irregular verbs: see 2nd column of irregular verbs
I spoke
regular verbs: verb + ed
I worked
past form of 'be' + ing form of verb
I was speaking
you were speaking
he / she / it was speaking
we were speaking
they were speaking
Exceptions
Exceptions when adding 'ed' :
when the final letter is e, only add d.
Example: love - loved
after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled
Example: admit - admitted
final l is always doubled in British English (not in American English)
Example: travel - travelled
after a consonant, final y becomes i. (but: not after a vowel)
Example: worry - he worried
but: play - he played
Exceptions when adding 'ing' :
silent e is dropped (but: does not apply for -ee)
Example: come - coming
but: agree - agreeing
after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled
Example: sit - sitting
final l is always doubled in British English (not in American English)
Example: travel - travelling
final ie becomes y.
Example: lie - lying
Use
After another or at the same time?
Do you want to express that the actions in the past happened one after another or at the same time?
Simple Past
Past Progressive
after another
She came home, switched on the computer and checked her e-mails.
at the same time
Simon was playing on the computer while his brother was watching TV.
New action or already in progress?
If you want to express that a new action happened in the middle of another action, you need both tenses: Simple Past the new action and Past Progressive for the action already in progress.
Simple Past
Past Progressive
new action
My mobile rang (when I was sitting in a meeting.)
action already in progress
While I was sitting in a meeting, (my mobile suddenly rang.)
Only mentioning or emphasising progress?
Do you just want to mention that an action took place in the past (also used for short actions)? Or do you want to put emphasis on the progress, e.g. that an action was taking place at a certain time?
Simple Past
Past Progressive
just mentioning
Colin played football yesterday.
emphasising progress
Yesterday at six o'clock, Colin was playing football.
Certain Verbs
The following verbs are usually only used in Simple Past (not in the progressive form).
When and where did Columbus arrive with his explorations?
How many trips did he do?
When did the first inhabitants live in America?
Who was Leif Erickson?
What were the names of the ships in the expedition?
When and who declared it a national holiday in America?
Where and why did he want to go with his voyage?
Columbus Day
Here's a tip - discover some new land. That's the reason Columbus Day is celebrated. The holiday is in honor of theexplorerwho first came to the New World on October 12, 1492. Since 1920, it has been an annual holiday.President Franklin Rooseveltset aside October 12th as Columbus Day in 1937. Later, President Richard Nixon declared Columbus Day a national holiday to be celebrated on thesecond Monday in October. In 2014 Columbus day is October 13th.
Columbus Day: Holiday with Many Names
In the States there's always a parade down New York's Fifth Avenue. Smaller towns and cities also have parades and put on plays. In the last several years, the holiday has been rejected by many people. Columbus wasn't the first person to visit America and because of this, some places call the holiday Native America Day. Many Latin American countries call it Dia de la Raza - Day of the Race. Another name for it is Indigenous Peoples Day.
Columbus Day: A Very Brief History Lesson
On August 2, 1492, Christopher Columbus set out from Palos, Spain to find India. He went in search of spices, silks and wealth. Columbus took three boats with him, the Santa Maria - the biggest one, was 80 feet long and carried 40 men. The Pinta carried 26 men and the Nina had 24 men. After stopping at Canary Islands, Columbus and his men didn't see land for a many months. When they did, they sailed along the shoreline for a while. They established some camps along the way and met the natives - some friendly, some not. Columbus thought he had discovered India but it was really North America. The "newly discovered" land became known as the New World.
irregular verbs: form of 'have' + 3rd column of irregular verbs
Example:
I / you / we / they have spoken
he / she / it has spoken
regular verbs: form of 'have' + infinitive + ed
Example:
I / you / we / they have worked
he / she / it has worked
form of 'have' + been + verb + ing
Example:
I / you / we / they have been speaking
he / she / it has been speaking
Exceptions
Exceptions when adding 'ed' :
when the final letter is e, only add d
Example:
love - loved
after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled
Example:
admit - admitted
final l is always doubled in British English (not in American English)
Example:
travel - travelled
after a consonant, final y becomes i (but: not after a vowel)
Example:
worry - worried
but: play - played
Exceptions when adding 'ing' :
silent e is dropped. (but: does not apply for -ee)
Example: come - coming
aber: agree - agreeing
after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled
Example: sit - sitting
after a vowel, the final consonant l is doubled in British English (but not in American English).
Example: travel - travelling
final ie becomes y.
Example: lie - lying
Use
Both tenses are used to express that an action began in the past and is still going on or has just finished. In many cases, both forms are correct, but there is often a difference in meaning: We use the Present Perfect Simple mainly to express that an action is completed or to emphasise the result. We use the Present Perfect Progressive to emphasise the duration or continuous course of an action.
Result or duration?
Do you want to express what has happened so far or how long an action has been going on yet?
Present Perfect Simple
Present Perfect Progressive
Result (what / how much / how often)
I have written 5 letters. / I have been to London twice.
Duration (how long)
I have been writing for an hour.
Certain verbs
The following verbs are usually only used in Present Perfect Simple (not in the progressive form).
state: be, have (for possession only)
Example: We have been on holiday for two weeks.
senses: feel, hear, see, smell, taste, touch
Example: He has touched the painting.
brain work: believe, know, think, understand
Example: I have known him for 3 years.
Emphasis on completion or duration?
Do you want to emphasise the completion of an action or its continuous course (how has somebody spent his time)?
Present Perfect Simple
Present Perfect Progressive
Emphasis on completion
I have done my homework. (Meaning: My homework is completed now.)
Emphasis on duration
I have been doing my homework. (Meaning: That's how I have spent my time. It does not matter whether the homework is completed now.)
Result or side effect?
Do you want to express that a completed action led to a desired result or that the action had an unwanted side effect?
Present Perfect Simple
Present Perfect Progressive
desired result
I have washed the car. (Result: The car is clean now.)
unwanted side effect
Why are you so wet? - I have been washing the car. (side effect: I became wet when I was washing the car. It does not matter whether the car is clean now.)
Time + negation: last time or beginning of an action?
In negative sentences: Do you want to express how much time has past since the last time the action took place or since the beginning of the action?
Present Perfect Simple
Present Perfect Progressive
since the last time
I haven't played that game for years. (Meaning: It's years ago that I last played that game.)
since the beginning
I haven't been playing that game for an hour, only for 10 minutes. (Meaning: It's not even an hour ago that I started to play that game.)
Permanent or temporary?
If an action is still going on and we want to express that it is a permanent situation, we would usually use the Present Perfect Simple. For temporary situations, we would prefer the Present Perfect Progressive. This is not a rule, however, only a tendency.
Present Perfect Simple
Present Perfect Progressive
permanent
James has lived in this town for 10 years. (Meaning: He is a permanent resident of this town.)
temporary
James has been living here for a year. (Meaning: This situation is only temporary. Maybe he is an exchange student and only here for one or two years.)
Signal words
Present Perfect Simple
Present Perfect Progressive
how often
... times
how long
since
for
Exercises on Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect Progressive
