University of Duhok
College of Languages
Department of Translation
First Year
Grammar 1
Week 2
Present and Past
Angela O. Zaya
PhD in TESOL
Present Simple:
Present simple is used to talk about general facts and habits.
• Habits we do regularly. (Habitual actions) E.g. I usually get up at 7 o’clock.
• Actions and situations that are generally or usually true. E.g. We like ice-cream.
• Facts which are always true. E.g. The sun rises in the east.
In English, there are two kinds of verb: auxiliary verbs and lexical verbs.
1. Verb to be [is, are, am]:
Subject Auxiliary Verb Complement
He, She, It + is (not) + complement. Jack is (not) a good swimmer.
You, They, We + are (not) + complement. Classes are (not) small at secondary school.
I + am (not) + complement.
Auxiliary Verb Subject Complement
Is + he, she, it + complement? Is Jack a good swimmer?
Are + you, they, we + complement? Are Classes small at secondary school?
Present Simple:
2. Lexical verbs:
➢ Affirmative sentences:
• He, She, It + Verb (s) (es) + complement. Subject Verb Complement
• I, You, They, We + Verb + complement. The earth moves around the sun.
Stella does not go to the gym everyday.
➢ Negative sentences:
Students take exams at secondary school.
• He, She, It + does not + Verb + complement. Children do not take exams at primary school.
• I, You, They, We + do not + Verb + complement.
➢ Interrogative sentences:
• Does + he, she, it + Verb + complement?
Auxiliary
Subject Verb Complement
• Do + I, you, they, we + Verb + complement? Verb
Does Stella go to the gym everyday?
Do Students take exams at secondary school?
Present Simple:
3. Promise , apologize , suggest , advise , insist , refuse , suppose,
recommend:
➢ Sometimes we do things by saying them:
• I promise I won’t be late.
• What do you suggest I do?
Frequency Adverbs: are often use with the present simple.
They explain how often someone does an action, or something happens.
Present Continuous:
➢ Present Continuous is used to talk about actions in progress (things happening) at the present moment,
• E.g. Sorry, I cant speak to you, I am washing my hair.
➢ Or actions happening in the present period, but perhaps not exactly at this moment.
• E.g. I am reading The Lord of the Rings.
o Affirmative / Negative Sentences
▪ He, She, It + is (not) + V.ing.
Subject Verb to be Verb(ing) Complement
▪ They, You, We + are (not) + V.ing. We are (not) travelling first class.
▪ I + am (not) + V.ing. She is (not) working In Berlin.
o Interrogative Sentences
▪ Is + he, she, it + V.ing? Verb to be Subject Verb(ing) Complement
▪ Are + they, you, we + V.ing? Are they travelling first class?
▪ Am + I + V.ing? Is she working In Berlin?
•
❖ We use the present continuous when we talk about changes happening
right now, especially with these verbs.
Get , change , become , increase , rise , fall , grow , improve , begin , start
• Is your English getting better?
• The population of the world is increasing very fast.
• At first I didn’t like my job, but I’m beginning to enjoy it now.
We do not usually use some verbs in the continuous form.
• Describing mental states:
Believe , know , understand , realize , suppose , mean , remember , agree , forget , think
• Verbs connected with feelings (likes and dislikes):
Like , love , want , dislike , hate , need , prefer , wish
• Verbs connected with possession:
Have , own , possess
• Other verbs:
Belong to , fit , contain , consist , seem , cost , depend on , exist
• Verbs connected with senses:
See , hear , smell , taste
Present Continuous:
Time phrases that are used with present simple and continuous:
Present Continuous:
Present Continuous and Present Simple
Present Continuous and Present Simple
Past Simple:
Past simple is used to talk about
• A finished action or state in the past. E.g. I enjoyed the film we saw last night.
• Things that happened once or many times in the past. E.g. Every day we got up early and went to the beach.
In English, there are two forms of past simple verbs, regular verbs and irregular verbs.
1. Verb to be [was, were]:
Subject Auxiliary Verb Complement
He, She, It, I + was (not) + complement. John was (not) a very popular actor.
You, They, We + were (not) + complement. They were (not) late for class.
Was + He, She, It, + complement?
Were + You, They, We + complement? Auxiliary
Subject Complement
Verb
Was John a very popular actor?
Were they late for class?
Past Simple:
2. Other verbs: Regular and irregular verbs
➢ Affirmative sentences:
• Subject+ Verb(ed) + Object.
Subject Verb Complement
• Subject+ Irregular Verb + Object. Nada phoned her friend very late last night.
➢ Negative sentences: My brother taught me to play the guitar.
The children did not go to bed early.
• Subject + did not + Verb + Object.
➢ Interrogative sentences:
• Did + Subject + Verb + Object?
Auxiliary Verb Subject Verb Complement
Did Nada phone her friend very late last night?
Did you brother teach you to play the guitar?
Did the children go to bed early?
Time Phrases with the Past Simple
Past Continuous:
Present Continuous: is used to talk about actions in progress:
1. At a certain time in the past.
• I was driving home at 6:30 this evening.
2. When another (completed) action happened.
• I was driving home when I saw a friend of mine.
3. Describing the background situation in a story. For the main event, past simple is used.
• The sun was shining and everyone was getting ready for the party that afternoon. Then, my
phone rang.
4. Sometimes the other action in the past simple interrupts the action in the past continuous.
• I was crossing the road when I slipped on some ice. (= I stopped crossing the road)
5. When two actions happened one after the other, the past simple for both actions is used.
• When I heard the crash, I ran to the end of the street.
Past Continuous:
Past Continuous:
Past Continuous:
When , while , as: are used to join the past continuous and the past simple parts of a sentence.
1. When: is used with the past simple and sometimes with the past continuous.
• Mark was driving to work when a dog ran out in front of his car.
• I was having my lunch when Ruth phoned.
• I cut my finger when I was peeling the potatoes.
• I saw Lina when I was waiting at the bus stop.
2. While / as: are used with the past continuous.
• While we were waiting for the train, it started to rain.
• She broke her arm while she was playing tennis last week.
• I met my old friend as I was getting on the bus.
Past Continuous:
