Future Continuous, Future Perfect, Future Perfect Continuous

1. You want to ask your friend to do something for you. Use the prompts below to make questions, using the future continuous.

1. You want your friend to buy you something at the supermarket. (go to) 2. You want your friend to post a letter for you. (go to) 3. You want to use your friend’s notes today? (use) 4. You want your friend to give a letter to your acquaintance? (see)

2. Complete the conversation. Use the future continuous tense and short answers where appropriate.

1. Student: (1) ________________ (you / have) office hours today? I’d like to talk to you about my term paper?

Prof. Granite: I (2) __________ (go) to lunch at two o’clock. But stop in any time before then.

2. Prof. Gupta: (3) _____________ (you / join) us for lunch? Dr. Russ from the Mars Underground is going to be there?

Prof. Granite: (4) _____________. I’ve been looking forward to meeting him.

3. Mrs. Granite: When (5) __________ (you / be going / leave) the office?

Prof. Granite: At two o’clock. Why? Do we need something?

Mrs. Granite: Would you mind picking up some salt? I forgot to put it on Robo’s list.

Prof. Granite: OK.

4. Reporter: I’m calling from the Times-Dispatch. We’ve heard that the Mars Underground (6) __________ (start) a shuttle service to Mars soon. Is that true?

Prof. Granite: I can’t comment now. But I think we (7) _____________ (be going / hear) a lot more about it in the next few weeks.

5. Prof. Granite: Dr. Ross, (8) _______________ (you / be going / make) an announcement about the Mars Shuttle soon? Everyone is very curious.

Dr. Russ: (9) __________. We’ve decided not to say anything until our plans are more developed.

3. Put the verbs in brackets into the future simple or the future continuous?

A: Shall we go to the beach today?

B: Well, I’m working in the morning, but I 1) …. (phone) you when I finish.

A: Shall we ask Ben and Linda to come with us?

B: Yes. I 2) ….. (see) Linda at work in the morning, so I 3) ….. (ask) her then.

A: If they want to come I 4) …. (pick) you up from work and we can all go together.

B: Great! Just think, we 5) ….. (swim) in the sea this time tomorrow! I can’t wait!

4. A. The people below are all friends. What do they hope they will have done by the time they are thirty years old? Using the prompts below, make sentences.

1. Sam – travel all over the world; 2. Andy – start his own business; 3. Moira – become famous; 4. Jane – make her first collection of clothes; 5. Alec – build his own business; 6. Mark – have his first exhibition.

B. The same people will be thirty-five years old in a month’s time. What will they have been doing by the end of next month? Using the prompts below, make sentences.

1. Sam / travel / ten years; 2. Andy / run / own business / eight years; 3. Moira / star in films / six years; 4. Jane / design clothes / four years; 5. Alec / build houses / ten years; 6. Ted / paint / fifteen years.

5. Choose the correct answer.

1. ‘What are you thinking about?’ ‘This time next week I …. on the beach.’

a) will have sunbathed; b) will be sunbathing; c) will have been sunbathing;

2. ‘Have you finished decorating your flat yet?’ ‘No, but I …. by Friday.’

a) will be finishing; b) will have been finishing; c) will have finished;

3. ‘Have you just moved here?’ ‘No. I …. here for two years next month.’

a) will be living; b) will have been living; c) have lived;

4. ‘….. to the supermarket today?’ ‘Yes. Do you want me to get you something?’

a) Will you have gone; b) will you have been going; c) Will you be going;

5. ‘Can you give Steve a message for me?’ ‘Certainly I …. him at work, later on today.’

a) will be seeing; b) will have seen; c) will have been seeing;

6. ‘You’ve been working hard all day.’ ‘Yes. At 3 o’clock, I …. for six hours.’

a) will be studying; b) will have been studying; c) will have studied

7. ‘Sarah has gone to the cinema to see that film again.’ ‘ I know. After this time, she …. it five times.’ a) will have seen; b) will have been seeing; c) will be seeing;

