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Present simple vs present continuous - Form

Present simple - short forms

We normally use short forms in spoken English.

Present continuous - short forms

We normally use short forms in spoken English.

Present simple vs present continuous - Use

Present simple use

Habits or situations that happen regularly

We use the present simple to talk about actions that we do (o we don't do) regularly:

Permanent situations or things that are usually or often true

Adverbs of frequency

We often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency ( always, sometimes, etc.) and expressions of frequency ( once every three months, twice a week, every other day, etc.).

Adverbs of frequency go in mid position (before the main verb or after be).

Expressions of frequency go at the end of the sentence

Future events that are timetabled

We use the present simple to talk about future events that are scheduled or timetabled.

Present continuous use

Actions in progress

We use the present continuous to talk about things that are happening now or 'around now' (a time around this moment, such as these days, weeks or months)

I finished the Lord of the Rings and now I'm reading a new book.

Temporary actions

The present continuous is used to talk about temporary actions:

With expressions meaning 'now' or 'around now'.

The present continuous often appears next to expressions such as now, these days, this week/month, or at the moment.

Situations that are changing or developing

Future arrangements

We use the present continuous to talk or ask about future actions that are already planned or decided.

Stative verbs

Non-action verbs (or stative verbs) cannot be used in present continuous. They must be used in present simple. The most frequent are the verbs of the senses (hear, see, smell, look, seem, sound), verbs of opinion (believe, consider, like, love, hate, prefer, think, etc.) verbs of possession (have, own, belong, etc.). Other common non-action verbs are: agree, be, depend, need, mean, remember, realise, recognise, seem, want, etc.

Some verbs have an action and a non-action meaning; for example, have or think:

The verb see also has a dynamic and a stative meaning.

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Present simple or present continuous - Test-English

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Present simple or present continuous English grammar exercises. Intermediate grammar exercises. Present simple and progressive. Dynamic and static verbs.

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Present perfect - Form

Short forms

Note that short forms are not used in positive short answers.

Present perfect - Use

Summary chart

Past events when time is not mentioned

We use the present perfect to talk about past actions or events when time is not mentioned, i.e. we don't say when these events happened.

Just already, yet

We often the present perfect with just, already and yet. We can use just after the verb have to emphasise that these events are very recent.

We use already in positive sentences to talk about actions that we have completed sooner than we expected. Already goes after the verb have.

We use yet in negative sentences and questions to talk about things that we expect to happen soon. Yet goes at the end of the sentence.

Recently

We often use the present perfect with recently to talk about past recent actions.

Today, this week, this month, this year

We can use the present perfect with time expressions when the time we mention has not finished.

Past experiences - never, ever, before

We use the present perfect to talk about past experiences when we don't say or we don't know when something happened.

Never, ever, before

We often use the words never, ever, or before to talk about experiences.

The best thing I've ever done

We can use the present perfect simple with a superlative adjective and ever.

How many times

We can also use the present perfect to say how many times something has happened until now.

Have gone to or have been to?

We say someone has gone somewhere when this person is still away, and we say someone has been somewhere when this person has already come back from that place.

Duration from the past until now - for, since

We can use the present perfect with for, since and how long to ask or talk about situations that started in the past and have not finished.

Compare:

For + period of time; since + moment in the past

We use for + period of time ( 2 hours, 3 days, 20 years, etc.) and we use since + the moment in the past when something started.

Lately, all morning/day/year/etc.

We can also use the present perfect with lately or with all + period of time ( all day, all morning, all my life, etc.) to talk about actions that started in the past and continue in the present.

Don't use ago

We can't use ago with the present perfect.

Past simple or present perfect?

When did it happen?

We use the present perfect (NOT past simple) to talk about past experiences and actions when we don't say or don't know when they happened.

We use the past simple (NOT present perfect) when we mention or ask about when something happened, or when the time is known by the speaker and the listener. We often use a past expression ( last week, yesterday, when I was a child, etc.)

Giving details in past simple

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Past simple or present perfect? - Test-English

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Past simple or present perfect. How long, for, since, already, yet, before, ever, never, etc. B1 - English intermediate grammar exercises.

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Study free Languages flashcards about IRREGULAR VERBS created by Egleraud to improve your grades. Matching game, word search puzzle, and hangman also available.

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all future forms

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(also called the simple past tense)

Click here to download this explanation as a pdf.
Click here to learn about how to USE the past simple.

It's similar to the present simple because it has different rules for the verb 'be', which becomes 'was' or 'were':
The Past Simple with 'be'
Here's how to make the positive:

To make the negative with 'be', just add 'not':

Here's an exercise to practise the positive and negative forms with 'be'

To make a question, just like the present simple, we change the position of 'was / were' and the subject.

Here are the past simple 'yes / no' questions with 'be':

And the 'wh' questions with 'be' (the question word just goes at the beginning, everything else is the same):

And here's an exercise for 'wh' and 'yes / no' questions

Here's another exercise with 'be' (this time it's all forms - positive, negative and questions)

The Past Simple (Simple Past) with Other Verbs

We make the past simple just like the present simple except we use 'did' instead of 'do / does'. It's really easy because 'did' doesn't change, even with 'he / she / it'.

The positive:

We usually make the positive by adding '-ed' to the infinitive. For example, 'play' becomes 'played'. However, there are some irregular verbs, for example 'go' becomes 'went' and 'run' becomes 'ran'.

(Here's some help if you are not sure how to pronounce '-ed' at the end of a verb).

Click here for a list of 50 common irregular verbs (PDF file)

Click here for an exercise about irregular verbs in this verb tense

Click here for another irregular verb exercise

In the negative there aren't any irregular verbs. All verbs use 'did not (didn't) + infinitive':

Here's an exercise about the negative form

Questions are also very easy. Just put 'did' before the subject, and the infinitive after it.

Here are the 'yes / no' questions:

And here's an exercise about 'yes / no' questions

To make a 'wh' question, of course, put the question word at the beginning of the sentence:

And here's an exercise about 'wh' questions

Here are some exercises about making all the forms:
Mixed Exercise 1
Mixed Exercise 2
Mixed Exercise 3
Mixed Exercise 4
Click here to learn about when we use this tense

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Easy explanations and examples about how to make the past simple (or simple past) tense in English with lots of exercises and quizzes.

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Study free Languages flashcards about IRREGULAR VERBS created by Egleraud to improve your grades. Matching game, word search puzzle, and hangman also available.

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Look at these examples to see how the future continuous and future perfect are used.

In three years' time, I'll be studying medicine.
In five years' time, I'll have finished studying medicine.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar test 1

Future continuous and future perfect: Grammar test 1

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

Future continuous

We can use the future continuous ( will/won't be + - ing form) to talk about future actions that:

will be in progress at a specific time in the future:

When you come out of school tomorrow, I'll be boarding a plane.
Try to call before 8 o'clock. After that, we'll be watching the match.
You can visit us during the first week of July. I won't be working then.

we see as new, different or temporary:

Today we're taking the bus but next week we'll be taking the train.
He'll be staying with his parents for several months while his father is in recovery.
Will you be starting work earlier with your new job?

Future perfect

We use the future perfect simple ( will/won't have + past participle) to talk about something that will be completed before a specific time in the future.

The guests are coming at 8 p.m. I'll have finished cooking by then.
On 9 October we'll have been married for 50 years.
Will you have gone to bed when I get back?

We can use phrases like by or by the time (meaning 'at some point before') and in or in a day's time / in two months' time / in five years' time etc. (meaning 'at the end of this period') to give the time period in which the action will be completed.

I won't have written all the reports by next week.
By the time we arrive, the kids will have gone to bed.
I'll have finished in an hour and then we can watch a film.
In three years' time, I'll have graduated from university.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar test 2

Future continuous and future perfect: Grammar test 2

Language level

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Look at these examples to see how the future continuous and future perfect are used. In three years' time, I'll be studying medicine. In five years' time, I'll have finished studying medicine. Try this exercise to test your grammar. Grammar test 1 Future continuous and future perfect: Grammar test 1 Read the explanation to learn more.

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Exercises Explanation Downloads

The passive voice - all tenses

Exercise 1

Choose the correct passive voice forms for each gap below.

The passive voice with the different tenses

In a passive sentence, the object of an active sentence becomes the subject. Then we have to use the verb be in the tense we need and add the past participle of the main verb after it. In a passive voice sentence, the subject is the receiver of the action, not the doer of the action.

They take the photos in Africa. (active)

The photos are taken in Africa. (passive)

You can see how to use the passive voice with different tenses below.

When do we use the passive voice?

In English, we us the passive voice when we don't know, or we don't want to talk about who or what does the action in a sentence. Check the following examples.

A bank was robbed yesterday. (=We don't know who robbed the bank.)

He was arrested last night. (=It's obvious that the police arrested him.)

I have been told that you insulted my brother. (=I don't want to say who told me.)

Jurassic Park was filmed by Spielberg in 1993. (=I'm talking about Jurassic Park and not about Spielberg.)

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The passive voice - all tenses - Test-English

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Gap-filling exercises, multiple choice exercises and clozes to review how the use of the passive voice in all tenses and verb forms.

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Exercises Explanation Downloads

Passive verb forms

Exercise 1

Choose the correct passive verb form to complete the sentences below.

Passive voice in the different verb tenses

To make a passive verb form, we have to use be in a particular verb tense and add the past participle of the main verb after it. You can see how to use the passive voice with different tenses below.

Active and passive

In a passive sentence, the object of an active sentence becomes the subject. In a passive voice sentence, the subject is the receiver of the action, not the doer of the action.

They take the photos in Africa. (active)

The photos are taken in Africa. (passive)

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Passive verb forms. English intermediate grammar exercises. is done, was done, was being done, has been done, will be done, should be done, etc.

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Exercises Explanation Downloads

Second and third conditionals - unreal conditionals

Exercise 1

Choose the correct forms of the second and third conditionals to complete the sentences.

Second conditional - Grammar chart

We use the second conditional to talk about hypothetical or imaginary situations in the present or the future. We can use past simple or past continuous in the if clause and we can use would, could or might + simple infinitive (do) or continuous infinitive (be doing) in the main clause.

When we use the verb be in the if clause, we can use either was (more formal) or were (spoken English) after I, he, she or it.But when we are giving advice, we always use if I were you (NOT was).

If wouldn't be living in this house. he was/were rich, he

If I were you, I'd call him as soon as possible. (NOT was)

As with all conditional types, we use a comma after the if clause when it goes at the beginning of the sentence, but we don't use a comma when the if clause goes at the end.

I could concentrate if you weren't making so much noise.

