Englih as life skill - Lesson 1 Introducing oneself

Future Simple Tense

I will sing

The future simple tense is often called will, because we make the future simple tense with the modal auxiliary will.

How do we make the Future Simple Tense?

The structure of the future simple tense is:

subject	+	auxiliary verb WILL	+	main verb
		invariable		base
		will		V1

For negative sentences in the future simple tense, we insert not between the auxiliary verb and main verb. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and auxiliary verb. Look at these example sentences with the future simple tense:

	subject	auxiliary verb		main verb
+	I	will		open	the door.
+	You	will		finish	before me.
-	She	will	not	be	at school tomorrow.
-	We	will	not	leave	yet.
?	Will	you		arrive	on time?
?	Will	they		want	dinner?

When we use the future simple tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and auxiliary verb:

I will	I'll
you will	you'll
he will she will it will	he'll she'll it'll
we will	we'll
they will	they'll

For negative sentences in the future simple tense, we contract with won't, like this:

I will not	I won't
you will not	you won't
he will not she will not it will not	he won't she won't it won't
we will not	we won't
they will not	they won't

How do we use the Future Simple Tense?

No Plan

We use the future simple tense when there is no plan or decision to do something before we speak. We make the decision spontaneously at the time of speaking. Look at these examples:

• Hold on. I'll get a pen.
• We will see what we can do to help you.
• Maybe we'll stay in and watch television tonight.

In these examples, we had no firm plan before speaking. The decision is made at the time of speaking.

We often use the future simple tense with the verb to think before it:

• I think I'll go to the gym tomorrow.
• I think I will have a holiday next year.
• I don't think I'll buy that car.

Prediction

We often use the future simple tense to make a prediction about the future. Again, there is no firm plan. We are saying what we think will happen. Here are some examples:

• It will rain tomorrow.
• People won't go to Jupiter before the 22nd century.
• Who do you think will get the job?

Be

When the main verb is be, we can use the future simple tense even if we have a firm plan or decision before speaking. Examples:

• I'll be in London tomorrow.
• I'm going shopping. I won't be very long.
• Will you be at work tomorrow?

Note that when we have a plan or intention to do something in the future, we usually use other tenses or expressions, such as the present continuous tense or going to.

 

Past Simple Tense Quiz

1	I  goed went gone  to the mall after school.	Click for answer went
2	My brother  seen saw sees  a bear an hour ago.	Click for answer saw
3	Did Are Does  Mike visit his grandmother last night?	Click for answer Did
4	Alex did not  work worked working  last weekend.	Click for answer work
5	Was Were Are  Judy and Liz at last month's meeting?	Click for answer Were
6	We  were was did  not happy after the sad ending.	Click for answer were
7	Are Did Do  you see Jody's new dog yesterday?	Click for answer Did
8	Sorry, I  wasn't didn't am not  hear you at the door.	Click for answer didn't
9	I  studying study studied  English for two years.	Click for answer studied
10	What  do did were  you eat for lunch yesterday?	Click for answer did

