Today in class we took a short quiz on irregular verbs. Then we started to review verb tense. We use simple tenses when we talk about a point in time (in the simple present tense, this point in time can be repeated regularly (I eat breakfast every morning) or it can be generally true at all times (I love ice cream). We use continuous tenses when we talk about an ongoing length of time. We viewed several time lines that show the differences between tenses.
1) Here is a timeline that tries to show the difference between simple tenses (past, present and future) and continuous or progressive tenses (past, present, and future).
LINK: Timeline--Simple Tenses Compared to Continuous Tenses
2) Another time line shows the difference between simple present and present continuous. It also shows how you can use simple past and past continuous together to say that something happened in the middle of something else (My mother phoned while I was cooking dinner.).
LINK: Tense Helper Timelines
3) If you feel very brave, the website Englishpage.com will tell you much more about the individual verb tenses than you ever wanted to know. We have not studied all of this material yet (such as active versus passive verbs). But if you want to know more, click on the link below to read detailed discussions of the verb tenses we have studied so far (you can read only what we have studied so far, or you can continue reading about more kinds of verbs). For each line of print, read the lessons in the Topics Covered column on the right, then look at the same line in the Exercises column on the left to try the verb tense exercise that goes with those lessons.
LINK: Verb Tenses at Englishpage.com
My Suggestion: Click on each of the three links above. If you find a timeline or explanation helpful, study it. Try reading some lessons and exercises at the third link, Englishpage.com. If it is too confusing, don't spend too much time on it--spend your study time with the links that help you the most.
1) Here is a timeline that tries to show the difference between simple tenses (past, present and future) and continuous or progressive tenses (past, present, and future).
LINK: Timeline--Simple Tenses Compared to Continuous Tenses
2) Another time line shows the difference between simple present and present continuous. It also shows how you can use simple past and past continuous together to say that something happened in the middle of something else (My mother phoned while I was cooking dinner.).
LINK: Tense Helper Timelines
3) If you feel very brave, the website Englishpage.com will tell you much more about the individual verb tenses than you ever wanted to know. We have not studied all of this material yet (such as active versus passive verbs). But if you want to know more, click on the link below to read detailed discussions of the verb tenses we have studied so far (you can read only what we have studied so far, or you can continue reading about more kinds of verbs). For each line of print, read the lessons in the Topics Covered column on the right, then look at the same line in the Exercises column on the left to try the verb tense exercise that goes with those lessons.
LINK: Verb Tenses at Englishpage.com
My Suggestion: Click on each of the three links above. If you find a timeline or explanation helpful, study it. Try reading some lessons and exercises at the third link, Englishpage.com. If it is too confusing, don't spend too much time on it--spend your study time with the links that help you the most.