Third conditional - grammar chart

We use the third conditional to talk about hypothetical or imaginary situations in the past. We can use the past perfect simple or past perfect continuous in the if clause and we can use would, could or might + the perfect infinitive in the main clause.

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Second and third conditionals - unreal conditionals - Test-English

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Review the use of the second conditional and the third conditional in English. Gap-filling and multiple-choice exercises.

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Exercises Explanation Downloads

First and second conditionals

Exercise 1

Choose the correct form of the verbs to make first or second conditional sentences..

First and second conditionals - Grammar chart

First conditional vs second conditional

We use the first conditional and the second conditional to talk about present or future situations.

We use the first conditional to talk about possible situations, things that may easily happen. We use the second conditional to talk about unrealistic situations.

If I see Sara, I'll tell her to call you. (=possible)

If I won the lottery, I'd buy a new house. (=unrealistic)

Sometimes we use either the first or second conditional, and we use one or the other depending on how probable we think the situations are to happen.

If I find her, I'll tell her that I love her. (=I think it's possible that I find her)

If I found her, I'd tell her that I love her. (=I think it's improbable that I find her)

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First and second conditionals - Test-English

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First and second conditionals. If I do ... If I did ... Real vs unreal situations in the present or the future. English intermediate grammar exercises.

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Future forms – will, be going to, present continuous - Test-English

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Future forms – will, be going to, present continuous, etc. English intermediate grammar exercises. Predictions, offers, promises, plans, arrangements, etc.

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English vocabulary practice exercise, upper-intermediate.

In this exercise you will practise using wish . . . would and wish . . . wouldn't.

We can use wish . . . would to express our annoyance that something will not happen.

I wish the weather would improve - it's so cold and wet.
(= 'It doesn't look as if the weather will improve.')

You're so slow; I wish you would hurry up.
(= 'Please hurry up!')

We use wish . . . wouldn't to give an order or make a request in a critical way.

I wish you wouldn't make so much noise - I'm trying to watch this film.

I wish you wouldn't wear that hat - it really doesn't suit you.

Exercise instructions

Choose the correct answer in each of the following.

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Upper-intermediate grammar exercise: wish ... would, wouldn't

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English vocabulary practice exercise, upper-intermediate. In this exercise you will practise using wish . . . would and wish . . . wouldn't. We can use wish . . . would to express our annoyance that something will not happen. I wish the weather would improve - it's so cold and wet.

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упражнения на сослагательное наклонение

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конструкции с wish

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Exercise 4 for the Subjunctive Mood in constructions with the verb WISH. Choose the most appropriate answer. Упражнение 4 на Subjunctive Mood в конструкциях с глаголом WISH. Выберите наиболее подходящий ответ.

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English grammar exercises online. Free exercises on the use of If only, I wish

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упражнения на сослагательное наклонение

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конструкции с wish

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Exercise 3 for the Subjunctive Mood in constructions with the verb WISH. Choose the most appropriate answer. Упражнение 3 на Subjunctive Mood в конструкциях с глаголом WISH. Выберите наиболее подходящий ответ.

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Conditional sentences III, Exercise - medium

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Conditional sentences, type III, if clauses, mixed exercise, special forms

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Conditional sentences II - Exercise - medium

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Conditional sentences, type II, Multiple choice exercise, Learning English

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Conditional sentences III - mixed with negations - Exercise

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Conditional sentences, type III, if clauses, Fill-in Exercise mixed

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Put the verbs in brackets into the gaps. Form a Conditional sentence - type III. Mind the position of the if-clause.

Example:

Thomas (not/to buy) a new car if he (to win) won 10,000 euros.

Answer:

Thomas would not have bought a new car if he had won 10,000 euros. or
Thomas wouldn't have bought a new car if he'd won 10,000 euros.

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Conditional sentences III - mixed - Exercise

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Put the verbs in brackets into the gaps. Form a Conditional sentence - type III. Mind the position of the if-clause. Example: Thomas (not/to buy) a new car if he (to win) won 10,000 euros. Answer: Thomas would not have bought a new car if he had won 10,000 euros.

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Put the verbs in brackets into the gaps. Form a Conditional sentence - type II. Mind the position of the if-clause.

Example:

Thomas (not/to buy) a new car if he (to win) 10,000 Euros.

Answer:

Thomas would not buy a new car if he won 10,000 euros. or
Thomas wouldn't buy a new car if he won 10,000 euros.

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Conditional sentences II - mixed with negations - Exercise

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Conditional sentences, type II, special forms, mixed online exercise

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Conditional sentences II - mixed - Exercise

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Conditional sentences, type II, mixed exercise, Learning English Online

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Task No. 2047

Put the verbs in brackets into the gaps. Form a Conditional sentence - type III. Mind the negations in the sentences.

Show example

Example:

If I (to go) to the café, I (not/to drink) milk.

Answer:

If I had gone to the café, I would not have drunk milk. or
If I'd gone to the café, I wouldn't have drunk milk.

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Conditional sentences, type III, Negations - Exercise

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Put the verbs in brackets into the gaps. Form a Conditional sentence - type III. Mind the negations in the sentences. Show example Example: If I (to go) to the café, I (not/to drink) milk. Answer: If I had gone to the café, I would not have drunk milk.

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Conditional sentences, type III, statements

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Conditional sentences, type III, if-clauses, statements, sentences

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Conditional sentences, type II, negations, Exercise

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Conditional sentences, type II, Negations, Online Exercise

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Conditional sentences, type II, statements, Exercise

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Conditional sentences, type II, statements, Online Exercise

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First conditional - Grammar Chart

If clause and main clause

All conditional sentences have two parts: the ifclause and the main clause. It doesn't matter which clause comes first, but when the if clause comes first, we should put a comma after it.

If + present, future

In the first conditional, the verb in the ifclause is present and the verb in the main clause is future.

Theif clause may have a present or a future meaning, but the verb is always in present (NOT future)

Main clause: will, modal verb, imperative

In the main clause, we can also use may, might, can, must, should instead of will.

We can also use an imperative instead of will.

Future time clauses - Grammar Chart

When, as soon as, before, after, until

When we use a verb after when, as soon as, before, afteror until to talk about the future, we have to use this verb in present tense (NOT future). We use the future in the other part of the sentence.

Similar to first conditional

Future time clauses are similar to the first conditional. There's a main clause and a when/after/etc. clause. We use the verbs in these clauses like in the first conditional.

We use a comma when the when/after/etc. clause is at the beginning of the sentence. But we don't use a comma if the when/after/etc. clause is at the end of the sentence.

We use present in the when/after/etc. clause and we use future in the main clause.

In the main clause, we can also use may, might, can, must, should or an imperative instead of will.

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First conditional and future time clauses - Test-English

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First conditional and future time clauses (when, until, as soon as, before, etc.) A2. Pre-intermediate English grammar and exercises.

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Complete overview of present perfect forms including positive forms, negative forms and question forms.

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Conditional sentences - Type 2 - Negative

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English Grammar Exercise - Conditional sentences - Type 2 - Negative|Put the verbs in brackets into the gaps. Form a Conditional sentence - type 2. Mind the negations in the sentences.

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Conditional sentences, type II, negations, Exercise

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Conditional sentences, type II, Negations, Online Exercise

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How did you get on? It's very useful to learn verbs and nouns which go together. These are called 'collocations'.

So, have you climbed a mountain or met a footballer? In the next activity, we'll hear from some people talking about the life experiences shown in the photo. Then we'll look at the words they use to form the present perfect tense.

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BBC Learning English - Course: lower intermediate / Unit 11 / Session 1 / Activity 1

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How did you get on? It's very useful to learn verbs and nouns which go together. These are called 'collocations'. So, have you climbed a mountain or met a footballer? In the next activity, we'll hear from some people talking about the life experiences shown in the photo.

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Present perfect and past simple -  6 Minute Grammar

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Present Perfect and Past Simple: The Grammar Gameshow Episode 29

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Expressing a wish or a regret

Use of I wish / if only:

There are three distinct types of I wish / if only sentences:

1. Wish, wanting change for the present or future with the simple past.

2. Regret with the past perfect.

3. Complaints with would + verb.

Expressing a wish:

Form:

Example:

If only I knew how to use a computer. (I don't know how to use a computer and I would like to learn how to use it)

Use:

To express a wish in the present or in the future.

The simple past here is an unreal past.

When you use the verb to be the form is "were".
Example:
I wish Iwere a millionaire!

Expressing regret:

Form:

Example:

If only I had woken up early. (I didn't wake up early and I missed my bus.)

Use:

To express a regret.

The action is past.

Complaining:

Form:

Example:

I wish you wouldn't arrive so late all the time (I'm annoyed because you always come late and I want you to arrive on time)

Use:

To complain about a behavior that you disapprove.

Expressing impatience, annoyance or dissatisfaction with a present action.

Related pages:

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English Grammar - if only, I wish (Expressing Wish or Regret)

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There are three distinct types of I wish / if only sentences: Wish, wanting change for the present or future with the simple past. Regret with the past perfect. Complaints with would + verb. Form: Example: If only I knew how to use a computer.

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Present Perfect Simple vs Continuous - The Difference between these Two Tenses (+ FREE PDF)

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Look at these examples to see how the present perfect simple and continuous are used.

We've painted the bathroom.
She's been training for a half-marathon.
I've had three coffees already today!
They've been waiting for hours.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar test 1

Grammar B1-B2: Present perfect simple and present perfect continuous: 1

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

We use both the present perfect simple ( have or has + past participle) and the present perfect continuous ( have or has + been + -ing form) to talk about past actions or states which are still connected to the present.

Focusing on result or activity

The present perfect simple usually focuses on the result of the activity in some way, and the present perfect continuous usually focuses on the activity itself in some way.

Ongoing states and actions

We often use for, since and how long with the present perfect simple to talk about ongoing states.

How long have you known each other?
We've known each other since we were at school.

We often use for, since and how long with the present perfect continuous to talk about ongoing single or repeated actions.

How long have they been playing tennis?
They've been playing tennis for an hour.
They've been playing tennis every Sunday for years.

Sometimes the present perfect continuous can emphasise that a situation is temporary.

I usually go to the gym on the High Street, but it's closed for repairs at the moment so I've been going to the one in the shopping centre.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar test 2

Grammar B1-B2: Present perfect simple and present perfect continuous: 2

Language level

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Do you know the difference between We've painted the room and We've been painting the room? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.

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present perfect continuous

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BBC Learning English - Course: intermediate / Unit 2 / Session 3 / Activity 1

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DerekOK, welcome back to Song Stars! We’re looking for the country’s next singing sensation. I’m Derek O’Donnell and here, lining up for the auditions, are the contestants.

