Grammatica inglese

PAST SIMPLE & PAST CONTINUOUS:

"when" is most often followed by the verb tense simple past, whereas "while" is usually followed by past continuous.

• I was studying when she called.
• While I was studying, she called.
• But we can use the past continuous with "when", when it has the meaning of "while" (especially in narrative) and also, we can use the past continuous with "as": While/as/when he was painting the door, it started raining.

RULE: We often use the past simple and past continuous together when one action interrupts another in the past (This is called INTERRUPTED ACTION and it is a very common construction. An example: I was reading a book when a student asked me a question) or when an action started during another one and it was completed.

PAST SIMPLE VS PRESENT PERFECT

We use the past simple to refer to definite time in the past (when we specify the time or how long) and usually with past time expressions such as yesterday, two weeks ago, last year, in 1995.

We use the present perfect to talk about time up to now, that is, events that took place in the past but which connect with the present. The present perfect is often used with time expressions which indicate time up to now, for example today, this year, in the last six months.

PARTICOLARE:

I didn't have any lunch today. - Today is not finished but it is almost the end of the day and past lunchtime. - simple past

I haven't had any lunch today. - It is still today and not too late to have lunch. - present perfect

practice:https://www.e-grammar.org/present-perfect-simple-continuous/test1-exercise1/

https://www.e-grammar.org/present-perfect-simple-continuous/test1-exercise1/#topad

PAST CONTINUOUS VS PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

• If you do not include a duration such as "for five minutes," "for two weeks" or "since Friday," many English speakers choose to use the past continuous rather than the past perfect continuous. This can change the meaning of the sentence.
• Past continuous emphasizes interrupted actions, whereas past perfect continuous emphasizes a duration of time before something in the past.

Examples:

• He was tired because he was exercising so hard. This sentence emphasizes that he was tired because he was exercising at that exact moment.
• He was tired because he had been exercising so hard. This sentence emphasizes that he was tired because he had been exercising over a period of time. It is possible that he was still exercising at that moment.

ADVERBS OR CONNECTORS TO HELP CONVEY THE IDEAS:

Still, Until, When, Before, Firstly, Usually, After, Soon, Just

NARRATIVE TENSES:

Narrative tenses help us talk about the past. We use them to talk about recent actions, historical events, and biographical information.

PAST SIMPLE

Used to emphasize single actions in the past. "I visited Japan."

PAST CONTINUOUS

Used to emphasis that the action was in progress when something happened. "I was living in Japan when I met my wife."

PAST PERFECT

Used to emphasize that the action already occurred at some point in the distant past. (The following sentence implies that the speaker is living in Japan now for a second time.) "I had lived in Japan before."

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Used to emphasize a period of time during which an action was happening that ended when a second, more recent, action

occurred.“I had been living in Japan for a few months before I got a job.”

USED TO + INFINITIVE

We can use used to + infinitive to talk about things that we did repeatedly in the past.

• When I was a child, I used to go skiing every winter.
• From the age of 12 till I was 16, I used to dance at weekends.
• I didn’t use to smoke before I got this job.

We can use used to + infinitive to talk about situations or states (stative verbs) which were true in the past, but they are no longer true.

• As a child I used to be blond.
• I used to live with my mum when I was a child

https://www.test-english.com/grammar-points/b2/narrative-tenses-used-to-would/2/

FUTURE TENSES:

PRESENT SIMPLE & PRESENT CONTINUOUS WITH FUTURE MEANING

Use the present simple to refer to scheduled events in the near future:

These are future actions that don’t depend on the speaker’s will.

It is used to refer to events in the future which are certain because they are

will must sign a contract … or You must will sign a contract …Will can be followed by have to or be able to.The negative form of will is won’t. We don’t use don’t, doesn’t, didn’t with will.We use the full form will not in formal contexts or when we want to emphasise something.

Question formThe subject and will change position to form questions. We don’t use do, does, did:Es. Will I be able to take this brochure home with me?We can use will and won’t in question tags:Es.• You won’t forget to take the cake out of the oven, will you?• It’ll take quite a long time to get there, won’t it?

WHEN do we have TO USE WILL:

1. Certainty in the future

   We use will to refer to things in the future that we think are certain and for suppositions, doubts and personal opinions. In this case, usually will follows verbslike think, believe, fear, expect, wonder if or adverbs like certainly, probably, perhaps

2. Making

predictions

Will is used to make predictions about the future (predictions based on beliefs and thoughts of the person speaking) (verbi tipo to think)

Some predictions are about facts – things that we know always happen.

Some predictions are about the present. Es: That’ll be Katie shouting. (The speaker is certain. He or she makes a deduction because of what they know about the situation.)

Conditional sentences

We often use will (or the contracted form ’ll) in the main clause of a conditional sentence when we talk about possible situations in the future (if clauses, type1):

Es. If she gets the job, she will have to move to Germany.

Willingness and offers

Will is often used to express someone’s willingness to do something or to make offers. It is often used with I in this context.

Intentions and decisions

We use will for immediate intentions and decisions. We usually use ’ll, not will, after "I think".

We use will and be going to for decisions.

intentions and plans. We use will when the decision is immediate and be going to when we have already made a plan.

6. Promises

We use will to make promises.

7. Requests and invitations

We often make requests or invitations with will (also with shall I / shall we?)

8. Commands

We sometimes give commands or orders using will:

Will you be quiet, please!

It is also used to insist that someone does something

9. General truths

Will is used to describe something the speaker thinks is generally true:

Es.[talking about making complaints at hospitals]

A: Do you think they should try and make it easier for people to complain?

B: No, cos some people will always complain. (cos = because in informal speech)

GOING TO:

Form

We use be going to + the base form of the verb.

WHEN TO USE BE GOING TO:

Be going to is commonly used in informal styles.

1. Intentions

We use be going to to talk about future plans and intentions.

2. Predictions

We use be going to to predict something that we think is certain to happen or which we have

evidence for now.

3. Commands

We use be going to when we give commands or state that something is obligatory.

4. Immediate future

We use be going to to talk about actions that are about to start (immediate future).

• The race is going to start

(To refer to the immediate future we can use other two structures: be about to + infinitive or be on the point of + -ing)

When BE GOING TO is used in the past tense, it refers to something that was going to happen but in the end it did not happen.

Es.

• I was going to call you but I forgot.

FUTURE CONTINUOUS VS FUTURE PERFECT SIMPLE:

Look at the differences between future continuous and future perfect simple:

This time tomorrow I'll be having lunch (the lunch is in progress and it's not finished)

This time tomorrow, I'll have had lunch (the lunch is finished)

To practice: https://www.test-english.com/grammar-points/b1-b2/future-continuous-and-future-perfect/

FUTURE COTINUOUS VS FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS:

If you do not include a

The duration or the result of an acti