Grammar Class-3

Each main tense is divided into 4 subcategories.

  a) simple

  b) progressive/continuous 

  c) perfect 

  d) perfect progressive/continuous 

In the previous class, we have discussed "Present Simple". So, today we will discuss "Present Progressive/continuous".

"Present Tense".

b) Present Progressive/continuous".

• action taking place in the moment of speaking
• action taking place only for a limited period of time
• action arranged for the future

Examples (Affirmative/Negative/Question)

A: He is speaking.

N: He is not speaking.
Q: Is he speaking?

More Examples..........

Or,

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

FORMING THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS

The present continuous of any verb is composed of two parts - the present tense of the verb to be + the present participle of the main verb.

(The form of the present participle is: base+ing, e.g. talking, playing, moving, smiling)

Affirmative
Subject	+ to be	+ base + ing
She	is	talking.
Negative
Subject	+ to be + not	+ base + ing
She	is not (isn't)	talking
Interrogative
to be	+ subject	+ base + ing
Is	she	talking?

EXAMPLES: TO GO, PRESENT CONTINUOUS

Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative
I am going	I am not going	Am I going?
You are going	You aren't going.	Are you going?
He, she, it is going	He, she, it isn't going	Is he, she, it going?
We are going	We aren't going	Are we going?
You are going	You aren't going	Are you going?
They are going	They aren't going	Are they going?

Note: alternative negative contractions: I'm not going, you're not going, he's not going etc.

FUNCTIONS OF THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS

As with all tenses in English, the speaker's attitude is as important as the time of the action or event. When someone uses the present continuous, they are thinking about something that is unfinished or incomplete

THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS IS USED:

• to describe an action that is going on at this moment: You are using the Internet. You are studying English grammar.
• to describe an action that is going on during this period of time or a trend: Are you still working for the same company? More and more people are becoming vegetarian.
• to describe an action or event in the future, which has already been planned or prepared: We're going on holiday tomorrow. I'm meeting my boyfriend tonight. Are they visiting you next winter?
• to describe a temporary event or situation: He usually plays the drums, but he's playing bass guitar tonight. The weather forecast was good, but it's raining at the moment.
• with "always, forever, constantly", to describe and emphasise a continuing series of repeated actions: Harry and Sally are always arguing! You're constantly complaining about your mother-in-law!

BE CAREFUL! Some verbs are not usually used in the continuous form

VERBS THAT ARE NOT USUALLY USED IN THE CONTINUOUS FORM

The verbs in the list below are normally used in the simple form because they refer to states, rather than actions or processes.

SENSES / PERCEPTION

• to feel*
• to hear
• to see*
• to smell
• to taste

OPINION

• to assume
• to believe
• to consider
• to doubt
• to feel (= to think)
• to find (= to consider)
• to suppose
• to think*

MENTAL STATES

• to forget
• to imagine
• to know
• to mean
• to notice
• to recognise
• to remember
• to understand

EMOTIONS / DESIRES

• to envy
• to fear
• to dislike
• to hate
• to hope
• to like
• to love
• to mind
• to prefer
• to regret
• to want
• to wish

MEASUREMENT

• to contain
• to cost
• to hold
• to measure
• to weigh

OTHERS

• to look (=resemble)
• to seem
• to be (in most cases)
• to have(when it means "to possess")*

EXCEPTIONS

Perception verbs (see, hear, feel, taste, smell) are often used with can: : I can see... These verbs may be used in the continuous form but with a different meaning

• This coat feels nice and warm. (your perception of the coat's qualities)
• John's feeling much better now (his health is improving)
• She has three dogs and a cat. (possession)
• She's having supper. (She's eating)
• I can see Anthony in the garden (perception)
• I'm seeing Anthony later (We are planning to meet)

Grammar Class-2

Each main tense is divided into 4 subcategories.

  a) simple

  b) progressive/continuous 

  c) perfect 

  d) perfect progressive/continuous 

So, today we will learn about "Present Tense".

