EPIM2 Lesson 5 Grammar – Tenses

Grammar: Tenses Overview

Present Perfect Simple

• Connects past actions with present relevance.

• Used for:

  • Ongoing actions or situations that started in the past.

  • Completed actions that impact the present.

  • Indefinite past actions linked to the present.

Present Perfect vs Past Simple

• Present perfect indicates relevance to the present; past simple denotes completed actions.

• Time adverbials help determine the correct tense:

  • "this month" (present perfect) vs "seven years ago" (past simple).

• Context of the sentence shapes meaning.

Present Perfect Continuous

• Highlights duration or repeated activities relevant to the present.

• Similar to present perfect but focused on ongoing nature or number of occurrences.

Past Simple

• Used for:

  • Single, completed actions in the past.

  • Sequences of past actions.

  • Repeated actions/habits in the past.

  • Provides a clear narrative in storytelling.

Past Continuous

• Describes ongoing actions in the past, often interrupted by another action.

• Useful for making polite requests or suggestions.

Key Concepts

• Distinction between stative and dynamic verbs in past and present contexts.

• Importance of time adverbials in determining verb tense usage.

• Use of habitual forms (would vs. used to) for discussing past habits.