Some verb tenses.

Present simple

Uses

We use present simple to:

• Express habits, routines or repeated actions that occur habitually. Here, it is often to use with frequency adverb, such as always, often, never, etc.
• Ex: I always brush my teeth.
• Talk about general or scientific facts.
• Ex: Chillán is a city of Chile.
• Talk about scheduled events in the near future.
• Ex: The meeting is this afternoon.
• Give instructions.
• Ex: Close the door.

Sentence structure

To conjugate the present simple, we use the infinitive verb for subject "I", "you", "we" and "they", and we add a “–s, –es or –ies” for subject "he", "she" and "it".

• Affirmative: Subject + Verb (Base form) + Complement/Object/Adverb
• Ex: I sing a beautiful song.
• Negative: Subject + Do not (Don’t)/Does not (Doesn't) + Verb (Base form) + Complement/Object/Adverb
• Ex: She doesn’t drink soda.

Attention: Verb “to be” has its own negation.

• (I) am: Am not (Amn’t).
• (He/she/it) is: Is not (Isn’t).
• (You/we/they) are: Are not (Aren’t).

• Interrogative: Do/Does + Subject + Verb + Complement/Object/Adverb?
• Ex: Do they have a meeting?

Attention: Verb “to be” has its own interrogation.

• Am (I).
• Is (He/she/it)
• Are (You/we/they)

Grammatical overview:

• Add –es to verbs ending in X, SH, SS, CH, O
• Add –s to verbs ending in vowel + Y
• Add –ies to verbs ending in consonant + Y

Present Continuous

Uses

Present continuous is used when:

• Speak about something that is happening at the moment.
• Ex: I’m writing this example now
• Describe a trend or an action that is happening nowadays. In this case you can use time expressions like currently, lately, these days, etc.
• Ex: Is Joan looking for a job lately?
• Describe actions or future events already scheduled.
• Ex: Is Ralph visiting her next winter?

Sentences structure

• Affirmative: Subject + Verb (To be) + Verb (-ing form) + Complement/Object/Adverb
• Ex: Jorge is studying Civil Engineering computer.
• Negative: Subject + Amn’t/Isn’t/Aren’t + Verb (-ing form) + Complement/Object/Adverb
• Ex: She isn’t reading a book.
• Interrogative: Verb (To be) + Subject + Verb (-ing form) + Complement/Object/Adverb?
• Ex: Are you up for a dancing?

Attention: Some verbs rarely used progressive form.

• Sensation/Perception: To hear, to smell, to taste, to feel, etc.
• Emotions/Desires: To fear, to dislike, to hate, to hope, to like, to love, to prefer, etc.
• Opinion: To assume, to believe, to consider, to suppose, to think, etc.
• Measurements: To contain, to cost, to measure, to weigh, etc.
• Mental states: To forget, to imagine, to recognize, to notice, to understand, to know, etc.
• Others: To look (Resemble), to seem, to be (In most cases), and to have (Possession).

Past simple

Uses

We use past simple to:

• Talk about a concrete action that began and ended in the past. Usually, we use adverbs of time like last year, yesterday, last week, etc.
• Ex: Ben ate with his girlfriend last night.
• Talk about an indefinitely period of time.
• Ex: Bartolomeo played football for many years.
• Repeated actions that occur in the past:
• Ex: I usually went to the University.
• Talk about general or scientific facts in the past.
• Ex: Salvador Allende was a president of Chile.

Sentence structure

To conjugate the past simple, we use two types of verbs: Regular and irregular verbs. I’m going to talk about that later.

• Affirmative: Subject + Verb + Complement/Object/Adverb
• Ex: Alex bought his lunch in a restaurant.
• Negative: Subject + Did not (Didn’t) + Verb + Complement/Object/Adverb
• Ex: I didn’t study yesterday, because my brother was playing its drum.

Attention: Verb “to be” has its own negation in the past.

• (I/He/she/it) is: Was not (Wasn’t).
• (You/we/they) are: Were not (Weren’t).

• Interrogative: Did + Subject + Verb + Complement/Object/Adverb?
• Ex: Did they drink a lot?

Attention: Verb “to be” has its own interrogation in the past.

• Was (He/she/it)
• Were (You/we/they)

Grammatical overview

• Regular verbs always finish in –ed.
• Irregular verbs have “two types of past”: Simple past form, and participle form. The last is used in other types of tenses.

Past Continuous

Uses

Past continuous is used when:

• Describe an incomplete action that was interrupted by another action or event. The action that is interrupted goes in past continuous. We use the simple past after the word "when", and past continuous after the word "while".
• Ex: Mary was watching TV when Mary called me.
• Talk about actions that were in progress at a specific time in the past.
• Ex: My neighbors were living here since 2001.
• Two actions that were happening at the same time.
• Ex: I was cooking while my mom was buying. 

Sentences structure

• Affirmative: Subject + Verb (To be in past) + Verb (-ing form) + Complement/Object/Adverb
• Ex: George was trying to sing a song
• Negative: Subject + Wasn’t/Weren’t + Verb (-ing form) + Complement/Object/Adverb
• Ex: His friend wasn’t talking with a teacher.
• Interrogative: Verb (To be) + Subject + Verb (-ing form) + Complement/Object/Adverb?
• Ex: Were you chatting with him?

Future

There are two main ways to express the future: Will and be going to.

Uses (Will)

Will is used to:

• Talk about facts that are true.
• Ex: William will date with his girlfriend on July 10^th.
• Simple predictions based on facts.
• Ex: It’s cloudy and cold, it will rain.
• Prior commitment or promises.
• Ex: Tomorrow, I will buy you an ice cream.

Sentences structure

• Affirmative: Subject + Will + Verb (Base form) + Complement/Object/Adverb
• Ex: Elisa will go to the party at 9 p.m.
• Negative: Subject + Will (Won’t) + Verb (Base form) + Complement/Object/Adverb
• Ex: She won’t do her exercises.
• Interrogative: Will + Subject + Verb (Base form) + Complement/Object/Adverb?
• Ex: Will you go to the party?

Uses (Be going to)

Be going to is used to:

• Plans or it intends to do something.
• Ex: I’m going to travel to Concepción this afternoon.
• Predictions based in something obvious.
• Ex: (Look at the sky). It’s going to rain!

Sentences structure

• Affirmative: Subject + Verb (To be) + Going to + Verb (Base form) + Complement/Object/Adverb
• Ex: Teresa is going to visit her darling this Sunday.
• Negative: Subject + Amn’t/Isn’t/Aren’t + Going to + Verb (Base form) + Complement/Object/Adverb
• Ex: You aren’t going to drive a truck.
• Interrogative: Am/Is/Are + Subject + Going to + Verb (Base form) + Complement/Object/Adverb?
• Ex: Are you going to travel to London?