PAST SIMPLE

The simple past expresses an action in the past taking place once, never, several times. It can also be used for actions taking place one after another or in the middle of another action.

Form of Simple Past

	Positive	Negative	Question
no differences	I spoke.	I did not speak.	Did I speak?

For irregular verbs, use the past form (see list of irregular verbs, 2nd column). For regular verbs, just add“ed”.

Exceptions in Spelling when Adding ‘ed’

Exceptions in spelling when adding ed	Example
after a final e only add d	love – loved
final consonant after a short, stressed vowel or l as final consonant after a vowel is doubled	admit – admitted travel – travelled
final y after a consonant becomes i	hurry – hurried

Use of Simple Past

• action in the past taking place once, never or several times
  Example: He visited his parents every weekend.
• actions in the past taking place one after the other
  Example: He came in, took off his coat and sat down.
• action in the past taking place in the middle of another action
  Example: When I was having breakfast, the phone suddenly rang.
• if sentences type II (If I talked, …)
  Example: If I had a lot of money, I would share it with you.

Signal Words of Simple Past

• yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the other day, last Friday
• If-Satz Typ II (If I talked, …)

Exercises on Simple Past

• Was or Were?
• Positive Sentences in Simple Past
• Answer Questions in Simple Past
• Negative Sentences in Simple Past
• Questions in Simple Past
• Questions with Interrogatives in Simple Past
• Mixed Exercise in Simple Past
• Pool of exercises
• Goldilocks and the three bears: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
• Exercise on the text “Chicago”
• Exercise on the text “Oxford”
• Irregular Verbs

Tests

• Simple Past: Level 1, Level 2, Level 3

Grammar in Texts

• “The Canterville Ghost” (highlight verbs in simple past)
• “History of Snowboarding” (highlight verbs in simple past) 

Comparison with other Tenses

• Simple Past – Past Progressive
• Simple Past – Present Perfect Simple
• Simple Past – Past Perfect Simple

taken from https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simple-past

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

Use a form of to be and the infinite verb plus -ing.

 Animation: form

Use:

• am with the personal pronoun I
• is with the personal pronouns he, she or it (or the singular form of nouns)
• are with the personal pronouns you, we, they (or the plural form of nouns)

	affirmative	negative	question
I	I am playing.	I am not playing.	Am I playing?
he, she, it	He is playing.	He is not playing.	Is he playing?
you, we, they	You are playing.	You are not playing.	Are you playing?

Tips on how to form negative sentences and questions

 Animation: negative sentences and questions

In negative sentences, we put not between the form of be and the verb.

In questions, we simply swop the places of subject and the form of be.

Exercise on the formation

Exercise on affirmative sentences

Exercise on negative sentences

Exercise on questions

Exercise on questions with interrogative particles

go to Exeptions in Spelling ►

BRITISH SLANG

COLLECTIVE NOUNS

PRESENT SIMPLE

Present Uses
1: We use the present simple when something is generally or always true.

• People need food.
• It snows in winter here.
• Two and two make four.

2: Similarly, we need to use this tense for a situation that we think is more or less permanent. (See the present continuous for temporary situations.)

• Where do you live?
• She works in a bank.
• I don't like mushrooms.

3: The next use is for habits or things that we do regularly. We often use adverbs of frequency (such as 'often', 'always' and 'sometimes') in this case, as well as expressions like 'every Sunday' or 'twice a month'. (See the present continuous for new, temporary or annoying habits).

• Do you smoke?
• I play tennis every Tuesday.
• I don't travel very often.

4: We can also use the present simple for short actions that are happening now. The actions are so short that they are finished almost as soon as you've said the sentence. This is often used with sports commentary, or in demonstrations.

• He takes the ball, he runs down the wing, and he scores!
• First I put some butter in the pan and turn on the cooker.

Future Uses
5: We use the present simple to talk about the future when we are discussing a timetable or a fixed plan. Usually, the timetable is fixed by an organisation, not by us.

• School begins at nine tomorrow.
• What time does the film start?
• The plane doesn't arrive at seven. It arrives at seven thirty.

