Future tenses

 Simple Future

Simple Future has two different forms in English: “will” and “be going to.” Although the two forms can sometimes be used interchangeably, they often express two very different meanings. These different meanings might seem too abstract at first, but with time and practice, the differences will become clear. Both “will” and “be going to” refer to a specific time in the future.

FORM Will

[will + verb]

Examples:

• You will help him later.
• Will you help him later?
• You will not help him later.

FORM Be Going To

[am/is/are + going to + verb]

Examples:

• You are going to meet Jane tonight.
• Are you going to meet Jane tonight?
• You are not going to meet Jane tonight.

Complete List of Simple Future Forms

USE 1 “Will” to Express a Voluntary Action

“Will” often suggests that a speaker will do something voluntarily. A voluntary action is one the speaker offers to do for someone else. Often, we use “will” to respond to someone else’s complaint or request for help. We also use “will” when we request that someone help us or volunteer to do something for us. Similarly, we use “will not” or “won’t” when we refuse to voluntarily do something.

Examples:

• I will send you the information when I get it.
• I will translate the email, so Mr. Smith can read it.
• Will you help me move this heavy table?
• Will you make dinner?
• I will not do your homework for you.
• I won’t do all the housework myself!
• A: I’m really hungry.
  B: I‘ll make some sandwiches.
• A: I’m so tired. I’m about to fall asleep.
  B: I‘ll get you some coffee.
• A: The phone is ringing.
  B: I‘ll get it.

USE 2 “Will” to Express a Promise

“Will” is usually used in promises.

Examples:

• I will call you when I arrive.
• If I am elected President of the United States, I will make sure everyone has access to inexpensive health insurance.
• I promise I will not tell him about the surprise party.
• Don’t worry, I‘ll be careful.
• I won’t tell anyone your secret.

USE 3 “Be going to” to Express a Plan

“Be going to” expresses that something is a plan. It expresses the idea that a person intends to do something in the future. It does not matter whether the plan is realistic or not.

Examples:

• He is going to spend his vacation in Hawaii.
• She is not going to spend her vacation in Hawaii.
• A: When are we going to meet each other tonight?
  B: We are going to meet at 6 PM.
• I‘m going to be an actor when I grow up.
• Michelle is going to begin medical school next year.
• They are going to drive all the way to Alaska.
• Who are you going to invite to the party?
• A: Who is going to make John’s birthday cake?
  B: Sue is going to make John’s birthday cake.

USE 4 “Will” or “Be Going to” to Express a Prediction

Both “will” and “be going to” can express the idea of a general prediction about the future. Predictions are guesses about what might happen in the future. In “prediction” sentences, the subject usually has little control over the future and therefore USES 1-3 do not apply. In the following examples, there is no difference in meaning.

Examples:

• The year 2222 will be a very interesting year.
• The year 2222 is going to be a very interesting year.

• John Smith will be the next President.
• John Smith is going to be the next President.

• The movie “Zenith” will win several Academy Awards.
• The movie “Zenith” is going to win several Academy Awards.

Simple present

We sometimes use the simple present form to discuss future events. Especially when talking about official events that happen at a set time such as timetables, meetings, itineraries, programmes etc.
For example:
Q) “What time does the train leave?” A) “It leaves at 17.30.”
Q) “What time does the meeting begin tomorrow?” A) “It begins at 8.00am.”
Q) “What time do you arrive at the airport tomorrow?” A) “I arrive at 6.30pm.”

Using the present continuous for the future

The future continuous tense is the present continuous tense recycled. It is often used to ask about and discuss future arrangements or plans with just the addition of a future time, but you only use it when these arrangements are certain.
For example:
Q) What are you doing next week?” A) “I’m working.”
Q) What’s he doing tomorrow?” A) “He’s playing tennis.”
The present continuous tense is also used to talk about and make future appointments and arrangements using the words go or come….
For example:
Q) When are you coming to see me?” A) “Next week.”
Q) What are you doing tomorrow?” A) “I’m going to the dentist.”
…and using verbs of arrival and departure.
“We’re arriving in London at 2.30.”
“The train leaving from platform one is the 2.45 to Edinburgh.”

The Future Continuous (will be doing)

The use of ‘will be doing’ in a sentence is often referred to as the future continuous. It is used to talk about activities that will be happening at a particular time or over a particular time in the future.
For example:
Next week we will be having a party. Can you come?
You can also use it (or the present continuous form) to talk about future plans.
For example:
We will be leaving here at 7.30pm.

