Tenses and their use

Tenses and their use

Present Simple tense (jednoduch prtomn čas)

a) positive = - I work hard. - He lives in ZA.

b) negative = - I dont work hard. - He doesnt live in ZA.

c) questions = - Does he live in ZA? - Do they know their citys history? etc.

The Present Simple is used to express:

1. a habit - I get up at 7.30. - Johnny smokes too much

2. a fact which is always true

- Vegetarians dont eat meat. - I come from Slovakia.

3. a fact which is true for a long time

- I live in ilina. - She works in a bank.

Present Continuous tense (prtomn priebehov čas)

Pr.C.t. = am/is/are + -ing (present participle)

a) positive - I am working. - You are learning. - She is dancing.

b) negative - Im not working. - You arent learning. - She isnt dancing.

c) questions c.a) - Are you learning? Yes, I am. - Is she dancing? No, she isnt.

c.b) - What are you learning? I am learning a history.

The Present Continuous is used to express:

1. an activity happening now

- They are playing football in the garden.

2. an activity happening around now, but perhaps not at the moment of speaking

- She is studying maths at university. - I am reading a good book by Dick Francis.

3. a planned future arrangement

- I am meeting Miss Boyd at ten oclock tomorrow. - What are you doing this evening?

Past Simple tense (jednoduch minul čas)

a) positive = - We arrived yesterday. - He finished yesterday.

b) negative = - We didnt arrive yesterday. - He didnt finish yesterday.

c) questions = - Did we arrive yesterday?/When did we arrive? - Did he finish yesterday? etc.

The Past Simple tense:

1. expresses a past action that is now finished

- We played tennis last Monday. - I lived in ZA from 1987 to 2005.

2. notice the time expressions that are used with the past simple tense

- I did it last year. - I did it in 1999. etc.

Past Continous tense (minul priebehov čas)

Pa.C.t. = was/were + -ing (present participle)

a) positive = - He was working. - We were dancing.

b) negative = - He wasnt working. - We werent dancing.

c) questions = - What was he doing?/Was he working yesterday?

- What were we doing?/Were we dancing yesterday?

1. The past continuous tense expresses a past activity that has duration

- I met her while I was living in Paris. - You were making a lot of noise last night.

2. The activity began before the action expressed by the Past Simple

- She was making coffee when we arrived. - When I phoned Simon he was having dinner.

3. The Past Continuous tense expresses an activity in progress before, and probably after, a time in

the past

- When I woke up this morning, the sun was shining. - What were you doing at 8.00 last night?

Past Simple and Past Continuous tense

1. The Past Simple expresses a past action that is now finished

- I did my homework last night.

The Past Continuous gives past activities time and duration. The activity can be interrupted.

- What were you doing at 8.00? I was watching TV.

- I was doing my homework when Jane arrived.

3. In stories, Past Continuous can describe the scene. The Past Simple tells the action.

- It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and the birds were singing, so we decided to go

for a picnic. We put everything in the car

Will expression of future (vyjadrenie budcnosti)

will + infinitive without to

a) positive = - I will always love you. - Hell help you.

b) negative = - I wont love you. - He wont help you.

c) question = - When will he help me?/Will he help me?-Yes, I will./No, I wont ( its impolite).

note A polite to say no here is - Im afraid I cant.

WILL is used:

1. to express a future decision or intention made at the moment of speaking

- Its Janes birthday. Is It? Ill buy her some flowers.

2. to express an offer.

- Ill carry your suitcase. - Well do the washingup.

Present Perfect tense (predprtomn čas)

Pr.P.t.= have/has + -ed (past participle)

a) positive = - She has worked in a factory. - They have worked in a farm.

b) negative = - She hasnt worked in a factory. - They havent worked in a farm.

c) questions = - Have you been to Egypt? - Has she ever written poetry?

1. The Present Perfect looks back from the present into the past, and expresses what has happened

before now. The action happened at an indefinite time in the past.

- Ive met a lot of famous people. (before now) - She has won awards. (in her life)

- Shes written twenty books. (up to now)

note the action can continue, and probably into the future

- She has lived here for twenty years. (she still lives here)

2. The Present Perfect expresses an experience as part of someones life

- Ive travelled a lot in Africa. - Theyve lived all over the world.

note ever and never are common with this use

- Have you ever been in a car crash? - My mother has never flown in a plane.

3. The Present Perfect expresses an action or state which began in the past and continues to

the present.

- Ive known Alice for six years. - How long have you worked as a teacher?

note: time expressions for and since are common with this use

we use for with a period of time, and since with a point in time.

- We have lived here for two years. (a period of time)

- Ive had long hair since I left the army. (a point in time)

4. The Present Perfect expresses a past action with results in the present. It is often a recent past

action.

- I have lost my wallet. (I havent got it now.)

- The taxi has arrived. (Its outside the door now.)

note: the adverbs just, already and yet are common with this use.

yet is used in questions and negatives.

- Shes just had some good news. - Ive already had breakfast.

- Has the postman been yet? - Its 11.00 and she hasnt got up yet.

Present Perfect Continuous tense (predprtomn priebehov čas)

Pr.P.C.t. = has/have + been + -ing (present participle)

a) positive = - Youve been working. - She has been working.

b) negative = - You havent been working. - She hasnt been working.

c) questions = - How long have you been working?/Have you been working?

- How long has she been working?/Has she been working?

The Present Perfect Continuous is used:

1. to express an activity which began in the past and continues to the present

- Weve been waiting here for hours! - Its been raining for days.

2. to refer to an activity with a result in the present

- Im hot because Ive been running. - I havent got any money because Ive been shopping.

note: the most common verbs in Past Perfect Continuous are that have the idea of a long time,

for example wait, work, learn, travel, play.

Past Perfect tense (predminul čas)

Pa.P.t = had + -ed (past participle)

a) positive = - She had arrived before 10.00. - Theyd arrived before 12.00.

b) negative = - She hadnt arrived before 10.00. - They hadnt arrived before 12.00.

c) questions = - Had she arrived before 10.00? - Had they left? -Yes, they had./No, they hadnt.

The Past Perfect is used to express an action in the past which happened before another action in the past.

action 2  action 1

- When I got home, John had cooked a meal. (John cooked a meal before I got home.)