Asignatura Transversal

Comunicación Profesional en Inglés

Unidad didáctica 2. Past and future

UD 2. Past and future .....................................................................................................3

1. Content ....................................................................................................................4

1.1 The Past Simple .....................................................................................................5

The Past Simple (II) ....................................................................................................7

The Past Simple (III) ...................................................................................................8

1.2 The Past Continuous ............................................................................................. 10

The Past Continuous (II) ............................................................................................ 11

1.3 Past Perfect / Past Perfect Continuous ..................................................................... 12

1.4 Expressing future time in English ........................................................................... 14

1.4.1 Future with ‘Will’ ............................................................................................. 15

1.4.2 Future with ‘To be going to’ .............................................................................. 17

1.4.3 Future with ‘–ing’. Present Continuous to express future ideas............................... 18

1.4.4 Future in the Present Simple form ..................................................................... 19

1.4.5 Other ways to talk about the future ................................................................... 20

1.5 Reporting on progress .......................................................................................... 22

2. Summary ................................................................................................................ 24

3. Conceptual map ....................................................................................................... 25

4. References .............................................................................................................. 26

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UD 2. Past and future
This unit will deal with the following topics:

 The Past Simple and the Past Continuous

 The Past Perfect and the Past Perfect Continuous
 Future tenses
 How to report on progress

By the end of this unit you will be able to:

 Talk about personal experiences in the past.

 Narrate and report on past events.
 Talk about future events.
 Make an oral presentation in English.

Along the unit, you will find activities for you to practise everything you are going to learn. Pay
attention to the many examples offered, as they will be useful for you to speak and write in
English properly.

“The limits of my language are the limits of my world.”

Ludwig Wittgenstein

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1. Content

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1.1 The Past Simple
The basic tense to express past actions or events in English is the Past Simple.

The past form of the verb TO BE is irregular: WAS (I, he, she, it) and WERE (you, we, you,
they) are used in affirmative sentences, and WAS NOT (WASN’T), WERE NOT (WEREN’T) in
negative sentences.

To make questions with the past form of the verb TO BE we just have to invert the subject-verb
order:

You were sleepy. – Were you sleepy?

I was in Madrid in 2005 – Was I in Madrid in 2005?

WH- questions are as follows:

Where were they?

How was she?

The Past Simple of most other verbs (regular verbs) is formed by adding –ED to the base form
of the verb (check the ‘Spelling rules’ section):

love – loved

travel - travelled

work - worked

Note

There are numerous irregular verbs in English. You can check the most common ones in
this link of the British Council webpage The only way to learn the irregular past forms in
English is by heart. It is advisable for you to learn both the past tense form and the past
participle form of the verb at the same time.

leave – left - left

go – went - gone

understand – understood - understood

We use the auxiliary verb DO in its past form DID or DID NOT (DIDN’T) for questions and
negative sentences both with regular and irregular verbs. DID is invariable for all persons (I, you,
she, it, he, we, you and they):

I travelled to London last summer.

They left when I arrived.

She did not (didn’t) work in that company.

You did not (didn’t) come to the party.

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Did you study Philosophy at school?

Why did he not call me yesterday? / Why didn’t he call me yesterday?

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The Past Simple (II)
Use

We use the past tense to refer to:

 Something that happened once in the past:

I went to Argentina in 2009.

I visited London last summer.

I arrived home at 1 am last night.

 Something that happened repeatedly in the past:

When I was a child, I played with my toys every day.

We swam a lot while we were on holiday.

I always loved walking around in Central Park when I lived in New York.

 Something that was true for some time in the past:

I liked fishing when I was young but now I hate it.

Figure 1. past and future.

 It is common to use the adverb AGO to set a time reference in the past:

We met Mary ten years ago.

I went to the market three days ago.

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The Past Simple (III)
Spelling rules

Do you know…?

British English and American English have different spelling rules regarding several endings
and words. Here you have a detailed list of the most relevant differences between both types
of English. It is up to you to choose one spelling or another BUT don’t mix them in the same
text. As a general rule, when writing texts in English for a European addressee, it is better to
stick to British spelling.

Here are the general rules:

- Regular verbs ending in a non-stressed syllable in “-E” add “-D” to form the Past Simple and
Past Participle:

 close – closed.

