As for all languages, studying the English language means studying some basic grammar rules. On this page you can find videos providing a short explanation of the most important rules.
- the present tenses: when to use a present simple or continuous and how to form these tenses
- the past tenses: when and how to use a past simple of continuous
1. The present tenses
Although both tenses are used to talk about the present, there is a clear difference between the two.
A present simple is used to talk about things that happen regularly: a habit, a job or a general truth (something that is always true).
Eg: ‘I am a teacher: I teach history.’ – present simple: this teacher says that in the present, his/her job is teaching.That doesn’t mean that the teaching is happening at this moment.
The present simple is formed like this: subject + bare infinitive (= INF without ’to’)
! Pay attention to the third person singular!
| + | – | ? |
|---|---|---|
| I work | I do not work | Do I work? |
| you work | you do not work | Do you work? |
| he/she/it works | he/she/it does not work | Does he/she/it work? |
| we work | we do not work | Do we work? |
| you work | you do not work | Do you work? |
| they work | they do not work | Do they work? |
A present continuous is used to talk about things that are going on right now.
Eg: ‘I can’t answer my phone right now: I am teaching.’ – present continuous: this person cannot answer the phone, because he/she is in the middle of teaching right now. That doesn’t mean that teaching is his/her job or habit (maybe it is just a one time thing), but the action of teaching is going on right this very moment.
The present continuous is formed like this: subject + present simple of ’to be’ + ING-from (= gerund)
| + | – | ? |
|---|---|---|
| I am working | I am not working | Am I working? |
| you are working | you are not working | Are you working? |
| he/she/it is working | he/she/it is not working | Is he/she/it working? |
| we are working | we are not working | Are we working? |
| you are working | you are not working | Are you working? |
| they are working | they are not working | Are they working? |
2. The past tenses
Both tenses are used to talk about a period that is completely over at the moment of speaking – the past. However, in the past simple the emphasis is on the action itself, while the past continuous stresses the duration of the action.