Helping Verbs

Helping verbs are also called "auxiliary verbs". Helping verbs have no meaning on their own. They are necessary for the grammatical structure of a sentence, but they do not tell us very much alone. We usually use helping verbs with main verbs. They "help" the main verb (which has the real meaning). There are only about 15 helping verbs in English, and we divide them into two basic groups:

Primary helping verbs (3 verbs)

These are the verbs be, do, and have. Note that we can use these three verbs as helping verbs or as main verbs. On this page we talk about them as helping verbs. We use them in the following cases: be to make continuous tenses (He is watching TV.) to make the passive (Small fish are eaten by big fish.) have do does.) to make negatives (I do not like you.) to ask questions (Do you want some coffee?) to show emphasis (I do want you to pass your exam.) to stand for a main verb in some constructions (He speaks faster than she to make perfect tenses (I have finished my homework.)

Modal helping verbs (10 verbs)

We use modal helping verbs to "modify" the meaning of the main verb in some way. A modal helping verb expresses necessity or possibility, and changes the main verb in that sense. These are the modal verbs: can, could may, might will, would, shall, should must ought to Here are examples using modal verbs: I can't speak Chinese. John may arrive late. Would you like a cup of coffee? You should see a doctor. I really must go now. Semi-modal verbs (3 verbs) The following verbs are often called "semi-modals" because they they are partly like modal helping verbs and partly like main verbs: need dare used to

Main Verbs
Main verbs are also called "lexical verbs". Main verbs have meaning on their own (unlike helping verbs). There are thousands of main verbs, and we can classify them in several ways:

Transitive and intransitive verbs

A transitive verb takes a direct object: Somebody killed the President. An intransitive verb does not

have a direct object: He died. Many verbs, like speak, can be transitive or intransitive. Look at these examples: transitive: I saw an elephant. We are watching TV. He speaks English. intransitive: He has arrived. John goes to school. She speaks fast.

Linking verbs
A linking verb does not have much meaning in itself. It "links" the subject to what is said about the subject. Usually, a linking verb shows equality (=) or a change to a different state or place (>). Linking verbs are always intransitive (but not all intransitive verbs are linking verbs). Mary is a teacher. (mary = teacher) Tara is beautiful. (tara = beautiful) That sounds interesting. (that = interesting) The sky became dark. (the sky > dark) The bread has gone bad. (bread > bad)

Dynamic and stative verbs

Some verbs describe action. They are called "dynamic", and can be used with continuous tenses. Other verbs describe state (non-action, a situation). They are called "stative", and cannot normally be used with continuous tenses (though some of them can be used with continuous tenses with a change in meaning). dynamic verbs (examples): hit, explode, fight, run, go stative verbs (examples): be like, love, prefer, wish impress, please, surprise hear, see, sound belong to, consist of, contain, include, need appear, resemble, seem

Regular and irregular verbs

This is more a question of vocabulary than of grammar. The only real difference between regular and irregular verbs is that they have different endings for their past tense and past participle forms. For regular verbs, the past tense ending and past participle ending is always the same: -ed. For irregular verbs, the past tense ending and the past participle ending is variable, so it is necessary to learn them by heart. regular verbs: base, past tense, past participle look, looked, looked work, worked, worked irregular verbs: base, past tense, past participle buy, bought, bought cut, cut, cut do, did, done Here are lists of regular verbs and irregular verbs. One way to think of regular and irregular verbs is like this: all verbs are irregular and the so-called regular verbs are simply one very large group of irregular verbs. Often the above divisions can be mixed. For example, one verb could be irregular, transitive and dynamic; another verb could be regular, transitive and stative.

Regular Verbs
English regular verbs change their form very little (unlike irregular verbs). The past tense and past participle of regular verbs end in -ed, for example:

work, worked, worked

But you should note the following points: 1. Some verbs can be both regular and irregular, for example:

learn, learned, learned learn, learnt, learnt

2. Some verbs change their meaning depending on whether they are regular or irregular, for example "to hang": hang, hanged, regular to kill or die, by dropping with a rope around the neck hanged irregula hang, hung, to fix something (for example, a picture) at the top so that the lower part is r hung free 3. The present tense of some regular verbs is the same as the past tense of some irregular verbs: regular found, founded, founded irregular find, found, found accept add admire admit advise afford agree alert back bake balance ban bang bare bat bathe battle beam calculate call camp care carry carve cause challenge change charge chase cheat check cheer chew dam damage dance dare decay deceive decide decorate delay allow amuse analyse announce annoy answer apologise appear beg behave belong bleach bless blind blink blot blush boast choke chop claim clap clean clear clip close coach coil collect colour comb command communicate deliver depend describe desert deserve destroy detect develop disagree applaud appreciate approve argue arrange arrest arrive ask boil bolt bomb book bore borrow bounce bow box brake compare compete complain complete concentrate concern confess confuse connect consider consist contain continue copy correct disapprove disarm discover dislike divide double doubt drag drain attach attack attempt attend attract avoid

brake branch breathe bruise brush bubble bump burn bury buzz cough count cover crack crash crawl cross crush cry cure curl curve cycle

dress drip drop drown drum dry dust

delight earn educate embarrass employ empty encourage face fade fail fancy fasten fax fear fence gather gaze glow glue hammer hand handle hang happen harass identify ignore imagine impress improve include jail jam kick kill label land last laugh launch man manage march mark marry match mate nail name obey

disappear end enjoy enter entertain escape examine fetch file fill film fire fit fix flap grab grate grease greet harm hate haunt head heal heap increase influence inform inject injure instruct jog join kiss kneel learn level license lick lie matter measure meddle melt memorise mend mess up need nest obtain

dream excite excuse exercise exist expand expect flash float flood flow flower fold follow fool grin grip groan guarantee heat help hook hop hope hover intend interest interfere interrupt introduce invent joke judge knit knock lighten like list listen live milk mine miss mix moan moor mourn nod note offer explain explode extend

