Brief of the grammer for intermediate level

Present Simple & Present Continuous

1. Present Simple:

We use the present simple for:
a) Repeated actions or habits.
ex. We go out every Saturday night.
b) Something we see as a permanent.
ex. My sister works in a bank..
c) Describe a state doesn't change.
ex. I look like my mother.

2. Present Continuous:

We use the present continuous for:
a) Things in progress now, at the moment of speaking.
ex. The sun is shining and it's a beautiful day.
b) Temporary actions or situations that are happening 'around now'
ex. I'm reading a very good book at the moment.
c) Describe a situation which is changing.
ex. People are working longer hours nowadays.

Past Simple & Past Continuous

3. Past Simple:

We use the past simple for:
a) States and Actions which happened in the past. We often say when the action. happened
ex. I saw someone famous yesterday.
b) The action can be short or long, single or repeated.
ex. I dropped the glass and it broke on the floor.
c) To talk about states in the past.
ex. When I was young, I loved playing with my toys.

4. Past Continuous:

We use the past continuous for:
a) Actions in progress at a time in the past.
ex. I was living in London then.
b) Describe the situation or the background to a story. We use the past simple for the main events.
ex. The sun was shining and I was walking along the road. Suddenly
someone shouted to me.
c) Sometimes the past continuous action is interrupted.
ex. They were talking about me when I walked in the room.

d) We use the past continuous for actions we see as incomplete.
ex. I read a book about Italy. (= I read it all)
I was reading a book about Italy. (= I probably didn't read it all)
Present Perfect & Past Perfect

5. Present perfect:

We use the present perfect to talk about the past and the present together. The past action or situation is connected to the present in various ways:
a) The state or action continues from the past to the present.
ex. I've known her for many years. (I still know her)
b) The results of the past action are important in the present.
ex. He's lost his keys. (He doesn't have it now)
c) The time reference in the sentence includes the present.
ex. He's been ill all this week. (This week isn't finished)
d) When we mean 'in my whole life': we do not give a specific time.
ex. I've been to Spain lots of time.

6. Past Perfect:

We use the past perfect to link one time in the past to another time further in the past.

ex. When we got there, everyone had left.



Some Important Note:

1) Some Verbs are rarely found in the continuous forms. These are verbs which describe 'states' rather than 'actions'.
a) Connected with emotions: hate, like, love, want.
b) Connected with understanding: believe, know, prefer, understand.
c) Connected with possession and unchanging qualities: belong, cost, weight.
d) Connected with the senses: hear, smell, sound, taste.

2) We use the past simple for completed actions that are in the past.

3) Whether or not we use the Present Perfect or Past Simple often depends on how we see the actions. If we see it as related to the present, we use the present perfect. If we see it as finished and in the past, we use the past simple, even if we don't mention the time.

4) The present perfect is 'the past of the present', but the past perfect is' the past of the past'.