Welcome back! Today, we’re taking a trip down memory lane. We’ve covered how things happen generally and what’s happening right now, but what about things that are already over and done with? That’s where the Simple Past Tense comes in. In American English, we use the simple past to talk about completed actions. Whether it happened five minutes ago or five hundred years ago, this is the tense you’ll need. Let’s break it down so your readers can master it in no time! Simple past tense 1. The Active Voice: Who Did It? In the active voice, the subject is the one who performed the action in the past. Positive Statements: For regular verbs, we usually add -ed (walked, played). For irregular verbs, the form changes (ran, ate, saw). Negatives: We use the helper verb did not (or the contraction didn't ) followed by the base form of the verb. Pro Tip: Once you use "did," the main verb stays simple. We say "I didn't eat ," not "I didn't ate ." Qu...

Welcome back to the blog! Now that we’ve nailed the Simple Present , it’s time to move on to something a bit more... "happening." Today, we’re looking at the Present Continuous Tense (also called the Present Progressive). While the Simple Present handles habits and facts, the Present Continuous is all about the here and now . We use it for actions happening at this very moment or for ongoing projects. As always, we’ll break this down into Active and Passive voices so you can see exactly how the "be" verb and the "-ing" form work together. Let's dive in! Simple Present Continuous Tense 1. The Active Voice: Actions in Progress In the active voice, our subject is busy doing something right now. The Formula: [Subject] + am/is/are + [Verb ending in -ing ]. Negatives: We simply add not after the "be" verb. In American English, we love our contractions: isn't or aren't . Questions: We move the "be" verb to the front of the...

Welcome back! Today, we’re diving into one of the most essential building blocks of the American English language: the Simple Present Tense . Whether you’re describing a daily routine, stating a universal fact, or explaining how something is done, this tense is your go-to tool. To keep things crystal clear, we’ve broken this guide down into two main sections: Active Voice (where the subject does the action) and Passive Voice (where the subject receives the action). Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Simple Present Tense 1. The Active Voice In the active voice, the subject is the "star" of the sentence. They are the ones performing the action. Positive Statements: We use the base form of the verb. Remember to add an -s or -es if the subject is he, she, or it . Negative Statements: We use the auxiliary verb do not or does not (don't/doesn't) followed by the base verb. 2. The Passive Voice We use the passive voice when the action itself—or the person/thing rece...

The prepositions "of" and "about" after the verb "think" create subtle but distinct differences in meaning. Here's a breakdown: Think of To come up with something (an idea, a solution, a name, etc.): This implies a more active process of creation or recall. "I can't think of her name right now." (My mind isn't producing it.) "Let's think of a way to solve this problem." (Let's invent or devise a solution.) "He thought of a funny joke." (An idea came to his mind.) To have a particular opinion or view of someone or something: This focuses on your judgment or assessment. "What do you think of this new movie?" (What is your opinion or judgment?) "I don't think much of his behavior." (I have a low opinion of it.) "She thinks highly of her teacher." (She has a good opinion of her.) To recall or remember someone or something: This emphasizes bringing som...

  The words "soon" and "quickly" are both adverbs that relate to time, but they describe different aspects of it: Soon refers to a time in the near future or a short time after a specific point. It focuses on when something will happen. The emphasis is on the proximity to the present or a given moment. Quickly refers to the speed at which something is done. It focuses on how something happens. The emphasis is on the rapidity of the action. Here are some examples to illustrate the difference: "I will be there soon ." (Indicates that arrival will happen in a short amount of time from now.) "She finished the task quickly ." (Indicates that the task was completed at a fast pace.) "If you order now, it will arrive soon ." (The arrival time will be in the near future.) "He quickly ate his lunch." (The act of eating was done rapidly.) You can sometimes use them in the same sentence, but they modify different parts of the action...

"Feel Bad" is a common expression. When collocated with "for," it conveys a meaning of commiseration and sympathy. The object after "for" is typically a person. Example: He tried hard but lost again. I feel bad for him. When collocated with "about," it conveys a variety of meanings, mostly related to one's negative feelings toward someone or something. Example: He dumped his new girlfriend too. I truly feel bad about him. (Here, the focus is on his actions, not sympathy for him. If you mean sympathy for the girlfriend, you would say, "I feel bad for her.") Different Meanings of "Feel Bad About" 1. Negative feelings toward someone for something bad they did to you or someone else. This phrase often includes the act after "about." Example: I feel bad about what he did to his loving girlfriend. He cheated on her. 2. Expressing regret or remorse for one's own actions. Here, "about" is used to talk about...