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Meaning and use
We use the past simple for something that happened and finished in the past. We use it when we say or know the time when something happened. It is often used in stories, when one thing happened after another.
Last year, we travelled by jeep across the Sahara.
We use the past continuous for something that happened in the past but was not finished at a particular time. This can be an exact time in the past (12 o'clock, etc.) or the time when another thing happened.
It was 12 o'clock and we were standing in the midday sun. Mick was checking the engine when the rescue helicopter arrived.
We also use the past continuous to describe a scene or situation in the past or for an action that continued for some time.
The stars were beginning to come out. The dog was barking loudly.
Form
Past simple: positive
For regular verbs, the past simple ends in -ed. Irregular verbs have different forms. The past simple form is the same for all persons ( I, you, he, she, etc).
Suddenly the jeep skidded and stopped. Jake thought that we had a puncture. Past continuous: positive
The past continuous is subject + was/were + -ing form. There are no short forms of was/were.
Fortunately, we were carrying a toolkit.
Past simple: n egativeWe make the negative past simple with didn't + infinitive.

We didn't stay inside the jeep because that was even hotter.

Past continuous: n egativeWe make the negative past continuous with wasn't/weren't + -ing form
Despite the heat, Jess and Debs weren't wearing hats.
The past simple question form is did + subject + infinitive for all persons. The short answers are Yes, I did. / No, I didn't.
Past continuous: q uestion How were you feeling when it arrived?
The past continuous question form is was/were + subject + -ing form. The short answers are Yes, I was. / No, I wasn't.

Take note: spelling changes

In the past continuous, all verbs end in -ing, but sometimes the spelling changes:

Take note: verbs we don't use in the past continuous

There are some verbs that we don't usually use in the continuous form. They are often verbs related to the senses and thinking, for example: hear, see, smell, hate, know, understand, believe, notice, want, need, seem, wish.

WRONG: Were you knowing Jess when you were living in Madrid?

CORRECT: Did you know Jess when you were living in Madrid?

Spoken English

In the past simple and the past continuous, we usually use a contraction with the negative auxiliary verb:

didn't (= did not) wasn't (= was not)
He wasn't looking when his team scored a goal.
We usually say the positive and negative auxiliary verbs quickly and without emphasis. We don't usually pronounce the final 't' in 'didn't', 'wasn't' or 'weren't' in the flow of speech.
They were delayed, so they didn't arrive on time.
But when the word following the contraction begins with a vowel sound, we pronounce the final 't':

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BBC Learning English - Course: lower intermediate / Unit 7 / Grammar Reference

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Meaning and use We use the past simple for something that happened and finished in the past. We use it when we say or know the time when something happened. It is often used in stories, when one thing happened after another. Last year, we travelled by jeep across the Sahara.

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simple past

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Ece
Hello to BBC English Learning audience!
When did you start learning English?
Ece
I did my High School education in English so I started learning when I was 13, and then after High School I went to Law School which was completely in Turkish so I didn't have anything, I didn't know how to do anything with English so there was, is a gap in my English learning process for about 5 years. And then I restarted on my own, so to speak, by reading magazines and newspapers and watching TV - English TV shows with Turkish subtitles, which, by the way, helps a lot. And then after I began doing international journalism I had to learn English which actually improves English more than anything because when you have to do it you do it so it is still a process actually, I'm still learning.
How has learning English helped your career?
Ece
I was able to make [sic] interviews all over the world with those people who speaks [sic] English, so yeah I became an international journalist after learning English.

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BBC Learning English - Course: lower intermediate / Unit 6 / Session 3 / Activity 1

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Ece Hello to BBC English Learning audience! When did you start learning English? Ece I did my High School education in English so I started learning when I was 13, and then after High School I went to Law School which was completely in Turkish so I didn't have anything, I didn't know how to do anything with English so there was, is a gap in my English learning process for about 5 years.

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simple past questions and negative sentences

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BBC Learning English - Course: lower intermediate / Unit 6 / Session 2 / Activity 2

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It’s time to look at the grammar of past simple questions. In a moment we’ll practise making them. First, have a look at these grammar notes.

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Exercises Explanation Downloads

Second and third conditionals - unreal conditionals

Exercise 1

Choose the correct forms of the second and third conditionals to complete the sentences.

Second conditional - Grammar chart

We use the second conditional to talk about hypothetical or imaginary situations in the present or the future. We can use past simple or past continuous in the if clause and we can use would, could or might + simple infinitive (do) or continuous infinitive (be doing) in the main clause.

When we use the verb be in the if clause, we can use either was (more formal) or were (spoken English) after I, he, she or it.But when we are giving advice, we always use if I were you (NOT was).

If wouldn't be living in this house. he was/were rich, he

If I were you, I'd call him as soon as possible. (NOT was)

As with all conditional types, we use a comma after the if clause when it goes at the beginning of the sentence, but we don't use a comma when the if clause goes at the end.

I could concentrate if you weren't making so much noise.

Third conditional - grammar chart

We use the third conditional to talk about hypothetical or imaginary situations in the past. We can use the past perfect simple or past perfect continuous in the if clause and we can use would, could or might + the perfect infinitive in the main clause.

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Second and third conditionals - unreal conditionals - Test-English

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Review the use of the second conditional and the third conditional in English. Gap-filling and multiple-choice exercises.

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Exercises Explanation Downloads

Third conditional - past unreal situations

Exercise 1

Choose the correct form to make third conditional sentences.

Third conditional - Grammar Chart

If clause and main clause

We use if + past perfect to talk about an imaginary or hypothetical situation in the past. And we use would have, could have or might have + past participle in the main clauseto talk about the result or consequence of that imaginary situation.

If the jacket had been a bit cheaper, I might have bought it.

Comma

As with all conditional types, we use a comma after the if-clause when it goes at the beginning of the sentence, but we don't use a comma when the if-clause goes at the end.

Unless

We can also use unless in conditional sentences to mean if ... ( not)

I wouldn't have arrived on time unless I had taken a taxi.

= I wouldn't have arrived on time had if I n't taken a taxi.

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Third conditional - past unreal situations - Test-English

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Third conditional - past unreal situations. If I had done ... I would have. Imagined situations in the past. English intermediate grammar exercises.

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Second conditional - Grammar chart

If clause and main clause

We use if + past to talk about an imaginary present or future situation (although the verb is in past, the meaning is present or future). And we use would + infinitive to talk about the result or consequence of that imaginary situation.

Comma

When the ifclause comes first, we normally put a comma after it. We don't use a comma when the main clause comes first and the if clause comes second.

Unless = if (not)

We can also use unless in conditional sentences to mean if ... ( not)

Would, could, might

In the main clause, we can use could or might instead of would.

In the second conditional we can use if I/he/she/it were (more formal) instead of if I/he/she/it was (spoken English).

But we use were (NOT was) when we give advice with the expression if I were you.

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Second conditional – unreal situations - Test-English

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Second conditional – unreal situations. If I did ... I would Imagined situations in the present or the future. English intermediate grammar exercises.

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First conditional - Grammar chart

If clause and main clause

All conditional sentences have two parts: the ifclause and the main clause. It doesn't matter which clause comes first, but when the if clause comes first, we should put a comma after it.

If + present, future

In the first conditional, the verb in the if clause is present and the verb in the main clause is future ( will).

Theif clause may have a present or a future meaning, but the verb is always in present (NOT future)

Main clause: will, modal verb, imperative

In the main clause, we can use may, might, can, must, should instead of will.

Or we can also use an imperative instead of will.

Unless = if (not)

We can also use unless in conditional sentences to mean if ... ( not)

Future time clauses - Grammar chart

When, as soon as, before, after, until

When we use a verb after when, as soon as, before, afteror until to talk about the future, we have to use this verb in present tense (NOT future). We use the future in the other part of the sentence.

Similar to first conditional

Future time clauses are similar to the first conditional. There's a main clause and a when/after/etc. clause. We use the verbs in these clauses like in the first conditional.

We use a comma when the when/after/etc. clause is at the beginning of the sentence. But we don't use a comma if the when/after... clause is at the end of the sentence.

We use present in the when/after/etc. clause and we use future in the main clause.

In the main clause, we can also use may, might, can, must, should or an imperative instead of will.

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First conditional, future time clauses - Test-English

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First conditional and future time clauses + when, until, as soon as, before, etc. If clauses. English intermediate grammar exercises.

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Zero conditional - Grammar chart

We use the zero conditional to talk about general truths or results that always happen if a condition is present. We are talking in general, not about one particular situation.

We can put the main clause at the beginning. Then we don't use a comma between the two clauses.

We can usually replace the if in this conditional with when without changing the meaning.

First conditional - Grammar chart

The first conditional is used to talk about things that might happen in the future if a condition is present. We don't know if those things will happen or not, but they are a real possibility.

We don't use will in the if clause.

Unless = if (not)

We can also use unless in conditional sentences to mean if ... ( not)

In case

We use in case to talk about the possibility of something happening. After in case we also use present to talk about the future.

But the meaning of in case is different from if. Compare:

First vs zero conditional

We use the first conditional to talk about a particular situation, whereas we use the zero conditional to talk about what happens in general.

Future time clauses - grammar chart

When we are talking about the future we use the present, (NOT )after the expressions when, as soon as, until, once, before, after, while. After these expressions, we can use any present form (present simple, present continuous, present perfect) to talk about the future.

As happens with conditional sentences, we use a comma when we begin the sentence with a time clause. But we don't use a comma if we put the time clause at the end of the sentence.

With present perfect

We can often use the present perfect after the time word. The meaning is similar to using the present simple, but with the present perfect we emphasise that the action will be completed.

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Zero and first conditional and future time clauses - Test-English

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Review the use of the zero conditional, the first conditional and future time clauses in English. Gap-filling and multiple choice exercises.

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Hello again. Phil here. Look, we've been shipwrecked on a desert island somewhere in the Indian Ocean. I thought we were going to be castaways, marooned here forever but luckily Passepartout is over there fixing our yacht.

We need to get going quickly because we've lost Sophia - she's fallen overboard somewhere out there in the huge ocean. Where could she be? I think I'll make some tea and collect a few of these coconuts until the yacht is ready. I'll see you later.

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BBC Learning English - Course: lower intermediate / Unit 7 / Session 5 / Activity 3

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Hello again. Phil here. Look, we've been shipwrecked on a desert island somewhere in the Indian Ocean. I thought we were going to be castaways, marooned here forever but luckily Passepartout is over there fixing our yacht. We need to get going quickly because we've lost Sophia - she's fallen overboard somewhere out there in the huge ocean.

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Over to you

What news or sporting event has stuck in your memory? We asked some people to tell us their stories. Here they are.

Your stories

Thank you for emailing your stories to us. We enjoyed reading them. This task is now closed.

