English Grammar Rules: Tenses and Verbs | Appunti di Lingua Inglese

In a sentence which includes a time clause with SINCE we generally prefer a past simple tense in that clause

and a present perfect verb in the other clause: e.g. SINCE Mr Hassan BECAME president, both taxes and

unemployment HAVE INCREASED.

We use the present perfect when the action has finished but results are visible. Key words are recently, in

the last few days, since, so far, today, this evening, this year = when these periods are not finished at the

time of speaking. E.g. I’ve drunk four cups of coffee today (the day has not finished yet).

After IT/THIS/THAT WILL BE/IS THE FIRST TIME we generally use the PRESENT PERFERCT. E.g. THAT IS THE

FISRT TIME I HAVE SEEN John look embarrassed. IT WON’T BE THE FIRST TIME SHE HAS VOTED against the

government in her long career.

After it/this/that WAS the first time we generally use the PAST PERFECT. E.g. it was the first time I had

talked to Elena outside the office.

With time clauses introduced by AFTER/WHEN/UNTIL/AS SOON AS/ONCE/BY THE TIME and the time

expression THE MINUTE/SECOND/MOMENT the past simple refers to past, completed events, while the

present perfect refers to future events. E.g. AFTER she LEFT hospital, she had a long holiday. I’ll contact you

THE MINUTE I’ve got my exams.

When we talk about two or more completed events that followed one another we use the past simple for

both. E.g. She GOT up when the alarm clock WENT off.

When we talk about a sequence of past events, we usually use the past simple. If we want to refer to an

event OUT OF ORDER, which happened BEFORE the last event in sequence, we use the past perfect. E.g. He

emigrated to Mexico in 1959. The agriculture reform HAD BEGUN a few months before this.

IT IS/ IT HAS BEEN +ages/a long time + since something happened= E.g. It is/it has been 2 years since I last

saw Joe. How long it is/has been since Mr Hill died?

The present perfect suggests a connection between something that happened in the past and the present

time. E.g. Have you turned the gas off? I don’t like it to be on when I’m not at home.

The past perfect is used to locate a past event before another past event. E.g. I invited him out to dinner,

but he said he had already eaten.

We use the present perfect continuous for an activity that has recently or just stopped. E.g. Paul is very

tired. He has been working hard = he is still working.

We use the present perfect continuous with how long, for … and since … the activity is still happening or

has just stopped, and it answers the question how long did it last?

When + present simple= when 2 actions happens at the same time. E.g. When I phone, I’ll ask her about the

party.

When + present perfect= when one action happens after another. E.g. Can I have the newspaper when you

have finished with it?

IF/WHEN= we use IF for the future, for things that will possibly (or not) happen. We use WHEN for things

which are sure to happen. E.g. I might go out later (possibility). If I go out, I’ll get some bread. I’m going out

later (certainty). When I go out, I’ll get some bread.

We can use either WILL or BE GOING TO, to talk about something that is planned, or something that is likely

to happen in the future.

