Lesson 18 of 24
Grammar: time and reference
Make the timeline clear
| Meaning | Typical structure | Original example |
|---|---|---|
| Present routine | Present simple | “I cycle to college most mornings.” |
| Temporary activity | Present continuous | “I’m taking an evening course this month.” |
| Completed event | Past simple | “I joined the workshop last autumn.” |
| Background in a story | Past continuous | “I was carrying my bike when my neighbour saw me.” |
| Experience connected to now | Present perfect | “I’ve repaired it twice since then.” |
| Earlier event before another past event | Past perfect | “I’d never removed a wheel before he showed me.” |
| Future intention or arrangement | going to, present continuous, will as appropriate | “I’m meeting the group on Saturday.” |
These are common uses, not a complete grammar syllabus. The context determines the form. “I’ve visited it last year” mixes a completed past time with a present-perfect form; “I visited it last year” fits that time reference.
Track people and things
Articles and agreement help the listener follow your account: “a workshop” introduces one; “the workshop” refers back to it. “The people were helpful” and “the teacher was helpful” have different subjects. Frequent small errors can accumulate, so practise the structures you use repeatedly rather than only collecting ambitious ones.
Avoid translating the sentence shape
Learn whole patterns you can adapt: “It takes me twenty minutes to…”, “I’ve been interested in…since…”, “One thing I like about it is…” Make several true sentences with each, then answer new questions without looking at the pattern.
The British Council recommends listening to the time reference in questions and developing control of a range of grammar. There is no official requirement to insert every tense in one answer. Grammar guidance.
Practice: tell one story in the past, explain how it affects you now, then describe what you intend to do next. Check whether a listener can identify each period without guessing.