Quick English Lessons

The Future Continuous Tense

2011-06-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

The following lesson will show you how to use the Future Continuous Tense in English.

FORMS

The Future Continuous Tense has the following forms:

Affirmative: S + SHALL/WILL + BE + V-ing
Negative: S + SHALL/WILL + NOT + BE + V-ing
Interrogative/Question: SHALL/WILL + S + BE + V-ing

USAGE

The Future Continuous Tense is used to express an action that will be in progress at a point of time in the future or that will extend over a period of time in the future.

Examples:

Will you be watching television at 8 this evening?
I shall be meeting the delegates from 9 to 11 tomorrow morning.

The Simple Future Tense

2011-06-14T10:34:00.000-07:00

The following lesson will show you how to use the Simple Future Tense in English.

FORMS

The Simple Future Tense has the following forms:

Affirmative: S + SHALL/WILL + Infinitive
Negative: S + SHALL NOT/WILL NOT + Infinitive
Interrogative/Question: SHALL/WILL + S + Infinitive

USAGE

The Simple Future Tense is used to express:

an action that will happen in the future

Examples:

You will have to answer several questions about yourself.
The test will take about sixty minutes.

an invitation or a request for permission

Examples:

Will you join us?
Shall I begin now?

NOTES

SHALL is used with the 2nd and 3rd persons and WILL is used with the 1st person to show:

determination

Example:

She shall not let anyone stop her.

a promise

Example:

I will try my best.

a threat

Example:

You shall be punished for this.

The Past Perfect Continuous Tense

2011-06-10T10:17:00.000-07:00

The following lesson will show you how to use the Past Perfect Continuous Tense in English.

FORMS

The Past Perfect Continuous Tense has the following forms:

Affirmative: S + HAD BEEN + V-ing
Negative: S + HAD NOT BEEN + V-ing
Interrogative/Question: HAD + S + BEEN + V-ing

USAGE

The Past Perfect Continuous Tense is similar in use to the Past Perfect Tense. It emphasizes the uninterrupted nature of the action.

Examples:

We had been working for five hours continuously before he arrived.
Before going to Australia to study, I had been learning English for several years.

The Past Perfect Tense

2011-06-06T04:57:00.000-07:00

The following lesson will show you how to use the Past Perfect Tense in English.

FORMS

The Past Perfect Tense has the following forms:

Affirmative: S + HAD + Past Participle
Negative: S + HAD NOT + Past Participle
Interrogative/Question: HAD + S + Past Participle

USAGE

The Past Perfect Tense is used to express:

an action that happened before another action in the past

Examples:

When the police arrived, the robbers had already escaped.
Luckily, I had hidden the book before he entered the room.

an action that happened before a point of time in the past

Examples:

We had discussed several important matters before lunch.
The manager had prepared a long report before the meeting.

The Past Continuous Tense

2011-06-02T02:07:00.000-07:00

The following lesson will show you how to use the Past Continuous Tense in English.

FORMS

The Past Continuous Tense has the following forms:

Affirmative: S + WAS/WERE + V-ing
Negative: S + WAS/WERE NOT + V-ing
Interrogative/Question: WAS/WERE + S + V-ing

USAGE

The Past Continuous Tense is used to express:

an action that was happening when another action happened in the past

Examples:

We were watching television when the phone rang.
When the revolution broke out, she was studying in Europe.

an action that was happening in parallel with another action in the past

Examples:

My mother was listening to the radio while my father was reading some newspapers.
While the children were playing outside, their parents were cooking in the kitchen.

The Simple Past Tense

2011-05-29T00:57:00.000-07:00

The following lesson will show you how to use the Simple Past Tense in English.

