Present simple/continuous Past simple/continuous
- 1. PRESENT SIMPLE I am very happy today. I work at a fire station. We don't play basketball on Monday. She isn't in the office this morning. The children aren’t happy today. Do you fancy coming to school with me? Is Mary a shop assistant? Who writes the news at the weekend? PRESENT CONTINUOUS Tom is writing a letter at the moment. You are working hard today. Susan isn’t coming to school this morning. Are they walking to school now? Who is knocking on the door? PAST SIMPLE I was very happy yesterday. I worked at a fire station when I was 24. We didn't play basketball last Monday. She wasn’t in the office yesterday morning. Did you enjoy coming to school with me on Tuesday? Was Mary a shop assistant five years ago? Who wrote the news last weekend? PAST CONTINUOUS Tom was writing a letter at 7 o’clock this morning. You were working hard yesterday while I was watching TV. Susan wasn’t coming to school on Tuesday 4.30 in the afternoon. Were they walking to school yesterday when we saw them?
- 2. PRESENT SIMPLE Routines, habits : I usually watch TV in the evening. Facts that are always true : The sun rises in the east. Thoughts and feelings : I don’t understand. Schedules: The train leaves at 5 p.m.
- 3. PRESENT CONTINUOUS Things happening at the moment of speaking: You aren’t listening to me! Temporary actions: Ellen is coming to school by car this week. Future plans: I am going to London next week.
- 4. PAST SIMPLE Actions that took place in a finished moment in the past : My daughter didn’t sleep well last night. Actions that happened one after the other in the past: I arrived at school, I opened the door of my classroom and I went in without a word.
- 5. PAST CONTINUOUS To describe an action taking place at a given time in the past: This time yesterday my dog was barking in the garden. To describe an action taking place when another one happened: My father was cooking dinner when the phone rang.
Editor's Notes
- #4: em