English for Business Life Elementary

We use the Present Progressive to talk about:
- things that are happening or changing these days
e.g. What are you working on?
People aren't buying shoes at the moment.
- plans for the future (see also section 3)
e.g. We're going to Geneva next month.
What are you doing on Friday morning?
2.4 Non-Continuous verbs
With some verbs (for example, hear, believe, see, understand)
we usually use only simple tenses, not continuous tenses:
e.g. I believe they're in Rome. (not Iam believing ...)
I hear you're not coming on Friday, (not Iam hearing...)
I understand you're leaving tomorrow afternoon.
(not I am understanding ...)
2.5 Simple Past
I started I did not (didn't) start did I start?
you started you did not (didn't) start did you start?
he, etc. she, etc. did not
did it, etc. start?
started (didn't) start
we started we did not (didn't) start did we start?
you started you did not (didn't) start did you start?
they started they did not (didn't) start did they start?
e.g. Jane went to Paris by plane.
John didn't call me.
(not didn'tcalled...)
Did you like living in London? Yes, I did.
(not Yes, I liked.)
Spelling of regular past tenses
most regular verbs: work —►worked
develop —►developed
verbs ending in -e: like —►liked
phone —►phoned
verbs ending in consonant + -y: try —►tried
marry —►married
short verbs ending in one
vowel + one consonant
stop
plan
fit
—►stopped
—►planned
—►fitted
2.6 Past Continuous
I was writing
you were writing
he, etc. was writing
we were writing
you were writing
they were writing
I was not
(wasn't) writing
you were not
(weren't) writing
she, etc. was not
(weren't) writing
we were not
(weren't) writing
you were not
(weren't) writing
they were not
(weren't) writing
was I writing?
were you writing?
was it, etc. writing?
were we writing?
were you writing?
were they writing?
We use the Past Continuous to talk about:
- the background situation at the moment something
happened
e.g. I was having lunch when you called yesterday.
It was snowing when I left.
- what was happening at a particular time
e.g. What were you doing at 16.30 yesterday?
2.7 Simple Present Perfect
I have
(I've) visited
you have
(you've) visited
he, etc. has
(he's) visited
we have
(we've) visited
you have
(you've) visited
they have
(they've) visited
I have not
(haven't) visited
you have not
(haven't) visited
she, etc. has not
(hasn't) visited
we have not
(haven't) visited
you have not
(haven't) visited
they have not
(haven't) visited
have I visited?
have you visited?
has it, etc. visited?
have we visited?
have you visited?
have they visited?
We use the Simple Perfect to talk about:
- experiences
e.g. Have you ever visited New York?
Yes, I have. / No, I haven't.
- developments
e.g. Prices have changed since last year.
They have sold more cars in the last few months.
- news
e.g. They have signed the contract.
I've finished the letter. Would you like to read it?
100 REFERENCE SECTION