8. ‘John has an exam tomorrow, doesn’t he.’ Yes. In fact, at this time tomorrow, he …. the exam.’ a) will have been sitting; b) will be sitting; c) has sat;

9. ‘Are you typing another report?’ ‘Yes. By the time I finish this one, I …. twenty-three reports today.’ a) will have been typing; b) will have typed; c) will be typing;

10. ‘Those two people have been dancing all evening.’ ‘Yes. By 11 o’clock, they …. for four hours.’ a) will have been dancing; b) will have danced; c) will be dancing

6. Choose the correct form of the verb to complete the conversation.

A: Graduation ceremonies were this afternoon. I can’t believe this year is already over.

B: Me neither. Do you realize that in September we ’ll live /’ll have been living in this apartment for two years?

A: Amazing. And you ’ll have been studying /‘ll be studying here for four years.

B: I know. Next year at this time I’ ll have been graduating / ‘ll have graduated already.

A: So, what’ ll you be doing /’ll you have done next June? Any plans?

B: That’s easy. Next June I ’ll be looking /’ll have been looking for a job. How about you?

A: I won’t have graduated /’ll have been graduating yet. I plan to go home at the beginning of July next year, so during June, I guess I ’m going to be getting ready /’ll have got ready to travel to Greece.

B: Lucky you. Next summer you sit /’ll be sitting on beautiful beaches while I go / ‘ll go on job interviews.

A: But just think. By the time I ’ll be getting / get back, you ’ll find /’ll have found a good job. So while I’ m learning / will learn about verb tenses, you start /’ll start your career.

7. Translate into English.

1. Я певен, що він прийме участь у роботі цього семінару. 2. Не запізнюйтесь. Я буду чекати на вас у бібліотеці о 9 годині ранку. 3. Завтра у нього зустріч із клієнтом. 4. Я не знаю, коли ми зустрінемося. 5. Я розповім вам про цю справу, коли ми зустрінемося. 6. До того часу як ми повернемося, вони вже дійдуть згоди. 7. «Ви пообідаєте зі мною у понеділок?» - «Я б задоволенням, але в цей час я буду складати іспит.» 8. Коли пролунає дзвоник, вона закінчить доповідь, головне вона вже скаже. 9. Він каже, що до того часу як ми прийдемо, вони будуть працювати над справою вже кілька годин. 10. Ми зустрічаємо делегацію на вокзалі завтра вранці. 11. Вона розуміє, що до кінця року вона буде жити повністю на гроші, взяті у борг, вже кілька місяців. 12. Це правда, що ти одружуєшся наступного тижня? 13. «Ви підете до стоматолога сьогодні? – «Так, а що?» - «Не могли б ви записати мене?» 14. В суботу мені 20 років, тому у мене буде вечірка. Ви прийдете? 15. За прогнозом погоди завтра буде дощ зі снігом. 16. «Мій брат наступного року буде у дев’ятому класі». – «Значить, моя мама буде викладати йому англійську».

Grammar Revision

1. Make sentences beginning with the following opening words. Use appropriate adverbial modifier or adverbial clause.

1. I work …. 2. I am working ….. 3. I have worked ….. 4. I have been working ….. 5. I worked …. 6. I was working …. 7. I had worked ….. 8. I had been working …. 9. Perhaps I’ll work ….. 10. I’ll be working …. 11. I’ll have worked …... 12. I’ll have been working …..

2. Complete the following sentences with the verb to discuss in an appropriate form.

1. We … different laws every day. 2. We … the new law at the present moment. 3. We … the new law for an hour. 4. We … this law last week. 5. We … the new criminal code when you came into the classroom. 6. We … a number of laws this month. 7. We … this law for half an hour when you came into the classroom. 8. We … already … that law when you came into the classroom. 9. I think we … these laws very soon. 10. We … the new Civil Code by the end of the term. 11. We … the new legislation on education at this time tomorrow. 12. We … the Court System of Ukraine for six months by the end of the term.