 Future Perfect

Discussing the future using the present perfect simple form

You can use the present perfect simple form to say that something will have happened by a certain time in the future.
“This time next year I will have finished my exams.”

IMPORTANT

In the Simple Future, it is not always clear which USE the speaker has in mind. Often, there is more than one way to interpret a sentence’s meaning.

No Future in Time Clauses

Like all future forms, the Simple Future cannot be used in clauses beginning with time expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc. Instead of Simple Future, Simple Present is used.

Examples:

• When you will arrive tonight, we will go out for dinner. Not Correct
• When you arrive tonight, we will go out for dinner. Correct

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/simplefuture.html

http://www.englishtenses.com/future_tenses

http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/tensetext.htm

EXERCISES

Will/Be going to

Will/be going to 2

Will/be going to 3

Simple present/will

Simple present/will 2

Will/Future continuous (will be + vb ing)

Present simple/present continuous/will/will be + vb ing

Will/Will have +vb -ed or 3rd

Mixed future tenses

Will/will be + vb ing

 WILL versus BE GOING TO

PRESENT CONTINUOUS versus BE GOING TO

FUTURE CONTINUOUS versus FUTURE PERFECT

  VIDEO (classes)

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/

QUIZZES (classes)

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/grammar-reference/future-plans

Mixed tenses exercises

Here you have lots of verb tenses exercises to practise at home in a fun way on Internet. You can also check your results after finishing each exercise.

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs30finaltest.htm

http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=8409

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/tenses/mix2.htm

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises_list/mix.htm

http://www.english-4u.de/tenses_exercises.html

http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-exercise-tenses.php

http://www.agendaweb.org/verbs/mixed_tenses-exercises.html

http://www.grammarbank.com/verb-tenses-exercise.html

http://www.english-grammar.at/online_exercises/tenses/tenses_index.htm

http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/mixing-verb-tenses

http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/mixed-verb-tenses5.html

http://www.e-grammar.org/test-your-english/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKfZTXh3kco

 

Past Perfect simple and past perfect continuous

PAST PERFECT SIMPLE and PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Past perfect simple

Form:

 Positive                   Negative                   Question

I had spoken.     I had not spoken.        Had I spoken?

Use of Past Perfect

 

• action taking place before a certain time in the past
  (putting emphasis only on the fact, not the duration)Example: Before I came here, I had spoken to Jack.
• Conditional Sentences Type III (condition that was not given in the past)Example: If I had seen him, I would have talked to him.

Past perfect continuous

The past perfect progressive puts emphasis on the course or duration of an action taking place before a certain time in the past.

Form

• A: He had been talking.
• N: He had not been talking.
• Q: Had he been talking?

Use

• action taking place before a certain time in the past
• sometimes interchangeable with past perfect simple
• puts emphasis on the course or duration of an action

Español

PAST PERFECT SIMPLE

Es el pasado del pasado. Se usa para hablar de una acción pasada que ocurrió antes que otra también pasada: “The train had alredy left when they got to the station”. (“El tren ya se había ido cuando llegaron a la estación”). El verbo de la primera acción estará en “past perfect”, el de la segunda, en “past simple”.

También se emplea con el adverbio “just” para expresar acciones que acaban de ocurrir: “When my mother phoned, the children had just gone to bed” (“Cuando llamó mi madre, los niños se acababan de acostar”).

La fórmula para su construcción es “Pasado del verbo TO HAVE + Participio del verbo principal”: “I had lived there” (“yo había vivido allí”).     

  

La forma negative se construye poniendo la partícula “not” tras el verbo auxiliar “had”. Ambas pueden contraerse: “hadn’t”. Ejemplo: I hadn’t been in New Cork” (“Yo no había estado en Nueva York”).

Para la interrogativa, se cambian de sitio el pasado de “Have” (“had”) y el sujeto, situándose aquél en primer lugar de la oración: “Had you been in New York?” (“¿Habías estado tú en Nueva York?”).

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Se usa para subrayar la duración de una acción que ocurrió en el pasado antes que otra.

Ejemplo: “He was so dirty because he had been cleaning the chimney” (“Estaba tan sucio porque había estado limpiando la chimenea”).

