Free English Lessons - #4, Grammar - Future forms... will, present continuous& be going to

We can use be going to, the present continuous and will to talk about future plans, decision and arrangements.

   A plan

   - I'm going to see that film tomorrow.

   An arrangement

   - I'm flying to Paris on Friday.

   A spontaneous decision

   - I've forgotten my my suncream. I'll go to the shop and buy some.

We can use will and be going to for future predictions.

Be going to - when a prediction is based on strong evidence - you could find definitely before the main verb:

   - Look at those clouds. It's definitely going to rain.

Will - with a generally prediction, and you could find probably before the main verb. Perhaps at the beginning of the sentence.

   - They'll probably win the match.

Free English Lessons - #3, Grammar - Past Simple Vs Past Continuous, used to and would

Free English Lessons - #3, Grammar - Past Simple Vs Past Continuous, used to and would

Past simple

• Use past simple to talk about completed actions in the past
• To form negatives and questions in the past simple, use the auxiliary verb did

Past continuous

• Use the past continuous for actions in progress in the past or temporary situations in the past
• Can be used as a background or context to another event in the past simple
• Use the past continuos for activities that are interrupted by a completed action. It is used in contract with the past simple

We often use when before the past simple and while before the past continuous

Used to and would can both be used to talk about habitual action in the past
Would is not very common in questions and used to is also used to talk about habitual states in the past

Free English Lessons - #2, Grammar - Questions

Free English Lessons - #2, Grammar - Questions

• in question with be the verb goes before the subject
• in present simple or past simple question the auxiliary verb do/did goes before the subject
• question with modals, question in the present or past continuous, present perfect or past perfect start with the auxiliary verb (can, will, is, was, has, etc...)

Object questions

When a question word is the object of a present simple or past simple question, use do/does or did. For example:

• Which authors do you like best?

        object             subject

Subject questions

When a question word is the subject of a present simple or past simple question, we don't use do/does or did. For example:

• Who painted the Mona Lisa?

        subject                 object

Free English Lessons #1 - Grammar - Present simple Vs Present continuous

Free English Lessons - #1, Grammar - Present simple Vs Present Continuous

• We use the present simple to talk about habits and routines, and about things that are always true.
• We use present continuous to talk about things that are happening now and about temporary and changing situations.
• We don't usually use the present continuous with state verb... for ex. agree, be, feel, forget, like, love, need, prefer, understand, want...

Free English Lessons #2 - Grammar - Questions