Mastering English Tenses and Grammar: A Comprehensive Approach
Mastering English Tenses and Grammar
Past Continuous vs. Past Simple
- When I was doing the washing-up, I broke a plate.
- While Tom was playing the piano, his mother was doing the washing-up.
- He drank some juice and then he ate a few chips.
- I was having dinner when I suddenly heard a loud bang.
- When my father was working in the garden, an old friend passed by to see him.
- She went to school, took out her textbook and began to read.
- When it started to rain, our dog wanted to come inside.
- When Jane was doing a language course in Ireland, she visited Blarney Castle.
- When I was on my way home, I saw an accident.
Personal Information
What’s your name?
My name is ___
How old are you?
I am eighteen years old.
Where are you from?
I’m from Andacollo, Chile.
When is your birthday?
My birthday is on May 29th.
How old are you?
I am eighteen years old.
What are your hobbies?
My hobby is sleeping.
Why are you studying this career?
_________________________
Past Continuous in Action
- When I got up yesterday, the sun was shining.
- It was a beautiful morning.
- So I decided to cycle around a little.
- I went to the shed and took out my bike.
- While I was cycling past some villages, I saw some people in their gardens.
- One man was mowing the grass while his wife was picking strawberries.
A Rainy Day Story
- After one hour of cycling in sunshine, a big fat raincloud suddenly appeared and it started to rain.
- Luckily, a farmer noticed me and told me to come in.
- While it was raining outside, I was sitting in the farmer’s house.
- After a while, the sun came out again.
- I thanked the farmer for his hospitality and moved on.
Verb “To Be” and Present Continuous
Verb “To Be” and Present Continuous (Verb + -ing):
AM: Used with “I” and before words starting with a vowel sound (e.g., She is an engineer).
A: Used before words starting with a consonant sound (e.g., He is a fireman).
IN: Used when referring to a location.
Past Simple in Action
- My sister tidied her bedroom yesterday morning.
- We phoned our cousins last week.
- The girls played on the computer last night.
- I traveled to Paris three months ago.
- John stayed at his granny’s house last summer.
- The film ended very late yesterday.
- My family lived in New York in 1995.
- You cleaned your teeth three times yesterday.
Comparatives and Superlatives
- Her dress is prettier than mine.
- Cheetahs are the fastest animals we can find.
- Eating fruit and vegetables is healthier than eating hot dogs.
- I like milk better than coffee.
- China has more people than any other country in the world.
- Which is bigger, Portugal or Spain?
Past Simple (DID)
Common Expressions with Past Simple:
- Yesterday
- Last year
- Last month
- Ago
- Last week
- In (year) – e.g., in 1934
Verb “To Be” in the Past
Comparatives: Adjective + -er + than
Example: Marcos is faster than Phillip.
Superlatives: The + Adjective + -est
Example: Marcos is the fastest in the class.
Examples of “To Be”
Peter Baker is from Manchester, but Paul and John are from London. Manchester and London are cities in England. Hamburg is a city in Germany.
Sandra is at school today. Jack and Peter are her friends. They are in the same class.
Mr. and Mrs. Baker are on a trip to the USA to visit their cousin Anne.
She is a nice girl. Peter says: “My grandfather is in a hospital.”
I am at home with my grandmother. What time is it? It is 8 o’clock. Are you tired? No, I am not.