- Regular verbs ending in a vowel + Y add “-ED” to form the Past Simple and Past Participle:

 play – played.

- Regular verbs ending in a consonant + Y drop the “Y” and add “-IED” to form the Past Simple
and Past Participle:

 marry – married

- All the other regular verbs add “-ED” to form the Past Simple and Past Participle:

 visit – visited.

Travel

ED endings are pronounced in three different ways: /-id/, /-t/, /-d/. Check this link to learn
how to pronounce this ending correctly.

Here are some special rules:

- If there is a consonant before and after a stressed vowel at the end of the word, you have to
double the consonant:

 stop – stopped.
 ban – banned.
 swap – swapped.

- If the vowel is not stressed, we do not double it:

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  open – opened.
 offer – offered.

- In British English a final-L doubles even though the last vowel is not stressed. Here are some
examples:

 travel – travelled (US English traveled)

 cancel – cancelled (US English canceled)
 level – levelled (US English leveled)

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1.2 The Past Continuous
The Past Continuous is formed with the past tense of the verb TO BE (WAS/WERE) plus the
-ING form of the verb.

I was sitting in that chair.

Jane was not (wasn’t) playing in the park at that hour.

Who were we waiting for?

Figure 2. the past.

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The Past Continuous (II)
Use

The Past Continuous tense is used to express actions in progress at a specific time in the past.

- Events or actions occurring before and after another one:

 My husband was cooking dinner when I got home (concurrent actions).

Compare with (consecutive actions):

 I arrived home. My husband cooked dinner. Or My husband cooked dinner when I got
home.
 As I was watching television the telephone rang.

- This use of the Past Continuous is very common at the beginning of a story:

 Last night I was sleeping when someone knocked at my door and…

- Events or actions in progress at a specific time in the past:

 It was seven o’clock. I was having breakfast.

 Compare with:
 At seven o’clock I had breakfast.

- To express that an event continued for some time:

 The children were screaming all day long.

- For repeated events:

 I was running every day then.

 They were meeting secretly after school.

- With verbs indicating change or growth:

 Her Spanish was improving.

 My hair was turning grey.
 The town was expanding quickly.

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1.3 Past Perfect / Past Perfect Continuous
The Past Perfect is formed with the auxiliary verb HAD + the PAST PARTICIPLE of the MAIN
VERB.

Use

Figure 3. race against time.

- We use the past perfect to refer to actions or events that happened before a certain point in the
past.

When George died he and Anne had been married for nearly fifty years.

Teresa wasn’t at home. She had gone shopping.

Have a look at this sentence and at the diagram below. You can see the timeline for both actions.

By yesterday at 10.00, Ron had written all the documents.

Note

Sometimes the Simple Past can be used instead of the Past Perfect when “before” or “after”
are used in the sentence. The words “before” and “after” actually tell you what happened
first, so the use of Past Perfect is optional. For this reason, both sentences below are correct:

She had visited her Irish relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.

She visited her Irish relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.

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 Remember

that non-action verbs cannot be used with continuous tenses. Instead of using the Past
Perfect Continuous with these verbs, you must use the Past Perfect:

The motorcycle had been belonging to George for years before Tina bought it. Incorrect

The motorcycle had belonged to George for years before Tina bought it. Correct

The Past Perfect Continuous is formed with the auxiliary verb HAD + BEEN + -ING form of
the main verb.

- We use the Past Perfect Continuous to show that something started in the past and continued
up to another point in the past or to express causality:

 Jason was tired because he had been working for hours.

 Mary failed the test because she had not been attending class.

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1.4 Expressing future time in English
There are several ways to refer to future actions and events in English. Below you will find the
most common structures to speak and write about future plans or actions.

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1.4.1 Future with ‘Will’
We use will as the standard form to refer to future actions and events.

Do you know…?

British people use I shall / I will and we shall / we will with no difference of meaning in
most situations. However, shall is becoming less common than will. Shall is not normally
used in American English.

Figure 4. the future.

To form the future, the base form of the verb must follow will.

The party will be amazing.

I will go with you to that meeting.

She will probably stay at home this weekend.

