Murphy Blue

Question 1

Present continuous

Answer 1

I am doing

Things happening at or around the time of speaking. The action is not complete.

Which means what doing now, at the time of speaking. Or started doing it, but has not finished it yet.
The action is not finished.

Am/is/are + V-ing

I am = I’m
He/she/it is = he’s
We/you/they are = we’re

I am doing something = I’m in the middle of doing it; I’ve started doing it and i haven’t finished

Verbs not normally used in the PC:
Like - want - need - prefer - know - realise - suppose - mean - understand - believe - remember - belong - fit - contain - seem

Can be used with a future meaning:
For decided and arranged things (already decided before speaking time)
For possible things

Question 2

Present simple

Answer 2

I do

Things in general
Something happens all the time or repeatedly, or that something is true in general.

I/we/you/they + V
He/she/it + V-s

Do, does for questions
Don’t, doesn’t for negative sentences

Use the PS to say how often you do things with:
- every morning
- often
- three times a year

Do things by saying something:
I apologise, I advise, I insist, I agree, I refuse…etc

I promise I won’t be late (not I’m promising)

Can be used with a future meaning: when we talk about timetables, programmes etc (for public transport, cinemas etc.)

Question 3

Past simple

Answer 3

I did

About a finished time (yesterday, ten minutes ago, in 2005, when I was a child)

Ends in -ed - regular verbs

Did, didn’t + infinitive for questions and negatives

Was/were past of be (am/is/are)

Use PS for things that are not recent or new

Question 4

Past continuous

Answer 4

I was doing

In the middle of doing something at a certain time.
The action or situation had already started before this time, but had not finished

Some verbs are not normally used :
Know
Want

Was/were + V-ing

Question 5

Present perfect

Answer 5

I have done
Something has happened

That happened recently, and still happening (tell us about the situation now)

About a period of time that continues from the past until now.

Something has been finished (completed action).
We are interested in the results of activity, not the activity itself.
PP tells us about the situation now.

Have/has + past participle (V-ed or irregular)

Use PP to say how much, how many or how many times

Just (a short time ago), already, yet (until now)

Period that continues until now:
Recently - in the last few days - so far - since breakfast

Periods are not finished at the time of speaking:
Today - this evening - this year

Use PP for new or recent happenings

Question 6

Present perfect conditions

Answer 6

I have been doing

For any activity that has recently stopped or just stopped

We are thinking of the activity. It does not matter whether it has been finished or not.

Something that began in the past and still continues now.

For action repeated over a period of time (with since or for)

Have/has been V-ing

Use PPC to say how long

For + two hours, six weeks, a long time, a week, 20 minutes, days, years, ages
Since + 8 o’clock, Monday, April, Christmas, 2001, we arrived, I got up

Question 7

Past perfect

Answer 7

I had done

For things that happened before this time

Had + past participle
I had = I’d etc

Question 8

Past perfect continuous

Answer 8

I had been doing

For a period of time before something else happened

Had been V-ing

Question 9

Used to (do)

Answer 9

Things happened a lot often in the past, but doesn’t happen any more

For things that were true, but are not true anymore

? Did (you) use to do something
- Didn’t use to … (used not to…)

Question 10

Future simple

Answer 10

I will

Just decided to do something (announce decision)

For things decided right now
To predict future happenings (possible situations)

Use will (‘ll) with
Probably - sure - think - don’t think - I wonder

Question 11

Future continuous

Answer 11

I will be doing

I will be in the middle of doing something in the future.
Or use to talk about complete action in the future.(similar to (be) going to…)

Question 12

Future perfect

Answer 12

I will have done

Use to say that something will already be complete before a time in the future.

Question 13

Future perfect continuous

Answer 13

I will have been doing

Question 14

Can

Answer 14

Can (present form)

Use to say that something is possible or allowed, or somebody has the ability to do something.

Can + infinitive

Negative: Can’t = can not

Can use (be) able to, but can is more usual.
But sometimes it is necessary to use (be) able to.

Question 15

Could

Answer 15

Could (past form of Can)

Use could especially with:
See - hear - smell - taste - feel - remember - understand

Use to say that somebody had the general ability or permission to do something.
But if you want to say that somebody did something in specific situation, use was/were able to or managed to.

Negative: Couldn’t (could not)

Also use to talk about possible actions now or in the future (especially to make suggestions).
Could is less sure than Can.

Also use for action that are not realistic.

Also use to say that something (a situation or happening) is possible now or in the future. The meaning is similar to might or may.

Use Couldn’t to say that something would not be possible.

Question 16

Could have (done)

Answer 16

Use to talk about the past.
Something was possible but did not happen.

Negative: couldn’t have (done)