SIMPLE PRESENT, SIMPLE
PAST, SIMPLE FUTURE
SIMPLE PRESENT
Form
[VERB] + s/es in third person
Examples:
·
You speak English.
·
Do you speak English?
·
You do not speak English.
Most Verbs
|
Positive
|
Negative
|
Question
|
|
I run.
|
I do
not run.
|
Do I run?
|
|
You run.
|
You do
not run.
|
Do you run?
|
|
We run.
|
We do
not run.
|
Do we run?
|
To Have
|
Positive
|
Negative
|
Question
|
|
I have.
|
I do
not have.
|
Do I have?
|
|
You have.
|
You do
not have.
|
Do you have?
|
|
We have.
|
We do
not have.
|
Do we have?
|
To Be
|
Positive
|
Negative
|
Question
|
|
I am.
|
I am
not.
|
Am I?
|
|
You are.
|
You are
not.
|
Are you?
|
|
We are.
|
We are
not.
|
Are we?
|
Modal Verbs
|
Positive
|
Negative
|
Question
|
|
I should go.
|
I should
not go.
|
Should I go?
|
|
You should go.
|
You should
not go.
|
Should you go?
|
|
We should go.
|
We should
not go.
|
Should we go?
|
USE 1 Repeated Actions
Use
the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is repeated or usual. The
action can be a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something
that often happens. It can also be something a person often forgets or usually
does not do.
Examples:
- I play tennis.
- She does not play tennis.
- Does he play tennis?
- The train leaves every morning at 8 AM.
- The train does not leave at 9 AM.
- When does the train usually leave?
- She always forgets her purse.
- He never forgets his wallet.
- Every twelve months, the Earth circles the Sun.
- Does the Sun circle the Earth?
USE 2 Facts or
Generalizations
The
Simple Present can also indicate the speaker believes that a fact was true
before, is true now, and will be true in the future. It is not important if the
speaker is correct about the fact. It is also used to make generalizations
about people or things.
Examples:
- Cats like milk.
- Birds do not like milk.
- Do pigs like milk?
- California is in America.
- California is not in the United Kingdom.
USE 3 Scheduled Events
in the Near Future
Speakers
occasionally use Simple Present to talk about scheduled events in the near
future. This is most commonly done when talking about public transportation, but
it can be used with other scheduled events as well.
Examples:
- The train leaves tonight at 6 PM.
- The bus does not arrive at 11 AM, it arrives at 11 PM.
- When do we board the plane?
- The party starts at 8 o'clock.
- When does class begin tomorrow?
USE 4 Now
(Non-Continuous Verbs)
Speakers
sometimes use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is
happening or is not happening now. This can only be done with Non-Continuous
Verbs and certain Mixed Verbs.
Examples:
- I am here now.
- She is not here now.
- He needs help right now.
- He does not need help now.
- He has his passport in his hand.
- Do you have your passport with you?
ADVERB PLACEMENT
The
examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only,
never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:
- You only speak English.
- Do you only speak English?
SIMPLE PAST
Form
[VERB+ed] or irregular verbs
Examples:
- You called Debbie.
- Did you call Debbie?
- You did not call Debbie.
Most Verbs
|
Positive
|
Negative
|
Question
|
|
I waited.
|
I did
not wait.
|
Did I wait?
|
|
You waited.
|
You did
not wait.
|
Did you wait?
|
|
We waited.
|
We did
not wait.
|
Did we wait?
|
Irregular Verbs
|
Positive
|
Negative
|
Question
|
|
I had.
|
I did
not have.
|
Did I have?
|
|
You had.
|
You did
not have.
|
Did you have?
|
|
We had.
|
We did
not have.
|
Did we have?
|
To Be
|
Positive
|
Negative
|
Question
|
|
I was.
|
I was
not.
|
Was I?
|
|
You were.
|
You were
not.
|
Were you?
|
|
We were.
|
We were
not.
|
Were we?
|
USE 1 Completed Action
in the Past
Use
the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a
specific time in the past. Sometimes, the speaker may not actually mention the
specific time, but they do have one specific time in mind.
Examples:
- I saw a movie yesterday.
- I didn't see a play yesterday.
- Last year, I traveled to Japan.
- Last year, I didn't travel to Korea.
- Did you have dinner last night?
- She washed her car.
- He didn't wash his car.
USE 2 A Series of
Completed Actions
We
use the Simple Past to list a series of completed actions in the past. These
actions happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on.
Examples:
- I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.
- He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel at 9:00, and met the others at 10:00.
- Did you add flour, pour in the milk, and then add the eggs?
USE 3 Duration in Past
The
Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past. A
duration is a longer action often indicated by expressions such as: for two
years, for five minutes, all day, all year, etc.
Examples:
- I lived in Brazil for two years.
- Shauna studied Japanese for five years.
- They sat at the beach all day.
- They did not stay at the party the entire time.
- We talked on the phone for thirty minutes.
- A: How long did you wait for them?
USE 4 Habits in the
Past
The
Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the past. It
can have the same meaning as "used to." To make it clear that we are
talking about a habit, we often add expressions such as: always, often, usually,
never, when I was a child, when I was younger, etc.
Examples:
- I studied French when I was a child.
- He played the violin.
- He didn't play the piano.
