Time Expressions Present Perfect & Past Simple

What are Time Expressions for the Present Perfect & Past Simple? Time expressions are signal words give you a clue for the tense that you need to use.  For example, if a sentence starts with the words, “Two days ago,…”, we know that the time is past and the action is finished.  For this reason, the signal word ‘ago’ is … Read More

HOW MANY TENSES IN ENGLISH ?

As a learner of English, it is useful to think that there are three times in English; present, past and future.  These three times have 4 grammatical types: simple, continuous, perfect and perfect continuous. Thinking about time and tense in this way can make the tenses in English seem less confusing.  Once you understand the function of the Simple, Continuous, … Read More

TIME WORDS WITH THE PRESENT TENSES

TENSE TIME PHRASE PRESENT SIMPLE every day (every week, every month, etc.) usually, generally, often, normally, regularly, frequently, habitually frequently, typically once a week / twice a month / three times a year PRESENT CONTINUOUS at the moment, right now at present PRESENT PERFECT yet, ever, already

SINCE, FOR & AGO

TIME WORDS USE TENSE FOR + period of time many tenses SINCE + point in time Present Perfect (& other Perfect Tenses) AGO + past or finished time Simple Past (& other Past Tenses) SINCE Since is used to mean from a point in time in the past up to now.   As since connects a past time to the present time, it is … Read More

CAN, CAN’T, COULD, COULDN’T

What’s the difference between CAN and COULD? CAN and COULD are very similar in the English language. Both words are very common because they have many meanings or functions. This means that both CAN and COULD can be used in various ways and different situations.   CAN COULD FRIENDLY FORM POLITE FORM ABILITY ABILITY IN THE PAST PERMISSION PERMISSION REFUSE … Read More

LIST OF ENGLISH TENSES

ACTIVE TENSES SIMPLE CONTINUOUS PERFECT PERFECT CONTINUOUS PRESENT work / works am / is / are working have / has worked have / has been working NEGATIVE FORM do not work / does not work am / is / are not working have / has not worked have / has not been working QUESTION FORM Do you work / Does ... Read More

LIST OF CONTRACTED VERB FORMS IN ENGLISH

  Shortened Forms of the Verb ‘to be’ I’m I am you’re you are he’s he is she’s she is we’re we are it’s it is isn’t is not aren’t are not they’re they are there’s there is wasn’t was not weren’t  were not Take the quiz Shortened Forms of the Verb ‘to have’ I’ve I have you’ve  you have … Read More

PRESENT TENSES

Explanation of the Present Simple Tense in English Find out more about the Present Continuous and Progessive Forms in English Learn the Present Perfect

HOW TO REMEMBER IRREGULAR SIMPLE PAST AND PAST PARTICIPLES IN ENGLISH

Students are always daunted by the seemingly endless list of irregular verbs in the past in English. While there are many irregular verbs in the past, many can be placed into phonetic groups. This makes them easier to remember and can be particularly useful when students need to study a long list of verbs in the past form to pass … Read More