Here are some of your stories about memorable events.

Rennan, Brazil

I remembered when the plane hit the Twin Towers in the USA. I was only 10 years old.

I remember I woke up about 11:00 am and when I was coming down to the living room.

I looked at my sister, she was nervous and apprehensive watching the news and one of the towers was on fire.

I did not give much thought about it.

Then the second plane crashed into the other tower and then the towers fell.

I realized that the matter was serious and my eyes were still on TV.

Isabella, Italy

The latest event i can remember is the arrival of the probe Rosetta on the comet surface. I was working in my office when i read the newspaper online. The news reported some difficulties, but in the end the mission was succesful. Photos of the comet started to arrive. For the first time we can study these fascinating space objects.

Damian, Ecuador

I was at mom's house when Jefferson Perez won the first gold medal by my Country Ecuador. At this time I was thinking about the words of an ecuadorian reporter, a day before, He said: "the words of Jefferson's couch are a little bit optimist to tell that he could be the best of the world in him speciality".

Ramon Martin, Spain

The biggest sporting event from me, was the South Africa football World Cup in 2010. I was in pub with friends watching the game. I knew it will be a memorable news, because Spain football team had never reached a World Cup final. The game started well, Spain was playing very well. They were doing a nice football style during the championship, (Spanier call: tiki taka). It is when you team is moving the ball very fast, and they have the ball almost the whole time. The game was very interesting. Almost in the end of the game, Spain team scored. Everyone jumped, and hunged each other. After the game, everyone went out to celebrate the victory. I was a cracy moment! I never fotget it.

Dilva, Italy

When I was young, I studied at university in Naples. On 23 of November 1980 it was Sunday and in the evening I went to a my Greek friend's to chat and to look the TV. When we were having dinner, the chandelier started to swing and the floor to shake. My friend shut me to run off, he caught my arm and he dragged me off. In the road people looked stunned and dogs barked. We spent the night on the road and we came back home in the morning, only. There were great cracks on the walls, the TV told a terrible earthquake destroyed a lot of houses and more 2500 people died. For a long time I shuddered feeling a loud sound.

Juan Manuel, Spain

A event which really frigtened me was Miguel Blanco dead, 15 years ago, more or less. I was having holidays with my girlfriend and we heard in the tv that terrorist group ETA had killed one young politician, shooting him in the head, in a forest. I became very sad after hear this event.

Juan Carlos Moreno, Colombia

In november of 1993, the Colombia futbol team was playing a match against the Argentina team. This day I was with my family in front of tv, I never thought that this game would was the most important of Colombia's history, Because my team won this game with a score of 5-0. when the game finished, I and my friends took ours flags and we left to the street to celebrate this victory.

Marc, Spain

I remember when Barcelona won Real Madrid 5-0 at Camp Nou on November at 2010, I remember that I was in a bar watching the match with my father and a friend, Barcelona did a really great match, not just because they scored a lot of goals, it was too because it was maybe the greatest game of history of 'Clasicos', they played excellent, we could see incredible plays, it was certainly an humilliation. Months ago at the previous season Pep Guardiola's team already won 2-6 at Santiago Bernabeu, but the 5-0 game at Camp Nou was even better, as I already said because they played like gods, I remember it was on Monday and not on Satuday or Sunday as usual, I remember it because the day before there were elections on the Parliament of Catalonia.

Natalia, Ukraine

When the reactor of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded I was at school and my parents at work. Our government didn't tell us this horrible news immediately. One week late our teacher said that we had opportunity go away to black sea coast for a while and we must tell this information our parents. Then she told what's happened near city. I had been extremely afraid of radioactive pollution and I didn't understand why my mom and dad had to stay in dangerous zone. It is the most terrible event in my life.

Next

Do you like your job? What type of job makes people happy? Find out more in this week's News Report.

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BBC Learning English - Course: lower intermediate / Unit 7 / Session 4 / Activity 1

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What news or sporting event has stuck in your memory? We asked some people to tell us their stories. Here they are. Thank you for emailing your stories to us. We enjoyed reading them. This task is now closed. Here are some of your stories about memorable events.

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Oh, it has been a terrible time. The experience that I have had since I left you... If I had only known, I never would have travelled.

Sunday evening, we went to bed about ten. At 12 o'clock, they came down to wake us up. I didn't know what it meant when Adolf Humblen stood in front of my bed and said that I must hurry up because we hit an iceberg. I hardly managed to stand. Sigurd had to stand and hold me. Oh, Sigurd! He isn't here... He was so kind to me. I have almost cried to pieces... But it doesn't help at all.

When we came up the stairs and went over the railing, the ship was tilting heavily. After a while, people began entering the lifeboats. Olaus, Sigurd and Peter followed me up to the lifeboat. Just think how hard it was when I was to enter the lifeboat and they had to stay behind. I didn't want to enter but Sigurd said: "Just be strong. It will all end well." That was the last he said to me.

I was the last who went into that lifeboat and there was only one lifeboat left. If I had waited any longer, you would have never heard from me anymore. Then we were lowered. The others had to stay behind. I wished that I was there and that somebody else could be saved. Those were the worst hours I had ever experienced, and I hope I will never experience such a thing again. Imagine those cries! Those cries!

At 6 o'clock, we saw a ship far away. We came alongside at 7 o'clock. They got blankets around us but it didn't matter, I thought, because I didn't see any of my company. After a while, we went through a corridor. There was Olaus! You can imagine there was joy, but Sigurd and Peter were not there... Many tears have fallen down on this paper.

To do

Now you've read and listened to Karen's letter, use the information from her letter to match the sentence halves in the game.

Download

Click here to download this recording (2.2MB).

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BBC Learning English - Course: lower intermediate / Unit 7 / Session 3 / Activity 1

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Oh, it has been a terrible time. The experience that I have had since I left you... If I had only known, I never would have travelled. Sunday evening, we went to bed about ten. At 12 o'clock, they came down to wake us up.

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I was with my parents. My father was going to open a business in Winnipeg. People were saying to my mother and father how fortunate they were to get on the Titanic. I was excited because I was going on a wonderful big ship.

I had no fear or apprehension or anything. She was very beautiful: luxurious beyond words. It was the first time I'd been on board a ship. Captain Smith was on deck and he was very nice. He had a beard like my own grandfather and he admired a doll I had.

On the third night I was sound asleep. My mother woke me and said "I'm going to dress you." But before she could by father came back from deck and said "You'd best put this thick coat on." That was all he said. Standing on deck, I couldn't see around the funnel. My father came back and said "The ship has struck an iceberg." My father had no difficulty in putting me and my mother in lifeboats but he made no attempt to get in himself.

When we were in the water, we could hear people rushing about on the deck. That's when the panic must have started - when they found there weren't any lifeboats left. I was terrified. I didn't know what a shipwreck would mean or how long it would take but I was too terrified to do anything but shriek for my father I knew we'd left behind.

Before she sank, she was a very beautiful ship: stationary on the ocean with all her lights on. It was dreadfully cold but the sea was the calmest I'd ever seen. The starlit night was the brightest I'd ever seen.

I looked back and saw the whole of that tragedy. And I saw that ship break in half. The front part went down and left the stern sticking up in a horrifying fashion. It was enormous. It seemed to stick up in the air for a long time. And then it gradually went down, turning over.

And after that there was the sound of the whole disaster. And that was people drowning. That is something you could never forget. And then the dreadful silence that followed it. It seemed as if the whole world was standing still.

It was discovered that my lifeboat was overcrowded and the officer in charge of the boat decided he would get rid of his load by putting people in other boats. I got separated from my mother and didn't find her until the next day.

The next day, the icebergs were like white sails in the distance: white yachts with the sun on them. They were very beautiful. They were all around us. The crew of the ship that rescued us were very kind and good to us.

We were given clothes because I'd only got my nightclothes and a blanket around me. I had nightmares from the time it sank until I was 23. And though I wouldn't like to say I'm not frightened of the sea, I lost a lot of the horror. I've never been in anything touching the Titanic. A beauty. She was lovely.

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BBC Learning English - Course: lower intermediate / Unit 7 / Session 2 / Activity 1

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I was with my parents. My father was going to open a business in Winnipeg. People were saying to my mother and father how fortunate they were to get on the Titanic. I was excited because I was going on a wonderful big ship. I had no fear or apprehension or anything.

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Future continuous has two different forms: "will be doing " and "be going to be doing." Unlike simple future forms, future continuous forms are usually interchangeable.

FORM Future Continuous with "Will"

[will be + present participle]

Examples:

You will be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight.

Will you be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight?

You will not be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight.

FORM Future Continuous with "Be Going To "

[am/is/are + going to be + present participle]

Examples:

You are going to be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight.

Are you going to be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight?

You are not going to be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight.

REMEMBER: It is possible to use either "will" or "be going to" to create the future continuous with little difference in meaning.

Complete List of Future Continuous Forms

USE 1 Interrupted Action in the Future

Use the future continuous to indicate that a longer action in the future will be interrupted by a shorter action in the future. Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption in time.

Examples:

I will be watching TV when she arrives tonight.

I will be waiting for you when your bus arrives.

I am going to be staying at the Madison Hotel, if anything happens and you need to contact me.

He will be studying at the library tonight, so he will not see Jennifer when she arrives.

Notice in the examples above that the interruptions ( marked in italics) are in simple present rather than simple future. This is because the interruptions are in time clauses, and you cannot use future tenses in time clauses.

USE 2 Specific Time as an Interruption in the Future

In USE 1, described above, the future continuous is interrupted by a short action in the future. In addition to using short actions as interruptions, you can also use a specific time as an interruption.

Examples:

Tonight at 6 PM, I am going to be eating dinner.

At midnight tonight, we will still be driving through the desert.

REMEMBER

In the simple future, a specific time is used to show the time an action will begin or end. In the future continuous, a specific time interrupts the action.

Examples:

USE 3 Parallel Actions in the Future

When you use the future continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it expresses the idea that both actions will be happening at the same time. The actions are parallel.

Examples:

I am going to be studying and he is going to be making dinner.

Tonight, they will be eating dinner, discussing their plans, and having a good time.

While Ellen is reading, Tim will be watching television.

USE 4 Atmosphere in the Future

In English, we often use a series of Parallel Actions to describe atmosphere at a specific point in the future.

Example:

When I arrive at the party, everybody is going to be celebrating. Some will be dancing. Others are going to be talking. A few people will be eating pizza, and several people are going to be drinking beer. They always do the same thing.

REMEMBER No Future in Time Clauses

Like all future tenses, the future continuous cannot be used in clauses beginning with time expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc. Instead of future continuous, present continuous is used.

