English Language Tenses
Interactive Grammar Lesson • 18 Units • Raymond Murphy Style
Sarah is in her car. She is on her way to work. She is driving to work. This means: she is driving now, at the time of speaking. The action is not finished.
| I | am (= I'm) | driving / working / doing etc. |
|---|---|---|
| he/she/it | is (= he's etc.) | |
| we/you/they | are (= we're etc.) |
I am doing something = I'm in the middle of doing it; I've started doing it and I haven't finished:
'Where's Mark?' 'He's having a shower.' (not He has a shower)
Let's go out now. It isn't raining any more. (not It doesn't rain)
Sometimes the action is not happening at the time of speaking:
You can use the present continuous with today / this week / this year etc. (periods around now). We also use it for changes happening around now, especially with: get, change, become, increase, rise, fall, grow, improve, begin, start.
The population of the world is increasing very fast. (not increases)
📝 1.1 — Match sentences (1–8 with a–h)
Select the correct letter for each:
📝 1.2 — Complete the conversations
📝 1.3 — Put the verb into the correct form (positive or negative)
📝 1.4 — Complete using: start / get / increase / change / rise
Alex is a bus driver, but now he is in bed asleep. He is not driving a bus. But He drives a bus. (He is a bus driver.)
| I/we/you/they | drive / work / do etc. |
|---|---|
| he/she/it | drives / works / does etc. |
We use the present simple for things in general, things that happen repeatedly, or things that are true in general:
The earth goes round the sun.
The cafe opens at 7.30 in the morning.
We use do/does to make questions and negatives. We also use it to say how often we do things and for promises, apologies, suggestions etc.: I promise / I apologise / I insist / I recommend.
📝 2.1 — Complete using: cause(s) / connect(s) / drink(s) / live(s) / open(s) / speak(s) / take(s)
📝 2.2 — Put the verb into the correct form
📝 2.3 — Complete using: believe / eat / flow / go / grow / make / rise / tell / translate (use negatives where needed)
📝 2.5 — Complete using: I apologise / I insist / I promise / I recommend / I suggest
We use the continuous for things happening at or around the time of speaking (action not complete). We use the simple for things in general or that happen repeatedly.
Simple: Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
We use the continuous for temporary situations and the simple for permanent situations. I always do = every time. I'm always doing = doing it too often or more than normal (e.g. I'm always losing things).
📝 3.1 — Are the underlined verbs right or wrong? Correct them where necessary.
📝 3.3 — Finish B's sentences. Use always -ing.
Some verbs are not normally used in the present continuous: like, want, need, prefer, know, realise, suppose, mean, understand, believe, remember, belong, fit, contain, consist, seem. With think meaning 'believe', we do not use continuous. With see, hear, smell, taste we normally use present simple. He is being selfish = behaving selfishly at the moment; He is selfish = generally.
📝 4.1 — Put the verb into the correct form
📝 4.2 — Use the words in brackets to make sentences
📝 4.3 — Right or wrong? Correct where necessary.
📝 4.4 — Complete using am/is/are being (continuous) or am/is/are (simple)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an Austrian musician and composer. He lived from 1756 to 1791. He started composing at the age of five and wrote more than 600 pieces of music. Very often the past simple ends in -ed (regular verbs). Many verbs are irregular. In questions and negatives we use did/didn't + infinitive. The past of be is was/were.
📝 5.2 — Complete using: buy / catch / cost / fall / hurt / sell / spend / teach / throw / write
📝 5.4 — Put the verb into the correct form, positive or negative
Yesterday Karen and Jim played tennis from 10 to 11.30. At 10.30 they were playing tennis (= in the middle of playing). Was/were + -ing is the past continuous. We often use past simple and past continuous together to say something happened in the middle of something else.
| I/he/she/it | was | playing / doing / working |
|---|---|---|
| we/you/they | were |
📝 6.3 — Put the verb into the correct form (past continuous or past simple)
📝 6.4 — Put the verb into the correct form
Tom is looking for his key. He can't find it. He has lost his key. (= He lost it recently, and he still doesn't have it.) Have/has + past participle is the present perfect simple. There is a connection with now. Note: gone to = there now; been to = went and came back. Use just, already, yet with present perfect.