3. Choose the correct form of the verb without translating the sentences.

1. Ми складаємо іспити двічі на рік. a) take; b) are taking; c) have been taking;

2. Я навчаюсь в університеті вже кілька місяців. a) am studying; b) have been studying; c) study;

3. Я закінчив школу минулого року. a) left; b) have left; c) had left;

4. Минулого року в цей час я складав іспити. a) took; b) had been taking; c) was taking;

5. Перед тим як вступити до університету, я працювала секретарем. a) worked; b) had worked; c) was worked;

6. Я вже написала курсову роботу з міжнародного приватного права. a) wrote; b) was writing; c) have written;

7. У кінці кожного семестру вони будуть складати кілька іспитів та заліків. а) will take; b) will be taking; c) will have taken;

8. Він напише доповідь до першого грудня. a) will write; b) will be writing; c) will have written;

9. Зараз я пишу тест з граматики англійської мови. a) write; b) am writing; c) have been writing;

10. Я вивчала англійську мову протягом десяти років, перед тим як я вступила до університету. а) have been studying; b) have studied; c) had been studying.

4. Translate into English.

A. 1. Я займаюся кожного дня. 2. Я займаюся. Не заважай. 3. Я займаюся вже дві години. 4. Я вже вивчила цей матеріал сьогодні. 5. Я займалася вчора. 6. Я вже вивчила перший урок, перед тим як я почала вчити другий. 7. Я вже займалася дві години, коли ти прийшов. 8. Я займалася, коли ти прийшов. 9. Я буду займатися вже дві години, коли ти прийдеш. 10. Я буду, можливо, займатися завтра. 11. Я буду займатися, коли ти прийдеш. 12. Я вже вивчу перший урок, перед тим як почну другий.

Б.

1. Я готуюсь до семінару	- зараз. - вже 20 хвилин. - кожен день.	4. Я підготуюсь до семінару	-мабуть, завтра. - завтра до 3 години. - до того, як вона прийде.
2. Я підготувався до семінару	- вчора. - вчора до 7 години. - до того, як вона повернулася. - коли він прийшов. - сьогодні. - цього тижня. - минулого тижня.	5. Я буду готуватися до семінару	- коли вона прийде. - о 10-й годині ранку. - вже годину, коли ви прийдете.
3. Я готувалася до семінару	- вчора, коли ти телефонував. - вчора вже дві години, коли ти прийшов. - вчора о 8 вечора. - доки вона дивилася телевізор.

В. 1. Вода перетворюється на лід, коли температура падає нижче нуля. 2. Ви ще будете працювати, коли я повернуся. 3. Лекція ще не почалася, і студенти розмовляли та сміялися. 4. Як довго ви знаєте один одного. 5. Я не можу сказати, коли ми повернемося, але коли ми повернемося, я одразу зателефоную тобі. 6. Я не знав, що ви чекали мене. 7. Після того, як він прочитав цю книгу, він сказав своїм друзям, що не читав кращої. 8. Я дуже рада, що ви прийшли. Ви завжди приносите гарні новини. 9. Він, як завжди, читав газету, коли почув дзвоник. 10. Ви все зробимо до вашого приходу: ми відправимо факси та підготуємо документи. 11. Що ти шукаєш? – Я загубив ключі і хочу знайти їх до того, як стемніє. 12. Ми не зможемо вирішити це питання, доки не поговоримо з деканом. 13. Я сподіваюсь, він напише курсову до кінця місяця. 14. Я не знаю, чи доведеться мені працювати завтра. 15 Вони працюють з ранку? – Так, вони вже зробили майже все, що планували. 16. Він запитав, скільки іноземних мов я вивчав в університеті, та чи збираюсь я вчити ще якусь іноземну мову. 17. Я чув, що він пише дисертацію, і що він вже написав першу главу. 18. Я поцікавився, що вплинуло на його думку. 19. Поліція вже заарештувала підозрюваного (suspect), вони обвинувачують його у вбивстві.

