Lesson 5 of 24
Part 1 question types and time
Let the wording guide you
| Question type | Main job | Original opening |
|---|---|---|
| Habit: “How often…?” | Give a realistic pattern | “Usually twice a week, unless…” |
| Preference: “Do you prefer…?” | Choose or distinguish circumstances | “For short journeys, I’d choose…” |
| Past: “Did you…as a child?” | Describe an earlier situation | “I used to…, but…” |
| Change: “Has…changed?” | Compare earlier and current conditions | “It’s become…, whereas before…” |
| Future: “Would you like to…?” | Express an intention or possibility | “I’d like to…, although…” |
| Reason: “Why…?” | Explain the cause or motivation | “Mainly because…” |
Do not choose a tense only because the topic appears in your vocabulary notebook. Listen to the actual question. “Have you ever…?” normally invites an experience up to now, while “When did you…?” asks for a completed occasion.
Original pair: “I’ve tried pottery a couple of times.” Follow-up: “I first tried it during a weekend course last spring.” The time reference changes, so the grammar changes naturally.
Be specific about “it depends”
“It depends” is useful only if you explain the condition. “It depends on how much time I have. If I’m in a hurry, I buy lunch; otherwise, I bring something from home.” The listener now knows the pattern. Repeating “it depends” without choosing circumstances leaves the answer unfinished.
When you have little experience
You can state your limited experience honestly and discuss a related preference: “I haven’t been to a live concert recently, but I’d love to hear a small jazz group. I think a smaller venue would feel more personal.” Follow the question rather than inventing a complicated biography.
Practice: take one topic, such as shopping, and answer a habit question, a childhood question and a future question. Check whether the verbs make the different times clear.