Curs engleză

PRESENT SIMPLE/ PRESENT CONTINUOUS

PRESENT SIMPLE:

We use it for:

-facts and permanent states:

Ralph works for a plumbing company.

-general truths and laws of nature:

The sun rises in the East.

-habits and routines (with always, usually, often, every..)

We usually rent films at the weekends.

-timetables and programmes (in the future):

My plane lands at 6PM exactly.

-likes and dislikes:

I love Italy; it’s a beautiful country.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS:

We use the present continuous for:

-for actions taking place at or around the moment of speaking:

He is washing his car now.

-for temporary situations:

We are replacing the carpets in the bedrooms this weekend.

-for fixed arrangements in the near future

We’re signing up for a yoga class tomorrow.

-for currently changing and developing situations:

The days are becoming shorter and shorter.

-with adverbs such as ALWAYS to express anger or irritation at a repeated action:

You are always blaming others for your mistakes.

Time expressions with present simple:

Usually, often, always, every day/week/month/year, in the morning, at night, on Fridays

Time expression with present continuous:

Now, at the moment, at present, these days, nowadays, still, today, tonight

PAST SIMPLE/PAST CONTINUOUS

PAST SIMPLE:

-for an action that occurred at a definite time (stated or implied) in the past:

The football organization fired the team’s coach yesterday.

-for actions that happened immediately after one another in the past:

He opened the window and shouted to his friend.

-for habits and states which are now finished:

My uncle worked in a supermarket when he was younger.

Time expressions with past simple:

Yesterday, then, How long ago…?, last night/week/month/year/Friday/October, three days/weeks ago, in 1999

PAST CONTINUOUS:

We use the past continuous:

-for an action which was in progress when another action interrupted it; we use the past continuous for the action in progress (longer action) and the past simple for the action which interrupted it (shorter action):

We were watching the tennis match when there was an electricity black-out.

-for two or more simultaneous actions in the past:

I was writing out the invitations while Philip was addressing the envelopes.

-for an action which was in progress at a stated time in the past; there is no mentioning when the action started or finished

At 7 o’clock last night, I was working out at the gym.

-to describe the atmosphere, setting and to give background information to a story:

A light breeze was blowing and the sun was shining. I was reading by the pool when I heard a scream.

Time expressions with past continuous:

While, when, as, all morning/evening/day/week.