"Present Tense".

a) Simple Present: 

• action in the present taking place regularly, often, usually, always, sometimes, never or several times
• facts
• actions taking place one after another
• action set by a timetable or schedule

Examples (Affirmative/Negative/Question)

A: He speaks.
N: He does not speak.
Q: Does he speak?

Some more examples..............

Or,

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

The simple present tense is one of several forms of present tense in English. It is used to describe habits, unchanging situations, general truths, and fixed arrangements. The simple present tense is simple to form. Just use the base form of the verb: (I take, you take, we take, they take) The 3rd person singular takes an -s at the end. (he takes, she takes)

THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE IS USED:

• To express habits, general truths, repeated actions or unchanging situations, emotions and wishes:
  I smoke (habit); I work in London (unchanging situation); London is a large city (general truth)
• To give instructions or directions:
  You walk for two hundred meters, then you turn left.
• To express fixed arrangements, present or future:
  Your exam starts at 09.00
• To express future time, after some conjunctions: after, when, before, as soon as, until:
  He'll give it to you when you come next Saturday.

• For habits
  He drinks tea at breakfast.
  She only eats fish.
  They watch television regularly.
• For repeated actions or events
  We catch the bus every morning.
  It rains every afternoon in the hot season.
  They drive to Monaco every summer.
• For general truths
  Water freezes at zero degrees.
  The Earth revolves around the Sun.
  Her mother is Peruvian.

• For instructions or directions
  Open the packet and pour the contents into hot water.
  You take the No.6 bus to Watney and then the No.10 to Bedford.
• For fixed arrangements
  His mother arrives tomorrow.
  Our holiday starts on the 26th March
• With future constructions
  She'll see you before she leaves.
  We'll give it to her when she arrives.

FORMING THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE: TO THINK

Affirmative	Interrogative	Negative
I think	Do I think?	I do not think
You think	Do you think?	You do not think
He thinks	Does he think?	He does not think
She thinks	Does she think?	She does not think
It thinks	Does it think?	It does not think
We think	Do we think?	We do not think.
They think	Do they think?	They do not think.

NOTES ON THE SIMPLE PRESENT, THIRD PERSON SINGULAR

• In the third person singular the verb always ends in -s:
  he wants, she needs, he gives, she thinks.
• Negative and question forms use DOES (= the third person of the auxiliary 'DO') + the infinitive of the verb.
  He wants ice cream. Does he want strawberry? He does not want vanilla.
• Verbs ending in -y : the third person changes the -y to -ies:
  fly --> flies, cry --> cries
  Exception: if there is a vowel before the -y:
  play --> plays, pray --> prays
• Add -es to verbs ending in:-ss, -x, -sh, -ch:
  he passes, she catches, he fixes, it pushes

EXAMPLES

• He goes to school every morning.
• She understands English.
• It mixes the sand and the water.
• He tries very hard.
• She enjoys playing the piano.

Grammar Class-1

What is Tense?

A Tense is a form taken by a verb to indicate the time of action.

1) There are three main verb tenses: present, past, and future. 

Present tense: It expresses an unchanging, repeated or reoccurring action or situation that exists only now. It can also represent a widespread truth. (Today)

Example: I eat.

Past tense: It expresses an action or situation that was started and finished in the past. (Yesterday)

Example: I ate.

Future tense: An action or situation that will occur in the future. (Tomorrow)

Example: I will eat.

2) Each main tense is divided into 4 subcategories

  a) simple

  b) progressive/continuous 

  c) perfect 

  d) perfect progressive/continuous 

                                                     "English Grammar"


In the next few sessions, we shall discuss 'grammar' which is important to learn English.

English Grammar is required to speak and write correct English. There are hundreds of grammar rules but the basic ones refer to sentence structure and parts of speech, which are noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition and conjunction. 

So, in the next sessions along with spoken English, situation based conversation practices, and exploring various easy and simple tricks to learn English, we shall discuss and learn "grammar".