VERBS PART 2

VERBS PART 2

PRESENT PROGRESSIVE

- Expresses an activity that is in progress at the moment of speaking, it began in the 

  recent past, is continuing at present, and will probably end at some point in the future.

- Often the activity is on a general nature, something generally in progress this week, 

  month, year.

Present Progressive - Use

1) actions happening at the moment of speaking

Peter is reading a book now.

---

2) fixed plan in the near future

She is going to Basel on Saturday.

---

3) temporary actions

His father is working in Rome this month.

---

4) actions happening around the moment of speaking (longer actions)

My friend is preparing for his exams.

---

5) trends

More and more people are using their computers to listen to music.

---

6) repeated actions which are irritating to the speaker (with always, constantly, forever)

Andrew is always coming late.

---

Signal words

now, at the moment, Look! Listen!

---

Form

to be (am, are, is) + infinitive + -ing

---

Examples

Affirmative sentences:

I am playing football. I'm playing football.

You are playing football. You're playing football.

Negative sentences:

I am not playing football. I'm not playing football.

You are not playing football. You're not playing football. You aren't playing football.

Questions:

Am I playing football?

Are you playing football?

PAST PROGRESSIVE

              

> Indicates continuing action, something that was happening, going on, at some point in the

   past

• e.g : I was riding my bike all day yesterday

> Indicates a limited duration of time and is thus a convenient way to indicate that something took place (in the simple past) while something else was happening             

• e.g : Carlos lost his watch while he was running.

•          What were you doing at 8 o’clock last Sunday?

> Express incomplete action.

• e.g : I was sleeping on the couch when Bertie smashed through the door.

• I 

PAST SIMPLE VS PAST PROGRESSIVE

Form

Simple Past	Past Progressive
irregular verbs: see 2nd column of irregular verbs I spoke regular verbs: verb + ed I worked	past form of 'be' + ing form of verb I was speaking you were speaking he / she / it was speaking we were speaking they were speaking
Exceptions
Exceptions when adding 'ed' : when the final letter is e, only add d. Example: love - loved after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled Example: admit - admitted final l is always doubled in British English (not in American English) Example: travel - travelled after a consonant, final y becomes i. (but: not after a vowel) Example: worry - he worried but: play - he played	Exceptions when adding 'ing' : silent e is dropped (but: does not apply for -ee) Example: come - coming but: agree - agreeing after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled Example: sit - sitting final l is always doubled in British English (not in American English) Example: travel - travelling final ie becomes y. Example: lie - lying

Use

After another or at the same time?

Do you want to express that the actions in the past happened one after another or at the same time?

Simple Past	Past Progressive
after another She came home, switched on the computer and checked her e-mails.	at the same time Simon was playing on the computer while his brother was watching TV.

New action or already in progress?

If you want to express that a new action happened in the middle of another action, you need both tenses: Simple Past the new action and Past Progressive for the action already in progress.

Simple Past	Past Progressive
new action My mobile rang (when I was sitting in a meeting.)	action already in progress While I was sitting in a meeting, (my mobile suddenly rang.)

Only mentioning or emphasising progress?

Do you just want to mention that an action took place in the past (also used for short actions)? Or do you want to put emphasis on the progress, e.g. that an action was taking place at a certain time?

Simple Past	Past Progressive
just mentioning Colin played football yesterday.	emphasising progress Yesterday at six o'clock, Colin was playing football.

FUTURE PROGRESSIVE

   

                  

> Use

   - Action that is going on at a certain time in the future.

   - Action that is sure to happen in the near future.

> e.g : He will be talking.

           He will not be talking.

           Will he be talking?

                     

THE PERFECT TENSES

> Form : have + past participle

> One thing happens before another time or event.

PRESENT PERFECT

            

	Positive	Negative	Question
I / you / we / they	I have spoken.	I have not spoken.	Have I spoken?
he / she / it	He has spoken.	He has not spoken.	Has he spoken?

> Something which began in the past and hasn't changed.

    e.g : I have studied English since I started primary school.

> General experiences

   e.g : I have visited Japan, but I have never been to Australia.

> Recent events/ states

   e.g : I have not seen that movie yet.

> Very recent event ( can use Has/have + Just + past participle)

   e.g : I've just had a delicious meal.

> Events whose results are still noticeable

  e.g : somebody's been washing the floor.(still wet)

PAST PERFECT

                

> Use

  - Action taking place before a certain time in the past (putting emphasis only on the fact, not the 

    duration)

  - e.g : Before I came here, I had spoken to Jack.

> If it is clear that one action happened before another action, you don’t have to use the past perfect.

   You use the simple past

  - e.g :  When the play had finished, the audience left quietly

             When the play finished, the audience left quietly

UNREAL PAST PERFECT

- Past perfect is used in the if-clause of the would-have condition.

- e.g : If Ali had been born in Japan, he would have been a Japanese.

- But actually, Ali was born in Malaysia, so he’s Malaysian.

FUTURE PERFECT

                  

> I will already have eaten when they arrive.

> First I will finished eating. Later they will arrive. My eating will be completely finished before 

   another time in the future.

PERFECT PROGRESSIVE 

> Form : have/ has + been + -ing (present participle)

	Positive	Negative	Question
I / you / we / they	I have been speaking.	I have not been speaking.	Have I been speaking?
he / she / it	He has been speaking.	He has not been speaking.	Has he been speaking?

> Talking about an activity in the recent past.

    e.g : I’ve been reading/washing the car/cooking lunch

> Talking about a job or activity which is not finished.

   e.g :  He’s been writing the story of his life. It will take him years to finish.

> With a FOR or SINCE

    - since – if the starting point is given (two o’clock, last Friday, 1998)

      e.g : We’ve been living in this apartment since 1980 

    - for – if the period of time is given (twenty minutes, two days, one year)

      e.g : She has been writing for two hours.

PAST PERFECT TENSE

                        

FUTURE PERFECT PROGRESSIVE

- e.g : They will have been preparing the food.

          I will have been studying for 2 hours by the time you arrive.