force form found frame frighten fry

guard guess guide

hug hum hunt hurry

invite irritate itch

juggle jump knot

load lock long look love move muddle mug multiply murder

notice number overflow

object observe pack paddle paint park part pass paste pat pause peck pedal peel peep perform question race radiate rain raise reach realise receive recognise record reduce reflect sack sail satisfy save saw scare scatter scold scorch scrape scratch scream screw scribble scrub seal search separate serve settle shade share shave shelter talk tame tap

occur offend permit phone pick pinch pine place plan plant play please plug point poke polish queue refuse regret reign reject rejoice relax release rely remain remember remind shiver shock shop shrug sigh sign signal sin sip ski skip slap slip slow smash smell smile smoke snatch sneeze sniff snore snow soak thaw tick tickle

open order pop possess post pour practise pray preach precede prefer prepare present preserve press pretend

owe own prevent prick print produce program promise protect provide pull pump punch puncture punish push

remove repair repeat replace reply report reproduce request rescue retire return soothe sound spare spark sparkle spell spill spoil spot spray sprout squash squeak squeal squeeze stain stamp stare start stay steer step stir stitch trace trade train

rhyme rinse risk rob rock roll rot rub ruin rule rush stop store strap strengthen stretch strip stroke stuff subtract succeed suck suffer suggest suit supply support suppose surprise surround suspect suspend switch

trot trouble trust

taste tease telephone tempt terrify test thank undress unfasten vanish wail wait walk wander want warm warn wash x-ray yawn zip

tie time tip tire touch tour tow unite unlock visit waste watch water wave weigh welcome whine whip

transport trap travel treat tremble trick trip unpack untidy

try tug tumble turn twist type

use

whirl whisper whistle wink wipe wish wobble wonder

work worry wrap wreck wrestle wriggle

yell zoom

Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs are an important feature of English. We use irregular verbs a lot when speaking, less when writing. Of course, the most famous English verb of all, the verb "to be", is irregular. What is the difference between regular verbs and irregular verbs? Base Past Past Participle Form Simple With regular verbs, the rule is simple... finish finished finished The past simple and past participle always end in -ed: stop stopped stopped work worked worked But with irregular verbs, there is no rule... Sometimes the verb changes completely: sing sang sung Sometimes there is "half" a change: buy bought bought Sometimes there is no change: cut cut cut One good way to learn irregular verbs is to try sorting them into groups, as above Base Form Past Simple Past Participle awake awoke awoken be was, were been beat beat beaten become became become begin began begun bend bent bent bet bet bet bid bid bid bite bit bitten blow blew blown break broke broken bring brought brought broadcast broadcast broadcast build built built burn burned/burnt burned/burnt

buy bought bought catch caught caught choose chose chosen come came come cost cost cost cut cut cut dig dug dug d o did done draw drew drawn dream dreamed/dreamt dreamed/dreamt drive drove driven d rink drunk drunk eat ate eaten fall fell fallen f eel felt felt fight fought fought find found found fly flew flown forget forgot forgotten forgive forgave forgiven freeze froze frozen get got gotten give gave given go went gone grow grew grown hang hung hung have had had hear heard heard hide hid hidden hit hit hit hold held held hurt hurt hurt keep kept kept know knew known lay laid laid lead led led learn learned/learnt learned/learnt leave left left lend lent lent let let let lie lay lain lose lost lost make made made mean meant meant meet met met pay paid paid put put put read read read ride rode ridden ring rang rung rise rose risen run ran run say said said see saw seen sell sold sold send sent sent show showed showed/shown shut shut shut sing sang sung sit sat sat sleep slept slept speak spoke spoken spend spent spent stand stood stood swim swam swum

take took taken teach taught taught tear tore torn tell told told think thought thought throw threw thrown understand understood understood wake woke woken wear wore worn win won won write wrote written

Simple Present Tense

I sing How do we make the Simple Present Tense? subject + auxiliary verb + main verb do base There are three important exceptions: 1. For positive sentences, we do not normally use the auxiliary. 2. For the 3rd person singular (he, she, it), we add s to the main verb or es to the auxiliary. 3. For the verb to be, we do not use an auxiliary, even for questions and negatives. Look at these examples with the main verb like: subject auxiliary verb main verb I, you, we, they like + He, she, it likes I, you, we, they do not like He, she, it does not like Do I, you, we, they like ? Does he, she, it like Look at these examples with the main verb be. Notice that there is no auxiliary: subject main verb I am French. + You, we, they are French. He, she, it is French. I am not old. - You, we, they are not old. He, she, it is not old. Am I late? ? Are you, we, they late? Is he, she, it late? How do we use the Simple Present Tense? We use the simple present tense when: the action is general the action happens all the time, or habitually, in the past, present and future the action is not only happening now the statement is always true John drives a taxi. past present future It is John's job to drive a taxi. He does it every day. Past, present and future. Look at these examples: I live in New York. The Moon goes round the Earth. John drives a taxi. He does not drive a bus. We do not work at night. Do you play football? Note that with the verb to be, we can also use the simple present tense for situations that are not general. We can use the simple present tense to talk about now. Look at these examples of the verb to be in the present simple tensesome of them are general, some of them are now: Am I right? Tara is not at home. You are happy. past present future The situation is now. I am not fat. Why are you so beautiful? Ram is tall. past present future The situation is general. Past, present and future.

coffee. coffee. coffee. coffee. coffee? coffee?