📝 7.1 — Write sentences in present perfect using: arrive / break / fall / go up / grow / improve / lose
📝 7.2 — Put in been or gone.
📝 7.3 — Complete B's sentences using just / already / yet
When we talk about a period of time that continues from the past until now, we use the present perfect. Examples: Have you ever eaten caviar? We've never had a car. I've drunk four cups of coffee today. We say: It's the (first) time something has happened.
📝 8.1 — Write questions with ever
📝 8.2 — Complete B's answers (positive or negative)
Is it raining? No, but the ground is wet. It has been raining. Have/has been + -ing is the present perfect continuous. We use it for an activity that has recently stopped or just stopped; there is a connection with now. Also used with how long, for, since for activities still happening or that have just stopped.
📝 9.2 — Write a question for each situation
📝 9.3 — Complete the sentences
📝 9.4 — Present continuous or present perfect continuous?
There is paint on Kate's clothes. She has been painting her bedroom. (We think of the activity; it may not be finished.) Her bedroom was green. Now it is yellow. She has painted her bedroom. (Completed action; we are interested in the result.) Use continuous to say how long; use simple to say how much, how many, how many times.
📝 10.1 — Complete the sentences using the verbs in brackets
📝 10.3 — Present perfect simple or continuous?
Dan and Jenny are married. They got married 20 years ago. They have been married for 20 years. We use the present perfect for something that began in the past and still continues now. With live and work you can use either continuous or simple. With always use the simple. We say I haven't done something since/for... (present perfect simple).
📝 11.1 — Right or wrong? Correct where necessary.
📝 11.3 — Complete using verbs from the box
We use for + a period of time (two hours, six weeks) and since + the start of a period (8 o'clock, Monday, 1999). We say It's a long time since... or It's been six months since...
📝 12.1 — Write for or since
📝 12.3 — Complete the sentences
The present perfect is a present tense — it always tells us about the situation now. The past simple tells us only about the past. Do not use present perfect if the situation now is different. Use past simple for things that are not recent or new. Use present perfect to give new information; if we continue talking about it, we normally use past simple.
📝 13.1 — Present perfect where possible; otherwise past simple
📝 13.3 — Present perfect or past simple?
Do not use present perfect with a finished time (yesterday, ten minutes ago, in 2005). Use past tense. Use the past to ask When...? or What time...? Use present perfect for a period continuing until now (today, this week, since 2007). Use past simple for finished time (yesterday, last week, from 2007 to 2010).
📝 14.1 — Right or wrong? Correct where necessary.
📝 14.3 — Present perfect or past simple?
Sarah arrived at the party at 11. Paul left at 10.30. When Sarah arrived, Paul had gone home. Had + past participle is the past perfect. We use it to talk about things that happened before the main past time we are talking about.
📝 15.1 — Write sentences from the words in brackets
📝 15.4 — Past perfect or past simple?
Yesterday morning the sun was shining but the ground was very wet. It had been raining. Had been + -ing is the past perfect continuous. We use it for something that had been happening for a period of time before something else happened.
📝 16.1 — Make sentences from the words in brackets
📝 16.3 — Past continuous, past perfect or past perfect continuous?
You can use have or have got for possession, relationships, illnesses etc. There is no difference in meaning. For the past we use had (without got). We also use have (but not have got) for many actions and experiences: have breakfast, have a shower, have a good time, have a baby etc.
📝 17.1 — Write negative sentences with have
📝 17.4 — Complete using expressions with have
Nicola doesn't travel much these days. But she used to travel a lot. Something used to happen = it happened often in the past, but no longer happens. The question form is did (you) use to...? and the negative is didn't use to.... Do not confuse with I am used to doing (see Unit 61).
📝 18.1 — Complete with use(d) to + suitable verb
Present continuous with future meaning: I'm doing something (tomorrow) = I have already decided and arranged to do it. Present simple with future meaning: Used for timetables, programmes etc. My train leaves at 11.30. (I'm) going to do: I have already decided to do it, I intend to do it. Also used when the situation now makes something clear: Look at those black clouds! It's going to rain.