 

Grammar Supplement

1. Study the following information.

NOUNS

· Nouns can be abstract (love, freedom, etc.), proper (John, Asia, etc.), or common (chair, table, dress, girl, etc.).

· Most nouns that refer to jobs, social status, etc. have the same form for men (masculine) and women (feminine) e.g. doctor, teacher, etc. When we refer to ships, vehicles (when regarded with affection and respect) and countries, we consider them feminine.

· Other have different forms:

actor – actress	king - queen
bachelor - spinster	lion - lioness
barman – barmaid	monk - nun
conductor – conductress	nephew – niece
(bride)groom – bride	prince - princess
dog – bitch	policeman – policewoman
duke – duchess	ram – ewe [ju:]
emperor –empress	stallion - mare
heir – heiress	tiger - tigress
gentleman – lady	uncle – aunt
hero – heroine	waiter - waitress
host – hostess	widower - widow

· Nouns can be countable (those that can be counted) e.g. 1 book – 2 books or uncountable (those that can’t be counted) e.g. bread, furniture.

· Countable nouns have singular and plural forms. Nouns are made plural by adding:

- -s to the nouns (cat - cats);

- -es to the nouns ending in –ch, -s, -sh, -ss, -x (torch – torches, bus –buses, bush – bushes, glass – glasses, box - boxes);

- -ies to the nouns ending in consonant + y (baby – babies, lady – ladies, etc), but –s to the nouns ending in vowel + y (day – days, boy – boys, etc.);

- -es to the nouns ending in –o (tomato - tomatoes), BUT: -s to the nouns ending in: vowel + o (video – videos); double o (zoo - zoos); abbreviations (photograph/photo -photos); musical instruments (piano -pianos) and proper nouns. Note that some nouns can end both in –s and –es: buffalos / buffaloes; mosquitos / mosquitoes; volcanos / volcanoes; zeros / zeroes; tornado / tornadoes, etc.

- -ves to some nouns ending in –f/fe (self – selves, wife - wives); BUT: chiefs, cliffs, roofs, safes.

· Composed nouns are nouns that are made of two or more parts and are formed as follows:

- noun + noun. The plural is formed by adding –s/-es to the second noun (schoolboy – schoolboys, ticket inspector – ticket inspectors);

- -ing form / adjective + noun. The plural is formed by adding –s / -es to the noun (swimming pool – swimming pools, greenhouse - greenhouses);

- noun + in-law. The plural is formed by adding – s / -es to the noun (sister-in-law – sisters-in-law);

- noun + adverb. The plural is formed by adding –s / -es to the noun (runner-up – runners-up);

- verb + adverb particle. The plural form is formed by adding –s / es to the word (breakthrough - breakthroughs).

· Irregular Plurals: man – men, woman – women, foot – feet, tooth –teeth, louse – lice, mouse – mice, child – children, goose – geese, person – people (But: peoples = ethnic groups), ox – oxen, sheep – sheep, deer – deer, fish – fish (also: fishes), trout – trout, salmon – salmon, spacecraft – spacecraft, aircraft – aircraft, species – species, hovercraft – hovercraft.

· Some nouns of Greek and Latin origin form their plural by adding Greek or Latin suffixes (basis – bases, crisis – crises, criterion – criteria, medium – media, terminus – termini, etc.).

· Plural Nouns are the nouns that can be used only in the plural form:

- objects consisting of two parts: garments (pajamas, trousers), instruments (binoculars), tools (pliers, scissors);

- arms, ashes, barracks, clothes, congratulations, earrings, (good) looks, outskirts, people, police, premises, riches, stairs, surroundings, wages (Where are my clothes?)

- Group nouns (army, audience, class, club, committee, company, council, crew, headquarter, family, jury, government, press, public, staff, team, etc.) can take either a singular or a plural verb depending on whether we see the group as a whole or as individuals. (The team was chosen as the most promising. The team were given bonuses for their performance.)