Present Continuous Tense

I am singing We often use the present continuous tense in English. It is very different from the simple present tense, both in structure and in use. In this lesson we look the structure and use of the present continuous tense, follwed by a quiz to check your understanding: How do we make the Present Continuous Tense? The structure of the present continuous tense is: subject + auxiliary verb be Look at these examples: subject auxiliary verb + I am + You are - She is - We are ? Is he ? Are they How do we use the Present Continuous Tense? We use the present continuous tense to talk about: action happening now action in the future Present continuous tense for action happening now a) for action happening exactly now I am eating my lunch. past + main verb base + ing main verb speaking reading staying playing watching waiting

not not

to you. this. in London. football. TV? for John?

present

future

The action is happening now. Look at these examples. Right now you are looking at this screen and at the same time... ...the pages are turning. ...the candle is burning. ...the numbers are spinning. b) for action happening around now The action may not be happening exactly now, but it is happening just before and just after now, and it is not permanent or habitual. John is going out with Mary. past present future The action is happening around now. Look at these examples: Muriel is learning to drive. I am living with my sister until I find an apartment. Present continuous tense for the future We can also use the present continuous tense to talk about the futureif we add a future word!! We must add (or understand from the context) a future word. "Future words" include, for example, tomorrow, next year, in June, at Christmas etc. We only use the present continuous tense to talk about the future when we have planned to do something before we speak. We have already made a decision and a plan before speaking. I am taking my exam next month. past present future !!! A firm plan or programme The action is in the future. exists now. Look at these examples: We're eating in a restaurant tonight. We've already booked the table.. They can play tennis with you tomorrow. They're not working. When are you starting your new job? In these examples, we have a firm plan or programme before speaking. The decision and plan were made before speaking.

How do we spell the Present Continuous Tense? We make the present continuous tense by adding -ing to the base verb. Normally it's simplewe just add -ing. But sometimes we have to change the word a little. Perhaps we double the last letter, or we drop a letter. Here are the rules to help you know how to spell the present continuous tense. Basic Just add -ing to the base verb: rule work > working play > playing assist > assisting see > seeing be > being Exceptio If the base verb ends in consonant + stressed vowel + consonant, double the last letter: n1 s t o p stressed consonant consonant vowel (vowels = a, e, i, o, u) stop > stopping run > running begin > beginning Note that this exception does not apply when the last syllable of the base verb is not stressed: open > opening Exceptio If the base verb ends in ie, change the ie to y: n2 lie > lying die > dying Exceptio If the base verb ends in vowel + consonant + e, omit the e: n3 come > coming mistake > mistaking

Present Perfect Tense

I have sung The present perfect tense is a rather important tense in English, but it gives speakers of some languages a difficult time. That is because it uses concepts or ideas that do not exist in those languages. In fact, the structure of the present perfect tense is very simple. The problems come with the use of the tense. In addition, there are some differences in usage between British and American English. In this lesson we look at the structure and use of the present perfect, followed by a quiz to check your understanding: How do we make the Present Perfect Tense? The structure of the present perfect tense is: subject + auxiliary verb have Here are some examples of the present perfect tense: subject auxiliary verb + I have + You have - She has - We have ? Have you ? Have they Contractions with the present perfect tense When we use the present perfect tense in speaking, we usually contract the subject and auxiliary verb. We also sometimes do this when we write. I have I've You have You've He has He's She has She's It has It's John has John's The car has The car's We have We've They have They've Here are some examples: I've finished my work. John's seen ET. They've gone home. He's or he's??? Be careful! The 's contraction is used for the auxiliary verbs have and be. For example, "It's eaten" can mean: It has eaten. [present perfect tense, active voice] It is eaten. [present tense, passive voice] It is usually clear from the context. How do we use the Present Perfect Tense? This tense is called the present perfect tense. There is always a connection with the past and with the present. There are basically three uses for the present perfect tense: 1. experience 2. change 3. continuing situation 1. Present perfect tense for experience We often use the present perfect tense to talk about experience from the past. We are not interested in when you did something. We only want to know if you did it: I have seen ET. He has lived in Bangkok. Have you been there? We have never eaten caviar. past present future + main verb past participle main verb seen eaten been played finished? done

not not

ET. mine. to Rome. football. it?

!!! The action or state was in the past. In my head, I have a memory now.

Connection with past: the event was in the past. Connection with present: in my head, now, I have a memory of the event; I know something about the event; I have experience of it. 2. Present perfect tense for change We also use the present perfect tense to talk about a change or new information: I have bought a car. past present future + Last week I didn't have a car. Now I have a car. John has broken his leg. past + Yesterday John had a good leg. Has the price gone up? past + Was the price $1.50 yesterday? The police have arrested the killer. past -

present Now he has a bad leg.

future

present Is the price $1.70 today?

future

present + Now he is in Yesterday the killer was free. prison. Connection with past: the past is the opposite of the present. Connection with present: the present is the opposite of the past. Americans do not use the present perfect tense so much as British speakers. Americans often use the past tense instead. An American might say "Did you have lunch?", where a British person would say "Have you had lunch?" 3. Present perfect tense for continuing situation

future

We often use the present perfect tense to talk about a continuing situation. This is a state that started in the past and continues in the present (and will probably continue into the future). This is a state (not an action). We usually use for or since with this structure. I have worked here since June. He has been ill for 2 days. How long have you known Tara? past present future It continues (It will probably continue into the future.) up to now. Connection with past: the situation started in the past. Connection with present: the situation continues in the present. The situation started in the past. For & Since with Present Perfect Tense We often use for and since with the present perfect tense. We use for to talk about a period of time5 minutes, 2 weeks, 6 years. We use since to talk about a point in past time9 o'clock, 1st January, Monday. for since a period of time a point in past time 20 minutes 6.15pm

three days Monday 6 months January 4 years 1994 2 centuries 1800 a long time I left school ever the beginning of time etc etc Here are some examples: I have been here for 20 minutes. I have been here since 9 o'clock. John hasn't called for 6 months. John hasn't called since February. He has worked in New York for a long time. He has worked in New York since he left school. For can be used with all tenses. Since is usually used with perfect tenses only.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

I have been singing How do we make the Present Perfect Continuous Tense? The structure of the present perfect continuous tense is: subject + auxiliary verb + auxiliary verb have been has Here are some examples of the present perfect continuous tense: subject auxiliary verb auxiliary verb + I have been + You have been no - It has been t no - We have been t ? Have you been ? Have they been Contractions When we use the present perfect continuous tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and the first auxiliary. We also sometimes do this in informal writing. I have been I've been You have been You've been He has been He's been She has been She's been It has been It's been John has been John's been The car has been The car's been We have been We've been They have been They've been Here are some examples: I've been reading. The car's been giving trouble. We've been playing tennis for two hours. How do we use the Present Perfect Continuous Tense? This tense is called the present perfect continuous tense. There is usually a connection with the present or now. There are basically two uses for the present perfect continuous tense: 1. An action that has just stopped or recently stopped We use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about an action that started in the past and stopped recently. There is usually a result now. I'm tired because I've been running. past present future !!! Recent action. Result now. [now] I'm tired because I've been running. Why is the grass wet [now]? Has it been raining? You don't understand [now] because you haven't been listening. 2. An action continuing up to now We use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about an action that started in the past and is continuing now. This is often used with for or since. I have been reading for 2 hours. past present future Action started in past. Action is continuing now. I have been reading for 2 hours. [I am still reading now.] We've been studying since 9 o'clock. [We're still studying now.] + main verb base + ing main verb waiting talking raining. playing seeing doing football. her? their homework?

for one hour. too much.

