Grammar Help! (Tenses).

[Ahleckz]

I'm stuck on this question (the slight hangover is probably to blame).

"Graham was having a bath when the phone rang".

Name tense A ('was having');
Name tense B ('rang').

At first I thought it was past perfect (A) and past simple (B) as the past perfect tense is used for the first (earliest) action and past simple is used for the more recent action. Plus, perfect would need a 'ed' addition to the verb no?

So that leaves me now thinking that A would be past continuous. and B would then be past simple. Correct'a'mundo?

But, I'm not so sure. Any nazis help?

 

[DanielMMS]

A - Past progressive
B - Simple past

 

[Kosmiche]

Having a bath is Graham, ring the phone does.

 

[div0]

Was having = Past Continuous
Rang = Past

 

[Ahleckz]

Cheers guys, I knew my first answer was wrong - Just wanted some clarification.

 

[PaulyD]

Yoda

Cracked me up

 

[[FnG]magnolia]

Grammar Help! (Tenses).

Tell me this was intentional.

 

[Ahleckz]

Sure. It was intentional.

 

[Cr0fty]

Tell me this was intentional.

Nope... It was in-tensional!1!

Coat is on

 

[Ahleckz]

Me again!

"Yes. Good Idea. His train leaves at 2.30pm". I need to find the future tense, but I can't fathom how it is possibly a future tense.

Any help would be most welcome.

 

[DirtyJester]

..will leave

 

[RomanNose]

Leaves is future tense.

 

[Ahleckz]

So it's future perfect?

 

[RomanNose]

I believe so.

 

[Fenris]

So it's future perfect?

?

 

[Feef]

It's the present simple used to describe future events that we can't change- present continuous can similarly be used for future events relating to persons that can be changed (over simplified, but I'm in my phone )

 

[Feef]

There's overlap between them in our usage, check out your grammar book on using the present to express the future. You HAVE bought one before starting your celta, I hope?

 

[Ahleckz]

I think that is what threw me, it's in the 'future forms' (not tense) section so I had assumed they must be one of the future forms. However, that doesn't seem to offer the best fit.

I'm not sure how exact I'm meant to be getting these questions, I'm having a bash at the ones I know and then checking my book (Practical English Usage, Swan) and the internet for the ones that I'm stuck with. However, I'm not sure if it's OK to have some blank or wrong. It's just the pre course tasks.

 

[King Damager]

Guessing this is all part of your teaching English abroad?

kd

 

[Ahleckz]

Quite KD. Just pre-course tasks. I don't think I'm meant to know everything to a great standard, I think they just want an idea of what level people are at.

Start tomorrow.