Unit 2.

Problem Tenses
SECTION 3. Continuous forms
1. USES OF PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSES
Like other Perfect tenses, Perfect Continuous tenses focus on a past period that leads up to a later
one. Perfect Continuous tense, as with other Continuous tenses, show that an event continues
and/or is temporary:
I've been meaning to tell you about it since the weekend. Next October I'll have been
playing with this team for ten years. He'd been driving for hours and he needed a rest.
We use Past or Present Perfect Continuous to talk about something that is incomplete, just
finishing or about to change. The Past and Present Perfect Simple can suggest the action is
finished:
I'd been staring at the computer screen all evening when a solution suddenly struck me.
I've been reading 'The Cupboard' again. (= I may not have finished) I've read The Cupboard
again. (= I've finished).
The Continuous can emphasise the action; the Simple focuses on the result: What have you been
doing? (= tell me about your activities) What have you done? (= tell me the result of your
activities). The difference between choosing Continuous or Simple may only be a matter of
emphasising that something is continuing and/or temporary:
I've been waiting here for over an hour. (= emphasising that I still am).
2. USlNG PAST CONTINUOUS FOR PLANS
We can use Past Continuous to talk about plans in the past:
We were meeting at 8 o'clock and I was already late.
We use was going to to talk about plans in the past that we still haven't carried out or that we no
longer intend to carry out:
I was going to phone you but I forgot.
We can use I was thinking.. . to introduce vague future plans:
I was thinking of going to London this weekend.
3. USlNG PAST CONTINUOUS FOR POLITE REQUESTS
We often use Past Continuous to introduce polite requests, suggestions or inquines so that they
become more an invitation to discuss the subject than a demand for a yes or no answer:
I was thinking - would you mind swapping seats? I was wondering if you wanted to go
out this evening. Were you looking for anything in particular?
4. CONTINUOUS INFlNlTlVES
Verb and other structures that can be followed by a to-infinitive can also be followed by a
Continuous infinitive to emphasise that something is still continuing or is temporary:
It’s ridiculous for him to be driving in central Athens at his age. Several cyclists are thought
to have been taking drugs during the race.
 5. PERFECT CONTINUOUS PASSIVE
The Perfect Continuous passive is very uncommon because it involves two forms of be:
The Botley Road has been being widened for the past six weeks.

PRACTICE
1. Tick (√) the correct sentence, a or b.
Example: Which sentence would be said after one particular meal?
√ a I've eaten too much. b I've been eating too much.
1. Which sentence refers to a temporary situation?
a That lamp sits on that table over there.
b You're sitting in my seat.
2. Which activity is probably not completed?
a I've been writing this essay all evening.
b I've written to him asking for an appointment.
3. Which is a gradual process?
a The increase in traffic noise is becoming a real nuisance.
b John becomes President of Oxford Rotary Club in July.
4. Which would you say when you look out of the window early one morning?
a It's been raining.
b It was raining.
5 Which is a more certain plan?
a I was thinking of spending the weekend at my sister's.
b I'm planning to spend the weekend at my sister's.
6 You saw a colleague waiting for a bus on your way to work. Which would you say to your
other colleagues when you get to the office to explain why she was there?
a She might have gone to see her dentist.
b She might have been going to see her dentist.

2. Tick (Ѵ) the most suitable inderlined verb. Sometimes both may be possible. The
first has been done for you.
I don't normally go to the cinema. Not because I don't like it but because it's just a habit I
have never got into. However, on this occasion I decided (Ѵ) / was deciding to go because my
friends had been constantly going / had constantly gone (1) on about this film all week and
eventually wore me down. It starred / was starring (2) some ephemeral Hollywood actor whom I
had vaguely heard of but couldn't put a face to. We got to the cinema early to find people were
already waiting / already waited (3) outside which suggested that my friends weren't the only
ones who thought it was worth seeing - although I could still think of several other things I
would rather having been doing / do (4) at that moment. In the end, the film turned out / was
turning out (5) to be not half as bad as expected, though I would have preferred / would have
been preferring (6) something with a bit more action. The plot centred on two men who were
planning to carry out some immensely complicated robbery, though what they completely failed
to realise / were completely failing to realise (7) was that all the time their plans were being
closely monitored / were closely monitored (8) by the police. Somewhat unpredictably, however,
they got away with it because they changed / were changing 9) their plans at the last minute. It
was okay but I'm not thinking / I don't think (10) of going again.

3. Match the questions (1-8) with suitable answers (a-h).

1. Why didn't you call?
2. When do you think they'll be here?
3. Why did they look so hot and sweaty?
4. Why couldn't we use the rooms?
5. Why are they so exhausted?
6. Why didn't the students respond?
7. Why were they apprehended?
8. What time are they setting off tomorrow?

a) They could be arriving at any moment.

b) I think they'd been working out in the gym.
c) They must have been doing something wrong.
d) I was going to, but I clean forgot.
e) They weren't listening.
f) Well, they hope to have been driving for five hours by lunchtime.
g) They were being cleaned.
h) They've been working all day up in the attic.