· Uncountable nouns take a singular verb and are not used with a / an. Some, any, much, no can be used with them (e.g. Milk comes from cows. I need some food.)

· Uncountable nouns are:

- mass nouns (fluids, solids, food, gases, particles) beer, blood, bread, air, oxygen, corn, flour, etc;

- subjects of study: accountancy, chemistry, economics, history, literature, mathematics, physics, etc;

- languages: Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, etc;

- sports: baseball, billiards, cricket, cycling, darts, football, etc.;

- diseases: chickenpox, flu, measles, mumps, pneumonia, tuberculoses, etc;

- natural phenomena: darkness, fog, gravity, hail, snow, sunlight, etc;

- some other nouns: accommodation, advice, anger, applause, assistance, behaviour, business, chaos, countryside, courage, dirt, education, equipment, evidence, fun, hair, homework, housework, information, intelligence, knowledge, luck, music, news, peace, progress, research, seaside, shopping, traffic, truth, wealth, weather, work, etc.

- collective nouns: baggage, crockery, cutlery, furniture, jewellery, litter, luggage, machinery, money, rubbish, stationary.

Note 1. with expressions of duration, distance or money meaning ‘a whole amount’ we use a singular verb (Five thousand pounds was too much to lose in a casino.)

Note 2. We use a / an, one, two etc. with uncountable nouns such as coffee, tea, beer, etc. when we order something in a restaurant, cafe, etc. (We’ll have three beers, please.)

· Many uncountable nouns can be made countable: a piece of advice / cake / furniture / information / paper; a glass / bottle of beer / water / wine; a jar of jam; a rasher of bacon; a pint of beer; a sheet of paper; a packet of tea; a slice / loaf of bread; a pot / cup of tea; a tube of toothpaste; a bar of chocolate; a bit / piece of chalk; an ice cube; a lump of sugar; a bag of flour; a pair of trousers; a game of chess; an item / piece of news; a drop / can of oil; a can of Coke; a carton of milk, etc.

· Some nouns can be used as countable or uncountable with a difference in meaning.

- Would you like a glass of lemonade? - Tina can’t see without her glasses. (spectacles) - The vase is made of glass. (material)

- He went to the newsagent’s to buy a paper. (newspaper) - He wrote my phone number on a piece of paper. (material) - Don’t forget to bring all necessary papers. (documents)

- Susan has got short, dark hair. (all the hair on her head) - There’s a hair in my soup!

- I’ve bought an iron as a wedding gift for Tom and Jane. (for ironing clothes) - The fence is made of iron. (material)

- You shouldn’t eat too much chocolate. - We gave her a box of chocolates. (chocolate sweets)

- The room is a mess! - We haven’t got enough room to put you up. (space)

- The table is made of wood. (material) - A lot of wolves live in the woods. (forest)

- Mr. Davis has a lot of experience in accounting. (length of time doing it) - He had a few of unpleasant experiences while living abroad. (events)

- I haven’t got any time to lose. - How many times did Tom phone? (occasions)

 

TYPES OF QUESTIONS

1. General questions require Yes / No answers and begin with an auxiliary or modal verb (is, are, do does, can, may, etc.) which is followed by the subject. E.g. Are you a student? – Yes, I am. Can you speak English? – Yes, I can.

2. Special questions can be divided into three groups:

A) Wh-questions begin with a question word such as what, who, where, when, why, etc. Then we put the auxiliary or modal verb before the subject.

question word

auxiliary/modal

subject

notional verb

E.g. What are you looking for? – My notes. Who do you want to see? – The manager.

B) Questions to the group of subject begin with a question word such as which, what, whose, how many / much, then we put the subject and predicate in the corresponding form.

E.g. 2000 students study here. – How many students study here?

My father is a lawyer. – Whose father is a lawyer?

Criminal law is my favourite subject. – Which law is your favourite subject?