6: We also use the present simple to talk about the future after words like ' 'when', 'until', 'after', 'before' and 'as soon as'. These are sometimes called subordinate clauses of time.

• I will call you when I have time. (Not 'will have'.)
• I won't go out until it stops raining.
• I'm going to make dinner after I watch the news.

Conditional Uses
7: We use the present simple in the first and the zero conditionals. (See the conditionals section for more information.)

• If it rains, we won't come.
• If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils.

taken from http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/present-simple-use.html

Test your knowledge on the simple present. After submitting your answers, you will see how well you have done in the test.

Test

Form of Affirmative Sentences - Part 1

Choose the correct form.

1. We sometimes readreads books.
2. Emily gogoes to the disco.
3. It often rainrains on Sundays.
4. Pete and his sister washwashes the family car.
5. I always hurryhurries to the bus stop.

Form of Affirmative Sentences - Part 2

Put the verbs into the correct form.

1. I (to like)  lemonade very much.
2. The girls always (to listen)  to pop music.
3. Janet never (to wear)  jeans.
4. Mr Smith (to teach)  Spanish and French.
5. You (to do)  your homework after school.

Simple present with 'have' and 'be'

Fill in the correct form of the verbs.

1. We (to have)  a nice garden.
2. She (to be)  six years old.
3. Simon (to have)  two rabbits and five goldfish.
4. I (to be)  from Vienna, Austria.
5. They (to be)  Sandy's parents.

Negative Sentences

Make negative sentences.

1. My father makes breakfast. → 
2. They are eleven. → 
3. She writes a letter. → 
4. I speak Italian. → 
5. Danny phones his father on Sundays. → 

Questions

Make questions.

1. you / to speak / English → 
2. when / he / to go / home → 
3. they / to clean / the bathroom → 
4. where / she / to ride / her bike → 
5. Billy / to work / in the supermarket → 

Signal Words

Find the signal words for simple present.

1. Which is a signal word for simple present?
    now  last Monday  often
2. Which is a signal word for simple present?
    sometimes  at the moment  yesterday
3. Which is a signal word for simple present?
    last Friday  every Friday  next Friday
4. Which is not a signal word for simple present?
    never  already  usually
5. Which is not a signal word for simple present?
    Listen!  first ... then ...  seldom

Before submitting the test, check the following:

• Got the spelling right?
• Put in the full stop or question mark where required?
• Used the correct key to type the apostrophe (Shift and #)?

In the test we cannot give you a second try. Such careless mistakes would therefore cost you valuable points.

US ENGLISH VS UK ENGLISH

DATES

Writing the date

We write the date in English in different ways. The most common way in British English is to write the day of the month first, then the month (starting with a capital letter) and then the year:

20 January 1993

14 November 2005

We can also write the date in numbers only:

20 January 1993 = 20/1/1993

14 November 2005 = 14–11–2005 or 14.11.05

Sometimes the last two letters of the number as spoken can be used (th, rd, st, nd):

Today is the 7th September.

The grand opening is on 1st June. or … on June 1st.

With the exception of May and June, months can be shortened as follows:

Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Jul, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec.

Dates in American English

In written American English, the month of the date comes before the day and year. For example, Independence Day in the USA is on July 4th each year. In the year 2000 the date was 4/7/2000 in British English. In American English this is written 7/4/2000.

 Speaking the date

We ask the date or about dates in several ways. We can add the and of when we reply:

What date did they get married?

A:

What date is it?

B:

It’s the first of June. (1st June)

A:

What’s the date today?

B:

It’s June the first. (June 1st)

A:

What’s today’s date?

B:

Fifteenth of April. (15th April)

We talk about years like this:

Before the year 2000

1492: fourteen ninety-two

1700: seventeen hundred

1801: eighteen hundred and one or eighteen oh /əʊ/ one

1908: nineteen oh eight

After the year 2000

2000: two thousand

2003: two thousand and three or twenty oh three

2012: two thousand and twelve or twenty twelve

Typical error

• Make sure you use the correct abbreviated form:

My birthday is the 28th of January.

Not: … the 28st …

taken from http://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/writing/dates 

SÍNTESIS DE PROGRAMA