Everything from your teacher's two files, rewritten so you can read it. Rules first, then the same exercises from the slides. Tap any blank to check one answer, or show them all.
FORM: Subject + base verb (add -s/es for he/she/it)
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Permanent situations or states | He works in a hospital. |
| General truths and laws of nature | Water boils at 100°C. |
| Repeated / habitual actions (especially with: often, usually, always, rarely, never) | He always does his homework. |
| Timetables / programmes → FUTURE meaning | The race starts at 3:00 pm. |
every day/week/month/year • usually • sometimes • always • rarely • never • often • in the morning/evening/afternoon • at night • on Mondays
FORM: Subject + am/is/are + verb-ING
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Temporary situations | She is working in Paris this week. (Not permanently.) |
| Changing / developing situations | Johnny is getting taller and taller. |
| Repeated actions with always/constantly — annoyance/criticism | He's always asking stupid questions! (= constantly, annoying) |
| Actions happening at / around the moment of speaking | The baby is sleeping at the moment. |
| Fixed arrangements in the near future | I'm seeing Rachel tonight. (Already arranged.) |
now • at the moment • at present • nowadays • today • tonight • still • always (for annoyance)
FORM: Subject + have/has + past participle
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Recently completed actions — result visible NOW | He has cut the grass. (We can see it's done.) |
| Actions that started in the past & continue NOW (stative verbs: be, have, like, know...) — use for / since | Mrs Jones has been a secretary for ten years. (Still is.) |
| Experiences | She has tried windsurfing. (At some point in life.) |
just • ever • never • already • yet (negations & questions) • always • how long • so far • recently • since • for • today • this week/month
FOR vs SINCE: for = a period of time (for two years). since = a starting point (since Monday).
FORM: Subject + have/has + been + verb-ING
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Actions that started in the past and continue up to the present | He has been washing his bike for an hour. (He started an hour ago and he's still washing it.) |
| Past actions of certain duration with visible result NOW | He has been fighting. That's why he's got a black eye. |
for • since • how long
NOTE: for and since are usually used with Present Perfect Continuous to emphasise duration.
FORM: Regular → verb + -ed Irregular → special form (see irregular verbs list)
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Past actions one after another (immediately) | He got in the car, started the engine and drove off. |
| Past habits or states — now finished (can also use: used to) | When he was young, he rode / used to ride his bike to school. |
| Complete action at a STATED time in the past | She passed her exam last week. (When? last week = stated.) |
yesterday • last week • (how long) ago • then • just now • when • in 1992
FORM: was/were + verb-ING
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Action in progress when ANOTHER action interrupted it → Past Continuous + when + Past Simple | I was playing football when I broke my ankle. (playing = ongoing; broke = interrupted it) |
| Two or more SIMULTANEOUS actions in the past | He was cooking while she was sleeping. |
while • when • as • the moment that
KEY PATTERN: Past Continuous + when + Past Simple: "I was sleeping WHEN the phone rang."
KEY PATTERN: Past Continuous + while + Past Continuous: "She was reading WHILE he was cooking."
FORM: had + past participle (think of it as: 'the past of the past')
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Action that happened BEFORE another past action or before a stated time in the past | She had already cooked dinner when her husband came home. (She cooked first, then he arrived.) |
for • since • already • after • just • never • yet • before • by • by the time
FORM: had been + verb-ING
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| For an action of certain duration continuing up to a specific time in the past. | She had been trying to get a visa for months before she gave up. |
for • since
FORM: will + base verb | Negative: won't | Question: Will + subject + base verb?
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Decisions taken at the moment of speaking (On-the-spot decisions) | It's getting dark. I'll turn on the light. (Decided just now.) |
| Hopes / fears / threats / offers / promises / warnings / predictions / requests→ especially with: expect, hope, believe, I'm sure, I'm afraid, probably | I'm afraid I'll be a little late. I hope she'll pass the exam. |
| Things we're NOT SURE about / haven't decided yet | She'll probably pass the test. (not sure yet) |
expect • hope • believe • I'm sure • I'm afraid • probably
FORM: am/is/are + going to + base verb
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Future plans and INTENTIONS (decided BEFORE speaking) | I'm going to study German at school. (Plan already made.) Max is going to invite his friends to dinner. (Already decided.) |
| Predictions based on what we can SEE or KNOW → especially when there is EVIDENCE | Ann is going to have a baby. (You can see she is pregnant.) Look at the dark clouds! It's going to rain. (Evidence: clouds) |
WILL vs GOING TO: Decided NOW → WILL. Decided BEFORE → GOING TO. Opinion prediction → WILL. Evidence prediction → GOING TO.