C) Subject questions are questions we ask when we want to know who performs the action. These questions usually begin with the words who, what or which of.

subject	verb	object
My friend	knows	English.
Who	knows	English?

3. Question tags are short questions at the end of statements. They are used in speech when we want to confirm something or when we want to find out is something is true or not. We form them with the help of the auxiliary from the main sentence and the appropriate subject pronoun.

E.g. Tom is a student, isn’t he?

She can’t drive, can she?

She likes dancing, doesn’t she?

They won the prize, didn’t they?

Note. Some verbs / expressions form question tags differently. Study the following examples:

I am → aren’t I?	I am busy, aren’t I?
Imperative → will / won’t you?	Stop talking, will / won’t you?
Don’t → will you?	Don’t talk, will you?
Let’s → shall we?	Let’s go out, shall we?
I have (got) → haven’t I? (= I possess)	He has got a car, hasn’t he?
I have → don’t I? (other meanings)	You have lunch at 3 o’clock, don’t you?
There is/are → isn’t/aren’t there?	There is a book on the desk, isn’t there?
This/That is → isn’t it?	This is her book, isn’t it?

 

THE VERB

Tenses in the Active Voice

Present Simple & Present Continuous

Present Simple and Present ContinuousThe Present Simple is used: · for permanent states, repeated actions and daily routines. E.g. He works at a law office. He prepares legal documents · for general truths and laws of nature. E.g. It rarely rains in deserts. · for timetables (trains, planes, etc.) and programmes. E.g. The planes to London take off at 6 am. · For sports commentaries, reviews and narration. E.g. He kicks the ball and passes it to Dawson. Time expressions: always, usually, often, seldom / rarely, sometimes, never, every day/week, etc., in the morning / afternoon / evening, at night / the weekend, etc.

The Present Continuous is used: · for actions taking place now, at the moment of speaking, or for temporary actions; for actions that are going on around now, but not at the actual moment of speaking. E.g. She is working hard these days. Right now she is reading her text-book. · with always, constantly, forever, continually to express our irritation at actions which happen too often. E.g. You are always forgetting to do your homework. · for actions that we have already arranged to do in the near future, especially when the time and place have already decided. E.g. He is meeting his client at 3pm. · for changing or developing situations. E.g. More and more forests are disappearing because of fires. Time expressions: now, at the moment, at present, these days, tonight, nowadays, still, etc.

State Verbs

State verbs are verbs, which do not normally have continuous tenses because they describe a state rather than an action. These include:

· verbs that express likes and dislikes: like, love, hate, prefer, enjoy, adore, etc.;

· verbs of mental perception: believe, know, remember, forget, recognize, understand, realize, seem, think, etc.

· verbs of sense perception: see, hear, feel, taste, look, smell, sound.

· some other verbs: be contain, fit, include, matter, need, belong cost, owe, own, appear (=seem), want, have (=possess), etc.

Some state verbs have continuous tenses, but there is a difference in meaning. Study the following examples:

1. I think he’s lying. (= believe)	I’m thinking about the plan. (= am considering)
2. The food tastes delicious. (= has a delicious flavour)	He is tasting the food. (= is trying)
3. I see some people. (= perceive with my eyes)	I’m seeing my lawyer tomorrow. (= am meeting)
4. It looks as if they’ve finished the job. (= seem)	She is looking out of the window.
5. The perfume smells nice. (= has a nice smell)	He is smelling the milk. (= is sniffing)
6. The baby’s hair feels like silk. (has the texture of)	She is feeling the baby’s forehead. (= is touching)
7. He has a car. (= possesses)	He’s having lunch. (= eating)
8. The baby weighs 3 kilos. (has a weight of)	She is weighing the baby. (= is measuring how heavy it is)
9. This dress fits you perfectly. (= it’s the right size)	We’re fitting new locks. (= are putting in)
10. He appears to be nervous. (=seems)	He is appearing in a new play. (= is taking part)
11. He is a rude person. (= character – permanent state)	He is beingrude. (= behaviour – temporary situation)

Note. a) The verb enjoy can be used in continuous tenses to express specific preference. E.g. I’ m enjoying this party a lot. But: I enjoy going to parties.

b) The verbs look (when we refer to a person’s appearance), feel (experience a particular emotion), hurt and ache can be used in either the continuous or simple tenses with no difference in meaning. E.g. You look / are looking great today.

