Overview: uses of tenses and aspects

1	Present continuous	Present simple
	In the middle of an action I’m watching this comedy.	A present state I like comedies.
	A temporary routine I’m working late this week.	A permanent routine I work late most days.
2	Present perfect	Past simple
	An action in the period up to the present I’ve written the letter.	An action in the past I wrote the letter yesterday.
	A series of actions up to the present I’ve played basketball a few times.	A series of past actions I played basketball years ago.
	A state up to the present I’ve been here for a week.	A past state I was there for a week.
3	Past continuous
	An action over a period of past time It was raining at the time.
4	Present perfect continuous
	An action over a period up to the present It has been raining all day.
5	Past perfect continuous	Past perfect
	An action over a period up to a past time It had been raining for hours.	An action before a past time The rain had stopped by then.
		A state before a past time The weather had been awful.

Exercises

Verb forms in the indicative mood forms of the indefinite aspect

I. Answer the following questions choosing an appropriate phrase from the list. Why is the present indefinite used here? Explain the spelling and pronunciation of the ending in the 3rd person singular.

1. What does an architect do? 2. What does a shoemaker do? 3. What does a mason do? 4. What does an artist do? 5. What does a doctor do? 6. What does a hairdresser do? 7. What does a broker do? 8. What does a law student do? 9. What does a laundress do? 10. What does a sportsman do? 11. What does a farmer do?

(to go in for sports, to study law, to cut and dress the hair, to paint pictures, to mend boots and shoes, to make designs for buildings, to work in stone, to practise medicine, to buy and sell shares, to wash linen, to grow crops and raise cattle and poultry)

2. Refer the action to the past adding an appropriate time indicator and making other necessary changes. Explain the spelling and pronunciation of the verb endings.

1. They will finish their dessert, pay the waiter for the dinner and leave. 2. These two girls study in the same group. 3. Why don't you go home by tram? 4. In spite of his age this old man travels a great deal. 5. I shall only shake hands with him and return to my seat. 6. These boys often quarrel but they make up their quarrels very soon and are friends again. 7. I feel very angry and it is on the tip of my tongue to say what I think. And I shall say it. 8. In the evening the teacher will correct our exercise-books. 9. The speaker refers to the editorial in the evening paper. 10. The professor will continue his lecture after the break for lunch. 11. We are late for the show, aren't we? So it's no use hurrying. 12. George plays chess very well, doesn't he?