How long have you been learning English? [You are still learning now.] We have not been smoking. [And we are not smoking now.]

For and Since with Present Perfect Continuous Tense We often use for and since with the present perfect tense. We use for to talk about a period of time5 minutes, 2 weeks, 6 years. We use since to talk about a point in past time9 o'clock, 1st January, Monday. for since a period of time a point in past time 20 minutes 6.15pm three days Monday 6 months January 4 years 1994 2 centuries 1800 a long time I left school ever the beginning of time etc etc Here are some examples: I have been studying for 3 hours. I have been watching TV since 7pm. Tara hasn't been feeling well for 2 weeks. Tara hasn't been visiting us since March. He has been playing football for a long time. He has been living in Bangkok since he left school. For can be used with all tenses. Since is usually used with perfect tenses only.

Simple Past Tense

I sang The simple past tense is sometimes called the preterite tense. We can use several tenses to talk about the past, but the simple past tense is the one we use most often. In this lesson we look at the structure and use of the simple past tense, followed by a quiz to check your understanding: How do we make the Simple Past Tense? To make the simple past tense, we use: past form only or auxiliary did + base form Here you can see examples of the past form and base form for irregular verbs and regular verbs: V1 V2 V3 base past past participle regul work worked worked The past form for all regular verbs ar explode exploded exploded ends in -ed. verb like liked liked irreg go went gone The past form for irregular verbs is ular see saw seen variable. You need to learn it by verb sing sang sung heart. You do not need the past participle form to make the simple past tense. It is shown here for completeness only. The structure for positive sentences in the simple past tense is: subject + main verb past The structure for negative sentences in the simple past tense is: subject + auxiliary verb + not + main verb did base The structure for question sentences in the simple past tense is: auxiliary verb + subject + main verb did base The auxiliary verb did is not conjugated. It is the same for all persons (I did, you did, he did etc). And the base form and past form do not change. Look at these examples with the main verbs go and work: subject auxiliary verb main verb I went to school. + You worked very hard. She did not go with me. We did not work yesterday. Did you go to London? ? Did they work at home? Exception! The verb to be is different. We conjugate the verb to be (I was, you were, he/she/it was, we were, they were); and we do not use an auxiliary for negative and question sentences. To make a question, we exchange the subject and verb. Look at these examples: subject main verb I, he/she/it was here. + You, we, they were in London. I, he/she/it was not there. You, we, they were not happy. Was I, he/she/it right? ? Were you, we, they late? How do we use the Simple Past Tense? We use the simple past tense to talk about an action or a situationan eventin the past. The event can be short or long. Here are some short events with the simple past tense: The car exploded at 9.30am yesterday. She went to the door. We did not hear the telephone. Did you see that car?

past

present

future

The action is in the past. Here are some long events with the simple past tense: I lived in Bangkok for 10 years. The Jurassic period lasted about 62 million years. We did not sing at the concert. Did you watch TV last night? past present

future

The action is in the past. Notice that it does not matter how long ago the event is: it can be a few minutes or seconds in the past, or millions of years in the past. Also it does not matter how long the event is. It can be a few milliseconds (car explosion) or millions of years (Jurassic period). We use the simple past tense when: the event is in the past the event is completely finished we say (or understand) the time and/or place of the event In general, if we say the time or place of the event, we must use the simple past tense; we cannot use the present perfect. Here are some more examples: I lived in that house when I was young. He didn't like the movie. What did you eat for dinner? John drove to London on Monday. Mary did not go to work yesterday. Did you play tennis last week? I was at work yesterday. We were not late (for the train). Were you angry? Note that when we tell a story, we usually use the simple past tense. We may use the past continuous tense to "set the scene", but we almost always use the simple past tense for the action. Look at this example of the beginning of a story: "The wind was howling around the hotel and the rain was pouring down. It was cold. The door opened and James Bond entered. He took off his coat, which was very wet, and ordered a drink at the bar. He sat down in the corner of the lounge and quietly drank his..." This page shows the use of the simple past tense to talk about past events. But note that there are some other uses for the simple past tense, for example in conditional or if sentences.

Past Continuous Tense

I was singing The past continuous tense is an important tense in English. We use it to say what we were in the middle of doing at a particular moment in the past. In this lesson we look at the structure and the use of the past continuouse tense, followed by a quiz to check your understanding: Structure: how do we make the past continuous tense? Use: how do we use the past continuous tense? Check your understanding of the past continuous tense Continuous tenses are also called progressive tenses.

How do we make the Past Continuous Tense?

The structure of the past continuous tense is:

subject

+ auxiliary verb BE

+ main verb

conjugated in simple past tense present participle was base + ing were For negative sentences in the past continuous tense, we insert not between the auxiliary verb and main verb. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and auxiliary verb. Look at these example sentences with the past continuous tense: subject auxiliary verb main verb

+I + You - He, she, it - We ? Were ? Were

was were was were you they not not

watching working helping joking. being playing

TV. hard. Mary.

silly? football?

How do we use the past continuous tense? >> The spelling rules for adding ing to make the past continuous tense are the same as for the present continuous tense.

How do we use the Past Continuous Tense?

The past continuous tense expresses action at a particular moment in the past. The action started before that moment but has not finished at that moment. For example, yesterday I watched a film on TV. The film started at 7pm and finished at 9pm.

