Simple Future Tense

=I will dance=

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

Meet my friend Rebecca :)

How do we make the Simple Future Tense?

The structure of the simple future tense is:

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

For negative sentences in the simple future 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 simple future 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 simple future 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 simple future 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 Simple Future Tense?

No Plan

We use the simple future 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 simple future 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 simple future 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 simple future 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?

 

 

Put the verbs into the correct form (simple future)

Husin, 18 years old, asked an ugly fortune teller about his future. Here is what she told him:

1. You (be) ______________ very happy.
2. You (get) ________________ a lot of money.
3. You (buy) _______________a beautiful house.
4. Your friends (envy) ______________ you.
5. You (meet) _________________ a beautiful girl.
6. You (marry) ______________ her.
7. You and your wife (travel) ________________ around the world.
8. People (serve) _______________ you.
9. They (not/refuse) _________________ to make you happy.
10. But all this (happen / only) ________________ when you are 70 years old.

 

 

Here are some of the websites that you can browse regarding simple present tense :

 

Simple Future Tense 1

Simple Future Tense 1

Simple Past Tense

Simple Past Tense

Hello, this time you are about to learn and explore simple past tense :) 

=I sang=

The simple past tense is sometimes called the preterite tense. We can use several tenses to talk about the past, but the simple past tense is the one we use most often.

In this lesson we look at the structure and use of the simple past tense, followed by a quiz to check your understanding:

How do we use the Simple Past Tense?

We use the simple past 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 simple past 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 simple past 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 simple past 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 the simple past 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 simple past tense. We may use the past continuous tense to "set the scene", but we almost always use the simple past 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..."

Write the past tense of these regular verbs:

watch__________	change__________
talk__________	count__________
step__________	turn on__________
play__________	finish__________
open__________	look__________
close__________	dance__________
use__________	try__________
need__________	study__________
listen__________	want_________

 “Go,” “See,” and “Eat” are called Irregular Verbs, because you don’t add –ed to make the past tense.

Circle each past tense verb in the sentences below:

1. I wanted to play baseball, but I was sick.

2. Sarah watched a movie yesterday with her sister.

3. My mother went to China and ate strange food.

4. I did my homework last night.

5. Mr. Davis took his son to school.

6. My parents were young, but now they are old.

7. She turned on the lights and closed the door.

8. I danced with my friends and had a lot of fun.

9. Jack cleaned his room and then he played outside.

10. My mother gave me 20 dollars!

Here are some of the websites that you can browse regarding simple past tense :

simple past tense 1

simple past tense 2

 

Simple Present Tense

Simple Present Tense

Hello. In this entry, you are about to learn and explore the Simple Present Tense :)

= I dance =

How do we make the Simple Present 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			drink	coffee.
	He, she, it			drinks	coffee.
-	I, you, we, they	do	not	drink	coffee.
	He, she, it	does	not	drink	coffee.
?	Do	I, you, we, they		drink	coffee?
	Does	he, she, it		drink	coffee?

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

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

How do we use the Simple Present Tense?

We use the simple present 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 simple present tense for situations that are not general. We can use the simple present tense to talk about now. Look at these examples of the verb "to be" in the simple present 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.

Try your luck by filling in the blanks with the correct form of words given :

1. I ____________ (read) a very interesting book now.

2. Joanne ____________ (work) eight hours a day.

3. Tonight we ____________ (see) a play at the theater.

4. Who ____________ you ____________ (speak) to just now?

5. I ____________ (not know) him very well.

6. What will you do if she ____________ (come) late?

7. My wife ____________ (like) coffee for breakfast.

8. What ____________ Tom usually ____________(have) for breakfast?

9. Your train ____________ (leave) at 17.25 from platform 3.

10. What ____________ Mary ____________ (do) ? She's a student.

11. My whole family _______________(go) to church once a week.

12. My wife and I _________________(go) to the beach in the summer.

13. Listen! The phone ________________(ring) in the other room.

14. Rain seldom ________________(fall) in the Sahara.

15. He is thirteen years old now, and his voice _____________________(change).

16. Let's change the conversation. It _________________(get) too serious.

17. Leap year __________________(come) every four years.

18. My grandfather ________________(grow) tomatoes in his garden this summer.

19. He ________________(grow) them every summer .

20. The children ______________________(leave) for school right now.

21. The children __________________(leave) at 8:30 every morning of the week.

22. Shu! The baby ______________________(take) her nap.

23. In the north the season ____________________(change) four times a year .

24. Unfortunately, the patient ______________________ (die).

25. The monsoon _____________________(come) once or twice a year.

26. It's spring and the days _____________________(get) longer.

27. The weather _____________(get) very cold in Moscow in the winter.

28. It _________________(rain) hard, and I don't have an umbrella.

29. It's November and the birds ___________________(fly) south.

Here are some of the websites that you can browse regarding simple present tense :

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/simplepresent.html

http://www.studyenglishtoday.net/present-simple-tense.html