AND REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs / Mixed Verbs

It is important to remember that non-continuous verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses. Also, certain non-continuous meanings for mixed verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses. Instead of using future continuous with these verbs, you must use simple future.

ADVERB PLACEMENT

The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.

Examples:

You will still be waiting for her when her plane arrives.

Will you still be waiting for her when her plane arrives?

You are still going to be waiting for her when her plane arrives.

Are you still going to be waiting for her when her plane arrives?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE

NOTE: Passive forms of the future continuous are not common.
More About Active / Passive Forms
Future Continuous Exercises

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Future continuous has two different forms: "will be doing " and "be going to be doing." Unlike simple future forms, future continuous forms are usually interchangeable. [will be + present participle] Examples: You will be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight. Will you be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight?

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Look at these examples to see how will, going to and the present continuous are used.

Oh great! That meeting after work's been cancelled. I'll go to that yoga class instead.
I'm going to try to visit my relatives in Australia this year.
The restaurant is reserved for 8. We're having a drink at Beale's first.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar explanation

We use different verb forms to talk about our plans for the future, depending on what kind of plan it is: a spontaneous plan, a pre-decided plan or an arrangement.

We use will to talk about spontaneous plans decided at the moment of speaking.

Oops, I forgot to phone Mum! I'll do it after dinner.
I can't decide what to wear tonight. I know! I'll wear my green shirt.
There's no milk. I'll buy some when I go to the shops.

We use going to to talk about plans decided before the moment of speaking.

I'm going to phone Mum after dinner. I told her I'd call at 8 o'clock.
I'm going to wear my black dress tonight.
I'm going to go to the supermarket after work. What do we need?

Present continuous

We usually use the present continuous when the plan is an arrangement - already confirmed with at least one other person and we know the time and place.

I'm meeting Jane at 8 o'clock on Saturday.
We're having a party next Saturday. Would you like to come?

We often use the present continuous to ask about people's future plans.

Are you doing anything interesting this weekend?

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Language level

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Look at these examples to see how will, going to and the present continuous are used. Oh great! That meeting after work's been cancelled. I'll go to that yoga class instead. I'm going to try to visit my relatives in Australia this year. The restaurant is reserved for 8.

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We have different ways of talking about the future. We often use going to (+ infinitive), the present continuous (to be + -ing) or will (+ infinitive). The structure we use depends on the function of what we want to say, whether we are talking about arrangements, plans, predictions, etc..
I thought will was the future tense in English.

It's one of the ways of talking about the future, but there are a few others. Let's look at will to start with. We use will / won't (= will not) + the infinitive for predictions about the future.
Oliver'll be back soon.
Wewon't be ready.
Do you think it'll rain this afternoon?
We also use will when we decide something at the moment of speaking.
(The doorbell rings) I'll get it.
So, you sometimes use the verb think before will?

Yes, that's very common. We also use: don't think, expect, be + sure.
I'm sure you'll have a good time.
You said will is used for decisions made at the moment of speaking. What about decisions made before the moment of speaking?

Then we can use either the present continuous or going to (+ infinitive).
Amy's coming round.
We're going to watch a film - want to join us?
Whatare you doing this evening?
Is there a difference between them?

We use the present continuous more for arrangements with other people and be + going to + infinitive for intentions. Sometimes it's important to choose the right structure, but often we could use either because many events are both arrangements and intentions.
Amy's coming round. (= arrangement between Amy and Daisy)
Amy's going to come round. (= Amy's intention)
I'm going to clean my room tonight. (= intention)
I'm cleaning my room tonight. (not an arrangement)
So could I say 'I'm going to go to the cinema with Alex'?

Yes, that's correct. But we usually avoid saying going to go, just because it doesn't sound very elegant. We normally use the present continuous with go.
I'm going to the cinema with Alex.
And 'I will go to the cinema with Alex'?

No. We don't use will for arrangements or intentions if the decision was made before the moment of speaking.

Oh, yes, you told me that before. Anything else?

Yes, there's another use of going to. We use it for predictions too, especially when you can see something happening or about to happen.
Look out! You're going to spill that coffee.
Can you use going to for other predictions?

Yes, sometimes both will and going to can be used.
I think the Green Party will win the election.
I think the Green Partyare going to win the election.
OK, and one last thing! Is it correct to say, 'When's the race?' That's present simple, isn't it?

Yes. You can use present simple for timetabled events.
My plane leaves at 4pm tomorrow.
The match starts at 8pm.
Phew! So sometimes you can use going to or the present continuous and sometimes you can use will or going to. And you can also use present simple for timetabled events. I'll never understand the future!

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Oliver and Alfie decide to enter a bike race.

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Learn about using conditional structures with .

Practice 1: using wish and if only in the present and past

Think carefully - are these sentences talking about the present (wish + past simple) or the past (wish + past perfect)?

Practice 2: using would, past simple or past perfect?

Rewrite these sentences with 2-5 words, using wish or if only and the word given in brackets.

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Learn about using conditional structures with . Practice 1: using wish and if only in the present and past Think carefully - are these sentences talking about the present (wish + past simple) or the past (wish + past perfect)? Practice 2: using would, past simple or past perfect?

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Exercises Explanation Downloads

Wishes and regrets - I wish/if only

Exercise 1

Choose the correct options to complete the text.

I wish/if only - Grammar chart

I wish I did

We can use wish + subject + past simple to talk about things that we would like to be different in the present or future (but which are very unlikely or not possible).

I wish I had done

We can use wish + subject + past perfect to talk about things that happened in the past and that we regret (we would have wanted them to be different).

I wish you would do

We can use wish + person/thing + would + infinitive when we talk about situations that annoy us and we would like them to change, or to stop.

I wish you would stop biting your nails. I hate it when you do it.

I wish it would stop raining. It's been three days!

We CANNOT use this structure to wish about ourselves (do NOT use I wish I would).

If only

We can use if only instead of I wish with very similar meaning. The only difference is that if only is more emphatic.

/ were a bit taller!*

If only you would make a bit of an effort. You are wasting your life!

Note that we can use were instead of was with I/ he/she after I wish/ if only.

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Wishes and regrets - I wish/if only - Test-English

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Wishes and regrets. I wish you did. I wish you would do. I wish you had done. I wish, if only. If only I were. Upper-intermediate English grammar.

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Summary

1) Will is used for statements and predictions about the future. It often expresses the future as fact - so it's used for very strong opinions or predictions. It can also be used for instant decisions made at the time of speaking.

In 100 years' time, everyone will have an electric car.

Sorry, I'm in a hurry. I'll take the car and you walk.

2) Be going to is used for present situations that extend into the future, or for something you want to do. There is often present evidence for the prediction.

3) The present continuous is used for arrangements. It's very similar to going to for intention.

4) The present simple is used for timetabled events.

5) In addition, we can use be about to talk about that will happen in the near future.

6) Some normal verbs also indicate plans and intentions for the future.

Form factor

Will: subject + will + base form of verb

Be going to: subject + am/are/is going to + base form of verb

Present continuous: subject + am/are/is + verb-ing

Present simple: subject + verb

About to: subject + am/are/is about to + base form of verb

Normal verbs: use as usual, followed by to + base form of verb

Next

So, do you feel you can use all that language correctly? Try it out in our next activity, as we meet a girl called Helga who plans to travel the world.

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BBC Learning English - Course: intermediate / Unit 17 / Session 2 / Activity 1

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1) Will is used for statements and predictions about the future. It often expresses the future as fact - so it's used for very strong opinions or predictions. It can also be used for instant decisions made at the time of speaking. In 100 years' time, everyone will have an electric car.

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Predicting the future in English: Uses of will, going to, might and likely to

In English, we can make predictions in several ways:
In 100 years' time, everyone will have a flying car.
The government is going to raise fuel taxes. Everyone will have an electric car in 50 years' time.
With global warming, there won't be any ice caps left.
I didn't charge my phone. The battery's going to run out.

We might move to New York as I've just got a job with that American company.
With prices falling, ownership of smartphones is likely to increase in the near future.
I think everyone will have microchips in their heads one day.
I expect mapping technology will improve a lot with more and more wifi spots.
I'm sure smartphones will be much cheaper.

We use will to make predictions about the future when we are certain that something is going to happen.

Sometimes we can use will or going to without any difference in meaning.

But we often use going to when our prediction is based on a present situation or evidence.

We use might and be likely to when we think something will happen, but we are not certain. Might is less certain than be likely to.

Expressing certainty and uncertainty

We can use probably and possibly with will to make less certain predictions about the future.

We can also use I think, I expect and I'm sure with will to make predictions that we are less certain about.

So, thinking about the question at the beginning of this activity: Which is more probable: Next year I will move abroador Next year I might move abroad? The answer is... I will move abroad is more probable! We use will for things we think are more certain and might for things we think are less certain.

To do

Do you think you will get all the questions on this quiz right? Have a go and test your knowledge of predicting in English.

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BBC Learning English - Course: lower intermediate / Unit 28 / Session 2 / Activity 1

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In English, we can make predictions in several ways: In 100 years' time, everyone will have a flying car. The government is going to raise fuel taxes. Everyone will have an electric car in 50 years' time. With global warming, there won't be any ice caps left.I didn't charge my phone.

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Complete description of the simple future verb tense with simple future exercises and examples highlighting the differences between WILL and BE GOING TO.

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Complete overview of simple future forms including positive forms, negative forms and question forms.

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Over to you

So that's what happens to unwanted clothes in the UK. To find out more, have a look at the original BBC story that this session is based on.

What about your country? What happens to clothes that nobody wants where you are? Perhaps you recycle your old clothes or give them to charity - or do you keep them for ever and ever?

Try to use a mixture of active and passive sentences, and some of the vocabulary from this unit.

Thank you for emailing your comments to us. We enjoyed reading them. This task is now closed.

Here are some of the comments that we received:

Manuel Ángel, Spain

Well, it really depends on every home, but we use to give them to merchants or charities directly. Here they make their recollection declaring what they are going to do with them. Of course I'd like to reach people who need them.

Sometimes, I use to pull my wife's and children's leg when they say they're gonna use them in the future. I know I'll be too old to see it.

Sheetal, India

In India, People get rid of unwanted or old clothes by couple of ways. some of these are as below:

1. We give old clothes to the needy people, charity, servants, etc.

2. We also use such clothes for household work like in cleaning ans washing.

3. Sometimes these are thrown in the bin.

4. Some people sell these clothes in exchange of useful things to the people who are involved in such activities.

5. People sell their clothes online too if these are in good condition and belong to a well known brand.

6. In above condition, these wearable clothes also can be exchanged with new garments if the store of that particular brand announces this facility

7. Lastly, of course, few clothes are kept ever and ever as mentioned already in the site as a pert of memories.

Nadia, France

In France, unwanted clothes end up in charity shops like Emmaius or in second-hand trade.

