SIMPLE
CONTINUOUS
PERFECT SIMPLE
PERFECT CONTINUOUS
100
Imagine you have a friend called Megan who lives in Brazil. To gain 100 points, you need to describe Megan´s daily routine and habits. Does she enjoy swimming? (spoiler: no) Can she swim at all? (spoiler: neither)
Use present simple to describe routines and habits. Also to talk about permanent situations, facts and with stative verbs (love/hate/understand/know...)
HE/SHE/IT--> Verbs take "s"/"es"/"ies"
S+V1(+s/es/ies)+O
100
Imagine you have the ability to be invisible.
What are you doing right now?
Use present continuous for actions happening now (at the moment of speaking), for changing/developing situations (I´m getting better), for temporary situations (I´m staying at a hotel) and for annoying habits (She is always losing her keys).
S+IS/ARE/AM+VERB+ING+O
100
Imagine you´re a successful pet fashion designer, what have you achieved?
Use present perfect simple to talk about states or actions that happened over a period of time up to or including the present (I have never realised how handsome James Franco is / He has read this book ten times already), to talk about completed actions that are relevant in the present (I have already watched this movie, let´s change it/ Have you had breakfast yet?).
S+HAS/HAVE+V3+O
100
Imagine you´re a petty teenage mean girl, what have you been doing?
Use present perfect continuous to talk about a recent (completed or not) activity which has been going on for a long time and its effects are still relevant (I have been running all day / He hasn't been writing to his fellow friend Mark); and to suggest that an activity is temporary (I've been living with my parents because I am broke). Again, you emphasise time.
S+HAS/HAVE+BEEN+VERB+ING+O
200
Imagine you´re a famous actor/actress, how did you become famous? Describe the chronological events that led you to where you are now.
Use past simple to talk about finished actions that happened past an specific time in the past, to talk about a habit in the past, a past state, and to describe events in chronological order in the past.
IRREGULAR / REGULAR VERBS
S+V2+O
200
Imagine you´re a Karen who was complaining to your friend Carol about how you got into a fight with a Starbucks' manager, describe what you both were fighting about.
Use past continuous to describe an action in progress in the past to set the atmosphere (I was sitting on my sofa..), to talk about temporary actions in the past (She was living in Mexico at the time), to talk interrupted actions in the past (I was cooking when...), and to talk about multiple actions in progress at the same time (While I was painting, he was studying).
S+WAS/WERE+VERB+ING+O
200
Imagine you´re Lindsay Lohan at 55, explain what you had done before you fell from grace.
Use past perfect simple to refer to a time earlier than another point in the past, when this is needed to make the order of events clear (I had already had breakfast when she offered me a cup of coffee / Miley Cyrus had been a Disney icon before she started her singing career)
S+HAD+V3+O
200
Tell us about that time when you couldn´t finish your homework because you were helping in a movement against children in leashes, and your teacher berated you for it.
Use past perfect continuous to emphasise the duration of the first past action (past of past) or situation:
She had been waiting for over 30 minutes when the train finally arrived at the station.
I had been studying extremely hard for my Maths exam, however, it got cancelled because of the coronavirus.
S+HAD+BEEN+VERB+ING+O
300
Imagine you´re a Harry Styles 13 year old fan fiction writer, tell us about what motivated you to write about him. Are you writing anything new?
PAST SIMPLE
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
300
Imagine you´re a serial killer dentist, describe a normal encounter with a client and what you have arranged for your next customer.
PRESENT SIMPLE
PRESENT CONTINUOUS for arrangements