Presente simple
Estructura:
S + V +C
Estructura: 3ª persona del singular: Como regla general se añade “s” pero existen
excepciones.
Usos:
‐
‐
‐
expresar hechos o verdades generales: The Sun warms the atmosphere
para hablar de hábitos: We usually play tennis
para expresar horarior o programas: The train leaves in an hour
Reglas ortográficas para la 3ª persona del singular:
1.- Cuando el verbo acaba ya en s, o en un sonido parecido como sh, ch o x: watch ->
watches
2.- Cuando el verbo acaba en o, también se añade es: go -> goes
3.- Cuando el verbo acaba en y, y a ésta le precede una consonante, tenemos que cambiar
la y por i, para a continuación añadir es: fly -> flies
Presente continuo
Estructura:
S + Aux (to be) + VB (-ing) + C
Uso:
‐
‐
‐
Acciones que se desarrollan en el momento en el que se está hablando: I am
reading a book
Para referirnos a acciones que se vienen produciendo con cierta frecuencia:You are
always working
Cuando hablamos de una acción del futuro que ya hemos decidido que vamos a
desarrollar. I am going to Madrid next week
Negación e interrogación del presente continuo:
Negativa: S+ Aux (to be) + NOT V(-ing) +C: I am not eating now
Interrogativa: Aux (to be) + S + V (-ing) +C: Are you eating?
Pasado Simple
Estructura: S+ Vb (-ed, -2ª columna irreg) + C
Usos: ‐
‐
Para referirnos a acciones que tuvieron lugar en un momento concreto del pasado.
En este caso se utilizan partículas como yesterday o last year. We won the match
last week
Para acciones que ocurrieron en el pasado y que han finalizado, aunque no se
mencione el momento preciso. I lived in LA
Pasado Continuo
Estructura: S + Was/Were + Vb (-ing) + C
Usos:
‐
Para hablar sobre acontecimientos que estaban ocurriendo en o en torno a un
momento particular en el pasado - "I was speaking when the telephone rang."
Para indicar que algo es temporal – "I was living in Madrid."
‐
Para dar algo más de información de fondo a una historia o anécdota - "I was
‐
in London when Led Zeppelin gave their first concert in years."
Para hablar de situaciones que iban cambiando – "It was getting hotter and hotter
‐
living
El pasado continuo y verbos de estado:
Generalmente el pasado continuo no acepta los verbos de estado sin un cambio de
significado. Algunos verbos de estado son: hate, like, want, have y know. Se utilizan estos
verbos para hablar de algo que "estaba" o "no estaba", o "era" o "no era". Por ejemplo, el
"odio" se tenía o no se tenía, pero normalmente uno no puede estar "odiando". Igualmente
tampoco puede estar "gustando", "queriendo", "teniendo" o "sabiendo". En vez del pasado
continuo utilizamos el pasado simple para expresar estos estados en el pasado.
P R E S E N T
S I M P L E
a n d
C O N T I N U O U S
1. Complete the following sentences with the Present Simple or Continuous and
underline the clues in the different sentences:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
(you/like) _______________ Science? Yes, I (have) ______________ got many
books about Physics.
I (get up) ________________ at 7.15. He (attend) _____________ classes but
today he (travel) _________________ to New York.
Where is Paul? He (play)____________________ rugby with the school team now.
He (have) ________________ a match on Saturdays.
(You/watch) __________________ T.V? No, I (not/like) _____________ it.
Where (be) _______ Paul? He (study) ________________________ for the exams
in the library in this moment.
2. Present simple or continuous?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
We ___________ (use) words of Latin origin every day of our lives.
Speakers of the Romance languages _____________ (have) an enormous advantage
when they study English.
Where’s is Maria? In the library. She __________________ (study) for her English
exam.
English words that look similar to words in your own language often _____________
(have) similar meanings.
False friends look similar to words in your own language but ____________ (have)
different meanings.
Our teacher __________________ (write) a mini-dictionary of false friends.
I ________________ (read) newspapers and magazines more than novels.
At the moment I _________________(read) Animal Farm by George Orwell.
________________________ (you-learn) any foreign languages this year?
The map ______________ (show) the origins of contemporary English.
3. Complete with Present Simple or Present Continuous. You have to choose the
correct verb and tense:
a.
b.
c.
Jane sometimes _______________ TV in the evenings. (watch, look, see).