At 8pm yesterday, I was watching TV.

past present future 8p m At 8pm, I was in the middle of watching TV. When we use the past continuous tense, our listener usually knows or understands what time we are talking about. Look at these examples: I was working at 10pm last night. They were not playing football at 9am this morning. What were you doing at 10pm last night? What were you doing when he arrived? She was cooking when I telephoned her. We were having dinner when it started to rain.

Ram went home early because it was snowing.

Some verbs cannot be used in continuous/progressive tenses. We often use the past continuous tense to "set the scene" in stories. We use it to describe the background situation at the moment when the action begins. Often, the story starts with the past continuous tense and then moves into the simple past tense. Here is an example:

" James Bond was driving through town. It was raining. The wind was blowing hard. Nobody was walking in the streets. Suddenly, Bond saw the killer in a telephone box..."

Past Continuous Tense + Simple Past Tense

We often use the past continuous tense with the simple past tense. We use the past continuous tense to express a long action. And we use the simple past tense to express a short action that happens in the middle of the long action. We can join the two ideas with when or while. In the following example, we have two actions: 1. long action (watching TV), expressed with past continuous tense 2. short action (telephoned), expressed with simple past tense past present future Long action. I was watching TV at 8pm. 8p m You telephoned at 8pm. Short action. We can join these two actions with when: I was watching TV when you telephoned. (Notice that "when you telephoned" is also a way of defining the time [8pm].) We use: when + short action (simple past tense) while + long action (past continuous tense) There are four basic combinations: I was walking past the car when it exploded. When the car exploded I was walking past it. The car exploded while I was walking past it. While I was walking past the car it exploded. Notice that the long action and short action are relative. "Watching TV" took a few hours. "Telephoned" took a few seconds. "Walking past the car" took a few seconds. "Exploded" took a few milliseconds.

Past Perfect Tense

I had sung The past perfect tense is quite an easy tense to understand and to use. This tense talks about the "past in the past". In this lesson we look at: Structure: how do we make the past perfect tense? Use: how do we use the past perfect tense?

How do we make the Past Perfect Tense?

The structure of the past perfect tense is:

subject

+ auxiliary verb HAVE

+ main verb

conjugated in simple past tense past participle had V3 For negative sentences in the past perfect tense, we insert not between the auxiliary verb and main verb. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and auxiliary verb. Look at these example sentences with the past perfect tense: subject auxiliary verb main verb

+I + You - She - We ? Had ? Had

had had had had you they not not

finished stopped gone left. arrived? eaten

my work. before me. to school.

dinner?

When speaking with the past perfect tense, we often contract the subject and auxiliary verb: I had I'd you had you'd he had he'd she had she'd it had it'd we had we'd they had they'd The 'd contraction is also used for the auxiliary verb would. For example, we'd can mean: We had or We would But usually the main verb is in a different form, for example: We had arrived (past participle) We would arrive (base) It is always clear from the context. How do we use the past perfect tense

How do we use the Past Perfect Tense?

The past perfect tense expresses action in the past before another action in the past. This is the past in the past. For example: The train left at 9am. We arrived at 9.15am. When we arrived, the train had left.

The train had left when we arrived.

past Train leaves in past at 9am. 9 9.15 present future

We arrive in past at 9.15am. Look at some more examples: I wasn't hungry. I had just eaten. They were hungry. They had not eaten for five hours. I didn't know who he was. I had never seen him before. "Mary wasn't at home when I arrived." "Really? Where had she gone?" You can sometimes think of the past perfect tense like the present perfect tense, but instead of the time being now the time is past. past perfect tense present perfect tense had | have | done | done | >| >| past now future past now For example, imagine that you arrive at the station at 9.15am. The stationmaster says to you: "You are too late. The train has left." Later, you tell your friends: "We were too late. The train had left." future

We often use the past perfect tense in reported speech after verbs like said, told, asked, thought, wondered: Look at these examples: He told us that the train had left. I thought I had met her before, but I was wrong. He explained that he had closed the window because of the rain. I wondered if I had been there before. I asked them why they had not finished.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

I had been singing

How do we make the Past Perfect Continuous Tense?

The structure of the past perfect continuous tense is: :

subje auxiliary verb + ct HAVE

auxiliary verb BE

+main verb

conjugated in simple past tense past participle present participle had been base + ing For negative sentences in the past perfect continuous tense, we insert not after the first auxiliary verb. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and first auxiliary verb. Look at these example sentences with the past perfect continuous tense: : subject auxiliary verb auxiliary verb main verb

+I + You - It - We ? Had ? Had

had had had had you they not not

been been been been been been

working. playing working expecting drinking? waiting long? tennis. well. her.

When speaking with the past perfect continuous tense, we often contract the subject and first auxiliary verb: I had been I'd been you had been you'd been he had he'd been she had been she'd been it had been it'd been we had been we'd been they had been they'd been

How do we use the Past Perfect Continuous Tense?

The past perfect continuous tense is like the past perfect tense, but it expresses longer actions in the past before another action in the past. For example: Ram started waiting at 9am. I arrived at 11am. When I arrived, Ram had been waiting for two hours. . Ram had been waiting for two hours when I arrived. past present future Ram starts waiting in past at 9am. 9 11 I arrive in past at 11am. Here are some more examples:

 John was very tired. He had been running. I could smell cigarettes. Somebody had been smoking. Suddenly, my car broke down. I was not surprised. It had not been running well for a long time. Had the pilot been drinking before the crash? You can sometimes think of the past perfect continuous tense like the present perfect continuous tense, but instead of the time being now the time is past. past perfect continuous tense present perfect continuous tense had | | | have | been | | | been | doing | | | doing | >>>> | | | >>>> | past now future For example, imagine that you meet Ram at 11am. Ram says to you: "I am angry. I have been waiting for two hours." Later, you tell your friends: "Ram was angry. He had been waiting for two hours." past now future

Simple Future Tense

I will sing The simple future tense is often called will, because we make the simple future tense with the modal auxiliary will.

How do we make the Simple Future Tense?