Su fórmula es: pasado simple del verbo auxiliar “to have” (“had”) + participio del verbo “to be” (“been”) + forma del gerundio del verbo principal (-ing). Ejemplo: “He had been watching the televisión” (“Él había estado viendo la televisión”).

Las oraciones negativas se forman poniendo “not” entre “had” y “been”: “She hadn’t been sleeping well” (“Ella no había estado durmiendo bien”).

Para la interrogativa, el auxiliar “had” se antepone al sujeto: “Had we been visiting our grandfather regularly?” (“¿Hemos estado nosotros visitando regularmente a nuestro abuelo?”).

Exercises:

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/past-perfect-progressive/exercises

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/tests/past-perfect-simple-1

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/tests/past-perfect-simple-2

Difference between past simple and past perfect:

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simpas-pasper/tests?test1

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simpas-pasper/tests?test2

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simpas-pasper/exercises

http://www.ego4u.com/en/read-on/countries/usa/tour/orlando

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simpas-pasper/exercises?ex05

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simpas-pasper/exercises?ex06

 

Present perfect simple and present perfect continuous

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE and PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Form:

Present Perfect Simple	Present Perfect Progressive
irregular verbs: form of ‘have’ + 3rd column of irregular verbs Example: I / you / we / they have spoken he / she / it has spoken regular verbs: form of ‘have’ + infinitive + ed Example: I / you / we / they have worked he / she / it has worked	form of ‘have’ + been + verb + ing Example: I / you / we / they have been speaking he / she / it has been speaking
Exceptions
Exceptions when adding ‘ed’ : when the final letter is e, only add d Example: love – loved after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled Example: admit – admitted final l is always doubled in British English (not in American English) Example: travel – travelled after a consonant, final y becomes i (but: not after a vowel) Example: worry – worried but: play – played	Exceptions when adding ‘ing’ : silent e is dropped. (but: does not apply for -ee) Example: come – coming aber: agree – agreeing after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled Example: sit – sitting after a vowel, the final consonant l is doubled in British English (but not in American English). Example: travel – travelling final ie becomes y. Example: lie – lying

USE:

Both tenses are used to express that an action began in the past and is still going on or has just finished. In many cases, both forms are correct, but there is often a difference in meaning: We use the Present Perfect Simple mainly to express that an action is completed or to emphasise the result. We use the Present Perfect Progressive to emphasise the duration or continuous course of an action.

Present Perfect Simple	Present Perfect Progressive
Result (what / how much / how often) I have written 5 letters. / I have been to London twice.	Duration (how long) I have been writing for an hour.

 

Present Perfect Simple	Present Perfect Progressive
Emphasis on completion I have done my homework. (Meaning: My homework is completed now.)	Emphasis on duration I have been doing my homework. (Meaning: That’s how I have spent my time. It does not matter whether the homework is completed now.)

Present Perfect Simple	Present Perfect Progressive
desired result I have washed the car. (Result: The car is clean now.)	unwanted side effect Why are you so wet? – I have been washing the car. (side effect: I became wet when I was washing the car. It does not matter whether the car is clean now.)

 

Present Perfect Simple	Present Perfect Progressive
since the last time I haven’t played that game for years. (Meaning: It’s years ago that I last played that game.)	since the beginning I haven’t been playing that game for an hour, only for 10 minutes. (Meaning: It’s not even an hour ago that I started to play that game.)

 

Present Perfect Simple	Present Perfect Progressive
permanent James has lived in this town for 10 years. (Meaning: He is a permanent resident of this town.)	temporary James has been living here for a year. (Meaning: This situation is only temporary. Maybe he is an exchange student and only here for one or two years.)

Exercises:

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/prepersim-preperpro/exercises

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/prepersim-preperpro/exercises?ex03

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/prepersim-preperpro/exercises?ex04

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/prepersim-preperpro/exercises?ex06

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/prepersim-preperpro/exercises?ex08

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/prepersim-preperpro/exercises?ex10

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/prepersim-preperpro/tests?test1

Past Simple and Past Continuous

PAST SIMPLE and PAST CONTINUOS

 

FORM:

Simple Past	Past Progressive
irregular verbs: see 2nd column of irregular verbs I spoke regular verbs: verb + ed I worked	past form of ‘be’ + ing form of verb I was speaking you were speaking he / she / it was speaking we were speaking they were speaking
Exceptions
Exceptions when adding ‘ed’ : when the final letter is e, only add d. Example: love – loved after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled Example: admit – admitted final l is always doubled in British English (not in American English) Example: travel – travelled after a consonant, final y becomes i. (but: not after a vowel) Example: worry – he worried but: play – he played	Exceptions when adding ‘ing’ : silent e is dropped (but: does not apply for -ee) Example: come – coming but: agree – agreeing after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled Example: sit – sitting final l is always doubled in British English (not in American English) Example: travel – travelling final ie becomes y. Example: lie – lying

USE:

Simple Past	Past Progressive
after another She came home, switched on the computer and checked her e-mails.	at the same time Simon was playing on the computer while his brother was watching TV.

 

Simple Past	Past Progressive
new action My mobile rang (when I was sitting in a meeting.)	action already in progress While I was sitting in a meeting, (my mobile suddenly rang.)

 

Simple Past	Past Progressive
just mentioning Colin played football yesterday.	emphasising progress Yesterday at six o’clock, Colin was playing football.

Past simple and past continuous (español)

1.- Past simple

El “past simple” describe una acción pasada ya finalizada.

When I was young I lived in Madrid (ahora vivo en Barcelona)

2.- Past continuous

Indica que una acción se estaba desarrollando en cierto momento del pasado al cual se hace referencia. No dice si la acción ya finalizó o todavía continuaba.

When the mother came home her husband was playing with the kids (no sabemos si terminó de jugar en ese momento o continuó jugando)

A veces se describen dos acciones simultáneas que tuvieron lugar en el pasado. En dicho caso, se utiliza el “past imple” para describir aquella que finalizó y el “past continuous” para aquella otra que estaba ocurriendo cuando la primera tuvo lugar.

Yesterday evening when you called me I was having a shower
When the parents arrived home the children were watching TV

Otra diferencia entre ambos tiempos es que el “past continuous” se utiliza a veces para indicar que la acción es más casual, menos planificada.

Yesterday morning, from 8 to 10, I was running (algo rutinario, que suelo hacer con frecuencia, por lo que no lo resalto)
Yesterday morning, from 8 to 10, I ran (algo diferente, un tanto extraordinario, por lo que quiero destaca.

Time expressions

Simple Past	Past Progressive
first then If-Satz Typ II (If I talked, …)	when while as long as

EXERCISES:
http://www.aulafacil.com/Ingejerc/Lecciones/Ejerc19.htm

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simpas-paspro/exercises?ex07

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simpas-paspro/exercises?ex08

Present simple and present continuous

Present simple and present continuous

FORM:

Simple Present	Present Progressive
infinitive (3rd person singular: infinitive + ‘s’) I speak you speak he / she / it speaks we speak they speak	form of ‘be’ and verb + ing I am speaking you are speaking he / she / it is speaking we are speaking they are speaking

Exceptions

Exceptions when adding ‘s’ : For can, may, might, must, do not add s. Example: he can, she may, it must After o, ch, sh or s, add es. Example: do – he does, wash – she washes After a consonant, the final consonant ybecomes ie. (but: not after a vowel) Example: worry – he worries but: play – he plays

Exceptions when adding ‘ing’ : Silent e is dropped. (but: does not apply for -ee) Example: come – coming but: agree – agreeing After a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled. Example: sit – sitting After a vowel, the final consonant l is doubled in British English (but not in American English). Example: travel – travelling (British English) but: traveling (American English) Final ie becomes y. Example: lie – lying

USE:

Simple Present	Present Progressive
in general (regularly, often, never) Colin plays football every Tuesday. present actions happening one after another First Colin plays football, then he watches TV.	right now Look! Colin is playing football now. also for several actions happening at the same time Colin is playing football and Anne is watching.
Signal words
always every … often normally usually sometimes seldom never first then	at the moment at this moment today now right now Listen! Look!
Note: The following verbs are usually only used in Simple Present: be, have, hear, know, like, love, see, smell, think, want

Simple Present	Present Progressive
action set by a timetable or schedule The film starts at 8 pm.	arrangement for the near future I am going to the cinema tonight.

 

Simple Present	Present Progressive
daily routine Bob works in a restaurant.	only for a limited period of time (does not have to happen directly at the moment of speaking) Jenny is working in a restaurant this week.

TESTS:

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simpre-prepro/tests?test1

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simpre-prepro/tests?test2

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simpre-prepro/tests?test3