Expanding your business

 
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5. Past Tenses
 
PAST SIMPLE
 
 
 
An action happened in the past: I saw Peter yesterday.
 
 
Actions which followed each other in a story: I came home, ate diner and went to bed.
 
 
habits in the past: I used to smoke.
 
 
+
 
Subject+  verb+ed  /  the  second  form    of  the 
verb
 
-
 
Subject+ didn’t + infinitive
 
?
 
Did + subject + infinitive
 
 
PAST CONTINUOUS
 
 
 
An action which was going on in the past: I was watching TV yesterday.
 
 
An action which was interrupted: While I was having a shower, the phone rang.
 
 
To describe: We were having fun, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, …
 
+
 
Subject+ was/were + verb+ing
 
-
 
Subject+ wasn’t/weren’t + verb+ing
 
?
 
Was/Were + subject + verb+ing
 
 
 
 
6. CONDITIONALITY
 
TYPE 1: for the FUTURE
 
 
If it rains tomorrow, we will stay home.
 
            Present Simple       Will Future
 
 
TYPE 2: little or no possibility
 
 
If I won the lottery, I would buy a villa.
 
Past Simple 
   would + infinitive
 
 
If I were you, I would study more.
 
Past Simple    would + infinitive
 
 
TYPE 3: for the PAST
 
 
If I had studied, I would have passed the exam.
 
  Past Prefect      would + have + Past Participle
 
 
TYPE 0: for the PRESENT or PAST, for general truths, facts
 
 
If you don't water flowers, they die.
 
 Present Simple    Present Simple
 
 
If you didn't water the flowers, they died.
 

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Past Simple 
          Past Simple
 
 
 
 
 
7. Modal verbs
 
1. Modal verbs of OBLIGATION:
 
Strong obligation:
 
+ POSITIVE+:
 
 Must  : 
 
Obligation comes from the speaker: I must remember to buy bread.
 
Order: Jan, you must clean your room!
 
Public warning: Dogs must be kept on the leash.
 
 Have to  :
 
Order from others: According to the doctor I have to stop smoking.
 
Duty: I have to feed my cat.
 
 
-NEGATIVE-:
 
Prohibition: You mustn’t touch the painting.
 
Not obligatory: I don’t have to learn on Sundays.
 
 
?QUESTIONS?:
 
Must I water the plants every day?
 
Do I have to eat this soup?
 
 
TENSES:
 
Tense 
MUST 
HAVE TO 
Present Simple: 
I must do my homework. 
You  have  to  do 
your 
homework. 
 
 
We use must only in present tense. In other tenses  forms of have 
to are used. 
Will Future: 
I will have to do my homework. 
Past Simple: 
I had to do my homework. 
Past Perfect: 
I had had to do my homework. 
 
Mild obligation:
 
 Should  : 
 
Suggestion: You should eat more fruit and vegetables.
 
Dissuasion: You shouldn’t tell others my secret.
 
 
2. Modal verbs of PERMISSION:
 
 Can  : You can go home, if you want to.
 
 Can’t  : You can’t borrow my car. I need it.
 
 
 May  : She may go to the cinema.
 

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Be allowed to :
 
Formal rule: You are not allowed to park your car here.
 
3. Modal verbs of REQUEST:
 
 Can  : Can you water my flowers while I’m on holiday, please?
 
 
 Could  : Could you water my flowers while I’m on holiday, please? (more polite)
 
 Will  : Will you water my flowers while I’m on holiday, please?
 
 
 Would  : Would you water my flowers while I’m on holiday, please? (more polite)
 
 
4. Modal verbs of OFFER:
 
 Will  : We offer to do something: I will help you.
 
 
 Shall, Should  : An offer, used only in question forms:
 
Shall I make some tea?
 
Should I take you to the station?
 
 
 Can  : We offer to do something, by using can in positive and question forms:
 
Can I help you?
 
I can help you, if you want.
 
 
5. Modal verbs of ABILITY:
 
 Can  : Expresses general ability: I can swim.
 
 
 Could  : Expresses general ability in the past:
 
I could understand German when I was young, but now I have forgotten most of it.
 
 
 Be able to  : Expresses specific ability in a certain situation:
 
Last season I was able to run a 42 km-marathon.
 
 
 Manage to  : Expresses something that was very hard for us to achieve:
 
He was training so hard and he finally managed to break the world record in swimming.
 
 
MODAL VERBS of DEDUCTION
 
6. Modal verbs of CERTAINTY: (I’m sure/I’m positive/…)
 
 
Present Simple: 
MODAL+Infinitive 
+ I’m sure he works hard. 
   He must work hard. 
- I’m sure he doesn’t work hard. 
   He can’t work hard. 
P
R
ESENT
 
Present Continuous:  
MODAL+be+ing 
+ I’m positive he is working very hard now. 
   He must be working very hard now. 
- I’m positive he isn’t working very hard now. 
   He can’t be working very hard now. 
Past Simple: 
+ I’m certain he worked very hard last year. 
P
A
S
T
 

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