The structure of the simple future tense is:

subject

+ auxiliary verb WILL

+ main verb

invariable base will V1 For negative sentences in the simple future tense, we insert not between the auxiliary verb and main verb. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and auxiliary verb. Look at these example sentences with the simple future tense: subject auxiliary verb main verb

+I + You - She - We ? Will ? Will

will will will will you they not not

open finish be leave arrive want

the door. before me. at school tomorrow. yet. on time? dinner?

When we use the simple future tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and auxiliary verb: I will I'll you will you'll he will he'll she will she'll it will it'll we will we'll they will they'll For negative sentences in the simple future tense, we contract with won't, like this: I will not I won't you will not you won't he will not he won't she will not she won't it will not it won't we will not we won't

they will not

they won't

How do we use the Simple Future Tense?

No Plan
We use the simple future tense when there is no plan or decision to do something before we speak. We make the decision spontaneously at the time of speaking. Look at these examples: Hold on. I'll get a pen. We will see what we can do to help you. Maybe we'll stay in and watch television tonight. In these examples, we had no firm plan before speaking. The decision is made at the time of speaking. We often use the simple future tense with the verb to think before it: I think I'll go to the gym tomorrow. I think I will have a holiday next year. I don't think I'll buy that car.

Prediction
We often use the simple future tense to make a prediction about the future. Again, there is no firm plan. We are saying what we think will happen. Here are some examples: It will rain tomorrow. People won't go to Jupiter before the 22nd century. Who do you think will get the job?

Be
When the main verb is be, we can use the simple future tense even if we have a firm plan or decision before speaking. Examples: I'll be in London tomorrow. I'm going shopping. I won't be very long. Will you be at work tomorrow? Note that when we have a plan or intention to do something in the future, we usually use other tenses or expressions, such as the present continuous tense or going to.

Future Continuous Tense

I will be singing

How do we make the Future Continuous Tense?

The structure of the future continuous tense is:

subjec auxiliary verb + t WILL

auxiliary verb BE

+main verb

invariable invariable present participle will be base + ing For negative sentences in the future continuous tense, we insert not between will and be. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and will. Look at these example sentences with the future continuous tense: subject auxiliary verb auxiliary verb main verb

+I + You - She - We ? Will

will will will will you no t no t

be be be be be

working lying using having playing

at 10am. on a beach tomorrow. the car. dinner at home. football?

? Will

they

be

watching

TV?

When we use the future continuous tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and will: I will I'll you will you'll he will he'll she will she'll it will it'll we will we'll they will they'll For spoken negative sentences in the future continuous tense, we contract with won't, like this: I will not I won't you will not you won't he will not he won't she will not she won't it will not it won't we will not we won't they will not they won't We sometimes use shall instead of will, especially for I and we.

How do we use the Future Continuous Tense?

The future continuous tense expresses action at a particular moment in the future. The action will start before that moment but it will not have finished at that moment. For example, tomorrow I will start work at 2pm and stop work at 6pm:

At 4pm tomorrow, I will be working.

past 4p m present future At 4pm, I will be in the middle of working. When we use the future continuous tense, our listener usually knows or understands what time we are talking about. Look at these examples: I will be playing tennis at 10am tomorrow. They won't be watching TV at 9pm tonight. What will you be doing at 10pm tonight? What will you be doing when I arrive? She will not be sleeping when you telephone her. We 'll be having dinner when the film starts. Take your umbrella. It will be raining when you return.

Future Perfect Tense

I will have sung The future perfect tense is quite an easy tense to understand and use. The future perfect tense talks about the past in the future.

How do we make the Future Perfect Tense?

The structure of the future perfect tense is:

subjec auxiliary verb + t WILL

auxiliary verb HAVE

main verb finished

main verb
past participle V3

invariable invariable will have Look at these example sentences in the future perfect tense: subject auxiliary verb auxiliary verb

+I

will

have

by 10am.

+ You - She - We ? Will ? Will

will will will you they not not

have have have have have

forgotten gone left. arrived? received

me by then. to school.

it?

In speaking with the future perfect tense, we often contract the subject and will. Sometimes, we contract the subject, will and have all together: I will have I'll have I'll've you will have you'll have you'll've he will have he'll have he'll've she will have she'll have she'll've it will have it'll have it'll've we will have we'll have we'll've they will have they'll have they'll've We sometimes use shall instead of will, especially for I and we.

How do we use the Future Perfect Tense?

The future perfect tense expresses action in the future before another action in the future. This is the past in the future. For example: The train will leave the station at 9am. You will arrive at the station at 9.15am. When you arrive, the train will have left.

The train will have left when you arrive.

past 9 9.15 present future Train leaves in future at 9am.

You arrive in future at 9.15am. Look at some more examples: You can call me at work at 8am. I will have arrived at the office by 8. They will be tired when they arrive. They will not have slept for a long time. "Mary won't be at home when you arrive." "Really? Where will she have gone?" You can sometimes think of the future perfect tense like the present perfect tense, but instead of your viewpoint being in the present, it is in the future: present perfect tense future perfect tense | will | have | have | done | done | >| >| past now future past now future

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

I will have been singing

How do we make the Future Perfect Continuous Tense?

The structure of the future perfect continuous tense is:

subj auxiliary + ect verb WILL

invariable

auxiliary verb HAVE

invariable

auxiliary verb BE
past participle

main verb
present participle

will have been base + ing For negative sentences in the future perfect continuous tense, we insert not between will and have. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and will. Look at these example sentences with the future perfect continuous tense: subject auxiliary verb auxiliary verb auxiliary verb main verb

+I + You - She - We ? Will ? Will

will will will will you they n ot n ot

have have have have have have

been been been been been been

working travelling using waiting playing watching

for four hours. for two days. the car. long. football? TV?

When we use the future perfect continuous tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and auxiliary verb: I will I'll you will you'll he will he'll she will she'll it will it'll we will we'll they will they'll For negative sentences in the future perfect continuous tense, we contract with won't, like this: I will not I won't you will not you won't he will not he won't she will not she won't it will not it won't we will not we won't they will not they won't

How do we use the Future Perfect Continuous Tense?

We use the future perfect continuous tense to talk about a long action before some point in the future. Look at these examples: I will have been working here for ten years next week. He will be tired when he arrives. He will have been travelling for 24 hours.