- Did you play a musical instrument when you were a kid?
- She worked at the movie theater after school.
- They never went to school, they always skipped class.
USE 5 Past Facts or
Generalizations
The
Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations which
are no longer true. As in USE 4 above, this use of the Simple Past is quite
similar to the expression "used to."
Examples:
- She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing.
- He didn't like tomatoes before.
- Did you live in Texas when you were a kid?
- People paid much more to make cell phone calls in the past.
IMPORTANT When-Clauses
Happen First
Clauses
are groups of words which have meaning but are often not complete sentences.
Some clauses begin with the word "when" such as "when I dropped
my pen..." or "when class began..." These clauses are called
when-clauses, and they are very important. The examples below contain
when-clauses.
Examples:
When
I paid her one dollar, she answered my question.
She
answered my question when I paid her one dollar.
When-clauses
are important because they always happen first when both clauses are in the
Simple Past. Both of the examples above mean the same thing: first, I paid her
one dollar, and then, she answered my question. It is not important whether
"when I paid her one dollar" is at the beginning of the sentence or
at the end of the sentence. However, the example below has a different meaning.
First, she answered my question, and then, I paid her one dollar.
ADVERB PLACEMENT
The
examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only,
never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:
- You just called Debbie.
- Did you just call Debbie?
SIMPLE FUTURE
Simple
Future has two different forms in English: "will" and "be going
to." Although the two forms can sometimes be used interchangeably, they
often express two very different meanings. These different meanings might seem
too abstract at first, but with time and practice, the differences will become
clear. Both "will" and "be going to" refer to a specific
time in the future.
Form Will
[will + verb]
Examples:
- You will help him later.
- Will you help him later?
- You will not help him later.
Form Be Going To
[am/is/are + going to + verb]
Examples:
- You are going to meet Jane tonight.
- Are you going to meet Jane tonight?
- You are not going to meet Jane tonight
Using "Will"
|
Positive
|
Negative
|
Question
|
|
I will
help.
|
I will
not help.
|
Will I help?
|
|
You will
help.
|
You will
not help.
|
Will you help?
|
|
We will
help.
|
We will
not help.
|
Will we help?
|
Using "Be Going to"
|
Positive
|
Negative
|
Question
|
|
I am
going to leave.
|
I am
not going to leave.
|
Am I going to leave?
|
|
You are
going to leave.
|
You are
not going to leave.
|
Are you going to
leave?
|
|
We are
going to leave.
|
We are
not going to leave.
|
Are we going to leave?
|
USE 1 "Will"
to Express a Voluntary Action
"Will"
often suggests that a speaker will do something voluntarily. A voluntary action
is one the speaker offers to do for someone else. Often, we use
"will" to respond to someone else's complaint or request for help. We
also use "will" when we request that someone help us or volunteer to
do something for us. Similarly, we use "will not" or
"won't" when we refuse to voluntarily do something.
Examples:
- I will send you the information when I get it.
- I will translate the email, so Mr. Smith can read it.
- Will you help me move this heavy table?
- Will you make dinner?
- I will not do your homework for you.
- I won't do all the housework myself!
- A: I'm really hungry.
B: I'll make some sandwiches.
- A: I'm so tired. I'm about to fall asleep.
- A: The phone is ringing.
USE 2 "Will"
to Express a Promise
"Will"
is usually used in promises.
Examples:
- I will call you when I arrive.
- If I am elected President of the United States, I will make sure everyone has access to inexpensive health insurance.
- I promise I will not tell him about the surprise party.
- Don't worry, I'll be careful.
- I won't tell anyone your secret.
USE 3 "Be going
to" to Express a Plan
"Be
going to" expresses that something is a plan. It expresses the idea that a
person intends to do something in the future. It does not matter whether the
plan is realistic or not.
Examples:
- He is going to spend his vacation in Hawaii.
- She is not going to spend her vacation in Hawaii.
- A: When are we going to meet each other tonight?
- I'm going to be an actor when I grow up.
- A: Who is going to make John's birthday cake?
USE 4 "Will"
or "Be Going to" to Express a Prediction
Both
"will" and "be going to" can express the idea of a general
prediction about the future. Predictions are guesses about what might happen in
the future. In "prediction" sentences, the subject usually has little
control over the future and therefore USES 1-3 do not apply. In the following
examples, there is no difference in meaning.
Examples:
- The year 2222 will be a very interesting year.
- The year 2222 is going to be a very interesting year.
- John Smith will be the next President.
- John Smith is going to be the next President.
- The movie "Zenith" will win several Academy Awards.
- The movie "Zenith" is going to win several Academy Awards.
IMPORTANT
In
the Simple Future, it is not always clear which USE the speaker has in mind.
Often, there is more than one way to interpret a sentence's meaning.
No Future in Time
Clauses
Like
all future forms, the Simple Future cannot be used in clauses beginning with
time expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as,
if, unless, etc. Instead of Simple Future, Simple Present is used.
Examples:
- When you will arrive tonight, we will go out for dinner. Not Correct
- When you arrive tonight, we will go out for dinner. Correct
ADVERB PLACEMENT
The
examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only,
never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:
- You will never help him.
- Will you ever help him?
- You are never going to meet Jane.
- Are you ever going to meet Jane?
REFERENCE
