Posts Tagged ‘tenses’

Present tenses in stories, commentaries and instructions

December 29th, 2011 in English Grammar

Present tenses are often used to tell stories. This usually happens in an informal style. In stories, the simple present tense is used for events that happen one after another. The present continuous tense is used for background actions.

Tenses overview (active verb forms)

December 22nd, 2011 in English Grammar

Here is a list of all the active affirmative verb forms of the ordinary English verb work.

Simple present

I work; he/she/it works; they/we work; you work

Tenses in the subordinate clause

October 10th, 2011 in English Learning

A past tense in the main clause (principal clause) is usually followed by a past tense in the subordinate clause.

Tenses in subordinate clauses

July 4th, 2011 in Improve English

A future verb is necessary for future reference in subordinate clauses if the main verb does not refer to the future.

Tenses in subordinate clauses

July 3rd, 2011 in Improve English

In subordinate clauses, present tenses are often used instead of will + infinitive to refer to the future. This usually happens in most subordinate clauses.

Correct use of the past perfect tense

May 23rd, 2011 in Improve English

The basic meanings of the past perfect are ‘earlier past’ and ‘completed in the past’. A common use of the past perfect tense is to ‘go back’ when we are already talking about the past, so as to make it clear that something had already happened at the time we are talking about.

Present perfect continuous tense exercise

May 13th, 2011 in Improve English

Make meaningful sentences in the present perfect continuous tense using the words given in each question.

1. We / since / live / 1990 / here.