Past Simple Tense

Past Simple Tense The past simple tense is sometimes called the "preterite tense". We can use several tenses and forms to talk about the past, but the past simple tense is the one we use most often. In this lesson we look at the structure and use of the past simple tense, followed by a quiz to check your understanding:              How do we make the Past Simple Tense? To make the past simple tense, we use: past form only or auxiliary did + base form Here you can see examples of the past form and base form for irregular verbs and regular verbs: V1 base V2 past V3 past participle regular verb work explode like worked exploded liked worked exploded liked irregular verb go see sing went saw sang gone seen sung The structure for positive sentences in the past simple tense is: subject + main verb past The structure for negative sentences in the past simple tense is: subject + auxiliary verb + not + main verb did base The structure for question sentences in the past simple tense is: auxiliary verb + subject + main verb did base The auxiliary verb did is not conjugated. It is the same for all persons (I did, you did, he did etc). And the base form and past form do not change. Look at these examples with the main verbs go andwork: subject auxiliary verb main verb + I went to school. You worked very hard. - She did not go with me. We did not work yesterday. ? Did you go to London? Did they work at home? Exception! The verb to be is different. We conjugate the verb to be (I was, you were, he/she/it was, we were, they were); and we do not use an auxiliary for negative and question sentences. To make a question, we exchange the subject and verb. Look at these examples: subject main verb + I, he/she/it was here. You, we, they were in London. - I, he/she/it was not there. You, we, they were not happy. ? Was I, he/she/it right? Were you, we, they late? Use: how do we use the past simple tense? How do we use the Past Simple Tense? We use the past simple tense to talk about an action or a situation - an event - in the past. The event can be short or long. Here are some short events with the past simple tense: The car exploded at 9.30am yesterday. She went to the door. We did not hear the telephone. Did you see that car? past present future The action is in the past. Here are some long events with the past simple tense: I lived in Bangkok for 10 years. The Jurassic period lasted about 62 million years. We did not sing at the concert. Did you watch TV last night? past present future The action is in the past. Notice that it does not matter how long ago the event is: it can be a few minutes or seconds in the past, or millions of years in the past. Also it does not matter how long the event is. It can be a few milliseconds (car explosion) or millions of years (Jurassic period). We use the past simple tense when: the event is in the past the event is completely finished we say (or understand) the time and/or place of the event In general, if we say the time or place of the event, we must use t he past simple tense; we cannot use the present perfect. Here are some more examples: I lived in that house when I was young. He didn't like the movie. What did you eat for dinner? John drove to London on Monday. Mary did not go to work yesterday. Did you play tennis last week? I was at work yesterday. We were not late (for the train). Were you angry? Note that when we tell a story, we usually use the past simple tense. We may use the past continuous tense to "set the scene", but we almost always use the past simple tense for the action. Look at this example of the  beginning of a story: "The wind was howling around the hotel and the rain was pouring down. It was cold. The door opened and James Bond entered. He took off his coat, which was very wet, and ordered a drink at the bar. He sat down in the corner of the lounge and quietly drank  his..." Past Simple Tense Quiz 1 I  goed went gone  to the mall after school.  Click for answer went  2 My brother  seen saw sees  a bear an hour ago.  Click for answer saw  3  Did Are Does  Mike visit his grandmother last night?  Click for answer Did  4 Alex did not  work worked working  last weekend.  Click for answer work  5  Was Were Are  Judy and Liz at last month's meeting?  Click for answer Were  6 We  were was did  not happy after the sad ending.  Click for answer were  7  Are Did Do  you see Jody's new dog yesterday?  Click for answer Did  8 Sorry, I  wasn't didn't am not  hear you at the door.  Click for answer didn't  9 I  studying study studied  English for two years.  Click for answer studied  10 What  do did were  you eat for lunch yesterday?  Click for answer did

Present Simple Tense Quiz

1	Do you  like likes be like  chocolate milk?	Click for answer like
2	He  do does is  not want to come to the movies.	Click for answer does
3	Is Are Am  we too late to catch the bus?	Click for answer Are
4	It  is are am  a beautiful day today.	Click for answer is
5	Sorry, Lisa  am is be  not here at the moment.	Click for answer is
6	Is Are Am  I correct?	Click for answer Am
7	Robert  is does are  not go to my school.	Click for answer does
8	My parents  live lives are live  in a 2 bedroom apartment.	Click for answer live
9	We  do be are do are  European.	Click for answer are
10	You  looks are be  so happy today!	Click for answer are

Present Simple Tense

I sing

How do we make the Present Simple Tense?

subject	+	auxiliary verb	+	main verb
		do		base

There are three important exceptions:

1. For positive sentences, we do not normally use the auxiliary.
2. For the 3rd person singular (he, she, it), we add s to the main verb or es to the auxiliary.
3. For the verb to be, we do not use an auxiliary, even for questions and negatives.

Look at these examples with the main verb like:

	subject	auxiliary verb		main verb
+	I, you, we, they			like	coffee.
	He, she, it			likes	coffee.
-	I, you, we, they	do	not	like	coffee.
	He, she, it	does	not	like	coffee.
?	Do	I, you, we, they		like	coffee?
	Does	he, she, it		like	coffee?

Look at these examples with the main verb be. Notice that there is no auxiliary:

	subject	main verb
+	I	am		French.
	You, we, they	are		French.
	He, she, it	is		French.
-	I	am	not	old.
	You, we, they	are	not	old.
	He, she, it	is	not	old.
?	Am	I		late?
	Are	you, we, they		late?
	Is	he, she, it		late?

How do we use the Present Simple Tense?

We use the present simple tense when:

• the action is general
• the action happens all the time, or habitually, in the past, present and future
• the action is not only happening now
• the statement is always true

John drives a taxi.
past	present	future
It is John's job to drive a taxi. He does it every day. Past, present and future.

Look at these examples:

• I live in New York.
• The Moon goes round the Earth.
• John drives a taxi.
• He does not drive a bus.
• We meet every Thursday.
• We do not work at night.
• Do you play football?

Note that with the verb to be, we can also use the present simple tense for situations that are not general. We can use the present simple tense to talk about now. Look at these examples of the verb "to be" in the present simple tense - some of them are general, some of them are now:

Am I right? Tara is not at home. You are happy.
past	present	future
The situation is now.

I am not fat. Why are you so beautiful? Ram is tall.
past	present	future
The situation is general. Past, present and future.

Simple present Quiz