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In a sentence which includes a time clause with SINCE we generally prefer a past simple tense in that clause and a present perfect verb in the other clause: e.g. SINCE Mr Hassan BECAME president, both taxes and unemployment HAVE INCREASED. We use the present perfect when the action has finished but results are visible. Key words are recently, in the last few days, since, so far, today, this evening, this year = when these periods are not finished at the time of speaking. E.g. I’ve drunk four cups of coffee today (the day has not finished yet). After IT/THIS/THAT WILL BE/IS THE FIRST TIME we generally use the PRESENT PERFERCT. E.g. THAT IS THE FISRT TIME I HAVE SEEN John look embarrassed. IT WON’T BE THE FIRST TIME SHE HAS VOTED against the government in her long career. After it/this/that WAS the first time we generally use the PAST PERFECT. E.g. it was the first time I had talked to Elena outside the office. With time clauses introduced by AFTER/WHEN/UNTIL/AS SOON AS/ONCE/BY THE TIME and the time expression THE MINUTE/SECOND/MOMENT the past simple refers to past, completed events, while the present perfect refers to future events. E.g. AFTER she LEFT hospital, she had a long holiday. I’ll contact you THE MINUTE I’ve got my exams. When we talk about two or more completed events that followed one another we use the past simple for both. E.g. She GOT up when the alarm clock WENT off. When we talk about a sequence of past events, we usually use the past simple. If we want to refer to an event OUT OF ORDER, which happened BEFORE the last event in sequence, we use the past perfect. E.g. He emigrated to Mexico in 1959. The agriculture reform HAD BEGUN a few months before this. IT IS/ IT HAS BEEN +ages/a long time + since something happened= E.g. It is/it has been 2 years since I last saw Joe. How long it is/has been since Mr Hill died? The present perfect suggests a connection between something that happened in the past and the present time. E.g. Have you turned the gas off? I don’t like it to be on when I’m not at home. The past perfect is used to locate a past event before another past event. E.g. I invited him out to dinner, but he said he had already eaten. We use the present perfect continuous for an activity that has recently or just stopped. E.g. Paul is very tired. He has been working hard = he is still working. We use the present perfect continuous with how long, for … and since … the activity is still happening or has just stopped, and it answers the question how long did it last? When + present simple= when 2 actions happens at the same time. E.g. When I phone, I’ll ask her about the party. When + present perfect= when one action happens after another. E.g. Can I have the newspaper when you have finished with it? IF/WHEN= we use IF for the future, for things that will possibly (or not) happen. We use WHEN for things which are sure to happen. E.g. I might go out later (possibility). If I go out, I’ll get some bread. I’m going out later (certainty). When I go out, I’ll get some bread. We can use either WILL or BE GOING TO, to talk about something that is planned, or something that is likely to happen in the future.

We use WILL to make a prediction based on our opinion or experience. We use WILL when we make a decision at the moment of speaking. We also use WILL for offering, agreeing, and promising to do something. We use PRESENT SIMPLE (not will) in time clauses with conjunctions such as: after, as soon as, before, by the time, when, until, while. In conditional clauses with: if, in case, provided. To talk about possible future events with unless, suppose, supposing at the beginning of the sentence. We use BE GOING TO do something when we have already decided to do it, the action is already fixed or arranged. We use WAS GOING TO do something when we intended to do it, but didn’t do it: We can use the future continuous to talk about something that is predicted to start before a particular point of future time. E.g. This time next year this part of the garden WILL BE LOOKING beautiful. The future continuous is sometimes used to indicate that a future activity is pre-arranged. Using WILL can indicate willingness, intention, invitation.

E.g. Will you be staying with us again tonight? (asking about plans). Will you stay with us again tonight? (it could be an invitation). BE TO + INFINITIVE is used to talk about formal or official arrangements, formal instruction and to give orders. E.g. you are not to leave the school without my permission. N.B.: We use BE TO + INFINITIVE to talk about future events that can be controlled by people. We often use be to + infinitive in if-clauses to say that something must happen first (main clause) before something else can happen (if-clause). E.g. If the human race IS TO SURVIVE, we must look at environmental problems now. Other ways of talking about the future: be about to + infinite, be on the verge of, be on the brink of (usually refers to something important, exciting or very bad), be on the point of (+ -ing/ noun), be due to + infinitive (say something that is expected to happen at a particular time), be sure/bound to + infinitive (to say that something is likely or certain to happen), be set to + infinitive (say that something is ready to happen). To talk about an activity or event that was in the future at a particular point in the past, we can use WAS/WERE TO + INFINITIVE (for things that actually happened) and WAS/WERE TO HAVE + 3C (for things that were expected but didn’t happen).
E.g. he was to found out years later that the car he had brought was stolen. The boat, which was to have taken them to the island, failed to arrive. We can use WILL (for the present) and WOULD (for the past) to talk about characteristic behaviours or habits. E.g. Every day Dan will come home from home and turn on the TV. At school she would always sit quietly and pay attention. We don’t use will/would, to talk about a particular occasion but we can use them in the negative form for both habits and single occasions. When we talk about repeated events in the past that don’t happen now, we can use either would or used to + infinitive. However we can use WOULD only if the time reference is clear. E.g. We used to play in the garden (NOT would); but: whenever we went to my uncle’s house, we would/used to play in the garden.