FORM: will be + verb-ING
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Action IN PROGRESS at a stated future time | He'll be sunbathing in Hawaii this time next week. |
| Asking POLITELY about someone's arrangements to see if they can do something for us or because we want to offer to do something for them | Will you be going to the supermarket? Can you buy me some tea? |
this time next week • tomorrow
FORM: will have + past participle
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Action that will be FINISHED BEFORE a stated future time | She will have come back by the end of July. By this time next month, I will have written the book. |
by • by the end of July • by 8 o'clock • by the time • by this time next month • not … until/till
NOTE: BY → positive sentences. UNTIL/TILL → negative sentences only. ✅ She will have finished BY 8. ✅ She won't have finished UNTIL 8. ❌ She will have finished UNTIL 8.
FORM: will have been + verb-ING
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Emphasis on the DURATION of an action up to a certain time in the future | By the end of this year, Sally will have been working here for two years. |
by (the end of this year) … for (two years)
FORM: same as Present Simple
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Timetables / official programmes | The plane reaches London at 9:45 pm. The train leaves at 8am tomorrow. |
FORM: am/is/are + verb-ING
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Fixed personal arrangements in the NEAR future (appointment or plan already made) | Sally is seeing her dentist tomorrow afternoon. (She made an appointment.) I'm having dinner with Tom tonight. (Already arranged.) |
Present Simple future vs Present Continuous future: Official schedules → Present Simple. Personal arrangements you set up → Present Continuous.
ONLY used with I and WE — in questions, suggestions, and offers.
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Suggestions (we do it together) | Shall we go by train? / Shall we eat out tonight? |
| Offers (I do something for you) | Shall I help you with your bags? / Shall I open the window? |
⚠️ Never use SHALL with he/she/they/you — only I and WE.
Present and past: exactly as in the book's "Time expressions used with" tables from your teacher's files.
| Tense | Time expressions |
|---|---|
| Present simple | every day/week/month/year, usually, sometimes, always, rarely, never, often, in the morning/evening/afternoon, at night, on Mondays |
| Present continuous | now, at the moment, at present, nowadays, today, tonight, always, still |
| Present perfect & present perfect continuous | just, ever, never, already, yet (negations & questions), always, how long, so far, recently, since (= from a starting point in the past), for (= over a period of time), today, this week/month |
| Past simple | yesterday, last week, (how long) ago, then, just now, when, in 1992 |
| Past continuous | while, when, as, the moment that |
| Past perfect | for, since, already, after, just, never, yet, before, by, by the time |
| Past perfect continuous | for, since |
For and since are usually used with the present perfect continuous to emphasise how long an action lasted.
The book has no table for the future. These are the signal words in its future rules and examples.
| Form | Signal words |
|---|---|
| will | expect, hope, believe, I'm sure, I'm afraid, probably |
| be going to | no fixed words. Decide by meaning: a plan already made, or evidence (Look at the dark clouds!) |
| Future continuous | this time next week, tomorrow |
| Future perfect | by, by the time, by the end of July, by 8 o'clock, by this time next month, not … until/till |
| Future perfect continuous | by (the end of this year) … for (two years) |
| Present simple (future) | timetable times: at 3:00 pm, at 9:45 pm |
| Present continuous (future) | tonight, tomorrow afternoon |
When a word fits several tenses, look at the rest of the sentence: now or past? finished or still going? before another action?
First learn two words. An independent clause (IC) has a subject + verb and makes sense on its own. A dependent clause (DC) has a subject + verb but starts with a word like because or although, so it can't stand alone.
Put a comma before the coordinator: She wanted to go out, but it was raining heavily.
With nor, the verb comes before the subject: He didn't call, nor did he write.
Each side needs its own subject + verb. The slide example "You can have coffee or tea with your breakfast" is really simple (only one verb). A compound version: You can have coffee, or you can have tea.
Subordinating conjunctions: after, although, as, because, before, if, since, though, unless, until, when, where, while (also: as soon as, even though)
Relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, that · The book that you recommended was excellent.
Relative adverbs: where, when, why · I still remember the day when we first met.
Comma rule: dependent clause first → comma. Because it was raining, we stayed indoors. Independent clause first → usually no comma. We stayed indoors because it was raining.
