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Tenses & aspect from A1 to C2

12 tenses = 3 times × 4 aspects · futures · habits · states

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# 7 Tenses & aspect ## A1 - be: am / is / are - be: short forms (I'm, she's, they're) - be: negative (isn't, aren't, I'm not) - be for name, job, age, feelings, place and nationality (I'm 20) - have for possession, family and illness (I have two sisters; I have a cold) - have got / has got - Do you have…? / Have you got…? - have for actions (have breakfast, have a shower) - Present simple: positive (I work, she works) - he / she / it + -s - -s spelling: goes, watches, studies, has, does - Present simple uses: habits, routines, facts, permanent situations - Present simple negative: don't / doesn't + base form - Present simple questions: Do / Does + subject + base form? and short answers - Wh- questions in the present simple (Where do you work?) - Present continuous: am / is / are + -ing - -ing spelling (making, running, lying) - Present continuous for now and around now - Present simple vs present continuous - Temporary vs permanent (I live in Shiraz / I'm living in Tehran this year) - Changing situations (It's getting colder) - was / were (+, −, ?) - there was / there were - be born (I was born in…) - Past simple: regular verbs (-ed) - -ed spelling (liked, stopped, studied, played) - Past simple for finished actions at a finished time - Past simple: common irregular verbs (went, saw, had) - didn't + base form; Did…? (I didn't see, not didn't saw) - Wh- questions in the past (What did you do?) - yesterday, last night / week / year, in 2019 - ago (three days ago) ## A2 - More irregular verbs and their patterns (buy–bought, think–thought) - Past simple for a sequence of actions - Past continuous: was / were + -ing - when and while - Past continuous for background, past simple for events - Past simple vs past continuous (interrupted actions) - Telling a story in the past - used to for past habits and states - didn't use to / Did you use to…? - going to for plans and intentions - going to for predictions from evidence (Look at those clouds!) - will for instant decisions, offers and promises - will for predictions and opinions (I think it will…) - Shall I…? / Shall we…? for offers and suggestions - probably / definitely with will (He'll probably… / He probably won't…) - Present continuous for arrangements (I'm meeting Ali at 6) - will, going to or present continuous? (first look) - The five verb forms: base, -s, -ing, past, past participle - Auxiliary verbs be, do, have vs main verbs - The past participle (third form) - Present perfect: have / has + past participle - Present perfect for experience (Have you ever…? I've never…) - been vs gone - Present perfect for news and recent events (I've lost my keys!) - just, already, yet with the present perfect - in + period of time for the future (in two weeks, in a few minutes) - US and UK spelling of verb forms (traveled / travelled, learned / learnt, dreamed / dreamt) ## B1 - Present perfect vs past simple (unfinished vs finished time) - This is the first time I've… - since + past simple (since I was a child) - No present perfect with finished time (yesterday, in 2019) - for + period, since + starting point - How long have you…? - It's two years since… - during vs for - by vs until - Present perfect continuous: have been + -ing - Duration up to now (I've been waiting for an hour) - Recent activity with visible results (I've been running) - Present perfect continuous vs simple (activity vs result; how long vs how many) - Past perfect: had + past participle - Past perfect for the earlier of two past events; by the time - already, just, never with the past perfect - State verbs (know, like, want, belong, need, seem, contain) - Verbs with two meanings (think, have, see, taste, smell, be) - will vs going to vs present continuous vs present simple - Present simple for timetables (The train leaves at 8) - Future continuous (I'll be working at 10) - Future time clauses: when / as soon as / until + present (perfect) - be used to + -ing (familiar with) - get used to + -ing (become familiar with) - used to vs be / get used to - would for past habits (first look) ## B2 - Narrative tenses together (past simple, continuous, perfect) - Past perfect continuous - Future perfect (will have done; by + time) - Future continuous for actions in progress and polite questions (Will you be using the car?) - Future perfect continuous (By June I'll have been working here for ten years) - be about to, be on the point of - be due to - was going to (plans that didn't happen) - would vs used to (actions vs states) - will for present habits (He'll sit there for hours) - be always / forever + -ing (annoying habits) - be being + adjective (You're being silly) - State verbs in the continuous for effect (I'm loving it; I'm thinking of…) ## C1 - Future in the past: was going to, was about to, would - was to / was to have done (fate and unfulfilled plans) - be to + infinitive (orders, plans, rules: You are to report at 9) - be bound / sure / certain / likely / set to - Past tenses for politeness (I was wondering, I wanted to ask) - Tentative forms (I was hoping, I'd hoped) - Present tenses in stories, jokes and commentaries - Present simple in headlines for past events - I hear / I gather / I understand that… ## C2 - Tense and aspect to show attitude (I've been meaning to…; I'm hoping you could…) - Present perfect for news, past simple for the details - Fine aspect choices (have been having; perfect for current relevance) - Choosing aspect for effect in narrative

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