3. Present simple
VS.
Present continuous
Present Simple
AFFIRMATIVE
Subject+ infinitive (3rd person
singular: 's')
I speak
you speak
he / she / it speaks
we speak
you speak
they speak
* All the verbs ending in -sh, -ss,
-ch, -x and -o make the 33rdrd
personperson
singular '-es'.singular '-es'.
Present continuous
AFFIRMATIVE
Form of 'be' and verb + ing
I am speaking
you are speaking
he / she / it is speaking
we are speaking
you are speaking
they are speaking
4. Present simple
VS.
Present continuous
Present Simple
NEGATIVE
Subject + don't/doesn't +
infinitive
I don't speak
you don't speak
he / she / it doesn't speak
we don't speak
you don't speak
they don't speak
Present continuous
NEGATIVE
Form of 'be' (negative form)
and verb + ing
I am not speaking
you aren't speaking
he / she / it isn't speaking
we aren't speaking
you aren't speaking
they aren't speaking
5. Present simple
VS.
Present continuous
Present Simple
INTERROGATIVE
Do/ Does + subject +
infinitive...?
Do I speak...?
Do you speak...?
Does he / she / it speak...?
Do we speak...?
Do you speak...?
Do they speak...?
*Answers: Yes, she does
No, she doesn't
Present continuous
INTERROGATIVE
Form of 'be' + subject + verb
-ing...?
Am I speaking...?
Are you speaking...?
Is he / she / it speaking...?
Are we speaking...?
Are you speaking...?
Are they speaking...?
*Answers: Yes, she is
No, she isn't
6. Present simple
VS.
Present continuous
Present simple
●
Routines and habits
She plays football every
Tuesday
●
Facts
He lives in London.
Present continuous
●
Things that are
happening right now
He is playing football at
this moment.
7. Present simple
VS.
Present continuous
Present simple
●
always
●
every ...
●
often
●
normally
●
usually
●
sometimes
●
never
●
first
●
then
Present continuous
●
at the moment
●
at this moment
●
today
●
now
●
right now
●
Listen!
●
Look!
8. Past Simple
VS.
Past Continuous
Past Simple Past Continuous
AFFIRMATIVE
Subject + Verb -ed
I played
you played
he / she / it played
we played
you played
they played
* BE CAREFUL* BE CAREFUL with irregular
verbs (2nd
column):
I bought a car
AFFIRMATIVE
Subject + was/were + verb -ing
I was playing
you were playing
he / she / it was playing
we were playing
you were playing
they were playing
9. Past Simple
VS.
Past Continuous
Past Simple Past Continuous
NEGATIVE
Subject + didn't + infinitive
I didn't play
you didn't play
he / she / it didn't play
we didn't play
You didn't play
they didn't play
NEGATIVE
Subject + wasn't/ weren't + verb
-ing
I wasn't playing
you weren't playing
he / she / it wasn't playing
we weren't playing
you weren't playing
they weren't playing
10. Past Simple
VS.
Past Continuous
Past Simple Past Continuous
INTERROGATIVE
Did + subject + infinitive...?
Did I play...?
Did you play...?
Did he / she / it play...?
Did we play...?
Did you play...?
Did they play...?
*Answers: Yes, he did
No, he didn't
NEGATIVE
Was/ were+ subject + verb-
ing...?
Was I playing...?
Were you playing...?
Was he / she / it playing...?
Were we playing...?
Were you playing...?
Were they playing...?
*Answers: Yes, he was
No, he wasn't
11. Past Simple
VS.
Past Continuous
Past Simple
● Actions finished in the past
He played the piano
yesterday
Past Continuous
● Actions that are happening
at a particular moment in
the past
He was playing the piano at
6pm
12. Past Simple
VS.
Past Continuous
● The 'action' described by the past simple tense interrupts the
'situation' described by the past continuous tense.
● WHEN: It's normally used with PAST SIMPLE
● WHILE: It's normally used with PAST CONTINUOUS
● Example: She was writing a letter when the telephone rang
13. Past simple
VS.
Past continuous
Past Simple
●
yesterday
●
two years ago
●
last week/ last month...
●
In 1945/ in 1965...
Past Continuous
●
at three o'clock/ at nine o'clock