Grammar: Making Tenses

We all need a hand occasionally to help us get what we want. Even a genius like Michelangelo needed help to create his famous sculpture, David, which was made from marble for the city of Florence.

The statue doesn't look simple because it is extremely detailed.
Michelangelo was working continuously on the sculpture for two years while the city was waiting for him to finish it.
Millions of people have seen the perfect statue.

Verbs are like blocks of marble: they need help to make them come to life.

Ryan: "You, my students, are all Michelangelo."     Students: "Wow!"
Verbs need extra, helping verbs (also called auxiliary verbs) to make them live. There are three helping verbs in English: do, be and have.

We use do to make simple tenses in the present and the past

We use be to make continuous tenses in the present and the past

We use have to make perfect tenses in the present and the past

The statue doesn't look simple because it is extremely detailed.
Michelangelo was working continuously on the sculpture for two years while the city was waiting for him to finish it.
Millions of people have seen the perfect statue.

Here are some short sentences using these different tenses. Change the sentences so that they are true for you and try and learn them:

I am studying English at Kaplan in Manchester. I come from Taiwan. I speak two languages but I don't like learning English! I have been in Manchester for forty days but I have only lived in my new flat since September.

Explanation

• I am studying English- present continuous- temporary, not permanent actions; things that happen now
• I come from Taiwan- present simple- facts, things that are always true
• I speak two languages - present simple- facts, things that are always true
• I don't like learning English- present simple- facts, things that are always true (learning is a gerund)
• I have been in Manchester- present perfect- things that start in the past but connect to the present
• I have only lived in my new flat since September - present perfect- things that start in the past but connect to the present

Here is a story using all the verbs:

     The alarm clock went off at 7 o'clock. "Urgh, Monday morning," I thought. Does anybody like Monday mornings? I hate them. I didn't like them when I was at school and I definitely don't like them when it's raining outside! This morning I really didn't want to get up. I got out of bed and walked sleepily to the bathroom. A spider was crawling around the bath tub. I have always been afraid of spiders, so I turned on the shower and washed the spider down the plug hole.

     While I was having a shower, I heard a strange noise outside the door. It didn't sound like the dog. I was a little bit scared. I wrapped a towel around me and nervously opened the door.

     Outside there was an enormous spider. "Aarrrgghh!", I screamed. It was pointing its legs at me. "You have annoyed my little boy," it hissed. (Yes, the spider was talking!) "I have come to teach you a lesson! Spiders are good creatures. They eat flies and they don't do anything to harm you."

A cup of tea with custard creams and bourbon biscuits

    "I -I- I- I k-k-know," I stammered. "I realise that. Please go away. You are scaring me now."

    "If you promise not to hurt spiders again, I will go", said the spider.

    "I promise," I said.

    "Do you have any custard creams?" asked the spider. "My son really likes those biscuits and he has eaten all the ones at home."

    "Er... I don't think so," I said. "But we have got some bourbons," I added quickly.

    "Excellent. I shall take those as a present. And.....," added the spider, "you need to give me two pounds for the bus fare."

    "TWO POUNDS!!", I shouted. ("That's extortionate," I thought, but I didn't say it.) "Oh, very well, Here you are."

    "Thank you," said the spider and it started to crawl down the stairs. "Remember your promise!" it shouted while it was walking out of the door.

    "I will." I have never been so scared in my life. I got dressed quickly and ran for the bus. I missed it and had to wait for the next one. 

     "I'm sorry I'm late, Ryan," I said when I arrived at college. "But I was talking to a giant spider this morning and I had to give him his bus fare and some bourbons." 

     "Really?", asked Ryan, while he was cleaning his glasses. "I've heard some strange excuses in my time, but that one really takes the biscuit."   

(The last sentence contains an idiom about food. Idioms are very common expressions, and if you can learn some idioms, it will help you become more fluent and understand more everyday conversation. Idioms are usually informal and it can be hard to understand what they mean, so they are usually studied at higher levels. Some common food idioms can be found here:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv211.shtml )