FORMS

The Simple Past Tense has the following forms:

Affirmative: S + V-ed
Negative: S + DID NOT + Infinitive
Interrogative/Question: DID + S + Infinitive

USAGE

The Simple Present Tense is used to express:

an action that happened at a definite point of time in the past

Examples:

I first watched this movie thirty years ago.
She started her scientific career in 1985.

an action that happened over a period of time in the past

Examples:

My brother worked as a receptionist from 1990 to 1997.
Jenny was a nurse in the army during World War II.

a habit in the past

Examples:

We often went swimming when we lived in the countryside.
His father gave him some pocket money every morning.

NOTES

The past forms of irregular verbs must be learnt by heart.

Examples:

TO RUN -> RAN
TO BUY -> BOUGHT

The construction

USED TO/WOULD + Infinitive

is also used to express a habit in the past.

Examples:

I used to read comics when I was a kid.
He would ask me to help him when he had trouble doing his homework.

The Present Perfect Continuous Tense

2011-05-25T01:14:00.000-07:00

The following lesson will show you how to use the Present Perfect Continuous Tense in English.

FORMS

The Present Perfect Continuous Tense has the following forms:

Affirmative: S + HAVE/HAS + BEEN + V-ing
Negative: S + HAVE NOT/HAS NOT + BEEN + V-ing
Interrogative/Question: HAVE/HAS + S + BEEN + V-ing

USAGE

The Present Perfect Continuous Tense is similar in use to the Present Perfect Tense. It expresses an action which began in the past but has continued up to the present and possibly to the future. The Present Perfect Continuous Tense, however, emphasizes the uninterrupted nature of the action.

Examples:

I have been learning English for five years.
He has been working very hard recently.

The Present Perfect Tense

2011-05-21T01:17:00.000-07:00

The following lesson will show you how to use the Present Perfect Tense in English.

FORMS

The Present Perfect Tense has the following forms:

Affirmative: S + HAVE/HAS + Past Participle
Negative: S + HAVE NOT/HAS NOT + Past Participle
Interrogative/Question: HAVE/HAS + S + Past Participle

USAGE

The Present Perfect Tense is used to express:

an action that began in the past and has continued to the present and possibly to the future

Examples:

I have lived in this house for twenty years.
My father has taught American literature since 1995.

an action that has happened in the past but the exact time of the action is either not known or not indicated

Examples:

I have seen that film before.
She's been to America several times.

an action that has been completed a relatively short time before the moment of speaking

Examples:

The manager has just gone out.
Tom is jealous because his friend has bought a new car.

The Present Continuous Tense

2011-05-17T01:21:00.000-07:00

The following lesson will show you how to use the Present Continuous Tense in English.

FORMS

The Present Continuous Tense has the following forms:

Affirmative: S + AM/IS/ARE + V-ing
Negative: S + AM/IS/ARE + NOT + V-ing
Interrogative/Question: AM/IS/ARE + S + V-ing

USAGE

The Present Continuous Tense is used to express:

an action that is in progress at the moment of speaking

Examples:

Be quiet! The baby is sleeping.
I'm trying to concentrate, so please don't disturb me.

an action that is in progress around the moment of speaking

Examples:

His son is studying for a degree in philosophy in the United States.
I'm reading a rather long novel by Dickens. I don't know when I can finish it.

an action that has been planned for the near future

Examples:

My father is coming to see me tomorrow.
We are having a meeting on Thursday morning.

The Simple Present Tense

2011-05-13T22:58:00.000-07:00

The following lesson will show you how to use the Simple Present Tense in English.

FORMS

The Simple Present Tense has the following forms:

Affirmative: S + V-s/es
Negative: S + DO NOT/DOES NOT + Infinitive
Interrogative/Question: DO/DOES + S + Infinitive

USAGE

The Simple Present Tense is used to express:

a habitual action in the present

Examples:

I get up at 6 o'clock every day.
He often goes swimming in the morning.

a universal truth

Examples:

Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
The Sun rises in the East and sets in the West.

NOTES

The following adverbs are usually used with the Simple Present Tense: always, usually, often, sometimes, seldom, rarely, never.