Phrasal Verbs and other multi-word verbs

Phrasal verbs are part of a large group of verbs called "multi-word verbs". Phrasal verbs and other multi-word verbs are an important part of the English language. Multi-word verbs, including phrasal verbs, are very common, especially in spoken English. A multi-word verb is a verb like "pick up", "turn on" or "get on with". For convenience, many people refer to all multi-word verbs as phrasal verbs. These verbs consist of a basic verb + another word or words. The other word(s) can be prepositions and/or adverbs. The two or three words that make up multi-word verbs form a short "phrase"which is why these verbs are often all called "phrasal verbs". The important thing to remember is that a multi-word verb is still a verb. "Get" is a verb. "Get up", is also a verb, a different verb. "Get" and "get up" are two different verbs. They do not have the same meaning. So you should treat each multi-word verb as a separate verb, and learn it like any other verb. Look at these examples. You can see that there are three types of multi-word verb: single-word verb look direct your eyes in a certain You must look before you leap. direction multiprepositional look take care of Who is looking after the baby? word verbs after verbs phrasal verbs look up search for and find information in You can look up my number in the a reference book telephone directory. phrasallook anticipate with pleasure I look forward to meeting you.

prepositional forward verbs to In this lesson we look at the three types of multi-word verbs, including phrasal verbs, followed by a quiz to check your understanding: Phrasal Verbs Prepositional Verbs Phrasal-prepositional Verbs Phrasal Verbs Quiz Like many grammar books, we divide multi-word verbs into: prepositional verbs phrasal verbs phrasal-prepositional verbs Other grammars, however, call all multi-word verbs "phrasal verbs".

Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs are a group of multi-word verbs made from a verb plus another word or words. Many people refer to all multi-word verbs as phrasal verbs. On these pages we make a distinction between three types of multi-word verbs: prepositional verbs, phrasal verbs and phrasal-prepositional verbs. On this page we look at phrasal verbs proper. Phrasal verbs are made of: verb + adverb Phrasal verbs can be: intransitive (no direct object) transitive (direct object) Here are some examples of phrasal verbs: examples phrasal meaning direct verbs object get up rise from bed I don't like to get up. intransitive phrasal verbs break cease to He was late because his car broke down function down. the put off postpone We will have to put off meeting. transitive phrasal verbs turn down refuse They turned down my offer.

Separable Phrasal Verbs

When phrasal verbs are transitive (that is, they have a direct object), we can usually separate the two parts. For example, "turn down" is a separable phrasal verb. We can say: "turn down my offer" or "turn my offer down". Look at this table: Th turne down my offer. ey d transitive phrasal verbs are separable Th turne my down. ey d offer However, if the direct object is a pronoun, we have no choice. We must separate the phrasal verb and insert the pronoun between the two parts. Look at this example with the separable phrasal verb "switch on": John switched on the radio. the direct object pronouns John switched radi on. These are all possible. must go between the o two parts of transitive phrasal verbs John switched it on. John switched on it. This is not possible. Separable or inseparable phrasal verbs? Some dictionaries tell you when phrasal verbs are separable. If a dictionary writes "look (something) up", you know that the phrasal verb "look up" is separable, and you can say "look something up" and "look up something". It's a good idea to write "something/somebody" as appropriate in your vocabulary book when you learn a

new phrasal verb, like this: get up break down put something/somebody off turn sthg/sby down This tells you whether the verb needs a direct object (and where to put it). Prepositional Verbs >>

Prepositional Verbs
Prepositional verbs are a group of multi-word verbs made from a verb plus another word or words. Many people refer to all multi-word verbs as phrasal verbs. On these pages we make a distinction between three types of multi-word verbs: prepositional verbs, phrasal verbs and phrasal-prepositional verbs. On this page we look at prepositional verbs. Prepositional verbs are made of: verb + preposition Because a preposition always has an object, all prepositional verbs have direct objects. Here are some examples of prepositional verbs: examples prepositional verbs meaning direct object believe in have faith in the existence of I believe in God. look after take care of He is looking after the dog. talk about discuss Did you talk about me? wait for await John is waiting for Mary. Prepositional verbs cannot be separated. That means that we cannot put the direct object between the two parts. For example, we must say "look after the baby". We cannot say "look the baby after": prepositional verbs are inseparable Who is looking after the baby? This is possible. Who is looking the baby after? This is not possible. It is a good idea to write "something/somebody" in your vocabulary book when you learn a new prepositional verb, like this: believe in something/somebody look after sthg/sby This reminds you that this verb needs a direct object (and where to put it). Phrasal-prepositional Verbs >>

Phrasal-prepositional Verbs
Phrasal-prepositional verbs are a small group of multi-word verbs made from a verb plus another word or words. Many people refer to all multi-word verbs as phrasal verbs. On these pages we make a distinction between three types of multi-word verbs: prepositional verbs, phrasal verbs and phrasal-prepositional verbs. On this page we look at phrasal-prepositional verbs. Phrasal-prepositional verbs are made of: verb + adverb + preposition Look at these examples of phrasal-prepositional verbs: examples phrasal-prepositional verbs meaning direct object get on with have a friendly relationship with He doesn't get on with his wife. put up with tolerate I won't put up with your attitude. look forward to anticipate with pleasure I look forward to seeing you. run out of use up, exhaust We have run out of eggs. Because phrasal-prepositional verbs end with a preposition, there is always a direct object. And, like prepositional verbs, phrasalprepositional verbs cannot be separated. Look at these examples: W ran out of fuel. e phrasal-prepositional verbs are inseparable W ran out of it. e It is a good idea to write "something/somebody" in your vocabulary book when you learn a new phrasal-

prepositional verb, like this: get on with somebody put up with sthg/sby run out of something This reminds you that this verb needs a direct object (and where to put it). Now check your understanding >>

English Conditionals
There are several structures in English that are called conditionals. "Condition" means "situation or circumstance". If a particular condition is true, then a particular result happens. If y = 10 then 2y = 20 If y = 3 then 2y = 6 There are three basic conditionals that we use very often. There are some more conditionals that we do not use so often. In this lesson, we will look at the three basic conditionals as well as the so-called zero conditional. We'll finish with a quiz to check your understanding. Structure of Conditional Sentences First Conditional Second Conditional Third Conditional Zero Conditional Summary Quiz People sometimes call conditionals "IF" structures or sentences, because there is usually (but not always) the word "if" in a conditional sentence.