E.g. Statistics is popular at the university. / Statistics are able to prove anything you want them to. Data and media, which are plural nous (datum and medium are the singular forms) prefer in academic contexts the singular verb. E.g. All the data is available for public inspection. With a phrase referring to a measurement, amount, or quantity we usually prefer a singular verb. E.g. Three hours SEEMS a long time to take on the homework. The fifty pounds he gave me WAS soon spent. After per cent/percent/% (of) we use a singular verb if it refers to a singular or uncountable noun and a plural verb if it refers to a plural noun. E.g. An inflation rate of only 2% makes a big difference to export. / I would say that about 50 per cent of the houses need major repairs. AN + hour/honest/honour/heir Quite a few= quite a large number We use FEW when we talk about a group of things or people, we use LITTLE when we talk about part of a group or amount. E.g. this is one of the few shops in time. I gave her the little time I had. We use FEW after personal pronoun and these/those. We use less with uncountable nouns and fewer with plural countable nouns. We use less than with a noun phrase indicating an amount (distance/sum of money). E.g. This beach is less than a mile away. Whereby= by means of which While understanding the problem= although I understand the problem We can use the reflexive pronoun THEMSELVES to refer to person who is the subject of the sentence, to avoid saying whether the subject is male or female. E.g. Who wants to go through life by themselves, without friends? We can use GO SO/AS FAR AS + TO INFINITIVE to talk about actions that are surprising or extreme. E.g. One furious woman went so/as far as to throw tomatoes at the minister. When we put time adverbs in front position, the subject must come after an auxiliary verb or a main verb be. E.g. Not once was she at home when I phoned. We can use MUCH as a degree adverb. E.g. I much enjoyed having you stay with us. However, with AGREE/ DOUBT/FEAR/HOPE/LIKE/WANT we have to use very much. E.g. I very much agree with your decision. We cannot use much or very much before present participle adverbs. E.g. the hotel was (NOT very much/much) welcoming.

We prefer AS to say that when one thing changes, another thing changes at the same time. E.g. As the cheese matures, its flavour improves. HARDLY/ NO SOONER/SCARCELY= say that one event happened immediately after another, which clause begins with when/before. E.g. the concert had hardly begun before all the lights went out. FOR is a formal alternative to BECAUSE. Less formal alternatives are IN THAT/INASMUCH AS. The prepositions DUE TO/OWING TO (we usually avoid owing to after BE) could be used before a noun or noun phrase to substitute because. In formal contexts we can use SUCH THAT to introduce a result. If I might just say few words= I want to speak. If we could get back to the subject of homework= let’s go back. When the first verb in a conditional if-clause is SHOULD/WERE/HAD we can leave out IF and put the verb at the start of the clause. E.g. should any of this cost you anything, send me the bill. (if any of this should cost…). It would be embarrassing, were she to find out the truth. (if she were to find out). IF Real conditions:

eat the apple if you are hungry (present-present).
if you leave now, you’ll catch the 5 o’clock train (present-will).
if I’m going to catch the train, I’ll have to leave now (be going to-will).
if I fail my exam, I’m going to give up the course (present-be going to).
if I’ve failed my exam, I’m going to give up the course (past perfect-be going to). Unreal conditions:
if I were hungry, I would eat an apple (past simple - would+infinitive).
if the technology were to become available, we would be able to expand the business (were to+infinitive - would+infinitive).
If it weren’t for Vivian, the conference wouldn’t be going ahead (if it weren’t for - would+infinitive).
If it hadn’t been for Dad, I wouldn’t have gone to college (if it hadn’t been for -would+past perfect). We can use IF and WILL in the same clause when:
We talk about a result of something: open the window if it will help you to sleep.
In requests meaning “if you are willing to”: If you will/would take your seats, ladies and gentlemen, we can begin the meeting.
In real conditionals to show disapproval of something: I’m tired. Well, if you will go to bed so late, I’m not surprised. We can use IF…WON’T when we talk about a refusal to do something. E.g. there’s no point in trying to teach the class, if they won’t pay attention. We can use IF YOU HAPPEN TO/ IF YOU SHOULD (HAPPEN TO) to talk about something that could happen but is not very likely. E.g. If you happen to be in our area, drop in and see us.

English Grammar Rules: Tenses and Verbs, Appunti di Lingua Inglese

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