English: Grammar in use
Module 1:
The tenses (1-16, 19-25)
The past tenses – Verleden tijden
- Past simple (I did)
To say that something happened in the past and is now over. Time indications
such as, yesterday, last week, a month ago, often occur in the sentence.
Very often the past simple ends in –ed.
They invited us to their party, but we decided not to go.
- Past continuous (I was doing)
To describe actions and events that were going on at some point in the past.
They were playing tennis.
They were in the middle of playing, they had not finished.
The present tenses – Tegenwoordige tijden
- Present simple (I do)
To say that something is a habit or a fact or something that happens regularly.
Alex drives a bus.
We use the present simple to talk about things in general.
We use it to say that something happens all the time or repeatedly, or that
something is true in general.
Do you work?
Does she drive?
We use do/does to make questions and negative sentences.
, - Present continuous (I am doing) – (nabije toekomst)
To describe actions and events that are now underway. In a Dutch sense, "aan
het" often occurs here.
Sarah is in her car. She is on her way to work.
She’s driving to work.
This means: she is driving now, at the time of speaking.
The action is not finished.
The perfect tenses – De voltooide tijden
- Past perfect (I had done)
To describe an action or situation that took place before a certain moment in
the past.
He had gone home.
To describe an act or situation that took place before a specific moment in the
past.
- Present perfect (I have done)
To say that something happened in the past and continues into the present or
ends just before the moment of speaking. The result is still noticeable. The time
is unknown or unimportant.
He has lost his key.
He lost it and doesn’t have it now.
- When we say ‘something has happened’, this is usually new information.
- When we talk about a period of time that continuous from the past until now.
- Present perfect continuous (I have been doing)
Is it raining? No, but the ground is wet.
It has been raining.
- We use the present perfect continuous for an activity that has recently
stopped or just stopped.
- We use the present perfect continuous with how long, for, since, … The
activity is still happening or has just stopped.
Module 1:
The tenses (1-16, 19-25)
The past tenses – Verleden tijden
- Past simple (I did)
To say that something happened in the past and is now over. Time indications
such as, yesterday, last week, a month ago, often occur in the sentence.
Very often the past simple ends in –ed.
They invited us to their party, but we decided not to go.
- Past continuous (I was doing)
To describe actions and events that were going on at some point in the past.
They were playing tennis.
They were in the middle of playing, they had not finished.
The present tenses – Tegenwoordige tijden
- Present simple (I do)
To say that something is a habit or a fact or something that happens regularly.
Alex drives a bus.
We use the present simple to talk about things in general.
We use it to say that something happens all the time or repeatedly, or that
something is true in general.
Do you work?
Does she drive?
We use do/does to make questions and negative sentences.
, - Present continuous (I am doing) – (nabije toekomst)
To describe actions and events that are now underway. In a Dutch sense, "aan
het" often occurs here.
Sarah is in her car. She is on her way to work.
She’s driving to work.
This means: she is driving now, at the time of speaking.
The action is not finished.
The perfect tenses – De voltooide tijden
- Past perfect (I had done)
To describe an action or situation that took place before a certain moment in
the past.
He had gone home.
To describe an act or situation that took place before a specific moment in the
past.
- Present perfect (I have done)
To say that something happened in the past and continues into the present or
ends just before the moment of speaking. The result is still noticeable. The time
is unknown or unimportant.
He has lost his key.
He lost it and doesn’t have it now.
- When we say ‘something has happened’, this is usually new information.
- When we talk about a period of time that continuous from the past until now.
- Present perfect continuous (I have been doing)
Is it raining? No, but the ground is wet.
It has been raining.
- We use the present perfect continuous for an activity that has recently
stopped or just stopped.
- We use the present perfect continuous with how long, for, since, … The
activity is still happening or has just stopped.
