Past Simple vs Past Continuous
The past simple and past continuous tenses are crucial for describing past events and actions in English.
The past simple, equivalent to the Italian past participle, is used for completed actions in the past, brief actions interrupting longer ongoing actions, and sequential actions. It is formed with the subject plus the past form of the verb, using "did/didn't" for negatives and questions.
Example: I worked. Affirmative
Example: I didn't work. Negative
Example: Did I work? Interrogative
The past continuous, corresponding to the Italian gerund, describes actions in progress at a specific moment in the past, long actions interrupted by brief ones, and simultaneous actions. It is formed with "was/were" plus the verb with "-ing".
Example: I was reading. Affirmative
Example: I wasn't reading. Negative
Example: Was I reading? Interrogative
Highlight: Common conjunctions used with past continuous include when, while, and as.
Future Expressions
English uses various structures to express future actions and intentions.
The present continuous can be used for future plans:
Example: I'm visiting Rome next week.
"Be going to" is used for intentions:
Example: I'm going to join a gym.
"Will/won't" is used for predictions and spontaneous decisions:
Example: I will buy a new book.
"May" and "might" express uncertainty about future events:
Example: I might wear my new jeans.
Highlight: Time expressions for future include later, this evening, tonight, and tomorrow.
Zero and First Conditional
The zero conditional is used for general truths or scientific facts. Its structure is:
If/When + present simple, present simple
The first conditional expresses possible conditions in the future. Its structure is:
If + present simple, will/won't + base form
Example: If you find out what she likes, it will be easier to think of some ideas.
These conditional structures are essential for expressing cause-and-effect relationships and hypothetical situations in English.