I noticed that Emmaius shops are mainly located in cities and not in the countrysides.

Same thing than in the UK, there are also textile banks.

Sometimes I recycle my clothes to make dolls in textile or to decorate boxes of tidying or frames.

Off and on I get rit it in textile banks.

There are people who like keeping clothes in souvenirs but so far, I'm not in this scheme.

Ewa, Poland

In my country unwanted garments are collected in many ways: directly from the door, through charity organisations, through textile banks. I prefer the last way of clothes collection because it creates workplace for many people.

There are also another way to get rid of your old clothes: you can swap them with another person at exchange events. Et in the end you are the recipient of something new and some your clothes are given to somebody else. This sort of swap seems to be very ecological and economical enough.

Lineda, France

In my country I can get rid of unwanted clothes one way or another.

Twice a year Charities send big bags, people put their old clothes and the bags are collected by the organisation few days later.

I also recycle them as I do with the paper, the glass bottles in large recycled bins.

I also give my clothes in good condition to my relatives such as my cousins my best friends.

Instead of keeping them in our wardrobes I sort out them once or twice a year in order to make room and to buy others clothes to be fashionably dressed.

Robson, Brazil

In my country people donate unwanted clothes for charities, like in UK.

Charities are controlled by churches and nonprofits that are responsible for organizing the donated and choosing poor families that will receive them.

This job is so importante because in Brazil there are a lot of poor families with little child that needs old clothes, especially in the winter season.

Ngọc Linh

My mother told me that when I was under the age of one month old, I wore second hand clothes that had been used for another healthy infant. People believed that using those clothes would help scare away ghosts from babies, so they could grow up faster and healthier. Another reason might be scarcity. These days, parents don't do that any more because the standard of living has been improved. They can afford to buy new garments for their baby. My mom is not a cheapskate but she does use old clothes instead of buying new rugs or hand-wipes. I don't like her to do this because it makes my house look like a mess. Sometimes, I give my unwanted clothes to charities, but if they are souvenirs, I never throw them away.

Juan Carlos, Colombia

Well, in my country the unwanted clothes have different uses. the most important is the recycle. This task is executed by humble people that try to win a bit of money with the sales of those articles. They walk for the different streets of my city and try to collect the garments in good state door by door or sometimes they have to pass before the garbage lorry arrives, when is garbage collection day.

They sometimes change this clothes by other things (this action is known as barter).

When nobody passes to collect the second-hand clothes some churches make charity campaigns for the poor people of community.

In my country we have too stores that imported second-hand clothes to retail. I think that some clothes could be yours.

Joaquim

Description of what happens to unwanted clothes in my country:

There are non-profit associations that make agreements with municipalities for the installation containers in cities. After that the clothes may take different paths:

The materials are sent to their recycling centers and classified according to their characteristics. From there, they can follow three paths: sold in stores, sent for recycling or landfilled.

Francisco, Spain

Here, in some cities you can find containers where you can throw your old clothes whilst in the villages old clothes are collected door to door by retailers. They stick a note in your front door announcing the day they will pick up the bags with your old clothes.

In addition old clothes are usually given to charities by people who want to give help to other needy people.

Finally you can keep some of your old clothes and wear them for house painting jobs, gardening, tiding up stuff, etc.

Truong Uyên, Vietnam

In my country, Vietnam, volunteers are a people who collect old clothes (they are studying in university and join a organization which is call HoChiMinh Communist Youth Union).

After collect clothes from many source like: family, university, school (1st, secondary, high school)... They start to sort the garments by quality and type. Then they will go to the SOS-Kinderdorf, pagoda and many place where its have orphan kids and give it to them.

Anastasiya

The best way to have no problem with unwanted clothes is to buy only garments you are really need. My children have a lot of clothing and they grow up very quickly. So I pack their small clothes and give them to a friend of mine. She works as a volunteer in a charities and she take clothing, toys, footwear to orphan children and to families who have many children and are short of money. Charity hasn't any sorting plants at all. Clothing is sorting by some volunteers in my friend's garage or in someone's shed. I must say, they deliver garments to recipients all by themselves. Clothing isn't recycled in my country.

There are some second-hand shops in my town. Garments from the UK and Europe are retailed there. But Russian and Chinese unwanted clothes aren't taken for sales. They say they are in no condition to sell and wear these clothing again. I know some people, who can spend loads of money to buy clothing in mass-market shops. But they prefer buying second-hand ones from abroad. They suggest, that garments, which were shipped overseas, have better quality and more practical.

Mario, Italy

In Italy, around the streets, there are big white containers where you can put your no longer used clothes in. As second-hand clothes make up a lucrative business, sometimes these containers either fall prey to thieves or are run by company linked to criminal organisations. If you want to be sure that your old clothes are delivered to people in need, a good alternative is to take them to the neighbourhood church. Fortunately, in Italy we have as many churches as white containers.

Taras, Ukraine

I don't know what happens to unwanted clothes in my country. Maybe someone sells on market, gives for charities and so on. But I think that our country likely is a recipient country 'cause here many people buy clothes which were brought from wealthier countries at second-hand shops. To buy new garments expensively here and often second-hand clothing have a better quality than new ones and their cost is significantly lower. Sometimes may buy almost for nothing brand things.

Manuel Juan, Spain

In the last decades people get much more clothes than years ago. It seems to be true we are installed in the consumerism era, at least in the Western world or Occident. Consumers are extended all over the developed world.

It would be difficult to keep such an amount of garment at home being the dwellings small as they usually are. So people give the unwanted clothes to charities or recycle them when they are modified into a new style or fashion.

This second option is extended by crisis' periods which may be a positive aspect if consumerism is reduced significantly.

Marie, Quebec, Canada

With friends, we organize an "ladies' night". Our garments are exchanged for free of charge. What is unwanted can be desired by another. Of course, we have to be on the same size. Also, nice fabrics are picked up to be remodeled by myself. I like to sew and transform textile into a second life. Creation is very good against mental illness. Unwanted clothes at the end of the party are donated to a local Charity what helps people in our city. For a dollar or two, they can be dressed properly and be proud. My best friend's father is in charge of this organization for years. Helping people makes him very busy and happy.

Angelika, Germany

What happens to unwanted cloth in Germany?

Generally we have the same procedure as in the UK. Cloth that someone wants to get rid of can be put into textile banks on the streets or you leave the unwanted garments in the hands of collectors.

Our citizens are being informed by companies or charity organizations about the dates of collections in advance and where the cloth will get collected.

But children's cloth is often exchanged by young parents on especially organized events. So they come together and do not only exchange their children's cloth but also experience where special clothing can be bought for little money.

Such kind of "reuse" is very common and I appreciate it. That is a way to avoid profit for merchants overseas. Young parents as well as their children here in our region get advantage of this useful habit. The sellers and the recipients meet each other and sometimes they become even friends.

Franco, Argentina

In Argentina, the clothes that is not use, the people give at the church for the poor peoples and the homeless. anybody throw to garbage. In the church, the clothes is sorts by types and quality similar to England. this clothes is takes to other provinces in special to Argentine northerm for example Salta and Jujuy provinces.

Dzung, Vietnam

Well, talk about unwanted clothes.

Most of citizen have many unwanted clothes.

Some try to sell it on the internet through facebook, twitter, webs...

They'll get some money to buy new clothes or other favourite things.

Another gather unwanted clothes to poverty people. They often congregate together in a similar place to package its into bales and put its on the car or truck and drive to the poor areas. They'll distribute them to the poor children and their family. Students and other kindhearted people will collect unwanted clothes from people who don't use it any more.

Many people have unwanted clothes but they don't know how to do with it. They don't want to keep it any more. In other hand, they have no idea about charities address or phone numbers to contract to them collect it.

There're also some people who will keep unwanted clothes for ever and ever. I thought they don't want to share it to other. And maybe they have their reason to do it.

Yoko, Japan

Few years ago, one book become a best seller which explain how to get away unwanted goods.In that books, we are not happy when we live with unwanted goods, so we have to get away them as soon as possible with feeling of thanks. There are a few recycle shop in Japan, so maybe many Japanese do away with clothes to dust box.

TJ, Taiwan

Most of my old clothes are put into textile banks because they are near my home, and it's more convenient than carry them to other places.

But I really don't know the process proceed or how do they transfer. I never concern or pay attention to it.

Besides this way, some of my garments that I can't wear anymore are given for my relatives.

It's a good way to save money because children are growing quickly.

The last I use unwanted clothes as wiper.

When they become this, they should be dirty or has patches that can't give to anyone.

Geneviève, France

Last month, I decided to sort my clothes. It was very difficult because I have a problem in supressing something: each cloth seemed me still useful. At the end I put a little garment in a bag and carried them to a textile bank. It's the same travel from France for the old clothes that in England. But I saw on TV that a lot of these clothes arriving in the recipient country aren't usable so they are rotting there after a very long way. I had been very disapointed with that information.

Manoel Gomes, Brazil

In my country, we usually give the old clothes to charity. Or, sometimes we organise a bazaar to sell them. Many people enjoy going to a bazaar because we can find very cheap good garments.

End of Session 4

That's all for this unit. We hope you enjoyed learning about the journeys that old clothes make. In Session 5 we're going back to Victorian England again for part 2 of our drama The Importance of Being Earnest. This time, we learn the secret behind Ernest's identity, and there is a marriage proposal!

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BBC Learning English - Course: intermediate / Unit 12 / Session 4 / Activity 1

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So that’s what happens to unwanted clothes in the UK. To find out more, have a look at the original BBC story that this session is based on.

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Will
Hello and welcome to today's the Grammar Gameshow! I'm your host, Will! It's a short 'I'... less like sheep and more like ship. And of course, let's not forget Leslie, our all-knowing voice in the sky.

Leslie
Hello everyone!

Will
Tonight we're going to ask you three questions about...

Leslie
Present and past passives. That whodunit verb form that's made with 'be' and a past participle.

Will
OK! Now, let's meet our contestants!

Selene
Hello all. My name's Selene.

Will
And contestant number two? Contestant number two? Oh dear it seems...

Mark
It's nice to meet you. I'm Mark.

Selene
Mark! You came back!

Mark
Of course. What is a herd of stampeding elephants compared to true love?

Will
Wow. Mark. This is a first! Welcome back! We really need to feed the elephants less. Still, respect!

Mark
Thanks, Will. I'll never let us be separated again, my love.

Selene
Nor I, my... elephant man.

Will
Awww... isn't that cute. I'll tell you what. If you can both get through this episode without making a single mistake, I'll let you both go together.

