The Present vs. Future Tenses
We __ (review) for the exam right now.
are reviewing (present continuous)
clue: right now
Before the invention of GPA, people ____ (look) at maps while driving to find their destination.
looked (simple past tense)
clue: before
rule: use the simple past when an action was completed.
Does the second sentence express an expectation or a guess?
John is late for the meeting. He could be stuck in traffic.
a guess
clue: could be
rule: use could/might/may to express a guess
It's not worth ____ (crying/to cry) over spilled milk.
crying
rule: It's not worth + gerund
(A/The/0) migraine is a very painful headache.
A migraine
clue: migraine is a singular count noun
Rule 1: use the indefinite article with a singular count noun;
Rule 2: Use the indefinite article with definitions of a generic singular count noun
The plane ___ (arrive) at 7:30, tonight.
arrives (simple present)
clue: tonight
rule: use the simple present for scheduled events
We ___ (live) in San Francisco since 1990.
have lived (present perfect)
clue: since
rule: Use the present perfect to express time up to now.
Does the first sentence express impossibility or certainty?
He couldn't be at the beach; I just saw him at school!
impossibility
couldn't be/can't be expresses impossibility
The same is true for the past tense use of the modal: couldn't have been/can't have been.
"I promise ___ (being/to be) home by midnight," said Cinderella.
to be
rule: promise + infinitive
Typically, (a/the/0) migraines last between four hours and three days.
No article
clue: migraines is a plural count noun
rule: no article + plural count noun when the noun is generic
Recent studies ___ (suggest) that multi-tasking reduces short-term memory.
suggests (simple present)
clue: reduces
rule: use the simple present to express facts
I ___ (travel) to another country only once.
have traveled (present perfect)
clue: no specific time is mentioned
rule: use the present perfect to express indefinite time
Does the first sentence sentence express advice or regret?
I shouldn't have eaten the entire tub of ice cream. I feel so sick.
regret
rule: I + should/shouldn't have expresses regret about a past situation
Third Person + should/shouldn't have expresses advice about a past situation
I think about ____ (eating/to eat) ice cream all of the time.
eating
Think about + gerund
One of the primary symptoms is being sensitive to (a/the/0) bright lights.
no article
clue: bright lights is a plural count noun
rule: no article + plural count noun when the noun is generic.
will call/is going to call (future tense)
clue: tomorrow
rule: use the future tense/be going to to make plans
We already ____ (finish) the report.
have finished (present perfect)
clue: already
rule: use the present perfect to express recent past time (indefinite)
Alice usually leaves work at 5:00 PM, so she should be home soon.
an expectation
clue: should
rule: should /ought to express an expectation in the present tense
I enjoy ___ (traveling/to travel).
traveling
enjoy + gerund
True or False: people is a plural count noun.
True.
Rule People is a plural count noun because it can be counted: There are three people, four people, etc.
I ___ (stay) at Michael's house until my apartment is ready.
am staying (present continuous)
clue: until
rule: use the present continuous to express temporary plans
I __ (write) a letter when you called me.
was writing (past continuous)
clue: independent clause + when dependent clause
rule: The sentence expresses an interrupted event. The action in progress must be in the past continuous and the verb in the when clause must be in the simple past.
Does the sentence express a fact or a theory?
The recent investigation suggests that the power outage may have been caused by wind damage.
A theory
clue: suggests; may have been
Use could/may/might to express a theory in the present and the past tense
I decided ____ (walking/to walk) to school.
to walk
rule: decide + infinitive
Which of the bolded nouns in the sentence is a noncount noun?
This year, my goals are to pass Chemistry and make a lot of friends.
Chemistry
rule: names of majors, fields or classes are non-count.