She usually _______________ to music at the weekend. (hear, listen)
Janet: Can I speak to Peter?
John: No, he _______________ lunch right now. (take, have)
d. I _______________ tennis in this moment. (play, look).
e. Mary _______________ mathematics to her class at the moment. (learn, teach,
show)
f. He never _______________ to Madrid on Sundays. (go, visit)
g. Can you _______________ that terrible noise? (listen, hear)
h. Janet: When _______________ you _______________ to the dentist John? (come,
go)
John: I _______________ him on Wednesday. (see, go)
i. It’s very dark, I _______________ not see. (do, can)
j. He can’t study English, he _______________ a lot of work. (travel, have)
k. This morning I _______________to China, but I haven’t got any money now. (go,
come)
l. He can’t study English next month, he ______________ a lot. (travel, stay)
m. Can you ______________ me, please? (help, learn)
F R E Q U E N C Y
A D V E R B S
1. Complete this exercise writing the frequency adverb in its correct place:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
My brother speaks to me (never).
Do you work in the morning (usually)?
Susan is polite (always).
I finish work at nine o’clock (usually).
You are eating sweets (always).
I don’t eat meat (often).
The bus isn’t late (rarely).
They are playing football (always).
P A S T
S I M P L E
A N D
C O N T I N U O U S
1. Simple Past or Past Continuous - A Dialog
A: Hi, Mary. I __________________ (not see) you at school last Monday.
B: Hello, Bob. I ___________ (not come) on Monday. I_______________
(not feel) well, so I _______________ (decide) to go to the doctor.
A: Oh! ______________ (be) it serious?
B: No, the doctor _______________ (examine) me and __________ (tell) me I
_____________ (have) the flu. He ______________ (prescribe) some medicine and
___________ (tell) me to go home and rest.
A: __________ you _____________ (stay) home all day last Monday?
B: No, only in the morning. I ______________ (have) to work in the afternoon, and
guess what?
A: What?
B: When a friend ___________________ (drive) me home, he _____________ (crash)
his car. He _______________ (not see) the red light.
A: __________ anyone _______________ (get) hurt?
B: Thank God, nobody ______________ (do)
A: I'm happy to hear that. Well, Mary, I have to rush now. While I __________ (listen)
to your story, I ____________ (remember) that my wife _________ (ask) me to go
to the mechanic to get our car. See you later. Take care.
B: You too. Bye
2. Put the verbs into the correct tense in these sentences.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
While I __________________ television, the telephone ________________
(watch / ring)
When the telephone ___________________. I ________________ off the
television. (ring / switch)
As I _________________to school, I _____________ my friend (go / see)
When I _______________ my friend. I ______________“Hello”. (see / say)
Casey_________________ outside the bank, when a thief _____________
out. (stand / run)
When Casey ________________the thief, he ____________“Stop thief”. (see /
shout)
3. Choose the most suitable tense.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
It started/was starting to rain, while I waited/was waiting for the bus.
When it started/was starting to rain, I put/was putting my coat on.
Peter was carrying/carried the cat, when it scratched/was scratching him.
When the cat scratched/was scratching Peter, he was falling/fell off the ladder.
When he fell/was falling, he was hurting/hurt his arm.
4. This is part of a report that a Personnel Manager wrote after interviewing a
candidate for the position of Director of Software Engineering. Put the verbs in
brackets into the Past Simple or Past Continuous tense.
Interview assessment
Articulate and well presented, Paul Sutherland was an excellent candidate for the post of
Director of Software Engineering.
He ________________ (want) to leave his employer, a small computer company,
because he _____________ (feel) that he ________________ (not use) his knowledge
of software engineering to the full. He _________________ (look for) a more
challenging position where his field of specialisation can be exploited in a more
stimulating environment. He ______________ (realise) that our company
______________ (grow) rapidly, and that he would be expected to contribute to that
growth. He is familiar with our existing range of software and regularly
_______________ (read) our publications.
Although he ________________ (live) in the south he _______________ (say) that he
is willing to go wherever we ______________ (decide) to send him. He occasionally
________________ (travel) to various European countries for trade fairs and
exhibitions and __________________ (enjoy) meeting people of different nationalities.
At that time he _________________ (attend) a training course at the Goethe Institute
in order to perfect his German.
Mr Sutherland _____________ (go away) the following day for two weeks. I suggested
that we would contact him on his return to offer him a second interview.
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