Prehľad časov v anglickom jazyku gramatická príručka pre študentov religionistiky FF PU

1. Vypracoval: Tomáš Buchala Prehľad časov v anglickom jazykugramatická príručkapre študentov religionistiky FF PU

2. Present simple and continuous Present simple Present continuous • is used to express a habit I get up at six. • a fact which is always true Vegetarians don´t eat meat. Water freezes at 0 C. • a fact which is true for long time I live in LM and she works in a bank. • often used with adverbs of frequency: always, often, sometimes,hardly ever, never, every Sunday, once a month, three times a year, once in a blue moon, etc. • We use for activities happening at the time of speakingoraroundthe time of speaking I am having breakfast now. She is reading a book by Steinback. • a planned future arrangement: I´m meeting him at five. What are you doing this evening? He is not traveling today. • changig/developing situation Our English is getting better and better.

3. Present perfect simple continuous • expresses what has happened before now, action happened at not definite time in the past I have met a lot of famous people. • action can continue to the present and probabbly to the future: She has lived here for 20 years. • an experience of sb.´s life Have you ever been to the U.S? She has never been to the U.S. • expressions used with present perfect: since, for, ever, never, always, recently, just, yet, already, this year, today, etc I have lived there since I finished school. Has the postman been yet? I have already had breakfast this mornig. • activity which began in the past and continues to the present We have been waiting for hours. It has been raining for all week. • activity with result now She doesn´t have any money, she has been shopping. • frequently used with: How long, for, since Note that you can say: How long have you worked here? How long have you been working here?

4. Past simple and past continuous past simple past continuous • we use past simple for activities that finished at certain time in the past in general I did it yesterday. We did not play tennis last Sunday. What did you do yesterday? • a senquence of finished events in chronological order I took out the key, opened the door and walked in. • actions as simple facts I did not watch TV last night. • expressions used with simple past: last year, last month, ago, yesterday, in 1996, on Monday, when, etc • we use for activities that took some time in the past I was doing it yesterday at 10 o´clock. You were making a lot of noise last night. • to talk about temporary situations or actions in progress He was living in South Africa at the time. • expressions used with continuous: while, as, at, when I woke up when the sun was shining. What were you doing at 10 yesterday? I was doing my homework while she was cooking.

5. Past perfect simple continuous • an action in the past which happened before another action in the past When I got home, John had cooked a meal. /John cooked a meal before I got home/ • expressions: before, because, when What did you do after you had finished? • sentences are perhaps not in chronological order: I was tired, because I had been working hard last week. /1-work.2-tired/ She did not pass the exam, although she had been studying for three days.

6. Future will going to perfect future • a future decision or spontanious reactionmade at the moment of speaking -Which one do you want? -I will take the red one, thanks. • future prediction and promise I will travel round the world when I retire. • to express an offer, request, threats Will you help me? Will you do sth. for me? I wiil meet you at the station. • used for future intentions, made before the time of speaking I am going to Greece for holiday. • some time in future/prediction based on a firm evidence: The vase is going to fall. It is certainly not going to snow all week. • action which will be finished BY or before a certain time in future I will have saved a million by the year 2020. This time next week she will have finished her exams. Present continuous • a planned future arrangement I´m staying in the hotel for a day. What are you doing this evening?

7. Compare simple continuous • simple is used when the action is complete and the final result is important I have run six kilometres. I have written three letters this morning. • Continuous is used when the activity /not the result/ is important. We are interested how someone has spent time: I am hot, because I have been running. She has been writing letters all day. • state verbs do not express action /never use –ing/ love, hate, like, prefer, want, need, believe, understand, know, forget, mean, demand, remember, agree recommend, consist, contain, depend. see, hear, smell, taste have for possession, think for opinion • Examples This parfume smells too strong. I have known Alice for 14 years. Not: I have been knowing… I think it´s a good idea. But: I have been thinking about that for some time.

8. Check your grammar! Exercise: Write true sentences about you • An activity true around now • An activity with the result now • An activity from a day before yesterday • A future intention • A future arrangement • An action finished by 2020 • A habit of yours • A “state verb” sentence • See for more: R.Murphy, Grammar in use Intermediate, OUP 2005