Mark
Really? Ok! Let's do it!

Will
OK. Our first round is a quick-fire round. Change these sentences into present or past passives. Someone stole our car

Selene
Our car was stolen.

Will
People use buses every day.

Mark
Buses are used every day.

Will
I peeled and sliced the onion.

Selene
The onion was peeled and sliced.

Mark
Mark is loved by Selene.

Will
Tell them Leslie!

Leslie
The passive verb form is made using 'be' and a past participle verb. The object of the active sentence is moved to the subject position and the verb is transformed. The tense applies to the 'be' verb: 'are' or 'is' for present, and 'was' or 'were' for past!

Will
Good job, love birds! Have 20 points! On to our next question. We use the passive form for many reasons. Here are a few of them, but one of them is incorrect. Which one is it? The action or object is more important than the subject. We do not know who did the action. The person who did the action is obvious. The action or object is hypothetical or unreal.

Will
I'm going to have to hurry you.

Selene
Trust me.

Mark
To the end of Earth and back.

Leslie
Correct! The passive form is only used for specific reasons, mostly concerning how the speaker views the object and subject. If they consider the object or action to be more important than the subject, or if the subject is unknown, or obvious, they are more likely to use a passive structure. Well done, love birds.

Will
Alright! Control yourselves! Three points to you both. One more right answer and you can leave together! Here we go. When using the passive, we may wish to include the person doing the action. This subject is known as the agent, but which preposition do we use to introduce them?

Selene
We use 'by'. For example, my heart was captured by Mark.

Will
Correct! But it's not over yet! Sometimes we also include the object that was used to perform the action. This is known as the instrument. Which preposition introduces it?

Selene
I don't know!

Mark
Nor do I. I'm sorry... we're not going to make it.

Selene
But at least we'll be together!

Will
How touching. I can't let you drop like that! Look...

Selene
With! The instrument is introduced using 'with'. The door was opened with a key!

Leslie
That's right! In a passive, if you wish to introduce the person doing the action we use 'by'. To introduce a tool they have used, we use 'with' For example: The elephants were defeated by Mark with his bare hands. What a man.

Will
Indeed Leslie! Well done both of you. That brings us to the end of today's Grammar Gameshow. You have passed. Here's what you've won!

Leslie
It's an unmatched set of wedding rings!

Will
I know something about love. Yes... of all the cafes in all the worlds, she had to walk into mine... but that was a long time ago. Go on. Go with our blessing. It looks like we'll need two more contestants. Well... we'll see you again next week when...

Levington
I made it! I'm alive!

Will
Levington! You too? We've really got to grease that tube! How do you feel?

Levington
I feel invincibl...

Will
Sorry... We can only help one person a day... today wasn't yours. Loose the bats! Thanks for joining us. Say goodbye, Leslie.

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BBC Learning English - Course: The Grammar Gameshow / Unit 1 / Session 17 / Activity 1

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Will Hello and welcome to today's the Grammar Gameshow! I'm your host, Will! It's a short 'I'... less like sheep and more like ship. And of course, let's not forget Leslie, our all-knowing voice in the sky. Leslie Hello everyone! Will Tonight we're going to ask you three questions about...

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BBC Learning English - Course: Quizzes / Unit 1 / Session 13 / Activity 1

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Good afternoon. This is Dan for BBC Learning English. Our top story this week: Passive reporting structures. Our correspondent Dan has more.

Thank you Dan. Yes, the situation here on the ground is changing fast - I have just 90 seconds to bring you up to speed, starting now. So, what do we know so far? It is known that there is a passive reporting structure. This structure is made using:

It + a passive reporting verb + that + a clause - which is part of a sentence.

This structure is used to report information in a formal style or to report facts - even when the information is less than factual.

Consider these:

I know that the sky is blue: this is just my opinion, but:

It is known that the sky is blue: this is a widely recognised fact.

The passive verb structure is most commonly used in the present form, while the verb which follows the 'that clause' can be in any tense. Consider these three examples:
It is hoped that he will be ok. It is known that the criminal escaped. It is thought that chocolate is delicious.
The structure hides the source of the information. This is because a) it is obvious b) the source is unimportant or is people in general, or c) the source is unknown.

There are a number of common verbs which are used with this structure including:

Believed, thought, estimated, assumed, expected, known and said.

Dan - I'm out of time, back to you in the studio.

Thank you Dan. It is hoped that you found this useful. For more information and a full transcript of everything that was said, please log on to bbclearningenglish.com

This is Dan for BBC Learning English, signing off.

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BBC Learning English - Course: Upper-intermediate / Unit 19 / Session 1 / Activity 1

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Good afternoon. This is Dan for BBC Learning English. Our top story this week: Passive reporting structures. Our correspondent Dan has more. Thank you Dan. Yes, the situation here on the ground is changing fast - I have just 90 seconds to bring you up to speed, starting now.

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Wishes about the present or future
Download this explanation in PDF here.
Wish + (that) + past simple:
We can use 'wish' to talk about something that we would like to be different in the present or the future. It's used for things which are impossible or very unlikely.

I wish that I had a big house (I don't have a big house, but it's a nice idea!).

I wish that we didn't need to work today (we do need to work today, unfortunately).

I wish that you lived close by (you don't live close by).

I wish that John wasn't busy tomorrow* (he is busy, unfortunately).

(*In formal writing, you will see 'were' instead of 'was' after wish. This is correct, but it's also fine to use 'was', in the same way as with the second conditional.

'I wish I were rich' or 'I wish I was rich'.)

We also use 'wish' with 'could' to talk about things in the present or future that we would like to be different. In this situation, 'could' is the past simple of 'can'.

Of course, we use 'can' to talk about ability - if we know how to do something or not. For example, 'I can speak Spanish' or 'I can't drive'. We also use 'can' to talk about possibility - if things are possible or not possible. For example, 'we can't come to the party tonight' or 'John can help you clean up'. We use 'could' with 'wish' to talk about ability and to talk about possibility.

I wish that I could speak Spanish (but, unfortunately, I can't speak Spanish).

I wish that I could drive (I can't drive).

I wish that we could go to the party tonight (unfortunately, we're busy so we can't go).

I wish that John could help you clean up (John is at work, so he can't help).

Try an exercise about 'wish' here.

We don't usually use 'wish' in this way for things that are really possible in the future. Instead, we use 'hope'. Read more about 'hope' here.

I hope that you pass your exam (NOT: I wish that you passed the exam).

I hope that it's sunny tomorrow (NOT: I wish that it was sunny tomorrow).

I hope that Julie has a lovely holiday (NOT: I wish that Julie had a lovely holiday).

Wish + (that) + would:
On the other hand, we use 'would' with 'wish' in a little bit of a special way. It's generally used about other people who are doing (or not doing) something that we don't like and we want that person to change. It's not usually used about ourselves, or about something which nobody can change though, exceptionally, we do use it about the weather.

I wish that John wouldn't eat all the chocolate. (John does usually eat all the chocolate and I don't like it. I want him to change his behaviour!)

I wish that the neighbours would be quiet! (They are not quiet and I don't like the noise.)

I wish that you wouldn't smoke so much! (You do smoke a lot and I don't like it. I want you to change this.)

I wish that you wouldn't work late so often.

I wish that it would stop raining!

We don't usually use 'would' when there's no feeling that we want somebody to change their behaviour.

NOT: I wish that tomorrow would be a holiday. (Instead: I wish that tomorrow was a holiday.)

NOT: I wish that I would work harder. (It's strange to use 'wish' + 'would' about yourself, as you can change your behaviour if you don't like it!)

Wishes about the past

Wish + (that) + past perfect:
We can use 'wish' with the past perfect to talk about regrets from the past. These are things that have already happened but we wish they'd happened in a different way. This use of 'wish' is very similar to the third conditional.

I wish that I had studied harder at school. (I didn't study hard at school, and now I'm sorry about it.)

I wish that I hadn't eaten so much yesterday! (But I did eat a lot yesterday. Now I think it wasn't a good idea.)

I wish that the train had been on time. (But unfortunately the train was late, and so I missed my interview.)

Other uses of 'wish'
Wish + to + infinitive:
We can use 'wish' with the infinitive to mean 'would like'. This is very formal. We don't usually use a continuous tense with 'wish' in this case.

I wish to speak to the headmaster. (This means the same as 'I would like to speak to the headmaster'.)

I wish to go now.

Wish + object + to + infinitive:
In the same way, we can use 'wish' with an object and an infinitive.

I do not wish you to publish this article.

I wish these people to leave.

Wish + somebody + something:
This is used mostly in set phrases.

I wished him a happy birthday.

They wished us Merry Christmas.

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Explanation about using 'wish' to talk about wishes and regrets in the past, present and future.

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Will
Hello, and welcome to today's Grammar Gameshow! I'm your host, Will! And if we cannot do what we will, we must will what we can. And of course, let's not forget Leslie, our all-knowing voice in the sky.

Will
Tonight we're going to ask you three questions about...

Leslie
The second conditional! That present-to-future construction with 'if' that's all about the unreal!

Will
OK! Now, let's meet our contestants!

Liz
Hello, all. My name's Liz.

Will
And contestant number two?

Rory
Hello, everyone. My name's Rory.

Will
Nice to see you again Liz! How are you?

Liz
I'm well, thank you. Fighting fit and ready for action.

Will
Wonderful! I hope you do really well.

Liz
That sounded... nice! No cruel jokes? No false pleasantries?

Will
No, no. It's all about self-control! I'm trying out a new nicer me. Welcome Rory! Tell me something about yourself.

Will
What a fascinating hobby! Well, I hope you do really well, both of you. OK. Let's get going and don't forget you can play along at home too. It's a double-question round so fingers on those buzzers! First question! What is the formula for a basic second conditional structure?

Rory
Is it 'if' plus a present tense and 'will' plus an infinitive?

Will
So sorry, Rory. That is the first conditional. But, please, dear friend, have another go for free.

Rory
OK. Is it 'if' plus a present tense and 'will' plus an infinitive?

Will
No! That was the same answer again. You know, the old me would have killed you for that. Literally, plucked your eyes out of your skull. But Liz, why don't you give it a try?

Liz
Isn't it 'If' plus a past tense plus 'would' plus an infinitive verb?

Will
Can you give me an example?

Will
No, that's the present continuous.

Liz
I know, just pushing your buttons.

Liz
Wow, you are doing well. The real answer is: if I had more time, I'd have a holiday.

Will
Well done! And onto our second question. What is the second conditional used for?

Rory
We use a second conditional after a first conditional. First then second, see?

Will
Yes, I can see what you've done there. It's logical, but not right, I'm afraid. Liz?

