Kategorier: Alle - tenses - habits - grammar - promises

av Thanushka Kotalawala 10 år siden

392

English grammer

The text provides an overview of various aspects of English grammar, focusing particularly on the usage of "going to" and "will." It explains how "going to" can be simplified in sentences and provides examples illustrating this usage.

English grammer

English grammer

Words

for deduction.

I expect he'll want us to get on with it.

•The phone's ringing. That will be Mark.

Habits

A cat will always find a warm place to sleep.

•My car won't go any faster than this.

make promises or threats.

I'll do it at once.

•I'll phone him back immediately.

•I won't forget this.

requests, orders, invitations and offers.

Will you give me a hand? •

Will you please take a seat?

Events happening at the present

The car won't start.

•If that's the phone, I'll get it.

•Will you have another cup of coffee?

When we use 'will' referring to the present, the idea being expressed is usually one of 'showing willingness' or 'will power'

My baby won't stop crying. I've tried everything and I'm really exhausted.

•I am the boss. You will do as I say.

To talk about future

explained in tenses

We can replace 'going to go' by 'going'. •I'm going out later. •She's going to the exhibition tomorrow

Tenses

What to use when
present perfect or past simple

The past simple is used to talk about actions in the past that have finished.

It talks about 'then' and definitely excludes 'now'.

The present perfect simple to look back on actions in the past from the present. It always includes 'now'.

We use time expressions like 'yesterday', 'ago', 'last year', 'in 1999' with the past simple.

•We spoke to him yesterday

We use time expressions like are 'ever', 'never', 'since' with the present perfect.

•I've never seen so many people here before.

Present perfect simple or continuouse

Often there is very little difference between the present perfect simple and the present perfect continuous. In many cases, both are equally acceptable.

To emphasize the action, we use the continuous form.

We've been working really hard for a couple of months. She's been having a hard time.

To emphasize the result of the action, we use the simple form.

I've made fifteen phone calls this morning.

He's written a very good report.

When an action is finished and you can see the results, use the continuous form.

•The phone bill is enormous. You've been calling your boyfriend in Australia, haven't you?

•You're red in the face. Have you been running?

When you use the words 'ever' or 'never', use the simple form.

•I don't know them. I've never met them.

•Have you ever heard anything so strange in your life.

Past simple or continuouse

Both the past simple and the past continuous refer to completed actions in the past. Most of the time when we are talking about such actions, we use the past simple. This is by far the most common way of talking about the past.

I lived there for six years

Only use the past continuous when you want to emphasize the continuity of the action.

I was thinking about you the other day.

When we use these two forms in the same sentence, we use the past continuous to talk about the "background action" and the past simple to talk about the shorter completed action.

It was raining hard when we left the building.

Present simple or present continuouse

Present simple is used to talk about habits and facts. present continuouse talk about things which are happening how. they are more short term

I don't usually have cereals for breakfast but I'm having some this morning because there is nothing else.

Future
Will

At the moment we make a new decision or plan

Bye. I'll phone you when I get there.

•I'll answer that.

We use with I think I hope

I think I'll go to bed now

. •I think she'll do well in the job.

We add may be probably etc to make the belief less certain

I'll probably come back later.

•He'll possibly find out when he sees Jenny.

Future events which we believe are certain

The sun will rise over there tomorrow morning.

•Next year, I'll be 50.

Going to

for predictions based on the evidence we see now

Look out! That cup is going to fall off.

Plan for the future

They're going to launch it next month.

We're going to have lunch first.

Past
Past perfect continuouse

When reporting things said in the past

She said she had been trying to call me all day

They said they had been shopping

To say what had been happening befor something else happened

It had been snowing for a while before we left

He was out of breath when he arrived because he had been running

Look back at a situation in progress

It was a good time to invest. Inflation had been falling for several months.

We had been thinking about buying a new house. but then we decided to stay here

Past perfect

To report what people had said

He told me they had already payed the bill

To talk about things happened befor a particular point in past

She had already told him when I went there.

I hadn't known the bad news when I spoke to her

Past continuouse

Describe background actions when something else happened

I was walking in the street when I fell over

She was talking to me on the phone and it suddenly went dead

Emphasize the continuing process of activity or period of that activity

While I was driving home. peter was trying to contact me

Sorry were you sleeping

I was thinking about him last night

In 1990's few people were using mobiles

Past simple

period of time

she lived in tokio for seven years

They were in london from monday to thursday

Actions and states completed in the past

She came back last friday

I saw her in the street

They didn't agree to the deal

Present
Present perfect continuouse

Usually used with since, for, for days, all week etc.

I have been waiting to do that for ten years

She has been working here since 2001

Can refer to series of actions

She has been writing to her regularly for couple of years

University has been sending students here for a long time to training

An action that has not finished

I have been learning english for twenty years, but still I'm not very good in english

An action which has already finished. but we still can see evidence

Kitchen is a mess. who has been ckooking

You look tired. have you been sleeping properly

Present perfect

Look back at more distant past

They have often talked about it in the past

She has done this type of projects many times before

We use ever (for questions) and never when se talk about distant past

I have never met him

Havd you ever been to sri lanka

To look back at the recent past from present

I have brocken by watch. So I dont know what time it is

They have cancelednthe meetting

We use just, already or yet to talk about recent past

We have already talked about that

Hans't she arrived yet

Present continuouse

The action is at a definete point in the future and is already arranged

I'm meeting her at 6.30

Isn't he coming to dinner

Action is true at the present time. but we don't think it will be true in the future

Are youn getting enough sleep?

He is thinking about leaving his job

Action is taking place at the time of speaking

It's raining

Simple present

Applications

Thoughts and feelings at the time of speaking

They don't ever agree with us

Do you understand what I'm trying to say

Future facts usually found in a time table

Christmas day falls on a monday this year

The plane leaves at 5 tomorrow

Facts

Water freezes at 0 C

What does this expression mean?

Regular actions or events

They drive to the office everyday

She doesn't come here often