PRESENT PERFERCT & PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

1. Study the following information:

The Present Perfect is used for an action: · which happened at an unstated time in the past. The exact time is not mentioned, because it is either unknown or unimportant. The emphasis is on the action. E.g. I have read this book. · which has recently finished and whose result is visible in the present. E.g. Shehas broken her leg. (Her leg is in plaster.) · which started in the past and continues up to the present, especially with state verbs such as be, have, like, know, etc. In this case we often use for, since and how long. E.g. I have been in the University since 8 o’clock in the morning · which has happened within a specific time period that is not over at the moment of speaking. We often use words and expressions such as today, this morning / evening / week / month, etc. E.g. Ihaven’t seen him today. (The time period – today – isn’t over yet. I may see him later.) BUT: I saw him yesterday. (The time period – yesterday – is over.) · We use the present perfect to announce a piece of news and the past simple or continuous to give more details about it. E.g. The police havefinallyarrested Peter Duncan. He was trying to leave the country when they caught him. The present perfect is used with the following time expressions: for, since, already, yet, always, just, ever, never, so far, today, this week / month, how long, recently, lately, still (in negations), etc.

The Present Perfect Continuous is used: · to put emphasis on the duration of an action that started in the past and continues up to the present, especially with the time expressions such as since, for, all morning / day / year, etc. how long. E.g. I have been doing my homework for three hours. · for an action that started in the past and lasted some time. The action may have finished or may still be going on. The result of the action is visible in the present. E.g. She feels tired. She has been working (all morning). · to express anger irritation or annoyance. E.g. Somebody has been giving away our plans. (The speaker is irritated.) · With the verbs live, work, teach and feel we can use the present perfect or present perfect continuous with no difference in meaning. E.g. We have lived / have been living here for twenty years. The present perfect continuous is used with the following time expressions: for, since, how long, lately, recently, all day / morning, etc.

 

PAST SIMPLE & PAST CONTINUOUS

The past simple is used: for an action which happened at a definite time in the past. The time is stated, already known or implied. E.g. They spent their holidays in Switzerland. They had a great time. for actions which happened immediately one after the other in the past. E.g. First, he readthe message, then he called his boss. for past habits or states which are now finished. In such cases we can use the expressions used to and would (only for past actions). E.g. People traveled / used to travel / would travel by carriage in those days. to talk about the lives of people who are no longer alive. E.g. Marilyn Monroe starred in a number of successful films. The past simple is used with the following time expressions: yesterday, last night / week / month, etc., two days / weeks ago, then, the other day, When..? How long ago…?, in 1992 / 1845, etc.

The past continuous is used: for an action which was in progress at a stated time in the past. We do not mention when the action started or finished. E.g. At three o’clock we were discussing this problem. 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). E.g. He was walking when he met his friend. for two or more simultaneous actions. E.g. They were making notes while he was making the report. to describe the atmosphere, the setting, etc. in the introduction to a story before we describe the main events. E.g. We were riding through the forest. The sun was shining and birds were singing. The past continuous is used with the following time expressions: when, while, as, all day / night / morning, at.. o’clock, etc.

 

Used to / Would

• We use used to to refer to past habits or states. In such cases, used to can be replaced by the past simple with no difference in meaning. E.g. He used to go out a lot when he was younger. / He went out a lot when he was younger. (But now he doesn’t) She used to be angry when she was single. / She was angry when she was single. (But now she isn’t.)
• We use would to refer to past habits but not to states. E.g. He would smoke many years ago. / He used to smoke many years ago.