Your teacher's slides also list however, therefore, nevertheless with a semicolon (She worked hard; however, she did not achieve the desired results.). Most grammar books call that compound, since both halves stand alone. If it comes up, answer the way your teacher taught it.
Also on the slides: "The team won the match, even though they were missing their star player, and the crowd went wild" and "After I finish my work, I will go for a walk, and then I'll have dinner" are shown as complex examples. Each has two independent clauses, so they are really compound-complex.
Turn the phrase into a full clause (add a subject + verb), then join with the right word.
| If you see… | → Compound | → Complex |
|---|---|---|
| Because of / on account of + noun | …, so … | because / as / since |
| Despite / in spite of | …, but … / …, yet … | although / though / even though |
| Being … / having done … | …, so … / …, and … | as / since / after |
| On seeing … | …, and … | as soon as / when |
| To / in order to (purpose) | …, so … | if / so that |
| Without + -ing / in the event of | …, or … | unless / if … not |
| Too … to | …, so … could not | so … that |
Dear Sir/Madam, I 1) am writing (write) on behalf of Midfield School. Every year, our students 2) choose (choose) to do a project on an environmental problem. Then, they 3) work (work) to raise money to help solve this problem. We 4) have recently seen (recently/see) your advertisements about protecting dolphins, so for the last few weeks we 5) have been trying (try) to learn about the dolphins that 6) live (live) in the sea near our school. We 7) have already been (already/be) on two boat trips and 8) have persuaded (persuade) local fishermen to change their fishing nets because the ones they 9) use (use) at the moment can trap dolphins. Could you please send the children some posters to add to the presentations that they 10) have done (do) so far?
8 keeps the same tense as 7: "We have already been… and have persuaded…". ("Are persuading" also works if they are still doing it.)
In 1912, a passenger steamship called the Titanic 1) was sailing (sail) across the Atlantic Ocean from England to America. A bright moon 2) was shining (shine) and a gentle breeze 3) was blowing (blow). The ship 4) had been sailing (sail) for four days and was now more than halfway towards New York City. Some passengers 5) were sleeping (sleep) in their cabins while others 6) were relaxing (relax) on deck, when suddenly they all 7) heard (hear) a loud bang. Those sitting on deck 8) jumped up (jump up), 9) ran (run) to the railing of the ship, and 10) looked (look) over the side. To their horror, they saw that they 11) had hit (hit) an iceberg which 12) had torn (tear) a hole in the side of the ship.
Why 4 is past perfect continuous: "for four days" up to that past moment. Why 11 and 12 are past perfect: they happened before "they saw".
Simon 1) was walking (walk) home from work the other day when he 2) noticed (notice) something shining on the other side of the road. A car 3) was coming (come) down the street, so he waited until it had driven past. Then he 4) crossed (cross) over. When he 5) got (get) to the other side, he saw that there was a shiny gold coin on the road! He 6) looked (look) around to make sure no one 7) was watching (watch) him. Then, he 8) bent (bend) down to pick it up. Imagine his surprise when he 9) couldn't move (not/can) it! He 10) was (be) just about to give up when he 11) heard (hear) a strange sound behind him. Someone 12) was laughing (laugh) at him, but he couldn't see who it 13) was (be). Two little boys 14) were hiding (hide) behind a hedge, laughing at anyone who tried to pick up the coin they had stuck to the road with glue!
Wendy: I hope you 1) will be able to come to the surprise party we are arranging for Kate this weekend.
Emma: Of course I 2) will, Wendy. But I'm afraid my sister Harriet 3) won't be able to come.
Wendy: Oh that's a pity! Kate 4) will be disappointed about that; she really likes your sister.
Emma: How many people do you think 5) will be there?
Wendy: Well, I've asked everyone in the class and so far 15 people have promised they 6) will come. Who else 7) shall I invite?
Emma: How about the girls in the netball team?
Wendy: That's a good idea. They 8) will miss her when she moves to Scotland.
Emma: 9) Shall we buy her a leaving present too?
Wendy: Definitely! I 10) will ask everyone to make a small contribution.
Emma: I'm sure everyone 11) will be happy to do that. We 12) will all miss Kate. I hope she 13) won't forget about us in Scotland.
7 and 9 are shall: question + I/we + asking for a suggestion.
Some answers on the slides skip the second subject ("We followed the trail and reached…"). Repeat the subject after the coordinator so there really are two clauses, and don't forget the comma.
Good luck tomorrow.