4. Write a new sentence as similar as possible in meaning to the original sentence, but
using the word given.
Example: My original intention was to drive all the way. going
I was going to drive all the way.
a) It occurred to me that you might like to come round this evening. wondering ....................
 b) Our arguments over politics go back years. arguing .......................................
c) My son has finally come to accept that there's no such thing as a free lunch.
dawning ......................
d) Who is the organiser of this event? running ....................
e) I think he's at last beginning to agree with me. round .........................

SECTION 4. The future

1. WAYS OF REFERRING TO THE FUTURE
The following table summarises the different structures we use to talk about the future.
Form Example Meaning
will I’ll just go and get my coat. = an immediate decision
about what you are going to
do
will You'll be sick if you eat more = a general prediction
chocolate.
be going to I'm going to stop in a minute. = a personal intention
be going to Look out! We're going to hit = a prediction after looking at
the car in front. what is happening now
Present Continuous We're going to the cafe. = fixed plans / arrangements
Won't you join us?
Present Simple The coach leaves in ten = an unalterable arrangement
minutes. or fact
will+Continuous Don't phone too early because = an action that will be in
I'll be putting the baby to bed. progress some time in the
future
will+Continuous We’ll be working on this = an activity that will be
until the end of the year. happening during a period in
the future
will+Continuous I’ll give your letter to him – = an action that will happen
I’ll be seeing him later because it is regular or
decided
will+Perfect We’ll have driven over five = an event that will be
hundred miles by the time we finished before a specified
get there. time in the future
will+Perfect Continuous We'll have been living here = a state of affairs in progress
for ten years next May. for a period up to a specified
time in the future
be+to-infinitive He is to be given an award. = an official arrangement or
You're to stay here until order
you've apologised.

We use shall with I or we with the same meaning as will. However, it is becoming increasingly
formal - its most common current use is in polite offers or to ask advice:
Shall I open the door for you? What shall we do now?
 2. WlLL IN TIME CLAUSES AND IF-CLAUSES
We omit will in time clauses after when, as soon as, until, before, etc:
I'm not going to speak to her until she's apologised.
However, with conditional clauses (after if, unless, providing, etc.) we can use will, but only:
- when we want emphasis and will makes an intention or promise stronger: lf you will
insist on the best, then you must expect to pay more for it.
- in polite requests - will means 'be willing to': If you'll hold these bags for me, I can open
the door.
We use would instead of will in reported speech and conditionals:
They promised they would work on it all weekend. Harry asked me if I would help him out.
3. COMMON PHRASES
I'm (just) about to go out. (= in a very short time)
We were on the point of leaving when the bell rang.
We're due to meet in half an hour.

PRACTICE
1. Tick (√) the most appropriate of the underlined words.

a) She looks very pale. I think she’ll / she's going to faint.

b) I’ll / I'm going to do that for you, if you like.
c) I'll be / I'm going to be a rocket scientist when I grow up.
d) 'Somebody's at the door.' 'I’ll / I'm going to see who it is.'
e) I need to be home early today so I leave / am leaving at 4.00.
f) We'll be in plenty of time providing the traffic is not / will not be too bad.
g) She asked if I would / will be so kind as to give her a lift.
h) What sort of job do you think you will do / will be doing in a few years time?
i) By the time you get back, all the food will have gone / will go.
j) The two Prime Ministers are to / shall discuss the current economic crisis.

2. Fill each of the gaps in the following sentences with a suitable word or phrase.

Example: I was just about to have a cup of coffee when Sue called.
a) He was ............... resigning when the news of his promotion came through.
b) Our builder told me he ............... best to get the materials as soon as he could.
c) I think we'd better leave this restaurant as soon ................. the bill.
 d) If that little boy carries on like that, he ................ accident before long.
e) By the time I qualify, I .................. law for six years.
f) Our company is .................... over by a multi-national.

3. A word is missing from most of the numbered pairs of lines in the passage. Mark the
place with a line /, and write the missing word on the right. If a pair of lines does not
need a word added, put a tick (Ѵ). The first two have been done for you.

Example: Despite all the lessons we have learned from history, ...........Ѵ

it is difficult to conceive what people are likely / be doing ……. to.

1. a hundred years now. During this century, so many changes have .......
2. taken place that any idea as to what new invention is about become .......
3. an integral part of our lives has become more of a guessing game .......
4. than ever. For a start, in ten years' time, today's .......
5. innovations will probably have out of date. .......
6. There little doubt that many of our habitual, taken-for-granted ........
7. activities such as shopping and going to school will disappeared by .......
8. the year 2100, largely due to the growth of electronic media. But what ........
9. we have little idea about is how this affect our personal relationships. ........
10. Or rather, not ours as this will be long after we left this earth. What ........
11. concerns us is how our great-great-grandchildren be living ........
12. Will people still talking to each other face to face, or ........
13. only via computers? Will they still be able to find a friendly shoulder ........
14. to cry on when they feeling low? In the long run, who knows? ........