agree, appreciate, assume, believe, expect, feel, sure, certain,
forget, know, mean, realize, recall, recognize, recollect, remember, see,
suppose, think (opinion), trust, understand.
Verbs of possession: belong,
owe, own, possess.
Verbs: appear, concern, consist, contain, hold, matter, seem,
signify, sound.
Forms of Present Continuous Tense.
Affirmative:
I am reading a newspaper.
He/she/it is working in the garden.
You/we/they are reading a newspaper.
Interrogative:
Am I reading
a newspaper?
Is he/she/it working in the
garden?
Are you/we/they reading a
newspaper?
Negative:
I am not reading
a newspaper.
He/she/it isn't working in the garden.
You/we/they aren't reading
a newspaper.
-----------------------------------------------------------
VI. Future Continuous Tense.
The Future Continuous Tense is used
for actions that will take part in future.
But, compared to the Present
Continuous Tense, it does not mean that these actions are organized or planned.
That means that they occur in the normal course of events.
If in Present Continuous Tense we
say: "I'm seeing Tom tomorrow." that means that this has been
planned and arranged to see Tom.
The same phrase said in the Future
Continuous Tense:
" I'll be seeing Tom
tomorrow" will therefore mean that I
see Tom every day and tomorrow will be seeing him too.
Forms of Future Continuous
Tense.
Affirmative:
I will be reading a newspaper.
He/she/it will be working in the garden.
You/we/they will be reading a newspaper.
Interrogative:
Will I be reading a newspaper?
Will he/she/it be working in the garden?
Will you/we/they reading a
newspaper?
Negative:
I am not be
reading a newspaper.
He/she/it won't be working in the garden.
You/we/they won't be reading a newspaper.
-----------------------------------------------------------
VII. The Past Perfect Tense.
The Past Perfect Tense is used for actions completed in the
past by a definite moment in the past or before another action started in
the past.
I had finished my work before my wife came back home.
I had finished my work by the time my wife came back home.
I had finished my work by 2p.m.
The Forms of the Past Perfect Tense.
Affirmative:
I had
finished my work before my wife came
back home.
Interrogative:
Had I finished my work by the time my wife came
back home.
Negative:
I hadn't
finished my work by 2p.m.
Affirmative:
I/you/we/they have finished my work.
Interrogative:
Have I/you/we/they finished my work?
Negative:
I/you/we/they haven't finished my work.
-----------------------------------------------------------
VIII. The Present Perfect Tense
One of the most frequently used tense in English and is used for
actions just recently completed:
I've received a letter. Have you seen Tom? I have
never been to London
1) The Tense id used for the recent actions that have results in
the present:
Have you had breakfast? Yes, I have/ No, I
haven't. No, I haven't had it jet.
2) The Present Perfect Tense can be used for the past actions
which could be repeated in the present or in the future:
John Smith has written a number of interesting books. ( He
is writer and may write more books)
3) The Tense is used for describing actions which took place in
the past but they occurred in an incomplete period. This period which may be
indicated by today, this week, this morning/
afternoon/ evening/month, century etc.
I've read a book this week. She has seen this film this month. I
haven't received a message from him this year.
4) The Tense is used with the words lately, recently.
He has been ill recently.
They haven't read any reports lately.
5) The Present Perfect can be used with the words ever, never,
just, already, yet:
Have you tried our home wine? He has never been to Amsterdam
6) The present Perfect is used with the words since and for:
We have lived here for ten years. I have been here since 10 o'clock .
Forms of the Present Perfect Tense.
Affirmative:
I/you/we/they have finished my/your/our/their work.
Interrogative:
Have I/you/we/they finished my/your/our/their work?
Negative:
I/you/we/they haven't finished my/ your/ our/ their work.
Affirmative:
He /she /it has finished his/ her/ its work.
Interrogative:
Has he /she /it finished his/
her/ its work?
Negative:
He/she/it hasn't finished his/ her/ its work.
-----------------------------------------------------------
IX. The Future Perfect Tense.
This tense describes the action/s that will take some time in future and
end before the other event starts or by the specific time in the future and is
usually used with the time expressions beginning with by: by then, by that time, by 24 o'clock.
I shall have lived here for ten years by the end of the year. She will have had her English exam by 2p.m.
They will have done their
home-work before you come.
N.B. After by and before the verb is used in the present
Simple Tense!
Forms of the Future Perfect Tense.
Affirmative:
I shall have finished my work by the next day.
She will have begun the
lesson by 8.00.
They will have opened the
shop by 7.30 on Saturday.
Interrogative:
Will you have finished your work by the next day?
What will she have begun by
8.00?
Why will they have opened the shop by 7.30 on Saturday?
Negative:
I shall not /shan't have finished my work by the next day.
She won't have begun the
lesson by 8.00.