Use of ‘Will’

Travel

Let’s practise your reading skills and learn more about the so typical English speciality Fish-
n-Chips. Here you have a short text to read, and some comprehension questions to assess
your understanding. Remember that self-assessed activities will not be part of the exam
contents, but just an extra-support for you to practise:

Fish and Chips

And find out about the history of fish and chips in this video.

- For offers, requests and promises:

 We will cook dinner for you.

 Will you come with me?

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  I’ll send you an email soon.

- For decisions made on the spot, at the moment of speaking:

 Oh! You don’t have a partner for the match, I’ll play with you.

- To make predictions:

 In 2025 there will be flying cars.

Will is also present in other grammar contexts:

In requests (petitions):

- Will you bring me the water, please?

In conditional sentences (we’ll deal with conditional sentences later in the course.).

- If you study enough, you will pass the exam.

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1.4.2 Future with ‘To be going to’
As we mentioned above, we can refer to future actions or events through different expressions in
English. For example, we can say that something is going to happen.

When do we use this form? We use going to when we talk about arrangements, plans, decisions
made prior to the moment of speaking, and firm intentions. The short form gonna is used only
in informal contexts.

- We are going to get a new flat next year.

- We are gonna get a new flat next year. [only in spoken informal English].

- When are you going to have a haircut?

- I am going to keep studying until I really understand the unit.

Going to is also used for predictions based on present evidence; that is, when we can see that
future events are coming, or about to happen. For example:

- [You see a pregnant woman]  Look, she is going to give birth to a child soon.

- [You see clouds in the sky]  Look, it’s going to rain.

- [You see somebody sitting at the table]  They are going to have dinner now.

It is not possible to use will in those examples. Going to is the correct future form when there
is evidence of what is going to happen.

Figure 5. Balloon ride.

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1.4.3 Future with ‘–ing’. Present Continuous to express future ideas

Who said…?

Notice that to be going to as an expression to refer to future events or actions is not the same
as to be going somewhere (to a place). For example: The woman is going to have a baby /
The woman is going to the hairdresser’s. Both sentences are correct, but they are two
different types of future tenses.

The Present Continuous is also used to express future ideas, to speak about personal
arrangements in the future, and fixed plans. We usually provide more details about those plans:
time, date, place, etc.

- What are you doing tomorrow evening? I am going to the hairdressers at 8.

- My bike is having a reparation next week.

- We are going to Spain in June.

- What are you having for breakfast?

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1.4.4 Future in the Present Simple form
The Present Simple is used to refer to scheduled events or actions in the future:

- The next semester starts in April.

- My train leaves tomorrow at 8.45.

- Do you have classes next week?

- What time does the concert end?

Figure 6. station clock.

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1.4.5 Other ways to talk about the future
Below you will find other tenses and expressions to talk about the future:

The Future Continuous is used when something will be going on at certain time in the future,
for example:

- I will be working until 5 pm on Saturday.

- This time next week I’ll be swimming in the sea.

- Good luck with the surgery. I’ll be thinking of you.

- My name is Rod Ellis, and I’ll be teaching you mathematics.

The Future Continuous is also used for planned or expected future events:

- Professor Ashley will be giving another lecture at the same time next week.

- I’ll be seeing you one of these days, I hope.

The Future Perfect is used to refer to actions or events that will have been completed by a
certain time in the future. For example:

- The writer says he will have finished his novel by 2017.

- My mom will have lost 9 kilos by April; she is so proud of herself!

The Future Perfect is followed by a verb in the –ing form, to stress how long the activity will have
continued in time; as in the examples below:

- Next summer, I will have been teaching for 10 years.

- In thirty minutes, the doctors will have been operating for three hours non-stop.

- By this time next year, my niece will have been learning English for 10 years at school.

Note

In Future Perfect sentences, the preposition by normally introduces the time phrase.

By three o’clock I will have finished the exam.

- Some other verbs can convey the idea of future intention: expect, plan, want, mean, hope,
would like (to):

 I’d like (would like) to stay at home tonight.

 I hope nobody calls us today.

- Modals may, might and could are used when we are not sure about the future:

 Someone may visit us this weekend.

- Should is used when we think that something is likely to happen:

 She should come at 4pm today.

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- Sentences with time adverbs such as when, after, until combined with the present tense of the
verb:

 When you come back from England, we will have a great party.

Note

We can never use the future form will with WH- ADVERBS or in if sentences: I’ll come home
when I will finish work; If it will rains, we won’t play tennis.

Figure 7. Summary of future tense.

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1.5 Reporting on progress
Regardless of what career path we choose, very often we are required to report on progress made
regarding a particular project, assignment, job, etc. When reporting on what we have done, it is
useful to follow a certain structure, either in a written or oral report. In this unit, we will focus on
oral reports (at meetings or interviews with stakeholders) so that you can also develop your
speaking and presentation skills.

A progress report is an account of different elements relating to a certain project or process. What
follows is the typical basic structure:

1. Background information on the relevant topic/project

2. Achievements made
3. Challenges arisen
4. Resources
5. Follow up measures/way forward

The purpose of this kind of reports is to assess projects, confirm that everything is going according
to plan (or not) and decide upon potential necessary changes. You should lay down the facts
objectively, clearly stating what has been done (past tenses) and what lies ahead (future tenses).
If your report is submitted in writing, make sure not to use features of informal register
(remember what we covered in Unit 1).

Figure 8. presentation.

Below you will find a list of helpful tips to bear in mind for any presentation (whether reporting
on progress or otherwise):

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 Travel

Check these links for useful phrases and vocabulary when making presentations in English
and for additional information on how to report appropriately: Infoplease; BBC Learning
English; useful vocabulary.

 Don’t read. If you read, your colleagues will get bored and they will not listen.
 Use different techniques. Here are some examples: ask rhetorical questions, do role-
playing, interact with the audience during the presentation, etc.
 Figures tend to be boring. Use only the essential figures that you will undoubtedly need.
 Surprise the audience somehow to make your point more memorable.
 Try not to be monotonous: use body language. The tone of your voice should go up and
down, smile at the audience.
 Take your time to speak.
 Do not include too much data.
 Make eye contact with your audience.

Now watch these videos on how to make a good presentation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i68a6M5FFBc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp4ho9raVjA

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2. Summary
By the end of this unit you should have learnt how to express past events or facts using different
past tenses. You can also narrate past events, using the appropriate verb tense to establish a
clear timeline. You are now also familiar with various ways of referring to future events or actions,
and when to use each of those appropriately. In addition, we have developed essential skills for
your future career: how to deliver a good presentation and how to structure progress reports.
Being able to report information and deliver presentations confidently will be a major asset that
will make you stand out from the crowd.

Figure 9. success.

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3. Conceptual map

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4. References

Main resources

Aarts, B. (2011). Oxford Modern English Grammar. Oxford. OUP Oxford.

Collins, P. (2012). The Art of Speeches and Presentations. Nueva York. Wiley & Sons.

Folley, M.; Hall, D. (2003). Modal Verbs. Irún. Stanley.

Murphy, R. (2012). English Grammar in Use. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press.

Ronder, D.; Thompson, P. (2013). Past Simple Study Book. Reading. Garnet.

Sangmeister, L. (2009). Past Tense in English: From OE to PDE. Grin Verlag.

Swan, M. & C. Walter. (1997). How English Works. A Grammar Practice Book. Oxford. Oxford
University Press.

Teng, S. A. (2013). English Grammar: The Verb Tenses. Sam Ang Teng Editor.

Thomson A. J.; Martinet, A.V. (1996). A Practical English Grammar. Oxford. Oxford University
Press.

Additional resources

Cambridge Essential English Dictionary (2012). Cambridge. Cambridge University Press.

Collins Gem. Diccionario inglés: (español-inglés, inglés- español) (2012). Barcelona. Grijalbo.

Collins English Dictionary (2014). London. HarperCollins.

Longman English Business Dictionary (2007). London. Pearson.

Other resources

BBC Learning English. http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/

BBC Learning English. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/bbclearningenglish.multimedia

British Council: Learn English. http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/

British Council: ESOL Nexus

http://esol.britishcouncil.org/content/learners/skills/writing/writing-formal-letter

Englishpage.com: Irregular verbs in the past

http://www.englishpage.com/irregularverbs/irregularverbs.html

Oxford Language Dictionaries Online. https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/

Using English.com: Formal letters. http://www.usingenglish.com/resources/letter-writing.php

Wordreference. com. http://www.wordreference.com/

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