Review of tenses, Repaso de tiempos gramaticales

Repaso de los tiempos gramaticales en Ingles

1) The SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE is used for:
a: a generally known fact or condition: Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
b: a state of being: They are in Japan - My father is the best.
c: to describe habits and routines: I usually play tennis - My mother goes shopping every weekend.

Note: In some situations the simple present tense can be used to describe the future: The restaurant opens at eight o’clock tomorrow.


2)- The PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE is used for:
a: An action that is happening at the moment (now): We are surfing the Internet - My sister is playing in her room.
b: to describe temporary situations: My brother is working at a hotel. She is living with her best friend because she fought with her parents (temporarily)
c: to describe future events (arrangements in the future): My father is comming tomorrow morning- I am visiting Cusco next summer.


3) Future with "going to"
(Be going to + a base form) is also used to describe future. We use going to describe PLANS:
We’re going to go shopping after we have lunch - He’s going to study English in a well-known institution.


4) Future with will
Used to describe promises, decisions, predictions and further future



5) The SIMPLE PAST TENSE is used to describe an event or action at a definite point of time in the past
I went dancing with Mary last night - I couldn't sleep last night (could: past of can [ability]).


6).- The PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE is used to describe
a: to describe a long action in the past: Miguel was writing a song in his room - My mother was cooking all afternoon.

NOTE: The past continuous tense is used with other past tenses to describe situations in the past.

I was dancing (I was in the middile of dancing) when my father called me. (Interuption)

7).- The PRESENT PERFECT TENSE is used to express:

a: an action that began in the past and has continued to the present and will probably continue into future time:
I have worked for IBM for 10 years - Elizabeth II has been the Queen of the United Kingdom since 1952.

b: to express and talk about past experiences (indefinite time in the past)
- I have never eaten ceviche - My mother has been to Japan

c: to express a recent action in the past (use "just" to emphasize this use)
- I have just finished my homework - She has just come back from the beach.

d: when we use already (+), yet (-)(?) and since

• Clases de present perfect (hacer click en las siguientes clases)

- Experiences
- Just / yet / already
- past affecting the present