PRESENT SIMPLE PRESENT CONTINUOUS PAST SIMPLE

PAST CONTINUOUS
Present Simple is used:
for general truths:
The earth goes around the sun.
for daily routines, habits and repeated actions:
Every morning I get up at 7 am.
for permanent states:
My friend who lives in Spain is married.
for scheduled actions (timetables of trains, buses, etc.):
The plain to Istanbul leaves at 9.00 pm.
for giving instructions:
Cross the road and turn left at the nearest corner.
in a negative question with why to make a suggestion:
Why dont we all go to the theatre tonight?

Time expressions used with Present Simple: always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never, every
day/week/month/year, etc., on Mondays/Tuesdays, etc., in the morning/afternoon/evening, at
night/the weekend, etc., once a year/day, etc.

Spelling: 3rd person singular, affirmative
Most verbs take s in the third person singular.
I sit he sits
Verbs ending in -ss, -ch, -sh, -x, -o take es.
I kiss he kisses, I wish he wishes, I go he goes
Verbs ending in a consonant + y drop y and take ies.
I fly he flies
Verbs ending in a vowel + y take s.
I say he says

Present Continuous is used for:
actions happening now, at the moment of speaking:
Sarah is talking on the phone with her father at the moment.
temporary actions, i.e. actions happening around the time of speaking:
The Smiths are looking for a babysitter at the moment, you should give them a call.
describing things which are changing:
The prices are increasing.
indicating that the speaker finds another persons habit or repeated action annoying (only in the
affirmative sentences (time expressions used in this case are always, forever or continually)):
You are always complaining about your life.
describing an event in the future which has already been arranged by the time of speaking:
I am finally meeting John after work tomorrow; do you want to join us?

Time expressions used with Present Continuous: now, at the moment, these days, today, this
week/month/year, etc., at present, nowadays, still, etc.

Past Simple is used:
to describe single completed actions in the past:
Yesterday I saw Anne.
for repeated actions in the past:
I often watched cartoons with my sister when we were kids.
for actions which happened immediately one after the other in the past:
First, he opened the window. Then, he looked down the street and saw a strange man.

Time expressions used with Past Simple: yesterday, last night/week/year/Monday, etc., a
month/two years, etc., ago, in 1944, etc.

Spelling:
We add d to verbs ending in e.
I live I lived
Verbs ending in a consonant + y drop the y and add ied.
I try I tried
Verbs ending in one stressed vowel between two consonants double the last consonant and
add ed.
I stop I stopped

Past Continuous is used:
for an action which was in progress at a stated time in the past, i.e. the action began before the
stated time and continued after it:
We were spending time with our friends in their house when somebody stole our car.
for a past action which was in progress when another action interrupted it:
Tim was sleeping in the living room when Sarah came home.
for two or more actions which were happening at the same time in the past (simultaneous actions):
I was doing my homework while my sister was watching TV.
to give background information in a story and to set the scene:
The snow was falling heavily as Mary was walking in the park.

Time expressions used with Past Continuous: when, while, as, all day/night/morning, etc.