They won't have opened the
shop by 7.30 on Saturday.
-----------------------------------------------------------
X. The Past Perfect Continuous
Tense.
The Past Perfect Continuous Tense is used for
actions that had been done for some time in the past
by a definite moment in the past or before another action started.
I had been painting the door for two hours before Tom called.
I had been painting the door for two hours by the time the match
started.
The Forms of the Past Perfect Continuous Tense.
Affirmative:
I had
been doing my work for two hours before my wife came back home.
Interrogative:
Had I been doing my work for two hours before my wife came
back home?
Negative:
I hadn't
been doing my work for two hours before my wife came back home.
-----------------------------------------------------------
XI. The Present Perfect Continuous
Tense
The Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used for actions that
started in the past and are still continuing:
I've been studying English for 12 years.
She's been waiting for Tom for a long time.
We have been trying to translate this text for the whole morning.
Forms of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense.
Affirmative:
I/you/we/they have been doing my/your/our/their work
for two hours.
Interrogative:
Have I/you/we/they been doing my/your/our/their work for two hours?
Negative:
I/you/we/they haven't been doing my/your/our/their
work for two hours.
Affirmative:
He/ she/it has been doing his/her/ its work for two
hours.
Interrogative:
Has he/ she/ it been
doing his/her/its work for two hours?
Negative:
He/she/it hasn't been doing his/her/its work for
two hours.
NB: Remember the verbs that are not used in the continuous tenses!
-----------------------------------------------------------
XII. The Future Perfect Continuous
Tense.
The Future Perfect Continuous Tense
describes the actions that will take some time before they end by the other
action occur in the future or by a specific time in future.
By the end of this month we will
have been living here for 10 years.
I will have been doing my home work
for two hours before you come.
They will have been waiting for her
for three days by the end of the week.
Forms of the Present Perfect
Continuous Tense.
Affirmative:
I/ you/ he/she/it/we/they will have been doing this work for two hours before she comes
home.
Interrogative:
Will I/ you/ he/she/it/we/they
have been doing this work for two hours before she
comes?
Negative:
I/ you/ he/she/it/we/they
won't have been doing this
work for two hours before she comes.
END
* * *
How do you assess your ability to communicate with the world around you on the scale of one to ten?
Is it 9 or 3 or five?
I thank the Lord for giving me the gift of producing sounds and words in my native language and in a few other ones, for the miracle of articulating and producing the words in a sentence smoothly without any verbal problems. In short for the ability to communicate.
Now, as I have such a wonderful gift, isn’t is wise and logical to give the best use to this gift and learn how to communicate with others and gain an image of a pleasant expected-met-greeted everywhere individual, rather than a portrait of a boring unpleasant fellow whom people have no desire to invite and flock with.
But, you may say, if communication is a gift given to you, can it be earned or learned or trained? Isn’t it is something you either have or don’t have.
And now we have arrived at the point where I always have problems with anyone I share my philosophy of self-development ad self-improvement.
According to this philosophy, almost anything can be learned and improved if only a man or a woman badly wants to acquire a new skill. Be it the skill of playing the guitar or painting.
I personally strongly believe: it is possible!
I also believe that those who declare that if you have no talent, say, to be a writer, you will never become one.
I guess they say that because they want to hide their laziness to start doing something that goes beyond their daily routines.
And, what is more, they do not want let others to develop their new skills.
By the way, the strongest argument of the supporters “you will never…” is that they compare the enthusiast of self-development to champions in the field.
This approach is wrong. The only one way to compare is when a person compares herself of today, to her as she was a week or a month ago and sees that she has made a great progress…
Now if you agree with my approach to learning new skills, we can easily move to learning the skill of communication and to learn it with Toastmasters International where the skill of communication occupies the central position, the core of the whole Toastmasters Educational system.
Why Toastmasters, actually? Aren’t there any other offers on the market?
No!
Toastmasters is the only one organizational where anybody can start speaking to the audience in a friendly, supportive and positive environment of people who joined a TM club for the same very reason: to become a better communicator and leader.
Dear friend
If you really want to create your future success in personal and professional life, strong communication and leadership skills are a must, you aught to come to a meeting of a Toastmasters club and see what it’s like to become a strong and inspired leader.
Why is such a long introduction?
To explain to you my position of self development without borders, which is also true for learning the skill of communication and leadership, the two main educational directions learned and practiced at Toastmasters.
Learning communication with the Toastmasters. What is so unique about that?
There is a number of serious benefits of the Toastmasters educational program that make it possible in a short time to become a better communicator an a leader.
Let’s think about your own communication and leadership experience, the real people you met, the movies you have seen the books you have read and the stories you have heard, in short, all that has created I you a picture of people equally good at speaking and leading versus the ones who failed in both these skills.
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