18166 revision of simple tenses

Present SimpleRoutine/regular repeated actions That dog always barks at me.. Non-action verbs do not usually take the continuous form: be, have, depend, know, think, understand, disagree

Present Simple

Routine/regular repeated actions That dog always barks at me.

We usually go to the beach on

Sundays

Often with adverbs of frequency: always, usually, often, sometimes, never, every Saturday morning, twice

a week…) Permanent situations Mary lives in Rome.

She comes from Scotland.

Scientific facts Water freezes at 0° C.

With stative (non-action) verbs I have two cats and a dog.

This sandwich tastes a bit

funny

Does he want a beer?

Non-action verbs do not usually take the continuous form: be, have, depend, know, think, understand, disagree, like, want, hear, love, see smell,

taste) When talking about the future in

terms of timetables, regulations

and programmes

The train leaves from

Termini at 7.45

In time clauses with a future

meaning I am going to take a shower

as soon as I get home.

Mary will see you when she is

free

After: as soon as, if, until, when

Present Perfect Simple

to talk about states, single or

repeated actions over a long

period of time up to the

present

Have you ever been to

London?

I have always wanted to go

to London

Often with ever, never, often, and always

To talk about recent single

actions with a result in the

present

I have just finished my

homework

Has the bus arrived yet?

Often with: just, already and

yet

NOTE: In US English, you can use the past simple in sentences such as:

I already saw that film

(USA)

I have already seen that film

(UK)

To talk about an unfinished

period of time up to the

present

They have been together for

five years

I have lived here since 1992.

Often with: for/since, this

week/month/year

Past Simple

To talk about a finished

event that took place at a

specific time in the past

I went to the cinema last

night

To describe a sequence of

finished events in

chronological order

I put on my coat, pulled on

my gloves, and grabbed my

hat

To talk about habits in the

past

My sister went to visit my

grandmother everyday when

we were little

To talk about states in the

past

The house belonged to my

father from 1990 to 2001

In reported speech Mary said that she didn’t

want to go to the cinema.