Structure of Conditional Sentences

The structure of most conditionals is very simple. There are two basic possibilities. Of course, we add many words and can use various tenses, but the basic structure is usually like this: I condition result F

I F
result

y = 10
I F

2y = 20
condition

or like this:

2y = 20
First Conditional >>

I F

y = 10

First Conditional: real possibility

We are talking about the future. We are thinking about a particular condition or situation in the future, and the result of this condition. There is a real possibility that this condition will happen. For example, it is morning. You are at home. You plan to play tennis this afternoon. But there are some clouds in the sky. Imagine that it rains. What will you do? I condition result F present simple WILL + base verb I it rains I will stay at home. f Notice that we are thinking about a future condition. It is not raining yet. But the sky is cloudy and you think that it could rain. We use the present simple tense to talk about the possible future condition. We use WILL + base verb to talk about the possible future result. The important thing about the first conditional is that there is a real possibility that the condition will happen. Here are some more examples (do you remember the two basic structures: [IF condition result] and [result IF condition]?): I condition result F present simple WILL + base verb I I see Mary I will tell her. f I Tara is free tomorrow he will invite her. f I they do not pass their exam their teacher will be sad. f I it rains tomorrow will you stay at home? f I it rains tomorrow what will you do? f result WILL + base verb I will tell Mary He will invite Tara Their teacher will be sad Will you stay at home What will you do Sometimes, we use shall, can, or may instead of will, for example: If you are good today, you can watch TV tonight. Second Conditional >> i f i f i f i f i f I F condition present simple I see her. she is free tomorrow. they do not pass their exam. it rains tomorrow? it rains tomorrow?

Second Conditional: unreal possibility or dream

The second conditional is like the first conditional. We are still thinking about the future. We are thinking about a particular condition in the future, and the result of this condition. But there is not a real possibility that this condition will happen. For example, you do not have a lottery ticket. Is it possible to win? No! No lottery ticket, no win! But maybe you will buy a lottery ticket in the future. So you can think about winning in the future, like a dream. It's not very real, but it's still possible. I condition result F past simple WOULD + base verb I I won the lottery I would buy a car. f Notice that we are thinking about a future condition. We use the past simple tense to talk about the future condition. We use WOULD + base verb to talk about the future result. The important thing about the second conditional is that there is an unreal possibility that the condition will happen. Here are some more examples: I condition result F past simple WOULD + base verb I I married Mary I would be happy. f I Ram became rich she would marry him. f I it snowed next July would you be surprised? f I it snowed next July what would you do? f result WOULD + base verb I would be happy She would marry Ram Would you be surprised What would you do Sometimes, we use should, could or might instead of would, for example: If I won a million dollars, I could stop working. Third Conditional >> i f i f i f i f I F condition past simple I married Mary. he became rich. it snowed next July? it snowed next July?

Third Conditional: no possibility

The first conditional and second conditionals talk about the future. With the third conditional we talk about the past. We talk about a condition in the past that did not happen. That is why there is no possibility for this condition. The third conditional is also like a dream, but with no possibility of the dream coming true. Last week you bought a lottery ticket. But you did not win. :-( condition result Past Perfect WOULD HAVE + Past Participle If I had won the lottery I would have bought a car.

Notice that we are thinking about an impossible past condition. You did not win the lottery. So the condition was not true, and that particular condition can never be true because it is finished. We use the past perfect tense to talk about the impossible past condition. We use WOULD HAVE + past participle to talk about the impossible past result. The important thing about the third conditional is that both the condition and result are impossible now. Sometimes, we use should have, could have, might have instead of would have, for example: If you had bought a lottery ticket, you might have won. Look at some more examples in the tables opposite: I F I f I f I f I f I f result WOULD HAVE + past participle I would have told Mary I would have invited Tara Their teacher would have been sad Would you have stayed at home What would you have done Zero Conditional >> i f i f i f i f i f condition past perfect I had seen Mary Tara had been free yesterday they had not passed their exam it had rained yesterday it had rained yesterday result WOULD HAVE + past participle I would have told her. I would have invited her. their teacher would have been sad. would you have stayed at home? what would you have done? I F condition past perfect I had seen her. she had been free yesterday. they had not passed their exam. it had rained yesterday? it had rained yesterday?

Zero Conditional: certainty

We use the so-called zero conditional when the result of the condition is always true, like a scientific fact. Take some ice. Put it in a saucepan. Heat the saucepan. What happens? The ice melts (it becomes water). You would be surprised if it did not. IF condition result present present simple simple If you heat ice it melts. Notice that we are thinking about a

result that is always true for this condition. The result of the condition is an absolute certainty. We are not thinking about the future or the past, or even the present. We are thinking about a simple fact. We use the present simple tense to talk about the condition. We also use the present simple tense to talk about the result. The important thing about the zero conditional is that the condition always has the same result. We can also use when instead of if, for example: When I get up late I miss my bus. Look at some more examples in the tables opposite: I F I f I f I f I f result present simple I am late for work My boss gets angry People get hungry Does ice melt Summary >> i f i f i f i f condition present simple I miss the 8 o'clock bus I am late for work people don't eat you heat ice I F condition present simple I miss the 8 o'clock bus. I am late for work. they don't eat. you heat it? result present simple I am late for work. my boss gets angry. they get hungry. does it melt?

Conditionals: Summary
Here is a chart to help you to visualize the basic English conditionals. Do not take the 50% and 10% figures too literally. They are just to help you. probability conditional example time 100 zero conditional If you heat ice, it melts. any time % 50 first conditional If it rains, I will stay at home. future % 10 second conditional If I won the lottery, I would buy a car. future % 0% third conditional If I had won the lottery, I would have bought a car. past Now check your understanding >> http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs.htm