Liz
It's used for a hypothetical present or future situation and its consequence.

Leslie
Correct! The second conditional structure is used for an unreal or extremely unlikely, present or future situation and its consequence. Its formula is 'If' plus the past simple or continuous, and 'would' plus an infinitive verb! For example: if I were a girl, I'd be called ...Leslita!

Will
Oh, what a lovely name! Well done Liz, six points to you. And Rory, you are very good at pushing that buzzer, aren't you? Yes. One point to you. On to our second round. Look at these two sentences. One is in the first conditional and one is in the second conditional. I want to know what the difference in meaning is.
a) If I leave now, I will get home early.
b) If I left now, I would get home early.

Will
Well, that's wonderful to know, good friend. Liz?

Liz
Isn't it something to do with the speaker's perception of a situation? With the first conditional, the speaker believes that something is possible and might actually happen. With the second conditional, the speaker says something is unlikely or unreal.

Will
Wow. What an informative answer. Let's see if it's correct. Leslie, old friend?

Leslie
It is correct! Many ideas can be expressed in either the first or second conditional. They both talk about a present or future time, after all. The difference is that when using a first conditional the speaker believes that an event is possible or real. But if they use the second conditional, they are saying it's unlikely or impossible!

Will
Six points to you Liz!

Liz
I'm impressed. This is like a whole new you! I like this Will!

Will
Thanks! You know, me too! I'm sleeping better, I've got more energy, I don't spend hours checking myself out in front of the mirror. Let's move on to our final round. Which of these sentences is incorrect?
a) If I were rich, I'd buy a yacht.
b) If you were rich, you'd buy a yacht.
c) If he were rich, he'd buy a yacht.
d) If they were rich, they'd buy a yacht.

Will
Rory, is this a proper answer?

Will
Well then go on, old friend! Give it a go!

Rory
I choose present perfect.

Liz
I think c) is wrong. It should be if he was...

Leslie
Sorry Liz... none of them are incorrect. In the second conditional, people commonly put the verb 'be' into the form 'were' for any pronoun... including 'I', 'he', 'she' and 'it'. It is frequent to hear both styles, although many consider the 'were' form to be more formal.

Liz
I am so silly. I knew that and forgot it.

Will
And you were doing really well. Have twenty points anyway. And to you too, Rory! Well, that brings us to the end of today's Grammar Gameshow. Let's count out the points... and the winner is... both of you! You're both winners in my book!

Liz
Hang on! He didn't even answer one question right! Why does he win too?

Will
Well, I can't drop him down the pit. It wouldn't be good for the new calm me! I'm much nicer now.

Liz
But don't you miss it? The thrill of the drop...

Liz
Drop. When was the last time you...

Will
The drop! Well, it has been a while...

Liz
You must be really strong to just drop the drop.

Rory
Drop the drop! Drop the drop! Drop the drop! Drop the drop! Drop the drop! Drop, drop, drop, drop!

Will
Aw heck! And bring him back up! And drop him back down! Release the clowns! It looks like we'll need another contestant. Ah... so much better. I'm back!

Liz
And my prize? I'm fine!

Will
We'll see you again next week, where you can play for another prize. Thanks for joining us. Say goodbye Leslie.

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BBC Learning English - Course: The Grammar Gameshow / Unit 1 / Session 21 / Activity 1

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Will Hello, and welcome to today's Grammar Gameshow! I'm your host, Will! And if we cannot do what we will, we must will what we can. And of course, let's not forget Leslie, our all-knowing voice in the sky. Will Tonight we're going to ask you three questions about...

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BBC Learning English - Course: English In A Minute / Unit 1 / Session 48 / Activity 1

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Hi, everyone. Tom here, from BBC Learning English in London. And today, I'm going to tell you what to say after the word wish.

When we're talking about wishes, we're talking about situations that are imaginary or unreal. To show this, after saying 'I wish', we use the past to talk about the wish, which is in the present.

So, I could say: I wish I had a cup of tea. Ah, thank you!

Now, if we want to make a wish about the past, we need to use the past past - or the past perfect.

For example: I wish I had chosen a more formal shirt before I filmed this video today.

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BBC Learning English - Course: English In A Minute / Unit 1 / Session 7 / Activity 1

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Hi, everyone. Tom here, from BBC Learning English in London. And today, I'm going to tell you what to say after the word wish. When we're talking about wishes, we're talking about situations that are imaginary or unreal. To show this, after saying 'I wish', we use the past to talk about the wish, which is in the present.

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Dan
I wish I wish I wish I wish I wish... Oh! It only works if you know the grammar rules! I completely forgot. So here is the complete 'wish'. Wish has five uses in English and today we're going to cover them all. Are you ready? Go!

1. Wish for present or past that isn't real.

This is the most common form of wish. It's when we wish for a situation in the present or past to change, but we know that it can't change because it's impossible.

'I wish I were taller.' (because I am not tall) Or: ' I wish I had eaten ice-cream for breakfast this morning.' (because I didn't eat ice cream for breakfast this morning).

I wish I were taller is an example of a present wish. It is 'wish' plus the past simple. We often use 'were' instead of 'was' for all pronouns because of the subjunctive. I could also say:

'I wish I knew how to speak Chinese.' (because I don't know how to speak Chinese.)

I wish I had eaten ice-cream for breakfast this morning is an example of a past wish. This morning is a past time; we make a past wish. 'Wish' is followed by the past perfect, which is had plus the past participle. That indicates true past time. Did you get it?

2. Wish for an irritation that can change.

Another common form of wish is to use 'wish' plus would plus the bare infinitive. And this is often in regards to other people and our irritation. For example:
'I wish you would make the bed!'
This is a present wish, but unlike the wishes I discussed before, this wish means 'I believe you can change and something can be done'. Compare:

'I wish you would make the bed,' means ' I think you can, but you don't, so please do.'
'I wish you made the bed' means ' you don't and I don't think you ever will so... '

It is extremely uncommon to use a first person 'I' in this form of wish. This is because we have control over our own actions, so to say:

'I wish I would stop talking,' means I want to stop talking, and I believe I can stop talking, so why don't I?'

However, in terms of an illness or an addiction, this form is fine. When I say ' I wish I would stop smoking' it means 'I don't want to smoke anymore, but I can't stop because I'm addicted.' Someone give me a cigarette! Did you get it?

3. Wish to want

Wish followed by the full infinitive is a formal way of saying want. It's not very common, and only used in special circumstances, for example, when you want to make a polite formal complaint. For example: 'I wish to see the manager. '

We can also use wish followed by 'for' to attach an object that you want. And this is most often used in the circumstances of magic. For example: 'I wish for a pizza.' Got it?
4. Wish to send 'good vibrations'.
We can use the verb wish followed by two objects, the first of which is most often a pronoun, to send 'good vibrations' to somebody. This is more common than hope and it is used in fixed phrases such as:

'I wish you luck for your exam tomorrow.' or 'We wish you a merry Christmas.' Got it?

5. Wish for the future.
'I hope you will pass your exam.'
This is a trick, because apart from sending good vibrations, as mentioned before, we cannot use the verb 'wish' in this way. We need another verb, and the verb is 'hope'. And this is usually followed by 'will' plus the infinitive. So, for example:

Got it? Did you get it? Of course you got it! Now for more information please log on to bbclearningenglish.com. I've been Dan, you've been fantastic. I hope to see you next time, ok? Now. I wish I wish I wish I wish I wish... it works! Hahahaha!

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BBC Learning English - Course: Towards Advanced / Unit 23 / Session 1 / Activity 1

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Dan I wish I wish I wish I wish I wish... Oh! It only works if you know the grammar rules! I completely forgot. So here is the complete 'wish'. Wish has five uses in English and today we're going to cover them all. Are you ready? Go! 1.

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Finn
Hi, I'm Finn with another BBC English Class. Now I'm sure you know the story of Aladdin. The man who found a magic lamp, a bit like this... out came a genie... and he made three wishes: three things he wanted to happen that were very unlikely or impossible otherwise. I have three wishes for you today as well. Unfortunately I'm not a genie. I'm going to give you three ways to use the verb wish. OK, it's not quite as good as Aladdin, but hopefully it will be useful for you. So let's do it, as usual, in 90 seconds.

Right. OK, so number one. Wish... you can use it wish something unlikely or impossible to be true. OK, let me give you an example:
I wish my eyesight was better.
Or:
I wish I hadn't told her.
OK, so: I wish my eyesight was better, that's something that's very unlikely. I wish I hadn't told her - that's something that's impossible to change. It's already happened. So, we use it with past tenses as well. Notice that I wish I hadn't told her, and I wish my eyesight was better. OK, so there's another video on that in our Stop Saying series so take a look out for that.

Next, wish number two. We have: to wish for something. Now, when you wish for something, you really think very hard about something you want to happen.

So, I could wish for a happy, peaceful life.

Or we could say: she wished for a better job. Maybe she doesn't like her job - she wished for a better job.

OK, now, last wish. You can wish someone something. Right, so: I wished him... Oh, that's my time. I wish I had more time. There it is. My time's run out, but let me just finish my last point.

I wished him a safe trip... so you wish someone something. Or...

I wished him a safe trip, he wished me luck.

Or, I wish you a happy anniversary.

And there we are. I'm out of time already. I wish you all the best with your English learning. That's it from me. I'm no genie, but hopefully with these videos your English will improve. Bye.

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BBC Learning English - Course: Upper-intermediate / Unit 16 / Session 1 / Activity 1

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Finn Hi, I'm Finn with another BBC English Class. Now I'm sure you know the story of Aladdin. The man who found a magic lamp, a bit like this... out came a genie... and he made three wishes: three things he wanted to happen that were very unlikely or impossible otherwise.

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Hi everyone! I'm James. We're going to look at the difference between in case and if in today's English In A Minute.

Look at these examples:

1. I'll call you if I need help with my homework.

2. I'll call you in case I need help with my homework.

In the example with if, it means that I might call you in the future, but it depends if I need help or not. The second sentence with in case means I'm going to call you before I do my homework to prevent any problems.

Let's take a look at another example:

1. I'll take an umbrella in case it rains.

2. I'll take an umbrella if it rains.

Just like in our first example, in case means I am going to take my umbrella anyway to prevent any problems. But in the example with if, this means that you only take an umbrella because it is raining when you leave.

So if you want to learn more English, join us on social media or on our website. In case you can't remember the link, here it is.

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BBC Learning English - Course: English In A Minute / Unit 1 / Session 51 / Activity 1

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Hi everyone! I'm James. We're going to look at the difference between in case and if in today's English In A Minute. Look at these examples: I'll call you if I need help with my homework. I'll call you in case I need help with my homework.