I'm seeing the doctor in half an hour.
You put the cassette in here, like this. -Oh, I see. Look (at something), watch and listen are action verbs.
We looked/We were looking at the sunset.
Feel (= believe) is a state verb.
I feel we should discuss the matter.
A practical guide to English grammar 67
9
Verb tenses and aspects 63 Summary A finite verb phrase is present tense or past tense. It can also have perfect aspect (have+ past participle) or continuous aspect (be + ing-form). The tenses and aspects can combine in the following ways.
Present continuous and present simple • 64
We are playing cards now.
We play in the orchestra every week.
Present perfect and past simple • 65
We have played two games already.
We played tennis yesterday.
Past continuous •66
We were playing cards at the time.
Present perfect continuous • 67 We have been playing cards all evening.
Past perfect and past perfect continuous • 68
We had played the game before then.
We had been playing for ages.
OVERVIEW: uses of tenses and aspects • 69 Each of the eight forms above has a different meaning, depending on such things as the time and length of an action, and how the speaker sees it.
64 Present continuous and present simple MACBETH
Andrew: What are you reading?
Sadie: “Macbeth”. We're doing it in English. Our class is going to the theatre to see it next week. Mr. Adams is taking us.
Andrew: What's it about?
Sadie: Well Macbeth murders the King of Scotland. But it doesn't do him any good.
Andrew: Mr. Davis takes us for English. We aren't doing Shakespeare though.
Sadie: Mr. Adams loves Shakespeare. He's always quoting bits at us. Shakespeare is England's greatest writer, he says.
1 Form
Present continuous
present of be + active participle
I am reading
you/we/they are reading He/she it is reading Negative
I am not reading
You/we/they are not reading He/she/it is not reading
Present simple
base form/s-form
I/you/we/they read He/she/it reads I/you/we they do not read
He/she/it does not read
