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ASPECTS OF THE VERB IN ENGLISH

 

 Would you like to look at the overview without the examples
and then match these with the rules?

 

Then go BACK TO THE EXERCISE      

 

1. OVERVIEW

 

Simple Form

Progressive Form

1.      GENERAL STATEMENTS

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

My elder sister lives in America.

1.      ****

2.      REPEATED ACTIONS OR EVENTS

Susan goes to evening classes twice a week.

Fritz often goes to town on Thursday and Friday evenings.

2.      Repeated actions when criticized

Brigid is always mislaying her keys.

3.      COMPLETE SINGLE ACTIONS OR EVENTS

Kevin bought a second-hand Chevrolet last week.  

3.      SITUATIONS 
(incomplete single actions or events)

Average temperatures are rising all over the world.

4.      A NEW EVENT OR ACTION
in a given situation

Gerald Smith was reading a report when his secretary brought him a letter from an old friend in America.

4.      A SITUATION
during which a new event or action may happen

Gerald Smith was reading a report when his secretary brought him a letter from an old friend in America.

5.      A SERIES OF ACTIONS:
ONE EVENT AFTER ANOTHER (STORY, REPORT)

Linda shut all the windows and lowered the rolling shutters on the ground floor, made sure that the front door was locked and that all the taps were turned off, picked up her suitcase and her handbag and left the house through the back door. She locked the door carefully and put the key into her handbag. Then she walked round the house and out through the garden gate.

5.      A SITUATION AS BACKGROUND
to a series of actions or events

It was almost midnight and raining heavily when a belated motorist called at the hotel and caught the receptionist’s attention. (…)

6.      STATIC VERBS ARE USED IN THE SIMPLE FORM,
even with FOR and SINCE
:

to like, to love, to hate, to dislike, to want, to hope etc.

to know, to believe etc.

to belong, to depend etc.

to be, to seem etc.

to see, to hear, to smell

I have known Sheila since she went to kindergarten.

6.      HOW LONG
+ PRESENT PERFECT
(OR PAST PERFECT)

How long have you been working  for General Electric?

 

     PRESENT PERFECT (OR PAST PERFECT)
                + SINCE / FOR

Alistair McGregor has been reading the SCOTSMAN ever since he went to secondary school.

7.      PRESENT + TIME INDICATIONS
IN A PROGRAMME
 

The Annual General Meeting of the ASC takes place at 8 p.m. on Friday, January 14, 2005.

7.      PRESENT + TIME INDICATION
FOR ARRANGEMENTS

  1. Edward is going to Ireland next summer.

 

 

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